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BBRS announces Ombudsman Association membership

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The Business Banking Resolution Service (BBRS) has successfully obtained Complaint Handler membership of the Ombudsman Association (OA).

The BBRS is a not-for-profit, free, dispute resolution service for SMEs who have claims against their banks. Its membership of the OA was awarded following a review of the service covering areas such as independence, accessibility, openness, transparency and efficiency. A submission on these areas was supported by evidence of the robust policies, processes and procedures of the BBRS.

Mark Grimshaw, Chief Executive of the BBRS commented, “I’m very pleased that our independence and best practice approach has been recognised with membership of the OA. Our membership will help us to maintain the highest standards.”

Membership of the OA gives the BBRS access to forums and networks covering areas such as operations, legal, quality and policy. BBRS leadership and their teams will be able to engage and network with other ombudsman schemes and complaint handling organisations, with the opportunity to discuss common challenges and experiences.

Donal Galligan, Chief Executive of the OA, said, “We’re delighted that the BBRS meets our Complaint Handler Member criteria and has joined the OA. In sharing experiences, ombudsman schemes and complaint handlers can shape and adopt best practice from across the sector, helping to drive improvements in the delivery of services and complaint handling.”

The BBRS recently appealed directly to North West-based businesses, including those in Manchester, to see if their unresolved banking disputes can be tackled. It is estimated that nearly 600,000 UK SMEs could qualify for the BBRS’ independent, free specialist dispute resolution services – including more than 57,000 based in North West England – which covers current and past complaints, dating back to 2001.

ASK AND VITA PRESENT DETAILED DESIGNS FOR NEXT PHASE OF DEVELOPMENT AT FIRST STREET

  • Ask Real Estate and Vita Group have revealed more information about their proposals for the site, including the design of the two buildings
  • Plans include a NABERS 5.5* sustainable office building alongside Vita Group’s new concept food hall and high-quality, purpose built student accommodation
  • Local residents invited to have their say as part of a second stage of consultation, with more information available through the consultation website and drop-in events

Ask Real Estate and Vita Group have today shared updated plans for Plot 10 at First Street, including the design of the two stunning new buildings.

Located on River Street, to the south of Number One First Street and James Grigor Square, Plot 10 is one of the last remaining plots in the First Street masterplan. The developers recently shared their early ideas for commercially-led mixed use development on the site as part of an initial stage of consultation.

Alongside building 9a (due to complete in 2024 and house the Government Property Agency’s Manchester Hub), the plans for Plot 10 will see the area around James Grigor Square take shape as another vibrant focal point, continuing the success story of one of Manchester city centre’s most transformational regeneration schemes.

The plans for the site include Ask’s proposals for a next generation sustainable office building and Vita’s innovative House of Social concept, combining high-quality, purpose-built student accommodation with a ground floor food hall open to all.

New public space and pedestrian connections around and between these two new buildings will help spread the vibrancy of Tony Wilson Place southwards and open up First Street to more people.

On the eastern half of the site (Plot 10a), Ask’s new office building would provide approximately 215,000 sq ft of market leading sustainable new office space, supporting around 2,000 jobs. Targeting a NABERS 5.5* rating – the highest level of environmental performance in use- this pioneering new building will add to First Street’s cutting edge offer to occupiers.

Jon Matthews Architects’ striking design for the 13 storey building will contribute to the emerging streetscape in this part of First Street, complementing the neighbouring building 9a designed by the same architects.

The eastern part of the site will host Vita’s innovative new student accommodation brand, House of Social. Focused on sharing apartments supported by great social facilities, this brand has been designed to cater to a growing number of students seeking accommodation in the city centre, relieving the pressures this demand currently puts on the local housing stock.

Already an important part of the First Street neighbourhood, Vita’s commitment to quality design and active management is reflected in the existing Vita Student First Street building on Jack Rosenthal Street. The building on Plot 10b will provide over 600 student bedspaces within 4 and 6-bed apartments, with a focus on proactive management and building a sense of community.

The building’s ground floor food hall will open on to River Street to the north and east, with landscaped spill out area for the food hall further activating the street to the east. The food hall is designed to bring the community together with a focus on sustainable local producers and traders.

The elegant design of the building, by Tim Groom Architects, takes inspiration from the historic mill buildings nearby. At 52m (17 residential storeys), the design steps down from the building on Plot 10a, and is well below the height envisaged for the site in the First Street Strategic Development Framework.

Since Ask and Vita announced their vision for the site in August, the plans for Plot 10 have continued to take shape, taking on board feedback from the local community. Both developers now want to hear people’s views on their updated proposals before submitting a joint planning application by the end of the year.

This next stage of consultation will be open until Friday 11 November 2022 and the consultation website (www.firststreet-plot10.co.uk) provides more information about the proposals and how local people can have their say.

Local residents and anyone else with an interest in the proposals are encouraged to attend one of two drop-in events at Vita Student First Street (13 Jack Rosenthal Street, M15 4RB), on Tuesday 1 November and Thursday 3 November.

John Hughes, Managing Director of Ask Real Estate, said:

“We’re delighted to unveil the stunning design for our NABERS 5.5* office building by Jon Matthews Architects. Having listened to feedback from the first stage of consultation, we’re even more confident that this trailblazing new building will not only provide market leading floorspace to bolster First Street’s offer, but also help bring new life to the area around James Grigor Square.”

Max Bielby, Chief Operating Officer for Vita Group, commented:

“The vibrant mix of uses at First Street makes it the perfect place to launch our new House of Social concept in Manchester. We’ve given careful thought to the design, making sure this elegant building will complement and enhance its surroundings. The ground floor food hall will bring new life to this part of First Street and bring the community together.

“Having been part of the First Street neighbourhood for almost 10 years, we take very seriously our commitment to quality management and being good neighbours, and these values are shared by every member of our in-house team.”

Williams BMW i7 Debut Set to POP Alongside Jeff Koons Masterpiece at Manchester Art Fair

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Williams, the prestigious automotive retailer, will debut the all-new fully electric luxury BMW i7 alongside a limited-edition Jeff Koons masterpiece at Manchester Art Fair.

Williams has chosen the UK’s most ambitious art fair as the perfect platform to unveil the brand-new BMW i7, making the Fair one of the first locations to host the luxury sedan before it’s launch in late November.

Securing the early reveal of the i7 together with “The 8 x Jeff Koons”, a BMW M850i Gran Coupé that has been transformed by the world-renowned artist to offer the ultimate blend of pop art and performance, ensures the Williams presence at the art fair will be a celebration of contemporary design and engineering.

Industry leading design of the i7 displays ‘Forwardism’ in the electric car market. With Swarovski crystals as headlights, a 31.3-inch drop down BMW theatre screen creating a private cinema in the rear seats, and a luxurious lounge atmosphere for the driver and passengers, the unveiling of the vehicle within Manchester Art Fair highlights the creativity and skills of its engineers and designers.

Alongside the premiere of the i7, Williams has secured world-renowned artist Jeff Koon’s pop art limited edition BMW M850i xDrive Gran Coupé to be the centrepiece of the entrance hall at Manchester Art Fair. “The 8 X Jeff Koons, is the ultimate blend of pop art and performance and will greet visitors to the Fair – taking pride of place as people arrive at the prestigious three-day event. With only 99 models scheduled for production globally, the collaboration vehicle will be transported from its appearance at Frieze London in Regents Park for its first Northern viewing.

With over 200 hours spent on the exterior paint for each model, the BMW M850i xDrive Gran Coupé has literally been used as a blank canvas. Inspired by the world of pop art and showcasing strong connections with former BMW Art Car creator Roy Lichtenstein, Jeff Koons has successfully paired his bold visual style with the powerful BMW design elements. The craftsmanship and purpose can be seen and felt in every detail, from the artist’s lasered signature to the luxurious seats.

Guy Adams, managing director at Williams, said, “John Henry Williams founded the business in 1909 as a wheel manufacturer on Deansgate – just around the corner from Manchester Central where the Art Fair is curated.  From starting out making wheels over one hundred years ago, to now unveiling the futuristic all-electric BMW i7 so close to our roots, is a privilege. Having represented BMW in the region for the past 50 years, and as the longest serving BMW retailer, we have selected this highly anticipated event to unveil two of our very special vehicles, creating another manifestation of our purpose and ethos – ‘the difference is Williams.”

Thom Hetherington, CEO of Manchester Art Fair, adds “Since 2008 we have welcomed art lovers to the heart of Manchester for the annual Manchester Art Fair. This is our most ambitious year yet, so to have the Williams team choosing to debut the BMW i7 with us is fantastic. The Jeff Koons 8 Series is spectacular, we are excited for our visitors to be welcomed by the work of a world-renowned and well-respected artist.”

Manchester Art Fair will be delivering a friendly, welcoming art buying experience from 4-6 November at Manchester Central with the i7 and the BMW M850i xDrive Gran Coupé available for viewing throughout. Tickets are available from manchesterartfair.co.uk

CDL named in global InsurTech 100

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CDL has been included in the elite InsurTech 100 list of the most innovative organisations in the insurance industry worldwide.

Compiled by data and research firm, FinTech Global, the InsurTech 100 was selected by a panel of industry experts, who analysed market and company data before announcing the final cut. Those successful demonstrate considerable business growth, the innovative use of technology to solve an industry problem, and cost and efficiency improvements across the insurance value chain.

CDL has been recognised for pioneering technologies supporting high-volume transactions for many of the most successful insurance brands in the world’s most sophisticated personal lines market. This includes investing significantly in building a blueprint for a global insurance ecosystem to deliver data-driven insurance experiences, harnessing proactive technology.

Over the past year, a key goal was to support insurance providers to grow their policy portfolio with consumers, with CDL’s Proactive Insurance proposition helping insurance retailers to strengthen relationships with consumers by making intelligent product recommendations. There were high-profile deployments for new and longstanding customers, such as Pukka Services and telematics specialists, GoShorty and Carrot Insurance.

CDL secured Amazon Web Services (AWS) Financial Services ISV Competency status, supporting increased adoption of its cloud-based insurer hosted pricing solution for insurers. It also launched a new policy management platform for insurers and Managing General Agents.

Crucially, it migrated all its core systems customers to AWS, becoming a cloud-only company and enabling it to offer its solutions under a Software as a Service model, with low code or low code/no model ensuring customers benefit from speed of deployment and ease of maintenance.

CDL’s commercial director, Nigel Phillips, said: “We are thrilled to be recognised as an InsurTech 100 company. It is testament to the pioneering work we are doing in the UK’s insurance industry, which is arguably the most advanced in the world. CDL’s culture of blue-sky thinking and desire to be at the cutting edge of new technology ensures we are leaders in the insurtech space, and we are delighted to be recognised for that here.”

SUSTAINABILITY LEADER JOINS CBRE

Lucinda Lay to strengthen Regional Sustainability team as Biodiversity Net Gain Lead

CBRE’s Regional Sustainability team has been bolstered by the appointment of Lucinda Lay, who joins as Biodiversity Net Gain lead supporting the ESG offering and championing the delivery of nature-positive operations. Working with Regional Sustainability Director Lydia Dutton, Lucinda will be based in Manchester and supports the North and Scotland with a national remit to develop a biodiversity net gain proposition.

Lucinda joins from Mitie where she was both Head of Nature and ESG Programme Manager working across Lloyds Banking Group’s sustainability strategy, supporting their journey to Net Zero Carbon by 2030. At Mitie, Lydia also worked on the expansion into Biodiversity Net Gain and Nature Positive Solutions. Lucinda worked with clients including Sellafield, Magnox and Department for Transport on their journeys to nature-positive operations.

Prior to joining Mitie, Lucinda was Director of Operations for the Innovation Gateway alliance and as Sustainability Programmes Manager for The University of Oxford, was responsible for the design and delivery of a £14.6M CAPEX programme to achieve 33% reduction in carbon emissions across the functional estate by 2020/21.

This key appointment underlines CBRE’s ability to advise on the Environment Act 2021, which introduced a new mandatory need to demonstrate 10% biodiversity net gain from November 2023 onwards for all projects needing planning consent.

A recent biodiversity report “Living Planet 2022’ cited global wildlife populations have plummeted by 69% on average since 1970, highlighting the need to work together to help bring back the thriving ecosystems that provide vital survival services.  CBRE will be supporting clients in their response to this through embedding effective biodiversity strategies into their sustainable development programmes.

Lydia Dutton, Regional Sustainability Director, CBRE said:

“As we continue to engage with our clients across the regions there is clear interest and drive to embed ESG in the North and Scotland. Lucinda brings a wealth of sustainability experience which will add significant value and insight for CBRE and our clients.”

Lucinda Lay added:

Climate change and biodiversity loss are the two significant challenges of the 21st Century. Joining the CBRE ESG consultancy provides me with a new opportunity to push through transformational change within the CRE sector.  As a progressive leader with a clear vision to innovate and deliver change, I am excited to build the partnerships needed to make it happen.”

Exciting Partnership between Booking.com and Tech Returners

12 new software developers have recently been welcomed into one of the world’s leading digital travel companies; Booking.com. They’ll make up part of the company’s Manchester based team, as part of its ongoing partnership with Tech Returners, an organisation specialising in upskilling engineers to return to the tech industry after a career break.

Booking.com’s Trips division, which will move into its new £100m home at Manchester’s Enterprise City later this year, has created the roles having sponsored its second cohort of candidates through Tech Returners’ ‘Your Return to Tech’ programme.

The 8-week course is designed and proven to tackle the industry’s well-documented skills shortage and provide software developers – the majority of which are women – with a free route back to high-quality employment after a career break. 

The full-time appointments started in June and cover roles across the company’s Trips division, including its Taxis, Cars, Insurance and Data teams, and forms part of its plan to significantly grow the business’ 1,000-strong presence in the city.

Beyond refreshing and re-skilling individuals from a technical perspective, the programme also provides each participant with career and mindset coaching, drilling down into different skills and behaviours from how to rebuild confidence to interview preparation and practice.

To date, the Tech Returners programme has placed more than 100 mid-level software developers into a range of UK-based organisations that value diversity in their technical teams, including The Guardian, Daemon and The BBC. 

Matthias Schmid, SVP for the Booking.com Trips division said: “As the travel industry experiences a resurgence following the pandemic, we have ambitious plans to create a vast range of new roles to join the 300 skilled professionals we’ve already hired across our Trips team this year alone. The city’s world-class talent is a key reason why we call Manchester home. Working with progressive organisations like Tech Returners means we can provide a platform and career pathways for diverse talent to shine, deliver game-changing innovation and ultimately fly the flag for the local tech scene internationally.”

Beckie Taylor, CEO and Co-founder of Tech Returners commented: “As a team passionate about building diverse tech teams and supporting people to realise their potential, we are beyond proud to see another successful cohort of returners get back to their careers and back to themselves.

It’s a privilege to collaborate with organisations, like Booking.com, that are capable of seeing beyond the perceived stigma that accompanies a career break and that instead recognise the expertise, skills and value that this demographic brings to the tech industry. We’ve seen time and time again that an opportunity is all someone needs to reignite their career in tech.”

Published and distributed by PR FIRE (www.prfire.co.uk)

Stockport based Parfetts awards an 8% bonus.

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Employee-owned Parfetts awards an 8% bonus.

Employee-owned wholesaler Parfetts is awarding colleagues an 8% profit share bonus to recognise their contribution to the continued growth of the business.

The move follows a bonus of up to 2% in June and an exceptional cost of living payment of up to £500.

Parfetts has seen a series of record trading periods over the last six months, with its annual Parfest and the September Savers promotional event driving record sales. The September event saw sales top £14.6m, while the Aintree depot achieved sales of £3.5m during the promotional week.

Guy Swindell, joint managing director of Parfetts, said: “Our team continues to go above and beyond to deliver great customer service and help retailers maximise their margins in a challenging economic climate. We want to ensure that we recognise this dedication with a bonus that will help with the rising cost of living that we all face.

“Parfetts is pushing on all fronts to ensure that we continue to help our customers however they shop with us – in our network of industry-leading depots, through our ever-growing team of regional development managers, and with investment in new technology to ensure it’s easy to do business with us.

“We’ve doubled down on our seasonal events, which are designed to drive footfall, increase basket spend and grow margins. Plus, we are continuing to offer our usual promotional support, including one-day specials, manager’s specials, three weekly promotions schedules and supplier takeovers. As a result, we are confident that we are leading the industry in delivering value to our retailers and their customers.”

Parfetts has reinvested in the business in the last year to support customers. It has advanced plans to improve and expand its depots, rapidly grow the delivered service, and expanded its fascia operations.

A new depot is in development in Birmingham to expand its presence in the Midlands and down the M40 corridor.

Manchester-Based Female Duo Combine Fashion, Sustainability and Science in Launch of New Luxury Fashion Brand

  • New Manchester-based fashion brand, SNOODY™, created by Lucy Hope and Karen Seddon and supported by a collective of fashion designers, material technologists, sustainability experts and scientists
  • Incorporates material technology by Virustatic® which was awarded a prestigious Business of Fashion, Textiles and Technology (BFTT) grant to develop sustainable textile coatings
  • Genderless over-sized luxury apparel with signature piece being its ‘Snoody’ priced at £75
  • The Snoody’s in-built snood material can protect wearers from airborne nasties and incorporates viruferrin® protein technology

A new Manchester-based sustainable fashion brand that specialises in luxury pieces has launched after two female experts saw the opportunity to combine their specialisms in fashion and science.

Genderless online luxury fashion brand SNOODY™  (www.snoody.store) based between The Yard at Cheetham Hill, Manchester’s fashion and creativity hub and Alderley Park, Cheshire, the home of world-leading science, is set to launch this week which will see its first line go live which includes its signature piece which is its oversized hoody, aptly named Snoody, priced at £75.

The product’s unique, as it combines 100% certified organic cotton material, which is completely pesticide and fertiliser free with a lower water footprint than conventional cotton, as well as featuring an in-built snood, which is the science part, providing aerosol filtration and incorporating Virustatic® innovation award-winning technology, that can be pulled up and down as needed.

The business has been quick to market thanks to science firm, Virustatic, being awarded £150,000 in funding by the Business of Fashion, Textiles and Technology (BFTT) (www.bftt.org.uk) to develop its sustainability-driven, innovative textile coating to replace the use of metal-based chemicals for the antimicrobial treatment of fabric and textiles and has led to the creation of new products.

The prestigious award has funded the salary of sustainable chemist, Dr Joseph Houghton, who has joined the Virustatic team. He has been helping deliver the testing virustatic® technology on new circular and biodegradable sustainable materials and is helping drive the project forward in partnership with world-leading sustainability experts, material technologists and green chemists within the BFTT at the University of Leeds and University of the Arts London (UAL).

Talking about SNOODY™’s launch Karen Seddon, a fashion expert from Cheshire with over 25 years of experience, and part of the founding duo said: “This brand really is a culmination of British talent, expertise, and innovation. Lucy and I have brought together a collective to support our knowledge and expertise to really launch something different. It’s not been an overnight thing; it’s been years in the making. We wanted to change the game when it came to sustainable fashion, and we believe we have with our signature launch product the Snoody, its material and ‘snood’ is somewhat futuristic.

“All of our colours and designs are ‘less is more’ but we have not skimped on the fabric quality. Each one is made with super soft, brushed back 100% organic cotton and you can just feel the superiority when you touch and wear it.

“I am so proud to be part of this launch and we can’t wait to see what consumers and the industry alike think of our new products and brand.

The collective has focused on creating planet-positive apparel that uses natural proteins to replace the over-use of metal-based chemicals in textile supply chains.

Lucy Hope, from Marple Bridge, the development director at Virustatic®, the science organisation that brings the science credentials to the dynamic expert team, also commented on the launch: “Since the inception of Virustatic® we have been keen to develop the use of our award-winning natural protein technology for the greater good and, after meeting Karen and her fashion team, we just couldn’t turn down the opportunity to create something unique.

“We believe this range, and the signature product is the perfect balance between luxury fashion, comfort and in-built science-backed technology that can help not only keep wearers warm but also protected.

“The overuse of metal-based chemicals in the fashion and textile industry is concerning to all industry insiders. Virustatic® is committed to researching and developing renewable, biobased, antimicrobial textile solutions to reduce the environmental burden of harmful chemicals used in the industry.

“The Viruferrin® coating that’s placed onto every in-built snood contains a biobased naturally occurring protein coating that electrostatically enhances the material to filter airborne nasties. When worn, the snood material can also conveniently filter out environmental pollution. It’s the perfect piece of apparel for the winter for so many reasons and I just can’t wait to see the British public buying, wearing, and reaping the benefits of these.”

The ‘Snoody’ range is only currently available from the SNOODY™ website: www.snoody.store and is priced at £75 for launch, RRP £90.

Bibby Financial Services appoints Daniel Williams as Head of Sales for Corporate North

Experienced leader joins to drive sales in North of England and Scotland

SME financier, Bibby Financial Services (BFS) has appointed Daniel Williams as Head of Sales – Corporate North as it looks to expand its support for SMEs and their advisors throughout the North of England and Scotland.

Daniel joins BFS with more than 16 years’ experience in corporate banking and commercial finance, having held a range of senior sales leadership roles within Lloyds Bank, most recently as Director of Invoice Finance Sales.

Commenting on Daniel’s appointment, UK Head of Sales, Stephen Hand said: “Our Corporate team is a huge part of our success, and we have excellent relationships throughout the UK intermediary community, a fantastic proposition and a risk appetite that enables us to say now when others say no. Appointing someone of Daniel’s calibre to build-on and enhance our support for SMEs and introducers is testament to our ambitious sales strategy.”

Daniel heads BFS’s Corporate North team, responsible for developing transactions for SMEs with turnover up to £100m supporting a range of requirements including working capital and cashflow, growth and expansion, MBIs and MBOs, refinancing, restructuring, and mergers and acquisitions.

Daniel Williams said: “BFS is incredibly well placed to support businesses overcome challenges and take advantage of opportunities they face, enabling them to unlock working capital to grow and thrive. We have fantastic people and a flexible approach to funding, so I’m delighted to join the business at such an important time for UK PLC.”

BFS is the UK’s largest independent invoice finance provider and supports nearly 9,000 SME clients globally through its invoice finance and asset finance solutions. In addition, its product range includes Foreign Exchange, Export and Trade Finance, as well as specialist finance for the construction sector.

Daniel Williams added: “Our ambition is to build on the attributes BFS is already well-known for and leverage our product portfolio to grow our financing support for SMEs throughout the UK. We’re actively recruiting for other key roles within the Corporate team, and we will be reaching out to our valued introducer network in the North of England and Scotland over the coming weeks to understand how we can bolster our support for them and their clients in the remainder of 2022 and beyond.”

STAGECOACH MANCHESTER TO SET UP REGULAR DONATIONS TO THE TRUSSELL TRUST FOOD BANKS ACROSS THE REGION

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Local bus operator Stagecoach Manchester announces it will regularly donate essential food products to the Trussell Trust’s food banks across the Greater Manchester area, as it launches staff drop-off points at its depots.

Stagecoach Manchester is committed to supporting its local communities, and the support for the Trussell Trust serves as part of the bus company’s nationwide “Giving for Good” initiative. This initiative aims to support local communities by promoting health & wellbeing, supporting young people in skills and employment, addressing loneliness and increasing opportunity and accessibility to much-needed services.

The Trussell Trust is an anti-poverty charity that supports a nationwide network of more than 1,300 food bank centres and together they provide emergency food and support to help people facing hardship.

Sophie Carre – Head of Corporate Partnerships at the Trussell Trust said:

“Food banks in our network have told us they are being stretched to breaking point as a result of rising need, increased energy costs and inflation and they’re preparing for their hardest ever winter. We are delighted to work alongside Stagecoach as part of their ‘Giving for Good’ initiative. Their support will help food banks within our network continue to provide the lifeline of emergency support for local people facing financial hardship in these challenging times, while we work in the long term to end the need for food banks, for good. Thank you so much”

Local support for the Trussell Trust includes food banks in areas close to the six Stagecoach Manchester depots where collections will take place; Tameside East, Manchester Central, Middleton, Stockport and Atherton & Leigh.

Lee Wasnidge, Managing Director of Stagecoach Manchester said: “We are extremely passionate about supporting our local communities, and the Giving for Good initiative allows us to identify local charities, providing real hands-on help to those in need throughout our region.

“The cost-of-living crisis will hit hard this winter, and vulnerable families across Manchester will rely on help from charities such as the Trussell Trust, so we’re delighted to help however we can.”

For more information on the Trussell Trust, and opportunities to get involved with activity taking place across Greater Manchester, visit the website:

For further detail on Stagecoach’s Giving For Good initiative, visit the webpage: