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MORE THAN HALF OF FAMILIES IN THE NORTH WEST WITH CHILDREN UNDER 5 STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY OR WITH THEIR MENTAL HEALTH – NEW REPORT FROM THE UK COMMITTEE FOR UNICEF (UNICEF UK)

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New poll reveals almost quarter of a million parents with young children in the North West are struggling financially or with their mental health, as almost 1 in 3 struggle to get professional support – UNICEF UK

  • In the North West 61% of parents say they are struggling with their mental health and 70% have been negatively affected by the rising cost of living
  • Parents in the North West with young children cite a lack of support as a key factor in their struggle, with more than 1 in 3 struggling to see a health care professional when their child is unwell, as services are stretched to breaking point following the pandemic despite the heroic efforts of overstretched staff
  • Families forced to make impossible decisions due to cost-of-living increases as new poll reveals more than 1 in 15  parents in the North West are skipping meals to pay for childcare (7%).
  • For those parents in the North West already feeling the pinch from the rising cost-of-living, over half have cut back on their electricity and gas usage with more than 1 in 10 unable to properly heat their home as winter approaches

Across Britain over 2 million families with children under 5 are struggling financially or with their mental health, the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) has today (18th October) warned as it encourages the new Prime Minister to support the nation’s parents and carers and put the needs of young children at the heart of decision making.

The charity’s new report, ‘Early Moments Matter’ is a stark snapshot of families struggling to get professional support for themselves and their children as they recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, battle increases in the costs of basic essentials and grapple with expensive childcare costs.

The report, which includes new polling from YouGov, reveals that 1 in 3 parents – over 1 million families – across Britain are struggling to get any professional support, with 37% struggling to get help when their child is unwell. The charity warns that the first years of a child’s life are critical, and the lack of basic support is putting children’s immediate and long-term wellbeing and development at risk.

The report highlights how basic support services like health visiting, mental health support, affordable early education and childcare should be available for everyone regardless of where they live – but instead gaps in availability means families across the country are missing out. UNICEF UK warns that waiting lists are long, provision is patchy and, in some areas, not there at all. This lack of support is having a damaging effect on children’s healthy development and parents’ mental health.

“Where you’re going in life shouldn’t be determined by where you live and the support and services your parents and carers are able to access in that location when you are a young child.” warns UNICEF UK’s Chief Executive, Jon Sparkes OBE

“Up and down the country, we’re hearing how the rise in the cost of living, expensive childcare, a lack of mental health support and a scarcity of basic, local support services, are affecting children’s life chances and pushing families to breaking point. We need to act now to support families and protect children’s futures” continued Sparkes.

In a nationally representative survey parents of 0–4-year-olds said the key issues were:

  • Mental health: almost 60% of parents have struggled with their mental health – as cost-of-living increases and stretched services leave them without support, with parents on lower incomes most likely to struggle with their mental health. Over 3 in 4 of those struggling to access support for their children feel frustrated, with more than 40% feeling angry or anxious and over a third feeling abandoned.
  • Cost-of-living: Parents and carers are forced to make impossible choices, with just under a quarter of a million choosing between eating a meal and paying for childcare. For those already struggling financially, just under half of all parents and carers have cut back on their electricity and gas usage with 1 in 10 unable to heat their homes. In a snapshot of struggling families, the polling also showed parents struggle with making appointments and receiving health visits.
  • Making appointments: When polled, over 1.3 million parents – more than a third of parents – have struggled to see a healthcare professional when their very young child was unwell. Among those struggling to access support, over 70% have faced long waits for appointments and almost 30% have been promised follow up appointments that didn’t materialise.
  • Receiving health visits: 1 in 10 parents – just under half a million – reported not receiving any of their minimum health visits, while half say they received some of what they are entitled to. Nearly 1 in 5 parents in London – more than 93,000 reported not receiving a single health visit since their child was born. Parents and carers in low-income households are worst affected, with almost a fifth (18%) of those earning under £10k not receiving any health visits.

The research shows some clear regional disparities when it comes to the experiences of UK parents and carers, with YouGov data revealing the hardest place to access support is the South East (39%) and East of England (36%). As well as the regional disparities, UNICEF UK’s data finds that these challenges are often felt worst by families on lower income brackets.

Sparkes added: “We know that services are stretched, and parents and carers are doing their best with the resources they have. But the fact is that, for many babies, toddlers and their families, essential support services are in limited supply.

“While there are a range of sources setting out what services should be available for every baby and toddler in England, there is no central overview of where this core support does and doesn’t exist, no easily accessible information for parents and carers about what they are entitled to, or a plan for filling the gaps.

“Efforts to address these challenges, through initiatives like the Start for Life offer, Levelling Up Vision and Plan for Patients are a start, but we need to go further. The solution is for leaders to make a guaranteed and lasting commitment to children’s early years, supporting parents and carers, and putting the needs of babies and toddlers at the heart of their decision making.”

UNICEF UK state that decades of under investment in early childhood services mean that today babies, toddlers and families are not getting the support they need across a range of vital services. The needs of babies, young children and their families are also overlooked in national policy responses that affect their lives. The children’s charity is calling for a re-think in baby and toddler services and improved support for our youngest citizens and their families by introducing a ‘National Baby and Toddler Guarantee,’ which would set out the basic services that every young child in the UK is entitled to – whoever they are and wherever they are born. This would mean that families know what support is there for their baby’s health, well-being, and early education, right from the start. According to UNICEF UK, the UK Government can do this by:

  • Committing to making The National Baby and Toddler Guarantee a reality for every young child across the country that covers health visiting, maternity services, mental health support and early education and childcare
  • Making early childhood a national priority for the Government with Cabinet-level leadership to drive the delivery of The National Baby and Toddler Guarantee across the country, which ensures coherence between government departments and fills the gap in policy making
  • Delivering a cross-Government early childhood strategy, which builds on the vision and commitments in Start for Life, and responds to the challenges of workforce, funding, and governance with joint outcomes for early childhood development and that sits across Government departments
  • Committing to tracking and monitoring progress towards delivery of The Guarantee for every young child across England

Sparkes continued “Every child has the right to a happy, healthy childhood. We know that the experiences in the first few years of a child’s life will shape their life chances – how long and healthy their life will be, whether they will make friends and develop relationships, even how much money they will earn.

“While measures have been announced to tackle GP waiting times and support for energy bills, targeted support for families and children must be at the heart of the UK Government’s response.

“We have a community of capable, passionate professionals and a nation of dedicated parents and carers – they need the right support to ensure the nation’s youngest citizens can flourish.” concluded Sparkes.

UNICEF UK’s Early Moments Matter campaign launches today. Sign up to UNICEF UK’s petition calling on the UK Government to introduce a National Baby and Toddler Guarantee here: https://unicef.uk/early-moments-campaign

First Class Learning looks to Manchester for its expansion plans

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Whether you’re a teacher, tutor, or just someone with a gift for educating, First Class Learning are on the lookout for franchisees to lead its expansion into Manchester. The tuition company has received a record number of enquiries in 2022, which has spurred its expansion into the city.

First Class Learning (FCL) is a highly successful education franchise specialising in maths and English, is targeting further expansion in Manchester.

Ed Hyslop, Chief Executive, First Class Learning, explains: “We have identified Manchester as a key target area for expansion. We’re looking for like-minded and motivated individuals with the desire to run their own business helping children overcome their personal obstacles in maths and English. Above all else we are looking for people who share our passion for working with children and helping them succeed.

“It is important to us that potential franchisees have the qualities needed for the role. Although around 80% of the company’s existing franchisees are ex-teachers or have an education background, this is not a necessary pre-requisite as the company welcomes anyone with a business background who can be trained in the FCL learning strategies and methodologies. Centre Managers choose the days and times that suit their venues, as well as the fee structure for their centre. Our set-up also offers a great deal of flexibility based on personal circumstances, and therefore a great work/life balance.”

Record number of enquiries

FCL has received a record number of enquiries from parents in 2022 who know their children need extra support to make up for the disruption to their learning in recent years.

FCL is a franchise tuition business that focuses on building the skills and confidence of its students. This is achieved by taking a personalised approach to children’s learning using the highly regarded maths and English programmes, which are created by the in-house team of qualified education specialists. FCL works with children and their parents to ensure that it is the best fit for them – and, of course, the same goes for prospective franchisees.

Hyslop adds: “Core to FCL’s success is investment in people, which puts children at the heart of everything we do. Since our launch over fifteen years ago we have helped over 100,000 students. We are here to make a positive difference to children’s learning development.”

First Class Learning has low start-up costs, with investment levels varying depending on where a centre is situated with initial franchise fees starting at £8,000 + VAT. For further information please visit https://www.firstclasslearning.co.uk/own-a-franchise.

The ONTO Group Expands Following Significant Demand

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Following substantial growth success bespoke data management service provider, The ONTO Group, has bolstered its operations with significant investment in its customer service provision and a team expansion.

To meet increased business demand, a pivotal role in the company has been introduced as part of a newly formed quality assurance department – Rachel Picton has been appointed as Customer Success Executive, a promotion from her previous role as Sales and Marketing Executive.

Working closely with Co-Founder and Customer Success Director Neil Gregory, Rachel will focus on the company’s relationships with school and college clients, ensuring the delivery of a first-class service – a core philosophy for the firm referred to as the ‘WOW Factor’. Committed to guaranteeing a supportive and effective offering, The ONTO Group assigns a Customer Success Manager to each client to personally attend to all requirements.

As part of the new role Rachel, who takes on the position with a wealth of experience, will support the growth of the business by onboarding new clients and working to develop its current client contracts further. As Customer Success Executive, Rachel will also hold responsibility for the coordination of training with schools, including those which have previously worked with the group and are looking to return, with visits to the Isle of Wight and London on the immediate agenda.

To consolidate its provision further The ONTO Group has also recruited four new team members including an MIS Consultant, Arbor Consultant and two Junior MIS Consultants.

In operations, team member Riley has been promoted Operations Manager from his Operational Support role.

The ONTO Group’s Co-Founder and Managing Director, James Treacy commented, “As a progressive and highly-skilled team striving to help schools to improve their teacher and pupil outcomes, we are dedicated to delivering the WOW Factor while producing innovative and unique solutions for every customer. We have recently experienced substantial organic growth and so, to ensure high-quality customer service remains at the forefront of the company, we temporarily halted operations to invest in our infrastructure.

“The introduction of a Customer Success Executive is an important move for The ONTO Group, as we expand and continue to provide the highest standards of service in a manner whereby the fair treatment of everyone is consistently at the heart of the business. Rachel is a valued member of the team here and we are confident that in her new position, she will ensure that the needs of each institution are not only met but exceeded too. We are also exceptionally pleased to welcome four new members to the team to heighten our provision, in addition to congratulating Riley on his thoroughly deserved promotion.”

Customer Success Executive, Rachel Picton added, “My journey with The ONTO Group has been an exciting one so far and I very much look forward to growing further with the company and firmly solidifying this new role. Our clients are of the utmost importance and I will strive to ensure that a best-in-class service remains at the heart of everything that we do.”

No suitable location for Christmas lights switch-on event in Manchester this year

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Lack of a suitable and safe location to host the annual event that usually kicks off Christmas in Manchester means that this year there will be no Christmas lights switch-on show in the city.

Council bosses have spent the last few weeks trying hard to find a location that would be both big enough – with appropriate sightlines for an audience of families with small children – and also safe enough to host the much-loved annual event that regularly attracts thousands of people into the city centre to kickstart the festive season.

Despite best endeavours and trying everything to make things work, the amount of construction work currently underway at key locations in the city centre this year rules out a big switch-on event.

Plans are however already being made to ensure that the event returns to the city centre again next year 2023, ahead of what promises to be the biggest and best ever switch-on event in Manchester’s history the following year in 2024 when the event will once again return to Albert Square in front of the city’s majestic and magnificent Victorian Town Hall.

Councillor Pat Karney, Christmas spokesperson for Manchester City Council, said: “We’ve tried really hard to make a big Christmas lights switch-on event happen again this year after not being able to have one for the last couple of years, but despite our very best efforts this just isn’t going to be possible.

“Anyone who has been in the city centre recently can’t fail to have noticed all the development work going on to make Manchester even better than it already is, and as great as this is it does mean we’ve not got the space needed to safely manage a big switch-on event this year.

“The ongoing work to renovate the Town Hall rules out Albert Square, as does ongoing demolition and construction work at the end of Deansgate.  Piccadilly Gardens unfortunately isn’t suitable in its current formation for a switch-on event, and after having a good look at safety and sightline issues we’ve also had to rule out St Peter’s Square as a site that is just too complex to manage to ensure a successful event that could be enjoyed by the thousands of people, including young children, who usually attend.

“We’re very well aware how much families enjoy the switch-on and what it means to them and are gutted that we can’t deliver an event this year for them.

“We will however definitely be back with a big switch-on event next year for them, followed by Manchester’s best ever Christmas switch-on event the year after that in 2024 when our wonderful Town Hall and Albert Square will be back in use again.

“In the meantime we’ve pulled out all the stops and have got some extra special Manchester Christmas magic in store this year to bring a sparkle to the city’s streets and put a smile on everyone’s faces.

“Watch this space for more announcements very soon on some absolutely not-to-be-missed free festive treats coming to Manchester this Christmas.”

Although there won’t be a big switch-on event this year, the city centre will still be dressed in its sparkly Christmas best with streetlights, lights in trees, and light installations throughout the city centre from Thursday 10 November when the Christmas Markets open.

The exception to this is St Peter’s Square, which will host Remembrance Sunday events on Sunday 14 November, and will therefore not be lit for Christmas until the week beginning Monday 15 November to coincide with the welcome return of Father Christmas who will once again be taking up residence in front of Central Library for the duration of the festive season.

Endpoint Automation Services Celebrates Roll Call of Awards

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Robotic Process Automation (RPA) specialist Endpoint Automation Services (EAS), which has an office in central Manchester, is celebrating recognition from several high profile and much-coveted awards schemes for its work producing intelligent software automation solutions, and delivering significant efficiencies and cost savings for its clients nation-wide.

Honoured in seven major award schemes this year, EAS has achieved immense recognition this year across several levels, from respected leaders in the tech industry, to the health sector and wider notable business audiences.

Accolades bestowed upon the firm include winner of the Best Use of Robotics in Healthcare category in the Health Tech Digital Awards 2022, as well as securing finalist status in: the Health Tech Awards 2022 (Best Health Tech Solution of the Year), the Supply Chain Excellence Awards 2022 (The Uniserve Digital Transformation), the Health Investor Awards 2022 (IT Innovator of the Year) and the Computing – Digital Technology Leaders Awards 2022 (Best Not-For-Profit Project). On top of this, EAS has also been shortlisted for the 2022 Insider Media Made in the Midlands Digital Engineering / Technology Award, and for two categories in the West Midlands Business Masters 2022 (Fast Growth Business of the Year and Small Business of the Year).

Russell Lawrie, Commercial Director at EAS commented: “We have thorough systems in place to ensure we are always going above and beyond to meet, and more importantly, exceed customer expectations day in day out.”

Russell continued, “We are honoured and extremely grateful for our work to be recognised on this scale, especially by such prestigious and hotly contested award schemes. We are immensely proud of these significant accolades, and eagerly anticipate the outcome of the remaining awards ceremonies at which winners are yet to be announced.”

Located at Peter House, Oxford Street, Manchester M1 5AN, the Manchester office is EAS’s third UK-based location, complementing operations at both its Oswestry head office and the company’s Glasgow base.

With a business model perfectly suited to today’s business challenges, software solutions business EAS, was founded in 2015 and produces intelligent software automation solutions to organisations nationally including, pharma and public health bodies (including the NHS), manufacturing industries, insurance, legal and higher education sectors.

Physical robots have already transformed the plant floor, and now software robots are transforming everything else. EAS’s automation drives efficiencies in R&D, operations, supply chain management, customer engagement, and employee productivity.

EAS specialises in producing Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solutions, and with a background in complex IT and cloud automation, offer automated processing. Since establishing the business in 2015, EAS has achieved to date over £3 million in cost savings for its clients, through the development and deployment of software robots to replace manual, repetitive processes and freeing up valuable employee time to focus on more complex tasks.

The company achieved a turnover of in excess of £1.8m for 2021, up from £820,000 in 2020, and is now targeting sales of £2.2m for 2022.

For more information on the EAS visit: www.easuk.co.uk

Tastecard notes a peak in interest in eating out following the easing of the pandemic

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Tastecard offers restaurant diners discounts on a wide range of days and nights out, from big chains to local independents. Following the easing of the pandemic, they’ve seen a big revival from their clients who are seeking new locations. In fact, their online searches are higher than ever which shows that UK diners still love a night out and the pandemic hasn’t dampened people’s mood, we still need a treat and a delicious meal!

Term Cuisine Specific:

Italian restaurant near me | Online searches April 2019 – 18,689 | Online searches April 2020 – 3,768 | Online searches April 2021 – 8,711 | Online searches April 2022 – 38,137

Chinese restaurant near me | Online searches April 2019 – 60,124 | Online searches April 2020 – 28,861 | Online searches April 2021 – 27,492 | Online searches April 2022 – 79,111

Indian restaurant near me | Online searches April 2019 – 113,532 | Online searches April 2020 – 34,120 | Online searches April 2021 – 69,204 | Online searches April 2022 – 236,794

Spanish restaurant near me | Online searches April 2019 – 2,967 | Online searches April 2020 – 298 | Online searches April 2021 – 3,362 | Online searches April 2022 – 7,005

French restaurant near me | Online searches April 2019 – 3,493 | Online searches April 2020 – 577 | Online searches April 2021 – 2,207 | Online searches April 2022 – 5,823

Japanese restaurant near me | Online searches April 2019 – 11,414 | Online searches April 2020 – 2,547 | Online searches April 2021 – 10,960 | Online searches April 2022 – 25,356

Vegan restaurant near me | Online searches April 2019 – 3,130 | Online searches April 2020 – 229 | Online searches April 2021 – 2,096 | Online searches April 2022 – 3,365

Expert quotes:

Information from the experts: Palm, Chester

With numerous lockdowns, have you seen a boom of people eating out? Has it continued into 2022?

After each lockdown the rise in people eating out increased enormously however since the beginning of this year we have seen a dramatic decrease from year on year and pre-pandemic of people eating out.

Do people have more worries when it comes to eating out?

100%! People have more thought about how and where they are spending their money and making sure they are getting value for their spend.

Are you seeing more mid-week bookings? Weekends?

Weekends continue to be busy for us however outside of any school holidays the mid-weeks are not as busy.

Do you have more pre-bookings (rather than walk-ins) compared to pre pandemic?

We definitely are taking more bookings in advance than pre-pandemic; I think people are planning more now and again are keen to book places they feel their spend is appreciated.

Zerum relocates to new office space following extensive growth

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Manchester-based Planning, Project Management and Cost Management company, Zerum have relocated to new office space following an extensive fit-out by Design Tonic.

The new office located in Bruntwood Works’ South Central development on Peter Street has been designed with employee wellness and flexible working at the heart.

The office is designed with collaboration at the heart with a stunning bar that sits right in the centre of the space making it a focal point and an area for the team to meet, chat and work from providing break-out space away from the standard office.

Hot desking has also been provided so that various Zerum teams can work together complimented by quiet working rooms for focus when needed and to provide a private area for calls.

A mix of styles of meeting rooms have also been included in the design providing different settings from formal to more casual meets perfect for the different teams that work within Zerum.

The space also benefits from a large breakout area with a full kitchen facility, a large games and bar area as well as a workspace which can be used for functions and team events. A mix of seating and large breakout areas a large nod to Manchester with its feature ‘give us a swig’ neon sign.

Divisional Director at Zerum, Andrew Duffy said: “We are delighted with our new office space and believe it will really help facilitate our extensive growth plans. Since launching 10 years ago we have worked on some of Manchester and Leeds’s landmark schemes, and this was a natural step for us to facilitate business growth.

“We would also like to say thank you to Design Tonic for bringing our office vision to life.”

Amanda Cook from Design Tonic said “We were delighted to be able to work with Zerum to deliver their new office in Manchester.  Zerum are a thriving independent business, now entering their 10th year, and we enjoyed the challenge of designing a bespoke modern and flexible office that fits the culture of this exciting business.”

Benn Dickinson, commercial manager at Bruntwood Works, said: “We’re committed to creating vibrant spaces where pioneering businesses like Zerum can come together to build connections, collaborate and thrive. Zerum is tipped for great things, and we’re pleased to welcome another great name to our community of exciting, fast-growth businesses at South Central.”

Zerum works across the whole of the UK from their Manchester and Leeds offices and is a multi-disciplinary property and construction consultancy.  Zerum specialise in Planning, Project Management and Cost Management.

Their current projects include Middlewood Locks in Salford, landmark St Michael’s development in Manchester and a number of schemes across Leeds.

LOCAL FIT OUT CONTRACTOR ANNOUNCES NEW MANAGEMENT TEAM

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Fit out contractor Workspace Design and Build has announced the introduction of a Management Team throughout the business. The four internal appointments are part of the succession planning at the company, which is due to report record revenue figures this month.

The new Management Team reflects the company’s priority to continue delivering fantastic results for their clients, build company culture and drive the business into a successful future. As a team, they will be a part of the strategic thinking and execution of the businesses’ plans.

Workspace Design and Build’s Management Team will comprise of the following members:

  • Laura Faulkner, Head of Contracts
  • Richard Barsby, Head of Pre-Construction
  • Lauren Roberts, Head of Communications
  • Hiten Solanki, Head of Finance & Admin

The primary focus for the respective members will be to lead their departments activities and work together to drive the business into future success.

Russell Davis, Managing Director said: “We’ve implemented this management team as a way of myself and Finance Director David Barfield, gaining internal support on the day to day running of the business. The breadth of experience, leadership qualities and values of this Management Team gives us the confidence in our ability to lead Workspace Design and Build into the future”

David and I are both excited to see this team work together and act collectively to define and execute the company’s priorities”.

Workspace Design and Build is a leading fit out and refurbishment specialist, providing outstanding professional services to the UK’s office sector.

www.workspacedesign.co.uk

Flex workspace provider Orega embarks on growth plan as it appoints property heavyweights to advise its Board

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Andrew Hynard (formerly  JLL and Howard de Walden Estate) and John Snow (formerly Knight Frank) become senior board advisers to fast growing flexible workspace provider who has five sites in Manchester

Orega, the flexible workspace provider, has appointed senior property figures Andrew Hynard and John Snow as advisers to its Board. The move is part of Orega’s growth strategy – to find further properties to expand its flex space offering across the UK -doubling its size in the next three years.

Andrew Hynard was previously Chief Executive of the Howard de Walden Estate, the £4.6 billion commercial and residential property estate in Marylebone. Prior to that he built his career at JLL for over 30 years as a senior real estate investment specialist and where he became Head of the Capital Markets Division and then Deputy Chair of the UK Business.  He was also formerly Chairman of the Investment Property Forum and the RICS Commercial Property Forum.

John Snow was previously Head of the UK Commercial Business of Knight Frank, Global Head of Office Agency and responsible for Knight Frank’s commercial activities in North America. He chaired the Commercial Board and sat on The Group Exec Board. Prior to overseeing the wider commercial business, the majority of John’s 40-year career at Knight Frank was in the Central London Office Leasing Market including being Head of Central London Offices.

Zach Douglas, Orega’s CEO said, “Both Andrew and John are extremely highly regarded in the property industry with strong reputations, a wealth of experience in the offices markets from both an investment and agency perspective and strong personal connections. They are fantastic additions to our team as we move into this, the next stage of our growth cycle and increasingly speak to landlords and corporate occupiers about their property needs.”

Founded in 2001, Orega is one of the UK’s most established flexible workspace brands and now has 21 operating sites across the UK in major cities including London, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Manchester- the latter where it recently announced its 5th site in the city at the Tootal Building. It is looking for further city and major town centre sites and is keen to speak to property owners with suitable space.

The company pioneered the flex space management agreement and believes its bespoke partnership offering will be particularly attractive to landlords and corporate occupiers who have excess space to fill, particularly as the demand for flex space and flexible ways of working continues to grow.  This trend has been heightened in the current economic climate given the reluctance of businesses to be tied into long leases.

Zach Douglas continued, “The time for flex is certainly now. Landlords that deliver high quality and appropriately designed flex space in their buildings are better able to attract and retain occupiers who are still analysing their medium-term space needs, given today’s changing working patterns and who want the flexibility of being able to expand or contract down the line.

With our well-established management agreement strategy, we can offer our landlord partners and occupier lessees a solution that monetizes their space with a high-end office product and building amenity- whilst allowing them to retain control of their asset and brand.”

Andrew Hynard added, “I’ve been impressed with Orega’s dynamism, vision and ability to create and let quality space in the prime UK cities, creating returns for both itself and its landlord partners. Orega has the professional offering and stature of a company with over 20 years standing that has withstood recession and the Covid crisis, together with a forward-thinking strategy about what both property landlords and occupiers want and need in the twenty first century.”

John Snow continued, ““It is an exciting time to be working with Orega- growing an already well-established Flex business. As the market navigates post-pandemic working practices, office tenant space needs remain uncertain.  Developers and landlords consequently need to be offering and welcoming greater flexibility, with expansion space. The Orega management agreement model, offering extremely high-quality flexible office space, promotes a partnership approach allowing landlord and flex provider to share in the upside, and provides greater security in any downturn, whilst meeting today’s occupier needs. “

EHL Ingredients gains Grade AA+ BRCGS accreditation

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Stockport’s EHL Ingredients has been awarded a AA+ Grade in global standards for food safety by the BRC (British Retail Consortium Global Standard). The award guarantees that the food ingredients provided by the company meet the food safety and hygiene standards, having met the rigorous conditions required by the awarding body. 

 

The leading supplier of herbs, spices and blends to the UK food industry was assessed following an unannounced, in-depth audit and inspection of the supply of bulk products, blending, packing and repacking of herbs, spices, dehydrated vegetables, lentils, pulses, rice, vinegars, and dried fruits and nuts. 

 

 The BRCGS provides a framework to manage products’ safety, integrity, legality and quality and certification is awarded to businesses that have strict safety standards throughout their operation. 

 

Tasneem Alonzo, joint MD at EHL Ingredients on the Broadstone Industrial Estate, says: “We work hard to ensure every area of our business adheres to food safety standards and this accreditation shows that our efforts are paying off and our attention to detail is of the highest grade.

 

“We understand the importance of food safety and this accreditation demonstrates our commitment to providing the highest standards of services to our customers. Our whole team takes food safety, and the BRCGS, seriously so to have achieved this grade gives our customers peace of mind that their goods are carefully monitored, inspected and meet the highest standards of safety – offering an extra layer of protection to our customers and their finished products. 

 

“We’re thrilled to have achieved this AA+ Grade and it’s testament to the hard work and rigorous safety procedures we have in place and that our team implements in all areas of the business. We’re hoping this will open up new areas of the food industry to us so we’re keen to talk to new customers about working together.”

 

EHL Ingredients supplies a range of herbs, spices, seasonings, blends and dried ingredients from around the world under its Lähde brand – all are suitable for meat, fish, vegetable dishesas well as for seitan, tempeh, jackfruit and contemporary meat-free alternatives. 

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