Home Blog Page 705

EXCHANGE QUAY LAUNCHES WORKPLACE WELLNESS PARTNERSHIP

News Desk
-
0

Exchange Quay, Manchester’s 435,000 sq ft flagship office campus has launched a new workplace wellness partnership with Urban Reform as part of its health and wellbeing strategy to support occupiers and staff in a post Covid world.

Manchester-based health and wellbeing business Urban Reform offers a diverse team of health coaches who specialise in helping city centre businesses and their staff take ownership of their health, happiness and lifestyle choices through a series of wellness programmes and workshops.

The pandemic has adversely affected mental health with more and more employees needing and increasingly seeking additional support from their employers.   Exchange Quay recognises and embraces wellbeing for its occupiers and the new collaboration aims to educate, encourage and motivate more than 4000 campus workers to create and develop new habits to look after their health and wellbeing.

The workplace wellness partnership will kick off with a cluster of health checks for Exchange Quay employees followed by a postural awareness campaign in October.  This will be a series of 4 linked on site workshops and 4 physical strengthening sessions to help office workers with lower back pain education and support.  Other workshops planned  include one on Mental Health to tie in with the winter months and low mood and Nutrition, focussing on healthy eating on a budget in light of the cost of living crisis.

Luke Podmore, Health & Wellbeing Leader and PT at Urban Reform commented:

“We are excited to partner with Exchange Quay to deliver a series of sustainable wellbeing initiatives.  We believe happier and healthier employees are the key to achieving long term success in business with talent increasingly seeking companies with a strong health and wellbeing agenda.   We specialise in providing packaged support services to city centre businesses where the working environment is largely sedentary, including high pressure jobs with a diverse range of professionals who would benefit from our health and lifestyle support.”

Les Lang, Director, Till AM said:

“We are committed to helping the businesses that are our tenants. The current cost of living crisis coming so soon after the pandemic and the need to address people’s wellbeing and mental health has never been greater. By working with Urban Reform, who have a proven track record of delivering wellbeing programmes for businesses such as AJ Bell, Selfridges, CBRE and more, we can play our part in helping people.

“We think the wellness programmes will help in multiple ways from combating lower motivation and energy to improving moral, addressing and helping with anxiety and mental health needs, educating on nutritional and health choices, empowering people to take control of their health and fitness journey and so much more.  A better future is possible when businesses help build the skills for wellbeing and we want to give occupiers and their staff the tools and know-how to improve their long term health and happiness. It is our ambition to be the healthiest office campus in Manchester.”

How to be happy at work this International Week of Happiness at Work

News Desk
-
0

A full-time employee will spend around a quarter of their time at work. When you take the weekend and time spent sleeping out of the equation, this increases to 50% of our waking hours Monday-Friday.

For the vast majority, working is a necessity – we need to pay the bills and maintain a quality of life. But that’s not to say that time spent working cannot be enjoyable.

Job site Indeed says that 91% of people who are planning to leave their current role list ‘happiness’ as a main priority when choosing their next, whilst research reveals that the average UK worker would take a 10% pay cut in order to have ‘above average’ happiness at work – despite the cost-of-living crisis.

These findings clearly show the importance employees place on happiness at work. But there’s also benefits for employers too.

The University of Warwick found in a 2021 study that happiness made people around 12% more productive. NexaLearning states that happy people are three times more creative, and 23% less likely to experience burnout.

With this being International Week of Happiness at Work, BrightHR CEO Alan Price shares his advice on how to champion a happy workforce.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to guarantee a happy workforce, but a great place to start is by listening to your staff. A workplace that empowers employees, encouraging them to be forthcoming with feedback, both positive and negative, as well as openly raising any concerns and ideas, then acting on them will automatically foster a more positive culture.

“The importance of rewarding and recognising your staff should not be underestimated. It’s a real morale booster and can be an incentive for greater levels of productivity. You can show your appreciation through things like annual bonuses and pay rises if you are in a position to do so, mentoring initiatives, profit-sharing, shoutouts for top-performers, employee recognition wall displays, a handwritten note, a recommendation on LinkedIn… the list goes on!

“Small perks can also go a long way in contributing to your employees’ happiness. Free fruit, subsidised gym memberships, social outings, dress down days, games, etc. are just a few, inexpensive ways you can show your employees that you care about their happiness. However don’t rely on these alone – they can be seen as empty gestures if your overall culture is not right.

“Prioritise upskilling and support your employees’ progression with training and mentorship. Committing to a culture of continuous learning and development with plenty of opportunities for career advancement will help with retention rates and prevent employees from feeling undervalued or in a stagnant role.

“Employees are increasingly expecting their employer to have a strong focus on corporate social responsibility initiatives. 34% of UK workers would turn down a job from a company with poor sustainability credentials. Being part of an organisation which actively works toward a more enhanced society and environment helps people feel part of something bigger. Every step taken is a positive one and your staff will thank you for it.

“And finally, ONS data shows 78% of UK employees who worked from home in some capacity felt their work life balance improved. It’s not for everyone but offering flexible working practices can reduce stress and improve happiness – both in work and outside of it.”

Waste Quote Supermarket Launches wasteExpert.io

News Desk
-
0

Waste Quote Supermarket has launched its price and service comparison product to allow energy brokers, affiliates and other third-party intermediaries to connect their customers to waste management service providers. This will enable them to make substantial savings on their customers’ behalf and earn generous commissions.

The new wasteExpert.io white label platform, developed by tech specialists from the waste and utility business sectors, has been created to increase the range of B2B value-added services that commercial energy brokers can sell to customers. Selling additional services to existing customers is proven to reduce the churn of energy customers by over 50%.

The cloud-based platform enables energy brokers to offer their customers a secure, easy-to-use, 24/7 instant quoting platform by utilising its AI-powered ‘virtual waste expert’, turning the fragmented and archaic business waste market on its head with smart data analysis.

As such, the market-first comparison service gives end-user businesses hundreds of deal-direct, transparent quoting options that can be filtered, tailored and customised to their specific needs and priorities, be that the best price, service, recycling options or a blend of all. What’s more, the platform is supported by real-life waste specialists to provide extra guidance to customers where needed, and to assist with their switching journey, ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction, conversion rates and retention.

The hosted white label comparison platform, which features multi-level quoting options to maximise sales conversions, embeds seamlessly with utility comparison sites’ own brands, and will shortly offer additional email campaign integration, support and active data analytics, and a secure portal to track customer journeys and behaviours.

Carl Bennet, founder of Waste Quote Supermarket, comments: “Waste is the second biggest utility overhead for businesses after energy, and our white label solution allows utility brokers to offer end-to-end solutions which, ultimately, will give them the competitive edge they need to retain customers. Whilst it may be very challenging to save customers money on energy right now, brokers can provide new value-added services and strengthen existing relationships with the addition of the provision of waste management services.

“This is the first of many technological developments under the Waste Quote Supermarket umbrella, which is committed to helping businesses get the best deals whilst maximising carbon reduction and net zero ambitions. The utility and waste pedigree of our technical team is second-to-none, and we’re excited to be finally bringing waste sector technology up to the levels of other business utilities.”

Tech heavyweight, Chris Gee, CTO at Waste Quote Supermarket, adds: “With utility costs going through the roof, there’s no better time for us to launch our wasteExpert.io product. It’s extremely rewarding to know our combined tech and waste industry know-how is set to help save businesses significant sums of money in the challenging months, if not years, ahead.”

Founded by waste industry expert Carl Bennet, and backed by ex-Verastar CEO, Chris Earle, who joined the business last summer as an investor and shareholder, Waste Quote Supermarket is the UK’s only impartial comparison platform with unrivaled access to exclusive waste service provider deals negotiated through 15+ years of sector expertise and contacts. Reinforced with industry-leading customer support, the platform partners with waste service providers to provide instant comparisons on a wide scope of trade, commercial and industrial waste management services, including recycling, shredding, skips, bulky waste, hazardous, electrical, clinical waste, and washroom services.

The white label technology is available to all utility brokers, affiliates and other third-party intermediaries who can discover more or sign up at wasteexpert.io.

Image: Carl Bennet

World first as Ariel Atom supercar bought with Bitcoin in Bolton

News Desk
-
0

One of the region’s best known supercar dealerships is celebrating a world first after completing the first ever sale of an Ariel Atom in Bitcoin.

Bolton’s Supercar Clinic on Halliwell Road completed the sale of the iconic Ariel Atom 3.5R model supercar after partnering with AutoCoinCars, a car marketplace that uniquely allows dealerships to advertise their cars for sale to cryptocurrency users.

The value of the sale to an undisclosed client was £64,995, circa 3.6 Bitcoin at the time.

Aadil Patel, Head of Sales at Supercar Clinic explains;

‘The idea that you could sell or buy a car with crypto currency, let alone a prestige supercar such as an Ariel Atom might have seemed like science fiction when we first began trading.

‘However, we are service led and endeavour to be at the forefront of the industry and dealing in crypto currency is part of that equation for a growing number of our clients. We all have a very pioneering spirit here and this is a huge moment, so we are all very proud of what we’ve just achieved, which was made possible thanks to our partnership with the team at AutoCoinCars.

Ariel Motor Company Ltd is a performance motor vehicle manufacturing company from Somerset, England. They create highly exclusive vehicles and are not mass-produced and are best known for producing small racing cars, including the Atom.

Each Ariel is hand-built by one technician from the start right through to performing a road test and personal sign off.

Luke Willmott, co-founder and COO of AutoCoinCars comments;

‘I’m delighted for Aadil and his client that they’ve made the first ever transaction in Bitcoin for an Ariel Atom. The relatively new nature of this concept means there’s always something exciting and innovative happening but aside from our technology that allows these incredible transactions to be possible, we should not lose sight of one simple thing – customer service.

‘Aadil and his team have an incredible range of vehicles and are leaders in their field but they never lose sight of that focus on adding value and their clients demand the very best solutions – that includes cryptocurrency as an option.

‘We now have over 850 dealerships on our platform as more and more people seek the flexibility of buying with cryptocurrency. There has often been criticism of cryptocurrency in that it is not tangible. However, we can now help people to unlock the potential of their portfolio by converting their Bitcoin into physical assets and we’re delighted to be part of this world first alongside the team at Supercar Clinic.’

Manchester-based businesses and marketing talent to benefit from DMA’s government-funded skills bootcamps

News Desk
-
0

Today the Data & Marketing Association (DMA) can announce its new Digital Marketing Strategy Skills Bootcamps, funded by the Department for Education (DfE) through its Skills for Life Programme. The skills bootcamps will help both aspiring and current marketing talent to upskill and reskill in key areas of marketing, while also increasing the pool of skilled talent available to businesses.

The DMA’s skills bootcamps will help diverse talent in major UK cities, predominantly those who are either unemployed or working within SMEs, to develop creative, data and digital skillsets, some of the most desirable skills across the marketing industry – to improve their career and employment opportunities. In addition, unemployed people who complete the skills bootcamps will also secure job interviews with reputable employers.

These new skills bootcamps, launching in Manchester in September, are a key part of the DMA’s wider campaign to reduce skills gaps and talent shortages across the UK. Not only will they help people from all backgrounds to upskill and reskill in marketing, but they will also increase the talent pool of skilled workers available to organisations across the UK.

“The DMA’s new skills bootcamps will help organisations and the people who power them to benefit from government-funded upskilling and reskilling opportunities during these extremely challenging economic times. They will help businesses to acquire skilled, diverse talent saving on both training and recruitment costs, while empowering them to boost growth and productivity,” said Chris Combemale, CEO of the DMA. “In addition, they will offer support to people from all backgrounds across the UK, not only helping them to develop highly desirable marketing and digital skills, but to also provide them with crucial links to responsible employers.”

Government heeds DMA calls to prioritise industry-led talent development

Late last year, the DMA and other industry partners called for increased funding from the UK Government to be dedicated to industry-led qualifications to help fill thousands of immediate job openings. The DfE has now selected the DMA as a partner, to help close the skills gaps that are negatively impacting businesses.

The Skills for Life funding from the DfE supports the DMA’s ongoing campaign, launched in early July, to create a professionalised industry with a culture of continuous, structured learning at its core. DMA Members have been signing up to pilot the DMA’s bitesize learning, for a minimum of an hour per week, to show how micro-upskilling as an additional learning method can help the industry achieve this goal.

“The DMA believes that learning and professional development are integral to tackling skills shortages and improving people’s employment and career prospects. There remains a huge opportunity for industry bodies like the DMA to have a significant role in supporting the government’s upskilling and reskilling initiatives – so we hope that this is only the start of this exciting journey. We believe trade and professional bodies are best placed to spearhead these types of programmes with their strong industry connections and understanding of the skills that employers require most,” added Combemale.

Further information about the skills bootcamps can be found on the DMA website:https://view.ceros.com/dma/digital-marketing-strategy-skills-bootcamp-employer/

Manchester mums’ new venture combines action with mindfulness

News Desk
-
0

A pair of enterprising mums have combined action adventure with the calm world of mindfulness to encourage local people to take time for themselves.

Sarah Daly, an outdoor adventure leader from Blackley, and Imelda McQuaid, a mindful practitioner from Wigan, set up Mindful Adventures UK after realising how their combined expertise can help encourage better mental health.

They say combining fun and high energy activities such as archery, kayaking and paddleboarding with mindfulness practice – where you stop to recognise the world around you – gives you the best of both worlds, releasing endorphins to keep you in high spirits while also ensuring you take the time to notice and recognise the world around you.

Imelda, 41, who runs Mindful by Nature, a mindful business that runs outdoor mindful self-compassion courses and guides mindful mountain hikes, explained: “Mindfulness is a practice whereby you stop and notice what is happening in this moment, how you are feeling here and now as opposed to being caught up worrying about the past or future. It’s fantastic for your mental health and the benefits are increased by being in nature.”

Imelda, who is mum to Finn, four, and Freddie, two, and a qualified mountain leader, said: “Today people have such hectic lives but it’s really important to take time for yourselves and practice mindfulness where you can. But we also appreciate that people also want to blow off some steam – so we thought, why not combine the two?

“By teaming up with Sarah to provide day and weekend retreats for families, individuals or groups, we are providing an opportunity for people to experience the thrill of an adventure with the reflective and calming attributes of mindfulness.”

Sarah, 33, who is a qualified kayak, archery and paddle boarding instructor, runs Manchester company Daly Adventures. She said: “I am passionate about people having access to adventure and fun activities no matter what their age or experience. But sometimes you are so busy having fun, you don’t stop to appreciate it. And that’s where mindfulness comes in!”

Sarah, who is mum to two-year-old Sophia, added: “The great thing about these retreats is that they are suitable for everyone – whether you are a harassed mum wanting to get some time away from the kids, someone looking to reconnect with nature in a fun and engaging way, or you would like to bring the whole family along to learn some new skills. Everyone is welcome!”

Mindful Adventures UK run day and weekend retreats across the North West.

The next adult only retreat takes place from Friday, November 18, to Sunday, November 20, and includes archery, hiking and mindfulness.

For more information about Mindful Adventures Uk or to find out about other scheduled events, go to www.mindfulbynature.co.uk/events.

Fast-growing tech recruiter makes two new hires

Sam Whitear
-
0

A fast-growing tech recruitment firm has hired two new members of staff as it looks to triple in size in a year.

Last month Fairmont Recruitment moved into 2,100 sq ft of space in 53-55 Mosley Street, Manchester, after signing a five-year deal.

Consultant Will Priamo and trainee James Craig have both joined the tech recruitment specialist, bringing the total number of staff to 11.

CEO Jack Donohue said if the company hit their target of recruiting up to four additional staff before the end of the year, the business will have tripled in size in 2022.

He said: “All our growth has been organic. We haven’t borrowed any money so everything has been funded from new business.

“Our new office in Mosley Street has space for between 24-26 people so we’re future-proofing our growth.

“Switching to a four-day week has really helped us recruit. It’s better for people’s mental health and we want our staff to really want to come into the office.

“We started the year with five staff and could end it with 15.”

Priamo joins from Wilmslow-based Venturi Group and will work in the contract division, predominantly software developers.

He said: “It’s a really exciting time to be joining Fairmont. I love the flexibility they offer and the variety of work opportunities.”

Fairmont was founded in 2018 and is on track to double its turnover to £3.5m in the current financial year.

Capital&Centric plan new work spaces and HQ for Manchester’s growing Piccadilly East neighbourhood

Sam Whitear
-
0

MANCHESTER’S Piccadilly East neighbourhood is set to grow, with Capital&Centric planning to restore a historic warehouse into buzzing new workspaces and their new HQ.

The social mission developers have acquired Chapeltown Warehouse, which adjoins their owner occupier community at Crusader Mill on Chapeltown Street. They plan to transform it into 20,000 sqft of high quality stripped back work space for creative industries – awesome modern spaces that retain the historic charm and original features of the building.

They’re also creating a new Capital&Centric HQ at the warehouse, moving their expanding team to the historic setting.

The work spaces will be split over four floors of the mill, with the plan to turn the ground floor into a café bar and social hub for businesses and residents from the surrounding community. Dating back to the mid-19th Century, the building was previously part of Manchester’s booming textile industry. Its restoration will mark Capital&Centric’s next major investment in the Piccadilly East neighbourhood.

Adam Higgins, co-founder at Capital&Centric, said:

“We were early investors in the Piccadilly East neighbourhood as we knew it could be something special. Years later, it’s still growing in popularity and we’re plotting our next restoration. Chapeltown Warehouse is the missing piece of the puzzle in that block, a rundown former textile mill in need of a decent future.

“To be successful, it’s important that new parts of the city aren’t just full of apartments. We’ve already delivered the Jenga hotel and now we want to add the workplaces and ground floor coffee shop to ensure that Piccadilly East is vibrant and active during the day too. Whilst we’ll keep all of the historic features like the cast iron beams and exposed brickwork, of course we also want to give it the trademark Capital&Centric design edge too.”

The Manchester-based developers have been instrumental in the growth of Piccadilly East. In 2015 they set out to transform a bunch of empty and derelict sites into a vibrant neighbourhood at the heart of the city.

Chapeltown Warehouse will neighbour homeowner communities at the historic Crusader Mill and new-build Phoenix block. The team also recently completed the jenga-inspired Leonardo Hotel, which opened in May, whilst the consented Ferrous will see an additional plot on Chapeltown Street turned into further homes, complete with ground-level shops, pocket parks and The Cabin, a space for community pop-up events.

It’s expected the workspaces will be ready to welcome their first occupiers in 2023.

Capital&Centric are now taking the approach they pioneered in Manchester to other locations. The team are about to start work on the Goods Yard neighbourhood in Stoke-on-Trent – one of the largest awards for a single project from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund – and are well underway transforming Eyewitness Works in Sheffield into apartments, set to be featured in a Channel 4 primetime show next year.

Will Technology Help to Reduce Car Accidents?

Sam Whitear
-
0

Every car that rolls off the production line and into the automotive market in the UK comes equipped with a range of gadgets and devices that, just a few years ago, would have seemed like the stuff of science fiction. Lidar, automation and engine management computers aren’t just there to improve performance and make life more comfortable and convenient; they also confer a number of distinct safety advantages.

Car accident stats in Great Britain

The story of the last few decades of road travel in England has been one of gradual improvement. The number of reported fatalities has declined, as has the number of casualties. In the first case, from 1,850 in 2010 to 1,460 in 2020; in the second, from 206,648 to 115,584. Take a look further back into road history, and you’ll find even more substantial decreases. Victims of these road accidents can seek to make a personal injury claim through the courts – but the damages might not fully compensate them for their loss.

We might attribute this to cultural changes, and improvements in driving behaviour. It used to be common practice for drivers to get behind the wheel while drunk, but now, you’d make yourself a pariah by doing it. We should also consider the technological changes that have helped to reduce the likelihood and severity of any given accident.

New Car Technology

A new car in the UK will likely come with a few crucial safety features.

Adaptive Cruise Control

Cars with this technology are able to automatically maintain a specific distance between the car and the car in front. Systems of this kind can automatically adapt to road signs, and pick up on speed limits, too.

Autonomous Emergency Braking

This will bring the car to a stop when it detects that the car in front has stopped – or that a collision is imminent. Since the machine can react much more quickly than a human, it cuts a substantial chunk off the braking distance. You might stop short of the obstacle – but even if you don’t, your speed will have been reduced substantially.

Lane Assist

For motorway driving, drifting into the wrong lane can often lead to an accident. Many modern cars will nudge themselves back into lane if they determine a drift to have occurred. At the very least, they might issue a warning.

Possible Future Technology

As artificial intelligence and camera systems get more sophisticated, we might see control of the vehicle handed over entirely to machines. This Rubicon might be crossed only once the machines in question have been approved by regulators, which will tend to mean millions of hours of practice in both simulations and real-world settings. The UK government anticipates the first examples to arrive as early as 2025.

A machine driver will be able to not only handle the car much more safely than a human ever could; it will also be able to communicate constantly with other road vehicles. It’s entirely possible that, in the future, road fatalities will be reduced to close to zero.

Real estate duo join Shoosmiths’ Manchester office

Sam Whitear
-
0

Shoosmiths has added to its real estate division with two new senior hires.

The law firm welcomes partner Patrick Duffy and legal director Emma Tonge to its Manchester office, with the duo bringing a combined 50 years of legal experience.

Both Patrick and Emma arrive at Shoosmiths from Addleshaw Goddard. Their specialisms include advising on large-scale regeneration schemes, including residential and commercial development matters, as well as real estate funding and investment.

Patrick’s experience includes advising Cole Waterhouse on the real estate aspects of a £55m refinancing deal for the development of No. 1 Old Trafford. He also led teams advising on the St Michael’s development in Manchester City Centre, as well as a multimillion-pound forward sale and development of a Unite Student accommodation scheme at UCFB at Wembley Stadium, while most recently supporting Bruntwood with its joint venture with Bury Council and the acquisition of the Mill Gate shopping centre in Bury town centre.

Emma also recently led the team advising Bruntwood SciTech on the lease to Roku at Manchester’s No. 1 Circle Square. The streaming giant took 115,066 sq ft of space – one of the largest regional office deals recorded in 2021 and the largest in Manchester since 2020.

The new additions join a 68-strong real estate team in Shoosmiths’ Manchester office, which now consists of 15 partners, six legal directors and over 40 lawyers – covering all aspects of real estate, including construction, planning and litigation.

The team is currently advising clients including Vita Group, Renaker and Peel L&P.

Andrew Pattinson, partner and head of Real Estate North at Shoosmiths, said:

“Emma and Patrick bring a wealth of experience, having worked on transformational regeneration schemes across the UK. They are already making an impression by opening up new workstreams and bolstering the support we can provide to clients.”

Emma Tonge, legal director at Shoosmiths, said:

“The quality and impact of the real estate projects Shoosmiths is advising on is matched by its team members, who are at the forefront of their practice areas. The firm has an ambitious vision and I’m looking forward to contributing to its growth in Manchester and nationally.”

Patrick Duffy, partner at Shoosmiths, said:

“Shoosmiths has built a strong reputation based on providing excellent legal support and finding solutions to industry-wide challenges. When combined with its client roster and collaborative approach, joining the firm was a compelling prospect.

“Emma and I have worked together for 15 years. We’re excited to continue this partnership as part of the Shoosmiths team – strengthening the expertise provided to clients in key areas such as student accommodation, build-to-rent and mixed-use developments.”

1...704705706...1,091Page 705 of 1,091