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NEW CLIENT WINS SPUR RECRUITMENT DRIVE FOR PEPPERMINT

Sam Whitear
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Local PR and marketing agency, Peppermint Soda is set for continued success this year, as it launches a recruitment drive following a raft of recent client wins.

The company is seeing its busiest period in 15 years, as it takes four new clients onto its roster.

The recent wins include Haute Dolci, the luxury dessert dining chain, which appointed Peppermint to increase brand awareness. The approach will include a blend of tactics from influencer marketing through to newsmaking.

Specialist family law firm, Maguire Family Law, has also appointed Peppermint to help build its client portfolio and fuel growth across the region. This will be achieved via a strategic thought-leadership and business profiling campaign.

The third win is VU Compare, a new vehicle finance and insurance comparison website, with the agency being briefed to support the company as it looks to secure initial seed funding, and then the website’s official launch later this year.

Legal UK Services, a leading financial mis-selling specialist, completes the list, with Peppermint tasked with helping to raise the profile of the brand on a national scale and providing an agile and reactive press office function.

Owner of Peppermint Soda, Jean-Philippe Glaskie, said: “We are thrilled to be working with four new clients and can’t wait to get started on all the activity we have planned.

“This has been a hugely exciting year for Peppermint. We started to see the business grow rapidly in the past few months, and we are now the busiest we’ve been since we started in 2005. With this in mind, we are on the lookout for ambitious PR professionals, at all levels, to join our team and come on this exciting journey with us.”

SALE SHARKS SIGN NEW FRONT OF SHIRT DEAL WITH AO

Sam Whitear
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Sale Sharks has signed up to a new long-term partnership with online electricals store, AO, which will see the Bolton-based retailer take over as the club’s principal front of shirt sponsor.

AO will also work closely with the Sharks Community Trust, the club’s charitable arm, to create and launch ‘Are you AO-K?’, a life-changing mental health programme in schools across the North West.

And the South Stand at Sharks’ AJ Bell Stadium will also be re-named and branded as the AO Stand, as part of the multi-year deal.

Sharks CEO Sid Sutton said: “Everyone at the club is so excited to welcome AO to the Sharks family. I have no doubt that this is a partnership that’s going to drive the club onto the next level both on and off the pitch.

“We’re embarking on a new era for the club and we want to work alongside partners who we can grow with and who share our ambition, our passion for the north and our values.

“AO puts its customers and the community at the heart of everything they do in the same way that we put our supporters right at the centre of every decision we take.

“The long-term commitment is a sign that both the club and AO believe strongly in the value and the potential of this partnership.”

Sharks fans won’t have long to wait to see the famous AO smile on the new 2021/22 kit, and work on the stadium re-branding will start straight away ahead of the new season.

And the AO influence on the supporter matchday experience won’t stop there – ahead of the new season the team are working on special giveaways, half-time activations on the pitch and promotions outside the stadium before after fixtures.

Vicky Monk, director of customer and brand at AO said: “We’re investing hugely in our brand this year and our partnership with Sale Sharks is a big part of that strategy.

“We are really looking forward to working closely together with the Trust to create and launch a highly impactful mental health programme to local schools in our region. It’s a topic that’s close to many of our hearts after the last 18 months and we’re proud to be able to play a part in making a difference for young people across the North West.”

MAZZA JOINS SYLVAN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IN NEW ADVISORY ROLE

Sam Whitear
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Cheadle-based Sylvan Financial Management has announced the appointment of Gordon Mazza as the first member of its newly formed advisory board.

Formed just eight months ago in the height of the pandemic by three qualified Manchester-based financial advisors, Sylvan provides independent investment management and financial planning.

Mazza is a well-known figure in financial services. A Cambridge graduate, he has spent almost 30 years in a number of increasingly senior roles within the sector. In 1998 he became a founding director of one of the UK’s leading financial advice businesses, The Roberts Partnership, which was sold to a private bank in 2016. Now based with his family in Denmark, he is pursuing a number of interests in the voluntary sector.

In his advisory role with Sylvan, he will advise on the strategic direction of the business in all areas of financial services, including investment and pensions management.

Ed Painter, a founding director of Sylvan, explained the thinking behind the advisory board. “As we grow our client base, we consider it vitally important to get an outside view and advice in what is a complex and fast moving market. We are delighted that someone of Gordon’s standing and experience has agreed to come on board. “In the coming months, we plan to recruit further board members to help develop our business both from a consumer and operational perspective.”

Mazza commented: “Having worked with Sylvan’s three directors at the Roberts Partnership, I know that in setting up their business, they share my values of providing an independent and highly personal service to the clients in their care. It is a journey I made nearly a quarter of a century ago and I look forward to offering insights, experience and guidance on the road ahead.”

TalkTalk’s Salford headquarters to host The Reach Next Generation Summit in September

Sam Whitear
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Greater Manchester is set to host an inspirational empowerment summit for girls aged 11-15 on September 18th at TalkTalk’s Salford headquarters. The Next Generation Summit will be delivered by Reach, a community committed to championing women and girls across the UK, which was created by Sky Sports anchor and successful businesswoman Sarah Stirk.

There’s no doubt that today’s young girls are facing pressures unknown to previous generations. Whether it’s social media, societal pressure relating to appearance, finding friends, making important decisions, or discovering who they are and what type of world they want to live in. This stage of life is full of daunting demands.

The Reach Next Generation Summit aims to empower and educate girls from all backgrounds. The event will provide discussions and guidance from a series of female leaders across a broad range of themes, including: the environment; social media; body positivity; wellbeing; exercise; fashion; and opportunities in tech. Informative and interactive sessions will inspire the girls to face challenges, improve confidence and help to fulfil personal ambitions. The summit also focuses on diversity and inclusion with speakers from all areas of society ready to share their life experiences.

Speakers include: Jo Coates, CEO UK Athletics, Gemma Oaten, Actress and founder of Seed Charity and Sharon Davies CEO of Young Enterprise.

Girls from across Greater Manchester are invited to attend The Reach Next Generation Summit at TalkTalk’s COVID-secure headquarters – or alternatively via a live stream. Those registering or watching will be encouraged to reach out to friends and classmates after the event, to widen its impact and foster long-lasting results.

The Reach Next Generation Summit in Salford follows the success of the previous summit held in London in June, as well as a series of Women’s Leadership events for adults at sporting venues such as St Andrews, Royal Lytham St Annes and the Aegis Bowl.

Sarah Stirk, co-founder of Reach, commented “At Reach, we are proud of the work we’ve done to inspire women of all ages and are committed to playing our part in inspiring the next generation of women leaders. The summit, which this time will be hosted by TalkTalk at their headquarters in Salford, is a brilliant opportunity to impact young women; offering guidance, reassurance and, most importantly, positivity to affect real change together.”

The Reach Next Generation Summit is supported by Levi Strauss, Haines Watts, Swinton Insurance and Salford-headquartered connectivity provider TalkTalk.

Tristia Harrison, chief executive officer at TalkTalk, commented “Young women today face a number of modern pressures, with issues like social media and climate change having an impact on mental wellbeing. That’s why events like The Reach Next Generation Summit are so vital, enabling young women to confidently pursue their goals in a friendly and exciting environment.”

She added “At TalkTalk we are passionate about equality, inclusion and providing opportunities across Greater Manchester and beyond, so to sponsor and host an event that contributes so positively to our community is especially important. We look forward to welcoming and empowering the next generation of women leaders at our Salford headquarters.”

PRAETURA VENTURES LEADS £2.2M FUNDING ROUND IN FINTECH DISRUPTOR BANKIFI

Sam Whitear
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Manchester-based BankiFi’s technology helps large banks to compete with challengers in the SME payments space

BankiFi, a fintech business specialising in payment processing and financial administration services for SMEs, has secured a £2.2m investment in a funding round led by Praetura Ventures, with participation from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).

Headquartered in Manchester, BankiFi was founded to help financial institutions better serve small and medium-sized businesses. The firm’s technology equips banks to take on challengers and provide more agile customer-led services to SMEs, as opposed to more traditional product-led offerings. BankiFi enables banks to provide a set of integrated services, including invoicing, payments, cash management and accounting, which are designed to help businesses reduce time spent on financial administration.

Mark Hartley, founder and CEO at BankiFi, said: “SMEs and early-stage innovators are a vital pillar of our economy and will play an important role in UK’s post-pandemic recovery, but many continue to be hampered by inadequate banking services. BankiFi want to change that by putting banks at the heart of businesses’ day-to-day needs. Before the pandemic, invoice cycles took a month on average, meaning most businesses didn’t get paid for their services or products for more than 50 days. That delay has now increased to more than 70 days, putting immense pressure on the cashflow of many SMEs.”

McKinsey estimate that around 74% of an SME’s time is spent on ‘non-core activities’, including time-consuming administrative tasks. Compounding this, late payments owed to individual SMEs stand at more than £6,000 on average, according to research from the Federation of Small Businesses.

“The good news is that banks are beginning to see the sizeable opportunity to tap into this under-served market. Our software allows them to offer advanced services to SMEs, and we’re seeing a real uptick in demand for our products as banks look to compete in this space. The Praetura Ventures team has deep sector insight with a track record of scaling fintech businesses, which we believe will be crucial in helping us grow our business.”

The business was founded in 2017 by Mark Hartley, an innovator in payments and open banking. He previously scaled payments technology provider Clear2Pay, which was sold to FIS for circa €375m in 2014. BankiFi’s CFO is Chris Fry, who was previously a partner at KPMG.

The £1.5m investment by Manchester-based Praetura Ventures, the VC fund that targets early-stage businesses in high-growth sectors, is joined by an additional £700k from GMCA. This new funding will allow BankiFi to expand its product and service offering, grow its client base and target new domestic and overseas markets.

David Foreman, Managing Director at Praetura Ventures, said: “The UK is Europe’s established leader in FinTech, and the sector will play an important role in future of the UK economy. The global market is forecast to almost triple in size to £380bn by 2030, so there’s a clear opportunity for innovative businesses like BankiFi to scale up. It’s such an exciting sector that we’re always looking to invest in.”

“Since we first met Bankifi, we’ve been so impressed with the founding team’s passion, knowledge and track history in Fintech. Their focus on growing the business in the North of England and delivering something revolutionary to the region dovetails perfectly with our own mission.”

Councillor David Molyneux, GMCA lead for investment and resources, said: “We are delighted to be investing in BankiFi. This investment will boost the services BankiFi is already providing and assist in achieving its ambitious global ambitions. COVID-19 has amplified the importance of helping micro and small businesses reduce time spent on administration rather than doing the job, and BankiFi’s products will be invaluable for fulfilling the post-pandemic opportunities for businesses.

“It is a very exciting time in Greater Manchester for the financial services and technology sectors. Our city-region is the largest creative, digital and technology hub outside of London. This is a great example of how business, private investors and GMCA can work together to support our burgeoning technology sector.”

Gateley provided legal advice to Praetura Ventures.
Lockett, Loveday and Mcmahon provided legal advice to BankiFi.

Beever and Struthers gives back to communities by donating laptops and other supplies to schools in Manchester and Blackburn

Sam Whitear
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As part of its longstanding commitment of giving back to the communities in which it operates, accountants and business advisors Beever and Struthers have donated recycled laptops to schools in Manchester and Blackburn, Lancs. The schools donated to are Manchester Communication Academy (MCA) and Blackburn Central High School (BCHS).

The issue of a ‘digital divide’ between households came to the fore during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when schools, colleges and universities were closed, and students had to be educated remotely. Beever and Struthers wanted to help bridge the so-called ‘digital divide’ between homes that do or don’t have access to a laptop for learning purposes by providing students with the means to continue their education at home.

As well as donating the laptops, Beever and Struthers’ partner Andrew McLaren gave a presentation on career prospects at the firm to Year 11 students at MCA. MCA is part of Greater Manchester Academies Trust, located in Harpurhey, north Manchester and also consists of GMAT Manchester Communication Primary Academy, North Manchester ITT and Manchester Communication Research School.

BCHS allocated laptops to its safeguarding team to ensure students have access to external agencies supporting the care of young people, with the remainder being used as a ‘bank’ for online tutoring and mentoring across the curriculum. We also provided students at BCHS with stationery and craft items to aid their education.

The donation to BCHS reflects a wider partnership between Beever and Struthers and the school including representatives of the firm meeting students selected for mentoring to raise their aspirations, confidence, self-esteem and achievements. The students also receive information on Beever and Struthers including career options in areas such as accountancy, IT, HR and marketing.

Beever and Struthers recently organised for explorer Mark Wood to address Year 9 students about his 35-plus expeditions in extreme environments including the Geographic North Pole and South Geographic Pole and an insight into the effects of climate change, with Mark also donating a signed copy of one of his books to the BCHS library.

Geraldine Finn, the firm’s marketing and business development director and formal enterprise advisor for BCHS, said: “Being constantly aware of the need to give something back before, during and after the pandemic, sourcing and donating these laptops to GMAT and BCHS proves we’re more than an accountancy firm by investing in and supporting the communities in which we work and live.”

Martin Roberts, assistant principal at Manchester Communication Academy, said: “The donation of the laptops by Beever and Struthers is an incredibly generous gesture and is already making a significant difference to our students, their studies and their future.

“We’d also like to thank Andrew for taking the time to speak with our Year 11 students. They’re excited to further their knowledge and interest in the sector via some of the potential opportunities he discussed with them.”

Tracy Reeves, assistant Headteacher and Careers Leader, said “Beever and Struthers is an extended part of our BCHS family. We have formed a meaningful and long-lasting relationship that will continue to support our students through their studies as well as helping them to have high aspirations for life. We are incredibly grateful for the time and resources Beever and Struthers provide to BCHS; we are already seeing the impact of the support provided. Individuals who receive mentoring from the professionals at Beever and Struthers have already made gains in their studies and have higher career aspirations as a result of the relationships formed.”

Geraldine’s role as formal enterprise advisor at BCHS helped Beever and Struthers to recently become a Lancashire Skills Pledge member, an accreditation from Lancashire Enterprise Partnership for almost 100 businesses actively involved in one or more skills pledges to inspire and upskill people in Lancashire.

The firm also works with the Employer Skills Group organised by the Greater Manchester Centre for Voluntary Organisation with support from GM Futures, a partnership with Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.

The contributions of the firm ensure that voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations across Greater Manchester have better access to skills and training opportunities that are relevant to their employees.

Northcoders Group PLC provides maiden trading update

Sam Whitear
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Northcoders, the Manchester and Leeds-based independent provider of training programmes for software coding, has provided its maiden trading update following its admission to AIM on 27 July 2021.

Northcoders has delivered a strong performance in the first eight months of the financial year to August 2021 (‘the Period’). The Group is trading comfortably in line with management expectations in terms of both revenue and underlying profitability. At the end of August, contracted revenue for the current financial year was approximately 90% of the target revenue for the year. In addition, cashflow has benefitted from the additional course funding available from the Group’s contract under the Department for Education’s Lifetime Skills Guarantees and Plan for Jobs initiative secured in July 2021.

Consumer demand for the Group’s core Bootcamp courses is growing strongly. Applications from individuals have been boosted as the UK moves away from the Covid pandemic, as more individuals look to change their careers. This is reflected in the Period, as applications reach 162% of that experienced in the full year in 2019 (the most recent comparable period). With the benefit of increased marketing spend following the fundraise at IPO, the Board expects this growth in demand to continue as Northcoders continues to expand its list of hiring partners.

The national reach of Northcoders is expanding considerably, with the Group’s Apprenticeship division achieving contracts across the UK, from regions as far south as Plymouth and as far north as Darlington and Penrith, Cumbria. The Group plans further investment into its apprenticeships offering and is aiming to launch new technology products in Q1 2022 which will diversify apprenticeship revenue streams from the Group’s existing core coding and software focused programmes.

Northcoders’ corporate Solutions division continues to attract new business with revenue for the year to date ahead of the 2020 full year revenue. Solutions contracts include bespoke training and software development contracts with Stockport-based Digital Applications Limited, the independent IT solution delivery company, and with NHS Digital. The Board is also pleased that work with Ove Arup & Partners, the global professional services firm, continues for the third consecutive year.

The Group will release its half-year results for the six months ended 30 June 2021 on Tuesday, 28 September 2021.

MERCEDES-BENZ OF STOCKPORT CELEBRATES OUTSTANDING SECOND YEAR

Sam Whitear
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LSH Auto is celebrating a remarkable second year of trading at its flagship site, Mercedes-Benz of Stockport, despite the challenges of the last 18 months.

The state-of-the-art, purpose built, three storey facility launched in August 2019 and has become the most popular Mercedes-Benz destination in the North West, attracting an unprecedented number of new customers and sales leads.

Over the last 12 months, the business has grown new car sales by more than 47% and used car sales by 72%, despite the UK lockdowns.

Martyn Webb, Managing Director of LSH Auto, said: “Mercedes-Benz of Stockport has had a fantastic first two years of trading. I’m proud of our team who have worked incredibly hard to overcome the challenges of the global pandemic over the past 18 months. Our ongoing commitment to delivering the best possible service to our customers has put us in good shape and we’re looking forward to continuing to grow the business into 2022.”

Stefan Bowett, became the new Dealer Principal of Mercedes-Benz of Stockport in November 2020, having previously led LSH Auto’s Whitefield operation. The new Dealer Principal already has an affinity with the area, having worked at the old Mercedes-Benz of Stockport site from 2013 to 2018 as a used car sales manager, new car sales manager and general sales manager.

Stefan said: “I jumped at the chance to lead the team in Stockport and return to where I initially built my career. Mercedes-Benz of Stockport is now our flagship site attracting more customers than could have been imagined.”

Mercedes-Benz of Stockport has two buildings at the flagship site. Its 13,492sqm showroom – the Autohaus is a retail space for new and used cars and is also home to an aftersales facility with 30 workshops and two MOT testing bays. The 17,166sqm purpose-built high-tech Body, Paint and Repair Centre operates as LSH Auto UK’s regional Used Car Preparation Facility and Parts Distribution Centre.

Stefan continues: “In addition to the sales growth that we’ve achieved this year, our aftersales team have delivered significant growth and our high-tech body, paint and repair centre has continued to support customers in getting their vehicles back on the road and looking as good as new.”

In 2019, LSH Auto launched a full digital platform to enable customers to browse online, book a solo test drive from their home, buy online and choose either click and collect or home delivery. The service has been incredibly popular and the LSH Auto customer experience team have helped thousands of customers over the phone or via online chat and emails over the past 12 months.

Martyn Webb concludes: “Mercedes-Benz of Stockport has set a new standard in the UK luxury vehicle retail industry by responding to our customers’ desires and needs. We’re constantly looking for new ways to improve our service and we’re grateful for the continued support that we receive from our customers.”

SHARKS SIGN UP MANCHESTER LENDING SPECIALISTS ROMA

Sam Whitear
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Sale Sharks are delighted to announce a new partnership with Manchester-based Roma Finance which will see the property lending specialist’s logo displayed on the back of the club’s kits for the 2021/22 season.

The distinctive Roma branding will appear above the players’ numbers on the club’s new Macron kit when the Sharks players take the field for their first fixture of the new campaign against Bath Rugby on September 18.

Sharks CEO Sid Sutton said: “Roma Finance is a perfect fit for us and we’re thrilled to welcome Scott and the team to the Sharks family.

“It’s a growing business with community and its customers at the heart of everything it does, in the same way that our supporters are central to everything we do at Sale Sharks.

“We’re at the start of an extremely exciting journey for the club both on and off the pitch and we couldn’t be happier to welcome a partner that matches our ambition and our values.”

Roma Finance is a property lender focused on bridging, development and buy-to-let finance, for residential and commercial properties, operating throughout England, Wales and Scotland.

Scott Marshall, managing director of Roma Finance, said: “Sponsoring Sharks is a watershed moment for Roma.

“Sale Sharks’ values are very closely aligned with our own and I am genuinely excited about the future of this young partnership. As a successful team, Sharks are entering an exciting new era and we as a business are thrilled to be on this journey. We are looking forward to a fantastic season.

“Roma is a lender less ordinary. We’re successful as we are entirely focussed on creating wealth for customers through property investment and development.

“Working in collaboration with our partners we remain agile and enthusiastic, we continue to learn and have a winning formula that delivers real results.”

DECORRUM APPOINTS THE LOWEDOWN TO MANAGE ITS PR LAUNCH

Sam Whitear
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Manchester rum brand Decorrum has appointed The Lowedown to manage its creative PR launch and always-on press office.

The PR consultancy has been tasked to support with its B2B and B2C media outreach. The three-month project will consist of a ‘big bang’ launch aimed at building brand awareness among the drinks trade as well as getting the product on the radar of consumers in the North-West.
Founder of The Lowedown, Emma Holgate-Lowe, said: “This is such an exciting win for our business. Decorrum is a stylish and disruptive brand looking to launch with a bang and leave a lasting impression on Manchester’s media. The project is a really creative and can’t wait to have fun with it.”

Based in Didsbury, South Manchester, The Lowedown launched in January 2020 and specialises in unique storytelling, press office media relations and media training.
Building a portfolio of food and drink clients, last month The Lowedown signed a second PR launch project with Cumbria’s free-from bakeries ‘We Love Cake’ and ‘Bells & Whistles’. Current clients also include SEVEN BRO7HERS BREWING CO and The Flava People.

Reflecting on the last 18 months in business, Emma added: “It has been a changeable period for lifestyle media but independent brands, now more than ever, remain relevant and are getting media cut through. PR is a great tool for giving businesses like Decorrum a voice post pandemic, helping to support boutique products to grow as we head towards Christmas in the new normal.”

Emma Holgate-Lowe is a former showbusiness journalist for the Daily Mail and a news and features reporter for SWNS. Since transitioning into PR, Emma held the position of media specialist for Kellogg’s UK and Ireland in its MediaCityUK office.

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