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Record year triggers £500m boost for Rochdale economy

Sam Whitear
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Rochdale’s economic development agency has delivered a record-breaking year that has triggered a £500m investment boost to the local economy.

Working with the council, Rochdale Development Agency (RDA) secured £80m in successful funding applications in the last 12 months, with highlights including £23.6m from the government’s Towns Fund and £17.1m from the Future High Streets Fund.

Cllr John Blundell, cabinet member for Economy and Communications at Rochdale Borough Council and RDA board member, said the £80m will leverage additional investment worth half-a-billion pounds to the local economy.

He said developments like Upperbanks; Junction 19 on the M62 at Heywood; and the planned Advanced Machinery & Productivity Institute (AMPI), were attracting attention UK-wide.

“The projects we’re involved in, and the calibre of the partners we’re working with to deliver them, show that Rochdale is a place that’s attracting serious investment and serious attention,” he said.

Upperbanks, which includes a hotel and residential development, is being delivered by the RDA on behalf of the council, in partnership with Genr8 Developments and Kajima.

The project is part of the wider regeneration of Rochdale Riverside, which has already attracted major names in retail and leisure like Next, H&M, Reel Cinema and the Puttstars mini golf complex.

The start of Upperbanks follows the announcement that Manchester-based developer Capital & Centric will be delivering their new housing concept ‘Neighbourhood’ in the town centre.

Neighbourhood Rochdale includes over 200 town centre homes for rent, including a mix of modern, spacious and low carbon homes. It will also include a linear park, running track, gym and community hub alongside community space such as café-bars and delis.

Willmott Dixon is the main contractor for both Upperbanks and Neighbourhood Rochdale. Last year construction contractor John Sisk and Son Ltd were appointed by the RDA to build the new 2.2km link road from junction 19 of the M62 motorway across to Pilsworth Road, in a major step forward for the regional regeneration scheme.

The link road will be the catalyst for 1,000 homes and more than 1.5m sq ft of employment space at South Heywood and is being delivered in conjunction with developer Russell Homes.

Cllr Blundell predicted the planned Advanced Machinery & Productivity Institute (AMPI) will be a ‘game-changer’ for Rochdale after being awarded £23.6m from the government’s Towns Fund.

He said: “Rochdale is an area that gets things done but doesn’t rest on its laurels. We opened Rochdale Riverside in April 2020 during the pandemic and we haven’t stopped.”

In total the £500m investment windfall is predicted to deliver 1,500 new homes; 2.2 million sq ft of commercial floor space; and 3,580 new jobs for in the next three years.

The chairman of the RDA, economist Paul Ormerod, said: “The scale of the investment and the size of the projects the RDA are delivering will transform the economy of Rochdale, providing high quality homes and well paid jobs for local people.

“AMPI will be a world class manufacturing research facility which will bring academic institutions and government bodies to the borough.”

The RDA is leading on the AMPI project and is working with the National Physical Laboratory, PTG Holroyd and several universities including Huddersfield, Salford and Manchester. Further funding announcements are expected for AMPI in the next few months.

£2.8M RESTORATION SCHEME FOR FORMER HOSPITAL UNVEILED

Sam Whitear
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Plans have been unveiled for a £2.8m scheme to breathe new life into a derelict former hospital in Greater Manchester.
The old Stretford Memorial Hospital in Trafford closed in 2015 and the site has lain empty since then. It has been targeted by vandals and squatters, and has become rundown.

Commercial real estate adviser Avison Young is selling the site, which is owned by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and entrepreneurial chartered engineer investor Mark Schofield has submitted a blueprint to bring it back into use.

Mark has enlisted Sale-based architect Howard & Seddon Partnership to draw up plans to transform and modernise the main buildings – Basford House and a two-storey wing – so they can once again serve community healthcare needs in keeping with established freehold title covenants.
His proposal also includes extensive landscaping work in the grounds to preserve green open spaces and protect well-established trees.

Mark said: “It’s structurally concerning to see the site in its current state. Over recent years it has suffered significant aesthetic deterioration and has been heavily squatted and vandalised throughout.

“Bringing it back into use will be technically and environmentally challenging, but extremely rewarding.
“There is great demand for healthcare provision in the area and it would be thrilling to see the site brought back into use for this purpose.”
Basford House was built in the mid-19th century as a private residence for Henry Beecroft Jackson, a retired cotton shipping merchant turned venture capitalist who financed numerous schemes, including several railways and a gold mining expedition to British Columbia, and was a benefactor of Owens College, the precursor of the University of Manchester.
The former coach house on the site is believed to have been the birthplace of aviator Sir John Alcock, who with Arthur Witten Brown made the first Atlantic air crossing in 1919.

During the First World War, Basford House was lent to the British Red Cross for use as a hospital for injured servicemen.
From 1925, it was a maternity hospital, and pop star Andy Gibb – brother of the Bee Gees – was born there in 1958. It later became a geriatric hospital, which closed in 2015 when services were transferred to Trafford General.
Basford House retains many of its Classical Revival style external features, with an elaborate two-storey porch entrance, decorative window surrounds, a bow on its south side and painted quoins.
Trafford Council considers it to be a non-designated heritage asset in planning terms and says it should be retained if possible, although it accepts there is some scope for adaptation.

Mark said: “I have submitted my tender to Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and, given established restrictive title covenants, I remain optimistic it will be accepted as the preferred option for this historic site.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to revive a landmark which has an illustrious and fascinating past.”

Kuits advises on Gary Neville’s latest digital venture

Sam Whitear
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Manchester commercial law firm Kuits has advised Gary Neville on the creation of a unique new show called The Overlap.

Devised in collaboration with SkyBet, The Overlap sees Gary in conversation with key individuals from the world of sport, studying their motivations and the challenges they have faced during their careers.

The show, produced by Buzz16 Productions, will be made available in the UK through The Overlap’s dedicated YouTube Channel and on SkyBet’s digital platforms, as well as internationally through Sony Pictures’ distribution channels.

The Kuits’ commercial team, led by Rob Buckley, James Wall and Lauren Hemingway, supported The Overlap with all contractual arrangements for the project, working closely with all parties to help achieve the launch.

James commented: “We’re proud to have been involved in such an exciting project with Gary and the key partners, in what is sure to be essential viewing across the world of sport. Gary has rightly earned a strong reputation for passionate and intelligent television commentary and analysis and The Overlap is an extension of that, focussing in on some really interesting characters and their experiences. We’ll be looking forward to watching and supporting the show as it develops further.”

New film from Spread Like Wildfire set to mark fourth anniversary of the Manchester Arena attack by celebrating the love and resilience of the city.

Sam Whitear
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Manchester-based film Spread Like Wildfire Films has produced and created a new film called A Manchester Story to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the Manchester Arena attack.

The film will initially be launched on It’s Gone Viral’s Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube accounts in weekly drops from 22nd May. The full 90-minute version will then be available on streaming services from 22nd August.

The team behind A Manchester Story wanted to move away from the death and destruction of the tragedy and focus on the resilience of both the people who were affected and the wider city. It includes interviews with people who were injured, the loved ones of some of those who sadly died and members of the wider community in Manchester who helped the healing process.

Contributors include: Figen Murray – Martyn Hett’s mother who has campaigned tirelessly for achieving a coherent and proportionate approach to security at venues of all sizes – called Martyn’s law; Adam Lawler who was with his friend Olivia Campbell-Hardy, who died; Petra Jordan who was with her 19-year-old daughter, Nicole, and son, Ethan, who was celebrating his 13th birthday; Cath Hill who set up the Manchester Survivors Choir; and tattooist Sam Barber who established the Manchester Tattoo Appeal that raised over £500,000 to support victims’ families. Manchester DJ and music icon Clint Boon has also contributed.

The aim of A Manchester Story is to show how individuals and families have moved on and how they have used the tragedy to create positive things out of something so dark. The producers hope that it will inspire anyone who is facing their own challenging time.

Ste Bergin, producer, said: “We want the film to really shine a different light on how we think of the tragedy. My fellow Mancs are a resilient bunch and I think concentrating on the destruction that happened isn’t representative of the people of Manchester. It was a truly horrendous time, but the whole community pulled together and out of something so horrible grew positivity and love – that is something that needs celebrating to the world.”

Anton Arenko, director, added: “Whilst Manchester was scarred, in the months and years that followed there were people leading a major healing process. Their efforts directly improved the lives of others – all in the name of those who sadly lost theirs. It makes me so proud to shine a light on the impact they made.”

Ryan Williams, director of It’s Gone Viral, said: “A Manchester Story is a truly moving piece of work and we are delighted to be partnering with Spread Like Wildfire on its initial roll out. We are a Manchester-based business ourselves, so being part of the project is a real honour. I’m sure the reaction to it will be fantastic as it is such a moving tribute to the love that Manchester is so famous for.”

A Manchester story was produced by Ste Bergin and directed by Anton Arenko; its cinematographer was Rees Lasseter and it was edited by Danny Coyne and Jordan Harris. It debuts on all of It’s Gone Viral social platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube) from Saturday 22nd May 2021.

Why Digital Transformation Is The Next Evolution Of Your Business

Sam Whitear
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Everything Tech

It’s a big word, digital transformation, and is a term that goes beyond just ensuring you have the right computers in place. Digital transformation is to do with, as well as technical changes, a cultural shift, and relates to the different, fundamental ways a business goes about its daily operations, brings value to customers and looks to innovate. It is purposefully vague because it will mean different things to different people, and organisations, depending on their business model, strategy, or sector.

 

At its heart, a digital transformation strategy looks at the integration, and relationship, of technology within a company to ensure that, at the end of the process, they are a completely digital business that can offer radically different customer experiences, internal ways of working and communication, both internal and external.

 

Our IT Support experts at Everything Tech understand the digital transformation that all businesses must go through, which is why we feel ideally suited to help you plan, and execute, a digital transformation strategy in 2021. From the aforementioned IT Support to other managed IT services, such as IT Security, Backup and Disaster Recovery, and IT Training, we have a holistic approach to technology that has helped plenty of businesses embrace their own digital transformation.

What Is Digital Transformation?

Digital transformation is all about embracing digital technology and accepting the notion of continuous change within a business to help improve results. Business transformation, of this nature, can help to smooth out processes, lead to more innovation, and empower employees – all of which can help a company’s bottom line.

 

While some businesses see a digital transformation project as an unwelcome distraction to their pre-ordained strategy, a successful transformation can add a great deal of value to a business. For example, by integrating technology into their strategy, a company can learn more about consumer behaviour by examining search results, it can develop the knowledge to know how to beat their competitors by learning new skills or understanding an emerging industry trend, or, it can enable and empower employees to work remotely, and more flexibly, giving them a greater work-life balance.

 

It is certainly worth noting that the current Covid-19 pandemic has seen the pace of this digital transformation, and the speed at which people have moved through this process, increase drastically, and for good reason. With offices shut down and the traditional way of working gone up in smoke, businesses have been forced to reckon with the fact that a broad range of software, and appropriate cloud architecture, is needed to carry out even regular business tasks.

How Everything Tech Can Help You Embrace Digital Technology

As a business that has written its own digital transformation strategy, and undergone the necessary changes to ensure digital technology is woven into both our business model and our customer service model, we have seen the benefits of it first hand. This first-hand experience has made us passionate about getting out there and helping other businesses, no matter what industry they operate in, with their own digital transformation strategy.

 

We begin by getting under the skin of your current digital transformation efforts and work to understand your current relationship with technology and IT. This helps us understand what work is needed to be done to ensure a successful transformation. Our team of experts then get to work installing software, creating new processes and getting the most cutting-edge technology, software, and systems in the hands of your team so you can all quickly begin to materially feel the benefit of a digital transformation.

 

There is, however, one other key thing that we do during this digital transformation project and that is training. Updating an entire business, and modernising its entire IT procedures and systems, through a digital transformation initiative, is more than just giving people new laptops and smartphones. We know this, which is why our training programmes will empower your employees to use the equipment, and make sure that they get the most out of it. A digital transformation is nothing without giving your employees the knowledge, and confidence, to be more innovative, productive and streamline – three key traits of a truly digital business.

Looking To Start Your Own Digital Transformation Initiative? Get In Touch With Everything Tech

There has never been a better time for organisations to create a symbiotic relationship with their digital technology. There is, however, no need for them, or you, to do it alone, so, if you’re excited by the digital transformation revolution, but feel unsure about where to start, then why not get in touch with our team by phone on 0161 826 2220 or email us at [email protected].

MCC Accountants Expands With New Staff After Raft of Customer Appointments Salford founded MCC Accountants are to open a new branch in Cheadle later this month.

Sam Whitear
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The small business accountants have grown from strength to strength at their Broughton Road base in Salford over the last 12 years. With the number of customers now at capacity for the solo enterprise, the time has come for the management team to take a leap of faith and open another branch.

The new office is the second venture to open in line with the organisation’s vision to have five branches by 2026. It is hoped the new location will allow the firm to tap into the highly lucrative south Manchester market. They are particularly keen to work with landlords and those within the property sector, a specialist area for the MCC team, as well as the self-employed, SMEs, and the wider Manchester business community.

Practice Manager Rob Flint says, “The new Cheadle location is open to new clients from all sectors, around the local area. Whether they are a start-up looking for their first accountant, or an established business wishing to change provider. We also offer a free, no obligation chat to see if we can help with ad-hoc duties such as capital gains tax. The main aim is to help clients develop new business.”

Describing the long-term goals of the business, CEO Mish Liyanage says, “MCC Accountants has been trading since 2009 and in this time, it has played a pivotal role in the growth of The Mistoria Group and handles over 200 clients.

“In the next 5 years I would like the external income of the business to increase to over £10,000 pcm, the number of clients to be over 1000 and increase the number of staff to more than 15 over 5 branches.”

Liyanage and Flint will be joined at the Church Road base by Accounts Apprentice Megan Whalley.

Bring Digital to hire 10 new staff to support unprecedented growth

Sam Whitear
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Multiple-award-winning eCommerce agency Bring Digital has announced 10 new vacancies to support the business’s rapid growth in 2021.

The new roles span the Manchester-based agency’s SEO, Affiliates, and Paid Media teams.

The announcement comes on the back of several major client wins in early 2021. Bring Digital signed up big names like Boohoo, Bionic (formerly Make It Cheaper) and Yours Clothing, which has recently announced a partnership with Tesco. Bring Digital also expanded agreements with household names like American Golf, Cotton Traders and Formula 1.

The news follows an incredible 12 months for the business, which saw revenues surpass £3 million and as well as the agency winning the title of UK eCommerce Agency of the Year.

These new positions leave Bring Digital primed to grow the team to over 40 before the end of 2021.

“The last 12 months have seen unprecedented digital demand for retailers,” says Managing Director Justin Young. “Our position as a leading eCommerce performance agency has allowed us to partner as the retained support and strategy team for several exciting brands.

“We’ve always prided ourselves on attracting the very best eCom talent, and with this latest recruitment drive, we’ll be looking to strengthen our team further and bring new ideas into the agency.”

The Insights Family® has grown its in-house tech capability by 300% over the last 12 months

Sam Whitear
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The Insights Family® – the Manchester based global leader in family market intelligence, has grown its in-house team of tech experts, including web developers and data scientists, by 300% over the last 12 months.

The decision to focus on developing and investing in the team follows a series of milestones for the business over the past year, including increasing the number of web developers it employs from two to eight, and growing the data science team from scratch – it now boasts five full-time data scientists. The total headcount at the firm is 54.

The business has also recently established a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with MMU that aims to find innovative ways in which artificial intelligence can be used in the market research products it develops.

The Insights Family® has worked closely with Northcoders – the Manchester and Leeds based software development training and solutions provider – on the recruitment of its web developers. Five of the firm’s new starters are graduates of Northcoders’ 14-week coding bootcamp. On the bootcamp, students are taught all the skills they need to become a full stack software developer. Each course is an industry led experience and are constantly updated to match the skills employers want.

Since its inaugural course in 2015, Northcoders has helped over 750 people switch careers into tech, with average starting salaries of around £25,500. Whilst 95% of Northcoders secure a software engineering role after graduation. Northcoders’ main campus is at Manchester Technology Centre and it has a base at Platform in Leeds.

2021 has already been a big year for The Insights Family® after it rebranded from The Insights People to The Insights Family® last month. The rebrand included the relaunch of its new data portal, Portal 4.0, which has so far attracted global customers including Disney, Amazon, Kraft, and Nintendo.

With 11 new features, the new portal is the only tool of its kind to bring together insight into the attitudes, behaviours, and consumption patterns of kids, parents, and families. It also provides access to the Media Mix Compass™, a new media planning tool which gives brands unprecedented audience intelligence when creating marketing campaigns intended for kids, parents, and families.

Dan Lucas, Chief Technology Officer at The Insights Family®, comments: “I am very proud when looking at how far the technology team has come in such a short amount of time. I joined the business during its very humble beginnings in 2017 and it has been great to see us attract more and more talent as we have grown. Less than a year ago we had two developers, whereas we now have eight. Five of these developers have come from Northcoders and have flourished in the organisation. They have brought the knowledge and solid fundamentals taught in the boot camp to help deliver powerful market research solutions to our growing client base.

He added: “Our data science department also didn’t exist a year ago. We now have a core team of 5 enthusiastic, driven professionals pushing the company to the cutting edge of data science technologies. I am excited to see the team continue to grow and expand together.”

Amy Wild – chief commercial officer at Northcoders – added: “The Insights Family is now the global leader in family market intelligence so we are delighted to be working so closely with them – especially as it’s a true Manchester success story. It’s also inspiring to see how much the senior team values the skills of their web developers and understand the pivotal role they play in the company’s long-term success.”

BRUNTWOOD WORKS LAUNCHES ‘PAY AS YOU GO’ COWORKING PASSES IN MANCHESTER CITY CENTRE

Sam Whitear
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Designed to provide freelancers, businesses and remote workers with a flexible, cost-effective way of accessing high-quality workspaces on-demand
Service launches across Bruntwood Works’ Pioneer portfolio in Manchester from 17th May

Workspace and leisure provider Bruntwood Works has launched a new ‘Pay as You Go’ (PAYG) service, offering day passes for its coworking spaces across Manchester city centre. The move comes in response to customers’ increased appetite for flexible working experiences as many start to think about their return to the office post-lockdown.

The initiative is designed to support freelancers, small businesses, remote workers or even larger businesses who are looking at increased flexibility as they return to work, and it provides a quality, cost-effective solution that enables them to book day passes for Bruntwood Works’ portfolio of Pioneer workspaces in Manchester.

Available at Blackfriars House, Neo and Bloc, people will be able to choose from a range of coworking passes that provide access to shared lounges or a dedicated desk space. Prices start at just £3 per hour, with half-day passes costing £7.50 and a full day pass costing £12.

At Blackfriars House, PAYG customers will be able to work from the beautifully refurbished communal lounge and make use of the shared kitchen with complimentary refreshments. Alternatively, customers can grab an artisan brew and pastries from Bean’s onsite coffee shop. At Neo, PAYG customers can enjoy a coworking lounge complete with a variety of design-led seating areas and a roof terrace with unique bookable meeting pods.

Bruntwood Works’ latest Pioneer building Bloc will be ready to welcome PAYG customers on Tuesday 1st June. Here people will find a dynamic leisure and hospitality offering, which includes a yoga studio by FORM and café from local favourites Trove, as part of a workspace designed around powering productivity and wellbeing. There’s even a sleep pod to recharge your day with a quick power nap.

Across all buildings, people will be able to book space in shared lounges, a dedicated desk space or meeting rooms via the Bruntwood Works website, or they can simply arrive in the building and book at reception. Customers will also have full access to the wide range of amenities on offer, including Wi-Fi, communal space, refreshments and facilities.

Andrew Cooke, strategic director at Bruntwood Works, said: “We designed this flexible solution after many conversations with our customers and businesses, which told us that flexibility is a top priority across the board. People are looking for easy, cost-effective ways of finding inspiring, exciting workspaces to be able to work remotely and away from home.

“Pay As You Go marks another important step to empowering people to choose the space that suits their needs. Whether it’s a cosy, quiet space to promote deep concentration, or open, vibrant and collaborative lounges with the bustling backdrop of a friendly coffee shop for meetings, we have it all – along with a simple booking process to allow customers to step into a new environment.

“Flexibility and hybrid working is a priority for businesses of all sizes, from larger firms looking to support remote working, to freelancers looking for a professional setting. Many people have used lockdown as an opportunity to pursue their ambitions and set up their own businesses, so this new service also offers these entrepreneurs a flexible first rung on the ladder as they grow and look to begin using office space.”

The PAYG service is the latest in a line of new products from Bruntwood Works that respond to the changing needs of businesses, as people increasingly embrace a hybrid way of working.

In 2020, Bruntwood Works launched Office Share, which provides businesses with the option to partner with a ‘business buddy’ and spend just two to three days in the office each. The company also already provides a wide range of flexible solutions, including co-working spaces, memberships to use their workspace and dedicated desks, as well as the range of leased and Made & Managed spaces.

Bruntwood Works’ Pioneer programme has seen the developer invest £50m into existing assets to create forward-thinking workspaces designed to improve wellbeing and work through greater productivity, creativity and innovation. The company’s Pioneer portfolio includes Blackfriars House, 111 Piccadilly, Neo and soon-to-be-launched Bloc, all of which are in the heart of Manchester city centre and offer customers a different and unique workspace.

Truth Creative wins competitive pitch to provide Marshalls brand toolkit

Sam Whitear
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Truth Creative has won a competitive pitch to build a brand toolkit and guidelines for Marshalls plc, the UK’s leading hard landscaping business.

The work has resulted in a consistent and more creative approach to how Marshalls is able to communicate to key stakeholders across a range of brands, ensuring that they all look and feel like they’re part of the same brand family.

Emphasising Marshalls’ standing as a market-leading, ambitious and creative business, Truth was asked to update brand guidelines and provide a brand toolkit to support a comprehensive range of marketing collateral content, online and offline promotional assets.

The brand guidelines and toolkit will support the Marshalls team with a range of branding materials, including brand architecture, photography, advertising, internal comms and motion; posts for social media channels; and collateral for direct mail, point of sale and event signage.

The marketing materials provided by Truth will support Marshalls in communicating with a range of domestic and commercial customers, including homeowners, builders merchants, developers, architects, contractors and local authorities.

Jo Scott, managing partner and co-founder of Truth Creative, Manchester, said: “Marshalls is a respected and recognised supplier of a range of hard landscaping and building products across a range of brands – a Superbrand with the finest reputation in its field.

“Marshalls required help to communicate consistently across its brands and customer touchpoints and the team at Truth were incredibly excited to have been selected to do this work following a competitive pitch.”

Chris Frankland, Marketing Director for Marshalls plc, said: “Over the past few years we have brought a number of different businesses into the Marshalls Group and this year we have launched a series of new divisions. The new creative approach enables us to consistently apply our brand across all communications, for all divisions and product areas. Truth has done an excellent job with this and given us great building blocks to work with.”

Truth Creative has offices in city centre Manchester. Marshalls is headquartered in Elland, West Yorkshire.

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