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Campfire Appointed by UK’s Fastest Growing Skincare brand, The INKEY List.

Sam Whitear
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Campfire welcomes the UK’s fastest growing skincare brand, kicking off the partnership creating aTikTok campaign gaining over 6.5 million views in one month.

The INKEY List believes better information drives better decisions. Providing people with a detailed understanding of products, ingredients and application, all at an affordable price.

Campfire has been appointed to achieve mass brand awareness surrounding INKEY’s, askINKEY service – a 24hr digital service, allowing people to speak to a specialist online regarding products and skin. Awareness regarding INKEY’s unique recipe builder that aims to provide consumers with the perfect combination of products, tailored to their skin type and needs is also of focus.

Campfire encouraged The INKEY List to adopt TikTok as its platform of choice, working en mass with nano and hero influencers to create content to not only talk about, but visually display through the use of video, focusing on the above two features of the brand.

Alex Brown, CCO says “At Campfire we’re proud storytellers and actively encourage our clients to try new platforms to reach their desired audience in creative, innovative ways. TikTok was a no brainer for us given the current opportunity on the platform. TikTok is often mistaken for a music and dance outlet, which is far from the truth. This misconception has caused other brands to hesitate, leaving the goal wide open for early adopters. If someone offered you the opportunity to run ads or create promotional content on Instagram or Facebook 5 years ago, wouldn’t you jump at the chance now?

We want to help people move with the fast-paced nature of social media, proudly steering them in unique and engaging ways to ensure they achieve success on their platform of choice.”

Colette Laxton CEO of The INKEY List follows up with : “We decided to partner with Campfire due to the level of creativity coupled with understanding both Alex and Joe presented us with. Social moves at a rapid pace… branching out into new platforms can sometimes be daunting. Overall, we’re extremely pleased with the results and partnership and can’t wait to see the further success of the campaign.”

In return INKEY saw over 60 pieces of content, spanning views of over 6.5 million within the first 30 days, surpassing the original 1million view target. The partnership has now been extended to further results globally and Campfire have been appointed to help launch INKEY’s latest product range – haircare.–

BOLTON COUNCIL DRIVES PROGRESS OF £1BN MASTERPLAN WITH DEVELOPER PARTNERS, SAYS DELOITTE REPORT

Sam Whitear
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Socio-economic changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have been accommodated by Bolton Council and its developer partners to ensure the delivery of the £1bn masterplan to transform the town centre by 2030, according to new analysis by Deloitte.

The investor prospectus commissioned by the council shows how its Vision 2030 programme will address economic and social change caused by the pandemic, allowing the town to fulfil its economic potential in the next decade and beyond.

The Deloitte prospectus examines how the council is working with its developer partners to respond to trends affecting its six landmark mixed-use schemes or ‘strategic intervention areas’ at Trinity Quarter, Church Wharf, Crompton Place/Bolton Victoria Square, Croal Valley, Cheadle Square and the new Blackhorse Street-Bolton Digital City.

Deloitte says Bolton’s town centre schemes “present an opportunity for remodelling the urban environment to better meet the demands and needs of a post-COVID society”.

The report says the mixed-use nature of the six schemes will contribute to Bolton’s economic recovery by providing the infrastructure required by people increasingly wanting to work, shop and play local post-COVID-19.

Bolton, says the report, may benefit as ‘going local’ presents future opportunities: “Town centres may become home to new spaces offering touchdown space for working collaboration, providing an alternative to both travelling to the regional centre and traditional office space.”

The diverse and flexible nature of the schemes that will deliver offices, co-working space, homes, retail and leisure over the next decade allows Bolton Council and its partner developers to accommodate widespread socio-economic change caused by COVID-19, such as:

• providing purpose-built large office floorspace to accommodate pandemic workspace guidance such as social distancing;

• including co-working space to reflect increasingly agile and flexible working trends;

• reducing retail floorspace and diversifying the high street offering;

• providing homes in close proximity to services, retail and workspace;

• improving public open space and increasing cycle routes and storage;

• meeting an increased need for digital opportunities by creating a ‘super-connected digital city’ including a digital hub ‘where businesses and people can thrive’;

• providing new and improved town centre attractions to attract people to an enhanced cultural offering.

By 2030, Bolton’s regeneration programme will have provided 1,700 homes and 4,411 full-time equivalent jobs; injecting £487.5m of gross value added (GVA) of additional economic activity. The council also forecasts an increase in the town centre population from less than 2,000 to more than 6,000 and an additional £48.7m of household spending, an annual boost of £7.3m to the visitor economy, helped by more green space and improved connectivity including four cycle schemes in the GM-wide Beeline network.

Bolton Council is also progressing multi-million pound bids to the Government’s Future High Street Fund and Towns Fund, contributing a potential £75m to regeneration projects across the borough.

The University of Bolton is less exposed than other universities to reductions in international student numbers due to COVID-19 and is well positioned to achieve its target of 20,000 students by attracting more students who want to study closer to home.

Simon Bedford, partner at Deloitte and head of the firm’s local government development team, said: “Bolton Council remains committed to delivering its plans for a redeveloped town centre and continues to engage with developers and investors to understand the implications of the pandemic on committed and emerging schemes within the six identified opportunity areas.

“Local retail centres will have a role in driving future economic recovery as consumers increasingly choose to buy local, supporting local businesses and supply chains post COVID-19.”

Councillor David Greenhalgh, leader, Bolton Council said: “The flexible and adaptable nature of our six mixed-use schemes, and the commitment of our developer partners, means we remain on course to deliver a transformed town centre by 2030.”

Sharks strike new four-year partnership with Franklyn Financial Management

Sam Whitear
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Sale Sharks have secured a new four-year partnership with Cheshire-based financial planners, Franklyn Financial Management.

The deal will see Sharks, the North’s only top-flight rugby club, wear the Franklyn logo on the back of official club shirts throughout all domestic and European matches from the start of the 2020/21 season.

Franklyn will link up with Sharks as the club eyes success both at home and abroad after a period of significant investment, as well as a potential move to a new state-of-the-art sports facility in Sale.

The deal represents Franklyn’s second-ever sports partnership after it became a platinum partner of Stoke City FC, taking naming rights and sponsorship of the club’s Franklyn Stand and becoming the official wealth management partner for the Championship side.

Mark Cueto, Sale Sharks’ Commercial Director and former player said: “We’re thrilled to announce this brand-new partnership with Franklyn Financial Management just as we get ready to welcome professional rugby back in England.

“We’ve got ambitious plans for further growth on and off the pitch, so having partners that align with our values is vital, and as a progressive North West firm, Franklyn is a fantastic fit for us.

“The temporary postponement of rugby means we’ve still got some exciting games to play before the 2020/21 season gets underway. But we’ve used this time to keep working hard behind the scenes and we can’t wait to see the Franklyn logo on the back of the shirts when that time comes.”

Andrew Chatterton, Managing Director at Franklyn Financial Management, added: “We’ve built strong relationships with businesses, schools and charities in the North West over the years and our partnership with Sale Sharks will take our ties to the region to the next level.

“From the first team playing in the English top-flight and in Europe to the extensive work of the Sharks Community Trust, there are so many ways we can work to make this partnership a success for everyone involved.

“For us, we’re keen to continue growing our brand in the region and a partnership with a club as prestigious as Sale Sharks gives us a perfect way to do that, so we can’t wait to get started and enjoy the journey, giving back as we go.”

Andrew Chatterton founded Franklyn Financial Management in 1999 and since then, it has become a leading Wealth Management business with its focus on relationships with all clients, business partners and charities.

The business offers expert financial planning advice on all aspects of individuals and companies financial affairs. FFM is very proud to have created its success organically through clients approaching them over the years based on their reputation and fantastic client outcomes.

NorthEdge supports bolt-on acquisition for Catalis Group’s Testronic

Sam Whitear
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Gaming quality assurance and testing firm Testronic, part of the Catalis Group, has acquired Whyttest, a games QA and customer support business headquartered in Romania – a move set to increase headcount by 15 per cent.

Testronic provides services to the global games publishing and film and TV markets, including Quality Assurance, Localisation, Compliance and Certification and Customer Support. It employs over 1,000 people in the US, UK and Poland.

Whyttest was founded in Romania in 2014. Its 150-strong team provide mobile, PC and console video games testing at sites in Bucharest and Belgrade.

The deal provides additional capacity to allow Testronic to build on its already growing global client base, which includes major video game publishers and developers.

This is the first acquisition for Testronic, and the first following NorthEdge’s £90 million backing of parent company Catalis Group in October 2019. It follows rapid organic growth, which saw Testronic open an office in New Orleans earlier in 2020 to strengthen its presence in North America.

Dominic Wheatley, Catalis Group Chief Executive and Testronic CEO, said: “The investment we received from NorthEdge in October last year, alongside continued support from Vespa Capital, has given us the opportunity to further grow the business. This milestone acquisition strengthens Testronic’s position in Eastern Europe and provides us with more resources as we target continued growth, both organically and via acquisition.”

Marius Potirniche, Whyttest founder, will become a senior executive within the Testronic team following the deal.

Nicola McQuaid, Investment Director at NorthEdge, said: “In a fragmented testing and QA market, Testronic has delivered continued growth. The business consistently provides high-quality service to its clients, a key strength mirrored in the Whyttest team.

“This is a significant acquisition, it provides additional capacity and is the first of many acquisitions that will support the rapid growth plans the business has.

“Whyttest is the second bolt-on acquisition NorthEdge has supported across our portfolio in August, following the acquisition of Optosafe by property, site and people protection specialist Orbis Protect. These acquisitions mark new chapters of growth for both Orbis Protect and Testronic as we support their ongoing evolution, and further demonstrate our confidence in the businesses and people that we back.”

Testronic is part of Catalis Group, which also includes digital publishing business Curve Digital. Testronic’s acquisition was funded by NorthEdge’s committed acquisition facility, a fund set up upon the private equity firm’s partnership with the Catalis Group. DWF acted as legal advisers while Grant Thornton completed tax due diligence.

Manifest Manchester welcomes Lee Benecke as Digital Content Strategy Director in plans to become group’s global creative content hub

Sam Whitear
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Manifest Manchester has fulfilled the latest of its strategic growth plans in less than six months of opening the doors by appointing Lee Benecke as Digital Content Strategy Director. This latest appointment strengthens Manifest’s unified communications model, across clients including Hotels.com, Tommee Tippee, Logitech, Chivas Brothers and ZipCar.

Manifest Manchester launched in late 2019 and is already fulfilling ambitious plans to become a global creative content hub for Manifest. The agency, with offices also in London, New York and Stockholm, was awarded International PR agency of the year for the second year in a row and operates with a unified communications model across all markets.

Benecke commented: “Although I am only just joining Manifest now, my love affair with this agency started a long time ago. I have always been a fan of the work, the people and the culture within Manifest and I saw this as an eventual home for me. “

He added: “A Yorkshire man doesn’t gush easily but I’m very excited to say I am now part of the global Manifam and I cannot wait to bring everything I’ve learnt from over a decade in social media, content and influencer to our clients.”

Benecke has previously held roles at Wavemaker North, Brazen PR and AmazeRealise, as well as sitting on the board for PRCA North West. His skillset spans all aspects of digital, content, social media and influencer marketing, and with it comes vast experience of moving clients and teams from tactical delivery to full scale strategic execution.

The latest plans to become the creative content hub for Manifest, will see Lee work alongside both the Manchester team and the wider global team to deliver strategic brand content plans and drive growth for clients across multiple sectors.

Bec Chelin, Managing Director of Manifest Manchester commented: “From the moment we landed in Manchester, rapid growth and providing a further strategic unified communications approach for our clients globally was top priority. We always set out for Manchester to be more than a second UK office – we’re here to put a stamp on the industry in a style only the north west can bring.

“The rich creative talent here, particularly in the digital and creative content spheres, is exactly what brands are crying out for in a post-Covid-19 world. Hiring Lee is an exciting move for us and our clients alike. It means we can further fulfil our ambition to shake up the current agency offering in the UK and build brands that change the world.”

Alex Myers, founder and CEO of Manifest added: “Manchester is a hot house of creative talent and that was a major motivation for us opening here. Lee is a perfect example of both the calibre of the senior talent here and Manifest Manchester’s ambition to deliver industry-leading digital creative work not just in the North West but across the world as a key pillar of our award-winning global creative team.”

NorthEdge announces senior recruitment alongside series of director promotions

Sam Whitear
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NorthEdge Capital, which manages over £650m of private equity funds aimed at the North and Midlands regions, has recruited a new director and made senior promotions in its Manchester office.

The firm, which focuses on companies seeking equity investment to support MBOs, development capital and equity release transactions, has recruited Liam May as a Director in its Manchester office. Liam joins from NVM Private Equity where he was an Investment Director investing in a range of companies across the North West. His prior experience includes roles with GCA Altium and EY. At NorthEdge he will be responsible for originating, transacting and managing investments.

The business has also promoted James Hales to Director, Head of Origination; and George Potts to Director within the North West investment team. The firm has also made two Investment Director promotions.

James Hales has been appointed as Director, Head of Origination after setting up NorthEdge’s dedicated deal origination function, which recently led to the off-market investment in Phoebus Software. James will now lead the monitoring, management and reporting of deal origination across the regions as a director.

George Potts has been promoted to Director, and is responsible for originating, transacting and managing investments alongside leading the firm’s ESG efforts. Earlier this year, George led NorthEdge’s exit of Cubic Motion to American gaming giant Epic Games – a deal that he originated in 2017. In 2019 George was appointed Chair of the BVCA’s Responsible Investment Advisory Group, and currently represents NorthEdge on the boards of FIS and Phoebus Software.

NorthEdge has also promoted Jordana Cropper and Dan Matkin to Investment Directors in Manchester, each have been instrumental in a number of investments.

Jordana has played a significant part in the progression of Total Fitness, kitchen cabinet, door & components supplier TKC and ITC Luxury Travel, and plays a pivotal role on NorthEdge’s Diversity & Inclusion committee. Dan works on the Abbey Logistics and Cloud Technology Solutions (CTS) investments and led the multi-million-pound investment in Wilmslow-based CMAP last year.

Grant Berry, Joint Managing Partner at NorthEdge, said: “Liam’s experience, talent and network across the North West make him a great senior addition to the team. His recruitment, alongside a series of senior promotions, primes us for future growth across our regions.

“It is a privilege to be able to reward hard work and dedication like this. The talent we have in the business is helping us to spot the best investment opportunities, work in partnership with our portfolio and ultimately drive successful outcomes for NorthEdge and its investors.

“Each promotion is richly deserved, following hard work from each of the individuals – some of whom joined NorthEdge many years ago and have progressed through the business. We look forward to seeing what comes next for each of them as NorthEdge continues to grow.”

HIRING HUB APPOINTS RECRUITMENT INDUSTRY VETERAN, PETER SEARLE, AS CHAIRMAN

Sam Whitear
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Recruitment platform, Hiring Hub, has appointed industry veteren Peter Searle as Chairman.

With over 30 years’ experience in the recruitment sector, Searle was the CEO of Adecco (UK & Ireland) for more than ten years, and Spring Group in between 2006 and 2009.

In addition to Hiring Hub, Searle is the Executive Chairman of Airswift and a Non-Executive Director of fellow Manchester-based recruitment tech company, Broadstone.

Hiring Hub is ranked among the UK’s top companies in the recruitment sector by independent review site Trustpilot. The marketplace is used by over 500 employers, including Deliveroo, Dyson and SSE, who use Hiring Hub’s network of vetted, rated and reviewed recruitment agencies to find quality candidates for hard-to-fill roles.

Based in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, Hiring Hub raised a further round of investment from existing investors Maven Capital Partners, VentureFounders, and Manchester Tech Trust Angels late last year, and is led by Founder and CEO, Simon Swan.

Swan said: “Peter is excited by our vision to place transparency and trust at the heart of recruitment. Our goal has always been to champion the value of recruitment agencies while using technology to facilitate better relationships between them and employers. Peter is right behind our mission, validating Hiring Hub’s ambition to make people feel good about recruitment.”

“Peter’s knowledge of both the recruitment industry and scaling companies is exceptional,” continued Swan. “He joins Hiring Hub at an exciting time. It has weathered the pandemic well and Peter supports the company’s plan to expand its products and services to further grow what is an enviable client base and recruiter community, capitalising on employers’ shift to web-based platforms.”

Searle, joins former N Brown boss Angela Luger and the ex-MD of Lorien PLC, Ian Brookes, on Hiring Hub’s Board as the company looks to use the recruitment sector’s Covid-accelerated transition to cloud-based recruitment platforms to its advantage.

IMPRESSIVE ROUND OF PROMOTIONS AT LEONARD CURTIS

Sam Whitear
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Leonard Curtis Business Solutions Group has promoted 15 people to new roles from within the company as it continues to reward talent and strengthen its operations.

The ambitious firm confirmed that four of the 15 were promotions to Director level, including Paula Castle, who has been made Brand and Communications Director and Jennifer Moore who takes up a Director position within Leonard Curtis Legal for the first time.

Amy Mehers has become a Director within the personal insolvency team in Bury and Andy John takes up his Director post as head of the Group’s Hertfordshire office.

Elsewhere, specialist professionals across the Group’s offices and divisions have been recognised, including Ric Miller who becomes Senior Manager in debt advisory, Vicky Pitts who moves to Associate Director in the Group-wide compliance team, lawyer Deborah Hooton who becomes Senior Associate at Leonard Curtis Legal and Alana Mills, who has been promoted to Senior Business Development Manager.

In a number of other moves Taibah Rehman has been made a Senior Solicitor in the legal team, Anthony Bailey takes on more responsibility in the Liverpool office as Manager, Emma Edgar and Laura Hutchinson are both promoted in Bury to Assistant Manager and Supervisor respectively, Lucy Abbott becomes Assistant Manager in Birmingham, Alnur Miah takes up a Supervisor role in Preston and Amy Nelson has been promoted to Senior Administrator in Leeds.

Group Director Daniel Booth said: “We recognise that the greatest asset in our business is our employees. As 2020 marks our 25th year in business we’re delighted to report record performances in the last 12 months and it’s our team of 240 people across our 19 offices we have to thank for this.

“On behalf of the business, we would like to say congratulations on those who have earned well-deserved promotions and wish them all best for the future.”

HR Director Nicky Mitchell added: “We will continue to invest in supporting, training and developing talent to ensure we provide the best advice and services to our growing client base. We’re also increasing opportunities for those entering the professional services sector with more openings for graduates and apprentices.”

Consensus builds Box on the Docks dining experience with

Sam Whitear
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Northwest diners have a unique new dining experience this Summer, as commercial fitout company Consensus Workspace has worked with Wayne Hemingway and MediaCityUK to install ‘Box on the Docks’, a series of 30 bespoke outdoor constructions for local hospitality providers in the Salford community.

Each box will provide additional outside space for eating and drinking and has been decorated by an independent artist, with designs including neon light installations and murals, sound projections and poetry. Consensus were approached by MediaCityUK and Peel to supply and fit the structures once Hemingway Designs’s proposals were approved and worked quickly to install the structures safely and securely for launch at the end of July.

Andy Plastow, MD of Consensus Workspace, comments: “The high winds at MediaCity meant that off-the-shelf structures were not an option. We worked with Elite Greenhouses to create specially strengthened glass booths and built extra strong sheds for the boxes, as they needed to be robust enough for the location while still staying true to the initial designs and providing a fun dining experience for all.”

Stephen Wild, Managing Director at MediaCityUK, said: “We know the hospitality and creative industries have been among the hardest hit by the impact of Covid-19, and ‘Box on the Docks’ is our way of helping them back on their feet. ‘Box on the Docks’ is the first in a series of initiatives, which will see us partnering with our key occupiers and the wider cultural community to deliver exciting outdoor activities during these uniquely challenging times.”

Wayne Hemingway, co-founder of HemingwayDesign said: “ At HemingwayDesign we are “glass half full” and after all these months of lockdown we are keen to emerge having fun (safely of course!) and support both local creative practitioners as well as the cafés and restaurants who have been shut down for all these months. ‘Box on the Docks’ delivers on all these and gives people a welcome dash of serendipity. It was a quick turnaround and Consensus Workspace were brilliant at getting the structures created quickly so that our artists could get to work.”

Concludes Andy: “We usually work with leisure providers, retailers and office interior specialists – so this was a little different, but great fun to build. It’s a fantastic initiative, we’ve been so impressed by how the leisure and hospitality industry has adapted throughout COVID and we were delighted to be involved.”

Retirement living communities are vital to the future of social care

Sam Whitear
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A new report argues that retirement communities should be considered a major part of the solution on how care is delivered in England.

 

The Associated Retirement Community Operators (ARCO) and the County Councils Network, who co-authored the report, say that retirement communities offer care and support and could play a hugely important preventative role in addressing the adult social care funding crisis and keeping people out of hospital longer.

 

According to the report: “Retirement Communities offer a different choice for people and can help them retain independence for as long as possible, with the added insurance of care options being close at hand and readily accessible should it be needed in the future. By being open to the wider community and acting as hubs for the towns and villages around them they also keep older people engaged with wider society which is key to tackling loneliness and isolation in later years.

“Too often the central issue is of someone who has continued to live in accommodation which becomes increasingly less appropriate for them as their health deteriorates into old age – leading to a ‘cliff edge’ where they are forced to move into an institution because home is no longer safe, perhaps following a fall or illness.”

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Dr Ed Gladman, MD of Adlington Retirement Living, which owns and runs a number of retirement communities in the North West and Midlands, comments: “The report highlights some really strong examples of how retirement communities have an incredibly positive impact on both the physical and mental health of homeowners. One community found that its residents’ unplanned hospital stays reduced from 8-14 days to 1-2 days. They were also 75% more physically active, had 23% reduced levels of anxiety, and showed reduced levels of isolation and loneliness with 87% saying they never or hardly ever feel lonely. Retirement communities like ours allow people to live independently for longer and to make the most of their retirement.”

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It’s a well-known fact that people are living longer – 10.2 million people aged over 65 currently live in England and the number of people aged over 75 is projected to double in the next 30 years. The proportion of households where the oldest person is 85 or over will grow faster than for any other age group – by 2037 there are projected to be 1.42 million more such households in England. However, currently only 0.6% of over-65s in the UK live in a retirement community, which is about a tenth of the level of provision in New Zealand and Australia.

Dr Gladman explains: “In the UK there’s a general lack of awareness of modern retirement living communities and some deep-rooted preconceptions which are totally out-dated. One of our Homeowners summed it up:

I think some people have a perception of retirement communities, sitting around and doing nothing. That couldn’t be further from the truth here. Before lockdown, I used to go to Physiofit every week and had just started chair yoga. A group of us would sometimes go out for lunch at a local restaurant and I visited our on-site hair dressing salon every week. I’ve made some really good friends here.

“We offer the best of both worlds. Our Homeowners can enjoy the privacy of their own peaceful and spacious apartment, but there’s also a thriving community that they can dip into whenever they want to.

“Even during lockdown many of our Homeowners were chatting to each other from their private balconies and patios, joining each other for an online quiz and at some developments we launched a virtual exercise class and a socially distanced gardening club.”

In fact, Dr Gladman believes the experience of the Covid-19 Pandemic and the UK lockdown may have been an eye-opener for many people in the UK. 

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“Lockdown has demonstrated the reality of what a lot of elderly people are living with, in terms of the negative impact that loneliness and isolation has. It’s given many people an insight into that situation. 

“I’m really proud of the way that our on-site teams found new ways to go the extra mile to look after our Homeowners during the lockdown period. Although our restaurants were temporarily closed, our catering teams offered the same high standards of freshly-prepared lunchtime meals and delivered them directly to our Homeowners’ front doors, always maintaining social distancing and sanitising trays between deliveries. Our team members went shopping and collected prescriptions for our Homeowners and we created ‘pop-up shops’ at each development to provide a safe and easy way to pick up everyday essentials.

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“One of the concerns of the report is that there is still limited awareness of the Retirement Communities on offer, particularly among those who would most benefit. We’re hoping that by sharing some of our insight with our local business community, it might help to start a conversation with friends and family so we can remedy that situation.”

 

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