Bruntwood Works has welcomed five new customers to the newly refurbished sixth floor of Lowry House on Marble Street, Manchester.

New customers include leading global provider of wellness therapies, REVIV; business support group Enterprise Nation; lighting systems developer Simmtronic and recruitment specialists Talentful.

They have joined five existing customers already located on the sixth floor, meaning the ten private offices are now fully let just three months after unveiling the brand new look. The transformation is centred on a botanical theme and focuses on bringing the outside in, with an array of communal plants and natural materials throughout.

Following the success of the inspiring workspaces created as part of the refurbishment, work is now underway on breathing new life into the fifth floor, with designs inspired by the sunset vista the building offers, due to complete in August.

Andrew Cooke, regional director for Bruntwood Works, said: “We’re constantly looking at how we can improve our workspaces to offer our customers the best possible environment and refurbs like Lowry House form part of this commitment.”

“The sixth floor is heavily themed around an urban oasis, helping to create a fresh, vibrant look. It has been incredibly well received with businesses taking up space there and we’re now well on track to complete changes to the floor below as a result, and cementing the building’s place as one of our key sites in the city centre.”

Manchester-based bike brand Insync has teamed up with a part-time inventor to enable disabled children to experience riding a bike.

Les McMahon has engineered a trike that allows his young neighbour, Lewis Flint, to get out on the roads with his parents, Dawn and Andy.

The trike, which is much cheaper to make than alternatives, is set to be available to families all over the world after Indian-owned Insync’s new Global Design Centre in Manchester stepped in to help Les refine his invention.

Les, from Ellenbrook, Worsley, had seen the couple struggle to help Lewis, who has an undiagnosed genetic condition, experience cycling with the rest of the family. He communicates through an aid, has no independent mobility and relies on other people for his personal care.

Mum, Dawn describes the 13-year-old as a “white-knuckle child” who enjoys going to his local ski slope and attending an adventure centre where he takes on challenges like rock climbing. Cycling was one hobby they wanted him to be able to join in with, but they couldn’t find a suitable solution.

They had tried options including using straps to attach his hands to handlebars and his feet to pedals but, without his wheelchair, he was left feeling uncomfortable. That also meant he had to be carried whenever the family reached their destination, which would become more difficult the older he became.

Les’s solution involves a ‘sidecar’ fitted to a bike, with a bike to roll on the wheelchair. After drawing up a sketch, with Dawn’s approval, he spent two to three months making the trike using parts donated by various people. Lewis’s condition means he has other complications and trikes where his wheelchair is at the front of the vehicle would be unsuitable. With Les’s design, his parents can see him at all times, meaning they can ensure he is physically ok but also enjoy riding together, too.

Les then contacted Hero to investigate making the trike available on a larger scale, and the brand, which has its global design centre in Manchester, was only too happy to help.

Les, a former engineer, said: “I’d seen the family struggling and I knew they were really keen on getting Lewis to experience everything an able-bodied child can, so I knew there was a real need for the trike. I got lucky in that the design just came together and when Hero invited us to demonstrate the bike it was too good an opportunity to miss.

“It’s quite humbling and uplifting to think you’ve helped somebody with basic DIY skills and it seems inconceivable that, with Hero’s help, we might be able to change other people’s lives, too.”

Dawn, who also has a son, Cameron, 14, said Lewis loves fresh air and speed but finding activities he can take part in can sometimes be a struggle.

She said: “I don’t think we could have found a better neighbour. Les has been phenomenal in the time and energy he’s put in to make this for Lewis so that we can all go out on a bike ride. He absolutely loves it and it means we can go for a ride in the sunshine and then go to a café.

“It’s amazing to think Les made this in his garage and now Hero is going to help him so that other families could benefit like we have.”

Abhishek Pratap Singh, head of design at Insync said the company, owed by Hero Cycles the world’s biggest bike maker, was delighted to help once they heard about Les’s design and the benefits it had brought to the Flint family.

He said: “Insync is a family bike brand and we believe cycling is a force for good improving mental and physical health and bringing the family together for quality time. We want to make cycling more accessible to everyone including those with special needs. We are very keen to support Les because we can see the difference his trike has made to Lewis’s life and how it could help others.

“Our design team is now working with Les to make his invention more mature and we’d like to create a trike for the general market so that more families with children with special needs can benefit. Our design is set to be much cheaper at around £500 compared than alternatives which start at around £5000 so our version will be much more accessible to families. We are planning to create a ‘flat pack’ kit that will enable families to assemble it at home or alternatively we are going to offer a download design so people can create their own versions of the trike. We’d like to include the trike as part of the new Insync family bike brand we have created for the UK and European market.”

Manchester-based X.0 Advisory is headed up by Nick Horrocks, a former Director at international technology advisory and investment firm, GP Bullhound where he was in charge of its Northern office, and Clearwater International Corporate Finance.

This year he made the decision to launch X.0 Advisory in Manchester after identifying the untapped potential for aspiring scale-up technology and digital businesses in the region to access crucial funding and investment.

Speaking about the launch of the business, Nick said: “Over the last five years, we’ve seen the north’s digital and technology scene grow phenomenally, as has interest from investors, particularly from China, the Middle East and North America. There have been a number of very high-profile business success stories and we are keen to build on the momentum that is growing in the region.”

Digital and technology businesses develop at such a speed that the ability to raise capital fast and efficiently is the absolute key to success. Entrepreneurs spin many plates and looking for capital can be time-consuming and distracts from day-to- day business operations.”

X.0 Advisory is working with early-stage technology companies looking to accelerate growth, both in the UK and overseas. It works with founders and management teams to secure the first significant fundraising, prepare for investment and plan for future growth.

Over the last three months Nick has been interviewing prominent businesspeople from the Northern tech community for a new podcast series called “My Digital Journey.”

The series explores how entrepreneurs have set up and grown their businesses, examines their fundraising experiences and how they have dealt with the challenges of a fast-changing market.

“Ambitious technology businesses across the north of England and Scotland need to be given better access to funding. We must work together to make sure that growth becomes a reality and that companies achieve their full potential.”

UBS Global Wealth Management has today opened its new expanded office in Manchester, representing further significant investment in its UK regional presence.

Driven by strong growth in the North West, UBS has relocated from its office in Marsden Street to larger premises in Spinningfields, which provide greater capacity for UBS to increase its headcount in the region.

UBS has had a presence in the North West for 15 years and has expanded its team in Manchester to 10 in recent years. This includes the hire of Mike Stirrup from Brown Shipley earlier this year to bolster UBS’s financial planning offer in the region. In addition, Client Advisor Simeon Livesey joined from Coutts last year, while Ellie Edwards has joined as trainee Client Advisor.

Simon Pearson, North West Regional Head, UBS Global Wealth Management, commented: “We are excited to welcome clients old and new to our larger office. Nothing exemplifies the thriving business culture in Manchester like Spinningfields, and our signing of a 10-year lease on the new premises highlights our long-term commitment to helping entrepreneurs in the region meet their financial goals.”

UBS has doubled its regional business over the past five years, and has offices in Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Jersey and Birmingham, as well as a presence in Wales, the South West and Glasgow. To reflect the increasing importance of the offices outside of London, Head of Regions Jonathan Brown was appointed to UBS Global Wealth Management’s UK & Jersey management committee in April.

Jonathan Brown, Head of Regions, UBS Global Wealth Management, said: “The expansion of the Manchester office is just one example of UBS’s growth up and down the UK. We are proud of our heritage in the regions, where we have consistently served wealthy individuals and families for over 17 years. While we already have the largest regional presence of any global wealth manager in the UK, we are continually growing and investing in our offer as entrepreneurs across the country reap the rewards of their endeavours.”

National property consultancy Eddisons has expanded its growing Manchester office with two new appointments to its valuations and building and projects consultancy teams.

Valuer David Rose has joined as an associate director, while Ashley Parkinson is a senior building surveyor with the firm.

David comes on board with four years’ experience as a valuer at North West business Longden & Cook, carrying out commercial and residential valuations for secured lending and pension funds as well as sourcing or selling investment property for clients. He was also previously at Axis Property Consultancy and Lambert Smith Hampton.

With a range of private and public sector survey and project management experience, Ashley joins Eddisons from JLL, where he spent 18 months in the Manchester project and delivery services team, after qualifying as a surveyor at Rider Levett Bucknall.

“I’m really excited to be joining the vibrant and motivated building and project consultancy team here at Eddisons in Manchester and am looking forward to playing a pivotal role in the growth and success of the team over the coming years,” said Ashley.

David added: “Eddisons’ valuations team has a strong pipeline of quality work and I’m looking forward to getting started in the new role.”

Eddisons valuations director Phil Deakin said: “The building and project consultancy team and valuations team between them are going from strength to strength with new business and retained clients driving growth.

“We valued over £1bn of properties last year and, in the education sector, our work with academy trusts secured £20m to improve the buildings for 48 schools across the UK in the latest round of the Government’s Condition Improvement Fund programme.

“We welcome David and Ashley on board and look forward to making further hires later in the year.”

ATG Access, an international leader in the innovation of road blockers, bollards and vehicle barrier systems, has announced a new partnership with Altrincham-based event protection business Crowdguard.

As part of the partnership, Crowdguard will be deploying Surface Guard, ATG’s latest pioneering, hostile vehicle mitigation solution, to secure temporary or semi-permanent events across the UK.

A Surface Guard barrier can withstand the impact of a 7,200kg vehicle travelling at 32kph and has been tested in accordance to the IWA 14 crash test standard. The barrier’s lightweight and modular design means that it can be deployed quickly and efficiently by four men in under an hour, minimising disruption to event operation and the surrounding area.

Crowdguard, which is affiliated with Ainscough Industrial Services that has over 40 years’ experience within the machinery installation and equipment movers industry, will ensure that Surface Guard is deployed to the safest of standards. With a national distribution network across the UK, Crowdguard’s professionally trained personnel are dedicated to installing the barriers quickly and efficiently, ensuring minimum disruption to the community and peace of mind for the event organiser.

Gavin Hepburn, CEO at ATG Access, said: “With events and crowded spaces continuing to require protection, due to the terror threat remaining ‘severe’ in the UK, working collaboratively with businesses such as Crowdguard will ensure that we can continue to keep the general public safe when they’re attending events with their friends and families.

“We now have four official deployment partners in the UK, which cover various sectors and locations, so we can provide leading security solutions to projects of any size.”

Deborah Ainscough, founder and operations director at Crowdguard, said: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement to distribute ATG’s market leading Surface Guard product on a national basis. We look forward to working with businesses, events, councils, the police and other relevant stakeholders to provide the highest standards of protection for the public.”