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Sharks and AJ Bell unveil ‘Snow-Camp Stand’ ahead of first home game of the season

Sam Whitear
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Premiership Rugby side Sale Sharks has announced that the North Stand at its home ground will be renamed as the ‘Snow-Camp Stand’ this season in support of a national youth charity.

Ahead of the club’s first home game of the season this Sunday against Worcester, the new stand was unveiled at a special ceremony in partnership with the club’s principal sponsors, AJ Bell, which recently announced an official partnership with the charity.

Snow-Camp operates programmes across the UK, helping to improve the lives of 13 to 21-year-olds through skiing, snowboarding, life skills training, qualifications and work experience.

Sale Sharks Commercial Director, Mark Cueto, said: “Snow-Camp is a fantastic charity that really engages young people across the UK and we’re delighted to be helping them raise their profile this season with the renaming of our North Stand.

“Our principal sponsor, AJ Bell, recently announced its support for the charity so this is a natural extension of that relationship and we recognise how important this kind of support can be.

“We hope this move helps even more young people find out about the charity and go on to build their skills and confidence.”

The Snow-Camp charity in conjunction with AJ Bell, launched its debut North West programme – First Tracks – at Chill Factore near the Trafford Centre last month when a group of 30 local young people took to the slopes alongside the charity’s ambassadors – Chemmy Alcott, Britain’s most successful skier, and Emily Sarsfield, a Team GB Winter Olympics star.

“I have been a Patron for Snow-Camp for over ten years and I am so proud to see how the charity has developed and grown into the national charity it is today,” said Snow-Camp Patron and four-times Winter Olympian and BBC presenter, Chemmy Alcott.

“To have the Snow-Camp Stand at the AJ Bell Stadium is fantastic and I hope it will encourage many more people and companies in the area to support the charity.”

AJ Bell’s Marketing Director, Billy Mackay, added: “Snow-Camp’s programmes will be a great asset to youth groups in the North West, and we are delighted to help Snow-Camp extend their reach in this area.

“We are also pleased that we can help spread awareness of the charity’s great work by renaming the North Stand at the AJ Bell Stadium as the Snow-Camp Stand.”

BDO Manchester welcomes 13 new trainees 

Sam Whitear
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Accountancy and advisory firm BDO LLP expands its 200-strong workforce in Manchester by welcoming 13 new trainees to the fir. A further 5 trainees are confirmed to join BDO in December.

The new trainees will sit within tax, audit, advisory and the business services and outsourcing streams throughout the firm’s office.

Alongside their relevant professional qualification, trainees will get the opportunity to work towards a Level 7 accountancy or taxation professional apprenticeship, equivalent to a master’s degree.

Ed Dwan, Partner and Head of the North West at BDO, commented: “Welcoming our new intake of trainees is one of the highlights of the year at BDO. It is fantastic to see so many fresh faces and support the next generation of accountants and advisers.

“We place great emphasis on the personalities, skills and drive of our colleagues rather than focusing on their background or education, so I am proud to announce that BDO is offering an increased number of apprenticeships this year compared to last, as well as more graduate roles.

“As the business landscape changes and technology continues to disrupt the way we work, now more than ever we focus on attracting trainees with commercial acumen and the personal skills required to offer the best service to our clients and to ensure we stand out from the competition.”

To attract the most ambitious and talented millennials, BDO also hosted its annual intern and summer school programmes. This year the firm welcomed 38 A-Level students on its Summer School Programme, with 39 undergraduates also joining on an Internship Programme, spending six weeks gaining invaluable experiences of the real world of work and a taste of BDO life.

BDO is also calling on the government to make changes that support and encourage the number of quality apprenticeships. In particular, the firm would like to see reform of the Ofsted assessment system for schools and colleges to track the number and quality of apprenticeship places secured by their students. Tracking progress of students to higher-level apprenticeships should sit alongside the numbers of those who have gone onto university.

Repair specialist on the hunt for neglected landmarks in need of restoration

Sam Whitear
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A specialist finishing and repair firm wants to breathe new life into run down landmarks across the UK.

Plastic Surgeon, the UK’s leading surface repair experts, is calling on the public to nominate cracked iconic statues, stained public artworks and tired local monuments desperate for renovation.

Their nationwide ‘Community Restoration Project’ campaign not only wants to restore a forgotten landmark somewhere in the UK, but forgotten civic pride too.

Gary Danson, Operations Director for Plastic Surgeon, said: “It’s a campaign inspired by an undertaking of ours in North Shields, which saw us restore a statue of Stan Laurel marking the fact he grew up within the area.”

“After 30 years of neglect and exposure to the elements, it was looking in a very sorry state until we stepped in and rectified the wear and tear. The feedback we received following its restoration was great, while it also seemed to create a sense of restored civic pride alongside the actual restoration itself, hence the concept of community restoration. It was this that inspired us to try and replicate the enthusiasm for the results of our repair work elsewhere.”

Suggestions will be shortlisted nationwide, and a popular vote will decide the winner.

Entries should explain why the installation is important to the community and why it is worthy of restoration, to whip up public support.

But the Community Restoration Project won’t be able to tackle something like a sprawling mansion.

Gary said: “While we’d love to restore every suggestion that’s put forward, unfortunately, resource won’t allow it. So, we’re looking to whittle it down to a worthy ‘winner’. Put simply, whichever entry gets the most votes, will be the one that we repair.”

Plastic Surgeon is no stranger to the weird and wacky too.

As the ‘rhino repair squad’ of Paignton Zoo’s Great Big Rhinos conservation fundraising project, they repaired life-sized rhino sculptures scattered across Torbay.

Gary said: “Our company ethos, given the fact we advocate repair over replacement, is centred on sustainability and corporate social responsibility. The local community is important to us and this is an approach we’re looking to extend to a wider audience. As a business that has a national reach, our ‘local’ community technically stretches the length of the UK and beyond.”

Entries will not be accepted after 28 September.

Gary said: “We’re really looking forward to seeing what comes to light and, hopefully, we’ll find a statue, public art installation or whatever it happens to be, that’s close to the heart of its community, allowing us to help promote some civic pride while also restoring a potential eyesore to its former splendour.”

Wilson Cooke celebrate trio of new hires

Sam Whitear
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Bury, following the expansion of its portfolio, integrated marketing agency Wilson Cooke has created three new positions to help coordinate key service deliveries.

Group Account Director, Kathryn Brown, formerly of BJL and McCann Manchester has been brought on board to help develop existing client relationships.

Lee Lambourne, previously of Western Union International Bank, will lead on new business opportunities as Business Development Director.

Digital Outreach Executive, Cain Wilkes, has joined Wilson Cooke to help deliver a brand new social media and outreach offering for both existing and new clients.

Commenting on the new additions, Wilson Cooke managing director Mark Law, commented: “This is a really exciting time for Wilson Cooke as we look to compliment our already amazing team with a number of key hires. 

Kathryn, Lee and Cain bring a raft of experience in their respective fields and will be key drivers to the next phase of our growth as a result driven integrated agency and will help deliver huge value to our amazing clients.”

The Diane Modahl Sports Foundation named as official charity partner of Salford 10K

Sam Whitear
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The Diane Modahl Sports Foundation has been announced as an official charity partner of the UKFast City of Salford 10k 2018.

Taking place on the 9th September, the 10-kilometre race will see thousands of runners of all abilities take to the streets around MediaCityUK to raise funds for personal causes, run their very first 10k or try to take on their personal best. At least 20 runners will be taking part on behalf of the Diane Modahl Sports Foundation (DMSF).

Co-founded by four-time Olympian and Gold, Silver and Bronze Commonwealth Games medallist Diane Modahl, DMSF works with some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged young people in the North West, to help them make the most of their abilities in sport, education and employability.

This kind of work places DMSF at the heart of the local community, especially in the city of Manchester, which is ranked England’s fourth most deprived Local Authority and second most deprived in terms of income deprivation. where the majority of their work takes place.

In 2017, runners for DMSF raised £400, and they are attempting to smash that target this year. Fundraising on the day will help the charity provide return transport for young people who are taking part in the Blackpool Track & Field Open Meeting. It is events like the Salford 10k that allow DMSF teams to compete against others, many for the first time, and to experience competition outside of Manchester.

Notable team captains leading the way for the DMSF on 9th September include Tunde Okewale, a criminal barrister from Doughty Street Chambers, the same Chambers of renowned human rights lawyer, Amal Clooney – and Tom Queally, the jockey best known for being the leading jockey of (unbeaten and highest-rated horse in the World at the time) Frankel, and leading jockey of the late Sir Henry Cecil.

CEO and co-founder of the DMSF, Diane Modahl, commented on the charity’s appointment: “We are delighted to have been named as an official charity partner for the 2018 UKFast Salford 10K. Two of the Foundation’s greatest passions are sport and fundraising, making this the perfect partnership! Events such as these play a strong role in our fundraising efforts but they also raise awareness of the work that we do to raise the aspirations of young people and give them the chance to succeed.”

Art gallery signs exclusive publishing deal

Sam Whitear
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Greater Manchester art gallery Atelier Rose and Gray has signed an exclusive publishing deal with Stephen Chambers, the internationally renowned artist and Royal Academician, to create a large scale limited edition silkscreen called ‘Oceania’ that will be launched later this month at the Contemporary Istanbul art fair.

This is the first time a North West gallery has secured this kind of publishing deal with such a high profile artist.

The limited edition work, which is a six panel silkscreen in a series of Perspex boxes, is taken from Chambers’ critically acclaimed and large scale work, ‘The Big Country’, which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 2012. Just twelve will be produced and sold to collectors around the world.

Stephen Chambers studied at Winchester School of Art and then at St Martin’s School of Art. He graduated with a Masters from Chelsea School of Art in 1983. Chambers has won many scholarships and awards, including a Rome Scholarship, a Fellowship at Winchester School of Art, and a Mark Rothko Memorial Trust Travelling Award. Besides his painting and printmaking, Chambers has also collaborated on three dance projects with the Royal Ballet.

His most recent major project was The Court of Redonda, a large portrait series shown first in Venice during the 2017 Biennale, and subsequently at The Heong Gallery at Downing College, Cambridge. His work is held in many major collections including Deutsche Bank London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, Clifford Chance London and the Government Art Collection.

Chris Brooks, owner and curator at Atelier Rose and Gray, commented: “Stephen is one of the UK’s leading artists so we are delighted to be publishing this work with him. It’s also a real coup for a North West gallery which we are incredibly proud of.”

Stephen Chambers added: “I have worked with Chris for sometime so was delighted to collaborate with him on this project.”

IoD Seeks New Manchester Chair 

Sam Whitear
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A vacancy has arisen for a prominent Manchester business person to undertake one of the city’s highest ranking, extra-curricular roles.

The Institute of Directors North West, which is headquartered in the city centre, is looking to Manchester’s business community to find the perfect candidate to become its new branch Chair. With its incumbent, Paul Battye’s tenure drawing to a close in November, the organisation is asking candidates with senior leadership experience to come forward and express interest in the opportunity.

The IoD is encouraging applications from individuals who will be a strong advocate for IoD North West and who can continue to build and grow an active committee in Manchester. Working alongside the regional team to support a growing membership base of business leaders, the candidate will be passionate about helping Manchester to thrive, connecting people from across sectors, and helping members to be the very best leaders they can be.

Speaking about his role to date and the opportunities that it has brought, Battye, said: “As Chair of the IoD’s Manchester branch, I have thoroughly enjoyed promoting the organisation within the regional business community, and representing Manchester business across the North West and nationally within the IoD.

“As well as working with my colleagues on the Manchester committee to enhance the member experience through high quality, regular events, my tenure has provided me with the invaluable opportunity to connect with policy and decision makers, to ensure that as an organisation, we can offer the right support to our members.”

The IoD’s regional director Claire Ebrey, added: “We thank Paul for his contribution to the Manchester branch over the past three years. As a pioneering organisation, we are excited to be offering this unique opportunity to a new Chair and finding someone dynamic and inspirational who can fly the flag for Manchester’s business issues in the future.”

Retail veterans joins Savills

Sam Whitear
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International real estate advisor Savills has expanded its retail team with the appointment of directors Stephen Proudley and Jonathan Netley, who will be based at the firm’s Manchester office.

Both Proudley and Netley join from Lambert Smith Hampton, where they held senior roles in the retail and leisure team since the firm’s acquisition of Tushingham Moore in 2015.  They were previously two of five equity partners at Tushingham Moore, with Proudley having joined in 1997 and Netley in 1994.

As head of North West transactional agency at Lambert Smith Hampton, Proudley advised national retailers such as Primark and Next on the acquisition of flagship stores and international developer Vastint on the purchase of the former Tetley Brewery site in Leeds, paving the way for a major mixed-use regeneration.  Netley’s UK-wide experience encompasses retailer, developer and landlord advisory across shopping centres, high streets, retail and leisure parks.

Their appointment follows that of Andy Hall, who joined Savills out of town retail team based in Manchester in June 2018.  The firm has continued to grow and strengthen its network of retail experts based across the UK’s key regional markets with numerous senior hires over the last 12 months, including directors Stuart Moncur, Isla Monteith and John Menzies in Scotland and associate Russell McGill in Manchester.

Sean Gillies, head of UK retail at Savills, comments: “Stephen and Jonathan are nationally recognised in the retail sector for providing trusted, strategic advice to a wide range of retailers, landlords, investors and developers.  Their market knowledge, particularly in the North West, is second to none and we are confident their skills and experience will further enhance the best-in-class retail services we provide to clients across the UK.  We are delighted to be welcoming them on board.”

James Evans, head of Savills Manchester, adds: “We continue to believe clients benefit greatly from the provision of advice from experts based locally within their markets.  The appointment of Stephen and Jonathan to our Manchester retail team follows that of Andy Hall who joined this summer, further emphasising this strategy and our regional strength.”

Football referees will soon be using satellites and virtual reality to put themselves in players boots

Sam Whitear
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VAR was undoubtedly the big talking point of this year’s World Cup tournament in Russia but the future for the professional game will be much more about virtual reality, according to sports technology experts.

“In four to five-years-time, professional football could be using satellite tracking to create fully immersive VAR for referees, meaning they could become the player at the centre of any chosen incident in a virtual sense,” said Dave Horrocks, a world-renowned sports researcher and senior lecturer in football coaching and analytics at the University Campus of Football Business (UCFB) in Manchester.

“In effect, it means referees will have the technology to virtually become a goalkeeper and face the corner that’s just happened on the pitch to truly see a particular incident of play from virtually any angle.”

The satellite VR system called Mi Hiepa is already in use for players and is used to assess their actions throughout training, in order to improve their performance on match days.

The tracking system is called Trac Ab and is used at most of the top stadiums around the world by the elite football clubs in the major football leagues.

But Dave, who lectures students at UCFB Etihad Campus in Manchester and is considered one of the leading sports researchers in the UK, says it is already being developed to become the next iteration of the VAR system.

“It will enable the referee to put himself in Neymar’s shoes and know, without any element of doubt, whether he has been kicked or fouled or not. That means the decision he makes will not have any margin for error and will be as accurate as if he had been the player involved in the incident,” Dave said.

Trac Ab and VAR are also already used for player analysis in top level football, but the immediate future will likely see the roll-out of VAR for refereeing decisions throughout elite football leagues around the world.

Dave believes the current VAR system will borrow ideas from the American NFL, where coaches are allowed a set number of challenges to decisions per game, and will likely roll out in the English Premier League and other elite leagues next season.

He said: “The use of VAR during this summer’s World Cup was very much a trial. There will now be a review of the system to assess whether it was a success or not. If it is deemed a success, which I imagine it will be, I’d expect VAR to be rolled out in the Champions League and Europa League first before then going into full-time use in the Premier League, Serie A and other elite leagues the following season.

“I’d expect VAR to be in use in the Premier League by next season or the season after.”

In NFL matches coaches can challenge decisions three times in each half of the game. The bench and the coaches also have a live feed of the game and, within seconds of an in-game incident occurring can see exactly what has happened on their monitor. That means any challenge from the bench is based on more accurate information and images and, in theory, should stop coaches challenging all and any VAR decision frivolously.

In NFL the referee also has to explain their decision, which stops much of the time-consuming debate between the team being penalised and the referee.

Dave added: “I imagine we will see a similar rule change in the Premier League before full adoption of VAR in the professional game. Right now Premier League bosses will likely be debating how VAR can be improved to ensure accuracy of decision-making by the referee but also to ensure as little interference in the course of play as possible.”

Atradius grows from strength to strength in the North West 

Sam Whitear
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Trade credit insurer Atradius is better placed than ever to deliver crucial support to North West businesses.

 A world leader in trade credit insurance with an established local presence in the north west, Atradius has created a new and larger team to enhance its offering in the region.

Thomas Murphy and Chelcee Witkowski have joined Atradius as business development managers alongside James Armitage and Lisa McMillan as account managers. They join senior business development manager Sally Nolan and account managers Sarah Seddon and Nicola Hinchliff. The team, which is based in Atradius’ Manchester Regional Hub is headed up by Regional Manager Mike Rowan who is already very well known in the region.

The Atradius Northern Region is tasked with growing Atradius’ presence over the year ahead, demonstrating to businesses in the region the value of trade credit insurance and further enhancing relationships with brokers and business partners.

“While we’re part of a multinational company with exceptional worldwide trade expertise, our northern team is based here on the doorstep of north west businesses, tailoring our service to the local market,” comments Mike Rowan. “We’re part of the fabric of the business community and are committed to providing the best possible service.”

The team expansion follows Atradius’ strategic move from Salford Quays to The Chancery, Spring Gardens, in the heart of Manchester’s financial district in 2013. The northern hub services Atradius’ brokers, customers and prospects in the north of England and Scotland.

With experts on the ground around the world and business intelligence on millions of companies worldwide, Atradius supports customers to trade with confidence by protecting them from the risks of non-payment. In addition to its ability to pay out claims, Atradius also provides unrivalled insights and advice on the risks and opportunities of trade making it the perfect partner for businesses.

“Non-payment is the single biggest risk of trade with the ability to effectively cripple a business overnight”, explained Mr Rowan. “Trading with protection, especially in the current climate of economic uncertainty, is essential. At Atradius, our role doesn’t stop there. As the export experts, we partner with businesses from the very beginning of a trade relationship to ensure that risks are mitigated and that viable opportunities are seized.”

Among its armoury, Atradius offers real-time insights and expert analysis on new and existing trade relationships, a suite of free economic, country and sector reports as well as a new digital credit management portal, Atrium, designed to directly and quickly address the everyday needs of customers and brokers. In addition, Atradius has enhanced its support to SMEs with a new streamlined cover option. Simple yet effective, Atradius Modula Freedom offers the protection SMEs need with a format, pricing structure and clear features designed specifically for them.

 “Our aim at Atradius is to be the best,” said Mike Rowan. “We have the expertise, knowledge, experience and tools that businesses need, coupled with our renowned quality customer service. We are excited about showing more businesses and brokers in the north west what we have to offer and building upon our presence to be the best service provider in the market.” 

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