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HMG Paints to give Veterans’ Garage a fresh lick of paint

Sam Whitear
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Veterans’ Garage (VG) Manchester, based at Airport City, is getting a fresh lick of paint as plans progress to the next stages in renovating the Grade II listed former Airport Terminal.

HMG Paints, The UK’s largest Independent Paint Manufacturer, is continuing its support with further donations of paint for the refreshment of the temporary Veterans’ Garage premises. At the same time, planning continues for extensive renovations of the Grade II listed 1930’s Airport Terminal.

Veterans’ Garage, co-founded in 2015 by the Redshaws, an ex-military family suffering the impacts of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), have together created a unique approach to providing support for Military Veterans and Emergency Service personnel across the North West. The family’s aim was to provide a stable social hub for ex-servicemen and women to learn new skills, socialise and receive support and advice with in-house welfare programmes.

The Redshaw family hope the project, which was named North-West Social Enterprise of the Year 2017, will be a long-standing testament to veterans, giving ex-servicemen, servicewomen and their families a multi-functional hub to build skills and seek support, but also to socialise and make friends. “We are dedicated to working with local businesses who are active and supportive in the community and felt that HMG Paints very much fit with our ethos. We plan to have a long-term relationship with HMG Paints, not only utilising their Decorative Paints range, but also their impressive Automotive coatings for our restoration garage” said Dave Redshaw, Veterans’ Garage Co-Founder.

The location for the Veterans’ Garage, City Airport, was the UK’s first purpose-built municipal airport. At the airport, the temporary venue, a converted portacabin, has been refurbished using a selection of HMG Paints products from PVC17 on the UPVC windows, to the popular Acrylic Primer Undercoat and Satin Trim system. Alongside the portacabin sits a Grade II listed, WWII airport terminal building which has been generously donated to the project by The Peel Group.

With the skills of former project Manager & Co-Founder Dan Redshaw COO of Auto Crowd Group (a free to join network of Automotive, Marine & Aviation clubs) who brings over 15 years of construction industry experience to the project, The VG team endeavour to preserve and enhance the historical features by designing the Grade II listed building in an Art Deco style, reflecting the 1930’s heritage. Transforming the building in to a multi-functional space, housing stylish lounges, club meeting and business facilities.

A luxury restaurant will surround the downstairs car & motorcycle restoration garage for ex-service personnel of all ages to collaborate, restoring classic cars and motorcycles, whilst raising money and awareness. Gracienne Ikin, HMG Paints’ Marketing and Communications Executive commented on the project “HMG are proud to be part of such an inspirational project. The Redshaws have created a unique and welcoming place for all, open 7 days a week, and the main project hasn’t even started yet! We look forward to the next few years working with the Veterans’ Garage team.”

As a not-for-profit venture, the garage will also play host to a community car club, giving freedom to raise funds for other causes across the North West, simultaneously providing ex-service personnel with employment opportunities.

Bolton’s ambitious £1bn new town centre masterplan makes significant step forward

Sam Whitear
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Bolton Council has confirmed in principle over £250m of private sector investment funding to replace the Crompton Place Shopping Centre on Victoria Square, with a new state-of-the-art retail and leisure destination as the first phase of Bolton’s ambitious £1bn town centre regeneration masterplan.

The project represents a major new component of the Northern Powerhouse initiative.

Working in partnership with the Department for International Trade (DIT) and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), the Council has secured the involvement of Bolton Regeneration Limited (BRL), a private consortium led by investment and development specialist, Midia.

BRL has in turn secured strong interest from a number of major institutional investors and this week agreed heads of terms with Beijing Construction and Engineering Group International (BCEGI) to join the consortium.

It is expected a formal announcement will be made in the autumn. The final selection of the preferred investor will be made in conjunction with Bolton Council and its property advisors.

A spokesperson from Midia, said: “This investment is a fantastic opportunity for one of Greater Manchester’s largest towns to establish itself as major player within the Northern Powerhouse. Midia has extensive experience in partnering with public sector organisations and we look forward to working closely with Bolton Council to deliver a programme of regeneration that secures long-term economic growth for the town.”

BCEGI is an equity and construction partner in the £1bn Airport City project at Manchester Airport and the preferred contractor for the new £1bn Salford mixed-use development, Middlewood Locks.

Bolton Council’s Cabinet gave approval for the replacement of Crompton Place and the implementation of the Bolton town centre development framework earlier this month.

Property management company JLL will continue to manage the existing retail space, which contains 46 retail units, kiosks, office accommodation and a 285-space car park covering more than 280,000 sq ft.

Leader of Bolton Council, Councillor Linda Thomas, described the investment by BRL as a “huge opportunity” to transform Bolton town centre.

 

She added: “This is a fantastic vote of confidence in our town and in our council. It enables us to move forward with the delivery of our masterplan and will act as a catalyst for other developments across our borough.

“I look forward to being able to make further announcements about the investment later in the year.”

Deputy Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Ebrahim Adia, said: “This is a resounding vote of confidence in the council and its vision for the town centre.

“The investment will generate significant economic benefits not only for Bolton but also for the wider Northern Powerhouse region, with the potential to create new jobs for our residents. There is a lot of detailed work that now needs to be undertaken but there is no doubt that this is an exciting time for Bolton.”

Specsavers Swinton take fundraising to new heights

Sam Whitear
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Five daring workers from Specsavers in Swinton and Wythenshawe are testing their limits by taking part in a skydiving challenge to raise money for a national sight loss charity.

Tom Duffy, Callum Pennington, Tazneem Patel, Kirsty Doyle and Christina Arguile from Specsavers in Swinton and Wythenshawe are taking part in the RNIB’s ‘The Big Jump’ on 23 September, which will see a team of thirty fundraisers from across the business take to the skies for the jump of a lifetime to celebrate the charity’s 150th anniversary.

The en-masse sky dive will be taking place just before National Eye Health Week (24-30 September), kicking off a week packed full of fundraising for the RNIB across Specsavers’ stores in the UK.

Amanda Pedder, store director of Specsavers Swinton and Wythenshawe store confirmed that her team’s fundraising target is £3,000, and that they have already raised 47% of their target.

The Wythenshawe store will also be hosting a family fun day on Thursday 30 August to raise funds for the charity. Visitors will be able to enjoy a whole host of fun activities in aid of the event, with in store entertainment, competitions and fancy dress.

In addition, the Swinton store has recently hosted a bake sale, raising an impressive £250 for the charity.

Through their work at Specsavers, the team understands the importance of eye tests for detecting eye conditions that could otherwise go undetected and potentially lead to sight loss.

Christina Arguile, in-store trainer at Specsavers Wythenshawe, says: ‘Half of all sight loss cases are preventable – and a simple eye test can be the first step in prevention. Our mission together with RNIB is to transform the nation’s eye health through education, awareness and action.

‘We’re all absolutely terrified, but anything we could do to fund more research into sight loss is definitely worth it. We hope all of our customers and members of the general public will come along to our fundraising day and support us.’

Every day in the UK, 250 people start to lose their sight. Currently, the RNIB can only reach one in three people so the organisation desperately needs more funding so that no one is left to face sight loss on their own.

Leading law firm partners with university in innovative data project

Sam Whitear
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Giving students a valuable insight into the world of work, Slater and Gordon Lawyers recently hosted a team from Salford University.

The data science masters students spent 10 weeks at the firm’s flagship Manchester office, shadowing the company’s own data analysts and working with them on a series of projects.

Suzanne Coumbaros, who heads up the data science department at Slater and Gordon and spearheaded the innovative partnership with data and analytics firm Eden Smith, said: “This was an exciting opportunity for students to get some real hands-on experience and I think they found it really valuable.

“We hosted five students and gave them a variety of projects to work on including how likely a case was to be successful, using everything from population and geographic information to age, enquiry information, client data and generic information from population demographics and the Post Office.”

Much of the work the students did involved crunching mass amounts of data to build models to predict outcomes of cases for clients based on their unique circumstances.

Suzanne added: “The data they helped to collect will enable us to give far more clarity to the client about their journey, likelihood of success, how long the case might take, what it might cost but also how much compensation is likely. All of this helps a client understand and be more aware and involved in the progression of their case. Our data management vision is to reduce costs, deliver better customer outcomes and improve efficiency.

“Preserving client confidentiality and privacy is our top priority, so the students were tasked with analysing anonymised data trends and publicly available information from sources such as the census, government studies and research papers to build up really detailed computer models. We’ll be able to use these to predict various things such as the chances of case successes.”

Placements were organised by Eden Smith under its Nurture initiative.

Lucy Lynch, head of graduate programs at the firm, said: “Being able to have real experience in the world of work makes a huge difference to a student. When they finish their studies, to be able to go out and say they’ve worked with a large firm like Slater and Gordon looks great on their CV.”

Stagecoach staff raise a bucket load for charity

Sam Whitear
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Stagecoach Manchester head office staff laced up their walking boots to take part in a 25km hike, raising money for the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital in the process.

The group, which consisted of Nicky Park, Andrew Howard-Smith, Heidi Goodwin, Anthony Fox, Kayley Bowes, Sachin Duggal, Tom Ollier, Adam Clark, and Tony Martin took on the challenging Dovestone Rocks Trail from Greenfield, Saddleworth via Pots and Pans War Memorial, Ashway Rocks, Chew Reservoir and back to Greenfield; a stretch which took in scenic views across the North West, and raised £1,800 for Stagecoach Manchester’s charity of the year.

The trail saw the team tackle rock climbing, downhill scrambling, streams and swamps as well as blisters and nettle stings which made the task all the more difficult.

The money raised will form part of Stagecoach’s annual donation to the charity, which is collected through the generosity of customers and its own staff for challenges that Stagecoach personnel take on at various stages throughout the year.

Commenting on the event, Stagecoach Manchester managing director, Elisabeth Tasker, said: “The head office team which took on the challenge worked equally as hard on the fundraising element as they did tackling the trail and it’s great to see all of their hard work has been rewarded with a big final figure.

“We’re always encouraging our staff to challenge themselves and I’d like to thank the team for their dedication and commitment in raising money for such a worthwhile cause.”

UK Vice-President of Fifa, David Gill, to be inducted into the City of Champions Hall of Fame

Sam Whitear
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Former Chief Executive of Manchester United and current UK Vice-President of Former Chief Executive of Manchester United and current UK Vice-President of FIFA, David Gill, has been announced as one of three new additions to the City of Champions Hall of Fame.

Gill has enjoyed a hugely successful career in the world of football. This has included being on the boards of the FIFA Executive Committee, the UEFA Executive Committee, the Football Association, and Manchester United Football Club.

He is also known for being Chief Executive of Manchester Football Club, the Vice Chairman of the Football Association, and UK Vice-President of FIFA.

The City of Champions gala dinner will be organised by Olympian Diane Modahl, Manchester City Council and the Diane Modahl Sports Foundation, a North West-based charity that empowers young people to achieve in all areas of their life.

Th star-studded event aims to celebrate the success of people in the areas of sport, education and business, who are giving back to the next generation of champions. Attendees will have the chance to rub shoulders and dine with sportsmen and women from a number of fields.

Gill will be joining previous inductees to the Hall of Fame, including Rio Ferdinand, Dame Kelly Holmes, Sir Chris Hoy, Mike Summerbee and Tracey Neville MBE.

David commented on his induction into the Hall of Fame: “I am honoured to be inducted into the City of Champions Hall of Fame and to be amongst the many inspirational and deserving people that have previously been inducted.

“I recognise the great work that the Diane Modahl Sports Foundation does in inspiring and supporting young people and this is a cause close to my heart. Investing in young people is vital, not only for Manchester, but also, for the future of our country and we need to help and encourage them in the best way possible. My motivation behind the establishment of the Manchester United Foundation in 2006 was to help young people make a brighter future for themselves and long may the good work continue.

“I’m delighted to be involved in this wonderful fundraising event and I look forward to meeting the champions in sport, education and business, who go above and beyond to support young people and make Manchester such a great city.”

Co-founder and CEO of DMSF, Diane Modahl, said: “I am delighted to announce, on behalf of the city of Manchester and the Diane Modahl Sports Foundation, that Director Manchester United Football Club and former Chief Executive David Gill will be inducted into the City of Champions Hall of Fame.

“David is a wonderful inspiration for young people across the city, inspiring them to reach their full potential. His goals for young people are very much in line with our own, to support and encourage the development of major life skills, such as teamwork, self-esteem and resilience. He has shown his dedication to supporting young people in Manchester over the years and we’re very excited to welcome him into the City of Champions Hall of Fame.”

New luxury hotel set to open on central Peter Street

Sam Whitear
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A new luxury hotel from KRO Hospitality is set to open on Manchester’s vibrant Peter Street.

KRO Hospitality, who owns and operates Velvet Hotel & Bar and Mr. White’s English Chophouse, is in the development stages of a high-end hotel in one of the city’s popular areas for dining and entertainment.

KRO Hospitality purchased the freehold for 47 Peter Street, which is currently home to the renowned Asha’s Indian restaurant and will transform the upper floors of the building into a new luxury hotel.

The new hotel, which will focus on “luxury and outstanding service”, will have 45 rooms, including some of the largest and most extravagant suites in Manchester.

KRO Hospitality has operated several IHG (Intercontinental Hotels Group) properties and was behind the success of luxury brands including The Light ApartHotel, Velvet Hotel & Bar and La Reserve ApartHotel.

Planning application for KRO Hospitality’s latest venture will be submitted in August with work expected to start in late 2018/early 2019.

Kim Eivind Krohn, owner of KRO Hospitality, said: “We are thrilled about our latest venture to create a new, exciting and extravagant hotel in the heart of Manchester’s Vibrant Peter Street, which is host to popular venues such as Albert Schloss, Revolucion de Cuba, Be Impossible and let’s not forget the gorgeous Asha’s Restaurant located in our building”.

“Peter Street is the perfect location for our new hotel, and to restore such a stunning building will only enhance the area. The hotel will feature some of the largest and most lavish suites in the city centre and accommodation will range from deluxe rooms to luxury one and two-bedroom suites. The hotel will also boast a club lounge for its guests located on the 1st floor”.

“It will make a fantastic addition to our growing portfolio, which includes the newly refurbished Velvet Hotel & Bar and most recently the decadent Marco Pierre White’s Mr. White’s English Chophouse, which has recently opened on the lower level of Velvet Hotel on Canal Street.”

Mr Krohn also added that the success of The Light has inspired him to continue to grow on luxury and good old-fashioned hospitality. KRO Hospitality is also submitting planning to extend Velvet Hotel with the addition of six to eight new luxury suites later this year.

The new luxury Peter Street Hotel will open in 2019 if approval is received from Manchester City Council. The architects behind the new hotel are Space Plus Architects.

Millfield Estates supports tenant growth with three new lettings in Manchester

Sam Whitear
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Property investment firm Millfield Estates has announced a trio of new lettings worth over £65,000 at Longford Trading Estate in Manchester, with three existing tenants expanding their operations by taking additional space at the property.

Offering industrial and warehouse units totalling 141,781 sq ft in total, Longford Trading Estate’s long-term tenants Ego Shoes Limited, Continental Textiles (Manchester) Limited and Consumable Direct Limited have signed flexible leases for their new space and now occupy over a third of the total space at the Stretford Estate.

Paul Dobson, Property Director for Millfield Estates, said: “The ability to meet their need for additional accommodation for three of our tenants at Longford Trading Estate is testament to our property’s versatility and the quality of the units. Stretford is a vibrant industrial destination and we are certainly pleased that we are able to support these expanding businesses.

“At Millfield Estates we pride ourselves on tailoring our lettings to the tenants’ needs and with a wide variety of companies currently working at Longford Trading Estate, it was important once again that we did all we could to ensure that Ego Shoes, Consumable Direct and Continental Textiles were able to enjoy a smooth transition into their new larger premises.”

Highlighting the property’s status as a prime urban logistics destination, family-business Continental Textiles is adding the 4,224 sq.ft. Unit H3 to its existing base in Units G and D3. Online footwear brand Ego Shoes is doubling its floorspace by taking the 6,057 sq ft Unit A2 and ink and toner wholesaler Consumable Direct now occupies 6,114 sq.ft. in Unit C2 alongside their Head Office at Unit D1.

Jonathan Crewe, managing director for Continental Textiles, commented: “With the benefit of what is regarded as one of the best industrial locations in the North West, it was imperative for us to grow our business within this area. Millfield Estates made the decision to expand at Longford Trading Estate incredibly easy for us, thanks in no small part to their professional and forward-thinking approach to property management.”

Located only four miles from Manchester City Centre, Longford Trading Estate is now fully let, with other tenants including Mosscare St Vincent’s Housing Group, ASFORPRINT and Record Electrical Associates.

 

One Manchester’s Community Soups Help 108 Projects With £179,000 of Funding

Sam Whitear
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Community Soup is a series of events where funding is offered by housing provider One Manchester and has helped 108 local projects receive £179,000 over the last three years. Applications are now open for the next round of funding where another £32,000 is on offer this September.

Projects across Manchester have received funding and support through the Community Soup programme, including Levenshulme based Early Essentials, who provide Moses basket hampers to the most vulnerable pregnant women across Greater Manchester. Another successful recipient is the Peter Quinn Friendship Group, who support those affected by dementia along with their family and carers.

The idea for Community Soup started in Detroit and has taken off around the world. Community groups and projects that make a difference in their neighbourhoods are invited to apply to pitch at one of four events across the city. Applications are then shortlisted and are judged on how well the project aligns with One Manchester’s vision, whether the project is sustainable and how well the project demonstrates social innovation.

After enjoying a bowl of soup at the events and listening to the project pitches, the audience of local residents vote for those they think should get the funding. To date, over 600 people in east and south Manchester have turned up to cast their vote on the matters important to them.

So far 266 applicants have been helped, and if they don’t win enough votes to be awarded funding, other types of support can be offered such as training, improving their structure or recruiting volunteers.in Detroit. We invite people and groups with creative ideas that will make a difference in their communities to pitch to local people at one of four events across the city. After enjoying a bowl of soup (or some equally lovely hot food) and listening to the pitches, the audience then vote for the projects they think should get the funding.

Nominations are now open and will close on Tuesday 4th September. Successful applicants can win up to £5,000 for their project. There are four Community Soup events taking place around east and south Manchester the week of the 17th September from 6.30pm to 8pm and they are free to attend.

Lesley Brereton, customer involvement manager at One Manchester, has seen the difference the funding money can make. She said: “Having worked with 266 individual projects with tailored support and funding, it’s clear how vital funding is for these groups to survive. One Manchester’s Community Soup has helped connect local people and projects that make an invaluable contribution to where they live and the lives of others. The decision on where the funding is awarded is in the hands of local people, which we think is really important.”

FASTSIGNS support Manchester art scene at HOME

Sam Whitear
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FASTSIGNS Manchester has strengthened links with the local arts scene by becoming a corporate member of Manchester-based charitable arts foundation HOME.

HOME work with both international and UK artists, producing drama, dance, film and contemporary visual art that aims to create experiences that are both exciting and thought-provoking.

Manchester’s unique art scene is one of the city’s main attractions, and FASTSIGNS Manchester hopes to increase its appeal further by financially supporting a charity that focuses on international work, new commissions and talent development.

“HOME is a Manchester-only charity, and it felt right to help a foundation on our doorstep, especially when it has such fantastic facilities for our community. I’ve been there a good number of times and loved it!” said Richard Wedgwood, Director of FASTSIGNS Manchester.

These facilities include enchanting cinema screens and visual live theatre auditoriums at HOME’s centre near First Street, as well as an on-site bar and restaurant that culture lovers regularly flock to.

“Like most not-for-profit organisations, it struggles for funding,” continued Richard. “So we’re really pleased to be able to offer some financial support.”

Of the partnership, HOME’s Development Manager, Jenni Willows, said: “We’re delighted to have FASTSIGNS Manchester on board as part of the HOME family of supporters. We hope that we can reciprocate their support with benefits that will help them meet their own business objectives.”

FASTSIGNS Manchester’s corporate partnership with HOME will last for an initial twelve months, and began back in July when they attended the HOME Sponsors-only Quiz Night.

“The team went along and had a wonderful time crafting sculptures of film characters out of modelling clay, as well as connecting with others that support HOME’s cause,” said Richard.

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