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MANCHESTER HOUSING CHARITY CELEBRATE 20 YEARS WITH A NEW HOME OF THEIR OWN

Sam Whitear
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Golden Lane Housing Limited has moved its UK HQ into Parkway 4 at Orbit Development’s business park in Manchester just in time to mark two decades of service to the housing charity sector.

Originally set up by the Royal Mencap Society Golden Lane Housing provides specialised housing for people with learning disabilities and currently look after 1800 tenants UK-wide.

The team moved into Parkway in June from Carillion Offices in Chorlton following the collapse of Carillion, having previously re-located there from Westpoint in Trafford in January 2018.

“It’s been a bit of an unsettled six months but we are very happy in our new home,” said Melissa O’Donnell, Head of Operations for the company.

She continued: “Parkway is an excellent space for our staff. It is a perfect location to manage a national team with great transport connections. It’s quality accommodation and provides an attractive and well maintained environment for everyone.

“We are especially pleased with the break out areas for the team with a fantastic café on site and space for people to have a break from their desks and relax at lunchtime.”

Golden Lane Housing works with over 150 local councils and health authorities across the country, partners with 100 support providers in a national network of expertise.

Melissa again: “We provide a person-centred approach for individuals and their families, ensuring they have a home that meets their needs and aspirations. We back that up with a housing and maintenance support service for them – which we have just made into a more specialist repairs offer – and a 24hr helpline.

“We also invest in our staff and were placed at number eight in this year’s Sunday Times Best 100 Not for Profit Organisations to work for. We are very proud of that.”

She said that the Orbit Developments’ team had been very easy to work with. “Having experienced several moves over the last 12 months we found getting into Parkway 4 the most painless. Rhys Owen was extremely helpful in ensuring that the offices met our needs and timescales were honoured. As a result we moved in without a hitch.”

Leasing Director for Orbit Developments, Rhys Owen commented: “We are pleased to welcome Melissa and her team on to the park. Parkway 4 is ideal for their requirements and we were glad to provide an easy solution for their requirements. We wish them every success in the new space.”

Melissa is upbeat about the future for the company. She added: “Golden Lane Housing has been hugely successful in the last 20 years and we want to build on that track record and continue to provide as many high quality homes as we can for some of the most vulnerable people in society.”

Orbit Developments is a leading commercial property owner with over 250 commercial properties across the North West consisting of office, retail and industrial work space.

Manchester property entrepreneur announced as Chair of the RICS North West Regional Board

Sam Whitear
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Property and development entrepreneur, Stephen Ashworth FRICS Chairman and CEO of Crystal Hurstwood in Manchester – a privately owned investment company – has been appointed as the new Chairman of the RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) North West Regional Board.

Less than 20% of surveyors in the UK are Fellows of the RICS – a recognition of a surveyor’s significant career achievements and passion for developing the profession across the land, property and construction sectors – and Stephen is one such professional who has achieved the esteemed status for going above and beyond in his role and for the wider profession.

Over the past 20 years Stephen has grown Crystal Hurstwood into a £140 million commercial investment and house building group. Today, the company services over 600 commercial customers occupying a range of office, industrial, leisure and retail property, and continues to build high quality homes.

Keen to help industry talent develop, Stephen has also established a successful graduate scheme in the business which supports student members in achieving chartered status of RICS. He is also a volunteer mentor for surveyors in senior role’s looking to become chartered through the RICS’ senior professional assessment.

Stephen replaces Matthew Fedigan, Director of Domec Professional Services in Liverpool as Chairman of the RICS North West Regional Board. His responsibilities will include leading the committee – comprising of ten chartered surveyors – in delivering a range of objectives and initiatives to set and improve standards across the region’s land, property and construction sectors, and encourage more young and diverse talent in to the industry.

Furthermore, as part of RICS’ 150th anniversary this year, the Board are also responsible for encouraging property firms and professionals in the North West to get behind a campaign – known as Pledge150 – which aims to deliver funds for property industry charity, LandAid to deliver at least 150 bed spaces by December 2018, for young people at risk of homelessness.

With over 30 years’ experience in the property industry (both in the commercial and residential sectors) Stephen has an extensive business network and knowledge across a vast range of areas, from sales and lettings to acquisitions and development, which will prove instrumental in his role as Chairman of the RICS North West Regional Board.

On his appointment, Stephen Ashworth said: “Our region’s land, property and construction sectors continue to face many challenges. But as Chairman of the RICS North West Regional Board, I am looking forward to representing the interests of the region’s property professionals, and together with the knowledge and expertise of our experienced Board members, deliver a range of initiatives that will have a positive impact on our industry and profession, as well as our local communities.

“The Pledge 150 campaign is also an important initiative in helping to combat homelessness, so myself and the committee will work hard to raise as much as possible to go towards this worthwhile cause.”

The Pledge150 campaign is open to all property industry professionals and upcoming Pledge150 fundraisers include an ‘It’s a Knockout’ challenge in Manchester on 14 September, which will see teams battle a series of inflatable assault-course challenges in a bid to be crowned ‘It’s a Knockout Champions.’ An abseil down Chester Cathedral on 14 October is also planned to help raise funds.

Lowry Outlet announces £26million plans

Sam Whitear
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New plans for the Lowry Outlet to become a vibrant waterside dining destination have been revealed by Lifestyle Outlets.

“The Watergardens”, an elegant dining concept, has been designed by architects Chapman Taylor to maximise the waterfront location with a variety of new restaurants benefiting from the best waterside views in Greater Manchester.

In addition, a new waterfront promenade, improved public realm and integrated planting along the canal will connect the Millennium Bridge to the Outlet Mall, creating a unique landscaped waterside location. The Watergardens will incorporate biophilic design principles, to strengthen the connection between nature and natural elements and the man-made environment.

Since acquiring the Lowry Outlet, Lifestyle Outlets have already invested millions of pounds with a further £26 million investment planned that will secure over 1900 jobs.

Jason Pullen, Managing Director of Lifestyle Outlets said, “The redevelopment will transform the southern waterside of the Lowry Outlet, allowing people to relax and dine with some of the finest waterfront views.

“When the work is complete, the Lowry Outlet will be a unique shopping and leisure destination that will draw people from across the region to Salford Quays and MediaCityUK”

Prior to submitting a planning application to Salford City Council, Lifestyle Outlets will be showcasing its plans at a public consultation event. The exhibition will be taking place between 1pm and 7pm on Saturday 4 August 2018 at the Exhibition Suite, opposite the Clarks Outlet store on the ground floor of the Lowry Outlet.

TAZIKER INDUSTRIAL LTD DOUBLES SIZE OF WAREHOUSING CAPACITY WITH RELOCATION FROM BOLTON TO BIRCH BUSINESS PARK, HEYWOOD, IN DEAL BROKERED BY COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL

Sam Whitear
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Infrastructure and engineering specialist Taziker Industrial Ltd is almost doubling the size of its fabrication manufacturing capacity by relocating from Bolton to Birch Business Park, Heywood, Rochdale.

The relocation reflects Taziker’s confidence in its growth prospects and confidence in Birch Business Park as a location.

The deal was brokered by the Manchester office of real estate advisors Colliers International.

Taziker, the specialist provider of steelwork, scaffolding, surface preparation and coatings, civils and industrial services, has taken a 10-year lease on the refurbished 43,417 sq ft (4,033 sq metre) Unit C at Birch Business Park on Whittle Lane, Heywood.

Relocating from Lodge Bank, Crown Lane, Bolton, Taziker employs about 550 staff with other offices in Scotland, Plymouth, York, Middlesbrough and Cardiff.

As well as its 38,014 sq ft (3,532 sq metre) of fabrication manufacturing capacity, Unit C offers two-storey modern offices and reception, eight overhead cranes, car parking and 24-hour security.

Taziker’s move means Birch Business Park, comprising of 392,000 sq ft of industrial, manufacturing, warehouse and office accommodation across 32-acres, is fully let with landlord and developer Yeargate Ltd currently finalising plans for two speculative build units of 13,000 sq ft.

Birch Business Park is strategically located on the M62 corridor north of Manchester with direct access to the national motorway network and immediate links to central Manchester via the M60 and M62.

Acting on behalf of Yeargate, the deal was brokered by John Sullivan. director, industrial and logistics at the Manchester office of Colliers International.

He said: “This was a very good deal for both tenant and landlord. Unit C was the last remaining vacant unit on the estate, with the move providing evidence of Taziker’s confidence in its growth prospects and confidence in Birch Business Park as a location.”

HRC LAW LLP APPOINTS NEW PARTNER TO EXPANDING TEAM

Sam Whitear
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Paul Kirkpatrick has joined HRC Law LLP – the Manchester-based commercial law firm – as a new partner in its commercial dispute resolution team.

Joining from national law firm Shoosmiths, where he was partner and led a team of 10, Paul will work with the HRC Law partnership to take the firm to its next phase of growth.

Paul was promoted to partner in 2013 and brings with him a wealth of experience in setting up and growing a commercial litigation practice working with clients within multinational corporations to fast-growth entrepreneur-led businesses. He advises on a range of complex commercial and contractual issues.

Before joining Shoosmiths in 2011, Paul previously practised at Wragge & Co for seven years.

HRC Law was founded by Simon Whitehead five years ago and now has a 25-strong team working across employment, corporate & commercial, property and commercial dispute resolution.

Commenting on his new role, Paul Kirkpatrick said: “HRC Law presented a different and attractive opportunity when I was looking for a new role in the north west. As a young and entrepreneurial firm, it was clear that HRC Law was somewhere I could make a real difference. The rest of the partner group have built their respective practice areas impressively with strong teams and an enviable client list. I look forward to doing the same.”

Simon Whitehead, managing partner at HRC Law, added: “Since starting the business, we’ve held the unwavering belief that finding a cultural match with those joining the firm is the most crucial factor. When combined with Paul’s expertise, client experience and the strength of his network, he became the clear choice for our next partner.”

Virgin Trains has partnered with Iron Maiden and Stockport-based brewery Robinsons

Sam Whitear
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Virgin Trains has partnered with Iron Maiden and Stockport-based brewery Robinsons to offer their customers one of the most unique beers around.

The multiple award-winning Trooper beer, which takes its name from the classic Iron Maiden song of the same name, is now available to purchase onboard all Virgin Trains services for the duration of the band’s sold out ‘Legacy of the Beast’ UK tour, which began in Newcastle last night, before heading to Belfast (2nd Aug), Aberdeen (4th Aug), Manchester (6th Aug), Birmingham (7th Aug) and London (10th and 11th Aug).

Handcrafted by Robinsons, a 180-year-old family run brewery a stone’s throw from Stockport station, the beer has sold well over 20 million pints worldwide since it was launched back in 2013. Band vocalist Bruce Dickinson, a keen real ale enthusiast, was instrumental in the creation of Trooper, a 4.7% golden ale made with a unique blend of Bobek, Goldings and Cascade hops.

To celebrate the launch Bruce a qualified airline pilot, travelled up from London to Stockport in the cab of a Virgin Trains Pendolino, before heading on to the band’s show in Newcastle.

Bruce Dickinson said, “I’m delighted that our fans will be able to share a Trooper or two together whilst travelling to and from Iron Maiden shows around the UK this summer.”

Virgin Trains is committed to working with local suppliers to offer the very best of British produce, with a number of ‘guest’ items on sale at the onboard shops throughout the coming months .

“Based on the first week’s sales, Trooper is proving a big hit with customers,” explained Julie Harper, Food and Beverage Manager at Virgin Trains. “With the recent hot weather, it’s perfect for sipping at 125mph!”

Fans who share a selfie and tag #TrooperOnTheTrain whilst enjoying a drink onboard will also be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets and First Class rail travel to the bands’ forthcoming show at the O2 Arena in London on Friday August 10th.

David Bremner, Director of Marketing at Robinsons Brewery, added, “It’s fantastic that Virgin Trains have chosen to stock Trooper. Our brewery is within sight of Stockport train station and I’m sure that both Iron Maiden fans and beer drinkers in general will be excited that our fantastic beer is available on board.

Cloud Technology Solutions to launch fortnightly Cloud Surgery for businesses

Sam Whitear
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Manchester-based Cloud Technology Solutions (CTS) has announced it will be hosting fortnightly cloud surgeries for businesses in the North West after all places at their latest ‘Next Special’ Google Cloud Platform (GCP) User Group Meetup booked out.

Considered the thought-leader in the GCP space, CTS is hosting the hotly anticipated GCP Meetup event at Plant NOMA, Manchester, a week after the Google Cloud Next conference in San Francisco. The event will look at covering some of the news, releases and updates that come out of the three day Google Cloud Next exhibition, as well as giving attendees a greater understanding of everything that GCP has to offer.

Attending on the day will be Google customer engineer, Ian Pattison, discussing what some of the new releases will mean for customers, with a particular focus on the retail sector. Joining him will be GCP engineer at CTS, Adam Wood, looking at some of the technical releases revealed at Google Next and touching on exciting developments with a live demo.

Finally, Shaun Hall, Head of R&S and DevOps at The Hut Group, will be looking at how they use GCP to power recommendations, personalisation and test analysis on their websites – a network of ecommerce sites that gets 15 million hits per day.

For those who were unable to obtain a place at the coveted meetup, CTS is launching a free fortnightly ‘Cloud Surgery’, giving organisations the chance to come along for a chat, keep up with developments in the industry, and have all of their cloud technology questions answered. The Cloud Surgery will enable businesses to discuss everything and anything cloud tech related, from productivity and collaboration with G Suite and Chrome hardware, to scalable infrastructure and innovative big data with GCP. Plus, guidance on complementary cloud software solutions from CTS’s raft of technology partners.

With drinks and pizza upon arrival, the first Cloud Surgery will take a place at CTS’ offices at Lowry House, 17 Marble Street, Manchester, on Friday 3 August from 1pm to 4pm. To attend, search ‘Cloud Technology Solutions Cloud Surgery’ or visit the website.

Speaking about the new Cloud Surgery, CEO and co-founder, James Doggart, said:

“We’re delighted to be launching this new initiative and hope these Cloud Surgeries will help organisations further develop knowledge and understanding of everything that cloud technology has to offer. We wanted to make these workshops free so that they’re as accessible as possible to businesses of all sizes.”

Founded 10 years ago, CTS provides cloud transformation solutions to a broad range of organisations. The Google Premier Partner has migrated over 7 million users to the cloud including, most recently, Manchester City Council and Homeserve.

Secarma Launches Major Talent Search

Sam Whitear
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British cybersecurity specialist Secarma is on the lookout for ethical hacking talent, and a new managing director, as it seeks to build on the growth it has achieved since it acquired Pentest Limited in 2016.

Secarma owner Lawrence Jones, also of UKFast, is on the hunt for 20 additional ethical hackers to fulfil the growing market demand for penetration testing.

Jones said: “Since acquiring Pentest, Secarma has grown significantly. The last two years have been a very steep learning curve for us but an exciting one.

“Secarma is a brilliant business full of bright individuals with incredible technical skills. It’s time now to really expand and we’re looking to build a management team to make Secarma a £100m business in the next 3-5 years. It is likely to involve more acquisitions but more immediately it requires serious expansion of the team.”

Headquartered at the FastForward project at UKFast Campus, Manchester, Secarma’s team of CHECK, CREST and CBEST accredited cybersecurity consultants work remotely from locations across the globe.

Jones continued: “Our pen testers have an excellent reputation for delivering world-class service, but it’s important they have plenty of time to work on their own challenges and research alongside day-to-day client work.

“It’s this research that enables them to learn new skills, keeping them at the forefront of the industry. We don’t want to turn this into another average consultancy firm that works pen testers flat out for 24 hours a day. We want to retain and attract the best people to deliver the best service to our clients.

“Our approach to development clearly works. Last year at DEFCON, a global hacking contest, the Secarma team was the only British firm to win in competition against the very best in the world. That record speaks for itself.”

Secarma came out on top in two competitions at the world’s largest hacking convention in Las Vegas last year, exposing more IoT (Internet of Things) vulnerabilities than any other team in the last four years.

With Pentest founder John Denneny set to retire, Jones is also on the lookout for a new managing director and further senior hires to bolster Secarma’s leadership team.

Jones added: “John is retiring and while he’s been instrumental in getting us to this level, this is an exciting opportunity for a new managing director with a similar vision to myself to build a £100m business.”

Secarma provides advanced threat analysis, compromise simulation and tailored red team operations to enterprise-level organisations and government. With a high percentage of CHECK and CREST accredited cybersecurity consultants, the firm advises clients of all sizes across the UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa and North America.

LEGAL & GENERAL PRE-LETS HALF OF NEW MANCHESTER BUILD TO RENT SCHEME

Sam Whitear
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On the back of its multi-award winning first Build to Rent (BTR) scheme, Legal & General today announces that it has pre-let 50% of units in its new 110,000sq ft BTR development in Greater Manchester, following the recent handover from lead developer, the English Cities Fund.

Having recently launched, the new scheme makes up the second phase of Legal & General’s Slate Yard development on the River Irwell in Salford. This comprises 135 custom-built one, two and three-bedroom riverfront apartments. Legal & General has a further 3,000 BTR units in development across eight sites UK wide, delivering on its objective to provide bespoke, quality rental stock in areas which need it.

The popularity of Phase II of The Slate Yard reflects the desire from elective renters for secure, flexible tenancies and added value services. Leases range from six months to five years and occupants benefit from a number of lifestyle offerings including a residents’ lounge and gym, free WiFi and access to a car club. The development has also been built to be sustainable, as part of Legal & General’s wider green initiative, and includes roof-mounted solar panels, providing reduced utility bills.

Dan Batterton, BTR Fund Manager at LGIM Real Assets, said:

“We are pleased to have secured 50% of lettings at Phase II of The Slate Yard within 8 weeks of opening the doors to the scheme. This is testament to the success of our first BTR proposition and demonstrates that improved services and flexibility are key drivers for of the modern renter. The scheme has attracted a wide range of residents, from single people to families to downsizers. The Slate Yard has led the market in encouraging residents to make their apartment their home, through allowing pets, painting and decorating and offering leases of up to 5 years.”

This latest scheme forms part of the wider New Bailey regeneration programme being delivered by English Cities Fund, a joint venture between Legal & General, Homes England and Muse Developments.

Phil Mayall, regional director at the English Cities Fund, said:

“We are very proud to have developed and delivered the very first institutionally funded, custom-built BTR scheme in Greater Manchester, so to hand over the second phase to Legal & General is a significant milestone for the fund and fantastic news for the area.

“New Bailey is becoming a completely new district for business, leisure and everyday life. It’s been great to see more people from all walks of life moving into the Slate Yard, so we’re very pleased to have completed the second phase.”

As with the Phase I of The Slate Yard, this second development will be operated by Manchester-based property management company urbanbubble.

Michael Howard, founder and managing director of urbanbubble, said:

“Slate Yard represents the first institutional build-to-rent appointment of our strategic partnership with Legal & General and is proving to be every bit as successful and popular with people wanting to rent as we knew it would be.

“The development is an exemplar of our commitment as a customer service provider, working with blue-chip partners using the BTR model in the provision of holistic care of properties, facilities management, lettings and residents’ management.”

Kids Insights to go global after announcing US launch

Sam Whitear
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Manchester-based The Insights People is going global after announcing plans to expand into the US, by launching an American version of its pioneering “Kids Insights”.

Hailed as the UK’s most comprehensive and dynamic market intelligence tools focused on young people, soaring demand from global major brands has led to the expansion of Kids Insights into the US market.

Launched by experienced marketer Nick Richardson in 2017, Kids Insights surveys 20,000 kids each year, offering brands insights into emerging trends to support advertising, content, licensing, product and marketing investments.

By collecting data continuously, Kids Insights is able to uncover entrenched, emerging and flash trends – as well as better understanding the behaviours and consumption – of children.

Through its ground-breaking platform, the organisation has identified a series of trends, including the rise of the Fortnite phenomenon as early as last December, and the lack of consumer excitement and interest around the recently released Solo: A Star Wars Story movie.

Although just over a year old, Kids Insights now boasts a range of global clients and brands, including DC Thomson, Finsbury Foods, Guinness World Records, Penguin Random House and SuperAwesome.

And, already this year, the team has added BBC, Egmont, Hasbro, Sambro, TOPPS Europe and Vivid to its client roster, as well as doubling its team and moving to new offices in the Northern Quarter in Manchester.

CEO Nick Richardson said: “The growth of the business has been incredible over the last year. Our Kids Insights and Parents Insights platforms have grown significantly since we started, and more clients, be it agencies or brands, are continuing to use our technology and innovation to capture the market intelligence of the future, today.

“Many of the brands we work with are global brands, so demand for the real-time insights we provide isn’t just limited to the UK market. Our move into the US is a logical first step in terms of globalising the platform, as we have had significant interest from that market.

“We’ve got an amazing team, and an amazing group of partners and supporters who can see the opportunities and possibilities we have with both Kids Insights and Parents Insights. And we look forward to continuing to support them with the most comprehensive and dynamic market intelligence in those respective markets.”

Over the last few months, Kids Insights was named the Best B2B Project at the Big Chip Awards, the longest running and biggest digital industry awards in the UK outside London, among a number of other regional and industry accolades.

Using its ground-breaking “AQuA” (All Questions Answered) technology and real-time online platform, Kids Insights UK surveys 400 different kids, tweens and teens every single week (more than 20,000 every year). Kids Insights US will also survey 400 different kids, tweens and teens every single week.

It’s sister platform, Parents Insights, surveys 200 different expecting and new parents every single week.

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