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New careers scheme helping disabled people get digital jobs

Sam Whitear
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A new employability programme in Manchester is helping teenagers aged 16-18 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to get digital jobs.

‘Digital Inc.’ will provide eight schools in the area with 10 days of employer-led support, with experts from local digital companies coming in to classrooms to take students through a business start-up process and talk about how they themselves got a job in the creative digital sector.

A total of 80 students will take part in the programme and 16 will then be offered a supported internship at a newly created agency – ‘Digital Inc.’ – where they will work on real life digital briefs. The scheme aims to increase employer confidence, supporting digital businesses in Manchester to provide meaningful opportunities and progression to students with special educational needs and disabilities.

Funded by the Careers & Enterprise Company, Manchester City Council, and Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Digital Inc. was set up to plug the digital skills gap in Manchester and address issues around employing people with disabilities.

Recent research from the Office for National Statistics shows that the UK employment rate for people with disabilities is 51.3% – significantly lower than the employment rate for people without disabilities, which is 81.4%.

Despite this, the Department for Education admitted in their recent Careers Strategy that ‘Careers advice for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can often be poor and lacking in aspiration.’

Digital Inc. hopes to change this. In the past, students with special needs have taken part in its sister scheme, POP (pop-up digital agency) – a flagship 5-day Digital Advantage training programme – working alongside students from mainstream schools, with great results. But this is the first time a dedicated employability programme for SEND schools has been set up.

Digital Inc. will run in Castlefield Campus, Grange Special School, Lancasterian School, Melland High School, North Ridge High School, Pioneer House School, Piper Hill High School and Southern Cross School.

Andy Lovatt, Managing Director of Digital Advantage, which delivers Digital Inc., said: “People with special educational needs experience significantly lower employment rates than mainstream students. At the same time there is a digital skills crisis which is costing Manchester’s economy millions every year. I’d like to ask the city’s digital sector whether they are looking hard enough for talent? What percentage of their workforce has special educational needs? Digital Inc. seeks to help talented teenagers from special needs schools get great digital jobs and also support employers that are keen to find the best recruits.”

Marie English, internship manager at Redwood School, a secondary special school in Rochdale that took part in POP last year, she said: “I was impressed with the functional aspects of the programme and how it helped students to set up a viable business. The trainer had really high expectations of our students. There was no sense of giving them the answers because they had special needs. This meant the students raised their game – they gained much more than just work experience.  Their confidence grew and they felt important and empowered because they all had valuable job roles within the leisure app business they’d created.”

Bellway appoints Hollie Reynolds

Sam Whitear
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Bellway has appointed Hollie Reynolds, from Cheadle Hulme, as sales director for the Manchester division.

Hollie, who is based at the company’s head office in Warrington, heads up a team of over 30, incorporating sales managers, sales advisors and a part exchange manager.

In her new role, Hollie is responsible for approximately 19 active developments across the North West, ensuring sales targets are met and effective marketing strategies are implemented for each site.  She will also work closely with the land department assessing possible sites for development and helping to enhance the division’s land bank.

Her objective is to continue the success of this well-established and well-run division, and enhance it even further using her extensive marketing knowledge and event experience.

Prior to joining Bellway, Hollie spent 10 years at Muse Developments, which is part of the Morgan Sindall Group, where she was tasked with sales and marketing bespoke developments across the whole of the North of England.

Commenting on her appointment, Hollie says: “I was ready for a change and wanted to learn a different side to the property industry.  Having managed bespoke developments of varying size, each with its own identity and covering a widespread remit across the North of England was a great experience.  However, the chance to work in one region and manage multiple developments of various sizes was hugely appealing to me, particularly as Bellway has a great reputation within the industry and its product is excellent.

“The director role was attractive as it allowed me to further my career, and meeting some of talented team at Bellway really helped me make my decision.  I am looking forward to being involved with all developments within my division, particularly the high profile and prestigious Heatherley Wood development at Alderley Park.”

Atelier MB designs new look for Manchester synagogue

Sam Whitear
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A prominent north Manchester synagogue has unveiled a new look following a major refurbishment and extension.

The project at Stenecourt in Salford was designed by Manchester architects Atelier MB.

Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, Chief Rabbi of the UK and Commonwealth, officially opened the refurbished synagogue at a ceremony over the weekend.

The scheme involved stripping out the synagogue’s interior and installing new pews, stained glass windows, Holy Ark, lighting, heating and ventilation, and creating a new entrance made of Jerusalem stone and a new small function hall. Some existing stained glass windows were relocated.

Managing director Andrew Burns led the project for Atelier MB, supported by main contractor MPS Construction, based in Stockport, and stained glass windows artist Chava Erlanger, of Manchester.

Stenecourt, or the Manchester Great and New Synagogue, is based in Broughton Park in the heart of a vibrant and growing Jewish community.

It was originally based in the historic Great Synagogue in Cheetham Hill and is one of the oldest serving congregations in Britain.

Andrew said: “The synagogue was last refurbished in the 1980s and had become dated, was uncomfortable and poorly ventilated. The lighting and acoustics were equally substandard and the space was uninspiring and unloved.

“The modernised synagogue is designed to be inspirational and reflective, contemporary in style and appealing to younger clientele.

“The seating and pews are comfortable and resilient to wear and tear, there is a new, tall and slender Holy Ark, which forms a central feature, new glass balustrades, the lighting and acoustics have been upgraded and the old suspended ceiling has been removed to raise the height of the synagogue and expose the trussed structure.

“In addition, a bespoke, energy-efficient and sophisticated air conditioning and air handling system means the new spaces are heated, cooled and ventilated in accordance with modern requirements.

“There is a new hall and outdoor area for play and for events, and on a practical level all of the new areas are fully accessible to disabled men and women.

“With Manchester being home to one of the fastest-growing Jewish communities in Europe, Stenecourt has been redesigned to reflect its strong identity and relevance in the 21st century.”

Nigel Gilmore, former vice-president of Stenecourt, who led the development project for the synagogue, said: “Following internal consultation, the members of Stenecourt Synagogue, which has been located at the Singleton Road site for over 65 years and is at the heart of the Broughton Park Jewish community, came to understand that the premises and main sanctuary of the campus were not fit for purpose for a similar period into the future.

“Following a project undertaken, monies were realised from derelict land of little value owned by the synagogue, which gave both the necessary funds for the redevelopment and created a balance for the future needs of the membership.

“Stenecourt Synagogue now has a dynamic campus, which includes an additional new multi-functional room capable of seating 120 people for events, as well as a bright, modern, comfortable sanctuary fit for the religious needs of the community for many years to come.”

CarFinance 247 bolsters executive board

Sam Whitear
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Manchester-based, CarFinance 247 has bolstered its Executive team with the appointment of Ryan Bryers as CTO/CIO.

Ryan, who is a digital transformation expert, and ranked as one of the UK’s top 100 CIOs, joins CarFinance 247 from Worldline, a business that connects and secures transactions covering the entire payment chain and has a leading UK presence in the rail industry.

The CTO/CIO role is new CarFinance 247 and is the latest move from the business, which has been shoring up its IT capabilities over the last 12 months to capitalise on a market that is rapidly moving online.

At Worldline, Ryan was UK & Ireland CTO, an Executive position leading IT strategy, assurance of solutions and the introduction of new digital methods. The role at CarFinance 247 will see him take the company’s 2025 vision and create the tech to underpin it, evolving it into digital-first business. Ryan brings board level expertise, a blue chip mentality and 27 years of technology experience to the post.

CarFinance 247 has a world-class IT environment that supports a truly agile and DevOps way of working following a £2.5m investment in its state-of-the-art head office and IT infrastructure. Ryan is now charged with taking this world-class environment and enabling business agility. He will focus on evolving the company’s digital status from part DevOps to full DevOps, developing a high-performing team, introducing AI and automation, as well as establishing ways of working that will ensure that the business’ IT offer is future-proofed for growth. All with a view to creating a best-in-class customer experience.

Asked about the move from a big corporate to an SME set-up, Ryan commented: “I couldn’t be joining CarFinance 247 at a better stage in its lifecycle. After four years of high-growth, the business is at a place where its IT systems need to evolve to facilitate a constant expansion in both clients and staff. Digital evolution is constant and I will be focusing on transforming the ways of working across IT from part DevOps to a full DevOps in People, Process & Technology to support the Strategy/Vision & Culture.

“The opportunity to take a business’ IT proposition at this stage in its growth and have full ownership of it, as well as the freedom to shape it without the constraints that are often intrinsic in a corporate environment, is hugely appealing and exciting. CarFinance 247’s top-down investment in getting the infrastructure done right, also means that I am walking into an IT setting that is truly world-class and betters that of many corporates.”

Says CarFinance 247 CEO and co-founder Reg Rix, added: “With Ryan at the helm of our IT, we will be creating a best-in-class customer experience and world-class tech team that takes our business to the next level. We’re truly excited to be adding a CTO of his stature and experience to our band of bold, passionate and proud 247People.”

Rugby league legend launches new company and benefits local charities

Sam Whitear
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Former Great Britain and rugby league great, Andy Gregory and business partner, Tony Baldwin, from the Wigan Training Company, have created AGA Events (aka Andy Gregory Associates), in order to organise high profile sporting events, evening dinners and charity auctions. Every event will be in association with celebrity guest speakers, who Andy has known, played with or met during his illustrious career.

The first event is “An evening with Great Britain Rugby League Legends – Andy Gregory, Paul Sculthorpe and Chris Joynt”, who have 85 international caps between them. The event takes place at the Totally Wicked stadium, St. Helens on Saturday 13 April from 19.00, John H. Stracey, the former boxing World Welterweight Champion will also be in attendance.

Commented Andy: “As two Wigan lads, Tony and I wanted to work together in the corporate hospitality area and also benefit local charities. The first charity will be the Wigan Youth Zone, who do some fantastic work with young people within our local community and we feel privileged to be able to help them

“Paul, Chris and I are extremely proud of our careers in the fantastic game, which is rugby league and look forward to describing some of the many stories and life skills which it has taught us.

“After the hotpot supper, we will talk about our clubs and international careers, from our early days as youngsters, to performing at the highest level on the world Rugby League stage.

“For our corporate guests, as well as a fun evening, we will also be sharing some of the motivational and team building advice we were given during our careers.

“I am sure we will get some great questions and the pressure is on, to be both entertaining and making the format a success.”

Added Anthony Ashworth-Steen, Executive Director, Wigan Youth Zone: “We are very grateful to Andy and Tony for organising this event, to benefit the Wigan Youth Zone. This has included sourcing raffle prizes and conducting the auction of some superb and unique sports memorabilia.

“Every penny will go to supporting young people having fun, being safe and developing skills which will stay with them throughout their lives.”

Don’t leave it too late and book your tickets now, since this event is sure to be a sell out. Tickets are £29.50 per person or £275.00 for a table of 10. Please visit Eventbrite to book.

India’s Hero Cycles launches first UK-designed e-bike range

Sam Whitear
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Indian-owned Hero Cycles is launching its first ever range of Manchester, UK designed, Indian-manufactured, electric ‘e-bikes’ for Europe this month.

Hero Cycles, the world’s biggest bike maker by volume, has designed the new range at its new £2m Hero Global Design centre in Manchester which will  run the sales and marketing operation for the e-bikes worldwide with its e-commerce partner the Cheshire-based Hut Group. Hero Cycles says it has kickstarted manufacturing of the e-bikes at its factory near New Delhi and the first consignment will hit UK and European bike shops from the end of March. Hero Cycles is mainly targeting the European and Indian markets with its innovative new range which will be branded as Insync in Europe and Hero and Lectro in India and the rest of the world. The global e-bike market is already worth $16.34 billion and is set to be worth $23.83 billion by 2025 according to a new report published by Allied Market Research in America.

Sreeram Venkateswaran, CEO of Hero Cycles UK subsidiary Avocet Sports, said the new Insync range of e-bikes will ‘fill the gap’ left in the European market for high-quality cost-competitive e-bikes after the European Union announced anti-dumping measures on e-bikes imported from China.

He said: “The EU crackdown on China means there is now a gap in the market for a sensibly priced e-bike in Europe,” he said. “Hero and Insync can meet that demand as we harness the expertise of our European design team in Manchester with our efficient manufacturing hub in India. The e-bike market is now very attractive to Hero Cycles and we see massive potential to build e-bikes for the European market and the rest of the world. The key for us is to provide great quality at the right price point and these e-bike will retail at around £1000 to £1400.”

Sreeram added: “There has been a significant shift towards e-bikes, as they grow increasingly popular with riders. We are currently at our most competitive and flexible in terms of our supply chain, which means we can offer our retail customers a terrific bike at a great price.  The consumer feedback we have received has been extremely positive as our design looks like a normal bike, without a clunky heavy battery, the battery is neatly designed within the bike. We are excited to see how the range is received by the cycling community and confident it can drive further growth of the Insync brand and our UK operations. In keeping with the rest of the Insync range the e-bikes will be aimed at families looking to improve their fitness, health and well-being through cycling. A growing body of research now shows the considerable mental and physical health benefits of cycling for all ages.”

Cowgills appointed to support Henri Lloyd Group

Sam Whitear
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Cowgills have been appointed by British based sailing & menswear clothing specialist Henri Lloyd Group and its subsidiary company Henri Lloyd UK, to provide a range of business support services, following a recent restructure of the business.  They will be working with Henri Lloyd, official performance clothing supplier to Team Ineos UK led by Sir Ben Ainslie,  in the run up to the 36th America’s Cup in Auckland 2021.

Cowgills were initially appointed to provide outsourced financial support and audit services. In addition to this, project based corporate taxation advisory services were provided to the business during a period of complex corporate restructuring.

The team is working closely with Patrik Simonson, the newly appointed CFO of the global Henri Lloyd business, who has been heavily involved in the initial set up of a newly formed UK group, alongside Graham Allen, Head of Henri Lloyd UK.

Commenting on the appointment Alex Hesketh, Head of International at Cowgills, said: “Henri Lloyd is a strong British brand and we are delighted to be able to support the team as they emerge following the restructure. It’s been a truly international effort to ensure the brand has a prosperous future, with investment coming from a group of Swedish Investors led by Hans Eckerstrom.”

Graham Allen, added: “Cowgills are one of the few regional accountancy firms to offer a bespoke international advisory service and their support has been invaluable through this period of change. Not only have they provided a solid service in respect of the day to day matters, but the tax implications of the restructuring process were complex and both Alex’s and the team’s specialist advice has helped us enormously, as we focus on positioning Henri Lloyd as one of the leading premium clothing brands.”

Verastar named Business of the Year at the Greater Manchester Business Awards 2019

Sam Whitear
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Verastar, a leading provider of essential business services to small-to-medium enterprises, was named Business of the Year (Organisations of over 50 Employees) at the Greater Manchester Business Awards 2019. The black-tie event was held at the Imperial War Museum North and organised by innov8 Conference Services.

Verastar started out in 1998 as a unique sales organisation with a focus on small businesses, and gradually progressed into the telecoms and utilities industry ever since, providing essential services to the small-to-medium business market.

With a customer base of over 160,000, Verastar provides telecoms, broadband, mobile, gas, electricity and water services on a one bill solution through their brands kinex, Clear Business, Unicom and Woav. Verastar also provide Business Insurance through their sister company The Insurance Octopus.

The Greater Manchester Business Awards celebrates the Professionalism and Excellence of Businesses and Organisations in Greater Manchester which are judged by a panel of 9 business peers to ensure a fair and open judging system.

Nominations were open in 12 categories for the awards. The category of Business of the Year features three awards – Organisations under 10 Employees, 10-50 Employees, and over 50 Employees. The category looks for companies who meet criteria of growth, overachieving against competitors, innovation in industry, training and development, and business strategy.

Verastar entered the Greater Manchester Business Awards for the first time this year and was named a winner in the category Business of the Year (Organisations of Over 50), having competed against regional competitors across various industries including BJSS, Benchmark International, Cartime, Equilibrium Asset Management, and Purple WiFi Ltd.

Being a national provider, Verastar employs over 1000 colleagues across 14 offices with the majority in the three Manchester offices and the Hamilton office. Continuous growth has been the aim of the company and as such, Verastar remains steady in growing its sizeable customer base, continuing to innovate the services it can supply to those customers, incessant investment in people development, and a unique streamlined one-bill solution.

On winning Business of the Year, CEO Chris Earle commented: “Verastar through our brands has consistently had a strong performance record, thanks to our unique offering which consolidates multiple business services on a one-bill solution. We are proud to be born and bred in Manchester and that we have been able to take our solutions nationwide through our sales-oriented approach and acquisitions. To be celebrated for our progress and named Business of the Year is a brilliant achievement and testament to the hard work from all the team, not only in the last year but since we started over 20 years ago.”

Mercedes-Benz to launch one of Europe’s largest showrooms in Stockport

Sam Whitear
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LSH Auto UK, part of the world’s largest Mercedes-Benz retail group (LSH International), is set to open a brand-new Mercedes-Benz retail space in Stockport, complete with industry-leading facilities. Stockport will reap the economic benefits of LSH Auto UK’s ambitious plans, in terms of a significant financial investment in the area and employment safeguarding and new job creation, with 55 new jobs created at Mercedes-Benz of Stockport.

LSH Auto UK has regenerated the site off Brighton Road with a state-of-the art, purpose-built three-story facility, which will form LSH Auto UK’s Mercedes-Benz hub for the entire Manchester area. The site is due to open in July 2019.

Once complete this facility will be a destination in its own right. The 10.5-acre site will be a showcase for 140 vehicles, it will incorporate a dedicated AMG suite and display 100 approved used Mercedes Benz vehicles in a purpose built indoor showroom.

The site will also feature 30 workshop bays, plus dedicated configuration areas, allowing customers to create their personalised new car. It will also display the Mercedes Benz new Electric range, EQ. LSH will become the benchmark in supporting Mercedes Benz EQ strategy in the UK. Two buildings that will form the flagship site, a 13,492sq m dealership and 17,166sq m purpose-built high-tech body and paint repair centre, as well as LSH Auto UK’s regional Used Car Preparation Facility and Parts Distribution Centre.

Mercedes-Benz of Stockport will also boast a brand-new bistro and dedicated event facility, the first Mercedes-Benz showroom in the UK to offer this new hospitality concept, complete with dedicated Hospitality Manager. The space will welcome customers for breakfast and lunch and can be hired for private events and meetings. This will be augmented by an innovative use of green spaces, including a living green wall and water features. Further extensive landscaping will also create a greenery and a garden, an attractive addition to the neighbourhood.

John Stanton, General Manager at Mercedes-Benz of Stockport, said: “The Mercedes-Benz of Stockport development is going to be a game changer for car retail as we know it. Due to its sheer scale, and customer offering, in terms of vehicles and world-class facilities – this site will be a completely new experience for returning and new customers alike. Stockport will also be the Mercedes-Benz hub of Manchester, giving impressive claim to the soon to open state-of-the-art facility.

“We are creating a landmark destination, which is unparalleled to anything else in the area, offering customers and the general public an opportunity to experience Mercedes-Benz and LSH under one roof.

“We are also committed to sustainability in our design and operations. We are making wide-ranging environmental improvements to the area; firstly, with our regeneration of the former derelict site and the addition of the green spaces. The development also complies with the Government’s BREEAM environmental scheme.”

Hurst expands tax team with two new managers

Sam Whitear
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Accountancy firm HURST has recruited two managers to its tax advisory team to meet growing demand from clients.

The arrival of James Hamilton and Fiona Wheeler bolsters the firm’s international and private client expertise.

James has joined HURST from Citibank in London, where he was a manager in its in-house tax department. Before joining Citibank he worked at Grant Thornton and spent time on secondment at global mining giant Anglo American.

Fiona previously headed the personal tax services and payroll team at Thompson Jones in Bury. Before joining Thompson Jones she was a tax senior then a private client manager at Booth Ainsworth in Stockport.

HURST chief executive Tim Potter said: “James and Fiona have lots of experience in specialist areas which are of growing importance to our clients.

“We are seeing a steady rise in requests from across our client base for international tax advice and the appointment of James to our team enhances our ability to meet this demand.

“With Brexit looming, there has been a marked increase in the number of entrepreneurial businesses turning to us for advice as they look at new markets outside Europe.

“In addition, we are seeing growing numbers of inbound inquiries from European firms looking at how they can mitigate against Brexit, for example by setting up a UK entity.”

He added: “Fiona brings an important skillset to the firm, having undertaken extensive private client work for entrepreneurs, and her experience complements the wealth management offering we have developed in partnership with Pareto Financial Planning.”

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