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Cheadle’s Bright & Beautiful reaches £6million milestone with plans to create 500 new jobs

Sam Whitear
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Bright & Beautiful a domestic housekeeping service provider, part of the Dwyer Group, has a nationwide franchise network which has exceeded a £6million annual turnover this month, its highest revenue point since the company launched in Manchester in 2007.

The award-winning Cheadle based business has added five new franchisees to its network already this year, taking it to 56 nationwide, employing over 500 people and delivering more than 10,000 home service cleans per month.  Bright & Beautiful now plans to create 500 new professional housekeeper roles by 2021, bringing the talented workforce to over 1000.

The company has also expanded its franchise support team to eight and the marketing department to a team of four, with additional Head Office recruitment planned for later in the year.

Bright & Beautiful’s franchise network turnover has grown by more than £1m since the company became part of the Dwyer Group in 2017, one of the world’s largest parent companies of trade service brands.  The majority of this revenue growth is due to the expansion of the individual franchises locally and to the franchisees achieving ambitious business goals. Bright & Beautiful has also developed a range of new revenue channels including seasonal and one-off client cleans and was named as the highest ranking domestic housekeeping franchise in Elite Franchise Top 100

Sue Moore, President of Bright & Beautiful, said: “As a business we have grown consistently since we began, fuelled by the fact that one in four UK households now relies on some form of domestic help. Our national growth strategy means that we are now on target to create a further 500 jobs across the UK over the next three years.

“Our franchise network has already created in excess of 500 professional housekeeping jobs which offer either full time working arrangements or family friendly part time hours.  Ethical employment has long been a vital component of our business; in an industry where zero hours contracts or self-employment can be the norm, our professional housekeepers benefit from holiday pay, full employment rights and progressive career opportunities. These are jobs that are not only helping women and men into work and serving our local communities but are also contributing significantly to our regional and national economy.”

Northcoders celebrates first Developer Pathway graduation 

Sam Whitear
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Manchester headquartered Northcoders – the coding bootcamp for the North – is celebrating after the first set of students from its brand new Developer Pathway programme graduated.

This unique teaching innovation, which officially launched in March, promotes a fundamentally different, bespoke and compassionate way of learning. It is uniquely personal and ensures that student software developers graduate with the skills to find work that have been learned at a pace that’s right for them.

The graduation ceremony, which took place at Northcoders’ offices in Federation House, saw eight students present their projects in groups to their peers and invited guests from the North West business community. The projects were a culmination of all that they had learned and were a chance for them to explore new tech.

The graduates were: Anthony Medina (formerly an English teacher in South Korea), Brian McCray (formerly a Linux engineer), Chris Spence (formerly a retail store manager), Clare Pickering (formerly head of member involvement at a charity), Joe Berry (formerly a manager at Royal Mail), Luke Bobbin (formerly a singer and holiday rep), Samantha Gildart (formerly a stay-at-home mum), and Jack Brown (a university graduate).

Each graduate is now working with Northcoders’ in-house team of career development experts who are organising career days and visits from various hiring partners as well CV prep support, finding ways to maximise the impact of their varied portfolios and staging mock interviews. Northcoders’ priority is to find every person the right job via their extensive network of Northern tech employers

The Developer Pathway is different. Students can repeat parts of the course immediately to build their confidence. The course is divided into six two-week blocks. If a student is ready, they’ll move straight onto the next block. If they need more time to consolidate their skills, they have the opportunity to repeat the block at no extra cost. This means students graduate with confidence in their skills – whether it takes 12, 14 or 16 weeks.

Northcoders has gained a unique insight into the entry standards required by companies across a wide-range of sectors and at different stages of their maturity, from start-up to enterprise, and Developer Pathway is designed to guarantee that each student meets those standards on graduation.

James Brooke – co-founder of Northcoders – said: “We are really proud to see the first batch of cohorts graduate The Developer Pathway course. We worked hard to get the format right as we wanted it to be a truly innovative teaching model, which it is. We are now looking forward to helping these talented developers find the best jobs where they can fully utilise their skill sets.”

Graduate Samantha Gildart added: “Myself and are the other graduates are delighted to have graduated the course. It has been challenging but also hugely enjoyable. We are now focussed on finding the right roles so we can start our careers in the North’s thriving tech industry.”

Brewers JW Lees enter ‘perfect beer garden’ at The RHS Flower Show Tatton Park

Sam Whitear
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To mark their 190th anniversary, JW Lees are working with award-winning garden designer Leon Davis in a bid to win the first gold medal for a pub beer garden at the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park.  Their garden design has been accepted by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and medals will be awarded in July.

Following the show, the garden will be carefully transported to the Golden Pheasant at Plumley, a traditional wayside inn located in the Cheshire countryside, to be permanently incorporated into their landscaped gardens.

Leon Davis was given an open design brief for the garden and experimented with modern materials, techniques and plants.  The ‘JW Lees From Hop to Glass Garden’ has drawn on inspiration from across the brewing industry, interpreting materials, features and processes in a contemporary style and composition.

William Lees-Jones, Managing Director at JW Lees said; “Many of our pubs have beautiful beer gardens but we’ve challenged ourselves to have the first-ever RHS gold medal winning beer garden.  For our 190th birthday we wanted to create something that we could share with JW Lees customers, and whether by visiting the RHS Tatton Show in July or the Golden Pheasant, Plumley from mid-August we will have created something memorable for people to enjoy.  It’s the perfect spot for a pint of beer or an alfresco pub meal.”

Leon Davis, designer, said: “It is great to be creating a garden for JW Lees to celebrate their 190th anniversary, at this year’s RHS Tatton Show.  The show is always full of exciting and innovative gardens and design ideas.  The design for the JW Lees pub garden has taken inspiration from many elements associated with the brewing industry, from the brass detailing found in a traditional pub to the science of brewing.”

Fairwoods Solicitors raises £2,500 for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital

Sam Whitear
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Preston based Fairwoods Solicitors has raised £2,500 for the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, through a number of initiatives, including holding a ‘wear your pyjamas to work day’ and taking part in the 10k Audi Preston run.

The money raised will allow Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital to purchase an Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) machine. Through non-invasive treatment, EMDR assists suffers of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), anxiety, panic attacks and phobias, to understand that their stressful experiences, which have triggered their disorders, are in the past and consequently, will help patients return to a more comfortable state of mind.

Fairwoods Solicitors is a leader in dealing with personal injury claims, catering to clients across the country, ensuring they receive their deserved compensation, swiftly and efficiently.

Aneesa Bux, Manager, Fairwoods Solicitors, said: “I’m immensely proud of the hard work put in by the team at Fairwoods Solicitors in supporting the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. We chose them as a result of the excellent work they did in response to the MEN attack. The money raised will go towards providing important treatment to individuals suffering from debilitating disorders.

“As one of our charities of the year, we plan to continue our fundraising for the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and colleagues will be taking part in Muddy Maniacs in Blackburn on 16 June, where we hope to raise awareness and money for this incredible charity.

Lucy Tunn, Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, added: “We would like to thank Fairwoods Solicitors for their generous donation, which will go towards the purchase of a brand new EMDR machine.

“The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital is a Centre of Excellence and the largest children’s hospital in the UK. It provides specialist healthcare services to children throughout the North West, as well as nationally and internationally.

“With thousands of extremely poorly children entering through our doors each year, it’s important that the hospital has funding to perform research and conduct projects to ensure the highest level of health care for our patients. Our research also helps increase the understanding of various health problems and illnesses, so that we can improve diagnosis and treatment, as well as improving the design of hospital equipment and facilities.

“Without the support of our Corporate partners, provision of state of the art machines such as a EMDR, would be a lot more difficult to fund.”

Qatar Airways Celebrates 15 years of Award Winning Service to Manchester

Sam Whitear
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This month Qatar Airways celebrates the 15th anniversary of operating direct flights from Manchester to Doha. With over 832 flights a year operating on the Manchester to Doha route, Qatar Airways connects Manchester passengers to over 150 destinations around the world including across Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Qatar Airways’ award-winning service launched in Manchester in April 2003 with flights four times a week operated by an Airbus A330 aircraft. Due to demand, the number of weekly flights has tripled since launching. The service was upgraded to twice daily flights in June 2011 and then to 16 flights a week in May 2016.

To celebrate this important milestone, Qatar Airways is offering customers 10% off flights to and from Manchester Airport to some of our most popular destinations.

Kieran Farragher, Interim Country Manager UK & Ireland, Qatar Airways said: “Qatar Airways has proudly been serving the people of Manchester for 15 years and it has long proved to be one of Qatar Airways’ most successful routes to date. It has been our pleasure to be able to offer our Manchester passengers a five-star and award-winning service for the past 15 years, and we look forward to continuing to go places together on our expanding network.”

The 16 weekly flights from Manchester are all operated by a luxurious Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Qatar Airways’ Boeing 787s provide a superior experience with spacious cabins, 254 custom-made seats across its Business and Economy Class cabins , individual television screens and on board WIFI.

Julian Carr, Aviation Director for Manchester Airport, said: “It’s fantastic to be able to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Qatar Airways operating from Manchester Airport.  The leading airline offers our passengers a fantastic service and the chance to connect to flights around the globe through its hub in Doha.  We look forward to celebrating many more milestones with Qatar Airways in the years to come.”

Manchester hosts 10,000 Small Business UK forum on maintaining a high-growth business culture

Sam Whitear
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Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses (10KSB) UK has convened over 250 fast-growing companies in Manchester to discuss building a culture that helps businesses to thrive.  The forum, entitled Small Business Culture, Big Business World, convened 10KSB UK graduates from the North West and across the UK to share experiences and hear insights from external experts, including former England Rugby Head Coach Sir Clive Woodward, who shared his secret ingredients for developing high performing teams.

In a poll of the fast-growing companies in attendance, 73% believed that the biggest barrier to maintaining a successful business was the difficulty in recruiting the right talent. The other factor believed to be an obstacle to success was an increase in operating costs (61% of respondents). The poll also found that almost two-thirds (65%) anticipate that launching new products or services will contribute most to their business growth.

Sir Clive Woodward said: “In many ways coaching a sports team is like running your own small business, and I shared some of the key elements that I have learned from the high performing teams I have worked with. Being able to perform under pressure and develop a winning mindset within a team is critical for growing organizations.”

Chris French, Head of Private Wealth Management for EMEA, Goldman Sachs said: “Building and maintaining a strong culture is key to growth, both for large and small firms. Our event in the heart of the Northern Powerhouse convened some of the UK’s fastest-growing businesses to share practical insights into strengthening their competitive advantage through culture. 10,000 Small Businesses UK places a strong emphasis on the importance of leadership and building the right culture, investing in the founders and directors of more than 1,300 entrepreneurs from across the UK since 2010.”

Andrew White, Associate Dean of Executive Education and Corporate Relations, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with the Goldman Sachs Foundation to deliver the 10,000 Small Businesses UK programme nationally. Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford is at the forefront of understanding and encouraging entrepreneurial behaviour. Encouraging and supporting small firms is essential to the growth of the UK economy.”

Since the launch of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK in 2010, the programme has reached more than 1,300 small business owners across the UK including over 600 leaders of high-growth small businesses and social enterprises across the North West, North East, Yorkshire and the Humber. Over 200 new participants join the programme each year.

 

FIVE OF THE BEST CHEFS IN THE NORTH WEST TO SERVE UP THE LAST SLICE FOR THE YMCA LAKESIDE

Sam Whitear
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On Thursday 3rd May 2018, Fylde Coast YMCA is working with some of the best chefs in the North of England to create a set of exclusive culinary experiences in three amazing venues across the North West – Simon Rogan@ Kendal College, Lisa Goodwin-Allen @ Bartle Hall Preston, Simon Shaw, Andrew Green and Adam Reid @ The Monastery Manchester.

For one night only, Michelin-starred chef Simon Rogan and other top chefs from the North West, along with their teams, will work with young people who are on hospitality courses at Colleges in their local areas.

They will create three exclusive culinary experiences at Kendal, Preston and Manchester to support the inspirational YMCA Lakeside Project.
This amazing project has caught the attention of none other than Mary Berry herself, who will be joining them on the night to offer them her support.

The evening will consist of three exquisite dishes, along with guest speakers and some superb prizes in a charity raffle. All locations will be linked together digitally to make it a combined night to remember.

The YMCA Lakeside has for over 50 years improved and enhanced the lives of more than one million children and young people. They now need to develop their facilities so that they can continue to help more young people in the future. The Lakeside project will create a world-class outdoor centre and will include a bespoke school facility.

Yes Chef 1

Feast of top stars for food fest

Sam Whitear
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Celebrity chef James Martin will once again star at Bolton’s popular annual food and drink festival, notching up his tenth appearance.

Martin will be joined by the godfather of TV chefs Ainsley Harriott, baking queen Nadiya Hussain, and Michelin-starred Michael Caines at the four day spectacular.

More than 267,000 visited the event last year, which is organised by Bolton Council in association with Aldi, and holds the reputation of being the biggest and best food festival in the north.

The chefs will be cooking and hosting a series of special events at the festival, which will run from August 24 to 27 this year.

James Martin will appear on Bank Holiday Monday (August 27), the final day of the festival. He said: “Ten years – wow, that is really something. It is a real honour and I don’t say that lightly. Bolton’s festival is special. I’ve seen it grow year on year and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

Chef Michael Caines will launch the foodie event on Friday (August 24) before hosting a gala dinner the same night. He said: “I am very much looking forward to coming back again this year. The festival is an event that is really at the heart of the community and the town centre and it is always amazing to be a part of it.”

BBC Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya will showcase recipes on Saturday (August 25). She added: “I first came to the festival in 2016 and I had a great time. I am delighted to be coming back.”

TV chef and Strictly Come Dancing star, Ainsley Harriott, will be appearing at the festival for the second time, following last year’s success.

He will be doing live cookery performances on Sunday (August 26). He said: “Last year was so much fun. This really is a fantastic festival and I’m delighted to be invited back to tickle Bolton’s tastebuds and make lots of new friends.”

The festival will also feature cookery demos from top regional chefs, a speciality food, drink and crafts market with more than 200 traders, live music, street performers, and children’s activities.

Bolton Council’s Chief Executive, Tony Oakman, said: “The food and drink festival really is the jewel in the crown of Bolton’s annual events and I am sure it will be bigger and better than ever this year.

“Our celebrity chefs are always a hit with the public. James Martin is a firm festival favourite and we are delighted that he has been with us all this time and seen the event develop to what it is now.

“The festival is Team Bolton working together at its finest – it attracts visitors from across the country and it’s always a great day out for all the family.

“Watch this space as we will be making lots more announcements in the coming months.”

Ruth Doyle, Managing Director at Aldi, added: “We are so pleased to be supporting Bolton Council and the North West region at the upcoming Food and Drink Festival for the fourth year running.

“Our local teams are looking forward to sharing our products with the community and visitors, and the opportunity to work alongside the impressive line-up of national and regional chefs.”

Sponsors are: Aldi; Stateside Foods, and Willmott Dixon. Partners include: Arts Council; Bolton Market; Bolton Library and Museum Services; Carrs Pasties; Greater Manchester Combined Authority; Octagon Theatre, and RRG Group Ltd.

Date revealed for 15th Manchester Hoteliers’ Association Annual Ball

Sam Whitear
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The date of the 15th Manchester Hoteliers’ Association Annual Ball has been confirmed.

It will take place at The Principal Manchester on Friday, October 26 2018 – with more than 600 people from the region’s hospitality industry expected to attend.

Last year’s event raised over £30,000 for MHA’s chosen charities.

Hospitality Action received £16,000 with the same amount equally split between causes including Mustard Tree, The Springboard Charity and Wood Street Mission.

MHA Chair Adrian Ellis expects this year’s ball to be bigger and better than ever.

He said: “It’s no secret that the MHA Ball has become a fixture in the calendar for anyone who works in the hospitality sector in Greater Manchester.

“While we will again be looking to raise funds for some of the many worthy charities based within the city region, we will also be recognising and rewarding hard-working individuals working in what is very much a growing and thriving hospitality sector.”

There are currently more than 22,000 hotel bedrooms in the Greater Manchester area and 9,000 bedrooms in Manchester city centre – with more hotels set to bolster numbers further when they open over the next 12 months.

“Manchester is a thriving city that attracts visitors from around the world,” said Adrian, who is also General Manager of The Lowry Hotel.

“Those working in the hospitality sector work tirelessly to ensure visitors to Manchester have the best possible experience they can. That’s why it’s important that we continue to run the MHA Ball – to recognise the unsung heroes who make the hospitality sector here tick.

“We’re already looking forward to the 15th MHA Annual Ball and would like to once again thank The Principal for hosting the event.”

Mason Advisory secures Best Workplaces™ 2018 award

Sam Whitear
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Mason Advisory, independent IT consultancy, has been recognised as one of the UK’s best workplaces in the Great Place To Work® Small Business category.

The Best Workplaces™ awards represent the largest survey of workplace cultures and people practices, and the methodology behind the rankings is one of the most rigorous and highly regarded in the UK. The opinion of employees is key as staff feedback makes up the results of the Trust Index, and a separate Culture Audit survey analyses and evaluates the company’s HR, leadership practices, policies and culture.

This is the first time the company has entered and achieved the awards and Mason Advisory ranked highly across a number of key categories. Based at MediaCityUK, the IT consultancy has a clear policy on charitable works for employees including a Leaderboard relay triathlon for Comic Relief, Kilimanjaro climbs and more recently, two directors ran a 10k on behalf of Manchester Children’s Hospital.

Staff are encouraged to celebrate their achievements and nominated for awards. The recent implementation of a cloud only IT policy across the company has gone a long way to maximise flexible working arrangements – something that the company is keen to encourage.

Steve Watmough, Mason Advisory CEO, says: “We are delighted to have been recognised by our employees as an organisation that promotes trust, pride and camaraderie. We’ve created a working culture that promotes high performance, creativity and ambition and this accolade will enhance our reputation in the region, nationally and in the IT sector.

“This award is testament to the dedicated of our teams, their commitment to our business objectives and our thorough HR and communications initiatives. We’re proud of our working practices and we are committed to creating a positive experience for our employees, our customers and our wider community.”

The awards were announced at a gala dinner at Tobacco Dock, London.

Mason Advisory provides IT consultancy and advisory services, solving complex business challenges through the intelligent use of IT resources including IT strategy and transformation, sourcing, architecture, cybersecurity and IT delivery.

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