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GVA partner with the Woodland Trust in Bolton for new charity initiative

Sam Whitear
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GVA has taken part in a tree planting initiative at the Smithills Estate in Bolton, alongside their environmental partner the Woodland Trust.

Volunteering last week, four members of the GVA team joined the Woodland Trust in planting more than 100 trees of native British species including Oak and Rowan. The project forms the early stages of a five-year project on the Smithills Estate in Bolton, which will see hundreds of trees planted with plans to eventually link up to form part of the Northern Forest.

Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. GVA has been working with the Woodland Trust to mitigate carbon from its business practices, and through donating £20,000 per year to the charity, GVA has mitigated 2,000 tonnes of CO2.

GVA has recently announced it is expanding its level of support to not only reduce carbon from its 11 offices across the UK, including the Manchester office, but also cut down its business mileage.

Ella Woodward, Development Surveyor and part of the PDR team at GVA, said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with the Woodland Trust and continue to help protect and preserve the UK’s woodland areas.

The team had a great day volunteering at Smithills Estate in Bolton, although we narrowly missed the snow that was forecast for the weekend! We planted around 100 trees.

The Woodland Trust project is a worthwhile initiative to be a part of, and as part of GVA’s plans to expand its support for the charity, we can’t wait to get involved again next year.”

Altrincham office building sold for £550,000 plus

Sam Whitear
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A self-contained office building at Unit 1 Pacific Road, Century Park, Altrincham has been purchased for a figure in excess of £550,000 by Office Insight Ltd for their own headquarters.

The two storey property provides 4,432 sq ft of accommodation with 25 car spaces.

Office Insight Ltd, is one of the most successful workplace design and build specialist in the North West and will be using its expertise to fit-out this un-refurbished building to their own high standards to deliver an inspirational and productive working environment for their talented and experienced team. 

Gareth Dunbar, managing director, Office Insight Ltd, said: “In line with our long term vision, this strategic location brings Office Insight closer to our main market, and by transforming an out-of-date office building into a cutting edge workplace for ourselves, we can demonstrate our design and build abilities to our clients – exciting times ahead.”                  

 Daniel Lee, director, Regional Property Solutions who acted jointly with JLL on behalf of the vendor M7 Real Estate, said: “This building presented the ideal opportunity for Office Insight to create their own stylish and bespoke working environment.”

Is it good business sense to make a commercial Lasting Power of Attorney?

Sam Whitear
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What happens when a director, shareholder or partner in the business loses mental capacity? It’s important to consider what would happen to your business if you were unable to manage the finances. Eve Carter, head of private client services at Harrison Drury Solicitors explores. 

When running a business, it’s important that you think about what would happen if you became incapable of dealing with the running of the company and its day-to-day financial management.

It may be that your colleagues know what needs to happen but unless there is designated legal authority in place, it’s not quite that simple. It may become impossible to access bank accounts, pay salaries and suppliers and the effect of the disruption could be significant.

It is possible to make a business or commercial Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) to provide for this eventuality. You can choose attorneys specifically to deal with your business assets and ensure business continuity in the event that you are incapacitated.

What is a Lasting Power of Attorney? 

An LPA is a legal document which enables you to appoint a person or persons to act on your behalf. There are two types of document, one for property and affairs and one for health and welfare decisions. It is customary to make an LPA appointing family members to look after personal affairs, whereas a commercial LPA appoints professionals and colleagues to deal with business affairs. Each document specifically defines its area of use.

What if I don’t make an LPA?

If you don’t have a LPA in place and you do lose capacity an application will need to be made to the Court of Protection for the appointment of a deputy. This deputy will act on your behalf under the authority of the court. This is an expensive route and can take six months to put in place and there are no guarantees of who the court will appoint.

Is a business LPA he best solution for me?

The first step in preparing a business LPA is a review of the company’s articles of association, and partnership or shareholder agreements:

  • Sole trader – your business is not likely to have a separate legal entity from you and appointing an attorney under a business LPA will be an effective way to provide continuity for your business.
  • Partnerships – The partnership agreement will need to be checked. Some partnerships already include a provision for what will happen if one of the partners becomes incapacitated, so an LPA may not be needed. If the wording is inadequate, an LPA can be made to carefully complement the provisions already in place and offer additional protection.
  • Directors of companies: articles of association – the company’s articles of association may call for the termination of a director if they lose capacity. This is often done to protect the company’s interests. If such a provision isn’t included, you may want to seek advice and consider including it.

Sole directors and directors of small companies are not likely to include a termination clause as there would be no one left to run the company. In these circumstances a business LPA is advisable.

The second step is identifying a suitable attorney. This should be someone that you trust and is familiar with the business and market you operate in. They need to be able to make the decisions needed for the-day-to-day running of your business.

Your attorney needs to ensure that they fully understand the responsibilities. They will need to take out personal liability insurance, so they are protected while acting on your behalf and commit to follow health and safety policies.

Business succession can be a wider issue and after a review of your company’s structure you may decide that restructuring would be more suitable for your company. Harrison Drury has a team of specialists who can review your company’s legal structure and work to provide the best solution for succession planning. Get in touch with Eve Carter on 01772 737379.

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Bolton energy specialists claim ‘industry first’

Sam Whitear
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Price comparison specialists Love Energy Savings is celebrating having achieved 5,000 Trustpilot reviews – in what they say is an industry first.

The Bolton firm, who aim to secure cheaper prices for business energy customers, joined online review community Trustpilot in February 2013.

They’ve now surpassed the 5,000 review barrier while also getting an overall ‘TrustScore’ of 9.6 out of 10 and the full five stars.

Love Energy Savings Managing Director Phil Foster says their ‘Excellent’ rating should instil faith in consumers concerned about dealing with an energy broker.

Meanwhile Mr. Foster says they’re the first business-to-business Third Party Intermediary (TPI) to break such a boundary.

He explained: “When it comes to the business energy market, it’s fair to say that some TPIs behave in a less than honourable fashion, preventing businesses form exploring all of the avenues available to them and ultimately costing them money in terms of potential savings.

“Those practices don’t just drive disengagement among consumers, it also tarnishes other reputable TPIs with the same brush.

“We’re delighted to have achieved so many positive reviews on Trustpilot. It’s a milestone for us and a milestone for the industry in general.

“And it proves that there are reputable firms, like us, out there who are driven to find the best tariffs for a business’ utilities- not in driving up profits at the expense of customers.”

To illustrate the point, one review left on Trustpilot for Love Energy Savings this week reads, ‘Once again, excellent service from Love Energy! Our Gas supply was up for renewal and a very friendly account manager contacted us to remind us. Amy makes everything so easy; she provides us with all our options and the latest prices, taking away the stress at times of renewal.’

Meanwhile it’s not the first time Love Energy Savings, headquartered off Manchester Road, has called-out industry bad practice.

Last year they published a report demanding ‘greater transparency’ in an industry which remains unregulated and without an official Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) Code of Practice.Highlighting what microbusinesses and SMEs need to look out for and expect from reputable TPIs, the document stated: “The practices of a small number of TPIs has left many businesses questioning the integrity of the industry, resulting in the majority of TPIs, who operate openly and honestly, being tarred with the same brush.

“The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) concluded in 2015 that small businesses in the UK pay too much for their energy, with the ‘Big Six’ charging on average 8% margins on electricity and 10% on gas to SMEs, compared with averages of 4.4% for domestic customers and larger businesses.

“In many cases, these inflated prices are due to suppliers allowing TPIs to simply ‘write their own cheque’ in terms of the commission they are able to add to the base cost of electricity and gas.”

“It is to be hoped that a robust and effective means of policing this sector will be introduced soon. In the meantime, the market remains unregulated and, while a voluntary TPI Code of Practice provides some guidance, it is limited in its effectiveness.”

In response to the Love Energy Savings whitepaper, The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) acknowledged that: “It is vital that we do all we can to help businesses to engage in the energy market to ensure their energy bills are as low as possible.

“High energy bills can hit hard and make the cost of running a business more expensive.”

Sharks and business leaders gather in Spinningfields for Six Nations event

Sam Whitear
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Members of Manchester’s thriving business community gathered at the XYZ Building in Spinningfields to hear Sale Sharks’ international stars’ review the 2018 Six Nations.

The panel event saw Denny Solomona and Josh Strauss, of England and Scotland respectively, take to the stage at ALL Work & Social, Spinningfields’ latest co-work and event space.

Sale Sharks Commercial Director Mark Cueto MBE hosted the discussion, which was followed by a chance to network.

Themes explored during a review of one of international rugby’s elite competitions were the performance of England and other home nations, along with Solomona and Strauss’s thoughts on modern day rugby and outstanding plays and players during the tournament won by Ireland.

Mark Cueto said: “As the only Premiership rugby club in the North West we always look at new ways of interacting with our corporate supporters and fans. This review of the Six Nations featured insight from two of our many international capped players which I’m sure the audience enjoyed.

“ALL Work & Social is a stunning new space in the beating heart of Manchester’s financial district so was the perfect place to hold a lively debate. Many people from Manchester’s business community attended, plenty of whom got the rare opportunity to pick the brains of current internationals.”

All attendees of the Sale Sharks Six Nations Review were entered into a prize draw to win VIP matchday package, including lunch in Spinningfields, a chauffeur driven car donated by Bentley Knutsford to AJ Bell, and 4 x platinum tickets to a Premiership match.

England international Solomona said during the debate that he’d so far thoroughly enjoyed his first full season with Sale Sharks, while Strauss paid tribute to the Premiership Club ‘for looking after his busy club and country regime’ better than any of his previous teams had.

Manchester and Liverpool to add another 3,200 hotel rooms as investment in sector continues, according to third UK Hotels Market Index by Colliers International

Sam Whitear
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More than 3,200 hotel rooms will become available in Manchester and Liverpool over the next two years as both cities continue to enjoy a boom in hotel provision, according to the latest UK Hotels Market Index by real estate advisors Colliers International.

The sector-leading research shows the two North West cities being among the top six centres in the country for having a strong pipeline of new rooms coming on to the market alongside London, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast.

According to Colliers, another 2,073 hotel rooms will be added to 17,894 available in Manchester as of 31st December 2017, an increase of 11.6 per cent while an additional 1,170 or 14.3 per cent of existing supply will be added to 8,205 rooms in Liverpool, giving an overall total of new rooms in both cities of 3,243.

As of the fourth quarter of 2017, there were 67 hotels in the development pipeline for Manchester with about 20 per cent of those due to open between 2017 and 2019 and the remainder on hold or speculative developments.

Julian Troup, head of UK Hotels-agency and based at the Manchester office of Colliers, said the weak pound, the strengthening of global and Eurozone economies and the increasing frequency of direct flights between Asia and Manchester had all contributed to the growth in the performance of the city’s hotel sector.

He said: “Hotel sector performance in Liverpool and Manchester is expected to stay strong but there is a degree of caution regarding the extent of supply growth with potential future consequences for performance. Brexit obviously adds an element of uncertainty to hotel market prospects in Manchester and elsewhere in the UK although current market conditions do not show it having a negative impact.

“Manchester is one of the most visited cities in the UK, benefitting from its diverse culture, burgeoning services sector, wide range of tourist attractions and of course, the United and City effect while the visitor economy of Liverpool also continues to benefit from its ongoing renaissance.”

Overall, the UK Hotels Market Index revealed continued year on year growth for the sector in the UK, with RevPAR (revenue per available room) increasing by 3.8 percent; significantly ahead of GDP growth.

The annual report, which is in its third year, paints a positive picture for the hotels sector. Regional markets have continued to catch up with London in terms of their attractiveness to investors with cities such as Hull and Plymouth enter the list of top 10 ‘hot spots’ for hotel development and acquisition in the UK for the first time in 2017.

The UK Hotels Market Index is an analysis of 34 locations throughout the UK, ranked to determine ‘hot spots’ for hotel development and acquisition.

Marc Finney, Head of Hotels & Resorts Consulting, Colliers International said: “The data in our third annual report reveals the ever-changing nature of the UK hotels market.

“Our Index is formulated in such a way that high land and construction costs and sluggish hotel market growth are penalised. That’s why some markets will rank lower than expected. Of course, this is a general market index and site-specific factors will lead to significant variances, but the data demonstrates which cities investors should be watching and offers a credible indication to influence their decision making process.”

Zimbabwe Football Team recruits Mancunian player for international tournament

Sam Whitear
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Manchester’s Alec Mudimu has been called up by the Zimbabwe national football team for a four-nation tour in Zambia. The 22-year old midfielder is honoured for the opportunity ahead.

Born in Harare, Mudimu left Zimbabwe for the UK at 5 years of age and now lives in north Manchester. He is a staff member of The Factory Youth Zone, a charity-run youth centre in Harpurhey, and contributes his recent success to becoming a member and training in their facilities.

“Before The Factory opened there was nothing to do after school in the evenings and this led to me and my friends hanging around on the streets. We were young and naïve, often getting in trouble purely out of boredom. At this point, I was thinking of quitting football altogether and then The Factory Youth Zone opened nearby and provided me with an opportunity to continue playing and developing skills.”

Mudimu was 16 when he became a member of The Factory Youth Zone and was almost immediately awarded a football scholarship and a 12 month semi-professional contract with Stalybridge Celtic. And this season he joined Welsh Premier League club Cefn Druids, as a midfielder.

The Factory Youth Zone Youth Work Team Leader, Michael Phipps, explains throughout the years Mudimu has stayed connected to the centre and continues to be an inspiration to their members and staff alike.

“Alec is an inspiring member of our team and we couldn’t be more proud of him for the strong leader he’s become. The young members at the centre really look up to him and admire his determination. He’s a role model for what is possible and it’s been an awarding experience for us all at The Factory Youth Zone be a part of his path.”

Phipps adds Mudimu is an exemplary representative of The Factory Youth Zone, embracing all aspects of the centre from the football field, to the gym, climbing wall, and support for well-being. He thrived in the ‘Learn to Lead’ programme at The Factory Youth Zone and advanced to a Support Worker role. Mudimu works on the targeted intervention projects challenge to change and junior choices, which help engage young people in positive activities using sport within the local community.

The Factory Youth Zone is grateful to Mudimu for all he has done to support young people in Manchester and is confident his presence overseas will continue to inspire them to do great things in their lives.

The Factory Youth Zone provides a unique safe place for young people aged 8 – 19, up to 25 with additional needs, from across Manchester. With a wealth of sport and creative activities, The Factory currently welcomes almost 1,000 young people each week.

Sitedesk Ltd. secures equity funding from Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to drive business growth

Sam Whitear
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GMCA invests and takes a 10% stake in local technology business, Sitedesk, headquartered in Cheadle Hulme. Sitedesk is the creator of a Cloud-based software solution for the built environment that improves processes and profit margins for construction contractors and building owners.

For contractors Sitedesk simplifies the compilation and handover of digital building information, a requirement for government projects under new BIM (Building Information Modelling) guidelines introduced in April 2016. Building owners are given anytime/anywhere access to this information linked to a 3D model of their building, reducing maintenance time spent on site by up to 50%.

Michael McCullen, Chairman of Sitedesk commented “We are delighted that GMCA has recognised the innovative work that Sitedesk is doing and has decided to support us by investing in the business. The construction industry is starting to embrace new technology as a way of driving efficiencies and reducing costs. This new investment will mean Sitedesk is ideally placed to help.”

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham said: “I’m very pleased that the Greater Manchester Combined Authority has committed to helping local companies, like Sitedesk, expand their businesses and their workforce.”

“The fact we’re now using money from returns on previous investments to help even more companies grow highlights how successful our previous investments have been. I’m proud that across Greater Manchester our businesses continue to go from strength to strength as we make our city-region the best place to live, work and invest.”

Sitedesk is being used to manage the world’s first BIM coastal defence scheme. The collaboration between Wyre Council, Blackpool Council, Fylde Council and the Environment Agency over a 6km stretch of coastline in the North West will protect several communities and more than 12,000 properties.

Free workplace mental health programme “Balls to That” launched for businesses across the North West

Sam Whitear
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The Sale Sharks Community Trust has launched a groundbreaking new mental health awareness programme designed to promote wellbeing in workplaces right across the North West.

The free of charge ‘Balls to That’ sessions will see coaches from the award-winning Trust, including Afghanistan army veteran Craig Monaghan, educating staff in businesses across the region on what they can do to support one another and make improvements to their own mental health.

The programme also aims to help business leaders recognise how they can better support their staff in both their working and private lives.

Project Officer Craig suffered from severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and attempted to take his own life following his medical discharge from the army.

And, as part of the free hour-long sessions, he will talk about his ongoing mental health challenges, what he’s doing to overcome them and his journey from the battlefield to the England Deaf Rugby side.

Craig first got involved with Sharks through the Community Trust’s veterans’ programme ‘Sharks Forces’ – and his story inspired almost 40 staff at CheckdMedia, in Manchester, during the first session of the new programme.

Sharks Community Rugby Coach Jack Leech said: “Listening to Craig share his story, and seeing the genuine impact it has on people first hand, is incredibly inspiring. It can shape lives and challenge perceptions.

“If we can help more people recognise their own difficulties and identify the signs and symptoms, then this programme could really make a difference.

“We know how pressurised some workplaces can be, but hopefully hearing Craig’s story can give people in business – whether they’re CEOs or apprentices – some perspective and offer some ideas to improve mental health.”

Jamie Knowlson, CEO at CheckdMedia, added: “Craig has an unbelievable story. It is informative and inspirational and it offered us fantastic insight into how we can provide our team with the support they need. We want to make the environment at CheckdMedia one in which mental health isn’t a taboo subject, and this programme has helped us do that.”

Jonny Acheson, Executive Director at the Sale Sharks Community Trust, said: “We came up with the idea for ‘Balls to That’ because, in many workplaces, mental health simply isn’t discussed.

“Now we’ve launched the programme, we’re keen to work with other businesses across the North West to break down any notion of mental health being a taboo topic and to give them and their staff some guidance on how they can support each other.

“The sessions are run totally free of charge and we know we can make a real, and lasting difference, so if you feel that your business would benefit from Balls to That, please do get in touch.”

Leading speakers to focus on industrial opportunities of ‘green transport revolution’ at LowCVP ‘Moving North’ Conference

Sam Whitear
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The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership’s (LowCVP) 2018 ‘Moving North’ Conference, opening with a keynote address by the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, will focus on the challenge of cutting carbon emissions and air pollution, and seizing the business opportunities for automotive and fuel supply companies in the Northern Powerhouse.

The event, on Thursday 12 April 2018, is being held in association with the Mayor of Greater Manchester, the Northern Automotive Alliance (NAA) and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). It is supported by Manchester Metropolitan University and sponsored by GEFCO and Uber.

The conference features a range of high profile speakers including:

  • Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
  • Mike Hawes, Chief Executive, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)
  • Ian Constance, Chief Executive, Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC)
  • Lawrence Davies MBE, Chief Executive, Automotive Investment Organisation (AIO)
  • Jon Lamonte, Chief Executive, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM)
  • Andy Eastlake, Managing Director, Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP)
  • Carol Holden OBE, Chief Executive, Northern Automotive Alliance (NAA)
  • Jon King, Business Development Consultant, Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG)
  • Dave Roberts, Director, Smart Interventions, EA Technology.

‘Moving North’ will look at the future of transport in the Northern Powerhouse region (and beyond) – a future that will be driven by ever-tighter regulation of carbon dioxide emissions and pollutants which damage air quality – and the resulting opportunities for businesses in the automotive, fuels and related sectors.

The event, and the drinks reception which follows the conference, will also be an important networking opportunity, as it will bring together a number of different sectors, including the automotive and energy industries, governmental/public sector organisations, ‘new mobility’ companies and other stakeholders.

Andy Eastlake, Managing Director, Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, commented: “This is the LowCVP’s first conference in Manchester and I am delighted that we have such an impressive line-up of high profile and knowledgeable speakers. Reducing CO2 emissions and improving air quality are two key items of focus for regions around the UK.

“The conference will provide an opportunity to learn more about these issues in Manchester and the wider Northern Powerhouse area, and the resulting opportunities for businesses in the region. I hope that the event will help to facilitate fruitful new relationships and partnerships to accelerate solutions in the area of low emission road transport.”

Carol Holden OBE, Chief Executive, Northern Automotive Alliance (NAA), added: “The automotive industry is changing at a faster rate than at any previous time in its history. This offers opportunities for existing automotive supply chain companies, but also for companies that currently don’t supply into automotive – from sectors such as energy and technology.

“Businesses introducing innovative disruptive technologies have a real chance to break through into the mainstream. The Moving North Conference will highlight aspects of transport where new products, services and approaches are needed.”

Moving North is a ticketed event, which is free to members of the LowCVP. There is a 25% discount for members of the Northern Automotive Alliance. Non-members are invited at the standard price of £100.

There are also some indoor exhibition spaces, a small number of outside spaces for vehicles, and a very limited number of sponsorship opportunities.

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