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Wheatley Plastics prepares for further team growth with investment in structured HR support

An injection moulding company based in Stockport is preparing to expand its team following a move to larger office premises and an investment in structured HR support.

Wheatley Plastics has partnered with HR and employment law firm, Howarths People and Safety Management, as it prepares to expand its workforce in line with the growth of its plastic injection moulding services following a move to new, 20,000 square foot premises in October 2017.

The firm invested more than £300,000 in the new facility to create a world class manufacturing environment and accommodate growing demand from customers.

Linda Parker, office manager at Wheatley Plastics, said: “As a direct result if strong business growth, we have doubled our workforce since 2012, and we expect the business to continue to grow steadily over the next couple of years.

“To facilitate this expansion, we have invested in a strategic partnership with Howarths to support us with areas such as contracts of employment, staff handbooks and disciplinaries as our workforce continues to grow.”

Gavin Howarth, managing director at Howarths People and Safety Management, added: “Having procedures in place to support with HR and employment law issues is vital for any business, in particular when staff numbers are growing quickly and new challenges arise relating to their employment.

“We are looking forward to working with the team at Wheatley Plastics to help them streamline their HR support and fulfil their ambitious growth targets over the next year and beyond.”

Established for over 50 years, Wheatley Plastics supplies plastic injection moulding services to industries including electronics, medicine, packaging, construction, retail and plumbing.

Tourism brings almost £432m boost to Bolton

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Bolton’s tourism industry generated £431.8m for the town in 2016, according to new figures.

An additional £11.4m flowed into the local economy, a 2.7 per cent increase on the previous year’s figure of £420.4m.

The total number of visitors also increased in 2016, from £6.5m to £6.6m – a 1.3 per cent rise.

The figures have been released by Bolton Council as part of an annual report which outlines tourism performance.

The four day Bolton Food and Drink Festival which attracted more than 260,000 visitors in 2016, the gruelling Ironman UK Triathlon, and the world’s largest Ironkids race are amongst the events fuelling visitor numbers.

The growth is also attributed to popular attractions such as Bolton Museum, Aquarium and Archive which was in the top ten most visited attractions in Greater Manchester.

The Octagon Theatre, Bolton’s historic halls – Smithills Hall and Hall i’ th’ Wood, and Moorgarth’s £23m transformational refurbishment of the Market Place Shopping Centre have also drawn visitors into the town centre.

Bolton also has a good supply of hotels and bed and breakfasts which attract visitors throughout the year.

Deputy Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Ebrahim Adia, welcomed the figures. He said: “These figures show that Bolton is continuing to attract visitors, with a record number of people choosing to spend time in our town – and spend their money here.

“Bolton has so much to offer, including fantastic events, picturesque countryside and attractions such as Bolton Museum and the Aquarium continue to pull people in.

“The data from 2016 reflects the ongoing appeal of our major events such as Food and Drink Festival and the Ironman UK Triathlon.

“Every year we work hard to attract as many visitors as possible and the top quality events we provide and the attractions and accommodation across Bolton are certainly doing that.

“The retail and leisure offer has also improved in the town centre with investment in the Market Place Shopping Centre, and the rich mix of what Bolton has to offer is drawing visitors.

“Bolton is most definitely open for business. We recently unveiled our £1 billion town centre masterplan which will continue to further regenerate our town centre.”

The data has been compiled using the Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Monitor (STEAM).

Emmaus Salford appeals for new Treasurer

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Homelessness charity Emmaus Salford is appealing for a new Treasurer trustee to join the board.

Emmaus Salford supports formerly homeless people by providing them with a home and work in a community setting. The board of trustees play an important role in offering their skills, knowledge and experience to help in the development and governance of the Pendleton based charity.

Hilary Dunn, Chair of Trustees at Emmaus Salford, said: “Our team of Trustees is determined to make an impact supporting people who have previously experienced homelessness. The Treasurer is a vital role within any charity board and we appeal to anyone with suitable skills and experience to join us and help to make a meaningful difference in Salford.”

The Treasurer will need to be a qualified accountant who will provide regular reports to the board, prepare annual budgets and longer-term financial plans, ensure regulatory compliance and advise on relevant tax issues, including VAT and Gift Aid.

Emmaus Salford operates social enterprises at Fitzwarren Street and Seaford Road in Salford, as well as the Emmaus Emporium in Swinton. These shops raise an income to help sustain the charity whilst providing Salford residents with a source of good quality, affordable furniture, household goods, clothes, textiles, books and vintage wares.

The charity is keen to encourage applications from young people (aged 18 and above) and Salford citizens as these groups are under-represented on the Emmaus Salford board at present. Trustees meet as a board 12 times each year but individual trustees may also get involved in other ways, as their time permits.

OnBuy becomes official partner of charity music festival

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Manchester-based OnBuy is backing a popular rock festival that is helping to lead the fight against children’s cancer.

Teddy Rocks Festival will take place from May 4 to May 6 at Charisworth Farm, Blandford, Dorset, and is being headlined by chart-topping rock bands Feeder and Ash.

OnBuy, the largest UK-owned online marketplace, is now partnering with Teddy Rocks Festival, providing significant financial and commercial support to help grow the event and make 2018 its biggest fundraising year ever. OnBuy is also working in close partnership with the Newton family, founders of the festival, by providing specialist online, commercial and design support for the event from its in-house team of experts.

All proceeds from Teddy Rocks Festival go to the charity Teddy 20, which provides emotional and financial support to children and young people suffering and undergoing treatment for cancer. The charity was set up in memory of Ted Newton, who died at the age of 10 in 2010 from a rare form of bone cancer after a brave battle with the disease.

The charity has raised more than £250,000 over the years and the Teddy Rocks Festival has been a significant part of that total, raising £167,000 in the past six years. The idea for a music festival was conceived in 2011 when the Newton family organised a gig in the restaurant of The Greyhound pub in Blandford and raised £400. Just a year later, the first Teddy Rocks event was held at The Corn Exchange in Blandford, raising £2,500. The festival has grown every year since – raising over £42,000 in 2016, £76,000 in 2017 and this year organisers are hoping to raise even more money.

Teddy 20 has helped hundreds of children fighting cancer across Dorset and Hampshire. Every year the family and their supporters head to Toys R Us in Poole to do a huge Christmas shop and personally deliver gifts to children at Southampton and Dorchester hospitals. Three years ago the family was able to buy a luxury 39ft static caravan in Bowleaze Cove, Weymouth, to provide much-needed breaks away from the hospital environment for children and their loved ones dealing with cancer.

Ted’s older brother Tom Newton is leading the organisation of the festival and is delighted with the support from OnBuy, which is headquartered nearby in Poole.

Tom, a 29-year-old firefighter from Blandford, said: “Every year we ask businesses for their support by sending out letters across the region.

“Cas from OnBuy got in touch straight away and we had a meeting three days later. As a dad himself, he has a lot of life experience and his passion and enthusiasm for our cause really came across.

“This is a significant partnership with OnBuy and it’s fair to say it means a lot to us. We try to cover every single cost of the event so that every penny raised through ticket sales can go to help children fighting cancer.

“We are incredibly grateful for OnBuy’s support and we hope with their backing we will be able to raise more money than ever.”

He added: “Ted was such a happy little boy and losing him was devastating for our family. Ted was a huge character and incredibly brave, so to be able to keep his name alive through the festival is a real honour. It’s amazing what we have managed to achieve in just a few years and none of it would be possible without our generous and loyal supporters.”

Cas Paton, Managing Director of OnBuy, said: “When I heard about the Newton family and the tragic story of Ted, I just knew I had to help. I was very inspired by what the family has been able to achieve in just a few years to make a real difference to so many people.

“As a dad, this is a cause very close to my heart and, like most people, I have experienced the life-changing impact of cancer on family and friends.

“OnBuy is incredibly proud to be partnering with the festival and going beyond just a financial investment. We’re supporting them with significant commercial advice to help drive revenues for the charity, strategy, merchandise design, manufacture, logistics, and marketing support.

“We hope our support will allow it to grow even bigger and help more children fighting cancer.”

Hotel Gotham Aligns with San Francisco’s Wingtip Club

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Hotel Gotham’s Club Brass, the exclusive VIP lounge on the seventh floor of the award-winning Manchester property, is delighted to announce its partnership with San Francisco’s renowned WingTip, which will see members on both sides of the pond able to enjoy visits to their counterpart, alongside access to ticketed events and exclusive discounts on stays.

Located in the spectacular former home of the Bank of Italy in San Francisco’s Financial District, The Wingtip Club occupies 13,000 square feet over two floors, and boasts an intoxicating blend of social club, private bar, roof deck, and even a boardroom fit for the President himself. Club Brass members will not only be able to enjoy regular visits to the Club, along with access to its many ticketed events available to purchase, but will also benefit from exclusive preferential rates at stateside partners including multiple luxury hotels in the city.

In turn, Wingtip members paying a visit to the UK will be able to unwind and indulge in the surroundings of Club Brass, overlooking King Street in the heart of Manchester, as well as enjoy 10% off accommodation across the Bespoke Hotels portfolio.

“We are absolutely delighted to announce the collaboration between Club Brass and Wingtip”, commented Hotel Gotham’s General Manager, Mario Ovsenjak. “San Francisco and Manchester are both global cities with a pronounced swagger and unique sense of style, so we have no doubt our clientele will enjoy visiting the Bay Area and sampling the fabulous facilities Wingtip has to offer.”

“We are thrilled to have partnered with Club Brass and Hotel Gotham in this way, having admired them from afar as they have turned heads over the past couple of years”, added Dawn Simpson Jones, Director of Partnerships at Wingtip. “We know our members will be every bit as excited as we are to have secured the perfect to spot to unwind on the other side of the Atlantic.”

UKFast retains top workplace in Manchester honour

Cloud hosting firm UKFast is still officially Manchester’s best place to work, after being named ninth best workplace in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to Work For.

The business is renowned for its extraordinary office space, UKFast Campus, on the edge of Manchester’s Science Park which has an onsite gym, steam room, crèche and dedicated training and education space. UKFast’s commitment to training and education both within the business and in the wider community has also gained plaudits for the firm.

CEO Lawrence Jones said: “It’s a no-brainer to invest in your team and create an environment which people love coming to work in.

“Perks and days out are nice to have, but we learned some time ago that to make UKFast a truly great place to work we have to focus on giving people the opportunity to learn and develop. The results of this are clear to see – an engaged and constantly developing team is a happy team.”

The Best Companies data shows that 97% of the UKFast team agreed that they “can make a valuable contribution to the success of this organisation” while 95% of the team agreed with the statement: “People in my team go out of their way to help me.”

Jones continued: “At UKFast our team see where their role fits in terms of the organisation’s vision and they can see their own personal growth alongside the growth of the business. It’s a hugely exciting time to be part of the UKFast team and that’s reflected in the feedback from our team.”

UKFast employs more than 400 people at its campus offices in Greater Manchester, which have recently doubled in size following the acquisition of the adjacent building.

Businesses in Manchester most innovative in the UK

Businesses in Manchester are leading the way in British innovation, with four times as many Research & Development (R&D) tax relief claims as its closest rival, specialist tax relief firm Catax revealed today.

The northern powerhouse city made 1,140 claims for R&D tax relief in just 12 months, worth £75m, latest figures show.

It was four times the 290 claims made by Edinburgh businesses in second place.

Businesses which spend time and money developing a new product, business process or service could potentially claim tax relief for R&D. In Catax’s experience, the average claim is worth £44,000.

Despite these figures, there is a common misconception that the R&D needs to be successful in order to qualify for this type of relief. However, an incredible 72% of senior business leaders don’t realise this is not the case and that, as long as time and money has been spent, the R&D could qualify.

Meanwhile, there also continues to be a lack of awareness around what qualifies for R&D tax relief in the first place, with many firms wrongly believing they wouldn’t be entitled to claim. Previous research suggests nearly half of businesses (44%) believe that R&D relief is restricted to companies in the science and technology sectors.

Catax CEO, Mark Tighe, commented: “Whilst it is true that more businesses are claiming the R&D tax relief that is rightfully theirs, far too many SMEs still don’t realise that they qualify.

“There needs to be more education among small businesses over what actually counts as R&D. Most don’t realise it’s not just a new scientific formula or a jet engine but a piece of software, an manufacturing process or even a new innovative restaurant dish. 

“The typical £44,000 claim is a significant amount of money and firms need to be asking themselves whether they can afford not to check if they could benefit.’’

Cube3 set to reach new heights with client win

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Manchester-based Cube3, the leading brand, web and campaign agency will be reaching new heights following its latest client win – Merlin Entertainments Blackpool Cluster.

The new brief will see Cube3 create and deliver a digital and creative strategy for The Blackpool Tower’s five iconic attractions including The Blackpool Tower Dungeon and Ballroom including: social, programmatic display and PPC.

Blackpool as a destination has enjoyed renewed interest following the BBC’s hit show Strictly Come Dancing, hosting its annual live show in The Blackpool Tower Ballroom. There is so much more to The Blackpool Tower than just the Ballroom so it’s Management team have enlisted the expertise of Cube3 to raise the profile of all seven attractions and all they have to offer.

Louise Forder, Senior Marketing Manager at Merlin Entertainments Blackpool Cluster said: “The Blackpool Tower is a truly loved national landmark but we really want to take the opportunity to shout about all the seaside town has to offer and raise the profile even further.

“The team at Cube3 really impressed us on their understanding of our brand and what it is we are offering. They truly demonstrated how the team will strategically target various audiences while having fun with the brand. We are excited for this next chapter and seeing how Cube3 can elevate us to the next level.”

After the competitive pitch process, Cube3 will be focusing on generating online bookings,
promoting the attractions and Blackpool as a destination both locally and nationally.

Mark Bailey, managing director at Cube3 said: “Winning this account is a real highlight for us. We have a really strong proven track record at delivering creative strategic campaigns within the leisure industry. With attractions like The Blackpool Tower and The Blackpool Tower Dungeon we know we can do an amazing job and we can’t wait to put the spotlight firmly on these historic
Northern landmarks.”

Riding to success

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Stockport based Bridge Law Solicitors is enjoying an unexpected success, thanks to an idea from solicitor, Sophie Murgatroyd and the launch of its Equine Law Department. As a keen horse rider, Sophie recognised a gap in the market for helping resolve disputes that often arise in the equine community.

Sophie had over nine years litigation experience working in larger Manchester law firms, before she joined Bridge Law Solicitors in August 2017. Sophie has enjoyed her passion for riding throughout her legal career and quickly saw an opportunity to develop a new area of legal practice and “galloped away” with it.

Many horses are kept at livery yards which attract substantial monthly payments. People can often fall behind on payments, so debt recovery can be significant. Also, professional negligence can arise from potential actions of vets, farriers and other professionals working with horses. This has formed the basis of the new Department’s work.

Sophie commented: “I am passionate about all animals, especially horses and so it was an amazing opportunity to incorporate my love for horses into my legal career. I was very surprised with the volume and variety of work this has attracted.

“My typical day now involves drafting sales and livery agreements as well as using my litigation roots to deal with a variety of breach of contract, misrepresentation and professional negligence claims. My specialist knowledge helps the company pursue full recovery of unusual, complex losses arising from stud fees, eventing and so on.”

This unusual area of law has contributed to the firm being nominated for “Innovation firm of the year” at this year’s Manchester Legal Awards.

With the ever-increasing volume of work that this area of law has attracted, Bridge Law Solicitors is now looking to open an additional branch office in Alderley Edge to manage the growing opportunities.

First look at Kellogg’s brand new UK headquarters

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Kellogg’s has opened its doors to its swanky new UK headquarters based in Orange Tower MediaCityUK and it showcases three-floors of ‘work-culture overhaul’.

Relocating from Talbot Road after nearly 30 years of residence, the move provided an opportunity for the cereal giant to look at the functionality of the organisation, developing a design scheme that encourages a huge cultural reset and introduces new ways of working.

Kellogg’s appointed design specialists TSK to fit-out out their 46000 square-foot pad in late 2017, with the view they would create a space that reflects employee’s diverse working style.

Their design teams have considered tools and technologies to help transition the food manufacturer’s changing work culture – considering employee demographic, best practice for flexible working and how to utilise the new open plan office space.

The new headquarters has been developed to reflect the business’s ambition and future ahead, whilst bringing to life its strong heritage and brand.

The three floors in the new workspace have been developed to foster collaboration and creativity with open, flexible spaces to eliminate silo working and bring people together.

The middle floor, has been designed as the public floor, bringing people both internally and externally to the organisation together, this includes dining areas, kitchens, social spaces and a variety of both informal and formal meeting settings.

Andy Burke, director at TSK said: “Kellogg’s wanted a space which would reflect the business’ progressive ambitions for the future, while also representing the rich heritage and brand. We worked in partnership with Kellogg’s to engage employees throughout the process to ensure we were creating a truly people-centred workplace that supports them in the work and enhances the business.

“This has been a fantastic project to be involved with. We’ve turned a blank canvas into a new beginning for Kellogg’s, creating an environment that will fully support the workforce now and in years to come as the business evolves. We’re proud to have worked on such a great space – and on our own doorstep in Media City.”

The cereal giant confirmed the relocation of its 420 UK office employees from its Manchester Old Trafford HQ – where it has resided since the 1990’s – to Orange Tower, MediaCityUK in August.

Kellogg’s UK and Ireland HR director, Sue Platt, said: “It was really important to us when we made the decision to move our headquarters that we used it as an opportunity to reset the culture of the organisation, overhauling how we work to become more agile and collaborative.

“Our organisation has been through a lot of change and will continue to change, today more than 50 per cent of our head count is millennial therefore we needed a space that reflects the generational change in how people work. Kellogg’s is a people business – we needed a headquarters that reflected our culture, that ensured we retain our talent and enabled us to attract the best new talent. The office has moved us into the heart of the MediaCityUK community and enables our employees be inspired by our vibrant surroundings, bringing the outside in to our organisation.

“As we strive to grow to the business we need to be in an innovative environment that inspires great work. Our Old Trafford HQ served us well for nearly three decades, but it’s now time for a new home which better reflects where we are heading as a company.”

Kellogg’s headquarters currently houses people who run the company’s UK and Irish sales and marketing business as well as support functions for its European operations, including those involved in research, food development, marketing, sales, human resources and finance.