Business Manchester | Manchester's Leading Business Online Magazine

Junkyard Golf Club invests £2.7m and earns Certified Carbon Neutral Status

-

19/01/2023

<strong>Junkyard Golf Club invests £2.7m and earns Certified Carbon Neutral Status</strong>

Junkyard Golf Club invests £2M in new Camden location, reduces emissions by 38%, invests £200K in its team and teases plans to open in US

Manchester-based crazy golf brand Junkyard Golf Club has announced plans to open in Camden, making it their second venue in London and seventh across the country. The opening in 2023 follows a remarkable year for the brand which includes becoming Certified Carbon Neutral, after a full-scale carbon footprint assessment and off-setting programme.

Certified Carbon Neutral

At the start of 2022, Junkyard Golf Club committed to becoming Certified Carbon Neutral by the end of the year.

Junkyard Golf Club has reduced emissions by 38%, removing the carbon equivalent of 4.5 car journeys to the moon and back out of the business. This was achieved through several initiatives, including sourcing electricity from renewable energy providers, and removing single-use plastic cups.

In 2019, Junkyard Golf Club emitted 1611 tonnes of carbon, which has been reduced to 998 tonnes in 2022, as part of their commitment to reduce emissions with support from Carbon Neutral Britain.

Sam Jones, Managing Director of Junkyard Golf Club comments: “Committing to reducing our emissions is an important topic for Junkyard Golf Club and the industry we work in. In response to feedback from our team, we all felt that this was the right path to follow and progress further in.

We are incredibly proud to announce that Junkyard Golf Club is now a Certified Carbon Neutral company, and we will continue to find ways in which to reduce our carbon footprint across all our sites, with next year’s goal to become a zero waste to landfill brand. “ 

Expansion 

Expansion is on the horizon for Junkyard Golf Club as they look to the future by creating a guiding purpose and values that will support their growth program. Part of this investment includes launching their second venue in London, Camden in 2023, which will bring the number of venues in UK to seven, while international expansion is also on the horizon as the crazy golf brand looks to launch their business across the pond in the USA.

The Camden site, located at the former Shaka Zulu restaurant in the heart of Camden Market (The Stables Market, Chalk Farm Rd, London NW1 8AB) will see the company invest £2M in refurbishing the 19,500sq ft venue, making it their biggest to date.

The Camden launch will see Junkyard Golf Club develop their crazy golf theme and ramp up the experiential element to deliver a world-class experience for guests.

Sam Jones: “We look forward to opening Junkyard Golf Club in a fantastic location in Camden, right beside the iconic bridge in one of London’s best cultural hotspots for music, art, and history. Camden will be home to our largest venue, where we can offer our immersive, crazy golf experience to the 100,000 visitors that Camden attracts each weekend.”

The new venue at Camden will create 100 new jobs within the area.

Refurbishments and rebrand

As part of Junkyard Golf Club’s commitment to improving guest experience, £500K has been invested to improve existing venues across UK. Part of this investment has focused on making the golf courses, Bozo, Pablo, Gary, and London’s fourth course Dirk, more immersive, playable, and visually more impressive.

The refurbishment coincided with Junkyard Golf Club’s full rebrand, which was rolled out to improve every touchpoint across the business.

Sam Jones, continues: “Junkyard Golf Club began as a pop-up in 2015 and at the time, we genuinely believed we would only be hosting the pop-up experience for about three weeks”

Seven years, six locations and one pandemic later, it’s obvious we’re here to stay. We are always reviewing our brand position, but this year felt the right time to review our branding and marketing strategy in a way that reflects where we are heading as a company and to strengthen the message that we evolve and stay relevant to our customers.”

Charity Commitments

During this year, Junkyard Golf Club has also raised an astonishing £32K for charities. £14.3K was raised for a charity close to the brand’s heart–Love Support Unite Foundation, by selling 1,430 Love Specs glasses [heart shaped glasses that turn every light into a rainbow of hearts.] All profits went towards helping empower communities in Malawi to help lift communities out of the cycle of poverty into a cycle of sustainability, as well as building schools.

For local LGBTQ+ charities, selected by Junkyard Golf Club’s teams on site, they raised an astonishing £17.7k from selling 3,209 Pride cocktail specials.

Investment in People

In further news, Junkyard Golf Club is proud to share their commitment to being a Real Living Wage employer, meaning their hourly pay structure has increased by 8.1% in London and 10.1% across the rest of the country. The long-term investment in their people is based on Junkyard Golf Club’s values and belief that a team with good compensation and working conditions is best placed to provide the best experience for their guests.

In a further commitment to supporting careers with the company, Junkyard Golf Club has invested £200K in a new team training programme, more than doubling their annual training budget.

Leigh Caroll, Learning and Development Manager says: “Investing in the career development of our teams is core to our people policy, and as part of this programme we spent six weeks on the road training every team across the country on the values of Junkyard Golf Club and putting guests at the heart of the experience.

Introducing eight new modules to focus on brand advocacy and standards, it is vital for us to reconnect with our teams following the impact of Covid, and to bring everyone together as a reminder to have fun at work, while building aspirations for our teams to develop their careers within hospitality.”

Junkyard Golf Club will announce further details regarding their Camden opening in January 2023

Investors BGF reports standout year for exits in the North West

Olivia McHugh

-

19/01/2023

0

Investors BGF reports standout year for exits in the North West

BGF, one of the largest and most experienced growth capital investors in the UK and Ireland, has achieved a record year for realisations in the North West, having completed three highly successful exits, with an enterprise worth of £400 million and a combined money multiple of more than 3.7x.

In 2022, BGF exited St Pierre Groupe, an international market leader in the bakery sector headquartered in Didsbury, Manchester, following its acquisition by Grupo Bimbo, one of the world’s largest baked goods and snacking companies. BGF originally backed St Pierre Groupe with an £8 million investment in November 2018. The exit generated a money multiple of 9.6x and an IRR of 85% for BGF.

In addition, BGF exited both Liverpool’s Sentric Music, which was acquired by Swiss fintech company, Utopia Music, and Manchester-headquartered NSS, which was acquired by Premier Technical Services Group Ltd (PTSG).

In the North West, £53 million was invested into the local growth economy, with BGF completing seven new deals in 2022, including Heywood-based logistics and courier specialist, ITD Global and Wigan-based Evolution Aqua – a designer, manufacturer and supplier of aquatics and water filtration products. Other deals in 2022, include social media business KOMI Group, R&D tax relief specialists RDS and apprenticeship training provider Apprentify.

To deliver ongoing strong momentum, BGF continued to grow its North West team and hired Courtney Walker as its newest investor.

Neil Inskip, head of BGF in the North West and Midlands, said: “Over the last 12 months, the team has continued to demonstrate the strength and diversity of the BGF investment model, supporting companies to achieve their growth potential while delivering exceptional returns for businesses and all shareholders. Our proven approach continues to resonate with businesses and it has allowed us to back a wide-range of emerging and high-growth sectors, while supporting portfolio companies to achieve their ambitions.”

The year was rounded off by the launch of the BGF Foundation, with a commitment of at least £1.5 million from BGF and the portfolio over the next three years. BGF will provide funding and practical support to help small and mid-sized charities, focused on alleviating social disadvantage, to scale up their impact across the UK. Neil Inskip is a trustee of the Foundation.

Inskip added: “BGF was set up to continue to back businesses in challenging times. Our aim in the coming 12 months is to build strong relationships with fast-growth and entrepreneurial-led businesses looking for a non-controlling equity partner approach. As with any difficult economy, strong, well-capitalised businesses in resilient sectors will find opportunities to seize market share, particularly from less nimble, over leveraged rivals. The region has a strong reputation in sectors including tech, education, and healthcare, which we expect to remain resilient in 2023.”

Since inception in 2011, BGF has provided £3 billion to more than 500 companies across every corner of the UK and Ireland. In 2022, BGF delivered 45 new investments totalling £443 million. The firm also recorded a record exit volume and value: realising 40 investments, delivering over £675 million, and achieving a 2x MM and 22.5% IRR.

BGF has a strong pipeline of opportunities going into 2023, as it continues to fund promising and diverse businesses with capital throughout the economic cycle.

Grafenia Plc acquires sale of Care Management Systems

Olivia McHugh

-

19/01/2023

0

Grafenia Plc acquires sale of Care Management Systems

Irwin Mitchell Advises On Multi-Million Pound Deal

Irwin Mitchell’s Corporate Team has advised Care Management Systems Limited on its sale to Manchester-based Grafenia plc costing £3.5 million.

Based in Bristol, CMS’s care home management software, CareDocs, was initially developed by brothers Jonathan and Kristopher Ann in 2004 as an in-house solution for use in a care home owned by family members.

Having realised the commercial potential for the CareDocs solution, CMS was founded in 2008 and now licenses its products and services to over 800 hundred care homes around the UK.

CMS has an established management team and currently employs almost 30 members of staff.

Irwin Mitchell Corporate partner Adam Kaucher and Gregory Mazgajczyk advised Care Management Systems. Gateley plc acted for the buyer.

Jonathan Ann commented: “When Kristopher and I set about developing the CareDocs solution we didn’t envisage growing a company that would establish itself as a leading supplier to care homes in the UK. We’re delighted to hand over the reins to the CMS management team and look forward to seeing the business develop under Grafenia’s ownership.”

Gavin Cockerill, Acting CEO of Grafenia said: “The acquisition of CMS is our third this financial year. It marks another step forwards in our transformation plan. Becoming a serial acquirer of Vertical Market Software businesses. We’re thrilled to add CMS and welcome its team to Grafenia’s growing portfolio.”

Football Money League leader Manchester City takes the lion’s share of top-20 spots for the second straight year

Olivia McHugh

-

19/01/2023

0

Football Money League leader Manchester City takes the lion’s share of top-20 spots for the second straight year

· According to Deloitte’s 26th edition of the Football Money League, there are 20 football clubs with the highest revenue generation in 2021/22.;

· 2023 Money League Clubs reported combined revenues of €9.2bn in the 2021/22 season, an increase of 13% compared to the €8.2bn reported by Money League clubs in 2020/21;

· Revenue growth in the 2021/22 season was driven by the return of fans to stadia, with matchday revenue increasing from €111m in 2020/21 to €1.4bn in 2021/22.

· For the first time, Premier League clubs make up more than half of the Money League top 20 (eleven of 20);

· Manchester City retains its spot at the top of the Money League with revenues of €731m, followed by Real Madrid with revenues of €714m;

· Liverpool rises four places to third (€702m), its highest position in the publication’s history.

The 20 highest revenue generating clubs in global football earned €9.2bn in the 2021/22 season, according to the 26^th edition of the Football Money League released by Deloitte’s Sports Business Group. The year-on-year incline of 13% comes as matchday spending rebounded, rising from €111m to €1.4bn, following the return of fans to stadia as COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.

Commercial revenues rose by 8% year-on-year (from €3.5bn to €3.8bn) but the impact of this was offset by an 11% (€485m) fall in broadcast revenue following a high comparative 2020/21 season, which benefited from deferrals of broadcast revenue relating to postponed 2019/20 matches.

For the second year running, Manchester City has topped the Money League (€731m total revenue), followed by Real Madrid (€714m), Liverpool (€702m), Manchester United (€689m) and Paris Saint-Germain (€654m).

For the first time in the publication’s history, more than half of the Money League now herald from a single country, with Premier League clubs making up eleven of the top-20. Five of the Premier League’s ‘big six’ clubs reported revenue increases of 15% or more in Euro terms (a total increase of €226m) as new commercial partnerships began and non-matchday events such as concerts and stadium tours returned.*

Tim Bridge, lead partner in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, said: “For the first time, Premier League clubs fill the lion’s share of positions in Deloitte’s Football Money League. The question now is whether other leagues can close the gap, likely by driving the value of future international media rights, or if the Premier League will be virtually untouchable, in revenue terms.

“The Premier League was the only one of the Big Five European leagues to experience an increase in its media rights value during its most recent rights sale process. It continues to appeal to millions of global followers and its member clubs have a greater revenue advantage over international rivals.

“Commercial partner, fan and investor interest in the Premier League appears higher than ever before. While this suggests optimism for further growth, continued calls for greater distribution of the financial wealth of English clubs across the football system and the impact of a cost-of-living crisis makes it all the more important for the game’s stakeholders to keep a clear focus on their responsibility as stewards of leading clubs.”

Club-by-club movers and shakers

Following a rapid rise through the rankings, with the club having only broken into the top five for the first time in 2015/16, Manchester City retained its position at the top of the Money League. The club posted a Premier League record commercial revenue of €373m in 2021/22, a growth of €65m from the previous season.

Liverpool was the biggest mover in this year’s edition of the Money League, rising four places (from seventh to third) to achieve its highest-ever position. The Reds have overtaken Manchester United in the rankings for the first time, on the back of a run to the UEFA Champions League Final 2022 which generated additional broadcast revenue. Liverpool was also only one of five clubs to report over €100m in matchday revenue, which was the first time the club had done so, as fans returned to football stadia.

Elsewhere, for the first time since 2018/19, a new club entered the Money League top ten, with Arsenal rising from eleventh to tenth position, primarily due to the significant level of matchday revenue that continues to be generated. Leeds United (eighteenth) also feature in the Money League top-20 for the first time since the 2002/03 season and Newcastle re-enter the top-twenty in twentieth, with these clubs reporting higher matchday and commercial revenues compared to many other English clubs (who are also in receipt of significant Premier League distributions).

Outside of the Premier League, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid have yet to recover revenue to their pre-pandemic levels, with the clubs’ revenues down €203m and €43m respectively from 2018/19.

FC Barcelona reported one of the sharpest falls in the rankings, with the club falling to seventh place from fourth. This was primarily due to a 13% decline in broadcast revenues, partially attributed to underperformance in UEFA club competitions in comparison to the previous year. Meanwhile Real Madrid saw a 40% decline in matchday revenue when compared to 2018/19, predominantly due to ongoing COVID-restrictions in the 2021/22 season.

When considering the top 30, there are 16 English clubs, representing 80% of all clubs in the Premier League. The remainder of the top 30 clubs include five clubs from La Liga, three from both Serie A and the Bundesliga and one from Ligue 1, all of whom competed in UEFA club competitions in 2021/22.

Sam Boor, director in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, adds: “The Premier League’s financial superiority is unlikely to be challenged in the coming seasons. This is particularly apparent at a time when these clubs continue to attract international investment which often, in the best examples, encourages a focus on profitability, as well as on-pitch success. It’s now likely a case of not if, but when, all 20 Premier League clubs will appear in the Money League top 30.”

Women’s sides at Money League clubs report average revenues of €2.4m in the 2021/22 season

For the first time, Deloitte’s Football Money League also reported on revenues generated from the women’s teams at Money League clubs, with clubs reporting average revenues of €2.4m attributable to the women’s sides in the 2021/22 season.**

FC Barcelona generated the highest revenue out of all 2023 Money League clubs from its women’s team. FC Barcelona Femení, 2021 UEFA Women’s Champions League winners and 2022 finalists, generated revenue of €7.7m in the 2021/22 season.

Manchester United reported the second-highest revenue for their women’s side (€6m), followed by Manchester City (€5.1m), Paris Saint-Germain (€3.6m), Arsenal (€2.2m) and Tottenham (€2.1m).

Bridge concludes: “The women’s professional game is still near the start of its journey and revenues reported by top clubs at this early-stage hint at the significant value women’s sides will generate in future seasons. Coupled with long-term and growth-focused decision making, we expect that the development of industry data analysing women’s sport will also support success in the women’s game. This will enable clubs and leagues to clearly demonstrate the value of their women’s sides and the fan base that they’re attracting.”

Alliance announces changes at the top

Property

Alex Stenson

-

18/01/2023

0

Property Alliance Group has announced a restructure of its board, following a year which saw the business complete developments worth £361m.

The changes see Alex Russell take over as chief executive officer from David Russell who has moved to a Group chairman role. Ella Magill has been promoted to managing director, and Stuart Ormisher has been appointed chief financial officer and board member.

Since joining Alliance in 2007, Ella has been responsible for property management, development and asset management, as well as sitting on the board.

Stuart joins from Bruntwood, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise in commercial finance, having worked on strategic acquisitions and developments including Citylabs, Circle Square and Birmingham Health Innovation Campus. At Alliance, he will oversee all aspects of business and commercial finances, including development transactions, and will work alongside existing Group financial director, Ewan Wyse.

Commenting on the restructure, Alex Russell said: “I am delighted to welcome Stuart to the team. His vast financial experience will be a great asset to the Group as we seek to further expand our portfolio. Ella’s promotion to managing director was a natural next step and is testament to the huge impact she has had on our business, including leading our management team for 16 years and sustaining the high level of customer care our brand is based on.

“We have worked on a 10-year vision to grow the Group’s strongly performing commercial portfolio, while working closely with new and existing joint venture partners across the private and public sectors. The restructure will ensure we are strongly positioned to deliver our aims, including bringing forward major new developments such as the transformation of the former Renaissance site at Deansgate.

“Collectively, the new board is excited to deliver on our vision and build on the Group’s successes. We are currently working on further opportunities that will bolster our pipeline, which we look forward to announcing in the near future. “

Commenting on his appointment, Stuart Ormisher said: “After many valuable and enjoyable years at Bruntwood the time was right for a new challenge. I am excited by Alliance’s growing portfolio and the potential for the business in 2023 and beyond.”

The Alliance board also includes development director, Dylan Williams, Victoria Russell, brand, strategy and partnerships director and Ewan Wyse, Group finance director.

In 2023, Alliance is set to deliver several major schemes, including its Uptown residential development on the River Irwell, the Treehouse Hotel at Renaissance and 40,000 sq ft of Grade A offices at Deansgate in Manchester city centre, with a combined GDV of £254M.

Beating the buzzer: why auctions are a local authorities best friend in the sprint to the year end

Alex Stenson

-

18/01/2023

0

Beating the buzzer: why auctions are a local authorities best friend in the sprint to the year end

As the new year begins, local councils around the country enter one of their busiest and most complex periods. With shrinking budgets and increasing demands for council resources, selling off any land and buildings which are surplus to requirements unlocks much-needed cash. With just months before the end of the financial year, Kate Lay, Director for Landwood Property Auctions, looks at why now is THE key time to sell and highlights the benefits to councils of doing so through online property auction.

As the new year kicks off, councils across the country will be preparing for the end of the financial year in April, looking to cost plans and proposals minimising any budget shortfalls.

Even in normal circumstances, councils are often subject to budget shortfalls due to unforeseen events or actions that require them to dip into their reserves. However, this has been anything but a normal year.

Inflation continues to rise, the economy continues to shrink and gas and electricity prices are predicted to continue their ascent into the new year. These factors, combined with a general tightening of the purse strings for government administrations across the nation, are likely to lead to more significant shortfalls than in any recent year, possibly even surpassing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Local authorities are increasingly selling off their surplus land with recent reports suggesting that more than 4,000 public buildings in England are being sold off to developers each year.

It has never been more important to maximise the assets a council has whilst at the same time off-loading land and buildings which are now surplus to requirements. And, selling through an online property auction can provide speed, flexibility and the best return.

The best routes to dispose of surplus council assets

When looking to divest assets, there are two main routes that a council can opt for – Private Treaty Sales or Property Auctions.

Each has its own benefits, but particularly when time is an important factor, property auctions offer some crucial advantages.

Auctions in particular offer a great way to rapidly dispose of an asset whilst ensuring a strong sale value. Property auctions, particularly those conducted digitally, offer attractive benefits such as competitive bidding on a nationwide scale with a fixed exchange and completion date, making them the perfect option for any public sector body looking to free up funding for other crucial areas of investment.

Online auctioneers are often able to process and hold frequent auctions, with some even holding auctions on a weekly basis. These regular auctions allow public bodies to dispose of an asset in a timeframe that suits them, offering an agile and responsive service that can be moulded to fit the various needs of a huge variety of asset types.

The regularity of auctions also enables councils to determine exactly how long they wish to market an asset, without being fixed to a strict closing date deadline, and the flexibility to even push back an auction date to accommodate any unforeseen delays that appear.

For councils who are looking to dispose of an asset in an efficient manner and within a specific timeframe, auctions are often the perfect solution – especially for local councils who want to plug any gaps in their funding before the end of the financial year in April.

Landwood Property Auctions sells a variety of property and land on behalf of local authorities, and have a wealth of experience in helping councils sell surplus assets, generate funds for their boroughs and see new life brought into a building.

Across the local authority and public sector, Landwood Property Auctions expert team of Kate and her co -director James Ashworth have decades of experience, supporting Councils such as Cumbria County Council, Sefton Council, Cheshire East Council and Wrexham Council among many others to sell over 600 key assets. With a wealth of knowledge and expertise, Landwood Property Auctions is the perfect auction partner for the entire public sector, providing exceptional sales performance and a dedicated service across the nation.

For more information please visit: www.landwoodpropertyauctions.com or call Kate Lay on +44 (0)7914 698829.

Oval Real Estate submits plans for unique, highly sustainable, design-led redevelopment scheme at Bridge Street

Alex Stenson

-

18/01/2023

0

Oval Real Estate submits plans for unique, highly sustainable, design-led redevelopment scheme at Bridge Street

National regeneration specialist, Oval Real Estate, has submitted its planning application to Manchester City Council to redevelop the Albert Bridge House site on Bridge Street to create a welcoming, sustainable new city centre destination.

The submission of the application follows an extensive process of design development, stakeholder engagement and consultation over the last few months, with the Studio Egret West designed scheme seeking to set a new standard for original, distinctive design in Manchester city centre.

The site is ideally positioned as a gateway between Manchester and Salford. Located between Bridge Street, the River Irwell, St Mary’s Parsonage and Trinity Bridge, it is currently home to Albert Bridge House – the 18-storey office building recently vacated by HMRC – as well as the adjacent Bridge Street car park.

A new sustainable office building would provide c.365,000 sq. ft. of high-quality and flexible workspace, designed to meet the needs of a range of occupiers and bolster Manchester’s already thriving economy. 19 storeys at its highest, the office building employs a radical stepped design, with a cascade of accessible green terraces and rooftop spaces to create a truly unique façade.

Providing 367 new Build-to-Rent homes, the hexagonally designed residential tower would step up from 34 to 45 storeys in height and become a new landmark on the Manchester skyline. Helping to meet the continued high demand for city centre living, the apartments have been designed with a real focus on quality, with spacious floorplans, plentiful natural light and internal winter garden amenity.

The residential building also seeks to provide a mix of high quality and unique shared amenity spaces to help foster a sense of community and support wellbeing. Dedicated spaces for residents are proposed to include gym, bouldering wall, rooftop gardens, cinema room and private dining facilities.

Throughout the design development process, a key priority has been to open up access to the riverside and create active ground floor uses. Over 1.2 acres of attractive and welcoming new public realm will include a new public square and an enhanced river walk, complete with woodland glade planting.

Sustainability and wellness proposals include the following target accreditations:

BREEAM Outstanding
NABERS Level 6
WELL Building Standard Platinum Enabled
Wired Score Platinum
Home Quality Mark
Cycling Score Platinum

James Craig, Founding Partner of Oval Real Estate, said:

“The submission of our planning application is a key milestone within our exciting vision to revitalise the Albert Bridge House site and create a thriving sustainable destination for Manchester city centre.

“Seeing the proposals come together over the last few months, we are particularly excited about the opportunity to revitalise the site’s riverfront setting and attract people to enjoy the views from the new public square, River Walk and terraces.

“As a business, we have a renewed focus on environmental sustainability. Our Albert Bridge House development seeks to provide a best-in-class and future-proofed scheme to meet our own demanding ESG standards, as well as supporting Greater Manchester’s target to be net zero by 2038.”

Christophe Egret, Founding Director of Studio Egret West, added:

“The cascading green terraces of the office building and the slender residential tower on the Bridge Street approach will create a distinctive and memorable cityscape while at ground level, new amenities and quality landscape will provide an inviting new destination for Manchester.”

Subject to planning, construction could start towards the end of 2023.

Contractor Russell WBHO achieves CarbonNeutral® company status

Business

Alex Stenson

-

18/01/2023

0

Contractor <a><strong>Russell WBHO </strong></a><strong>achieves CarbonNeutral</strong>®<strong> company status</strong>

North West regional main contractor Russell WBHO has been certified as a CarbonNeutral® company. The accreditation is the first major milestone on the Manchester-based construction company’s road to becoming Net Zero by 2038.

CarbonNeutral® company certification is awarded to firms operating in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol, the leading global framework for carbon neutrality. The company has fully audited its greenhouse gas emissions, implemented carbon reduction measures across the business, and offset carbon emissions to compensate for what cannot currently be avoided by providing finance to projects across the globe.

The company has pledged a future reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by a number of methods including transferring to a green energy supplier, installing solar panels at the Trafford Park headquarters and on the roofs of project site facilities, improving office lighting and heating efficiency, and decarbonising further by transferring site generators from diesel to biofuel. This is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions by at least 77% by 2030, the half way point in the Net Zero by 2038 strategy.

The company will also continue rolling out existing carbon reduction initiatives which have already helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions since the firm embarked on its road to Net Zero back in 2020. Petrol and diesel fleet vehicles are being replaced on a rolling basis by electric vehicles, and EV chargers are already installed at head office and construction sites. The team will also maintain its long-term commitment to the sustainable sourcing of materials, and employing local labour and sub-contractors.

Gareth Russell, managing director of Russell WBHO, said hitting the first of the Net Zero strategy’s target sent an important message. “As part of our Net Zero by 2038 strategy we set a series of milestones, the first of which was to achieve CarbonNeutral® company status. This provides an audited baseline for our greenhouse gas emissions, sets a standard for us to maintain, and reinforces the framework for carbon reduction over the next two decades.

“We recognise that construction contributes a major carbon footprint and that improving this position is the responsibility of us as a business and of the sector as a whole. Having embarked on our journey to Net Zero we know there is a long road ahead but, by achieving CarbonNeutral® company status now, we are making an immediate impact on tackling climate change and demonstrating a clear commitment to delivering results along the way.”

CarbonNeutral® certification is managed by Climate Impact Partners, specialist in carbon market solutions for climate action. The certification is underpinned by The CarbonNeutral Protocol – a rigorous and transparent framework created to deliver carbon neutrality for businesses and their products and/or activities.

Working with Climate Impact Partners, which supports more than 600 projects worldwide, Russell WBHO is supporting three schemes which align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These include a global portfolio of renewable energy sites that are displacing fossil fuel use, and a project to halt deforestation and protect carbon-storing peat swamps in Indonesia.

Russell WBHO’s Net Zero by 2038 strategy and CarbonNeutral® company certification have been audited and informed by specialists from Turley Sustainability.

James Blake, director and head of sustainability from Turley Sustainability ,said: “Russell WBHO has implemented an ambitious Net Zero strategy with robust interim targets. Our audit supported their own findings and recommended additional activity to help achieve some targets even earlier. The business had also committed to achieving CarbonNeutral® company certification, a voluntary standard which enables organisations to demonstrate the progress they are making towards net zero and aligning with climate change mitigation, and we are pleased to have provided support for them in this process.”

Sambro kick-starts 2023 with new brand licenses across pre-school and plush markets

Business

Alex Stenson

-

18/01/2023

0

Global toy supplier Sambro has entered 2023 with a raft of new contracts in the licensed toy space as it drives forward ambitious growth plans for the UK and EMEA regions over the next 12 months and beyond.

Sambro already works closely with a number of top licensors and has recently secured new and extended agreements with Cosatto®, Disney, Hasbro for 2023 and renewed its Paramount contract for 2023-2025 and will showcase these new ranges at Toy Fair in London later this month.

As part of the three-year partnership with British baby brand Cosatto®, Sambro has developed a brand-first range of baby activity toys which will launch in retailers spring 2023.

The design-led range includes comforters, clip-on activity toys, tummy time rollers and more, all designed to support developmental play.

Plush will continue to be a key growth sector for Sambro, and its latest agreement with long-standing partner Disney will see the company deliver a range of premium plush toys as part of the 2023 Disney 100^th year celebrations.

The limited-edition range will take some of Disney’s well-loved characters and give them a luxury twist, with the addition of metallic glitterball fabrics and heritage prints, creating collectable items for Disney fans of all ages to enjoy.

Both ranges will be front and centre at Sambro’s stand (F16) at this year’s Toy Fair.

Paul Blackaby, CEO at Sambro said: “Our appearance at Toy Fair will mark the start of an exciting year for Sambro with some significant contract wins which will see us strengthen our growth across the UK and EMEA regions.

“Last year was our 25^th anniversary year and one of our most successful to date. 2023 looks set to be even bigger, as we drive forward plans for new ranges with some of the world’s biggest and most exciting brands and licensors.

“We look forward to welcoming new and familiar faces to our stand this year, offering an opportunity to explore some of our new ranges and connect with our commercial teams.”

Sambro has evolved into an innovator in character brands, whilst growing its own in-house properties such as Love & Hugs™, Battlestar Brawlers, Lil’ Bodz, Bops n Tops and the multimillion piece selling Puzzel Palz.

Sambro will showcase its new products and licenses at stand F16, ranging from plush, novelties, creative arts & crafts, outdoor and games.

Toy Fair is the UK’s largest dedicated toy, game and hobby trade show, welcoming more than 260 companies exhibiting thousands of products to visitors including retailers, buyers, media and the wider industry. Visitors able to get a first look at the latest toy innovations, as well as meet the sales and commercial team.

Toy Fair will take place on Tuesday 24th January until Thursday 26th January 2023 at Olympia London in Kensington.

You can register your visitors pass here via the Toy Fair website here – https://toyfair2023.eventreference.com/register

EAS Strengthens Board with Appointments Duo

Alex Stenson

-

18/01/2023

0

<strong>EAS Strengthens Board with Appointments Duo</strong>

Endpoint Automation Services (EAS), Leading Robotic Process Automation (RPA) firm which has offices in Manchester, has strengthened its senior management team with a duo of senior hires.

Sean McCaldon takes up the appointment of EAS Operations Director. Sean has vast experience in overseeing on-premise and cloud-based automation delivery, and previous roles include senior positions with Hewlett Packard Software, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Micro Focus. Sean will use his high-level IT operational expertise to oversee all EAS client projects.

Richard Delooze has been appointed EAS Sales Director. Richard is a highly experienced sales professional and joins with over 20 years senior level B2B sector expertise, most of which has been acquired whilst developing the sales channel for a large private organisation selling into the public authority and various service sectors. Richard in his new role, will lead the existing sales team, as EAS forges into new sectors, extending its reach both in the UK and Internationally.

In taking up their new positions, Richard and Sean will now join Phil Lewis, EAS MD and Russell Lawrie EAS Commercial Director, as part of the newly expanded senior management team.

Phil Lewis, EAS MD comments: “I am delighted to officially welcome Sean and Richard to EAS.

“Since our formation 6 years ago, we have been on an incredible journey, both in terms of our own growth and in the delivery of efficiency and substantial cost savings we have been able to bring to client organisations.

“We are now well prepared and also excited to begin the next chapter in cementing EAS’s position as a leading RPA provider.”

EAS specialises in producing Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solutions, and with a background in complex IT and cloud automation, offer automated processing. Since establishing the business in 2015, EAS has achieved to date over £4 million in cost savings for its clients, through the development and deployment of software robots to replace manual, repetitive processes and freeing up valuable employee time to focus on more complex tasks.

For more information on EAS visit: www.easuk.co.uk

Contractor Russell WBHO achieves CarbonNeutral® company status

About us

Company

Must Read

Subscribe to our newsletter