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BEST FRIENDS CELEBRATE 60 YEAR FRIENDSHIP BY TAKING A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE WITH STAGECOACH MANCHESTER

Transport

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25/11/2022

BEST FRIENDS CELEBRATE 60 YEAR FRIENDSHIP BY TAKING A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE WITH STAGECOACH MANCHESTER

Stagecoach passengers Anne & Lesley celebrated their six-decade long friendship by taking a trip down memory lane on the bus.

The pair, who met in their twenties working at the now demolished AVRO factory in Woodford, have remained best friends ever since, with trips on the bus playing a huge role in their later years.

Anne Harvey (82) commented on the pair receiving their first concessionary bus pass: “We wanted to get to London! We used to go into Stockport together and get on the first bus we saw. We’d just get off wherever we fancied and have some great adventures.”

The duo visited the site where it all began, at the now demolished AVRO headquarters in Woodford, where they worked in the Drawing Stores. They went on to visit the space where Lesley ran a bakery in her early 20s, as well as some restaurants and pubs along the way that the pair would visit with their husbands in tow.

Lesley Hill (84) who now resides in a care home in Stockport, can’t get out and about on the bus as much as she once could, and commented that whilst she was “shattered” after a long morning seeing some old haunts, it had been a lovely day with her friend.

Residents in Greater Manchester can also make the most of their concessionary bus passes and enjoy free travel to get together with family and friends. They can enjoy a coffee and cake in one of the many great coffee shops in the region, appreciate the wonderful Manchester Art Gallery and explore the scenic parks and gardens including the stunning RHS Garden Bridgewater. With so much on offer in the region, including may free activities, they can enjoy many adventures just like Anne and Lesley.

Holly Shortall, Marketing Manager for Borough Care, commented: “At Borough Care we love hearing stories about our residents’ lives, so we were thrilled when Stagecoach invited our resident Lesley and her best friend Anne to take a trip down memory lane. Both Stagecoach and Stockport played a big part in the ladies’ friendship, and they had a fantastic day reminiscing about their lives together.

Borough Care’s whole approach is to encourage every resident to live the most fulfilled and valuable life and continuing to make precious memories is a vital part of that. Thank you to everyone involved for creating such a magical moment for Lesley and Anne to add to their 60 years’ of friendship.”

Lee Wasnidge, Managing Director of Stagecoach Manchester said: “Anne and Lesley’s latest bus journey is a lovely testament to their 60-year friendship. It’s wonderful that they’ve stayed in touch through the years, and we’re so thrilled to hear about the role that the bus services across the region played in their friendship.

“It was an absolute pleasure to take Anne and Lesley out for the morning, and we hope to see them on more adventures very soon!”

A full video including commentary from Anne and Lesley, can be viewed here: https://twitter.com/StagecoachGM/status/1590394927951011840

For more information on Stagecoach Manchester, please visit: https://www.stagecoachbus.com/about/manchester

For more information about Borough Care, and their work in the communities that they serve, please visit: https://boroughcare.org.uk/

The Blair Project seeking teams for ultimate motorsport STEM competition

News Desk

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25/11/2022

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The Blair Project seeking teams for ultimate motorsport STEM competition

The Blair Project, a Manchester-based provider of STEM education for young people and adults, is seeking secondary schools, colleges and youth clubs across Greater Manchester to register for its upcoming ProtoEV STEM Challenge.

Set to launch in January 2023, the ProtoEV STEM Challenge gives young people from ages 11 to 19 the opportunity to learn how to retrofit petrol go karts and convert them into fully electric ekarts which they get to test and race to see which is the fastest and most energy efficient. In the process, the teams learn about the electrification of transport, and leave equipped with the skills required for a career within the digital, technology or engineering sectors.

Through ProtoEV, underrepresented youth discover talents that they never knew they had; develop skills that industry needs and get hands on with electric vehicle propulsion systems and battery technologies; and discover career progression pathways. The Blair Project is building the schools to employment talent pipeline that the UK needs to reach Net Zero.

The challenge requires students to learn about physics, aerodynamics, design, manufacturing, branding, graphics, sponsorship, marketing, teamwork, media skills and financial strategy, and apply them in a practical, imaginative, competitive and life changing way.

The Blair Project seeks to engage young people who may have low awareness of careers in engineering and technology, inspiring them to pursue well-paid careers as innovators, technicians, scientists and engineers. It is focused on championing diversity, inclusion and social mobility in STEM, with a particular focus on growing the pipeline of female, BAME and working-class talent.

Having begun in Greater Manchester in 2018, this year ProtoEV is being rolled out nationally to widen the opportunity to students living in London, Oxford, and the West Midlands in partnership with Oxford Brookes University’s Centre for Motorsport Engineering and University of Birmingham.

Nile Henry, founder and CEO of The Blair Project, said: “This an exciting opportunity for schools, colleges and youth clubs to get involved in something that is truly transformational. Since launching ProtoEV in 2018, 55 students have been involved in the challenge, with 95% going on to pursue further education and careers in STEM.

“We know that there is a diversity problem in STEM and in the world of motorsport but can’t stand by as talent potential is wasted. At The Blair Project, we look to enable young people to meaningfully engage with the sector and remove the barriers that are stopping them from taking up careers in STEM and motorsport and driving lasting, transformational change.

“After some time off due to the pandemic, we are incredibly excited to relaunch ProtoEV, and can’t wait to see what our teams achieve!”

Teams can find out more and sign up here: https://www.theblairproject.org/protoev/

What Is the Future of Manchester’s Property Market?

Property

Sam Allcock

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25/11/2022

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What Is the Future of Manchester’s Property Market?

It’s essential that you stay informed about the property market in Manchester if you are looking to invest here. It’s the ideal place to invest in property if you are on the hunt for low-cost, high-yield investment opportunities.

Let’s take a closer look at what the forecast is for future property investment in Manchester.

Increase in Value

According to the forecast made by experts in the property market, the value of the rental property will grow by four percent. This will continue indefinitely over the next few years, which makes it a great opportunity for investors.

They have also indicated that property value will go up by just under 19 percent in the next four years. House prices may rise by as much as six percent in the same period, making it a good return for savvy investors.

Additionally, Oxford Economics has predicted that Manchester will have the highest economic growth over the next five years. This 16.4 percent growth is the highest of all cities in the UK, which holds great promise for the property market.

Quite a big part of the Manchester residential area consists of rental properties, which is a huge market for property investment. This northern city of England is considered a good place for all levels of property investors and has a versatile property market.

Learn From the Past

In order to predict the future of the property market in Manchester, you need to look at past performances for a better picture. This looks quite good if you consider that the market has been very stable and has seen significant growth.

This positive picture makes it possible to determine that property development in the future can be expected in Manchester. The positive growth across all property types in Manchester is a very good sign for future property development.

Due to ongoing population growth and student activities in Manchester, a lot of money has been invested in improving the city and more homeowners are selling their houses fast to relocate to Manchester. This has attracted a lot of interest in this city, including an increase in businesses and property development.

Apart from the city, you will find that other upcoming areas also show positive signs of property development.

Conclusion

The future of the property market of Manchester is bright, and many new opportunities are rising for those who are interested. This is an especially great time for those who are looking to invest in low-cost property.

No Brainer Agency appoints new specialist SEO hire

Appointments

James Dooley

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25/11/2022

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No Brainer Agency appoints new specialist SEO hire

Cheshire-based digital PR, SEO and content marketing agency has appointed Karl Chevalier as Technical SEO Manager to expand the agency’s technical SEO and data offering

No Brainer has also been shortlisted in four categories at the prestigious UK Search Awards

Karl Chevalier has been appointed as the new Technical SEO Manager at Digital PR, content and SEO agency, No Brainer.

As the agency broadens its SEO offering to meet rising demand for the service, Karl will collaborate with Laura Rudd, Head of SEO and Insights. Karl is an expert in search engine marketing and optimization with 15 years of experience working in both B2B and B2C industries.

The agency has also just been shortlisted in four categories at the prestigious UK Search Awards 2022 – Best SEO Campaign, Best use of Content Marketing, Best use of PR in a Search Campaign and Best use of Search – Health.

The winners will be announced at the award ceremony on Wednesday 30 November.

This latest news comes following a period significant success for the agency, securing a digital PR and SEO brief for the UK’s biggest private personal alarms provider and receiving various industry accolades.

Karl said: “I’m delighted to have joined No Brainer at such an exciting time! It’s clear they’ve got big plans for the future and their latest award shortlisting really cements that.

“The biggest challenge currently facing the SEO industry isn’t algorithms, but user behaviour. Google doesn’t change its algorithm to manipulate user behaviour, but instead evolves with it. Getting ahead of and keeping up with these trends is the real skill in SEO and I can’t wait to get stuck into this with No Brainer’s fantastic range of clients.”

No Brainer’s Head of SEO and Insights, Laura Rudd, added: “Karl is a fantastic addition to the team and brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise. I’m thrilled to see No Brainer’s SEO arm continue to grow, and Karl will play a pivotal role in our planned expansion.

“Being finalists in the UK Search Awards in four categories is such a significant milestone for us. It’s not only a credit to the hard work of our amazing team of experts and our brilliant clients, but also validates that our unique approach really does deliver big results for any ambitious digital-first brand.”

No Brainer shapes SEO and content strategies for a range of brands across a huge variety of industries, including the HomeServe Foundation, the registered charity of FTSE-250 company HomeServe.

No Brainer was named the North West’s ‘PR Consultancy of the Year’ by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) in 2021, as well as one of Prolific North’s Top 50 PR agencies and NW Business Insider’s Top 20 PR Agencies. It also won and the Media Relations Award at the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) Awards.

Later this year, it is also shortlisted by The Drum in the Best Performing Agency (under 50 employees) category at the Drum Agency Business Awards.

Bubble CiTea and MINISO make their debut at Manchester Arndale

Retail

News Desk

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25/11/2022

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Bubble CiTea and MINISO make their debut at Manchester Arndale

Bubble CiTea and MINISO have selected the centre for their first Manchester locations

Manchester Arndale is delighted to announce that Bubble CiTea and MINISO will be joining its line-up after taking 683 sq ft and 2,903 sq ft units on 5 and 10-year leases respectively.

Fast growing UK brand Bubble CiTea will bring its unique flavours and the traditional core values of Taiwanese bubble tea culture to its first Manchester location. Serving unique flavours, including Mango Fruit Tea with Rainbow Bubbles and Taro Milk Tea with Crystal Bubbles, it will offer high-quality drinks, outstanding customer service and seasonal speciality recipes.

Meanwhile, family lifestyle and design-led product retailer MINISO (opening today at 12.00pm), will offer a full range of innovative and high-quality products including toys, gadgets, stationery, accessories, homeware, fitness, and beauty. Known for sticking to its philosophy of “simplicity, nature and good quality”, alongside its core values of excellent product design, value for money and a fun and comfortable shopping experience, the new store at Manchester Arndale will be the retailer’s first in the city.

These latest arrivals follow the recent news that Gilly Hicks and Clarks will be moving into the former Topshop unit and comes off the back of a flurry of other retail lettings to Debenhams.com, Tommy Hilfiger, Canada Goose, Kick Game, Dr Martens, and Kurt Geiger. Meanwhile, existing retailers such as Hollister and Swarovski have demonstrated their confidence in Manchester Arndale by recently renewing their leases. Meanwhile, Manchester Arndale’s food and drink offering has also been bolstered by the recent arrivals of Creams, Slim Chickens, Kokoro, Jamaica Blue, Tim Hortons and Pizza Luxe, with Nando’s also renewing its lease.

Colin Flinn, spokesperson for Manchester Arndale, said: “We are delighted that Bubble CiTea and MINISO have selected Manchester Arndale as their first locations in the city, and we’re looking forward to welcoming them alongside other recent arrivals such as Gilly Hicks, Clarks, and Jamaica Blue. It’s great to see the centre continually attracting both fantastic home-grown brands like Bubble CiTea and big-name international retailers such as MINISO. With such exciting leasing activity taking place it is clear retailers have confidence in the long-term future of the centre and its position as a leading retail destination. With Manchester Arndale now almost fully let, it will continue to attract millions of visitors from across the North West and beyond, with its dynamic and constantly improving line up of exciting retail, F&B and leisure offers.”

Saad Usman, COO at MINISO UK, said: “We’re delighted to announce the launch of our store at Manchester Arndale. We believe that the opening of this store, our first in the North West, is the perfect place for us to continue our expansion in the UK.”

“At MINISO UK, we’re committed to getting the retail industry back on its feet, demonstrated not only by the investment into our fantastic new store, but also the creation of 10-15 new jobs in the local market.

“With innovative and exciting products that are high-quality and great value, we look forward to welcoming customers of all ages through our doors on opening day and beyond.”

MINISO enjoys exclusive partnerships with many well-loved brands such as Disney, Toy Story, Minions and We Bare Bears and proudly collaborates with a team of international designers from China, Korea, Sweden, Denmark amongst others. This will be the brand’s sixth franchise in the UK and the 15th store overall. To celebrate the launch free goody bags (worth over £25) with any purchase for the first 100 customers. The 2,903 sq ft store will be located on Lower Mall, next to Superdry.

Manchester Arndale is one of the UK’s largest city centre shopping malls, welcoming over 42 million visitors in an average year. It boasts an impressive line-up of more than 200 shops and restaurants, including international, national, and local brands.

Metis Real Estate and Time Retail Partners are Manchester Arndale’s retained letting agents.

Code Computerlove Appoints New Managing Director

News Desk

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25/11/2022

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Code Computerlove Appoints New Managing Director

Code Computerlove has appointed Gemma Handley as its new Managing Director.

Gemma joined Code in 2018 and the promotion sees her moving from Commercial Director to Managing Director at the start of 2023. Gemma will replace current MD Rob Jones who is taking up a new position outside the group.

Part of MediaCom North, Code was established in 1999 by founders Tony Foggett, Louis Georgiou and Wini Tse, and Gemma will now lead the 80-strong agency through its next phase of growth.

Gemma has 15 years of experience in commercial delivery and operations and has been instrumental in introducing new company-wide operational and cultural initiatives, alongside progressing team-centric practices and relationship-focused collaboration tools. Prior to joining Code, she held delivery roles at some of Manchester’s biggest dot-coms including LateRooms and ao.com as well as working for agencies like Kin & Carta (formerly Amaze) and Dept (formerly Building Blocks).

In January, the group will be officially part of EssenceMediacom and move into the new WPP Campus based in Enterprise City and St John’s tech, media and creative quarter.

CEO of MediaCom North, Paul Cooper commented: “I am thoroughly looking forward to Gemma moving into the role of Managing Director, as her leadership has been crucial to Code’s amazing success this year.

“Gemma will play a key role in our EssenceMediacom North leadership team and help bring the capabilities and category leadership of Code into the new agency, whilst retaining its independent culture and spirit.”

Gemma said: “The opportunity to lead Code is incredibly exciting! With over fifteen years in both large agencies and client-side roles, I’ve seen every aspect of how digital impacts businesses.

“Code’s core values set out by the founders of doing the right thing by our people, partners and community is something I’m equally as passionate about and intend to protect as we continue to grow.

“2022 has been a strong year due to our ability to act as advisors to our client partners, providing the expertise they need to deliver well-engineered business systems and world-class customer experiences.

“I look forward to guiding Code and supporting our partners throughout 2023 and beyond, with a focus on value creation in everything we do for them and our people – as well as continuing to have lots of fun along the way.”

Bringing the ecommerce sector together

Digital
Tech

News Desk

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24/11/2022

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Manchester Digital has launched its 2022 ecommerce conference to bring together retailers and agencies to support each other and discuss challenges within the industry. The event takes place on Thursday, December 1 at the Tech Incubator at the Manchester Technology Centre on Oxford Road.

The North West has developed the largest concentration of ecommerce start-ups in the UK, which saw huge growth during the Covid pandemic as consumers were confined to their homes and shopped mostly online. However, they have also faced numerous challenges with post-Brexit supply chain issues, the spiralling cost of inflation – and now they are facing the cost-of-living crisis and the oncoming recession.

Katie Gallagher, managing director of Manchester Digital, said: “Our region has a number of phenomenal innovative ecommerce brands which have seen huge growth over the past few years, as well as the whole ecosystem of tech and software businesses, which supports the industry.

“The ecommerce sector has been incredibly resilient throughout numerous challenges, such as issues surrounding Brexit, the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, high inflation and now the UK is facing a period of economic recession.

“This is the perfect time to come together and discuss the future of the ecommerce industry, as well as discussing strategy and new technological advances.”

Simon Wharton, business strategy director at PushON, who is sponsoring the event, said:

“Manchester is without a doubt the ecommerce hub of the UK. We’ve grown the sector by collaborating closely to build capacity and expertise and competing hard in the market. The Manchester Digital ecommerce conference is another step in ensuring that we lead the market going forward and for PushON, it was essential for us to be involved.”

The event is also sponsored by Adobe Commerce, Marsh Commercial, Mapp, Advanced Commerce and Gain Line.

The keynote speaker is Kristal Ireland, executive director at Rise at Seven who will be discussing how to create the perfect cross-channel brand moment to drive sales. There will also be a number of other speakers, as well as expert panels including a brand panel, an agency panel.

For more information:

https://www.manchesterdigital.com/event/manchester-digital/ecommerce-conference-2022

NATIONAL LAW FIRM CLARKE WILLMOTT ELECTS NEW CEO

News Desk

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24/11/2022

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NATIONAL LAW FIRM CLARKE WILLMOTT ELECTS NEW CEO

The membership of Clarke Willmott LLP has elected Peter Swinburn to be the firm’s new CEO from 1st May 2023, when Stephen Rosser steps down after 13 years as CEO.

Under Stephen Rosser’s leadership Clarke Willmott has seen a transformation in its fortunes that sees the firm now enjoying strong and improving financial performance, as well as being acknowledged for its strong client and people-focused culture, leadership and commitment to a positive work-life balance for staff.

In a message to all staff at the firm, Clarke Willmott chairman, Kelvin Balmont said: “I’m delighted to let you know that earlier this week our partners elected Peter Swinburn as Clarke Willmott’s new CEO from next Spring, when Stephen Rosser’s tenure reaches its conclusion.

“Peter has been with Clarke Willmott for 11 years, most recently as managing director of our commercial property division. In his presentations to the membership he communicated his commitment to the firm, our clients and our people.

“I am confident that under Peter’s leadership we can look forward to a continuation of the progress made during Stephen’s time as CEO.”

Stephen Rosser remains CEO until the end of April 2023, during which time he will work with his successor to ensure a smooth transition. Following the handover he will remain in a senior role supporting his successor.

Clarke Willmott is a national law firm with offices in Manchester, Cardiff, Bristol, Taunton, Birmingham, London and Southampton.

For more information visit www.clarkewillmott.com.

Sponsorship of Porsche Team renewed by B2BTradeCard

Partnerships

News Desk

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24/11/2022

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Sponsorship of Porsche Team renewed by B2BTradeCard

B2BTradeCard, a leading provider of advertising services, loyalty programmes, and incentives has renewed its sponsorship of the works team from Porsche Centre Bolton in the Porsche Club Motorsport Boxster Cup.

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the 986 Boxster, the Porsche Club Motorsport Boxster Cup 2022 race series challenged Porsche Centres around the UK to restore Porsche 986 models, preparing them to race standard, ready to compete in a dedicated three-round championship.

Each car featured a racing livery that was inspired by Porsche motorsport history and races were open to the public for the first time this year.

The team from Porsche Centre Bolton achieved second place in the 2022 season which completed in October with a final race at Donnington Park.

B2BTradeCard CEO Craig Parsons said: “We’re immensely proud to have renewed our sponsorship with the Porsche Bolton team.

“Saturday before last was the final race of the season and Porsche Bolton Service Manager and driver Mike Thompson’s solid performance helped cement a firm second in the series for the season, which is an incredible result for an amateur team.”

For more information to www.porscheclubgb.com/motorsport/boxster-cup or www.b2btradecard.com.

UK health business announce new biological therapy that alleviates asthma symptoms

Blog

News Desk

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24/11/2022

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UK health business announce new biological therapy that alleviates asthma symptoms

MyHealth Limited, a UK Health buisness, have launched a new biological therapy that treats asthma patients at home. MyAsthma Biologic was commissioned as part of the NHS AAC Rapid Uptake Products programme, which aims to improve access to biological therapies deliver efficient and specialist patient care.

MyAsthma Biologic

An extension to my Myhealth’s existing myAsthma product, the MyAsthma Biologic aims to support patients with severe asthma across the United Kingdom. The digital therapeutic supports patients in managing their asthma, and their clinical teams in managing and monitoring them remotely. The NHS is facing unprecedented pressures this winter, and it is anticipated that patients with respiratory disease may occupy up to half of all hospital beds.

Professor James Dodd, clinical lead of North Bristol’s complex airways service adds:

“With the growing number of highly effective monoclonal antibody therapies, and the growing demand on our services, we believe that digital therapeutics like MyAsthma Biologic will be increasingly important. Digital innovation has the potential to complement our dedicated multi-disciplinary team to increase capacity and enhance the support patients need to keep them well.”

Working in partnership with the University Hospital of Southampton (UHS) and the Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC), the digital therapeutic technology offers flexible and hybrid treatment to Asthma sufferers who are at high risk of hospitalization. The product will also facilitate the collection of clinical data by automatically uploading information to the national asthma registry. Sites currently inputting data in the severe asthma registry and prescribing asthma biologics will have access to MyAsthma Biologic.

Simon Bourne, Company President at my mhealth comments:

“As a respiratory focused digital therapeutics company, we are honoured to have been chosen to roll out our product nationally to better support patients on biologics, who are living with Severe Asthma. We have already seen the huge potential of digital therapeutics to improve patients’ symptoms and quality of life and deliver efficiencies across primary and community health care services and look forward to working with the specialist severe asthma centres across the UK.’’

About my mhealth

My mhealth’s digital therapeutics have been prescribed to over 90,000 patients with chronic conditions, resulting in reduced morbidity and hospital admissions. It serves patients across a range of long-term conditions, including COPD, asthma, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Real world and clinical trial evidence demonstrates the efficacy of digital interventions on the my mhealth platform.

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