8 C
Manchester
Friday, May 1, 2026
Home Blog Page 250

Manchester-based AWS consultancy D55 wins at global web services championship

  • D55 wins Amazon’s first AWS GameDay championships 
  • D55 to collect trophy at AWS Re:invent in Las Vegas 

Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud consulting partner D55 has announced its win at the 2022 AWS GameDay World Championships. D55, which is based at Manchester Technology Centre, just off Oxford Road, competed in Amazon’s inaugural GameDay against 300 of the world’s top AWS teams. After successfully passing through three qualifying heats to reach the final, D55 was pitted against leading cloud consulting teams.

AWS GameDay is an interactive, team-based learning experience that places internationally recognised AWS experts in a sandbox environment, where their skills are tested by solving real-world problems in a gamified, risk-free tournament. Tasks are based on efficiency, effectiveness, risk control and adherence to best-practice guidelines, with each task stage accruing points.

D55’s title-winning performance places the company firmly on the map for tailored AWS solutions and bespoke IT strategies that aid businesses in utilising innovative cloud-based solutions.

D55, which specialises in helping businesses innovate their software delivery and infrastructure to drive increased efficiency and robustness, will receive the trophy at Amazon’s AWS re:Invent. This year the world’s largest AWS and cloud solutions event is hosted in Las Vegas, running from 28th November – 2nd December 2022.

Rhys Jacob, director and co-founder of D55, said: “We’re immensely proud of our team’s efforts at the 2022 AWS GameDay championships. We weren’t the most established best known AWS partner at the event, so it was great to enter as underdogs and secure the victory. Our win has solidified what our team and our clients already knew – that we possess the expertise and skills that match our ambitions of becoming a leading authority in the space.

“With 70% of businesses still using outdated on-premise hardware, events like GameDay are important fixtures for our sector to promote the benefits of AWS. We’re proud to be a part of a sector driving innovation for businesses globally, and we’re looking forward to celebrating at Re:Invent later this month”.

Mazars appoints Andrew Jones as Audit Partner in Leeds Office

Mazars, the international audit, tax and advisory firm, has appointed Andrew Jones as a partner in its Audit team. Further strengthening the firm’s already significant presence in the Financial Services sector.

Andrew, a financial services specialist, joins Mazars from KPMG, and will be based in the northern region. He brings over 20 years of experience working with firms of all sizes across a wide range of financial services disciplines, including life and general insurance, investment management, retail banking and mutual entities.

Andrew will be based in Mazars’ Leeds office and will be primarily responsible for supporting the national team as well as building a regional insurance audit capability. He will provide additional capacity at partner level to help deliver on existing work and ensure ongoing audit quality, while leading on new business opportunities.

David Herbinet, Head of Audit and Assurance at Mazars said: “It’s a pleasure to welcome Andrew to Mazars. His expertise will further strengthen our ability to meet client demand in the Financial Services audit sector as our team continues to grow. At a time when audit reform is driving a significant change in the market, Andrew’s wealth of industry experience will contribute to achieving our quality and growth objectives and ensure we are well placed to navigate what continues to be a challenging time for all businesses.”

Commenting on his appointment, Andrew said: “I have been inspired by the firm’s values and culture which were a key contributor to my decision to join Mazars. I’m looking forward to getting to know the team and contributing to its continuing success.”

BGN launches new Christmas campaign for Victoria Leeds

BGN – the Manchester-based brand-led design and digital agency – has created a new Christmas campaign for Victoria Leeds called ‘A Little Big Christmas’ which will run across all platforms including online, social media, dynamic media, out-of-home advertising and radio.

The core aim of the new campaign is to generate brand awareness of, and footfall to, the destination – particularly from affluent and fashion focused shoppers. This year, Victoria Leeds has curated a new window installation on Sidney Street called the ‘Little Big Christmas’. It is primarily aimed at bringing joy to families and shoppers throughout the season and was the key inspiration for the entire campaign.

BGN knew the core campaign illustration needed to feel premium and evoke some real Christmas magic, so it includes hidden characters enjoying everything the shopping and leisure destination has to offer as well as two icons of the Leeds skyline, Victoria Gate and Victoria Quarter – both of which are located at the heart of Victoria Leeds.

David Newton – creative director at BGN – said: “Christmas is obviously a key time for Victoria Leeds so we wanted to deliver a core creative and overarching campaign that really stood out and communicated why people should visit. We did this by focusing on what it offers; from shopping for stylish outfits to enjoying festive treats as well as its famous shopping events.”

Jo Coburn, Senior General Manager at Victoria Leeds – added: “BGN has done a fantastic job in communicating why Victoria Leeds is so special at this time of year. No matter how you wish to celebrate, whether small and cosy or going all-out festive, our ‘Little Big Christmas’ window is set to wow our shoppers, so it’s fantastic to see it front and centre of the campaign.”

Hollis surpasses 500 employees for the first time

Real estate consultancy makes new key appointments and senior promotions in Manchester 

International, independent real estate consultancy Hollis has surpassed its 500-employee mark for the first time in its 30-year history, with the addition of two new associates while also making two senior promotions in Manchester.

Manchester appointments 

Alan Wales joins Hollis as an Associate. He graduated from John Moores University with a first-class honours in Building Surveying in 2015 and has over seven years’ experience working across the industrial, commercial and retail sectors. Wales will specialise in technical due diligence and vendor surveys, dilapidations and project management.

Nathan Hooper joins as an Associate specialising in project management after previously working on the delivery of Radisson RED Liverpool; the extensive £30m refurbishment of the Grade II listed North Western Hall into a 201-room modern hotel. He has led in the delivery of various construction projects across a variety of sectors such as PBSA, PRS, bespoke housing and hospitality. Hooper is also currently studying towards a Master of Law degree in Construction Law and Practice at the University of Salford.

Manchester promotions 

James Clark has been promoted to Senior Associate. He joined Hollis as a Chartered Building Surveyor in 2015 and has experience in all core areas of commercial building surveying, with a particular interest in technical due diligence and defect analysis.

Nick Higson has been promoted to Senior Chartered Architectural Technologist. He joined Hollis as an Architectural Technologist in 2014 and became Chartered in September this year. Working across the office, retail and industrial sectors, Higson specialises in architectural design and measured surveys.

Commenting on the news, David McBride, Head of Hollis in Manchester, says: “Not only have we surpassed 500 employees as a firm, but our Manchester team recently celebrated its 30th year of business. Both milestones are a reflection of the incredible growth Hollis has experienced; particularly in the past two years as we continued to invest in our people and ways of working despite a challenging backdrop.

“Alan and Nathan’s appointment form part of a company-wide recruitment drive to ensure new and existing clients continue to receive consistent and high-level service. Their industry expertise will be invaluable as we look to bolster our client offering in Manchester and surrounding areas. I am delighted to welcome them both to the team.

“As our workforce, service offering and client list continue to expand, we also realise the importance of recognising the talents and contributions of employees like James and Nick. They have each shown exemplary levels of work ethic and commitment alongside innovative ways of working. I am delighted to congratulate them both on their promotions; they could not be more deserving.”

Hollis, a market leader in helping to deliver some of the UK and Europe’s largest and most complex real estate projects and transactions, has seen a 33% employment growth over the past two years, in support of its growing client base across the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe. The 500-employee milestone comes within its first year of being an employee-owned business, meaning the firm is held and managed on behalf of its employees.

North West small business finance markets on track despite economic headwinds

0
  • Use of external finance overall has slightly increased in the region
  • Equity investment in the North West held up in the first half of the year
  • The North West saw a 210% increase in equity investment value in 2021
  • Cheshire East named as a future cluster for net zero activity
  • Businesses in highly deprived areas more open to using external finance but more likely to be rejected
  • 17% of smaller businesses in the North West are based in the UK’s most deprived areas, making them more likely to face barriers to growth

The British Business Bank’s second annual Nations and Regions Tracker, published today, finds promising signs in the region’s equity finance markets and identified Cheshire East as a future cluster for net zero activity.

The Nations and Regions Tracker found that the number of smaller businesses using external finance rose slightly in the region with 44% of smaller businesses using external finance in the second quarter of 2022, up one per cent from 43% a year earlier.

The region was one of only three UK regions and nations to see a rise in the use of small business finance. Core debt products remain the most used and widely available across the region.

The North West saw a 210% increase in the value of equity deals in 2021 to £863m, a 25% increase in the number of deals. Q2 2022 data suggests that, despite the current global economic conditions, equity investment in the North West held up in the first half of the year, with deal numbers slightly above and investment seven per cent below H1 2021 levels. Initial data suggests the second half of the year will likely see a slowdown in equity markets.

The report also identified a number of potential future clusters of net zero innovation, with the Cheshire East area highlighted.  The area has attracted £175m across 12 net zero equity deals since 2011, though the majority of this was raised in a single deal, worth £150m.  Cheshire East accounts for 18% of net zero deals in the North West and 51% of the investment.

There were further signs of growth in equity finance markets beyond London, with the value of seed stage investment increased by 88% in 2021 compared to 2020. Seed stage investment is key to building the pipeline of investable opportunities to drive larger quantities of later stage capital investment in the future and is the rocket fuel needed as businesses scale and grow.

London’s dominance of equity finance markets continued in 2021. In total, 1,286 deals worth £11.9bn took place in London in 2021, representing 66% of investment and 49% of deals in the UK.  The North West’s share of equity investment stood at six per cent of investment and five per cent of deals in 2021.

Businesses in the most deprived areas show greater ambition for growth

The Nations and Regions Tracker found that businesses in the most deprived areas of the UK are more open to using finance and report higher levels of ambition for growth, whilst facing greater challenges in accessing external finance.

Nearly half (49%) of businesses in the most deprived areas have a long-term ambition to be a significantly larger business, compared to 40% elsewhere.  They are also more willing to use external finance to grow (36%) than businesses in less deprived areas (33%).

However, the report found that the growth ambitions of smaller businesses in the UK’s most deprived areas are being stifled because of a lack of access to finance. Just over 14 per cent of firms in the North West are based in the most deprived areas of England and Wales, making them more likely to face barriers to growth.

A quarter (26%) of smaller businesses in need of finance in deprived locations did not apply. Of those who did apply between 2020-21, 16% were turned down compared to just 11% elsewhere.

Dr Sophie Dale-Black, UK Network Director for the North of England at the British Business Bank, said: “The British Business Bank is committed to reducing regional imbalances in access to finance. We are seeing promising signs in the North West’s equity finance markets and data suggests equity investment overall in the UK is holding up in the first half of the year. It is encouraging to see evidence of a potential net zero cluster of investment emerging in the North West, which is already known as a hotbed of innovation and technology.”

Squire Patton Boggs Awarded Mansfield Rule 5.0 Certification Plus for Commitment to Diversity in the Legal Profession

0

Legal firm Squire Patton Boggs has seen success yet again, having recently been awarded the Mansfield Rule 5.0 Certification Plus by Diversity Lab. The award was established to boost the representation of underrepresented lawyers within legal firms, particularly in leadership positions. Law firms that demonstrate their commitment to improving diversity are subsequently brought to light for their actions and shown praise through the award.

The Award

Certification follows a rigorous process spanning around a year, ensuring any eligible firm is continuously committed to developing a diverse and inclusive workforce. The Mansfield Rule asks that firms appoint at least 30% of historically underrepresented lawyers in higher roles if they are to be awarded certification plus. The firms must also report on how are achieving this and what their plans are to improve diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the legal profession.

The importance

Litigation lawyers Squire Patton Boggs have continuously demonstrated commitment to improving diverse representation in their firms. More than 40 women and minority individuals are now in leadership positions, with 65% of promotions this year being offered to ethnic minorities, women and those of diverse sexual orientation. Improving diversity within the workplace is vital to its prosperity, more so in the legal profession. Doing so ensures society is reflected as a whole and different clients are delivered the right service to match their requirements and situation.

Other achievements

The Mansfield Rule 5.0 Certification Plus achievement follows from the firms receiving of the 2022 Law Firm Diversity Award from United Parcel Service (UPS). The award was presented by the UPD Legal Leadership and Diverse Committee and recognises firms that are devoted to improving diversity with the legal vocation. It also examines whether firms are able to meet UPS’s outside council goals for diversity, including that female and minority attorneys should make up certain percentages of time billed on UPS matters.

In response to this, Norman M. Brothers Jr., the Chief Legal and Compliance Officer from UPS, stated “Squire Patton Boggs has exemplified a steadfast commitment to maintaining a strong culture of diversity, equity and inclusion, which has led to material results. We commend everyone at the firm for its leadership in this important area.”

An established firm

Squire Patton Boggs in an international firm consisting of more than 100 lawyers of demonstrable expertise in international commerce law. The firm has been establishing its international presence and performing to a remarkable level over the last few years, being involved in numerous landmark cases and winning multiple awards for its efforts.

Technology’s Influence on the Entertainment Industry

Technology has had a massive impact on entertainment over the last decade. We can now access many forms of entertainment on various devices, including phones and watches. Technology is also making forms of media more cutting-edge and immersive.

Futuristic Touch in Moviemaking

Of course, without technology, we wouldn’t have movies. As it’s become more advanced, it’s enabled moviemakers to be more ambitious with their projects.

James Cameron’s Avatar is a prime example. He used sophisticated motion-capture technology to record actors’ actions and transposed them onto the Na’vi (large blue aliens). The result is that they look very realistic. You can’t even tell they were animated by a computer.

Technology enables moviemakers to broaden their horizons and try bold new ideas. The ability to try new techniques is great for movie fans as a writer’s or director’s vision can be brought to life.

Transformation of Gaming

The gaming industry has been hugely impacted by technology. A few decades ago, video games could only be played on basic home consoles. Nowadays, games can be played on virtually any device, including phones and tablets.

Graphics, video animations and the general design of video games have come a very long way. Today’s games come with a wealth of content, are rich in detail, and can look incredibly lifelike.

The internet plays a huge role in gaming today. Many games are designed with multiplayer gameplay in mind. They enable people worldwide to play together, whether fighting each other in post-apocalyptic worlds or playing casual party games.

Evolution of Music Industry

The music industry has also experienced significant changes thanks to technology. A few generations ago, you used to have to buy records if you wanted to listen to music. You’d have to visit your local record shop and purchase individual singles or whole albums. Nowadays, you can download almost every song ever recorded without leaving the house.

Then there’s streaming. Thanks to platforms such as Deezer and Spotify, many people listen to music without owning any songs or albums. They pay to access a music library, and everything in that library can be streamed for free.

Emergence of Online Casino

The gambling industry has also learnt how to use technology improvements to their advantage with the emergence of online casinos. Nowadays it’s possible to play their games online, from home or while out and about.

These online casinos offer a huge range of games, from multiplayer ones like live poker to single-player slot games like the Rick and Morty slot. Another of the advantages technology has provided to online casinos is that these games can also be played from mobile phones and tablets, giving more freedom to their users on where, how and when to play their games.

Technology has also enabled casino games to become more advanced. New casino games tend to have lots of advanced features and crisp, high-quality visuals and we can only wonder which may be the next steps this industry will take.

Conclusion

Technology plays a massive part in our lives, and it continues to affect many major industries. It even influences things like health and travel, among others. Who knows what advances in technology will bring next?

Digital Marketing Services for Small Businesses

If you’re a small business owner, having a presence online can be a great way to attract new customers and clients. But with so many businesses to compete with, it can feel overwhelming.

Marketing is a great way to target your audience, but if you have no experience with digital marketing it can be hard to know where to start.

Hiring a digital marketing agency or an in-house marketing team can help ease the burden. Their knowledge and experience will benefit you massively, from knowing which services will be best for you, to getting your name in front of the right people.

In-house hires are usually more expensive, so getting in touch with a digital marketing agency is usually the best way to go. But what types of digital marketing services do they provide? This article will run through how an agency can help you with your marketing.

Why Invest in Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing helps promote your brand, product or service to a wider audience. You can engage, attract and target a specific group of people using services like social media, having a website and using SEO.

Digital Marketing Services

There are lots of digital marketing services, but not all of them will work for your business. This is why it’s a good idea to speak with a digital marketing agency as they will be able to look at which services would benefit your business specifically.

There are a couple of services that will make a good start, which we will run through below.

Website

Having an online website is a must in today’s world. If you’re not online, your customers won’t be able to find you and you should see your website as your digital shop front.

SEO

Once you have your website up and running, SEO should be your next port of call. It stands for Search Engine Optimisation and is a way to organically boost your rankings on search engines. This will make it easier for your audience to find your website.

Due to the amount of content on the web, search engines like Google want to make the experience as user-friendly as possible. They do this through a number of techniques, such as the use of keywords.

To use SEO to your advantage, you need to understand what your target audience is searching for. That way, you have more chances of attracting the right people. If you’re not sure where to start with this, getting help from a digital marketing agency specializing in SEO is a good step.

Email Marketing

Although email marketing has been around for a long time, it is still an extremely successful marketing service when done right.

They’re a great way to gain sales and can be cheap to run if needed. You can also find email marketing platforms that allow you to personalize emails and target people specifically.

Email marketing will also help you understand the shopping habits of your customers and you can use the data to understand this further and create better campaigns.

Social Media

Having a social media presence can be really beneficial to your business and is a very common digital marketing service that agencies offer. Their expertise and knowledge of each platform will help you decide which platforms will be most beneficial to you and how to interact with your followers.

You can sell items on your social media, as well as attract new customers and create a loyal following. It’s also a great way to share important information, such as opening hours and sale information.

With social media, however, consistency is key. If you don’t have the capacity to be active on your social media accounts, using a digital marketing agency to do this for you can be very helpful. Inactive profiles will result in a loss of followers.

Copywriting

Words are powerful. Everything you say on your website, emails and social media will give an impression about who you are as a brand. And this is what will attract potential clients and persuade them to buy from you.

There is an art to creating a solid relationship between your brand and your customer, and copywriting is a way to do this. Digital marketing services will offer this, with writers with experience selling and engaging a range of clients.

Get Your Brand Out There

Digital marketing is a great way to expand your business. Using the experience of digital marketing agencies will save you from the trial and error of the online world. Now that you know what types of digital marketing services they can offer, you can start to get your brand out there online.

Getting a Mortgage After An IVA

0

Are you ready to look for a mortgage but worried about having an IVA on your profile? It’s key to think about whether it will affect your chances of getting accepted.

Ultimately, an IVA shouldn’t stop you from getting a mortgage. It may impact the types of mortgages you’re eligible for and who you can go to, but it also heavily depends on your current financial situation, so there’s lots to take into account.

This article will look into the details of how an IVA can affect your chances and what you can do to improve your chances of getting an IVA mortgage.

What is an IVA?

An Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) is a legal agreement between a creditor and a debtor, arranging how to pay back a debt.

For an IVA to become legally binding, it needs to be approved by a court. Insolvency practitioners like solicitors or accountants will usually need to be involved in arranging the IVA.

Your financial history will need to be looked at; this will allow the practitioner to assess what you can afford to create a suitable payment plan. The creditor will also have a say in what they want from the IVA and will either accept or reject the plans proposed by the practitioner.

You can be in an IVA for around five years, but this will depend on how much you can afford to pay. No matter when you pay it off, like all credit it will show on your profile for six years.

Once your creditor has agreed to the IVA, they will no longer be able to demand payments from you. This is because you have agreed to pay a certain amount per month. When the IVA has ended, you are no longer in debt to your creditors.

Can I Still Get a Mortgage After an IVA?

Getting a mortgage after being in an IVA is still possible. However, it won’t be as simple as it would be if you had a clear credit history.

Lenders like high street banks won’t usually accept applicants who have a bad credit history, including having an IVA on your profile, so you’ll need to speak with a specialist lender. But this gives you a better chance. They have the experience and contacts to help steer you in the right direction.

An IVA will stay on your credit profile for six years, even if you pay it off before then. This is the same with any other type of bad credit.

That means that for those six years, it will always show to lenders when they check your credit. So if you’re looking for a mortgage within six years of an IVA, it’s likely that you won’t be eligible for mortgages with lower interest rates. This is because lenders will see you as more of a risk than those with a clean credit profile.

What About Whilst I’m in an IVA?

If you are still paying off an IVA but you’d like to get a mortgage, it’s not impossible.

It will ultimately come down to your financial circumstances, and if you can prove that you’re financially able to pay off your mortgage whilst still paying off your IVA, there should be no reason why you can’t get a mortgage.

An advisor will be able to look into your finances to see if you’re likely to get accepted for an IVA mortgage.

Can a Specialist Mortgage Advisor Help?

A specialist mortgage broker is advised for those with an IVA on their profile. Traditional mortgage brokers won’t have the same experience, knowledge and contacts as specialist mortgage brokers, and therefore won’t be able to provide the necessary advice.

You’re much more likely to get accepted for a mortgage when using a specialist advisor, no matter what type of bad credit you have on your profile.

Improving Your Chances

To give yourself the best chance of getting a mortgage with an IVA on your profile is speaking to a specialist advisor. They will be able to look into your personal circumstances to assess your individual needs.

You can give yourself the best chance of getting accepted by making sure your mortgage application is correct and everything is filled out. But getting a mortgage broker with experience in bad credit and IVA mortgages will give you the best chance.

Plumbing students visit Bellway’s Future Home in Salford to learn about new technologies

Plumbing students from City Skills at Salford City College were given a tour of Bellway’s Future Home to learn about the new technologies that will shape their careers.

The Future Home at The University of Salford is Bellway’s experimental eco home, which will test carbon-zero technologies.

It forms part of the Energy House 2.0 research project run by the university and part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

Bellway is building a three-bedroom home inside a chamber at the university. It will test innovations in building materials, recovering heat from wastewater, storing solar energy, double versus triple glazing, and the use of different heating systems including air source heat pumps.

The new technologies will be operated in varying climate conditions, with temperatures ranging from -20C to +40C. University of Salford researchers will analyse how each element performs when testing starts next year.

City Skills is a Centre of Excellence for Construction that teaches students from 16 years of age, equipping them to be successful in their chosen field.

Chris Griffiths, Work Experience and Employability Coordinator at City Skills, said: “We were very pleased to be offered the opportunity to visit Bellway’s Future Home facility. To see new technology is always a positive experience and ensures our learners are engaged with cutting-edge ways of working.

“This project is especially exciting. We haven’t seen anything similar to this before and it has definitely enhanced out learners’ experience at college. This visit has opened their eyes to the direction their trade is moving in and the different ways they can expect to work once they are in the industry.”

The Future Home at the University of Salford is being built by a team from Bellway’s Manchester division.

Bellway’s Site Manager for the project, Sam Ward, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome the City Skills students to view our eco house. They will be using many of the innovations incorporated in our Future Home during the course of their careers so it is important that they are aware of them from the outset.

“We showed them two air source heat pumps – one on the roof and one attached to the side wall of the house. They also learned about new ways to recover heat from waste water.

“This project has been designed to tell us more about how we can adapt our homes and our habits to create a net-zero way of life. Engaging with communities – and especially with those who will be helping to build the homes of the future – is a crucial part of our role in it.”

Bellway recently announced it had partnered with Worcester Bosch to trial the UK’s first roof-mounted air source heat pump for the Energy House 2.0 initiative.

In addition to its role as a research partner in the project, Bellway has signed up to the Friends of Energy House 2.0. This includes a commitment to community outreach to raise awareness of the project aims and outcomes.

For more information on The Future Home see http://www.bellway.co.uk/the-future-home.

To find out more about Energy House 2.0 see http://www.energyhouse2.com/.