Business Manchester | Manchester's Leading Business Online Magazine

Siemens engineering apprentices reach UK finals of WorldSkills competition

Apprenticeship

-

02/11/2022

Siemens engineering apprentices reach UK finals of WorldSkills competition

A pair of Siemens engineering apprentices have reached the UK finals of an international skills competition.

Ben Love, 19, and Lucy Yelland, 20, will be going up against other teams from across the UK in the mechatronics division of the 2022 WorldSkills UK competition.

The pair are in the second year of a degree apprenticeship with Manchester-based Siemens Digital Industries and currently studying at Tameside College.

The final at Barking & Dagenham College from November 14-18 is the culmination of a seven-month process including regional heats and intensive training.

Winners go on to represent Team UK at the skills competition in Lyon, France, in 2024.

Ben, from Salford, and has been interested in engineering and technology from an early age.

“My dad runs an electrical engineering business, so I grew up tinkering with electrical components and various hardware and software that he brought home from work,” he said.

“It became a hobby and when I was 14, I used Siemens’ kit to build a home automation system which controlled my bedroom blinds, lamp, and even set up an alarm system with a laser through beam sensor.

Ben studied at Bridgewater High School in Warrington before taking on a BTEC Level 3 extended diploma in electrical and electronic engineering at Wigan and Leigh College where he built a Bluetooth speaker and even launched his own additive manufacturing business, selling parts to customers all over the world.

After two work experience placements at Siemens Ben knew where he wanted to start his career.

“Having been exposed to Siemens technology from an early age, there was only one company I wanted to work for,” he said. “It has been a dream come true. There are so many opportunities. I just want to experience as many different parts of the business as I can and see where it takes me.”

“I’m excited that we have reached the WorldSkills UK final and just aim to do my best, enjoy myself and see how it goes.”

Lucy, from Stoke, Staffordshire, also discovered her interest in engineering through her dad.

“I liked fixing things, whether that was my bike or some broken household appliance,” she said. “I was very hands-on, and you could often find me messing about in the garage with dad.

The Clayton Hall Academy student did GCSE engineering before A-Levels in key STEM subjects including mathematics and physics, as well as undertaking work experience placements in engineering.

“Studying GCSE engineering there were only a few girls in a room full of boys,” Lucy said. “While daunting, it never put me off. A career in engineering was something I was determined to pursue. I now see it as my responsibility to show other girls that engineering is something they can do.

“My time with Siemens has been brilliant, so far. I’m learning on the job, balancing learning with work experience, and getting to understand the company and the opportunities available.”

MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT – BUT WHAT IF IT DOESN’T LAST?

Legal

Sam Allcock

-

02/11/2022

0

MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT – BUT WHAT IF IT DOESN’T LAST?

by Stacey Collins, Clarke Willmott

Channel 4 and E4 are currently screening the seventh season of Married at First Sight (MAFS), in which couples meet for the first time when walking down the aisle, their future having been determined by a group of relationship experts.

For many couples the show signalled the start of a durable relationship – but what happens if the honeymoon period last only a few days, weeks, or months, and the parties then decide to divorce?

The ceremonies conducted in the UK version of MAFS are not technically legally binding but in the real world, once a valid marriage has taken place either party can only apply to the courts for a divorce after 12 months.

The new “no fault” divorce legislation, which came into effect in April 2022, is designed to remove the “blame culture” that operated within the previous divorce proceedings although some argue that the new legislation diminishes the sanctity of marriage by making divorce simpler.

This view may be validated by recent Law Society statistics showing that in April 2022 12,978 new divorce applications had been made, compared to 6,764 in April 2021.

An alternative view on the increase in divorce applications is that increasingly, people want to take a less confrontational approach to separation. If a couples appearing on MAFS decides that the relationship experts have got it wrong and that they wish to separate, they can now do so either by means of a single or joint application.

In the case of the former, the only ground they need to rely upon is that the marriage has broken down and there is no need provide proof. A joint application is designed to make the separation process much more amicable and is the preferable option, particularly if the couple will continue to need to communicate in the best interests of any children they may have.

The new process does allow for a longer “cooling off” period. Once the application has been issued then you are unable to apply for the first stage of the divorce, known as the conditional order, until a period of 20 weeks has elapsed. After the conditional order has been granted then you can apply for the final order after six weeks and one day.

Therefore while it can be argued that the new process makes it easier to divorce and thereby threatens the sanctity of marriage, there is the counter view that, if a marriage has sadly broken down, then surely it is better to find a more amicable way to separate and concentrate on ensuring that a couple can continue to work together as parents.

The previous system relied on one party proving an allegation against the other, which is an adversarial start to separating. If a marriage is sadly no longer working for both partners, facilitating an easier and more amicable separation must be the better option.

Does that mean that shows such as Married at First Sight should be encouraged? That is perhaps a question for another day.

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

For more information visit www.clarkewillmott.com

Stacey Collins is a trainee legal executive in the family team at Clarke Willmott.

SACHA LORD JOINS THE LABOUR PARTY

Politics

Sam Allcock

-

02/11/2022

0

Sacha Lord, the Night Time Economy Adviser for Greater Manchester, has become a member of The Labour Party, it has been announced today.

The Adviser to Mayor Andy Burnham and co-founder of the Parklife Festival and The Warehouse Project music events, has been welcomed to the party by Labour Leader, Keir Starmer, who he met last week to discuss culture and the night time economy.

Lucy Powell, MP for Manchester Central and Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, has also welcomed Lord to the party, commenting,

“I’m really pleased Sacha has taken the step to join Labour. He’s got enormous experience in business and has been an incredibly strong voice for hospitality and the night time economy, both during Covid and the cost-of-living crisis. He will be a huge asset to our Party.

She continued, “As the Tories crash the economy, many people are taking another look at Labour, and it’s great to have Sacha in the Party.”

Growing up in Greater Manchester, Lord was appointed the city-region’s first ever Night Time Economy Advisor by Mayor Andy Burnham in 2018, providing a voice for workers, operators and the industry as a whole.

In this role, he has announced a raft of recommendations to improve safety, transport and cultural diversity in the region, including the introduction of later opening hours for greater accessibility and the development of night-time transport links to better serve communities on the outskirts of the region.

Lord, who has categorically ruled out standing as an MP, said,

“This is a move I have been wanting to make for a long time, and the current political circumstances have hastened this ambition. I have seen the positive difference that Andy has made during my time working with the Mayor’s office, and I want to support him in giving Greater Manchester and the North West a louder voice.

“Young people and young families today must be given the same opportunities I was given throughout the early stages of my career under the previous Labour Government. Not only was entrepreneurialism encouraged, but there were policies in place to help people get their first steps on the property ladder or discover new career paths, both geographically and across industry sectors.

“Over the past 12 years, I’ve watched the Conservatives take away these opportunities, by quashing ambition, limiting entrepreneurship, and implementing policies that restrain our cultural progress and our ability to work with our international counterparts.

“We need a change in Government and for me, the only Party to deliver opportunity is the Labour Party. I fully support the Labour Party in their ambitions to lead the country and I look forward to working even more closely with the Party going forward.”

Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity appeals for organisations to sign-up as corporate supporters for its annual ‘1,000 Beds for Christmas’ campaign

Blog

Karen Jones

-

02/11/2022

0

Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity will soon launch its Christmas campaign – 1,000 Beds for Christmas. The campaign will help fund at least 1,000 nights of accommodation and wraparound support for people rough sleeping in Greater Manchester, as part of the Charity’s flagship ‘A Bed Every Night’ (ABEN) scheme. Corporate supporters are being invited to join the campaign and work alongside the Charity to raise as many funds as possible, helping to prevent homelessness this winter.

The Corporate opportunities available this year include becoming an ABEN Supporter, an ABEN Umbrella Supporter, an ABEN Matched Funder, or simply signing up to ‘Give What You Can’.

The available packages are:

ABEN Supporter: Generously providing a one-off donation of £3,000, funding 100 beds, plus wraparound support.
ABEN Umbrella Supporter: Generously providing a one-off donation of £9,000, funding 300 beds, plus wraparound support.
ABEN Matched Funder: Generously providing matched funds, up to a maximum donation total of £40,000. For every bed funded by the public, the ABEN Matched Funder will fund up to 1,333 additional beds (including full wraparound support), matching the funds donated by the public via the official campaign JustGiving page.

Each of the above opportunities comes with a full package of brand, PR and engagement opportunities, to make sure that both the charity and the supporting business get the most out of the partnership. The ABEN Matched Funder package can be tailored to the supporting organisation’s unique needs. Full details on each package are available in the Corporate Support pack which can be requested by emailing tom.allanson@gmmayorscharity.org.uk.

For organisations looking to get involved, but unable to commit to one of the full support packages, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity is delighted to also offer a Give What You Can scheme. The Charity welcomes donations of any size: £1,500 will fund 50 beds, £1000 will fund 30 beds and £500 will fund 15 beds. Some businesses may also want to consider organising their own fundraiser, making a donation in lieu of Christmas Cards or even hosting a World Cup sweepstake. Anyone who is interested can download the Charity’s fundraising ideas pack here.

Full details of the 1,000 Beds for Christmas campaign, including details of how the public can get involved and the donations link, will be released in November.

Organisations wishing to support 1,000 Beds for Christmas should contact Tom Allanson today at tom.allanson@gmmayorscharity.org.uk.

Transforming Lithium Extraction in the UK in partnership with Cornish Lithium & Innovate UK

Partnerships

Sam Allcock

-

02/11/2022

0

Transforming Lithium Extraction in the UK in partnership with Cornish Lithium & Innovate UK

Manchester based Watercycle Technologies Ltd, a pioneering critical minerals and water filtration specialist, is delighted to announce that it has been granted a £500,000 Innovate UK Smart Grant, in partnership with Cornish Lithium Ltd, to test its ground-breaking direct lithium extraction (‘DLE’) process in Cornwall.

Watercycle’s patented filtration process can selectively extract lithium from sub-surface waters, such as those found in the Southwest of the UK. Given lithium’s essential role in battery technologies, the ability to obtain it from waters cost effectively and establish a domestic supply of the mineral is vital for the UK’s Net-Zero strategy.

Under the terms of the agreement, Watercycle will deliver a containerised filtration system to extract lithium from Cornish Lithium’s project in Cornwall at a pilot scale. The project, which includes an environmental impact assessment, is anticipated to complete in October 2023.

Watercycle CEO Dr Seb Leaper said, “Having already proven that our proprietary filtration membranes and systems work in lab conditions, we are excited to be working with Cornish Lithium to demonstrate their scalability and accelerate the creation of a resilient, domestic lithium supply chain in the UK. This agreement marks the next step in our development strategy as we look at the commercialisation of our technology, which is capable of treating a wide range of water types and can deliver dramatic reductions in costs, carbon emissions and water consumption compared with current processes.”

Watercycle co-founder and CTO Dr Ahmed Abdelkarim added, “It is great to be working with like-minded partners, Cornish Lithium and Innovate UK, which, like us, are focused on making a positive impact on the global transition through advancing innovative technologies. Lithium is a critical element with EV demand set to grow 418% from 468 GWh this year to 2.4 TWh by 2030 and we are delighted to be part of that chain, offering a British solution to the challenge of primary lithium production, which is the first link within the wider EV supply chain.”

Lead Geochemist Dr Rebecca Paisley at Cornish Lithium said, “Cornish Lithium is keen to support projects from UK-based universities, and the companies commercialising them, which we believe have the potential to be both game changing and contribute to the UK’s Net Zero strategy. Working with Watercycle in the development of a pilot system aligns strongly with our Research and Innovation strategy, as well as our continued efforts to trial multiple DLE technologies at pilot scale in Cornwall to establish the most effective and responsible process flow sheet. We have a good relationship with the Watercycle team and look forward to progressing the project over the next 12 months.”

Sustainability is ‘All in’ the agenda at this year’s Travel Counsellors Conference

Sam Allcock

-

02/11/2022

0

Sustainability is ‘All in’ the agenda at this year’s Travel Counsellors Conference

This month leading independent travel company, Travel Counsellors will host its first global conference since the pandemic. The Travel Counsellors Global Annual Conference, taking place from Friday 11 until Sunday 13 November at the ACC Liverpool, will see over 1,600 delegates in attendance including Travel Counsellors, partners, support team colleagues and over 300 suppliers. It will also be the first time in three years that the community will come together in person at the annual conference, following its regional events in November last year.

Each year the company gets together to celebrate, motivate, share and inspire at its flagship event and this year it promises to be significant, to mark its theme ‘all in’. This theme reflects the power and commitment of the community to one another and their customers, delivering the very best travel experiences and being empowered to build successful businesses and careers as part of the company, working together with a ‘one team’ mentally to make that happen.

The company has also committed to making this the first sustainable conference, asking all attendees to be ‘all in to make a positive difference’ by committing to the three-part pledge. This is based on avoiding single use plastics; making the event carbon neutral; and having zero waste to landfill at the event. The company will not provide any single use plastics, using Vegware and eGreen for smart packaging and tableware. All waste produced will be directed away from landfill – either reused, recycled, composted or sent to energy recovery, and its carbon footprint will be measured throughout the conference with Travel Counsellors pledging to offset its output to global sustainable projects that support these areas of focus.

Jim Eastwood, Global Sales Director, at Travel Counsellors, comments: “We are excited to all be getting together again after a three-year hiatus and we look forward to giving all our Travel Counsellors, colleagues, partners and suppliers a very warm welcome. We have a record number of attendees this year including 850 Travel Counsellors who all reflect our ‘all in’ ethos and 300 suppliers and other delegates that we work closely with. “Our personal travel experts don’t just ‘book’ travel, they get to know and build relationships with their customers so they create experiences, not just itineraries. In an industry that was on its knees, travel is back and we are more ready than ever to redefine what personal means in travel.

“Moreover, we believe that responsible travel is a force for good with the opportunity to help care for and preserve the planet for future generations. Now that travel is back, it’s our duty to make sure that we operate in a responsible way – and that includes at our annual global conference. Our pledge supports this and is just one of the ways we are focusing our sustainable efforts as a business, working with our community to educate and provide our customers with more sustainable travel choices.”

During the weekend over 1,600 delegates will enjoy evening events and daytime conference sessions, hearing updates from the company’s support team and inspiring insights from external experts and guest speakers, as well as a Travel Market event to showcase product and updates from supplier partners. One of the key highlights of the weekend is a Saturday evening gala dinner, where Travel Counsellors recognises those from within the community for their contribution and outstanding achievements.

For further information about Travel Counsellors, please visit: www.travelcounsellors.com

Scandi-style art showcase launches in Cheshire

Sam Allcock

-

01/11/2022

0

Scandi-style art showcase launches in Cheshire

A Swedish-born artist is bringing her ‘Scandi showcase’ to Cheshire, giving locals the chance to buy some affordable art.

Mia Horton, owner of Hey Scandi, creates abstract paintings, mainly using acrylic paint and often does commissions to enhance colour schemes in residential or commercial properties.

Now she is launching a bold collection of paintings which will be displayed this month in Together, a lifestyle store situated in the heart of Sale’s Stanley Square.

Mia said: “Scandinavian style consists of clean lines, minimalism and a lack of clutter, which can be very visually appealing, so I’m very excited to invite people to the launch of my showcase.

“Affordable art can help you develop your collection, even when your finances are restricted. Not having loads of money shouldn’t prevent you from buying art. There are plenty of affordable art pieces out there to suit every budget.

“Together is a lovely store to visit with a fab Scandi vibe celebrating mindful brands, so hopefully my paintings will fit right in and make the space come even more alive!

“Find pieces to freshen up your collection – or help you start a new one – to make your home or workplace more interesting and versatile than ever.”

Those keen to grab some early Christmas gifts can visit the art showcase from 5pm-8pm THIS Friday, November 4 with any remaining paintings displayed in the shop until the end of the festive season.

Stanley Square is currently undergoing major regeneration to bring bustling independent businesses back to Sale. The end goal is that the town will have a modern version of a classic British high street – with a butcher, a baker, a greengrocer, a cinema and a huge food hall – without dependence on big name tenants.

Director of Altered Space – the square’s landlord – Michael Brown, said he’d hoped the square will be a place people can work, shop, live and socialise in without the need to travel.

Find out more about the art showcase by visiting @together_mcr, @heyscandi or https://www.facebook.com/heyscandi

Get paid to snack this Christmas by leading market research agency Give Opinions!

Food and Drink

Sam Allcock

-

01/11/2022

0

Get paid to snack this Christmas by leading market research agency Give Opinions!

A nationwide drive has been started by leading market research agency, Give Opinions, to find participants to assist with their new contracts. The lucky few will be paid to test snacks across the UK.

From cars to spas, vapes to bars, Give Opinions, alongside its sister company Beam Fieldwork, recruit and orchestrate global research projects for some of the world’s coolest consumer brands.

Give Opinions now needs hundreds of recruits to taste test two new ranges of sweet and savoury snacks from globally renowned names. Participants will be paid £50 to give their opinion on sweet treats and £100 for indulging in a new savoury line from a well-known supermarket brand.

The agency also won a triple-figure project for a retail giant requiring a nationwide panel to research shopping habits in the run-up to Christmas. Rather than battle the shops, prospective shopaholics will join an online community to create a Christmas shopping list and be paid £200 for the pleasure.

Other exciting new projects include a designer shoe-shopping project and a nationwide call-out for players of online Bingo. Give Opinions is also proud to be conducting a hard-hitting research project for Kidscan, a Salford-based charity that funds ground-breaking scientific research for children’s cancer treatments.

With a growing list of blue-chip clients that span charities to monster tech giants, Give Opinions recruits get paid £20-£300 to give feedback on ‘not hit the shelf yet’ product concepts and services. Due to an influx of orders, Give Opinions now require thousands more recruits, from families to test kids’ toys, food and drink to couples and friendship pairs for restaurant and alcohol product tests.

Participating in Give Opinions focus groups, one-on-one interviews, site visits, or joining online communities gives participants the unique opportunity to stay ahead of the curve with next-gen products while having a general say about the direction of their favourite brands.

Popular projects have included testing delivery services for a global fast-food retailer, trying out new luxury spa concepts for a well-known British family holiday complex, and giving opinions on a range of new vape flavours for a leading name.

Established in 2020, Give Opinions has rapidly grown under the direction of Founder and Director Amy Middleton. An expert in the market research sector with over 25 years of experience, Middleton is also the Founder of Beam Fieldwork, the project orchestration arm of the business, and a prominent member of the BIG Committee, the MRS and the AQR, nationally recognised and coveted positions.

Since its inception, Give Opinions has delivered hundreds of rapid-response market research projects, resulting in thousands of recruited participants being paid incentives that total more than £500,000.

Owing to its success is Give Opinion’s Customer Insight Platform. Developed By Give Opinions but available to purchase, it sends regular pulse surveys to a registered panel of research participants to understand their thoughts on products and services. Clients receive instant feedback on ideas via WhatsApp, SMS, and email with every response helping build a deeper understanding of what customers like and dislike.

BEAM and Give Opinions Managing Founder, and Director Amy Middleton said:
“Seeing Give Opinions flourishing with an ever-growing list of market-leading clients is incredible. I’m so proud that our research shapes the direction of some of the world’s most innovative new products and services.
With the business going from strength to strength, we’ve made eight new hires to facilitate mammoth international projects, and I can’t wait to see what our new team can do.”

Give Opinions alongside Beam Fieldwork operates in over 20 countries across five continents, delivering hundreds of exceptional qualitative and quantitative fieldwork projects per month for the world’s biggest brands.

To find out more about Give Opinions, please visit www.giveopinions.co.uk

To register for Give Opinions, sign-up via the link to be added to the database.

https://www.giveopinions.co.uk/enrol/C1J6-70G

Alternatively, follow Give Opinions on social for live updates: Instagram @Give.Opinions or Facebook @giveopinions.co.uk or view live projects at: https://www.giveopinions.co.uk/projects.

STAGECOACH MANCHESTER LAUNCHES BUS LIVERY SUPPORTING OUR ARMED FORCES

Business support

Sam Allcock

-

01/11/2022

0

STAGECOACH MANCHESTER LAUNCHES BUS LIVERY SUPPORTING OUR ARMED FORCES

Stagecoach Manchester has launched a special livery Armed Forces Covenant bus, showing its support to active service people and veterans in the Greater Manchester area.

The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation ensuring that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly.

Stagecoach Group, the parent company of Stagecoach Manchester, recently received a Bronze Employer Recognition Award from the covenant. The award recognises the bus company as an employer that actively supports defence personnel and veterans.

Stagecoach also pledges to give free travel to military and ex-military personnel on key dates, including Remembrance and Armed Forces Day, following a decision from its recently established Veteran employee network. The network has been involved in numerous improvements and changes throughout the company, such as revising its reservist policy to better support employees, attending Career Transition Partnership events and attracting service leavers direct from resettlement programmes.

Kathryn McInnes, Stagecoach Veterans Network spokesperson based at Sharston Depot, commented: “This new livery is a clear message of support to all military personnel and veterans. Stagecoach is a Forces-friendly employer and I’m proud to be part of the Stagecoach Veterans Network which works to ensure support for service people within the business, and to create safe spaces for them to share their stories and openly discuss any concerns or issues they may have.”

The special liveried bus is one of a limited number across the UK to be solely branded in support of the Armed Forces Covenant and will operate in the Greater Manchester area.

Lee Wasnidge, Managing Director of Stagecoach Manchester said: “This new livery honours the brave service of people both within our business and the communities we serve. As a business, we are also working towards achieving the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Employer Recognition Award and will continue to support the Armed Forces and veterans however we can throughout Greater Manchester.”

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

FOUR IN AT FOURWAYS IN MANCHESTER

Real Estate

Sam Allcock

-

01/11/2022

0

International real estate advisor Savills, on behalf of XLB & Pictet Alternative Advisors, has agreed four new leases which include Vega, the co-production agency, Outset Studio Group, Todd Architects and a digital agency at Fourways, at Manchester’s Northern Quarter.

Vega has committed to 1,918 sq ft on the part 4th floor at £35.00 psf for a 3 year term.

Todd Architects, an architectural firm working with clients across private and public sectors, will occupy part of the 5^th floor comprising 990 sq ft at £33.50 psf for a term of 5 years. Todd Architects were represented by Sixteen Real Estate.

Outset Studio Group, a professional podcast recording group, has secured 770 sq ft of office space on the 4^th floor for a 3 year term at £32.00 psf.

A digital consultancy, has agreed a new lease on part of the 2^nd floor taking 3,218 sq ft of workspace at £37.50 psf to be delivered fully fitted, based on a three year term.

Located on Hilton Street in the sought after Northern Quarter area of Manchester city centre, Fourways is a converted grade II listed brick building constructed in 1906 with very good in-use BREEAM rating. The property now provides characterful office accommodation over ground and five upper floors totalling 59,000 sq ft following completion of a substantial refurbishment of the atrium and communal space.

Stephen Wormald, associate partner at XLB, comments: “The Northern Quarter continues to attract a wide range of occupiers who seek character space and surroundings with easy access to key transports links. These lettings prove the highly reversionary nature of this building which showcases best in class energy efficiency and character.”

Daniel Barnes, director in the office agency team at Savills, comments: “The new leases at Fourways show the high demand and desirability of this office building in a wide range of sectors set in the heart of the Northern Quarter. Fourways provides attractive, character workspace in an excellent desirable location and this is reflected in the good levels of interest for space that becomes available in this area.”

CBRE are joint agents on the building.

About us

Company

Must Read

Subscribe to our newsletter