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Commercial Litigation Lawyer Joins the Pearson Team

Appointments

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29/09/2022

Commercial Litigation Lawyer Joins the Pearson Team

A Commercial Litigation lawyer with over 18 years’ experience has joined the expanding Litigation department at Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers.

Leigh Sunter, a Chartered Legal Executive, has a wealth of experience in city centre and regional law firms.

She is an expert in all aspects of commercial debt recovery from sending Pre-Action Protocol letters, issuing proceedings, obtaining judgment and enforcement proceedings. Leigh will also be working with clients in respect of Bankruptcy proceedings and Winding-Up proceedings.

She also specialises in advising landlords and tenants on commercial property matters and residential landlords pursing possession claims.

Leigh will be working closely with the wider commercial team at Pearson but specialising in Litigation, especially Commercial Debt Recovery where she is well known for her calmness, her ability to guide clients through difficult issues and her pragmatism.

The appointment is part of a wider recruitment drive as the firm continues to expand its teams and its offices across North Manchester. With 75 staff across all legal disciplines the firm has flexible working and is looking to attract more staff into its wider commercial roles and other positions within the firm.

Commenting on her appointment, Director Christopher Burke says: “Leigh is very welcome addition to our growing litigation department of nine staff members. She is very highly regarded and brings with her great client care, experience and pragmatism.

“Her appointment enables us to specialise more in specific areas of the law and I look forward to introducing her to our clients and helping her develop her career at Pearson.”

Leigh says she is looking forward to being part of the wider team at Pearson and getting to know the clients and of course helping drive the firm forward.

“I am delighted to have joined the commercial department at Pearson and to have the opportunity to be involved in the expansion of the firm. I’m really looking forward to being part of the firm’s ongoing success. I enjoy the challenge that the role brings and I’m looking forward to working with the clients as part of the Pearson team,” she adds.

Greater Manchester state of the roads survey data released

News

Sam Allcock

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28/09/2022

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Greater Manchester state of the roads survey data released

An annual survey looking at the health of local roads in Greater Manchester has shown a surge in the number of complaints recorded over potholes since the pandemic.

The research by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) also reveals a number of councils last year failed to spend their allocated budget for road repairs despite spiralling complaints over damaged tarmac, in some cases by more than 20%. In Bolton the underspend was a massive £2.35million, despite claims for damage caused to vehicles up by a third since 2019.

The FSB – which usually carries out the research every year but paused during the pandemic – say the data shows some councils are struggling to carry out repair work that will be leading to growing backlogs and increased complaints.

Robert Downes, FSB Development Manager for Greater Manchester, said: “Our latest research shows complaints over potholes are up, and the number of claims for damage to vehicles continues to climb higher in most council areas even though road traffic is down significantly with the pandemic triggering a work from home culture. Despite this four-out-of-the 10 authorities in Greater Manchester are underspending their road repair budget – and in some cases by significant amounts. Why is this?

“However, the research has also shown that some councils are spending considerable sums on addressing potholes, with some authorities – notably Stockport – pumping in huge amounts of cash to fix the problem, and even overspending huge sums on allocated budget to do so,” he added.

The FSB research, carried out through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests submitted to town halls, shows Manchester Council had the highest number of legal claims for damage to vehicles by poorly maintained roads at 248 claims last year. Salford had the lowest.

Stockport Council had the highest number of complaints about potholed roads, with 8,770 complaints – equivalent to around 24 a day. The council with the fewest complaints was Tameside with 1,651 for the year.

The FSB’s Robert Downes added: “We do this analysis not because we’re having a pop at councils, but because we know the vast majority of businesses in Greater Manchester rely on the road network more than any other type of transport infrastructure for the smooth running of their operations.

“Roads are vital for local economies to attract business investment, for firms to trade, get customers through their doors, in to town centres, to get deliveries out on time and stock in, staff to get to and from work; we need a resilient road network and I think most road users would agree that’s not the case.

“We know transport infrastructure underpins jobs and growth, and so we need councils and the other maintaining bodies like National Highways (former Highways England) to keep on top of the road network. When roads are left to crumble, small job become big jobs all too often requiring major roadworks and road closures. That slows everything down, so more traffic jams, and as we know, more pollution.

“Also consider the mayor’s huge push to get people on bikes. Unsafe roads littered with potholes will do little to tempt many on to two wheels. How can that be right?

“Ultimately councils need more cash from Government to get ahead on road repairs and maintenance, but perhaps more troubling is the evidence some councils might be struggling to spend their allocated budget despite the growing problem? Is that a manpower issue, or something else?”

And he concluded: “I would urge all road users to report potholes immediately. If councils don’t know about a problem, they can’t fix it.”

Free webinar “an introduction to digital marketing for small businesses”

Business support

Danielle Trigg

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28/09/2022

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Free webinar “an introduction to digital marketing for small businessess

A free webinar if being offered to those in small businesses to look at digital marketing and how to get “back to basics”

We know that with such a wide variety of digital marketing tools available it is easy to get confused or overwhelmed. If this sounds like you or you are just not sure which options are best for your business then join this free one hour webinar.

This webinar is specifically aimed at small businesses who want to better understand how to use digital marketing to find new clients whilst building better relationships with existing customers.

Our focus is on small businesses who need to make sure they get the biggest bang for their marketing buck. You can’t afford to do everything so how do you decide where to focus? Book your free place on this webinar now and we’ll help you answer this and other common marketing questions.

In just one hour we’ll cover:-

. What is digital marketing?

Understanding the core concepts and how marketing helps you grow your business

. The elements of the digital marketing mix

Understanding the tools that are available to you as a part of your digital marketing strategy

Brief overview of the pros and cons of core digital marketing tools

. Building a marketing strategy for your business

What are you trying to achieve? How to set effective marketing objectives for your business.

How to decide where to focus your efforts – choosing between the available digital marketing tools and focusing on the ones that are most relevant to your business

Documenting your marketing plan and keeping on track

. Understanding what’s working and what isn’t

What are the key metrics that will tell you if your marketing strategy is working?

How to measure the success of your marketing activities and use that knowledge to refine your marketing strategy so you’re doing more things that work and fewer things that don’t

. Marketing ideas for budgets of all sizes

How much should you be spending on marketing?

How to get results with a minimal budget (or even with zero budget!)

What tools is it worth spending money on and what could you be doing for free?

Who should attend?

This webinar is aimed at anyone who wants to understand more about the range of digital marketing tools available and how to most effectively use them to grow their business. The content will be relevant to any size of business but our focus will be on advice for smaller businesses comprised of either one person alone or a small team of people. Book your free place now.

About Awesome Tech Training

At Awesome Tech Training we enjoy helping clients discover the power of digital marketing. A good website is a vital tool for every business these days and so our aim is to give you the tools you need to build and maintain your own website and social media channels rather than being reliant on developers and agencies to help you whenever you want to make a change.

Our clients tend to be small businesses who don’t have the resource to outsource their whole marketing operation and want to be able to take control of it themselves. Our training is designed to be affordable, practically focused and results oriented so you can start putting what you’ve learned into practice immediately and get quick results.

We’re experienced digital marketers, WordPress developers and trainers who have helped many clients optimise their digital marketing over the years across a range of different industries. Wherever possible our focus is on helping businesses to do things for themselves through training and support, however we do also take on marketing and web development projects on behalf of clients from time to time.

Find out more at www.awesometechtraining.com or drop us a line via info@awesometechtraining.com

Cervical Cancer Detection Increased By Up To 24% Thanks to Groundbreaking British Technology

Health

Danielle Trigg

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28/09/2022

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Cervical Cancer Detection Increased By Up To 24% Thanks to Groundbreaking British Technology

Cervical screening awareness week 20th – 26th June 2022

The European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Reproductive Biology have recently published new peer reviewed research that shows that use of ZedScan in diagnostic screening significantly increased the detection of cancer and potential cancer.

The biggest increase was in women referred with low grade changes, often the most challenging to visualise, where ZedScan had over a 50% increase in high grade disease detection.

Scientists looked at the examinations of 5257 women by 82 colposcopists in 26 clinics in 9 different countries. The full research can be viewed here and also showed that:

. HPV vaccination and primary HPV screening have been shown to be effective

. Women at low risk of high-grade CIN are now being referred to colposcopy

. In general colposcopy performs poorly when there is a low prevalence of high-grade CIN

. ZedScan increases the detection of high-grade CIN across multiple centres

. The study confirms the value of a real time adjunctive technology

ZedScan™ by Zilico is the British developed and manufactured diagnostic technology for cervical cancer. Zilico’s proprietary technology measures cell changes providing immediate and accurate diagnosis of tissue which may be abnormal. Used by many NHS Trusts and hospitals in Finland, the advanced diagnostic tool will help provide better outcomes for women across the globe.

The cervical screening process screens for HPV infection and those with HPV are referred for colposcopy. In addition to traditional colposcopy methods many NHS trusts have started using ZedScan for improved diagnostic information provided in real-time. At colposcopy clinicians look for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). CIN means change to cells in the cervix and may be high or low grade. Cervical cancer is a treatable disease if detected at CIN stage.

Sameer Kothari, CEO, Zilico says; “It is fantastic news for patients in the UK and further afield. The publication shows how ZedScan helps across different clinical settings in 9 countries. Colposcopy has not materially changed for nearly 100 years and this data shows how having this advanced technology at the point of examination during colposcopy helps patients, clinicians and hospitals. Not only is this technology meaningful for the patient’s comfort and reassurance, it is quite simply detecting more problems accurately, and in greater detail, allowing people to access the treatment that they need more efficiently. This is important research here in the UK & Europe, and moreover has huge potential for the rest of the world and developing economies where cervical cancer goes readily undetected.”

How it works:

ZedScan™ is a unique adjunct diagnostic device which uses EIS (Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy) technology to identify cell changes that cannot always be seen with standard colposcopy.

Using a single-use EIS sensor, ZedScan takes up to 12 readings from around the cervical transformation zone following the application of acetic acid. EIS works by measuring 7 key cell parameters, at 14 different frequencies, and resulting spectra helps differentiate the different tissue types

The readings are processed by an in-built algorithm to quantify the degree of abnormality at each reading site, with the results displayed immediately to support clinical decision making

Following a service evaluation of over 200 patients, the Trust found ZedScan increased the detection of high-grade disease (which has the potential to become cancerous) by 26 per cent and helped inform clinical management decisions. The high sensitivity of the ZedScan device also gives clinicians the confidence to discharge women to surveillance or routine screening when no high-grade disease is indicated.

Zilico are pleased to be supporting the prevention of cervical cancer by providing state-of-art technology to aid clinical decision making at the first visit for patients attending colposcopy. Using patented EIS platform technology, ZedScan is used – as part of colposcopy procedures – to detect cervical abnormalities (pre-cancerous changes) before they develop into cervical cancer.

For further information please contact Helen Trevorrow or Vicky Hague at Green Row on 0794 000 9138 or email helen@greenrow.co.uk

Top Strategies to Prepare Your Travel Business Now For Future Changes In the Economic Cycle

Business support

Sam Allcock

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28/09/2022

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Top Strategies to Prepare Your Travel Business Now For Future Changes In the Economic Cycle

The current economic cycle has been going on for a few years, and it will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future. This means that there will be times when travel businesses experience declines in demand and other times when they experience spikes in demand.

Even if history predicts it won’t, the economy is fairly strong today. There are now still two vacant positions for every applicant. When compared to pre-pandemic levels, average consumer bank balances are relatively high. Spending on travel is increasing quickly. But the market hasn’t done well this year, and inflation keeps rising. We will eventually notice the effects of rising interest rates on the overall economy (we are already noticing some effects on the housing market). As you prepare your business for future changes, here are some top strategies to consider:

Raise your level of Economic conscience.

Being an economist is not a prerequisite for being a successful business owner, but knowing the economy will help you make the best choices at the right moments.

Businesses that did the right thing at the wrong time litter the trash of history (trust me, one of my former businesses is laying in that ditch too). It can be relatively simple to acquire a thorough understanding of the economy. Create some quick daily routines that will benefit you in the long run.

Preparing Your Travel Business For Future Changes

There are always changes in the economy, and the travel industry is no exception. Current economic conditions may be causing more travelers to look for deals and explore alternative transportation methods.

While this could mean good news for your business, it’s important to be prepared for any changes by keeping up to date on industry trends and preparing your business accordingly. Best tips to help you do just that:

Stay Current on Industry Trends: Keep up with industry trends and stay ahead of the curve by reading industry publications, watching industry conferences, and networking with other professionals. This will allow you to identify emerging opportunities and anticipate potential challenges before they become a reality.
Build Relationships with Key Customers: Build relationships with key customers by participating in trade shows, sponsorship opportunities, or online marketing campaigns. This will allow you to stay top of mind and increase brand awareness among potential customers.
Utilize Technology to Enhance Your Business: Utilize technology to enhance your business operations by implementing the usage of GPS tracking devices, a website or social media platforms that offer additional functionality, such as ticket sales tracking or customer feedback surveys. This will help you keep track of customer preferences and better manage inventory

Set up a regular cycle for the Economy and Industry.

It is not a one-time exercise to comprehend the economy, what the cyclical changes mean for the travel industry, and what they mean for your travel agency business. Establish a regular schedule for thinking about the industry and the economy. As a good place to start, I advise blocking off some time on your calendar every two months. Consider the changes that have occurred over the previous two months and the changes you anticipate occurring over the following two years every other month. Considering the market and your sector, consider what has changed and revise your assumptions.

This doesn’t need to be a challenging exercise. Consider some of these inquiries. You don’t even need to know the solutions. Google knows if you don’t. See what other top thinkers have to say. You’ll find that if you make that a habit, you’ll eventually begin to form your own opinions.

Understanding The Economic Cycle

It’s no secret that the global economy is in a funk. Since the 2008 recession, businesses and individuals have been cautious about investing in new ventures and making big purchases. And it seems this trend will continue. According to experts, the next economic downturn could be just around the corner.

So what can you do to prepare your business for future changes in the economic cycle? Here are five top strategies:

Educate your employees. Make sure everyone knows the importance of prudently investing and taking precautions against economic downturns. Explain how these things can affect your business, and ensure everyone is on the same page regarding weather these tough times.
Plan for leaner times. When times are tough, customers may be more hesitant to make big purchases or invest in new ventures. Make sure you have a plan to weather this type of situation – maybe by cutting back on expenses or reducing staffing levels.
Stay ahead of technological changes. As technology advances, so does the competition. Be sure to keep up with new trends and implement them into your business strategy as soon as possible.
Ensure to track employee pay stub. This makes it possible for you to keep track of everything connected to their pay and verify that the amount they have received and the amount they have paid in taxes are accurate. This is needed in case there is a change in the economic cycle.

Analyze your effectiveness.

I’ve already mentioned your punctual return. It is, in my opinion, the most crucial metric for a small business. Your return on time is how much money you can make with a certain quantity of your time. Increasing your return on time will result in more profit in the same amount of time, or the same amount of profit in less time, whether you are a full-time travel agency owner or a part-time travel advisor. This is crucial in times of declining travel prices during an economic downturn. It would help to sell more travel to keep your commission income steady. How do you go about that? As time goes on, you become more effective.

Consider where you are spending your time regularly. How much time do you spend researching an itinerary? To create an offer? To have a consultation with a client? To reserve a space? So forth. Count them! Consider that, on average, it takes you 47 minutes to create a proposal. Come up with a plan to cut that time by five minutes. Look for fresh equipment. Create a repeatable process. To improve your firm’s efficiency, concentrate it within a specific specialization. Regardless of the situation of the economy or the sector, this activity is an excellent training tool—a constant enhancement of your effectiveness.

The following four are all components of your sales strategy. You need a sales plan if you don’t already have one. A sales plan helps you determine precisely how many prospects, proposals, transactions, and sales you need to make to reach your goal level of profit after considering your expenses.

Conclusion

As we head into another year of uncertain economic conditions, business owners need to be prepared and use some strategies that can help you prepare your travel business for future changes in the economic cycle.

NEW GATEWAY TO ALTRINCHAM’S TOWN CENTRE EMERGES AS FOUNDATION’S PIONEERING TRANSFORMATION TAKES SHAPE

Blog

Sam Allcock

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28/09/2022

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NEW GATEWAY TO ALTRINCHAM’S TOWN CENTRE EMERGES AS FOUNDATION’S PIONEERING TRANSFORMATION TAKES SHAPE

Bruntwood and Trafford Council’s transformation of Foundation, the former Rackhams building, has passed a major development milestone as the removal of the site’s large bridge structures has created a new and exciting gateway to Altrincham’s thriving town centre.

The demolition of the bridges has opened up the space, adding more light and transforming the arrival experience into a reimagined environment. The new gateway will seamlessly connect the future attractive public realm, retail and leisure space to Altrincham Interchange, meaning the reimagined space will be well-connected to excellent tram, train and bus links.

Plans to transform the former Rackhams building into Foundation as part of Bruntwood’s Pioneer development, and part of Bruntwood and Trafford Council’s wider £50m joint venture to transform Altrincham and Stretford town centres, were given the green light by Councillors in January.

As the new heart of the Stamford Quarter, Foundation will bring a market-leading blend of workspace, retail and leisure to Altrincham. Bruntwood’s £200m Pioneer programme is creating the future of workspace design and innovation, centred on six key pillars: biophilia, art, sustainability, wellness, amenity and technology. As with all Pioneer projects, the blend of workspace, retail and leisure will create a space that actively enhances work life balance and improves the wellbeing of its communities.

As part of this, a focus on biophilia, which is known to improve wellbeing and productivity, will also be introduced through a 375 sq m living biophilic wall on the building’s external facade. This greenery will include 36,000 carefully selected plants grown in South Manchester, which will reduce the building’s carbon emissions whilst also creating a habitat for wildlife, equivalent to native scrubland and meadows found in and around Greater Manchester.

Bruntwood has also just announced its plans to use innovative air quality and biodiversity sensing technologies created via local company, I WANT PLANTS as part of their research partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University. This will also provide vital information for Bruntwood, enabling them to monitor and improve their environmental impact.

Additional sustainability measures will also be taken, including limiting the embodied carbon emissions during construction by retaining and reusing the existing structure. Additionally, by using recycled and secondhand tiles, laying low carbon carpets and salvaging the vast majority of brick from the original building – the environmental impact of the construction will be significantly reduced.

In addition, several measures such as adding new thermal insulation, improving air tightness, removing gas fired heating and replacing with high efficiency heat pumps and the introduction of roof mounted solar PV panels will reduce operational carbon – the amount of carbon needed to operate the building post-completion – and will result in an EPC rating of B.

A landmark gateway between Altrincham town centre and beyond, Stamford Square will become a focal point for Altrincham’s existing high street, aiming to better connect, and complement, the existing national brands and independent shops on George Street and Stamford New Road. Increased engagement with the local community will be sought by blending the traditional prime high street with more independent businesses, hospitality and workspace. At Foundation there will be multiple spaces available for retail and hospitality operators within the building and leading out onto the new terraces and Stamford Square.

The development forms a central part of the wider transformational plans for the regeneration of the Stamford Quarter in Altrincham, which is being delivered through a joint venture between Bruntwood and Trafford Council. The Council is also improving the public realm in the town centre through works to improve roads and new cycle lanes. Foundation has been designed to create a thriving workspace and lifestyle anchor for the town centre, where people can work, meet and socialise. Foundation’s hospitality offering will spill out onto Stamford Square, providing a destination for the community and a vibrant hub of activity from day to night.

The project includes a complete reimagination of the old department store, including the transformation of 50,000 sq ft of commercial workspace and 25,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space. This redesign of the ground floor will offer a unique, welcoming arrival experience, and provide hospitality with a cafe, host, restaurant and bar offering, and retail. The development will include a flexible coworking space to provide an exciting workspace environment for freelancers and start-ups wishing to work in the town centre.

A new two-storey extension will also create an indoor-outdoor work and lifestyle experience. The extension will incorporate new terraces on the first floor which will feature breakout areas, and a new solar panel system on the roof. A wellness studio, as well as extensive cycle storage and showers, have also been incorporated into the plans to encourage a cycling commute and promote wellbeing among customers.

Andrea George, town centre and consumer brands director at Bruntwood, said: “Foundation is our first regional Pioneer scheme in a town centre, and will be a truly best-in-class experience. It will bring together a vibrant mix of retail, hospitality and workspace where people can meet, eat, drink, and immerse themselves in a range of arts, cultural and wellbeing events. It offers lots of opportunities for local, independent and national businesses to join Altrincham’s thriving community.

“As a Pioneer building, there will be significant focus on wellbeing and amenity as well as a drive towards significant sustainability measures. It’s incredibly exciting to be able to bring our market-leading ethos around the circular economy to a town centre workspace, creating a blueprint for future developments.

“It’s hugely exciting to pass this development milestone, which has opened up the former site to create a new gateway to Altrincham town centre. It marks the next stage of reinvesting in the building and creating a reimagined, reborn and reconnected town centre, and we’ve already seen a lot of interest in the workspace and retail space at Foundation ahead of the project’s completion.”

Cllr Andrew Western, Leader of Trafford Council, said: “Altrincham is an award-winning destination for business, retail and hospitality operators.

“It’s vital we harness this success and support the sustainable growth of the local economy. Trafford Council is committed to transforming the town centre and breathing new life into Stamford Quarter as part of our long-term partnership with Bruntwood, and in close consultation with residents. This latest milestone in the reimagination of the former Rackhams building is a landmark step towards creating a modern, successful and connected town centre for the future.”

More information on Foundation can be found here: https://www.stamfordquarter.com/foundation/

YMCA opens new £6.1m facility for young people in Bolton

News

Sam Allcock

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28/09/2022

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YMCA opens new £6.1m facility for young people in Bolton

YMCA’s multi-million-pound project to create a new five-storey independent living facility for young people in Bolton is now complete and open for occupancy.

The new building, called ‘Y-Pad’ and designed by Preston architects Cassidy + Ashton, has transformed YMCA’s existing community and drop-in centre on Deansgate to create forty modern self-contained apartments for young people in Bolton aged between 18 and 25.

On completion of construction, which was carried out by Walter Carefoot & Sons, the facility has been handed over to YHousing for YMCA Bolton to manage and young people began moving into the new premises during the summer.

As well as providing the opportunity for young people to move out of supported accommodation and foster care and become more independent, Y-Pad’s ground floor houses Bolton Y-Zone, enabling the continuation of YMCA Bolton’s youth services.

Andy Drake, chairman of YHousing said: ‘We are all facing a cost-of-living crisis but for young people the challenges are even more magnified, so the YMCA’s services and support are more important than ever.”

The Bolton Y-Pad project is a collaboration between YMCA Bolton and YHousing (YMCA Blackburn).

“Fundamental to the YMCA offer is quality housing which aims to not just put a roof over a young person’s head but also provide a stable, secure and supported base from which a young person can build a resilient and independent life for the rest of their life,” added Andy.

“This is why YHousing, YMCA Fylde Coast and local YMCA partners in Bolton are proud to offer this new development with 40 apartments available to the local community’s young people.

“Having been borne out of partnership, our hope is that the young lives abiding within this development will be supported and guided by not just the YMCA but also the local community, statutory services and other organisations who together are able to help local young people be all they can be.”

Alistair Baines, Cassidy + Ashton’s chairman and head architect on the project said: “It has been a real pleasure to be involved in such an important and much needed facility and to help bring life to YMCA’s vision for the Bolton community.

“This has been a significant regeneration project in the heart of Bolton’s town centre conservation area. We chose a contemporary, aspirational design for the building, taking into consideration features and materials that reflect the same flavour and architectural language as the surrounding historic buildings.

“By incorporating large, glazed areas and the use of modern materials, the new building offers a light, spacious facility and a welcoming environment for young people to realise their independence.”

Andrew Cross, managing director, Walter Carefoot & Sons added: “I am delighted by the end results of this fabulous new YMCA building in Bolton. We have left a legacy for many generations of young Bolton people by providing residencies that have been built with care and skill.”

YMCA enables people to develop their full potential in mind, body and spirit by creating inclusive and energising communities where young people can truly belong, contribute and thrive.

Kitman Labs takes space at Department Bonded Warehouse

Tech

Sam Allcock

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28/09/2022

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Kitman Labs takes space at Department Bonded Warehouse

Sports analytics and technology company, Kitman Labs, has taken a three-year lease on a premium suite in Department Bonded Warehouse, part of Manchester’s tech, digital and creative hub, Enterprise City, after raising $52million in a Series C funding round.

Since 2012, Kitman has secured $82million in outside funding and plans to use the most recent round of proceeds to invest in its technology and hire 100 more employees to add to the existing 125 within the next 10 months, including its growing Manchester team.

The company’s new base in Department Bonded Warehouse will be central in the ongoing recruitment drive, creating more tech jobs in Manchester and feeding into the region’s wider tech ecosystem.

Department Bonded Warehouse will offer Kitman Labs’ employees access to a varied inventory of workspace, wellness and social amenities all on-site, including: premium meeting and event spaces, Condition gym, Dept Coffee shop, Department Store bar & lounge, Halcyon gin bar and breakout areas.

Dublin-headquartered Kitman was formed nine years ago and has developed an artificial intelligence platform that analyses data that teams collect during practice, games, sleep and rest, and other situations. This data can then be used to predict injury risk in players, form practice and game plans and evaluate talent and what makes players perform at their peak level.

Currently, teams collect 2.5million data points per athlete per year, but the company expects to see that rise to 200million by 2025.

Anthony Powell, Managing Director of Department, said: “We’re delighted to have Kitman Labs join Department Bonded Warehouse’s community and facilitate their expansion into Manchester. As we are based within Enterprise City, Manchester’s tech district, it’s the perfect fit for Kitman Labs which can connect with like-minded pioneers in its sector. We look forward to supporting their next chapter of growth and enabling their employees to experience the premium wellness and social facilities we have here at Department.”

Stephen Smith, founder of Kitman Labs, said: “Data, technology and analytics are changing all facets of modern business, and sport is no exception. Department Bonded Warehouse and Enterprise City not only have strong roots in tech, but also links to the Manchester sports scene which is of course renowned worldwide. This makes it an excellent place to establish a base as we grow and we are looking forward to the opportunities and connections that will come to the business during our time here.”

QUARTET PROMOTED TO SENIOR ASSOCIATE

Appointments

Sam Allcock

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28/09/2022

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Four solicitors have been promoted to senior associate at Tameside law firm Bromleys.

The quartet are Anthony Theakston, Kate Allsop, Rachael Frankland and Francesca Rigby.

Senior and managing partner Mark Hirst said: “This round of promotions reflects the acknowledged expertise of each individual in their respective fields as well as recognising their dedication, the success they have achieved for their clients and their contribution to the growth of the firm.

“Anthony, Kate, Rachael and Francesca all have a great future here with Bromleys and are integral members of our growing team. Their promotions are very well-deserved.”

Anthony, who joined Bromleys in 2018, works in the care proceedings and children services team. He specialises in child care work and deals with private and public law matters, representing children, parents and other family members where there are disputes within families or involvement with social services.

He is a member of the Law Society’s Children Law Accreditation Scheme, which independently recognises and accredits specialists in children and family law work.

Kate also works in Bromleys’ care proceedings and children services team. She mainly acts for children, parents and other family members in care and adoption proceedings and in private law proceedings relating to children and special guardianship cases and advising parents involved in social services disputes. She also has expertise in the field of domestic abuse and forced marriage protection cases.

Kate has held the Higher Courts Rights of Audience qualification since 2012, when at the age of 27 she became one of the youngest solicitors in the UK to achieve this accreditation from the Solicitors Regulation Authority due to her expertise. She is also a member of the Law Society’s Children Law Accreditation Scheme, Resolution and Child Concern.

Rachael splits her time between dispute resolution and employment work. She has a broad practice in relation to disputes, advising on contractual and commercial matters, neighbour disputes, contested wills, landlord-tenant matters, professional negligence claims, insolvency and bankruptcy, debt collection and credit control.

Her employment expertise covers contentious and non-contentious work, including drafting contracts of employment, staff handbooks, employment policies and advice on TUPE transfers.

She also has wide experience of contested claims on behalf of employers and employees in the High Court and County Courts for injunctions to enforce restrictive covenants and money claims, and in employment tribunals for unfair or wrongful dismissal, discrimination and unlawful deductions from wages.

Rachael’s litigation work includes representing clients in cases involving injuries at work, road accidents, public liability claims and Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority claims. Rachael, who has been at Bromleys since joining as a trainee, is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.

Francesca joined Bromleys last year as the head of its Wills and Probate and Court of Protection teams. She specialises in all private client matters, including wills, probate, lasting powers of attorney, Court of Protection work, trusts and elderly client administration.

She is a member of both the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE), a global professional body comprising lawyers, accountants, financial advisers, trustees and other practitioners who help families plan for the future. Her memberships recognise her as an expert in the field of wills and probate.

Meanwhile, several non-legal staff at Bromleys have also been promoted. Hailie Applegate has been promoted to associate in the accounts department, where Jackie Brindley has been promoted to legal cashier. Caroline Renshaw, a law costs draftsman, and practice manager Louise Nolan have also become associates.

They are the first non-legal members of staff to be promoted under the firm’s career path, which was recently amended to recognise people’s expertise in specialist areas, not just in the legal field.

Multi-million pound project seeks to understand future security threats to UK cities

Partnerships

Sam Allcock

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28/09/2022

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Multi-million pound project seeks to understand future security threats to UK cities

Understanding how the UK can be resilient against possible security threats in the future, will become the proving ground for a new collaborative technology platform that will see government, industry and academia come together to consider such threats built around the scenario of a catastrophic attack on digital and energy networks in the year 2051

Powered by Shift Platform, a collaboration tool developed by Belfast and London-based technology company Whitespace, the RBOC Community will enable the Resilience Beyond Observed Capabilities (RBOC) Network+ to develop and harness new understandings about issues that may threaten the resilience of UK cities in the future.

The RBOC Network+ will enable the multi-million pound research project, being spearheaded by Coventry University, to bring academia, industry and policy maker partners together to collaborate with real time events, meetings, chats, white boards and discussion areas. Here, individual elements of the project can be tested so that a coordinated and coherent response can be developed. This allows existing research to be identified and brought to the attention of relevant collaborators at speed, enabling expert, cross-sector teams to quickly establish where gaps lie and where new research is required.

Utilising the capabilities of Shift Platform, RBOC Network+ will allow experts to collaborate more effectively and efficiently in a manner which has previously not been possible. It is the first major roll-out of the technology, having previously been developed as an innovation collaboration tool for a community of C-suite level executives who are part of Whitespace’s Corporate Innovation Community.

David MclHatton, RBOC Project Lead from Coventry University, commented: “Collaborating effectively on a project of this scale is key for maximum impact. It will enable us to bring the project members together beyond in-person sessions, to digitally co-create and co-produce for greatest effect. We have chosen to adopt Shift Platform from Whitespace as our digital collaboration platform for this project, with the primary goal of opening up cross-organisational collaboration between academia, government and industry. We see this as providing a future-proofed opportunity for starting conversations around a resilient UK, set against the background of possible security threats of the future.”

Shift Platform has been developed as a white label SaaS solution. It has been designed from the ground up to be scalable and to enable organisations and individuals around the World to collaborate in a familiar digital environment. Shift uses a comprehensive set of leading collaboration tools that make it the perfect choice for the RBOC Network+ project.

Focusing on developing knowledge of potential capabilities in future generations will provide the foundations for the UK to think differently and creatively about future resilience. RBOC Network+ enabled by Shift Platform, will help the UK research community achieve this by developing, for the first time, an extensive network of collaborators, many of which will have never been involved in resilience research before.

The RBOC Network+ will bring collaborators from Coventry University, Cardiff University, Lancaster University, University of Manchester, Ulster University and RUSI. The project has been supported by BAE Systems, Cambridge Consultants Ltd, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Improbable Defence, International Leadership Association, Lancashire County Council, Ordnance Survey, PA Consultancy Services, and Whitespace, together to help consider security threats in the coming decades.

Andrew Webber, CMO at Whitespace commented: “For us, it is a great honour to make Shift Platform available for this hugely important collaborative project. It will be the first of many such platforms that we will be building for clients in academia, the public sector, and the private sector who are interested in transforming how they collaborate.”

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