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Business leaders urged to sleep out in Manchester to combat homelessness

News

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22/09/2022

Business leaders urged to sleep out in Manchester to combat homelessness

CEO Sleepout is urging business leaders across Manchester to sleep out this October as part of their national charity initiative.

CEO Sleepout events raise vital funds to tackle homelessness by asking business leaders, owners, and executives to give up their beds for one night and sleep under the stars.

Chief Executive Bianca Robinson said: “This will be our sixth event in Manchester, and it’s always been well-supported by the local business community – raising over £300,000 to date.

“Anyone who has walked down Piccadilly has seen the huge number of people surviving rough on the streets. There are over 6,700 households that we know of (including families and children) estimated to be homeless in Manchester – that’s an extremely worrying figure, especially as the cost of living begins to bite. It will undoubtedly force families out of private rental, leaving them at a real risk of homelessness this winter.

“By taking part you’ll gain a deeper understanding of some of the bigger issues – and the power you have in business to lead change.

“You’re in for a fun, interesting and enlightening night, rubbing shoulders with some of the leading lights of Manchester’s business world and hearing from people who have overcome homelessness.”

The event takes place at Lancashire County Cricket Club in Manchester on October 24th, and out of the 80 available places, 64 have already been taken by leading local figures.

This includes Diane Modahl MBE, CEO and co-founder of The Diane Modahl Sports Foundation. Diane said: “This will be the second sleep-out I’ve taken part in. It’s unacceptable to me that anyone should be homeless.

“Everyone should have access to a safe, decent, accessible and affordable home. By taking part in the Manchester sleep out I’m hoping to raise £1,000 to support the charity’s fantastic work.”

Also taking part in the Manchester event is John Russell, founder of Four Synergy Group, who said: “We all have a part to play in levelling up society. If you are financially and mentally stable and sleep in a nice bed every night you need to at least experience part of what it must be like not to have a home.

“This will be my fourth event, and I take part because I truly believe there is a need to highlight the plight of those who don’t have a place to call home.”

One charity set to benefit from the support is Walking With The Wounded, a national military charity supporting veterans and their families that have landed on hard times.

Director of Income, Joel Oxberry, said: “Walking With The Wounded depends greatly on the generosity of supporters to continue to deliver its vital services; being chosen by CEO Sleepout allows us raise both awareness and funds for ex-military that may find themselves without, for instance, the security of a home to get back on their feet, and to lead independent, purposeful lives.

“To those taking part, I truly am grateful to each and every one of you. Thank you for taking a stance and for encouraging your networks to support and get involved. Thank you for giving up your time. Thank you for raising vital funds. Thank you for stepping up. Thank you. It really is the only thing that I can say.”

Bianca added: “We know rough sleeping can be solved, and by making a stand, our business participants can lead by example, showing what a compassionate city Manchester can be while reflecting on their role and the power they have to create lasting social value.”

If you would like to take part, visit: https://ceosleepoutuk.com/manchester/

Image: Bianca Robinson, CEO at CEO Sleepout, at Lancashire County Cricket Club with participants of the upcoming CEO Sleepout event in Manchester

National Industry Award Recognition for The ONTO Group

Awards

Sam Allcock

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22/09/2022

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National Industry Award Recognition for The ONTO Group

The ONTO Group has been nominated as a ‘Finalist’ in a major education industry awards scheme.

The bespoke data management service provider who services a national and international education client base, has secured a much-coveted shortlisting in the School Improvement Provider category in the EducationInvestor 2022 Awards scheme.

The EducationInvestor Awards 2022 celebrate ‘commercial successes in the business of education, recognising those that have made an outstanding contribution to the industry’.

The team at The ONTO Group will now join other finalists in attending a prestigious commemorative event on Tuesday 8 November at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel London.

The ONTO Group’s Co-Founder and Managing Director, James Treacy says: “We are thrilled to receive such high-profile recognition, and be in such good company.

“As part of the judging procedure our client testimonials and results were closely analysed, which we are proud to say speak for themselves. We have a great team and are passionate about delivering unfailing customer service to all our education sector clients.

“We are now looking forward to attending the awards event in London, and meeting the other finalists, judges and organisers.”

Offering a variety of IT-based services to its school clients, the ONTO team assists with specialist advice, reassurance and hands-on operational support including onsite consultancy and training, timetable management, pupil analysis, exam arrangements, Power Bi and other data services.

In founding the group in 2019, James Treacy, with a strong track record in trading highly-successful businesses joined forces with Neil Gregory who has extensive expertise in providing IT consultancy support for educational establishments.

The ONTO family work as a collective team to offer schools a personalised experience, by tailoring services to the needs of their education customers.
ONTO understand how demanding the education environment can be, and so work closely with schools to provide a supportive, effective relationship.

To find out more about The ONTO Group, visit: www.theontogroup.com

B-COMPLIANT SHOWCASES HANDS-ON SUPPORT

Thought Leaders

Sam Allcock

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22/09/2022

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Manchester’s B-Compliant will be highlighting why it believes compliance support should involve ‘doing’ rather than instructing at a key industry event taking place in Knutsford.

The financial compliance specialists will be exhibiting at PA360 North on October 5, to demonstrate the practical support they provide to small and medium-sized advisory firms.

Held at The Mere Golf Resort and Spa, the Professional Adviser-run event will discuss a range of topical issues, from compliance to technology, training and leadership, giving delegates ideas and practical solutions to help them develop professionally.

B-Compliant directors, Vicky Pearce and Jeremy Smith, will be introducing advisors to the firm’s range of bespoke services for Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulated businesses. They will also be giving visitors to their stand an opportunity to win a golf day, meal for two or spa experience at the renowned venue.

Vicky said: “Contrary to many larger compliance providers, we have built our proposition on providing practical compliance support to financial firms who do not have the skills or capacity inhouse to manage the sector’s complex and time-consuming regulatory requirements. We understand advisors didn’t sign up for hours of policy writing and provide the tailored support they need.

“The pandemic put paid to many exhibitions and events, so we are now really looking forward to meeting delegates once again at PA360 North and introducing new contacts to our hands-on approach to compliance.”

B-Compliant works with financial advisory firms, investment management companies and discretionary fund managers from around the UK. For more information about its bespoke financial compliance services, telephone (0161) 521 8641, visit www.b-compliant.co.uk or follow the firm on Twitter, @b_compliant.

Manchester-based supplementary school expands team following £10,000 community donation

Appointments

Sam Allcock

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22/09/2022

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Manchester-based supplementary school expands team following £10,000 community donation

Manchester-based supplementary school, Rekindle, has been able to expand its team with the appointment of a referral lead in part thanks to a generous community donation, enabling more young people to access the charity’s vital services.

Rekindle is a supplementary school which aims to bring the joy back to learning and support students from working-class communities to fall back in love with education. The school focuses on providing pastoral care, community support and encouraging achievement, offering a nurturing place for young people to attend after mainstream school, between 4-8pm. Young people can nominate themselves to attend the school, or can be nominated by parents, carers or teachers.

The school is run by a youth management group, made up of young people from South Manchester, as well as former teachers passionate about making a difference to the lives of young people in the community. Some of the support offered to students includes, homework help, a daily freshly cooked meal, care packages and a mentor scheme.

The new referral lead will play a vital role in the charity, liaising with the families and carers of the schools’ students, building a positive relationship with them and providing an effective bridge between them and the school.

The donation was given by The Equilibrium Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Equilibrium Financial Planning, based in Handforth, Cheshire. The foundation has already raised £750,000 for charities in the local community, with a goal to raise £4m by 2028.

Rekindle currently operates in Manchester, but has plans to establish new schools in Bradford, the North East and Scotland, with the help of further donations.

Ruth Ibegbuna, founder of Rekindle said: “In the midst of the cost-of-living crisis, it’s more fundamental than ever that young people in the community have a warm, safe place to go, where they can receive a hot meal and thrive in a nurturing environment. With the help of generous donations from Equilibrium and others, we have been able to hire a referral lead to help us to build great relationships with parents, which is key to the success of our project.

“Unfortunately, the mainstream education system tends to cater for those who are already thriving. By offering a different learning environment, we are able to provide young people who may feel disenfranchised by the traditional education system with the skills and surroundings to succeed. As the services we provide are free, a lot of time is spent trying to raise money for Rekindle. Donations like this are key to our mission to expand the dream school concept across the country and provide education that is accessible to all.”

Debbie Jukes, partner and head of client care at Equilibrium Financial Planning, said: “Rekindle is a lifeline for many young people, providing an environment where they can really thrive, whilst developing important skills that will equip them for life. We’re delighted to be able to support Rekindle with this donation and are so pleased to see that it has helped them to fund a vital new role, as well as work towards expanding the supplementary school concept to other communities and bring the joy back to learning for even more young people.”

Manchester-based software business secures £3m loan funding

Blog

Sam Allcock

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22/09/2022

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Manchester-based software business secures £3m loan funding

Shard Credit Partners has completed its fourth investment from its landmark UK technology focused venture debt fund. Sorted has secured £3.0 million of loan funding to support the growth and expansion of the business across existing and new markets.

Sorted is a Manchester-based software business that supports retailers in providing exceptional delivery experiences and analysing post-purchase performance. It empowers customers to track deliveries and returns or exchange parcels effortlessly. The company has grown rapidly in recent years and now provides its services to a wide range of leading UK retailers, such as ASOS, M&S, Dunelm and ASDA.

Shard Credit Partners held the first close of its inaugural venture debt fund in June 2022. Several high-profile institutional investors are expected to commit to the fund in the coming months. The firm is targeting a final close at £75 million by Q2 2023, with a hard cap of £100 million.

William Chappel, Head of Venture Debt at Shard Credit Partners, said; “we are delighted to be providing finance to support Sorted. We have been tracking this name since 2018 and have been hugely impressed by how the business has flourished since that time. We can’t wait to work closer with its CEO, Carmen Carey, and the wider team as the business continues to expand. This is a strong addition to our UK technology-focused venture debt fund, and a key example of our focus on our meaningful approach to ESG, in particular, supporting female led businesses across all regions of the UK.

Carmen Carey, CEO of Sorted commented, “Customers are now expecting – and demanding – faultless delivery and returns experiences as standard, regardless of whether they order from a large multinational brand or a small business. In turn, the next stage in Sorted’s journey is set to provide the SMB market with exceptional delivery and returns capabilities. This latest round of funding will help drive Sorted’s vision, enabling seamless experiences for customers globally, especially as we begin to enter the US market.”

Alastair Brown, CEO of Shard Credit Partners commented; “since launching the new venture debt fund in June, our first close investors have continued to enjoy rapid deployment, with a fourth investment now completed. Will and his team continue to maintain a robust pipeline of high-quality investments that will ensure the fund remains significantly invested, even as we grow our assets under management with subsequent fund closes through the remainder of 2022.”

Legal advice to Shard Credit Partners was provided by Orrick LLP, led by Partner Scott Morrison and supported by Hridi Chowdhury, and Sorted was supported by Gateley and Dow Schofield Watts for legal and finance advice, respectively.

Image: Alistair Brown

Manchester-based Gateley Vinden strengthens building consultancy team

Appointments

Sam Allcock

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22/09/2022

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Manchester-based Gateley Vinden strengthens building consultancy team

Gateley Vinden has strengthened its building consultancy team in the North West with the appointment of Nick Coffey as associate director.

As a chartered building surveyor, Coffey brings eight years of experience to the team, advising both public and private sector clients on all aspects of property and asset management matters including landlord and tenant matters, technical due diligence and project management.

His appointment will see him working within Gateley Vinden’s Manchester team and is a key part of the building consultancy’s growth plans.

Gayle Taylor, head of building consultancy for Gateley Vinden, said: “Since I joined Gateley Vinden to head up the building consultancy team, there has been a significant increase in workload. As a result, we needed to expand the team with some great talent to continue to support clients, and legal professionals, with our extensive construction and building surveying services. Having worked with Nick in previous roles, I know his skillset will be a great boost for our North West team.”

Nick Coffey, associate director for Gateley Vinden’s building consultancy, comments: “I am really excited to join Gateley Vinden as part of the growth strategy for the building consultancy team. When discussing the vision for the future with Gayle, and how it aligned with my ambitions, I knew it would be a great opportunity to implement my experience and allow us to work towards the same goals. The close collaboration of property and legal professionals provides an exceptional platform to best assist our clients.”

The building consultancy team at Gateley Vinden provides straight talking advice to investors, landlords and occupiers, up and down the country, saving them money and helping them mitigate risk.

Gateley Vinden is part of legal and professional services group, Gateley. The business has a 46-strong team located in Birmingham, Bolton, Nottingham, Manchester and London.

Image: Nick Coffey and Gayle Taylor

Urmston Company Expands Team with Trio of Appointments

Appointments

Sam Allcock

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22/09/2022

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Urmston Company Expands Team with Trio of Appointments

North West-based bespoke data management service provider The ONTO Group, has bolstered its team with a trio of new appointments, strengthening and supporting the company’s ambitious expansion plans.

Gill Edwards, Lynsey Marsh and Amy Davies have joined the company, offering management information system (MIS) consultancy for the group’s continuously growing client list and providing operational support.

Gill Edwards takes on the role of MIS Consultant, with a significant twenty years of experience in data management. Most recently, Gill held the position of Information and Data Manager at a high school.

Also joining as an MIS Consultant, Lynsey Marsh who joins from a Data Manager role at a high school and previous to this worked within Aviation Contract Management.

Expanding the operations team is Amy Davis, who has been appointed as Operational Support Executive. With a keen eye for detail, Amy has a strong background in administration and quality assurance.

The firm is also refreshing and expanding the knowledge of its consultants with an intensive week of training opportunities to offer support across various areas of MIS and Exams, led by Lead Consultant Kay Vickers and Success Director Neil Gregory. Team members are also participating in GDPR training run by a Senior MIS Consultant at the company who in addition to managing GDPR within The ONTO Group, supports schools with this also.

The ONTO Group’s Co-Founder and Managing Director, James Treacy commented, “It is a pleasure to welcome Gill, Lynsey and Amy to The ONTO Group Family, all of who I’m sure will be a valuable addition to the team. We have a strong company ethos of promoting growth and development in all of our dedicated and experienced employees, enabling us to offer unrivalled quality service, professional support and innovative, unique business solutions to every school, every time.

“Our business philosophy at The ONTO Group is simple, it’s to provide the highest standards of service to clients and deliver the ‘WOW Factor’ every day, striving to provide our services in a manner whereby the fair treatment of everyone is consistently at the heart of the business.”

Image: Gill Edwards

Travelodge Recruitment Drive in Manchester

Blog

Sam Allcock

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22/09/2022

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Travelodge Recruitment Drive in Manchester

Travelodge, one of Manchester’s biggest hotel chains which operates 19 hotels across the city, has dedicated the whole month of September rather than just a week to celebrate the heroes of its business – its housekeeping team colleagues. As part of its company-wide celebrations, the hotel chain is looking to fill 230 Housekeeping roles across the UK which includes roles in Manchester

These positions in Manchester are ideal for parents who are looking for a job that works around the school run, so that they can raise their family and climb the career ladder. To ease the process, Travelodge offers a five step path to help parents return back to work.

Travelodge welcomes candidates from all walks of life and offers comprehensive training, a work buddy service and access to management training. The company has supported hundreds of colleagues who have joined the company in a housekeeping role to climb the career ladder into a management position.

Detailed below is an outline of Travelodge’s five step path to help parents back to work:

Careers advice on its website to help mums and dads return to work
Flexible working hours to suit family life
Full range of company benefits including discounted hotel stays
Comprehensive training and a work buddy to help get up to speed
Opportunity to join the Travelodge Aspire management programme

Hannah Thompson, Travelodge, Chief People Officer said: “There has never been a better time than now to join Travelodge, one of the UK’s leading names in hospitality. We are dedicated to supporting our colleagues so that they can learn more, earn more and belong. We are currently looking to fill multiple roles within our housekeeping teams in Manchester, who are the heroes across our business. We are looking for enthusiastic individuals that have a passion, determination and desire to deliver excellent customer service.

“With a comprehensive training and development programme in place for all new starters, our Parents’ Programme makes it easier for mums and dads to work around the school run and climb the career ladder whilst raising their family.”

Throughout September, Travelodge is hosting a series of events to recognise its housekeeping teams throughout the UK. Activities are designed to raise awareness of the great work that the companies 580 UK housekeeping teams do, which includes its 19 teams in Manchester, on a daily basis, in order to provide a great service to the millions of customers that stay with Travelodge throughout the year.

Travelodge offers a great range of employee benefits and these are available to new employees from their first day of employment. These benefits include:

50% off Travelodge’s 580 UK hotels
Room discounts for family and friends
Work anniversary complementary booking voucher
Pension scheme
Discounts at a range of retailers
Employee Assistance Programme
Life Assurance

For further information on Travelodge employee benefits please visit: https://www.travelodge.co.uk/careers/what-we-offer.aspx .

The company also operates a successful in-house management programme, called Aspire which helps entry level employees to successfully climb the career ladder into management. Over a thousand entry level employees have been promoted to a management position via this programme.

For further details on these positions in Manchester and to apply, please visit: https://www.travelodge.co.uk/careers/

Langfields targets growth with acquisition of Titanium welding specialist ECF Alloys

Acquisitions

Sam Allcock

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22/09/2022

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Langfields targets growth with acquisition of Titanium welding specialist ECF Alloys

Salford-headquartered engineering group Langfields today completed the acquisition of ECF Alloys, one of the UK’s leading fabrication companies specialising in Titanium welding and process equipment.

Established nearly 30 years ago, ECF is based in Worksop, Notts. The business designs and manufactures pressure equipment for multiple markets. The deal will see Langfields acquire 100% equity in the business whilst retaining the key skills of the Management Team. Langfields Group Managing Director, Neil Yates, commented:

“ECF has a great reputation in the UK & Europe for pressure component manufacturing, and advanced welding processes specialising in Exotic materials and Titanium. We expect their skilled staff and strategic facilities will support our growth ambitions, where we are experiencing significant demand in new markets such as hydrogen, nuclear power, waste-to-energy and pharmaceutical.”

Image: Left to Right (Peter Elliot – Director – ECF Special Alloys, Neil Yates – Group Managing Director – Langfields)

Siemens’ Brian Holliday elected as a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering

Appointments

Sam Allcock

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22/09/2022

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Siemens’ Brian Holliday elected as a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering

At its AGM on 20 September 2022 the Royal Academy of Engineering elected 72 leading figures in the field of engineering and technology to its Fellowship. The group consists of 60 Fellows, seven International Fellows and five Honorary Fellows, each of whom has made exceptional contributions to their own sector, pioneering new innovations, leading progress in business or academia, providing high level advice to government, or promoting wider understanding of engineering and technology.

This year’s new Fellows reflect the Academy’s ongoing Fellowship Fit for the Future initiative announced in July 2020, to drive more nominations of outstanding engineers from underrepresented groups ahead of its 50th anniversary in 2026. This initiative sees the Academy striving for increased representation from women, disabled and LGBTQ+ engineers, those from minority ethnic backgrounds, non-traditional education pathways and emerging industries, and those who have achieved excellence at an earlier career stage than normal.

The new Fellows will be formally admitted to the Academy at a special ceremony in London on 8 November, when each Fellow will sign the roll book. In joining the Fellowship, they will add their unique capabilities to the Academy’s mission to harness the power of engineering to create a sustainable society and an inclusive economy for all.

Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, says:

“I am delighted to welcome such an array of enormously talented people to the Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Engineering. From industry and enterprise to education and government – both national and international – these are some of our most pioneering and distinguished engineers and technologists.

“In an uncertain world, one thing is certain – engineering skills, vision and leadership will play a crucial part in addressing the escalating domestic and global challenges that we face today. The combined connectivity, professionalism, experience and wisdom of the new Fellows who join us today will greatly enrich the expertise and support we can provide to the government and to society in general.”

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