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North West Business Leadership Team Bolters Group With Two New Members

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The North West Business Leadership Team (NWBLT) has bolstered its board with two new members. Joining the membership is Adeel Aslam of Bouyges Energies & Services, Contracting and James Byrne of Sustainable Ventures.

Deputy Chair of the North West Business Leadership Team, Joëlle Warren (Executive Director & EOT Chair at Warren Partners), welcomed the news:

“These turbulent times are re-enforcing the value and importance of good leadership, and the addition of Adeel and James will further strengthen the membership of the North West Business Leadership Team. Both Bouygues ES and Sustainable Ventures bring expertise in sustainability and net zero which is a key focus for us and key to the long term growth of the region.”

Adeel Aslam, Technical Director at Bouygues Energies & Services, Contracting responded:

“I am delighted to join the NWBLT, and I am looking forward to collaborating with the team and working on key topics and megatrends that affect all of our businesses and organisations and will drive the long-term sustainable and inclusive growth of the North West region. 

Bouygues Energies & Services design, build and maintain cleanrooms/labs, manufacturing facilities, and data centres. We aim to innovate for our clients and help them on their journey towards digitisation and carbon net-zero. The NWBLT complement this well with the expertise of the members and I cannot wait to get started with the team.”

James Byrne, Partner at Sustainable Ventures commented:

“It is a pleasure to join the NWBLT and work with so many great leaders who are committed to sustainable inclusive growth for the North West.

“Sustainable Ventures is the home of Climate Tech and is the largest ecosystem of collocated sustainable organisations in Europe. A full-service ecosystem empowering sustainable start-ups to scale through community, investment, innovation and workspace. We are excited to start working with the NWBLT team to create new business partnerships and invest in the Net Zero innovation ecosystem, securing long term prosperity for the North.”

Manchester Among Most Expensive Areas for Commercial Rent in the UK

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The UK is one of the biggest European commercial real estate markets, however, many businesses are unable to keep up with the increasing commercial rents.

In fact, data compiled by the Local Data Company revealed a staggering 17,219 retail shops closed last year – equal to 47 closures a day[1].

Cities in particular have struggled with rising rent costs and following effects of the pandemic in comparison to commuter towns and villages where commercial rent is often lower.

How much is commercial rent in the UK?

Analysing three types of commercial rent, retail, prime office and industrial, the research has shown that London has come out on top for all three, with the prices reaching as high as £2,150 per square foot per year for retail space.

However, Manchester is not far behind areas of London within the retail sector, as some plots reach as high as £220 per square foot per year – just £20 less than City of London.

But areas in the midlands are also seeing high commercial costs in comparison to the rest of the country, with retail spaces in Birmingham going for £180 per square foot[2].

Retail Cost (Per square foot) Q2 2021
London (West End – Bond Street) £2,150
London (West End – Oxford Street) £675
London (City) £240
Manchester £220
Birmingham £180
Cardiff £140
Leeds £140
Bristol £95

 

For prime office space, there was an increase in cost between Q4 2020 and Q4 2021.

Birmingham was revealed as the most expensive area outside of London for prime office rent, with offices costing on average £39 per square foot per month.

This means that commercial tenants could pay over £460 per square foot per year in the west midland city.

Mahmud Shahnawaz, founder of social enterprise, The Utilize Project (TUP) adds that prime office rental space is almost £50 per square foot per month in London’s business hub, Canary Wharf.

“Many SMEs and start-ups are increasingly struggling to have their start in the city, meaning hundreds of community opportunities, jobs and local economies are being restricted.”

Prime Office Cost (Per Square Foot) Q4 2021
London (West End) £110
London (City) £70
East London £40
Birmingham £39
Edinburgh £38
Bristol £38
Manchester £38
Glasgow £35
Leeds £34
Newcastle £26

 

Overall, industrial rents are the cheapest type of commercial rent per square footage, with prices as little as £7 in Scotland. However, they tend to be much larger, with some big box warehouse units as large as 100,000 square feet.

Industrial commercial rent is also highest outside of the capital across areas in both the west and east midlands, reaching almost £9 per square foot per year.

Industrial Cost (Per Square Foot) Q1 2022
London + South East £16.75
West Midlands £8.75
East Midlands £8.60
North West £7.75
Yorkshire + The North East £7.50
South West + Wales £7.50
East of England £7
Scotland £7

 

How can businesses compete with the rent increases? 

There are still ways in which businesses can compete with rising commercial rental rates.

Meanwhile spaces offer prime commercial rental space at discounted prices, allowing smaller businesses and all-important community groups to have a temporary home and kickstart growth.

Shahnawaz from TUP explains, “Landlords and developers face pressures from local councils to fill empty spaces and avoid empty space charges, meaning rental rates are usually heavily reduced.”

“Our meanwhile spaces can charge as little as £1 per square metre in the capital, and so rent becomes much more accessible for a wide range of businesses.”, he adds.

As commercial rent increases and brick and mortar spaces become less achievable, Shahnawaz sees the meanwhile space sector growing across the entirety of the UK.

Another new starter joins the Claritas team

Claritas Tax, the independent tax advisory firm with offices in Birmingham and Manchester is delighted to announce the recruitment of Gavin Bennett, as Business Development Executive.

The appointments come as Claritas accelerates its growth and expands its operations which now includes more than 14 key tax service lines.

Gavin comments: “I am proud to become part of the exciting award winning journey that Claritas are on. Having spent the last 17 years working in management roles across a variety of formats and service areas in UK leading supermarkets, a new challenge and direction was much needed. I am relishing the opportunity to spread my wings and take on a totally new challenge and delighted to have joined such a welcoming and thriving team.” 

Iain Wright, Partner at Claritas Tax said: “Expanding our business development team was a natural move for us given the recent growth and success of the firm. Our growth has especially been driven after this year’s recognition as the Best Independent Consultancy Firm in the UK by Tolley’s Taxation and after being named by Inspiring Workplaces as one of the Top 50 Inspiring Workplaces in Europe. We see untapped opportunities to offer our expertise and advice to more businesses across the UK and are thrilled that Gavin has joined our team to help us expand our reach and help us with our growth strategy.”

Matt Hodgson, Partner at Claritas Tax comments: “We have a tremendous team here at Claritas and we are at an exciting stage in our growth. To nurture our success and expand on it, Claritas needs to continue to attract, develop and retain the best talent. Gavin will be instrumental in the growth of the company, and we know that he will be a great addition to our ever-expanding team of professionals.”

Mat Worrall, Senior Business Development Manager, said: “I’m delighted that Gavin has joined the Claritas Tax business development team. Gavin will be reaching out to the SME market to help businesses claim tax reliefs that they are eligible for. Given the current economic climate, this is vitally important for businesses. Gavin has got off to a fantastic start and I believe he will be a real asset to the business.

Women in Construction event draws a crowd at Stockport school

Students at St James’ Catholic High School in Cheadle Hulme were treated to an ‘inspirational’ introduction to the world of construction by apprentices from a leading regional building contractor.

Girls in Year 9 heard from Russell WBHO Building Student trainees Megan, Isabelle, and Lydia who are all completing the second year of their training programme.
 
At just 20 years old, the apprentices are relatively recent school leavers themselves and are new entrants to the construction industry having joined Russell WBHO in 2020 after their A-Levels. Each secured a place on the award-winning Building Student training scheme which provides them with a hands-on professional apprenticeship alongside a fully-funded five-year degree at the University of Salford.
 
The careers seminar was organised by State Talking, a Manchester education charity which brings relatable role models into state schools. The Women in Construction focus was specially requested by the school as part of their bid to remove preconceptions and give students the opportunity to follow whichever career path they choose.
 
The trio spoke to students, who will begin preparing for their GCSEs this year, about the changing image of a traditionally male dominated profession. They discussed their own choice of a career in an industry where only 14% of employees are female, and their own experience of seeing more women now going into careers like surveying, construction project management and civil engineering.
 
Megan said: “Construction is often overlooked as a career option for girls, despite many female students having a preference for STEM subjects. It feels very important for me, as a young woman starting out in the field, to talk to others about my experiences and aspirations. I think the St James’ students were very interested and I hope we have broken down some barriers and stereotypes today.”
 
Dominique Rarity, careers lead at St James’, said: “Megan, Isabelle and Lydia gave an excellent talk to our Year 9s and really gave them some food for thought. External speakers play a vital role in our careers programme at St James. There is nothing like hearing from someone with real world experience to bring a career to life. The apprentices were very down to earth and made it possible for our students to see themselves in their shoes and consider careers in construction.”
 
Fran Kennedy, State Talking founder, said: “A recent survey from housebuilder Redrow found that just 29 percent of young women have received advice about careers in construction, compared to 40 percent of young men. There’s absolutely no reason why that should be the case and we’re doing our bit to address that gap with inspirational visits like this one today.
 
“State Talking matches state schools with relatable and inspirational role models and our mantra is ‘if you can’t see it, you can’t be it’. This fantastic group of young women have engendered that ethos for us by delivering this fantastic talk which, I am confident, will have sown the seeds of some future careers in construction among the girls of St James’ High.”
 
Russell WBHO is one of the North West’s leading main contractors, responsible for some of Manchester’s most recognisable buildings. The company is State Talking’s main sponsor, as part of its Social Value commitment to generating genuine improvements for local young people.
 
Andrew Russell, joint managing director of the Trafford-based firm and a trustee of State Talking, added: “The construction industry has a skills gap and a perception problem, both of which we’re working hard to tackle.
 
“Our partnership with State Talking, combined with our Building Student apprenticeship programme, allows us to affect real change by promoting the industry to a more diverse potential workforce and giving young people a better understanding of the opportunities open to them.
 
“We strongly believe in State Talking’s mantra and the charity’s approach of engaging directly with young people as they make important life choices, thereby hopefully inspiring and encouraging them to see themselves among our next generation of construction professionals.”

NORTH WEST HOTEL GROUP EXPANDS CHARITY SUPPORT ACROSS REGION

The owners of Brilliant Hotel Group are boosting their charitable credentials with a new partnership, which will see all seven properties donating rooms and meals to charity fundraising events.

The four-star Trafford Hall Hotel is the first venue from Brilliant Hotels Group to offer up prizes for fundraising events through the Group’s work with not-for-profit organisation Charity Escapes.

Rooms and experiences from the group – which owns venues includingThe Crown Hotel in Stone and The Royal Hotel in Crewe – will be listed on the Charity Escapes website with charities able to request the prizes for fundraising raffles and auctions.

The exclusive partnership means Charity Escapes will lead Brilliant Hotels’ corporate social responsibility, managing its charitable donations – which includes handling all charity requests – providing marketing reports and updating the hotel on how much money its donations raise.

Charity Escapes is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to make charity giving and fundraising easier for its 200 business partners and charities alike. To date, it has helped more than 500 charities raise more than £765,000. Charity Escapes asks in return for the prize donations is for charities to highlight businesses’ donations online and in any marketing materials relating to the fundraising event.

Carly Sells, director at Charity Escapes, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Brilliant Hotels group to help make its charity support more effective, starting with its historic Trafford Hall Hotel.

“The group has some wonderful hotel and restaurant locations and is a welcome addition to our growing portfolio of businesses willing to support the charity sector at a time when it is more financially pressed than ever.

“Charity Escapes helps businesses to make the most of their corporate social responsibility. Instead of donating vouchers on an ad hoc basis, we help businesses set up a structured programme that delivers substantially improved marketing benefits, reduces workload for busy teams and raises significantly more money for charities. It is a win-win for both charities and businesses.”

Anoob Saban, chief executive of Brilliant Hotels said: “While it’s very important to us to support the local community and charities, it can be difficult to manage the many requests we receive. Hospitality is a busy industry and sometimes we don’t always have the time or resources to help out in the way we would want.

“Working with Charity Escapes means that the entire process is taken care of, and we can focus on our job of making sure guests are well looked after, while still fulfilling our corporate social responsibility.

“More importantly, once the event is over, Charity Escapes provides us a report covering the return on investment that the marketing and publicity has delivered, and how much was raised – something which is very important to us. In the past, we’ve donated things and never received feedback which can be deflating when you’ve put time and effort into helping out.”

Scottish solutions business invests in the future with new appointment

A RAPIDLY expanding solutions business has signaled its investment in the future by recruiting a Head of Sales for its net zero portfolio of products.

Eco Group has appointed James Kellock to the newly-created role as part of its continued growth in the sector.

As part of the EcoGoZero team, James will work with businesses and organisations across the UK to find practical ways in which they can help mitigate carbon emissions and find solutions for a resilient, sustainable future.

James said: “I’m excited to have this opportunity to be at the forefront of helping businesses on their net zero journey.

“We’re actively collaborating with businesses and organisations across the country to make a positive difference to the environment and lay the foundations for a brighter and stronger future.”

EcoGoZero offers affordable, advancing technology solutions, with a focus on energy decentralisation, off-grid energy, decarbonised travel, waste to fuel solutions, EV charging solutions, off-grid lighting and infrastructure innovation.

Products in the EcoGoZero range include the BriXcell, a brick-sized EV chargepoint which can be installed as part of the construction phase of new builds; a standalone EV charging station; and a standalone off-grid LED street lighting system which can be used in a variety of different environments. Other products and services are due to come online in the near future.

James brings a wealth of experience to his new role at Eco including more than a decade working as a sales manager in the telecommunications industry with Gradwell, 02, Vodafone and Cellhire.

James, who lives near Bath, was previously a PE teacher and has played senior hockey and junior rugby at international level.

Based in Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, Eco Group is a multi-disciplined solutions business, creating and delivering quality, innovative solutions for businesses across the UK in a range of sectors including IT and comms, design, build and fit out, and dry ice blasting.

To find out more about EcoGoZero’s range of products and services visit www.ecogozero.co.uk or email hello@ecogozero.co.uk

Eco Green Living launch new Bamboo biodegradable nappy range

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Launching biodegradable, chemical and toxic free, environmental nappies into the UK. Using bamboo as the primary ingredient to produce the softest, most absorbent, and environmental nappies on the market.  Supported by certified compostable nappy bags and compostable wipes, the Eco Boom nappy range is set to make direct changes to environmental buying behaviour in parenting.

The most essential component of a parent’s journey is to keep our baby safe, away from danger and away from chemicals. Typically, organic and chemical free choices are a priority.  On average, a baby goes through 4,000 disposable nappies before they reach their first birthday. With approximately 625,000 babies born last year in the UK alone, the combined total of disposable nappies used by babies aged one and under is almost 3 billion. That’s for one year only.

Once used and disposed of the nappies end up in landfill where it can take up to 500 years to decompose, all while emitting harmful greenhouse gases such as methane.

Eco Green Living are proud to be combatting against plastic waste and are extremely thrilled to partner with Eco Boom, launching an eco-alternative nappy which is certified biodegradable, giving babies the best natural start in life. This means the nappy will degrade in at least 75 days – a huge contrast in comparison to regular disposable nappies. Julie Cook, manager at Eco Green Living, speaks with excitement regarding the new product, “bamboo is an underrated material to be working with, naturally organic, regrowth is fast and with lots of amazing benefits – unlike cotton.  I am so excited for this product range.  There is simply no need for the historic standard disposable products to be on shelf, it must stop, and we are launching this range in partnership with Eco Boom to challenge the status quo.”

Made using bamboo, which is 7 times more durable, absorbent, and softer than cotton – these nappies are naturally hypoallergenic and free of any harmful chemicals therefore suitable for the most sensitive of skins. Packed with naturally occurring Aloe oil to keep the babies’ skin soft and delicate, preventing any rash or irritation that would usually occur with regular nappies.

Due to the vast amount of bamboo available and the speed in which it replenishes, it is fantastic for naturally lowering CO2 gases and generating 30% more oxygen than trees. Eco Green Living are always striving to lower their carbon emissions by planting a tree for every purchase made. Complementary to this product, Eco Green Living also has compostable nappy bags, bamboo baby wipes, and sanitary pads available for purchase.

EXCHANGE QUAY LAUNCHES WORKPLACE WELLNESS PARTNERSHIP

Exchange Quay, Manchester’s 435,000 sq ft flagship office campus has launched a new workplace wellness partnership with Urban Reform as part of its health and wellbeing strategy to support occupiers and staff in a post Covid world.

Manchester-based health and wellbeing business Urban Reform offers a diverse team of health coaches who specialise in helping city centre businesses and their staff take ownership of their health, happiness and lifestyle choices through a series of wellness programmes and workshops.

The pandemic has adversely affected mental health with more and more employees needing and increasingly seeking additional support from their employers.   Exchange Quay recognises and embraces wellbeing for its occupiers and the new collaboration aims to educate, encourage and motivate more than 4000 campus workers to create and develop new habits to look after their health and wellbeing.

The workplace wellness partnership will kick off with a cluster of health checks for Exchange Quay employees followed by a postural awareness campaign in October.  This will be a series of 4 linked on site workshops and 4 physical strengthening sessions to help office workers with lower back pain education and support.  Other workshops planned  include one on Mental Health to tie in with the winter months and low mood and Nutrition, focussing on healthy eating on a budget in light of the cost of living crisis.

Luke Podmore, Health & Wellbeing Leader and PT at Urban Reform commented:

“We are excited to partner with Exchange Quay to deliver a series of sustainable wellbeing initiatives.  We believe happier and healthier employees are the key to achieving long term success in business with talent increasingly seeking companies with a strong health and wellbeing agenda.   We specialise in providing packaged support services to city centre businesses where the working environment is largely sedentary, including high pressure jobs with a diverse range of professionals who would benefit from our health and lifestyle support.”

Les Lang, Director, Till AM said:

“We are committed to helping the businesses that are our tenants. The current cost of living crisis coming so soon after the pandemic and the need to address people’s wellbeing and mental health has never been greater. By working with Urban Reform, who have a proven track record of delivering wellbeing programmes for businesses such as AJ Bell, Selfridges, CBRE and more, we can play our part in helping people.

“We think the wellness programmes will help in multiple ways from combating lower motivation and energy to improving moral, addressing and helping with anxiety and mental health needs, educating on nutritional and health choices, empowering people to take control of their health and fitness journey and so much more.  A better future is possible when businesses help build the skills for wellbeing and we want to give occupiers and their staff the tools and know-how to improve their long term health and happiness. It is our ambition to be the healthiest office campus in Manchester.”

How to be happy at work this International Week of Happiness at Work

A full-time employee will spend around a quarter of their time at work. When you take the weekend and time spent sleeping out of the equation, this increases to 50% of our waking hours Monday-Friday.

For the vast majority, working is a necessity – we need to pay the bills and maintain a quality of life. But that’s not to say that time spent working cannot be enjoyable.

Job site Indeed says that 91% of people who are planning to leave their current role list ‘happiness’ as a main priority when choosing their next, whilst research reveals that the average UK worker would take a 10% pay cut in order to have ‘above average’ happiness at work – despite the cost-of-living crisis.

These findings clearly show the importance employees place on happiness at work. But there’s also benefits for employers too.

The University of Warwick found in a 2021 study that happiness made people around 12% more productive. NexaLearning states that happy people are three times more creative, and 23% less likely to experience burnout.

With this being International Week of Happiness at Work, BrightHR CEO Alan Price shares his advice on how to champion a happy workforce.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to guarantee a happy workforce, but a great place to start is by listening to your staff. A workplace that empowers employees, encouraging them to be forthcoming with feedback, both positive and negative, as well as openly raising any concerns and ideas, then acting on them will automatically foster a more positive culture.

“The importance of rewarding and recognising your staff should not be underestimated. It’s a real morale booster and can be an incentive for greater levels of productivity. You can show your appreciation through things like annual bonuses and pay rises if you are in a position to do so, mentoring initiatives, profit-sharing, shoutouts for top-performers, employee recognition wall displays, a handwritten note, a recommendation on LinkedIn… the list goes on!

“Small perks can also go a long way in contributing to your employees’ happiness. Free fruit, subsidised gym memberships, social outings, dress down days, games, etc. are just a few, inexpensive ways you can show your employees that you care about their happiness. However don’t rely on these alone – they can be seen as empty gestures if your overall culture is not right.

“Prioritise upskilling and support your employees’ progression with training and mentorship. Committing to a culture of continuous learning and development with plenty of opportunities for career advancement will help with retention rates and prevent employees from feeling undervalued or in a stagnant role.

“Employees are increasingly expecting their employer to have a strong focus on corporate social responsibility initiatives. 34% of UK workers would turn down a job from a company with poor sustainability credentials. Being part of an organisation which actively works toward a more enhanced society and environment helps people feel part of something bigger. Every step taken is a positive one and your staff will thank you for it.

“And finally, ONS data shows 78% of UK employees who worked from home in some capacity felt their work life balance improved. It’s not for everyone but offering flexible working practices can reduce stress and improve happiness – both in work and outside of it.”

Waste Quote Supermarket Launches wasteExpert.io

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Waste Quote Supermarket has launched its price and service comparison product to allow energy brokers, affiliates and other third-party intermediaries to connect their customers to waste management service providers. This will enable them to make substantial savings on their customers’ behalf and earn generous commissions.

The new wasteExpert.io white label platform, developed by tech specialists from the waste and utility business sectors, has been created to increase the range of B2B value-added services that commercial energy brokers can sell to customers. Selling additional services to existing customers is proven to reduce the churn of energy customers by over 50%.

The cloud-based platform enables energy brokers to offer their customers a secure, easy-to-use, 24/7 instant quoting platform by utilising its AI-powered ‘virtual waste expert’, turning the fragmented and archaic business waste market on its head with smart data analysis.

As such, the market-first comparison service gives end-user businesses hundreds of deal-direct, transparent quoting options that can be filtered, tailored and customised to their specific needs and priorities, be that the best price, service, recycling options or a blend of all. What’s more, the platform is supported by real-life waste specialists to provide extra guidance to customers where needed, and to assist with their switching journey, ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction, conversion rates and retention.

The hosted white label comparison platform, which features multi-level quoting options to maximise sales conversions, embeds seamlessly with utility comparison sites’ own brands, and will shortly offer additional email campaign integration, support and active data analytics, and a secure portal to track customer journeys and behaviours.

Carl Bennet, founder of Waste Quote Supermarket, comments: “Waste is the second biggest utility overhead for businesses after energy, and our white label solution allows utility brokers to offer end-to-end solutions which, ultimately, will give them the competitive edge they need to retain customers. Whilst it may be very challenging to save customers money on energy right now, brokers can provide new value-added services and strengthen existing relationships with the addition of the provision of waste management services.

“This is the first of many technological developments under the Waste Quote Supermarket umbrella, which is committed to helping businesses get the best deals whilst maximising carbon reduction and net zero ambitions. The utility and waste pedigree of our technical team is second-to-none, and we’re excited to be finally bringing waste sector technology up to the levels of other business utilities.”

Tech heavyweight, Chris Gee, CTO at Waste Quote Supermarket, adds: “With utility costs going through the roof, there’s no better time for us to launch our wasteExpert.io product. It’s extremely rewarding to know our combined tech and waste industry know-how is set to help save businesses significant sums of money in the challenging months, if not years, ahead.”

Founded by waste industry expert Carl Bennet, and backed by ex-Verastar CEO, Chris Earle, who joined the business last summer as an investor and shareholder, Waste Quote Supermarket is the UK’s only impartial comparison platform with unrivaled access to exclusive waste service provider deals negotiated through 15+ years of sector expertise and contacts. Reinforced with industry-leading customer support, the platform partners with waste service providers to provide instant comparisons on a wide scope of trade, commercial and industrial waste management services, including recycling, shredding, skips, bulky waste, hazardous, electrical, clinical waste, and washroom services.

The white label technology is available to all utility brokers, affiliates and other third-party intermediaries who can discover more or sign up at wasteexpert.io.

Image: Carl Bennet