Business Manchester | Manchester's Leading Business Online Magazine

Announcing the senior appointment of Jodi Hinks to Hyatt Regency and Hyatt House Manchester

Appointments

Sam Whitear

-

07/04/2021

Announcing the senior appointment of Jodi Hinks to Hyatt Regency and Hyatt House Manchester

Jodi Hinks has been appointed as Director of Commercial Strategy for Hyatt Regency and Hyatt House Manchester, reporting into the properties’ General Manager, Assumpta McDonald.

Previously the Director of Sales & Marketing with Rocco Forte Hotels in Manchester and Prague, Jodi’s 20+ years of experience in the hospitality sector encompasses a number of leading hotel, catering and sports industry brands.

Born and raised in Bolton, Jodi says, “I am passionate about working in the hotel and hospitality industries, especially within the North of England, there is no better satisfaction than a customer or guest leaving with a smile knowing that we have provided a fantastic experience.

I have seen first-hand how hotels are places where remarkable talent from all genders and diverse backgrounds can thrive. I love that no two days are the same; I’m thrilled to be joining the Hyatt Regency and Hyatt House Manchester hotels at such an exciting time.”

General Manager Assumpta McDonald added, “We are incredibly happy to have Jodi on board. Leading her teams, she will oversee partnerships, deliver sales and marketing campaigns and be responsible for developing the brand’s growth strategy and driving MICE, Corporate and Leisure travellers. “

Hyatt Regency and Hyatt House Manchester hotels opened on January 10th, 2020; owned by M&L Hospitality, the hotels are managed by affiliates of the Hyatt Hotel Corporation. Their openings represented a significant milestone for Hyatt’s brand growth in the U.K. as well as the debut of Hyatt’s extended stay segment, the Hyatt House brand.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Lancashire Digital Skills Partnership to offer 24 fully funded Northcoders diversity scholarships.

Digital

Sam Whitear

-

07/04/2021

0

Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Lancashire Digital Skills Partnership to offer 24 fully funded Northcoders diversity scholarships.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Lancashire Digital Skills Partnership are partnering with Northcoders – the Manchester based industry-leading software development training and solutions provider – to offer 24 fully funded scholarships to people who are disadvantaged and / or underrepresented in the digital industry, as part of the Fast Track Digital Workforce Fund. The 14-week coding bootcamp will start on Tuesday 4th May.

The Fast Track Fund is a joint venture between Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Lancashire Digital Skills Partnership (LDSP), developed to address locally identified digital skills gaps and support Greater Manchester and Lancashire residents with accessible routes into digital employment. This Fund has been extended through the Department for Education Digital Bootcamps to maximise on this work, giving residents the opportunity to build up their digital skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer.

The scholarships are open to the following Greater Manchester or Lancashire residents: disadvantaged young people (19+) who maybe unemployed or under employed; those in low pay sectors or displaced / at risk of redundancy due to CV19 and in need of retraining; the over 50s; ethnic minorities; women or gender minorities; and those with a disability or health condition particularly – neurodiversity including ADHD, autism, dyslexia or dyspraxia.

All learning will be delivered online – however, the main campus in Manchester city centre will be reopening on 4th May so students will be able to learn in person for as many days a week as they feel comfortable.

During the course, recipients of the scholarships will learn all the skills they need to become a full stack software developer. Each bootcamp is an industry led experience and are constantly updated to match the skills employers want.

The first week will be dedicated to building confidence around JavaScript so students are able to handle data and create interactivity on website and apps. They will also build their HTML and CSS skills. The focus will then move onto the fundamentals and best practice of programming, front and back-end frameworks, and finally the project phase which will allow students to put what they’ve learned into practice.

Northcoders also delivers a Careers Week which includes various sessions including industry insight and preparation sessions, an in-depth CV workshop, tech interview advice and practice, and tech test insights. The week also gives students time to develop their portfolios.

Applications for the diversity scholarship can be made here: https://northcoders.com/our-courses/fully-funded-scholarships

Lou Cordwell, Chair of the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership (GM LEP), said: “Addressing the inequalities that the pandemic has amplified is a central part of our Economic Vision for Greater Manchester. The Fast Track Digital Workforce Fund does vital work by providing under-represented and marginalised groups in the digital and tech sectors with accessible routes into digital employment.
“This scholarship programme will bridge the digital divide by giving residents valuable skills which can help them find meaningful employment. It also helps employers, boosting the talent pool of people with sought-after software development skills.”

Ann Dean MBE, chair of the Lancashire Digital Skills Partnership and LEP board director – said “Like everywhere, both Lancashire and Greater Manchester have been hit hard by the pandemic with redundancies and recruitment freezes impacting thousands across the region. Unfortunately, certain groups have been disproportionately affected and we understand that there is a real need for more retraining opportunities. Our aim with this scholarship programme is to directly help some of those people who have been negatively impacted so they are able to forge a new career.”

Amul Batra – Chief Partnerships Officer at Northcoders – added: “We are delighted to be partnering with Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Lancashire Digital Skills on this scholarship programme. We are confident it will be a platform that will directly benefit individuals but also help to make tech a more diverse and inclusive sector.”
Since its inaugural course in 2015, Northcoders has helped over 750 people switch careers into tech, with average starting salaries of around £25,500. Whilst 95% of Northcoders secure a software engineering role after graduation. Northcoders’ main campus is at Manchester Technology Centre and it has a base at Platform in Leeds.

Over the past two years, it has been selected as one of the country’s brightest tech stars in Creative England’s CE50 list and was named Business of the Year at the 15th Annual Chamber Business Awards. It has also launched scholarship schemes and a deferred payment programme aimed at women and gender minorities, as well as those who identify as BAME or LGBTQ+, have a disability or have had limited access to education, to help address diversity in tech. The firm also relocated its Manchester campus to a new 10,000 sq. ft space at Manchester Technology Centre on Oxford Road in early 2020.

Fast-growing research company appoints chairman as it rebrands to The Insights Family

Appointments

Sam Whitear

-

07/04/2021

0

Fast-growing research company appoints chairman as it rebrands to The Insights Family

Research company The Insights Family (formerly The Insights People) has appointed a marketing industry veteran as chairman as it unveiled a rebrand to reflect its rapid growth.
The Manchester-based company has brought in Simon White, the former senior vice-president and UK managing director of Momentum Worldwide.

Former IPG Executive White has also held senior positions in both the corporate and agency sectors, working with organisations such as FIFA World Cup, The Olympic Games, AEG, Microsoft and Unilever.

The appointment and rebrand come as the fast-growing company relaunches its data portal, which has so far attracted global customers including Disney, Amazon, Kraft, and Nintendo.

With 11 new features, the company says the new portal is the only tool of its kind to bring together insight into the attitudes, behaviours, and consumption patterns of kids, parents, and families.

It also provides access to the Media Mix Compass, a new media planning tool which gives brands unprecedented audience intelligence when creating marketing campaigns intended for kids, parents, and families.

Nick Richardson, founder and CEO of The Insights Family, said: “In just a few years we have grown from The Kids Insights and Parents Insights to The Insights Family.

“We’re now operational in 17 countries across five continents and interview a family member somewhere in the world every 117 seconds.

“From our beginnings as a small Manchester company, we are now the global leader in family market intelligence.”

The company’s 52 staff include over 17 developers, with eight having joined over the last year to work on the new portal.

On White’s appointment as chairman, Richardson added: “We are delighted to welcome Simon to our growing family. Having worked with and known Simon for the best part of 10 years, his appointment is a key signal of our intent of becoming the business-critical partner for all kids, parents, and family brands.”

Simon White added: “The Insights Family is a true British success story and one that is rapidly fulfilling its global potential. I’m thrilled to have the chance to help play my part on this exciting journey.”

Peninsula Group raises £1 million for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity

CSR

Sam Whitear

-

07/04/2021

0

Peninsula Group raises £1 million for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity

Manchester-headquartered global employment law consultancy, Peninsula Group, has announced, they have raised £1 million for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity.

The news comes almost a year after the Group announced it was doubling its £1 million charity pledge to £2 million.

Peninsula Group announced its original commitment of £1 million in March 2019, but in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, which made the work of the hospital more challenging than ever, as well as impacting on charitable donations, Peninsula decided to double its pledge to £2 million.

During the past two years, Peninsula Group has built up a strong relationship with Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity, and employees have already raised this significant amount through ambitious fundraising activities such as the Great Manchester Run, abseiling a 19-storey building and even a trek up Mount Kilimanjaro. Funds have also been raised through payroll deductions which have been matched pound for pound in corporate donations.

Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital treats more than 280,000 patients every year and provides resources to make a difficult time easier for children and their families.

Peter Done, founder and Group Managing Director of Peninsula Group, said:

“Peninsula Group are delighted to have reached the remarkable milestone of raising £1 million through our incredible fundraising efforts and the Group matching every donation made. We hope that this impressive donation will help Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity significantly.

“Even though we are halfway there, we will not be resting on our laurels, and we will be doing all we can to achieve our pledge of £2 million. With lockdown restrictions finally easing, we have some exciting adrenaline events taking place over the next few months.

“Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital is an incredible organisation, and we are glad to assist, and it is a privilege to do what we can to help.”

Rachel Laycock, Senior Corporate Fundraising Manager for the Charity, said:

“We were delighted when Peninsula announced they wanted to raise £1million for us – when they doubled it to £2million we were overwhelmed at their generosity!

“Reaching the halfway mark is an event worthy of celebration and we want to thank each and every team member at Peninsula Group who has taken part in an event for us. They had some pretty impressive superhero costumes at our Humphrey’s Heroes Abseil and we’ve loved seeing the pictures of fundraising they did in-house too.

“We can’t wait to see them all in person, hopefully very soon. But in the meantime, I want to extend a virtual congratulations to everyone on reaching a terrific fundraising amount. Thank you Peninsula Group!”

Voicescape acquires Message Dynamics to expand service offering

Growth

Sam Whitear

-

07/04/2021

0

Voicescape acquires Message Dynamics to expand service offering

Social housing technology provider, Voicescape Ltd has completed the acquisition of Message Dynamics Ltd – a leading provider of patient messaging services – in a bid to grow its service offering.

Message Dynamics’ services have been built using Voicescape’s digital communications technology to provide messaging and telehealth solutions to patients for over 10 years. In that time, the company has won awards for digital innovation and partnerships with NHS Trusts. More recently, the company has introduced its solutions to Adult Services departments in local authorities to support their service users’ growing range of needs.

Voicescape provides customer communication technology coupled with behavioural insights for social housing providers and local authorities. The acquisition of Message Dynamics will allow the company to facilitate comprehensive engagement with service users across multiple touchpoints, on behalf of those service providers, to improve their overall experience.

Richard Jackson, Commercial Director of Message Dynamics, said: “Voicescape has been a great partner over the years, enabling us to create pioneering and award-winning services for patients. Voicescape’s mission to help social purpose organisations engage more effectively with their customers, combined with the growing convergence of public health, affordable housing and social care, makes the combination of the businesses a very complementary fit.”

John Doyle, founder and CEO of Voicescape, added: “Public health concerns have been brought to the fore during the pandemic and our aim is to facilitate better, closer engagement with those groups that require a range of support services delivered in ways that suit their changing needs and personal preferences.

“There are obvious synergies between our services and together we have a greater opportunity to support local authorities and other social purpose organisations transform the ways in which their services are delivered.”

Trio of new clients for Whitefield based design agency

Appointments

Sam Whitear

-

07/04/2021

0

Trio of new clients for Whitefield based design agency

A North Manchester based design agency is celebrating a trio of new client wins, which coincide with the business moving into its new Whitefield premises.

Think Design Manchester, now based on Bury New Road in Whitefield, above Northern Crafthouse, has secured three sizable website redesigns for its team to tackle.

The Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction (GNDR), business management consultancy Collinson Grant and employee engagement consultancy People Insight have all entrusted Think Design’s team to completely redesign their web platforms.

Paul Grogan, MD of Think Design, explained that client recommendations and reviews were a vital part of linking up with this hat trick of new clients.

He said: “All three clients came on board via competitive tenders, but two of them found us on The Drum Recommended Agencies website. This is a website that you can only be on if your clients leave ratings and reviews.

“We’re very lucky to have a strong client base who love what we do, and this has obviously translated by word-of-mouth reviews to other businesses looking for our help. We’re sure the prospect of offering the complete package at a competitive price is what sets us apart, given that we offer everything from strategic UX through to content planning and SEO.

“We put the business value proposition and audience needs at the heart of the solution and demonstrate expertise in producing beautiful websites that drive commercial results. But it also comes down to chemistry too – sometimes you get a great feel for how this will work as a long-term partnership, even in these strange times over Zoom!”

People Insight came on board with Think Design in late December 2020, and the team are now halfway through the website redesign project.

Carolyn Nevitte, Marketing Director at London-based People Insight, said: “We chose Think Design because of the insight they brought to the proposal which really demonstrated their expertise, and they also offered great value for money.

“We’re only three months in and we’re already thrilled about the direction our new website is taking, from design, content and commercial perspectives. Thanks to Krissy, Paul and the team, it’s been a pleasure to work on this project.”

Rochdale engineers complete ‘toughest job in 31 years’

Manufacturing

Sam Whitear

-

31/03/2021

0

Rochdale engineers complete ‘toughest job in 31 years’

A team of Rochdale engineers is finally home after completing the most challenging job in their company’s 31-year history.

The group from Salt Separation Services flew off to Germany on February 19 to carry out checks on three reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plants that they’d manufactured for a new cruise ship.

The machines had been installed by German shipbuilder Meyer Werft and are 13 metres long, weigh 20 tonnes and can each turn sea water into 800,000 litres of drinking water every day.

The tests would normally take up to 10 days to complete but because of Covid restrictions the team were away for 38 days and underwent a combined total of 130 Covid tests – all of which were negative.

Daniel Shackleton, technical and commercial director at Salt Separation Services, said: “We were founded in 1990 and have never walked away from a job yet and don’t intend doing so.

“However, because of the logistics, isolation and quarantine involved this was our most challenging job yet. The guys did a brilliant job and were ably supported by our back office staff.”

The five-strong team, which was headed up by senior commissioning engineer James Schofield, also included Luke Boal, Lee Redfern, Graham Stott and Elliott Flynn. They left Rochdale on February 19.

Mr Shackleton explained: “Without Covid we would have sent the guys in a van to Hull. From there they would have caught a ferry to Rotterdam and driven to Meyer Werft’s shipyard in Papenburg.

“They weren’t allowed to fly direct to Germany because the country’s in a Covid lockdown so instead they flew to Luxembourg and were driven to Papenburg – where they each had to spend 14 days in hotel quarantine.”

Mr Schofield, who has worked for Salt Separation Services for nine years, said: “14 days is a long time. You have a lot of time to think. My room was about six metres by eight metres in size and I set myself a target of jogging a half marathon one day and walking the length of a marathon another during quarantine.

“At the end of the quarantine period we underwent the mandatory Covid tests and were driven to the port at Bremerhaven where the boat was leaving for sea trials. Needless to say we wore PPE throughout.

“After another Covid test we were allowed on-board and ran a series of tests on the RO plants and installed a total of 270 membranes which is an essential element in the RO process.

“In total we spent 10 days onboard during the sea trials and slept on the cruise ship throughout. If we weren’t working we were in our individual cabins where our food was delivered.”

The tests were finished on Wednesday March 24 but there was more drama when the group tried to fly home.

Mr Schofield, a father of two young children, said: “We caught a flight to Munich from Bremen where all our documentation was checked including our new PCR Covid test certification however when we went to board the plane to Manchester we were told we had the wrong Covid test and were refused entry on the flight. It was devastating.

“We had another test and were booked on a flight on Sunday March 28 but were terrified that Germany was about to go into the red zone.

“Thankfully we were able to board our plane to London, where we hired a couple of cars and drove back to Rochdale. I walked through my front door at just after midnight in the early hours on March 29.

“In total I clocked up 38 days, underwent 26 Covid tests, stayed in four hotels and on one cruise ship. I even had my 34th birthday while I was away. It wasn’t your typical trip but our customer needed us.”

Mr Shackleton said: “The guys have now got to self-isolate back in Rochdale for at least another five days, subject to test results. I’m really proud of them and everyone else at Salt Separation Services.”

Vistry Partnerships completes Manchester Extra Care Apartments

Partnerships

Sam Whitear

-

30/03/2021

0

Vistry Partnerships completes Manchester Extra Care Apartments

Vistry Partnerships has finished building its Brunswick Extra Care facility near Manchester Piccadilly Station and has handed over 60 specialist apartments to Manchester City Council and members of S4B Consortium.

The completed residential community replaces the existing Elizabeth Yarwood Court retirement home, and each of the high-quality apartments have been purposefully designed with elderly locals in mind.

Residents will benefit from a range of on-site facilities, including a café/bistro and hair salon, accessible to visitors and the local community. There is also a residents’ lounge, activity room, and office space for residents and their guests to enjoy.

Following the completion of the site, Brendan Blythe, Vistry Partnerships’ Managing Director JV’s for the North West, said: “The Brunswick project is a great scheme for the area, providing much-needed, high-quality housing for the city’s older residents. There is a real need for more homes across the UK, especially extra care apartments, so we are thrilled to have delivered such a prominent scheme that guarantees the local community’s elderly residents can continue to live in suitable surroundings close to the city centre.”

S4B Consortium, made up of Vistry Partnerships, Onward, Mears and Equitix, is responsible for overseeing the £100m transformational plans for New Brunswick. Overall, the partnership is delivering 522 homes adjacent to the University, as well as retail units, roads, pedestrian footpaths, play areas, cycle routes and recreational space.

The flagship regeneration project, which first began in 2014, has already seen the delivery of 120 social homes with dozens of residents now living in the properties close to the city centre.
The completed facility has been handed over to Manchester City Council and S4B member Onward to manage going forward.

Cllr Suzanne Richards, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Housing and Regeneration, commented: “Ensuring that we have the right homes to meet people’s needs as they age is an important part of our housing plans for the city. As we get older we may wish to rightsize our home or we could need some additional care and support. Extra Care housing provides that option while also maintaining a community of people who want to stay in their local area as they get older.

“The transformation of Brunswick for local people has been a real success story and this new facility for local residents is another important piece of the regeneration. Having had chance to visit the scheme before it opened, I can honestly say it has one of the most sought after sun terraces in the city with amazing panoramic views right across the city centre. I can’t wait to hear what residents think as they move into their new homes.”

Student Driven Media Agency Launches in Manchester

Growth

Sam Whitear

-

30/03/2021

0

Student Driven Media Agency Launches in Manchester

A student driven media agency launched their second office in Manchester. The company pairs independent businesses with paid local students who help them manage their social media accounts, run paid ads and create engaging digital content.

Founded in 2017 by, then student Jack Allan, the agency has grown and served over 70 clients across Scotland and offered paid creative and marketing opportunities to over 100 students. He said “we’re really excited to bring our businesses to Manchester, there seems to be a buzz about the city and we’ve already met some fantastic independent business and some seriously creative students.”
The agency’s office is headed up by recent Sheffield Hallam graduate, Emma who is keen to get started and see what Manchester has to offer.

Recent Management buyout of Lift Safe Ltd, ensures continuity of staff and services in the Oldham based company

Sam Whitear

-

30/03/2021

0

Recent Management buyout of Lift Safe Ltd, ensures continuity of staff and services in the Oldham based company

Owner, Jerry Hanss, started Lift Safe Ltd 20 years ago as a supplier of ergonomic handling equipment and is delighted to sell his majority share of the business to colleagues, whilst retaining a 25% share.

Commenting on the timing of the transaction Jerry said: “Years ago I worked for a large American organisation and always wanted to do my own thing. Back then it was a now or never moment and I took the plunge and set up my own company. Now once again the timing seemed right, and I am pleased that three members of the team have formed a management buyout.”

The sale gives the 28 staff at the site in Hawksley Street, Oldham, job security and more importantly, continuity in the workplace. It keeps intact a team that enjoy working together and who deliver results based on their product knowledge.
Jerry stated “This deal works well for all involved. In recent years I have talked to several potential third- party purchasers but was mindful that this meant uncertainty for my staff. The deal we have done removes that uncertainty and I have retained 25% and so will be involved in a transition phase on the board for the next three to four years. More importantly I feel I am leaving the business in safe hands.”

Buyers, Jamie Radcliffe, Bobby Cullen and Rebecca Parker now have part ownership of the business encompassing Lift Safe Ltd, which supplies ergonomic handling equipment to a vast range of worldwide industries, as well as ePowerTrucks, specialising in road legal electric trucks, electric street vacuums, electric pedestrian tow tugs and a wide range of electric multi- passenger vehicles. The sale also includes the leasing arm of the business, Mueller Donnelly Finance Ltd.

Commenting on the purchase and their plans, Jamie Radcliffe said: “We are now well placed to push the business on and have plans for a turnover of beyond £10million. With green issues taking ever increasing priority, most businesses are looking towards electric options and we have a fantastic client base, which is growing, and a great product suite of on and off-road electric vehicles, alongside a wide range of lifting products.”

This exciting time for the company comes as an increased number of UK cities have introduced Clean Air Zones to address illegal limits of air pollution and have been proven to be the most effective way to address change. Last-mile delivery of postal and parcel service vehicles have shown to be most toxic for health due to the nature of their short journeys undertaken in urban environments which have seen a boom during the pandemic as online shopping increased. This means that zero-emission electric vehicle sales have accelerated to accommodate the inevitable change-over that companies need to make if they are to continue business in inner cities, at a time when Lift Safe Ltd’s ePowerTrucks is positioned as one of the UK’s leading electric vehicle providers.
Jerry and his wife Elizabeth were advised by David Middleton from Cole Associates Corporate Finance, Richard Massey from Christian Douglass, Dave Meredith and Keith Kennedy, of Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers.

The management team were advised by Brabners Solicitors.

About us

Company

Must Read

Subscribe to our newsletter