Business Manchester | Manchester's Leading Business Online Magazine

Regional Property Solutions acquired by director

Appointments

Sam Whitear

-

09/03/2021

Regional Property Solutions acquired by director

Regional Property Solutions‘, director, Daniel Lee has acquired the business from its founder Charles Murray.

Daniel Lee, MRICS joined the business in August 2010 with primary responsibility for the commercial agency department and became a director in June 2014.

Altrincham based Regional Property Solutions was started by Charles Murray in March 1999 and has grown to be South Manchester’s leading firm of commercial property surveyors. The practice has an active Commercial Agency Department, which is evident by its regularly documented deals and a plethora of letting and for sales boards on properties throughout South Manchester. The Management Department grew organically and has established an enviable reputation for its proactive and overall approach to the buildings and estates under its umbrella.

Daniel Lee, Managing Director, said: “The opportunity to buy the business, when Charles decided to take a more leisurely and well-earned approach to life, was too good to miss. I know the business and I have thoroughly enjoyed working alongside Charles to expand it over the last ten years and I am now ready for the challenge to build on that legacy.

“The Agency side, not surprisingly, has been slow during the pandemic but the Management Department has inevitably been very busy and we have attracted an impressive amount of new management instructions in the last 12 months. Rebecca McPartland our new management surveyor has taken up the reins of looking after the 250 tenants occupying the 500,000 sq ft plus within the management portfolio. Charles is still with us a few days a week to ensure a seamless transition as well as offering sage advice as we negotiate a more normal return to business activity.”

Charles Murray, said: “ I founded the business when my son was just 2 months old. He’s now a 6’ 8” tall 22 year old man; RPS has similarly grown and matured over the same intervening 22 years.

“My brother and mother both died recently and that made me realise there’s more to life than your career, albeit a career I’ve immensely enjoyed and been proud of. It’s now time to hand the reins to the next generation who still have the hunger and drive, to take RPS to the next chapter in its development.

“I’m not walking off the stage completely, I’ll be sat in the wings in a comfy chair, reading the script and available to “prompt” as and when required.

“The plan is now for Heather and I to travel the world; well, what could possibly stop us……………”

For more information, please visit: https://r-p-s.co.uk/

Another people award for Leisure Guard Security

Awards

Sam Whitear

-

08/03/2021

0

Another people award for Leisure Guard Security

Bolton based Leisure Guard Security is one of the UK’s leading full-service security providers and is committed to investing in its people. This has now been recognised by its recent award of ‘We invest in people’ standard accreditation, from the Investors in People organisation.

This award confirms that Leisure Guard Security is part of a community of employers who know how important it is to treat employees correctly, with respect and fair work policies, to ensure they remain with the company, thrive and enhance the company’s reputation.

Commented Saj Kadva, Operations Director, Leisure Guard Security: “We are delighted to receive another people related award, since it reflects our commitment to putting our people first.

“This is our second employee focused award within the last 12 months, alongside the Disability Confident award. and highlights that we are a security provider you can trust, who employs skilled, motivated and well-trained colleagues.

“Leisure Guard Security has access to over 450 staff across the UK, fully trained and SIA- licensed officers available 24/7 to protect our clients, their premises and assets, across the North West of England – from Greater Manchester, Nottingham, Stoke to Birkenhead.

“This award is also testimony to our skilled team of trainers and supervisors for their hard work and dedication, particularly over the last 12 months, since this was the period under review for the award and we certainly had to overcome many challenges imposed by lockdown regulations.”

Paul Devoy, CEO of Investors in People, said: “We’d like to congratulate Leisure Guard Security on being accredited with ‘We invest in people’.

“This is a remarkable effort for any organisation, and places Leisure Guard Security in fine company, with a host of organisations that understand the value of people.

“At Investors in People, we believe that the success of any organisation begins and ends with people. If we make work better for everyone, we make work better for every organisation. And if we do that… we make society stronger, healthier and happier.”

Manchester Grammar School makes million-pound investment in technology

Education

Sam Whitear

-

04/03/2021

0

Manchester Grammar School makes million-pound investment in technology

Manchester Grammar School (MGS) has secured a £1.1 million funding package from Lombard Asset Finance to provide all pupils from year five to year 13 with laptops.

The independent day school for boys used the finance to invest in 400 Microsoft Surface Go and 800 Microsoft Pro 7 devices which were distributed to pupils from September 2020.

The devices have been essential during the third national lockdown as the school’s teachers continue to deliver a complete daily timetable of virtual lessons across every subject. Lessons are currently adapted for home learning, incorporating a variety of creative ways to engage pupils remotely.

When the school reopens to all pupils on 8th March, the Microsoft devices will continue to form an integral part of learning and will be incorporated into classroom teaching methods.

Founded in 1515, the school has built a reputation as one of the country’s top academic schools. MGS currently has 1,500 pupils aged from seven to 17, and 200 staff.

Martin Boulton, High Master at MGS, said: “It is part of the ethos at MGS that our boys, and our staff, rise to meet any challenge and in the face of adversity comes an opportunity to innovate. While the educational challenges posed by the lockdown should not be underestimated, at all times, our aim has always been to ensure our boys receive an education of the highest possible quality.

“We have a fostered an excellent, long-term relationship with NatWest who recommended Lombard. With the support from Lombard, we have adapted to incorporate the Surface Pro devices into our teaching, and we will continue to harness this technology so that we can offer our boys access to first-class teaching and learning. We are so proud of our boys who have worked exceptionally hard during the lockdowns and have responded to difficult and strange circumstances in an exemplary manner.”

Lee Thompson, NatWest Senior Relationship Manager, Byron Edwards, Lombard Technology Relationship Director and Jackie Grundy, Lombard Senior Relationship Manager, continue to support MGS.

Lee Thompson said: “The funding provided has enabled MGS to give all upper school pupils new Microsoft devices and allow teachers to continue to provide a first-class education to pupils even when lessons are being delivered remotely. The positive feedback from the boys is testament to the importance of these devices and they will continue to play a crucial role in their learning even when all pupils are back in the classroom.”

Construction companies like ‘Soft Surfaces Ltd’ are winning multiple awards for being the ‘Best Wetpour Installers in Manchester’.

21-year-old entrepreneur launches animation and illustration studio

Creative

Sam Whitear

-

04/03/2021

0

21-year-old entrepreneur launches animation and illustration studio

Manchester-based young entrepreneur and animator, Ben Wild, has successfully secured significant investment enabling him to launch Ben Wild Studios.

Ben Wild Studios has been co-founded by Ben, 21, and local investor and businessman, Andrew Morgan following a successful project together in October 2019.

Ben Wild Studios has burst into the creative sector having already secured an impressive portfolio of clients including Manchester City Football Club, the BBC, Gucci and the Premier League following his rare talent of hand-drawn animation.

Chief Doodler, Ben Wild, said: “I can’t believe the reaction we’ve had since launching. The clients that we are attracting are giving us the most amazing briefs and opportunities and we’re so excited to see what the future holds for Ben Wild Studios.”

Ben, who is self-taught, left school aged 15 to follow his dreams and has travelled the world to learn his craft. From working on a comic book, then landing a job with a film studio working as an on-site storyboard artist to working with Manchester City, McLaren and Ford, Ben has certainly crammed a lot in his young professional career.

Local businessman, Andrew Morgan, is the co-founder of a successful Cheshire-based financial planning business and took the decision to invest in Ben Wild Studios following a brief period of working with the young animator.

Speaking about the partnership, Andrew said: “Ben is a unique talent and working with him has been incredible. Ben is one of the nicest, most hard-working people I have met and his talent excites me. By utilising my business experience and acumen, I truly believe that Ben Wild Studios will be an international success story.”

Aldiss named new City Head for Manchester and the North West

Appointments

Sam Whitear

-

04/03/2021

0

Aldiss named new City Head for Manchester and the North West

McCann Manchester Managing Director, Richard Aldiss, has been appointed as the new IPA City Head for Manchester and the North West.

In his role, Richard will serve as a figurehead for the industry in the North West, championing the outstanding talent in the advertising community and providing a voice for IPA members in the area. He will also work closely with IPA Chair for England & Wales, Michelle Wright on wider industry issues, IPA initiatives and helping to position agencies to successfully rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commenting on the appointment, Patrick Mills, Director of Membership & Professional Development, IPA said: “I’m thrilled that Richard will be joining us as the new City Head for Manchester and the North West. Navigating the economic uncertainty and the impact on both business and individuals will be one of the most important goals for our industry this year, and Richard will play a vital role in helping us to serve our members in 2021 and beyond.”

Says Richard Aldiss, Managing Director, McCann Manchester: “Having spent 30 years in the industry, now feels the right time to be able to support and give something back to the agency community in Manchester and its surrounding region. In the wake of 2020 and the turbulence and uncertainty it presented, agencies both large and small will be looking for guidance and support over the coming 12 months and the IPA can play a key role here.

He continued: “As Simon Jones, hands over the baton I’m looking forward to building on the excellent work he has done particularly in creating more opportunities for diverse talent to enter our industry.

Richard succeeds Wavemaker Manchester’s Simon Jones who has served in the role since 2018.

Richard Aldiss biography:
Appointed Managing Director at McCann Manchester in 2017, Aldiss has been with McCann for 30 years. Joining the Manchester agency in 1997 as a media group head after an eight year stint at the network’s Birmingham office, he has held a number of leadership roles at the 380 strong agency including head of channel planning.

During his journey with McCann he has worked with clients in just about every conceivable sector. As MD he is board level lead across clients including Magnet Kitchens, Smyths Toys, Miller Homes, Key Retirement and Irish Ferries.

Having lived and worked in the North West for the majority of his life, Aldiss is very familiar with the creative landscape in Manchester and the wider region and passionate about the cosmopolitan city maintaining its position as a vibrant hub owning creative excellence.

Manchester China Forum’s second win at Greater China Awards

Awards

Sam Whitear

-

04/03/2021

0

Manchester China Forum’s second win at Greater China Awards

On Friday 19th February, Manchester China Forum (MCF) was presented with the Recognition Award for the second time at the Greater China Awards, organised by the Department for International Trade North West. MCF becomes the first organisation to receive this award for a second time in the 16 year history of the event.

The Greater China Business Awards honour significant contributions to developing business links with Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, in addition to celebrating the Chinese New Year in the year of the Ox.
The Recognition Award celebrates organisations in North West of England that have made a significant contribution to developing business, innovating or building collaborative partnerships with companies based in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan.

Launched in 2013, the MCF is Greater Manchester’s special-purpose vehicle tasked with building strong, long-term, and coordinated links between GM and China. This recognition has largely been powered by their work in continuing to strengthen trading and commercial relationships with the Chinese markets, as highlighted in recent news with total exports passing the £10bn mark in the last six years. This also builds on the tremendous effort that MCF and organisations from Greater Manchester put in last year to ensure that more than 7,000 Chinese students arrived for their studies at universities in Manchester as well as 28 other Universities across the UK.

According to the figures released by China’s National Bureau of Statistics, the country’s GDP grew by 6.5% in Q4, with an overall growth of 2.3% for 2020 highlighting the importance the Chinese market will play in driving future economic growth. With the country’s 400 million middle class expected to grow by a further 200-300 million over the next 3-4 years, this market which already accounts for over 50% of the world’s e-commerce market, is expected to be a major source of growth in trading exports for the UK over the coming years. In addition, China’s pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, hitting peak emissions before 2030, presents significant opportunities to collaborate around Greater Manchester’s own 2038 carbon neutrality ambitions. As we look forward to the UK’s hosting of COP26, enhancing collaboration around low-carbon technologies will play a critical role in unlocking opportunities in a decarbonisation market estimated to reach $15trn by 2050.

The event included Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for China John Edwards; Marian Sudbury, Director of UK Regions of the Department for International Trade as well as Paul Stowers, Head UK Regions, North West, Department for International Trade who presented the award:

“Despite the variety of global challenges that have emerged over the last year ranging from the US-China trade war, Brexit and now COVID-19; the region’s links with China continue to grow from strength to strength.
Much of this success can be attributed to this organisation’s consistent approach, taking a long-term view of developing relationships focusing on three priorities – government, business and people; ensuring that the relationships and strategies developed are holistic and can easily adapt to changing priorities.

This approach has ensured that the organisation was in an excellent position to work with partners on a comprehensive response to COVID-19, whilst still fulfilling its core role of developing strong economic links with China. It linked with airlines and Manchester airport, local Federations, Universities, the Chinese Consulate General, and local companies to provide donations of PPE – initially from the UK to China, and then as the progress of the pandemic moved – from China back to the UK. It helped to co-ordinate the exchange of expertise between professionals at the front-line of responding to the pandemic in China and the UK; and also worked with government, universities and airlines to establish the potential for charter flights for international student coming from China to the NW, once travel restrictions permit this.”

Rhys Whalley, Executive Director, MCF welcomed the Recognition Award as a reflection of the city-wide commitment to developing a collective approach to building long-term relationship with China and ensuring that Greater Manchester remains at the forefront of shaping an exciting Global Britain vision. He commented: “We’re humbled to be the first organisation to receive the Recognition Award for a second time at the 2021 Greater China Awards, organised by the Department for International Trade. We’re very grateful to the continued support and commitment of our Board Members and strategic partners across Greater Manchester. This has been an incredibly challenging year for all and one that we are indebted to all of our fantastic front-line workers that have worked tirelessly in tackling the pandemic. To have received this award off the back of such a difficult and challenging year feels all the more special and serves as further justification of our approach to maintaining a long-term strategy of engagement with one of the world’s most important and arguably most complex global relationships. This award is testament to Greater Manchester’s culture of collaboration and the positive impact this can have locally as well as further afield.”

David Percival MBE, Chairman, MCF, said:
“I am delighted to see that the Manchester China Forum has been rewarded for a second time with the DIT Recognition Award at the Greater China Awards. This is another fantastic achievement and one that highlights the incredible success that the organisations has had in advancing the city-region’s links with China. Greater Manchester is very much seen as a leader in driving forward regional engagement between the two nations.”

Full list of awards winners

Recognition Award
Manchester China Forum
Business Award – For companies that have links with Greater China for more than three years.
Winner – Wood.
Rising Star Award – For companies relatively new to the market, that have had links with the region for less than three years.
Winner – Lucas Xia of Easyuk International Ltd
Runner-up – Fresh Business Services
Education Links Award – For Universities, Higher Education Institutions and businesses offering training and education links to Greater China
Winner – RNCM
Runner-up – St Bees School
Highly Commended – NCUK Together

Manchester Innovation Activities Hub reveals first training collaboration to kick-start ambitious re-skilling programme

Business support

Sam Whitear

-

04/03/2021

0

Manchester Innovation Activities Hub reveals first training collaboration to kick-start ambitious re-skilling programme

Manchester Innovation Activities Hub (MIAH), has announced its first training collaboration with worldwide leader in IT, networking and cybersecurity solutions, Cisco, by becoming affiliated with its Cisco Networking Academy programme.

As a Cisco Academy, MIAH will provide industry standard training, hands on labs, and accreditation in areas including Cyber Security, Design Thinking, Automation and the Internet of Things through the lens of electric vehicles propulsion, batteries and energy storage technologies.

This is an important step to achieve its ambitions of rapidly upskilling, reskilling and retraining of more than 5,000 local residents over the next five years. MIAH alumni will be fast-tracked into hard-to-fill occupations that require specialist technical skills, to support the growth of Greater Manchester businesses, as part of Greater Manchester’s COVID recovery plan.

The hub, will target unemployed youth (Kickstart Scheme), low income residents as well as professionals who’ve recently lost their jobs. MIAH will prepare them for skilled employment within the low carbon, advanced manufacturing, tech and health innovation sectors.

Marilyn Comrie OBE, director of business development at The Blair Project, the organisation leading MIAH, explains: “Our collaboration with Cisco is the first step in supporting Greater Manchester to become a leader in the low carbon economy, through the design, development and manufacturing of power electronics, machines and drives.

“We are so excited to work with such a high-profile organisation to create job opportunities and provide training to people in these essential technologies. The work of MIAH and its partnership with leaders in technology and training will be essential in supporting the region’s recovery from COVID-19, which has severely impacted a number of sectors as well as Greater Manchester LEP’s vision for a greener and fairer Greater Manchester, as well as the drive to make Greater Manchester carbon neutral by 2038.”

Cisco Networking Academy is a global education program that empowers students with career possibilities in IT, cybersecurity, and more. The program is licensed free of charge to qualified learning institutions in 180 countries. Established in 1997, it is the world’s largest and longest-running corporate social responsibility education program, with 12.6M participants to date.

Nuno Guarda, head of corporate affairs, Cisco Networking Academy, UK & Ireland, said: “The Cisco Networking Academy aims to help its education partners harness the power of technology and education to provide career opportunities that transform the lives of learners, educators and communities. We’re proud to be working with such an inspiring organisation and expanding access to the programme in Manchester.

“We look forward to working closely with everyone involved in MIAH to empower students with technical knowledge in high-demand job areas, as well as the broader skills required for collaboration.”

Sean Fielding, GMCA lead for digital, education, skills, work and apprenticeships, said: “It is fantastic to see the hub and the Cisco Networking Academy coming together to educate, upskill and reskill residents across Greater Manchester. I have no doubt that this new highly-skilled workforce will be essential in helping the region achieve its 2038 target of being carbon neutral.”

Opening from a temporary home at the Greenheys Centre in May, MIAH will move to its permanent home at Bruntwood’s BASE development on Manchester Science Park in 2022. MIAH will utilise 15,000 sq ft in the new 90,000 sq ft building, which will be a hub for computer engineering, energy technology, light manufacturing and materials science businesses.

Red-Fern invests in a new destination for innovation, creativity, education and technology

Growth

Sam Whitear

-

04/03/2021

0

Red-Fern invests in a new destination for innovation, creativity, education and technology.

Previously based in Altham, the digital agency has relocated to a state-of-the-art facility in Burnley to further inspire their innovation, growth and digital partnerships.

Red-Fern are currently enjoying a period of fruitful growth. The forward-thinking digital agency continued to recruit and employ new team members throughout last year and are growing from strength to strength.

With an evolving team of 20 creative and digital specialists, they’ve decided that they need a destination that allows them to continue delivering world-class technology and marketing projects. They’ve invested in industry-leading premises in Burnley and are branding their new office as “an investment into a destination for innovation, education, creativity and partnerships.”

The destination itself contains a professionally-equipped audio and video recording studio, plus, an events space for the brand, industry and businesses to educate and innovate. Also, a large inspiring open-plan layout for the team to enjoy and deliver their work, and an education space for investment into apprenticeships.

One major driving force behind the move was the unrivalled value that Red-Fern can provide for their partners and the industry itself. Delighting their partners and creating long-term, trusted partnerships are at the core of everything that the digital agency does, and their new destination is no different.

Founder and Managing Director, Sean Redfearn said, “the decision to invest in a new destination for our brand and partners is exciting. While pretty much all businesses have been forced into unforeseen business decisions due to the pandemic, it’s still the right decision to invest in our brand and continue to drive creativity and technology for our partners.”

“We can’t wait to hit the ground running when we can get all the team back together in the new premises. The value that we’re able to provide for all the projects that we work on with such a magnificent set up is unrivalled. We’ve invested in the best so that we can continue to be an innovative digital agency and continue to grow.”

Despite the adversity that 2020 provided for businesses, Red-Fern managed to come through it stronger than ever and have continued to build on that this calendar year too. With the right team in place and amazing facilities that best position the business for success, they’re excited to see what the rest of 2021 and the future holds.

Prosper Ex partners with Absurd to develop new employee wellbeing platform for Australian businesses

Partnerships

Sam Whitear

-

04/03/2021

0

Prosper Ex partners with Absurd to develop new employee wellbeing platform for Australian businesses

Manchester headquartered strategic design agency Absurd has gained another global client following its appointment as digital partner to Prosper Ex PTY LTD, a start-up organisation based in Queensland, Australia.

Absurd will be supporting Prosper Ex to bring an industry-first employee platform to market that will promote and engender wellbeing in workforces across Australia.

The platform is intended to give organisations the capability to easily reward employees with perks, as well as recognise efforts and gain valuable employee insights, with easy to implement functionality.

It is particularly aimed at the construction and mining industries, where employee wellbeing can be very much an afterthought or difficult to manage due to distributed workforces. Prosper Ex’s platform aims to address this by creating a seamless touchpoint bridging the gap between employees and their employers.

Tasked with service design and product development Absurd will launch an MVP using Umbraco 8 CMS, which will be built out using real-time insight and testing.

Oli Taylor, co-founder of Absurd, said: “This is a hugely exciting product with potential to make a significant impact to multiple industries in Australia. We’ve seen that construction and mining can be especially challenging for company-wide employee communications and management, with employees working remotely for long periods of time, away from family and support networks. Prosper EX aims to change this and to help organisations to bequeath more benefits to employees.

“The platform will also be extremely relevant for any businesses who continue to operate remote working teams even after the restrictions of the pandemic ease.

“Our aim is to provide an attractive, easy to use platform which enables employees to be rewarded whilst the companies gain invaluable feedback and insights to further increase happiness & productivity within their organisations.”

He added: “We’re well experienced in working with global clients that span the US and Europe, adding Australia to our world-wide reach is fantastic for us.”

Headquartered in Manchester, Absurd also has offices in London and the US and employs 15 staff.

Women led research team backed by Innovate UK to improve sustainability of inhalers

Business support

Sam Whitear

-

04/03/2021

0

Women led research team backed by Innovate UK to improve sustainability of inhalers

An innovative project is underway with a women led consortium from Manchester based SMEs Dsposal and Reply, and global pharmaceutical company Chiesi. The team are researching ways to minimise or eliminate the use of plastic in pressurised metered dose inhalers by redesigning the ‘actuator’. Around 75 million inhalers are prescribed in the UK every year and they have been identified by both the UK Parliament Environmental Audit Committee and the NHS in their drive to reduce the nation’s carbon footprint.

The project has won funding from the ‘Designing sustainable plastic solutions’ competition run by Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, along with co-funding from Chiesi, a global pharmaceutical B Corp® certified company and leader in respiratory health.

“Inhalers are a vital, life-saving device for thousands of people but currently they are a ‘throwaway’ item. Research shows there is also quite a lot of stigma around inhaler use, especially among children and teenagers. Using our extensive human centred design experience to redesign the actuator so that it can be more environmentally friendly is the primary aim of this project, but we’re also keen to explore how we might be able to tackle the issue of stigma too,” said Rebecca Rae-Evans, Director at Reply.

“Winning this funding and support from Innovate UK and Chiesi is a huge opportunity for both us and Dsposal. It’s unusual for us to find ourselves on an almost all-woman project team, but it’s fantastic to buck the trend and be an example of women innovating and winning funding.”

Sophie Walker, COO and Co-Founder of Dsposal commented, “We’ve always taken gender balance seriously at Dsposal and wanted to be role models for both the waste and tech sector. It’s a joy to be working with such an incredible, passionate group of women. Our interdisciplinary team brings such a breadth of experience, which is vital as to design more sustainable products we need to take a systemic approach. We’re bringing our circular economy experience and looking at this with stakeholders from along the entire supply chain from the materials manufacturers right through to the waste management companies who deal with these items when they’re discarded. We’re also lucky to get support in the form of materials advice from the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub at the Henry Royce Institute.”

Harriet Lewis, Head of Public Affairs at Chiesi UK added, “At Chiesi, we believe protecting patient health and the environment should not be a matter of compromise. To this end we have invested considerable time and resource in accelerating the development of lower carbon technologies as well as empowering patients to dispose of their inhalers in an environmentally safe manner. Initiating activity to scope alternatives to the current plastic use for all our inhalers is overdue and the start of an important journey for us and the wider pharmaceuticals sector. As a B Corp® certified company, we take our environmental responsibility very seriously and are committed to playing our part in reducing the environmental impact of inhalers. Being part of this research is a critical first step for us and aligns with our broader B Corp® commitments of using our business as a force for good. This initiative is further elevated by the fact that it has been driven – from conception to activation – by an all-female team. On a company level, women make up 54% of the workforce, something we are very proud to celebrate especially as we draw closer to International Women’s Day 2021.”

About us

Company

Must Read

Subscribe to our newsletter