The Growth Company has been announced as the new delivery partner for Be the Business’s Mentoring for Growth scheme.

The programme matches ambitious small and medium-sized businesses with experienced mentors from some of the UK’s leading businesses including GSK, Amazon and the John Lewis Partnership. Some 180 successful matches have already been made across Greater Manchester, Birmingham, the North East of England and London. This figure is set to increase to 1,000 by March 2020.

The Growth Company is responsible for identifying SMEs which could benefit from the programme and then matching them with mentors – selected by Be the Business – from some of England’s leading and most productive companies.

The Growth Company drives forward business, economic, personal and professional development within communities by boosting employment, skills, investment and enterprise.

Mark Hughes, CEO of The Growth Company, commented: “Following a successful pilot, we’re delighted to have been appointed to roll out the Be the Business Mentoring for Growth programme across England.

“We’re looking forward to further strengthening our existing SME and LEP relationships in each of the regions in which we’ll be working.”

Jane Howells, programme lead for Mentoring for Growth, said: “Mentoring for Growth has already helped 180 SMEs across the UK. Feedback from mentors and mentees alike has been incredibly positive. A fresh perspective from an external expert allows SME owners take a step back and work on their business rather than in their business.

“Partnering with The Growth Company will allow us to connect with more SME leaders, who can be mentored to begin making small, manageable and achievable improvements across their businesses. This will have a positive impact on their bottom lines, and ultimately, increase wages.”

Proven business Engineering and Construction Support Services Company, Bowdon Group, has recently completed the acquisition of Holmes Hose Ltd – a long standing supplier of industrial hoses.

Established since 1980, Holmes Hose is a specialist in the supply of a comprehensive range of oil and marine hoses, industrial hoses and hose fittings. The acquisition will allow for the expansion and diversification of the product range and sectors supplied by Holmes Hose.

Brian Benson, CEO of Bowdon Group, said: “Bowdon Group prides itself on supporting businesses in the North West to realise growth ambitions and back entrepreneurial spirit. Holmes Hose has a long-standing relationship with our businesses and there is a fantastic opportunity here to integrate and share services across the group.”

“It’s an exciting time for Holmes Hoses, with the backing of Bowdon Group we can achieve our growth plans and increase the range of our product and service offering. Fellow Director, Richard Greenhill and I, are looking forward to working closely with Bowdon Group to take the business to the next level,” commented Stuart Holmes, Holmes Hoses Director.

Holmes Hoses will be retaining all current staff and looking to expand in light of its acquisition. Bowdon Group is pleased that Holmes Hoses’ founders, Richard Greenhill and Stuart Holmes, will continue to take an active role in driving the business forward.

3P Logistics (3PL) has become the Official Partner of the hugely successful Wigan Athletic Academy teams for the forthcoming 19/20 season. As part of the official tie-up, the 3PL brand will appear on the front of the Academy and all junior retail kits.

The partnership comes at an exciting time for the Latics Academy teams who experienced unprecedented success across the board during the previous campaign. 3PL will be displayed on the front of all Academy and Development squad jerseys during season 2019/20, and the company will heighten brand awareness through an increased advertising presence at all home games.

The deal sees the continuation of a long-term partnership between Wigan Athletic and 3P Logistics, now entering a fifth consecutive year.

The Wigan-based company has access to over 200,00 sq. ft. of warehousing in the North West and are now firmly established as one of the industry leaders in eCommerce and multichannel order fulfilment in the UK.

Head of Business Development and Customer Experience Jonty Castle, Academy Director Gregor Rioch, and several players from the club’s academy welcomed 3PL Managing Director and long-standing Latics’ supporter Ian Walker to the DW Stadium to officially launch the partnership and open the newly revamped club shop.

Commenting on the partnership, 3P Logistics founder and MD Ian Walker, said “Having supported this great club for some 40 years through thick and thin I have to admit it’s a little surreal to see kids out and about wearing the Latics shirt adorned with the 3PL Logo and it’s a proud day for sure.

Commercially we now enter our fifth consecutive year with the club and through this latest sponsorship deal, we are delighted to shine the spotlight firmly upon the Academy and development squads. Last year was a momentous year at all levels with some real talent making the leap to first-team duties and hopefully, we see more of the same during the season ahead.

Our very own 3PL Apprenticeship program carries similar development traits and the opportunity to champion the Academy quickly became an obvious fit. Some real momentum both on and off the pitch right now and we are delighted to once again become an official club partner.”

Leaders in construction and civil engineering helped to inspire the next generation of civils specialists at a ground-breaking secondary school event at The Manchester College.

 More than 200 14 and 15 year olds from 11 Manchester schools took part in an interactive, two day Civil Engineering Experience Event at the College’s Openshaw campus, which explored the wide range of careers available in construction and civil engineering.

The event was instigated and sponsored by Jack Rowley Managing Director of CPUK Civils and Remediation and developed in partnership with Novus and The Manchester College (Schools Liaison Team), alongside the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and machine simulation expert Tenstar.

Students enjoyed a series of interactive activities, including trying out Tenstar’s plant simulators and virtual reality headsets. Diggers, dumpers, traffic management and surveying equipment filled the College campus, and a range of other construction companies including Tarmac, Balfour Beatty, Lendlease and AECOM, explained the broad range of careers options and pathways.

The construction and civil engineering sector is facing a skills shortage and this event, thought to be the largest of its kind in the region, is part of a growing effort to raise awareness of the opportunities that exist for young people.

Jack Rowley, who heads CPUK Civils and Remediation and led on the event, said: “Recent research in Greater Manchester has highlighted a potential worrying shortfall in the number of civil engineers, civil engineering operatives and plant operatives, describing it as a key challenge facing construction companies and developers in the region.

“We have to meet that challenge and it means reaching out to young people from a variety of backgrounds to ensure we are recruiting from as wide a talent pool as possible. We have work to do to open up the sector to women in particular.”

Paul Pritchard, Employment Broker North West for Novus, said: “We recognise there is a massive skills gap, both regionally and nationally, in engineering and construction. Employers are asking us how we can support that agenda, so collaboratively we have been working with agencies such as CITB, CECA and LTE Group, and regional, national and multinational organisations, to put on this event. We’ve had some great participation from schools across Greater Manchester.”

Wendy Osborn, Partnership Manager in the North West for CITB, said: “Construction and infrastructure projects are playing a major role in economic growth in Greater Manchester.

“Construction offers some amazing and well-paid career options for young people and adults considering retraining. It’s essential that construction companies and education providers work together to promote these opportunities and inspire young people.

“We are very proud to support the collaboration between these companies, The Manchester College and Tenstar.”

Guy Lawson, director at CECA said: “This is the first event of its kind in Greater Manchester to encourage young people into the civil engineering and plant sector.”

Two Manchester business have come together to refurbish a local church and community centre in the city which will benefit the local area.

The Salvation Army Manchester Central, located on Grosvenor Street, which has been part of the city for over 140 years after coming to Manchester in 1878, needed a refurbishment of its current site in order to further serve the community in which it operates and that was made possible thanks to a partnership with construction company Willmott Dixon’s Manchester team.

The new church and community centre will now offer a community café and grocery shop after Wilmott Dixon brought together a team of 80 volunteers to deliver a refurbishment worth £118k of the charitable organisation’s building, which saw the Lord Mayor of Manchester, Cllr Abid Latif Chohan, officially open the building.

The refurbishment work took the form of fully remodelling the building to provide new facilities including an IT training room, meeting spaces, secure office space and a food bank for those in need in the local community. Willmott Dixon’s Manchester supply chain partners and customers donated their time and resources making the transformation of the building possible.

Captain Kay Blues, leader of The Salvation Army Manchester Central church and community centre said: “We can’t thank the team at Willmott Dixon enough for putting the dreams and hopes we have had for so long into reality. The very fact that two Manchester businesses can work together to deliver such a refurbishment is testament to how the city pulls together to support the local community.

“The work that Willmott Dixon put in to call upon its contacts to help us deliver our vision for the Manchester community in which we operate was fantastic and we want to extend our thanks to them too as without them, none of this would have been possible.

“The excellent work that has been carried out to redevelop the centre has now made it a hub of activity for the local community and we were so pleased that the Lord Mayor of Manchester was able to join us for the grand reopening.”

Willmott Dixon’s management trainee Jack Hall, from Oldham, brought together a team of volunteers to deliver the £118k refurbishment of The Salvation Army’s building through the construction firm’s Management Trainee Scheme which includes an annual challenge to make a real change to the lives of people in local communities. The scheme is just one of countless initiatives underlining Willmott Dixon’s commitment leaving a lasting legacy in the communities it works in, and which has this year seen it awarded The Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the category of Promoting Opportunity.

Anthony Dillon, managing director of Willmott Dixon in the North, said: “We are committed to leaving lasting legacies in the communities in which we work, and our flagship annual Management Trainee Challenge is just one of the ways in which our people can make a real change.

“The challenge to refurbish and breathe new life into the Salvation Army building, led brilliantly by our management trainee Jack Hall, involved more than 30 organisations and 80 volunteers. The transformation would not have been possible without the generosity and dedication of our people, and supply chain partners, who gave up their time to support an invaluable cause. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone involved.

“The official opening was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate this milestone and bring together the inspiring number of organisations and people across central Manchester’s diverse community who will benefit enormously from the care and support offered by this centre.”

Jack, who joined Willmott Dixon as an apprentice building manager in September 2014, is now part of the Oldham-based construction company’s Management Trainee Scheme. Jack said: “The Salvation Army and The Works are two incredible causes that are changing lives and offering real opportunities to help the most vulnerable people in our city get back on their feet. I’d like to say a huge thank you to the team of volunteers drawn from Willmott Dixon’s people, our supply chain partners and our customers. Without everyone’s kind support and donations the renovation simply wouldn’t be possible.

“We’re all really proud to be able to help and thrilled to take part in such a fantastic celebration day.”

An Eccles opticians has completed a major store expansion, representing a £150,000 investment into Eccles’ community healthcare provision.

The expansion of Specsavers, located in Eccles town centre, will allow more eye health and hearing services to be offered to customers than ever before.

To help with the increase in customer demand, the store has expanded the number of sight testing rooms from two to three. The store also has a new and improved layout, modernized flooring and the latest virtual try-on technology, Frame Styler, which uses facial analysis to scan your face shape and features; taking the guess work out of buying glasses.

The growing demand for audiology services also means the Eccles store’s new equipment will see it offer an enhanced hearing service, supported by the store’s team of trained audiologists.

This investment in modernised facilities will further enhance the store’s capability, including the detection and management of minor eye conditions and dedicated diabetic screening.

Keval Subit, store director at Specsavers Eccles, said: “This expansion is a proud milestone for our team, and has only been made possible by the loyal support of the Eccles community over the years.

“The decision to invest in our store supports our growing business needs and has been carefully planned to ensure that we offer the best possible service to our customers.

“With increased appointments, shorter waiting times, and improved technology, we’re really proud of the changes that we’re making to the store. The entire team is excited for our loyal customers to experience the changes for themselves, whilst welcoming new customers through the door.”