Manchester-based bike brand Insync has teamed up with a part-time inventor to enable disabled children to experience riding a bike.

Les McMahon has engineered a trike that allows his young neighbour, Lewis Flint, to get out on the roads with his parents, Dawn and Andy.

The trike, which is much cheaper to make than alternatives, is set to be available to families all over the world after Indian-owned Insync’s new Global Design Centre in Manchester stepped in to help Les refine his invention.

Les, from Ellenbrook, Worsley, had seen the couple struggle to help Lewis, who has an undiagnosed genetic condition, experience cycling with the rest of the family. He communicates through an aid, has no independent mobility and relies on other people for his personal care.

Mum, Dawn describes the 13-year-old as a “white-knuckle child” who enjoys going to his local ski slope and attending an adventure centre where he takes on challenges like rock climbing. Cycling was one hobby they wanted him to be able to join in with, but they couldn’t find a suitable solution.

They had tried options including using straps to attach his hands to handlebars and his feet to pedals but, without his wheelchair, he was left feeling uncomfortable. That also meant he had to be carried whenever the family reached their destination, which would become more difficult the older he became.

Les’s solution involves a ‘sidecar’ fitted to a bike, with a bike to roll on the wheelchair. After drawing up a sketch, with Dawn’s approval, he spent two to three months making the trike using parts donated by various people. Lewis’s condition means he has other complications and trikes where his wheelchair is at the front of the vehicle would be unsuitable. With Les’s design, his parents can see him at all times, meaning they can ensure he is physically ok but also enjoy riding together, too.

Les then contacted Hero to investigate making the trike available on a larger scale, and the brand, which has its global design centre in Manchester, was only too happy to help.

Les, a former engineer, said: “I’d seen the family struggling and I knew they were really keen on getting Lewis to experience everything an able-bodied child can, so I knew there was a real need for the trike. I got lucky in that the design just came together and when Hero invited us to demonstrate the bike it was too good an opportunity to miss.

“It’s quite humbling and uplifting to think you’ve helped somebody with basic DIY skills and it seems inconceivable that, with Hero’s help, we might be able to change other people’s lives, too.”

Dawn, who also has a son, Cameron, 14, said Lewis loves fresh air and speed but finding activities he can take part in can sometimes be a struggle.

She said: “I don’t think we could have found a better neighbour. Les has been phenomenal in the time and energy he’s put in to make this for Lewis so that we can all go out on a bike ride. He absolutely loves it and it means we can go for a ride in the sunshine and then go to a café.

“It’s amazing to think Les made this in his garage and now Hero is going to help him so that other families could benefit like we have.”

Abhishek Pratap Singh, head of design at Insync said the company, owed by Hero Cycles the world’s biggest bike maker, was delighted to help once they heard about Les’s design and the benefits it had brought to the Flint family.

He said: “Insync is a family bike brand and we believe cycling is a force for good improving mental and physical health and bringing the family together for quality time. We want to make cycling more accessible to everyone including those with special needs. We are very keen to support Les because we can see the difference his trike has made to Lewis’s life and how it could help others.

“Our design team is now working with Les to make his invention more mature and we’d like to create a trike for the general market so that more families with children with special needs can benefit. Our design is set to be much cheaper at around £500 compared than alternatives which start at around £5000 so our version will be much more accessible to families. We are planning to create a ‘flat pack’ kit that will enable families to assemble it at home or alternatively we are going to offer a download design so people can create their own versions of the trike. We’d like to include the trike as part of the new Insync family bike brand we have created for the UK and European market.”

Manchester-based X.0 Advisory is headed up by Nick Horrocks, a former Director at international technology advisory and investment firm, GP Bullhound where he was in charge of its Northern office, and Clearwater International Corporate Finance.

This year he made the decision to launch X.0 Advisory in Manchester after identifying the untapped potential for aspiring scale-up technology and digital businesses in the region to access crucial funding and investment.

Speaking about the launch of the business, Nick said: “Over the last five years, we’ve seen the north’s digital and technology scene grow phenomenally, as has interest from investors, particularly from China, the Middle East and North America. There have been a number of very high-profile business success stories and we are keen to build on the momentum that is growing in the region.”

Digital and technology businesses develop at such a speed that the ability to raise capital fast and efficiently is the absolute key to success. Entrepreneurs spin many plates and looking for capital can be time-consuming and distracts from day-to- day business operations.”

X.0 Advisory is working with early-stage technology companies looking to accelerate growth, both in the UK and overseas. It works with founders and management teams to secure the first significant fundraising, prepare for investment and plan for future growth.

Over the last three months Nick has been interviewing prominent businesspeople from the Northern tech community for a new podcast series called “My Digital Journey.”

The series explores how entrepreneurs have set up and grown their businesses, examines their fundraising experiences and how they have dealt with the challenges of a fast-changing market.

“Ambitious technology businesses across the north of England and Scotland need to be given better access to funding. We must work together to make sure that growth becomes a reality and that companies achieve their full potential.”

UBS Global Wealth Management has today opened its new expanded office in Manchester, representing further significant investment in its UK regional presence.

Driven by strong growth in the North West, UBS has relocated from its office in Marsden Street to larger premises in Spinningfields, which provide greater capacity for UBS to increase its headcount in the region.

UBS has had a presence in the North West for 15 years and has expanded its team in Manchester to 10 in recent years. This includes the hire of Mike Stirrup from Brown Shipley earlier this year to bolster UBS’s financial planning offer in the region. In addition, Client Advisor Simeon Livesey joined from Coutts last year, while Ellie Edwards has joined as trainee Client Advisor.

Simon Pearson, North West Regional Head, UBS Global Wealth Management, commented: “We are excited to welcome clients old and new to our larger office. Nothing exemplifies the thriving business culture in Manchester like Spinningfields, and our signing of a 10-year lease on the new premises highlights our long-term commitment to helping entrepreneurs in the region meet their financial goals.”

UBS has doubled its regional business over the past five years, and has offices in Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Jersey and Birmingham, as well as a presence in Wales, the South West and Glasgow. To reflect the increasing importance of the offices outside of London, Head of Regions Jonathan Brown was appointed to UBS Global Wealth Management’s UK & Jersey management committee in April.

Jonathan Brown, Head of Regions, UBS Global Wealth Management, said: “The expansion of the Manchester office is just one example of UBS’s growth up and down the UK. We are proud of our heritage in the regions, where we have consistently served wealthy individuals and families for over 17 years. While we already have the largest regional presence of any global wealth manager in the UK, we are continually growing and investing in our offer as entrepreneurs across the country reap the rewards of their endeavours.”

National property consultancy Eddisons has expanded its growing Manchester office with two new appointments to its valuations and building and projects consultancy teams.

Valuer David Rose has joined as an associate director, while Ashley Parkinson is a senior building surveyor with the firm.

David comes on board with four years’ experience as a valuer at North West business Longden & Cook, carrying out commercial and residential valuations for secured lending and pension funds as well as sourcing or selling investment property for clients. He was also previously at Axis Property Consultancy and Lambert Smith Hampton.

With a range of private and public sector survey and project management experience, Ashley joins Eddisons from JLL, where he spent 18 months in the Manchester project and delivery services team, after qualifying as a surveyor at Rider Levett Bucknall.

“I’m really excited to be joining the vibrant and motivated building and project consultancy team here at Eddisons in Manchester and am looking forward to playing a pivotal role in the growth and success of the team over the coming years,” said Ashley.

David added: “Eddisons’ valuations team has a strong pipeline of quality work and I’m looking forward to getting started in the new role.”

Eddisons valuations director Phil Deakin said: “The building and project consultancy team and valuations team between them are going from strength to strength with new business and retained clients driving growth.

“We valued over £1bn of properties last year and, in the education sector, our work with academy trusts secured £20m to improve the buildings for 48 schools across the UK in the latest round of the Government’s Condition Improvement Fund programme.

“We welcome David and Ashley on board and look forward to making further hires later in the year.”

ATG Access, an international leader in the innovation of road blockers, bollards and vehicle barrier systems, has announced a new partnership with Altrincham-based event protection business Crowdguard.

As part of the partnership, Crowdguard will be deploying Surface Guard, ATG’s latest pioneering, hostile vehicle mitigation solution, to secure temporary or semi-permanent events across the UK.

A Surface Guard barrier can withstand the impact of a 7,200kg vehicle travelling at 32kph and has been tested in accordance to the IWA 14 crash test standard. The barrier’s lightweight and modular design means that it can be deployed quickly and efficiently by four men in under an hour, minimising disruption to event operation and the surrounding area.

Crowdguard, which is affiliated with Ainscough Industrial Services that has over 40 years’ experience within the machinery installation and equipment movers industry, will ensure that Surface Guard is deployed to the safest of standards. With a national distribution network across the UK, Crowdguard’s professionally trained personnel are dedicated to installing the barriers quickly and efficiently, ensuring minimum disruption to the community and peace of mind for the event organiser.

Gavin Hepburn, CEO at ATG Access, said: “With events and crowded spaces continuing to require protection, due to the terror threat remaining ‘severe’ in the UK, working collaboratively with businesses such as Crowdguard will ensure that we can continue to keep the general public safe when they’re attending events with their friends and families.

“We now have four official deployment partners in the UK, which cover various sectors and locations, so we can provide leading security solutions to projects of any size.”

Deborah Ainscough, founder and operations director at Crowdguard, said: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement to distribute ATG’s market leading Surface Guard product on a national basis. We look forward to working with businesses, events, councils, the police and other relevant stakeholders to provide the highest standards of protection for the public.”

Manchester-based design agency, Buffalo 7, has expanded its sports brand portfolio through new partnerships with West Ham United Football Club and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Having previously produced successful sponsorship cycle presentations for UEFA, Leeds United, Team GB, Eurosport and Sky, Buffalo 7 has built a reputation for transporting the excitement and passion of the sporting experience into the boardroom.

Managing Director, Richard Barnes, said: “We find that brands such as Red Bull and Nike align perfectly with our unique approach to storytelling and creativity. Their stories make it easy for us to transform presentations that reflect their brand truths.

“Both West Ham and the AFC approached us with ambitions that matched our vision – to make the world’s best presentation experiences. We are looking forward to working with them to deepen key stakeholder relationships.”

The Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Canadian healthy ageing experts to drive knowledge exchange, innovation and support research collaboration between Canada and the North of England.

Ageing populations are a global challenge for developed countries and healthy ageing has been identified as one of the UK Industrial Strategy’s Grand Challenges.

This MOU brings together a range of Canadian organisations with a group of member institutions and stakeholders of the NHSA¹ to form the Canadian and Northern England Multi-Organisation Collaboration on Healthy Ageing, which will identify and address key challenges and opportunities around ageing through knowledge exchange, research partnerships and commercial collaboration.

Nicola Wilson, Interim Chief Executive Officer of the NHSA, said: “Addressing the needs of our ageing population is a key area of activity for the NHSA and sharing knowledge in healthy ageing with our international colleagues will be key to global health improvement moving forward.

“This MoU represents a fantastic opportunity for the North of England to work with our Canadian peers to help drive forward innovation within the field of healthy ageing.

“The North of England boasts world-class universities, research institutes, academics, clinicians and researchers and we’re thrilled to work with such expertise within the region and to learn and share ideas with our partners in Canada, who are doing ground-breaking work around ageing.”

The MoU follows an inward Canadian mission to the North of England late last year, hosted by the NHSA and supported by the Foreign & Commonwealth (FCO) Science and Innovation Network (SIN).

The Canadian organisations involved in the agreement are: Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation; Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research; AGE-WELL Network of Centres of Excellence; McMaster University on behalf of McMaster Institute for Research on Aging; University of Waterloo; and Simon Fraser University STAR Institute.

Ine Wauben, Managing Director, McMaster Institute for Research on Aging & Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, said: “We look forward to working with the NHSA in order to advance research in aging and shared initiatives related to our aging population at an international scale.”

A coatings company with 85 staff has become employee-owned.

Based in Dukinfield, Greater Manchester, Northpoint was founded in 1976 and since a management buyout in 2007 had been owned by directors Garry Marshall, Philip Dawson, Simon Quiligotti and Howard Tomes. Now their shares have been transferred to an employee ownership trust.

Northpoint is a £6.25m-turnover business which specialises in protective coatings for steel fabrications, including galvanised steel fencing, industrial pipework for water treatment plants and oil and gas transmission systems, and street furniture.

Garry, Simon and Howard remain as directors under the new structure while Philip has moved to a consultancy role.

Senior manager Tony Holt and senior production manager Philip Butterworth are now deputy managing director and operations director respectively and have joined the board of trustees, which is chaired by Philip Dawson.

Neil Smith, managing director of recruitment and payroll services company Kinetic, which became employee-owned last year, has joined the board as an independent director.

Ben Bradley of HURST Corporate Finance and Liz Gallagher of HURST’s tax team advised the shareholders on the creation of the employee ownership trust.

Paul Johnson and Rachel Clarkson, of Ward Hadaway, provided legal advice.

A seven-figure funding package was arranged by HSBC UK’s Sam Roden and Tim Hodson to support the establishment of the EOT.

Employee ownership trusts were introduced by the government in 2014 and HURST has set up a specialist team to advise on their creation. Last year HURST steered Kinetic through the process.

Ben Bradley, said: “The shareholders of Northpoint were keen to preserve the company’s ethos of active employee participation and an EOT was the ideal way to achieve this goal.

“It’s a model which is being increasingly adopted in the UK and has been shown to boost profits, productivity, job security and employee wellbeing.

“Employee-owned businesses are increasingly at the forefront of innovation and we wish everyone at Northpoint well for the future.”

Philip Dawson, added: “It felt the right thing to do for the shareholders to pass the business on to the workforce and an EOT seemed the appropriate way of achieving this.

“It’s our view that, as our people gain knowledge and understanding of how the business runs, they will flourish.

“Whenever people previously excluded from the strategic decision-making process are included, in our case the general workforce through an employee forum, then everyone in the business benefits.

“It’s a cliché but nonetheless true to say that our people are Northpoint’s most important asset. We treat listening to the workforce as the centrepiece of our commitment to respect, engagement, growth and profitability, which ultimately is the goal of an EOT for the benefit of all employees.

“We also recognise we have some great leaders who have the character to lead Northpoint through the next phase of its journey.”

Sam Roden, business banking area director for Greater Manchester at HSBC UK, said: “I am delighted that we’ve been able to provide the funding required to support Northpoint’s transition to an EOT.

“HSBC UK has a team of experienced relationship managers who are available to visit any SMEs considering a change of control through an MBO or similar transaction.

“We started our partnership with Northpoint in 2017 and, since then, we’ve been impressed by its progressive outlook on growing the business to the benefit of its workforce.

“The team has a wealth of experience which, coupled with their desire for growth, will only lead to exciting opportunities in the future.”