Sophie Priest responsible for embedding social value in CBRE’s business practices and client work

Global real estate advisor, CBRE, has appointed its first corporate Social Value Manager in the UK – boosting its ESG and Public Sector expertise.

Sophie Priest joins from the consultancy firm, The Connectives, where she supported public and private organisations to identify, measure and communicate the social and environmental impact of

their activities, including large-scale regeneration projects.

Priest will be based in CBRE’s Manchester office, working across its national ESG and Public Sector teams and reporting into Elizabeth Kingdom, Associate Director, Corporate ESG. Priest will be responsible for embedding social value into CBRE’s internal practices and client work.

Allan Wickham, head of ESG Occupier, said: “Sophie brings great experience and a deep understanding of the importance of embedding social value and ESG into business practices. Appointing Sophie will ensure that we as a business can maximise positive social outcomes from the work we produce and create long-term value for our clients across private and public sectors.”

Martin Guest, head of Public Sector at CBRE, added: “Our ability to deliver social value from our public sector contracts and the wider business is paramount. We have to look beyond the financial cost of a contract, and real estate advice we provide, and really consider how we can improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the people and places impacted. We’re delighted to have Sophie join us.”

A Manchester networking group that has brought together thousands of people is marking an incredible 10 years in business.

Created in 2013 by co-founders Rich Tyrrell and Andrew Bennie, Manchester Young Professionals is an inclusive and accessible network for people in their 20s and 30s who work in the city, designed to connect like-minded individuals while offering key contacts and development opportunities.

From welcoming just 20 people at their debut event in 2013 to packing out over 100 venues across Greater Manchester and selling 14,422 tickets to date, their offering includes an average of 2 events a week at popular social gatherings at ‘hotspot’ locations such as Albert Schloss and Firefly, creative classes and rapidly growing health and wellbeing experiences.

Whilst bringing together young professionals, MYP also takes pride in supporting the local economy, as these partnering businesses benefit from a surge in visibility and revenue as event hosts.

Looking back on everything they have achieved in the past decade, Rich commented: “It’s been an incredible ten years.”

“We’re incredibly proud of all we’ve done and what the team have achieved – for something that started from this feeling of isolation after moving to Manchester and to see it grow into a group that brings people from all over the city together. It feels really special.”

As well as a packed social calendar, MYP also offers a mentoring programme to equip Manchester’s young workers with the skills they need to succeed, matching budding talent with more established professionals.

Alexia Holt, marketing manager, 27, who took part in the scheme back in 2021 was paired with Alex Di Guiseppe, the EU Senior Brand Manager at Kellogg’s. Alexia commented:

“It was a big honour to learn from him. This led to my eventual recognition, nomination and win of a Most Confident Performer for that fiscal year – it was one of my proudest achievements and I will always thank Alex and the mentoring scheme for the experience.”

With the aim of making Manchester a more sociable, engaged and progressive city, co-founders Rich and Andrew are keen to give back to the city they love so much. Their events also better lives beyond a professional capacity, they have raised an incredible £32k for multiple local and national charities such as Forever Manchester, Beechwood Cancer Care, Manchester Mind and The Prince’s Trust.

Through the years of the pandemic, MYP were keen to keep their community spirit alive and created a running club which is now over 1,000 members strong.

It’s one of many MYP schemes that has invigorated people’s passions – something that 25-year-old Abbie Smyth, from Corby says has helped her rediscover her love for running.

“I got into running during lockdown, but after the world returned to normal I struggled to find the spark again – it wasn’t fun to run laps around the city alone.”

“The MYP run club gave me the opportunity to meet new people and it felt enjoyable again… We recently ran the Manchester 10k together and we’re now planning to challenge ourselves to the Manchester Half Marathon in October!”

With their vast variety of events, MYP are keen to welcome even more Manchester residents. Having started as a small operation solely run by Andrew and Rich when they first moved to Manchester, the operation has now grown into a 14-member team who work tirelessly to get people from different backgrounds involved and excited about their industries.

“Our volunteers are champions for MYP within their industries,” explains Rich.

“They’re integral to our process and spreading the word about events to get people from different backgrounds and sectors involved – which is part of the reason we’re growing day by day.”

As they celebrate their achievements, MYP holds an exciting vision for the future: expanding their reach beyond Manchester’s borders and sharing their successful model of community-building and positive change to cities worldwide.

After an incredible decade of making a positive impact, inspiring passions, and raising substantial funds for charitable causes, it looks like it’s onward and upwards for Manchester’s Young Professionals.

• The very best of British innovation, design, technology and science to be showcased in the heart of Whitehall
• DSIT marks six-month anniversary with an open invite to businesses and organisations across the UK to exhibit at the Department’s new HQ from early 2024
• Showcase forms part of DSIT’s mission to build a pro-innovation culture across Government as key to delivering on priority to grow the economy

Leading innovation firms, technology businesses and research organisations have today (9 August) been invited to showcase their innovations at the entrance to the new Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) HQ, as part of the Department’s plans to champion innovation and the pioneering work of UK industry and academia.

The Department is marking its six-month anniversary with an invite to businesses and organisations from across the country to exhibit within its new headquarters, giving their work prominence and visibility to Ministers, businesses, Government officials, and influential individuals who will visit the area.

It gives the Department another opportunity to showcase the very best of British innovation, design, technology and science. Those selected to exhibit will be promoted across the Department’s social media channels as well as at internal events, highlighting their work to the innovators and decision makers who are leading the push to cement the UK’s status as a science superpower.

Science and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said:

“UK businesses, universities and research organisations are already world leaders in their fields, from life sciences and engineering biology to quantum computing and AI. To seize on the potential for science and technology to keep our nation secure, our people prosperous, and our planet healthy, it is essential we place this work at the very centre of what we do in Government – and hosting them in our new HQ demonstrates our commitment to working hand-in-hand with the sector while opening up one more avenue for collaboration.

“These exhibitions will give us another opportunity to see first-hand how these technologies are improving the lives of everyone in the UK, and it will give those exhibiting a new platform to showcase their work, right in the heart of Government.”

The dedicated Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is the force behind the Prime Minister’s commitment to growing the economy, and to improving the lives of everyone in the UK through new discoveries that advance the health and prosperity of society whilst protecting our values both at home and abroad.

The Government has set out its aim to be a science and technology superpower by 2030, to meet this ambition it has identified five technologies of tomorrow – Quantum, AI, Engineering Biology, Semiconductors and Future Telecoms. Together with life sciences, space, and green technologies, these technologies have been identified as most critical to the UK in the coming decades.

DSIT is celebrating its six-month anniversary since it was formed to deliver on the clear mission set by the Prime Minister, to ensure the UK is the most innovative economy in the world. During those six months, the Department has launched the Science and Technology Framework, backed by over £370 million to boost investment in innovation, to bring the world’s best talent to the UK, and seize the potential of ground-breaking new technologies like AI. The AI Taskforce, backed by £100 million in government funding, was also launched to accelerate the UK’s generative AI sector and keep pace with rapid advances in these technologies.

Other highlights from the last six months include the 10-year National Quantum Strategy backed by £2.5 billion of public funding, and the International Technology Strategy which lays out our plan to support tech investment, encourage international collaboration, and strengthen the UK’s cyber security defences. More recently we announced up to £50 million of government investment in new UK Research Ventures Catalyst to encourage greater private and philanthropic backing for UK science, research and innovation.

The Department is due to move into its new HQ in the estate known as the ‘Admiralty Buildings’ later this year, physically positioning science and technology at the core of Whitehall. The new offices will see all London-based DSIT officials located in the same building, as the beating heart of science and technology in Westminster.

The first exhibitions are expected to begin early in 2024 and interested participants will be asked to outline how they are helping the UK to cement its position as a science and technology superpower. They will also be asked to show how their organisation will deliver improved public services, create new better-paid jobs, and grow the economy. Each exhibit will be in place for around one month.

Businesses and organisations who are interested in exhibiting at our London HQ, can contact exhibit@dsit.gov.uk for more information.

Kingdom Academy has been awarded the prestigious Matrix Standard for a further three years, cementing it as one of the UK’s leading private training providers. 

Assessors examined the advice, information and guidance offered by staff across two days and they concluded Academy was providing the “best possible support” to their students. 

Jo Fisher, Director of Service for Kingdom Academy, hailed the result and said customers were receiving “hugely important and positive” information, advice and guidance that supported the excellent training provided by Kingdom Academy. 

The Matrix Standard is a kite mark for organisations that demonstrate customers are receiving sound, honest and useful advice, information, and guidance that means they are doing the correct course at the correct time in their career. 

It is set by the Department of Education (DfE) and is the framework for accrediting information, advice and guidance, given to private training providers, universities, further education colleges, schools, academies and others. 

Roger Chapman, Head of the Matrix Service for The Growth Company, says: “This is a fantastic achievement for Kingdom Academy and I would like to congratulate the team on their success.  

“We believe that at the heart of high-quality advice and support services are strong leadership, excellent service and a focus on continuous improvement, all underpinned by effective use of the resources available.  

“The Matrix Standard is designed to benchmark organisations against best practice in these areas. With their accreditation success, Kingdom Academy is working to provide the best possible support to their clients.” 

Jo Fisher adds: “We are delighted and thrilled to receive the highly prestigious Matrix Standard, showcasing how Kingdom Academy is doing hugely important and positive work as a private training provider.  

“We strive to make sure all of our students have a happy experience and cannot be more pleased about receiving this award in aid of all our hard efforts.” 

Kingdom Academy is a private training provider who create bespoke learning programmes and accredited professional qualifications to commercial clients and those funded by the Government through apprenticeship schemes. 

Courses are delivered remotely or at the clients’ premises or preferred location. 

blended learning platform provider Rise Up has been recognized in market research platform Tracxn’s Emerging Startups of Corporate Learning list. This Emerging Award series recognizes the topmost companies in Corporate Learning from across the globe. Rise Up has been showcased as a “Minicorn”; a company that has the potential to grow into a Unicorn and is amongst the leading tech startups of Corporate Learning. This follows Rise Up rising in the Fosway 9-Grid for Learning Systems as a recognized Core Challenger.

Arnaud Blachon, Co-Founder of Rise Up said,; “This recognition by Tracxn is a real honor and testament to the hard work of the whole team here at Rise Up. We have worked hard over the past year to keep one step ahead of any changes in the market and be among the first to offer new technologies and features to our clients.’

In 2023, Rise Up has also launched its own generative AI bot, LIA, alongwith other AI functionality and integrations to enable L&D teams, and training coaches to create engaging content, contextually translate, personalize, optimize and organize learning experiences for every individual.  Rise Up also announced their strategic partnerships with content providers, Good Habitz and Sponge Learning, as well as authoring tool Elucidat.

About Tracxn 

The Tracxn Emerging Awards is an initiative that publicly recognizes the top global companies across a variety of sectors. These ratings are based on a detailed analysis conducted by Tracxn’s sector specialist teams, along with a combination of multiple publicly available signals such as market size, investment by marquee investors, execution excellence, and future growth prospects.