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JAM gets festive with Transport for Greater Manchester

Sam Whitear

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21/12/2017

JAM gets festive with Transport for Greater Manchester

JAM has been appointed by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to launch its Christmas campaign following a competitive pitch, with a unique campaign that truly captures the personality of Noel, TfGM’s Mancunian elf.

Integrated agency, JAM developed a bespoke PR, social, digital and creative campaign, which centres around a fully optimised interactive map, enabling users to choose from six themed routes to follow Noel around Greater Manchester and explore the region’s alternative Christmas offerings. Options include ‘Frosty the show-man’ and ‘An independent foodie Christmas’. The map, which features illustrations and gifs developed by JAM, also highlights TfGM’s Metrolink and Metroshuttle transport options to get people to the various places highlighted on the map.

To support the launch of the interactive map, JAM has also developed a series of quirky animations and gifs that will be used across social media, a bespoke Snapchat filter, as well as a bank of social media content that will run throughout the course of the campaign.

The agency has also set up promotional and experiential activity, which will appear on the streets of Greater Manchester in November and December, as well as a number of partner giveaways throughout the duration of the campaign.

JAM has worked closely with Carat to support the campaign from a paid social perspective, as well as Key 103, TfGM’s radio partner, from an experiential perspective.

Jaime Gee, managing director of JAM, said: “We’re delighted to be working with TfGM to launch its Christmas campaign. We wanted to take Noel on a tour of Greater Manchester and showcase the Christmas activities happening around the districts, which is where the idea of our interactive map came from. We use illustrations, matching Noel’s style, along with animated gifs and copy with a Northern twang to bring Noel to life in a true Mancunian fashion.

“It’s a real testament to the skills of the entire JAM team that we’ve been able to launch this fully integrated campaign, which encompasses creative, web design, animation, experiential and social media.”

Dan Bolton, campaigns manager at TfGM, added: “JAM impressed us with their creative ideas to bring Noel to life. The campaign has been well received so far and we’re looking forward to letting people see what Noel gets up to over Christmas!”

Campus Living Villages provides lifeline for those on the breadline

CSR

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21/12/2017

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Campus Living Villages provides lifeline for those on the breadline

Staff at a student accommodation provider have donned their novelty knitwear and donated hundreds of toys and food items for families in poverty this Christmas.

Employees from Campus Living Villages wore their festive sweaters to celebrate National Christmas Jumper Day on Friday, December 15 and carried out a toy donation and Foodbank drive across their 15 Villages across the UK.

This included their Salford-based staff, at MediaCity and University of Salford Student Village, gathering more than 100 toys and donating £250 for the Wood Street Mission’s Christmas Appeal.

The Manchester-based charity supports children and families in poverty across Manchester and Salford throughout the year, but at Christmas they supply toys and food parcels for families experiencing hardship.

Students and staff at Campus Living Villages’ other locations have also been doing their bit by providing a lifeline for those on the breadline, supporting foodbanks across the country.

Alex Mayes, corporate responsibilities and communities manager of Campus Living Villages UK, said: “While many people will be looking forward to the Christmas festivities, for families affected by poverty it can be a very difficult time of year, but thanks to charities up and down the country, like the Wood Street Mission, some of the more disadvantaged people in the UK can look forward to a brighter festive period.

“We’re committed to helping those in need. So It was great to see so many of our employees getting into the festive spirit on Christmas Jumper Day and making a huge amount of effort.

“It certainly brought a smile to our faces and we hope our donation will go some way to bringing a smile to the faces of children in poverty this Christmas.”

Des Lynch, operations manager of Wood Street Mission, added: “Christmas is a difficult time of year for struggling families. We will be giving out toys and food to about 2,000 families and 4,500 children so they can join in the fun and festivities. Campus Living Villages’ Christmas Jumper Day fundraiser will help us in ensuring Christmas gets off to a great start for local kids.”

Barber to the homeless makes donations plea ahead of visit to Dunkirk refugee camp

CSR

Sam Whitear

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20/12/2017

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Barber to the homeless makes donations plea ahead of visit to Dunkirk refugee camp

A foundation that offers free haircuts and care packages to the homeless community in Greater Manchester is asking for donations ahead of a trip to the refugee camps in Dunkirk.

Skullfades Barbers’ Ged King – who recently notched up his 1,200^th free-of-charge trim alongside Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham as part of the Skullfades Foundation winter appeal – will be taking his unique homeless haircutting offer overseas in March and is appealing for donations of children’s toys and clothes, as well as rucksacks, sleeping bags and essentials which he will be taking with him.

The 32-year-old launched Skullfades Barbers in Sale in 2014, followed by the Skullfades Foundation in October 2016 to provide free food and haircuts for homeless people in Manchester.

Andy, who has pledged to end rough sleeping in the city by 2020 and also launched the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Homelessness Fund, said: “It was both humbling and inspiring in equal measure to spend time with the team brought together by the Skullfades Foundation in Piccadilly Gardens.

“It is one thing to give money to support people who have no home; it is quite another to give up your weekend to help them and provide personal care and attention to them.”

He added: “Watching the change in the people receiving help was truly life affirming. It was a whole community effort by people from all walks of life – from barbers to musicians to chefs. I left feeling uplifted, in awe of the generosity of the people of Greater Manchester and in no doubt, that, together, we will end rough sleeping here.

With an estimated 200 to 400 people sleeping rough in Greater Manchester each year, Ged is encouraging more barbers to join his campaign to help those in need and potentially change their lives for the better.

Ged said: “I care about people and believe life is more about what you can give that what you can get. Once I established my business, I thought, ‘what can I do next?’. I really wanted to take things to the next level.

“For me, that meant heading overseas. It was very humbling to mark the first year of the Skullfades Foundation with a trip to refugee camps in Paris cutting hair and took a young refugee who was also a trained barber under my wing. He cut hair with me for a full day.”

He continued: “As soon as I came back from Paris, planning began for Dunkirk. I can’t describe how heart-warming it was to see the difference a positive chat, warm clothing and a haircut to people who have left their homes and worldly possessions can make. We’re hoping to have a team of 12 and four vans full of donations on the trip this time round.”

The Skullfades Foundation raised over £8,000 earlier this year through crowdfunding and accepts donations all year round. Donations can be dropped at Skullfades Barbershop in Sale.

Trio of Manchester Metropolitan University apprentices shortlisted for top business award

Awards

Sam Whitear

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20/12/2017

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Trio of Manchester Metropolitan University apprentices shortlisted for top business award

Three Manchester Metropolitan University apprentices have been shortlisted for a top business award that recognises young talent.

Darren Smith (19) and Jack Kelly (21) of SAS Daniels LLP, and Danny Costello (21) of Ward Hadaway, are Apprentice of the Year finalists in the Made in Manchester Awards.

The trio have combined University study with employment on the Higher Apprenticeship in Legal Services programme. They are among seven apprentices recognised by the judges, who were looking for “individuals who have demonstrated an ability to go above and beyond their job role to have a positive impact on their business.”

Julie Adshead of Manchester Law School said: ‘Darren, Jack and Danny are fantastic advocates for apprenticeships. They have excelled in their studies and demonstrate the huge impact that apprentices can make in today’s workplace. We congratulate their achievement in reaching the awards finals and wish them every success in the grand final on 1 February 2018.”

Darren, who is part of SAS Daniels’ dispute resolution team, and Jack, who works within the company’s Employment & HR division, both joined the company in 2016 after completing A-Levels.

Two of SAS Daniels’ legal services apprentices were also shortlisted last year, with Sam Lydon awarded a ‘Highly Commended’ prize in the final.

Chris Swerling, Head of HR at SAS Daniels LLP, said: “Darren and Jack are both shining examples of what makes the whole apprentice scheme route a great way to start your career. We are enormously proud to have succeeded again in having two shortlisted for the prestigious Made In Manchester Awards 2018.”

Jack Kelly said: ” It is great to see young professionals being recognised for their achievements. I would like to thank my family for their support, and the team at SAS Daniels for developing and encouraging young people to be future champions of industry.”

Darren Smith added his thanks to family and colleagues, saying: “It is a massive honour to be shortlisted for this award and one which I will always be proud of.”

Danny Costello joined Ward Hadaway three years ago as an Administration Assistant before securing an apprenticeship in 2015. He has recently completed his apprentice programme and works within the Manchester office’s property team.

He said: “I am very grateful to be shortlisted for a Made In Manchester award and see it as a huge honour to have been nominated by my fellow colleagues. I’m also very proud to be one of Ward Hadaway’s legal apprentices.”

Paul Johnson, Corporate partner at Ward Hadaway and Executive Partner for the firm’s Manchester office, said: “Recruiting bright, enthusiastic and promising young people is important to us. Being shortlisted is testament to Danny’s hard work and determination. We know he will do well in his career and will continue to make an invaluable contribution to Ward Hadaway.”

The Made in Manchester Awards, organised by Future Pro-Manchester, celebrate the best of Manchester’s young business talent across 14 categories that recognise excellence in innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, training and development, and leadership. Entries are judged by sector experts in a two-tier competition process involving a written entry form and an interview for the shortlisted applicants.

Tech Firm Deepens Digital Education Commitment to Greater Manchester

Education

Sam Whitear

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20/12/2017

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Tech Firm Deepens Digital Education Commitment to Greater Manchester

Technology brand UKFast is taking its mission to inspire young digital talent to the next level, creating five new Raspberry Pi cafés for schools across Greater Manchester.

The ‘cafés’ use Raspberry Pi computers which provide a simple and flexible tool for students to learn programming skills, giving them the opportunity to get hands-on with technology. Cloud hosting specialist UKFast is providing hardware, cabling, and training resources.

The project targets areas where gaps in digital engagement exist, including wards which have traditionally lacked the resources to deliver cutting-edge digital training, as well as all-girls schools which have traditionally seen low uptake in technical subjects.

Sites selected for the project include: Holy Name RC Primary School in Moss Side, St Bedes Prep School in Hulme, Alderley Edge School for Girls, The Hollins Tech College in Accrington and Factory Youth Zone in North Manchester.

Aaron Saxton, Director of Training and Education at UKFast, said: “I am proud that we work with a hugely diverse mix of schools in some challenging areas, where we can make a real impact to young people’s futures. We’re seeing first-hand the potential of digital skills to change the story of these young people, to provide role models and to help them look beyond the boundaries of their local area.

“The Pi Café project is the perfect vehicle to inspire students to look at online technologies, programming and computer science skills.”

Damian Regan, head of Holy Name RC Primary School, said “The new café will create real independence for our digital leaders and develop a sense of aspiration. The new facility also promotes a love of technology, which we can use across the curriculum.”

UKFast’s team of full-time teachers are already engaged in a range of programmes across the region; delivering code clubs, workshops and masterclasses to students at more than 100 schools.

The expansion of the Pi café project follows the success of the first café at Broadoak School in Partington, which launched in 2015.

UKFast CEO Lawrence Jones said: “The impact of the Broadoak café has given us the confidence to roll out more Raspberry Pi cafés, to give young people and the wider community hands-on access to tech. The feedback we’ve had shows that young people look at that building as a really exciting space to go and learn something different from traditional education.

“With the Broadoak café, we’re seeing huge benefits in the development of the curriculum at the Dean Trust and the way pupils have been inspired.”

The new cafés represent a £100,000 investment in time and equipment and are set to launch early in 2018. The project comes as UKFast continues its work with the Dean Trust to launch a digital-focussed high school in Manchester following approval from the government.

Launch of IFSL Equilibrium funds completes – with £350m invested in less than a fortnight

Business support

Sam Whitear

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20/12/2017

0

Launch of IFSL Equilibrium funds completes – with £350m invested in less than a fortnight

The launch of the new IFSL Equilibrium funds has successfully completed – with around £350 million invested in just 10 days.

Wilmslow-based Equilibrium, which recently broke through the £7 million turnover barrier, believe the ground-breaking initiative will help them to continue their strong track record of delivering superior risk adjusted returns.

Colin Lawson, Equilibrium Founder, and Mike Deverell, Partner and Investment Manager at Equilibrium, said they have been planning and working on this project for almost five years and they believe that the speed and extent of the take up from clients is unprecedented in the industry.

“All the careful preparation we put in has paid off as we have had a 100% take up rate from our clients,” said Colin.

“The launch went without a hitch and importantly without clients incurring costs. The project involved the whole team here at Equilibrium and everyone executed their individual tasks to perfection.”

Mike Deverell said: “Investments are always going to fall and rise over time, but our aim is to try and produce the best risk adjusted returns we can and to achieve our clients’ objectives without taking unnecessary risks.

“The launch of the IFSL Equilibrium funds will allow us to make a number of small improvements that over the long term are intended to add up to better risk adjusted returns.

“In investing returns can never be guaranteed, however, we feel that it’s all about the small enhancements, that if you can make them consistently over time, and when compounded over the long term can result in big differences for clients’ portfolios.”

It comes after Equilibrium recently announced that it had landed more than £100m of new assets under management in 2017.

Earlier this year Equilibrium also launched MyEQ – a one-stop-shop online finance portal.

The multi-functional portal gives users a snapshot into their finances, with the added abilities to keep track of investments, see a true picture of their net worth and even calculate property values.

Equilibrium was also crowned the fifth best small company to work for by The Sunday Times in 2017 and now manages more than £700m of assets for over 950 families.

GVS Secures Stowe Family Law at 26 Cross Street, Manchester

Blog

Sam Whitear

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19/12/2017

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GVS Secures Stowe Family Law at 26 Cross Street, Manchester

GVA announces that it has secured a new tenant for boutique-style office building, 26 Cross Street, Manchester, on behalf of Catalyst Capital.

The 1,835 sq ft space on the third floor has been taken by Stowe Family Law LLP, achieving a new headline rent of £22.50 per sq ft.

The eight-storey, 21,500 sq ft building is located within the St Anne’s Square conservation area, one of Manchester’s most historic and lively streets. This iconic 1930s’ building has been recently fully refurbished by GVA to provide Grade A boutique-style office space with state-of-the-art suites.

Stowe Family Law LLP is the UK’s largest specialist family law firm, with family lawyers and divorce solicitors located throughout the UK.

Rhys Evans at GVA said: “As one of the most respected law firms in the UK, Stowe Family Law LLP offers a strong covenant and is ideally suited to this unique building. 26 Cross Street offers state-of-the-art suites and provides something special for occupiers in one of Manchester’s most iconic and sought-after areas.

“This letting follows the recent lettings of the first and second floors of the building to Close View and Mayoral Clothing respectively. There remains strong interest in the remaining suites of the building”.

GVA’s Building Consultancy team was retained by Stowe Family Law to design, manage and oversee the fit-out works, which were completed within three weeks and yielded modern state-of-the-art facilities to support its growing national business.

Charles Hartwell, CEO of Stowe Family Law, said: “We were looking for premises in the heart Manchester city centre and 26 Cross Street is an ideal location with a high standard of office space.

“It was important that for our 13th office we had an environment that helped our clients feel comfortable and at ease. We approached GVA to project manage the interior design and fit out of this new space, and, led by Steve Martin, the business delivered this to an impressively high standard, both on time and within budget.”

Sarah Cooper, portfolio manager at Catalyst Capital, said: “Stowe Family Law LLP adds an extra layer of diversity to 26 Cross Street and perfectly complements the tenant mix in the building. This is testament to the quality of the newly-refurbished office space and environment”.

BizSpace invests in three new business centres

Blog

Sam Whitear

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19/12/2017

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BizSpace invests in three new business centres

BizSpace, the largest provider of flexible workspace with offices and workshops across the UK, has invested over £11.5 million in three new business centres. The acquisitions include existing office parks in Coventry and Bury together with two large office buildings in Gloucester – one let and one to be fully refurbished and transformed into a new Business Centre.

The three purchases follow the Company’s recent acquisition of Cheadle Place in Stockport, Equinox South in Bristol and newly refurbished co-working office space and Serviced Business Centre at Belvedere House, Basingstoke. All three sites offer high quality business space for small and growing businesses.

BizSpace’s Development Director, Nick Smith, commented: “The Bury and Coventry properties provide an opportunity to create smaller workspaces for local businesses alongside more traditional offices. In Gloucester, we are creating an up-to-the-minute business centre from a 1960s landmark building on a gateway site. BizSpace already has a very successful industrial centre at Morelands in the City, so knows the market well; this purchase is a response to that demand.”

BizSpace’s Commercial Director, Emma Long, commented: “BizSpace is engaged in bringing people together and enabling the regeneration of local communities. We’re excited to continue expanding our portfolio of business and are looking forward to welcoming a diverse host of the region’s businesses as our new customers. Our focus is very much about making life easier for small businesses and start-ups, and we’ve done everything we can to make the process of taking on that important first business space as easy and fuss-free as possible.”

Stockport’s oldest tavern to be converted into mixed-use scheme as part of wider Underbanks regeneration in partnership with Stockport Council

Blog

Sam Whitear

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19/12/2017

0

Stockport’s oldest tavern to be converted into mixed-use scheme as part of wider Underbanks regeneration in partnership with Stockport Council

Stockport’s White Lion pub, which originates from the 15^th century and has been a Grade II listed building since 1993, is set to be converted into a mixed-use residential and leisure development by Laurus Homes.

Having been closed and abandoned for many years, the four-storey building – which is situated at the junction of Great Underbank and Lower Hillgate – was acquired by Stockport Council in late 2015 to safeguard its future and to bring it back into use.

Now, through a partnership between the Council and Trafford Housing Trust (who own the Laurus Homes brand), the building will be refurbished into high quality apartments above a new ground floor restaurant premises.

Once completed the £2.4m scheme, which has a ground floor footprint of around 600 square metres and approximately 800 square metres of upper floor space, is set to feature seven one-bed, three two-bed and one two-bed duplex apartments.

The complex restoration and rebuilding will be undertaken by a multi-disciplinary project team appointed by Trafford Housing Trust. This will include builders Casey Construction, surveyors Anderton Gable, and architects Bowker Saddler.

The renovation of the White Lion, which was completely rebuilt in 1904 in a late medieval and Baroque fashion, is a key part of the Council’s £7 million investment in the Underbanks and Market Place which is underway, transforming this unique and important part of Stockport town centre.

The site, and Laurus Homes’ plans to rejuvenate it, were also recently featured on BBC Breakfast TV as an example of how town centres with empty units were being reinvigorated through residential conversions.

Paul Westhead from Laurus Homes said: “Listed sites of great historic importance like the White Lion pub can be very challenging to convert successfully and many developers won’t undertake the work because of the potential financial risks.

“However, being part of a progressive housing association like Trafford Housing Trust, which is committed to regenerating neighbourhoods rather than simply selling houses for a profit, we are able to work in partnership with local authorities and take on sensitive projects like these.

“We can also see the massive potential offered by a district like the Underbanks. It’s very well located and is steeped in history, but has also faced commercial challenges meaning many buildings and shops have been vacated.

“We therefore look forward to working with Stockport Council to bring the White Lion, and possibly some other parts of the Underbanks, back to life with a mix of high quality residential and sustainable commercial solutions.”

Councillor Kate Butler, Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration at Stockport Council said: “The White Lion is an important building in the heart of Stockport linking Merseyway with the Underbanks and has so much untapped potential. The Council has wanted to see this potential realised for some time and for the building to be brought back to life. We’re delighted to be working with Laurus Homes to turn this vision into a reality.

“The new homes and restaurants at the White Lion are just part of the transformation taking place in Stockport’s Market Place and Underbank that will see the area once again become the place to visit, shop and live.”

Business boost for Trafford with appointment of new start-up advisor

Blog

Sam Whitear

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18/12/2017

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Business boost for Trafford with appointment of new start-up advisor

Greater Manchester’s Business Growth Hub has partnered with Trafford Council to provide more dedicated support for people wanting to start a new business within the borough.

Suzanne Bradbury will use her wealth of experience to help new and recently established small businesses to grow.

Suzanne draws on over 25 years’ experience working in professional services and management consultancy. She also set up her own international business supplying lighting and audio equipment, and holds both a law degree and MBA.

Working alongside existing advisor Tony Ward, and the Council’s Strategic Growth Team, Suzanne will also be able to provide access to the wide range of business support services provided by Business Growth Hub, including:

Business planning
Marketing
Access to finance
Executive development
Digital transformation

Executive Member for Housing and Strategic Planning, Cllr David Hopps, said: “It’s great news that small businesses in Trafford now have two expert advisors to help them grow and add to the economic prosperity of the borough.

“The Growth Hub is an excellent initiative and the Council is working closely with it to ensure our entrepreneurs get the best support.”

Richard Jeffery, Director of Business Growth Hub added: “Suzanne will add a new dimension to business support in Trafford, helping young businesses to grow and establish themselves in Greater Manchester’s business network.

“Anyone who has recently started a business, or is thinking about starting one, should get in touch with Suzanne to find out how the Hub can help.”

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