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Catchpoint expan

Blog

Sam Whitear

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11/12/2017

Catchpoint (UK) are expanding and have just recently moved premises. A building on Croft Head Road, Blackburn was selected and has been completely renovated into amazing sleek new offices for the company. The picture-perfect new office building represents how much Catchpoint (UK) have grown over the last 20 years, since established in 1997.

Catchpoint (UK) work alongside the largest organisations in the UK and Ireland. Their new headquarters now showcases and reflects their innovative products and services, as well as their remarkable team!

Michael Lynch, the Managing Director said, “The decision on the big move and expansion had to be made, due to the growing number of employees over the past years our old building was on the verge of being outgrown. Furthermore, these offices no longer reflected our company’s full potential and current place in the market… Renovating the new building on Croft Head Road now gives the Catchpoint team a more spacious and comfortable place to work, as well as the potential to grow further in the future.”

“The renovation took over a year of planning and developing because the entire building had to be stripped back to its original shell. It’s now an amazing and spacious place to work for all of our employees here at Catchpoint. We are also in the development stages of implementing our on-site trade showroom, which will showcase all of our commercial products.”

National award for Bolton broker

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11/12/2017

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Stanmore Insurance, the broker behind Nursery Scheme dot2dot, was crowned ‘Schemes Broker of the Year’ last night at the prestigious ‘Insurance Times Awards’ held at the O2 in London, beating 11 other scheme brokers to the prize. Established in 2003, dot2dot is the UK’s leading nursery and childcare insurance specialist.

The Insurance Times said, “The awards, celebrate the biggest and best in general insurance, they are the highlight of the UK insurance calendar.”

dot2dot, the brainchild of Stanmore Director Jackie Hyde, impressed the judges with the level support and expert advice their customers receive.

“I like to think we find solutions to the issues that keep our nursery owners up at night. We’re always there to help and if we don’t know the answer, we find someone who does”. Said Jackie.

This customer first attitude clearly struck a chord with the judging panel as did dot2dot’s new branding, which launched this summer. The new tagline “the bear that cares” encompasses their customer service philosophy and their soft and cuddly mascot Stanley Bear is perfectly suited to the market they support.

“The brand doesn’t look like anything else in the market place and that’s important to us, we want to stand out from the competition and be relevant to our customer base. We’re delighted that the judges picked up on this.”

Stanmore Insurance Brokers employs 22 members of staff and is based in Little Lever, Bolton. The business was formed in 1962 and has continued to go from strength to strength supporting local business and individuals. As well as their work with nurseries nationally through the dot2dot scheme.

MABS Fest 2017 goes ahead

Blog

Sam Whitear

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11/12/2017

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The Manchester Acoustic Blues Festival – MABS Fest 2017 – took place recently, some five months late, in a combined showing of defiance, following this summer’s terrorist attack, just yards from its original location.

A delighted audience at a completely new venue, the recently refurbished Met Theatre in Bury, were treated to a fine evening of some of the best blues entertainment in the UK. A wide spectrum of styles began with the area’s own Pete Ryder, who himself runs an independent blues club in Salford, and continued with an excellent set by Dai and Barbara Thomas.

This year’s festival delay had enabled a chance to host the first reading of the highly prestigious European Blues Awards results. Suspense was high, as the next performer and former award nominee, Bluesman Mike Francis, read out the winners before playing a fine set with special guest, Andy C, from Sisters in Grease.

Next up was headliner, Elles Bailey, who had been featured as a finalist in this year’s European Blues Awards and treated the audience to a very special unplugged acoustic performance of her highly rated latest album.

MABS Fest is a component of the summer Manchester Biennial Independent Arts programme, that normally precedes the larger Manchester International Festival.

Organiser Mike Carvalho commented: “We are really grateful to everyone that has supported the festival and enabled it to go ahead, in the face of so much adversity, following an unavoidable postponement in June. It is an incredible showing of defiance by all concerned”

He added: “Without the help of David Agnew and his team at the Met Theatre in Bury, it would have been summer 2019, before another such event would have been possible.

At the festival, a contribution was made from all merchandising sales and given to the We Love Manchester Disaster Fund, in memory of the victims of this summer’s tragedy in the city.

Arighi Bianchi give Sale Sharks the Italian treatment

Blog

Sam Whitear

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11/12/2017

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Arighi Bianchi give Sale Sharks the Italian treatment

Sale Sharks have announced a partnership with home furniture business Arighi Bianchi.

As part of the deal, the interior design team from the fourth-generation family business have already given the ‘team room’ at the Sharks’ Carrington training ground a makeover, completely re-decorating and re-furnishing the room to provide the players with a space in which they relax and socialise when not training.

Winners of a competition also watched Sale Sharks’ recent hard fought victory over Northampton Saints from the comfort of a luxurious Arighi Bianchi sofa, placed just outside the club’s C&C Insurance Hospitality Suite where they had just enjoyed a three course meal.

As well as running more ‘unique and live’ competitions the partnership will see Sharks’ stars subjected to Big Brother-style video interviews each month in a bid to bolster the connection between fans and players.

Nick Bianchi, Arighi Bianchi Commercial Director, said: “We are delighted to have joined the Sharks family as the club’s first interiors partner.

“Being able to bring fans closer to the squad through insightful and fun video interviews in the team room is a brilliant initiative.

“We will also continue to take it further with the ‘best seat in the house’ competitions, where fans witness Steve Diamond’s men taking on and hopefully beating the very best the Premiership has to offer from an Arighi Bianchi sofa. We’re looking forward to supporting the boys through the rest of the season.”

Arighi Bianchi’s landmark store opened in Macclesfield in 1892, 38 years after Antonio Arighi had a walked to Cheshire on foot from the shores of Lake Como and set up shop making clocks.

Sale Sharks Commercial Director Mark Cueto MBE described Arighi Bianchi as an institution.

He said: “The ‘instant fit’ between us and Arighi Bianchi is what makes this partnership a particularly exciting one.

“It helps that they are a company with a fantastic history and also one with such pedigree.10

“Our supporters are our 16^th man, so we’re very much looking forward to the best seat in the house activation as well as the Big Brother style videos in the new team room. It will give our fans real entertainment and value, and will certainly bring them as close as you can get to the squad!”

Five new roles at fast-growing Recom

Blog

Sam Whitear

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11/12/2017

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Construction project management consultancy Recom Solutions has created five new roles to meet growing demand for its services.

Sarah Leadbetter has joined the Salford Quays-based company as an associate director from Deloitte Real Estate in Manchester.

She has extensive project management experience in the public sector, including work on major capital projects such as a new £42m firearms training facility for the Civil Nuclear Constabulary.

Jordan Stent has joined Recom as a construction project manager, having previously worked at companies including Lend Lease and AECOM.

The other new arrivals at Recom are trainee project managers Jessica Haslam and Mark Tobin and office co-ordinator Michelle Woods.

Recom undertakes construction project management work across the north west in a range of sectors, including healthcare, education, retail and leisure, commercial and residential.

Recent schemes include a £4m upgrade of Chancellors Hotel at the University of Manchester, and a £4m refurbishment of the Houldsworth Hall student accommodation complex at the same university.

Director Jason McKnight, who founded Recom with Joseph Dillon in 2012, said: “We are delighted to welcome all five new members of staff as we strengthen our team and structure in line with the continued growth of the business.

“Sarah, Jordan and Michelle have excellent track records in their fields, and we are thrilled to have Jessica and Mark with us as we look to nurture our own talent for the future.

“We expect to recruit further in 2018 as our expansion continues in our Manchester and Liverpool offices serving clients throughout the north west.”

Stagecoach employees win at the North of England Transport Awards

Sam Whitear

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11/12/2017

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Stagecoach employees win at the North of England Transport Awards

Stagecoach Manchester staff collected the Frontline Employee of the Year prize at the second annual North of England Transport Awards last week.

Five Stagecoach Manchester employees, Rob McCarthy and Ashley Mumford both inspectors, alongside drivers Hayley Sibthorpe, Gary Wilkinson and Jose Lusimana collectively won the award, after they went beyond the call of duty on the evening of the Manchester Arena attack.

On the night of the attack the team worked around the clock to transport injured members of the public to medical facilities, and as a result have been praised for their bravery and professionalism.

The Stagecoach Manchester employees were also presented with a Special Bravery Award at the eighth annual Stagecoach Group Champions Awards which took place last month in London.

In addition, Stagecoach Manchester was also awarded highly commended status in the Public Transport Operator category after investing an impressive £9m in new buses, routes and facilities in 2017 for Greater Manchester.

Stagecoach Manchester managing director, Elisabeth Tasker, said: “Following the tragic incident in May, the Stagecoach Manchester team worked tirelessly, both on the night as well as in the days and weeks that followed, and receiving these awards are testament to the dedication to the city of Manchester which has been shown by my colleagues.

“It’s a real honour to be recognised this year in the Transport Operator of the Year category. Over the last ten years, it has been one of our main objectives to invest in new buses, routes and facilities for the Greater Manchester community. This includes our work to get 53 new Euro 6 double- deck buses into the city last year, whilst also introducing contactless payment and a mobile app.”

Manchester firm included on Fast Track 100 for the 2nd year running

Blog

Sam Whitear

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08/12/2017

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Manchester firm included on Fast Track 100 for the 2nd year running

Manchester, UK – Evolution Money, a secured loans provider based in Manchester, has been featured on the Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 league table for the second year in a row.

Published every December, the research highlights those British companies who have achieved the fastest-growing sales within the last three years. Featured for a second time, Evolution Money successfully claimed the 82nd spot as their annual sales increased by more than 52% throughout this period.

Lynne Hardwick – Head of Marketing at Evolution Money – was delighted by the news:“This is a fantastic achievement and we are extremely proud of all our staff and their continuing efforts. We clearly couldn’t do it without their hard work and support.

“When you consider how many thousands of private businesses there are, appearing anywhere in the top 100 is very special. We are delighted to appear once again in the Sunday Times Virgin FastTrack100.”

The league table is compiled by Fast Track and published in the Sunday Times every year. To qualify, firms must meet a variety of conditions. For example, they must be registered in the UK and have variable sales growth throughout the three-year-period. Of those included in the list, two others were from Manchester – Missguided and CarFinance 247.

Based on Portland Street, Evolution Money is part of Darwin Loan Solutions, and alongside its sister company Progressive Money, employs more than 140 staff members. The firm hopes to continue growing and make it third time in a row during 2018. In the meantime, Evolution Money is planning to celebrate this achievement at their Christmas party.

Record year facilites major expansion for Workplace Build & Design

Appointments

Sam Whitear

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08/12/2017

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Record year facilites major expansion for Workplace Build & Design

Workspace Design & Build (D&B) reached a record turnover of £10 million last year with year-end figures forecasted for 2018 to be up 35%.

The award-winning fit-out contractor has recently completed the refurbishment of LJ Partnership’s Canada House, Co-op Digital’s the Federation and the third phase of digital market giant Social Chain’s office extension. These significant projects resulted in two nominations and shortlisting at the Inspired Spaces Awards last month.

The Manchester-based contractor has made several significant appointments strengthening its team and facilitating its expansion, including the promotion of Ollie Campbell to Director. Head count now stands at 30.

Ollie has been with the company for four years specialising in business development and has repeatedly brought in increased business year on year. In his new role, Ollie will oversee the delivery for numerous clients and will be responsible for managing client’s expectations and quality of finish.

An Economic graduate from the University of Newcastle, Ollie previously worked in a family run business in the construction industry. He progressed into the refurbishment sector, where he realised he wanted to stay working with high quality and dynamic programmes.

Ollie said, “This is a perfect opportunity for me and I look forward to working alongside the other directors to help improve and grow the business in the correct way. Building strong relationships has been fundamental to our recent success and this is certainly something we will be looking to build upon in the New Year.”

Managing Director of Workspace Design & Build, Russell Davis said: “We are delighted to announce our continued growth following a record year for Workspace. We have strengthened our team significantly and made some key promotions.

“Ollie has been with us now for over four years and has progressed from contracts to business development in a short period of time. He has been instrumental in our growth of the business over the last two years and has been a valued member of the management team.

“It was an easy decision to offer Ollie the position of Director as we look for further growth and welcome him to the senior management team.”

Standish accountancy firm hosts GDPR seminar for local businesses

Blog

Sam Whitear

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08/12/2017

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Standish accountancy firm hosts GDPR seminar for local businesses

Local accountants McGinty Demack has today hosted a GDPR focused seminar at Kilhey Court House, Standish.

The seminar, which featured speakers from Attain Digital and Taylors Solicitors, educated guests on how GDPR could impact their business and their employees.

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) comes into effect on 25 May 2018 and as part of the GDPR legislation, large companies will be required to appoint a Data Protection Officer and everyone could be potentially subject to hefty penalties and fines, if they do not comply with the new rules and regulations.

Karen Richardson, MD, McGinty Demack said: “The seminar was a great success, attendees complimented the quality of speakers and the valuable information they could take away from the event.

“We held this seminar because we feel it is important to educate local businesses on becoming GDPR ready, before it is implemented in May next year. GDPR could have a big impact on how businesses across the Wigan area operate and it is vital they are up to date on what they must do to be compliant.”

Brother UK announces sponsorship of Manchester-based elite Women’s cycling tem

Blog

Sam Whitear

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08/12/2017

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Brother UK announces sponsorship of Manchester-based elite Women’s cycling tem

Brother UK has announced it is to sponsor cycling Team Torelli into the 2018 cycling season.

The Manchester-based elite women’s cycling team has enjoyed a year of cycling successes. The team consists of talented young female cyclists from all around the world, who compete at a local, national and international level including recent recruit World and European Champion and 10 times British National Champion, Great Britain’s Emily Kay.

Team Torelli will enjoy jersey sponsorship from Brother UK throughout the 2018 season, when they will compete at high profile national events including the Tour Series in May.

This latest announcement is the latest in a string of cycling sponsorship deals secured by Brother UK, as the Audenshaw-based technology solutions and services business increases its commitment to the sport.

Brother UK has invested in the cycling sector for more than six years with the provision of neutral service vehicles to high-level domestic races and sportives. It is also the official print, imaging and results partner for the Tour Series, the OVO Energy Women’s Tour of Britain and the OVO Energy Tour of Britain.

Speaking about the new team sponsorship, Phil Jones MBE, Managing Director of Brother UK, comments: “I have been extremely impressed by all the progress the team have made in the 2017 season and the 2018 team roster looks very strong and capable of delivering some outstanding results on the road and the track. It has the makings of a great partnership.”

Tony Orrell, Team Manager of Team Torelli, added: “2017 has been an amazing year for us, and going into 2018 we’re proud to have Brother UK on board as a sponsor. The brand has a great track record in its cycling sponsorship successes and we’re looking forward to working together to produce more great results in 2018.”

Get the latest results on all Brother UK-sponsored cycling on its dedicated social media platforms @Brothercycling on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or follow #Brother4Results.

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