People on the Move: Bell, Lamb & Joynson; Democracy; English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues; Collinson Construction; Irwin Mitchell

From left: Kate Mansfield, Mike Leeman, Tim Cousins and Joe Holmes

North West legal firm Bell Lamb & Joynson solicitors has recently welcomed five new recruits in line with the start of its business year.

The award-winning solicitors created a number of new roles to support growing business, which has seen the team enjoy a five per cent increase in turnover in the past 12 months, despite the ongoing situation with COVID-19.

With locations in Liverpool, Warrington and Runcorn, the team now includes 50 members of staff across departments such as conveyancing, family law and criminal law. As part of the recent recruitment drive, the firm will also add to its development strategy with new dedicated roles to manage business and client relationships.

Managing partner, Mike Leeman, said: “As we entered our new business and financial year in July, we also welcomed a number of new recruits to the firm, adding to our workforce across our three North West office locations. We feel incredibly fortunate that we’re in a position to expand and futureproof our business for the year ahead and beyond.

“As well as hiring in our conveyancing department, which has been exceptionally busy throughout recent months, and our finance team, we’ve also prioritised business development going forward and have built an entirely new team to focus on this aspect.”

The firm has welcomed Lawrence Dunne as a conveyancing assistant and Jenny Randell as a conveyancing fee earner, alongside accounts cashier, Tim Cousins.

The newly-established business development team will be headed by relationship manager Joe Holmes who will be working alongside client relationship executive, Kate Mansfield, as well as existing members of staff.

Mike added: “Having these new additions will allow us to better utilise the resources that we have to continue this upwards trend as we hit a milestone year for business in 2021. In my opinion, investment into your people and offering a competitive environment in which they can progress personally and professionally all impacts the overall success of your business, which is why we will continue to prioritise this as a firm.”

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Democracy has strengthened its ranks with new hires across its PR and editorial content divisions.

Carl Stroud joins as news director, bringing expert understanding of how newsrooms operate following more than two decades of senior roles across print and digital titles, including The Sun.

Carl Stroud

Creative artworker, Andy Cheeseman, arrives directly from Children’s BBC, where he specialised in developing content projects from ideation through to delivery.

Democracy founder and head of agency, Jen O’Grady, said: “Following a clutch of new business wins we’re in a position to hire new talent during the most challenging of years.

“Carl’s exceptional contacts across the industry alongside Andy’s creative flair provides us with a real competitive advantage when it comes to delivering stand out stories and best-in-class content for our clients.”

A digital native and former Sun website editor, Carl has consulted widely across the PR industry, contributing to award-winning campaigns for blue chip giants including British Airways, Jaguar Land Rover and MoneySuperMarket.

Andy’s rich background in creative design and video production has seen Sunderland City Council, The Labour Party and Flow Energy call upon his services.

Jen O’Grady added: “COVID-19 has fast-tracked the evolution of the media landscape, these new appointments will help us to meet the changing needs of the people with influence.”

During lockdown the agency has picked up new briefs from outdoor adventure centre Plas Menai, pioneering energy retailer Love Energy Savings and hand-crafted furniture brand Made Below, while at the same time AkzoNobel increased its remit to handle PR across further divisions.

Manchester-based Democracy, which this year celebrates 12 years in business, employs 25 staff and works with clients including Dulux, heycar, Cartridge Save, ATAG, Tequila Rose, Eisberg and East Lancashire Railway.

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A trio of aspiring young chefs have joined a specialist apprenticeship scheme run by a Lake District hotel group.

Having left school in the Summer, 16-year-olds Maria Cheetham, from Haverigg, Jonny Mariott, from Staveley, and Rebecca Atkinson, from Heysham, have successfully enrolled in the English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues ‘Culinary Academy’.

The new teenage recruits are seeking careers within the catering and hospitality sector.

The academy offers trainees a one-year apprenticeship, delivered in partnership with Kendal College. A total of 13 students are now currently training to become commis chefs within the hotel group.

Maria will be based at Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa in Windermere, Jonny will be working at the Wild Boar Inn at Crook, and Rebecca will learn the ropes at the art-deco Midland Hotel in Morecambe.

From left: Daniel Winstanley, Rebecca Atkinson, Jonny Mariott, Maria Cheetham

Run by English Lakes Hotels’ highly-experienced head chef, Daniel Winstanley, the fully accredited course allows the students to hone chef skills while earning a wage with the hotel group.

New recruit Maria said: “It’s obviously not been the easiest time for school leavers like us, but I knew I wanted to become a chef, so the academy is providing the ideal route. We’re all thrilled to get going, start training and hopefully forge successful future careers.”

Daniel Winstanley said: “We’re thrilled to offer Maria, Jonny and Rebecca the opportunity to train, earn and learn with us. We’re keen to develop ‘home-grown’ talent and we hope the popular course will give them a firm footing on the career ladder.

“It’s an opportunity for them to gain experience from our strong team of head chefs at renowned venues, as well as taking new online course modules developed over the Summer.”

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Lancashire-based contractor Collinson Construction has made some changes to its leadership team as it embarks on the latest phase of its growth plan.

The company has promoted operations director Robert Duxbury to the role of managing director, while current MD, Sam Collinson, becomes chairman.

Robert will lead the company as it looks to win more main contracting projects across the North West in addition to expanding its modular construction business nationally.

Sam Collinson said: “We’ve been very successful over the last few years with the delivery of projects across the UK.

“We’re continually looking to diversify and we’ve built a team that can also win more traditional main contracting projects here in the North West.

“Robert has been driving force behind the growth we’ve had and has helped us build a great team. His promotion to managing director is well deserved.”

Sam Collinson, left, and Robert Duxbury

Robert Duxbury said: “This is an exciting time to be involved in Collinson Construction and it’s an enormous privilege for me to be asked to become managing director.

“We’ve built a strong brand in our target markets of sports and leisure, education, industrial and commercial. We can build just about anything in those sectors, whether it’s modern methods of construction like modular and tensile buildings, or more traditional builds.”

Collinson Construction, based at Catterall, near Preston, has completed more than 70 major projects around the UK and its high-profile clients include Surf Snowdonia, Sport Scotland, Irish Rugby, Warrington Wolves, and Bristol Bears.

The firm began life in 2004 after emerging from its sister company E Collinson, a manufacturer of agricultural feeding solutions. The company directly employs 35 staff.

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National law firm Irwin Mitchell has recruited Richard Allan as a senior consultant to its national construction team.

Richard joins from Knights where he was a partner in the construction and engineering team, having previously spent a number of years in highly ranked teams at firms including DLA Piper and Pinsent Masons.

He will be based in Irwin Mitchell’s Manchester office, but will have a national remit.

Richard has 14 years’ experience advising leading UK and international owners, contractors, consultants, funders and administrators on complex construction and engineering projects across all market sectors in the UK, mainland Europe, Russia and the Middle East.

He provides early project support to assist in maximising entitlement/minimising risk and has extensive experience of many forms of dispute resolution, including mediation, adjudication, arbitration and litigation.

Richard Allan

His appointment takes Irwin Mitchell’s construction team to 11, with two partners currently. The team is led by Mark Clinton and sits within Irwin Mitchell’s national real estate practice which is headed by Adrian Barlow.

Irwin Mitchell’s commercial and residential property departments currently consists of 25 partners and a team of 80 qualified staff from seven offices across the UK.

Adrian Barlow said: “We are delighted someone of Richard’s calibre is joining our construction team and we have further hires in the pipeline which we will announce later in the Autumn.

“Richard will provide a good boost to our national real estate team and will help with our clients’ construction legal needs across England and beyond.

“He provides an invaluable addition to our skills set and his experience in the housing, education and care sectors complement our sector focus, as will his experience with windfarms support our environmental push.”

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