North West business briefs: Astra Signs; Very Group; Lookers; Mojo Mortgages; Weightmans
UK signage company Astra Signs has been appointed by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to print and install TfGM livery across its fleet of new Metrolink trams.
The win follows a competitive tender, confirming the strength of Astra Signs’ expertise, says the company, in the transport sector which includes the delivery of previous branding work for TfGM, as well as a recent £2.5m wayfinding project for Manchester Airport.
The contract sees the Trafford Park based business fit out interior and exterior surfaces on 25 trams with Metrolink branding, using a bespoke colour-matched vinyl certified for the transport industry. As part of the brief, Astra Signs is also installing safety reminders to encourage commuters to act responsibly when travelling on the UK’s largest tram network.
A TfGM spokesperson said: “Livery installation on a tram fleet requires specialist expertise and it’s clear that Astra Signs has exceptional knowledge of the transport sector. As a local company, the team share our passion for Metrolink and the vital role it plays in keeping the city moving. We’re looking forward to working together over the next couple of months, as the livery installation is rolled out across the fleet.”
Founder and managing director of Astra Signs, David Derbyshire, said: “Manchester’s Metrolink is one of the best light rail systems in the world, and as a business with roots in the city, it’s a pleasure to be working alongside TfGM and Metrolink on this project. We’re pleased to have delivered Wayfinding Stop signage across the network in partnership with TfGM over recent years and are thrilled to be back on board with the tram livery.”
Work is already under way, with vinyl installed on five new trams in the Metrolink fleet and branding of a further 20 new trams taking place in the coming months.
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The Very Group
The Liverpool-based Very Group, operator of online retailers Very.co.uk and Littlewoods.com, will create 30 roles as part of the Government’s Kickstart scheme to improve opportunities for young people at risk of long-term unemployment.
Open via Job Centre Plus to 16- to 24-year-olds on Universal Credit, the roles will offer valuable work experience during a paid six month placement within Very’s customer care, technology or colleague experience teams at its Speke headquarters, or within its operations team at its highly automated fulfilment centre in the East Midlands.
Very, which will supplement the chosen applicants’ government-funded wage, expects a number of the ‘Kickstarters’ to have the opportunity to apply for permanent roles at the end of their six month placements. The programme will run from July to December and the Kickstarters will be supported by their new line managers, as well as a personal mentor and a buddy from Very.
To deliver the programme, the retailer has partnered with The Prince’s Trust, which will provide the chosen applicants with employability webinars, one-to-one pastoral support and inspirational talks from Prince’s Trust Young Ambassadors, as well as helping them with their next steps post-placement. In addition, The Trust will run training sessions to support Very’s kickstart mentors so they can best support the young people on the programme.
Vicky Ferrier, talent and capability director at The Very Group, said: “When it comes to the jobs market, young people have been disproportionately negatively impacted by the pandemic. But we know they have a huge amount to offer, both to our business and our communities. That’s why Kickstart is so important and why we’re proud to take part.”
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Lookers
Car dealership group Lookers is seeking to recruit 29 new members of staff in its Altrincham head office following recent growth.
The group is looking to fill a range of positions in IT, marketing, business development and finance roles in both entry and senior levels.
Lookers said these roles offer the opportunity for individuals to join a growing multi-franchise dealer group which represents 32 volume and premium car manufacturers throughout the UK and Ireland.
The group offers a comperehensive benefits package including competitive basic salaries, enhanced holidays that increase with service, eligibility to join car schemes, critical illness cover after two years, enhanced paid maternity leave for women and, for some roles, a company car and additional earning potential through commission or bonus.
A Lookers spokesperson said: “After the past year, we are thrilled to be recruiting for a variety of positions at our head office in Altrincham. We are on the look out for the best talent in the North West and are excited to welcome some great people into the business.”
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Richard Hayes
Macclesfield-based online mortgage broker, Mojo Mortgages, has partnered with comparison website GoCompare.
More than 90 lenders and 10,000 deals are compared with the most suitable shown to the customer after an online process that takes just 10 minutes – direct from the GoCompare site. In the first week alone, thousands of mortgage seekers used the service.
Richard Hayes, Mojo Mortgages chief executive, said: “Everyone uses GoCompare to lower their monthly outgoings – it’s a given that nobody likes overpaying on insurance and utilities. Yet mortgage repayments dwarf all other expenditure, so it makes absolute sense that we all should have more clarity if we’re paying too much for our mortgage.
“This partnership does that. It provides absolute transparency to the users of GoCompare. And if they do see a deal that can save money, then it’s so simple to apply for it with Mojo.”
GoCompare is the latest in a range of big names – including Zoopla and Monzo – to work with Mojo Mortgages.
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Martin Vincent
National law firm Weightmans has been reappointed to the London Universities Purchasing Consortium (LUPC) national legal services framework agreement for England and Wales as the Liverpool-based firm continues to be recognised for its work in the higher education sector.
The procurement exercise was run by LUPC on behalf of NEUPC, NWUPC, HEPCW, and SUPC. The LUPC is a buying organisation with a large portfolio of frameworks procuring goods and services for its members – mostly universities and colleges around the capital, but also national organisations from the wider not-for-profit sector.
Weightmans was successful in Lot 4 of the framework and will provide advice in a one stop shop format, offering support and legal advice on a multitude of legal matters.
This is the third time Weightmans has been appointed to the national higher education framework, and a year since the firm launched RESOLVE, a support product for universities fielding student complaints.
Partner Martin Vincent said: “Our reappointment to the national legal services panel is a real testament to the hard work and commitment of our team and their continued efforts to support the higher education sector. Universities have faced unprecedented disruption in the last year and we have worked with establishments to help support them as they adapted to new working models and responded to a global crisis in innovative and effective ways.”
