North West business briefs: Burnley College; Two Zero; Rospen; Car Finance 247; Manchester City FC; Slater Heelis
Burnley College has been named a Construction Hub by building products manufacturer Forterra. joining a further seven colleges, all selected via the national competitive application process.
The seven other colleges are Buckinghamshire College Group, Hertford Regional College, Lewisham College, Preston College, Stamford College, Truro and Penwith College, and Warrington and Vale Royal College.
Forterra’s Construction Hubs benefit from expert advice and support from leading figures in the construction industry who will share their knowledge through a series of site visits and talks supporting the emerging talent from each college. The colleges will also enjoy a boost to their resources, with a donation of 12,000 bricks, branded merchandise and the opportunity for one exemplary student to receive £500-worth of tools.
The Construction Hubs are central to the company’s nationwide effort to inspire ambition and foster raw talent in the next generation of construction workers. With the support of Forterra, the colleges are set to embark on brickwork projects including internal competitions and local community projects, with the aim of increasing the skills and enthusiasm of their students.
Stephen Harrison, Forterra chief executive, said: “We are pleased to announce the eight colleges selected to join the London Brick Construction Hubs. We have been impressed by the high standard of applications received, and have every confidence that these colleges and their students will go on to produce brickwork of the highest quality.”
Forterra continues to support upcoming bricklaying talent in a variety of ways, including through the Forterra London Apprentice Challenge and annual Best in London Brick contest at Lewisham College which uses Forterra’s iconic London Brick.
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Scaleup Leaders Network participants
A highly regarded support programme which helps the leaders of Lancashire scale-up businesses to improve their mindset and performance has been expanded due to demand.
Two Zero’s Scaleup Leaders Network works with the owners and managers of fast growing businesses in Lancashire through a combination of coaching and peer sessions, helping them to learn from other businesses on the programme over a 12-month period. Businesses currently taking part in the fully funded programme include Burnley-based Moorhouse’s Brewery, Equestrian Surfaces, Hive Land and Planning and Red-Fern Media.
Following a high number of businesses expressing interest in the programme, Lancashire County Council has announced it will provide funding for another 10 companies to take part, taking the total number of firms engaged on the Scaleup Leaders Network to 50. Eligible businesses are being invited to apply now for the programme via the Two Zero website.
County Cllr Aidy Riggott, cabinet member for economic development and growth, Lancashire County Council, said: “Since the Two Zero scaleup service was launched in 2020, almost 100 businesses have received targeted scale-up support, helping to create 182 jobs in Lancashire. The Scaleup Leaders Network is a key part of Two Zero’s scale-up support service. It is a winning formula, giving scale-up business leaders the tools to continue on their high growth trajectory and manage their rapid expansion. We’re pleased to make funding available so more Lancashire businesses can benefit.”
Two Zero is a business support service for scale-up business leaders in Lancashire. Led by Lancashire County Council, its mission is to help Lancashire’s scale-up leaders learn, grow their business 20% and create jobs. The Scaleup Leaders Network is delivered by Cube Thinking, a Lancashire-based high growth business consultancy which previously delivered Two Zero’s highly successful Scaleup Resurgence programme during COVID-19.
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Grant McGeever, right, with employee Tony Doyle
Staff at Haslingden-based manufacturer, Rospen, can now charge their electric vehicles for free after their employer made an investment to combat the energy bills crisis, having installed electric vehicle charging points on site.
The business, which designs and manufactures weighing and metering equipment for a range of industries, invested in the charging points in a bid to ‘lead from the front’ in supporting those opting for greener travel. Six points have been installed at the manufacturer’s Waterside Business Park site for use by its 40-strong workforce.
Technical director, Grant McGeever, said the decision had been made to support employees coping with rising energy bills: “We decided to lead from the front and make the investment now, rather than in the future, so that we’re ready for when more people switch to electric vehicles. We currently have one employee at Rospen with an electric vehicle and we hope this move will support even more people in making that decision if that’s the road they want to go down.
“With energy bills rising, and people dealing with the cost-of-living crisis, it’s important to us to be a responsible employer and help our workforce in whatever ways we can.”
RAC figures released in September revealed drivers now pay, on average, £32.41 to rapid charge a typical family electric car to 80%, an increase of almost £10 since May. Kiel Speak, sales engineer, welcomed the move, and said it would encourage him to consider an electric vehicle in future: “I know a few people have already mentioned that they’d look into buying an electric car the next time they replace their vehicle.”
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Rex Rix and some Youth Zone members
Manchester-based Car Finance 247 has pledged £500,000 over the next three years to support Manchester Youth Zone (MYZ) in Harpurhey, North Manchester, as it celebrates its 10th year. The company has been working with the charity since 2018 and has made the move to give even more much needed support over the next three years.
A member of the Onside Youth Zones, MYZ has become central to the North Manchester community, enriching the lives of young people to raise their aspirations, try new things and instill them with confidence. The focus for a large part of the donation will be on the Youth Zone’s employability programme, which is a dedicated programme that encourages young people to learn more about career opportunities available to them and provides them with valuable tools to help them prepare for a career.
Car Finance 247 will be welcoming young people from MYZ into its offices to learn more about the business and the range of roles. Employees of Car Finance 247 will also visit the Youth Zone and offer support for young people looking to make career choices.
Amanda Naylor CEO of Manchester Youth Zone said: “We have had a great relationship with Car Finance 247 for a number of years. We are thrilled that they’ve pledged their continued support with this game-changing amount of money, during what has been a significant year for us. It’s a fantastic way to end the celebrations of 10 years helping to make a difference to the young people in North Manchester.”
Reg Rix, CEO of Car Finance 247, said: “Our partnership with MYZ is central to our charitable strategy. We believe passionately in the centre’s work and can see the difference it makes every day, not only to the children and young people it supports, but also to our team. We are committed to focusing our resources on the charity and making it integral to our company culture. We see how much all of our 650-strong team get out of the partnership.”
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Manchester City FC has announced a new partnership with Ballers Brands, a privately held international artisan wine and spirits company.
Through the partnership, Ballers Champagne, the company’s premium champagne brand, has been unveiled as the official champagne local partner of Manchester City FC. Alongside supplying VIPs and guests in the stadium’s premium hospitality areas, Ballers Champagne will also host the Ballers Champagne Platinum Hospitality Box. The move will also see Ballers Champagne launch an exclusive limited edition range of cobranded Manchester City bottles in the famous City blue colours.
Marking another key milestone for Ballers Champagne, the brand has moved from strength to strength since its launch in 2019, with the partnership marking the champagne’s latest success.
Ballers Champagne CEO, Nathan Bullas, said: “The epitome of luxury and quality, no drink in the world says those things more than Ballers Champagne, so to be partnering with the current Premier League Champions is the perfect match. The finest sporting performances are driven by excellence, and in our pursuit and dedication to producing premium beverages, we invest years to create products that never compromise on our high standards. We look forward to hopefully celebrating many more trophy wins with a glass of Ballers Champagne in hand.”
Danny Wilson, managing director of Manchester City operations, said: “We’re pleased to welcome Ballers Champagne as an official local partner of Manchester City. Aligning with our values of excellence and success, Ballers Champagne is the latest brand to be welcomed to the Etihad Stadium, as we look for new opportunities to further enhance the fan experience and offerings for those in attendance.”
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Slater Heelis donating tech
Slater Heelis Solicitors, which has offices in Manchester, Sale, and Timperley, is helping to combat digital poverty in Greater Manchester by donating 85 computers to nine schools which are part of local Multi-Academy Trust Consilium Academies.
The computers will allow Consilium Academies to equip the equivalent of three full IT suites across its schools in Salford, Gateshead, Darlington, Sunderland, and Doncaster. David Clayton, chief executive at Consilium Academies, said: “We can’t thank Slater Heelis enough for this kind donation, which will go a long way in supporting our children across all nine of our schools. Every child should have the same opportunities when it comes to technology. This donation will enable us to further improve how we enable all our students to access the essential IT skills they need to develop in the current digital age.”
The donation comes at a time when the Digital Poverty Alliance estimates that more than a quarter of young people (26%) lack suitable access to either a laptop or computer.
Paul Doyle, head of IT at Slater Heelis, said: “Access to computers and the internet is of vital importance for young people in school and at home today. A vast majority of careers require digital skills, and more and more of everyday life is conducted online, too, so to learn those skills and being IT literate has never been more important.
“At the same time, there are many children growing up without access to such technology and that could leave them at a major disadvantage on their learning and ability to stay on track right from the start; so to donate these fully functioning computer towers is very rewarding for us as a family-focused firm of solicitors.”
