North West business briefs: Green Skills Academy; Buttress; Vernon; GC Business Growth Hub; IDEM Safety Switches; Laros
A new Green Skills Academy is launching in Greater Manchester, as part of a pan-Northern effort to lead the UK’s transition to net zero. The first of its kind in the UK, the Green Skills Academy boasts innovative green technologies and a comprehensive training offer.
Housed in Trafford Park, the Academy is equipped with the latest equipment that will help prepare today’s workforce for the opportunities and challenges presented by the global transition to a carbon neutral economy. The Academy hosts a number of real-world work environments, including a model house to show how existing homes can be entirely powered by green technology.
The onsite Low Energy Smart Home includes state-of-the-art automated technology as well as heat recovery and cooling systems that demonstrate how responsive they can be. With an increased uptake in green technology, demand is growing for people with the necessary skills to install, repair and maintain these facilities. The Green Skills Academy offers a number of courses and has the capacity on site to train up to 100 learners per day.
The centre is a one-stop shop for learners and welcomes apprentices and future generations who have a passion to kick-start their careers in emerging green industries. The centre is equipped with the latest in air source and ground source heat technology, solar photovoltaic/thermal and working models from a variety of providers.
It has been established by the Growth Company, a social enterprise which was ranked number 27 in RateMyApprenticeship’s Top 50 Training Providers in the UK in 2021, in recognition of its 30-year history of creating jobs, enabling growth and improving lives. Roosevelt Alexander, director of the Green Skills Academy, said: “A mass roll-out of sustainable energy solutions remains
vital to accelerate our country’s transition to net zero carbon, and the impact of rising energy costs across the country is giving new impetus to the urgency.”
The Green Skills Academy will officially open on Thursday, January 19. Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “It’s fantastic to see the Green Skills Academy come to fruition. As a hub for the latest qualifications and skills opportunities it will give people the invaluable experience needed to work with emerging green technologies.”
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Buttress staff celebrate B-Corp status
Architects, masterplanners and heritage consultants, Buttress, has been certified as a ‘B Corporation’. The company joins a growing network of purpose-driven companies which target the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and legal accountability.
There are just over 5,900 B Corporations globally, with the UK celebrating reaching 1,000 B Corps in November 2022. The firm said the certification marks an important milestone and provides a great framework for Buttress as it continues to grow and develop its studios in Manchester and Leeds. B Corp was seen as a great fit for Buttress, helping it increase its social and environmental influence, while finding new ways to care for its staff. It also supports its role in tackling significant environmental and social challenges.
In 2022, the practice became Planet Mark certified, an internationally-recognised sustainability certification for all organisations acknowledging continuous progress, encouraging action, and building an empowered community of like-minded individuals.
Gavin Sorby, managing director, said: “This is a great start to 2023. We are delighted to have become a certified B Corp. We have always put our people first and been drawn forward by the creative potential of our team to design in responsible, human focused ways. B Corp allows us to build on what we were already doing – delivering sustainable outcomes, generating lasting social value and engaging with local communities.”
Achieving the certification is just the beginning, Sorby said: “We see certification as the start of our commitment to take ongoing and meaningful steps towards creating a more sustainable future for our practice, our projects, and the communities we serve. B Corp certification will mean that we will be constantly held to account. For our clients and partners it is a measure of trust and authenticity in all of our practises.”
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Vernon Reddish branch
Stockport’s mutual, Vernon Building Society, has begun a process of refurbishment of its local branches. The investment cements the society’s commitment to maintaining a high street presence in local communities across the borough, providing face-to-face financial support.
The Reddish branch is the first to undergo a transformation, with a £150,000 refurbishment to modernise the branch and create a more welcoming environment for members and colleagues.
The branch will be temporarily closed during the works for the next few weeks and is due to reopen in late February. In the meantime, the nearest branch, 19 St Petersgate, Stockport, will be open between 9am-4.45pm Monday-Friday, alongside the society’s other local branches.
CEO, Steve Fletcher, said: “We’re here to stay on the high streets of Stockport and this investment into our local branches is evidence of our long term commitment to the borough. We’ve been supporting savers and homebuyers in Stockport for 99 years and have no plans to stop.
“Our members tell us that they value our face-to-face service and we want to invest in our local branches to make that experience even better.”
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Lou Cordwell
Businesses in Manchester facing challenges with increasing costs can access high quality support right on their doorstep with the new #HereForBusiness campaign. GC Business Growth Hub has launched this new support package to help local businesses manage the increasing cost of doing business, together with Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the Greater Manchester Business Board (LEP), local authorities and business representative organisations.
#HereForBusiness brings together support and practical solutions for Manchester’s business community, which includes 5,405 SMEs, to help them deal with energy price rises and other increasing costs. With a dedicated advisor on the ground in Manchester, the support can be tailored to local challenges and opportunities.
A number of drop-in sessions are being held for Manchester businesses to find out more about the support on offer. The next three sessions are taking place on: Wednesday, January 18, from 10am to 12pm, at Clockwise, Linley House, Dickinson St, Manchester, M1 4LF; Thursday, January 19, from 10am to 12pm, at Lloyds Bank business lounge, 42-46 Market St, Manchester, M1 1PW; and Thursday, January 26, from 2pm to 4pm, at Hotel Brooklyn, Portland St, Manchester, M1 3HP.
Contact a #HereForBusiness advisor on 0161-237 4128, email hereforbusiness@growthco.uk for more information or to book a 1-2-1 session, or visit the dedicated website https://www.businessgrowthhub.com/here-for-business that has been launched for the campaign which includes useful information and advice on what support is available, blogs and case studies.
Lou Cordwell, chair of the Greater Manchester Business Board, said: “During difficult times, businesses in Greater Manchester have always pulled together and supported each other. The cost-of-living crisis is exactly the kind of situation where that collective support is so crucial. The help provided through the #HereForBusiness campaign could be the difference between a long, hard winter and being able to plan for growth.”
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His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant for Greater Manchester, Ms Diane Hawkins, has presented the Queen’s Award to Mr Medi Mohtasham, founder and managing director of Wigan-based IDEM Safety Switches.
IDEM was established in 2003, and is now a key UK producer of machine safety locking devices. It is known worldwide as an innovator in its specialist field. As one of only few companies in Greater Manchester to receive the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade last year, the company said it is particularly proud to have its successes recognised.
Congratulating the company’s employees on receiving the award, the Lord Lieutenant said: “It is always a pleasure to recognise business achievements, especially as IDEM is the only company in Wigan borough to achieve this award.”
The International Trade award recognises UK companies with a minimum of £100,000 in overseas sales and several years of outstanding and consistent growth. IDEM’s reputation for reliable safety devices has allowed the company to grow its sales to the extent that more than 90% of its production is now exported to more than 40 countries around the world.
Mr Motasham said: “I am immensely proud of our company’s achievements. The IDEM team has worked incredibly hard to develop new and innovate ways of advancing the safety of industrial processes. Our growth in global sales, and this award in particular, is testament to all that hard work.”
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Laros dishes
Laros, the popular authentic Greek eatery that is already a favourite in the North West, will now be available in Birmingham following further expansion.
Opening a Dark Kitchen last week in the heart of the city centre, Laros will introduce authentic Greek street food to Birmingham for the first time. Already established in both Liverpool, with two sites on the city’s Bold Street and in the heart of South Liverpool’s Mossley Hill, and Manchester with a Dark Kitchen in Ardwick, Laros is known for its authentic Greek street food dishes created by owner Nikolaos Fylladitakis.
Originally from Crete, the entrepreneur is keen to showcase authentic Greek cuisine, with the majority of Laros’ ingredients sourced and imported directly from Greece. Other ingredients that cannot come from Greece, are locally sourced using trusted independents.
The new Birmingham site, which has created five jobs, will operate as a takeaway of the future. Offering its full authentic Greek food menu, the people of Birmingham will be able to tuck into Laros’s renowned chicken and honey or pork and tzatiziki gyros, as well as their popular souvlaki skewers. Also available are vegetarian and vegan operations, with a full Laros Green vegan menu that includes plant-based gyros options such as courgette fritters, tomato cakes and falafel, and oyster mushrooms make excellent meat-free alternatives.
Laros will be available to order via Deliveroo and UberEats initially, and will also soon be available on Just Eat. Nikolaos Fylladitakis said: “We’re very excited to be bringing Laros to Birmingham for the first time and to introduce the city to authentic Greek street food that we create. This is a huge step for us having a presence outside of the North West and myself and the team couldn’t be more delighted to have landed in Birmingham, a bustling city that’s bursting with an exciting and diverse culinary scene.”
