North West business briefs: Specscart; Electricity North West; Kuits; Empower Youth Zones; EE; CP Davidson
Bury-based eyewear company, Specscart, has been named in the prestigious Sunday Times ‘Ones to Watch’ list.
The long-running annual list identifies UK companies that are flourishing and have huge growth potential. Specscart is one of only seven businesses hand-picked for the 2024 ranking which was published over the weekend.
Specscart brings together a high street retail offering of three bricks and mortar shops across Greater Manchester with innovative e-commerce which sees the affordable glasses they make in-house at its Bury headquarters delivered in 24 hours.
Specscart founder, Sid Sethi, kick-started his optical company in 2018. Since then, the business has grown into a global retail and online operation and is on track for a 2024 turnover of £5m. Sid said: “Having Specscart singled out by The Sunday Times is a huge boost for me and the hardworking team I have behind me. Getting recognition like this helps to drive us on to get bigger and better every day.
“2024 is the year that we will smash through the £5m turnover mark taking Specscart to the next level – so watch this space.”
The accolade comes hot on the heels of Sid being named on the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30 Europe list 2024 which recognises Europe’s best innovators and entrepreneurs who are transforming their fields.
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An investment worth £14m which will transform a section of Manchester’s power network at Eastlands has progressed to the next stage.
As well as installing 10km of new underground electricity cables, engineers from Electricity North West will be carrying out upgrades at three substations in the area. The latest stage of the project will start this month as new cables will be installed on Stuart Street and finishing on Gibbon Street.
Work is expected to be fully completed in two months with the new cables enabling the continued development and growth in the area. 30,000 local residents and businesses in the area will also benefit from a continued secure and reliable electricity supply.
Stephen Forshaw, who is overseeing the work in Manchester for Electricity North West, said: “The Eastlands scheme has been a major engineering project and an important one for the growth in the city. The latest stage will see a further 1,100m of underground cables installed and once connected, will provide additional space on the network for homes and businesses in the area. We’ve contacted businesses in the immediate area to make them aware of work taking place as we want to be as transparent as possible and work with customers to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum.”
The latest phase will start on July 8, and is expected to last for four weeks. While this phase takes place, temporary traffic lights will be used to ensure engineers can work safely in the road. Engineers have hand-delivered letters to nearby properties and businesses and all work has been agreed with Manchester City Council.
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From left: Gareth Worthington (CityCo), with Kuits’ Felicity Tulloch and Steve Eccleston
Manchester commercial law firm, Kuits solicitors, recently became members of CityCo, the not-for-profit partnership that supports the Manchester city centre business community.
CityCo is known for promoting a vibrant and prosperous Manchester, collaborating with a wide range of businesses, cultural institutions, and public sector partners to enhance the city’s economic and social landscape. By joining CityCo, Kuits aims to leverage its extensive expertise in legal services to provide valuable insights and support to the initiatives undertaken by CityCo.
Steve Eccleston, Managing Partner at Kuits, said: “Kuits has always been invested in promoting the growth and success of the local business community and we believe that our collaboration with CityCo will give us the opportunity to make even more of an impact.”
Alex King-Byatt, CityCo Managing Director, said: “We are excited to have Kuits on board as a member of CityCo. Their expertise and commitment to the Manchester business community align perfectly with our mission to create a thriving city centre. We look forward to working closely with Kuits to drive positive change and sustainable growth in Manchester.”
Kuits said it brings to CityCo a wealth of experience in areas such as commercial property, corporate law, dispute resolution, employment and licensing. As a member of CityCo, Kuits said it will participate in various events, forums, and initiatives designed to enhance the city’s business environment and address key challenges.
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Paul Shannon
Paul Shannon has committed to another four-year patronage agreement with Empower Youth Zones, pledging £100,000 to support the charity’s developments across Manchester and Salford.
A long time supporter of the charity, Paul first got involved with HideOut Youth Zone as CEO of Founder Patron ANS Group, before then deciding to become a Founder Patron in his own name. He regularly shows support in attending fundraisers, has guest spoken at several Empower events and even interviewed young people for the ‘What Manchester Taught Me’ podcast series.
Speaking more on his pledge to support our growth, particularly in the development of the new Salford Youth Zone, Shannon said: “Spaces like this are totally invaluable. I grew up in a deprived area of Warrington and there was nothing even on any scale like this at all and now to see places like Harpurhey, then Gorton and now coming to Salford is just incredible. I think the key strengths of these Youth Zones is that they don’t just focus on having fun, they obviously have fun, but they are getting careers advice, mental support, help with school, access to tech, drama, music, it’s all there. That’s really important to me.”
Empower Youth Zones is a charity that creates and operates purpose-built Youth Zones for young people across Manchester and Salford, committed to helping them discover their passion and purpose. To deliver impact, Empower relies on sustained backing from its founders and dedicated patrons, with patron contributions covering 70% of the annual running costs of the Youth Zone. Additionally, patrons provide valuable opportunities and access for young members, opening doors to partners and supporting fundraising and awareness campaigns.
Empower oversees the running HideOut Youth Zone in Gorton – opened in 2020 – and the current development of SYZ Salford Youth Zone. SYZ will be a state-of-the-art facility offering young people more than 20 activities and a free hot meal per session seven days a week. Construction began for SYZ began at the end of January and is set for completion in early 2025.
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EE Experience store Market Street
Last Friday (June 28), EE unveiled a second Experience store in Manchester in response to popular demand. A year on from the launch of the first Experience store in Manchester’s Trafford Centre, which to date has resulted in a 25% boost in footfall compared with previous stores in the area, the city is now the first to have two of the new store formats, as part of a commitment by EE to invest £6m in bricks-and-mortar retail this year.
Former England International and Manchester United footballer, Wes Brown, welcomed visitors to the store at 33 Market Street, which has been designed to guide visitors through the latest innovations across four key areas – game, work, learn and home – featured in dedicated Experience Zones and a Tech Home area.
The experience zones include a Welcome Zone, Gaming Zone, Basecamp, an inviting area for customers to sit down at one of the work benches and collaborative worktops and catch up on emails, or chat to EE Guides about products, services and repairs, and Tech Live, where consumers can shop with confidence, testing out tech before making a purchase.
The Manchester Experience store also brings to life the future of the connected home, with shoppers able to visualise their smart home set-up through a curated Tech Home area. With the help of EE Guides, shoppers can explore the latest in connected tech and online security tools to enhance the working-from-home experience, with super-fast broadband solutions, a smart TV and connected speakers also on display.
Asif Aziz, Retail Director at EE, said: “Our research shows Manchester is one of the most plugged-in cities in the UK, and more devices mean more opportunities to get the most out of all that connected tech. Almost a year on from our first Experience store launch in the Trafford Centre, which to date has seen footfall increase by 25% compared to our previous store in the area, we’re opening the doors to a brand new location that will help even more people in this wonderful community explore their relationship with tech.”
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Stephen Davidson and Jenny Taylor of Inspire Youth Zone
CP Davidson, part of the FZUK Group, a hire vehicles company based in Chorley, has donated £150,000 over the past five years to the charity Inspire Youth Zone, which opened in 2018.
The company wanted to support a place for young people to go where they have a safe space where they can open up, trust, and ask for guidance about anything that is going on in their lives, where they cannot just be themselves, but where they can become their best selves with experiences they wouldn’t normally have access to.
Inspire Youth Zone is a renowned charity dedicated to empowering children and youth by providing them with opportunities for education, mentorship, and personal development. Through various programs and initiatives, Inspire aims to encourage and uplift the next generation, ensuring they have the resources and support they need to thrive.
Stephen Davidson, Contracts Director at CP Davidson, said: “As a company deeply rooted in the Chorley community, we recognise the importance of giving back and supporting initiatives that make a meaningful difference in the lives of children. We are proud to stand alongside Inspire for Kids in their mission to empower and inspire the next generation.”
Janine Blythe, CEO at Inspire Youth Zone, said: “The support Inspire has received from Philip and the whole team at CPD has been incredible. Even before Inspire officially opened in 2018, their senior team were able to see the difference our charity would make to the local community and were one of the very first to stand with us to make this possible. Our partnership since then has gone from strength to strength and we are so grateful to them for their continued support.“
