People: Forshaw Group; Everton FC; Slater Heelis; Marketing Lancashire; University of Chester; Cassidy + Ashton
Knowsley-based restoration specialists, The Forshaw Group, has appointed Nicola Gale as its new Forces Liaison and Armed Forces Covenant Champion.
The company already holds Gold status for the Armed Forces Covenant and this appointment further reinforces its commitment to the initiative.
Part of the Ministry of Defence#s Employer Regognition Scheme (ERS), this nationally recognised scheme encourages employers to support defence services and inspire others to do the same.
Having worked at The Forshaw Group since 2022 as part of the accounts team, Nicola is looking forward to taking on these additional duties.
She said: “Being part of an ex-military family, this role is close to my heart. I met my husband whilst he was on exercise with the Army in the North West, covering the Fire Service during its strikes in 2002, handling Green Goddess fire engines.
“Over the years I supported many who left the Forces or were being drafted to other countries, as my husband was then part of the Artic Troop, working out in Norway for sometimes months at a time.
“My biggest challenge was supporting my husband’s decision to leave the Armed Forces and forge a new life for us. With this in mind, I feel I can implement my knowledge of the Forces with the collaboration between The Forshaw Group and the Armed Forces Covenant.”
Forshaw Group managing director, Liam Hanlon, welcomed Nicola to the role, saying: “Her involvement in the Armed Forces and first hand knowledge of the life this involves, and the impact leaving the services can have on individuals as well as their families, will be a boon to our company in how we can best support ex-service men and women in the future.”
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Rev Lynn Davidson
The close relationship between Everton FC and the adjoining church of St Luke the Evangelist has been further strengthened by the appointment of Rev Lynn Davidson as the official Chaplain to Goodison Park.
The role was previously held by Rev Harry Ross, who was a huge supporter of the Blues up until his passing in 2019.
Rev Davidson, who recently presided over the Kevin Campbell Memorial Service, intends to use her appointment as an opportunity to remind the local community that St Luke’s is a physical part of the Goodison Park footprint and will continue to be so for many years.
She said: “That’s never been more relevant or important as the transition to the new stadium takes place and people may take comfort in that, St Luke’s is there for the community and anything that we can do to help people during this transition for the club, we will.
“It’s not just something we’d like to do; we see it as a responsibility because I think there’s going to be all sorts of concerns. People feel in general that Everton Football Club has always been here as a part of this community and they are worried about the impact when the club is no longer here.
“There will be a sense of bereavement and so it’s going to be crucial for a church to be sitting there in the community saying, ‘we’re here to help you if you’d like us to’.”
The church is attached to both the Howard Kendall Glwadys Street Stand and the Main Stand, and the church hall is a hive of activity on match days. The church also has a remembrance garden, which backs onto the Howard Kendall Glwadys Street Stand, where ashes of Everton fans from all over the world are placed.
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Helen Harradine
Manchester-based law firm, Slater Heelis, is celebrating the welcome return of Helen Harradine who rejoins as Associate Solicitor in the Employment Law and HR team.
With more than 24 years in the sector, Helen’s legal career is one of considerable experience in advising both employer and employee clients alike across all sectors, enabling her to provide sound and practical advice to clients that carefully considers theirs and the other party’s potential legal arguments.
Recently accredited as an Associate to Watch in the Chambers rankings, Helen joins a team with a drive and passion for growth while delivering unrivalled standards of customer care for their clients.
Helen said: “When the opportunity arose to rejoin such a fantastic firm, now under the umbrella of Lawfront, I knew I had to jump at the chance.”
Helen originally joined Slater Heelis in 2021 before leaving in June 2024. Rachel Fletcher, Managing Partner at Slater Heelis, said: “It’s a really great coup to welcome Helen back and it’s clear to see she already has her feet firmly under the table.”
Axel Koelsch, COO from Lawfront, said: “The return of valued alumni like Helen based on the feedback they receive from colleagues about the investments we make into people, technology and growth – is an important validation of our approach to creating a great place to work”.
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Tim Allen
Marketing Lancashire, the organisation that leads the Lancashire Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP), has announced that Tim Allen, Chef Patron of Michelin-starred restaurant SŌ-LŌ in Aughton, has joined Marketing Lancashire’s esteemed group of Taste Lancashire Ambassadors.
The Taste Lancashire Ambassadors, are chefs from Michelin star venues, award-winning gastro pubs and restaurants in Lancashire, who offer their support to help raise the profile of the county’s food and drink sector to attract more visitors and to secure greater national and international recognition for Lancashire as a destination for food-lovers.
Tim Allen, originally from Huddersfield, opened SŌ-LŌ in 2021, his first solo venture after an impressive career in acclaimed and Michelin starred restaurants in Leeds, London and the South of England.
After years of working for others he bravely took the plunge, during a very challenging time for the hospitality sector, and was awarded seventeen months later with his fourth Michelin star – this time for the appropriately named SŌ-LŌ.
He said: “I’m very happy to join this impressive group of chefs with the aim of putting Lancashire firmly on every food lovers radar and to help support the county’s wealth of exceptional producers.”
Tim’s fellow Taste Lancashire Ambassadors include: Mark Birchall of Moor Hall and The Barn at Moor Hall in Aughton; Maurizio Bocchi of La Locanda in Gisburn; Chris Bury of The Cartford Inn in Little Eccleston; Lisa Goodwin-Allen of Northcote in Langho; Nigel Haworth of The Three Fishes in Mitton; Paul Heathcote; Stosie Madi of Parkers Arms in Newton-in-Bowland; Oli Martin of Aven in Preston; and Tom Parker of The White Swan in Fence.
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Lucy FitzHugh
The University of Chester has appointed a new Executive Director to manage its estate. Lucy FitzHugh will join the university in January.
She has worked on the successful delivery of high profile projects and programmes and brings expertise across strategic estates consultancy, property management, facilities operations, business improvement and estates delivery strategy.
Lucy is currently Head of Delivery Strategy and Assurance at NHS Property Services (NHS PS) and has enjoyed a diverse and wide ranging career with more than 24 years of experience in the property industry focusing predominantly on health and education.
Prof Eunice Simmons, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Chester, said: “At Chester we have made great strides in rightsizing and enhancing our estate and this work needs to continue. We also have ambitious sustainability targets and a desire to make the university more accessible to our communities.”
Lucy said: “his is an exciting opportunity and I am very much looking forward to bringing my property experience in both health and education and working with the estates team and colleagues across the university in leading the implementation of the university’s estates strategy.”
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From left: Tom Howard, Leon Armitage-Dorrington, Kellie Jackson, Alban Cassidy (director), Amber Wilkinson, Luke Broadhurst
North West-based architectural, planning, and building surveying firm Cassidy + Ashton has bolstered its team in Preston with five appointments.
Leading the latest wave of appointments is Luke Broadhurst, who brings his expertise to the practice’s architecture and design team as an architectural technologist. Having honed his skills at Aldrock Surveyors for over five years, he has gathered a wealth of experience, particularly in the residential housing sector.
The Cassidy + Ashton building surveying team in Preston has welcomed Tom Howard, an experienced building surveyor specialising in design and specification work. The department is further strengthened with the appointment of apprentice building surveyor Alasdair Sloss, and secretary Kellie Jackson.
The planning department at Cassidy + Ashton’s Preston office welcomes graduate town planners Leon Armitage-Dorrington, and Amber Wilkinson, who brings additional skills in urban design.
The team’s expansion comes at a time when Cassidy + Ashton is securing significant projects across various sectors. The team is currently leading the planning and design on several higher education projects and is behind the design of GVS Filter Technology’s £14m UK headquarters near Lancaster, currently under construction.
In a major win, Blackpool Council recently reappointed Cassidy + Ashton to continue to provide architectural and planning consultancy services for the council’s multi-million-pound Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone development.
