North West business briefs: Salford Youth Zone; Tier1; Slater Heelis; Pets Choice; SpaMedica; Southway Housing Trust

Salford’s new Youth Zone, SYZ, has received confirmation of its first Cornerstone Patrons, the Preston Family. 

Anthony and Margaret Preston, as trustees of The Preston Family Charitable Settlement, have pledged to support the early developments of the Youth Zone over a four-year period. Born in Eccles and Little Hulton, respectively, the Preston family history and beginnings tie back to the Salford area. 

Anthony Preston said: “Margaret and I are Salfordians – Margaret was born in Little Hulton and I’m from Eccles. Both towns are a stone’s throw from the new Youth Zone site.” 

Margaret Preston said: “The excitement of Jack and Rose from the Salford Development Group spoke volumes, and it is wonderful to think how many young people in Salford will have the opportunity to experience all that the new Youth Zone will offer them. Anthony and I are delighted to offer our support to SYZ.”

Adam Farricker, CEO of both HideOut and Salford Youth Zone, said: “This partnership marks a significant milestone in our collective efforts to empower young people and transform communities. Our patrons are fundamental to delivering our vision and we are calling for other local businesses and organisations to talk to us about how they can get involved.” 

Patrons’ contributions combine to create 70% of the annual running costs of a Youth Zone, and the support will provide a foundation to develop and maintain excellent services for young people that match the quality of the building. SYZ is set to open in Summer 2025.

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Tier1 King’s presentation

Manchester-based Tier1, has received the King’s Award for Enterprise – Creating Opportunity, which has been awarded for its innovative prison recycling programme located at HMP Hindley.

The innovative prison programme was given Royal approval both for its significant contribution to environmental sustainability and the way in which it has facilitated the successful reintegration of prisoners into society. The reoffending rate for prisoners who have gone through the programme over the last 10 years is just six per cent, compared with a national average of 26.1%.

The award was presented to Tier1 by the Lord Lieutenant for Greater Manchester, Mrs Diane Hawkins, who told the team that it’s only the eighth award for Promoting Opportunity granted in the UK this year and that it was great to find a local business running a programme of such great value to those in prison.

Jonathan Rose, director and co-founder of Tier1, said: “The HMP Hindley programme isn’t a tick box green initiative that we do just to make ourselves feel good. It’s a programme that has real and long lasting societal value. To date, the programme has generated over £4.2m in societal savings.” 

The prison programme is built around end-of-life IT disposal, with equipment that can’t be refurbished or redeployed sent to the HMP Hindley workshop where it is broken down into components and precious metals that are refined and reused..

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Law firm, Slater Heelis, has partnered with the LGBTQ+ Divorce Forum, an online hub for same-sex or LGBTQ+ couples going through a divorce.

Created by Jamie Lowe, owner of financial planning company True Self Wealth, the hub will provide a central information point and holistic support system to guide individuals going through a martial separation covering everything from legal advice to personal training and mental health support.

Slater Heelis is the chosen legal partners for the project, with five solicitors officially affiliated with the scheme: Charlotte Beck, Claire Higham and Phil Joy from the firm’s family team and Charlotte Otton and Fakruddin Maimoon from the Wills and Probate are all representing Slater Heelis and each have specialisms and experience in supporting LGBTQ+ people through legal matters.

Charlotte Beck, Partner in the Family Law team at Slater Heelis, said: “It is an

initiative we are proud to be involved in and are confident we can add some comfort and confidence to its user community with our knowledge and experience in this area.

“All five of our team members supporting the project are LGBT Champions and Allies, and experts in their specialist field with each of them bringing true passion to their work.”

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Pet Fair South East Asia

Pets Choice, the Blackburn-based pet food, healthcare, and accessories manufacturer, took a bold step into the global arena with its inaugural appearance at Pet Fair South East Asia last week.

Known for popular pet care brands such as Webbox, Bob Martin, Felight, Vets Kitchen, Hownd and TastyBone, Pets Choice attended the Pet Fair South East Asia showcase in Bangkok, from October 30 to November 1, which has become an essential meeting point for pet industry professionals from Asia, Europe, the USA, and the Middle East.

The event welcomed more than 400 exhibitors from 45 countries and drew around 15,000 trade visitors from 75 nations.

Pets Choice aimed to deepen its network, identifying new distribution channels and strengthening relationships with international partners. Chris Keighley, Export Controller at Pets Choice, said: “We’re thrilled to participate in Pet Fair South East Asia. This is more than just an event, it’s an opportunity for Pets Choice to engage with new markets and showcase our commitment to quality and innovation on a world stage.

“Our entry into these international markets reflects our dedication to providing premium pet care solutions that meet the needs of pet owners everywhere. We’re looking forward to establishing valuable partnerships and growing our global footprint.”

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SpaMedica Sale Hospital team

Residents of Greater Manchester can access NHS cataract surgery closer to home, thanks to the opening of a new, state-of-the-art eye hospital in Sale.

SpaMedica is welcoming patients to its new hospital at Dovecote House on Old Hall Road, where patients can expect to be treated in as little as 4-8 weeks, compared with a national target of 18 weeks.

Joining 60 other SpaMedica hospitals across the country, SpaMedica Sale is equipped with the latest in diagnostic and treatment technology for its patients who will benefit from a free door-to-door transport service if they need assistance getting to and from their appointments.

Sale joins several other SpaMedica hospitals across the region, including sites in Manchester City Centre, Oldham and Bolton. 

Hospital manager, Rhea Towey, said: “It’s a proud moment for all of us, and we look forward to making a lasting impact on the eye health of our region by delivering high quality care and excellent outcomes for our patients.”

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Pedal power is helping older people enjoy a new way of getting out and about in their local communities in South Manchester. 

Housing association, Southway Housing Trust has teamed up with volunteer pilots to offer free trishaw rides around Gorton and Abbey Hey to people over 50. A trishaw, which is very similar to a rickshaw, is an electric bike steered by a pilot, with comfortable seating for passengers.

People aged 50 or over who are Southway tenants or living in Gorton and Abbey Hey can book free rides on the trishaw. The aim is to help reduce loneliness and isolation through taking older people out and about to connect with nature and other local people. 

All the pilots are fully trained to provide safe rides with the trishaw, and the first volunteer pilots were trained by South Manchester Cycling Without Age. The project has launched at Southway’s Gorton Mill House extra care scheme and the idea came from the Ageing in Place Partnership Board, which is made up of residents and community organisations. The board is established under the Ageing in Place Pathfinder. 

Miu Tsui, Southway Housing Trust Age Friendly Project Manager, said: “We’re really excited about the trishaw scheme and I’m grateful to my fellow Southway staff, our partners and the volunteer pilots for making this scheme possible.”