Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance sign off 2021 as busiest year in charity’s history.
A lot has happened at LNAA this year, from moving to a new headquarters to upgrading the helicopter, the charity hasn’t stood still through what has been a monumental year of change.
And the numbers reflect the pace of transformation with the crew having responded to more than 1,400 missions in 2021. Compared to 1,095 in 2020 and 877 in 2019, it’s a significant leap.
CEO Karen Jobling said: “Just like many other charities, we went into 2021 not knowing what to expect. We had projects that were underway before the first lock-down so we had to dig in and keep going on those fronts, keeping in mind that they were all foundations for the future of the charity. This is what has enabled us to reach more patients this year.”
The addition of a second helicopter in the summer came in response to an anticipated surge in visitors to the Lincolnshire coast as lock-down measures eased. This contributed to the rise in call-outs as it became the busiest summer the charity had ever had.
Throughout the year additional, highly skilled doctors and paramedics have joined LNAA with some travelling from Aberdeen, Kent and even Lisbon to be part of a team that is leading the way in this specialist sector. This meant that by September, crews were able to respond day and night using a mix of the helicopter and critical care cars.
The charity teams and crew moved into a new, purpose-built headquarters in Lincoln – HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service) Way – in the summer and celebrated the official opening in September when HRH The Earl of Wessex, officially opened the building. The clinical and aviation operation had formerly been based at RAF Waddington with the staff situated in Bracebridge Heath, so the development of HEMS Way gave everyone the opportunity to be under one roof for the first time.
Another stride in clinical care came with the introduction of blood plasma. Blood was already carried on board but plasma was added because it is the component of blood that helps it to clot – integral to the care given at the scene of a traumatic incident, anywhere within the 3,500sq miles LNAA covers.
“Our crews continue to be out there and, just like their NHS colleagues, they are dealing with the added pressure and complexity the spread of Covid brings, said Karen. The only difference is that we are there purely because of the generous donations we receive from our communities.
She added: “We are so pleased that we have been able to be there for more patients in 2021. Of course, with each mission costing on average £3,500, it comes at a cost. It is only because of the generosity of our supporters that more patients have been helped by a crew with the highest skills and standards in pre-hospital care. Everyone here at LNAA would like to send all of our wonderful supporters our whole-hearted thanks.”
Visit www.ambucopter.org.uk/donate to help save lives.
Holiday park operator swoops for Sheffield business
UK holiday park operator, Away Resorts, has reached an agreement to acquire Sheffield-based Coppergreen Leisure Resorts. This expands Away Resorts’ footprint to 27 locations across the UK.
Coppergreen has 370 lodges across four parks in Yorkshire, Scotland, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. Growth capital investor BGF exits as part of the deal, having backed Coppergreen in 2016.
The acquisition will complement Away Resorts’ existing portfolio, increasing its presence in the North of England and in Scotland, and growing the number of visitors the group welcomes every year to over 750,000.
Carl Castledine, CEO of Away Resorts, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming Coppergreen to the Away Resorts family to support our ambition of forming the leading UK holiday park provider. Coppergreen’s prime locations and leadership in sustainability will further enhance our offer as we look to provide perfect holiday destinations for UK holiday makers.”
David Copley, CEO at Coppergreen Leisure Resorts, said: “Away Resorts has a reputation for driving innovation across the industry and is the ideal owner for the business. We look forward to seeing what the team goes on to achieve in its next successful chapter.”
2022 Business Predictions: Mark Goodson, owner and MD of Wayside Holiday Park
It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.
It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.
Here we speak to Mark Goodson, the owner and Managing Director of Wayside Holiday Park near Pickering.
The picture facing the tourism industry in Yorkshire in the next 12 months is nuanced and complex. On the one hand, the threat of Covid and the worrying new variant, combined with a chronic lack of capable staff and a fractured supply chain, is a real challenge for our sector. There’s no getting away from that. On the other hand, the global pandemic has fuelled the “staycation” boom in the UK and it is highly likely that many people won’t be going abroad next year, because it is a logistical nightmare as well as a potential risk to health.
So let’s be optimistic to start with. Yorkshire is a most fabulous county and has flourished during the past 18 months, despite the problems faced by its main tourism body, Welcome to Yorkshire. Its beauty speaks for itself, from the glorious Dales, to the historic city of York and from the atmospheric North Yorkshire coastline to the stunning Moors. Our county has it all. There is every reason to believe that 2022 will be an exciting and successful year, Covid and lockdowns permitting.
Looking more specifically at the holiday park sector, our supply chain is a major worry. Because of the staycation boom, and the buying power of the grey pound, the demand for static caravans and holiday lodges is very strong. But the availability of both is erratic at best, despite strenuous efforts by the manufacturers. However, I am an optimist by nature and have invested £200,000 to upgrade our holiday park for the New Year. I am confident that this optimism isn’t misplaced.
24-acres of logistics development land sold in Barnsley for £11.6m
Harworth Group has completed the sale of a 24-acre plot at its Gateway 36 logistics site in Barnsley, Yorkshire, to Firethorn Barnsley Limited for £11.6 million.
Firethorn will develop a BREEAM ‘excellent’ rated, 340,000 ft logistics facility at the plot, which forms part of the latest phase of development at Harworth’s Gateway 36 project.
Harworth received a resolution to grant planning consent for Phases 2 and 3 of its Gateway 36 development from Barnsley Council in 2020, which, in its entirety, will comprise a total of 1.1 million sq ft of new logistics and manufacturing space across 95 acres of land. The scheme is expected to support the delivery of up to 2,500 jobs in Yorkshire.
This sale builds on the success of Phase one of Gateway 36, which comprised the direct development by Harworth of c. 145,300 sq ft of industrial and logistics space across four units, which were sold to Mayfair Capital in 2018. Existing occupiers on the site include Esco, Talurit, Environment Agency and Car Supermarket.
Gateway 36 is supported by £3.1 million of funding from Sheffield City Region, with all of the facility now drawn down contributing to the infrastructure that has opened up development of the site. Harworth intends to begin its next phase of direct development at the site in 2022.
Andrew Blackshaw, Chief Operating Officer, Harworth Group plc, said: “This sale to Firethorn is part of a coordinated strategy to realise our vision for Gateway 36 as a major hub for both large and small footprint logistics and manufacturing in Yorkshire. Since acquiring the site, Harworth has transformed the former Rockingham Colliery into a new high-quality development, which benefits from a position adjacent to Junction 36 of the M1.
“This transaction also demonstrates the current market demand for strategically located sites, which are in short supply in the region. Together with the recent sale of our Antsy strategic land site, the proceeds will be recycled into our ongoing development pipeline as well as growing our landbank as we deliver on our strategy to double the size of the business over the next five to seven years.”
Dan Green, Associate Director, Firethorn Trust, said: “Our strategic approach at Firethorn is to identify and unlock the potential of strong development sites across the UK, to meet the growing need for sustainable, flexible and high-quality logistics accommodation. We are delighted to add this site at Gateway 36 to our logistics portfolio, and with the ever-increasing demand for industrial schemes in Yorkshire, we look forward to delivering our plans at pace.”
Harworth was advised by Knight Frank and Gent Visick.
Lincolnshire local a winner at Natwest Everywoman Awards
Hannah Dale, founder of Wrendale Designs, from Brigg, Lincolnshire has been announced as a winner at the 2021 NatWest Everywoman Awards.
The awards celebrated the UK’s most inspiring female entrepreneurs, recognising their outstanding achievements during one of the most challenging periods for businesses in living memory.
Bringing together some of the UK’s most successful business owners, the ceremony featured the stories of many extraordinary women who, against the odds, have brought business concepts to reality, creating jobs, opportunities and global brands.
This year’s winners span multiple sectors including food, fashion, drinks, health, beauty, energy, IT and service industries. All are united in one common purpose – to inspire future generations of entrepreneurs and to leave the world a better place than they found it.
Hannah is the winner in the Athena category, which is awarded to the most inspirational woman running a business trading from 6 to 9 years.
Hannah had a successful City career until the financial crash of 2008 left her facing redundancy. Returning to contemplate her options at the family farm, she revived her hobby of painting animals and country scenes.
She initially developed a small range of greetings cards and took to local gift shops to gauge interest. The response was encouraging and persuaded Hannah to expand into giftware and homeware.
From a standing start 10 years ago, Hannah has built Wrendale into an international brand turning over £8 million annually and providing jobs for over 60 employees. Covid threatened to derail the business given its wholesale model, but by supporting her retailers with strong content and digital assets, she helped them to pivot their businesses online and sales rebounded with popular lines including a motivational quote box, journals and notelets.
Speaking about the winners, Maxine Benson MBE, co-founder at everywoman, said: “For nearly two decades these awards have provided a platform to share the stories of hundreds of entrepreneurs, encouraging, emboldening and empowering other women to follow suit.
“Against a backdrop of Covid, these women have shown how innovation and enterprise have helped their businesses to thrive under extraordinary trading conditions. We hope their experiences will go onto inspire others and provide the motivation and inspiration that will be the backbone of the UK’s economic recovery.”
Boost Drinks appoints sales director following milestone year
Leading functional drinks brand, Boost Drinks, has expanded its senior team with the appointment of Sales Director, Colin Falconer, to lead the business through the next stage in its journey.
Falconer will begin his new role on 4th January 2022 and brings with him a wealth of sales and leadership experience across multiple channels from his time at Mars, 2 Sisters and most notably Britvic Soft Drinks.
In his 15 years at Britvic, Falconer’s role included Convenience Channel Director and his invaluable industry knowledge and relationships coupled with his passion, ambition and strategic skills make him the ideal person to join the Boost leadership team to drive forward its growth plans.
Boost celebrated its 20th anniversary during 2021, and the appointment of Falconer comes at a pivotal moment in the company’s history. The business has plans to further expand its distribution within the UK and Irish convenience and foodservice channels with its growing functional drinks portfolio as well as building its international footprint in overseas markets.
Founder and CEO, Simon Gray, said: “Boost has always been exciting and ambitious, and with our recent partnership to distribute Rio, the successful launch of our coffee and the changing customer landscape ahead of us, we feel that this is a great moment for Colin to come on board.
“We’re looking forward to Colin joining at a significant moment in our business history and see him as a key catalyst in our future success.
Falconer commented: “I’ve long admired the Boost Drinks story and approach, and in particular, the strong relationships they’ve built with the wholesale trade and convenience retailers as well as the growing consumer engagement in recent years
“I have a huge passion for soft drinks and am thrilled to be joining Boost at a time of significant opportunity, and really look forward to being part of the leadership team and working with the full business to take full advantage of all the exciting opportunities open to us”.
Council leader welcomes Government announcement for £1bn fund to support hospitality sector
A new £1bn fund to help hospitality businesses through tough trading conditions has been announced by Government.
North Lincolnshire Council’s leader Rob Waltham has welcomed the measures, announced by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak MP, which will see businesses access up to £6,000.
Cllr Waltham said: “There are many positive things happening across the economy in North Lincolnshire with a record number of jobs being created.
“However, we do understand there are some sectors which face additional challenges and pressures not least because of the impact of Covid-19. This has been recognised nationally and I welcome this latest intervention to support businesses through difficult trading.
“We have had more than £200m from Government through the pandemic and that support continues now.”
Sunak set out measures to help England’s hospitality sector, unveiling the £1bn fund which will include cash grants of up to £6,000 per premises for each eligible firm.
Additional support will be made available for certain firms with the cost of sick pay for Covid-related absences and an extra £30m will be released to help theatres and museums.
Further details for how business can apply will be released in the coming days.
The cash has been welcomed elsewhere too. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality, told the BBC her organisation welcomed the “unprecedented support” announced by Mr Sunak.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak said: “We recognise that the spread of the Omicron variant means businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors are facing huge uncertainty, at a crucial time.
“So, we’re stepping in with £1 billion of support, including a new grant scheme, the reintroduction of the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme and further funding released through the Culture Recovery Fund.
“Ultimately the best thing we can do to support businesses is to get the virus under control, so I urge everyone to Get Boosted Now.”
Further details are available here
Over 180 new homes in 2021
North Lincolnshire housing provider Ongo has built a total of 78 homes across the region for affordable rent, shared ownership, rent to buy and outright sale this year, along with acquiring 111 properties in Lincoln.
This is part of their plan to increase our housing stock each year, to support ending the national housing crisis and create safe and thriving communities.
Myos House, Ongo’s dementia care scheme, was just one of the developments completing this year. It’s made up of 25 two-bedroom apartments and specially designed communal spaces for residents to socialise and relax.
Sharon Ross, a family member whose parent lives there said: “I think this a fantastic, lovely and peaceful place Ongo has created.
“It’s going to help families as those with dementia will be able to experience activities, mix with others and have people who they can relate to. The research Ongo has done is fantastic and they have made the scheme look beautiful.”
A further 19 two, three and four-bedroom homes handed over on Froddingham Road in Scunthorpe for affordable rent. They are located in Scunthorpe’s town centre so are close to shops, schools, travel links and amenities.
Daniel Richardson moved into his new home with partner Sarah and their nine-month old daughter in May. When asked about his new home he said: “It’s a great opportunity for us – not only is it spacious and has a nice garden to sit and play in, but it’s very close to where I work and we have family support nearby.
“It didn’t take us long to settle in, it’s absolutely fantastic being here and having caring neighbours has been a big plus point.”
Completing were also six homes for sale in Corringham, two homes at Rochdale Mews for rent to buy and one at Orangeleaf Way, Barton upon Humber for shared ownership.
Further sites included nine homes at Maple Close, Kirton in Lindsey, eight homes at Sycamore Court, Scunthorpe, six homes at Northolme View, Gainsborough, one at Wilson’s Close, and one at Cottage Beck Road, Scunthorpe. All were for affordable rent.
Along with building, in September this yea,r Ongo announced our purchase of 111 homes on an estate in the centre of Lincoln, to join their affordable rent, shared ownership and leaseholder tenants.
Martin Phillips, Development Project Manager here at Ongo said: “Over 180 new homes is just fantastic. That’s 180 families that have a safe and lovely place to live, so I couldn’t be prouder of all we have achieved this year.
“Of course our aim is to build hundreds of homes each year, so we can’t wait for some more great developments to be handed over the next 12 months. These will include more around Scunthorpe, Gainsborough and Doncaster too.”
To find out more about Ongo’s homes and new developments, visit www.ongo.co.uk
Audience Collective bolsters digital offering with acquisition of Boxharry
Audience Collective, the insight-driven group of specialist agencies, which has headquarters in Leeds, has acquired digital transformation agency, Boxharry to meet increasing client demand.
Boxharry designs, builds, upgrades and supports tech platforms to unleash the potential of existing digital infrastructures.
The Brighton-based digital specialist is the eighth independent agency to join the UK collective, which now includes over 190 experts across the UK and Ireland – from PR and content specialist, The Lucre Group, to brand communications agency, Ponderosa, as well as media strategy specialist Crunch, and market research and insight agency, Spark.
Steve Henry, group CEO at The Audience Collective, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Boxharry into Audience Collective. As we continue to expand our breadth of knowledge and expertise, their talented teams’ capabilities allow us to dive deeper into the digital transformation world, which is an area of great challenge for all businesses within the UK at present. Audience Collective is going from strength to strength and this year we have set the foundations for an incredibly exciting 2022.”
Simon Brooks, Managing Director at Boxharry, added: “For almost 20 years we have been creating digital products by hand, using the latest technology for clients all around the world. Our ethos of creating products with the utmost precision and care has allowed us to develop an outstanding portfolio of clients around the world – including The AA, Carers UK and LeasePlan.
“Joining Audience Collective will allow us to further expand our client base and gain support from other teams in the Collective. We are so excited to be onboard and take the next step in our future.”
Richard Midgley, group strategy director at The Audience Collective, stated: “The addition of Boxharry is a strategic acquisition; the agency’s expertise really strengthens Audience Collective’s specialisms. Their .Net development deepens our capabilities in the areas of systems integration and implementation of CRM systems such as Salesforce, HubSpot and Dimensions, which will be beneficial for both the Collective and our clients. Many businesses are interested in integrating their technology platforms, so Boxharry will be an integral component in Audience Collective’s future success.”
Mid Yorkshire Chamber welcomes hospitality support measures as Omicron surges
The Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce welcomes today’s announcements of a £1 billion support package for the hospitality and leisure industry, as Covid-19 cases continue to surge.
In recent weeks, reports of cancellations across hospitality and leisure firms were rife, leading many to worry that no action was being taken to support these struggling businesses.
Martin Hathaway, managing director of the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “I am pleased with today’s announcement of further support for these industries, which are some of the hardest hit by the various measures that have been in place throughout the pandemic.
“The festive season is often the most profitable for these businesses, and will sustain many throughout the year.
“But, with reports of increased cancellations following 18 months of struggles, we were growing concerned that nothing was being done by Government.
“While many customers may see cancelling a booking as a small measure they can take to limit their contact and reduce the risk of exposure to the virus, to a business this is digging them further into a hole that they may not be able to get out of.
“I completely understand the call for the public to follow Government advice and, to protect themselves as best they can, however, I am a firm believer that the Government’s available support for businesses should go hand in hand with the advice they are giving to the general public.
“We must remember that these firms are still trying to recover from the initial Covid lockdowns, and that some have only recently been able to reopen.”
The Chancellor today announced £1 billion of new support for business, including up to £6,000 in grants for hospitality and leisure businesses, the reintroduction of the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme, as well as further funding available via the Culture Recovery Fund.
