Leading engineering specialist Spencer Group is to create a new dock gate as part of a £1.9m project to preserve an historic vessel. The project to improve and repair Hull’s North End Shipyard is part of a wider £32m cultural regeneration project led by Hull City Council to celebrate the city’s rich maritime heritage. The North End Shipyard is set to become the new home for the country’s last remaining sidewinder trawler, the Arctic Corsair, which will form a new visitor attraction when in place. The city council has appointed Hull Esteem Consortium LEP as principal contractor for the shipyard project, with Spencer Group designing and delivering the vital lock gate element for the dry dock. Spencer Group will remove the existing gate, before installing the new 15m by 6m, 50 tonne steel replacement from the River Hull following berthing of the vessel. The gate will then be sealed in place by forming a reinforced concrete wall, providing a permanent home for the Arctic Corsair. Hull-based Spencer Group has already completed work to create a new home for another iconic vessel, the Spurn Lightship, as part of the Hull Maritime project. The company created a new wet berth for the lightship in Hull Marina earlier this year which is set to become another local maritime visitor attraction in the coming months. Neil Hewitt, Pre-Construction Project Manager for Spencer Group, said: “This is a really important project for us. “The Arctic Corsair is one of the flagship vessels of the city’s maritime history and we’re extremely proud to be playing our part in preserving it for future generations. Having previously been involved in constructing her berthing outside the Streetlife Museum over 20 years ago, the business is proud to play its part in settling her into her new home. “It means a lot to everyone at Spencer Group to deliver projects like this, particularly in our home city of Hull.” Spencer Group’s multi-disciplinary skillset makes it the ideal company to deliver the complex project, which is expected to be completed in the coming months. Mr Hewitt added: “We’ve completed the design and the new dock gate is currently being fabricated. “We will soon be undertaking the on-site works to accommodate the new gate and the preparatory works to accommodate the Arctic Corsair and with her in place, compete the final works to create her new permanent home and allow the people of Hull to enjoy her once again.” Spencer Group worked alongside principal contractor Hull Esteem Consortium LEP, and partners including the Environment Agency and other key stakeholders, throughout the design phase and will now move forward with plans for the delivery plan and execution of the phased approach. Gavin Barley, General Manager for Hull Esteem said: “This is a new and challenging scheme in many ways, but a great opportunity for Hull Esteem and Spencer Group to work in partnership to regenerate one of Hull’s most important maritime treasures. “We’re looking forward to being able to play our part in the much wider programme of works currently under development to create an exciting new maritime route that will guide visitors through the heart of the city.” Gillian Osgerby, Programme Director at Hull City Council, added: “The North End Shipyard is steeped in maritime history. This area will be revitalised as part of the exciting plans to create a new visitor attraction for our residents and visitors to the city. “To become the new home of the Arctic Corsair, a piece of technical work is needed to remove and replace the lock gate that connects the dry dock to the river Hull. “We are looking forward to working with Hull Esteem Limited and the Spencer Group over the coming months to deliver this critical element of work.”

Law graduate Matthew Lill has become the first Lindum Group employee to achieve a Level 7 qualification, the highest level of apprenticeship available and equivalent to a master’s degree – whilst also doing a full-time job.. He spent a year working as a paralegal and two as an apprentice solicitor while completing his training and passing his Solicitors Qualifying Exam. Matthew, who grew up in Lincoln and attended Priory City of Lincoln Academy before studying law at Nottingham Trent University, said: “After leaving school, I studied for an LLB Hons in Law, but to legally be able to refer to myself and practise as a solicitor, I needed to complete two years’ qualifying work experience and sit the SQE. “When I joined Lindum in 2021, the promise of training was part of my contract and I’m grateful for the support I’ve received with my studies. “I’ve learned so much on the job, too. I manage my own caseload of projects up to £20 million in value and get exposed to some great quality work by advising on a variety of different projects as well as assisting in defending and pursuing claims.”   During his course, Matthew worked under the guidance of Lindum’s Legal Services Manager Clifford Fearnley and our Apprentice Manager John Levey. Lindum is currently supporting 30 apprentices and trainees through a variety of courses, including site-based skills such and bricklaying and joinery as well as office-based roles, such as quantity surveying and business administration. Lindum Co-Chairman Freddie Chambers said: “I would like to congratulate Matt on completing his apprenticeship. It’s not easy to balance studying and full-time work but this is proof that it can be done if you have the right attitude and the right support. “Lindum is well known for its construction work, but this is a reminder that our industry includes so many different career paths. Not only do we employ people in practical and technical roles, but our business includes experts in law, finance, marketing, HR and more. “We are really pleased for Matt, whose hard work and commitment has paid off, and we’re delighted he is part of the Lindum team.”

The latest CBI forecast points to encouraging signs that the UK economy is on track to gradually pick up steam over 2024 and 2025. After a strong start to the year, momentum will continue with GDP growth in 2025 anticipated to reach 1.9%. The economy has struggled in recent years under the pressures of economic shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic and Ukraine war. GDP growth came in at only 0.1% over 2023, with the dual headwinds of high inflation and increased interest rates weighing on economic activity. Louise Hellem, CBI Chief Economist, said: “It’s encouraging to see that the outlook for the UK economy is improving after a difficult 2023. However, we cannot afford to be complacent about our progress going forward. To ensure longer-term, sustainable growth, we must tackle our ongoing productivity problem. “Our Business Manifesto sets out several policies to improve productivity and deliver prosperity through a positive vision for the UK economy. These include a cutting-edge trade and investment strategy, a Net Zero Investment Plan, and more support for firms to invest in AI – particularly where it can help in automation and super-charging productivity. “Now in the midst of a General Election, political parties have an opportunity to prioritise the economy and unlock long-term, sustainable growth by using their manifestos to set out measures that will support business investment and propel growth for the next decade and beyond.”  The CBI’s latest UK Economic Forecast shows that: 

• UK GDP growth is projected to rise to 1.0% in 2024.
• Momentum should continue in 2025, with GDP growth anticipated to reach 1.9% – broadly in line with the average pre-COVID growth rate (of 2.0% between 2010-19).
• Consumer spending is the main driver of growth, reflecting an improvement in households’ real incomes as inflation falls.
• Business investment is set to be weak in 2024 but will recover as GDP growth strengthens.
• However, productivity remains below its pre-COVID trend, signalling further action is needed to spur longer-term, sustainable growth.

Ben Giles has described Omniplex Learning as the “perfect fit” for his company Matobo following its sale. Matobo was founded by Ben and Cath Giles in 2012 and provides cyber security awareness training to the private and public sectors, having worked with clients which include the BBC, London Fire Brigade and around 20% of UK local authorities. A BAFTA award-winning filmmaker for work that featured Sir David Attenborough, Ben writes, edits and publishes York-based Matobo’s digital content used in its online training programme. Among its flagship courses is Cyber Ninjas, a unique series of e-learning modules which are certified by the National Cyber Security Centre. “We take immense pride in the quality of training we provide to our customers,” said Ben Giles. “Omniplex Learning was a perfect fit to build upon our work by supporting our customers and enhancing our training and services.” Omniplex, based in St Albans, has added Matobo to its existing suite of digital learning products and services which offers authoring tools, learning management systems, seamless digital adoption and expert in-house design, content and training services. “Our customers have identified cyber security as a critical and evolving challenge,” said Patrick Jocelyn, CEO of Omniplex Learning. “The costs of a successful cyber breach to a business are substantial, both financially and reputationally. “By integrating Matobo’s industry-leading courses into our portfolio, we are poised to provide our customers with digital learning in areas that are of the utmost importance to them. “We plan to expand our offerings to address the new security and GDPR challenges associated with AI and other threats. This will complement our Good e-Learning digital transformation courses which we acquired just over a year ago.” Omniplex Learning is backed by private equity investor LDC, with which it partnered in December 2020. Nathan Leah, KBS Corporate Associate Director, who advised on the sale, said: “I strongly believe Matobo will continue its success story in conjunction with Omniplex, who are a sophisticated and high calibre operator. I wish all parties the very best for the future. “Special thanks to Harriet Jones of Mackrell Solicitors for her diligence and collaboration throughout.”

Bedale-based HECK! Food has invested in solar energy production at its HQ in Kirklington. The company has installed 433 solar electricity panels, capable of generating 200,000 kwh per year, 20% of the factory energy. Jamie Keeble, HECK! co-founder, said the installation of solar panels was “an additional effort to make sure that we’re being sustainable from a factory perspective and also to support our journey to net zero. We’ll be saving 45 tonnes of carbon per year.” The project has received a £49,950 grant of the total £150,000 investment from the UK government through the UK shared prosperity fund. Richard Flinton, chief executive of North Yorkshire Council, says: “Supporting the decarbonisation of the county is a key priority for the council. It is brilliant to see this grant have such a positive impact in supporting HECK! Food to install solar panels. Manufacturers of quality products like HECK! are an important part of the economy and it is vital they’re supported to reach net zero.” In addition to the solar panels installed on site, HECK! is working on a programme of sustainability initiatives in its journey to net zero. Part of this work has been the launch of the HECK! “Care Code” to work on initiatives across health, environment, community and kindness. “Our Care Code is a four-pronged approach that leads to a better HECK! and a better world. It stands for ‘Health, Environment, Community and Kindness’,” continues Jamie. “We are quite unique in the industry as we make all our sausages, meatballs and burgers at our HECK! factory and we’re the only premium brand who makes their own food. “We’ve made a commitment to our consumers and retail customers to show a transparent sustainability journey. We have measured our Scope 1 and 2 industry standards emissions for three years now, and as such we’ve managed a 30% reduction in our emissions. “We recently measured Scope 3 emissions and are now identifying opportunities to reduce emissions further. Our first annual impact report will be published this year which charts our climate impact across our supply chain.”

Doncaster Chamber and the area’s businesses a prosperous decade ahead for our city according to a new report. Called  Doncaster ‘35: A Manifesto for a Winning City, it’s said to be a forward-thinking plan anticipating what the next ten years will have in store for Doncaster, and outlines the practical steps that must be taken to put it on the best possible trajectory. Dan Fell, Chief Exec of Doncaster Chamber, said: “Through characteristic Yorkshire grit and determination, Doncaster — and the key partnerships that make it so strong— has accomplished much over the past twenty years. “From securing City Status to opening a renowned University Technical College and valiantly pulling together to reboot Doncaster Sheffield Airport; we have a lot to be proud of. At the same time as this, we know that we cannot afford to dine out on past glories forever. “If anything, the assorted hardships of the past couple of years — from the disappointing loss of the former HS2 College to the near miss with our bid to be the home of Great British Railways, and the macroeconomic headwinds that have embattled our urban core — have proven just how important it is that we do not lose momentum. Indeed, those who truly want what’s best for Doncaster know that we must constantly aim higher and always be impatient for progress. That’s where this manifesto comes in. “Shaped by our member community, and developed in plain sight of our strategic partners, Doncaster ’35 is an ambitious, business-led vision for the future. One in which we candidly address the problems facing our city right now, highlight the exciting opportunities in front of us, call for bold leadership, make some challenging asks, and commit to rolling up our own sleeves to as well. “The world is changing faster than ever before and yet the current pace of change is the slowest it will ever be. With that said, we want our city to not only keep pace, but to set it. We hope that others share our determination.” The Chamber says the document explores how the Chamber itself — alongside the private sector it represents, colleagues in the local authority & regional government, as well as other assorted partners — can help Doncaster overcome its greatest challenges, while also seizing the opportunities that are within its grasp. The overarching goal behind all of this is to get to the point where we have a flourishing economic environment that serves as a “gold standard for what small, modern cities with an industrial heritage will look like in the year 2035.”

Millions of voters who run their own businesses are still to make a final decision on who they will back on polling day, according to a snap general election survey by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). It reveals that 96 per cent of small business owners intend to vote, but one-in-five (20%) have yet to decide which party they will choose, while a further one-in-three (33%) have a good idea who they will vote for but could still change their mind. FSB’s research found 90 per cent of small business owners are concerned business taxes could rise under the next Government, while 92 per cent of small employers said they were concerned a future Government could increase the costs and risks associated with employing people. More than half (53%) say they are concerned about small business energy costs over the next five years; more than six-in-ten (61%) are concerned about the level of inflation over the next five years. The findings come as FSB publishes a manifesto for small businesses and the self-employed – a blueprint for whoever forms the next Government aimed at driving economic growth and increasing the small business community from 5.5 million back to its pre-pandemic size of six million within the next Parliament. FSB’s Policy Chair, Tina McKenzie, said: “Small business owners and the self-employed are a shrewd and motivated part of the electorate. “They’re used to weighing up competing offers when running their businesses, and it’s clear from our research that when it comes to the election they’re looking for which of the parties has the most compelling pro-small business offer. “Small businesses are the key to securing economic recovery, driving innovation, and creating jobs in all parts of the UK. “Our small business manifesto sets out the measures needed to create the conditions for that to happen, many of which do not involve additional spending. “We’re looking to all of those seeking to form the next Government to show their commitment to the millions of hard-working voters who run their own businesses, including through a Small Business Act so we have new legislation to protect small businesses on crucial issues such as late payment.” MANIFESTO PROPOSALS FSB’s manifesto for small businesses and the self-employed sets out more than 150 specific proposals to cover the period of the next Parliament. These include: Committing to a Small Business Act, legislating to help small firms by:  

• Enshrining in law measures to clamp down on big businesses with poor payment practices towards their smaller suppliers.
• Improving small businesses’ ability to access finance, including closing loopholes in protections for those giving personal guarantees.

• Making a 33 per cent SME statutory public procurement target, increasing the involvement of small businesses in taxpayer-funded projects.

Giving reassurance on tax:

• Fundamentally reform business rates to help small businesses in all sectors.
• Rule out increases in tax on dividends for directors of limited companies and National Insurance for the self-employed.

• Restore the small profits threshold for corporation tax to the previous level of £250,000 and pledge not to increase the small profits rate.

Backing small employers, jobs and skills:

• Automatically increase the employment allowance with the National Living Wage.
• Maintain current co-investment rules to back small business apprenticeships.

• Reintroduce universal work experience into secondary schools.

Encouraging start-ups:

• Increase the number of start-up loans offered by 5,000.
• Create a new ‘new enterprise allowance’ for those out of work looking to start a business.

• Make it easier for people working for themselves to get a mortgage and save for their retirement.

Driving future growth:

• Introduce a new Small Housebuilder Strategy, to ensure sufficient capacity to achieve ambitious housebuilding targets.
• Commit to a target that at least half of all direct Government funding of private Research and Development (R&D) goes to SMEs.

• Provide consumer-style protections for smaller businesses when it comes to the energy market.