East Midlands firm SV Timber has been acquired by Sheffield-based National Timber Group (NTG) in its drive to be the largest, independent, specialist timber processing and distribution group in the UK, with a focus on value-added products and solutions.
SV Timber fills a geographic gap in NTG’s existing branch network and further extends its customer reach within the Midlands. This follows the acquisition of Orchard Timber in late 2021 and the development of specialist business units National Timber Systems (NTS) and Intelligent Door Solutions (IDS).
Established in 2004, SV Timber is a specialist, independent timber merchant supplying a range of timber materials to a broad range of trade and commercial customers, including joiners and manufacturers, from three branches. SV Timber recently supplied the timber for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The former directors of SV Timber will remain in the business, working closely with Patrick Guest, Managing Director of NTG England, to ensure a smooth integration into the Group and to realise the full potential of the opportunities that this partnership offers for future growth.
By joining the Group, the customers of SV Timber will also have access to a broader range of products and services, including national delivery capability, bespoke timber production, door-set manufacturing, and engineered roofing systems.
Ed Holder, Managing Director of SV Timber, said: “When the opportunity arose to join the National Timber Group, we were really pleased to find we share the same passion and vision to drive the business forward. The scale and capability of the Group will help us to strengthen what we do and allow us to further improve the value we can deliver to our customers.”
Patrick Guest, National Timber Group Managing Director for England, added: “As a specialist added-value timber distributer, we are absolutely delighted to welcome SV Timber to the Group – our shared expertise and commitment to our customers makes this a great partnership. Together, we will extend our range of services and capability in the region, further improving our customers’ experience.”
Demolition begins to make way for new dementia day care facilities
Work has started to demolish existing dementia facilities as part of enhancing dementia day care services in Kirklees.
Tilbury Douglas, a UK building, infrastructure, engineering and fit-out business, have started to demolish the existing Knowl Park House building on Crowlees Road in Mirfield this month.
The creation of a new public entrance to Knowl Park is also underway as the existing Knowl Park House entrance requires widening for accessibility purposes.
The new dementia day care facility will include zones for wellbeing, home therapy and activities as well as outdoor space that will house a potting shed and a greenhouse. The space will be flexible to accommodate the physical disability, sensory and mobility needs of service users.
Councillor Musarrat Khan, cabinet member for health and social care, said: “We are investing in the future wellbeing of vulnerable and elderly residents living with dementia and I am pleased to see the start of the outdated facilities being demolished.
“We will use the latest assistive technology to create a new dementia day care facility that is a vital space enabling service users to live well and more independently for longer whilst providing much needed daily respite for their carers.”
The new facility has been designed to reflect dementia design principles as a result of Kirklees Council’s collaboration with the University of Stirling’s Dementia Services Development Centre.
Over half a million-pound improvement works start on Normanton Market
Work has begun on Normanton Market to make improvements that will give it a new lease of life.
It will remain open to shoppers while the £650,000 refurbishment is undertaken.
Most of the work will be to the inside of the market and is part of Wakefield Council’s commitment to spend £4.8m to improve markets across Wakefield district.
Market traders will benefit from new welfare facilities, windows, doors, a full electrical rewire, new energy efficient lighting, and new replacement shutters to the shop fronts.
Outside the market, there will be a new space for residents and shoppers to sit with new street furniture, along with repairs and resurfacing to the paved areas.
Freestanding open stalls at the back of the Market will be removed. These have frequently attracted anti-social behaviour and caused concern to residents.
Councillor Darren Byford, cabinet member for regeneration, economic growth and property, said: “Whilst Covid-19 has delayed works, I am thrilled we are now able to deliver on this investment at Normanton.
“The market plays an essential role in the health and vibrancy of the town, contributing to the local economy, bringing people to the town centre and providing an important meeting place for residents and communities.”
Normanton Market has changed in recent years with traditional stalls, selling fruit or vegetables, being replaced by traders offering a service. At present a bicycle repair shop and beautician are among the businesses in the market.
Traders have welcomed the investment. Stacey Mulligan who runs ‘Sugar & Spice and all things iced’ said: “This will be a new market for the people of Normanton and us.”
Cllr Byford added: “The market is going to look fantastic once the work has been completed, and we would encourage anyone who has an idea for a business to get in touch, to discuss the possibility of opening at Normanton Market.”
Cllr Lynn Masterman, deputy cabinet member for regeneration, economic growth and property, said: “It’s great to see the work finally get underway. I am really excited about our plans for Normanton Market because it will benefit local communities and the traders.
“I’m pleased to say that it will be business as usual, and we are working closely with traders to minimise disruption to them and to shoppers.”
Work will be completed before Christmas.
Bradford unveils ambitious plans to build new stadium and skills centre for Rugby League
Bradford Council has unveiled plans to build a regional skills centre for Rugby League and the largest covered stadium in England as part of a new complex for elite sports which would put the city back at the heart of the thirteen-a-side code.
The plans would lead to the delivery of a world-class training complex for elite sports in Odsal accompanied by a Skills, Training and Education Centre for Rugby League and a new 25,000-capacity home for the Bradford Bulls, which could host international matches and significant domestic matches such as the semi-finals of The Betfred Challenge Cup.
The news comes five months after Super League (Europe) signed a 12-year strategic partnership with IMG – a global leader in sports events, media and fashion – to reimagine Rugby League and its competitions in the UK.
The scheme has been announced with just weeks to go until the start of the Rugby League World Cup, an event which will bring the world’s greatest players to England for the Men’s, Women’s and Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup finals.
The new skills and training facility – built in conjunction with the Rugby Football League as part of its national OuRLeague Life programme – would be shared by elite players, match officials, and young people and adults from across Yorkshire and the North East. It would complement a similar project planned in Manchester.
As the largest permanently roofed stadium in England the new venue in Odsal would also become home to other nationally significant sporting such as boxing and enable the city to become a home for major music, entertainment and cultural performances, capitalising on the legacy which will be left by Bradford’s successful bid to become UK City of Culture in 2025.
The complex would include a multi-storey car-park, complete with rooftop sports pitches. The car-park would be linked to a park and ride that can dramatically cut congestion and emissions by providing shuttle services for the new sports stadium in Odsal and motorists driving in to Bradford from the M62.
The complex would also lead to the creation of a new 105-bedroom hotel and five new sports pitches for rugby and football, while also improving the two existing community sports pitches. Energy for the scheme would be provided by a 55,000 sqm solar farm built on-site to provide renewable energy.
Independent economic analysis estimates that the new sports complex would attract more than 1.25m visitors a year, more than half of which would be outside Bradford, and lead to £625m visitor spend and more than £1bn of socio economic benefits for Bradford district.
The stadium and elite sports complex would also create 480 full time jobs over a decade.
The new stadium, and wider complex, would become home to Bradford Bulls and be built on the current Odsal stadium site, which was erected in the 1930s to rival Wembley as a national home of Rugby League.
Both The RFL and Bradford Council believe the sport has huge latent potential in the city of Bradford, as well as across Yorkshire and the North East, nationally and internationally.
Odsal stadium still holds the record for attendance for a rugby match in the UK, with more than 102,000 officially attending the 1954 Rugby League Challenge Cup final replay and an estimated audience of more than 120,000.
The Bradford Bulls were the country’s leading club in the early 2000s, winning Super League three times in five seasons between 2001 and 2005 and becoming World Club Champions three times between 2002 and 2006.
The club went into liquidation in 2017, before being resurrected, and currently remain outside the top flight having played a season away from Odsal in 2019.
The new stadium would retain Odsal’s iconic bowl structure but be built to modern standards, including a roof, to create the largest permanently-covered venue in England.
The complex is part of Bradford Council’s long-term strategy of harnessing the power of culture – including sport – to be an economic driver of clean, inclusive economic growth.
Bradford Live, a 4,800-capacity NEC-run venue, is already due to open in the city centre next year, the National Science and Media Museum is getting new gallery space, and a number of major investments are expected as part of Bradford’s City of Culture celebrations in 2025.
Odsal is in Bradford South, which currently ranks bottom out of all English constituencies for school-age social mobility. Some 34% of under 19s live in relative low-income families.
The council believes a new centre of excellence for Rugby League provides a once in a generation opportunity to break the cycle of poverty by investing in the future of this community and creating an outstanding venue that the whole district can be proud of and benefit from.
The complex is subject to a bid to the second round of the government’s Levelling Up Fund, which has two potential awards of £50million for culture-led schemes. Additional funding would come from private- and public-sector partners.
Independent analysis of the largest 34 towns and cities in England by Etopia Homes has identified Bradford as the UK’s number one levelling-up opportunity, in terms of both need and economic potential.
Culture and sport are seen as major economic opportunities in Bradford – which has one of the youngest and most dynamic populations in the UK, but like many northern cities suffers from a skills deficit.
Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of Bradford Council, said: “Independent analysis has shown that Bradford is the country’s number one levelling up opportunity and these ambitious plans build on our long-term strategy to harness the power of sport and culture to level up our great city district and drive economic growth.
“Rugby League was created to help level up the north of England by enabling working class players to be compensated for taking time off work to play rugby.
“Rugby League is woven into the fabric of Bradford and the north of England. By building a regional skills centre and the largest permanently covered stadium in the country, we can harness the power of Rugby League to level up again by creating well-paid careers and jobs for thousands of young men and women in Bradford and across Yorkshire and the North East.
“Bradford can create a home for Rugby League which reflects the status of both the sport and the city, and which will generate almost £1bn in economic benefits for the people of Bradford over a decade. We are committed to working with the RFL to deliver a sport and training facility which provides skills and generates job opportunities for young people in Bradford and beyond.”
Tony Sutton, chief operating officer at the Rugby Football League, said: “The birth of Rugby League perfectly embodies this Government’s mission to level up the country.
“The entire reason our game began was to level up opportunities for people in the north by compensating them for playing the sport they love.
“Rugby League is more than just a game – it creates opportunity, much needed employment and brings real social, economic and health benefits to communities. Rugby League can again help to level up by creating jobs and opportunities for people across the north. What we need Government help with is creating grass roots opportunities for people to play the game and build their careers.
“Bradford has a rich history in Rugby League as home to former Super League and World Club champions and an iconic stadium which delivered our sport’s largest ever attendance – a crowd of more than 100,000 people watching this great sport. This world-class complex would put Britain’s sixth-largest city back at the heart of British sport.
“The skills, educational and training centre would be a focal point for education – allowing youngsters to work side-by-side with national team squads and match officials, helping to drive up aspiration and achievement in Bradford and across Yorkshire and the North East.”
Bradford Bulls chairman, Nigel Wood OBE, said: “We are extremely impressed by and applaud the scale of the ambition for Odsal Stadium and its immediate surroundings, conceived by our civic leaders and the RFL.
“It is to be particularly welcomed and commended that there is a very strong educational and training dimension to the scheme, an aspect with fits perfectly into our club’s aspiration to be a good corporate citizen, providing training, skills, welfare, opportunity and employment for our community beyond simply being a great rugby league social enterprise.”
Judith Cummins, Labour MP for Bradford South and chair of the All Party Rugby League Group in parliament, said: “I have always been vocal in my belief that sport is one of Bradford’s greatest cultural assets and I have seen first-hand how sport changes lives and unites people.
“The people of Bradford are passionate about sport and Rugby League so this represents a major opportunity for the city. The ambitious plans that I have been shown will bring increased prosperity, skills, and job opportunities through regeneration of this vital part of south Bradford.
“The extra £1bn that this new complex would create would have a transformational effect on the whole city, which has been identified by an independent study as the UK’s leading ‘levelling up’ opportunity.
“By weaving together top-level sport and entertainment with a world-class skills and training base, this proposal offers the perfect example of how sport and culture can be used as a lever to create new economic growth and opportunity in the communities that need, and deserve, it most.”
Film company Salt Street aims to show foreign businesses what South Yorkshire has to offer
A series of video showreels from South Yorkshire’s Mayoral Combined Authority is being created to showcase what South Yorkshire has to offer to investors and businesses in the USA, India and other countries across the globe.
The three-minute films being produced by Sheffield-based production company Salt Street to hight what the Mayoral Authority Interim Chair Martin Swales says the area should be proud of. He said: “By producing these films, we have the opportunity to reach out to new businesses and investors internationally to showcase just what we have on offer. South Yorkshire is going places and the time is right for us to really start shouting about it.”
The showreels bring to life so many aspects of South Yorkshire life, including everything from the region’s industrial heritage in steel and manufacturing to the fabulous surrounding countryside, plus the art, culture and leisure activities available here. It looks at how South Yorkshire has innovated and used its knowledge to move into high value manufacturing sectors, as well as showing how the region is a great place to learn, work, achieve, relax and have fun.
The words to the showreel were written and narrated by Sheffield poet and novelist Helen Mort who has brought to life the opportunities, traditions and strengths of South Yorkshire, combined with the excitement of living and working in the region.
She said: “I was delighted to be asked to produce and narrate a poem as I’m from Sheffield myself, I felt I could give it local flavour and personality and provide a true representation of this region and what makes it so great.”
Hull gets grant to see if its transport can go Dutch
Hull is one of 19 places that has been awarded funding from central government to pilot a Mini-Holland scheme in the city.
Local Transport Projects Ltd will be carrying out a study into how the scheme could work in the Hull, studying Kingswood and Bransholme.
The two areas were identified as ideal locations for the project as there is the space to enhance the road network, offering the opportunity to encourage more people to use sustainable transport.
The two areas also include existing transport links around the city which can be enhanced by the mini-Holland project, delivering a joined-up scheme to improve the pedestrian and cyclist experience.
If the plans go ahead, Hollwell Road in Bransholme could see an off-road segregated pedestrian and cycle facility linking directly to the Stoneferry corridor.
Bransholme centre and Kingswood Retail Park are also major bus interchanges which accommodate a number of frequent services. The scheme would look at delivering improvements to the pedestrian network in order to make it easier to access these services, offering multi-modal travel for local residents.
It would also improve links to large employment hubs such as the Sutton Fields industrial estate, in which over 1,500 people from the nearby residential areas work.
Councillor Mark Ieronimo, Portfolio Holder for Transportation, Roads, Highways, said: “The feasibility study for the mini-Holland scheme will give us the opportunity to find out how we can improve transport facilities for people living in Kingswood and Bransholme.
“Both areas include large residential populations. By understanding how they travel, it will help us to deliver a more modern transport network that works for them.”
The funding has been awarded following the submission of a final Expression of Interest in August 2021. Hull is one of nineteen local authorities successful in securing the feasibility funding.
The results will then be considered and assessed by the Department for Transport who will identify a limited number proposals to be taken forward for funding and delivery.
Yorkshire entrepreneur encourages others to accelerate their business
Branding and digital marketing expert Larisa Barker is urging entrepreneurs to take up the offer of six months’ free advice in a programme run by Leeds Beckett University.
The ACCELERATE programme brings together masterclasses, weekly webinars, one to one support and advice on grants and funding. It has been run nine times already and another cohort is due to start on the 28 September, with some content delivered face-to-face in Leeds and other parts being online.
Larisa, who has been on ACCELERATE, which is delivered in collaboration with AD:VENTURE, a support programme for businesses under three years old in North and West Yorkshire, says it has definitely helped her build the necessary foundations of her business.
Having worked in brand management and marketing for several high street names, Larisa wanted support to help her branch out on her own. She joined the scheme after a recommendation from a friend.
Larisa, who prides herself on a hands-on approach to brand and marketing consultancy under the name The Brand Map, said: “I think ACCELERATE is pivotal for any entrepreneur or business owner in the first three years. It allows you the time to think, joins the dots and understand the foundations, and the many hats you will wear running your own business.
“It helped me clarify my niche, where I could help SMEs build and grow brands online. I then repositioned my business model, rebranded and did it with confidence last year.
“Having come from a corporate background, it also helped to bring a network of support and made me feel I am not on my own. And it helped me experience the same learning curve as other new business owners. I quickly realised I am on the right track and will keep going, even though running a business can be a bit of a rollercoaster.”
Participants on ACCELERATE are offered up to 15 hours of mentoring and help with funding, as well as access to graduate talent via recruitment, internships, placements, and opportunities to collaborate on the university’s research projects.
The webinars cover topics including connecting with customers, developing your business model and value proposition. There is also access to a library of resources and the chance for participants to network with other entrepreneurs.
George Lancaster, SME Programme Manager at Leeds Beckett University, said: “ACCELERATE is all about giving entrepreneurs a strong foundation by providing them with the building blocks of business.
“If you have control of your business from the outset, it helps build resilience, which we know is particularly important right now. But beyond that, the aim is that we can share some vital tools and knowledge that help you take your business to the next level, whether that’s more efficient operations or using a more strategic approach to your marketing.
“We want businesses to succeed in our region, because not only does that help the entrepreneur, it also creates jobs and boosts the local economy.”
Although ACCELERATE is based in Leeds, it is open to eligible businesses from across the Leeds City Region.
AD:VENTURE is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). As well as the European Regional Development Fund and Leeds Beckett University, AD:VENTURE funding and delivery partners include the region’s nine local authorities, Leeds Trinity University, the Business Enterprise Fund, and West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.
Government publishes rates for financial help for farming industry
The Government’s Rural Payments Agency has published the Basic Payment Scheme entitlement rates, the sums it will pay to farmers this year.
For 2022, BPS payment rates for England are set in Sterling. These are the same rates as for 2021 and were used to calculate the BPS 2022 advances issued earlier this year.
The Basic Payment Scheme is a rural payment that provides financial help to the farming industry. From this year, BPS payments are going to be made in two instalments each year for the remainder of the agricultural transition period to help farmers with their cashflow. Around 50% of the overall payment amounting to over £679m was issued in the summer, with the remaining balance expected to land in farmers’ bank accounts from December.
Depending on the region and type of land, the payments could be as high as £233 or as low as £64 per hectare.
There is also a package of ongoing and one-off payments for farmers, such as the new Sustainable Farming Incentive introduced under the Agricultural Transition Plan. These are open to farmers who claim BPS only, or those who claim BPS but have land in Countryside Stewardship or Environmental Stewardship.
Under BPS, farmers need to hold an entitlement for every hectare of eligible land they are claiming on. The size of farmers’ payments will depend on how many entitlements they use, supported by eligible land and the value of those entitlements.
Farmers are also reminded to beware of fraud as fraudsters may target farmers who receive subsidy payments.
Construction recruitment specialist set to grow following £2.5m funding package
Lincoln-based business Clements Young, which offers recruitment services for the construction and M&E sectors, has secured a £2.5m finance deal with NatWest.
The investment deal will enable Clements Young to explore opportunities to grow the business, including recruiting a number of new internal staff and expanding into regional locations across the UK.
Founded in 2018, Clements Young has supported more than 130 customers within the construction and building services industry, working closely with clients and candidates to build relationships, understand the business need and ensure a beneficial employment outcome for both parties.
Matthew Jones, Managing Director at Clements Young, said: “As the business grew organically over the last few years, it became increasingly important that we secured a new finance solution that matched our needs and future ambitions. This new funding line gives us the flexibility and freedom to explore new opportunities, which really puts us in control of our own destiny.
“The team at NatWest have been invaluable in terms of their advice and support in terms of helping us move from a previous provider. Throughout, I’ve been able to pick up the phone and speak to the team, so it’s felt like a seamless transition for us and this personal touch has been an added bonus to the deal.”
Ken Feast, business development director, Invoice Finance, at NatWest, said: “As well as flexible financing solutions, we work hard to remove barriers to enterprise, so that businesses can thrive.
“It’s been fantastic to work closely with Matthew and his team to not only provide them with an invoice finance package that suits their needs but also support them with the wider aspects of taking a business on to the next stage of their growth journey. I’m really excited to see what’s next for them.”
Invoice financing is a flexible way for businesses to borrow money against payments due from customers. This frees up finances and can help businesses reinvest in growth at an earlier stage.
Broker Fundinground Ltd advised on the deal, supported by NatWest broker relationship manager Ben Davey.
Lucy Painter, director at Fundinground Ltd, said: “The range of finance products and lenders for businesses is vast, and we find that clients can’t always identify or directly access the best product for their circumstances.
“Invoice finance is of huge benefit to a broad spectrum of business to support their cashflow requirements, particularly bearing in mind the economic environment we are currently in. However, identifying the right product and lender is critical to its success, and it’s more than just price. The service aspect delivered by the lender is crucial due to the longevity and closeness of the client/lender relationship, and we know how Ken and the wider invoice finance team at NatWest recognise and value this.
“We are delighted to have brokered this introduction and know that Clements Young are in excellent hands as they embark on the next stage of their growth.”
Energy price fears: Accountancy firm offers help with cost reduction
With energy-led inflation at a 40-year high and businesses becoming increasingly concerned with the rise in energy bills, Hull and York-based 360 Chartered Accountants has partnered with Hull-based River Energy to support clients in bill reduction.
River Energy works with businesses across all sectors to deliver efficient energy solutions while reducing costs. 360 MD Adrian Hunter said: “Many of our clients are understandably worrying about the rising cost of energy bills at the moment. Businesses haven’t been covered by the price cap and have had to swallow rising gas and electricity costs. Bills are becoming unsustainable, jobs are at risk, not forgetting further inflation rises to come. That’s why we have partnered with River Energy, to ensure our clients get the best possible help and advice to weather this crisis.”
Energy audits, reducing gas and electricity costs and greener alternatives are all on the agenda, as well as help with access to grant funding and/or tax incentives where available.
