Sheffield celebrates Olympic legacy in action
A major investment conference and celebratory dinner featuring a line-up of sporting superstars will be taking place in Sheffield this year to mark the 10th anniversary of London 2012.
The events will showcase the transformational economic, health, sporting and environmental legacies being driven and delivered by Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park.
The Park was set up after the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to deliver whole population improvements in health and wellbeing. It is the only Legacy Park outside an Olympic host city anywhere in the world and has already created a unique site attracting over £100m of private and public investment over the last seven years.
Bringing together expertise from academia, elite sport, the NHS, and public and private sector organisations, the Park is creating a unique cluster of life sciences assets including research centres, business incubators, educational facilities and laboratories for collaborative research and innovation in health and wellbeing.
Legacy Park Ltd Chair and former Sports Minister Richard Caborn, who was a key figure in bringing the Games to London in 2012, said: “If Sheffield had been a country in 2012 it would have come 14th in the medal table through the athletes we developed and trained in the English Institute of Sport Sheffield and we have not stopped there.
“We are building and developing in the North of England one of the country’s foremost Life Sciences Parks and with the backing of the city’s anchor institutions delivering, like no other, the Olympic Legacy the country promised.”
A ‘Levelling Up in Action’ conference at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park in the Autumn will focus on how mixed-use innovation sites across the country are helping to develop the ‘six capitals’ of the Levelling Up White Paper agenda. It is expected to attract leading regional, national and international economic, political and business figures.
An ‘Olympic Legacy in Action’ gala dinner will take place at the English Institute of Sport Sheffield (EISS) on September 9 with guests including a host of well-known sporting names from the last decade. The event will celebrate Sheffield’s contribution to the Olympics and Paralympics, and the sporting legacy of the 2012 Games being created in the city.
Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park will also host a three-day ‘Olympic Legacy in Action’ community weekend from June 17-19 with city-wide and local service delivery partners providing a variety of free sport, health and wellbeing taster sessions.
The weekend is being organised with Yorkshire Sport Foundation and Sheffield City Trust and will form part of Sheffield’s annual ‘Move More Month’.
Richard said: “We have brought sports science and medicine, sports psychology and engineering together to create a unique legacy unrivalled anywhere in the world and I don’t think it could have happened anywhere else but Sheffield.
“From the start we brought together a partnership of public and private sector organisations with a clear vision of what we wanted to achieve – an agenda of change which we are delivering day after day, and which puts health at the heart of both economic growth and social mobility.”
Yorkshire linseed paint producer appointed to deliver transatlantic events for RIBA
Michiel Brouns, a natural paints expert and CEO of Leeds-based linseed paint manufacturer Brouns & Co, has been commissioned to deliver a programme of continuing professional development (CPD) events with the US chapter of the Royal Institute of British Architects, RIBA-USA.
In the first transatlantic collaboration of its kind, Brouns, a leading expert on property restoration and sustainability, is due to deliver the CPD workshops for architects in the US on the use of linseed paint, which is ideal for sustainably coating and preserving timber.
Taking place in conjunction with the British Consulate and the Department for International Trade, the seminars will take place in Boston and New York in April and May. The sessions will inform US architects how linseed paint can benefit US projects, and explain how and why it is used and its applications for historic properties and new builds.
Michiel Brouns said: “Linseed paint is undergoing a renaissance, especially in the US states where early European settlers constructed the timber buildings that survive to this day. From our base in Yorkshire, where the flax that is the paint’s principal ingredient is grown, Brouns & Co are seeing a surge in US orders, as Americans with historic timber properties to renovate and preserve turn to linseed paint as an ideal and totally sustainable coating, both inside and out.”
He added: “As one of only a handful of manufacturers of linseed paint globally, we are evangelical about its unique properties. I’m really excited about this collaboration with the US chapter of RIBA, which will help to spread the word about this paint and its tremendous potential for American buildings both ancient and modern.”
Catherine Clark, president of RIBA-USA said: “We believe in the role of architects includes helping to shape the built environment to become a healthier space for everyone. Linseed paint, with its incredible sustainability and durability credentials, is set to play a much greater role in reducing the environmental impact of building design and renovation here in the US and we’re thrilled to be able to work with Brouns & Co in this collaborative way.”
The inaugural CPD event takes place in at the British Consulate in Boston at the end of April. The New York linseed paint workshop is on 24 May, at the studios of award-winning architects Fairfax & Sammons, and will be accessible via Zoom, enabling a potentially unlimited audience of qualified architects and students to join the session online.
Work underway on GNG’s 1.75m investment in new West Yorkshire mattress manufacturing facility
Fast-growing West Yorkshire business GNG Group, which manufactures performance products for the healthcare, sports, safety, consumer and contract mattress sectors, is expanding its medical and consumer mattress division with the creation of a new 40,000sq ft factory and warehouse in Normanton. The new facility represents a £1.75m investment which will enable it to quadruple its mattress manufacturing capacity as well as creating at least another 20 jobs this year.
The mattress division will move from the group’s 25,000sq ft manufacturing site in Navigation Yard, Wakefield, following growing demand for its products, particularly its Komfi vacuum-packed mattress brand which was relaunched into the UK consumer market in 2020. The new facilities will enable GNG to expand mattress production capacity by more than 300 percent.
Based at Tyler Close in Normanton, the site is currently undergoing a 20-week refurbishment programme and is due to be operational by May. It will be equipped with low-energy lighting, solar power and electric fork trucks, with additional investment planned in machinery to maximise production and efficiency in order to further reduce its carbon footprint as part of the group’s commitment to offsetting in future years.
The space freed up at GNG’s Wakefield site will enable the group’s sports and safety division to grow, increasing floor space and capacity to meet rising demand for specialist products in this sector.
Group managing director Darren Potterton, who is spearheading the company’s expansion plans, added: “Given the group’s strong performance and continued commitment to providing employment during these turbulent times, we see a bright future for the company, supported by the new investment and key Government manufacturing initiatives.
“The facility will be ready in time to meet our new business demands and pivotal to growing existing and new export opportunities. British manufacturing is at an exciting time and I’m really looking forward to establishing GNG as a market leader in dynamic, eco-friendly medical and consumer mattress design both in the UK and beyond.”
Komfi sales director Stuart Hibbert said: ” Over the last two years, we have seen our business increase by 70 percent following the relaunch of the Komfi mattress brand into the UK consumer market as well as meeting high demand for our products from the NHS critical care supply chain during the pandemic. This expansion into a dedicated manufacturing facility for the mattress division will enable us to continue to increase our capacity and product range, improving customer choice as well as creating more than 50 new jobs in the region over the next three years and further boosting the local economy.
“In particular, there has been significant growth in the popularity of the new eco collections within our Komfi mattress range which are designed and developed to replace traditional foams with alternative, more sustainable comfort fillings that aim to take end-of-life mattresses out of landfill and back into the recycling chain. These types of carbon neutral products are already proving of huge interest to our retail customers and larger buying groups, who are looking for ways of meeting the demands of more eco-conscious consumers.”
Headquartered in Wakefield, GNG Group was established in 1987 and has grown into a £10m turnover business, employing more than 90 people. It has become an international brand leader and supplier of foam based products, primarily serving the medical, consumer and sports sectors.
Companies team up to deliver 4,000 new jobs with Doncaster employment site
Blue Anchor, owners of West Moor Park East, a 195-acre employment site off junction 4 of the M18 in Doncaster, has announced a partnership with commercial property developers, Litton Buccleuch.
The announcement reinforces Blue Anchor’s commitment to delivering the site – and an estimated 4,000 jobs – as quickly as possible. A planning application is currently lodged with Doncaster Council.
Litton Buccleuch is an established joint venture between Derbyshire-based Litton Property Group and Edinburgh-based Buccleuch Property.
Litton is an established and experienced commercial and mixed-use developer and investor. Buccleuch Property is the privately owned commercial property arm of Buccleuch Estates and is focused on all aspects of appropriate land use. It works nationally on its own projects as well as regionally with joint venture partners.
Litton Buccleuch recently delivered a £70m GDV 860-bedroom student housing scheme in central Sheffield which was sold to Fusion Student Housing.
West Moor Park East, located close to Edenthorpe and Armthorpe, has attracted significant commercial interest already and could deliver much needed employment to aid the area’s post-COVID recovery. It sits next to the successful existing West Moor Park commercial development that includes businesses such as Ikea, Next Distribution Centre, Fellows Manufacturing, Scott’s Miracle Grow and Anglo Beef.
Development of the site would also complement public investment in the A630 West Moor Link dualling scheme, with works on this infrastructure well underway. This Council-led scheme has been supported by the Sheffield City Region and is intended to enable investment in new developments that create new jobs and homes. The proposals for West Moor Park East will help to deliver on these aims.
Jonathan Moses, a director of Blue Anchor Leisure, said: “We’ve been firmly committed to delivering this investment in Doncaster for some time now, and today’s announcement adds established names from the development industry who will assist us in swift delivery and bring a strong track record of success.
“We have always stressed the deliverability of this site which is in a perfect location close to existing commercial development and the transport network. A planning application is in with Doncaster Council and is progressing well. We are hopeful of a decision soon.”
A spokesman for Litton Buccleuch said: “We have been interested in this highly strategic site for some time and are delighted to have now entered into an Agreement with Blue Anchor. We believe there is a compelling case for development on the site and a strategic shortage of land locally, regionally and nationally.
“It links well with the airport and Motorway network and existing employment schemes. We have already received expressions of interest from end uses. We will shortly make further announcements after meeting with our agents and professional team.”
Blue Anchor Leisure has a long-established track record of bringing development land to the marketplace in Doncaster. These include 400 acres of land adjoining Doncaster Airport and 200 acres of land at West Moor Park, which has already seen the development of the Next distribution centre.
Doncaster-headquartered Barnsdales acted for Blue Anchor. CPP, Sheffield and Barnsdales are appointed agents for the scheme.
Newsome invests in new, eco-friendly chiller rental fleet to help manufacturers get ‘summer-ready’
Temperature and humidity control experts, Newsome, are delighted to announce they have just taken delivery of a brand-new range of energy efficient chillers and air handling equipment, for both Industrial & Environmental Cooling applications.
Their new rental range is ready for hire – featuring the latest energy efficient and environmentally friendly manufacturing technology, with many of the products featuring low GWP (Global Warming Potential) Refrigerants.
Richard Metcalfe, director, Newsome, says: “With the warmer months fast approaching, our new rental equipment will enable customers to rent a brand-new chiller to keep their manufacturing processes going, whilst they carry out necessary maintenance and checks on existing equipment. Or they can be used as an emergency back-up in the event of a mini heatwave, when average temperatures exceed 30 degrees – which can result in equipment failure and downtimes.
“We’ve invested in energy efficient and environmentally friendly rental equipment, to provide our customers with the most cost-effective systems available,” he concluded.
Renting temperature control equipment, as alternative to buying, can provide multiple benefits:
- ‘Try before you buy’ – if you are unsure as to what equipment your business may need, you can use a rental system to gauge what would be the most suitable product for you.
- The option to keep your manufacturing process going, whilst Newsome carries out any necessary maintenance on your existing equipment.
- Renting rather than buying allows the flexibility to upscale/downscale your equipment in response to seasonal fluctuations in temperature.
- With cash flow and capital expenditure being stretched, hiring energy efficient temperature control equipment avoids the need for a substantial, initial outlay and enables you to take advantage of fixed monthly costs.
- Tax Relief – Rental expenditure is 100% allowable against corporation tax and will reduce what you pay. What’s more, rental equipment is not considered as an asset, so does not need to be included on the balance sheet.
Not long remains until the Property & Business Investment Lincolnshire Expo – register now!
With just a few weeks to go until the Property & Business Investment Lincolnshire Expo, register now for the highly anticipated event.
The free to attend expo, for which Business Link is a proud partner, will take place on Wednesday 27 April 2022 at The Bentley Hotel, Lincoln, providing everything you require for a great day of networking and business generation.
A well targeted event aimed at the Construction, Property, Business, Investment, Finance, Professional Services and related B2B markets, exhibitors include Aspbury Planning Ltd, Belvoir, Business Lincolnshire, BSP Consulting, Delta Simons, the Federation of Small Businesses, J Tomlinson, NatWest, Willmott Dixon, and YMD Boon, to name a few.
To see the full list of who is exhibiting click here.
Opening at 9am, the expo will also host a seminar, and as the exhibition closes, it will roll directly into an informal, open buffet style network lunch – tickets for the lunch are just £25 plus vat and can be ordered and paid for directly online. Spaces for the lunch are limited, so order as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Tina King, of Business Shows Group, said: “It’s been a long time in the making thanks to the pandemic, but we are finally nearly there, The Property & Business Investment Lincolnshire Expo is gearing up to be one of the best to date!”
To attend the event, register for free here.
To generate opportunities by exhibiting at the event, click here.
Purchase tickets to the networking lunch here.
Meet more potential clients in one amazing cost effective day, than it would take months out on the road.
War, Covid, and Brexit: Bradford seeks means to sustain resilience
Means to keep Bradford’s economy resilient in the face of the war in Ukraine combined with over-hanging ramifications of Covid-19 and Brexit have been considered by Bradford Chamber’s Leadership Group.
Peter Bainbridge, of the Chamber’s International team, and Bradford Council’s Policy Officer, Mark Clayton, met key business leaders as the local economy and wider geographical area strives to return to some kind of normality following two years of uncertainty. That aspiration has since been undermined by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The meeting enabled all parties to enhance their knowledge and awareness of both local and international issues, which will help the Chamber to pursue high-quality representation and lobbying on behalf of its members.
On the Ukraine situation, many firms trading with either of the two combatants had insulated themselves from potential disruption by foreseeing the likely obstacles: exports and imports were moved ahead of originally planned schedules, and stockpiles of imports were also built up. Exports to Russia itself were understandably problematic, and some firms are unhappy with the level of detail being provided in government guidance.
A recent Covid lockdown in Shenzhen – the world’s third largest shipping port – would definitely affect global supply chain issues, although there would be a time-lag as large operators attempt to divert via other ports. The Leadership Group was told that 50% of China’s online retailers are based in Shenzhen, while 90% of components shipped out of China come through the city.
Group members wondered if looking to the West, rather than the East, for increased trade might be more fruitful. A recent business survey had revealed that 25% of firms currently involved in China are considering reducing their investment in the country.
Mike Cartwright of the Chamber’s Policy team said: “It’s clearly a very difficult and unsettling time for many businesses right now. The onslaught of pressures they are facing means that supportive measures and representation have never been more important. Our Leadership Groups – for Leeds and York & North Yorkshire, as well as Bradford – are key cogs in our Policy & Representation machine; they provide up-to-date information on how our businesses are performing, and they are given information on projects and schemes that assists with future planning.”
Soaring Covid rates should trigger sick pay rebates, says FSB
Soaring absentee rates and the withdrawal of free Covid testing have led small firms’ champion the FSB to call for a sick pay rebate.
Responding to publication of the UK Health Security Agency’s Living Safely with Covid guidance, and the withdrawal of free Covid lateral flow tests in England and Wales, Federation of Small Businesses National Chair Martin McTague, said:“The scaling back of working safely guidance and removal of free Covid tests at a moment when infection rates and inflation are soaring is going to throw up really challenging scenarios.
“Imagine you’re a sole trader struggling to make ends meet as bills spiral – you develop a tickly cough, you don’t have access to a lateral flow test, and at the same moment win a piece of work that would see you through the end of the month.
“Or you’re a part time employee with caring responsibilities who doesn’t meet the lower earnings limit that ensures you qualify for Statutory Sick Pay – you start to feel under the weather, again no access to a covid test, but you feel well enough to work, and working from home is not an option.
“The change in the new guidance from an instruction to “stay home” in the event of a positive test to “try to stay at home” and “talk to your employer about options” if you do want to come in will put stress on employers without the kind of support that’s existed in the past.
“A small firm isn’t like a big corporate – if one or two members of staff are away it puts huge pressure on the business – any more than that and it may consider closing for a while.
“The cost of workplace absence, including finding cover, surpassed £3,500 last year for the average small employer, meaning a collective £5bn cost to the small business community as a whole.
“Those additional outgoings come against a backdrop of the workplace testing initiative and small business sick pay rebate being withdrawn, along with wider Covid support measures.
“Small employers are acutely aware of their duty of care towards their teams. They now need more support to protect employee wellbeing.
“That’s why we’ve worked with TUC to put forward proposals for a comprehensive small business sick pay rebate that would see the lower earnings limit removed.
“Given the circumstances we’re now in, the Government should look again at the future of workplace testing for those who cannot work from home.
“We’re urging the UKHSA and Health and Safety Executive to do all it can to proactively promote best practice around hygiene and ventilation, particularly as we move towards summer and the reopening of outdoor leisure spaces.
“We’d also urging everyone to respect the house rules that each individual small firm has chosen to implement – many have spent thousands from depleted cash reserves to make premises safer.”
Leeds manufacturing industry celebrates rising stars with pioneering awards
Leeds’ manufacturing and engineering sector has celebrated the achievements of some of its brightest young stars with an awards ceremony that rewarded and recognised inspiring and talented young people working within the industry.
Organised by the Leeds Manufacturing Festival, which aims to highlight the range of diverse career opportunities on offer in manufacturing, the Next Gen Awards, hosted by jukebox manufacturer Sound Leisure, saw trophies presented in the categories ‘Apprentice Of The Year’, ‘Rising Star’ and ‘Future Manufacturing Leader’.
Apprentice engineering technician and machinist, Louis Audain, scooped the Apprentice Of The Year Award, sponsored by Leeds City College. Louis impressed his employers, operating theatre and intensive care unit equipment manufacturer Brandon Medical, with his “mature attitude and tenacity”, which have led him to become a role model to other young people. “Louis shows a never-wavering commitment to his personal development through his sheer drive to succeed,” said Brandon Medical’s Ingrid Law.
Joint winners of the Rising Star Award, sponsored by E3 Recruitment, were Eleanor McGuire of specialist chemicals business Sika UK and Corin Townsend, a production technician at fluid engineering firm Sulzer Pumps.
Eleanor’s role at Sika involves mixing batches of silicone in a highly precise process which demands huge attention to detail. Eleanor’s manager described her as “enthusiastic, conscientious and motivated” and as “an inspiration to others, with her work ethic and willingness to help and assist whenever she can”.
When Corin’s four year apprenticeship ended, his impressive work ethic and attitude led to him being offered a position as a production technician at Sulzer Pumps, a role which he is now leaving to become a field service technician in the firm’s Australia team. Alice McEvoy at Sulzer Pumps described Corin as “a credit to Sulzer”.
The prestigious accolade of Future Manufacturing Leader, sponsored by Saffery Champness, was awarded to Adam Benn, a quality, health, safety and environment (QHSE) manager for engineering firm LBBC Beechwood. Adam joined the business in 2017 as an apprentice-trained fabricator and rapidly proved his leadership potential, earning the respect of colleagues and making significant improvements to the business. “Adam truly deserves this award – in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contribution to changing culture and performance through employee engagement,” said his manager Andrew Quayle.
Tracey Dawson, chair of the Leeds Manufacturing Festival, and manging director Daletech Electronics, said: “Those of us who work in manufacturing here in Leeds know that it is a hotbed of creativity and innovation and it is fantastic to see the next generation of young people who are stepping forward to make our industry stronger and more resilient as we meet the challenges and opportunities of the future.
“The stand-out feature of this year’s festival has been the way younger employees have stepped forward, acting as ambassadors for the sector and as role models for other young people considering a career in manufacturing.
“As judges we have been so impressed with the award winners and with all the young people who were nominated; they are a credit to themselves, their families and their organisations who have enabled their talent to flourish. Manufacturing really is a special place to work and these awards are testament to the opportunities on offer for young people with the right skills and attitude.”
The Leeds Manufacturing Festival is supported by sponsors Leeds City College, specialist recruiter for the manufacturing and engineering sectors E3 Recruitment and accountancy firm Saffery Champness. It is organised by the Leeds Manufacturing Alliance and supported by Leeds City Council, Leeds City Region LEP, Leeds Chamber and the Ahead Partnership.
Yorkshire Chamber calls for action as printer hit with 365% rise in energy bills
The Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce has called for the Government to do more to support businesses after one of its members reported that it will be hit with a 365 per cent increase in energy bills.
Charlesworth, a Wakefield based printing company that works with a number of international clients and delivers its services worldwide, underlined the severity of the situation.
Managing director and owner Mark Gray said: “We are in a really tough situation. The costs just keep on rising and soon we will be losing money simply as a result of coming to work and switching the lights on.”
Charlesworth’s energy bill for last year was just under £132,000, but its renewal price is being quoted at over £612,000, a 365 per cent rise.
He continued: “I cannot understand how businesses are expected to simply absorb these astronomical costs.
“It is unethical for a business to sign a contract that it cannot pay, as it would leave them vulnerable legally and financially.
“However, the out of contract rates we’re being quoted are even higher, which has put us between a rock and a hard place. We are currently undergoing negotiations and I hope that we can come to some sort of a resolution with our providers.
“My concern is that the Government is taking action to support households, but there is no similar support available for businesses.
“In my eyes, there is no point supporting households through this crisis if the same crisis is threatening their jobs and livelihoods through the businesses that pay their wages.
“These unbearable costs are not only affecting the management and finance departments, but they are also affecting every single one of the 54 staff that we employ.
“We are hoping to reach a resolution in the coming days, but I know there will be many other firms going through the exact same situation that can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.
“The Government is seemingly keen to back British manufacturing, but these energy prices are hitting manufacturers the hardest, especially after the struggles of Brexit and Covid.
“These types of firms will generally use more energy than a standard office-based business – that’s just the nature of the game – but we cannot continue like this if the costs just keep on rising. As an industry, we need urgent support.”
Martin Hathaway, managing director of the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “As an organisation that exists to represent its members, we stand with Mark and the many other business leaders who are no doubt in the same position.“I am astounded that there is no support available for firms amid these spiralling costs. Especially following the Chancellor’s Spring Budget, in which there was nothing to support business suffering with these pressures. This would have been the perfect time for Government to step up and truly back British business.
