Hull firm progresses Birmingham rail depot project
Hull-based Spencer Group has finished the first phase of a £36m enhancement project at the Tyseley rail maintenance depot in Birmingham.
A significant section of existing track has been moved to make way a 30m extension to the existing Underframe Cleaning building. Upon completion of the building, a new track layout was built, including a large section of embedded track to allow emergency vehicle access.
The next phase of the project has started, and will see mechanical and electrical works to the existing depot buildings including ventilation, shore supplies and mobile gantry cranes.
The final phase is the most extensive, and will involve a 100m extension to the existing depot building, providing four car stabling of trains on two roads. This package includes new pits to both roads 11 and 12, along with mechanical and electrical services.
Tony Wells, Pre-construction Project Director at Spencer Group, said: “We’re delighted to be delivering this project following a successful tendering process and it’s a really collaborative development which we’re excited to be working on.
“Before we got to this stage, we worked hand-in-hand with the client to develop the scheme through a period of early contractor involvement (ECI), which allowed the project to be fully developed and costed.”
Richard Watson, Project Director at Spencer Group, added: “Tyseley is a busy depot, particularly at night, which is why the extension is needed to accommodate longer trains.
“We have a fantastic, experienced team working on the project. Having worked with West Midlands Trains before, we’re building on our already strong relationship with them.
“We constructed a storage building on the same site about three years ago and completed fuelling aprons on the carriage sidings on tracks 13, 14 and 15. This included new canopies, pits and a new fuelling system, providing a covered area to refuel the trains.”
Further funding from Finance Yorkshire boosts Sheffield data tech startup
Data technology start-up TUBR is set for growth with investment from Finance Yorkshire.
Founded by entrepreneur Dash Tabor, the company provides a machine learning platform which enables businesses to turn data into informed actions quickly.
The technology can be used across many sectors where it can predict likely future events, for example in retail, forecasting customer demand patterns as an aid to stock and staff planning or in environmental control, predicting pollution patterns from data collected through sensors.
Based at Sheffield Technology Parks, TUBR has attracted considerable interest with a previous funding round in 2022 which included US based venture fund BlueWing VC.
The company has now raised a total of £473,000 following a second funding round of £220,000 including £100,000 from Finance Yorkshire’s Seedcorn Fund alongside existing and other new investors.
Dash’s career has been spent in technology data product management, monetising data solutions. She said: “I started building the TUBR technology understanding that companies would need machine learning and AI to compete post pandemic. The solution can be used to predict demand and improve operations.
“The investment from Finance Yorkshire and other investors will help us advance the technology and the speed of implementing it so we can start growing our customer base.”
Dash has relocated the TUBR business to Sheffield Technology Parks from London. “I was attracted to South Yorkshire because of the support available to start-ups and that I can tap into the ecosystem at the technology park and gain knowledge from its network to help build the business.”
Finance Yorkshire chief exec Alex McWhirter said: “Our seedcorn fund is perfect for supporting start-ups to scale up just like TUBR. Data technology is progressing at considerable pace and Dash’s vision and ambition for her solution is to be applauded. We are pleased to support the company and Dash’s entrepreneurialism.”
Tom Wolfenden, CEO of Sheffield Technology Parks, said: “TUBR is an exciting company and a great example of a London-founded start-up that has relocated to Sheffield owing to our City’s unique set of advantages for both business and lifestyle.
“I look forward to seeing the TUBR team grow and their technology develop. Dash is a determined and resilient founder with big ambitions – we’re happy to be part of her journey at Sheffield Technology Parks.”
Finance Yorkshire’s seedcorn fund is part of a wider regional business fund which is expected to provide more than £50m to SMEs over five years. Investment is also available from its growth and business loans funds.
Yorkshire and the Humber sees drop in levels of insolvency-related activity as business confidence rallies
After a worrying trend of increasing levels of insolvency-related activity across much of the UK between April and May 2024, the economic picture in June compared with the previous month was more cheering with a welcome fall in two thirds of the nations and regions, including Yorkshire and the Humber, according to the UK’s insolvency and restructuring trade body, R3.
In June 2024, just 233 businesses in Yorkshire and the Humber were affected by this type of activity (which includes liquidator and administrator appointments and creditors’ meetings), 63 less than in May – this represents a month-on-month decrease of 21.3%.
Based on an analysis of data provided by CreditSafe, the research from R3 revealed that only three of the 12 regions and nations surveyed performed more strongly. These were Northern Ireland with a fall of 54.5%, followed by Wales (down by 28.4%) and the South East (down by 25.9%).
Only four nations and regions experienced a rise in insolvency-related activity compared with the previous month. The North East saw the most stark rise, up by 48.3%, while East Anglia increased by 3.2%, the South West by 2.9% and Scotland by 2.5%.
The number of new businesses launching across the UK also showed a more positive picture than in recent months with all but one of the nations and regions seeing a rise since May. While start-ups in Scotland fell by 13.1%, numbers rose everywhere else with Northern Ireland seeing the biggest increase of 14.4%, the North East up by 8.7% and Greater London up by 7%. In Yorkshire and the Humber, there was a slight rise of 0.4%.
“Following the shallow downturn in the second half of last year amid the challenges of the cost of living crisis and higher interest rates, the UK has seen some growth and these latest figures show encouraging signs of a resurgence of economic confidence,” says Dave Broadbent, chair of R3 in Yorkshire and partner at Begbies Traynor in York and Teesside.
“With the General Election now firmly behind us, it is hoped that many companies which had put orders and projects on pause ahead of the outcome, will now push forward in a more stable environment.
“It is good not only to see a fall in insolvency-related activity across most of the UK, together with a rise in business start-ups, but also that our region is continuing to demonstrate Yorkshire grit by performing relatively strongly.
“However, given global uncertainty with a number of conflicts and elections around the world, we advise business owners to remain cautious – always keep a close eye on your financial statements and seek advice from an expert insolvency adviser at the first signs of trouble.”
Cabinet approves creation of new Doncaster city centre 25-year masterplan
Cabinet members at City of Doncaster Council have approved the creation of a new city centre masterplan and the submission of proposals to Government for the first three years of Long-Term Plan for Towns (LTPT) funding.
The strategy, which is due to be completed by the end of 2024 and will outline plans for the city centre until 2050, also includes the planned use of existing and potential funding opportunities, including the LTPT funding and Levelling Up Partnership (LUP) funding.
Since 2016, the city centre has been following the Urban Centre Masterplan, however a number of challenges, including COVID and the national issue around retail, as well as the positive impact of Doncaster becoming a city, have meant that a new masterplan to guide the future of the city centre is needed.
Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, said: “As the North’s newest city, and with the national challenges over the past few years, it became obvious that we needed to review the direction of the city centre and we now have the opportunity with funding, to tackle this head on.
“As part of this, we launched the ‘Big City Conversation’ a consultation survey aimed at residents and businesses to understand their views of the city centre and what they would like the city to offer. I want to thank over 8,000 people who took part as this has presented findings which will be fundamental to the creation and delivery of the strategy.”
The Big City Conversation, which was held as an online survey and face to face focus groups, had over 8,000 respondents and found the following headlines:
- Shopping (61% of respondents) and Food/Drink (47%) were the most common reasons cited for visiting the city centre followed by the Transport Interchange (36%), Leisure & Culture (33%), and the Market (30%).
- 65% of respondents said the quality and variety of the shopping and retail offer was extremely important to them.
- The biggest concern raised by people of all age groups was safety and security. When asked how safe people felt when visiting the city centre, 51% said they felt very or somewhat unsafe.
- However, people who visited the city centre regularly, or have visited more recently, were much more likely to feel safe there, with 86% of people who say they never visit the city centre saying they feel unsafe when visiting. 78% of people who have not been to the city centre for more than a year said that feelings of safety and security impacts their decision whether to visit.
New Government must turn good intentions into action, says Doncaster Chamber Chief Exec
Doncaster Chamber has applauded the new Government for signalling that it’s listening to business, but adds it’s now vital to turn good intentions into action.
Dan Fell, Chief Executive of Doncaster Chamber, said: “Many of the measures announced in yesterday’s speech are sure to be welcomed by the business community, although the devil is, necessarily, going to be in the detail.
“Labour’s commitment to an Industrial Strategy, for example, should help to foster an environment conducive to business success and it feels like some of the groundwork for that has already been laid with some of the other headline announcements. In particular, the various bills related to planning reform, getting Britain building, and enabling big-ticket investments through the National Wealth Fund are all encouraging to see, particularly for sectors like construction.
“On the other hand, some pieces of the jigsaw seem to be missing. One notable omission is that we are still uncertain about how the Government plans to grow a stronger manufacturing base in our country, despite this being so obviously critical to the nation’s growth and to the future of places like Doncaster. Similarly, we do not yet have a clear sense of how the Government will work to support and encourage exporters.
“On the subject of changing employment rights, we would like to remind Westminster that most UK businesses are in fact SMEs, and typically very responsible ones at that. If they are over encumbered with too much red tape, then there is a real possibility that they could become risk averse when it comes to recruiting new employees, with this having a detrimental effect on the labour market. We therefore urge Government not to design agility out of the system and to make sure that employers still have the flexibility they need when it comes to recruiting talent.
“Elsewhere, we are hearted to see the King’s Speech putting a lot of stock in devolution — which will help regions like South Yorkshire take greater control of their economic destinies — and we hope this can be taken as a sign that Westminster is keen to develop more mature relationships with places. Of course, it is then incumbent on places like South Yorkshire to use those devolved powers effectively.
“I suspect many businesses will be agnostic about whether the UK’s buses and railways are privately or publicly owned. What is important — particularly for the legions of businesses and 15,000 workers in Doncaster’s rail engineering industry — is that there is a long-term plan to sustainably invest in the UK’s infrastructure, especially in the North of England, and an end to the prevarication that has characterised schemes like HS2 in the past.”
Leeds Rhinos sign up for partnership with digital marketing agency
Leeds Rhinos are to partner with digital market agency Spike to develop a new digital marketing strategy aimed at increasing attendance and attracting a wider fanbase to the Super League club’s fixtures.
Spike will deliver a cutting-edge digital strategy for the eight-time Grand Final winners, focusing on engaging a new generation of fans at AMT Headingley Rugby Stadium.
Over three months, the agency will utilise its bespoke strategy framework to enhance Leeds Rhinos’ digital marketing efforts towards connecting with younger, emerging audiences.
The agency will conduct workshops to identify fan goals, set ambitious marketing objectives aligned with business challenges, and provide tactical planning toolkits. These resources, along with the final strategy documents, will enable seamless execution of recommendations.
Rob Powell, director at Spike, said: “Our team is incredibly excited to collaborate with Leeds Rhinos. By leveraging our strategy framework and innovative segmentation approach, we aim to craft a fresh marketing strategy that will not only increase ticket sales but also build a stronger connection with younger fans. This project is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase our expertise in sports marketing and to help Leeds Rhinos achieve their goals.”
Matt Adams, head of marketing at Leeds Rhinos, aded: “From our initial meeting it was clear they had a deep understanding of the unique challenges we face as a club. We are confident that their strategy will bring a new perspective to our marketing efforts and drive real results in attracting new fans to the stadium.”
York microscope pioneer wins financial support
York Probe Sources is leading the way in cutting-edge microscope technology thanks to support from City of York Council and the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub.
The Poppleton-based business makes parts for powerful electron microscopes, which use electron beams to generate high-resolution images of samples as small as viruses and nanofibres.
Since 2023, YPS Director Omar El-Gomati and his team have been supported by the council’s Business Growth Manager, Louise Saw, who has provided the business with advice on their next steps to growth – including taking on more staff and expanding into new premises – and helped them access finance and training.
Louise referred YPS to Mike Pennington, a Business Relationship Manager at the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub, who helped the business secure £20,000 in grant funding from the national Made Smarter scheme to scale up their business. The grant covered half of the cost of a new machine to automate making field emitters – the part of the microscope which produces and emits a beam of electrons. Until now, this process had been undertaken by older machines in a slow and delicate process which could only produce one unit at a time and which had a high failure rate.
Investing in the new machine has made the manufacturing process more productive and efficient, by allowing multiple units to be produced simultaneously whilst helping to reduce costly waste.
AESSEAL signs up with South Yorkshire football club to support children’s hospice
AESSEAL has signed up for a second year as a Diamond Partner of Rotherham United FC in helping support and publicise Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.
For the 24/25 season, the hospice will be featured on RUFC team shirts, in the space normally given over to commercial advertising or sponsorship, in a deal supported by AESSEAL and the club’s other Diamond Partners including Hughie Construction, IPM Group, Mears Group, and Steelphalt. AESSEAL will gift Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice all the hospitality and other benefits that are part of the sponsorship package. The hospice provides invaluable care and support to children and young adults with life-shortening and life-threatening conditions. Says Josie Lewis, IT and Project Manager of AESSEAL and a lifetime Rotherham supporter:“Rotherham United and its associated charitable arm, the Rotherham United Community Trust, are a great community asset it is for Rotherham, and AESSEAL is proud to associate our brand with them. “Through this partnership we aim to increase awareness and support for worthy causes like the hospice, ensuring they can continue to make a difference in the lives of those who need it most.”AAB adds two members to its Leeds team
AAB has appointed two new team members based in Leeds, where Patrick Lynch joins as Corporate Finance Partner, alongside Harris Jones as Corporate Finance Manager.
They’ll be based in the Sagars office on St Paul’s Street after Leeds-based accountancy firm Sagars merged with AAB in 2021, in a move that deepened the breadth and depth of services they provide to businesses and individuals in the North of England and across the UK.
Patrick, who brings more than 14 years’ experience in professional services, spent almost a decade at an independent corporate finance firm based in Yorkshire. His experience encompasses both buying and selling roles on transactions, on behalf of SMEs and private equity firms based throughout the UK.
Patrick joins six other Partners and Directors in AAB’s corporate finance leadership team across the UK and Ireland.
Throughout the past seven years as a Corporate Finance Advisor, Harris has amassed significant experience in advising shareholders, management teams, and institutional investors within the mid-market, most recently in the M&A team of a global environmental consultancy group. He combines this role with being a Lecturer of Finance within the Accounting and Finance subject group at Leeds Business School.
Head of Corporate Finance Gordon Steele said: “Welcoming both Patrick and Harris to the team is another key milestone for us. The AAB corporate finance team is well-established in Scotland, and across the Island of Ireland, and we’re delighted to offer these enhanced services to the North of England. The experience and expertise of both Patrick and Harris will add significant value to our already market leading team.”
James Hunt, Head of Leeds, added: “Since Sagars joined the AAB Group we have introduced an enhanced range of services to support our clients across the North of England. With both Patrick and Harris joining our team here in Leeds we are excited about the addition of end-to-end corporate finance services to the expanding offering we deliver locally, to benefit our clients both now and in the future.”
Leeds agency appoints Beth in Account Manager role
Leeds-based communications agency Yasper has appointed Bethany Lunt as an Account Manager to help drive the business forward and lead on some of Yasper’s new accounts across multiple sectors, including property and construction, healthcare, and telecoms.
She joins the business as a strategic communicator with a wealth of agency experience in media relations, content, and digital, across a range of B2B industries.
The appointment coincides with Yasper’s recent client win with Manchester-based property firm BR2.0 to deliver a media and content brief across its group of companies, as well as a landmark new piece of work in the healthcare sector.
Julian Pearce, Founder and MD at Yasper, said: “This hire is of great strategic importance to Yasper’s growth, and I was immediately impressed with Bethany’s knowledge, experience and capability. Not only will she take a lead on delivery for a range of Yasper’s key accounts, but she will be integral to the future growth and direction of the business. She’s a great fit for the agency and will be a brilliant addition to the team.”
Beth will also be focusing on Yasper’s sub-brand, Y-content, with an aim to deliver a range of fixed-price content solutions, including social media, copywriting and web services.
Beth added: “My role with Yasper feels like the natural next step in my career. From my initial chat with Julian, it was obvious we shared the same ethos in terms of what it means to deliver true value-driven comms for clients.
“Getting under the skin of clients’ businesses and truly understanding the sectors they work in is the key to producing high quality and impactful communications. As Yasper continues to grow, I’m excited for my role to evolve, I’m looking forward to working alongside the team at Umpf too.”
