Dog food company expands with new 133,606 sq ft Doncaster facility
Tritax Symmetry has agreed a new 20-year lease on its newly developed 133,606 sq ft facility (unit three) at Symmetry Park, Doncaster to fresh dog food company, Butternut Box.
As part of the agreement, Tritax Symmetry has agreed to extend Butternut Box’s current lease on a 151,388 sq ft facility, unit one, by a further eight years to 20 years. The facilities will be used for the storage, fulfilment and distribution of Butternut Box’s fresh dog food and treats and follows the company’s recent announcement detailing its £280m investment from new and existing investors.
Butternut Box’s decision to take unit three marks the final letting at Symmetry Park Doncaster and comes after B&Q signed up to a 430,000 sq ft design and build facility (unit two) last March. A final 1.2-acre plot available is for sale / to let.
Joseph Skinner, associate development director at Tritax Symmetry, said: “As an existing Tritax customer, we are pleased to further develop our relationship with Butternut Box and support its ongoing growth. Symmetry Park has quickly established itself a major employment location, creating high quality new roles for the local area and we’d like to thank both our customers and the Council for working closely with us from start to finish.”
David Nolan at Butternut Box continued: “In 2020, we took the bold decision to move our entire operation in-house with the option of committing to future expansion. We’re excited to now be in a position to exercise that option. The 20-year lease and the regearing of the lease on our existing building demonstrates the confidence we have in Symmetry Park Doncaster as the best location for our business.”
Leeds accountancy practice merges with Derbyshire company
Leeds-based Chartered Certified Accountants D’Arcy Howard & Co has merged with North Derbyshire company SMH BCL Accountants.
The move is said to be a strategic partnership reflecting a shared vision to enhance client services, expand business development opportunities, and ensure sustained growth for the future.
The merger has resulted in the formation of a new entity called SMH D’Arcy Howard & Co Limited. The integration of the two firms brings together a wealth of expertise and resources to offer an extensive range of services from the newly consolidated office.
Stacey Pocklington, Partner and Director of SMH BCL Accountants, adds: “We are thrilled to welcome D’Arcy Howard into the SMH family. By combining our strengths and expertise, we are better positioned to deliver a seamless service to our valued clients.”
Yorkshire distillery wins third-party accreditation for the way it does business
Yorkshire’s Ellers Farm Distillery has been awarded B Corp Certification for its work to establish itself as part of an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy.
The B Corp verification process, administered by the nonprofit B Lab, measures a company’s social and environmental performance, and to become a Certified B Corporation, Ellers Farm Distillery has undergone a rigorous review of the impact of its operations and business model on its workers, customers, communities and environment.
Based outside Stamford Bridge in North Yorkshire, Ellers Farm Distillery has been carbon neutral since day one and produces a range of spirits.
It has implemented a number of actions, with the intention of increasing its positive impact on the environment, employees and local community:
It has:- created a unique profit sharemodel by which 20% of the company’s profits will be distributed to employees. This avoids the complications of employee shareholder models while ensuring a portion of the wealth created by the business is distributed to those who work for the business.
- supported the planting of 5,000 trees in conjunction with Ecologi.
- planted 2.5 acres of apple trees in the adjacent fields. These trees not only remove carbon from the atmosphere as they grow, but create a biodiverse habitat that benefits local pollinators, birds, and mammals.
Tabatha Hurst, Head of Sustainability at Ellers Farm Distillery, said: “This has always been a goal for Ellers Farm Distillery and we’re thrilled that just two years into our journey we’re now a Certified B Corp. Becoming a fully-fledged part of the global community of B Corps is an honour and we see this as a statement of intent for our business to continually improve our impacts on our employees, community, environment and supply chain.”
Chris Fraser, Founder & Chairman at Ellers Farm Distillery, added: “I’m so proud of the team here at Ellers Farm Distillery for this great achievement in becoming a Certified B Corp so early in our journey as a business. Since the beginning our whole team has been focused on balancing people, planet and profit. Becoming a Certified B Corp is a great endorsement of the work we have already done but it also helps us identify areas that we can focus on to continue to improve.”
Business-led groups get £2million to revitalise areas of Sheffield
Business-led community groups will deliver new event spaces, improved shopfronts and street art thanks to £2million of investment into neighbourhoods by Sheffield City Council.
The funding will support local high streets and improve public spaces areas to create vibrant, thriving neighbourhoods. Across Sheffield, 23 projects will benefit from investment from the Economic Recovery Fund, which was developed as part of Sheffield’s Covid Business Recovery Plan and has already invested £2.2m into the city’s high streets since 2021.
Funding has been approved for projects including a new short-term event space on Northern Avenue, Arbourthorne, which will host events, workshops and drop-in sessions for local residents and businesses; a new community orchard in Crookes, and new heritage trails and events in Ecclesfield. In other areas, new bins, benches, murals and improved shop fronts will help brighten up high streets, encourage people to shop local and provide spaces for the local community to meet and socialise.
Councillor Martin Smith, Chair of the Economic Development and Skills Committee, said: “It is fantastic to invest more money into our local communities and to hand over funding to groups who know their areas best and can deliver improvements to benefit local residents.
“More than half of these projects are in Sheffield’s most deprived areas and I am proud that we are awarding funding to those areas that need it most. We have seen some creative and ambitious projects, including tree planting in Firth Park, a herb garden and street art in Westfield, and a programme of events for Christmas, Eid and Lunar New Year for London Road.
“As a member of the steering group for the Economic Recovery Fund, it has been brilliant to see the passion, commitment and enthusiasm of business and community groups who are determined to create thriving high streets which residents can be proud of. I am looking forward to supporting these groups as they deliver their projects, and seeing the finished results.”
Councillor Zahira Naz, Chair of the Finance Committee, said: “Investment from the Economic Recovery Fund will provide a much needed boost for local high streets still feeling the impact of the pandemic.
“By improving how neighbourhoods look, funding events and attractions, and supporting initiatives to encourage people to shop local, we’re helping to attract visitors, generate community pride and improve business confidence. I’m looking forward to seeing the positive impact these 23 projects have on their local area.”
On London Road, the team will create a new collective identity for the area with new banners, planters and a mural for the Alderson Road car park. They’ll also bring people together with a programme of events for Eid, Christmas and Lunar New Year.
Abdullah Khalid, who owns a business on London Road, said: “This is a really exciting time for our group. We’re planning a variety of activities to make London Road cleaner and safer for residents and businesses.
“This includes a borrow bank of equipment to keep the area tidy; multicultural events bringing the community together; improvements to the car park and shop fronts, to uplift the area; and creating a brand for London Road.
“We expect to deliver a more attractive and welcoming environment, and tackle antisocial behaviour. We want more people to use their local area and businesses, and celebrate the unique diverse community we have on London Road.”
In Greenhill, money from the Economic Recovery Fund will be used to plant new greenery to enhance the central area of Greenhill and a promotional campaign encouraging people to shop local.
Cheers! Government extends takeaway pints rule for almost two years
Relaxed licensing regulations that allow pubs, restaurants and bars to sell takeaway pints without red tape holding them back have been extended to March 2025.
Al fresco drinking, first introduced widely during the pandemic, has allowed the public to support their local pubs and business by having the choice to take away their drinks, providing a boost to local businesses and bringing in extra revenue.
Under the relaxed regulations, which were due to expire in September and have been extended in Parliament this week, any site permitted to sell alcohol on their premises can sell for off-site consumption too, without the hassle of applying for a new licence. Premises will also be able to continue to serve alcohol in the area covered by any pavement licence that they have.
The extension, which will run for a further 18 months, is part of the government’s commitment to supporting the hospitality sector in taking every opportunity to recover fully from the impact of the pandemic as we grow the economy. It follows the Brexit Pubs Guarantee announced in the Chancellor’s Spring Budget that secured the pledge that pubs will always pay less alcohol duty on drinks poured from draught, such as pints of beer and cider, than supermarkets going forwards.
Policing Minister Chris Philp said: “It is vital that we do everything we can to support British pubs. They are a cornerstone of every community, and a beating heart in our growing economy.
“The hospitality industry has faced a tough couple of years, and by relaxing this red tape we will give our pubs and bars the support they need to thrive.”
Before these provisions were introduced during the pandemic, licensing regulations meant that pubs with an on-site license would have to go through an additional process to amend their licence if they wanted to serve alcohol for off-site consumption, taking time, paperwork and costing them money. Under the relaxed rules, any premises licence allows takeaway pints as standard. This extension will alleviate uncertainty over the status of off-sales for those premises affected and allow for long-term business planning. The government’s ultimate goal is to create a unified pavement licence that includes licensing consent for the consumption and sale of alcohol in the outside pavement area. During this 18-month period of the temporary extension to the off-sales provision, the government will work to make this a reality. The government will continue to look at a permanent solution that will best support local pubs and bars by continuing the close work with industry and local authorities. The extension has been made through amendments to the Licensing Act 2003 and applies to both England and Wales.Our region gets £90million from Government loan scheme
Yorkshire and Humber firms have so far received the second-largest payout share of Government-backed Start-Up loans, with almost £90million awarded.
Delivered through the state-owned British Business Bank, the Start Up Loan scheme was developed and launched by the government in 2012 to help new and early-stage UK businesses without sufficient personal funds or support from friends and family to access affordable finance and mentoring support.
Through this combined access to finance and expert advice, more small businesses can develop and reach their potential, delivering economic growth and a boost to local communities.
Small Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake said: “We’re delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy and make the UK the best place in the world to start and scale up a business.
“Across all four nations and every region of the UK, we’ve supported exciting entrepreneurs through one billion pounds of government backed loans, and I want to see even more innovators reach their potential.”
The scheme has been particularly successful in supporting entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds, creating a level playing field for all who wish to run their own small business in the UK.
Last year, the scheme was expanded to provide finance to eligible businesses operating for up to five years to support their growth.
Of the £1 billion, £371 million (40%) has been lent to female business owners and £201 million (20%) has been lent to people from Black, Asian and Other Ethnic Minority backgrounds.
The scheme has also been successful at championing young entrepreneurship, with young people between 18-24 years old having received £106 million (11%) of loans since the programme began.
Start Up Loans have been issued to businesses in every UK parliamentary constituency. The majority of loans have also been issued to businesses outside of London and the South East, ensuring that businesses across the UK are able to scale up and grow.
Leeds chosen to host UK Corporate Games
Leeds is set to take its place in the national sporting spotlight once again after being confirmed as the host city for the UK Corporate Games 2024.
The event is the country’s largest multi-sport festival for businesses, with thousands of competitors from hundreds of companies coming together in a different city each year to network and build team spirit as they go for glory at everything from karting and golf to tennis and dragon boat racing.
And today organisers announced the success of a joint bid by Leeds City Council and the University of Leeds to host the Games in 2024.
Running from July 25 to 28, the event will be held at a range of venues across the city, including the John Charles Centre for Sport, Sports Park Weetwood and the Brownlee Centre.
The Games, it is hoped, will further strengthen the reputation of Leeds as a sporting heavyweight, with the city in recent times hosting high-profile occasions such as the AJ Bell World Triathlon Championship Series and the Westfield Health British Transplant Games as well as a number of fixtures at last year’s Rugby League World Cup.
Today’s announcement also comes as the LEEDS 2023 year of culture continues to burnish the city’s credentials as a place that can confidently deliver innovative, large-scale events which capture the public imagination and create magical lifelong memories.
Next summer’s Games are expected to generate more than £2m for the local economy and will showcase Leeds to visiting business people as an attractive option if their company is considering relocation or expansion.
Working alongside both the organisers and the university, the council will also use the insight it has gained from staging previous big events to produce a sustainability strategy designed to make these the most eco-friendly Games yet.
Doug White, director of the UK Corporate Games, said: “We are delighted to announce that the city of Leeds will host the 2024 UK Corporate Games. We’re extremely excited to work closely with Leeds City Council and the University of Leeds to make this the best UK Corporate Games ever.
“Leeds is a fantastic city, and we know all our Games competitors and competing organisations will share our excitement. Leeds is one of the UK’s foremost cities for growing enterprises and we want to provide all businesses with the opportunity to get involved in this memorable event.
“The Games bring people and companies together from across the UK and Europe and provide businesses and their employees with an opportunity to team build, promote health and wellbeing through sport and network as well as promote their brand.”
Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, culture and education, said: “We’re delighted that Leeds has been chosen as the host city for the UK Corporate Games 2024. It’s a real feather in our cap, so thank you to the organisers for bringing it here and well done to all those from the council and the university who worked on the bid.
“I’m sure the event will be a great example of how sport can unite people and inspire them to reach their goals through determination, positivity and teamwork.
“It will also be a perfect opportunity to showcase Leeds’s strengths as both a passionate sporting city and a brilliant place to do business.
“Everyone involved can look forward to a typically warm Leeds welcome – roll on next summer and the start of the action!”
Rob Wadsworth, director of campus innovation at the University of Leeds, said: “We’re delighted to be chosen as the hub for this fantastic city-wide festival that will bring people together from across the UK and Europe. Under the expert eye of our conferences and events team and supported by a range of services from across the university, I am confident we’ll help create one of the most memorable UK Corporate Games yet.
“Thanks to our unrivalled sports facilities, we are well versed at hosting prestigious sporting events including the Rugby League World Cup and the British Transplant Games. We look forward to working with partners across the city to add another respected event to this list with the UK Corporate Games!”
Plans submitted to deliver £6m Community, Arts, Heritage and Future Technology Centre in heart of Saltaire
Plans have been submitted to deliver a circa £6m new Community, Arts, Heritage and Future Technology Centre in the heart of Saltaire.
The new centre, which is being funded by the Shipley Towns Fund, will benefit both local people and visitors, and is being delivered by Shipley College and the Saltaire Collection.
The building, which will be located at the corner of Victoria Road and Caroline Street on land provided for the scheme by Bradford Council, will provide additional classroom and administration space to support the curriculum of Shipley College, for technology-based teaching and learning.
It will also become the new home for the Saltaire Collection – a large collection of historic artefacts and documents. There will be a public exhibition space, and community classroom to enable people to learn more about the history of Saltaire.
Alongside five modern new classrooms, the current proposals include a civic garden to the front of the building and a publicly-accessible rooftop exhibition garden – intended to be open during the daytime.
Jo Lintonbon, architect at 3xa Design, based in Saltaire, said: “The new building reinstates a civic function where Saltaire’s now demolished Sunday School’s building once stood. It has been designed to complement the sensitive historic context of Saltaire without harming the heritage attributes that make up the World Heritage Site’s outstanding universal value.
“It will add to the ensemble of civic buildings and spaces on Victoria Road and create a welcoming and accessible exhibition pavilion and gardens. The design has been developed to retain key views to Salts Mill and most of the new accommodation is set below street level around a sunken courtyard.”
Adam Clerkin, chairman of the Shipley Towns Fund, said: “This new building has been carefully designed to sit contextually within the World Heritage Site, enhancing the public’s enjoyment and appreciation of it.”
The design and development ran alongside public engagement and consultation, as well as guidance from the Council’s planning authority and Historic England, to ensure the plans protect the Outstanding Universal Value of Saltaire.
Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council, said: “The Council has supported the project in terms of planning and transferring the land. This is a once in a generation opportunity to enhance Saltaire for the future. It is important it is done to an extremely high standard and in a sensitive way which respects the history of this very special place, and I believe the plans show that.”
Diana Bird, principal at Shipley College, explained: “The new building will provide modern teaching facilities to teach local people in-demand technological skills. It will create new public green spaces, and a permanent storage and exhibition space to tell the story of Saltaire to visitors – something that our village does not currently have.”
Maggie Smith, trustee of the Saltaire Collection, said: “Our collection provides a unique insight into the lives of Saltaire residents and workers since its foundation in 1853, covering the many dramas and changes from the village’s early days until today. We are so excited that, after many years of commitment from our marvellous volunteers and researchers, we will soon be able to share these stories with everyone.”
The current proposals also include new modern public toilets and changing facilities, which were a core requirement of Shipley Town Council, one of the project stakeholders.
National business advisory firm acquires Sheffield business in £4.8m deal
FRP Advisory Group, a national specialist business advisory firm, has acquired Wilson Field Group for a consideration of £4.8 million.
This comprises cash of £3.1 million and the issue of new ordinary shares with a value of £1.7 million, plus a subsequent payment for the net assets acquired on completion.
The Wilson Field Group is based in Sheffield and comprises the operating businesses of Wilson Field Ltd and Wilson Field Financial Services Ltd, providing restructuring advisory and debt advisory services.
The business provides services to clients both locally and nationwide, supported by the Wilson Field website and operational platform, which FRP intends to retain within the Group. Two of the firm’s directors, Nick Wilson and Kelly Burton will join FRP as partners. The rest of the Wilson Field team will also join FRP, including 61 colleagues.
For the year to 31 August 2022, Wilson Field’s consolidated unaudited revenues were £5.3 million and unaudited reported EBITDA was £0.7 million. On an annual basis going forward it is expected that Wilson Field’s underlying incremental contribution to FRP will be revenue of £5.6 million and adjusted EBITDA of £1.1 million.
FRP’s strategy is to generate sustainable profitable growth by combining a focus on organic growth with acquisitions that meet the group’s selective criteria. This approach enables the group to increase market share, broaden the service offering to clients and expand the geographical footprint. The acquisition is the group’s seventh since IPO in March 2020.
Geoff Rowley, CEO of FRP Advisory, said: “Wilson Field is a great business that supports our growth strategy, with a highly complementary digital platform and on-the-ground presence in South Yorkshire.
“We expect to deepen referral relationships in Sheffield, with the team going to market locally as FRP. We are pleased to welcome Kelly, Nick and the team to the group and look forward to working together. They share our values and I have no doubt will make a strong contribution to FRP, as we continue to grow.”
Nick Wilson, founder of Wilson Field, said: “We’re excited to be joining FRP. The move will create opportunities and enable us to extend the range of services we can offer to our clients. We are culturally aligned and look forward to accelerating our growth as part of the FRP Advisory Group.”
Taking its lead from Harry Potter – Lincolnshire IT business celebrates 21st anniversary
A Lincolnshire IT business – which started life in a understairs cupboard – is celebrating its 21st anniversary.
LCS IT Solutions has grown from a one-man band to a business employing 10 people – and it continues to focus heavily on future expansion.
Today the busy specialist, whose staff work on a hybrid basis, is based in professional premises in Washingborough from where it services micro enterprises, SMEs of all sizes and also supports a range of schools.
Celebrating its achievements, Managing Director Anthony Bryant said: “Thinking back, the business had a rather Harry Potter-esque start in life, but our brand of magic must have worked, when I stop and realise where we have got to today!”
After being made redundant in July 2002, Anthony and his wife Claire headed down to the pub, then camped out overnight, whilst mulling over their next move.
That September Anthony, a former IT manager with a large muti-national company, immediately started work on creating the LCS brand from scratch despite never having had any experience in brand creation.
In 2006, the fledgling venture switched up a gear. Anthony moved his business into a spare bedroom and Claire joined him to help with the rising number of accounts. It was a busy time all round as this tied in with the arrival of their first son, Louie. His brother Charlie was born two years later.
By 2012, with the arrival of surprise son number three, Ted, the Bryant family had run out of bedrooms! LCS IT had also grown to employ four people, so it was time to find a new home for the business and they rented a little office nearby, in Washingborough.
By 2015, further success led the firm to relocate to its current home in the village. Claire said that the fact that it is straight opposite the local pub is “pure coincidence!” That milestone also saw the couple tweak their business’s name to LCS IT Solutions, to reflect its growing range of services.
2020 turned out to be a memorable year for every company as Covid breezed in and acted as a major disruptor. In common with others, LCS IT Solutions examined the way in which it was working and took action to ensure it could continue supporting and delivering to clients during what ran into several lockdowns.
“We responded by getting all of our clients up and running from home – and that entailed working with over 1,000 users. Sadly, our own team members were also forced to work remotely for the best part of the year,” said Anthony.
“In line with the way in which hundreds of companies are still working today, we organised two Teams meetings each day to catch-up with everyone and keep our staff fully in the loop about the latest developments,” said Claire.
“We are still doing that today and, depending on the individual needs of individual staff, hybrid working continues to be the way forward.”
LCS IT’s core services include IT support, project management, consultancy, Cyber Security and managed telephone services.
“The technological developments since we started out are massive. The largest growing area is Cyber Crime, but we are proud to be Cyber Essentials Accredited,” said Claire.
“We’ve been building a close working relationship with the police and the East Midlands Cyber Crime Unit who were our partners in an educational event we ran for clients earlier this year.
“We are keen to keep educating our clients, which is why we constantly create new resource they can use to educate their staff in ways to help safeguard against hacking attempts.”
