Lincolnshire local a winner at Natwest Everywoman Awards
Hannah Dale, founder of Wrendale Designs, from Brigg, Lincolnshire has been announced as a winner at the 2021 NatWest Everywoman Awards.
The awards celebrated the UK’s most inspiring female entrepreneurs, recognising their outstanding achievements during one of the most challenging periods for businesses in living memory.
Bringing together some of the UK’s most successful business owners, the ceremony featured the stories of many extraordinary women who, against the odds, have brought business concepts to reality, creating jobs, opportunities and global brands.
This year’s winners span multiple sectors including food, fashion, drinks, health, beauty, energy, IT and service industries. All are united in one common purpose – to inspire future generations of entrepreneurs and to leave the world a better place than they found it.
Hannah is the winner in the Athena category, which is awarded to the most inspirational woman running a business trading from 6 to 9 years.
Hannah had a successful City career until the financial crash of 2008 left her facing redundancy. Returning to contemplate her options at the family farm, she revived her hobby of painting animals and country scenes.
She initially developed a small range of greetings cards and took to local gift shops to gauge interest. The response was encouraging and persuaded Hannah to expand into giftware and homeware.
From a standing start 10 years ago, Hannah has built Wrendale into an international brand turning over £8 million annually and providing jobs for over 60 employees. Covid threatened to derail the business given its wholesale model, but by supporting her retailers with strong content and digital assets, she helped them to pivot their businesses online and sales rebounded with popular lines including a motivational quote box, journals and notelets.
Speaking about the winners, Maxine Benson MBE, co-founder at everywoman, said: “For nearly two decades these awards have provided a platform to share the stories of hundreds of entrepreneurs, encouraging, emboldening and empowering other women to follow suit.
“Against a backdrop of Covid, these women have shown how innovation and enterprise have helped their businesses to thrive under extraordinary trading conditions. We hope their experiences will go onto inspire others and provide the motivation and inspiration that will be the backbone of the UK’s economic recovery.”
Boost Drinks appoints sales director following milestone year
Leading functional drinks brand, Boost Drinks, has expanded its senior team with the appointment of Sales Director, Colin Falconer, to lead the business through the next stage in its journey.
Falconer will begin his new role on 4th January 2022 and brings with him a wealth of sales and leadership experience across multiple channels from his time at Mars, 2 Sisters and most notably Britvic Soft Drinks.
In his 15 years at Britvic, Falconer’s role included Convenience Channel Director and his invaluable industry knowledge and relationships coupled with his passion, ambition and strategic skills make him the ideal person to join the Boost leadership team to drive forward its growth plans.
Boost celebrated its 20th anniversary during 2021, and the appointment of Falconer comes at a pivotal moment in the company’s history. The business has plans to further expand its distribution within the UK and Irish convenience and foodservice channels with its growing functional drinks portfolio as well as building its international footprint in overseas markets.
Founder and CEO, Simon Gray, said: “Boost has always been exciting and ambitious, and with our recent partnership to distribute Rio, the successful launch of our coffee and the changing customer landscape ahead of us, we feel that this is a great moment for Colin to come on board.
“We’re looking forward to Colin joining at a significant moment in our business history and see him as a key catalyst in our future success.
Falconer commented: “I’ve long admired the Boost Drinks story and approach, and in particular, the strong relationships they’ve built with the wholesale trade and convenience retailers as well as the growing consumer engagement in recent years
“I have a huge passion for soft drinks and am thrilled to be joining Boost at a time of significant opportunity, and really look forward to being part of the leadership team and working with the full business to take full advantage of all the exciting opportunities open to us”.
Council leader welcomes Government announcement for £1bn fund to support hospitality sector
A new £1bn fund to help hospitality businesses through tough trading conditions has been announced by Government.
North Lincolnshire Council’s leader Rob Waltham has welcomed the measures, announced by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak MP, which will see businesses access up to £6,000.
Cllr Waltham said: “There are many positive things happening across the economy in North Lincolnshire with a record number of jobs being created.
“However, we do understand there are some sectors which face additional challenges and pressures not least because of the impact of Covid-19. This has been recognised nationally and I welcome this latest intervention to support businesses through difficult trading.
“We have had more than £200m from Government through the pandemic and that support continues now.”
Sunak set out measures to help England’s hospitality sector, unveiling the £1bn fund which will include cash grants of up to £6,000 per premises for each eligible firm.
Additional support will be made available for certain firms with the cost of sick pay for Covid-related absences and an extra £30m will be released to help theatres and museums.
Further details for how business can apply will be released in the coming days.
The cash has been welcomed elsewhere too. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality, told the BBC her organisation welcomed the “unprecedented support” announced by Mr Sunak.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak said: “We recognise that the spread of the Omicron variant means businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors are facing huge uncertainty, at a crucial time.
“So, we’re stepping in with £1 billion of support, including a new grant scheme, the reintroduction of the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme and further funding released through the Culture Recovery Fund.
“Ultimately the best thing we can do to support businesses is to get the virus under control, so I urge everyone to Get Boosted Now.”
Further details are available here
Over 180 new homes in 2021
North Lincolnshire housing provider Ongo has built a total of 78 homes across the region for affordable rent, shared ownership, rent to buy and outright sale this year, along with acquiring 111 properties in Lincoln.
This is part of their plan to increase our housing stock each year, to support ending the national housing crisis and create safe and thriving communities.
Myos House, Ongo’s dementia care scheme, was just one of the developments completing this year. It’s made up of 25 two-bedroom apartments and specially designed communal spaces for residents to socialise and relax.
Sharon Ross, a family member whose parent lives there said: “I think this a fantastic, lovely and peaceful place Ongo has created.
“It’s going to help families as those with dementia will be able to experience activities, mix with others and have people who they can relate to. The research Ongo has done is fantastic and they have made the scheme look beautiful.”
A further 19 two, three and four-bedroom homes handed over on Froddingham Road in Scunthorpe for affordable rent. They are located in Scunthorpe’s town centre so are close to shops, schools, travel links and amenities.
Daniel Richardson moved into his new home with partner Sarah and their nine-month old daughter in May. When asked about his new home he said: “It’s a great opportunity for us – not only is it spacious and has a nice garden to sit and play in, but it’s very close to where I work and we have family support nearby.
“It didn’t take us long to settle in, it’s absolutely fantastic being here and having caring neighbours has been a big plus point.”
Completing were also six homes for sale in Corringham, two homes at Rochdale Mews for rent to buy and one at Orangeleaf Way, Barton upon Humber for shared ownership.
Further sites included nine homes at Maple Close, Kirton in Lindsey, eight homes at Sycamore Court, Scunthorpe, six homes at Northolme View, Gainsborough, one at Wilson’s Close, and one at Cottage Beck Road, Scunthorpe. All were for affordable rent.
Along with building, in September this yea,r Ongo announced our purchase of 111 homes on an estate in the centre of Lincoln, to join their affordable rent, shared ownership and leaseholder tenants.
Martin Phillips, Development Project Manager here at Ongo said: “Over 180 new homes is just fantastic. That’s 180 families that have a safe and lovely place to live, so I couldn’t be prouder of all we have achieved this year.
“Of course our aim is to build hundreds of homes each year, so we can’t wait for some more great developments to be handed over the next 12 months. These will include more around Scunthorpe, Gainsborough and Doncaster too.”
To find out more about Ongo’s homes and new developments, visit www.ongo.co.uk
Audience Collective bolsters digital offering with acquisition of Boxharry
Audience Collective, the insight-driven group of specialist agencies, which has headquarters in Leeds, has acquired digital transformation agency, Boxharry to meet increasing client demand.
Boxharry designs, builds, upgrades and supports tech platforms to unleash the potential of existing digital infrastructures.
The Brighton-based digital specialist is the eighth independent agency to join the UK collective, which now includes over 190 experts across the UK and Ireland – from PR and content specialist, The Lucre Group, to brand communications agency, Ponderosa, as well as media strategy specialist Crunch, and market research and insight agency, Spark.
Steve Henry, group CEO at The Audience Collective, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Boxharry into Audience Collective. As we continue to expand our breadth of knowledge and expertise, their talented teams’ capabilities allow us to dive deeper into the digital transformation world, which is an area of great challenge for all businesses within the UK at present. Audience Collective is going from strength to strength and this year we have set the foundations for an incredibly exciting 2022.”
Simon Brooks, Managing Director at Boxharry, added: “For almost 20 years we have been creating digital products by hand, using the latest technology for clients all around the world. Our ethos of creating products with the utmost precision and care has allowed us to develop an outstanding portfolio of clients around the world – including The AA, Carers UK and LeasePlan.
“Joining Audience Collective will allow us to further expand our client base and gain support from other teams in the Collective. We are so excited to be onboard and take the next step in our future.”
Richard Midgley, group strategy director at The Audience Collective, stated: “The addition of Boxharry is a strategic acquisition; the agency’s expertise really strengthens Audience Collective’s specialisms. Their .Net development deepens our capabilities in the areas of systems integration and implementation of CRM systems such as Salesforce, HubSpot and Dimensions, which will be beneficial for both the Collective and our clients. Many businesses are interested in integrating their technology platforms, so Boxharry will be an integral component in Audience Collective’s future success.”
Mid Yorkshire Chamber welcomes hospitality support measures as Omicron surges
The Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce welcomes today’s announcements of a £1 billion support package for the hospitality and leisure industry, as Covid-19 cases continue to surge.
In recent weeks, reports of cancellations across hospitality and leisure firms were rife, leading many to worry that no action was being taken to support these struggling businesses.
Martin Hathaway, managing director of the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “I am pleased with today’s announcement of further support for these industries, which are some of the hardest hit by the various measures that have been in place throughout the pandemic.
“The festive season is often the most profitable for these businesses, and will sustain many throughout the year.
“But, with reports of increased cancellations following 18 months of struggles, we were growing concerned that nothing was being done by Government.
“While many customers may see cancelling a booking as a small measure they can take to limit their contact and reduce the risk of exposure to the virus, to a business this is digging them further into a hole that they may not be able to get out of.
“I completely understand the call for the public to follow Government advice and, to protect themselves as best they can, however, I am a firm believer that the Government’s available support for businesses should go hand in hand with the advice they are giving to the general public.
“We must remember that these firms are still trying to recover from the initial Covid lockdowns, and that some have only recently been able to reopen.”
The Chancellor today announced £1 billion of new support for business, including up to £6,000 in grants for hospitality and leisure businesses, the reintroduction of the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme, as well as further funding available via the Culture Recovery Fund.
YFM makes £8m follow-on investment in DSP-Explorer
One of the UK’s largest independent Oracle partners, DSP-Explorer, a database and cloud managed services provider, has received an additional £8m of investment from YFM Equity Partners (YFM). The investment, made by the YFM-managed YFM Equity Partners Buyout II LP fund, will enable the business to continue its organic and acquisitive growth plans.
With offices in Leeds, London, Nottingham and Basingstoke, DSP-Explorer was founded in 1999 and has grown turnover to £23m, employing nearly 100 people nationally. With an established reputation as a trusted technology partner and Oracle expert, DSP-Explorer now boasts multi-cloud cloud capabilities as a Microsoft Gold Partner and Google Cloud Partner.
YFM’s investment in DSP-Explorer will give the business further firepower to acquire complementary businesses, having successfully acquired Explorer UK in July 2020, a leading Oracle database consultancy and development partner.
Since Leeds-headquartered YFM backed the management buyout of the business in 2018, led by Simon Goodenough, revenues and profits have both grown by over 300%, with a growing recurring revenue base and strong demand from enterprise customers.
Simon Goodenough, CEO of DSP-Explorer, said: “We have seen consistently strong growth since YFM’s initial investment, with their funding enabling us to take advantage of market opportunities as well as us benefitting from the team’s strategic insight. Together, we have developed an ambitious plan to scale the business, both in the UK and abroad, through both organic and acquisitive growth, as the sector continues to expand post-pandemic.
“This latest support is a further demonstration of YFM’s belief in our business and our potential – we are looking forward to embarking on the next phase of our growth plan, delivering on our Oracle Anywhere and Any Database, Any Cloud initiatives, with a supportive partner at our side.”
Roshan Puri, investment director at YFM, says: “DSP is a leader in its field and its acquisition of Explorer last year marked another key milestone with the creation of a combined group with the potential to dominate the UK enterprise database managed services sector.
“With its leading reputation and high quality team, DSP-Explorer will provide an attractive partner for complementary acquisitions and ambitious teams seeking to join a high growth multi-cloud managed services business. We are proud to be continuing our work alongside the team as they pursue their vision for the business.”
This latest investment in DSP is the second from YFM’s Buyout Fund II in recent weeks, following its backing of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software specialist Cooper Software in November.
The YFM investment team comprised Roshan Puri, Ben Pitt and Ian Waterfield. Corporate finance advice was provided by BDO; financial due diligence by Azets; legal advice by Gateley and Browne Jacobson; organisational review by Stratton HR; and tax advice by Claritas.
New eco-friendly housing development proposed for Knottingley
Plans to create an eco-friendly housing development and two new retail units on former industrial land in Knottingley have been welcomed by Wakefield Council.
The proposed scheme would see 175 energy efficient new homes built on a former quarry on cleaned up land that would also be redeveloped to include a large ecological area to encourage wildlife, with ponds to support eco diversity.
By using solar panels to generate electricity the scheme promises that homes would have a 20 per cent lower level of carbon emissions.
Others benefits include attracting investment and supporting regeneration in and around Knottingley as outlined in the new Knottingley & Ferrybridge masterplan.
The development, to be known as Jackson’s Landing after the former glass factory that was based there, will provide a large range of family homes.
The project is being supported by the Brownfield Housing Fund initiative and plans are being progressed through West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which has recently agreed for the project to move forward to the business case stage.
Cllr Darren Byford, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, Regeneration and Property, said: “We welcome this new initiative that would allow new energy efficient homes to be developed in Knottingley as this will support regeneration that will benefit residents, with the prospect of new jobs, and benefit both the local and wider district economy.”
The development is by Castleford-based Noble Homes and Chris Vause, Technical Manager, said: “As we celebrate our 60th year, we plan to provide 175 new homes in Knottingley and would like to thank the West Yorkshire Combined Authority for their assistance through the Brownfield Housing Fund process.”
Cllr Denise Jeffery, Chair of West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Place, Regeneration and Planning Committee, said: “This is great example of how the brownfield housing fund can support the development of eco-friendly projects.
“This is vitally important as we work together to tackle the climate emergency and provide more homes for a range of people. Both are part of the Mayor’s pledges to West Yorkshire.
“Work on Jackson’s Landing is likely to begin next year, and the development will also support the regeneration of the Knottingley and Ferrybridge area.”
Plans approved for rugby club’s major redevelopment
Ambitious plans for the redevelopment of Belle Vue stadium have been approved by Wakefield Council, delivering a brand new 2,507 seated capacity East Stand built to Super League standards and community facilities.
The plans for Wakefield Trinity R.L.F.C will also deliver a resurfaced pitch, upgraded floodlights, new meeting rooms, offices, a café and community use fitness facilities.
The planning application was prepared and submitted by Pegasus Group on behalf of Spirit of 1873 Ltd who own the ground. Pegasus Group provided planning, EIA and economic services, including Socio-Economics and Health Impact Assessments.
The approved plans will see the demolition of the existing east stand, and its replacement with a 2-storey stand which, as well as providing 2,507 seats, will include a range of new internal spaces for both club and community use.
The redeveloped stand will maintain the existing access arrangements from Doncaster Road.
Chris Calvert, from Pegasus Group, said: “We are absolutely delighted that the Council backed this ambitious vision for the future of Wakefield Trinity R.L.F.C and that we have secured planning permission on behalf of Spirit of 1873 Ltd.
“Achieving sustainable development requires the planning system to have three overriding objectives: an economic objective, a social objective, and an environmental objective.
“The proposed development is set to boast significant socio-economic benefits during both the construction and operational phases of the development. Wakefield Trinity R.L.F.C has been an incredibly important part of the community and its history and the proposed development deepens that sense of place and identity further.
“Importantly, it promotes well-being, both physical as well as mental health and this redevelopment will bring about the ability for increased participation in physical activity, either by inspiring some to become more active having followed elite sport, or to simply come and use the facilities that are proposed.”
The benefits generated by the scheme include:
- An estimated 100 on-site jobs supported during the construction phase, with a further 166 supported in the wider supply chain.
- An estimated contribution to economic output (gross value added) of £14million by the construction phase.
- Safeguarding 12 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs on-site, with an additional 2 permanent FTEs likely to be created once the Proposed Development is built and operational.
- Providing new facilities, including a sports pitch and gym, that can be accessed by local residents. Increasing physical participation in Wakefield is a major issue, with inactivity costing the District an estimated £6.4million per annum.
Cybersecurity specialist targets US market after seven-figure investment
A cybersecurity specialist that provides services for some of the UK’s biggest companies has raised a seven-figure sum from NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.
The funding will allow Talion to further expand its business in the UK and target new customers in the US.
Talion was launched by BAE Systems in 2012 to help protect the Olympic Games in London from ‘nation state’ cyber attacks. Originally known as Sy4 Security, it became a standalone business in April 2020 when industry veteran Mike Brown, the current CEO, and BAE Systems’ head of security Keven Knight, the COO, led a management buy-out.
The company now employs over 90 staff at its security operations centre in Leeds and its satellites in Farnborough and Kuala Lumpur. It is regarded as one of the UK’s leading managed security service providers (MSSPs) and has a blue-chip client base.
Talion offers a range of services including monitoring, triage, remediation and threat assessment vulnerability management. It has also pioneered an innovative ‘hybrid’ approach, which enables companies to retain greater control over their cybersecurity by having their in-house staff work alongside Talion experts within a shared ‘eco-system’.
The worldwide cost of cybercrime stood at over $1 trillion in 2020, equivalent to 1% of global GDP. With figures expected to reach $10 trillion in 2025, Talion is aiming to service increasing demand.
Mike Brown, CEO of Talion, says: “The financial cost of cybercrime is growing at an alarming rate – the bad guys are winning. Companies can no longer protect themselves using an individualistic approach. They need to become part of a cybersecurity ecosystem with the ethos of ‘Benefit one, benefit all’. Talion provides a platform to help companies build and manage their ecosystem. The funding will help to accelerate its growth and achieve our goals.”
Will Schaffer, Investment Director with Mercia, adds: “Talion’s experienced team puts the company in a strong position and its new hybrid approach will further differentiate it in the market. The business has gone from strength to strength since becoming independent at the start of the pandemic. This initial funding round will help build on its success and make inroads into the huge US market in line with its ambition to become a global player.”
