Siemens Mobility gives £5,000 to Goole community pantry
Siemens Mobility is supporting Goole’s Two Rivers Community Pantry for the fourth consecutive year, donating £5,000.
This donation will enable the food bank to provide a range of festive items, including chocolate tubs, biscuits, toys, chocolate selection boxes, and Christmas crackers. This year, Siemens Mobility added to their annual donation by supplying tickets for children and families to attend a Christmas show of Hansel and Gretel at the The Junction theatre.
Natalie Thornton, Operations Support Manager for Siemens Mobility in Goole, said: “Once again, we have enjoyed volunteering at Two Rivers Community Pantry. The day spent clearing space for the donations to come, provided a fantastic team building opportunity for the 28 new starters who joined team Goole last month.
“I am proud to see the great number of toy and food donations the team have made. We hope our contributions can make a difference this Christmas.”
By contributing to the local foodbank, Siemens Mobility aims to make a difference in the lives of families who are struggling during the holiday season. Many children and families miss out on activities like attending a Christmas show due to the cost-of-living crisis. Therefore, Siemens Mobility’s donation of tickets will allow families to experience the local arts and have a wonderful evening of festive fun. Each family will receive a voucher to attend a showing of their choice, ensuring that they can enjoy this special treat according to their own preferences.
City council works with Courtside CIC to develop multi-activity hub
Plans have been submitted to build a new Multi-Activity Hub in Sheffield’s Hillsborough Park, which will include all new tennis courts, a multi-use games area, mini golf, a new café and more.
Sheffield City Council say the aim of the new hub is to create a high-quality facility nestled in green space, that will help people to be more physically and socially active in their local area.
They have enlisted the help of partner Courtside CIC – which is dedicated to increasing physical activity through the transformation of local parks – to create the activity hub. They will be bringing additional investment that will allow for the redevelopment of the tennis courts and multi-use games area.
Isobel Wells, Contract Manager at Courtside CIC, said: “It’s a very exciting time for Hillsborough and Sheffield as we submit plans for the development of our multi-activity hub in Hillsborough Park.
“This new facility will serve as a base for connecting the community. We look forward to creating a space that will bring people together and encourage them to be active, as well as protecting Hillsborough Park’s heritage as a place of rest and recreation for future generations.”
Hillsborough Park has been identified as the most suitable location in the city for the new hub, due to its popularity as a destination park and its excellent transport and access links.
In addition, the Council says the park’s existing multi-use games area is in need of investment to ensure it remains fit for park visitors to use.
High-tech manufacturing to come to the heart of Brighouse in 2024
After 18 months of planning, high-tech manufacturing through Industry 4.0 will come to the heart of Brighouse in 2024 with the launch of the i4.0 Hub, where small and medium sized businesses can explore how digital technology can improve their productivity and increase innovation.
The project is part of the £19.1 million Brighouse Town Deal, funded by UK Government and led by Calderdale Council and the Brighouse Town Deal Board.
£650,000 of this investment has been allocated to the Industry 4.0 project which is being delivered by Calderdale College who are developing the Hub at The Engineering Centre at Kirkdale House on the Armytage Road Industrial Estate.
The i4.0 Hub will be officially launched in the new year when the high-tech equipment, which will focus on augmented reality, advanced manufacturing and robotics, will be showcased to the town’s businesses and opportunities where they can benefit will be set out.
The centre will have capacity for 70 apprenticeships to be delivered as part of the project, and a range of new short training programmes designed to help employers upskill their current workforce will be offered.
The i4.0 Hub is just one of the Brighouse Deal projects, powered by Levelling Up, which aims to transform Brighouse, making it a more attractive place to live, work and visit.
The Brighouse Deal is a joint project between the town’s private and voluntary sector, community and residents’ groups, Calderdale Council and Calderdale College. Other Brighouse Deal projects include developing public areas of the town centre and a brand new market building.
David Malone, principal and chief executive at Calderdale College, said: “We’re delighted to see the i4.0 Hub reach the final stages of completion, after working with local partners to create a centre that will prepare the future engineering workforce for their career.
“This new innovative facility will transform the way apprentices and employees in this industry train, digitalising our curriculum to open up the wide range of career options.”
David Whitehead, co-chair of the Brighouse Town Deal Board and managing director of Brighouse-based specialist textile finishers H & C Whitehead, said: “Brighouse has a proud and strong manufacturing heritage, so it is exciting to see a key part of the Deal ensuring it has an equally proud and strong future in the town, with a particular focus on the small and growing businesses who are the engine room of our economy.
“By funding training for young people, and providing facilities for growth, sharing skills and collaboration across Brighouse, there will be more opportunities available making our town an even more attractive place to work, stay and progress. I am excited to see the potential it can unlock.”
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Towns, Tourism and Voluntary Sector, Cllr Sarah Courtney, said: “As the first of the Brighouse Deal projects to reach completion, the i4.0 hub will be a catalyst for investment and employment opportunities in the area, supporting our ambitions for thriving towns and reducing inequalities.
“This state-of-the-art centre will offer the latest technology and equipment to support the growth of digital and manufacturing skills, benefitting existing local businesses and individuals through the planned apprenticeship programme.”
2024 Business Predictions: Barry Jackson, investor and head of BGF in Yorkshire and the North East
It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.
It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.
Here we speak to Barry Jackson, investor and head of BGF in Yorkshire and the North East.
As 2023 has demonstrated, despite the subdued nature of the market, there are still high quality deals to be done, with BGF investing in seven new Yorkshire and North East companies throughout the year.
This comes from having a confidence in the prospects of the growth economy and supporting dynamic, innovative and exciting businesses to achieve their full potential and deliver consistent returns for shareholders.
Given the level of activity we have seen in the region in 2023 – with deal volumes generally remaining relatively steady, particularly in the smaller end of the market – we are positive about the M&A market in 2024.
There are clearly a number of deciding factors still at play that will influence activity in the coming months, but we are hopeful that lowering inflation and stable interest rates will help to ease challenges and concerns.
While deal values dropped significantly in the region between Q3 2022 and Q3 2023, where there is scarcity of good deals, you tend to see a lot of competition for those businesses with best-in-class assets that still command premium prices. As such, this will impact the broader market and everybody will have to work harder to get deals done.
Greener ship makes first call at Port of Hull
A greener kind of ship has made its maiden call at the King George Dock in the Port of Hull.
The general cargo carrier Vertom Joy, build earlier this year, has a state-of-the-art diesel electric propulsion system including a battery bank.
Operating on the Europe Caribbean Line monthly service managed by Vertraco Shipping, she is being handled by Global Shipping, and will travel between Belgium, the UK, Guyana, Surinam, Trinidad & Tobago, and Venezuela.
Simon Bird, Regional Director for ABP in the Humber said: “We are delighted to welcome Vertom Joy to our port of Hull on her maiden voyage. It’s great to see new vessels come in and see how connected the Humber is globally. The Humber ports are a popular choice for those looking to import and export across the UK, and beyond.”
Peter Waud, MD of Global Shipping Services said: “MV Vertom Joy is a great addition to an already established fleet of vessels calling in Hull providing a regular Liner Service to The Caribbean, we look forward to welcoming her not only on her maiden voyage, but for many voyages to come.”
£22m funding to protect West Yorkshire businesses and communities from floods
Homes, businesses and communities at risk of flooding will benefit from millions of pounds worth of protection against extreme weather events.
The cash was announced by West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin and Calderdale Council Leader Jane Scullion, following a visit by the Mayor to Brighouse.
The town was ravaged by the Boxing Day floods of 2015, when the River Calder burst its banks. Other local towns including Mirfield, Mytholmroyd and Hebden Bridge, as well as large parts of Leeds and the wider region, were also badly hit.
In total, around 6,000 homes and businesses were damaged by the floods, costing West Yorkshire an estimated half-a-billion pounds.
Further serious flooding has occurred in Calderdale, including Storm Ciara in February 2020, with a number of ‘near miss’ events since that time.
In a bid to make the region resilient to future flooding, Mayor Brabin and Cllr Scullion have earmarked over £20 million to put up flood defences, slow the flow of water, and support at-risk businesses.
The announcement follows a letter from Mayor Brabin to government ministers, calling for better and fairer funding for areas that are geographically at greater risk of flooding through no fault of their own.
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “As climate change worsens, and one in 100-year floods become more common, it’s vital we step up our support for businesses and communities and ensure our region is fit for the future.
“We want West Yorkshire to be more resilient to flooding so we can avoid the terrible devastation of the 2015 Boxing Day Floods.
“I am calling on the government to provide the further funding that we need to reduce the looming threat of flooding, and help us build a greener, brighter West Yorkshire that works for all.”
The multi-million investment follows the launch of the West Yorkshire Plan in June, which sets out five regional missions aimed at boosting progress on jobs, housing, transport, climate and crime.
One of these missions, ‘a sustainable West Yorkshire’, outlined plans to deliver warmer homes and greener businesses, protect communities from the harmful effects of climate change, and build a net zero carbon region by 2038.
Cllr Jane Scullion, Leader of Calderdale Council and Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Climate, Energy and Environment Committee, said: “Although we’ve made incredible progress in our flood resilience work since the Boxing Day 2015 floods, people living or working in parts of Calderdale still live with the ongoing threat of serious flooding.
“This concern is shared in areas across West Yorkshire and sadly climate change is making extreme weather events, like flooding, more likely.
“The threat can never be completely removed, but we welcome this significant funding which will make a huge difference to communities across the region, supporting a variety of built and natural methods to prevent flooding and protect homes and businesses.”
The £22 million funding will be split across three priorities:
- A £7 million natural flood scheme to slow the flow of water by working with natural systems that boost wildlife.
- A £5 million scheme to help businesses implement new sustainability plans that guard against rising temperatures and water levels.
- A £10 million infrastructure scheme to build physical protections, as part of a wider programme which aims to better protect over 2,200 businesses, 2,500 homes, and vital infrastructure such as rail and road.
Telecoms provider welcomes Charter aimed at protecting the vulnerable
East Yorkshire-based KCOM has welcomed a national charter that will ensure vulnerable people are not left behind by the digital upgrade of phone networks across the UK.
The company has signed up to the charter, which was instigated by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, to ensure vulnerable people remain protected and connected as the nation’s phone networks are upgraded from old copper wiring to fibre.
A KCOM spokesperson said: “As a responsible provider we’re committed to ensuring that no customer is left behind as we continue upgrading our landline phone network and making it fit to face the future.
“We have already done a huge amount of work to ensure that vulnerable customers are informed about what the switchover means for them and are providing personal engineer visits to those who need extra help to ensure their phonelines and telecare lifelines are in full working order when they are switched.
“We have worked extensively with local councils and community groups to reach the most vulnerable in our communities and also partnered with Age UK Hull and East Yorkshire to make sure older people in our area are fully informed about the upgrade process – and have extra help available when they need it.
“We absolutely welcome this initiative from the Technology Secretary to enshrine protections for the vulnerable in a charter and we will continue to do everything we can to make sure that no-one is left behind by the switchover.”
Inflation falls more than expected offering “whisper of relief” to businesses
UK inflation has dropped more than expected, with annualised inflation rate, measured by the consumer prices index (CPI), dipping to 3.9% from 4.6% in October.
This is the lowest rate since September 2021, is below the expectations of analysts, and comes largely thanks to declines in motor fuel prices and recreation costs and a slowdown in food and drink inflation.
Annualised inflation had been forecast to come in at 4.4%.
Meanwhile, core inflation, which takes out volatile factors like energy, food, alcohol and tobacco to give a clear picture of underlying trends, was more stubborn at 5.1% in the 12 months to November 2023, falling from 5.7% in October.
Responding to the news, Martin McTague, national chair of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), said: “The decrease in inflation is a whisper of relief to small firms as we end the year. The reduction marks a significant shift from the staggering 10 per cent figure this time last year at the peak of the cost-of-doing-business crisis.
“As inflationary pressures ease, small firms will be wanting the Bank of England to indicate when interest rates may start to fall – this would increase access to finance, drive economic growth and provide a fighting chance at avoiding a recession.
“Businesses will be hoping for a stable environment characterised by more predictable market conditions and lower costs in 2024.”
Collaborating bus companies get approval for plan to enhance city services
Hull’s Bus Alliance has welcomed the Department for Transport’s decision to approve its plans for an enhanced partnership to deliver better bus services for the city and its passengers.
The Alliance, bringing together Hull City Council bus operators Stagecoach East Midlands and East Yorkshire Buses, produced an enhanced partnership plan and scheme.
The plan outlines the delivery of the objectives within the bus service improvement plan, including bus user feedback and preferences and measures to promote bus travel.
Bus services in Hull have been impacted by a number of challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic and a shortage of drivers.
Stagecoach and East Yorkshire Buses have worked closely with Hull City Council to address these issues, and are excited about delivering enhanced bus services, as part of a joint commitment to public transport in the city.
Councillor Mark Ieronimo, cabinet portfolio holder for transportation, roads and highways at Hull City Council, said: “It is vitally important that we deliver the bus services that the people of Hull deserve.
“Bus operators have faced significant and unprecedented challenges over the past few years, which have affected services.
“Through the new enhanced partnership, the Hull Bus Alliance is looking to the future and working even more closely together to help make bus travel more efficient, reliable and attractive.
“By encouraging more people to choose bus travel, we can reduce congestion on our roads and make travelling around Hull a better experience for everyone.”
Matt Cranwell, MD of Stagecoach, said: “We are pleased to see that our long-term bus service improvement plan for Hull has been approved by the DfT.
“Our partnership, in the past, has delivered a number of initiatives that have benefited bus users in the city, which has been supported by significant funding from Stagecoach.
“It’s now important that we work closely together to implement further measures that assist buses to move around the city more easily and that will help ensure we provide a punctual and reliable bus service, as well as reduce journey times for bus users.
“It’s vital that buses within the city are supported, as a thriving bus network helps reduce traffic congestion, whilst reducing harmful emissions.”
Ben Gilligan, MD of East Yorkshire Buses, added: “Buses play a critical role in the connectivity and prosperity of the city, allowing people to move around as well as opening up access to jobs, leisure and education.
“This collaborative effort between ourselves, Stagecoach and Hull City Council represents a commitment to overcoming previous challenges and helping create a better network across the city for our passengers.”
Fond farewell as Manningham Housing Association Chair steps down
The Chief Executive of Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has paid tribute to the Bradford-based organisation’s Chair, Barrington Billings, who is stepping down at the end of December after more than six and a half years in the role.
Mr Billings has more than three decades of experience in the housing sector and is currently Head of Asset Management and Development at Tuntum Housing Association in Nottingham.
He is a former President of the Chartered Institute of Housing.
Lee Bloomfield said Mr Billings has played “an absolutely pivotal role in enabling MHA to establish a reputation as one of the most forward-thinking housing associations in the country.”
He continued: “Barrington joined us in 2017 following a regulatory downgrade. We needed a leader who could bring strength in governance and a unique blend of experience in both housing and non-executive roles. Barrington emerged as the beacon we sought, providing us with the guidance and expertise needed to navigate through challenges and steer MHA towards success.
“Under his direction, we have achieved the highest possible gradings from the Regulator of Social Housing and become the first housing association to be officially accredited for our work in promoting equality, diversity and inclusion – alongside numerous other awards.”
Mr Bloomfield added: “Barrington’s journey with MHA has been marked by a dedication to excellence, an unwavering commitment to governance best practices, and a wealth of experience that has truly enriched our organisation.
“We cannot adequately express our gratitude for Barrington’s dedication to MHA and the broader community. As we say farewell, we reflect on the positive impact he has had on our organisation and the countless lives touched by his leadership. His legacy of excellence, integrity and compassion will continue to inspire us in the years to come.”
Barrington Billings said: “Establishing our Community Investment Strategy and the range of community based initiatives that followed were proud highlights for me.
“Winning awards and accolades are always welcome, but these are merely recognitions of the critical grass roots work MHA have been doing in local communities.
“Of course, none of this success would have been possible without the solid and transformational leadership of our CEO Lee Bloomfield, Deputy CEO Ulfat Hussain and Director of Finance and Resources John Kent.
“Lee and Ulfat have both been there from the start of my time as Chair and stood with me shoulder to shoulder in the challenging early days of putting our house in order.
“The success of MHA could not have happened without our staff, our tenants and customers. The Customer Panel, led by MHA tenant Cath Bacon, has also been instrumental in scrutinising, reviewing and improving the services we provide.”
He added: “I am delighted to be handing over the reins to Rupert Pometsey our current Vice-Chair, who I regard as one of the best in the country.
“I will leave knowing that the organisation is in great shape and in good hands, ensuring that the vision and legacy of its founding members – in providing excellent housing and related services to local communities – will endure.”
