Leeds award scheme celebrates manufacturers of the future

Stuart Pearcey
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Leeds award scheme celebrates manufacturers of the future
Leeds’ manufacturing and engineering sector has celebrated the achievements of some of its brightest younger stars at an awards ceremony recognising the talents, achievements and contributions of the next generation working within the industry. Now in their second year, the Leeds Manufacturing Festival Awards saw trophies presented for Apprentice of the Year, Rising Star and Future Manufacturing Leader, as well as a new category of Employer of the Year. The initiative has gathered momentum since its launch in 2022, with double the number of employers nominating team members for awards this year and a packed awards ceremony, held last night [20 April] at Leeds glass reinforced plastic moulds manufacturer MPM.
Harry Clark won the Apprentice of the Year Award, sponsored by Leeds City College. Nominated by his employer, MPM, where he works in the quality and finishing department, he was singled out as being a particularly strong performer within the business. According to judges, Harry stands out as “a team player with a strong career ahead of him”.
Sponsored by Leeds City Council, the 2023 Rising Star Award went to Maddy Pennock, currently in the fourth and final year of a design engineering apprenticeship at Stanningley-based engineering firm, LBBC Technologies.
Kirkstall Precision Engineering apprentice manufacturing engineer Kalum Downey scooped the Future Manufacturing Leader trophy, sponsored by engineering and manufacturing recruiter E3 Recruitment. Kalum was singled out for consistently delivering high-quality work and supporting his team members. Historic Leeds textiles business AW Hainsworth was named Employer of the Year, an award sponsored by Next Gen Makers, which runs a benchmarking and accreditation scheme for manufacturing and engineering apprenticeships. The firm was selected for its “remarkable commitment to its employees and continual investment in developing its people strategies,” according to the judges, who were impressed by AW Hainsworth’s “wide range of support for employees,” as well as its “outstanding commitment to learning and development, with training opportunities across the organisation and available to all.” “The progressive yet inclusive leadership style is again demonstrated in their commitment to apprenticeships,” said the judges. “With a strong emphasis on the next generation, it is clear that AW Hainsworth believes people are the key to long term sustainability for businesses”. Ben Wilson, interim chair of the Leeds Manufacturing Festival, and director of MPM, said: “These awards are a celebration of the many outstanding young people who have opted for what will no doubt be incredibly successful careers in manufacturing and we couldn’t do it without the support and engagement from our sponsors. Our industry needs more creative, dedicated young employees like our award winners and nominees to form the next generation of manufacturers and ensure the future of our sector.”

Hull Trains partners with Trussell Trust to encourage food donations

Stuart Pearcey
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Hull Trains partners with Trussell Trust to encourage food donations
For a week starting today Hull Trains and the Trussell Trust are calling on the general public to support a week-long appeal for donations to provide food to those in most need. The Trussell Trust has seen demand for its local food banks rocket over the past few months and is handing out 47% more packages compared to this time last year. Hull Trains will be setting up a food donations collection point at Hull Paragon Station from today until Friday this week. The campaign has been launched to coincide with the Big Help Out, a scheme launched by His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty Queen Consort Camilla as part of the Coronation celebrations. The Big Help Out is encouraging everyone to volunteer or support their own community, nationwide. The donation point will be located on the concourse at Paragon Station where donations of non-perishable, in-date food will be greatly received by the trust to create food parcels for individuals and families across the Hull and Humber region. Items such as tinned vegetables, tinned rice pudding, tinned fruit, and tinned meat are among the items that are much needed by food banks in the local area. Strong carrier bags are also appreciated by the trust so the packs can be distributed effectively. Russ Barlow, Project Manager at The Trussell Trust Hull branch, said: “We are so grateful for the support of Hull Trains in these challenging times.  To see such a huge increase in people struggling to afford the essentials has been difficult and helping them would be impossible without the vital support of local people and organisations such as Hull Trains. “We would like to see an end to people needing to use a foodbank, but whilst we work towards that challenging goal, we’d like to say a big thank you to Hull Trains and anyone that is able to donate to help ensure people do not go without in the coming months.” Martijn Gilbert, Managing Director at Hull Trains, said: “The Coronation and Big Help Out provides a unique opportunity for communities to come together and do something positive for those who need our support the most. Even by making a single donation, you will be making a huge difference. “The work the Trussell Trust are doing to provide individuals and families across Hull with access to food and necessities is vital. Let’s please come together as a community to help them and we can all make a difference together.”

York & North Yorkshire Chamber names new VP

Stuart Pearcey
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York & North Yorkshire Chamber names new VP
Sarah Czarnecki has been appointed as new vice president at the York & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce Sarah is a well-known and respected business leader in the region and sits on the York and North Yorkshire Chamber Leadership Group as well as being vice-chair of its Hospitality Forum. The appointment will see her join the wider West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce board, working alongside current president Laurence Beardmore until his time in office concludes this summer, after which she will assume the office of President. Sarah is director of Grays Court Hotel & The Bow Room Restaurant in York city centre, and is a director at York’s Business Improvement District and an advisory board member of York St John University’s business school. She said: “Becoming vice president of York & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce is both an honour and a privilege. I have dedicated much of my life to business in this region and am looking forward to devoting my time and passion to make York and North Yorkshire as successful and prosperous as it can be. “North Yorkshire is a gem of the United Kingdom with a strong footing in the industries that have made us the county we are.  Working with, and championing, these industries and businesses will be a prime focus for my role with the Chamber. “I look forward to shepherding the county into the next chapter of its illustrious history and to working with the region’s stakeholders for its advancement.”

HullBID signs sponsorship deal for this summer’s food nights

Stuart Pearcey
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HullBID signs sponsorship deal for this summer’s food nights
HullBID has secured the backing of a contact centre business ResQ as sponsor of the city’s Street Food Nights – one of the organisation’s biggest events of the year. Company CEO Gill Matchbanks, whose firm employs 2,000 in Hull and Seaham, County Durham, said sponsorship was a great opportunity to connect with candidates and customers. “Finding and recruiting talent is something we do on a daily basis and we like to get involved in these types of activity in the local area to get our name out there as a great place to work. “We also have some huge clients including British Gas, Scottish Power and Vodafone and a presence at Hull Street Food Nights will support our ongoing campaign to find the best talent to service them. “As a business that was born in Hull as a tiny player in the market to one that now employs over 2000 people, ResQ are delighted to be able to support other local businesses on their journey to growth.” HullBid Exec Director Kathryn Shillito said: “ResQ recognise the potential for business benefits from the huge crowds which we attract to every event, and they are clearly committed to supporting Hull, having announced nearly 300 new jobs just last week. “Hull Street Food Nights provide a great opportunity for staff to get together and unwind with great food and drink and live entertainment after a day at work. We’re sure the ResQ team will make the most of that and we’re grateful to them for helping us to offer the opportunity to other businesses in the city centre.” Hull Street Food Nights will feature about 30 different food vendors and an entertainment package which will include live music, DJ sets, street entertainment and free glitter face painting. The events will all take place in Zebedee’s Yard and Princes Dock Street from 4pm until 9pm and the dates are Thursday 1 June, Thursday 29 June, Thursday 27 July and Thursday 28 September.

Green Port Hull steps up to the mark with electric car race sponsorship

Stuart Pearcey
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Green Port Hull steps up to the mark with electric car race sponsorship
Green Port Hull and Hull City Council are supporting Greenpower Education Trust in hosting Green Port Hull Goblins electric car event at Hull’s West Park on Sunday 14th May, with primary school children test their handmade racing cars around the MKM Stadium’s car park. Primary school pupils aged nine to 11 across the city have been teaming up to create their electric kit cars and all are welcome to see them test their racing skills around the slalom tracks at the MKM Stadium. Greenpower Education Trust has provided the framework for the kit cars, known as Goblins, as well as the components for a battery powered engine. The car must be built by the pupils, including designing and sourcing the bodywork themselves, with an emphasis on using eco-friendly materials, and the vehicles have been created in school projects which focus on STEM subjects, as well as teamwork. There will be a parade of the cars around 10:30am, with the action getting under way at 11am and prizegiving to follow. Mark Jones, director of regeneration at Hull City Council, said: “This is a fantastic event which will not only be undoubted fun, but will help pupils engage in key subjects and enhance their education. “The Hull Street Race hosted in 2019 was a brilliant spectacle, but the pandemic limited any race events, so it’s great to be able to reinvigorate our involvement with Greenpower Education Trust and to kickstart the kit car project in our schools again.” Michele Augousti, CEO of Greenpower Education Trust, added: “We are immensely grateful for the continued support being given by Green Port Hull to enable another Goblin event to take place this year in Hull at the MKM stadium. “Green Port Hull has supported us for many years and is very kindly providing sponsorship again so that this event can take place. “This enables Greenpower to be able to provide young people with the opportunity to design, build and race electric cars at a host of events throughout the year, culminating in an International Final in all three categories: Formula Goblin (ages 9-11), IET Formula 24 (ages 11-16) and IET Formula 24+ (ages 16-25).”

Shareholders agree to put more cash into Pensana rare earth plant at Saltend

Stuart Pearcey
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Shareholders agree to put more cash into Pensana rare earth plant at Saltend
Two major shareholders in Pensana, the company building a rare earth plant at Salted near Hull, have agreed to invest a further US$10 million in aggregate in the Company which will increase their combined holdings to 38.6%. They are M&G Investment Management and the Angolan Sovereign Wealth Fund both of whom remain strongly supportive of the Company and its business plan and have each requested and been granted the right to participate in any future equity or other fund raising undertaken by the Company on a pro rata basis for the next two years. Chairman Paul Atherley noted: “This additional investment reflects their confidence in our strategy and growth prospects, and we are grateful for their ongoing commitment. “The fact that M&G and FSDEA have also requested the right to participate in any future equity raises is a clear endorsement of our business, demonstrating long-term alignment with our goals. “We look forward to progressing our Saltend and Longonjo projects, delivering the world’s first independent and sustainable magnet metal rare earth supply chain and meeting the growing needs of OEMs.”

Rotherham food processing equipment specialist goes global with maintenance via AI

Stuart Pearcey
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Rotherham food processing equipment specialist goes global with maintenance via AI
Rotherham-based food processing equipment specialist JJA Pack has expanded its long-term partnership with Siemens by introducing the tech business’ latest diagnostic technology to its customer offering. It’ll mean that equipment operating thousands of miles away from Rotherham can be monitored from South Yorkshire, reducing downtime by enhancing predictive maintenance.
A combination of Siemens Edge, attached to the individual machine, and cloud-based AI solution Insights Hub provide a comprehensive picture of a machine’s performance that can be accessed both remotely and in situ. Through the power of AI, the data collected is used to avoid machine downtime by predicting and diagnosing issues remotely. The new technology means JJA Pack’s engineers have switched to a proactive, predictive maintenance model for its machines reducing the need for customers to report maintenance requirements while optimising machine uptime. For the 11-year old business, accessing international markets has previously presented challenges when upgrading or maintaining machines thousands of miles away, which has limited growth potential, but JJA Pack now has the ability to scale its services more effectively. Jamie Ashpole, director at JJA Pack, said: “We won’t ever hesitate to fly our team to wherever our customers are when problems happen. The trouble is, while we’re in the air, those customers are losing money until we get to site. This technology is transformational from that respect. Prevention is better than cure and by using advance data to predict and act early, we’re now able to slash downtime. That’s huge.” Andy Lane, Business Development Manager at Siemens said: “It has been our pleasure to support JJA Pack for more than a decade and see their business expand in tandem with the technology we’ve provided. We’re confident this next step in digitalisation will be a gamechanger as the business now confidently expands into new territories and customer service solutions. “JJA Pack is typical of the strength and depth of the UK’s machine building sector, which often doesn’t receive the recognition it deserves as it quietly produces some of the world’s leading machines. This is a great example of the strides that can be made when we support the country’s manufacturing supply chain to digitise and more than punch above its weight.”  

New Iceotope HQ launches in Sheffield designed by APSS

Tess Egginton
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New Iceotope HQ launches in Sheffield designed by APSS
Sheffield-based precision immersion cooling company Iceotope has launched its new headquarters, designed to have a positive impact on staff morale and productivity. Designed and installed by Lincolnshire-based commercial fit out company APSS, the new office was designed for the team to better communicate their ideas and planning strategies. Break out areas allow for staff to take a break from their screen or just provide an alternative place to work which helps boost productivity. Incorporating a biophilic design, the office interior includes greenery hanging from the ceiling as well as green feature walls acting as dividers between spaces. The greenery also acts as a sound dampener and reduces excess noise across the office in addition to the suspended ceiling rafts throughout the office. Private soundproof meeting booths were installed with a self-irrigating planter wall on the side, providing a low maintenance connection to nature inside.
Walkway designed by APSS
APSS designer Emily May, who put the concept together in partnership with Iceotope, explained: “The benefit of real plants in an office environment includes helping to purify the air, reduce excessive moisture and boosts productivity by providing that link to nature. “It was great to work with a company which has such a strong brand. It made it so easy to create an amazing look for their new office.”
Staff meeting and breakout area with biophilic walls designed by APSS
Tom Parker, director of operations for Iceotope, said: “From the initial consultation to the final walk-through, the team at APSS demonstrated exceptional professionalism, creativity, and dedication to delivering a stunning and functional workspace that exceeded our expectations. “Despite a tight deadline and budget constraints, APSS was able to deliver the project on time and within budget, a testament to their commitment and expertise. Their design approach, which prioritised both aesthetics and practicality, has resulted in a workspace that fosters collaboration, productivity, and employee satisfaction. “Our team has been absolutely thrilled with the new office space, and the positive impact on morale and productivity is evident. The attention to detail, clever use of space, and the seamless integration of our company’s values into the design have made our new office a source of pride for everyone. “In fact, we have been so impressed by their work that we are already returning to APSS for support on a new project, further solidifying our confidence in their abilities. “We couldn’t be happier with the outcome of our office fit-out project, and we wholeheartedly recommend APSS for any organization seeking to create an inspiring and efficient workspace. Their dedication, skill, and customer-centric approach make them a standout choice for office design and fit-out services.”
Strong branding throughout the new Iceotope HQ designed by APSS

HMRC move to dip into crypto and digital wallets to pay tax bills

Tess Egginton
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HMRC move to dip into crypto and digital wallets to pay tax bills
The government is considering granting HMRC new powers to recover unpaid tax directly from digital wallets. The proposal is one of a number of measures that are being considered as part of plans to modernise tax debt collection from non-paying businesses. While the overwhelming majority of people and businesses in the UK pay their tax on time, the latest figures from HMRC show that there is around £48bn in tax owed to HMRC but remaining unpaid. According to HMRC, the vast majority of this tax debt is owed by small and medium sized businesses. Part of the challenge facing HMRC is the recent growth in e-commerce models which makes it harder to collect taxes from businesses that don’t conduct their business in the UK or don’t have a presence or physical assets here. The enforcement officer or bailiff turning up ‘on the doorstep’ is not an option for many virtual offices or digital only businesses. The government intends to focus an initial consultation on the following 4 proposals:
  • extending Taking Control of Goods powers to those with no UK assets or no assets at a principal place of business, so that HMRC can seize assets at other premises where their trade is not conducted such as third party warehouses.
  • extending Taking Control of Goods powers to in-house leasing
  • extending Direct Recovery of Debt powers to include Digital Wallets
  • security deposits from businesses who are repeatedly, intentionally non-paying
As part of their work, HMRC will also seek to understand the true scale of the problem of serial non-payers. Dawn Register, head of Tax Dispute Resolution at BDO, said: “While HMRC seeks to help taxpayers who are struggling financially by offering Time to Pay arrangements, new tax debt is running 50% higher than pre-pandemic levels and needs to be reduced. “It is clear that the Government believes the tax authority needs further powers to tackle the hardcore of non-paying businesses that aren’t playing by the rules and who put up taxes for the rest of us. However, the practical challenges of using any new powers will be the real test for HMRC, including digital businesses located offshore.”

Immingham Museum gets new exhibit with help from ABP

Stuart Pearcey
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Immingham Museum gets new exhibit with help from ABP
A floor dedicated to the overview of the history of the Port of Immingham has been officially opened at Immingham Museum by ABP in the Humber. Called the ABP Room, it is the result of a financial donation given by the UK’s largest port operator in 2022 to help the town’s museum enhance its digital offering. Simon Bird, Regional Director of ABP Humber said: “ABP is proud to support the town’s museum in the telling of our stories, which are intertwined. The strong links between Immingham and the port are told in the story of our industrial heritage and how the area developed connecting it to the rest of the world to become the leading port it is today Through the telling of these to a wider audience it also showcases the career opportunities in the ports.” John Trevitt from Immingham Museum said: “We are very grateful and proud to be supported by ABP. This has enabled us to significantly improve our existing displays and create what we believe to be a unique experience in the new ABP docks’ room. Unusually for a Museum using the latest digital technology, we can now show the area’s economic past, present and dynamic future. “Visitors will be able to see in real time live information of the area’s shipping, rail, and aircraft movements. This is streamed to three large screens together with spectacular contemporary, historical and aerial video footage.” The first-floor room is dedicated to the history of the port and enhances people’s understanding of its beginnings from coal exports to the UK’s largest port by volume of tonnage handling around 46 million tonnes of cargo every year. Videos being streamed in the room show the modern-day port, and the daily operations from cargoes being handled to vessels coming in through the lock. Based in Immingham Civic Hub, the museum staffed by volunteers, opened in 1970 and its main theme is the history of the port of Immingham, and the Mayflower pilgrim connection. Entry to the museum is free and it is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday, 1pm to 4pm. For more information on the museum visit the website here.
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