- Powerful cloud-based HR and payroll solutions
- Flexible outsourced payroll processing services
- Highly configurable automation tools tailored to your unique business processes
- Real-time data access to support informed decision-making
- ChatHR for conversational interactions between employees and ichris HR
Frontier Software supports CIPD Festival of Work
Frontier Software will be participating as an exhibitor at the CIPD Festival of Work, taking place at ExCeL London on 11th and 12th June 2025.
The Festival of Work is a major event organised by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), bringing together professionals in HR, learning and development (L&D), and internal communications for two days of insight, innovation, and inspiration.
This annual CIPD celebration is for everyone invested in the value people bring to their work. It’s for leaders who know their people solve their business challenges. It’s for people managers working hard to bring out the best in their teams. And it’s for people professionals, of all roles, who drive the success of their organisations by building a thriving workforce.
With 180 exhibitor stands, the event offers a dynamic environment for discovering new workplace technologies, tools, and services designed to drive business success. It’s a must-attend event for anyone seeking to enhance their professional skills, stay current with industry innovations, or find cutting-edge corporate solutions.
As a long-standing and trusted provider, Frontier Software brings over 40 years of experience delivering innovative HR and payroll solutions to organisations across sectors and sizes. A fully integrated suite of software modules is designed to enable personalised employee experiences while meeting the complex operational needs of HR teams.
Visitors to Frontier Software’s stand will be able to explore:
Superdrug expands in Sheffield with one of its largest UK stores
Health and beauty chain Superdrug has opened a major new store at Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield, marking one of its largest UK retail sites to date at over 10,000 sq ft.
The store has created ten permanent jobs and features a full retail offering of health and beauty products, luxury fragrances, and Superdrug’s in-house brands. It also includes an in-store health clinic providing services such as travel vaccinations and blood tests, as well as a Beauty Studio offering cosmetic treatments including nail care and piercings.
This expansion is part of Superdrug’s wider bricks-and-mortar strategy, with 25 new store openings planned for 2025. The move underscores the brand’s ongoing commitment to physical retail, amid a shifting high street landscape.
The launch adds to recent activity at Meadowhall, which has secured renewed commitments from brands such as AllSaints and Tommy Hilfiger, alongside new arrivals like Oliver Bonas. The centre remains a key regional retail destination, attracting investment from national chains seeking to upscale or broaden their footprint.
Ultimate Finance lifts invoice finance cap to £10m as it eyes larger deals
Ultimate Finance has raised its maximum invoice finance facility from £7 million to £10 million, expanding its support for larger SMEs seeking flexible working capital solutions.
The asset-based lender stated that the move follows recent adjustments to its pricing strategy and an expansion of its cash flow loan offering, both aimed at enhancing its competitiveness in the mid-market lending space.
The firm has reported vigorous activity so far in 2025, completing 60 working capital transactions in the first five months of the year. April and May marked record highs for deal volume and value over the past five years, signalling sustained momentum in demand.
The increase in facility size is expected to strengthen client retention and extend lifetime value, with the business reporting an average client tenure of eight years. Ultimate Finance is positioning the uplift as a strategic lever to deepen relationships with growing clients while reinforcing its presence in the asset-based lending market.
With a service model built around personalised, high-touch delivery, the firm continues to target businesses looking for tailored cashflow solutions amid shifting economic conditions.
Rix Group to reinvigorate leisure home manufacturer following acquisition
The Rix Group has acquired the IP of former leisure home manufacturer Atlas Leisure Homes for an undisclosed sum.
The deal, which follows Atlas Leisure Homes being wound up earlier this year, also sees the Rix Group acquire the model designs and names used by the Hull company, along with some plant and equipment.
The move builds on the family business’s existing holiday home and lodge manufacturing portfolio which includes Hull-based Victory Leisure Homes and luxury brand Prestige – based in Northamptonshire.
James Doyle, managing director of the Rix Group, described Atlas Leisure Homes as a ‘household name’ within the leisure homes industry.
The company was founded in Hull in 1973 and traded successfully until March 2025, when it went into administration citing a post-COVID decline in sales.
Mr Doyle said: “Atlas Leisure Homes was a real Hull success story, building up significant market share in the national holiday home sector over 52 years of trading.
“The brand has a huge number of faithful followers, many of whom are intergenerational, choosing Atlas due to the fond memories they have of holidaying in an Atlas leisure home with their parents or grandparents.
“Because of this, we wanted to bring the brand back to life and align the quality to that or our other brands – Victory Leisure Homes and Prestige.
“We feel by reinvigorating the Atlas brand it will sit perfectly alongside our existing holiday home and lodge portfolio, offering the market the widest choice of products available from a single manufacturer.”
Mr Doyle added that the move would also help the Rix Group further unlock the UK leisure home dealer network.
“We’ve already had very positive discussions with dealers who are excited about the return of Atlas,” he said. “It is a brand that is very familiar to their customers and as such, is in demand.
“Combine this with the design innovation and quality Victory Leisure Homes and Prestige are known for, and we believe we will be able to capture significant market share thanks to this strategic acquisition.
“We’re delighted to have secured the Atlas name and we’re looking forward to showing the market what the future looks like for this long-established brand.”
UK defence review unlocks major investment in industry and supply chain
The UK Government’s Strategic Defence Review is set to trigger a multibillion-pound wave of investment across the country’s defence sector, with a strong emphasis on industrial capacity, digital modernisation and workforce development.
At the core of the plan is the expansion of the UK’s submarine fleet, with a commitment to build 12 new attack submarines. This is expected to significantly bolster the country’s submarine-building capabilities and sustain 30,000 specialist jobs into the next decade. The move aligns with the government’s broader commitment to its warhead programme, which has already received £15 billion in funding and will see further modernisation at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermaston.
The review outlines a national shift toward “warfighting readiness,” including expanded stockpiles of arms and critical equipment. Over the next ten years, 30,000 apprenticeships and 14,000 graduate roles will be created to meet long-term workforce demands in engineering, manufacturing and defence technology.
Cyber operations are set to undergo a significant transformation with the establishment of a new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command, designed to position the UK at the forefront of digital warfare. In parallel, over £1 billion will be invested in a new Digital Targeting Web—an initiative intended to enhance battlefield decision-making, intelligence and targeting through AI and integrated systems, informed by recent lessons from Ukraine.
The government also plans to procure up to 7,000 UK-built long-range weapons and construct at least six new munitions and energetics factories to reinforce domestic production capacity. However, locations have not yet been disclosed.
Defence spending continues to play a key role in regional economies. In 2023/24, the Ministry of Defence spent £28.8 billion with UK industry. The South West and South East saw the highest allocations, with £6.9 billion and £7.1 billion respectively. The South West led in per-capita terms, with £1,190 per person and 1,550 defence jobs per 100,000 residents. The region is home to major employers such as Babcock International, which operates from over 60 sites including Devonport and Filton, and Rolls-Royce’s Bristol site, where engines are built for the Eurofighter Typhoon and F-35 aircraft.
The review marks the first time the government has published a complete outline of its long-term defence investment strategy, signalling sustained demand for skilled talent, manufacturing capacity, and digital innovation across the sector.
Manufacturing contraction eases but headwinds persist
UK manufacturing activity contracted for the eighth consecutive month in May, but the pace of decline slowed slightly, according to the latest S&P Global Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI). The index rose to 46.4 in May from 45.4 in April, indicating continued sector shrinkage below the neutral 50 threshold.
Firms reported falling output and new business as both domestic and overseas demand remained subdued. New orders declined for the eighth consecutive month, with clients reportedly hesitant to commit to spending amid higher employment-related costs and economic uncertainty.
The rise in the National Living Wage and increased employer National Insurance contributions, introduced in April, have added pressure to margins. The National Living Wage rose by 6.7% to £12.21 per hour, while employer NI contributions increased to 15% for salaries above £5,100.
Manufacturers also pointed to ongoing challenges with tariffs and freight costs, energy price volatility, and extended supplier lead times. Export demand weakened further due to continued global trade uncertainty and pricing pressures.
Despite these challenges, input price inflation eased to a five-month low, and some firms benefited from improved weather-related sales. However, the overall environment remains fragile, with limited signs of a near-term rebound.
Council decarbonisation project receives £265k boost
Rotherham Council is investing in a decarbonisation programme targeting energy upgrades across four public buildings, with £265,000 secured from the UK government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
The works, set for completion by March 2026, will see three eligible council properties fitted with low-carbon technologies such as heat pumps, solar panels, LED lighting, improved insulation, double glazing, and water-saving installations. The sites include Springwell Gardens, 115 Middle Lane South, and the Swinton Customer Service Centre and Library.
A fourth site, Peacock Lodge Children’s Home, did not meet grant criteria but will undergo similar upgrades using council funds.
The overall project is expected to cost £422,000, with the local authority contributing £156,000 from its decarbonisation budget. The upgrades are projected to reduce the council’s annual carbon emissions by around 30 tonnes, supporting its goal to reach net-zero operational emissions by 2030.
While the environmental impact is clear, the financial return is modest, with expected annual energy savings across all four buildings estimated at just £3,800.
Contractor procurement is expected to begin this summer, with construction scheduled to start in the autumn. Buildings were prioritised based on the condition of existing systems and their suitability for retrofit.
New partnership targets circular solution for PPE waste
MYGroup has partnered with the University of Leeds on a new initiative to address the increasing volume of high-visibility personal protective equipment (PPE) waste in the UK. The partnership, backed by Innovate UK through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), aims to establish a scalable fibre-to-fibre recycling process that can convert decommissioned PPE into new raw materials for textile production.
Currently, less than 1% of garments globally are recycled back into new textiles, and an estimated 90% of used PPE, uniforms, and workwear end up in landfills. This project aims to demonstrate the commercial and technical feasibility of producing new yarns and threads from end-of-life PPE, thereby supporting a closed-loop system for the sector.
MYGroup, a specialist in waste management and recycling based in Yorkshire, already processes five tonnes of end-of-life PPE annually and collaborates with several manufacturers and retailers. Through this collaboration, it hopes to help its clients meet growing extended producer responsibility (EPR) obligations and move towards more sustainable supply chains.
The University of Leeds, home to the Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour (LITaC), will contribute research expertise to accelerate development and industrial application of the recycling method. The project is also expected to stimulate innovation and green manufacturing in the Yorkshire and Humber region.
Hiring intentions surge as Yorkshire business sentiment strengthens
Business confidence in Yorkshire rose sharply in May, with more firms planning to expand their workforce and invest in growth, according to Lloyds Bank’s latest Business Barometer.
Confidence among Yorkshire businesses climbed by 18 points to 52%, significantly higher than the national average. Notably, 54% of regional firms now plan to increase staff over the coming year, up 35 points from April, signaling renewed optimism across the local economy.
The report also highlighted where businesses are prioritising growth. Nearly half of the surveyed firms in Yorkshire intend to invest in staff training, while 33% are eyeing entry into new markets or adopting new technology, both key indicators of strategic scaling and operational improvement.
At a national level, UK business confidence rose to 50%, the highest recorded since August 2024. Economic optimism jumped by 16 points to 44%, while firms’ confidence in their trading prospects also increased to 56%.
Sector performance was uneven. Construction and services reported the strongest sentiment, 56% and 54% respectively, while retail confidence declined to 40%, its lowest level since January. Manufacturing also edged up, though modestly, to 40%.
The positive regional results come amid mixed signals globally. While the IMF flagged potential drag from US tariffs, it upgraded the UK’s 2025 economic forecast, noting signs of a broader recovery.
Holtec confirms UK manufacturing base at Doncaster’s GatewayEast
US-based nuclear energy firm Holtec has chosen Doncaster’s GatewayEast as the site for its new UK manufacturing facility, following a national search across 13 regions. The location, adjacent to Doncaster-Sheffield Airport, secured the investment over two other shortlisted sites in South Yorkshire.
The facility will produce two small modular reactor (SMR) units annually, with half of its output intended for export. Holtec’s SMRs utilise pressurised water reactor (PWR) technology, the same type deployed at Hinkley Point C, which supports supply chain standardisation and workforce development.
The project is expected to generate significant economic value. Independent analysis by Bradshaw Advisory estimates £1.8bn in gross value added over 20 years, £1.5bn from the factory itself, and £300m from engineering services linked to SMR deployment. It is also forecast to support 3,600 construction roles, over 16,000 supply chain jobs, and 3,000 unionised engineering positions.
The site selection aligns with Holtec’s strategy to localise production and increase UK content in its energy and defence programmes, targeting 70% domestic sourcing. The company has signed MOUs with regional and national partners, including South Yorkshire Combined Authority, Sheffield Forgemasters, and major manufacturing research centres. Holtec is also in ongoing discussions with major UK trade unions to align with industrial workforce priorities.
This development follows the UK government’s £30m commitment to reopening Doncaster-Sheffield Airport, further positioning GatewayEast as a strategic hub for industrial investment and global export. Holtec is currently finalising the business plan ahead of its final investment decision.
