“I hope the winners serve as inspiration to others looking to get onto the exporting ladder and encourage more businesses to showcase the incredible talent and innovation of UK businesses selling abroad.”
Yorkshire firm named amongst UK’s top ten export award winners
Yorkshire company SimVenture has been named by the Government as one of ten winners of this year’s Made in the UK, Sold to the World Awards.
Based between Selby and York, SimVenture supplies software to education institutions and workplace training providers in more than 20 countries, who use it to help educators and trainers bring business learning to life. It offers business and entrepreneurship learning tools, on which learners can make decisions, deal with consequences, and work in an authentic way.
Peter Harrington, SimVenture Co-founder and CEO, said: “We are dedicated to leveraging advanced learning technologies to positively impact lives worldwide. Winning this award validates the investments and risks we’ve taken over two decades. This prestigious recognition will fuel our growth and expansion into new global markets.
“With recent contract signings in the United States and Algeria, we anticipate significant growth for SimVenture in both the education and corporate training sectors, further solidifying our position as a global leader in EdTech innovation.”
Now in their second year, the awards celebrate the international sales success of SMEs across the UK, and provide a stepping stone for further growth and opportunity.
Minister for Exports Lord Offord said: “We’re proud of our British exporters and these Awards highlight some fantastic businesses punching above their weight and selling UK-made products and services around the world.
Hunslet’s Cockburn Sports Hall to be reborn as healthy living centre
Dudleys Consulting Engineers is helping with delivery of a £3.4 million community hub transformation project in the Hunslet district of Leeds.
Preparation works have started on the site of the Old Cockburn Sports Hall which is being redeveloped by Hamara Healthy Living Centre. The project will see the demolition of the former dilapidated 1960’s building and construction of a state of the art, 10,615 sq ft mixed use leisure, health, and wellbeing facility.
Hamara (an Urdu term meaning ‘Our’) is the largest ethnic minority organisation in the voluntary and community sector in Leeds. Working within the community sector, employing 36 people, Hamara currently delivers several different strands of work including: Health Promotion, Youth Activities, Older People’s Services, Saturday Supplementary School, Learning Disabilities, Education and Employment & Training Programmes.
The new Cockburn Centre is to become a sustainable local community business operating for the benefit of local neighbourhoods, and will be led and operated by adults with learning disabilities and supported by local volunteers.
New facilities will include a multi-use sports hall, fully accessible changing facilities, equipment storage space, an external hard surfaced multi-use games area, a seated café, community hub, halo and training room, a viewing gallery, and offices.
Hamara has worked tirelessly to secure grant funding from various parties, including The Football Foundation, the Department of Levelling up and Housing and Communities – Community Ownership Fund, to enable delivery of the important community project.
Dudleys assisted Hamara with securing planning consent and is now consulting alongside architects Studio RBA, services consultant Shearstone, project managers Spring & Co, landscape architect Urban Green, and main contractor NU Construction, on the delivery plan which is expected to start this summer. The award-winning practice is providing value driven Civil and Structural Engineering services to include environmental impact from a localised mining history and protected landscape.
Peter Dixon, Director at Dudleys said: “Supporting charitable causes is a fundamental part of our business ESG commitment and we have previously assisted on many church community and railway preservation projects. It is exciting to see progress on site for the new Cockburn Centre and we look forward to working with the team to provide value engineered, technical expertise throughout.”
Garden Centres Group wins retail company award for second successive year
Yorkshire Garden Centres Group has won the Retail Company of the Year Award at the British HR Awards.
Head of People and Culture Neil Barwise-Carr said: “The HR awards celebrate organisations and individuals that are driven by delivering a world-class people experience, so we’re proud and delighted to have won this award on behalf of our great team.”
Yorkshire Garden Centres beat industry giants Heron Foods, Holland & Barrett and Selfridges to win the Retail Company of the Year Award for a second time.
Nate Harwood, Founder of New Possible and British HR Awards judge said: “The British HR Awards celebrate the talented, dedicated, and passionate teams and individuals who are fueling thriving workplaces across the UK and beyond. I’d like to extend my congratulations to all the Winners and Finalists.”
The British HR Awards is powered by New Possible, a next-generation employee insight platform. New Possible helps leaders build healthier organisations by providing meaningful insight that can drive real change.
The Yorkshire Garden Centres group is made up of garden centres at Tong, Tingley, Otley and Bingley as well as the recently acquired Dean’s York and Scarborough.
Walker Sime names UK Director of Quantity Surveying
Leeds-based construction consultancy Walker Sime has apppointed Gareth Robertson as the UK Director of Quantity Surveying. He joins from CBRE where he was Senior Director and Head of Cost Management for the North of England. It was in this role that he led and grew the cost management team over his four-year tenure.
Having collaborated with Walker Sime on various projects during his time at CBRE, Gareth shared his admiration for the consultancy’s reputation, track record and approach, citing a strong alignment with the company’s vision and his own personal values as his reasons for joining.
MD Duncan Firth said “Gareth’s appointment marks another pivotal moment in our growth. With his wealth of experience, growth mindset and alignment with our values and culture, we are confident his leadership, personality, and skills will increase the rate of our growth.”
Gareth says he will be picking up the baton with the already strong QS team, continuing the great work already being done and collectively moving the service line forward. “I will be rolling up my sleeves immediately and leading our team on several high-profile instructions,” he said.
Alongside his responsibilities as the UK Director of Quantity Surveying, Gareth also joins the new-look Executive Leadership Team at the firm.
Gareth will extend his expertise over Walker Sime’s offices in Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool. The company has provided quantity surveying and project management services to several prominent projects including The Barnum and the University of York’s Institute for Safe Autonomy, New Victoria and Civic Heat Network in Manchester, Dock Branch Park in Birkenhead and Liverpool Waters.
Housing association agrees new funding with three lenders worth £284m
Savills Financial Consultants has helped Great Places Housing Group secure three new deals worth a total of £284m with Santander, NatWest, and ABN AMRO.
Funding of £109m and £100m has been agreed with existing lenders Santander and NatWest Bank, respectively. New partner ABN AMRO has lent 25,000-home Great Places £75m. All loans are revolving credit facilities (RCFs).
All three RCFs contain sustainability-linked performance measures which see a reduced interest rate in the event that Great Places meets agreed energy efficiency targets on new and existing homes.
The housing association will use the funds to continue to deliver its commitments to customers to invest in existing and new homes in communities across the North West, Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Great Places’ current plans include further increasing resources to improve property conditions and customer services, as well as the ambition to develop around 9,000 new affordable homes during the period 2020-2030.
Mike Gerrard, Chief Financial Officer at Great Places Housing Group, said: “We are delighted to continue and develop our relationships with NatWest and Santander and welcome ABN AMRO as a new banking partner.
“We received strong interest from the banking sector for this transaction and it is pleasing to move forward with sustainability-linked funding. Thank you to the Great Places team and Savills for their insight and support.”
Mike Roche, Director at Savills Financial Consultants, said: “There were a significant number of moving parts with these deals, so it is a testament to the Great Places team that they have been able to handle the process so diligently.
“The Savills Financial Consultants team has really enjoyed helping Great Places secure this increased financial capacity at the right pricing to help deliver their aims.”
Jane Johnstone, Senior Director, Housing Finance, Santander UK, said: “We are delighted to have supported Great Places in providing this sustainability-linked facility.
“This funding will ultimately facilitate improvement in existing housing provision and the continued development of much-needed, new, affordable homes. We are proud to work together with providers such as Great Places in this critical sector.”
Martin Skinner, Relationship Director at NatWest, said: “We are a major lender to the UK affordable housing sector and are delighted to continue to support the important work of Great Places in providing much-needed social housing to the region.
“The RCF structure, coupled with sustainability-linked performance measures, will lead to more energy-efficient homes across the North West, Yorkshire and Derbyshire.
“We are proud to have announced that in 2023 we completed nearly £3bn of new funding to help more people and families have access to housing. We support around 200 housing associations across the UK and are proud to announce our ambition to provide a further £5bn in funding to support the housing association sector by the end of 2026.”
Rutilio Merien, ABN AMRO’s Head of UK Coverage Real Estate, said: “We are delighted to start this partnership and provide Great Places with new funding facilitating its commitment to develop new homes as well as improving existing ones.
“ABN AMRO is pleased to further support the social housing sector and the inclusion of ESG-linked KPIs in our facility with Great Places resonates very well with ABN AMRO’s purpose and strategy. We look forward to building a strong and long-term relationship with Great Places.”
Alice Overton, Partner at Devonshires, said: “We are delighted to have advised on these transactions and to have supported Great Places in achieving its energy efficiency and wider sustainability ambitions.
“Great Places approached this with dedication and commitment, and the team was a pleasure to work with, alongside Savills, all resulting in a great outcome for the business.”
The transaction was also supported by Addleshaw Goddard and the valuation team at Savills.
Ringrose Law expands with three new office openings
Ringrose Law has expanded its regional footprint with the opening of three new offices in Grimsby, Peterborough, and Nottingham this week. This significant expansion brings the firm’s presence in the region from five to eight offices, marking a notable milestone in the firm’s growth journey.
The new offices in Grimsby, Peterborough, and Nottingham are a testament to the firm’s ongoing success and its commitment to broadening its reach to serve more individuals and businesses. This expansion has been fuelled by the ongoing growth of the firm’s departments and teams.
With these new openings, Ringrose Law aims to replicate its successful model of providing a comprehensive range of personal and commercial legal services, catering to both individuals and businesses. The firm is dedicated to maintaining the high standards of service and expertise that have been the cornerstone of its operations across the region.
Ryan Clarke, Managing Director of Ringrose Law, expressed his enthusiasm about this phase of growth: “This expansion marks a significant period of growth for Ringrose Law. We are incredibly excited about the opportunities that these new locations will offer us. This achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and teamwork of everyone at the firm. We look forward to continuing to serve our clients with the same level of excellence and professionalism that has defined our practice.”
For over 100 years, Ringrose Law has been providing a wide range of legal services to individuals and businesses in Lincolnshire. Its expertise encompasses family law, divorce, childcare, personal injury, medical negligence, residential and commercial property transactions, wills & probate, discrimination law, dispute resolution, criminal law, and commercial law.
Ringrose Law’s expansion into Grimsby, Peterborough, and Nottingham underscores its commitment to providing accessible, quality legal services and support to more communities. The firm is excited to embark on this new chapter and to continue making a positive impact in the lives of those they serve.
For more information about Ringrose Law and its services, please visit www.ringroselaw.co.uk or contact the firm’s offices directly.
Business Shows Group marks 25 years of excellence in event organisation
Celebrating a memorable milestone, Business Shows Group is marking 25 years of excellence in event organisation. At the core of their heritage lies the Property & Business Investment Show, which runs alongside the East Midlands Expo, serving as a hub for networking and business growth opportunity in the continuously evolving environment of property, construction, finance, and related businesses.
In an age where daily client interactions are frequently limited to virtual contact, the annual events hosted by Business Shows Group serve as a meeting place for like-minded individuals to get together under one roof, generating meaningful conversations and driving business growth.
The appeal of the Expo lies not just in its longevity but in its ability to stimulate business development. In a single day, exhibitors can encounter more clients—new, old, prospective, and current—than they could meet in a month of travel and individual networking events. An indication of a well-curated event, where every handshake holds the promise of future collaboration and success.
Yet, amidst the recognition, a cautionary note resounds; beware the imitators and copycats who seek to ride on the coattails of success. Business Shows Group represents authenticity, its legacy built on quarter of a century of dedication to quality exhibitors & delegates alongside innovative ideas.
Exhibitor booking now for Nottingham, 11th November 2024 Anniversary event and Lincolnshire, 25th March 2025. For further details email tina@businessshowsgroup.co.uk or complete the exhibitor information form at https://businessshowsgroup.co.uk/exhibitor-enquiry/
Farmers call for major retailers’ support during ‘perfect storm’ of challenges
Major retailers are being urged to support the farming industry during a ‘perfect storm’ of challenges it’s facing as a result of extremely challenging and disruptive weather.
Exceptional rainfall and a succession of damaging storms have impacted livestock, arable and horticultural sectors and disrupted individual farm businesses the length and breadth of the country. No area of the UK has escaped with lambing, calving, planting and field work all proving very difficult and bringing additional cost to the business.
A joint letter from the national farmers unions throughout the UK says: “These challenges come at a time when many of our members are already struggling to remain viable due to the perfect storm of sustained and spiralling production costs, low market returns, and increasing levels of regulation.
“This latest challenge, whilst not new, is more acute than ever, and is compounding the pressure on our members.
“Farmers and growers continue to bear the lion’s share of the risk within their supply chains, and this is unsustainable. We are in discussions with our respective governments on further support to assist the industry in navigating these short-term challenges, but we also recognise the important role which retailers have to play in helping the industry to withstand this latest crisis.”
The letter calls for a commitment to local sourcing, fair supply chains, flexibility on product specification, rapid payments, and support for local suppliers.
The letter concludes: “It is no exaggeration to say that the current challenges are some of the most acute the industry has faced in a very long time, and we need your support more than ever to maintain food production across the UK and safeguard our food security.
“Our members will continue to work tirelessly in the face of this latest adversity to maintain their high standards of production and welfare that your customers have now come to expect. We now urge you to support our members’ efforts.”
£1.8bn Viking Link project between Lincolnshire and Denmark launched
National Grid has formally launched the £1.8bn project Viking Link, a 475-mile-long land and subsea cable connecting British and Danish energy grids for the first time.
Running from Bicker Fen converter station in Lincolnshire to one in southern Jutland, Denmark, across both land and sea, Viking Link is sharing British and Danish wind power as both countries become hubs of clean energy in Europe, acting as cornerstone nations for the North Sea super grid of the future.
Viking Link is National Grid’s sixth interconnector and the UK’s ninth, and is a vital instrument in delivering low cost, low carbon power to UK consumers – helping both power grids to balance the peaks and troughs that come with the growing amount of wind power needed to tackle climate change.
Since it commenced initial operations in December 2023, Viking Link has transported 1,733 gigawatt hours (GWh) of power between the two countries – a figure that will only increase over time.
With UK renewables volumes only set to increase, by the 2030s the UK is anticipated to become a net exporter of power, making Viking Link and other interconnectors even more valuable. However, the ability to import power when renewable output is low will be even more vital to ensuring consumer demand is met at the most affordable prices possible.
With Viking Link’s launch and the pipeline of interconnector projects, including LionLink and Nautilus, National Grid is delivering the infrastructure that will directly enable the deployment of 50GW of offshore wind by 2030.
In its first year alone, Viking Link is expected to save 600,000 tonnes of carbon emissions – equal to taking 280,000 cars off UK roads. National Grid’s interconnector fleet as a whole will have helped the UK to avoid around 100 million tonnes of carbon emissions by 2030, with 90% of the energy imported from zero carbon energy sources.
Viking Link alone will bring over £500 million of savings for UK consumers in its first decade of operations, while also providing enough power for 2.5million households.
Group CEO of National Grid John Pettigrew said: “In an ever-changing global energy market, the value that connections like Viking Link can provide to national energy security cannot be understated.
“Over its lifespan, this record-breaking connection will deliver over five billion pounds in efficiencies for UK consumers, allow us to trade hundreds of gigawatts in surplus power and provide an indispensable tool in guaranteeing the continued reliability of our energy system.
“Projects like this are emblematic of the efforts National Grid will make to deliver for customers and climate alike. I’m delighted that we have been able to come together with industry leaders and those who collectively spent four million working hours over five years building Viking Link to recognise that.”
He adds: “Physical connections to other countries are central to the international collaboration that sits at the heart of the energy transition we are undergoing.
“Our existing fleet, Viking Link and our planned Nautilus and LionLink projects will act as the cornerstone for North Sea nations to make the most of up to 300GW of offshore wind generation, delivering low-cost renewable energy to consumers with the least impact on coastal communities.”
Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho said: “At 475 miles long, Viking Link is the world’s longest land and subsea interconnector. This incredible feat of engineering will help us achieve net zero while strengthening our shared energy security.
“The record-breaking connection will power up to 2.5 million UK homes with clean energy from a trusted ally, while saving consumers £500 million on their energy bills.”
In 2023 National Grid announced joint plans with TenneT for a new 1.8GW interconnector between the UK and The Netherlands, called LionLink. The link would not only join the two countries but also connect to offshore wind generation.
LionLink would be the second link between the two countries and is expected to be operational in the early 2030s. National Grid is also working with Elia on a second new link called Nautilus, which is in the planning phase with the potential to link the UK with Belgium and offshore wind generation.
C-suite executives optimistic for a year of transformation and growth, but say more regulation needed on AI and sustainability
Optimism and confidence are at their highest recorded by the Mazars C-suite barometer. 96% of UK C-suites say that their company grew in 2023, up from 87% the previous year, and in contrast to 89% globally. Furthermore, almost all (98%) predict growth in 2024, and 60% of these say this growth will come organically.
The major topic on the leadership agenda is transformation through IT and new technology as a top strategic priority. 87% of UK C-suite executives believe that generative AI will have an impact on their organisation, with more than half saying this will be a major impact.
More than two thirds say their organisation already uses AI for internal processes and/or products/services – although this is slightly lower than the three quarters globally. However, over half (57%) of UK C-suite executives express ethical concerns over AI, (although globally it’s 74%) and 92% are seeking more regulatory guidance.
Elisabeth Maxwell, Deputy CEO, said: “It is very encouraging to see such optimism among our UK clients for the year ahead despite the uncertain conditions that all businesses are facing. Companies are willing to put investment in again and there are exciting developments on the horizon for AI.
“The feedback that Mazars C-suite barometer has highlighted is that more clarity is needed from regulators to enable businesses to make the best of the opportunities provided by potentially transformational technology and to enable companies to quantify success in sustainability practices.”
Key areas of investment for the UK are customer acquisition and brand strategy/positioning, followed by sustainability initiatives. Compared to other leaders globally, those in the UK have a stronger focus on engaging government/regulators, and less on external growth opportunities. An overwhelming seven in ten thinks more government regulation is important.
Over half (56%) of UK C-suite executives say their organisation produces a sustainability report compared to 71% globally, and furthermore, the proportion of leaders in the UK who are budgeting for sustainability implementation and reporting is also down from 75% last year.
The reason for this is believed to be that for those in the UK producing or planning a report, understanding regulation is now twice as big a challenge than last year, making it the equal biggest challenge alongside data capture/quality. Many UK leaders feel they lack in-house expertise to tackle sustainability properly, compared to leaders globally, who are more concerned about coverage on climate and carbon.
Partner and member of the Mazars Group Executive Board, Mark Kennedy, said: “The high levels of optimism and renewed confidence among our respondents provide a good indicator of how businesses are likely to progress this year.
“In the face of volatility, the C-suite has demonstrated resilience and agility enabling them to continue investment and transform business while addressing the challenges and opportunities of emerging technology, expansion plans and the ESG agenda, setting their businesses up for sustainable growth.
“In what may be a bounce forward year for businesses, there will still be tough decisions to make, yet we can see an increasing consciousness and confidence in the priority areas that will secure sustainable economic growth in the global economy.”
International expansion is also a rising business priority both in the UK and globally. Many UK firms looking at international expansion in the year ahead said that the USA would be their top destination.
