Bespoke Stairlifts secures HSBC UK funding for global expansion

April Lara
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Bespoke Stairlifts secures HSBC UK funding for global expansion

Huddersfield-based Bespoke Stairlifts has secured a seven-figure funding package from HSBC UK to support international expansion. The funding, including invoice and trade finance, will help the company scale manufacturing in West Yorkshire.

The business invests in new machinery and technology to boost production capacity, responding to growing global demand. Bespoke Stairlifts exports to over 70 countries, including North America, India, and Europe, and plans to expand its workforce by 25% next year.

With production space tripling to 36,000 sq ft across sites in Huddersfield, Bradford, and Bingley, the company aims to increase turnover by 30% to £17 million in 2025. HSBC UK facilitated the deal through its senior relationship and business development managers.

Avian flu detected in Yorkshire sheep prompts biosecurity warning

April Lara
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Avian flu detected in Yorkshire sheep prompts biosecurity warning

Farmers are being urged to strengthen biosecurity measures after a case of avian influenza (H5N1) was confirmed in a sheep in Yorkshire—the first reported instance of the virus in the species.

UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss has stated that while the risk to livestock remains low, all farm owners should implement strict cleanliness protocols and report any suspected cases to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Similar cases of avian-origin influenza have previously been identified in dairy cows in the US.

Nigel Bennet, livestock area manager for Northern Europe at Roam Technology, stressed the importance of preventive measures, including restricting visitor access, disinfecting equipment, and closely monitoring animal health. He advised farmers to quarantine new or returning livestock for at least 21 days, secure feed storage, and conduct daily health checks to prevent disease spread.

Avian influenza is a notifiable disease in poultry, captive birds, and certain mammals. Farmers suspecting infections must report cases to APHA in England (03000 200 301), Wales (0300 303 8268), or their local Field Services Office in Scotland.

Anglian Water expands emergency water supply capacity in East of England

April Lara
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Anglian Water expands emergency water supply capacity in East of England

Anglian Water has signed a new three-year agreement with emergency water supplier Water Direct to enhance rapid-response water deliveries across the East of England. The deal ensures up to 20,000 emergency water deliveries per year for households on Anglian Water’s Priority Services Register (PSR), which supports vulnerable customers during supply disruptions.

The partnership, which dates back to 2008, increases Anglian Water’s reserves in Water Direct’s Nationwide Bottled Water Bank (NWBW) for faster emergency response. Water Direct has committed to delivering water to at least 2,000 households within 24 hours when required.

The agreement aligns with regulatory changes expected to expand the number of customers eligible for PSR support by up to 40%. By outsourcing emergency deliveries, Anglian Water can reallocate internal resources to focus on resolving supply issues, improving operational efficiency.

Water Direct is also developing a technology platform to enhance real-time tracking, customer data verification, and delivery management, ensuring more efficient and transparent emergency water distribution.

Skegness hotel sold

Tess Egginton
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Skegness hotel sold
The Queens Hotel in Skegness has been sold to Sodhi Managements Ltd.
The family-run hotel has been owned and operated by Ran and Yuan since 2020, who said: “We are happy to pass the hotel to Sodhi Managements Ltd. “Skegness is England’s fourth most popular holiday destination, with over 1.4 million visitors each year, attracted to its sandy beach and seafront attractions including Nature land Seal Sanctuary, museum, aquarium and more. “There’s also the town’s annual carnival, arts festival and other activities, attracting people from all over the country. We wish Sodhi Managements Ltd every success in the future.” Matt Hill, Senior Business Agent at Christie & Co, who managed the sale process, said: “The Queens Hotel has been a very popular hotel opportunity, and demonstrates the strong demand we are currently seeing in the market for well-positioned and well-maintained businesses in tourist locations.” The hotel was sold off an asking price of £450,000.

Yorkshire Dales local plan enters final consultation

April Lara
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Yorkshire Dales local plan enters final consultation

The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has opened a final consultation on its local plan, which will guide development in the national park until 2040. The consultation focuses on whether the plan is “sound” and allows for public feedback on potential changes.

The plan outlines policies for housing, business development, and rural enterprise, with a target of 50 new homes per year. A key policy introduces a principal occupancy condition to prevent new homes from becoming second homes or holiday lets. The plan also includes measures for nature recovery and climate resilience.

Following the consultation, an independent inspector will review the plan. If approved, it is expected to be adopted in early 2026.

Revenue and profit rise at Wakefield games developer

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Revenue and profit rise at Wakefield games developer

Games developer everplay, recently rebranded from Team17, has shown a rise in revenue and profits in unaudited final results for the year ended 31 December 2024.

Revenue at the Wakefield-based firm grew to £166.6m, up from £159.1m in 2023. Meanwhile, the business posted a pre-tax profit of £25.3m, recovering from a loss of £1.1m in the prior year.

Steve Bell, Group Chief Executive Officer of everplay, said: “I am extremely pleased with the Group’s performance during 2024, a clear return to the quality business for which we have been known.

“As we begin our first year under the new name of everplay, I am excited about the incredible slate of games we have lined up for 2025, and some important innovations in our business model. Allied with stringent cost controls, we are confident that these will deliver results our shareholders expect.”

The business has hailed a good start to 2025, supported by momentum from festive season promotions, with everplay “confident” that it can deliver an improved trading performance in 2025, marginally ahead of current market expectations.

£93m refinancing package enables management buy-out at evo

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£93m refinancing package enables management buy-out at evo
Andrew Gale, CEO of the business supplies distributor evo, has lead a management buy-out, enabled by a refinancing package through the business’s existing lending syndicate of Leumi ABL (Leumi) and Close Invoice Finance Limited (Close Brothers). The deal facilitates a successful exit for funds managed by Endless LLP, evo’s long-standing PE shareholder. Headquartered in Normanton, the evo group has grown significantly under Endless’s ownership and is now made up of six different brands, generating in excess of £500m of sales and employing 2,000 people. It provides sourcing, storage, specialist and value-added fulfilment services to resellers, consumers, large public sector bodies and corporate organisations and offers the full range of business-critical supplies from everyday essentials, facility supplies, paper, furniture and technology. Andrew will continue as Chief Executive supported by Jon Maxted, evo CFO, and the evo Trading Board and team. With evo continuing its journey with both Leumi and Close Brothers, the refinancing marks evo’s third deal with Leumi and second with Close Brothers. The facilities provided are an £80m invoice finance facility and £13m in term loans. Commenting on the MBO and refinancing, Andrew Gale, evo CEO, said: “From Day 1 as Chief Executive the goal was to materially transform the trading results of evo and to enable an exit for Endless. Over the last two years as CEO, EBITDA has doubled with record EBTIDA results delivered in both FY24 and FY25, which has now enabled an exit for Endless to be delivered. “Endless have been a fantastic investor in evo over the past 16 years and together we have navigated this period with the support of some high-quality individuals. One constant has been the steady and resolute support of Garry Wilson, Endless Group Managing Partner. We thank Garry for his counsel over the years and the skill and expertise of the Endless team. “Peter Yendell, Andy Ross, Mathew Deering, James Woolley all deserve a mention. In the last couple of years, the results have improved under the watch of David Isaacs, Endless Director, who deserves great credit for both challenging and supporting me. With a 16-year Endless training course behind me, I’m now much better equipped to lead evo – so thank you. “The evo business has made major strides over the last couple of years and we are excited about the opportunities in front of us. This refinancing and transaction unlock the opportunity for evo to take on fresh investment to support our ambitions in terms of product and geographical expansion, all within a balanced multi-sales channel model.” David Isaacs, Endless Director, said: “It has been a pleasure working with evo in recent years and to see the business go from strength to strength. There have been improvements in all areas of the business with record EBITDA being delivered, the product offering constantly evolving and an extension of its route to markets. “In addition, we have supported evo with several successful acquisitions over the years, which in culmination have embedded evo as a recognised market leader and positioned the business well for its next phase of growth. “Under Andrew’s excellent stewardship, we strongly believe that the business will continue on its positive trajectory and create wider opportunities for growth and investment. We wish the whole management team all the best for the future.” John Walsh, Regional Sales Director (Leeds and North-East), Leumi, said: “We are very pleased to be continuing to work with Andrew and the evo team. “We have a shared ‘no nonsense’ approach to business and we are pleased to be able to Lead the Club funding to enable the MBO to take place and we are looking forward to working with the evo business and Close Brothers in the years to come. Our ability to provide a flexible range of ABL facilities was key to enabling this transaction to be completed.” Andrew Metcalfe, Head of Corporate Sales, Close Brothers, said: “We are delighted to support Andrew and the evo team with the transaction. “The new facilities provided will support the MBO and provide the liquidity for the continued growth trajectory of the business. We look forward to a long-term partnership with the management team and our lending partner Leumi ABL.” Endless were advised by Walker Morris LLP. Leumi and Close were advised by DLA. Andrew Gale was advised by Peter Considine, Finance Eagle Limited and BDO.

Arla in talks over Settle creamery closure

April Lara
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Arla in talks over Settle creamery closure

Arla Foods has discussed with local stakeholders the proposed closure of its Settle creamery in North Yorkshire. The meeting, hosted by Skipton MP Sir Julian Smith, included representatives from the GMB Union, North Yorkshire Council, and local councillors.

Discussions focused on potential land options for Arla’s operations, employee support, and alternative business strategies. Arla is currently consulting with affected employees and engaging with the GMB Union and local authorities.

Further meetings are planned as stakeholders assess all possible options for the site and impacted workers.

Lawyers take on ‘World’s Toughest Row’ to raise £150,000 for Yorkshire charities

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Lawyers take on ‘World’s Toughest Row’ to raise £150,000 for Yorkshire charities
A pair of Yorkshire lawyers taking on the ‘World’s Toughest Row’ across the Atlantic gathered with sponsors and their supported charities at Alwoodley Golf Club, to toast the duo’s progress as they head towards their £150,000 fundraising target. David Knaggs and Richard Larking, who will set off to row their seven-metre boat ‘Brizo’ across the Atlantic from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua in December this year as Team GREENS2BLUE, have already received sponsorship topping £50,000. The duo hatched the plan to take part in the race while golfing together at the Alwoodley Golf Club and are raising funds for charities Maggie’s, which supports people with cancer, their families and friends, and Friends of Alfie Martin, which raises funds for neonatal equipment at the Leeds teaching hospitals. Aged 60 and 59 when the race kicks off, the pair will be two of the oldest participants in a gruelling transatlantic voyage that will see them celebrate Christmas and New Year thousands of miles from their families, facing 40ft waves and hazards including shipping traffic, whales and potential marlin strikes. David said: “It feels great to mark the progress we’ve made towards our fundraising target with the help of our supporters. With a charity ball and golf day still to come in the summer, we’re confident that we can make it all the way by the time we head to the race start in December. “We’re both training really hard as the day draws ever closer and the challenge of more than possibly fifty days at sea becomes more and more real, so this gathering is a little light relief from our diet and exercise regimes.” “The support we’ve had from businesses, friends and well-wishers at the golf club where we first had the idea to take on this challenge has been fantastic, and we’re grateful for everything people are doing to help us towards our target,” added Richard. The pair have secured sponsorship from regional and local businesses since they announced their participation in the race last year. In addition to headline sponsor, independent business rescue and recovery specialist Begbies Traynor, they now have 12 other corporate supporters including Ginetta; Happy Drains; Optivet Referrals; Cellular Pathology Services; Macintosh James & Partners Wealth Management; El Gato Negro Tapas; Middleton Law; Richard Fahey Racing; Springfield Healthcare, Waterer’s Services Limited; Walker Morris and SBFM Ltd. As well as sponsorship, the two charities will benefit from the proceeds of fundraising events including a golf day at Alwoodley Golf Club on 29 May and a black-tie Midsummer Night ball at the Pavilions of Harrogate on 21 June. Julian Pitts, regional managing partner for Begbies Traynor’s 10 offices across Yorkshire, Humberside and the North East, adds: “It’s remarkable to see the progress that Richard and David are making towards their targets, and the physical and mental preparation they are undertaking to make sure they are properly equipped for the weeks of isolation and exertion they have ahead of them once they depart from the Canary Islands in December. “To have already received the sponsorship and donations that they have towards their ambitious fundraising target is a great achievement and hopefully more sponsors and supporters will join the effort in the run up to the race start.” Further opportunities to support the pair in their fundraising, including details of the fundraising events, can be found on www.greens2blue.co.uk

Investec backs student housing portfolio with £86.5m refinancing

April Lara
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Investec backs student housing portfolio with £86.5m refinancing

Investec Bank has provided an £86.5 million refinancing loan for a five-property purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) portfolio across London, Nottingham, Newcastle, Sheffield, and Lincoln. The assets, managed by Global Student Accommodation’s (GSA) operating partner Yugo, include 1,460 student beds.

The refinancing includes upgrades to two properties, enhancing bedrooms and communal spaces. This marks the second deal between Investec and GSA, with the bank having financed over £1.15 billion in PBSA projects since 2011, supporting more than 22,000 student beds across 62 developments in 26 UK cities.

Despite economic challenges, Investec continues to prioritise PBSA, citing strong demand and the sector’s resilience. The deal aligns with the bank’s strategy to expand its lending portfolio through larger financing agreements.

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