- Lincolnshire Agricultural Society
- Base 51
- Newark Book Festival
- Rainbows Hospice
- Children’s Bereavement Centre
- Sue Young Cancer Support
- Boston Girlguiding
- Beaumond House Hospice Care
- Tonic Health
- Kirton Youth Challenge
- The Respite Association
- Panathlon
Duncan & Toplis Foundation donates £30,000 to charities
Since its launch in late 2022 the Duncan & Toplis Foundation has committing to giving more than £30,000 to charity, with benefitting organisations including
Sowerby Developments completes 16-home development for Lace Housing
Contractors T.G. Sowerby Developments Ltd have completed a 16-home development in Scunthorpe for affordable housing association LACE Housing.
Designed by Cambridge-based Saunders Boston Architects, Collinson Court near Scunthorpe town centre will provide 16 affordable, safe and secure homes for people aged over 55.
The new development is of two 2-storey buildings, incorporating 16 one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, as well as a communal lounge facility, mobility scooter store and enclosed private gardens.
James Bonsall, Director at T.G. Sowerby Developments Ltd, said: “With this scheme, Lace Housing has had an incredibly positive impact on the local area by transforming the site from what it was into a modern and attractive development, specifically designed for older people to live, and it has been a pleasure to work with them to achieve this.
“We’re extremely proud of the workmanship and quality of finish which our tradespeople have delivered on this project, which has also enabled us to sustain and create several apprenticeships with our firm, with trainee bricklayers, joiners and site managers all getting some of their first experiences of the construction industry here.
“We sincerely hope that all the residents of Collinson Court will be very happy in their new homes.”
The scheme is designed to aid and encourage access to the wider community and is located within easy reach of supermarkets, public transport, a doctor’s surgery, convenience stores and eateries.
Nick Chambers, CEO of LACE Housing Association, said: “We are dedicated to providing affordable, high quality homes for the Lincolnshire community, which are open to anyone over the age of 55. This scheme will provide much-needed affordable housing to support independent living for our older and vulnerable people.
“With our first residents having already moved in, I’m so excited to hear what they think of this excellent facility. We’d like to encourage anyone who is interested in moving to Collinson Court to get in touch with us via our website.”
To be eligible for LACE’s accommodation, residents will be required to meet certain criteria, including having a connection to the local area of North Lincolnshire.
HEY! Did you know broadening membership base had resulted in name change for business club?
The Business Culture Hull changed its name to reflect increasing membership from further afield.
MD Tony Bowler said: “Over the years we’ve had multiple business owners outside the HU1 to HU9 postcodes join our club, but its name suggests geographical limits that may put off some people outside the city. That’s why from 1st January 2024, we will be known as The Business Culture Hull & East Yorkshire, or HEY for short.”
The Business Culture HEY will enable businesses across the region to get involved in the club’s networking sessions, peer support programme, collaboration projects and inspiring events, including their very first ‘Business Expo’ scheduled for April this year.
“From the outset we have always embraced and welcomed new members from across the region, the only caveat is that they are willing to help and support their fellow members,” said Tony. “Our business community stretches from York and Driffield to Grimsby, Scunthorpe and Goole. By changing the name, we’re making it clear that businesses across Yorkshire are very welcome to join. A larger membership can only be a good thing for the group as a whole, as there will be more people to connect with and a richer variety of knowledge to tap into.”
“The Business Culture HEY is a family of like-minded businesses who share good news, advice and support with the central ethos of growth and connection,” said Tony. “From open networking and training sessions to VIP private dining clubs and industry-leading motivational speaker events, there’s a lot to be gained by becoming a member and engaging with our community.”
Founded in January 2016 by husband and wife team Tony and Michelle Bowler the organisation ws directed at Hull business owners and their employees, and now has 180 business members and over 6,500 individual members. Its popularity soon resulted in entrepreneurs, start-ups, sole traders, limited companies and charities further afield showing interest in becoming a member, which motivated the organisers to reassess the club’s name.
Jobs on the menu as plant-based firm opens ‘UK first’ site
Almost 70 jobs will be created after a plant-based food manufacturer moved into a huge new product development site.
MYCO Holdings will transform a former food manufacturing plant in Leeming Bar into a vertically farmed production unit. It will be the first site of its kind in the UK.
The North East-based firm hopes the move into the purpose-built 20,000 sq ft site will launch an exciting period of growth, amid an expected boom in sales of plant-based meat substitutes.
“This is a great move for MYCO, and one we all believe will help the business unlock its extraordinary potential,” said John Shepherd, co-founder and chairman of MYCO.
“This new site is a food industry first, and the concept of combining both the growing of the raw materials and the manufacturing of the finished product under one roof will pave the way for more sustainable food manufacturing practices in the future.”
MYCO’s own plant-based protein is made from oyster mushrooms and has already attracted interest from a host of household names across the food industry. And MYCO’s management team received a warm welcome when they took over the site in November – when they found mushrooms were already growing around the grounds!
Since then, the site’s been cleared in preparation for production to ramp up in the New Year. The move follows months of work with Judith Turner of North Yorkshire Council to secure the unit, which given its proximity to the A1, will further aid sustainability by reducing food miles.
To cope with the expected influx of demand, the six staff initially based at the new site will need to swell to around 75 over the forthcoming period.
According to the firm’s new CEO David Wood, the new unit helps future-proof the business while allowing the business to expand on multiple fronts.
“MYCO’s goal isn’t to turn the world into vegans but is to encourage meat-eaters to eat more sustainable plant-based products,” said David.
“We believe we can achieve this by having products that taste fantastic and are made with kitchen cupboard ingredients.
“The business believes that creating mouthwatering alternatives that resemble ‘proper’ food will make swapping from meat to plant-based substitutes far easier.
“This site will allow us to press on with that vision, whilst for the first time ever in the UK, giving customers the chance to choose genuinely sustainable, vertically farmed products.
“We hope our unique, sustainable approach can be mirrored by other food producers as ultimately, our biggest priority is to help the planet survive – we just hope we can play our part.”
Planning permission secured for up to 126 new homes in Bridlington
Keyland Developments Ltd, the property trading arm of Kelda Group and sister company to Yorkshire Water, has secured planning permission from East Riding of Yorkshire Council for a residential development of up to 126 affordable homes on land off Scarborough Road in Bridlington.
The 100% affordable housing scheme is on a circa 10-acre site, in a sustainable residential area, creating an extension to Bridlington.
Construction is planned for two, three and four-bedroom properties and an area of public space. New vehicular access will be created off the A165 Scarborough Road.
Matthew Turnbull, planning & development manager at Keyland Developments Ltd, said: “We are delighted to secure planning at Scarborough Road to increase the residential offering in Bridlington and provide new residents with a host of added benefits.
“The 100% affordable scheme will provide a significant boost to the provision of affordable housing in Bridlington, while the construction of the development could support around 211 jobs, generating a GVA of more than £10 million.”
Spinks secures funding to bring innovative spring tech to rail seating
Spinks, a Leeds-based spring manufacturer and components supplier to the mattress and furniture industry, has secured a £250,000 research contract to bring its EcoSeat™ spring technology to UK rail seating.
The research contract is being awarded by the Department for Transport and the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, through the ‘First of a Kind’ (FOAK) 2023 funded research competition, and will be used to bring Spinks’ innovative pocket spring technology to the railway industry with the aim of improving overall passenger comfort and experience.
The research contract demonstrates the British manufacturer’s ability to provide innovation and cost-saving solutions which will help deliver new 100% recyclable rail seating that incorporates its patented glue-free pocket springs – a key component within mattress production for Spinks’ parent company, luxury mattress manufacturer, Harrison Spinks.
Commercial partner in the project, Quantum Seating – a Coventry-based rail seat manufacturer – will bring a wealth of knowledge to the development of longer lasting and 100% recyclable rail seats made using Spinks’ EcoSeat™ microcoils, plus integrating hemp, which is grown on the company’s 300-acre farm in Yorkshire.
The seats aim to be the most comfortable and sustainable rail seat and will be part of an existing Quantum Seating aluminium frame along with seat covers made with high wool content. With flammability standards difficult to meet with conventional foams, flame retardants and fire barriers are normally added to the seat construction, however this is not necessary with EcoSeat™.
Spinks and Quantum Seating are also collaborating with Angel Trains, which operates over 4,000 trains and represents more than one-third of the UK’s passenger rolling stock, specialising in innovative and sustainable rail vehicles. The project plans to integrate the innovative seating into new trains for a range of UK rail travel providers.
Darren Marcangelo, Managing Director at Spinks, said: “We’re honoured to have been awarded this funding from Innovate UK and feel it’s a significant milestone for the future of rail travel. Passengers will soon be able to travel on comfortable seating that’s been made here in the UK with safe, quality components, and manufactured with the environment in mind.
“The project is in addition to the recent automotive seating research contract for Spinks, working with a number of electric vehicle manufacturers to integrate microcoils into automotive seating. This new research contract solidifies our position within the transportation sector as we help these industries further reach their sustainability goals.
“We’re also proud to be partnering with Quantum Seating and Angel Trains on this ground-breaking project. Working together, we will provide rail seating which is comfortable, safer and circular, with longer operational life, helping to improve rail travel here in the UK and hopefully around the world.”
Simon Millward, Managing Director of Quantum Seating, said: “Improving seat comfort and environmental sustainability are two important factors that drive the engineering of our products and integrating the Spinks’ EcoSeat™ microcoils will help us achieve these goals.
“An added benefit will be to reduce the overall weight of our class-leading products which will also give environmental benefits to our customers. We look forward to developing this exciting new seat in conjunction with Spinks.”
This project is funded by the Department for Transport through the First of a Kind 2023 competition, delivered by Innovate UK.
Council’s Grade II-listed former children’s services building to be auctioned
A Grade II-listed Victorian former school building, most recently used by Leeds City Council as its children’s services offices, is being put up for auction by the council with a guide price of £750,000 to £800,000.
Vacant since November, the prominent building, on Kildare Terrace in the Holbeck area of Leeds, was formerly Jacob Kramer College. The site features in the online property auction to be held by auctioneer Pugh on 31 January.
The former school, now called Adams Court, is located on a site of almost an acre and is set across a 20,000 sq ft main building and two further outbuildings.
Will Thompson from auctioneer Pugh said: “This really is a rare and exciting opportunity to acquire a freehold site and a historic Leeds property.
“Adams Court is a brownfield site that is unallocated in the local plan so it may well be suitable for change of use or redevelopment, subject to gaining the necessary planning consents. Interested parties should note, however, that the property is Grade II-listed.”
He added: “Excellent road links, via the A58, A643 and M621, also add to the appeal of the property and there are some big brands, such as Dunelm and Enterprise, trading nearby in a local area that is predominantly retail and light industrial.”
Yorkshire business confidence dips
Business confidence in Yorkshire fell 17 points during December to 33%, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.
Companies in Yorkshire reported lower confidence in their own business prospects month-on-month, down 13 points at 36%. When taken alongside their optimism in the economy, down 22 points to 23%, this gives a headline confidence reading of 33%.
Yorkshire businesses identified their top target areas for growth in the next six months as evolving their offers (35%), hiring new employees, and investing in teams (31%) and diversifying into adjacent markets (29%).
The Business Barometer, which surveys 1,200 businesses monthly, provides early signals about UK economic trends both regionally and nationwide.
A net balance of 34% of businesses in Yorkshire expect to increase staff levels over the next year, up 8 points on last month.
Overall UK business confidence fell two points in December to 35%, the first decrease since August, driven largely by firms’ outlook on the overall UK economy which dipped by eleven points from 38% to 27%. Businesses’ optimism in their own trading prospects also decreased, but less markedly so – by five points to 43%.
Companies’ hiring intentions also dropped slightly with 29% of firms intending to increase staff levels over the next 12 months, down six points month-on-month.
Firms in West and East Midlands were the only regions to report an increase in confidence, up one point to 33% and up five points to 34% respectively. The North East was most confident, remaining at 48% for the second consecutive month, followed by the East of England (45%), London (38%) and the South West (36%).
Firms in the services industry reported a significant decrease in confidence, down 16 points to 30%, due to moderation in both trading prospects and economic optimism. Manufacturing confidence also eased back (38%, down seven points). However, retail and construction both bucked the trend with rises to 44% (up two points) and 37% (up two points) respectively.
Steve Harris, regional director for Yorkshire at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “Whilst slightly disappointing to see the fall in business confidence among Yorkshire businesses, it’s not entirely surprising that confidence levels have dipped within the last month.
“It’s been a challenging year for businesses in the region, but it’s positive to see that business confidence has gone up from a reading of 22% last year to 33% this year, demonstrating that confidence has been higher year-on-year.
“Despite the short term dip in confidence, businesses looking to expand into growing markets can hope to achieve their growth ambitions for the coming year through acquisitions and evolving offerings. We’ll be by the side of businesses who are targeting growth and expansion of their firms in 2024.”
Hann-Ju Ho, senior economist, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “This December data was collected following several key announcements, including energy prices rises and the UK economic outlook being revised down in the Autumn Statement. All of this will undoubtedly have had an impact on business confidence as we head into 2024.
“Businesses are also balancing cost pressures with a challenging labour market that will see increases to minimum wage in April 2024, as perhaps indicated in the wage growth figures, at a time when they are managing staff retention and recruitment decisions.
“However, over the course of the year confidence has steadily increased from an average confidence of 25% in the first three-months of 2023 and ending the year with a three month average of 39% – an indication of the positive trajectory business has seen this year. This provides a healthier position to begin 2024 with, compared to 2023.”
2024 Business Predictions: Jason Whitworth, M&A Partner at BDO LLP in Yorkshire
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 Jason Whitworth, M&A Partner at BDO LLP in Yorkshire.
The continued challenges in the economic environment have unsurprisingly translated into a quieter M&A market in 2023, with deal volume, both regionally and nationally, down – according to the latest BDO quarterly Private Company Price Index (PCPI) report.
Across the board, fewer M&A deals were done in Q3 than in the previous quarter. Overall, transaction levels were down from 673 to 567; trade deals fell from 559 to 476; while private equity deals saw a slightly steeper decline of 18%, with only 91 deals being done in the quarter.
The subdued nature of the market has resulted in deals being more difficult to deliver and taking longer to execute. Valuation in particular remains a pivotal concern in making deals happen. Uncertain, and potentially lower earnings, coupled with the higher cost of debt, means that there is more complexity in structuring deals that will meet both buyer and vendor expectations.
While the latest M&A statistics tell a certain story, there are still deals to be done with excellent and dynamic businesses in the region continuing to attract the attention of investors. The appetite to do deals remains, with strategic demand and available capital continuing to be strong. A more stable economic environment allows for more robust forecasting and, coupled with a degree of pent-up demand, we anticipate a step up in deal activity. We have started to see renewed activity from international buyers, who until recently were focussed on other ‘more attractive’ international growth markets and increased evidence of distress is bringing additional assets to market.
In the next few months, the level of activity across the region and from a sector perspective will undoubtedly continue to be affected by wider economic pressures, and political change. However, it is clear is that both corporate and private equity have a desire to invest and will be looking to deliver in 2024.
University’s business incubation centre celebrates support for 1,000 firms over two decades
The Sparkhouse business incubation centre created by the University of Lincoln has celebrated two decades of providing expert support to more than 1,000 county businesses.
Sparkhouse offers specialist business incubation services, including tenant packages which provide managed office space and meeting rooms in a city centre location, access to catering, and virtual office options.
Charlotte Baxter, Enterprise Manager at the University of Lincoln, said: “It was wonderful to celebrate the 20th anniversary in a room full of past and present tenants, supporters and staff. The feedback from the night was overwhelmingly positive and heart-warming. Having such an array of attendees highlighted the far-reaching nature of the support that Sparkhouse provides, and we look forward to continuing this work.
“The Enterprise and Innovation Team at the University of Lincoln would like to extend a big thank you to not only all of our attendees on the night, but also to those that sadly couldn’t join us, we would not be where we are without their support.”
Luke Wiggs, Creative Director at Commuter Films, said: “Sparkhouse has been instrumental for Commuter Films and its entrepreneurial journey, providing crucial business support for our first office and grant assistance. It nurtured an environment for creativity and growth.
“Our story has come full circle with Sparkhouse. George, our first employee and a University of Lincoln graduate, symbolises the link between education and real-world impact. Sparkhouse not only fuelled our growth but also created opportunities for talented graduates.”
