- Invest finances in the club to allow us to have the budget to maintain a full-time playing squad and to bounce back into Super League and then challenge to be a top 6 Super League club in the coming years.
- Create a winning culture at the club where everyone involved with club gives 100% effort.
- Appoint Daryl Powell as the new head coach on an initial 4-year deal.
- Appoint a recruitment and salary cap manager to ensure we have fully researched every new player signing for the club.
- Ensure the youth setup and youth scouting setup delivers the best players coming through the Academy/Scholarship and once they reach first team level keep them at the club.
- Attract and keep top players from both the UK market and overseas.
- Engage with the supporters and people of Wakefield to make the club the most fan oriented professional sports club in the game. A new Wakefield Trinity App is being developed and will be ready for the start of the new season.
- Enhance our work with local businesses to attract new sponsors and hopefully negotiate discounts for Trinity supporters (can’t promise this one!).
- Raise the number of supporters to fill the stadium.
- Finance/introduce monthly season ticket options to make season ticket payments easier for the supporters.
- Fully utilise the new East Stand and facilities and put on events for everyone to enjoy.
- Make the ground facilities better to improve the matchday experience.
- Ensure our youth, women’s, PDRL, LDRL and Wheelchair teams get the support required to succeed.
- Work with the Foundation to help maintain and where possible improve our community work.
Wakefield Trinity to be acquired by Matt Ellis of DIY-Kitchens
An agreement has been reached, subject to legal completion, for rugby club Wakefield Trinity to be acquired by Matt Ellis of DIY-Kitchens.
John Minards, chairman, said: “I am delighted that we have reached agreement with Matt for this deal to go through following months of discussions and working together through what has been a very difficult time on the field. Please join me in welcoming Matt and his family as the next custodians of the institution that is Wakefield Trinity.
“Despite the disappointment of relegation, the club is in a great position for success in the near term. The East Stand is almost open for business and its completion marks the end of a significant phase of our stadium redevelopment, following the new floodlights, screen and playing surface as well as the rebuilding of the North Stand.
“In addition, our recent submission to the RFL in respect of Grading contains very positive metrics, particularly in the areas of financial strength and fandom. Put together with the impact of the new facilities which will be included in 2024, we anticipate a very favourable outcome when Grading comes in for the 2025 season.
“There are so many reasons to be positive and optimistic about the future of our great club – just read what Matt Ellis has to say!”
Matt said: “I have been working with Michael and John over the past few months regarding the takeover of the club and now terms have been agreed and the deal is at the final stage I feel it is appropriate to write a statement to our loyal supporters.
“I am sure just like myself and everyone associated with the club you are feeling deeply saddened by the club ultimately failing to maintain Super League status for the first time since 1999.
“This is not through a lack of effort from Mark Applegarth but ultimately we haven’t been good enough.
“We now need to move on to the next chapter in the club’s history, it is my intention to complete the takeover of the club in the next 14 days.
“I have supported the club since going to watch a game at Oakwell in 1999 where we successfully beat St Helens. I have always been a sports fanatic but since that game Rugby League was the game for me and Trin were the team for me. I am originally from Barnsley but I have lived in the Wakefield area since 2010.
“The journey of owning the club in my mind really started in 2020 when my company DIY Kitchens agreed to become the club’s main kit sponsor. Ultimately ASUS came back in and the deal fell through but ever since then it has been in my mind to takeover the club. 2020 wasn’t the right time due to work commitments but when Micheal expressed a desire to leave the club earlier this year I felt the timing was right this time.
“My company DIY-Kitchens may be known to some of you but for anyone who doesn’t know we are an online kitchen retailer and manufacturer and employ 550 people in the Wakefield/Leeds postcode area.
“Enough of the back story, what you would like to know is what is next for the club and what I hope to achieve as the new owner of the club.
Firms urged to capitalise on new electronic trade documents law
The British Chambers of Commerce says firms wanting to boost their exports and reduce costs should quickly embrace a new era of digital trade.
It made the call as the Government’s flagship Electronic Trade Documents Act finally came into force.
William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the BCC, said: “Campaigners, including the BCC, have worked for years to have the Electronic Trade Documents Act passed, and its introduction is a huge milestone.
“This new era is starting in the UK, but we can also act as a beacon, leading towards further digitalisation of trade across the world. We now need to see other governments accelerating their work to digitalise border processes.
“In our Trade Manifesto, we called on the UK Government to work with business to ensure 60% of the UK’s exports are carried out digitally by the end of the decade.
“The whole Chamber Network has already risen to this challenge and has switched to using Digital Certificates of Origin for the UK.
“As more countries make the transition, we will be able to increasingly digitize our trade – making it much less bureaucratic, and leading to big savings in both costs and time.”
The Electronic Trade Documents Act gives legal status to electronic Bills of Exchange and Bills of Lading and other commercial documents.
The new legislation gained Royal Assent on July 20 this year and has just into force. It provides opportunities to digitalise international trade documents and reap efficiency benefits. It also covers trade documents such as promissory notes, warehouse receipts, marine insurance policies, and cargo insurance certificates.
Just days remain before single-use plastics ban, firms are warned
Businesses in England are being reminded by Trading Standards officials that they have until October 1st to get rid of certain single-use plastic items – or run the risk of being fined.
Businesses including takeaways, sandwich shops, and retailers will no longer be able to use a range of items including all single-use plastic cutlery, trays, plates, bowls, and balloon sticks, as well as certain types of polystyrene cups and food containers used to supply ready-to eat food.
The ban on these items will include online and over-the-counter sales and supply, items from new and existing stock, all types of single-use plastic, including biodegradable, compostable and recycled, and items wholly or partly made from plastic, including coating or lining.
It is estimated that England uses 2.7 billion items of single-use cutlery each year, and 721 million single-use plates. Only 10 per cent of these items are recycled.
Plastic pollution takes hundreds of years to break down and inflicts serious damage to our oceans, rivers and land. It is also a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, from the production and manufacture of the plastic itself to the way it is disposed.
It is expected that banning these items will have a significant impact in reducing plastic waste and littering in England.
New strategy for Leeds economy
Nine ‘big ideas’ to deliver inclusive growth, focusing on people, place, and productivity, have been agreed by senior councillors as part of the next phase of the Leeds Inclusive Growth Strategy.
The new strategy provides a framework to 2030 to tackle challenges facing Leeds and meet the council’s Best City Ambitions, including tackling poverty and inequality, poor health and meeting zero carbon commitments. This builds on the previous successful strategy that helped drive forward inclusive growth in Leeds between 2018 and 2023.
People are the cornerstone of any city’s economy, and a key theme of the strategy outlines the ambition to tackle issues surrounding poverty and inequality, a rapidly changing labour market and ensuring that education and training meets local needs reflecting the approach set out in the Leeds Future Talent Plan, which was launched last year.
Ensuring that places put people first and work for all is the second theme of the strategy. The strategy outlines how the council will invest in places and transport to deliver a sustainable economy and greener future. This will help to connect and strengthen communities by ensuring that city and local centres thrive, and ensuring jobs and homes are delivered in the right place.
This is reflected in the work surrounding the South Leeds Gateway, connecting hospital, health and life science assets at St James University Hospital and Leeds General Infirmary through the city centre to Morley, with a linked pipeline of projects worth over £2billion and commitments for over 15,000 new homes.
The final theme focuses on unlocking productivity, enabling business to innovate and grow in the face of change. Delivering the council’s vision for innovation is crucial to ensuring a greener more inclusive future, and the strategy outlines how this will be achieved by backing diverse innovators and entrepreneurs with the potential to create high growth businesses.
The council will continue to invest in the city’s innovation infrastructure including the Innovation Arc, in order to create a centre of global significance. Unlocking over one million Square feet of innovation space, the arc will draw together entrepreneurs, start-ups and businesses to share ideas and increase access to capital, to accelerate growth.
Businesses will continue to be supported to become more productive and thrive in the face of change, with the strategy also outlining how the council will promote Leeds as a global destination for people to visit, live, work and invest.
Leeds has a thriving digital community, and the strategy outlines how this will be built on, by positioning Leeds as digital city and facilitating growth in the sector, by developing the required infrastructure and talent.
With the power of collaboration as a key principle, the new strategy also builds on the success of the Leeds Anchors Network made up of the city’s largest employers by extending the idea to include Business Anchors.
The Business Anchors network will bring together large business operating in Leeds committed to working together to create growth in our economy that works for everyone.
Despite the challenges of the previous five years, Leeds has already seen success in driving forward inclusive growth. With the previous strategy outlining the council’s ambitions to become the destination of choice for major UK institutions and global companies, which saw the city attracting the new UK Infrastructure Bank, Channel 4, Burberry, and Cognizant all now calling Leeds home.
The strategy is underpinned by the council’s commitment to green the economy and support businesses and the city to be more resilient and continue to thrive, as the city and council works towards zero carbon.
Speaking ahead of the strategy’s launch, Councillor James Lewis, Leader of Leeds City Council, said: “Developing an economy that works for all is crucial to ensuring we can meet the challenges facing Leeds, from tackling poverty and inequality, to meeting the climate emergency.
“Success will require a collective effort from the public, private and third sectors in Leeds working together. I firmly believe in the power of collaboration as shown by our response to the Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crises, which highlights the impact of our ‘Team Leeds’ approach.
“The Leeds Inclusive Growth Strategy and its nine ‘big ideas’ will reduce inequality in our city and help to ensure Leeds is a compassionate city with a strong economy that provides opportunities for all, while also playing our part in meeting the climate emergency.”
Large Leeds firms offered support to develop ‘inclusive growth’
Leeds City Council has launched a new network to support large businesses across Leeds to drive forward positive social outcomes and contribute to the delivery of inclusive growth across the city.
Building on the success of the Leeds Anchor Network, the council is launching Leeds Business Anchors. An initiative to bring together large businesses operating in Leeds, that are committed to working together to create growth in the Leeds economy that works for everyone.
Membership of the network is underpinned by a commitment to complete the Business Anchors Progression Framework – a tool to help businesses shape their contribution to inclusive growth across four key areas: employment, procurement, environment and assets, and corporate and community behaviours.
Developed in partnership with large businesses in Leeds the framework has been adapted from the approach used with public sector anchors and enables firms to take an ‘anchor’ perspective on their relationship with Leeds, providing them with an effective tool to measure their impact on driving forward inclusive growth.
‘Anchor’ working refers to the ways in which organisations can positively contribute to the place where they operate, strengthening the local economy, and contributing to employment, skills and health and wellbeing for local people.
Social impact is increasingly important for businesses of all sizes and the framework will provide an innovative way for business to evidence their local impact and provide a vehicle for reflection on their progress and ambitions.
Having tested the framework businesses are now coming together to form a network to identify ways they can work together to maximise their impact for Leeds.
Leeds Building Society, a key employer in the city with a significant history of delivering positive social outcomes and a founding member of the network, used the framework to sense check their responsible business strategy and ensure the progress aligned with the city’s needs and ambitions.
Wendy Carter, Responsible Business Lead at Leeds Building Society, said: “Being part of a network of organisations committed to responsible business will allow us to work together to have greater social impact in the city.”
Irwin Mitchell to acquire Silk Family Law
Irwin Mitchell is significantly expanding its family law practice in the North East of England with the acquisition of Silk Family Law.
The deal, subject to contract and SRA (Solicitors Regulation Authority) approval, will add to Irwin Mitchell’s national family law practice which is already one of the largest teams in the country and regularly brings complex financial separation cases to the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.
The deal to acquire Silk Family Law follows the news of Irwin Mitchell’s investment in Scotland-based law firm Wright, Johnston and Mackenzie earlier this month. Irwin Mitchell has also recently appointed former BBC news presenter Joanna Gosling as a mediator in the family law team.
Silk Family Law is ranked number one in the Legal 500 in the North East and operates out of Newcastle, Leeds and Richmond, North Yorkshire. It represents clients in all aspects of matrimonial and family law cases, including financial and children matters. Its specialist lawyers have expertise in dealing with complex financial issues, including business assets, farming businesses, trusts, and pensions, as well as cases with an international dimension.
Ros Bever, director of legal services, family, said: “This strategic investment will expand our expertise and reach in the North East of England, and I’m excited about our combined future. Our family law specialists work on ground-breaking cases and achieve excellent results for our clients, and we’re delighted to be welcoming the Silk Family Law team to Irwin Mitchell.”
Ian Kennerley, managing partner at Silk Family Law, said: “We’re delighted to be joining Irwin Mitchell and remain committed to providing the same specialist high quality family law advice and representation for all our clients. We share the same values for client service and excellence and look forward to benefiting from the additional resources and support which will be available to our clients on a national and international basis.”
In the past financial year Irwin Mitchell has also agreed deals to acquire asset management firms TWP Wealth and Andrews Gwynne.
Silk Family Law were advised by Armstrong Watson LLP and Harrison Clark Rickerbys Limited. Irwin Mitchell were advised by their in-house corporate partner Dan Bastide and Menzies LLP.
Woodland Group acquire Dewsbury warehouse
Woodland Group has acquired a 35,799 sq ft warehousing and distribution facility in Dewsbury.
The warehouse will add to Woodland’s existing warehouse portfolio in Yorkshire of 335,458 sq ft across its two flagship facilities in Doncaster.
This latest acquisition is a strategic move to support Woodland’s growing UK road fleet and services out of the North of England, which client demand has seen expand to include dedicated customs consultancy, extensive warehousing, sustainable supply chain and a significant surge in European distribution solutions.
Having first set up base in Yorkshire 18 years ago as a foundation to build and grow its road solutions and UK fleet from, Woodland Group started leasing the Dewsbury facility five years ago. Following continued investment into its development and optimisation, it is now a modern space out of which Woodland Group delivers full 360 supply chain management solutions.
Woodland Group’s director of Northern England, Peter Wilkinson, said: “We’re very pleased to be able to acquire our Dewsbury facility to further support our commitment to investing into the local community and opportunity for growth. Our strategic development delivers sustainable supply chain solutions for local businesses to expand, and brings international businesses into the area as a central hub to distribute across the globe.”
Petrol station sold to experienced retailers after 55 years of family ownership
Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has sold Crakehall Filling Station near Bedale, North Yorkshire, which has been operated by the Jobling family for 55 years.
Crakehall Filling Station is situated on a busy road leading from Bedale to the Yorkshire Dales. The site has been owned by Terry and Shirley Jobling for 37 years and came to market as the couple made the decision to retire.
They comment on the sale: “Everything we asked of Andy and Christie & Co was done, and then some. Andy’s specialism in the sector gave us confidence the transaction would be in safe hands, and he ensured we got the deal and price we wanted.”
The business has been purchased by experienced retailers, Khizer and Nighat Khan, who own a portfolio of petrol filling stations in the area. They say: “We are delighted to have been able to purchase Crakehall Filling Station, which will be a great addition to our portfolio.
“We believe the site has lots of potential and we will be looking to maximise that over the coming months. We have already made arrangements to bring in a convenience store/off licence with leading brands, to provide a range of products and services at affordable prices to the local community and commuters.
“We would like to thank Terry and Shirley for all their help over the last couple of months. They are an amazing couple, who we now consider as friends. As always, we would also like to thank Andrew from Christie & Co for his professionalism throughout this process.”
Andrew Birnie, Retail Director at Christie & Co who handled the sale, says: “Members of the Jobling family had originally built this forecourt 55 years ago, and so for Terry and Shirley, deciding to sell and retire was a big moment in their life.
“Several years ago, they closed the convenience shop and turned the petrol station into an automated business which allowed them to semi-retire. The new owners plan to redevelop and reopen the shop, which presents great scope to modernise and introduce more services.
“Khizer Khan is already in the industry and therefore is experienced in what works well and what doesn’t. In fact, he purchased another petrol station through us some years ago and has been looking for the right opportunity to expand further since then.
“We wish Terry and Shirley a long and happy retirement, and best of luck to Khizer and Nighat with their expansion plans.”
Sheffield steelmakers could soon switch to cleaner fuel
Sheffield’s world-renowned steelmakers could soon be switching to cleaner fuel, thanks to a pioneering new project.
Researchers from the University of Sheffield are working with partners from across the South Yorkshire region on the initiative, which could cut carbon emissions from Sheffield’s steel industry by 40 per cent.
Engineers from the University’s Energy Institute and Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) are working with energy company E.ON and Chesterfield Special Cylinders to explore ways of generating green hydrogen at Blackburn Meadows – a biomass-fuelled combined heat and power plant in Sheffield – that could then be used as a cleaner fuel source for the city’s steelmakers.
During the early stages of the project, the researchers found there is a strong desire from steelmakers and other industries to find a cleaner alternative to natural gas in industrial processes.
Switching steelmaking to being fuelled by hydrogen could be commercially viable, the project found, and sustainable over the longer term. It could maintain the performance and product quality for manufacturers with carbon emissions 41.8 per cent lower than if using natural gas. That means the three manufacturers taking part in the initial trials – Sheffield Forgemasters, Forged Solutions and Chesterfield Special Cylinders – could save around 3,500 tonnes of CO2 each year.
The project has now been awarded £1 million of funding from the UK government to explore the commercial and engineering needs of generating, transporting and using hydrogen, as well as developing the commercial offer to industrial customers. If that is successful, the next stage will be a technical pilot project at the Blackburn Meadows site, with potential for future expansion if the project is taken forward to a full commercial demonstration.
The project to explore the potential of a more planet-friendly fuel for steelmakers is funded by the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero and its Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) and is led by E.ON alongside Chesterfield Special Cylinders, Glass Futures, the University of Sheffield Energy Institute and Sheffield Forgemasters.
Professor Mohamed Pourkashanian, Head of the University of Sheffield Energy Institute, said: “We are thrilled that this project has received funding from the UK government to progress to a second stage. The work we’re doing for this at the University of Sheffield Energy Institute, including computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) modelling and in-depth hydrogen research, will help bring us a step closer to vital industrial decarbonisation and beyond.
“It is increasingly important to get the technological solutions we need to reduce emissions correct first time, so carrying out these detailed and industry-supported projects at the University of Sheffield Energy Institute means we can test, scale and ultimately implement these alternative solutions as efficiently as possible.”
Chris Lovatt, Chief Operating Officer for UK Solutions at E.ON, said: “Hydrogen will play a significant role in our energy future, mainly powering energy-intensive industries and long-distance transport. It sits alongside the drive for heat pumps meeting domestic heating needs and a greater role for district energy schemes in urban areas.
“The first stages of our trial show the technology works and can support the industry’s needs for alternative fuels, as well as Sheffield’s wider sustainability ambitions. We know there are challenges to overcome before this becomes a viable solution for industry but the success so far has been rewarded by further funding from government to explore the potential of green hydrogen as a solution for Sheffield’s world-renowned steelmakers.”
Chris Walters, Chief Executive for Chesterfield Special Cylinder’s parent company Pressure Technologies, said: “Proudly based in South Yorkshire, Chesterfield Special Cylinders has designed and manufactured safety-critical hydrogen storage solutions for over 80 years. We are delighted to be a key partner in this project, exploring potential options to decarbonise forging processes at our Sheffield facility and showcasing our solutions for the safe and cost-effective storage and transportation of hydrogen.”
Rob Ireson, Innovation and Partnerships Manager at Glass Futures, added: “We are excited to begin the next phase of this project to evaluate the performance of hydrogen and hydrogen-natural gas blends in steel manufacturing furnaces. Using data carried out in our Combustion Test Bed furnace in the first phase of research, which also formed the basis of the modelling carried out by the University of Sheffield, we can begin to apply the method for simulation and testing of hydrogen firing to furnaces at an industrial scale, to verify hydrogen’s effectiveness.”
Commenting on the project, Clive Betts, MP for Sheffield South East, said: “I very much welcome this announcement. Measures that can reduce carbon emissions from steel production in Sheffield are very welcome. I have previously visited the Blackburn Meadows site and I look forward to seeing how the pilot progresses.”
Gill Furniss, MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, added: “I congratulate E.ON’s Blackburn Meadows biomass project on securing new funding for the second phase of the trial. I look forward to seeing the project develop innovative ways to decarbonise our important steel sector.”
Green hydrogen is produced by splitting water into both hydrogen and oxygen through a process called electrolysis. Using electricity from renewable sources means it is seen as the cleanest option for industrial uses. The UK government has ambitions to reach 10GW of low carbon hydrogen generation by 2030.
Environmental pressures, the war in Ukraine and the spike in global gas prices have all driven interest in the benefits of switching to green hydrogen which has a strong role to play in decarbonising heavy, polluting industries.
In the case of Blackburn Meadows, electricity is created from waste wood that would otherwise have gone to landfill. Blackburn Meadows already captures the heat from the power generation process to feed a district heating network in the Lower Don Valley and houses a 10MW battery to support the local grid at times of high power demand.
Lincs teenager shortlisted in Air Ambulances UK Awards of Excellence
A teenager who helped save her mum after a horse-riding accident has made the shortlist in the Air Ambulances UK Awards of Excellence 2023.
Molly Harris, from Ancaster, was nominated by Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance in the ‘Young Person of the Year’ category, in recognition of her bravery as well as showing unwavering determination in her fundraising efforts, despite having her riding boots, saddle and tack stolen.
These annual awards celebrate and recognise the specialist lifesaving skills and commitment of those working tirelessly within and in support of the air ambulance community across the UK.
Molly, 13, was cleaning the crew yard when her mum’s horse Rodney came galloping towards her riderless. In that moment, as the 19-hand horse came towards her at speed, her first thought was to run.
Molly has high functioning autism and experiences sensory overload from too much noise or stressful situations. But as she realised her mum may be in danger she had to overcome her instincts to shut down.
That day, Molly’s mum Emma had taken advantage of the brisk wintery weather and gone for a ride. They tacked up and left the yard in high spirits. Their route took them down a quiet track alongside a field where a lone tractor driver was working. That was the last thing Emma remembers. Her next memory was waking up in hospital a few days later.
Emma’s horse Rodney had been spooked by the tractor and jumped into the air. Emma was thrown to the muddy ground, landing on her neck.
She suffered a brain injury and severe swelling around her spinal cord, causing the loss of feeling from the waist down. But the outcome could have been even more traumatic for her if it was not for the actions of her daughter Molly.
After making sure Rodney was secure, Molly ran around the nearby fields shouting for her mum, and then meticulously began to slowly search further away. The first time she went down the track she missed her mum but the second time she found her on the ground motionless.
This would be hard enough for any young person to deal with, add in the fact that Molly suffers from autism, and it shows how brave her actions were.
The Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance crew were in the air within eight minutes of the 999 call being made. Although the situation was confusing for Molly, she knew that she needed to stay with her mum.
Dr Adam Chesters and Paramedic Jenny Mealey were soon by Emma’s side, delivering emergency pain relief and assessing the damage to her spine, before moving her onto a stretcher ready for the flight to hospital. The flight was delayed as Emma suffered a seizure prior to take-off, and in the air she suffered similar seizures.
Molly wanted to do something to thank the crew who worked in those muddy and cold conditions, looking after her mum.
She said: “They were amazing and reassuring in every way. They saved my mum’s life, and they keep other families together too.”
In May 2023, she decided to take up Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance’s 6k a Day in May challenge event with her beloved horse, Princess. Disaster struck as halfway through the month thieves broke into the tack room and stole her bridle, saddle and boots. But in the face of adversity, Molly simply completed some of the days riding bareback to ensure she did not fail. At the end of the month, she had completed well over 6k a Day in May, raising £180.
Molly is so determined to continue supporting LNAA that she has now decided to take up Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance’s ‘Mission Possible’ challenge and aims to complete 100k in September.
Emma said: “I cannot express just how proud me and her dad are of our daughter. That day would have been terrifying for any child let alone Molly. From organising Rodney’s safety, calling her dad, racing to find me, and staying with me. I have no recollection of this, so when I was told I choked up, knowing the extent that Molly went to and under so much pressure.”
More than 18 months later, Emma is still in recovery. Emma had suffered from epilepsy before the incident and the head injury has exacerbated the condition.
Simmy Akhtar, CEO of Air Ambulances UK, said: “Congratulations to all those who have been chosen as finalists for the Air Ambulances UK Awards of Excellence 2023. All nominees are extremely talented, and our judging panel had the unenviable task of finalising the shortlist for all categories.”
The winners will be announced on the 30th November, at a ceremony in Reading.
