Teenage entrepreneur urges others to follow in her footsteps
A teenager who tried her hand at various careers is urging other young people to follow their dreams after expanding a business named after her baby sister.
Eighteen-year-old Ashlee Spyvee was inspired to launch the business by her experience of trying to find suitable clothes for Mya Rose, who is just 19 months old.
But before opening the shop in Paragon Arcade, Hull, Ashlee worked in a range of sales and care roles, eventually leaving her family and heading back to the area where she was born and brought up.
She said: “I’m from East Yorkshire but we moved to the Cotswolds six years ago. I didn’t like it there and I missed Hull so I came back to live with my grandmother in Thorngumbald.
“I started the business before I came back and then expanded it in February when a unit became available in Paragon Arcade. It’s a lovely place and the city centre could do with more spaces like this. The owners Allenby Commercial have chosen the tenants very carefully and we all work together to attract a lot of people.”
Ashlee said: “I knew there was a gap in the market because we found it difficult to get the clothes we wanted for Mya Rose. Some things were very expensive but we’ve put the effort in to get good quality, nice clothes at affordable prices.
“It’s baby and children’s wear and accessories, also gifts for baby showers. We try to make sure everything is different from what you’d find in the High Street shops and we get quite a few people travelling here from out of town. Customers keep telling me there’s nothing like this in the area.”
Scarborough seafront hotel sold
The Weston Hotel in Scarborough, situated on the seafront in the town’s south bay, has been sold.
The 32-bedroom hotel has recently undergone a full internal and external refurbishment and enjoys stunning coastal views from its lofty perch above the Scarborough Spa, arguably the town’s main tourist attraction.
Previous owners, John Simms and Pat Hendry have run the hotel for around 12 years and are selling to retire. John says: “We have really enjoyed our time here and have some wonderful memories.
“The Weston has been our life and we leave with a heavy heart but knowing that the new owners, who are themselves hugely experienced hoteliers, will continue to operate the hotel in much the same way that it is now. We wish them every success and hope that our long list of loyal customers will continue the support they have showed us.”
The sale was handled by Christie & Co hotel director Mark Worley, who has completed several hotel deals across North Yorkshire over the last few months.
He says: “Scarborough is a hugely popular tourist destination and one of the busiest seaside towns in the UK. It has a multitude of attractions including its imposing castle, glorious beaches and its proximity to the North York Moors National Park plus the stunning Yorkshire coastline dotted with quaint and historic places such as Whitby, Robin Hoods Bay and Sandsend.
“It’s easy to see why this part of the world is so popular with hotel buyers and I look forward to announcing more transactions in the coming months.”
Software training and development partnership to launch this summer
This summer will see the launch of a new partnership designed to offer a range of software development training and career opportunities to individuals and businesses in the North.
The Edge Hub, a digital upskilling and business growth collaboration, will work withwith Makers, a provider of hybrid bootcamps and apprenticeships in the digital sector.
Based in Hull, The Edge Hub will offer a unique hybrid technology centre dedicated to innovation, technology, and skills. Makers is a leading provider of holistic software development courses and apprenticeships and have trained 1’000’s of technology leaders over their ten-year journey. They work with an extensive range of national brands, including Santander, Tesco, Meta and Ford. The relationship will offer individuals and businesses in the North the opportunity to access a 16-week bootcamp in software development along with wraparound career support to fast-track the advancement of digital skills in the region. Claudia Harris, Makers’ CEO, said: “We are thrilled to join forces with The Edge Hub to build a unique community and space for Makers training in the Humber region and beyond. Over the past ten years, we have trained a diverse group of thousands of engineers, focusing on a growth mindset and emotional intelligence alongside excellent technical skills. Our partnership with The Edge Hub will create a powerful and intimate community of individuals and businesses working to unlock the full potential of the digital sector in the region.” Antonio Tombanane, the founder of The Edge Hub and Tech Week Humber, added: “The partnership with Makers is fantastic news for The Edge Hub and the North. We are introducing a unique opportunity for businesses and individuals to access a new digital career in just 16 weeks. This fits perfectly with our ethos of fast-tracking filling the region’s digital skills gaps.”Kathryn secures development role at Freedom Festival Arts Trust
Kathryn Biggin has been appointed as Business Development Manager at Hull’s Freedom Festival Art Trust.
Her remit is to grow and develop support alongside the trust’s existing partners and sponsorship, to ensure that their projects and events, including Freedom Festival, can continue to be delivered at a standard that the people of Hull and beyond deserve. With a background with business development and unique venues in London, including the Museum of London, Kathryn, pictured above, has spent the past five years working as a charity manager since moving to Hull in 2017, and is thrilled to become a senior representative of the Arts Trust as a passionate advocate for events and the arts. She said: “It is becoming increasingly important for local people and businesses to help grow support for causes and charities such as Freedom Festival Arts Trust as UK arts funding is in decline and many arts charities are relying on alternative means of income to ensure that their work can continue.” Freedom Festival Arts Trust is a registered charity and relies on the support of local businesses and generous individuals to deliver free projects and festivals that are accessible for all to enjoy. The Freedom Festival as a staple in the area’s cultural calendar, but the team behind it operates year-round, working with artists to deliver iconic projects such as The Hull Vigil, as well as new festivals and events such as The Awakening, which celebrated its second incredibly successful year back in March welcoming over 100,000 people into the city centre. Laura Beddows, Senior Producer at Freedom Festival Arts Trust, said: “By working with businesses and local communities, our trust provides a platform to support important work which not only brings joy and enrichment to the wider area through events and shows, but the arts as a whole provides immeasurable value through participation and engagement programmes for all ages, shining a spotlight on incredibly important topics to support communities who wouldn’t otherwise have a stage on which to stand.”Manufacturing firms’ confidence stabilises, according to latest CBI survey
Business confidence among SME manufacturers stabilised in the quarter to April, according to the CBI’s latest SME Trends survey, ending a run of five consecutive quarters of declining sentiment.
The survey paints a picture of tepid demand during the quarter to April, with output contracting for the third consecutive quarter and new orders broadly unchanged through the quarter. However, SME manufacturers expect both output and new orders to pick up in the three months to July.
There were signs that some of the challenges that faced the UK’s SME manufacturing sector in 2022 continued to ease. The share of firms reporting that shortages of skilled labour and shortages of materials or components could constrain output over the next three months fell back further from last year’s highs (while remaining above average). The share citing concerns over orders or sales rose to its highest level since July 2021 (but remained below average).
The survey suggests that both cost and price growth eased over the quarter, slowing from 2022’s record rates, though remaining historically strong. SMEs expect growth in average unit costs to slow further in the next three months, but to continue to outpace growth in domestic selling prices, which are expected to increase at a similar rate to last quarter.
Investment intentions were mixed, with SME manufacturers expecting to reduce spending in buildings in the year ahead and to keep spending on plant and machinery flat. Spending on innovation, and on training and retraining is expected to rise.
Key findings:
- Business sentiment was broadly unchanged in the three months to April, having fallen steadily since the quarter to January 2022 (balance of +2% from -11% in the quarter to January 2023). However, export optimism fell at a broadly similar pace to the previous quarter (-9% from -7%)
- Output volumes declined marginally and at the same pace as in January (balance of -5%, from -5% in January). Output is expected to pick up in the coming quarter (+13%).
- Orders or sales were the most commonly cited constraint on output over the next three months (61% of respondents; below the long-run average of 73%), followed by skilled labour (35%; average of 18%), and materials or components (29%; average of 12%).
- The volume of total new orders was broadly unchanged in the quarter to April (balance of +2%, from -3% in January), but is expected to grow in the three months to July (+16%).
- Growth in average unit costs eased for the fourth quarter in a row (balance of +61% from +71%) and is expected to ease further in the next quarter (+44%).
- Growth in domestic selling prices continued to ease from 2022’s record highs (balance of +33%, from +38% in January), with a similar rate of increase expected next quarter (+34%).
- Employment numbers edged up in the three months to April (balance of +8%, from +6%), with SMEs expecting another moderate rise in the next three months (+13%).
Financial services sector launches skills gap investigation
The newly-established Yorkshire and Humber Financial and Professional Services Skills Commission is asking for support from the finance sector as it seeks to build a picture of the skills needed by the sector in our region.
Armed with that information, the Commission hopes to develop a plan that can help in their delivery.
Led by Yorkshire Building Society and supported by industry bodies TheCityUK, the City of London Corporation, and The Financial Services Skills Commission, the Commission plans to engage with a wide range of stakeholders in the region, including those in the financial and professional services industry, education and local government and other sectors.
As part of this, interested parties are invited to submit evidence to the Commission.
Evidence that helps to answer the following research questions is welcomed:
- Where do skills gaps currently exist in the financial and professional services workforce and where are they likely to change in future?
- How effectively does the industry attract recruit and retain a diverse pool of skilled people?
- How effectively does the industry use training and development to improve the skills of its workforce?
- How effectively do employers, education providers and others in the region currently work together to broaden the skills within the industry?
NFU says Government missed opportunity in free trade deal with Australia
NFU President Minette Batters has sounded a note of caution over a newly-signed Free Trade deal between the UK and Australia.
It’s the first deal to be struck under our new independent trade policy, and as such provided a chance to set the standard for future deals which incentivise trade in food produced to higher environmental and animal welfare standards, she said.
“However, it is clear from this report that the UK government has missed the opportunity to reach a genuinely innovative and world-class FTA with Australia.
“While it is reassuring that this deal will not result in a change in production standards here – for instance, imports of hormone-reared beef will still be banned – the report confirms that this FTA simply opens up UK agricultural markets for Australian produce, whether or not produced to the same standards that are legally required of UK farmers.
“This deal will pave the way for others to follow and I’m increasingly concerned about the cumulative impact of the government’s FTA programme, especially as its own impact assessments anticipate a negative economic impact on UK farmers.
“It’s vital that government provides a clear programme of policies and investment to help UK farming get ‘match ready’ for this new, tougher trading environment. We also need to see government working with farmers to develop a set of core environmental and animal welfare standards which it can seek to safeguard through forthcoming FTAs, as well as in its general import policy under its current WTO commitments.
“I would like to thank the Trade and Agriculture Commission for producing such a detailed report which will no doubt be useful to Parliamentary select committees as they themselves scrutinise this FTA.”
MEANWHILE, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “It is good news to hear that the free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand will finally come into force at the end of the month.
“These deals will lower tariffs, simplify customs procedures, allow for greater freedom of movement for labour and provide stronger market access for the UK’s world-leading services sector – but the success of any free trade agreement comes down to whether businesses use it, so it’s vital the Government shouts from the rooftops about these new opportunities.
“A recent BCC survey also found almost a quarter of firms (23%) said finding a business partner or distributor overseas would encourage them to either start exporting or export more.
“We have strong Chambers in both Australia and New Zealand and will be working with them to get the most out of these trade deals for all our economies.”
Lincolnshire JV secures finance to help firms enhance environmental status
Lincolnshire JV company rePLANET Wildlife has attracted £600,000 of investment, based on a £2 million valuation, with the support of law firm Shakespeare Martineau.
The new company, set up by majority shareholder Operation Wallacea Limited (Opwall) will provide carbon and biodiversity credits for companies seeking to invest in nature – either as part of their environmental, social and governance commitments.
The company will help to protect and restore areas of high nature value, facilitate uplift in biodiversity and carbon stocks, and generate tradeable natural assets, specifically biodiversity and carbon credits.
In order to develop and measure the concept of biodiversity credits, registered charity the Wallacea Trust has formed a 50-strong Biodiversity Credit Working Group comprising large corporates, financial institutions, experts in different taxa and biostatisticians, to establish a method for an international biodiversity credit that could be traded in the same way as a carbon credit.
The investment will enable rePLANET Wildlife to implement its aims, making use of Opwall’s existing biodiversity sector expertise.
Opwall Director Alexander Tozer said: “This is a really important venture for Opwall; the world is facing two major environmental threats – climate change and species loss, and while many companies want to be able to support nature, there is a lack of a transparent mechanism through which they can do this. This is where biodiversity and carbon credits come in.
“This is a sector that’s growing at pace, and we’re proud to be at the forefront of biodiversity credits.”
Lincoln-based law firm Shakespeare Martineau provided legal advice and support in setting up the joint venture, including the project documentation prior to investment.
Michael Squirrell, corporate partner at Shakespeare Martineau, who led the deal, said: “As a firm, we are becoming involved increasingly in ESG and net zero projects and with the breadth of knowledge across the firm, we’re well-placed to support organisations such as Opwall who are leading developments in this space.”
Sewage overflow costs Anglian Water a record £2.65m fine
Anglian Water has been fined £2.65m after pleading guilty to allowing untreated sewage to overflow into the North Sea following a prosecution brought by the Environment Agency.
The discharges occurred because Anglian Water decommissioned a piece of equipment, which led to the conditions for untreated sewage to be released into the North Sea. It failed to act on available data that would have alerted it to the issue. There was also a lack of an alarm system to inform the water company of how often these discharges were occurring.
Anglian Water was ordered to pay prosecution costs of £16,520.09 and a victim surcharge of £170 at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court (27 April 2023), resulting in a total financial penalty of £2,666,690.09 after the spill at the Jaywick Water Recycling Centre in Essex led to sewage being discharged into the sea.
It is the largest ever fine imposed for environmental offences in the region.
Since 2010, water companies have been responsible for self-monitoring water recycling sites. Environment Agency Officers carry out audits and inspections of waste water treatment works. Data experts analyse hundreds of thousands of discharges to identify illegal activity which is used as evidence to hold water companies to account.
An investigation in 2018 found that the discharges into the North Sea, recorded over a month between June and July, was the equivalent of more than 3 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Environment Agency Chair Alan Lovell said: “The Environment Agency’s officers were instrumental in highlighting the scale of Anglian Water’s discharges into the North Sea – equivalent to 3 Olympic swimming pools of waste water in a month – and ensuring the water company has been made to pay for its pollution.
“The Environment Agency will pursue any water company that fails to uphold the law or protect nature and will continue to press for the strongest possible penalties.”
Greenarc electrifies service offering with latest acquisition
Greenarc Limited, a Halifax-based fuel and clean energy services business, has acquired Lancashire-based company Elektec.
The purchase of electrical contractor Elektec represents Greenarc’s third venture in less than nine months with the investment in Oxfordshire-based Heat Engineer Software Ltd in April and the acquisition of the recently rebranded vehicle leasing and rental business Greenarc Vehicles completed in November.
Chris Bingham, chairman and CEO at Greenarc, says: “This recent acquisition is one of many investments from Greenarc in the past twelve months and we are thrilled to welcome Carl and Charlotte to the business to support our goal of transitioning our customers to a clean energy future.
“With Elektec’s focus on EV charging points, battery storage, LED lighting, electrical compliance and more recently solar we have further increased our low-carbon service offering. This acquisition represents another important pillar of our decarbonisation proposition to individuals, businesses, and the public sector across the UK.”
Charlotte Knowles, director at Elektec, said: “This acquisition allows us to continue to offer our electrical services locally but also provides Elektec with the expertise and funding to grow our services to customers. Not only this, but we now have access to a range of other renewable energy solutions to support our customers to decarbonise their entire energy infrastructure.
“Greenarc’s honest and informative approach to clean energy fits in well with what we do at Elektec, we are thrilled to be joining the Greenarc team and I’m excited about the future work we will be achieving together.”
The acquisition was facilitated by Clarion Solicitors. Tax advice was provided by BHP Chartered Accountants and funding by Barclays Bank.
