Swan Homes appoints new MD for Doncaster-based operation
Swan Homes has appointed Nathan Brough as Managing Director of its Doncaster-based house building operation.
Formerly Regional Director at Equans, Nathan joins the well-established Swan Homes team with immediate effect, bringing with him over 30 years’ experience in the construction industry. This appointment heralds the start of an exciting phase of growth for the company.
Swan Homes is part of the third-generation family business, Vigo Group, which specialises in transforming spaces and the places they are set within, taking a whole value chain approach to sustainable development, from the recycling of construction waste into sustainable building materials, through to envisioning new futures for large scale previously developed sites.
Nadeem Shah started Swan Homes in 1985 as a niche housebuilder developing quality, craftsman-built family homes with original design features on small, boutique sites. Today the business retains its original values, adding sustainability, flexibility and the growth of communities at the heart of every development.
Nathan started in construction as a teenager, working weekends as a hod carrier for a local bricklayer, whilst studying for his construction qualifications. He joined Frank Haslam Milan (FHM), one of the industry’s longest-established firms, as a trainee site manager and a degree in Construction followed. He took on senior site managerial posts within Keepmoat Group, which became Equans in 2021, rising to his last post as Regional Director, where he was responsible for the delivery of housing projects.
Nathan said: “The role at Swan Homes excites me. It’s a company with humility, transparency and integrity in all its dealings. My background is in building teams and bringing the right partners together to get things done. I like to work with dedicated SME contractors who can thrive, grow and prosper from the relationship. I am focused on creating transformational change within the business and the places it works, and opportunities for team members to develop their careers.
“I share the passion and enthusiasm of the Board and the team to work flexibly and dynamically in collaboration with our partners and other key stakeholders to create more homes and improve places to have a positive impact on local communities.”
Group Director Tariq Shah said: “We believe we have created a unique housebuilding business in Swan Homes. We have been looking for some time for an exceptional professional with construction and leadership experience to complement our existing team; someone who shares our vision for good quality enduring businesses with a social conscience that can thrive and grow. Nathan has the qualities we seek combined with an excellent technical background and a wealth of knowledge and contacts gained from a leadership role in a large business.
“He comes highly recommended by industry contacts; he understands how to treat partners and build teams, believing strongly, as I do, in supporting everyone in the business, giving each individual the opportunity to influence our direction and grow personally.”
Remote working platform raises £400k
A Leeds-based tech company whose advanced remote working software is used by the Home Office and the NHS has raised £400,000 from NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF), and angel investors.
Flabba’s platform integrates with standard videoconferencing software such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams to provide a complete workflow solution. It enables professionals to collaborate with colleagues in different locations and manage projects from start to finish – for example booking appointments, managing and sharing documents, recording meetings and creating reports.
Flabba was founded by Colin Rhodes, a HR professional who had worked for enterprises including Microsoft, and software engineer Anthony Marris. The platform – Neugo – was created in 2017 to enable Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to manage recruitment of doctors and nurses from locations worldwide and has since been deployed across 20 other NHS Trusts and service providers.
It has also been adapted to help the Home Office to interview visa applicants and been approved by the NHS for remote patient consultations. The company has now developed specific versions for sectors such as legal, financial advice, professional services and creative industries.
The funding will enable the team to work with existing partners Zoom and Microsoft Teams to develop apps, and with Amazon Web Services to incorporate machine learning. Flabba, which currently employs nine staff, is planning to create a number of new jobs in Leeds.
Colin Rhodes, CEO, said: “Remote working is here to stay and we are very excited to be driving innovation to make collaboration easier and more effective for everyone. The funding will allow us to add new features, drive uptake across different sectors and establish the Neugo platform as the leader in the field.”
Will Clark of Mercia added: “Flabba’s platform is the next level in remote working and is currently the only one of its type in the market. It has already attracted some high-profile users and partners but the potential audience is huge. The investment will allow the business to build on its ‘first mover’ advantage and accelerate its growth.”
PwC and Aire Logic join line-up of Leeds firms creating a more diverse future for digital
International professional services firm, PwC, and Northern-based tech company, Aire Logic, have joined the list of Leeds employers sponsoring an award-winning initiative designed to help break down barriers and encourage young people from underrepresented areas and backgrounds to consider a career in digital.
Developing young people’s understanding of the importance of digital skills in many different sectors and careers, Growing Talent Digital Leeds is being coordinated and delivered by social value professionals Ahead Partnership.
The initiative recently completed its first year of employer-led activities including masterclasses, careers panels, online resources and festivals, having already reached 12,000 young people across the city. Of those young people involved, 90% said that taking part in the programme helped them understand the skills needed to work in digital.
PwC and Aire Logic join existing programme partners AND Digital; Infinity Works; Netcompany; BJSS; Leeds City Council; and Leeds Trinity University in sponsoring the initiative, which recently won the Diversity & Inclusion Award at this year’s Leeds Digital Festival Awards in recognition of its work to help break down barriers of perception and prejudice around jobs that require digital skills.
Megan Lipp, head of development at Ahead Partnership, said: “It’s fantastic to be welcoming PwC and Aire Logic to join this important initiative and help develop a more diverse and inclusive future for the city’s business community.
“Digital is a fast-growing industry that spans sectors from professional services to education, and so a collaborative approach is needed to inform young people about how they can develop skills to pursue successful and rewarding digital careers, in turn helping employers to meet future demand for workforce talent.
“An incredible 249 volunteers from 50 businesses from across the city supported our first year of activity, and we welcome other digital employers in Leeds interested in joining this easy and flexible programme to get in touch and find out more about how they can get involved.”
Jo Wan, Principal Consultant Agile Delivery at Aire Logic, said: “We’re really proud to sponsor Growing Talent Digital Leeds and work in collaboration with the wide range of businesses across the city to make a meaningful contribution towards breaking down barriers, myths and stereotypes about working in digital roles and empowering young people with the digital skills they need for future success.
“The best thing about this programme is the feeling you get seeing young people excited about the possibilities that a career in tech could bring them. We’ve taken so much from the events we’ve been involved in so far and we are excited about our plans for the next year.”
LDC expands Yorkshire team with senior hire
The Yorkshire team of LDC, the mid-market private equity firm, has appointed James Marshall as an investment director to further increase its support for mid-market businesses across the region.
With almost 15 years’ experience in private equity and corporate finance, James joins the firm from private equity firm NorthEdge. In his previous role, James specialised in identifying investment opportunities and leading transactions across Yorkshire in a range of sectors, including TMT, healthcare and consumer.
A well-known figure in the Yorkshire business community, James previously worked in the corporate finance team at Dow Schofield Watts, and in the transaction advisory services team at EY.
In his new role, James will join LDC’s team in Yorkshire to underpin the firm’s commitment to invest in 100 medium-sized businesses nationally over the next five years.
Since April this year, LDC’s Yorkshire team has completed three transactions with a combined enterprise value of over £115m. This includes investments in York-based Cellhire, the global provider of mobile voice and data Internet of Things communications services, and Building Cost Information Service (BCIS), the UK’s leading cost benchmarking and valuation platform for construction.
Alongside its investments, the team exited its investment in Specialist People Services (SPS) – a Bradford-based recruitment business providing critical labour solutions to the UK and international logistics market – after a partnership of more than a decade.
Dan Smith, partner and head of LDC in Yorkshire, said: “James is a highly respected member of the Yorkshire investment community who is known for his supportive and collaborative approach and is a perfect fit for our team. He brings a wealth of experience having supported businesses and worked with advisers in our region for nearly 15 years. I’m excited to have him on board and I know he’ll help us realise our ambition to increase our investment in businesses across Yorkshire.”
James Marshall, investment director at LDC, added: “Dan and the team in Yorkshire have a reputation for successfully supporting some of the region’s standout business growth stories. I’m looking forward to working with the team as they strengthen the support they provide to management teams across the region.”
New head of intellectual property for rradar
rradar, the litigation and commercial law firm which specialises in digital and insurance innovation, has appointed Emma Yates as its new head of intellectual property.
rradar’s head office is in Hull, with other UK offices in Leeds, Glasgow, Birmingham and Leicester, with the firm now employing over 160 staff across its locations.
Richard Crabb, rradar’s chief operating officer, said: “I am delighted to announce that Emma Yates has joined rradar as head of intellectual property. She brings a wealth of expertise, having established herself as an intellectual property (IP) law specialist, with a particular focus on disputes.
“Before joining rradar, Emma was a senior associate (IP Litigation and Defamation) with Irwin Mitchell in Leeds where she represented the full spectrum of clients from small owner-managed businesses, to large corporations in relation to IP and defamation disputes and advisory matters in the UK and EU (prior to Brexit).
“IP is a high value and fast growing niche area in the legal landscape, and represents a specialist growth area for rradar that will contribute to the continued expansion of the business and support our vision within the insurance and non-insurance arenas.”
Emma said: “I am delighted to be joining rradar at such an exciting time, particularly at a critical part of its growth. After meeting the leadership team, it’s clear to me that the firm is committed to offering a different, smarter and competitive way of managing intellectual property issues for its clients.
“rradar has a fantastic reputation within the legal sector in the UK and it is a privilege to be joining such a well-respected firm. This is a tremendous opportunity for me and I look forward to establishing rradar as one of the leading and most-respected IP advisers in the north of England and beyond.”
Gary Gallen, rradar’s founder and Chief Executive Officer, added: “Emma’s significant appointment further demonstrates that rradar is always at the cutting edge of our sector and that we are in pole position to support our clients with whatever issues they face.
“As one of the fastest-growing law firms in the country, we are very proud of what we are achieving – and what we have achieved at rradar in the 10 years since the company was founded. Our business growth, underpinned by increased turnover and an expanding workforce, is both swift and sustainable. We now have the potential and the expertise to scale-up to be a global player within the legal sector, as we strengthen our customer services and solutions as part of our five-year strategic plan.”
Before joining Irwin Mitchell in 2015 Emma trained in London and studied at University College London and the University of Pennsylvania.
Plans submitted for 136-hectare sustainable urban extension transforming Skegness
The future transformation of Skegness has moved a crucial step closer as plans are submitted to deliver a 136-hectare sustainable urban extension creating hundreds of homes, much-needed jobs for the local community – and an exciting new future for the town’s generations to come.
The planned Skegness Gateway development to the west of the town will provide more than 20 hectares of combined retail, business and industrial space. It also will provide 1,000 new homes – including specialist housing, hundreds of jobs, much-needed open space and recreational amenities and a college and learning campus with space for business startups.
East Lindsey District Council will soon consult on a draft Local Development Order (LDO) allowing the opportunity for the public and other stakeholders to comment on the proposals.
The Skegness Gateway, on land principally owned by local family business Croftmarsh, with additional areas owned by the Scarbrough family, is set to breathe new life into an area of the Lincolnshire coast that drastically needs change in order to secure its future, boosting the local economy and providing the education and jobs for local people that will encourage them to stay in the area.
Croftmarsh says that the project is vital for the future-proofing of Skegness, helping it to take its rightful place in the East Midlands as a place of opportunity and ambition. The scheme will also boost social value for local people – both existing and new residents.
Sue Bowser, of Croftmarsh, said: “We are pleased to support the council in its vision to bring these ambitious plans to reality. This LDO submission is a really significant step. Our family has lived and worked in Skegness for many generations, so it’s a great source of pride that we can support a development that will help secure the town’s future by creating thousands of jobs and homes for both existing local residents and attract a new generation of people to the area.
“We are working closely with East Lindsey District Council and other partners to bring forward a scheme that will work alongside the regeneration being enabled by the Towns Fund.”
Once complete, the sustainable urban extension will help establish the town as a hub for investment, opportunity and ambition, as well as creating a new sustainable community that blends high-quality new homes with plentiful green space.
Sue added: “We know that Skegness is a town that needs economic transformation. The mechanism for that is through urban regeneration and expansion of skills, training and education – all secured by investment and infrastructure and digital connectivity.
“Ours is a town in real need. There isn’t enough money in the town to pay for this all year round and the secret to this is to have more people living here. We need to create jobs. We need to build infrastructure and provide the significant benefits that government is seeking in places such as Skegness.
“We want to enable the delivery of hundreds of new homes not just for the people who live in the local area – but for those people we want to attract to come and live and work in Skegness. This scheme will transform the area, putting it on the map and making the town famous not just for its beaches, but for its enterprise.”
The aspirations for the Skegness Gateway have been showcased to the local public and stakeholders through engagement events and were well received as a catalyst for economic growth and wider regeneration.
Matt Warman, MP for Boston and Skegness, said: “This local sustainable development includes a state of the art learning campus funded through the Skegness Town Deal, providing new training opportunities for the coast. Importantly, training including digital skills, motor vehicle, construction and engineering, will allow people to gain the skills and knowledge they need to get the jobs they want.
“Removing barriers to learning is a key focus for the Towns Fund and I’m delighted that this funding from Government will be helping to deliver these local opportunities.”
The Sanderson family – which owns the majority of the land set for development – has lived and worked in the Skegness area for seven generations and has long been passionate about securing the town’s future by providing jobs, skills and opportunities.
Neil Sanderson, also of Croftmarsh and Sue’s brother, said: “Skegness Gateway really is close to our hearts and homes, and making sure it becomes the reality that puts our town firmly on the map is our key aim. This is a town that we have grown up in and really understand what a difference the scheme and its benefits will make to local people.
“The LDO submission marks a key point in the journey to making these plans a reality for the whole of Skegness and the wider area to benefit from. We look forward to continuing our support to East Lindsey District Council throughout the process – and to making its vision a reality.”
York’s independent traders to be offered funding to boost Christmas trade
Groups of independent retailers in York are to receive a £25,000 funding boost to help with promotion during the Christmas trading period and to attract more customers in 2023.
Traders’ associations and groups in Acomb, Goodramgate, Haxby and Wigginton, and Bishy Road will benefit from the funding pot to drive inclusive growth in the city’s small and ‘micro’ business sector.
The financial support comes from City of York Council’s Independent Retail Fund and follows previous funds provided by the council to help local businesses continue recovering from the pandemic. Since the start of the pandemic, the council has particularly focused on supporting the city’s small and independent sector, in total allocating over £9m in discretionary and local funding alongside advice and other support.
This latest funding will support retailers’ efforts to attract shoppers during the 2022 festive season and at Easter in 2023. This will include Christmas markets and Christmas lights displays, small music festivals and Easter-related celebrations.
City of York Council’s Executive Member for Economy and Strategic Planning, Ashley Mason, commented: “York’s vibrant small and independent business sector is the backbone of our city’s economy.
“They have had to weather some extremely difficult times over the last few years and the Council has done as much as possible to provide support throughout it.
“This latest set of funding will support our retailers’ efforts over the coming festive season and support them as they continue to grow and adapt.
“There are some very exciting plans in store by traders across the city, so I would urge residents and visitors to support our businesses and shop local. Christmas particularly is a great time to support our local businesses by purchasing unique gifts and local produce.”
The project is one of eight key, one-off projects to support inclusive growth in York. The council allocated £300,000 to eight key projects in 2019 to ensure that the benefits of economic growth in the city were felt by all residents.
These include:
- establishing a York Poverty Commission
- community hubs as drivers of economic growth
- greening our retail estate
- community jobs fairs
- vocational training and work for ages 14 and above
- independent retail growth fund
- mental health, wellbeing and employment
- York Economic Strategy consultation
Navigo wins contract for children’s mental health services
Navigo has been appointed as the new provider of emotional wellbeing and mental health services for children in North East Lincolnshire, delivering the Young Minds Matter contract from April 2023.
The service, which offers children and young people up to the age of 19 support with their emotional wellbeing and mental health, has been delivered by Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
The way that the NHS commissions other organisations to deliver services to local people has changed in recent months and as a result of this, the contract has been awarded to the local provider.
Councillor Margaret Cracknell, portfolio holder for children and education at North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “One of our priorities is for children and young people living in North East Lincolnshire to be happy, healthy and prosperous, and some of this starts with taking care of mental health.
“Having excellent services to support our young people with their emotional wellbeing and mental health is vital in achieving this goal.
“I’d like to thank Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust for delivering the service over many years, and to welcome our partners at NAViGO.
“The first step to solving any problem is to seek help, and I would take this opportunity to urge parents to have conversations with their children about their mental health – ask your child how they’re doing, and familiarise yourself with places that they can get support if they need it.”
Simon Beeton, Navigo Chief Executive said: “We are excited to embrace this opportunity to become an all-age mental health services provider.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming new staff to our organisation, building on the good work of Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and using our experience and knowledge to deliver an excellent service that supports the mental health of young people across North East Lincolnshire.”
The service will remain the same and can be accessed in the usual ways. Current staff and existing service users have been notified and it is planned they will move across to NAViGO.
Sheffield clean air zone goes live next February – so some vehicles will have to pay
From Monday, February 27 next year Sheffield’s Class C Clean Air Zone will begin charging non-compliant vehicles. Charges will apply to the following vehicle types that do not meet the minimum standards when entering the Clean Air Zone boundary:
- Taxis, including both hackney carriages and private hire vehicles, which are below Euro 6 Diesel or Euro 4 Petrol standards
- Light goods vehicles (LGVS) such as vans, campervans and pickup trucks and minibuses which are below Euro 6 Diesel or Euro 4 Petrol standards
- Buses and coaches which are below Euro 6 Diesel standards
- Heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) which are below Euro 6 Diesel standards
Yorkshire security manufacturer Heald becomes sponsor of Hull City Ladies FC player
Yorkshire security manufacturer, Heald Ltd, announces sponsorship with Hull City Ladies FC player Hope Knight for the 2022-23 season.
English football club, Hull City Ladies FC, was formed in 2001 and is an English women’s football club currently playing in the FA Women’s National League North. Heald will be the proud sponsor of the talented attacker, Hope Knight #24.
With a long history of supporting local charities and organisations, the hostile vehicle mitigation company, Heald, is passionate about supporting the underrepresented. This ethos is driven by Heald’s Managing Director, Debbie Heald, who received an MBE for her services to export and the promotion of STEM careers for women.
While manufacturing is generally a male-dominated sector, Heald continually pushes to break through this stereotype, as evidenced by the 50/50 gender split in the business. Aligning with Heald’s values, the team is passionate about empowering women to chase their ambitions, break conventional perceptions and inspire others.
Commenting on the recent sponsorship, Hull City Ladies Managing Director, Danny Johnson said: “We’re delighted that Heald Ltd, the leading innovators of perimeter security technology, is sponsoring player Hope Knight this season.
“Heald’s mission is to innovate and create high-quality, sustainable security solutions to contribute to a safer world. It’s fantastic to see Heald helping the Women’s game grow and supporting the Tigresses.
“Hull City Ladies provide opportunities for Women and Girls to develop, empower and achieve. We look forward to working collaboratively with Heald to inspire more people in our region.”
Heald Managing Director, Debbie Heald MBE, commented: “Following the recent success of England women’s football team at the European Championships, Women’s football teams across the UK have seen an immense amount of support. This is a very exciting time for female footballers and the wider community.
“I look forward to supporting Hope knight in the upcoming season and continuing to help inspire and support young women in their career paths!”
