Rural broadband specialist relocates East Yorkshire headquarters
Rural broadband specialists Quickline Communications has revealed plans to relocate its headquarters in East Yorkshire as part of its growth strategy.
Quickline has doubled the size of its workforce in the last six months and has outgrown its current offices in Hessle. Work has now started to transform The Mills in Willerby into the company’s new home.
Chief Executive Sean Royce said: “It is an essential move on our part and a huge expansion which will also allow us to manage our next recruitment phase. We’ve already doubled the number of staff we have to 100 and we expect to double that again very quickly to 200. We simply don’t fit where we are anymore.
“The search for the right property has been complex and we are delighted to say that Albion Mills fits the bill perfectly. Whilst our team is located all over Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, the majority are based in and around Hull so we needed it to be easy to get to and close enough to local amenities.
“Our people are important to us and we want a happy work force. We want them to continue to work from home when they choose to, but also to have a dedicated workspace where they can collaborate, create solutions together and build strong relationships.”
Hull-based Chameleon Business Interiors has been commissioned to design and fit-out the interior. Shaun Watts, chairman of Chameleon, said: “We’re proud to be teaming up with a fellow Hull and East Riding business on this project and we’re delighted to get to work on creating a new inspiring workspace for the Quickline team. It’s particularly exciting given the nature of the site and the challenges of working on it.
“More than ever, businesses are putting a huge focus on the space their teams work in. Our work prioritises health, wellbeing, safety and the delivery of inspirational work settings creating a collaborative and engaging workplace environment. Quickline has embraced the future of working and I can’t wait to see the space start to take shape.”
Quickline was drawn to the rustic brick and outdoor space at the Albion Mills site which it feels really embodies its ethos and will make the business feel even closer to the rural communities it serves.
Meanwhile, the move is further evidence of progress in the growth of the business following the £500m investment by new owners Northleaf Capital Partners. The investment has allowed Quickline to accelerate its plans to bring lightning fast broadband speeds to over 500,000 homes and businesses in rural communities where a significant digital divide still remains.
The new headquarters is expected to be ready by August.
Humber Business Week event set to focus on individuals’ workplace resilience
Employers from across the region are signing up for a Humber Business Week event which will look at redefining resilience both personally and within the workplace plus protecting people and organisations from the legal pitfalls arising from the Equality Act, with a special focus on the impact of neurodiversity in the workplace.
Rollits, which has offices in Hull and York, has brought in Josh Connolly, one of the UK’s most influential mental health advocates, to speak at the Employment Workshop – Boosting Resilience in your Teams, which takes place in the Circle Restaurant at the MKM Stadium from 11am until 2pm on Tuesday 7 June.
Josh regularly features on BBC, ITV and Channel 5 news and also speaks at the House of Commons in order to contribute to government mental health policy.
Ed Jenneson, head of Rollits’ employment team, said Josh was hand-picked for the event because of the impact of his work as a resilience coach. Josh runs workshops and coaching clinics with a unique style and an incredible ability to engage his audience and invite them to think of new ideas in respect of resilience.
During lockdown, Rollits supported colleagues and clients with a series of online events which included social activities and input from HEY Mind.
He said: “The demands of life and work have never been greater. Stress can result in absenteeism, burn out and staff turnover. Avoiding stress in modern life is impossible and therefore ways to manage stressful situations is increasingly important.
“A survey by Mind highlights that 54 per cent of sick days are due to stress, depression or anxiety, 25 per cent of people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year and 21 per cent of adults in the UK have had suicidal thoughts.
“We will look at the personal, business and legal issues around this. We’ll cover the steps that employers can take to mitigate against potential discrimination claims, in particular we will focus on the impact of hidden disabilities including Neurodiversity and provide guidance in respect of equality, adjustments and an employer’s duty to ask further questions around an employee’s health where appropriate.
“In respect of resilience, Josh will share his personal story and journey of self-discovery. Josh suffered a number of childhood traumas which have shown up later in his life. His raw honesty and ability to look inwards will leave the delegates with a new idea of resilience.
“This in turn can empower individuals and teams to discover their inner resilience, enabling them to become self-aware, connected and effective.”
Freya Cross, Head of Business and Corporate at The Deep and national chair of the Flexible Space Association, said the event would help to drive further improvements in stress-busting techniques.
The Deep Business Centre houses more than 40 businesses who between them have over 200 employees, not all of whom were able to work from home.
One of the steps Freya took was to appoint a mental health First Aider as a mental health champion, and they embarked on communicating key messages about Covid safety and on leading staff and client online birthday celebrations complete with video of The Deep’s penguins and organising regular visits to the site by the Business Centre’s wellbeing dog.
Freya said: “The absolute priority was to make sure clients were safe and we approached that with the realisation that not all the challenges people are facing will be visible.
“We worked on simple steps to promote wellbeing and we shared those with colleagues nationwide as part of the Flexible Space Association. I’m looking forward to the Rollits event as another learning experience because the focus on health and wellbeing is here to stay.”
Places are limited and booking is essential by Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/boosting-resilience-in-your-teams-including-equality-and-neurodiversity-tickets-277575725467 or by visiting the Humber Business Week website
DSP-Explorer acquires Claremont to extend data management capabilities
Oracle Cloud and Database technology specialist DSP-Explorer has completed its 5th acquisition, the purchase of UK-based Oracle Applications Partner Claremont, materially extending its services capabilities.
With offices in London, Nottingham and Leeds, DSP-Explorer is an enterprise database infrastructure and managed services specialist that has established a reputation as a trusted partner for companies that want to invest in Oracle, Microsoft, and indeed multi-cloud technologies.
Following funding and investment from YFM Equity Partners in 2018 and 2021, DSP has grown revenues from an initial £5m to an expected group out-turn of £30m in 2022.
Simon Goodenough, CEO of DSP Group, said: “DSP and Claremont already have several clients-in-common, so when the opportunity arose for us to work together as a combined business I was hugely excited.
“We share similar cultural values, especially those of responsiveness and customer success, and both want our businesses to be great places to work for our employees. Where DSP has traditionally been known for its strength in core database and cloud infrastructure, they have been successful in building a first-class Oracle application management business.
“In an industry where both skills and experience are in high demand, this merger allows us to offer a wider variety of complementary services to our customers, whether they are on a journey to the cloud or in the cloud, and whether that have on-premise application workloads, or hybrid models.”
Founded in 2004 and with offices in Guildford and Newcastle, Claremont is an Oracle Managed Services Provider. They are best known in the marketplace for the provision of Oracle E-Business managed services, their infrastructure cloud offering Claremont CloudTM, and the delivery of business-critical Oracle E-Business migration and upgrade projects.
Mark Vivian, CEO of Claremont, who joins the board of the DSP Group, said: “As a provider of complementary services in the Oracle marketplace, DSP-Explorer is a known quantity to Claremont, and a well-respected Oracle partner.
“I am very excited about the fusion of the Claremont and DSP businesses, combining our applications and technology strengths together with a comprehensive multi-cloud services portfolio.
“The breadth of our combined service offering, along with our shared delivery excellence ethos, will enable us to deliver an even more compelling proposition to customers. I’m looking forward to working with Simon and the team.
“I think that this corporate union presents a really invigorating opportunity for the Claremont team as we join forces with our new DSP colleagues to help to shape and grow the combined business going forwards.”
Simon Goodenough added: “Whilst this acquisition hugely broadens our Oracle portfolio, and takes our client base to well over 500, it also gives us greater opportunities to increase our share of the other fast-growing markets that we address through our Any Database | Any Cloud proposition, both here in the UK and globally.
“I already know a number of the Claremont team and it’s going to be a real privilege to start working with them, and indeed learning from them, as we look to grow our mutual business.”
Grade II listed former specialist school in Leeds sold
Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has sold a unique Grade II listed property, recently renovated as a specialist school, in Leeds.
Armley Grange School, a site recently renovated to a high standard for SEMH provisions, comprises an early 19th century mansion house with original features, and a separate, recently renovated annex extension set within approximately 1.23 acres of secure mature grounds.
The site is located in Armley, a densely populated suburb to the west of Leeds city centre, close to St Marys Hospital and a range of community facilities.
Following a confidential sales process, the site has been sold to a nationwide childcare group.
The sale was handled by Vicky Marsland and Courteney Donaldson from Christie & Co.
Courteney Donaldson, Managing Director – childcare & education, says: “The former Armley Grange school generated much interest from a wide range of buyers, and we wish the new owner every success with their plans for this site.
“The specialist childcare market remains incredibly buoyant with a wide range of well-funded buyers seeking schools and children’s homes on both an operational and vacant possession basis.”
Armley Grange was sold for an undisclosed price.
Belvoir acquires mortgage advice firm for £3.6m
Belvoir Group, the property franchise and financial services group with its central office in Grantham, has acquired The TIME Group Limited (TIME) for an initial cash consideration of £3,673,000.
TIME, which trades as the Mortgage Advice Bureau, is an appointed representative firm of Mortgage Advice Bureau, the wholly owned subsidiary of AIM-listed Mortgage Advice Bureau (Holdings) plc (MAB), one of the UK’s leading networks for mortgage intermediaries.
TIME provides mortgage and related financial services to clients through its network of 64 advisers, all but two of which are either self-employed or small businesses operating on a self-employed basis licensed to TIME with MAB providing training, support, compliance, website and national marketing via the wider MAB brand.
The TIME adviser network extends across the north of England and the Midlands.
For the year ended 31 July 2021, based on unaudited financial statements, TIME generated revenue of £4,182,000 and adjusted profit before tax of £630,000. Within the past three years, the number of mortgage advisers within the TIME network has grown from 46 to 64.
Dorian Gonsalves, Chief Executive Officer, Belvoir, said: “We are delighted to announce the acquisition of TIME, whose network of 64 mortgage advisers will entirely complement our existing financial services network, both in terms of the management infrastructure and geography, creating a total of 307 advisers operating under the Belvoir Group.
“The acquisition of TIME will extend our network of financial advisers to support both our franchisees at a local level, as well as servicing leads from independent agents. This will in turn achieve greater penetration of financial services to the group’s client base for the benefit of both individual franchisees and the group as a whole.
“We would like to extend a warm welcome to the team at TIME to the Belvoir Group.”
More than 300 firms go to Drax contract event
More than 328 businesses attended an event run by renewable energy company Drax and its engineering, procurement and construction partner Worley, to learn how they can win contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds to deliver Drax’s vital carbon removal technology, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS).
The event, run in partnership with NOF, the UK’s leading UK energy sector business development organisation, and the West & North Yorkshire and Hull & Humber Chambers of Commerce, was held in Hull.
Drax has previously said that it aims to source 80% of the construction materials and services from British firms and to build a robust UK supply chain for BECCS, ahead of construction getting underway as soon as 2024, with the creation of around 10,000 jobs.
Graham Backhouse, Drax’s Commercial Director for the BECCS project, said: “We want to put British businesses at the heart of our plans to deliver BECCS. It was fantastic to see such a broad range of companies, large and small, from across the region come together to learn how they can benefit from hundreds of millions of pounds worth of new contracts.
“Negative emissions technologies like BECCS will play a vital role in enabling the UK to reach its net zero goals, as well as creating exciting opportunities for Britain to lead the world in this vital technology, creating a new sector of the economy, as well as export opportunities.”
David Hooper, External Affairs and Membership Director at Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce, said: “The event was a fantastic opportunity for businesses from across the region to learn about the huge opportunities available for them to be involved in Drax’s BECCS project. Projects like this will provide a vital opportunity for the UK supply chain to access millions of pounds worth of contracts, supporting jobs and growth in the Hull and Humber region.
“It’s incredible to think that the Humber is the largest emitter of CO2 in Europe after the Ruhr Valley in Germany, so it’s great to see businesses coming together to make significant changes which will benefit the entire region over the coming years. The Chamber welcomes and supports this initiative and it’s encouraging to see so many local businesses wanting to get involved and play their part.”
Diana Taylor, Managing Director of Marketing Humber, said: “BECCS at Drax will have a huge impact both economically and environmentally across the whole of the region, and it will play a vital role in enabling a zero carbon Humber.
“It’s crucial that businesses from across the Humber play a role in Drax’s plans, as it will not only support the economic growth of the region, but it will also support the creation of green jobs, helping to level up the North.”
Drax has a proven track record in delivering ambitious and pioneering infrastructure projects with the conversion of its power station in North Yorkshire to use sustainable biomass. This has enabled it to become the UK’s largest single site renewable generator, supporting more than 6,600 jobs throughout its supply chain across the North, whilst reducing its emissions by over 95% and paving the way for the deployment of BECCS.
Government pledges £12m in push towards zero-emission shipping
Zero emission ferries and vessels are one step closer to being a reality, as Maritime Minister Robert Courts today confirmed £12 million funding to accelerate the research and development of zero emission maritime technologies.
Now in its second round, the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition and the funding are said to cement the UK’s position as a world leader in clean maritime technologies that will support the creation of thousands of skilled jobs across the UK.
The CMDC is one of the first initiatives from UK SHORE, a new unit launched to make the maritime sector greener. Dedicated to creating a world free from shipping emissions, UK SHORE will work with industry to tackle numerous shipping emission challenges.
Through research and development investments, it will include the provision of domestic zero emission ferries, helping to tackle the about a million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions that roll-on/roll-off vessels and passenger-only ferries contribute to the UK’s domestic shipping emissions.
Mr Courts said: “I want to see a new green age for maritime travel that is free from emissions.
“Following the success of last year’s competition, this second round has been designed to support a shipping future that uses the most creative and innovative ways for people and goods to sail in cleaner and greener ways. At COP26, we pledged to create a green maritime legacy for generations to come, and UK SHORE puts us at the forefront of the global green maritime revolution – supporting thousands of green jobs around the country.
Fulfilling the Clydebank Declaration agreed at COP26 to create green routes known as ‘green shipping corridors’ to and from the UK, this next round of the CMDC funding will include feasibility studies to help us work in partnership with industry to ultimately deliver green corridors both within the UK and internationally.
The £206 million research and development funding for UK SHORE is the biggest investment in maritime ever, and will accelerate the sector’s transition to a cleaner future supporting our voyage to net zero by 2050.
Maritime UK Chief Executive, Ben Murray, said: “The establishment of UK SHORE is a very important step on the UK maritime sector’s decarbonisation voyage.
“Its first intervention – an extension to the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition – is showing the UK is determined to be a global leader in clean maritime. As before, industry will co-invest to create the solutions needed to decarbonise.
“The projects on display today – from remotely operated vessels to green port infrastructure and electric wind turbine charging points – proves Britain remains an island of maritime pioneers. Continued investment and collaboration with government will drive the momentum we need and create skilled jobs around our coast.The first Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition was launched last year by DfT to kickstart innovation in decarbonisation in the maritime sector.
Future elements of UK SHORE’s 3-year programme will include several more rounds of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition alongside other interventions to accelerate the development and use of key technologies.
NICs increase has immediate impact on businesses
Research carried out by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), of more than 1,100 UK employers, has uncovered a series of negative impacts from the increase in National Insurance contributions.
Firms said the rise in employer contributions to National Insurance (NI) from 13.8% to 15.05% had increased staffing costs, forced some to put up their prices, and meant they would be limiting their investment.
As part of its call for an Emergency Budget, the BCC is calling for the rise to be immediately reversed for at least a year, as firms battle surging costs on multiple fronts.
The BCC is calling for action to give businesses a chance to keep a lid on rising prices, boost productivity and ease cost pressures.
Hannah Essex, co-executive director of the BCC, said: “Businesses are telling us that the rise in National Insurance contributions has been a body blow as they try to get back on their feet.
“When firms are already facing a toxic mix of surging inflation, rising energy costs and supply chain disruption, this increase is very hard to swallow.
“The tight labour market is already pushing up staff costs and the NI rise has only served to exacerbate that pressure, without having a positive impact on recruitment.
“With firms’ profits also taking a further hit, after two years of the pandemic, it is no surprise that their investment intentions are also weakening.
“But it is not too late to change tack and push the increase back until firms are in a better place to take on the extra burden.
“The costs crises facing firms and people in the street are two sides of the same coin. If we can ease the pressure on businesses, then they can keep a lid on the price rises.
“Acting now will also put businesses in a better position to create the future profits needed to fill tax coffers.”
The other two Emergency Budget proposals include:
• Help firms manage the impact of rising energy prices by cutting VAT on their energy bills from 20% to 5% for a minimum of one year.
• Address labour shortages by reinstating free Covid tests for companies to ease the strain on productivity caused by persistent high absences.
£3.5m digital, transport and logistics academy opens in Boston
Boston College has opened its new Digital, Transport and Logistics Academy which will lead the way in delivering skills training for Lincolnshire’s logistics and transportation industry.
The new academy, which was opened by John Anderson, the third Viscount Waverley, will offer training courses with a focus on digital innovation and technologies for the future, as well as being relevant to the employment opportunities available within the sector.
“I am honoured to be associated with a new wing at Boston College dedicated to investing in people and skills for freight and logistics,” he said. “The college has rightly recognised the importance of the industry and is to be commended for running with educational delivery feeding into the wider government initiatives.
“These are exciting days and I congratulate Boston College for identifying that freight and logistics are fundamental in playing their part for the United Kingdom to manoeuvre through the challenges before us, establishing Boston College as a centre of excellence for learning in what is a key sector.”
The Digital, Technology and Logistics Academy was funded by a £2.45 million grant from the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership, while the college paid the remaining £1.05 million. An additional £182,976 of funding from Boston Borough Council was used to purchase industry-standard equipment as part of the Towns Fund.
The Viscount Waverley, along with other special guests including Matt Warman MP, and Ruth Carver, Chief Executive of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, were taken on a guided tour of the building and had the opportunity to observe learners who are currently using the new facilities and equipment.
This includes a transport workshop, a network and hardware computer room holding industry standard equipment, a driving simulator, HGV and electric/hybrid training rigs, and digital software ranging from basic IT skills all the way to modern smart technology to equip local employers for Industry 4.0.
Pat Doody, chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, said: “The UK’s transport and logistics activities employ over 2.2 million people, and this new centre will help support local, national and international supply chains across the sector and generate career progression in the highly skilled digital economy.
“With our £2.4m skills capital grant contribution, the LEP is proud to have enabled the development of this amazing facility in Boston, which will provide much needed industry standard training and a progressive skills pathway from Level 1 to Level 5.”
Boston College principal and Chief Executive, Claire Foster, added: “We are delighted that our Digital Transport and Logistics Academy is finally officially open. The world-class learning environment and equipment are a significant investment supported by the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, providing critical technical and professional skills needed by our employers and our economy.
“Our learners at Boston College are already thriving in this new statement space and we look forward to delivering our new International Logistics courses in the DTLA from September.”
How businesses can survive the cost of living crisis
The cost of living crisis is having a real impact on business. Consumers are now left with less after their living expenses have increased while wages remain stagnant. Rick Smith of business consultants and insolvency experts, Forbes Burton, explains how businesses can avoid this without taking too much of a bite out of their business.
There’s a significant sense of trepidation in the air at the moment. With energy, food and prices in general rising with no signs of abatement, there’s a real pressure on consumers to spend less and save more. The cost of living crisis has been exacerbated by myriad factors, but real world events such as the conflict in Ukraine and the fallout that has on the global supply chain means wallets are more squeezed than in recent memory. Those with the misfortune to live through the last recession will have feelings of deja vu, while those who have not experienced this before will no doubt be slack-jawed at the almost vertical rises in costs.
But what about business?
As much as individuals are suffering, this will no doubt have impacts on business. As people tighten their belts and ultimately want to spend less as their wages are reserved for the spiralling costs of rent, food, energy and other necessities, businesses are left on the back foot at times. Rather than simply burying heads in the sand however, this is actually a great time to rethink, regroup and think about the future sensibly.
What can businesses do?
It’s simple really, plan ahead. Look at the following elements of your business:
Review your business plan: When was the last time you truly looked at your business plan? A year ago, two years ago? What has changed since then? How can you act on the changes that have been put your way? Seek out new, more realistic goals given the circumstances and even if things are going well now, look at what could be coming your way in the future. Could there be an unseen ramping up of costs for other elements of your industry that will impact you? Are the implications here simply going to be delayed?
Set out a clear marketing strategy: There’s never a better time to go to market than in a crisis or at pinch points in global financial periods of stress. Stopping marketing is what a lot of companies in distress set out to do once trouble heads their way. However, if you stop speaking to your audience, they will presume that you have simply shut up shop. Do some research, where are your customers spending most of their time? What are they searching for? Concentrate on those elements now and commit to a ‘mop up’ campaign to cover other channels to ensure you don’t miss anomalies along the way. Remember, to stop is to block your customers from ever finding you and established ones from coming back.
Look again at cash flow: Take a look at your projections for cash flow. If trouble does head your way, how long can you last on the cash reserves you have? Is it really time for that large purchase or would it be better to be able to pay your staff’s wages for another six months? Do you have enough liquidity or is there a gap in your finances that cannot be plugged? Use your cash wisely, try to consolidate debt to make headway on having a reserve if things get truly bad.
Look after your own: Staff retention is possibly more important now than ever. Making yourself an attractive employer at the moment would be key to keeping staff, attracting more dynamic individuals and keeping afloat. The costs associated with the hiring of new staff or replacing them pales in comparison to simply retaining them. Also reach out to your staff, are you confident they are making it through without too much trouble? Be helpful and offer help if they are struggling.
