Huddersfield-based Scriba PR awarded media brief from breakthrough broadband provider
Scriba PR has been appointed as the communications partner for disruptive broadband provider, Be Fibre, to deliver an ambitious, strategic media brief.
Following the news that the full-fibre internet service provider gained access to £100m of private investment funding, the high-profile firm has partnered with the technical B2B PR agency to help support its mission to deliver hypersonic broadband access to 1,000,000 premises, over the next six years.
Hired on a retained basis for the next 12 months, Scriba’s work will include profile raising for the brand and key spokespeople, via thought-leadership editorials and speaking opportunities, as well as consumer-facing communications from a national to a hyperlocal level.
Scriba will also act as the press office for this fast-paced business and will protect the messaging house as the company’s tone of voice takes shape.
“Here at Scriba, we have almost a decade of experience within the technology and telecommunications sectors. We’re excited to leverage this to help Be Fibre bring the UK up to speed, quite literally, in terms of full-fibre connectivity,” explained Scriba’s managing director, Katie Mallinson.
“We’ll be working closely with the company to help achieve its ambitious growth targets – with a bold public relations and marketing strategy supporting Be Fibre’s aim to provide residential and business connectivity to 80 towns and cities by 2027.”
Be Fibre hopes to create up to 500 jobs by the end of 2022 alone.
Speaking of Scriba’s appointment, Be Fibre’s Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, Rob Andrews said: “Broadband is an extremely competitive market where messages can sometimes be highly confusing. We will be relying on Scriba PR to help us cut through the noise and jargon of a crowded marketplace, so that consumers are empowered to make better broadband choices.
“There’s a B2B element to our brief too, as we raise the authoritative voice of our sister brand – alternative network provider Digital Infrastructure. We look forward to working with Scriba PR in both respects, and already see them as a highly capable and personable extension to our existing marketing communications function.”
Senior partner steps down after four decades at law firm
Following a 43 year career at Sills & Betteridge, distinguished solicitor Stephen Wilson retired as the firm’s senior partner on 31 December 2021. His position was taken over by Karen Bower-Brown, the first woman to become senior partner in the 260 year history of the firm.
Lincoln born Stephen joined Sills & Betteridge as an articled clerk in February 1979. He qualified as solicitor in 1981 and became partner in 1985. Stephen spent the first 10 years of his career handling a mixed case load of work before dedicating all of his time to litigation, ultimately specialising in complex personal injury and clinical negligence matters, until he retired.
Notable achievements in Stephen’s career include his appointments as Deputy District Judge and President of Lincolnshire Law Society and being admitted as a Fellow of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.
Stephen said: “I have been lucky to have such an interesting and varied legal career, all of which I spent at Sills & Betteridge. My greatest satisfaction has been recovering compensation for my clients, some of whom had suffered catastrophic injuries or the devastating loss of loved ones. It also gives me huge pride to know that I have helped drive the growth of the firm, from a small local practice when I joined, to the large, thriving regional firm it is today.”
Having spent 30 years dominated by court deadlines, Stephen looks forward, initially, to a long rest. He will then spend time walking in his beloved Yorkshire Dales and exploring other beautiful areas of the British Isles, improving his golf handicap and spending time in the garden. He will also be found working behind the bar of his local village social club!
Stephen’s successor Karen Bower-Brown, current head of the firm’s commercial department, joined the firm in 1999 following a position at a London firm located near Green Park where part of her remit was to advise staff in the Royal household. Karen now specialises in litigation work including commercial, contract and property disputes, as well as contentious trust and probate work for which she is a recognised specialist.
Karen says: “I feel very proud to have been asked by the partners to take on the role of senior partner following Stephen Wilson’s retirement. The firm has gone from strength to strength since I joined as an assistant solicitor in 1999 when there was one office in Lincoln.
“Now we have 15 offices in Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottingham and Northampton. Although Covid has proved to be a challenge for the firm, we have weathered the storm extremely well and I have no doubt that the firm as a whole has a bright future. I take the opportunity to thank Stephen Wilson for his contribution to the firm over the last 43 years including as senior partner. I wish him all the very best for the future.”
Yorkshire-based food group seals sweet deal with desserts manufacturer
Regal Food Products Group Plc, the Yorkshire-based food group behind brands Regal Bakery, Regal Foods and Yorkshire Baking Company, have acquired premium desserts manufacturer Just Desserts for an undisclosed sum – backed by the commercial team at Virgin Money UK.
Established in 1985 in Shipley, West Yorkshire, Just Desserts specialise in baking a range of over 130 hand-crafted desserts and cakes, that are distributed throughout the food service industry. The range of hand-crafted desserts include tarts, cheesecakes and gateaux which already are well established within restaurants, cafes, and retail outlets.
The acquisition of Just Desserts will add to the growing success of Regal Foods Group, whilst complementing and broadening the offer available within the food service and retail industry.
Younis Chaudhry, CEO of Regal Food Products Group Plc, adds: “We immediately recognised a business that presented itself with opportunity, not just for us as a food group but also for our customers.
“New product development and innovation has always been at the forefront of our work and bringing Just Desserts and it’s team of craft bakers into the fold, enables us to offer flexibility and the scope to develop the growing range of quality products that are on offer within the retail and wholesale sector. Further developments will also see the high-quality desserts available through ecommerce platforms.
“We are extremely proud to be scaling our portfolio beyond the circle of Regal founded brands and branching out to becoming new owners of Just Desserts – a bakery that harnesses true craftsmanship within the confectionery industry.”
James O’Dwyer, former Managing Director, adds: “We are delighted and excited to be joining the Regal Foods family and know that the Just Desserts brand and all the team behind its success are in the best possible hands to ensure its future growth and prosperity. It really is exciting times ahead.”
Younis Chaudhry confirmed the acquisition will mean business as usual for Just Desserts, which will continue to run as an independent business whilst benefiting from the recourses and ongoing investment the group has to offer.
The acquisition was advised by Mazars, Clarion Solicitors and BHP Corporate Finance.
Tech that will vastly improve your business for little money
If you are running a business in the post-pandemic world, you will be looking for any way to keep up with all the new health regulations and restrictions going on across the country. The new measures are keeping everyone safe but are hard to keep up with.
There is now a lot of affordable tech available to make running a business a lot easier. Read on for our choices of the best ones.
Cleaning tech
We’ve all become a lot more germ aware, even if we aren’t entirely sticking to keeping 2 metres apart. New tech on the market has made a lot of aspects of everyday life safer, with smart tech taking over cities in the form of contactless payment machines, for example.
No longer do we need to handle germ-infested notes and coins and instead we simply tap our smart card or even phone to buy something. With affordable new models that cost as little as £30, what was once an expense only the chain stores could afford is now the norm for every modern business.
Elsewhere, mobile cleaning tech is taking most of the work out of deep cleaning premises. VIOA is a mobile cleaning device that uses UVC light to kill 99.99% of all viruses and bacteria by merely existing. Place it in a restaurant, shopfront, dentist or doctors’ room, gym or anywhere else you can think of to reduce bacteria, viruses, germs, and pathogens in the air and on surfaces.
When traditional cleaning methods are proven to only be 50% effective, can you really afford not to?
Security tech
Smart home security systems have taken off, but we don’t see as many people using them for their businesses. That is a shame, because they come with a lot of advantages over traditional security systems.
Most systems come with a camera that will capture anyone approaching your premises and a direct line to the local police, but the smart security system also alerts you via your smartphone if someone is approaching and even allows you to have a two-way conversation with whoever is on your front door.
You can control it remotely, allowing you to open or close it if a delivery needs to come in, all from your smartphone.
Management tech
If you consider software technology, you have a wealth of options available online to make running a business a lot easier. There seems to be a software application for every little problem.
For one thing, you can download a decent phone system for your business. With more and more people working remotely, either to work from home or to travel while working, you will need this superior way to keep in touch with them.
Your basic online phone system will make phone and video calls all over the internet, eliminating the need for a landline, so that’s already saving you money. But the better packages offer texting and customer service features.
You will see your team’s productivity go through the roof, gaining you better profits.
Plans for affordable and sustainable homes on track for Leeds as application submitted
Plans have been submitted to build 58 one-, two- and three-bedroom sustainable apartments for social rent, close to Leeds city centre, on Railway Street at Saxton Gardens.
Leeds City Council selected Leeds & Yorkshire Housing Association (LYHA), following a competitive process, to develop the central Leeds site, which has been designed by Brewster Bye Architects.
If plans are approved, a new five-storey, energy efficient scheme will be built on the site of the former ‘Yorkshire Rider Social Club’, close to Quarry House and within easy access of the city centre. The area is set to undergo further significant regeneration over the coming years.
The homes will be energy efficient and will feature heat pumps instead of traditional gas central heating, as well as benefitting from low-carbon energy source EV charging points and cycle storage to facilitate green, active travel.
The scheme will include 28 one-bedroom, 25 two-bedroom and five three-bedroom apartments. The ground floor apartments will each have their own garden and additional communal outside space is included, which will be landscaped with trees to enhance biodiversity. All the homes have a flexible layout and will include workspace areas, with the larger apartments each having an office, reflecting the increase in home working.
Subject to planning approval, Leeds City Council will sell the site to LYHA, and support its development with commuted sums contributions. These financial contributions have been secured from other new residential developments, where it has not been possible to provide sufficient affordable housing on-site. The Council manages these pooled funds to invest in other sites, ensuring that more, new affordable housing is being built across the city.
Joanna Chambers, Director of Assets and Growth at LYHA, said: “We are delighted that our bid for the site was successful and are excited to begin turning our plans into reality. There is a significant need for more affordable housing in Leeds, particularly in the Burmantofts area and in neighbourhoods near the city centre.
“Brewster Bye has designed an enticing and highly functional vision for the new homes. Subject to planning, we could start on site in Spring 2022 and estimate that the build will take 18 months to complete. All nominations for initial tenancies will be made through Leeds City Council.”
Cllr Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s executive board member for Infrastructure and Climate, said: “We are pleased to be able to work with LYHA on this development, which will provide much-needed affordable housing in this part of the city, and at the same time bring unused and undeveloped land back into use.
“By delivering a mix of different homes, this development reflects our efforts to address housing need in the local area and to ensure we have mixed communities, where diverse housing needs can be met.
“As well as delivering an ambitious Council Housing Growth programme, we are working with the affordable housing sector to increase affordable housing delivery across the city. Working closely with partners, a number of critical schemes are now progressing, which will help address Leeds’ affordable housing need.”
Mark Henderson, from Brewster Bye Architects, said: “Our plans have been developed in close consultation with Leeds City Council’s planning officers. It’s a very interesting site and we have worked with LYHA to create a landmark development that will form an important part of this evolving area.
“The scheme will take its place amongst some of the most high-profile and forthcoming developments in the city. In slight contrast to the sleek modernist architecture of the surrounding proposals, our scheme has a lively, undulating form set within rich landscaping, which both softens and gives a human scale to the development.
“Visually interesting and attractive, the apartments will have an open plan living kitchen area, separate utility and storage space, homeworking space, bedrooms, bathrooms and floor to ceiling windows that flood them with natural light. Crucially, all the homes will also be highly accessible and adaptable for residents with limited mobility.”
Outside the development, there are a number of green spaces surrounding the site, that are a legacy of mid-20th Century development of the area. These will be linked together and enhanced, with LYHA replacing low-grade amenity grassland with enhanced planting and shrubbery, establishing habitat areas throughout the development.
Harrogate financial adviser snaps up Skipton business
Prosperis Ltd, the Harrogate-based Independent Financial Adviser, has acquired AJ Hird Ltd, the Skipton-based financial services business, for an undisclosed fee.
AJ Hird was established 20 years ago and is a leading IFA business in the North Yorkshire market town.
Paul Meehan, chairman of Prosperis, said: “We believe this is a great deal for the clients of A J Hird. We will preserve and enhance the personal service being currently provided and look forward to welcoming all their clients to the group in due course.”
Chris Cundell, Managing Director of AJ Hird, will continue to lead the business and said: “This increased scale creates a positive platform for the future for all our clients, large and small. I am personally looking forward to working with Prosperis as they will deliver additional services to the benefit the business.”
Niall Gunn, Managing Director of Prosperis, said: “This is the third of four deals in our acquisition pipeline, and we welcome our new colleagues at AJ Hird to the Prosperis family. Ashley McCartney will be seconded from Harrogate to support Chris in developing the Skipton business further.”
Prosperis Ltd was formed in 2002. The deal brings a further £40m of assets under their control with the business now managing assets in the excess of £300m.
Indie video game label makes duo of acquisitions
Team17 has kicked of 2022 by revealing two acquisitions.
The Yorkshire indie video game label has acquired The Label, a USA-based independent publisher specialising in mobile subscription games content for an initial consideration of $24 million (£17.76 million) with additional earn out consideration of up to a maximum of $16 million (£11.84 million) over the next three years.
The total consideration of up to $40 million (£29.6 million) will be paid through a combination of cash and shares, which are subject to a 12 month lock-in period.
Michael Pattison, CEO of Team17 Games Label, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be joining forces with The Label’s entrepreneurial team, who are true pioneers in the delivery of quality mobile subscription games and technology. We are excited to tap into their unrivalled market and gaming experience to further take advantage of this growing market.
“The Label is a fantastic addition to the Team17 family, creating an indie game powerhouse across PC, console and mobile platforms. We look forward to helping them build on their impressive track record of success, further enabling them to scale even greater heights in support of our ambitious growth aspirations.”
Joshua Babich, general manager and Vice President, said: “It’s an honour to join the world’s leading independent games publisher. Team17 has been a pillar of excellence for over three decades for gamers and creators, bringing some of the most imaginative and unique titles to life. With their support the sky’s the limit and our partners can feel confident our combined leverage will accelerate success for all.
“Joining the Team17 family opens up unprecedented doors for us all. While we’ve carved out a strong foothold in the mobile subscription space, this allows us to instantly expand our market reach in ways that just wouldn’t have been possible before. We are delighted to be part of a Group that puts games development and creativity first!”
Team17 has also announced the acquisition of all rights and assets of Hell Let Loose (HLL), an existing 3rd party title to its 1st party family for an initial consideration of £31 million plus a contingent earn out consideration of up to a maximum of £15 million.
HLL is a multiplayer tactical first-person shooter video game which has over six million owners. HLL was created by developer Black Matter and is co-developed and published across multiple platforms by Team17.
Michael Pattison, CEO at Team17 Games Label, said: “We are delighted to be announcing the acquisition of the Hell Let Loose IP. Hell Let Loose has quickly become a highly credible and innovative multiplayer tactical first-person shooter supported by a very passionate and highly engaged community with over six million players.
“Having built a close and extremely productive relationship with Black Matter already, we believe that by bringing Hell Let Loose into the Team17 stable, we can serve and build upon the needs of an ever-growing community, improve and expand upon the existing player experience and develop new ways to entertain and delight. We firmly believe Hell Let Loose can become the definitive large-scale team-based military simulation.
“This acquisition represents an important next step in our strategy to expand our ownership of IP that is not only of the highest quality, but importantly has long-term growth potential.”
Max Rea, founder & CEO of Black Matter, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for our fans and a logical next step-up in the development of Hell Let Loose as a brand. Team17 love our brand and community as we do, which has expanded across multiple platforms successfully.
“We’ve worked very closely with our good friends at Team17 over the last several years and firmly believe that this acquisition is the next logical step to enable us to further deliver great content to the highly passionate HLL community, as well as find new ways to engage and entertain in the future.
“We are really excited to continue to work with Team17 on the next stage of growth for Hell Let Loose.”
The news comes as the company provides a trading update for the twelve months ended 31 December 2021 (FY 2021) in which it has “continued to trade above Management’s expectations across H2 2021 completing a solid performance in 2021. As a result, revenue and adjusted EBITDA for FY 2021 will be ahead of Management’s expectations and ahead of FY 2020.”
Debbie Bestwick MBE, CEO of Team17, said: “We are pleased with the 2021 performance, in which we continued to execute on our highly ambitious pipeline alongside completing the acquisition of StoryToys. Bringing StoryToys into the Team17 family sees us align our growth ambitions with their hugely talented team and is a clear marker for our future growth strategy.
“In addition, we are delighted with the acquisitions announced this morning. These further support our content and people growth plans. We look forward to working with them as part of our growing Team17 Group in 2022.”
Banner Jones signs Menopause Workplace Pledge
South Yorkshire law firm Banner Jones has furthered demonstrated its commitment to the health and wellbeing of its staff by signing the Menopause Workplace Pledge.
Created by the charity Wellbeing of Women in partnership with Hello! Magazine, and sponsored by Bupa, around 300 organisations have added their signatures to date, including large businesses such as Sainsbury’s, Tesco, BMW Group, Channel 4 and First Direct.
By signing the pledge, Banner Jones has committed to recognising that the menopause can be an issue in the workplace and that women need support; to talking openly, positively, and respectfully about menopause; and to actively supporting and informing employees affected by the menopause.
This is the latest in a series of wellbeing initiatives introduced by the law firm, which also signed the ‘Dying to Work’ charter in 2018, showing a commitment to protecting employees with a terminal diagnosis.
Lisa Gill, Human Resources Manager at Banner Jones, said: “The continued health and wellbeing of our staff has always been of real importance at Banner Jones, but it has become even more of a focus over the last year or so during Covid-19.
“We have an open-door policy in place, and we encourage our team members to come to us with any concerns that are affecting them in the workplace so that we can best support them.
“This pledge is a further commitment to that, and to putting our staff at the heart of every decision we make in order to provide a positive workspace for everyone.”
According to Wellbeing of Women reports that around 900,000 women have left their jobs because of menopausal symptoms, and a further 25% have considered resigning from their roles.
Katie Ash, head of employment law at Banner Jones, says that in addition to the firm’s own commitment to the pledge, her team has also seen an increase in the number of enquiries from businesses wanting to put policies in place to support staff experiencing menopause symptoms.
She said: “The mental and physical health and wellbeing of staff is a very important issue, and one that has truly taken centre stage since the start of the pandemic almost two years ago. Thankfully, like Banner Jones, most employers are taking a very proactive approach to updating practices and policies.
“As part of this, many businesses are now looking to ensure that they retain their best staff by better accommodating their needs during key life changes– be that having children, losing a loved one, or experiencing symptoms linked to the menopause.
“In doing so they are likely to also improve productivity and facilitate a far more diverse workforce.”
Careers set to take off at annual LBA recruitment fair
2022 is off to a flying start at Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) as it hosts its annual recruitment fair on Saturday 8th January at the Aviation Academy, located near the Multiflight Café in Yeadon, Leeds.
Representatives from a range of LBA’s divisions will be on hand from 10am to 2pm to talk to prospective candidates from across the region with over 100 career opportunities available at Yorkshire’s airport.
From roles across security, terminal operations, human resources, fire operations and cleaning, there are many positions at LBA to explore.
Representatives from Leeds Bradford Airport’s business partners will also be in attendance at the event to discuss job opportunities. These partners include: Jet2 and Jet2holidays, Swissport, Up & Away Aviation Services, SSP Group and Greggs.
Carol Burrows, Human Resources Director at Leeds Bradford Airport, said: “Our annual recruitment fair is a great opportunity for people to find out what a career in aviation can do for them. We’re excited to meet the next generation of LBA employees over the weekend and encourage all of those interested to attend.”
Although there is no need to pre-register attendance, due to COVID-19 protocols, LBA asks all visitors to the event to provide proof of a negative lateral flow test upon arrival. Masks will also be required to be worn throughout the event.
The recruitment fair will be paperless, so visitors are asked to have an electronic version of their CV available on their smart phones to upload.
Free parking will be available on the day next to the Multiflight Café (LS19 7UG), located at the south of the airport.
Successful applicants will undergo a criminal record check (CRB), a five-year employment and background check and they must have been a UK resident for a minimum of three years to obtain Government clearance.
Grade A offices snapped up by investor for £4.3m
Alongside joint agent G Herbert Banks, Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) have completed the £4.3 million acquisition of Woodland Park, Cleckheaton on behalf of Midlands investor, Parker & Parker Investments Ltd.
Set in attractive landscaped grounds, the acquisition comprises 31,772 sq ft of modern office accommodation across four two-storey buildings, well located adjacent to Junction 26 of the M62 motorway. It is 10 miles outside Leeds City Centre, with close access to Birstall Retail Park, Euroway Industrial Estate and having mainline rail access within 1 mile.
The Grade A offices at Woodland Park are fully let to fit out, technology and construction solutions company ISG Central Services Ltd.
G Herbert Banks LLP provided acquisition advice alongside occupational advice from LSH. Cushman & Wakefield acted on behalf of the vendor, a private investor.
Ross Firth, director – Office Advisory at LSH, said: “This is a great purchase for Parker & Parker Investments to further bolster their commercial portfolio, which they continue to add to with quality assets, such as Woodland Park. The acquisition offers a few angles from an asset management perspective and we are delighted to work closely with Parker & Parker going forward.”
Nick Jethwa, G Herbert Banks, added: “The acquisition of Woodland Park is a strategic purchase for Parker and Parker Investments. With an enviable position the accommodation lies adjacent to both open countryside and the M62/M606 junction.
“These grade A offices are ideally located for the out of town Leeds and Bradford markets, offering regional accessibility through both the motorways and a mainline rail connection only 1 mile distant. Through asset management Parker and Parker Investments will be optimising the accommodation for tenants and also their own returns.”
Chris Parker, Parker & Parker Investments Ltd., added: “We are very pleased to have made this acquisition in what is a premier office site with great rural views within the extensive motorway network just outside Leeds. Parker and Parker continue to grow their portfolio with continued investment in prime sites both in industrial and office. We intend to invest a further £10,000,000 within the next two years in sites that offer further asset value improvement. Thank you to all parties who helped in the process.”
Connor Rogers, Cushman & Wakefield, said: “I’m very pleased to have acted on the disposal of this asset on behalf of a private investor. This office park is strategically located adjacent to Junction 26, an area that is due to see a significant level of development activity in the coming months and years, which will further establish this location as a key commercial hub for the region. Whilst this sale represents a great result for my client, I am confident that the asset will also perform well for its new owners.”
