Cheadle Hulme’s The Translation People have seen a recruitment boom, fuelled by increased activity among UK firms in emerging economies.

The Translation People is adding 15 translators to its global network each month.

Most translations involve English, but the firm is also seeing a big increase in requests where the original language is French and German.

Companies focused on growing their exports and developing their global operations have triggered a surge in translation projects across the so-called BRIC, MINT and VISTA economies over the past 12 months.

During this period, The Translation People has seen an 82% surge in demand for translations involving Brazilian Portuguese.

The Translation People has also seen demand soar among UK clients with interests in the Middle East. Translations into Arabic have surged 48% in the period.

The company, which has its headquarters in Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester, has also expanded its capabilities by recruiting translators for projects in languages which are lesser-known in the UK, such as Mongolian, Northern Sotho – spoken primarily in South Africa – and Telugu, Kannada and Oriya, which are spoken in India.

Managing director Steve Wilde said: “We have added significantly to our languages portfolio over the past 12 months, and to the language combinations we can provide.

“The recruitment drive reflects demand from our clients, which in turn demonstrates the continued rise in British exports and the development of UK companies’ operations in emerging economies.

“Much of the new work is coming from exporters requesting translation of marketing material, websites and contracts, and from businesses that require corporate communications and health and safety documents to be translated for plants and operations overseas.

“Our stringent recruitment policy means all of our translators are carefully vetted to meet our exacting standards and the requirements of clients specialising in sectors such as engineering, healthcare, finance and legal.

“In all, we now have the ability to supply translators for more than 300 language combinations and it means we can easily meet the demands of multi-national clients who require the same material translating in to dozens of languages.

“We expect this surge in demand to continue as the so-called BRIC, MINT and VISTA economies grow further.”

Peel Ports is looking to take on an extra 90 staff in a move that marks the start of its further development of the Port of Liverpool.

The vast majority of the new jobs will be in Liverpool with 75 of them created in the next three months.

The project will eventually result in 500 jobs being created directly and a further 5,000 jobs indirectly with local supply chains.

The new jobs cover a diverse range of permanent positions including port operators, electricians, project managers, planners, marine officers, IT staff, sales executives, as well as new roles in finance and management.

The construction of Liverpool2 will enable the port to handle more than 95% of the world’s largest container vessels, and double the port’s capacity to 1.5m TEU (twenty foot equivalent units) a year.

Group HR Director, Peel Ports, Howard Sloane, said: “These are very exciting times at Peel Ports as we begin to recruit colleagues that will operate one of the most technologically advanced container terminals in the UK.

“Our focus is on finding the best possible talent to join our organisation, and for the new jobs in Liverpool, we’d like as many recruits as possible to be from the Liverpool City Region.

“Like all successful organisations, we are looking for talented, motivated people and we believe being part of one of the most technologically advanced and strategically important logistics businesses in the UK will help us to attract them.

"Liverpool2 will revolutionise supply chains in the UK by bringing the world’s biggest ships back to Liverpool.

“Currently more than 90% of deep sea containers enter the UK through Southern ports but more than 50 per cent are delivered or originate in the northern half of the UK.

“Liverpool2 will make it more efficient and cost-effective for importers and exporters moving goods in and out of the Midlands, the north of England, Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland.

“Recruiting a talented and motivated workforce will help Peel Ports create a sea change in the way we import and export goods in Britain.“

Founders of frozen yogurt retailer Lick Yogurt, Ky Wright and Owain Williams, have launched a crowdfunding campaign giving fans of their brand he chance to become ‘shareholders’ in the growing business.

The duo started making and selling frozen yogurt together at school, and now run an award winning, nationally stocked frozen yogurt brand. 

In 2006, Ky and Owain moved from Tenby to Brighton to open up the UK’s first frozen yogurt store (pictured below), which they closed in 2013 to focus on retail and export. 

The retailer’s ‘Lick tubs’ are now available in Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Ocado, Yo! Sushi, Budgens and Wholefoods among many other places all over the UK. 

Lick within the fastest growing category in a market worth over £1.1bn and plan to begin exporting their frozen yogurt this year. So far, the pair have raised almost £80k of their £200k target.

In a statement crowdfunding platform CrowdCube, the duo said: "We want as many people from Brighton as possible to be share holders. Since the shop opened, Brighton’s unique ‘vibe’ has been a big influence in everything we’ve done and achieved, and so the more connected we are to the place and people, the better we feel."

To find out more, visit Lick’s Crowdcube campaign: https://www.crowdcube.com/investors/lick-18476

Image source: Images_of_Money

The Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is urging organisations to bid for a share of £190m of EU funding that is now available.

In the first stage of the £190m programme, a tranche of some £73m of funding is now made available to organisations including:

• £6m to increase SME growth
• £6m  to increase entrepreneurship
• £31m employment & skills
• £15m for research and innovation
• £15m for Low Carbon

Further EU funding will unfold across the Liverpool City Region LEP area over the next six years to organisations, including those from voluntary sector, universities and councils all of which are now eligible to apply for funding.

LEP Executive Director Alan Welby called on organisations across the City Region to bid for the funding: "I am delighted that the new EU funding is available across the City Region to support new business growth and new jobs. This programme has been designed by the LEP and local partners to ensure that our economy gets the biggest boost possible from this investment.”

“We are here to help you through this process and I would urge anyone interested in developing a project to talk to us for support and guidance.”

"This programme is a major milestone in the LEP’s support for jobs, productivity and skills in our drive to make the region one of the country’s most enterprising economy." 

Image source: Lars Plougmann

A leading sales and lettings expert has been named the voice of North East housing market by one of the UK’s biggest property websites.

Ajay Jagota of South Shields-based sales and lettings firm KIS has been signed up as a regular blogger by OnTheMarket.com, the major new property portal launched earlier this year as a rival to RightMove and Zoopla.

Ajay will bring his uniquely North East perspective on the property market to a national audience, alongside his famously outspoken opinions on the sales and lettings industry.

Launched in January OnTheMarket has already enjoyed more than 2,000,000 unique visitors, and is tipped to replace Zoopla as the UK’s second biggest property website by the end of the year.

Ajay said: “I’m one of the thousands of agents to have already abandoned Zoopla and Rightmove in favour of OnTheMarket.

“Like many other agents I’d seen the fees they charge rocket because of the stranglehold they had on the market and a lot of agents will have had to pass those fees on to their customers, so an challenge to the major players means a better deal buyers, sellers, landlords and renters.  

“One of the many things which attracted me to OnTheMarket was that they are very much a national website, with a focus beyond London and the South East. Too often the North East is nothing more than a footnote to the national property market.

“North East property needs a voice, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be that voice”.——-Ajay’s first blog for OnTheMarket follows below

There’s no getting away from the fact that it’s been a sluggish start to 2015 for the North East property market.

After rising by 9.5% between April and September alone last year – returning to 2008 levels for the first time – house prices were on the finally on the move again, 14% above the low of £129,000 recorded in April 2009 and poised for even more growth in the new year.

Pension changes coming into effect this month will allow over 55s greater freedom to take their pensions as a lump sum, with so-called “silver landlords” likely to take advantage of the return on their investment offered by buy-to-let properties, pushing up prices.

Stamp duty changes announced by George Osborne in his Autumn Statement will cut £1000 from the cost of buying a North East home, encouraging more buyers into the market.

Low inflation and expected delays in lifting interest rates have also led to suggestions of a “mortgage price war” as several major lenders launch New Year “record low” fixed-rate deals.

At the start of the year I predicted that house prices in our region would rise by 10% this year.

I stand by that. But it hasn’t happened. Not yet at least.

In fact, house prices in the region have fallen back over the past few months – down 0.3% over the first eight weeks of the year and down 3% since September.  

So what happened? As far as I’m concerned the government’s Help to Buy scheme put a sturdy foot on the accelerator of house prices, and just when the ripple from the property boom in London and the South East started to reach our region, the Mortgage Market Review slammed the brakes back on.

For now, I can only suggest the General Election has caused the property market to go into hibernation, with buyers and sellers alike waiting to see what impact the outcome has on their household finances.

That isn’t to say that some areas aren’t performing strongly. Prices in North Shields remain 9.7% up on last summer, over the Tyne in South Shields they’re up 6.5%. Blyth is up 4.4% this year alone – 29 times the regional average

The North East rental yields are as good as any in the UK – Gateshead homes will regularly give you in the region of 7% - with rental returns rather than capital appreciation the key to making money from property. With the average house in the North East currently costing

£154,950 – 44% below the national average of £272,000 – investors can literally double their money.

Three bedroom family properties remain the most rentable and sellable properties in our region.

This is symptomatic of a larger cultural change we’ve been seeing in the rental sector over recent years – people are increasingly planning to stay in rented properties indefinitely, even choosing them for family homes. As such things like gardens, garages and in particular the space for family to expand are increasingly critical.  

Adding additional bedrooms with a loft conversion or extension could raise the value of a property in the region by as much as 50% - adding £72,000 to the value of a typical North East home.

A semi-detached property in Sunderland with three bedrooms instead of two will increase income for landlords by £852 a year – and raise the price of a Newcastle home by £39,000. 

Gareth Edwards, Laura Cullen, Andrew Taylor, Ben Hewes and Emma Rawlinson, Freshfield 

Lancashire-based marketing communications consultancy, Freshfield, has made five senior promotions and is planning further recruitment to support ongoing growth.

Within the PR team, Andrew Taylor, Ben Hewes and Emma Rawlinson have all been promoted to the role of senior PR consultant, while Laura Cullen steps up to become senior PR executive.

Meanwhile, in Freshfield’s creative services team, Gareth Edwards has been promoted to the role of senior branding and designconsultant.

Simon Turner, managing director at Freshfield, said: “Our decision to promote is always based on the ability of people to grow intellectually and build genuine partnerships with clients. Ben, Andrew, Emma, Laura and Gareth have consistently shown great dedication to helping our clients achieve marketing success and are viewed as a trusted source of advice.

“As we keep investing into our business we’re being presented with many quality new business opportunities and this raises the need to find talented people who fit our values.”

David Bertram, Citypress 

Citypress, the integrated communications agency, has bolstered its growing business practice with the appointment of a new consultant.

David Bertram joins the agency as account manager, and will be based at its headquarters in Manchester.

Previously of The Scott Partnership, where he worked with clients across the software, pharmaceuticals and healthcare sectors, David will now help to support a range of Citypress’ B2B accounts, including Lex Autolease, arvato and Oliver Valves.

Ricky Ambury, director at Citypress, said: "David joins us during a period of significant growth across our B2B and corporate-brand practice.  His experience in delivering insight-driven, integrated campaigns fits neatly with our approach." 

Nigel Lanceley, North West Cancer Research

Merseyside Chartered Accountant has been named the new chairman of the North West’s only locally based cancer research charity.

Nigel Lanceley, a director at the Liverpool office of Investec Wealth and Investment will take the reins at North West Cancer Research after working with the charity since 2013.

He succeeds Michael Potts, who has been involved in the charity in a senior capacity for 22 years, nearly 11 of which have been spent as Chairman covering two stints. However Michael will now return to his previous role of President.

In his new role as Chairman, Nigel hopes to build on the strong foundations that Michael has put in place during his time with NWCR, continuing the charity’s clear focus on fundraising, so it can secure as much money as possible and continue to support cancer research.

NWCR funds vital research into the understanding of cancer and how better to detect, treat and prevent it at research centres at the University of Liverpool, Bangor University and the University of Lancaster. The cancer research which it supports directly benefits people living in the North West.

Nigel, who became a trustee of NWCR in September 2012 said: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Michael for his continued hard work and dedication to help drive NWCR towards becoming the successful charity it is today.

“Under his strong leadership and the executive team at NWCR, there have been some significant changes over the last two years, following the recent merger with Clatterbridge Cancer Research, new headquarters and new team members.

“This is just the beginning of our development as a charity. Over the next 12 months, our main focus will be on fundraising, as we seek to attract new supporters and fundraisers to help us meet the ever increasing demand for cancer research.

“Thanks to the help of our dedicated network of fundraisers and supporters, we can raise funds at the lowest possible cost to ensure as much money as possible goes into cancer research.“

Anne Jackson, CEO of NWCR added: “Fundraising is the important part of what we do – without it we simply could not support our investment in life saving cancer research. We are immensely grateful to Michael Potts and are looking forward to working with Nigel in his new role, helping to take the charity further and achieve our fundraising and research goals.“

John Kirkpatrick, Refrigerant Solutions

Refrigerant Solutions (RefSols), the Liverpool-based company which has developed a more environmentally-friendly range of refrigerant gases, has appointed John Kirkpatrick as commercial director.

John has had a long career within the chemicals industry, initially working at ICI and most recently as technical sales manager at Mexichem on the Wirral. His appointment follows the recent £750k investment in RefSols by The North West Fund for Mezzanine, managed by Enterprise Ventures.

John’s appointment allows for the eventual retirement of RefSols’ founder, the award-winning investor John Poole, although he will continue in his role as CEO for the immediate future.

RefSols provides replacements for the ozone-depleting gases which are currently used in refrigeration and air conditioning systems and which are being phased out worldwide.

Will Clark of Enterprise Ventures, which manages The North West Fund for Mezzanine, said: "John Kirkpatrick has an in-depth knowledge of the chemical industry and the regulatory environment and his experience makes him ideally suited to take RefSols forward. His global network of contacts will help the company take advantage of the worldwide market for replacement refrigerant gases and boost its export sales.“

Victoria Craven, Chloe Ellis and Fiona Miller, Baker Tilly

This week Baker Tilly, a leading provider of tax, accounting and business services, appointed three new partners in its Leeds office.

Victoria Craven, Chloe Ellis and Fiona Miller have all passed the firm’s internal selection process and began their new roles on April1st.

Victoria, who grew up in Leeds, joined Baker Tilly as a trainee in 1998 after graduating from the University of Dundee. She became a fully qualified ACA in 2001 and has worked as an auditor for a variety of clients including owner managed businesses, AIM-listed plcs and pension schemes.

Victoria has recently been specialising in auditing not-for-profit bodies including charities, schools and academies.

Chloe Ellis, who has worked in Leeds for more than 10 years, joined Baker Tilly as a fully qualified chartered tax adviser in 2011. She has vast experience across all sectors and specialises in transactions tax issues, often involving large, international corporates.

Chloe currently works closely with the firm’s Corporate Finance team, and has recently advised on a number of successful transactions in the local market.

Fiona Miller, who has lived in Yorkshire for the past 25 years ago, joined Baker Tilly in 2004, having trained at a Big Four firm. Fiona fronts the firm’s Restructuring and Recovery technical team and has extensive knowledge of restructuring processes, from both a practical and regulatory respective. She is responsible for all aspects of regulatory and risk management in relation to the restructuring and recovery faculty, as well as delivering technical advice and promoting a strong compliance culture across the firm.

Kevin O’Connor, Baker Tilly Regional Managing Partner for Yorkshire and the North East said: “Victoria, Chloe and Fiona have all shown that they have the talent to successfully come through the gruelling selection process, and I’m delighted that we have been able to offer them partnership at a relatively early stage in their careers. I’m particularly pleased that we were able to nurture their talent in-house and offer them the career opportunities to match their ambitions. I have no doubt that they will all play important roles within the firm, and continue to provide an excellent service to their respective clients both in Yorkshire and across the country.”

Gary Lumby MBE, Whitecap Consulting

Whitecap Consulting, the Leeds-based strategy consultancy, has appointed Gary Lumby MBE as its first non-executive director.

Mr Lumby, a former director of Yorkshire and Clydesdale Banks, has a strong non-executive director portfolio across Yorkshire and the North East, with a focus around business growth and funding.

Launched in 2012, Whitecap  works with northern-based companies with turnover of £10m - £300m to support growth and provides commercial due diligence services to private equity firms and deal advisers. Clients include Costcutter Supermarkets Group, National Accident Helpline, First Direct Arena, Aldermore Bank, Nostrum Group, Rebuildingsociety.com and Capita.

Richard Coates, managing director of Whitecap, said:  “Gary Lumby’s expertise has been focused on business growth and funding for the last 20 years.  He will help guide us in our own growth; providing an additional perspective as we develop and deliver our strategic services for clients; and help us to network across the North.  

“For many businesses, funding will be a key part of achieving their growth – and advisers could see a role for us in developing the investment business case, identifying external trends and showing how risks will be managed, as well as shaping and implementing strategies post investment. This complements our work in commercial due diligence.”

Rob Cooke, Lupton Fawcett Denison

The Sheffield, Leeds and York-based commercial law firm, Lupton Fawcett Denison Till, the has appointed Rob Cooke as a Director in its Dispute Management Team.

Rob, a Sheffield City-based Property Litigator, joins from Taylor & Emmet where he was a Partner. He has specific expertise representing property and real estate developers, retail and restaurants, financial institutions and regeneration bodies.

Richard Marshall, managing director, said: “This is an important investment to support the increasing needs of our South Yorkshire client base and to increase our market share by utilising our deep understanding of our client’s businesses and the wide-ranging expertise carried across our three offices.

“Appointing Rob has been a tremendous boost to our Sheffield team. Rob has already shown that he is capable of dealing with this sort of work authoritatively, and has an excellent reputation in the market place.”

Commenting on his appointment, Rob added:  “Lupton Fawcett Denison Till is the only firm within the South Yorkshire region that is capable of building sector-leading teams, and which has a diverse range of services that clients will benefit from.  I am also very excited to be part of a firm that has a clear strategy to become the region’s law firm of choice and demonstrable progress with that strategy.  I look forward to strengthening the reputation of Lupton Fawcett Denison Till’s Dispute Management Team within the South Yorkshire market.”

James Mohammed, Dacres Commercial

The Land and Development sector of Dacres Commercial has appointed James Mohammed as a Senior Surveyor.  

James is a fully qualified Chartered Surveyor with over 11 years of experience in the property industry. He previously held positions at Town Centre Securities and Colliers International, and also set up a land and development business and a property maintenance company.

James, who lives in Harrogate, will be based at Dacres Leeds office and will be working with the firm’s managing director Jonathan Isles, who fronts the Land and Development Division.

Jonathan said: “Our division has won a wide range of multi-million pound sales instructions on behalf of NHS Trusts, Government bodies and UK plcs including Tesco recently, and James will be managing a number of our key clients.

“James has an in-depth knowledge of the property market and relevant consultancy experience advising on of a variety of residential and mixed use development sites and he will be a valuable asset to our team.”

Commenting on the appointment, James added: “Dacres has an unrivalled reputation in the industry and they advise a wide variety of clients from public sector bodies, to public and private companies and land owners on the development potential of their land holdings. I will be working on a range of prime development sites on behalf of a number of important clients which promises to be very interesting and rewarding.”

Claire Davis and Donna Steel, Grant Thornton

Grant Thornton just provided a boost to its Sheffield branch with the appointments of Claire Davis as director in its corporate finance advisory practice and Donna Steel as director in the Yorkshire assurance practice.

Claire, who has worked for Grant Thornton for almost nine years, has vast experience in corporate finance and M&A as she worked on a number of high profile deals. She has also been recognised in various awards for corporate finance professionals.

Claire will continue to be based in the firm’s Sheffield office and will focus on the Yorkshire and North East deals market as well as supporting Grant Thornton’s wider audit, tax and advisory services across the North of England.

Donna, who has been with Grant Thornton since 1999, initially trained and qualified as an ICAEW chartered accountant with the firm. She has worked in the audit department for the last 16 years, mainly focussing on larger and more complex assignments including international and listed groups as well as working on owner managed businesses and pension schemes. Donna is also responsible for audit quality in the Yorkshire assurance practice.

Paul Houghton, partner at Grant Thornton in Sheffield, said: “Both Claire and Donna have played a vital part in the success of the Sheffield practice and these promotions are a well-deserved recognition of this as well as a demonstration of our commitment to further developing our specialist teams here in Sheffield.  As a firm, we believe in nurturing and rewarding up-and-coming talent.”

Victoria Gribben, Nicholas Associates Limited

Nicholas Associates Limited, the holding company that owns the Stafforce and Nicholas Associates brands, has appointed Victoria Gribben in a newly-created senior position of Corporate Development Director.

Victoria will now serve in a key management role with responsibility for value creation and driving growth through mergers and acquisitions.

She will also be assisting in the development of a dedicated CSR strategy as part of the organic growth strategy for the Group which will reflect the Group’s continued dedication and support to local and global charitable initiatives.

Victoria joins the board of Nicholas Associates Limited bringing a wealth of corporate finance experience to the team and will support management and the founder, Nick Cragg, in achieving its goals and preparing longer term for succession. As Corporate Development Director, she will be identifying and executing merger and acquisition opportunities on behalf of Stafforce, the £66 million turnover recruitment business, with a view to achieving £200 million turnover within five years.

Victoria Gribben said: “I’m thrilled to be joining Nicholas Associates Limited at such an exciting time and to be working alongside Nick Cragg and the Group’s Directors to support the company in achieving its growth aspirations. The role is the perfect opportunity for me to be actively involved in acquiring, integrating and shaping businesses into the group and put into practice the experience and knowledge I have gained in my advisory capacity to help shape the business for continued future success.”

Nick Cragg said: “We are delighted Victoria has decided to join Nicholas Associates Limited, not only does she have a proven track record in mergers and acquisitions, but more importantly she shares the values on which our company is founded.”

Andrew Cross, Stuart Roberts and Peter Reed, WYG

Leeds-based WYG, a programme management and international development consultancy, has appointed three senior directors to its Governance team.

Andrew Cross, Stuart Roberts and Peter Reed bring all have specific set of skills, experience, and networks which reinforces WYG’s established relationships with HM Government along with bilateral and multilateral donor organisations. This will ease the expansion of the company’s International Development operations.

Andrew Cross, a former senior civil servant in the Ministry of Justice, joins WYG as director, head of justice development. Previously working at a senior level within the UK Justice system, Andrew’s appointment will exploit his capability and knowledge in rule of law consultancy and international capacity building. Andrew is currently working as justice advisor for DfID’s Security, Justice & Defence Programme in Libya.

Stuart Roberts, an ex-army officer, retired from his position as a Colonel 6 months ago. He has worked with NATO, the UN, and AU, and has extensive overseas experience in the Middle East, Africa (including Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Libya) and Europe (including the Balkans). He is currently appointed as the MoD institutional embedded advisor as part of the UK’s Security, Justice & Defence Programme in Libya, and now as a Director within the Governance team.  

Peter Reed, who joins as head of security sector development, has an army background and brings 30 years’ international development experience in 42 countries, including 12 in Africa. He formerly undertook strategic development work with ministers, mostly in post-conflict zones. With extensive experience of working with the UN, NATO and a range of international donors, WYG will benefit from Peter’s experience and relationships in security sector development.   

Clive Anderson, head of major projects, commented: “In Peter, Stuart and Andrew, we have gained over 60 years of international experience and expert contacts, as well as an unrivalled subject matter expertise from their previous roles. These three senior directors were recruited into the Governance team to further enhance our credibility in security sector development and deliver increasingly complex international programmes.”

Andrew Jordan, 360 Chartered Accountants

Hull and East Yorkshire-based 360 Chartered Accountants, has promoted Andrew Jordan to the role of Corporate Manager.

Andrew, who recently passed his final ACCA qualifications after three years of study, is the first of the 360 team to qualify as a fully fledged accountant under the tutelage of director, Andy Steele.

Mr Steele said: “We are extremely proud that Andrew has qualified whilst working with us at 360 and he has earned his promotion to become our Corporate Manager, which is his area of expertise.  He will be now be focusing on our more technically challenging clients, including auditing, as well as looking after our larger corporate clients.

“Andrew also looks after all our growing portfolio of legal sector clients who have unique accounting requirements to their own professional bodies.   He will be helping us grow this sector even more during 2015.”

Nick Page, Michael Bland, Waqar Hussain and Damon Fletcher, Brewster Bye

A Leeds-based award winning architecture practice has appointed four new team members to support the current growth of the business.

Nick Page, Michael Bland, Waqar Hussain and Damon Fletcher have all joined Brewster Bye, which was established 22 years ago and is based in Headingley.

Architect Nick Page, who is from Ilkley, previously worked in Sydney on several high end residential projects in and around the New South Wales coast line. He has also worked on several residential schemes in Austria and Barbados for an international developer as well as delivering projects for the education and retail sectors across the UK.

Michael Bland and Waqar Hussain have been appointed as Part 1 Architectural Assistants.

Michael, who is from Middlesbrough, recently graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University and will work on a number of affordable housing schemes at Brewster Bye. Waqar, who is from Bradford, won several awards for his end of year project at Huddersfield University, where he graduated with a first-class honours degree before joining an architectural firm in London where he worked on several residential and commercial projects.

Damon Fletcher has been appointed as a Junior Architectural Technologist. Damon, who is from Birstall, graduated from Huddersfield University last year and already has experience in the residential sector.

Managing Director Keith Brewster said: “We are delighted to be creating four new positions at the firm, taking our total team number to 23. We feel it’s very important to invest in talented young people in order to nurture the architectural stars of the future and this summer we will be taking this to the next stage when we launch a brand new apprenticeship scheme in conjunction with Leeds College of Building.”

A programme which helped to create over £200k worth of investment opportunities, 17 local jobs and some of Liverpool’s brightest entrepreneurial talent, has launched again this year with more than double the intake of entrepreneurs.

Spark Up, based at the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce launched in 2014 as a pilot programme with the aim of creating 500 ‘super businesses’ in Merseyside in the next five years.

Fifteen businesses were awarded a place on Spark Up’s five month pilot programme and between them they have generated an extra £205,000 worth of investment opportunities, increased their collective turnover by around 103% and created employment opportunities for an additional 17 local people.

Now 37 new businesses will have the chance to create their own success after securing a place on this year’s programme, which started earlier this month.

Founder of the programme Jenny Stewart said: “Liverpool really is leading the way in developing new businesses and encouraging an entrepreneurial mind set and you only need to look at the results of our pilot programme to see this.

“The pilot proved that there is room for this type of accelerator programme in Liverpool and that the Spark Up model works. What we saw was budding entrepreneurs working with each other and collaborating on their journey to business success.

“Now we have 37 new entrepreneurs, including a few familiar faces from last year, ready to take on the challenge and push and drive their businesses on to success.

“The calibre of entries this year was absolutely outstanding and what was really pleasing to see, was the diversity of the businesses that put themselves forward. We saw everything from digital app companies to fashion and lifestyle businesses and there were many who got us very excited here at our Spark Up headquarters.

“I am genuinely excited to see how each of our entrepreneurs develop over the next 20 weeks and wish them all the very best on their Spark Up journey.“

Paul Bibby from MSB Solicitors was one of the first business leaders to sign up as a Spark up mentor this year. He said: “As soon as we heard about Spark Up we were keen to sign up and offer our support.

“As a company we have lots of experience in the business world and hope to share this with some of the entrepreneurs and help guide them on their business journey.

“We will look to offer advice on a whole range of business subjects, as well as bring in some of our strategic partners wherever possible to make sure each of them goes away with a clearer focus on what they need to do to make reach their business goals.“

David Birks, Mark Reeves & David Lucas, Newtons Soliticors

Newtons Solicitors has strengthened its North East teams with three new appointments

Three new solicitors, who will work out of Newtons offices in Darlington, Stokesley and Richmond, have joined from a North East law firm.

They are Dave Birks, who is appointed an LLP member of Newtons litigation team; his assistant, Mark Reeves, a newly-qualified solicitor and David Lucas who joins as an LLP member in the commercial team.

The appointments follow Newtons’ acquisition of long-established Stokesley solicitors, Thorp Parker LLP, last autumn.

Newtons Solicitors managing director, Chris Newton, says: “We are thrilled by all these appointments which considerably bolster our presence in the North East.

“Having fought against Dave Birks in court I’m delighted that he has joined Newtons together with Mark Reeves. They strengthen our litigation presence in the North East considerably for both commercial and private work. This builds on the success that we are seeing across our northern offices and following the recent Thorp Parker Acquisition.“

Dave Birks said: “There is considerable competition between law firms in the North East. I’m delighted to join Newtons which is among the fastest-growing firms in the region. Its modern approach is just right for the current business environment, providing affordable, top-level legal services and practical advice.” 

Managing Partner Jason Wainwright (left) with Kevin Maloney, Nicola Barnett and Adam Aston

Kevin Maloney, Adam Aston & Nicola Barnett, Muckle LLP

North East law firm, Muckle LLP has announced the promotion of three lawyers within its Banking, Commercial and Construction teams.   

Kevin Maloney has been promoted to partner in the banking and restructuring team.  In addition, two lawyers have been promoted to associate solicitor: Adam Aston in the Construction and Engineering team and Nicola Barnett in the Commercial team.

Kevin Maloney joined the firm’s Corporate team initially when he qualified as a solicitor at Muckle in 2000 but is known for his work in the banking team where he has been for eight years.

As well as providing advice for a range of financial institutions, Kevin advises borrower clients who need banking, finance and fundraising advice. He also leads the Graduate Recruitment Team at Muckle LLP.

He commented: "I am delighted to have been promoted. Muckle is a great place to work and I have enjoyed developing my career here. I’ve been fortunate to work on a range of high quality, complex transactions which reflect both the nature of our clients and the capability of our team."

Louise Duffy, who leads the banking and restructuring team at Muckle LLP, said: “We are proud to congratulate Kevin on his achievement in becoming a partner within the largest banking team in the region. His appointment recognises the talent and work ethic which makes him a central member of our team."

“He has led and managed complex transactions and the promotion is a well-deserved recognition of that effort and excellence over a long period.

Newly promoted associate solicitor, Nicola Barnett, joined Muckle in 2010 and specialises in advising on IT, data protection and freedom of information, she said: “I am delighted to be promoted and look forward to the new challenge in further developing our IT and information law offering.

"Since I joined the firm, I have enjoyed building on my existing practical experience as an information law adviser by achieving my data practitioner qualification and also raising the firm’s profile by speaking at the National Information Security Conference last year.“

Adam has also been promoted to associate solicitor. He joined Muckle eight years ago and specialises in detailed contractual analysis and drafting, commercial negotiation and contractual procurement in the construction sector. 

Adam said: “Since qualifying into the Construction team, I have enjoyed working on a diverse range of construction and engineering projects. In recent times, I have been lucky enough to have worked on a number of high-profile engineering, energy and infrastructure projects. I am very excited by my promotion to Associate Solicitor and am very much looking forward to making a more prominent contribution to the running and continued success of our team."

Speaking of the promotions, Muckle LLP’s managing partner, Jason Wainwright, said: “These promotions are well deserved and reflect hard work, expertise and enthusiasm.  Kevin, Nicola and Adam clearly really enjoy what they do and it’s great to see people develop professionally and personally at Muckle LLP, whether joining us as trainees or later in their careers. 

"We are committed to helping people achieve their potential and our promotions are a real reflection of the progress that the firm continues to make and the opportunities which lie ahead." 

Victoria Hampson & Jennifer Welch, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

The North & Midlands arm of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has appointed a new regional director responsible for supporting chartered surveyors in the North East and helping to maintain standards in the local industry.

Victoria Hampson, previously RICS Member Services Manager (North & Midlands), has been promoted to the role of regional director after taking the reins from Jennifer Welch (pictured left), who has been promoted to director of Business Delivery following a successful secondment as director of RICS in West Africa.

During the six months that Jennifer was seconded in West Africa, Victoria provided support by stepping up to the role of Acting Regional Director of RICS (North & Midlands).

Victoria said: “When I first took up the role of Regional Director, it was only temporary. But I’ve enjoyed it greatly and learnt a lot, so I was delighted to be promoted to the post permanently.

“Jennifer did a fantastic job as the Regional Director - she is highly respected amongst members in the regions and I’m going to miss her immensely. But I’m looking forward to putting my local knowledge to good use and continuing to support members, drive activity and develop further an already high performing team.“

Jennifer Welch first joined RICS 17 years ago as a Branch Administrator for Northumberland and Durham and over the years her drive, passion and commitment to the organisation’s members has been deservedly recognised and rewarded with many promotions. 

She said: “The last six months in West Africa have been a big challenge and I am delighted that I will be able to continue with some of that work and use the skills and knowledge that I have gained over the years through working in the North and Midland’s regions, in other parts of the business.“

Jennifer added: “Whilst I do feel sad that I will no longer have so much direct contact with local members, I know that I am leaving the regions in the very capable hands of Vickki Hampson who will do a great job as the new Regional Director.“

Jonathan Wallis, The Central Association of Agricultural Valuers

Jonathan Wallis, a partner at land and property specialists George F White, has been appointed the new Chairman for the Northumbria and Cumbria Branch of The Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV).

CAAV is a specialist professional body and its members are agricultural and rural valuers who provide professional advice and valuation expertise on issues affecting the countryside. 

Commenting on the honorary appointment, Jonathan said: “I am delighted to be elected as Regional Chairman. It’s a very prestigious role and I would like to thank all those who voted for me to become the chairman for Northumbria and Cumbria. I look forward to the year ahead now that I have been officially inaugurated.“

Within the role, Jonathan will be responsible for chairing a committee that make decisions on membership and finance matters, rules and protocol as well as reporting back to the council and executives of the association.

Charles Meynell, senior vice-president at CAAV, said “It is great to see Jonathan elected as Chairman. The Northumbria and Cumbria Branch is thriving and it is a sign of confidence in Jonathan that, at a time when there is so much to be done in the agricultural and rural community, the members see him as their leader for the next year. 

"Issues surrounding the implementation of the Basic Payment Scheme, for example, are but one of many that at national level we at the Central Association and the Branch at local level will be working closely to resolve over the coming months."

Stephen Hillier, Kat Watson & Jack Stuart, Omlis

Newcastle-based mobile technology payments provider, Omlis, has made the first round of newly appointed roles in their ongoing recruitment drive for talented professionals within the North East, which will fill a variety of support and technical roles within the expanding organisation. 

Omlis have appointed Stephen Hillier, Katie Watson and Jack Stuart as security systems analyst, recruitment operations assistant and communications assistant, respectively. 

Mr. Hillier is a security cleared security professional bring over 26 years of experience in design, delivery and support of global ICT systems to his new role as security systems analyst. 

Mr. Hillier said, “The opportunity to be part of such a dynamic organisation making a global impact from right here in the North East is very exciting. 

“The talent within the business is very impressive and I look forward playing my part as Omlis continues to pioneer high integrity technologies that completely secure mobile payment transactions.“

Meanwhile, Omlis CEO Markus Milsted continues to demonstrate his commitment to achieving his recruitment forecast by appointing Kat Watson as Recruitment Operations Assistant, a support role to the growing recruitment team. 

Ms. Watson joins Omlis from Mortimer Bell International where she was a recruitment consultant, she said: “I have followed Omlis’s progress over the past few months and feel very fortunate to be part of a forward thinking organisation,

“I am very excited to have the opportunity to improve my skills by facing new challenges within a very reputable and highly ambitious organisation.“

Omlis, who recently announced their success in securing over £20m contracts, is also focused on giving opportunities to talented young people, demonstrated through the recent appointment of Jack Stuart in the role of communications assistant. 

Mr. Stuart said, “I chose to continue my professional development with Omlis and I am driven to repay their confidence in me. As the leading provider of high integrity mobile payment encryption technologies, Omlis represents a fantastic opportunity for anyone who is determined to be successful in the North East digital sector.“

Harry Swan, Innovate UK

Harry Swan, managing director of Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd. based in Consett, County Durham has been appointed to the Governing Board of the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK.

Innovate UK, formerly known as the Technology Strategy Board, is the UK’s innovation agency. Its goal is to accelerate economic growth by stimulating and supporting business-led innovation.

Sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), Innovate UK brings together business, research and the public sector, supporting and accelerating the development of innovative products and services to meet market needs, tackle major societal challenges and help build the future economy.

The chair of Innovate UK, Phil Smith, said: “I am excited by the contribution that Harry’s appointment will bring to our Board’s discussions.

"He leads a mid-sized, cutting-edge advanced materials and chemicals company and so brings a real customer’s perspective to our work. Beyond that, his work with the Chemical Industries Association and the recently established Chemistry Growth Partnership bring us first-hand insight into some of the strategic channels through which we engage and support businesses in key areas of potential UK economic growth.“ 

Of his appointment, which will last until June 2017, Harry Swan said “I am delighted to have been appointed to the Board of Innovate UK. As Managing Director of an SME that has a long history of innovation, I believe that harnessing the UK’s remarkable capability to innovate is central to re-building a strong economy based on wealth generating businesses. 

"To be able to contribute to the organisation that is at the heart of this challenge is a real privilege and I look forward to working with the other members of the Board over the coming years.“

KPMG, the globally recognized professional services business, has partnered with Entrepreneurial Spark, the world’s largest free business accelerator, to provide business advice and support to thousands of entrepreneurs across Leeds and Yorkshire.

The new collaboration between KPMG and Entrepreneurial Spark, powered by NatWest, will deliver a range of benefits to startup businesses across Yorkshire and the rest of the UK in the next three years.

The Entrepreneurial Spark programme, established in 2011, has supported just under 1000 startups which have gone on to create more than 1,700 jobs.

KPMG has committed to providing 1000 hours of support every month over the next three years as Entrepreneurial Spark powered by Natwest continues to expand throughout the UK. Coming off the success of March’s launch of the Leeds Hatchery in NatWest premises at the Headrow, the announcement of an alliance with KPMG is the latest development in the accelerator’s goal of creating a ‘golden age’ for entrepreneurs.

This new three year deal states KPMG will offer advice and guidance to entrepreneurs for an array of issues such as developing better quality business plans; investor readiness; understanding the importance of cash and profit and recognising the impact of business decisions on company finances.

KPMG will also have a dedicated presence at Entrepreneurial Spark’s head office whilst running services in the hatcheries - or start-ups hubs - in Leeds and other locations across the UK.

Furthermore, KPMG will supply a pool of talent in each location to ensure entrepreneurs receive the best possible advice as they build their businesses.

With funds from KPMG, Entrepreneurial Spark powered by NatWest will award the best entrepreneurs with a start-up six figure cash pot prize fund for Leeds annually.

As part of the multi-million pound partnership, entrepreneurs within the region will also have access to KPMG’s Small Business Accounting service.

Ian Beaumont, Enterprise partner at KPMG in Leeds, said: “At the heart of KPMG Enterprise is a deep-rooted commitment to providing coaching, support and advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, so we’re delighted that this new partnership with Entrepreneurial Spark and NatWest will enable us to provide a vital helping hand to early stage and growing ventures up and down the UK.

“Entrepreneurial Spark is working with the big businesses of tomorrow, so the more we can do to help entrepreneurs understand and get to grips with their numbers, and ultimately help them to secure investment, the better.

“We look forward to supporting our first intake of ambitious company owners over the coming months, and watching their businesses flourish.”   

Gordon Merrylees, head of Entrepreneurship RBS and NatWest, added: “To have KPMG on board with us as we drive our support for enterprise is tremendous added value for the entrepreneurs in particular. Through working with KPMG and Entrepreneurial Spark, RBS and NatWest truly aims to become the bank for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Whilst finance is of obvious importance to these businesses, it’s the networks, contacts, expertise and mentoring - in other words, the connectivity and know-how that we can bring to the table with KPMG - which will help make all the difference to these inspirational entrepreneurs. I look forward to embarking on this journey with them.”

Jim Duffy, Entrepreneurial Spark CEO, also commented: “At Entrepreneurial Spark, one of our top challenges is ensuring that those start-ups which are seeking investment are truly investor ready. We searched the country for a leading accountancy firm willing to give back and support entrepreneurship, and were blown away by the commitment of the KPMG team. We look forward to working with them across the country over the next three years, enabling entrepreneurs across the country to grow their businesses, create jobs and support the economy.”

The former co-founder of digital marketing agency Epiphany, Shane Quigley, has launched  a new Leeds-based e-commerce business, Earth Bathrooms.

After establishing Epiphany, which was acquired by Jaywing PLC in March 2014 for £18m, the Yorkshire entrepreneur decided to create a new digital venture due to his past negative experiences dealing with client inertia and budget restrictions.

These growing frustrations led Shane to launch his own e-commerce business based on his significant digital marketing knowledge, and hire a team of experts to enter the bathroom industry.

Earth Bathrooms, which is based in Leeds, aims to differ from other companies within the bathroom sector, with a focus on customer service and delivering quality products at low prices.

Commenting on the launch of Earth Bathrooms, Shane said: “Ten years from now, in an era of truly global retail, everyone will be offering similar products at similar prices and it will be good old fashioned customer service that again becomes the true mark of how much you can trust a brand.“

Currently supplying bathroom furniture and accessories, the business is aiming to expand rapidly in the near future, and eventually offer full ranges of furniture and homewares to develop the brand into an all-encompassing home improvements and interiors offering under the more generic ‘earth’ name.

Having launched in January, Earth Bathrooms is already achieved around a 50% month-on-month growth and is receiving positive customers reviews for its excellent service levels.

Commenting on the strategy behind the business, Shane added: “I truly believe in ‘practicing what you preach’ and I relish the challenge of putting my marketing and technology expertise to the test with this new venture.

“My business growth and agency background gives me the benefit of having a broad yet granular view of what works and what doesn’t across a number of e-commerce sectors, as well as a complete understanding of the team expertise needed to make this a success. A lot of companies avoid growing their in house resources due to uncertainty around the required skillsets, and the confidence and knowledge we have to do the exact opposite will be a great competitive advantage.“

All Terrain Cycles, Yorkshire’s longest established cycle retailer, has invested £1m into the expansion of two stores in Wetherby and Salts Mill.

The investment aims to grow the display stock of the cycle retailer’s stores to more than 1,000 bikes and offer new showroom displays.

The family owned retailer, which is one of the UK’s largest independent cycle retailers, currently employs 26 staff in Yorkshire. Founded in 1907, the £4m turnover business is based at a 9,000 sq ft Salts Mill store where it also has a 12,000 sq ft warehouse.

Last June, the retailer opened a second megastore showroom at Audby Lane in Wetherby.  

Currently run by Tony Booth and his family - including daughter Natasha, who leads the firm’s purchasing and customer service functions, All Terrain Cycles was originally established as Riley Brothers Cycles in Crosshills until the move to Salts Mill in 2007. The retailer was acquired from the Riley family by Mr Booth in 1996 and has grown from a turnover of £45,000 in 1995.

As well as selling a range of leading brands, including Cannondale and Trek, the two stores stock over 1,000 mountain, road, BMX bikes and clothing and accessories. Both locations also include workshops staffed by trained technicians able to provide repairs and servicing, as well as a place to prep the bikes for the showroom and delivery.

Tony Booth, managing director of All Terrain Cycles, said: “The resurgence of cycling nationally and the legacy of the TDF in the region are very real for us and we have been investing to build on our position here in the UK’s new home of cycling.

“The sector is hugely competitive, both online and in our physical stores, and we been investing heavily to reinforce our position as the retailer with the widest choice of bikes in store and the most ‘ready to ride’ stock in the North.“

Natasha, Mr Booth’s daughter, added: “Customers have told us that what they really want, apart from great customer service, is to be able to sit on a bike, touch it and test it.  In 2015 we will see an even higher proportion of our customers able to walk away from the store with the bike of their choice as a result of the half a million pounds of investment in extra stock on the shop floor.

“The investment has given our Salts Mill superstore a dedicated area displaying a huge range of ladies kit, a revised store layout and a lot more bikes for 2015. We have steadily built the stock levels and displays at Wetherby following a great first three quarters since we opened last summer, and we have tried hard to replicate the success of our Saltaire unit by offering customers the same benefits of friendly, knowledgeable staff and a state-of-the-art bike fitting facility as well as the market leading choice of display bikes.“

A pair of entrepreneurs from Merseyside, Tom Muir and Louise Disley, who started a juicing frenzy from their own kitchen in 2013, have grown their business by 300%

In less than two years, they have sold 13,000 bottles to customers all over the world and attracted investment worth £20,000.

The company was started with the aim of offering health conscious consumers healthy, great tasting juices, with a significantly reduced sugar content and has a celebrity following including Callum Best and Made in Chelsea’s Binky Felstead.

The inspiration for the business came from 28 year old Louise’s love for home juicing and the encouragement of family and friends who convinced her to share her great tasting recipes with the public.

Juicing has now moved on from the family kitchen to a much larger operation and premises in Fazakerley, employing three new staff members to help meet the growing demand.

They have also invested in the latest cold pressing technology, which will allow them to produce thousands of litres of cold pressed juices every week.

After securing a place on Liverpool’s first ever business accelerator programme Spark Up, last year, Just Juices has unveiled a new product range, new website and overhauled its branding to focus more on the customer and give them as much nutritional information about their products as possible.

Tom and Louise hope that the new focus will help increase sales by another 300% in the next five years, selling more juices online and within independent retailers, as well as securing buy-in from high street retailers and health and fitness centres.

The juices are already on sale at popular Liverpool venues including Salad Bowl and Bikram Yoga.

Tom said: “When we started Just Juices in 2013, neither of us had any experience of creating or even running our own business, but after recognising a gap in the market for 100% healthy juices we decided to take a risk and go for it.

“It seems to have paid off, as we’ve moved our business forward considerably over the past two years.

“At first it was hard as we both have full time jobs and we recently became parents for the first time, but we never lost faith in our idea.

“We knew we had lots of potential with Just Juices, but we didn’t know how to take this forward and grow the business, which is why we embarked on the Spark Up programme. “When we joined we had been trading for six months, but didn’t really have a full grasp of our market and consumer audience.

“Through the support and advice of Spark Up, we realised we needed to refocus our products and brand in order to identify and connect with our customers more clearly as well as compete against our competitors – which is why we launched our new juices last month.

“As a result visits to our website are increasing and we are securing more and more sales as well as interest from investors and suppliers.

“We are now on the path to becoming recognised as a major player in the food and drink industry.“

Full-time mum Louise said: “The UK juice market is full of products which either taste great but are packed full of sugar, or have little or no sugar yet lacking in taste.

” Our range of drinks addresses this gap and offers healthy juices which are not only nutritional but taste great.

“We have been scientifically proven to have the lowest sugar levels compared to other fruit & veg juices.

“We use a process called cold pressing to create the juices, which involves tonnes of pressure and a hydraulic juicer to extract every drop of goodness out of the fruit and vegetables.

“The process applies no heat – hence the name cold pressed – which helps maintain three to five times more vitamins than juice from other machines.

“We pride ourselves on being one step ahead in the juicing industry and use HPP technology. “This allows us to naturally preserve the juices for longer without adding heat or additives, which enables us to sell our juices to customers all over the UK.

“Our drinks usually have a shelf life of 28 days.“

“Response to our new juices has been great so far and we are looking to develop our product range even further over the next 12 months, so watch this space for more Just Juices coming soon!“

Founders of frozen yogurt retailer Lick Yogurt, Ky Wright and Owain Williams, have launched a crowdfunding campaign giving fans of their brand he chance to become ‘shareholders’ in the growing business.

The duo started making and selling frozen yogurt together at school, and now run an award winning, nationally stocked frozen yogurt brand. 

In 2006, Ky and Owain moved from Tenby to Brighton to open up the UK’s first frozen yogurt store (pictured below), which they closed in 2013 to focus on retail and export. 

The retailer’s ‘Lick tubs’ are now available in Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Ocado, Yo! Sushi, Budgens and Wholefoods among many other places all over the UK. 

Lick within the fastest growing category in a market worth over £1.1bn and plan to begin exporting their frozen yogurt this year. So far, the pair have raised almost £80k of their £200k target.

In a statement crowdfunding platform CrowdCube, the duo said: "We want as many people from Brighton as possible to be share holders. Since the shop opened, Brighton’s unique ‘vibe’ has been a big influence in everything we’ve done and achieved, and so the more connected we are to the place and people, the better we feel."

To find out more, visit Lick’s Crowdcube campaign: https://www.crowdcube.com/investors/lick-18476

Bury-based BeerSpotters Ltd was founded by Leon O’Callaghan, the craft beer company was set up in 2012 but took a back seat until late 2013, where the company has been in a state of development since.

So far the business has managed to break even, and has seen turnover double despite a frugal beginning with all of the funds coming from the founders’ pockets and no external investment.

BeerSpotters is a collaboration, led by Leon’s passion for the art and craft in beer, Mark Berry’s (Bez, from the Happy Monday’s) enthusiasm for the product, and Kosie T’s creativity.

They are a small team and describe their journey as having “only just begun.“

They spoke exclusively to Bdaily and said: “BeerSpotters’ ambition is to do business differently; we’ve developed the whole concept with the intention of giving something back and we aim to achieve something for the greater good of many.

“At the moment we’re eager to find a patron for the BeerSpotters …On It! Line.  This range incorporates a message on each bottle pertaining to what we believe are the greatest issues facing society today.  “Conceived by Kosie T, with multiple objectives to bring about greater awareness, this project has all the potential of becoming something exceptional.  

“If we could secure someone to bridge the initial costs, the aim is that every penny made from this line could begin to build a substantial Education Fund that we aim to make available to 16-23 year olds.

“The easiest thing about doing business is other people; we are a crew with a dream and when we take time to explain what we are trying to achieve, others are really receptive, helpful and keen to help, which makes BeerSpotters very much a team sport.

“It’s like a forty to fifty year old youth project!

“The craft-beer industry is really exciting, brewing is one of mankind’s ancient traditions – to play a small roll in its resurgence is like being with David as he brings down Goliath.  

“We’ve been poisoned by mass produced, chemically drenched beers for too long; just as with food, Britain’s drinking habits are changing rapidly - it’s a great time to be a BeerSpotter.

Leading British butcher Crawshaws Butchers is set to be Leeds’ Merrion Centre’s newest tenant, along with the new Taiwanese bubble-tea shop, Bubble Bubble.

Town Centre Securities PLC (TCS) has just secured two new deals, which have approximately created up to 17 new jobs in the city centre.

TCS and Crawshaws Butchers have just entered into a 10-year lease to secure the opening of the Yorkshire butcher’s 24th store at the Merrion Centre, as well as its first Leeds city centre shop unit and is expected to recruit 12-15 new staff members over the next few weeks.

The store opening is the first step in Crawshaws Butchers’ plans to expand its portfolio to approximately 200 stores over the next 8 years. Before opening its doors in May, the new 962 sq-foot store will undergo a full refurbishment.

Crawshaws Butchers currently operates out of 23 stores across Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and Humberside with sites in Sheffield, Derby and Grimsby and a head office in Rotherham.

Kevin Boyd, managing director of Crawshaws Butchers, said: “After a three year wait I’ve finally got the site that I’ve been looking for! It’s a fantastic centre with great footfall and it’s a really up and coming area – the Arena Quarter is growing all of the time and we’re excited to be part of it.

“We’re confident that our fresh, high quality meats will be a big hit with shoppers, nearby office employees and students.  With the finest cuts of meat and gold award winning sausages our offering of high quality produce at great prices is going to be hard to resist.”

The Merrion Centre will also become the home of the new Taiwanese bubble-tea shop, Bubble Bubble, at the end of March, which already has recruited two full time members of staff and are looking for three additional part time recruits over the six-month lease.

After investing £10,000 into the store in the mini market, Bubble Bubble’s opening hopes to bring a taste of the Far East to the people of West Yorkshire. The unit aims  to create a boutique vintage tea room setting.

The store’s focal point will be bubble tea – a Taiwanese drink made using tapioca balls that has proven popular in the UK since arriving in 2011.

Yan Jiechao, founder of Bubble Bubble, said: “Bubble tea has become increasingly popular in the last four years. The concept is particularly popular with young people, and the Merrion Centre was chosen as the ideal location with thousands of students and shoppers passing through its doors every day.”

Helen Green, associate director for Town Centre Securities, added: “We are delighted to welcome Crawshaws Butchers and Bubble Bubble to the Merrion Centre. The two new offerings give our customers even more choice.  It’s great that the Merrion Centre can accommodate traditional stores like Crawshaws Butchers but also appeal to more cosmopolitan establishments like Bubble Bubble. This mix and wide range is what makes the Merrion Centre unique and a success.”

Banker Steven Pilkington has opened The Butcher’s Quarter, an artisan butcher’s shop in Manchester city centre with the help of a £50k Business Loan from Business Finance Solutions (BFS).

The Butcher’s Quarter on Tib Street in the Northern Quarter will be the only artisan butcher in Manchester city centre following the closure of the last one in 2007.

The shop stands on the site of a former butcher’s that closed in 1975 and Steven has preserved many of the premises’ original features such as the floor, walls and signage.

Steven, whose grandparents and great grandparents owned two butchers’ shop in Accrington, will be running the shop with his partner Michelle Welshman and fourth generation butchers Mike Walton and Rowan Brown.

Steven, who lives in the Northern Quarter and previously worked for two major UK banks, has wanted to launch his own business for many years and decided upon The Butcher’s Quarter as a great way to bring back a much needed resource to the city centre.

Steven said: “For years Manchester city centre has been missing a traditional butcher’s shop where people can buy fresh quality meat, find out where it came from, get advice on different cuts and how best to cook and serve it.

“People today really want to know the origins of their meat and how it has been prepared and that is exactly what The Butcher’s Quarter is able to do with our focus on quality and traceability and the skills of our butchers.

“With the help of the BFS Business Loan we have been able to bring this age old skill back into the city centre where we know there is a real demand for good quality food.

“Thanks to the loan we’ve been able to bring what was a great butcher’s shop back to life and resurrect it at the heart of the community.“

Director of Business Finance Solutions, Paul Breen, said:  “Steven typifies a real trend that we are seeing with start ups at the moment as more and more people decide to follow their business dream and access the support that is out there to enable them to change direction in their career completely.

“Steven knows the Northern Quarter area of Manchester well and has seen a number of artisan and specialist businesses set up and flourish here.

“The quality and diversity of his business model, coupled with the finance and the practical support that we have worked closely with him to provide, put him in a great position to start, build and grow his business over many years to come.“

All of The Butcher’s Quarter meat is sourced locally from North West farms to ensure full traceability and the shop also stocks other premium local produce including JJ Sandham’s cheese and The Real Lancashire Black Pudding.

A new recruitment agency specialising in the appointment of sales and marketing professionals across the North East of England, has been launched in Sunderland.

Gemma Lonsdale, who has over 10 years experience in recruitment within the North East recruitment market, launched Willow Hudson Ltd in February earlier this year.

Now Gemma, who started out as an internal recruiter before moving to a recruitment consultancy within the region, has started her own business focussing on providing a quality recruitment service.

Gemma told Bdaily: "One of the biggest challenges organisations are faced with is finding the right calibre of sales and marketing professionals.

“We find many clients approaching us have already tried other avenues when trying to recruit. Unfortunately this has been with limited success, as recruitment decisions have primarily been made on initial cost outlay.

“Although working with a specialist consultancy may be more costly, it means you have the reassurance of their their experience and knowledge so the process should be quick and extremely effective.

“Knowing you’ve seen the best candidates on the market is very reassuring and because sales and marketing professionals are in a position to recoup their costs quickly, it often means the cost is negligible.

“Recruiting a key member of staff is an investment for a business of any size and we take our clients recruitment as seriously as we do our own, we want the right candidate in the right job."

Gemma is reportedly looking to expand the business later this year although is initially keen to put initial focus on the branding of the business’ website.

One of the world’s leading electronics manufacturers will be tapping into home grown sales expertise this month by bringing its international sales team to a best practice training session with Bury-based MLP.

Wurth Group operates in 80 countries with Wurth Electronics eiSos global sales totalling €0.35 billion, Würth Electronics has grown to a €13.4 million business in the UK since being established here just 15 years ago. MD Rob Sperring attributes much of that success to the training developed and delivered by MLP.

Indeed, Würth has been so impressed with MLP’s approach to training that around 95 per cent of its 400-strong global sales team has now been trained by the company. Würth regularly flies new sales people into Manchester to attend courses with MLP and company’s managing director, Mike Le Put, has also travelled to Würth offices around the world to deliver on-site training.

Comments Rob Sperring: “I first met Mike Le Put at an Institute of Sales Management conference in Birmingham and he immediately stood out against an extremely strong line up thanks to his passion, energy and real-world approach.

“We have worked with him ever since and he has really invested in getting under the skin of our business, attending sales visits with our team to understand our customers and marketplace.

“As a result, MLP has been integral to our sales success, which has seen us achieve compound growth of 22 per cent year-on-year during the recession.“

The latest round of sales training will take place at Würth Electronics’ UK headquarters Salford Quays and follows recruitment of new sales people in Italy, The Netherlands and Spain.

Mike will deliver MLP’s ‘Successful Selling Skills’ course at the two-day meeting, which will be tailored to reflect Würth’s business model, company culture and commercial strategy.

Rob continues: “One of the ways in which MLP has added value to our business over the years has been the flexibility of his approach and ability to adapt sessions to reflect our business, our customers and current market conditions.

 “In 2009, for example, we grew by more than 15 per cent, despite price cutting by our competitors and a European exchange rate moved from €1.3/£1 to parity!“

Mike adds: “Würth Electronics is a major global player and the fact that the company comes to MLP for training, not only nationally but internationally, is a massive coup for us.

“Our approach is to take proven sales techniques and make them relevant to the business and sales team we are working with to help them build on their success. We’re delighted to have the opportunity to be part of that continuing growth with this latest training conference.“ 

An enterprising Leeds Beckett University student recently launched an online crowdfunding campaign to raise more than £3k to manufacture and sell a specially made wallet that prevents contactless bank card theft.

21-year-old BSc (Hons) Computing undergraduate Ibbe Raja, who is currently undertaking a placement year, has teamed up with his brother Jalil Raja, 19, and friend Sam Andrews, 20, to create ‘Vinco’ – an ultra-thin wallet that protects against Radio Frequency ID (RFID) theft.

The crowdfunding campaign is being promoted by Indiegogo, which provides schemes in need of cash an online platform to garner public funding within an allocated time frame.

If the £3k target is reached within the deadline, the trio will receive the public’s pledged cash, and they have currently raised more than 60% of their desired target.

The wallet has already been successfully trialled and tested against RFID signals, and a RFID scanner also failed to detect any cards through Vinco.

The wallet, designed to tightly grip the contents, is made from Tyvek, a tough material which ensures that bank cards and cash are kept dry.

Ibbe said: “Our Vinco wallet was made to keep your money portable and, more importantly, safe. The fact is, almost all wallets are prone to RFID skimming, and we were inspired to create a product which protected against this crime after one of our friends was the victim of this form of theft. Not only is Vinco thin and secure, its stylish design makes for a discreet yet RFID-proof wallet. Weighing just 30 grams, it’ll fit into any pocket unnoticed and can hold up to seven cards and a few folded cash bills. It will also be available in a range of colours.

“We have a lot of faith in this product and hope that the public get behind us with our crowdfunding bid. Vinco is designed, stitched and shipped locally here in Leeds, so customers will get a wallet that incorporates the true sentiment of British values.

“Vinco will be packaged and shipped by Clubit, an online retailer and wholesaler. Clubit was founded by a former Leeds Beckett student in 1999 and I am currently undertaking my University placement year with the company. Clubit have helped us greatly with this venture and having their support has really boosted our drive, confidence and belief in the Vinco product. If we are successful with this crowdfunding bid, everything is already in place for us to begin manufacturing, selling and shipping out Vinco wallets worldwide. The retail price for the wallets is £20 each although the early bird perk is available now on indiegogo for £14.”