A manufacturer of artisan sticky toffee puddings and an event production company have become the latest tenants at Wire Regeneration’s Wharf Industrial Estate on the southern fringe of Warrington town centre.

The new tenants, Oliver’s Kitchen and MJD Event & Technical Production Limited have both taken 721 sq ft units on three year leases at the Wharf Street development which is just one mile from Warrington Central train station with direct access to the regional motorway network.

Wire Regeneration is a joint venture between property company and regeneration specialist Langtree and Warrington Borough Council established to drive development and economic growth in the town’s southern gateway.

Established in 2013, Oliver’s Kitchen uses locally-sourced ingredients to create award-winning sticky toffee puddings which are distributed around the region through independent retailers and farmers’ markets.

Owner, 24-year-old Oliver Barton explains why he has moved his business to the site. He said: “I was really fortunate to find a location which had an existing property already kitted out as a production facility. The location is ideal for my company as it puts me within easy reach of the entire region where my customers are.

“The move allows us to take the company to the next level and increase production from around 400 units per week to around 4000. It also means we can supply national markets and do more outward marketing like attending the key food shows. We currently have enquiries from the Far East and Africa which we are investigating. These are exciting times.

“I was inspired to start cooking by my father and my hope is that my experience can inspire other young twenty-somethings to strike out and work in a sector which they love as much as I love baking.“

MJD Event Production set up in Warrington in 2005 and ‘bridges the gap’ between the event management and live production sectors providing a one-stop-shop for everything from lighting, audio & visual equipment to concept design and full technical production.

Of the move, director Mike Dunn said: “We are a proud Warrington company and have operated successfully in the town for a decade. This latest investment is a signal of both our commitment to the town and our ongoing success.“

Commenting on the deals, Langtree property manager Kathryn Smart said: “Wharf Industrial Estate is an important part of the Wire Regeneration portfolio and the latest lettings are a positive indicator of the growth we are seeing in the regional business community.

“Wharf is a changed place since it was transferring into the joint venture company and we have worked hard to turn it around and make it a more attractive place to set up business. It’s very encouraging to see the fruits of this work coming through as we are now 94 per cent let.“

Supa Sofa, a Leeds-based furnishing firm, sees continued growth after opening a second showroom in Wakefield.

Established in 2012 by businessmen David Moon and Paul Brown, Supa Sofa has additional plans to expand across Yorkshire with further store openings planned for later this year.

The furnishing firm also conducted a hugely successful Facebook campaign by celebrating the 25th anniversary of US TV sitcom Friends with an event at Xscape in Castleford.

With the newly opened showroom on Dewsbury Road in Wakefield, and an existing outlet on Clarence Road in central Leeds, Supa Sofa’s success is due to the "Aldi effect”, according to David, who believes there is an increase in the consumers demands for quality, but on a budget.

David said: "Just like the supermarket wars, the same philosophy is filtering into home furnishings with households looking for that extra level of value and, like Aldi and Lidl, we’re finding a different perception of value post recession.

"These days people are taking far more care with their pounds, with priorities shifting towards getting more for less and that is where companies like Supa Sofa can really build a successful brand.

"The new store in Wakefield is already proving popular with very high conversion rates for visitors to the showroom. It’s only a short walk from the city centre and it’s also led to the creation of three new jobs with further recruitment planned.

He added: "It’s all about innovating and engaging but doing it with a smile and that’s what we will continue to do from Leeds to Wakefield and beyond.“

From a man with a van to a nationwide circuit of express delivery options, Warrington-based delivery company Today Team is expecting to make £1.8m in sales this year.

The company, based from Taylor Business Park, Warrington, has delivered a number of unusual items over the past ten years, including two very expensive and rare bottles of wine to Buckingham Palace; Robbie Williams personal and lucky microphone from Liverpool to Leeds while on a world tour; and most recently, Heather Mills’ prosthetic leg.

Started in September 2005 by Jamie Boyd, an ex-professional rugby player for Warrington Wolves, Today Team rented vans and delivered beds for a local company and was financially supported by the Princes Trust with a £3k  loan.

Ten years later, Today Team employees 15 full time members of staff and has an additional network of 40 self-employed drivers who are experts in express transport solutions for the UK, Europe and across the globe.

Its clients range from SMEs to Blue Chips, providing a secure and dedicated same day service to companies such as Manchester United, Warrington Wolves, Royal Bank of Scotland, ITV, Nestle and Sony.

Managing director, Jamie Boyd said: “It’s hard to believe it has been 10 years since starting out and although it’s been challenging at times, it’s always been very enjoyable and rewarding, and I am fortunate to have built a great team around me that help me keep the company moving forward.

“The next ten years will see continued growth in the North West including International deliveries, a second office in Manchester and plans to franchise the business nationally.“

Over 25 Yorkshire SMEs have improved the efficiency of their operations after receiving support from a local project management expert and regional funding scheme.

Sarah Wilson, who works for 54 Degrees in Halifax, specialises in providing businesses with practical skills to plan and deliver work more effectively.

After being awarded funding from the Skills Enhancement Fund (SEF), she was able to host training sessions geared towards small businesses wanting to improve their project management skills.

The SEF is a £50m resource unique to Yorkshire and Humber providing interventions in skills and workforce development which cannot be funded through other sources. The fund is co-financed by the Skills Funding Agency through the European Social Fund (ESF) and managed by Calderdale College on behalf of the West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges.

Since acquiring the funding, Sarah has helped upto 25 businesses address a range of different issues.

Many had become overwhelmed by their workload and needed direction on how to make it more manageable, whereas others had been ignoring projects and needed the motivation to tackle them. Several firms had simply gone from being headed by one person to employing a member of staff and needed guidance on how to work as part of a team and how to delegate.

The results from Sarah’s guidance reveal that 93% of delegates increased their skills in project delivery, 90% expressed that they had grown in confidence when dealing with daunting projects, and 93% said they had completely changed the way they work since attending the project management courses.

Sarah commented: “Being awarded SEF funding allowed me to reach out to micro businesses by offering them valuable training courses at a hugely reduced rate. Not only that, it has led to long-term relationships with delegates that have found worth in my expertise and have continued working with me on a 1-2-1 basis to ensure that their businesses reap the benefits from effective project management.”

Stefanie Hopkins, owner of faith PR in Brighouse, said: “Delivering campaigns and projects is part of our daily workload and we are always looking for ways to streamline the process and deliver work more effectively. When I learnt about the project management course I signed a couple of team members up to attend. I have since noticed a marked improvement in those who attended. They have become more effective at handling projects from inception to delivery, and are also more confident in how they tackle them and their working day in general.”

A pioneering entrepreneurship programme for startups at Imperial College London is helping to take synthetic biology from lab to market

Lean LaunchPad for Synthetic Biology has been running for the past twelve weeks at the College, aiming to equip inventors in the field with the skills, knowledge and understanding to commercialise their idea.

Marking the completion of the programme this week, the Lean LaunchPad teams came together to present their business models and share the lessons they learnt, the skills they developed, and the customers they discovered.

This is the first time that the Lean LaunchPad - the brainchild of US entrepreneur Steve Blank  -  has been brought to the UK for synthetic biology.

Lean LaunchPad put a focus on participants talking to their target customers - finding out what they want and need, and reiterating and developing their business plan and product according to the insights they gained.

The course was organised through SynbiCITE, an Innovation and Knowledge Centre (IKC) based at Imperial which aims to provide a bridge between academia and industry to speed up the development of new technologies in synthetic biology.  

The programme has been open to students, researchers, and members of SynbiCITE’s 19 academic and 56 industrial partners.

Team Cellibero, made up of Imperial postdoctoral researchers Dr Richard Kelwick, Dr James MacDonald, and Dr Lorna Ravenhill, presented their range of science education kits based around molecular biology.

The innovative kits use a cell-free based system - which is a freeze-dried mix of non-living cellular machinery, derived from harmless bacteria, and DNA, which can be activated by adding water to produce colourful proteins or enzymes that generate scents.

Richard said: “When we began thinking about business ideas, we knew that we wanted to come up with something that we were passionate about and that would really make an impact. As children we remembered playing with chemistry sets and electronics sets, and we wanted to see if there would be a market for a molecular biology equivalent – a way of getting young people excited about the kind of science we do in the lab.“

“We’ve had a lot to learn over the past 12 weeks, and the Lean LaunchPad process has been a real eye opener to who our customers are, what they want, and how our product can meet their expectations. We’re all now looking to take the leap from academia into the business world and hope to soon be in a position to launch our company.“

A Leeds Beckett University graduate is hoping to take her startup underwear business to the next level by impressing Sir Richard Branson.

Morgan Dowler, who graduated in BA (Hons) Business Management in 2013, is launching a specialist brand of underwear specifically designed for breast cancer patients.

In her final year at the university, the aspiring entrepreneur was one of three selected students awarded with the University’s Vice Chancellor’s Enterprise Scholarship, worth £3,000, to invest into her lingerie line ‘Love Me and My Secret’.

Morgan is looking to develop her business venture even further, so she is now seeking votes in a bid to be in the running for Richard Branson’s £1m competition, #VOOM: Pitch to Rich 2015, which aims to help 10 UK start-ups and established businesses to grow and win new customers.

If Morgan is successful, she will have to pitch her lingerie line to Richard Branson, who will judge the winners.

Branson is calling for all entrepreneurs behind businesses large and small to pitch for a prize of cash and marketing support. There is £150k in marketing support available for the most innovative start-up, with two runners up receiving support worth £50k.

Morgan, who was inspired to launch her business after her mum was diagnosed with breast cancer, said: “Lingerie currently available for breast cancer and post-surgery patients is far from aesthetically-pleasing and I want to create products that women will want to wear and that will make them feel good about themselves.

“My vision is for ‘Love Me and My Secret’ to become the UK number one brand for post-surgery bras. My company is established on the belief that no matter what, people need to look and feel great and our products are for women who have undergone lumpectomies, mastectomies and reconstructive surgery.

“In 2011 14,900 women were diagnosed with breast cancer: the most common type of cancer in the UK, while 1.68 million were diagnosed worldwide. Breast cancer rates have increased by 72% since the mid 1970s. If I was to win, this prize would enable me to provide marketing materials to every breast cancer centre in the UK and deliver my product range directly to the women affected during a traumatic period in their lives.

“I know, first-hand, the disappointment and the deterioration in a woman’s confidence when they see what is available on the UK high street. My aim is to bring breast cancer sufferers a range of bras that will make them feel confident and feminine again, knowing that the lingerie has been thoughtfully developed and designed with their every need in mind. A positive mind and outlook is essential for women in order to recover from this disease, by improving their confidence.”

Image source: miamism

Lyst, an online fashion retailer, has secured financial backing from Bernard Arnault, the billionaire owner of luxury fashion house LVMH.

Arnault has become the latest to invest in the London startup following a $40m (£26m) financing round, according to The Telegraph.

As well as Group Arnault, Lyst has also received further backing from previous backers Accel, tech firm 14w, Skype backers DFJ and Mr Morton’s previous employer Balderton Capital.

Lyst, which moved into the former White Cube modern art gallery in Shoreditch in 2013, is already partnered with 11,000 designers and has attracted consumers from 154 different countries.

Lyst’s founder Chris Morton, who started the business in 2011, wasn’t keen to comment on his company’s valuation saying he felt it would be “unhealthy for my team to obsess over."

He said: “I don’t want people to think of us as a retailer, we are positioned as an online version of a shopping mall, or Bond Street, where people can visit and find their favourite brands all in one place,"

“This is an exciting time in our space and we are very proud to be at the centre of it. Our model has grown exponentially in the USA and UK, and this round of funding allows us to take Lyst to fashion consumers around the world.

A 22 year old woman from South West London with aspirations of changing the face of the London Underground, is taking social media by storm.

Alex Maher’s ‘Pitch to Rich’ idea, the Style Tube, gained over 680 shares on Facebook and 215 votes in less than 24 hours.

Richard Branson’s Virgin Media Business launched the ‘Pitch to Rich’ competition on March 24th in an attempt to unearth the entrepreneurs of the future.

Alex, who has designed a website and app showcasing the unique street-style which passes through the London tube every day, said: “I only heard about the competition on Friday [24th April] when someone sent me an email asking for support for their pitch. I took one look at the website and thought, ‘I have to win this!’ I’ve worked tirelessly to get this off the ground and am blown away by the response it’s received, it’s really humbling.“

She is hoping to team up with big fashion brands like ASOS and Missguided, as well as partner with Transport for London (TfL) to create an interactive platform, directly connecting online and London based retailers with fashion conscious tube travellers.

Alex explained: "I first had the idea when I was studying at the Condé Nast College of Fashion. Sitting on the tube every day, I would always see people who’s original and quirky style would make me do a double take,

“I just thought that this would be such a great interpretation of the traditional street-style blog, but more than that, the Style Tube would be a platform for Londoners to connect with local businesses and online retailers, making travel around London an interactive fashion experience.“

By partnering with TfL, the Style Tube would connect people from wherever they are in London or the Underground, to businesses via the TfL journey planner.

As Virgin Media currently have exclusive hosting rights to the Underground Wi-Fi, by working in partnership with Virgin through winning Pitch to Rich, Alex hopes to be able to access the 1.26 billion people travelling the tube network each year.

She concluded: “I’m utterly exhausted; I’ve been working flat out since Friday whilst working in my day job full time. I even ran straight from a funeral on Saturday to get up to London to film for the pitch!

"But if I can get Virgin Media and TfL on board, the sky really is the limit. I believe this has the potential to completely change the face of London transport, as well as help to cement London’s reputation as the street-style capital of the world.

To vote for Alex and the Style Tube to see her go one step closer to pitching to Richard Branson, visit: http://www.virginmediabusiness.co.uk/pitch-to-rich/new-things/style-tube/

Wahanda, a London-based hair and beauty marketplace, has secured a further $46m investment from existing investor, Recruit Holdings.

The nine-figure deal sees Recruit a majority stake in the company, while Wahanda’s management team will continue to own a significant share in the business.

Klaus Nyengaard, the former CEO of Just-Eat, will continue to sit on the board as co-chairman of the online bookings platform, which has seen 300% year-on-year growth.  

Lopo Champalimaud, CEO and founder of Wahanda, said: ”“Recruit invested in July 2014 and have been very active investors. We are extremely excited to continue growing the business with them.  This is a great deal for everyone involved – employees and investors, and, most importantly, our customers and merchants.

“With its Hot Pepper Beauty business in Japan, Recruit has a wealth of experience in this space and understands how to scale our business. Our ambitions are aligned and the capital investment, expertise and knowledge that Recruit provides will enable us to continue on our growth trajectory, truly cementing our position as the leader in our field.“

As part of its European expansion strategy, Wahanda acquired Germany’s Salonmeister in October 2014 and, just two weeks ago, Austria’s Beautycheck.

In January, the company completed the acqui-hire of the LemonLabs team, the leading Lithuanian mobile app development agency, substantially strengthening the Company’s mobile leadership.

The additional funding by Recruit will be used to further build and accelerate Wahanda’s European position and the company expects to be in eight countries by the end of June this year, with further expansion plans in the months ahead.

The investment will also be used to support a major recruitment drive to build on its 210-strong workforce, as well as funding further product developments and ramping up the customer acquisition & retention strategies in the UK and Europe.

Kazumasa Watanabe, of Recruit Holdings Co. Ltd. said: “This investment will allow us to further improve our international position in the hair and beauty industry. We recognised in Wahanda a world-class team and a company that had already established itself as the market leader in Europe. We look forward to supporting them with the aim of becoming a global leader in the beauty industry.“

IndiaCoco, West Yorkshire’s independent childrenswear retailer, will celebrate its third anniversary with a move to a brand new store in the Trinity Walk Shopping Centre, Wakefield.

The retailer’s current Wakefield shop, based on Wood Street, will close on Saturday 9 May with the larger, new Trinity Walk store opening to customers on Friday 15 May.

The larger store is located next to Costa and opposite Debenhams, in the centre of the main shopping mall. IndiaCoco’s Blacker Hall Farm concession store will remain open as normal.

IndiaCoco sells some of the most popular British clothing brands for babies, girls and boys aged 0-10, stocking well-known names including Joules, Frugi and Lilly & Sid and many more, as well as offering a personalised service and giftwrapping each item purchased.

Although the store already has an established customer following, the company hopes a move to the busy Trinity Walk shopping centre will attract many more shoppers.

Clare Harper, the company’s owner who previously worked as the marketing director of Mamas & Papas, spotted a gap in the market for a destination shop which sold original, well designed and innovative childrenswear in one place. Since launching in 2012, IndiaCoco has won numerous business awards and attracted international and UK based customers.

Commenting on the new store, Harper said: “Moving into Trinity Walk is a natural next step for IndiaCoco as it evolves and attracts more customers. I can’t wait to get the new store set up and open. It’s going to be a very busy but exciting time with the launch, third birthday and all the awards!

“The new shop will appeal to a wide range of customers and will be the starting point for more IndiaCoco stores to open across the UK in the future.”

Pixelbuilders, an award-winning digital agency based in Leeds, is celebrating turning five with several new contract wins.

In the past 12 months, the agency has welcomed new clients Barnsley Hospice, Strata and Premdor, thus increasing its extensive portfolio in the manufacturing, construction, software and healthcare sectors.

Just last month, Pixelbuilders also embarked on a new partnership with four high profile Yorkshire entrepreneurs to launch an online platform that will assist house buyers within the county.

Originally founded by Martin Oates, Martin Hoyle and Andrew Ackroyd in 2008, the agency began operating full time in 2010.

With a focus on the technical elements of digital, Pixelbuilders has built a reputation for excellent client service, delivering bespoke and targeted solutions.

The agency increased the team to eight in February with the appointment of digital account manager, Lucy Addison, and recently moved to new office space in The Tannery on Kirkstall Road, three times the size of their previous premises.

As for the future, pixelbuilders is increasingly working on bespoke e-learning systems alongside web-based systems and websites. This particular sector is experiencing significant growth, which offers potential for digital organisations that can deliver technical websites and systems and advice backed by strong customer service.

Martin Oates, commercial director, said: “Precision, process and project-focus are our strengths, and our work with organisations such as Fox’s Biscuits and Kingspan means we’re perfectly placed to help organisations looking for a digital-based solution. This doesn’t always have to be a website – our work with Fox’s has shown how business processes can be made more efficient and cost-effective through the use of web-based systems.

“Our expertise within the third sector derives from our understanding of sensitive subjects, usability and cost effectiveness coupled with our passion for working with such honourable organisations.“

Image source: spamdangler

Bdaily is continuing to ask businesses throughout Yorkshire about what they want and expect from the forthcoming general election, in a weekly roundup.

As mentioned just last month, more than 100 of the country’s most senior business figures, a number of whom are based in Yorkshire, signed a letter to back Conservatives over the economy.

Therefore Bdaily is trying is uncover if Labour is losing significant support from the region they are so used to dominating.

After looking the turbulent property market in Yorkshire last week, Bdaily has now received comments from business leaders throughout the region on what has been their biggest challenges from the current government, as well as this election, and what changes need to be made.

Deborah Stock, Direct Carers Ltd in Beverley, Humberside, said she would like:

"I would love to see a Government in place who really cared about small businesses and in particular entrepreneurs. The make-up of an entrepreneur can be as diverse as the products and services they sell and without the “get up and have a go” spirit of these type of people our world would come to a grinding halt!! Banking structures to accommodate the ideas will help entrepreneurs realise and create wealth in their own communities by providing jobs and money coming into their regions.

“My business centres around the care sector and it seems a shame that every government and local council appear to be reactive in this arena rather than being proactive and helping the informal carers who support the cared for and then slash the spending allowance of local councils in Social Care so the owners of the agencies who support them have to think of innovative new ways and opportunities to save money and then get the bank’s door closed in their face because the business plan didn’t meet the criteria!!

“Recruitment in this arena is particularly difficult because of the low wages offered to carers even though they are at time life savers.  Unfortunately, as the cuts continue and more hidden taxes come our way like the new Pension regulations, agencies then have to find more money to pay the government whilst getting paid less from the local authority – it is an impossible circle.

More needs to be done to support the informal carers and there are numerous white papers talking about additional training but nothing ever comes of it!!  As someone who has been an informal carer and then opened an agency to offer a choice when needing support at home – I have seen first-hand the devastation of having someone at home who needs support can cause and unfortunately without these unpaid carers the government would have a much more serious problem on their hands.  I have so many solutions to this problem, that would save the government and the NHS billions and billions but trying to get near a local MP or someone in Parliament is harder than getting an appointment at the GP surgery!!  I would like a more open parliament where the people who are actually doing the work and living in the real world get to give their solutions and are given an opportunity to try a proactive idea rather than a reactive government who throws good money after bad keeping people’s mouths shut!!“

Neil Addley, Managing Director of Trusted Dealers, on what he wants to see in the election:

“This could be one of the most important elections of our time and the recent manifesto launches have shown how political parties are trying to secure as many votes as they can with a range of policies to benefit voters.

“We know from history the important role motorists play in deciding elections and at a time when it is too close to call it would be great to see some strong motoring and transport policies included in the politicians’ pledges to ensure a fairer deal for Britain’s drivers.

Whilst politicians may focus on High Speed Rail and addressing high train fares, drivers are still suffering from high insurance costs, historically high fuel prices and a lack of infrastructure investment.

“Whoever comes to power in May should continue the current government’s £15bn pledge to invest in road building and maintenance. The country’s roads are riddled with potholes costing both motorists and councils money.

“Some of the parties have used their manifestos to focus on making motoring more environmentally-friendly which is good news for those with zero emission vehicles, whilst insurance fraudsters will be cracked down upon, which should help bring down premiums.

Too often motorists are forgotten about when they pump some £100billion into the UK economy – it’s time the parties recognise this and make policies work for drivers.“

David Anderson, Sales and Marketing Director at Rixonway Kitchens, added:

“It has been interesting to see the important role housing has played in recent manifesto launches and policy announcements and I think it is vital that this continues into the next government. As housing waiting lists across the country grow, politicians need to be addressing the lack of social and affordable housing for both private renters and social housing tenants.

“Our work in the sector means we are well-placed to see first-hand the impact a lack of affordable housing can have and this needs to be addressed.

“I would also like to see politicians continue to recognise the importance of Northern businesses – there has been a lot of talk of Northern powerhouses but we would like to see the new government pledge more investment and support for businesses employing apprentices and those working in vital industries including manufacturing and engineering.

“Here at Rixonway we are committed to providing employment opportunities for the local community and place a real emphasis on recruiting apprentices. The Budget promised a range of policies to support businesses who provide apprenticeships and I would hope the next government honours this promise and builds on it for the future.“

Melissa Reader, Future Life Wealth Management

Financial experts Future Life Wealth Management, based in Sheffield, have recruited a new financial planning administrator.

Melissa Reader joins Future Life Wealth Management after working at Aviva in Sheffield for five years. Her appointment adds a boost to the financial planning department where she will oversee client administration.

Future Life Wealth Management offers a bespoke financial planning service to generators and receivers of wealth, from business owners and executives to inheritors and retirees.

Jillian Thomas, managing director of Future Life Wealth Management, said: “We are delighted to have Melissa on board to help us with our day-to-day running of the business. She brings knowledge and expertise that will help us grow stronger as a business and gain new clients.”

Nick Barker, JWPCreers

Accountants and business advisers, JWPCreers, has expanded its Corporate Finance Department with the appointment of a new senior manager.

Nick Barker, who joined the firm as a trainee in 2000 after studying mathematics at University of York, previously worked in the firm’s Audit and Accounts Department and qualified as a chartered accountant (ACA), through the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.

Nick’s appointment brings the total staff in the Corporate Finance Department, led by partner, Tony Farmer, to six.

Commenting on the appointment, Tony said: “It is great to be adding Nick Barker’s expertise to our team at a time of increasing deal flow within our Yorkshire heartland and beyond which is seeing activity back up to the same levels as before the banking crisis.”

JWPCreers, based at York Science Park and Park Street, Selby, is among York and North Yorkshire’s largest firms of accountants, taxation professionals and business advisers with seven partners and more than 80 staff.

Eleanor Head, HR Media

South Yorkshire’s award-winning PR agency, HR Media, appoints a new account manager.

Eleanor Head joins the team from a similar position at Kindred Agency in London.

During her PR career, Eleanor has worked on a variety of accounts ranging from the Business is GREAT Britain campaign, to the Construction Industry Training Board and the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) Food Safety Week multi-award winning campaign

Eleanor will be working on a number of HR Media clients including Westfield Health, B Braun, the Association of Medical Insurance Intermediaries (AMII) and the Olympic Legacy Park.

Commenting on the appointment, Eleanor said: "I had been looking to move to Sheffield for a while so when the opportunity to join one of Yorkshire’s most experienced consultancies came up it was the ideal fit.

"I am really looking forward to working with my new clients and becoming a valuable member of HR Media team."

Martin Ross, managing director of HR Media, added: "We are delighted to welcome Eleanor. She brings with her a wealth of PR campaign experience which will be extremely valuable to us as we continue to grow as an agency."

Dale Sidebottom, NatWest

NatWest is aiming to boost entrepreneurs in the region with the appointmentment of Dale Sidebottom as the new Entrepreneur Development Manager based in Leeds.

In his new role Dale will be supporting entrepreneurs in and around Leeds and Yorkshire as they embark on achieving their business aspirations. This will involve developing relationships within the Leeds-business network and developing new contacts across the region.

He will also work with Entrepreneurial Spark and support the new Leeds ‘Hatchery’ which is opening in August. Entrepreneurial Spark, powered by NatWest, is the world’s largest free entrepreneurial accelerator and is currently accepting applications for a new cohort to join the Leeds programme.

Dale has previously worked as a Director of Business Banking based in Hampshire and also as a Regional Customer Experience Manager based in the North region. He has also served as Branch Manager at NatWest in Leeds.

Philippa Hedley-Tahkar, YHAHSN

The Yorkshire and Humber Academic Health Science Network (YHAHSN) has appointed Philippa Hedley-Takhar as the new Head of Investment and Partnerships in the Commercial team.

Philippa’s role will include securing new funding streams to help support the acceleration of innovation into front line clinical use, safeguarding and creating jobs in the Life Sciences sector - including using innovative products and services to directly support the improvement of the NHS.

Working with partners across the NHS, academia, government and industry in Yorkshire and Humber, Philippa will also ensure that there is a clear and consistent infrastructure to make the NHS even more appealing to innovative companies.

Philippa has previously held roles in sector growth and investment management at Creative Sheffield.

Richard Stubbs, commercial director at YHAHSN, said: “The YHAHSN is fast developing a reputation for working with our NHS and industry partners to identify the key innovations that will transform and sustain our healthcare services.

“A major part of our work is about supporting the NHS to become a better customer to innovative industry partners, while also making sure that the region gets its fair share of EU and global funds to help us spread innovation faster, support jobs and create a health system that takes advantage of all the many technological breakthroughs that are becoming part of our world.

“Philippa is a crucial appointment to our team and will use her experience to support the NHS in Yorkshire and Humber to achieve these aims.”

Each week Bdaily has asked businesses from a different area of the North West for their opinions and hopes from the upcoming election and presented their views in a weekly roundup.

This week we present a general roundup from the entire of the North West.

Robert Jones, Property Investments UK

Robert Jones, Director of Property Investments UK, said: “The issue of property has emerged as one of the central themes of this election campaign and it’s not surprising given the severe lack of supply in the UK property market.

"Much of the talk has been around ways to increase supply and improve opportunities to buy, but all the main parties are failing to get close to the reality of the problem.

"The Conservative manifesto includes a pledge to give an estimated 1.3 million families the right to buy housing association homes at a discounted price. This isn’t a solution to the supply problem because it will only reduce the volume of available social housing stock at a time when too few homes are being built year-on-year.

"Meanwhile, Labour has pledged to build 200,000 new homes by 2020. That’s just a small drop in the ocean compared to the estimated 250,000 homes that need to be built every year just to keep up with current demand, and that’s not accounting for the increasing shortage created from slower house building over the last decade.

"The real solutions are bringing more land in to use to build affordable residential homes; allowing more buildings to be brought in to residential use; improving planning resources to make the process for homeowners simpler and more affordable; and more right to build projects across the country.

"It’s simple supply and demand – increase the supply and prices will level out.

"Each successive government has failed to build enough homes and this isn’t likely to change. Instead, the emphasis has to be on working more closely with the private sector to create an environment that allows more homes to be built. The UK needs government policies that support and actively encourage everyone – from individuals to companies – to build more properties and that’s the only way we’ll ever really tackle the issues the property sector is facing today."

Graham Davidson, Sequre Property Investment

Labour must realise that rogue landlords do not dominate the buy-to-let market, says Graham Davidson, managing director of Sequre Property Investment.

He says: “The majority of the buy-to-let market are not rogue landlords but decent people - many have invested in bricks & mortar as an alternative form of pension and could have their businesses threatened. 1970s style rent controls will stifle the sector by discouraging investment, reducing the amount of available stock and driving up prices even further.

“Increasing rental stock should be the priority, with an emphasis on the dedicated build to rent market.

“Three year tenancies are impractical in reality and are simply not suitable for the majority of this young and increasingly mobile generation”.

Gavin Wheeldon, Purple WiFi

Gavin Wheeldon, CEO, Purple WiFi said: “By the end of this year the government has pledged that there will be 22 SuperConnected UK cities. No matter who wins the general election these cities will be given the digital infrastructure, including WiFi projects, to enable them to compete across an international platform. 

"At Purple WiFi we’re helping to lead this charge, with the installation of our cloud-based social WiFi software in places such as the city of York. 

“The current government are already investing over £1 billion to improve the mobile and broadband infrastructure. If all goes to plan by 2016 Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) will provide 90% of the country with super-fast broadband coverage. 

"With election pledges coming in fast, improving the economy has to be at the top of the agenda.  “Access to free WiFi I believe works hand in hand with this pledge. It is one way the economy can be boosted. With free WiFi everyone gains. Businesses see a bigger footfall of customers.

"Customers themselves can easily access information, find what they want and connect with who they want at the touch of a button.  It’s a win, win situation and I hope whoever stands on the steps of number 10 on Friday May 8th will continue with this investment. Without it the UK cannot compete."

Professor Lynn Martin, MMU Centre for Enterprise

Professor Lynn Martin, Director of the MMU Centre for Enterprise, believes that the concerns of small business leaders should be made top priority for the incoming government.

She said: “If the next government is serious about promoting growth and reducing the deficit then they should set about addressing the concerns our survey has  highlighted. SMEs are the lifeblood of the UK economy and all parties should start recognising their importance. Whether the next government is led by a single party or a coalition,  it needs to  focus its attention on smaller enterprises,  listen and act on their most pressing concerns.“ 

Alistair Cox, Hays

Hays’ Chief Executive Alistair Cox said: “The UK continues to enjoy one of the best economic performances in the world and this recovery must be protected by our government.

"We have successfully created almost 2 million new jobs as business confidence and investment has returned. As we approach the general election, all parties must reflect on their programme for further supporting the UK labour market. Employment is now at a record high, but the UK’s chronic skills shortage is still one of the biggest threats to our future prospects.

"The next government must aspire to build the best jobs market in the world, helping businesses access the talent they need. “Professions that currently suffer the greatest skills shortages are in STEM areas – requiring staff with experience in science, tech, engineering and maths. Young people need to be incentivised to pursue these subjects to plug existing skills gaps and secure the talent pipeline of tomorrow. Businesses and educators need to work together to make sure the curriculum serves the interests of employers as well as employees.

“Those already in the workforce, however, must not be neglected. We need a business-friendly legislative environment that encourages the development of a highly skilled and flexible labour force, helping companies to provide incentives and appropriate training to boost skills among all employees.

"All parties must also accept that, in the short-term, skilled migration is key to boosting our economy further as a world class economy needs world class talent. Our next government must recognise that vocational education, skilled immigration and training are central to the future of the economy.“ 

To see previous comments and opinions click on the below links:

Election 2015: Merseyside businesses give their opinions

Election 2015: Lancashire businesses give their opinions

Got an opinion or comment? Please let us know what you think by commenting below.

A 22 year old woman from South West London with aspirations of changing the face of the London Underground, is taking social media by storm.

Alex Maher’s ‘Pitch to Rich’ idea, the Style Tube, gained over 680 shares on Facebook and 215 votes in less than 24 hours.

Richard Branson’s Virgin Media Business launched the ‘Pitch to Rich’ competition on March 24th in an attempt to unearth the entrepreneurs of the future.

Alex, who has designed a website and app showcasing the unique street-style which passes through the London tube every day, said: “I only heard about the competition on Friday [24th April] when someone sent me an email asking for support for their pitch. I took one look at the website and thought, ‘I have to win this!’ I’ve worked tirelessly to get this off the ground and am blown away by the response it’s received, it’s really humbling.“

She is hoping to team up with big fashion brands like ASOS and Missguided, as well as partner with Transport for London (TfL) to create an interactive platform, directly connecting online and London based retailers with fashion conscious tube travellers.

Alex explained: "I first had the idea when I was studying at the Condé Nast College of Fashion. Sitting on the tube every day, I would always see people who’s original and quirky style would make me do a double take,

“I just thought that this would be such a great interpretation of the traditional street-style blog, but more than that, the Style Tube would be a platform for Londoners to connect with local businesses and online retailers, making travel around London an interactive fashion experience.“

By partnering with TfL, the Style Tube would connect people from wherever they are in London or the Underground, to businesses via the TfL journey planner.

As Virgin Media currently have exclusive hosting rights to the Underground Wi-Fi, by working in partnership with Virgin through winning Pitch to Rich, Alex hopes to be able to access the 1.26 billion people travelling the tube network each year.

She concluded: “I’m utterly exhausted; I’ve been working flat out since Friday whilst working in my day job full time. I even ran straight from a funeral on Saturday to get up to London to film for the pitch!

"But if I can get Virgin Media and TfL on board, the sky really is the limit. I believe this has the potential to completely change the face of London transport, as well as help to cement London’s reputation as the street-style capital of the world.

To vote for Alex and the Style Tube to see her go one step closer to pitching to Richard Branson, visit: http://www.virginmediabusiness.co.uk/pitch-to-rich/new-things/style-tube/

Pixelbuilders, an award-winning digital agency based in Leeds, is celebrating turning five with several new contract wins.

In the past 12 months, the agency has welcomed new clients Barnsley Hospice, Strata and Premdor, thus increasing its extensive portfolio in the manufacturing, construction, software and healthcare sectors.

Just last month, Pixelbuilders also embarked on a new partnership with four high profile Yorkshire entrepreneurs to launch an online platform that will assist house buyers within the county.

Originally founded by Martin Oates, Martin Hoyle and Andrew Ackroyd in 2008, the agency began operating full time in 2010.

With a focus on the technical elements of digital, Pixelbuilders has built a reputation for excellent client service, delivering bespoke and targeted solutions.

The agency increased the team to eight in February with the appointment of digital account manager, Lucy Addison, and recently moved to new office space in The Tannery on Kirkstall Road, three times the size of their previous premises.

As for the future, pixelbuilders is increasingly working on bespoke e-learning systems alongside web-based systems and websites. This particular sector is experiencing significant growth, which offers potential for digital organisations that can deliver technical websites and systems and advice backed by strong customer service.

Martin Oates, commercial director, said: “Precision, process and project-focus are our strengths, and our work with organisations such as Fox’s Biscuits and Kingspan means we’re perfectly placed to help organisations looking for a digital-based solution. This doesn’t always have to be a website – our work with Fox’s has shown how business processes can be made more efficient and cost-effective through the use of web-based systems.

“Our expertise within the third sector derives from our understanding of sensitive subjects, usability and cost effectiveness coupled with our passion for working with such honourable organisations.”

IndiaCoco, West Yorkshire’s independent childrenswear retailer, will celebrate its third anniversary with a move to a brand new store in the Trinity Walk Shopping Centre, Wakefield.

The retailer’s current Wakefield shop, based on Wood Street, will close on Saturday 9 May with the larger, new Trinity Walk store opening to customers on Friday 15 May.

The larger store is located next to Costa and opposite Debenhams, in the centre of the main shopping mall. IndiaCoco’s Blacker Hall Farm concession store will remain open as normal.

IndiaCoco sells some of the most popular British clothing brands for babies, girls and boys aged 0-10, stocking well-known names including Joules, Frugi and Lilly & Sid and many more, as well as offering a personalised service and giftwrapping each item purchased.

Although the store already has an established customer following, the company hopes a move to the busy Trinity Walk shopping centre will attract many more shoppers.

Clare Harper, the company’s owner who previously worked as the marketing director of Mamas & Papas, spotted a gap in the market for a destination shop which sold original, well designed and innovative childrenswear in one place. Since launching in 2012, IndiaCoco has won numerous business awards and attracted international and UK based customers.

Commenting on the new store, Harper said: “Moving into Trinity Walk is a natural next step for IndiaCoco as it evolves and attracts more customers. I can’t wait to get the new store set up and open. It’s going to be a very busy but exciting time with the launch, third birthday and all the awards!

“The new shop will appeal to a wide range of customers and will be the starting point for more IndiaCoco stores to open across the UK in the future.“

Wahanda, a London-based hair and beauty marketplace, has secured a further $46m investment from existing investor, Recruit Holdings.

The nine-figure deal sees Recruit a majority stake in the company, while Wahanda’s management team will continue to own a significant share in the business.

Klaus Nyengaard, the former CEO of Just-Eat, will continue to sit on the board as co-chairman of the online bookings platform, which has seen 300% year-on-year growth.  

Lopo Champalimaud, CEO and founder of Wahanda, said: ““Recruit invested in July 2014 and have been very active investors. We are extremely excited to continue growing the business with them.  This is a great deal for everyone involved – employees and investors, and, most importantly, our customers and merchants.

“With its Hot Pepper Beauty business in Japan, Recruit has a wealth of experience in this space and understands how to scale our business. Our ambitions are aligned and the capital investment, expertise and knowledge that Recruit provides will enable us to continue on our growth trajectory, truly cementing our position as the leader in our field.”

As part of its European expansion strategy, Wahanda acquired Germany’s Salonmeister in October 2014 and, just two weeks ago, Austria’s Beautycheck.

In January, the company completed the acqui-hire of the LemonLabs team, the leading Lithuanian mobile app development agency, substantially strengthening the Company’s mobile leadership.

The additional funding by Recruit will be used to further build and accelerate Wahanda’s European position and the company expects to be in eight countries by the end of June this year, with further expansion plans in the months ahead.

The investment will also be used to support a major recruitment drive to build on its 210-strong workforce, as well as funding further product developments and ramping up the customer acquisition & retention strategies in the UK and Europe.

Kazumasa Watanabe, of Recruit Holdings Co. Ltd. said: “This investment will allow us to further improve our international position in the hair and beauty industry. We recognised in Wahanda a world-class team and a company that had already established itself as the market leader in Europe. We look forward to supporting them with the aim of becoming a global leader in the beauty industry.”

Danielle Bateman, Martin Corrigan, Marcus Hall, John Marshall, Simon Price, MediaCom North

MediaCom North is pleased to announce a significant senior management restructure, as the business seeks to consolidate and build on its current period of transformative growth.

Manchester based John Marshall, previously Group Marketing Director, and Simon Price, previously Board Director in Leeds, have both been promoted to the newly created positions of Managing Partner, to reflect the significance of their ongoing contribution to the development and growth of the business. 

Three senior team members across Manchester and Leeds have also been appointed to the Board. In Leeds, Danielle Bateman and Martin Corrigan join as Planning Director and Broadcast Director respectively, while in Manchester, Marcus Hall is elevated to the Board as Head of Direct. 

Paul Wheeler, COO at MediaCom North, said: “Our mantra is ‘People First Better Results’, with a key part of that being developing talent throughout the business. We tend to think of this process as being at the junior and mid-range end of the agency, but developing the senior team and future leaders is crucial to our ongoing success, with these appointments representing both a reflection of excellent work and a real statement of intent from the business. I’d like to thank and congratulate everyone concerned and I look forward to working closely alongside each of them, as we continue to consolidate and accelerate our business growth ambitions for MediaCom North.”

Gareth Walkner, Stephensons’ medical negligence team

Stephensons, national full service law firm, is today announcing the appointment of solicitor Gareth Walkner to its medical negligence team as the firm continues to expand its work in the sector.

Gareth has experience of dealing with a wide array of work from late diagnosis, surgery, orthopaedic, dental and cosmetic claims to negligent nursing cases.

He joins the firm from Irwin Mitchell where he focused on personal injury, clinical negligence and public law cases. Gareth read law at Nottingham University and received the Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice at BPP University.

Head of Medical Negligence, Judith Thomas-Whittingham, said: “We’re delighted that Gareth has joined our team and we can announce yet another hire. 

"There are alarming levels of medical negligence cases in the UK. 

"We cannot undo the harm caused but we can make sure people get justice and go on to live their lives to as close to normal as possible”.

Anthony Butterworth, Dalmeny Hotel

The Dalmeny Hotel in St Annes has expanded its fitness team with the appointment of personal trainer Anthony Butterworth.

Anthony has 25 years’ experience working in the fitness industry, having beaten off competition to take the 2011 bodybuilding title of Mr England and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise relating to exercise, diet and nutrition.

Participants will be put through their paces in sessions led by ex-British Army physical training instructor Anthony and the hotel’s gym manager Tom Bird, designed to overhaul fitness levels and guarantee results. 

Personal training clients will also get to take advantage of the hotel’s full range of leisure facilities, including use of the recently refurbished gym, the 20m heated indoor pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam room, as well as holistic treatments in the Decleor spa.

The Dalmeny will also be launching its boot camp programme in September which contains workouts throughout the day, calorie controlled meal plans and expert health and wellbeing advice.

Tom said: “Boot camps have become really popular in recent years, as they are a great way to increase your fitness level over a shorter period of time, and exercising as part of a group is always more effective as you’re less likely to give up.

“By enlisting Anthony, we’re providing members with expert guidance from someone who has trained the British Army, which means getting results will be easy.”

Nuala O’Neill, Sarah Parmenter, Havas PR Havas PR’s Manchester office has strengthened its senior team with the appointment of Nuala O’Neill as Associate Director and Sarah Parmenter as Account Director.

O’Neill joins from Weber Shandwick Manchester, having worked previously at Hill and Knowlton in London and will head up the Greggs, Pets at Home, DFS and Co-operative Pharmacy accounts. She will also be part of the management team of Brian Beech, MD, Nigel Hughes, Deputy MD and Jon Welsh, Associate Director.

Parmenter has worked for Weber Shandwick and Modus Publicity in London and, most recently, has headed up PR and Communications for the commercial sales arm of Great Places Housing Group in Manchester.  

Last year she won ‘Best Marketer and Communicator - National Women in Housing Awards.’  She will work on the Berg Solicitors, Ideal Standard, Barratt Homes, Maplin Electronics and WYG accounts.

Beech said: “These are two great additions to an already great team. The fact that Nuala and Sarah chose to join Havas PR is proof that we are one of the most successful and best respected consultancies in the UK.  

"We’ve had a number of very significant new business wins already this year, so it’s great that we are welcoming two very experienced and proven PR professionals on board.”

Jennifer Ross, Napthens

North West law firm Napthens has expanded its Residential Property team with the appointment of legal executive Jennifer Ross.

Jennifer, who has 15 years’ experience in property law, specialises in a range of legal matters including freehold and leasehold, auction properties and repossession conveyancing.

After qualifying as a chartered legal executive in 2003, Jennifer worked for Manchester law firms including Irwin Mitchell where she ran the repossession conveyancing team.

Sarah Barnes, head of Residential Property at Napthens said: “The past 2 months has seen a steady increase in demand for services from our clients, which has led to growth of the team.

“Jennifer’s experience means she brings with her valuable knowledge, allowing us to continue offering clients the highest level of legal advice and support.”

Vicky Daly, Ben Jones, Rumpus PR

Following a number of major client wins, Rumpus PR has recruited two new members of staff to join its expanding team.

Vicky Daly joins the company as PR Director, having built valuable experience at other agencies including MC2, Weber Shandwick, Tonic Life Communications and Edelman. Vicky will be overseeing both the B2B and B2C sides of the business, bringing with her over a decade of experience across the healthcare, educations and consumer sectors.

Joining Vicky is Swansea University graduate, Ben Jones, who will be joining the B2B team as a PR and Digital Executive. Ben brings with him a year of marketing experience along with creative copywriting skills and enthusiasm for all things digital.

Paul Evans, Director at Rumpus PR, said: “2015 is already shaping up to be a great year for Rumpus PR thanks to a number of new client wins and we are delighted to welcome Vicky and Ben to the team. We look forward to their valuable input going forward.”

Neil Mort, CBRE

CBRE’s Manchester office has appointed Neil Mort to head up its North West office agency division following a highly successful year in which the team was involved in 42% of the overall combined North West deals.

John Ogden, Managing Director of CBRE’s North West business, commented; "We are delighted that Neil is joining us at such a great time for our business. He will build on the success of the last few years and is one of the very best office agents working in the North West, with a strong track record and established relationships with many of our clients. Neil will be leading the North West agency team and working on both landlord and occupier instructions starting in the next few weeks. These are exciting times for CBRE as we continue to strengthen our offer to clients across the board and to safeguard our leading position within the regional marketplace."

John Glover, HURST

Accountancy firm HURST has strengthened its business services team with the appointment of John Glover as a senior manager.

HURST plans to further expand its business services team – which provides audit, accounting and compliance services to clients – with at least five more appointments before the end of the year.

The firm, which has offices in Manchester and Stockport, also plans to grow its tax and outsourcing departments in line with increasing demand for its services.

HURST partner Andrew Milnes, who heads the firm’s business services team, said: “John has strong technical and leadership skills as well as exceptional presentational and communication abilities, and I am sure he will prove a tremendous asset to our clients.

“His appointment is another example of our ability to attract people from larger firms who want to continue to work with a quality outfit. They tell us they want to be able to work alongside owner-managers and be in a position to progress their careers more effectively.”

Simon Baxter, Primas Law

Primas Law has attracted a significant new addition in the form of former Director of Bootes Simon Baxter and his team. 

Simon has joined Primas as a Partner to expand their strong commercial offering to include development and real estate.

Simon’s expertise include the provision of legal and commercial solutions for developers delivering large scale residential housing schemes, mixed use developments and green energy plant. 

He also specialises in general commercial property and lease management.

Hannah Lawrie, Jameela Yaqoob, Bartletts Solicitors 

Chester law firm, Bartletts Solicitors has strengthened its Personal Injury and Private Client teams with the appointment of two new recruits Hannah Lawrie and Jameela Yaqoob.

Bartletts Solicitors has continued to grow over the last few years and Bartletts Director Trevor Morris comments: "This is an exciting time for Bartletts, Jameela and Hannah’s appointments will enable the firm to continue to exceed the expectations of our rapidly expanding client base."

Trevor Morris said: “Bartletts Solicitors is continuing to grow we opened a new office in Wrexham in 2012 we now have four offices across Chester and Wrexham offering clients a wide range of legal services. 

"In 2015 we will continue to recruit more staff as well as promote people within the firm.”

Michael Lavizani, QHotels

QHotels, has appointed Michael Lavizani as the new General Manager of Mottram Hall in Cheshire; one of QHotels’ 27 unique and luxury four and five-star hotels.

The appointment follows his recent success as General Manager at Mottram’s sister hotels, the Telford Hotel and Golf Resort and Bridgewood Manor in Kent.

Michael Purtill, Managing Director at QHotels, said: “Michael is an exciting addition to Mottram Hall team.  He has just the right skills and an outstanding track-record of successfully running hotel and golf resorts.  With his excellent knowledge of the local area, I’m confident that Michael will bring something unique to Mottram Hall and to the QHotels group.”

Nick Mullins, Paul Jolley, Lambert Smith Hampton

A pair of senior North West appointments with unrivalled expertise in their sectors have started work at national commercial property consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton as part of a significant period of growth for the company.

Nick Mullins and Paul Jolley have both joined LSH as directors from CBRE and are the latest in a raft of senior hires at the company that have also coincided with two major strategic acquisitions that have brought additional expertise to the business.

Nick has joined LSH’s Manchester office as Head of Funding and Development while Paul is the new Head of Property Management for the North West.  Their appointments follow the recent acquisitions of ES Group and Manchester-based retail specialist Tushingham Moore.

Paul will head up LSH’s ten-strong team of Property & Asset Managers and Facilities Managers in the North West and he said the focus is developing the business organically and driving ambitious growth plans in the region

Abid Jaffry, Head of Office for Manchester at Lambert Smith Hampton, said: “These two appointments are a strong indicator of the current direction of travel for Lambert Smith Hampton.

"This will allow us to not only penetrate new sectors but also to attract more of the region’s best talent as we strive to offer our clients the best in class delivery across a range of expert-driven service offerings.”

Mathew Deering, Endless LLP

Endless LLP, the UK-based private equity firm, has promoted Mathew Deering to Partner in its Manchester office as part of a series of partner promotions for the firm.

Garry Wilson, Founding Partner at Endless, said: “Mat has been with us for the whole Endless journey and for many years before that. The success of the business is in no small part due to him, and the raising of Endless Fund IV has enabled us to bring our friends and colleagues on board as co-owners of the Endless business.

“This gives us an even stronger platform for growth, and will help ensure that we continue to deliver the top decile returns for our investors by taking private equity investing back to basics – putting our money to work alongside our investors.”

Amanda Fairclough, Linder Myers Solicitors

Linder Myers Solicitors has appointed Amanda Fairclough as its new financial director based in the firm’s Manchester office.

A fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), Fairclough brings more than 20 years’ experience including previous financial management responsibility for firms Glaisyers and Berrymans Lace Mawer.

Tony Stockdale, chief executive at Linder Myers Solicitors, said: “Amanda has impressive professional services credentials and adds further skills and experience to the firm’s management team as we continue to take the business from strength to strength.”

After significant growth and expansion, Leeds-based Finn has been named as one of the UK’s top 100 PR agencies.

The Yorkshire agency, which celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2015, is now ranked 96th in PR Week’s prestigious top 150 table, and is now Yorkshire’s biggest PR agency.

The table, which ranks agencies on fee income, also revealed that Finn saw the biggest growth in the top 100 outside London.

Finn’s ascension in mainly due to significant growth with the fee income, which rose by 36% to £2.04m in 2014, up from £1.5m the previous year.

This was ahcieved following several high profile new account wins and award-winning campaigns, including Seabrook Crisps, Cauldron, Halo Foods and increased work with Taylors of Harrogate.

The agency, which employs 24 staff, is also looking to to expand in the future after doubling the size of its offices at the Round Foundry development in Holbeck Urban Village to more than 3,000 sq ft.

Richard Rawlins, managing director of Finn, said: “Being named in PR Week’s top 100 UK PR agencies is extremely satisfying and is a fantastic reflection of our commercial proposition, which is to deliver genuine business outcomes for our clients. To achieve this you need exceptional talent, creativity and knowledge – things we have in abundance here at Finn.

“As a forward thinking agency in an industry that continues to evolve, Finn has plans in place to continue our growth, especially in the retail and consumer packaged goods sectors, over the next ten years and we are confident about further success in the future.”

Finn operates through three specialisms – corporate, consumer and digital – and handles PR and digital accounts for leading companies including Morphy Richards, Quorn Foods, Taylors of Harrogate, R&R Ice Cream, Pork Farms, Seabrook and ghd.