The Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) from across Yorkshire and the North-East have put their weight behind the bid to bring the High Speed Rail College Bid to Doncaster.

The chairs of Sheffield City Region LEP, Hull and Humber LEP, Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, North East LEP, Tees Valley Unlimited and the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership have all endorsed the campaign by writing to Government Ministers pledging their support.

All the LEPs agreed that the CREATE (Centre for Rail Engineering and Technical Excellence) bid, coordinated by Doncaster Council, for the High Speed Rail College in Doncaster complements significant existing rail assets and investments in this part of the country.

James Newman, Chair of the Sheffield City Region LEP, said: “The Chancellor spoke about the importance of rebalancing the UK economy to create a ‘northern powerhouse’. Locating the High Speed Rail College bid in the Sheffield City Region will be an important step to achieving this.

“By locating the college in Doncaster, the Government will maximise the transformational benefits in an area that needs it – this is their opportunity to really start spreading the benefits of HS2.

“Doncaster is not only most logical place in the Sheffield City Region to locate the High Speed Rail College, it is the best place in the country. The LEP believes that the collective confidence shown by local leaders from across the private and public sectors to bring the main hub to Doncaster will help Government to make the right choice.“

Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, said: “The backing of the LEPs shows the strength of support for locating the High Speed Rail College in Doncaster. It is clear that Yorkshire, the North-East and other towns and cities up and down the UK will benefit and they have publicly endorsed the bid. 

"This is an opportunity for the Government to spread the benefit of HS2 and rebalance the economy. Let’s hope they are taking notice.“

An advisory group consisting of representatives from Crossrail, HS2 Limited, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and the Department for Transport is expected to make a decision shortly. Doncaster is up against Birmingham, Derby and Manchester for the research and teaching centre.

There is still time for people to back Doncaster’s campaign by pledging their support at:www.businessdoncaster.com and posting comments on Twitter: #railtown

Banks Renewables, part of the Durham-headquartered Banks Group, has secured an £11.7 million funding package with the Royal Bank of Scotland for the construction of its sixth onshore wind farm.

The Lancashire wind farm will feature three turbines, situated on agricultural land around 1km to the south east of Heysham.

Cheetham Hill Construction will begin preparatory construction work on site in the near future, with the turbines, which will be supplied by industry-leading manufacturer Nordex delivered via the Port of Heysham, expected to be in place before the end of the year. Connection to the local grid will then follow early in 2015.

Legal advice on the deal was provided to Banks Renewables by Bond Pearce LLP and Brodies LLP, with Natural Power Consultants, RPS, TNEI and Prevailing also acting on the company’s behalf.  Law firm Watson, Farley and Williams acted for the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Banks Renewables currently operates four wind farms, three in Yorkshire and one in Cumbria, and as well as taking the Heysham South Wind Farm forward, the Durham-based family business is expecting to begin preparatory work on the site of the approved five turbine Hook Moor Wind Farm in West Yorkshire within the next year.

Phil Dyke, development director at Banks Renewables, said: “Banks Renewables’ long-term ambition is to develop, construct and operate a sizeable portfolio of onshore wind farms across the north of England and Scotland, and reaching this agreement with Royal Bank of Scotland represents the latest step along the way to realising this objective.“

Between ten and fifty people will be employed on the Heysham South site at any one time during the site preparation and construction phases of the project.

A related community benefits fund worth at least £250k across the 25-year lifespan of the wind farm will enable Banks Renewables to deliver a range of community and environmental improvements in partnership with local people, to help ensure tangible, long-term benefits result from the company’s presence in the area.

Phil Dyke continued: “Onshore wind is acknowledged as the cheapest form of renewable energy production, enjoys wide ranging support among the UK population, is reducing the amount of carbon dioxide we emit as a country, and is helping to increase the amount of indigenous energy we can produce by renewable means.

“Carefully designed and sensibly-sited onshore wind farms such as Heysham South will be central to producing the energy that we all use over the coming decades, and the support that Royal Bank of Scotland is providing for this project demonstrates their continuing validity from a commercial as well as an environmental point of view.“

Andrew Buglass, head of Energy, Structured Finance at The Royal Bank of Scotland, added: “Banks has a strong track record in developing onshore wind farms successfully and we’re very pleased to support the Heysham South project.

“We value highly the relationship developed with Banks Renewables through this transaction and hope this is the first stage of a longer lasting partnership with Banks.

“We have a very active pipeline of other deals in onshore wind and other renewable technologies and are keen to continue our market-leading support for this important sector.“

The Youth Training Academy, established only two years ago to help young people to start a career in the creative and digital sectors, has been awarded prestigious status by a leading learning body.

The Academy, in Gateshead, has been named as an Edexcel Centre Status, after being highlighted as one of the UK’s top training hubs in is it’s External Verifier (EV) report.

During its first two years, the Youth Training Academy has worked with more than 60 employers, creating 180 jobs and apprenticeships for 16 to 18-year-olds.

Organisations which have worked with the Academy have included leading North East creative and digital businesses, including Vertigo Films, Global Radio, Re-Production and Bede Gaming.

Based in the Gateshead International Business Centre, the Youth Training Academy’s initial remit to work with the creative and digital media sector, has expanded and has encompassed activities across a wide range of industries.

Rob Earnshaw, the Youth Training Academy’s Managing Director, said: “The unprecedented success the Youth Training Academy has achieved in the last two years has been phenomenal. We have engaged with some fantastic firms and this has reaped great rewards with 180 jobs created.

“Gaining Edexcel Centre Status on the back of a superb EV report tops off the first two years and gives us a real drive to continue to build what we are doing, developing talent and creating links between young people and exciting businesses.“

The EV report stated: “The YTA demonstrated several highly effective pastoral support strategies which were successful in retaining learners via employer involvement and pastoral care and guidance which is highly valued.“

It continued: “The centre appears to be a model of exemplar practise.“

Liverpool and Sefton Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a two day conference and gala dinner, which promises to be one of the highlights of the International Festival for Business (IFB) in the brand new Rum Warehouse in Stanley Dock on 15th and 16th July.

The Power of the Chamber Global Network conference will bring over 250 delegates together, exporters and potential exporters to discover more about the global high growth markets, meet with Chamber of Commerce overseas representatives from 30 countries, and hear from companies who are currently exporting and have been successful at doing so.

The conference, hosted by BBC 5 live presenter Declan Curry, will provide the opportunity for discussion and debate and a Q&A.

Day one on the 15th July has an agenda of discussions from key spokes people including John Longworth, Director of British Chamber of Commerce, Professor Dame Carol Black, Expert Advisor on Health and Work and Terry O’Connor CBE, originally from Liverpool and now Group Chief Executive of Courts Asia, telling his success story from starting a business in Singapore.

Day two on the 16th July gives delegates a chance to hold one to one meetings with the overseas representatives and also to listen to the event sponsors: Hill Dickinson, Warrant Group, Halewood International, Health@work and Barclays, who will be looking at issues and giving advice for small-medium businesses.

John Longworth, Director General of British Chamber of Commerce says: “The International Festival for Business (IFB) is a fantastic platform for UK businesses to develop professional overseas partnerships.

“The British Chamber of Commerce is proud to support the Power of the Chamber Global Network event during IFB. The event will connect UK businesses with more than 30 overseas representatives, helping to create tangible, long-lasting relationships – one not to be missed!“

The British Chamber of Commerce represents 52 Accredited Chambers throughout the UK, who are best placed to advise businesses in all areas of international trade and exporting, some of which will be present at the conference.

Tickets for the two day Power of the Chamber Global Network event are priced at just £75 +VAT with Merseyside SME’s eligible to claim 50% of the ticket price back, book your tickets at: www.liverpoolchamber.org.uk/global

The conference will end on a high with a fantastic gala dinner, an opportunity to cement relationships forged over the two days and do some further networking in the surroundings of Liverpool’s newest venue, The Rum Warehouse.

Over 300 will be in attendance where Liverpool Chamber will be celebrating some of the UK’s most famous cultural exports, including of course sport and music.

There will be the opportunity to have your photograph taken with the Barclays Premier League Trophy, and the Champions League trophy that Liverpool kept for winning the fifth time in 2005. You can enjoy live entertainment from the world famous Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, an interactive re-run of the Grand National, and the very best Beatles tribute band. The event will be opened by the Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson. 

A Teesside health and fitness business is set to grow after being appointed to operate an exclusive new gym facility.

Health Performance Ltd based in Middlesbrough has secured the contract to manage and run a newly created health and fitness centre at Wilton Centre.

Lakeside Gym, the development at the privately-owned business and science park, located adjacent to the Wilton site between Redcar and Middlesbrough, is set to open to Wilton Centre tenants and their employees in September.

Nick Smith, MD of Health Performance, who will be in charge of running the facility, is currently recruiting three health and fitness coaches to be based at the new gym to provide personal training and fitness classes.

Further roles will be created once the gym is fully operational.

A Chartered Physiotherapist with 25 years’ experience in the fitness industry, including 6 years as the fitness manager of David Lloyd Teesside, Nick is delighted with the expansion of his business.

He said: “I am elated about the opportunity at Wilton Centre. I have been working on this project for the last two years so it is a huge relief that it is finally happening. 

“I have always dreamed of running and owning my own health and fitness club to allow me to deliver what I know members want and need, which is excellent levels of service.“

Nick added: “Too many of the big names out there have lost this focus on the members and, more importantly, on the employees that deal with them.

“My philosophy is if you look after your employees they will look after your members.  We aim to deliver the best service to our members and in doing so they will reap the health benefits through staying with us longer.“

Wilton Centre’s new gym will host a wide variety of top of the range Life Fitness equipment and will offer a full programme of classes in the specially designed studio including Zumba, Pilates, Boxercise, spinning and various weight loss programmes.

Once it has opened, its services will include access to treatments including physiotherapy, podiatry, chiropody, massage therapy and various beauty treatments.

Wilton Centre’s engineering manager, Andrew Walters, who has overseen the development project, said: “It has been carefully designed so that there is something for everyone with everything completed to the highest specification. For instance, the changing rooms feature walnut doors and glass-fronted lockers.

“Our aim has always been to provide tenants with a gym with a wow factor and we are delighted to be offering them a five star facility without the five star prices.“

Andrew added: “The appointment of someone of Nick’s calibre and expertise to run the gym is the final piece in the jigsaw so we are now on target to open the doors at the start of September.“

Nick commented: “This is one of my biggest projects to date and ultimately my aim is to grow the business further and become the recognised expert in our region for everything health and fitness related in a corporate environment.

“I want to create great vibes about what we do and how we can help others achieve a healthier lifestyle.“

The Lakeside Gym opens exclusively for staff of Wilton Centre tenants and their partners in September with pre-launch guided tours being run throughout August.

The Tees Valley Business Summit attracted the most delegates and exhibitors since it was launched, with nearly 1,000 attending the keynote event in the area’s business calendar.

The event, held at Teesside University in Middlesbrough, provided an interactive platform for delegates to understand opportunities that will emerge during the coming months, both in Tees Valley and across international markets, as well as offering extensive networking opportunities.

Another element was the launch of the Tees Valley Business Compass - a new business support service.

The Tees Valley Business Compass is made up of a number of organisations who each offer support to growing businesses in Tees Valley.

Through an online tool, business support helpline and a dedicated team, companies can get up to date information on the latest support programmes and initiatives available and can find out where to go for help.

More than 650 delegates signed up to the summit, which included practical seminars, inspirational workshops, one-to-one advice meetings and networking opportunities, featuring more than 320 representatives staffing 80 stands.

Stephen Catchpole, Managing Director of TVU,  the Local Enterprise Partnership for Tees Valley, said: “The aim of the Business Summit, which is the area’s largest networking event, was to enthuse, motivate, inform and provide business-generating and networking opportunities for companies across Tees Valley.

“The summit provided the ideal forum to highlight the support available to growing businesses in Tees Valley with many of the Tees Valley Business Compass partners delivering workshops and being on hand to meet companies in the exhibition and networking sessions.“

There’s some irony in that three men now responsible for a teeth whitening firm reaching £1 million turnover started their entrepreneurial streak by selling sweets at school.

North Easterners may already be familiar with Middlesbrough’s Whitewash Laboratories - having gone from strength to strength in less than four years.

Founded in 2010 by childhood friends Tom Riley, Matthew Lloyd and Chris McPhillips, the firm is marketing teeth whitening strips - a concept new to the UK market, which has traditionally focussed on tray methods.

Matthew Lloyd, who is still a practicing dentist and works part-time on the business, and was responsible for spotting the opportunity to import the product from the US.

Tom explained: “As a dentist, Matthew was trying to sell whitening, but most customers were turned off by the price. We decided to launch the strips technique as its more efficient for the dentist and more comfortable for the patient.

“We built a whole product range around the product. At first, there was quite a bit of work in convincing dentists to adopt this new technology.

“Many are happy to stick with traditional methods, but there’s a new breed of dentist now, who have diversified and may be offering services like botox. They’re really switched on to the market in the UK - and they got our whitening strips concept straight away.“

Having established themselves dentists, the three entrepreneurs began to develop their own cosmetic dentistry products - including brushes and whitening gels with silver particles in - a natural antibacterial.

With a diverse product range under their belts, including a sonic toothbrush, the three set about building their brand.

Tom added: “We are really keen to give patients an element of the luxury shopping experience, which is not something you typically associate with the dentist.

“High quality packaging and attractive bags and display cases for our products help this. We’ve now build a demand in the dental sector in the UK, as well as across distributors in other countries. We’re now stocked in around 1,000 dental practices in the UK, and in about 25 different countries.

“Now, the aim is to build demand from the customer side. We want patients to be going into their dentist’s clinic and requesting our products, not just being recommended them.“

Taking inspiration for Whitewash products from high-end cosmetics brands, Tom and the team decided to counter the loud and brash stylings of many dental products and angled their brand as the “Apple of the tooth whitening world” - with toned down designs.

One of the firm’s more recent products was designed by the team who worked on many of Estée Lauder’s ranges.

The potential for export is huge and the team have been proactive in selling overseas from the word go.

Tom added: “A lot of British companies don’t realise that their ‘made in Britain’ tag can really carry a lot of weight when they’re looking abroad. Overseas markets love the designed and made in Britain aspect.

“About a year ago we decided to put a little Union Jack on the back of our packaging, along with a line saying: ‘designed and developed by British dentists’. It just reinforces that message.

“We’ve worked with UKTI through the Passport to Export programme, and we’ve also generated a lot of international leads ourselves through the website. There’s also been a few trade fairs, including the biggest European dental fair in Cologne, last March.“

The export market has also led Whitewash to develop white label products for customers in Croatia and Kuwait.

Whitewash are now sizing up Spain, France and Italy as their next target markets as the business continues a period of reinvestment in product development.

“It was always the case that when a patient asked their dentist for teeth whitening, they got whatever was in the cupboard. It’s our mission to change that and bring a whole range of products targeted for specific needs and budgets,“ added Tom.

“If a dentist gets asked about teeth whitening now, they can use our brand to build a package to suit the patient’s budget, lifestyle and ambitions.“

The Government acted on poor advice and was too fearful of failure when it launched the flotation of Royal Mail, a committee of MPs has said. 

The BIS Select Committee’s report into last year’s privatisation of the Royal Mail found the Government had significantly underestimated demand and undervalued assets.

It stated: "It is clear that the Government met its objectives in terms of delivering a privatised Royal Mail with an employee share scheme. However, it is not clear whether value for money was achieved and whether Ministers obtained the appropriate return to the taxpayer.

"We agree with the National Audit Office that the Government met its primary objective. On the basis of the performance of the share price to date, it appears that the taxpayer has missed out on significant value."

At the time of flotation, Royal Mail shares were priced at 330p, but increased as high as 618p per share, and now stand at around 473p.

MPs criticised professional firms, including Lazard, UBS and Goldman Sachs, for their failure to gauge demand at higher prices and their subsequent advice to government.

The fleet division of Yorkshire-based JCT600 has secured a contract to supply 12 Maserati Ghibli models to AMT Group, specialists in prestige and executive vehicle rental.

JCT600 was chosen as the sole supplier of Maserati vehicles to AMT Vehicle Rental in Leeds and has delivered all 12 vehicles in what is believed to be one of the biggest fleet deals ever for the performance car brand.  

Craig Moran, general manager for the AMT Contract Hire and Leasing division said: “The Maserati models form part of our luxury rental fleet for corporate and private clients who want to travel in style wherever they are in the UK."

“We chose JCT600 not only because of its solid reputation as specialists in fleet, but also because we were impressed by the high calibre of its team. 

:We enjoy an excellent working relationship with them; the team consistently provides an outstanding service to us as a group, and, with annual group purchases now in excess of 3,500 cars, we rely heavily on all our suppliers to deliver high standards if service.  JCT600 goes above and beyond on every occasion and is truly deserving of our business.”

Neill Richards, fleet sales director for JCT600, adds: “We are very proud to have once again been chosen by the UK’s largest independently owned supplier of prestige and executive vehicle rental.  AMT has established a leading position in this niche market and it’s great news that we have secured this latest contract, one of the largest ever fleet deals for Maserati.”

Based in Bradford, JCT600’s fleet division comprises prestige fleet operations representing BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and Audi; and volume fleet division consisting of Vauxhall, Kia, Mazda, Peugeot, Seat and Chevrolet.

JCT600 is a family business with 47 dealerships throughout Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and the North East.  It sells 21 of the world’s most respected brands such as Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volkswagen.

Luxury department store, Harvey Nichols has been announced as the first UK-wide retailer of The ONE, the first blend of whiskies from around the British Isles ever to be produced. 

Created by The Lakes Distillery, The ONE combines the finest whiskies from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England, and will be featured within Harvey Nichols’ stores including London, Edinburgh, Manchester and Dublin.

This listing comes shortly after The Lakes Distillery announced distribution deals for The ONE across The Netherlands, France, Belgium and The UAE just six months after its launch.

Paul Currie, founder and managing director of The Lakes Distillery, commented: “Harvey Nichols has become synonymous with British style and excellence, qualities which directly resonate with The ONE’s brand values. The store is renowned for only stocking the finest quality whisky, of which The ONE will now join the ranks. 

“The ONE is very much an artisan blend - the team in Cumbria has enormous experience in making the very finest whiskies, and their expertise has put together this outstanding blend, which has a lightly peated character and is already making an impact on the growing premium whisky sector.”

Visitors to Harvey Nichols will be able to purchase The ONE’s 70cl bottle or the beautifully presented gift box including the 70cl bottle and two branded glasses. 

The team behind the new £5m distillery in Cumbria includes former Isle of Arran Distillers co- founder, Paul Currie, and Chris Anderson, Master Distiller, formerly of Dewars. Building work is well underway on the Lakes Distillery, which when complete will be England’s biggest distillery producing over 1 million bottles of The Lakes Malt per year. Production is set to start this summer on The Lakes Distillery’s whisky, gin and vodka, while its bistro, tours and shop will open to the public by December 2014.

A select number of whisky enthusiasts around the world are invited to become part of the early stages of The Lakes Distillery story. The company has launched a Connoisseurs’ Club, where just 60 members can come to the distillery to make their own whisky, fill their own rare sherry cask, and then come to annual tasting ceremonies when they can taste their maturing whisky.

In addition, the Lakes Distillery will set aside the first 100 casks of malt whisky produced exclusively for members of its Founders’ Club. Each year for ten years, members will then receive one 70cl bottle and two tasting bottles, making up a collectible set of the distillery’s first ever production.

International pharmaceutical firm Aesica, which is headquartered in Newcastle, has employed four interns to work across its North East sites.

The internships, which vary from six weeks to two years, have been taken by Yasmin Davoodi, Ross Cooper, Luke Kidwell and Amy Henderson. 

Yasmin will undertake a 2 year placement within the Company’s Marketing team as part of her Business Leadership and Corporate Management degree from Northumbria University.

Ross is currently on a 4 month IT placement with the Company and will gain a broad understanding of the IT across the Aesica Group in terms of service delivery and project management. . 

Amy studies Business with Human Resource Management at Northumbria University and has recently commenced a one year HR placement, based at the Cramlington site.

Luke is a summer intern within the Chemical Development Group based in Cramlington and is a third year undergraduate studying a Masters in Chemistry.

A lawyer who specialises in representing sports stars and organisations on social and broadcast media matters has joined law firm Ward Hadaway.

Stephen Taylor Heath joins the Top 75 UK law firm as a Consultant with a long track record of advising high-profile clients across the sporting arena.

He works closely with top sports agencies, accountants, financial advisers and marketing companies to offer tailored support solutions to sports, media and entertainment figures.

Stephen has advised clients including professional boxers Amir Khan and Joe Calzaghe, sports promoters including Don King, rugby league clubs such as Bradford Bulls, Hull KR and Huddersfield Giants and a range of sports broadcasters.

Stephen said: "It is terrific to be joining a full-service law firm with offices across the North which can offer truly specialist legal expertise in such a wide range of different areas.

"The sporting industry is a multi-billion pound sector whose status and influence continues to grow exponentially.

"Modern sports stars and others involved in the industry need to keep track and maintain control over an increasing range of things, from image rights and broadcast agreements to brand protection and commercial contracts."

National charity Changing Lives, which is headquartered in the North East, has appointed Carolyn Reynolds as executive director of Communications and Fundraising.

Reynolds has joined Changing Lives as the organisation’s first Executive Director of Communications and Fundraising at a time of significant change and growth. 

In the last five year’s the charity has more than tripled its turnover from £3.8 million to £12 million, more than doubled its staff numbers and increased service user numbers nearly ten-fold, as the charity expands its innovative services across the UK, supporting around 6,000 vulnerable people and their families every month.

The role will see Reynolds head the national communications strategy and steer fundraising efforts to raise the £3 million a year the charity needs to make through charitable giving.

Reynolds said: “It’s a real privilege to be joining an organisation which has done so much in the North East for vulnerable people and their families as it extends the scale and scope of its services nationwide and continues to develop as a national charity.

“As Changing Lives continues to take the good practice developed here in the North East to the national stage, I’m delighted to have the opportunity to talk so positively about our pioneering work. Empowering people to make better life choices and extending the housing, employment and recovery opportunities that support people to build a brighter future is what we’re all about.  We have an exciting story to tell and I’m delighted to be part of it.

“Growth for the service has been rapid and is continuing. My job now is to ensure that the excellent work of our innovative, life-changing projects and their talented and extraordinarily committed staff get the recognition they deserve.“

Knight Frank (Sheffield), Ben White

Experienced surveyor Ben White brings his comprehensive knowledge of Sheffield to bolster the award-winning agency and development team at commercial property agents Knight Frank.

He joins the team as senior surveyor and will work alongside established Knight Frank partners Stephen Hodgson, Peter Whiteley and Rebecca Schofield in their agency and development roles working with clients and developers across the Sheffield City Region.

Ben said: "The Knight Frank Sheffield Office is a market leader and at the forefront of most of the exciting projects that have been built in the region over the last decade, and those which are destined to be built in the city.

"I join a very strong team continually recognised as providing considered, professional and innovative advice and services. I look forward to working with them and developers, landlords and commercial property occupiers across South Yorkshire and the North Midlands."

Peter Whiteley, partner at Knight Frank, said: "This is a crucial and exciting time for Sheffield as we see the highest levels of market activity for the past seven years. Ben’s experience and regional knowledge further strengthens our successful team and I wish him all the best in his new role here."

Knight Frank’s Sheffield office offers advice on commercial property, investment and development, residential development, building consultancy and professional advisory services.

Brewster Bye Architects, Matt Seddon and Gareth Jackson

Leeds based Brewster Bye Architects has made two high profile promotions with Matt Seddon becoming an associate director and Gareth Jackson being promoted to associate.

Matt has worked at Brewster Bye for 10 years and was previously an Associate.  He now heads up the firm’s commercial projects team and is also Brewster Bye’s Quality Assurance Manager as well as overseeing the company’s IT requirements and infrastructure.

Brewster Bye’s managing director, Keith Brewster says: “Both Matt and Gareth are valuable members of our team and thoroughly deserve these promotions.  

"They both excel in their respective fields and continually go above and beyond to create projects that genuinely stand out from the crowd, which is something that our whole company ethos is built around. 

“Over the last 12 months the property and construction industries have turned a corner and Matt and Gareth’s promotions strengthen our team and ensure that we are well-placed to take advantage of the market’s recovery while maintaining the level of client service that we are renowned for.”

Parseq, Alan Doran and David Woolley

Continuing on its path of rapid growth, Parseq the leading UK business process outsourcer, has appointed two new business development directors.

Alan Doran and David Woolley will be responsible for expanding the firm’s client portfolio which currently boasts the top 10 international banks, a third of the UK’s utility sector and a sizable chunk of the charity and insurance sector.

Vincent Smallhorne sales and marketing director of Parseq said: “Last month we announced our intention to create a business with £100 million turnover in three years and I see these appointments as key to allowing us to achieve this goal.

“Both Alan and David have exceptionally strong industry credentials and even in the short time they’ve been with us their experience has proved to be second to none.”

Last month Parseq announced its acquisition of 2Touch from US-based Acxiom for an undisclosed sum as part of its strategy for aggressive business growth in the next three years.

With headquarters in South Yorkshire, the outsourcer employs around 2,700 people working from five key sites in Sunderland, Glasgow, Rotherham, London and Brighton.

JWPCreers, Jill Campbell

Jill Campbell has been North Yorkshire accountants and business advisers JWPCreers has strengthened it s senior team with the appointment of Jill Campbell as a partner.

Nigel Clemit says: "As the economy improves and JWPCreers continues to go from strength to strength by serving a broad range of businesses, we have a need for a stronger management team and are pleased to recognise Jill’s outstanding work for the practice by making her our newest female partner."

Jill Campbell says: “I am pleased to accept the new appointment and excited about my new role and the challenges ahead. I also look forward to developing and strengthening the JWPCreers brand by continuing to deliver service excellence with help from the team here at JWPCreers.”

JWPCreers, based at York Science Park and Park Street, Selby, is among York and North Yorkshire’s largest firms of accountants and taxation professionals with more than 70 staff.

Faith PR, Kirsty Bamford

Faith PR, has expanded with the appointment of a junior account executive.

Kirsty Bamford joins the Leeds-based agency where she will be working on delivering integrated communications campaigns covering PR, marketing and social media for clients across both B2B and B2C sectors.

Faith PR founder and director, Stefanie Hopkins says: “We are delighted to have Kirsty join our expanding team on a permanent basis and believe her experience, skills and enthusiasm will add significant value for our clients. She has come on board at a busy and exciting time and I’m confident that she will be a valuable asset to our business.”

Kirsty adds: “I am delighted to be a part of this great team and very much look forward to what the future brings at Faith PR. I have already gained valuable experience from my work experience here and I am looking forward to the challenges ahead and being able to develop and grow with the team.”

Faith PR is a PR and communications agency working with a range of consumer and B2B clients including Oriflame UK & ROI, Yummy Yorkshire Ice Cream Company, Bertie’s @ La Cachette, West Yorkshire Enterprise Agency, Legatus Law, Catherine Green Textile Artist and Sous Le Nez Restaurant among others.

Irwin Mitchell (Sheffield) Louisa Chan

The Sheffield office of national law firm, Irwin Mitchell, has appointed Louisa Chan to its insolvency and restructuring team.

Louisa, who moves from hlw Keeble Hawson LLP, is an insolvency Solicitor who specialises in dealing with a variety of both contentious and non-contentious personal and corporate insolvency matters.

hell, Louisa said: “I chose Irwin Mitchell because of its forward-thinking and dynamic outlook. Its focus on client care and its excellent reputation in the commercial arena is impressive.  

"I am elated by the possibility of working in such a dynamic environment and feel prepared for exciting opportunities lie ahead with this position.”

CBRE (Leeds) Rebecca Maddison

The Leeds office of CBRE has appointed Rebecca Maddison as Graduate Surveyor within its Office Agency team.

Rebecca has transferred from CBRE’s Bristol office and will be assisting the Leeds team with its growing number of Yorkshire and North East instructions.

York & North Yorkshire Chamber has appointed Edward Everard as its new vice president.

Ed will support president Suzanne Burnett in the Chamber’s representing and lobbying work on behalf of local business. He will also deputise for Suzanne including chairing the York and North Yorkshire Chamber Leadership Group and in media relations.

Ed is sales and marketing director of York technology specialist Saville Audio Visual.  He was born in York and after a number of jobs started with John Saville and Sons photographic shop in Goodramgate in 1970. 

His successful sales and marketing career in the hi-tech professional audio visual market has helped Saville to build a turnover in excess of £40 million and a unique nationwide network of offices, winning 29 national industry awards in the past 14 years. 

Speaking about the Chamber and his new role, Ed says: "Life has been good to me. I’ve worked hard but also been really lucky to have been given many opportunities to develop my career.

"There is firm evidence the truly awful recession is now behind us and I’m keen to do my bit for the local economy, especially helping new start-ups to develop and prosper. I feel privileged to have been invited to work more closely with the Chamber."

Suzanne Burnett added: “We are delighted to have Ed on board. He has a great deal of business experience and will be a great asset to the Chamber. I look forward to working with him over coming months.

"This is an exciting time for York & North Yorkshire Chamber following the merger with Bradford Chamber and we are looking forward to the new opportunities this will bring for businesses in the area.”

York & North Yorkshire Chamber is part of the West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.

Leeds business development agency, Blueberry Marketing Solutions, has continued its rapid growth with the opening of a new office in Manchester city centre.

Blueberry has a wealth of clients across the North and looks set to further increase its revenue by establishing a permanent base in the North West.

Over the next year, Blueberry plans to employ a further 10 business development professionals to work out of the new Manchester base, strengthening ties with existing North West clients, such as AQA and Groundwork MSSTT, as well as exploring opportunities with growing businesses in the region.

Blueberry director Faresh Maisuria said: “Since our inception in 2005, we have worked hard to build brand awareness across the North and have won many high profile clients as a result.

"Having offices on both sides of the Pennines will help us nurture our existing client relationships in the North West and create numerous new opportunities for the agency.

“Manchester is a diverse and vibrant city so recruiting there will be exciting as we build our expertise across a range of industries. We’re confident that this key expansion to the North West will make our 20% year-on-year growth target achievable.”

A Cramlington woman who became disenchanted with her career in finance has launched a subscription dog treats business which provides owners with a monthly box.

Following a start up loan, and help from TEDCO’s Ready for Business programme, Zara Moustapha launched her Happy Hound Box business at this year’s crufts. 

The subscription based service allows dog owners to spoil their best friends with high end treats and hygiene products which are sourced from a variety of suppliers based in the UK, USA & Europe and often not available in stores.

Zara said: “I’ve always been a dog lover and was keen to set up a business which allowed me to work around our four legged friends.  

"I found there was a gap in the UK market for an online subscription service that would provide healthy treats and toys to dog owners, so I decided to exploit what I saw as a unique opportunity.

"It also gave me the chance to work for myself, which was much more appealing than working for somebody else!”

With help from TEDCO business advisor Bill Hartshorne, Zara secured a start up loan which meant she could start trading.

Zara said: “The main challenges I faced were getting prospective loan financiers to accept the proof of concept, obtaining agreements with suppliers and making the market aware of our existence.  

"Bill’s support has been invaluable to me – through his guidance he has simplified the whole process of setting up Happy Hound Box, making it an enjoyable experience rather than a stressful one!”

Zara added: “Launching at Crufts was definitely a great showcase for the business and helped to ensure that I got off to a great start, generating interest from dog lovers all over the globe.”

Bill Hartshorne, business advisor at TEDCO said: “It was a huge coup for Zara to launch her business at Crufts this year and since then I’m delighted to say that demand has increased rapidly for the Happy Hound Box product.  

"It’s been a pleasure working with Zara, helping her to turn her idea into a reality – she saw a gap in the market and went for it and it’s great to see how happy she is being her own boss. 

"I’m looking forward to providing ongoing business mentoring and guidance to ensure Happy Hound Box continues to be a success.”

Five percent of the proceeds from each box goes to help dogs in need – in 2014 Happy Hound Box’s beneficiary is The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

Zara said: “It was important to me to be able to give back through my business so the more Happy Hound Box succeeds the more money goes to charitable causes, which is a great motivator for me. In the short term I’m working hard to build up Happy Hound Box’s market share in what is still a new market here in the UK.  

"Longer term, the plan is for Happy Hound Box to be the consumer’s first choice when subscribing for their dog’s monthly treats.  Anything is possible if you have the belief, patience and determination to succeed – and a Ready for Business advisor like Bill.”

TEDCO Business Support delivers the national Ready for Business programme across the north east region.  Ready for Business aims to create 6,000 businesses with 10,000 new jobs, is supported by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund and Barclays and is delivered by the Cavendish Consortium, a partnership between some of England’s leading enterprise agencies together with the National Enterprise Network.

To find out more about the programme or series of free Barclays Get Ready for Business seminars running across the region please visit www.startupedge.co.uk.

Minister for Trade & Investment Lord Livingston has made a second visit to the International Festival of Business (IFB), confirming Government support for the event, after Chancellor George Osborne announced that the event will take place in Liverpool again in 2016.

The Minister was in Liverpool to address a UKTI trade conference on India, in the same week that George Osborne and William Hague visited the country and announced investment deals worth up to £120m during a visit to Mumbai.

Lord Livingston first visited Liverpool on 9 June to speak at the opening ceremony of the British Business Embassy. Yesterday he returned to see the festival in full swing and meet the IFB management team. He also visited PlaceEXPO, the IFB investment exhibition area, hosted by Liverpool Vision and organised by Place North West.

The visit began with a tour of the IFB Hub with UKTI North West Director Clive Drinkwater, followed by a briefing on Malaysia where he addressed a selection of UK companies and officials from Malaysia’s Iskandar Regional Development Authority.

Lord Livingston then delivered a speech to over 100 companies at the UKTI India International Trade Conference.

The event included the opening of a British Business Centre in Bangalore via video link.

UKTI has been working together with the British Chambers of Commerce and overseas business associations to enhance the role of the private sector in providing support to UK companies seeking to export to new markets. In India, a partnership between HMG and UK India Business Council has seen business centres open in Delhi and now in Bangalore. 

Lord Livingston said: “I am delighted to be back at the International Festival for Business speaking about opportunities to enhance our trade and investment relationship with India even further. We are also strengthening ties with key networks such as the UK India Business Council, making sure British companies get the support they need to succeed overseas.

“India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Whilst the UK and India are major trading partners, there remains huge opportunity to increase exports and investment and I hope events such as this will assist in achieving this.“

Of 1200 Indian companies in the EU, 700 are in the UK, including Genser Aerospace, which has set up its European headquarters in Manchester, and Tata, one of the UK’s largest manufacturing employers.

India is expected to be the world’s third largest car market by 2020, and its aerospace market is one of the fastest growing globally. Its healthcare market is also growing at 15% a year and by 2017 there will be 35 million students attending university in India.

A special session on opportunities for British businesses in Poland is taking place at the International Festival for Business.

As Poles marked 10 years of European Union membership in May this year, the country has emerged as the star of eastern Europe, now with the sixth largest economy in the EU.

Piotr Bielski, chief economist at Bank Zachodni WBK, part of the Santander Group since 2011, specialises in macroeconomics, econometric analysis and financial markets and will be advising delegates on the Polish economy and how they can realise their international growth potential in the country.

Working for Bank Zachodni WBK since 2001, he is also a co-founder and member of the Polish Association of Banking Economists an organisation of economists from leading financial institutions in Poland.

Joining Piotr will be Mark Ling, UK Director, Santander Corporate and Commercial Banking.

Santander UK, a leading financial services provider in the UK that offers a wide range of personal and commercial financial products and services, is one of IFB 2014’s festival partners and has delivered several events during the festival, including the SME summit attended by Chancellor of The Exchequer, George Osborne MP.

This key international event at the festival takes place in the IFB Hub, 1 Mann Island on Monday 21, July 2014 from 9 – 11.30am.

North Yorkshire businessman, Sir James Aykroyd,  has revived Brontë Liqueur, a tipple he first discovered some 40 years ago during a business trip to Paraguay, South America.

Now four decades on, he has managed to fulfil his dreams of bringing the liqeur to the UK, transforming both its look and its taste for a more discerning consumer.

Sir James, who worked in senior roles with Buchanan’s whisky and Martini and Rossi and more recently stepped down as a shareholder and chairman of Speyside Distillers, said: “Back in 1928 my great grandfather - Sir James Roberts – bought the Haworth village parsonage and gifted it to the Brontë Society.

“Today that building is the Brontë Parsonage Museum and this is something our family is immensely proud of - I still hold the key to the parsonage’s front door.“

While the original Brontë Liqueur was honey-based and presented in a ceramic jug, the new-tasting drink celebrates God’s Own County with blackberry and sloe and a hint of jasmine.

Sir James and Brontë Liqueur Co Ltd plan to market the drink to a younger audience as a mixer for cocktails, and have already devised a series of recipes, including the Brontë Royale, made from the liqueur topped up with champagne and a Brontë Mule -a refreshing mix of Brontë Liqueur, fresh lime and ginger beer served over ice.

The Yorkshire company plans to sell directly to up-market bars and restaurants as well as specialist independent retailers. Contacts with importers in overseas markets have already been made in Scandinavia, Russia, Spain, Japan, UAE, Canada and the United States.

A percentage of all sales of Brontë Liqueur will be donated to the Brontë Society to ensure that the legacy of the Brontë family endures.

For more information visit: www.bronteliqueur.com

As Liverpool continues to welcome a new fleet of luxury liners to the Cruise Liner Terminal, Albert Dock has partnered with Liverpool ONE, Liverpool Cathedral, City Central BID, Commercial BID District and, new to this year, Marketing Liverpool to provide a direct bus link into the city centre for visiting cruise passengers.

With a five-figure investment, the Cruise Connector bus is a privately funded initiative to give cruise tourists a warm Liverpool welcome. Now in its fifth year, passengers are greeted as they board by a group of the City Stars volunteers, who welcome travellers with maps and guides of the city, historical tales of landmarks on-route and recommendations on where to experience the very best of Liverpool’s entertainment, leisure and retail offerings.

The Cruise Connector bus provides a regular free service to passengers during the ship’s visit, and swiftly transports them to some of Liverpool’s main public areas, including Albert Dock, Liverpool Cathedral, Liverpool ONE, the Town Hall and Commercial District, and Central Station.

Chris Brown, director of Marketing Liverpool, said:

“Not many cities have the advantage of cruises docking right at their heart, so it’s important we maximise the opportunity and connect some of the city’s key sites in the easiest way possible. The specially-designed Cruise Connector bus is the perfect vehicle to make exploring the city simple, and encourage return visits in the future.

“As well as creating a good lasting impression, it has an important immediate role too. The cruise industry plays a huge role in the city’s visitor economy, and it is growing each year. Cruise passengers tend to have significant spending potential, and guiding them through the city makes it much more likely they will spend here rather than in other ports of call.”

Peter Cronin, director of development and marketing for Albert Dock Liverpool, said:

“The Cruise Connector bus provides cruise passengers with an efficient, convenient and totally free way of exploring our wonderful city, including Albert Dock, which is home to some of the city’s most loved attractions, the Beatles Story, Tate Liverpool and the Merseyside Maritime Museum. The bus is also a great example of how we can work with our city partners to give guests the very best visitor experience possible while they are here.

Jenny Moran, visitor services manager, Anglican Cathedral, said:

“The Cruise Connector continues to go from strength to strength, with the passengers receiving a warm Scouse welcome when they arrive. We are able to take them into the heart of the city right outside some of our most famous tourist attractions and of course a shopping offer second to none. They always leave the bus with a smile.”

Chris Bliss, estate director of Liverpool ONE, said:

“Along with our partners, we want to make sure that cruise passengers receive the warm Liverpool welcome that the city is renowned for. The free shuttle bus means those who wish to hit the shops while they’re here can move easily between the ship, the main shopping areas and key visitor attractions. In addition, the City Star volunteer scheme, which we drive in partnership with Liverpool City Council give that personal touch.”

Bill Addy, City Central BID, said:

“Cruise passengers are a vital part of our summer economy and a free bus service is a great way to showcase what the city centre has to offer.

“The Cruise Connector bus is the perfect way for visiting cruise passengers to explore the various districts of the city, which they might have missed out on. This efficient and convenient service not only benefits businesses all around the city, but makes Liverpool more accessible allowing passengers to get the absolute most out of their visit.”

Image source: Don McCullough

More businesses in the North East need to think about growing their markets overseas, the North East Chamber of Commerce has suggested following a major survey of its members.

Of some 4,700 businesses, 89% said they had ambitions to grow domestically, but less than half said they were looking to expand overseas.

More than half of the responds said overseas trade was not critical to their business over the next year.

Half of the North East firms surveyed were not exporting to one of 21 current "high-growth markets" identified by UKTI, including Japan, Kuwait, Kazakhstan and Hungary, which are percieved to hold the greatest opportunities over the next five years.

Of those that do export 19% said that their company’s profitability had risen between 6-10%, while 17% said they had seen profits rise by 11-25%.

NECC Policy Adviser, Lucy Humphreys, said: “More must be done to take the fear out of exporting and promote the enormous potential that overseas markets offer.

“This survey backs up what we are also seeing in our own Quarterly Economic Surveys, that the businesses operating in exports markets are reaping the rewards with increased sales and orders, but we do need more businesses to explore foreign shores.

“If we are serious about rebalancing our economy, we must invest even more in supporting and promoting international trade.

"The UK should be matching the level of resourcing dedicated to export support provided by our major international competitors. And Government intervention must be more focused in areas that can really make a difference, such as providing greater access to finance to growing firms – particularly when a quarter of non-exporters say that increased funding would encourage them to export.

“NECC is working in partnership with UKTI and the global Chambers of Commerce network to develop worldwide “soft landings” for members. This is providing British companies entering new markets with practical advice, support and new business connections.“