Category Archives: Midlands News

Events, Midlands News, News

Fabulous fiesta to celebrate summer in Shropshire and Staffordshire!

Live music, artisan food and crafts will all be on offer at a summer bank holiday fiesta at a stately home on the Shropshire/Staffordshire border.

Weston Park will welcome guests of all ages to the event on August 28 and 29. The whole estate, in Weston-under-Lizard, will be open to explore, including the house, the woodland adventure playground, the miniature railway, Temple Wood and Capability Brown’s stunning 18th century landscaped grounds.

Marketing manager Andrea Webster said: “Bring your picnic blankets and settle in for music, food and crafts from our fabulous trader line-up. You’ll be able to grab something delicious to eat from the street food village and a pint of local ale from Hobsons Brewery, and there will be a traditional fun fair with a fun house and dodgems for the children.

“We’ll have over 30 artisan food and craft traders, live music from Giles & Sully and Synergy Live Band, drumming workshops from the fabulous Hit the Dhol team, and Alison’s Bee Class, where our younger visitors can learn more about bees and roll their own candle.

“The house will be open from 1pm each day, where you can see a world class collection of fine and decorative arts, some of which dates back over 500 years.

“We’re all looking forward to a great bank holiday day out and we would love to see you there.”

The fiesta is open from 10am to 4pm each day. Discounted tickets are available in advance of the event, or visitors can pay on the day. Under-fours and Weston Park members get in free and don’t need a ticket, and dogs on leads are welcome.

Advance tickets cost £5 per person, with house admission an additional £2 per person. Advance tickets are available online until 9am on each day.

Gate admission costs £9.50 for adults, £8.50 for senior citizens, £5.50 for children or £28 for a family ticket. House admission is an additional £4 per person.

Visit the booking site to buy tickets. For more information about Weston Park, visit www.weston-park.com/

4 Day Week, Midlands News, News, Northamptonshire

HR specialists say four-day working week trial could bring great opportunity

A Kettering-based HR consultancy has outlined the benefits of the world’s largest trial of a four-day working week.

More than 70 organisations worldwide signed up to the six-month pilot scheme in June, which involves more than 3,000 UK employees.

Although HR Solutions are not taking part in the trial themselves, CEO Greg Guilford is aware of the potential benefits from the experiment.

He said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has already changed many aspects of our working lives, with many people switching to working from home or hybrid working. It is a logical time to test out different working practices and see how a new approach could help with employee wellbeing and productivity.”

Employees participating in the trial receive their full salary but only work 80% of their standard hours. In exchange, workers must commit to maintaining 100% productivity.

Firms taking part include office-based software developers, housing, food and beverages, workplace consultancy, skincare, housing, and recruitment firms.

Greg added: “Workers must use their time more wisely, concentrating on being as effective as possible in a smaller time frame to achieve the same level of performance. The additional rest day is anticipated to improve staff wellbeing, create a greater sense of achievement in completing work more efficiently and make workers feel motivated to work harder.

“I believe that happy and motivated people are a core part of a successful business. And while there is great potential in this kind of scheme, a contented workforce may also be achieved through good internal communication, relevant staff reward schemes, job flexibility, equality and fair opportunity.”

For more information on The 4 Day Week Global Campaign, which is coordinated by researchers from Oxford and Cambridge universities, experts from Boston College and the Autonomy think tank, or you would like to enquire about how HR Solutions can help your business, visit https://www.hrsolutions-uk.com/4-day-working-week-trial-launched/

Midlands News, News, Property, Property News

Vistry releases final home available with Help to Buy at Brampton location

The final home available with the Help to Buy scheme is now on sale at Vistry Group’s Brampton Park location in Brampton.

Vistry is building 219 new homes at the development under the Linden Homes brand, with a choice of homes currently available to reserve.

Help to Buy, which is set to end in March next year, allows first-time buyers to purchase a new-build home up to £407,400 in the East of England with just a five per cent deposit and 75 per cent mortgage. The remaining 20 per cent of the purchase price is provided as a Government-backed equity loan, which is interest-free for the first five years.

The four-bedroom semi-detached Burnet, priced at £397,000, is the last property that can be bought at Brampton Park using Help to Buy. Buyers must reserve their home and apply for the scheme before 31 October 2022.

Hannah Dorner, senior sales manager at Vistry East Midlands, said: “This is the final opportunity to use Help to Buy at our Brampton Park location. The scheme has been very popular here, helping a significant number of first-time buyers make that first step onto the property ladder in this beautiful part of Cambridgeshire.

“The Burnet is a stunning four-bedroom, three-storey townhouse, with an abundance of space making it perfect for young growing families.

“Downstairs, there’s an open-plan kitchen/dining room and a spacious living room with French doors to the garden, while the first and second floors each contain two double bedrooms. The master bedroom on the first floor has an attractive Juliet balcony overlooking the garden.

“The three-storey design also makes the home more adaptable to suit different lifestyles. Any of the rooms on the top two floors could provide dedicated space for a study, games room or home gym depending on the individual needs of the buyer.”

There’s currently a choice of three and four-bedroom homes available to buy without Help to Buy at Brampton Park, with prices starting from £315,000.

For more information about the new homes in this location, including the Burnet with Help to Buy, visit lindenhomes.co.uk.

 

 

 

 

 

Apprenticeships, Midlands News, News

200 apprenticeships up for grabs as In-Comm Training opens hotline for A-level and GCSE students

Apprenticeships will play an increasing role in an integrated solution for solving the shrinking labour pool impacting employers across the UK, predicts the boss of a leading West Midlands training provider.

In-Comm Training, which operates three Technical Academies in Aldridge, Telford and Shrewsbury, has seen a massive surge in the number of companies investing in vocational learning and currently has 201 vacancies available – the most at any time in its 40-year history.

This means there are lots of ready-made career opportunities for students receiving their A-level and GCSE grades, but unfortunately the news is getting lost or a lack of informed career advice is resulting in young people taking the ‘perceived easier option’ and opting for a course that later blocks them from obtaining their desired apprenticeship.

In order to help reverse this trend, the company has launched a dedicated hotline (01922 457686, option 3) to guide young pupils/students and their families through the different choices and how vocational learning can now lead all the way to a degree without the £100,000 debt associated with going to university.

“I don’t think we’ve ever seen such an appetite to invest in apprenticeships in the West Midlands, with nearly 80 different companies, across 20 sectors, currently working with us to find their workforce of the future,” explained Gareth Jones, Managing Director of In-Comm Training.

“This is great news on one hand, as it means we have over 200 immediate vacancies across 20 different apprentice pathways, including in Product Design, Mechatronics, Electrotechnical, Toolmaking, Machining, Quality, Production, Engineering Technician, Health, Safety & Environmental, Business Admin and Logistics.

“Thanks to our unrivalled employer-led network, we have already filled 300+ positions, yet industry is desperate for more talent in order to grow sustainably.”

He continued: “Worryingly, we have started to see the pipeline of candidates dry up and we’re putting this down to young people looking to take the simple route after Covid-19 and a lack of informed career advice on the different options out there.

“What this means is that students are choosing to take up full-time classroom-based technical qualifications that can later block them from obtaining their desired apprenticeship due to complex funding rules, leaving them with some knowledge but no real experience or competency.

“In reality, hundreds of pupils/students are missing out on the chance to get world class technical training and hands-on work experience that guarantees jobs and rewarding careers. Our helpline will hopefully help give people the complete picture.”

Established in 1982, In-Comm Training is one of the UK’s leading training providers, supporting more than 250 companies and training thousands of individuals every year.

The business will staff its dedicated helpline with four experts during working hours, with enquiries out of this time being responded to via email or social media.

It is also continuing to build links on the ground with primary/secondary schools and agencies, organising STEM days and holding special Open Days at its Technical Academies.

There will be a big end to the year for the family-run firm, with its eleventh annual awards taking place in September, the official launch of Telford Technical Academy pending and the big unveil on a unique industry collaboration.

Gareth concluded: “Getting your results is a very exciting, but also a nervous time for young people and families.

“We want to try to take away some of their concerns and the confusion that exists around different career paths, providing unbiased advice and providing exposure to the opportunities available within engineering and manufacturing. This will help people make educated career choices.

“Gaining your A-levels is a great starting position for starting a higher-level apprenticeship and, with 201 places currently available, there’s no better time to consider vocational learning.”

Charity & CSR, Charity News, Midlands News, News, Northants

Silverstone Soccer hat trick raises record amount for hospice

Three was the magic number for Silverstone Fleet Management at their third annual five-a-side football fundraiser, which raised a record £3,231 for Cynthia Spencer Hospice.

Businesses from across Northamptonshire donned their football boots for the hattrick event at Daventry Football Club, which saw 10 teams compete for the much-coveted winner’s title.

Euro Building and Maintenance Contractors scooped the title and the trophy after an impressive pitch performance, with Ox Seven Talent Partners taking the runners up position and their goalkeeper being named player of the tournament.

The popular football fundraiser, which has become a much-loved yearly calendar entry, is the brainchild of Ryan Bishop, sales manager at Silverstone Fleet Management.

The self-confessed football fanatic decided to use his local business contacts and love of football to raise much needed funds for the hospice for the first time at the beginning of 2020.

Ryan was delighted by the incredible response from the Northamptonshire business community and the impressive amount of money raised, which motivated him to make it an annual event.

The first event raised over £1,000 and the fundraising target has climbed each year since, with a staggering total of more than £3,000 in the most recent tournament, which was sponsored by Wilson Browne Solicitors.

Some teams, such as YMD Boon, have played in all three events.

The vehicle leasing company’s nominated charity of the year, Cynthia Spencer Hospice, are hugely grateful for the invaluable support.

Nina Gandy, corporate partnerships fundraiser at Cynthia Spencer Hospice, said: “Silverstone Soccer has not only been a great event which has raised a fantastic amount for the hospice over the last three years, it has also seen a range of businesses get involved from across the county and further afield.

“We are so grateful to Silverstone Fleet Management for organising this event and encouraging support from the business community. Many teams return year on year to play in the tournament which is great to see but what tops this off is having new teams turn up, get stuck in and network with other businesses.

“It’s fantastic how the event has gone from strength to strength and we thank Scott, his team and everyone who has supported it. Together they have all made such a huge difference to our patients and their families.”

Ryan said: “It is our absolute pleasure to be able to raise much needed cash for the fantastic Cynthia Spencer Hospice. The tireless work they do really makes a huge difference to so many local families who are facing heartbreakingly tough times.

“Our Silverstone Soccer event has now raised more than £5000 over the past three years through a fun football fundraiser which is both a joy to organise and participate in. It was great to get everyone together to network and have fun.

“Thank you to everyone who came along to the event and dug deep in their pockets to donate and to our sponsors Wilson Browne Solicitors. I am over the moon that we’ve again managed to smash our fundraising target and collect such an impressive donation for the hospice.”

 

For more information on Silverstone Fleet Management, contact 0800 6127184 or visit www.silverstonefleetmanagement.com. To find out more about Cynthia Spencer Hospice, see www.cynthiaspencer.org.uk.

Food & Drink, Marketing, PR and SEO, Midlands News, News

Massive growth across wholesale and consumer markets, leads speciality coffee roaster to launch new websites

A Shropshire-based speciality coffee roaster which has seen both its wholesale and consumer businesses boom in the past two years, has today unveiled dedicated websites to serve each distinct customer base.  The move comes as it forecasts 70% growth in its customer base over the next 12 months.

Iron & Fire which has a dedicated state of the art roasting facility based in Castle Gates, Shrewsbury has been established since 2014 and business has since grown steadily with trade customers across the length and breadth of the UK.  Its direct-to-consumer business, however, has tripled in size since the start of the pandemic and continues to see a large uptake in its subscription services.

Iron & Fire founder, Kevin Burrows comments:

“When Covid forced people to create the ‘going-out’ experience at home, it positively impacted our coffee business in a similar way to that experienced by dine-at-home services.  Unable to visit their local coffee shop, our consumer customers still wanted to enjoy a quality coffee and turned to our coffee subscriptions. 

“Having more time at home to experiment meant the home barista broadened their appreciation of specialty coffee, trying coffees that they wouldn’t normally have the chance to enjoy in a conventional coffee shop. 

“And once you’ve tasted Iron & Fire’s coffee, there’s no going back so we’ve seen those customers remain with us and they’re clearly spreading the word as this part of the business continues to grow.  We believe that drinking great coffee is an experience to be enjoyed and have translated that into the experience when visiting the new website.”

Iron & Fire’s new consumer facing website provides purchasers with the flexibility to buy coffee on a one-off basis or sign up to a totally flexible subscribe and save service.  Significantly, for the less seasoned coffee afficionado, it provides an intuitive guide based on personal taste preferences, brewing method and a range of other metrics to present a range of ideal purchasing options.

Iron & Fire’s wholesale business, meanwhile, has doubled in the past two years and trade customers now benefit from a dedicated site that provides them with not only a bespoke ordering portal, but also access to coffee machine servicing and maintenance options, guidance on how to set up a new coffee shop business, and barista training videos.

Kevin concludes:

“The passion that we put into our coffee is something that we want our customers to share, but we’ve recognised that different customers have different needs.  Separating out the website experiences for trade and consumer customers allows us to provide a truly bespoke experience to each and feedback so far has been very positive.”

Commercial Property, Commercial Property News, Midlands News, News, Sport

Bromwich Hardy scores with football club sponsorship

Leading Midlands independent commercial property agency Bromwich Hardy has stepped in to make sure a football club is dressed to impress for the new season.

The agency – which regularly features in league tables of the most successful firms around the country – has struck a sponsorship deal with the Coventry Alvis club.

Founding partner Tom Bromwich said the firm had agreed to sponsor the club tracksuits and leisurewear for the new season as part of its work to help a range of community and sporting organisations.

“We are delighted to be able to form a new partnership with Coventry Alvis and look forward to them enjoying a hugely successful season on the pitch.

“It’s never been more important that grass roots football has the resources to thrive and that a new generation of players has the chance to enjoy all the benefits that playing competitive sport brings.

“Clubs such as Coventry Alvis play a huge role in their communities promoting the importance of sport and we are delighted to be working with them.”

Alvis assistant manager Mark Edwards thanked Bromwich Hardy for their support.

“Sponsorship deals such as this play a vital part in ensuring clubs such as ours can thrive and we are very grateful to Tom and Bromwich Hardy for their backing. We look forward to repaying their support on the pitch this season.”

Coventry Alvis – known as the Tankmen – play in Midland League Division Two at the Alvis Sports and Social Club in the city. The club was formed in 1928 as the works team of the Alvis car and engineering company.

The deal adds to a growing list of sponsorship for Bromwich Hardy, including Coventry Rugby Club, Kenilworth Rugby, Cardiff Met Netball Club and the BMW car racing team of Alex and Guy Povey.

For more information about Bromwich Hardy visit www.bromwichhardy.com

Climate, Food & Drink, Manufacturing, Midlands News, News

Birmingham entrepreneurs emerge from the den with ‘saucy’ £500,000 sales target for eco-friendly product

Two old school friends, who took on high-profile entrepreneurs in the Dragons’ Den twice, are setting their sights on a £500,000 sales return for their new eco-friendly solution to serving up sauce.

Ian Worton and Peter Neath are confident that Saucestream is going to prove a big hit with green-minded consumers after it saw an initial spike in online and Amazon orders.

Backed by the advisory expertise of Haines Watts, the duo is also about to close several major deals with leading homeware retailers to stock their product, which is a simple pump device that clips directly onto glass bottles and makes it easy to get the sauce out with a simple squeeze.

The device was inspired after a chance viewing of David Attenborough’s ‘Blue Planet’ documentary and is designed to encourage people to switch from single-use plastic bottles to the more sustainable glass alternatives.

“A few designs here, a few conversations there, prototyping in a garage and before you knew it Saucestream was born,” explained Peter Neath, a former automotive engineer by trade.

“Our product, which is now available in five commonly used bottles of sauces, presses all the right buttons. It is a green solution for individuals to replace plastic bottles with glass ones and still be able to get the same ‘squeezing feel’ that gets all the sauce out.”

He continued: “That’s just the beginning. We are only just starting discussions with restaurant chains about switching to our products and if we can get one of these conversations over the line that could be a real gamechanger.

“Sustainability isn’t going away; it’s only going to grow in importance and hopefully our innovation can play a small part in that.”

Peter and Ian have been supported by Haines Watts for the past seven years, helping them establish and grow their hugely successful Grillstream business, a business that has transformed the way BBQs operate.

The specialist accountant and business advisers have guided the entrepreneurs in securing Patent Box allowances and helping it establish the brand as the second biggest in the UK and a thriving export venture.

In recent years, the attention has switched to how they fund and get Saucestream off the ground quickly to make the most of the market opportunity.

Ian Worton continued: “Haines Watts just got our business straight away and understood our personalities, which are big drivers in Grillstream and Saucestream. As owner-managers your day is full of getting stuff done, from the core design and development work to trying to work out how the hell you are going to sell it.

“The last thing you need to try to do is try to understand the world of finance and all the different tax incentives and funding routes we could embark on. We just needed someone to step forward and take control of that.”

This is exactly what Haines Watts has done, firstly completing the Patent Box application on both products and, more recently, securing more than £20,000 of R&D Tax savings that the entrepreneurs have put towards development and tooling costs to get Saucestream up and running.

It has also ensured that both firms have moved to digital accounting, installing Zero software to help with stock management and to give everyone greater visibility on purchases, sales, investments, and future opportunities.

Haines Watts’ Daniel Montgomery picked up the story: “Peter and Ian are two fantastic innovators and have a track record of bringing new products to market successfully. We’ve started with compliance and making the business more efficient, and we’ve then used the expertise of our pan-regional teams to maximise Patent Box, R&D Tax Credits and, more recently, postponed VAT accounting.

“The latter is important as there is a lot of up-front costs associated with manufacturing products for sale and then a lag in the time it takes to sell the units and recoup the revenue. We can ease some of the pain with this clever approach to VAT.”

History has a habit of repeating itself and the duo lived up to this mantra when they became the first entrepreneurs to return to Dragons’ Den with a different offer in 2022.

This time, they managed to attract three offers from Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden and newcomer Steven Bartlett, all keen to maximise the sustainable opportunity Saucestream could deliver.

However, despite this interest, negotiations are still ongoing on how this deal will look, so for now the entrepreneurs are going it alone.

 

 

Law, Midlands News, News, Property

Property litigation expert steps in to support buyers over property faults

With the housing market continuing its strong performance, a leading property litigation lawyer has taken steps to reassure buyers that all is not lost if their dream purchase turns into a nightmare.

Having handled a variety of cases, Kirsten Bridgewater, a partner at Midlands law firm mfg Solicitors, has reassured homebuyers that if they were sold a property with faults, then there are options available to them.

She said: “Purchasing a property is exciting. However, unforeseen and unexpected disputes relating to the property can arise and can be incredibly stressful.

“If you believe the property purchased does not reflect the property originally advertised then there are still things you can do to improve the situation. 

“Although the buyer has a duty to complete due diligence prior to completion of a house purchase, a seller must also disclose any issues on their Seller Property Information Form.

“If the seller has been honest then they cannot normally be held liable.

“However, if a buyer can argue the seller made a false statement which induced the buyer into purchasing the property causing a financial loss, intentional or not, then the compensation route may be an option.

“Issues can include structural damage, damp or local planning developments which could affect the value, much the same way as major road plans or the thorny issue of neighbourly disputes.

“If buyers have experienced any of these issues, it is worth considering whether a claim should be made.”

To make a claim, a buyer will need to prove the issue was present at the time of completion and the property has been significantly impacted. Buyers have six years to bring a claim against the seller and, if successful, would seek compensation, for example for the loss in value of the property or the expense of solving the problem where it can be remedied.

As well as claiming against the seller, homeowners may be able to seek compensation from professionals hired in the house buying process including solicitors or conveyancers.

Ms Bridgewater added: “If incorrect advice was given, the client will need to consider whether they would have gone ahead with the purchase if they had received the correct advice.

“The last year has seen the property market make up for lost time during the pandemic which has led to homes being bought and sold in record time, which can lead to mistakes happening and some buyers realising they have bought in haste, but all is not lost if problems do arise.”

Readers can contact Ms Bridgewater through kirsten.bridgewater@mfgsolicitors.com.

Midlands News, News, Packaging

Large packaging specialist opens second warehouse after 120% sales boom

Lesters has announced it has invested £100,000 into the opening of a second warehouse to help it cope with a 120% increase in orders.

The large packaging specialist, which has recently recruited 15 new staff, has fitted out the 25,000 sq ft facility near its headquarters in Burntwood with flexible racking options meaning it has enough space to store over 2000 pallets.

This latest move, coupled with its existing Lesters Logistics facilities, means the company can now offer 47,000 sq ft of storage space, 20,000 sq ft of floor storage space and 3,000 pallet spaces.

It will help the firm bring its storage of its stocked items in-house, reducing lead times and ensuring even better customer service for clients in the aerospace, automotive, pharma, renewables and online shopping sectors.

A new Warehouse Manager has already been appointed to oversee the additional operation.

“We have a three-year expansion plan that will see the business move to £25m of annual sales and getting more of our stock under our control is an important step in making that happen,” explained Billy Hutchinson, Managing Director of Lesters.

“It was previously outsourced and that didn’t give us the flexibility we needed, especially with more customers coming online by the day.

“Taking on Unit 12, a stone’s throw from our current factory, gives us a lot more space for our stocked items, as we are increasing our ability to offer more ‘stock and serve’ options to clients.

“Supply chain challenges are a big talking point for our customers. Recent events and uncertainty have created a need for many UK businesses to increase their security of supply for the critical packaging lines they require. This will help us provide the security they are looking for.”

The last twelve months have been transformational for Lesters, the UK’s leading specialist in big box packaging for the aerospace, automotive, bike manufacturing, mail order and third-party logistics space.

Boosted by a significant surge in online shopping, the Burntwood-based company has seen sales soar to £16m and its workforce increase to 60 people.

The growth has been driven by investment in skills and, importantly, a £7m investment programme that has resulted in the installation of a new TCY Jumbo Casemaker (first of its type to be operational in the UK) and the impending arrival of a TCY N6 3 colour casemaker machine.

These acquisitions have helped the company reduce lead times and increase capacity from a combined 180 boxes per minute to over 360 – essential if it is going to meet planned expansion targets.

“Add all of this together and it means we are the very top of our industry when it comes to performance and supplying corrugated boxes, large format, heavy-duty cases and bespoke packaging to clients in the automotive, aerospace, bike manufacturing, mail order and third-party logistics space,” added Billy.

“We are exploring a way of creating our own eco-system where we have full control over the whole of the packaging production process, from print ink and design, right through to distribution through Lesters Logistics in Nuneaton.

“That was our first acquisition by the current management team, with plans in place to look at other complementary businesses that give us greater market share, access to new customers and wider geographic reach.”

Another big opportunity for Lesters has been the introduction of the plastic packaging tax on April 1st.

This means manufacturers or importers of plastic packaging could be hit by a £200 tax for every per metric tonne of plastic packaging, a great incentive for them to explore alternative forms of packaging, including cardboard boxes.

Billy concluded: “We have an action plan in place to offer new and existing clients the opportunity to find alternative solutions and, importantly, become a more sustainable business in the process.”