Category Archives: North of England

News, North of England

100 North West jobs to be created by Gasqet.com following regional expansion

Gasqet.com, a marketplace for DIY and building supplies looks set to rapidly expand its workforce after establishing itself in the North West of England.

Founded during the pandemic, Gasqet.com provides construction firms and home improvement enthusiasts with a stronger, more sustainable alternative to traditional rubber washers.

Gasqet.com will create 100 jobs over the next three years across its sales, field service engineering and technology teams that it hopes will help it expand its hosting into more DIY brands, servicing and petrol stations.

A spokesperson for the company said the workforce expansion “reflected the trust the people of the North West had shown in the brand and the strong PropTech and ethical commitments in the region.”

The office jobs are set to be created within Gasqet’s Manchester headquarters, housing sales and digital technology departments.

It will also be the base for mobile field service engineers who service Gasqet’s fleet, who will be located across the North West including Liverpool, Manchester and Warrington.

Gasqet is also looking to recruit fleet engineers in Stockport, Wilmslow, Alderley Edge and Salford Quays.

The company, backed by well-known technology groups, is riding a wave of ethical production that is a core part of the UK’s Green Recovery.

Its AI technology helps select the most appropriate seals for a job and 3D prints it on-site or at the nearest DIY store.

The company aims to help solve the current shortage of supplies that has hit the construction industry and provide householders with sustainable parts that do not leave them vulnerable to hefty plumbing bills.

Rigorous testing has found that the washers are significantly more durable and have greater longevity than traditional washers, as well as being fully recyclable.

For further information visit https://gasqet.com/

Construction, News, North of England

Delivery of 80 miles of cabling at Dogger Bank Wind Farm starts

A key milestone has been reached on the first phases of the world’s largest offshore wind farm, with deliveries of the electrical cabling for the onshore portion of the works commencing.

In total, there will be approximately 80 miles of cabling installed by civil engineering contractor Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK for the first two phases of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm.

Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which is to be built more than 130km off the Yorkshire coast in the North Sea, is currently being developed in three 1.2GW phases: Dogger Bank A, B and C.

Dogger Bank A and B is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40 per cent), Equinor (40 per cent) and Eni (20 per cent), while Dogger Bank C is a 50:50 joint venture between SSE Renewables and Equinor.

Deliveries will take place every fortnight, with 82 cable drums to be transported to the site over the course of the scheme.

Each drum weighs 41 tonnes, with the combined weight (3,362 tonnes) heavier than Wimbledon’s Centre Court roof (3,000 tonnes).

Bristol-based high voltage electrical engineering specialists Powersystems will support the Jones Bros team during the installation of the cables.

Jones Bros project manager James Lockwood said: “The arrival of the cable drums marks a significant point in our works on the grid connection and land-based infrastructure.

“The site team have done a fantastic job over the past four months to allow for deliveries of the cables to start on time and on programme.

“The 80 miles of cabling will be used along a 20 mile route to help connect the offshore wind farm to the national grid, and we remain committed to minimising disruption in the local area as we carry out this work.”

Onshore project manager for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, Oliver Flattery, said: “The Jones Bros team has worked hard since the start of 2020 to safely and efficiently prepare the ground in East Riding, in readiness for more than 3,000 tonnes of cables to be installed from July onwards.

“We thank local residents and businesses for their patience over the last 18 months, and continue to focus on operating safely and with minimal disruption as we progress our work with the installation of the cables that will transmit renewable energy to millions of UK homes.”

Established in the 1950s, Jones Bros’ leadership team consists of members of the second and third generations of the founding family. It employs more than 500 people.

The company is currently working on contracts in various sectors including highways, flood and marine defence, waste management and renewable energy around the UK.

The company runs an award-winning apprenticeship scheme, which has produced more than 40 per cent of its current workforce, with many of its senior managers having started out as apprentices or in a trainee role.  It has recruited more than 100 apprentices during the past three years.

News, North of England

‘More unicorns to emerge in Manchester’, says Codurance boss

More unicorn companies will soon emerge from Manchester’s rapidly growing tech ecosystem.

That’s according to software consultancy Codurance, which continues to work with the fastest British business ever to reach unicorn status, Cazoo.

A unicorn is a privately owned startup company in the tech sector that has achieved a valuation of more than $1 billion.

According to Tech Nation and Dealroom the UK now has 100 tech firms valued above $1bn – up from 44 in 2017.

Codurance, based on Mount Street in Manchester city centre, is currently supporting the UK’s leading online car retailer’s ambitious expansion plans and has been Cazoo’s software partner since September 2019.

Cazoo plans to list on the NYSE later this year through a $7.0 billion business combination with AJAX I, a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company founded by renowned US investor Dan Och.

Amelia Bampton, Regional Director of Codurance UK North, believes Manchester will soon add to the five unicorns it has already produced.

It comes after Manchester ranked fourth in the UK tech hub investment table, with £163m ploughed into the sector according to another report by Tech Nation and Dealroom.

“Manchester has produced Boohoo, AO.com, AutoTrader, The Hut Group and Onthebeach.com,” said Amelia.

“While it surprises me that there haven’t been more homegrown unicorns of late, I’m all too aware of the city’s incredible startup culture and its brave and bold ambitions to enhance its already world class reputation as a thriving technology and business destination.”

“It’s remarkable to think there’s been a 127% increase in UK tech unicorn creation over the past few years.”

Amelia added: “With Manchester being such a burgeoning startup hotbed, there is bound to be ‘futurecorns’ that will emerge. While being incredibly challenging, Covid has undoubtedly created some positivity for digital delivery businesses, accelerating their impact.

“I firmly believe more unicorns will emerge. Investors are ready and following the progress of a whole host of startups across the city region.”

Codurance – which supports startups throughout the lifecycle stages – is a £8m turnover software consultancy employing more than 100 people and also has offices in Barcelona and London.

Its teams, which specialise in software modernisation, product development, platform engineering, feature delivery, strategic advice and training, are engaged in multiple Cazoo work streams covering logistics, inventory management and eCommerce.

Amelia, who recently made a spate of hires to support Codurance’s growth in Manchester, said: “Codurance contributed to the staggering growth of Cazoo, having worked as software partner to this huge industry disruptor, which includes working with them on their new car subscription service.

“And prior to Cazoo’s launch, as part of its global ambitions to scale, Codurance helped build stable systems for every step of the user journey in a complex business with multiple value streams while also creating a great user experience.”

 

 

Franchises, News, North of England

Get Ahead franchisee for Leeds, York & Harrogate wins at first-ever Great British Franchisee Awards

Get Ahead is delighted that Fiona Ibbetson has been crowned a winner in the first-ever Great British Franchisee Awards 2021.

Organised by whichfranchise.com, the Great British Franchisee Awards focus on the people who have made UK franchising a success. They recognise the outstanding performance of franchisees, regardless of the size of their business or the sector they work in.

Judged by a prestigious panel of industry experts, all the winners, ranging from Business Doctors in Fife down to Merry Maids in Kingston Upon Thames, demonstrated what it takes to be Great British Franchisees. Alongside Fiona Ibbetson of Get Ahead Leeds, York & Harrogate, other notable winners in the north west included Sharon Allen, Grimsby – GoCruise, Jonathan Hargreaves-Townson – North West, Rainbow International and Talk Direct Leeds – West, South & North Yorkshire, North East of England, O2.

The judging panel consisted of Suki Dehal – Lloyds Bank, Head of Franchising, Aman Nirwal – BDO, Senior Key Account Manager Franchising, Euan Fraser – AMO Consulting, and Derrick Simpson, Companion of the British Franchise Association. Aman Nirwal commented:

“I thoroughly enjoyed reviewing all the applications and it has been so refreshing to see how all sizes of businesses from various sectors have coped and adapted their business in response to not only Covid-19 but looking at sustainable growth and business resilience for many years to come. It was great to see so many applications and from a cross section of franchisees,”

Talking about her win, Fiona Ibbetson said, “I am thrilled to have won this award which recognises excellence in franchisees. I started on my franchise journey in 2017, after leaving a senior corporate role. I looked at different options and met Get Ahead at an exhibition I attended as part of my research. I loved the energy and passion that founder Rebecca Newenham has for the business. I have never looked back after starting Get Ahead Leeds in January 2018 and launching Get Ahead York & Harrogate in 2021.”

Rebecca Newenham added: “I am very proud of everything Fiona has achieved over the past 3 years and delighted that her hard work has been recognised in these prestigious awards. It has been a pleasure to support her on her journey so far. I am excited to see her specialist outsourcing team grow and enable even more businesses to access the virtual support they need to get ahead.”

 

Diversity, Diversity in Tech, North of England

Increasing racial diversity within Leeds’ digital sector: New project from WILD Digital to unlock the full potential of the city’s digital sector

WILD Digital (formerly Women in Leeds Digital) have launched a new project aiming to understand the current landscape for people of colour in Leeds who are working or looking for work in the city’s digital and tech space. The project aims to unlock the full potential of the sector across Leeds. Empowering organisations across the city to create diverse and inclusive workplaces.

According to research by Druthers, there is a clear issue in regards to diversity in the digital and tech space across the UK, with only 2.6% of UK tech board members being from ethnic minorities. However, there is further work needed to uncover the lived experiences of underserved groups within the Leeds digital and tech sector, which the project aims to do.

Together with delivery partner Diverse & Equal, WILD Digital is running the project to ensure that the city becomes a UK leader in true understanding and commitment to change.

Led by WILD co-founder, Sarah Tulip, the project aims to uncover key learnings and create objectives to help empower the digital and tech sector within Leeds. Taking time to understand the barriers and lived experiences of people from ethnically diverse backgrounds, allowing the sector to move forward with confidence and to become truly diverse, unlocking its true potential.

Creating a diverse and inclusive workspace is vital for the continued growth and development of the sector,  allowing everyone to feel safe and bring their whole selves into the workplace. Recent research from McKinsey shows a 35% increase in profit for organisations that are ethnically diverse and inclusive.

A survey is being launched on 6th July 2021 to explore the experiences of people working, or looking to work in the Leeds digital and tech space. The survey is to be accompanied by a large number of qualitative in-depth interviews, run in partnership with NEXUS and Leeds University.

The project will present its findings at Leeds Digital Festival – an event hosted by WILD Digital – where a panel will discuss the findings, establish what needs to be achieved, and how the city of Leeds can lead in the creation of an ethnically diverse digital and tech sector.

The survey represents a significant commitment from leaders within the sector. Key partners include Leeds City Council, Sky Betting and Gaming, TPP, BJSS, Bruntwood, SciTec, Nexus and Crisp.

Sarah Tulip, Co- founder of WILD Digital, Head of Digital Transformation BJSS, said:

“The last 12 months has brought to the forefront that we need to talk about race, especially in the Digital sector, where we are often setting the pace for innovation.  Conversations about race are happening and we are starting to see change in pockets, but it is a topic that still often makes people uncomfortable and worry about “getting it right”. This project led by WILD Digital aims to try and make this conversation clear and accessible for everyone. It is an opportunity for the Leeds Digital Sector to show our passion and commitment to equality and to lead in our listening and set objectives to create a fairer and more inclusive space for all.”

Annette Joseph, Founder, Diverse and Equal, said:

“We’re excited to be leading this work on behalf of WiLD for the city of Leeds. Innovation from tech touches every part of our lives — from how we communicate to how we shop, and everything in between. This research demonstrates the city’s commitment to equality. The insights will feed into Leeds becoming a diverse, innovative and productive centre of tech excellence for the future.”

Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Deputy Leader and Leeds City Council executive board member for Economy, Culture and Education, said:

“This project is crucial to helping uncover the lived realities of people of colour in the digital and tech sector across Leeds and will allow the sector to take the necessary actions to create a diverse workforce truly reflective of our city. It is really pleasing to see so many companies across Leeds buy into this really important work and contribute to the necessary change.”

News, North of England

Leeds-based business helps US leisurewear brand save thousands by combating online advertising fraudsters

A Leeds-based business has helped US online retail brand, Island Jay, save thousands in online advertising spend by eliminating fraudulent Facebook clicks.

Beacon, which specialises in click fraud protection, has helped the Florida-based brand achieve quarterly savings of $12,000 by assessing how much of its budget was being wasted on invalid, non-human clicks.

Click fraud is when fake clicks target pay-per-click [PPC] ads, boost the search rankings of a webpage, or artificially inflate the popularity of a post on social media, and is most commonly carried out with the use of automated programmes known as click bots.

Island Jay, which attributes much of its success to its Facebook and Instagram ads, had some awareness of click fraud prior to approaching Beacon but, without any data on this available from Facebook, did not know exactly how much of its advertising spend was being wasted on fake clicks.

The business deployed Beacon’s click fraud protection across its Facebook campaigns for an initial trial period and it found that, in Island Jay’s worst month for bot traffic, 66% of its budget had been wasted on click fraud.

In the three-month period that the company has been using Beacon, it has achieved savings of $4,000 per month, resulting in a much stronger Return on Investment [ROI].

Jason Guarino, founder of Island Jay, said: “Before discovering Beacon, we thought click fraud was a problem that we just had to live with.

“Initially, we started looking for a solution that could detect click fraud and provide evidence to Facebook so we could claim refunds, but soon we learned that Facebook doesn’t actually issue refunds for advertising spend wasted on bots.

“We didn’t know a solution existed that would remove fake clicks from our Facebook campaigns, and the support from Beacon has been excellent throughout.

“Right from the US representative to the UK customer success team, the service has been great across the board.”

Nigel Bridges, founding CEO of Beacon, said: “We are proud to have played a vital role in helping Island Jay measure and improve its Facebook campaign performance using our click fraud protection platform.

“The very heart of Beacon is our highly capable bot detection engine, from which we can block bots from engaging with paid adverts.

“Typically, 50% of clicks are fraudulent. This means that, for example, an advertiser spending £100,000 a month on Google and Facebook is wasting around £50,000 on fake clicks.

“Beacon achieves as much as a 60% reduction in bot traffic, so the average advertiser could get back as much as £30,000 a month in ad spend that could otherwise be used to reach more genuine customers.

“Our focus, therefore, is to continue detecting and blocking bots faster and more effectively, and to carry on saving our customers from wasting their budgets on non-human traffic.”

Shortlisted as one of Yorkshire’s 5 Rising Stars and listed by Tech Nation as one of 16 top AI companies to watch out for in 2020, Beacon was announced as the winner of the Tech Nation Rising Stars 3.0 Cyber Award, recognising it as one of the UK’s best cyber security companies, and has recently been shortlisted in the Innovation category at this year’s UK Digital Growth Awards.

Beacon is driven by a proven board of directors with extensive experience in the tech and artificial intelligence sectors, supported by seasoned investors that recognise the potential of the Beacon platform.

To find out more about Island Jay, go to https://islandjay.com/.

For more information on Beacon, visit https://www.thisisbeacon.com.

News, North of England

Manchester businesses to ‘Get Ahead’ with virtual outsourcing agency

Award-winning virtual outsourcing agency Get Ahead is delighted to be supporting businesses across Manchester, Stockport, Oldham, Altrincham and Knutsford as experienced regional director Jo Munroe opens up a new Manchester branch.

HR expert Jo Munroe has over 15 years of experience in recruitment, HR and business management in the construction, manufacturing, medical and transport industries. Jo joined Get Ahead as regional director for South Yorkshire at the start of 2020 and after a successful 18 months is now taking on the Manchester region.

“Since joining Get Ahead in January 2020, it’s certainly been a rollercoaster,” Jo says. “But despite all the challenges of COVID, our amazing clients have made it all worthwhile and the Get Ahead team has been so supportive. I love helping people and businesses and always have. Seeing amazing things happen for other businesses is why I wanted to start my Get Ahead journey and I am excited to be beginning the next chapter in the thriving area of Manchester.”

Rebecca Newenham, founder and director of Get Ahead said: “Jo has done a fantastic job in South Yorkshire and I am delighted she will be opening up Manchester for us. Manchester is such an important area in the Northern Powerhouse with thousands of businesses that Jo and her team are ready to help. Particularly as businesses recover from the pandemic, outsourcing can help them remain responsive and agile, accessing marketing and business support services as and when they need them.”

Get Ahead VA offers nationwide marketing and business support services enabling businesses of all sizes and from all sectors to get ahead. With regional directors in Berkshire & North Hants, East Midlands, Leeds, Suffolk & Essex, Surrey, West London, Wirral & Cheshire West and York & Harrogate, their team of over 40 highly skilled virtual assistants is well placed to help businesses with a wide variety of tasks from bookkeeping to blogging, database management to design and telephone answering to Twitter.

If you are looking for business support and marketing services in Manchester, Stockport, Oldham, Altrincham, Knutsford and surrounding areas please contact Jo on jo@getaheadva.com

Care, FInance, North of England, South West

Affinity Trust repays SASC’s social investment loan and expands work in children’s services

Affinity Trust, a charity that supports people with learning disabilities across the UK, has repaid its £150K social investment loan from Social and Sustainable Capital (SASC) early.

The loan enabled the charity to successfully move into delivering children’s services for the first time and become a leading provider of Positive Behavioural Support (PBS)[i] in England.

Affinity Trust took on the loan, its first social investment, in 2018 after winning a payment by results contract* with Bradford Council to provide support programmes for young people (aged 7-14 years) with learning disabilities and challenging behaviours who are at risk of entering residential care.

Using the loan, the charity recruited four key workers and a service lead. Four children in Bradford were initially supported by key workers who provided up to 30 hours of support each week at home, in school and in the community. This enabled them to better manage their behaviour, improve their quality of life and remain in their family homes rather than move into residential care.

The programme positively impacted their education attendance, with the children attending more regularly because of the support given by key workers to their teachers.

As a result of the project’s success, Affinity Trust now delivers PBS programmes in Coventry and Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, Greater Manchester, Wakefield and Luton. The charity also delivered free PBS training to 250 healthcare professionals, social workers, parents, teachers, and other social care teams.

Affinity Trust received a PBS Excellence in Practice award from the British Institute for Learning Disabilities in 2019. In the same year, Matthew Hodder, the Bradford service lead wrote a research paper on their experience offering PBS support for The Tizard Centre, a leading UK academic centre working in autism, learning disability and community care[ii].

One of the first children supported by Affinity Trust’s PBS service in Bradford was seven-year-old J**. At the time of the referral, he was presenting high levels of distress at home, including property damage and frequent attacks on his mother, Gillian. “My son’s behaviour escalated. He was attacking me up to 15 times a day, pushing me down the stairs. It just gets to the point where you do really need support.”

Gillian commented, “My son has autism. He is a bright young boy but with very obsessive behaviour. He likes a rigid routine.”

After the charity started working with J, Gillian said J was no longer aggressive and noticed a real change in his behaviour. In January 2019, she said: “Me and my son, it’s like a different world now. I’ve not had aggressive, violent behaviour for probably seven months now.” Read more here.

Nicola Brittle, Development Director, Affinity Trust, said, “Our Bradford service was a huge success and enabled us to support eight children in total. We now have a high performing, award-winning delivery model that is being replicated in other areas. The loan from SASC provided funds up front that enabled us to set up and deliver the Bradford project. They supported us throughout and we were pleased the loan terms were flexible, so we could pay it off early.  The social investment model has worked well for us, and we are partnering with SASC again to undertake our PBS work in Gloucestershire.”

Ben Rick, Co-Founder and CEO of SASC said, “Affinity Trust’s use of social investment to deliver a payment by results contract demonstrates why this kind of finance can be invaluable for charities and social enterprises in this situation. With our loan, they have moved into children’s services and delivered work that has made a tremendous impact on the lives of children and families in Bradford. We are pleased they feel confident to take on a second loan to extend their work and support children and families in Gloucestershire.”

For more information on Affinity Trust visit: www.affinitytrust.org

*Affinity Trust receives payments that are linked to their level of success in keeping children out of expensive residential care placements. The SASC loan financed a portion of the costs associated with this contract prior to those payments being received.

The outcome payments for this service are funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, Bradford Council, and NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups for Bradford City, Bradford District, and Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven.

** Not his real name.

News, North of England

Announcing the first B Corp in Leeds

Digital agency Engage has secured its B CorporationTM (B CorpTM) certification and is the first organisation in Leeds to do so.

Certified by B Lab, the not-for-profit behind the B Corp movement, Engage met rigorous social and environmental standards which represent its commitment to goals outside of shareholder profit. 

Engage has joined 3,800 other companies across 75 countries and 150 industries which have achieved B Corp certification, with over 450 in the UK including The Guardian, Innocent Drinks, Patagonia, and The Body Shop.

The process to achieve a B Corporate certification is three fold, requiring assessment, verification, and finally certification by B Lab. As part of the self assessment, Engage had to answer over 100 questions across five categories including governance, team, community, and environment before spending six months addressing areas where improvements could be made. In that time, Engage has developed its staff handbooks, increased financial transparency with the team, formalised ethical supplier and environmental policies, and switched to ethical bank Triodos.

A formal application was submitted for verification in December.

Chris Turner, Executive Director of B Lab UK commented: “We are delighted to welcome Engage to the B Corp community. This is a movement of companies which are committed to changing how business operates, and believe business really can be a force for good. We know that Engage is going to be a fantastic addition to the community and will continue driving the conversation forward.”

Engage currently works with a number of ethically minded organisations including Bettys & Taylors, and Harrison Spinks.

Dave Wrightson, Co-founder and Director of Engage and leader of the initiative, added: “We’re really proud to be the first company in Leeds to achieve certification, and of course we hope that this will open doors to like minded companies we’d love to partner with. The certification validates our commitment to making a positive impact to our community, society and environment, and we hope this will encourage our clients and peers to also consider applying for the certification.

“Since we founded Engage we’ve always wanted to be a company with strong ethics at its heart. As we grew, we formalised our processes with our elympics initiative which encourages staff to get moving and convert the miles exercised into donations to local causes, and community work with CATCH, a registered charity in Leeds which helps improve opportunities for over 1,000 young people and their communities, however there’s always room for improvement. 

“Being certified as a B Corporation brings a framework which enables us to benchmark Engage against best practice, consider where we’re excelling and where we must improve.”

Engage will take the learnings from its B Corp assessment and certification, and use the platform to build its Sustainable Development Goals, a UN global initiative to improve the world through 17 defined goals.

To learn more about how Engage has achieved the B Corp certification, please visit www.engageinteractive.co.uk/blog/proud-to-be-a-b-corp.

Food & Drink, Hospitality, News, North of England

Luxury restaurant creates 25 jobs and opens ninth branch at The Broadway, Bradford

The Broadway, Bradford has announced that luxury dessert and gourmet burger restaurant, Haute Dolci will open its doors to the public today, Friday 21 May. The restaurant has created 25 local jobs including waiting staff, chefs and front of house. 

Promising to create an ‘extraordinary and unforgettable taste experience designed to turn customers into connoisseurs’, the restaurant will hold a three-day launch event from 21 May – 23 May. Customers can book a limited five-course tasting menu across the three days or enter the competition on Haute Dolci’s social media to find a ‘loyalty key’. 

Ian Ward, General Manager of The Broadway, Bradford, said: “We are delighted to welcome yet another exciting addition to The Broadway dining portfolio – Haute Dolci marks our 23rd venue to grow what is already an impressive array of eateries at the Centre.

“There’s been a lot of anticipation for the opening of Haute Dolci, particularly as the fit out was eye-catching and the delays experienced due to national restrictions. It’s been a monumental year for everyone, but we’re delighted The Broadway is fully open to enable customers to experience all the Centre has to offer.”

Located just off Charles Street, next door to Pizza Express, Haute Dolci produces dishes that are elegantly presented with a high level of precision to create an indulgent dining experience.  The Bradford restaurant has marbled walls with grand, plush seating areas. 

Yasmin Ravat, Partner of Haute Dolci, Bradford, said: “This is a huge development for the local area, offering a wide variety of job opportunities and adding a splash of luxury to the Bradford high street. We can’t wait to serve our favourite menus to the local community and want people to focus on that “treat yourself” experience after the depressing lockdowns over the last 15 months.”

Haute Dolci has nine branches across the country including The Light in Leeds, Cheshire Oaks in Cheshire and The Trafford Centre in Manchester. It is set to open a further four venues in 2021 including two in London. 

The Broadway Bradford has more than 80 retail stores and over 20 eateries, plus an eight-screen boutique cinema.