Derbyshire producers invited to take part in landmark Chatsworth event
Loughborough innovation could be named as winners in British Data Awards
On Thursday this week an Innovate UK collaboration with Loughborough Business School to help businesses reduce carbon in the supply chain and a mental fitness platform start-up could become a winner in this year’s British Data Awards.
Solutions firm SupplyVue partnered with Loughborough Business School to develop an industry-first digital solution that can measure carbon consumption in a supply chain, has been shortlisted in the SME of the Year and Technology Company of the Year categories.
SupplyVue’s digital solution, CarbonVue enables real-time management of carbon alongside cost, quality and service. Leveraging the capabilities of established products offered by SupplyVue and CarbonChain, CarbonVue’s development has been supported by Business School supply chain experts led by Professor Jan Godsell and trialled with Moveero and Tata Steel UK.
Tata Steel UK’s partnership in the CarbonVue solution has also been nominated for the Data Transformation of the Year and Data for Good Initiative of the Year categories at the British Data Awards.
Rewire Fitness, a US-based start-up co-founded by Loughborough University tech entrepreneur Ed Gibbins (Sports Science), is nominated for Start-Up of the Year.
Rewire Fitness, a mental fitness platform, is supported through LUInc. – the University’s business incubator based at its Science and Enterprise Park, LUSEP. Its tools improve mindset, readiness and resilience – helping athletes reach their full potential and avoid burnout. With $1M+ pre-seed investment, its patented technology integrates protocols used by the Navy SEALs, NASA and neuroscience.
The British Data Awards are now in their third year and Loughborough University’s research and innovation portfolio has received three awards since 2021.
Professor Dan Parsons, Pro Vice Chancellor Research and Innovation, said: “It’s excellent to see Loughborough University once again have such strong representation in the 2023 British Data Awards.
“The solutions Loughborough Business School and Rewire Fitness are pioneering with industry partners reflect the University’s commitment to tackling important societal challenges and reinforce our key strengths in sustainability and net zero and sport, health and wellbeing.”
Winners announced at an Awards ceremony this Thursday at The Honourable Artillery Company in Central London.
East Midlands restaurant group cooking up a brighter future with purchase of flagship site in Lincoln
An independent East Midlands hospitality group has cemented its future in the region through the purchase of its flagship site in Lincoln, with support from Lloyds Bank.
Established in 2009, Ever So Sensible Restaurants now operates ten food-led hospitality venues across Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire, all of which are currently trading well.
A £700,000 finance package from Lloyds Bank has enabled the group to purchase the freehold of one of its most popular venues, the Duke William Hotel – pub, restaurant, with a boutique style hotel, located in the centre of the historic Bailgate in Lincoln’s Cathedral Quarter. The hotel has nine ensuite rooms and an adjacent cottage.
The purchase now means Ever So sensible will be able to consider enabling long term investment in the building and the opportunity to expand its accommodation options in the city through the purchase of nearby properties.
It marks the first freehold site purchased by the group and will act as a template for future acquisitions of its other leased buildings to help maximise the potential of all its sites. This, in combination with further planned acquisitions of new locations.
The group employs more than 200 staff across its venues, including around 30 at the Duke William. Already the holder of an Investors in People Gold Accreditation, the group plans to invest further in its team by enhancing its existing training and development programme, which includes butchery courses, brewery training and gin distilling. The Duke William also hopes to use its greater independence to offer permanent employment to some of its currently contracted staff, such as its cleaners.
Ever So Sensible is investing in sustainability. At the Duke William, it recently installed electric vehicle charging points in its car park. The venue also sources all its ingredients locally where possible, has switched to 100% renewable energy, and is working to reduce its food waste.
Chris Bulaitis, Managing Director at Ever So Sensible Restaurants, said: “When we first took over the Duke William Hotel six years ago, the building was semi-derelict. With Lloyds Bank’s support, we are now the proud owners of this beautiful historic building, which we have completely refurbished and transformed into a high-end local destination, serving fantastic food and employing some of the best people in the industry.
“With our ownership of the building now secured, we’re looking forward to a busy summer at the Duke William, as well as looking into opportunities to expand our footprint, both locally and through the acquisition of further venues in the East Midlands.”
Nick Flanagan, relationship director, SME banking at Lloyds Bank, said: “Despite the challenges currently facing the hospitality industry, Ever So Sensible Restaurants is a perfect example of a resilient local business which is prospering. Its focus on sourcing locally, operating sustainably, and investing in its staff has helped the Duke William to thrive in the face of rising costs and staffing shortages. This latest finance package will also further secure the businesses’ future.
“We have been by the side of the group since it was established, and we look forward to supporting them further as they grow.”
Recruitment specialists appoint new CEO ahead of stock market flotation
Former Gi Group Chief Operating Officer, Paul Smith has joined Aristotle Partnerships as Chief Executive Officer to direct and deliver strategy ahead of its flotation on The Alternative Investment Market (AIM).
Aristotle Partnerships is a workforce staffing solutions group formed in 2022 when recruitment entrepreneurs Nick Cragg, Craig Buckingham, Roger Frost joined together to create a business with a turnover in excess of £100m, comprising Nicholas Associates Group (NAG), Syntax and Red Rock Partnerships.
High profile brands within NAG include Stafforce, Ashley Kate HR & Finance, Nicholas Associates, The Apprentice Employment Agency, Olano, Erango, Mainboard and Cra-Cro Site Services.
Paul Smith is highly respected in the recruitment Industry and has over 24 years’ experience working across multi sectors for both global corporate and national independent agencies.
During this time, he has managed the integration strategy of several mergers and acquisitions, launched new brands, implemented process improvements and also delivered a number of recruitment outsourcing process (RPO) projects, including the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
As CEO, he will work alongside fellow members of the Aristotle Partnerships board and be responsible for all areas of the organisation. This will include building the culture and ensuring the sustainable profitability of the group, articulating and delivering the vision of growth to the management team and employees, and presenting the company to City institutions, investors, regulators, employees, customers, suppliers and external advisors.
Mr Smith said: “I am looking forward to leading the next phase of the journey for this incredible provider of apprentice to boardroom talent management solutions.
“To quote Aristotle ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts’ and it is my intention to build on the company’s success by creating more synergy across all brands, fostering a culture which maintains our entrepreneurial and creative environment, ensuring continuous improvement and encouraging every colleague to fulfil their potential.”
He continued: “I have been aware of the brands under Aristotle for many years and have come to respect them as being good, ethical and trustworthy businesses with a great reputation for excellent customer service and employee values.
“This impression was further enforced when I met other members of the board and listened to their clear vison for the business. Combined with the future potential of the brands I can see a very exciting future ahead.”
The brands within Aristotle Partnerships now boast a network of more than 33 offices and branches across the UK and the intention is to float on AIM in late 2023.
Local lawyer appointed Midlands chair of insolvency and restructuring trade body R3
A Midlands-based insolvency lawyer has taken over as chair of the Midlands branch of insolvency and restructuring trade body R3.
Stephen Rome, who is a director and practice leader at law firm Thursfields, will serve a two-year term at the regional helm and will be heading up campaigns to support local businesses and individuals in financial distress.
He will be working alongside R3 and the regional committee to highlight how R3 members are able to save hundreds of companies and thousands of jobs each year, many without the need for a formal insolvency process.
Stephen has been based in the Midlands for over 15 years and has a broad range of legal experience advising on commercial litigation and contentious insolvency, covering sectors such as energy, real estate, automotive and financial services.
Commenting on his appointment, Stephen said: “We are facing one of the toughest periods in living memory for many Midlands businesses, with huge post-pandemic challenges and economic turbulence impacting heavily on cashflow.
“As a leading professional body, we are strongly committed to supporting our members as well as campaigning for businesses and individuals in crisis, their creditors and other stakeholders, in order to maximise outcomes for all concerned.
“R3’s key message for the Midlands is that it is imperative for companies and individuals in financial difficulty to seek timely and qualified advice from a professional and reputable source. Quite simply, the earlier we become involved, particularly at a time like the present, the more we can do to help turn things around.”
Urgent call made to energy suppliers: renegotiate fixed contracts for small businesses on market-peak tariffs
Hundreds of thousands of small businesses are trapped in contracts that mean their latest bills are at last summer’s peak market rate for energy – even though wholesale prices have fallen since last winter, new research shows.
The Federation of Small Businesses is urging energy suppliers to allow small firms locked into fixed tariffs from last year to renegotiate contracts to better reflect the significantly lower wholesale energy prices we see today.
This comes a month after massive cuts to government support on energy bills for businesses. Since 1 April 2023, the Energy Bill Relief Scheme has been downgraded to the Energy Bills Discount Scheme, which changes support to pennies that do not touch the sides of huge bills.
The downscaled government support means small firms that signed up to fixed tariffs in 2022 will see their bills revert back to last year’s peak levels. This could be three or four times what they were paying when the more generous government support scheme was in place.
FSB’s latest research shows more than one in ten (13%) small firms fixed their energy bills between 1 July and 31 December 2022, during which businesses were quoted up to £1 per kWh for electricity. Of this group, 13% say they could be forced to either close, downsize, or radically restructure their businesses, equating to 93,000 small firms across the UK.
A significant proportion of small firms stuck in fixed contracts are from the accommodation and food sector (28%), and the wholesale and retail sector (20%).
Four in ten (42%) small firms that fixed energy contracts in the second half of last year say it has been impossible for them to pass on costs to consumers who had to tighten spending and can’t afford further price increases amid the cost of living crisis.
FSB is calling on energy suppliers to allow these small firms to extend their fixed contracts but at a blended and lower rate – between their original fixed rate and the current, lower wholesale rate.
The option to renegotiate fixed contracts should be made automatically available to businesses which:
- negotiated the new energy contract between July 1 and December 31 2022
- can confirm the level of wholesale price on the contract is above the EBRS wholesale price cap
- can confirm the end date of the contract to demonstrate the length of exposure to higher prices from April 2023 onwards
Nottingham infrastructure company expands with specialist lighting design office in Bradford
Nottingham infrastructure company McCann has strengthened its internal lighting design function with the creation of a specialist lighting design office in Bradford, West Yorkshire.
It comes alongside the hire of new lighting designer, Rachel O’Connell.
Rachel began her street lighting career in 2007 after securing a role with SSE – before gaining the necessary qualifications to become a qualified lighting designer while working across a range of PFI contracts for the national energy provider.
Following 15 years with the business, Rachel recently saw the opportunity to join McCann as a lighting designer and work alongside the company’s design and technical manager Michael Walker.
“McCann has always been seen as a great name within the industry, so to have the opportunity to join the business is not something you can easily pass up,” said Rachel.
“McCann is renowned for continually investing in its people, and the business has committed to continuing my professional development by supporting me with attaining Engineering Council Status – something I’m truly grateful for. I’m really excited about this next chapter and to be working with such a passionate, innovative and customer-focused team.”
Michael Walker is delighted to be welcoming Rachel to the team, and with the addition of the new office in Bradford he can only see this specialist business function going from strength to strength in the future: “The need for our services is always increasing, so as a business we must continue to invest in order to deliver the right solution each and every time,” said Michael.
“Rachel is a fantastic designer. Her knowledge is unrivalled and together I know we will make a strong team with the ability to deliver solutions that exceed customer expectations, while solving complex problems.
“At the same time, our new Bradford office is perfect, with good strategic road and rail connections to locations across the UK – making it easy for us to meet with clients in order to discuss their projects and understand their needs.”
Ian Mattioli named non-executive chair of healthcare tech and medicinal cannabis company
Ian Mattioli MBE, co-founder and CEO of Leicester wealth management group, Mattioli Woods, and founder and non-executive director of property business Custodian Property Income REIT Plc, has been appointed as non-executive chair of Kanabo Group, the patient focused healthcare technology and medicinal cannabis company.
David Tsur, who has served as Kanabo’s non-executive chair since the company’s admission to the London Stock Exchange in February 2021, will transition to deputy chair following Ian Mattioli’s appointment.
Mattioli has also taken part in the company’s £2.54 million fundraise.David Tsur, deputy chair of Kanabo, said: “We are delighted to welcome Ian to the leadership team as we embark on a year of growth and expansion into new markets and services. His experience and understanding of London’s capital markets will be invaluable as we work to advance our strategic goals for the company.
“Since the company’s admission to the London Stock Exchange, we have achieved numerous significant milestones, including launching two medical cannabis products, building a comprehensive supply chain, acquiring The GP Service, and launching Treat-It, our innovative digital health platform for pain management.”
Ian Mattioli MBE added: “I am delighted to join Kanabo as a chair and am impressed with the company’s commitment to personalised, accessible, and affordable healthcare. With its leading-edge technology and disruptive products, Kanabo is poised for significant growth in the digital health sector. I am keen to contribute my experience and knowledge to support Kanabo in its future success.”
Nottingham on shortlist to be new home of the English National Opera
The English National Opera (ENO) has named five cities as possible sites for its relocation – including Nottingham.
The search for a new home comes after the opera company was told by Arts Council England to relocate its HQ from London or lose its public funding.
It comes as the government aims to spread more money outside of the capital.
On the shortlist are Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Liverpool, and Nottingham. This will be shortened to three cities by the end of May, with a decision expected by the end of the year.
Speaking to The Guardian, ENO CEO Stuart Murphy said Liverpool and Manchester were really strong contenders but that Bristol, Birmingham and Nottingham were also in the running.
In April a joint statement from Arts Council England and the ENO said that, following development work by the ENO, Arts Council England had set a budget of up to £24 million investment for 2024-26 to support ENO’s phased transition to a new artistic and business model with a primary base out of London, whilst continuing to own, manage and put on work at the London Coliseum.
Financial Reporting Council commences investigation into audit of Joules
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has commenced an investigation into Deloitte’s audit of the financial statements of lifestyle group Joules for the year ended 30 May 2021.
The investigation will be conducted by the FRC’s Enforcement Division under the Audit Enforcement Procedure.
Interpath Advisory were appointed joint administrators of Market Harborough-based Joules on 16 November 2022, with company rescued by Next and Joules founder Tom Joule in December, saving 100 Joules stores and approximately 1,450 jobs.
A spokesperson for Deloitte UK said the company will co-operate fully with the investigation.
