Dunelm sees strong first quarter sales growth

Tess Egginton
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Dunelm sees strong first quarter sales growth
Dunelm, the Leicester-headquartered homewares retailer, has hailed “strong sales growth” for its first quarter. According to a trading update for the 13-week period ended 30 September 2023, total sales increased by 9% to £390m, with both stores and digital channels performing well. Nick Wilkinson, Chief Executive Officer, said: “Our proposition, which offers an increasingly wide range of homewares products, continues to prove popular with customers, as we delivered another strong sales performance in Q1. We continue to have a laser focus on outstanding value, and customers can now find even more choice with the introduction of new ranges such as live plants. “We are reaching more and more UK consumers through our expanding store estate, and our latest marketing campaign, which is our biggest to date, showcases the breadth of the Dunelm offer, reinforcing our position as ‘The Home of Homes’. “There remains a significant opportunity for Dunelm to take further market share and we are excited about the progress we are making against our plans, through targeted and thoughtful investment, in order to seize the compelling opportunities ahead of us. We remain very confident about our prospects for continuing to drive sustainable growth.”

Figures show new businesses are booming in Chesterfield

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Figures show new businesses are booming in Chesterfield
Official figures presented at the Chesterfield Investment Summit show record levels of startups setting up in the Chesterfield area, alongside substantial growth in the town’s visitor economy and construction sectors. Survival rates for companies in Chesterfield far exceed the national average. New business activity in Chesterfield, Derbyshire’s largest town, reached record levels in 2022 and is expected to grow again this year, according to figures shared at the Chesterfield Investment Summit. Analysis of Companies House data, the official register of UK companies, shows that 1,021 startups with Chesterfield addresses were registered in 2022, 4% more than in 2021, and indicates the area is on track to create over 1,100 more businesses in 2023. Analysis from Destination Chesterfield – the organisation responsible for promoting investment in the town – shows strong levels of new business activity in several sectors prioritised in Chesterfield Borough Council’s growth strategy, as well as encouraging signs for the town’s independent retail sector:
  • 92 new hospitality companies were launched in Chesterfield during 2022, a 10% increase on 2021 (84) and more than three times the number (29) created in 2012. Hospitality is a crucial component of Chesterfield’s growing visitor economy, which attracted 3.7 million people in 2022 (20% more than 2021), according to Chesterfield Borough Council. The visitor economy supports over 2,000 full-time jobs in Chesterfield and was worth £207 million last year.
  • 106 new professional services companies were created in Chesterfield during 2022, an increase of 29% on 2021 (82). They include 27 management consulting companies, 22 engineering advisory firms and 12 advertising and digital media specialists. Chesterfield is actively encouraging professional services firms to locate to the town to help achieve a 15% increase in higher-skill, higher-wage knowledge-based occupations for residents by 2023.
  • 99 construction startups were established in Chesterfield in 2022, 10% more than 2021 (90) and 55% higher than 2012 (64). Data from Chesterfield Borough Council shows the number of new homes built in Chesterfield has more than doubled over the last decade to reach 373 completions in the year to April 2023. Chesterfield has exceeded its new build target in each of the last four years and the council has earmarked several prime locations for new residential development as part of plans to build more than 4,000 new homes by 2035.
  • 124 retail and wholesale startups began trading in Chesterfield in 2022. Although this was down 5% on 2021 figures, it represents a 49% improvement over the last decade and is expected to grow to more than 150 in 2023. The number was driven, in part, by a threefold increase in online retail startups over the last decade. Entrepreneurs in Chesterfield launched 23 e-commerce companies in 2022 and are on track to create over 40 more during 2023.
Dr Huw Bowen, Chief Executive of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “New business activity is booming in Chesterfield, which is seeing growth from homegrown startups and those relocating to the town from elsewhere. These outcomes are the fruits of a purposeful strategy to secure new business investment in Chesterfield and help our existing businesses to grow.” Official figures also show that businesses based in Chesterfield consistently enjoy significantly higher survival rates than the national average. The latest data from the Office of National Statistics show that 62% of Chesterfield companies started in 2018 were still trading after three years, compared to 54% for all of the UK. Similar figures were recorded for businesses founded in 2016 and 2017.

CEO named for nuclear fusion plant at West Burton

Stuart Pearcey
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CEO named for nuclear fusion plant at West Burton
Paul Methven has been named as the inaugural CEO of UK Industrial Fusion Solutions  responsible for the delivery of STEP – a prototype fusion energy plant to be built at West Burton in Nottinghamshire. STEP will be led by UKIFS, a wholly owned subsidiary of the UK Atomic Energy Authority, with Professor Sir Ian Chapman remaining as the Group CEO. The STEP programme aims to pave the way for the commercialisation of fusion energy and the potential development of a fleet of future fusion powerplants around the world, ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of a new technology and emerging industry. Minister for Nuclear and Networks, Andrew Bowie, said: “The STEP programme is at the heart of our Fusion Strategy – key to making the potential of new fusion energy a commercial reality, and to drive economic growth. “Paul Methven will bring a wealth of experience to the programme, working to deliver a fusion reactor by 2040 and to cement the UK’s place at the front of the global race to develop this cutting-edge technology.” Professor Sir Ian Chapman said: “STEP has the potential to be a revolutionary programme, but it is highly complex and involves great uncertainties. It needs a brilliant CEO who can manage such complex engineering programmes and grow and unite a national endeavour to deliver fusion. “Im Paul Methven, we have secured exactly that – a brilliant leader with a track record of working in complex major programmes that matter to the country and leading diverse teams in public-private partnerships. I am excited to work with Paul and his team to deliver STEP and make fusion power a reality.” Paul joined the STEP programme in September 2020 from the Ministry of Defence, where he was Director of Submarine Acquisition at the Submarine Delivery Agency.  In this role he was Programme Director for Dreadnought, the UK’s second largest major programme after HS2, and has previously led a number of other major and complex programmes across the MoD. Fusion is said to have the potential to deliver safe, sustainable, low carbon energy for generations to come. It is based on the same processes that power the sun and stars. When a mix of two forms of hydrogen are heated to extreme temperatures – 10 times hotter than the core of the sun – they fuse together to create helium and release huge amounts of energy. Fusion energy has the potential to provide ‘baseload’ power, complementing renewable and other low carbon energy sources as a share of many countries’ energy portfolios. Achieving this involves working at the forefront of science, engineering, and technology.

Octavian Security UK makes four senior hires

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Octavian Security UK makes four senior hires

Octavian Security UK, the Nottinghamshire-based accredited security protection firm, has made a quartet of senior appointments as the company looks to expand even further.Kiran Ghuman has been named as Octavian Security’s new Managing Director and will steer the company with a strategy firmly fixed on growth through providing the company’s broad spectrum of services and helping organisations to better manage their security solutions.Meanwhile, Anoop Dhaliwal joins the company as Director of Business Development. Anoop is a seasoned professional with a career-long record of consultative sales and business development.Hannah Foody joins Octavian Security UK as Business Development Manager. Hannah comes from a legal background and was most recently a private client advisor at Taylor Rose in Birmingham.Finally, Bilal Ahmed joins as Finance Director to strategically guide Octavian Security to further growth.

Bilal joined Octavian after he successfully completed his fixed term contract at the Arts Council England as Senior Officer, Financial and Risk Analysis. Bilal managed financial risk for 828 National Portfolio Organisations in England and assisted in funding round for 2023-26 as part of the Government’s Levelling Up Programme.Sabrina Wolfreys, Head of HR at Octavian Security UK, said: “To be able to attract high calibre people to the business has always been our strength and this has continued with the appointments of Kiran, Anoop, Hannah and Bilal. We’re confident our clients will reap the benefit of their experience and ingenuity almost immediately and I look forward to driving the business forward alongside them.”The appointments come as Octavian Security UK, which is based in Bingham, Nottinghamshire, is reporting huge demand for its services due to a number of significant contract wins across multiple locations.

The value of the UK construction industry

Tess Egginton
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The value of the UK construction industry
The UK construction industry has a role in almost every aspect of our society. This all-encompassing sector is responsible for our infrastructure including transport, housing, and the nation’s energy supply. Discover details of the value of the UK construction industry and the challenges it is facing. Economic impact Construction is one of the UK’s major industries. In 2022, it drove 6.2% of the UK’s GVA (Gross Value Added), a measurement which tracks the increase in economic value due to a sector’s production or services. The GVA takes into account production costs, excluding labour. This means that, outside of services which are the UK’s biggest earners – think retail, financial, and healthcare – the construction industry is the second-most profitable sector after manufacturing. Social development The construction sector is responsible for all infrastructure development and maintenance in the UK. The industry therefore has a major part to play in improving key aspects of our lifestyle, from roads to the buildings where we live and work. In 2021, infrastructure growth increased by a staggering £7.3 billion compared to 2020 figures. £5.6 billion of this was new road development, with the rest primarily invested in improving train travel. An example of investment in our railways is the recently scaled back HS2 project which aimed to link Midlands and northern cities with London. Sustainable values With a view to slowing climate change, the UK has pledged to have net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. This involves moving away from fossil fuels and embracing renewable energy instead, a revolutionary move which will be driven by the construction industry. For example, the UK is aiming to decarbonise the national grid by 2035 and rely instead on power generated by home-grown green energy. This plan is grounded in the implementation of green technologies such as building and connecting off-shore wind farms. With residential buildings responsible for a high proportion of the UK’s carbon emissions, housing is also set for a transformation. The construction industry will be driving improved insulation and the replacement of traditional gas boilers with green heating systems. Future challenges As well as facing the difficulties involved with the move to a more sustainable society, the UK construction industry is facing substantial short-term future challenges. A combination of Brexit, the pandemic, and disrupted fuel supplies following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have led to a shortage of essential materials. Exacerbated by the fact that the UK construction industry is in a period of growth, limited supplies is increasing product cost and slowing the pace of building projects. These delays and the subsequent inflated estimate contract value (ECV) of each project has led to increased premiums in builders’ insurance for UK construction companies, as well as a predicted fall in sector activity in 2023. This is making it harder to keep projects profitable, especially for smaller companies working outside of the public sector.

Freeths launches bursary scheme for Leicester students in honour of Mukesh Patel

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Freeths launches bursary scheme for Leicester students in honour of Mukesh Patel
Law firm Freeths has established a bursary programme for law students at the University of Leicester and De Montfort University in memory of Mukesh Patel, former Managing Partner of Freeths’ Leicester Office. The bursary will provide local undergraduate law students with an award of £4,000 a year for three years with a focus on the socio-economic backgrounds of students who want to pursue a career in law. The firm launched the scheme to honour Mukesh’s legacy and his commitment to diversity and equality within the legal profession and to the local business community. A respected and popular member of both Freeths and the local legal community, Mukesh, who was born and went to school in Leicester, led the firm’s Dispute Resolution team in Leicester and subsequently became Managing Partner of the Leicester office in 2014. He died on Saturday, February 18th, aged 54, leaving behind his wife Rita and their two sons. Lisa Gilligan, Managing Partner of Freeths Leicester, said: “Mukesh was always ready to help, encourage and support students particularly those from less privileged backgrounds. “We hope that this bursary will not only ensure that we continue to honour his vision and passion but also help to support a pipeline of local law graduates to progress their careers in our region. “Graduate retention in Leicester is a well-documented challenge and the bursary will help Freeths to play its part in addressing this head on.” Rita Patel and her sons continued: “From humble beginnings himself, Mukesh was a firm believer that anyone with passion and drive should be afforded every opportunity.” In addition to the financial award, Freeths will also provide the students with a mentor throughout their degree course, a paid summer placement as well as an interview for the firm’s graduate apprenticeship scheme (subject to qualifying criteria) based in the Leicester office. Sarah Thomson, Director of Engagement at De Montfort University, said: “Mukesh was well known and loved by many at DMU so we are delighted that he will be remembered through this fund which will support students to reach their potential whilst studying at university. “Scholarships and Bursaries are becoming more essential for more students in the current economic climate to allow them to participate fully in university life. It is fantastic that Freeths are supporting talented students in this way and encouraging them to stay in Leicester to work once they graduate. We would like to express our gratitude to them and to Mukesh’s family for this award.” Steve Corbett, Director of Development and Alumni Relations at The University of Leicester, added: “The Freeths Skylark Scholarship is a generous package of benefits aimed at supporting Law students who are facing financial challenges throughout their time at university and beyond. “From monetary support to mentoring and placement opportunities, the Scholarship has been developed to offer recipients a solid first few steps on their way to a successful career in law. A huge thanks to Freeths for choosing to support Leicester students in honour of Mukesh Patel. “The Freeths Skylark Scholarship is part of the University of Leicester’s broader Skylark Scholarship programme, which has been established entirely thanks to the support of philanthropic donors. We look forward to seeing our inaugural Skylark scholars progress and hope to see this transformational scholarship programme grow.”

Derby Market Hall gets ready for business

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Derby Market Hall gets ready for business

Derby’s Market Hall has moved a step closer to completion, with the search for creatives, makers and traders beginning.

Businesses throughout the region are being invited to register their interest in operating from the refurbished Market Hall, which will bring together the best of the region’s independent shopping, eating, drinking and entertainment when it reopens in Spring 2025.

A series of events are planned for a wide variety of potential businesses to outline the opportunities. Almost 100 businesses have signed up to attend the first event at the Museum of Making next Monday, 23 October. ‘Creative Placemaking: Derby’ will look at how culture and creativity can be key drivers for the city’s transformation and growth.

Councillor Nadine Peatfield, Cabinet Member for City Centre, Regeneration, Culture and Tourism at Derby City Council, said: “In our 2023 manifesto we pledged to ensure that Derby Market Hall was the right space for Derby businesses and visitors alike.

“In May, I did just that. We brought in Hemingway Design and other experts in modern markets of the future to help us reflect, re-assess and make sure the offer was not only the right thing for Derby but a successful offer for such a prestigious venue that we have waited so long for.

“It’s not surprising that so many businesses are interested in this exciting new chapter of Derby’s Market Hall. This is a fantastic opportunity for both established and up and coming businesses to be part of a modern central hub while benefiting from Derby’s rich history and heritage.

“We aren’t just looking for traditional market traders. When it reopens, the Market Hall will offer permanent and pop-up trading opportunities for a variety of businesses – makers, traders, start-ups, creatives, and more! We want to hear from as many people as possible, from the experienced trader to the start-up who wants to try out an idea.”

The transformed market will offer:

  • A carefully curated mix of traditional and themed stalls, including quality fresh produce
  • Make and trade stalls and creative space
  • A cosmopolitan food court and bars
  • Co-working space
  • Events and pop-up activity

Derby City Council has appointed design consultancy Hemingway Design to help bring alive the ambition to create a building that will be a hub for creatives, makers and traders, building on the city’s heritage of innovation and industry.

Wayne Hemingway, Partner at Hemingway Design, said: “This is an opportunity for forward-thinking independent start-ups and existing businesses to be part of a project and creative community that will operate out of this magnificently restored, historic Derby building and play a role in re-energising this part of Derby’s city centre.

“The aim for the incoming Derby Market Hall business community is to be a low-risk venture, with affordable and flexible rates and a range of mentoring and support to help businesses grow and develop.”

Located at the heart of the city centre, linking Derbion and St Peter’s Quarter to the Cathedral Quarter and Becketwell, Derby Market Hall will play a key role in widening the diversity of the city centre economy.

Councillor Peatfield added: “A vibrant city centre is a key part of Council strategy to drive confidence and investment in the city. The ambition is for Derby to become a place where more people actively enjoy a wider cultural choice, and we know that’s what people want from their city centre.”

“The Market Hall is one of our most historic and prominent buildings. Our vision is to deliver a place where people want to visit and spend time, rather than pass through. We want Derby to be ‘the place to be’ destination, attracting visitors from nearby towns and cities,” Councillor Peatfield said.

The £35.1m project is partly funded with £9.43m from the Government’s Future High Streets Funding (FHSF) and the transformed Market Hall will generate £3.64m for the local economy each year.

Work is already underway on the Victorian building to turn it into an attractive retail and leisure destination fit for the future.

The extensive structural restoration of the Market Hall’s cast iron, copper and glass roof was finished in August 2022 and needed a scaffolding structure weighing more than eight blue whales to complete the works. Featuring an impressive cast iron and glass barrel-vaulted roof, this will be the only covered market of its type in the East Midlands.

The second phase of the transformation, now underway, focuses on refurbishing the interior and developing the public space outside at Osnabruck Square.

This work includes re-instating the original two entrances and installing a grand central staircase. The old stalls have been removed to reveal a huge open plan space on the ground floor.

A new frontage will incorporate full-length windows overlooking Osnabruck Square to open up the area inside and outside the building, with the scheme set for completion in Spring 2025.

Lead contractor on Western Growth Corridor for City of Lincoln Council appointed

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Lead contractor on Western Growth Corridor for City of Lincoln Council appointed
GRAHAM has been appointed by the City of Lincoln Council to design and deliver crucial elements of the Western Growth Corridor development. The Western Growth Corridor project in Lincoln is set to transform the city and bring new opportunities for housing and economic growth. The work elements include the design and construction of a new vehicular/cycle/pedestrian bridge over the railway and a pedestrian bridge enhancing safety and connectivity between the site and the existing communities. The Pagabo Civils & Infrastructure Framework has been used to procure and appoint GRAHAM for this Design and Construct project. The framework ensures that competent and experienced contractors are appointed for major infrastructure projects. GRAHAM’s extensive experience in delivering similar projects, particularly in the railway sector and knowledge of working alongside Network Rail, played a significant role in its selection. The firm’s involvement in the Western Growth Corridor project will see its civil engineering team oversee the design and construction of key access routes and bridges. In August 2022, the city council, in partnership with Member of Parliament for Lincoln, Karl McCartney, submitted its bid for £20 million to create a road bridge and adjacent foot bridge linking the city’s Western Growth Corridor development to Tritton Road. The Government’s Levelling Up Round Two programme will see the bridge completed by March 2025, with work anticipated to start at the beginning of 2024. The project aims to establish a major access route into the Western Growth Corridor site, enabling the delivery of up to 3,200 new homes as part of a Sustainable Urban Extension to Lincoln. Subject to design and budget approvals, construction will commence in 2024, with the first phase of homes expected to be delivered thereafter, pending detailed planning approval. A range of surveys are currently underway, including eco and geotechnical utility surveys, to gather essential data and verify the physical conditions on the ground. GRAHAM contracts director Alastair Lewis said: “We’re thrilled to be appointed as the lead contractor for key elements of the Western Growth Corridor project, which highlights our expertise and commitment to delivering exceptional infrastructure projects. “The Western Growth Corridor project is a challenging scheme involving tackling access restrictions, utilities, drainage, and traffic management, among other complexities. “GRAHAM’s objective is to value engineer the access road and bridge over the railway, seeking creative design and construction solutions that deliver cost and carbon savings while ensuring the long-term success of the strategic masterplan for the site.”

Transformation of engineering campus hits milestone

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Transformation of engineering campus hits milestone
A capital project to substantially upgrade the engineering and technology centre at Leicester College has passed its midpoint. Set to complete in November, the redevelopment of the facility on the Abbey Park Campus will provide students with updated learning facilities, to support the delivery of engineering T levels and other types of engineering qualifications. Stepnell is delivering the construction of a design led by Moss Architecture . Interiors Ltd. The multidisciplinary design team includes quantity surveyors from MDA Ltd, as well as mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineers from Steven Hunt Associates Ltd and structural engineers from Price & Myers Ltd. The project includes the introduction of and upgrade to new industry standard laboratories. These will be used to teach students across specialist engineering disciplines, including electrical engineering, electronic engineering, pneumatic and hydraulics, programmable logic controllers (PLC) and robotics. A new mechanical engineering workshop is also being constructed by Stepnell to accommodate industry-standard standard lathes and milling machines. Additionally, a specialist hand skills development and projects area, welding booths and a state-of-the-art grinding room will be integrated to enhance the hands-on learning experience. Tom Sewell, regional director at Stepnell, said: “With a consistent pipeline of projects within the education sector, this is the third project we have undertaken for Leicester College. We have a key focus to continue developing lasting public sector client relations. “We understand the college’s needs to provide the best learning experience in the long term while minimising the disruption to the teaching experience during the build, and we’re progressing well ahead of completion in November. “With a strong familiarity within our construction team of the educational needs for aspiring engineers, it’s a highly rewarding project to help create the ideal learning space to educate future talent.” The capital project supports the introduction of engineering T Level qualifications at Leicester College, with the Department for Education having provided more than £1 million towards the project cost from T-level capital grant funding. The college aims to help meet the skills demand at higher technical levels regionally and nationally and provide a valid pathway to higher technical qualifications. It aims to support the forecasted 1.2% growth in engineering and electronic engineering occupations available in Leicestershire and Rutland by 2030. Ibrar Raja, director of engineering at Leicester College, said: “I am delighted to witness the transformation of our engineering building into a state-of-the-art facility that reflects our commitment to providing the best possible learning environment for our students and supports the need for highly qualified and skilled engineers in the region. “This refurbishment project embodies our dedication to fostering innovation and excellence in engineering education.”

Landsmiths Oktoberfest raises £4,000 for The Core Centre

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Landsmiths Oktoberfest raises £4,000 for The Core Centre

Nottingham property law firm, Landsmiths, recently hosted an Ocktoberfest event at The Bierkeller, Nottingham raising £4,000 for local charity The Core Centre.

The event, which took place on Thursday 12 October, was supported by a number of local businesses and brought together the Nottingham business community for a night of celebration, networking and fundraising. 

Guests enjoyed traditional Bavarian cuisine and drinks, live music, and plenty of festive entertainment. To boost fundraising efforts there was also a charity raffle, which featured prizes donated by a number of local businesses.

The Core Centre is a small charity, based in Calverton, Nottingham. Their 3 staff, 30 volunteers, Trustees and partner network provide a Community Hub supporting well-being, health, providing advice and community engagement.  

Core offers over 30 activities and services which provide optimism and support, evolving to meet the needs of the community post-Covid and with the cost of living crisis. More recently they have had to increasingly focus on reducing the severe impact of the cost of living crisis and are currently preparing for a difficult winter ahead.

Sam and Becky from The Core Centre said: “We can’t thank Landsmiths enough…it was a fantastic event! We were absolutely blown away by everyone’s generosity! The money raised will make such a difference to our charity, filling our funding gaps and helping us to continue our essential services within the community. A huge thanks to everyone involved.”

Sam from The Core Centre added: “We made some great connections on the night who have offered their help/expertise. The opportunity for us to make these connections is just as valuable to us as cash donations.”

Rachael Briggs, director at Landsmiths, said: “At Landsmiths we’re passionate about supporting and giving back to our local community. The Core Centre is such an amazing charity and we wanted to host something big and get other businesses involved to raise as much money for them as possible.”

Vik Moothia, director at Landsmiths, said: “It was a fantastic evening and we’re extremely grateful to all those who attended, sponsored the event, donated raffle prizes, and also to The Bierkeller who donated a set amount for each speciality drink that was purchased on the night.”

Sponsors of the evening included 200 Degrees, A W Lymn, Chord Consult, Groundsure, Innes England, LANDA Associates, Logical Demolition, Monk Estates, Node Consulting, PKF Smith Cooper and SIA.

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