Long Tall Sally signs Loughborough kit sponsorship deal

Stuart Pearcey
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Long Tall Sally signs Loughborough kit sponsorship deal

Specialist tall clothing retailer Long Tall Sally will be Loughborough Lightning Netball’s headline sponsor for the 2023 Netball Super League season.

The agreement will see Long Tall Sally become an integral part of Lightning, including main kit sponsors for both the club’s home and away dresses. Long Tall Sally will also sponsor Lightning’s player of the match awards as Vic Burgess’ side embark on what is sure to be another season of high drama in the Netball Super League. Lightning, who have been members of the Super League since its inception in 2005, boast a squad full of international talent and emerging future stars of the sport. Lightning were crowned champions in 2021 and finished runners-up in 2022. Jo Simpson, Commercial and Facilities Director at Loughborough Sport said: “It is really important that we have the right partners to work with our teams and this fantastic new partnership is exactly that. Long Tall Sally is a brand that resonates with our players, staff, and fans, bringing outstanding fashion to tall women. “Our Lightning team showcases the very best in female sport, bringing together international superstars, live Sky Sports coverage, and a large fan base. The 2023 Netball Superleague season is set to be the most exciting one yet and I can’t wait to see both our Lightning team and our new partnership succeed at the highest level.” Leigh Porter, Commercial Director for Long Tall Sally said: “We are proud to be associated with a such a successful Netball Super League side and we are looking forward to supporting the team in helping them achieve their objectives for the new season. “The whole Loughborough set up and philosophy is very inspiring, we share many values around striving for excellence and being the best so we also can’t wait to get going and for the relationship to go from strength to strength.”  

Accountancy firm makes duo of deals

Tess Egginton
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Accountancy firm makes duo of deals
Accountancy firm Cooper Parry (CP) has started 2023 by announcing a duo of acquisitions. The Derby-headquartered firm has snapped up ihorizon – one of the UK’s leading early stage accounting players focused solely on the tech startup ecosystem. In a second deal, Acclivity, a boutique advisory firm specialising in accountancy, tax and consultancy to entrepreneurs and high growth early stage businesses, has also merged with CP. Together, the two deals create an immediate platform for CP’s Tech & High Growth team to provide full support to early stage startups as well as to its existing portfolio of 200+ post Series A scaleups. The additional 40+ specialists mean that CP’s dedicated THG team has grown from a standing start to over 100 people strong in just two years. Across the firm’s UK locations, the talent headcount is now 535+. Ade Cheatham, Cooper Parry CEO, says: “These two deals reinforce our determination to disrupt the Mid-tier like no other. We’ve been bold with our ambitious growth plans and these two high quality firms give us an amazing start to the year. The culture and talent within the firms are a great fit for CP. They also add a brilliant new dynamic to our fast-growing presence in the THG space.” Steve Leith, head of CP Tech & High Growth, says: “Bringing ihorizon and Acclivity into CP means our specialist team can now deliver a full life-cycle solution from startup through scaleup and into exit. There’s no other equivalent team in the Mid-tier or the Big 4 operating at this scale and so deeply inside the high-growth ecosystem. Startups will be able to make the seamless transition from a specialist digital-first solution into full service scaleup support specifically designed for venture stage companies.” Pratik Sampat, ihorizon CEO, adds: “Everything felt right about joining Cooper Parry. The CP team is already well established in the market supporting scale-ups and we have a shared vision to create the go-to team for Founders and CFOs of high potential and high-growth companies. This coming together is great news for our team and our clients.” Asif Ahmed, ex-founder, Acclivity, now head of Early Stage, CP Tech & High Growth, says: “Given the number of clients we’ve seen transition from Acclivity’s early stage portfolio into CP’s specialist scale-up team, it was a no-brainer to join forces to create a market-leading proposition. It means early stage companies don’t have to change relationships as they scale and as their finance challenges become more complex. It’s a win, win.”

Building next to where King Richard III was discovered hits the market

Tess Egginton
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Building next to where King Richard III was discovered hits the market
A building and car park in Leicester’s most famous and historical location where the remains of King Richard III were discovered in 2012, will go to auction on 15 February 2023. The Grey Friars building is famous as the site of one of the most remarkable archaeological detective stories ever told where, following a dig in the adjoining car park, the remains of King Richard III were uncovered, 527 years after his demise at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Following his death, King Richard’s body was brought back to Leicester to be put on public display to prove that he was truly dead. The King’s body was subsequently given a simple Christian burial in the choir of the Grey Friars church. By the mid-20th century, what had once been a religious friary had become a site for a school, council offices and a car park. The Grey Friars commercial/residential property development is Grade II listed. It is located in the heart of the Old Town area, one of the most attractive and historic areas of Leicester, on the corner of Friar Lane and Grey Friars, and near to Leicester Cathedral, Leicester Guildhall, Wygston’s House, St Martins House and the King Richard III Visitor Centre. Sir Peter Soulsby, City Mayor, said: “The exact location of where King Richard III was discovered is now incorporated as part of our successful visitor Centre, however the remainder of the site has continued to be used as a working car park to this day. “The Grey Friars building has so much history and it’s a stunning building that will attract the attention of commercial developers who may convert the building for office, hospitality, or residential premises. Whilst the building is part of our history and heritage, I’m looking forward to seeing the next stage of its evolution.” Mike Denby, director of Inward Investment, said: “We have seen significant interest in the site from a range of developers, keen to breathe life into the former council offices. Whomever is fortunate to secure the building at auction has a unique story to tell about the site that will last for generations to come.” Kal Sangra, director of Shonki Brothers, said: “It is a pleasure to include Grey Friars in our 15 February auction. This iconic property offers a unique development opportunity in a prime Leicester city centre location adjacent to the King Richard III Visitor Centre. There is potential for a number of different uses including commercial, hotel, mixed use and residential.” Whilst the Grey Friars building may have a number of uses, subject to planning, the car park itself is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, meaning that it is ‘a nationally important archaeological site that has protection against unauthorised change’.

Midlands Heart appoints former housing minister as next chair

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Midlands Heart appoints former housing minister as next chair
A provider of affordable homes has appointed former housing minister Lord Ian Austin as their next chair following a four-month process. John Edwards, who has served as chairman of Midland Heart since 2014, will stand down having served a maximum nine year term in post in September 2023. Lord Austin, who was also previously Minister for the West Midlands, will take over as chair of Midland Heart in September and will attend Board meetings in an observatory capacity until then. The former MP for Dudley North will be returning to his roots having previously worked for Focus Housing, one of the organisations that merged to create Midland Heart in 2006. Lord Austin also spent six years working at the Treasury as an adviser to Chancellor Gordon Brown. He currently serves as a non-executive director at Homes England and as the Prime Minster’s Trade Envoy to Israel as well as advising the Richardson Family investment business RCL Partners. John Edwards is the former Chief Executive of Advantage West Midlands and the Rural Development Commission, chair of the Dudley Group of Hospitals and was awarded his CBE for Services to the Rural Economy in 2008. Midland Heart is currently completing the process of recruiting to three further board positions including their senior independent director and will announce who has been successfully appointed to these roles in due course. John Edwards CBE, current chair of Midland Heart, said: “It is important that having had a long period of stability on the Board of Midland Heart that we make the changes we need to make this year in a thorough and well-planned way. “The first part of this has been to ensure that we give the next chair a significant amount of time to learn everything they need to about our customers, business, and colleagues.  Having worked alongside Ian when he was a Minister and I ran our regional development agency I know he will bring a great understanding of the sector and provide strong stewardship for the organisation.” Glenn Harris, Chief Executive of Midland Heart, said: “On behalf of everyone at Midland Heart I congratulate Lord Austin on successfully being appointed as our next chair. Through his time as Housing Minister, his role with Homes England and having worked for one of our legacy organisations Ian has seen all sides of the housing sector and understands the importance of making every single home a decent, safe, and secure place to live.” Lord Austin, incoming chair at Midland Heart, said: “I am delighted to have been appointed the next chair of Midland Heart, one of the region’s and country’s leading housing providers. “John, Glenn, the current Board and Executive team alongside all other members of Midland Heart staff have done a fantastic job of steering our organisation through significant challenges including a four year rent cut and are ahead of other housing associations on the challenges of the future, having delivered the UK’s first homes to meet the Government’s Future Home Standards and undertaken significant retrofit work to their older homes. “I want to support the Midland Heart team in providing a first-class service to its customers and I look forward to learning more about the business over the next nine months and making sure that we continue to provide great quality homes and services to our customers.”

DMU teams up with clean tech company to tackle carbon emissions

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DMU teams up with clean tech company to tackle carbon emissions
De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) has teamed up with a tech company on a new project which could ultimately help cut energy bills and implement large-scale clean energy use. Cambridge Cleantech company Advanced Infrastructure is partnering with De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership, which enables a business to bring in new skills and the latest academic thinking to deliver a specific, strategic innovation project. Advanced Infrastructure develops and provides spatial analytics and digital twins for the energy transition, helping local authorities, distribution network operators and consultants to plan the rollout of low carbon infrastructure. As part of the 18-month project, Advanced Infrastructure has welcomed researchers Pardis Sheikhzadeh, a science and engineering postgraduate from the Shahid Beheshti University in Iran and Nick Hay a science and civil engineering postgraduate from University College London. Pardis has joined Advanced Infrastructure as an Energy Systems Modelling Engineer, which will involve working with the data team to develop energy forecasting tools accounting for the change in customer demand due to electric vehicles and electric heating. Also working within the data team, Nick joins as a Building Physicist who will develop building-level archetypes that can be used in energy system modelling, as well as building a prototype that is able to classify a set of buildings by age, size and fabric. The duo will be responsible for delivering data structures that link energy and building stock models. Data visualisations produced by the project will help speed up the numbers of Smart Local Energy Systems (SLES) being created. These are cleaner, lower carbon alternatives to the current centralised grid system, which distributes gas and electricity to homes and other consumers. The idea behind SLES is to create a series of localised networks using more low carbon energy. For example, wind and solar electricity can be used more effectively through demand management. Electric cars could return stored power to the local grid at times of high demand, reducing fossil fuel gas generation. For SLESs to grow and multiply, energy network operators need access to data and analysis tools to help them plan future projects. This KTP will develop advanced data aggregation techniques that overcome the issues with problematic data sets that exist at the moment. Supported by Innovate UK, the KTP team leading the project include Advanced Infrastructure’s co-founder and CEO Christopher Jackson alongside Andrew Wright, Associate Professor in Building Energy Physics and Darsheet Chauhan, Knowledge Exchange office at De Montfort University. Jackson said: “The past year has been a rapid period of growth as we build both our capabilities and headcount and we are thrilled to be in a position where we can now welcome two very talented postgraduates to join the team at Advanced Infrastructure. “The scope of work that the KTP will involve over the coming 18 months will not only enable solutions to be created that tackle imminent issues we are facing off the back of the EU and UK’s targets of achieving net zero but also enables the research to be utilised by academics at the university moving forward.” Darsheet Chauhan, Knowledge Exchange officer at DMU, added: “In order to achieve the targets of net zero, we need to think bigger and move from smaller, isolated projects to connected, transformational changes that impact the whole energy system. “Making it easier to deliver greener energy systems will ultimately mean lower consumer costs as well as benefits for us all in helping the climate emergency. “We are delighted to have been awarded the opportunity to work alongside our partners at Advanced Infrastructure Technology Limited to deliver a data system that could be a step change for the energy industry.” The additional two KTP researchers now bring Cambridge headquartered Advanced Infrastructure’s total headcount to 26 employees who work across four countries worldwide. Advanced Infrastructure provides GIS tools, datasets and APIs to support energy planning and carbon optimised energy use.

Thousands of East Midlands firms get government loans of more than £9,000

Stuart Pearcey
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Thousands of East Midlands firms get government loans of more than £9,000
More than 5,600 firms in the East Midlands have been given government loans averaging £9,200 under the Start Up Loans scheme. The scheme has recently given its 100,000th loan since the scheme was established in 2012, bringing the total support given to firms nationwide to more than £941 million, including £51.6m in the East Midlands. The scheme, administered by the British Business Bank, offers financial support, guidance, and advice to entrepreneurs looking to start their own business. Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake said: “We know how important small businesses are to our communities, creating jobs, growth, and opportunities, and that is why we are backing them all the way to not only start up, but to scale up.

“As a former business owner, I know how difficult it can be to get your business off the ground, which is why I’m incredibly proud that Government-backed Start Up Loans have helped 100,000 aspiring entrepreneurs to make their dreams a reality.”

Of the total of more than 100,000 loans, 40 percent have gone to women and one in five to people from black, Asian, and other ethnic minority backgrounds. The top five local authorities by loan volume and value are Birmingham, Leeds, Cornwall, Hackney in East London and Manchester, demonstrating the impact of Start Up Loans across the UK. Richard Bearman, Managing Director, Start Up Loans said: “Start Up Loans supports people across the UK who are looking to start their own businesses and passing our one hundred thousand loan milestone is an amazing achievement that has been ten years in the making. We could not have achieved this without the dedicated support of our network of UK delivery partners and in-house team, and I’d like to take this chance to thank them for everything they do to make our work possible.” The Start Up Loans programme provides personal loans of up to £25,000 to aspiring businesses while also providing dedicated mentoring and support to each recipient. The goal of the scheme is to make sure that viable start-ups and early-stage businesses have the finance and support they need to thrive. Funding for the programme comes from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and is administered by the British Business Bank.

University of Nottingham-led projects receive share of £10m to bring clean aviation closer to reality

Tess Egginton
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University of Nottingham-led projects receive share of £10m to bring clean aviation closer to reality
Several projects led by the University of Nottingham’s Institute of Aerospace Technology (IAT) have received a share of ten million pounds to fund research into the future of net zero aviation. HECATE, NEWBORN and HERA are all part of the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking, the EU’s leading research and innovation programme for making the aviation industry ready for a sustainable future. The projects build on the significant outcomes delivered by the University of Nottingham in the development of electrification technologies in recent years. Professor Serhiy Bozhko, director of the IAT at the University of Nottingham, said: “The aerospace industry hasn’t really changed since the jet engine revolutionised air travel in the 1950s. Therefore, technologies that will reduce our reliance on fossil fuel and improve the efficiency of flight are of ultimate importance to help us deliver the next great breakthrough in disruptive technologies. “We hope to have a major impact on the future of aviation through our involvement in these new, ambitious projects.” Aviation needs to meet the ambitious targets of the European Green Deal, ultimately reaching climate neutrality by 2050, which means a step change is required to significantly reduce fuel burn. For HECATE, the University of Nottingham team will be working on the high power, power electronic converters required for the move towards hybrid-electrical aircrafts – including digitising a design process that will lead to the development of technology bricks. NEWBORN intends to bring aviation graded fuel cells fed by liquid hydrogen into the market, for use in large, turbine-powered aircrafts, as soon as is safely possible. It will also address high power density high voltage energy conversion, propulsion systems, and the next generation of microtube heat exchangers – with the ambition of achieving an overall propulsion system efficiency of 50% by the time the project ends in 2026. The University of Nottingham will be demonstrating an innovative electrical drivetrain with electrical machine and power electronics reaching a step change in power density and efficiency compared to state-of-the-art solutions. Finally, HERA aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions and develop a brand-new aircraft. At a size of approximately 50 to 100 seats, the aircraft will be ready for entry into service by the mid-2030s and will include hybrid-electric propulsion using batteries or fuel cells resulting in up to 90% lower emissions while remaining fully compliant. A research team of experienced academics, researchers, engineers and technical and professional staff will be spending the next three years working alongside the principal investigators for the projects – Serhiy Bozhko, Tao Yang and Pat Wheeler – and industry partners to bring the projects to fruition. Professor Pat Wheeler, global director of the Institute for Aerospace Technology at the University of Nottingham and principal investigator for HECATE, said: “We are delighted to be so involved in these Clean Aviation projects, which follow on from our work in the Clean Sky JTI programmes, which have received more than £60 million in funding, over the last 15 years. “Our involvement in this project allows us to continue our world leading work on large power electronic converters and the vision of electric propulsion systems, as part of the solution to net zero flight, using the superb facilities of the recently opened Power Electronics, and Machines Centre Building and the Aerospace Technology Centre. “Winning these Clean Aviation projects is testimony not only to our technical work, but also all the work of our Institute of Aerospace Technology in promoting and managing the university’s ongoing aerospace profile.” Professor Chris Gerada, technical director for DER-IC’s Nottingham Drive Specialist Services and lead for the university’s strategic research and innovation initiatives in the Faculty of Engineering, said: “These projects will enable the University of Nottingham to exploit our unrivalled facilities and capabilities in electrification, to make meaningful impact for a future sustainable aviation industry. These projects will see our researchers work alongside more than 20 other leading organisations across Europe to develop world leading solutions at the pace needed. “We have invested in manufacturing and testing facilities over the past five years to support the effective development of MW-class electrical solutions and are committed to retaining the university’s internationally leading position in net zero aviation and will continue to invest in its excellent people and infrastructure.” HECATE and NEWBORN will also benefit from a six-figure contribution from the University of Nottingham Italy (UNIT) – an independent research venture based in the Campania region.

Proposals to be considered for conversion of council offices into new hotel

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Proposals to be considered for conversion of council offices into new hotel
Following the recent success in securing a £14 million investment through the Levelling Up Fund, Melton Borough Council’s Cabinet is due to consider another sizeable investment opportunity which will support the town’s economy. At their meeting on Wednesday 8 February, the Council’s Cabinet is due to consider a report setting out the opportunity to convert part of their Parkside offices into a new 65 bed hotel. If the Cabinet confirm their support to the principle of the proposed redevelopment, work would then begin to formally and fully test the implications and to prepare a detailed business case over the next 12 months. Cllr Joe Orson, leader of the Council, said: “The recent success of Levelling Up funding and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocations will see millions of pounds of investment into the town centre over the next couple of years. Combining this with an increased hotel capacity in the heart of Melton Mowbray, we can attract over 28,000 additional visitors to the area each year, increasing footfall in the town and spending at local businesses and visitor attractions.” Since the pandemic, the adoption of the Council’s hybrid working model, and the vacation of space previously occupied by Leicestershire County Council, less office space is required at the site. Therefore, the provision of a hotel on part of the site has the potential to reduce costs to the council and provide a further significant boost to local tourism and the night-time economy, whilst the Council maintains a strong and visible presence in the town. The proposed redevelopment would see the Eastern side of the building, which includes the current reception area, civic rooms and registrars remain in its current configuration. Office space would remain available for the employees and partners on the upper floors and the ground floor would continue to be accessible to customers to visit the council and access services. Under the initial proposals the Western side of the building would be converted into a 65 bed hotel. The council would maintain ownership of the building, leasing the space to a company who would run and manage the hotel for thousands of visitors to stay each year. Cllr Rob Bindloss, portfolio holder for growth and regeneration, stated: “The Council is committed to investing in the town centre and boosting tourism to attract more people to spend time and money in Melton. During the consultation for the Town Centre Vision last year, residents and partners raised the issue of lack of available hotel rooms in the town to allow event organisers and coach operators to find suitable accommodation in the town centre without having to stop in Nottingham or Leicester. “The Council is very keen to maximize the benefits this could bring to the town’s economy and so is not proposing to include café or restaurant provision with the hotel to encourage visitors to use the facilities in the town, which could see an additional £2 million each year being spent in night-time economy.” Following the Cabinet decision, if approved, the council would undertake all the necessary financial and legal assessments, as well as a  procurement exercise to identify a suitable hotel operator and develop a detailed business case. Once concluded, the Council’s Scrutiny, Cabinet and Full Council would review the detailed proposals put forward, considering the financial implications, risks and benefits involved, before making a final decision whether to go ahead with the proposals.

Council buys Buxton shopping centre

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Council buys Buxton shopping centre
High Peak Borough Council has bought The Springs shopping centre in Buxton – the catalyst that will kick-start the redevelopment of the town centre and a key milestone in the Future High Streets project. The purchase means the Council has control of the building and the associated land and can get on with delivering the much-anticipated enhancements to the area in partnership with the local community and businesses. The Council’s successful bid to the Future High Streets fund (FHS) saw the proposals awarded £6.6m – 69% of its original bid. As a result, the Council is topping up the total by investing a further £4.2m from its budgets to deliver improvements to the main commercial part of the town to complement and enhance the heritage and cultural offer which draws people to Buxton. Council leader, Councillor Anthony Mckeown, said: “Town centres across the country face huge challenges and Buxton is no exception. To reverse that trend we’re all agreed that Buxton town centre needs investment and improvement to create modern, fit for the future places for living, working and enjoying leisure time. “That’s what townspeople and businesses have told us they want and it’s why we made our successful bid to the Future High Streets fund. “The hard truth is that The Springs as it stands now is not working for our town and the community. Buying the shopping centre puts the Council and the local community in control so we can work together to drive this regeneration forward. “Now that this acquisition is complete, we’ll be coming back to our residents, businesses and partners to further shape our shared vision for a rejuvenated town centre.” Following the funding announcement at the end of 2019, over 800 people took part in public consultation events to help shape the proposals included in the vision masterplan. Stakeholders, including civic groups, partners and the voluntary sector, have also been involved in discussions since the early stages. Schemes to be delivered as part of the FHS project include: ·       New homes ·       New office space ·       Converting the upper floors of buildings ·       Public realm enhancements including wayfinding and street furniture ·       Pedestrian and cyclist accessibility improvements ·       Gigabyte infrastructure Councillor Damien Greenhalgh, deputy leader and executive councillor for regeneration, tourism and leisure, said: “We want our town centres and high streets across the High Peak to thrive and this significant investment in Buxton will breathe much-needed new life into the Spring Gardens area. “It’s such an exciting project to be involved in and we’ve reached a major milestone by buying The Springs – it’s the catalyst for turning our vision into reality. “These plans have already been shaped by public consultation to reach this stage and we will be doing plenty more consultation as the details emerge so everyone can feel involved in a once-in-generation opportunity to transform their town.” The Council was supported in the process of purchasing the shopping centre by the law firm Browne Jacobson LLP. Partner Thomas Howard said: “We are proud to have worked with the Council to acquire this key site in their regeneration ambitions for Buxton. Having been involved since heads of terms were being negotiated I’m delighted the Council has reached this important milestone.”

Firms offered free post-Brexit regulation advice by Trading Standards experts

Stuart Pearcey
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Firms offered free post-Brexit regulation advice by Trading Standards experts
Nottinghamshire businesses have until the end of March next year to get free bespoke support and advice from Trading Standards experts to help them negotiate complex legal requirements in a post-Brexit economy. As experts in compliance and legislation, Nottinghamshire’s Trading Standards officers have the specialist knowledge to help businesses keep up to date with their latest regulatory requirements, including areas such as product safety, product labelling, food safety and staff training. They can provide bespoke support to local firms to ensure they don’t get caught up in compliance red tape. Councillor John Cottee, Chairman of the Communities Committee said “Our Trading Standards officers are here to support local businesses. We want to help Nottinghamshire firms thrive and succeed, which is why we are offering this free specialist support. By taking advantage of the package available, Nottinghamshire businesses can ensure they get things right, so they can be confident they are marketing their products and services correctly. “It also means that firms will avoid potentially costly corrective action that might be needed as a result of non-compliance with post-Brexit legislation. By helping firms meet their regulatory requirements we will also create a safer community, so consumers can be assured that the products and services they buy are safe.” Businesses can find out more and apply for the free support by completing a ‘Business Advice Request Form’ on the Nottinghamshire Trading Standards website: Free Trading Standards Business Advice | Nottinghamshire County Council. After filling out this simple form, the business will be contacted by Nottinghamshire Trading Standards within one working day.
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