Space Park Leicester lands top science award
The ambition of Space Park Leicester to become a world-leading centre of excellence has been recognised at a highly prestigious awards ceremony.
The ground-breaking £100 million research, innovation and teaching hub for space-related high-tech companies and researchers based in the city was presented with the ‘Place-Based Initiative of the Year’ accolade at the 2021 KE Awards.
The awards celebrate and ‘amplify’ the achievements of the knowledge exchange profession, embodying the sector’s high standards and recognising the people, partnerships, deals and initiatives that generate world-class activity.
Space Park Leicester – which is being led by the University of Leicester in partnership with Leicester City Council and the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) – impressed judges for its vision and ambition.
The 2021 KE Award winners were announced at a digital ceremony on November 18, hosted by PraxisAuril and sponsored by UK Research and Innovation. Space Park Leicester’s award was presented by Fariba Soetan from The National Centre for Universities and Business.
Speaking on a video as part of the award entry, William Wells, Commercial Director at the University of Leicester, said: “Space Park Leicester is a 10,000m2 urban, science and innovation campus on the edge of Leicester city centre. When we conceived of it five years ago, we saw it as a world-leading hub for space and space-enabled researchers, students and industry.
“The hub is underpinned by the world-leading research that’s taking place here at Leicester within the realms of space, science and instrumentation, but also the exploitation of satellite data and images.
“We are looking to create an environment where we can interact with our industrial and commercial partners, creating open-access facilities for them to use in terms of labs, clean rooms and collaborative spaces.
“We are driving for a number of things, new research collaborations but also building on existing research collaborations. Crucially we are trying to create a novel innovation environment where we can host and indeed incubate businesses within the space park environment while driving economic activity in our city and county.”
The KE Awards, organised by PraxisAuril and sponsored by UK Research and Innovation, celebrate the people who help to initiate and deliver impact and outcomes from publicly funded research through a diverse range of partners and activities.
Developed by the University of Leicester in collaboration with local, national and international partners, Space Park Leicester comprises a 4,800m2 facility featuring offices, shared laboratories, teaching facilities and co-working spaces, focusing primarily on research, development and applications of space.
The project enables collaboration between University researchers and the private sector, creating high quality knowledge-based jobs, building the skills base and contributing to economic growth and resilience of the economy. Space Park Leicester also proudly hosts the NERC-affiliated National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO).
‘The Lawyer’ ranks Sills & Betteridge in the UK’s Top 200 law firms for a 3rd Year
With an impressive 12 place leap up the table, Sills & Betteridge LLP now proudly takes 174th position in the ‘UK200’, placing the practice among the UK’s best performing law firms. Compiled by The Lawyer publication, the annual report is the result of months of detailed, impartial research into the firm’s financial performance, service delivery, and analysis of its partners and employees in terms of gender and other diversity characteristics, progression and development. It is seen as the benchmark report for anyone with a serious interest in the business of law. Chief Executive Martyn Hall who was quoted in the report is delighted with the results: “The last 18 months of disruption to the legal market seems to have had quite an impact on the list with some firms being affected more than others. “I’m pleased to see that Sills & Betteridge LLP has significantly improved its position in the list and goes into 2022 in a very strong position. This is down to sound planning from our management team, robust working practices and the hard work and commitment from our staff.” The results were announced hot on the heels of another prestigious publication The Legal 500 releasing its findings on the firm. Known as ‘the world’s largest legal directory’ it again recognised Sills & Betteridge as a ‘Leading Law Firm’, with several of its practice areas improving their tier rankings.
Lincolnshire’s James Oliver targets the future after £1m ‘home comforts’ boost
One of the East Midlands’ leading independent home improvement specialists is investing in its workforce of the future after securing a £1m sales boost this year.
James Oliver Conservatories, which has invested over £250,000 into its new showroom on Crofton Road in Lincoln, has taken on two new apprentices as part of a recruitment drive that has seen employee numbers rise from 35 to 50 since the end of lockdown.
Part of the Conservatory Outlet retail network, the company has taken on Lloyd and Zack as apprentice bricklayers to ensure the skills and knowledge of its skilled tradespeople is passed down to the next generation and to help its expanding fitting team cope with a rise in demand from homeowners pressing the button on improvement projects.
Interest has risen across all the firm’s product lines, including replacing conservatory roofs with solid roofs, complete living spaces, conservatories, orangeries and individual windows and doors.
“The last twelve months have been some of our busiest in our 40-year history and we’ve seen orders from all over the region, from the Lincolnshire coast across to Mansfield and parts of North Nottinghamshire,” explained Simon Ahearn, general manager of James Oliver Conservatories.
“Ramping up activity has been a nice, but difficult challenge and we’ve found we need more staff in all parts of the business to make sure we can complete existing projects and deliver new work in timescales the clients are happy with.”
He continued: “We’ve taken on a lot of experienced people, but also recognised the need to grow our own staff and this has seen us invest in Lloyd and Zack, working with Lincoln College to help deliver a mix of practical and theoretical training, boosted by an internal mentoring programme with senior colleagues.”
James Oliver started the business more than 40 years ago, using his joinery background to launch a conservatory company that is now headed up by his two sons Tom and Will Oliver.
The Lincolnshire firm has built a reputation for combining personalised service (achieved through a loyal and committed workforce) with a mix of the latest products, such as aluminium doors and the latest roofing structures.
It has also completely transformed its 17,500 sq ft showroom during lockdown to include 14 living space displays, a new specialist lighting centre and the launch of a new indoor furniture range to complement the existing external products, including sofas and dining ranges.
Simon went on to add: “Being part of the Conservatory Outlet network of retailers has been instrumental in our growth, giving us lots of external advice, help in creating a 3D walkthrough of our showroom and in industry-leading marketing support.
“The latter has been extremely useful, generating more than 2000 new leads in the last twelve months, many of which have been converted into actual sales. This has seen us move from being worried about a potential drop in orders when Covid-19 struck to trying to manage our best ever year.”
Conservatory Outlet’s CEO, Greg Kane, added his support: “James Oliver is a superb family business, delivering some of the highest quality home improvement projects in the East Midlands.
“The management team embraced our desire to be proactive during the first lockdown and are now reaping the dividends, investing in new staff and, I’m delighted to see, training the fitters of the future.
“It certainly has one eye on the next forty years, and this is reflected in its approach to creating a greener environment through the upgrading of its commercial fleet to all electric vehicles, installing a range of charging facilities at its showroom, and aiming to plant 1000 trees over the next 12 months.”
Recruitment business becomes employee owned
HR Essentials Ltd, trading as Essential Recruitment, based in Chesterfield has sold 100% of their shares to HR Essentials Trust, making the business wholly owned by its employees.
With offices in the East Midlands and South Yorkshire, the 50 employees will now share in the future success of the business.
The owner directors of the recruitment business – Marc Orli, Kristyan Rachael, Lisa Smith, Alison Wilby, Gary Wilson and Carl Wootton – sold their shares for an undisclosed sum.
With the exception of Gary Wilson, who will step down from his role as chairman, the directors will remain with the business and work with the Employee Trust to help grow the company, and implement a succession plan for the long-term future of all its employees.
A statement provided on behalf of the directors said: “Our vision since starting in 2006 was to build a business that not only cared for its clients and candidates but also to provide a company that provided its colleagues a positive environment in which they could thrive.
“Over the last 15 years, we have done our utmost to stand by this vision. During the last 2 years of uncertainty, it has been the team as a whole that has stood true to our culture, so what better way to reward all those involved than to become Employee Owned.”
Deb Oxley, Chief Executive of the Employee Ownership Association, said: “Congratulations to Essential Recruitment on its transition to employee ownership, securing the ethos, values and culture of the business for the longer term.
“Businesses that are all about people benefit greatly from empowering employees by giving them a stake and a say, with impacts for the employees and the business, which is also felt by clients and the communities the business serves.”
Mortgage Advice Bureau invests in Heron
Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB) has completed an investment in a tech-savvy brokerage.
As a result of the deal, Derby-based MAB has formed a strategic partnership with Heron Financial, which develops bespoke software to enhance customer outcomes and adviser performance.
According to MAB, Heron’s technical expertise will empower future customers to better understand financial products and solutions and equip both businesses with customer insights to inform future proposition development.
The new partnership also forms part of MAB’s strategy to further strengthen its position in the new build sector.
The deal follows other key investments in new build specialist broker firms, Meridian, Metro, and Evolve this year.
Peter Brodnicki, Chief Executive at MAB, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Heron Financial into our ever-growing network – a decision made easy by the synergies between the two businesses. Securing long-term business success is achieved by understanding the threats and opportunities that advances in technology will bring.
“Heron Financial puts technology at the forefront of everything it does, paying close attention to how it can enhance both the client and adviser experience. The broker’s systems, processes and approach to lead generation is superb, with exceptional adviser productivity.
“The business is headed up by an inspirational management team with a clear vision that adapts to meet changing customer needs – and with major growth plans on the horizon, we’re excited about what the partnership can bring.”
Study Inn adds second Nottingham property to growing portfolio
Study Inn Group, the student accommodation owner, developer, and operator, is set to deliver a 270-bed purpose-built Study Inn in Nottingham, its second property in the city.
Triumph House is located adjacent to the University of Nottingham’s Jubilee campus. The £35 million brand-new scheme will offer a mixture of studios and en-suite serviced apartment rooms. Construction of the 5-storey ground up new build is in progress with opening scheduled for the next academic year.
Facilities will include 24×7 onsite management, room cleaning and linen services, superfast Wi-Fi, and state-of-the-art communal facilities such as study space, wellness spa, sauna, steam room, hot beds, gym, yoga studio, games room, lounge, big screen cinema room, bicycle parking, and private landscaped gardens.
Commenting on the new development, Jack Jefferson, acquisitions director at Study Inn Group, said: “Having opened 288 rooms in Talbot St, adjacent to Nottingham Trent University in 2020, this new development offers the opportunity to open a similar number of rooms adjacent to the University of Nottingham and so we are very pleased with the acquisition and the potential to continue to work with both universities in these excellent locations.
“This will be the seventh property in our second portfolio of luxury Study Inns. We had the ability and resources to close the acquisition quickly and have appetite for further acquisitions in good locations in UK cities.”
Azets strengthens tax practice in the Midlands
Azets, the accountancy firm and business advisor to SMEs, with 14 offices across the Midlands, Shropshire, and Welsh Borders, has strengthened its tax practice in the region with three senior appointments.
Gurj Sandhu, Stuart Bentley and Jay Mistry have all joined Azets in specialist tax roles as the firm continues to broaden and grow its expertise both in the region and nationally.
Gurj Sandhu, Partner and National Head of Capital Allowances with Azets, is dual qualified as a chartered surveyor and accountant, specialising in capital allowances and land remediation relief. Gurj qualified at a Big 4 firm and later moved on to establish the central region capital allowances team at RSM. Gurj advises across a broad range of clients and sectors and his experience includes discussions with HMRC to agree capital allowances claims, as well as specialist consultancy reviews of internal capital allowances systems and processes.
Stuart Bentley, Research & Development (R&D) Tax Director with Azets, joins from Fortus Business Advisors & Accountants. Stuart is an experienced advisor, specialising in the optimisation of government incentives, primarily R&D Tax Credits. He has a in degree in Materials Science, a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, and a Masters in executive coaching, helping him get a deeper understanding of clients’ businesses.
Jay Mistry, R&D Tax Manager with Azets, has experience in the automotive and engineering industries before moving into financial services and working at a top 15 accounting and business advisory firm, consulting on R&D Tax. Jay was most recently Senior Consultant with BDO, working with SME clients to deliver R&D benefits by preparing accurate, technical projects for R&D relief.
Clare Clifford, Head of Tax – Midlands, with Azets, said: “I’m thrilled to welcome Gurj, Stuart, and Jay into the Azets team. The rate of growth of our Midlands tax practice in the past year has reflected the urgent need for SMEs to take specialist advice and optimise their tax position against an extended period of economic uncertainty in the UK. This is apparent in our region and across the country – and our extended office network will benefit from these appointments and our enhanced specialist capability in tax allowances and R&D tax.
“It’s more important now than ever before for businesses to seek professional advice to fully understand the reliefs available to them and how they can prepare for confirmed and speculated tax changes in the next 12 months. The addition of Gurj, Stuart, and Jay will help our clients to plan and structure appropriately, providing certainty and stability despite challenging economic circumstances.”
Support for covid-hit businesses reaches milestone
The recovery of Leicestershire businesses affected by COVID continued this week with the number of SMEs receiving support hitting the 100 mark. 100 local businesses have signed up for the Start Up Business Support or SUBS programme, aimed at businesses that started in or after 2018 and were then interrupted by the pandemic.
The support takes a number of different forms, depending on what each business needs. The digital marketing expertise SMARTUP programme is provided by the agency So Very Creative; the company Incrementa is providing six weeks of mentoring, weekly workshops and 1-2-1 support; the Accelerator programme from Leicester Start-Ups CIC is six weeks of workshops, round tables and mentoring. They have also provided weekend workshops for businesses that are unavailable during the working week. Finally, NBV are delivering the three-week programme ‘Gearing for Growth’.
Each provider aims to build the confidence of the new businesses as well as providing essential skills to make sure they can grow and overcome any barriers that may arise in future.
There are still a further 90 places available for any Leicestershire business that launched in or after 2018 and whose trading was interrupted by COVID.
Sonia Baigent, Chair of the Business Gateway Board, commented: “COVID affected us all in different ways and it hit these businesses at a crucial time in their development. We’re happy to support them to make up for lost time and start growing. We would encourage any Leicestershire business in a similar situation, to get in touch to receive the support that’s available to them.”
Any business interested in discussing the SUBS programme should call the Business Gateway on 0116 366 8487 and ask to speak to a Business Adviser.
Dynamic team expansion to drive ambitious growth at Newsome
Over the last few months, temperature control and humidity experts, Newsome, has been actively recruiting key personnel to expand its experienced team – to help drive the company’s ambition to become the largest privately owned temperature control company within the UK.
The latest industry specialists to join the company include Chris Flynn, as sales manager and Rob Whyte, as contracts manager, both joining the Process Temperature Control division; whilst John Askew joins as contracts manager for the expanding HVAC & Refrigeration team.
The addition of these new recruits will enable Newsome to strengthen its presence across core markets as well as broadening into new sectors and service areas.
Chris Flynn will help Newsome drive their business growth strategy in the Process Temperature control division. He has carved a successful career in the temperature control industry, having spent the last 16 years working for ICS Cool Energy.
Chris says: “I am really excited to join Newsome. Being a smaller, privately owned company gives me the opportunity to use my skills to make a significant difference to the companies’ growth, particularly in the North & Midlands. I am looking forward to furthering my career with such a dynamic and ambitious team.”
Rob Whyte brings over 40 years of industry experience to the business, having spent the last 10 years working in the confectionary sector as technical director for Hilton Process Solutions.
Rob explains why he was keen to join: “I was looking for a new challenge. When I met Richard Metcalfe, I was really inspired by his passion and enthusiasm and vision for the business. I am really excited to join the team and play an integral part in the delivery of their business growth strategy, leveraging my extensive experience in project management and client services.”
With over 15 years in the industry, John Askew says: “I am really excited to join Newsome in their HVAC & Refrigeration team. In my previous role at Sovereign Air Movement, I worked alongside Newsome on a number of projects and was always impressed by the competence and professionalism of their personnel. I respected the fact they always worked directly with customers, rather than via third party contractors, which always led to greater customer satisfaction. I am looking forward to helping them expand their presence in this key business sector.”
Richard Metcalfe, director at Newsome, concludes: “Recruitment is a key part of our strategy to drive the business forward, to enable us to meet our ambitious growth targets. Having experienced and passionate people on our team is crucial to our continued success.
“We pride ourselves on providing a personalised, tailored solution to each of our customers. We are delighted that Chris Flynn, Rob Whyte and John Askew have recently joined us. They each bring valuable industry experience to the company, plus the maturity and motivation to help us deliver exceptional customer service.”
Over the coming months Newsome will continue with its expansion plans and looks forward to welcoming a number of additional personnel across the business in the new year.
Richard says: “We are now on the hunt for competent, highly motivated, service technicians and rental sales managers to join our fast-growing team – we invite anyone who may be interested to get in touch.”
Ridge appoints Building Surveying Partner in Leicester
Ridge and Partners LLP (Ridge) has appointed Andrew Jenkins as Partner to lead its Building Surveying practice in Leicester.
Andrew brings over 18 years’ experience in the property industry, with expertise in dilapidations, technical due diligence, and building surveying services.
Andrew joins Ridge from Uppingham School in Rutland where he spent three years as Estates Director working on a range of capital and revenue projects. Prior to this he was a Director at CS2 Chartered Surveyors, establishing its Birmingham office in 2010 and later taking over as head of its London office in 2014.
Andrew will head up a new building surveying arm that enhances the existing disciplines offered by Ridge Leicester – including Architecture, Quantity Surveying, Project Management, and Mechanical and Electrical. To support the growth, Ridge is recruiting four new building surveyors in the coming months.
Speaking of his appointment, Andrew said: “I’m looking forward to playing my part in the success of Ridge and developing a building consultancy team here in the East Midlands. Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, Ridge has a strong reputation built on providing exceptional client service and I’m excited to contribute to its continued growth.
“The most rewarding part of my job is working with clients to solve their property questions. Whether it is settling a dilapidations claim or delivering a refurbishment project, every day brings a new challenge. I’m lucky to have the opportunity to build a team of talented individuals who enjoy the very same challenge.
“Property is ever-changing and in the coming years there will be an exciting evolution of property types and sectors. As a successful multidiscipline property and construction consultancy, Ridge can continue to deliver savings, increase efficiencies, and provide property solutions to a range of blue-chip clients.”
Matthew Francis, Partner and head of the Leicester office at Ridge, said: “We’re delighted that Andrew has joined us to lead the building surveying team in Leicester. He has a wide range of sector experience and technical knowledge that will benefit both new and existing clients. He is experienced in building teams, and I am confident we can deliver a market-leading building surveying arm in the East Midlands.”
