New five-year plan to bolster Leicester’s creative economy
A five-year strategy that aims to create thousands of new jobs in Leicester’s creative economy and engage hundreds more adults in the city’s arts and cultural offer has been published by the city council.
Called Leicester Leading:2025-2030, the new cultural and creative industries’ strategy aims to build on the city’s status as one of the most creative cities in the UK and reflects Leicester’s ambitions to be more vocal about its success in the sector.
Work carried out for the strategy revealed that Leicester had nearly three times as many jobs in the creative economy as official figures suggested – 15,600 compared to 5,310 – with people working in the arts, computer consultancies, music, photography, publishing, film and television, design and designer fashion, advertising and marketing, and software and gaming.
But over the next five years, the city council wants to see the number of jobs in this fast-growing sector rise by 28% to 20,000.
It also wants to boost the number of adults in the city who actively participate in cultural and creative activity, aiming to increase the engagement rate from 80% to the national average of 90%.
Assistant city mayor for culture Cllr Vi Dempster said: “Over the last decade or so, the city council and its partners have supported Leicester’s creative economy with around £75m, investing in major projects – including the expansion of the Phoenix Arts Centre, DOCK workspaces and the Leicester Museum & Art Gallery – that has helped to create a strong and diverse creative sector.
“Working with our partners, we want to build on that success and showcase the city as a leader in the cultural and creative industries – and promote it nationally as a place to invest in.
“Furthermore, we also want to reach out to the people who live here and engage more of them in the city’s rich and varied cultural life. Whether it’s visiting a museum, attending a festival, learning a new skill, helping to plan cultural and heritage celebrations, or taking part in a creative activity, these experiences can greatly enhance the quality of people’s lives and their enjoyment of their city.
“So this new strategy will have real benefits for the people of Leicester, while also providing an ambitious roadmap of change and growth for the city and its creative sector over the next five years.”
Consultants Fifth Sector carried out the initial engagement for the strategy, involving hundreds of key stakeholders in round table discussions, one to one meetings and online questionnaires.
Extensive research and consultation helped shape the strategy and identify its eight key themes: Leicester Leading; Empowering Talent; Sharing and Shouting; a Signature Festival; Inclusive Heritage; Inspirational Spaces; Creative Circuits; and Vision for Growth.
Central to the development of each theme is a commitment to promoting equality and inclusion, challenging entrenched inequalities, celebrating diversity, and providing access to opportunity for all in Leicester.
Leicester Leading: 2025-2030 was developed and funded by the city council in partnership with Arts Council England, De Montfort University and the University of Leicester.
Peter Knott, Midlands area director at Arts Council England, said: “Leicester is a diverse and international city, with its artists, cultural organisations and creative industries making it a great place to live, grow up, study, work and visit.
“This strategy provides an ambitious pathway so that, by 2030, people at all stages of their lives, and from all parts of the city, can actively participate in, and benefit from, high quality cultural and creative activity.”
Professor Katie Normington, vice-chancellor at De Montfort University, said: “A cultural and creative strategy is key for the development of Leicester as a specialist centre for arts.
“Central to that is how we work together. I am excited by the opportunity to take part in the cultural strengthening of our diverse offering and to showcase our world class provision.”
Professor Henrietta O’Connor, provost and deputy vice-chancellor at the University of Leicester, said: “We are delighted Leicester City Council is spearheading a new cultural and creative industries’ strategy, which will support the growth of these important sectors in the city.
“University research and innovation has a key role to play in the regional economy. This is exemplified by the partnership between the University of Leicester, Leicester City Council and the National Space Centre, which is transforming the local technology economy at Space City. Home to global space sector leaders, including Rolls Royce, Airbus, Maxar and CGI, the £100m Space Park Leicester will contribute £750m to the economy and create high value employment.”
Dunelm snaps up soft furnishings retailer
Dunelm, the Leicester-headquartered homewares retailer, has acquired Homefocus Group Limited.
Home Focus is a soft furnishings retailer which trades under the ‘Home Focus at Hickeys’ brand, with 13 stores trading in high-quality locations across the Republic of Ireland. The business also operates online, providing home delivery and a ‘Click & Reserve’ option for customers to collect products in-store.
With a focus on fabrics, the brand specialises in specific home categories including curtains and bedding. Home Focus’ c.140 colleagues will be welcomed to Dunelm.
The acquisition is an attractive opportunity for Dunelm to connect with more customers by entering a new geography, with a homewares market of more than £1bn. The acquisition immediately provides the Group with good coverage across the Republic of Ireland, through Home Focus’ portfolio of smaller stores (<10,000 sq ft).
Dunelm sees potential to offer a broader range of products in Home Focus stores, in line with the Group’s existing smaller format stores in the UK, giving customers more choice and a more comprehensive offer for the home.
Dunelm also sees opportunity to introduce a more comprehensive online proposition and, over time, will assess new store opportunities across Ireland.
Nick Wilkinson, CEO of Dunelm, said: “In Home Focus we have found a high-quality and complementary business, with a shared heritage in home textiles and strong values which stem from family ownership.
“We’ve really enjoyed getting to know the team and look forward to welcoming them to the Dunelm family as we work together to further develop and invest in their specialist home proposition.
“We see a clear opportunity to introduce more choice and value into the offer which Home Focus has built for its customers. With an established national store footprint and expertise in mutual growth areas like Made to Measure, we’re confident that Home Focus will help us to continue unlocking our full potential.
“We’re proud to be embarking on this journey with Home Focus and investing in the next stage of its story, where we look forward to providing further opportunities for colleague development, creating additional jobs, and supporting local communities.”
Ian Donnelly, Managing Director of Home Focus, added: “With around 80 years in business, we have been looking for a new custodian to take Home Focus into its next chapter. Dunelm immediately struck us as having a clear cultural fit, with a strong team guided by sound values and focused on investing for long-term growth.
“We’re confident that Dunelm’s experience as a multi-channel retailer, together with its ability to offer a wider assortment of products across multiple home categories, will offer both our colleagues and customers an even better proposition as we move forward.”
Closure considered for Kettering mochi ice cream factory
Closure is being considered for Little Moons’ Kettering factory, less than a year after it opened.
Workers at the plant in Kettering have been told it is likely to close, according to reports in the Northamptonshire Telegraph, with their jobs now at risk following an assessment of the business.
The producer of mochi ice cream has seen its products hit the shelves of major supermarkets, with its growth leading to a 50,000 sq ft factory at Cransley Park.
In a statement the business said it had “led a robust assessment of its business to ensure operational efficiency that will facilitate a stable and profitable future.”
It added that this had “resulted in proposed structural changes across the whole business” including how it goes to market and manufactures. This includes “exploring the viability of shutting down the factory in Kettering” and consolidating operations back into Park Royal and Wembley.
The business noted that the proposals may lead to job losses, with staff being formally consulted before final decisions are made.
Royal approval for innovative Derby company
Derby-based water conservation and washroom services specialists HSG has been formally presented with The King’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation by HM Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire Mrs Elizabeth Fothergill CBE and Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire Mr Tony Walker CBE.
They joined civic dignitaries including The High Sheriff of Derbyshire Mr Ian Morgan OBE and the Mayor of Derby Cllr Ged Potter for the presentation at Derby’s Pride Park Stadium.
Also in attendance were employees from the sales, technical and administration teams at HSG, key customers, representatives from businesses and organisations who have supported the company throughout its 17 years in business, East Midlands Chamber and local charity, Me & Dee, which the company supports.
The guests were officially welcomed to Pride Park by Stephen Pearce, CEO of Derby County Football Club, who thanked the company for their kit sponsorship for the men’s and women’s first teams and the vote of thanks was given by HSG founder and managing director Simon Rice.
Family-owned HSG, based in Pride Park, is one of just 252 organisations nationally to receive the award this year. It recognises the company’s further innovative developments that have been made in its revolutionary washroom innovation technologies that significantly reduce water consumption, save money and help support a more sustainable planet.
HSG originally won The Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation in 2018 for its market-leading Ureco System, comprised of the Ureco urinal sleeve and Uretech water management system. The Ureco System works to save water and money whilst improving the washrooms by eliminating smells and preventing urinal blockages.
Every year, the Ureco System saves over 1 billion litres of water which equates to 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools, across its customer sites which include Tesco, Toyota Manufacturing UK, NEC, Pizza Hut, All England Lawn Tennis Club, Aston Martin and more than 100 NHS sites.
The King’s Award recognises the further innovative technologies that HSG has brought to market alongside the Ureco System:
- The Ureflush which was launched in 2022 and is a low-cost alternative to dual flush. A toilet flush will use 11-13 litres, whereas Ureflush reduces this consumption to as low as 1 litre, depending on the duration the button is held whilst flushing.
- A new version of Uretech enables data capture, remote flush and a real time clock – providing more flexibility for the customer to concentrate the 4 daily flushes at high footfall times.
- The Uretech Plus+ also provides wifi-enabled water management – providing minute-by-minute readings of water usage, leak detection and software that can remotely switch off the water if necessary.
- Since the 2018 Award, an eighth enzyme has been included in the Ureco to enable the breakdown of the protein strain in hair.
Leicester Business Festival marks tenth year with over 3,000 attendees
Leicester Business Festival (LBF) 2024 marked its tenth year with over 3,000 attendees from 1,000 businesses and over 40% of its 70 events sold out.
Early feedback indicates that over 96% of events were rated as good or excellent, highlighting the festival’s impact.
For the second consecutive year, the Boss Break Out fundraising event ran and raised nearly £24,000 for Leicester Hospitals Charity, supporting the purchase of Smileyscopes—specialised VR headsets designed to help children stay calm during medical procedures.
Held at the Haymarket Shopping Centre, the event saw nine business leaders competing to raise funds through donations from their networks. One standout participant, Alister de Ternant from Associate Events, exceeded his fundraising goal by 500%, raising an impressive £5,000 in just three hours.
Throughout the two-week festival, businesses hosted events at key venues such as King Power Stadium, De Montfort University, and The Gresham Aparthotel. The packed schedule included invaluable networking opportunities, expert insights, and industry celebrations, including the East Midlands Chamber’s annual Leicestershire Business Awards.
The festival also saw the launch of new partnerships, including the Leicester Music Board (LMB) and the Leicester Cultural and Creative Industries Strategy. The Power to Change Conference also took place and brought together key sectors to drive change for young people in the region.
At the closing ceremony attended by more than 70 business people and hosted by The City Rooms in Leicester, three awards were presented:
- First Event to Sell Out: How to Use Creative Storytelling to Hook in Your Customers by Altitude Marketing
- Most Unique Event: The How I Failed in Business Podcast LIVE with Sophia Grace & Rob Spence
- Special Award: De Montfort University for hosting the most events at LBF over the past decade.
Derby ICT company expands
Link ICT, which recently moved to new offices in Pride Park, Derby has further expanded its team following the appointment of Hugh Burch and Jai Shergill.
Hugh is joining as an IT Systems Administrator having previously been a Senior IT Technician in a school and an IT infrastructure Engineer. Also joining the company is Jai Shergill who is beginning an apprenticeship as an Information Communications Technician arranged by Althaus.
Founded in 2004, these are the fifth new appointments in 2024 for Link ICT, which specialises in the provision of outsourced IT Support where technicians are based on-site to help ensure users understand IT and the cost and efficiency benefits of using IT are fully realised.
Commenting on his new role, Hugh said: “Following the recent move to Pride Park, now is a great time to join the company. The role spans business and education-based customers, so there is lots of scope to learn and expand my skill base working alongside some really good people.”
Jai, who lives in Derby left school with GCSEs in English, Math’s, Computer Science, Combined Science, History, Music, and History. He has previously worked for Tesco Mobile as a Sales advisor. He therefore has lots of experience in helping customers set up their new technology and helping them feel confident using their device – experience which will be invaluable in his new job role.
Jai added: “I wanted to join Link ICT because it combines aspects of my previous work experience such as customer relations, computer science knowledge, using software and diagnosing problems. I am really looking forward to the opportunity to learn more about the IT industry in such a team-focused and supportive work environment.”
Inflation rises, ahead of expectations
UK inflation rose last month, with energy prices in part to blame, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), inflation ticked up by 2.3% in the 12 months to October 2024, up from 1.7% in September, and ahead of expectations of a 2.2% rise.
The largest upward contribution to the change came from housing and household services, mainly because of electricity and gas prices. The largest offsetting downward contribution came from recreation and culture.
Core inflation, meanwhile, which takes out volatile factors like energy, food, alcohol and tobacco to give a clear picture of underlying trends, rose by 3.3% in the 12 months to October 2024, up from 3.2% in September.
Alpesh Paleja, Interim Deputy Chief Economist, CBI, said: “Inflation was always expected to pick up in October, but the increase was bigger than the Bank of England had expected.
“We’ll continue to see bumpier inflation over the coming months, as more base effects play out in the data. But the big picture should still remain one of headline inflation being much lower than this time a couple of years ago.
“Despite the upside surprise in today’s data, the Bank is still likely to continue cutting rates at a gradual pace going forward. However, renewed price pressures from the fiscal loosening in October’s Budget means that the CPI rate is likely to stay above the 2% target for longer than previously expected.
“Coupled with continued strength in services price inflation and wage growth, this all but rules out the prospect of a faster pace of rate cuts in the year ahead.”
Three charities to receive expert branding support from Nottingham creative agency
To celebrate two decades of helping organisations to tell their stories, Threerooms, a brand and creative agency, is giving back to the charity sector with a £15,000 branding support giveaway.
Three UK charities will each receive a bespoke branding package worth over £5,000 to help amplify their cause, strengthen their identity and deepen their connection with supporters.
Ian Morris, Director and Founder of Threerooms, said: “At Threerooms, our mission is to empower charities to connect with their communities through impactful, authentic branding.
“In today’s crowded landscape, it’s vital for charities to stand out and convey their purpose clearly. Good branding isn’t just about logos – it’s about building a story that resonates, fosters trust and drives action.”
He added: “We’re delighted to mark our 20th anniversary by offering this support to three charities, helping them strengthen their message and ensuring it reaches people in powerful, meaningful ways.”
Threerooms will work closely with each chosen charity to understand their goals and provide one of three tailored branding services:
Brand Strategy Workshop – A focused session to clarify brand values, messaging and mission-aligned direction.
Brand Identity Refresh – A revitalised visual identity designed to enhance the charity’s presence and appeal to supporters.
Design or Motion Support – Professional design or motion graphics that compellingly convey the charity’s message.
Charities are invited to apply at the Threerooms Charity Branding Application page by December 23, 2024. Recipients will be chosen based on their impact and how branding support could help them grow their reach. Winners will be announced on January 31, 2025.
Streets Chartered Accountants makes latest in string of mergers
Lincolnshire-based top 40 professional service firm, Streets Chartered Accountants has established Streets Bush Limited.
The announcement follows the merger of the Exeter chartered accountancy firm of Bush & Co with the fast-growing multi regional practice, Streets Chartered Accountants. This latest merger, along with that of the Bristol practice of Streets Steele following a merger only 12 months ago, now sees Streets firmly establish a presence in the South West.
When asked about the merger Shane Cann, Managing Director of Streets Bush, said: “We are thrilled to announce our merger with Streets and are excited about the future for our team and our clients as we move forwards as part of the wider Streets team.
“Bush & Co was founded in 1955 and over the years has grown into one of the leading accountancy firms in Exeter thanks to our strong reputation and excellent client care and continuity.
“It was very important to us that we joined forces with a firm who shared our values and ethos with an underpinning focus on excellent client service.
“We chose Streets because they also provide a tailored and bespoke service covering all areas of expertise across a broad range of sectors and in addition, we wished to retain some independence and investment in the existing business, providing for the continued longevity of the practice for our clients and our team.
“Being part of a wider, thriving UK practice means that we can now offer a more diverse range of specialist services including specialist corporate and private client tax planning, banking and finance, grants, R&D tax reliefs, international advice and personal financial planning. It also improves career prospects and training for our team, as well our ability to attract quality staff.
“The merger will strengthen our position in Exeter and Devon and enhance our reputation as a pre-eminent accountancy and business advice provider benefiting from the support of a multi-office and multi-region firm.
“Now we are very much an integral part of the further growth of the Streets practice we are all working closely to explore further expansion of the firm across the South West, including Cornwall, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire, both organically and through other merger opportunities.”
Looking at what the merger means to Streets, the firm’s Managing Partner, Paul Tutin, said: “We are especially pleased to have Shane Cann, his fellow directors and all the team in Exeter join the practice.
“We have wanted for some time to have a meaningful presence in the South West. In Streets Bush we have not only realised this but also our wider ambition to be amongst the region’s leading professional service firms looking after and supporting the needs of businesses, large and small, as well as private individuals.
“This latest merger, along with others over recent months, now means we have surpassed our target revenue of £40m for the year, a position we are delighted to be able to report and which reflects the success of our growth strategy and all the hard work by the team involved in our merger and acquisition activity.
“The profession is going through significant consolidation with heightened levels of merger and acquisition. In contrast to many, our approach seeks to build on the success of merging firms, ensuring we retain and build on their winning approach – an approach we believe is particularly liked by many of those looking to exit routes, the challenge of growing their practice or facing increased competition and the need to widen their service offering.”
Streets Law, the firm’s dedicated corporate and commercial law offering led by Managing Director and Solicitor, Adam Aisthorpe, undertook the legal work on behalf of Streets for the merger, including drafting the sale and purchase agreement and dealing with the due diligence process in collaboration with internal colleagues in the tax and audit teams at Streets.
Work starts on joint venture’s first East Midlands industrial scheme
McLaren Construction (Midlands and North) has started works at the first UK industrial scheme in the East Midlands for a joint venture with Garbe Industrial Real Estate GmbH and Invesco Real Estate.
McLaren will oversee all aspects of construction for the £30 million project located in Shireoaks, Worksop – in the prime East Midlands logistics district, including associated access roads and landscaping features.
With a 45-week completion target, works will include the design and build of two new industrial units totalling approximately 550,000 sq ft across 28.9 acres, alongside the construction of S38 works, and a private access road that will form the main access into the site and adjacent plot.
The site is easily accessed from the A57 and located in equal distance to the major A1 and M1 motorway links, with the major cities of Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Sheffield reachable within less than two hours.
Soft landscaping, turfing and planting has been undertaken as part of the initial grounds and landscape works and complex aspects of the build will include the S38 carriageway to an adoptable standard throughout the site, alongside the implementation of a culvert drainage system.
In keeping with the environmental and landscape specifications, the build will include green cladding of varying shades alongside glazing and ribbon windows to allow natural optimised lighting to all warehouse areas.
McLaren Construction Midlands and North demonstrates its commitment to environmental sustainability by integrating recycled components from previous demolitions, using available materials from the groundwork that can be crushed and re-used, alongside connecting to the site’s Mains Power thereby eliminating the need for generators and fuel.
This approach will not only contribute to the scheme’s BREEAM Rating of Excellent and EPC rating of A+, but it will also extend to McLaren’s efforts to enhance local ecology.
The team has worked alongside the client to ensure satisfaction with pre-commencement planning conditions, and enabling works were undertaken during bird nesting season, with an ecologist appointed to oversee the process.
The contractor has meticulously planned the development to minimise environmental impact, enhance biodiversity, and target additional BREEAM points for ecological enhancements.
Gary Cramp, managing director of McLaren Construction (Midlands and North), said: “We are honoured to be working alongside Garbe and Invesco Real Estate as part of a joint venture for the first industrial and logistics scheme in the UK – contributing to the expansion of the companies’ UK and European logistics portfolio.
“Bringing our experience delivering exceptional quality sustainable industrial and logistics builds, and with the prime Midlands location of the site, the scheme is well positioned to support the operational growth needs of businesses across a variety of sectors.”
