Creative content agency snaps up Nottingham retail specialist

Tess Egginton
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Creative content agency snaps up Nottingham retail specialist
Ride Shotgun, the creative content agency, has acquired Nottingham-based specialist retail agency True Story. True Story brings a wealth of retail expertise, with a client list including Holland & Barrett, Pets at Home and DFS. The deal will add 25 team members and £4 million in revenue, bolstering Ride Shotgun’s growth plans. Andy Weir, chief client officer, Ride Shotgun, said: “True Story is a well established and highly respected creative agency with a long-standing passion for retail and brand storytelling, we’re delighted that they are now part of Ride Shotgun. “Their expertise strengthens our Joined Up Brand Journeys proposition, and will enable us to solve even more of the challenges that our clients face today. Helping them to deliver more impactful customer experiences, across more channels, much more efficiently. “Just as importantly, we’re thrilled to welcome their talented team to the Ride Shotgun family. Like us, they focus on building strong, lasting client partnerships, and have an enviable track record of creating value through impactful customer experiences for big brands and retailers.”
Jayne Mayled, founder of True Story, added: “The True Story team is delighted to join Ride Shotgun’s innovative and dynamic global network, with offices across the world and now in Nottingham. “Importantly, we share the same passion and commitment to our clients and our people, and this now gives us a bigger opportunity to bring even more value to our clients and an exciting future for our team.”
Following the acquisition, Ride Shotgun’s global team now totals 190 staff across the UK, US, Europe, and Asia, with revenues exceeding £18 million.

Recruitment firm extends support for Leicestershire cricket

April Lara
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Recruitment firm extends support for Leicestershire cricket

Leicester-based recruitment company 365 People has extended its commercial partnership with Leicestershire County Cricket Club for the 2025 season.

The agreement will see the firm continue to support the Club across multiple commercial initiatives, strengthening its visibility within regional business and sporting circles. 365 People, which operates across the industrial, transport, engineering, and commercial sectors, has a longstanding relationship with the Club and remains committed to investing in community engagement through sport.

The renewal comes as Leicestershire CCC gears up for its upcoming season at the Uptonsteel County Ground, where corporate partnerships continue to play a key role in sustaining regional sporting infrastructure.

Stagecoach Yorkshire ramps up recruitment in Chesterfield

April Lara
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Stagecoach Yorkshire ramps up recruitment in Chesterfield

Stagecoach Yorkshire is expanding its workforce across Chesterfield and the wider region as the UK grapples with a rising unemployment rate and growing economic inactivity.

Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics show unemployment for those aged 16 to 64 reached 4.5% between January and March, while 21.4% of working-age adults were considered economically inactive. Against this backdrop, Stagecoach, one of the area’s largest transport employers, is actively recruiting drivers, engineers, and support staff.

The operator is offering roles with structured training and apprenticeships, aiming to attract both experienced professionals and those new to the sector. Positions come with benefits including competitive pay, life assurance, retail discounts, and free bus travel.

This recruitment drive reflects Stagecoach’s continued growth in regional transport services and positions the company as a stable employer at a time when many businesses face staffing uncertainty.

Nottingham Business School sets gold standard in business engagement with reaccreditation excellence

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Nottingham Business School sets gold standard in business engagement with reaccreditation excellence
Nottingham Business School’s commitment to supporting businesses, fostering entrepreneurship, and driving economic growth has been recognised with reaccreditation from the Small Business Charter (SBC) for the maximum five-year period. The accreditation examined 30 Small Business Charter dimensions and in a rare and prestigious achievement, Nottingham Business School (NBS) achieved outstanding performance across all elements. NBS is triple crown accredited by EQUIS, AACSB, and AMBA – globally recognised hallmarks of excellence and quality for business education. It actively engages industry professionals and stakeholders in the design and delivery of its courses, as well as developing research that influences business, management, and public policy. The award from SBC recognises NBS impact across three key pillars: small business growth, stakeholder engagement, and student enterprise. This includes its comprehensive and integrated approach to business support through a range of programmes and initiatives which directly benefit SMEs and entrepreneurs. NBS’s strong commitment to knowledge exchange and enterprise has led to the successful delivery of over £10 million in funded projects, supporting more than 1,500 SMEs via innovation partnerships, leadership programmes, and knowledge transfer initiatives. Programmes included the Big House which became a standout initiative for creative and digital enterprises, supporting over 2,700 SMEs and 500 entrepreneurs, helping them secure more than £1.5 million in external funding, from 2018-2023. This has led to NBS becoming a key partner in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport funded CreateGrowth N2 programme that supports creative and digital businesses across Nottinghamshire and is already creating valuable impacts in terms of innovation and funding for growth. NBS also delivers the government-backed Help to Grow: Management, programme – now on its 20th cohort – which provides executive development, peer learning, and mentoring to SME leaders, enhancing their strategic and operational capabilities. Businesses working with NBS have access to dedicated facilities and innovation spaces, including the newly renovated Belgrave Postgraduate Centre and the Dryden Enterprise Centre which provide cutting-edge co-working spaces, specialist accelerator programmes, and dedicated business growth support. These hubs have supported more than 100 entrepreneurs from 35 organisations with business engagement and revenue growth. An aspect of NBS that impressed the accreditation panel was its continual engagement with organisations to provide students with meaningful experiential learning opportunities. Thousands of NBS students interact with small businesses each year thanks to initiatives such as NBS Discover, NBS Bright, and Postgraduate Consultancy Projects. Its vibrant alumni and mentoring networks were also noted as an area of excellence – with an Alumni Fellowship Scheme and an Entrepreneurs Club connecting graduates and business leaders with current students, offering mentoring, role modelling, and networking opportunities that inspire new ventures and professional growth. Executive Dean of Nottingham Business School, Professor Baback Yazdani, said: “This prestigious five-year accreditation is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our staff, students, and business partners. “It recognises NBS’s dynamic role in driving innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership across both academia and industry, and reflects our deep commitment to supporting SMEs, shaping policy, and delivering impactful education and research that benefits our region and beyond.” Flora Hamilton, Executive Director of the Small Business Charter, added: “Nottingham Business School continues to set a high standard in its commitment to small businesses and regional growth. “This reaccreditation is a testament to the school’s consistent drive for excellence, using the Small Business Charter framework not only as recognition, but as a catalyst for continuous improvement. We are delighted to see their impact recognised once again.”

Baby loss charity receives £25k from housebuilder

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Baby loss charity receives £25k from housebuilder
A pregnancy and baby loss charity has welcomed the backing of a housebuilder in the East Midlands. Sands, who work to save babies’ lives through research, training and campaigning, and support anyone who has experienced the heartbreak of pregnancy or baby loss, were the chosen charity partner of Miller Homes East Midlands, based in Derby. The partnership, which ran for 12 months, saw staff at the housebuilder – which is currently building homes across Derbyshire, Newark and Loughborough – raising money for Sands through a dedicated programme of charity activity which included team hikes and cycle rides, Tough Mudder challenges, quiz nights and raffles. During that period, Miller Homes has raised £25,903 for Sands, which will go towards their vital services and programmes to help train healthcare professionals, develop research projects and provide a safe, understanding and caring community for anyone touched by pregnancy or baby loss, whether recently or long ago. Chloë Brunton-Dunn, corporate partnerships officer for Sands, said: “We are so grateful to the team from Miller Homes East Midlands for supporting Sands as their Charity of the year. “It’s been fantastic to see colleagues come together to raise funds, from step challenges to Tough Mudder, to cycling, hiking and kayaking through Snowdonia, the team have raised a brilliant amount with their efforts. “This partnership will help to make a huge difference to our life-saving work at Sands. Their impact will help us to reach more people with the support that they need after pregnancy loss or the death of a baby.” Miller Homes East Midlands is aiming to match its fundraising efforts of the previous year as it begins to raise money for its new regional charity partner, Bodie Hodges Foundation, which also specialises in child bereavement. Tom Roberts, regional operations director for Miller Homes East Midlands, said: “It has been a privilege to help raise vital funds for Sands during their time as our regional charity partner. The team really pulled together for some challenging but rewarding fundraising events and we’re all so pleased to have raised as much money as we have for Sands. “We’re very aware of the tremendous difficulty dealing with the loss of a baby or child can bring to any parent, and the work that Sands do to help combat that, help fund research into treatments and preventions, and the one-to-one support they offer to people going through an incredibly tough time is hugely important for so many. “We are pleased to know that the almost £26,000 raised by the team will go someway to supporting the charity’s efforts and projects in the future, to be able to help as many people as possible.”

Nottingham steelwork contractor on track to achieve carbon net zero

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Nottingham steelwork contractor on track to achieve carbon net zero
Nottingham-based Caunton Engineering, the steelwork contractors, is on track to achieve carbon net zero following the launch of a company-wide sustainability drive. The family-owned company, which has an annual turnover of around £100 million and employs more than 250 people, is moving forward with its ‘zero-carbon roadmap’ to reduce carbon emissions. The roadmap is driving a range of carbon reduction initiatives working together with clients, consultants and supply chain partners. These include design optimisation and efficiency, low embodied carbon materials and product innovation, off-site manufacture and assembly and seeking alternatives to liquid fossil fuels for on-site plant and equipment. As part of this stated commitment towards achieving net zero, Caunton is undertaking a multi-million investment to transform its loading fleet across the company’s fabrication facilities into an all-electric operation. This includes replacing the gas-powered CombiLift multi-directional forklift with an upgraded electric alternative, and introducing a new fleet of three all-electric Baumann side loaders, providing the latest in 120v battery technology and high levels of performance with wheel times of up to nine hours. Caunton Engineering’s chairman, Simon Bingham, said: “As one of the UK’s largest steelwork contractors, Caunton has a critical role to play in the transformation of our industry to one that embraces sustainability and is working towards a net zero carbon target. “Our net zero roadmap provides us with the direction and opportunity to collaborate with clients and use our expertise, knowledge and influence across the full spectrum of our supply chain, which is crucial in addressing climate change.” He added: “Steel will increasingly be placed under the microscope to examine its green credentials. Our net zero roadmap will provide the right direction for Caunton Engineering to become a market leader in green building solutions. “With added emphasis on optimised designs, our engineers will move more into partnering arrangements with clients and consultants. We will also need to review structural hybrid solutions, re-use of steel and investment opportunities to reduce our operational carbon footprint. “Caunton will continue to explore opportunities to reuse structural steel members reclaimed from existing buildings and structures. As a member of the BCSA structural steel reuse working group, we promote steel reuse as a credible option, whilst raising awareness and knowledge throughout the construction industry.” Post and pre-consumer steel scrap is a valuable raw material used in the steel production process, and is the most recycled material in the world. Around 650 million tonnes of scrap steel is utilised each year within global steel production, with scrap steel used in both primary and secondary steel production routes. This reuse avoids the emissions of over 975 million tonnes of CO2e annually and significantly reduces the use of natural resources.

Award-winning retail marketing agency takes whole building at Dock 3-5

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Award-winning retail marketing agency takes whole building at Dock 3-5
Dock 3–5 has leased 17,077 sq ft – the entirety of its Dock 4 office building – to innovative retail marketing firm Array UK. Supporting global brands such as L’Oreal, Maybelline, Givenchy and Boots, the firm currently employs 87 people in the UK and was previously based in Leicester’s Friars Mill Business Centre. The move comes after international recognition of the firm’s commitment to innovation and sustainability, with Array UK earning nearly 150 industry awards across Europe. The company joins inaugural tenants Kazzoo IT Solutions, Somerbys IT, IN Focus ITS, Employee Zero, World Products, Translatr, Impact Venture, and The VoIP Shop. The Dock development is on track to house 120+ businesses and over 600 employees once fully occupied. Dock 3 – 5 is Leicestershire’s first net carbon-zero workspace development. Leicester-based firm Brackley Property Developments served as the development partner, with construction carried out by county-based Wilten Construction Ltd. Dock 3 – 5 is owned and run by Leicester City Council. Leicester City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: “I’m delighted to welcome this award-winning business – Array UK – to join the mix of other innovative businesses in our latest Dock workspace. “Achieving 40% occupancy in just nine months is a testament to the quality of serviced workspace that is being offered here.” Anthony Gosse, CEO of Array Marketing, said: “We are pleased to have found the right place to further strengthen our presence in the UK and EMEA. Our Leicestershire hub plays a key role in driving sustainable and innovative retail solutions for our clients. “In EMEA, our production facility in Warsaw, with its comprehensive cross-functional team, works hand in hand with our UK employees to deliver expertly crafted, high-quality solutions. This strategic setup allows us to continue shaping the future of retail experiences while reinforcing our commitment to sustainability and industry-leading innovation.” Crystal Carter, workspace development manager at Dock, said: “Achieving 40% occupancy in just nine months is a testament to the market demand and quality of serviced workspace that we’ve built with this Dock extension. “We’re excited to welcome Array UK, a leader in retail marketing innovation, to our growing community. It’s not just about filling spaces; it’s about fostering the right business environment. Our team is dedicated to helping tenants thrive while contributing to Leicester’s net-zero ambitions and a more sustainable future.”

Build Manager joins the sponsor line up for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025

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Build Manager joins the sponsor line up for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025
Construction firm Build Manager has joined the sponsor line up for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025, backing the Residential Development of the Year category. With a mission to make the building process as seamless and efficient as possible, Build Manager offer comprehensive services to help you navigate the complexities of your construction project. Whether you’re planning a commercial new build, a refurbishment, or a housing development project, Build Manager are there to guide you through every step of the process, ensuring that your vision becomes a reality. Speaking with Business Link, Matthew Jones, director at Build Manager, said: “We are delighted to sponsor this year’s East Midlands Bricks Awards and to champion the Residential Development of the Year category. “At Build Manager, we bring over 50 years of combined industry experience to every project, offering a comprehensive suite of services, from construction consultancy and project management, supporting SME developers with project viability and finance process, through to full turn-key design and build solutions. “Our team, comprising former senior managers from one of Lincolnshire’s largest main contractors, provides the expertise and professionalism of a major firm, while delivering a friendly and personalised service our clients can rely on. “The Bricks Awards are a celebration of the people and projects shaping the East Midlands, and that resonates strongly with us. We’ve chosen to sponsor Residential Development of the Year because we understand the challenges and opportunities in this space, and we’re passionate about recognising innovation, quality, and the commitment it takes to deliver homes that meet the needs of growing communities. “We look forward to an evening of acknowledging outstanding achievements, connecting with fellow professionals, and sharing insights that contribute to the growth and success of the East Midlands construction community.” The East Midlands Bricks Awards, which will take place on Thursday 2nd October at Nottingham’s famous Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, celebrates the successes of property and construction companies in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and Northamptonshire. Recognising those behind the changing landscape of the East Midlands, the occasion highlights development projects, businesses, and people in commercial and public building across the region – from office, industrial and residential schemes, through to community projects such as leisure schemes and schools. It also toasts the work of architects, agencies, and those behind large schemes. Welcoming almost 150 professionals, nominating a company or project for the awards is a great way to showcase your successes, recognise your team’s efforts, bolster morale, and reach our audience of over 60,000 business readers, while also offering a chance to connect with respected professionals. It’s completely free to enter and making the top three finalists in your category also wins you free tickets to the event.

To make a nomination for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025, please click here.

Supporting imagery, video, documents, or links to these, can be sent to bricks@blmgroup.co.uk. Video nomination pitches are also welcome as an alternative or companion to written entries. Categories include: All finalists will have the chance to take home the Overall Winner award, which this year comes with a grand prize of a year of marketing/publicity worth £20,000, with the opportunity to split or gift the marketing to a charity of your choice.

Nominations will close on Friday 15th August.

New for this year, all entrants will also have the opportunity to be featured on our dedicated nominee showcase on the East Midlands Business Link website, providing space for marketing your achievements. Upon submitting a nomination, we will get in touch for any information, imagery, and video nominees would like to be featured on their showcase page.

The East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025

What: The East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025 When: Thursday 2nd October (4.30pm – 7.30pm) Where: Derek Randall Suite, Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, Nottingham Keynote speaker: Councillor Nadine Peatfield – Leader of Derby City Council, Cabinet Member for City Centre, Regeneration, Strategy and Policy, and Deputy Mayor of the East Midlands Tickets: Available here Dress code: Standard business attire Thanks to our sponsors:                                                      

To be held at:

With a limited number of sponsorship opportunities remaining, please contact Angie Cooper at a.cooper@blmgroup.co.uk to learn more if you are interested in becoming an East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025 sponsor.

£500m channelled to East Midlands SMEs through guarantee schemes

April Lara
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£500m channelled to East Midlands SMEs through guarantee schemes

The British Business Bank has facilitated £5bn in lending to UK SMEs through its ENABLE Guarantees and ENABLE Build schemes, with around £500m directed to businesses in the East Midlands.

These programmes, designed to improve credit access for smaller firms, use government-backed guarantees to reduce lender risk. ENABLE Guarantees supports general SME lending, while ENABLE Build focuses on funding for SME housebuilders.

The schemes have significantly benefited the construction and housing sectors, with ENABLE Build delivering approximately £1.2bn in finance and supporting the development of 5,866 homes nationwide. Other industries receiving substantial support include hospitality (£270m) and agriculture (£260m).

Since its launch in 2017, ENABLE has operated through a combination of bank and non-bank lenders. Participating lenders, such as United Trust Bank, have delivered nearly 450 facilities under the schemes, funding the development of thousands of new homes despite wider economic disruption.

The East Midlands share reflects the programme’s aim to target regions beyond London and the South East, supporting economic resilience and growth in underserved areas. The Bank’s Structured Financial Institutions team continues to expand the programme’s reach, working closely with lenders to tailor finance solutions for evolving market needs.

Claritas expands tax advisory services with new acquisition

April Lara
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Claritas expands tax advisory services with new acquisition

Claritas has acquired the Tax Incentives and Reliefs division of Markel International in a move that strengthens its position in the UK’s specialist tax consultancy market.

The Sheffield-based unit, consisting of 22 staff with technical expertise across R&D tax relief, innovation grants, capital allowances and patent box relief, will fully integrate into Claritas. The transition includes leadership continuity, with the existing management team remaining in place as part of the deal.

The acquisition enhances Claritas’ capacity to serve innovation-driven businesses and their accounting partners across the UK. For Markel, the divestment aligns with a strategic shift while maintaining a broader collaborative relationship with Claritas.

This deal reflects ongoing consolidation in the UK tax advisory sector, where specialist knowledge around government-backed incentives continues to drive demand, particularly from firms navigating increasingly complex claims frameworks.

The move positions Claritas to deepen its footprint in the innovation and IP-focused tax space, while reinforcing its advisory support for UK accountants seeking outsourced expertise in specialist reliefs.

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