New showreel launched by local video production company
Glowfrog Video Production have launched their 2022 showreel advert, which includes some East Midlands Business Link readers’ videos.
The showreel contains some of their highlight footage from their past year of working with companies across the East Midlands, such as Create Finance in Derby and Albion Bathrooms in Burton.
See the difference that professional video production can make – you can watch Glowfrog’s new showreel below. If you would like more information either visit www.glowfrogvideo.com or call 01332 492 465.
East Mids law firm records 12% increase in turnover since start of pandemic
Law firm Howes Percival has recorded a 12% increase in turnover since the start of 2020, with profits per equity partner also up 12% over the same period, according to its latest annual results.
The firm, which is celebrating 25 years in Leicester this year and also has an office in Northampton, has seen turnover increase from £23.4m before the pandemic, to £26.3m this year and market share increase across all of its UK offices.
The last 12 months have also seen Howes Percival invest in a nationwide expansion programme, with close to 100 new recruits appointed in that period.
Howes Percival’s Leicester office opened in July 1997 on New Walk with a team of just six lawyers. Today, over 60 of the firm’s staff are employed at its Meridian Business Park office, providing the full range of corporate and family law services.
The firm has had a presence in Northampton since 1790. In 2016, Howes Percival moved to new, bigger premises at Rushmills, where it now employs 70 staff. In May this year, Hannah Pryce and Alexandra Kirkwood were promoted to partner.
Howes Percival chairperson and Leicester partner, Geraint Davies said: “We are absolutely delighted with the way the firm has performed over the last couple of years. Like everyone, we experienced the shock waves when the pandemic struck, but we were able to adapt quickly to the new ways of working to support our clients and take advantage of the opportunities that emerged in certain sectors. We’ve seen very strong growth in core areas such as corporate and commercial, property, litigation, employment law and private client services.
“The pandemic presented a unique set of challenges, but the firm responded strongly. We made a conscious decision to carry on investing in people and technology during the pandemic, to ensure that we were in the best possible position when we came out the other side, and that is now paying dividends. We are seeing the momentum carry on and anticipate further double-digit growth in this financial year too, as a result.
“When it comes to marking 25 years of Howes Percival in Leicester, we wanted to shine a spotlight on what makes it a fantastic city to live, work and do business in. We saw this as an opportunity, not only to recognise our Leicester office’s achievements, but to give back something meaningful to the community. Our people have been integral to planning the celebrations and the whole office has come together in a true team effort to support the events taking place throughout the year.”
Revenue rises at Belvoir
Revenue has risen while pre-tax profits have slipped at Belvoir Group, the property franchise and financial services group with its central office in Grantham, in interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2022.
The firm reported a 12% increase in revenue to £15.4m, up from £13.8m in the year prior, of which 1% relates to the growth in the underlying business and 11% to corporate acquisitions in 2021 and 2022.
Meanwhile profit before tax dipped slightly to £4m from £4.8m.
Belvoir acquired The TIME Group, a network of 63 financial services advisers, in May 2022 and Mr and Mrs Clarke, a concierge-style personal estate agency business operating through 10 partners, in March 2022.
Dorian Gonsalves, Chief Executive Officer of Belvoir Group, said: “I am delighted to report that our strong lettings base, investment in further franchise networks and diversification into financial services have all helped to mitigate the correction in the level of property sales transactions after the exceptional year for the housing market in 2021.
“During the first half of 2022 the Board continued to pursue its growth strategy to strengthen the group’s service offering. The acquisition of Mr and Mrs Clarke provided the group with a platform from which to develop its personal agency model, and the acquisition of The TIME Group added a further 63 advisers to our already established and successful financial services network.
“The group’s investment in businesses to expand both the property and the financial services divisions, and the strong pipelines of house sales and related mortgages at the start of H2, underpin the Board’s confidence of achieving managements’ expectations for the full financial year.”
All change at Derby accountancy company as co-founder takes on sole ownership
It’s all change at a Derby accountancy company as one of its co-founders takes on sole ownership.
Bev Wakefield, who set up Vibrant Accountancy with Ian Ball in September 2019, will lead the business from September 1, with co-founder Ian Ball moving to Pride Park-based CoMech Metrology to become their finance director.
Bev says that she is excited about the future of Vibrant – with plans to participate in more seminars and re-introduce networking groups at the Lodge Lane-based business – and she thanked Ian for his support.
She said: “It has been an incredible journey since starting Vibrant with Ian and I want to thank him for his support and friendship.
“Together with my brilliant team, I want to continue the legacy and make an impact in an industry that has long been considered stuffy, impenetrable and dominated by well-established, big-name players. I want to continue to evolve and disrupt and I’m excited about the future.”
Ian said: “Co-founding Vibrant was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I have enjoyed every minute of the journey with Bev, who is now ready to continue to drive the business forward and will ensure that our clients continue to receive the best service possible.
“She is an incredible individual and will continue what we started together with great success.
“I’m looking forward to starting my new job at CoMech Metrology. It was an opportunity that I just couldn’t turn down. The experiences and knowledge that I have gained since starting Vibrant has enabled me to take on such a role, and a role that will help to push the company forward with its growth plans.”
Bev is also keen to make Vibrant Accountancy a more eco-friendly business. Later this year, they will be introducing an electric car scheme for employees – including new head of Management Accounts Amie Fellows, who will be joining Vibrant in October.
The scheme will enable staff to purchase a fully-electric vehicle and pay for it through a salary sacrifice scheme. There are plans to offset Vibrant’s carbon emissions by planting trees, too.
“As a mother of two young children, I know how important it is to protect our planet for their future,” said Bev, “we can all make little changes, and we’re on our journey with embracing this further at Vibrant.
“One thing is for sure, the future is bright.”
Geldards expands Corporate Dispute Resolution team with appointment of new partner
Geldards’ Corporate Dispute Resolution team has strengthened its offering with the appointment of new partner Lloyd Smith who joins the firm’s Nottingham offices.
Lloyd brings with him over fourteen years’ litigation experience and joins from Knights plc where he specialised in commercial litigation, with particular expertise in complex cases spanning multiple jurisdictions.
Recognised by Legal 500 as a Commercial Litigation “Rising Star”, Lloyd is experienced in resolving business owner disputes as well as helping clients with technology disputes, financial regulatory issues and franchising disputes.
Having qualified in Nottingham, Lloyd spent the early part of his career working in London at City firms, before returning to the East Midlands where he has been practising in Nottingham for the past six years.
Commenting on the appointment, Nino Simone, partner and head of Dispute Resolution at Geldards, said: “We are pleased to be bolstering the already excellent skills of the team with the appointment of Lloyd and are delighted to welcome him aboard. He brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge which complements the team wonderfully.”
On joining the team Lloyd said: “Geldards’ Dispute Resolution team has an outstanding reputation and I am thrilled to be joining the firm. I look forward to the challenges ahead and contributing to the continued growth of the team.”
BDO welcomes over 50 new trainees in the Midlands
Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO is welcoming 56 new trainees across its offices in Birmingham and Nottingham, with 600 joining nationwide.
The trainees will be a combination of school leaver apprentices and university graduates, 43 will join BDO’s Birmingham office and 13 will join the firm’s new city centre office in Nottingham. More than half of the trainees will join the firm’s audit practice.
The majority of new trainees will have the opportunity to undertake a level-7 apprenticeship programme, resulting in a qualification equivalent to a master’s degree.
This year, the firm has also hired over 50 industrial placement students to join BDO for 12 months between their second and third year of university, as well as 70 summer interns. As part of its commitment to increasing diversity in the profession, BDO also runs targeted insight programmes aimed at school or college students from lower socio-economic backgrounds and university students from a black heritage.
Applications for the firm’s 2023 graduate and school leaver apprentice programmes will open later this month, with more than 700 positions available nationwide and almost 90 based across the Midlands.
Kyla Bellingall, head of BDO in the Midlands, said: “We’re delighted to welcome this year’s intake of trainees from a wide range of backgrounds, whether that’s school leavers, or university graduates, as well as interns and placement students. The Midlands is home to some of the country’s brightest talent and we’re investing significantly as a firm to provide the career opportunities and pathways that enable young people from all walks of life to access a vibrant and exciting profession, such as accountancy.
“The education of young people has undoubtedly been severely disrupted in the last few years, with both school leavers and graduates having to navigate learning and examinations in very challenging circumstances. Each and every one of them should be extremely proud of their achievements and we look forward to supporting them on what will hopefully be a long and successful career journey at BDO.”
Managed IT services specialist set for ‘unprecedented’ growth after revealing EE and O2 partnerships
Ilkeston-based managed IT services specialist, IDT, has announced an unprecedented 4,000% growth in its business mobile sector through its upgraded partnerships with EE and O2.The partnerships see IDT extending its range of services into the MSP sector, including custom business mobile deals and mobile business broadband.The updated Partnership enables IDT, one of the fastest growing MSP in the East Midlands, to offer its customers a host of turnkey solutions on the nation’s two largest, fastest and most reliable mobile networks.Luke Draper, Managing Director of IDT, said: “This is yet another branch to our comprehensive tree of services. Over the years we have always directly referred our customers to the main mobile players but now as a trusted Partner we can add our personal, human touch. This is the key value-added service our customers require. “Our impressive success over the past 12 month shows how responsive the market and our customers have been to our bespoke mobile deals. The continuation and further development of this side of the business provides a clear path to enabling our growth and servicing even more customers nationwide.”EE business account manager at Mdee Rosie Vallance said: “We are very pleased to be working with the IDT team. The growth they have had so far in 2022 is amazing and we can only see this building throughout the latter part of this year and into 2023. They are so integrated into their customers, knowing their needs and requirements it helps us massively being able to work closer together tailoring the bespoke solutions for them.”“The take-up of our improved mobile solutions from our customers has been amazing,” added Ellie Wheeldon-Jones, office manager at IDT, who is at the forefront of this growth.She said: “With everyone wanting to work from anywhere from any device, the mobile data business is only going one way, so if we can help our customers tap into this and supply solutions that add value to their business then we are achieving our goal along with getting them the best deals out there.”
Liz Truss to become new Prime Minister
Liz Truss has beaten Rishi Sunak to become the new Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister, seeing businesses and organisations react.
David Findlay, lead director for Nottingham at JLL, said: “Businesses in the East Midlands will be hoping Liz Truss’s confirmation as Prime Minister signals a return to the priorities set out by this Government in 2019. Ensuring the £1.14bn devolution deal signed last week is delivered upon will be top of the wish list for many as a means of levelling up the region, but it’s not the only ask they’ll have.
“Companies in the East Midlands also need the confidence to invest to grow in the coming years. Only by seeing a significant spending uptick in infrastructure, transport links, education and Net Zero schemes in the region will firms feel able to recruit and commit to the East Midlands as a base for business in the long run. A new government means a fresh start, but action is needed sooner rather than later.”
Ben Dorks, CEO of Ruddington-headquartered global software business Ideagen, said: “The immediate focus for the new Prime Minister has to be the cost-of-living crisis, which is impacting every inch of society. Longer term I’d like to see policies that enable British businesses to remain competitive globally, leading to jobs and growth, plus a commitment to initiatives that promote greater social mobility and aspiration for young people, especially those from lower income communities.”
East Midlands Chamber Chief Executive Scott Knowles said: “We would like to congratulate Liz Truss on winning the Conservative Party leadership vote to be appointed Prime Minister and wish her all the best in the role as she seeks to take our country forward.
“She will be well aware there is a mountain of pressing issues awaiting her on arrival at 10 Downing Street but we would urge Ms Truss to prioritise the escalating energy prices that are the most significant factor in the twin crises in the cost of doing business and cost of living.
“While we understand there is no easy remedy, the worsening economic projections being published daily mean we can’t afford to wait any longer without practical support measures being put in place. Without them, we risk businesses being forced to scale back or shut down altogether – resulting in people losing their jobs and livelihoods.
“We would hope to see an immediate announcement that energy bills will be frozen at an affordable level for both households and businesses. Exclusively tackling residential energy bills would only solve half of the problem as businesses are being forced to raise their prices in response to the increasing costs they face in energy, fuel, people and raw materials.
“There is currently no energy price cap for businesses and this must be urgently addressed if our economy is to prosper, while in the long term we hope Ms Trust’s administration in collaboration will work with businesses to create a long-term solution to the various challenges we face.
“Going forward, we hope to see a genuine commitment to levelling up by investing in regions like the East Midlands, which has been left behind the rest of the UK when it comes to public investment for far too long. There is fantastic untapped potential in our region and we would be only too happy to welcome the Prime Minister to show her what we can offer our country.”
Jennifer Thomas of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said: “Congratulations to Liz Truss, whose campaign included small businesses, the self employed and unleashing enterprise.
“The challenge now is to deliver action that is big and bold enough to match the scale of the crisis threatening the existence of many small firms, and the jobs, livelihoods and communities which depend upon them.
“Small firms, not protected by an energy price cap, are seeing bills soaring out of control. This is at a time of sky-high taxes, rampant inflation and supply chain disruption, creating a toxic mix which must be addressed urgently.
“Small businesses are crying out for a comprehensive response which cuts taxes, limits spiralling bills, and provides direct cash support for the smallest businesses.
“During the leadership campaign we were pleased that Liz Truss listened to our calls to reverse the recent hike in National Insurance and to look at lifting more small firms out of business rates.
“As she prepares her full package of emergency plans, we are ready and willing to work with the new Prime Minister and her team to protect the UK’s 5.5 million small businesses and the 16 million jobs within them, in communities in all parts of the UK.”
Tony Danker, CBI director-general, said: “Congratulations to the new Prime Minister. This is an extraordinarily difficult time to be leading the country, and she has businesses’ full support in meeting shared challenges together, head on. “Most immediately, support for struggling households and firms in jeopardy is top of the in-tray. This may not be the pandemic, but the exceptional circumstances we now face mean Government must play a central role in supporting our economy. “And if we’re serious about getting the UK growing again, ensuring any slowdown is short and shallow, we need a serious plan for growth. It needs to be bold, unconventional and rooted in the very real opportunities that still exist for the UK to thrive.” Stephen Phipson, CEO of Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation, said: “We congratulate Liz Truss on her appointment and look forward to discussing the critical importance of manufacturing, a sector that delivers millions of well-paid, highly skilled jobs across the whole of the UK. Britain’s manufacturers are an excellent example of a growing success story, contributing billions of pounds to GDP every year and vital in implementing the Government’s levelling up agenda, creating jobs where they are most needed. “But industry at this time needs decisive action from the new Government to help it through a prolonged period of unprecedented hikes in energy bills, rising cost of raw materials and critical labour shortages in order to keep Britain’s place as a leader of innovation on the world stage.”Richard Teare announced as a director at Ringrose Law
Richard Teare is now a director at Ringrose Law.
Richard who has worked at Ringrose Law since 2014 became a partner in 2020 and this week announces he is now a director of the firm.
Richard started his career working in large regional law firms in Yorkshire and Warwickshire, he relocated to Lincolnshire 8 years ago with his wife and now children to join Ringrose Law.
Richard specialises in Medical Neglience and Personal Injury Law. Richard has gained particular experience in complex accidents causing death, amputation, spinal or head and brain injury, but is equally tenacious in helping individuals who have suffered accidents caused by public bodies, employers, animals, individuals or defective products. As a keen cyclist he also specialises in cycling accident claims.
Richard works tirelessly to help his clients, working together with them to help claim the compensation they deserve but most importantly supports clients access rehabilitation and regain independence after their traumatic injury.
In 2020 Richard was a finalist for Claimant Lawyer of the Year Award at The Personal Injury Awards and has subsequently helped to lead the Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence team to become finalists for Claimant Team of the Year in 2021 and to be recognised as the ‘Best Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Firm’ in the East Midlands by the SME Legal Awards 2022.
Alongside his day job, Richard plays a vital role in the running of the firms Personal Injury & Medical Negligence department, as well as being on the Operations Board and head of Health & Safety.
Richard says: “I relocated to join Ringrose Law as a solicitor eight years ago on the strength of the company’s reputation for client care and the forward-thinking management team. Each day since I have been proud of the work we have done to provide a first class service and positive experience to our clients and also to our colleagues. Ringrose Law a positive place to work and thrive and so the decision to accept a directorship was an easy one to make. I am excited by the trajectory of the firm and to the possibilities for its successful future.”
John Knight, senior director, says: “Richard is a highly respected member of the firm, since he started at Ringrose Law he has taken more and more responsibilities and plays a vital role in the day to day running of the Personal Injury & Medical Negligence Department, as well as the running of the firm. Richard has drive and ambition and on behalf of all my fellow directors we welcome Richard into the firm.”
Confetti partners with GGTech and NUEL ahead of opening of £5m state-of-the-art esports complex
Specialist education provider, Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies, has announced a ground-breaking partnership with GGTech and NUEL, leading hosts of university esports tournaments across Europe, to promote and further develop esports in the UK.
The partnership will see NUEL relocate its head office to the Confetti campus in Nottingham for closer collaboration with the institute. The strategic move will see NUEL gain access to Confetti’s 25+ years of industry expertise and contacts across all major production technologies within live events, TV, film, music, and games, whilst also levelling up their broadcast production values through access to Confetti’s top-specification facilities.
Confetti, which is part of Nottingham Trent University, will receive support from its partners with new course development and access to esports specialist guest lecturers. In 2021, Confetti launched the UK’s first BSc Esports Production university degree; the institute now runs three esports production courses at college, undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Under the direction of GGTech, NUEL organises Amazon UNIVERSITY Esports tournaments in the UK and Ireland, and this partnership with Confetti aims not only to strengthen the competition and get new participants involved, but also to raise the standard of opportunities for students interested in a career in esports.
Therefore, NUEL will strengthen Confetti’s ‘Do It For Real’ ethos, providing their students with regular paid opportunities to work on many event broadcasts for tournaments nationwide, while GGTech will do likewise internationally, for example with collaborations on the broadcast of the pan-European Amazon UNIVERSITY Esports Masters competition, held this year in Alicante (Spain).
The news comes as the institute prepares to officially open Confetti X – a new £5m, 14,000 sq ft dedicated esports production complex in Nottingham. Confetti X brings together years of expertise in live events, content creation, streaming, and competitive gaming.
The complex is a space for students to access the very best facilities and technology for esports production and other emerging technologies, and has already played host to amateur and professional esports tournaments, including the British Esports Student Champs Finals and the qualifying rounds of the inaugural Commonwealth Esports Championships.
Confetti X will become NUEL and GG Tech’s default UK venue, where they will host major university esports tournaments at the facilities, allowing students to run the production of the event, with the primary goal of increasing the awareness and accessibility of careers in the esports industry.
Craig Chettle MBE, founder and Chief Executive of Confetti Media Group, said: “Alongside our longstanding partnership with the British Esports Federation, this exciting initiative with GGTech and NUEL will further support our mission to shape the future of esports education. We are excited by the opportunities set to be created and are thrilled that NUEL has chosen our campus and Nottingham as its UK base. Our partnership highlights shared ambitions to help advance esports as an inclusive and innovative industry, and I am certain that, together with our new esports production complex Confetti X this is another step towards making Nottingham a hub of the UK’s esports industry.”
David Jackson, NUEL Managing Director, said: “After the success of our Amazon University Esports tournament in April, we are delighted to continue our collaboration with Confetti who are helping lead the way with their university education and their facilities. It is great that we can continue to help the next generation of students lead a career in esports whether it be in events production, game design, or casting.”
Tao Martinez, head of University Esports Development at GGTech, said: “It is an exciting time for the esports industry which is growing by the day, and with that creates a plethora of opportunities in this field for university students to thrive in. Confetti’s work supplying university courses has been excellent for encouraging people to pursue a career in esports, and with their upcoming Confetti X complex, students will be able to gain valuable work experience using industry-grade facilities.
“Our shared goal is to continue improving the grassroots esports scene and levelling up services across the country for the latest wave of students who are poised to shape the esports industry. Through cultivating a positive environment and supporting student careers, we can collectively grow grassroots esports which will help the industry as a whole.”
