Flint Bishop recruits Head of Operations in Debt Services to support further strategic planned growth
Law firm Flint Bishop has announced the appointment of Lee Osborne as Head of Operations to support the continued growth of its national Debt Services division.
Bringing over 25 years of experience in banking and financial services, Osborne joins from CHL Mortgages, where he served as Services Director, managing a £3.2 billion servicing book and overseeing teams across primary servicing, collections, litigation, complaints, and quality assurance.
Prior to this, Osborne held the position of Head of Operations at Aldermore Bank PLC, where he spent nine years leading key functions, including mortgage collections and commercial and property development originations.
The appointment is intended to support Niall Gilhooley, Head of Debt Services, by expanding the existing leadership team, building on the growth and success of the practice, and to support the planned investment in technology and investment.
Gilhooley said: “We are delighted to welcome Lee to the firm. His extensive experience as a senior operations leader will be invaluable as we continue to grow our high-performing Debt Services division. His track record in implementing transformational change and delivering exceptional quality and compliance results aligns perfectly with our strategic goals.”
The appointment of Osborne comes as Flint Bishop’s Debt Services division has experienced phenomenal growth over the last 12-18 months, with now over 150 FTEs, having secured or extended third-party debt related partnerships with several UK household name brands across the energy, utilities, telecoms, banking, financial services, and B2B commercial supply chain.
“Lee’s appointment signifies further investment in leadership capability and capacity within the department, ensuring that we continue to deliver and strive to be even better for our clients, their customers, and our colleagues,” added Gilhooley.
“With our continued focus on strategic growth, investment in service delivery, and continuous improvement, we are well positioned to build on our success as a premier national provider of volume B2B and B2C debt services in the UK.”
Flint Bishop appoints high-profile banking litigation lawyer to lead Finance Dispute Resolution team
Derby-headquartered law firm Flint Bishop has announced the strategic appointment of banking litigation specialist Kate Hicks as Partner & Head of Finance Dispute Resolution at its Leeds office, marking a significant milestone in the firm’s pursuit of becoming a dominant force in the banking litigation and recoveries arena.
Hicks joins Flint Bishop from Yorkshire Building Society, where she provided comprehensive legal support across the organisation. Her career also includes senior roles at Walker Morris LLP, Cobbetts Solicitors and DLA Piper, where she gained a national reputation for managing high-stakes litigation in property and banking law.
Hicks brings over 20 years of litigation experience, with her specialism in the financial services property lending sector. Her skill set encompasses a wide range of legal matters, including the Consumer Credit Act, challenges to the enforceability of credit agreements, complex regulatory issues, and title rectification to ensure lenders’ security is properly perfected.
She also has a strong track record in asset finance, unsecured recoveries, and intricate secured recovery cases, and is highly skilled in handling breach of mandate claims, payment by mistake claims, operational fraud cases, and contract and tort disputes for banks, building societies, and other financial institutions.
Qamer Ghafoor, Chief Executive at Flint Bishop, said: “I am delighted to welcome Kate to the firm to lead our Finance Dispute Resolution practice. Her appointment is a major coup for the firm, solidifying our standing as a leading legal partner for banks, building societies, and financial institutions seeking expertise in complex financial disputes.
“Kate’s leadership will play a pivotal role in shaping the firm’s future in the banking litigation and financial services offering, helping us to become a dominant force in the UK banking litigation and recoveries arena, setting the stage for accelerated growth and market leadership in the coming years.”
The appointment follows Flint Bishop’s recent acquisition of the Banking Litigation and Recoveries division from Walker Morris LLP, as well as the opening of the firm’s new offices in Leeds last month.
How antivirus scans can protect you and your business against cyber threats
Cyber threats have become increasingly sophisticated, targeting individuals and businesses alike. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre highlighted the major threats in its 2023 review. This report underlined the importance of strong defence mechanisms. Regular antivirus scans are a crucial part of these measures. They offer proactive protection against the evolving risks.
But what are these threats? What exactly do antivirus scans entail? And what benefits can they offer? Read on to find out more.
Understanding cyber threats
‘Cyber threats’ is a term used to cover a wide range of malicious activities that aim to compromise digital systems, data, and networks. Common examples are malware, ransomware, phishing, and denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. These activities can lead to severe consequences, including data breaches, financial losses, reputational damage, and operational disruptions.What do antivirus scans do?
Antivirus software uses a file virus scanner to detect malware and other malicious activity. It can employ methods such as signature-based detection, heuristics, or sandboxing to pick up both known and emerging threats. Regular scans ensure that new dangers are identified and neutralized before they can cause harm.The benefits of antivirus scans
These scans contribute to the security of a computer system in many ways:- Early detection: Identifying threats quickly can prevent them from causing significant damage in the long term.
- System integrity: Ensuring there have been no unauthorised changes maintains security.
- Compliance: Helping businesses meet regulatory requirements and standards. This can avoid legal and financial penalties.
- Peace of mind: Knowing that your system is often scanned and free of malware can reduce anxiety and stress.
Best practices for protecting your systems
As well as using antivirus software, consider taking the following steps:- Regular updates: Updates often contain patches and fixes for weaknesses that attackers could exploit.
- Frequent scans: Schedule checks to ensure continuous protection. Automated scans maintain vigilance without manual oversight.
- Data backup: Regularly back up data to an external drive, cloud storage, or both. This ensures you can restore it in the event of a ransomware attack or other data loss incident.
- Educate: Employee training on cybersecurity best practices can create a robust human firewall. This can be critical given that human error is a major factor in many breaches.
- Use strong passwords: Avoid using the same password for multiple programs. Additionally, changing them after a set period can prevent unauthorised access.
Businesses urged to support Derby County Community Trust free meals programme amid soaring demand
Local businesses are being urged to support Derby County Community Trust’s free meals programme which is helping feed hundreds of people in need across the city.
The community trust provides free hot meals at Harrison’s Hub every week to those experiencing hardship in Derby.
The scheme has been going since November 2022 and in 2024 demand has been so high that the community meals are being served up all year round for the first time.
The project sees Derby County Football Club chefs prepare hot meals which are sponsored by local businesses, which often send in a team of volunteers to serve them.
The trust is providing around 50 hot meals per week with the aim of targeting as many different groups in the city as possible, including Ukrainian refugees, families struggling with mounting bills, or people having problems with drug and alcohol use.
Pete Collins, the trust’s fundraising and partnerships manager, said: “There is a group of 30 to 35 more vulnerable members of the local community who will attend the meals each week. The rest will be made up of adults who are accessing other services around the city, and may well be homeless. It’s lovely to see them every week.”
Local businesses have been paying to sponsor the meals. One company which has supported several Derby County Community Trust meals is Lubrizol, a science company whose UK Technical Centre is based at Hazelwood, near Duffield.
Claire Hollingshurst, who sits on Lubrizol’s charities and communities committee, was one of the company’s volunteers who turned out to serve a meal of chilli con carne and garlic bread.
She said: “We all really enjoyed coming out to serve one of these meals once again. It’s always good to interact with the local community and chat to the families who came out to eat at Harrison’s Hub.
“Giving back to the community is very important to us at Lubrizol and these hot meals provided by the Derby County Community Trust are a really great initiative we are proud to support.”
Pete said: “We’re very grateful to all the businesses which support our community meals initiative. We do encourage them to send volunteers to roll their sleeves up and help serve them.
“The need for these meals is ever increasing. Derby is a city within 20 per cent of the most deprived areas of the country. There are lots of people who need these warm spaces and hot food that we can provide.
“We’re coming up to winter now and the need is always there. It’s nice that we can provide the support that comes from being connected with the football club and the city council that makes people feel welcome. Lubrizol has worked with us several times on these meals and the ongoing support from a business is vitally important for us, to be able to deliver and serve them.
“We have some meal slots coming up that would still benefit from business support so if anyone can help us we’d ask them to be in touch.”
Lubrizol also supports the DCCT with a STEM programme, offering science, tech, maths and engineering opportunities to Derby school students. Their support includes sponsoring innovative ‘Sphero’ robots which are helping primary teach computer programming through football-themed activities. As well as covering the cost of the robots, Lubrizol also contributes yearly to five workshops in which schools participate.
To support Derby County Community Trust’s meals, please contact Pete Collins on pete.collins@dcct.co.uk
Planning submitted for 644,000 sq ft prime East Midlands logistics scheme
Indurent, a developer and operator of industrial and logistics space, and PLP, the specialist industrial and logistics developer, have submitted a detailed planning application to North West Leicestershire District Council for the development of a Grade A 644,000 sq ft logistics facility.
This prime East Midlands site spans 38 acres and is located immediately adjacent to Junction 24A of the M1 motorway providing direct access to 85% of the UK population within a 4-hour drive time, with Nottingham, Derby and Leicester conurbations nearby.
Proximity to the East Midlands Gateway rail freight terminal and the East Midlands airport provide multi-modal logistics connectivity opportunities to the site.
The proposed development, designed by Michael Sparks Associates, will be delivered speculatively and is targeted for completion in Q1 2026. The building has been carefully designed to meet the flexible needs of large-scale logistics and industrial occupiers, who face a national shortage of well-connected buildings in the 600,000 sq ft size range.
Jake Shilston, Development Director, Indurent, said: “Our proposal for this site will provide businesses with a state-of-the-art logistics facility in a prime location in the Golden Triangle, with easy access to customers across the UK and Europe.
“We are confident this development will boost economic growth by creating employment opportunities for local residents and businesses in North West Leicestershire and the East Midlands.”
Neil Dickinson, Chief Investment Officer at PLP, said: “PLP looks forward to working closely with Indurent to deliver an extremely rare opportunity within the UK market. This speculative development will be delivered to a high specification in a prime location, and I have no doubt that we will secure a blue-chip occupier for this facility.”
Indurent and PLP are represented by Cushman & Wakefield and Savills.
Managing Director of Sport to leave role at Frasers Group
Ger Wright is set to leave her role as Managing Director of Sport at Frasers Group, but will remain on the Board as a Non-Executive Director.
Since her appointment in 2022, Ger has made a significant contribution to the execution of the Group’s Elevation Strategy.
The Group’s Sport proposition has evolved during her tenure with the introduction of Running and Outdoor concepts, the onboarding of new brands, and international expansion into new markets.
Michael Murray, CEO of Frasers Group, said: “Ger has been an exceptional leader for Frasers Group and we are grateful for her contribution.
“We look forward to continuing to benefit from Ger’s sector expertise as a Non-Executive Director as we further accelerate the Group’s ambitions in Sport.”
Council set to give final go-ahead for landmark new River Trent bridge
Nottingham City Council’s ambitious project to build a new 85 metre long pedestrian and cycle bridge over the River Trent between Trent Basin and Lady Bay has reached a new milestone, with the project expected to receive a final approval from the Council at its Executive Board meeting on 22 October.
Once this approval is given, the project will get a final go-ahead from the Department for Transport before contracts are signed and work can begin in the new year.
The bridge will be the flagship, and final project to come out of the City Council’s Transforming Cities Fund programme, which began in 2020 following a successful bid for over £160 million of central Government funding for projects which encourage inter-city connectivity and lower carbon journeys.
The new traffic-free bridge, the first to be built over the river Trent since Clifton Bridge in the 1950s, and its new and enhanced connecting paths will be a key link between the regenerating Trent Basin area with its new homes and schools, and the south side of the river with its many sports facilities including the City Ground, Trent Bridge, Holme Pierrepont and Nottingham Rugby Club.
By enhancing connections between communities, green spaces and riverside paths, the bridge will make it easier for people living and working in the Nottingham area to travel in a more sustainable way, linking those in communities such as Sneinton and the city centre with green space south of the river.
The new bridge will also help the city towards its Carbon Neutral 2028 ambition as well as improving local air quality and congestion levels by enabling people to get around for work or play without needing a car.
Planning for this ambitious and complex project has been underway since 2019, with many important milestones already achieved including public consultations, detailed design work, land agreements, securing planning permission from the City Council and Rushcliffe Borough Councils, as well as working with the Environment Agency, local residents and other stakeholders to make sure the new bridge works for everyone.
Since the project began, plans have evolved as the design and methods of construction have been refined and this along with other factors outside of the Council’s control, including Covid, the war in Ukraine and periods of high inflation means that the maximum delivery budget for the total project is now £18 million. The final construction costs will be confirmed by December 2024.
Looking ahead, the City Council intends to enter into contracts with the lead delivery partner Balfour Beatty in January with enabling works starting early in 2025.
Then, into the spring and summer, a warehouse used by Flo Skate park will be demolished to make way for the bridge sections to be brought to site and erected before being lifted into place by a gigantic crane during autumn 2025. The new bridge is expected to officially open in early 2026.
Nottingham City Council Leader and Executive Member for Strategic Regeneration, Transport and Communications, Councillor Neghat Khan said: “I’m proud to present this ambitious project to create a new landmark bridge for Nottingham at our Executive Board on 22 October.
“The new bridge will be the first built over the Trent in Nottingham for more than 60 years, creating a vital link between developing new communities and opening up new safer commuter and leisure routes, offering a huge boost to cyclists, pedestrians and runners as well as everyone in our city through improving air quality and congestion.”
Other Transforming Cities-funded projects already completed include the new bus station in Bulwell, the expansion of safe city centre cycle routes and a secure new cycle store at Broad Marsh, the transformation of Collin Street into a new area of public realm and playground and the newly opened Green Heart area.
Progress continues on multi-million-pound refurb to create Chesterfield cultural venue
The multi-million pound refurbishment of Stephenson Memorial Hall – which will create a cultural venue in the heart of Chesterfield town centre – is progressing at pace.
Representatives from Chesterfield Borough Council were provided with a behind-the-scenes tour to review progress and see how work to transform the building has been progressing.
Midlands construction firm, G F Tomlinson, took control of the site last year and has been working to achieve the ambitious plans which include creating a single entrance to both facilities, an expanded theatre, a reconfigured museum, community spaces and a new café bar.
Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “The building has changed dramatically since December 2023 and the work so far is starting to show how this building will feel when it is completed.
“I’m excited to welcome residents and visitors back to this venue once it is completed and think it will be a truly spectacular experience that we can all be proud of.
“This is an ambitious project for our borough and there is a lot of hard work still to do, but it will create a truly unique building where residents and visitors can experience culture and learn about the history of our borough.”
Adrian Grocock, Group Managing Director at G F Tomlinson, said: “We’re pleased with how works are progressing for the delivery of the multi-million-pound sensitive refurbishment of the Grade II Listed Stephenson Memorial Hall and you can really see the pivotal stages taking place to breathe new life into the Corporation Street site.
“Once complete, the landmark state-of-the-art facility in the town centre will be revitalised with its expanded theatre, reconfigured museum and improved community spaces, bringing many new opportunities to the local vicinity for arts and entertainment.”
In the auditorium the changes are significant – the circle has been stripped back, with the decorative panelling being safely stored ready to be reinstalled once the project is complete, and new steelwork brought into the building ready to build an enlarged seating area.
Cut outs have also been made in the walls to create a new access point to the circle from the upper floor of the new café bar. New entrances to the auditorium on the ground floor have been created and a new concrete slab has been laid on the auditorium floor which will allow for the installation of a new air conditioning system that provides heating and cooling for theatre guests.
A new accessible lift shaft has been built that will ensure all guests can access every floor of the building including the circle which will include new accessible seating and the basement where a Changing Places toilet will be created.
On the Corporation Street side, part of the roof has been removed ready for a new Link Gallery to be installed. This will house rooms that can be used for events, school trips, and community activities, and as extra space during performance intervals.
As well as upgrading the facilities, much of the work is also about improving the fabric of the historic building to protect it for generations to come, and ensure it is more energy efficient.
This has included improvements to the roof, where the existing roof tiles have been lifted, and upgrades to the structure, lining and insulation have been installed to help improve the thermal efficiency of the building and ensure the roof is watertight for many years to come.
Works have also included the cleaning of external brickwork and some re-pointing to restore the building its original splendour.
On Station Back Lane a new extension is being built which will house dressing rooms and a new backstage area to provide performers with modern accessible facilities. A new foundation has been laid and the blockwork in this area is progressing well.
In Autumn 2021 Chesterfield Borough Council received almost £20 million from the Government’s Levelling Up fund.
A portion is being used to improve connections across the town centre and create attractive public spaces to support a range of events and markets. Work began on the Market Place earlier this year.
Around £11 million of the Levelling Up Fund grant funding will be used to fund the renovation and remodelling of Stephenson Memorial Hall.
The project received a further funding boost with £695,000 from Arts Council England’s Capital Investment Programme which will be used to install a ventilation system in the auditorium and create a new Changing Places toilet.
AxFlow UK acquires Moody Direct
AxFlow UK, a fluid handling solutions firm, has acquired Moody Direct, a long-established supplier of solutions and services to the dairy, food & beverage, brewery, chemical, and pharmaceutical sectors headquartered in Retford.
Shorts’ Corporate Finance team were lead advisers to Moody Direct and Wake Smith Solicitors provided legal advice to the sellers.
“We are thrilled to welcome Moody to the AxFlow family,” said Neil Langdown, Managing Director of AxFlow UK. “Their expertise in hygienic sales & servicing and reputation for best-in-class customer service will strengthen AxFlow’s existing position in the UK.
“Moreover, this will enhance our onsite service capability and enable us to offer our customers a comprehensive service offering for homogenisers, separators and plate heat exchangers.”
“Moody’s success has been built on technical expertise and a commitment to customer satisfaction,” noted Ken Wild, Director of Moody. “Joining forces with AxFlow UK not only strengthens our ability to serve customers in our core segments of F&B and Dairy but also opens up new avenues for growth, particularly in the processing industries.”
Andy Ryder of Shorts said: “We are delighted to have successfully concluded this transaction on behalf of the owners of Moody Direct, Ken and David.
“It has been a pleasure for our team of myself, Adam Ames, Brian Gooch and Ahad Choudry to work with them on this international deal and we look forward to hearing of the continued success of this great business as it becomes part of the Swedish owned Axel Johnson AB Group, giving it access to further fantastic opportunities ”
Rebecca Robinson of Wake Smith said: “It was a privilege to act on this transaction. Wake Smith has acted for the Moody group for over 20 years, so it was a real pleasure to be able to assist the shareholders in achieving a successful exit after all their years of hard work and dedication to the business.”
Gateley RJA appoints new technical director in Nottingham
Gateley RJA, the specialist quantity surveying, employer’s agent, project management and clerk of works arm of professional services group, Gateley, has strengthened its residential team with the appointment of Chris Tutin as a technical director in Nottingham.
Chartered quantity surveyor, Tutin, joins from Diafora and brings more than 20 years of experience spanning the construction sector.
This includes ten years specialising in the affordable housing sector both as a contractor, as well as working in-house for housebuilders and developers on residential schemes such as joint ventures with local authorities.
In his role at Gateley RJA, Tutin will be responsible for growing and developing the residential team and its offering in Nottingham, as the consultancy continues to increase its number of affordable and social housing sector projects across the region.
Tutin is also a RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) counsellor and East Midlands board member, as well as a Chartered Institute of Building mentor. He will contribute to Gateley RJA’s internal APC programme to support team members with the chartership process.
On his appointment, Tutin said: “I’ve known and worked with Gateley RJA for many years through previous schemes where they were appointed as the employer’s agent, so I know the directors well and our values and work ethic are very much aligned.
“Gateley RJA has seen tremendous success over the past few years, and I was ready for a new challenge, so joining the consultancy in a new technical director role was the perfect opportunity.”
Hardeep Kooner, director of residential at Gateley RJA, said: “We have secured several significant instruction wins over the past few years which has seen us expand our residential team.
“In line with our growth strategy, it was the right time to bring in a senior appointment to help with developing our people and offering in Nottingham to continue this trajectory.
“Chris has worked both in-house as well as a contractor and so has an enhanced understanding of what our clients need to enable us to work seamlessly as an extension of their team. I’m really looking forward to seeing how he settles in at what is a really exciting time for us.”
