TopicUK AUGUST 2025

2025

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BI-MONTHLY

BUSINESS MAGAZINE

HotYorkshire Topic Businessman is coming

£1.5m

in grant funding in Yorkshire

Apollo

lights the way for Primark

People.

Results.

Value.

We believe that when businesses work together, they can achieve fantastic things.

Together, we have that power; the power to change the status quo, the power to create a better future for your business, your employees and your customers. Change rarely happens in isolation, but when businesses work together, anything is possible.

Just imagine what we could do together.

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This issue Group Editor

Contents

To Partner TopicUK Gill : 07711 539047

editor@topicuk.co.uk Debbie: 07834 839460

dd@yorkshirebusinesswoman.co.uk

Gill Laidler

DIRECTOR

Debbie Dobson

Design

Rob Blackwell

Associate editor Ed Asquith

Official Photographers

Roth Read Photography

Legal Matters

The views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those held by the publishers and therefore, no responsibility can be held by the publisher for misinterpretation. Reproduction of this magazine without the express permission of the publisher is prohibited. Whilst every care is taken in the production of this magazine, the publisher/editor and staff cannot accept any responsibility for errors in articles, advertisements or programme schedules. To subscribe to this magazine contact 07711 539047 or email editor@topicuk.co.uk. Published

by Ghost Publishing Limited, . Law pages are written by Lawrence & Ramsdens Solicitors LLP and TopicUK is not responsible for any advice given.

Chadwick Lawrence

Recruitment

Stafflex

aDMINISTRATOR Charlotte Hall

Cover : Debbie Dobson Image : Roth Read Photography

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New multi-storey for Bridlington

£

£1.5m in grant funding in Yorkshire

Apollo lights the way for Primark

page page

page

New business space for Leeds

page Honorary doctorate for Tom Riordan CBE

page

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Editors notes Welcome to this edition of TopicUK magazine.

OUR PARTNERS

By group editor Gill Laidler

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Welcome to the August edition of TopicUK magazine.

LEXUS Toyota PHILLIP STONER JEWELLERS Yorkshire sculpture park BACKSTAGE ACADEMY Chadwick Lawrence Eaton Smith Solicitors Stafflex Kirklees College BeVic Fantastic Media DAKOTA HOTEL LEEDS production park

When TopicUK launched back in April 2013 we had a plan, we wanted to help small Yorkshire businesses who didn’t have much budget, promote themselves, particularly new start-ups.

Supported by larger businesses for which we are eternally grateful, over the past 12 years we have managed to help thousands of small businesses across the Yorkshire region in our magazine and on our website topicuk.co.uk We are now entering a new era and although our plan has not changed, we are still here to support small business, due to the success of our sister magazine Yorkshire Businesswoman, we have decided to follow that model, starting with a new name. From the next edition, TopicUK will become Yorkshire Businessman.

We are excited also to announce a new board director for TopicUK and Yorkshire Businesswoman, Debbie Dobson, who joined us on 1st July. I’m sure many readers, particularly from the Leeds area will know Debbie from her many years in hospitality.

Exciting times ahead with all the plans we have. If you would like to be a part of them, either appearing in the magazine or coming to one of our planned events, do get in touch with either myself or Debbie.

Gill X

In addition, there will be a new website and importantly, we are launching networking events, starting with the official launch on International Men’s Day, 19th November at Uyare in Leeds. Do save the date, more info will follow shortly on that.

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‘HOT TOPIC’ Yorkshire BusinessMan is coming 19th November 2025!

Following the growing success and impact of Yorkshire Businesswoman, we are delighted to announce the rebrand of 'Topic UK ' as ‘Yorkshire Businessman’ with a launch event to mark the celebration on International Men’s Day – Wednesday 19th November 2025.

This new and exciting network will celebrate, connect, and champion male entrepreneurs, leaders and professionals across Yorkshire – mirroring the dynamic platform we’ve proudly created for women in business at Yorkshire Businesswoman.

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As the region continues to flourish with talent and innovation, the need for a dedicated space for men in business to share their stories, grow their connections and access support has never been greater. The

Yorkshire Businessman Network will provide just that – a vibrant, inclusive community built on collaboration, inspiration and shared success.

The official launch event promises an afternoon of insight, networking and celebration – and we can’t wait to reveal more!

More details to follow in our October issue of ‘Topic’ and ‘Yorkshire BusinessWoman’.

Ben Hazelton joins the herd at Zebra Print Group Leeds-based, family-owned print solutions provider, Zebra Print Group has bolstered its team with the appointment of Ben Hazelton, a business development and sales expert, marking a significant step forward for the company as it continues to expand its footprint in the UK’s print and production industry.

Bringing over 24 years of industry experience, Ben’s appointment reflects Zebra Print Group’s ongoing investment in expertise, innovation and customer service excellence. With a strong background in both weboffset printing and print-finishing, Ben adds a new dimension to the team’s capabilities and will play a pivotal role in driving new business and enhancing client relationships.

Ben said: “I’m really excited to be joining Zebra Print Group at such an exciting time of growth and innovation.

The team’s commitment to quality and creativity really stood out to me, and I’m looking forward to building strong relationships with our clients and helping drive the business forward. It’s a fantastic opportunity to contribute to a company with such a dynamic vision for the future.”

In his new position Ben will be responsible for generating new commercial opportunities, advising clients from concept through to production, and ensuring that Zebra Print Group’s renowned standards are upheld throughout every project.

Established in 2006, Zebra Print Group is a family-owned business delivering expert, end-to-end print solutions for nearly two decades.

Commenting on his appointment,

Founded by David Storr with a vision to offer high-quality, affordable print services, the company is now led by his daughter, managing director, Samantha

Overton, continuing the legacy of excellence and innovation.

Samantha added: “We’re really pleased to welcome Ben to the Zebra Print Group family. His energy, experience and passion for delivering exceptional service make him a perfect fit for our team. As we continue to grow and evolve, Ben’s leadership in sales will be instrumental in strengthening client relationships and driving new opportunities.”

As a proud champion of British manufacturing, Zebra Print Group carries out all printing and production at its facility i n t h e h e a r t o f Yo r k s h i r e , supporting local jobs and investing in quality craftsmanship. From initial artwork to final delivery, the team provides a fully managed, end-to-end service that simplifies even the most complex print projects, all on time and within budget.

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Site manager named best in the country for quality A senior site manager overseeing the construction at David Wilson Homes’ Imperial Court development in West Yorkshire has won a top national award for the quality of the homes being built onsite.

Paul Randall (43) has won a Pride in the Job Quality Award from the National House Building Council (NHBC), an award known as the ‘Oscars’ of the housebuilding industry.

In total, site managers working for David Wilson Homes’ parent company, Barratt Redrow Plc, have won 115 Pride in the Job awards this year alone – more than any other housebuilder.

This is the 21st year in a row that Barratt Redrow has won the most Pride in the Job awards, underlining just how important building high quality sustainable homes has been to the developer over the past two decades.

Paul, from West Yorkshire, has worked for the developer for seven years. He said: “It feels wonderful to win the award after putting in so

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much hard work. The whole team at the development were over the moon when we found out.

“Imperial Court is a fantastic place to work, and I am so proud to be building such prestigious homes.

“I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has helped me to achieve this award, and a special mention to my assistant site manager, Scott Dyer, for all of his efforts.”

The awards recognise the top 5% of site managers across the country, with around 8,200 sites being entered into the awards annually, and only 450 winners.

Each is judged on a strict criterion including technical expertise, health and safety, leadership and attention to detail.

Gavin Birch, managing director at

David Wilson Homes Yorkshire West, said: “We’re so proud of Paul for achieving this prestigious award. It’s amazing news for both the team at Imperial Court and for our customers.

“These awards showcase what it takes to be a top site manager and demonstrates our long-term commitment to looking after our customers. Anyone who buys a home at a development with a Pride in the Job Quality Award winner knows their home has been built to the highest standard. We are very proud to have won more of these awards than any other homebuilder for 21 years in a row now.”

The awards closely follow Barratt Redrow being awarded five stars by its customers for satisfaction in the annual Home Builders Federation (HBF) new homes survey. To be rated as five-star means that more than 90% of customers would recommend a home to a friend, with Barratt Redrow being the only major national homebuilder to be rated five-star for 16 years in a row.

transformative move for Eddisons.

Matthew’s appointment is a major step forward in our ambition to continue to grow the business and to broaden our capability and service an ever more diverse client base.

“Matthew’s expertise will be instrumental in developing a stand-out offering for corporate business sales.”

Eddisons makes high-profile appointment to lead business sales team Multi-disciplinary property consultancy Eddisons, which is part of Begbies Traynor Group, has appointed Matthew Brannon as a director to head its corporate b u s i n e s s s a l e s te a m , marking a significant expansion of the firm’s service offering.

Matthew joins Leeds-headquartered Eddisons with an extensive industry track record and more than a decade’s experience at company sales firm KBS Corporate, where he was a director and advised on the acquisition and disposal of businesses.

In his new role he will be responsible for spearheading Eddisons’ entry into the corporate end of the business sales market, building on the success of the current business sales team and Eddisons-owned Ernest Wilson.

Ernest Wilson is a longstanding market leader in selling retail and hospitality businesses. The expansion of Eddisons’ business sales team with Matthew’s appointment will enable the firm to extend its reach into the sale of larger, more complex businesses across a wide range of sectors.

A n t h o n y S p e n c e r, E d d i s o n s managing partner, said: “This is a

Matthew added: “I am excited to be joining Eddisons at a pivotal moment for the firm’s growth. There is a real opportunity to leverage the reputation of Ernest Wilson as I am excited to be a trusted smalljoining Eddisons business sales at a pivotal agent and create moment for the a pathway for firm’s growth. business owners There is a real at every stage, opportunity to whether they leverage the are selling a reputation of high-street fish Ernest Wilson... and chip shop or a multi-site manufacturing company. The market appetite is there, and we are ready to deliver with strategic, tailored solutions.”

The business sales team operates nationally and is expected to grow rapidly over the coming months, with a focus on providing endto-end transactional support, valuation advice and market insight for corporate clients preparing for sale.

The strategic appointment underlines Eddisons’ broader growth strategy which has included a series of acquisitions and service line expansions in recent years, positioning the firm as a full-service consultancy in the UK property and business advisory space.

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New chief executive under starters orders at Magna Science Adventure Centre sales team SouthYorkshire’slandmark science and steel heritage visitor attraction has appointed a new chief executive to forge its future.

his new role. His focus there was to develop the visitor experience, often through innovative events and schemes, improve access for all and grow the gates.

Richard said: “I feel incredibly lucky to have this opportunity to be part of Magna’s growing journey at this pivotal time and forge its future growth and success.

Richard Hammill has been appointed to the top job at Magna Science Adventure Centre having formerly been chief operating officer and clerk of the course at Pontefract Racecourse.

During his time in charge, the independent racecourse increased attendances to achieve an average of 4,500 per race day. Through pioneering work with Autism in Racing, it became the first track in the country to be officially accredited by the National Autistic Society. Under his leadership, Pontefract also set a Guinness World Record and competed against big name courses like York and Ascot to win a host of awards, being crowned the UK Racecourse Association’s Showcase Champion in 2019.

“Magna is a truly unique visitor attraction and venue, promoting STEM* learning to young people in such a dramatic and interactive way, while also telling the story of steel and maintaining the heritage of its iconic building. Businesses and organisations book events here because they’re looking for a ‘Wow factor’ and they get it as soon as they walk through the doors.

Magna has recently completed a £1.9 million refurbishment and upgrade programme; and Richard is now tasked with taking the science adventure centre forward into a new era.

Richard brings 25 years’ experience managing Pontefract Racecourse to

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“The recently-completed revamp has taken the venue to the next level. These are really exciting times and we’re committed to

continuing to invest in Magna in this way. On top of this, our new tram stop, connecting us directly to both Sheffield and Rotherham, is due to open later this year. We are in a very strong position and my goal is to see Magna continue to go from strength to strength.”

Richard takes over the reins f r o m Ke v i n To m l i n s o n who retires after seven years in post at the visitor at traction, education and events venue set within the former Templeborough Steelworks in Rotherham.

Richard looks forward to building business partnerships across South Yorkshire and the wider Yorkshire visitor economy and is focused on extending Magna’s welcome to more people.

Mike Smith, chairman of the Board of Trustees said: “Richard brings fresh experience, energy and enthusiasm to the role and with him in the saddle we look forward very much to him taking the visitor attraction, education centre and events forward at this significant point in our story.

Richard said: “I’m keen to broaden Magna’s reach and be as inclusive as possible. Accessibility and sustainability are key areas that I want to focus on, as well as establishing Magna’s role within the community.”

“ We ’ d a l s o l i k e t o t h a n k Kevin for his leadership over the past few years and particularly his overseeing of

Ward Hadaway promotes seven in Leeds office

Se ven team members have been promoted , as the f irm continues to push ahead with national growth plans.

The promotions are part of the firms wider plans, with 22 people stepping into new roles, including two new partners.

In Leeds, six lawyers have been

promoted to associate and one to managing associate. The promotions span departments including corporate finance, commercial litigation, employment, housing, social housing, private client and children.

Emma Digby, executive partner said: “Through hard work, dedication and demonstrating true alignment to our firm values, all seven promoted team members have

the comprehensive programme of refurbishment which gives Magna such an excellent outlook for its next 25 years.”

Magna is a Millennium Project which opened in 2001 as an independent charitable trust dedicated to STEM learning, protecting the industrial heritage of its unique building and playing an active role in the region’s leisure and business economy.

Magna’s hands-on exhibitions, play areas and activities attract families, schools, groups and home educators from across the UK. This Easter, Magna attracted around 10,000 visitors through its doors with over 100,000 visitors to the attraction annually. earned the trust of colleagues and clients alike, and it’s great to see that recognised. We believe in the development of our people, and to see these promotions in Leeds demonstrates the strength of our team.”

The promotions come as the firm pushes ahead with its national expansion strategy, including the opening of new offices and mergers.

Both moves mark significant steps in strengthening the firm’s footprint across the UK and creating fresh opportunities for its teams and clients.

Elish Porter, promoted to managing associate in the children team, added: “Ward Hadaway has always supported me to grow, both professionally and personally. I’ve been given real responsibility and the chance to work with great people from the start. I’m proud to take this next step and excited for what lies ahead.”

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firm’s distinct relationship-led approach.”

Law firm Gordons expands private client team Law f irm Gordons has expanded its private client practice by appointing an additional specialist lawyer to its existing team.

Victoria Jones, who joins from Ridley & Hall Solicitors, has particular expertise in the preparation of wills, trusts and lasting powers of attorney. She also handles the administration of estates.

At Gordons, Victoria is both advising the firm’s longstanding

private clients and forging close relationships with new ones.

Commenting on her appointment, Victoria said: “Gordons’ private client practice is extremely well regarded, so I am very pleased to have the opportunity to contribute towards its continued success.

“I have joined a highly capable team with a deep and diverse range of clients, and one which has the desire to attract more individuals who want to benefit from the

Victoria’s appointment follows that of chartered tax advisor, Isca Watson. She specialises in inheritance tax, capital gains tax and income tax, advising trustees, personal representatives and private individuals.

Partner and head of private client, Greg Dixon, said: “Victoria has the ideal combination of being both highly personable and technically excellent at what she does.

“In the short space of time since joining the firm, Victoria has made a significant positive impact and we look forward to her continuing to do so.

“By expanding the team with her and Isca’s appointments, we are able to provide our clients with additional insight and advice.”

Leeds-based agency Umpf celebrates double CIPR win at national awards Leeds-based PR, social media and influencer agency, Umpf, is celebrating national recognition after scooping two top honours at the annual CIPR Excellence Aw a rd s 2 0 2 5 i n L o n d o n , including a category win and a prestigious Mark of Excellence.

At a ceremony held at The Royal Lancaster in Hyde Park, the agency took home the top award in the ‘Best Beauty, Fashion and Lifestyle Campaign’ category for its standout campaign with premium shopping outlet, Clarks Village in Somerset.

– was praised by the judges as a “clever, feel-good campaign that delivered a creative and engaging experience with a limited budget.”

The judges also commended the agency’s “clever use of puns and interactive elements which made the campaign memorable and shareable, driving strong reach and positive engagement.”

It s c a m p a i g n – Paw s o m e Pooch: Making Clarks Village Top Dog for Outlet Shopping

In addition to the category win, Umpf also received a Mark of Excellence for its creation of ‘The World’s Biggest

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Santa Skate’ campaign, a recordbreaking festive event, also at Clarks Village. Both campaigns showcased Umpf’s blend of creativity, impact and results, reaffirming its reputation as one of Yorkshire’s most dynamic and award-winning creative agencies.

Milly Rose, senior account director said: "To have our work with our client Clarks Village recognised on a national stage is a huge honour.

These awards are a credit to our talented team and our fantastic client partnership with Clarks Village.

“It’s fantastic to see our creative PR campaigns and stunts delivering such a big impact commercially for our client and of course being recognised and celebrated by the industry on a national level."

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Construction begins on new 426-space multi-storey car park in Bridlington part of a long-term regeneration strategy for Bridlington, aiming to revitalise the town centre, attract investment, and futureproof local infrastructure.

Henry Boot Construction, part of Henry Boot, has officially broken ground on a new multi-storey car park in Bridlington – a key project within the town’s wider regeneration strategy.

Located between Manor Street and Hilderthorpe Road in the town centre, the car park will feature 426 spaces and be owned and operated by East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

The new development will b o o s t a c c e s s i b i l i t y, s u p p o r t local businesses, and play a vital role in driving footfall and economic growth in the Yorkshire seaside town.

With 31 accessible parking bays, s i x E V c h a r g i n g b ay s , e i g h t motorcycle bays, and 12 cycle spaces, the development will help to futureproof the area’s parking needs and encourage sustainable transport options.

Designed to make it easier for people to visit, shop, and stay in the area, the facility will also help to alleviate pressure on existing town centre parking.

Architecturally designed with a strong visual identity, the building will incorporate a waveinspired exterior that reflects its coastal setting.

In preparation for construction, He nry Boot Construction is undertaking demolition and civil engineering works, including the diversion of the existing Gypsey Race River – a key milestone that will e nable the project to move forward.

The multi-storey car park forms

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Lee Powell, managing director at Henry Boot Construction, said: “This project is set to be a catalyst for economic, social, and civic growth in Bridlington. By improving access and convenience, the car park will help support local shops and hospitality venues by encouraging more people to spend time and money in the town – making it a more attractive place to live, visit, and do business.

“We’re proud to be delivering a project with such lasting value for the community and to play a meaningful role in supporting the area’s long-term regeneration plans.”

Cllr Anne Handley, Leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, added: “I am thrilled that work is finally underway on such a vital piece of infrastructure for the town. This investment is a clear signal of our confidence in Bridlington’s future.

This new multi-storey car park will not only address current parking challenges but also support the town’s regeneration by making it easier for people to visit, shop, and enjoy everything Bridlington has to offer for years to come”.

The project is expected to complete in spring 2026.

Stonegate Tooling announces senior management changes East Yorkshire-based stone fabrication tooling company, Stonegate Precision Tooling Ltd, have made senior structural changes within the business as they look to capitalise on growth opportunities in the UK, Europe and USA. At senior executive level, former managing director, Graham Hazell will move to the newly created role of chief executive of operations, while commercial manager, Clayton Worsley will assume the position of managing director In further changes, the business, which provides tooling, consumable and solutions primarily to kitchen worktop fabricators, announced the addition of a new head of operations. Mark Dennis joins from F.Jones Cleveland t/a Gemini. As the company looks to streamline its operational and technical teams, the recruitment of a new head of operations will be bolstered by the support of new technical team leader, Duncan Collie, who has been with the business for over five years.

Clayton commented: “Over the past two years, we have looked to build on

our position as UK market leaders with stone fabrication tooling and solutions, as well as capitalising on previously identified opportunities in newer markets in the United States and Europe. Mark joins us with over 25 years of experience in the stone industry, and his specialism in operations will allow us to elevate our service and support to customers both here and abroad.

“Duncan has been a vital part of our growth to where we are in the UK, and his elevation to this new role will allow him to further optimise processes within the technical

team, delivering the ultimate level of service to our customers.”

Graham said: “These senior structural changes are a real statement of intent about our ambitions. Our growth since 2019 has been rapid and while we have managed to keep pace with it, and continued delivering world-leading tooling, support and advice, for us to move to the next level, we decided that a hierarchical reshuffle was essential.

“We are thrilled with the changes and with how it widens up our scope of opportunity. With Clayton leading the business on a day-today basis, Mark bringing decades of specialised experience and Duncan now having the mandate to provide next-level insight into the future of stone fabrication, we feel we are incredibly well-placed to bring our passion for excellence to the UK, USA and Europe.”

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Triple amputee from Doncaster becomes world's first to sail across the Pacific

33-year-old former Army rifleman from Doncaster, Craig Wood, has made history by becoming the world’s first triple amputee to sail solo, non-stop and unsupported across the Pacific covering 7506 nautical miles at an average speed of 3.6 knots; a feat he completed in 90 days.

H a v i n g s e t o f f f r om P u e r to Vallarta in Mexico on 25th March at 16.45 UK time, Craig arrived at Hiroshima, Japan, on 24th June

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at 1am (BST) officially making histor y as the f irst ever triple amputee to sail the Pacific alone.

“I’m exhausted – but so proud to complete an expedition that many thought impossible,” said Craig from the finish line.

“It has tested me and my boat, Sirius II, almost to the limit, but I tried to stay in the moment, focus on my goal and the thought of seeing my wife and children

at the end spurred me on. We are expecting our third child, so I am so excited to get back to them all and start this new chapter together.

Challenges “It is incredible to think that I am the first triple amputee in history to sail solo and unsupported across the Pacif ic, but I’m incredibly proud and want to be an example to anyone else living as an amputee that you can achieve any goal you set out to - there are no limits.”

Throughout the expedition he battled unpredictable weather; sleep deprivation and isolation - all whilst managing the additional challenges associated with his injuries.

Craig also experienced several issues with his boat including one of engine’s needed to enter the port at the finish seizing up; patching sails including the Jib, Gennaker and Main sail; replumbing his shower and creating a homemade dipole half wave A IS antenna, when his failed. Despite all of that, he still found time to mentor a friend who recently bought a boat; cultivated a tomato plant and made pies, pizza and bread for burgers, from scratch and one handed.

“It’s been anything but straight forward,” added Craig.

“Recently I broke my prosthetic arm leaving me one-handed which is nothing I haven’t had to deal with previously, but it has made things a bit more difficult while sailing.

“However, I’ve found the whole thing to be a spiritual experience t hat has made me even more

appreciative of the life I have been able to create for myself after everything that happened to me.

“It’s still my hope that by achieving this world record I can change the perception of disability and show how sailing can transform the lives of those affected by trauma.

“It’s also been a chance for me to raise awareness and money for the t wo amazing charities who were there for me during my rehabilitation and recovery.”

It’s a pleasure to see Craig make it safely to his final destination, and we look forward to reviewing the journey logs to officially confirm his entry into the record books...

a-half years of rehabilitation work at the dedicated Headley Court facility in Surrey to improve his quality of life.

His recovery was long, slow and painful – with over 20 operations over four years. It was a mental and physical battle, but one that fifteen years on he’s proving he’s winning.

Craig normally lives on his boat, Sirius II, with his wife, Renata, and their two young children for much of the year. It’s a nomadic lifestyle true to the character he has become and one which the whole family embraces.

S u p p o r t i n g C r a i g ’s r e c o r d breaking sail are his partners Team Forces, Boxxe, Collins Aerospace, Ottobock and Palo Alto.

Phenomenal

Having gone through basic training as a rifleman in the British Army, Craig, was posted to Afghanistan shortly after his 18th birthday. It was just three months into his f irst tour when his life was to change forever.

Adam Millward, managing editor of Guinness World Records added, “Always keen to expand our roster of adaptive-adventure records, we were excited to hear about Cr a ig ’s u nprecedented Pacific crossing last year and have been eagerly keeping tabs on his progress since. It’s a pleasure to see Craig make it safely to his final destination, and we look forward to reviewing the journey logs to officially confirm his entry into the record books.”

Craig lost both legs and his left h a nd i n a n I ED (i mprov ised explosive device) bomb blast on July 30th, 2009. He also suffered t wo col lapsed lu n g s , los t 27 pints of blood and his face was ravaged by shrapnel.

Major General Lamont Kirkland CBE, CEO Team Forces, added; “Craig is a phenomenal person.

His willpower, determination and ability to stay calm in a crisis make him an inspiration. It’s been a privilege to support him.”

It took eight months for Craig to learn to walk again and four-and-

Craig is raising money for Blesma and Turn to Starboard.

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Acquisition boosts portfolio A NorthYorkshire company which has doubled its turnover in the past two years is injecting further pace and scale into its expansion journey after clinching a “bullseye” acquisition.

Robinsons Facilities Services, which maintains and repairs more than 1,100 commercial and public sector buildings spanning the entire Yorkshire and Humber region, has acquired the assets and client portfolio of Bensons Gas Engineering. multiple different service providers.”

The deal sees Robinsons, headquartered in Bishop Thornton near Harrogate, inherit a further 400 client sites from its Yorkshire sector stablemate, which provides commercial gas services to a range of settings, including schools, healthcare facilities and council buildings.

Robinsons managing director, Luke Kitchen, said: “The launchpad for our growth has been our ability to make life easier for Yorkshire’s commercial property owners and managers.

“This is down to our rare position of offering a single point of access to an expert team that can deliver all their maintenance, repair and compliance needs - keeping their people safe and their buildings running efficiently.

“It’s a value proposition that is seeing property owners and managers turn to us in ever-increasing numbers, as it saves them from the time, hassle and expense of navigating a maze of

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He added: “We share a similar client base to Bensons Gas Engineering so this acquisition – our biggest to date – really is a bullseye for Robinsons.

managers and biggest landowners, and a broad range of commercial and industrial buildings in other sectors including banking, leisure, hospitality, retail and healthcare.

“It is a perfect fit and gives us a strong platform to introduce our broader range of services - including air conditioning, fire and security, water hygiene, electrical and other maintenance, repair and compliance services - to our new customer community.

Bensons Gas Engineering was founded by Donald Benson from a kitchen in Harrogate in 1961 before expanding to its current headquarters in Normanton, near Wakefield.

The family firm will now focus on developing its successful core business, Bensons Control Panels.

“As fellow Yorkshire-based businesses with shared values and a proud heritage in commercial gas services, we’re proud to carry Bensons’ trusted reputation forward.”

Managing director, Helen Culloden, said: “I would like to thank all our commercial gas clients for their loyalty and trust over more than 60 years.

The deal propels the total number of sites in Robinsons’ growing portfolio past 1,500.

“I have every confidence that Robinsons will maintain the high standard of service that they have come to rely on and expect from Bensons. “We will be supporting Robinsons in the background to ensure a smooth and seamless transition.”

These now include no fewer than 30 school academy trusts, many of the North’s leading commercial property

report another strong financial performance for the practice over the last 12 months. As always, our good spread of work across key industry sectors helps us to mitigate any unexpected events such as ISG’s administration, although we fully expect most of its halted projects to be reinstated this year.

Architects report strong financial year with commercial sector boost Watson Batty Architects has reported another strong financial performance with particular strong growth across the commercial / industrial, living and learning sectors.

Despite ongoing economic challenges, including a key client, ISG going into administration l a s t S e p t e m b e r, t h e L e e d s based practice has surpassed its performance target by nearly ten per cent, achieving turnover of £3,368,433 for year 2024/2025.

The commercial/industrial sector saw the most notable growth, accounting for just over 31% of turnover. This is due to continued instructions from long standing clients such as Royal Mail and Wm Morrison Supermarkets as well as new instructions from the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Justice.

The ‘living’ sector has also delivered a strong portfolio of work for Watson Batty, contributing around 18% to its turnover. Interestingly the general needs housing requirement has outperformed the later living and care sectors which have always been strong areas for Watson Batty and its expert team.

The ‘learning’ sector also maintains strong growth as in previous years, accounting for 13% of turnover, however many instructions were halted due to ISG’s administration but are expected to be reinstated in the coming months.

Another key sector for Watson Batty is sport and leisure where it has a dedicated team across public sector and private developments across the UK. The sector is supported by a robust pipeline of opportunities for the year ahead.

Peter White, managing director s a i d , “ We a r e d e l i g h t e d t o

We have made a very positive start to the next financial year with a pipeline of great projects and as we approach our milestone 50th anniversary, we are poised to announce some very exciting succession plans in the business.”

Recent project awards include student residential schemes on Newmarket Road in Cambridge, build-to-rent developments, multiple care schemes as well as sport and leisure schemes nationwide.

Watson Batty Architects was established nearly 50 years ago as a future focused business offering architectural, interior design and master planning solutions for all sectors.

With a team of nearly 40 people, the practice is credited for several major public and private sector projects including schools, universities, sport and leisure, distribution facilities, commercial, master planning, residential and care developments and transport hubs.

The practice also supports the next generation of architects through the RIBA Student Mentoring Programme in partnership with the University of Sheffield, De Montfort University in Leicester, and Loughborough University.

TopicUK August 2025

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East Riding businesses supported with £1.5 million in grant funding

Since 2023, businesses across the region have benefitted from a range of business support and grant programmes delivered

by East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC), through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF).

Invest East Yorkshire’s Business Support Services, part of ERYC, have provided a wide range of support for businesses including one-to-one advice, access to workshops, events and networking opportunities. The team have also worked with a network of universities, government bodies and private sector organisations for specialist expertise. The team works with local delivery partners, and with Hull City Council to ensure that support reaches businesses in

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all sectors and locations, including targeted work in Bridlington and Goole.

More than 160 workshops and events have been delivered, tailored to the needs of local businesses. Specialist support has been provided in areas such as innovation, carbon reduction, tourism and supply chain development.

The Invest East Yorkshire team

has helped 189 businesses secure £1.56 million in grant funding, and the creation of 161 new jobs.

Additionally, 1,486 businesses have received one-to-one support or access to workshops and grants, 207 entrepreneurs supported to become business-ready, and 45 new businesses created.

Councillor Anne Handley, East Riding of Yorkshire Council leader said “We’re proud to support our local economy, and our Business Support Service team play a key role in helping hundreds of businesses to thrive and grow. We encourage more businesses to get in touch with the team and find out more about available support.”

Begbies Traynor Group promotes new director in Yorkshire Licensed insolvency practitioner Ben Fallon has been promoted to director in Begbies Traynor Group’s Leeds office.

Ben joined the leading business recovery, financial advisory and real estate consultancy’s Leeds office in 2012 as a trainee administrator. He qualified as a chartered accountant with the ICAEW in 2018, became a licensed insolvency practitioner in 2022, and has spent three years as a senior manager supporting the firm’s partners and directors across the country.

During more than 12 years with Begbies Traynor Group, Ben has progressed

from working on a range of corporate insolvency cases, to being an integral member of the firm’s BTG Advisory team, working on restructuring and turnaround projects, undertaking financial due diligence, debt refinancing activity, and independent business reviews for numerous businesses and lenders.

Julian Pitts, regional managing partner for Yorkshire, said: “Ben has earned this step up to director with more than a dozen years working across our insolvency and advisory teams on a wide range of national and Yorkshire businesses.

“We’re expanding our capability across the region, and Ben’s varied background will be valuable in helping the region’s

businesses and advising directors on restructuring and turnaround matters during some very turbulent times for the economy.”

Ben commented: “I am looking forward to helping the partners i n Yo r k s h i r e a n d t h e w i d e r firm, taking both insolvency appointments and turnaround assignments as we look to continue to grow the BTG Advisory division in the North. I am from Wetherby, and it is very rewarding to have been able to progress my career here in this region, supporting its businesses through tough times.”

Begbies Traynor Group currently has 10 offices in Yorkshire, the Humber and the North East. It offers a full range of professional services, including corporate recovery, investigations and risk, forensic accounting advice, c o r p o ra te f i n a n c e , p ro p e r t y services, funding, debt collection and personal insolvency.

TopicUK August 2025

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Paint producer supplies award winning Wentworth Woodhouse horticultural heritage project

The £5m camellia house restoration project is part of the ongoing r e g e n e r a t i o n o f We n t w o r t h Woodhouse, which, with 125,000 sq ft of living space and a room for every day of the year, is described as Britain’s biggest house. Over £30m has already been spent on the restoration of the stately home with another £150m needed to finish the work.

Linseed paint producer Brouns &Co hassupplied the paint foranaward-winning restoration of Rotherham country house Wentworth Woodhouse’s restored Grade II* listed camellia house.

Home to some of the world’s oldest camellia plants, the building has been refurbished and converted into a café in a project that was last month recognised with the UK’s only European Heritage Award by civil society network Europa Nostra.

Using Brouns & Co’s environmentally sustainable interior and exterior linseed paints, the 18th century camellia house, which had been derelict for 50 years, was painstakingly restored in a project by conservation and heritage architects Donald Insall Associates that has created a tearoom for visitors to the Wentworth Woodhouse stately home, as well as protecting the historic plants.

Traditional craftsmanship and heritage conservation methods were integrated with low-carbon upgrades such as a rainwater harvesting system, and

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underfloor heating powered by a ground-source heat pump in the project. The camellia house restoration has been described as setting a new benchmark for the standards of sustainable design that can be incorporated into heritage and listed buildings.

“Our linseed paint has been used for historic properties in the UK as well as in the US and Europe because linseed paint is the traditional treatment for wood and metal that was used for centuries before polymer paints came along. Now it is enjoying a renaissance in popularity as people see its sustainability and durability benefits over standard plastic-based paints.

Renowned linseed paint expert and “We are now seeing the paint, which CEO of Brouns & Co, Michiel Brouns, we make from flax seeds in North said: “We are so proud to be involved Yorkshire, increasingly being in this tremendous conservation used in new-build architectural venture, which has seen a fantastic developments worldwide, as much team come together to renovate this as on heritage and conservation important Georgian building in such projects like the Wentworth an impressive and sympathetic way.” Woodhouse camellia house.”

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Leeds College of Building launches new branding and website Leeds College of Building (LCB) has marked its 65th anniversary in education with refreshed branding and a new website.

The rebrand launch follows 18 months of work with branding agency Born Communication to help find a way to better reflect a modern and inclusive construction industry workforce.

The project involved months of

planning and research, as well as interviews with a range of internal and external stakeholders, prior to redesigning the LCB website, shooting new campaign videos and images, and rolling out new branding across all College signage and materials.

The new website offers a fresh take on construction featuring modern imagery of real students in action or on site. It also delivers a simpler navigation and interface, making it even easier for potential students, apprentices, and employers to connect with the College.

Leeds College of Building has played a pivotal role in delivering high-quality education and training to over 100,000 students and apprentices since its establishment in 1960. It is the UK’s only specialist further education college focused solely on construction and the built environment.

Lyndsey Priestley, head of marketing & student recruitment, said: “The UK construction sector employs over 2 million people across a vast range of trades and professions and contributes billions of pounds to the

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UK economy. We wanted Leeds College of Building to better reflect this diverse and exciting industry, so our rebrand represents a bold, new era in construction education. Our modern, forward-thinking identity still embodies our high standards, but with a renewed focus on innovation, inclusivity, and opportunity.”

The rebrand comes in conjunction with the launch of a new strategic plan and a wider focus on identity - championing, challenging, and celebrating the diverse career and life chances that the construction and built environment sector can offer.

Ricky Hill, Born Communication MD, said: "Leeds College of Building has a unique offer, but their brand didn’t reflect just how ambitious and future-focused they are — or how much they’ve evolved. Our challenge was to create a brand that could speak to the full breadth of their

offering, from apprenticeships to degrees, while staying rooted in their heritage and name. This wasn’t about a cosmetic refresh — it was about realigning perception with reality and unlocking new opportunities to engage students, industry, and partners alike. We’re proud to have helped shape a brand that reflects who LCB are today, and where they’re heading tomorrow."

Research shows that industry demand will vastly outstrip the current construction workforce by 2027, with tens of thousands more professionals needed to urgently fill skills gaps in house building to infrastructure and net-zero carbon projects. The Construction Leadership Council propose that diversity and modernisation are two key factors in attracting fresh talent.

Leeds College of Building already welcomes apprentices from across the

country looking to train in specialist professions up to degree level. Given ethnic minority workers are still significantly under-represented in the sector and women fill only 2% of site-based roles, it is hoped the rebrand and new website will attract an even more diverse workforce into construction.

Lyndsey added: “With huge infrastructure projects on the horizon and an ever-changing city demographic, Leeds needs education providers that can adapt and meet the needs of the construction sector, now and in the future. We want to showcase this exciting industry to even more people and teach skills that align with modern demands – from Building Information Modelling (BIM), AI, data analytics, digitisation, and automation to Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), sustainable materials and practices, and transitioning to net zero.”

TopicUK August 2025

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Catering Students - Isabelle Smith and Jasmine Weichar

Hull College Crowned Best Competing College at British Culinary Championships 2025 Catering and Hospitality students from Hull College cooked up a storm at this year’s British Culinary Championships, returning home with a phenomenal 36 medals and the coveted title of Best Competing College 2025.

Organised by the Craft Guild of Chefs and held at Central Bedfordshire College, the event brought together the very best emerging culinary talent from across the UK. Competing against students from institutions nationwide, Hull College’s aspiring chefs delivered an exceptional performance that showcased their technical ability, creativity, and professionalism.

Their final medal tally included an impressive 6 Gold, 11 Silver, and 19 Bronze, along with 2 Merit Awards and 2 Best in Class titles. Their collective success saw the college named Best Competing College 2025 - a title that recognises not

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only individual flair and skill, but also excellence in teaching and support.

The winning students were Isabelle Smith, Charlie Chappel, Charlie Nicklin, Jasmine Weichardt, Jamie Clarke, Tori Byas, Aneta Osenka, and Alfie McGuire, with staff members Dan Clarke and Jo Tills also receiving individual recognition, further reinforcing the strength and expertise of the college’s culinary teaching team.

Reflecting on her individual impressive haul of two bronze, one silver, and one gold medal, student Isabelle Smith said: “It felt amazing to win four medals.

All the hard work that went into

preparing for the competition really paid off, and I am incredibly proud of what I achieved. The competition really pushed me - the level of accuracy and high standards required were intense, but it was a great experience.

Taking part has helped boost my confidence. It is a huge benefit for my CV and made me feel even more focused on my future in the industry.”

Jasmine Weichardt, who collected a total of five medals, including two bronzes, two silver and one gold, added: “The build-up and taking part in the competition was an amazing and worthwhile e x p e r i e n c e - I l o v e d i t ! To come away with five medals as recognition for all the hard work involved was a wonderful feeling.

With practice, support from college staff, and self-belief, it

shows you can achieve anything.

The college has prepared me well for the working world and given me more confidence in the kitchen.”

Dan Clarke, catering and hospitality tutor at Hull College, said: “We are incredibly proud of every single student who took part.

Their determination, creativity, and composure under pressure was inspiring to watch. Competitions like this pro vide invaluable experience, and our students truly rose to the challenge. “ Wa t c h i n g t h e m t a k e o n each event with confidence and professionalism was a joy the results speak for themselves.

Competing at this level is a huge challenge, but they showed incredible skill, teamwork, and determination. Winning the title of ‘Best Competing College’ is a huge honour and testament to the hard work that goes on behind the scenes at the college every day.”

Hull College principal & CEO, Debra Gray MBE, added: “This success is a shining example of what our students can achieve when talent is nurtured in the right environment.

Their performance at the British Culinary Championships is not only a celebration of individual excellence, but a reflection of the exceptional teaching, industry engagement, and hands-on training we provide at Hull College. We could not be prouder.

“Our Catering and Hospitality provision continues to go from strength to strength, and the success at the British Culinary Championships underlines our commitment to delivering exceptional training, realworld experience, and opportunities that allow our students to shine.”

Estate agency announces new appointments

West Yorkshire-based estate agency Charnock Bates has announced two new appointments to support its ongoing growth strategy across the region.

Richard Walker joins as residential valuer, whilst Alice MacLaverty has been hired as marketing coordinator and property copywriter.

Charnock Bates is a specialist in selling fine, country and period homes across West Yorkshire, with a focus on selling properties exceeding £500,000 in value.

Richard Walker brings more than 30 years’ professional p r o p e r t y e x p e r i e n c e to t h e firm and has previously held advisory positions at varying regional and national property firms. In his new role, he is tasked with appraising high-value homes and advising on a diverse mix of properties.

With a decade of marketing experience, Alice MacLaverty joins from Mirfield-based full-service marketing agency The Bigger Boat.

She is tasked with marketing the properties listed including writing the descriptive copy for each of the unique homes.

Commenting on the new appointments, director, Ben Waites, said: “Welcoming Richard and Alice will play a significant role in our continued growth and success across the West Yorkshire region.

“Both of them have a wealth of experience in their respective fields, which makes them valuable additions to our team to support in delivering for our clients.”

TopicUK August 2025

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Savage Crangle joins forces with Ison Harrison in legal merger Savage Crangle, a respected Skipton-based law firm, is to become part of one of Yorkshire’s leading legal service providers, following its acquisition by Ison Harrison.

The established reputation and local knowledge of Savage Crangle, specialists in conveyancing, family law, corporate and commercial property, litigation and wills and probate for over four decades, perfectly complements the breadth and scale of Ison Harrison’s offering, which recently expanded into Skipton through the acquisition of Armstrong Luty Solicitors.

expanded capabilities. It’s the right step for our clients and our team.”

The branch will continue to operate from Savage Crangle’s existing office on Skipton High Street, managed

by Julie Smith of Ison Harrison, who will oversee the integration and ensure continuity of service for all clients.

new opportunities to support local clients with an expanded legal team.

Jonathan Wearing, managing director of Ison Harrison, added: “Our goal has always been to deliver accessible, expert legal support in the heart of local communities. Bringing Savage Crangle into the Ison Harrison family not only expands our geographical footprint but also enriches our offering with their highly respected team. With Armstrong Luty already part of our journey, we’re building something special in Skipton.”

Founded in 1979, Savage Crangle is a firm with a long-standing reputation and deep ties to the local community.

Partners Peter Crangle, John Eyre and Chris Storah lead a team of 23 staff between Savage Crangle’s Skipton and Otley offices.

Julie commented: “I am proud to be leading this exciting new chapter. Savage Crangle and Ison Harrison share a commitment to client care, specialist expertise and local values. Together we can offer a more diverse range of services to the people of Skipton.”

Both firms will work closely to ensure a seamless transition for clients and staff. The acquisition is the latest in a series of strategic moves by Ison Harrison, which became an employeeowned business in 2022 and has since experienced dynamic regional growth.

Peter said “We’ve been on a long and proud journey as Savage Crangle, serving our clients with dedication and professionalism for 46 years. Joining Ison Harrison allows us to continue that journey, but with fresh energy and

The move follows Ison Harrison’s acquisition of Armstrong Luty in Skipton earlier this spring.

That integ ration has a lready strengthened the firm’s position in the Craven district and provided

Since transitioning to employee ownership, the firm has almost doubled its turnover, opened seven new offices and made individual profit distributions to employees totalling over £11,500 each.

TopicUK August 2025

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Forge New Homes and IF Collective collaborate Rotherham, and Bolsover – to life in a richer, more intuitive way.

The site also features a brandnew section called Home Life which will be packed with editorial content, top tips from Forge experts and local knowledge from the areas in which it is building Sam Wit t, creative director at If Collective, said: "Forge challenged us to rethink the standard developer website and we sought to create something that felt human, useful, and design led.

“Through detailed analysis of user behaviour, we uncovered a clear decision-making journey, noting that people choose a place, then a home, then the builder. We reflected this in the site’s architecture – flipping the traditional ‘house-first’ model on its head."

"The result is a clean, editorialstyle homepage that enables users to quickly explore locations, scan available homes, and understand the benefits of buying with Forge. Each house type is presented with a depth of information and visual richness rarely seen in the sector."

Forge New Homes has launched an update to its website – an engaging platform designed not only to showcase its growing portfolio of homes across the North and Midlands, Andy Beattie, managing director but also to share interior and local lifestyle guides.

The ‘profit with purpose’ housebuilder, founded in 2019 to offer accessible and affordable homes, has launched the site to redefine how homebuilders communicate with customers online.

Created by Sheffield-based design

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studio If Collective, the website reflects Forge’s shift into its next phase of growth. Moving beyond its debut development, Forge needed a digital presence that would evolve with its brand and bring its expanding pipeline – in locations such as Pilsley,

at Forge New Homes, added: "We wanted a platform that did more than sell houses – we wanted to add real value for our customers.

The website speaks their language and offers relevant content at every stage of their journey. It’s a huge step forward for us creatively and commercially."

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Headstar expands Transactional Finance division with key hires amid soaring demand wider divisional requirements.

The expansion of the Transactional Finance division reflects surging demand, particularly from large businesses, for high-quality finance support in areas such as purchase ledger, sales ledger, credit management, payroll and financial analysis. Interim recruitment is being driven by businesses seeking greater flexibility amid fast-paced change - with many short-term hires evolving into longerterm roles.

Transactional finance recruitment accounted for 15% of Headstar’s net fee income in 2024. The company expects this figure to grow further, driven by recent changes to employers’ National Insurance contributions, a growing need for more agile finance functions, and rising demand for professionals who can work effectively with new finance technologies.

James Roach, managing director, said: “We’ve expanded this division part-qualified finance roles across in response to the real and growing demand we’re seeing from clients.

Yorkshire and beyond.

Businesses want access to skilled With over five years’ experience in people who can hit the ground running recruitment across a range of industries, - whether that’s on a permanent basis Claudia will focus on permanent or to provide flexible interim cover transactional and part-qualified roles in and this demand is only heading in South Leeds, Wakefield, Huddersfield one direction. and Halifax, typically recruiting for “Both Claudia and Matt bring a huge roles up to £45,000. amount of experience and the downMatt who has quickly risen through to-earth character we value in all the recruitment ranks since starting in our consultants. We’re delighted to 2021, will lead on interim transactional welcome them to the team and look finance appointments across West forward to seeing the impact they Yorkshire, meeting clients’ short-term will have in driving growth in this and urgent needs while also supporting buoyant area.”

L-r Claudia Gooding, team manager Rachel Porteous, and Matt Swift

Specialist finance recruitment consultancy Headstar has made two strategicallyimportant hires to bolster its Transactional Finance division,in response to a 152% year-on-year increase in net fee income generated through its services in this area.

The new appointments - Claudia Gooding and Matt Swift - join as senior consultants and will work alongside team manager Rachel Porteous to meet growing demand for transactional and

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to support store reconfigurations and operational planning across Primark stores, becoming an essential tool for long-term facilities management and refurbishment.

Apollo3D lights the way for Primark

3D mapping specialist Apollo3D has completed a partnership with international fashion retailer Primark, delivering virtual scans of more than 350 stores across the UK and Europe as part of the retailer’s major LED lighting upgrade programme.

The collaboration is delivering substantial, financial and operational benefits, reducing the need for on-site visits while enabling smarter, faster project rollouts.

As part of Primark’s mission to upgrade in-store lighting to energy-efficient LED systems, Otley-based Apollo3D was commissioned to create highly detailed digital twins, or immersive 3D virtual tours, of all its UK and European stores. The interactive walkthroughs allow contractors and project teams to access and assess stores remotely with precise accuracy, significantly reducing the need for physical surveys and return visits.

The project, which began with a pilot scan of Primark’s Leeds City Centre store in late 2021, demonstrated early on the potential for digital twins to streamline survey work and coordination between internal teams and external contractors. The initial trial expanded quickly to include eight

stores across the UK before being rolled out across its entire UK estate, which is currently 197 stores. By the time the project concluded last month, Apollo3D had mapped more than 350 stores across multiple European markets, including the UK.

Mark Shepherd, managing director and founder of Apollo3D, said: “This project really demonstrates the power of virtual mapping in largescale infrastructure delivery. We’ve worked closely with Primark to refine the process, speed up site capture and deliver exactly the information needed.

The result is a smarter, greener and more cost-effective way to manage upgrades across hundreds of sites.

Scott Succoia, senior project manager, commented: “Partnering with Apollo3D has transformed the way we approach major infrastructure programmes.

Having instant access to virtual models of the stores gave us the insight we needed to plan with confidence and move at pace. It significantly reduced the need for travel and physical surveys, creating a more environmentally sound approach to our work while helping us cut costs and improve coordination.”

The benefits of using virtual mapping for this large-scale rollout have been profound. Survey time was reduced by more than 80%, this efficiency gain shortened the overall project timeline and freed up resources for other initiatives. The detailed scans also supported fast decision-making, improved cross-team coordination, and gave stakeholders instant access to site data, wherever they were located.

Added Mark: “Our exciting work with Primark highlights how immersive digital technology is redefining the retail landscape, turning logistical challenges into scalable, data-driven solutions. As businesses across all sectors look to modernise their infrastructure while cutting costs and emissions, this partnership is a blueprint for how innovation can deliver meaningful, measurable impact at scale.”

Beyond the LED programme itself, the 3D mapping has proved invaluable for subsequent projects including the installation of its Click & Collect desks, self-service checkouts and new beauty and home department layouts. The data captured continues

Apollo 3D was founded in 2017 and is based at Wharfebank Mills in Otley, with a team of 12 employees. Clients cover a broad spectrum of sectors from retail and healthcare to hospitality and facilities management.

TopicUK August 2025

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Selling your business ahead of retirement ‘What am I going to do with all this free time?', 'How much can I afford to spend each year?’, ‘How do pensions work?’ These are the challenging questions for many approaching retirement.

And for business owners, the situation is even more complex.

developed. An unexpected element of my job involves establishing what it is that clients actually want from their lives beyond their careers.

turning down an offer now comes with the cost of waiting for another, with no guarantee that the next offer will be better, and may even be worse.

Take the time to reflect and seek guidance as you refine your retirement plans.

Remember, this is potentially decades of your future we're planning, so it deserves thoughtful consideration and care.

‘How will I move on from the business which has been my life’s work?’, ‘What will happen to the business and its employees once I’m gone?’, ‘Is there an identifiable successor within the business?’

Corporate finance specialists can give structure to these problems.

They help you find buyers/lenders so you can smoothly exit your business, passing it on to successors. But there is one burning question which perhaps supersedes all: ‘How much can I sell the business for?’

Rationalise your position Whether your valuation or ultimate sale price exceeds or falls short of expectations, there are likely to be emotional hurdles to overcome.

As a hard-won asset that you are looking to sell, your business is not just a monetary figure, it is a culmination of your life’s work. If you receive a valuation that falls short of what you think the business is worth, it may be difficult to not take personally.

Many factors determine a business’s value, most of which will change over time (production costs, buyers in the market, interest rates etc.). This variability can provide a reason to decline an offer and wait for more favourable conditions. However,

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Of course, every situation is unique.

But for those hovering between accepting or declining an offer, the following may be useful.

Beyond the sale On the other side of a sale, you need to tackle the next big question: “What do you want to do with your retirement?”

During my career in financial advice, I have heard a plethora of retirement plans. From fixing an old Volkswagen Kombi and taking a couple of months touring it around the British coastline, to contributing to the costs of grandchildren’s school fees or spending a year in India.

But most often, clients have told me that their retirement plans are not fully

*Inflation assumed at 3.00% per annum.

Organise your objectives

To develop a comprehensive plan, we work off these objectives to agree on their monetary values in today’s terms.

These may look something like: Regular expenditure • £30,000 – retirement living expense – annually • £25,000 – car upgrade – every four years • £7,000 – school fee contribution, two grandchildren – between their ages 7 and 18 One-off expenditure • £15,000 - retirement commencement holiday – at retirement / 60 • £10,000 – wedding gifts for each grandchild – from their ages of 25

Having identified expenditure over time, we then review your assets and future income streams to cover this e xpenditure:

•

Liquid Assets • £900,000 – net business sale proceeds • £200,000 – pension • £80,000 – stocks and shares ISA £1,180,000 – Total

•

Assumed growth rate of 4% net of investment charges and tax.

Future Income Streams (today’s terms) £11,973 – full state pe nsion – commencing from age 67

• •

Market crashes and other investment fluctuations A partner’s assets which may include a state pension Tax-efficiencies that your financial planner will help you implement Despite its relative simplicity, the example still demonstrates a modern approach to retirement planning, providing you with a reasoned understanding of what can be accomplished with your business sale proceeds.

In this example – and if we remove the expenditure met by the state pension – the £1,180,000 starting liquid assets still successfully covers the remaining £2,478,000 (and does so with money left to spare).

of understanding about your own situation? If not, do you believe having such an understanding would assist you in deciding whether to accept an offer?

Ultimately, how far your money goes will be determined by how well it is managed. At Quilter Cheviot, we work with clients to deliver the best outcomes when they sell their businesses. We also help build a tax efficient, intelligently invested plan that gives you a clear picture of the retirement your sale proceeds could fund.

With this understanding you will be bet te r equipped to decide w h e t h e r to p ro c e e d w i t h t h e offer presented.

Approver: Quilter Cheviot, 13 May 2025

By Alex Hill, Chartered Financial Planner based in Quilter Cheviot’s Leeds office

When used to cover the expenses detailed above, total liquid assets of £1,180,000 will diminish over time, leaving around £320,000 remaining at the end of the plan.

We’re here to help After looking at a simple version of a retirement plan, is this what you anticipated? Do you have this level

This article is intended as an introduction to inheritance tax and if you would like to know anything further, please don’t hesitate to download our IHT and wealth transfer guide using the below QR code or get in contact with a Quilter Cheviot financial planner who can assist with any queries at enquiries@ quiltercheviot.com.

This example is simplistic and the following are some considerations that have been ignored, but would be accounted for by a good financial planner: Quilter Cheviot and Quilter Cheviot Investment Management are trading names of Quilter Cheviot Limited. Quilter Cheviot Limited is registered in England with number 01923571, registered office at Senator House, 85 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4AB. Quilter Cheviot Limited is a member of the London Stock Exchange and authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority and as an approved Financial Services Provider by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority in South Africa.

TopicUK August 2025

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Schofield Sweeney advises accu on naming rights deal

Huddersfield-based engineering components specialist Accu has completed a record-breaking f ive -year sponsorship deal with Huddersfield Town.

Leading commercial law firm Schofield Sweeney advised Accu on the deal. The company acquired exclusive naming rights to the club's home stadium, which will now be known as the Accu Stadium.

The record multi-year sponsorship deal will run until at least 2030, covering five seasons.

As part of the deal Accu and Huddersfield Town will invest in the community through education-led STEM (Science,

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Technology, Engineering & Maths) outreach programmes, community development initiatives and enhanced match day and fan engagement activities.

Kare n Crutchle y, partne r at Schofield Sweeney, said: “We have represented and worked with Accu for a number of years and when this opportunity presented itself we actively encouraged them to explore it further and subsequently advised to help get the deal over the line. It will be a great platform

for the business to continue to raise its profile.”

Alastair Morris, managing director of Accu, said: "We're incredibly proud to align our brand with this iconic stadium and with Huddersfield Town - a club that shares our passion for innovation, local pride, and community engagement. The Accu Stadium will be more than a stadium; it will be a symbol of shared ambition and a focal point for the growth of Huddersfield."

Founded in 2012, Accu supplies components to more than 50 p e r c e n t o f t h e w o r l d ' s to p 100 manufacturers in more than 120 countries.

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Commercial Disputes •• Contracts Commercial Property •• Employment Contracts Property •• Intellectual EmploymentTrade & Transactions •• International Intellectual Property •• Internet Trading International Trade & Transactions •• Mediation of Business Disputes Internet Trading •• Mergers, Acquisitions and Disposals • Mediation of Business Disputes • Planning & Licensing Mergers, and Disposals •• Starting In Acquisitions Business

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Debbie Dobson Championing women in business across Yorkshire

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Yorkshire Businesswoman is delighted to announce that Debbie Dobson has been appointed company director, joining forces as a business partner alongside Gill Laidler and Robert Blackwell in an exciting new chapter that brings together decades of industry experience, entrepreneurial drive and a shared passion for female led success.

Debbie’s journey is a powerful blend of grassroots grit and high-end hospitality.

She began her career at just 13 years old, selling vintage denim on local market stalls – a first glimpse of the tenacity and creativity that would on to define her career. Over the years, she builds a stand out reputation within the luxury hospitality industry serving as spa director in several prestigious hotels, where she led high performing teams and delivered five-star guest

experiences with a focus on well-being, innovation and service excellence.

Later, Debbie played a pivotal role in the opening team at Dakota Hotel, Leeds where she has spent the past 8 ½ years as director of sales, helping to firmly establish the hotel as a destination for premium business and leisure clients.

Her entrepreneurial spirit doesn’t stop there. Debbie also owns a

thriving tanning and beauty business, combining her spa expertise with a love of independent business. Beyond her own ventures, she remains deeply committed to supporting other women in business and has been, prior to this appointment a longstanding Ambassador for Yorkshire BusinessWoman since its launch in 2020. Debbie is also a brand ambassador for Phillip Stoner Jewellers, one of the region’s most iconic luxury brands.

Speaking about her new directorship, Debbie said: “This is a fabulous opportunity to grown something special, particularly for the women of Yorkshire.

I am incredibly proud to develop this TopicUKApril 2025

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network alongside two amazingly talented business partners Gill and Robert, and to help shape a business that empowers, connects and celebrates the brilliant women who make this region thrive.”

FACT FILE:

What car do you drive?

Porsche 718 Boxster.

What do you do in your leisure time?

Generally, work! I'm always at some event! I also love to spend time with my family, especially my 3-year-old Granddaughter, Elodie who most cer tainly keeps me enter tained!

Where is your favourite restaurant?

Crab & Lobster at Thirsk is my absolute favourite, however, shout out to some of my local faves - Tattu, Riva, Cut & Craft and most recently Uyare - fabulous

“We are delighted to welcome Debbie to our team, both Rob and I have known Debbie for many years and know that she is a valuable addition to our team.

Her knowledge, entrepreneurship

and people skills are second to none and our partners and members are lucky she has agreed to join us,” concluded group editor and director Gill Laidler.

place! And the Dakota Grill of course for the best steaks in town!

beautiful little shop fronts and coffee shops along with the riverside bars to enjoy bubbles in the lovely sunshine!

By night, there is no better place to party than Leeds!

What is your favourite food and drink?I love seafood & Champagne, and also anything Italian with a nice glass of Gavi is a close call!

Where do you like to Holiday?

Anywhere with sunshine, white beaches, a turquoise ocean and a frozen cocktail in hand!

Where is your place in Yorkshire?

By day, I would have to choose York, I love the quaint cobbled streets with

What is your favourite gadget?

I’m not really a gadget person so I’d have to say my phone.

What couldn’t you live without?

My hot tub. It’s my happy place and where I do all my business thinking – some great ideas have come from there! And I'd also have to say my lip gloss!

Lee Child to headline inaugural Whitby Literature Festival Lee Child, the author behind the global phenomenon, Jack Reacher, headlines the inaugural Whitby Lit Fest.

The blockbuster author will be in conversation with the TV personality, Rob Rinder.

Lee will be discussing the new Reacher book – Exit Strategy - co-written with his brother, Andrew Child. The 30th title in the Jack Reacher series is published on 4 November.

Child will also discuss his first ever autobiographical collection, The Stories Behind the Stories, which is published this September.

Child’s books have been translated in multiple languages, had two Hollywood adaptations starring Tom Cruise, and

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a hit Amazon Prime series featuring Alan Ritchson, with millions of copies sold worldwide.

Rinder is a Sunday Times No.1 bestselling author, with a series of novels inspired by his experiences as a barrister: The Trial, The Suspect and The Protest.

Over 40 authors are expected to descend on the coastal town for the inaugural festival, which runs from Thursday 6 to Sunday 9 November.

Alongside bestselling authors, Whitby Lit Fest will champion writers, past and present, who have been inspired by Whitby, and celebrate the coast’s literary heritage.

Whitby is home to one of the world’s most enduring literary legacies: Dracula.

The name Dracula and some of the novel’s most dramatic scenes were inspired by Bram Stoker’s holiday in Whitby in 1890.

The picturesque harbour, abbey ruins, windswept churchyard, and the salty tales he heard from Whitby seafarers all became ingredients in the novel.

Festival Patron, Kate Fenton - the author and former BBC Radio 4 producer - said: “Whitby is a book lover’s playground. I’ve been known to march protesting family members up the 199 steps at midnight to sit, as Bram Stoker’s silly Lucy does, on a lonely bench in the gale-blasted churchyard, daring a bat to sweep down.

“Strolling along West Cliff, I like to imagine I might bump into Jackson Brodie because I’ve noticed brilliant Kate Atkinson is fond of sending her detective to our town – and I kid myself I’m personally acquainted with the characters in Ben Myers’ The Offing, set just down the coast in Robin Hood’s Bay. I could go on. The place’s clearly an enduring inspiration for writers, and it’s marvellous so many will be gathering here in November, along with us inky-fingered bookworms, young and old. I can hardly wait.”

The anniversary of Bram Stoker’s birthday is on November 8, and the festival has plans to mark the occasion, alongside its links to another literary legend: Charles D i c ke n s , w h o s t ay e d a t t h e White Horse and Griffin whilst visiting Whitby.

Lois Kirtlan, committee chair of the Whitby Lit Fest, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome a literary giant, like Lee Child, to launch a landmark event for readers and writers alike.”

A major theme of the first festival will celebrate Whitby’s dramatic coastline and landscapes, with authors focussing on nature, travel, and the outdoors, as well as a wider look at wellbeing.

Lois said: “The landscape, sea, and dramatic skies offer the perfect setting to discuss the big questions books throw up about life. It’s a chance for readers to go on a literary adventure, to discover new authors alongside established and acclaimed writers, with the remarkable backdrop of Whitby in November, with its quieter coastal paths and dramatic sunsets.

Throw in our famous fish and chips, and we think it’s every bookworm’s paradise.”

Other themes include crime f i c t i o n , g o t h i c h o r r o r, a n d working-class writing.

The festival will also feature a poetry strand to celebrate established and emerging local poets. A bespoke children’s strand is centred on a writing competition for local schoolchildren delivered in partnership with the National L i t e r a c y Tr u s t , t o i g n i t e a love of writing and reading in young audiences.

The full programme and ticket sales will be announced later in the year.

The event is an initiative by the Whitby community, with a steering committee of local businesses The Whitby Bookshop and Hetty & Betty, alongside North Yorkshire Council Libraries, Visit North Yorkshire, and English Heritage, who look after Whitby Abbey, with support from Cause UK Public Relations and Hello Technology.

Lois added: “This is a festival rooted in place and community.

We want to create something that’s not only world-class in literary programming, but also deeply connected to the people and stories of Whitby. It’s about celebrating creativity and heritage, and bringing people together through the joy of books.”

The landscape, sea, and dramatic skies offer the perfect setting to discuss the big questions books throw up about life.

It’s a chance for readers to go on a literary adventure...

Whitby Lit Fest is being established as a charity. Ticket prices will be affordable and accessible. The committee welcomes sponsorship and volunteer support. If interested, and to receive other festival updates please contact the festival team via the website TopicUK August 2025

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THE YORKSHIRE COAST

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THE YORKSHIRE COAST

The business hotshots targeting acres of re-usable waste

Young entrepreneurs lead in the recycling of shotgun cartridges

by Zoe Harrison

A new fund worth £5 million will give businesses across York and North Yorkshire a major boost for the next two years.

Two farmers’ sons have become the UK’s leading recycler of plastic shotgun cartridges — in just three years.

Harrison, both 27, grew up immersed in farming and shooting — two industries with significant waste footprints.

Friends Edward Medforth and Henry

Their journey began during the first

national COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, sparked by two simple questions: What happens to all the waste from our farms? And what happens to all the spent shotgun cartridges left behind at shoots across the country?

The ideas that led to the creation of H&M Recycling by the duo then living in Sledmere and Thixendale in the Yorkshire Wolds.

The young entrepreneurs started by buying second-hand recycling equipment, which allowed them to bale farm waste more sustainably.

As the business grew, they added a picking line and shredder to recycle shotgun cartridges.

This system separates the plastic and metal, which can then be reused in products such as piping, road surfaces and garden furniture.

Three years later, they have already recycled more than 160 million cartridge shells —preventing 1,404 tonnes of plastic from landfill. In the UK, there are said to be more than 250 million plastic-cased shotgun cartridges sold annually.

With demand booming for recycling, Edward and Henry

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recently took a major leap forward in May by acquiring the licensed Flixton-based waste management site in North Yorkshire formerly operated by locally-renowned Murray Brown. The move enabled the launch of the H&M Waste Management Group, now comprising both H&M Recycling and H&M Skip Hire.

The large yard was ideal for their business needs so they moved operations to the site at Flixton,

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south of Scarborough, a few miles from the East Riding border.

The expansion has given H&M t h e c a p a c i t y to b r o a d e n i t s recycling capabilities and to expand into skip hire services for domestic, commercial and industrial disposals, with skips for clearing general waste, plasterboard, wood, plastic, soil, rubble and glass.

“Buying the site was a gamechanger,” said Edward, from

Raisthorpe. “It gave us the space we needed to scale up, diversify our recycling streams and offer complete waste solutions.”

Henry, from Sledmere, added: “We’re passionate about finding value in what others throw away.

From cartridges to crates, there’s a second life in every bit of waste.”

With innovation and respect for the land they grew up on, they are turning waste into opportunity.

THE YORKSHIRE COAST

The counter-revolutions of Scarborough’s retail portfolio

Scarborough town centre, the Brunswick Shopping Centre which is being renamed and reconfigured

A new A-Z of Scarborough book spotlights the history behind its streets, businesses and people, plus its unique claims to fame. Here TopicUK highlights the key aspects – and how the town centre businesses have changed, at a time when major transformation is on the way.

The timing of a new book on Scarborough is a topical reminder of how main landmarks in the town centre have undergone constant change - at a time when the former Brunswick Shopping Centre is to be completely re-configured, with impacts across the whole area.

Scarborough developed around its medieval castle and became a spa town before the railways brought more visitors in - although the town was a resort for high society well into the 20th century, with plush hotels and stylish department stores such as Marshall & Snelgrove.

The author Richard M. Jones looks at more than 80 talking point topics and says that the old offering of the varied shops were an attraction for him and his family in visiting Scarborough: “The range of shops appealed to me and I kept making the journey long into my late teens and 20s when I pursued the history of the town, and the stories of the shipwrecks.”

The book features Brunswick Shopping Centre on the main TopicUK August 2025

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THE YORKSHIRE COAST shopping area Westborough, on the site of what used to be a traditional branch of Debenhams until 2021, and the centre attracted a seven-million annual footfall at its peak.

The centre has hosted many national retail brands and Next will be the last of the big operators to leave when it relocates next to its homeware store at the Seamer Road business park. Some former Brunswick shops have moved to the main high street, taking up several empty units. The 130,000sq ft centre has a twostorey 350-space car park in which visitors can access via lifts from either side of the building and opened in July 1990.

Now the townsfolk await the next phase by Scarborough Group International of this important site to include food and cinema use and re-named “Square One” (SQ1) in the years ahead.

Alongside the Brunswick, was another shop from long ago Woolworths, which opened in Scarborough in 1924 and closed when the chain collapsed in 2008.

coScarborough town centre former Pizza Hut where Charles Dickens spoke when it was the Assembly Rooms

The large store was later taken over by a branch of Poundland.

The research encompasses the main

shopping area of Westborough, a long lane that starts at the railway station traffic lights and goes downhill into a pedestrianised

A good example of how Scarborough town centre has changed - from a political club, to a Co-Op and now a Weatherspoons pub.

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THE YORKSHIRE COAST

zone until another set of traffic lights leads to Newborough, for gift shops and markets.

That part of the town’s retail and leisure portfolio has a deep history of buildings such as the ornate Londesborough Rooms, a theatre and picture house that opened in 1871 – by the time it closed in 1959 it had been running as a cinema for more than 30 years, before being demolished in 1960. Over the road is a large pub owned by the JD Wetherspoon chain, The Lord Rosebery, since 1997. It is named after the Liberal

prime minister who opened the building as a Liberal Club in 1895.

The attractive building, the exterior of which was stunningly refurbished a few years ago, was a key part of the Scarborough retail scene for household goods prior to its current use.

The Scarborough Industrial Co-Operative Society bought the property and renamed it Unity House, later modernised as a walk-round store in 1958.

The pub’s walls highlight the history of the town.

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THE YORKSHIRE COAST

The book includes the From Scardeburg to Scarborough local history premises on Northway

The author writes about the castle and the Anne Bronte grave nearby, the seafront tramway and the town links with the Titanic shipbuilder Harland & Wolff - Edward Harland was born on the site of what is now Marks & Spencer, and Titanic officer James Moody was born in Scarborough.

He also features the hotels, the German battleship bombardment of the town in 1914, the Dunkirk evacuations ships which are now pleasure boats, and

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the social history museums Maritime Heritage Centre and From Scardeburg to Scarborough.

Among the historical connections and talking points are the former Pizza Hut in Huntriss Row - where Charles Dickens spoke to a large audience when it was the Victorian Assembly Rooms.

There are also sections on Scarborough-connected actors Ben Kingsley and Charles Laughton

and on poet Wilfred Owen. The seafront is included too, with sections on the amusement arcades and donkey rides.

The £15.99 book is published

by Amberley Publishing https:// www.amberley-books.com/az-ofscarborough.html It is to the credit of Amberley that such material is recorded to preserve the changes of the town and its people and business community.

THE YORKSHIRE COAST

Decade of global‘soundscapes’ creations by a one-man band

A Scarborough-born and based freelance audio professional is celebrating 10 years of his sound production enterprise called Ideosound.

audio are vital to support the visual narrative and to help set the emotional tone.

After a six-year stint in London, with a first-class degree in Sound for Media, he returned to his hometown in 2015 to establish Ideosound, meaning 'a vivid representation of an idea in sound,’ and he specialises in sound design, bespoke music and audio postproduction. Sound effects and

His remote seaside-based collaborations engage digitally with visual studios, and content and animation agencies in Manchester, Leeds, London – and across the oceans.

Specialising in sound design, bespoke music, and audio postproduction, Nick Granville-Fall has built a remarkable portfolio for a wide range of clients through his awesome audio-creation talents … working from a small studio in the centre of Scarborough, just five minutes from the seashore.

These include the BBC, Sony, Lego, Reebok, Puma, Hugo Boss, F1, Financial Times, the Victoria and Albert Museum, ESPN/Disney, the British Fashion Council, the British Film Institute, Heineken, Nissan, The Glenrothes, British and London Science Museum, Durham University, creative band studio DBLG, graphics Fgreat Studio, Mighty Giant, Flow Creative, Echoic Audio, Massive Music, global agency TBWA, Ecstasy Of Gold, Epiphany, Sheffield-founded creatives Jaywing, Journey Further and animator experts Northforge.F TopicUK August 2025

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THE YORKSHIRE COAST

Over the past year, Nick has e x p a n d e d s i g n i f i c a n t l y i n to podcast production, continuing his long-standing support for the Financial Times supported 'The Next Five' podcast which debates how technological innovations will

change the world of finance and business. He also lent his expertise to the Scarborough-founded International Society for Patient Engagement Professionals for their member-exclusive podcast on healthcare issues - and contributed

to pilot episodes for The Patient Project and Dale Power Solutions.

Beyond the Studio, Soundscapes in Nature and Art: Stepping outside the traditional audio studio, Nick has ventured into recording natural soundscapes from spaces in nature. He teamed up with friend, photographer, and 360-tour creator David Ruston of Your360 to volunteer their skills for an accessibility web tour of Raincliffe Woods Community Enterprise. Their collaboration continued with a funded well-being trail tour of Guisborough Forest, now in production.

Nick collaborated with Scarborough’s ARCADE group, designing the intricate soundscapes for their installation 'Grue,' directed by Steve Wintercroft, which was commissioned for the Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.

Nick designed the soundscapes for the rooms visited by the public.

Last year was particularly

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THE YORKSHIRE COAST

impactful for Nick's creative output. He crafted the music ident for the 2024 BFI London Film Festival, designed sound for a Puma footwear commercial and provided music and sound design for an ‘End Clothing x Adidas Originals’ advert.

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SPOTacular – BBC Children in Need animation

horse, accompanied by eastern influenced music.

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Charity and pro bono promotions for Syria Relief, Mental Health Awareness, Hope for Justice, National Lottery Heritage Fund and Shelter

His audio work has been aired on TV, in a broadcast after Coronation Street for Chester Zoo's ad campaign alongside FM radio coverage.

He also sound designed and mixed two short mini-documentary films for US-based Frank and the Bell and The Stingray Whisperer.

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Masters of Surrealism – Sotheby's 360° virtualreality promotion

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BFI Film Festival – 2021, 2022, 2024 idents of sound

His decade of sound projects include:

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Sony PlayStation – short promotions for games and PS4 hardware

AiLONE – a 360° film for the major cultural Burning Man Festival in Nevada

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Secret Rivers Exhibition – Unveiling London's H i d d e n Wa t e r w a y s , t h e Museum of London

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I n t o Yo u r s e l f , Fa l l – Anish Kapoor's first virtual-reality project

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Scythians – British Museum event trailer promotion

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Lego Education – Stop frame animation

For his Scythians exhibition work at the British Museum, he was tasked with devising sounds that would reflect in their promotion trailer the ambience of an ancient warrior snowbound on his

Nick took the creative music producer course at the Yorkshire Coast College Westwood Campus (now the TEC).

He became the music and drama technician before working in the same roles in London.

Outside of his digital work, Nick handmakes small batches of his musicinspired keyrings called 'Pluggy,' which are small and large plugs for music hardware, keyboards, and guitars ideosound.com He said: “Audio production works well for remote pipelines. Looking back across 10 years, I am grateful for the trust placed in me from clients to bring some of my most-cherished projects to life through my sound creations.”

“All from sunny Scarborough,” he told TopicUK. TopicUK August 2025

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Family firm on the rise

X-Press Legal Ser vices South and West Yorkshire is expanding its team to support a rise in property t ra n s a c t i o n s a n d d e m a n d f ro m c o n v e y a n c e rs across the region.

Based in Halifax and run by sisters Helen Jugroop and Claire Ide, the firm has recently expanded its property data and search team with the addition of two new family members: Helen’s husband, Aaron Jugroop, and Claire’s daughter, Olivia Ide. As a business that has thrived as a close-knit family affair, the team is delighted to welcome both to the fold. Their arrival brings the

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team to eight full-time employees, further strengthening the firm’s capacity to support its client base of over 35 law firms across South and West Yorkshire.

X-Press Legal Service provides law firms with regulated property searches and reports, quotation management tools, compliance and insurance products, plus other essential services that streamline

the conveyancing process from start to finish.

The expansion comes as the property market in Yorkshire & The Humber remains buoyant.

According to Rightmove’s June 2025 House Price Index, the region is one of the fastest growing in the UK, with more affordable a r e a s l i k e Yo r k s h i r e s e e i n g the sharpest price rises. Buyer demand is now 3% higher than this time last year, while the number of homes coming to market is up 11%. May saw the highest number of sales agreed since March 2022,

signalling a highly active and pricesensitive market that demands fast, accurate legal support.

Reflecting on the firm’s growth, Claire commented: “With buyer activity on the rise and conveyancers under pressure to complete transactions quickly and accurately, we’re proud to expand our team and continue supporting legal professionals across Yorkshire. We’re growing steadily and we’re doing it with the same family values and personal service we’ve always stood for. Our team are incredibly

passionate about the quality of work we deliver and ambitious to continue our growth trajectory over the coming years.”

To support the rising number of local property transactions, X-Press Legal Services provides a comprehensive, wraparound service to conveyancers including residential and commercial prope rty searches, pre- and post-completion services, and compliance products. In particular, the firm handles regulated local authority, drainage, environmental and coal searches,

a critical issue in the historically mined region. All services are backed by Cyber Essentials Plus certification, ensuring top-tier data protection for clients.

Committed to continuous learning, Helen and Claire this month hosted a CPD event for conveyancers at Magna Science Museum in Rotherham. Guest speaker Zoe Upson delivered an engaging session on new build properties and compliance, which was hailed by one attendee as ‘the best course I’ve ever been on.’

Law firm advised Voyage Care on latest expansion acquisition

process. Michelle provided vital guidance to Voyage Care on the associated risks of relying on this process.

Credit_ Blacks Solicitors advise Voyage Care on Teesdale Lodge acquisition

Leading Leeds based law firm, Blacks Solicitors has advised Voyage Care on the £1.25 million acquisition of Teesdale Lodge in Thornaby to deliver a specialist brain injury rehabilitation service..

The 1.1 acre site will be transformed from a vacant care home into a personcentred service. The complex freehold transaction involved acquiring the detached property and dealing with the closure of 43 leasehold interests to ensure vacant possession on completion from liquidators acting on behalf of Clevedon Care Limited.

Headed up by Andrew Pedley and Lucy Storey, the Real Estate team

provided expert advice on multiple aspects of the transaction, including comprehensive due diligence and a conditional contract to ensure all leasehold interests were cleared.

Thanks to Blacks’ cross service offering, litigation advice was also provided by Michelle Eyres when not all tenants engaged in the formal surrender process, and it became necessary to consider a forfeiture

A ndrew commented: “ We are delighted to have supported our client, in successfully completing this acquisition and supporting its expansion. It has been a pleasure to work with James McDonnell, Sunena Stoneham and the team at Voyage Care and we wish them every success.”

James McDonnell, commercial director at Voyage Care, added: “It was great to work closely alongside the Blacks team and David Beecham to secure this exciting new addition to our specialist brain injury rehabilitation portfolio.”

Based in Lichfield, Voyage Care is a leading provider of specialist care and support services for individuals with learning disabilities, brain injuries, and complex needs, focused on delivering personalised and tailored care to support the unique goals and needs of each individual.

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West Yorkshire Archive Service Kirklees to be based in Huddersfield’s flagship new library

Kirklees Council has announced that a new hub for the West Yorkshire Archive Service (WYAS) will be opening in Huddersfield’s flagship new library,as part of the Our Cultural Heart regeneration scheme.

The move into a new purpose-built archive facility marks a significant step in preserving the borough’s rich heritage and ensuring wider access to over 20,000 boxes of historic records, dating back to the 12th century.

To facilitate the move and ensure safe transfer of its extensive collections, the current WYAS Kirklees office, located on Victoria

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Lane, will close at the end of July 2025. Specialist staff will then work to package, label and barcode all of Kirklees’ irreplaceable archives, so they are ready to move into their new home. The relocation forms part of Phase One of Our Cultural Heart – Kirklees Council’s ambitious town centre regeneration scheme, which is transforming the site of the former Queensgate Market into a vibrant

new food hall, library hub and public square.

Phase One of the regeneration is expected to reach practical completion by spring 2026, with a full public opening of the food hall and library hub in summer 2026.

While the food hall will be located within the Listed market building itself, the library hub is to be housed within an adjoining modern extension. Designed with multi-functionality and community in mind, the stateof-the-art space will include group

Survey of Almondbury by William Senior.jpg

meeting rooms, quiet breakout areas, a dedicated children’s area, maker-space, digital access points and, now, a WYAS ‘history hub’.

The new archive facility will be environmentally controlled to better preserve Kirklees’ unique archival collections, while enhanced public research areas will make it quicker and easier for residents, students and researchers to access the records.

C o u n c i l l o r G r a h a m Tu r n e r, Cabinet Member for Finance and Regeneration, said: “The relocation of the Huddersfield branch of the West Yorkshire Archive Service to Our Cultural Heart is a great way to connect Kirklees’ past and future. These archives tell the story of the region and deserve to be preserved and celebrated in the best possible setting, right in the heart of Huddersfield town centre.

“We’re really excited about the new library hub – it’s far more than just access to books. With vibrant, welcoming spaces for children and families to spend time, areas for meetings and collaboration, quiet zones for working, opportunities to explore local history, and fun creative spaces, it will reflect what residents want from a modern library.

Our Cultural Heart. These archives hold over 800 years of stories about the people and communities of Kirklees, and this move will help us preserve and celebrate them like never before. With purposebuilt storage and new research and exhibition spaces, we’re excited to make our history more accessible and welcoming for everyone.

“Together, the new archive and library hub, alongside the food hall and adjoining public square, will form a cultural and social centre that gives people more reasons to visit Huddersfield town centre and spend more time here – ultimately helping to support our local businesses too.”

“Our team are already busy preparing the collections for the big move and we cannot wait to welcome everyone to the new home for Kirklees’ archives next year.”

Councillor Ahmed Munir, member of the West Yorkshire Joint Services Committee, added: “We are absolutely delighted to be moving Kirklees’ remarkable archive collections into the new, state-of-the-art facility at

Phase Two of the Our Cultural Heart masterplan, which has now received full planning approval, will see the former library and gallery building on Princess Alexandra Walk sensitively refurbished to house a major museum and art gallery for the region. Work on this phase will begin following the completion of Phase One. TopicUK August 2025

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Digital Poverty Alliance giving out free laptops to children in Yorkshire otherwise struggle to afford the devices they need, back online and get unused devices out of drawers and into homes that need them.”

The Digital Poverty Alliance is giving out free laptops to children in Yorkshire without access to a device and internet this summer.

The Digital Poverty Alliance is giving out free laptops to children in Yorkshire without access to a device and internet this summer.

The scheme, Tech4Youth, aims to provide young people experiencing digital poverty with devices to support their educational and employment prospects, eliminating barriers to opportunity by ensuring access to the digital tools and resources needed to learn, grow, and thrive in an increasingly connected world.

In partnership with Arqiva, who are donating £10,000 to the project, the DPA will be providing young people between the ages of 11-19 in the Two Ridings area with, not only a laptop, but digital literacy workshops and online access support to boost digital inclusion.

Elizabeth Anderson, CEO of the Digital Poverty Alliance, commented:

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“Essential services such as education, healthcare, and banking continue to move online, making digital access no longer a luxury but a necessity. To fully participate in modern society, people need a reliable device, digital skills, and a stable internet connection.

Unfortunately, this level of access is still out of reach for over 19 million people across the UK, particularly for young people in underserved communities. Without the right tools, they risk falling behind in school, missing out on job opportunities, and being excluded from basic services that many of us take for granted.”

In the weeks following the launch of the Government’s Digital Inclusiin Action Plan the importance of schemes such as Tech 4Youth becomes that much more apparent.

Through donating, refurbishing and redistributing devices, we can continue to bring people, who

The Yorkshire Coast expansion follows the success of earlier Tech4Youth programmes and comes at a time when digital access is more important than ever. Whether for completing homework, applying for jobs, or staying in touch with essential services, reliable digital connectivity has become a basic requirement for participation in modern life.

A spokesperson from Arqiva, said: “We’re proud to be partnering with the Digital Poverty Alliance to support young people across the Yorkshire Coast. As a business rooted in connectivity, we understand the critical importance of digital access, and we’re committed to playing our part in closing the gap for those most at risk of exclusion.”

The initiative will be delivered in close collaboration with local community organisations, ensuring that support reaches those who need it most. The digital literacy workshops, designed to be practical and engaging, will cover topics ranging from basic IT skills and internet safety to using online tools for learning and job searching.

To learn more about the scheme, donate a device and /or apply for a free laptop, please visit: www. digitalpovertyalliance.org/ tech4youth/

Doncaster pub set to reopen after devastating arson attack Work has officially begun at Marr Lodge on the outskirts of Doncaster, nine months after a catastrophic petrol bomb attack devastated the beloved community pub.

The venue, which had been a local favourite for food, carveries and family occasions, is now being rebuilt with a target reopening date of late Summer 2025.

On the night of the fire on 16 Septembe r 2024, e mergenc y services responded to a major blaze - later confirmed as a deliberate arson attack - which engulfed and tore through the property. At one point, it was feared someone was trapped inside. Fortunately, no lives were lost; but the physical and emotional damage was significant.

While Michelle Allison, the longtime licensee of Marr Lodge, has remained in her home adjacent to the pub, her team of 25 staff members lost their jobs overnight and Michelle lost her livelihood.

But now, Marr Lodge is preparing

to reopen with new energy, new investment, new jobs and the same sense of community it has always stood for.

“This pub is part of who I am,” says Michelle. “I’ve missed our lovely team, I’ve missed our fabulous regulars, and there’s been times I just didn’t think we’d ever reopen.

To see it rise again means everything and we can’t wait to throw the doors open again.”

Andy Crawford, managing director of Pub People, shared the emotional impact of the experience: “We’ve all had those late-night phone calls; and when this one came, it turned out to be one of the most chilling moments of my career. But thanks to incredible support from the South Yorkshire Fire Brigade, our site contractors and colleagues across

the business, we’re finally back on track.”

The £1.2 million rebuild is being managed by local firm Togel Contractors with guidance from the Pub People property team. According to James Mellor, head of property: “We’ve now progressed into major roofing, structural and electrical work.

It’s an intense project but a rewarding one, and exciting to see the building start to take shape again.”

The new Marr Lodge will offer a refreshed look, a broader food menu and more emphasis on creating an experience, while still staying true to its carvery roots and community feel. A formal ribbon-cutting and soft opening ‘training’ nights for the new team are being planned.

Recruitment is currently underway for Marr Lodge’s new 25-strong team which will include chefs, front of house staff, cleaners and kitchen porters.

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Beauty brand acquisitions in 2025 By: Janet Milner-Walker - Founder of Bespoke Advantage

T h e re h a s b e e n m u c h anticipation in 2025 regarding the acquisition of beauty brands, particularly by multi-national cosmetic companies. Understandably through acquiring more nimble, innovative, digitalfirst, community-led brands this does provide greater g ro w t h o p p o r t u n i t i e s , without a significant pivot in operations. However, it begs the question – what m a k e s a b ra n d re a d y for acquisition?

L'Oréal has acquired a major

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stake in the British skincare brand Medik8, who will join their L'Oréal Luxe Division, sitting

together with brands including Skinceuticals. Medik8 is renowned for their science-backed, resultsdriven skincare products. Their hero products include their Crystal Retinal Serum and their Vitamin A-based products, and they have a growing presence in the US, complimentary to L'Oréal’s strategic focus. Through this acquisition, Medik8 will expand globally through L'Oréal’s distribution network, whilst L'Oréal has strengthened their portfolio of successfully proven, much-loved, scientific skincare brands.

Byredo, a Swedish luxury fragrance

brand has been acquired by Puig, a Spanish fashion and beauty company, whose portfolio of brands include Charlotte Tilbury, Penhaligon’s, Comme des Garcons amongst others. At the time of the acquisition Byredo was reported to b e w o r t h o v e r $ 1 b i l l i o n .

Through this acquisition Byredo has the backing to explore their growth potential across multiple categories, including makeup, body care, fashion and homewares, whilst Puig is further cementing the strength of their luxury brand portfolio across multiple categories.

Rhode’s, a multi-category lifestyle beauty brand, founded by Hailey Bieber, has been acquired in a $1 billion deal by e.l.f. Beauty. Rhode’s Beauty is a young brand that has reached the heights of $212 million in net sales in less than 3 years with 10 products as a direct-to-consumer

Rodney Pedroza Portraits London ABOUT JANET MILNER-WALKER Janet Milner-Walker is the founder and managing director of Bespoke Advantage, and BeautytoLife. She is an international speaker, a trusted advisor, and a freelance writer. Bespoke Advantage is a London based brand consultancy working with award-winning brands, retailers, investors, trade bodies and embassies to support them in developing and growing their brands across the marketplace – visit: www.thebespokeadvantage.com.

brand. They are now breaking into retail with Sephora. ELF Beauty is available in 15 countries, with a strong retail presence in value chains including Boots, Superdrug, Amazon, Ulta a n d Ta r g e t . E L F B e a u t y ’ s acquisition of Rhode’s Beauty will support Rhode’s in taking the brand global through an omni-channel presence. In turn through acquiring Rhode’s Beauty ELF Beauty will continue to grow and build upon their digital presence, through having a celebrity founded brand.

If you are a brand looking to be acquired, when considering an acquisition, it is important to factor in how this acquisition benefits both parties and how jointly you can leverage your strengths to maximise long-term profitability and growth.

Bradford gardener is rooting for children’s charity A Bradford gardening firm has pledged support to some of Yorkshire’s most disadvantaged families by becoming a patron of The Principle Trust Children’s Charity.

The Trust provides respite breaks to children who are underprivileged, disadvantaged, disabled, have lifelimiting conditions, mental health issues, or who have experienced poverty, trauma or abuse.

Established in 2024, Garden Artists Ltd specialises garden design, landscaping and maintenance for predominantly domestic customers across the Aire and Wharfe Valleys.

The thriving horticultural venture is cultivating a growing client base which stretches from Bradford to Skipton, Leeds and Ilkley.

Owner George Hainsworth has 15

L-R George Hainsworth of Garden Artists, Mike Davies, MBE, of The Principle Trust

years’ experience in gardening.; he is supported by right-hand man James Henshaw and a handpicked team of sub-contractors. Their latest project - a sensory park for dogs – is scheduled to take up to 12 months and will provide a new enrichment experience for dog owners throughout the Keighley area.

Since its launch in 2011, The Principle Trust Children’s Charity has provided respite breaks for more than 5,400 children across the Yorkshire region.

Welcoming the announcement, the Trust’s chairman, Mike Davies, MBE said, ‘We are delighted that Garden Artists has joined The Principle Trust as a patron; they are a young business with an exciting future ahead of them; thanks to the support of compassionate businesses like them, The Trust can continue to support disadvantaged families across the Yorkshire region.’

George Hainsworth added, ‘We are pleased to support The Principle Trust in helping disadvantaged families escape their everyday troubles and create valuable, happy memories.’

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Yorkshire engineering firm completes major project at Europe’s deepest mineshaft

Sim Sharphouse, operations manager at Salko UK, said: “We’re proud to have played a pivotal role in such a globally significant project based in Yorkshire.

“Throughout the project, our team has focused on infrastructure that is both high performing and environmentally responsible.

Leading mechanical and electrical engineering firm, Salko UK, Our ventilation and dewatering has successfully completed a full scope of complex mechanical and systems have been engineered for electrical works at Woodsmith Mine – Europe’s deepest mineshaft. long-term efficiency, helping to reduce energy waste and minimise The Yorkshire-based specialist was National Park, Woodsmith Mine has operational emissions. appointed to deliver full mechanical been designed to extract polyhalite, and electrical installation packages a naturally occurring, low-carbon “With over 70 percent of our over a five-year contract, including fertiliser that will support sustainable workforce recruited locally, this project has not only demonstrated work on both above-ground and deep agriculture. our industrial capability but also sub-surface infrastructure.

Once fully operational, the mine reinforced our commitment Salko UK deployed a highly skilled, is expected to produce up to 20 to regional growth and skills 80-strong team to deliver EC&I, million tonnes of polyhalite per development in North Yorkshire.” pipework, ventilation, shaft services year and is set to deliver significant and critical power systems through economic and environmental To preserve the surrounding strategic installation, planning, EHS benefits due to the reduced carbon landscape, all major surface footprint associated with the product i n f ra st ruct ure i n cl udi n g t he and quality compliance services. compared to traditional fertiliser mine headframes have been built underground.

Located within the North York Moors production.

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TopicUK August 2025

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Kinrise launches new business space in Leeds

An exciting new business space is being launched at the magnificently renovated 34 Boar Lane in Leeds

Leeds. These additions introduce a compelling new workspace offering for companies looking to establish themselves in the heart of the city.”

The Commons, a brand-new business lounge, is coming to the first floor of the historic city centre building.

The launch of the Commons and the arrival of Federal means that the spectacular transformation of 34 Boar Lane in the heart of Leeds into a high-quality office and retail building continues apace, with Kinrise fulfilling ambitious plans to create one of the most attractive and successful mixeduse destinations in Leeds.

The Commons comprises state-ofthe-art studios, a large boardroom, meeting rooms and event spaces in addition to break-out areas.

Meanwhile Manchester-based Federal Bar and Café has taken a ground floor retail unit at 34 Boar Lane, adding another quality retailer to the building.

George Aberdeen, co-founder and director of award-winning landlords and developers Kinrise, commented: “The addition of The Commons marks an exciting new chapter for 34 Boar Lane and for Leeds. With inspiring communal spaces, bookable meeting rooms, events space, large boardroom, and beautifully designed studios, we’re creating a dynamic environment for modern businesses.

“We’re also delighted to welcome Federal Bar & Cafe, opening their first location outside Manchester on our ground floor, a real statement of confidence in the building and in

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The 57,000 sq ft building is located immediately opposite the railway station’s new entrance and Trinity Leeds shopping centre.

Kinrise offers three types of space at 34 Boar Lane, fully furnished offices (ready to move in), blank canvas offices (tailor to your brand) and studio offices (smaller, flexible spaces).

Following Global Technology Consultancy FDM Group leasing the fourth floor earlier this year, there remains 26,000 sq ft of high-quality office space, including 9,764 sq ft of fully furnished offices and two unfurnished suites of 5,543 and 4,887 sq ft. They are available to occupy now.

Victoria Harris, associate with global

property consultants Knight Frank in Leeds, who are advising Kinrise, explained: “The launch of The Commons and the arrival of Federal underline the on-going success of 34 Boar Lane and is another resounding endorsement of the major investment Kinrise has made in the building.

“It was Kinrise’s aim to turn iconic but un-loved buildings into creative work and community space. At 34 Boar Lane, they have achieved this aim in spectacular fashion, creating an inspiring collaborative environment that offers occupiers characterful, design-led offices with top technology as well an exciting range of independent restaurants and events space.”

Kinrise’s co-founder and director Samuel Lawson Johnston added: “34 Boar Lane is now well-established as a contemporary workspace with top technology, character and a great culture, which is the perfect fit for the many dynamic businesses basing themselves in Leeds. People and organisations thrive as part of a community - the opportunity to build a sense of place is at the centre of what we do when we buy and refurbish buildings. It means that the city’s heritage lives on for future generations”.

unreal, it’s hard to believe that we’re part of this huge event celebrating painters and decorators.

“I would say to other apprentices that they shouldn’t worry about winning, just go into the competition for the experience and the fun of it. It’s been a brilliant experience for me.”

The work produced at the regional heats and Grand Final was judged

by Andrew Davis of the Association of Painting Craft Teachers (APCT) and Neil Ogilvie, Chief Executive of the PDA.

Trio of awards for Yorkshire apprentice decorators Three apprentices f r o m Yo r k s h i r e h a v e w o n n a t i o n a l a w a rd s recognising their skill in painting and decorating.

The trio – who work for Alfred Bagnall and Sons Ltd, headquartered in Cleckheaton – were invited to the Premier Trophy Awards, hosted by national trade body the Painting and Decorating Association (PDA), after taking part in the Association’s Apprentice of the Year competition.

Owen Sheldon, a student at Leeds College of Building, was named Senior Apprentice of the Year 2025. He placed second in the Junior category last year and was delighted to have successfully gained the title of Senior winner this year.

Owen said: “I was speechless.

It was genuinely amazing. The amount of pride I felt in myself, my

tutors, my company – I can’t thank everyone enough for what they’ve done for me.

“I want to thank Bagnalls, they’re a great company to work for and the PDA – it’s a great competition and I’m proud to have been part of it.”

The three apprentices were among 16 top scorers from five regional heats across England, Scotland and Wales to make it through to the Grand Final in Doncaster.

Both stages of the competition involve a six-hour challenge designed to test their precision, stamina and skill in scaling up, measuring out and precisely painting a complex design within the time given.

Faith Loynes, who also attends Leeds College of Building, was runner-up in the Junior category.

She said: “I’m feeling proud of myself right now. It feels a bit

Neil Ogilvie said: “The PDA’s Apprentice of the Year competition is a demanding but ultimately rewarding experience for people learning the skills required for a career in colour.

“Apprentices are challenged to accurately scale up and precisely paint a complex design which tests their knowledge and skill in the craft, and we know they value the experience of both taking part in the competition and attending the awards ceremony in London. “ O w e n a n d Fa i t h w e r e t o p scorers regionally and nationally, and I congratulate them both wholeheartedly on the outstanding work that has won them this recognition as part of the PDA Apprentice of the Year 2025 competition.”

Neil Ogilvie also awarded a special CEO Recognition & Achievement Award which is presented to a contestant who shows a commitment to improvement, an impressive level of professionalism or qualities that uphold the high standards of the trade. F TopicUK August 2025

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This award was presented to Emily Roberts, a Bagnalls apprentice studying at York College. Emily said: “To be recognised by the PDA and by Neil Ogilvie is truly an honour.

“Before joining Bagnalls I was studying painting and decorating full time at York College with my tutors Martin Atkinson and Thomas Hicks, who I would like to thank very much for their endless support and guidance. I never would have made it this far without them!

“I was nominated by Martin for the full-time student college construction awards last year which introduced me to Andrew Holt from Bagnalls.

“When I started my apprenticeship 10 months ago, I never would have imagined that I’d be in London less than a year later accepting the CEO Recognition & Achievement Award!”

Neil Ogilvie added: “I created the CEO award because occasionally there is a competitor that might be half a point away from the top three places in their category but has de monstrated some exceptional quality either in their work, attitude or commitment to the craft.

“This year, I felt that Emily was the clear candidate for this award.”

T h e A p p r e n t i c e o f t h e Ye a r competition was sponsored

by Purdy, CITB and Johnstone’s Trade and winners received their awards at the PDA’s p re s t i g i o u s P r e m i e r Tr o p h y Awards held at Plaisterers’ Hall in London.

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Tom Riordan CBE receives honorary doctorate from Leeds Beckett University

Tom Riordan CBE is being recognised for his service to the city.

In his career to date, Tom has spent almost 30 years working in senior public sector roles in Leeds – first at Yorkshire Forward and then as chief executive of Leeds City Council for 14 years to 2024 . His most recent role a s a per ma nent secreta r y in the Department for Health and Social Care sees him working from Leeds and London. He was awarded a CBE for services to local government in the 2020 New Year Honours.

Tom said: “It is a huge privilege to receive this award - thank you so much to the university and everyone who's supported me.

I've worked in Leeds for most of my career and love the city and the people I worked with at the council, to whom I am indebted. I also owe so much to the partners across the public, private and third sectors who built the ‘Team Leeds’ culture.

None epitomise that partnership ethos more than Leeds Beckett, a brilliant university that enables many local students to achieve their potential. I consider the award a tribute to the public ser vice workers that all CEOs rely on every day."

Professor Peter Slee, v ice

cha ncel lor of L eeds B ecket t University and chair of the Leeds A nchor Net work, sa id: “ Tom R iordan’s career dedicated to public ser v ice is an inspiring story and exemplifies many of the values we hold at the heart of our universit y communit y.

His commitment to improving the lives of the most vulnerable people in society continues to make a positive difference in the city today and I know that his championing of care leavers and mental health will resonate with many people in Leeds and beyond.

“The university is delighted to honour Tom’s contribution to the city and region through this award. I’d like to personally thank Tom for everything he’s done to support the city, and particularly for his commitment to the Leeds Anchor Network.”

Tom was born and educated in Northallerton, spending periods in care before the age of four due to his parents’ mental health issues.

He at tended T r in it y College Oxford, graduating in Modern History in 1989 and joined the civil service ‘fast stream’ graduate intake the following year, where he specialised in environmental policy, representing the UK in

international negotiations on climate change and endangered species. Following his MBA from Imperial College, Tom moved to Leeds in 1997 and set up the reg ional development agency Yorkshire Forward. The agency suppor ted 10,000 businesses during the recession, completing aw a rd-w in n ing regener at ion developments and pioneering low carbon initiatives.

He was appointed as Leeds City Council chief executive in 2010 and during his tenure, Channel 4 opened headquarters in the city and the Bank of England expanded its presence; Leeds hosted the

first stage of the 2014 Tour de France; and several landmark r e g e n e r a t io n p r o j e c t s w e r e delivered, including the f irst direct arena, Trinity Leeds and the transformation of South Bank. Tom worked alongside the council’s political leadership to improve outcomes for vulnerable people and communities, championing the ‘Team Leeds’ approach bringing city partners, organisations and communities together to make a real difference to people’s lives.

During the COVID pandemic, Tom worked with the UK government from May 2020 for three months, leading the ‘contain’ strand of

t he n a t ion a l te s t a nd t r a c e programme.

He has held va r ious roles promot i n g loca l a nd cent r a l government engagement.

Tom is married with two children, i s a l i felon g M idd le sbrou g h supporter and is now a Trustee of the club’s charity foundation.

Tom Riordan CBE received his honorar y doctorate during Leeds Becke tt ’s graduation week in Ju l y . N e a r l y 8 ,0 0 0 students wil l graduate from the university this summer.

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Marketing agency celebrates one year as employee-owned

Leeds-based marketing agency Engage Interactive marked the first anniversary of its successful transition to an EOB (Employee Owned Business) by celebrating at its annual Summer Conference in Ibiza.

Becoming an EOB last July was a significant milestone in the 18year journey of Engage and was a decision by founder and managing d i rec tor, A le x W i l lco ck s , to preserve the agency’s values and culture whilst acting as a catalyst for future growth.

The anniversary follows a strong period of growth at the agency, after reporting a 28 percent yearon-year growth in revenue in the 2024/25 financial year and 13 new clients added to its roster.

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rooted in Engage’s longstanding commitment to its people and the core values that also drove t hem to become Leeds’ f irst cer tif ied B Corp in 2021. The team of more than 50 members of staff attended the summer conference in Ibiza to reflect on the last 12 months.

A le x e x pl a i n s : “ P a s s i n g t he business into t he ha nds of the team was never just about transferring ownership, it was a decision rooted in the backing of amazing people who make Engage what it is.

“One year into being employeeowned, it genuinely feels like we’re powered by our people more than ever. It’s a fairer, more inclusive way of doing business - where success is shared, and everyone has a voice. It’s been an incredible f irst year, and this is just the beginning.”

The digital agency is 100 percent employee ow ned, meaning all team members participate in the EOB. When the transition was made, a new board of trustees was formed to represent the best interests of the employees as a whole.

Alex continues as the managing director and founder trustee after starting the business in 2007.

Three new engineering hires boost Eddisons sustainability team Property consultancy Eddisons has made three new appointments to its Leeds-based sustainability and decarbonisation team in a move that has doubled its size in just over a year.

The team launched in 2024 with the appointment of Nazar Soofi, who joined to head the firm’s sustainability and decarbonisation division with a track record of having delivered over £50m of decarbonisation projects for Leeds City Council in just three years, shifting more than 80 sites in the city from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

Now, the addition of senior engineer Daniel Stephenson, joining from renewable energy business Ebtech w it h more t ha n a decade of engineering experience; graduate engineer Yijun Liu, who previously worked for professional services firm WSP; and graduate sustainability eng ineer Da a n ish Soof i, has expanded the team to help meet growing demand for the firm’s sustainability and decarbonisation services.

Nazar Soofi, said: “Eddisons continues

to lead the way on sustainability, with a rapidly growing client base across the public and private sectors who we have the privilege of working with and supporting on their journey to net zero.

“We are thrilled to welcome these three new talented engineers on board. Daniel, Yijun and Daanish’s appointments are strategic hires, indicative of both the f ir m’s commitment to sustainability, as well as our ongoing investment in the skilled young people who are the next generation of talent and vital to futureproofing us as a business.”

This year Eddisons’ sustainability and decarbonisation team secured over £25m of funding to enable public sector clients to roll out energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation projects across England, in the final round of funding announcements

for the Government’s £3.5bn Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS).

A raft of decarbonisation projects was given the go ahead, enabling organisations across the UK to slash energy bills and carbon emissions.

They ranged from a £9m addition towards a £12m scheme that will see Southwark Council in London cut bills at five leisure centres, installing a water source heat pump to replace ageing fossil-fuel boilers: to a £5m project with the nineschool Together Learning Trust in Calderdale and Kirklees, replacing defunct boilers with a state-of-theart ground source heat pump.

Nazar said: “We are working with clients every step of the way to help guide them through complex net zero challenges, and incredible outcomes are being achieved in reducing carbon emissions. We expect to be making further hires in the coming months as our sustainability and decarbonisation team continues to grow.”

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‘It’s like one big family’: Doncaster young people gain skills to succeed through Amazon supported internship

Two young people from Doncaster have gained skills for future career success by taking part in one of the UK’s leading supported internship programmes at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Doncaster.

Supported internships are structured work-based study programmes for young people aged 16 to 24 with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or equivalent.

The internships equip young people with the skills, experience and confidence they need to secure paid, meaningful employment.

For young people with a learning disability and/or who are autistic, b a r r i e r s to e m p l o y m e n t a r e particularly acute, with less than 5% of adults known to local authorities currently in paid

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employment across England, despite 86% wanting to work1.

will graduate from a supported internship across 17 Amazon sites this year. They shared what they’ve learned whilst working at Amazon to inspire others to take part in the programme.

Supported internships at Amazon combine classroom education and practical work experience in several roles; all within an Amazon fulfilment centre, where items are stored, packed and shipped. Many young people who have completed a supported internship at Amazon have gone on to secure permanent roles at the company.

D av e n a n d R i c k y -Jo h n h av e b e e n p a r t o f t h e s u p p o r te d internships programme at Amazon on Doncaster’s iPort.

Before joining Amazon, they were b o t h s t u d y i n g a t D o n c a s te r College and applied for internships at Amazon to gain hands-on experience in the workplace following a course in employability skills.

Daven Bayley and Ricky-John Lawson-Harrison are among more than 80 people with SEND who

The experience of working as an intern has provided a much-needed boost to Daven’s confidence:

“I think the biggest thing I’ve l e a r n e d f r o m m y s u p p o r te d internship is that there was a lot of stuff I thought I couldn’t do, but now I can. In college I was quite a shy person, but I’ve built my confidence around talking to new people. Eventually I overcame it and now I can speak to loads of different people without getting nervous.”

The guidance of their peers was critical to both Daven and RickyJohn's career journeys.

“Communicating with different people from different backgrounds, who could speak other languages, was my favourite part of the

internship,” said Ricky-John.

“Before I started, I thought the job role was quite small, but there is a lot more to the job than you think. The team are all helpful, good listeners and very positive.

It’s like one big family,” he added.

“It was also nice to be invited to a staff party during my internship.”

D a v e n e c h o e d R i c k y -Jo h n ’ s thoughts. “My favourite thing about my internship was the atmosphere, and how friendly and supportive everyone is,” Daven said. “When I first started, I was nervous about making mistakes, but then my co-workers would come over and help, and talk to

me about how I could improve, and over time I gradually got better at the process and didn’t need any help!”

Daven recommends a supported internship for anyone looking to get experience in the world of work: “If I was talking tomyself back in college before this internship, I would say take the opportunity,” he said.

“Especially to get more experience in a real work environment. It’s a good learning curve to develop yourself and understand your strengths and weaknesses. I would do it again. I would say to anyone asking if they should F

Salko UK Chairman Dean Murphy

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do a supported internship to just take the leap.”

Both interns have been offered jobs at Amazon and look forward to continuing in their chosen Amazon departments at the fulfilment centre. Daven will be working in pack, and Ricky-John in receive.

Daven and Ricky-John completed their supported internships at Amazon in June. Their success was celebrated at a graduation ceremony at the Doncaster fulfilment centre, which was attended by their families and Amazon colleagues.

Our partnership with Amazon continues to open doors that might otherwise have been closed, proving that inclusive employment isn’t just the right thing to do...

The supported internship programme at Amazon was launched in 2021 in a bid to see more young people with SEND enter the workforce. It was expanded in 2023 through an ongoing partnership with national charity DFN Project Search. Since the launch of the programme, more than 160 young people have started a supported internship with Amazon, making the company one of the UK’s largest providers of supported internships.

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Kirsty Matthews, CEO of DFN Project Search, said: “We are incredibly proud of Daven, RickyJohn and all those completing their supported internships t h i s y e a r. E a c h o n e o f o u r interns graduating has shown that with the right support and opportunities, young people with a learning disability, who are autistic, or both, can thrive in the workplace.

“Our partnership with Amazon continues to open doors that m i g h t o t h e r w i s e h av e b e e n closed, proving that inclusive employment isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s good for business.

Every success story like Daven’s and Ricky-John’s shows what is possible when we invest in the potential of our young people.”

Amazon employees receive competitive pay and comprehensive benefits. The minimum starting pay for frontline operations employees is between £13.50 and £14.50 p/h, depending on location. For those with 36 months service, this is £13.75 and £14.75p/h, depending on location. This equates to an annual starting salary of between £28,080 and £30,160, depending on location, for full-time frontline employees across the country.

Amazon has invested £550m in increased pay for operations employees across the UK since 2022, representing a 35% increase in the hourly rate in just two years. Additionally, from day one, all employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, subsidized meals and an employee discount.

Together, these benefits are worth more than £700 annually, and employees can take advantage of Amazon’s company pension plan.

Amazon employees can also take part in Amazon’s Career Choice programme, which covers up to 100% of tuition and fees for courses in high-demand fields, regardless of whether the participant proceeds to pursue a career at Amazon.

Amazon has been named as a ‘Top Employer UK 2025’ by the Top Employer Institute, for the second year in a row, one of the world’s most prestigious certifications in the field of human resources management. This award recognises Amazon’s commitment to the development and wellbeing of its employees. In addition to the UK accolade, Amazon has also been certified as one of the Top Employers in Europe for a third consecutive year.

In 2025, A m az o n ran ked in second place on LinkedIn’s Top Companies list — an annual list that identifies the most soughtafter large companies to work for and grow your career in the UK. Using data from LinkedIn’s 900 million members, LinkedIn’s Top Companies list is designed to help professionals identify the best companies to grow their careers.

To apply for a supported internship programme w i t h Am a zo n v i a DF N Project Search contact info@dfnprojectsearch. org ahead of the company’s September intake.

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