Law firm, Howes Percival has announced five senior promotions in the East Midlands, including a trio of new partners, Katherine Cereghino, Hannah Pryce, and Alexandra Kirkwood.
Neena Jakhu and Owen Franks have been made senior associates.
Geraint Davies, Howes Percival’s chairman, said: “I’d like to congratulate everyone on their promotions which acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and invaluable contribution these individuals have made to Howes Percival.
Hannah Pryce
“As a firm we have a reputation for promoting from within and it is great to be able to reward people for their exceptional efforts in supporting our clients during this challenging period.
“The whole team have been fantastic over the past 12 months. As a firm, we adapted well to the pandemic and that gave us a very strong base to move forward as things eased and the economy opened up.
“Our people have been at the heart of that and consistently provided excellent service to our clients, which has enabled us to capitalise on the opportunities that have arisen. Investment in people, through both external appointments and nurturing our existing talent, is key to our strategy, our continued success and growth.”
Katherine Cereghino
Katherine Cereghino, in the Leicester office, advises on company disposals, acquisitions, share arrangements, company restructuring, reorganisations, and company finance documentation, as well as commercial arrangements and documentation. Katherine has considerable experience advising companies on compliance with consumer protection legislation.
Hannah Pryce, in the Northampton and Milton Keynes offices, has considerable experience of providing contentious and non-contentious employment law advice to a broad range of clients. She has particular expertise in tribunal litigation, including complex discrimination and whistleblowing claims. Hannah is experienced in contentious senior exits and also delivers in-house training for clients.
Alexandra Kirkwood, in the Northampton office, joined Howes Percival as a trainee in 2010 and her practice encompasses commercial property sales and acquisitions, residential & commercial development, landlord & tenant matters and property finance. She also regularly assists the firm’s corporate and banking teams with property support work.
The East Midlands’ unemployment rate remains the second-lowest in the country after falling for the fifth consecutive month.
It was 2.7% for the period between January and March 2022 – a full percentage point below the national average, which was the lowest since 1974, and only higher than Northern Ireland (2.3%), according to the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) regional labour market figures.
However, the region’s economic inactivity rate – which measures the proportion of 16 to 64-year-olds who have exited the labour market for reasons such as retirement, caring duties, long-term ill health or studying – continues to climb to 21.9%, up by 0.8 percentage points from a year earlier and above the 21.4% national average.
Despite the low unemployment rate, the ONS said the number of people in jobs was still below pre-COVID levels, while regular pay fell by 1.2% when adjusted for the impact of inflation, which hit a 30-year high at 7% in March.
East Midlands Chamber Chief Executive Scott Knowles said: “At first glance, the unemployment rate falling for the fifth month in succession to hit yet another record low is hugely positive for the region’s labour force. It is largely testament to the success of our businesses in steering a strong rebound for our local economy as they got back to what they do best once COVID-19 restrictions were repealed.
“However, these figures disguise a historic hiring crunch facing many of our companies. The Chamber’s latest Quarterly Economic Survey showed that while 63% of East Midlands businesses attempted to recruit in the first quarter of 2022, four in five (80%) of this cohort encountered problems with filling vacancies.
“In an increasingly tight labour market, competition for skills is ramping up wage costs, leaving many firms unable to recruit the people they need given the other increasing overheads they face, such as energy and raw materials.
“Recent increases in economic inactivity have been driven by those aged 50 to 64 leaving the workforce, according to the ONS, so it’s clear we need to find pathways to get younger people into industries including manufacturing, construction and engineering, which are among those struggling the most in recruitment.
“With the economic recovery now on a knife-edge – as illustrated by national GDP shrinking by 0.1% in March – it’s imperative the Government does more to help people access retraining opportunities for in-demand jobs. Introducing a new skills tax credit would also incentivise employers to invest in training so we can grow our next generation of skilled workers.”
Recruitment specialists, Ambitions Personnel, is celebrating its 30th year of business with 30 acts of kindness.
Initially planned for 2020, Coronavirus restrictions put a stop to planned festivities. Now, two year’s later, Ambitions Personnel is ready to kick off the celebrations with the launch of #30forThirty.
#30forThirty is a varied calendar of 30 events scheduled throughout 2022, including fundraising for charity, staff volunteering their time, and making donations to various good causes, both locally and internationally.
Managing Director, Mandy Watson, said: “1990 feels like a lifetime ago, but it also feels like yesterday. It’s humbling to look back to those early years and see how far we’ve come as a business.
“For our 30th anniversary, we wanted to give back to some regional and national and international charitable organisations, such as Children with Cancer UK, the Royal British Legion, and more. #30forThirty is our way to celebrate a fantastic 30 (+2) years in Lincolnshire and the East, all while supporting the work of some wonderful charities.”
Director Claire Bishop said: “After matching thousands of candidates with fantastic opportunities, it’s hard to believe we’ve been here for 30 years! We were brainstorming how to celebrate our 30th anniversary all the way back in 2019, so #30forThirty has been a long time coming. We can’t wait to celebrate after two years of waiting!”
The first of the scheduled events is the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge to raise money for Children with Cancer UK. A number of staff from Ambitions Personnel will be taking part in the challenge on the 11th of June. You can support the team on their Just Giving page.
The final challenge will be the National Three Peaks, with the team aiming to scale Mount Snowdon in Wales, Scafell Pike in England and Ben Nevis in Scotland, all within 24 hours.
With so many challenges to do throughout the year, Ambitions Personnel will be announcing more of their charitable initiatives in the coming months.
Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO has announced a new regional managing partner for the Midlands.
Audit partner Kyla Bellingall takes over the role from 1 July 2022 and will oversee the 450-strong audit, tax and advisory team across the region.
Joining the firm six years ago, Kyla initially focussed on building a portfolio of large complex charity, university, and housing clients. In 2020 she took over the leadership of BDO’s Midlands audit practice and has driven transformation of the group as well as double digit growth in revenue and headcount. The now 150 strong team of audit professionals lead the AIM market in the Midlands and focus heavily on the entrepreneurial mid-market and listed businesses.
BDO, which has offices in Birmingham and Nottingham, has experienced strong growth in the Midlands, increasing headcount in the region by 20% over the past 12 months. A key part of this expansion has been developing specialist teams within the region with the skills, attributes and experience to help clients succeed.
In her new role, Kyla will be responsible for spearheading the future strategy and vision for the region with support from 28 partners based in the Midlands, as well as BDO’s wider business.
The firm is continuing its investment in people locally, having welcomed 35 new trainees in 2021. Another 50 trainees are set to join in September and over 140 employees have been promoted in the last 12 months, including 40 at the start of this month. Kyla succeeds Richard Rose, who will continue in his role as a Midlands tax partner.
Commenting on the news, Kyla said: “As a firm we’ve experienced strong growth against in a period of significant change over the past two years. I’m proud to be leading a team of multi-discipline specialists who have the agility and breadth of skills to truly meet our client’s needs from the Midlands.
“What sets BDO apart is our people and culture. As well as our own talented teams, this extends to the brilliant ambitious and entrepreneurially minded clients that we advise. I look forward to working with our people to achieve their own ambitions while helping clients navigate the ever-changing backdrop and reach their goals.”
Richard Rose added: “We have a fantastic team in the region and Kyla is the perfect appointment to continue to develop this further – I wish her every success in her new role.”
BDO has also appointed two partners to its national leadership team. Anna Draper, head of BDO in the South East and Kaley Crossthwaite, head of forensic and valuation services, will replace Wendy Walton and Jon Randall who both retire from their roles at the firm.
Works on a new, state-of-the-art fire station for Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service have recently been completed by Midlands-based main contractor, G F Tomlinson.
Located at the Vesuvius development off Sandy Lane in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, the new facility has replaced the former fire station which was built in 1963 and located at Eastgate.
A ceremony to mark the official opening of the new station took place on Monday 16 May – it was formally opened by representatives from Nottinghamshire County Council including Councillor Michael Payne, chair of the fire authority, and Councillor Sybil Fielding, fire authority member and councillor for Worksop West.
Plans for the scheme were submitted by Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service at the beginning of last year and approved by Bassetlaw District Council. The scheme forms part of the wider Vesuvius development – a multi-million-pound redevelopment which aims to become the prime industrial and business location in Worksop, with a mix of light industrial units, food and drinks outlets and office spaces planned, the first phase of which completed last summer.
G F Tomlinson has been working closely with Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service’s project management consultants, Turner & Townsend, on the programme of works.
Built with the latest renewable technology, the new fire station has the capacity to self-generate up to 50% of its energy consumption. The building comprises of meeting rooms, offices, fire engine bays and a gymnasium for firefighters. An external three-storey training tower and compound store has also been built, as well as new car parking spaces and external landscaping.
Kevin Dodds, construction director at G F Tomlinson, said: “We really enjoyed attending the opening ceremony of this impressive new facility. It has been a real pleasure working collaboratively alongside Nottingham Fire & Rescue Service and their consultant team to successfully deliver this vital service for the local community.
“The fire station itself is completely state-of-the-art meaning that it is not only incredibly energy efficient, but it provides the best possible facilities for firefighters to carry out their critical work and serve the surrounding Bassetlaw community. This project represents a huge investment for the local area and we are thrilled with the final result.”
Terry Scott, head of procurement and resources at Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “I am very proud to be a part of the opening of this state-of-the-art new fire station, which is now our “flagship” property within the Estate. We have provided a fantastic working environment for our staff to best serve the local community of Worksop and the wider Nottinghamshire County. I would like to thank the whole project team on what has been a very successful project.”
Nottingham-based contract research organisation (CRO) Reach Separations has reported a significant increase in turnover in the wake of sustained demand across Europe for its chromatographic purification services.
Reach Separations, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, specialises in chromatography for the analysis and purification of small molecules.
When Reach Separations was founded ten years ago, its team of four people took on one small laboratory at BioCity, Nottingham. The company now occupies three large laboratories and office space at BioCity, having expanded its facilities by an additional 1600 square foot in 2020.
To facilitate the rising demand for its services, Reach Separations is set to open a new facility in Strasbourg, France later this year, which will accommodate a new team of scientists supporting purification activities in mainland Europe.
Reach Separations employs 20 people and has further plans for recruitment across its facilities in the UK and France this year.
“Since our inception, demand for our services has rocketed,” explains Peter Ridgway, Business Development Director at Reach Separations. “Passing the 10-year milestone is an incredible achievement for us. We are entering a new, exciting phase of development for the company. Introducing large scale purification capabilities and extending our presence into mainland Europe will only enhance this growth trajectory.”
Managing Director of Reach Separations Duncan Cliff, says: “Over the last decade, it has been a privilege to be able to use our expertise and technologies to support clients into early development and accelerate their programmes. As we embark on the next chapter of our growth, Reach Separations is strongly placed as the go-to chromatography provider in Europe, from early discovery to early development.”
Peter adds: “Our growth wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our team of specialist scientists, many of whom joined us as graduates, or as apprentices from colleges in the East Midlands region. Nurturing and developing the next generation of scientists will continue to be a key area of focus for us going forward.”
Reach Separations specialises in chromatography for the analysis and purification of small molecules. The company provides a high quality and efficient service to its clients returning purified samples and results quickly, allowing them to streamline their internal processes and accelerate their discovery programmes.
myenergi, pioneer of the world’s first eco-smart EV charger, has announced the appointment of Tom Callow as head of external affairs. Joining the business from bp pulse, Callow is widely regarded as a leading voice in the electric vehicles sector.
With more than fourteen years’ experience in senior level strategic and operational roles, Callow has worked with some of the world’s largest automotive and electrification brands. Most recently, he was head of insight and external affairs at bp pulse, with responsibility for both monitoring and influencing the regulatory landscape, as well as representing the business to a wide range of external industry stakeholders.
Prior to this, he was head of external communications at Cox Automotive (previously Manheim UK) and helped to build the brand’s national profile as a leading provider of auto auction, defleet, remarketing and retail operations. Having started his career agency side, Callow has been involved in ground-breaking low-carbon, cleantech and electrification programmes for more than a decade.
In his new role, Callow will drive myenergi’s engagement with policy and regulation, as well as leading on a wide range of public relations initiatives.
Jordan Brompton, co-founder and CMO of myenergi, commented: “As a renowned EV expert, I’ve known Tom for a number of years. His reputation within automotive and electrification is simply unmatched, so we’re delighted to welcome him to the team.
“Since founding myenergi in 2016, the business has continued to scale. We now employ more than 350 team members in the UK, with teams growing globally and subsidiaries now operational in Australia, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands. Earlier this year, we shipped our 350,000th unit – an important milestone for our rapidly-growing global business.
“Tom’s appointment demonstrates our commitment to further developing the team with some of the sector’s most ambitious and respected leaders. I’m looking forward to working in close partnership to further drive our policy and regulation engagement activity over the coming months.”
Commenting on his appointment, Callow added: “Having followed the myenergi story almost from inception, I’ve greatly admired what Jordan, Lee and the rest of the team have accomplished in such a short space of time. As someone with a background in the automotive sector, I’ve been acutely aware for many years of the need to transition towards zero emission vehicles and believe that myenergi is truly leading the way.
“In my new role, my goal is to ensure that myenergi is not only recognised for its fantastic zappi EV charger, but becomes absolutely synonymous with smart home energy technology more generally. Indeed, with the largest share of household emissions coming from heating, decarbonising homes is of paramount importance.”
120-year-old family firm and coffee legends Stokes, has unveiled its new fast and fabulous dining destination – Stokes To Go!
The new Stokes To Go take-away, means everyone can enjoy top quality menu options, even when they are on the move.
Located next door to the Stokes iconic High Bridge café on Lincoln’s High Street, it’s the only place in Lincoln and for miles around, where you can get your hands on a genuine Cornish Pasty and lots of beautifully presented takeaway options that are making Stokes To Go an irresistible choice. Hungry locals, workers, students and visitors on the lookout for a hunger-busting breakfast, luscious lunch, veggie options, a sweet snack and of course Stokes’ famous freshly roasted coffee will not be disappointed.
Stokes To Go has a modern and vibrant interior with a beautiful seating area upstairs for those who want to rest their feet while they tuck into the delicious locally sourced produce, freshly baked pastries, genuine pasties, breakfast ciabattas, fresh-cut sandwiches and even Project D doughnuts.
Nick Peel, MD at Stokes Tea & Coffee, said: “We’re thrilled to launch the new Stokes To Go store. Customers have been asking us if we would take over the space next door to our High Bridge Café as it’s been empty for some time. It’s brilliant to see that the whole iconic building has now been brought back to life and everyone can enjoy it.
“We were conscious that there hasn’t been a lot of choice for customers who prefer locally sourced, top-quality options for their takeaway breakfasts and lunches. So, opening Stokes To Go means customers can not only enjoy a unique menu served fast, they don’t have to compromise on quality anymore even when they are short on time.”
For more information go to stokescoffee.com
A new economic report predicts that Derby’s economy will be the fastest growing in the East Midlands by the end of 2023 – but it warns that the levelling-up agenda will stall unless more Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is attracted to the region.
According to Irwin Mitchell’s UK Powerhouse report, produced by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), Derby’s economy is predicted to deliver year-on-year growth of 2% by the end of 2023 with GVA standing at £7.1 billion.
The economies of Nottingham and Leicester are both expected to generate 1.7% year-on-year growth by Q4 2023.
Despite this increase, economic growth in cities across the Midlands is expected to be exceeded by that of Southern counterparts. The study says the South and the East of England will by the end of next year be home to eight of the top 10 fastest growing cities. Significantly, out of the 50 locations included in the study, over half of the slowest growing economies are expected to be in the North of England.
Nottingham and Derby are closely matched in terms of jobs growth by the end of next year, with forecasted annual growth of 1.2% and 1.1%, respectively. This will see Derby adding 3,600 newly filled positions and Nottingham adding 5,500 new jobs. Leicester’s growth is lower at 0.7% with 3,400 more jobs.
UK Powerhouse also examines the latest trends in Foreign Direct Investment into the UK.
The report reveals the most recent statistics point to a general fall in the number of FDI projects into the UK with the East Midlands in 8th place.
The challenge will be for the East Midlands region to spearhead a drive for a greater share of FDI and to make inroads into the dominance of the South. The report suggests that success here is the key to levelling up northern cities as it allows them to benefit from the job creation and growth that such inward investment brings with it.
Bryan Bletso, partner and head of international at Irwin Mitchell, said: “This latest UK Powerhouse report makes clear that cities such as Derby, Nottingham and Leicester have huge potential, however the East Midlands’ position for FDI is cause for real concern. With a combination of business, local and central government backing, there’s no reason why it can’t attract its fair share of investment.
“The time to invest in their success is now and by doing so, the corresponding economic growth and job creation will go a long way towards safeguarding future prosperity and making levelling up a reality.”
Josie Dent, managing economist at Cebr and one of the report’s authors, said: “The economy is still expected to face some turbulence between now and the end of next year, notably through volatility in commodity prices, supply chain pressures, and the emerging cost-of-living crisis domestically. All of these factors are set to impact growth both at the aggregate level and, to a varying extent, within individual cities.
“This report highlights that much of the fastest growth during next year will be concentrated in the South. Locations such as Milton Keyes, Cambridge and Oxford have economies which are dominated by fast-growth sectors and they have also been hot spots for overseas’ investment. If economic levelling up is to be tackled effectively, these two issues must be recognised and quickly addressed.”
Derbyshire-based full service marketing agency Purpose Media has been ranked within the top 20 UK marketing agencies to appear in the latest list of ‘Drum Recommended’ agencies in the UK.
The ‘Drum Recommends’ website can be accessed by over 1.2m marketing professionals who use it to search for a marketing agency. The Drum rankings are highly regarded and influential because the overall score is determined by feedback from clients returning a customer satisfaction questionnaire to an independent evaluator which usually means feedback is 100% honest. Therefore a high rating can only be achieved as a result of delivering excellent service and advice.
Following the completion of their projects, clients are asked to rate their agency on a range of measures including value for money, effectiveness, creative output, and client service. Purpose Media scored 9.9 in all these areas and achieved an overall score of 9.4.
Purpose Media is now ranked 19th and is the highest ranked full service marketing agency in the East Midlands. A position that is regarded as a great achievement considering there are literally thousands of agencies based across the UK.
Purpose Media Managing Director Matt Wheatcroft said: “I know there are a couple of Midlands agencies also listed in these rankings, but they have only been rated as an agency with a particular marketing specialism. Our rating is based on the accumulated feedback for everything we have delivered as a full service agency.
“This includes strategic thinking, creative design, website development, digital marketing, SEO, PPC, video, social media, content writing and PR. It therefore shows the high quality, depth and breadth of the advice and services we can offer our clients as part of a one stop solution.”
Founded in 2006, Purpose Media has grown from a small e-commerce website agency into an award winning full service agency. Clients include owner managed businesses and leading brands in retail, manufacturing, wholesaling and sport including True Refrigeration and Derby County Football Club.
They were also recently chosen as a delivery partner by East Midlands Chamber of Commerce to deliver the Chesterfield Digital High Street project and Derby City Business Resilience Programme which have helped high street retailers rejuvenate their businesses by embracing digital marketing strategies.
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