Tag: small business

Submit Your Ideas To Strengthen Rural Economy

By on 18th February 2016in Have Your Say

Over £2m worth of European funding is now available for projects to strengthen the economy of rural areas across the North Pennine Dales…

 

The North Pennine Dales (NPD) LEADER programme is seeking applications for the grant to fund projects which increase farm and forestry production, boost rural tourism, or support small and micro businesses and farm diversification. Bids are also welcome for projects which provide cultural and heritage activities or offer rural services.

Running until 2020, Durham County Council acts as the accountable body for the NPD LEADER programme, which covers an extensive rural area across Gateshead, County Durham and south of Northumberland.

The aim of the €2.666m programme is to create jobs and support strong and sustainable economic growth, as well as helping to conserve the unique nature of the local landscapes. By funding projects put forward by people, groups and businesses in the area, it also hopes to target areas that the communities themselves see as a priority.

Cllr Eddie Tomlinson, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for rural issues, said: “The LEADER programme promises more jobs and stronger economies for rural areas across the region. By offering funding towards priorities that local communities themselves feel are important, these projects can make a real difference for generations to come, so we’d encourage everyone in the area to get in touch with ideas.”

Find out more by contacting northpenninedales@durham.gov.uk or calling 03000 266 895. You can also visit www.durham.gov.uk/npdleader.

Care Village Teams Up With Teesside College To Tackle Skills Shortage

By on 18th February 2016in Local Biz

A Teesside college is helping a North Yorkshire care provider to tackle a chronic skills shortage in the industry…

Sixteen apprentices from Redcar & Cleveland College are currently employed at the Abbey Care Village in Scorton near Richmond. Eight of the students are working towards a Level 2 qualification in Health & Social Care, seven are studying for a Level 3 Diploma in the same subject, and another student is nearing completion of a Level 3 Diploma in Hospitality.

Now the college has announced it is supplying another tranche of apprentices to the care village, which had previously struggled to find workers with the requisite skills. Fifteen students will work towards a Level 2 qualification in social care while gaining valuable work experience at the company, which provides residential care, nursing care, a mental health support service, a respite service for carers, and support for people with learning disabilities.

The announcement comes as the care industry battles to overcome a crippling skills shortage. Figures from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) show that up to two million more workers will need to be trained and recruited by 2022 to meet demand – more than half the current care workforce.

Shirley Leighton, training manager at Abbey Care Village, said: “It’s no secret that we need new talent coming into the industry. Not just young apprentices, but also older workers with the necessary skills and experience. Our partnership with Redcar & Cleveland College is helping us to tackle the issue head on.”

The partnership also highlights the college’s commitment to adult apprenticeships. All fifteen of the new tranche of apprentices are over the age of 24, as are the seven Level 3 Health & Social Care students from the first batch. This replicates a trend across the Tees Valley; recent data from the Skills Funding Agency showed a 30% rise in the number of adult apprenticeship starts in the area in 2014-15.

Steven Winterburn, apprenticeships manager at Redcar & Cleveland College, said: “The care sector is a major employer in the North East and North Yorkshire, so it’s vital that employers have access to the right skills. Apprenticeships are a fantastic way of helping employers to create jobs and tackle industry skills shortages.

“Our Health & Social Care apprenticeships are proving to be really popular, particularly among people over the age of 24. Many students are getting the necessary qualifications so that they can forge a career in the sector.”

With the Government aiming to create another three million apprenticeships by 2020, Redcar & Cleveland College has focused heavily on promoting its offering in this area and building partnerships with employers across a variety of sectors, including Health & Social Care, IT, engineering, manufacturing, green energy and sport across the North East and Yorkshire. The college also offers apprenticeships and other vocational training courses at its Oil & Gas International Training Academy, which is based at the Corporation Road campus.

For further information, call 01642 473 132 or visit www.cleveland.ac.uk.

Handbag Clinic Expands Workshop Following Major Success

By on 18th February 2016in Local Biz

Handbag Clinic has significantly expanded its repair workshop to cope with demand for its high-end restoration services, after cleaning and restoring designer bags worth more than half a million pounds over the last 12 months…

The firm, which cleans and repairs handbags and accessories from the world’s most prestigious designers, has expanded the floor space of its handbag repair centre in Burnopfield, County Durham, by 15% to 3,800 sq ft.

Additional space is necessary because of steady growth at Handbag Clinic, which has recently opened a store in Mosley Street, Newcastle, following an earlier launch on King’s Road, Chelsea.

Over the past 12 months, the firm’s restoration experts have brought 6,500 handbags back to their former glory. Alongside this, Handbag Clinic runs a service to restore red soles of Christian Louboutin shoes. There has also been investment in high-level security facilities, including a cage that staff entering the repair centre must walk through, to protect customers’ designer accessories.

Handbag Clinic has also taken on new handbag buyer Charlotte Staerck, along with three new apprentices in the past few weeks, as part of a recruitment drive to employ two new members of staff every month to ensure it has the skills needed to deal with designer accessories from the likes of Chanel, Hermés and Celine.

The firm is bucking the trend in the luxury goods market. A recent global report by consultancy company Bain and Co found that the global luxury goods market is now worth more than £700bn, but demand slowed during 2015 compared to the previous year for personal luxuries including jewellery and handbags.

MD Ben Staerck said: “We needed increased workspace to make sure we have the capacity to deal with a soaring demand for our specialist services.

“We’re finding that while customers may not be buying a new Hermés Kelly or a Celine Phantom, they are either coming to us to source a pre-loved bag or they are giving their existing accessories a bit of TLC.”

Handbag Clinic was launched in 2013 by Ben Staerck. Since then, it has swiftly gained a loyal celebrity following, including many of the Made in Chelsea cast and reality star Imogen Thomas.

It offers cleaning, protection, stain removal, repair and restoration services for handbags, shoes and other leather accessories. Find out more at www.handbagclinic.co.uk.

Ramside Hall Completes £150,000 Conference Suite Refurbishment

By on 17th February 2016in Local Biz

A leading North East hotel is preparing for more conference and events business, following a £150,000 refurbishment of its biggest suite…

Ramside Hall Hotel, near Durham, is one of the region’s most popular venues, hosting a wide variety of business events, celebrations, awards and charity dinners.

And now the hotel is welcoming more business, following on from a complete makeover of its Bishops Suite.

The suite can take up to 600 guests, and can also be divided into three smaller rooms, making it a flexible space suitable for meetings and for balls or awards.

The refurb has included redecoration, new carpets and curtains to give the room a brighter look.

The two bar areas have also undergone a revamp and new mood lighting has been installed.

“The Bishops Suite is always in great demand, and we’re expecting this to increase further now that it has been refreshed,” said John Adamson, owner of Ramside Hall Hotel.

“We have already had great feedback from people who have seen it, and we fully anticipate that it will continue to attract events.”

The hotel also has a ballroom which can take up to 320 guests, along with the Fountain Room which can take up to 60, and a number of smaller meeting rooms.

The refurbishment of the suite is the latest investment at Ramside Hall, following on from the creation of a £8m luxury spa, the addition of a wing of rooms and an additional championship golf course in the past 18 months.

For further information, visit www.ramsidehallhotel.co.uk.

Sunderland Distillery Tastes Success With Artisanal Spirits

By on 17th February 2016in Lifestyle

A new ‘wild spirit’ is making its way into bars and retailers across the North East, following the launch of an independent small batch distillery…

Poetic License, based in Sunderland, currently crafts two gins and a vodka, which are all individually bottled, wrapped and labelled by hand.

The business, which produces around 400 bottles per week, is the brainchild of North East entrepreneur Mark Hird, who has more than 25 years experience in leisure and hospitality, including a stand-alone microbrewery, which he launched in 2012.

Mark said: “The recent revival in gin has been astounding. I noticed demand climbing and spotted a gap in the market for high quality, artisanal spirits that mixed traditional techniques with modern flavours, and set about bringing my vision to life.”

After attending a comprehensive course in distilling, Mark invested in a 500L pot still and recruited a passionate, full-time distiller to help create the perfect blends.

Months of experimentation followed, with various flavour combinations and processes being discounted, before the duo were finally able to settle on three core products – and Poetic License Independent Small Batch Distillery was born.

Four months on, and the distillery’s Northern Dry Gin, Old Tom Gin and Graceful Vodka, are already being stocked in bars, hotels and restaurants across the North East, including popular cocktail bars As You Like It and Floritas in Newcastle, as well as the four star Wynyard Hall Hotel, County Durham.

All three products are also available to buy in high-end, regional department stores, including Fenwick and Lewis and Cooper Ltd, with moves now being made to find stockists and distributors nationwide.

“The name Poetic License symbolises our desire to break away from the norm. To create a drink for the wild spirits out there, which blurs the traditional with the unconventional and appeals to those imperfect perfectionists who want to enjoy a tipple that has been carefully crafted and packed with character.

“We’re delighted that so many leisure operators and retailers have already been able to embrace this philosophy and appreciate the unique style of our spirits, and hope that more across the UK will soon follow suit.”

After mastering gin and vodka, Mark and his distiller Luke Smith are now planning to develop limited edition flavours and extend their range with the addition of a dark and white rum and an absinthe.

More information about Poetic License and their products can be found at www.poeticlicensedistillery.co.uk.

Sunderland Events Company Consolidate Brands

By on 17th February 2016in Local Biz

A leading North East events company is consolidating its various elements under one umbrella brand…

SoL, which is being rolled out from this month, brings together the Stadium of Light, National Glass Centre, 1879 Events Management and the new Hilton Garden Inn Sunderland.

It has been specifically created to showcase how these key players in the region’s catering and hospitality sector combine to create a complete event solution.

The Stadium of Light, which was named the North of England’s finest commercial tourism venue at the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence, is one of the largest conference, banqueting and events venues in the region, with the flexibility to cater for everything from large-scale presentations to graduation ceremonies and concerts.

Its sister site, National Glass Centre, is equally flexible, with purpose built, interconnecting exhibition spaces and contemporary suites offering views across the River Wear.

SoL will be used to highlight the partnership between the two venues and to showcase how they can cater for up to 1000 guests.  It will also serve to symbolise how the same high standards of service and first-class food options can be expected at both sites.

The new SoL brand, which will feature on all marketing materials, will also encompass the Hilton Garden Inn Sunderland hotel, which is expected to open in spring 2016.

Currently under construction next to the Stadium of Light, the property will feature 141 stylish en-suite bedrooms, as well as a destination bar, grill restaurant and private dining areas.

It has been specifically designed to support functions at the stadium and National Glass Centre by offering high quality accommodation, but will also boast its own dedicated conference and event facilities, including a 24-hour business centre and three meeting rooms with space for up to 50 delegates.

1879 Events Management, which currently manages all catering and events at the Stadium of Light and National Glass Centre, will now also be recognised as a SoL subsidiary.

The company, which was awarded silver in the Operations Team of the Year category at the Stadium Events and Hospitality Awards, has a proven track record of working with regional, national and international event organisers at both venues, as well as offering all-inclusive event management services at external sites across the North East.

In recent months this has included catering for the annual clay pigeon shooting event for national law firm, Bond Dickinson, the Teesside Business Awards and leading LGBT festival Newcastle Pride, attended by 71,000 visitors.

Gary Hutchinson, Commercial Director for SAFC, said: “The sheer scale of services being offered by National Glass Centre, the Stadium of Light and 1879 Events Management has grown at a remarkable rate in the past few years and, with the addition of the Hilton Garden Inn, looks set to expand even further.

“SoL has been created to bring together all the elements of our portfolio and to highlight how we can offer a complete solution for all manner of corporate and private events.

“The new brand will be utilised widely from this month, and we hope it will become a shining symbol for Sunderland’s hospitality and events sector.”

For more information about the venues, event management services, hotel and packages being offered under SoL, call 0871 911 1555 or email conf&banq@safc.com.

Any enquiries relating solely to the Hilton Garden Inn Sunderland should be directed to Catherine Graham on 0191 551 5110 or catherine.graham@hilton.com.

Letting Agency Introduce Unique Property Matchmaking Service

By on 16th February 2016in Local Biz

North East based letting agency, My Property Box, has launched its new property matchmaking services for landlords and tenants…

The company’s unique new service aims to help landlords and tenants find their perfect match through its exclusive search criteria and the properties’ lonely heart descriptions.

To celebrate the launch of this exclusive idea, the forward thinking company has pledged to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.

It is the agency’s managing director and property manager, Ben Quaintrell, who came up with the innovative idea, and he is thrilled to be announcing the new, one-of-a-kind concept.

He said: “We want to bring a bit of fun into the industry, because we know how stressful searching for both properties and tenants can be, so we came up with this idea of being property matchmakers.

“Our new matchmaking services effectively make us appear like a dating agency for properties, and whether you are a landlord or a tenant, we want to help you find your perfect match.

“To add to the excitement of the launch, we’ve also decided to donate £10 for every property let in the month of February to the British Heart Foundation, because not only is it a great charity, but the heart theme matches our new services.”

The nation’s heart charity, British Heart Foundation, is the largest independent funder of cardiovascular research.

Assistant manager of the British Heart Foundation’s Darlington branch, Pat Horton, said: “We really appreciate any donations we receive. From money to clothes to furniture, it can all be used to help the British Heart Foundation in some way. Every little helps.

“We are very thankful for the donation My Property Box has pledged to us, because without help from the local community and businesses, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.”

To add to the launch of the company’s new dating services, the agency has also invested in a new website.

Ben said: “We are a modern agency, and we needed our website to represent this and portray our new services in the best way possible.

“We are the only agency in the region to offer this type of service, and it feels amazing to see the company expanding, and the team and I are excited to see where these new services will take us.”

My Property Box prides itself on being an online agency, and Ben is always looking to the future, thinking about the next steps to take for the business.

He continued: “We currently cater for the whole of the North East, but I want to see us grow into a national company, and our new, unique services will help us achieve this.”

To find out more about the ingenious letting agency or its new services, visit www.mypropertybox.co.uk or follow @MyPropBox on Twitter.

Management Consultancy Brings Six Associate Directors On Board

By on 16th February 2016in Local Biz

A Teesside-based management consultancy business has expanding significantly by taking on board six associate directors from across the North East and Yorkshire…

Focus On Success Ltd., whose goal is to improve businesses in the region, has appointed Bob Marris, Andy Knowles, Kevin Newson, Meg Heath, Sarah Dunwell and Lisa Lockey.

As experienced business owners and advisers themselves, the team will work alongside individual companies within their own areas of expertise, offering the help and advice needed to ensure each one is successful.

The recent appointments have come as a result of Focus On Success seeing a significant rise in the demand for its services.

Managing director Gary Lumby MBE said: “We have been placing non-executive directors and chairmen into SMEs across the North East and Yorkshire for the last four years.

“The success of our appointments and the impact they have made on the businesses they are working with means the demand for our services has expanded rapidly, with many more SMEs wanting to go down this route.

“SMEs and their professional advisors are starting to understand the benefits of having a non-executive director on their board – as part of an extended management team – and are realising this is a really low cost option to help grow any business.”

Between them, the six professionals boast a rather impressive skill set, with each member having been brought into the company to oversee a specific area of business.

Bob Marris, whose expertise lies around strategic business planning, and who has previously managed and delivered government backed business support initiatives across the region, believes the team will be able to make a significant impact on businesses in the area.

He said: “Being part of a group with such a range of skills and expertise is very powerful, much more so than being a ‘one man band’.”

Finance director Lisa Lockey has held a number of board posts over the last 15 years, and has experience in a variety of sectors for multimillion pound companies.

“I’m really looking forward to working with companies with ambition, who recognise that they can use the experience of a non-executive director,” she said.

“I can’t wait to play a part in helping them reach their goal quicker, and may even help them avoid some costly mistakes along the way.”

Andy Knowles, managing director of Jak Inc Ltd, has a proven track record of building both online and offline award-winning business models.

He said: “It’s a great team to be a part of because we have such a great variety of business knowledge among us.

“I hope to be able to bring what I have learned over the last 20 years into the group, and also the companies I will be working with, and I’m looking forward to sharing my stories and learnings with my new clients.”

Focus On Success has already hit the ground running, and Gary is looking forward to what the future holds for the business and the one-of-a-kind service it offers.

“Focus On Success is the only company I know offering to put non-executive directors into SMEs through a group of experienced business leaders who are all connected, and will use their collective knowledge and contacts to help those SMEs,” said Gary.

“I strongly believe this is far better than contracting with just one individual non-executive director, because companies will get the collective experience and networks of the whole group.

“I am looking forward to seeing the family of SMEs we currently work with increase over the year, and to see them all benefiting from the great ideas and advice which our non-executive directors will provide.”

For more information on Focus on Success, visit www.focus-on-success.co.uk.

Court Battle Is Stark Reminder To Update Wills

By on 15th February 2016in Lifestyle

Joy Williams has learned the hard way what happens when Wills aren’t kept up to date…

 

Simply updating his Will would have ensured that a former dentist’s share of the family home passed to his unmarried partner of 18 years, rather than to his estranged wife, avoiding the legal battle which raged in court last week, according to a North East solicitor who specialises in Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning.

Andrew Simpson, a Lead Panel Solicitor with Seaham-based legal and financial planning specialist Ensure Inheritance, says that although Joy Williams, 69, lived with retired dentist Norman Martin as his partner for nearly two decades, they never married, nor did Mr Martin change his Will. As Mr Martin and Ms Williams owned a three-bedroom home as tenants in common, on his death Mr Martin’s share of the house was not automatically transferred to his partner, but to his estranged wife.

Ms Williams launched a legal challenge against the terms of the Will last week.

“Unfortunately Mr Martin was in the same boat as around 12 million of us who have Wills, but who have not updated them for more than five years to reflect their changed family circumstances,” says Mr Simpson.

“Simply taking advice from a Solicitor and changing his Will would have ensured that his partner’s financial future was secured, and Ms Williams would not risk losing her home.

“If you want to ensure your loved ones benefit from your hard earned efforts after your death, not only do you need to make a Will so that your wishes are carried out, you need to keep it updated to reflect any changes in circumstances.

“The costly and lengthy legal case of Ms Williams, and the possibility of her losing her family home, should be a reminder to us all to review our Wills every five years,” concludes Mr Simpson.

Based in Seaham in County Durham, Ensure Inheritance provides a range of legal and financial planning services which help protect financial assets to provide their clients and their loved ones with peace of mind. In addition to Wills and Estate planning, services include long term care planning, funeral planning, inheritance tax planning, powers of attorney, court of protection deputyships, and probate.

Ensure Inheritance can be contacted on 0191 338 5143, via email at info@ensureinheritance.co.uk or via its website www.ensureinheritance.co.uk.

Top Dentist Warns White Teeth Obsession Suggests Body Dysmorphia

By on 15th February 2016in Lifestyle

One of the UK’s top cosmetic dentists has warned that the obsession for white teeth can be an indicator of a form of body dysmorphia…

A preoccupation with the colour of teeth is commonly recognised as a symptom of BDD (Body Dysmorphic Disorder), a psychological condition where sufferers are fixated about certain aspects of their appearance.

And Dr Ken Harris, of Riveredge Cosmetic Dentistry, which has surgeries in both Sunderland and Newcastle, warns that those desperate for bright white teeth should steer clear of using home treatments or the excessive use of whitening toothpastes which can leave them with severe dental problems.

“Whitening toothpastes do not work,” said Dr Harris.

“They clean off surface stains, but do not touch ugly deep staining, and they are also very abrasive so can wear the enamel off teeth, causing significant damage.”

Dr Harris added that people obsessed with having perfect white teeth often use abrasive pastes and brush aggressively, which can lead to damage.

“No amount of tooth brushing can whiten teeth,” he said.

The abrasive nature of toothpaste is measured by RDA – Relative Dentine Abrasivity – and in 2012 the British Dental Journal said that toothpastes with an RDA of more than 100 were considered abrasive and could damage teeth and gums.

A number of popular whitening toothpastes on the market have an RDA in excess of 100 so are leaving people in danger of potentially damaging their teeth.

Dr Harris said that many people also try to use a variety of substances ranging from lemons to strawberries in the belief their teeth will get whiter.

“None of these processes work,” he said.

“The best way to get a proper and safe whitening treatment is to see a dentist, not attempt it on your own.

“A dentist will also give proper advice on what is suitable and what isn’t, rather than people buying treatments off the internet which simply won’t work, and may even be harmful.”

Dr Harris added that teeth get more yellow with age, and trying to combat this with excessive brushing or whitening toothpaste will, again, just not work.

“The dentine beneath our enamel becomes tougher and more dense over the years, and, as such, it gradually becomes darker in colour,” he said.

“Dentine is the part of the tooth beneath the outer enamel layer of teeth, and therefore can not be reached by toothpaste or brushing.

“The only way to whiten teeth is to get the bleach to soak through the enamel into the deeper dentine where it will do its job.”

Multi-award winner Dr Harris is respected across the globe for his expansive knowledge on cosmetic dentistry, and he regularly teaches around the world.

He is one of only two Fellows of the British Academy of Aesthetic Dentistry (BACD) which involves him teaching other dentists around the UK. He is a full member of the British Academy of Aesthetic Dentistry (BAAD), and regularly teaches USA dentists at the world-renowned Kois Center programme in Seattle.

He regularly travels to North America and Canada, delivering lectures on aesthetic dentistry to practitioners in New York, Vancouver, San Francisco, Orange County, Fresno and San Diego in his role as the Clinical Director for California Centre for Advanced Dental Studies.

His award-winning team also provides general dentistry. For further information, visit www.riveredge.co.uk.

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