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Craig Tracey MP welcomes Chancellor’s £15 million Levelling Up Fund allocation for key Bedworth project
Craig Tracey, local Member of Parliament for North Warwickshire and Bedworth, has welcomed today’s announcement at the Budget by the Chancellor of the Exchequer at Bedworth being awarded £15 million to build a Physical Activity Hub, as part of the first tranche of funding allocations from the Government’s new Levelling Up Fund.
The brand-new facility will provide Bedworth with a new 8 lane 25-metre swimming pool (along with a teaching pool), a larger fitness suite and a fourcourt sports hall. The funding will also support plans for a new MUGA pitch and a skateboard park, which builds on Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council’s strong commitment to create a new mountain biking track in the park, which is currently under construction.
In addition to this, this funding will also create a green connectivity corridor to connect Bedworth Town Centre and the new physical activity hub, therefore kickstarting the regeneration of Bedworth Town Centre.
Commenting immediately after the announcement in the House of Commons, Craig said ‘’I am absolutely delighted to see our joint efforts at securing muchneeded investment for Bedworth pay off. Since being elected as a Member of Parliament back in 2015, it has been a huge frustration for me that the previous Council Administration always knocked back my plans for regenerating Bedworth, choosing to prioritise their focus on Nuneaton instead.
It has been a breath of fresh air working with the new administration and the much magnified local representation for Bedworth on the Council has really shone through. I have been lobbying Ministers, and the Chancellor himself for months now about backing the bids put forward for the constituency and so it’s fantastic to see this proposal will be coming to life.
It’s great to see the that the Chancellor shares my ambition for our Town, however, this is only a starting point for what I know can be a very bright and exciting future for Bedworth."
Cllr Kyle Evans, Cabinet Member for Public Services at Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council and leader of the application bid said “This is a great example of what Bedworth can achieve under new management. Bedworth has never received substantial Government funding on this level before, and the new Conservative Council has managed to secure this major investment just six months into office. I want to publicly thank all of our Council Officers who have been working with us, sometimes very late into the night, to help us secure this funding”.
A Coventry design agency that started in a bedroom using a business grant is celebrating a milestone 21 years in 2021.
JADE Brand Agency was started by childhood friends Jason Dickens and Matthew East in 2000 using a grant from the Prince’s Trust.
Initially run from Jason’s bedroom at his parents’ house, the studio has been based at Electric Wharf for over 15 years and works with organisations across the country from Premiership Football Clubs to some of the biggest names in music.
JADE, which offers a range of graphic design, print and media solutions, celebrated its 21st birthday at the start of November, marking a major milestone for the business, who focus on recruiting locally and championing all things ‘Coventry’ while simultaneously working on a national scale.
In its 21 years, the business has completed more than 24,000 projects, with Coventry City Council as its longest-standing client. JADE, which rebranded itself from The Jade Studio to JADE Brand Agency in 2020 to reflect the agency that they’ve become, helped produce the bid documents that brought the 2012 Olympics to Coventry, then did the same for City of Culture 2021, playing a key role in helping Coventry win the title. In fact, JADE have worked with the Trust since day one.
JADE has won multiple awards, including ‘Creative Communications and Digital Business of the Year’ at the Coventry Telegraph Business Awards in 2018, as well as winning a shared FirstPro ‘Marketing Campaign of the Year’ for its work on the City of Culture 2021 bid. The company also beat over 100 other UK agencies to be named a University of Warwick framework design agency, and have created more than 5,000 pieces of artwork for them to date.
The agency works with eight Premiership and Championship football clubs and with some of the UK’s biggest and best venues such as Warwick Castle, Bristol Zoo, M Shed and the Imperial War Museums. It has also created artwork promoting some of the biggest names in music, including Coldplay, Take That, P!nk, Oasis, Muse and Kings of Leon, as well as creating a healthy eating brand for a wellknown celebrity chef.
On top of that, JADE was named Key Partner to Positive Youth Foundation and the company is a member of Coventry and Warwickshire Champions as well as an Associate Member to Coventry BID.
Co-founder and Business Development Director Jason Dickens said: “Matt and I have been friends since childhood. We both went to ‘The Butts’ [Coventry Technical College] and back then had talked about starting a design agency one day. We started JADE with a grant from the Prince’s Trust and initially ran it from my bedroom at my mum and dad’s house.
“Maybe some people thought we wouldn’t last but here we are 21 years on having worked with some of the biggest names and projects in the country. We are incredibly proud of our portfolio of clients but we’ve never forgotten our roots. We’re proud of where we’re from which is why we try to recruit locally where we can, including from Coventry University.”
Managing Director Matthew added: “We’re not standing still - in 2020 we rebranded and have plans to spread our wings even further, moving even more into the digital arena.
“We’re looking to recruit again in the new year, and purchase a larger studio in the next couple of years to meet the needs of our growing team - in Coventry of course!”
Coventry business born in a bedroom celebrates 21 years in 2021
JADE Brand Agency team Sara Simoés, Barrington Simon, Matthew East, Jason Dickens, Mikey Baxter and Armani Conway.
Project Warwickshire launches to help tourism, leisure and hospitality businesses
A £557,000 contract to help the county’s small businesses in the hospitality, leisure and tourism sectors bounce back from the Covid pandemic has been awarded by Warwickshire County Council to Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.
The contract, with £320,000 of County Council funding supplemented by a further £230,000 of European Regional Development Fund money, will enable the Chamber to implement a wide range of support through to April 2024 to boost the sector and help small businesses take advantage of a potential rise in home vacations.
Project Warwickshire will provide a package of help across the sector, including 1:1 advice, networking and a range of masterclasses. The project will support businesses to seek and access grants and funding, as well as co-ordinating a series of networking events and webinars to share good practice and links.
The tourism, leisure and hospitality industry was among the hardest hit sectors when the country went into lockdown in 2020. Tourism previously translated into significant economic value for the local economy, with Warwickshire’s tourism sector contributing £858 million towards local GVA (approximating to 6.7% of the county’s total economic value) (Economic Modelling Specialist International, 2021). Warwickshire’s tourism sector employed 22,123 people as of 2019, equating to 8% of Warwickshire’s total workforce (EMSI, 2021).
Many small businesses were supported through the crisis with the Government’s furlough scheme as well as a series of grants and business support schemes, including many funded by the County Council. Among these was the county council’s Survive, Sustain and Grow programme which engaged over 600 businesses and awarded over £400,000 of recovery grants to a selection of these businesses. It marked the shift in getting through the immediate crisis and focused instead on the bounce back, helping small businesses to review and adapt their practices to make themselves more sustainable in the future market. Project Warwickshire will involve partners including Shakespeare’s England and Northern Warwickshire Tourism to look at the future wants and needs of the sector’s previous, current and potential customers and how businesses can best be advised to make changes to their practice, such as increase digital presence and engagement.
In all, Project Warwickshire will look to engage 300 businesses across Warwickshire in the sectors, supporting 1,200 jobs, safeguarding 100 and creating a further 50. It will deliver an increase of £1.29m in GVA (Gross Value Added) for Warwickshire and maintain £2.58m GVA in Warwickshire’s economy with a return yield of £7.51 for every £1 invested up to the end of March 2024.
Cllr Kam Kaur, Warwickshire County Council’s portfolio holder for economy and place said: “There has been money available to businesses through the Government’s Restart grants and there has been other short-term support available through the County Council and our partners. "Project Warwickshire takes us beyond that point and will help small businesses to establish themselves in the changing market place so that they can do more than just get by but flourish, offer employment opportunities, particularly to our young people, and get back to the point where they were making such a significant contribution to our local economy. I’m delighted that we will be working with such experienced partners as the Chamber to push out this package of innovative support.”
Keely Hancox, Operations Manager for the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce said: “Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce is delighted to be working with Warwickshire County Council and our partners to deliver a comprehensive package of support for our Tourism, Hospitality and leisure businesses across Warwickshire. Our advisors are able to offer practical advice, technical support and that all important sounding board for Business owners within this sector. The aim to support businesses in their recovery, enabling them grow and thrive post pandemic.”
For further information, please email the Chamber on chamberbusinessprograms@cw-chamber.co.uk or call 02476 654321 For information about other support available to grow your business or general information and enquiries, contact the Coventry & Warwickshire Growth Hub on 0300 060 374 *This project is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund, forming part of the CW Business: Start, Grow and Scale Programme
Safetyflex Barriers launches first solar-powered crash gate at the International Security Expo
Coventry-based Safetyflex Barriers will launch its first zero-carbon product at one of the first large scale security events to be held in-person for almost two years.
The family-run company, which has become one of the world’s leading manufacturers of anti-terrorism bollards and barriers, will unveil a new crash-rated, solar-powered hydraulic raising arm gate at the International Security Expo at Olympia London.
The flagship event in the security sector will bring together government and other end-users with manufacturers and suppliers.
Safetyflex’s vertically opening gate is one of the few products of its kind on the market to be surface mounted, and requires no ground fixings or power source. It is crash-tested to IWA-14 standard to stop a 7.5 tonne truck, and can be installed in four hours as a permanent solution or at temporary events.
The HVM gate was tested at the worldleading Horiba-Mira testing ground just a few miles from the company’s headquarters in Foleshill, and is also available as a battery powered, vertically opening gate and as a manually operated swing gate.
Visitors to the International Security Expo will also get their first look at Safetyflex’s new fully automated crash-rated ‘coffin’ bollard which can be operated from a control panel or remotely by an app downloaded to a mobile device. It has also been crash-tested to IWA-14 standard to stop a 7.5 tonne truck and has a shallow foundation.
Marcus Gerrard, director of Safetyflex Barriers, said: “The International Security Expo is our first opportunity for almost two years to mix face-to-face on this kind of scale with contacts and potential customers in the security sector.
“In today’s HVM marketplace, the majority of gates require foundations, but while shows like this have not been able to happen due to restrictions, our research and development has continued at a pace and after major investment we are able to add a surface-mounted gate to our range. Perhaps more significantly, it is also our first fully automated product that is solar powered.
“Our new products will further enhance our reputation as one of the most innovative suppliers to the global security sector with our HVM solutions now installed in almost 20 countries in Europe and around the world.”
The International Security Expo has a focus on government and infrastructure, and attracts a senior audience of buyers looking to source the latest innovative products and services from market-leading suppliers, and to share best practice in response to evolving challenges in the industry.
Craig Perkins, National Express West Midlands - IRTE challenge
Craig Perkins, Engineering Technical Trainer for National Express West Midlands, has been named best Mechanical Technician at a national IRTE Skills Challenge award ceremony.
32-year-old Craig, from Coventry, secured his top spot by demonstrating his skills, knowledge and quick-thinking during the IRTE Skills Challenge competition in June. Craig achieved the highest score against his category competitors from across the whole UK bus and coach industry.
Coventrian’s skills secure top spot at UK engineering challenge
Competitors had to complete a range of practical and theory tests and Craig was able to quickly diagnose gearbox, brake and caliper faults while clearly and easily explaining how the faults occurred. His speed and problem-solving skills were again put to the test when he was challenged to set up a valve clearance on an older engine model.
When asked how it felt to win his award, Craig said “This has to be one of my proudest achievements in my working career - I never thought I would even get close to the top ten, never mind win the whole category.
“It was a team effort so I want to say a massive well done to Chris and Glenn who were there with me. We all helped each other in any way we could and I'm really proud of the whole team.”
Lee Sandford, Engineering Training Manager for National Express West Midlands, said "The entire team performed fantastically throughout the competition, applying the skills and knowledge from their respective trades to exceptionally high levels.
“I am extremely proud of them all for having the confidence to put themselves forward and be part of the event. Their achievements bode well for future competitions - bring on next year’s challenge!"
In addition to his win in the Mechanical Technician category, Craig was named runner up in the Inspection Technician category. And his National Express team members were also recognised for their achievements. Bodymaker Chris Little was runner up in the Bodywork Technician category and Glenn Danks, who is a Mechanic by trade, did brilliantly in the electrical category.
Craig started his career with National Express 15 years ago when he was just 17. After working in a customer-facing role he went on to the company’s apprenticeship scheme, qualifying four years later and starting as a Fitter. In 2016 Craig briefly left the company and worked as a DVSA Vehicle Inspector before returning to National Express Coventry as an Engineering Supervisor in 2018. Craig now uses his passion for sharing knowledge as part of his role as an Engineering Technical Trainer.
The 10th IRTE Skills Challenge was held earlier this year, with the award ceremony taking place at the Williams F1 Conference Centre in Didcot on Thursday 21 October 2021. The awards were presented by Adam Fraser-Hitchen, President of the Society of Operations Engineers (SOE).
Daimler Wharf
Plans for the major regeneration of the site of Coventry’s world-famous Daimler car factory into a vibrant new neighbourhood for living and work, culture and leisure have taken a significant step forward.
Warwickshire-based property and development company The Wigley Group has submitted an outline planning application to Coventry City Council for the mixed-use development on Sandy Lane in the Radford area of the city.
The seven-acre brownfield site sits on the side of the Coventry Canal and is currently a business park and industrial estate. It is designated for housing by Coventry City Council.
Central to the proposals is the integration of the site — to be known as Daimler Wharf — with the existing community by reconnecting the area to Coventry Canal and creating a large public common.
The outline planning application includes up to 480 new homes and flexible work-live units.
At the heart of the high-quality development will be a linear park and two public squares. Direct pedestrian and cycle links through the new community to Coventry Canal will also enhance the pedestrian corridor into the city centre. There, will be electric car charging points, and an electric bike and scooter station.
The first phase of the Daimler Wharf scheme has already been completed, with the refurbishment of the Daimler Powerhouse building — the only part of the car factory to survive Second World War bombing — into a creative hub. The Daimler Powerhouse Creation Centre is run by Imagineer Productions and home to four other resident creative arts companies. The centre is also playing an integral part in supporting Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture 2021 as a production centre for major performance works.
Mike Vining, Land and Development Director at The Wigley Group, said: “Our vision has always been to build on the site’s great heritage. We have already started to deliver on that by investing in the only remaining part of the Daimler car factory to once again make this important heritage asset a real focal point as a state-of-the-art creative hub.
“The wider plans that will build on phase one are for a new and vibrant
Artist’s impression of Makers Row which will reconnect the existing community to Coventry Canal through Daimler Wharf.
neighbourhood that addresses local housing need and offers visual improvements alongside environmental benefits that will contribute to the city’s aspirations for a cleaner and greener future.
“Over the past three years we have consulted widely with local stakeholders and the surrounding community. The feedback has been very positive and has helped shape the scheme which we are now delighted to be presenting to Coventry City Council.”
James Davies, Chief Executive Officer at The Wigley Group, said: “When we acquired this site in 2006, we saw straight away the potential that it had for redevelopment and the contribution that a high-quality northern quarter could make to the wider regeneration of this part of the city and how it will link through the Canal Basin the heart of the Coventry.
“This site has been designated for housing by Coventry City Council for a number of years and this scheme presents the opportunity to now bring this site forward to realise its full potential in helping to address local housing needs, but also to reinvigorate the area through the creation of a northern gateway to the city centre that celebrates Coventry’s industrial past and cultural future.”
Has HMRC lost its bite?
Following the winding back of Covid-related legislation, which has undoubtedly helped many businesses survive, HMRC are once again able to petition to wind-up companies.
The press has often reported that the insolvency profession will be rushed off its feet when things implode. However this simply hasn’t happened yet and, if it does, I doubt it will be because of HMRC.
HMRC are not actively petitioning for companies to be wound up. HMRC are actively encouraging those with debt to get in touch and discuss the situation no matter how dire the position might be.
In the past we may have seen companies with a clean track record able to obtain time-to-pay arrangements of, on average, 12 months, sometimes 24 months, in order to spread debt repayments. If the track record of paying HMRC was less than perfect it would have been very difficult to obtain a time-to-pay arrangement. Now HMRC are saying that they will actively work on whatever realistic proposals are put to them even if that means much longer agreements which certainly provides more breathing space.
HMRC understands that this is a unique time those companies find themselves in. What may have been a thriving business that always paid its tax on time before the pandemic may be a far cry from the state of the business now.
HMRC will still, rightly so, wind-up those that are actively evading taxes and causing undue harm. For those with genuine reasons for default the message we are hearing is that the support from HMRC is there. Time will tell if that is the reality.
If you would like to discuss this in further detail please do contact me or any of the management team at BRI Business Recovery and Insolvency on 02476 226839 or jrimmer@briuk.co.uk We offer an initial meeting without obligation and free of charge.
Coventry University deliveries on Proof-of-Concept programme
Brett Vye, Chief Executive of Percuro, Martin Lucy, Operations and Development Manager at Coventry University Services Ltd, Denise Saber, co-founder of Percuro, and Reg Brown, Chief Financial Officer of Percuro.
Coventry University has helped a Warwickshire-based sustainable pet brand that is behind the production of a low carbon pet food to secure contracts with retailers in the UK and globally.
Percuro Primal Pet Food Ltd — which has its headquarters in Henley-in-Arden — secured funding from the European Regional Development Fund through the ‘Proof-of-Concept’ programme which is delivered by Coventry University.
The innovation and growth programme supports SMEs in Coventry, Warwickshire, Greater Birmingham and Solihull in the early-stage development of a new product through access to funding, tailored one-to-one innovation support, and workshops.
The funding that Percuro was able to access through the university was crucial to it being able to carry out a full feasibility study that helped to establish market demand for the product through extensive consumer research among pet owners in the UK and Germany.
As a result, it is now selling direct to consumers in Europe via its own website, and has secured supply contracts with big name UK brands: Pets at Home, Monster Waitrose, Ocado and Amazon, as well as others overseas in Italy, Singapore and South Korea.
The company was founded by Denise Saber, who has a background in investment management, working with family and institutional investors around their sustainability agenda, and Chief Executive Brett Vye, who has a background in the pet and brewing industries. They are part of a five-person executive team.
Denise said: “We came away from the ‘Proof-of-Concept' research that the team at Coventry University helped us to fund with a clear market that was commercially viable and one that also helped us come up with a narrative. The university’s support really got us going and was an important part of our process to get to where we are now.
“We were confident we had something special but we needed to test it. We ranked each of the ingredients against peer groups, comparing the effect on pets’ health and wellness (low inflammation) and how the effect the sourcing of each ingredient would have on the planet. We then conducted an independent five-day palatability and digestibility 2 bowl test with 20 dogs and benchmarked against our UK leading competitor 9 out of 10 dogs preferring Percuro.
“We also knew anecdotally that sustainability would be important to consumers, but we needed something to really help get us to understand if we were on the right track with something that consumers would actually buy.
“We believe that this is innovation at its best because of the positive impact it can have on animal health and life expectancy, and also climate change. Through having 100 per cent sustainable insect protein and plant-based ingredients that are traceable, and 100 per cent livestockfree, this is a business that can scale up and become a leading brand globally.”
Percuro is the Latin word for ‘heal completely’ and key to the company’s sustainability credentials is the use of black soldier fly larvae as its protein source for its products.
Dogs and cats alone consume 20 per cent of the world’s animal-based sources of protein such as meat and fish, but as the edible insect protein in Percuro’s pet food uses only a fraction of the land, water and energy, it is a climate change positive regime for feeding pets.
All of its plant-based ingredients are 100 per cent sustainable with no hidden animal fats or derivatives, and 95 per cent are sourced within a close proximity to its manufacturing site in mainland Europe, which further limits its carbon footprint.
The research funded through Coventry University found quality of ingredients was the most important factor when choosing food product for their pet. Through many respondents were not aware of products that used insects as a source of protein, they were willing to at least try the product after reading the concept.
Others showed a positive response towards pet food having limited impact on eco-systems and said they would prefer a brand having a proactive stance towards the environment and would spend more to do so.
Martin Lucy, Operations and Development Manager at Coventry University Services Ltd, said: “Percuro are developing a novel environmentally aware product and accessing the ‘Proof of Concept’ ERDF funded grant enabled them to undertake the research aspect of the project to better understand the size of the commercial opportunity and the best way forward, reducing the financial risk of their project.”
Businesses can check to see if they are eligible to join the Proof-of-Concept grant programme or other business support provided by Coventry University at www.cuebusinesssolutions.com.
Pensions & Divorce
There are different things to consider when going through a divorce or a dissolution, it’s a distressing time and emotions run high, which can be confusing.
During this time, pensions are likely to be the last thing on your mind, however it’s important to include them when considering how your assets will be divided.
What are your options when divorcing or dissolving a partnership? PENSIONS OFFSETTING
The value of any pensions is offset against other assets.
For example, one party may get a larger portion of the family home in return for the other keeping their pension.
This can offer a simple, clean break which doesn’t alter existing pension arrangements.
PENSIONS SHARING
A percentage of one person’s pensions is transferred to the other, allowing them to manage it as they wish.
This can be transferred into a pension in their name which can be a new or existing pension, or they might have the option to join the scheme the pension has come from. This will be dependent on the pension scheme rules.
Whilst this option also offers a clean break, consideration needs to be made for life cover or death benefits.
PENSION EARMARKING/ATTACHMENT ORDERS
One party agrees to pay a percentage of their own pension to their ex-partner when they start taking income from their pension.
You can get an income, a lump sum or both, however you will not be able to access any payments before your ex-partner starts accessing their pension.
This option doesn’t offer a clean break because the person who owns the pension will always control when and how it’s used at retirement.
