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Blades partner with iconic sports brand
Sheffield United have partnered with iconic sports and lifestyle brand New Era to launch a bespoke selection of headwear for Blades fans.
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Launched in America back in 1920, the brand has become the market leader in sports headwear for teams across the NFL, NBA and is now progressing partnerships across the Premier League.
The range will see a selection of caps and knits that feature New Era’s iconic 9FORTY and 9FIFTY fits, and the colourways incorporate traditional Club tones, plus nods to iconic strips.
The drop is exclusive to SUFC Direct – The Official Online Shop of Sheffield United Football Club.
The Club’s head of commercial Paul Reeves said: “To work with a popular brand such as New Era is another positive step forward for our retail operation.
“We have worked hard over the last 18 months to develop our retail offer and bring new ranges and fashion that can be worn with pride both inside and outside of Bramall Lane.
“This is the first of an exclusive headwear selection and we look forward to seeing future collaborations in store.”
NEWS BUSINESSMAN DONATES £11K TO ASHGATE HOSPICECARE AFTER MAKING £1M FROM LOCKDOWN START-UP
Chesterfield man Ash Young, who launched CarMats. co.uk during lockdown, has raised over £11k for Ashgate Hospicecare.
Alongside home-schooling his two kids during lockdown and running digital agency Evoluted day-to-day, Ash decided to start a new venture, launching his own ecommerce site with a target of reaching £1 million within the first 12 months.
Ash took CarMats.co.uk from strength to strength, and in January, just nine months after launching, hit the £1 million mark.
To mark the occasion, he decided to donate the entire revenue (not profit) from the day of reaching £1m, to local charity Ashgate Hospicecare.
Ash said: “Ashgate Hospicecare was the natural choice. They are just up the road from where I live and they do amazing work. A large part of their income comes from the various events they run through the year that we love attending, such as the open-air cinema and summer fair which they haven’t been able to run this year. So we wanted to take this opportunity to support them and give back.” ASH YOUNG WITH HIS £11K DONATION FOR ASHGATE HOSPICECARE
On the day of reaching £1m, CarMats.co.uk received 302
ORDERS
Peter Stone, director of income generation at Ashgate Hospicecare, said: “We are absolutely astounded by the generosity of Ash and his new business venture and I would like to thank him on behalf of everyone at Ashgate Hospicecare.
“Right now, the demand for our specialist end-of-life care has never been greater, as we work with our NHS colleagues to ease the burden on the wider health system by freeing up beds in Chesterfield Royal Hospital and caring for patients in our specialist inpatient unit instead.”
Read all about Ash’s e-commerce journey in unLTD – https://unltdbusiness.com/ on-the-road-to-e-commerce/
Read Ash’s latest column for unLTD on page 21.
FREE VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS FOR BUSINESSES - HR & EMPLOYMENT LAW IN THE COVID WORLD
Award-winning local law firm Bhayani HR & Employment Law is offering free virtual workshops to businesses and charities on COVID-19 related HR and employment issues.
COVID-related enquiries, such as “Do I have to send a new letter every time hours of work change when I have an employee on flexible furlough?”, “Can I force my employees to have the vaccine?”, and “What do I do if an employee wants to continue working from home?” are just a few the team has handled which can be covered in the sessions.
MD Jay Bhayani says: “Businesses are certainly recognising the value of our cost-effective, fixed-fee HR and employment service, Watertight. In fact, the package is so popular at the moment, take-up has grown by 93 per cent in the last 12 months!”
To access the HR and employment law in the COVID world sessions, or find out about Watertight contact Bhayani Law on 0114 303 2300 or email hello@bhayanilaw.co.uk.
NO RUM DEAL FOR SHEFFIELD CHARITY THANKS TO LOCAL DRINKS BRAND
Sheffield independent rum makers O’Haras Spiced Rum have launched a new limited-edition bottle of their signature blend and they’re using proceeds to help a well-known charity delivering palliative care in Sheffield.
The new bottles, which feature exclusive artwork by another Sheffield favourite, artist BUBBA 2000, are available to purchase online now for £40, with £10 from every bottle going straight to St Luke’s Hospice charity.
Founder Andy O’Hara said: “We reached out to our friend BUBBA 2000 for a piece of artwork that would excite people to want to purchase not only the rum, but a limitededition piece of art from a local artist.
“We also knew other businesses and charities were struggling through the lockdown, so we thought if we could charge a little more for the limited-edition bottle, this could be a great opportunity to get a charity involved and to help as many people as we can.
“We are a small Sheffield brand, so we wanted to help a local charity. Cancer has in one way or another affected most people, and palliative care for cancer sufferers is so important.”
The new bottles are available to purchase online now for £40, with
going to straight to St Luke’s
GRIPPLE CROWNED MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR IN MAKE UK MANUFACTURING AWARDS
Gripple, manufacturer of suspension systems for construction and wire tensioning systems for agriculture, has come top of the class in the national 2020 Make UK Manufacturing Awards, crowned as Manufacturer of the Year, winning two other categories, and one apprentice receiving a regional award.
In the top award, employeeowned Gripple was judged to have blazed a trail within the manufacturing sector, for leading by example and developing progressive best
21-year-old Gripple apprentince Estelle Smith won BUSINESS APPRENTICE
OF THE YEAR
practice for others in the industry.
Stephen Phipson, CEO of Make UK, said: “Gripple has been an exemplar company for many years and these awards are a testament to the people, innovation, drive and dynamic performance to which all manufacturers should aspire.”
Gripple won the Developing Future Talent category, the Business Growth and Strategy category, and 21-year-old Gripple apprentice Estelle Smith won Business Apprentice of the Year for the North East, Yorkshire and Humber region.
MD Ed Stubbs said: “This recognition is absolute testimony to how our employee owners have gone above and beyond to support their business in such a challenging year. Thank you to them all.”
Four degree programmes led by Sheffield Business School have been re-accredited by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) – a globally recognised benchmark for the quality of teaching and learning.
Wentworth Woodhouse gardeners make great tracks thanks to TC Harrison JCB
Sheffield JCB dealer TC Harrison gave ‘tonnes’ of support to help Wentworth Woodhouse get gardens ready for its snowdrop walks.
Phase two starts on £5.25m Barnsley business park
Developer Carnell Management Services (CMS) has embarked on a second £5.25m phase at the Nexus Business Park at Capitol Park, Dodworth.
Research trial of ‘smart’ hand sanitisers to help office hygiene
'Smart' hand sanitisers are being trialled across the country, as part of research by the Universities of Sheffield and Leeds into how best to engage people with the latest COVID-19 workplace hand hygiene guidance.
Funds donated to Horizon Community College as part of The Glass Works
Henry Boot Construction Limited recently donated £1,000 to Horizon Community College, as part of Barnsley town centre’s urban development project,
The Glass Works.
The donation has enabled Horizon Community College to support families by providing emergency food parcels in the local area. The latest contribution follows a donation of £1,000 to a steering group in Barnsley for young care leavers, and donations of £500 to TADS and Beacon South Yorkshire, chosen charities of the Mayor of Barnsley.
Social value was designated as an ‘integral part’ of The Glass Works project before work started in 2016. Charities and community groups are among the many organisations to have been supported by the firm and its project partners as part of the scheme, with the second phase due to be completed in summer 2021.
Ryan O’Loughlin, Director of Henry Boot Construction, said: “We’re committed to supporting local schools and families in the area, especially during a time which is challenging for many.
“We set out at the very start of this project to integrate social value into the development of The Glass Works to ensure that it leaves a lasting legacy, and benefits people across the region for years to come.”
NEWS MAJOR FUNDING ‘MORALE BOOST’ FOR UNIQUE SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
A Sheffield-based social enterprise, café and restaurant, which offers employment opportunities to some of the city’s most vulnerable and marginalised adults, has received a near £40,000 funding grant.
Blend Kitchen, which is due to open a new state-of-the-art dining space and training facility in the spring, was selected as one of 120 social entrepreneurs in England to receive support from the Inclusive Recovery Fund.
The fund is a partnership between unLTD, the foundation for social entrepreneurs, and Comic Relief , enabling social enterprises to ‘deliver important services’ while ‘adapting to the challenges presented by the coronavirus crisis’. It was supported by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport as part of the Government's £750 million support package for charities.
The £38,000 received by Blend Kitchen will enable the organisation’s core staff to be brought off the UK THE BLEND KITCHEN TEAM
Only 1 IN 10
organisations who applied to the scheme were successful
Government’s furlough scheme and paid in full, while also providing a resource to start training.
It will allow Blend Kitchen to support local communities throughout the current lockdown, including expanding its important community activities such as providing free meals to disadvantaged children along with a number of online life coaching and hospitality training programmes for people who are looking for work.
Founder Chris Hanson said: “This funding is a huge boost and will mean that we can continue to support our team, as well as expand our capacity to support others.
“It’s a real morale boost for us all and highlights the value of the work that we do.”
BHP LLP recognised for ‘outstanding’ levels of employee engagement
BHP LLP, the largest independent firm of chartered accountants in Yorkshire and North Derbyshire, has been recognised as a well led and well managed organisation demonstrating ‘outstanding’ levels of employee engagement, despite the current unprecedented circumstances.
The organisation has been certified by Best Companies and recognised for its commitment to employees, with a 2-star accreditation rating.
The accolade reflects the commitment BHP showed to
BHP has been awarded a
2-STAR
accreditation rating
employees from the start of the pandemic, where they rolled out initiatives such as firm-wide webinars to provide updates on areas including financial information, remote working and the reopening of offices.
Lisa Leighton, joint managing partner, said: “We are delighted to have maintained our 2-star accreditation from Best Companies. The accreditation is a true testament to the way everyone at BHP has adapted and supported each other… to once again demonstrate an ‘outstanding’ level of engagement.”
Jonathan Austin, founder and CEO of Best Companies, said: “BHP LLP’s fantastic achievement demonstrates that they have been well led and well managed during these most testing of times.”
PROPERTY NEWS SPEED AND STAMP DUTY HOLIDAY ATTRACTING BUYERS TO AUCTION
JAMES HOLDING, REGIONAL AUCTION MANAGER OF AUCTION HOUSE
Research by Auction House shows that the speed of the process is a major consideration for both buyers and sellers.
James Holding, regional auctions manager at Auction House South Yorkshire, said: “While buyers are capitalising on the government Stamp Duty Holiday, auctions are now the only remaining method available to ensure buyers benefit from the temporary tax break before it expires on 31 March.
“The lead time between entering and exchanging contracts is now down to just three weeks at auction, compared to what can be longer than three months by private treaty. That’s a major attraction to vendors who are in a hurry or want to select the specific date on which they sell.”
The widening appeal of auction is confirmed by the number of big-ticket lots entered into Auction House sales in February, many guided at £1m or more.
James added: “Auction is no longer the sole reserve of properties from the bargainbasement. Similarly, the wide range of lots available demonstrates the sheer variety of what can be bought and sold under the hammer.”
New not-for-profit letting agent launches
A new start-up My Landlord Cares (MLC) has been launched as a social letting agency operating in Sheffield and Rotherham.
MLC is the ‘dream’ of its founders, who have been private landlords for around 20 years and whose own frustrations and personal challenges around issues including changes, laws, and tenants’ rights kick-started the journey.
The organisation operates as a social enterprise which means all profits get put back into the community.
One of the co-founders Badrul Haque said: “For too long landlords have had so much bad press, we are seen as ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF MY LANDLORD CARES, BADRUL HAQUE
greedy and selfish. We wanted to change this.
“We wanted to support landlords who are like us, to help them understand these changes and not fall into the wrong side of the law by not complying with these changes.
“Our tenants are well looked after in all the properties we manage – 70 per cent of our tenants refer our next clients to us. This says a lot about the support we provide. In this way, landlords can be confident that they will receive regular rent and know they are getting more from their investments.”
Iconic tower regeneration project set to receive the green light for 103 apartments
Hallam Towers is expected to receive further planning permission to create an additional two floors inside the new 15-storey tower at the iconic site on Fulwood Road in Sheffield.
This will take the total number of one, two and three-bedroom apartments up to 103, complete with unrivalled views across the city and a swimming pool and gym on the ground floor level. Sheffield City Council is expected to approve the additional two floors, set to transform the former Hallam Towers hotel into a rare collection of apartments and penthouses. Redbrik, appointed as the sales agent for this landmark new development, already has over 75 people on a waiting list as it edges closer to launch. Peter Lee, a director for the firm, explained: "The development is being sympathetically restored back to its recognisable form, using the latest materials and technology that the construction industry has to offer. "There is a huge demand for high-quality homes in South West Sheffield, and we're thrilled to see it being filled by a regeneration project such as Hallam Towers." Earlier this year, Redbrik Land & New Homes became part of the Land & New Homes Network. The network's national coverage means Redbrik have relationships with builders, developers, investors and non-competing estate agents from across the UK.
