MEMBERS’ NEWS

It’s our time!

I have to start this column with the brilliant news that Bradford will be the UK City of Culture for 2025 . If we can echo and emulate what Hull and Coventry did with the designation, it will do great things for the City and District. It does not mean, however, that we take our foot off the gas when it comes to lobbying for Northern Powerhouse Rail and Levelling Up projects to be adequately funded; we’ll still be pressing the case along with stakeholders such as Bradford Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority so that we play a full part in delivering more economic growth and business success for Bradford and West & North Yorkshire. Winning City of Culture is testament to the collaboration between communities, business and local government across West Yorkshire. Credit to the Bradford 2025 team for giving us the opportunity to shine on a world stage as well as encouraging confidence and positivity in our great City. The boost to the economy will be significant and the opportunity to inspire current and future generations will be grasped. The Chamber is 100% behind the 2025 team and looking forward to playing a role. Victoria Wainwright President Bradford Chamber

BRADFORD NEWS

High-flying Bradford association scoops two Northern Housing Awards

Manningham Housing Association, the BAME organisation, which manages more than 1,400 homes for over 6,000 residents in Bradford and Keighley, won the prestigious Northern Housing Team of the Year Award with Cath Bacon named as Tenant of the Year. MHA was also shortlisted for Landlord of the Year at the ceremony held at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester. The association’s Community Engagement Team secured the Northern Housing Team of the Year Award for their success in delivering Building Bridges Bradford, a pioneering new venture devised to bolster community resilience and bring individuals and families from diverse backgrounds together through social action activities. The project also supported those affected by COVID-19 including people experiencing mental health challenges, loss of income and isolation due to lockdown. Nasir Hussain, MHA Community Partnerships and Investment Manager, who collected the trophy, said: “I am proud of every single member of the team. This includes my colleagues at MHA, the many community volunteers who did so much of the heavy lifting and the more than 2,200 people who took part in activities ranging from outdoor physical exercise to online coffee mornings. “The foundations for Building Bridges Bradford were already in place before the pandemic struck. However, rather than be deterred by the huge challenges it inevitably created, everyone involved simply rolled up their sleeves with the shared objective of improving life experiences in some of the most vulnerable communities across the district. “It is also an immense pleasure to fly the flag for Bradford and Keighley, where lots of good work is going on to bring communities together. In collaboration with our partners across the district, we will continue to be at the forefront of these positive initiatives.”

Expansion of buying team

Chemical manufacturer and distributor, Airedale Chemical, has strengthened its dedicated procurement team with the appointment of two new positions, reflecting the increase in demand experienced over the last 24 months. David Harker joins the company as procurement manager and with more than six years of experience in manufacturing and construction buying, he will assist in the development of purchasing systems to maximise efficiency throughout the department. He explains: “The procurement department has become increasingly busy and it was clear that the team needed additional support. I will be managing relationships with existing and potential suppliers which are absolutely key to our success and can make a huge difference to keeping the continuation of supply of key chemicals which are essential to retaining the trust and custom of our clients. David is joined by Cecily Moffat who fills the role of procurement administrator with five years in industry. Cecily said: “I am bringing several years of administrative experience to the role which will help with the smooth running of this very busy department, but I am really looking forward to the role developing over the coming weeks and months and learning more about the function of procurement in the business and becoming more involved in the procurement of goods and services into Airedale Chemical.”

Brook International at FESPA Global Print Expo 2022

Brook International attended this year’s FESPA (Federation of European Screen Printers Associations) Global Print Expo 2022 at the Messe, Berlin in Germany. The event is Europe’s leading exhibition for screen and digital, wide-format printing, and textile printing. With the growth of customised ondemand production, digital textile printing continues to be a key growth market. Brook International’s Chris Melia said: “Our aim has always been to supply top quality, specialist textiles for the flag and banner market. As our market share continues to expand, we consider it a privilege to offer our knowledge and expertise to help our customers achieve fantastic imaging results, using our extensive range of textiles.” T L Dallas Group further extend their successful sponsorship of Bradford City FC

T L Dallas Group has agreed a new and improved long-term partnership with Bradford City AFC, which will see The TL Dallas Stand (South) remain in place for at least the next three years. The Bradford-based insurance broker has invested a significant fivefigure sum to remain one of the Bantams’ principal partners, and take its affiliation with the club beyond the 20-year mark. The extension of this long-standing relationship will see TL Dallas continue to be referred to as the club’s official academy partner, on the back of a hugely successful campaign among City’s youth ranks. ‘The Bradford End’ on the south side of the Utilita Energy Stadium will remain The TL Dallas Stand, originally unveiled in 2003. Christeyns helps ease driver shortage and expands HGV fleet

Bradford-based hygiene chemical specialist Christeyns has added HGV driving qualifications to its apprenticeship scheme in order to provide a solution for the current driver shortage. Two new apprentices, Tom Grundell and Danny Clark, commenced their apprenticeships in September 2021 and following 18 months of training and immersion in the business, will be out on the road delivering chemicals for use in the Industrial laundry and construction sectors. “The driver shortage has hit the supply chain hard,” said Richard Boardman, Transport Manager at Christeyns UK. “We wanted to find a way to encourage young people into the profession as well as futureproofing our own business.”

Calling for clarity and certainty

Despite ongoing pressures and challenges, posed by the series of issues plaguing economies the world over, Leeds delivered a robust performance over the spring months. This has been a busy period for the Chamber, as the Policy Team and Leadership Groups have engaged with our public and private sector partners on a range of pressing policy issues, including energy, skills and infrastructure. In support of the Chamber’s stated policy positions on matters concerning regional transport and infrastructural investments, we again met with senior Ministers and policy-makers to champion the voice of our business community. Calling for greater clarity, certainty and confidence in Government’s plans for our region, we have repeated the calls for better transport connectivity and improved skills investment. Enabling our talent to access opportunity will create a fairer, more productive region that can continue to be one of the key net-contributors to HM Treasury. The incoming HS2-to-Leeds Review, a £100m investigation into how Leeds can still be a destination for HS2 trains, will reportedly establish it’s Terms of Reference in the coming months. There is still much work to be done, and indeed much to be hopeful for. Following two years of disruption, the Leeds Waterfront Group has reformed in order to review the Waterfront Charter, established in 2018. With the aim of re-establishing Waterfront-related activities to enhance this part of the city centre. With new development accelerating along both the north and south banks, now is a great time to ensure we are developing the places where people want to be and bring new vibrancy back to this historic part of Leeds City Centre. Mike Briffett President Leeds Chamber

LEEDS NEWS

Volta Compliance helped Thorite transition to electric

There are plenty of reasons why people are making the move to electric cars. They’re better for the environment and cheaper to run. Those benefits are amplified for businesses who have multiple vehicles in their fleet – or the possibility of several staff wanting to use charging infrastructure. Having electric chargers on site encourages employees to make the switch and makes businesses more attractive to staff that already drive an electric car. However, that’s also the biggest hurdle involved in the transition. Before you can move to electric, you need the chargers in place. That was the challenge faced by Thorite, who wanted electric vehicle chargers installing in their car park after moving to a new site. Thankfully, another local business and member of the West & North Yorkshire Chamber – Volta Compliance – was on hand to help. Thorite moved to a new 44,000 square foot purpose-built facility including plenty of free parking. To add to the modern amenities at their new home, Thorite wanted to install electric charging infrastructure. Based just down the road in Leeds, Volta Compliance was the ideal partner for the transition. After a quick consultation, they determined that two 7.4kW sockets in between parking bays 1 and 2 would be the ideal solution, complete with tethered leads for connecting cars. Thorite also wanted smart functionality so the sockets could be easily managed and monitored going forward. Volta’s installers supplied and installed EO Charging sockets with tethered leads, so cars can easily be connected, even if drivers have forgotten their own charging cable. The chosen infrastructure has all the capabilities required by Thorite’s team. Users can login to set up and remove drivers, adjust the charging tariff and minimum charge, and see the status of their chargers. The network connectivity also gives Volta Compliance remote access to the hub for a range of functions. They can assist with reboots or unlocking of the hub or sockets, as well as recording usage for auditing purposes.

Finishing on a highlight

Leeds manufacturer, Pland Stainless, has reported a positive 10% growth in sales during 2021, despite the market challenges faced with the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit uncertainty. The business, which has been manufacturing stainless steel products, mainly for the commercial market since 1919, has seen the largest growth on bespoke made-to-measure products from all sectors including healthcare, catering, secure accommodation, and education. Pland had a busy year all round with lots of investment secured in the business too. They purchased and have been trialling two robots for welding and polishing, designed to be used for repetitive tasks, particularly where vibration causes health and safety concerns for their skilled polishers. Steve Duree, MD said: “It’s all credit to the team that we achieved so much in very challenging and uncertain times.” Pland’s employee retention record is certainly above average with a number of employees achieving over 30 years of service with the business. It employs traditional skilled craftsmen and continually recruits apprentices to learn and continue the trades. It’s this experience and knowledge, coming from years in the market, that has helped Pland make the right choices over the past two years, helping it to grow in unprecedented times.

Investing in the arts to creatively communicate to businesses

Square One Law has taken a unique approach to highlighting its capabilities with an innovative investment in the arts. The firm engaged some of the North’s leading creative artists to create its ‘Fearlessly Solving’ campaign. Working in collaboration with creative agency, The Traveller and the Bear, they brought together leading drummer, Ed Smith, who has played with Geordie rock star Sam Fender, and spoken poetry performer Lerato Azula. The centrepiece of the campaign is a striking film telling an impactful story that being fearless is not only about breaking from tradition, standing apart and solving problems creatively, but also encouraging your people to act with integrity, watch their clients’ backs and help drive the business forward. FaberExposize UK and Northern Flags expand their print might

Leeds-based FaberExposize UK and sister company Northern Flags welcomed a new Jeti Tauro H3300 printer as the firm expands further into UV rigid and roll to roll products. This is done alongside the recent dye sublimation expansion with the new Agfa Avinci that arrived in December bringing them a total of three high capacity dye sublimation machines. Iain Clasper-Cotte, Managing Director of FaberExposize UK said: “This is the 10th wide format printer we have invested in over the past six years and is undoubtedly the fastest. We already operated 2 Annapurna UV printers but as we have grown our Rigid and Vinyl business through COVID when the demand for fabric collapsed, we needed some extra firepower to keep up with our expansion and the demand for environmentally friendly substrates.” Haines Watts celebrate at Yorkshire Accountancy Awards

Haines Watts Leeds is celebrating winning at the Yorkshire Accountancy Awards earlier this month, having secured the Trainee of the Year Award 2022! The winner of Trainee of the Year, Charlotte Holland, is regarded internally by many colleagues as an invaluable member of the team and already a go-to expert for help with accounting software. Managing Partner, James Sutton said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have won this award. Charlotte is an exceptional trainee with a very bright future. Credit goes to all of our fantastic team and their continuous hard work supporting our clients.” Charlotte added: “It means a lot have won this award. It is great to have hard work recognised and it made me feel really valued by Haines Watts.”

Working together to bridge the skills gap

As we begin to approach the summer months, York and North Yorkshire (YNY) can look forward to what is shaping up to be a strong spell of regional development and seasonal trade. Despite mounting concerns relating to energy and the wider cost of living, our region has nonetheless continued to demonstrate unrelenting tenacity. Businesses across York and North Yorkshire have much to anticipate, as a series of key regional opportunities will begin to develop over the coming months. Among these include the reopening of the York’s famed Guildhall, the launching of YNY Chamber’s digital sector project and the announcement regarding the outcome of the City’s bid to become the new home of Great British Railways. The Chamber continues to meet Government inspectors in reviewing the York Local Plan. The need for a robust and comprehensive Local Plan has never been greater, with serious progress needed in securing new homes, office and industrial space for businesses and workers alike. If our region is to continue to thrive, and postCOVID confidence is to be maintained, it is imperative that this issue is addressed sooner rather than later. The Chamber’s digital project is a prime example of how the business community can actively engage with its public and private sector partners. As part of this new collaborative effort, the Chamber will be working with key stakeholders from across the region; including City of York Council, YNY LEP and our colleges and universities. A far-reaching mission, the project will address workforce skills gaps, facility and premises shortages, infrastructural limitations and reversing graduate retention trends. Laurence Beardmore President York & North Yorkshire Chamber

YORK & NORTH YORKSHIRE NEWS

Trainees progress to dispute resolution roles at Rollits

Rollits has bolstered its dispute resolution team with the addition of two solicitors who began their careers as paralegals with the firm. Abbie Bielby has been recruited into the department after recently being admitted as a solicitor on completion of her period of recognised training. She joins Harriet Kingston, who completed her training at Rollits and qualified as a solicitor in 2021. Abbie studied at Longcroft School in Beverley before gaining her Law Degree with Honours at Queen Mary University in London in 2015. Abbie also gained a distinction in her LPC LLM in Professional Legal Practice BPP in Leeds and joined Rollits in 2018 as a property paralegal with the social housing team based at York. Harriet Kingston studied at St Swithun’s in Winchester and Bryanston School, Dorset, before moving north to study at Hull University, graduating in biomedical sciences in 2012. She received a commendation in 2013 for her Graduate Diploma in Law at York College of Law and undertook several paralegal positions at firms in both Leeds and York, before joining Rollits’ York office in 2017 following her graduation from BPP in Leeds with a distinction in her LPC. Both Harriet and Abbie worked as paralegals within the social housing team at York before successfully gaining training contracts with the firm. Chris Drinkall, who is Head of Rollits’ Dispute Resolution Department said: “Harriet and Abbie are great additions to the team and it is particularly pleasing that they both came through the property paralegal route, gaining even more experience and knowledge during their periods of recognised training.”

Market-leading recruiter joins all-female board of directors

Louise Scott has been appointed as a director of Castle Employment Group after 8 successful years with the company. Louise has been instrumental in establishing Castle Accountancy & Finance as one of the foremost specialist recruitment businesses in Yorkshire and is also overseeing the expansion of Castle’s Human Resources and Technology divisions. Louise becomes the fourth member of an all-female team of directors, which also comprises Managing Director Kerry Hope and Directors Jessica Russell and Anna Wilson. Louise said: “I’m absolutely delighted to join the team of directors at what is an incredibly exciting time for the business. The past two years have demonstrated how important recruitment professionals are to the local economy as we have helped hundreds of local companies to find talented people who have been essential to the continuity of their business.” “I’m now looking forward to growing our accountancy and finance division and to developing our HR and Technology divisions into equally successful businesses.”

Solicitors branches out

The York office of Andrew Jackson Solicitors has appointed Sarah Parker, who joins the firm’s growing team as a senior solicitor. Sarah’s expertise across a range of property law issues, along with her knowledge of agriculture and rural affairs, will add further value to the firm’s client offering. Sarah Parker said: “I am excited to join the firm and look forward to providing in-depth legal expertise and pragmatic advice, which is tailored to the needs of the businesses and individuals we work with.” Sarah has advised commercial clients, including rural land owners and farmers, on matters including assisting clients with their solar panel farm and wind turbine projects, Selion land transactions, farming partnership agreements and Agricultural Holdings Act tenancies. 360 Accountants team up with York City Knights

360 Chartered Accountants is delighted to announce it has become the official team sheet partner for the York City Knights 2022 season. The firm, which opened its York office earlier this year, is fast becoming a familiar fixture in the city’s community and, as huge sports fans, say it’s the perfect partnership. Adrian Hunter, Managing Director of 360, said: “As a local business, we think it’s important to support our local clubs, from grassroots sports right up to the professionals. We moved to York at the same time as the Knights new owner Clint Goodchild, so it’s great to be at the heart of the club’s future ambitions. It’s an exciting time for the Knights and we are thrilled to be involved.” Expanding employment

Expanding law firm Ware & Kay Solicitors is delighted to announce the appointment of Employment Solicitor, Kalpesh Nakeshree as Head of the Employment Department. Kalpesh specialises in all aspects of employment law and will provide bespoke employment law advice to both employers and employees. This will include dealing with restructuring, redundancies, grievances and settlement agreements. He will also advise on change management, flexible working, Transfer of Undertaking Protection of Employment (TUPE) and tribunal claims. He regularly represents clients taking initial instructions to the point of the tribunal hearing and provides a range of employment law and HR training programmes for managers and HR professionals.