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18
Mar
Last Updated: 18/03/2024
Business Breakfast: Berwins Solicitors continues partnership with Harrogate International Festivals
Sharon Canavar & Martin Whincup from Berwins. Photo: Mike Whorley
Berwins solicitors continues its partnership with Harrogate International Festivals with its title sponsorship of Salon North for another season.
The series of speaker-events will make its return later this month, with the next of this season’s talks being held on Thursday April 11 at The Crown Hotel, Harrogate.
At each Salon three guest speakers explore ideas in art, science and psychology. Previous guests include former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger; classicist and comedian Natalie Haynes, zoologist, and science writer Matthew Cobb.
Sharon Canavar, chief executive of Harrogate International Festivals which curates and produces the Salon series, said:
“We are thrilled that Berwins Solicitors is continuing its sponsorship of these events and I’ve no doubt the loyal and growing Salon North fan base will be too. Without the backing of Berwins Solicitors we simply wouldn’t be able to stage these wonderfully engaging, enlightening and fun talks, which have been listed in ‘The Top 100 Things to do in the World’ by GQ magazine. We love producing these evenings that help us highlight the cultural prestige of Harrogate. Berwins Salon North has attracted some incredible speakers during its time and we have exciting plans for this year’s programme – watch this space.”
Associate director of Berwins Solicitors, Martin Whincup, said:
“We are delighted to have our name associated with Salon North for another season. Berwins Salon North, which has been a permanent and much-loved fixture on Harrogate’s cultural calendar for many years now, encourages reflection, deep thinking and self-improvement – habits that very much chime with our own – and we are proud to support these truly unique evenings. Each year, the Harrogate International Festivals team conjures up a diverse array of brilliant speakers, and I can’t wait to see who they will be bringing to Harrogate in 2024.”
Entrepreneur expands peer support model for business leaders
Richard Doyle, founded one of the region’s biggest IT businesses Esteem Systems in 1985, growing it to a £30m technology business before selling it in late 2004. He has unveiled plans to expand his latest venture across Yorkshire and the North East.
Having served as a non-executive director on over a dozen boards, Richard developed his own peer advisory board business, Pabasso, which provides support for regional Managing directors and CEOs.
He is now searching for others to help him grow his peer support model and make it accessible across a wider area. Ideally, searching for retired or semi-retired CEOs, managing directors or business coaches who want to run their own peer advisory board on a part-time basis. Those looking for a fuller time commitment have the option of running two boards.
Mr Doyle said:
“I have found it incredibly rewarding working with multiple business leaders helping them on their journey and sharing the expertise and experience of the other board members. By creating a board of business leaders, each with their own diverse businesses and individual challenges, the chair will find themselves at the heart of a dynamic process, facilitating cross-industry collaboration and transformative strategic insights.”
"As the founder of the original Pabasso foundation board, I have been able to use four decades of experience as a CEO and Non-Executive Director to help our members progress. Our mission is to make peer advisory boards one of the key support functions for established business leaders in the UK and I am looking forward to supporting our new chairs/franchisees to develop their own boards and help fuel economic growth in each designated region.”
Each board will operate as a commercial business, supporting up to 12 regional business leaders. Richard has developed the franchise model in collaboration with the Lime Licensing Group. The expansion will create new peer advisory boards including North Yorkshire.
Event management company move to accommodate growth
Impulse Decisions has purchased new offices in Cardale Park in Harrogate as part of significant growth.
Currently based Windsor House its recruitment plans for 2024 mean they will outgrow their current office.
James Marsden, chief executive officer said:
“I am Incredibly proud to have completed on our new Impulse Decisions offices. From humble beginnings in 2010, hiring out a couple of desks in the Additive-X Ltd offices, to the last 10 years in the brilliant Windsor House, to purchasing our very first offices is very special to the team and I.
"Even though we’ve got the keys, the hard work starts here as there is plenty of renovation work to be done until we can fully move in. The new space provides us with the opportunity for growth, allowing us to hit our goals of being best in class for our clients and takes us into the next chapter. Thank you to everyone that worked on getting this deal done at Progeny & the agents at Feather Smailes Scales."
Libby Addyman, experiences and bookings assistant, said:
“I can’t wait to move to our new office and have a space that truly reflects who we are as a company. The open plan layout will enable us to work more collaboratively whilst offering a range of spaces for focused work, meetings and team building exercises. I'm excited to see what this next chapter brings for Impulse Decisions as we continue to develop and grow as a team!”.
Jack Nelson, designer of the new interior, said:
“Impulse are a unique company, who very much focus on their staff, who have all had input to the new building. The design will very much reflect impulse as a company and brand promoting communal working and a sense of community, whilst providing spaces for focused work and team building exercises etc. It will also enable Impulse to host more external clients/meetings in house as well as networking events in the future. It’s a very exciting project, which we are delighted to be part of.”
The new offices are expected to be ready by June.
Charity ball makes over £70,000
A charity Ball put together by local businesswoman Alice Maguire was held on Friday February 9 at Rudding Park Hotel with nearly 170 guests enjoying a LOVE themed evening all in aid of local Children’s Hospice, Martin House. Organisers have since announced that overall the amount raised for Martin House is in excess of £73,000.
This was the second year the Charity Ball put together after the inaugural event last February. Organiser Alice Maguire put the ball on after a close family member lost their son and she wanted to give something back.
Alice Maguire said:
“I cannot thank everyone enough for all the kindness and generosity in supporting our second Love Ball event. My intentions of organising an enjoyable fun evening whilst raising for this incredible Charity, exceeded anything I had imagined with the amount we have raised the first time to then repeat again this year is just mind blowing. I want to thank all my sponsors and for the generous donations we received before the event that included cash and prizes , without whom the night would not be possible and the great success it was. To Simon Cotton who gave his time and services yet again to be our auctioneer for the night , free of charge. To all my guests for coming along and being so supportive and generous on the night, I cannot thank you enough and really express how grateful I am to you all."
Regional Fundraiser at Martin House, Rebecca Taylor said:
“The Love Ball was such a delight to be part of. The whole evening was buzzing with so much warmth and excitement. Thank you to all of the guests and businesses involved in ensuring its phenomenal success. The incredible £73,373.35 raised could help to fund a Clinical Nurse Specialist for 18 months, to provide specialist palliative care to children and their families in the place of their choice. Alice is an incredibly valued supporter of Martin House, and we are so grateful for her continued support and commitment to us.”
Plant Nursery collaborates to landscape M8 footbridge
Johnsons Nurseries Ltd, one of the UK’s leading plant nurseries, has completed a project in collaboration with Edinburgh-based P1 Contractors to landscape a new pedestrian and cyclist footbridge across the M8 as part of a £250 million regeneration north of Glasgow.
The £190,000 contract saw Johnsons Nurseries Ltd provide over 30,000 plantsnfor the 58-metre-long footbridge which will form an active travel route between the area of Sighthill and the city centre.
The landscaping work marks the completion of a 30-month build to install the bridge and represents a milestone in the delivery of the £250 million Sighthill Regeneration. It is the biggest project of its kind in the UK outside of London.
Johnsons Nurseries Ltd marketing manager, Eleanor Richardson, said:
"We are known for our expertise in supplying top-grade plants and trees to major construction and landscaping projects, and are proud to be part of this groundbreaking initiative.”
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