Staff well-being and culture have rapidly risen up the priority list for many employers. At the next Stray Ferret Business Club we’ll hear from award winning employer, LCF Law, on how organisations can ensure their teams are productive and happy.
The lunch event is lunch at Manahatta, on June 29th at 12.30pm. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.
A Harrogate entrepreneur has won an award at the 2023 Attitude Pride Awards in London.
The event, which was held at the Langham Hotel, honours those who support the LGBTQ+ community across 11 categories.
Luke Christian, who founded fashion brand Deaf Identity in 2019, picked up the community hero award for his efforts in promoting equality and breaking down barriers for the deaf and LGBTQ+ communities.
Mr Christian, who is deaf and a former Comic Relief designer, said:
“I am incredibly honoured and humbled to receive the community hero award at the 2023 Attitude Pride Awards. This honour serves as both a monument to my work and the fortitude and resiliency of the deaf and LGBTQ+ communities.
“I dedicate this honour to everyone who has ever felt silenced or marginalised, and I intend to keep changing lives for the better. Standing side by side with other community heroes and trailblazers was an absolute honour.”
Lancashire financial firm acquires Harrogate company
A Harrogate financial firm has been acquired by a Lancashire company.
Chorley-based Perspective Financial Group has taken on clients from Brigham Wealth Management as part of an acquisition of four firms.
The company has also acquired Brighter Financial Services Ltd in Halifax, Airedale Personal Financial Solutions Ltd in Holmer Green, Buckinghamshire and Granite Coast Ltd in Cambridge.
Brigham, which is based on Hornbeam Park, will retain its current offices.
David Brigham, of Brigham Wealth Management, said:
“Perspective fully shares the ethos, ethics and client focused approach of Brigham Wealth Management and we are sure this move will be of benefit to all our clients and contacts going forward.”
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Deaf Harrogate artist picked to design clothing for Comic Relief
Deaf Harrogate artist, Luke Christian, is one of eleven artists picked to design homeware and clothing for Comic Relief.
Mr Christian was born deaf and, since setting up his fashion brand, Deaf Identity, in 2019 has been passionate about using his creative talents to break down barriers surrounding the deaf community.
He was first approached to work with Comic Relief in July 2021 and thought the email was spam and said “it didn’t feel real at the time”.
His designs will be printed and embroidered onto homeware and clothing and sold online and in store at TK Maxx.
Other artists including Gok Wan and Supermundane have been picked.
Mr Christian’s design shows the word ‘love’ in British Sign Language in a simplistic, modern, line drawing. He said:
“The charity said they wanted to work with 11 designers/artists in total that had special backgrounds to what they do and with me being deaf and raising deaf awareness, this is why they approached me.
“At first it didn’t feel real, but now that it’s sunk in I just feel extremely grateful to be able to show everyone what a positive thing being deaf really is and I want to be able to use this opportunity to empower other deaf people to run their own businesses and to not allow society to tell us ‘you can’t do this because you’re deaf’.”
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The deaf gene runs in Mr Christian’s family so his mum and sister are also deaf. He said growing up he was often told he doesn’t sound or look deaf and felt like he didn’t fully belong in a hearing or deaf world.
He said one of his biggest motivators behind his brand is to show that every individual defines their own deaf identity adding “there’s no right or wrong way to be deaf”.
He was brought up oral and went to a hearing school until year 9 before moving to a deaf boarding school. He began learning British Sign Language (BSL) three years ago to help him communicate with other deaf people. He added:
“This opportunity is helping me to share more of who I am and why breaking down barriers surrounding the deaf community is so important to me.
“We can do anything!”