William Lancaster Director, Ember Energy
▲ Ribby Hall Village at Wrea Green has retained its Five Star Holiday Village status for the 12th year running following a recent assessment by Visit England.
▲ A pilot programme conducted by Preston- based YOLO Wellbeing has helped reduce the stress levels of hospital workers by more than a quarter, according to a study by the University of Central Lancashire. YOLO spent six months visiting the Royal Lancaster Infirmary on a monthly basis offering staff from the emergency department therapy incorporating massage and meditation.
▲ Greater Lancashire Hospital has pledged £100,000 to support the new Preston Youth Zone in transforming the lives and prospects of thousands of young people in the city. The Ribbleton hospital has become a Founder Patron of the purpose-built youth centre which is scheduled to open in 2025.
▲ The success of Breda Murphy’s venture into frozen meals has seen it relocate into new state-of-the-art premises. Breda was formerly the patron of her own award-winning restaurant before launching a frozen foods side business during the Covid-19 pandemic. The products are now available from 10 retailers across the North West, for delivery across the UK from its new website, and now in-person at the new premises at Mitton Road Business Park near Whalley.
▲ Financial Affairs has acquired fellow Burnley-based broker Margins Insurance, continuing its expansion with its third deal to date. Margins will continue to operate under its own brand while benefiting from the expanded resources of the group.
▲ The Elaghmore private equity fund has acquired a 42 per cent stake in Clitheroe-
DOWN
▼ Chorley-based Pexion Group has been broken up, with a majority of its 14 subsidiaries sold to buyers through pre-pack deals. After liquidity struggles forced the company into administration, 13 companies were bought by six buyers, saving 430 jobs, while the final subsidiary and the parent company were wound down at a cost of 17 jobs.
▼ Blackburn’s £250m town centre regeneration masterplan suffered a major setback when Morrisons announced that it would renovate its current supermarket instead of moving onto land vacated by Thwaites, a move which had been central to the proposals. Council leader Phil Riley
said: “It is a blow to the masterplan but not a terminal one. We now need to rejig it.”
▼ The University of Central Lancashire has announced that it is to reduce its 3,300-strong workforce by five per cent due to “unprecedented financial challenges.” A voluntary redundancy scheme has been launched.
▼ High costs and constrained spending have continued to hit businesses hard in the first three months of this year, according to Fran Henshaw, chair of R3 in the North West. The latest available data shows that construction is the industry experiencing the highest levels of insolvency. Delays in construction starts are being blamed.
based Trutex. Elaghmore is investing £2.5m of new equity into the business while Trutex has also agreed a new £18.5m refinancing facility with Aerelius Finance Company. The schoolwear manufacturer, which also has operations in Dubai. is looking to grow its presence in China and Saudi Arabia.
▲ Chorley-based ICT provider Elite Group has announced a business reorganisation with the launch of its IT managed service provider, Netcentrix. The planned reorganisation will separate and demerge the communications and IT managed services parts of the group into two separate trading companies. Elite Group and Netcentrix will now sit under the umbrella of New Technology Group.
▲ Vincents Solicitors has moved its Chorley offices to larger premises to accommodate its growth. The 16-strong team, which previously was based in the town centre, has been relocated to a 16,000 sq ft office at Ackhurst Business Park.
▲ Burnley-based VEKA has appointed five engineers who lost their jobs following the closure of the Blackburn Graham & Brown site. The candidates were identified at a recruitment fair held by the wallcoverings firm, with three staying on to assist with the site closure before moving across.
LET’S GET SERIOUS ABOUT ENERGY
INDEPENDENCE Even as summer approaches, electricity bills continue to be a concern across Lancashire.
And with electricity prices still double what they were just two years ago, it’s no surprise that bosses are seeking new ways to future- proof their businesses and wallets.
Take, for example, Liquid Science, based in Burnley. These product development experts have taken significant steps to reduce their energy costs and increase their independence to an incredible 60 per cent. Previously equipped with a 60 kW solar system but wanting more solar power, the company faced a common hurdle: the limitation of no further grid connections available.
We worked closely with Electricity North West to facilitate an additional 100 kW of solar panels alongside a 100 kW battery storage system—all without incurring any extra grid connection costs. The system was installed swiftly and efficiently, reducing the business’ reliance on the national grid and fluctuating energy costs.
With the new system projected to pay for itself within five years at the current electricity rates, the foresight of this investment becomes even clearer. As electricity prices are only expected to rise, the savings and benefits will only amplify - making this a model of financial and environmental sustainability.
As more businesses start to consider solar, grid space is becoming increasingly scarce. This highlights the urgency of securing grid connections sooner rather than later. If future-proofing your business matters to you, we can help you acquire grid connections free of charge. Give us a call to get started.
william@emberenergy.co.uk 07464 729759
https://emberenergy.co.uk/ ember-energy-lancashire/
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