MANCHESTER, 13 Feb 2026: Sister, Manchester’s £1.7bn innovation district, and Platform94, Galway’s largest innovation hub, have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to give customers international access to working spaces, enabling Manchester and Galway based start-up businesses to easily expand overseas. The 12 month partnership is designed to benefit both hubs by offering reciprocal access to workplaces, encouraging collaboration and enhancing international links between the West of Ireland and Greater Manchester. Key features of the agreement include: Reciprocal Workspace Access: Customers of both Sister and Platform94 will benefit from free, short-term desk bookings, providing a “home away from home” for…
Author: Greg Robinson
Technology company WestSpring IT is celebrating the first anniversary of Victoria Parker joining the business, reflecting on a year that has combined operational change, team development and continued investment in systems to support rapid growth. Victoria joined WestSpring as Chief Operating Officer following a 20-year career in specialist technology recruitment, where she rose to director level. Headhunted to support WestSpring through a period of expansion, she moved into a new industry with a clear operational focus on building on the company’s already strong foundations. “My priorities when I joined were people, systems and process, and I’m proud of the positive…
Paul Day, managing director of Berkshire-based document management company Filestream, is taking on the London Landmarks Half Marathon in April to raise money for baby charity Tommy’s. The half marathon takes runners through central London, passing some of the city’s best-known landmarks. Paul will be running as part of Team Tommy’s, supporting the charity’s work around miscarriage, stillbirth, and premature birth. This won’t be Paul’s first challenge for Tommy’s. In 2023, he took part in the charity’s Skyscraper Challenge, running up 42 floors of The Cheesegrater before abseiling back down. Since then, he’s continued to support the charity through fundraising…
According to the BBC, senior managers at the Co‑op have voiced concerns about a culture of ‘fear and alienation’ within the executive team, with one describing the organisation’s culture as ‘ruined’ and ‘toxic.’ According to a letter sent to the retailer’s board and seen by the BBC, senior staff described a workplace defined by “fear and alienation”, where managers felt unable to raise concerns about the direction of the business. Several employees reported feeling intimidated and afraid to speak openly, with one stating, “Nobody can speak their mind in this business – anyone who does has their card marked.” These accounts mirror the…
Established digital and brand agency Cite DMS, based in Leicestershire, has become an employee-owned trust (EOT), marking a new chapter centred on long-term stability, shared ownership and the protection of the business’s culture. Founded in 2000 as a digital-first agency, Cite DMS has evolved into a full-service agency delivering brand, strategy, creative and digital services to clients across a range of sectors. The move to employee ownership was recently completed and gives every member of the team a stake in the future of the business. Managing Director Laura Bent said the decision followed a period of natural transition for the…
Running a business can be isolating. Especially once it starts to grow, the decisions get heavier and there’s less space to talk openly about what’s really going on. That feeling is what led London-based finance director Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam to co-host Strive & Thrive, a podcast built around honest conversations with founders and business leaders about the realities of running a business. The podcast began in October 2024 as a series of informal LinkedIn Live discussions. There was no big launch plan, just people talking about entrepreneurship in a way that felt natural and useful. Those conversations struck a chord and,…
Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA), all company directors and people with significant control (PSCs) must verify their identity with Companies House. This will improve transparency about who runs, owns and controls UK companies and support efforts to tackle economic crime. Here are our top 10 tips to help you verify your identity and stay compliant. 1. Understand the 2-step process The most important thing to understand is that identity verification for Companies House happens in two stages. Step 1: Verify your identity using GOV.UK One Login or an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). Once complete, you’ll…
For many SMEs, legal advice can seem correct on paper but disconnected from the real world. The question is usually not “what does the law say?” It is “do we really need a lawyer for this?” or “can’t we just deal with it ourselves?” Legal advice often feels abstract, written in language that does not easily translate into what is happening for a business on the ground. SMEs need advice that connects the law to how the business operates. I hadn’t planned to move in-house. After working with a client across several matters in private practice and taking the time…
What began as an intentionally unpolished podcast recorded on sofas, in cars and borrowed office space by coach Taz Thornton and her wife Asha Clearwater has grown into a global listenership. The back-of-a-fag-packet approach (from two women who don’t smoke) has led to a growing ecosystem of training, tools and community for creators who want to show up without slick studios or performative branding. Award-winning coach, bestselling author and speaker Taz Thornton is continuing to grow the audience for her podcast Awesomely Off-Topic, co-hosted with her wife, book coach, editor and publisher Asha Clearwater of Turquoise Tiger. Since launching in July 2025, the weekly…
Educational packs developed by allergy sufferer and campaigner Julianne Ponan MBE and the Benedict Blythe Foundation have been selected by the Department for Education as supporting materials for the UK’s national Breakfast Clubs programme, which is due to roll out in April. The inclusion of the ‘ABC’ packs (Allergy Breakfast Club) marks a significant step towards ensuring the Breakfast Club scheme is safe and accessible for children with food or drink allergies. To date well over 280,000 children at schools across the UK have been given the ‘course’ and delivered voluntarily by Julianne, Helen Blythe and other volunteers. Julianne, who…