Eric Martyn

Liverpool Spirit Appeal Launched to Support Victims of City Centre Parade Incident

The Community Foundation for Merseyside has launched the Liverpool Spirit Appeal in direct response to the devastating events at the Liverpool FC victory parade on 26th May. The appeal is being delivered in partnership with Liverpool Charity & Voluntary Services (LCVS) and endorsed Liverpool City Council.

To help launch the appeal, an initial £30,000 has been pledged by long-standing supporters Jamie Carragher’s 23 Foundation, Blue Sky Foundation, Football for Change and the Leahy Foundation.

At least 65 people, including four children, were injured when a vehicle drove into crowds on Water Street. As of this morning, 9 people remain in hospital. The Liverpool Spirit Appeal will provide support to those affected, starting with individuals identified by emergency services as requiring hospital or psychological care.

Rae Brooke, Chief Executive of the Community Foundation for Merseyside said, “This incident has deeply shaken our city. The Liverpool Spirit Appeal is a way to channel our collective shock into meaningful support,  helping people who have suffered serious physical and emotional trauma.  We are extremely grateful to our donors for leading the way with such generous contributions to the appeal.”

Sonia Bassey, Chair of Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Services (LCVS), added: Liverpool has always been a city that comes together in times of crisis. We are known or our resilience and compassion. Our thoughts continue to be with all those impacted. Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Services (LCVS) is committed to being part of the collective response and being a partner for the launch of this Appeal is the beginning of a long-term commitment to supporting recovery.”

Councillor Liam Robinson, Leader of iverpool City Council said: “The horrific incident at the end of Liverpool FC’s trophy parade on Monday shocked everyone to their core. For those who were injured we can only hope they make a full recovery, and for all those who witnessed it that they receive the appropriate support too. Liverpool is renowned for its pirit of togetherness and solidarity, especially during difficult times like this. I can only applaud those who have come together so quickly to support those affected by setting up this appeal and a special heartfelt thanks to the Jamie Carragher 23 Foundation and Blue Sky Foundation for their amazing generosity to kickstart it in the best possible way.”

Alongside direct support for individuals, funds will also be made available to local charities offering trauma recovery, mental health services, and projects that strengthen community resilience.

Donations can be made via: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/liverpool-spirit-appeal

Property and commercial specialist Gary Beggs joins Bathgate team

Bathgate Business Finance has appointed property and commercial finance specialist, Gary Beggs, as part of its strategic growth plans.

Gary joins Bathgate from his role as commercial finance manager at Manchester-based Pomegranate Commercial Finance, bringing with him 22 years of industry knowledge and experience.

Throughout his career, Gary has built up an extensive portfolio of property clients and developed an impressive network of lenders, which allowed him to lead Pomegranate’s expansion into Liverpool. Gary also spent 15 years with Royal Bank of Scotland across a wide range of roles. These include business advisor, lending manager and commercial relationship manager, based in Liverpool, Prescot, Wigan, Bolton and Manchester.

Gary’s appointment positions Bathgate for further expansion, not just into the property sector but also geographically throughout the North West and beyond, through his extensive connections and previous experience. His arrival will further enhance the breadth of expertise offered by the Bathgate team, helping them to provide an even more innovative range of funding solutions to property businesses. He said: “Bathgate has a huge presence in Merseyside and across the North West, an excellent reputation as trusted advisors, and they work to build long-term relationships with clients. The company has significant history to build upon and ambitious expansion plans that I believe I can help them to achieve. By combining my property expertise and network of specialist lenders with the team’s expertise and existing network, and own funding book, The Bathgate Capital Fund, I know that we can make a difference. Joining the team feels like becoming part of something really dynamic and exciting, and I am really looking forward to helping to drive the business forward and learning from those around me too.”

A passionate supporter of start-up businesses and equity in access to business advice, Gary also participates in Entrepreneur in Residence Business Clinic drop-in sessions delivered by the Business & IP Centre and a team of volunteers alongside former mayor, entrepreneur, Mentor and Pay-it-forward champion Gary Millar. The sessions have been running for almost 10 years now and Gary has been involved since the session’s inception.

He will continue to attend drop-in sessions that take place on the second Wednesday of every month at Clockwork Studios CIC in Prescot, to offer free advice to early-stage businesses, and once a month at Lifestyles Ellergreen as part of the Fit for Business Sessions.

Speaking of Gary’s appointment, Bathgate MD, Gordon Andrews, said: “Gary’s property and commercial expertise will be invaluable to our growth plans, and we are really excited to have him on board. Gary is innovative, well connected, active in the business community and focused on building long-term relationships with clients, industry peers and professionals, which makes him a perfect fit for our team. We’d like to welcome him to Bathgate, and we look forward to working together to achieve our ambitious goals.”

​​For more information about Bathgate Business Finance visit bathgatebf.co.uk call 0151 625 7323 or email proposals@bathgatebf.co.uk

 

Photograph by Kat Hannon

Property firm’s expansion drive supported by quality of team recruitment

A Liverpool-based property development firm is meeting increased demand from its roll out strategy across the perimeter of Liverpool City Centre by creating multiple new roles over the next 12 months to support its existing workforce. 

Nicholson Group, founded by CEO Paul Nicholson, is a vertically integrated business with approaching 20 years of experience in the property development and construction industry. The company employs more than 20 direct staff and utilises services of sub-contractors through its projects.

The business has grown exponentially in the past two years having completed ground-breaking projects including the acclaimed Beecham’s Building plus a large portfolio of residential properties located across the boroughs of Merseyside. 

The company is also in talks with councils on regeneration projects across the wider North West. Mr Nicholson said: “We’ve been on a growth journey for the last three years during which we’ve experienced high growth in turnover. In driving this, Mr Nicholson explained how the market had “opened up given the volume of houses coming to market through people with for example, personal debt issues, or properties with a change in landlord.”

He adds: “We’ve been growing quietly but the past two years especially has seen us grow more rapidly, being led by a stronger team with a proven track record. We’ve strengthened our culture and as a result have bolstered the quality of our team through attracting better quality candidates. This has been a real key to accelerating our growth, investing in our people and creating a happy workforce. This is something we hadn’t really focused on previously but now we have, it has been instrumental in our growth across the group. There’s an exciting summer and autumn ahead for us too, as we develop some of our most ambitious projects yet, which we’ll be sharing once they progress through their respective phaases.”

Sunday 18th May, from 11am to 4pm is set for TogetherFest and a day of Fun, Music and Fundraising at Blackstock Market

On Sunday 18th May, get ready for a day of community spirit, fmily fun and incredible entertainment as TogetherFest takes over Liverpool’s Blackstock Market.

Hosted by entrepreneur and philanthropist Gill Ashcroft, this vibrant family-friendly fundraising event promises a packed line-up of performances, activities, and heartwarming moments in support of  two UK Charities, Cash for Kids and The Combined Care Consortium.

This all day celebration of giving and togetherness will feature a dazzling mix of music, magic, dance, and interactive family experiences, which will include live performances by Livvy K, one of Liverpool’s most exciting musical talents, the acclaimed rapper Shocks, Miguel Deforo and his team of viral dance sensations , as seen on Britain’s Got Talent. There will also be DJ Sets from Sacha PVJ – O Beach Ibiza, Sin Sundays, Lost in Lark Lane, Kaci Lea Lynch – resident at Ibiza’s O Beach, and Sin Beach.

Magician Dan Maze will be on hand to mesmorise guests of all ages with his jaw-dropping illusions, and there will be face painting, glitter stations, mascots and petting animals plus lots, lots more to enjoy.

All proceeds from the day, including from a raffle and auction featuring amazing prizes will go directly to the above two wonderful charities.

 

Tickets for the day can be purchased from: http://blackstockmarket.co.uk/events/family-fundays

May 2025

It is better to spend or gift money NOW to reduce Inheritance Tax…

A leading North West-based independent financial adviser and accountant has spoken out about the importance of being aware of spending or gifting money now to reduce future inheritance tax (IHT).

Altrincham-based Junaid Afzal, commercial director at Haven Financial Planning who works across Cheshire, Lancashire, Manchester and Merseyside maintains that this is perhaps contrary to popular belief.

He said: “Let’s take the example of gifting. This reduces your estate size so anything you give away during your lifetime is no longer part of your estate after seven years. This reduces the taxable value of your estate too.

“You can actually give away up to £3,000 per tax year without it affecting IHT. Plus you can gift small amounts, up to £250 per person per year, and make regular gifts from surplus income.”

With regards spending on yourself, Junaid insists this also reduces your estate. “Using your wealth for holidays, home improvements, or other enjoyment reduces its value and your future IHT burden.”

Junaid adds that “There are some really important cautionary notes to all this and some key points on best practice here which I help people with in drafting a simple plan to reduce IHT.”

Junaid can be contacted in the first instance via junaid@havenfinancialplannong.co.uk for a confidential conversation.

Record payout as Waste Management firm win £801,041.20 in damages plus substantial costs

High Court Judge rules Geminor witnesses deliberately tried to mislead court.

A High Court case over a contract for the treatment of refuse derived fuel (RDF) has resulted in a record payout recently of £801,041.20 plus substantial costs in favour of community waste management business Potters Waste Management.

In a damning indictment, the dispute which ruled against Geminor involved the issue of domestic waste transported to Immingham, Lincolnshire from the Isle of Anglesey via a processing and baling plant in Bootle operated by Potter’s nominated supplier Gaskells. This was then bound for onward shipment to a plant generating energy from waste (EfW) in Gothenburg, Sweden.

A spokesperson for Potters described the background to the “extremely stressful” case presided over by His Honour Judge HODGE KC.

 “The Isle of Anglesey County Council issued an award of tender to us as lead contractor agreeing services with Geminor and Gaskells. Residual household waste was to be collected on Anglesey and delivered to a reception and transfer station at Gaerwen. The waste would be loaded into HGVs operated by Potters and transferred by road from Anglesey to the materials recovery facility operated by Gaskells in Bootle.

“Gaskells were to process and sort the loose waste as appropriate, recovering dry recyclables and wrapping the RDF bales produced. The bales were then to be collected by Geminor who would transfer the bales by road to the port of Immingham in Lincolnshire. From there the bales would be loaded onto transit cassettes by DFDS and shipped to Gothenburg in Sweden.  Geminor would then be responsible for removing the bales and transferring them to a thermal treatment plant operated by Renova AB.

“Geminor underwrote their offer of collecting residual municipal waste for EfW treatment for a period of 18 months, commencing on 1st February 2017 with the option for 2 further extensions of 12 months each. However, both ourselves and contractors Gaskells detected an obvious bad smell early in our relationship with multi-national operator Geminor even before a large consignment of bales was rejected, with Geminor claiming, by DFDS. It is known in the industry that if DFDS decide to reject a load, it would make out a case report. That was not done in relation to nine rejected loads in question.” Potters asserted that by refusing to accept these or collect any further bales of RDF, Geminor was in repudiatory breach of contract. “

A Gaskells spokesperson added: “Geminor in turn was extremely dismissive towards us both prior to and during the gruelling and highly stressful court case, also alleging there was no contractual relationship between the parties in the first place. This was tantamount to bullying and defamation of two local, community-oriented, highly principled firms employing local people over many decades, by a global business. There were also many damaging and false claims by Geminor during the case about the quality of Gaskells’ work, plus Gaskells’ alleged ‘late’ involvement in the contract, both of which were latterly rejected by Judge Hodge as more false statements by Geminor.”

During the whole contract, Potters, supported by Gaskells, delivered the service to Anglesey Council without a hitch, even propelling the Council to the top of the national recycling league.

Despite the claims by Geminor, dozens of further lorry loads had been sent out from Gaskells’ waste processing centre through the same route with DFDS but using a different agent without being rejected. The court acknowledged that between 2014 and 2018, Gaskells had sent out 3,000 loads of baled waste, and there had only been two loads rejected, aside from the Anglesey waste rejections. Up until September/October 2017, some 281 loads had been delivered to DFDS, with no problems apart from the rejected Anglesey loads.

Judge Hodge ruled that the evidence established showed that it was not DFDS that had made the decision to reject the final nine lorry loads of Gaskells’ processed Anglesey waste.  Instead, he found that this must therefore have been a decision made by Geminor. And despite Geminor claiming there was no contractual agreement in place between the parties, Judge Hodge, applying the ‘objective test’, said the issue turned upon the contemporaneous documents and the parties’ conduct.  He was fully satisfied that there was a binding contractual agreement, with the intention of thereby creating legal relations, through a memorandum of understanding and a subsequent letter of support. The judge particularly singled out the final witness, Mr Oliver Caunce, the named person who dealt with the litigation on behalf of Geminor from the start, and who is now Geminor’s UK Country Manager. “I find Mr Caunce to be a most unsatisfactory witness.  He was evasive, with a tendency to ramble, and prone to speculation and after-the-event reconstruction and rationalisation. He seemed to experience difficulty both in understanding, and also in answering, questions in cross examination. Mr Caunce refused to accept that someone else had written his witness statement for him. I cannot accept his evidence where it conflicts with the evidence of the witnesses called by Potters. Mr Caunce refused to accept that Geminor had underbid for the Anglesey contract and wanted to get out of it, although he did accept that it was ‘low margin’. Speculation, for Mr Caunce, was a selective exercise, permissible when it might benefit Geminor, but impermissible when it might benefit Potters.”

Judge Hodge continued, “By proffering these documents to Potters, in my judgment Geminor made an offer to contract on the terms of the offer letter, namely, to collect 12,000 tonnes per annum of RDF waste from Gaskells’ Bootle site, over a period running from 1 February 2017 to 21 July 2018.” The judge also rejected claims by Geminor of a breach of the memorandum of understanding and concluded that the combination of emails, photographs, and oral evidence on three cassettes, that DFDS was prepared to ship all nine loads. He reiterated that it was Geminor who instructed DFDS to reject the nine loads.

Further, and more damaging, he reiterated that Geminor’s witnesses had deliberately tried to mislead the court by stating expressly, and clearly, that it was DFDS alone that had made the decision to reject the nine lorry loads. Judge Hodge also found Geminor liable for the full amount of the loss of profit and consequential losses that Potters has incurred because of Geminor’s repudiatory breach of contract.

In summing up Judge Hodge said: “Potters is entitled to recover damages on its primary, and hybrid, basis in the total sum of £801,041.20. I find that there was a binding agreement between Potters and Geminor.  There was also no repudiatory breach of contract on the part of Potters, and that, by refusing to collect further waste after 28 September 2017, Geminor was itself in repudiatory breach of that contract.”

Following the case and recent payout, both Gaskells and Potters continue to enjoy a very close working relationship, building on their long and successful relationship to date. A Potters spokesperson concluded: “This completely unnecessary case involved an international company with an invincibility complex attempting to trash our and Gaskells long established and highly regarded reputations. This judgement has merely served to strengthen our relationship with Gaskells and we are delighted with the outcome. A sense of justice, fairness and balance has been delivered, and it strikes right at the heart of community businesses refusing t o be bullied by global operators.”

Prepared by the Ubiquity Collective on behalf of Gaskells Waste Services. Further information is available via Joel Jelen e.joel@ubiquitycollective.co.uk 

Regional UK businesses to benefit from Climate Impact Week in Liverpool from June 2nd–June 8th

A UK initiative focused on climate change and nature to help businesses across the North West regions and beyond is being hosted at The Cotton Exchange, Liverpool this summer.

Climate Impact Week devised by locally based the2030hub.com takes place from 2nd-8th June 2025 and will include an innovative series of events connecting climate change and nature to social issues for commerce, the consumer and future generations.

Co-founder of the 2030hub, Stephen Sykes FRSA (pictured above with fellow co-founder David Connor – at front) insisted the week-long event will be a very positive take on all the opportunities for multi-sector companies and organisations to get involved. “The messaging that many of us see about climate change is often based around catastrophising. On the contrary, Climate Impact Week will require composed, coordinated conversations about climate and nature that will effectively engage the private sector.

“The event focuses on the actions needed nationally and locally to mitigate the worst impacts of global climate change. Climate Impact Week in Liverpool provides the much needed accessible platform and focal point for in excess of 80,000 businesses in the Liverpool City Region. Many businesses struggle with the complexity of climate and nature across their value chains, especially in such uncertain economic times and need a community for support more than ever.”

Sykes maintains the Week has been built on the ethos of the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and helps connect abstract climate and nature issue to social issues closer to home to provide relevance..

He added: “Whilst Climate Impact Week is business-oriented, we feel that Liverpool has huge potential to be more inter-connected. We’re especially keen to provide the strongest platform for young people too, given the future challenges created by climate change and biodiversity loss.

Indeed, from an education perspective, Sykes maintains that many people across generations are confused and disaffected by the issues far removed from daily lives. “The science and data are clear, regardless of opinion. We particularly need to ensure that businesses stay competitive, resilient and fulfilling, as the whole of society navigates a fair transition to a low-carbon economy. But, we can’t have a thriving economy without a thriving society, and we can’t have a thriving society without a thriving ecosphere.”

2030hub Founder David Connor believes the Week connects to the company’s core mission which is to accelerate sustainability at city-scale. “We can be the foundation of connective-tissue locally to national to global, across private, public and third sector, big to small and city to city and all themes.”

2030hub were awarded UN Local2030 Coalition responsibilities by the United Nations back in 2018 and Connor concluded by pointing to the potential legacies from Climate Impact Week, which is a forerunner to their highly successful Global Goals Week that returns in September.

“Better connected local communities of practice, putting Liverpool City Region on the map alongside New York City and London climate events, targeted working groups to continue the debate and facilitate between events are real opportunities to grab and nurture for the target audiences being invited,” insists Connor.

http://www.climateimpactweek.com

Ubiquity Collective enjoys flow of wins in most recent business quarter

North West-based PR & communications business, the Ubiquity Collective, headed by Joel Jelen has had another successful quarter following a spate of recent wins.

The publicity, digital marketing and events agency won work with Gaskells Waste Services, based in Bootle, to help them profile their own recent successes as the firm continues to expand. On a similar sustainability theme, Ubiquity has signed up 2030hub to help them raise awareness as the world’s first United Nations-recognised local entrepreneurial hub promoting the UN’s sustainable development goals. The company has just revealed details about their next event, ‘Climate Impact Week’ which takes place in the city at The Cotton Exchange in June.

Altrincham-based Haven Financial Planning is now employing the services of Ubiquity to help raise the profile of their business across the North West of England through their commercial director Junaid Afzal. Uniquely, Junaid is a qualified accountant with M & A experience alongside being an expert in financial advisory.

Good Ship, based in Liverpool and founded by Gavin Sherratt, used the services of Ubiquity this month to secure coverage within global media in Forbes about their expertise in AI.

Ubiquity is also working nationally on profiling North West regeneration and property development specialists, the multiple award-winning Nicholson Group with CEO Paul Nicholson featuring in The i-Paper and MSN news commenting on proposed changes to the Rental Reform Bill.

And Ubiquity continues to socially promote social entrepreneur, local author and Deputy Lieutenant of Merseyside Natalie Reeves Billing. Her latest project #Animates is focused on inspiring young children to be innovators and inventors. The maritime-themed project features a book, “The Animates – Learning in Liverpool,” which tells the story of animals who crash land in Liverpool and repair their ship with the help of local innovators.

Joel Jelen said: “We’ve really been in flow this last quarter. Focused direction in growth sectors has proved fruitful. We also have a good pipeline of ambitious, established businesses that we’re in advanced conversations with to help them further their brand awareness.”

New Board Member Trustee for Community Foundations for Lancashire and Merseyside

Community Foundations for Lancashire and Merseyside (CFLM) are thrilled to announce that Ram Gupta, Managing Director of nybble.co.uk Ltd, has joined the Board of the CFLM as a Trustee.

Ram brings a wealth of experience, having built a multi-award-winning IT company that delivers innovative services globally. Recognised as one of LDC’s Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders in 2024 (as featured in the Times) and recipient of numerous accolades, including the BCAE award at the Palace of Westminster, Ram combines professional excellence with a deep commitment to social responsibility. His philosophy, which measures success beyond profit, aligns seamlessly with CFLM’s mission to create positive and lasting change in local communities.

In his own words, Ram shared: “Living and working in this region has shown me both the challenges peple face and the incredible potential within our communities. I’m honoured to support CFLM in its mission to uplift those in need and help connect resources to transformative projects. Together, we can foster opportunities that inspire and empower individuals to reach their fullest potential.”

Rae Brooke, CEO of CFLM said, “We are delighted to have Ram join us as a Trustee. His extensive expertise, entrepreneurial spirit, and deep-rooted passion for community development will undoubtedly strengthen our work. We look forward to collaborating with him as we continue to grow and increase investment into the community and voluntary sectors across Lancashire and Merseyside.”

Ram steps into his role with a vision to build strong connections, improve communications, and champion initiatives that address pressing local needs. His appointment reinforces CFLM’s ongoing commitment to fostering opportunity and meaningful change for all.

If you are interested in becoming a Trustee please head to CFLM website and get in touch: The Community Foundation for Merseyside