Our review of the year

Covid-19 has inevitably cast a shadow over businesses during 2021 and while those firms who failed to survive are upper most in our minds, the end of the year is also a time to look back on business success and to mention some of the highs we’ve written about throughout the year.       Quarter One (January, February, March) We celebrated …

Taking Off the Mask to provide mental health support on Christmas Day

Pressure to be happy at Christmas could overwhelm some people suffering mental health issues, a specialist charity has warned. Taking Off The Mask will be providing support on Christmas Day for people struggling to cope with the strains of the festive season. Adam Parkes, founder of Taking Off the Mask, said: “Christmas can be very challenging for people suffering mental …

New offices are on the way at the Phoenix Works as renovation works are completed on historic 90ft high chimney

Work to renovate two derelict bottle kilns and bring alive the final part of Stoke-on-Trent’s historic Phoenix Works can now get underway following completion of repairs to the site’s landmark chimney. The 90ft tall chimney, at the former Thomas Forester and Sons factory, at 500 King Street, was in major disrepair, according to owner Mark Milner of Kirklands Properties. Now …

Leading gift supplier AdGiftsOnline report business is bouncing back and a Christmas bonus as companies seek more personalised customer gifts

New trends in the business gift sector is helping a leading national supplier to bounce back following the Covid-19 lockdowns. AdGiftsOnline say that sales are up by 50 percent on 2020, thanks to a strong demand from companies looking to reconnect with customers who may have gone quiet in 2020. Tony Altham, a director of the Lymedale Business Park, Newcastle-under-Lyme, …

Staffordshire’s biggest business network successfully relaunches face-to-face networking with new venues and additional groups from Burslem to Lichfield

A business network which supported more than 200 businesses to continue to win business during three Covid-19 lockdowns is now opening up face-to-face meetings again and is launching new groups across Staffordshire. BNI held weekly meetings online for much of 2020 and 2021, allowing member companies to continue to work together and pass business referrals. But several groups have now …

Lack of equality in pension savings is highlighted as female led firm says more women leaders in the pensions sector would help to raise awareness

New research reveals 42 per cent of women in the UK don’t know how much they have saved for retirement, compared with a quarter (25%) of men,  and the difference is even reflected in the pension industry, according to savings expert Emily Jacobs. Emily, who heads Newcastle-under-Lyme based Richard Jacobs Pensions and Trustee Services, is campaigning with others in the …

Business Boost celebrates Newcastle-under-Lyme’s lockdown business heroes

A website maker, a Greek bakery and a haberdashery were among the winners as  the Newcastle-under-Lyme Business Boost awards celebrated the borough’s lockdown heroes. Castle Artisan Market scooped the Judges’ Special Award. The brainchild of  Mike Davies, from May Bank, the town centre market has proved incredibly popular. Around 65 stalls are set to pack the traditional Stones market area …