campaign to build a dementia friendly garden in Leek has received a major boost. But with just days left of a Crowdfunder campaign by Approach Dementia Support, further donations are needed to turn plans for a site at St Edward’s CofE Academy School, Leek, into reality. Members of the St Edward’s Lodge have handed Approach Dementia Support a cheque for …

A Staffordshire mortgage expert is urging home buyers to check whether they can get a green mortgage. Aga Gronkiewicz, of GRN Financial Services, is reminding buy to let landlords they may be required for newly let properties have an EPC rating of C or above by 2025, and an A, B or C rating for all let homes by 2028. Green mortgages involve potential better …

An award-winning training franchise, which faced losing every customer during lockdown, is planning to add new staff and add more course offers after completing a remarkable turnaround. With all face-to-face training banned and no prospect of further sales, Roy Johnson, of Biddulph, Staffordshire, faced the meltdown of his Sandler Training (M6 Corridor) business when the UK locked down in March …

An award-winning online beer retailer has handed majority control to its eight-strong team in a move worth £650,000. Best of British Beer founders Gill and Will Sherwin have created an Employee Ownership Trust making them minority shareholders in their business. The husband-and-wife team say the move creates a legacy and rewards their staff for their “outstanding commitment” to a growing …

Insurance claims specialist Oakleafe Claims have been crowned as the UK’s Loss Assessor of the Year for the third year in a row. Judges at the prestigious British Claims Awards 2022 commended Oakleafe’s high standards of customer service, transparency and clever use of technology. A family company, dating back eight generations, Oakleafe has a 42-strong team across the UK. Midlands …

A travel expert is setting out to inspire people to seek new adventures. John Lehnert,  the owner of North Staffordshire-based Get Set Go Travel, has developed a new website based around travel experiences. “I am a Not Just Travel consultant and I have a website where people can look at the holiday offers available and find out more about the …

Schoolchildren are set to work alongside residents affected by dementia in a ground-breaking project based in Leek. Staffordshire-based charity Approach Dementia Support has agreed to run an inter-generational dementia support gardening project with St Edward’s CofE Academy school, Leek. Now a fundraising drive has begun to transform grassland at the Westwood Road middle school. The plan involves developing raised garden …

A series of new services are being planned at Staffordshire-based water safety specialists SAS Water Ltd. Further growth is planned following the appointment of highly experienced water industry expert Jason Aston as Business Development and Technical Operations Manager. Jason will work closely with Managing Director Lizzie Ward to drive progress at the business. Based in Leek, SAS Water has a …

A Staffordshire kitchen specialist has won recognition for the high quality of its design and fitting work. Staffordshire Kitchens has been crowned as the Best Kitchen Design and Fitting Company in the West Midlands following a survey of subscribers to Build magazine. The award in the Build magazine architectural awards follows similar recognition from the magazine in the publication’s Homes …

A Cheshire headquartered law firm with a national reach has made a key appointment which will lead to new service offers in areas including corporate criminal work, crisis management and regulatory compliance. Natascha Gaut joins Poole Alcock as Head of Regulatory Services, having spent over a decade with multi-national law firm Eversheds Sutherland. It’s rare for such senior level regulatory …