In Episode 5 we are joined by Adrian Spawforth, Managing Director of Spawforths and Mark Lynam, Corporate Director for Regeneration and Economic Growth at Wakefield Council.
We talk about the past, present and future of the Wakefield District and how the two organisations plan how we work, live and play. What can we expect to see happen in the near future and how did this all come about? A great conversation with two very influential people within our District.
Thanks to Wakefield Trinity Community Foundation for hosting our winners for an evening of good fun and great chat. Always promoting collaboration, it was great to hear everyone learning about each other and connections being made that will certainly go beyond the evening’s conversations.
On the pitch, Wakefield Trinity put in a fantastic performance to secure a 32-6 win which will no doubt give them the confidence boost they need at this point in the season.
The WAW winners were:
Gayle Summers – Nostell Estate
Phil Hodgson – The Yorkshire Broker
Andy Turner – First Choice Recruitment
Andy Stokes – Surefire Eco Ltd
James McManus – McManus Consulting
Callum Pollard – Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Teaching Trust
Benjamin Anderson – HOY Education Wakefield College
Clare Thorton – Thornton Jones Solictitors & WAW Vice Chair
Rachael Murphy & Claire Sutherley – We Are Wakefield
A huge thank you to Verity, Mark, Will and the Wakefield Trinity team for making the night such a great event for our WAW winners!
Teamwork really did make the dream work as an army of We Are Wakefield members volunteered for the day at The Prince of Wales Hospice in Pontefract.
Sanding, painting, clearing, building, sweeping, jet-washing, counting the stock – they got through a mountain of jobs to get the hospice gardens ready for their Summer Fair which takes place on Sunday 2 July.
Representatives from 14 member businesses joined forces for a day of real collaboration. Lots of work got done, everyone had a great day. New friendships were formed as always during a We Are Wakefield event and did anyone even realise they were networking?!
The weather was kind and everyone went home tired and dirty but with a real sense of achievement and pride!
The photo’s say it all – if Carlsberg did team work they’d re-brand as WAW!!
Businesses represented today by the following volunteers:
Eddie Atkins – National Compliance Solutions
Laura Bairstow – The Mortgage Master
Anthony Brook – Challenging Leaders
Rebecca Davidson – Parsons Accountants
Jessica Day – Dutton FM
Adam Fletcher – Ridley & Hall Solicitors
Madeleine France – Blossom Training & Development
Chris Gallacher – Solupak Ltd
Karen Horner – Handelsbanken Wakefield
Tracey Mearns – Good Fundraising
Kelly Smith – Juice Personnel
Samantha Stones – WF Web Design
Jodie Lawton – Affordable accountancy Solutions/ The Will Way
Ben Tordoff – National Compliance Solutions
Ninoska Torres – Dutton FM
Rachael Murphy & Claire Sutherley – We Are Wakefield
Meet WAW member, Helen Smith – Sales & Business Consultant – Coach, Mentor & Sales Trainer
Professional Resources Consultancy (PRC) was founded on Helen’s core value;
The sharing of experience, enabling people to be the best version of themselves and to fly!
An experienced Sales and BD professional with long-term Director level experience. Helen began in Retail and built a successful career in the sales & training arena encompassing FMCG, and over 25 years in Facilities Management (FM) working with well-known names UK wide.
An ILM Qualified Coach and Mentor Helen has extensive knowledge that is shared to empower others to develop and grow both as individuals and businesses. She does this through consultation, coaching, and the design and delivery of bespoke training and mentoring programmes for individual learning and development that is meaningful and focused to achieve objectives.
Helen is passionate about her business and works with huge enthusiasm and boundless energy engendering trust, building confidence, and inspiring motivation in working environments. She has an outstanding reputation for creating strong working relationships with clients, delegates, and associates, embracing her strong purpose to enable people. She adds value and focus for people and business alike, and is involved in supporting charities, mental health and wellbeing initiatives.
As a specialist consultant within Facilities Management strategies for growth include bid management, tender support, people productivity and efficiencies all focused on achieving a higher return on investment.
She supports and enables teams and encourages organisations to recognise and nurture the value of their people.
Achieving Customer Service Excellence is a specialism within her training workshops; maintaining a constant focus on our customers’ experience is one of the most powerful forms of investment!
Memberships & specialisms
ILM Accredited Coach & Mentor
Please make sure you say hello to Helen at the WAW events or connect on LinkedIn HERE
We are joined by Jonny Parkinson, General Manager of Elis, and David Masters, Group Chair of OE Electrics. We hear about their individual journeys: using gates as goal posts and why education doesn’t have to happen in your teens.
We talk about why both these large businesses stay in Wakefield, aspirations for the future and the sustainability legacy we’re leaving behind for future generations.
Anna is the founder of Pink Dragonfly Consulting – a Coaching, Mentoring & Business Planning service that specialises in working with female leaders and business owners to reclaim their power and realise their career dreams.
Helping women transform their lives and businesses since 2012, Anna uses her 20+ years experience of working at executive and strategic levels, to help others understand their businesses and work towards their own dreams, at their own pace and in their own way.
As a highly experienced business coach, mentor and qualified neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) practitioner, she’s passionate about enabling entrepreneurs (particularly women) to build and grow profitable, happy businesses, through banishing overwhelm and procrastination.
Using a range of proven business strategies and methodologies, together with mindset and coaching tools, Anna is on a mission to empower creative business leaders to liberate their power and grow a thriving business, whilst choosing to live life on their terms.
By focusing on restoring the right balance of a positive and healthy mindset along with some basic business fundamentals, Anna will meet you wherever you’re at in your unique business journey and support you with key strategies, techniques and structures, helping you to gain clarity, power up your confidence and focus on taking action to fall back in love with your business goals to grow a thriving business on your terms.
The right balance of strategy and mindset is the key to achieving your dreams.
If you want to understand more about how coaching, mentoring or business planning can help you in your own journey, then please contact Anna through Linkedin https://bit.ly/AMHLinkedin or come and find her at the next WAW event!
Wakefield’s best business awards are back for 2023
After a stellar first year which saw 13 awards winners celebrated in style, the Wakefield Business Awards from We Are Wakefield are back for 2023.
With a refreshed list of categories aimed at giving businesses of all shapes and sizes from across the district a chance to show off their awesomeness, the awards are now open for entries, with a deadline of 28 July 2023.
Judging will take place over the summer and the shortlist will be announced in September, with the ceremony held on 9th November.
Following the sell-out success of last year’s event, capacity will be doubled for 2023 and held at an incredible new venue. TILEYARD NORTH will be the venue for the glittering awards ceremony and ITV’s Christine Talbot returns as host for the evening.
We Are Wakefield Managing Director Claire Sutherley said: “We couldn’t have dreamed of how successful last year’s awards ceremony would be. We celebrated everything that’s amazing about businesses from across the Wakefield District.
“We pulled off what we hoped to – providing a platform for our area’s companies to shout about what makes them amazing. So this year we’re going bigger and even better!
“We’ve listened to feedback and carefully curated the list of categories, so we hope all Wakefield businesses will find a category that suits them. And we’re maintaining the independence and credibility of the awards with an independent judging panel drawn from last year’s winners and a range of vetted volunteers.”
Businesses don’t have to be members of We Are Wakefield to submit an entry but they do have to have a WF postcode or be under the Wakefield local authority.
Our main sponsors return for 2023 with Wakefield First as Headline Sponsors supported by local businesses, Juice Personnel and Solupak Ltd.
Cllr Denise Jeffery, Leader of Wakefield Council, said:
“We’re thrilled to be, once again, headline sponsor of the Wakefield Business Awards. The awards recognise the talent, success stories and hard work that goes on within our business community across the district and across all sectors including everyone small start-up businesses to large household names.
“We know the last few years have been challenging for businesses in many ways and we continue to support activity that helps rebuild our economy and support our businesses to thrive long into the future.”
The categories are:
To read more about the awards and enter visit:
We Are Wakefield · Representing diverse sectors around Wakefield and Five Towns
Welcome to Kerry Daniels and WM Sugdens Ltd. The Wakefield Shirt Group comprises of two businesses with a combined heritage of over 200 years in the apparel industry. These businesses are DoubleTWO and WM Sugdens.
DoubleTWO are a well-established shirtmaker, founded in 1940. Set up by Isaak Donner who came to Britain to escape Nazi persecution, the name has become synonymous with innovation and style, revolutionising the shirt making business. Inventing the replacement collar which gave them their name, and creating the world’s first man-made fibre shirt are just some of the achievements DoubleTWO has accomplished over its long and rich history. Continuing to go from strength to strength, the DoubleTWO shirt remains a tireless wardrobe staple.
WM Sugdens are one of the country’s foremost workwear and corporate clothing specialists. Established in 1869 from just one sewing machine in the back of a shop, William Sugden and his family grew the business opening factories all over Yorkshire. Supplying workwear and uniforms to the Emergency Services, as well as to a plethora of private sector industries, WM Sugdens offers an extensive range of clothing, as well as fully bespoke embroidery & uniform design.
Pictured is Kerry Daniels, Chief Financial Officer. Please make sure you catch up with Kerry at the We Are Wakefield events, or connect on LinkedIn HERE.
Say hello to Prosura, the Wakefield based business and lifestyle insurance broker.
Although Prosura is a new brokerage, which launched in January 2023, its founder and team of trusted advisors aren’t new to insurance or the Wakefield district.
Launched by entrepreneur Jon Newall, a third-generation insurance broker who has worked within the industry for 25 years, Prosura supports clients throughout the UK and from a range of sectors including manufacturing, distribution, property and leisure & hospitality.
Jon, comments: “The Prosura ethos is simple. We want to deliver exceptional, personal service and add value at every step of the customer journey when it comes to lifestyle and business insurance.
“Our focus is on getting to know our customers, their business and their most valuable assets. This helps us to take the complexities out of policies and deliver insurance products that are perfectly tailored to individuals and their business needs.”
Kaye Newton, Commercial Account Executives at Prosura, who has worked within insurance for 27 years, adds: “As a team, we thrive on getting to know what customers actually need, and not what they assume or think is right. Our role is to deliver the best service that’s more than just insurance cover.
“There’s no better feeling than knowing you have shared the best advice and that your client has peace of mind knowing that their most valuable assets are fully protected.”
Adding further value, Prosura offers business clients access to the Prosura Digital Lawyer. From legal advice to a legal health check and dynamic legal documents. It is like having your own business lawyer 24/7.
For information about Prosura and its approach to delivering exceptional service for its business and lifestyle customers visit: www.prosura.co.uk or call 01924 562777.
Say hello to Marcus Walsh, Director at Martin Walsh Architectural (MWA), a family-owned firm of architects.
RIBA chartered and CIAT approved, MWA has been creating functional, award-winning buildings for more than 47 years. Operating throughout the UK, the team has vast experience in commercial, industrial, retail, restoration and residential architecture.
With its reputation for making their buildings work harder, MWA has supported some of our region’s (and the UK’s) most recognised brands including HARIBO, Shepley Spring, Dewsbury Townscape, Esseco and Yummy Yorkshire!
Marcus Walsh explains: “Our portfolio of clients is vast; this is a testament to our focus on technical expertise and best practice. Our projects range from creating bespoke homes, developing commercial properties, warehouses and industrial spaces to brand-led restaurants and retail stores.
“While distinctly different, at the heart of every project is a desire to create buildings that work harder – whether this is future-proofing an operation, optimising a space or brand, or simply delivering a home for people and business.”
MWA is proud of its West Yorkshire footprint and has several major initiatives underway locally with MAP Charity, KMS Transport, Connection, Bell Lighting and MAC Trucks.
Marcus adds: “We have always supported local businesses. We love the fact that the buildings we have helped to create, restore or refurbish make our region a great place for businesses to operate, and for individuals to visit and live. We are certainly excited to continue with our vision and ambition alongside the We Are Wakefield community.”
From small to large scale jobs, MWA is a versatile practice. Services include Concept Design, Planning Stage, detailed Building Regulation drawings through to Project Management, Contract Administration, Party Wall and Master Planning.
Connect with the MWA on LinkedIn, or to find out more visit: www.martinwalsh.co.uk