Scunthorpe companies Harlequin Office Furniture and Sentex Hydraulix have shared more than £4,000 from the Government’s £2.5m UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Harlequin, on the town’s Queensway Industrial Estate, received £2,520 towards a marketing project to win new customers, and Sentex, on Colin Road, was given £1,500 towards a project to create a marketing video. Harlequin Director Gemma Teesdale said: “The whole process was straightforward and user friendly and as a result of the project we’ve grown our workforce. “We received fantastic support which was always helpful and personal. We could not have asked for better.” The cash also enabled a strategic review of the company’s financial systems to ensure they were able to meet new demand, that a new finance team was properly skilled and that detailed management information for budgeting and cash flow forecasting was available. Sentex Business Development & E-Commerce Manager Karl Brown said: “We are a small SME, so receiving the UKSPF funding came as a huge benefit to our business and enabled us to move forward with the project. “We were supported to confidently develop and grow the business by exploring new markets. We would like to say a big thank you to North Lincolnshire Council in helping our business to grow and develop. Without their assistance this would not have been possible.” Cllr Rob Waltham, leader, North Lincolnshire Council, said: “It’s great to hear such positive outcomes from local businesses and organisations that have received a share of this Government cash.”

More than £1.5m has been awarded by South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership this week to support local business growth, skills and community projects across the sub-region through the UK Shared Prosperity and Rural Prosperity Funds (UKSPF/REPF), along with the next phase of the Lincolnshire Community Foundation’sGRASSroots scheme. The majority of the funding has been awarded through the ‘Communities and Place’ and ‘Supporting Local Business’ areas of focus, targeting those aiming to have a positive, meaningful impact on communities in Boston, East Lindsey and South Holland, as well as those looking to support local businesses to develop and create jobs in the area. About half a million pounds has been granted through the first round of the Partnership’s People and Skills awards, which is helping to directly support residents access higher paid, higher skilled work while also reducing unemployment and economic inactivity locally. The latest round of funding has allowed the Partnership to expand the reach of UKSPF – which was made available by the Government to invest in and empower local communities – ensuring that the greatest possible number of areas within the sub-region benefit from support. This includes communities such as Louth, Wainfleet, Frieston and Holbeach, ensuring that the prosperity the fund brings is truly shared. Funded projects include:

• LCVS Community Transport : Looking to develop and enhance community transport infrastructure across the entire sub-region, aiming to increase the number of journeys available and volunteers taking part.
• Community-Based Digital Support Sessions :Using local venues across the Partnership area to support residents in our Districts (particularly in rural communities) to access digital services, go online and become digitally savvy , including supporting them to access key online services such as health providers and HMRC, as well as scam-awareness training.
• PAB Languages – Global Entrepreneurs : This project will provide a structured programme supporting the development of entrepreneurship and upskilling employees of our larger businesses to engage with export and international markets, drawing participants from people in employment in food processing, logistics, social care and e-commerce.
• Heritage Skills in South and East Lincolnshire :A Programme to encourage the development of traditional and ‘at risk’ heritage and craft skills, giving residents in our area the opportunity to try their hand at skills like lime plastering, traditional joinery and thatching, as well as supporting them to explore future careers in the heritage construction sector
• Connect2Grow : A project focussed on reducing economic inactivity in Boston and South Holland, helping individuals who are economically inactive or in receipt of universal credit  skills training and support, identifying suitable vacancies, providing job interviews and  follow-on in-work support.
• Higher Level Engineering Skills for South Lincolnshire’s Key Sectors : Working with local employers to build engagement, shape provision and strengthen local access to specialist higher level training in food and manufacturing engineering courses at the National Centre for Food Manufacturing. This will be supported by a Programme providing insight into the sector for local school-aged learners, giving them experiences of and hopefully, an interest in working in our area’s vital agri-tech and food industries.
• Future Skills Programme : Delivered by the TEC Partnership, this will deliver digital training to 100 economically inactive beneficiaries focused on digital employability skills including data management, design, multimedia and AI support, supporting this group to gain key digital skills and access employment with local employers

The future of North Brewing Co has been secured following a sale out of administration to Steve Holt of Kirkstall Brewery. Howard Smith and Rick Harrison of Interpath Advisory were appointed Joint Administrators of North Brewing Company Limited, North Brewing Leisure and North Brewing Management Limited on 25 January 2024. Based in Leeds, the Group traded under the ‘North Brewing’ brand, and supplied several supermarkets and casual dining chains nationally, as well as exporting to 27 countries worldwide, trading through its own taprooms and bars and selling to pubs and bars across the country either directly or via beer wholesalers. In line with many companies within the hospitality sector, Covid-19 had a materially adverse impact upon the Group’s financial performance, as Government restrictions forced the business to close for extended periods of time between 2020 and 2022. In more recent months, the Group had also faced rising costs including energy, labour, and raw materials, which had an impact on cashflow. In response to this, the Directors sought to explore a number of options, including a sale of the business. When it became clear a solvent solution could not be found, they took steps to file for the appointment of administrators. Immediately following their appointment, the joint administrators sold the businesses and its assets to Vertical Drinks Limited and Kirkstall Brewery Limited (as part of one transaction). The transaction safeguards the future of the brewery in Leeds, as well as the North Taproom bars in Leeds and Manchester. A total of 78 members of staff have transferred to the purchaser as part of the deal. North Brewing Co will continue to be an independent brewery operating from its Springwell site and will be run by the existing management team. The new company will be known as Vertical Drinks Ltd T/A North. The transaction does not include the North Taproom in Birmingham, which will close, resulting in 15 redundancies. Tom Swiers, head of food and drink at Interpath Advisory who advised North Brewing Co on the transaction, said: “North Brewing Co is a renowned craft brewer that has forged an excellent reputation over the years for the quality and innovation of its beers. “We are pleased to have completed this transaction which represents an exciting tie up of brilliant beer brands based here in Leeds. The deal will allow the Group to move forward under new ownership and we wish the purchaser and the management team all the best for the future. “We’d also like to thank our advisors for their work in helping drive this transaction to a successful conclusion.” The joint administrators were advised by Charles Boyne, Kiri Hutton and Shauna-Leigh Thompson at Weightmans, with the purchaser being advised by Daniel McCormack and David Smyllie at Lupton Fawcett.

North Yorkshire business, The Gluten Free Kitchen has been boosted by new investment as demand soars for its gluten and ‘free-from’ food. NPIF – FW Capital Debt Finance, which is managed by FW Capital and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, has provided a six-figure loan to assist The Gluten Free Kitchen with its growth and the creation of five new jobs. The business was established in 2005 by Sue Fleming after she saw the challenges faced by people with coeliac disease when sourcing good quality food that is free from gluten. Sue began to experiment with a series of recipes and created dishes which are today available from The Gluten Free Kitchen’s online store. A selection of products are also available in a selected number of Waitrose Stores, online at Ocado, as well as independent outlets and farm shops throughout the UK. The product range includes ‘free from’ cakes, puddings, and savoury pies. Sue’s Gluten Free Kitchen started in the village of Aysgarth in North Yorkshire and moved to larger production facilities and a retail outlet in Leyburn. The business plans to move to larger premises in the Leyburn Business Park to accommodate the increased demand. Sue Fleming, director at The Gluten Free Kitchen, said: “Our ‘free from’ ethos is centred around flavour and quality. I’m proud to have created a delicious range of foods that doesn’t compromise on flavour. The increased demand for our product ranges means we need more staff who will also be part of our expansion journey into larger premises. “We’re fit for bursting at the moment and are excited to be creating more jobs. Without the support of Keith Charlton and Lindsey McMenamin at FW Capital we wouldn’t be able to do this.” Lindsey McMenamin, portfolio manager at FW Capital, added: “Sue’s passion for the business is evident and she has created a successful and innovative brand which provides consumers with gluten intolerance with a wide variety of choice. The Gluten Free Kitchen is today a prominent brand serving the UK coeliac community. “With demand for ‘free from’ products rising, Sue needed further working capital to support the creation of new jobs and the expansion of the business. I’m thrilled to be part of this and help The Gluten Free Kitchen with their next stage of development.” FW Capital was introduced to Sue at The Gluten Free Kitchen by Barry Gill at TIG Corporate Finance and consultant Karen Wyndham-Webb.