News / By Fire Up / 18th August 2023
LATEST NEWS
A Thriving Business Community in Rochdale
We've had a busy few week’s hosting some fantastic events and workshops and welcoming more guests to our Fire Up community. Continue reading to find out what we've been up to this month and to meet BAS Recruitment in our client spotlight feature.
FIRE UP EVENTS
I'd like to begin this month's newsletter by thanking everyone who came out to support the Afternoon Tea and raffle in support of Breast Cancer Now.
The event was a huge success, with plenty of wonderful food available, I'm sure a few doggy bags were used to ensure that nothing went to waste. The event has helped grow and strengthen the Fire Up community as well as showcasing the space to new users. The total amount raised from the event and raffle was an incredible £323.
We had plenty of events this month we kicked off the month with our first free for all networking event in association with NatWest it was a great mix of familiar and new faces to Fire Up. From the success of this, we will be continuing this event. Check out the upcoming events below and head to our dedicated Fire Up events page on our website for links to the Eventbrite listings to book your place.
SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER EVENTS
Solar PV, Batteries and Funding for your business – 7th September 9am - 11am
To reach a target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2038, businesses need to commit and collaborate across all sectors. This journey presents a great opportunity for those willing to embrace the challenge, but also a risk for those companies who choose to ignore it and face being left behind.
Join NatWest and Trust Renewables on 7 September 2023 here at Fire Up Co-Working Space to find out:
How do solar PV and batteries work?
How much do solar PV and batteries cost?
How will I pay for an installation and how long does the investment take to pay back?
What are the environmental and energy security benefits of solar PV?
What are the steps to having solar PV and batteries installed at my business?
Key facts: It usually pays back in under 4 years and solar PV will last for 25 years or more! That’s a long time to enjoy free electricity.
To help you on your journey to Net Zero, Trust Renewables will produce a free solar PV estimate for every business that attends. This will give you a great start-point to understanding the benefits it can bring to your business.
STAR Procurement breakfast networking event - Wednesday 13th September 8am - 10 am
STAR procurement networking event, in collaboration with Rochdale Council, Rochdale Development Agency and the Growth Hub for small, medium or micro enterprises and those in the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector.
This ‘Breakfast Club’ event will run from 8-10am and cover:
• Social value
• Good employers/Real living wage
• Carbon net zero
• Helping bidders become ‘match-fit’
• Promoting STAR pipelines and opportunities
The aim of this event is to increase diversity in suppliers bidding and winning public sector contracts and increase local spend within Rochdale.
Also attending will be Liz Collier from the Department of Business & Trade, who can advise on international trade and businesses who are looking to start exporting or want to grow their current export sales.
Arts Council Grant Advice Sessions - Thursday 14th September 12.30pm - 4pm
Arts Council England is offering 30 minute 1:1 in person advice sessions for creatives and organisations based in Rochdale borough.
You'll have the chance to discuss an idea for funding with an Arts Council England Relationship Manager and receive bespoke advice and guidance from them. Limited advice sessions are available and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, lasting up to 30 minutes. These sessions are suitable for those who already have a National Lottery Project Grants idea in mind. You can also discuss Developing Your Creative Practice for personal development activities in supported disciplines, for example undertaking a period of research.
How to book your advice session.
Email info@fireuprochdale.co.uk and one of the team will be in touch with the timeslots available. Please include the following details in your email:
- Name
- Preferred advice session date (either 28 July or 14 September)
- Artform/s
- Brief overview of project/idea
- Access requirements
Free For All Networking In Association with NuCulture HR Specialists - Friday 15th September 9am – 11am
Join us at Fire Up for our second Free For All networking event. With no membership fees and no restrictions on types of business, we are hoping Free for All networking will quickly grow into an established event in Rochdale. We need your support to make this a success, so please book a space to confirm your place and share the event on your social channels. This months presentation is by NuCulture, a Manchester based HR company, the presentation topic is How Business Owners can Attract & Retain the Right Talent. Last months event was very popular so make sure you book on early!
Tours of the 1933 former fire station and ballroom building - Saturday 16th September 10am - 4pm
Fireground Museum will offer free access for one day combined with free guided tours of the whole building including areas not normally available to visitors such as the former ballroom. This magnificent example of understated art deco municipal architecture opened in 1933 as a County Borough fire station and public ballroom. After closing in 2014 the building has been subsequently refurbished and re-opened in 2021 as the Fireground Museum of Firefighting along with the Fire Up co-working office space in the former ballroom. The ground floor fire station portion has been authentically restored to its original appearance whilst the first-floor ballroom has been sympathetically repurposed for office use whilst retaining and revealing the wonderful art deco features such as the stained glass ceiling and sprung dance floor.
Max 20 people per tour/session. Guided tours are limited to 20 persons per tour, please register your place on arrival at the Museum reception.
Contact for the day: Bob Bonner - 01706 341219
Evening Networking Federation of Small Business & Digital Next - Wednesday 4th October 5pm – 7pm
Fire Up once again hosts an evening networking event along with the Federation of Small Business and Digital Next, UK. The evening presentation is on Understanding and optimising Paid strategy on Social Media platforms.
BUSINESS SUPPORT
Business Support I know a good number of you have now met Hywel and reached out for business support and advice since he joined Fire Up. Hywel has also worked with a number of start up and pre start business owners. If you have a business idea, you want to get off the ground, come along to one of Hywels drop in sessions, every Wednesday 12pm – 5pm If you wish to arrange a meeting with Hywel, you can email him directly at hywel.evans@growthco.uk or by speaking to the Fire Up team.
Nicola Walker our GC Business Growth Hub advisor will soon be leaving as she embarks on the next step in her career journey. Nicola is joining the RDA team as a member of the tourist economy team but she will continue to be a part of the Fire Up community. Thank you for all of your help, Nicola, and best wishes in your new position.
CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT
Customer Spotlight In the customer Spotlight this month are BAS Recruitment. They are a specialist finance recruitment consultancy, created in 2019 by three Directors- Claire Bayman, Tracy Topping Smythe and Alison Atkinson.
BAS Recruitment are highly experienced in providing permanent recruitment solutions and can offer both contingent recruitment methods or work as an extension to your organization. They deliver cost effective, innovative, and bespoke tailored campaigns, from single roles through to multiple vacancies. Additionally, they can respond quickly to any interim requirements and can provide highly experienced and fully referenced candidates for projects or backfill roles at short notice. They are flexible and able to supply on either an agency timesheet/payroll basis or via a fixed-term contract, depending on both client and candidate preferences. In line with their ethos, and acting in a capacity as an advisory consultancy, BAS Recruitment will always have an open and honest discussion with you about your requirements and if they are not the most appropriate route for you to use for your recruitment need, they will endeavour to refer you to more appropriate channels. Email or give us a call on info@basrecruitment.com/ 0161 359 4222 or pop over to office 8 for a chat if you need any finance recruitment help.
The Value of Networking and Community in Co-working
Co-working spaces have revolutionized the way we work, creating a dynamic community where professionals from various industries collaborate and connect with one another. These innovative environments offer collaborative workspaces and invaluable networking opportunities, enabling individuals to thrive and succeed. Read on to discover the value of community in co-working.
We look forward to welcoming you to enjoy everything that our Fire Up Co-working Space in Rochdale has to offer you and your business.
Paul and the Fire Up Team.
If you would be interested in providing a short piece, to showcase your business in future newsletters, please email info@fireuprochdale.co.uk