Today we launch a series that will run throughout the year and are inviting your suggestions for future articles too. We’re calling it Raikes Rewards - a series that simply wouldn’t be possible without sponsors Willans LLP solicitors and QuoLux.

It’s all about rewarding businesses for their incredible achievements. This could be growth, an anniversary, a deal done, a transition from one generation to another, a change of ownership, a turnaround, pretty much anything that is positive and that catches our interest.

We’ll consider individuals’ achievements and anniversaries too. We even send each business or individual a certificate to mark the achievement too.

And we start with a business achieving growth that’s difficult to ignore and which has been enjoying a trajectory in keeping with the exciting sector it is in – training pilots to fly planes for some of the world’s biggest and best-known airlines.

We wanted to launch with a big business doing big things, a county-grown company that reflects well on Gloucestershire, and then go on to spread the love as far and wide as possible.

So if you have a suggestion for a Raikes Rewards article - do not be put off if that business is small or the person’s achievements sound small alongside the multi-million pound growth of the firm featured below. It’s all about celebrating the achievements of Gloucestershire businesses, its charities and education and training businesses too – and those who work in the county doing great things.

The email address to send ideas to is below. If we like the idea, we’ll do the interviewing, publish and send you the certificate. All we ask you to do is subscribe to Raikes as well.

Readership continues to grow. We get 12,000-plus views a month off our two to three published emails a week, have roughly 1,000 subscribers and rising, plus more than 13,000 connections on social media – all built on an untouchable reputation for quality and credibility.

There’s even talk of all the winners being invited to an end-of-year gathering to celebrate their collective achievements. We’ll write about that too.

What are you waiting for? Send me your ideas!

Best regards,

Andrew Merrell

Editor | 07956 926061 | LinkedIn: Andrew Merrell | andrew.merrell@raikesjournal.co.uk

Your briefing notes…

🏘️Strategic planning is vital if councils are to secure the vital infrastructure and services needed to meet a 43,000 new homes target in Gloucestershire, says Tewkesbury Borough Council leader Richard Stanley. A strategic and local plan (SLP) is being developed jointly for Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury to help guide development in the coming years. Last year, the area saw an increase of more than 20 per cent in the total number of homes the Government wants to see built over the next two decades, with around 43,000 new homes needed across the three districts. Sites for approximately 20,000 have been found so far, but there is a shortfall of around 23,000 homes which needs to be addressed by the strategic and local plan. More here.

💷 Business will create 40 new jobs in Gloucester: It might be called Gloucester Business Park, but the Brockworth site is actually on Tewkesbury Borough Council’s patch – and the council’s just approved the latest investment for a major business. Borough planners have backed the proposals for a new supermarket on a northern plot of the business park, which was once an airfield and site of a factory making iconic aircraft such as the Hawker Hurricane, Gloster Gladiator, and the Gloster Javelin. The scheme includes a 1,975 sqm store and will have 118 car parking spaces. More here.

👨‍💼👩🏼‍💼👨🏼‍💼 New board members have been appointed at global engineering firm Renishaw. John Shipsey is the new chief financial officer and executive director, effective 13 April 2026. His CV includes stints at Dyson, Smiths Group plc and Featurespace Ltd. Renishaw has also announced that Sir David Grant has been appointed as its permanent chairman with immediate effect for a period of up to two years, and Juliette Stacey has also been appointed to the role of senior independent director with immediate effect.

Global energy focus fuels growth at major Gloucestershire business

A focus on national energy security around the globe is driving capital investment in the energy industry, and that’s driving growth in one of Gloucestershire’s biggest but least known businesses. It won’t be a household name for most of us, but if you work in a sector where subsea safety is a priority, in defence, offshore wind, marine, chemicals, power, ports and harbours, electric vehicles, then it’s a different story. It employs more than 800 staff and develops and produces insulation that delivers vital safety barriers in all kinds of sectors – from protecting you should your electric car catch fire to blast-resistant materials for our Royal Navy vessels. Advanced Innergy Holdings, known as AIS, has just passed a £150m turnover and is making promising overtures for 2026 too. It’s a turnover that firmly places it within our Top 100 Businesses in Gloucestershire series. More here.

Diary Dates…

Tuesday:

• Richard Brown, head of Lead Generation, is set to host ‘Promoting your business with AI’ at The Growth Hub, Tewkesbury, from 10am to 1pm. Brown will breakdown how to build content that not only performs well today but works hard tomorrow too. More here.

Wednesday

• Experienced sales manager and director Jonathan Viney is due to stage this seminar - How to improve your sales approach - at The Growth Hub, Cheltenham, from 9.30am to 12.30pm. More here.

• Network B2B stages this weekly Cotswolds Business Networking Event for Cirencester companies from 7.30 on Zoom. More here.

Friday

• Women Talk Business - Business networking for women at The Ivy. From 10am to 11.30am. Tickets are £24. More here.

Worth knowing too…

📖 Realising Good Growth: a Practical Guide for Business Leaders - that’s not the name of the event; it’s the name of the book whose ideas the event will unpack. Authors. Professor Steve Kempster and Dr Stewart Barnes will discuss their key ideas, including why purpose-led business is also good business. In short, how placing people, planet and community at the heart of your strategy doesn’t come at the cost of profit but can actively drive competitive advantage, stronger teams and better long-term returns. Every time the QuoLux team has staged a similar event it’s been the best-attended business event of the year in Gloucestershire. Due to take place on Monday 18 May from 5pm to 8pm at Oxstalls Campus, University of Gloucestershire, GL2 9HW. More here.

💻 Food and drink producers, suppliers, farming and hospitality businesses are being summoned to a meeting at Cheltenham’s Hub8 MX on Thursday 21 May staged by Food For Thought CIC. Lorrin White, the former CEO of Bamboo Technology and now head of marketing and development at HCR Law, will give a masterclass on how to use Microsoft 365, how to reclaim your time and increase revenue and efficiency. Subsidised by Made in Gloucestershire, The Growth Hub and Gloucestershire County Council. From 10am till noon. Tickets are £10. More here.

Charity of the week: Community Connexions

Community transport charity Community Connexions has announced it is freezing its registration fees for 2026, reinforcing its commitment to keeping essential travel services accessible and affordable for those who rely on them most. The decision comes as many continue to face financial challenges during the current cost of living crisis.

Paul Riddick, chief executive officer of Community Connexions, said: “We want as many people as possible to have the freedom to access activities without restriction.”

Community Connexions provides what it calls ‘essential, prebooked transport for vulnerable people of all ages who may otherwise struggle to travel independently’.

Operating across Gloucestershire including Gloucester, Cheltenham, Tewkesbury, Stroud, Tetbury, Cirencester, Berkeley Vale and the South Cotswolds. The charity plays a vital role in connecting people to healthcare appointments, shopping, social activities, and community life. Its services include door-to-door transport, community bus routes, and group bookings, helping to reduce isolation and improve quality of life for passengers. To find out more visit Community Connexions.

The Raikes Journal is a community interest company. Everything you read by us is made possible by our incredible Founding Partners: QuoLux, Willans LLP, Gloucestershire College, Merrell People, our sponsors, our Founding Members and wonderful paying subscribers.

If you upgrade to become a paid subscriber you’ll be part of this CIC too. You’ll help make us sustainable, be able to see past the paywalls, comment on our stories, and know you’re making possible the county’s only editorially-led platform dedicated to delivering quality journalism for Gloucestershire about its businesses, charities, education and training sectors.

Sign up for just £2.30 a week - or £1.80 a week if two or more people sign up at once. Or go all in and become one of our Founding Partners or Founding Members!

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Raikes Rewards: Is this Gloucestershire’s fastest-growing business?

Today we single out the first company in our Raikes Rewards series, a business that’s landed an exciting contract with EasyJet and a firm for which growth was already heading skyward in style.

We’ve been waiting for a big enough story to come along to properly launch what we’re calling our Raikes Rewards series of stories, and this story fits the bill.

The series aims to recognise growth, deals, major achievements and almost any kind of meaningful win for a business or organisation or individual involved in business, education, training or charity work in the county.

And today we take a closer look at Skyborne after its latest contract win was made public.

The Gloucestershire Airport-headquartered business, a specialist trainer of airline pilots, made the grand reveal earlier late last week, adding another household name to its impressive hangar of airlines it already trains pilots for.

From now on, if you fly with EasyJet, there will be an increasing chance your pilot will have been trained by the Staverton firm, which puts its trainees through its paces at Gloucestershire Airport and at its training school in Vero Beach base, Florida.

Lee Woodward, chief executive officer and co-founder of Skyborne (pictured below), said: “Our new partnership with easyJet as an official UK training partner for the Flightcrew Futures programme marks a significant step.

“Our new five-year agreement is a true testament to our ability to train pilots of the highest quality and standards in the industry, and we take pride in this fact.”

Easyjet joins the likes of British Airways, Flydubai and Indigo on the Gloucestershire firm’s books.

“Many of Skyborne’s graduates have already earned their seats in the flight deck with easyJet, and through our dedicated team of experts, we’re committed to delivering 500 of the most talented and skilled individuals over the next five years, who will go on to fly passengers across Europe and beyond,” added Woodward.

In fact, the figure for trainees across the UK and United States is nearer 660 and the current “enrolment profile” for Skyborne is 400 trainees.

Skyborne wouldn’t confirm the value of the contract with EasyJet on the record, but back in July 2024 the training deal it struck with British Airways was expected to see it benefit from a share of a £21m investment by the airline.

Skyborne was actually announced as the official UK partner for the British Airways Speedbird Pilot Academy in September 2023.

In 2024, its latest set of published accounts showed turnover was £13.5 million and profit was £3.6 million. Staff numbers have risen from 120 in 2020/21 to 140 in 2022.

In its last recorded financial year - 2023 to 2024 - turnover growth was in excess of 50 per cent, climbing from £17m to £27m.

The growth was fuelled by the aforementioned British Airways deal and similar arrangements with Flydubai and IndiGo.

It was creating jobs too. Recorded staff numbers were 257, up from 173 over the same period.

After writing the first draft of this article we heard from Skyborne that its consolidated revenue figure for 2025 will be approximately £40m, which gives some idea of the expected growth as a result of the EasyJet deal.

That growth trajectory explains why Skyborne is the first recorded winner of our Raikes Rewards series, which is made possible by sponsors Willans LLP solicitors and leadership development specialists QuoLux.

Training for the easyJet Flightcrew Futures programme will be delivered across Skyborne’s facilities at Staverton and Bournemouth as well as its Vero Beach base in Florida, in the United States.

Trainees will progress through ground school, flight training and Airline Pilot Standards Multi-Crew Cooperation (APS MCC) before joining easyJet.

You can find information about how to join its programme on the Skyborne website.

Skyborne also has relationships with Ryanair’s Future Flyer Academy, Jet2.com’s Jet2FlightPath and the SkyWest Professional Pilot Pathway.

It’s also the only academy to support DHL Air (UK) with a fully funded ‘integrated ATPL training initiative’ for its employees.

• If you have a story or news of a business you think should be recognised as part of our Raikes Rewards series then please do get in touch. Email andrew.merrell@raikesjournal.co.uk.

It might be called Gloucester Business Park, but the Brockworth site is actually on Tewkesbury Borough Council’s patch - and the council’s just approved the latest investment for a major business.

Borough planners have backed the proposals for a new supermarket on a northern plot of the business park, which was once an airfield and site of a factory making iconic aircraft such as the Hawker Hurricane, Gloster Gladiator, and the Gloster Javelin.

The scheme, by the British arm of the German discount supermarket Lidl, includes a 1,975 sqm store and will have 118 car parking spaces including 12 parent and child spaces and seven accessible parking bays along with six electric vehicle bays and cycle parking.

The new store is expected to create up to 40 new jobs and the proposed opening hours would be from 7am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays.

Rosie Meehan, regional head of property for Lidl Great Britain, called on Tewkesbury Borough Council’s planning committee to approve the scheme.

“Despite previous permissions and extensive marketing over 30 years for employment uses and while all surrounding employment land has been developed and successfully let, this site has never come forward for development,” she said.

Meehan also said the land’s constrained nature had limited its viability.

“The proposal before you represents a sustainable and productive alternative use,” she said.

Councillor Mary Jordan (I, Churchdown St John’s) asked if biodiversity improvements associated with the development could be provided locally.

Officers said they could be elsewhere and there was a suggestion some of the improvements might be in Malvern, but there would be a formal process related to this.

Councillor Matt Dimond-Brown (G, Tewkesbury South) said parish councils in Brockworth and Hucclecote asked for genuine improvements in bus provision serving the site.

“This application talks about an upgraded shelter and real time information,” he said.

“That’s about furniture not service. What is the current bus service to this particular site and what improvements could be made?”

Officers said the bus services are “interesting in this area” because Gloucester Business Park is currently unadopted but there are regular services running through the site.

“The nearest of which is just north of the Lidl site on the approach to Tesco, there’s a bus shelter there ” a highways officer told the meeting.

Strategic planning is seen hugely important in securing the vital infrastructure and services needed to meet a 43,000 new homes target in Gloucestershire.

A strategic and local plan (SLP) is being developed jointly for Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury to help guide development in the coming years.

Last year, the area saw an increase of more than 20 per cent in the total number of homes the Government wants to see built over the next two decades with around 43,000 new homes needed across the three districts.

Sites for approximately 20,000 have been found so far but there is a shortfall of around 23,000 homes which needs to be addressed by the strategic and local plan.

The vast majority of these new homes will be built in the borough of Tewkesbury as Cheltenham and Gloucester do not have enough land – and councils have a legal duty to co-operate with neighbouring areas.

Tewkesbury Borough Council leader Richard Stanley (LD, Cleeve West) says the SLP will allow councils to plan where this development should go and what improvements are needed.

Without such a plan in place, developers would be able to build in non-sustainable places which lack the necessary infrastructure.

“The SLP will help guide how our area will grow over the next 20 years,” he said.

“New housing is coming forward, and the SLP allows councils to plan where this development should go and what infrastructure is needed, such as roads, schools, and healthcare.

“Without an agreed plan, development will be led by developers, and potentially in non-sustainable locations, without the supporting infrastructure communities need.

“The SLP is important as it helps ensure future growth is coordinated and sustainable.”

Residents and businesses in these areas can review evidence on the SLP’s dedicated website.

The full SLP engagement runs until June 2026, with pre-submission of the plan to the Government in July, and the final submission expected in October or November this year.

By Carmelo Garcia, local democracy reporter for Gloucestershire. carmelo.garcia@reachplc.com

*The Raikes Journal is the only independent news outlet in Gloucestershire approved to use the copy of the BBC local government reporting service. Why? Only independent, credible journalistically-led platforms that meet the BBC’s high standards win that permission.

A big read all about how one of Gloucestershire’s best-loved businesses, Gloucester Rugby, hopes to reshape itself for the seasons ahead after a torrid 2025/2026 - so far.

Raikes was lucky enough to be allowed to sit in on the latest gathering of the Gloucester Rugby Business Club, sponsored by Willans LLP solicitors, to hear how it hopes to make good after one of its worst seasons in recent history.

Last Friday’s crushing defeat against Bristol Bears was still fresh in everyone’s mind, so it was never going to be anything but a robust conversation.

For a long time sport and business seem to like drawing from one another. If ever there was an example of how a business should face up to its customers and explain itself, this could have been it.

If you’re a fan, hopefully you’ll find something in it to make you feel a little better.

Have a great weekend.

Best regards,

Andrew Merrell

Editor | 07956 926061 | LinkedIn: Andrew Merrell | andrew.merrell@raikesjournal.co.uk

Briefing notes…

👨‍💼 Rob Case has been appointed as managing partner of the Cheltenham-based accountants and business advisers Randall & Payne. Case succeeds Tim Watkins, who steps aside after a decade of leadership. The new managing partner began his journey as a trainee straight from school more than 20 years ago and has developed extensive experience across taxation advisory work, leadership and strategic development. “Our focus will be on investing in our team, improving how we work and ensuring we remain a trusted adviser to ambitious businesses and individuals,” said Case.

🏗️ Gloucester-headquartered Marky Building Services has won the contract to create a £3 million dental school and treatment hub, set to open in the heart of Gloucester. The facility, announced by Raikes last year but now officially agreed between the University of Gloucestershire and NHS Gloucestershire ICB, will be at the university’s City Campus and called the Three Counties Dental School. It’s expected to be operational from 2027.

🏗️ Gloucestershire-based manufacturer Batten & Allen has announced a £500,000 investment in the latest high-speed press technology. The Cirencester-based firm, a specialist in stamping, plating and assembly of high precision parts, has spent the cash on a new BSTA 280-88-B3 machine and it’s already lined up a a major Mexican export order to produce lead frames used in the development of AI chip sets to test out the investment.

🏗️ It looks like spades can finally go in the ground on land to the West of GCHQ to create a development we’re told “will play an important role in strengthening the UK’s leadership in cyber, AI and advanced technologies”. In fact, the publicity says it will become “a globally significant cluster for innovation, driving collaboration and investment from across the world”.

We’re talking about the much-trumpeted Golden Valley Development, of course, the Cheltenham Borough Council scheme - a business park and houses - being brought to life by HBD, part of Henry Boot. The scheme has now officially won ‘reserved matters planning’. Contractor Bowmer + Kirkland was appointed to deliver the project’s first phase, which received resolution to grant outline planning consent in July 2025.

Now, after a long wait, work is expected to start on phase one this year - a 160,000 sq ft building which will help the development “leverage the region’s established strengths in security technology, supporting the clustering of expertise across fast-growing sectors such as cyber, AI and secure communications, while creating an environment capable of attracting global businesses, talent and investment”.

Phase one also includes a transport hub called ROUTER, which will house parking for 453 cars, cycle and e-bike charging facilities.

Things to do this weekend…

Today (Friday)

🎭 Kara Tointon stars in the Royal Shakespeare Company production The Constant Wife, by Laura Wade, based on the comedy by W.Somerset Maugham, directed by Tamara Harvey. From 7.30pm tonight and Saturday. More here.

Saturday:

⚽ Gloucester City FC play Walton & Hersham at home. KO 3pm.

⚽ Cheltenham Town FC play Bristol Rovers at home. KO 3pm.

⚽ Forest Green Rovers FC play Morecambe at home. KO 12.30pm.

Sunday:

🏉 Gloucester Rugby take on Exeter at home. KO 3.30.

Worth knowing too…

💻 Food and drink producers, suppliers, farming and hospitality businesses are being summoned to a meeting at Cheltenham’s Hub8 MX on Thursday 21 May staged by Food For Thought CIC. Lorrin White, the former CEO of Bamboo Technology now head of marketing and development at HCR Law, will give a masterclass on how to use Microsoft 365, how to reclaim your time, increase revenue and efficiency. Subsidised by Made in Gloucestershire, The Growth Hub and Gloucestershire County Council. From 10am till noon. Tickets are £10. More here.

The Raikes Journal is a community interest company. Everything you read by us is made possible by our incredible Founding Partners: QuoLux, Willans LLP, Gloucestershire College, Merrell People, our sponsors, our Founding Members and wonderful paying subscribers.

If you upgrade to become a paid subscriber you’ll be part of this CIC too. You’ll help make us sustainable, be able to see past the paywalls, comment on our stories, and know you’re making possible the county’s only editorially-led platform dedicated to delivering quality journalism for Gloucestershire about its businesses, charities, education and training sectors.

Sign up for just £2.30 a week - or £1.80 a week if two or more people sign up at once. Or go all in and become one of our Founding Partners or Founding Members!

Subscribe now

Gloucester Rugby aiming to replicate French giants Toulouse

After this season you might expect Gloucester Rugby to fall back on what it once knew best – a gritty, physical, forward-dominated style. But French superclub Toulouse is the favoured model.

By Andrew Merrell.

It has been said many times about the lot of the sports fan that “it’s not the despair, it’s the hope that kills you”.

But at last Friday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Bristol Bears (53-12 to Bristol) hope also died for many Gloucester fans.

It’s hard to walk away from the thing you love though and Gloucester Rugby Business Club, sponsored by Willans LLP solicitors, saw a near full house at 8am on Thursday morning with members unable to resist the chance to hear from new backroom recruits Chris Boyd and Rob Burgess.

Sport can be prone to overanalysing itself, but rugby’s best leadership tends to enjoy leaning into robust conversations and Boyd and Burgess were frank, honest and unflinching.

It was a session chaired by ex-player now business development director at Emerge Digital, Mark Atkinson, in which the audience, some still struggling with Friday’s result, pulled no punches either.

“Friday night’s game was awful,” said Boyd, the club’s new technical director, reading the mood in the room.

“It didn’t look good wherever you stood. When your team loses and you think they have given everything they can, that’s one thing.

“On Friday I didn’t think they gave all they could give. That is unacceptable. That’s not good enough for me.”

The New Zealander, whose coaching CV includes a recent successful stint as director of rugby at Northampton Saints, was joined by the club’s new general manager, Rob Burgess.

Their frankness was matched by questions from the floor too, like ‘why doesn’t the club just come clean, be honest with fans and admit that winning the Premiership is not going to happen soon and that finishing near the foot of the table is the more realistic target?’.

“Welcome to Gloucester Rugby,” said Atkinson, with wry humour, stepping into the line of fire to take a little heat off the delivery before moving aside to give the unfazed Boyd room to counter.

The enthusiasm and positivity brought by the club’s new names was clear, as is the scale of the challenge the club faces – but both men exuded the same positivity and confidence that the key pieces were already falling into place for positive change.

Summing up, building a culture that recognises the club’s history and heritage is paramount if people are to feel they belong - key to cultivating the pride players will need, because in the short term the team will need to be more than the sum of its parts to compete effectively.

Expanding the footprint of its academy, getting better at developing talent, moving out players who don’t fit the game plan, doing all that fast enough to keep their exciting new signings on board - while building a club that’s fit for the future - that’s all part of the plan too. In short, there’s lots to do.

“Right now we have a group of players and you have to work with what you have got and work out the best way to play with that squad,” said Boyd, conscious that Gloucester’s history shows the fan’s tendency towards liking gritty, gnarly forwards - and that the current squad is something else.

“How we play next year has to reflect the strengths of the players we have. You can bring the odd person in, and hopefully we can add some new ingredients into the mix too, but at the moment we’re still chewing our way through that.

“We have Jean (Kleyn), Jac (Morgan) coming in and they will bring strength and allow us to play a little differently. And it will take a while to flush out the players who don’t work for everyone and bring in those that do.

“But the reality is, this year and next year Gloucester won’t have the best squad, so we have to get the maximum out of what we have got. And there are a lot of good guys here.”

What that might look like on the pitch next season as the new coaching team and new signings make their impact?

“At the end of Monday the coaches all sat down to discuss how we might play next year and the coaches told me the way they think this group of players would play best,” said Boyd.

“I said to them ‘what teams plays like that?’ and they said the only team that does is Toulouse.”

For those who don’t follow French rugby Stade Toulousain’s style is the embodiment of ‘French flair’ - bold, attacking, expansive, characterised by running, passing, and scoring tries through the backs. If you like, it’s a game built on “tempo, agility, and switching gears”.

If Gloucester fans care to admit it, they will have seen more than flashes of this - particularly at the end of last season - but on current form probably remain unconvinced.

“We then picked that (the Toulous comparison) apart for a bit,” added Boyd, talking about that conversation between the new coaching team.

“It’s unrealistic to expect we can deliver that same level of performance as Toulouse; they have some of the best players in the world.

“We might not be as good, but ‘yeah, it has to suit what we have in the pen’.”

Other clues as to how Boyd thinks about the game came from his retelling of a conversation he had with Brendan Venter (Saracens’ new director of rugby), who had insisted the game was won by what you did without the ball in hand.

“For me, I’m not interested in the physical game without the ball. At Northampton we were all about getting the ball.

“I do not want to play without the ball. But we have to find the sweet spot for everyone that we have got,” said Boyd, who admitted he had one or two offers to work elsewhere, but coming to Gloucester had been his first choice.

“Northampton are a decent, old-fashioned rugby club you can respect and so is Gloucester. I had an offer from another club, but I like history, I like passion for a club. I’m not a flash-town kind of guy - so I didn’t choose the other offer.”

Atkinson was not going to let Burgess get away without having to explain his decision to join that “little club” down the road, otherwise known as arch rivals Bath.

Burgess said the move to Gloucester spoke of where his heart has always been. He lives locally and attends games at Kingsholm as a fan.

He had left a high-flying, well-funded, financially stable club because he believed in the leadership at Gloucester off the pitch, such as Alex Brown, the new names coming in and the potential to achieve something special.

“I’m very pleased to be here. I first worked here in 2005. That’s the reason I’m in rugby. I moved here to work with Dean Ryan. I was team manager for three years. It was a really good period for the club. I always wanted to come back to work here,” said Burgess, the club’s new general manager.

“I was delighted when Alex Brown and I chatted a few weeks back. I see Gloucester as my club. Gloucester is the city I call home. I’m here to help take the club forward.”

Burgess added: “My big takeaway from Bath is it is first and foremost about the people. You have to get good people in the building. You have to create a good ethos that people want to be part of.

“If you get that right then 80 per cent of the challenge becomes retaining that you have got.

“Success is probably what it is for any business, I would suggest. It’s about your output. And you get that more consistently by developing your staff.

“If it was all about recruitment it would be simple. Creating a good rugby club is about doing a whole lot of things well, creating clear pathways so people can see a way forward to where we want to be.”

What does success look like, asked Atkinson.

“For me, it’s about consistency and your output on the field that is recognised by supporters and fans. It’s about creating a belief that your players will turn up every week and perform every week,” said Boyd

“It’s not about short-term fixes; it’s about creating something for the long term.”

Boyd’s insight into head coach George Skivington’s position shed light on the kinds of weight that came to rest on the shoulders of a few since Covid took out two Premiership clubs and stripped the fat from just about every other.

“Twenty-five per cent of professional rugby clubs collapsed in Covid. It was a tough time. Rightly or wrongly Skivs (Skivington) became director of rugby, head coach, and forwards coach. That is simply too much for anyone.

“I have not met anyone with a bigger appetite for work. We had a meeting the other day. He was in about 5.15 to do his stretches and to get his coffee. And he was still here at 7pm.

“Whether he’s working smartly, I don’t know,” he added, unable to resist the opportunity. “But his work ethos is unquestionable. And now he’s just one task he’ll finally be able to concentrate on one thing.”

Skivington had shouldered the all-encompassing director of rugby role since 2023.

The club recently launched the ‘A Piece of Holm’ campaign to raise £200,000 to expand its academy footprint with new talent centres across the West Midlands. The underlined how tough things had been, but also presented opportunity.

“With the demise of Worcester and London Irish, the talent pool is wider that ever. There is an incredible amount of talent out there and we have to make sure we make the most of that,” said Boyd.

“It is about how we bring through and develop the talent we have. What happens when those youngsters get here and what they feel the club can offer them, what route they can see for themselves and developing them at the right moments.

“That’s what will make them want to come here and keep them here.”

Although the Business Club session ended with the exchange above directly challenging the club to come clean about next year being about building rather than winning, it started with a very different comment.

And that comment probably explains not only why Boyd and Burgess are here in the county, but why, despite such a poor season, the club has been able to sign the likes of Rugby World Cup winner with South Africa, Jean Kleyn, Wales’ international hooker, Dewi Lake, Wales captain Jac Morgan.

Signings also include Joe Joyce, Dan Robson and Phil Cokanasiga, as well as former England centre Joel Tomkins who joins as the new defence coach, with current defence coach, Dom Waldouck, becoming head of player development.

And that comment was this.

“There is no doubt there is room for growth. I think if we can get a little bit of confidence there is a decent ceiling there,” said Boyd, purposely understated, suggesting he has higher hopes than he is prepared to let on.

Just in case any of the Shed Heads are getting depressed by the suggestion that a free-running-style rugby will dominate, despite all the talk of ‘respecting and recognising the club’s history’ (which surely means an emphasis on the fowards!), Boyd had this to say.

“Deacs is back (Brett Deacon). He played for the club 20 years ago. He has gone and trodden a long coaching path at Leicester.

“He is committed to taking things into his own hands. He is determined and focused. He wants to create a forward pack that is gnarly.”

If honesty and openness like this characterises the way forward for the club then Gloucester fans may just have a very difficult summer - as hope begins to creep back in again. Such is the life of the sports fan!

Welcome to Monday’s edition of The Raikes Journal.

The key figure in the main story below (that led yesterday’s email from The Raikes Journal) made his mark before the era of social media demanded everyone who wanted to be considered a serious success had to have a profile online. Back when discretion was the thing.

His story was not in the widely shared news about the sale of a building in Cheltenham but his name was, and it made us want to ask ‘who is he?’ How had he amassed such an impressive property portfolio and yet remained off the radar for most of us - until now? So we did.

And speaking of buildings for sale in Cheltenham, questions were asked in a recent Cheltenham Borough Council about whether the sale of its Grade II* listed Municipal Offices will fall through as Gloucestershire Airport’s sale did. Apparently that is a possibility!

The edition also carries news of a seminar that will explain how purpose-led businesses achieve more growth and how your company can become one of them. That’s due to be staged by Victoria Petkovic-Short of apt marketing & pr this week!

Plus we bring word about places opening up on QuoLux’s much sought after leadership development programme, LEAD™, proven to help businesses achieve new levels of productivity. Well worth investigating if you want to develop your leadership skills and your business too - including its bottom line.

There are other diary dates too, and if you’re searching for inspiration, there’s also a tale about a man from Gloucestershire with Parkinson’s disease currently cycling 3,300km cycle ride across the United States!

Have a great week.

Best regards,

Andrew Merrell

Editor | 07956 926061 | LinkedIn: Andrew Merrell | andrew.merrell@raikesjournal.co.uk

Charity of the Week: Parkinson’s UK

Whatever you’ve been doing for the last few days it’s probably not been as taxing a time as Jonathan White from Cheltenham has faced. White, who has Parkinson’s disease, is into day five of a 3,300km cycle ride across the United States from Seattle to Phoenix.

He is hoping to raise funds and awareness of the charity Parkinson’s UK, which campaigns for better health care for people with the progressive neurodegenerative disorder. To complete the mission he will have to climb 95,000 feet, cross the Arizona Desert and cover a distance longer than the Tour de France 2026 course. All on a bicycle.

“This ride is about showing what people with Parkinson’s can achieve, highlighting the benefits of exercise, and supporting the work of Parkinson’s UK,” said the former chairman of Parkinson’s UK’s Cheltenham branch.

Ruth Wright, community fundraiser at South West for Parkinson’s UK, said: “On behalf of everyone at Parkinson’s UK, thank you to Jonathan and the whole team for making such a meaningful difference.”

To support and make a donation, visit www.justgiving.com/page/jonathan-white-pedal2phoenix. For more information visit parkinsons.org.uk or call the charity’s free, confidential helpline on 0808 800 0303.

Is the sale of Cheltenham’s Municipal Offices about to fall through?

Questions have been raised over whether the sale of Cheltenham’s Grade II* listed Municipal Offices will fall through like that of Gloucestershire Airport.

The home of Cheltenham Borough Council is in the process of being sold and could be turned into a luxury spa by its future owners. Council chiefs have been in negotiations with preferred bidder Almiranta Capital since May last year.

But now council housing staff are understood to be relocating to the grade II-listed Promenade building from Hesters Way Community Resource Centre prompting questions over the sale.

Council leader Rowena Hay (LD, Oakley), responded to questions about the sale at the last full council meeting and said it was a “fact of life” that any deal could fall through.

“Do I think that it could go down the same way as the airport? Clearly, it could. But I’m not prepared at this point to say that ‘yes that is the way it is going to go’.

“Because the noises, the work and the due diligence that is happening is all very positive, as it was with the airport.

“But sometimes these very big deals just don’t come off. As anyone who has been involved in business and selling commercial (property knows) it’s a fact of life.”

*Special thanks to Carmelo Garcia of the BBC for this one.

More news…

📈 ‘Particularly strong demand’ in key markets led to engineering powerhouse and Gloucestershire-headquartered Renishaw upgrading its forecasts for the year ahead. In an unscheduled statement this morning the FTSE 250-listed firm said trading in the semiconductor and electronics manufacturing equipment markets, as well as aerospace and defence, had proved “robust’’ and delivered a “substantial expansion” of its order book. Revenue is now expected to come in somewhere between £775 million and £805m. Adjusted profit before tax is forecast to be around £145m to £165m. A more detailed trading update to March 31 is due on 6 May.

Food for thought…

📈 Do you want to increase productivity at our business? A seminar due to be staged on Thursday will ask “can workplace wellbeing solve the UK productivity crisis?” - and with good reason. Last year business owner Victoria Petkovic-Short spent 10 months researching the impact on productivity of micro and small businesses that adopted positive approach to well-being. What she found was “revelatory”. Businesses that did this reported a 30 to 50 per cent increase to their productivity, all leveraged through workplace wellbeing. The MD of APT Marketing is gearing up to discuss her findings at a special seminar on Wednesday 22 April from 12.30pm to 1.30pm. More here.

📈 QuoLux’s forthcoming LEAD™ programme. Following on from the words directly above, if you are looking to increase your productivity the other route is to invest in your leadership team. Data from QuoLux, a specialist in leadership development that has worked with hundreds of business people and firms across the UK and beyond, shows it works. Research by the Gloucester-headquartered company, which is a certified B Corp, shows that purpose-driven organisations outperform their peers on financial metrics, employee retention and customer loyalty. Your business could become one of those. Places on its much sought after leadership development programme, LEAD™, are now available again. More here and here.

Diary Dates…

Tuesday…

How Business Owners Remove Friction: Simple Systems to Finish What Matters. From 6pm to 8pm at The Site, Cheltenham, GL51 9LT. More here.

Wednesday…

The Growth Hub in Stroud. Henny Maltby, a growth marketer, trainer and SEO specialist, is due to stage this seminar - How to create an on-line strategic marketing plan – a 90-day plan. From 9.30am to 12.30pm. The Alliston Centre, Stroud Road, Cirencester. More here.

Thursday…

Gloucester Rugby Business Club | Meet Chris Boyd and Rob Burgess. Gloucester Rugby is due to stage the next meeting of its business club from 8am to 10am today (23 April). The club’s new technical director, Chris Boyd, and general manager (Rugby), Rob Burgess. More here.

Friday…

‘The One’ Women’s Network - Cheltenham: Due to take place at Circo Brasserie from 1030am till noon. Described a dynamic networking brunch for women in business. More here.

Worth knowing now…

💻 Food and drink producers, suppliers, farming and hospitality businesses are being summoned to a meeting at Cheltenham’s Hub8 MX on Thursday 21 May staged by Food For Thought CIC. Lorrin White, the former CEO of Bamboo Technology now head of marketing and development at HCR Law, will give a masterclass on how to use Microsoft 365, how to reclaim your time, increase revenue and efficiency. Subsidised by Made in Gloucestershire, The Growth Hub and Gloucestershire County Council. From 10am till noon. Tickets are £10. More here.

🏇 Willans LLP solicitors and Cheltenham Open Door, the Cheltenham-headquartered law firm’s nominated charity for the year, invite you to join them for an evening of fun, fundraising and friendly competition. The entry fee, which all goes to the charity, puts you and a team in with a chance of winning one or more of six recorded races. Price includes two drinks and pizza. The date has been moved from the end of February to 23 April. At The Bottle of Sauce, Cheltenham, from 6pm. More here.

The Raikes Journal is a community interest company. Everything you read by us is made possible by our incredible Founding Partners: QuoLux, Willans LLP, Gloucestershire College, Merrell People, our sponsors, our Founding Members and wonderful paying subscribers.

If you upgrade to become a paid subscriber you’ll be part of this CIC too. You’ll help make us sustainable, be able to see past the paywalls, comment on our stories, and know you’re making possible the county’s only editorially-led platform dedicated to delivering quality journalism for Gloucestershire about its businesses, charities, education and training sectors.

Sign up for just £2.30 a week - or £1.80 a week if two or more people sign up at once. Or go all in and become one of our Founding Partners or Founding Members!

Sale of luxury apartments brings hugely successful Cheltenham businessman into sight

A high-profile property sale in the centre of Cheltenham has revealed more than just a stunning building, it’s given us a rare glimpse of one of the town’s most successful property tycoons.

Earlier this month the upmarket property listings for Gloucestershire revealed a stunning Regency building in the centre of Cheltenham - and, hidden behind the announcement, one of the town’s most successful but otherwise reclusive property entrepreneurs.

Sometimes you hear rumours of businesspeople who have done exceptionally, who have been in the zeitgeist so long they seem immortal; myths fuelled by tantalising but vague stories of their triumphs, their privacy respectfully guarded by those close to them.

But when 47-49 The Promenade came on the market, there was a slim chance we could do our bit to colour in some of that shadowy space and learn a little more about one of them - as well as get a peak inside an incredible property.

After a few calls I managed to get my hands on a phone number, but the calls were being screened.

Messages were left on two answering services with no joy and I had all but given up.

But then, out of the blue, the phone rang and so began a pleasant game of tug and war, as I tried to get James Hawtin to divulge more about himself - was successful to a point - but found I walked away with more notes about the property on balance.

Clearly, never try outsmarting a business person whose career has been built on skilful negotiation to get what he wants!

Hawtin went into the building trade after leaving school in Enfield, north London. And like many who did so, he had to discover an aptitude for business too, especially if he wanted to thrive.

In 1976 he started Chantafine Ltd which would go on to become JJH Building Developments, a firm adept at spotting opportunities for development and house building. And as by then he’d also moved to Gloucestershire, its focus became the county and in particular Cheltenham.

That business he began to build ability proved to be exceptional, and his move into the property market well-timed.

He was also adept at spotting opportunities to invest the proceeds from the business too, shaping Cheltenham’s housing stock by day and investing in some of its regency gems as he went.

Which is a shortened version - the bit I’m allowed to tell you anyway - about how Hawtin came to own one of the most impressive portfolios of buildings in Cheltenham, which includes the aforementioned 47-49 The Promenade.

“It is a property we have owned for about 25 years,” he said, ever keen to stay off the topic of his life story and on the property he’s now trying to sell.

“We saw it as an investment opportunity. We had a very good tenant in there. That ran for about 15 years and then we carried on letting it to more businesses.”

The ‘we’ being himself as his wife and business partner, Mandy.

He long ago closed down JJH Building Developments, but those familiar with existing niche county builders – especially those that focus on high-end housing developments - may know the name Marcus Homes.

The Cheltenham firm based at the stunning Grade II* Listed Brandon House off Painswick Road, is run by his son, Marcus. Hawtin senior worked closely with him in the early days of that business too.

If you looked at James’s portfolio on paper (and he wouldn’t tell us the full extent of it - not for publication anyway), he and his wife Mandy could have retired long ago.

But as well as finding out he was good at business also found he thoroughly enjoyed it too. And why quit something you enjoy?

Which explains why, now in his seventies, he has continued to invest and see opportunity and act on it.

“When Covid (the Covid-19 pandemic) hit, we decided to change the premises to short-term rental. We spent a lot converting it. We did it to a very high spec,” he said. By then he would have been in his very late sixties.

“We decided to run it as a short term let business. We knew we were in a good spot and it has turned out we were, for all the reasons you would expect,” he said, modestly, as if it were all a happy accident.

“Cheltenham is an attractive town. It looks as good as anywhere. The location is right in the centre, there are the festivals here, shops and restaurants close by.

“We’ve always been at least 70 per cent occupied. We have had some people stay nearly 12 months and anywhere in between. We have had people from China, America, Australia – from all over the world.

“We could be more profitable, but we have chosen to invest in keeping everything to a very high standard.”

The inspiration for the name Neptune Apartments comes from The Neptune Fountain just a couple of hundred metres from the doors to the apartments.

Every apartment has underfloor heating, WiFi, smart televisions and luxury bedding, with a choice of goose feather or anti-allergy pillows. For eating in, relaxing mornings and chilled evenings, apartments come equipped with a Nespresso coffee machine, wine glasses, fridges and cooking equipment.

“But the other reason it has worked so well is that we have worked with great people, from local tradesmen to marketing and the people who look after the property for us.”

The main contractors and project managers were Terrascapes from Stroud. The interior design was done by Furnish and the electrical contractors were JSE Group, both businesses also based in Stroud. Skin and hygiene products for the rooms are provided by ANI from Cirencester and the apartments will be cleaned by Cheltenham Bright & Beautiful Cleaning Company.

Under the banner of Neptune Apartments Hawtin also signed up to be a member of Cheltenham Chamber of Commerce and a Gold Members of Visit Cheltenham.

But now the time, finally, has come for a change – at least with this particular property business.

Hawtin did not want to publicly divulge the rest of his portfolio, but it was clear he has no plans to completely step away from managing it all just yet.

“We plan to sell the freehold and it will have some tenants in there too,” he said, about 47-49 The Promenade.

The asking price is a cool two £2.25 million.

Any plans to run off to sunnier climes and spend wildly?

“We are staying in Cheltenham. I know lots of people who have lived here while working and could have moved, but when they retired have stayed here and they are quite happy.

“I’m not retiring. We will continue doing what we have been doing. We still have other properties to keep us busy.”

Below we report on a major knowledge share that took place on Tuesday this week as the county begins to come to terms with the biggest change to employment law in over a decade.

The ramifications of the Employments Rights Act 2025 are only just being worked out. But this is a great example of the county business community working together to ensure it is ready, with experts from Willans LLP solicitors teaming up with the CIPD in Gloucestershire to help make sure that happens.

And then we carry the good news for those in Stroud who feared the district council had withdrawn its support from their much-loved lido. The campaigning appears to have worked!

But the main story is our decision to take a closer look at Gloucestershire College’s good news, that it’s been chosen by the Government as one of only five colleges nationwide that will develop ‘world-class’ skills training in digital technologies - and one of just 19 that will benefit from a share of £175m.

It’s very easy to look up from the knitting sometimes and wonder where the leadership figureheads in the county has gone since the demise of the local enterprise partnership. GFirst LEP, an organisation that had that galvanising effect that’s hard to define and harder to replace, that gave a point of focus and sense of shared unity.

Yet arguably leadership is alive and well, it’s just hiding from public view or not shouting about itself enough, and great working relationships are being cultivated, plans being honed, strategies worked on. Like this win from Gloucestershire College.

It reflects well on Gloucestershire, we think, because it suggests strongly one of the reasons this happened is because of the joined-up thinking happening here. Who would have known it!

Which surely bodes well for anyone trying to judge whether we’re a place worthy to invest or not, a place where people support one another and that gets things done.

Have a great weekend.

Andrew Merrell

Editor | 07956 926061 | LinkedIn: Andrew Merrell | andrew.merrell@raikesjournal.co.uk

Businesses flock to learn about the biggest change to employment law in years

The biggest shake-up of employment law in more than a decade brought scores to The Queen’s Hotel to learn how it will impact businesses in Gloucestershire and what they need to do.

The biggest shake-up of employment law in more than a decade brought scores to The Queen’s Hotel in Cheltenham to learn how it will impact their businesses and organisations.

And the example of how an individual who had not even worked a day at a business won three months’ pay for breach of contract underlined precisely why good advice is essential (if those in the room needed reminding!).

The real-life case study was just a small part of a presentation to the gathering of HR professionals and business people from across the sectors by legal experts from Cheltenham-headquartered firm Willans LLP solicitors.

It’s focus - the biggest shake-up to employment law in years: The Employment Rights Act 2025.

Hifsa O’Kelly, a partner at Willans, explained how the individual in the case study had barely made it through the interview process when the prospective employer withdrew their offer of a job.

A tribunal followed, and despite the interviewee or company having signed nothing, it found in the interviewee’s favour and the company was left paying three months’ wages.

The point being that a good understanding of the legal situation was key to ensure good processes were in place. And that was exactly what the seminar was there to achieve, staged by the CIPD in Gloucestershire and delivered by experts from the Cheltenham law firm’s employment law team.

Partners Jenny Hawrot, Simon Pathé, O’Kelly and trainee solicitor in our real estate team, Achante Anson, did the honours.

Their job was to explain to the 75 individuals at The Queen’s Hotel in Cheltenham as much of the Employment Rights Act 2025 as they could; a seriously mammoth task, but an act likely to impact just about every business and organisation.

“It has probably been about 16 years since there have been any meaningful changes on this scale.

“And there have been some really quite substantial changes, particularly around how you can go about dismissing staff,” said Hawrot.

You can read the rest of the article here - Five key takeaways for business ref The Employment Rights Act 2025.

Briefing notes…

🏊🏽‍♂️ Stroud’s much-loved Stratford Park lido could reopen this summer after civic chiefs agreed to look at doing the essential repairs needed to make it safe as soon as possible. Opening the outdoor swimming pool for this summer in its current state is deemed to be too dangerous for its users. However, Stroud District Councillors agreed last night (April 16) a way forward which could see the site open in time for the school summer holidays. More here.

💻 We don’t expect you to actually go to this one, but mention it more because we think it’s of interest. Attention never seems to be far away from the pending Golden Valley Development project, which aims to transform a site to the West of GCHQ in Cheltenham into a tech business park and major housing scheme. Together with the county’s ever-active cyber sector networking group, CyNam, the Golden Valley team is staging an event in Glasgow on April 22 to spread the word of the big plans for Gloucestershire.

🛒 Actress Joanna Lumley will be in Gloucestershire this month to officially ‘reopen’ Stroud’s Five Valley’s Shopping Centre after a £31 million investment by its owners, Yorkshire-based property developer Dransfield Properties. The business bought the centre in 2018 and has transformed the tired Merrywalks Centre. It is not only home to a cinema, bowling centre, office space, food hall and market, as well as a designer department store. Dame Joanne is expected on Thursday, April 23, for a 12.30pm opening.

💻 A specialist provider of data storage and hybrid-cloud ‘as a service’ technology, which also has a base in Gloucestershire, has been bought by the Sheffield-based Everything Tech Group of companies. Nexstor Ltd, which has a base at Elmbridge Court, Gloucester, has established partnerships with global firms including HPE, Veeam, Dell EMC, VMWare, Spectralogic and Seagate.

🏗️ Gloucestershire College (GC) and Barnwood Construction have signed a new strategic partnership that will see Barnwood’s emerging construction managers train through the college’s Level 4 Construction & Build Technician Apprenticeship. The programme integrates the Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) / HNC in Construction and the Built Environment, awarded by Pearson, providing apprentices with both a nationally recognised higher-level technical qualification and the practical skills required in modern construction management.

The Raikes Journal is a community interest company. Everything you read by us is made possible by our incredible Founding Partners: QuoLux, Willans LLP, Gloucestershire College, Merrell People, our sponsors, our Founding Members and wonderful paying subscribers.

If you upgrade to become a paid subscriber you’ll be part of this CIC too. You’ll help make us sustainable, be able to see past the paywalls, comment on our stories, and know you’re making possible the county’s only editorially-led platform dedicated to delivering quality journalism for Gloucestershire about its businesses, charities, education and training sectors.

Sign up for just £2.30 a week - or £1.80 a week if two or more people sign up at once. Or go all in and become one of our Founding Partners or Founding Members!

Subscribe now

Things to do this weekend…

Today (Friday)

🎭 John le Carré’s novel The Spy Who Came In From The Cold is brought to the stage today (7.30pm) and tomorrow (2pm and 7.30pm) at The Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham.

🏉 Gloucester Rugby play Bristol Bears away. KO 6.45 at Ashton Gate.

Saturday

⚽ Gloucester City FC play Yate Town away. KO 3pm.

⚽ Cheltenham Town FC play Newport County. KO 3pm.

⚽ Forest Green Rovers FC play Hartlepool away. KO 3pm.

Worth knowing now…

💻 Food and drink producers, suppliers, farming and hospitality businesses are being summoned to a meeting at Cheltenham’s Hub8 MX on Thursday 21 May staged by Food For Thought CIC. Lorrin White, the former CEO of Bamboo Technology now head of marketing and development at HCR Law, will give a masterclass on how to use Microsoft 365, how to reclaim your time, increase revenue and efficiency. Subsidised by Made in Gloucestershire, The Growth Hub and Gloucestershire County Council. From 10am till noon. Tickets are £10. More here.

🏇 Willans LLP solicitors and Cheltenham Open Door, the Cheltenham-headquartered law firm’s nominated charity for the year, invite you to join them for an evening of fun, fundraising and friendly competition. The entry fee, which all goes to the charity, puts you and a team in with a chance of winning one or more of six recorded races. Price includes two drinks and pizza. The date has been moved from the end of February to 23 April. At The Bottle of Sauce, Cheltenham, from 6pm. More here.

The Raikes Journal is a community interest company. Everything you read by us is made possible by our incredible Founding Partners: QuoLux, Willans LLP, Gloucestershire College, Merrell People, our sponsors, our Founding Members and wonderful paying subscribers.

If you upgrade to become a paid subscriber you’ll be part of this CIC too. You’ll help make us sustainable, be able to see past the paywalls, comment on our stories, and know you’re making possible the county’s only editorially-led platform dedicated to delivering quality journalism for Gloucestershire about its businesses, charities, education and training sectors.

Sign up for just £2.30 a week - or £1.80 a week if two or more people sign up at once. Or go all in and become one of our Founding Partners or Founding Members!

Subscribe now

How did Gloucestershire really win its share of a ‘£175m investment’?

A slice of £175m is coming to Gloucestershire to make it a centre for ‘world-class’ training in digital technologies, putting it at the heart of the UK’s industrial growth strategy.

This week news spread like wildfire that Gloucestershire College had been named as one of 19 further education institutions in line for a share of £175 million of investment after being awarded Technical Excellence Colleges status.

What wasn’t discussed in the press release or by anyone who published it was what this says about Gloucestershire and why it matters, how the money will be spent and why what the college is doing matters so much - not just here but to the whole of the UK.

It was considered a significant enough grand reveal for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to have his say, and his Skills Minister, Jacqui Smith, to state that the investment in Gloucestershire would make the training offered by our college ‘world class’, benefit ‘the whole country’, ‘drive growth’ and ‘deliver jobs’.

It was also an announcement that marked the college out as one of just five UK-wide to deliver “high-quality training in digital technologies”.

Starmer said Technical Excellence Colleges like Gloucestershire College would “put technical skills front and centre, opening up high‑quality jobs in the industries driving Britain’s future.”

“We are backing talent across the country, strengthening our workforce and making sure opportunity is built into the system – not left to chance,” he said.

The £175m of Government money brings together £97m from the Department for Education, £50m from the Ministry of Defence and £28m from the Department for Business and Trade to deliver the skilled workforce needed in Britain’s fastest-growing industries.

Smith said: “This is skills investment that works for learners, for employers, and for the regions driving growth across the country. They’ll deliver local jobs for local people, as well as growth for the whole of the country.”

The industries that will define Britain’s future, she said, were clean energy, advanced manufacturing, defence, digital - and there the UK needs a pipeline of highly skilled workers.

And according to Smith the UK needs to supply 600,000 more workers in these priority industries by 2030.

Those familiar with Gloucestershire’s economy will be aware of the high status given to its digital and cyber-sector-focused training routes to serve the numerous private firms that have sprung up in the shadow of Government spy base GCHQ, adjacent to the college’s Cheltenham campus.

And it is this that points towards the reason Gloucestershire is special; the relationships being forged here - when they are revealed - speak of cooperation, of support, of teamwork. The college is listening to what business wanted.

In his comments within the press release Andy Bates, chief financial officer at Gloucestershire College, which has campuses in Gloucester, Cheltenham and the Forest of Dean, picked out two of those relationships.

Another also was also mentioned in the release, which referred to how the college’s aims married exactly with those of the county’s own economic strategy.

“We are proud at Gloucestershire College to be recognised by the Department for Education as a Technical Excellence College for Digital as part of Wave 2, reflecting our strong partnerships with employers and CyNam, and our shared commitment to delivering high-quality, employer-led digital skills that support both local and national workforce needs.

“We look forward to building on the strong foundations we have already established, continuing to bring together employers and academic expertise to drive innovation and opportunity for learners.”

Hollie Wakefield, general manager at CyNam, the Cheltenham-based cyber-sector-focused networking group, was happy to step forward to offer her congratulations.

“Gloucestershire College earning TEC status in digital and technologies is a landmark moment and one CyNam is incredibly proud to celebrate,” said Wakefield.

“This recognition is a testament to their relentless drive to close the digital skills gap through industry-led, forward-thinking programmes.

“We can’t wait to see what this funding unlocks for further intervention in creating employer-led digital skills.”

As for those relationships with employers. The list is vast. The college currently provides bespoke training solutions to more than 1,300 employer-partners, welcoming 13,000 full-time and part-time learners annually.

Cllr Linda Cohen, cabinet member for education at Gloucestershire County Council, was also willing to underscore that working relationship with her own words of “congratulations”.

“This is a fantastic achievement for the college and for the county. At Gloucestershire County Council, we are committed to (the county) becoming a digital leader, with a strong focus on improving digital skills in our communities and enabling innovation for businesses to drive economic growth.

“We welcome the Government’s investment in Gloucestershire College. It is vital that the county can develop a future‑ready workforce and build a talent pool to grow the digital sector and support local businesses in an increasingly digital world.”

Those are just two organisations the college can call close friends. They also include the likes of the University of the West of England Institute of Technology, which it has partnered with to deliver its cyber degree apprenticeships programme, a course recognised by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

The NCSC being the public-facing bit of GCHQ, which incidentally is just yards from its Cheltenham campus which is the headquarters of its digital course and its £3m Advanced Digital Academy, a state-of-the-art cyber and computing training centre at its Cheltenham Campus named after Ada Lovelace, who is considered to have written the first computer programme ever - in 1843!

Why bang on about the relationships?

If Gloucestershire is to attract the vital investment it needs to continue to grow - including for the likes of the Golden Valley Development, the development planned for the other side of GCHQ that is expected to underline the significance of the cyber sector to the county it needs to show it can work together.

As for how will it spend its share of that £175m?

“This is difficult to define exactly at the moment. The next stage is for us to submit ‘high-quality’ costed delivery plans, setting out how we will spend revenue funding,” said a spokesman for the college,” said a spokesman for the college.

“The Government has set out five key aims for TECs: boosting skills provision that leads to in-demand and well-paid work, increasing quality, stronger partnerships with employers, collaborative delivery, and promoting ‘clear pathways’ to higher level learning or growth-driving industries.”

But one thing is clear, the college believes the investment “will be very transformational for the region and the digital and technologies sector”.

Some of that investment is expected to go into that Advanced Digital Academy.

Prospective students are invited to explore the cutting-edge facilities at the next open event in November.

The biggest shake-up of employment law in more than a decade brought scores to The Queen’s Hotel to learn how it will impact businesses in Gloucestershire and what they need to do.

The biggest shake-up of employment law in more than a decade brought scores to The Queen’s Hotel in Cheltenham to learn how it will impact their businesses and organisations.

And the example of how an individual who had not even worked a day at a business won three months’ pay for breach of contract underlined precisely why good advice is essential (if those in the room needed reminding!).

The real-life case study was just a small part of a presentation to the gathering of HR professionals and business people from across the sectors by legal experts from Cheltenham-headquartered firm Willans LLP solicitors.

It’s focus - the biggest shake-up to employment law in years; The Employment Rights Act 2025.

Hifsa O’Kelly, a partner at Willans, explained how the individual in the case study had barely made it through the interview process when the prospective employer withdrew their offer of a job.

A tribunal followed, and despite the interviewee or company having signed nothing, it found in the interviewee’s favour and the company was left paying three months’ wages.

The point being that a good understanding of the legal situation was key to ensure good processes were in place. And that was exactly what the seminar was there to achieve, staged by the CIPD in Gloucestershire and delivered by experts from the Cheltenham law firm’s employment law team.

Partners Jenny Hawrot, Simon Pathé, O’Kelly and trainee solicitor in our real estate team, Achante Anson, did the honours.

Their job was to explain to the 75 individuals at The Queen’s Hotel in Cheltenham as much of The Employment Rights Act 2025 as they could; a seriously mammoth task, but an act likely to impact just about every business and organisation.

“It has probably been about 16 years since there have been any meaningful changes on this scale.

“And there have been some really quite substantial changes, particularly around how you can go about dismissing staff,” said Hawrot.

A handful of key takeaways are below, but the team started by looking at the changes that have come in so far as a result of the Act, in February and at the start of this month (April), flagging those changes to come in June and July 2026 and those coming into force in 2027.

“Next year might sound like a long time away for those changes coming in then, but we are already in April. It is a good idea to start thinking about this now to make sure you are ready,” said Hawrot.

One of the key changes so far, she said, was to how businesses and organisations large must recognise trade unions.

“As of February 2026 you can no longer dismiss someone simply for being involved in strike action,” she explained.

And the law around how easily it is for a union to declare a lawful strike and how long that ballot granting them the right to call a strike has also been relaxed.

Hawrot covered changes to come, including to firing and rehiring staff, tribunal time limits, how employers will have to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment (all due in October 2026), consultations around tipping policies and how trade unions will have clearer rights of access to the workplace.

Achante Anson, looked at how rent increases had been impacted as well as changes to paternity leave and unpaid parental leave, how fathers were now able to take paternity leave after having also taken shared parental leave, changes to statutory sick pay, the removal of the three-day wait period and the lower earnings limit.

The Act also included the key increases to rates of pay, which also began from April 6, impacting the National Living Wage, apprentice rate, and changes to the vento bands - framework used by Employment Tribunals in the UK to determine compensation for injury to feelings in discrimination and whistleblowing claims.

Pathé raced through a long list of seemingly vast range, looking at everything from collective redundancy protective awards, changes to whistleblowing protections for sexual harassment, gender pay gap and actions plans, the new Fair Work Agency, mandatory requirements for organisations to have internal complaints procedures, gender pay gap and the menopause.

There was, he said, a new body to improve pay and conditions in social care, changes to unfair dismissal protection, an end to zero-hours contracts, increased pregnancy and maternity rights against dismissal, and the introduction of statutory bereavement leave, flexible working and collective redundancy.

O’Kelly returned to take the room on a deep dive into the world of AI in the workplace - how to use it, how not to, the wins and the danger areas.

The team wrapped up by directing everyone to its library of videos of seminars of everything from changes resulting from the Employment Law Act 2025 and news updates to its eLearn platform, home to almost 180 course modules from ‘menopause at work’ to ‘sexual harassment’ and ‘neurodiversity in the workplace’.

Click here to find our more about the timetable for changes being introduced in 2026

Five key takeaways…

Statutory Sick Pay now applies from day one: The old three-day waiting period for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is no more. SSP is now payable from day one of an employee’s sickness absence. The lower earnings limit has also been abolished, which means more workers, including those in lower-paid roles, now qualify for SSP when they previously didn’t.

Employment contracts and company policies need to be immediately updated: The Employment Rights Act 2025 brings in wide-reaching reforms changing worker protections, expanding statutory entitlements and strengthening the collective rights of employees. The first wave of reforms include changes to sick pay, paternity and parental leave and came into force this month (April 2026).

Paternity and parental leave from day one and partners get new bereavement leave: Staff were only entitled to paternity leave after 26 weeks and unpaid parental leave after one year, but both paternity leave and unpaid parental leave are now day-one rights. This also applies to all babies born and all adoption placements that began on or after Monday 6 April 2026. Bereaved fathers and partners can also now take up to 52 weeks of paternity leave if the mother dies within the first year of a child’s life.

Industrial action and trade union reforms: Processes to do with achieving trade union recognition have been simplified and the notice that trade unions need to give an employer before industrial action can be taken has been reduced. Further measures are expected to continue to be introduced for the rest of 2026 and into 2027, including easier pathways to union recognition, increasing the likelihood of unions organising in non-unionised workplaces and the legal risks of disciplinary action or dismissal.

Enhanced protections around redundancy: Businesses not living up to their statutory consultation duties around redundancy now face significantly increased financial risks. The maximum protective award due for failures in collective redundancy consultations has doubled under the Act to 180 days’ pay per affected employee.

Stroud’s much-loved Stratford Park lido could reopen this summer after civic chiefs agreed to look at doing the essential repairs needed to make it safe as soon as possible.

Opening the outdoor swimming pool for this summer in its current state is deemed to be too dangerous for its users.

However, Stroud District Councillor agreed last night (April 16) a way forward which could see the site open in time for the school summer holidays.

Three major hazards were found during a risk assessment conducted at the site in February this year.

These include several cracks in the concrete on the poolside directly beneath and next to the diving board. And the survey found excessive corrosion in the pipework and the pool tank.

Council chiefs estimate a £5.1 million upgrade is needed to make the lido sustainable for the long term.

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The war in the Middle East has intensified the intense economic pressures on Gloucestershire’s agri-sector, with concerns about food production, supply and a looming mental health crisis.

Rising costs, volatile markets, difficult weather and increasing pressures on labour - not helped by that war in Middle East - are increasing “real and growing pressure” on farmers.

You only have to look to what’s happening in Ireland to see the impact of that pressure, with farmers and truck hauliers blocking roads in protect and the Government threatening to send in the army.

And while the headlines around the Iran conflict (February 28, 2026) have otherwise been dominated by Donald Trump’s verbal missives, the damage being done on the ground here to Gloucestershire farmers and our agri-sector is very real.

It’s an impact that has made the county council sit up and take note, with councillors voting in favour of the authority doing whatever it can to support what councillors called ‘our vital rural businesses’.

Councillor Daryl Corps (pictured below) proposed a motion to fellow councillors, telling them that farmers across Gloucestershire were under “real and growing pressure”.

“Those who put food on our tables and care for our countryside are facing a perfect storm,” said Corps, the member for Moreton, Stow and the Rissingtons in the Cotswolds.

“Rising costs, volatile markets, difficult weather and increasing pressures on labour are all coming to squeeze already fragile margins.

“For many family farms this is not theoretical; these are businesses built over generations now facing long term financial uncertainty that simply does not reflect the reality of how farming income actually works.”

Many farmers, said Corps, were already working “incredibly hard” for “very modest returns”.

According to the county council’s own report (published in 2022), Gloucestershire’s agri-food sector employs more than 50,000 people - 14.9 per cent of the workforce - and generated a Gross Value Add of £1.39bn, or 8.8 per cent of the local economy.

Agriculture specifically supports 6,280 jobs and generated £333m annually, with crops accounting for £116m and livestock £181m. This output translates into a GVA of £102m after direct production costs. And that was using figures from 2017.

It’s a crisis that has become so significant that on a national level the NFU (National Farmer’s Union) recently met with the Defra Secretary of State, Emma Reynolds, and Farming Minister, Dame Angela Eagle, to discuss the UK’s food resilience.

In the words of the NFU farmers produce the raw ingredients that underpin the UK’s food and drink sector, pointing out this is the largest manufacturing sector in the UK, worth £146 billion and employing more than four million people.

Gloucestershire County Council’s cabinet will also be asked to conduct an audit of its procurement to ensure local produce is prioritised where financially reasonable.

It will also be asked to review all its catering facilities, including in directly controlled care homes and schools, to prioritise produce from the county to ensure it is doing everything it can to source from Gloucestershire producers and businesses.

A report has also been called for into the current success of the Made in Gloucestershire program, which seeks to support county-based food and drink producers, with a clear plan to address any shortcomings identified.

And as well as an initiative to promote the benefits of eating locally-produced fresh products, a public health plan will also be developed to promote services in the rural community to tackle the mental health issues arising from the current crisis in the sector.

Councillor Paul Hodgkinson (Bourton-on-the-Water and Northleach), who described himself as a representative of many of the county’s “hard-working farmers in the North Cotswolds”, also spoke in strong support of the motion from Corps.

Green Party councillor Chloe Turner added that she did not think the Government “understands the rural economy and farming in particular”.

The Minchampton councillor, who also leads Stroud District Council, said the Five Valleys local authority had tried to make farming and regenerative agriculture a “key plank” of its own economic strategy.

“We are a rural place, and it is a very important and special part of our heritage, but also our future and the way we want our economy to work,” she said.

“So we try to put resources towards the things farmers tell us that they want.”

The council voted unanimously to approve the proposals.

According to the NFU the impact of the Middle East conflict on farmers in Gloucestershire, just as it is for consumers, is real and happening right now.

As well as the difficulty of moving 20 per cent of the world’s oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, which borders Iran, one fifth of the global ammonia and urea supplies also travel through that narrow passage of sea.

Both are key components in food production, with fuel and fertiliser accounting for between 25 and 30 per cent of total costs.

Tom Bradshaw, the NFU president (pictured above), has warned that a protracted conflict in the region would have a “dramatic impact”, turning the world’s food supply chain “upside down”.

He called on the UK Government to take the threat to food production “seriously”.

Everything from the planting of crops, taking place mainly through March, as well as livestock and horticulture was now under “intense pressure”, according to the farmers union.

In February oil was $71 (US) on 27 February. As of 31 March Brent Crude trading around $112–$116 per barrel.

Fertiliser prices have so far risen by an estimated 27 per cent, red diesel has in some cases increased by 90 per cent, and kerosene prices have gone up between 21 per cent and 112 per cent.

We ditched two other stories today when we spotted this update on Gloucester Rugby. Cherry & Whites’ fans will no doubt already be aware of the latest update, but we thought it worth spreading the news to a wider audience.

How you interpret what is going on at the club would be interesting to know. On the face of it, the story below is about a campaign akin to a crowdfunding-type investment to expand Gloucester Rugby’s footprint across the West and push it up the rankings not just in the Premiership and as a feeder club for England.

But does it say anything else about the state of the game, or the club even, and a lack of funds generally currently across the board? Or does it smack of ambition and a desire to build for the future? Or both?

At least it gives fans a distraction, I guess.

The club’s men’s first team returns to the pitch on Friday, away against fifth-placed Bristol Bears hoping for a return to winning ways after a torrid season that has left it one point above second from bottom Harlequins.

It’s a run of results that has seen a restructure of the backroom staff - with George Skivington moving from director of rugby to head coach and Chris Boyd joining as technical director.

Best regards,

Andrew Merrell

Editor | 07956 926061 | LinkedIn: Andrew Merrell | andrew.merrell@raikesjournal.co.uk

Your briefing note...

🏘️ Housebuilder and housing association Two Rivers has secured £140 million to invest in new affordable homes in Gloucestershire. The Newent-headquartered business worked in partnership with funding advisers Centrus Financial, valuers Jones Lang Lasalle and legal advisers Trowers & Hamlins, to complete a deal worth £90m with Santander, and secured a further £50m revolving credit facility with Barclays Bank. Carol Dover, deputy chief executive for Two Rivers Housing, said “the new investment will allow us to continue to punch above our weight”.

Charity of the week: Parkinson’s UK

Anyone taking part in or passing the popular Cheltenham park run in Pitville Park on Saturday might have noticed different branding. That’s because the run was taken over by the charity Parkinson’s UK to mark World Parkinson’s Day.

It was particularly special for Longlevens resident Sarah Edgeworth, 47, who was behind the takeover. Edgeworth was inspired by her mum, Sue Duckworth, 73, who has been living with Parkinson’s for more than three decades.

“I wanted to organise something alongside Parkinson’s UK that would involve support groups across Gloucestershire. Cheltenham parkrun loved the idea because they’ve done charity takeovers before, and it felt like the perfect way to bring people together for a good cause,” said Edgeworth.

The takeover saw volunteers from Parkinson’s UK and local support groups helping to marshal and cheer on runners and walkers.

Ruth Wright, community fundraiser for the South West at Parkinson’s UK, said: “Sarah’s story shows the incredible strength and generosity within the Parkinson’s community.

“Parkinson’s is a complex brain condition that gets worse over time. Affecting 166,000 people in the UK, it has more than 40 symptoms, from tremor and pain to anxiety, and there is currently no cure.

“Events like this not only raise vital funds for research and support services, but also bring people together to show those living with Parkinson’s that they are not alone.”

For information and support, visit parkinsons.org.uk or call the charity’s free, confidential helpline on 0808 800 0303.

Diary Dates…

Tuesday - employment law updates and more: Key changes to UK employment law will be top of the agenda on Tuesday (14 April) morning when a team of experts from Willans LLP solicitors team up with the CIPD for a seminar at Queen’s Hotel, Cheltenham. Aimed at HR professionals and senior managers, lawyers including Jenny Hawrot, Simon Pathé and Hifsa O’Kelly (all partners at the Cheltenham firm) and Achante Anson will be leading from the front and on hand to answer questions too. On the agenda, the Employment Rights Act 2025, employment law implications of AI and case law updates. From 9.30am to 12.30pm. More here.

Future dates

🏇 Willans LLP solicitors and Cheltenham Open Door, the Cheltenham-headquartered law firm’s nominated charity for the year, invite you to join them for an evening of fun, fundraising and friendly competition. The entry fee, which all goes to the charity, puts you and a team in with a chance of winning one or more of six recorded races. Price includes two drinks and pizza. The date has been moved from the end of February to 23 April. At The Bottle of Sauce, Cheltenham, from 6pm. More here.

The Raikes Journal is a community interest company. Everything you read by us is made possible by our incredible Founding Partners: QuoLux, Willans LLP, Gloucestershire College, Merrell People, our sponsors, our Founding Members and wonderful paying subscribers.

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Gloucester Rugby putting relationship with the fans to the test

Fans asked to find £500,000 to help Gloucester Rugby meet its investment goals have pushed forward in numbers, but in rugby parlance, while they’re over the 22, they’re still some way short.

Gloucester Rugby has long been one of those teams where the fan-base is regarded as a significant force and vital to its success. And that relationship is currently being well and truly tested.

Fans were asked back in October to help raise £500,000 by buying shares in the club, and it looks like they have duly obliged, but the Kingsholm operation is still significantly short of the line - by almost £300,000.

Its last set of accounts show the Premiership club made a loss of close to £500,000, with commentators putting the numbers in the context of an English game that continued to struggle generally to turn a profit.

If you are a fan and unfamiliar with the numbers, before you get too disheartened it’s worth pointing out the loss was on a turnover of £14.9 million - and it is the smallest loss among the league’s 10 clubs.

In a video message just recently released the club’s multi-millionaire owner and chairman, Martin St Quinton sounded upbeat, calling the chance to own shares (from £250 upwards. A single share priced at £4.08) “a very sound investment”.

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Welcome to the first post-Easter briefing.

We’ve gone big today on an exciting story that aims to seed-fund change and shake up the county’s arts and culture sector to deliver more accessibility, more diversity, more opportunity and more jobs in a sector with great potential.

The Gloucestershire-based charitable trust and partners behind the investment for change believe the plan it has will also force lasting change.

Devolution for the arts and culture sector, if you like.

Some will say the county already has a vibrant arts and culture scene, and the trust and its partners do not disagree. But their intention is to openly disrupt the status quo in a sector which has been judged UK-wide to be one of “growing inequality, especially across class, ethnicity, and regions”.

In short, people from more middle-class backgrounds continue to dominate the sector, and the gap between ‘middle class’ and ‘working class’ people attending events like live music performances is growing.

The gro…

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Stroud-headquartered ecological consultancy Wildwood Ecology has been bought after a year of “huge growth” by rival the Ecology Group.

The ecological partner for architecture and planning businesses has delivered impact statements for clients across the county and into Wales and has worked with organisations including the National Trust, McLoughlin Planning and local authorities.

Wildwood’s managing director Richard Dodd described the move as positive for the business which is based at Brimscombe Mill Business Park and employs more than 20 staff.

Dodd aid: “Joining the Ecology Group is a great opportunity to continue that growth, exploring new areas and enabling us to deliver outstanding client-focused services to more people.”

Wildwood Ecology certified as a B Corporation in 2019 and also picked up our first Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) award as Small Consultancy of the Year.

It has since been awarded the title in 2021, 2023 and 2025.

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A big read for the long bank holiday weekend ahead dominates this edition.

Whenever we run appointment and promotions stories at the county’s leading professional services firms, as we did yesterday about the seven promotions at law firm Willans LLP, the curtains always twitch madly across Gloucestershire’s business community.

It was a timely announcement because we had already been lucky enough to sit down with one of those mentioned, new partner Charlotte Cowdell.

For anyone wishing to learn just what kind of career pathway can lead them to such a position, find out how Cowdell helps numerous county charities achieve successful decisions, or would just like to learn more about one of the rising stars of the county’s legal scene, we think the article makes for a great read.

We also do our thing with this week’s news from Gloucester City Homes which, together with construction partner Cape Homes, announced the delivery of 17 new homes. Which means we asked just how big the c…

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Gloucester Cathedral hosted its first-ever business networking event in collaboration with corporate partner WSP Solicitors - bringing over 100 business owners and the county’s professional community together in one of the city’s most inspiring settings.

Held in the Chapter House, located within the Cathedral’s famous Cloister, attendees – including businesses Cass Stephens, Handelsbanken, Hazelwoods, John Morgan Partnership, St James’s Place and Bruton Knowles - heard talks from The Very Reverend Andrew Zihni, Dean of Gloucester, and Antony Feltham King, architect for the Cloister Project.

The Cloister Project is part of a 12-year conservation programme focused on preserving one of the Cathedral’s most iconic and historically significant spaces. Work is currently underway on the East Walk, where urgent repairs are needed to protect historic stonework, roof structures and stained glass.

Dean Andrew also spoke about their wellbeing, education and cultural ambitions, as well as its music programme which includes Gloucester Cathedral Organ Festival taking place between the 13-15 June, celebrating the region’s musical talent and the unveiling of its new organ.

The festival will feature a range of high-profile events over two days, including a gala concert with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and internationally renowned organist Thomas Trotter, which will be recorded by BBC Radio 3.

Performances and educational activities involving young musicians from across Gloucestershire are also taking place. The event will mark the soft launch of the Cathedral’s Organ Academy - part of its wider In Tune: Music & Organ Campaign, aimed at widening access to music and supporting the next generation of talent.

The Very Reverend Andrew Zihni, Dean of Gloucester, said: “We were delighted to welcome the local business community to Gloucester Cathedral for this Networking Breakfast in partnership with our friends at WSP Solicitors.

“It was wonderful to continue that legacy of bringing people together within these sacred walls - a tradition the Cathedral has upheld as part of its Christian mission and Benedictine tradition for more than 900 years.

“We hope guests shared meaningful conversations, formed new connections and gained a deeper insight into the Cathedral’s fabric and music projects, which are helping to secure the future of this remarkable space. The Cathedral is a place for everyone, and we hope many attendees will return for future visits and events.”

Camella Cephas, Managing Director at WSP Solicitors, added: “We are proud to have partnered with Gloucester Cathedral for its first networking breakfast – it was fantastic to have so many local businesses in attendance, both to support the Cathedral, and to network, build ongoing relationships, and to collaborate.

“The Cathedral is an iconic part of our city and an important focal point for different communities across the region. It was fantastic to hear directly from them on the scale and cultural importance of the restoration projects currently underway as well as all the other exciting educational programmes it has coming up this year.”

For more information on Gloucester Cathedral Organ Festival and further events, including up-and-coming business breakfasts, please visit - https://gloucestercathedral.org.uk/whats-on.

This press release was sent to The Raikes Journal by Headon PR in April 2025.

* If you want to see your releases featured here, and included on our email editions, email the editor.

The Raikes Journal is a digital magazine and community interest company whose supporters believe, like us, that journalism about Gloucestershire is worth keeping alive. Everything you read on The Raikes Journal is made possible by our incredible Founding Partners: QuoLux, Willans LLP, Gloucestershire College, Merrell People and Randall & Payne, our sponsors and our Founding Members and wonderful paying subscribers.

If you upgrade to paid you will be able to see past the paywalls on our second and third email editions of the week, that lock all our archive after two weeks and lock our rolling Top 100 Businesses in Gloucestershire, the series that follows the financial fortunes of our biggest firms by turnover. You will be able to comment on our stories too. You’ll be helping make this CIC sustainable. Please do join us.

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£3.4m investment helps tackles Gloucestershire’s “urgent need” for new homes

Seventeen new houses have come on the market thanks to Gloucester City Homes and its construction partner Cape Homes, as the county battles to house 5,000 households.

Attached to every story of housebuilding comes stories of joy, as people look to get the keys to their new homes. And then there is the bigger picture of the many thousands still waiting for their own happy ending.

Gloucester City Homes announcement that it has just completed 13 energy efficient homes in Longford, just north of Gloucester, with four more due in the coming months, is more good news for those waiting.

“Demand for secure and genuinely affordable homes is rising sharply in the local area,” according to the city-based housing association, adding that there was an “urgent need for more”.

The one and two-bedroom maisonettes and two and three-bedroom houses all come with dedicated parking and private gardens and will be allocated through a system independent of GCH, which will manage the properties - along with the 5,000-plus is is already in charge of.

The waiting list is held by Gloucester City Council through the county-wide choice-based lettings scheme, Homeseeker Plus. Anyone looking for social housing in Gloucestershire applies through this scheme and is given a priority band based on their level of need.

“Once registered, applicants can bid for available properties across all participating housing providers, including GCH. Shortlists are then created, with those in the highest priority, typically Gold band, placed at the top. Given the level of demand, in reality it is usually only households in this highest band who are successful.

“The scale of the challenge is significant. There are more than 5,000 households currently on the waiting list, while GCH typically has no more than around 250 homes become available each year. This means demand for social housing far outstrips supply.

“When a property becomes available, GCH works through the shortlist in priority order. Prospective tenants are contacted, invited to view the home, and go through pre-tenancy checks, including affordability assessments. If the property is not suitable, the offer moves to the next person on the list.

“For these particular homes in Longford, Tewkesbury Borough Council has an additional condition that applicants need to have a local connection to Tewkesbury i.e. they must work or have family in the area to be eligible.”

Guy Stenson, GCH’s CEO said “Everyone deserves a high-quality, secure and genuinely affordable home as the foundation for a healthy and stable life. These are homes for life – thoughtfully designed and sustainable. They will give families and individuals the foundation to plan for the future, stay close to schools, jobs and support networks, and be part of a thriving community.”

All homes in the scheme are for social rent and built to high environmental standards, achieving EPC A ratings thanks to features such as air source heat pumps and solar PV panels. More than one third are designed to support independent living, with step-free layouts, wider doorways, level thresholds, accessible parking and wet rooms. One home includes a height-adjustable kitchen for wheelchair users.

Councillor Alex Hegenbarth, Lead Member for Communities and Housing at Tewkesbury Borough Council, said the development “set a benchmark for sustainable living”.

All GCH homes are advertised through Gloucestershire’s Homeseeker lettings system www.homeseekerplus.co.uk.

Regular readers will see we have rather broken with our usual routine of a Monday edition, an infrequent Thursday story and a Friday edition (we hope you’re enjoying the ride still). Normal service will resume post-Easter.

In the meantime, here’s the latest take on the defunct sale of publicly-owned Gloucestershire Airport. We wish we had better news to say about it (and as a matter of fact we do, just not today).

The tale focuses on some of the numbers that have emerged around the airport and the deal, why the deal might have collapsed, and we repeated a comment from the leader of Gloucester City Council, that “no one is to blame” for where we are with it all. I can sense blook boiling in various quarters already.

Special thanks to Carmelo Garcia from the BBC for the bulk of this one. The Raikes Journal is the only independent news outlet in Gloucestershire allowed to use the BBC local government reporter’s copy. We’ve done some additional reporting too - and left the commen…

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I hope you had a good week.

Below is our take on a story reported elsewhere as a simple hotel opening. As usual, look beyond the press release and a bigger picture comes into view.

In this case, that bigger picture is pretty positive indeed, especially when we’re talking about a sector lumped in with hospitality - which has received more than its fair share of worrying headlines of late.

The question we wanted to know was why on earth has a major hotel chain decided to buck the general trend of investing mainly in London, and some of the UK’s major cities, and come to Gloucester? And why did it get 1,000 pre-bookings before it even opened. What did it know that we didn’t?

If I told you people wanted to come to Gloucester for the culture it offers, would you believe me? You should. Apparently it’s true.

Special thanks to Ryan Moore, from county-based accountants Randall & Payne, for some expert insight into what’s going on in the hotel sector in the county. It may surprise you…

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Well aware a new hotel opens at The Forum in Gloucester today, we thought we’d ignore it. Not because it’s not a story, but because we’re working on something more about it than telling ‘a new hotel has opened’. And there is much more to tell, as you’ll see later this week.

When we do publish that story it should change your view about Gloucester and what’s happening in the city, right under our noses.

We also have more news on Gloucestershire Airport which is far more uplifting than the depressing situation that emerged when the collapse of the deal to sell the site was revealed.

But we’re saving that too.

Which brings us to today. Aside from the series of briefing notes below - including news of Ripjar, new restaurants in Gloucester, JM Socials, Pennant International and Gloucestershire Airport, we’ve backtracked somewhat to focus on the rise and rise of one of Gloucestershire’s most prominent family firms. We’ve been sitting on the story for a while now!

The detail we use actually became public at the very end of last year, but as no one else has yet even mentioned it we wanted to share - because it’s positive, and we all need a bit of that every now and again.

Congratulations to the Markey family and everyone who works at its group of businesses.

And speaking of significant growth, there’s a nice little story about Gloucester-based cold storage firm P&M Group too. With special thanks to Turn the Tables PR.

Best regards,

Andrew Merrell (editor).

The Raikes Journal is a community interest company. Everything you read by us is made possible by our incredible Founding Partners: QuoLux, Willans LLP, Gloucestershire College, Merrell People and Randall & Payne, our sponsors, our Founding Members and wonderful paying subscribers.

If you upgrade to become a paid subscriber you’ll be part of this CIC too. You’ll help make us sustainable, be able to see past the paywalls, comment on our stories, and know you’re making possible the county’s only editorially-led platform dedicated to delivering quality journalism for Gloucestershire about its businesses, charities, education and training sectors.

Sign up for just £2.30 a week - or £1.80 a week if two or more people sign up at once. Or go all in and become one of our Founding Partners or Founding Members!

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Acquisition revealed as turnover grows from £58m to £88m

The rapid growth of Gloucester-headquartered cold storage solutions specialists The P&M Group continues with the firm revealing another acquisition. It’s just bought Bradford-based HBCL Coldstores. Turnover has increased significantly for the city business, from £58 million in 2024/25 to £88m in 2025/26 with the firm predicting its “upward trajectory will continue”. Growth, it says, is driven by increased e-commerce demand, pharmaceutical logistics and food sector requirements. The deal also adds 27 more staff to the books of the group.

Your briefing notes…

🍽️ Two new restaurants are heading for Gloucester Quays. The ever-changing landscape of the Quays retail and leisure offer will see COSMO Restaurant Group open Umami in the vacant units next to Jack Wills on Orchard Street, serving Chinese, Italian, Indian and British dishes. Work to refit the space is due to start in April. And Muse Brasserie is due to open in the space formerly occupied by Côte Brasserie. Described as French-fusion food, it already has restaurants in Cheltenham and Bristol. Both will arrive hot on the heels of Banchina Italian, which has moved into the former TGI Friday’s space on Llanthony Road.

👷🏼‍♀️Will removal of the glass bridge between the Regent Arcade in Cheltenham and Cavendish House really make way for a new rooftop restaurant with views across the town? It’s certainly a proposal that’s gone to planning committee at the town’s borough council. But it’s also been on the cards for a number of years too. Weaver Demolition is not in situ in Regent Street and has begun the work on the bridge. All the businesses close to - even Japanese restaurant Kibou, which has an entrance directly beneath the bridge’s new scaffolded undercarriage - remain open.

🍺 Cheltenham-based pub and restaurant chain JM Socials has emerged as the new owners of the newly reopened Tavern on Royal Well Place in the town. The pub closed its doors in January after the previous owners had only been behind the bar for 12 months. But now it’s back, under the ownership of Jay Rahman, from JM Socials. Husband-and-wife team Thomas and Kathryn Law will run the kitchen. Rahman’s business now has 10 pubs and restaurants in Gloucestershire and Oxford.

🛩️ Calls for citizens’ assembly to decide the future of Gloucestershire Airport: There are calls for residents to have more of a say on the future of Gloucestershire Airport in the form of a citizens’ assembly. Plans to sell the 375-acre site in Staverton, which is jointly owned by Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucester City Council, fell through earlier this month after more than eight months of negotiations. Horizon Aero Group, the preferred bidder, was unable to raise the capital required to complete the purchase of the site. The councils are now exploring a number of potential options.

📉 Pennant International Group, the systems support software and training solutions company, has reported a ‘challenging year’ with its revenue falling from £13.8m to £9.7m. It also reported an adjusted EBITDA loss of £400,000 compared to £1.7m profit in 2024. Adjusted pre-tax losses increased to £1.9m from a £300,000 loss the year before. The year also saw the firm undergo a restructuring. It said it enters 2026 with “the group enters the year with increasing momentum and a clearer pathway to sustainable performance and profitability”.

Family business saw turnover rise by almost £10m

We turn our attentions to a family business that’s grown from a husband and wife team in a Gloucester back street to a major success story; a group with a joint turnover that just keeps growing.

Something about family businesses captures the imagination, especially when the story begins with a husband and wife team and the simple need to make a living. The ones that go on from there to become significant operations are even more special, and their stories well worth telling.

Which is why we thought we would zoom in on MG Markey Group, a business empire built by the Markey family that has created hundreds of jobs since its foundation and which actually published the figures we reference here at the very end of 2025.

Today the prominent family firm is a force that employs 300-plus staff (14 of which were created in the last 12 months) and its turnover places it within our Top 100 Businesses in Gloucestershire series, which follows the fortunes of the county’s biggest companies by turnover.

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There are calls for residents to have more of a say on the future of Gloucestershire Airport in the form of a citizens’ assembly.

Plans to sell the 375-acre site in Staverton, which is jointly owned by Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucester City Council, fell through earlier this month after more than eight months of negotiations.

Horizon Aero Group, the preferred bidder, was unable to raise the capital required to complete the purchase of the site.

The councils are now exploring a number of potential options for the airport but there is not expected to be any immediate impact on the day-to-day operation of the airport or the businesses based there.

And council chiefs say their main priority with the airport now is to maintain its operational continuity and support the many aviation-related businesses based at the airfield.

But Green Party councillors in Cheltenham believe a citizens’ assembly should be set up to allow residents to have their say on the airport’s future.

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