Charities in Gloucestershire face a bleak 2025

County charities say a serious crisis awaits them in 2025 as measures announced in the Chancellor's Budget kick in, taking money directly from their frontline services.

Dear Readers,

Just as we were about to publish today news broke of the death of one of Gloucestershire’s most successful businessmen and most inventive entrepreneurs ever.

Sir David McMurtry, the founder of engineering and technology firm Renishaw, a firm that today employs 5,000 people in 36 countries, has died aged 84.

As a journalist covering Gloucestershire for the best part of a quarter of a century I had the pleasure of interviewing Sir David.

He was a man who seemed without ego, eternally curious, inspirational, and someone who, despite his achievements, did not seek the limelight.

He spoke up for what he believed in and felt if the UK put more value on its ability to invent, to make and to develop technology, it would be in a better place.

Those who understand engineering declared him a genius.

We join others by paying a small tribute to him below.

As for today’s lead - it comes after The Raikes Journal spoke to a number of county charities to see if the national picture - of a sector heading for a financial crisis - was also the case here in Gloucestershire.

Why the negative focus? It follows the announcements by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in her Budget that businesses and charities will face a rise in National Insurance contributions, a rise in the minimum wage and a lowering of the threshold at which NI contributions will be paid.

Business was up in arms straight away, as you can see why, but the charity and care sector’s campaign to seek an exception for a sector shouldering so much of what some might call our front line services looked promising. But it has now come to nought.

Every Monday we try to introduce you to a charity doing great things in Gloucestershire, many of them supported by relationships with the business community. It looks like those relationships are about to become more important than ever as those unofficial frontline services face some difficult decisions.

As we say in the story, the Budget decisions have left many dumbfounded and the anger among some we spoke to was palpable.

Andrew Merrell (editor).

NB: Raikes publishes probably the best-read business-related email ‘newsletter’, pound for pound, in Gloucestershire.

If you have a story, an issue, a news item, a charity or an interview you want us to write about or investigate, challenge the powers that be on, then please email me: andrew.merrell@raikesjournal.co.uk.

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Renishaw announces the death of its founding father, Sir David McMurtry

Sir David McMurtry, the co-founder of one of Gloucestershire’s most successful ever businesses and one of the nation’s most successful entrepreneurs, has died.

Sir David went from an apprentice at Rolls Royce to self-made billionnaire after co-founding county-headquartered engineering giant Renishaw with colleague John Deer.

Together the pair grew the business off the back of an ability to continually push the boundaries of engineering and solve problems for manufacturing businesses world-wide.

The wotton-under-Edge-based company delivered an update to the Stock Exchange today expressing its “profound sadness” at news of Sir David’s sudden death.

Sir David Grant, interim non-executive chairman of Renishaw, said: “David was a uniquely talented engineer and his curiosity and drive helped to create a globally respected engineering company.

“His legacy will live on through the culture of innovation he helped to create in Renishaw.

“The board’s deepest sympathies are with David’s wife and family.”

Although he made Gloucestershire his home, Sir David was born in Dublin in 1940, moving to the UK to pursue a career in aerospace.

It was this that took him to Rolls Royce’s Bristol engine plant where he became the youngest assistant chief of engine design for the firm.

And it was there he invented the product that launched Renishaw - a 3D touch-trigger probe to measure the Olympus engines for Concord aircraft.

It was to lead to a revolution, enabling measuring of machined components and finished assemblies to a degree of accuracy not possible before.

Permission to patent the design under his own name was what led Sir David and Deer to see the potential of the technology, and they left the firm to found Renishaw.

It was not the engineer’s only invention. His name is on some 47 patents at Rolls Royce alone and more than 150 at Renishaw.

His contribution to engineering has been recognised again and again.

In recent years the octogenarian pursued the development of an all-electric supercar, called McMurtry Spéirling, which debued at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2021. Production is due to begin at a new Gloucestershire factory.

Today Renishaw is a world-leader in not just engineering, but technology for healthcare and many other sectors and employs an esimated 5,000 globally.

Sir David stepped down as chief executive in 2018 and as chairman of the Wotton-under-Edge-headquartered firm in June this year.

Renishaw’s latest financial year, the 12 months to 30 June, 2024, saw revenue of £691.3 million and a pre-tax profit of £122.5 million.

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Gloucester Rotary Club’s Santa Run. How you can join in the fun!

When The Raikes Journal spoke to city Santa Run organisers Matt Cass at the recent Believe in Gloucester Awards he said his ambition was to one day ‘fill the whole of King’s Square with Santas!’. Cass walked away from the awards with a winner of the Ambassador of the Year Award – sponsored by the University of Gloucestershire. It was the annual craziness that is the Santa run that helps swing the judges in his favour, a event where scores of runners of all calibres and ages gather in red jackets and hats with white furry trim to take on a 5k circuit (walking or jogging) of the city as visitors go about their Christmas shopping. Officially this is a Rotary Club of Gloucester event. Last year it raised £2,400 for good causes! You can still help them add to that total by entering. Numbers are currently at 535 runners. You know you want to! Click here.

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Your briefing notes…

🏗️ Despite tendering all year for someone to take over the former Chambers public house in Gloucester’s revamped King’s Square no one has been able to convince the city council they are the ones to take the prime location forward. Jeremy Hilton, the leader of the city council, told the BBC’s local news reporter Carmelo Garcia, that it was likely a new tenant for the 3,500 suare foot building would be named when the work to the adjacent Forum development was complete. The £107m scheme is transforming the once run-down bus station area into a new retail, office and leisure space.

🏘️ Looking into 2025 – Willans LLP, the Cheltenham headquartered law firm, is due to stage a special property seminar in January. If you’re a buy-to-let property owner or considering entering the market it could be of interest to you. The firm’s experienced property lawyers Suzanne O’Riordan and James Melvin-Bath, as well as guest speakers Vanessa Clark of Azets and Paul Davis of Ludice Wealth Management Ltd, will tackle topics including practical tips on how to boost and protect your investment property portfolio. A guide to managing your investment property in 2025 is due to take place on Tuesday 14 January from 5.30 to 7pm at Gloucester Guildhall. To find out more and to register click here.

🎁 You can still drop in your donations to the annual madness and incredible effort that is Hamper Scamper. This is the food and gift appeal aimed at helping households across the county and beyond to have an enjoyable festive season too. In 2023 the campaign, spearheaded by Cheltenham charity Caring for Communities and People, distributed an incredible 2,049 hampers and fulfilled 1,970 children’s gift wishes, supporting 65 different charities, schools, agencies and services along the way. You can drop off your donation, if you are quick. Find out more here.

👨‍🏫 Are you still trying to digest the Chancellor’s news in the Autumn Budget about National Insurance contributions? Randall & Payne is gearing up to stage a special clinic for business leaders and owners focusing specifically on the subject. Will Abbott, a partner at accountants and the man who will be leading the seminar, has a plan every business should be able to put in place to help mitigate the impact of changes to NI. The bootcamp is due to take place on Wednesday 11 December from 9am to 1pm.

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* 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 Hartpury University and Hartpury College, our Founding Members and wonderful paying subscribers.

If you upgrade to paid you’ll be part of this community interest company too. We are dedicated to delivering quality journalism for Gloucestershire, to championing the county, in particular its businesses, charities, education and training providers, and to helping create an even stronger community. If you upgrade to paid you will be able to see past the paywalls often put 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 series. You will be able to comment on our stories too. You’ll be helping make this CIC sustainable.

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Things to do

Tuesday:

• CyNam, along with industry experts Pivot Labs, Wynne-Jones IP and Barclays Eagle Labs, are due to stage day-two of the Tech Founder Lab Bootcamp at Cheltenham’s MX Innovation Centre - aimed at startups and would-be entrepreneurs to help them bring their visions to life.

• Maggie’s Cheltenham Candlelit Carol Concert 2024. Featuring a special performance from Giffords Circus, the Beauregard Youth Choir, a seasonal medley from leading brass band Flowers Band - and the harmonious voices Maggie’s Choir. From 7pm to 9.30pm.

Wednesday:

• The county’s net zero conference is due to take place today at the University of Gloucestershire’s Business School, Oxstalls. It aims to bring together key local decision-makers and experts on sustainability in business to share ideas and inspire.

• The Growth Hub in Stroud is due to stage ‘Be Your Own Boss’, a one-day workshop designed to equip aspiring entrepreneurs with the tools and knowledge to launch and grow a successful business.

• The Growth Hub in Cheltenham is due to stage The Power of SEO: A beginners crash course in the subject from 9.30am to 12.30pm.

Thursday:

• Hub8 by Plexal, the Cheltenham town centre workspace dedicated to the cyber community, is due to stage another of its regular Cyber Sips networking events from 8.30am in partnership with Brink Coffee, CyNam, and The Growth Hub Cheltenham. There is a Hub8 Christmas carol service at 4pm too.

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Charities in Gloucestershire face a bleak 2025

County charities say a serious crisis awaits them in 2025 as measures announced in the Chancellor's Budget kick in, taking money directly from their frontline services.

By Andrew Merrell.

The Raikes Journal has spoken to a number of county charities that said, off the record, they are not ruling out redundancies due to the National Insurance hike announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves for early 2025.

All of them are organisations doing vital work supporting our county’s communities, our most needy neighbours, our young and old and everyone in between. And all of them face the same issue.

Demand for their services has risen as the age of austerity squeezed funding in local authorities and made them the first port of call or the safety net for many.

Partnerships with businesses, some of their most significant donors, evolved and they have been able to steady the ship and grow.

And then the Chancellor stepped up to deliver her Autumn Budget, and their world changed – as it did for businesses too.