“One of the best decisions we’ve ever made as a business” says Olympic veteran
It's not often that a business widely regarded as a success, that's been picked for the Olympic Games, admits it needs help. This Gloucestershire firm did, and it led to a ground-breaking revelation.
Dear readers,
Welcome to Monday’s full edition of The Raikes Journal. (You may already have received a single story we sent out as well. A short version of that also runs below).
Today we carry an exciting story about a proposed development that could transform Gloucester Dock.
But we lead on a story that points eyes towards an event due to be staged by one of the Founding Partners of The Raikes Journal.
That story is about a business that has been chosen by more than one Olympic Games as its supplier of choice, and a business based right here in Gloucestershire.
You might have thought a company with such incredible pedigree and reputation, and a turnover of nearly £30 million, would not be facing any challenges around recruitment. But it seems - on this front at least - it’s just like many others.
And admitting it was on something of a learning curve and in need of support led to it making what it called ‘one of the best business decisions its ever made’.
It found that support right here in Gloucestershire and we think the interview with Megan Hedges, talent acquisition specialist at the business, is worth sharing because its very likely what she reveals could benefit many, many more businesses.
Best regards,
Andrew Merrell (editor).
Plans for six-storey block of 141 flats at Gloucester Docks
Plans to build a new six-storey building with 141 flats, what is seen as ‘the missing piece of the regeneration of Gloucester Docks’, have been revealed. The Canal and River Trust, in partnership with development company bloc, wants to build the new homes at West Quay between Llanthony Road and Severn Road. The proposals, which have just been submitted to Gloucester City Council, would provide a mix of one and two bedroom apartments specifically for rent. More here.
Briefing Notes
💷 Once hailed as the greatest legacy of GFirst LEP by the woman who led the powerful business group for a decade, Diane Hill (nee Savory) OBE DL, an axe has hung over The Growth Hub network for some time now. The six centres spread county-wide were set up to support businesses and help them grow. For the last three years funding has come largely from the Government’s Shares Prosperity Fund, but those funds were due to run out in March. However, £250,000 has been secured from the City Region Board, enough to keep them going for another year. The centres are in Gloucester, Cheltenham, Stroud, the Forest of Dean, Tewkesbury and Cirencester.
☕ Beloved Kingsholm café, refill shop and community hub, Roots, is facing closure. Unless a new investor or owner can be found the current owners of the Gloucester operation will be forced to shut the business blaming rising costs which have seen it run up £8,000 of debt. It is expected the owner of the building will put it on the market shortly afterwards. Roots is calling on anyone in a position to potentially take the business over to get in touch before February 11 2026. More here.
Charity of the week: Meningitis Now
After a successful stint raising funds for Teckels Animal Sanctuary which saw the charity label Randall & Payne ‘its most valuable corporate partner ever’, the Leckhampton-headquartered accountants has announced it will be fundraising for a new charity partner in 2026-2027. It’s decision allows us to turn the spotlight on another incredible Gloucestershire charity, Meningitis Now, headquartered in Stroud. The organisation works tirelessly to raise awareness of the life-threatening condition, an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord (meninges). It aims is to save lives, support those impacted. Its also funds research into vaccines and prevention. Laura Williams, corporate fundraising manager at Meningitis Now, said: “We are delighted to welcome Randall & Payne as our new charity partner. Their commitment to supporting our work means so much to us, especially in a year that will see us mark our 40th Anniversary.” Shaun Pegler, partner at Randall & Payne, said: “We are looking forward to playing an active role in supporting the charity’s vital work, through fundraising and awareness-raising initiatives.” Find out more about the charity here.
Diary dates
Tuesday
Real Estate unlocked: Dispute Resolution seminar. We’re flagging this one well-ahead of its start-date. On 3 February at 3.45pm to 5.30pm the team from Willans LLP solicitors, one of the Founding Partners of The Raikes Journal, will deliver the second in a series covering everything from lease terms to litigation. Insight and networking opportunities. More here.
Relaxed networking with the Property & Curry Club at the Indian Brasserie, Cheltenham. For landlords and investors. From 6.30pm to 9.30pm. More here.
Wednesday
How to get more leads through your website. Stroud’s Growth Hub stages this event, led by trainer and seo specialist Helen Maltby, from 9am to 2.30pm. More here.
Thursday
The Property Forum - Regeneration - Value, Vision, Viability: An eclectic panel of Gloucestershire experts will discuss regeneration - viability, design, investment and partnership working at The Forum, Gloucester. More here.
Friday
Talk Business Women - Talk Business members and 1st time attendee guests: Due to take place at The Ivy, Cheltenham Brasserie, from 10am to 11.30am. 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 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!
“One of the best decisions we’ve ever made as a business” says Olympic veteran
It’s not often that a business widely regarded as a success, that’s been picked for the Olympic Games, admits it needs help. This Gloucestershire firm did, and it led to a ground-breaking revelation.
By Andrew Merrell.
You might have thought a business with a turnover of nearly £30 million, a leader in its field and preferred supplier to more than one Olympic Games, would not really face any recruitment challenges.
But in that sense at least, PKL, based just north of Cheltenham at Bishop’s Cleeve, is like many other companies - the demands on its business change, and so does the jobs market.
Founded in 1988, the firm won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2009 and has provided kitchen equipment that fed the athletes at the Olympic Games in Sydney, London and Rio, the British Army in Bosnia and numerous others.
At the 2012 London Games alone its kitchens enabled the Athletes Village to deliver 60,000 meals served per day throughout the event.
Its accounts for the year ending 31 December 2024 show it turned over £27.4 million, employed 119 staff and made an operating profit of £8.1 million.
But even with all its expertise and resource, and as a contributor to the Government’s Apprenticeship Levy scheme that funds apprenticeship training, PKL knew when it came to considering its first apprentice it needed the right support.
Megan Hedges, talent acquisition specialist at the firm, said its search for that support led to “one of the best decisions we’ve made as a business”.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to see someone develop, build new skills, and grow both professionally and personally,” said Hedges.
“Beyond that, apprenticeships provide a practical way to build talent that’s aligned to your business needs and values while addressing skills gaps in a sustainable way.”
It’s also a move that puts PKL in line with Government thinking. The Government has just made apprenticeships for under-25s free for SMEs in an effort to encourage a higher take up.
For PKL, the journey began with a proper deep dive into where it was facing skills issues.
“We identified an area of the business where traditional recruitment had consistently been challenging, largely due to the specific skills and attributes required for the role.
“This prompted us to look for a different approach, which led us to engage with Gloucestershire College,” said Hedges.
The college is about to stage a special apprenticeship open evening for firms to showcase apprenticeships on offer through them and other businesses county-wide, and to help promote the support it can give anyone - business or apprentice - wanting to know more.
“We would strongly recommend leaning on your college representative for guidance throughout the journey, their knowledge, experience, and ongoing support remove much of the uncertainty and make the process far easier than many employers expect,” said Hedges.
“The process itself was straightforward, and the support from Gloucestershire College made a real difference.”
She added: “We quickly realised that the Level 2 Property Maintenance course aligned closely with the skills needed to succeed within this department.
“This highlighted the opportunity to introduce an apprenticeship programme as an alternative to traditional recruitment.”
“Before this engagement, we had limited familiarity with the apprenticeship levy, so it was a completely new area for us.
“Having the GC’s business consultant guide us through the different options available and explain how the levy works in practice was invaluable.”
She described apprenticeships as “an opportunity to reinvest in our workforce in a meaningful and sustainable way”.
“With the right guidance, what initially felt complex became a clear and accessible process.
“This gave us the confidence to move forward with recruiting an apprentice, knowing we were making the most of the levy while creating long-term value for both the business and our people.”
“The consultant guided us step by step through the process of taking on an apprentice, including how the college could support candidate sourcing, the course requirements, and what we needed to put in place as a business to ensure we were fully supporting the apprentice.
“We were also provided with clear guidance on apprenticeship funding and the levy, including helpful information and practical ‘how-to’ guides that simplified what could otherwise have been a complex process.
“Whenever we had questions or needed clarification, our business consultant was always available by email or phone to guide us in the right direction. This level of support made the entire journey smooth and easy to navigate.
“Our apprentice has settled into the team extremely well and has exceeded our expectations.
“Seeing the positive impact so early on has opened our eyes to the wider potential of bringing new talent into the organisation.
“By introducing apprenticeships in targeted areas, we’re able to attract individuals who can grow with the business while directly addressing specific skills gaps.
“This approach not only strengthens our internal capability but also supports a culture of continuous learning and long-term career development.”
Gloucestershire College is due to stage its Apprenticeship Open Evening 2026, where county employers who excel at delivering apprenticeships across the sectors will lay out their stalls to wannabe apprentices. Due to take place between 5pm and 8pm on 25 February. More here. Or click here to book a space.
Regarding the topic of the article, it's fascinating how this story about the Olympic supplier's unexpected recruitment hurdles so perfectly illuminates the broader talent acquisition discussions you've ben leading, truly showing the universal nature of these business challenges regardless of scale.