Focus Consultants research economic benefit of Leicester Textiles Hub

Leicester Textiles

Economic development experts at Focus Consultants have been researching the benefits of creating a textiles hub and training centre in Leicester.

The company has been working with Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) and Leicester City Council with support from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to explore the creation of a hub and training centre in the city to help Leicester boost its textiles industry. 

The textiles manufacturing sector in the Leicester and Leicestershire LEP area has been identified as a priority growth sector, due to it contributing over £0.5 billion to the LLEP economy, as well as it being the second largest textiles employment area in the UK.  Within Leicester and Leicestershire, the sector employs 9,480 people in 1,480 firms.

With the demand for ‘fast fashion’ ever increasing in the UK’s retail sector, an advantage of producing apparel in the UK is that retailers can expect the production of their goods to have a faster turnaround than if they were using overseas suppliers. This offers significant opportunities to bring more textiles manufacturing back to the UK, and with its diverse history in the textiles industry, Leicester plans to be at the heart of this. 

The Funding, Research and Economic Development team at Focus, which has an office at Meridian Business Park, Leicester, has been appointed by the LLEP to investigate the need for a new textiles hub and the benefits it could bring to the city’s economy. Led by Focus partners, Heather Frecklington and Karl Marriott, their role includes working with manufacturers and suppliers of technical machinery to evaluate costs, in addition to consultation with leading high street retailers and e-tailers, such as New Look and Asos, to understand the demand for fast fashion, the opportunity for increased UK production and how Leicester can be best placed to benefit from this growth.

Heather Frecklington, the partner responsible for Focus’ FRED Team, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed to undertake this exciting study. Global factors are influencing reshoring of manufacturing back to the UK and the aim of the proposed hub is to understand how to meet the needs of both retailers and manufacturers in order to support and grow the fashion and textiles sector in Leicester.

“We have worked on economic impact assessments for the Leicester area previously, including a report undertaken by our team which found that the discovery of King Richard lll brought in more than £59 million to Leicester’s economy, from the time of the discovery to the reinternment, and we are pleased to be continuing our links with the city and its development.”

The study has explored the need for a sector specific hub and training centre to provide relevant services to the local small and medium enterprise community, as well as accommodate the needs of large retailers and online brands. It has included in-depth consultation with manufacturers and retailers in the sector, as well as industry experts, stakeholders and potential partners to gauge their opinion on the need, and potential shape of a Leicester Hub, and the demand for services within it. 

Sue Tilley, economic strategy manager for the Leicester & Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) said: “There is a need for a different kind of Leicester textiles industry and the Hub would have an important part to play in changing this perception. It would also work to help manufacturers to recognise the need to adopt a different approach to trading and costing.

“We know that Leicester is one of only five UK centres for mass, fast fashion textile production and there is profound support for Leicester from many of Britain’s leading fashion retailers and e-tailers. So this is a fantastic opportunity for the local industry to pull together to maximise positive commercial developments such as re-shoring of UK based production to improve the fashion and textile sector in Leicester.”

The FRED team at Nottingham-based Focus, which also has branches in London, Leicester, Boston and Aubourn in Lincolnshire, specialises in securing funding for projects, economic impact assessments, regeneration strategies, research and feasibility strategies.

Since 1994 Focus has also secured for clients more than £953 million of grants for projects and businesses across the UK and delivered more than £1.3 billion worth of projects and programmes – making it one of the most successful businesses of its kind in the country.

It also offers a range of services to the property and construction industry, including building surveying, quantity surveying, project management, and sustainable development support.

For more information, visit www.focus-consultants.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Key recommendations to boost food and drink sector in Leicester and Leicestershire revealed

Local sourcing initiatives, making the most of food and drink linked to tourism in Leicestershire’s market towns, the provision of food grade production units and an increase in vocationally led learning are some of the key recommendations to emerge in a blueprint drawn up to help develop Leicester and Leicestershire’s £600 million food and drink economy.

The ideas are just some of the suggestions included in a draft strategy created to ensure that the city and county have the place they deserve on the UK’s food and drink map.

Commissioned by the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP), the strategy has been drawn up by East Midlands business support organisation The Food and Drink Forum in conjunction with the European Food and Farming Partnerships (EFFP).

They consulted the city and county’s food and drink firms, and have come up with a string of ideas which are aimed at helping local food, drink and farming businesses grow and develop.

The draft strategy was unveiled at The Royal Oak, Kirby Muxloe, to more than 50 guests where Stephen Gould, managing director of Leicestershire brewery Everards launched details of a local sourcing pilot scheme that the company plans to trial.

Mr Gould said: “We can act as a conduit for food manufacturers and food processors in Leicestershire to sell their food in our pubs. We want to work in a few of our pubs with several local food producers and manufacturers and blend their ideas onto our pub menus.

“We need to work out how to get the food to the pubs and manage the whole supply chain but I think it’s do-able and we can do it.”

The firm plans a trial in six Everards pubs. It also hopes to provide space for artisan producers and retailers, such as bakers, farm shops and delis, at its premises in line with a similar scheme it has run for micro-brewers.

“This isn’t pipe dream stuff. We want to move forward with our trial,” added Mr Gould.

At the event, held for invited guests who had helped to shape the draft strategy through group and individual consultations which involved farmers, manufacturers, restaurants and hotels, the audience was given an outline of the conclusions and recommendations.

Event delegates were invited for their feedback, before the final copy of the strategy is drawn up.

Gill Smitherman, Programme Manager at LLEP, said the next steps were to finalise and publish the strategy, establish a Leicester and Leicestershire food and drink group, prioritise delivery of the key recommendations, identify key delivery partners and start delivering chosen projects.

Anyone who would like a copy of the final strategy should register their details with The Food and Drink Forum by email to enquiries@foodanddrinkforum.co.uk

Nottingham PR consultant Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Leicester and Leicestershire food and drink blueprint launched to industry

The first draft of a blueprint that’s been drawn up to help develop Leicester and Leicestershire’s £600 million food and drink economy is being unveiled to those who helped shape the strategy.

Last year, East Midlands business support organisation The Food and Drink Forum began preparing ideas to ensure that Leicester and Leicestershire have the place they deserve on the UK’s food and drink map.

Commissioned by the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP), The Forum, working with the European Food and Farming Partnerships (EFFP), worked on a blueprint which aimed to help the city and county's food, drink and farming businesses grow and develop, promote Leicester and Leicestershire food and drink products, and create tourism and promotional opportunities linked to food and drink.

Now, after talking to a range of the city and county’s food and drink firms, the first draft of the strategy is being unveiled to invited guests at an event on Tuesday March 22nd from 5.30pm to 8pm at The Royal Oak, Main Street, Kirby Muxloe, Leicester, LE9 2AN. Among those due to attend are representatives from food and drink businesses who took part in surveys and consultation events to help shape the strategy.

Andrew Granger, Chairman of the strategy steering group, commented: “The food and drink sector is one of our greatest local strengths with significant growth potential. I consider that this strategy and the targeted actions will help ensure Leicester and Leicestershire is a centre of excellence for food and drink.”

“We worked closely with those in the industry - those who run food and drink businesses in Leicester and Leicestershire – to find out what they needed to help drive forward the food and drink economy of the city and the county,” said Fiona Anderson, managing director of The Food and Drink Forum.

“Among those we consulted were farmers, local producers, restaurateurs, retailers and hospitality companies so that we could create a business-led strategy and action plan that would help develop food and drink networks, support skills and training activities, and encourage business and infrastructure development.

“A great deal of effort has been put in by many organisations and individuals over several years to ensure that Leicester and Leicestershire has a successful and vibrant food and drink sector, and this strategy has been designed to build on past work, current initiatives, and drive the sector forward.”

Once the strategy has been unveiled to the invited audience, it will be followed by a consultation period before being made available more generally, with the invitation for interested parties to comment.

At Tuesday’s event Andrew Granger will welcome attendees and provide context for the strategy. The Forum’s managing director Fiona Anderson and Mike Ader, a partner in European Food and Farming Partnerships, will give an overview of the strategy. Paul Murphy, Director of Business Builder, will present details of the progress that has been made on delivery of the action plan so far, and Gill Smitherman, Programme Manager at LLEP, will outline details of future resource to move the action plan forward.

Stephen Gould, Managing Director of Everards Brewery, will talk about Everards’ commitment to Leicester and Leicestershire food and drink, and provide an introduction to a local sourcing pilot initiative.

Leicester and Leicestershire has a rich heritage when it comes to food and drink, with a diverse mix of rural and city-based producers and manufacturers of differing sizes e.g. Samworth Brothers Ltd, Farsan Ltd and SpiceNTice™ Ltd. It is home to many household names like United Biscuits, Walkers, Pukka Pies and Everards, as well as producers of ethnic foods, artisan items and traditional products. Some are recognised around the world, and others have a very strong regional identity, such as Stilton cheese. Melton Mowbray is branded as the UK rural capital of food.

Established in 1998, the Food and Drink Forum is a membership-led organisation that stimulates and supports the sustainable development of the sector in the East Midlands. It is run by a team of food industry professionals who have first-hand knowledge of a wide range of business issues, including logistics, business development, sales and marketing. It has a Board of industry owner/managers.

EFFP is a specialist agri-food business consultancy that helps to strengthen the entire supply chain, developing solutions that generate greater security, stability and sustainability; they work with all parties from farmer groups through to retailers and food service companies.

Anyone who would like a copy of the final strategy should register their details with The Food and Drink Forum by email to enquiries@foodanddrinkforum.co.uk

Nottingham PR consultant Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk