PP #InTheCity Q3-25 event | City Walk and Talk

Led by Preston Partnership board members Alban Cassidy and Beckie Joyce, join us for our first City Walk & Talk,  a free event exploring our walkable cityscape, rich with parks, rivers, architectural heritage, new assets and huge potential.

Join us for a relaxed summer city stroll, starting at the Station Quarter and finishing at The Continental. It’s the perfect way to stretch your legs after work and connect with like-minded people.

The walk and talk will take place 4.30 – 6pm, meeting at the Garden Street entrance to Winckley Square.

Places are limited so please book  your place via Eventbrite here.

While on-site activity paused over the winter break, the iconic Tram Bridge project has continued to move forward at pace behind the scenes.

Off-site construction of the new bridge is well underway, and key design decisions have now been made, including the final colour palette for the bridge and its decking.

The steelwork will feature a bold Black Grey, chosen for its sleek, contemporary look and ability to complement the natural surroundings. This will be paired with a Light Buff Brown Polydeck finish for the bridge decking, offering both durability and a warm, inviting appearance underfoot.

These carefully selected colours reflect the bridge’s modern engineering while nodding to the heritage and landscape of Avenham Park, ensuring the new Tram Bridge will be as visually striking as it is functional.

The replacement of the Bridge, announced in Spring 2024, is being delivered by Preston City Council using part of its £20 million grant awarded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), with an additional £1 million from Lancashire County Council.

The bridge project is being delivered by contractor Eric Wright Civil Engineering and since construction resumed in spring, visible changes can already be seen along the River Ribble, including the completion of the land-based piers, modification of the abutments, and preparation for the second in-river pier. Meanwhile, off-site fabrication of the bridge is progressing in preparation for its scheduled installation and lift in Autumn 2025.

Councillor Valerie Wise, Cabinet Member for Community Wealth Building at Preston City Council said:

“I’m delighted at the progress of this historic project. The newly released imagery and designs are really bringing it to life and, I hope, will generate excitement across the city.

“I want to thank everyone involved for their commitment and dedication to delivering a bridge that can be used and enjoyed for generations to come.

“I encourage everyone to visit the Pavilion Café, take a look at the exhibition, and see the progress for themselves.”

County Councillor Warren Goldsworthy, cabinet member for Highways and Transport, Lancashire County Council, said:

“It’s fantastic to see the Preston Tram Bridge project making such strong progress. This isn’t just about rebuilding a bridge – it’s about reconnecting communities, opening up greener travel, and giving people a healthier, more active way to move between South Ribble and Preston.

“I’d like to thank residents for their patience while work continues, your support is helping deliver a lasting improvement for the whole area.”

Antony Mulligan, Contracts Manager at Eric Wright Civil Engineering commented:

“We are delighted to be moving forward with the replacement of the historic Tram Bridge for our clients, Preston City Council and Lancashire County Council.

“The project continues to move at pace with us already completing the first in river pier and the two land abutments. We are currently constructing the second, and final, in river pier which will see us complete the substructure. The steel superstructure of the bridge is currently being fabricated off site ready to be installed later this year.”

On July 9, industry leaders, business owners and entrepreneurs gathered at Society1 for Preston Partnership’s Been There, Built That: Part 2, sponsored by FHunded. An inspiring evening saw proud Lancastrians Camilla Hadcock and Khalid Saifullah MBE share stories and lessons from their careers to date.

The packed room was fully engaged as Camilla and Khalid shared their experiences running paper-based manufacturing businesses in Lancashire. The common ground highlighted a rich, double-sided narrative, as they reflected on their differing perspectives while navigating the same industry.

Camilla Hadcock is director of Roach Bridge Tissues. For over two decades, the company has been the quiet force behind bespoke printed tissue paper for popular high street brands and other businesses.

Camilla shared how her company has not only responded to ever-changing regulations and sustainability targets but has also deftly adapted to major global events like Brexit and the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19.

Camilla’s passion for British manufacturing clearly shone through as she spoke about her influential role as Chair of Made in Britain. A key point of frustration for Camilla, echoed strongly by Khalid, was the persistent lack of skills support and the insufficient promotion of careers within the manufacturing sector.

Both panellists underlined the vital need to attract and nurture new talent to secure the industry’s future.

Approaches to investment

In 2024, Khalid facilitated the acquisition of his family-owned business Star Tissue UK by German sustainable paper group WEPA, securing the future of the Blackburn based factory in the deal. He described his strategic approach to becoming one of the UK’s fastest-growing manufacturers of hygiene paper products, and the decision to take on debt to purchase the right equipment to facilitate that growth – an initially uncomfortable choice for his family.

With substantial demands for space and equipment, manufacturing can be an expensive industry to break into – both Camilla and Khalid candidly shared their experiences but different approaches to investment.

While Khalid focused on fast growth, Camilla has taken an organic approach to growth at Roach Bridge Tissues, stating that the best investment she has ever made is in her team.

A sustainable manufacturing future

Sustainability also proved to be a hot topic for the evening, with both guests describing the tension between their desire to reduce their businesses’ carbon footprints, need to meet evolving regulations and the cost implications of making changes.

Camilla spoke about the extensive measures Roach Bridge Tissues has taken, from an on-site hydro electric power station to the company’s commitment to fully recyclable packaging. Both she and Khalid expressed frustration with the time-consuming and costly demands of meeting accreditation, regulation and award standards, a burden shared across all sectors.

The relatability of Camilla and Khalid’s experiences and lessons learned was a recurring theme throughout the evening, giving attendees a tangible sense what it has been like for two successful business leaders to have ‘been there and built that’ in the heart of Lancashire’s manufacturing landscape.

This series of masterclasses has been sponsored by Fhunded.

Upcoming events

Details about Been There, Built That: Part 3 will be announced soon.

For further information on Preston Partnership’s events programme, visit www.prestonpartnership.org/news-and-events/ and follow us on LinkedIn.

Join Preston Partnership

If you would like to join the community of over 100 members working together to help Preston realise its potential, visit our join page and choose your membership package.

Membership is £100 per year or £2,000 if you want to become a strategic partner.

Our June 26 #InTheCity event saw Preston Partnership return to OneCoWork on Winckley Square as we delved into what could drive growth in Preston’s economy over the coming years.

Preston has the economic assets, critical infrastructure and business ambition for sustained economic growth among the key takeaways from our latest event, which included a preview of interim findings of Preston Partnership’s new Economic Plan for Preston, set to be launched this Autumn. .

Sarah Thompson, associate director Metro Dynamics who were commissioned by Preston Partnership to prepare the report kicked off the event by sharing key insights which will feature in the report.

Developing a strong narrative

She said: “We have had a huge amount of investment into Preston in recent years and we have got a supportive policy environment. What has been missing is a strong economic narrative to highlight where growth is going to come from.”

Sarah explored how Preston’s economic assets could drive increased growth over the coming years. These include its strong transport links as well as its talent pool, driven by institutions including the University of Lancashire, which hosts nationally recognised centres for engineering and innovation, and means Preston is home to 40,000 students.

Insights on the Lancashire economy highlighted the city’s high job density (1.11 jobs per resident), £5.6bn annual contribution to the regional economy and the strong growth of Preston’s digital, energy and hospitality industries.

Attendees also heard how Preston’s professional and business service sector employs over 5,600 people and contributes £250m to the local economy, as well as the strength of Preston’s key industries such as cyber, defence, aerospace and nuclear which are critical industries for the Country.

Sharing feedback from Preston Partnership members collected through a survey on the city’s economy, Sarah highlighted a key theme of ambition among the Preston business community.

Keeping pace

However, while Preston is Lancashire’s largest economy by GVA, its growth has not kept pace with other areas of the county.

“We need more private sector jobs,” Sarah added. “We need businesses generating new wealth and trading more goods outside of the region. What came up regularly during focus groups we have held with Preston Partnership members is that Preston is a gateway into other regions.”

Finally, Sarah highlighted the key ‘priorities for action’ to grow Preston’s economy. These included:

• Support for innovation and entrepreneurship such as:
  • Physical focus for innovation and start-up businesses, building on Preston Station Quarter regeneration
  • Shared hub for enterprise and innovation to support high value start-ups and connect businesses with research expertise
  • High-quality office space and continuing delivery of Preston 35 propositions
• Grasping the opportunity as home to the National Cyber Force to attract the SMEs, primes and other large organisations that will support growth of the cyber sector
• High-quality hospitality offer and space to convene, potentially including new conferencing and convention facilities

She also stressed the need for ‘consensus, collaboration and leadership’ among the business community about the best ways to grow the economy.

Sarah said: “We all need to be on the same page about what Preston’s offer is to businesses and we need people to be out promoting the city, saying the same things.”

Aligning with the Lancashire narrative

Following her presentation, Sarah joined a lively panel discussion which looked further into Preston’s key economic sectors as well as how the city’s narrative aligns with Lancashire’s wider economic growth strategy.

The panel also featured Anne-Marie Huck, head of regional campaigns at BAE Systems, Rachel Westray, site communications partner, Westinghouse and Peter Thomas, programme lead, Lancashire County Council.

Peter discussed Lancashire’s devolution journey and the Combined County Authority (CCA)’s Business Board, which is designed to act as a voice of the business community and build on existing work to deliver long term economic growth in the county.

He also highlighted the Lancashire Growth Plan, which aims to help the county restate its growth priorities following the launch of the CCA and show how government funding can be used to best support priority projects.

The plan was launched for a six-week consultation at the Convention of the North, held in Preston in February.

Peter said: “Lancashire has not had an economic plan since 2014. The Growth Plan is a chance to tell the world what the county is good at. It’s crucial to have a simple Lancashire narrative which can be embedded in strategy documents for areas such as Preston.”

The importance of people

Anne-Marie and Rachel discussed the priorities for BAE Systems and Westinghouse as significant employers in the region.

They highlighted the importance of high-skilled workers to Preston’s economy and ensuring the city’s offer, which includes its leisure, cultural and residential provision, prompts people to come and stay in the area.

Annie Marie said: “We have 13,000 employees across Warton and Samlesbury. We need energetic, creative, and advanced thinking capability in our workforce to compete globally. We also have 200 suppliers in our supply chain from Lancashire and 90 from Preston.

“It’s extremely important to us to nurture and grow these capabilities so it’s vital to get the message out to our colleges and secondary schools that many of our staff are ‘lifers’ – they stay with us for their whole career.”

Rachel added that sectors like nuclear generally employed people with higher-than-average salaries, which often meant strong spending power, therefore a wide array of businesses benefitted from the organisation’s staff base living and working in the area.

The panel discussion also featured an audience Q&A focusing on a range of areas including the importance of making sure that businesses of all sizes benefitted from economic growth.

Dates for your diary

Our 2025-26 event diary can be found here.

For further information on our events programme, visit www.prestonpartnership.org/news-and-events/ and follow us on LinkedIn.

Join Preston Partnership

If you would like to join the community of over 100 members working together to help Preston realise its potential, visit our join page and choose your membership package.

Membership is £100 per year or £2,000 if you want to become a strategic partner.

Preston’s iconic cultural landmark is set to welcome up to half a million visitors each year following a £19 million major restoration.

Made possible with funding from Preston City Council, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the UK Government’s Towns Fund, Lancashire County Council and many other generous partners.

The Harris will officially reopen its doors to the public on Sunday, 28 September 2025 following a once-in-a-generation restoration as part of the Harris Your Place project. The transformation reimagines The Harris as a dynamic and inclusive cultural hub for the 21st century, blending art, history, community, and a refreshed library service to deliver an exciting new visitor experience.

Located in the heart of Preston, The Harris will relaunch with an impressive exhibition programme, learning spaces, family-friendly facilities, a new café and shop, and new heritage tours that celebrate its architectural and civic legacy. The reopening will mark a new chapter for one of the UK’s leading regional museums, libraries and galleries.

Councillor Anna Hindle, cabinet member for culture and arts at Preston City Council, said: “The reopening of The Harris marks a proud and exciting moment for the city of Preston.

“This incredible transformation will not only safeguard our heritage but also create a vibrant, inclusive space that inspires creativity, learning and connection for generations to come. We’re immensely grateful to all our funding partners and can’t wait to welcome residents and visitors alike back through the doors of this much-loved building.

“The Harris Your Place project has been made possible thanks to the generous support of key partners. We gratefully acknowledge Preston City Council, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, UK Government’s Towns Fund, Lancashire County Council and Arts Council England. Their vital contributions have helped preserve The Harris for future generations while strengthening access, learning and community engagement.”

John Chesworth, chair of Preston’s Towns Fund Board, added: “This much-anticipated and eagerly awaited new era for The Harris represents a major element of the ongoing regeneration and rejuvenation of Preston, alongside other landmark schemes such as the transformation of Amounderness House into managed workspace and the £45m flagship Animate entertainment and leisure destination, delivering economic growth and opportunities for all in a truly revitalised city centre.”

Closed since 2021, essential works have included the safe removal of asbestos from the roof, comprehensive repairs to preserve the building’s historic structure, and vital improvements to heating, lighting, and accessibility throughout the building. When it reopens, visitors can expect a fully reimagined experience, with new galleries, and community facilities.

Following the refurbishment of The Harris, annual visitors are expected to increase by approximately 100,000 on top of the existing 350,000 (in 2021).

Additionally, The Harris is unveiling a fresh new look including a redesigned logo, brand identity, and new website. The modernised branding aligns with the aims of the Harris Your Place project: inspired by community input and honouring the building’s heritage while looking confidently to the future.

More details about the reopening events, exhibitions and public programming will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information, visit The Harris website: www.theharris.org.uk.

Phase one of the Illuminate and Integrate scheme, a key project in the transformation of the Harris Quarter has been completed, with work on Phase two of the project due to start late autumn.

The project has been designed to improve pedestrian and cycle space at a section of Lancaster Road adjacent to the Market Hall and Old Vicarage Road.

The work includes a new pedestrian and cycle-friendly space with high-quality paving, trees, and other features, such as public seating and an expanded, flexible-use space around the market to create opportunities for alfresco dining.

A key feature of the works on Old Vicarage is the installation of ‘Gobo’ lighting which projects moving images onto the pavements, lighting the way to Preston Market but also ‘animating’ the journey from the bus station to Animate, the new £45m+ entertainment and leisure complex due to open to the public in February 2025.

In October, planning permission was granted for the Illuminate element of the scheme with improved lighting consisting of new and replacement columns, wall, canopy lights, and a mixture of heritage and modern lighting.

Illuminate has also been designed to minimise energy usage, improve the quality of street lighting and make streets feel safer. The lighting improvements extend to additional streets Birley, Earl, Cheapside, and Market Street.

Phase two of the works will focus on Lancaster Road. The public realm works will maintain the existing service and taxi provision, while Lancaster Road between Old Vicarage and Earl Street will be permanently closed to vehicles.

This scheme is being delivered by Maple Grove Developments and Eric Wright Civil Engineering on behalf of Preston City Council, under the Harris Quarter Towns Fund Investment Programme with funding from Towns Fund, Preston City Council and Lancashire County Council.

Preston City Council Cabinet Member for Community Wealth Building, Councillor Valerie Wise, said: “The proposed works are focused on improving the quality of the public spaces and creating safer and better paths between existing spaces and transport hubs such as the bus station. The aim is to encourage footfall and visitors to stay longer into the evening, supporting the Harris Quarter ‘as a go-to cultural destination in the city.’

John Chesworth, Chair of Preston Towns Fund Strategic Board, added: “While it may only be a small part of the overall jigsaw, lighting fundamentally impacts place-making. Quite literally, Illuminate will showcase Preston’s fine architecture, promoting the areas of the Harris Quarter while creating an attractive but dynamic lighting scene and encouraging footfall to this area of Preston.”

Nick Hague, project director at Maple Grove Developments, continued: “The scheme has been designed to sympathetically create a contemporary feel to the area without dismissing the heritage of the Harris Quarter. It’ll promote safety and assurance while helping to create a positive ambience.”

Lancashire County Council Cabinet member for economic development and growth, Brian Moore, said “We’re investing £800k in the city centre and encouraging sustainable transport by improving the links between the bus station and new transformational developments taking place in the Harris Quarter, which gives more options for people to walk and cycle. Making Preston a more attractive place to live and visit helps create new jobs, grow the night-time economy, and create a more vibrant city centre.

“Alongside the recent improvement work on Ringway and Friargate delivered by the county council, we’re working closely in partnership to improve the wider city centre and provide people with more options for getting around.”

Towns Fund – Town Deals

The Towns Fund is working directly with places and putting power in the hands of local businesses and communities to unleash the economic potential of towns and high streets across England. The government wants to see vibrant towns that are more attractive places to live, work and visit; and to increase opportunity across the country so that everyone (wherever they live) can contribute to and benefit from economic growth. Preston 35 is the city’s renewed city investment plan, setting out Preston’s long-term objectives and strategy to transform the City, targeting resources and aligning public and private sector investments to respond to needs and capitalise on opportunities for positive change.

Preston City Council actively applies and prioritises the principles of Community Wealth Building wherever applicable and appropriate. Community Wealth Building is an approach which aims to ensure the economic system builds wealth and prosperity for everyone. For more information, see community wealth building.

Projects included in Preston’s £200 million Harris Quarter Towns Fund Investment Programme are:

• Animate – £45m multi-use entertainment and leisure complex anchored by a state-of-the-art cinema and bowling venue next to Preston Markets
• Educate Preston – The creation of a new Careers and Employment, Information, Advice and Guidance Hub in the Harris Quarter.
• Renewal of Harris Quarter Assets – Investment to support the redevelopment of publicly-owned buildings in the Harris Quarter to support new cultural and community uses, including Amounderness House.
• Illuminate and Integrate – A project to deliver improved pedestrian and cycleway infrastructure, street lighting and other public realm improvements within the Harris Quarter.
• Preston Youth Zone – The development of Preston Youth Zone as a state-of-the-art facility for young people in Preston aged eight to 19.
• #HarrisYourPlace – The refurbishment of the Grade I listed Harris Museum, Art Gallery & Library, enhancing and protecting the building for future generations.
• Preston Pop Ups – £1m pop-up programme of events bringing together new temporary event space, artworks and improvements to public realm infrastructure, aimed at boosting visitor activity in the Harris Quarter.

The Lancashire Economic Growth and Development Investment Fund (LEGDIF) is a strategic initiative led by Lancashire County Council aimed at fostering economic growth and development within Lancashire. By merging the remaining funds from the Lancashire Economic Recovery & Growth Fund (LERG) and the Lancashire Levelling Up Investment Fund (LLUIF), LEGDIF builds on this success and seeks to support key sectors, including emerging opportunities like cybersecurity.

The City Deal agreement aims to continue to create new private sector jobs and encourage more new homes to be built across the area. It is an agreement between Preston City Council, South Ribble Borough Council and Lancashire County Council, along with central government and Homes England.

For more details visit Invest – illuminate and integrate.

Camilla Hadcock and Khalid Saifullah MBE DL have been there, done that. Their extensive experience owning and managing successful businesses is complemented by their impressive track record in roles such as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Made in Britain (Camilla) and Deputy Lieutenant for Lancashire (Khalid).

Join us for the second event in the Been There, Built That series of masterclasses, an informal discussion hosted by Shirah Bamber, talking through their success stories and some of the challenges they have faced along the way. Take the opportunity to hear their experiences, ask questions and learn some of the valuable lessons they picked up along the way.

Network over canapes & drinks with other entrepreneurs, aspiring and established business owners.

Space is limited so book your ticket now via the link here.

About Camilla Hadcock

Camilla Hadcock is owner and director of Roach Bridge Tissues, a specialist printer of bespoke wrapping tissue paper based in Lancashire. AN SME manufacturing company with a team of 12, the company is 25 years old this year.

Camilla is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Made in Britain, the manufacturers trademark organisation. Camilly plays a leading role in representing made in Britain’s entire membership, as well as the wider UK manufacturing sector, with government and at a senior strategic leadership level.

Camilla has also contributed to strengthening links with the Ministry of Defence (MOD), so that members have access to this major buyer of British goods. Other interests include charity work focusing on the Diocese of Blackburn, Artistic Swimming (Judge and Referee) and Beekeeping.

About Khalid Saifullah MBE DL

Khalid is a business leader and entrepreneur, best known for founding Star Tissue UK, one of the UK’s fastest-growing manufacturers of hygiene paper products. Established in 2003 as a family business, Star Tissue supplied private label products to leading distributors in the hygiene, catering and healthcare sectors, doubling in size every three years before being acquired by German sustainable paper group WEPA in 2024.

Khalid was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion in 2011, an MBE for voluntary services in 2019, and has served as Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire. He has been featured in The Guardian’s list of the North’s 50 most influential people and recognised by the London Stock Exchange as one of the UK and Europe’s most dynamic business leaders.

He is currently a Director at WEPA and a Trustee of the Minority Enterprise Development Trust. Khalid lives in Lancashire with his wife and three children.

Luke Massie and Kirsty Henshaw have been there, done that. They have both built successful companies that have had national success, navigated investment and continue to build their businesses and brands.

Preston Partnership is holding an informal discussion at Cotton Court on June 11, hosted by Rob Binns, talking through their success stories and some of the challenges they have faced along the way. Be inspired, ask questions, and take some valuable insights back to the office.

Join us for networking with other entrepreneurs, aspiring and established business owners over pizza and the drink of choice, we’ll have soft drinks, prosecco, beers and tea & coffee!

This is a free event and spaces are limited so book your ticket now on Eventbrite here.

SAVE THE DATE: This session is the first in a series of masterclasses being held at venues around Preston. Our next event will be held at Society1 Wednesday 9 July.The event will be catered, so please let us know if you have any dietary requirements.

About Kirsty Henshaw: Kirsty Henshaw hit the headlines in 2010 when she found success on Dragon’s Den with her dairy-free alternative to ice cream. Fifteen years later, Kirsty’s has its own state-of-the-art food factory in Yorkshire, a new MyProtein Licensed partnership, and continues to be a leading brand in the “free from” space, with new investment backing.

A single mum, originally from Preston, Kirsty has navigated major complications, like receiving the keys to her new factory four weeks before the first lockdown alongside delays and shortages caused by Brexit. However, with 85 employees, Kirsty’s is still growing, innovating and identifying new opportunities.

About Luke Massie: Luke Massie sold his first business when he was 19 years old. In 2017, he was listed as one of the UK’s top 100 young entrepreneurs as he gained national fame and support from high profile businessman, Richard Brandson, for Vibe Tickets.Luke faced some serious challenges along the way, including Vibe Tickets going into administration.

VibePay was later born as he pivoted from tickets to payments during the dramatically-changing landscape of the pandemic.More recently, Luke has made headlines again with Banked’s acquisition of VibePay – already a market leader in its own right.

Preston Partnership has finalised our 2025 / 26 events calendar.

We will delve into Preston’s leisure and residential markets, health and wellbeing in the city and a vision for Preston between June 2025 and May 2026.

Our events allow PP members to learn about upcoming projects, have their say on big Preston issues, and build relationships over coffee and a croissant. Events are free to PP members, £25 for non-members.

PP #InTheCity Q4-25 event | An economic plan for Preston
Thursday June 26 2025 | 8am-10am
One Co Work, Preston

PP #InTheCity Q4-25 event 
Thursday November 20 2025 | 8am-10am
Preston venue TBC

PP #InTheCity Q1-26 event 
Thursday February 26 2026 | 8am-10am
Preston venue TBC

PP #InTheCity Q2-26 event 
Thursday May 28 2026 | 8am-10am
Preston venue TBC

Membership is £100 per year. Join by visiting our website www.prestonpartnership.org.