Join us for our first quarterly panel event for 2026: Preston Residential.

Date: 26 March

Time: 8am – 10am

Place: OneCoWork – 33-34 Winckley Square, Preston PR1 3JJ.

Our guest speaker, Chris Hayward, and our panel will be explore topics such as:

• How Preston’s residential offer is growing.
• The ingredients for successful City Living.
• Emerging plans for Stoneygate.

While you’re there, you’ll have the opportunity to network over hot drinks and breakfast foods with a room full of professionals, including business and public sector leaders. 

As always, this event will be a great chance to keep up to date with what is happening in Preston.

Space is limited, so book your free ticket now.

About Chris Hayward, Director of Development and Housing, Preston City Council.

Chris has worked in local government for several Lancashire authorities for over 37 years. He has overseen the growth and regeneration of Preston over the last 15 years, including the City Deal, a £450m programme of infrastructure investment creating 20,000 new jobs and 17,000 new homes. 

His planning background has ensured the development is plan-led, supporting the Council’s ambitious growth proposals. He is currently managing the delivery of over £200m of investment in the Harris Quarter in the city centre, including Preston’s new leisure offer and council-owned Animate.

Regeneration and tackling deprivation are at the heart of everything Preston City Council seeks to do, and in 2021 Chris and his planning and regeneration team were successful in helping the Council win the National RTPI Award for its City Living Strategy, the first NW winner.

Meet the panel:

Stuart Sage: Co-founder and Director of Hive Land & Planning, an award-winning planning and surveying practice. Stuart is a town planner with over 25 year’s experience in the public and private sector, with a track record of delivery. 

Claire Lowe: Head of Space & Property Management (interim) at The University of Lancashire. 

John Heaton: UK Property Investment Specialist and Owner of the Heaton Group, a specialist property development company with a substantial portfolio of commercial and residential property throughout the North West.

Stephen Heverin: Director of Growth & Regeneration at Onward Homes.

Make sure you save the date for our upcoming events:

• 25 June
• 24 September
• 26 November

About Preston Partnership

Preston Partnership is a private sector led membership organisation. We bring together businesses and the public sector to help make Preston a prosperous city to live, work, visit and invest in.

Find out more and become a member: www.prestonpartnership.org

We’re wrapping up the year with a festive celebration, an evening of good company, relaxed conversation and a proper Christmas get-together.

This year’s Christmas Party, hosted by Preston Partnership and Cotton Court at Glovers Bar, brings together members, partners and friends of the network for a little end-of-year cheer.

Event details:

📅 Wednesday 10th December
📍 Glovers Bar, 43 Glover’s Court, Preston, PR1 3LS
⏰ 5pm – 9pm
🥂 Food and welcome drinks included

Free to attend, please RSVP via Skiddle here.

Thank you for your support throughout 2025;  let’s raise a glass and celebrate the year together.

Join us for Preston Partnership’s November #InTheCity event, an opportunity for members and guests to meet and help shape the future of Preston.

We’ll be meeting at the stunning Harris Museum, which has recently reopened following its £19m refurbishment.

Our events provide a unique forum for members to:

• Engage in meaningful discussion around regeneration and economic development in Preston
• Discover upcoming projects and initiatives shaping the city’s future
• Network and build relationships over coffee and croissants in an inspiring setting

Date: Thursday November 20, 2025 | 8am to 10am
Location: Harris Museum (first floor), Preston

Agenda (speaker biographies below)

• Coffees, croissants and conversations (8am)
• Welcome (8.30am) – John Chesworth, chair, Preston Partnership
• Preston regeneration update from Cllr Valerie Wise, Cabinet Member for Community Wealth Building Preston City Council
• New in Preston: The first in a new Q&A series with a business leader bringing something new to Preston – Carl Fraenkl-Rietti, operations director, Mad Giant
• The Preston debate: Our guest panel discussing what’s next for Preston – panel: Cllr Wise; Carl Fraenkl-Rietti; Gaby Ingham, Vault Youth Zone; John Bridge, Studio John Bridge.
• Update from Preston Partnership
• Networking (9.50am)

Registration details

• Member tickets: Free (members have received a code via email)
• Non-member tickets: £35

Book your place via our Eventbrite page here.

Not yet a PP member? Join Preston Partnership for just £100 per year and be part of shaping the city’s future.

Become a member here.

Speaker biographies

Gaby Ingham, The Vault

Gaby is head of fundraising and communications at Vault Youth Zone, a £11.8 million space opposite Preston Bus Station, supporting young people across the city. She’s passionate about creating places where young people can grow, meet mentors, and feel part of a community. She works with local businesses, community leaders and philanthropists to build partnerships that create opportunities and strengthen the city.

John Bridge, Studio John Bridge

Studio John Bridge is an architectural practice founded in 2014 by award-winning chartered architect John Bridge. Renowned for its innovative approach, the studio blends design excellence with a strong commitment to sustainability, community impact, and modern construction methodologies.

Recent successes include securing planning permission for the regeneration of Preston’s Harris Institute, a significant step in heritage-led design, and the co-designed Foxton Youth Centre, developed in partnership with young people from Avenham.

Cllr Valerie Wise, Preston City Council

Councillor Wise is Preston City Council’s labour member for Fishwick and Frenchwood, and the council’s cabinet member for Community Wealth Building.

She was the leader of Preston City Council between 1994 and 1995 and chair of the Women’s Committee from May 1982 until 1986, the first women’s committee in UK local government.

The Preston Living Wage Action Group is inviting likeminded organisations to celebrate Preston’s achievements as a Living Wage City.

Held at the newly refurbished Harris Museum, the event will celebrate successes to date and outline plans to increase the number of real Living Wage accredited employers in the city.

• Speakers include local accredited business leaders from Ethical Pixels and Believe Care & Support, and Sophie Little, Senior Programme Manager at the Living Wage Foundation.
• Attendees will hear from employers on the importance of committing to the Real Living Wage and how it benefits organisations and employees.

Refreshments and breakfast will be served from 8:30 am, with a Q&A session beginning at 9.00am, followed by a further opportunity for networking.

To support Preston-based SME business and voluntary organisations in Preston to accredit, Preston City Council has launched a small grants scheme to reimburse the fee charged by the Living Wage Foundation when accrediting. For more information and to check eligibility, visit our Living Wage accreditation grants scheme page.

Employers who accredit before the September 29 will be presented with their Living Wage Foundation plaque during the event – so don’t delay in taking advantage of this offer.

Businesses can register for the event here.

Date: October 15
Time: 6pm – 8pm
Location: The Media Factory, University of Lancashire, Preston

Rich Dyer and Stephen Turner have been there, done that. Their extensive experience owning and managing successful businesses that operate on national and global footprints – with HQs in Preston.

Join Preston Partnership for an informal discussion, hosted by Rob Binns, 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 have picked up.

Network over light refreshments and drinks with other entrepreneurs, aspiring and established business owners.

This event is brought to you by Preston Partnership in collaboration with the University of Lancashire, sponsored by fhunded.

Space is limited so book your ticket now.

About Richard Dyer:

Richard Dyer is a British entrepreneur and co-founder of Skiddle, one of the UK’s leading event ticketing platforms. With over two decades in the live events industry, he has helped shape how fans discover and attend gigs, clubs, and festivals.

Beyond ticketing, Richard is involved in hospitality ventures including Trading Route in Manchester — a lager house and rotisserie kitchen — and Folk+Co, a co-working space in Lancaster. Balancing multiple businesses with family life, he’s known for his hands-on approach, creative ideas, and knack for spotting opportunities that bring people together through music, food, and community.

About Stephen Turner:

Encounter Festival returns to the heart of Preston on September 20, celebrating its tenth year of showcasing local voices and talent.

The festival continues to welcome nationally and internationally recognised performers, creating opportunities for meaningful engagement with Preston’s diverse communities.

Taking place across key city locations, including the Flag Market, Harris Street, and Birley Street, visitors can look forward to dynamic performances, playful experiences, and moments to connect, explore, and create.

Councillor Anna Hindle, cabinet member for culture and arts, Preston City Council said: “This year’s Encounter Festival programme is packed with bold creativity, diverse voices, and powerful community-led work. We can’t wait to welcome audiences of all ages to experience Preston in full celebratory mode.”

To mark this milestone year, the festival will place a special focus on themes of wellbeing, climate action, and youth creativity. Some of the confirmed programme highlights include:

• Singing for creative health: A County of Song collaboration with Lancashire choirs around the health and well-being benefits of communal singing.
• Climate and community focus: Visit the Throne of Pledges on the Flag Market and take your place in a striking installation created with Preston’s climate action teams. Let’s Grow Preston will also be part of the festivities (12pm-4pm), championing green spaces and sustainable living.
• Rise and Lead by Wot Wud U Do CIC: A collection of inspiring games and films created by local young people about themes that matter to them.

To draw the festival to a close, the Flagship Torchlight Procession will feature a towering puppet to celebrate the legacy of football trailblazer Arthur Wharton. In collaboration with Preston North End Community and Education Trust, the puppet will be brought to life by a team of artists and community participants, serving as a moving tribute to the world’s first black professional footballer.

The commission for designing the puppet has been awarded to a talented lead artist, Sara Blackburn from Wonder Made Wild, who will make it along with assistant Puppet Makers Alex Herring and Haneefah Patel.

Sara Blackburn, creative director of Wonder Made Wild, said: “I’m honoured to be leading on the creation of the Arthur Wharton puppet and can’t wait to get started on this ambitious project!

“I’m really inspired by Arthur’s many achievements and talents and look forward to celebrating them in the build. As an artist from Preston myself, it’s also great to see the city championing local creativity and talent, and I’m thrilled to have Alex and Haneefah on board. Together we hope to do Arthur and Preston proud!”

Michael Barrett, heritage co-ordinator for Preston North End Community and Education Trust, said: “This is such a fantastic project. The story of Arthur Wharton forms a big part of our ‘Invincibles’ Heritage Project at Preston North End Community and Education Trust.

“In March 2024, we unveiled a blue plaque at Deepdale in Arthur’s honour, and the making of the puppet presents numerous opportunities to expand on the work we’ve done so far. Arthur is a hugely important figure, not just in the early history of PNE, but football as a whole.

“His role as a pioneer for black sportsmen and women leaves a legacy. We’re very proud of our connection to Arthur and delighted to be a part of this new initiative.”

A spectacular fireworks display will light up the city in a final celebration to remember.

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.

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.