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.

Preston has been announced as the host city for LIFT, the inaugural Lancashire Innovation, Funding and Tech festival, marking another major event secured for the city.

Produced by Innovate Lancashire – a Lancashire County Council economic growth programme – LIFT will bring together founders, business leaders and key influencers for a half-day event at Chew’s Yard, Market Street, on June 12.

With a focus on actionable takeaways, LIFT will feature a four-hour programme of keynote talks, fireside chats and panel discussions featuring entrepreneurs, investors, finance experts and tech sector specialists.

Preston Partnership, the private sector-led business group with over 200 members, has been announced as the host sponsor for LIFT.

The announcement of LIFT follows Preston’s success hosting February’s Convention of the North (CoN), which saw over 800 political and business leaders, including government ministers, attend events at Lancashire County Council and the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan). Preston Partnership also played a key role, hosting a fringe event for 200 guests.

Rob Binns, a board member at Preston Partnership, said: “Preston Partnership exists to tell Preston’s story, shape its future and bring together an ambitious community. By sponsoring LIFT, we’re helping spotlight Preston’s pivotal role in Lancashire’s growing tech and innovation eco-system. Events such as LIFT help create the conditions for investment, collaboration and long-term economic growth.

“Following the Convention of the North and the February opening of the new Animate leisure scheme, the arrival of LIFT in Preston is yet another sign of the growing momentum in the city.”

Innovate Lancashire’s programme lead, Hannah Churchman, said: “LIFT is a new innovation, tech and early-stage finance event aimed at dynamic entrepreneurs and progressive industry leaders across the whole of the county. For its inaugural event, Preston, which is home to an expanding tech and digital economy and a growing community of ambitious founders, was seen as an obvious location.

“Being able to work with a business-led organisation like Preston Partnership was another reason to bring LIFT to the city. The partnership understands the value of bringing the private and public sectors together to drive business growth and create new investment opportunities, and it supports the initiatives like Preston Innovates.

“The synergies between Innovate Lancashire’s countywide objectives and what’s happening in Preston – especially in the tech, digital and innovation space – are clearly very strong, and we greatly value the support and involvement of Preston Partnership in LIFT as its host city sponsor.”

Christina Cort, partner at Chew’s Yard, said: “It’s incredibly rewarding to see so many companies and individuals choosing Chew’s Yard as an event venue. High profile events like LIFT and the Convention of the North coming to Preston help people see the city in a new light, inspiring confidence in what this place has to offer. Success breeds success. Preston should aim high and over deliver every time.”

In 2024, Preston Partnership commissioned the Nurturing Preston’s Innovation Ecosystem report, which was conducted by Plexal. The report recommended enhancing collaboration among stakeholders, improving digital infrastructure and developing innovation hubs to capitalise on opportunities like the National Cyber Force’s relocation to Samlesbury.

The report led to the creation of Preston Innovates, an initiative powered by Preston Partnership to grow the city’s innovation ecosystem. Focusing on tech, cyber, advanced manufacturing and green sectors, it is led by innovation ambassador, Shirah Bamber, and hosts events and collaborates across sectors to position Preston as an innovation hub.

LIFT takes place on Thursday June 12 and will begin with arrival and networking from 12pm to 1pm, followed by the main programme from 1pm to 4:30pm. It will conclude with a drinks reception and DJ from 4.30pm to 6.30pm.

To book tickets, visit here.

On February 27, to coincide with the Convention of the North taking place in Preston, we hosted a special Preston Party event that brought together nearly 200 Preston Partnership members and regional leaders from across the North of England.

Held at Preston’s Chew’s Yard, the evening opened with a welcome from Preston Partnership chair John Chesworth, who spoke about the significance of the Convention arriving in the city for the first time.

The event was filled with positive conversations, valuable connections and a celebration of Preston’s growing confidence.

Our video team also spoke with several attendees, capturing their views on Preston and their hopes for the city’s future. These Preston Point of View (POV) conversations will be shared on our LinkedIn over the coming weeks.

Join Preston Partnership

If you would like to join the community of over 200 members working together to help Preston realise its potential, head over to 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 event image gallery can be found below.

Preston’s nine Grade two-listed red telephone boxes are set for an historic face-lift as the project to restore them dials up.

On Thursday 12 December, telephone box restoration specialists L Carr Contractors have removed the iconic kiosks for sandblasting and restoration to their original condition.

Once the restoration is complete, the boxes will be returned to their location outside the former post office on Market Street for the spring of 2025.

After the kiosks are removed, work will take place beneath the pavement to install new digital infrastructure that will home the new enhanced telephone boxes.

Originally designed by British architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott to mark the Silver Jubilee of King George V’s Coronation in 1935, the cast iron kiosks with timber doors form the longest line of historic red telephone boxes in the UK.

Preston City Council acquired the telephone boxes in 2021 and obtained Listed Building Consent (LBC) for their restoration.

Potential future uses of the kiosks include creative installations in partnership with artists to add to the vibrancy of the Harris Quarter in Preston.

The restoration project forms a key part of the wider Harris Quarter Towns Fund Investment Programme, awarded £20.9m from the government’s then-national Towns Fund initiative in March 2021.

Liam Carr, director of East Yorkshire-based L Carr Contractors, said: “The award of this prestigious contract allows us to revitalise these historic telephone boxes and enhance community pride and local tourism, ensuring that the charm and nostalgia associated with such iconic traditional red boxes endure in an increasingly digital age.”

Councillor Valerie Wise, Cabinet Member for Community Wealth Building on Preston City Council, said: “Preston celebrates being the home of the UK’s longest line of iconic red telephone boxes, a landmark in the centre of our city that we’ll bring back to life for current and future generations to enjoy.

“Once the restoration is complete and the kiosks are returned to their home on Market Street, we will work with artists to commission light, audio visual or graphic work to bring them alive, adding to the vibrancy of the Harris Quarter.”

Preston Partnership chairman and Chair of Preston’s Towns Fund Strategic Board, John Chesworth, added: “The long-awaited and much-anticipated restoration of these historic telephone boxes would be an outstanding addition to the Harris Quarter. They represent an invaluable and unique city asset, and bringing them back into use will provide a popular focal point for many people.”

As the designer of the kiosks, Sir Giles has a strong historical connection with Preston. He also designed the War Memorial Cenotaph in Market Place, and his father, George Gilbert Scott, designed the Town Hall.

Harris Quarter is a unique area of Preston undergoing a £200m investment programme to transform its historic buildings, sites, and public realm into a diverse culture, leisure, and employment offering. Schemes include the £45m Animate cinema and leisure complex and the refurbishment of the Grade I-listed Harris Museum, art gallery, and library.

News courtesy of Invest Preston.

Our fifth and final #InTheCity event of 2024 took place on Thursday November 21, when we once again took to OneCoWork on Winckley Square, this time to talk about all things sustainability. 

It was another great turnout as Preston Partnership members, strategic partners and guests from across the region came together to discuss the vital topic of sustainability in all of its forms – social, financial and environmental.

Sustainable regeneration projects

Chris Blackburn, head of city centre regeneration at Preston City Council opened the topic talks with an overview of the multitude of active travel and sustainable projects that are currently being implemented across Preston.

Just one example that Chris talked about was the tree-lined Fishergate Central Gateway Project, which saw Fishergate and selected main approaches to the city centre transformed into a ‘shared space’ that made the area more attractive to all users.

Chris shared further insight on some upcoming projects including:

• The Illuminate and Integrate project, promoting pedestrian and cycle movement in the currently traffic-dominated route in the Harris Quarter. Ongoing works are due to complete in summer 2025.
• The Old Tram Bridge restoration, creating pedestrianised access between South Ribble and the city centre, due to complete in early 2026.
• The North-South cycle link, which will connect Friargate with the Harris Quarter. Plans, which were brought forward, have been undergoing public consultation which will inform next steps.

Following Chris’ introduction, he joined the panel, which was chaired by Preston Partnership board member and director at Cassidy and Ashton, Alban Cassidy.

Joining them on the panel: Deborah Smith, director at Smith and Love Planning Consultants; Stephen Sykes, director of sustainability at East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce; Dan Hyde, co-host of the Zero Ambitions podcast; James Traynor, director of ECD Architects; and Gemma Cornwall, director at Viridium.

The small city effect

It wasn’t the first time that our status as a small city has been highlighted during the #InTheCity event series, as a distinctive strength. Our size enables daily necessities including work, shopping, education, healthcare and leisure within a short distance and space of time.

This perspective was first highlighted by Dan. He referred to The Preston Model and its pivotal role in building economic sustainability in the city, whereby we can embrace a greater sense of interconnectedness and resilience in a way that larger cities might struggle to replicate.

Dan added that our smaller footprint gives individuals more scope to make a difference, and to take on a “do it ourselves” mindset, highlighting the power behind community-driven efforts to drive meaningful and positive change.

Stephen added that it is cities, such as Preston, that harness the ability to create and demonstrate progress towards greater sustainability, and in-turn, influence government decision making.

James, who moved to Preston after growing up in Manchester and living in London, reiterated the point, adding that Preston is further advantaged when it comes to sustainability by its strong “green lungs” when referring to Avenham Park and Winckley Square.

The discussion honed in on the importance of independent businesses embracing ESG policies, which, beyond being a ‘tick-box exercise’, can be embraced as a means to set measurable targets and do things differently to drive impact on a local scale.

Retrofitting and the possibilities of passive house design 

A key point of discussion was around the largely untapped potential of existing buildings throughout the city.

James, who is a certified passive house designer, cited the possibilities provided by passive house design when developing new buildings in Preston. Passive house design focuses on optimising insulation, airtightness, ventilation and solar gains to minimise energy usage, and can be applied across residential, commercial and institutional buildings. James emphasized the long-term return on investment that this offers for businesses, creating two-fold economic and environmental benefits.

Gemma highlighted Preston’s wealth of disused buildings, and the potential for their sustainable renovation over constructing new ones. Pointing at a boarded-up structure visible from the window, she underscored the city’s untapped opportunities for eco-friendly redevelopment.

Dan expanded on this idea, suggesting the potential to develop dynamic, multi-use spaces that cater to a diverse range of businesses, fostering collaboration and versatility under one roof.

The four-day work week 

Deborah steered the discussion toward the social sustainability of Preston’s working patterns. She noted that on a broader national scale, we are ‘in hot water’ when it comes to our work-life balance, arguing that Preston has an opportunity to break away from national trends and chart a new path forward.

Drawing from her own experience at Smith and Love, Deborah shared her success with implementing a four-day work week, where staff work fewer hours without a reduction in pay. On this, she reported a noticeable increase in focus, energy and productivity among her staff, supporting this as a route towards improved social impacts.

Delving into some of the key advantages, she cited increased time for exercise and spending time with family, which were suggested as healthy adjustments that have a knock-on effect in creating a healthier, happier workforce and improving local public health outcomes.

The need for education

The wide range of approaches towards sustainability discussed in such a short space of time revealed that the term itself is complex. This prompted a broader discussion, extending into the audience, about how we define “sustainability” and whether the term alone holds any real value without further context.

In response to an audience member’s question, “How do we educate on sustainability?” suggestions emerged on how to give the term clearer meaning. These included emphasising decisive action and prioritising measurable, tangible impacts, and steering away from sustainability as a tick-box exercise for ESG policies or a marketing buzzword.

Dates for your diary

Our 2025 #InTheCity event schedule will be revealed in January.

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 200 members working together to help Preston realise its potential, head over to our join page and choose your membership package. Membership is £100 per year or £2,000 if you want to become a strategic partner.

On November 21, Preston Partnership (PP) will host its fifth and final #InTheCity event of 2024, bringing together PP members and guests to discuss and help shape the future of Preston.

Our events bring together an ambitious community to learn about Preston projects, have their say on big Preston issues and build relationships over coffee and a croissant.

The theme for our November event is Sustainability and will feature a specialist panel discussion around environmental and social sustainability in Preston, touching on development, employment, low carbon, travel and more.

We will also be joined by Head of City Centre Regeneration from Preston City Council who will update us on some of the key sustainable measures, including active travel proposals, being delivered across the city.

Our event will take place once again at OneCoWork, the stunning new co-working and office building located on Winckley Square.

Full details of our guest speakers and panellists will be shared on LinkedIn leading up to the event.

Registration

This our last free-to-attend event in the series for non-members.

There are only 100 spaces available, so book your space soon to avoid disappointment.

Our fourth #InTheCity event took place on Thursday September 5, when we returned to OneCoWork on Winckley Square to discuss the topic of culture.

Preston Partnership members, strategic partners, and guests from across Preston and surrounding areas came together to get under the skin of Preston’s cultural identity, exploring how we can come together to put Preston on the cultural map.

Preston’s culture club 

Stakeholders and leaders from across Preston’s private and public sector who attended the event were joined by some of Preston’s most influential cultural leaders including Timothy Joel, head of arts and culture at Preston City Council, which recently helped attract BBC Radio 2 in The Park to Preston; Christina Cort, Founder of Chew’s Yard and cultural trailblazer across the North West; and Shawn Sharpe, Founder at Graffiti Rooms, and artist behind the well-known mural on the side of the Hogarths, located on Church Street, as well as Lynsey Thompson, Managing Director at Wash Studio and founder of The Artistry House; and Peter Alexander, Proprietor at Blitz.

Key cultural investment projects

Timothy spoke of us being on a “precipice of change”, highlighting some key development projects that are underway.

One key focal point was the redevelopments underway in Preston’s emerging Harris Quarter. This included the restoration of the Harris Museum, and the much-anticipated Animate Cinema and Leisure scheme in the area, due to open in 2025. Tim talked about the October 2024 reopening of the former Guild Hall Foyer as The Guild Lounge where it will serve as an entertainment venue. Together, the projects were praised for their role in diversifying the cultural and night-time economy in the city.

Timothy also talked about the Illuminate and Integrate scheme, which began work in August. The scheme aims to deliver improved pedestrian, cycleway, and outdoor leisure infrastructure in the area, which will enhance the accessibility and scope of the Harris Quarter as a vibrant cultural destination.

As well as redeveloping, building and updating cultural institutions and public spaces, Preston is now showcasing an increasingly busy cultural calendar, which brings the city to life for residents and draws people in from across the UK. From the much talked about BBC Radio 2 in The Park, to the upcoming Encounter Festival and Lancashire Fringe Festival, Preston is marking its place on the cultural map .

This, it was discussed, offers to have a knock-on effect, giving us the opportunity to highlight Preston’s unique cultural assets. The panel discussed the upcoming events and referenced the new Blog Preston What’s On page.

Timothy additionally touched on smaller investment projects with great impact. The recent addition of several public art installations both improves the look and feel of the city and creates focal points of interest. Specifically, he referenced the “iconic” Wallace and Gromit bench which was unveiled outside the Preston Market Hall in 2021, as well as Shawn’s ongoing series of murals across the city.

Defining Preston’s cultural identity

Our panel discussion was marked by a particular focus on defining Preston’s unique personality as a city – as Christina put it: “What is our quintessential thing?”.

Lynsey talked about how the affordability of rent in Preston has created opportunities for her in creating a creative community workspace and gallery, The Artistry House and creative film production studio, Wash Studio. Through creating her “home” in Preston, she has been able to host self-funded events that inspire people and pour her passion into projects that carve change in the city.

The panel agreed that the relative affordability for small businesses to have their own space and create their home in Preston makes it more accessible for a community of innovative people with their own clear visions, to collectively build out Preston’s unique cultural ecosystem.

Stemming off from this point, it was discussed that it’s not only our physical proximity as a small and walkable city that makes us unique, but that we are a smaller community compared to other nearby cities. This offers individuals a greater opportunity to have their voice heard and be an active member of shaping the cities’ identity during this important phase of defining our who, what and why.

Whilst we’re in this phase of change and regeneration, the panel pinpointed Friargate and the surrounding area as a representation of a key cultural shift that is underway. An example they discussed was Chew’s Yard – a food-hall, event space and wrap-around garden, founded by panellist Christina – which exists as a democratic and welcoming space created specifically for people in Preston, and now attracting visitors from across the region.

The way forward 

It was evident throughout Thursday’s event that there are lots of ambitious people with ideas in Preston, and coming together with a collective vision, we can steer and drive real momentum to define Preston’s who, what and why, and to realise our potential as a city.

Christina placed emphasis on the importance of defining and honouring Preston’s unique cultural identity as a way to create direction.

Whilst smaller spaces such as the Ferret and Blitz came up in discussions around the thriving live-music scene across the city, there was a general agreement that a larger-scale music venue could open even more opportunities when it comes to live entertainment.

Timothy added that with a new government in place there exists a renewed opportunity to influence funding priorities, and that on a local level, cultural projects have been seen taking up greater space at the forefront of strategic conversations in a way that they weren’t before.

#MyPreston 

Join us in a campaign to showcase the very best of socialising, working, and studying in Preston.

Use #MyPreston in your personal and business social media posts sharing your favourite Preston places to highlight what makes our city a vibrant and thriving community!

Dates for your diary

Our next #InTheCity event will be held on November 21 at OneCoWork and will be focussed on the topic of sustainability in Preston.

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

Become a member

If you would like to join a community of over 175 members collaborating to help Preston realise its potential, head over to our join page and choose your membership package.