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.

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.