A bumper issue of TFI this week, with news, views and details of some very exciting upcoming events. Downtown Lancashire has teamed up with Forbes Solicitors and Lancashire Business View for a brand new initiative. Read about it here. Frank McKenna believes Preston needs to rethink its marketing strategy. Find out more in his blog. We have all the usual features too, including Business of the Week and Who Are Yer? Read on, enjoy, have a great weekend, and don’t do anything Frank wouldn’t do...

Downtown Lancashire in Business (DLIB) in association with Forbes Solicitors and Lancashire Business View have announced that they will be launching a new initiative in March that will aim to collate intelligence, data and information that will help to inform the Local Enterprise Partnership and other policy making bodies in the region.

The ‘Red Rose Business Survey’ will be circulated to businesses from across the county, and DLIB chairman Frank McKenna said that it would build on the work that had been undertaken through the Lancashire Business Survey in the previous three years.

Mr McKenna said: “The Lancashire Business Survey was useful, and had certainly gained momentum by the time we held the survey results event with the Bank of England towards the back end of last year. However, alongside our partners Forbes, we felt that it was time to give the survey a bit of a revamp, and we are delighted that leading business publication Lancashire Business View have come on board to support the project.”

Andrea Stamp from Forbes added: “We feel it's important to offer the Lancashire business community a platform to have a say and put forward their thoughts and opinions on the issues that affect them. The survey has enabled that to happen in recent years and we'd like to encourage more of Lancashire's businesses to get involved and have their say in the newly branded survey.”

Lancashire Business View’s Richard Slater commented: “The magazine is looking forward to working alongside Downtown and Forbes and helping to generate a significant interest in this important project. We know that Lancashire firms are not short of opinions. This survey gives businesses across the whole of the county the opportunity to express their views first hand.”

The Business Survey will be formally launched in the Spring. Look out for further details in future Downtown bulletins.

Peter Rankin and his administration at Preston City Council have embarked on a wide ranging consultation exercise this week, seeking the views of the local community, including those of the business sector...

The FBE (Forum for the Build Environment) is holding a networking breakfast on the future redevelopment of Preston city centre.

The event will focus on the future of Preston after the collapse of the Tithebarn revamp project, welcoming guest speaker Lorraine Norris, Chief Executive of Preston City Council.

The meeting will take place at Brockholes Visitor Centre, on Preston New Road in Preston from 7.15am to 9.15am on Thursday 19th January, and is free for members of FBE. The fee for non-members will be £25.00

To book a place contact John Chesworth on 01772 258321 or visit www.fbeonline.co.uk. 

Napthens solicitors has promoted solicitor Sarah Barnes to head up its residential property department.

Sarah will take over the post from Simon Ainsworth, who is also the head of the Lancashire law firm’s private client division.

Simon will now concentrate on developing future strategy for the private client side of the firm, which also includes the family, wills and estate planning and personal injury departments. However, he will continue to play a strategic role within the residential property department.

Sarah joined Napthens in 2009 and will now focus on taking forward the residential property service and building on the work and reputation established by Simon, a well-known figure in the region’s residential property sector.

Sarah advises on property transactions including sales, purchases and remortgages together with acting on behalf of landlords and tenants in connection with tenancy agreements.

Lancashire law firm Marsden Rawsthorn is holding a credit control seminar for local businesses.

The free event will be presented by the company's head of recovery, Laura-Jayne Brushett and will focus on effective credit control procedures, debt recovery processes and enforcement in order to maximise cash flow.

Laura-Jayne will also talk about Marsden Rawsthorn's new 'no recovery no fee' debt recovery solution, which recovers any debts efficiently and cost-effectively.

The event will be held at the company's Fulwood office on Faraday Drive on Thursday 26th January from 8.30am to 9.30am. Registration will start at 8am and a light breakfast will be provided.

To reserve a place contact Karen Maysmor kmaysmor@marsdenrawsthorn.com or call 01772 799678.

The second Lancashire Business View Red Rose Awards will once again celebrate the outstanding achievements of real businesses in our region. The awards will reward and recognise businesses which have not only survived but thrived in incredibly challenging times.

Lancashire Business View believe as a county we should be celebrating and congratulating hard-working, industrious businesses and acknowledging our diverse and vibrant business community. The Red Rose Awards will this year feature 20 categories, plus a special Publisher’s Choice Award, and the deadline for entry is Thursday 26 January 2012.

For more information and to enter, please visit the awards website at www.redroseawards.co.uk or contact Rowan Jamieson on 01706 828855 or rowan@redroseawards.co.uk

The long-awaited and controversial HS2 high speed rail project has been given the go-ahead by ministers.

The £32bn rail scheme, which aims to cut journey times from the North West to London by up to an hour, was given approval by Secretary of State for Transport, Justine Greening, for the stretch from the capital to Birmingham.

Alterations to the initial proposal have been submitted by HS2, which will include plans for 22.5 miles of tunnels or green tunnels as well as an alternative route, halving the number of dwellings at risk of land take and reducing the numbers experiencing increased noise levels by a third.

HS2 Ltd will also continue to develop plans for a high speed link to Leeds and Manchester via South Yorkshire and East Midlands and a spur to Heathrow. They will deliver recommendations to ministers later this year.

North West based enterprise and business support organisation Orvia continues to make a substantial contribution to the local economy as new figures are released from government sources.

The figures show that since 2009, the company has directly supported 600 new businesses to start trading across Central Lancashire and the Fylde Coast, of which a staggering 425 were started in 2011.

Of the 600 new businesses, over a quarter created new jobs, nearly half were owned by women, and 40% were in high growth sectors of the economy.

Orvia has officially been rated as one of the best performing business support organisations in the North West. Janine Smith, Director of Enterprise and Skills said: "I'm absolutely delighted with the figures and the level of our performance. To be rated as one of the best business support organisations in the North West is really pleasing and testament to the skills and professionalism of our staff and their commitment to providing top class services."

Lancashire man Alex Buckland is more determined than ever to do his utmost to help in the battle against blood cancer following the death of one of his closest friends.

Alex is to cycle 973 miles from John O'Groats to Land's End in June in memory of Matt Beeson who sadly lost his battle with Hepatosplenic Lymphoma in August.

The 26-year-old, from Darwen, has been training hard ahead of the JOGLE (John O'Groats Lands End) challenge and is already well on his way to reaching his fundraising target after being presented with a cheque for £1,000 by leading UK hotel group Legacy Hotels and Resorts.

Alex will also be staying in at least four Legacy Hotels up and down the country during the mission, starting off with the Legacy Preston International Hotel on Marsh Lane where his mother, Alison, is head housekeeper.

Set in the picturesque Ribble Valley, Shajan is an award-winning restaurant. It is split into three rooms enabling it to cater for private parties and large functions without losing it intimacy or atmosphere. A well known celebrity hotspot, the restaurant has chefs from all over South Asia, so it is able to offer a varied cuisine.

Shajan
Longsight Road
Clayton-le-Dale
Blackburn
Lancashire
BB1 9EX

T: 01254 813234
W: http://shajanindianrestaurant.co.uk

Name: Tom Jones 

Company: The Whalley Wine Shop.

Position: Managing Director.

Company Website Address: www.thewhalleywineshop.com

Football Team: Blackburn Rovers.

An Elected Mayor For Lancashire: I’d really need to listen to some of the arguments from both sides.

Favourite Bar/Restaurant: Bar Pepito – London's first Sherry bar. Restaurant - The Fishermans Retreat in Ramsbottom – Best value Wine list in Lancashire and a whole roast suckling pig for £250!

What's Your Tipple: I own a wine shop so pretty much anything you can imagine! At the moment Spanish Red's.

Which Business Person Do You Most Admire: My Father.

Favourite Band: Bloc Party.

Top Tune: Hurt by Johnny Cash.

Favourite Book: One flew over the Cuckoo's nest.

Favourite Movie: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Who Would Play You In A Film: Unfortunately my lovely friends sometimes say I look like a slightly camp Hobbit so probably Martin Freeman! 

Favourite TV Programme: Currently Misfits from BBC4.

Most Visited Website: Wikipedia - one of the greatest modern inventions.

Snog, Marry, Avoid!: Salma Hayek, Salma Hayek, Salma Hayek’s Husband.

Interesting Fact About You: I have just started collecting antique swords and daggers.

Why Downtown: Good people behind the magazine and events and excellent speakers.