M L BUSINESS
£ 1M REVAMP FOR SOUTH LIVERPOOL TRAINING CENTRE
BOOTLE BASED COMPANY AWARDED MULTI MILLION U . S CONTRACT
A Liverpool training and education centre has undergone a £ 1m refurbishment .
A two-year project has seen the transformation of Speke Training and Education Centre ( STEC ). It includes new suites , an exterior lift to improve accessibility , windows and a boiler system that significantly reduces its carbon footprint .
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has invested £ 750,000 into the project through the Local Growth Fund . The other £ 250,000 was raised through the sale of an adjacent building to Home Bargains owner , TJ Morris , for a new store . STEC also enjoys the support of Liverpool Lord Mayor , Mary Rasmussen , who is a former trustee . It is one of three nominated charities in her mayoral charity fund 2021- 22 . Labour MP for Garston and Halewood , Maria Eagle , also has her constituency office in the building .
Regenerating the premises will enhance the centre ’ s role as a mixed economy community anchor hub . It provides rentable space , increases employability , improves digital inclusion and skills , and enhances mindfulness and wellbeing in south Liverpool . There are also plans for a new Frances Hunt memorial garden , commemorating the former STEC Chair who died in January 2021 , which will provide a therapeutic horticultural space for adults with additional needs . It was Frances ’ aspiration to equip the building with a new exterior lift , which as well as providing increased accessibility to the centre .
At the relaunch ceremony Mark Ord , chief executive of STEC , spoke about the journey that the charity has gone through to become a centre that is sustainable for the future and the communities that it serves .
He said : “ More or less eight years ago to the day , STEC ’ s trustees embarked upon a major journey for this charity . The destination was to achieve better environmental features , and most of all , access for all . Our building was inaccessible , and although structurally sound , it was most inflexible .
" In September 2013 , the decision to enter a partnership with TJ Morris for the establishment of a major retail facility , followed by the muchvalued support of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority , have made this aspiration a reality . We have a transformed facility , empowering this charity of nearly four decades of community service to continue to provide residents of Speke , Garston and south Liverpool in general , with the accessible and environmentally sustainable facilities it needs for skills training , community empowerment , and business support , which they deserve .”
Richardsons Healthcare Ltd , a 2019 winner of the Queens Award for Enterprise has continued its exporting success despite Brexit .
The Bootle based company has been awarded a major contract with a US company to supply its pressure reducing medical operating table mattresses to one of the worlds largest medical device companies .
The Director General of The Department for International Trade , Andrew Mitchell , took the time to visit the company on his recent visit to Liverpool . He commented “ Richardsons Healthcare is a great example of British exporting success . I ’ m delighted to see this Liverpool-based company punching above its weight and delivering export growth in the US market .”
The contract valued at 1m dollars per year will create 6 new jobs and help secure 22 existing jobs .
Managing Director Michael Gould commented . “ I can ’ t deny that Brexit has been very challenging for our company , with goods held up for weeks in warehouses waiting to be cleared .
" Covid was also a blow because elected surgery was cancelled , and the bulk of our product are used in operating theatres . The market post covid lockdown has exploded with hospitals throughout the world trying to play catch up .
" This new US contract will give us a very solid base in the United States , and we expect further large contracts to follow ” he further commented .
“ The Queens Award for Enterprise has given our company real legitimacy in the eyes of large overseas potential customers and has been a big help in expanding our overseas sales .” merseylife . com 69