Everything changed for Manchester businesses in 2020. Unequivocally and permanently.
Since the arrival of the pandemic, the local corporate landscape has found itself in an unrecognisable, uncertain and frustratingly fluid state, with companies scrambling to find new ways to cope with ever-changing regulations.
Even as a vaccine is administered across the region, there’s a growing sense of acceptance that it will still be some time before things are ‘normal’ again.
COVID has forced businesses to change the way they think, behave and operate for the foreseeable future – and one firm is doing its bit to help Manchester companies comfortably navigate the choppy waters ahead.
REVIV – the global preventative health company with a HQ in St Ann’s Square – has today launched HELIIX: An innovative, game-changing piece of management software designed to put business owners back in the driving seat.
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A product unlike anything else on the market, HELIIX is being called the ‘most robust and effective’ COVID business tool – functioning as an essential support system to keep firms afloat in 2021.
Risk profiling, robust tracking and case management, sick pay forecasting, vaccine tracking, and user isolation alerts are all embedded within the system – with every feature packaged into a single app that can be downloaded by staff and updated in real-time.
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Aside from offering benefits to employers, staff can also enjoy peace of mind with HELIIX in that their health is being taken seriously.
REVIV owner Sarah Lomas, whose rags-to-riches success story was featured on BBC TV series Manctopia, has previously expressed her concerns for the wellbeing of local businesses – and HELIIX aims to change the trajectory; minimising the number of firms going bump due to factors formerly out of their control.
Sarah stated: “REVIV had already shifted into technology investments and as COVID-19 hit I saw the opportunity to accelerate our corporate preventative health software HELIIX.
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“I’m a great believer in fixing a problem that exists in the world today.
“I’m proud that we have a software system that can not only manage COVID in the workplace but it can track vaccination rollouts in the working community as well as having the potential to reduce risk and litigation.”
REVIV has also launched not-for-profit PCR and antibody testing for just £89 – one of the lowest prices currently available on the market.
Wellbeing is the business’ bread and butter, and with HELIIX, REVIV is hoping to get more staff back into workplaces safely – boosting the local economy as a result.
Non-Executive Board Director Max Johnson stated: “All employers need a COVID-19 management software to make their companies run smoothly and safely.
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“We think HELIIX is just the software to enable them to do that.”
Professional functionality of HELIIX is charged at £1.40 per user a month, with subscriptions free to cancel at any time.
Starting off life as a little coffee trike back in 2021, and now based inside a bright-yellow shipping container in Levenshulme‘s Cringle Park, Grounded MCR CIC is a social enterprise that does more than just make you a brew.
Set up with the idea of creating a welcoming space for the whole community to gather, with a key focus on sustainability, Grounded serves up specialty coffee, lots of other hot and cold drinks, and yummy homemade food – much of which is grown by hand, on and around the container.
This is Grounded MCR / Credit: The Manc Group
Coffee beans sourced from a local roaster that pays farmers properly, tasty bakes on offer from a handful of local makers – including bread from the incredible Stockport-based charity, Pure Innovations – and dozens of free community events organised throughout the year are just a few of the reasons why Grounded goes above and beyond your typical cafe.
Sustainability – and affordability, especially amid the ongoing cost of living crisis – are two huge driving factors for Grounded, especially through their partnership with FareShare Greater Manchester and utilising the ‘Too Good To Go’ scheme.
By delivering and using surplus food that would’ve otherwise gone to waste, Grounded is able to keep their prices low whilst still creating some delicious scran.
The Levenshulme community cafe crafting coffee for a great cause / Credit: The Manc Group
Their ‘FareShare Fridays’ are hosted each week, where that morning’s delivery is dedicated to one specific dish and served up for just £1.
To top it all off, Grounded also works with vulnerable adults in honing their barista and hospitality skills, and is also in partnership with ‘Women in Probation’ too to ensure their impact goes further than just what comes in a cup or on a plate.
”We’ve worked hard to create a space that feels safe and welcoming for all,” Grounded declares in a statement on it’s website – and we think they’ve succeeded.
Sustainable clothing brand Lucy & Yak to host first-ever PreLoved Weekender in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Popular sustainable brand Lucy & Yak is set to host its first ever pre-loved clothing event this bank holiday weekend.
Lucy & Yak is turning its stores into dedicated PreLoved hubs for an entire weekend – celebrating second-hand shopping with communities across the UK.
Since 2023, Lucy & Yak – which is an independent, people-focused brand with all items made using organic, natural, recycled, or deadstock fabrics – has kept more than 42,000 items, also known affectionately as ‘Yaks’, in circulation through its PreLoved scheme, where customers bring in and return their old pieces, and once processed, will then receive a money-off voucher to put towards their next purchase.
Damaged pieces are repaired or upcycled by the Re:Yak Studio team in Yorkshire, before being sold on in-store to find their new homes.
While Lucy & Yak stores carry a dedicated PreLoved rail year-round, this late May bank holiday weekend from Saturday 23 – Monday 25 May, the whole Manchester store experience will be transformed – with a much larger, expanded PreLoved section.
There’ll be everything from old gems to one-off pieces available to get your hands on – all still wearable, all still loveable.
As well as here in Manchester city centre, the PreLoved Weekender will also be taking place at Lucy & Yak stores in Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Canterbury, Chester, Edinburgh, Exeter, London, Norwich, Nottingham, Sheffield, and Portsmouth, so no matter where you are in the country this bank holiday, you don’t have to miss out.
What’s more is that fashion lovers in Manchester will also get to take part in a series of upcycling workshops in store on Bank Holiday Monday, with more events planned in the coming weeks.
The brand says its stores are ‘more than just shops’ – they’re spaces for the community to connect, and where Lucy & Yak’s values come to life in person.
Lucy & Yak’s first-ever PreLoved Weekender is coming to Manchester this bank holiday / Credit: Supplied
“We’re so excited to bring the PreLoved Weekender to our stores this May,” commented Lydia Coley, who is the Managing Director at Lucy & Yak.
“Lucy & Yak has always been built around community, creativity, and doing things a little differently, and PreLoved brings all of that together. We’re incredibly proud of keeping over 42,000 Yaks in circulation. Every second-hand Yak has a story, and this weekend is about helping those pieces find their next home in a fun way.”
The PreLoved Weekender will be taking place at Lucy & Yak’s Manchester store in the Northern Quarter this Saturday 23 – Monday 25 May, and you can find out more here.
The Manc -
14th December 2020 
