Manchester-based recruitment company Amoria Bond is one of the fastest-growing businesses in Europe, and for good reason.
The business, which has been named one of the best recruitment companies to work for by several major industry bodies, is leading the way when it comes to STEM recruitment while also offering incredible benefits to its employees.
Its team members have access to perks like lunch clubs and book clubs as well as career-progressing benefits like grants for external training, not to mention the team trips to destinations like Las Vegas and Dubai.
Amoria Bond prides itself on its expertise and relationships with its clients and candidates but colleagues are well looked-after too – as per its mission statement of ‘Progressing Lives Everywhere’.
Credit: Amoria Bond
Anyone who goes to work for Amoria Bond is placed on a 10-steps-to-the-top progression programme, so everyone knows where they sit and where they’re headed within the business.
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Even those who join at trainee level know they’re only 10 steps away from being a member of the executive board, and four members on the current executive board actually joined as trainees.
But despite the clear route to career progression for all employees, each individual is given a personalised progression plan to help them reach that next step.
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It works, too – half of all the recruiters who work at Amoria Bond have been promoted in the last year, with some even getting promoted twice.
The team at Amoria Bond. Credit: Supplied
Amoria Bond specialises in pioneering sectors like advanced engineering, technology and energy, matching people and businesses who are building a cleaner future for the world.
Those who work for the business have access to award-winning training and development, including the Amoria Bond Academy, which has thousands of expert-led videos.
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The company’s learning and development team also runs in-person training sessions and one-on-one Zoom sessions.
It’s also committed to diversity and inclusion, believing that everyone deserves respect and equal opportunity regardless of background.
Amoria Bond says: “Diversity and Inclusion is an ongoing journey and we’re in it for the long haul.
“We don’t pretend to be perfect, but we are 100% committed and hold ourselves fully accountable to delivering sustainable, meaningful action-led change internally, within the recruitment industry we love, and across the STEM sectors we serve.”
As well as internal diversity and inclusion committees in each office, and annual reports published publicly, Amoria Bond is one of the founding signatories of the Diversity and Inclusion Charter and founding members of Programme One, a collaborative initiative that aims to remove barriers to black talent.
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ASCEND is an internal initiative too, which is designed to attract, retain and progress women across the Amoria Bond Group and wider recruitment industry.
The perks keep coming too, including daily benefits like flexible and remote working, uncapped earnings, company cars and mobiles, and 24/7 access to a wellness hub.
Amoria Bond offers a lunch club to its employees. Credit: Supplied
Employees are given a £500 development allowance to spend on external training every year, and are offered activities and prizes for hitting targets.
Top performers are treated to a Lunch Club at some of Manchester’s best restaurants as well as being able to get a book or audiobook of their choice every month through the company Book Club.
Amoria Bond team members are able to take a day off to spend time volunteering for charity without it coming out of their annual leave, and can swap time off for different religious holidays.
Everyone finishes for the week at 4pm on a Friday, but those who hit their TFI targets are able to finish at 1.30pm.
And then the whole team has the chance to travel the world with global sales conferences, with 2022 destinations including Dubai and Las Vegas.
You can find out more about Amoria Bond on the company’s website here.
Featured image: Supplied
Business
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.
Featured Image – Supplied
Business
Inside Cat Cafe Manchester, as a dozen fluffy felines pounce into their new palace
Emily Sergeant
Cat Cafe Manchester will soon be ready to open the doors to its new home in the city centre, and we’ve got a sneak peak for you.
Get ready to meet your 12 new best friends.
Barton Arcade was already one of Manchester‘s most stunning buildings as it is, but now a dozen new fluffy felines have moved in too, taking over the old Classic Football Shirts site on Deansgate with climbing frames, scratch posts, cat trees, squishy sofas, and plenty (emphasis on the plenty) of ledges that are perfect for perching on.
You may remember that Cat Cafe Manchester was a beloved venue in the Northern Quarter, opening all the way back in 2016 before sadly having to close in 2021 following unavoidable economic struggles brought about by the pandemic.
But now they’re back, and they’re cuter than ever… you can absolutely take our word for it.
Cat Cafe Manchester is getting ready to open at the end of this month / Credit: The Manc Group
After announcing in January 2025 that they would be making a grand return to the city, the Cat Cafe staff have been spending the past year making sure their new home is perfect (purrfect… if you will) ready for the cats to begin moving in – which they have been doing over this past week, gradually being introduced to each other in intervals to make sure they all get on.
From Maine Coons Ottie and Heathcliff, and fluffy sisters Yumi and Yoki, to Uno the adventurous Bengal, beautiful Gracie the Ragdoll, and Emerson the proud British Shorthair, it’s clear to see that all 12 residents have been making themselves at home ready for the official opening on Saturday 30 May.
“Our mission is to make animal assisted therapy accessible on the high street,” Cat Cafe says in a mission statement on its website.
“We aim to support urban communities by offering inclusive, calm and relaxing spaces in what can be a busy, crowded and over-stimulating world. The purpose of Cat Cafe is to help people feel better.”
The 12 fluffy felines have all started making themselves at home / Credit: The Manc Group
All the cats are still considered kittens at this point, and they will be ready for retiring and settling down once they turn five.
And of course, let’s not forget the ‘cafe’ part of the Cat Cafe too.
When you book your one-hour time slot from £14 per person, you’ll also get unlimited free hot and cold drinks included in your ticket price, and be able to order from a menu that includes everything from toasted teacakes and bacon sandwiches, to paninis, cakes, and ice creams – with options for a variety of dietary requirements.
As well as the general admission – which is open to children aged 10 and over – Cat Cafe Manchester will also be offering adult-only sessions, child-friendly hours for those between the ages of four and nine, and will even host book clubs, film nights, and craft nights too.
Dedicated subsidised hours for the SEN community and their carers are now open to book, so they have the opportunity to attend on a weekly basis, and birthday packages, celebration packages, afternoon tea, and private hire are also available.
Cat Cafe Manchester officially opens on Saturday 30 May, and you can find out everything you need to know and book your slot to visit online here.
Daisy Jackson -
27th April 2022 
