Business
How Sync helped every pupil at an Oldham primary school get their very own iPad
Sync is working to remove the barriers some young people face in accessing learning resources outside of school.
One of the North-West’s leading tech companies has partnered with Oasis Academy to give children in Oldham their very own iPad as part of a mission to make great education more accessible to everyone.
Sync – a longstanding local business that’s been charging-up Manchester for 30 years and counting – has supplied devices for all pupils and teachers at an Oldham primary school in a drive for equality.
Oldham Academy Clarksfield is part of the Oasis Community Learning family of schools – which has worked with Sync to pass along 450 iPads to local children.
The devices have helped to remove barriers some young people face in accessing learning resources outside of school.
Nigel Fowler, Principal at Oasis Academy Clarksfield, stated: “We are extremely excited to be part of the Oasis Community Learning Horizons project.
“Every child now has access to a top end device enabling them to complete research, enhance their learning, and develop as learners.
“The project is digitally transforming Oasis Clarksfield, moving us to the cutting edge of technology and learning.
“This project marries up the building project currently being undertaken and the result will be a learning environment and resources to enable us to help our children prepare for the 21st century.”
The iPad supply is part of a wider scheme titled Oasis Horizons – which is committed to delivering over 30,000 iPads to primary, secondary, sixth form students, and staff over a 12-month period.
The strategy involves improving the curriculum in Oasis academies and giving staff the chance to develop their skills within the classroom.
Tom Crump, National Education Manager at Sync, explained: “The equitable delivery of education through digital means has never been more important.
“By equipping teachers and students with an iPad, OCL is preparing for the long-term delivery of equitable learning – whether students are in school or at home.
“We are proud to be working with OCL on their ground-breaking Horizons project – the largest provision of iPad in education happening in England to date.”
Sync has been part of the tech scene in Manchester for 30 years / Image: Sync
The work with Oasis Academy Clarksfield is just one example of the ways in which Sync is supporting local education.
The company is focused on helping schools adopt and integrate technology – as well as setting up workshops and seminars for those eager to learn more about utilising tech in all kinds of educational arenas.
Sync offered free spaces to local business owners and entrepreneurs during the nationwide lockdown – including vital skills-based training courses designed for enhancing work and communication.
The Sync Deansgate site – a three-storey tech shop with an Apple desk, training suite, and conference centre – is open now with an information desk for anyone looking to find out more.
Additional information on training and events available at Sync can be found here.
Business
Salford City FC have been bought out by a new consortium
Danny Jones
Another era beckons for Salford City as a buyout of the Greater Manchester football club by a new consortium has been announced.
Well, sort of.
Salford City FC were famously the subject of a joint takeover by Singaporean businessman Peter Lim and members of Manchester United’s Class of ’92 over a decade ago, and now 11 years on from that last milestone moment in their history, the local side has a new administration once again.
It is a fresh chapter for the club, but supporters will be glad to hear that there will also be some continuity and key throughline of consistency among some of those at the top.
Led by Man United legends Gary Neville and David Beckham, who have been involved with Salford since 2014, the new nine-member consortium consists of the Dream Sports Group – a leading sports technology company based in India – along with a number of other key figures.
One of those is Lord Mervyn Davies, a former Labour MP and Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Small Business, who still serves as a trade envoy between the UK and Sri Lanka.
Another is Irish-American entrepreneur Declan Kelly, who is Chairman and CEO of The Consello Group, a global advisory and investing firm.
While the previous co-owners and fellow Class of ’92 United graduates are no longer shareholders at Moor Lane, it is said they will still play important roles at the club.
As the official statement reads, “The acquisition includes a commitment by the new shareholders to invest significantly in the Club, the team and its facilities”, meaning there will funds will likely be sweet aside not only for some healthy transfer business but more updates to the Peninsula Stadium.
Commenting on the announcement, Neville said: “I’m passionate about Salford City. This is a unique partnership with a diverse range of minds and expertise, held together by a love of football.
“Football will come first, however, it’s critical that we drive the Club towards sustainability in the next 4-5 years. I can’t wait for the next part of this journey.”
Meanwhile, Beckham went on to add in the excitable Instagram post seen above: “Salford played such an important role in my life growing up… It’s where I trained with United alongside my best mates every day, it’s where I bought my first house and where me and Victoria lived.
“I’m so proud to be part of a new ownership group alongside my mate [Neville] as we begin the next chapter of Salford’s journey. Football is at the heart of this community and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Ammies.
Are you happy with the news, Salford fans?
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Featured Images — Salford City FC (via Wikimedia Commons)
Business
Deliveroo is set for a multi-billion dollar buyout from a takeaway rival
Danny Jones
UK takeaway service Deliveroo is set for a massive takeover by a fellow delivery business rival, said to be worth several billion.
The British multinational is known nationwide, occupying one of the biggest market shares alongside competitors Just Eat and Uber Eats, but now the takeaway delivery service is set to be swallowed up by an even bigger brand based in the US.
As reported on Tuesday, 6 May, American delivery firm DoorDash – the biggest of its kind in the States – looks set to complete an estimated £2.9 billion buyout, which will see Deliveroo folded into their growing global portfolio.
This massive deal will see the company’s presence in more than 40 countries further consolidated, already serving somewhere in the region of 50 million customers every month.
According to the likes of Reuters, Bloomberg and BBC, DoorDash is offering 180p per share, which is a 44% increase on Deliveroo’s share price from the point when initial takeover talks were made public in April 2025.
Speaking in a joint statement on the impending buyout, the two firms said: “The combination with Deliveroo will strengthen DoorDash’s position as a leading global platform in local commerce.”
Founded by chief executive Will Shu back in 2013, Deliveroo is now considered one of the big three in the food delivery industry’s UK scene, but is set to get much bigger under the DoorDash umbrella.
As for DoorDash, CEO and co-founder Tony Xu went on to add: “Coming together with teams that have similar visions and values accelerates our work to achieve that mission. Deliveroo is just such a team and one that I have long admired.
“Like DoorDash, Deliveroo is obsessively focused on their customers – consumers, merchants, and riders. They work day in and day out to improve their consumer value proposition, bring new services to local businesses, and offer flexibility and support to riders.”
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This isn’t the only big move they’ve made even just this week; in fact, the giant not only purchased Deliveroo but also New York’s restaurant technology company, SevenRooms Inc., which means they have forked out over $5bn in roughly five hours.
Put simply, this seriously big business and even bigger money that could make a big impact on UK hospitality and culinary convenience.
Obviously, full ratification via the SEC and so on is yet to be announced, but it looks like pretty much a done deal already.
So yeah, be prepared to see the name DoorDash being advertised up and down the country a lot more moving forward.
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Featured Images — @shopblocks/Focal Foto (via Flickr)
The Manc -
8th July 2021 
