40 local individuals and businesses have been announced as finalists for the brand new Northern Gamechanger awards.
The all-new awards programme will celebrate the forces for good in our business communities and honour leaders in the region making a real difference in their fields.
Unlike most awards ceremonies, there aren’t defined categories here – rather, finalists are recognised for their work in a number of areas, from sustainability and social mobility to diversity and decarbonisation.
The 40 finalists announced today include some of the most familiar business names in the region, including TalkTalk, HideOut Youth Zone, Go Thrift, UA92 and The Juice Academy, as well as brilliant individuals.
Simon Mellin of The Modern Milkman and Heard Storytelling are among the Northern Gamechanger finalists.
The awards themselves are set to take place on 14 September.
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10 total Northern Gamechangers will be announced then, chosen by judges including The Manc Group managing director Anna Gledson, Capital & Centric co-founder Tim Heatley, founder of SA Consulting Sharon Amesu, and drector of Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre Amer Gaffar.
The brand-new awards programme is the brainchild of north-west based business consultancy, Elevate, and was launched after noticing the little recognition available for those making a real difference.
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Katie Robson, co-founder and director of Elevate, said: “Seeing so many individuals and organisations across the region being nominated has been brilliant.
“We already knew there were plenty of people using their influence for good, but this has really highlighted the game changing attitudes of the north’s pioneering business community.
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“We can’t wait to champion those people who are making a real difference – the main reason we wanted to launch Northern Gamechangers, was to shout about the fantastic work people are doing in the realms of sustainability, charity, diversity and many more.”
There’ll be accessible ticket prices for the ceremony itself, which will be a fun and relaxed evening of celebration and networking – with no white tablecloths in sight.
Programme sponsors include leading independent PR agency, The PHA Group, which last year launched its northern base; Manchester Central, the city’s thriving exhibition and conference centre; and Appleyard Lees, Intellectual Property specialists.
You can purchase your ticket for the Northern Gamechanger awards here.
The full list of the Northern Gamechanger finalists
Abi Dunn, Sixty Eight People
Abigail Herron, Aviva Investors
Adam Farricker, HideOut Youth Zone Manchester
Adam Pope, Spencer Churchill
Agent Academy
Carl Walker, Go Thrift
Catherine Wilks, Slalom
Chris Roberts, Safe As Houses
Christos Tsaprounis, Autotrader
David MacDonald, Cullen ECO Friendly Packaging
Dr Ruth Brown-Shepherd, FSB West Yorkshire Academia-Industry Network
Duane Cormell, Realm Recruit
Emma Louise-Fusari, Inhouse Health
Fund Her North
Gary Woodhead, CurveBlock
Georgia Fitzgerald, Juice Academy
Grace Dyke, Yellow Jigsaw
Hannah Cox, BetterNotStop
Heard Storytelling
Helen McHugh, TalkTalk
Helen Seagrave, Electricity North West
Holly Holland & Laura Pomfret, Financielle
HOME Team
Husain Bensaud, HBL Associates
Isobelle Panton, University Academy 92
Jason Laing, ProMake
John Eckersley, Castefield Partners
Katie McIntosh, The Remedy Kitchen
Lauren Rosegreen, Invisible Cities Manchester
Lee Chambers, Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing
Liam Starkey, The Inclusive Hub
Lyndsay Hymas, Slalom
Manchester PA Network
Max Whiteley. Accounts & Legal
Rebecca Hartley, Saving Grace Events
ReCon^2
Simon Mellin, The Modern Milkman
Sophie Walker, Dsposal
The Royal Exchange Theatre
Tiffany Thorn, BiVictriX Therapeutics
Featured image: Heard Storytelling / Unsplash / Modern Milkman
News
Hawksmoor issues statement after ‘kicking out’ Tommy Robinson from one of its restaurants
Daisy Jackson
Hawksmoor has issued a statement after a viral video captured far-right activist Tommy Robinson being asked to leave one of its restaurants.
In the video, staff at the acclaimed British steak house told Robinson – real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – that he would have to go because members of staff feel uncomfortable serving you’.
The supervisor then politely told the party not to worry about the drinks and that they had been paid for, also handing over a business card for Hawksmoor CEO Will Beckett in case they wanted to discuss the matter further.
Robinson was dining in one of the group’s London restaurants with former prominent EDL member Guramit Singh Kalirai who challenged the staff and asked: “Is it because of the colour of my skin?”
The supervisor responded: “No, no, no. We have a duty of care to our members of staff. We like to look after our people, as I’m sure you can understand.”
After the video went viral on X, Hawksmoor went on to share a statement in response, saying that guests and staff ‘felt uncomfortable and complained’.
The statement, signed by CEO Will Beckett, added that the Hawksmoor team has faced ‘a huge amount’ of ‘quite concerning’ fallout from the Tommy Robinson incident.
He added that ‘this was not about politics or beliefs’.
Hawksmoor’s statement reads: “Our focus is always to give the best restaurant experience to the most people possible.
“On Thursday, a public figure was asked to leave one of our restaurants because guests and staff felt uncomfortable and had complained. The party left peacefully and politely on request.
“This was not about politics or beliefs. Hawksmoor is not a political organisation; we’re a group of restaurants. We want to welcome as many people as possible, regardless of background or views, to our teams or as our guests.
“We’re not trying to engage in a public debate. The team has had to deal with a huge amount of fallout from this, some of which is quite concerning. We would like to get back to focussing on looking after those people, and our guests. Thank you to them, and the many of you who have been so supportive.”
Police release footage of missing Manchester man Adeo Alston-Ekpei’s last-known movements
Emily Sergeant
Video footage showing the last-known movements of a Manchester man who’s been missing for three weeks now has been released.
Detectives at Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are continuing to search for Adeo Alston-Ekpei, who has not been seen since Friday 16 May.
The 25-year-old was seen in Fletcher Moss Park in Didsbury at around 3pm, before later being seen walking down Kingsway away from Manchester and close to the River Mersey, at around 5.20pm that same day.
Multiple lines of enquiry being explored by police at present, but anyone who believes they may have seen him from around this time, is asked to get in touch.
Adeo is described as being a mixed-race male, with long curly black hair and a long singular dreadlock, and bleached eyebrows. He has a cupid’s bow piercing and a right eyebrow piercing. He also has an ‘AKA’ tattoo on his right wrist, and a ‘24’ tattoo in the right side of his chest.
He was last seen wearing long blue denim shorts, an undone green short-sleeved button-up shirt, and white Adidas trainers.
Friends have also recently set up a public fundraiser to help with the search for Adeo.
Adeo Alston-Ekpei has been missing for almost three weeks / Credit: GMP
“We are dedicated to finding Adeo and getting much-needed answers for his family,” commented Detective Inspector Kelly, from GMP’s Manchester district, as the footage was released to the public this week.
“I would ask any residents around the Kingsway area, and surrounding housing estates off Kingsway into Gately, and who may have dashcam or CCTV footage from around this time, to please check and get in touch if you have any information.
“Likewise, if anyone believes they have seen Adeo, please get in touch with one of our officers. Any information is appreciated and investigated as we continue our work.”
#MISSING | We are continuing to ask for information relating to missing Adeo, who was last seen on May 16.
We have additionally released CCTV footage showing Adeo’s last known movements on Kingsway, Manchester.
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) June 5, 2025
A spokesperson for Adeo’s family described the missing man as ‘kind, funny, and intelligent’ with a ‘huge heart’, but they say he ‘wasn’t himself when he disappeared’.
“He may have come across as agitated, lost, or confused,” the spokesperson admitted. “In his last call to his mum, he was in a very vulnerable state.”
Anyone with any information regarding Adeo’s whereabouts is urged to contact South Manchester CID directly on 0161 856 6051 or 0161 856 6063, or you can use the LiveChat function on GMP’s website and quote log number 838 of 18/05/25.
Alternatively, you can report information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Daisy Jackson -
8th July 2022 
