News

What More UK and Firsteel Ltd Expanding Through Apprenticeships

What More UK, manufacturer of housewares brand Wham, are making great strides on integrating their latest acquisition Firsteel Ltd into the What More Group. One thing that has impressed the team at Firsteel is the success of the What More apprenticeship programme, and what it brings to the company.

What More operate in a specialist industry requiring traditional engineering skills. They pride themselves on their exceptional Apprenticeship programme run in conjunction with Burnley College, and were happy to share best practise with colleagues at Firsteel.

A team from Firsteel decided to investigate the possibility of replicating it in Walsall, to ensure their skills base continues to expand and retain traditional skills. Paul Didlick, General Manager and Barry Featherstone, Engineer Manager of Firsteel along with What More’s Garry Ireland, Operations Director and Sally Hulse, Group HR Manager soon made contact with the specialist department at Walsall College and the wheels were very quickly put in motion.

They were able to employ one apprentice to start immediately, and another, the grandson of a current member of staff, will start on receipt of his positive exam results. The team are also engaged with Walsall College to find a third, who will be working in the Technical Department. The second phase of this project is to provide work experience to a number of keen students from Walsall College. From this, Firsteel hope to find another two apprentices to join the team.

Directors at What More UK are delighted with how well Firsteel have fitted in to the group company. Company Director Tony Grimshaw OBE, commented:

The 40 members of staff at Firsteel are true professionals. The majority of the staff on the shop floor have over 30 years experience. They look forward to passing their wealth of knowledge and experience on to these young people, ensuring their skills carry forward to the next generations.

Firsteel, who manufacture and develop customised prefinished metal, are leaders in their field and have blended in very easily with other What More group companies. We’re really looking forward to the future now and what success that will bring!

What More UK manufacture metal and plastic housewares of all kinds, from around the sink items to garden, garage and officewares. What More is a proud member of Made in Britain and they export UK branded goods to 76 countries around the world, in addition to every major UK supermarket and another 1600 independent retailers.

What More UK Acquire Firsteel Ltd, Underlining Their Commitment To The Bakeware & Cookware Market

What More UK, manufacturer of housewares brand Wham, are very pleased to announce the acquisition of Firsteel Ltd, which is another fantastic milestone in the successful and eventful history of the company.

Under the Wham brand, What More are the undisputed UK brand and market leader in plastic housewares, storage and garden products. This brand leadership has been achieved by heavy investment in people, product development, state of the art manufacturing machinery, and investment in infrastructure and estate.

Using their success in the UK and Export markets as a blueprint, they have successfully gained ground in the bakeware and cookware markets. Firstly, they invested in bakeware machinery and moulds from a company founded in 1890, along with its key personnel, to develop a new division. 

With this as a manufacturing base, they were able to purchase patented PushPan from a Chinese company and enable the entire range to become Made in Britain, which is very important to What More. The PushPan product concept won Product of the Year at the Chicago International Housewares Show, and helped give the What More bakeware offer credibility, especially in international markets where it was already an accepted brand.

PushPan - British Made Leakproof Cake Tins

Beginning the investment and development strategy as they successfully ran with plastic products, What More invested in a new state of the art tool room, enabling them to revamp the whole acquired range of products. This included a large investment in fully automated presses, giving a hugely increased production capacity. They also acquired local toolroom facility Canteen Smithy, to boost their mould making capability and retain traditional engineering skills locally.

What More’s latest acquisition is Firsteel Ltd, based in the West Midlands. Firsteel is dedicated to the manufacture and development of customised prefinished metal. Coil coating is a process applying coating material to coiled metal strip continuously. What More then turn this coated metal into bakeware and cookware, so the acquisition will secure their bakeware and cookware lines of supply, giving them total quality control of the whole process of production.

What More UK Director Tony Grimshaw OBE is delighted by the acquisition and welcomes the new colleagues at Firsteel to the ever growing What More manufacturing family. He commented,

Their contribution will be essential and absolutely brilliant, of that we are sure. This move will lead to other product opportunities and development, even using other metals.

At the moment the UK brand and market leader in bakeware and cookware is China.We have super quality products at competitive prices, manufacturing capacity, a secure supply line and our outstanding reputation for customer service.We now look for the continued support of UK retailing and hopefully gaining more, to achieve the goal of UK brand and market leadership in the bakeware and cookware sector.

This is a match made in heaven. Firsteel’s expertise, and their proud, committed, and enthusiastic workforce will slot in perfectly with the rest of theWhat More team. Now we truly are a drawing board to the oven, bakeware/cookware supplier. Designed in the UK, made in theUK, sold to the UK and the world!

 

What More Toast A Successful Ambiente Trade Show In 2023 With Their Highest Ever Visiter Numbers

What More UK, manufacturer of the well-known Lancashire housewares brand Wham, has been a regular exhibitor at the annual Ambiente tradeshow for more than 20 years. This year What More returned with two stands to make the most of the huge opportunity, and called it a great success!

Ambiente is the leading international consumer goods trade fair. With Dining, Living, Giving and the new Working section, Ambiente presents a unique mix of new ideas and products, and provides a major platform for global trends. It was a great opportunity for Wham products to be displayed to buyers from all over the world, with export customers mixing with major UK supermarkets and retailers.

Visiting a large scale trade show like Ambiente requires months of preparation and a real team effort. The preparation starts with new product ideas, testing and production. Manufacturing and office based teams need to prepare the products, stands and all the logistical arrangements, ensuring everything turns up pristine and can be showcased in its best light. The dedicated Sales teams then work hard for days, meeting contacts and visitors.

What More UK Director Tony Grimshaw OBE always looks forward to returning to Ambiente. He said,

We were delighted to return to Frankfurt, meet new contacts and showcase our latest ranges and trends. Ambiente really is the highlight of our year. We’ve always said we don’t make customers, we make valued friends. It’s great to catch up with people we know too, our valued customers!

Our two stands this year covered Housewares (plastic mouldings) and Cookware (Bakeware pressed steel). We recorded our highest ever visitor numbers to our stands, and all credit to our sales team working long hours every day.

It’s a huge team effort from everyone at What More in the preparation and delivery of events – and the Directors are so proud of every colleague involved, who all pull together to make this a success. The work doesn’t stop now either, with quotes flying out to turn interest into orders.

It was a great success and we will definitely be back. Our next stop is at The Inspired Home Show in Chicago next month, stand S4419, and we hope to continue our excellent export sales with our hard working Sales Team!

What More UK manufacture metal and plastic housewares of all kinds, from around the sink items to garden, garage and officewares. What More is a proud member of Made in Britain and they export UK branded goods to 75 countries around the world, in addition to every major UK supermarket and another 1600 independent retailers.

For more information about What More UK visit www.whatmoreuk.com

What More Showcase Extended PushPan® Range Made In Britain – Shown In Frankfurt and Chicago

What More UK, the Lancashire housewares manufacturer, and owner of the well-known brand Wham, is delighted to showcase an extended range of the award winning PushPan® round cake tins at the upcoming trade shows Ambiente, in Frankfurt, and The Inspired Home Show in Chicago.

PushPan® is a favourite of Mary Berry of “Great British Bake Off” fame and professional bakers including the Pastry Chef at the prestigious French Laundry restaurant in California, due to its innovative design giving superb results every time. The base features a unique silicone seal ring, making it 100% leak proof and water tight. This helps with very liquid mixtures, and is ideal for making baked cheesecakes in a water bath. Removing the finished cake smoothly and in one piece is easy, simply put the full pan on a tin can or mug, and push the product out – no need for liners!

What More have also brought all production in house at their base in East Lancashire, and can now proudly say all PushPan® products are Made in Britain. The coating is ILAFLON® Select R, an Ilag Special non-stick coating which will give years of service with perfect turnouts and easy cleaning. The range extends to 8.5cm deep in 15cm diameter, 18cm, 20cm, 23cm and 25cm; plus 4.3cm deep in 18cm, 20cm, and 23cm varieties.

What More UK Director Tony Grimshaw OBE is looking forward to returning to Ambiente and Chicago once again, as they are a major platform for global trends. He said:

TONY GRIMSHAW OBE, WHAT MORE UK DIRECTOR RETURNING TO AMBIENTE AND CHICAGOPushPan® has been a great investment for What More, and we’ve worked hard on new tooling to expand the range. We are excited to return to Ambiente and Chicago, the two biggest global trade shows for our industry, and we can’t wait to see old friends and new and continue our export growth.

PushPan® won the prestigious 1st Prize in COOK + Bakeware at the International Housewares Association’s Innovation awards at a previous Chicago exhibition, so we’re delighted to return there showcasing an extended range, which is now proudly Made in Britain!

What More UK manufacture metal and plastic housewares of all kinds, from around the sink items to garden, garage and officewares. What More is a proud member of Made in Britain and they export UK branded goods to 75 countries around the world, in addition to every major UK supermarket and another 1600 independent retailers.

For more information about What More UK visit www.whatmoreuk.com

What More Return to Ambiente in 2023 With Two Stands To Make the Most of the Huge Opportunity

What More UK, the Lancashire housewares manufacturer, and owner of the well-known brand Wham, has been a regular exhibitor at the annual Ambiente tradeshow for more than 20 years. Following cancellation of the event in 2022, the Frankfurt trade show is back to full strength, and What More will return with two stands to make the most of this huge opportunity, held from 3rd to 7th February 2023.

Ambiente is the leading international consumer goods trade fair. Before the pandemic caused 2022’s cancellation, it regularly attracted astonishing numbers of exhibitors and visitors. In 2019 the show saw 4460 exhibitors from 92 countries and 136,000 visitors from 162 countries. With Dining, Living, Giving and the new Working section, Ambiente presents a unique mix of new ideas and products, and provides a major platform for global trends.

What More UK Director Tony Grimshaw OBE is looking forward to returning to Ambiente once again. He said,

We’re absolutely delighted to be returning to Frankfurt in February, and showcasing our latest ranges and trends. Ambiente is such an important event for lots of reasons. We’ve always said we don’t make customers, we make valued friends. It really is the highlight of our year.

All our International Sales Team work really hard, and Ambiente is a very impressive spectacle. Our two stands this year will cover Housewares (plastic mouldings) and Cookware (Bakeware pressed steel). Housewares will be in Hall 9.2 on Stand C05, and Bakeware in Hall 9 on Stand E30. We can’t wait to see friends and make contacts old and new!

What More UK manufacture metal and plastic housewares of all kinds, from around the sink items to garden, garage and officewares. What More is a proud member of Made in Britain and they export UK branded goods to 75 countries around the world, in addition to every major UK supermarket and another 1600 independent retailers.

 

What More Welcome Future Female Engineers from Withington Girls’ School

What More UK, manufacturers of bakeware and housewares, recently hosted a visit from GCSE Design and Technology students from Withington Girls’ School in Manchester, who have an interest in becoming engineers of the future.

The students have been studying designing and making principles, including a broad range of design processes, materials, techniques and equipment. One production process is injection moulding, which What More do on a huge scale, producing millions of houseware products a year. What More are always encouraging schools to visit to see their first class facilities, and hope to inspire more female engineers to apply for their apprenticeship programme.

Following an introduction by Company Director Tony Grimshaw OBE explaining that their products are shipped to 75 countries worldwide, and they are well known for their engineering excellence, the students then had a tour of the facilities. They were informed about the design and engineering processes, as well as seeing the impressive production facilities up close.

Fabiola Cotton, Head of Design Technology at Withington Girls’ School, said on the day:

We wanted to give the students an opportunity to see what they’re learning from a book about manufacturing, injection moulding, how things are made in mass quantities, and how things go through a warehouse – actually seeing the scale of manufacturing equipment, and how equipment might work together.

We’ve only been running our GCSE DT for the last three years, and of course that’s been during the pandemic, so we haven’t been able to take students out to see factories – this is the first time ever, so that’s why it’s important!

Camille Corbett, a Year 10 student, commented:

We’re doing Design Technology at school, and I’ve just started the first year of my GCSE. I like the innovation, coming up with new ideas, and thinking about the different ways things work, and what you can do to make things better!

Company Director Tony Grimshaw OBE, added:

It was a fantastic visit from a really engaged group of students and teachers. I have to say it was one of the best visits we have had. The students were so attentive and wanted to be involved, and they all seemed to really enjoy it too. It really was a pleasure taking them around, the factory never stops impressing visitors and me alike. It was spotlessly clean and everyone working hard! I hope this group are inspired to be female engineers of the future, and would welcome them to apply to What More.

Garry Ireland, Operations Director at What More, said:

What a great group of students, I really enjoyed their time with us today. They were certainly interested in everything we do, so it feels really worthwhile being able to explain our processes and show off our fantastic equipment. I wish them all the best for the future!

 

Watch the video below:

 

 

Looking for a sustainable energy supplier? What to know about SSE tariffs

Looking for a sustainable energy supplier?

What to know about SSE tariffs

SSE is a British energy supplier currently offering its services to 5 million customers across the UK. The team behind SSE has been recognised for their high customer service ratings compared to the other Big 6 energy suppliers, as well as for successfully offering 100% renewable electricity services to both commercial and domestic clients.

A closer look at SSE tariffs

SSE is one of Britain’s foremost energy suppliers, dating back to the 1940s. With decades of experience in supplying renewable energy, they offer customers 100% green electricity via a number of tariffs. Below we take a closer look at the different SSE tariffs so you can find the most suitable one for your needs.

Fixed-rate tariffs:

SSE has several fixed-rate tariffs which lock in a set price for your energy, ensuring you’re protected against an increase in prices over the duration of your deal. These include one-year and two-year fixed tariffs, but be aware you’ll have to agree to have a smart meter installed if you sign up for either of these options.

Standard variable tariff (SVT):

SSE’s standard tariff is available to pay-as-you-go customers, and it’s also the default tariff you’ll be put on when your fixed-rate deal comes to an end.

Tariff bundles:

For better savings, SSE also offers some of its energy tariffs as part of a bundle, including the SSE Fix and Protect Bundle, which comes with a heating and boiler cover alongside your energy, and the SSE Fix and Fibre Bundle, which includes broadband as well as your energy.

All-electric tariffs:

SSE offers a number of all-electric tariffs (variable rate), where you get different prices for electricity depending on the time of day and where you live. While savings can be made here, you’ll need to use most of your energy at off-peak times as it will be much more expensive during the day.

Capped tariffs:

Designed to protect you from being charged an unfair amount, these tariffs cap the price you pay per unit of energy. Your prices will be capped if you are on an SVT or default tariff, have a PAYG meter or get the Warm Home Discount.

Pay-as-you-go/pre-payment tariff:

A pay-as-you-go or pre-payment tariff is when you pay for your energy before you use it via a meter. SSE doesn’t send out bills for these but you will get a statement each year.

Dual-fuel tariffs:

These tariffs mean you get both your electricity and gas from SSE, which can be more convenient to manage.

Need more guidance?

With the cost of energy experiencing a huge surge in recent months, it’s understandable if you’re not sure what the best tariff for your home is. Learn more about the energy price cap here.

 

What More UK Team Raise an Incredible £18,846 Completing National Three Peaks Challenge for Charity

The team at What More UK regularly donate to charity, and completing their latest challenge enabled them to smash their target of £15,000 for Derian House, the local young people’s hospice. Through completing the National Three Peaks Challenge, the Wham Team have raised an outstanding £18,846 for the charity.

Last year, staff took on the tough Yorkshire Three Peaks, and this year Team Wham decided to push themselves further and take on the National Three Peaks Challenge, the three highest peaks of Scotland, England and Wales. They successfully climbed all three peaks in just under 25 hours, a staggering achievement with time lost due to M6 closures!

The team challenge was to raise funds for Derian House in Chorley. This is a hospice doing fantastic work providing respite and end-of-life care to more than 450 children and young people across the North West – 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Derian House only receive 17% funding from the government, but services cost £5.7 million to run every year, so they really appreciate all donations.

 

Garry Ireland, Operations Director at What More, said:

I’m so proud of everyone involved. A massive thank you must go to the team members, John Clayton, Lee Morris, Matthew Hand, Sarunas Silinis, William Moat, Tomasz Bulandra, Tomas Zablackas, Lukasz Werner and Marc Barratt, who have given up their time and trained in all weathers, ensuring their fitness for the challenge, plus Lionel Simmons and Carl Hughes, who supported the team during the actual challenge. It was a very tough day but we made it!

 

Ann-Marie Fishwick, Community Fundraiser at Derian House, commented:

We’re so thankful for the team at Wham for their tremendous challenge, and for raising such a fantastic amount of money!

 

Company Director Tony Grimshaw OBE, added:

This is an incredible amount and I’m so proud of all the team – we were behind them all the way. That’s over £30,000 raised in two years – really amazing. I want to know what’s next!

 

 

Team Wham appreciate every donation, and if you would like to show your support to the team, please take a look at their JustGiving page www.justgiving.com/fundraising/what-more-uk-derian-house

More can be seen about the amazing work of Derian House here: www.derianhouse.co.uk

Cheapest Gas Suppliers for Your New Home

Have you thought about your gas bill yet? With winter only a couple of months away, sourcing a supplier that suits your goals and keeps your home warm is a top priority for any household. If you’re looking to save on your energy costs or moving into a brand-new home to get the best deal, we’ve covered everything you need to know. Read on to find out how to find the cheapest gas suppliers.

Why should I look for cheap gas suppliers?

If you’ve been with the same supplier for years, you could be paying over the odds for something you could get cheaper elsewhere. In many cases, the most affordable gas supplier isn’t the company you’re currently with, but other businesses competing within the same industry. By shopping around, you can get the best possible deal and free up your extra cash for other purposes.

What to look for when finding the cheapest supplier

Households across the UK are gaining access to a £400 energy bills discount over the colder months, as covered here. But while that reduction may seem like a good enough deal to stay put, you may not be getting the most from your energy supplier. Besides, whatever supplier you go to, that reduced cost will go with you – so why not access better deals and get the discount simultaneously? Here’s what to look for to find the cheapest supplier:

Figure out whether you can switch

If you’re in a fixed deal, it’s worth checking when that deal ends to identify whether switching is an option for you right now. If your contract ends in a short time, this can indicate it’s time to start shopping around and exploring other options.

Look at the costs

The lower the price of gas, the more cost-effective a plan will be. Ensuring you consider all of the expenses involved in your energy bill, including your standing charge, gives you a good picture of how much you’re likely to pay. That information is invaluable when searching for a better deal.

Fixed or variable?

Deciding whether you want a fixed or variable energy deal can determine what kind of product you want. Variable contracts change over the year as your usage does, while fixed costs remain the same. If you haven’t gone fixed, but you’re considering it, looking at the offers out there can help you get a good deal.

Ready to switch?

If you’d like to find the cheapest gas supplier, Switch Plan can help. Their expert team is on hand to find you the right deal, as experts in energy bills of all kinds. Call them on 0330 818 6223 or schedule a call back to get the ball rolling.

 

Team Wham Prepare for National Three Peaks Challenge for Charity

As part of their aim to raise £15,000 for Derian House, the local young people’s hospice, through completing the National Three Peaks Challenge, the Wham Foundation have generously donated £5000 towards their total.

Last year, staff took on the tough Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for Accrington Stanley Community Trust, and raised a fantastic £11,645. This year, Team Wham have pledged to take on the National Three Peaks Challenge, which involves climbing the three highest peaks of Scotland, England and Wales. They have successfully climbed all three peaks separately in training.

The team challenge has the aim of beating last year’s target and raising £15,000 for Derian House in Chorley. This is a hospice doing fantastic work providing respite and end-of-life care to more than 450 children and young people across the North West – 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Derian House only receive 17% funding from the government, but services cost £5.7 million to run every year, so they really appreciate all donations.

Speaking from Derian House as Team Wham went to look round the facility and hand over the pledge, Garry Ireland, Operations Director, said:

We’re here today because the Wham Foundation have donated a massive £5000 towards our £15,000 target. We’d like to thank the Wham Foundation for donating this. Team Wham are going to work really hard to try and raise £15,000 for Derian House who do a fantastic job for young people in Chorley, and we’re delighted to be raising these funds for them.

Nick Croskery, Fundraising Manager at Derian House, commented:

Here at Derian House, we provide respite and end of life care for children with what we call life limiting, or life shortening conditions – to 450 families or thereabouts across the whole of the northwest of England. It was really good to welcome Team Wham to the hospice. They’ve seen first hand where their fundraising and efforts will go, towards helping our children and families. It’s crucial to the operation of the hospice. Any kind of figure that Team Wham will raise for us during the challenge is absolutely amazing, but the figure that they’re planning to raise of over £15,000 pound is just outstanding!

Company Director Tony Grimshaw OBE, added:

This is a great cause, and I encourage people to donate to spur them on in their really tough challenge. Completing all three peaks in training shows they can do it, and we’ll be supporting them all the way!

Team Wham appreciate every donation in their £15,000 quest, and if you would like to show your support to the team, please take a look at their JustGiving page. 

Housewares manufacturer and exporter, What More UK, have a long standing tradition of giving back to local charities, to support their local communities.

More can be seen about the amazing work of Derian House here.

What are some green energy suppliers and why should you choose them?

More and more people are seeking ways to live sustainably. This includes the consumption of energy around the home. There are many green energy suppliers out there, but what are the suppliers you should trust and why? Read on to find out more.

Octopus Energy

Like many other energy suppliers, Octopus Energy offers 100% green electricity provision. This is the standard for the UK’s 6 biggest providers, which are:

  • British Gas
  • Scottish Power
  • E.ON
  • EDF Energy
  • SSE
  • NPower

Whilst Octopus Energy doesn’t offer green gas provision, it does promise 100% carbon offset. Its renewable sources of energy include hydro, solar, wind and anaerobic digestion. They have an award-winning customer service team and a range of different tariffs to choose from to suit every type of household.

 

Green Energy UK

Green Energy UK sets itself apart from other green energy suppliers by being the only supplier in the UK to offer 100% green gas as well as electricity. As such, there’s no need for any carbon offsetting as no carbon is produced by the company. Their renewable sources of energy are wind, hydro and solar. Green Energy UK provides free quotes if you’re interested in switching to them as an energy supplier.

 

Outfox The Market

Outfox The Market is a provider of 100% green electricity, all of which is generated using the renewable source of wind. It doesn’t offer green gas but makes up for this by having a reputation of being the cheapest green energy supplier in the UK today. It offers a live customer chat option if you have any queries about switching suppliers, or you can contact their team another way if that suits you better.

 

NPower

NPower is arguably the best supplier of green energy from one of the ‘Big 6’ providers listed earlier. NPower offers 100% green electricity and, while it doesn’t offer green gas as a service, it does promise carbon offsetting. A unique appeal of NPower is that they will plant a tree when you switch, which encourages the sustainable growth of the planet for years to come. It uses the renewable energy sources of hydroelectricity and wind.

Another appeal of NPower is that it has been successfully audited by EcoAct, which determines that the supplier’s Go Green Energy Fix scheme meets green standards. You can find out more about EcoAct’s green standards here.

NPower is also triple certified by the Carbon Trust Standard due to its commitment to reducing levels of waste, water and carbon consumption within company offices.

 

Browse Wham products today

If you’re committed to sustainability and want to invest in eco-friendly practices and products as much as possible, consider Wham for all your plastic homewares and accessories. Wham specialises in making reusable plastic products to combat single-use plastics. Browse our website today to find out more or to get in touch with our friendly team.

 

 

What More Apprentice Receives Special Award

What More UK, manufacturers of bakeware and housewares, operate in a specialist industry requiring traditional skills. They pride themselves on their Apprenticeship programme, and their latest recruit is award winning.

What More are in a position of expansion and growth. In order to keep up local knowledge of traditional engineering skills, they have a programme of hiring and training young Apprentices. Harrison Julien is the latest Apprentice in the Production department, and has successfully completed his Apprenticeship at Burnley College, and is now a permanent employee at What More. Other Apprentices who have become valued members of the team are Elliot Prestage in the Bakeware department, William Moat in the Toolmaking department and Izaak Holden, in Production.

During his Apprenticeship, Harrison was given a special recognition award from Burnley College for his work – a CAD award for going above and beyond. This bodes well for his future career at What More, where staff feel valued and recognised for their contribution to the company’s growth and success. What More UK now employ 350 staff across their sites in Padiham and Altham, and recently completed a £20m investment programme, which included 13 new injection moulding machines.

Directors at What More UK see their Apprenticeship programme as an ongoing process. Company Director Tony Grimshaw OBE, explained:

We’re happy to invest our time training our young Apprentices, as we will always need engineers and their knowledge and skills. Congratulations to Harrison on his award, and I hope all our Apprentices have a long and successful career at What More!

What More UK manufactures storage boxes and housewares of all kinds under the Wham brand including bakeware, around-the-sink items, products for the home laundry, utility room, and items for the garden like planters and troughs. What More’s products are all made in East Lancashire and are sold in 75 countries around the world.

Team Wham Summit Ben Nevis as They Train for National Three Peaks Challenge for Charity

As part of their aim to raise £15,000 for Derian House, the local young people’s hospice, through completing the National Three Peaks Challenge, staff from What More UK took on a training climb of Ben Nevis – and did the climb and return in just 4 hours 30 minutes! This completes their training climbs, as they have now conquered all three peaks separately in training.

Last year, staff took on the tough Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for Accrington Stanley Community Trust. Braving the awful weather, the team successfully completed the challenge in just 10 hours 36 minutes, and raised a fantastic £11,645. This year, Team Wham have pledged to take on the National Challenge, considered to be much more difficult.

The National Three Peaks Challenge involves climbing the three highest peaks of Scotland, England and Wales. On 10th September 2022, the team will commence the climb with Ben Nevis (1345m) at 8am, then Scafell Pike (978m) at 7pm and the final climb of Snowdon (1085m), at 4am. They aim to complete all 3 climbs by 8am on 11th September 2022, at total of 3,408 metres in 24 hours.

The team challenge has the aim of beating last year’s target and raising £15,000 for Derian House in Chorley. This is a hospice doing fantastic work providing respite and end-of-life care to more than 450 children and young people across the North West – 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Derian House only receive 17% funding from the government, but services cost £5.7 million to run every year, so they really appreciate all donations.

Garry Ireland, Operations Director, said

The team have been working hard all year improving our fitness and speed to ensure we achieve this enormous challenge and raise vital funds for Derian House. Ben Nevis wasn’t easy, with visibility poor at the top, but we’re confident now we’ve climbed all three!

Company Director Tony Grimshaw OBE, added:

This is a great cause, and I encourage people to donate to spur them on in their really tough challenge. Completing all three peaks in training shows they can do it, and we’ll be supporting them all the way!

Team Wham appreciate every donation in their £15,000 quest, and if you would like to show your support to the team, please take a look at their JustGiving page.

Housewares manufacturer and exporter, What More UK, have a long standing tradition of giving back to local charities, to support their local communities.

More can be seen about the amazing work of Derian House here: www.derianhouse.co.uk

Declutter your kids and create more play room

Anyone who has a child in their house will appreciate the pain of standing on Lego, and will at one time have felt overwhelmed standing in a room full of chaos.

Life can be made a lot easier by having adequate storage – because kids do accumulate a lot of belongings. Every Christmas, birthday and trip to the shops just seems to add more and more, until it becomes time to sort, stack and put away.

The first task – sort and declutter. Here are a few simple steps to help you along the way!

  1. Involve the child. You will not want to get rid of something that they absolutely loved, but had just fallen down the side of the bed. It can be tricky, as they will want to keep almost everything, but hold the discussion in terms they will understand – ‘Is there anything you can give to a new home and let someone else play with’, rather than ‘What can I get rid of’, is a sympathetic way to tackle this.
  2. Check the age of items. Children grow out of toys fairly quickly, so it’s an easy step to remove any toys and books that are no longer age appropriate. If you haven’t had a clear out for a while, you may be pleasantly surprised at how large this pile becomes!
  3. Check for any broken toys or jigsaws with pieces missing, and colouring books that are all filled in. This should help you streamline the room, and add to the pile to go.
  4. Sort into categories. If you can sort things out properly, when the child wants to read, they can go to the book section – and then can be encouraged to put it back when they’re finished. The absolute worst scenario in a child’s room is a mess of all different items all over the floor – it’s frustrating and leaves them no room to actually play.
  5. Finally, invest in storage. Boxes, organisers, shelving – the more ways to store, the cleaner, tidier and fuss free the room will be. The newly sorted piles can be neatly stacked away in their designated space, and easily put back when they’re finished too.

Wham, the household goods manufacturer, can help you with this. They’ve designed the Studio Cube, which is a very neat 30cm x 30cm storage basket with handles. Wipe clean and nestable, the best part of it is that it perfectly fits the popular modular shelving units available in retailers – and those units come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, colours and configurations to fit any room perfectly.

The Studio Cube comes in a variety of colours to match or contrast your colour scheme, including Ice White, Blush Pink, Silver Sage and Cool Grey. Enjoy decluttering and having more play room!

Browse the Studio Cube Baskets here

Buy the Studio Cube Baskets here

 

What More UK owner Andy Holt is honoured with Freedom of the Borough of Hyndburn

What More UK was established in 1999 by Burnley businessman Andy Holt. The business launched with 15 products, mainly plastic garden items, and turned over £4.5million in its first year. It has gone on to become a major employer in the borough of Hyndburn, employing 350 across two sites and exporting around the world.

What More are also loyal supporters of Accrington Stanley FC, with owner Andy Holt having invested heavily in the club at the start of their historic 2015/16 season. As Chairman, Andy Holt also led the refurbishment of the Wham Stadium – sponsored by What More UK’s leading brand – which began in 2015, and has continued to invest in and develop the club and ground, recently opening a £2.5m hospitality suite designed for use all year round by the local community.

Last week, due to his positive impact on the local community, Andy Holt was granted the honour of being awarded the title of Honorary Freeman of the Borough, by Hyndburn Borough Council at its annual council meeting.

Mr Holt said:

I am really pleased as sometimes running a football club can be a thankless task. It’s nice that this is appreciated. I am honoured the council has chosen to do this.

 

What More Company Director Tony Grimshaw OBE, added:

We have worked together for many years and I’m delighted Andy has been given such an honour for his work, which has a huge impact on the local community. If anyone deserves this accolade it’s Andy. He’s done so much to put Hyndburn on the map. The company, the football club and all the support he gives the Borough in general!

What More UK Train Apprentices in Specialist Skills

What More UK believe in the ‘Made in Britain’ ethos, buying local wherever possible and training their staff from the ground up. Engineering is a specialist industry requiring traditional skills, and the recent acquisition of Canteen Smithy will only strengthen What More’s toolmaking capabilities.

Elliot Prestage
Elliot Prestage

 

In order to keep up with their expansion and growth, they hire and train young apprentices, who train on the job to keep up local knowledge of manufacturing, and engineering skills. Elliot Prestage joined at just 16, and is working in the Bakeware department, and completing his apprenticeship with Burnley College. Harrison Julienne is the latest apprentice in the Production department. Other apprentices who have become valued members of the team are William Moat, in the Toolmaking department and Izaak Holden, in Production.

What More UK now employ 350 staff across their sites in Padiham and Altham, and are always looking for first class staff in traditional areas of engineering such as Toolmaking and Press Operation. The engineers work on brand new machines installed as part of their recent building expansion – a £20m investment programme which included 13 new injection moulding machines.

 

 

Directors at What More UK see their apprenticeship programme as an ongoing process. Company Director Tony Grimshaw OBE, explained:

Apprenticeships are a great way to keep and maintain the knowledge and skills base of the company. We’re happy to invest our time training people up, as we will always need engineers. It’s a great career to get into and I wish them all the best!

 

Heather Howarth, HR Manager, added

Our apprentices are really well supported by the team and get some excellent training that will last them a lifetime. I’d encourage anyone to apply. What More really invest in their people, including management and leadership training. I hope to be recruiting to support our growth for many years to come!

 

What More Host a Visit From Keen Environmentalists St. Mary’s Primary School

The pupils of St Mary’s RC Primary School in Clayton-le-Moors are an inspirational group of children. Their story of building an entire classroom outdoors went around the world and they were featured on the BBC. They are determined to give plastic a second life by making ecobricks – plastic bottles stuffed tight with single use plastic.

Responsible plastic housewares manufacturer Tony Grimshaw OBE (Director of What More UK) was invited to visit the school to see the project, and speak to them about the reuse of plastic and that ‘Not all Plastic is Drastic’. He returned the compliment by inviting them into the manufacturing premises of What More, just down the road in Altham, to see for themselves how recycling works for them.

What More creates reusable products from “single use” plastics, including for example, margarine tubs. The firm’s popular Upcycled range of housewares is made from 95% recycled post-consumer plastics. Every year, What More give a new lease of life to over 10,000 tonnes of recycled plastic, made up of both domestic and industrial waste.

The pupils were fascinated to see the size and scale of What More, and how they take environmental concerns very seriously.

 

 

What More also presented the visiting children with a bespoke engraved plaque during their visit, which was manufactured on their machinery.

 

 

 

Tony Grimshaw commented:

It was fantastic to have the children in our factory and be able to show them in real life how we care for the environment through all our processes. They will be able to take this knowledge back and carry on with their environmental work, and we wish them all the best in their futures!

 

Garry Ireland, Operations Director at What More UK, said:

It was great to show children around who were so enthused about what we do, they asked lots of questions and it was a delight for me and my team to welcome them to What More. Some of the children showed real enthusiasm at learning all about our technology and I’m sure in the future some of them will become What More employees which will be a delight for us to support the local community.

 

Stacey Mason, Class 5 teacher at St Mary’s RC Primary School, added:

We had an amazing day at What More, absolutely fantastic, we even got some goodies to take home with us. The children were amazed at the technology involved and the recycling. I’ve even learned a lot myself, it has been a wonderful day out.

 

 

 

The school children are determined to continue making their ecobricks for bigger and more impressive projects in the future.

For more information about St. Mary’s Primary School in Clayton-le-Moors, including details of the ecobrick project and footage from the BBC North West’s coverage in 2019 visit www.st-marys-clayton-le-moors.lancs.sch.uk.

 

You can check out a video of the visit here: https://youtu.be/cL6OlzqrlrA

 

Team Wham Will Be Taking On The National Three Peaks Challenge!

Team Wham® will take to the National Three Peaks on the 10th September 2022, with the aim of raising £15,000 for Derian House, Children’s Hospice, a vital local charity.

Last year staff from What More UK trained together to raise money for Accrington Stanley Community Trust. Braving the awful weather the team successfully scaled the Yorkshire Three Peaks in 10 hours 36 minutes and raised a fantastic £11,645.

With over a years training behind them, they now want to go bigger and further by taking on the National Three Peaks.

The Challenge: Climb 3 Mountains in 24 Hours:

Ben Nevis – 1345m

Scafell Pike – 978m

Snowdon – 1085m.

Total walking distance – 23 miles (37km)

Total ascent – 3064 metres (10,052ft) – twice the ascent of the Yorkshire Three Peaks!

We wish Team Wham® every success in their £15,000 quest, if you would like to show your support to the team, please click on this link to their Just Giving page.

 

Derian House

Derian house is such a deserving charity who provide respite and end-of-life care to more than 450 children and young people across the North West, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They only receive 17% funding from the government but services cost £5.7 million to run every year!

 

At Derian House we help children and young people, whose lives are too short, to make happy memories in an environment of fun, respect and above all, outstanding care.

 

www.derianhouse.co.uk

Derian House Childrens Hospice

 

Thank you for your support!

 

What More UK and Sundown Solutions visit All Saints’ CE Primary to inspire the next generation

All Saints’ CE Primary, a busy and friendly school located on Church Street in Clayton le Moors, took the time to host business visitors in a special assembly featuring every year group. Gordon Preston, Outdoor Learning Leader was keen to hear What More’s vision about the future of plastic, and local tech company Sundown Solutions attended to talk about cyber security and career paths as developers.

As part of an #AmazingAccrington initiative to bring schools and employers closer together, Tony Grimshaw of What More was keen to explain to the school that ‘Not all Plastic is Drastic’, and although the Government are bringing in measures to eliminate avoidable plastic waste – such as plastic straws, their products offer a sustainable use of plastic, being re-usable, durable, and recycling other plastic items such as margarine tubs, with a zero to landfill approach.

Heath Groves, CEO of Sundown Solutions, was keen to show students at an early age that working in software development and cyber security is similar to using the gaming devices they use at home and requires the same skills. This will help them in their future career paths and inspire them to join this rapidly growing industry.

What More Director Tony Grimshaw OBE, explained: “This generation are very aware of environmental issues, and it’s great to be able to explain to them our green credentials and how not all plastic is bad. Hopefully we’ll see some of them in the future as apprentices!”

Heath Groves of Sundown Solutions added: “It was fantastic to hear that many pupils had already heard of Sundown, due to us sponsoring 37 local grass roots football teams a year. Our field of work is expanding very rapidly and it’s not easy to explain cyber security and how that works day to day – but most of the pupils have some sort of gaming device. We may see some of them as developers in the years to come!”

Murray Dawson, Chair of Amazing Accrington, commented: “It’s a pleasure to showcase Amazing Accrington businesses to over 240 pupils, who were all keen to learn more – with over 1700 registered businesses in Hyndburn, there is a future career for everyone.”

#AmazingAccrington have launched a new area of their website for Opportunities, showcasing education, training, apprenticeships and opportunities. This can be found here: https://opportunities.amazingaccrington.co.uk

What More Host Visit from the Family Forge, Who Work With Refugees & Asylum Seekers

What More UK, the Lancashire housewares manufacturer and exporter, are proud members of the manufacturing heartland of East Lancashire and pride themselves on having a multi-cultural and diverse team, with a recent count showing 19 different nationalities represented in their workforce of 350.

Recently they were pleased to host a visit from The Family Forge, a registered charity based in Skelmersdale, who work with refugees and asylum seekers. This group face multiple barriers to prosperity and opportunity, and The Family Forge assist them with a place of welcome, friendship and support; and also the life skills necessary to establish and flourish in their new home.

The group, who include people from many nationalities, are offered support with English language, maths, driving theory, CV development, job hunting, culinary and family topics amongst others. Practical assistance is also provided for refugee families when needed. As part of helping them settle into the UK, assistance with employment includes taking them into potential employers to get insight into working life in the UK. What More were delighted to be able to help them on their way.

Company Director Tony Grimshaw OBE, commented:

Both Garry Ireland, Operations Director and myself were delighted to be asked by Paula at The Family Forge to host their students on a visit to our factory, to show them what we do here. Lancashire has always embraced workers from outside our country, and they have been a tremendous addition to its already world beating workforce.

These students are so keen to be part of Lancashire’s manufacturing and service industries success story, it’s great to see, and they will be bringing new ideas and generally a great work ethic to our counties manufacturing and services industries. We wish them all them best!

Paula Walsh of The Family Forge added:

We received a very warm welcome at What More UK as we undertook a wonderfully comprehensive tour of both sites.

During our visit we gained a great insight into the production of a whole variety of products made from recycled and recyclable plastic, as well as witnessing the upkeep of the machinery.

Our students were undeniably positive in their subsequent feedback about our truly informative visit.

 

Students from the Family Forge visit What More in East Lancashire