Celebrities including BBC Masterchef’s Gregg Wallace, Coronation Street’s Bill Roache and football pundit Peter Shilton attended the opening of a new look headquarters for creative brand agency Champions (UK) plc – built with the help of £200,000 from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership.
Rushcliffe MP and former Chancellor Ken Clarke (pictured below) officially cut the ribbon to open the company’s extended offices in Leake Road, Costock, near Loughborough, today (September 25) – six years to the day since he had opened the original office. Around 200 people were at the event.
Champions (UK) plc is a creative, marketing, public relations, events and celebrity management company which employs more than 60 people. Its celebrity client list includes the above named celebrities and others, including sporting figures.
On top of the company’s investment in doubling the size of its offices, Champions received £200,000 from D2N2 towards the new build. This funding came from D2N2’s Unlocking Investment for Growth (UI4G) programme, which is supported by the Regional Growth Fund and the European Regional Development Fund, and which aims to help businesses expand and create long term, sustainable jobs.
Matthew Hayes, Director at Champions (UK), said: “We were in danger of not fully exploiting our growth potential due to a lack of space and resources. The UI4G grant allowed us to implement our plans more quickly, create local jobs and, importantly, build sustainability into the business. With the extra capacity, we now have the opportunity for unlimited and unhindered growth.”
Ten new jobs have already been created with plans to recruit a further ten people as the business continues to develop.
David Ralph, Chief Executive of the D2N2 LEP, added: “This is a hugely successful business which is going from strength to strength. The grant has allowed Champion (UK) plc to implement their plans more quickly and in so doing, will bring a wealth of high quality, much needed jobs to rural Leicestershire.”
UI4G is now fully committed and is no longer accepting applications. Grants already approved will create over 400 new jobs and safeguard a further 350. The programme has inspired business owners in the D2N2 area to invest over £20million, alongside the grant support, to grow their businesses.
To learn more about the support given to businesses by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership UI4G programme, see its website at www.d2n2lep.org/UI4G
Media wanting further information about the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership can contact Sean Kirby, D2N2 Communications Ofificer, on 0115 9578749 or email: sean.kirby@d2n2lep.org
