Maria wins Employee of the Year award 2019

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Posted on 23.12.2019 by Rosie, Stadium

Stadium’s marketing manager who oversaw the firm’s rebrand and enabled it to raise more than £10,000 for ten different charities has been named its Employee of the Year.

Maria Holmes-Keeling, who joined Stadium in November 2018, won the accolade after an incredibly busy 2019 for the company.

Due to Stadium celebrating its tenth anniversary at the start of the year, Maria was tasked with co-ordinating a large fundraising campaign to raise £10,000 for various charities.

On top of that, Stadium changed its name from ‘StadiumTM’ in the middle of the year, which required a comprehensive rebranding exercise that Maria led on.

Lorraine Baillie, HR Director at Stadium, praised Maria for how much she has done for the firm in such a short amount of time.

“Maria took charge of our marketing at a very busy time for us, so she needed to hit the ground running,” she said.

“Organising our successful rebrand and bringing the whole team along with it takes real skill and hard work, and Maria managed it without breaking a sweat. Without her, I honestly think we may have struggled to do it.

“And her commitment to our charity fundraising this year has been tremendous. We’ve had so many events all throughout 2019 to mark our tenth anniversary, and each one has been fantastic thanks to her organisation.

“She is a wonderful asset to Stadium and she fully deserves to be named Employee of the Year. We love having her around and we can’t wait to see what she’ll bring to Stadium in 2020.”

Maria said: “I am honoured to be recognised as ‘Employee of the Year’. I was given the opportunity to manage some great projects throughout 2019 and I have enjoyed every minute.

“It’s been a very busy year with the rebrand and tenth anniversary in addition to establishing a consistent marketing presence for Stadium, but I thrive on a challenge and am thankful that Stadium put their faith in me. I am looking forward to 2020 and beyond.”

Winners of 10th anniversary raffle announced

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Posted on 22.11.2019 by Rosie, Stadium

END OF YEAR RAFFLE

WINNERS

1st PRIZE – 2 corporate hospitality tickets to Anfield, Liverpool FC v Southampton on 1st Feb 2020 – donated by Stadium

– BLUE 85 AD141549

2nd PRIZE – 4 tickets to WASPS v Northampton Saints on 5th Jan 2020, Ricoh Arena – donated by Wright Hassall

– BROWN 455 AD151718

3rd PRIZE – Family ticket to Coventry Rugby Green King Championship home game in 2019/20 season – donated by Coventry Rugby Club

– BROWN 121 AD151724

4th PRIZE – 2 tickets to Coventry City FC home game in 2019/20 season & 2 scarves – donated by CCFC & Club Shop

– BLUE 6 AD141549

5th PRIZE – Hair & Beauty pamper hamper – donated by AJ’s Hairdressing Suppliers

– BROWN 266 AD151718

6th PRIZE – Xmas Food Hamper – donated by Stadium

– BLUE 434 AD141561

7th PRIZE – 2 x 25 shot experiences at Honesberie shooting ground Southam – donated by Honesberie Shooting School

– BROWN 50 AD151718

8th PRIZE – Glorious Gansta track suit size S – donated by Footasylum

– BLUE 48 AD141549

9th PRIZE – KWD jacket size M – donated by Footasylum

– BROWN 344 AD151724

10th PRIZE – KWD zip sweater with hood size XS – donated by Footasylum

– BLUE 454 AD141561

11th PRIZE – KWD padded jacket age 14-15 yrs – donated by Footasylum

– BLUE 93 AD141549

12th PRIZE – Bottle of Champagne – donated by Maria Holmes-Keeling

– BROWN 270 AD151724

13th PRIZE – Box of Chocolates – donated by Steve McCabe

– BLUE 86 AD141549

 

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED US.

In 2019, we pledge to raise £10,000 for 10 different charities to celebrate our 10th anniversary.

 

Festive season safety provided by Stadium

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Posted on 07.11.2019 by Rosie, Stadium

Festive events around the country will be made a lot safer for everyone thanks to a world-leading security firm based in Coventry.

While the general public enjoys events such as Christmas markets, outdoor choirs, pantomimes, light switch-ons and football matches, staff from Stadium will be on hand to make sure the festive celebrations go smoothly.

Stadium will be deploying hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) barriers, designed to repel vehicle-ramming attacks, at seasonal events around the country.

Car parks at large retail shopping centres in the North West will be manned by Stadium’s staff, who will help manage traffic and crowds in each outlet’s car park.

Its staff will also steward Christmas pantomimes, and manage traffic at a Christmas lights switch-ons.

And Stadium will continue to provide its security services at 20 high-profile football matches over Christmas and the new year, including at the home games of European champions Liverpool FC.

Security provided by Stadium before, during and after matches includes deployment of HVM barriers, traffic management, car park management, coach parking management, stewards, and security staff who are accredited by regulatory body, the SIA.

Stadium’s MD and founder David McAtamney said: “With the festive period coming up, it is crucially important that everyone who heads out to have a good time with friends and family is safe and secure.

“We will be deploying our temporary HVM barriers at carol concerts and Christmas markets, which will make sure the crowds at each event will be protected from a vehicle-ramming attack.

“Shoppers looking to purchase gifts for their loved ones at shopping centres will have a smooth experience thanks to our staff making sure the stores’ car parks are managed effectively.

“And football fans will continue to be kept safe while cheering on their teams thanks to our extensive experience in stewarding football matches built over the last 10 years.”

Stadium’s aim is to ensure people are safe while they celebrate the festive period, and its staff are most happy to do their work behind the scenes.

“We’re most proud of our job when people don’t notice us at all,” David added.

“We’ve done everything correctly if the public has a safe and stress-free time when celebrating this festive season.”

New operations team for Stadium

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Posted on 08.07.2019 by Rosie, Stadium

A former police officer with 30 years’ experience has now joined a world-leading events and security firm based in Coventry.

Kerry Blakeman, a former Chief Inspector with West Midlands Police, now heads up the operations team at Stadium after being headhunted by the firm.

His extensive experience of policing football matches across the West Midlands made him a great fit for Stadium, which provides security services to a quarter of all Premier League clubs, including Champions League winners Liverpool.

“Joining Stadium was a natural transition for me after my 30 years with the police,” he said.

“The firm’s whole ethos and its respect for its staff made it a very attractive prospect.

“Keeping people safe was what I had done for a long time so I couldn’t have joined a better company and am looking forward to driving forward its already impressive growth.”

Kerry manages the new operations team at Stadium, consisting of Jade Ogle, who has four years’ experience in operations management, and Mark Watkins, who also has extensive experience as football match day Commander at Aston Villa and Birmingham City during his time as an Inspector with West Midlands Police.

The team organises road closures in advance of large events, such as football matches or major music concerts, and makes sure enough staff are at the event to ensure crowds remain safe throughout its duration.

Some of the first events the team has overseen include the Fever Tree Championships tennis tournament at Queens, Bon Jovi’s concert at Anfield, and fixtures at Lord’s Cricket Ground for the Cricket World Cup.

David McAtamney, founder of Stadium, said: “Kerry’s long and distinguished career with West Midlands Police made him the perfect person to lead our operations team.

“I’m confident Kerry, along with Mark and Jade, will enable hundreds of thousands of fans to safely enjoy the matches or concerts they attend without issue.

“Stadium prides itself on keeping people safe, and the great experience of our operations team means we are well-placed to do that.”

Stadium conquer Three Peaks Challenge for charity

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Posted on 28.06.2019 by Rosie, Stadium

An intrepid team of nine, from a leading events and security firm based in Coventry, successfully completed a mountaineering challenge to raise money for a charity close to their company’s finance director’s heart.

The team from Stadium finished the ‘Three Peaks Challenge’ – where England, Scotland and Wales’s highest mountains must be climbed within 24 hours – to raise money for cancer charity Macmillan as part of their 10th year anniversary campaign.

Stadium’s finance director Steve McCabe chose to raise money for the charity due to support it gives to his grandmother, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

The team smashed their target of £1,500 after successfully getting to the top of Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon within the time limit.

Steve said: “This challenge was hard work – climbing these tough mountains all within 24 hours was certainly no picnic. And driving everyone between the mountains wasn’t easy for the designated driver either.

“But the team really pulled together when it counted and supported each other all the way.”

Macmillan helped Steve’s grandmother apply for a blue badge, and provides her with financial support. The charity also explains complicated terminology used at hospitals to help her understand exactly what is going on.

And Steve was delighted the team from Stadium had helped raise so much money for Macmillan.

He added: “I’m really humbled by all the donations so far. We smashed our target and more money is coming in by the day.

“Macmillan has helped my family so much since my Nan was diagnosed with terminal cancer, so I’m especially grateful to everyone for supporting this wonderful cause.”

The fundraising was also part of Stadium’s goal to raise £10,000 for ten different charities during 2019 – the firm’s tenth anniversary.

Alongside Macmillan, the campaign will raise money for Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance, Alzheimer’s Society, Cancer Research UK, Coventry & Warwickshire Mind, Emmaus, Myton Hospices, The Forest Hermitage, YoungMinds and Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice.

Stadium is still appealing for further donations. Anyone wishing to donate should visit the team’s Just Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/stadium?utm_id=27

New website launch marks major rebrand

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Posted on 10.06.2019 by Rosie, Stadium

A Coventry-based events and security company has reaped the benefits of working with a local business after its new website has received highly positive feedback.

Stadium, which recently celebrated its tenth anniversary, hired Coventry digital design agency Image+ to create a new website as part of a major rebrand.

The two businesses’ work together is being hailed as a great example of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s ‘Go For Growth: Trade Local’ campaign, which encourages businesses to look locally for suppliers and partners.

Maria Holmes-Keeling, marketing manager at Stadium, said Image+ took a proactive approach to meeting the company’s brief.

She said: “Out of all the companies I invited to tender, Image+ was the only one who requested a meeting with us to fully understand what our rebrand was all about.

“Our meeting was very useful, and we felt they were clear about our vision for the future. The fact they are a local company was something very important to us and we were delighted to hand them the contract.

“Since the new website has gone live, feedback from colleagues, suppliers, media and customers has been extremely positive.

“I strongly believe that we should support local business and work together as much as possible to benefit the local economy, so it’s great we were able to work so successfully with Image+.”

Emily Smith, Marketing & Creative Manager at Image+, said: “We were recommended to Stadium by a mutual contact, and I’m glad that happened because they’ve been brilliant to work with.

“It was important to meet face-to-face with Stadium to properly establish exactly what they wanted from their new website. Once we’d spoken to them, we knew exactly what we needed to do to fulfil their vision.

“Even though this is very much the digital age, working with other local businesses is something we should all be striving to do to ensure we help to grow the economy in this region.”

Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “It’s great to see two businesses in the region doing business with one another. Go For Growth: Trade Local was devised to encourage firms to give local suppliers opportunities to tender for work.

“It’s great to see that, in this instance, it has led to a local SME picking up a contract.”

 

Image L to R – Emily Smith, Marketing and Creative Manager, Image+ and Maria Holmes-Keeling, Marketing Manager, Stadium

KSPO return to UK for training with StadiumTM

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Posted on 02.05.2019 by admin, Stadium

Members of a South Korean sporting body travelled all the way to Coventry to learn how to effectively run large events safely from a world-leading firm based in the city.

Event management specialists StadiumTM welcomed the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation (KSPO) at its head office Coventry to teach them how to effectively manage large events and make fans’ experiences as good as they can be.

StadiumTM is a specialist supplier of traffic management, stewarding, security and training services to the events industry, both nationally and internationally. It also supplies award winning temporary Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) barriers helping protect visitors at events against potential vehicle-ramming attacks.

Its clients include Premier League football clubs, local authorities and universities and it has also worked for high profile events including the London Marathon, the Fever-Tree Championships at Queen’s Club and BBC Radio’s Biggest Weekend.

This was the second time KSPO has received training from the firm. The federation first came over to Coventry four years ago to learn best practice, and wished to continue its relationship with StadiumTM by returning.

StadiumTM’s week-long training course consisted of intensive lessons at its head offices, before delegates from KSPO were taken to Anfield to gain knowledge in a high-class football stadium.

 

Lorraine Baillie, and Mr Sung Su Ha, KSPO

David McAtamney, managing director of StadiumTM, said: “We’re so pleased KSPO chose to come all this way to learn from us for a second time. It’s a real honour.

“But it’s also testament to our expertise. We are one of the leading companies in the world when it comes to event management.

“Sport brings people of all nationalities together and is truly global. So anything we can do to help other countries raise their standards is massively important to us.”

While many countries simply let the police handle pre and post-event crowds and traffic, David said the UK was unique in that private companies are left to do this.

This means there is a much greater focus on providing a good experience for the fans when they arrive and leave a large event, as there is competition for business.

Improving the fan’s experience was also part of what StadiumTM taught KSPO, alongside their training around safety.

David added: “When police control the fan experience, all they want to do is keep you safe. The experience for the fans is not a consideration.

“But we make sure getting to and leaving an event is as seamless as possible. The idea is that the fans don’t notice the systems we have in place because they are so smooth.

“If bad crowd and traffic management means it takes you too long to get you into a stadium for a football match and you miss kick-off, you’re going to be upset. We make sure this rarely happens.

“We have passed this knowledge once again to KSPO so they can run their own events in South Korea much more efficiently. Our aim is to keep people safe.”

 

Lorraine Baillie, HR Director at StadiumTM (centre) and all KSPO delegates

Featured image: Jemma Baillie, Head of Recruitment & Training, Greg Browning, Recruitment & Training Co-ordinator, Lorraine Baillie, and Richard Butlin, Training & Development Manager with KSPO delegates

StadiumTM awarded Midlands Innovation of the year award 2019

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Posted on 18.03.2019 by admin, Stadium

A Coventry company’s innovative idea of supplying temporary barriers designed to prevent vehicle-ramming attacks in crowded spaces has been recognised at the 2019 Midlands Business Awards.

StadiumTM, which lends temporary hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) security barriers to organisers of all sorts of public events, won the ‘Midlands Innovation of the Year’ award at a ceremony in Leicester.

The company was also given a ‘highly commended’ award in the Midlands Service Provider £1m+ of the Year by the judges.

David McAtamney, managing director of StadiumTM, said the firm’s idea to buy different kinds of HVM solutions and then rent them out to clients was a natural extension to the firm’s event management specialist business.

He said: “We’re the first company to offer temporary HVM solutions for hire, rather than customers facing an option to buy permanent solutions which comes with a high price and a storage issue or simply not protecting a crowded space from potential vehicle attacks.

“Before us, clients would have to consider spending a fortune on buying barriers and gates outright for one event, and then have to keep them in storage for the rest of the year.

“With us, they can hire what they need for when they need it, reducing costs. In the 12 months we’ve offered this service, our HVMs have been used more than 300 times at events like the Godiva Festival and BBC Music’s Biggest Weekend in Coventry, as well as the Fever Tree Championships in London.

“So we’re delighted the judges at the Midlands Business Awards recognised how we’ve led the market by giving us the Innovation of the Year award, as well as a highly commended award in the Service Provider of the Year category.

“We have won awards within the event management industry before, but never an award of this magnitude.

“But we won’t rest on our laurels. We’re continuing to innovate by investing in new designs of HVMs to cater for all sorts of different needs for our clients.”

To win the two awards, StadiumTM was first assessed by judges from the Midlands Business Awards in the two categories and given a score in both based on a range of criteria.

Their scores meant they were eligible to be a finalist in both categories.

Once they were named as a finalist, representatives from the company were the interviewed by the judges face-to-face. The judges then used the interview to decide overall winners in each category.

And if the judges have to make difficult decisions on which company should win in a particular category, they can give out ‘highly commended’ awards to deserving companies.

Harj Sandher, managing director of the Midlands Business Awards, said: “Innovative companies like StadiumTM really make our economy thrive.

“They have a real passion for what they do, and it’s no surprise our judges picked them for not one, but two awards.

“StadiumTM is a credit to the region and we hope to see the business continue to grow and grow.”

Charity abseil raises more than £1,000 for Myton Hospice

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Posted on 13.03.2019 by admin, Stadium

The new Coventry Cathedral was the site of a charity abseil as 125 people descended down its 100ft walls to raise money for Myton Hospice.

And five brave women from Coventry-based event management company StadiumTM were among the people who scaled down the iconic building.

Maria Holmes-Keeling, Jade Haverty, Jemma Baillie, Rosie Hyde and Abi Watt took on the abseil as part of StadiumTM’s challenge to raise £10,000 for 10 different charities to mark their 10th anniversary all through this year.

The team were cheered on by their friends and family who came along to support them.

And their efforts managed to raise more than £1,000 for Myton – with further money expected to come in through later donations – after all of them successfully completed the descent.

Maria, marketing manager at StadiumTM, said the windy conditions on the day made the abseil a little more challenging than expected.

She said: “It was pretty breezy at the top, and very cold. I’d abseiled before but the conditions certainly made it a bit more nerve-wracking for some.

“Even though the weather wasn’t great, we all got down the cathedral safe and sound with smiles on our faces.

“Myton is such a wonderful charity and it was an honour to raise money for them by being part of their charity abseil. We hope the money we raised will help Myton continue to provide the best quality care for their patients.”

The abseil aimed to raise £35,000 in total for Myton to fund the recruitment, salary and training of a nurse for one year.

It was just one event out of 30 that StadiumTM will be taking part in to raise money for various charities throughout the year.

Alongside Myton Hospices, StadiumTM’s campaign will raise money for nine other charities: Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance, Alzheimer’s Society, Cancer Research UK, Coventry & Warwickshire Mind, Emmaus, Macmillan Cancer Support, The Forest Hermitage, YoungMinds and Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice.

Further events planned for this year include staff taking on the Three Peaks Challenge and staff holding an ‘It’s a Knockout’ style fundraising day.

StadiumTM is a specialist supplier of traffic management, stewarding, security and training services to the events industry, both nationally and internationally. It also supplies temporary Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) barriers helping protect visitors at events against potential vehicle-ramming attacks.

Although the firm’s head office is in Coventry, it has a number of high-profile clients across the UK from Premier League football clubs to local authorities, so many of its workers are based elsewhere in the country.

Anyone wishing to donate should visit StadiumTM’s fundraising page at chuffed.org/project/stadiumtm

Strip for Spray Tan: 10th Anniversary Fundraising Celebrations

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Posted on 20.02.2019 by admin, Stadium

Six brave workers at a Coventry-based event management firm stripped off to receive their first ever spray tan to officially launch an anniversary charity campaign.

The spray tan, held at the head offices of event management specialists StadiumTM in Coventry, was one of many events being held this year to raise a minimum of £10,000 which will be split between ten different charities to celebrate the company’s tenth anniversary.

The six men were all bronzed in turn by Jade Haverty, staffing coordinator at StadiumTM, who has experience in spray tanning.

More than £400 was raised on the day for YoungMinds, and a further £100 was later raised at a fundraising quiz.

Maria Holmes-Keeling, marketing manager at StadiumTM, is organising the year-long anniversary fundraising campaign and thanked the men for having the courage to volunteer.

She said: “I’ve got to thank all the men who took part for being brave enough to get their kit off and have a spray tan in aid of YoungMinds, the charity chosen by Jade for this fundraising activity.

“Jade’s idea to perform a charity spray tan was brilliant and she did a fantastic job. They all look they’ve been on the beach for a few weeks.

“It was such a fun way to launch our campaign to raise £10,000 for ten different charities. I hope our other planned events later in the year are just as successful.”

StadiumTM’s campaign will raise money for ten different charities: Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance, Alzheimer’s Society, Cancer Research UK, Coventry & Warwickshire Mind, Emmaus, Macmillan Cancer Support, Myton Hospices, The Forest Hermitage, YoungMinds and Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice.

Further charity events planned for this year include an abseil down Coventry Cathedral, a Three Peaks Challenge and an ‘It’s a Knockout’ style fundraising day.

StadiumTM is a specialist supplier of traffic management, stewarding, security and training services to the events industry, both nationally and internationally. It also supplies temporary Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) barriers helping protect visitors at events against potential vehicle-ramming attacks.

Although the firm’s head office is in Coventry, it has a number of high-profile clients across the UK from Premier League football clubs to local authorities, so many of its workers are based elsewhere in the country.

Maria came up with the idea to put together a fundraising calendar of events to not only raise money for a number of good causes, but as a way of bringing staff members together.

Maria added: “When we first launched the campaign, we asked our staff what charities were close to their hearts. They replied with a lovely mix of local and national charities.

“We’ve got so much going on this year, and every worker at StadiumTM can get involved with any of the activities.

“This campaign is a way of raising money for all sorts of charities, but also to have fun and unite our teams across the UK, working together to give something back to the communities we live in and help those less fortunate than ourselves.”

Anyone wishing to donate should visit StadiumTM’s fundraising page at chuffed.org/project/stadiumtm

CWLEP Growth Hub helps Coventry business StadiumTM to grow

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Posted on 13.02.2019 by admin, Stadium

A Coventry firm which helps protect visitors to some of the UK’s largest events against potential vehicle-ramming attacks has taken on new members of staff and is expanding its services after securing almost £55,000 of funding.

Event management specialist StadiumTM has employed eight new members of staff and is continuing to create new roles after relocating from Coventry University Technology Park to a new, bigger premises in Walsgrave after engaging with the Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Hub.

The business, which supplies traffic management, stewarding, security and training services to the events industry, is also expanding its hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) product service side of the business.

The unique and mobile temporary security barriers are used to protect members of the public from vehicle ramming attacks, and StadiumTM is investing in additional equipment to continue meeting the needs of its network of high-profile clients.

Following discussions with Gary Thyeson of the Growth Hub along with both Kieran Bal and Matthew Dillow of Coventry City Council, StadiumTM received a £50,000 grant from Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme and a further £4,679 grant from its Green Business Programme.

This money has been invested in the renovation of the new premises in Bodmin Road, the purchase of additional HVM equipment and also helped improve the energy efficiency of the new site.

The grants, which were secured through the company’s work with the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Hub, are part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and are being delivered by Coventry City Council who are an accountable body.

In 2018, StadiumTM provided services to local events including Godiva Festival, BBC Radio’s Biggest Weekend and the Rolling Stones performing at the Ricoh Arena as well as events across the country including the London Marathon, the Fever-Tree Championships at Queen’s Club and the Blackpool Illuminations switch-on event.

StadiumTM managing director David McAtamney said: “We have seen a 61 per cent increase in revenue in the past 12 months, and have ambitious plans to grow this further in the coming year.

“The grant has not only helped us move into our new headquarters, facilitating our growing number of staff, but has also enabled us to expand the range of HVM solutions we offer.

“HVM solutions are the newest area of the business, and we are seeing more and more organisations in the events industry looking at ways to protect crowds from the threat of vehicle ramming attacks.

“We are very pleased to have worked with the Growth Hub, and hope to develop a long-term partnership with the organisation.”

Craig Humphrey, managing director of the CWLEP Growth Hub, said: “StadiumTM has experienced a considerable amount of growth, and unlocking this funding means we have been able to instil confidence in the business to continue its momentum.

“It is important that we support scalable companies so that they can experience the growth that this region needs, creating jobs for local people and boosting the economy.

“We look forward to working with StadiumTM in the future as they continue to develop ambitious plans to expand the business further.”