Ward Hadaway

06/05/2026

The GM Business Growth Hub King’s Awards application window opens today!

The King’s Awards for Enterprise are among the UK’s most prestigious business honours, recognising organisations that demonstrate excellence, impact and ambition on a national and global stage.

Winning a King’s Award can:

✅ Strengthen credibility with customers, investors and partners
✅ Unlock global recognition and long-term commercial value
✅ Open doors to new markets, opportunities and collaborations
✅ Boost growth, exports and employee pride

Greater Manchester is full of ambitious organisations doing exceptional work. When one business is recognised, it raises the profile and confidence of our entire city-region.

If your organisation is achieving outstanding results, whether through international growth, innovation, social impact or sustainability leadership, now is the time to step forward.

Support, guidance and insights from previous winners are available from GM Business Growth Hub to help Greater Manchester businesses put forward strong, compelling applications.

Find out more, hear from previous winners, and get tailored support to help your application stand out now!

https://bit.ly/411lHoq

09/04/2026

And that’s a wrap on series 1 of the Fastest 50 Podcast.

Over the past six weeks, we’ve heard from entrepreneurs and business leaders who are redefining growth in the UK and beyond. Across a range of sectors, they’ve shared what it really takes to scale at pace – from navigating uncertainty and making difficult decisions, to building the right teams and sustaining momentum when the pressure is on.

Inspired by our work with high-growth businesses through the Fastest 50 awards, the series goes beyond the headlines to explore the stories behind that growth, the turning points, the challenges and the lessons learned along the way.

If you’re growing a business, or supporting those that are, you can catch up on the full series here: https://bit.ly/4dDi9QG

02/04/2026

In this week's episode of the Fastest 50 Podcast, Alistair McDonald and Matt Cormack are joined by Steven Forrest, CEO of Forfusion Ltd to discuss what it takes to build high-performing teams.

From building a technology business on a foundation of quality output rather than chasing revenue at pace, to using apprenticeships and ex-military recruitment to develop a diverse, high-performing team, the discussion spans operations, culture, and everything in between.

You can find the listen-now links here: https://bit.ly/41E6xpk

01/04/2026

Congratulations to Lesley Fairclough on becoming the 200th President of The Newcastle and North of England Law Society – only the eighth female president in its 200-year history.

Lesley’s appointment follows the merger of Newcastle Law Society with Carlisle and District Law Society and Tees Valley Law Society, which created The Newcastle and North of England Law Society, making it the largest regional law society in England and Wales.

A proud Ward Hadaway trainee alum and now Head of Housing, she’ll focus on ‘Honouring the past, preparing for the future’, all while supporting Smart Works North East and Suitability.

Read more about Lesley's vision for the Society here:

A partner at law firm Ward Hadaway has become the 200th President of The Newcastle and North of England Law Society during its bicentennial year, only the eighth female to hold the role in that time.

27/03/2026

It’s been a week since we came together to celebrate the Yorkshire region’s fastest-growing businesses at this year’s Fastest 50 Awards, held in partnership with The Yorkshire Post.

If you weren’t able to join us, you can catch the highlight video below. The full list of all 50 companies, along with their rankings, is available here: https://bit.ly/4s2ndll

26/03/2026

Forecasting business trends is the theme of this week's Fastest 50 Podcast, with special guest Joanna Feeley, CEO of TrendBible.

As a founder of a business that helps brands make sense of future consumer needs and behaviour, Joanna joins Alistair McDonald to discuss what it takes to grow a business with confidence in a changing landscape.

This week, you’ll hear practical insight on:

▪️Why looking ahead is a core part of effective leadership and how trend forecasting can help businesses plan for change

▪️Why human judgment, creativity and different perspectives still matter in an AI-enabled world

▪️What leaders can do to support decision-making in uncertain conditions

▪️Why founders need to commercial, financial and people leadership skills as well as technical expertise

▪️Why every business leader now needs the ability to think ahead and interpret change with confidence

The Fastest 50 Podcast is available to stream on all major platforms, with a full video version on YouTube.

More information about this week's episode can also be found here: https://bit.ly/488mmIm

20/03/2026

The winners of the Yorkshire Fastest 50 Awards have been revealed!

Huge congratulations to:

🏆 Overall Fastest Growing & Fastest Growing Medium Business - Eco Simplified

🏆 Fastest Growing Large Business - Wilson Power Solutions

🏆 Fastest Growing Small Business - Wilfreda Beehive

Discover the full Fastest 50 list here: https://bit.ly/3Piz6pr

20/03/2026

Today is one of the standout dates in our Yorkshire calendar – the Yorkshire Fastest 50 Awards in partnership with the Yorkshire Post

Later today, we’ll be celebrating the businesses driving growth across the region and recognising their achievements. We look forward to sharing the full list here on LinkedIn as soon as it’s announced.

We’ll also be keeping an eye out for your photos and updates from the event. If you’re posting, don’t forget to use .

19/03/2026

Episode 4 of the Fastest 50 Podcast is now live, featuring Andy Carr and Paul Callaghan from Leighton, a North East-based software development company.

In this episode, host Alistair McDonald speaks with Andy and Paul about how regional businesses can scale while staying true to their values. Drawing on Leighton’s long-standing success in the tech sector, they explore how the business continues to adapt and evolve in a competitive market.

Listen on all major streaming platforms, or via our page here: https://bit.ly/4btkomY

19/03/2026

Just 1 Day to go until the Yorkshire Fastest 50 Awards in association with the Yorkshire Post.

This year’s list includes some familiar faces: nine returning from last year, 17 with prior appearances, one company celebrating a seventh year, another a fifth, and two marking their fourth… but who are they?

Find out tomorrow when we reveal the full list.