Hip rocking all over the world

Take for example, the Hip Rocker. The recent winner of the Princes Trust/RBS Enterprise Award, Claire Bradwell, who is the managing director of Hip Rocker, is planning international expansion, thanks to help and support from Rotherham Investment and Development office’s ERDF funded Soft Landing Zone.

Ms Bradwell came up with the idea of Hip Rocker after her daughter Daisy who has hip dysplasia, had to spend three months in a cast that stretched from her toes to her chest.

Ms Bradwell was keen to create something which didn’t look clinical, was bright and colourful and would be a design that young children would want to sit in.

A year after Daisy came out of her cast, Ms Bradwell began working on the concept for Hip Rocker, a jellybean-shaped rocking chair, which mirrors the shape of the cast young children are fitted with after a hip operation.

Ms Bradwell, 29, set up a base for her start-up business at RiDO-owned Century Business Centre in Manvers, Rotherham after undertaking a Princes Trust Exploring Enterprise course. It was here that she accessed support which helped her to begin trading internationally in Australia and across Europe.

Ms Bradwell, managing director of Hip Rocker, said: “I was getting lots of recommendations from customers, which meant sales were growing rapidly, not just in the UK but internationally.

“I received a number of orders from Australia, but didn’t have any idea how to go about arranging payment for overseas customers.”

Bob Langley, business co-ordinator for RiDO’s Soft Landing Zone, said: “Claire has done exceptionally well in establishing and growing a business not just in the UK, but in a number of other countries. With our support she has been able to take advantage of some tremendous opportunities in Australia, the Republic of Ireland and Norway and these look like they will become major growth markets for her products. For a business in a specialist market sector like this, it is important to be able to sell overseas and Claire has gained the necessary skills quickly.”

After almost a year at Century Business Centre, Claire decided she needed additional room to expand her business and her and her partner bought a cottage in Wadsley, Sheffield, where they have converted the large stable and hayloft into a purpose designed workshop for Hip Rocker.

No light relief

WHICH leading British businessman found himself caught short at Leeds train station recently?

This well-known fellow arrived early for a business meeting and needed to pay a visit to the public conveniences, but found he did not have the requisite change and nor was the change machine accepting notes.

He walked over to the train information desk where, unhelpfully, staff told him they could not offer change. Next he tried one of the station shops, but was told he would have to buy something.

Instead, he marched back to the turnstiles and vaulted over, pinstriped suit and all, in search of relief.

Welcome to Leeds. Diary suggests that the station managers put on a better welcome for VIP guests in future.

Ghouls rush in

Action for Children, the charity that supports the UK’s most vulnerable and neglected children, is on the hunt for victims, sorry volunteers, who are willing to spend the night at York’s most haunted house at 35 Stonegate, York.

Action for Children is looking to capture notable people from across Yorkshire and escort them to the house on the night of Thursday, March 13.

Armed only with a mobile phone and a list of business contacts, colleagues and friends, they will be tasked to raise £750 in order to secure their release.

The captives will be greeted at an agreed time and venue before being transported to the house. Escorted into the house they will “enjoy a terrifying tour” of the venue along with their fellow captives.

Captives will then be tasked to raise their ransom for release. Once all captives have raised the cash, they will be escorted back to reality although Action for Children warns that there may be some surprises along the way.

According to the venue, which is over 700 years old, countless visitors “have felt the icy touch of invisible fingers and heard eerie screechings from the attic”.

Top ghost hunter Derek Acorah met a spectre who put him in a stranglehold and when TV’s Most Haunted came to investigate the crew ran out screaming.

Anyone up for the challenge should contact Lisa Morton on 0113 200 7066 or [email protected]. Let us know how you get on!