News: Chamber welcomes two new patrons

Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce has welcomed Fortem and Cannon PR as new patrons.

Cannon PR, which is headquartered on High Street, Rotherham was formed in 2011 by award-winning Public Relations professional Matthew Ridsdale. Since its inception, the company has delivered a comprehensive range of communications services aimed at helping businesses throughout South Yorkshire to grow. A member of the Public Relations Consultants Association, over the past six years Cannon PR has supported a wide range of businesses within the technology, professional services and food and drink sectors as well as being responsible for supporting business finance specialists Finance For Enterprise and the Sheffield City Region Launchpad Programme, responsible for helping new entrepreneurs to take their first steps in business.

Cannon PR has also played an active role in supporting a number of Chamber-led initiatives including the unique Gallery Town project, designed to stimulate regeneration within Rotherham's town centre, whilst company founder Matthew also sits on the Chamber's Member Representation Council, a role which he has held since 2012.

Matthew Ridsdale, director and founder of Cannon PR (pictured, right), said: "I've been proud to support the work of the Chamber for more than a decade and when I decided to launch Cannon PR in 2011, one of the very first calls I made was to the Chamber.

"It's been terrific to see the Chamber grow and evolve, particularly over the past eighteen months. Last year saw Cannon PR enjoy a significant period of growth and as a Rotherham-based business we are proud to support our local Chamber over the next twelve months.

"The Chamber of Commerce is an important organisation for local businesses, one which helps to provide support and representation and through Cannon PR's involvement we have also been able to use our skills and expertise to support a number of community led initiatives. For me, becoming a patron is about not only supporting the local business community but helping to create opportunities to build a stronger local economy."

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Fortem, sister company to construction giant Willmott Dixon, joined the Chamber in 2016 and since then the company has actively supported many Chamber initiatives, including the organisation’s annual awards event. The company is responsible for undertaking a full range of property solutions for a large number of valued clients across the housing, bluelight, public buildings, education and care sectors and counts Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, Midland Heart and Orbit housing amongst its national client base.

The company employs over 160 people from its base at Templeborough, Rotherham and plays an active role in supporting a wide range of community initiatives, investing more than £1.2 million in community led projects during 2017. At the same time, the company actively works to create skilled jobs within the local economy, through its highly regarded apprenticeship programme.

Mick Williamson, managing director at Fortem said: "We first joined the Chamber in 2016 because we felt it was important to build stronger links with the local business community, enabling us to continue to invest in the communities we serve and creating opportunities to support others. Since then we've never looked back!

"Over the past twelve months alone, our work with the Chamber has helped us to create new jobs within the local economy, whilst also being able to play a greater role in the local community through our active volunteering programme. We see our role as a patron being very much about investing back into the communities we serve."

The addition of Fortem and Cannon PR bring the total number of patrons at Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber to 19 businesses including ASD Lighting, Gibson Booth, Westfield Health, Barnsley FC and Rotherham United FC.

Andrew Denniff, chief executive at Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber, said: "On behalf of everyone at the Chamber, I'd like to give a very warm welcome to our newest patrons, Fortem and Cannon PR. Both businesses have actively supported the Chamber for a number of years, and I’m sure they will both continue to play key roles in helping to strengthen and support our growing membership.

"Becoming a Chamber Patron is not only a commitment towards supporting the work of the Chamber, but also about illustrating how local businesses come together to support common interests such as playing an important role in the communities we serve as well as adding weight and gravitas to the role the Chamber plays in supporting businesses in both Barnsley and Rotherham."

BR Chamber website
Canon PR website
Fortem website

Images: UKSE

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News: Cannon set to boom after prestigious award win

A Rotherham public relations practitioner been named as Yorkshire and Lincolnshire's Outstanding Freelance PR Practitioner of the year by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

Matthew Ridsdale founded Cannon PR, based on the High Street in the town centre in 2011 and was presented with one of the top industry awards by BBC Look North's Harry Gration at a glittering awards ceremony at the Queen's Hotel, Leeds which recognised the very best public relations campaigns, teams and individuals from across the region. It is the first time in the eleven year history of the PRide awards that the title of Outstanding Freelance Practitioner has been awarded to a South Yorkshire-based consultant.

Matthew's work on the Rotherham Real Ale and Music Festival and with the Sheffield & District Law Society also reached the finals of the awards for in three categories: best event, best regional campaign and best publication respectively, where his work went head-to-head with some of the largest consultancies and in-house communications teams in the region.

Matthew began career as a PR professional in 2001 after completing an MSc at the University of Stirling. Since then he has worked in Edinburgh, Derby and latterly headed up the Sheffield division of a national PR agency. His career path took an unexpected turn in 2011 when the company decided to pull out of the city and redundancy beckoned.

The judges of the awards, which comprised of senior members of the public relations industry, based outside of the region, were particularly impressed by Matthew's outlook after he was made redundant and his ability to see his misfortune as an opportunity rather than a setback.

Since forming Cannon PR, Matthew has become one of the first practitioners in Yorkshire to attain the CIPR's Accredited Practitioner standard – awarded in recognition of his commitment to professional excellence as well as devoting his spare time to supporting local good causes as well as working with a wide variety of businesses and not-for-profit organisations throughout South Yorkshire as well as supporting some of Britain's best known companies and brands.

Matthew Ridsdale founder of Cannon PR, said: "The PRide awards are one of the most a highly regarded accolades in the PR industry, especially as all entries are judged by senior PR professionals working in the industry with first hand experience of what makes a good campaign.

"When the finalists were announced it was terrific to discover that my work had been shortlisted in four categories and see work that I've undertaken be named alongside some of the largest PR agencies and communications teams in the region was something that I immensely proud of, but to go on and be named as the region's Outstanding Freelance Practitioner has been the highlight of my career to date.

"Of course, you can't really win awards without the companies, charities and individuals who put their faith in you to deliver work which helps their businesses and I'd like to give a special thanks to everyone who has supported me over the past three years. It's been a truly amazing and exciting journey and I'm now firmly setting my sights on growing the business further and hopefully more success in years to come!"

Cannon PR website

Images: Cannon PR / CIPR

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