Business & Technology
Apex wins Marketing Team of the Year at Network Group
JOSEPH GABRIEL LAGONSIN
News Editor
Apex Computing has won the Marketing Team of the Year award at the Network Group 2026 Gala and was also shortlisted in two other categories.
The Manchester-based IT services provider was recognised at an event celebrating managed service providers, IT resellers and retailers across the Network Group community.
The award followed a shift to a fully in-house marketing model in 2025. Apex said the team developed its own strategy and expanded its work across events, webinars, video, social media and lead generation.
It was also shortlisted for MSP of the Year in the over £2.5 million turnover category and for Technical Team of the Year, giving the business recognition across three areas of its operation.
In-house shift
The marketing award follows Apex’s decision to bring all marketing activity in-house. The move gave the company more direct control over brand messaging and customer engagement, it said.
The team also introduced marketing automation tools and placed greater emphasis on performance data in campaign planning. Internal engagement was another focus, with marketing staff working across departments to align campaigns with company culture.
Chris Gorman, chief executive officer of Apex, highlighted that wider support: “We are absolutely delighted to have received the Network Group 2026 Gala Marketing Team award. It feels like a just acknowledgment of all the incredible work carried out by the team this last year, as it has transitioned into the complete in-house management of all marketing efforts.
“I’m so proud of the way that the team, led by our amazing Marketing Manager, Rachael, has embraced its new responsibilities – and how well the rest of the Apex team have supported them. Marketing is often dismissed as of lesser value than many other business priorities. But the results driven by the Apex team this year show just how wrong that dismissal can be.”
Wider role
Daniel Shone, founder and managing director of Apex, said the team’s work had gone beyond campaign delivery.
“Rachael and the team have worked tirelessly this year, not only developing and executing campaigns but also sharing valuable insights that the whole Apex family have been able to learn from. Their work has helped strengthen our connection with customers and improve how we communicate our expertise.
“Over the last year, our focus has been on helping businesses across Greater Manchester and the wider North West better understand their IT, cyber security and digital transformation challenges, and feel more confident about the decisions they need to make. The marketing team has played a pivotal role in that effort.”
Apex provides IT business solutions in Manchester and serves organisations across Greater Manchester and the wider North West. Recognition in the marketing, managed services and technical categories suggests judges viewed the business as a strong performer across both customer-facing and operational functions.
For Apex, the result marks a notable point in a period of internal change as it seeks to sharpen how it presents its services and engages with clients in a competitive regional IT market. The additional shortlistings also suggest its progress has extended beyond marketing into wider operations.
Jayden, 13 launched Jay’s Bakes from his home in Taunton Road in Bicester on Saturday, June 20.
His late nan, a keen baker herself, was the inspiration behind his passion, as well as time spent helping his uncle with his catering business.
Over the last 18 months he has honed his skills by preparing sweat treats every day after school.
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Determined to turn his hobby into something more, Jayden spent two and a half months researching requirements, gaining his Level 2 food hygiene certificate and officially registering his business, mostly without adult intervention.
After four days of preparation, the business officially launched.
Customers were treated to a wide selection of homemade goods, including M&M cookies, Kinder brownies, Biscoff cookies, Victoria sponge trays, lemon drizzle cups and viral ‘dot cakes’.
READ MORE: Heatwave: safest spots to cool off in Oxfordshire
His Kinder brownies proved particularly popular, and by the end of the day he had sold out of everything, taking £210.
Despite feeling “excited and a bit nervous” beforehand, Jayden said the opening was a success, with a strong turnout and positive feedback shared on social media.
His favourite moment came when he officially opened the shed by cutting the ribbon.
Supported by his mum, stepdad, grandparents and uncle, Jayden first began selling from a table in May before building and painting his now-signature blue cake shed.
He now plans to continue baking and selling regularly, bringing his creations to the local community.
Lidl has been given planning permission to build its ninth supermarket in Oxfordshire, despite concerns over flooding.
Aldi opened in Didcot in 2015 and has a supermarket at the Jubilee Way roundabout but shoppers in the town have had to wait over a decade for Lidl to follow.
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South Oxfordshire District Council has now backed plans by the German retailer for a new supermarket in Abingdon Road.
Former Didcot mayor Mocky Khan said: “This give the residents of Didcot more choice, especially when you consider the cost of living environment we have at the moment.
“The town is growing with more new homes being built, and with more growth it’s good to have a wide variety of supermarkets to fit all budgets,”
The plans for the new supermarket were first submitted in 2024.
Didcot Town Council previously objected to the scheme, on the grounds of a lack of flood risk mitigation measures, along with the county council who said there was “insufficient information”.
The town council noted there are “several flooding incidents in the area, especially when the Marsh Bridge water pumps fail”.
But in a report by planning officers granting permission to the supermarket, those issues have now been addressed by Lidl.
The officers said the proposals “largely accord” with the policies around planning, and more can be done to “break up” the car park with greenery.
Planning officers chose to let Lidl build the new supermarket subject to conditions.
They said in a report: “Balanced against this policy conflict is the fact that this is a previously developed site, which is currently in a dilapidated state.
“The proposals represent a significant improvement on the current underutilisation of the site and on its appearance.
“The National Planning Policy Framework and Local Plan set out significant support for the reuse of previously developed land.
“As stated in the applicant’s planning statement, there have been previous enquiries as to the redevelopment of the site that have not come to fruition.
“Given this, finding a viable use for the site is a clear benefit which I consider to be of substantial benefit.”
Thirty-four residents had objected to Lidl’s plans, highlighting concerns over extra traffic, there being no need for another supermarket in the town and there being more appropriate locations to build in their view.
Didcot already has an Aldi store just off Broadway and a Sainsbury’s, M&S Foodhall and Asda.
The nearest Lidl to the proposed site are in Lupton Road, Wallingford, and Marcham Road in Abingdon.
Three people wrote in to support the new Lidl, recognising the benefits of a discount food store and the further jobs it will create.
Lidl has said its proposals for a Didcot supermarket would deliver 40 full-time equivalent jobs as well as further employment during the construction phase.
No opening date was given by the retailer, while the developer is currently on site progressing with the enabling works.
A spokesman said: “We’ve seen demand for our affordable, high-quality products continue to rise in Oxfordshire, and we are committed to serving more communities in the area.
“Our new store will create around 40 new jobs and build on our continued growth.
“We’re excited to be a step closer to opening this store and thank everyone who has supported us on our journey so far.”
It also said the £12m investment would work with the 6,300 new homes allocated to be built, as per the local plan.
Dalcour Maclaren, a specialist in utilities and infrastructure, announced the news on June 22, following a detailed assessment of its operations, including governance, employee wellbeing, environmental impact, and social responsibility.
James Neil, CEO of Dalcour Maclaren, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Dalcour Maclaren.
“B Corp status gives us the official badge that recognises everything that matters most to us in our culture, our values, and how we make decisions for our people and our clients. We thrive on doing things differently at DM and B Corp absolutely endorses this.”
The certification means the company meets rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.
Dalcour Maclaren now joins more than 10,000 B Corps worldwide and over 2,600 in the UK, including well-known names such as The Guardian, Innocent Drinks, Patagonia, and The Big Issue.
Chris Turner, CEO of B Lab UK, said: “Welcoming Dalcour Maclaren to the B Corp community is hugely exciting. Its commitment to doing business differently will be an inspiration to others and will help spread the notion that success in business is as much about people and planet as it is profit.”
Dalcour Maclaren operates across the UK and Ireland, supporting major projects in energy, water, transport, and digital infrastructure. The company’s services include land, planning, environment, stakeholder engagement, and geospatial services.
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