Rochdale 30 revealed

This year's Rochdale 30 with organiser Ruth Pringle, Deputy Mayor, Mohammed Zaman, Leader of the Council, Richard Farnell and Councillor Jim Gartside

The 2017 Rochdale 30 have been revealed at a special tea and cake reception at Rochdale’s Town Hall on Friday (3 November).

Rochdale 30 is part of Rochdale Loves Small Business, the borough’s celebration of Small Business Saturday, an annual celebration of independent businesses, which highlights the important role they play in their community and encourages people to use them.

The campaign, which is headed by local accountant Ruth Pringle, began in 2016 and proved so successful, it has returned for a second year.

In addition to each of the businesses, the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Mohammed Zaman, and Leader of the Council, Councillor Richard Farnell also showed their support for the borough’s independent businesses.

Each selected business will feature in a campaign, with a different one being profiled each day, in the run-up to Small Business Saturday, on 2 December. 

Ms Pringle said: “It is great to have you all here and to have been involved for the first two years. I am also really excited to have the Small Business Saturday bus here as one of the 29 stops and for it to really be part of Rochdale’s celebrations of small businesses. We hope you find Rochdale 30 beneficial.”

She continued: “We have 30 new businesses this year and, not wanting to dispel the magic, I have tried to choose a good variety of businesses from across the borough from the applications we received. There is quite a mix, and representation from Middleton is better this year, which is great.”

Congratulations were given by Councillor Zaman and Councillor Farnell, who also spoke about the support the council has given to independent businesses, such as the business rates scheme, grants, the new microbusiness units and that 20% of the council’s budget must be spent locally.

Councillor Farnell added: “Small businesses are the future of our borough: you are the cream of the crop.

“Without Ruth, we would not have small business celebrations in Rochdale; she has worked so hard for a long time to bring this to the borough.“

The chosen 30 are:

• Absolute Flooring Solutions
• Advanced Fire Protection (Rochdale) Ltd
• Advextra VA
• An Afternoon with T
• Anthony K Vehicle Leasing
• bITo Ltd
• Blue Giraffe Studios
• Browns Cakes
• Capture Design
• Cocka Doodle Moo
• Fizz Bomb
• Fox and Lilly
• Gemini Reiki Therapies
• Gill's Cupcake Corner
• Icky Sticky Cake Co
• Jet Blast & Maintenance
• L D Rigg Butchers
• Loud Studios/Loud Kids
• Love Invited
• Nest Financial Services
• Phil Corns Architectural
• Phill Connell Marketing Solutions
• Projet Signs
• Ruca Warehouse
• Simons Garden and Countryside Services
• The Ride Stuff
• Union Leisurewear Ltd
• Urbansoul Design
• Video Design Logos
• Yankee Heaven