Welcome to season two, episode two, and we are with Ben D'alton of The Happy Turtle Zero Waste Store. A former barber and already an owner of a successful skincare brand  Shoreline Skincare , we talk to Ben about his new shop nestled in the heart of Heysham Village near Morecambe. The Happy Turtle has been popular from the very first day Ben opened the doors..

We are a family run business based in the Beautiful Morecambe Bay area, Heysham to be exact. 

For a while we have been trying to make our own small changes in the way we use household items and reduce waste - in particular single use plastics. Our ethos is to make it easier for residents in the local area to do the same. We know it's not for everyone, but we believe collectively we can make a difference to the impact we have on our home town and planet.

We produce our own range of skincare, haircare and toiletry items as well as offering refillable options for household cleaning, laundry products, bath and body products, basic (plastic free) food and drink items and plastic packaging free seasonal veg boxes.

You can collect your order from our shop in Heysham or arrange delivery to Heysham, Morecambe, Carnforth & Lancaster.

Simply use the order form and we will be in touch. 

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If you have any questions, please use the contact form and we'll ring you as soon as we can. 

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Hope to meet you soon,

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Ben & Fi

So what does the store offer?

We sell a compact range of the essential items that you and your household need. We have a zero waste policy and everything we use is recycled or reused. You can rest easy knowing you are doing your bit locally to help the planet. 

• Refillable Household Cleaning Products
• Refillable Laundry Cleaning Products
• Health & Hygiene Products
• Beauty & Personal Care
• Seasonal Fruit & Veg Boxes
• Essential Food & Drink Items

Welcome back to Season two of The Consult Centre podcast, after a little break we are glad to be back with you, and as our podcast has grown, so has the demand for new episodes, so we are back with releases each Wednesday and Saturday throughout October and November. Today I have the pleasure of chatting with Tiffany, partner and owner of Renes Fashion Lancaster. A long-established and family business, Tiffany and her business partner Amanda Parkinson. 

The 50’s changed and shaped fashion forever as the 50’s moved Britain from the austerity of the 1940’s to the prosperity of the 1960’s.  Style and spending was developed.  1950’s glamour arrived and naturally so did Renes, the rest is history!

The first shop was established in 1955 by Irene Newby along with her daughter Pamela and soon to follow Brenda, more shops followed thereafter, finally residing on King Street in Lancaster spanning three floors with a quadruple frontage.  Renes adorned the latest fashion and bridalwear in the region.  Ask any local girl and you can guarantee Renes is where they bought their wedding dress  or first teen outfit.  It was so popular during Sale times  that a queue formed around the shop before opening time.

 Over the years Renes has never lost its pizzazz and is now based on Common Garden Street in Lancaster which is a stones throw away from the original King Street store. The business is still a family run affair with Amanda and Tiffany taking the business forward over the coming years.

At Renes, customer service is at the forefront of our minds, we embrace that “Personal Shopping Experience” and “Personal Touch”.  A service that is ever diminishing in shops everywhere,  but we still pride ourselves on how important it still is to us and something that, we know,  is very much welcome locally

We truly care about our customers, how they feel and how they want to feel. We want them to walk out of our shop having had a “wonderful” shopping experience and feel a million dollars too!

Amanda and Tiffany, would very much like to thank all our loyal customers who have supported Renes throughout the last 66 years and hope that support and loyalty continues over the coming years.

Long may it last ladies.

Today we meet Alex from Morecambe Bay Tours; we have a great time talking about Morecambe and all the things we should celebrate about our wonderful seaside town and its incredible history and beauty. 

This is not your usual podcast, rather a group of friends chatting about why they are committed to supporting each other in business.

In this episode, we spend time with 5 local business owners who are bringing change to the way they network. Committed to doing their bit in helping the local Morecambe economy, providing jobs and new opportunities, this group of owners are dispelling the myth around what it means to be a BNI group member. 

Adam, Ben, Darren, Jacob and Ruth share stories and more than a little too much banter in this fun-packed look at what networking means to them. From Darren's unhealthy obsession with pie charts to Ben's assurance in confirming what time of day it actually is, we take an honest look at why the Morecambe BNI group is so different from what you would expect. We chat about how support from the group is equally important, if not more so than any amount of business passed to one another. 

Featuring on the podcast 

Jacob Hughes - Zebra Electrical  https://zebraelectrical.co.uk/

Zebra Electrical began as a family business in 2014. Originally trading as Hughes Electrical Contractors Ltd, we quickly achieved an excellent reputation in Lancaster and Morecambe, as we focused on building relationships with other businesses within the area. Our client base grew rapidly, and we are proud to say that we still work with the majority of the clients from these early days.

Darren Buntin - Lime Tree Properties https://limetree.properties/

Established in 2015, Lime Tree Properties has grown from being just one man to the experienced team that we are now delivering a comprehensive property maintenance service. Darren formed the company in 2015 after relocating to Lancashire. Darren came from a management background and brought experience in commercial refurbishment and new building projects from various roles.

Ruth Wilkinson - The Consult Centre www.theconsultcentre.com

The Consult Centre offers several services, some of our clients take all our services, some clients take one or two. Some clients are in regular contact with us; some call when they need us.  And we like that about our approach. No locking people into contracts, no making things complicated to charge more we DO More, we don’t charge more. 

Our reputation has grown organically, much like our services. Our portfolio of services has evolved in response to our client’s request. Unhappy with the service, the response and the cost of our clients' services were getting elsewhere, they began steadily moving their services to us. The more they needed, the more we grew and upskilled to meet the challenge. 

Ben Yates - BY Design https://ben-yates.co.uk/

Having spent 16 years building and developing websites from the very early days of business websites, I have lived and breathed the rapid changes and technological advances that have occurred in this fast-paced sector. I get great satisfaction from my work's constantly changing nature, including recently developing my own artificial intelligence website chatbot.

I am also keen to underpin any development work with a solid consistency of product standard and service, based on the many years' experience I have accumulated.

The web is always changing, but it has also reached a point where users have pre-set expectations regarding both layout and functionality, which is vital to meet in any project.

Adam Foxcroft -Foxcroft Construction - Builders & Roofers https://www.foxcroft-construction.co.uk/

Established in 1989, Foxcroft Construction started life as a business with a reputation for friendly service and high standards.

Over the last 26 years, we have grown our company; however, still maintaining the friendly and personal service you can only get from a small family-run firm. We know to manage your job from beginning to end, whether it's a 2 storey extension or a summer conservatory with our experience working in the south Cumbria and north lake district.

We are Roofers, Builders, Slaters and Joiners in the Morecambe, Lancaster, Lancashire & Cumbria area. Our workforce is focused on quality throughout all of our jobs.

In this podcast, we have the best guest; the stories will have you crying with laughter. Dominic Mellonie brings his unique take on what it means to be a Global Head of HR in today's commercial landscape. Everything from the trials and tribulations of managing disciplinary cases, how he nearly became an MI5 agent, until he realised national security isn't a priority on a bank holiday. The international travel and cultural differences, the dreaded calls after a work conference party, through to his take on companies managing COVID, mental health and working from home.  There are some insights, some stories that are beyond believable and far too much laughing for either of us to remain professional.. Thanks, Dom, it was a blast! 

I'm Dom Mellonie. I am currently Global Head of Human Resources for Motorsport Network and have been working in HR for waaaay too many years to think about. In that time, I've led HR in businesses such as Talk Talk and Expedia, have worked with Private Equity, Engineers of every description (from Games Developers to Nuclear Subs), Clothing Designers, Marketeers, Sales Teams and all manner of Folks from every corner of the world. In this podcast, I share some of my insights across my career, some stories and discuss the impact of Covid on businesses and the importance for Businesses and the wider Society to start taking Well-Being and Mental Health far more importantly than has been the case. Whenever Ruth and I catch up, there's laughs and guffaws a-plenty and this Podcast is no exception. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I did doing it with Ruth - and that along with the mirth there are some things that resonate. If not, I blame my caffeine intake during the recording. Stay safe!

About Catherine - Prime Wellbeing Foundation

Being healthy is the harmonious balance of physical, mental and social wellbeing, not merely the absence of disease.

Wellness is the integration of growth and balance in our lives, including career, environment, emotional, intellectual, physical, social and spiritual.    Wellbeing is the way we actively choose to be well:  being well.  ​

Since 1985 Catherine has been building her career around caring for others.  Catherine has a talent for tailor-making Wellness Breaks, from individual sessions to group events, personal treatment plans and group activity days.  With a team of experienced and highly qualified colleagues, your wellbeing is our priority best suited to your preferences. 

Why Wellness…

Wellness is the integration of growth and balance in our lives, including career, environment, emotional, intellectual, physical, social and spiritual.   Well-being is the way we actively choose to be well:  being well.

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Prime Wellbeing Foundation at Grange Hotel

Since 1985 Catherine has been building her career around caring for others.  Now in collaboration with Grange Hotel, she is able to offer all she provides, from individual sessions to group events.  Catherine has a talent of tailor making Wellness Breaks into personal treatment plans, including use of the facilities in the Leisure Suite, (pool, jacuzzi) time for reflection and treatments that best suit your preferences and requirements.

​Why Foundation…

From the latin word ‘fundare - to lay a base for’ - the Prime Wellbeing team can help you to create space for your overall health, considering the seven steps of Wellness through the five principles of  Well-being:  Stay Connected, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning, Give or as Catherine say: ‘time for ourselves is an act of loving kindness for harmonious community living’

Our offerings can include Spa Days, Luxury Lifestyle events and Group Activity Days giving time for reflection and treatments that best suit your requirements.

https://www.primewellbeingfoundation.com/

https://www.facebook.com/primewellbeing

Our Prime Location:

Grange Hotel,

Station Square, Grange over Sands

Cumbria LA11 6EJ

07957 861408