Join Jonathan Boyers, Head of Alvarez & Marsal Corporate Finance, as he sits down with Adam Farricker, CEO of Empower Youth Zones, the charity behind Hideout Youth Zone in Manchester and Salford Youth Zone.

In this episode, Adam Farricker discusses:

• Growing up in one of Manchester’s most deprived neighbourhoods and how youth work changed the course of his life;
• The collapse of traditional youth services across the UK and the safeguarding challenges that created;
• How state-of-the-art Youth Zones provide safe spaces, hot meals, and life-changing opportunities for thousands of young people;
• The story behind philanthropist Fred Done’s involvement and the dealmaking required to fund and build Youth Zones;
• Partnering with local authorities and the private sector to create sustainable, long-term youth provision;
• The scale of impact so far, including thousands of members and tens of thousands of hot meals served; and
• Why backing Youth Zones isn’t just morally right, but a smart business decision for companies investing in future talent and their local communities.

Join Jonathan Boyers, Head of Alvarez & Marsal Corporate Finance, and Christopher Maguire, Executive Editor of BusinessCloud, sit down with the King of Fudge Cakes himself, Chris Ormrod, CEO of Cakesmiths, the entrepreneur who turned Ministry of Cake into a private equity success story… not once, but twice.

Episode summary

• Building, selling, re-acquiring and selling again the same cake business, turning Ministry of Cake into a private equity success story;
• Buying and selling six businesses;
• Learning people skills from Sir Richard Branson;
• Selling his house to become a first-time entrepreneur at 40;
• Importance of having no Plan B;
• Identifying your buyer on day one;
• Appointing yourself Prime Minister; and
• Working with private equity successfully.

Join Jonathan Boyers, Head of Alvarez & Marsal Corporate Finance, and Chris Maguire, Executive Editor of BusinessCloud, as they sit down to discuss Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget. In the second half of the episode, Jonathan will looks at the trends in the 2025 deals market and look at what 2026 might have in store.

Episode summary

• Who are the winners and losers from the long-awaited Budget?;
• Will we now see more companies listed in London?
• What impact will the Budget have on the deals industry?
• Will entrepreneurs now head for the UK exit door? and
• Quiet optimism for 2026.