The investment supported the addition of a mezzanine floor and crucial electrical and safety improvements These upgrades have expanded the available space allowing up to 75 more individuals to safely access the club each week while continuing to serve its existing members contributed to the project’s completion just in time for the reopening event Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Economic Development said: “It’s a proud day to know we’ve played a significant role in enabling this club to grow and improve their facilities This is a club that is incredibly important to the community and this funding will keep it safeguarded for many years to come “Boxing clubs like this give young people a chance to learn and get invovled in something they’re passionate about and allows them to focus on their wellbeing and mental health Clubs like this are pivotal to thriving communities and it’s fantastic to see it expand and grow enabling more people to benefit from it.” The club also works with several local community groups and schools giving residents from the age of eight upwards of all abilities access to boxing it is more than just a sports venue though it plays a vital role in the physical and mental development of the local people in developing fitness confidence and an understanding of healthy eating and lifestyle in an inclusive and safe environment Ladies’ and men’s only fitness classes are held twice a week at the club and are well-attended too said: “Head coach Seb Selby has done an amazing job over the years to grow the club his passion for boxing has inspired many young people who have benefited from being part of a fantastic community club and everything that the sport of boxing offers’’ “The funding to improve the facilities and increase the capacity of the gym was vital youngsters had to pair up on bags and equipment and we were very limited on space The new mezzanine floor will address this and enable even more people from the communities of Rainworth Blidworth and surrounding areas to have a safe place to train face challenges head on and achieve their dreams’’ cabinet member for Communities and Public Health added: “This is a great example of how the Local Communities Fund is helping grassroot sports clubs thrive Clubs like this are at the heart of communities.” This project is part funded from the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity Fund Officers there are concerned for the safety of Joe Yexley and urgently want to hear from anyone who has seen him He was reported missing from the Rainworth area having last been seen on Monday the 7th April 2025 at approximately 12:25hrs Mr Yexley is described as six feet three inches tall with short brown hair now shaven and a goatee beard He has a number of distinctive tattoos inclusive of an anchor on his forehead and a dining chair on his cheek amongst others and was last seen wearing a black tracksuit with a gold logo If you have seen Mr Yexley or have any information about his whereabouts please contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101 John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme The Edinburgh Reporter brings you news all about Edinburgh Forest moved to a Category One status just prior to promotion to the Premier League and that gives the club’s youngsters the chance to compete against better players The Forest B-Team play in the Premier League 2 with the under-18s currently playing in the Premier League on Saturday mornings too One competition that requires Forest to enter is the Nottinghamshire County Cup – which the Reds managed to win last season On Tuesday night the champions kicked off the defence of the title with a trip to United Counties Division One outfit Rainworth Miners Welfare A number of well-known names from the development teams played for the Reds – although they left it very late to get through to the next round The line-up saw a team built up largely of under-18 players with a smidgen of B-Team players thrown in for some experience Forest XI vs Rainworth: Harry Griffiths; Georgios Lemonakis Rainworth haven’t been performing great in their respective league this season – but boy did they give the Reds a fright A tentative first half saw neither team really imposing themselves on the game in the final third Rainworth should have been in front but defender Sam Allcock headed wide when it looked easier to score The game had looked to be heading for a penalty shootout but as the game edged into stoppage time Adam Berry – signed from Manchester United – found the net with a beauty of a free-kick The goal was just reward for Berry who had been a tireless presence in the engine room all night The standout performer was quite clearly the Forest captain he picked up a rather nasty head injury but he’s returned brilliantly and scored a late winner against Carlisle in the EFL Trophy earlier this season Whitehall has glimpses of Ryan Yates about him Not only did he wear the armband but he also puts himself about in a similar dogged style to Yates and he’s also a calming presence on the ball I saw a player who was strong with both feet looked comfortable making a tackle and organised the young troops like a seasoned professional during the 1-0 win Whitehall still has a lot to learn but the club clearly likes him and have already tied him to a professional contract the midfielder clearly had the respect of his teammates and it was his determination and drive that set the tone from the first whistle Watch this space but we think Whitehall could be a future first-team player at the City Ground Road closures are in place on the A617 Rainworth Bypass as part of an ongoing incident Updated 7 pm – Safely resolved and road reopened  Emergency services are currently in attendance after concerns were raised over a person’s safety This was reported to police around 4.50pm today (11 October) with road closures immediately then put in place the A617 has been closed between the roundabouts in Kirklington Road and Southwell Road West although motorists are advised to consider alternative routes to avoid traffic disruption Rainworth Motor Group has signed a two-year exclusive partnership with Cox Automotive Hyundai and Isuzu dealer group will sell wholesale stock exclusively through Manheim Auction Services (MAS) and will also use Cox Automotive’s eVA valuations & appraisals software to provide part-exchange valuations both in-store to customers and online Rainworth previously sold its part-ex and overage stock directly to trade but has now switched to auction to drive group efficiencies and allow its sales team to focus on retail business while simultaneously getting the best return Rainworth group sales director John Budd has revealed that MAS came highly recommended by fellow dealers “Our decision to sign an exclusive deal with Cox Automotive was based not only on how professional the team was after we opened discussions with them,” Budd said “It was also due to the feedback of industry professionals who said Manheim is the partner we should be working with “Our experience at the inaugural sale in Leeds has only confirmed that decision We look forward to building and maintaining a long and fruitful relationship with Cox and to continuing the new weekly sales event with them.” said: “Rainworth is a respected player in Yorkshire and the East Midlands and a great dealer group for us to do business with their approach to business and firm grasp of marketplace dynamics – these are all qualities that neatly mirror our own that we do our best for customers and always do what we say we are going to do They'll bring a generous number of vehicles to our auctions especially considering the ongoing high demand for stock.” Rainworth Motor Group was named the UK’s Skoda Retailer of the Year in 2022 They will sell stock through Manheim’s Leeds hybrid auction channels every Wednesday In this issue we present the top perfomers in the 2025 AM Dealer Recommended research Significant motor retail industry suppliers have been endorsed by UK automotive retail leaders in our research programme.  We surveyed dealers from our audience to find out who they trust most and rely on for products and services in a variety of critical aspects of their motor retail operations Almost 30 companies received sufficient support from AM's dealer audience to become Dealer Recommended this year Find out who they are and learn from them how they can problem solve in your business Plus perspectives on success: how having the right partnerships goes a long way to ensuring good outcomes for any dealership AM deputy editor Aimée Turner has been a specialist B2B editor and journalist covering the international transportation sector for more than 20 years She has specialised in the significant safety and environmental issues that impact advanced technology businesses in the pursuit of more efficient safer and sustainable transportation modes Register to receive our range of digital content By submitting any material to us you are confirming that the material is your own original work or that you have permission from the copyright owner to use the material and to authorise Bauer Consumer Media to use it as described in this paragraph You also promise that you have permission from anyone featured or referred to in the submitted material to it being used by Bauer Consumer Media If Bauer Consumer Media receives a claim from a copyright owner or a person featured in any material you have sent us we will inform that person that you have granted us permission to use the relevant material and you will be responsible for paying any amounts due to the copyright owner or featured person and/or for reimbursing Bauer Consumer Media for any losses it has suffered as a result Rainworth Motor Group is on the lookout for “sleepy” car retailers in need of operational improvement as it targets growth through acquisition after winning Skoda UK’s Retailer of the Year award Meadens and West End Garage emerged with awards as Rainworth’s Mansfield dealership claimed the top accolade at the Czech manufacturer’s annual awards leaving directors Jon Atherton and Simon Beckett to celebrated with their team And the pair told AM that the success had galvanised their desire to grow after a dealer profile feature in 2020 led to their first acquisition in 13 years “We’re still keen to expand and are always open to discussions,” said Beckett who joined Atherton in paying tribute to the group’s workforce after the Mansfield team’s win “Though we can’t sweep in and buy 20 sites like some groups can I think we might look like an appealing option to a small owner-driver that is wanting a similar business to buy their business and looks after the business and its staff in a similar fashion “Growing with Skoda of Hyundai would be ideal but I guess what we’d like is a sleepy business that we can really make operational improvements to Rainworth’s last acquisition came in the form of Huddersfield Hyundai and Isuzu franchisee R N Golden That deal was completed in May 2021 and came after exposure in AM opened conversations with previous owner Matt Golden adding to its existing Skoda franchise in Mansfield and the former Bickerton Skoda dealership in Sheffield that it acquired in 2010 Since then, the business has enjoyed success, with this month’s Skoda retailer of the year accolade following Sheffield’s success in 2019 Atherton told AM that among its operational improvements have been a tripling of its rental fleet from 30 to 90 cars in three years And the business does not fear the Volkswagen Group’s shift to an agency model which is now expected to be implemented on all electric vehicle (EV) sales in 2024 “Agency doesn’t worry us at all” “With the list price of new cars now regularly around £50,000 to £60,000 it actually makes sense to a business like our from a cashflow point of view “It’s very easy to focus on the negatives but we think it could be a good thing.” In AM’s earlier dealer profile with Rainworth the two directors said that Skoda UK’s shift to an agency model or its fleet sales had trimmed £10 million from the turnover of the group Retailers from the Skoda car retail network received awards across nine categories at last Friday’s awards event at London’s Park Plaza Westminster Bridge hotel Rainworth Mansfield pipped DM Keith’s Škoda Grimsby and Simpsons Škoda Great Yarmouth to the overall retailer of the year title in a race that Atherton described as “extremely tight” Among the other winners on the night – hosted by British Olympian and BBC Ski Sunday presenter Chemmy Alcott – were West End Garage Škoda (Edinburgh) who won the Digital Experience and Customer Experience awards and DM Keith Škoda (Grimsby) who were named as victors in the People Excellence and Sales Scorecard categories Johnson Škoda (Burntwood) also secured a brace of awards topping the Used Vehicle Sales and Škoda Finance categories Skoda’s head of network sales Kevin Rendell said: “We pride ourselves on customer service at Škoda and every year our retailer network goes above and beyond to deliver the best for our customers “In another year that has seen the industry face a number of challenges our retailers have gone the extra mile to deliver great service to owners People Excellence Award - D M Keith Škoda (Grimsby) and Meadens Škoda Customer Experience - West End Garage Škoda (Edinburgh) Fleet Sales - Garland Motors Škoda Škoda Finance - Johnsons Škoda (Burntwood) Most improved Retailer - Johnsons Škoda (Birmingham) Sales scorecard - D M Keith Škoda (Grimsby) Service and Parts Scorecard - Meadens Škoda Used Vehicle Sales - Johnsons Škoda (Burntwood) Digital Experience - West End Garage Škoda (Edinburgh) Rainworth Motor Group doubled its franchised car retail footprint with a Hyundai and Isuzu dealership acquisition after its directors went from the AM cover to expansion talks in the space of three days The dealer profile in December’s edition of AM magazine revealed that Rainworth directors Jon Atherton and Simon Beckett were “hopeful of adding to their all-Škoda portfolio” and served as an introduction for Matt Golden the managing director of Huddersfield Hyundai and Isuzu franchisee R N Golden Three days later the three men found themselves discussing an acquisition of the business and May 1 saw the official handover of keys at the dual brand dealership site on Wakefield Rd Atherton told AM: “Things happened really quickly after we appeared on the cover of AM It was the following day that we received a call from Matt Golden and three days later we were sat down in his home discussing a potential acquisition and how it might work the past 12 months had caused Matt to take stock He’d decided to sell-up and immediately thought we looked like a good fit.” Mansfield-based Rainworth’s expansion sees it double its franchised outlets to four – adding to its award-winning Skoda UK dealerships in Mansfield and Sheffield – and Atherton and Beckett expect the move to be immediately earnings enhancing The pair were quick to visit the location of the dealership and explore the business after the initial contact from Matt Golden and are confident that they can make the business a success Beckett said: “I think Matt and his wife were pleased to be handing the business to an owner driver they knew would look after the staff and customers as they had “It was the same when we acquired Bickerton in Sheffield.” RN Golden was established by managing director Matt Golden’s father The business now employs 23 staff – who will be retained – with Jack Atherton moving into the new business to operate the Isuzu franchise Atherton said: “We see lots of potential There’s work we can do to sharpen up the social media offering and they’ve not had any involvement in fleet “We’ve been really impressed with the team we’re inheriting They seem really enthusiastic and full of smiles One of the first changes set to be made to the RN Golden business which will retain the name and branding familiar to its established customers will be a move to the Navigator DMS favoured by Rainworth had been on-site installing the system which will align the software used across the group’s three locations The group will also appoint a dedicated used car photographer to further streamline its online marketing Speaking to AM in the December edition Atherton and Beckett who acquired the Mansfield Skoda dealership in 2001 and added Sheffield’s Bickerton Skoda operation in 2010 had said that they were hopeful of adding to their all-Škoda portfolio The pair admitted that prudence had so far stalled the progress of any expansion of the business which delivered a £41m turnover and pre-tax profit of £470,000 in 2019 Beckett said: “Our pockets aren’t deep enough to go for something and just pass it off if it doesn’t work “Some brands we have been talking to for a period while others have been and gone “Some we perhaps should have (signed with) and others we’re glad we haven’t you don’t take acquisitions lightly.” Speaking to AM after adding to the group’s portfolio Atherton said he was excited at the prospect of a future with Hyundai and Isuzu as well as Škoda “With Mitsubishi and Nissan leaving the pick-up sector and Isuzu launching the new D-Max, it’s a brand with plans to double its UK sales to 10,000 units “In Hyundai we have a brand that has an amazing range and a speed of new product development that is really exciting at a time when electric vehicles (EV) are so important to the sector.” Rainworth Škoda in Mansfield has once again succeeded in winning the title of Škoda Retailer of the Year The group has had past success in the awards picking up multiple wins over the past five years it saw off DM Škoda Grimsby and Simpsons Škoda Great Yarmouth who finished second and third respectively The group has represented Škoda for over 50 years with current joint MDs Jon Atherton and Simon Beckett heading up the Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire outfit since 2001 It made its first acquisition in 13 years in 2020 expanding its footprint with the purchase of R N Golden Off the back of the group’s recent awards success Atherton and Beckett spoke to Motor Trader on its winning ways maintaining a long and fruitful relationship with a brand and the next steps for the group they aren’t at the top of the agenda for Atherton more like a happy consequence of the way the dealerships are run He said: “I think it’s part and parcel of what we do If we get to September/October time and we are hitting our metrics its more likely that we will pick up awards along the way “There are lots of different metrics that are covered for the retailer of the year and just look after customers and do the right thing Beckett added: “We’ve got two dealerships in the top 10 I think this makes us stand out because you could only have one site in the top 10 and then the rest are lower down because you’re focusing on that one dealership We’ve never done that because it’s not right We have now won retailer of the year five times We try and keep ourselves in the top 25 for everything that the brand looks at sales people and the cleaners share in this success And there is a long-standing relationship with the Czech brand Atherton was keen to point out that it is a partnership He said: “Brand alignment is very important We’re looking for a partnership and we like to go along with its programmes and try new things keeping the staff trained helps maintain a good relationship with the brand which I think helps us with consistency at our dealerships.” now sporting the ENYAQ IV and the CITIGOe iV These will be joined by a further three models by 2026 Atherton is positive about the brand’s line-up but is not sure EVs will be the “answer” He said: “It’s been quite a rapid change with COVID and the online side of things But I’m not sure that electric is the complete answer but I think hydrogen could have a lot to offer And some of our hybrid vehicles are very good “We have had a fantastic reception to ŠKODA’s EV selection but I think people are also realising that there are some limitations with EVs too.” Beckett added: “A few years ago we acquired RN Golden Hyundai and Isuzu We are nearly two years into that now and enjoying it and those brands are also heavily into PHEVs and EVs.” With the cost-of-living crisis still making its presence known are customers changing their behaviour when it comes to purchasing a car We’re still struggling to get enough used cars and for new cars we’re just taking lots of orders for the future We’ve got cars on the ground that we used to have just to show people so now we’ve got two showrooms full of cars and that’s it everything’s going up in price because they’re part exchanges are worth more.” Rainworth’s last acquisition was in 2020 with the purchase of but they are still on the lookout for opportunities Atherton added: “We’re still talking to people as we speak directly from an owner that runs the company hands on because those type of people want the staff looked after as well as the customers we have good loyal staff and fantastic customers that come back to us time and time again why would we want to give all that up to somebody that’s not going to look after them?” with Atherton reporting that despite many challenges it did “better than ever Atherton said: “We expect things to slow down a bit We put in some quite negative budgets this year thinking that it was going to be a bit more of a consolidation year with the cost-of-living crisis but we are finding that ŠKODA is a go-to brand Would you now trade in your BMW or your Audi and have a ŠKODA because it’s the more informed and intelligent choice That helps us and we get people from both sides but equally it is a sensible brand to buy.” Atherton concluded by touching briefly on the agency model He said: “It is coming with the Volkswagen Group We are quite open minded and are happy that the brand will do the right thing The way we’re looking at it is that there will be opportunities as part of that shift should it happen.” Tagged with: Consumer Duty, Chinese car brands, winning ways Rainworth Mansfield named Skoda Retailer of the Year You must be logged in to post a comment a UK based car finance provider authorised and regulated by .. Wishing all our customers and connections a super successful handover day #NewRegDay Use the affordable Keytracker intelligent locker system to securely automate the drop-off and collection lockers .. renowned for their top-quality paint and fabric protection systems We are pleased to share the launch of our new partnership with live-streaming service How will you adapt to higher National Insurance and general employment costs View Results Rainworth Škoda in Mansfield has been named as the Skoda Retailer of the Year Retailers fought it out over nine key categories which included Customer Experience Rainworth Škoda Mansfield saw off DM Škoda Grimsby and Simpsons Škoda Great Yarmouth who finished second and third respectively Škoda UK said: “We pride ourselves on customer service at Škoda and every year our retailer network goes above and beyond to deliver the best for our customers “In another year that has seen the industry face a number of challenges Other big winners on the night were West End Garage Škoda (Edinburgh) who won the Digital Experience and Customer Experience awards DM Keith Škoda (Grimsby) won the People Excellence and Sales Scorecard categories Johnson Škoda (Burntwood) also secured a brace of awards topping the Used Vehicle Sales and Škoda Finance categories Pictured Rainworth Skoda Mansfield (l to r) Simon Beckett and Jon Atherton Škoda UK Retailer of the Year Awards winners Winner: D M Keith Škoda (Grimsby) and Meadens Škoda Tagged with: Škoda becomes first European car brand to introduce customers to an Amazon showroom Škoda reveals UK pricing and specs for new Elroq vRS John Clark opens new format Seat, Cupra and Skoda dealership in Dundee UK Car of the Year shares category winners ahead of main award announcement Škoda reveals UK specs and pricing for Kodiaq vRS New Škoda Octavia is priced under £27k