Greater-Manchester IT firm celebrates three decades of trading

Heywood-headquartered IT solutions firm Central is celebrating 30 years of trading this year, with a catalogue of activities – some of which are charity led – to mark the occasion.

Forming part of the repertoire of commemorative events, Central has undergone a complete rebrand and website launch, completed a fun run for its charity of the year, Springhill Hospice – raising £711 – partnered with Horton Housing to offer free Wi-Fi access to vulnerable residents during the pandemic, and donated 30 bags of shopping to Rochdale Boroughwide Housing.

Next on the company’s anniversary agenda is to carry out the Springhill £30 Corporate Challenge – seeing how much the Central team can grow the £30 cash loan from the Hospice, within a three-month period.

Commenting on its major corporate milestone, Central’s co-owner, Jo Berry, said: “We’re so proud of how far we’ve come over the last 30 years. It’s been an incredible journey and we pride ourselves on the reputation we’ve built up within the sector.
“It’s a very competitive industry, and some of our customers have been with us for over 20 years, which shows the emphasis we put into nurturing long-term, genuine relationships.”

While Central works with SMEs across a range of sectors – including manufacturing, professional services, education, and more – social housing is an area in which the business has specific expertise.

“We genuinely care about making a difference,” continued Jo. “Providing services to those operating in the not-for-profit sector is really important to us, and that’s why charity work is forming part of our 30th birthday celebrations.”

Central recently donated and delivered 30 bags of essential food items to Rochdale Boroughwide Housing’s Kirkholt, Smallbridge, and Freehold community pantries – supporting the work it’s doing in these locations.
The family-owned IT business was founded in 1991 by Chris Mycock, with Jo Berry joining in 1998, and has helped over 2,000 clients – spanning Lancashire, Yorkshire, and the North East – with their IT and support needs, since its inception.

Other activities on the radar for the rest of the year include client events, workshops, and more fundraisers – alongside smaller milestone markers such as new staff appointments, blogs, and social media campaigns.