Robbie Lewis Pride Q&A

June 29, 2022

Can you briefly describe your career path to date and your current role within the ClearCourse Group?


I joined ClearCourse via the acquisition of Standout UK, a digital agency based in Leicester. Since my team has moved into Swan Retail and then ClearCourse Retail. We are now focused on building medium/large ecommerce solutions that are tightly integrated the group’s retail systems (SRS, FRS, TRIMS).


What does Pride Month mean to you, and why do you think it is essential that we acknowledge the contributions of LGBTQ+ people throughout history and in present times?


In 1969 a group of LGBTQ+ people protested shocking police brutality at the Stonewall Riots in New York. From this the wheel of change began to move and has since become a global movement. Pride Month is a time to celebrate progress but also to focus on the issues that are still faced by many in our community. Through the summer season we gather at festivals and events to share experiences, celebrate diversity and most importantly to educate ourselves and others. It’s great to see many Pride events growing across the country and engagement from businesses and government has been a big part of that.


In particular, trans rights are big focus. There are still many basic equalities that are not available to trans people. You may have seen in the news recently that legislation to ban conversion therapy did not include protections for trans people. There are documented cases of trans conversion therapy using electrocution and techniques that are severely damaging to the mind. These practises continue in our country. We mobilise through community action and legal challenges to bring it to an end.


How would you describe your experience of working within the ClearCourse Group as part of the LGBTQ+ community? (historically within the agency Standout and more latterly with Swan Retail, part of the ClearCourse Group).


I feel both lucky and proud to say that I have never faced challenges around my sexuality at this company. Rather, it is celebrated and my activism has been enabled by the company in many ways.


Throughout my time working for Standout UK, Swan Retail and now ClearCourse Retail, I have had the greatest support from my colleagues and the business. I have been on the team organising Leicester Pride since 2009, an event which has grown to over 10,000 attendance. The company helped me to meet critical deadlines during challenging years of Leicester Pride and made company resources available to me such as large format printing and use of our offices.


Are there any assumptions about the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace overall that you’d like to challenge?


I think there have been questions historically about how family friendly Pride events are. A lot of changes have been made at Leicester Pride to reduce the emphasis on alcohol and adult themes, so that everyone feels welcome. There is also a drive to reduce the cost of attending Pride events and to offer free areas or free days for those that do not have the means. If you haven’t visited a Pride event recently and you think that there might not be something for you to enjoy, I would urge you to visit. I have also taken great pleasure in seeing an increase of people from different cultures, religions and communities at our events. This is helping us to reach out further than ever before.


How are you celebrating Pride this year? 


I also work as a DJ at LGBTQ+ nightclubs and Pride festivals. I spend the summer touring Pride festivals and performing. This year you can catch me at Leicester Pride, Birmingham Pride and Leeds Pride. As an organiser of Leicester Pride I will spend the next couple of months organising the event with my team. This involves everything from infrastructure and corporate sponsorship to marketing and running the stages on the day.


Could you recommend a pride playlist, booklist, and movie list?


Here’s a great playlist from Spotify with all the sounds you might expect to hear when attending Pride events. I’m not a huge bookworm, but this article from The Independent covers some important literature, factual and fiction. Similarly, Gay Times has an excellent list of films, my personal recommendations are: Pride (2014), Paris is Burning (1990) and Philadelphia (1993).

Software and Payments Specialist ClearCourse Acquires Leading Hospitality Software Provider, Rezcontrol by Avon Data Systems Ltd.

June 10, 2025
LONDON 10th June 2025 : ClearCourse, the provider of industry-specific software and embedded payment solutions for SMEs and targeted enterprises, announces the acquisition of Rezcontrol by Avon Data Systems Ltd., a leading property management systems (PMS) provider for the hospitality industry. Avon Data Systems Ltd. is one of the largest privately-owned UK technology partners in the property management systems industry, with clients ranging from big hotel groups such as Fuller’s Hotels and Inns to independent hotels across the UK. Founded in 1986, Avon Data Systems Ltd. launched its flagship product, Rezcontrol, in 2020, combining over 30 years’ experience in providing software for the hospitality sector with the latest technology to offer its customers a sophisticated and intuitive tool that’s adaptable to their changing needs. Today, Rezcontrol serves over 450 hotels across the UK, helping them to streamline operations, from guest communications and housekeeping to payments and distribution. Whether a full-service hotel or a pub with rooms, Rezcontrol can be tailored to a customers’ needs, and offers many additional integrations from table reservations and point-of-sale, to CRM and revenue management. A key differentiator for Avon Data Systems Ltd. is its commitment to providing white-glove, personalised support to its customers. Many of its colleagues have direct hotel and hospitality experience, enabling them to act as a collaborative, knowledgeable partner to hotels. This ensures that their customers not only gain a state-of-the-art PMS but also benefit from a knowledgeable team focused on helping them maximize Rezcontrol's potential for their businesses. Joining the ClearCourse group at this time will support Avon Data Systems Ltd.’s ambitious growth plans to become the go-to-solution in the market. The cross-selling opportunities with other leading products in ClearCourse’s portfolio, such as TISSL and Giftpro, will provide Rezcontrol customers with a one-stop-shop for PMS, POS, gifting, embedded payments and more. ClearCourse aims to become a leading engine powering small businesses in the UK by putting big tech solutions in the hands of founders and their growing businesses. This latest addition to the group marks an important step in line with this vision. Christina Hamilton, CEO of Clearcourse said : “It is fantastic to welcome Avon Data Systems into the ClearCourse group as part of our Retail & Hospitality Software division, which will further strengthen our offering in this high-growth sector. Avon Data Systems’ Rezcontrol is an innovative solution that puts cutting-edge software in the hands of growing businesses who need them most. We are excited by the natural integration points of Rezcontrol into our existing customer bases, strengthening the ClearCourse value proposition as an integrated and comprehensive solution set for our customers.” Sarah Cade, Managing Director of Avon Data Systems Ltd. said : “We’re really excited to be joining the ClearCourse group to supercharge our next stage of growth. For the past 30 years, we’ve been working with our customers to ensure we are providing them with the innovative solutions they need to run their businesses smoothly and efficiently. ClearCourse is the ideal strategic partner to continue building on our goal of becoming the go-to solution for hospitality businesses looking for reliable, integrated software and payment solutions.”

Software and Payments Specialist ClearCourse Acquires Carpet and Flooring Retail Software Provider Computers for Flooring

April 16, 2025
ClearCourse, the provider of industry-specific software and embedded payment solutions for SMEs, announces the acquisition of Computers for Flooring, a premier management software provider for the flooring industry.