Commonwealth Games bronze medal for Northants senior estimator
Reward your team and bolster morale at the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022
- Most active estate agent
- Commercial development of the year
- Responsible business of the year
- Residential development of the year
- Developer of the year
- Deal of the year
- Architects of the year
- Excellence in design
- Sustainable development of the year
- Contractor of the year
- Overall winner (this award cannot be entered, the winner will be selected from those nominated)
Book your tickets now
Tickets can now be booked for the awards event – click here to secure yours. The special awards evening and networking event will be held on 15 September 2022 in the Derek Randall Suite at the Trent Bridge County Cricket Club from 4:30pm – 7:30pm. Connect with local decision makers over canapés and complimentary drinks while applauding the outstanding companies and projects in our region. The event will also welcome John Forkin MBE DL, Managing Director at award-winning investment promotion agency Marketing Derby, as keynote speaker. Dress code is standard business attire.









To be held at:

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From city entrepreneurs and business leaders to county residents and tourists – why you should vote for Derby as the home of Great British Railways
Budding netball stars, train drivers and business leaders – plus a real-life pirate – have all shown their support as Derby bids to become the new home of the Great British Railways.
Derby is on a shortlist of six cities who are hoping to be chosen as the national headquarters. Great British Railways will be the new, single public body responsible for running and transforming Britain’s railways.
The city already has the backing of Local Authorities across the East Midlands and has received support from Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Leicester and Leicestershire, alongside 21 MPs from across the region – including Pauline Latham and Amanda Solloway, who visited Derby County’s Pride Park Stadium for their opening League One fixture of the season, to drum up support for the campaign.
And it seems that there is support in the county, too, with Jan Manfredi of Chesterfield-based award-winning ice-cream company Smith’s Creamland Ices and voluntary engine driver Debbie Jackson, who drives popular steam train ‘Little David’ through Matlock’s Hall Leys Park, giving the bid their backing.
Even Captain Jack Sparrow, who was visiting Matlock Bath recently, has voted for Derby to be the next home of the Great British Railways. He said: “Arrghh, Derby gets my vote every time.”
Chesterfield MP, Toby Perkins, believes that Derby is “the perfect place as the home of railways” and has written a letter to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.
He said: “Derby’s geographic location and transport links are perfectly situated at the heart of the country’s rail network and would provide the ideal setting for linking together the north and south of Britain.
“Locating the new HQ in Derby would be very beneficial for the Great British Railways and would bring in much-needed investment and skilled jobs to the city, which would benefit the whole of Derbyshire and the East Midlands region.”
But more votes are needed before the August 15 deadline and campaigners will be asking shoppers in the Derbion to back the bid this week (Tuesday, August 9) whilst other supporters have visited tourist hotspots in the county.
Husband and wife Adam and Natalie Bamford, of Derby-based personalised corporate gifting company Colleague Box, are backing the bid. Adam said: “Derby is the birthplace of the industrial revolution and a city of innovation and home to leading global companies such as Alstom, Toyota, Rolls-Royce and many more.”
Natalie added: “It’s also a city with a big heart, supportive community and is brimming with talent. Its location makes it the perfect choice to be the home of the Great British Railways and the project would diversify and strengthen the local economy.”
Public relations company Penguin PR, who have offices in Derby and Chesterfield, are also supporting the bid. Director Simon Burch said: “Anyone who lives in Derby knows someone who works or used to work on the railways and there are reminders of our railway heritage everywhere, so the city has got rail tracks running through its veins.
“But as a local business owner and dad to two children, I realise how the region’s future relies on attracting projects of this calibre. Derby has been living in the shadows for too long when it comes to national recognition and attracting Government investment. I can’t think of a project that the city is more suited for, nor deserves as much.
“That’s why we’re supporting the bid and have placed our votes for Derby.”
Beverley Wakefield, of city-based Vibrant Accountancy, says that it would be a fantastic coup for the local economy.
She said: “We are very lucky to be situated in the heart of the country and so our network links are strong. Derby and Derbyshire has a great history with the rail industry and the city being home to the Great British Railways would be a fantastic boost for jobs in the region, and the local economy.”
Meanwhile, keen netball players Abi Smith (10) and her friend, 11-year-old Grace Ganly said that they love the fact that Derby is central to all UK destinations – and how exciting taking a train to a different city is.
“I travelled on the train from Derby to London at Christmas time, with my mum,” said Grace, “and it was really exciting. It didn’t take long at all, and I enjoyed watching the scenery go whizzing by.”
You can vote for Derby to be the location for the Great British Railways by clicking on the link here: Great British Railways Headquarters vote – Page 1 of 3 – Great British Railways – Citizen Space (gbrtt.co.uk)
Corporate insolvencies hit ten year high
A dramatic year-on-year increase in corporate insolvencies to their highest point in a decade suggests that many East Midlands directors are opting to close their businesses, with failing confidence in their ability to trade in the current economic climate.
This is according to the Midlands branch of insolvency and restructuring body R3 and follows latest government statistics for England and Wales which highlight an 81.3% year-on-year increase in corporate insolvencies in the second quarter of 2022, rising from 3,105 in the same period in 2021 to the current total of 5,629.
R3 Midlands chair Eddie Williams, a partner at PwC in the region, said: “These figures show the highest levels of corporate insolvency since 2012, driven by an increase in all forms of insolvency process. Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidations have reached their highest recorded figure of 4,908, indicating that many directors are opting to close their businesses due to increasing economic pressures.
“The steady rise in Compulsory Liquidations since the start of the year also suggests that creditors are now making use of their power to issue winding-up petitions to try and claw back monies they are owed.
“Despite May’s unexpectedly positive GDP figures, these government statistics show that now is not the time for complacency. The current economic headwinds are only likely to worsen before they improve, and this will lead to local companies having to overcome a tough second half of this year.
“With household disposable income dropping for the eighth consecutive month in June, consumers are having to prioritise household bills before they can think about spending their money elsewhere. This, coupled with soaring utility costs, supply chain issues, rising interest rates and a tight labour market, will mean an uphill battle for many businesses.
“The insolvency statistics should be a timely prompt for any company director struggling with cashflow. Objective advice should be sought from a qualified, professional source to decide the best path forward – and the earlier this is done, the better.
“Most R3 members will give an hour’s free consultation to potential clients to enable them to understand more about the circumstances of the business, and to outline the options available to help them improve their situation.”
Construction of Etiquette Park units completes
Property and construction firms have just 10 more days to showcase their achievements at the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022
- Most active estate agent
- Commercial development of the year
- Responsible business of the year
- Residential development of the year
- Developer of the year
- Deal of the year
- Architects of the year
- Excellence in design
- Sustainable development of the year
- Contractor of the year
- Overall winner (this award cannot be entered, the winner will be selected from those nominated)
Book your tickets now
Tickets can now be booked for the awards event – click here to secure yours. The special awards evening and networking event will be held on 15 September 2022 in the Derek Randall Suite at the Trent Bridge County Cricket Club from 4:30pm – 7:30pm. Connect with local decision makers over canapés and complimentary drinks while applauding the outstanding companies and projects in our region. The event will also welcome John Forkin MBE DL, Managing Director at award-winning investment promotion agency Marketing Derby, as keynote speaker, as well as award-winning mind reader, magician, and professional mentalist Looch, who will bewilder and astonish guests during the evening’s networking. Dress code is standard business attire.









To be held at:
