Refurbishment works have completed on the Framework Knitters Museum’s Grade II listed cottage and frameshop buildings. The £62,295 project included external works, which were carried out on the buildings, and repairs to the roofs and chimneys, replacing the gutters, and repointing the walls, as well as insulation to the roofs and walls to improve the energy efficiency and provide much-needed protection from weather conditions. The funds for the work, which was undertaken by Stevenson Bros, were awarded through the Arts Council of England’s Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND). MEND is an open-access capital fund, which is designed to help museums and local authorities to undertake infrastructure and urgent maintenance that are beyond the scope of day-to-day maintenance budgets. Sarah Godfrey, creative and commercial manager of the museum, said: “We’re delighted that work has completed on our cottage and frameshop buildings, it’s important to keep them alive and thanks to generous funding from the Arts Council we were able to carry out much-needed repairs. “The restoration, which has also made the buildings more environmentally sustainable, will help to ensure that a wide range of people can continue to access the museum, and to celebrate our historical textile heritage, for many years to come.” Peter Knott, Midlands area director for Arts Council England, said: “The Framework Knitters Museum is a place of considerable communal and historic value, which tells the fascinating 400-year history of framework knitting. “It is much loved by its local community and this work will help to secure the long-term survival of the buildings. We’re proud to have supported the project through our Museum Estates and Development Fund (MEND).”

2023 marks the 25th anniversary of Matthew Montague Architects (MMA), which has provided the region a wealth of buildings in sectors ranging from sport to leisure, education, commercial, civic and residential. The business has recently been working extensively with the University of Derby on its vision of how the University intends to develop its city centre footprint and improve connectivity between its sites. The City Masterplan developed by the architects’ firm focuses on the development of the area around One Friar Gate Square, Ford Street, Bridge Street, Agard Street and Nuns Street, in Derby. Matthew Montague said: “It has been a fantastic opportunity to be involved with the masterplan. It is ambitious, forward thinking and will help shape the future development of the University and the city, bringing new opportunities for students and businesses. It’s something we are really proud of.” Daniel Evans, lead architect of the masterplan, added: “The concept for design focuses on simplicity, vibrancy, safety and sustainability. It draws on Derby’s industrial heritage and uses it to create a modern environment, keeping spaces open day and night.” Being Derby born and bred and with his father being a founding member of Derby Civic Society, Derby’s heritage is very important to Matthew and over the years many heritage and restoration projects have given the practice a respected reputation for protecting and enhancing buildings that have contributed to Derby’s historic core. The practice has designed and sympathetically restored many shops fronts across the city, more than 20 on The Wardwick and several others on Green Lane – many of these winning civic society awards. MMA has been working with Derby’s oldest charity, The Liversage Trust, for many years. The Liversage Trust was established by Robert Liversage, a Derby business man in 1529. The Trust is an Almhouses Charity offering accommodation, care and grants to Derby residents in need. It has a varied, well managed, professional property portfolio comprising 160 Almhouses, a 40 bed care home and a variety of commercial units and residential properties across the city. The portfolio has been managed, conserved and developed by the architect’s practice for over four decades. Initially by Montague Architects and subsequently by Matthew Montague Architects. Matthew said: “The Liversage Trust has been part of Derby’s heritage for many years. Its portfolio of properties was managed and developed by Montague Architect’s for many years until we merged with them in 2017. “We currently have projects to refurbish the London Road Almhouses and a full renovation of the redundant workshops on Alice Street to create new offices and workshops for the Trust’s staff. The refurbishment works to the Almhouses will futureproof them for the next 100 years, it’s a pleasure to be a part of it.” The history of MMA is also interwoven with Derby County Football Club. Matthew’s support extends beyond the team’s performance on the pitch to being heavily involved in the design of the Academy facilities and a considerable amount of work around Pride Park Stadium including the iconic Clough Taylor memorial. Repton School is another longstanding client of MMA, with numerous projects going back to the refurbishment of the 400 Hall Theatre in 2011. More recently a new dining hall was constructed at Foremarke Hall; Repton Preparatory School. Matthew said: “This is one of my favourite projects that the practice has completed. The design is by my colleague Daniel Evans; it’s great design, a modern, high-quality project, it flows and sits seamlessly in its wonderfully historic setting. There is a great sense of satisfaction seeing a building completed as it was originally conceived.” 2023 is looking to be a good year for the practice as it continues to work with the University on their vision within the city. Meanwhile, AG Homes are set to build 33 apartments on Mansfield Road, a scheme designed by MMA, and there are exciting projects with Repton School, several commercial developments and houses. Matthew added: “We are actually working on a project to refurbish Lonsdale House, which is fantastic as this was my first commercial job back in 1998, so 25 years later we are doing it all again!”

Nottingham-based business Stanford Gould Online has won an award for its professional services to the wedding industry. The seventh Global Wedding Awards, managed by publishing group AI Media, spans the entirety of the wedding sector, from venues to cake designers, organisers, digital planning software and beyond. The awards recognise businesses who demonstrate extensive expertise, dedication to customer service and client satisfaction with an ongoing commitment to excellence and innovation. Stanford Gould Online, a division of Stanford Gould Group, is now into its fifth year of trading. It supports wedding suppliers with their legal and contractual matters and provides an affordable, ‘off the shelf’ template solution, tailored to different suppliers in the wedding industry. After recognising a need for businesses in this under-represented industry, director and former practising solicitor Heather Stanford, set up Stanford Gould Online to make it easy for wedding suppliers to protect themselves with legally robust terms and conditions. Stanford said: “The business pre-dates COVID, but we’re certainly one of the lucky businesses that was overwhelmed with demand for support throughout the pandemic, as the wedding industry was turned on its head. Many suppliers were unprepared for such unprecedented circumstances and their legal terms didn’t protect them. We helped many businesses to navigate this nightmarish period and ultimately remain operational at the end of it.” Affectionately known as the ‘Legal Fairy Godmother’ by her clients and network, the business owner formally adopted the label as part of her branding by registering the trademark in 2022. “Legal matters and terminology can be overwhelming and difficult to make sense of, for creative businesses in particular. So many of my clients feel as though I have rescued them from that stress and confusion and a potential minefield of contractual problems.” Her advice to players in the wedding industry is simple: “Protect yourself from the outset with clear, legally sound terms and cover all eventualities and set out exactly how you work and what clients can expect. It’s the only way to protect yourself and limit the damage in unforeseen circumstances, just like we’ve experienced over the last three years.”

Kita, the carbon insurance specialist for the climate crisis, has been nominated for a prestigious Earthshot prize in the Fix Our Climate category. This recognition comes shortly after the company became the third to join the European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre (ESA BIC) programme at Space Park Leicester. The Earthshot prize, launched by Prince William in 2020, aims to incentivise and accelerate solutions to the world’s greatest environmental challenges. The Fix Our Climate category specifically seeks solutions that address the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve net-zero carbon by 2050. Kita’s nomination for this prestigious award is a testament to its outstanding efforts to help companies reach net zero emissions. Its insurance protects buyers of forward-purchased carbon removal credits against under-delivery. This reduces the risk of missing net-zero targets, investment milestones, and project goals. Kita uses sophisticated remote monitoring technologies to enable this multi-year insurance product to be provided cost effectively, while at the same time providing an additional layer of transparency to their clients. Dr Paul Young, chief technical officer at Kita, said: “We are honoured to be nominated for an Earthshot prize and proud to be part of the ESA BIC programme at Space Park Leicester. This recognition and support will help us accelerate our mission to create a more sustainable future for our planet.” Kita has been nominated for the Fix Our Climate category by Purpose Driven Innovation Ecosystem (PDIE Group), an organisation that is building a global ecosystem for game changers who are co-creating a better tomorrow. PDIE Group are one of the top Earthshot Prize nominators. William Wells, director of ESA BIC UK at Leicester, expressed his excitement at Kita’s nomination, saying: “We are thrilled to have Kita as part of our ESA BIC programme and to see their innovative solutions recognised on a global scale. This nomination is a testament to the impact that space technology can have in tackling some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.”