12 speakers confirmed for free day-long ‘Survive and Thrive’ event for SMEs

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12 speakers confirmed for free day-long ‘Survive and Thrive’ event for SMEs

Expert speakers who will share tips on how to ‘survive and thrive’ in business in 2023 have now been confirmed for a free event next week.

The one-off conference has been organised by the Business Gateway Growth Hub and will be hosted by LLEP Board Members Glynis Wright MBE and Sonia Baigent.

It takes place on Tuesday April 18, at Leicester’s Morningside Arena and will cover a variety of cost-saving themes and explore possible solutions to current pain points faced by local firms.

This will include effective workforces, managing energy costs, and leading in challenging times.

There are still some places left for businesses to register now to attend the event.

Business owner and qualified accountant Sonia has provided business consultancy and support to SMEs for more than 15 years.

She will give her own talk, using ‘real life’ examples and success stories, as will local business leader and qualified solicitor Glynis. Also taking to the stage will be:

  • Caitlin Davies – Microsoft UK
  • Steven Mather – Steven Mather Solicitor
  • Azar Khan – Axiom Energy
  • Anna Cyhan – LLEP Skills
  • Alpa Chauhan and Sally Drew – Leicester Employment Hub
  • Sally Newnham – Mental Health and Productivity Pilot
  • Christiane Startin-Lorent – Carbon Literacy Advocate and Trainer
  • Stu Spencer – Charnwood Accountants
  • Sam Goddard – St James Systems
  • Saleem Arif – ReviewSolicitors

Presentation topics include recruitment, negotiating energy contracts, navigating debt, financial resilience, productivity hacks, and more.

Sonia said: “With such a strong roster of speakers and stallholders, business owners and attendees will leave the expo feeling positive and motivated. They will also be armed with useful tips that they can use to strengthen their position.

“The current cost of doing business means local owners and directors are facing a daily challenge to manage the needs of both their business and its stakeholders.

“My session will look at how you can bring focus and clarity to everyday decisions, as well as covering the support and options available to businesses in times of distress.

“Our other speakers will also draw from their experiences to offer practical advice and tips on how to access support.

“The purpose of the event is to signpost business owners to available support, whilst also providing practical tools and tips to help manage the current cost of doing business during the cost of living crisis.”

There will be an expo outside of organisations offering free help and support to local businesses. Universities, banks, networks and trade bodies are among confirmed stallholders so far. They include:

  • ACAS
  • Axiom Energy
  • Barclays Eagle Labs
  • Centre for Organisational Resilience
  • East Midlands Chamber
  • Embark CSR
  • Federation of Small Businesses
  • Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership
  • Leicester City Council
  • LUInc (Loughborough University business incubator for the LLEP-supported Wayfinder programme)
  • NatWest
  • ReviewSolicitors
  • Sir Thomas White Loan Charity
  • Steven Mather Solicitor
  • The Anderson Partnership
  • University of Leicester School of Business

Sonia added: “Over the last few years, the challenges of running a business have grown. The fallout from the pandemic, high inflation, impossible energy hikes – it’s all taken its toll. We aim to provide practical advice that can be used immediately, for businesses to survive and grow in 2023 and beyond.”

Reserve your ticket now

DSP (Interiors) unveils new agile offices for Surescreen Diagnostics

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DSP (Interiors) unveils new agile offices for Surescreen Diagnostics
Design, refurbishment, and fit-out specialists DSP (Interiors) Ltd have completed the design and fit out of new agile offices for SureScreen Diagnostics Ltd, at their lateral flow test production facility at Sherwood Business Park in Annesley, Nottingham. Over the past two years, the company, which is based on the Parker Industrial Estate on Mansfield Road in Derby, has been principal designer and contractor on a range of fit-out projects across their premises in Derby and Nottingham. SureScreen wanted to centralise their office base for staff across various locations at the same time as moving away from a traditional office structure to an agile workspace that would foster a more collaborative and innovative culture. The team at DSP (Interiors) has created a new office space, which incorporates the latest in agile office design principles to create a flexible and dynamic workplace. One of the key elements of the design was the creation of a variety of workspaces that cater for different work styles and needs including workstations, meeting rooms, collaboration spaces, breakout areas and social spaces. Drawing inspiration from local history, a guiding theme for the project was Sherwood Forest and the Major Oak. The design incorporates biophilia extensively throughout, including features such as a striking moss wall with SureScreen branding, an impressive floating wooden ceiling raft intertwined with vines and various other bespoke planters with foliage. Fabric backed wooden slat walls and fabric ceiling rafts complement the biophilic design and warming flooring whilst providing a more comfortable acoustic environment. Extensive graphic walls and manifestation to glazing incorporating nature landscapes serve to bring the ‘outdoors inside,’ creating a calming backdrop and promoting wellness in the workplace. A suite of high-end double glazed banded acoustic enclosed offices and meeting spaces provide quiet zones for focused and team-based tasks. The fit-out process involved the installation of a range of contemporary furniture, technology and equipment to create a modern, efficient and flexible workspace. The new agile office design has resulted in a significant increase in employee engagement, productivity, and satisfaction. The new workstations, breakout areas and collaboration spaces have facilitated communication and teamwork, enabling employees and other visitors to work together more effectively. Speaking about the creation of the new agile offices at Sherwood Business Park, Andy Priestley, director of DSP (Interiors) Ltd Derby, said: “It’s been a pleasure to work alongside SureScreen Diagnostics on this exciting project, which has brought together the latest in agile office design principles to create a new flexible and dynamic workplace for SureScreen’s Diagnostics team. “As principal designer, DSP (Interiors) Ltd set out to create a contemporary working environment, which would incorporate biophilia and create nature-inspired spaces that help workers engage with each other and their surroundings. “We look forward to continued collaboration with them on the next phase of their state-of-the-art manufacturing site at Sherwood Park.” Alastair Campbell, director of SureScreen Diagnostics, added: “The new space has helped us to create a more collaborative and innovative workplace. Once again, Andy and his dedicated team have provided an excellent service from start to finish. The variety of the working space and the fit and finish helped in the process of coming together from several smaller sites in Derby, and the team quickly appreciated the opportunity to evolve the way they work together, for the better. “For visitors, we can present a forward looking and interesting location for meetings, and the comments from our visiting colleagues has been very complimentary. “As a business involved in health diagnostics, we present ourselves as innovators who don’t cut corners, but with an approachable demeanour, and the agile office reflects those attributes. We would highly recommend Andy and the whole team at DSP as they continue to deliver outstanding workplace environments for us.”

Trio of promotions for Nottingham accountancy firm

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Trio of promotions for Nottingham accountancy firm

Nottingham-based chartered accountants, Clayton & Brewill, has promoted three of its senior team to directors, in line with the next phase of its succession plans.

Promoted to directors are the firm’s Amanda Stefanetti, Rebecca Higginbottom and Adam Rostance.

Having obtained her ACA qualification at Newby Castleman, Amanda Stefanetti joined Clayton & Brewill in 2008, where she went on to achieve FCA status. In her role at the firm, Amanda works with SMEs and their directors, assisting them with accounts preparation, management accounts, VAT returns and company and personal tax returns.

Prior to Clayton & Brewill, Rebecca Higginbottom previously worked for Hyett & Langfield. When the firm was acquired by Clayton & Brewill in 2003, she continued in her account manager role and went on to achieve her AAT, ACA and FCA qualifications. At Clayton & Brewill, Rebecca undertakes a wide range of accountancy services, including management accounts, year-end reporting, and personal and corporate taxes.

Adam Rostance joined Clayton & Brewill in June 2012 as an AAT apprentice. After initially working within the firm’s compliance department, Adam transferred to the audit department as an audit junior, working his way up to the role of accounts and audit manager. He now oversees a portfolio of clients ranging from small sole traders to large group companies.

Doug Perry, partner at Clayton & Brewill, says: “Amanda, Rebecca and Adam are highly valued members of the team, fantastic ambassadors for the firm, and exceptionally talented accountants. As well as delivering an excellent service to meet varying client needs, they provide a robust support network for the firm’s partners. These promotions recognise their commitment to Clayton & Brewill and the diligence they have shown over the years.”

Plastic packaging designer and manufacturer enters administration

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Plastic packaging designer and manufacturer enters administration
Martyn Rickels, Allan Kelly and Simon Farr of specialist business advisory firm FRP have been appointed as joint administrators to iTEC Packaging (Mansfield) Limited and iTEC Packaging (Chester-Le-Street) Limited. iTEC Packaging is a plastic packaging designer and manufacturer that employed 247 staff across sites in Chester-Le-Street and Mansfield. The business, which provides injection moulding, thermoforming, extrusion and compression moulding services, faced financial pressures following difficult trading conditions. The joint administrators will continue trading iTEC Packaging to fulfil outstanding orders where possible while they market the business and assets for sale. Upon appointment, 44 roles were made redundant. The remaining staff have been retained to assist the joint administrators in their duties. Martyn Rickels, joint administrator at iTEC Packaging, said: “iTEC Packaging has sizeable operations in Chester-Le-Street and Mansfield with manufacturing capabilities that can produce a vast range of packaging products. We have begun a marketing process to find a buyer and encourage any interested parties to come forward. “In the meantime, we are trading the business as we fulfil outstanding orders for customers.”

Change in tourism status hailed as huge opportunity for tourism businesses

Stuart Pearcey
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Change in tourism status hailed as huge opportunity for tourism businesses
The two organisations responsible for bringing more tourists to the Derby, Derbyshire, and thePeak District are joining forces to gain Local Visitor Economy Partnership status from VisitEngland. Visit Peak District, Derbyshire and Derby is one of 12 new LVEPs to be announced by Visit England. The new, formal partnership aims to encourage partnership working and increase visitor numbers in their area. As part of the LVEP status, the Visit Peak District, Derbyshire and Derby team will be able to access specialist training on topics like sustainability and accessibility as well as support to make bids to the Government for funding to increase visitor numbers. LVEP status recognises exemplar tourism bodies, that work in partnership to support the development of the tourism economy in their destination areas. This is achieved through ensuring the area is inclusive, accessible and sustainable for all visitors. Rob Gorton, Chair of the Derby Destination Development Board said: “For Visit Derby and Visit Peak District and Derbyshire to be successful as one of the first VisitEngland accredited Local Visitor Economy Partnerships is a great achievement. “Derby, with its rich heritage of making, and its vibrant and diverse cultural life today, is a fantastic partner and complement to Derbyshire and the Peak District’s offer. “The opportunity for the city and its visitor facing businesses is huge, and access to national campaigns and support from the national Tourism Board will help significantly increase footfall in the city. “We will work to help make Derby the best possible partner for the LVEP, and to increase the city’s attractiveness as a great place to visit, as a great place to do business, and as a great place to live and work.” Rachel North, Strategic Director of Communities and Place at Derby City Council added: “This is a real step forward for Derby. Our wonderful city is the beating heart of the county which much to recommend it to visitors from its vibrant nightlife , diverse cultural venues including the nationally acclaimed Museum of Making and the exciting Darley Park Weekender to the hugely successful Derbion shopping centre. “Achieving national accreditation will help the city to reach wider audiences and attract more domestic and international visitors. We look forward to working in partnership alongside Visit England to develop the LVEP model and help to transform the visitor economy in Derby.”

Nottingham industrial site sold

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Nottingham industrial site sold
The sale of a mixed industrial site in Nottingham has signalled the latest foray north for one of the Midlands’ leading commercial property agencies.
The completion of the sale of Daleside House in Calverton highlighted the continued expansion of Coventry-based Bromwich Hardy beyond the firm’s traditional Warwickshire patch. Daleside House, in Park Road East, was sold for £2.5 million, which included the sole asset company Park Road East Developments Ltd which owned the site. Bromwich Hardy consultant Charles Smith, who handled the sale, said the site had offered a tremendous opportunity for asset management. He said: “Daleside House has enjoyed consistently high occupancy levels over the years, with many of the tenants of the larger units having been on the site for many years. It is in a designated employment zone and offers lots of potential for a good yield on the investment.” Daleside House is a large industrial, warehouse and office building sub-divided into individual units. The site is fenced and gated and includes a 50-space car park. To the front is a two-storey brick office block, with the industrial and warehouse units in a ‘U’ shaped block around a central service yard and parking area. In all, there are 41 individual offices or units, including nine larger self-contained warehouse and industrial units. Most of the buildings are steel portal frame construction but some parts have a concrete frame. The site is in Calverton, a village about seven miles north-east of Nottingham city centre and ideally situated to link to the East Midlands transport networks. The sale of Daleside House was the latest deal concluded by Bromwich Hardy in the north of England. Working on behalf of Socotec UK Ltd, Charles has also worked on three deals in the Doncaster area, including the sale of a site on Askern Road and an office building on Hexthorpe Road, and advising and negotiating a lease on a warehouse on Wellsyke Road. Tom Bromwich, founding partner of Bromwich Hardy, said: “Congratulations to Charles for successfully concluding the sale of Daleside House. This and the deals he worked on in Doncaster prove that Bromwich Hardy is a trusted name far and wide, and I look forward to broadening our reach into even more areas in the future. “Our team are all well respected in the field, and it is great that Charles could use his experience and his contacts to make inroads into a new area for us. “Bromwich Hardy is going from strength to strength thanks to the talent and expertise we have in our team.”

Independent housebuilder secures funding package for Northamptonshire development

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Independent housebuilder secures funding package for Northamptonshire development
Paragon Bank’s Development Finance division has provided a £2.5 million finance package to support the development of 10 new build houses in Flore, Northamptonshire. The funding package will result in two two-bedroom affordable homes, two three-bedroom affordable homes, a row of three three-bedroom properties, two four-bedroom detached houses and one five-bedroom detached house. The homes are being developed on the site of a former petrol station in the centre of the village. Barry Howard Homes has been creating new and renovated homes in the East Midlands since the 1990s. The new development is situated at the heart of the historic Flore village in the Northamptonshire countryside and is ideally located for both Daventry and the M1. Funding for the development was led on behalf of the bank by relationship director Adrian Reeves, with support from portfolio manager Jess Pilkington. Barry Howard, CEO of Barry Howard Homes, said: “Paragon understood the passion we have for creating beautiful homes and is the ideal funding partner for our Flore development. This is set to provide the region with wonderful new properties.” Adrian Reeves, Paragon Bank Development Finance relationship manager, said: “With work now underway, I have been pleased to follow the progress of Barry Howard Homes’ latest development and am delighted that Paragon is assisting the company in delivering new, affordable properties.”

Yellow card for BBC after Lineker own goal: By Greg Simpson, founder of Press for Attention PR

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Yellow card for BBC after Lineker own goal: By Greg Simpson, founder of Press for Attention PR
Greg Simpson, founder of Press for Attention PR, dives into the BBC/Gary Lineker debacle. Spoiler alert…I’m a big football fan. You may not be so you will be pleased to learn that this column is not about the ‘beautiful game’, in fact, it all got rather ugly. Now, I’m also a big fan of Gary Lineker. It has nothing to do with his team affiliations (Leicester, Spurs, Everton, Barcelona, Grampus 8, Walkers – I prefer a McCoy), I just quite like the guy. He is great on camera and somehow still has that boyish charm which enables him to get away with risqué little comments and digs or frankly terrible puns – you’d never see me try that! He’s become a ‘national treasure’ and it pays to handle such treasure with care – whatever a contract may or may not say. Gary has become a household name on the TV every week flogging football and occasionally bothering us about crisps – even then, it is done with a sense of humour and fun. Now I’m not for one minute suggesting that the BBC lost their sense of humour here, it was a serious point to tackle and nip in the bud but to target Gary ‘early doors’ as the commentators might say was a massive error. The problem is, to borrow a phrase from footy parlance, they went in TWO-FOOTED. They now accept that their interpretation of their own contracts might have been foggy and that there are, like their star attraction’s hair (and indeed mine), some ‘grey areas’. One might even argue that they couldn’t have foreseen the scale of the media circus they unleashed but when Piers Morgan is agreeing with Lineker (doubtless because it suits his own agenda) you know you have misread the room. Nevermind the boycott that ensued from the fellow presenters, then the commentators, then the other radio shows, then the other TV shows. It all escalated pretty quickly and has now supposedly been dealt with but not without HUGE damage to the BBC brand and an even BIGGER boost to Lineker’s. Enjoy renegotiating that contract when it comes around folks! Of course, Gary may want to look elsewhere in future transfer windows but if he does, it would be wise for any brand that wants to sign him to consider their Ts and Cs VERY carefully when it comes to social media usage. That goes for any business, whether you are hiring staff, contractors, freelancers, or ‘celebs’ – what they say and do in public can potentially impact on you. You need to weigh this very carefully when you ‘get into bed’ with a celeb or align with them in any official capacity. They are, believe it or not, human. That means they are fallible. They may have views that do not sit well with your own as a business and brand or entirely contradict your messaging. So always do your research. Remember, when you align with a celebrity or ‘influencer’ you do so because of their reach. This goes both ways – it can be positive or negative. Or neutral. Famously, our Gary was never booked once in his career – nope, not ONCE. This was one heck of a yellow card for Auntie BBC. A former business journalist, Greg Simpson is the author of The Small Business Guide to PR and has been recognised as one of the UK’s top 5 PR consultants, having set up Press for Attention PR in 2008. He has worked for FTSE 100 firms, charities and start-ups and conducted press conferences with Sir Richard Branson and James Caan. His background ensures a deep understanding of every facet of a successful PR campaign – from a journalist’s, client’s, and consultant’s perspective.   See this column in the April edition of East Midlands Business Link Magazine here.

Cawarden “delighted” to return as a sponsor at the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023

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Cawarden “delighted” to return as a sponsor at the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023
Cawarden has joined the sponsor line up for the “showcase of the region’s property and construction sector,” the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023, backing the Excellence in Design category. Speaking with Business Link, William Crooks, Managing Director at returning sponsor Cawarden, said: “In our role as a specialist contractor, we work closely with clients to facilitate the development of new schemes and regeneration projects throughout the UK, including in Derby, our home city. “We thrive on meeting complex challenges to pave the way for new structures to rise up and repurposing existing buildings to give them a new lease of life. “So we are delighted to be back this year as a returning sponsor to the showcase of the region’s property and construction sector, The Bricks. The Excellence in Design award is an exciting opportunity to recognise the developers who have shown originality in design excellence and we’re thrilled to sponsor and judge this category once again.” The awards, which will take place on Thursday 28 September at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, celebrate the outstanding work of those shaping the landscape of our region, recognising development projects and people in commercial and public building across the East Midlands – from offices, industrial and residential, through to community projects such as leisure schemes and schools. Nominations are now OPEN for East Midlands Business Link’s annual Bricks Awards. To nominate your (or another) business/development for one of our awards, please click on a category link below or visit this page.
Award categories include: Nominations end Thursday 31 August. Find out who last year’s winners were here.

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 Thursday 28 September 2023 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, and hear from Mike Denby, Director of Inward Investment and Place Marketing at Leicester City Council, our keynote speaker. Dress code is standard business attire. Thanks to our sponsors:                                                             To be held at:

Nottingham firm gets £9.4m from Government to test cutting edge electricity storage technology

Stuart Pearcey
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Nottingham firm gets £9.4m from Government to test cutting edge electricity storage technology
Nottingham-based Cheesecake Energy Ltd has been given £9.4m by the Government to test its FlexiTanker technology for storing electricity using a combination of thermal and compressed air energy storage. The award will help the company to install pilot units at two sites within a microgrid development in Colchester, as part of £30m invested to put the UK at the forefront of designing and testing innovative technology of the future to modernise our energy system and store renewable energy for later use. The Government says capturing and storing energy for use when and where it is needed will play an essential role in powering more of Britain from Britain and increasing the country’s energy security. The funding announced today will support these businesses testing and preparing their technologies to be ready for the energy market, encouraging private investment and creating new jobs across the UK. The nature of renewables means that on windy, sunny days sometimes more renewable electricity is generated than is needed, such as during extended periods of the sun shining or high winds. Energy storage technology will soak up this excess energy for later use, maximising the use of renewable energy, all while boosting energy security and supplying energy to consumers at a lower cost. Flexibility from technologies such as electricity storage and smart charging of electric vehicles could save up to £10 billion per year by 2050 by reducing the amount of energy and network needed to create a secure, home-grown energy system. Accelerating the uptake of energy storage technology will also mean National Grid can balance the grid by activating storage systems instead of asking certain power generation technologies to switch off, further reducing costs to the taxpayer. Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero Graham Stuart said: “Storing energy for longer periods is vital to build a robust and secure energy system and ensure that renewable energy is used efficiently. Fortunately the UK has a wealth of pioneering businesses that are making their mark on this industry. We’re backing three UK businesses to make their projects a reality, which will go on to play a role in our country’s energy security. The winning projects will now go on to fully deploy and demonstrate their technology. Alongside Cheesecake Energy are Scots firms Synchrostor and Invinity Energy (UK). This announcement follows the £32.8 million funding awarded to 5 UK energy storage projects across the country in November 2022 to create first-of-a-kind prototypes of their technology. A total of £69 million of funding has been awarded so far through this programme, helping to drive innovative technologies such as energy storage.

Travis Perkins completes sale and leaseback of seven properties in the Midlands and Southeast

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Travis Perkins completes sale and leaseback of seven properties in the Midlands and Southeast
Travis Perkins, the Northampton-based distributor of building materials, has completed the sale of a portfolio of seven properties for £23 million as part of a sale and leaseback package. All seven sites have been let back to Travis Perkins plc on 15-year lease agreements. The purchaser is funds managed by Longmead Capital. The seven sites are located in locations across the Southeast and Midlands including Folkestone, Leicester, Loughborough, Redditch, Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells and Worcester. The majority of the sites have been purpose built for Travis Perkins Group within the last seven years and benefit from being located in established trade and industrial locations. This transaction is part of Travis Perkins Group’s ongoing strategy to recycle capital from the freehold portfolio to invest in destination branches with an enhanced range of value-added services including Hire and Benchmarx kitchens. Nick Pinney, Group property director, said: “The sale and leaseback of these high-quality assets allows us to unlock capital to invest in new properties that further enhance our customer proposition. At Travis Perkins Group we continually review our freehold property portfolio to identify value creation opportunities.” Travis Perkins Group currently has a freehold property portfolio valued at around £1.1bn with the market value of the estate having grown by almost £600m since 2010. During this period, the Group’s active management of the portfolio has also generated net proceeds after reinvestment of over £100m and profits of over £300m.

Loughborough-headquartered Access Group expands in Romania and Ireland

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Loughborough-headquartered Access Group expands in Romania and Ireland
Business management software provider The Access Group has announced the opening of two new offices in Romania and Ireland as it continues its international growth. Access will welcome hundreds of employees to its latest offices. In Romania, the Group has chosen Timisoara, the European Capital of Culture 2023, to establish its latest Global Operations Centre (GO Centre), allowing the Group to expand its teams there from 375 people today to more than 700 by the end of 2023. In Ireland, the new state-of-the-art offices in Cork will consolidate staff and support growth and maximise opportunity within the Irish market and wider Europe, bringing together employees to work with more than 500 companies across the country. The launch of a new GO Centre in Romania and the new office in Ireland marks the latest phase of the Group’s global expansion, following the company striking a £9.2 billion investment deal from shareholders Hg and TA Associates last year. Access saw significant year-on-year pro forma revenue growth of 43% for its fiscal year to the end of June 2022 and a track record of more than 40% revenue growth in each of the previous four fiscal years. With further expansion into the APAC region planned for later in 2023, the launch of the Access GO Centres will support the transition from a multi-territory business to a scalable global company. Terry Taylor, Access chief operating officer and leading the GO Centre programme, said: “Our ambition is to create a Global ‘backbone’ of Access GO Centres which will provide international management, access to diverse talent and regional infrastructure to execute the Group’s sustainable growth more easily. “The centres will deliver excellence in product engineering, customer support, customer success, sales, marketing and operations and will be the physical representations of our ambition, brand and culture. “At each location, we are creating world-class facilities for our staff and customers. Each new office location has been carefully considered and aligned with local talent pools to make deep connections with local universities and the wider community. “The GO Centres are also designed to support our early careers programme and develop the skills of our young people. They will offer specialist training and a clear progression path for various roles, including technical, support, sales, and people management. “Each centre will have its own executive management team, managing director, recruitment provision and multi-lingual team. Our ambition is to develop an awe-inspiring proposition for our employees which will support their careers and enhance their skillsets through early years programmes, employee success academy programmes and leadership programmes.” Chris Bayne, CEO of The Access Group, said: “Over the next four years, the Access GO Centres will support 40% of our global staffing needs. Having these strategically located offices keeps momentum growing. It gives our teams a workplace they can genuinely be proud of while positioning the business in an excellent place to execute strategic growth and drive acquisitions across multiple regions, languages and time zones. “These state-of-the-art offices inspire our people to strive for excellence every day and are reflective of the innovative solutions and high quality we aim to deliver to our thousands of dedicated customers around the world. “We will also be working alongside The Access Foundation in each of the new sites to support local community projects and offer financial aid to the charities that mean the most to our employees.”

Senior promotions for homegrown talent at V Formation

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Senior promotions for homegrown talent at V Formation

East Midlands marketing and PR agency, V Formation, has promoted two members of its team. Amy Cooper is promoted to account manager: digital marketing and Lucy Wharton to account manager: PR.

Homegrown talent, both Amy and Lucy joined V Formation as interns on the Nottingham Internship Scheme after completing English degrees at the University of Nottingham in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

Amy uses her extensive digital marketing expertise, from Google Ads to SEO, to implement tactical marketing strategies for V Formation’s clients. She is responsible for designing marketing collateral and ensuring brand consistency across all platforms and also delivers digital training to the V Formation team.

As account manager, Amy will continue to manage client accounts and lead creative campaigns for clients, specialising in the life sciences sector.

Amy says: “I am incredibly grateful for the experiences and skills I have gained whilst working at V Formation and am eager to develop them further as account manager. I have enjoyed working with such a varied client base, from life sciences businesses to technology companies, and being able to apply my skills to ensure our clients are at the very top of their game.”

With a strong writing background, Lucy is responsible for delivering specialist, proactive and tactical PR services and support, securing earned media coverage, and writing articles for a wide range of audiences and platforms. In her new role as account manager, she will lead client PR campaigns and manage and support junior members of the PR team.

Lucy says: “I am delighted to be progressing my career at V Formation and working with our growing roster of ambitious clients to communicate their competitive edge. I am particularly looking forward to working with junior members of team to help develop their PR skills and expertise. I would like to thank V’s directors Hilary and Sue for their continual support, and look forward to the challenges and opportunities this new role will bring.”

Speaking about the promotions, V Formation director Sue Carr, says: “It has been fantastic working with Amy and Lucy and supporting their progression from interns to account managers; we couldn’t be prouder of their achievements. They are both extremely talented and hardworking, and bring immense value to both our team and our clients. At V Formation, we are committed to investing in and encouraging the development of our team and look forward to seeing Amy and Lucy flourish in their new roles.”

Free support worth £1,800 for export businesses through LLEP pilot with Santander

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Free support worth £1,800 for export businesses through LLEP pilot with Santander

The LLEP Business Gateway Growth Hub has joined forces with Santander to offer an exclusive package of products to local export businesses.

Exporters in Leicester and Leicestershire will gain free access to Santander Navigator, a digital portal which supports the needs of export businesses, from startups through to seasoned exporters managing complex shipments.

Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) is the first LEP in the UK to offer the access to Santander Navigator.

It will enable local companies to explore opportunities in new markets around the world, find potential export partners, streamline customs processes, and overcome bureaucracy and regulatory challenges.

It also details steps needed to get products to international markets, offers insights and training for employees and new exporters, and sets out various shipping options and discounts.

Access to the portal typically costs £1,800 annually, but the Growth Hub pilot scheme allows businesses to use it for free for 12 months from their sign-up date.

It means dedicated exporting support for local firms operating in sectors including food and drink, manufacturing, retail, life sciences, and tech.

Sonia Baigent, LLEP Board Member and Chair of the LLEP Business Board, said: “Exporting is one of the key challenges facing local businesses, which is why we were keen to join forces with Santander and offer this opportunity.

“It means local businesses will have access to events and training, support with logistics, a directory of providers, and a community of others in similar situations.

“We hope that this will facilitate collaboration needed to help locally-based businesses boost their exporting offer and help them grow into international markets.”

The LLEP’s partnership with Santander means all Leicester and Leicestershire businesses can now apply for Santander Navigator’s Explore and Prepare tiers at no cost.

The Santander Navigator platform allows businesses to:

  • Explore international markets that offer the best growth prospects

  • Learn new skills and discover global opportunities

  • Access the latest country and sector insights

  • Optimise logistics and shipping

  • Learn from others through a community of like-minded people and market experts

  • Access Santander’s network of solution providers.

LLEP-referred businesses will also qualify for the third tier Santander Navigator Grow at a discounted rate. Companies do not need to be Santander customers to qualify for the offer.

The LLEP’s most recent Business Tracker survey showed that more than 50% of respondents involved in exporting were experiencing challenges.

The Santander partnership comes soon after the LLEP agreed a similar offer with Microsoft to help SMEs do more with digital products to improve productivity within their businesses.

Ideagen colleagues raise £5,000 for Türkiye and Syria

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Ideagen colleagues raise £5,000 for Türkiye and Syria
Workers at Ideagen, the Nottingham-headquartered global tech business, have rallied to support the people of Türkiye (Turkey) and Syria, devastated by recent earthquakes. In just a few weeks Ideagen employees in Nottingham and around the world, raised £2,410. The tech company then more than doubled that, bringing the total to £5,000. Claire Knee, Ideagen global community lead, said: “Together, our people and the company wanted to help. We know that thousands of people have lost their lives, hundreds of buildings have been destroyed and survivors are facing awful conditions. They are in desperate need of emergency aid – the scale of the tragedy is unfathomable to most of us.” The £5,000 raised will go direct to the Red Cross and The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) who are coordinating aid efforts for 15 charities, ensuring it gets directly to where it is most needed. Claire continued: “Community is one of Ideagen’s core values, so matching the generosity of our employees was something the business really wanted to do.”

Double promotion at IMA Architects

Tess Egginton
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Double promotion at IMA Architects
IMA Architects (IMA), an architectural firm based on Lutterworth Road in Blaby, Leicester, has made two promotions. Joe Travers has been promoted to associate director and Jack Mellor has been promoted to associate. Joe and Jack have both been with IMA since 2011 and have amassed considerable experience across a range of UK wide construction projects during this time. Joe has increasingly specialised within the commercial and industrial sectors and has worked on a number of high-profile projects including the Marks and Spencer Distribution Centre in Castle Donnington, the Co-op Distribution centre in Sutton and Ashfield and the Redrow Homes East Midlands Office, also in Castle Donnington. In 2015, he achieved Chartered Membership status with the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists and was promoted to associate in 2017. Working on projects for companies including Clowes Developments, Jessup Partnerships, Vaillant UK, Modus Partnerships, Avant Homes and Venture Properties amongst others, Jack has worked on schemes across the residential, commercial and industrial sectors in the Midlands. He achieved associate status with the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists in 2016. Commenting on the promotions Anthony Day, IMA Managing Director, said: “Both Jack and Joe have demonstrated continued excellence across our client projects in the 12 years they have been with IMA. They have both more than earned their promotions. “They have built excellent working relationships with our clients which leads to the successful delivery of schemes, and this has led to the continued growth of our business over recent years.” Joe Travers said: “It is an exciting time for IMA and I am looking forward to working with Jack and us both playing an important role in the future development of the company.” Jack Mellor said: “I am delighted to have been promoted and that both Joe and I have the continued support of the IMA directors who have all been instrumental in our career development over the past 12 years. I am looking forward to getting started in my new role.”

£1m fine for concrete firm after “one in a million” son died at work

Tess Egginton
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£1m fine for concrete firm after “one in a million” son died at work
A concrete manufacturer has been fined £1m after a 24-year-old man died at a site in Nottingham. Stewart Ramsay, from Mansfield, was working for Creagh Concrete Products Ltd (CCP) at its Thurgarton Lane site in Hoveringham when he suffered fatal head injuries on 15 March 2017. Mr Ramsay, known as ‘Stew’, was trying to fix a problem that happened as he and colleagues were using a metal grab to unload Spantherm, a concrete building product, from some trailers. The metal grab shouldn’t have been in use. Mr Ramsay’s head became trapped in the jaws of the grab after a rope connected to the locking lever snapped. Even though the rope was tied in a double-knot, the locking mechanism released the jaws of the grab as Mr Ramsay pulled on it, causing fatal injuries. Stew’s mother Carol Hansford described him as a “one in a million son.” “I know a lot of people say that, but he really was out of this world,” she said. “He was an amazing brother, grandson, uncle and nephew. “The hundreds of friends that came to the crematorium showed how well liked and appreciated he was – it was unbelievable. He was just loving, caring, thoughtful and very funny.” CCP were sentenced at Nottinghamshire Crown Court on 5 April, after they admitted failing to ensure its employees carried out lifting operations safely and without training and information being in place. “He was such a hardworking person,” Carol added. “Not only did he work at Creagh, he was also working as a doorman on weekends. I’ll never forgot that day as long as I live. I got a knock at the door as his friends had come to tell me – I collapsed. “It still doesn’t seem real – it’s like you’re watching a film and not at the end. All he did was go to work. Things like this shouldn’t happen – it destroys families forever. Nobody should have to go through what we have done these past six years.” An investigation by the Health and Safety executive (HSE) showed that CCP did not have a safe system of work for the use of the grab and had not carried out a risk assessment to identify risks for its use. Both the grab and a fork lift truck being used at the time were in poor condition. Neither should have been in service at the time of the incident. CCP had failed to ensure that these pieces of work equipment had been maintained in an efficient state, efficient working order or in good repair. Creagh Concrete Products Limited of Hoveringham Nottinghamshire pleaded guilty of breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 in that it failed to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all its employees. The company was fined £1,000,000 and ordered to pay costs of £47,521.08. Speaking after the hearing HSE Inspector Mr Amandip Dhanda said: ”This tragic incident led to the avoidable death of a young man. “Stewart’s death could easily have been prevented if his employer had acted to identify and manage the risks involved, and to put a safe system of work in place. “The work equipment being used at the time of the incident should not have been in use, and the employer would have known this had they effectively followed their own health and safety systems.”

Appointment of new contractor sees work restart on 106 new council homes in Nottingham

Tess Egginton
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Appointment of new contractor sees work restart on 106 new council homes in Nottingham
Work to build 106 new council homes in Top Valley is set to resume with the appointment of a new contractor. The original contractor appointed to build the homes on the site of the former Eastglade School ceased to trade last September, and since then, Nottingham City Council has been working to get works restarted. Lovell Partnership will be completing works on a phased basis that will see the first homes let to local people in housing need during the summer months, and then the remainder of the 106 homes completed and occupied as soon as possible. The 106 new homes include 23 one bed flats, 63 two bed houses and 20 three bed homes – plus open space for the whole community to enjoy. Alison Brown, director of Property Services at Nottingham City Council, said: “It’s important that these works are restarting to create more affordable homes for local people on the council house waiting list. “These homes are well-designed and energy efficient – places where people will be proud to live. I look forward to seeing the transformation from an unused site into new homes for local people and families.” Lovells are also working on the council’s Beckhampton site in Bestwood Park, which is seeing 131 council homes – two and three bedroom houses, bungalows and flats – being built on land that was a playing field for the former Padstow School off Beckhampton Road.

Leicestershire-based welfare cabin provider secures funding for environmentally friendly units

Tess Egginton
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Leicestershire-based welfare cabin provider secures funding for environmentally friendly units
Leicestershire-based welfare cabin provider Reactive Hire has added new environmentally friendly units to its fleet thanks to asset financing from Paragon Bank. The Loughborough firm, which specialises in hiring welfare equipment to the construction sector, acquired the new DeepGreen units after securing £572,000 funding – provided by Paragon’s SME Lending division and arranged via Boss Asset Finance. The 12ft self-contained Boss units are powered solely by solar panels and are generator free with the energy harvested being stored in large lithium-ion batteries. This is the first mobile welfare cabin in the market in which all electrical operations are powered through the entire year by solar power, meaning no generator is required even as a back-up. Commenting on Paragon’s support John McClure, Reactive Hire’s Managing Director, said: “Although we never compromise on function and performance, Reactive Hire has always gone that bit further to invest more in features and innovations we know will reduce our fleet’s impact on the environment. Paragon and Boss Asset Finance were the ideal partners to help us further achieve this goal.” Commenting on the funding arranged for Reactive Hire Todd Auger, Business Development Manager in Paragon’s Construction team, said: “With new, environmentally-friendly units coming onto the market there has never been a better time for businesses to invest in adding green assets to their operations.“For businesses to make the transition to green technology it is essential that they are able to access the funding necessary to do so – and Paragon is committed to supporting businesses in acquiring assets that will be beneficial for both them and our environment in the years ahead.” Commenting on Boss Asset Finance’s role in the process Trevor Jacobs, Business Development Director, said: “We are pleased to be able to assist both Reactive Hire Ltd and Boss Cabins Ltd in putting this deal together for these new units and support Reactive in their endeavours to reduce the impact on the environment. In addition we are pleased to announce a partnership with Boss Cabins to help fund their DeepGreen units at a reduced broker commission of only 1%, 75% lower than the market average.”

Lincs firm secures £30m to drive smart home technology growth

Tess Egginton
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Lincs firm secures £30m to drive smart home technology growth
Lincolnshire technology manufacturer, myenergi, has secured a £30m funding package from HSBC UK to support the development and production of innovative smart home energy products. The funding will be used to expand the company’s operations, enhance its production capabilities, and invest in research and development to create new and innovative products that meet the evolving needs of consumers, including electric vehicle chargers and batteries for storing energy. Lee Sutton, myenergi co-founder and Chief Executive, said: “The new financing facility from HSBC UK will enable us to further accelerate our growth and innovation in smart home technology. “Over the last four years, HSBC has supported the business with various financial solutions to facilitate our ever-increasing growth. The introduction of the new funding facility will enable us to accelerate our business development strategy and support us in the next chapter of our amazing journey.” Frances Howell, MD, Head of Corporate Midlands at HSBC UK, added: “myenergi is a great example of a British business that is leading the way in developing smart home technology, helping people make the transition to renewable energy in their homes. This deal will allow the development of new green technologies, optimising renewable energy usage to create eco smart homes while putting British manufacturing back on the world stage.” Founded in 2016 by Lee Sutton and Jordan Brompton, myenergi has grown to almost 450 employees, and annual sales last year broke the £50m barrier. Myenergi’s headquarters in Stallingborough is currently undergoing a major transformation, with a new 65,000 sq ft production facility under construction to expand capacity to meet demand.
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