- A single point contact for all your building control work in England and Wales
- Competitive pricing on high volumes of repeat work or major developments
- Site inspections from a local professional team with invaluable local contacts and knowledge
- Simplified fees and invoicing arrangements
- Electronic submissions and e-working
- The use of LABC Partner logo on all of your marketing materials
- Easy access to the planning department, the highways engineers and local fire service
- In-depth expertise on structure, fire, acoustics, warranties, access, contamination, energy and sustainability from LABC specialists
Caistor architects join building control partnership scheme
Exciting news as West Lindsey District Council’s Building Control welcomes another local design practice into the LABC partnership scheme.
Mother Architects, based in Caistor, are the latest company to partner with West Lindsey Building Control and take advantage of everything that being a member of the LABC partnership family has to offer.
Sam Marriot, Managing Director of Mother Architects said: “As a practice, we predominantly work within the West Lindsey area and have found the whole team to be reliable, engaged and most importantly proactive in their approach.
“This is both on-site and with pre-occupancy duties over the past 8 years. This carries right across the team, with Phil, never failing the answer the phone and giving advice, right across to Gloria issuing certification exactly when expected. We are excited to be working closer than ever with the Building Control team at West Lindsey to continue to deliver the high-quality architect-designed housing that our area deserves.”
West Lindsey District Council’s Building Control Team Manager, Phil Westmorland is thrilled to welcome Mother Architects to the scheme.
He said: “The Partnership Scheme is an excellent way of strengthening bonds between local businesses and the national LABC network through the expertise of your local authority building control team.
“We have worked with Jo and Sam at Mother Architects for a number of years and I have always been impressed with their diligence and customer focused work ethos along with their imaginative design solutions. It is an absolute pleasure to formalise that working arrangement, and the entire team looks forward to helping them with their future projects.”
If you are interested in joining the partnership scheme and being a member of the LABC family, it can bring numerous benefits to your business including:
Azets Midlands strengthen senior team
Azets, the regional accountancy firm and business advisor to SMEs, has made two appointments and three promotions in the Midlands region.
Neil Belton has been appointed as a director within the Technology Risk team. Neil has over 30 years of IT Internal Audit/Assurance and Advisory experience across a large variety of industries spanning both public and private sector. His expertise includes but isn’t limited to IT governance, digital/IT strategy, IT transformation projects, as well as cyber, network and data security, disaster recovery and software licensing. Neil has been a Qualified CISA Auditor in Computer Audit for more than 15 years.
Andrew Bateman has been promoted to partner. Andrew is an FCCA qualified accountant with over 25 years’ experience in the accountancy industry. He has a broad background of experience from general accountancy, business advisory, taxation and audit. As a partner in the Accounting and Business Advisory team, Andrew works with a wide variety of clients ranging from sole traders, owner managed businesses to medium sized business in various sectors.
Chan Landa has worked at Azets Coventry for over seven years and has been promoted to associate director. As an ACCA qualified accountant, Chan has vast experience advising SME’s and OMB’s throughout his time at Azets and primarily focuses on growing businesses, to look for solutions to their accounting and taxation needs. He specialises in industries including retail, hospitality, construction and manufacturing.
Having joined Azets in January 2022, Ben Fahy has been promoted to senior manager. Ben is an ACCA qualified accountant with over 5 years’ experience in the accountancy industry.
He has a broad background of experience from management consultancy and corporate audit, through to general accountancy and tax advisory. As a senior manager in the Accounting and Business Advisory team, Ben works with a wide variety of clients and industries, ranging from sole traders to members of international group companies.
Ben is a keen advocate of cloud accounting software, in particular Xero.
On the promotions, Paul Clifford, regional CEO of Azets, said: “It’s an exciting time for us as we continue to support our teams to match business demand. These promotions are incredibly well deserved and reflect the talent and expertise within the office. Growing and developing our team allows us to further support our clients across a variety of service lines and sectors as we look to expand.”
Gowercroft Joinery appoints new finance director
Alfreton-based timber window and door manufacturer Gowercroft Joinery has appointed a new finance director to help spearhead the next stage of the company’s expansion.
Harry Dixon, from Mickleover, brings almost a decade of commercial accountancy and building industry experience, having started out as a credit control apprentice at one of the country’s major chains of builders’ merchants and then rapidly progressed his career with major IT and construction companies, all of which have gone through accelerated growth journeys.
In his new role Harry will be taking ownership of the company’s financial structures, as he works across the business streamlining systems, driving efficiencies and profitability, and building strong supplier relationships in support of the company’s senior management team.
Harry said: “I am thrilled to be joining such a dynamic and rapidly expanding business. Gowercroft has had such an amazing track record so far, and I am very much looking forward to being part of its future successes.”
Andrew Madge, Managing Director of Gowercroft, said: “We’re delighted to have Harry on board. His broad base of experience and positive attitude is a perfect fit for our company culture as we push ahead, launching new products and expanding into different markets.
“Gowercroft has expanded turnover by 110% over the past two years by delivering highly innovative windows and doors to a string of new customer and prestigious projects nationwide.”
Iconic Lincoln property, Judge’s Lodgings acquired by new owner of the White Hart Hotel
The Judge’s Lodgings, an iconic and historic property in the heart of the cathedral city of Lincoln has been acquired by locally based businessman Andrew Long, following his recent purchase of the adjacent White Hart Hotel.
TSP Developments (part of Andrew’s Travel Sector Property Group) has acquired a 999-year ‘virtual freehold’ interest in the Judge’s Lodgings from Lincolnshire County Council.
Coleby-based businessman and Chartered Surveyor Andrew Long recently acquired the White Hart Hotel, together with the site of the White Hart Garages and car park in July this summer. Proposals for the hotel’s major refurbishment and the redevelopment of the White Hart Garages site are now being prepared in conjunction with his planned full refurbishment of the Judge’s Lodgings building.
Andrew explains: “My TSP group of companies are working closely with locally-based John Roberts Architects and our wider project team to produce a major redevelopment and significant overall enhancement scheme for the St Paul’s Lane, Bailgate and Castle Hill quarter of the city.
“Subject to obtaining the respective statutory consents, there is now a unique opportunity to deliver a fully interrelated redevelopment scheme for the White Hart Garages and car park site, in conjunction with the refurbishment and sustainable long-term future use of the Judge’s Lodgings.”
Andrew added: “With long-established vehicular access from and to St Paul’s Lane, we are proposing a high quality dedicated arcade of ‘kiosk-style’ retail units for artisan crafts and products/services, that will be situated within the frontage of 2 Bailgate, immediately opposite the White Hart Hotel.
“This arcade will then also provide an attractive safe pedestrian link through to the new on-site parking area, as to be situated immediately to the rear of the Judge’s Lodgings, from which there will also be direct customer access.
“Subject to further detailed design, we will also create an additional 30 hotel bedrooms within a combination of the upper floor level of the original Judge’s Lodgings building and ‘new build’ elements within the overall site, all to be operated through the White Hart Hotel (currently 50 bedrooms) and situated within a fully integrated landscaped setting. The ground floor of the Judge’s Lodgings is to be used for high quality restaurant and other hospitality facilities, on which further information will be released at a later stage.”
The Grade II ‘star’ Listed building was owned by Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) who had declared it surplus to their requirements and sought to find a suitable new owner committed to the full refurbishment of the building and its appropriate long-term use.
Andrew France, associate director at Lambert Smith Hampton, marketing agents for the property, said: “Acting on behalf of LCC, we are pleased to have concluded this transaction with TSP Developments and have been impressed with the proposed refurbishment scheme in conjunction with Andrew Long’s redevelopment of the immediately adjacent White Hart Garages site.”
Marketed with a guide price of ‘offers in excess of £850,000’, the negotiated contracted price is strictly confidential.
James Cook, of Kier Design & Business Services on behalf of LCC, added: “There has been detailed engagement to successfully finalise the transaction to the satisfaction of both parties over the last eight months, for what should now be a secure long-term future for the Judge’s Lodgings.”
The predominantly Georgian building was first built in 1810 and has a commanding ‘landmark’ location overlooking Castle Hill Square, immediately adjacent to the Eastern Main Gate of Lincoln Castle (built by William Conqueror in 1068).
Andrew Long added: “There is a relatively unattractive 1958 utilitarian-style flat roof extension that has no architectural merit, but there is now a significant important redevelopment opportunity in conjunction with the site of the White Hart Garages, which will also retain approximately 40 on-site customer parking spaces for the White Hart Hotel.”
Shoosmiths Solicitors of Leeds acted on behalf of TSP Developments, in conjunction with PBC Surveyors and Project Managers of London, Andrew having worked closely with both of these firms on numerous major projects throughout the UK for in excess of 25 years.
Paul Philips, Managing Director at PBC, added: “We are very pleased to be working with Andrew in the wonderful historic city of Lincoln, based on established long-term professional relationships and also Andrew’s renewed close working relationship with John Roberts Architects, together with other locally based members of the project team.”
Pride Park property deal for Derby virtual training company
A Derby-based specialist IT, Cyber Security and Digital Marketing apprenticeship training company, has moved into new premises to pave the way for future growth.
Althaus was launched in 2019 with a focus on offering fully remote digital apprenticeship training across the UK.
It has since branched out into delivering innovative 12-week Digital Bootcamp programmes on behalf of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership to tackle the growing skills gaps in the sector by enabling people to upskill online.
The company currently has 27 employees and, with plans to double in size and turnover year on year, Althaus has bought new 4,055 sq ft offices in Victoria Way, Pride Park, from East Midlands Chamber in a deal jointly secured by property consultants OMEETO and FHP.
Althaus co-director Josh Stamp said: “Having established Althaus in Sadler Bridge Studios in Bold Lane, we have outgrown these premises and are delighted to move into our new HQ in Pride Park.
“The offices are in a prime position with excellent transport links for our team of advisors and training consultants and also gives us the capacity to expand our studio space where our online training materials are produced in-house.
“Despite launching in the middle of a global pandemic, we have grown to be a highly regarded training provider both within the East Midlands and nationwide. From our head office in Derby, we currently employ a team of 27 staff who deliver impactful training courses in IT, Cyber Security and Digital Marketing.
“We have already trained more than 300 individuals across over 80 organisations with 75% of our learners gaining employment or progression in their workplace.
“With excellent feedback in our first interim Ofsted inspection and from employers who are recognising the high quality of our provision, we predict rapid growth of the next two years and these premises will cater perfectly for this sustained expansion.
“Chris at Omeeto has been a pleasure to work with from start to finish, keeping in regular communication throughout and proactively working with myself and the Chamber to ensure a timely transaction. The Chamber have particularly been super helpful.”
Chris Wright, director of OMEETO, continued: “The commercial property market in Pride Park continues to be in high demand and this deal reflects the continued desire for growth amongst SMEs – particularly those focused on and servicing the growing IT and digital sectors.”
Joint agent Darran Severn from FHP added: “I am pleased the sale has completed in what has been a great result for all parties. There continues to be a lack of good quality office buildings available on Pride Park and, as a result, capital values and rents remain strong.”
Lucy Robinson, director of resources at East Midlands Chamber, concluded: “We took the strategic decision earlier this year to co-locate the Derby office with the University of Derby at the Enterprise Centre and contribute to the overall regeneration of the city centre.
“We are delighted this prominent office will now support the expansion of Althaus, which has a vital role to play in addressing much-needed skills in our local and regional economy.
“The teams at OMEETO and FHP have done a sterling job in bringing this deal to fruition.”
Nottingham-based smart sensor company helps major car manufacturer make significant energy savings
Smart sensor manufacturer Pressac has helped car company Toyota more than double its energy cost savings.
Energy monitoring sensors, which measure how much power is flowing through a cable, have helped the company discover exactly which parts of its production processes are using excess energy. The information will play a huge role in Toyota’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
Around 300 of Pressac’s wireless current transformer (CT) clamps have been installed at Toyota’s manufacturing plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire. By clipping them around individual cables, the company were able to see, for the first time, how energy was being used at machine level.
Pete Burbidge from Pressac, which is based in Glaisdale Drive, Bilborough, explained: “The clamps gave Toyota the ability to view the energy consumption of each piece of equipment, and its condition, in real time. By monitoring the currents passing through them they could identify whether they were operating at their optimum level, as well as spotting areas where machines had been left on unnecessarily.
“The size and scale of the site meant they needed an easy-to-install, cost-effective solution with a strong signal that could cover the expanse of the site.”
Previously, the company had been able to view energy consumption at transformer level but did not have the granular detail about each piece of machinery – information which is already making a big difference.
In the case of one injection moulder, which was identified as ticking over at a high power level, changes were able to be made which have resulted in its energy consumption in non-production periods being reduced by 82%.
Pressac worked with ESCO, the Energy-reduction Support and Collaboration function of Toyota to set up initial data visualisation.
Graham Lane, ESCO group leader, said: “We’ve been extremely impressed with the ease of installation and the lack of ongoing maintenance needed.
“There was no production downtime when they were installed and the beauty of the sensors themselves is that we don’t have to worry about their maintenance, we can just install them and let them do their job.”
The sensors, manufactured at Pressac’s Nottingham headquarters, transmit their data wirelessly to Toyota’s existing building management systems via MQTT, a common Internet of Things protocol.
Graham added: “If we look back five years, small improvements may not have been as impactful as they are today. All energy consumption savings are taking us a step further towards our carbon-reducing ambitions.
“Current energy costs also means that little interventions can have hugely beneficial results. Going forward we’d like to have every single piece of kit covered, to give us a complete model of the whole production process and identify where we can make even more energy savings.”
Pressac also supplied the company with air quality sensors to help ensure the production zones provided the optimum conditions for team members to work in.
Custodian REIT dispose of 18,424 sq ft warehouse and distribution unit at a premium
Leicester-based property investor Custodian REIT, has announced the disposal of an industrial unit in Kilmarnock at auction for £1.4 million at a 12% premium to its 30th June 2022 valuation.
The group aims to deliver a strong income return by investing in a diversified portfolio of smaller regional properties across the UK, and say the environmental credentials of the 18,424 sq ft warehouse and distribution unit no longer fit with the Company’s ESG objectives and it was not considered practical to mitigate these risks. Having recently increased the lease term by 10 years it was considered the right time to sell and crystallise a valuation uplift.
Commenting on the disposal, Richard Shepherd-Cross, Managing Director of Custodian Capital Limited (the Company’s external fund manager), said: “The sale of this industrial unit at a premium to valuation demonstrates the ongoing liquidity in the market for smaller lot sized commercial real estate, underscoring our investment thesis. Having acquired this property as part of our IPO portfolio eight years ago and having recently increased the lease term until 2032, we felt that now was an opportune time to crystallise the value we have created. The proceeds of the disposal will be recycled into identified improvements to the remaining portfolio which we believe will be more accretive and better support the strategy of providing shareholders with strong income returns.”
Sterling performance at Kitchen Appliance retailer
Marks Electrical is celebrating its good fortunes today with revenues soaring by 15.1% to £43.1m in what the company describe as a “tough market conditions” economically.
The company’s resilient profit performance and Adjusted EBITDA of £2.7m (H1-22 £3.0m), delivering a margin of 6.3% and the company is confident that it will deliver our full year targets.Mark Smithson Chief Executive Officer, commented: “I’m proud of the performance we’ve delivered against a tough back-drop, with the Group’s sales up 15.1% in a very challenging market where the online MDA and CE markets were down over 15% in our first half. This further demonstrates the resilience of our business model and the attractiveness of our market-leading customer offering.
Our focus on operational excellence, customer service, and improving brand awareness has enabled us to continue to gain share in a very competitive market, where our share grew from 1.6% to 2.1% of the overall MDA market and from 2.6% to 3.9% in the online segment. As more people across the UK come into contact with the Marks Electrical proposition and become customers, we are able to harness our highly efficient, single-site operational model to drive profitable market share growth.
The strong competitive activity we saw in pricing and marketing during the first half has begun to ease more recently and despite the margin pressure, we were able to achieve an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 6.3%, keeping us on track to achieve our full year objectives and continuing to demonstrate the differentiated margin proposition of our operating model.
As growth momentum continues to build going into the peak trading period, with an acceleration in October and a strong start to November, our focus on operational excellence and cash flow generation, combined with our net cash position, provides us with a robust platform to generate continued profitable market share growth and deliver on our full year targets.”
Leicester Council drops workplace parking levy proposals to alleviate cost-of-living crisis
Leicester City Council has announced that proposals to introduce a workplace parking levy (WPL) in Leicester in 2023 will not be developed.
Deputy city mayor Cllr Adam Clarke says the current political and economic circumstances make it impossible to proceed with the levy, although the council’s long-term commitment to improve public transport in the city remains the same.
“We made a commitment in 2019 to consult on a levy in Leicester, and at that time we could not foresee the political uncertainty and dire economic situation the country is facing today. We have concluded that we cannot implement a WPL during this ongoing national cost of living crisis, which is causing such uncertainty and concern for so many people and businesses in our city.
“The consequence of this of course is that we won’t have the funding needed to radically improve public transport for so many of our residents, which would in turn help to tackle the climate emergency. In truth, simply maintaining the current levels of service will be a huge challenge.”
The workplace parking levy consultation was carried out in the spring and generated more than 4,000 written responses.
Cllr Clarke said: “We would like to thank everyone who took part in the consultation. We also met with many local business, school, NHS and trades union leaders, to listen to the views of those they employ or represent, and we are grateful for their input.
“I am particularly grateful for the input from transport and environmental campaigners and want to reassure them that we will continue to focus on cleaning the air and reducing Leicester’s carbon footprint.”
The consultation findings will be available at: https://consultations.leicester.gov.uk/sec/wpl
Transport improvements made in Leicester over the last few years include the formation of the Leicester Buses Partnership, and the expansion of the city’s fleet of all-electric buses with more than 100 new vehicles set to be on the roads in the next two years.
There has also been investment in the country’s first net zero carbon bus station at St Margaret’s; the development of new bus priority corridors linking the city centre to local neighbourhoods; and the expansion of the city’s network of safe and attractive routes for pedestrians and people on bikes.
Leicester City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: “We have made enormous improvements in Leicester in recent years thanks to successful bids for funding that we have had to compete for against other local authorities. However, our long-term aims require significant and reliable ongoing funding that is not currently available.
“We can only hope that before too long there will be a Government in place that will have the vision to transform public transport in this country, and will provide the funds to do it.
“As it stands, severe Government spending restrictions already in place mean we have a shortfall in our budget of many tens of millions, and it’s likely the Chancellor will announce further cuts to public services in November. This means we will be taking difficult decisions on all council services including transport over the next few months.”
“In the meantime we need to continue to raise funding to support our existing public transport facilities, tackle the climate emergency and carry out improvements where we can, and that is why we are taking the decision today to increase our car parking charges for the first time in eight years.
“We also need to look at how we can increase passenger numbers and reduce the large subsidies being given to some bus services, including park and ride, which have been severely affected by the pandemic.”
BDO strengthens Midlands team with duo of director hires
Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO LLP has strengthened its team in the Midlands, with the appointment of two directors.
Dan Corden and Liam O’Donohue join as directors in the Business Services & Outsourcing (BS&O) team, covering both the East and West Midlands. The duo’s arrival follows the firm’s move to a prominent office location in Nottingham city centre, cementing its commitment to the regional market.
Corden, who has over 10 years’ experience in financial and operational management, will be responsible for expanding the firm’s outsourcing and advisory offering across the whole of the Midlands, focusing specifically on ambitious entrepreneurial owner managed businesses and SMEs, as well as the technology and creative sectors.
O’Donohue – a qualified Chartered Certified Accountant – brings considerable experience to the BS&O team, having worked in the accountancy and business advisory sector since 2001. He will focus specifically on entrepreneurial, high growth and international Midlands-based businesses in the automotive, transport and manufacturing sectors.
Suk Aulak, partner at BDO in the Midlands, said: “In the last 12 months, our BS&O offering has seen considerable growth across the region, as we continue to support businesses to help them meet their growth ambitions, while facing changing requirements and economic forces.
“We’re delighted to have strengthened our Midlands teams with the appointment of Dan and Liam – two outstanding individuals who will add real value to our regional proposition.”
Corden said: “It’s a really exciting time to be joining the Midlands team, following the move into high-profile offices earlier this month. The move cements the firm’s commitment to the region and provides us with the perfect base to support and engage with entrepreneurial and fast-growth businesses across the whole region that are looking to outsource a range of accounting, advisory and compliance services.”
O’Donohue added: “There’s significant market potential in the Midlands for Business Services & Outsourcing and we’re looking forward to working alongside a fantastic team in both the East and West Midlands, to help develop exciting opportunities at both a local and national level.”
Nottingham Colleagues raise hundreds with Rainbows charity day
Colleagues at a Nottingham chartered accountants staged a special Rainbows Day to support the East Midlands’ only children’s hospice.
Page Kirk accountants, based in Gregory Boulevard, has chosen Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People as its charity of the year.
Over 40 colleagues have been fundraising since January and there are lots more events to come in the run up to Christmas. Last month, the team staged a dedicated Rainbows Day, which in itself raised £400.
Rainbows’ mascot Bow Bear was on site surprising staff as they arrived that morning. He also got up to mischief during the day carrying out photocopying and taking over reception.
As well as enjoying Bow’s antics, colleagues held a bake sale, staged a quiz, played games and there was a raffle to win a day’s annual leave. Staff also made donations for their lunch, which was provided by Page Kirk.
James Haywood, partner at Page Kirk, said: “It was pleasure to hold Rainbows Day at our office. Having chosen Rainbows as our charity of year, it was great to hold a specific event related to the charity that all members of staff could take part in and understand the wonderful work that Rainbows is performing to brighten children’s lives.
“The day itself was a fantastic success with all enjoying themselves and having Bow Bear around with his energetic enthusiasm made the day, especially when he ran down to me waving his arms when I arrived at the office in the morning.
“We are very proud to be supporting Rainbows this year and look forward to the many events that we still have planned in the diary.”
Kirsty Coxon, corporate fundraiser at Rainbows, added: “We are thrilled to have Page Kirk on board for 2022 and they have been doing some fabulous things for us. The Rainbows Day, and Bow Bear’s visit, was a big hit and it is great to see so many people getting involved.
“We rely on the support of companies like Page Kirk to continue to provide care to more than 300 children and young people with terminal and serious illnesses, including those from Nottinghamshire.”
The power of video testimonials
Glowfrog Video Production discusses the power of video testimonials.
A testimonial is an ideal way to convey genuine customer experiences which in turn will garner the interest of potential future customers and clients. However, a video testimonial goes one step further and helps to humanise the brand, making them an incredibly effective form of marketing. Testimonial videos can really help customers connect to your brand on a deeper level.
Brand personality and visibility
A video testimonial can make your brand so much more memorable and personal to customers and will mean that your brand is the first to come to mind when selecting a product or service. You can portray the personality of your brand and help differentiate your company from competitors through the medium of video much more effectively. In the process you can have a greater control over your brand’s image and convey a much clearer message.
An interesting video testimonial can grab the attention of customers and maintain that interest. Not only does it inform your potential customers about your company, it also allows future customers to see what others think about your company and their individual experience.
In terms of visibility, video testimonials are reportedly 12 times more likely to be shared than text based content. This casts a wider net for audience reach and allows your company to reach larger markets. A video also has a 95% higher retention rate vs. standard text testimonials.
Trust and credibility
If you have an engaging video, this can convey a message in a much more accessible way. It allows customers to see genuine customer satisfaction and emotion as opposed to a write up review. Seeing a face to face testimonial like this can build faith in your brand much more effectively. 72% of consumers say a positive testimonial increases their trust in a business.
This also immediately generates more credibility for your organisation as an unscripted, word of mouth testimonial is a much more genuine approach to marketing. It isn’t a quote listed as text, it’s a real person informing others about their experience in a direct manner. It illustrates what customers have gained from using your products and services and how they can benefit from using your business.
Putting a face to your brand
If customers can see that real people use your service or product and that there are real people behind your organisation this can really help people relate to your company. It can give them a good reason to choose you over a brand which doesn’t have that personal touch. Studies show that 2 out of 3 people are more likely to choose your brand after seeing a video testimonial.
Displaying emotion and connecting to your brand
A video testimonial is a great way to show someone with a genuine enthusiasm and passion for your product or service and is a perfect way to reach out to new customers. An emotional connection can allow customers to really believe you are sincere and that your product or service is better than the competition because of the genuine reaction.
Facial expressions, tone of voice, legitimacy and personal emotion all play a role if you choose to post your testimonials in video format, which is hugely influential when potential customers are making choices.
Video testimonials can improve reach and help create an authentic and personal image for your brand. They can also generate trust and credibility in your brand and convey a message in a direct and clear manner. Customers can put a face to your brand and in an age where video marketing is a such an effective tool, testimonial videos are one of the best ways for your business to cultivate interest and a loyal and satisfied customer base. If you would like to enquire about producing video testimonials for your company, please visit www.glowfrogvideo.com – the East Midlands’ best rated video production company.
Vitamin maker up for award after helping local community during COVID
A manufacturer of vitamins has been shortlisted for an award for its management through the difficult times of the COVID pandemic, and its support of the local community.
IVC Brunel Healthcare, which employs 550 staff and produces vitamins and supplements at its 30,000 square metre base in Swadlincote, has been named a finalist for Manufacturer of the Year at the East Staffordshire and South Derbyshire Business Awards.
Holders of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, the company is the biggest producer of vitamins and supplements in the UK, working on behalf of top UK retailers, and exporting to global international brands.
It produces four and a half billion tablets a year, including traditional herbal remedies such as echinacea and milk thistle and more than 250 different vitamin formulations.
But it was its contribution to the health of Swadlincote when the first COVID lockdown was announced in the UK in March 2020 that the company hopes will go down well with award judges.
At the same time as the company saw demand for its health supplements increase by up to a whopping 400 per cent, as millions of people turned to its products to try and boost their immune system, it pulled out the stops to ensure that its workers and their families stayed safe and well.
This included supplying them each with a digital thermometer, putting in strict social distancing and staggered changing room systems, while it also stepped in to provide substantial support to the local food bank, which had seen contributions of food drop off.
It also made sure that staff at the local University Hospitals of Burton and Derby NHS Foundation Trust were able to continue to fight the pandemic on the front line by supplying all 2,500 staff with vitamin tablets as a thank you.
IVC Brunel also sponsors six local sports teams, including Gresley Rovers, Moira United and Burton Rugby Football Club, and Managing Director John Hackett hopes that its community mindedness during a time of need will receive some much-deserved recognition.
He said: “I’m delighted that IVC Brunel Healthcare has been shortlisted for this manufacturing award. The challenges of keeping going during Covid were enormous. Our staff were classified as key workers, which meant that we were open throughout, and around 300 members of our manufacturing and quality teams stayed on site.
“There was, as we had foreseen, huge demand for our products because everyone in the UK wanted to stay as healthy as they could. We saw an increase in demand of up to 400 per cent, at the same time as the safety measures meant our productivity was reduced.
“We’re proud to say that most of our workforce lives in the local area and while we try to be the very best employer we can, with people living in our area facing real problems due to the economic situation brought about by COVID, we felt it was only right to provide a substantial donation to keep the local food bank going too.”
IVC Brunel Healthcare’s work throughout COVID is the latest chapter in a long history which stems back to 1865, when it was based in Burton.
The company moved to Swadlincote in 1969 and established its factory base on former coal mining land in William Nadin Way in 1996. Today it has four sites in the area and employs people working in wide-ranging roles including engineers, lab technicians, quality control staff plus warehouse operatives.
The winners of the awards will be announced at a gala celebration evening held at the Pirelli Stadium in Burton-upon-Trent on Thursday November 10.
East Midlands councils face cash crisis of more than £181m says new report
Councils across the East Midlands face a collective funding gap of over £181m in the next financial year forcing them to cut essential services, says a report published by Unison.
Waste collections, leisure centres, nurseries and other vital services will all be hit according to the findings based on information* from local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales. The Unison report shows that Leicester City Council is set to have the largest funding gap of all the authorities in the region with a funding gap of £48.3m. The next worst affected authority in the region is North Northamptonshire Council (£25.1m), then Derbyshire County Council (£19.0m) and Lincolnshire district and county councils (£16 m) The record shortfall, totalling £181m across the 40 councils in the East Midlands in 2023/24, means local authorities will be forced to rely on dwindling reserves, and cut services and jobs, says Unison. The report shows there is worse to come with the cumulative funding gap rising even further in 2024/25 to over £360m, says Unison. Unison says skyrocketing inflation, energy costs and the economic impact of the mini budget mean that the actual shortfall will be many times higher. The picture is likely to get bleaker still, says Unison. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has spoken of further cuts to the public sector, which are likely to compound the crisis in local government funding. And as the cost-of-living crisis deepens and inflation soars, even greater strain will be placed on councils as their costs increase and demand grows for food banks and other support. Unison’s research is based on data relating to 39 local councils across the region. It found that all but four (Chesterfield, Harborough, High Peak and North East Derbyshire) have predicted budget gaps. Most are responding to the crisis by cutting services and activities, examples include: • Derbyshire County Council is closing 8 adult disability centres and 7 authority owned care homes resulting in over 100 job losses. • Nottingham City Council has earmarked five children’s centres for closure, closed a leisure centre in Radford and have cancelled this year’s Bonfire night and fireworks display. Unison says even more services – as well as jobs – will be at risk if councils have to declare themselves effectively bankrupt. Unison East Midlands head of local government Rachel Hodson said: “Local authorities provide the essential services everyone relies on such as waste collection, road repairs, and children’s care. “But cash-strapped councils are having to resort to ever more desperate measures after years of austerity just to keep services going. Now the government looks set to make their predicament infinitely worse with emergency cuts to spending following the mini-budget fiasco. “I have written to all the region’s Conservative MPs to ask them to sort the crisis in local government funding and give councils the cash they need to save services.”Growth sees new starters and promotions at Purpose Media
Full service marketing agency Purpose Media has announced the appointment of two new people and two internal promotions as client growth and their recruitment drive continues in response to the demand for digital marketing services.
Joining the company are account executive Georgia Weston and client services apprentice Harriet Fell. The promotions that have been announced include Becky Sandars, who has been promoted to account manager, and Olivia Beesley who is now a senior content and marketing executive.
Georgia joins from a retail background and holds qualifications in branding and photography. Harriet has an automotive industry background and will be studying for a business administration apprenticeship arranged by EMA Training. In her new role Georgia will support the account management team, and Harriet will support the client service team – both helping to retain and attract new business.
Olivia has excelled in her role since joining the company in February, and has shown great initiative in shaping the vital role the content team plays in delivering compelling campaigns.
Becky joined Purpose Media in January 2021 and has gradually been mentored to manage her own client portfolio. Her promotion recognises the confidence she has developed with clients who have grown to trust her expert advice when planning their campaigns.
Head of client services, Grace Golden said: “When we take on new people our goal is to always nurture their development so that they build confidence and enjoy their work from learning new skills. By promoting from within we help ensure continuity of client service and our people feel rewarded for their hard work and commitment.”
South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership awarded NPO status and £2m funding
The South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership is delighted to have been awarded National Portfolio Organisation status for the first time – securing just under £2m to support art, culture and creativity across the Partnership.
The prestigious status awarded by Arts Council England has seen funding of £1,955,799 allocated for 2023-2026 to help support arts and cultural organisations across South Holland, East Lindsey and Boston.
It will also support the creation of cultural centres at The Guildhall in Boston, Ayscoughfee Hall in South Holland and the Colonnade in Sutton on Sea and fund a programme of art and culture across the Partnership centred on the rich heritage and stories from each district. Education, research and skills programmes will also be developed, giving more people access to culture on their doorstep.
The NPO comes after Boston and East Lindsey adopted a new cultural framework which sets out an ambitious vision for culture, connecting heritage and the visitor economy while recognising the health and wellbeing benefits culture brings to people’s lives. The Partnership is committed to extending the Cultural framework into South Holland too.
Competition for the status was extremely high, with 1,700 applications made nationally from organisations, venues and providers.
In total, 990 organisations will receive a share of £446 million (each year) ensuring that more people in more places have access to fulfilling art and culture.
As well as the NPO for the Partnership, The SO Festival, Magna Vitae Trust for Leisure and Culture’s flagship cultural event in East Lindsey has also been awarded Arts Council England funding and secured its place as a National Portfolio Organisation for the third time running https://www.sofestival.org/so-festival-npo-2022/
Cllr Craig Leyland, Leader of East Lindsey District Council said: “Achieving NPO status and almost £2m for our communities to better access culture is genuinely a monumental achievement for the Partnership.
“The Partnership has a proven track record of working collaboratively, including in the arts and culture sector across our three districts. This funding will help support them, as well as the health and wellbeing of our residents who will have more access to events and culture and support the local economy.”
Lord Gary Porter, Leader of South Holland District Council said: “Being part of the National Portfolio investment programme and the funding awarded will create new opportunities for our residents, community groups and organisations and support Ayscoughfee Hall in Spalding as a central hub.
“The heritage of South Holland is what shapes this district and we should all celebrate the stories which have built our communities. Going to any event, whether it be a drama group, show or festival, can really help improve health and wellbeing. I am pleased this funding will help our residents access even more things to do on their doorstep.”
Cllr Paul Skinner, Leader of Boston Borough Council said: “This is a fantastic achievement for the Partnership and Boston. The town is built around its history and has so much to offer for local and international visitors.
“This funding will help tell those stories to a wider audience and support our community-driven cultural providers as we lead up to the milestone of Boston 2030 and the internationally opportunities that will present to celebrate the town’s heritage.”
Work starts on £2m children’s care home in Lincolnshire
Lindum Group has started work on a £2m children’s care home designed by Kier Construction, Design & Business Services on behalf of Lincolnshire County Council.
The council is looking to create additional places in the county for children aged between 12-18 that require a safe place to stay. The project will involve the creation of a two-storey, six-bedroom traditional brick and block property, with PV solar panels on the roof to improve energy efficiency. The proposed building aims to appear as domestic as possible, providing a safe, homely feel.
The home will also include staff accommodation, a dining room, kitchen, and lounge. It will also be fully accessible for those with disabilities. In addition, the building will be fully soundproofed, with acoustic floor, ceiling, and panels under the roof.
The grounds will feature landscaped gardens, a new car park and a gated entrance, and will be protected by a six-foot fence. Lindum will also be taking on improvement works to the road leading up to the house, benefitting both the children’s home and the nearby theatre.
The scheme will cost over £2m and is being jointly funded by the county council and the Department for Education. The works contract was awarded through the Pagabo Medium Works Framework. The project will create 15 new jobs.
Cllr Mrs Patricia Bradwell OBE, executive member for children’s services at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “Over the last few years, we’ve seen a rising number of young people needing care, so it’s important we have enough accommodation here in Lincolnshire for those who need it. To that end, the council has earmarked funding for the creation of two new children’s homes at sites in Louth and Lincoln.
“The new homes will provide high-quality facilities for children in care and will mean that fewer children will need to be placed in homes outside the county. This will ensure these children remain close to their local community and existing support networks, leading to better outcomes.”
The Louth home will be located behind the Riverhead Theatre, on the site of the former Pilgrim School. Work to demolish the existing building is due to start on 7 November, with the home expected to be completed in late summer 2023, with the first residents arriving in autumn 2023.
East Midlands businesses restructuring to cope with mounting cost pressures
A combination of inflationary pressures, rising interest rates, high energy costs, and ongoing supply chain issues are significantly impacting the financial viability of many businesses, according to new research from Grant Thornton UK LLP.
The business and financial adviser’s latest Business Outlook Tracker found that over a quarter (28%) of mid-sized businesses in the East Midlands have restructured their operations to face these challenges, with a further 48% having plans to do so.
30% of business leaders in the region have already reviewed their headcount due to the impact of rising costs and inflationary pressures, with an additional 36% intending to do so.
The survey recorded that optimism levels from respondents on their business’s funding position dropped to 64%, which is a fall of -28 percentage points (pp) compared to August.
Many businesses in the region are having to secure additional finance to work through the escalating costs facing the market, with 36% already having secured further funding and 38% planning to do so.
The strain on funding has also led to a considerable drop in investment expectations across most areas monitored by the Tracker. The most significant drops compared to the last round in August 2022 were seen in skills development (-33pp), recruitment (-27pp) and employee wellbeing (-23pp). There was also a -19pp drop in the number of businesses planning to increase investment in plant, machinery and new buildings.
But investment looks to be being directed to areas that will have the most impact on reducing costs. Over three quarters (78%) of respondents have already invested, or are planning to invest, in productivity, efficiency and automation.
The number of businesses in the East Midlands that are optimistic about the outlook of the UK economy has also plummeted by –30pp, compared to August 2022.
James Brown, partner and practice leader at Grant Thornton UK LLP, said: “Businesses in the East Midlands are facing a long list of cost pressures, ranging from input cost price increases and high energy bills to rising interest rates and supply chain bottlenecks. All of this means that many businesses are being faced with cost increases from 5% to as much as 100% in some cases.
“The severity of the current market landscape is causing many firms to restructure their operations and review their headcount. While these pressures are going to be with us for some time, there are steps that businesses should be looking at if they’re not already. This includes reducing their debt level to counter interest rate rises, minimising energy usage, looking for efficiencies wherever possible, and considering alternative, cheaper suppliers.
“Right now, many East Midlands businesses will be looking ahead and reviewing their budgets for the next 6-12 months. These forward plans should account for factors that may spring up in 2023, such as the energy bill relief scheme ending, and rising interest costs. Thankfully, I know that this region is full of proactive, agile and dynamic businesses that will take on the challenges and emerge as more resilient, efficient organisations.”
Rotheras to expand in Derby with JH Powell & Co acquisition
Rotheras Solicitors LLP is set to expand its services into Derby with the acquisition of JH Powell & Co.
The deal will see JH Powell & Co take on the Rotheras name in a partnership that will see the two historic firms combine to reinforce service offerings, whilst paving the way for growth and expansion into the Derby legal market for Rotheras.
The deal consists of 15 staff including 7 legal advisors, 2 of which will join as partners, increasing the headcount to 131 at Rotheras, with the addition of city centre premises located next to Derby Cathedral coming under the umbrella of Rotheras’ 4 branch locations in Nottingham.
Both firms share a rich history and legacy in their neighbouring legal markets with Rotheras having been established in 1824 and JH Powell & Co in 1873.
Rotheras CEO, Christina Yardley said: “We are delighted to be joining forces with JH Powell & Co and we welcome their highly skilled and experienced team into the Rotheras family. JH Powell & Co operate with similar values to our own, particularly around their ethos for developing lasting client relationships, which is something that underpins the history and longevity of both of our firms.
“We found a natural synergy in our desire to increase the quality and depth of service we can offer to our clients. We are extremely excited to bring the Rotheras name to the Derby market and we can’t wait to get our recruitment plans underway and further expand our legal presence in Derby.”
Confidence and output growth fall to lockdown levels as recession looms
Confidence and output growth have fallen to the levels experienced during lockdown as recession looms, according to a new report from BDO.
October saw BDO’s Output and Optimism Indices fall to their lowest levels since the third national lockdown in February 2021, as record-high inflation continues to dampen the economy and prompt fears of a recession, according to the latest Business Trends report from accountancy and business advisory firm, BDO.
The latest figures indicate that inflationary pressures are to blame for the decline across three of BDO’s four indices, as Optimism, Output and Employment all recorded their weakest readings for at least six months. BDO’s Inflation Index reached an all-time high in October forcing businesses to re-evaluate production in line with demand and supply-side headwinds and exercise caution in their outlook and hiring intentions.
October saw BDO’s Output and Optimism Indices plummet to 93.10 and 94.63, respectively, their lowest levels since the third national lockdown in February 2021. Both indices now sit in contractionary territory, below the 95-point mark – regarded as the watershed between growth and decline, an indicator of a recession.
The dip in productivity was driven by a fall across both the Services and Manufacturing Indices for the second month in a row. Continued disruption to global logistics networks and increased input prices have pushed manufacturing activity into negative territory, whilst the cost-of-living crisis has impacted consumer demand, driving down services output.
Confidence amongst businesses followed a similar downward trajectory as the weaker macroeconomic environment drove a seventh consecutive month of decline for BDO’s Optimism Index.
BDO’s Inflation Index rose by 1.67 points in October to a record high of 120.67 following an increase in the energy price cap which caused consumer price inflation to climb. At the same time, diminished spending power due to a weaker currency put considerable upwards pressure on input inflation leading to a record high of 121.26, as businesses importing goods paid higher prices.
Driven by inflationary fears, the Employment Index mirrored waning confidence among businesses with a fall of 1.14 points to 113.05 last month. However, the index has remained resilient, and the unemployment rate stood at a historic low of 3.5% on the most recent reading in the three months to August.
Despite the index remaining firmly in positive territory, hiring intentions are set to decline in the longer-term as businesses continue to tackle mounting inflation and a recession, resulting in further falls in the index over the coming months.
Kaley Crossthwaite, Partner at BDO LLP, said: “A contraction in both optimism and output is a concerning bellwether for firms, as inflation is expected to continue climbing in the run-up to Christmas. A weaker currency and drop in consumer spending power will have real and tangible consequences for firms relying on imports or customers in the retail and services sector, alongside the knock-on effects of managing political and economic uncertainty.
“We also know that rising energy costs are a top concern for nearly half of mid-sized businesses this winter as we’re only just beginning to see the impacts of the energy price cap rise. Firms will be looking to the Autumn Statement for the support they need as they navigate a tough period ahead.”
