Boris Johnson may be urging a return to the office, but it seems both bosses and workers are expecting working from home to remain part of our regular working routine.
Economists at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) are carrying out regular surveys of workers across the Midlands to build up a picture of how people’s relationship with work is changing.
The poll asks hundreds of people questions such as whether their work pattern is changing and if so, how – and how they feel about it. The first survey was done in October, and the second is being carried out next month (February).
Key findings include:
The average worker currently spends 60% of their time working from home
Workers expect to spend 40-50% of their time working from home post pandemic compared to 10-20% before the pandemic
The push to work from home appears to be driven more by employers than employees, possibly because of cost savings
People love the lack of commuting time, but miss socialising most
Professor Edward Cartwright, of DMU’s Institute of Applied Economics and Social Value, said: “There’s a lot of uncertainty over whether we will revert back to how things were before, or whether there really has been a step change.
“Everything we are seeing suggested it’s a big step change. The main headline result was that people expect to be working from home on some level forever. And what’s surprising is that this is largely being driven by the businesses, not the staff, as they see how they can cut costs.”
Prior to the pandemic, the average time spent working from home was a day a week. During the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions that became four days. In October that had shifted to 60% of the time working from home and 40% in the workplace.
Professor Cartwright added: “Our initial survey found that people expect it to level out at around 45%, and that will be permanent. However, people are not always the best at predicting the future so we want to track whether these assumptions are correct.
“These findings are all in line with other surveys that have been carried out on smaller scale in the East Midlands and nationally. However, what’s surprising is that these changes to working from home is being driven by the business rather than staff.
“Working from home is polarising – some people love it and others hate it. The most consistent negative is the lack of social interaction. Not many people have said the lack of good wifi for example, they miss their work friendships and seeing people in person.”
There are some signs of companies shifting into smaller workspaces, and reducing expensive offices as staff would not all be in the office at the same time.
“Clearly this also has implications for the city centre as businesses move to smaller premises, fewer people working in the city centre means lack of footfall which has knock on effects for retail,” added Professor Cartwright.
Small businesses in Northamptonshire can kickstart their business development plans with a new raft of support from the University of Northampton.
The Knowledge Exchange for Better Business Projects will see up to 100 businesses from across the county receive thousands of pounds worth of bespoke support to boost their bottom line.
The projects are open to businesses with fewer than 50 employees, which will offer them the opportunity to tap into the unique support package, which includes expert academic and business advice from the University of Northampton, training, peer networking, virtual assistants, fully funded internships, mentoring, coaching, and more, all designed to improve a business’s competitiveness and innovation capabilities.
Wray Irwin, Director of Enterprise and Employability at the University of Northampton, said: “You could be looking to stabilise your business and scale up your operations, enhance a professional function within your family-owned business, such as finance or digital marketing, or perhaps evaluate and set the direction to enhance the way your business embraces environmental and sustainable business practices.
“This programme brings students, businesses, and academics together to exchange expertise and resources to help make Northamptonshire a great place to start, build and grow a business.
“We have a huge breadth of expertise here at the University, through this proactive knowledge exchange and support we can contribute economic, social, cultural, and environmental benefits to the people of Northamptonshire.”
The Knowledge Exchange for Better Business projects are funded by the UK Government Community Renewal Fund through North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire Councils. Project partners include The Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes Chamber of Commerce, The Mallows Company, Alchemy Virtual Assistance and the Federation of Small Businesses.
M-EC, the technical development consultants, has made a trio of appointments at its Leicestershire head office. The three new hires will take up roles in its Acoustic Air, Civil Engineering and Structures departments.
M-EC welcomes associate structural engineer, Lance Poole to its Structures department. Lance’s broad-based engineering experience spans more than 40 years, both in the United Kingdom and South Africa.
Prior to joining M-EC, Lance worked with consulting engineering firms and design/build contractors on many new build and refurbishment projects for industrial, commercial, educational and domestic buildings. To date he has mainly worked as the lead structural engineer and managed design teams for larger projects.
Lance brings broad built environment expertise to M-EC and a wealth of experience in structural steelwork, in-situ and pre-cast reinforced concrete, masonry and timber structures. He also has experience in the design of temporary works/heavy lifting schemes and the design of building facades formed in stone, masonry and pre-cast concrete. In his free time, he is a big music fan and enjoys singing and playing the guitar. Moving to the East Midlands, he is keen on taking up walking too.
Adam Walker
Acoustic consultant, Adam Walker, joins M-EC’s Acoustic Air department from his previous role as an acoustics engineer at a global engineering consultancy, where he worked on a variety of projects. With a degree in Music Technology from De Montfort University, before moving into engineering, Adam spent five years travelling the world as an audio systems engineer with a range of different bands. A keen triathlete, Adam has already joined the M-EC team in a recent 5K run.
Civil engineering technician, James Brant, comes to M-EC with six years infrastructure and design experience across a number of civil technician and engineering roles. James joins M-EC’s Civil Engineering department as a specialist in works/private drainage design.
James Brant
Alex Bennett, director of M-EC, said: “It is an exciting time at M-EC and we are really pleased to welcome three new team members to further strengthen our civil and structural engineering and acoustics offer.
“Lance Poole brings a wealth of global expertise from large international projects and has a good eye for cost effective buildable details in all structural materials. Adam Walker joins us with a varied career to date and innovative ideas for the air acoustic team and James Brant has a specialism in drainage design which will also boost our civils team. We look forward to what the future holds.”
Overcoming skills shortages and driving up productivity can help East Midlands businesses bounce back from Covid and build a sustainable and prosperous future, according to the CBI’s new regional chair.
Dr Nik Kotecha OBE – founder and chairman of Morningside Pharmaceuticals in Leicestershire – has taken over as chair of the CBI East Midlands Regional Council. He succeeds Darren Wilson of LKAB Minerals in Derbyshire, who has held the position for the past two years.
Dr Kotecha has long been active in public service at both national and regional level. He is a Department of International Trade Export Champion and sits on the Department’s SME Trade Policy Advisory Group.
He is also part of the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce, the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership, the Midlands Engine Council & Health Boards and co-chair of the Loughborough Town Deal Board.
Dr Kotecha has won a number of prestigious business awards, including being named a 2021 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Regional Champion for Excellence in Sustainability and making LDC’s 2021 list of the UK’s Most Ambitious Business Leaders, as featured in the Times. In 2017, he was awarded an OBE for services to entrepreneurship, innovation in pharmaceutical services and philanthropy. He was also named the national Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2019 National Business Awards.
He is stepping into the role at a difficult time, but believes the East Midlands has plenty of strengths to call upon which can help businesses navigate current hardships and emerge stronger in the future.
Dr Nik Kotecha OBE, chair of the CBI East Midlands Regional Council, said: “I am thrilled to be taking over as chair of the East Midlands CBI Regional Council at what is a challenging yet potentially exciting time for business.
“The CBI has some bold ambitions designed to grow prosperity and opportunity throughout the East Midlands economy, as we look to rebuild from the pandemic, nurture new cross-sector collaborations and move towards a low-carbon future.
“Doing so will take a concerted effort from Government, education and enterprise. Leaders must foster a culture of growth by investing in the infrastructure, people and skills this region needs to combat pockets of deprivation and raise aspirations and attainment.
“If we get the key decisions right at this pivotal time, I am confident there is a bright future in store for East Midlands businesses. I look forward to playing my part in this new role alongside regional CBI colleagues.”
Richard Blackmore, CBI Midlands director, said: “I am delighted to welcome Nik to the role of regional chair, and would also like to place on record my thanks to Darren for his huge contribution to the region during the challenges of the past two years.
“Nik brings a wealth of knowledge of the region and insight into the issues that matter to businesses. His expertise will be a major asset for businesses and for the CBI as we look to work towards a net-zero future and implement the strategies for growth set out in our Seize The Moment economic vision.”
Metal and waste recycling specialist, Ward, has invested in a Mantsinen 70 hydraulic crane for its metal processing site at Redcar Bulk Terminal, to increase its export handling capacity for ferrous metals.
The purchase of the brand-new diesel powered Mantsinen 70 is the largest single investment in material handling equipment Ward has made to date at over €800,000. The heavy-duty machine, developed with state-of-the-art technology has a maximum reach of 24 metres and weighs 95 tonnes. It can lift up to 15 tonnes of material in each movement.
Thomas Ward, commercial director at Ward, said: “This is the largest piece of equipment in our business to date for bulk handling of scrap metal. The new Mantsinen 70 hydraulic crane is more energy efficient, helping to reduce both our handling costs and CO2 emissions per tonne at our Redcar site. It also has the benefit of helping to increase loading speeds, which is important factor when loading for our end users.”
The Midlands-based business, with sites nationwide, purchased the brand new Mantsinen 70 through Cooper Handling, the exclusive UK distributor of Mantsinen hydraulic cranes, in early 2021 and took delivery in December.
Martin Vanstone-Dale, manager of sales & rental MHE at Cooper Handling, said: “The concept of hydraulic cranes is all based around cycle times and productivity, which makes it ideal for Ward. They offer pinpoint accuracy and are more wind resistant thus aiding port operations and increasing efficiency. With added safety features and flexible attachments, we’re pleased to have been able to support Ward in acquiring an energy efficient option for its metal processing operations.”
As part of The Ward Way sustainability strategy to 2030, the Ward team has also opted for the HybriLift® energy saving system. This optional extra provides greater load movement while using less energy, further demonstrating Ward’s ongoing commitment to carbon reduction and lowering energy consumption, increasing efficiency by up to 35 per cent.
With three fixed cabin positions or two different cabin elevators, the Mantsinen 70 ensures stability and safety in the most challenging environments. It’s quick coupling, means the change of attachment can be made in a few minutes, reducing operational downtime.
The multi-award winning, independent fourth generation family business has invested significantly over the last few years with a new head office in Ilkeston, ongoing upgrades to its transport facilities and improvements to its fleet. It has opened a rail terminal and another new deep sea port facility in Redcar in July 2021. This further expands its metal recycling capabilities and follows the deep-sea port development at Immingham in 2018.
For more information on Ward’s metal recycling and waste management capabilities visit www.ward.com.
The WestBridge Group, which provides specialist tax advice and independent administration, consultancy, and trustee services for Small Self-Administered Pension Schemes (SSAS) has relocated its Leicester head office.
Previously located in the City Centre on New Street, the firm has taken the ground floor of offices on Meridian Business Park as part of its growth strategy to create a centrally based HQ.
The new location has easy access to all essential transport links and will enable the company to service its UK wide client base, as well as create room for further expansion.
The company has completely refurbished the space to reflect its brand identity and values having leased the 2,000 sq ft office space in a deal arranged by Peter Tew Chartered Surveyors.
Tom Moore, founding director, said: “We recognised some months ago the requirement for high quality office accommodation suited to the demands of the ‘hybrid working’ era. Clients and staff all require ease of access and excellent facilities. The Dominus Way building fits the bill and also offers opportunities for expansion.”
A project to save Taylor’s historic bell foundry has been given a significant boost by Loughborough Town Deal.
The Town Deal has confirmed funding to the tune of £835,000 to support the project to save the last major bell foundry in Britain.
It is one of 11 projects Loughborough Town Deal is backing after securing £16.9 million of Government funding. In total, the projects are worth over £40 million of investment for the town.
The Loughborough Bellfoundry Trust is restoring the historic Grade II* bell foundry in Freehold Street to save this iconic piece of the nation’s industrial heritage. Taylor’s bells can literally be heard ringing around the world.
The Town Deal Board is co-chaired by Cllr Jonathan Morgan, leader of Charnwood Borough Council, and Dr Nik Kotecha OBE, chairman of Loughborough-based Morningside Pharmaceuticals.
Cllr Morgan said: “I am delighted that we can now confirm Town Deal funding for this project. As the last major bell foundry in the UK, it is vital we do everything we can to save it, not just for the town of Loughborough but also our nation’s heritage.
“The bell foundry trust has done a wonderful job in securing a significant amount of funding from various sources, including the Town Deal, to save this iconic building.”
Dr Nik Kotecha said: “I am delighted the Town Deal is investing in the bell foundry. Not only is it important from a heritage point of view but also for the local tourism economy which supports jobs and growth.
“Taylor’s is a unique place and by making it more accessible we can attract more visitors to the area which supports other businesses. This is a great example of how the Town Deal benefits Loughborough and its communities now, and for many years to come.”
Bellfoundry Museum director, Dr Chrissie Van Mierlo, said: “The entire bellfoundry team would like to say a huge thank you to the Town Deal Board for their investment. Our mission to Save the Last Major Bellfoundry in Britain is a real passion project that’s been many years in the making. These vital funds have given our plans an enormous boost.
“We are incredibly proud of our town’s industrial past, so we are honoured and privileged to play a key role in its future. The people of Loughborough have blown us away with their enthusiasm for our site. We can’t wait to welcome them to the bellfoundry to see what it’s all about!”
The Loughborough Bellfoundry Trust has already secured £3.5 million of National Lottery support for its project which will:
repair the iconic Victorian casting hall and workshop where bells are created
preserve and expand the foundry’s vast archive, which relate to over 10,000 bells and bell towers around the globe
improve access to the site so anyone can visit and experience this unique place
overhaul and improve the only bell museum in the country
repair the tuning shop where the principles of the harmonic tuning of bells were developed in the 1890s
reinstate the Foundry’s Carillon
reengage with young people and learners to preserve the foundry’s unique craft skills.
Loughborough Town Deal is supporting a number of projects to boost skills, improve the town centre, reduce flooding, regenerate the riverside, develop a creative hub and support two key attractions – Great Central Railway and the bell foundry.
So far, Loughborough Town Deal has invested £750,000 to create a Careers and Enterprise Hub in Loughborough town centre which opened in the summer of 2021 and £1.7 million to support the Bedford Square Gateway Project which is regenerating part of the town centre. Combined with the bell foundry project, that brings Town Deal investment in Loughborough so far to around £3.3 million.
Yü Group, the Nottingham-based supplier of gas, electricity and water to the UK SME and corporate business sector, has seen “very strong growth in revenue” in 2021, while profit is anticipated to pass expectations.
According to a trading update for the year ended 31 December 2021, full year revenues are to be in excess of £150m, an expected increase of 50% on FY20, which the company says is driven by continued organic growth and the integration of Ampower.
Meanwhile adjusted EBITDA and profit for the year are expected to be significantly ahead of market expectations.
Yü Group also reported record average monthly bookings of £13.8m for FY21, an increase of 66.3% on £8.3m for FY20.
Bobby Kalar, Group Chief Executive Officer, said: “I’m pleased to report a very strong performance for FY21, significantly ahead of market expectations. Acknowledging it’s been a tough year for the industry specifically, I’m proud the breadth of strength, experience and discipline in our business has again produced results that have surpassed expectations.
“FY21 revenues, profitability and forward contracted revenues have all extensively exceeded management forecasts. As well as a strong 2021, the forward visibility of our contract book for 2022 and beyond means the company’s accelerating growth is underpinned and the board are confident in the continued financial progress of the business.
“The strong sales momentum of H1 has continued to accelerate in H2 with record monthly bookings. The group experienced a 66% increase in monthly bookings compared to the £8.3m achieved in 2020. I’m particularly pleased how the business responded to Q4 market volatility which resulted in record quarterly bookings and onboarding performance.
“Contracted meter points have increased 83% while customer contract lengths are trending at an average of 30 months. The group has entered 2022 with excellent forward revenue visibility supported by a solid forward and hedged order book. Alongside driving growth, management have focussed relentlessly on improving margin through an appropriate hedging policy. The group performance incentivisation structures have been embedded in management culture and I’m pleased to see this reflected in the performance of the business.
“The board’s growth objective for 2021 was very clear and well documented. Having positioned the business for significant and profitable growth these goals have been delivered. 2022 is set to enable the group to continue to scale rapidly and benefit from the associated economies of scale. I’m particularly pleased the business has achieved this objective despite a period of high market volatility.
“I would like to thank all my team members for playing such a vital part in delivering and exceeding our objectives.”
Forterra, the Northampton-headquartered producer of manufactured masonry products, witnessed strong trading throughout 2021.
According to a trading update for the year ended 31 December 2021, full year brick sales volumes were 33% ahead of 2020 and 1% ahead of 2019.
Meanwhile full year revenue is expected to total approximately £370m, a 27% increase on 2020 (£291.9m) and a 3% reduction relative to 2019 (£380.0m).
Stephen Harrison, Chief Executive of Forterra plc, said: “The strong customer demand seen through 2021 continued up to the end of the year, with 2022 trading continuing where 2021 ended. Having successfully delivered sizeable price increases across our product ranges we are confident of delivering meaningful growth in 2022. We remain watchful of further inflationary cost pressures, and we will apply further price increases as necessary.
“The continued strength of demand for our products bodes well, with customers already keen to secure supply ahead of the commissioning of our new brick factory at Desford later this year. We expect 2022 will be an important year as we prepare for a step change in output and financial performance from early 2023.”
Marketing Derby has given the city’s bid to become UK City of Culture 2025 a major boost after pledging £20,000 of support.
Derby is one of eight long-listed locations for such status – and next week the city will be submitting its formal bid. In the meantime, the team behind the bid has been working hard to generate support.
Marketing Derby’s pledge, which will be spread over four years, is a mixture of financial and in-kind support.
John Forkin, Managing Director of Marketing Derby, said: “Marketing Derby is fully behind the bid to become City of Culture in 2025.
“We are delighted to make this pledge to help build the business support for the application for what we believe will be the best bid submitted.
“We’re confident that culture will become increasingly important for our economy and offer and will play a key role in the post-pandemic recovery.”
The UK City of Culture competition uses culture as a catalyst for levelling up areas outside London and putting new parts of the UK on the cultural map internationally.
Bidding for the title in its own right has been shown to have a hugely positive impact on a place, using the bidding process to bring together lasting local, national and international partners, to share a vision for their area and attract investment.
A measure of the support Derby’s bid has from the city was shown at a conference organised by Visit Derby, part of Derby City Council, which was held earlier this month at Derby Museums’ Museum of Making.
Around 130 people attended the hybrid event called Culture Derby – Transforming the City Through Culture and the Visitor Economy.
It featured contributions from Mo Suleman, of Derby, Marketing Derby’s marketing and communications manager Andrew Lowe, Councillor Ross McCristal, the city council’s cabinet member for leisure, culture, tourism and wellbeing and Adam Buss, director Culture Derby, who is leading the city’s bid.
Following the presentation, delegates were asked to complete a ‘Pledge Card’, to get behind the bid.
The pledges are made based on the bid being successful – and so far, businesses and organisations have pledged tens of thousands of pounds worth of support.
Derby’s formal bid will be submitted on Wednesday, February 2 – and while it waits to see if it has been successful, supporters are being urged to keep the bid visible to judges through social media by following Culture Derby on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and using the hashtag #CultureDerby2025.
Companies and organisations can also continue to pledge their support after the city submits its formal bid.
It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead. It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.Here we speak to Ben Solomon, MD at Octavian IT.
The challenges in 2022 continue to be related to secure, productive and effective remote working and cyber security. The cyber security landscape is constantly becoming a more dangerous place and it’s more important than ever for businesses to have even just a basic layer of security protections in place.
Related to remote working, we’re still seeing a large amount of the UK’s business and residential networking infrastructure is not up-to-par. There are still so many locations that cannot get stable and necessary speed fibre connectivity. This causes IT partners such as ourselves a large headache as we work with businesses to work as effectively as possible from outside of the office or with cloud services.
Recruitment is also a challenge, there does seem to be a shortage of experienced engineers with the right culture/mentality.
Opportunities though are plentiful – the cloud and cloud services are in a very exciting era – MSPs like OIT have the great responsibility of helping businesses select the best cloud technology for them and there are now a lot. It’s key to select software and services that will correctly compliment your business and not actually hinder it. Cyber Security is a huge area that still requires expertise and experience in order to provide quality consultancy to businesses. If businesses can find their own ways to provide a service or product that helps keep their clients safe, this will be a huge market for SMBs.
It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.Here we speak to Kris Randall from leadership, digital learning and development consultancy Olano, which is part of Nicholas Associates Group, a high growth company offering apprentice to boardroom talent management solutions for SMEs through to international corporates.
Following a surge in digitalisation due to the pandemic, people’s concentration has dropped dramatically. In 2000 the average attention span of a human was 12 seconds but, this has now reduced to just 8 seconds.
This is likely to only shorten therefore, so will how people learn. Many companies have already moved to some form of online learning with Training Magazine finding that 88% of large companies use virtual training alongside other tools.
However, moving online does not guarantee information retention. With digitalisation increasing within companies, it is likely there will be a large transition over to video and animation, making text on the screen solely a support tool.
Covideo found that viewers retain 95% of a video’s message compared to only 10% if reading it in text. The demand for information to be condensed in a visual sense is in high demand.
Businesses rely on employees retaining information to develop and ensure they carry out their job role correctly.
With 65% of businesses currently finding that their platforms are not fit for modern workplaces, the move to adjust this is imminent. Video is short and informative and therefore with lower concentration levels video will be a necessity rather than a choice this year.
Our final prediction for 2022 is that there will be a sudden increase in animation providing a more reflective style of learning that has shown to be beneficial in the workplace.
Knight Frank has sold a 1.4-acre retail site in Nottingham city centre for £21.65 million on behalf of Abrdn to the international business of Federated Hermes.
The property, 4-13 Long Row & 17-25 Upper Parliament Street, provides 85,387 sq ft of accommodation arranged as a large format store and five high street retail units.
Whilst predominantly let to Primark Stores Ltd until 2060, other occupiers include Tesco Stores Ltd, Greggs PLC and Tui UK Retail Ltd.
Situated within the central retail core of Nottingham, the freehold property features extensive frontage onto both Long Row and Upper Parliament Street. The Primark store benefits from being located directly opposite The Exchange Shopping Centre.
Jackson Criss acted on behalf of Federated Hermes. Knight Frank acted on behalf of Abrdn.
Pho, a 100-cover Vietnamese restaurant, is finalising an extensive fit out and is set to open soon in Hockley (on 31 January).
Creating 30 new jobs, the 4,000 sq ft restaurant has undergone a back to brick restoration. The Pho team has transformed the ground floor of the former National Video Game Arcade building in Hockley into a vibrant, Vietnam-inspired space to meet, eat and sample a range of soups, sides and specials.
Pho founder, Stephen Wall, says: “I know the city well and we’ve been working with Box Property to try and find the right site for years. We saw this site a few years ago and were keen, so to finally get the opportunity to open here feels like fate and a long time in the making.
“We absolutely love the site and pitch. We’ve built it from scratch, with the walls, columns and other existing features at the centre of the design. It’s a wonderful building to open a restaurant in as the space almost designs itself.”
It is the latest opening for the family run business which was established in 2005 and now has more than 30 locations nationwide from Covent Garden to Edinburgh. It was let to Pho by Box Property following a four-year search to find the ideal location.
Ben Tebbutt, co-founder and director of Box Property, adds: “We’ve worked closely with the Pho team to find a suitable site in Nottingham for several years. They started their search in Hockley initially, then came close to taking a lease in the King Street/Queen Street area but that didn’t feel quite right.
“We’ve championed Hockley for a long time and it was always the preferred option. Owner Stephen Wall felt that Hockley was the only location for them.
“It was a complicated deal to put together, with lots of landlords works and a listed building in the mix, but what the team has done to transform it is fantastic. It’s another asset to Hockley and we can’t wait to get stuck into a steaming bowl of soup.”
Troubador Publishing have moved into a brand new warehousing and office facility near Market Harborough, on the border of Northamptonshire.
The move expands the company’s warehousing and distribution facilities and houses all staff in a purpose-built office environment that includes dedicated meeting spaces.
The £400,000 investment positions the company for growth in the author services market and will enable it to broaden its book distribution operation to other publishers.
In parallel moves, the company has improved its book distribution capabilities for its authors and publisher partners through a special arrangement with wholesaler Gardners
Books, investment in the Nielsen PubEasy book buying system for retailers, and by offering sales representation from its own warehouse through Star Book Sales.
Troubador’s purpose-built office space includes not only fully-equipped meeting rooms, but a large meeting space used to host events, and a bookshop where titles from the company’s Matador, Book Guild and Troubador imprints will be sold direct.
Managing Director, Jeremy Thompson, said: “This marks a significant step up for the company as we have changed the way in which we distribute our titles to the retail trade for the better, with new arrangements that are faster, cheaper and more robust than when previously using a third-party distribution company. By investing heavily in new systems and processes, we can not only offer our authors and retail customers a better service, but we reduce our environmental impact by minimising road miles for our books.”
The company acquired new premises in June last year, and have spent the last six months of 2021 amalgamating stocks from three warehouses into a single warehouse.
In addition, a new environmentally-friendly office building has been built from scratch, featuring solar panels, automatic lights and super-insulation. The moving process was completed in December last year.
Operations director, Jane Rowland, said: “We have been aiming for some time to strengthen our book distribution capabilities, as we knew that our distribution could be done more efficiently and at a lesser cost (financially and environmentally) if we managed this ourselves. This has meant significant investment in both back office systems to supply
P&A data daily to retailers, and warehouse infrastructure to manage the distribution process. Both are paying off as we are seeing increased sales of titles across our imprints already.”
An impact report has revealed that nearly 200 students from North East Derbyshire’s schools got a hands-on taste of manufacturing and engineering careers during the Made in Chesterfield festival in November last year.
Businesses, teachers and pupils have praised the Made in Chesterfield initiative.
In a review of the month-long annual festival undertaken by Direct Education Business Partnership (DEBP), which coordinated Made in Chesterfield in conjunction with Destination Chesterfield, it also found that there was no demand for virtual school visits, indicating that schools are keen to re-engage face-to-face with the business community despite the pandemic.
Ivan Fomin, Managing Director of MSE Hiller and Destination Chesterfield’s board member responsible for manufacturing and engineering in the borough, said: “The uptake of the physical workplace tours by schools for Made in Chesterfield was very encouraging given the current climate of uncertainty. There is a very real appetite amongst schools to give young people the widest exposure to careers and job opportunities.”
He added: “It is so important that we highlight the local career and job opportunities to young people as they are an intrinsic part of Chesterfield’s growth ambitions.”
Virtual workplace tours were launched last year amidst the pandemic, however with Covid restrictions eased physical workplace tours were reintroduced for 2021.
Pupils from Whittington Green School, Springwell Community College, St Mary’s Catholic High School, The Bolsover School, Shirebrook Academy and Heritage Academy all took part in visits to local engineering and manufacturing businesses, including Aztec Oils, Woodhead Construction, CBE+, Penny Hydraulics, Superior Wellness, Morgan Sindall, Weightron Bilanciai, MSE Hiller and United Cast Bar.
Carol Claydon, head of HR at Superior Wellness which hosted students from Springwell Community College, said: “The tour organised by Made in Chesterfield was a fantastic opportunity for our business. Our team members thoroughly enjoyed explaining more about the business, their roles and their work experience to the students. It was brilliant to see how inspired the students were and I think it opened their eyes to the various career opportunities within the local area.
“The campaign is a fantastic way to inspire the next generation and hopefully showcase the different sectors and opportunities available within the town of Chesterfield.”
Ben Jones, project manager at Weightron Bilanciai which hosted students from Bolsover School, added: “Hopefully we have inspired young people to be interested in what they want to do as a career so they can start thinking ahead now to what they should be studying and also whether they want to go to university or follow the apprenticeship route.”
Charlie Goodwin, projects officer at DEBP who compiled the report, said: “We are so grateful to the many businesses who got involved with Made in Chesterfield and worked with us to make it a success in 2021. We appreciate that everyone continues to experience challenging times, however the feedback from those who participated has demonstrated the value in providing meaningful insights into the working world and the role this initiative has in inspiring future employees.”
Launched originally in 2013, the annual Made in Chesterfield campaign has since introduced thousands of young people across North East Derbyshire to the possibility of a career in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) sector.
The hands-on campaign aims to bridge the careers information gap between education and industry by giving schools and pupils access to workplace tours, a range of careers videos and the MyFuture virtual careers fair.
Made in Chesterfield 2021 was made possible thanks to funding and support from The Chesterfield College Group, Chesterfield Borough Council, D2N2 LEP and Careers and Enterprise Company, North Derbyshire Career Hub, MSE Hiller, United Cast Bar Ltd and NatWest.
Emily Carter, operational careers hub lead at D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, added: “We are ever grateful to our cornerstone employers and local business partners for supporting opportunities such as the Made in Chesterfield open doors programmes, supporting young people’s career awareness and aspirations, again this year despite the challenges still faced by industry.
“D2N2 Careers Hub is excited to fund the expansion of this successful model to bring more open doors programmes to young people across the wider D2N2 region during the rest of the 2021-22 academic year.”
Julie Richards, principal and Chief Executive of the Chesterfield College Group, said: “I am delighted to hear that once again the Made in Chesterfield initiative has been a great success. We are proud to support the programme of activities which take place to connect the future workforce with local employers.
“It is very encouraging to hear how so many schools and employers benefited. It is critical we excite and educate the next generation to understand the fantastic career opportunities for engineering and manufacturing in Chesterfield to build the workforce for the future and secure local economic growth.”
From bin collections to pothole repairs and adult social care to fostering, we provide over 200 services to the residents of Derby. Each year, we have to put together a balanced budget (the Medium-Term Financial Plan or MTFP) that explains how and where we’re proposing to spend our money.
As part of this, we give you, our residents, a chance to have your say on our proposals. There are just a few days left for residents to have a say about our proposed MTFP for 2022/23 to 2024/25 and Council Plan so if you want to have your say, now is the time!
Like many local authorities, we’re facing a financial challenge with increased demand and costs for our services and reduced grants from central government to help us pay for services. The Council is proposing over £13 million of savings for next year alongside looking at ways we can become more efficient and minimise any impact to those frontline services such as Social Care and waste collections that our residents rely on. Forecast needs and costs for next year also require a Council Tax increase of 1.99% with an additional 1% Social Care Precept.
Despite the challenges brought on by increasing demands for services and the pandemic, we still want to be ambitious in our plans for the city and want to work with the city, for the city.
As part of our vibrant and ambitious plans, we’ve proposed a three-year Capital investment programme of £291 million, including the opening of the state-of-the-art Moorways Sports Village in the Spring. Over the past year, the Council approved major investment in a Performance Venue at Becketwell, job creation at Smartparc in Spondon and £69 million of transport investment through the Transforming City Programme. Over the next three years the refurbished Market Hall will re-open, and further investment will be made in our flood defences and riverside redevelopment.
This year’s consultation runs until Friday, 28 January for citizens to have their say.
Subject to the consultation, the Council Plan and MTFP will be adopted by Council at the end of February 2022.
A former head of commercial at property consultancy Carter Jonas has been appointed to chair the board leading one of the biggest large-scale development opportunities in the Midlands.
Sir Chris Haworth, who has a 40-year career in the industry, has become independent chair of the East Midlands Development Company, which has been set up to accelerate the development of three huge sites covering an area the size of three London Olympic Parks.
The sites span several hundred hectares and sit next to the M1, alongside both the area of the Government-backed East Midlands Inland Freeport and the approved location for an HS2 station. They include:
Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station area: the UK’s last coal-fired power plant, due to close in late 2024, and identified as the symbolic focal point for the development of net zero energy and industrial technologies into market-ready products and services. Sited within the Freeport area, it also sits alongside East Midlands Parkway, now confirmed as the site of the region’s HS2 station.
East Midlands Airport Area: the UK’s largest dedicated freight-handling airport is also the centrepiece of the Government-approved East Midlands Freeport and is expected to see significant commercial and residential development.
Toton & Chetwynd Area: A prime development site of around 200 hectares that has been earmarked for the development of an exemplar 21st century mixed-use community and innovation campus. The model development between Nottingham and Derby also includes the site of a proposed new Network Rail station with links across the region.
Sir Chris’s appointment marks a significant acceleration of activity by the DevCo, which has been set up by five local authorities ahead of the parliamentary process needed for it to become a Development Corporation with planning powers.
It also comes as Government is set to provide further details about its ambitions to accelerate regional economic growth through the Levelling Up White Paper.
Sir Chris said: “This is probably the biggest and most coordinated development opportunity I have been involved with during my career and it will be a privilege to lead the board, which includes a blend of private and public sector expertise.
“I join at a point when the hard work of the public and private sector partners behind this project is beginning to bear fruit, and the board will play a key role in driving real commercial momentum.”
He added: “This is a transformational opportunity for the East Midlands and the timing could not be better. The economy is emerging from the pandemic and investors and developers are looking for strong, long-term opportunities.
“In the context of the government’s ambitions to level-up regional Britain, my view is that this is one of the most coherent and investable propositions in the country, with the DevCo ready to deliver and able to maximise returns for local people.”
Besides an 11-year stint at Carter Jonas, Sir Chris’s career includes large-scale property joint ventures, and advising on development and planning potential for landowners and local authorities.
He is the second senior appointment at the EM DevCo, and joins Managing Director Richard Carr on the team.
Richard Carr said: “We’re thrilled to secure a seasoned commercial professional as independent chair of our board, which will provide experienced counsel to both the executive team and the five local authorities whose ambitions brought the DevCo into being.
“The next six months will be an exciting period for the DevCo, as we progress plans to unlock the potential for major developments which will deliver new housing, new industrial and business space, better connectivity, and help place the region at the cutting edge of the net zero economy.”
East Midlands Development Company is being supported by Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire County Councils, Broxtowe and Rushcliffe Borough Councils, and North West Leicestershire District Council.
It is working with East Midlands Airport and Uniper, which owns the Ratcliffe-on-Soar site, and a consortium of universities driving the development of market-ready net zero technologies. The DevCo is also collaborating with Homes England, Network Rail and HS2.
UK manufacturing output volumes in the quarter to January grew at a slower pace than in December, though growth remained firm compared with the long-run average, while costs grew at the quickest pace for decades, according to the latest quarterly CBI Industrial Trends Survey.
The survey of 236 companies found that output volumes increased in 10 out of 17 sub-sectors, with growth mostly driven by the food, drink & tobacco sub-sector. Manufacturers expect output growth to pick up next quarter.
The manufacturing sector continues to face intense cost and price pressures, with firms reporting average costs in the quarter to January growing at their quickest rate since April 1980. Firms expect costs to grow at a similar pace over the next three months.
Increasing costs are continuing to feed into higher prices, with average domestic prices growing near previous quarter’s record pace and export price growth at its quickest since April 1980. Both domestic and export price growth are expected to accelerate in the next quarter.
Total new orders in the quarter to January grew at a faster pace compared to October, with the acceleration driven by faster growth in domestic and export orders. Manufacturers expect total new orders growth to slow in the next quarter, reflecting an easing of domestic and export orders.
Supply issues continue to bite, with the share of firms citing skilled labour shortages as a factor likely to limit output next quarter rising to its highest since October 1973 and concerns regarding other labour near the previous quarter’s record high. Meanwhile, the proportion of firms citing materials/components availability as a potential limiting factor declined from last quarter’s multi-decade high but remained elevated by historical standards.
Investment intentions for the next 12 months (compared to the previous 12) for plant & machinery reached their strongest since April 1988, with intentions for training & retraining also strengthening. Firms expect to increase capital spending on product & process innovation to a similar extent as the previous quarter.
Rain Newton-Smith, CBI chief economist, said: “Global supply chain challenges are continuing to impact UK firms, with our survey showing intense and escalating cost and price pressures.
“More positively, it’s good to see firms looking to invest more in training and retraining as labour shortages continue to bite. And planned increases in spending on plant and machinery is a welcome sign of much-needed strengthening in business investment. Further fiscal measures to get more firms investing will be needed to set the UK on a long-term path to sustainable growth.
“Meanwhile, against the backdrop of rising energy prices, which are adding to inflationary pressures, short-term action is needed from the UK government to find urgent solutions for firms that are struggling. Longer term, energy market reforms are required to build resilience against future energy price shocks and create markets for renewable technologies, assisting net zero ambitions.”
Tom Crotty, group director at INEOS and chair of the CBI Manufacturing Council, said: “It is no surprise that manufacturers remain acutely concerned about the impact of labour shortages on their business. Alongside this, manufacturers continue to face rising energy costs and broader inflationary pressures amid ongoing supply chain disruptions. The government must work together with businesses to tackle these challenges as we begin to feel the effects of the cost-of-living crunch.
“On a more positive note, output continued to increase across most sub-sectors. But we must continue to push the government for more strategic direction for the sector to initiate further sustainable growth.”
Numbers employed in the sector grew at a slower pace compared to October, but growth is expected to pick up in the next quarter.
Business optimism dipped in the quarter to January, as did export sentiment.
Leicester and Leicestershire Business Gateway have recruited a dazzling array of creative talent to help fashion and textiles businesses succeed in 2022.
Experts in photography, video, branding, digital marketing and websites will enable local businesses to attract new customers in a programme called SMARTUP: Create.
It’s no secret that the last two years have been very difficult for Leicestershire’s iconic fashion and textiles sector. As part of the ongoing support from the Business Gateway, a new one-day virtual event aims to help them showcase their products more effectively by using a range of media channels.
The SMARTUP: Create programme will enable beginners to understand how to create a brand using video and photography and promote it through digital marketing. It will also enable more experienced businesses to take their existing marketing activities to the next level; all with the aim of growing income for those businesses.
The agency So Very Creative is overseeing the programme which will be free of charge to participating businesses. Founder Ben Mainwaring explained: “We have some top-class people to share their expertise and provide practical guidance to fashion and textiles companies during the day.
“Award-winning Jack James is our video specialist, photographer Nick Freeman has many years shooting all styles from conceptual high-end couture to high street fashion. Web expertise is provided by Zaid Crowe who has 15 years’ experience. Fashion branding and marketing know-how comes from Charlene Bent, founder of the Ms Campbell styling solutions range. Charlene has worked with the X Factor, OK!, HELLO! and many other famous names.”
The event will run all day with sessions lasting approximately 50 minutes to an hour. At the end of the webinar section of the day, there will be a live case study Q&A session with a fashion business who will be outlining their own strategy for building their brand online.
The event is on 17 March 2022 10.00am-5.00pm and businesses interested in taking part should visit https://bit.ly/3KvMek6 or www.smartupdigital.uk/create
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