The ban on landlords charging ground rent on new residential leases, announced today, will also apply to retirement homes. This will come into force no earlier than 1 April 2023 and more details will be confirmed in due course.
Ground Rent to be banned for new leases from 30 June
Landlords will be banned from charging ground rent to future leaseholders, under the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022, which comes into force on the 30th June.
The government is taking action to rid future homeowners of annual costs – known as ground rent. Sometimes worth hundreds of pounds a year, these charges provide no clear service in return and can be set to escalate regularly, with a significant financial burden for leaseholders.
Leases granted after 30th June 2022 that breach these provisions will expose the person granting them to penalties and fines of between £500 and £30,000 will be enforced by a civil penalty regime.
In preparation, many landlords have already reduced ground rent to zero starting a new lease with them. Anyone preparing to sign a new lease on a home in the next two months is urged to speak to their landlord to ensure their ground rent rate reflects the upcoming changes.
Leasehold Minister Lord Stephen Greenhalgh said: “This is an important milestone in our work to fix the leasehold system and to level up home ownership. Abolishing these unreasonable costs will make the dream of home ownership a more affordable reality for the next generation of home buyers.
Henry Brothers wins gold health and safety award for Nottinghamshire’s new emergency services
Leading construction firm, Henry Brothers, has been awarded an internationally-acclaimed RoSPA Gold Award for its outstanding health and safety practices while delivering the Sherwood Lodge project for its clients, Nottinghamshire Police and Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service.
The prestigious award recognises organisations that go above and beyond to ensure the safety of its employees, contractors, and clients, and is one of the most sought-after achievements for health and safety professionals worldwide.
David Wallace, Safety, Health, Environment and Quality Director at Henry Brothers, commented:
“It is a huge honour to win a RoSPA Gold Award and is a testament to the commitment, diligence and dedication of our staff and contractors in completing this project in a safe manner.
“At Henry Brothers, our operations are built on the values of acting with integrity and dependability while delivering high-quality construction. All of our employees and partners receive continuous health and safety training, and we actively engage in a number of forums to ensure our high standards are maintained.
“The majority of the Sherwood Lodge construction was completed during the Covid-19 pandemic, which presented additional challenges in itself, so we are thrilled that we have been recognised as leaders in health and safety practice.”
Sherwood Lodge, part of the new headquarters for Nottinghamshire Police and Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, comprises shared office space, conference rooms, a tactical and police control room, training classrooms, and a sports hall.
Henry Brothers handed over the building in January.
Chief Constable Craig Guildford, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “From start to finish this most complex and demanding project has run extremely smoothly, with minimal disruption of day-to-day activities at a busy operational police facility. Henry Brothers have delivered a genuinely first-class facility that is already revolutionising the way we operate as a force, and I commend them on this award.”
Candida Brudenell, Assistant Chief Fire Officer at Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, said:
“Congratulations to Henry Brothers for this brilliant achievement. As Services we worked closely with the site team to deliver the joint headquarters project, and we know our staff will enjoy the facilities for years to come.
“Henry Brothers performance has been of the highest of standards throughout, with the site always well organised, clean, and safe. The team were extremely personable and communicated proficiently at all levels, overcoming challenges to produce an outstanding example of collaboration in Nottinghamshire.”
Julia Small, RoSPA’s Achievements Director, said:
“This is a fantastic and well-deserved accomplishment. All our award entrants demonstrate their unwavering commitment and passion for keeping people safe at work.
“By receiving this recognition, Henry Brothers join like-minded businesses and organisations worldwide, who represent the very best in their approach to Health and Safety. I would like to add my personal thanks for all the work that it has taken to secure this well-deserved award – congratulations to all those involved, who champion and drive up Health and Safety standards every day. You are a fantastic example to others in your sector.”
EY welcomes new partner to lead mergers & acquisitions advisory team in the Midlands
EY has appointed Jeremy Harrison, who joins the business as partner, to lead the firm’s Midlands-based Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) advisory team.
Jeremy brings over 20 years of experience advising high growth, mid-market businesses and entrepreneurs on acquisitions, company sales and capital raising activity across the Midlands. He joins EY during a period of significant growth and investment in its strategy and transaction advisory business.
Before joining EY, Jeremy was Managing Director (Global Industrial Technology Group) at Houlihan Lokey and partner at Alantra. He specialises in the industrial technology and tech-enabled business services sectors.
Jeremy said: “I’m delighted to be taking on this important and exciting role. The opportunity to lead, develop and grow the team in Birmingham really resonated with me. EY has a strong cultural identity and is dedicated to supporting private businesses, entrepreneurship and mid-market private equity clients. I am very much looking forward to representing the firm across the region.”
Simon O’Neill, office managing partner at EY in Birmingham, added: “We’re welcoming Jeremy to EY during a period of significant investment in our regional strategy and transactions advisory business. His expertise and experience will prove invaluable to the team.
“A strong and active transaction market is critical to the regional economy and at EY we have built a team that looks after all aspects of this type of activity for PLCs and private businesses, including M&A, transaction due diligence, deal structures and turnaround.
“We are committed to investing in our regional offices, and only last month announced our intention to treble the size of our Consulting practice in the Midlands over the next four years. Attracting and retaining the right skills and expertise at all levels is crucial to our continued success.”
Local events company takes up 5,000 sq ft unit on West Meadows Ind estate
Local events production company, Presentation Design Services, has taken up a 5,010 sq ft unit on West Meadows Ind estate in Derby.
The property is located on West Meadows Industrial Estate, a well-established location for trade counter, manufacturers and storage operators, and is situated conveniently off the A52 at Pentagon Island.
FHP Property Consultants are pleased to have completed on the letting and Dan Mooney comments: “The property had been on the market for quite some time, however as a result of an extensive refurbishment to split the former 9,000ft2 warehouse into two separate units, both were under offer within a couple of months. This is a great result for all parties involved as we agreed new lease terms for a period of 5 years, so I am pleased to have got this one over the line. I wish Presentation Design Services Ltd the very best and hope that their move into the unit is a success.
Clearly this proves that there is still a good demand of occupiers looking to move into sub-5,000ft2 second-hand units in Derby. Therefore, I would invite any property owners to get in touch should you be looking to dispose of a freehold or leasehold property.”
Destination Lincolnshire launches business survey to support tourism and hospitality
Destination Lincolnshire has started an extensive research programme to accelerate recovery and growth across Greater Lincolnshire.
The organisation is urging businesses to support research to understand the best and most effective ways to support Lincolnshire’s tourism and hospitality businesses, and to grow and develop the regions visitor economy. It is vital that Destinations Lincolnshire’s work is informed by robust evidence, and the most important piece of this evidence base is feedback directly from businesses such as yours.
By completing the survey, you will help the organisation to understand the benefits, challenges, and opportunities tourism brings to your business, Lincolnshire and the surrounding areas and how we can work together to:
- Recover from the pandemic shaping Lincolnshire into a world class visitor destination.
- Create more value; get visitors to stay longer, explore further, and spend more.
- Reduce any negative impact from tourism on the area.
West Lindsey Council look to acquire RAF Scampton
The Council’s Corporate Policy and Resources Committee agreed to register the interest of the Council in acquiring RAF Scampton.
Councillors made the decision as the Ministry of Defence’s disposal strategy, allows all public sector bodies the opportunity to express an interest in acquiring the site, prior to assets being listed on the open market.
Cllr Anne Welburn, Chair of Corporate Policy and Resources Committee said: “We see that the successful redevelopment of the site of RAF Scampton could contribute significantly to the ‘Levelling Up’ of economic and social outcomes across West Lindsey, Lincolnshire and beyond.
“The importance of this site both in terms of heritage and social history cannot be overstated. It is hoped that by registering our interest in the site we can take a leading role in ensuring a positive outcome and we look forward to working with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation and the Ministry of Defence as we go forwards.
“As a District Council we are seeking to provide a safeguard for the future of RAF Scampton. This expression of interest will enable us to do this. It does not commit the Council to anything apart from helping us to ‘explore all options’ available.”
The closure of RAF Scampton was announced by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in 2018 as part of cost cutting measures. Since this time officers have worked closely with the community, MOD, the RAF and potential investors to understand opportunities for the future of the site.
As previously reported as part of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan, RAF Scampton has been identified as an ‘opportunity area’. As such a new policy S74 was added to the draft Local Plan which requires the preparation of a masterplan in conjunction with, and for approval by, the district council prior to a planning application being submitted.
Process and packaging solutions business acquires Retford premises
A supplier of process and packaging solutions, Moody Direct, has purchased rented premises (located at West Carr Road, Retford) thanks to a £1m commercial mortgage from Barclays.
Originally part of the Moody Group, which was founded by Paul Moody in 1975, Moody Direct was formed in 1996. Based in Retford, Nottinghamshire, the business is a supplier of process and packaging solutions to the dairy, food, beverage, brewery, ice cream, chemical and pharmaceutical industries with a large customer base in the UK, Ireland and around the world.
In early 2016, Paul Moody handed over the reins to David Tomlinson and Ken Wild following a management buyout (MBO) of Moody Direct Ltd. With the support of Barclays, David and Ken have acquired their rented premises from the previous owner’s pension fund, following an option as part of the MBO.
Moody Direct employ over 80 staff with a turnover expected to reach £17 million this year.
David Tomlinson, director of Moody Direct, said: “We’ve banked with Barclays for over 20 years because of their focus on relationship management, their understanding of our business and their willingness to help us realise our full potential. The last five or six years have been incredibly exciting and rewarding, with the business almost doubling turnover since the MBO. The depth and range of knowledge and support our 80-strong team provide is unrivalled. Investment in our plate heat exchanger division has also allowed us to expand our offerings outside of our traditional hygienic sectors into industrial industries such as oil and power generation.”
He continued: “Whilst the last couple of years have inevitably been challenging, we’re proud to continue supporting the critical industries with essential products and services and acquiring the rented premises is another step forward to enable us to take this business to the next level. We look forward to tackling the challenges and opportunities over many years to come.”
Alastair West, Barclays relationship director, put together the funding package for the deal and said: “Over the decades, as the market has evolved, Moody’s business model has proved very successful and allowed for expansion into projects, service and the distribution of parts and components. With David and Ken at the helm of a team of long serving, committed, talented employees, the future looks bright for this ambitious business and Barclays look forward to supporting them along the way.”
New business development manager joins Bridge Help
East Midlands-based bespoke commercial bridging loan provider, Bridge Help, has marked its continued growth in 2022 with the appointment of a new business development manager.
Tina Panayi from Macclesfield brings 25 years of business development experience in the finance sector to her new role at the short-term finance firm.
As well as being an experienced relationship manager, Tina is also a qualified broker. She said: “Being a qualified broker I fully understand clients’ requirements and where Bridge Help can add value to the loan process. It’s an exciting opportunity to be able to use all my skills.”
She joins the company’s team of business development managers at Bridge Help where she will be responsible for managing and growing relationships with brokers throughout England and Wales.
Tina’s career history includes roles with a number of high street lenders, including Bank of Scotland, B M Solutions, Aldermore Bank and, most recently, specialist lender Together Money.
She said: “I’m really looking forward to the challenge of my new role at Bridge Help. As a salesperson I’m very passionate about what I do and love adding value to the client’s business which I am able to do at Bridge Help, it being a bespoke lender where humans make the lending decisions rather than a computer.”
Tina’s appointment follows significant growth for Bridge Help during 2021 in which the short-term lender exceeded its own projections, lending more than £23 million and is on track to lend £40 million in 2022.
Chris Sellars, Chief Executive of Bridge Help, added: “Tina shares the company’s passion for getting deals over the line and providing a bespoke approach to bridging finance. We’re excited to have her on board, helping us to continue developing valuable, long-lasting relationships with our growing broker network.”
While Tina is a new face to Bridge Help, she may be more familiar to fans of the Channel 4 programme Come Dine with Me. In 2009 she appeared on the show with her Greek-inspired menu.
Get ready to make new connections at the Property & Business Investment Lincolnshire Expo
The Property & Business Investment Lincolnshire Expo will take place next week on Wednesday 27 April 2022, providing a prime opportunity for networking and business generation.
The free expo, for which Business Link is a proud partner, will take place at The Bentley Hotel, Lincoln, and is a well targeted event aimed at the Construction, Property, Business, Investment, Finance, Professional Services and related B2B markets.
Exhibitors include Aspbury Planning Ltd, Belvoir, Business Lincolnshire, BSP Consulting, Delta Simons, the Federation of Small Businesses, J Tomlinson, NatWest, Willmott Dixon, and YMD Boon, to name a few. See the full list of who is exhibiting here.
Opening at 9am, the expo will also host a workshop from Team Lincolnshire and Business Lincolnshire. Running from 10:15 – 11:45, it will demystify the procurement process and explore the potential which public sector contracts could bring to your business.
Team Lincolnshire ambassador Neal Wheatley, director and general manager of RG Carter Lincoln Limited, and Barry Taylor, regional director at Parker Technical Service, will be sharing insightful first-hand experiences on winning a major Lincolnshire County Council contract for the construction of the South Lincolnshire Food Enterprise Zone and how supporting the local economy is a core value within the RG Carter Supply Chain Commitment.
Sign up to the free workshop here.
As the exhibition closes, it will roll directly into an informal, open buffet style network lunch – tickets for the lunch are just £25 plus vat and can be ordered and paid for directly online. Spaces for the lunch are limited, so order as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Tina King, of Business Shows Group, said: “It’s been a long time in the making thanks to the pandemic, but we are finally nearly there, The Property & Business Investment Lincolnshire Expo is gearing up to be one of the best to date!”
To attend the event, register for free here.
Purchase tickets to the networking lunch here.
Meet more potential clients in one amazing cost effective day, than it would take months out on the road.
Nottingham-based children’s residential care home provider receives £150k funding package
Maven’s East Midlands investment team has backed Prime Nurture Services Limited (PNSL) via MEIF Maven Debt Finance, part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund.
The £150,000 funding package will support the opening of PNSL’s first two children’s residential care homes, as part of an ambitious plan to establish ten high quality homes over the next three years.
PNSL’s first home, based in Mapperley, Nottingham, was opened in January and has already generated 5 new jobs. The company will be actively recruiting for future home openings over the coming months and as it expands into Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
The business, which was founded by technology entrepreneurs Glyn Heath and Anthony Davy, provides care, accommodation and support for children aged eight to 18 with their personal development, health, wellbeing, education, and cultural needs.
Staff work with each individual to design a tailored personal development plan, and PNSL has invested in a technology platform to monitor these plans, outcomes, and the medical and emotional needs of each resident, working with community groups, leisure organisations, faith groups, businesses, and local authorities.
Glyn Heath, co-founder of Prime Nurture Services Limited, said: “PNSL came into existence to help alleviate the chronic shortage of high-quality residential children’s care currently experienced across the UK. By working with Maven, we can deliver on this mission from a solid financial footing. Creating the availability of new, genuinely therapeutic places will mean we will be able to offer a safe and supportive environment to as many vulnerable children as possible.”
Jonathan Lowe, investment director at Maven, said: “Anthony and Glyn have shown huge commitment to establishing PNSL in this sector, where compliance and regulations are rightly a high priority. More importantly, their team are equally committed to improving the lives of the young people and we at Maven are delighted to support them with the finance to grow.”
Will Morlidge, Interim Chief Executive Officer at D2N2 LEP, said: “As co-investors in the fund, I’m pleased to see the Midlands Engine Investment Fund supporting ambitious businesses like PNSL to thrive, creating jobs in the area while giving vulnerable young people a safe and stable environment.”
South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership to receive £9.3m Government funding to level up
The South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership are to receive £9.3 million from the Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to help level up the community by building pride in place and increase life chances across the UK.
Following Brexit, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) invests in local communities by helping to regenerate communities, tackle economic decline, and reverse geographical inequalities – with areas in greater need receiving more support.
It is designed to match previous long-term European Union structural funding while handing decision-making powers on how the money is spent to councils instead of regional agencies. The new funding covers the next three years. This aligns with Levelling Up White Paper missions, one being “By 2030, pride in place, such as people’s satisfaction with the place they live and engagement in local culture and community, will have risen in every area of the UK, with the gap between the top performing and other areas closing.”
Council leaders have welcomed the news that as part of the overall £2.6 billion levelling up, funding has been awarded to their areas. Boston Borough Council is to receive £2.2m, East Lindsey District Council £4.4m and South Holland District Council £2.7m.
Councillor Paul Skinner, Leader of Boston Borough Council, Councillor Craig Leyland, Leader of East Lindsey District Council and Councillor Gary Porter, Leader of South Holland District Council, said: “We are incredibly pleased to have been awarded this funding and be given the opportunity to work innovatively at a local level with other public and voluntary organisations, businesses, wider stakeholder partners and local people to ensure this is spent in ways to boost our local economies for the benefit of all our communities.
“The three key areas for us are communities and place, supporting local businesses and people and skills. Our aims for the funds is to allow us to help boost productivity and therefore pay, jobs and living standards by helping to grow the private sector, spread opportunities and improve public services, restore a sense of community, local pride and belonging, and empower local leaders and communities.”
The partnership awaits further guidance to be issued in Summer 2022.
Family IT company doubles in size
A company that offers outsourced IT support to businesses has doubled in size with the appointment of two new directors and additional engineers.
NewGen IT Services of Irchester, Northamptonshire now boasts a team of eight people and is currently recruiting for an administrator to join the team.
Stephen Souch started the business in 2013 after working in IT and technology roles for nine years, working his way up from an apprentice to service operations manager. After a period of growth, Suraj Dholakia came on board as Stephen’s business partner and Managing Director in 2017.
Shortly afterwards Steve’s wife Leila Souch joined the business as an administrator and worked her way up to marketing manager.
Last year, Suraj’s wife and qualified accountant Jessica Dholakia joined the business as finance director.
Now, both Leila and Jessica have been appointed as directors in the company, which today boasts a £1 million turnover and clients all over the world.
The company has also recently taken on Chris Edwards, a new service engineer, and field engineer Steve Lawson who will work alongside existing team members business development manager Jake Hill and service desk engineer Ethan Malvern.
Service manager and company founder, Stephen Souch, said: “NewGen IT Services was founded out of a passion to help people with their IT challenges. I wanted to change the way that IT support was provided and really get to know our clients, what they wanted out of their IT and see how we could help them get there.
“As the business and our client base have grown, we have continuously developed and evolved, reinvesting in the business to help our customers have a better and faster service, whilst ensuring that the quality and personal touch is still there.
“Our list of services has also grown over the years. When we started out, our main service was IT support for businesses. Over the years we have evolved to also offer VoIP, Hardware Procurement, Cybersecurity, Cloud and AV/Data cabling services too. We’ve also launched two sister companies – Home-Tech Computers, which provides IT support for home users, and Bella Marketing Solutions, which means we can offer digital marketing, website and social media services to clients too.
“With a larger team of engineers, we can continue to deliver that speedy, knowledgeable IT support service. And, with a larger team of directors, each with their own business specialty, we can also develop the business further and continue to evolve to make NewGen IT Services better than ever.”
M-EC bolsters geomatics division to meet demand
Due to continued client demand, M-EC has strengthened its geomatics department by adding two new staff members and investing in industry-leading surveying equipment.
The hires start with Gareth Smithies, who has joined M-EC as assistant land surveyor. Gareth has recently completed training to become M-EC’s dedicated drone pilot, as part of his role will be to carry out aerial land surveying across M-EC’s geomatics projects.
The second hire is the addition of a survey manager who is due to join the M-EC team in June 2022. This role will enhance the delivery and accuracy of client projects, overseeing all surveys carried out by M-EC’s geomatics team and supporting the department’s growth.
M-EC has also become one of the first in the UK to take delivery of two state of the art pieces of surveying equipment – the GeoMax Zenith 60 units and a GeoMax Zoom95 R 5’’ total station.
The Geomax equipment has been supplied by Survey Hire UK and will be used by M-EC’s geomatics division on a range of projects, including those for some of the UK’s largest housebuilders and large scale infrastructure projects, such as Anglian Water’s current 500km long stretch of pipeline that runs along the east of England.
The calibration-free tilt GNSS offered by the GeoMax Zenith 60 smart antenna delivers full tilt compensation for hard to reach detail points in site surveys and assessments. The GNSS receiver’s tilt capability lets engineers measure inaccessible points and speed up the survey process as time spent levelling the pole is no longer needed. Also, it is resistant to electromagnetic fields, so provides accurate and reliable data.
Alex Bennett, director at M-EC, says: “We have seen continued growth in demand for our geomatics expertise so have taken the decision to invest in the department with staff and equipment to ensure we continue to deliver the highest standards for our expanding client base.
“The new technology in the hands of our experts will be instrumental in helping to deliver accurate reports efficiently, speeding up the process for our clients. What used to take several minutes can now be done in a few seconds, and this will make a real difference to our nationwide geomatics and site survey capabilities.”
Expansion plans for Loughborough chartered quantity surveyor and project management firm
Loughborough-based chartered quantity surveyor and project management firm, Addison Hunt, has set its sights on further expansion following a successful six years of trading – achieving a 200% increase in turnover in the last three years alone.
The company works across all levels of the construction industry on projects throughout the UK, providing cost advice and end to end project management services – ensuring projects meet the required quality standards, risk is minimised, and value for money is achieved.
Led by company directors Chris Hunt and Simon Collin, the business was set up by Chris in 2016 and in six years has grown to a team of eight professionals delivering multi-million pound projects, working with sub-contractors, contractors and developers.
Currently in the first quarter of a new financial year, Addison Hunt has secured a strong pipeline of work for 2022 – amounting to 50% of 2020/21.
This sustained growth is enabling the firm to recruit and as part of the team’s ambitious growth strategy, they hope to increase turnover by 30% in 2022. Currently, there is opportunity for two intermediate quantity surveyors to join the team who will work across the developer and contractor client base.
Director Chris said: “I am extremely proud of what the business has achieved to date, despite challenging times during the pandemic, Addison Hunt continues to grow – recruiting and training team members, and delivering a varied and diverse list of projects.
“We wanted to create a firm that would be seen by our clients as a trusted partner rather than a necessary consultant to deliver a project, and I feel that our success within the last three years has been real testament to this.
“As business owners, we want Addison Hunt to be known for quality of service and our returning clients showcase our commitment to this aim. Our ambition is to grow the team to 15 in the next few years, working out of our head office in Loughborough – the perfect base to serve the Midlands and UK wide.”
Notable projects completed by Addison Hunt include the Abbey Meadows residential development in Leicester – which forms part of Leicester’s waterside regeneration – comprising of 98 homes and saw the transformation of a redundant manufacturing site.
Simon, who has 40 years’ experience in the sector, comments on current market conditions and his ambition for the future: “The level of activity in the construction industry remains strong which is positive for all involved and we plan to harness this as part of our growth strategy. We have experienced considerable, organic growth which we are very proud of and as a team we are looking forward to what the future holds for Addison Hunt.
“Myself and Chris are big advocates of the industry and passionate about quantity surveying as a career – we are keen to invest in our workforce. We pride ourselves on being supportive and flexible employers, always available to support and provide guidance.
“I’d like to say a big thank you to our team and to our clients who put their trust in us and return to us for their next projects.”
Major refurbishment to take place at prominent Chesterfield office building
A major refurbishment of prominent Chesterfield office space, The HQ, Rowland Hill House in Chesterfield is underway, resulting in a raft of new tenants.
The works being carried out by FI Real Estate Management includes a £1.2m remodelling of the ground and third floors, which has created brand new reception and meeting space and the ground floor has been split into a series of smaller suites in response to market demand. This is now fully occupied by a diverse range of businesses including software consultancy Forefront Technology and advertising agency, Eehhaaa.
The next phase of works will see a £1m+ refurbishment of the first and second floors that will see the space divided to provide smaller units, with discussions already ongoing with a number of interested parties from Derbyshire and beyond.
The HQ, Rowland Hill House offers a wide range of refurbished, flexible and affordable office space from 400 sq ft up – right up to 60,331 sq ft across four floors. Space can be divided in order to meet specific business requirements, with turnkey and bespoke packages available.
The property also boasts 326 on site parking spaces, unlike many office buildings in the area.
Situated within the heart of the historic market town of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, Rowland Hill House is just a 15 minute drive from the M1 and East Midlands Airport only a 40-minute car journey away.
A spokesperson for FI Real Estate Management commented: “We continue to see strong demand for high quality office space in prime locations in Derbyshire and the surrounding area, particularly those with ample on-site parking like here at The HQ, Rowland Hill House.
“Local and regional businesses are keen to find first class office environments but understandably want the flexibility to create solutions that are tailored to them and suit their unique needs. We’re able to offer traditional leases as well as bespoke, turnkey packages and are already seeing good interest in floors one and two on this basis.”
The HQ, Rowland Hill House offers a wide range of refurbished, flexible and affordable office space from 400 sq ft up – right up to 60,331 sq ft across four floors. Space can be divided in order to meet specific business requirements, with turnkey and bespoke packages available.
The property also boasts 326 on site parking spaces, unlike many office buildings in the area.
Situated within the heart of the historic market town of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, Rowland Hill House is just a 15 minute drive from the M1 and East Midlands Airport only a 40-minute car journey away.
A spokesperson for FI Real Estate Management commented: “We continue to see strong demand for high quality office space in prime locations in Derbyshire and the surrounding area, particularly those with ample on-site parking like here at The HQ, Rowland Hill House.
“Local and regional businesses are keen to find first class office environments but understandably want the flexibility to create solutions that are tailored to them and suit their unique needs. We’re able to offer traditional leases as well as bespoke, turnkey packages and are already seeing good interest in floors one and two on this basis.” Leicester high street businesses given opportunity to access council-funded digital skills training
Businesses in neighbourhood shopping areas in Leicester have been given the opportunity to access expert digital skills training and social media tools to improve their use of social media and increase sales. The initiative was funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Welcome Back grant from Government to support businesses as they recover from the restrictions imposed during the pandemic.
Leicester City Council appointed social media tech company Maybe* to deliver the digital skills training. Businesses that have signed up to the scheme received £400 worth of training to increase their digital skills and capabilities, paid for by the ERDF grant funding.
Insight shows that around 4,500 (18 per cent) of businesses in Leicester are active on social media against a UK average of 24.4 per cent. However, 40% of consumer in England say they are spending more than 3 hours a day on social media†.
The social media training and tools being delivered by the team of experts at Maybe* covers everything from the basics of how to get started on social media through to advanced strategies, such as using Facebook advertising networks to deliver winning sales tactics.
Polly Barnfield OBE, CEO of Maybe* said, “It’s a privilege for Maybe* to be able to support the local commercial neighbour business community in Leicester. We are enjoying working with these local businesses to help them use social media to connect with customers and improve their ability to reach new markets.”
Cllr Danny Myers, assistant city mayor for jobs and skills at Leicester City Council, said: “It’s really important that we support our local businesses to make the most of social media, and the opportunities it can present for growing your customer base.
“Engaging effectively on social media not only reinforces customers from the immediate local community but also has the potential to support local high street businesses to draw customers from all over the city.
“Leicester has a reputation as a great city for entrepreneurship, and we want to do all we can to support that. I hope lots of local businesses will be able to see the benefits of this expert training.”
Prime 3 acre site fronting the A52 in Derby goes on the market
A prime 3 acre site, fronting the A52 in Derby, suitable for industrial, trade, storage or depot has gone on the market complete with 25,000 sq ft of warehouse.
The former Derby Wholesale Market, situated off Pentagon Island, is situated on Chequers Road which runs parallel with the A52 thus being highly visible from the A52 a major dual carriageway linking to the M1 Motorway.
FHP Property Consultants has been tasked to bring the property to the market explain: “The site is approximately 3 acres in size, and consists of a 25,000ft2 warehouse with ancillary buildings with the remaining area comprising hard surfaced storage land. The property can be purchased or rented as seen or with buildings to be refurbished to a specification to suit individual parties. Alternatively, new trade counter/industrial/warehouse units from 25,000ft2 up to a maximum size of 57,000ft2 can be delivered to a specification to suit.
Darran Severn of FHP Property Consultants says:“This is an extremely rare opportunity to acquire a prime site in one of the most prominent locations in Derby. The site would suit a variety of users from car dealerships, trade counter users to storage and distribution or for use as a transport depot.
We are inviting all enquiries and I look forward to speaking with any interested businesses.”
Workpays founder Helen Richardson awarded an MBE
Helen Richardson, Founder of Workpays, which has offices in Derby, Coventry, Chesterfield, Kettering, Leicester, Wolverhampton, Worcester, Hinckley, Redditch, Corby & Market Harborough, has been awarded with an MBE for Service to Young People During the Pandemic, and was presented with her award at Windsor Castle last month.
Throughout the pandemic, Workpays remained open throughout the pandemic going above and beyond to offer extended pastoral services to our participants, in addition to skills and employability delivery. After creating an online learning platform from scratch in less than a month, we provided a laptop and WiFi dongles to those participants without the equipment to access online learning and virtual classes, these were hand delivered to their homes.
Anne Wright, Managing Director of Workpays said, “We are delighted to congratulate Helen for being awarded an MBE, it is an exceptional accolade that highlights the valuable work undertaken at Workpays during the pandemic. I’m extremely proud that the Workpays family became fully united and focused to continue our service and offer excellent support to our young people at a extraordinarily challenging time for them.”
Alex Glasner, Managing Director, said, “This is a huge accolade for Helen and Workpays and testament to the work our team put in day in day out. Workpays will always put our learners first no matter what the circumstances.”
As a skills provider in Chesterfield, Workpays helps people to access the skills & training needed to gain employment.
The company provides Apprenticeship Support & Knowledge to parents, teachers & students and assists employers to develop their workforce through work-based learning and apprenticeships.
Workpays has offices in Derby, Coventry, Chesterfield, Kettering, Leicester, Wolverhampton, Worcester, Hinckley, Redditch, Corby & Market Harborough.
Find out more about the wide range of apprenticeships available in Chesterfield, along with the Made In Chesterfield scheme, which enables school pupils to gain first-hand experience of construction, manufacturing and engineering by taking part in site visits at local businesses.
Workpays supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 190 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.
Pioneering company run by disabled people wins Queen’s Award
Nimbus, a company run by disabled people to help tens of thousands of their peers have better access to entertainment venues, has won a prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise.
The company which only has four employees created the bespoke Access Card under the leadership of Martin Austin, who has been an amputee since suffering cancer as a teenager.
It was recognised in the Queen’s Award’s Innovation category.
The Access Card translates its holder’s disability/impairment/access requirements into symbols highlighting the barriers they face and the reasonable adjustments they might need at an entertainment venue.
Each symbol is based on a person’s individual rights under the Equality Act and the service provider’s subsequent legal responsibility to make adjustments.
It informs providers quickly and discreetly about the support they need, meaning they now receive complex reasonable adjustments without having to go into intricate, often embarrassing personal detail.
The card is widely accepted at major venues across the UK and beyond including Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, The London Eye, The O2 Arena and Alton Towers. Notable overseas venues which accept Access Cards include The Louvre in Paris and Chicago’s Willis Tower.
The card’s information has been linked into the computer ticketing systems of companies such as Ticket Factory, making the process of buying tickets for disabled people much less labour intensive and potentially embarrassing.
Nimbus was set up by Disability Direct which gave Martin the time and money to run with the concept for the card.
Martin said: “There was literally a moment when I was sitting with a pencil and a single piece of paper as the idea popped. The challenge starts internally convincing people that the investment to develop something is worth the risk.
“Secondly, you have to convince an entire, very well established, industry that you have something of value to them. After that and a few early adopters, you have the challenge of convincing those less adoptive of innovation to get on board.
“It’s not been an easy journey but I can honestly say it’s been an exciting one for me, my colleague Greg Johnson, who has grown with the scheme and is now our lead decision-maker, and our ever-expanding team. The award is also recognition for all of those who have supported us.
“As I have often told the team we stand on the shoulders of giants – pioneers who have paved the way to allow for this kind of innovation to even exist let alone thrive. The award is an overwhelmingly welcome signal of recognition but it is not by any means punctuation in our development.
“If anything, it’s a catalyst for all of those sitting on the fence of working with us to understand what we have to offer and take our work as seriously as we do.
“The innovative spirit from the team at Nimbus is still blazing and new developments are underway which include a Welsh Language version of the Access Card, the development of a revolutionary app and most excitingly, a complete re-evaluation of car parking and electric vehicle charging for disabled people.”
Silverstone Soccer makes it a hat trick of tournaments to help local hospice
Silverstone Fleet Management will make it a hat trick of football fundraisers this summer when they host their third annual five-a-side charity soccer tournament.
Silverstone Soccer 2022 takes place on Sunday 24th July at Daventry Town Football Club, to raise money for the vehicle leasing company’s nominated charity of the year, Cynthia Spencer Hospice.
Businesses from across Northamptonshire are being urged to form a team and don their football boots for the event, which will see 16 teams compete for the much-coveted winner’s title.
Seven sides have already registered to take part.
The popular fundraiser is the brainchild of Ryan Bishop, sales manager at Silverstone Fleet Management.
The self-confessed football fanatic decided to use his local business contacts and love of football to raise much needed funds for the hospice for the first time at the beginning of 2020.
Ryan was amazed by the response and the impressive amount of money raised, which motivated him to make it an annual event.
He also previously spearheaded the #Sing4Cynthia social media campaign, which saw people from across the local business community film themselves singing songs and upload them to LinkedIn with the hashtag #Sing4Cynthia and then pledging money to a JustGiving page and nominating two other people to take part.
Ryan said: “It is a pleasure and a privilege to be able to support Cynthia Spencer Hospice. The work they do makes an incredible difference to local families when they need help the most.
“The Silverstone Soccer event is a lot of fun to host and organise and we are proud to use such a fantastic event to make a difference to the hospice and the families it looks after.
“We are delighted to be running it again this summer and thrilled to have newcomers entering as well as last year’s teams coming back again. We’d now like to encourage more local businesses to take part and help us collect cash for this amazing cause.”
With space limited to just 16 teams, Ryan is urging local businesses to register as soon as possible. Each team needs seven players and the £250 entry fee, which includes your own business named football shirt included for each player.
Trophies will be awarded at the end of the tournament to the winning team, runners up and player of the tournament.
Sponsorship packages are also available for businesses who would like to support the event in another way.
Nina Gandy, corporate partnerships fundraiser at Cynthia Spencer Hospice, said: “The SFM team’s passion for this event is great to see and we’re so excited that Silverstone Soccer is back for another year.
“Ryan and the guys really have scored with this fantastic way to blend footy, fundraising and some friendly competition into a regular fixture in the local business calendar that also serves as a great networking event for their contacts and customers too. We can’t wait to support them again in 2022 and help them make sure this year’s event goes straight in the back of the net!”
To sign up for Silverstone Soccer visit https://sfmsoccer.silverstonefleetmanagement.com/
