The East Midlands Bricks Awards are back for 2025!
Following another successful event in 2024, Business Link Magazine is gearing up for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025, which will mark 10 years of the prestigious event!
Shining a light on the region’s property and construction industry, and offering an opportunity to network and celebrate with respected business leaders, this year’s eagerly anticipated ceremony will take place on Thursday 2nd October at the famous Trent Bridge Cricket Ground in Nottingham.
A perfect occasion to recognise those behind the changing landscape of our region, the East Midlands Bricks Awards showcase development projects and people in commercial and public building across the region – from office, industrial and residential schemes, through to community projects such as leisure schemes and schools. We also toast the work of architects, agencies and those behind large schemes.
For those interested in entering the awards, which have been a highlight in the business calendar since 2015, further information will be released soon, upon the opening of nominations.
New charity partnership for asbestos management consultancy
A Northampton-based asbestos management consultancy has pledged to complete 10 charity events during 2025 to support its new charity partner Cynthia Spencer Hospice.
Starting in April, the Acorn Analytical Services team will take part in numerous fundraising feats to raise much-needed cash for the local hospice.
Head of commercial Sian Stone will team up with Ben Simpson and Lewis Dawes to kick off the activities with a parachute jump, swiftly followed by Liam Wood and Noah Woodward in an Ultra White Collar Boxing event in April.
In May, Lois Ashby, Holly Singleton and Sarah Seal will take on the London Moonwalk and the company will also enter a team in the Northampton Dragon Boat Festival.
June sees Danielle and Gen from Acorn Analytical’s lab team take on Cynthia Spencer’s annual Northampton Colour Run and Viviana Pista and Abbie Bruce will be abseiling down the Northampton Lift Tower.
In July Dan Crask, Richard Crockett, Joseph Bell and Alex will brave the Pretty Muddy and August boasts the first ever Acorn coffee morning, in which the keen bakers and cooks will be knocking up some delicious treats to sell.
Finally, in September, Joshua Cannell and Alex will complete the Northampton Half Marathon before Dan takes on a gruelling 100 miles in 24 hours attempt.
Acorn Analytical Services managing director Sam Savage said: “Cynthia Spencer are not new to us, we’ve joined hands on numerous occasions, most notably the Three Peaks challenge back in September. Their dedication and commitment inspire us and we are all eager to scale new peaks together.
“Starting in April, we are embarking on an audacious journey, participating in 10 fundraising events spanning over six months, including the famous Colour Run organised by Cynthia Spencer themselves.
“As we look forward to the upcoming year, we are thrilled to be walking side by side with Cynthia Spencer, giving back to the community and making a difference.”
The Acorn team hope to raise £6,000 in total, to be split across their three partner charities – Cynthia Spencer Hospice, Mesothelioma UK and Muscular Dystrophy UK.
A Go Fund Me page has been set up to cover all events. All proceeds from the page will go to the three partner charities. Anyone can donate by visiting: https://gofund.me/0ee714e7
Small business group appoints new chair for the East Midlands
Britain’s biggest business group has chosen Dawn Edwards to lead volunteer local activity in the East Midlands.
Dawn, from Nottinghamshire, has become FSB (Federation of Small Businesses)’s new Regional Chair for the whole of the East Midlands region which covers areas including the counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Rutland, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.
FSB has just celebrated it’s 50th year of supporting and representing small businesses and the self-employed, and Dawn sees her role as being a vital one to ensure FSB continues to grow its business community, with volunteering remaining essential to local business support.
Dawn Edwards is the founder and Managing Director of Challenge Consulting, an award-winning management and leadership training company based in Nottinghamshire. She said: “I’m delighted to have been appointed to this key role and want to ensure that the voice of small businesses across the East Midlands region is clearly heard.
“Building a business community where we can share experiences and support each other is key to my volunteer role and I look forward to meeting businesses across East Midlands whether virtually or in person.
“I’m also looking forward to working with the local staff team who have many years’ experience of business support across the region.”
In her new role, Dawn will be looking to help champion and represent FSB locally and be a key part of the new English Policy Unit team who discuss local and national issues from across England, to ensure FSB continue to be the leading business organisation representing the needs of small businesses and self-employed to national and local government.
UK’s largest cold store facility reaches completion near Grantham
McLaren Construction Midlands and North has completed the UK’s largest cold store facility, developed for Magnavale Ltd, the temperature controlled warehouse and value added service providers.
The fully automated facility stands at 47 metres tall with a capacity for 101,000 pallets and represents a significant milestone in logistics and sustainable storage solutions.
Located near Grantham, the purpose-built, rack-clad automated cold store has been designed to support Magnavale’s goal of creating Europe’s most efficient cold storage facility, operating at a standard temperature of -200C. The 474,283 sq ft development can function at temperatures as low as -28°C and is powered entirely by renewable energy.
The facility features a five-storey office space, extensive external yards, an HGV marshalling area, and a large staff car park. Additionally, cutting-edge refrigeration plant ensures that the storage chamber maintains optimal conditions for frozen food products from retailers.
The construction of the project presented a range of unique challenges. The facility was delivered while maintaining 24/7 access to the adjacent McCain food production facility, alongside another existing cold storage unit and water treatment processing works, while ensuring minimal disruption to operations and a water treatment facility.
Extensive demolition and controlled waste removal was required to clear the site, which was previously home to an iron ore drift mine. The project team also had to divert and relay multiple services and utilities across the site.
An external gantry system was used to accommodate certain services instead of traditional underground installations due to space constraints. The construction incorporated a contractor-designed steel fibre slab, eliminating the need for more than 20 steel fixers on-site, while an on-site gas generator was refurbished to provide 1.45MW of power. Due to the size of concrete pours, an on-site concrete batching plant was incorporated into the build, to eliminate issues with delivery delays.
The project also required precise coordination to accommodate 90 shipping containers of conveyor systems, and McLaren successfully managed an international workforce, including a specialised team from Bosnia.
With the building now operational, Magnavale has achieved a major advancement in the cold storage sector, setting new standards in automation, energy efficiency, and logistics. The facility’s scale and technological sophistication position it as one of the most advanced cold storage hubs in Europe, supporting the growing demand for high-efficiency food storage solutions.
Gary Cramp, Managing Director of McLaren Construction Midlands and North, said: “Delivering this project has been a remarkable achievement, showcasing McLaren’s expertise in managing large-scale, complex construction projects. This facility not only advances the UK’s cold storage infrastructure but also exemplifies our focus on sustainable and innovative building practices.”
Homes England revealed as Broad Marsh site buyer
Homes England has been revealed as the purchaser of Nottingham’s Broad Marsh site, pushing forward the regeneration of the city centre.
The Government’s housing and regeneration agency will acquire the council’s land ownership of the former shopping centre, land to the west of the Green Heart, a multi-storey car park, Severns House and a former college site.
The next stage of development will include de-risking of the site, such as demolition and enabling works, to attract private sector developers with the necessary credentials and proven track record to deliver transformational city centre projects.
The development of the site will bring forward around 1,000 homes, up to 20,000 square metres of retail, office and community spaces and create around 2,000 full-time jobs.
Councillor Neghat Khan, Leader of Nottingham City Council, said: “It’s great to finally reveal the name of the buyer for such an important site. I have confidence in Homes England and the work they have already delivered across the country.
“This is really positive news for Nottingham and marks the start of a major redevelopment for this key part of our city.
“We know that people have wanted to see progress here for a long time and we understand that it has been a frustration for some that this hasn’t happened.
“We’re excited by the plans that Homes England has, and we look forward to working closely with them to bring these to fruition.”
Eamonn Boylan, Chief Executive of Homes England, said: “The acquisition of Broad Marsh is a major milestone in the city council’s vision of regeneration for this area of Nottingham.
“We have worked closely with the council since 2022 to provide professional advice and support. Now that we have acquired the site, our teams will be working with partners to attract the right developer to deliver the new homes, employment spaces and leisure facilities necessary to create a vibrant city centre neighbourhood that the people of Nottingham can be proud of.”
Broad Marsh is Nottingham’s top priority regeneration project, with significant progress already made by Nottingham City Council in advancing its vision. Key achievements include the establishment of a new Nottingham College hub, the opening of the Central Library, Broad Marsh bus station, car park, and, most recently, the completion of the Green Heart public realm.
The project will also benefit from investment by the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA), underlining Broad Marsh’s strategic significance to the region and showcasing the collaboration of organisations skilled in delivering complex regeneration projects, in line with the Government’s new Devolution arrangements.
The Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, said: “Homes England’s purchase of Broad Marsh is an investment into the future of Nottingham – a future that the people of Nottingham have been asking for and the city council has been pushing for, which can now be realised.
“As the Mayor of the East Midlands, I have been pleased to lead EMCCA into investing its resources so that this purchase could occur. This is exactly what the region expected when it chose to have a directly elected Mayor, and EMCCA will continue to work closely with Homes England as they transform the area.”
Homes England will maintain close collaboration with the council, ensuring the strategic vision for Broad Marsh is successfully realised. The Agency will also commit to continue the work undertaken so far by the council, to engage residents, partners and stakeholders in shaping the delivery of this important project.
NatPower plans 1GW energy storage project in Leicestershire
NatPower UK has submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening request to Harborough District Council for a proposed 1GW battery energy storage system (BESS) in Leicestershire. The Swinford Energy Park, planned for a 197-acre site at Lambcote Hill Farm in Walcote, would be co-located with a 400kV transmission substation, connecting to existing overhead power lines.
The site, currently arable land, already hosts two wind turbines from the Swinford Wind Farm. The project aims to store excess electricity during low-demand periods and release it when demand peaks. NatPower has indicated that integrating the facility with the existing wind farm and a consented solar farm could create a combined generation and storage hub, supporting the UK’s net-zero targets.
Realise Training Group expands with Smart Gas acquisition
Realise Training Group, backed by private equity firm Endless’ Enact fund, has acquired Smart Gas Training and Assessment Centre for a seven-figure sum. The move strengthens Realise’s position in regulated training sectors, particularly in gas, plumbing, and renewable energy.
Based in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, Smart Gas offers training in air source heat pumps, gas engineering, plumbing, and heating. This acquisition marks Realise’s third in three years and aligns with its strategy to diversify into high-demand, regulated industries.
Since securing Enact Fund investment in 2020, Sheffield-based Realise has grown to over 500 staff supporting 16,500 learners. The company is formalising a new group structure to broaden its commercial offering and enhance its training solutions beyond apprenticeships and skills bootcamps.
The acquisition comes as the UK government invests £600 million to train 60,000 skilled construction workers, positioning Realise to support workforce development in critical infrastructure and green energy sectors.
Legal and financial advisors on the deal included Womble Bond Dickinson, Tax Advisory Partnership, and Fox Lloyd Jones. Realise recently secured a multi-million-pound facility from OakNorth to support further expansion and innovation.
UK gig economy employers face jail for failing worker checks
The Home Office has announced that the UK government will require all employers in the gig economy and zero-hour contract sectors to verify that workers have legal employment status. Company directors who fail to comply could face up to five years in prison, business closures, bans from directorship, and fines of up to £60,000 per worker.
The policy change, part of amendments to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, aims to curb illegal working and disrupt people-smuggling networks. The Home Office says the checks, which take minutes to complete, will be provided free of charge.
Major gig economy firms like Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Uber Eats already conduct voluntary worker eligibility checks, but thousands of other businesses currently have no legal obligation to do so. The government argues the new rules will create a level playing field for compliant companies.
The announcement comes ahead of an international summit in London, where ministers from 40 countries will discuss strategies to combat human trafficking and illegal migration routes. The UK government also plans to expand enforcement powers against people-smuggling networks.
Loughborough Building Society upgrades digital strategy with Finastra partnership
Loughborough Building Society is implementing Finastra’s Essence platform to enhance digital banking operations and speed up product launches. The system will support both retail and commercial banking services while improving operational efficiency.
The society will also integrate Finastra’s Retail Analytics module, which will enable data-driven decision-making through real-time performance tracking. Loughborough brought Fairmort, a financial software provider, to manage data migration and regulatory compliance.
The initiative is part of the society’s strategy to modernise its services, adapt to changing customer expectations, and ensure long-term growth.
Archimedia builds momentum with new hire
A Nottingham accountancy firm is continuing its growth journey with another key appointment. Archimedia Accounts, based at Nottingham Science & Technology Park, has welcomed skilled finance professional Chloe Hooton to the team as an accountant. Chris Demetriou, co-owner and finance director, says Chloe is the ideal next hire as the firm continues to grow. He said: “Chloe has a great character, she’s a very capable accountant and incredibly hard working. But more than that — she truly cares about our clients and their success. That’s what matters most at Archimedia.” The appointment follows the hiring of well-known city finance professional Jill Fox as client manager just a few months ago — a move that marked the start of an ambitious growth phase for the business. Chris added: “We’re growing and needed another team member who shares our values. Someone we can rely on to put clients first — and Chloe fits the bill perfectly. She’s a fantastic addition to our expanding team.” Speaking about her new role, Chloe said: “Archimedia has a brilliant reputation for building strong relationships with clients and genuinely caring about their goals. That really stood out to me. I’m excited to be joining a team that’s growing with purpose and staying true to its values.” Chloe joins Archimedia during a period of positive momentum, with further growth and recruitment planned for later in the year.
