Local law firm makes quartet of promotions

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Local law firm makes quartet of promotions

Local law firm Hegarty has promoted four team members. Now in its 50th anniversary year the firm, which has offices in Peterborough, Market Deeping, Stamford and Oakham, has further expansion plans.

Sarah Martin works in the Residential Conveyancing team at the Hegarty Market Deeping office and has been promoted to partner. Sarah is a CILEX practitioner and has been with the firm since 2012. Sarah deals with all aspects of residential conveyancing including freehold and leasehold sales and purchases, transfers of equity, remortgages and shared ownership transactions.

Sarah said: “I am pleased to have received this promotion and am grateful to the partners for this opportunity. I’m now looking forward to assisting in the growth and development of the firm.”

Chris Brown, head of the Family Law team at Hegarty also becomes a partner, having joined the firm in 2012. A Resolution accredited family lawyer, Chris specialises in advising clients in respect of the division of assets when their marriage breaks down. Chris also recently qualified as a collaborative family lawyer, which is a non-adversarial, solution-focussed approach to dealing with issues on divorce or separation.

Chris remarked: “I am extremely proud to be a partner of a firm with such a great local reputation and I am excited to embrace the challenges that this next stage of my career will bring.”

In addition to partner promotions, Rachael Griffiths and Tom Moore at the firm have also been promoted to associate.

Rachael began working for Hegarty after moving to Peterborough in April 2022 as a chartered legal executive in the Wills, Trusts and Probate team. Rachael deals with a variety of cases including Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Deputyship Orders, and all aspects of estate administration, as well as assisting clients with Inheritance Tax planning and protection against care fees.

Rachael said: “I am very grateful to have my contributions to the firm recognised and am looking forward to continuing my work in an area of law that I love, knowing that the partners and my colleagues at the firm will continue to provide me with their support and encouragement.”

Tom joined Hegarty in 2022 as the firm’s Tax, Trust and Estate Planning specialist following 15 years working for local and national accountancy firms. His expertise is with private client matters, including high net worth individuals, trusts and estates; covering income tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax, both the compliance and planning aspects.

Remarking on the promotions, Kally Singh, senior partner, said: “I’m pleased to announce the promotion of four of our talented team members. Hegarty is proud of its reputation for excellence and we strive to support our team in their development throughout their careers. These promotions recognise our team members’ contributions to the firm and their focus and vision for delivering excellent client care.

“We value team members who share in our vision for the firm, and we are passionate about developing our team’s professional skills and helping them achieve their career aims. We value the contribution each member of our team makes, and I am sure they will continue their significant contribution to the firm.

“We have ambitious growth plans this year as we mark our 50th anniversary, with a new office planned to open in Bourne in the Autumn and plans to further expand our team. We would be delighted to hear from legal professionals looking for a rewarding and challenging firm to make their next career move.”

Proceeds from Star Trust ball to improve local people’s lives

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Proceeds from Star Trust ball to improve local people’s lives
East Midlands charity, Star Trust – The Charitable Entrepreneurs, has donated the proceeds of its annual ball to several smaller charities across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire who are focused on improving the lives of local people. The charities were invited to an event at Graypaul Maserati Nottingham who were the headline sponsor for the annual ball at Stapleford Park Hotel and Spa last September which raised £114,000. The presentations brought the total donated by Star Trust over the past ten years to £852,642 for 114 charities – benefiting more than 71,000 people across the East Midlands. Among the recipients of the latest round of funding were: – The Children’s Bereavement Centre in Newark which was awarded £10,287 to pay for eight 1:1 bereavement counselling sessions – Pasic Cancer Support received £10,708 towards its family support service for families of the 278 children and young people who receiving treatment for cancer at Nottingham Children’s Hospital – Disability Support for Nottingham and county were awarded £2,000 to provide 400 free meals for attendees of their social groups – Derventio Charitable Trust received £2,739 which has paid for 155 essential food hampers for the charity’s supported housing residents across Derby and Derbyshire – Level Youth Collective were awarded £3,000 to support creative arts projects attended by young people in Derbyshire who are Autistic and Neurodivergent – Saffires in Leicester received £3,000 for its work to tackle the sexual exploitation of women through holistic support for women affected by prostitution – Arthritis Support Leicestershire received £4,500 to support the charity’s wellbeing activity programme Star Trust founder Steve Hampson said: “The fantastic companies and individuals across the East Midlands who support Star Trust do so safe in their knowledge that their generosity is translated into real support for real people in the heart of our local communities. “We continue to be hugely impressed by the creativity, passion and commitment shown by smaller charities across the East Midlands whose amazing work often goes under the radar but who so many people rely upon. “We always aim to support grassroot charities who are making a positive difference to people’s lives in their local communities and these charities all had compelling cases for funding. “We are now open to applications and I would encourage SME charities to contact us if they have not had funding from us in the past three years.”

DMU wins funding to support business innovation

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DMU wins funding to support business innovation
De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) has been awarded funding for four new Innovate UK-funded projects designed to help businesses innovate quickly. The Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) projects, three of which are in Health and Life Sciences and one in Computing, Engineering and Media, are worth £141,000 and will run for four months. Each project is led by an academic who will work with a business to help them develop an innovation that has potential for significant impact for that company. The projects are: •    Alpha Biolaboratories Analytical Ltd, academic Dr Urszula Krzeminska Ahmadzai – to optimise a novel data analysis approach to increase the success rate of non-invasive paternity testing •    Genvolt Ltd, academic Professor Zeeshan Ahmad – developing and testing a portable platform technology to more accurately deliver active drug compounds •    Micron Design, academic Professor Geoff Smith – to address the increasing demand for freeze-dried products in pharmaceutical manufacturing while also improving efficiency and reducing environmental emissions •    Marlow Foods, academic Dr Andrew Wright – a techno-economic feasibility study of the heating and cooling requirements of one of the company’s sites to supports its ambitions of going net zero by 2030. Casey Randall, Head of Genetics at Alpha Biolabs, said: “The AKT project is a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with an academic partner, in order to enhance our offering to our customers. In particular, we are all very excited to see what advancements and improvements the project can make to our non-invasive prenatal paternity testing service.” Dr Rhianna Briars of DMU’s Knowledge Exchange team, said the awards were a sign of DMU’s continued drive and emphasis on not only its applied research but its collaborative approach to working with businesses to tackle challenges that face industry partners. She said: “It is great to have a mechanism from Innovate UK to do these rapid collaborative innovation projects which enables different types of activity that our researchers can engage with industry contacts on.” AKTs were launched by Innovate UK in 2022, and the new awards bring the number of projects won by DMU to nine, collaborating with a range of businesses and third sector organisations.

28,000ft² let at Amber Business Centre

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28,000ft² let at Amber Business Centre
Acting on behalf of private clients, FHP’s Darran Severn has completed the letting of 28,000ft2 of industrial/warehouse space just off the A38 at Junction 28 of the M1 motorway. The letting sees local occupiers Rowes Precision Products Ltd relocate from their current base in Ilkeston to continue their growth and expansion in a much larger building which benefits from a large, oversized yard. Darran Severn said: “I am pleased to see this deal over the line and I wish the new occupiers well in their new unit. The unit sits within an excellent location just off the A38 dual carriageway and offers clean span accommodation that benefits from a light refurbishment. “Stock levels seem to be fairly consistent at present as deals are progressing and other opportunities are coming to market. The good news is that there is a good sign of demand and we do need more space to meet the requirements of a number of occupiers that we know who are looking to move.”

More than £6m AI upskilling fund launched to help SMEs

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More than £6m AI upskilling fund launched to help SMEs
From today (1 May) small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can bid for a share of £6.4 million to help train their workforce to use artificial intelligence and in turn boost productivity and efficiency. Sectors set to benefit include law, accountancy, scientific research and human resources, with the UK Government making up to £10,000 available for each business so they can embrace cutting edge and efficiency boosting new technology. SMEs in these areas will be able to tap into the power of AI to streamline tasks, boost productivity, and drive growth. This could include accountants using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to draft documents, develop new software which could help to tackle fraud, and legal professionals harnessing the power of AI to analyse lengthy documents such as contracts to provide concise summaries, freeing up time to focus on other critical areas. By adopting the enormous potential of AI technologies, SMEs across the country will be able to not only improve productivity and drive down costs, but to devote more time to identifying new areas of growth which will deliver new and improved services for consumers. Expected to support around 2,000 SMEs across the country, businesses employing under 250 staff can now apply for the support, which will see successful applicants reimbursed for up to 50% of the cost of investment in AI skills training. The move is to future-proof these businesses and incentivise investment in AI skills to ensure they retain a competitive edge through increased productivity and reduced costs, as they begin to integrate AI into their operations – building a pool of technological talent alongside supporting employee growth and development. Whilst human supervision, judgement, creativity and empathy remain vital requirements in the workplace, augmenting AI into monotonous tasks like inputting data and filling out paperwork can increase speed and efficiency and play a major part in increasing business productivity. Delivered through the UK Government’s Flexible AI Upskilling Fund, the pilot launched today will support SMEs in the Professional and Business Services (PBS) sector, with SMEs encouraged to apply between now and 31 May for grant funding to deliver training before March 2025. Businesses specialising in professional services such as law, accounting and market research, alongside those providing business services such as HR, administration and leasing consumer goods are already seeing some of the benefits AI can bring to their day-to-day operations. This includes analysing large volumes of text, answering customer service queries and generating images and text for a variety of applications, including advertising campaigns, contracts and blog posts. AI is also having a huge impact in specialised areas like drafting legal documents for law firms and creating virtual renderings for architects. While smaller enterprises often acknowledge the benefits AI can bring to business operations, many require support when it comes to identifying the training employees should undertake to suit business needs. The AI Skills for Business Framework, also launching today, will help businesses to grip the huge opportunities AI has to offer, driving innovation and future-proofing their workforce. With the support of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Innovate UK and The Alan Turing Institute have developed this new framework for businesses, to identify the skills and knowledge their employees might need to use AI in the workplace and make the most of emerging technologies. Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said: “Businesses of all sizes and across all sectors, from architecture to law and HR to advertising, are identifying the huge benefits that AI can bring in helping staff boost their productivity while cutting business costs. “I have launched this new pilot to help SMEs interested in AI adoption make it a reality by contributing towards the cost of upskilling their employees – ultimately increasing efficiency so companies can retain a competitive edge in an increasingly digital world.”

East Midlands Combined County Authority and Homes England to unlock delivery of stalled residential schemes

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East Midlands Combined County Authority and Homes England to unlock delivery of stalled residential schemes

The East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) and Homes England are joining forces to unlock the delivery of stalled residential schemes across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. 

Having secured a devolved allocation of £16.8 million from the Brownfield Housing Fund (BHF), under the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), EMCCA aims to rejuvenate brownfield sites across the region, through the delivery of between 1,000 and 1,400 new homes by March 2026. 

EMCCA and Homes England have issued a call for schemes, inviting expressions of interest from organisations – including private sector developers, local authorities and registered providers – which is open until Friday 10 May. 

Barry Cummins, Interim Land and Housing Programme Manager at EMCCA, said: “We’re committed to addressing under-investment and regional inequalities in our local area, whilst prioritising the environment and sustainability – this scheme empowers us to do just that. 

“Working with valued partners, our ambition is to build up to 1,400 new, high-quality homes, marking a significant stride toward unleashing the potential of brownfield regeneration across our region.” 

Schemes must align with eligibility and deliverability criteria, aligning with EMCCA’s Strategic Framework, which was approved in March 2024. 

Supported schemes must contribute to:  

  • Economic growth resilience
  • Skill alignment with economic needs
  • Creation of sustainable, higher-paid jobs
  • Advancement towards a net-zero economy
  • Development of coherent, sustainable transport link  
  • Reduction in inequality and promotion of social mobility  
  • Improvement of healthy life expectancy and reduction of disparities  
  • Enhancement of green spaces to foster community wellbeing and biodiversity. 

Vibrant Accountancy to support Down To Earth Derby in making a positive impact in the city

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Vibrant Accountancy to support Down To Earth Derby in making a positive impact in the city

An innovative nature-based regeneration firm that is on a journey to transform Derby city centre into an urban metropolis is set to receive support to help it scale up.

Down To Earth Derby – the community-interest company behind the Electric Daisy community garden and event space that currently occupies the former Prince’s supermarket site, in Bold Lane – was chosen by Vibrant Accountancy as winners of its Community Growth programme.

The Down To Earth Derby project is linked with Cornwall’s Eden Project, underscoring its emphasis on sustainable and community-focused urban regeneration. They are committed to transforming city spaces to enhance community well-being and environmental health through a range of activities such as educational programmes, events and promoting close interaction with nature.

Vibrant Accountancy, meanwhile, opened up entries for the programme earlier this year, offering to mentor and support companies, charities and non-profit organisations making a positive impact in Derby.

And, after receiving many worthy entries, the Vibrant Team – led by founder Bev Wakefield – chose Down To Earth Derby as winners.

Bev said: “We will be supporting Down To Earth with tailored business support that includes strategic planning sessions, cash flow forecasting, mentoring and regular profit and cash flow improvement meetings.

“For us, Down To Earth tick so many boxes. They are a sustainable organisation at the heart of the community, and we feel that, with the support that we are giving them at Vibrant Accountancy, they will be able to put their visionary plans into action.

“Like us, Down To Earth are disruptors and we are looking forward to working with them as they continue their excellent work in Derby city.”

Vibrant also chose two organisations – the Empowered Parenting Programme and a community supermarket initiative that will be run at Reach Events, near Pride Park – to receive free coaching sessions at the company’s Lodge Lane headquarters.

Bev added: “Vibrant Accountancy’s mission statement is to make an impact, and that’s what we hope we can do with the Community Growth programme.

“This is our way of giving back; by helping others to achieve their goals and make a difference to our city.”

The support comes at an important time for Down To Earth Derby as it looks to scale up its public and private sector regeneration projects, and ahead of a busy spring/summer programme of events at Electric Daisy.

Warwick Acoustics confirms MIRA Technology Park as new sustainable manufacturing site

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Warwick Acoustics confirms MIRA Technology Park as new sustainable manufacturing site
Warwick Acoustics’ expanded cutting-edge manufacturing operations will be based at the MIRA Technology Park (MTP), Europe’s largest automotive research and development site. The company designs, engineers and manufactures its revolutionary speaker systems in the UK and signed its first production contract in June 2023. Warwick Acoustics’ Electrostatic Audio Panels are now in the final phases of industrialisation for the first customers of this new proprietary technology, which are 90% lighter and use 90% less energy than traditional automotive speakers. The selection of the 100% renewable powered MTP site further enhances the sustainability credentials of the patented technology, which is made using upcycled materials and is 100% by mass recyclable and free from rare earth elements. The new building coincides with the construction of a 7MW solar farm by the site owners, which will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 2,300 houses. Warwick Acoustics’ CEO Mike Grant said: “We have been based at MTP since 2018 and it has been a superb site for us to conduct the research, development and initial manufacturing of our products. As we enter series production, we are very proud to significantly expand our operations here. “Manufacturing our product where we are based is important to us, not only for ensuring the sustainability and quality of our output, but also because UK production offers real global competitiveness from where we can challenge industry norms in this huge $8bn global market.” He continued: “Here in the Midlands, Warwick Acoustics is supported by Midlands-based venture capital firm Mercia Asset Management plc, as well as the Midlands Engine initiative. We also sit in a region that has a highly skilled automotive talent pool, allowing us to recruit the best qualified and experienced candidates to develop and grow this business. “Business growth is our key focus following the successful completion of a £7m funding round, enabling the next step in our strategy to deliver a fundamental shift in the in-cabin audio experience.”

Derbyshire science company raises more than £20,000 for Macmillan

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Derbyshire science company raises more than £20,000 for Macmillan

Derbyshire science company employees have been thanked by cancer charity Macmillan after raising more than £20,000 – and they are still going strong!  

Lubrizol, which has a UK technical centre at Hazelwood near Duffield, has now donated £20,951.16 to the cancer charity having been raising funds since 2008. 

The science company is dedicated to giving back to the community and to charity, supporting a different cause every two years. Macmillan has previously been the company’s chosen charity with £11,300.72 raised between 2015 and 2016.  

Lubrizol employees have also been popping the kettle on and putting their baking skills to good use by holding Macmillan’s famous coffee mornings in September each year to raise extra funds which contributed to the mammoth total. 

The amount is enough to pay for a Macmillan nurse for 616 hours – around 25 days; take 355 support line calls or provide 104 cancer patients with a grant to help ease the additional financial pressures caused by a diagnosis.  

Hannah Lumb-Smith, Macmillan’s relationship fundraising manager, said: “It’s thanks to the dedication and generosity of people and companies like Lubrizol that we can continue to do whatever it takes to support people with cancer and their families. 

“This money could pay for a nurse for 616 hours to help people living with cancer and their families receive essential medical, practical and emotional support. These nurses coordinate care services and advise patients on clinical and practical issues.  

“Or it could fund our helpline which allows our teams to answer questions about cancer types and treatments or provide clinical, practical, emotional and financial support. We are also there if someone just wants to talk. 

“There are also grants available which can be a lifeline for families to help ease the financial pressures that come with a cancer diagnosis, such as increased energy and water bills, cost of travel to and from hospital, home adaptations or pay for a wig for someone who has lost their hair due to the treatment.  

“We would like to thank Lubrizol for its continued support. This has helped us to support so many families battling cancer in so many different ways.”  

More than three million people are living with cancer in the UK and this figure is set to rise to four million by 2030, according to figures from Macmillan. The charity provides vital cancer services, research and campaigns to achieve better cancer care. 

Claire Hollingshurst, from Lubrizol’s charities and communities committee, said: “Our charitable work with Macmillan is very important to us and we are proud of how much we have raised to help the charity continue supporting people with cancer and their families.  

“Everyone is affected by cancer in some way – whether they have received a diagnosis or someone close to them has.   

“It is charities like Macmillan that are there when patients need them most, offering the professional help and support they need. It is a lifeline for so many families and it is wonderful to see how far this money will go towards helping so many people. 

“We will be carrying on holding regular coffee mornings as I know what an important charity Macmillan is within our Lubrizol community.”

Team of the Year award for IP lawyers helping small businesses

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Team of the Year award for IP lawyers helping small businesses

The Intellectual Property team from Nottingham Law School’s teaching law firm, NLS Legal, has been crowned Team of the Year 2024 at the Nottinghamshire Law Society Awards for its work supporting small businesses with complex legal matters.  

The award recognises consistent, outstanding performance, requiring firms to demonstrate evidence of a growing reputation or maintaining their standing as a leader in their field, their dedication to clients, the value they add to the business or organisation, and/or the contribution they make to the legal community. 

The four-person IP team at NLS Legal is supported by student volunteers and offers free advice to individuals, sole traders and start-ups, addressing an unmet legal need in the community.  

It acts across trademarks, designs and copyright, providing support on contentious and non-contentious matters, and is the only team in England and Wales providing IP advice and representation on a completely pro-bono basis.  

In the past 12 months, the team of lawyers and students have assisted 27 clients across 45 matters, including supporting small businesses and start ups in successful legal challenges against much larger organisations, covering issues such as trademark applications and branding disputes.  

It has also developed and run 20 public education sessions to more than 180 attendees with the aim of increasing awareness of IP amongst local businesses and individuals. 

Working as part of the service, 39 Nottingham Law School students have gained volunteering experience in IP, giving them valuable insight into a competitive field and enhancing their employability skills. Several volunteers have received job offers to train as IP lawyers. 

Head of NLS Legal, Laura Pinkney, said: “All the lawyers involved in our IP team balance the service alongside either academic commitments or supporting other services within the firm – yet they still provide an invaluable service to their clients, helping them to navigate a very complex field of law.”  

Executive dean of Nottingham Law School, Jenny Chapman, said: “The team has a growing reputation for its IP pro bono work without which many clients would have been unable to withstand the pressure from much larger opponents. We know from client feedback that the impact of the team’s work on the local community has been significant.” 

As a not-for-profit teaching law firm with charitable status, NLS Legal was the UK’s first law firm fully integrated into a law school when it obtained an ABS (Alternative Business Structure) licence in 2015. It is currently the only firm in the UK operating in this way. 

Supervised by a small team of experienced lawyers, Nottingham Law School students support members of the local community with free legal advice on a range of areas, including employment, family, housing, business, civil litigation, intellectual property, special educational needs and disability, welfare benefits, and victims’ rights. NLS Legal also delivers public legal education sessions to raise awareness of legal rights and responsibilities. 

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