Derbyshire-headquartered company crosses the finish line in 8,542-mile mental health charity challenge

Tess Egginton
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Derbyshire-headquartered company crosses the finish line in 8,542-mile mental health charity challenge

Employees of a Derbyshire-headquartered firm have finally crossed the finish line in a truly Olympic-sized charity challenge that brought hundreds together to help people with their mental health.

Since 2021, nearly 70 staff at Lubrizol – which has a headquarters in Hazelwood in Derbyshire – have walked, run, cycled, rowed, swam, climbed and even played golf over a total distance of 8,542 miles, between a quarter and fifth of the circumference of the world!

Dubbed the ‘Lubrizol Olympics’, the company’s original aim was to reach a target of £25,000 for mental health charity Mind by covering the equivalent distance from the UK to Japan, 5,882 miles, where the Olympic Games were hosted in 2021.

Team events bringing company staff together were planned to enable Lubrizol to reach its target. But when the third Covid lockdown hit in 2021, employees adapted by completing many challenges on their own in order to reach the goal. One member of staff rowed 1,000 miles on a home-rowing machine, while another took to the water on the Beaulieu River in Poole harbour to row 21 miles – the equivalent of the English Channel.

Eighteen months later, Lubrizol’s employees have finally reached their £25,000 target after a team of 14 from offices in Derbyshire and Barnsley completed the famously gruelling Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge, which involves climbing Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough within 12 hours – a distance of some 24 miles.

Chris Hart-Jones, production manager at Lubrizol’s Barnsley site and responsible for orchestrating the Lubrizol Olympics, said: “I’m so proud of Lubrizol, all our employees, and everyone who supported us to complete the Olympics challenge.

“It has gone beyond my expectations. When we started to plan the event, it was pre-Covid. When Covid came, it changed everything. What it did was spur people’s imaginations. Faced with being unable to get to the gym, many of our staff members massively rose to the challenge by coming up with their own ideas, for example: rowing 1,000 miles at home.

“Our final team event, the Yorkshire Three Peaks, was tough but enjoyable. It was a great opportunity to meet people I hadn’t met before because they joined the company during Covid and we had only met over the screen for online meetings.”

Chris personally undertook all team events organised by Lubrizol when social gathering was once again permitted: walking up Snowdon in Wales, Scafell in the Lake District, the Yorkshire Three Peaks and Mam Tor in Derbyshire. He also completed all the distance between Lubrizol’s sites on a Peloton bike!

Another employee who enthusiastically took part in the Lubrizol Olympics and all team events was Suraj Lal, of Derby, who retired this year as an engineer at Lubrizol after working there for 27 and a half years.

Not content with his daily 15-mile return cycle ride from his home in Allestree to work at Hazelwood near Belper, Suraj undertook to pedal an additional 100 miles a month for a half year period in order to help the company reach its target.

Suraj said: “It was the Lubrizol Olympics and we all needed to do something. When lockdown came, it would have been easy to do nothing but sometimes doing something is actually easier still! Once you commit, you have to complete a challenge. I found myself cycling here, there and everywhere at weekends and evenings over and above my normal commute, to reach our goal.

“It was about raising money for Mind, for people who don’t have a voice and perhaps may just go back into their shell when they are struggling. Mind is a very good charity. Covid affected people who used to have a social environment at work. It represented a sudden change in lifestyle. I just thought it was an important cause to be raising money for and I was proud to support it.”

Having now reached its target of £25,000 for Mind, Lubrizol is still carrying on fundraising until the end of 2022 so the total amount raised is likely to be higher still.

Employees from the company’s sites across the UK who participated in the Lubrizol Olympics were supported by more than 800 friends, family and colleagues, whose donations enabled the company to reach its fundraising goal of £25,000.

Other personal challenges included solo completion of the Yorkshire Three Peaks; a team of 15 walking 400,000 steps each in a three-month period; a 24-hour gym challenge undertaken by four students in Manchester, plus Derbyshire Lubrizol employees and married couple Claire and Tim Hollingshurst who ran, walked and cycled the equivalent distance from John O’ Groats to Land’s End – 603 miles – as well as undertaking the Yorkshire Three Peaks themselves.

Chris said: “It’s a wonderful achievement that Lubrizol’s staff have come together to complete this challenge for Mind, and a huge relief that on our last organised team event we hit our target. I think I’ll enjoy a nice rest now but I’ll look forward to seeing what charity Lubrizol will agree to support next.”

Mansfield Innovation Centre boosts local economy by more than £1.2m

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Mansfield Innovation Centre boosts local economy by more than £1.2m
Mansfield Innovation Centre has helped to drive a timely economic boost of more than £1.2m for the area by helping local businesses access grant funding, create new jobs and benefit from intensive business coaching and support. In the past six months the centre’s innovation director, David Smith, has helped ten of its resident businesses successfully secure 13 grants from various local and regional funds, totalling more than £120,000. He has also delivered more than 150 hours of intensive one-to-one business coaching to Centre customers. The grants have helped businesses purchase manufacturing machinery, IT equipment and infrastructure, CRM systems, new websites, software and other business tools to help them grow, and access marketing services and business consultancy. Much of this funding has been spent with local providers, helping to keep the money circulating within Mansfield’s economy. More than 20 new jobs will be created as a result of the grant funding and support, while five existing roles will be safeguarded. When taken together, the activities have helped create an estimated £1.2m of economic impact for the local area. David Smith said: “We’re delighted to have been able to support so many great businesses in Mansfield Innovation Centre over the past six months, helping them to secure grant funding and giving them the tools and knowledge they need to realise their growth potential. “The results of our efforts speak for themselves and will have a significant impact on the local economy as we head into the second half of the year. “Providing intensive support is a big part of what we do here at Mansfield Innovation Centre. “As well as providing high-quality office space for growing local businesses, we also aim to provide all our customers with a bespoke package of support to help them achieve their goals and overcome any issues or challenges they may be facing. “This includes intensive one-to-one coaching and mentoring to help businesses develop the strategies they need to support every stage of their growth, as well as practical support to access grant funding and build vital connections with other businesses and support organisations.” The centre provides a base to more than 30 growing businesses. It offers fully serviced offices and workshops, a virtual office facility, hot desk area, and meeting and conference rooms. Managed by Oxford Innovation Space, customers also benefit from a package of support and coaching tailored to each business’s needs and growth aims. One of the businesses to benefit from the support is Mansfield Bi-Folding Doors, part of the Integra Windows Group, which offers a one-stop service for aluminium bi-folding and sliding patio doors, and aluminium windows to trade, DIY and retail customers. The firm became a customer at Mansfield Innovation Centre in 2021, when its Managing Director, Michael Irwin, was looking for additional space to grow the business. Since becoming a customer, Michael has benefitted from several coaching sessions from David Smith, who has also helped support two successful grant funding bids, and an application under the Kickstart scheme to recruit a new young member of staff. Michael said: “The support we’ve received from David and the team since joining Mansfield Innovation Centre has been fantastic. We’ve been able to successfully apply for three different pots of grant funding which wouldn’t have been possible without David’s support. “The coaching we’ve received has also been invaluable. As a small business with ambitions to grow, it’s been great to work with someone who understands what we’re looking to achieve, can advise on the direction and strategy we should take, and just be an impartial sounding board to bounce ideas off.”

£20 million Government funding could be a ‘game changer’ for Lincoln

Steve Fisher
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£20 million Government funding could be a ‘game changer’ for Lincoln

The city council’s Executive are set to discuss how a successful bid for a new railway bridge connecting Skellingthorpe Road to Tritton Road could be a ‘game changer’ Lincoln’s Western Growth Corridor

At Executive on 17 October, members will discuss the city council’s bid for Levelling Up Funding Round 2 and its importance in bringing forward crucial plans for a new railway bridge in the city. Earlier this year, the city council, with support from Lincoln’s Member of Parliament Karl McCartney submitted a bid for £20million to government to bring forward the Western Growth Corridor bridge plans to help alleviate congestion in the area. City of Lincoln Council, sitting as Planning Committee, approved the Western Growth Corridor plans on 12 January 2022. Western Growth Corridor, which will be jointly delivered by City of Lincoln Council and Lindum Western Growth Community Ltd, will be the largest project undertaken in the city for decades, bringing more than £500 million worth of investment into Lincoln over its lifetime and providing hundreds of jobs locally. The development will supply the city with 3,200 much needed new homes, a leisure village, an industrial park and transport infrastructure that will help alleviate some of Lincoln’s worst traffic problems. Significant time has been taken to plan transport infrastructure which will improve the overall road network in the area, including a new spine road, which will run through the centre of the development, providing a main road to connect the development into the city centre and surrounding area. This will connect Skellingthorpe Road to Tritton Road via a new bridge over the railway, which will play a major part in helping ease current congestion at the railway crossing. Subject to Levelling Up funding from government of £20 million, the bridge project is set to be brought forward, and has been highlighted as a ‘game changer’ for traffic concerns in the western part of the city. Subject to detailed technical highway approval, official works, including a new signalised junction into the development on Skellingthorpe Road/Birchwood Avenue, are set to begin in late Spring/Summer 2023. Plans are currently being developed to minimise disruption for local residents, businesses and commuters during these works. Leader of the city council, Cllr Ric Metcalfe, said: “The Western Growth Corridor has significant local importance for the growth of the city, and this funding would be a game changer in accelerating the delivery of the project. “If we could secure the £20 million funding it would enable us to deliver much needed homes for the city far earlier than initially planned, along with securing many construction jobs for local people. “However, unfortunately, we are told that the second round of the levelling up fund is heavily over-subscribed, and Government has not yet said how much they are going to allocate for a project such as this. “With continuous financial pressures on local authorities, we hope for a positive outcome when Levelling Up Round Two funding is announced later this year.”

Lutterworth cyber security solutions company acquires Bracknell firm

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Lutterworth cyber security solutions company acquires Bracknell firm
Cyber security company Intercede Group, the Lutterworth-based supplier of Public Key Infrastructure Credential Management Software, has acquired Authlogics, a Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) and Password Security Management (PSM) software vendor. Intercede will pay an initial consideration of £2.5 million (adjusted to approximately £2 million after net debt and working capital adjustments) plus a further deferred conditional and staged earnout payment of up to £3 million. Authlogics is a UK headquartered business based in Bracknell and was founded in June 2015. The company’s products service over 50 customers with 44 annual recurring software contracts across the Finance, Government, Defence and Healthcare sectors. Four of the current Authlogics staff will become Intercede employees, including the two Authlogics founders. Klaas van der Leest, CEO of Intercede Group, said: “The acquisition of Authlogics enables us to deliver on the strategic vision that we have shared with investors of addressing the entire authentication pyramid. “We believe that the addition of the Authlogics products will allow us to support our customers and prospects wherever they are in their authentication journey, and to embrace a wider set of use cases. The deal also increases our recurring revenue base. “We are delighted to welcome the Authlogics team to the group, along with their customers, partners and distributors.”

Revenue grows at electrical retailer against “particularly challenging market back-drop”

Tess Egginton
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Revenue grows at electrical retailer against “particularly challenging market back-drop”
Marks Electrical Group, the online electrical retailer, has hailed a “strong trading period” as revenue increased in the six months ended 30 September 2022. In an update on the London Stock Exchange, the Leicester-based company said strong performance was driven across all categories but particularly in televisions, cookers, vacuums and small appliances. The half saw revenue growth of 15.1% to £43.1m, up from £37.5m in the same period last year, despite “a particularly challenging market back-drop.” Mark Smithson, Chief Executive Officer, said: “After a solid performance in the first four months, the group’s positive trading momentum has continued in August and September as we continued to harness our market-leading customer service proposition and build brand awareness, enabling the group to deliver continued revenue growth and market share gains. “The strong competitive activity we saw in pricing during the first quarter has begun to ease more recently and despite the margin pressure this has had in the first half, we remain focused on controlling our overhead base and confident of achieving our full year targets. “Given the challenging economic backdrop our focus on maintaining inventory whilst improving inventory days has been key, allowing us to close the period with a net cash position of £7.7m. This puts us in a strong position for the months ahead. “Our differentiated operating model, leading customer service and free next day delivery provides a unique offering that sets us apart from the competition. I’m proud of our achievements in the first half and thank all of our colleagues for their focus on developing and maintaining our leading customer proposition in a very challenging market. “As momentum continues to build going into the peak trading period, our focus on operational excellence and cash flow generation, combined with our net cash position, provides us with a robust platform to generate continued profitable market share growth and achieve our full year targets.”

Emmanuel House reveals £2m plans to convert building into 20-bed accommodation to reduce rough sleeping in Nottingham

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Emmanuel House reveals £2m plans to convert building into 20-bed accommodation to reduce rough sleeping in Nottingham
Emmanuel House has submitted plans to Nottingham City Council for ‘change of use’ to the first and second floors of its premises on Goose Gate. The organisation wants to create 20 bedrooms that will provide short-term emergency accommodation for people who find themselves homeless. The ‘New Vision’ project will have ensuite facilities, food and 24-hour support provided by a team of trained specialists. The project is set to cost £2 million. If planning is approved, building work will start as soon as the funding is available. The plans have been submitted by CPMG Architects and the project is managed by property and construction consultancy Edge PS. Denis Tully, CEO at Emmanuel House, said: “Our ambition is to reduce the number of people who are homeless in Nottingham city for the benefit of individual people, the neighbourhood and for the City of Nottingham as a whole. The project fits with the city’s strategic plan to tackle homelessness. It will make a significant contribution to year-round emergency respite care. “We have a new vision for Emmanuel House and for Nottingham’s provision to support some of its most vulnerable people. Our purpose as an organisation is to tackle isolation, vulnerability and homelessness within our community. This project is an extension of this mission.” Nick Gregory, director at CPMG, said: “I knew that Emmanuel House was an incredible organisation, but as we’ve worked with them, my admiration for their compassion and commitment to helping those in need of support has grown – they are an inspiration. I am extremely proud that we can assist in bringing these proposals forward – the impact they have will be considerable.” Geoff Tindsley, director at EDGE, said: “Emmanuel House makes such a difference to people in the Nottingham area, and this new accommodation offering will enhance its service further, so we’re incredibly proud to have a role in supporting this. Everyone in the project team is working towards a common goal in helping the organisation enhance its vital services even further, and we look forward to seeing the vision become a reality.” The plans include one-to-one meeting spaces, 24-hour security, common rooms, computer suites, consultation spaces and rooms with disabled access. The project’s second phase will include a ground floor renovation to upgrade the open-access support centre. Denis added: “Every day we’re reminded that homelessness can happen to anyone. This provision is for people who are in crisis and have nowhere else to go. They will be provided with support and a platform to access more secure accommodation. It will also make it easier for people who are homeless to get the services they need, such as medical care. “Emmanuel House is delighted to be making the first step in undertaking this vital and ground-breaking project. Over the past 12 years, the Winter Shelter has provided emergency accommodation for 1621 people, of which 952 were supported in finding long-term accommodation. This on-site provision will continue to offer life-changing support to many more people in the city.” Along with CPMG Architects and EDGE, the project team is made up of suppliers operating from Nottingham city centre, including structural and civil engineers Hexa, and mechanical and electrical engineers Chord Consult.

Loughborough Town Deal confirms £2.5m grant to help build on town’s sporting reputation

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Loughborough Town Deal confirms £2.5m grant to help build on town’s sporting reputation
Loughborough Town Deal has confirmed a £2.5 million grant to help build on the town’s reputation for sporting excellence and harness that knowledge for the good of residents. The funding has been awarded to Loughborough University’s Healthy and Innovative Loughborough project which will create jobs, help new businesses and improve people’s health. This is one of 11 projects Loughborough Town Deal is supporting after securing £16.9 million of Government funding. In total, the projects are worth over £40 million of investment for the town. The university project will support the expansion of SportPark, a complex which is home to a number of leading sporting organisations, and also help new businesses get off the ground and support entrepreneurs. The project will also; introduce a programme of interventions to help local people improve their health and create an Impact Hub to assess and analyse the health of the town to help plan for future developments and improvements. The Loughborough Town Deal Board is co-chaired by Cllr Jonathan Morgan, leader of Charnwood Borough Council, and Dr Nik Kotecha OBE, founder of Morningside Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Cllr Morgan said: “We are delighted to confirm this latest funding award for a project that will build on Loughborough’s global reputation for sporting excellence. “The Healthy and Innovative Loughborough project has many benefits. Not only will it encourage more sporting organisations to set up home in the town but it will also support businesses and improve people’s health. “The Town Deal is delivering real improvements and significant investment into Loughborough which will benefit future generations.” Dr Nik Kotecha OBE said: “The Town Deal investment means we can help SportPark expand, bring more sporting organisations to the town and continue to grow Loughborough’s reputation for sport. “As a local businessman, I am also pleased that this project will support entrepreneurs and the growth of new businesses. I know first-hand how difficult it can be to start a new business so I am pleased this project can offer them support as they are crucial to our local economy and to the creation of new jobs.” Professor Chris Rielly, lead for the University’s Town Deal project, said: “The University recognises the important local economic anchor role it plays and we are delighted that, through the Town Deal investment, we can work in civic partnership with stakeholders to make Loughborough a healthy place to live and work, and enable new businesses to prosper.” SportPark, on Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Park, already houses the UK’s highest concentration of sports governing bodies and national sports organisations. The 2,000 sq metre expansion will provide the capacity to welcome yet more mission-driven organisations to the University, co-located with world-leading expertise in sports science, engineering, health and well-being, high-performance athlete base, and sports infrastructure. The SportPark expansion is on track for completion at the end of the year and will be the first Passivhaus development on the University campus. This will see 165 jobs on-site and an additional 41 jobs in the wider economy being created and supported in the process. Sixty new businesses will also be supported through a New Business Wayfinder programme. In addition to providing office space and access to knowledge and expertise, businesses will be able to access an Innovation Lab in Loughborough town centre and a Prototype Lab on LUSEP. An area of the funding will concentrate on the health of local communities and improving the connectedness between the railway station, the town centre and the Science and Enterprise Park. A programme of health interventions will be delivered to help local people. The Impact Hub in Loughborough will focus on data gathering, and analysis, method development and engagement with experts to monitor the health of the town and plan for future improvements. Loughborough Town Deal is backing projects to boost skills, improve the town centre, reduce flooding, regenerate the riverside, develop a creative hub and support two key attractions – the bell foundry and the Great Central Railway. So far, Loughborough Town Deal has committed to invest:
  • £2.6 million to create a Digital Skills Hub at Loughborough College
  • £900,000 to create a Careers and Enterprise Hub in Loughborough’s town centre
  • £835,000 to help save Taylor’s Bell Foundry, the last major bell foundry in the UK
  • £885,000 to fund towpath improvements alongside the River Soar
  • £1.6 million to a creative arts hub at the Generator.
  • £1.7 million to support the Bedford Square Gateway Project which has regenerated part of the town centre
With the funding for the Healthy and Innovative Loughborough project, the committed Town Deal funding has now reached over £11 million.

Lights, Camera, Action! Premium-grade fully polished video for your business for just £349

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Lights, Camera, Action! Premium-grade fully polished video for your business for just £349
Queen Bee & Co is excited to offer you an excellent and limited opportunity to put your name in lights. Have your 15 minutes of fame* and promote your business in the most effective way! You’ll be filmed within a professional set-up and studio lighting, with the guidance of the professional videographers. You can explain all about your business and why people should choose to buy from you, or offer a quick tip relevant to your industry – whichever you think is most engaging for your audience. You’ll receive a premium-grade, fully polished (1-2 mins), edited video sent to you, ready for you to upload to YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, your website, or any other place you wish. Check out the video below for an example of how your video would look: All of the above is on offer for the fantastic price of just £349, for a fully-fledged, elite-quality promo video that helps you to get more sales and ultimately grow your business. This represents a huge saving compared to if you hired a video production company independently, as they usually start from around £800 minimum. Book your slot now while there’s still chance – there are only 6 slots available so don’t delay. Filming takes place on Friday 24th March 2023 in Buckminster. Free refreshments provided. Book today and get ready for lights… camera… action! Book by filling in the quick form here: www.queenbeeandco.co.uk/contact *Filming will take approx. 10-20 minutes, final edited video approx. 1-2 minutes. The filming will be at one location in Buckminster (not at your own premises) and as such there can be no ‘b-roll’ of your business included, the entire video will be you and/or your customers talking to camera/to the interviewer. Full T&C apply and must be signed as part of the booking procedure. Book by 1st January 2023 at latest. Example video above filmed on customer premises, background for this shoot will be greenscreen.

Do you need to submit a Self-Assessment return? By Kelly Goodchild, tax manager at Streets Chartered Accountants

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Do you need to submit a Self-Assessment return? By Kelly Goodchild, tax manager at Streets Chartered Accountants
Kelly Goodchild, tax manager at Streets Chartered Accountants, considers whether you may need to submit a Self-Assessment return. There are a number of reasons why you might need to complete a Self-Assessment return. This includes if you are self-employed, a company director, have an annual income over £100,000 and / or have income from savings, investment or property. Taxpayers that need to complete a Self-Assessment return for the first time should inform HMRC as soon as possible. The latest date that HMRC should be notified is by 5 October following the end of the tax year for which a Self-Assessment return needs to be filed. If you are required to submit a Self-Assessment return for 2021-22, you should ensure that you file your tax return electronically and pay any tax due by 31 January 2023. HMRC has an online tool (www.gov.uk/check-if-you-need-tax-return/) that can help you check if you are required to submit a Self-Assessment return. The list of taxpayers that are usually required to submit a Self-Assessment return includes:
  • The self-employed (earning more than £1,000);
  • Taxpayers who had £2,500 or more in untaxed income;
  • Those with savings or investment income of £10,000 or more before tax;
  • Taxpayers who made profits from selling things like shares, a second home or other chargeable assets and need to pay Capital Gains Tax;
  • Company directors – unless it was for a non-profit organisation (such as a charity) and you did not get any pay or benefits, like a company car;
  • Taxpayers whose income (or that of their partner’s) was over £50,000 and one of you claimed Child Benefit;
  • Taxpayers who had income from abroad that they needed to pay tax on;
  • Taxpayers who lived abroad and had a UK income;
  • Income over £100,000.
You may choose to complete your own Self-Assessment tax return. However, you may find using the services of a tax specialist has a number of benefits. These include:
  • Ensuring all tax allowances and deductions are claimed
  • Easing the burden of additional paperwork
  • Specialist tax knowledge which can help you minimise or even mitigate fully any tax liability, now or in the future.
Whilst the deadline for filing your return may seem months away, the sooner it is completed even if you don’t submit it, the sooner you will have peace of mind, be able to budget or plan to make a payment, but also ensure that any tax demand is as little as it can be. See this column in the October edition of East Midlands Business Link Magazine here.

University of Nottingham engineers to deliver commercial services following launch of independent business unit

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University of Nottingham engineers to deliver commercial services following launch of independent business unit
The University of Nottingham has become the first UK institution to create an independent business unit for the industrialisation of electrical motors and drive systems that will deliver commercial services to companies across the world. Nottingham Drive Specialist Services (NDSS), provides bespoke development, manufacturing and testing of electrical motors and drives to support the industrialisation of power electronic converters, electrical machines and drives. Based at the recently opened Power Electronics and Machines Centre (PEMC), NDSS offers businesses a unique service that spans the entire life cycle of a project – from design through to manufacture and testing – as well as access to more than £20 million of state-of-the-art equipment. Hitendra Hirani, sales director and general manager of the DER-IC Programme at the University of Nottingham, said: “I have always been excited by the university’s pioneering spirit to do things that really make a difference to the world. “Over the past 25 years, we have built up a store of intellectual property on this incredibly difficult subject area and making this easily accessible and available for companies to benefit from is a key part of what we are doing to support the drive towards electrification and developing the UK supply chain.” The service has been funded by multiple sources, including Research England, Getting Building Fund, D2N2, the Wolfson Foundation and the Driving the Electric Revolution Industrialisation Centre (DER-IC). Professor Chris Gerada, professor of Electrical Machines and lead for University Research and Innovation Initiatives, said: “This initiative is really about breaking down the barriers to engaging with the university and making our facilities and knowledge available for societal benefit. It is also one of the first steps we are taking on our net zero strategy to deliver an environmentally sustainable solution for society.”
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