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Derbyshire employee raises over £1,800 for the Teenage Cancer Trust in memory of much-loved cousin
A 25-year-old Derbyshire company employee with very little running experience took on the challenge of the London Marathon in aid of a highly valued teenage cancer charity, in memory of her cousin who died at only 15 years old.
Georgina Gilbert is a product manager at chemistry company Lubrizol at its UK headquarters in Hazelwood. The London marathon was her first ever race, with Georgina going from beginner runner to taking on the prestigious event in the space of a few months.
Georgina was inspired to take on the huge challenge to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust, which was one of the charities which supported her family through the illness of her cousin Emily, who sadly passed away aged just 15 in December 2021, from complications of a rare condition – only months after she had been diagnosed.
Georgina said: “Emily received treatment on the Teenage Cancer Trust ward at the Leicester Royal Infirmary. The charity provided a comfortable space, resources and support for the whole family.
“Emily was able to benefit from the support in many practical ways. The charity supplied Leicester Royal Infirmary with a purpose-built ward for 13 -24 year olds. The room that Emily was able to use as an inpatient and a day patient was equipped with comfortable soft furniture, TV and gaming facilities. They also provided laptops and Wi-Fi specifically for the teenagers on the ward. “It’s impossible to comprehend how very poorly a young person can become very quickly until it happens to your family. Every step of the way Emily’s parents and siblings were supported to make what was an awful time so much easier for them. “Life probably will never be the same now Emily has gone. You see these stories in the news about young people getting ill, you never really expect it to happen to your family.”Georgina entered the ballot for the London Marathon after the passing of Emily and was amazed to have won a place having done very little running, much less enter any race.
She said: “Originally when I entered for a ballot place, I wasn’t expecting to get a spot – friends persuaded me to put my name in. When I found out I had been selected for a ballot place I knew I had to do it. It was an amazing opportunity that not many get the chance to do.
“I hadn’t done any running previously. This was the first race I’d entered. I followed a 16-week training programme and I’d dedicate my weekends to running, plus two runs during the week. The training was difficult but I knew it would be worth it.
“It was a massive commitment to train for something like that. Days when I am in the office I commute from Leicester to Derby – a two hour round trip. There were times when I would get home and not want to run, but you have to. It does teach you about discipline.
“It was an amazing experience. It’s definitely something I won’t forget. It was really hard, but so worth it when I passed the finish line. Family and friends came down and were cheering me on, which really got me through it to be honest! I’m really proud of myself. It proves that if you put your mind to something, you can do anything. You can go from beginner to running a marathon.”
Georgina said she has been very grateful for the support from Lubrizol in providing a generous donation to her run for the Teenage Cancer Trust, through its charities and communities committee, as well as from Lubrizol colleagues, many of whom have sponsored her too.
She said: “I’m very grateful for Lubrizol’s support. It was a really inspiring day. It really put things into perspective for me that everyone has tough things they are dealing with. Reading the media can be very negative but in reality, there are a lot of very kind people out there.”
Claire Hollingshurst, from Lubrizol’s charities and communities committee, said: “Georgina’s achievement in completing the London marathon for such a very worthy cause is completely inspiring, especially as she was only a beginner runner at the start of her training. We were very proud to be able to support her donation through our charities committee.”
Georgina has raised nearly £2,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Donations to her fundraising are still open via this link: 2023tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/georgina-gilbert
‘All change: The Castle Line’ – major Nottingham to Lincoln rail plans revealed
Deal struck for prime Derby riverside site
Wavensmere Homes has struck a deal for one of the final plots of development land within the newly revitalised Cathedral Quarter in Derby city centre. The Birmingham-headquartered housebuilder has exchanged contracts for the vacant site – located off Full Street – with Wilson Bowden Developments.
The site was initially earmarked for an office development of up to 100,000 sq ft, but it will now be brought forward by Wavensmere Homes for an apartment scheme, benefiting from a vibrant location along the River Derwent, with views of the 16th Century Derby Cathedral and its 212 ft tower. Also lying adjacent to the site is the Museum of Making at the restored Derby Silk Mill, which re-opened to the public in 2021.
Phase One of Wilson Bowden’s Full Street development includes; the refurbishment of the Riverside Chambers office complex; delivery of 46 new apartments at Number One Cathedral Green; and a Premier Inn hotel. A planning application for the next addition to the multi-million-pound Cathedral Quarter will be submitted by Wavensmere Homes and Wilson Bowden, in consultation with Derby City Council and a range of stakeholders.
James Dickens, Managing Director of Wavensmere Homes, said: “This site is one of the best located within Derby city centre, with rich views of the Cathedral Quarter and the River Derwent. Derby is a walkable city, and the significant investment in the public realm has seen it become a vibrant and cosmopolitan place to live, work, and visit.
“There is an increasingly strong appetite for city living here, and the development of this vacant site will transform a local eyesore into a high quality, architecturally designed building that adds significant value to this prized and popular part of the city. We look forward to working up our plans over the coming months.”
Wavensmere Homes will incorporate the latest green energy features into the design for the new homes, to enable a high EPC rating to be targeted. The development proposals will also be compliant with the new Part L building regulations. The designs for the Full Street site will promote sustainable development through the use of low carbon materials, modern methods of construction, and renewable energy generation.
Henry Henson, development manager for Wilson Bowden Developments, said: “We have selected to partner with Wavensmere Homes, as the team has a strong understanding and track record of the requirements of Derby’s city residential market. We are very proud of the cluster of new buildings we have delivered within the Cathedral Quarter over recent years and look forward to working with Wavensmere Homes on the plans for this project, which will complete the jigsaw of this prime Derby city centre location.”
Hike in liquidation debts a warning for East Midlands businesses
A sharp month-on-month hike in the number of debts held by East Midlands companies in liquidation should sound alarm bells for the region’s business owners.
The warning follows research from the Midlands branch of R3, the UK’s insolvency and restructuring trade body, which shows that the quantity of debts owed by liquidated firms in the region shot up by almost a fifth (18%) last month [April 2023].
R3 Midland’s figures, which are based on an analysis of data from business intelligence provider Creditsafe, also show that the number of late payments to East Midlands companies remains high at 23,744, although this April statistic is a marginal 0.54% decrease on the previous month’s figure of 23,872.
The current challenging trading conditions also appear to be affecting entrepreneurial spirit in the region, with the level of start-up businesses in the East Midlands falling by 16.7% in April to 2,335 from 2,803 in March.
R3 Midlands chair Stephen Rome, a director at law firm Thursfields in the region, said: “The huge challenges of our volatile business economy are impacting heavily on the region’s companies, which means it’s imperative for business owners to monitor their finances carefully and plan for all eventualities.
“It’s crucial that at the first sign of significant cash flow difficulties, relevant professional advice is taken. When R3’s members are called in to help early enough, there is a significant amount which can be done to rescue and support local businesses beyond traditional insolvency solutions.
“It can be helpful to know that R3 members offer a free initial consultation to those who are looking for support and wish to explore their options.”
Derbyshire industrial investment property sold
Commercial property consultancy Burley Browne has completed the off-market sale of an industrial investment property in Derbyshire.
A 40,000 sq ft modern industrial/warehouse unit adjacent to Hearthcote Road, Swadlincote, has been acquired by a private property investment company.
The transaction involved a sale and leaseback to Burley Browne’s unnamed client at an agreed sale price in excess of £3 million, reflecting a net initial yield of approximately 7.7% after costs.
The property includes a warehouse which benefits from an eaves height of 8.5 metres with two level access loading doors. It incorporates a reception area leading on to a boardroom and showroom. To the first floor there are additional offices with a personnel lift. It sits within a total site area extending to 2.04 acres with ample parking together with a yard which is accessed via a secure barrier entry system.
Ben Nicholson, senior associate director at Burley Browne, said: “We are thrilled to have been able to secure the sale and leaseback of these well-presented premises on behalf of our client.
“Following receipt of instructions, we commenced off-market negotiations with parties during a difficult and uncertain economic period in the last quarter of 2022. Despite the uncertainty, this sale clearly demonstrates that the market remains buoyant and that industrial warehouse investment opportunities still command confidence, generating competing bids from potential buyers.
“We are delighted that we were able to secure completion of the sale in a well-managed time frame to avoid any disruption to our client’s business operation.”
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