Northampton transformation partner secures £5m investment
BGF has invested £5 million in Socitm Advisory, an independent transformation partner working with UK public sector organisations to improve the services they deliver through people change, data, technology, and innovation.
With over 100 consultants across the UK, Socitm Advisory provides a range of professional services to maximise organisational effectiveness and enhance customer and employee experiences on projects ranging from multi-million, multi-year enterprise resource planning (ERP) system transformations to broader digital and organisational change programmes.
Founded in 2015, the business is headquartered in Northampton and is the sister company of Socitm – the membership network for more than 250 public services organisations engaged in technology-enabled modernisation.
BGF’s investment will provide the foundations for the business to further expand its range of services and client base across local and central government and the wider public sector.
Tony Summers, Chief Executive Officer of Socitm Advisory, said: “We are delighted to welcome BGF as an investment partner to support our vision of bringing inspiration to UK public services. For many of our client organisations, technology-enabled modernisation is a necessity. This investment will support our aspiration to be their trusted advisor for delivering sustainable change, shaping future policy, and improving the lives of local citizens, communities, and the environment.
“Over the past seven years, we have re-invested £1.1 million in public services through our sister organisation, Socitm. Our future growth will unlock further investment in digital skills and leadership within the sector.”
The deal was led by Mark Nunny and Elena Kovalikhina, investors in BGF’s Central & East growth team. Mark will join the Socitm Advisory executive board as part of the deal.
BGF’s Mark Nunny, said: “Socitm Advisory is a well-established transformation consultancy, having built market-leading expertise and specialist services to support public sector clients facing the challenges of increased citizen demand for front-line services and expectations of a more digital and responsive organisation.
“We were attracted to the business by its focus on improving public services, the calibre of its people and the ROI it is delivering to its clients. It has strong ambitions to grow its services and influence in a large, addressable market and we’re excited to be partnering with Tony and the team on the next stage of their journey.”
As part of the deal, Socitm Advisory has also appointed Paul Heywood as non-executive chair. He brings significant experience of operating, growing and scaling businesses within the data and technology sectors, having previously served as chairman of BGF-backed IT consultancy and Cloud service provider DevOpsGroup, which was successfully acquired by Amdocs (DOX) in November 2021. Paul’s appointment follows an introduction from BGF’s Talent Network.
Consultation launched on plan for future of student living in Nottingham
A new plan has been created by Nottingham City Council to increase the choice and quality of student housing, maximise the benefits of a large student population and better tackle any associated challenges for communities.
Both of Nottingham’s universities add a combined £3.8 billion to the UK economy every year and support around 14% of the local economy, plus 25,000 jobs across the area.
The Student Living Strategy marks the first time that Nottingham City Council, the University of Nottingham, and Nottingham Trent University have made a formal commitment to work proactively together on shared priorities for housing and local services, as well as maximising the benefits that students bring to Nottingham.
Together they have launched a four-week consultation so people in the city can have their say on the proposals.
The Student Living Strategy sets out three main priorities:
- Improving the quality, safety, affordability and location of student accommodation, and encouraging a better balance of student housing choice across the city
- Encouraging neighbourliness, where students contribute to creating a clean, attractive and sustainable environment, and tackling the impact of waste and noise
- Increasing community cohesion, ensuring students are valued members of their communities and improving graduate retention in the city
£2.6m teaching block complete at Nottinghamshire school
South Nottinghamshire Academy in Cropwell Road, Radcliffe on Trent, celebrated the official opening of its new teaching block named The Maple Building this month.
Midlands-based main contractor G F Tomlinson lead on the construction and design of the £2.6 million two-storey teaching block facility, which comprises new classrooms, a seminar room, independent study space, IT facilities, staff offices and welfare facilities. The building has been designed to provide enhanced learning areas for an additional 150 pupils.
The opening ceremony was attended by Dan Philpotts, executive headteacher at South Nottinghamshire Academy, and Andrew Burns, Chief Executive of Redhill Academy Trust. School staff, governors, G F Tomlinson colleagues, local dignitaries and other partner and community organisations were also in attendance.
The scheme has been completed on behalf of South Nottinghamshire Academy, which was rated ‘Good’ in its most recent Ofsted report, and currently offers 600 places for children aged 11-16 plus sixth form students, with plans to accommodate the increasing need for school places in the area.
Since 2016, following relocation into a brand-new school building, the academy has been an integral part of Redhill Academy Trust which has a proven track record of enhancing school improvement. South Nottinghamshire Academy has continued to invest in its facilities, to meet the educational needs of current and future students, including a 3G floodlit pitch.
As part of efforts to boost the environmental credentials on the project, heat recovery units were installed which enabled 100% of all warm air in the building to be reused, increasing energy efficiency. The site management team also created a “Zen Zone” which involved fencing off a dedicated area for growing vegetables with a small green house, raised bed and benches made from recycled site materials to support their mental health and wellbeing.
During construction, G F Tomlinson partnered with the academy generating social value through the provision of site tours, a careers fair and a mock interview day to enhance students’ understanding and awareness of the careers in construction.
Chris Flint, Managing Director of G F Tomlinson, said: “We’re pleased to see work has completed at South Nottinghamshire Academy. The expansion of the school means further school places can be provided for children within the area, which are currently in demand across the region.
“The new teaching block will help to enhance student’s learning and educational experience, and we look forward to seeing them make use of their new space.”
Dan Philpotts, executive headteacher at South Nottinghamshire Academy, said: “The new Maple building accommodation will provide our school community with a long-lasting, modern-day facility that will undoubtedly enhance students’ educational experience. We are so proud of our first-class facilities, and we look forward to a very exciting future.”
Andrew Burns, Chief Executive of Redhill Academy Trust, said: “We are all pleased to see the continued popularity and demand for places at the South Nottinghamshire Academy. These great new facilities will help our students achieve their very best.”
Freeths pays tribute to much-loved colleague and partner, Mukesh Patel
National law firm Freeths has paid tribute to a much-loved colleague and partner, Mukesh Patel, who died unexpectedly on Saturday, February 18th. Mukesh was the Managing Partner of the Leicester office.
A very popular member of both Freeths and the local community, Mukesh had been with the firm since 2009 and quickly established himself as a highly respected member of the business. He always regarded his colleagues at Freeths as his second family having led the dispute resolution team in Leicester and subsequently becoming Managing Partner of the Leicester office in 2014.
Regarded as a man of impeccable manners, courtesy and respect, Mukesh committed himself to doing everything he could to create a happy and inclusive team within the firm.
Mukesh leaves behind his wife and two sons.
In a statement, Julian Middleton, Chairman of Freeths, said: “This desperately sad, shocking, and heart-breaking news has come as a real blow to us all at Freeths. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his wife and their two boys.
“Mukesh was a trusted and valuable member of the Firm’s management team. He was an exemplary team player and would always place his personal interests second to those around him for the common good. Mukesh was very well known in the Leicester business community and was tireless in his efforts to raise the profile and reputation of the Firm and his office.
“We have lost a real force for good in the Freeths community, but we will ensure that his legacy lives on through our commitment to those shared principles that were so dear to him.”
Sanctuary for endangered animals set for Nottinghamshire following land deal
Licensed zoo keeper Reece Oliver is forging ahead with plans to build a world class sanctuary for endangered animals after securing a 23 acre plot of land in Broxtowe in a deal agreed by commercial property consultants OMEETO.
Plans have been submitted to Broxtowe Borough Council for the £10 million development on land near Station House in Trowell and, if approved, Mr Oliver is hoping to start the two-year construction project this spring.
Mr Oliver is best known for keeping rescued lions, a Canadian puma and 24 squirrel monkeys in specially-built enclosures in his back garden in Strelley. The African lions, Rock and Rora, were rescued from a circus in Eastern Europe and were joined by their cubs two years ago.
His plans for the sanctuary, named the Broxtowe Retreat, include reserves for rescued endangered animals as well as a tropical-themed spa complete with Rainforest inhabitants and an African water-hole themed restaurant and function venue. Visitors will be able to stay in 27 guest lodges, each with unique views into the expansive animal habitats.
An on-site education centre with qualified teachers would provide ‘out of the classroom’ practical experiences for school children, college and university students, and apprentices. The planned facilities, which have been described as state-of-the-art, would make use of solar panels, heat-pumps, and rainwater capture and recycling, making it one of the first sustainable and carbon neutral visitor facilities in the UK according to its developer.
New ponds, water features, and a tree and hedgerow planting program are also planned. The development would be expected to create more than 60 jobs in hospitality, education, catering, customer service, site maintenance, and animal care, with local skills and suppliers prioritised.
The retreat would be operated by an experienced team of experts to the highest animal welfare standards according to Mr Oliver.
He continued: “With the purchase of the land complete, we have now submitted plans for consideration by the borough council which I am confident will be approved.
“Rescuing animals is something that is very close to my heart, and we intend to create a world class sanctuary for animals and a uniquely special experience for visitors to enjoy.
“From environmentalism and ecology to education and employment, we think this development will really put Broxtowe on the map, and I’m delighted to bring such exciting plans to the local area.”
Chris Wright, director of OMEETO, completed the deal on behalf of the landowners, William May Holdings.
He said: “Mr Oliver is an extremely driven and motivated individual with a very admirable cause, we wish him every success with his plans. This is a very exciting project which could be a major asset for the region.”
Payroll fraudster who stole more than £120,000 sentenced
A payroll administrator who stole more than £120,000 from her employer has been sentenced.
Sandra Komunska, aged 29, worked for a specialist payroll management company when she made dozens of payments to her own accounts by creating false emails, invoices and payee details.
Between June 2016 and January 2020 she embezzled around £123,000.
Komunska was exposed during an internal investigation into a missing client payment.
She later admitted that the money had been paid directly into a bank account controlled by her and was sacked by her employer.
Further investigations revealed multiple payments to two other accounts controlled by Komunska.
Komunska, of Lovesey Avenue, Hucknall, claimed the money had been stolen to support her children during a period of financial hardship.
She later pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position and appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday.
She was given a two year jail sentence suspended for 18 months, ordered to complete 20 rehabilitation days and complete 150 hours of unpaid work.
Detective Constable Christopher Underwood, a specialist fraud investigator at Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Komunska repeatedly stole a very large sum of money over a three-and-a-half-year period.
“She could have stopped this offending at any time but chose instead to keep stealing more and more from the employers who had put so much time and effort into training her. This was an appalling abuse of trust.”
Orders, revenue, profit and cash flow improve at Rolls-Royce
Orders, revenue, profit and cash flow all improved at Rolls-Royce in 2022, according to full year results, though its new CEO has said the company is “capable of much more.”
The Derby firm hailed strong new order wins during the year in Civil Aerospace and Defence and a record order book in Power Systems.
Meanwhile the business posted an underlying operating profit of £652m, £238m higher than the prior year with the increase driven by Civil Aerospace and Power Systems, and underlying revenues of £12.7bn, up from £10.9bn.
The firm also highlighted free cash flow from continuing operations of £505m, £2bn higher than the prior year, led by engine flying hour recovery.
Furthermore, net debt of £3.3bn was down from £5.2bn at end 2021, due to disposals and improved cash flow.
Looking ahead, Rolls-Royce is focusing on a transformation programme to deliver further performance improvements from 2023.
Tufan Erginbilgic, CEO, said: “It is an honour to lead Rolls-Royce, one of the world’s most trusted brands and a business with strong positions in growing markets. Our people take tremendous pride in our innovation and engineering solutions. Together, we must now move at pace and harness that pride to create a high-performing, growing and competitive business.
“While our performance improved in 2022, we are capable of much more. Our transformation programme will improve our efficiency and commercial outcomes, and deliver a sustainable reduction in working capital. This will require a winning culture, underpinned by more effective performance management and a shared determination to deliver cash and reduce debt. Our success will enable us to reward investors for their support and invest in future growth.
“Our transformation programme is already underway and is moving at pace. It will include a strategic review so that we can prioritise our investment towards the most profitable opportunities. We will report the findings together with our medium-term goals in the second half of this year.”
Rail hub consultation is “incomplete and inadequate”
Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council has submitted its first response after the application for the Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange (HNFRI) was submitted.
The application, from developers Tritax Symmetry, was lodged with the Planning Inspectorate on 3 February 2023. The council had two weeks to comment on whether it believed consultation on the submission had been adequate.
The scheme, earmarked for 440 acres of land between the M69 and the Leicester to Birmingham railway line, is to the north-east of Hinckley – partially within the Hinckley and Bosworth Borough with the majority situated within the Blaby District – and would be based close to Junction 2 of the M69 to the north of Burbage Common.
Up to 268 hectares (equivalent to 662 acres) of land would be used for the construction of a rail terminal for the loading and unloading of freight trains under the proposals, providing 650,000 square metres of floorspace and up to 250,000 square metres of mezzanine space.
The council responded to the consultation on 21 February and advised the Planning Inspectorate:
- Time available for consultation was inadequate given the scale of the proposal and the information that had to be absorbed
- Some of the information available during consultation was incomplete, for example, highway modelling
- The baseline information used was incomplete in parts
- This rendered the consultation ineffective which falls short of the government guidance and case law on what constitutes effective consultation
Second phase of Unity Square office development approved
The next phase of Nottingham’s Unity Square office development is set to move ahead after securing approval from the council.
Peveril Securities and Sladen Estates are behind the major scheme on Queens Bridge Road, for which the original hybrid application was approved in January 2019.
Phase 1 of Unity Square is now complete and occupied by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
Phase 2 would provide a 12 storey office development with 235,000 sq ft of space.
The reserved matters planning application was approved at a planning committee meeting yesterday.
Go ahead given to extend Nottingham building for student scheme
Plans to extend a Nottingham City Centre building to provide 104 student bedspaces have been approved.
Maven Property (Nottingham) LP are behind the proposals for the two storey building on Lower Parliament Street, whose ground floor is occupied by two retail units for Poundland and Bonmarche.
The plans for the site involve an upward extension of between one and three stories to create a building three to five stories in height.
The ground floor would be retained as retail use, with the upper floors used as 104 student bedspaces with a mixture of cluster and studio flats.
The development also includes communal lounges, a gym, a laundry room and cycle store with two small roof gardens.
The development would be three stories at the northern end facing Lower Parliament Street, stepping up to five stories facing Thurland Street.
