World’s first Fusion Energy Café takes next STEP
The world’s first Fusion Energy Café, that will fuel hungry minds as well as appetites, is taking its next steps by recruiting for education and catering providers now that its construction is underway.
Located at The Bridge Skills Hub in Worksop, the café will help to inspire the local community to generate an interest in the field of fusion energy and encourage aspirations to study or work in this sector.
The café will also help to provide training and volunteering opportunities in catering and hospitality and Bassetlaw District Council is now searching for a dynamic café operator and training provider to manage either or both aspects.
Cllr Julie Leigh, Cabinet Member for Identity and Place at Bassetlaw District Council, said: “The Fusion Café is an exciting and unique opportunity to get involved in a once in a generation project.
“It will bring the groundbreaking work taking place at West Burton closer to our communities and inspire young people who could one day work at the prototype fusion energy plant.
“It also opens up possibilities for people to work in the catering and hospitality industry as well as wider industries in the Science, Technology and Engineering sector.”
Work on the café’s kitchen, food prep area and seating are already underway ahead of a planned opening in the autumn.
Alongside the catering and hospitality training, the café will provide work placements for learners with a disability, those not in education, employment, or training (NEET), or those who are long term unemployed.
Funded by Bassetlaw District Council and the UK Atomic Energy Agency (UKAEA), in collaboration with North Notts Business Improvement District (NNBID), the café will also support upskilling and career opportunities as the STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) prototype Fusion Energy plant is developed just a few miles away at West Burton.
UKAEA Head of Fusion Skills, Nick Walkden, said: “We are proud to be working with Bassetlaw District Council on this unique and exciting community-focused initiative in Worksop.
“The Fusion Energy Café will highlight the opportunities of fusion to local communities, including through the STEP Programme at West Burton, and push forwards our ambition to maximise the social benefits fusion has to offer.”
Sally Gillborn, Chief Executive at North Notts BID, said: “We are delighted to have partnered with Bassetlaw District Council and the UKAEA in the creation of the Fusion Energy Café in Worksop.
“The café will also provide invaluable information on the opportunities and careers available at the STEP fusion site in West Burton as it is developed as a flagship plant in the fusion energy sector for generations to come.
“As part of the BIDs second-term vision, the café will offer hands-on experience, primarily to adults and young people with learning difficulties, whilst offering them inclusive training in catering and hospitality.
“As an all-encompassing initiative, the café builds on the BIDs commitment to upskill our communities, support local employers and ultimately to boost the local economy.”
£3m contribution set for Newark Southern Link Road
In a boost for local growth, Nottinghamshire County Council has given the green light to transfer £3m to Newark and Sherwood District Council (NSDC) to support the development of the Newark Southern Link Road scheme which will help unlock thousands of new homes and jobs in the area.
The new 5km road will connect the A1 at Balderton to the A46 at Farndon along the southern fringe of Newark and will help alleviate traffic pressures within the town, which has been a long-standing issue for residents and businesses.
The road will also support the planned improvements to the Strategic Route Network managed by National Highways, including the A46 and A1 near Newark-on-Trent and improve the cycling and walking infrastructure in the area, helping more people to choose active travel to reduce their carbon footprint.
As well as providing a new route for traffic, the Newark Southern Link Road will also pave the way for a major transformation of Newark and its surroundings with the construction of Middlebeck, a sustainable urban extension that will offer a range of benefits for the local community.
This includes up to 3,150 new homes and the potential to create up to 5,000 new job opportunities for the local area. The new development will also feature a new primary school, shops, restaurants, industry space, and 200 acres of green space for the community.
The County Council’s contribution of £3m will help secure an infrastructure package of £80m for the Newark Southern Link Road scheme, which has also received £20m from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund, £7m from the D2N2 LEP and £5m from Newark and Sherwood District Council.
The scheme is being delivered in phases by developer Urban&Civic. The first phase between Staple Lane and Bowbridge Lane has already been completed and the developers are currently on site at both ends of the route delivering the A46 to Bowbridge Lane element and linking the Southern Link Road from Staple Lane to the Great North Road just south of the A1 junction.
The final connection at the A1 end is expected to be completed by the end of November 2024, with the remaining works scheduled to be finished by Summer 2026.
Councillor Neil Clarke MBE, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, said: “We are delighted to approve this funding contribution to the Newark Southern Link Road project, which will deliver significant benefits for the residents and businesses of Newark and Nottinghamshire.
“This project will help ease congestion, improve connectivity, and support economic growth and housing development in the area. It also demonstrates our commitment to the Government’s Levelling Up agenda and our ambitions to improve transport infrastructure and attract investment in Nottinghamshire.”
Councillor Paul Peacock, Leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “We are extremely grateful for the support from our colleagues at Nottinghamshire County Council to help deliver this significant project for Newark and surrounding communities.
“When finished, the road will help ease dreaded congestion and allow much-needed homes and employment opportunities to be delivered. It is a real testament to partnership working, spearheaded by the District Council, that we have reached this point.”
Once fully operational, the new road will become adopted highway and the County Council will be responsible for the ongoing maintenance.
Connected Data continues growth with appointment of customer success manager
Data driven technology company Connected Data has appointed Richard Mason as customer success manager.
Richard brings with him 30 years of working in the regulated banking and data industry for FTSE 100 businesses. Focused on the effective use of data and analytics, his knowledge and experience have helped him deliver positive outcomes for clients and their end customers.
His career to date includes one of the top five banks in the UK, NatWest. For seven years, Richard held a range of customer facing roles at NatWest, managing business and consumer relationships, enabling them to overcome problems, whilst introducing relevant new products and services that more appropriately met their needs.
Richard also worked for the global data company, Experian, for over 23 years, holding several different client facing roles and managing portfolios across a broad range of sectors. He successfully enabled high levels of customer satisfaction, retention, and loyalty for Experian.
As a result, he developed a reputation for an ability to identify key needs and finding innovative and viable solutions to meet them. Richard enabled greater cost savings, efficiencies and customer engagement for Experian clients. As a result of his significant achievements, he was awarded two prestigious internal Experian wide awards.
In his new role, Richard will focus on nurturing and growing relationships with existing Connected Data clients. He will work closely with them to ensure that they continue to see the clear value and ROI enabled by Connected Data’s innovative approach.
Commenting on his new role, Richard said: “I am thrilled to be joining Connected Data. Not only is this a very exciting time in terms of expansion and growth for the company, but I’ve also previously worked with several members of the Connected Data team, so I know I’m joining a very passionate, experienced and customer focused team.
“Coupled with a unique and innovative market approach that has been making a real difference to organisations and their end customers, I was very much attracted to this role. I look forward to playing a key part in developing and evolving the relationships with Connected Data’s existing and prospective new clients.”
Commenting on Richard’s appointment, Anthony Sumner, director of data and analytics at Connected Data, said: “Connected Data’s customer base is growing quickly, and ensuring that they continue to see value and success by partnering with us is vital.
“As well as being known for our innovative approach in the market and the combined expertise of our team, we want to ensure that through the delivery of stellar customer experiences, we are building confidence at every touchpoint.
“Richard brings with him extensive experience across account and service management which are both fundamental in any customer success role. He has demonstrated strong values in terms of integrity and trust which are key within our organisation. We are looking forward to working with Richard to continue to drive positive outcomes for our customers and end consumers.”
Feedback gathered to help shape plans for Nottinghamshire’s County Hall
Following feedback gathered from residents, businesses and stakeholders, options are now being compiled to give Nottinghamshire’s County Hall a new lease of life.
More than 1,620 responded to a public survey which was open earlier this spring and shared their views on County Hall’s future use.
It came on the back of the County Council’s decision to move out of County Hall next year after facing spiralling costs to maintain and run the building. It has been the council’s headquarters since 1946.
The vast majority of feedback was positive and from people from Nottinghamshire. It backed the wider views of stakeholders that the main building is much-loved, should remain and has the potential to further regenerate and improve the area. 665 of survey responders were business owners, while 448 were from council employees (260 of which work at County Hall).
The main survey results reveal:
• The majority of people (85 per cent) want to see the main building – with its iconic green roof – remain in place.
• 86 per cent value the views of the site from across the river and from Loughborough Road.
• 70 per cent agree that the development of the existing car park is an opportunity for regeneration.
• 77 per cent would like to see improvements around the riverside.
• Almost two thirds of people agree that having more hospitality businesses, such as bars and restaurants, would be a good idea, while 28 per cent of responders don’t.
• 73 per cent think that the development of the site would help economic growth.
• A wide variety of uses for the site were suggested, but the most popular idea was that it could become a mixed-use development which included offering new homes.
As part of a wider engagement exercise, stakeholders such as heritage organisations, sport clubs, universities and other councils were contacted directly for their views.
Various developers and regeneration experts also gave their views as part of informal market testing, with most of them praising the site for its unique riverside location with the potential to be transformed into a range of uses.
An initial business case is now being put together which will be ready later this summer and will include options for the site. Once approved, a full business case is planned for later this autumn. The shortlisting of developers is earmarked for the New Year.
Nottinghamshire County Council Leader Ben Bradley thanked those who gave their feedback. He said: “It was vital we listened to what residents, businesses, partners and developers had to say as we know how important this iconic local landmark is to us all. It was encouraging that we had so much positive and useful feedback, so thank you.
“The vast majority who took the time to feed back to us agree with that this site has the potential to bring more jobs and investments to this area.
“The savings we’ll be making by not running and maintaining this building will of course mean we’ll have more money to spend on services, not to mention any potential sale.”
Nottinghamshire County Councillor Keith Girling, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Asset Management, added: “What happens to this building affects a lot of people- so we’re really pleased with the feedback we’ve had. It is helping us come up with a business plan that will hopefully be welcomed by the majority.
“We’ll continue to engage with and update people as things progress, including making potential designs and artist impressions available as and when.
“We’ve also had separate feedback from developers who have confirmed what we always suspected, which is that there’ll be genuine interest if County Hall was to be put on the market. It’s good to know that having to retain and refurbish the main building wouldn’t put potential developers off either.
“Whatever the final decision is on this building, we will have to consider what makes best financial sense for the taxpayer and not take any unnecessary risks.”
Commercial, development, legal and technical advice will be sought as necessary for this complex project including using the expertise of Arc Partnership, the council’s property, design and consultancy partner. As part of this, Arc has commissioned property consultants Montagu Evans.
Corby Foodbank benefits from £20,000 donation from engineering and construction company
Corby Foodbank, which supports local people in food crisis, has benefitted from a £20,000 donation of food – the equivalent of 6,262kgs – from VolkerFitzpatrick, the engineering and construction company.
The donation was made as part of VolkerFitzpatrick’s commitment to engage with the community and leave a lasting legacy during the completion of two state-of-the-art units totalling £84 million at Magna Park in Corby – one of the UK’s largest logistics and distribution parks.
Corby Foodbank distributes three-day emergency, non-perishable food parcels to local people in food crisis and the provisions, provided monthly over the course of a year from VolkerFitzpatrick, included toiletries and food packs for the homeless.
David Rowell, project manager, VolkerFitzpatrick, said: “As a business, we wanted to have a positive impact during our work in Corby, so we did our research and came across Corby Foodbank. At the time, it was running at a growing monthly deficit, so there was a definite need for support.
“It was a big team effort where a team of 15 of us would take it in turns to visit the local cash and carry each month to buy the most-needed items from a list provided by Corby Foodbank.
“We would then load the van to deliver and unload the goods, and physically weigh them in at the Foodbank’s warehouse. If we were to win another project in the Corby area, we would be happy to support them again.”
Corby Foodbank manager, Martin Langford, said: “We are incredibly grateful for the donations made by VolkerFitzpatrick. We rely solely on donations from local people and businesses to help those in need.
“David and his team’s contributions have made a real difference to the people of Corby, and I can’t thank them enough for choosing us to help leave a lasting legacy in the work they have done in Corby itself.”
Alumasc outperforms UK construction markets
Alumasc, the Kettering-based sustainable building products, systems and solutions group, has hailed a “significant outperformance of UK construction markets” in a trading update for the year ended 30 June 2024.
The Group expects organic revenue growth for the year to be around 6.5%, outperforming the 2% decline in overall UK construction activity.
Underlying profit before tax (UPBT), meanwhile, is now expected to be at least £12.6m, ahead of current market forecasts and the prior year (£11.2m).
Paul Hooper, Chief Executive of Alumasc, said: “Against such a challenging commercial market backdrop, I am delighted with the Group’s strong performance, which is testament to our robust business model and the significant progress we have made in delivering against our strategic aims.
“We are optimistic that our growth strategy, with a focus on environmentally sustainable solutions, new product development, investment in capability and ongoing self-help initiatives will drive further strong growth in returns as market conditions improve.”
Raise your business’s profile at the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2024
Raise the profile of your business by submitting a nomination for Business Link’s prestigious East Midlands Bricks Awards 2024!
Celebrating the region’s property and construction industry, its people, and outstanding developments, the annual awards attract leaders from all over the region and are the perfect way for businesses to showcase the work they are completing and create more buzz.
Award categories include: most active estate agent, commercial development of the year, responsible business of the year, residential development of the year, developer of the year, deal of the year, architects of the year, excellence in design, sustainable development of the year, contractor of the year, and overall winner.
A highlight in the business calendar, a glittering awards ceremony on Thursday 3rd October, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, will unveil the winners – an evening that will also provide plenty of opportunities to forge new contacts with property and construction professionals from across the region.
To nominate your (or another) business/development for one of our awards, please click on a category link below or visit this page.
Tickets can now be booked for the 2024 awards event, click here to secure yours.
Taking place in the Derek Randall Suite at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground on Thursday 3rd October, from 4:30pm – 7:30pm, connect with local decision makers over nibbles and complimentary drinks while applauding the outstanding companies and projects in our region.
Attendees will also hear from keynote speaker Paul Southby, partner at Geldards LLP, chair of the Advisory Board to Nottingham Business School, chair of Broadway independent cinema, trustee of Clean Rivers Trust, chair of Nottingham Partners, board member of Marketing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, and former High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire.
Dress code is standard business attire.
Thanks to our sponsors:
- Most active agent
- Commercial development of the year
- Responsible business of the year
- Residential development of the year
- Developer of the year
- Deal of the year
- Architects of the year
- Excellence in design
- Sustainable development of the year
- Contractor of the year
- Overall winner (this award cannot be entered, with the winner, and recipient of a year of marketing/publicity worth £20,000, selected from those nominated for the event’s other awards)
Nominations end Thursday 5th September
Tickets can now be booked for the 2024 awards event, click here to secure yours.
Taking place in the Derek Randall Suite at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground on Thursday 3rd October, from 4:30pm – 7:30pm, connect with local decision makers over nibbles and complimentary drinks while applauding the outstanding companies and projects in our region.
Attendees will also hear from keynote speaker Paul Southby, partner at Geldards LLP, chair of the Advisory Board to Nottingham Business School, chair of Broadway independent cinema, trustee of Clean Rivers Trust, chair of Nottingham Partners, board member of Marketing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, and former High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire.
Dress code is standard business attire.
Thanks to our sponsors:
To be held at:
Hot tub manufacturer appoints new global marketing director
Chesterfield-based Superior Wellness has appointed Richard Walker as their global marketing director. He joins them with over 15 years of international experience in on and offline marketing, above and below-the-line advertising, e-commerce, social media, influencer projects and celebrity endorsements.
Richard is a multi-award-winning international marketing director with a proven track record. Before joining Superior Wellness, he was the marketing director of Wren Kitchens and the Wren brand guardian since its inception in 2009. He drove marketing effectiveness and business expansion, contributing to double-digit growth in turnover each year.
Richard will play a pivotal role in driving awareness of the Superior Wellness brands to support the company’s expansion plans and long-term vision.
Rob Carlin, Managing Director, said: “We are thrilled that Richard has joined the Superior Wellness leadership team. His experience will be invaluable, he’s an outstanding addition to our existing team and I am looking forward to working closely with him.”
Richard Walker said: “I am incredibly excited to be joining the team at such a crucial point in Superior Wellness’s growth. There is a huge opportunity to play our part in the global wellness market – and great things are already happening.”
Local company raises more than £5,000 for Cancer Research UK in gruelling Tough Mudder challenge
A team of 23 from Corby-based SEE Limited, a group holding company responsible for three businesses involved in the supply, distribution and fabrication of wood veneer and decorative laminate panels, has raised more than £5,000 for Cancer Research UK by battling their way through more than 10 gruelling miles and 23 challenging obstacles in the Tough Mudder challenge, which took place at Belvoir Castle in Grantham.
Crossing the finish line in around three hours, the team joined forces to help bolster the crucial efforts and vital research that goes into saving lives and finding cures and treatment for cancer, raising £5,355.
Robert Thompson, CEO of SEE Limited, said: “It was such a challenging but rewarding experience. Pulling through the obstacles with my family, friends, and colleagues made this a very special moment.
“I’m really proud of what we have achieved, all the efforts that went in to fundraising for the event and raising such a life-changing amount of money for a cause so close to my heart.
“I’m also grateful to all those who have kindly donated – it means so much to everyone. If you’re contemplating taking on the Tough Mudder yourself, I would urge you to throw yourself at it, you will not regret it!”
Digital marketing manager at SEE Limited, Inga Gusauskaite, agrees that it was a worthwhile experience which pulled on their team spirit to get them round the gruelling course: “The course itself was really hard, made even tougher by the challenging weather conditions with the rain and the wind. But I’m very proud of myself and the team because we stuck together and tackled each obstacle as a collective.
“The worst obstacle was the electric shock one, where we had to crawl in the water while being electrocuted by the wires above. I think everyone would agree that was the worst one!
“See Limited are immensely grateful to everyone who supported us with our fundraising. Every donation no matter how big or small helps towards the life-saving research and crucial support to those living with cancer right now. We can only hope that by uniting in this way, we are doing all we can to ensure that future generations are not burdened with the impacts of cancer.”
East Midlands manufacturer completes £1.6m contract for major residential scheme in Leeds
Mansfield-based Deanestor, the furniture and fitout specialists, has delivered a £1.6m contract to provide more than 300 high specification kitchens for a major new co-living scheme in Leeds, developed by Caddick Developments.
Mercer West and Madison East are two adjoining apartment buildings near the River Aire in Leeds’ vibrant cultural quarter, which were built by Caddick Construction. This build-to-rent development is part of SOYO Leeds – a new neighbourhood in the heart of the city.
Deanestor provided bespoke, contemporary kitchens for 331 apartments in a range of configurations to suit each apartment layout. This involved the manufacture and installation of around 4,500 items of furniture including base and wall cabinets, drawers, tall fridge unit, oven housing and solid white quartz worktops.
Eugene Cannon, Senior Quantity Surveyor at Caddick Construction, said: “The Deanestor team excelled commercially and in the design phase for this complex and large-scale co-living scheme. They were helpful at each stage and had a common-sense approach to any challenges, such as the need to upgrade appliances. The finished kitchens are great – good quality, contemporary detailing, superior worktops, and gave us the value for money we were looking for.”
The kitchen cabinetry was supplied in two colour palettes for alternate floors – stone grey and dark blue, and with black D-shaped handles and brushed satin taps.
Each kitchen was fully equipped by Deanestor with integrated appliances – a built-in oven, microwave, ceramic hob, washer dryer, fridge/freezer and dishwasher.
