Connexin completes first stage of significant Project Gigabit contract

Michael Fisher
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Connexin completes first stage of significant Project Gigabit contract
UK-based smart technology and digital provider Connexin has successfully completed the first stage of its Project Gigabit contract for the provision of hyperfast broadband to over 34,000 rural homes in Nottinghamshire and West Lincolnshire.
The £58 million contract, awarded in January 2024 by the UK government, will see Connexin roll out lightning-fast, reliable broadband to rural communities throughout  Nottinghamshire and West Lincolnshire. The rollout is part of Project Gigabit, a government-funded programme to enable hard-to-reach communities to access fast, reliable gigabit-capable broadband.
Connexin will soon move onto the build stage, which will see the first premises connected by early 2025.
Connexin worked closely with the government, Nottinghamshire County Council and Lincolnshire County Council to efficiently complete stage one of the project on time and under budget.
Furqan Alamgir, CEO at Connexin, said:
“As a company driven to improve lives through digital innovation, Connexin is delighted to be working with BDUK on bringing Ultrafast Connectivity to these hard-to-reach areas. This fibre network will not only offer significantly faster broadband speeds but will serve as a backbone for many other services to truly digitally enable rural Nottinghamshire and West Lincolnshire.“
Phoebe Smith, Managing Director at PATRIZIA, said:
“We’re proud of Connexin’s approach to this partnership and pleased to be moving the project into the next stage. We are excited to be partnering with Connexin and the UK government to provide much needed access to faster and more reliable broadband services to the rural communities in Nottinghamshire and West Lincolnshire.”
As part of the contract, over 34,000 rural properties in hard-to-reach areas such as Kirkby in Ashfield, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Annesley, Wragby and Market Rasen will undergo a major digital upgrade with the introduction of Connexin’s full fibre to the premise (FTTP) broadband infrastructure. Residents and businesses will be able to benefit from gigabit-capable speeds.
Over a million homes, businesses and public buildings – mostly based in hard-to-reach locations – are now able to tap into lightning-fast gigabit-capable broadband as a direct result of UK Government investment in network upgrades.

Workplace Wellbeing Timebomb – 83% of professionals have experienced poor mental health at work

Michael Fisher
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Workplace Wellbeing Timebomb – 83% of professionals have experienced poor mental health at work
83% of professionals state they’ve experienced mental ill health at work in the past 12 months – with more than a quarter encountering it ‘regularly’. Robert Walters’ survey of 3,000 professionals across the UK & Ireland recently revealed increasing numbers of professionals experiencing poor mental health at work, despite employers’ best efforts to enhance wellbeing offerings like employee wellbeing programmes e.g. mental health support (71%), Cycle-to-work schemes (65%), Healthcare vouchers (48%) and free or discounted gym memberships (43%). A  survey by Ipsos indicated that mental health has now overtaken cancer and obesity, to become the most common health problem Britons worry about. In the UK, around £138bn is lost every year due to workplace sickness. Habiba Khatoon, Director of Robert Walters Midlands: “While it’s encouraging to see that many employers have been ramping up their wellbeing benefits – the figures speak for themselves, efforts are still falling short when it comes to meaningfully supporting professional’s wellbeing. “With past aspersions of the UK adopting a ‘sicknote culture’ its important employers can not only empathise with, but adequately support their employee’s wellbeing to avoid footing the cost of increased employee absences.” Demand for wellbeing interventions 29% of all UK professionals consider employee wellbeing programmes the most important wellbeing & lifestyle benefit when they’re considering a job offer. Increasing to two-fifths (43%) of HR professionals and 31% of those working within General Management. Interestingly – a third of C-Suite professionals state the same, selecting wellbeing programmes over travel & retail discounts, healthcare vouchers and free/discounted gym memberships. Habiba adds: “Professionals are coming forward to demand that their employers do more to support their wellbeing at work – this isn’t an issue that’s limited to a specific industry or job-level. But the jury is out on whether the steps employers are then taking to heed their demands are having the desired effect.” Are wellbeing benefits a box-ticking exercise? Almost three-quarters of companies now offer employee wellbeing programmes. However, less than a fifth of professionals claim to have actually accessed the mental health support provided by their employer in the past 8 months. When asked why they hadn’t, 58% stated that these types of benefits feel more like a ‘box-ticking exercise’ rather than provide any meaningful support – with a further 29% stating the services they’ve been offered need to be improved. Habiba comments: “Employee wellbeing programs usually involve things like mental health / mindful apps, physical health checks and supplements – whilst these interventions can be useful, they put a plaster on the real cause of mental ill health – which can be something as simple as increased stress or professionals feeling overworked.” Employer efforts must be recentred A worrying 67% of UK professionals don’t think their employer is doing enough to meaningfully promote employee wellbeing – whilst almost two-fifths of senior leaders feel their increased spending on wellbeing benefits is going by largely unnoticed. Habiba concludes: “There is no overnight solution for improving mental health. But employers must be dedicated to the creating a culture of open discussion and empathy in their workplace. This means adopting strategies such as mindful work practices e.g. respecting workhours and holidays, encouraging regular breaks and offering regular check-ins for employees. “Those businesses who dedicate themselves to going the extra mile in supporting their staff’s mental health and wellbeing now, will reap the rewards of increased employee loyalty for years to come.”

East Midlands skills champion reaches national final

Michael Fisher
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East Midlands skills champion reaches national final
Former apprentice Charlie Gresswell will represent the East Midlands in the grand final of the National Apprenticeship and Skills Awards in London later this month (27th November). Charlie, who is 23 and works in the food industry, was crowned East Midlands Skills Champion in the regional heat of the awards in October. The regional award is in recognition of her outstanding work to promote apprenticeships. Charlie is the Apprentice Chair of the East Midlands Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (EMAAN). “It was fantastic to win the regional award and I’m really looking forward to representing the East Midlands at the national awards, which will be a very special occasion,” said Charlie. The Employer Chair of EMAAN, Charlotte Nicholls, said: “Charlie is an excellent advocate for apprenticeships. She proactively goes above and beyond her normal duties to promote the benefits of apprenticeships and skills. Her passion inspires others.” Charlie works for SGS as a Technical Assistant in the Food & Nutrition team. Previously, she completed a three-year Technical degree apprenticeship course with Samworth Brothers and Sheffield Hallam University. Her role as Apprentice Chair of EMAAN includes supporting a number of apprenticeship ambassadors, organising/hosting meetings, running projects and helping to ensure the smooth running of the network. “I was originally inspired to find out more about apprenticeships after an ambassador came to my school to explain the benefits and what was involved,” said Charlie. “It feels great to now give something back and help to champion apprenticeships so other people can reap the benefits too. To receive this recognition is amazing and I hope I can make the East Midlands network proud in the national final.”

Farming industry feels the pain

Michael Fisher
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Farming industry feels the pain
As the dust settles on last week’s Budget, the consequences for the wider economy and farming are beginning to become clear. And that is particularly the case when it comes to stimulating growth, supporting domestic business and strengthening agriculture.
The Inheritance Tax (IHT) changes – reducing agricultural and business property relief (APR and BPR) will be costly to many farms and rural businesses, while the arguments used appear based on misunderstood and partial data, says Jeremy Moody, secretary and adviser to the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV). “These changes will affect many more family farms than the Government suggests and will do so when farming needs its resources to meet the new policies, to invest and adapt to advancing climate change.
“At a strategic level, the Government may have missed its optimum moment to drive the economic growth programme we need,” he adds.
Of course, the devil is in the detail – so what do the IHT changes really mean? In simple terms, where land, dwellings, machinery, animals and other assets are worth £4m, there will be £600,000 in tax to find. “That is a lot to pay. Even if spread over 10 years that is as much as many farms make in profit over 10 years, precluding important investment.”  The Government argues that only a quarter of farms; the wealthiest quarter, are affected. But that misunderstands the tax data:
  • First, it is only based on APR claims and takes no account of the farm’s machinery, livestock, working capital or other business assets, including diversified business activities supporting the farm and the rural economy. That figure misses half the picture and so understates the effects of the change.
  • Second, it is not an assessment of farms but of individual ownerships of agricultural land. The average value of £486,000 might generally be just 50 acres but nearer 20 in some areas. Some will be small intense farms or family members’ land used by the family farm, but more will be lifestyle units and stray fields let out for grazing round a house – both likely with wealthier non-farming owners. The data does not record farms when, on DEFRA data, the average cereals farm would need four owners to be out of tax on its farming activity.
“If farmland has to be sold, the increased capital gains tax rate will mean more acres must go, reducing the farm’s production capacity and its ability to meet its overheads,” warns Mr Moody.
However, and almost immediately, English farmers face the dramatic acceleration of delinked payment cuts.
The centrepiece of the Budget was a £25bn increase in employers’ National Insurance, increasing the cost of employing staff, especially lower paid and part-time workers. “The whole food chain will now be less able to invest and take on new hires, with anyone earning even £9,100 costing at least £615 more,” he explains. “This will be particularly felt in many of the labour-intensive sectors of farming like dairy, pigs, poultry fruit, vegetables and horticulture.”

Senior Funeral Director appointed to lead all-female team

Stuart Pearcey
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Senior Funeral Director appointed to lead all-female team
Nottinghamshire funeral director A W Lymn has appointed a new Senior Funeral Director to lead an all-female team at its Wollaton funeral home. Kirby Cranshaw, 34, joins the team of six Senior Funeral Directors working across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Leicestershire. As part of her new role, Kirby oversees the funeral directors working at funeral homes in Wollaton, Beeston, Stapleford, Aspley, and Long Eaton in both a professional and pastoral capacity. Her team is made up of all women, reflecting a change in what, the company says, has historically been a male-dominated profession. Kirby’s passion for funeral directorship started at the age of 15 when she completed work experience at a funeral directors in Blackpool. After obtaining a degree in Forensic Science from the University of Lincoln, she started to write to funeral directors in the area and secured her first role. She said: “I’ve known ever since that first bit of work experience that working in the funeral industry is what I was put on this earth to do. It’s about making someone’s final journey perfect, helping people through some of the most difficult times and making it just a little bit easier.” After nine years of working in Lincoln and becoming a branch manager across four funeral homes, Kirby joined us as a Funeral Director and moved to Nottingham. She added: “I’d always known of and dreamed of working for A.W. Lymn, but because I lived in Lincoln, I didn’t think it would be possible. I’d seen their service brochures and the way they operate, and their approach really aligned with me. “In my previous role as a branch manager, I’d had to step away from directly working with and supporting families. Joining A.W. Lymn allowed me to get back to what I was really passionate about, which is building relationships in the community. “I’m incredibly proud to have been promoted to Senior Funeral Director and take on a new level of responsibility within the business. What makes A.W. Lymn so unique is that despite taking on a more managerial role, I still get to conduct funerals and be hands on with the families, which is highly important to me and will always be my priority.” MD Matthew Lymn Rose added: “Ever since Kirby joined the team in 2020, we have been incredibly impressed by her commitment to the job, and her devotion to embodying our core values and ethos in everything she does. “We have no doubts that Kirby will excel in her new role supporting her colleagues across the west area, and we look forward to seeing her continue to grow professionally as she takes on this new challenge.”

New study reveals the features that make a company most attractive for hackers

Michael Fisher
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New study reveals the features that make a company most attractive for hackers
The go-to targets for cybercriminals have been revealed, and a private small company from the United Kingdom operating in the retail field would definitely be one of them, according to the latest study by NordPass. In partnership with NordStellar, NordPass evaluated nearly 2,000 data breach incidents worldwide from the past two years, extracting insights on which companies are most likely to experience a cybersecurity breach. Experts ranked companies based on their likelihood for a breach depending on their industry, size, company type, and country of registration. “While small retail companies are highly attractive, other profiles are no less appealing for hackers. This analysis helped us illustrate which businesses face higher risks and explain what measures can be taken to avoid them,” says Karolis Arbaciauskas, head of business development at NordPass. Retail and technology sectors are in the line of fire Among the data security incidents investigated by experts, most occurred in the retail industry (95 incidents). The second most breached sector is technology, with 56 incidents recorded in the past two years. The top 10 most attractive industries also include more specific technology-related sectors, such as internet and web services, IT services and consulting, software development, and computer hardware development. According to Arbaciauskas, these results are rather surprising, given that many think that the technology or IT sectors are less vulnerable and are better equipped against threats online. However, the reality is that hackers see technology firms as an appealing target — even if the company is equipped with high-end IT solutions, human mistakes can still occur. Therefore, companies should choose tools that eliminate possible risks, invest in employee training, and carefully evaluate their cyber preparedness. The United Kingdom is the third most affected market The study reveals that companies operating in the United States get the most attention from hackers, with almost a quarter of businesses (489) investigated for this research registered there. The United Kingdom (73) also got into the top of the list and ranked third after India (114). Among the countries in the European Union, Spain and France are more appealing to hackers than others. “It’s natural that bigger countries are in the spotlight, given that hackers see a lot of opportunities there. However, no country is resilient to cyber threats and this is important to stress. It is up to businesses themselves to ensure their own and their clients’ security online, no matter their address,” says Arbaciauskas. SMBs aren’t too small for hackers In terms of company size, hackers seem to prefer small and medium businesses (SMBs). In the past two years, the absolute majority of investigated breached companies had up to 200 employees. Arbaciauskas explains that the problem could simply lie in SMBs underestimating their value to hackers. “There are targeted attacks, yes, but hackers often go for much broader scope activities, such as credential stuffing, dictionary or rainbow attacks that do not choose their victims. Because of employees’ reused and poor passwords, or downloaded malware, company credentials appear in the leaked credentials’ databases, which gives a chance for hackers to break in. For smaller companies, a data breach is a risk for business closure — financial costs and reputational damage carry significant aftermath effects,” says Arbaciauskas. Having investigated the company types that fall under the hackers’ radar the most, NordPass concluded that private businesses are targeted most often. As much as 85% of the analyzed data breaches were against such companies. What should you do if your business profile falls under this study? According to Arbaciauskas, any organization, no matter its size or type, should be cautious of its cybersecurity. Employing critical tools such as password managers that allow for secure management of company credentials and accesses, or virtual private network (VPN) solutions is a first step towards better resilience against the threats online. In addition, cybersecurity auditing is helpful to spot weaknesses in a company’s IT infrastructure and prepare resilience strategies. It is also critical to invest in the overall cybersecurity awareness raising among the organization to avoid human mistakes that often lead to serious data breaches.

Reverse coal on display at climate SAFE event

Michael Fisher
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Reverse coal on display at climate SAFE event
An engineered natural solution to extract carbon from the atmosphere was on display last month at a farming estate near Doncaster, which crosses the borders of Nottinghamshire, North Lincolnshire and South Yorkshire. Visitors to The Lapwing Estate were shown the novel ‘Reverse Coal’ project, which has been brought to life by an innovative farmer, a team of academics and engineers, including a team from the Lincoln Institute of Agri-Technology (LIAT) and the School of Engineering and Physical Science at the University of Lincoln, UK. The day started with presentations from Lapwing Energy, Collison Associates, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and the University of Lincoln who are involved across a vast array of projects exploring the shared vision of rethinking farmed peatlands. This was followed by a tour of the site including workshops looking at biomass feedstocks, biochar, industrial decarbonisation as well as an opportunity to sequester carbon back into the geological reserve for long term storage. Reverse Coal was mentioned as a positive case study in the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan 2023, the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio Progress Report 2021-22, and Powering Up Britain – The Net Zero Growth Plan. It has been widely highlighted as an example of how peatlands can be more responsibly managed and pave the way for climate-resilient agriculture. Peatlands are some of the most fertile soils for food production, but agricultural drainage causes large greenhouse gas emissions. Reverse Coal has been developed as a whole systems approach, that tackles landscape emissions whilst shifting towards controlled environment agriculture for greater food security. This tackles the common criticism of most biomass projects which is the displacement of food production for bioenergy. The renewable energy comes from biomass grown on rewetted peatland thereby ending emissions associated with drainage for agriculture. This biomass is then chipped and fed through a thermochemical treatment called pyrolysis to generate energy and biochar. Biochar is a solid, stable form of carbon which will then be stored in a innovative storage facility demonstrating that CO2 can be permanently captured for geological time. Prof Simon Pearson, Founding Director of Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology said: “The Reverse Coal project showcase was a fantastic opportunity for the University of Lincoln to share its expertise with industry partners, and support innovative approaches to sustainable food production systems. “One of LIAT’s goals is to create a sustainable future for agri-food production through innovation and research, and the the Reverse Coal project is a great example of this. “Reducing the impact of agri-food on the climate through projects such as Reverse Coal is at the heart of what we do, and it is very encouraging to see the project being so well received by the wider food industry.” James Brown, CEO of The Lapwing Estate said: “This was a great opportunity to showcase Reverse Coal to industry and partners as well as say a big thank you to those who have supported us and backed this project from the beginning. This is just the beginning for The Lapwing Estate as we look to deliver a more sustainable food production system that also delivers for our planet!”

Nottingham is 7th largest coworking market in UK

Michael Fisher
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Nottingham is 7th largest coworking market in UK
Nottingham’s total number of coworking spaces is 39 – the 7th largest coworking market in the UK, according to research from CoworkingCafe, specialists in coworking. In Nottingham, median prices for:
  • dedicated desks are £211 / month – on par with the national median of £210;
  • open workspaces are £158 / month – on par with the national median of £160;
  • virtual offices are £49 / month – on par with the national median of £50;
  • meeting rooms are £18 / hour – below the national median of £25.
Balazs Szekely, Senior Writer and Coworking Specialist at CoworkingCafe, commented about the coworking industry in the UK and Ireland, “Flexible workspaces in the UK and Ireland have reached a new level of accessibility, with over 3,300 locations catering not just to solo remote professionals but also to businesses of all sizes and needs. As demand grows beyond London to regional hubs like Manchester, Birmingham and also numerous smaller cities, this growth highlights a notable shift with businesses increasingly seeing coworking as a sustainable long-term solution that combines flexibility while reducing overhead.”

New report calls on more Government funding to help East Midlands SME manufacturers make the digital skills transformation

Michael Fisher
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New report calls on more Government funding to help East Midlands SME manufacturers make the digital skills transformation
Nearly three quarters (73%) of small to medium-sized manufacturers (SMEs) in the East Midlands are crying out for more Government funding to help them bridge the digital skills divide it was revealed today. A new report produced by Oxford Innovation Advice has revealed that 90% of companies are looking to ‘digitally upskill’ their staff but are finding the biggest barriers to achieving this are cost and a lack of in-house knowledge. 59% of businesses questioned are planning to invest in digital technologies, meaning there is a massive opportunity for the new Labour administration to deliver more specialised support to help boost skills and unlock the potential of UK industry. Based on responses from the survey, Oxford Innovation Advice has developed a five-point policy action plan that it plans to submit to Government to build on successful programmes, such as Made Smarter Digital Adoption. The recommendations focus on providing basic level training and advice to manufacturing SMEs to convert critical analogue data capture processes into digital ones. This is a critical first step for companies and gives them the ability to analyse processes and identify efficiency improvements. Training should also be tailored to include a strong problem-solving focus, which could feature mentoring and one-on-one practical support to help manufacturers trial solutions and digitalise processes. Finally, Oxford Innovation Advice is urging Government to involve companies in the design of businesses support, whilst also ensuring that programmes are available nationally and connect SMEs to their peers to sustain their digital journey. “65% of manufacturers in the East Midlands are predicting growth in the next six months and this is great news. However, as the report clearly shows, how many more could be increasing sales and creating jobs if they had more help to improve their digital skills?” explained Jane Galsworthy, Managing Director of Oxford Innovation Advice. “The digital revolution is no longer the preserve of the larger companies, it’s here and needs to be embedded on the shopfloors, in the design hubs and in the offices of our smaller manufacturers.” She continued: “What is clear is that SMEs need more Government funding to help make this happen, with two thirds admitting they would accelerate their journey if the right specialist support was in place. “90% also said they want to upskill their staff, so the appetite is there – we just need to create the right business support environment to make it happen using a combination of more financial grants and practical assistance that ensures firms can embrace digital technologies.” Oxford Innovation Advice surveyed manufacturing SMEs during August for its Skills and Digital Adoption report, one of the largest compiled this year for manufacturers. Other findings included: · More than half of companies are looking to hire new employees with the necessary skills for growth · SME leaders feel that the Industrial Internet of Things is the most important digital tool for their business, followed by big data/analytics and Enterprise Resource Planning systems · 86% of firms want to embrace digital transformation to improve operational efficiency, with over half wanting to utilise it to reduce costs · 46% of manufacturers believe time is the biggest barrier holding back their digital journey · The top three training approaches preferred by small to medium-sized enterprises are peer-to-peer learning, workshops/seminars and mentoring. Jane concluded: “Made Smarter Digital Adoption is a fantastic programme for helping SMEs who have already made headway in developing their digital capabilities. However, we feel that there is still a significant number of companies who need support to develop lower-level processes before they can start to apply Industry 4.0 technologies.”

Keepmoat announces new regional leadership team

Michael Fisher
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Keepmoat announces new regional leadership team

Top 10 housebuilder Keepmoat has announced a new leadership structure at its East Midlands region, a key step in its strategic growth plan.

The Nottingham-based regional division has strengthened its senior leadership team, led by new Regional Managing Director, Adam Sharpe. Adam will be joined by Robin McGinn as the Land & Partnership Director, who will coordinate the land pipeline across the region.

Adam and Robin will steer the housebuilding landscape in the region and navigate to deliver more than 550 homes in 2025. The newly formed team boasts a wealth of experience in a range of disciplines, crucial to homebuilder’s continued success in the new build sector as it continues to deliver homes across Nottinghamshire, Derby and Leicester. Adam was formerly MD at Vistry, South West Midlands.

Commenting on his appointment, Adam said: “I am thrilled to have been appointed by such a well-established, national homebuilder. Over the past few years the East Midlands has seen significant successes and has grown to become one of Keepmoat’s flagship regions.”

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