RammSanderson has joined the sponsor line up for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023, supporting the Contractor of the Year category. Speaking with Business Link, a spokesperson for RammSanderson said: “RammSanderson are thrilled to be sponsoring the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023, backing Contractor of the Year, for the second year in a row. “RammSanderson are a specialist, leading environmental consultant providing services to the planning and construction sector for ecology, arboriculture, and flood risk on a full range of projects. We pride ourselves in working closely with our clients and their team of consultants and contractors to deliver projects that run smoothly and achieve valuable environmental and ecological gains. “By sponsoring this award we want to celebrate the contractors who go above and beyond the word of the contract to deliver a truly exceptional service. “We are excited to see what the nominees have accomplished, to celebrate their achievements and get the chance to network with property and construction professionals from across the region at the Bricks 2023.” The awards, which will take place on Thursday 28 September at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, celebrate the outstanding work of those shaping the landscape of our region, recognising development projects and people in commercial and public building across the East Midlands – from offices, industrial and residential, through to community projects such as leisure schemes and schools. Nominations are now OPEN for East Midlands Business Link’s annual Bricks Awards. To nominate your (or another) business/development for one of our awards, please click on a category link below or visit this page.

Book your tickets now

Tickets can now be booked for the awards event – click here to secure yours. The special awards evening and networking event will be held on Thursday 28 September 2023 in the Derek Randall Suite at the Trent Bridge County Cricket Club from 4:30pm – 7:30pm. Connect with local decision makers over canapés and complimentary drinks while applauding the outstanding companies and projects in our region, and hear from Mike Denby, Director of Inward Investment and Place Marketing at Leicester City Council, our keynote speaker. Dress code is standard business attire. Thanks to our sponsors:                                                             To be held at:

Nottingham Venues has created a new mental health first aid team within the business. A sign of the company’s commitment to the wellbeing of its employees, the initiative aims to raise awareness of the importance of good mental health and provide support to colleagues who may be experiencing mental health problems.

A team of 12 people from a range of roles within the organisation have undergone mental health first aid training designed to equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to assist colleagues, and potentially guests.

The training was conducted and accredited by MHFA England and covered a range of topics, including how to identify the signs of someone struggling with their mental health, how to provide initial help and support, and how to guide people towards professional support if needed.

Following on from the MHFA England training, Nottingham Venues has also run a series of workshops for employees including ‘Dealing with Change and Stress Management Techniques’ and ‘Mental Health Awareness for Managers’ training, signalling the importance the company places on good mental health throughout the business.

In addition, Nottingham Venues has also launched a series of employee wellbeing events to promote overall health and wellness within the business. The first event took place in April and featured massages and beauty treatments for all employees, free day passes to the gym at the David Ross Sports Village, and an introduction to the new Employee Assistance Programme, TalkLife.

All 270 Nottingham Venues employees have been provided with access to the TalkLife app, a platform that provides peer support communities that offer safe and engaging places for people to get mental health support. It connects people with professionals, and also connects people dealing with the same issues, providing a support network and reducing loneliness.

Suzie Adams, Nottingham Venues’ HR director, says: “According to research from the University of Cambridge, approximately one in four people working within the hospitality industry have mental health problems.

“It is an issue in our sector and something we are aware of as a business. We are committed to supporting the wellbeing of our team and creating a positive working environment where people feel empowered to help one another or seek help if needed.

“By providing our employees with the tools and support they need to manage their mental and physical health, we hope to create a happier, healthier workplace for everyone.”

Nottingham Venues is a collection of independent venues specialising in meetings and events, set in the grounds of the University of Nottingham campus. All venues, including the East Midlands Conference Centre, the Jubilee Hotel and Conferences venue, Campus Venues and the 4* Orchard Eco Hotel were brought together under one brand in July 2022 with the aim of providing an unrivalled guest experience.

Nottingham Venues provides meeting space from 5 to 1,000 delegates, with over 40 meeting rooms, 2,000 sq ft of exhibition space and 300 bedrooms at the Orchard Hotel and Jubilee Hotel combined.

The East Midlands’ unemployment rate has risen to its highest level in almost 18 months, new figures by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show. It was 3.7% in the three months to March 2023, up by two-tenths of a percentage point compared to a month earlier, although still below the national average of 3.9%. More significantly, this was the highest level recorded in the ONS’ regional labour market figures since the August to October 2021 period, when it was 4.2%. East Midlands Chamber Chief Executive Scott Knowles said: “While the region’s unemployment rate remains at historically low levels and about 2% below its pandemic peak, it has been very slowly rising over the past six months. “This indicates we must not get complacent about the relatively low unemployment rate, which if anything has masked a series of troubling trends facing firms when it comes to recruitment. “Businesses continue to face a myriad of cost pressures and despite displaying incredible resilience over the past few years, this was always going to be unsustainable and we are seeing their ability to grow being stifled.” Meanwhile, the region’s economic inactivity rate – which measures the number of working-age people who have dropped out of the labour market for reasons such as retirement, caring duties, long-term ill health or studying – decreased for the third month running, this time by half a percentage point to 21.4%. This is the lowest figure over the past 12 months but remains above the UK average at 21%. National figures also show there were more than 400,000 people not working due to long-term sickness, a new record, with the ONS noting a particular rise in mental health conditions among young people. Scott added: “The Government has talked a lot about tackling the deep-rooted problem regarding economic inactivity among working-age people and, to an extent, we are now seeing some of its interventions bearing fruit as this slowly eases. “However, the economic inactivity rate remains almost 3% above pre-Covid levels, which indicates it continues to be a thorn in the side of many employers. “Our Quarterly Economic Survey for Q1 2023 showed that recruitment problems persist. Six in 10 (59%) East Midlands businesses attempting to recruit in the first three months of the year but, of those, 73% faced problems filling roles. “In our Business Manifesto for Growth, we have set out a list of policies we believe will make the required difference, including introducing flexible incentives for businesses that invest in staff training and bringing forward the introduction of the Lifelong Loan Entitlement to support retraining and the retainment of an older workforce. “We must also tailor policies to recognise the diversity of people who are out of work and avoid a one-size-fits-all solution. We would also like to see Government work with businesses to offer support, and share best practice, on what a flexible and inclusive workplace looks like as this is another vital ingredient in enticing people back to work.”