Pick Everard relocates Derby office
Independent property, construction, and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard has relocated its Derby operation to Sadler Bridge Studios, part of the Connect Derby portfolio of managed workspaces.
Pick Everard, a multi-disciplinary practice encompassing architecture, engineering and professional management services, is making the move from Kenning Studios on Queen Street to Sadler Bridge Studios, located in the heart of the city’s Cathedral Quarter.
The practice, which was founded in 1866, has 15 offices throughout the UK, including London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Bristol, Leicester, Manchester, Glasgow, Nottingham and Derby.
The move is part of a wider national office strategy enabling the business to adopt more agile and collaborative ways of working for its growing 650 plus work force; specifically for its team of 30 based at the Derby Studio.
Its client list spans a wide range of public and private sector organisations throughout the UK and abroad, including the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, MoJ, MoD and the Houses of Parliament in addition to large banking clientele.
The Derby office directly supports a range of commissions with important locally based clients including Bowmer + Kirkland, Rolls-Royce, Nottingham Trent University, Leicester Tigers, Derbyshire County Cricket Club and PMI Developments.
Sadler Bridge Studios is located in the heart of Derby’s commercial district, close to shops, bars, and public transport links. The purpose-built workspace was constructed in 2014 and comprises of 35 units in a three-storey modern multi-occupancy office building. SBS also contains RASK, a Scandinavian-style café on the ground floor.
Commenting on Pick Everard’s move to Sadler Bridge Studios, David Nisbet, partner said: “We’re delighted with our new home at Sadler Bridge Studios. Its location in the heart of the city is perfect for us, and the facilities are ideal for our evolving office portfolio.
“Our aim is to provide outstanding services to our clients and communities, developing our agile and collaborative style of working.
“The team at Connect Derby have been very accommodating and have enabled us to achieve a seamless transition into our new office space.”
Ann Bhatti, head of Connect Derby, added: “I’d like to welcome such a long-standing and well-established business as Pick Everard to Sadler Bridge Studios. They are a great addition to the range of creative businesses already based here.
“Sadler Bridge Studios’ city centre location is proving increasingly popular with businesses looking for a flexible and hybrid working environment. We now boast a diverse community of new and established businesses from across the creative industries and the supply chain to the creative industries.”
Leicestershire maintenance, repair, and operations supplier reaches deal with competitor’s administrator
Maintenance, repair, and operations supplier Cromwell has reached agreement with the administrators of a well-respected competitor Monks & Crane to take on some of the company’s staff, assets, and customer base.
The Leicestershire-based firm have signed a deal that will see some branches, stock, vending machines and most importantly some employees transferring over and in doing so have secured the continuation of supply to a number of customers.
Around 40 of Monks and Crane employees, three branches (Hook in Hampshire, Heathrow and Cardiff), stock, vending machines, and some customers will be moving over.
Neil Jowsey, Managing Director at Cromwell, said: “Monks & Crane has been an admired competitor over the years and it is truly sad to see this happen.
“We have been working closely with the administrators and management of Monks & Crane to see how we could keep elements of their operations going, provide continuity of service for customers and, importantly, provide a home for some of their team.
“Our core purpose at Cromwell is to keep our customers’ operations running and their people safe. Monks & Crane’s customers have unfortunately had several uncertain weeks, so our focus is on getting support to them as quickly as possible.
“The newly acquired locations of Hook, Heathrow and Cardiff provide a great opportunity to accelerate our expanding customer footprint along with adding some key strategic customer accounts to our portfolio.”
“Significant and sustained challenges” see Derby bicycle company cease trading
Raj Mittal and Nathan Jones of business advisory firm FRP have been appointed as joint administrators to Moore Large & Co.
Moore Large & Co. traded out of a 215,000 sq foot warehouse and office facility in Derby, and was a major importer and wholesaler of bicycles, accessories, cycle clothing and components.
The company completed a management buyout in April 2022 but has since suffered significant supply chain disruption and reduced consumer demand, as well as inflationary and exchange rate pressures on its margins.
An accelerated process was conducted over a number of weeks to attract investment. However, without any viable offers the directors proceeded to place the company into administration.
Upon appointment, after assessing all possible options, the joint administrators ceased trading the business. The majority of the 103 staff were made redundant with 26 retained temporarily to assist in winding-down operations.
The joint administrators have appointed agents John Pye & Sons Ltd to run an asset sale process, including the company’s stock of bicycles and accessories, through auctions over the coming weeks.
Raj Mittal, joint administrator at Moore Large & Co. Limited, said: “Between inflation, exchange rate fluctuations, dampened consumer demand and supply chain issues, Moore Large & Co. faced significant and sustained challenges. No doubt, many other businesses in the sector will be feeling similar pressures.
“Despite the directors’ efforts to save the company, crucial investment couldn’t be secured. Unfortunately, the financial state of the business meant that it could not keep trading and we’re now moving towards an asset sale. Our specialist employment team is on hand to support all impacted staff as they make claims to the Redundancy Payments Service.”
Work begins on new leisure centre in Clay Cross
Work to build a new leisure centre at Sharley Park in Clay Cross has begun, as the £24m transformation into North East Derbyshire District Council’s new Clay Cross Active leisure hub gets underway.
The new low carbon, low energy leisure centre, Clay Cross Active, will be a community hub, supported by Sport England, combining Clay Cross Clinic and Citizens Advice with leisure facilities. These facilities include a large gym, swimming pools, TAG Active, café, studio space and other activities.
Works have started on site and the first major change is the cordoning off some of the car park to the rear of the facility to enable site cabins and demolition works to be undertaken.
Construction is due to last approximately 24 months and during most of this period Sharley Park Leisure Centre will remain partially open with visitors still being able to use its fitness suite and pools, however the squash courts and sports hall are now closed for the new build.
“We’re thrilled to start works on the ground of the new Clay Cross Active Leisure Centre,” said North East Derbyshire District Cabinet Member for Leisure, Cllr Alan Powell.
“This is just what Clay Cross needs, after lots of consultation with our residents who said the old centre needed updating we are proud that works are now starting on site, building a facility that is state of the art and will be enjoyed for many years to come, delivering excellent facilities for all to enjoy in a safe environment.”
Vice-Chair of Clay Cross Town Board, Charlotte Cupit, said: “We have worked extremely hard to deliver this amazing new facility for the residents of Clay Cross and the surrounding area and we’re delighted to see it start to come to fruition. As the shovel is now in the ground, delivery of the excellent ‘Clay Cross Active’ is getting closer.
“It will be a fantastic facility for all to enjoy and is just one of many exciting new projects coming to the town as part of the £24 million Clay Cross Town Deal.”
Work to start on site at Riverhead in Grimsby
Work is due to start on site at Riverhead in Grimsby next week (Monday 20 March) to create a new open space in the centre of town.
Since the hoardings went up, the main contractors have been secured, and the build programme finalised. Additionally, work has been going on behind the hoardings to remove old trees, clear out old pipework and cables, and prepare the site for the start of the works.
In the coming months, the existing square will be completely re-remodelled, funded as one of the projects included in the Town Deal, the money for which was secured in 2020 and is ringfenced for specific projects.
The scheme will see the existing area changed to incorporate a lot more green-space and planting, as well as providing new seating, lighting, security and a flexible event space with improved infrastructure to support future events and activities. There will also be space for outdoor café seating at the entrance to Freshney Place.
Cllr Philip Jackson, leader of the Council, said: “This scheme will create a much more pleasant area for our residents and businesses and encourage more people to use the town centre. It’s part of our wider town centre ambitions that will also see, subject to planning permission, the western end of Freshney Place remodelled to introduce more leisure activities to the area.
“It’s vital for our borough that we look at Grimsby Town Centre with a real determination to attract families and people of all ages, so we can bring vibrancy back and make it a place where people want to visit at all times of the day.”
The new designs, approved at the Council’s Cabinet meeting in November, were drawn up by Arup Landscape Design, and incorporated input from local people, including children and young people, from recent consultations and engagement, in terms of what they want to see in the area.
The works on Riverhead are being managed by Equans on behalf of the Council and will hopefully be complete by the end of the year.
Owner occupier snaps up Derby warehouse unit
FHP Property Consultants have sold 43-44 The Parker Centre in Derby, on behalf of private clients.
The semi-detached warehouse is situated on Mansfield Road and comprises of a roller shutter door, mezzanine, ground floor office space, W/C and kitchen facilities.
The property extends to a total of 4,637ft2 with 3,482ft2 being warehouse and 1,155ft2 being mezzanine.
The property was sold for a price equating to £122 per ft2.
Jamie Gilbertson, surveyor at FHP Property Consultants, says: “The sale of this property brings me and FHP Property Consultants great delight to achieve such a good price in selling this unit. The property had strong interest from the beginning and was quickly put under offer after only couple months of it being on the market.
“While the property was under offer, I was still receiving calls enquiring about the unit, which shows there is still strong demand for units of this size. This was a great outcome for our client, FHP and the new owner, and I wish them every success.”
Major steps taken in Grimsby’s Freshney Place development
Two major signings have brought the new Freshney Place leisure development closer with Parkway Cinemas signing a lease to develop a five-screen cinema and Morgan Sindall Construction being elected for the next stage of the build.
Richard Parkes, director of Parkway Cinemas, said that whilst internet shopping had seen a change in buying habits and how town centre is used, it was still evident that people wanted to get together socially, and cinemas were benefitting from that.
“The new Grimsby cinema will be very different to the one we have in Cleethorpes. There is more than one type and style of restaurant, more than just one type of pub – cinemas are the same. A town centre cinema will have a different feel and style to a big seafront cinema, even if they’re offering the same sorts of films. It’ll be a different experience.
“We’re really pleased to be able to get this over the line, and look forward to working on creating something special for the people of Grimsby.”
Morgan Sindall Construction was selected from a national framework of suppliers to deliver the next phase of the leisure scheme. The construction team will work with the Council to finalise the build plans over the coming months.
In the summer, once the plans have been approved, the company will continue to work on the scheme, starting with the demolition of the existing frontage of the former BHS unit, and Flottergate Mall at Freshney Place, creating a new market hall for Top Town Market and then constructing the leisure scheme.
Ben Hall, Morgan Sindall Construction’s area director, said: “We believe this project will be a real game-changer for Grimsby and will breathe new life into the shopping centre. Throughout the build programme, we will deploy our Intelligent Solutions approach, which sees us utilise cutting edge technology to create unique, sustainable and inspiring places for our customers.
“We are also looking forward to bringing employment opportunities to local people, and in working with local schools and colleges to introduce young people to the construction industry.”
Cllr Philip Jackson, leader of the Council, said: “This is a time of real rejuvenation for the town centre, with the schemes from the Town Centre Masterplan being delivered – not just Freshney Place and the associated market and leisure development, but the other schemes like Riverhead, alongside the creative and heritage elements.
“We’ve seen from Freshney Place that the footfall is increasing, with shoppers coming to purchase rather than browse, and most of the units in the centre are now occupied.
“The work that we are doing will hopefully encourage people to use the town centre more, to make it a thriving heart of our borough and reverse the long-term decline of years gone by.”
OMS celebrate 25 years in business
25 years ago OMS started life as a consultancy business where founder, Clive Ormerod, could offer the skills he had acquired in the civil engineering and construction sector to businesses who needed to access his expertise.
A quarter of a century later OMS is celebrating, with Clive hosting a special lunch yesterday (15 March) acknowledging customers, partners, suppliers and those who’ve worked with OMS along the way to say thank you.
OMS said: “The loyalty of our clients is something we’re particularly gratified of, people who return year after year to us. And of course, the team, those who work on behalf of OMS, they’ve also ensured our continued success today.”
With the drive and passion of the Managing Director and the entire team, OMS has become the training and consultancy partner of choice here in the East Midlands (and further afield).
OMS added: “Like any company, there have been challenging times and OMS are no different, however we are extremely proud of the many accolades, accomplishments and the support which we have given our clients and the local community. We have developed our training and consultancy portfolio enormously and seamlessly adapted our offerings when difficult times have arisen, like a pandemic where face to face training and client site consultant visits was popped on hold!”
HISTORY OF OMS
1998 OMS commenced trading carrying out ISO 9001 consultancy work.
2001 Added Health and Safety consultancy to OMS portfolio.
2002 Re-located to East Midlands (from NW) and added health and safety training delivery to OMS portfolio.
2004 Gained approval to deliver Safety Pass Alliance (SPA) & IOSH training courses.
2005 Gained ISO 9001 certification through BSI and gained approval to deliver NEBOSH NGC training courses.
2007 Gained approval to deliver NEBOSH Fire Certificate training courses.
2008 Achieved ILM Training Centre status.
2009 Gained approval to deliver NEBOSH Construction Certificate training courses.
2010 Moved into current premises.
2011 Gained approval to deliver NEBOSH Environmental Certificate & Worksafe First Aid training courses. Gained City & Guilds training centre status.
2012 Added practical training area to existing premises to deliver work at height training and gained approval to deliver IPAF, PASMA, Ladder Association CITB & Site Safety Plus training courses.
2013 Gained approval to deliver UKATA training courses.
2014 Premises refurbished and two additional training rooms and reception area added.
2015 Gained ISO 14001 certification through BSI and became a CITB approved ITC Centre (touch screen test centre).
2017 Achieved CQA-IRCA Approved Training Partner status.
2018 Achieved CITB ATO status to allows OMS to process funding applications on behalf of customers.
2019 Achieved NEBOSH Gold status.
2020 Gained ISO 45001 Certification through Intertek.
2021 Gained approval to deliver NEBOSH Diploma training course.
2022 Gained approval to deliver Construction NVQs through City & Guilds.
Charity organisers call on Leicester’s leaders to spend a night outside
CEO Sleepout, a national initiative aiming to raise vital funds and awareness of the growing issue of homelessness, is coming to Leicester for the first time ever.
Organisers of the sleepout events ask business leaders and executives from cities across the UK to spend a night in the cold to help raise awareness and money to support those who are homeless. The first event in Leicester will take place at the Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium on April 6th, 2023.
Chief Executive of the charity, Bianca Robinson is looking for 50 of Leicester’s big-hearted company bosses to step up to the challenge and raise a combined total of £50,000. She said: “Business leaders have the power, the opportunity and the responsibility to ensure they are active within communities and play a role in strengthening the fabric of society.
“It is my hope that while looking up at the stars at 3am, they will consider actions they can take as leaders, and enforce these into their business to create greater social impact.”
Speaking of the main aim of CEO Sleepout, Bianca added: “We aim to raise big money to support charities on the frontline of homelessness in the city, and at the same time bring business leaders together to gain a deeper understanding of the issues around homelessness locally.”
Key players in the city have supported the organisers of the charity in bringing its event to the area, particularly Leicester Tigers, who have agreed to host the sleepout and Lord Lieutenant Mike Kapur, a signatory on Leicester’s Homelessness Charter, and Vice Lord-Lieutenant Murray Colville.
Murray, who is taking part in his first sleepout, is no stranger to sleeping rough. “I’ve been a soldier most of my life so I know what it entails, but having to sleep rough long term because of personal circumstances is an altogether different matter.
“Many homeless people are veterans and I feel an affinity to them and enormous sympathy.”
Speaking of why he decided to sign up for CEO Sleepout, he said: “I wanted to help raise awareness of the situation for those who have nowhere else to turn and highlight the discomfort and potential dangers they face.”
Funds raised at this event will support charities under the Leicester Homeless Charter, CEO Sleepout UK and the Leicester Tigers Foundation.
The Leicester Tigers Foundation utilises the power and expertise within Leicester Tigers Rugby Club to help make a positive difference in the lives and opportunities of thousands of individuals and groups every year.
Sam Swift, the foundation manager, said: “We are incredibly proud to be working hand in hand with CEO Sleepout to deliver Leicester’s first stadium sleepout.
“The Leicester Tigers Foundation is extremely passionate about supporting our local community and by not only hosting this great event but by also distributing some of the funds raised, into our programmes, we know the impact can be significant.”
Urging people to sign up to participate in the event, Sam added: “For any organisation or individual who wishes to take part, I would urge them to get involved, knowing that their contributions, both financially and in raising awareness, will really change lives.”
To date, CEO Sleepout has raised an incredible £3.6 million from events across the country, helping to support those who find themselves sleeping on the streets.
If you would like to take part in Leicester’s first-ever CEO Sleepout, visit: ceosleepout.co.uk/leicester
Blast off for Rolls-Royce as funding secured for lunar nuclear reactor
Rolls-Royce has secured funding from UK Space Agency, backing research by the Derby firm into how nuclear power could be used to support a future moon base for astronauts.
Scientists and engineers at Rolls-Royce are working on the Micro-Reactor programme to develop technology that will provide power needed for humans to live and work on the moon.
The UK Space Agency has announced £2.9 million of new funding for the project which will deliver an initial demonstration of a UK lunar modular nuclear reactor. It follows a £249,000 study funded by the UK Space Agency in 2022.
Nuclear space power is anticipated to create new skilled jobs across the UK to support the burgeoning UK space economy. Rolls-Royce plan to have a reactor ready to send to the Moon by 2029.
Rolls-Royce will be working alongside a variety of collaborators including the University of Oxford, University of Bangor, University of Brighton, University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and Nuclear AMRC.
Abi Clayton, director of Future Programmes for Rolls-Royce, said: “The new tranche of funding from the UK Space Agency means so much for the Rolls-Royce Micro-Reactor Programme. We’re proud to work collaboratively with the UK Space Agency and the many UK academic institutions to showcase the best of UK innovation and knowledge in space.
Minister of State at the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, George Freeman, said: “Space exploration is the ultimate laboratory for so many of the transformational technologies we need on Earth: from materials to robotics, nutrition, cleantech and much more.
“This funding will bring us further down the road in making the Micro-Reactor a reality, with the technology bringing immense benefits for both space and Earth. The technology will deliver the capability to support commercial and defence use cases alongside providing a solution to decarbonise industry and provide clean, safe and reliable energy.”
Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said: “We are backing technology and capabilities to support ambitious space exploration missions and boost sector growth across the UK. Developing space nuclear power offers a unique chance to support innovative technologies and grow our nuclear, science and space engineering skills base.
“This innovative research by Rolls-Royce could lay the groundwork for powering continuous human presence on the Moon, while enhancing the wider UK space sector, creating jobs and generating further investment.”
“As we prepare to see humans return to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years, we are backing exciting research like this lunar modular reactor with Rolls-Royce to pioneer new power sources for a lunar base.“Partnerships like this, between British industry, the UK Space Agency and government are helping to create jobs across our £16 billion Space Tech sector and help ensure the UK continues to be a major force in frontier science.”
