< PreviousOUT OF OFFICE Ashfield secures Restoring Railways Funding Ashfield District Council has been successful in securing up to £50,000 funding for the next stage of the government’s Restoring your Railway Ideas Fund. The fund supports projects looking to reinstate axed local rail services and restore closed stations. The £50,000 will bring the council closer to better connecting Ashfield and wider rural communities through the reopening of the Maid Marian Line. The bid offers benefits of wider regional transport connectivity and positive climate action and has the support of neighbouring local authorities, including Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire County Councils. The funding will be used to prepare a strategic outline business case for submission to the government by the end of June 2021. Cllr Matthew Relf, Cabinet Member for Place and Communities, said: “We are delighted to be able to announce that we have received this funding. The reopening of the Maid Marion line is something the Council has been championing for some time. “The benefits to Ashfield of opening the line would be phenomenal, linking rural areas to the main transport hubs in the District, County and across the country.” Developer donates laptops to Corby Business Academy The master developer of Corby’s growing community at Priors Hall Park, together with a number of the housebuilders on site, has provided Corby Business Academy with over 40 much-needed laptops for home learning. Urban&Civic has donated vital funds and secured additional support from the development’s housebuilders Lodge Park, Jelson Homes and Francis Jackson, to sponsor a total of 42 devices for pupils throughout the community. The donation, which comes as part of Urban&Civic’s ongoing partnership and governance in the school, means that even more students at Corby Business Academy can continue their studies remotely during the latest lockdown. Having already distributed 122 devices to those who need it most, the school’s initiative preceded the rising national concerns surrounding accessible home learning for all. Through Urban&Civic’s support, the total number of laptops distributed has now risen to 164. Not only will the donation offer immediate access to online learning for pupils in the area, but it will also support the Academy’s ability to provide an extensive curriculum post-lockdown, with increased opportunities for IT based access in the building to aid with coursework completion and lesson delivery. Nigel Wakefield, Development Director for Urban & Civic at Priors Hall Park, said: “Our role of master developer goes far beyond delivering bricks and mortar – we are equally committed to investing in the community and quality of life at Priors Hall Park. “Our aim is to work with our key partners and local organisations to help build a bright future for our residents. Naturally, that means that we want to see the Academy and its pupils succeed, so it’s important that we do our bit to help students during these difficult times.” 50 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk Nottinghamshire venue receives independent cinema grant The Bonington Theatre and Cinema in Arnold has been awarded £66,695 by the British Film Institute (BFI) as part of the first round of funding from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund to support cultural and heritage organisations in England. The award of £66,695, allocated by the BFI on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), is to help non-profit and independent cinemas in cities, towns and rural communities weather the disruption as a result of closure and reduced opening as a result of the pandemic. In total 33 cinemas across England will benefit from £5 million awarded by the BFI as the final applications for independent cinemas are processed ahead of the second round of the Culture Recovery Fund. The total of grants awarded in the first round of funding for the sector is £21,080,662. Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke said: “We are very pleased to have received this vital grant from the BFI Culture Recovery Fund. “The Bonington Theatre and Cinema plays an important role in its community and we welcome this boost to ensure we can reopen when this pandemic ends and provide local people with entertainment and much needed relief from the past year. “The entertainment industry, especially cinemas, have been hit very hard and will take a long time to recover but we can’t wait to reopen our doors again.” Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden said: “From restoring Georgian lidos and Roman baths to saving local screens and synagogues, our Culture Recovery Fund is helping to save the places people can’t wait to get back to, when it is safe to do so.” Corby Business Academy Associate Principal, Simon Underwood, with some of the laptops donated by Urban&Civic © Shutterstock /Torychemistry 50-51.qxp_Layout 1 05/03/2021 16:25 Page 1 Nottingham university on the map for R&D in low-carbon air travel The University of Nottingham is establishing a research base in Italy that will strengthen both its close alliances with Europe’s aerospace leaders and its position at the forefront of technological innovation in green aviation. Situated in the Campania region, the University of Nottingham Italy (UnIT) will allow its researchers to participate in High Technology-Readiness Level (TRL) aerospace programmes and maintain access to key industrial partners such as Leonardo, Airbus, Rolls-Royce Deutschland, Safran, Liebherr and Thales. Campania is home to the Italian National Centre for Aerospace Research (CIRA), and significant aerospace industries, including one of the University of Nottingham’s long-standing partners, Leonardo Aircraft Division – the second largest manufacturer of aircraft in Europe. Serhiy Bozhko, Director of the Institute for Aerospace Technology (IAT) at the University, said: “I am extremely happy that our strong links and great history of cooperation with the Italian aerospace community has achieved a new strategic level with the establishment of University of Nottingham Italy. “Our presence in the heart of Italian aerospace, in the Campania Region, creates exciting opportunities and enforces our University position as a leader in research towards future green aviation.” Chris Gerada, Professor of Electrical Machines in the Faculty of Engineering, said: “Establishing a research base in Italy is exciting for us. It underlines our capabilities and is testament to the strengths of our existing partnerships with Europe’s aerospace leaders. It also demonstrates our determination to explore new collaborations in the journey towards low-emission, sustainable air travel.” OUT OF OFFICE www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 51 Nottingham Playhouse awarded £290,000 Nottingham Playhouse has been awarded a grant of £290,750 from Garfield Weston Foundation’s Weston Culture Fund. The grant will support free participation projects, and the creation of a new community and gallery space. Nottingham Playhouse Chief Executive, Stephanie Sirr, said: “When culture can reopen fully it will be more important than ever that everyone can access it. “This fantastic award means that Nottingham Playhouse will be able to build on its award-winning participation work with its many communities.” The Garfield Weston Foundation’s Director, Philippa Charles, said: “Our cultural sector is at the heart of our local communities providing not only entertainment but education and inspiration for many. “Our Trustees were impressed by the entrepreneurial spirit shown across the Arts in response to Covid-19 and it was a privilege to hear what organisations had been doing to not only survive but also to reinvent the way they reach audiences. What really stood out was the level of collaboration and support they had for each other and the determination to keep going, despite the increasingly difficult situation. “We all want and need our cultural sector to thrive and, if anything, our time away from the Arts has shown just how important they are to us – bringing much needed pleasure and enrichment to our lives. Arts organisations are desperate to re-open and get back to what they do best and we hope that this new funding will help many of them do exactly that.” Other East Midlands organisations receiving grants from the fund include Derby Museums (£203,139), Nevill Holt Opera (£100,000), Nottingham Contemporary (£105,890), The National Holocaust Centre and Museum (£214,500), and Viva Chamber Orchestra Ltd (Sinfonia Viva), which has received £100,000. Digital partnership to support East Mids businesses’ growth post- pandemic Businesses across the region will be able to get help and support to get the digital skills they need to grow thanks to a landmark new partnership. De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) has become the artificial intelligence and cyber partner of East Midlands Chamber, enabling businesses in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire to access the latest digital skills training to drive growth. The university will support the Chamber’s new Digital Upscaler programme, a £3.6m scheme backed by the European Regional Development Fund that runs until March 2023. It aims to help hundreds of ambitious and scale-up businesses, via a suite of ongoing technical support and capital grants, to explore and introduce new technologies that will improve business resilience, productivity and growth. It builds on the Digital Growth Programme in Leicestershire, which will run from July 2016 to March 2022 with the goal of helping SMEs understand the importance of digital technology and embed new ways of working. Professor David Mba, Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise, said: “This is the start of a very exciting partnership for us at DMU and East Midlands Chamber. We know there is a need to help SMEs prepare for Industry 4.0 and this investment is absolutely crucial to help small and medium-sized businesses move to the next level.” © Shutterstock /kamui29 © Shutterstock /PabloLagarto © Shutterstock /frank_peters 50-51.qxp_Layout 1 05/03/2021 16:25 Page 252 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk that will allow them to communicate more effectively, as well as offer insights into their own current communication style. The event will also look at how communication needs to be tailored in the context of Covid-19 and a workplace where remote working is the norm. For more information visit bizgateway.org.uk/events/how-to- master-communication-for-managers-2/ Midlands Economic Summit Q1 2021: Regional recovery amid Covid and Brexit impacts Thursday 11 March Online With Covid-19 lockdown restrictions creating business challenges, and many companies navigating changes to operations following the end of the Brexit transition period, this is an incredibly pivotal time for the Midlands region. The Midlands Economic Summit Q1 2021 will feature key speakers giving their insights into economic recovery across the Midlands, and provide an opportunity for delegates to get involved in the discussion. Speakers will provide their viewpoints on the pandemic and Brexit, the impacts and opportunities of the Sustainability Leadership and Culture Tuesday 9 March Online This round table event will explain the link between sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), leadership and?culture and identify how it contributes to business growth. There will be an opportunity for businesses to network, share knowledge, experiences, ideas, ask questions and identify future needs. To benefit fully, businesses should also attend the feedback and presentation of toolkits session on 16 March. For more information visit www.ntu.ac.uk/about- us/events/events/2021/02/sustainability- leadership-and-culture How to Master Communication for Managers Thursday 11 March Online With much of managerial success determined by a manager’s ability to communicate, this workshop provides attendees with tools, strategies and skills events combination, and how local and regional economies can move forward. For more information visit www.semlepgrowthhub.com/midlands- economic-summit-q1-2021-regional- recovery-amid-covid-and-brexit-impacts/ Solutions Driven Cyber Security Tuesday 16 March Online This online masterclass will cover the top cyber security threats in 2021 and how to recognise them, phishing, the importance of proper backup of core data, checking if your email has been © Shut terstock/Ink Dr op The Legal Implications of the Shift Towards Remote Working Tuesday 9 March Online The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a shift towards remote working. Though this was originally expected to be a temporary measure to deal with the pandemic, many employers are now proposing a more permanent move. This event will consider the legal implications of remote working and will cover topics including: varying contracts of employment, introducing remote working policies, health and safety considerations, GDPR implications, performance management, compliance with the Working Time Regulations 1998, the provision of equipment, and insurance cover. For more information visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/connecting- you/business-focused-workshops/hr-forum6/hr-forum7/?VariantID=4223 © Shut terstock / Bongk arnGr aphic © Shut terstock/Cr ea tive Lab 52-53.qxp_Layout 1 05/03/2021 16:26 Page 1www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 53 hacked, training colleagues to be cyber savvy, passwords and password security, ransomware, GDPR and Compliance post Brexit and how it impacts cyber security, and creating disaster recovery plans. It will also consider affordable solutions to cyber security threats focused on small and medium enterprises. For more information visit www.d2n2growthhub.co.uk/events/nbv- solutions-driven-cyber-security-online- master-class/ Green Entrepreneurs Fund - Launch Event Wednesday 17 March Online Marking the launch of Derbyshire County Council’s Green Entrepreneurs Fund, this event will feature talks from Cllr Barry Lewis on the County Council’s Climate and Carbon Reduction Manifesto, and Professor Kath Mitchell, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Derby, about the work they are doing to contribute towards carbon reduction in Derbyshire. £2m has been allocated to the Green Entrepreneurs Fund to help businesses reduce their carbon footprint, retrain in low carbon skills, and develop innovative solutions in low carbon schemes. Delegates will find out who Lincolnshire EU Exit Panel – Threats and Opportunities Thursday 25 March Online This interactive panel session will discuss the current state of play, the direct and indirect effects on Lincolnshire businesses of the significant changes to the basis on which goods and services are sold and delivered in the EU, as well as look at the opportunities presented to and by Lincolnshire. For more information visit www.lincs-chamber.co.uk/ events/lincolnshire-eu-exit-panel/ Identifying Talent by Reskilling for Resilience Monday 29 March Online Aimed at business owners, leaders, HR professionals and talent managers working in businesses that understand the importance of putting people at the heart of their recovery and growth, this session will provide tips and tools to identify skills voids, invest in professional development and nurture key talent to ‘build back better’. It will help delegates pinpoint what skills and traits are critical to support their organisation’s recovery and mobilise a plan of action. For more information visit www.bizgateway.org.uk /events/identifying- talent-by-reskilling-for-resilience/ can apply for this funding, the levels of grants available and timescales for delivery. For more information visit www.d2n2growthhub.co.uk/events/green- entrepreneurs-fund-launch-event/ Electric vehicles: reducing business transport carbon emissions Thursday 18 March Online Delivered by the University of Derby, this event will cover how we can transform our transport system from one that is highly polluting and contributes to climate change into one that is clean, low carbon, reliable and affordable. The session will: provide a discussion on best practices, current challenges and opportunities for the use of electric vehicles for business; bring together businesses already using electric vehicles with those considering the option; provide the opportunity for businesses to find out what it means to run electric vehicles on a day-to-day basis; inform businesses about the support available to adopt EVs within their operations. For more information visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/connecting- you/industry-focused-events/sustainability- and-low-carbon-events/sustainability- forum/?VariantID=4362 Enterprising Women - Celebration of International Women’s Day Friday 12 March Online To mark International Women’s Day, join the Enterprising Women co-chairs - past East Midlands Chamber president Jean Mountain and current Chamber president Eileen Richards MBE - for a celebration of inspirational women in business. Welcoming speakers at the top of their fields, delegates will hear inspirational business stories and valuable insights from women across the East Midlands. For more information visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/connecting-you/networking-and-social- events/enterprising-women-events/?VariantID=4334 52-53.qxp_Layout 1 05/03/2021 16:26 Page 2Here’s Frazer’s collection of the weird and wonderful ‘news’ that came his way over the last few weeks. And finally The world of Frazer Those working in marketing and social media are rapidly becoming more creative with their campaigns. Now, Frazer knows when highlighting such campaigns it is usually because of some ridiculous misstep, but here he would like to showcase a work of - either disgusting or delicious - genius. Weetabix riled up the world last month as it posted a tweet showing off two cereal biscuits covered in baked beans with the caption: “Why should bread have all the fun when there’s Weetabix?” The tweet garnered significant attention, seeing public bodies and brands join the conversation. The NHS official twitter said the grub should “come with a health warning,” while West Yorkshire Police issued the statement: “Even though this is criminal, please don’t ring us to report it.” The debate was even brought up as light relief in the House of Commons. Frazer will admit, he’s tempted to try the combination. 71 pages of paperwork = 1 lorry of fish In another embarrassing episode of Brexit chaos, last month a fish merchant revealed to the BBC that it had taken 71 pages of paperwork to export one lorry of fish. The business - which exports 90% of its most popular products to France, Spain, the Netherlands, and Italy on its lorries - has found the process of sending a shipment to the EU transformed from needing a simple delivery note, with one or two forms and invoices, to a significant wad of documents. Despite Samways saying they felt “extremely prepared” prior to the end of the transition period, the true excessive nature of the paperwork was a surprise, as well as the time delays, seeing deliveries take 24 extra hours than normal. As we are all more than aware, these processes desperately need to be ironed out, but hey, it’s not all doom and gloom, perhaps the paperwork can be used afterwards to wrap up some fresh fish and chips? Zoom drama takes the internet by storm A parish council found itself trending last month as footage from a zoom call was retweeted thousands of times. Frazer would usually expect a parish council event to be quite dull, but the video chat saw participants in hysterics and harsh words exchanged. The internet’s chosen hero from the call, clerk Jackie Weaver, kicked three members out of the zoom meeting - including the chairman who had already been booted from an earlier Planning and Environment Committee meeting. During the now famous call, which began with an unseen councillor muttering “f*** off,” chaos took over as insults were traded, and the chairman refused to recognise its legitimacy, telling Ms Weaver to stop talking, adding: “you have no authority here.” Subsequently Weaver pushed him into a virtual waiting room. The vice chair then proceeded to yell at Weaver to read the standing orders. After another councillor asked for civility, hysterical laughter overtook, with two further councillors kicked from the meeting. Those remaining voted to not allow the three men to return - sounds sensible. 54 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk © Shutterstock/ Elnur © Shutterstock/ ymphotos © Shutterstock/ Moving Moment A “criminal” marketing campaign 54.qxp_Layout 1 05/03/2021 16:27 Page 1Armstrong house Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby DN31 2QE Tel: (01472) 310301 • Email: s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk Superb Location - - Close to the ports of Grimsby & Immingham - Great motorway links - Close to the town centre Secure off street parking High speed internet availability Easy in/out terms A range of affordable office sizes 3 3 3 3 3 Last remaining office suites Prime location in Grimsby Offering a prime position in Grimsby, Armstrong House on Armstrong Street is ideally located. Close to the ports of Grimsby and Immingham, motorway links and the town centre, off-street parking is also available for all staff and visitors, meaning it’s convenient too. Our spacious, welcoming offices are located on the ground floor and are both secure and CCTV-monitored, giving you the ultimate peace of mind. At Armstrong House, the flexible in/out terms of contract mean confidence when it comes to affordability and with a range of office sizes there are opportunities for all types of business. If you require virtual office services, prices start from just £15 per month. For more information, or to discuss your office requirements call 01472 310301. 55.qxp_Layout 1 05/03/2021 16:08 Page 1LINCOLN PROPERTY & BUSINESS INVESTMENT EXPO MOVED TO 2022 A well targeted event aimed at the Construction, Property, Business, Investment, Finance, Professional Services and related B2B markets. It has everything you require for a great day of networking and business generation. Face2face route2market – the opportunity to meet more potential clients in one amazing cost effective day, than it would take months out on the road. 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