“You’re hired!” BSP Consulting takes on third apprentice

Simran Gangarh, Katie White and Hannah Rawson

Civil and structural engineering company BSP Consulting has taken on its third apprentice administration assistant, who follows in the footsteps of two colleagues who have since climbed the career ladder after being hired as apprentices themselves.

Twenty-year-old Simran Gangarh is the latest recruit to join the firm’s head office in Oxford Street, Nottingham – arriving just ahead of the 10^thNational Apprenticeship Week, which this year has the theme of ‘ladder of opportunity’.

“It’s rather appropriate that the theme of this year’s National Apprenticeship Week is ‘ladder of opportunity’ as BSP Consulting has just employed the company’s third apprentice administration assistant, with the previous two apprentice admin assistants having progressed their careers within the firm,” said BSP business development director Jef Todd.

“In the 1980s, I was a former candidate of the Youth Training Scheme – a scheme for helping 16 and 17-year-olds into employment –  and I am a firm believer in training and apprenticeship schemes. 

“We’re very pleased to welcome Simran to BSP and hope she will enjoy working alongside Katie and Hannah, who were our first and second apprentices.”

Katie White joined BSP in 2012 as a 19-year-old apprentice and completed level 2 in Business Administration. She was then taken on by BSP and subsequently completed level 2 in AAT, an accounting qualification, followed by level 3. She is now office manager.

Hannah Rawson joined BSP in August 2013 as a 17-year-old apprentice, completing level two and level 3 in Business Administration, and was also taken on after a year of working as an apprentice. She is now administration assistant at the company, which has offices in Nottingham, Derby and Leicester.

Simran, who lives in Derby, will study at New College Nottingham (ncn), as well as working at BSP Consulting, while she undertakes her level 2 in Business Administration. 

She said: “After leaving school and then taking my A-levels at college, I thought an apprenticeship was a better opportunity for me because I didn’t have a particular course in mind and I didn’t want to spend three or four years on a course at university and come out not wanting to do it any more. 

“When I saw the job description for this position at BSP Consulting it seemed like there was room for progression within the company, which is what I was looking for.”

Jenny Clarke, ncn b2b sales, recruitment and work experience manager, said: “Katie’s story shows just how careers can evolve from an apprenticeship. Katie started her apprenticeship at BSP in 2013 and has progressed through her career to now become the office manager there. We are delighted that Katie and BSP have chosen to return to ncn to support and grow the team’s future talent by taking on further apprentices. In placing Katie, Hannah, and now Simran, we are proud to continue to build on the excellent working relationship that we have developed with BSP over recent years.”

National Apprenticeship Week is designed to celebrate the positive impact apprenticeships and traineeships have on individuals, businesses and the economy, and runs from 6^th to 10^th March 2017.

BSP Consulting provides a comprehensive range of consultancy services in civil, structural, geotechnical, transportation and environmental engineering to all sectors of the construction community, from architects, project managers and contractors to developers and estate agents. It was founded in 1999 and operates across the UK.

Its Derby office is based at Pride Park, and its Leicester office recently expanded by moving to larger premises on the floor above in the building it has occupied in De Montfort Street since 2007.

For more information, visit www.bsp-consulting.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham based Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Trot along to the Shire Horse pub to find out about Staffordshire’s spectacular Shire horse show

Photo courtesy of Paul Milgate-Scarrott

The world’s largest gathering of Shire horses will be welcomed to Staffordshire in a pre-event ‘meet and greet’ at the appropriately named Shire Horse pub in Stafford on 4^th March.

The Shire Horse Society will be staging its national show at Staffordshire Showground from 17^th to 19^th March, when around 250 pedigree Shires will be shown in all their glory. Open to the public, the event is widely regarded as the largest gathering anywhere in the world of these magnificent animals.

But on Saturday 4^th March at the Shire Horse pub in Hurricane Close, the charity will be staging a ‘meet and greet’ for the public, giving them the chance to find out more about Shire horses and the up-coming three-day show.

It will be attended by the Mayor and Mayoress of Stafford, Councillor Geoff and Mrs Cathy Collier, and runs from 11.30am to 1.30pm.

On display will be Shire horse Queenie, who is owned by Mick Anson, who lives near Uttoxeter, and who is partial to a pint of ale.

“Shire horses traditionally love beer, and I’m sure that Queenie will enjoy her time at the Shire Horse pub meeting people and helping to raise awareness about our big show,” said Victoria Clayton, Shire Horse Society secretary. 

“Last year was the first time we held the world’s largest gathering of Shires in Staffordshire and it went really well, so we are delighted to be returning to the county and look forward to welcoming lots of visitors. Ticket sales are flying, and it looks like it will be a great event where we can raise the profile of these beautiful horses, which are still regarded as an ‘at risk’ breed.

“We’re expecting around 250 horses and we have almost double the number of trade stands than last year, as well as some entertainment for children, so it should be a good day out.”

During the ‘meet and greet’ Shire Horse Society members Chris and Jayne Malkin, from near Market Drayton in Shropshire, will be chatting about the gentle giants of the horse world and handing out flyers about the big show.

The national show is the flagship event of the Shire Horse Society - the only charity dedicated to the protection, promotion and improvement of the Shire horse.

This year the charity has secured Great British Bake Off star Val Stones as the after-dinner speaker at the show dinner, which is held at Bingley Hall, Staffordshire Showground, on 17^th March. Tickets for the dinner cost £30 and are available by contacting the Shire Horse Society on 01536 771611.

Tickets for the show are on sale via www.shire-horse.org.uk – discounted if bought in advance. Adult tickets on the gate are £12, or £10 online in advance, while tickets for children aged five to 13 years on the gate are £10, and £8 online in advance.

Children aged 14 years and over are charged at the adult price, while under fives enter free. Entry for Shire Horse Society members is free.

Gates open on Friday 17^th March at 8.30am and at 7am on Saturday 18^th and Sunday 19^th March.

For more details and ticket information about the show, visit www.shire-horse.org.uk or follow @saveourshires on Twitter or at www.facebook.com/shirehorsesociety

Press release issued by Nottingham based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Construction services company J Tomlinson completes office upgrade

Mark Davis of J Tomlinson

Integrated building solutions firm J Tomlinson has given its head office in Beeston a revamp with a raft of improvements and efficiency measures.

The work, completed by its own commercial refurbishment division, comes as the company announces a number of new vacancies across the group.

The improvements represent an investment in the firm’s commitment to the Nottinghamshire area and the local economy, said CEO Mark Davis.

They include a new reception area to the building in Lilac Grove, new windows and wrap-around cladding to the front façade, a new kitchen and break-out area for staff, refurbished offices and meeting rooms, and new energy efficient LED lighting, as well as new air conditioning.

J Tomlinson CEO Mark Davis said: “The company has been based at Lilac Grove since the 1950s and this improvement work marks an investment in our headquarters and our teams.

“It includes measures to make the building more efficient and to create a more pleasant work environment for our staff. Our commercial refurbishment division undertakes this type of work across the regions but, on this occasion, has carried out the work on our very own doorstep – quite literally.”

The commercial refurbishment department of J Tomlinson became a standalone division last year and specialises in interior and exterior refurbishments. It works across private and public sector, with a wide-ranging portfolio including education, emergency services and commercial buildings.

As a company, J Tomlinson provides a range of integrated building services which include construction, mechanical and electrical services (M&E), facilities management, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance and regeneration. It primarily operates across the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire.

It has just announced a number of new vacancies as part of its on-going expansion, including positions such as gas engineers, electricians, a mechanical estimator, customer liaison officers, electrical quality control supervisor, and construction business development – based at a variety of the firm’s locations in the East Midlands and West Midlands.

“J Tomlinson has been steadily and sustainably growing, as a result of an increasing number of contracts throughout its divisions,” added Mark Davis. “The company now employs more than 400 people. Last year we opened a new West Midlands headquarters after experiencing expansion in the region – transferring our West Midlands base from a site in Birmingham to larger offices in Canwell, near Sutton Coldfield.”

For more information about J Tomlinson and current job vacancies, visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham based Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Focus Consultants appointed project manager on Tatton Park scheme

Tatton Park farm entrance

Heritage experts at Focus Consultants have been appointed to help drive forward a project to showcase the history of farming and its relevance to healthy eating today at one of the UK’s most well-known country estates.

Tatton Dale Farm in Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire, has received £1 million Heritage Lottery funding to develop a scheme to tell the story of food production for a large country estate from the late 18^th century to the 1950s. 

The project aims to bring alive the agricultural, architectural, technological, social and cultural heritage of Tatton Dale Farm through the ‘field to fork’ story - told through the mouths of former workers, its buildings, machinery, livestock and traditional agricultural skills.

It includes a new visitor hub at the farm’s agricultural mill building, as well as a number of site-wide hands-on experiences.

Focus Consultants, which has worked on a wide range of heritage and museum-related schemes across the UK, has been appointed to project manage the overall development alongside Cheshire East Council, which manages and finances Tatton Park on behalf of the National Trust.

Focus partner Steven Fletcher said: “Tatton Park is one of the UK’s most complete historic estates, and the team at Focus Consultants is very pleased to have been appointed to help develop the ‘field to fork’ story of the estate’s farm so that its story can be shared with future generations.

“We have extensive expertise in developing heritage attractions and are proud to be a part of the team providing a fascinating and enjoyable exploration of this uniquely well-preserved window into farming and food production at Tatton Park over two centuries.”

Focus, which is based in Nottingham and also has branches in London, Leicester, Boston and Aubourn in Lincolnshire, has been involved in numerous heritage schemes, including at many London museums, as well as at the National Museum Wales, MShed in Bristol, SeaCity in Southampton, and Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. 

Carole Mullineux, Tatton Park business development manager, said: “We’re delighted that Focus Consultants is part of our team. The ‘field to fork’ project is an exciting new initiative for us which will give us the opportunity to attract new visitors, protect Tatton’s heritage assets and ultimately realise the farm’s potential.”

Meanwhile, Cllr George Walton, chairman of the Tatton Park board, said: “This is an extremely important educational addition to the park and we look forward to working with Focus Consultants who will drive this forward.

“They have considerable experience in heritage projects of this nature and the ‘field to fork’ story will complement the many other attractions that combine to make Tatton Park one of the best visitor attractions in Britain.”

As well as providing skills in heritage development, Focus also specialises in funding and economic development including area regeneration strategies, funding applications, economic impact appraisals, business plans, and research and evaluation. Since 1994 Focus has also secured for clients more than £953 million of grants for projects and businesses across the UK and delivered more than £1.3 billion worth of projects and programmes – making it one of the most successful businesses of its kind in the country.

It also offers a range of services to the property and construction industry, including building surveying, quantity surveying, project management, and sustainable development support.

For more information, visit www.focus-consultants.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham based Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

J Tomlinson completes care and nursing home project

Residential care and nursing home by J Tomlinson

Construction services company J Tomlinson has completed a 65-bed residential care and nursing home in the West Midlands.

The Nottingham-based firm handed over the scheme in Sutton Coldfield to Hamberley Development Ltd, who developed the care home for Welltower Inc. who will own the luxury facility, with Gracewell Healthcare operating and running it. This is one of 11 new care homes being developed for Welltower and Gracewell following the sale of 12 pre-existing Gracewell Healthcare care homes to Welltower back in 2014.

As well as developing the new residential care and nursing home on the site of the former Conservative Club building in Jockey Road, J Tomlinson also built a new Conservative Club at the rear of the site, which is also the home of Boldmere Tennis Club and Boldmere Bowls Club. This was completed in December 2015. 

The contracts had a combined value of approximately £6 million.

Martin Gallagher, managing director (construction), at J Tomlinson, said: “Nationwide, there is a current undersupply of high quality residential care and nursing homes, and this scheme provides much-needed luxury accommodation of this type in Sutton Coldfield. It is the latest of several care and extra-care facilities that J Tomlinson has built. I am very pleased that our role in this double development has received significant praise.”

The three-storey residential care and nursing home, designed by DWA Architects, features a bistro café, a hair and beauty salon, an in-house cinema room and an activity room, with a choice of en-suite bedrooms and apartments, including respite care and accommodation for couples. It will offer residential care, nursing care and dementia care.

Development director at Hamberley Development, John Austin, said: “Hamberley Development Ltd are very impressed with J Tomlinson’s company approach and project team. They have delivered a very demanding project for both the Sutton Coldfield Conservative Club over 12 months ago and the new 65-bed care home. Following the completion of the Conservative Club who occupied a rear site, J Tomlinson then had to build the care home whilst keeping the access and car parking for the Conservative Club live at all times throughout the programme. 

“The care home was built to a high standard and delivered on time which was a credit to Derek I’Anson and Craig Smallman along with their site team.” 

J Tomlinson recently moved its West Midlands office to larger premises at London Road, Canwell, near Sutton Coldfield, after experiencing growth in the region. 

Based from its head office in Beeston, near Nottingham, the company provides a range of integrated building solutions including construction, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance, mechanical and electrical services (M&E), and facilities management.  It operates across the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire.

For more information about J Tomlinson, visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham based Perfect 10 pr www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Bake Off star Val to shine at Shire Horse Society’s annual dinner

Val Stones

Popular Bake Off contestant Val Stones has been announced as the guest speaker at a dinner to mark the Shire Horse Society’s National Show in Staffordshire in March.

The loveable star of the baking programme will be treating diners to tales of her baking adventures during the evening event, to be held on 17^th March at Bingley Hall, Staffordshire Showground.

The event is open to the public and is in support of the Shire Horse Society – the only national charity dedicated to the protection, promotion and improvement of the Shire horse.

It coincides with the three-day show running from 17^th to 19^th March, which is the world’s largest gathering of Shires and the chance to see the gentle giants of the horse world in all their finery.

“I became known as the cake whisperer during my time on the Bake Off, but I can’t profess to be a horse whisperer,” said Val, who appeared in last year’s series. “However, I’m absolutely thrilled to have been asked to speak at the annual dinner of the Shire Horse Society.

“My sister-in-law’s family breed and rear Shire Horses, and I love to see them in the fields when I visit, so I’m more than happy to do something to support the breed, which I understand is still regarded as an animal that is at-risk by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

“I’m looking forward to the event and hope horse lovers and baking lovers alike will support it.”

Around 300 pedigree Shire horses from across Europe are expected to take part in the Shire Horse Society Show, being put through their paces in hand, in harness and during ridden classes.

Open to the public, the event is a colourful day out for all the family and the chance to support the campaign to save this magnificent breed of horse, which only a few decades ago was in danger of dying out.

Society secretary Victoria Clayton said: “We’re delighted that Val Stones has agreed to be our guest speaker at the annual dinner. She’s a really engaging character and we can’t wait to hear more about her baking adventures.”

Tickets for the dinner cost £30 and are available by contacting the Shire Horse Society on 01536 771611.

Tickets for the show are on sale via www.shire-horse.org.uk – discounted if bought in advance. Adult tickets on the gate are £12, or £10 online in advance, while tickets for children aged five to 13 years on the gate are £10, and £8 online in advance.

Children aged 14 years and over are charged at the adult price, while under fives enter free.

Gates open on Friday 17^th March at 8.30am and at 7am on Saturday 18^th and Sunday 19^th March.

For more details and ticket information about the show, visit www.shire-horse.org.uk or follow @saveourshires on Twitter or at www.facebook.com/shirehorsesociety

Press release issued by Nottingham based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk