Success for Carlton Fire Station delights Focus Consultants and BSP Consulting

Two Nottingham companies are celebrating after a local fire station received an award for being the most sustainable new fire station in the country.

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service’s new £3.2m fire station at Carlton picked up the accolade at the BREEAM 2013 Building Awards.

The award was presented to the team including Focus Consultants, based at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, who designed and project managed the development in Manor Road.

Civil and structural engineer BSP Consulting, whose head office is in Oxford Street, Nottingham, was also part of the development team involved in demolishing the former fire station and creating a new purpose-built station featuring three appliance bays, a fire kit room, a laundry, unisex changing pods, offices, a gym, a quiet room, kitchen and dining area and an e-learning suite. The site also has a new five-storey tower with two-storey training building to enable realistic training to be undertaken.

The fire station was awarded a BREEAM excellent rating for its environmental credentials, and has now been named as one of 17 winning buildings at the BREEAM Awards, which were presented at this year’s Ecobuild Conference in London.

Its green credentials include timber cladding, stone blocks and a ‘green’ sedum roof. It also has energy efficient heating and cooling, low flush toilets and restricted flow rate taps, plus a water treatment and recirculation system in the vehicle wash area to both minimise water usage and the potential for watercourse pollution.

High levels of insulation to the building, coupled with energy efficient heating and cooling, has resulted in a community building delivering key services but with lower operational running costs.

Other ‘green’ features of the development included a travel plan to limit car usage and encourage cycling, with bike spaces and cyclist facilities provided and careful consideration to scheme planting working with an ecologist to maximize wildlife support. A robust site waste management plan was implemented during construction, to keep waste to a minimum through procedures to reduce and recycle, and at least 80% of the waste generated was diverted from landfill.

Focus Consultants associate and BREEAM assessor Jason Redfearn said: “We are extremely pleased that Carlton Fire Station has been rewarded for its sustainability and has been identified under the BREEAM assessment process as the ‘greenest’ new fire station built within the last year.

“BREEAM is the world's foremost environmental assessment method and rating system for buildings. It sets the standard for best practice in sustainable building design, construction and operation, and has become one of the most comprehensive and widely recognised measures of a building's environmental performance.

“BREEAM Awards are made annually to the highest scoring building assessments certified under BREEAM Schemes in the preceding calendar year, and it’s a feather in the cap for the whole team that Carlton Fire Station received this accolade in the fire station category.”

Focus was involved throughout the project, providing a multi-disciplinary role, which included architectural design and employer’s agent as well as BREEAM and Energy Assessor services. BSP Consulting provided structural design, including pile and ground beam design, remediation of a heavily contaminated site, produced a flood risk assessment and carried out civil infrastructure design and drainage work.

BSP managing director David Sumner said: “BSP Consulting is delighted to hear of the success of the Carlton Fire Station project in the BREEAM Awards.”

Contractor for the scheme was Bowmer & Kirkland Building Services.

Ian Pritchard, head of procurement and estates for Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Achieving BREEAM for Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service demonstrates our continuing commitment to minimise our impact on the environment. This is a community fire station with the express intention to integrate into the local community and in doing so lead by example.”

Ecobuild is the world’s biggest event for sustainable design, construction and the built environment and brings together communities to learn, share, experience and discover the future of sustainable building and construction.  

For more information visit www.focus-consultants.co.uk or www.bsp-consulting.co.uk

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

Fine food area joins Thoresby Market

Visitors to Thoresby Market in north Nottinghamshire later this month are being treated to a tasty new fine food attraction.

The market on Sunday 28th April will include a special area dedicated to fine food and drink.

Run by East Midlands Fine Foods on behalf of the market organisers, the area will feature a selection of stalls selling a range of specialist produce such as Mexican food, jams and chutneys, curry pastes, smoothies, local and exotic meats, olive oils and potted beef.

It is the first time the fine food area is being staged, but it could become part of the market’s calendar of events.

Thoresby Market, held at Thoresby Park in Sherwood Forest, is the largest outdoor Sunday market within the East Midlands and attracts visitors from Nottinghamshire, Sheffield and south Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Derbyshire.

It has been running for more than 25 years, and features over 100 stalls offering a range of products from household items, jewellery, craft items, to clothing and much more.

The fine food area will sit amongst the regular market, which runs from 8am to 3pm.

The pilot project is expected to attract up to 20 specialist food and drink retailers. Any food and drink producers interested in taking part are being urged to contact the organisers on 0115 9758810 as soon as possible to check stall availability.

East Midlands Fine Foods is operated by trade organisation The Food and Drink Forum, which is a not-for-profit organisation launched in 1998 to champion the growth and sustainability of the food and drink industry in the region.

Car parking at Thoresby Market is £1.50, with blue badge holders admitted free of charge.
For more information visit www.thoresbysundaymarket.co.uk

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Focus Consultants completes latest academy project

Construction and property services company Focus Consultants has completed a £100,000 refurbishment of ICT suites at The Manor Academy, Mansfield Woodhouse.

At the same time, Focus Consultants project managed a £250,000 scheme to replace the boilers and distribution plant that served the existing site at Park Hall Road.

The two schemes were the latest in a number of contracts awarded by The Manor Academy to Focus Consultants over the past few years, including the design and management of a new classroom block, the extension and refurbishment of a new kitchen and student dining facilities, the refurbishment of the music block/multi-activity learning block and the PE classroom block.

Senior building surveyor Craig Gould said: “Focus has had a productive relationship with The Manor Academy since 2005, and we are pleased to have been involved in a range of projects to help improve and upgrade the facilities at the school.

“Our expertise and experience in this field means that Focus is well-placed to provide support for academies, schools, colleges and universities as they develop, extend and improve their educational and other facilities.”

Focus Consultants, which is based at Phoenix Business Park in Nottingham, and has offices in Holborn, London, Endeavour Park, Boston, Princess Road East, Leicester, and Aubourn, Lincoln, provides a range of construction and property services, and works with education establishments, registered social landlords, police forces and other blue light services, NHS trusts and private hospitals, heritage bodies and local authorities.

The firm has recently been appointed to the Pro5 national framework - one of the largest local government frameworks in the country. Following a competitive tendering process, Focus was successful in being appointed to provide consultancy advice on leisure, culture and heritage services, regeneration and regional development and asset management and delivery, as well as in the community research and engagement sector.

“We recently remodelled our ICT learning spaces and replaced our boilers, and the team at Focus helped ensure that both projects were well designed, properly procured and delivered on time and on budget,” said Steven Singleton, business leader at The Manor Academy. “I found the team to be friendly, down-to-earth and eager to please. As business manager of a large academy my time is at a premium and they took away the burden of managing these two projects.”

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

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

Curry sauce producer Anila’s Authentic Sauces attends Pro-retail 2013

Award-winning curry sauce and accompaniments producer Anila’s Authentic Sauces is making its debut at the Pro-retail 2013 trade show.

Celebrating 21 years since Anila Vaghela began selling her curry sauces, the company will be showcasing its range for the first time at Pro-retail, which is billed as the biggest UK trade show for independent and multiple convenience retailers.

The event, which takes place on April 30th and May 1st at the International Centre in Telford, is expected to attract thousands of retailers and is the chance for suppliers and manufacturers to promote their latest lines.

“Our products are sold in a wide range of stores, and we’re very pleased to announce that we’ll be at Pro-retail this year,” said Anila Vaghela. “We hope it will be the chance for us to meet new customers, as well as reinforce relationships with existing clients.”

Anila’s concentrated sauces are based on traditional Indian recipes, and are gluten-free, dairy-free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Unusually for curry sauces, they don’t contain onions or garlic, which means they are suitable for people with intolerance to alliums, or for those who wish to avoid onions and garlic. They have won a number of awards, including Great Taste Awards and Free From Food Awards.

Anila’s produces eight different concentrated curry sauces, which are free from artificial colours, additives and preservatives, and 16 varieties of pickles, chutneys and dips.

Anila Vaghela sold her first curry sauce 21 years ago at a fair in Surrey, before going on to found Anila’s Authentic Sauces. The firm is based in Walton, Surrey, with a production unit in Hounslow.

Anila’s products are sold in the food halls of Harrods, Selfridges and John Lewis, Oxford Street and Bluewater, as well as hundreds of other outlets that include the Wholefoods chain of stores across the UK from Glasgow to Richmond in Surrey, Chatsworth Farm Shop, some Budgens outlets in the South East, plus delis, health food stores, garden centres and gift shops. Anila’s also sells direct to the public at farmers’ markets and online via www.anilassauces.com

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Focus Consultants wins Pro5 framework appointment

Focus Consultants has been appointed to one of the largest local government frameworks in the country for two years, with the option of a two-year extension.

Steven Fletcher, Focus Consultants

The Nottingham-based firm has won a position on the Pro5 national framework, a public sector buying consortia comprising the Central Buying Consortium, Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation, North East Purchasing Organisation and the Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation.

Following a competitive tendering process, Focus was successful in being appointed to provide consultancy advice on leisure, culture and heritage services, regeneration and regional development and asset management and delivery.

Focus Consultants has also been appointed to provide consultancy support in the community research and engagement sector for local authorities and the wider public sector nationwide following the firm’s appointment to the Pro5 framework.

“This is excellent news for the business,” said Focus partner Steven Fletcher.

“We are delighted to have been appointed to the framework. It is a great opportunity for Focus and public sector clients to work in partnership and build beneficial lasting relationships.

“We were appointed following a competitive tendering process, and it effectively means that any local authority in the country and its associated services such as the police and the fire service can effectively pick up the phone and ask Focus to carry out the required work.

“To be appointed to this framework, Focus went through a rigorous vetting process. Future clients can benefit from this – reducing the time taken to procure consultants and realising major cost savings and improved efficiency.”

Focus, with its headquarters at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, and branches in Leicester, Boston, Aubourn in Lincolnshire and Holborn in London, specialises in funding, research and economic development, project and programme management, construction and property services and energy carbon sustainability services.

The firm has worked with both the public and private sector to secure more than £900 million of grant assistance and delivered more than £1 billion of projects and programmes since 1994.

Focus has secured a number of high-profile projects recently including being appointed project manager for a multi-million pound redevelopment at the National Army Museum in Chelsea.

Focus has also recently been appointed to the Victoria & Albert Museum framework to develop and deliver temporary exhibitions at the prestigious London museum, and is working with both Rochester and Peterborough Cathedrals on major redevelopments.

For more information about Focus Consultants visit www.focus-consultants.co.uk

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

New trade orders for Leicestershire coffee supplier Cherizena

East Midlands-based coffee producer Cherizena is celebrating a string of new trade orders after introducing new labelling equipment.

The company has won contracts to supply branded coffee to a number of new clients including a national financial organisation, regional farm shops and independent stores, coffee shops and individual firms across the UK.

The coffee is being bagged in different-sized packs with tailor-made labels for the customers, who are then using them as promotional material, as part of hospitality services or selling them as a branded product.

In addition, Cherizena has recently picked up a new contract caterer customer.

The new business has totalled more than £6,000 over the past six months.

“We are delighted with how much extra business we have generated as a result of investing in our new labelling printer and by increasing our sales efforts, which included exhibiting at the Federation of Small Businesses’ conference in Leicester in March,” said Kate Jones, who runs Cherizena, which is based at Wartnaby near Melton Mowbray.

“The labelling equipment has given us the flexibility to supply all our coffees in our clients’ branded packaging, ranging from 60g sachets up to larger packs.

A lot of companies are looking for something eye-catching and useful that they can give away as a promotional tool at events and so on, and branded coffee fits the bill perfectly.

“Exhibiting at the FSB conference in Leicester really helped us to promote ourselves and the services we offer to companies from across the UK.”

Cherizena, which produces and supplies premium, speciality and flavoured coffees, invested in the new equipment, as well as a new webshop, in the summer of 2012.

It was supported by the Food and Drink iNet, which is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and run by business organisation the Food and Drink Forum.

The iNet provided a match-funded grant of just over £3,000 to help with the innovation.

Since then, Cherizena has embarked on a sales and promotion effort to raise awareness of the company’s products and services.

“We have supplied branded coffees to trade customers for some time but the new equipment has given us much more flexibility and improved the quality of the labels,” said Kate.

“We expect that these latest orders will help us to increase turnover significantly over the next few months.”

One of Cherizena’s latest trade customers is 5* country house accommodation and event venue Vale House Belvoir, near Grantham, which has ordered sachets of ‘Vale House Belvoir’ coffee for its bedrooms and plans to provide personalised coffee for special occasions.

“Guests really appreciate the personalised and individual touches, and we were very pleased to find a local coffee supplier that could provide high quality coffees in Vale House Belvoir branding that we could put in our guest bedrooms and also personalise for special occasions such as birthday parties, weddings or hen parties,” said host Lara Young.

Cherizena sells to consumers, via mail order and at fairs and events, and to trade customers, including retailers, caterers and others in the hospitality trade.

It produces more than 20 flavoured coffees and also offers around 30 single-origin coffees and blends. It can supply coffee as beans or ground, regular or decaffeinated.

For more information about Cherizena contact 01664 820111 or visit www.cherizena.co.uk

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