Focus Consultants and architects Purcell to host seminar in Nottingham on funding opportunities for cultural projects

Unlocking Opportunities for Arts & Heritage Projects Seminar

Nottingham-based Focus Consultants and architects Purcell are hosting a free half day seminar open to anyone involved in arts, heritage and conservation projects. The afternoon event will take place on 11^th February at Nottingham Council House.

The seminar will provide informed guidance on how to unlock, manage and implement funding to deliver best value. Guest speakers include Service Manager for Museums and Galleries at Nottingham City Council, Ron Inglis, Focus Consultants partner, Kevin Osbon and Niall Phillips, Head of Design at Purcell.  

Kevin will talk about the Focus approach to securing funding for cultural and heritage projects, using a series of case studies to demonstrate the range of grant funding available in the sector. The company has helped with funding bids for a number of key projects in Nottingham including the Playhouse Sky Mirror, Broadway Media Centre and the New Art Exchange.

Ron will discuss the key opportunities, challenges and obstacles faced by a client when applying for and receiving Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grants.

Niall will review creative ways of maximising the value of assets to assist towards resourcing projects and their future operation.

The seminar starts at 14:45pm ending with networking and canapés from 18.00pm.

Focus Consultants is based at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, with offices in Leicester, Holborn, Boston and near Lincoln. Purcell opened its Nottingham studio last year and has regional studios across the UK.

Purcell is working on number of schemes in the area, providing funding advice, heritage consultancy and architectural services. Most recently, the practice prepared a Conservation Management Plan for the Malt Cross which contributed to its successful HLF bid.

Pre-booking is essential. For further information please contact Saneeta Mandil on 020 7397 7171 or email: events@purcelluk.com

www.focus-consultants.co.uk       @FocusLLP

www.purcelluk.com       @Purcelluk

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

Steve Croot, of Croots Farm Shop, named Derbyshire Local Food Hero 2014

 Steve Croot, of Croots Farm Shop, Duffield, accepts the Local Food Hero award from celebrity chef Valentine Warner and Councillor Janet Hill, vice chair of Derbyshire County Council.

Farm shop owner Steve Croot has been crowned Derbyshire Local Food Hero 2014 at the Derbyshire Food and Drink Awards.

Steve, who runs Croots Farm Shop near Duffield, Derbyshire, was presented with his prestigious award at a ceremony hosted by celebrity chef Valentine Warner.

“I am absolutely thrilled and incredibly proud to be named as Local Food Hero 2014 for Derbyshire. There is some fantastic local food produced in Derbyshire, and I am honoured to be part of it all,” said Steve.

“When we launched Croots Farm Shop in June 2008 the recession started, but we’ve had amazing support from customers, staff and our suppliers, and Croots has gone from strength to strength – so much so that we’ve expanded our butchers’ department and last year we extended our Shires Eatery to cater for demand.
“We stock a wide range of items produced on our doorstep, as well as many from across the region and beyond, which has proved to be a winning combination. Our sausages, pies and other meat products have won numerous national awards, thanks to the talented staff we have on our team.

“I am very passionate about Croots, about good quality food and drink, and about Derbyshire, which has been my home for many years, and I am delighted to receive this award. Well done to all the other winners in all the other categories and also to all the finalists.”

Croots Farm Shop, based at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road, was also a finalist in the best Derbyshire breakfast category of the Derbyshire Food and Drink Awards, which were presented at a ceremony held at Chesterfield Football Club's Proact Stadium.

Councillor Joan Dixon, Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Jobs, Economy and Transport, said: “Derbyshire has so many fantastic food and drink businesses that it is getting harder each year to pick a winner.

“They all play an important role in the Derbyshire’s economy and we are delighted that our awards give them all much deserved recognition.”

Steve’s passion for Derbyshire food and drink, good quality food and drink in general, and for the county, manifests itself in many ways. He is a keen supporter of new and fledgling producers, and he regularly visits schools and other organisations to give talks about food and drink.

One of the farm shop’s adopted charities is Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre, which was established in 1891 to give disadvantaged Derbyshire children holidays in Skegness, Lincolnshire, and currently provides 450 holiday places per season for boys and girls aged from eight to 14.

Croots Farm Shop employs 21 people and sells products from more than 40 producers from within a 50-mile radius. It has won a number of Great Taste Awards, which are regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the fine food industry.

Croots Farm Shop is open Sundays from 10am to 4pm (Shires Eatery until 3.45pm), and from Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm (Shires Eatery until 4.30pm). It is closed on Mondays.

For more information visit www.croots.co.uk

The Derbyshire Food and Drink Awards were sponsored by HSKS Greenhalgh Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors and Holdsworth.

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

Civil and structural engineering firm BSP Consulting announces senior appointments

Three senior appointments have been made by East Midlands-based civil and structural engineering firm BSP Consulting.

The company, which has its headquarters in Nottingham, and branches in Derby, Leicester and Sheffield, has appointed chartered structural engineer Paul Elphick as associate director. Paul, who joined the company in 2004, leads BSP’s Leicester office in De Montfort Street.

Meanwhile, chartered civil engineer Matt Viggars and civil engineer Tim Wilson have both been appointed as associates.

Matt leads the civil engineering team at BSP’s Pride Park offices in Derby, and has been at BSP since 2005. In 2009, at the age of 26, he became one of the youngest people in the East Midlands to be awarded the status of chartered engineer. Tim, who joined the company in 2005, heads up the civil engineering team in BSP’s Leicester office.

“We are delighted to make additional senior appointments from within the company. These promotions reflect the roles that Paul, Matt and Tim have been fulfilling and the dedication they have given BSP Consulting,” said BSP managing director David Sumner.

“I’d like to congratulate them on their new positions, thank them for their efforts, and wish them well for the future.”

BSP has appointed a number of new staff in recent weeks. Civil engineering technician Amandip Sahota, chartered structural engineer Monika Anszperger and structural engineer Marta Prokop have been appointed to BSP’s Derby office. Meanwhile civil engineer Craig Noonan and junior structural technician Danny Doherty have joined the Nottingham office, while structural engineer Hemendra Lalgi is now working in BSP’s Leicester office.

The firm 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.

BSP engineers are currently working on a number of high profile developments across the East Midlands, including Castleward regeneration in Derby, improvements at Brooksby Melton College in Leicestershire and a new multi-million pound medical centre in Wilford Lane, West Bridgford, Nottingham.

Further afield, the firm is involved in a major road redevelopment and the building of a large Tesco store in Rotherham, and numerous projects across the country.

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

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

Croots Farm Shop raises cash for charity

Generous customers and staff at Croots Farm Shop have raised almost £300 for Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre.

The money was collected via a range of fund-raising efforts, including selling special reindeer food in the run up to Christmas Eve and a festive raffle. Cash was also collected for the charity through carrier bag sales during 2013.

Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre is one of two charities regularly supported by Croots Farm Shop, based at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road, Duffield. The other is the Shire Horse Society.

“Once again our customers and staff have dug deep and have helped us to raise much-needed funds for a local charity,” said Steve Croot, who runs the farm shop. “We’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who has donated in some way.”

Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre was established in 1891 to give disadvantaged Derbyshire children holidays in Skegness, Lincolnshire, and currently provides 450 holiday places per season for boys and girls aged from eight to 14.

The centre needs to raise more than £150,000 every year, and generous customers and staff at Croots have already raised several hundred pounds for the charity since adopting it two years ago.

Croots Farm Shop is open Sundays from 10am to 4pm (Shires Eatery until 3.45pm), and from Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm (Shires Eatery until 4.30pm). It is closed on Mondays.

For more information visit www.croots.co.uk

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