Funding experts Focus Consultants assist in £11.5m Heritage Lottery Fund grant for National Army Museum

A team including East Midlands-based Focus Consultants has played a key role in confirming an £11.5million Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant for the National Army Museum (NAM) in London. 

The company, which specialises in putting together funding bids and packages for arts, heritage, culture, leisure and regeneration projects, played a project management role in the successful application to the HLF. 

The grant will help fund the Museum’s ambitious Building for the Future project, which will enhance the Museum’s onsite, offsite and online elements. 

Focus has now been reappointed to deliver this project, which is due to complete in 2016. With its headquarters in Nottingham and offices in Leicester, Boston and Aubourn in Lincolnshire, and in Holborn, London, Focus has been appointed as project manager, quantity surveyor, CDM coordinator and contract administrator for the improvements. 

“This is a significant appointment for Focus Consultants to help redevelop a national museum that is aspiring to raise its profile on the international stage,” said senior consultant Eleanor Clarke. “It’s the latest in a considerable number of important museum contracts that Focus has secured, and we are looking forward to continuing our involvement in such a high-profile project.” 

The Building for the Future project will focus on four key areas, looking to: 

·         Revolutionise the visitor experience. A major restructure of the building and overhaul of Museum displays will create a more welcoming and engaging experience. 

·         Improve conservation of and access to the Collection. Consisting of over a million items, the Collection will be housed in new, environmentally controlled stores. 

·      Establish an ongoing programme of learning and outreach. Deliver an extensive programme of outreach across the country, opening up the Collection to over half a million people during 2014-16. This will be made possible through a range of partnerships including the pre-existing national network of 136 regimental military museums. 

·       Embed new working models of service delivery and public engagement. The project will enable NAM to redesign the way it works to become more audience focused and commercially sustainable. 

The £11.5 million HLF grant makes up half of the total project cost of £23.25 million. The remainder has been raised through the fundraising efforts of the museum and its supporters. 

Janice Murray, the director general of the National Army Museum, said: "We are delighted to have secured this major grant, and have already made steps towards implementing this hugely exciting project. Thanks to the help of the HLF, we will be able to enhance the museum's unique offering for our ever-growing audiences, ensuring we showcase and make available our outstanding Collection all over the country." 

Focus Consultants, which has assisted in applications for more than £925million of grants for clients over the past 20 years, is working alongside BDP, who are leading the design team for the project and Event who are the exhibition designers.

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

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

Croots Farm Shop sausages score for charity

Generous customers of Croots Farm Shop have raised £260 for charity after supporting the Derbyshire farm shop’s World Cup sausage range. 

While the England football team failed to make a mark at the tournament in Brazil, the butchers’ team at Croots scored success with its Bangerooney, Costa Rican, Italian and Uruguayan-themed sausages. And it was the Italian sausage – made of pork, tomato, mozzarella and basil – which got the greatest cheer from customers. 

It brings the total raised by Croots so far this year for its adopted charity, Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre, to £1,050. 

The shop pledged to donate ten per cent from the sale of the sausage squad during the duration of the World Cup to the charity, 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. 

“We were delighted with the support Croots’ customers gave to our World Cup sausage range, which has helped us to raise £260 for Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre,” said Croots Farm Shop owner Steve Croot. “I’d like to thank them for their generosity, and also thank our creative butchers for once again designing such a tasty range of sausages.” 

Over the past few months, Croots has held a number of fund-raising events in aid of Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre, including an Easter draw. The charity also receives a share of the money that’s raised from the sale of carrier bags at Croots, with the shop also supporting the Shire Horse Society. 

Croots Farm Shop has won scores of awards for its sausages and meat products, including Great Taste Awards, the ‘oscars’ of the fine food industry. Two years ago the farm shop in Wirksworth Road developed an Olympig range of sausages to mark the London Olympics, which also raised several hundred pounds for Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre. 

Opened in 2008, Croots was a runner-up in the Best UK Independent Food Retailer 2010 category of the Observer Food Monthly Awards. The year before, it was named in The Independent’s top 50 best food shops.

Croots Farm Shop is open daily from 9am to 5pm (Shires Eatery until 4.30pm). Croots runs Fresh Fish Thursdays between 9am and 1pm on Thursdays.

For more information visit www.croots.co.uk

@crootsfarm_shop

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

East Midlands fbe lines up events for 2014

Property, development and construction industries organisation the fbe (Forum for the Built Environment) has lined up a string of events in the East Midlands over the next few months. 

The organisation, which nationally is the longest established networking group for the sector, is planning a race evening at Leicester Racecourse on July 23^rd and a Golf Day at The Leicestershire Golf Club on September 11^th. 

Meanwhile, entries have now opened for the East Midlands fbe annual awards, which reward the scheme and team behind development projects in Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. Free to enter, the award winners will be announced at a ceremony in Leicester on October 9^th. 

Recently appointed regional chairman of the East Midlands fbe, Jef Todd, who is business development director at civil and structural engineering firm BSP Consulting, said: “The fbe events are open to members and non-members, and are a great way of networking and making new contacts for people who work in, or alongside, the construction, property or development sector. 

“The committee hopes to welcome new faces, as well as old friends, to the social events that have been organised, and is also looking forward to seeing entries for the East Midlands fbe awards, which have previously given accolades to developments such as One Friar Gate Square in Derby, Hibiscus Court, in the St Ann’s area of Nottingham and Albany House, a £8.5m ExtraCare housing scheme in Nottingham, as well as The Madrasah project in Evington, Leicester, and Silver Arcade in Leicester.” 

For more information about the events, the awards or joining the fbe in the East Midlands visit www.fbeonline.co.uk or speak to East Midlands regional director Nic Jepson, director of Nottingham-based InLine Property Consultants, or one of the committee members: Jef Todd, Louise Whitehead, legal director at solicitors Shakespeares in Leicester, Adrienne Vaughan, managing director at Lutterworth-based AVA PR, Eddie Mewies, managing director of civil engineering firm M-EC Consulting Development Engineers in Ibstock, and Mark Taylor, partner at chartered accountants Duncan & Toplis.

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

Summer menu launched at Leicester bar The Lansdowne

Popular Leicester bar The Lansdowne has unveiled a summer menu with additional vegetarian and vegan choices. 

Executive chef for the Orange tree group, Mark Turner, has created a new range of mouth-watering, meat-free dishes that will appeal to non-meat eaters and carnivores alike. The range includes courgette and roasted pepper tart with a vegan olive oil pastry case, and wild mushroom ravioli, made with thyme and truffle oil vegan pasta. 

The vegan options sit alongside other appealing choices, such as pan fried mackerel with a rhubarb and ginger compote - made using rhubarb grown in Mark’s garden. 

“The Lansdowne’s new vegan and vegetarian choices are designed to be equally appealing to meat-eaters, as well as to those who don’t eat meat or ingredients derived from animal products,” said Mark. 

“It seems that more and more people are becoming ‘flexitarian’ - the trend of eating less meat and more vegetables without adopting full vegetarianism – and our summer menu has something for everyone, whatever their taste.” 

Around 2% of the UK population is believed to be vegetarian, with many more avoiding certain types of meat or choosing alternatives. A report by Eating Better Alliance revealed at the end of last year that 25% of the British public had cut back on meat in the past year. 

Other vegan or vegetarian options on the menu at The Lansdowne, which is based in London Road, Leicester, include polenta fries, mixed tapas, flageolet and vegetable gumbo, and sweet potato and coconut korma. 

Mark, who has been with the Orange tree group since The Lansdowne opened nearly ten years ago, has also included a number of gluten-free options on The Lansdowne menu. 

The buns for the bar’s burgers, as well as the other breads that are served, are produced by Leicester award-winning family bakery Brucciani. 

Food is served at The Lansdowne from noon to 9pm Monday to Saturday and from noon until 7pm on Sundays. The Lansdowne is ideal for pre-theatre and event dining, being close to De Montfort Hall, and is also popular for business lunches and with students at the nearby University of Leicester. 

For more information visit www.orangetree.co.uk/thelansdowne

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

Focus Consultants wins contract for new national museum

Focus Consultants has been appointed to project manage the creation of a new museum dedicated to the illustrator William Heath Robinson and his work.

A new national centre is planned for the understanding and appreciation of the work of the artist, who was well known for his humorous drawings which featured in publications such as The Tatler and The Sketch, as well as illustrations for the likes of works by Kipling and Shakespeare, and his own children’s stories. 

The William Heath Robinson Trust has partnered with colleagues at The West House and Heath Robinson Museum Trust in Pinner, North West London, to create a new museum to provide a permanent, secure home for its nationally significant collection of Heath Robinson’s work, as well as creating new opportunities for the public to explore the output of one of the country’s best loved artists. 

It is the latest museums appointment for Focus, which has its headquarters at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, and offices in London, Leicester, Boston and Aubourn near Lincoln. 

“Focus Consultants has significant experience of working with museums and collections across the country, and we are looking forward to being part of the team that creates a new museum dedicated to William Heath Robinson and his work,” said James Peake, project manager at Focus Consultants. 

Focus, which is celebrating its 20^th anniversary during 2014, will be working with architects ZMMA to project manage the delivery stage of the project, resulting in the construction of the museum. It is intended that tender documentation will be issued in November and a building contract awarded early next year. Bright White has been appointed as exhibition/interpretation designers. 

Trust Chairman, Martin Verden said: “These latest appointments follow the earlier selection of London-based ZMMA as architects and are further evidence that the museum is about to become a reality. Together with this team of experts we will be able to move on to the next phase of this exciting project.” 

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) awarded the project £1.13m in December 2013 to build a new museum. This was subject to The West House and Heath Robinson Museum Trust raising a further £430,000 in partnership funding, of which £290,000 is already secured. 

Focus offers a range of services in the construction and development sector, including funding and economic development, regeneration expertise, energy consultancy and chartered surveying services. 

Since its creation in 1994, Focus has helped to secure more than £925 million of grant assistance for a range of projects and businesses across the UK and delivered more than £1.0 billion worth of projects and programmes – making it one of the most successful businesses of its kind in the country. 

It has worked on a range of high-profile projects in the arts, heritage and tourism sector, including some of the major museums across the UK, and important historical and ecclesiastical sites.

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

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