Focus Consultants hosts work experience student in Lincolnshire office

Andrew Sharp and Callum Hunt

Focus Consultants once again showed a willingness to help the next generation progress by hosting a student for two weeks’ work experience.

Callum Hunt, 15, a pupil at the William Lovell Church of England Academy in Stickney, spent a fortnight at Focus’ Boston office this summer.

The Boston office, which is based at Endeavour Park in the town, has won two Investors in Education Awards for its commitment to providing top quality work experience for young people and Callum was the latest student to join the team to find out more about the industry.

Partner at Focus Consultants, Trevor Newton, said: “At Focus Consultants we strive to provide young people with work experience that is valuable and helps their development, and we were happy to have hosted Callum for a two weeks and hope that he enjoyed his time in our Boston office.”

Focus, which has its head office in Nottingham, and other branches in London and Leicester, specialises in creative approaches to securing funding packages and delivering high quality projects across the UK. Since its creation in 1994, Focus has helped to secure more than £953 million of grant assistance for a range of projects and businesses across the UK and delivered more than £1.3 billion of projects and programmes – making it one of the most successful companies of its kind.

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

Pictured with Callum Hunt is Andrew Sharp, senior consultant at the Focus Boston office.

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

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

Construction sector small business support group expands into Lincolnshire

Terry O'Mahony

A new business networking event for the construction sector is launching in Lincolnshire after successful networking and business growth organisation the Construction Leaders Club (CLC) announced it is expanding.

The pilot session takes place in Lincoln on 15^th September and is open to anyone who works within the construction sector or in a business associated with the construction industry.

Sponsored by Lincoln-based The Preparation Group, the trial networking event follows the success of CLC in Nottingham. Its monthly networking meetings attract professionals from across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire. It also run a series of aligned and well-received business growth programmes for small business owners and senior decision makers.

Terry O’Mahony, who founded and runs the organisation, said: “Over the last four years the Construction Leaders Club has been very successful in building a networking event for construction industry professionals in the Nottingham, Derby, Leicester area and we want to take it east and north to Lincolnshire and the surrounding districts as a proven formula for connecting businesses and their professional teams.

“As well as networking opportunities, we offer business growth and development training programmes for small businesses associated with the construction sector. We welcome anyone working in the sector or alongside the sector who is interested in networking or in business growth and development to join us on 15^th September at our trial event in Lincoln.”

Earlier this year the CLC became what is believed to be the only business growth, leadership and management development organisation for the construction industry to be awarded the new Chartered Building Consultancy status.

Construction Leaders Club has held the accolade of Chartered Building Consultancy status for the past three years but the CIOB asked holders to re-apply after setting down new and tighter rules for compliance in a bid to drive up standards within the sector.

Founded by business growth expert Terry O’Mahony in Nottingham, CLC was established as a networking and business growth organisation supporting businesses and individuals related to, or associated with, the UK construction industry. As well as monthly networking events, CLC also runs development programmes and workshops for individuals including a Mastermind Programme, aimed at business owners and senior decision makers, and a Rising Stars Programme for high potential individuals who want to step-up to the next level. New courses on each programme are expected to begin this Autumn.

The organisation is supported in Nottingham by Nelsons Solicitors, insurance and risk brokers Arthur J Gallagher and audit, tax and consulting services provider RSM, who will also be sponsoring the Lincoln event.

Terry added: “We very much hope that the construction community in Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire and surrounding areas will support our expansion by joining us on 15^th September and also by considering sponsorship of any future events. If it is to become a regularly held and successful networking event then we need some leading organisations to step forward, get involved and support us.”

September’s event will include a presentation by group managing director of The Preparation Group, Tracey Glew, on setting the industry standards, and takes place between 10am to noon at The Training Hub, Preparation House, Deacon Road, Lincoln LN2 4JB. It costs £30 per head and includes Danish pastries and coffee.

For more details or to book the event on 15^th September, or to find out about the small business coaching offered by CLC, visit http://www.constructionleadersclub.com/ 

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

Focus Consultants’ role with Waterloo Housing Group continues

Old Leake project. Photo courtesy HWD Architecture 

Work has begun on site to build 22 new affordable homes in Lincolnshire – the latest project that Focus Consultants has undertaken for Waterloo Housing Group.

The team in the Boston office of Focus Consultants has been appointed to carry out a multi-disciplinary construction consultancy role on the development in Church Road in Old Leake.

It follows the completion ahead of schedule earlier this year of Phase Two of Broadfield Lane, Boston, when Focus Consultants acted as employer’s agent, principal designer, client CDM advisor and party wall surveyor on a scheme to build 123 houses for Waterloo Housing Group.

Also completed recently was a scheme for Waterloo Housing to provide 26 houses and apartments at Tytton Lane, Boston. Meanwhile, work is continuing on a project that Focus is also involved in to build 32 homes off Toot Lane, Boston, for the housing association.

“This latest appointment at Old Leake continues our ongoing relationship with Waterloo Housing Group and ESHA, helping to deliver a range of housing projects in the Lincolnshire area over a number of years,” said Trevor Newton, Partner in the Boston office of Focus.

“We were delighted with the completion ahead of schedule earlier this year of the second phase of a Waterloo Housing Group development, in Broadfield Lane, Boston, where Focus also had a multi-disciplinary role.

“As a company, Focus offers a range of building consultancy services from design, building surveying and quantity surveying through to project management, and we are very pleased that we have been able to support Waterloo Housing Group on so many projects.”

The Old Leake scheme, led by Waterloo Housing Group and ESHA Developments, will create a range of one, two, three and four bedroom houses, all available for rent or shared ownership. The project is being funded by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise partnership.

The village of Old Leake is situated approximately eight miles from the market town of Boston in Lincolnshire. The site was formerly occupied by a caravan and car park for the adjacent White Hart public house. The development includes the demolition of part of the pub which was remodelled to facilitate access for the new road.

The new homes have been designed to provide spacious modern accommodation and a range of parking options. In keeping with the area’s aesthetics, including a Grade I Listed church, the homes have been carefully designed to blend into the central village location. The housing development is due to be completed in March 2018. 

Nottingham-based Focus, which, as well as an office in Boston, also has branches in London and Leicester, offers a range of services in funding and economic development, project management, sustainable development and building surveying.

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.

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

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

East Midlands fbe Awards 2017 launched

2016 fbe awards winner GlaxoSmithKline Carbon Neutral Laboratory

Nominations are now being invited for the annual East Midlands fbe Awards which recognise and reward the teams behind some of the best construction projects in the region.

Returning for a second year is the Best Rising Star category, which will shine the light on the construction and development sector’s most promising young professionals.

Entries for the awards are expected from across Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. 

The categories include Regeneration, Residential, and Non-Residential developments, along with Rising Star of the Year. The winners of the first three categories will automatically form the shortlist for the Overall East Midlands Scheme & Team Award.

Free to enter, the awards will be presented at an event run by the East Midlands fbe (Forum for the Built Environment) on 12th October 2017 at the City Rooms in Leicester. Around 150 professionals from the construction, development and property sector in the region are expected to attend the ceremony, which last year sold out in advance.

“The East Midlands fbe Chairman’s Dinner & Awards night is a popular date on the calendar of the region’s construction sector,” said Eddie Mewies, regional chairman of the East Midlands fbe and MD of M-EC Consulting Development Engineers.

“The awards are the chance to recognise and celebrate some of the region’s top projects, as well as the teams who are behind them. We are pleased that once again we will have a category for the Best Rising Star, so that we can shine a light on those young people who are showing outstanding achievements in their field and celebrate the next generation of leaders and influencers in the East Midlands construction sector.”

As well as entries now being open, sponsorship opportunities are also available for the event.

Details about the awards and entry forms, as well as sponsorship opportunities and tickets for the awards ceremony, are available from http://www.fbeonline.co.uk/east-midlands/events/fbe-east-midlands-chairmans-dinner-and-awards-2017.htm or by contacting Mary Daw on 07883 033552.

The deadline for award nominations is Friday 1^st September 2017.

Last year’s overall winner was the GlaxoSmithKline Carbon Neutral Laboratories for Sustainable Chemistry at the University of Nottingham, a building unique in the UK in its design and focus on ‘green chemistry’, which was nominated by Morgan Sindall.

The fbe is a national organisation, with branches across the UK and is the longest established networking group for the property, development and construction industries. As well as running the annual awards scheme, the East Midlands branch also organises a number of social and other events. The East Midlands branch covers Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.

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

Focus Consultants stages charity golf day

Focus Consultant's Charity golf day 

Focus Consultants hosted the company’s annual charity golf day at the Belton Park Golf Club near Grantham in Lincolnshire - raising £180 for The Butterfly Trust, a local hospice based in Boston, Lincolnshire.

Attended by 16 different organisations, 18 players took part, with first prize being presented to Nick Piggott of the NatWest banking group who beat the rest of the field by 4 points. A number of prizes for achievements were also presented including longest drive and nearest the pin. In addition, a fundraising raffle was also held.

Focus partner Trevor Newton, who organised the annual tournament, said: “The charity Golf Day has become a regular event on the calendar for Focus Consultants and we are pleased that a number of clients and associates were able to join us and help us to raise money for Butterfly Trust – a deserving local good cause.”

Focus Consultants is based in Nottingham, with additional offices in Leicester, London and Boston, Lincolnshire.

It offers services to the property and construction industry, including building surveying, contract administration, party wall surveying, clerk of works, quantity surveying, project management, CDM services and BREEAM assessments, as well as energy calculations and modelling. 

The company 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 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.

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

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

Work begins on new community centre with Focus Consultants as project manager

New Community project in Lincolnshire with Focus

Work is now underway on building a new community centre in Lincolnshire village Mareham le Fen, which will replace a 100-year-old tin and timber hall.

Focus Consultants is project managing the scheme, having earlier supported the Village Hall Management Committee in securing a grant of just over £500,000 from The Big Lottery Fund. Other main funders include WREN, a not-for-profit grant-giving business, who donated £50,000, and Lindsey Action Zone.

The committee has raised further funds through community events and donations to cover the overall £800,000 cost of the project for the new multi-purpose building, which will serve the residents of Mareham le Fen, situated between Horncastle and Boston, as well as the surrounding parishes. 

Long-standing community member John Ellwood was given the honour of cutting the first sod. He was accompanied by pupils of Mareham Le Fen Church of England Primary School along with their headteacher Avril Moore.

Graham Beacham, chairman of Mareham le Fen Village Hall and Memorial Lawn Management Committee, said: “This is a great day. It’s so good to see the start of a new centre for the community. It has been quite a journey, but with the support of so many, success has been achieved.” 

Focus Consultants building surveyor Chris Smith, who grew up in the village and played a key role in helping to secure the Big Lottery Grant and in taking the project forward, said: “A new community building for Mareham le Fen is long overdue and I am delighted to have played a part in getting the scheme to where it is now, with a start on site.

“Focus is project managing the development and I am looking forward to seeing the building taking shape over the next few weeks and months.”

Local company Taylor Pearson has been contracted to carry out the building work, which is due to be completed in November 2017. The Boston office of Focus Consultants is handling the project management side of the scheme.

Additional funders who are supporting the building include Lincolnshire County Council, East Lindsey District Council, Garfield Weston Foundation, Trusthouse Charitable Foundation, Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation and Lincolnshire Co-op Community Champions.

Focus, which has its headquarters in Nottingham and other offices in London, Leicester, and Aubourn in Lincolnshire, offers a range of services in funding and economic development, project management, sustainable development and building surveying.

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.

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

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

Focus Consultants designs new mental health unit

Carholme Court in Lincolnshire

Focus Consultants is playing a key role in a scheme to create Lincolnshire’s first psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Work is expected to get underway shortly on the project, which involves transforming existing unused ward space on the St George’s Hospital site in Lincoln into a brand new ten-bed unit to provide intensive support closer to home for those with severe mental health problems.

Focus designed the scheme using Building Information Modelling (BIM) for the county’s mental health and learning disabilities services provider, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT).

The company, based in Nottingham and with offices in Boston and Aubourn in Lincolnshire, as well as in London and Leicester, is currently appointed as principle designer, designer, quantity surveyor and contract administrator for the development of the male-only unit. 

“This is a significant scheme for Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and for those who will be cared for at the unit, being the first psychiatric intensive care unit in the county of Lincolnshire,” said Focus Consultants senior project manager Andy White. “Focus Consultants is proud to have been appointed to several roles on this development, which is the latest in a number of hospital and healthcare projects that the company has been involved with in Lincolnshire and elsewhere.”

A PICU is a specialist psychiatric inpatient ward for patients with complex mental health needs who require intensive support.  The Lincoln development will help remove the need for some patients to travel out of the county in order to receive the level of care required, and is due to become operational and accept patients by next summer.

Dr John Brewin, Chief Executive for Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We want our patients to remain as close to home as possible during their recovery and the building of a PICU is one step closer to achieving this.

“It’s an exciting time for the Trust and further underlines our commitment to providing the highest possible quality of care for the people of Lincolnshire. We wanted to create a modern, homely, safe environment that will aid recovery and the designs for the new unit meet all of these requirements.”   

The unit at Carholme Court will accommodate ten individual en-suite bedrooms, plus a gymnasium, multi-faith room and lounge area for patients, as well as a secure and safe outdoor space.

The scheme has been designed by Focus to be compliant with guidelines from NAPICU - the national association that is committed to developing and promoting the speciality of psychiatric intensive care and low secure services - and best practice principles in better bedroom initiative for mental health patients.

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

The company 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.

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

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

Finalists in East Midlands fbe Awards 2016 revealed

The finalists for this year’s East Midlands fbe Awards have been announced and include four university projects, a fire station and new residential accommodation for a nationwide charity.

Organisers of the annual awards which recognise and reward the teams behind some of the best construction projects in the region have just unveiled this year’s shortlisted entries.

The finalists in the Residential category are Tur Langton in Leicestershire, a scheme of six new build family homes on the site of the Old Bull’s Head, nominated by SGP Architects; Green Lane in Nottingham, which is a development of five low energy one-bedroom single storey flats for Framework Housing Association, put forward by North Midland Construction; Cathedral Court in Derby, a 350-ensuite study bedroom student accommodation scheme for the University of Derby, nominated by D W Hicks; and an accommodation block for national charity Canine Partners, which trains assistance dogs for disabled people, at Osgathorpe in North West Leicestershire, which was nominated by North Midland Construction.

The finalists in the Non-Residential category are Nottingham University Science Library, the extension and refurbishment of the George Green Library, put forward by Galliford Try; Nottingham Trent University’s Heart of Campus project at the Clifton campus which has provided two zero carbon buildings with excellent BREEAM ratings and which was nominated by Pulse Associates; and GlaxoSmithKline Carbon Neutral Laboratories for Sustainable Chemistry at the University of Nottingham,  a building unique in the UK in its design and focus on ‘green chemistry’, which was nominated by Morgan Sindall.

The finalists in the Regeneration category are Hollygate Park at Cotgrave in Nottinghamshire, the first section of phase one of a total of around 450 homes being built on the site of the former Cotgrave Colliery, nominated by BSP Consulting; London Road Fire Station in Nottingham, a new three-storey, energy efficient building for Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service on a former brownfield site, nominated by J Tomlinson Ltd; and Dakeyne Street, Sneinton, in Nottingham, a new creative hub following the major refurbishment and modernisation of 18th and 19th Century buildings that have created workspace for SMEs in creative and digital industries, nominated by architects Maber.

The finalists in the Best Rising Star category are Alexsandra Perobelli, graduate mechanical engineer at BSD, Joe Gent trainee electrical estimator at J Tomlinson Ltd and Sarah Grocock part II architectural assistant at RG+P.

The winners will be revealed at a sold-out awards ceremony on 6^th October at the City Rooms in Leicester – an annual event which has become a firm fixture on the calendar for the region’s construction, development and property sector.

“We had an excellent array of nominations from across the region and across a range of sectors, illustrating the high standard of developments that are being completed in the East Midlands,” said Jef Todd, regional chairman of the East Midlands fbe and business development director at civil and structural engineering company BSP Consulting.

“Our criteria for the nominated projects focused on sustainability, good design, and interaction and engagement with the local community.

“The judges were particularly pleased to read about the entries in the Best Rising Star category, our new category for this year, and to see the younger generation of professionals who are making a significant contribution to the built environment.

“I’d like to thank all the teams who nominated projects and individuals, and congratulate the finalists on their success.”

More than 120 professionals from the construction, development and property sector in the region are expected to attend the awards ceremony, which will be hosted once again by former BBC East Midlands political editor John Hess, who is now honorary professor in politics at the University of Nottingham.

All tickets have now been sold for the event. The awards have been sponsored by D W Hicks Building Co Ltd, integrated building solutions company J Tomlinson Ltd, civil engineering, mechanical and electrical (M&E) engineers BSD, engineering and environmental consultants M-EC Consulting Development Engineers and chartered accountants and business advisers Duncan & Toplis. Civil and structural engineering company BSP Consulting has sponsored the drinks reception.

The fbe is a national organisation, with branches across the UK and is the longest established networking group for the property, development and construction industries. As well as running the annual awards scheme, the organisation also organises a number of social and other events. The East Midlands branch covers Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. 

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

Grants available to breathe new life into historic buildings, reminds Focus Consultants

Focus Partner Heather Frecklington

Hundreds of neglected historic buildings across the East Midlands could qualify for special grants to help bring them back into life.

That’s the view of funding experts at Focus Consultants, which has successfully secured more than £953 million in various grants and funds for projects over the past 21 years.

Partner Heather Frecklington is reminding community organisations that Heritage Enterprise funding is available to help with some of the costs to repair derelict historic places, which could be the key to giving them productive new uses.

She is urging groups to look around their villages, towns and cities with a fresh pair of eyes and consider whether developments could become commercially viable if they received a cash injection via Heritage Enterprise, which is operated by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

“For many property owners, owning a historic building requires a great deal of investment, firstly potentially restoring those buildings and secondly keeping them in good repair,” said Heather. “The cost of repairing a neglected historic building is often so high that restoration simply isn’t commercially viable. The aim of the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Heritage Enterprise programme is to make such schemes possible by funding some of the repair costs with grants of £100,000 to £5 million available.”

Nottingham-based Focus, which also has branches in London and Leicester, and in Aubourn and Boston in Lincolnshire, has been involved in a number of successful Heritage Enterprise bids and is currently advising several clients on their applications.

“The fund is primarily for enterprising community organisations to help them rescue neglected historic buildings and sites and return them to a viable productive use,” said Heather. “It is designed to bridge the funding gap that prevents an historic asset in need of repair from being returned to a beneficial and commercial use. The case for grant funding will depend on there being a conservation deficit. This is where the existing value of a heritage asset plus the cost of bringing it back into use is greater than the value of the asset after development has been completed.”

Focus 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 PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk 

East Midlands fbe awards 2016, one month until nominations close

Winner of the regeneration category at the East Midlands 2015 fbe awards 

There’s just one month to go before the nomination deadline for the annual East Midlands fbe Awards. The awards recognise the teams behind some of the region’s best construction projects. 

Entries are expected to be received from across Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, with categories including Regeneration, Residential, Non-Residential and the new Rising Star of the Year award.

The new category aims to recognise and reward the construction and development sector’s most promising young professionals in the region.

Winners of the first three categories automatically form the short list for the Overall East Midlands scheme and team award. 

Entry is free and those wishing to be considered have just one month left to enter before the closing date of Friday 19^th August 2016. The awards will be presented at the City Rooms in Leicester, on 6^th October, at an event run by the East Midlands fbe (Forum for the Built Environment). 

The event is being hosted, once again, by former BBC East Midlands Political editor John Hess, with more than 120 professionals from across the construction, development and property sectors in the region expected to attend. 

“With just a month to go before the deadline closes we look forward to receiving candidates’ nominations to help us recognise and celebrate the achievements of those in the construction and development sectors in the region,” said East Midlands fbe chairman Jef Todd, who is business development director at East Midlands civil and structural engineering firm BSP Consulting.

“Each year we receive a strong set of nominations which reflect the work being undertaken in the East Midlands and we are looking forward to hearing more about the latest schemes being submitted.”

Details about the awards and entry forms are available here http://www.fbeonline.co.uk/east-midlands/events/fbe-east-midlands-chairmans-dinner-and-awards-2016.htm  as well as sponsorship opportunities and tickets for the awards ceremony. 

The fbe organises a number of social and other events, as well as running the annual awards scheme. They are a national organisation with branches across the UK and are the longest established networking group for the property, development and construction industries. The East midlands branch covers Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. 

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

New senior appointment at Focus Consultants

Andy White joins Focus Consultants

Focus Consultants has appointed Andy White as senior project manager to head up the healthcare team.

Andy joins Nottingham-based Focus from Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, where he was capital projects manager and before that estates services manager (forensic).

Skilled in project management, he has more than 30 years of experience in the construction and maintenance industries, including 23 in healthcare and also including management and leadership roles.

Focus partner Keith Butler said: “We are very pleased to welcome Andy to Focus Consultants, at a time when our work in the healthcare sector is expanding

“He brings vast experience of the sector and will strengthen the company’s team as we continue to grow.”

A chartered building surveyor since 1991, Andy is based in the Nottingham office of Focus, at Phoenix Business Park, and will work in conjunction with the teams across the Leicester, London and Lincolnshire offices of the company.

“Focus Consultants is a long-established company working on an extensive portfolio of projects in the healthcare and other sectors. I’m delighted to have joined the business and I’m looking forward to contributing to its continued success,” said Andy. 

Focus offers services to the property and construction industry, including building surveying, contract administration, party wall surveying, clerk of works, quantity surveying, project management, CDM services and BREEAM assessments, as well as energy calculations and modelling. 

The company 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 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.

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

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

Focus Consultants presents donation to Lincolnshire Autistic Society

Janet Corcoran receives donation for Lincolnshire Autistic Society

An annual charity golf day and raffle staged by Focus Consultants has raised £250 for Lincolnshire Autistic Society.

Players at the Belton Park Golf Club event near Grantham in Lincolnshire included representatives from private and public sector organisations.

The event featured a number of prizes for achievements including longest drive and nearest the pin, as well as a fund-raising raffle.

Pictured is Trevor Newton, partner for the Lincolnshire offices of Focus, presenting the donation to Janet Corcoran, secretary of Lincolnshire Autistic Society, who said: “We are very grateful for the support of Focus Consultants and would like to thank all those who took part in the charity golf day, and Focus for choosing us as the nominated charity.”

Lincolnshire Autistic Society, based at Donington, near Spalding in Lincolnshire, was set up more than 30 years ago and supports individuals and parents, as well as working with and advising statutory bodies and other organisations across the county.

Trevor Newton, who organised the annual tournament, said: “The charity Golf Day has become a regular event on the calendar for Focus Consultants and we are pleased that a number of clients and associates were able to join us and help us to raise money for Lincolnshire Autistic Society – a deserving local good cause.”

Focus, which is based in Nottingham, has offices in Boston and Aubourn in Lincolnshire, as well as in Leicester and London.

It offers services to the property and construction industry, including building surveying, contract administration, party wall surveying, clerk of works, quantity surveying, project management, CDM services and BREEAM assessments, as well as energy calculations and modelling. 

The company 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 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.

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

For more details about Lincolnshire Autistic Society, visit www.lincolnshireautisticsociety.org.uk or contact the helpline on 01775 821213.

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

Launch of East Midlands fbe Awards 2016

Overall winner of the East Midlands fbe awards 2015

Nominations are now being invited for the annual East Midlands fbe Awards which recognise and reward the teams behind some of the best construction projects in the region.

New for this year is an additional category – Best Rising Star – which will shine the light on the construction and development sector’s most promising young professionals.

Entries for the awards are expected from across Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. 

The categories include Regeneration, Residential, Non-Residential and Rising Star of the Year. The winners of the first three categories will automatically form the shortlist for the Overall East Midlands Scheme & Team Award.

Free to enter, the awards will be presented at an event run by the East Midlands fbe (Forum for the Built Environment) on 6^thOctober 2016 at the City Rooms in Leicester. More than 120 professionals from the construction, development and property sector in the region are expected to attend the ceremony, which will be hosted once again by former BBC East Midlands political editor John Hess, who is now honorary professor in politics at the University of Nottingham.

“The East Midlands fbe Awards are a firm fixture on the calendar of the region’s construction sector, having been staged for several years now. They are the chance for us to recognise and celebrate some of the region’s excellent projects, as well as the teams behind them,” said Jef Todd, regional chairman of the East Midlands fbe and business development director at civil and structural engineering company BSP Consulting.

“I’m delighted that this year we are introducing for the first time the Rising Star of the Year Award, which is open to individuals working within the construction sector in Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire or Nottinghamshire, who are under 30 years of age and who have shown outstanding achievements in their field, whether that be in construction, design or associated professional or support services for the industry. We are looking for role models who have made a significant contribution to the built environment so that we can recognise and celebrate the next generation of leaders and influencers in the East Midlands construction sector.”

Details about the awards and entry forms, as well as sponsorship opportunities and tickets for the awards ceremony, are available from http://www.fbeonline.co.uk/east-midlands/events/fbe-east-midlands-chairmans-dinner-and-awards-2016.htm The deadline for award nominations is Friday 19^th August 2016.

The fbe is a national organisation, with branches across the UK and is the longest established networking group for the property, development and construction industries. As well as running the annual awards scheme, the organisation also organises a number of social and other events. The East Midlands branch covers Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.

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

Affordable homes role for Focus Consultants

Residents have moved into a new development built with support from property experts at Focus Consultants.

The company acted as employer’s agent on a £1.05 million scheme in Marsden Drive, Scunthorpe, for Ongo Homes (formerly North Lincolnshire Homes), where 14 homes have recently been completed on the site of a former pub.

Focus also provided a number of other roles at the site, including Code for Sustainable Homes assessor and CDM Coordinator.

The development of affordable homes, which features 13 two-bedroom properties and one three-bedroom home, was the latest in a number of projects the Boston office of Focus has undertaken for Ongo.

Trevor Newton, partner for the Lincolnshire offices of Focus, said: “Focus played a role in major refurbishment and remodelling schemes completed last year at Ancholme Gardens, Brigg, and St Peter’s Court, Barton-upon-Humber, both for North Lincolnshire Homes, now Ongo Homes.”

Focus, which is based in Nottingham and has offices in London, Leicester, Boston and Aubourn in Lincolnshire, offers a range of services to the property and construction industry, including building surveying, quantity surveying, project management, CDM Coordinator services and sustainable development support.

The company 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.

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

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

Arts restoration project completed by Focus Consultants

Watts Studios exterior, 2016, © David Grandorge

Heritage experts at Focus Consultants have played a key role in the opening to the public for the first time of the studios of an eminent Victorian artist and his designer wife.

The company supported a successful second round bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for £2.4million grant funding in support of the project at the home of G F and Mary Watts.

Watts Gallery Trust has now recreated G F Watts's studio and created a gallery dedicated to Mary Watts's work in the east wing of the Grade-II listed property Limnerslease in Compton, Surrey, which has just opened to the public for the first time.

As well as seeing where the couple worked, the public can also view some of their most famous paintings and sculptures, including The Court of Death (c. 1870-1902, Tate Britain), a huge painting that took G F Watts 32 years to complete. Watts’s last major work, it is displayed upon a recreation of the original pulley system designed by the artist to allow him to work upon the vast canvas in its entirety.

In addition to helping to secure the grant, Nottingham-based Focus Consultants project managed the restoration scheme - part of a £4million project to secure and restore this important site in the arts world.

“This was the latest in a number of key arts and heritage restoration schemes that Focus Consultants has been proud to have played a role in, and we are delighted that the studios of artists G F Watts and Mary Watts are now open to the public to visit,” said Steven Fletcher, a Partner at Focus, which also has offices in London, Leicester and in Boston and Aubourn in Lincolnshire.

“The principal aims of the project included establishing a centre for heritage learning and research, showing the late 19^th Century domestic, social and working life of two leading Victorian artists, and to sustain the future of an artists’ village, to secure the long-term future of the Watts legacy and wider estate, and we were delighted to have brought our expertise to this development.”

Carole Souter, Chief Executive of HLF, said: “The opening up of Watts Studios is set to benefit the local community, making a serious contribution to Surrey’s tourist economy and helping create a sense of confidence and pride in what Compton can offer visitors both domestically and internationally.”

Perdita Hunt, Director of Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village, said: “We are grateful to HLF and to the Trusts, Foundations and many generous individuals who are enabling us to save this important part of our cultural heritage.”

Focus 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 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

To find out more about Watts Gallery Artists’ Village, visit www.wattsgallery.org.uk

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