Growing civil and structural engineering firm BSP Consulting invests in management training

Jef Todd and Charlotte Moreland

Six members of the BSP Consulting team are undertaking management and leadership training as part of staff and company development.

Another group of employees is being lined up to get involved in the second wave of training at the East Midlands-based civil and structural engineering firm, said business development director Jef Todd.

“As a company, BSP Consulting has been growing steadily and it’s important that we equip our teams with the necessary skills to support our continued development and to provide them with ongoing professional development too,” said Jef.

“We are committed to both staff and company development, reflecting on our wider commitment to offering the best service we can to our clients across the East Midlands and the UK.”

Those currently undertaking the Apprenticeship NVQ course, run by Training for Business, are structures director Paul Elphick, associate director – civils Matt Viggars, associate director – civils Tony Goddard, chartered civil engineer Carol Ell, principal transport planner Joanna Posnett and senior engineer Oliver Dike.

Based across BSP’s offices in Nottingham, Derby and Leicester, the group will spend around 15 months completing the Level 4 NVQ Diploma in Management. The next group of employees is due to start the training in six months.

The Level 4 NVQ Diploma in Management is ideal for managers moving into a middle management position, who still retain responsibility for operational processes but are more removed from day-to-day line management duties. The qualification develops the knowledge and skills required to take on higher level responsibilities such as planning and implementing change.

Those involved will develop core leadership skills, take charge of personal and professional development, gain the skills to be able to plan and implement an operational plan, improve working relationships, and achieve a recognised qualification for personal development.

The course is governed by ILM (Institute of Leadership and Management) and is being delivered to the BSP team as an Apprenticeship Framework which includes an NVQ by Nottingham-based Training for Business, an Ofsted rated #1 Outstanding training provider, which is part of the NHTA Group Ltd that provides apprenticeships across the East Midlands.

“Training for Business are passionate about the power of quality accredited qualifications to transform people and give them the skills they need for the future. We understand all people are different and need flexible suppliers of training to ensure each and every person reaches their full potential, and as such all our qualifications are delivered one-on-one in the work place and at a time convenient to both the learner and employer,” said Charlotte Moreland, managing director of Training for Business. “We are very pleased to be supporting the team at BSP Consulting.”

BSP and Training for Business organised the training after linking up through support from Nottingham City Council via Nottingham Jobs Hub.

BSP Consulting, which is based at Oxford Street, Nottingham, and has offices at Pride Park, Derby, De Montfort Street, Leicester, and Solly Street, Sheffield, 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.

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

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

Focus Consultants on board with replica 17th century sailing ship scheme

Launch of the Lennox in 1678 by Richard Endsor

Funding and business planning experts, Focus Consultants, have been appointed to work on an exciting project which will result in the building and launching of a full-size replica of the Lenox, a 17^th century sailing ship and which will be a major new tourist attraction based at Convoys Wharf, Lewisham, London. 

Convoys Wharf, originally known as the Deptford Dockyard, opened in 1513 and was first used by Henry VIII to build his naval fleet. The HMS Lenox was commissioned under Charles II in 1678 as the first of 30 ships built during his reign to expand the Royal Navy into a leading force in Europe. 

Convoys Wharf, which lies within walking distance of other popular maritime attractions, such as the Cutty Sark, The National Maritime Museum and the Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich, has remained derelict for years. Now, planning consent has been granted for a major mixed-use waterfront development, encompassing both residential and commercial facilities. The Lenox project complements this development by highlighting the area’s unique maritime history.

As well as a replica of the Lenox, a new purpose-built visitor centre is planned which will display exhibits showcasing the history of the Royal Dockyard. It will also enable the public to see the ship’s construction, which is intended to be a mix of modern and traditional skills - the modern involving digitisation of the ship’s model and use of CNC routers to cut some of the timbers – and the traditional skills from the 17^th century, mirroring the Lenox’s original creation. The plans aim to create jobs for specialists in traditional wooden boatbuilding and will also include apprenticeship opportunities to ensure these skills will not be lost to future generations, whilst the use of modern skills is transferable into a wider range of industries. 

Nottingham-based Focus has been appointed by The Lenox Project, a registered charity, to develop a business plan for the project and to prepare funding bids to move the project onto the next stage of development.

Heather Frecklington, Partner at Focus Consultants, said: “This is a unique and extremely exciting project to be involved in. We are working closely with the Charity to set the project up to be a success and look forward to seeing this major London regeneration project come to fruition.”

Focus, which also has offices in London, Leicester and Boston in Lincolnshire, 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.

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 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

London church appointment for Focus Consultants

St Marylebone Church

Focus Consultants has been appointed to project manage a plan for a major restoration at one of London’s historic churches.

The Parish Church of St Marylebone, home to the internationally respected Healing and Counselling Centre and innovative NHS Marylebone Health Centre, has been awarded initial support of £700,000 from The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to develop proposals for the £8.6m restoration of the church and the renewal of community facilities. 

The historical Grade I listed London landmark has appointed Focus Consultants as project directors and project managers.  

The scheme is set to include new building work adjoined to the current structure to include a welcome and reception area, additional exhibition space and a café for visitors. In addition to this, extensive repairs and conservation efforts are expected to take place on the existing building. 

Focus Consultants partner Ellie Clarke said: “St Marylebone Church is an important building in London and the team at Focus is very pleased to have been appointed to help with the development in the next chapter of its history.

“We have significant experience of working on such projects and are looking forward to project managing these inspiring proposals.”

Constructed in 1817, the Anglican church located on the Marylebone Road is the third building used for the parish church in the borough’s 900-year-old history. The present church was the venue for the wedding of Robert Browning to Elizabeth Barrett and the baptism of Charles Dickens’ son. In the 1980s, the Parish took a huge leap in converting the unusable crypts of the church to create a range of complementary facilities for community uses.  

The Rector of St Marylebone, The Revd Canon Stephen Evans, commented: “The regeneration will allow the parish to become a Community Hub which will tell the story of St Marylebone "the great city north of Oxford Street".

The Rector and Parochial Church Council will be partnering the Church Army’s Marylebone Project in providing a Community Café, staffed by women who would otherwise be homeless, Vital Regeneration, an innovative community enterprise project based in Church Street, one of Westminster’s most deprived areas, working with local young people who are not in employment or education, the Building Crafts College in Stratford (which was founded in and had its premises in Marylebone for nearly 100 years) and a host of other individuals and agencies. 

The Changing Lives project will lead to a more sustainable future for the church - creating a vibrant, welcoming hub and enabling visitors to learn more about the heritage of the church and the wider Marylebone area. 

The Focus team is currently working to develop the bid ready for submission to the HLF in Summer 2018. The project is expected to be completed in 2020. 

Focus, which is based in Nottingham, has offices in London, Leicester and Boston in Lincolnshire. This project is being led by the London office. The company has, since 1994, 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 

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 

Focus Consultants awarded position on key national framework

Heather Frecklington at Focus Consultants

Focus Consultants has been appointed on a major national framework to supply consultancy services in leisure, culture and tourism, as well as asset management and delivery.

The position on the ESPO 664-17 framework will run until April 2019 with an option to extend for a further two years until April 2021.

It means that public-sector clients, registered charities and social housing providers in the UK can procure services from Focus in the knowledge that the procurement process has already been carried out in a professional manner, avoiding the need for a full tender process when searching for suppliers - saving them time and money.

The ESPO 664-17 framework is the eighth framework that Focus is currently appointed on.

“As well as working in the private sector, the teams at Focus Consultants work extensively across the public sector – providing specialist services to councils, charities and other organisations,” said Focus partner Heather Frecklington.

“Our services are unique – ranging from funding support, feasibility studies, commercial reviews and economic development through to evaluations, maintenance, management and delivery, and rationalisation and remodelling – and we have worked with a huge range of clients from internationally known museums and high-profile UK arts organisations through to local councils and small heritage projects.

“The appointment on the ESPO framework means that it is easier for clients to procure our services in the field of leisure, culture and tourism, as well as in asset management and delivery, and allows Focus, as a company, to potentially reach out to a wider client base.

“We are delighted to have been appointed to this framework – the eighth that we are now on – as it recognises and confirms our skills and professional services in these areas, and is an endorsement of our expertise.”

Focus Consultants is based at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, and has offices in London, Leicester and Boston in Lincolnshire.

It 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.

The firm has worked with many well-known organisations including the V&A Museum, the Science Museum and the National Army Museum. It is currently project managing the £44million Devonshire Quarter redevelopment scheme in Eastbourne.

In the East Midlands, the company has played a role in a number of high-profile projects such as the Sky Mirror in Nottingham and the Curve in Leicester, and is involved currently in the refurbishment of the Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham and was a member of the team redeveloping the newly re-opened Bridgford Hall near Nottingham- the first completed project in the East Midlands to benefit from a Heritage Enterprise Grant.

ESPO (Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation), based in Leicestershire, is a public sector owned organisation committed to helping customers achieve the best results by practice in procurement, sourcing, supply chain partner support and management and contract management. The 664-17 framework is fully compliant with UK/OJEU procurement legislation, where all providers listed are assessed prior to being accepted onto the framework.

For more information, please visit www.focus-consultants.com

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company 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

Frozen food distributor Central Foods shortlisted in Family Business United Awards

Central Foods Sales and Marketing Team

Frozen food distributor Central Foods has been named a finalist for the Midlands Family Business of the Year Award 2017.

The Northamptonshire-based business, run by husband and wife team Gordon and Alison Lauder for the past 21 years, is one of 12 family firms shortlisted for the accolade.

“We are thrilled to hear we’ve been nominated in the final of this award. It’s fantastic news for Central Foods and all of our loyal, hardworking team,” said managing director Gordon Lauder.

“This year we celebrate our 21^st birthday and to learn that we are a finalist of the Midlands Family Business of the Year Award 2017 is cause for a double celebration.

“I’d like to thank all our staff, as well as our customers and clients, who have supported us in the journey we have taken to become one of the UK’s best-known frozen food suppliers to the wholesale and foodservice sector. Congratulations and best of luck to all the finalists in the awards.”

The Family Business of the Year Awards are organised by Family Business United, the award-winning magazine and resource centre that champions and celebrates the family business sector. Now in their fifth year, the awards recognise the diversity, strength and depth of family firms across the UK and seek to highlight the contribution that family firms make to the UK economy.  

Open to family firms of all generations, sizes and sectors, the awards recognise some outstanding family firms and really help to put family businesses on the map.

Paul Andrews, founder and managing director of Family Business United, said: "We are delighted to be able to pull together such a vibrant bunch of family businesses, some that have succeeded for numerous generations and continue to thrive, and others that are relatively young but have great values at the heart of what they do.

“Well done to Central Foods on being named a finalist.”

Sian Steele, head of family business at PwC, sponsors of the award added: "Any one of those shortlisted would make worthy winners and ambassadors for the sector. We are looking forward to finding out more about each of them and I am sure that the decisions to determine the winner will not be easy.  Previous winners of this award include Penny Hydraulics, Cropwell Bishop and Fracino so the 2017 winners will be following in the footsteps of some incredible family firms."

The awards process concludes at a gala reception and awards ceremony that takes place in London at the prestigious May Fair Hotel in London on June 8 where the winners will be crowned.

Central Foods, which is based at Collingtree near Northampton, supplies more than 220 independent wholesalers, as well as larger national and regional wholesalers. It also supplies to foodservice caterers across the entire foodservice industry, including pubs, hotels, restaurants, staff canteens, schools, hospitals, coffee shops, football grounds and universities.

Offering a one-stop shop to the foodservice sector, it sources products from around the world and the UK, supplying more than 400 different lines, ranging from meat, bakery items and canapés through to buffet products, desserts and puddings.

For more information visit www.centralfoods.co.uk

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

Croots Farm Shop & Café a finalist in Family Business United Awards 2017

Kay and Steve Croot

Derbyshire farm shop Croots has been named a finalist for the Midlands Family Business of the Year Award 2017.

The farm shop and café near Duffield, run by husband and wife team Steve and Kay Croot, is one of 12 family firms shortlisted for the accolade.

“We are delighted to learn that we’ve been chosen as a finalist in this award. It’s great news for Croots Farm Shop and all the wonderful, hard-working staff we have on our team,” said Kay Croot. “The farm shop was launched at my parents’ farm in 2008, and has gone from strength to strength.

“It’s very much a family business, with our staff being part of our extended family. We have some people that have been with us at Croots Farm Shop since the start and are incredibly loyal and amazing with customers. We have shared our progress with them, they understand what we are striving to deliver, live the same values and we look after them and treat them like part of a big family.

“I’d like to thank them, as well as all our suppliers and customers, for helping this family business to grow and to get to a stage where we have been named a finalist of the Midlands Family Business of the Year Award 2017.”

The Family Business of the Year Awards are organised by Family Business United, the award-winning magazine and resource centre that champions and celebrates the family business sector. Now in their fifth year, the awards recognise the diversity, strength and depth of family firms across the UK and seek to highlight the contribution that family firms make to the UK economy.  

Open to family firms of all generations, sizes and sectors, the awards recognise some outstanding family firms and really help to put family businesses on the map.

Paul Andrews, founder and managing director of Family Business United, said: "We are delighted to be able to pull together such a vibrant bunch of family businesses, some that have succeeded for numerous generations and continue to thrive, and others that are relatively young but have great values at the heart of what they do.

“Well done to Croots Farm Shop & Café on being named a finalist.”

Sian Steele, head of family business at PwC, sponsors of the award added: "Any one of those shortlisted would make worthy winners and ambassadors for the sector. We are looking forward to finding out more about each of them and I am sure that the decisions to determine the winner will not be easy.  Previous winners of this award include Penny Hydraulics, Cropwell Bishop and Fracino so the 2017 winners will be following in the footsteps of some incredible family firms."

The awards process concludes at a gala reception and awards ceremony that takes place in London at the prestigious May Fair Hotel in London on June 8 where the winners will be crowned.

Croots Farm Shop, based at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road, is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm (Shires Eatery until 4.30pm) and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays. Croots runs Fresh Fish Thursdays between 9am and 1pm on Thursdays.

For more information, visit www.croots.co.uk Find Croots on Twitter @crootsfarm_shop or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Croots-Farm-Shop

Press release issued by Nottingham based 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 

Engineering exhibition role for Focus Consultants at V&A Museum

Ove Arup Exhibition © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Focus Consultants has played a key role in the opening of a Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) exhibition dedicated to the most influential engineer of the 20^th Century.

Revealing the untold design stories behind some of the world’s most famous buildings, such as the Sydney Opera House and the Centre Pompidou in Paris, to recent projects such as Crossrail, the exhibition is the first ever major retrospective on Ove Arup (1895-1988).

Engineering the World: Ove Arup and the Philosophy of Total Design is part of the V&A Engineering Season and is one of the most ambitious exhibitions that Focus has completed at the V&A, incorporating a bespoke mezzanine and stairlift structure, said Focus partner Eleanor Clarke. 

It is the fourth exhibition that the Nottingham-based company has worked on at the V&A in London this year alone, and follows Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear, which charted the history of underwear from the 18th century to today, Paul Strand: Photography and Film for the 20th Century and Botticelli Reimagined.

It opened just before the V&A was named the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2016, recognising the outstanding innovation, imagination and achievements of the museum throughout the preceding year. 

Focus was project manager, quantity surveyor and contract administrator for the Ove Arup exhibition, which runs until 6 November.

“Focus has been proud to have worked with the V&A on a range of exciting and informative exhibitions since 2014, reflecting our expertise in this sector,” said Eleanor. “This latest exhibition, dedicated to the work of the influential engineer Ove Arup, has been particularly ambitious and we hope visitors will enjoy the experience.

“We’re absolutely delighted to hear that the V&A Museum has recently been named as the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2016, and are so proud to have played a role in helping to provide such a rich visitor experience at this wonderful museum.”

The design and build of the Ove Arup exhibition has been project managed by the London office of East Midlands-based Focus, which opened five years ago in response to demand for its services, particularly in the museum, arts and heritage sector.

Focus, which has its headquarters at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, as well as offices in London, Leicester, and Boston and Aubourn in Lincolnshire, 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 has worked with virtually all the major museums in London, and many across the UK, providing support for capital projects, permanent and temporary exhibitions, and renovation schemes - developing and delivering award-winning heritage projects.

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

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 acquires a controlling interest in Midland Energy Services Ltd

Focus Partners meeting with the MES Team

Focus Consultants has acquired a controlling interest in Newark-based sustainable building consultancy Midland Energy Services Ltd (trading as MES Building Solutions).

The move will strengthen the sustainable development services already provided by Focus, and increase the number of professionals working on the team.

It follows an announcement last year by Nottingham-based Focus that the organisation planned to further develop the group’s structure as it built on more than 20 years of experience.

The existing MES management team will remain and MES will be run separately for the foreseeable future, said Focus Consultants partner Kevin Osbon.

“We see this as an exciting opportunity to work in partnership with MES to help both businesses grow,” said Kevin. “MES original founder and owner of the business Alex Hole will remain as CEO, and we are looking forward to pooling our resources to provide extended services to our clients in terms of the sustainable building services that we offer.

“Focus Consultants views the arrangement as a partnership, which will allow us to undertake joint initiatives to support our clients.”

Focus, which is based at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, and has branches in London, Leicester, and in Boston and Aubourn in Lincolnshire, offers a range of services in the fields of funding and regeneration, energy, project management and chartered surveying. Its sustainable development department provides services such as low carbon refurbishment support, Code for Sustainable Homes assessment, energy/sustainability statements for planning, low carbon funding advice and BREEAM assessments.

As well as a range of eco-sustainability services, the team at MES will bring ‘rights of light’ expertise to the group, providing a major new service for Focus to offer clients and a cross-selling opportunity that dovetails with the current offer, added Kevin Osbon.

The acquisition of MES, for an undisclosed sum, is expected to bring a combined turnover of more than £5 million for 2016/2017 for the Focus group, and with the addition of 12 skilled staff, will create a team of almost 60 across all offices.

MES is based in Beacon Hill Office Park, Newark, and specialises in environmental consultancy work.

CEO Alex Hole said: “MES will continue to operate as a separate company. However, our clients will be able to benefit from this association with Focus Consultants as we will also be able to offer even more of a ‘one-stop’ construction solution through our sister organisation.

“I will continue to lead the MES team and other personnel within MES stay the same. We are excited about the opportunities this brings and look forward to being able to continue to provide our clients with the high quality, honest and diligent service we are renowned for.”

The partners at Focus were advised on the deal by Duncan James of Shakespeare Martineau and Collin Franklin from Franklin Underwood.

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

Press release issued by Nottingham based 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