Group MD to speak at new construction sector networking event in Lincoln

Tracey Glew

The group MD of one of the leading businesses in surface preparation will be the guest speaker when the Construction Leaders Club launches its networking events in Lincoln.

Tracey Glew, who founded Lincoln-based The Preparation Group in 1991, will be giving a presentation about setting industry standards.

She will be talking at the pilot event on 15^th September, which marks the expansion of networking and business growth organisation the Construction Leaders Club into the city.

The organisation has been running successful networking events and programmes for professionals working in the sector in the Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire areas for the past four years.

Now it is taking its proven formula to Lincoln and hoping to successfully bring together those in Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire and the surrounding districts who work in the construction sector or in a business associated with the construction sector.

The inaugural session, which is being sponsored by The Preparation Group and held at the company’s Training Hub at Preparation House, Deacon Road, Lincoln, is to be held from 10am to noon on 15^thSeptember.

“Since founding The Preparation Group, Tracey has grown the business to become a leading business in surface preparation and we are delighted that she will be speaking at our launch event in Lincoln,” said business growth expert Terry O’Mahony, who founded and runs the Construction Leaders Club.

“We are looking forward to taking our proven formula of connecting businesses and their professional teams into the Lincoln area – giving those who work within the construction sector and associated professions the chance to network and to find out more about each other and the services they provide, as well as discovering more about the business growth and development opportunities offered by the Construction Leaders Club.”  

As well as monthly networking events, Construction Leaders Club 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, which 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, earlier this year 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.

Tracey Glew heads up an organisation that has grown to become a market leader in surface preparation. The Preparation Group specialises in the full preparation of any surface from concrete to marble. It has completed jobs worldwide and worked in such prestigious and high-profile locations as Buckingham Palace, the London Eye and Manchester United’s ground. The firm has operated in factories, supermarkets, airports, ships and hangars for multi-billion-pound jets. 

It is now a centre of expertise - providing environmentally friendly solutions for preparing, cleaning and finishing almost any surface in any market sector, as well as providing training.

Tracey said: “I am looking forward to welcoming the Construction Leaders Club to Lincoln and to the headquarters of The Preparation Group. I am proud to be the guest speaker at this inaugural event in Lincoln, and I hope the construction sector in the area supports it and finds it a useful way to network and build contacts and associates.”

For more details about the Construction Leaders Club or to book for the trial event on 15^th September in Lincoln, which costs £30 and includes Danish pastries and coffee, and will offer plenty of time for networking, 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 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

Croots Farm Shop helps put Great British family businesses on the map

Derbyshire farm shop Croots was a stop-off point on this year’s Family Business Road Trip.

Representatives from Family Business United, who have been touring some of the UK’s most successful family businesses, dropped in to visit the farm shop in Wirksworth Road, Duffield, during the journey.

Kay Croot, who runs the farm shop with husband Steve, said: “They were very interested to hear the story of Croots Farm Shop and how we’ve got to the point we are now at, as a popular farm shop and a place to visit for coffees, lunch, afternoon tea and more. We gave them a tour around the shop, café and the farm, and explained how the business has grown in the nine years since we launched.”

The Family Business Road Trip celebrates the essential contribution family firms make to national GDP and regional economies. In the UK, the family business sector accounts for more than 4 million firms, £1.1 trillion in turnover (almost a quarter of UK GDP) and employs more than nine million people. In addition, the top 20 family owned firms in the UK generate turnover in excess of £49 billion.

Paul Andrews, from Family Business United, was joined by Ruth Chapman, from PwC, one of the trip’s sponsors, for the visit to Croots.

Family firm Sturgess Jaguar provided the car for the trip and the event is being sponsored by PwC, Farrer & Co, Western Pension Solutions and Close Brothers Asset Management. The Family Business Road Trip 2017 runs for six weeks covering Yorkshire to the Lake District and the Midlands to London, East Anglia, Sussex and a whole host of counties in between.

Croots Farm Shop 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 http://www.croots.co.uk Find Croots on Twitter @crootsfarm_shop or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Croots-Farm-Shop-127012538821/

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

Charity cycle ride supported by J Tomlinson

L to R, J Tomlinson's Martin Gallagher, with Paul Talbot & Richard Scott

Building services company J Tomlinson is backing a charity cycle ride taking place over the Easter weekend in aid of Pancreatic Cancer UK.

The Nottingham-based company is providing a support van, minibus and driver for the team undertaking the 140-mile coast-to-coast trip from Morecambe in the West to Whitby in the East.

The group of cyclists is being organised by Richard Scott, Building Control and Land Charges Manager at Ashfield District Council and the national president of the Local Authority Building Control (LABC), who is aiming to raise £20,000 for Pancreatic Cancer UK during his year of office as LABC President.

The choice of his charity for the year is in remembrance of his father-in-law John Radford, who for many years ran the family furniture-making business Touchwood, of Mansfield Woodhouse, and who died in 2012 as a result of pancreatic cancer.

Colleagues from Ashfield District Council, Mansfield District Council and the LABC are among those joining him on the ride, which takes place on 15^th and 16^th April and goes through the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and the North Yorkshire Moors.

Richard said: “The support van and minibus are vital for our trip – carrying spares and giving us extra security – and we are very grateful to J Tomlinson for providing this back-up.”

J Tomlinson managing director (construction), Martin Gallagher, said: “Richard and I have been good friends since 1985 when we started our careers as apprentice joiners at West Notts College in Mansfield and, as a company, J Tomlinson is very pleased to support Richard and the team of cyclists undertaking the coast-to-coast cycle ride to raise money for such a good cause. We wish them well as they raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer UK during Richard’s year of office at the LABC.”

Richard was elected as LABC president, representing all local authority building control sections throughout England and Wales, in December 2016.  Acting as the ambassador for LABC in 2016/2017, he will attend regional and national events as well as travelling to Europe to promote local authority building control.

To continue his fundraising during his presidential year he also plans to complete the Great North Run in September.

To donate to the fund-raising effort, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/LABC-President3

Those taking part in the cycle ride with Richard include Dave Waring, Lee Sycamore, Glen Beaver and Paul Crawford, who all work at Ashfield District Council, Richard Buckwell, who is retired from Ashfield District Council, Marsha Mann, who works at Mansfield District Council, Martin Taylor, from the LABC, and Stephen Carrington, from Pelican Control Systems Ltd. They are being supported by retired Ashfield District Council colleague Paul Talbot, who will be driving, and Sarah Patrick, from Mansfield District Council, as first aider.

J Tomlinson provides a range of integrated building services which include construction, mechanical and electrical services (M&E), facilities management, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance and regeneration. It primarily operates across the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire.

The company has strong links with Ashfield District Council, having worked for many years on the council’s refurbishment, repairs and maintenance contracts for its housing stock.

For more information about J Tomlinson visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk

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

Derbyshire farm shop Croots offers Mad Hatter’s Tea Parties as part of Afternoon Tea Week

Derbyshire farm shop Croots is celebrating Afternoon Tea Week by launching something special for children, which will have them grinning like a Cheshire cat.

The farm shop near Duffield is offering Mad Hatter’s tea party-themed afternoon teas for youngsters and will be donating £1 from each tea purchased to its adopted charity, Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre.

During Afternoon Tea Week, which runs from 8^th to 14^th August, Croots has an offer on its adult teas – two for £20. On Wednesday 10^th August it will offer special teas for children from 3pm which are themed around the famous Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter’s tea party.

The children’s teas, which will also be available on Thursday 11^th and Friday 12^th August, and on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the rest of August to coincide with the children’s craft activities being run at Croots, feature a tasty range of ‘eat me’ and ‘drink me’ items.

Youngsters are being invited to take along their favourite teddy or doll and enjoy a cream tea in a special area of Shires Eatery at Croots which is being decorated with an Alice in Wonderland theme.

“As it’s Afternoon Tea Week, we thought it would be great fun to do something special for the children and at the same time raise some money for Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre, which provides holidays for local youngsters who are going through tough times,” said Kay Croot, who runs Croots Farm Shop at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road, with husband Steve.

“The Mad Hatter’s tea party-themed afternoon teas will begin on Wednesday 10^th August during Afternoon Tea Week but we’ll carry on serving them Mondays to Wednesdays for the rest of August to coincide with the children’s craft activities that we’ve got planned. We imagine that our younger visitors will take part in the craft activities, have a bit of a play in our play area and will be keen to tuck into the delicious afternoon teas that our team in Shires Eatery have created.”

The children’s afternoon tea features a selection of sandwiches, crudités, fruit kebabs dipped in chocolate, ice cream cupcakes, Bakewell tart, lemon sponge and milkshake. For each £10.95 tea sold, £1 will be donated to the Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre charity.

Croots Farm Shop 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-127012538821/

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

BSP Consulting MD tackles walking challenge for MS research

The managing director of East Midlands civil and structural engineering company BSP Consulting is tackling a walking challenge to raise money for charity.

David Sumner will take part in the 10in10 – an annual walk which conquers ten peaks in ten hours in the Lake District and which raises money for the MS Society.

In December 2014, he raised more than £6,000 for the charity after climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, the highest free-standing mountain in the world.

Now he is embarking on a second challenge in support of the organisation, which undertakes research into Multiple Sclerosis – a condition that David’s wife Pat has been living with for more than 20 years.

“Multiple Sclerosis is a debilitating neurological disease with no cure, and I want to do what I can to raise money to help researchers discover new ways of treatment in the hope that one day a cure might be found,” said David.

The annual 10in10 challenge was designed and created by Yvonne Booth in 2011. It was her response to her husband Duncan’s diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis in 2010.

Supporters of the event raise money specifically for research into stem cell treatment in MS and how stem cells could be used to repair myelin – the protective layer that surrounds nerve fibres which is damaged by MS.

The 10in10 takes place on Saturday 25^th June 2016 and will cover a distance of more than 16 miles, starting and finishing near Keswick. The route takes in Causey Pike, Sail, Crag Hill, Wandope, Whiteless Pike, High Snockrigg, Robinson, Dale Head, High Spy, and Maiden Moor.

David is a founding director of BSP Consulting, which has offices in Nottingham, Derby, Leicester and Sheffield, and which provides civil, structural, traffic, transportation, geotechnical and environmental engineering services across the construction industry.

A graduate of the University of Nottingham, he is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).

David’s fundraising page is https://www.justgiving.com/David-Sumner1

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

Sweet deal for investors as Haughton Honey launches crowdfunding bid

Premium honey brand Haughton Honey has launched an £80,000 crowdfunding investment campaign to support the next stage in the company’s growth.

The firm hopes to attract additional investors so that it can recruit more bee farmers to help satisfy the increasing demand for its pure, raw honey.

Since launching in 2014, Cheshire-based Haughton Honey has steadily expanded and recently began supplying the fine food retailer Booths.

Now it hopes to move onto the next stage of growth by attracting investors via crowdfunding platform, Crowdcube, in return for shares in the business.

Haughton Honey founder Crispin Reeves said: “The honey market alone within the UK is worth £119.5m per annum, with healthy annual growth.

“Forget spreading the love. Loving the spread is more accurate at the moment. UK sales of jams, spreads and honey grew 5.9% in the year up to October 2015, with growth in honey sales alone between 2014 and 2015 increasing by £9.8m year-on-year.

“Since we began trading, we've established more than 70 regional sales outlets across the North West and Midlands, as well as recently winning our first premium supermarket customer, Booths, who started stocking Haughton Honey at the beginning of April 2016. 

“During 2015 we packed and sold over 8,000kg of English honey and anticipate requiring more than double that amount during 2016. Now is the time to seek additional investment to support the growth of Haughton Honey so that we can take on more bee farmers, increase our honey production to satisfy our growing month-on-month demand, and hopefully achieve a listing with a second premium multiple retailer.”

The firm is also exploring export markets in a project spearheaded by Mel Reeves, Haughton Honey's second director and wife of Crispin. She is a professional linguist, fluent in both French and Spanish.

The company, based at Radmore Farm, Haughton, bottles raw honey which comes straight from the hive, is cold extracted and never pasteurised which means that it retains all of the natural enzymes and proteins that make English honey so special. It is also 100% natural and pure and features traces of dandelion, chestnut, blackberry, clover and other wildflowers.

As well as supplying consumers direct from its website and a wide range of retailers, the firm also recently began supplying to The Protein Works, a large sports nutrition brand owned by Alliance Boots, which has just launched a co-branded Cashew Nut Butter Luxe product containing Haughton Honey.

Any investment in Haughton Honey through the Crowdcube project will attract Seed Enterprise Investment Schemes (SEIS) tax relief.

“Businesses like Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage and the Eden Project have all raised investment on Crowdcube, the world’s first and leading investment crowdfunding platform,” said Crispin Reeves. “Investing on Crowdcube is simple. All you need to do is sign up to Crowdcube’s investor community of more than 200,000 people. Registering is free, quick and has no obligations to invest.”

A series of rewards is on offer for those who invest in Haughton Honey, including discounts, honey, bee farming experiences, and hotel, restaurant and cookery school vouchers.

To find out more about the Crowdcube investment opportunity visit www.crowdcube.com

For more information about Haughton Honey visit www.haughtonhoney.com

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

Investments of this nature carry risks to your capital. The availability of any tax relief, including SEIS and EIS, depends on individual circumstances. You should seek independent tax advice.

Approved as a financial promotion by Crowdcube Capital Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (No. 620205). 

Pizza base producer Deli Conti joins cream of the crop at food event

Nottingham-based artisan dough ball and pizza base producer Deli Conti will be showcasing its range at the UK’s largest food and drink trade fair later this month.

The company, run by Sardinian Luciano Vendone and his wife Susan, will be joining the cream of the crop at Food and Drink Expo 2016, which is being staged at the NEC, Birmingham, from 18^th to 20^th April.

It’s the chance for Deli Conti, which supplies its dough and pizza bases to restaurants, bars, hotels, schools, universities and caterers across the East Midlands and beyond, to join other producers to highlight the latest innovations in the sector.

And with Luciano lined up to give a number of demonstrations on the Deli Conti stand at the show, it’s also the opportunity for chefs and caterers to discover how to get the best out of the doughs and pizza bases produced by the company.

“We supply many of the key restaurants and bars and other establishments in Nottingham with the dough for their pizza bases, plus many others across the region, but Food and Drink Expo attracts buyers and decision makers from across the UK, so this is a good opportunity for us to showcase our range more widely,” said Susan.

Luciano has been making authentic pizzas for almost 40 years, always using the same method. He regularly hosts training sessions for chefs to advise on how to get the best results from the dough, understanding dough fermentation, and how to make perfect pizza from scratch. This free training to customers is run approximately once a month at the firm’s headquarters.

He will be giving tips during a number of tasting and demo sessions on the Deli Conti stand (B78) at Food and Drink Expo.

Based at a unit on Victoria Business Park, Colwick, the Deli Conti team has more than 25 years of experience in food service.

For more details, visit www.deliconti.co.uk

Food and Drink Expo is staged every two years and is a trade only event open to professionals involved in the food and drink market. Around 600 exhibitors will showcase their latest innovations to thousands of buyers and decision makers.

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

Time to move forward for British Horological Institute plan

A team of experts has been assembled to spearhead the creation of a national Centre for Horology at Upton Hall, near Newark.

Last October it was announced that the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) had earmarked a £2.8 million grant for the BHI to develop a new centre of excellence to help train the next generation of clock and watchmakers in the UK.

The project – known as Saving Time - is the first phase of an £8.5 million masterplan that Nottingham-based funding, economic development and project management specialist Focus Consultants has developed for the site.

Now a team has been appointed to progress plans, produce a fully costed proposal, apply for planning permission, and submit a second round application to the HLF before the earmarked grant can be released.

“I am delighted that we have now appointed a team of experts to support the British Horological Institute as we move into the next phase of making our plans a reality,” said Dudley Giles, chief executive officer of the BHI. “Work on Saving Time is now in full swing.”

The team appointed by the BHI includes Focus Consultants as project manager, bid planner and quantity surveyor, Newark-based Guy Taylor Associates as architects, Newark-based William Saunders as civil and structural engineer, and Hertfordshire-based mechanical and electrical engineers SVM. Other members of the team are activity planners Oakmere Solutions Ltd based in Ipswich and Cambridge, access consultants Jane Toplis Associates, from Bath, fundraising consultants Judith Egerton and Nancy Chambers, from Gloucestershire, and Swinton-based exhibition designer PLB.

“This is the next stage in the process of securing the grant from the HLF,” said Focus partner Kevin Osbon. “Focus and architects Guy Taylor Associates have been involved in the long-term planning of the scheme right from the start and for around three years now, so we’re really pleased to be part of the team going forward, along with a number of other professionals who have expertise in developing exciting and innovative projects like the one being undertaken at Upton Hall.”

The realisation of the masterplan will eventually see the refurbishment of Upton Hall – a Grade II* listed building, which is included in the Heritage at Risk register kept by Historic England.

The BHI priority in the masterplan is training and education. This is to address the UK-wide shortage of horologists by creating new training and workshop facilities, allowing the BHI to double the number of students it trains over the coming years.

The facilities created during Saving Time include new clock and watch workshop spaces in a former stable block and glasshouse adjacent to Upton Hall. Saving Time will also include the refurbishment of the ground floor of the west wing of Upton Hall.

Focus, which also has offices in London, Leicester, 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.

For more information visit www.focus-consultants.com 

Press release issued by Nottingham 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

Croots Farm Shop brings festive cheer to Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre

Customers and staff at Derbyshire farm shop Croots have brought some festive cheer to the farm shop’s adopted charity.

A series of fundraising efforts including a Christmas hamper draw, the sales of magic reindeer food and a competition to find the best dressed Christmas tree resulted in £323 being collected for Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre over the festive period.

The charity, which has been the farm shop’s adopted charity for a number of years, provides disadvantaged Derbyshire children with holidays in Skegness. In 2016, it celebrates its 125^th birthday.

Steve Croot, who runs Croots Farm Shop based at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road, near Duffield, with wife Kay, said: “We’re delighted to have raised a lovely sum for Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre so that we can present the charity with a great Christmas gift.

“I’d like to thank our customers and staff for once again taking part in our fundraising efforts which allow us to raise money for such a good cause.”

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

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

J Tomlinson’s head of business development wins Female Executive of the Year Award

The head of business development at contractor J Tomlinson, Nikki Foreman, has been named as Female Executive of the Year at the Nottingham Post Women in Business Awards 2015.

Nikki, who joined the construction company three years ago, took the title after becoming a crucial member of the team delivering business growth for J Tomlinson over the last 12 months and for the future, which has resulted in the greatest level of turnover and profit (last financial year) that the business has ever had.

The awards, which celebrate the outstanding achievements of female entrepreneurs and professionals, fly the flag for women in business and create female role models to inspire future generations of women.

“I am so excited to have won the title of Female Executive of the Year at the Nottingham Post Women in Business Awards,” said Nikki. “The standard of nominations and entries in all categories was amazingly high and I’d like to congratulate all the shortlisted contenders. Their stories and achievements illustrate the brilliant female talent that we have in Nottinghamshire.

“At J Tomlinson, I work alongside a strong team of supportive professionals, and this recognition in the Women in Business Awards is just as much about them, as it is about me. I hope this award will encourage and inspire women to consider a career in construction, which is a sector where women are still under-represented.”

A member of Women In Property, to promote more women into the construction industry, and a council member for Nottingham City Business Club, to make Nottingham a world class city for business and trade, Nikki is also a volunteer for Inspiring the Future Campaign – a campaign to coach, mentor and inspire the next generation.

Hundreds of people attended the Nottingham Post Women in Business Awards 2015 ceremony at the Crowne Plaza in Nottingham, where 12 awards were presented.
J Tomlinson, which has its head office in Beeston near Nottingham, offers services in construction, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance, mechanical and electrical engineering, and facilities management, and works across a range of sectors including social housing, emergency services, healthcare, education, retail and commercial property.

The firm operates across the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire, employs 383 people, and has been named in Deloitte’s Businesses Leading Britain 2014 report, which provides insights into the UK’s 1,000 fastest-growing businesses with annual revenues between £30 million and £1 billion.

J Tomlinson Executive Chairman David Adams said: “Many congratulations to Nikki. This award is very well deserved and the team at J Tomlinson couldn’t be more proud of her achievements.”

For more information visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk

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

Industrial park scheme role for Focus Consultants

Experts at Focus Consultants are playing a key role in a £2m development to build 19 new industrial units, which have scope to create or safeguard almost 300 jobs in coming years.

The company is providing a number of services for the North Kesteven District Council Blackwood Court development on North Hykeham’s Teal Park in Lincolnshire, including support project management, employer’s agent, principal designer/CDM advisor and BREEAM assessor.

Lindum Construction is building the scheme for North Kesteven District Council, which is part of the council’s commitment to attracting and supporting start-up businesses. The units will range in size from 500 sq ft to 2,000 sq ft and will be used for a wide range of uses from storage and distribution to general industrial premises.

Trevor Newton, partner at the Boston office of Focus, said: “Focus Consultants is very pleased to have been appointed by North Kesteven District Council to be a member of the team building Teal Park, which should prove very important to the economic development of the area.

“As a company, we provide a number of different services that are relevant for such developments, and professionals from both our Lincolnshire offices and our Leicester office are involved with this scheme.”

The units are due to be completed by mid-February, with lettings likely to start around the New Year.

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

Teal Park is a strategic allocated employment site, granted outline planning permission in 2011 for a total of 133,720m2 of employment floor space, a hotel, public house, leisure and trade showrooms. It is home to Siemens’ industrial gas turbine service business which occupies around a third of the space.

Under the GrowLN6 project, the wider LN6 area is a focus for coordinated partnership work by NKDC, City of Lincoln Council and the County Council to attract new inward business investment and expansion.

The photo shows partners lined up to mark the official start on site.

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

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

Winners announced for East Midlands fbe Awards 2015

A small Derbyshire housing scheme has been crowned as the overall project of the year at the East Midlands fbe Awards 2015.

Category award winners also included the refurbishment and regeneration of the Malt Cross in Nottingham and the development of a new HQ for the Rutland Agricultural Society and new society and clubhouses for Oakham Rugby Club and Royce Rovers Football Club.

At a sell-out ceremony staged at the City Rooms in Leicester, around 150 people from the region's construction sector gathered to hear about the schemes and the teams behind this year’s winning projects.

The overall winner was a scheme of six houses and two bungalows at Hannah Bowman Way in Youlgrave, Derbyshire, developed by emh group and built by Lindum Construction for Peak District Rural Housing Association and Youlgrave Community Trust. Emh group and Lindum Group jointly nominated the project. Other members of the team involved in the development of the mix of affordable rent and shared ownership homes with priority for local people were architect David Lewis Associates, structural engineer HSP Consulting and Low Carbon Box.

The project, which had earlier taken the honours in the residential category, lies in the Peak District village of Youlgrave and marked the culmination of many years of work. The Code for Sustainable Homes level 4 homes were provided as a result of a local partnership between emh group, Peak District Rural Housing Association and Youlgrave Community Land Trust, with support from Derbyshire Dales District Council, with the design developed in close consultation with the Peak District National Park Authority.

Judges said: “We found it a difficult decision to pick the overall winner, as there were three excellent section winners, of varying scale and type. However, we thought that the Youlgrave project ticked so many boxes in terms of development, design, community engagement and team work, and we felt it was a very deserving winner of the East Midlands fbe Project of the Year.

“This scheme took a considerable time to accomplish and was obviously a battle on many fronts, not least in terms of planning, where a ‘village green’ application had to be overcome, delaying matters by over 18 months, due to there being objectors in the local community. Achieving Code for Sustainable Homes level 4 including all the enhanced ecology is quite an achievement given a tight budget, and overall the project achieves a very sensitive and socially valuable outcome, produced to an excellent quality standard of construction, all of which will have taken a significant effort to achieve."

The winner of the regeneration category was The Malt Cross, Nottingham - the refurbishment of Nottingham’s only surviving Victorian music hall, built in 1877, and one of relatively few in the country. It was undertaken by the Malt Cross Charitable Trust, and nominated by William Saunders Partnership, who were the architect and structural engineer for the project. Other team members were contractor Taylor Pearson the contractor and EP Consulting, who handled the M & E design.

The project brought to life derelict floors and uncovered heritage features that had lain hidden from public view and reconnected the previously sub divided building back into one entity. The Malt Cross Music Hall is occupied by a social enterprise café bar. It is also an entertainment and arts venue which supports local talent. In addition it houses the Malt Cross Trust’s outreach services, including Street Pastors and Safe Space.

A new HQ for the Rutland Agricultural Society and new society and clubhouses for Oakham Rugby Club and Royce Rovers Football Club won the non-residential scheme category. Submitted by developer and main contractor DW Hicks, other members of the team were LE1 architects, structural engineer Diamond Wood & Shaw and MDA Consulting.

The scheme created a new-build exhibition/function space and offices for the Rutland Agricultural Society (RAS) with an attached clubhouse and changing rooms for Oakham Rugby Club. A detached pavilion provides separate changing facilities for Royce Rangers Football Club.

Jef Todd, regional chairman of the East Midlands fbe, said: “We had a record-breaking number of submissions entered for this year’s awards, which was great. The diversity of the finalists and the winners illustrates the tremendous variety of top quality construction projects that are undertaken in the region. I’d like to thank everyone who entered and congratulate the winners and the teams behind the schemes.”

Compèred by former BBC East Midlands political editor John Hess, the awards were sponsored by construction recruitment specialist Hays Recruitment, civil engineering, building and M&E contractor North Midland Construction, engineering and environmental consultants M-EC Consulting Development Engineers, DW Hicks Building Co Ltd and chartered accountants and business advisers Duncan & Toplis. Civil and structural engineering company BSP Consulting sponsored the evening’s drinks reception.

The East Midlands fbe (Forum for the Built Environment), a property, development and construction professionals' group, supported the East Midlands NSPCC 'now I know' Appeal at the event, which had finalists from across Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Rutland.

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

J Tomlinson completes key contract for international business GE

A major refurbishment project for global technology organisation GE has been completed by J Tomlinson following a fire at the premises last year. 

The GE Measurement & Control site at Groby in Leicestershire includes a new world class clean room for silicon processing – a critical part of the manufacturing process for the advanced industrial pressure sensors made at the site. It is the only British manufacturer of pressure sensors and industrial calibrators that manufactures the key sensor element entirely in-house. 

J Tomlinson’s role in the project involved refurbishing approximately 1,600m² of office accommodation over two floors, which had been damaged in the fire that originated in an adjoining building. 

The £2 million office refurbishment was a joint venture between the company’s construction division and its electrical engineering services team. 

Construction managing director at Nottingham-based J Tomlinson, Martin Gallagher, said: “GE is a major globally known business – the Groby site is one of 40 GE Measurement and Control facilities in 25 countries. J Tomlinson is proud to have carried out the refurbishment of its two-storey office block in Groby, which is a key part of its operation.” 

The newly completed block has now been officially handed over by J Tomlinson following a refurbishment project which involved installing energy and cost-saving LED lighting alongside associated office electrical and building works. 

M&E Director, Carl Derrick from J Tomlinson commented saying: “The office refurbishment at GE, Groby provided us with an opportunity to work alongside our construction division, delivering benefits to the client as part of our integrated solutions approach.” 

With a combined 40-year history of silicon processing and sensor manufacturing at the Groby site – first by Druck Ltd and then by GE when it acquired Druck in 2002 – GE has earned a reputation for high quality, high accuracy pressure sensor equipment for aerospace, oil and gas, power generation and the automotive sector. Today, about 680 people work at the Groby site. 

Graham Dawber, business leader for the Groby site, said: “After a challenging 13 months, it is fantastic to have a new world class silicon facility where we can focus on meeting our customers’ needs now and in the future. 

“With these improvements, we can better serve customer demands and extend our leadership position in our target markets.” 

President and CEO of GE UK & Ireland, Mark Elborne, was joined by local dignitaries, including the Mayor of Hinckley and Bosworth, Councillor Mrs Janice Richards, and members of the nearby community for an official opening and tour of the building. 

The clean room building for silicon processing was recently completed by HCM Projects, with Precision Clean Rooms completing the rebuild of the 8,600 sq ft laboratory.

J Tomlinson, which offers services in construction, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance, mechanical and electrical engineering, energy efficiency, renewables, and facilities management, is based in Lilac Grove, Beeston, near Nottingham, and has offices across the East and West Midlands. 

Earlier this year J Tomlinson was named in Deloitte’s Businesses Leading Britain 2014 report, which provides insights into the UK’s 1,000 fastest-growing businesses with annual revenues between £30 million and £1 billion. The company is expected to see its turnover increase from £54 million in 2014 to £67 million this year, and with a forecast to rise again next year to £90 million.  

For more information visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk

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

Finalists announced for East Midlands fbe Awards 2015

The East Midlands fbe (Forum for the Built Environment) has unveiled the names of the top construction schemes shortlisted as finalists in its annual awards after receiving a record number of entries.

The finalists include projects across Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Rutland.

“We had a record-breaking number of nominations to our awards scheme this year, highlighting the excellent quality of developments being undertaken in the East Midlands,” said Jef Todd, regional chairman of the property, development and construction professionals' group. “This has made the judges’ decision difficult, but we are delighted to announce the shortlisted schemes and would like to congratulate the teams behind them.”

The shortlisted entries are: 

Regeneration;

·         34-38 Upper Tichborne Street, Leicester, nominated by HLP Architects (the conversion of three Victorian terraced villas, located within a Conservation Area, from former run-down emergency homeless hostel accommodation into eight family homes and three bedsits suitable for supported living)

• Lincoln Science & Innovation Park, nominated by Pulse Associates (LSIP is a joint venture between The Cooperative Group and the University of Lincoln to regenerate a dilapidated brown field area South of Lincoln city centre. Joseph Banks Laboratory (JBL) is phase I of this regeneration and includes the £10.4m extension and fit-out of an existing Grade II listed building)
• Abbey Mill, Abbey Parks Street, Leicester, nominated by RGP architects (a £6.3 million refurbishment of the former Abbey Mill Building to provide 78 apartments, including 50 extra care flats part-funded by LCC Adults Social Care, for people of all ages and abilities, as an extension to the existing Wolsey Building extra care facility)
• The Malt Cross, Nottingham, nominated by Wm Saunders (The refurbishment of Nottingham’s only surviving Victorian music hall, built in 1877, and one of relatively few in the country)

Residential;

• Whitwell House, Whitwell, Oakham, nominated by FCD Architecture (a five-bedroom detached house on the north shore of Rutland Water, designed to Passivhaus standard by the architect for his family)
• Youlgrave, Derbyshire, nominated by Lindum Construction and EMH Group (Six houses and two bungalows – a mix of affordable rent and shared ownership homes with priority for local people)
• Albert Road, Nottingham, nominated by HLP Architects (a redevelopment of a brownfield site which previously contained a hostel and ‘move on’ and office accommodation to create 13 two and three-bedroom affordable family houses)
• 34-38 Upper Tichborne Street, Leicester, nominated by HLP Architects (the conversion of three Victorian terraced villas, located within a Conservation Area, from former run-down emergency homeless hostel accommodation into eight family homes and three bedsits suitable for supported living)

 

Non-residential;

• Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust Volunteer Training Centre, Rutland Water, nominated by Corporate Architecture (a new £1.1 million centre for a growing band of trust volunteers, a base for operations and an attractive flagship for LRWT)
• RAS buildings ( Rutland Agricultural Society ), nominated by D W Hicks (a new headquarters for the Rutland Agricultural Society and clubhouses for Oakham Rugby Club and Royce Rovers Football Club)  
• Borderville Sports Centre, Stamford, nominated by LK2 architects (a £6 million scheme to provide an enhanced sport science, leisure and education facilities alongside a community football club into a single facility)
• Rushcliffe School Sixth Form Centre, nominated by Pulse Associates (a new sixth form centre for the school in West Bridgford, Nottingham, which included additional teaching classrooms for whole school use, together with 6th Form administration, social and private study spaces.

The winners of the East Midlands fbe Awards, which recognise and reward schemes and the teams behind them, will be announced at a sold-out dinner and ceremony to be held at the City Rooms, Leicester, on 15^th October 2015. Around 150 people from the region's construction sector are expected to attend the event, which will be compèred by former BBC East Midlands political editor John Hess. 

The awards have been sponsored by construction recruitment specialist Hays Recruitment, civil engineering, building and M&E contractor North Midland Construction, engineering and environmental consultants M-EC Consulting Development Engineers, DW Hicks Building Co Ltd and chartered accountants and business advisers Duncan & Toplis. Civil and structural engineering company BSP Consulting has sponsored the drinks reception.

As well as announcing a winner from each category, an overall winner will also be crowned as project of the year at the awards ceremony, which is supporting the East Midlands NSPCC 'now I know' Appeal as its charity.

BSP Consulting and Sherwood Associates stage BREEAM Communities event

Two East Midlands-based firms joined forces to turn the spotlight on ways to create more sustainable large-scale developments.

Civil and structural engineering company BSP Consulting and sustainable land and resource management consultants Sherwood Associates jointly hosted a seminar which focused on BREEAM Communities.

An invited audience of leading house builders, architects and planners heard more details about the assessment method that provides a way to improve, measure and certify the social, environmental and economic sustainability of large-scale development plans by integrating sustainable design into the master planning process.

BSP and Sherwood Associates are both experts in BREEAM Communities, and are currently involved in a BREEAM Communities housing development being created at Newton on Trent, Lincolnshire. BSP is also part of the team developing the Castleward regeneration scheme in Derby which became only the second development project in the country to achieve the accreditation.

“This was an excellent opportunity for BSP Consulting and Sherwood Associates to share our experience and expertise in the area of BREEAM Communities, and to hear first-hand from the BRE about the scheme, which is all about developers and planners working together to achieve the most sustainable outcomes for major sites,” said Jef Todd, business development director at BSP Consulting.

Managing Director of Melton Mowbray-based Sherwood Associates Kate Hiseman said: “Sustainable communities are places where people want to live and work, now and in the future. They are sensitive to their environment, and contribute to a high quality of life. They are safe and inclusive, well planned, built and run, and offer equality of opportunity and good services for all. As the East Midlands first BREEAM Communities Assessor we were delighted to have the chance to promote this vision by jointly hosting this event with BSP Consulting, who, like us, have been involved in such schemes.”

Among the speakers at the seminar were Cary Buchanan, scheme manager for BREEAM Communities, Alex Gray, senior projects officer at the Sustainable Land Trust, Mark Rayers, director (transportation) at BSP Consulting, Matthew Viggars, associate at BSP Consulting, Kate Hiseman and Jef Todd. 

The event, held at Melton Mowbray, also included a session for members of the Royal Town Planning Institute Young Planners Network. Nottingham-based BSP Consulting, which also has offices in Derby, Leicester and Sheffield, provides civil, structural, traffic, transportation, geotechnical and environmental engineering services across the construction industry in all sectors.

Sherwood Associates work with landowners, developers and communities offering a range of sustainability, ecology, consultation, and natural resource management services both in the UK and abroad.

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

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

Croots Farm Shop launches Rugby World Cup charity sausages

Steve Croot with his Croots Scrummy Sausages

Derbyshire farm shop Croots has created two special sausages to mark the upcoming Rugby World Cup and to raise cash for the farm shop’s adopted charity.

Croots Scrummy Sausage and Croots Scrumpy Sausage are the latest in a long line of original bangers invented to celebrate sporting occasions and follows its ‘Olympig sausages’ and its football-inspired ‘Bangerooney’ sausage.

Now the farm shop near Duffield has launched two new flavours of sausage in celebration of the Rugby World Cup, which kicks off on 18^th September.

Both will contribute to the ongoing fundraising undertaken by the shop for Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre, which provides disadvantaged Derbyshire children with holidays in Skegness. Some 20% from the sale of each sausage will be donated to the charity, which offers 450 holiday places per season and contributes to the personal and social development of the youngsters. 

“The butchers at Croots are a creative lot and they’ve designed two really tasty sausages to celebrate this latest sporting occasion,” said Steve Croot, who runs the farm shop at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road. “Our customers always get behind our charity efforts and we hope this will convert into a nice donation to present to Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre, which next year celebrates its 125^th birthday.”

Made from free range pork with smoked bacon, smoked cheese and red onion, the Scrummy Sausage is the latest smoked flavoured banger to join the butchers counter at Croots. The other new flavour, Scrumpy Sausage, is a pork, cider and apple sausage.

The butchers counter at Croots is well-known for its wide range of sausage flavours. Many of them have won awards, ranging from Great Taste Awards, which are regarded as the Oscars of the fine food industry, through to meat industry awards judged by meat industry experts.

Croots Scrummy Sausage and Croots Scrumpy Sausage will be on sale throughout the tournament, which runs until 31^st October.

Croots Farm Shop 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 www.facebook.com/Croots-Farm-shop

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