Social Change UK certifies as a B Corporation
Social Change UK has been certified by B Lab, the not-for-profit behind the B Corp movement, as having met rigorous social and environmental standards which represent its commitment to goals outside of shareholder profit.
The B Corp certification addresses the entirety of a business’s operations and covers five key impact areas of Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers. The certification process is rigorous, with applicants required to reach a benchmark score of over 80 while providing evidence of socially and environmentally responsible practices relating to energy supplies, waste and water use, worker compensation, diversity, and corporate transparency.
Social Change UK scored 109. Most businesses score between 40 and 100, with 80 points required to become certified. A score of over 100 is considered outstanding. The Lincoln-based agency is now part of a community of 4,600 businesses globally that have certified as B Corps.
The B Corp community in the UK, representing a broad cross section of industries and sizes, comprises over 600 companies and include well-known brands such as The Guardian, innocent, Patagonia, The Body Shop, and organic food pioneers Abel & Cole. Social Change UK is only the SECOND business in Lincolnshire to certify as a B Corp and one of only 14 businesses in the East Midlands certified.
Chris Turner, executive director of B Lab UK, said: “We are delighted to welcome Social Change UK to the B Corp community. This is a movement of companies who are committed to changing how business operates and believe business really can be a force for good. We know that Social Change UK are going to be a fantastic addition to the community and will continue driving the conversation forward.”
He continued: “We are pleased to have B Corps of all shapes and sizes as part of our community – from start-ups to multinationals and across many different industries. Welcoming Social Change UK is an exciting moment because they have an opportunity to lead the way within the marketing and research industry.
“We and the rest of the B Corp community are really pleased to support Social Change UK in paving the way for a new way of doing things. Their commitment to doing business differently will be an inspiration to others and will really help spread the idea that we can redefine success in business to be as much about people and the planet as it is about profit.”
Kelly Evans, Chief Executive of Social Change UK, said: “We are thrilled to certify as a B Corp and join a community of businesses who we greatly admire and respect for pursuing purpose and putting people and the planet ahead of profit. The values and ethos of B Corp have always been at the core of our business since it was founded back in 2010. In our heart we have always been a B Corp – but I wanted to officially certify to prove that we are true to our word and we will always pursue purpose before profit.”
Social Change UK is behind several successful social purpose driven campaigns in recent years. The agency scooped a prestigious Drum Social Purpose Award for their “Jiggle, Wiggle” sexual health campaign beating Dove, WWF, Mastercard, and the British Red Cross to the accolade back in 2019. Only a year later they were shortlisted for another Drum Social Purpose award for a breastfeeding campaign. The company has gone from strength to strength over the last three years becoming a leading behaviour change agency in the UK.
Growth prompts six-figure investment at conference centre
The Derby Conference Centre has made a six-figure investment in its facilities as business continues to boom post-pandemic.
The centre saw a 108% increase in business in the first quarter of the year after restrictions lifted.
This has allowed it to invest £120,000 in the building to support meetings, conferences, and events in the coming year.
The Derby Conference Centre, which is a Grade II listed building, houses an array of conference rooms and meeting rooms, as well as 50 en-suite hotel bedrooms and self-catering accommodation at its India House Hotel.
The refurbishment of all meeting rooms, conference rooms and bedrooms are planned to be complete by the summer.
The renovation includes a significant upgrade to the meeting room technology, with new high spec projectors, screens, speakers, and video conferencing equipment.
Alongside this, new coffee machines and a vending machine, have been installed so that guests are able to enjoy a selection of hot drinks and snacks in the newly redecorated meeting rooms.
Air conditioning is also planned to be installed across all meeting rooms and the sunken lounge before the summer heat arrives to ensure that the customer experience is comfortable.
Matthew Hutchings, managing director at the Derby Conference Centre, said: “If there was ever a positive from the pandemic, it is that it has allowed me to assess where we are as a business, and what we can do to enhance the customer experience.
“It is great news that we are able to undertake this large refurbishment, and with upcoming days at the DCC having sold all 12 of our meetings rooms, I am looking forward to seeing the conference centre busy and vibrant again.”
£24.86 million Acute Assessment Units plan approved for Northern Lincolnshire NHS Trust
New £24.86 Acute Assessment Units (AAU) will be created at hospitals in Grimsby and Scunthorpe following final approval of ambitious plans to transform emergency care in our area.
The units – which will be housed in what are now our Emergency Departments – will also house provision for Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) and are a key element of our ongoing investment in our sites.
And this next phase of central government funding is now being released following approval from the Department of Health.
Divisional Medical Director of Medicine, Dr Anwer Qureshi, has been instrumental in designing not only the new units and facilities themselves but, with his team, has also defined the clinical pathways which determined how the facilities are designed to provide you and your loved ones with best possible care.
He said: “We have already made significant progress on constructing the new Emergency Departments, which will be used to provide care to you if you are seriously injured or ill. These facilities will also be hosting our Urgent care services- where you will be managed by our skilled practitioners for an urgent but non-life threatening injury or illness”.
“Having this final phase of funding approved will allow us to complement these units with our Acute Assessment units and short stay wards, all on one floor”.
“These AAUs will be staffed by expert clinicians trained in a wide variety of skills. This will allow us to see and diagnose you more quickly and get you on the right course of treatment, without necessarily having to admit you to a ward in the first instance.
“As a result, it’s less likely that clinically stable patients will need to be admitted and, if you are, you will probably spend less time in hospital.”
“It is a joint effort for which I am grateful to the ED, Acute Medicine, Surgical specialties and Family Services teams at NLaG. Together, we have already updated and implemented processes and pathways based on best practice, which will swiftly move us into the use of the new facilities when available, setting an example in the region”.
Divisional Medical Director of Medicine, Dr Anwer Qureshi, has been instrumental in designing not only the new units and facilities themselves but, with his team, has also defined the clinical pathways which determined how the facilities are designed to provide you and your loved ones with best possible care.
He said: “We have already made significant progress on constructing the new Emergency Departments, which will be used to provide care to you if you are seriously injured or ill. These facilities will also be hosting our Urgent care services- where you will be managed by our skilled practitioners for an urgent but non-life threatening injury or illness”.
“Having this final phase of funding approved will allow us to complement these units with our Acute Assessment units and short stay wards, all on one floor”.
“These AAUs will be staffed by expert clinicians trained in a wide variety of skills. This will allow us to see and diagnose you more quickly and get you on the right course of treatment, without necessarily having to admit you to a ward in the first instance.
“As a result, it’s less likely that clinically stable patients will need to be admitted and, if you are, you will probably spend less time in hospital.”
“It is a joint effort for which I am grateful to the ED, Acute Medicine, Surgical specialties and Family Services teams at NLaG. Together, we have already updated and implemented processes and pathways based on best practice, which will swiftly move us into the use of the new facilities when available, setting an example in the region”.
Surge in liquidations predicted as Covid protection measures come to an end
Compulsory liquidations of struggling UK businesses have surged 76% from 139 to 245 in the last three months, says international audit, tax and advisory firm Mazars.
The company says even more liquidations are expected in the next three months as the last temporary Government measure to protect companies from insolvency during the pandemic expires tomorrow.
Creditors owed £750 or more will now be able to submit winding-up petitions against businesses – previously companies had to owe £10,000 or more to be liable for winding up by creditors.
Michael Pallott, Partner at Mazars, says many firms have been struggling with the impact of interest rate rises, inflation and supply chain issues, driving up the number of businesses going insolvent.
The decision not to extend the remaining pandemic insolvency measures means that the insolvency regime for England & Wales will return to its pre-pandemic system. Measures the Government adopted to help shield struggling businesses from insolvency included:
- Additional hurdles to issue winding up petitions
- A ban on commercial landlord evictions
- Restrictions on exercising commercial rent arrears recovery
£50m of additional investment into Derby’s highways approved
Following a two-year investment of an additional £9m into the city’s highways, over £50m of additional investment has been approved.
The report presented to Cabinet detailed three different work programmes including:
- Highways and Transport
- Vehicles, Plant and Equipment
- Flood Defence (this is different to the Our City, Our River project)
- Work at Derby Bus Station to improve passenger experience with new seating, new flooring and installation of a changing places toilet
- Refurbishment of traffic signals at Spider Island to improve reliability and reduce energy usage
- New traffic management in Darley Village to address concerns raised during a consultation with local residents
Hot Topic – Scott Knowles, East Midlands Chamber Chief Executive, responds to Chancellors Spring Statement
In a series of interviews, following the Chancellors Spring Statement, Business link Magazine catches up with East Midlands Chamber Chief Executive Scott Knowles.
“It’s clear from the Chancellor’s warning about the ‘unusually high uncertainty’ around the economic outlook – coupled with confirmation that inflation rose by 6.2% in February and will hit a projected 7.4% in 2022 – that businesses and communities should prepare accordingly for a continuation of the spiralling price rises over the coming year.
“Despite acknowledging these challenges, there wasn’t anything significant for firms to grasp as a potential route out of a renewed economic crisis that still lingers on the horizon.
“Small businesses will welcome a lift to the employment allowance, which should make a little room at the margins. Anything that can help in this regard is important, given that cashflow fell into negative territory for the first time in over a year for East Midlands businesses in our latest Quarterly Economic Survey for Q1 2022, with staffing among the resources growing increasingly expensive, just behind raw materials and energy.
“For individuals and families, the temporary fuel duty cut and raising the national insurance threshold offer a small alleviation in tackling the escalating cost of living crisis in the short term.
“But the biggest changes appear to have been put back until the autumn – when the investment gap in R&D, capital and people compared to other major economies will be addressed to support productivity growth – or even further down the line with the 2024 income tax reduction.
Cost of doing business crisis will continue without major interventions
“With many of the pressures being international in their nature, the Chancellor only had a few levers to pull. However, ultimately, there were no gamechangers that will pull us away from the cost of living – and equally a cost of doing business – crisis that is happening right now.
“The Chancellor had a decision to make and despite the big rhetoric in Parliament, it was a relatively light statement that sends a message to businesses that they will just have to get on with it for the foreseeable future.
“As global and domestic headwinds mount amid spiralling inflation and the war in Ukraine, this feels like a missed opportunity and puts at risk much of the progress made so far by our businesses, which have dragged the economy back on to its feet after two years of the pandemic.”
New-build council homes approach completion in South Lincolnshire
Finishing touches are being made to new council homes in South Kesteven.
The housing has been built to Lifetime Homes standard, which means properties include wider doors, more accessible space and level thresholds where possible, to make them suitable for a range of mobility.
The site, owned by SKDC and previously a little-used parking area, has been handed over to the Council by developer D Brown Builders for the final stages of work before allocation to the new residents.
The development began in July 2021 with Cabinet Member for Housing and Property, Cllr Robert Reid, turning the first ground to start work.
Cllr Reid said: “Our Corporate Strategy sets out our ambition to increase the supply of high quality, sustainable social housing and we are working to meet the district’s future housing demand and these flats and bungalows reflect our commitment to deliver good quality housing across the district.
“The development is part of a series of projects to bring much-needed housing to the people who really need it. They follow recent successful SKDC developments in Kinoulton Court and Earlesfield Lane in Grantham.
“This scheme made use of an under-used car parking area which has been relocated elsewhere on the Close. It is close to the centre of Bourne and will undoubtedly benefit those who already live locally.”
South Kesteven District Council Leader Cllr Kelham Cooke said: “Working with our partners D Brown Builders, we have built high quality homes for our residents in Bourne, and I am delighted to see the finished homes, which will offer good quality housing that residents will be proud to call home.
“The way we are building affordable housing in South Kesteven supports our ambition to build more council homes, and ones that are energy efficient and lower cost to our residents.”
The energy efficiency measures included in construction will create a benchmark for future housing and bring lower running costs for residents. These homes are built using a sustainable and energy efficient timber frame, pre-cut and assembled on site in panels which reduces building time compared to similar traditional construction and reduces waste through off-cuts. Timber frame also allows for open plan spaces, particularly useful for wheelchair users.
The walls are fully insulated to a better standard than traditional-build properties, giving more efficient heating. The flats also benefit from large floor-to-ceiling windows to maximise passive natural lighting, which also reduces running costs for tenants.
Meadow Close is the first of two new-build sites, with a second at Trinity Road, Stamford. This will be followed by building at Larch Close in Grantham and other key locations.
Triple hire set to boost local visitor economy growth
Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire has announced the appointment of three new business advisers to support the recovery and growth of the local visitor economy.
The area’s official destination management organisation has appointed Alison Duckworth, Caroline Sanger-Davies and John Roberts to help deliver support to local tourism and hospitality businesses through the East Midlands Accelerator project.
The project has received £5.27 million from the Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund and is being delivered in designated areas across the East Midlands, including in the Derbyshire Dales and High Peak.
Led by East Midlands Chamber in partnership with, among others, Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, the University of Derby and The Food and Drink Forum, the project aims to breathe new life into local communities as part of the Government’s commitment to ‘levelling up the nation’ and achieving net-zero carbon emissions.
With extensive experience in the tourism and hospitality sector, MPDD’s advisers will provide one-to-one support to help visitor economy businesses access funding, training and specialist advice through the Derbyshire strand of the East Midlands Accelerator project.
Through the project, businesses in the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales can apply for specialist consultancy and training support through growth vouchers of up to £2,000.
Flexible grant funding of up to £8,000 (at an 80% intervention rate) is also available to help businesses invest in green solutions and digital technology, as well as providing access to wage subsidies.
Businesses can access support to reduce their carbon footprint (such as funding for the installation of electric vehicle charging points); receive help on how to improve their online presence (such as the implementation of an online booking system); and secure one-to-one mentoring to encourage business growth.
PropertyFace2Face networking group launches in Leicester
PropertyFace2Face, a networking group for East Midlands property and construction professionals, is to launch its Curry Club events in Leicester.
The first in a series of bi-monthly Curry Club lunches will be held on Friday 6th May 2022, 12.00pm-2.30pm at Indian fine dining restaurant Mem-Saab, 96 Vaughan Way, Leicester.
A speech will be given by event sponsor, Adam Horton, CEO of Hortons estate agency based in Leicestershire, providing an overview of the East Midlands property market. Other sponsors include local businesses, Nelsons Solicitors and Allica Bank.
PropertyFace2Face founder, David Stewart, said: “With the challenges we have all felt during the pandemic, it was the right time to launch our popular Curry Club in Leicester, a top performing East Midlands city.
“Our aim is to help local property professionals to build new relationships with like-minded people. There are a lot of people that are keen to meet face-to-face right now, so we think the timing for this new group is right.”
All Curry Club events combine a warm welcome with great food in a relaxed setting to help property peers generate new business. There are no membership fees, just the cost of the three-course fine dining Indian lunch for £29.50 per person.
PropertyFace2Face was founded by estates management specialist, David Stewart 14 years ago, having found a ‘gap’ in the market for dedicated networking for property professionals. It has since become one of the most successful property and construction networking groups in Nottingham, regularly attracting over 60 guests to its Curry Club events.
Leicester Business Consultant and Curry Club regular, Ian Guyler said: “I’ve enjoyed PropertyFace2Face for many years, they have a great reputation for delivering quality events that attract the ‘movers and shakers’ – a great addition to Leicester’s property networking scene.”
Each Curry Club offers exclusive property industry networking, attracting anyone from senior decision makers to fresh young talent. Guests come from all areas of the industry including developers, surveyors, architects, planners and lawyers to property insurance brokers and many more.
For further information visit www.pf2f.co.uk
All change at business support agency with new board chair and headquarters move
Major changes have taken place at enterprise agency Erewash Partnership – with a new chair of the board of directors and a move of headquarters to state-of-the-art offices.
Vice-chair Richard Ledger has stepped up to be chair in a role reversal with Bev Crighton who became the first woman chair in 2020 and has steered the organisation through the COVID pandemic.
Richard is Managing Director of Draycott-based Millitec, which designs and manufactures machinery for the food industry and exports across the world.
He is also chair of Long Eaton Town Deal Board, which won £24.8m of Government funding for projects to breathe new life into the town and take it forward over the next decade.
Richard is thrilled at becoming chair. “These are exciting times and Erewash is a fabulous place full of opportunity,” he said.
“The Partnership is all about people working together to make the most of those opportunities and the team can give real tangible help to all businesses, from those just setting out on their journey in self employment to the more established businesses looking for investment and growth.”
Partnership Chief Executive Ian Viles said: “Richard is very enthusiastic about the area. He was educated in the area at Trent College, Long Eaton. He’s very passionate about manufacturing and training and skills.
“Bev has proved a steady hand as chair, especially through the difficult challenges of the COVID pandemic period when we had to re-think, adapt and even boost support for businesses, including new members attracted by what we do. The board is grateful for her leadership.
“Among her new roles Bev has taken up a position with Derby County Community Trust and one of her first acts was to introduce the trust to the Partnership and recruit them as members.”
Bev, who became a director in 2015, is a senior lecturer at the University of Derby and employability lead at Derby County Community Trust.
She is also a trustee of Derbyshire Voluntary Association, part of the fundraising committee of Derby Quad and holds a number of other voluntary roles in the third sector. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
“I have enjoyed my time as chair of the partnership and am excited to now take on the role of vice-chair,” said Bev.
“Richard and I have always worked closely to ensure that we divided the work of chair and vice-chair to play to our skills for the benefit of the partnership.
“During COVID lockdowns and the difficult last two years we have jointly used our expertise to support the team.
“This ‘swap’ in roles will help to steer the partnership and the team on its journey going forward, and I look forward to working alongside Richard and Ian to support the growth of the partnership.”
The Partnership has moved its headquarters from Bridge House, Derby Road, Long Eaton, where it has been based since autumn 2014, to Toll Bar House, close to White Lion Square, Ilkeston.
The newly-opened premises, with 27 offices, are managed by the Partnership on behalf of Erewash Borough Council.
The authority invested £425,000 in refurbishing and breathing new life into the building. This was matched by D2N2, the Local Enterprise Partnership.
A further £126,000 was secured by contractor J Tomlinson from a Government scheme aimed at helping local authorities with projects designed to improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon output and lower energy bills. This took the total transformation cost to £976,000.
The Partnership was based at Toll Bar House for several years from 1994. “The move is to provide better facilities for face-to-face meetings with clients, including people with disabilities,” said Ian.
