Nottingham Women in Construction event returns celebrating its 20th year
Women in the construction industry came together for the reunion launch of Nottingham Women in Construction, following a four-year hiatus.
A membership group bringing together women in the sector, Nottingham Women in Construction was originally founded in 2003 by Nicola Millward, Managing Director of Millward Engineering, a Nottingham-based integrated engineering consultancy.
Held last month at Baresca in the city, the event saw over 60 professionals in attendance, who enjoyed welcome drinks sponsored by Millwards, lunch and the opportunity to network.
Nicola welcomed guests with a speech which brought to life the 20-year history of the group and all it has achieved, including raising funds for many local charities and providing hands-on volunteering. The group is currently looking for a local charity partner to support in 2023.
In the speech, Nicola paid tribute to the lives of three remarkable members who played a huge role in Nottingham Women in Construction – Gemma Petrie, Hilary Taylor, and Dianne Allen – who have sadly passed away.
Following the event’s return, Women in Construction will be held quarterly with the next being scheduled for June. Committee members include Carrie Booth from BSP Consulting, Karen Hargreaves at KH Legal and Maria Coulter from Construction Coach.
On the successful reunion launch event, Nicola said: “20 years on, it is fantastic to see so many women in the industry coming together to work together, celebrate success and create new connections.
“Nottingham Women in Construction was born from me personally wanting to build a career in the sector, surrounded by likeminded people who understood the challenges women in the sector faced at the time, but it has become so much more than that.
“There are so many people who have played a part in this group, and I am incredibly proud of everyone who has supported us over the years – for what they have achieved professionally in such a competitive but brilliantly vibrant industry.
“Alongside celebrating 20 years of Nottingham Women in Construction and the 30-year anniversary of Millward Engineering, the event commemorated some very important women who are no longer with us, and we raised our glasses to Gemma, Hilary and Dianne, who were members of this network and who will always be remembered in our hearts.
“Looking forward to the group thriving and meeting new members along the way.”
New link road opens up new ‘community’ and thousands of jobs
A link road which will provide access to a brand-new community on the edge of Ashbourne will be officially opened next month – creating new jobs and homes, improving connectivity and reducing congestion.
The 720m road, called Harrison Way, will link the new roundabout on the A52 to Blenheim Road, which runs through the Ashbourne Airfield Industrial Estate, unlocking access to in excess of 40-hectares of brownfield development land.
The land will be developed to create Dales Park comprising a new business park, new commercial units, a pub, hotel, community facilities and more than 360 homes, providing a space where people can work, live, entertain and enjoy themselves.
The creation of Dales Park is expected to generate thousands of jobs and represents major investment in the area, which is already the largest employment location in the Derbyshire Dales.
More than 70 companies currently operate on the industrial estate employing around 2,000 people.
The development creates a piece of history for the Harrison family who run FW Harrison, which bought the land in the 1960s following closure of the former RAF Ashbourne air base.
Sixty years on, the family is finally putting its long-term purchase to good use and company directors Paul and Joanne Harrison are hailing the unveiling of the road as the moment the development can finally be declared open for business.
Joanne said: “Although the roundabout has been completed for some time, the link road has been delayed for a variety of reasons, including simple bad weather, and so we’re very excited to set a date for its opening.
“It will bring so many benefits to Ashbourne. Not only does it open up access to land for housing and commercial units, creating and securing jobs for the town, it also eases the bottleneck caused by there only being one access point to the airfield estate.
“And it also offers space for companies currently based at Ashbourne Airfield to expand. So many firms want to grow but don’t have the room, so this gives them the ability to expand without having to leave Ashbourne.
“We are very proud to have built Harrison Way for the community of Dales Park and it will be exciting to see this being developed.”
The project is being funded by the land’s owners FW Harrison Estates Ltd with support from Derbyshire County Council to enable the roundabout and link road construction.
The improvement works to the final stretch of Blenheim Road have been funded by Derbyshire Dales District Council, while a grant of £1m from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership helped towards the cost of the roundabout.
The completion of the link road scheme will deliver significant regeneration benefits for Ashbourne which is set to further benefit from the recent £13.37m Levelling Up fund award to improve the town centre.
A Derbyshire Dales District Council spokesman said: “The development of the former Ashbourne Airfield is a hugely significant regeneration project for the District Council. The site is key for economic growth in our district, providing much-needed jobs and homes. We are thrilled that ten years of work by Derbyshire Dales District Council has unlocked the regeneration of Ashbourne Airfield.
“This site is superbly located. The new link road will help address existing highway capacity problems and release the site’s enormous potential, providing expansion opportunities for local firms, serviced land to attract new firms, and local employment opportunities within the Derbyshire Dales district.”
Councillor Carolyn Renwick, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Environment, said: “We’re pleased to have played a key role in this project which is bringing huge economic benefits to the area.
“As well as unlocking development land to bring new jobs and housing to the area, the new road will help to reduce traffic delays in the town by easing congestion on Blenheim Road.”
Will Morlidge, Chief Executive of D2N2 LEP, said: “We were delighted to co-invest £1 million in the construction of the roundabout on the A52, and it’s great news that Harrison Way is now open, linking the roundabout to Blenheim Road. This means that the Ashbourne Airfield Industrial Estate can now be easily accessed, opening up opportunities for further investment and development.”
The official opening will be carried out on May 19 by Sarah Dines, MP for Derbyshire Dales, who has previously praised the project for its contribution to the region’s development.
Samworth Brothers agrees £150m credit facility linked to sustainability
Family-owned food producer Samworth Brothers has agreed a £150m sustainability-linked revolving credit facility to support its strategic growth ambitions while underlining commitments to environmental and social goals. This financing package will support investment across the business.
The new unsecured facility is provided by a club of three banks, made up of HSBC UK and Lloyds Bank as the Group’s existing banking partners, and bringing in NatWest as a new banking partner. The facility is linked to three of Samworth Brother’s ESG priorities, being a reduction in carbon, a reduction in food waste intensity, and an increase in the number of apprenticeships across the business.
Chairman Mark Samworth said: “With this refinancing, we reaffirm our commitment to our long-term sustainability goals on carbon emissions, food waste intensity and social impact. As a fourth-generation family business we always seek to be a long-term force for good and so it is particularly important for us to address both environmental and social initiatives.”
Lincolnshire Housing Partnership secures £30m ESG-linked revolving credit facility
Lincolnshire Housing Partnership (LHP) have arranged a £30m 7-year revolving credit facility (RCF) with Danske Bank.
The ESG ready facility includes a 15-year term option, providing further flexibility.
The new facility, as well as maintaining LHP’s strong liquidity levels, supported the removal of restrictive covenants within its portfolio.
Centrus acted as sole advisor to LHP and arranged the RCF. Anthony Collins advised on the corporate and legal aspects including security.
Kathryn Price, executive director of finance – LHP, said: “We are delighted with our new relationship with Danske. The new facility as well as helping maintain our strong levels of liquidity, has helped facilitate the removal of restrictive covenants. This leaves LHP in a significantly stronger position to deliver our planned investment strategy and deliver better homes for our customers.”
Terri McCullagh, corporate banking manager – Danske Bank UK, said: “Danske Bank has been the lead bank provider of finance to the social housing sector in Northern Ireland for many years and we have been growing our presence in the sector in the rest of the UK. We are pleased to start 2023 with a significant transaction in England which will support the provision of much needed rental and shared ownership homes to people and communities in Lincolnshire.”
Tom Miller, assistant director – Centrus, said: “We are delighted to have supported LHP during the fund-raising process. The facility has helped to unlock increased capacity that will ensure LHP are able to maintain high levels of investment in their stock. Centrus has been at the forefront of developing the RP market for ESG-linked funding, where the ability to reduce borrowing costs offers tangible benefits.”
Aggregate Industries wins award for carbon-cutting concrete
Aggregate Industries’ carbon-saving concrete Ecopact Prime has been named as Product Innovation of the Year at the 16th EDIE Awards.
ECOPact Prime AS is the latest addition to Aggregate Industries’ low carbon concrete product range – a unique active setting, carbon-saving concrete with enhanced carbon reduction. Launched in 2022, it is the UK’s first concrete to offer high levels of carbon reduction without compromising on performance, offering over 50% carbon reduction compared with industry standard Portland cement CEMI solution.
Both Aggregate Industries and colleagues from Holcim were present to accept the award. Lee Sleight, MD of Aggregate Industries Ready Mix Concrete Division said: “With concrete being the second most used resource after water, getting the concrete industry to net zero is vital in supporting global climate change commitments. To this end, we have invested heavily in a range of low-carbon solutions that assist in meeting the sustainability goals of the construction industry.
“The most recent of these solutions is ECOPact Prime AS, giving the industry a much lower carbon alternative to standard concrete. Seeing this latest innovation of ours recognised within the edie Awards’ coveted product innovation category validates the endeavours of all at Aggregate Industries who have been involved in its development. I would like to say a big thank you to the judges; the recognition means a great deal to our people and strengthens our firm desire to embed sustainability in the future of construction.”
The Edie Awards are the world’s largest sustainable business awards scheme. They showcase excellence across the spectrum of green businesses, from the most ambitious net-zero carbon programmes through to cutting-edge green innovations. The edie Awards judges said of ECOPact Prime AS: “This is what sustainability innovation is all about. The product shows great potential to reduce emissions in the cement industry, and the initial results are promising. If scaled up, this innovation could be a real gamechanger on the path to a net-zero construction sector.”
ECOPact Prime AS – as with other ECOPact products before it – is already helping to reduce the carbon footprint of projects in which it is used, delivering greater carbon reduction with the same setting time, plus active development of compressive strength to support carbon reduction objectives in the construction industry.
Loughborough University gets involved with ‘frailty aid’ robotic technology
A friendly robotic service for preventative care amongst frail older adults is to be developed as part of a new collaborative project involving Loughborough University.
Funded by UKRI, the I’M-ACTIVE project will combine emergent technologies to assess home-based tasks, identify weaknesses, and provide tailored motivation for an active lifestyle.
NHS England estimates that 3% of over-65s are severely frail and another 12% are moderately frail, totalling around 1.8 million people in the UK.
The incidence and prevalence of frailty are having a profound impact on all aspects of the UK economy and society.
The project aims to reduce the impact of frailty in the UK care and health system by analysing the benefits and limitations of emerging robotic and sensor technologies for older adults and engaging with policymakers, practitioners, carers, and potential users to co-produce a new service.
Professor Massimiliano Zecca, Loughborough University’s lead and an expert in healthcare technology in the School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering, says the research is “essential to reduce the burden on healthcare systems”.
His team will be responsible for the development of measurement tools that will allow for frailty to be assessed.
Professor Zecca said: “We are facing the dual challenge of accurately measuring functional and cognitive parameters in the home environment, which is the truest reflection of an older person’s abilities, and also developing a system that users will be willing to have in their homes. This entails designing and developing a user-friendly system that satisfies their needs and preferences.
“We are confident that the results of I’M-ACTIVE will pave the way for new intervention options that can help frail elderly individuals maintain an active lifestyle and improve their social and emotional wellbeing.”
Revenue rises at Intercede
Intercede, the Lutterworth-based cybersecurity software company, is expected to report a more than 20% increase in revenue for its latest financial year.
In a trading update for the year ending 31 March 2023 (FY23), Intercede said its underlying trading performance has “continued to show strong momentum.”
The business is now anticipating revenues for FY23 to be just over £12m, growing from £9.9m in the year prior and ahead of market forecasts.
Intercede added that the “combined effect of increased revenues and tight management of costs under the group’s control, is expected to result in improved profitability.”
In October Intercede acquired Authlogics.
Mather Jamie joins sponsor line up for East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023
Mather Jamie has joined the sponsor line up for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023, backing the Deal of the Year category.
Speaking with Business Link, Amy Biddell, Director and Marketing lead from Mather Jamie, said: “We attended the event for the first time in 2021 when we were shortlisted for ‘Deal of the Year’, then in 2022 we were nominated for and won the ‘Most Active Agent of the Year’ category.
“We were delighted to win, and since then have witnessed first-hand the benefits of raising our brand profile through this awards platform. It was a natural progression for us to sponsor the ‘Deal of the Year’ as this will help to promote our services to an elite audience of landowners, property developers and building contractors.”
The awards, which will take place on Thursday 28 September at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, celebrate the outstanding work of those shaping the landscape of our region, recognising development projects and people in commercial and public building across the East Midlands – from offices, industrial and residential, through to community projects such as leisure schemes and schools.
Nominations are now OPEN for East Midlands Business Link’s annual Bricks Awards.
To nominate your (or another) business/development for one of our awards, please click on a category link below or visit this page.
To be held at:
“We were delighted to win, and since then have witnessed first-hand the benefits of raising our brand profile through this awards platform. It was a natural progression for us to sponsor the ‘Deal of the Year’ as this will help to promote our services to an elite audience of landowners, property developers and building contractors.”
The awards, which will take place on Thursday 28 September at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, celebrate the outstanding work of those shaping the landscape of our region, recognising development projects and people in commercial and public building across the East Midlands – from offices, industrial and residential, through to community projects such as leisure schemes and schools.
Nominations are now OPEN for East Midlands Business Link’s annual Bricks Awards.
To nominate your (or another) business/development for one of our awards, please click on a category link below or visit this page.
Award categories include:
- Most active estate agent
- Commercial development of the year
- Responsible business of the year
- Residential development of the year
- Developer of the year
- Deal of the year
- Architects of the year
- Excellence in design
- Sustainable development of the year
- Contractor of the year
- Overall winner
Book your tickets now
Tickets can now be booked for the awards event – click here to secure yours. The special awards evening and networking event will be held on Thursday 28 September 2023 in the Derek Randall Suite at the Trent Bridge County Cricket Club from 4:30pm – 7:30pm. Connect with local decision makers over canapés and complimentary drinks while applauding the outstanding companies and projects in our region, and hear from Mike Denby, Director of Inward Investment and Place Marketing at Leicester City Council, our keynote speaker. Dress code is standard business attire. Thanks to our sponsors:
To be held at:
How to grow your company’s YouTube channel
YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine, making it an essential platform for businesses looking to expand their reach and connect with new audiences. With over 2 billion monthly active users and more than 1 billion hours of video watched every day, YouTube has become a crucial tool for companies to engage with their customers and promote their products or services.
However, growing a YouTube channel takes time and effort. To help you get started, we’ve put together some tips on how to grow your company’s YouTube channel.
Create High-Quality Videos
For businesses, the first and most crucial step to growing their YouTube channel is to create videos that showcase their products or services in the best possible light. This can include product demos, customer testimonials, or case studies. Your videos should be informative and engaging.
Businesses should also aim to make their videos visually appealing and professional-looking, as this can help build trust with potential customers. A well-produced video will help establish your brand’s credibility and professionalism.
Develop a Content Strategy
Developing a content strategy is critical to growing your company’s YouTube channel. When developing a content strategy for their YouTube channel, businesses should focus on creating content that aligns with their brand values and resonates with their target audience. This can include tutorials, product reviews, behind-the-scenes footage, or industry insights, and many other types of videos.
Make sure your content is relevant and useful to your viewers. Your strategy should be focused on providing value to your target audience. It’s also important for businesses to maintain a consistent posting schedule to keep their audience engaged and coming back for more.
Optimise Your Videos for Search
To ensure their videos get discovered by potential customers, businesses should optimise their video titles, descriptions, and tags with relevant keywords. This can help their videos rank higher in YouTube search results and increase their chances of being seen by people interested in their products or services. Closed captions can also help make videos more accessible and increase their reach.
Promote Your Videos
Promoting your videos is another important factor in growing your company’s YouTube channel. Share your videos on your social media channels, embed them on your website, and include them in your email marketing campaigns. This will help you reach a wider audience and increase your video’s views.
You can also run ads on YouTube to reach a wider audience and drive more views and engagement. Additionally, businesses can collaborate with influencers or other brands to promote their videos and increase their reach.
Collaborate with Other YouTubers
Collaborating with other YouTubers in your industry is a great way to grow your company’s YouTube channel. This can include your appearance as a guest on other channels, or someone from another channel being your guest. You can even work together on a new video idea, to eventually be posted on both of your channels. For example, a business selling fitness equipment could collaborate with a popular fitness influencer to create a workout video featuring their products.
Collaborating can help businesses reach new audiences and build valuable relationships. By partnering with other creators, businesses can leverage their existing audiences and increase their exposure on YouTube, as well as establish their brand as an industry leader.
Engage with Your Audience
Engaging with your audience is essential for businesses looking to build a loyal following on YouTube. This can involve responding to comments and questions, asking for feedback, and even featuring customer stories or testimonials in your videos.
By creating a dialogue with your audience, you can gain valuable insights into your customers’ needs and preferences, and tailor your content accordingly. This will also help you build a community of loyal followers and increase your channel’s engagement.
In conclusion, growing your company’s YouTube channel takes time and effort, but it can be a highly effective way to connect with your target audience and promote your products or services. By creating high-quality videos, developing a content strategy, optimising your videos for search, promoting your videos, engaging with your audience, and collaborating with other YouTubers, you can successfully grow your company’s YouTube channel and take your business to the next level. To achieve consistently high production standards, consider hiring a specialist corporate video production company such as Glowfrog. (www.glowfrogvideo.com)
Planning Inspectorate accepts application for Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange despite council concerns
The Planning Inspectorate has accepted the application for the Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange, despite serious concerns raised by Blaby District Council.
The application, from Tritax Symmetry, was initially submitted in February before being withdrawn for further work then resubmitted to the Planning Inspectorate on 17 March.
The Council submitted an Adequacy of Consultation Representation for both the first and second submissions. This commented on whether Tritax had complied with the relevant legislation and on its approach to the consultation process.
The Council raised major issues with the consultation, saying it had not been adequate. It said there were failures to provide accurate detail and mitigation on impacts on highways and the landscape, as well as the extra barrier down time at Narborough Level Crossing in terms of its effects on both traffic congestion and air quality for residents.
However, the Planning Inspectorate decided to accept the application and will now begin assessing the plans, with the project moving into the pre-examination phase.
During the next few months stakeholders, including the public, will be asked for their views. A six-month long examination phase will follow, starting in the latter half of this year.
While Blaby District Council will comment on the application it cannot make the final decision – the scheme is of such scale and national importance it will be determined by the Secretary of State for Transport.
The huge scheme, earmarked for 662 acres of land between the M69 and the Leicester to Birmingham railway line, falls mainly within the boundary of Blaby District Council, south-west of Elmesthorpe village.
The development would reach to the fringes of Burbage Common in Hinckley and Bosworth Borough if it is permitted – the size of it would swallow up Burbage Common three times over.
The design includes a railport able to deal with as many as 16 trains up to 775m long per day, with areas for container storage and cranes for loading and unloading shipping containers from trains and lorries.
If approved, there will be up to 850,000 sq m of warehouse and ancillary buildings, including the scope for some buildings to be directly rail connected if required. Also planned is a lorry park, a new A47 link road and south facing slip roads onto the M69.
Cat Hartley, Planning and Strategic Growth Group Manager at Blaby District Council, said: “We are disappointed the Planning Inspectorate have decided to accept this application in spite of our long-held and ongoing concerns. We will continue to scrutinise Tritax Symmetry’s proposals and present our views to the Planning Inspectorate as the application process continues.”
