FHP Property Consultants, acting on behalf of Rushcliffe Borough Council, have already secured several pre-lets for the currently under construction Bingham Enterprise Centre.
The brand-new, state of the art building is situated next to the also under construction Bingham Arena leisure facility located on Chapel Lane in the very heart of the popular market town west of Nottingham.
The development of the site is progressing at pace, with the overall structure complete and the focus now shifting to the interior of the building with practical completion of the site envisaged for mid to late Summer 2022.
The suites comprise a range of different sizes from 500 to 1,200 sq ft across two floors of accommodation, each unit benefiting from their own kitchen/WC facility with communal shower, bike storage and car parking provision.
Amy Howard, of FHP’s Office Department, said: “I am delighted to be working alongside Rushcliffe Council and this exciting new development. The level of interest we have already received for the building so far has been very positive and we hope to achieve further pre-lets prior to the building officially opening later this year.”
East Midlands housebuilder opens up £5,000 community fund
Redrow East Midlands has launched a scheme to support deserving community initiatives across the region.
The East Midlands division has created the £5,000 community fund to support as many local groups, organisations and good causes as possible, and is now welcoming applications.
There’s no cause too small, so whether funds are required for art supplies to help local pupils to get creative, a search and rescue team are in need of new lifejackets or a local children’s group wish to go on their first ever camp out, Redrow East Midlands’ initiative can help.
The initiative, which started in 2020, aims to help local organisations with specific donations and give them the tools they need to continue to thrive.
Ryan O’Sullivan, sales director for Redrow East Midlands, said: “We always try to do our bit to help create thriving communities at our developments and in the wider communities. With the success of the community fund last year, we knew we had to re-launch it this year to help even more people across the region.
“This year, we are doing things slightly differently – we would like groups to tell us exactly what they need, such as new tents for a local scout group for an upcoming trip. This way we will be able to give groups and charities the items they really need to continue their great work.
“We’d like to invite volunteers at local charities or community groups to share their story with us, and tell us what they need so they can continue to do the thing they do best – supporting their community.
“We’re looking forward to hearing how we can help people in East Midlands and the surrounding areas.”
The fund is now open and will close on 27th May 2022
For details on how to apply visit: redrow.co.uk/community-fund-application-east-midlands
Charity teams up with Derbyshire canning company to reduce ocean plastic
A Derby charity dedicated to cutting down on ocean plastic has teamed up with a local company to launch canned water sourced from a local spring.
Think Ocean, a charity that works to keep plastic from the seas through a range of initiatives including transforming it into new products, is this month launching its own canned water produced by Melbourne-based Them that Can.
The Think Ocean cans are being filled with water from a spring at Highfields in Melbourne where Them that Can is based. The water comes straight from the source, 220 feet underground, to the canning facility. It is ready to drink having been filtered through limestone and mineral-rich ground.
Hugo Valdes-Vera, co-founder of Think Ocean, said: “Millions of tons of plastic are released into our seas every year. There is a real awareness now that the scale of this environmental problem is huge.
“Anything we can do to reduce plastic in our oceans is a big win, as far as I’m concerned. That’s why I’m delighted to be launching these Think Ocean cans. For every person who buys one, that’s one less plastic bottle potentially ending up in the sea.”
Not only is 75 percent of all aluminium ever made still in use today, but recycled cans use 95 percent less energy to produce than new ones.
All profits made from the Think Ocean cans will be used by the charity to carry on its work educating communities on plastic pollution, as well as cleaning more rivers, waterways and oceans. The cans are designed to be highly collectable with images of endangered species depicted on the front. The labels, including the ink, are also plastic-free.
Think Ocean and Them that Can have also produced water cans bearing the Ukrainian flag which have been sent to the war-torn country as a gesture of support.
Think Ocean’s origins go back to 1992 when a group of environmentalists got together to stop whale hunting in the South Pacific. The charity is now dedicated to ending plastic pollution.
Them that Can was founded by Jamie Kenyon and Mark Banks in 2014, and has recently relocated to its current location in Melbourne.
Jamie, a former industrial engineer in the offshore oil industry, explained that he had the idea for the company after contemplating setting up a brewery abroad, and noticing how cans were a much better solution for the product than bottles.
He said: “Canning is a way of transporting a product easily and efficiently. Aluminium is a renewable resource and it’s also environmentally friendly in the fact that you can fit many more cans in a vehicle than you can fit bottles. The other benefit from a drinks industry point of view is that a canned product means light cannot get in and affect the quality of what is inside.”
The company makes cans for a range of products from its Melbourne facility, including beer, cocktails and even wine.
Jamie said: “We are so proud to be working with Think Ocean on these new water cans. Their vision of the future and how it needs to be, and where we need to go as a world to make that happen, is one that we very much share at Them that Can.”
PR agency to support Northampton Saints Foundation as its first ever charity partner
A PR agency in Northamptonshire has announced its first ever charity partner.
After an intensive selection process, Ballyhoo PR has chosen to support Northampton Saints Foundation, which uses the values of rugby and the power of sport to inspire, support and educate young people.
The union will see Ballyhoo PR provide free PR and communications support to the charity for an entire year, to help increase their visibility and brand awareness and support their fundraising.
It was a competitive process, with 13 charities shortlisted for the much-coveted opportunity to work with the PR experts. Each worthwhile cause presented their case to the Ballyhoo PR team before a difficult decision was made.
Ballyhoo PR Managing Director Emma Speirs said: “We were touched and thrilled by the number of charities who wanted to work with us. All those who applied were hugely worthy causes and we were amazed and humbled by the incredible work taking place locally. We only wish we could offer this opportunity to them all but there could only be one winner.
“When Emily presented to us, she told us what a difference our support could make to the charity and the number of young people we could help through providing these services. They have such great ideas for the future but, like a lot of charities, are doing these wonderful things with limited resources. By acting as a virtual comms team for the Northampton Saints Foundation, they can reach a wider audience with some positive press coverage that will make them shine.”
Northampton Saints Foundation Managing Director Catherine Deans said: “Northampton Saints Foundation are delighted to be chosen as Ballyhoo’s charity partner for 2022. We feel incredibly lucky to be working with the team over the next year to increase our visibility and brand awareness.
“Ballyhoo’s expertise will be invaluable as we accelerate our growth to meet the demand for the work we do to inspire, support and educate young people. The number of young people needing our services has increased exponentially as a direct response of pandemic, which, in turn, means the amount we need to fundraise has also increased.
“We’re looking forward to Ballyhoo helping us to reach a broader audience, cementing our branding and sharing our vision to become the leading foundation supporting young people to have a more positive future.”
Lincolnshire financial adviser acquired by international group
Kingswood Holdings Limited, the international wealth and investment management group, is to acquire Vincent & Co Ltd, a privately owned independent financial adviser firm based near Market Rasen in Lincolnshire.
Vincent & Co, ran by Mark Vincent, provides financial advice to over 130 clients in the Lincolnshire area. They hold £25m AuA and in the year ending 31 October 2021 generated revenue of £135k, and profit before tax of £83k.
Following regulatory approval, the business will be acquired for total cash consideration of up to £421k, payable over a two-year period. £211k will be paid upon completion of the transaction and the balance paid on a deferred basis.
David Lawrence, UK CEO at Kingswood, said: “I’m delighted to announce the acquisition of Vincent & Co, our fifth acquisition this year. Vincent & Co have been established for over 20 years and have built deep relationships with their clients and an ethos which matches ours at Kingswood. This is a great opportunity to make an acquisition that consolidates our presence in Lincolnshire.”
Main building contractor appointed for National Rehabilitation Centre
The National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) Programme has appointed Integrated Health Projects (IHP) as main contractor to construct the NRC in Nottinghamshire.
The NRC will be one of the early schemes to be delivered under the government’s commitment to build 40 new hospitals by 2030. It will also be designed to be Net Zero Carbon, in line with the wider Greener NHS pledge to be the world’s first net zero national health service.
Pre-construction activity can now move forward on site which is part of the Stanford Hall Rehabilitation Estate (SHRE) near Rempstone in Nottinghamshire. Main construction will start subject to final agreements from Government.
IHP, an established alliance between Vinci Construction UK and Sir Robert McAlpine, was selected following the Procure process under the P22 Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) procurement framework which provides Design and Construction Services for use by the NHS and Social Care organisations.
Partnering is embedded in the contracting process to achieve best results, quality and value. As part of the contract a Partnering Agreement overlay will be adopted which is a collaboration agreement between the central New Hospital Programme (NHP), Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) and IHP, as well as Trusts and contractors for other early NHP schemes. This approach is intended to create a collaborative environment across Trusts delivering the early schemes within the NHP.
The NRC is a unique and brand-new facility with the potential to transform clinical rehabilitation across the NHS in England and Wales. Thanks to a wide National Clinical Academic Partnership of 22 Higher Education Institutions with the University of Nottingham and Loughborough University as the leads, the NRC will combine under one roof clinical rehabilitation, research, development and commercial innovation, and training and education. The impact of the NRC for patients is anticipated to be game-changing in terms of the quality of life potentially achievable after serious injury or illness.
Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust is the NRC Programme sponsor and NUH is procuring the main contractor appointment.
Miriam Duffy, NRC programme director, said: “This is excellent news for all of us eager to see the benefits of the NRC realised and the facility become operational as soon as possible. IHP is a great fit and I’m impressed not just with their technical capability but with their understanding of the uniqueness of the NRC. We’re confident of creating a great construction partnership that will see the outstanding NRC building come to life and help us to get on with treating patients.”
Stuart McArthur, healthcare sector lead at IHP, said: “We are delighted that IHP has been appointed to the construction of the National Rehabilitation Centre through the P22 DHSC procurement framework. Through the 20 successful years of our alliance, we have demonstrated that we have the expertise and experience necessary to match the unique nature of this project. We look forward to working in close collaboration with NHP and NUH on delivering this new model of rehabilitation in an inspiring setting, which will benefit patients and staff whilst supporting leading edge research.”
Natalie Forrest, senior responsible owner for the new hospital programme, said: “This is an important milestone for the National Rehabilitation Centre as we deliver on the government’s commitment to build 40 new hospitals by 2030. Together with eight existing schemes, this will mean 48 hospitals delivered by the end of the decade. This new facility will transform outcomes for people who have suffered potentially life-changing injury, trauma and illness.”
The NRC is a 70-bed facility designed to integrate with the natural landscape of the Stanford Hall Rehabilitation Estate and specified to the highest standards of sustainability.
The NRC has been designed to ensure it will continue to achieve net zero carbon over the entire life of the building. It will not require any fossil fuels, and carbon-free electricity will be generated through solar panels on the site. The building will be highly insulated to minimise energy loss and will be built using low carbon materials such as timber for its structure.
The NRC will be built on a site approximately 400m from the counterpart Defence facility – the ‘Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) Stanford Hall’ – which is operated by the Ministry of Defence and opened in 2018. Both the NRC and the Defence facility are part of the overall Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC) Programme.
The NRC will share knowledge and some specialist facilities with the Defence facility so that both can benefit. This sharing between NHS medicine and Defence medicine is novel and will enable both facilities to achieve more than the sum of their individual parts.
Alongside IHP, the NRC project team includes Ryder Architecture, Arup and Fira (landscape architects). “Another strong year” for Ideagen
Nottinghamshire-based software firm, Ideagen, has hailed “another strong year,” reporting continued organic growth augmented by strategic acquisitions.
In an update on trading for the year ended 30 April 2022, the company said it expects total revenue to rise 41% to approximately £92.2m in comparison to £65.6m in the prior year. Meanwhile adjusted EBITDA is anticipated to be up 33% to approximately £30.5m, from £22.9m.
Earlier this month (May 2022), the Board of Ideagen reached agreement on the terms of a recommended cash acquisition by Hg, a software and services investor, for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Ideagen.
Ideagen’s directors intend to recommend unanimously that Ideagen shareholders vote in favour of the acquisition at the forthcoming shareholder meetings.
It is anticipated that the acquisition will complete in July 2022.
The Board meanwhile remains in discussions with Astorg, who have also proposed an offer for Ideagen, who have been granted access to due diligence.
Ben Dorks, Chief Executive Officer of Ideagen, said: “I am pleased to report another strong year for Ideagen, delivering strong organic growth and customer momentum. We have completed seven acquisitions that significantly extend our leadership in compliance software for regulated industries and expect to derive synergy opportunities once integrated.
“Our primary focus remains growing our recurring revenues and expanding our customer base. The offer received from Hg reflects the quality, track record and future growth potential of Ideagen. Given the momentum in the group, we remain confident about the year ahead.”
Mattioli Woods subsidiary snaps up Scottish firm
Leicester-based Mattioli Woods, the specialist wealth and asset management business, has revealed that its subsidiary, Ludlow Wealth Management Group Limited, has acquired the trade and assets of Ferguson Financial Management Limited for an initial consideration of £0.6 million and potential further consideration of up to £0.6 million dependent on the attainment of specified performance targets in the year after completion.
Ferguson provides financial planning and wealth management services to over 200 private client families with approximately £80 million of assets under advice. Ferguson is based in Glasgow and as part of the deal an experienced employee will join Mattioli Woods and operate from the group’s existing Glasgow office.
In the year ended 31 October 2020, Ferguson generated revenues of £0.34 million with a profit before taxation of £0.16 million. At 31 October 2021, Ferguson’s gross assets were £0.19 million and net assets were £0.19 million.
Michael Wright, Group Managing Director of Mattioli Woods, said: “We are pleased to complete Ludlow’s first acquisition since joining the group. We continue to work closely with Ludlow’s experienced team as we pursue other transactions of a similar nature to further expand our growing wealth management presence in the north of England and Scotland.”
Ian Hemingway, Chief Executive of Ludlow, said: “Ludlow has a track record of successful deals involving retiring financial advisers, a model which Mattioli Woods continues to support. We look forward to working with the Ferguson team to responsibly integrate their clients into the group over the coming months, whilst continuing to explore other opportunities within the market.”
Managing energy price hikes, more than hot air in the Boardroom? By James Pinchbeck, partner at Streets Chartered Accountants
James Pinchbeck, partner at Streets Chartered Accountants, considers the effect of energy price hikes on businesses and what can be done to manage the situation.
Whilst the Spring invariably brings warmer weather and lighter days, this year it is unlikely to help businesses weather the storm of unprecedented price hikes in the cost of energy. According to a recent Policy Voice Survey by the Institute of Directors, over 53% of its members surveyed indicated that the cost of energy was and continues to exert a negative impact on their organisation.
The energy price hikes have come at a time when there seems to have been a perfect storm with Brexit and the pandemic leading to unprecedented disruption to businesses, with rising costs particularly as a result of labour shortages and supply chain issues and in many cases a lockdown loss of revenue. Whilst some may have been able to pass on such cost increases, for many this has not been the case having to absorb them with a loss of margin.
Businesses are no doubt feeling a bit weather beaten with what seems the exponential increases in energy yet another disruption or problem that is adding to the domino effect of challenges faced.
The average household is likely to face an increase in their annual energy bill of around £700 in light of the 54% increase in prices. When it comes to businesses, the annual bills for the average small business will increase from £1,150 to £1,725 and for the average medium sized business from £1,860 to £2,864. Many businesses though, depending on what they do, for example those engaged in manufacturing or processing, are set to see in real terms much larger bills.
Whilst the first approach to dealing with the situation may be to see if you can seek a cheaper supplier, this is unlikely, given the state of the market, to yield results. For those on contract with their energy supplier, whilst their current deal may be favourable, they should prepare for hikes on renewal.
Managing the situation really needs a more strategic approach, starting with an in depth understanding, even audit of your energy consumption. Such information can then be used to determine steps and approaches to reducing consumption and becoming more energy efficient. This may include greater use of more energy efficient equipment, changes in staff attitudes and approaches and working practices through to installing new energy generation technology.
Quick and simple short-term measures, though, may not achieve the results required, not least in terms of achieving security or certainty around the supply and cost of your energy. You may then look to capitalise on the tax reliefs included in the Spring Statement and prior Budgets to support those looking at investing in green technologies and alternative energy sources.
Those looking to install heat pumps, solar panels or wind turbines can benefit from a removal of the 5% VAT levy on the cost of such installations.
The government is introducing targeted business rates exemptions for eligible plant and machinery used in onsite renewable energy generation and storage and a 100% relief for eligible low-carbon heat networks with their own rates bill. It was announced in the Spring Statement that these measures will now take effect from April 2022, a year earlier than previously planned.
Businesses investing or incurring expenditure in energy saving or environmentally beneficial technologies can look to benefit from the enhanced capital allowances. The extension to the temporary increase in the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) to 31 March 2023 allows 100% tax relief to businesses investing up to £1 million in qualifying expenditure.
Help may also be available from your energy company with many offering schemes or grants to help improve business energy efficiency, which can reduce costs; for example, subsidies on the upfront costs for more energy-efficient equipment.
The cost of investing in new technologies could also be financed, with some funders and banks like Natwest offering ‘Green Loans’ and ‘Green Asset Finance’.
Finally, food for thought, perhaps the increase in energy prices may see more and more of those who have either opted for hybrid or home working return to their employer’s place of work as they seek to manage their domestic bills.
See this column in the May edition of East Midlands Business Link Magazine.
Recognise the exceptional work of property and construction firms at the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022
With nominations now OPEN for East Midlands Business Link’s annual Bricks Awards, showcase your business, team and projects by submitting an entry for the prestigious event.
Celebrating the region’s property and construction industry, 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, and overall winner.
Winners will be revealed at a glittering awards ceremony on Thursday 15 September, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground – an evening also offering an opportunity to establish new connections with property and construction professionals from across the region, and featuring John Forkin MBE DL, Managing Director at award-winning investment promotion agency Marketing Derby, as keynote speaker.
After winning an award at the 2021 event, Allan Joyce Architects said: “We are delighted to have won Architects of the Year at the East Midlands Bricks Awards. It is lovely for the whole team, who always work incredibly hard to create amazing designs, to be recognised in this way. It was wonderful to attend the event in person and to hear about all of the great projects happening in our region and the companies involved in them.”
To submit a business or development for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022, please click on a category link below or visit this page.
Thanks to our sponsors:
- 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 (this award cannot be entered, the winner will be selected from those nominated)
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 15 September 2022 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. Dress code is standard business attire.
To be held at:
