24 minute read
Around the Region
Coventry BID joins forces with local creatives on branding project
As the world begins to reopen again post-lockdown and preparations are in full swing for Coventry’s 2021 UK City of Culture year, the team at Coventry BID have been working hard behind the scenes to not only support all their fantastic businesses within the city, but to also refresh their branding and create a stylish and informative new website that will take them through 2021 and beyond.
The work – incorporating logo and website – has been created in partnership with Coventry design business, Jade Brand Agency, incorporating beautiful blue hues that are synonymous with the city. It also has a nod toward Coventry’s history with the inclusion of Lady Godiva within the design.
When it came to designing the website, the Coventry BID team were keen to retain the work in the city using homegrown creatives, so collaborated with Phoenix Creates, which is part of Coventry University’s student union.
Trish Willetts, director at Coventry BID, said: “Now that we are entering a phase of rebuilding and regrowth for Coventry, it felt right to reinvest in our own imagery and website. We are blessed in Coventry to have some of the brightest and most creative design talents around, so it was clear to us that we wanted to refer to that homegrown talent in the rebranding exercise for Coventry BID. We are overjoyed with the work The Jade Studio and Phoenix Creates has done for us.
“As part of the re-set, it felt like the right time update the features of the website to ensure the information available to all of our businesses is as up to date and accurate as possible. We’ve streamlined features and improved navigation so that businesses operators can get the facts or signposting they need fast, enabling them to carry on doing what they do best – running their businesses in our amazing city!”
To see the new Coventry BID website, visit www.coventrybid.co.uk
Construction app to help builders track paperwork digitally
A digital design company has worked alongside a Midlands construction business to create and launch a new app to help construction firms access and track key paperwork during busy projects.
Under Construction – designed by Coventry-based Apps Plus (the App division of Image+) – enables construction firms of any size to easily store, track and fill out key forms relating to their safety, health, environment and quality (SHEQ) requirements.
The app was refined by Apps Plus after Birmingham-based construction firm Gridlocked, which specialises in the installation of ceiling and partition systems in a wide variety of buildings, used it for several months. It is now ready for the wider market to download and use.
Since using Under Construction, Gridlocked noticed a significant improvement across all its SHEQ responsibilities, operations, performance and evidential record keeping.
Craig Buglass at Gridlocked said: “An app like this for construction companies like us has been long overdue in our opinion.
“Construction is still one of the most dangerous sectors of employment in this country, so we are always looking to improve on how we process, control and manage risks associated with our specific trade.
“The Under Construction app comprehensively enhanced all of our safety, health and wellbeing, quality and environmental aspect requirements and was all wrapped up in a userfriendly way. It’s fast, reliable and a pleasure to use.”
Alan Hartin, managing director at Image+, said: “Under Construction gives peace of mind to construction managers that their SHEQ responsibilities are being taken care of. It also saves time and money by giving them an easy way to share key paperwork with their principal contractors at any time.”
Anyone looking to download Under Construction can find it on the App Store or Google Play, with more information at www.underconstruction.co.uk
New home for Midlands weighing company
Midlands-based weighing specialist, Coventry Scale Company, has moved into a new business unit – doubling the size of its premises to meet growing demand for its services.
The company, which supplies, maintains and calibrates commercial and industrial weighing equipment and develops bespoke weighing systems for automation and data processing, has taken space in a new unit at Coventry Business Park.
Complete with a larger workshop, additional office space, and a product demonstration and training room, the move gives the company added room to accommodate its growing team plus the capacity to take on more projects and calibration work.
Tom Marren, managing director at Coventry Scale Company, said: “We are delighted with our move to a larger business unit. The new space is perfect for what we need to operate as a company and forms part of our growth plans for 2021 and beyond.
“It also means that we now have an even better environment for our team to do what they do best – develop bespoke weighing solutions that can help our customers drive quality and improve operational efficiency. Weighing technology has advanced so much in recent years that one size doesn’t fit all so it’s also great to have the room to invite our customers in and demonstrate new products and applications.”
Coventry Scale Company has been based in Coventry for more than 40 years and has customers not only in the Midlands but also nationally, in Europe, East Africa, the Middle East and the Far East. The company works with a wide range of industries including food production, automotive, pharmaceutical, logistics, and motorsports.
As part of the move, the company plans to recruit two additional roles over the coming months – a new role in the office team and another field service engineer.
For more information visit www.coventryscale.co.uk
New Civic Living development offers sustainable living
A new range of contemporary high-quality homes are the latest properties to become available to prospective homebuyers at Rugby’s newest neighbourhood.
Earlier this year, master developer Urban&Civic launched the latest selection of two and three-bedroom homes to cater for the growing community of Houlton.
With extensive outdoor space and views overlooking Normandy Hill, each home boasts stunning open-plan living alongside the latest cutting edge, energy-efficient technology – designed and built with modern lifestyle in mind.
Integrated smart heating systems help to reduce environmental impact and halve the cost of heating bills compared to an average new-build home.
Every element of the design works together to protect the environment and surrounding wildlife. Each garden has a network of subtle passing points, forming a unique set of hedgehog highways. These allow the much-loved mammals to move freely across the site on their quest to find food.
Galina Bardarska at Urban&Civic said: “We remain committed to creating communities and providing a wide range of high-quality homes for all prospective buyers. Right at the heart of Houlton, Civic Living provides a fantastic sustainable option – especially to those looking for contemporary, low-carbon homes.
“We are proud to be a highly soughtafter development. We’re setting a new standard in the area for quality of life, extensive green spaces, community facilities and amenities, as well as the unrivalled connectivity to key commuter routes that Rugby is known for.
“Houlton is already home to more than 600 families and the newest addition means that even more homeowners will be able to enjoy the idyllic lifestyle that Houlton offers.”
For more information visit www.civicliving.co.uk
Leamington games art degree receives major industry recognition
A games art degree course taught in the heart of ‘Silicon Spa’ has been accredited by the industry-led skills body for the screen industries.
Royal Leamington Spa College’s foundation and bachelor degrees in games art have been awarded ScreenSkills Select accreditation.
The college is one of only eight institutions in the country to have the ScreenSkills Games badge and is the only college to have received the accreditation, with the others all being universities or training schools.
Royal Leamington Spa College, part of WCG (formerly Warwickshire College Group), is based in one of the UK’s hotspots for video game development – with a range of high-profile developers based in the area.
In 2019 more than 60% of students on the games art degree went straight into employment. In recent years students have been employed by companies including Playground Games, Excalibur Games, Exient and Pixel Toys.
By receiving the ScreenSkills accreditation it provides a new link for students on the degree to BAFTA Games and an opportunity to apply for a BAFTA scholarship covering up to £12,000 of their course fees. Other benefits include employability training events, industry insight sessions, Royal Television Society Bursaries and priority booking to ScreenSkills entry level events.
It will also present opportunities to apply for Trainee Finder, a yearlong industry-funded scheme that places trainees in paid placements on productions that contribute to ScreenSkills skills funds.
WCG was recently awarded Bachelor Degree Awarding Powers and will now be delivering a full three-year BA games art degree from Royal Leamington Spa College.
Mike Acosta, subject leader foundation degree/BA games art at Royal Leamington Spa College, said: “It’s incredibly rewarding for our courses to be recognised in this way and the ScreenSkills accreditation will bring many benefits to our students.
“Our courses are always popular and being based in Leamington and surrounded by some of the country’s top games studios is a huge benefit for us.”
To find out more, visit www.wcg.ac.uk/study
Warwick business provides final piece of funding
Exciting new playground equipment has been chosen by children at a Leamington primary school after the final piece of funding was secured from a property development company.
The majority of the current wooden playground apparatus at Radford Semele C of E Primary School in School Lane, Radford Semele, has been removed because it was too costly to repair.
Head teacher Katie Benson asked pupils for their views on the replacement equipment and the school council voted on a climbing frame which children from reception to year six could use alongside a fitness trail featuring a balance tube, horizontal bars and a metal slalom on safe surfacing.
The Parents Teachers Association (PTA) raised £10,000 and the same amount was allocated from the school budget which left a shortfall of £13,000.
Anja Gill, co-chair of the PTA, approached Warwickbased AC Lloyd Homes, and the company was only too happy to donate the difference.
Contractors will start to install the climbing frame and fitness trail in the summer holidays ready for when the pupils return in September.
Katie Benson, head teacher at Radford Semele C of E Primary School, said: “We wanted equipment that was accessible for all ages but challenging for our older children to play on and improve their physical fitness to make sure that they are active all the way through primary school play times.
“The school wanted to create a modern fitness trail that was engaging and the donation from AC Lloyd to add to the funding already secured means we can do everything we wanted to do.”
Alistair Clark, managing director of AC Lloyd Homes, added: “We are currently working in Radford Semele at our The Cricketers development and when we were approached by the PTA, our board had no hesitation in agreeing to donate the £13,000 that was needed to complete the project.”
Nicola Rawlings (PTA), Anja Gill (PTA), Alistair Clark (AC Lloyd Homes), pupils Freddie David (10), Jenson Godfrey (8) and Clemency Bond (9) with Radford Semele C of E Primary School head teacher Katie Benson
Leamington mayor goes electric
In 2020 Electric Zoo offered the Mayor of Leamington, Susan Rasmussen, the opportunity to use one of its e-bikes for her ceremonial duties around the town.
The mayor has been spotted cycling regularly through the community to demonstrate how we can all make a bigger effort to address the issue of poor air quality. She was happy to champion the e-bike as she is the chair of Clean Air for Leamington, a cross-party group of councillors and residents working to improve air quality in the town.
Electric Zoo said: “The Mayor of Leamington is one of the biggest clean air ambassadors around the Warwickshire region. She regularly asks people to make small adjustments to their daily routines to make a big difference overall to the air we breathe and that’s why she jumped at the opportunity to use the e-bike without hesitation.
“The mayor has spent so much time cycling around on the Electric Zoo e-bike that she really didn’t want to have to hand the bike back to us.
“It has been our pleasure to have been able to allow the mayor to experience a fully electric e-bike, helping her move about on her mayoral daily duties around Leamington and surrounding areas without putting much effort into pedalling.
“We wish Susan all the best as she has unanimously been voted in for another 12 months as Mayor of Leamington. Keep pedalling the fight for clean air for the benefit of everyone!” Tracy Ashby
Wright Hassall lands major recognition
A well-known Midlands law firm has picked up national honours at a prestigious awards ceremony for its work within the probate sector.
Leamington Spa-based Wright Hassall has been named Best Probate Law Firm for Central England at The UK Probate Research Awards 2021.
The firm’s 12-strong private client team for probate impressed judges with its digital focus and agile response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The firm’s probate team was working remotely and efficiently within 48 hours of the first lockdown, and swiftly introduced a new cutting-edge smartphone technology, Credas, that allowed staff members to verify a client’s identity remotely and securely, alongside conducting video meetings.
The firm’s reaction to COVID-19 lockdowns helped to build on its existing digital commitments, such as storing the majority of files electronically, as well as using an online probate application system to speed up the probate process.
Tracy Ashby, head of Wright Hassall’s private client team, said: “The past year has been an extremely busy one for our department. This award win is testament to the fantastic team work within the firm – from the IT support we have had to enable remote working and no disruption for our clients, through to my team’s sheer hard work in handling rising caseloads.
“Winning an award is great, but to win one that a client has nominated us for is even better. I’d like to thank the national firm of genealogists that we work with for putting us forward for this award.
“To be recognised by awards of this nature alongside other firms in the region underlines the fantastic reputation that we are forging for ourselves as we gear up for another busy year.”
Kevin Johns, managing director of Prime Accountants
Embrace a golden opportunity to save!
There is no question that, for many people across the UK, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in real financial difficulties.
However, being forced to stay inside and not pay for daily commutes, meals out or impulse high-street buys has also helped a great number of people, whose incomes have survived, to bulk up their savings.
It’s widely assumed those who have been able to tuck money away throughout the pandemic will spend a good portion of it in the coming months, as the economy seems poised for a comeback.
However, Kevin Johns, managing director at Midlands accountancy firm Prime Accountants Group, which has offices in Solihull, Birmingham and Coventry, is urging people to evaluate and take stock of their relationship with money before it’s too late.
He said: “The pandemic has turned some people into saving machines, many for the first time in their lives. While this is incredible, it comes with its own set of risks.
“The past year has certainly highlighted how vulnerable many people are to financial shocks. So, it is extremely important they embrace what has been a golden opportunity to save and evaluate how they can continue on this trajectory for future events.
“Put your spending habits into perspective and identify what your monthly income and outgoings are. Make it a habit to set aside a definite amount every month into a savings account – even if it’s a small amount, this can go a long way in helping you out on a rainy day.
“If you’ve historically found sticking to a budget challenging, make use of free budgeting apps that can help you plan better. Transfer the money into a separate bank account so that it’s out of sight and you’re not tempted to spend it.”
For more information visit www.primeaccountants.co.uk
City of Culture offers Coventry extra boost
Coventry’s exciting start as UK City of Culture can help encourage more people back to the city centre, according to business leaders.
Representatives from the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce paid a visit to the city centre to find out how businesses have been faring since the most recent lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.
Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Chamber, Hazel Pilling, membership manager, and Tim Squires, the vice chair of the Chamber’s Coventry branch, went along to Esquires Coffee, which is connected to Coventry Transport Museum.
Tim Squires, Hazel Pilling and Louise Bennett Steven Prime, Tim Squires, Dan Bennett, Louise Bennett, Lyndsay Smith and Hazel Pilling
They met Esquires Coffee owner Steven Prime along with Dan Bennett and Lyndsay Smith, both of Coventry city centre Business Improvement District.
After enjoying a coffee, they headed through Broadgate – which is awash with colourful flags and banners on the back of the launch of Coventry 2021 – before arriving at the new Coventry City of Culture retail outlet in Hertford Street.
Tim said: “It was great to be back in the city centre, having a coffee at Esquires and then seeing some of the work that has helped to improve Coventry as a place to visit.
“There has been a huge spotlight placed on Coventry and with so much media coverage around the launch of UK City of Culture it has really helped to raise the region’s profile.
“It’s important for people to have confidence to return to businesses across the region and I am sure being UK City of Culture and all of the effort businesses have put into being safe and secure will help to do that.”
Steven Prime said: “It was great to host the Chamber and for them to carry the message that we are open for business.”
Lyndsay Smith, hospitality & retail sector support team leader at Coventry BID, added: “We thoroughly enjoyed meeting the Chamber and chatting to them about how much has changed in the city over the last year.”
Tim Squires, Louise Bennett and Hazel Pilling
Boosting trade and jobs in Stratford
Kevin Taylor, Hazel Pilling and Tom Mongan
Representatives from the Chamber paid a visit to Stratford in the hope of starting a chain reaction that boosts trade and jobs in the town.
Tom Mongan, the president of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, donned his ceremonial chain of office as he and membership manager Hazel Pilling met Stratfordupon-Avon Town Council mayor Kevin Taylor.
The trio discussed how the town has been faring as lockdown restrictions have eased over recent months and how the Chamber could support businesses in a range of ways to help them bounce back from the COVID-19 crisis.
Tom and Hazel then visited The Arden Hotel where they met general manager Josefine Blomqvist to find out how it was trading in the current climate.
Tom said: “The businesses we visited made us very welcome and it was great to see people out having food and drink and boosting business in Stratford, all in a very safe and secure environment.
“Kevin is keen to do everything in his power to show that, even with some restrictions still in place, that the town is open for business and for companies to know that they can get support from the Chamber.
“We then moved on to The Arden Hotel where we chatted to Josefine and heard how the business is doing.
“Josefine highlighted a real need to recruit because so many people have left the hospitality industry. This is a situation that we’ve heard from several members in the hospitality trade so we’d encourage people to take a look at the sector again if they are looking for a new career after lockdown.
Josefine added: “If we can get the message out there that there are jobs available and, also, that we are open for business across the town it would be a major boost for the regional economy.”
International contracts lead to expansion plans for security barrier maker
A Coventry-headquartered manufacturer of anti-terrorism bollards, barriers and crash-rated street furniture has announced an expansion of its workforce and operations on the back of two new international contracts.
Safetyflex Barriers has won export contracts to protect government buildings in South Korea and India with its award-winning Truckstopper range of bollards and barriers.
As a result, it is increasing production at its manufacturing facility in Sheffield with a £300,000 investment in new machinery, as well as expanding its headquarters on Boston Place in Coventry by taking an additional 6,000sq ft of space.
The company has also employed a new sales manager. Jeremy Tettmar has more than 25 years’ experience in the perimeter security sector, having previously worked for Cova Security Gates and most recently ATG Access.
Safetyflex Barriers was established in 2010 and now has installed security schemes in more than a dozen countries in five continents
Marcus Gerrard, director at Safetyflex Barriers, said: “South Korea and India are huge marketplaces with massive potential for growth, so we’re delighted to have made a breakthrough there and to be showcasing our innovative and world-leading products in both countries.
“Exports are a key area of growth for us and now account for over a third of our business, and we expect that to reach 50% as our global reputation gathers pace.
“The past year has been incredibly busy, and throughout the course of the pandemic we have seen orders increase, so now seemed like the right moment to grow our facilities and our team as we strive to build on our track record of year-on-year growth.
“We’re also starting to look ahead at the potential positive impact on the security sector as the UK government consults on new Protect Duty legislation that would require venue operators to consider and mitigate the risk of a terrorist attack.”
Hospice ‘passes go’ on new Coventry MONOPOLY board
Six Coventry charities were sought to star on a new official version of MONOPOLY for Coventry – and The Myton Hospices has been announced as the first of them.
The Myton Hospices will be immortalised on the board, on one of the game’s Community Chest spaces. The other five charities will be revealed at a later date. "A big congratulations to Coventry Myton Hospice and an even bigger thank you to everyone who sent in nominations," said George Shrimpton, custom games executive at Winning Moves UK, which is producing the game under licensing from Hasbro.
Myton has three hospices in Coventry, Rugby and Warwick and the only Inpatient beds in Coventry and Warwickshire. Last year, despite the challenges, they still supported 1,400 people and their families in their hospices.
Ruth Freeman, CEO for The Myton Hospices, says: “We are delighted to be part of the new Coventry MONOPOLY game and want to thank everyone who nominated us. Our community is at the heart of our vital work, supporting people with life-limiting illnesses and their families, so to feature on one of the Community Chest spaces is very fitting.”
In April it was announced that Coventry is getting its very own official MONOPOLY game, a generation on from the first time it ‘passed go’. At the time the public was invited to send in suggestions for local landmarks and charities to feature, with more than 30 showcased on the board including the six charities.
Mr Shrimpton added: "We would like to formally thank each and every person who sent in nominations. We feel that charities getting to feature on all of the Community Chest spaces and some of the Community Chest cards is a great fit, bearing in mind the community aspect of these unique MONOPOLY features.”
Major update to Stratford local land charges will speed up process for buyers
A major digital transformation project by HM Land Registry will see the time needed for local land charges (LLC) for properties in Stratford-Upon-Avon slashed to just seconds.
Thia will mark a significant change for homebuyers and residential conveyancers operating in the area.
Typically taking between two to six weeks, waiting for LLC searches takes up a significant proportion of the time needed to purchase a property and can see buyers finding out critical planning information or other restrictions that may alter their decision to proceed, weeks into the process. The new system digitises historic searches back to 1977, providing instant access for lawyers and the public – speeding up the process and creating cost savings. What does this mean for home buyers? Now found online, buyers and solicitors can purchase instant access to LLC search results for a standardised £15 fee.
The search results reveal planning and building regulation information and records such as tree preservation orders that are already registered in Land Registry. The reduction in price of this search function saves money as well as time for house buyers.
What about for conveyancers? Tom Ansell, head of residential conveyancing at Stratford-Upon-Avonbased law firm Shakespeare Martineau, was involved in the initial focus groups that helped shape the product,
He said: “Instant access to local search information is a massive step forward in the UK property sector. Having access from the very start of instruction, whether that be for the buyer or seller, means that conveyancers can view the information from day one, pre-empting information requests from buyers and enabling solicitors on both sides to obtain upfront information about the property.
“Planning information also has an impact on mortgage applications; having access to local and charges data at the decision in principle stage gives greater certainty to mortgage lenders and buyers. Full transparency also prevents the transaction from collapsing down the line, when sellers and buyers have already incurred costs.” David McAtamney (left) with
Mal Brannigan at the DW Stadium
Event security firm lands major deal with DW Stadium
A premier event management specialist in the Midlands has added a major new client to its growing portfolio of top sporting venues.
Coventry-based Stadium, which provides traffic management, security and event services as well as training for a range of organisations, has signed a three-year deal with Wigan Athletic and Phoenix 2021, which owns the DW Stadium in Wigan.
The contract will see Stadium supply 170 staff for at least 40 home fixtures for Wigan Athletic FC and Wigan Warriors Rugby League FC as well as other public events at the stadium.
The roles carried out by Stadium staff will include an operations manager, head stewards, corporate hospitality security staff and stewards, arena stewards and car park marshals.
David McAtamney, owner and founder of Stadium, said: “The DW Stadium is one of the busiest in the country as it hosts major sports all year round so it is a really fantastic contract for us to win.
“We will be providing staff at all levels to ensure that supporters of both Wigan Warriors and Wigan Athletic have a safe and enjoyable experience when they visit the DW Stadium.
“We are recruiting on an ongoing basis as we have so many roles and functions throughout the year. As ever, all of our staff will be highly skilled and fully trained.”
Stadium was formed in 2009 and provides traffic management, event services and training, as well as rental of security barriers, the hiring of stewards and SIA security staff for events. The firm supports events ranging from Olympic Games, to Premier League football matches, sell-out concerts and high-profile conferences.
Mal Brannigan, chief executive of Wigan Athletic and Phoenix 2021, said: “We chose Stadium due to its outstanding track record in ensuring safe venues and occasions which can be enjoyed by supporters of all ages and across various sports.”
