Business Engage Profiles
Midland Heart expands East Midlands operations One of Midland Heart’s latest developments
One of the country’s largest housing associations has expanded its East Midlands operations, building more affordable homes and creating well-paid jobs in the region. Midland Heart, which already delivers homes and services to more than 70,000 customers, currently employs over a thousand colleagues across the Midlands and has continued to recruit and grow throughout the pandemic. Last year, the organisation opened a new office in Hinckley, which houses a depot for its specialist in-house maintenance team and collaboration spaces for other colleagues delivering services locally. The East Midlands Hub supports teams to deliver first-class landlord services across the region and is a demonstration of Midland Heart’s commitment to growth across the East Midlands.
In addition, Midland Heart is on track to build 4,000 high quality and affordable homes before 2025. It currently has more than 600 new homes on site in the East Midlands, including 99 properties in Bagworth Road, Barlestone, and 400 at Drakelow Park. Last year, Midland Heart announced a strategic partnership with Coalville-based emh, which will see them deliver over 3,500 new affordable homes together in the next five years. The organisation also launched a new carbon reduction plan that will see the 34,000-home landlord become carbon neutral by 2050 and deliver the country’s first homes built with 80 per cent less carbon footprint. The plan focuses on reducing the impact every aspect of the organisation has on the environment and the first step has been
to benchmark its carbon footprint, looking at not only the carbon emissions of direct assets, but those of its supply chain and supporting activities. Initial actions include: • Delivering the UK’s first homes built to future home standards in Birmingham, using traditional building methods and local contractors • Moving all properties to EPC band D or above before moving all properties to EPC band C by 2030 • Developing low carbon requirements for new homes alongside delivery partners • Devising a roadmap to bring energy usage down c.20 per cent by 2030 • Setting clear expectations with suppliers and embed sustainability within the procurement process.
Glenn Harris, Chief Executive of Midland Heart, said: “In a period when our external environment has been increasingly unpredictable, I’m proud to say that we have continued to make improvements and grow our operations as we continue our journey to become a first-class landlord. “We are going into 2022 as an engaged and united team which has delivered for our customers and communities in the most challenging of circumstances, and we have clear plans for a more sustainable future improving the carbon footprint of the ways we work, the homes we rent and the homes we build.” For more information, visit www.midlandheartgroup.org.uk
"The organisation has launched a new carbon reduction plan that will see the 34,000-home landlord become carbon neutral by 2050 and deliver the country’s first homes built with 80 per cent less carbon footprint."
DMO launches to drive investment for regional tourism sector A new destination management organisation (DMO) has launched to drive inward investment for travel and tourism in Coventry and Warwickshire. Destination Coventry is serving both leisure and business tourism in the region through its two consumer-facing brands – ‘Visit Coventry’ and ‘Conference Coventry and Warwickshire’. The DMO is a collaboration between Coventry City Council and Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce. Its membership programme has now launched with four levels of membership; Basic, Full and Patron. Businesses across the region have started to sign-up and the DMO is launching an additional membership package specifically for suppliers to the sector. Destination Coventry is responsible for growing and supporting the entire tourism, leisure and hospitality sector regionally, not just for venues, and will be representing the wider industry supply chain. It is collaborating with Visit England, Visit Britain and West Midlands Growth Company on sharing insight and commissioning data-driven research projects to support businesses in making informed decisions. In partnership with Coventry City Council and Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Destination Coventry is also
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working to broker specialist support for businesses across the sector following the Covid-19 pandemic and has already signposted businesses to vital grant funding. This has included a successful bid for addition funding from the Community Renewal Fund to support tourism, leisure and hospitality businesses. Destination Coventry has seen widespread success with its initial marketing campaigns to support businesses in the sector to reach new audiences. This is headlined by the Visit Coventry ‘Winter Wishes’ campaign, which included a television advertising campaign with Sky and a range of other broadcast radio and digital promotion. This resulted in its ‘Winter Wishes’ advert on YouTube receiving circa 1.3 million views.
The team at Destination Coventry
Paul Jones, Managing Director of Destination Coventry, said: “We’re absolutely delighted by the response we have had to our launch and this feels like the ideal time to be bringing a new DMO to the region. “Businesses in tourism, leisure and hospitality have had a very difficult couple of years and we are here to help them rebuild and capitalise on what is set to be a huge 2022 for Coventry and Warwickshire.
"Destination Coventry is responsible for growing and supporting the entire tourism, leisure and hospitality sector regionally, not just for venues, and will be representing the wider industry supply chain."
“We have major national and international events coming to the region this year, from the 2022 Commonwealth Games and Rugby League World Cup, to Radio 1’s Big Weekend and, of course, the final months in our UK City of Culture year. “The first thing visitors by rail to Coventry will see when arriving in the city is our new visitor information centre, and we are opening a second centre at Pool Meadow Bus Station. “We’re excited to be at the heart of the future of tourism in Coventry and Warwickshire.” Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce members can access a ‘Full’ Destination Coventry membership for £150+VAT per annum, discounted from the usual £450+VAT per annum. To find out more about Destination Coventry and the range of membership packages available visit www.destinationcoventry.co.uk
www.cw-chamber.co.uk
