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PET-Xi Business Futures Programme celebrates its 100th Learner!
This month PET-Xi celebrated its 100th learner to sign up for their new Business Futures Programme.
The free six-week Business Futures programme provides budding Warwickshire entrepreneurs with a range of business support and advice as well as the opportunity to take part in a Dragon’s Den-style pitch for the opportunity to receive a £1,000 grant to help launch their idea.
It aims to support jobseekers across the county to develop their entrepreneurial skills to launch a business and become their own boss.
The course includes pre-recorded content, enabling participants to take part at a time that suits them, as well as live weekly webinars, and participants are allocated a business mentor and |can receive a free logo design.
Josh Hall, age 21 from Nuneaton, is unemployed and on Universal Credit and has attended a number of PET-Xi courses in the past which have helped him to develop his employability skills.
He has a keen interest in building and refurbishing computers and had always wanted to set-up his own business in this field, so thought PET-Xi’s Business Futures programme would provide the perfect opportunity to build his knowledge and develop his skills to launch this.
Josh was given access to the pre-recorded online sessions which focus on topics including business structure, registration, developing a business plan, social media, marketing, and competitor analysis.
His business mentor also helped him to develop a business plan for his company Nexuro Limited, which sells refurbished computers, laptops, and electronics. Keen to keep products affordable for customers, he was given advice on achieving this while remaining profitable.
Josh then pitched his business idea to a panel of judges and was successfully awarded a grant of £1,000 to help launch his business.
Gary Drake, of PET-Xi, said: “Josh was extremely enthusiastic about his business idea which will help people in the community who cannot afford brand new computers, laptops, and other electronics by giving them the opportunity to purchase ones that have been refurbished.
“We loved Josh’s business idea. It not only has a focus on sustainability and the environment, ensuring that old electronics are re-used rather than being sent to landfill, and will support a lot of people in the community who might be struggling.
“Our aim with the programme is to support people within the Warwickshire community and give small businesses the opportunity to develop and prosper.
“We were extremely pleased to award Josh a grant of £1,000 to develop his business and look forward to hearing more about his success in the future.”
Business Futures is a governmentfunded programme through the UK Community Renewal Fund, which is allocated locally through Warwickshire County Council. The six-week online programme is delivered by PET-Xi and is open to Warwickshire residents aged between 16 and 65 who are unemployed.
Sam collects the award from Jonnie Irwin and award sponsor Richard Mees from Rainier Developments
Bromwich Hardy graduate surveyor Sam Cooper has been named the Midland’s rising property star – after just one full year in his job.
Sam scooped the Rising Star award at the inaugural Midlands Props awards after judges heard the 25-year-old concluded thirty-four separates in his first full year worth millions of pounds.
Sam said he was hugely honoured to have won the title and paid tribute to his colleagues at Coventry-based Bromwich Hardy for their part in his success.
“I have been fantastically fortunate to start my career at such a wonderful company and to be learning so much from a remarkable team,” said Sam.
Judges were told Sam had secured £1.4million of lease deals for 202,000 sq. ft of space, twenty-two separate industrial lettings worth £1.1 million and six office lettings equating to 40,000 sq. ft.
Awards host Jonnie Irwin – of TV’s Escape to the Country and A Place in the Sun – told guests at the awards ceremony at Birmingham’s Grand Hotel that Sam was like ‘a machine.’
Sam, who joined Bromwich Hardy in July 2022 and who is halfway through a Masters in Real Estate at Birmingham University, added: “It was a real shock to be shortlisted and I never dreamed I would actually win.
“I have had an incredible first year in the job and would like to thank all my clients, colleagues at Bromwich Hardy and most importantly founding partner Tom Bromwich for taking me under his wing and passing on some of his expert knowledge.
“I have my sights firmly set on becoming a chartered surveyor so there is still plenty for me to learn and lots of hard work ahead.”
Tom said: “Sam is a remarkable young man who has made a huge impact both on our business and the commercial property market in the Midlands in general in his first year in the job.
“He has a maturity beyond his years and an understanding both of the industry and – more importantly – the people we do business with, quickly winning their confidence and trust. He is already a key part of our team, and we look forward to working together for many years to come.”
Bromwich Hardy was shortlisted for three awards at the event, also being nominated for best regeneration project with Complex Development Projects for a scheme which including the creation of the Telegraph Hotel Coventry, whilst Tom was shortlisted for office deal of the year for the sale of Bishops House on Tachbrook Park, Warwick.
The awards recognise the leaders making a difference in the world of Midlands real estate and raise funds for Variety, the Children’s Charity.
For more information on the Business Futures Programme and details on how to apply, Email Gary Drake gdrake@pet-xi.co.uk
Sam scoops Rising Star award at prestigious Props
Leading West Midlands pain clinics announce collaboration in UK regulatory medicinal cannabis feasibility trial for chronic pain
Dr Stefaan Vossen (DC) Chronic pain specialist and Clinical Director, Core Clinics, Osteopath and headache and migraine specialist, Katie North, and biomechanics consultant, Tahir Khan. Katie is showing the inhalation device for the medicinal cannabis trial.
Core Clinics, an award-winning polyclinic based near Warwick, will collaborate with LVL Health on their ground-breaking medicinal cannabis feasibility trial for non-cancer chronic pain.
The trial is a Research and Ethics Committee Approved feasibility study for chronic pain treatment using medicinal cannabis. This feasibility study will help inform and finalise the design for the main study which when completed can provide the evidence that medical professionals and governing bodies need to be able to prescribe and pay for the cost of the medicine.
Patients who attend any of the LVL Health referred clinics will be eligible to be considered for the trial. Patients could be prescribed medicinal cannabis delivered via a unique set dosed inhalation dispenser. The effect of the medication on pain and associated symptoms will be monitored closely over time, with results compared to controls for those in the trial. Patients at LVL Health referred clinics are already reporting significant beneficial results including reductions in their usage of prescribed opioid medications and improvements in day-to-day quality of life.
Core Clinics Clinical Director, Dr Stefaan Vossen (DC) says “We are delighted to be working as a preferred clinical partner with LVL Health. In the past few years, we have been in discussions with various organisations in the medicinal cannabis and CBD space. LVL’s team is exceptional, and their clinical approach and trial methodology is incredibly robust. Our collaboration will enable us to offer our patients access to this cuttingedge treatment and give us insight into how combining medicinal cannabis prescribing into our existing clinical protocols can help patients with different chronic pain presentations.”
Tony Samios, Managing Director of LVL Health says “We are extremely excited to be working with Core Clinics who we consider to be at the top of their game. Their multi-disciplinary approach to pain management means that LVL’s unique offering fits perfectly into their existing treatment regimens and can help open up even more effective, non opioid treatments for Core Clinics’ patients.
We use a scientifically selected medicinal cannabis formulation that has the best potential benefit for pain management. We deliver this product using a user-friendly world-class inhalation device. A mobile app allows for the collection of data pertaining to the patient's quality of life and health improvements. Our data collection methodology has been designed to assist NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) and the NHS (National Health Service) in their decision-making process to allow the eventual opening up of cannabis to be prescribed on the NHS.”
Patients and clinicians who are interested in finding our more can contact LVL Health or Core Clinics, or visit www.lvlhealth.co.uk or www.coreclinics.co.uk
College recognised for innovative engineering courses
Staff, students and apprentices at Warwick Trident College held a celebration event as a prestigious prize which recognises its innovative engineering training arrived at the college.
WCG (formerly Warwickshire College Group) was presented with The Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education last month and for the first time, staff and students at the college were given a chance to see the award.
The prize was awarded to the college group for its pioneering work in the engineering sector, and Warwick Trident College is one of WCG’s three centres of engineering excellence – alongside Evesham College and Rugby College.
Angela Joyce, CEO of WCG, showed staff and students the prize which had been presented to her by His Royal Highness Prince Charles in a ceremony held at St James’s Palace.
It’s the first stop in the college group’s plans to take the prize around all of its colleges in Warwickshire and Worcestershire, allowing staff to see the reward for their work in developing engineering sector training over the last 25 years.
WCG has been a trailblazer for employer-centric engineering provision for more than 25 years and has seen its engineering apprentice numbers grow from 40 in 1996 to 1,195 in 2021.
Warwick Trident College was at the centre of the college group’s bespoke training programme with Jaguar Land Rover and now works with a range of major companies to train their apprentices.
Angela Joyce, CEO of WCG, said: “Warwick Trident College has been right at the heart of our continued success in engineering, so it was a pleasure to be able to bring the Queen’s Anniversary Prize to the college and share it with our staff and students.
“The work we’ve done at Warwick Trident College over the last
Angela Joyce and Alan May (front) with staff, students and apprentices at Warwick Trident College.
25 years with our pioneering approach to employer-led engineering training was a vital aspect in winning the prize.”
