Cambridge & South Cambs area news

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Ashtons Legal assist on formation of multimillion pound oat processing plant

A multidisciplinary team from Ashtons Legal has recently advised Camgrain Stores Limited in relation to their involvement in a new multi-million pound, state of the art, oat processing plant in Northamptonshire. The other parties involved in the creation of new entity Navara Oat Milling Limited were Frontier Agriculture Limited and Anglian Maltings (Holdings) Limited. Along with Camgrain Stores, the plant will be owned and run through the new Navara Oat Milling brand. The Kettering plant, which has already started to be constructed, will be the largest, most modern oat-processing facility in Europe. Expected to complete in 2023, it will produce oat ingredients for the food and drink industry. Advising Camgrain Stores on the venture were partners Paul Whittingham and Geoff Hazlewood from Ashtons’ Corporate and Commercial Team. They were ably assisted by partner Simon Cunningham from the firm’s top-tier Agriculture & Estates Team. Paul Whittingham said: “Myself and the team at Ashtons’ are delighted to have assisted Camgrain and their co-operative members on this exciting project which will meet the ever increasing demand for oat ingredients which we all use in our dayto-day lives.”

The Cambridge donates extra £160k for local charity grants

The Cambridge Building Society has donated a further £160,000 from dormant accounts to provide grants to local charities that support homes and housing. The additional funds mean The Cambridge Building Society Community Fund’s grant pot now has more than £650,000 available for local charities to apply for. Chief Executive, Peter Burrows, said: “We are delighted to top up our fund with additional money to support charitable groups committed to helping vulnerable people with their housing needs. “The grants we have already awarded are having an impact on the lives of local people. We are committed to ensuring we do everything we can to support a range of community groups and charities who face increasing challenges at this time.” Four local charities have so far been awarded grants – homeless accommodation service, Cambridge Cyrenians, charitable housing association, CHS Group, support centre, Wintercomfort and Disability Huntingdonshire, which provides advice and support for older people. The Society launched its charitable fund in September 2020 with an initial £500,000 made available through its participation in the Dormant Assets Scheme, a UK Government programme that enables financial institutions to use dormant funds for the public good. The Fund can be accessed via a twice yearly grant application programme, which awards up to £10,000 to charities, community groups and organisations operating within a 15 mile radius of The Cambridge’s branch and store network. It is just one of a number of initiatives in the ‘Making The Difference’ community programme - the Society’s commitment to find new ways to help people have a home, and to work with the community to support those who offer services for shelter and housing. The Cambridge was one of the first building societies to sign up to the Dormant Assets Scheme and has since been advising others who want to undertake similar projects.

CAMBRIDGE & SOUTH CAMBS AREA

DOMINO UK ACTIVITY WEEKEND RAISES FUNDS FOR CHARITIES

Thirty one Domino UK employees and their families took part in the virtual event, travelling the equivalent distance between the company’s sites in Bar Hill Cambridgeshire, Liverpool and Stirling. Over the two days, a combined total of 655 miles and 144 hours of activity were clocked up. Not only were the participants promoting well-being and health, they also raised a total of £1,300 which was match-funded by Domino to give a total of £2,600 to be shared between the MS Society and FND Hope which supports those with Functional Neurological Disorder. Both charities were close to the heart of two former Domino employees who have been diagnosed with the conditions. Rachael Satchwell, Head of UK Sales at Domino, said: “This was an inspiring initiative which allowed staff from all our UK sites to take part with their families. Not only did it provide an incentive to get out and exercise in the fresh air, it also raised valuable funds for two important charities. We hope to make it an annual event.”

The pioneering centre for environmentally friendly technology in the UK, Cambridge Cleantech, has marked its tenth birthday with a call for more companies to join its multi million pound pan-European success story. The COP26 United Nations climate change summit in Glasgow has emphasised the importance of working towards a greener future, and the opportunities for innovators and investors in the sector. Cambridge Cleantech is helping to turn this strategic ambition into reality on the ground for the future of the planet. Since its founding in 2011, Cambridge Cleantech has helped ground-breaking start-ups and entrepreneurs raise more than £135 million in backing, seen £26 million invested in climate friendly technology through collaborations with corporates, and saved 216,000 tonnes of CO2 being released into the atmosphere a year. Martin Garratt, CEO of Cambridge Cleantech, said: “After 10 years promoting climate technologies, it is heartening to see the cleantech sector at the top of the political agenda. There has never been a more urgent time to support the cleantech sector and we will continue to play a pivotal role in bringing climatefocused innovators, corporates, investors and academics together. The solutions are already there, they now need to be implemented, and while we are pleased that political leaders have made a commitment to cutting emissions and accelerating the phasing down of coal, it is crucial that these agreements translate into firm action if we are to have any chance of staying within the 1.5C target.”

UKs first Cleantech Cluster celebrates 10 years

New Strategic Land Manager joins This Land

Dominic Bryant has joined housebuilder This Land as Strategic Land Manager. He will be joining the company’s Land Team in an appointment that reflects the planned, structured growth of the company. Previously Senior Surveyor at multidisciplinary property consultants Bidwells, Dominic has a wealth of experience in the acquisition and promotion of land for residential development. His previous role saw him act on behalf of landowners in relation to the sale of land as well as developing and undertaking disposal strategies, monitoring strategic land promotions and acting on behalf of developers to acquire strategic sites. His role at This Land will see him lead on specific land projects including the acquisition of sites for potential development. He will assist with strategic land promotions and purchases, through to sale or development by This Land. He will also assist with sites where This Land will act as master developer.

CAMBRIDGE & SOUTH CAMBS AREA

A fresh start for the Alliance Française Cambridge

Our charitable organisation Alliance Française Cambridge has had a bit of a makeover! After 10 great years at 60 Hills Road, we have moved to new premises at 1 Red Cross Lane, not far from Addenbrooke’s. With our new modern premises we remain ready to continue our mission to serve the heart of cosmopolitan Cambridge This new beginning is perfectly timed in a year which is all about coming back together. The Alliance Française Cambridge opened the new academic year on 4 September, welcoming French learners from 3 to 89 years old. The teaching team is complete, and ready to support members new and old alike. A full course of Covid friendly events is currently being put together where we look forward to meeting old friends again and will be delighted to welcome new Francophones and Francophiles. Next year we will celebrate our 40th anniversary in Cambridge. Stay tuned for news of how we plan to celebrate this milestone. In today’s world, fluency in a foreign language is increasingly expected, especially in a multilingual city like Cambridge, so, whether you’re planning a week in Montreal, a weekend in Paris hoping to (re)discover Maupassant, keen to talk about Lupin during your lunch break, helping your children with their French studies, or simply trying to brush up on the basics, we are the ideal partner to accompany you step by step as you progress towards your goals. You may have French-speaking friends, a francophone partner or even a French grandmother. Wouldn’t it be great to surprise them with your French skills? More than 550 people have already taken the plunge this year and become members of the Alliance Française Cambridge – why not you? With l’Alliance Française Cambridge, it’s easier than you think!

Guardtech Cleanrooms – the total controlled environment package

How the controlled environment all-rounders are catering to every aspect of their clients’ critical needs. 2021 has been quite a year for Guardtech Cleanrooms – and things are set to get even better over the coming 12 months for the multi-faceted modular masters. The Suffolk company have been providing their turnkey construction services, modular cleanroom builds, CleanCube portable cleanrooms and ISOPOD pop-ups at sites all over the UK, with concurrent 400sqm and 150sqm projects currently underway for Grade C and Grade D cleanrooms in Cambridge and Sevenoaks respectively. Guardtech provide a surprisingly comprehensive array of furniture and equipment options to all their clients – from cleanroom grade chairs, sinks and cabinets to biological safety cabinets, laminar flow units and transfer hatches. Commercial Manager Daisy said: “Our stainless steel frame Trespa top workbenches have proved incredibly popular this year – due to their outstanding quality level at really competitive prices, and that’s a good example of the sort of item we’re providing in large numbers for many of the jobs we take on. “With the pandemic and all the associated PCR testing, we’ve had to provide a huge number of biosafety cabinets for firms looking to protect their staff and their businesses. “This is only going to grow over the next year as we get our teeth into another jam-packed construction schedule.”

Stone King rated a top law firm by The Times

Cambridge law firm Stone King has once again been recognised for its expertise in both education and charity law by its inclusion in The Times Best Law Firms 2022 list of top 200 legal practices in England and Wales. The firm has been included since the list’s inception in 2018. The renewed listing follows top rankings in the latest Legal 500 and Chambers independent directories. The annual list is compiled independently and based on peer review. Alison Allen, Chairman and Head of Private Client at Stone King, said: “It means a lot to us that our colleagues in the legal profession have been consistently recommending us for our expertise. We thank them and are proud of the level of skill, knowledge and experience of our people across all our specialist fields of education, charity and social enterprise, business and private client and we always strive to provide the best service we can for our clients.” The current list, published on 4 November 2021, has been compiled independently based on more than 4,500 respondents, recommending who they consider to be the best firms in respective legal fields. The firms that achieve the most votes are included in the list of top 200 legal practices in England and Wales. Checks are in place to prevent respondents voting multiple times or for their own firm.