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Cooking up a storm at Royal Ascot

Student chefs from Cambridge Regional College are betting on a winning future after spending a week cooking for racegoers at the prestigious Royal Ascot race meeting. The group, a mix of Level 1 and Level 3 catering students, spent a week away from home, cooking under pressure alongside their teachers in the hot, busy kitchens of the Pavilion Restaurant to serve lunch and afternoon tea to hundreds of racegoers. The opportunity, provided by catering company Sodexo, came about after the Head Chef and HR Manager visited CRC to introduce and help prepare the learners for the challenge. Picked at random, the nine available places filled quickly, and the lucky volunteers spent a week at Royal Ascot learning new skills while gaining invaluable professional experience. CRC Catering Lecturer, Anthony Dunball said: “We catered for approximately 900 meals each day, serving a high-end three course lunch and afternoon tea. The mixture of professionals from Sodexo and our learners was a brilliant blend. There was so much learning taking place with a clear demonstration of hard work, devotion, and resilience from the team. “For all of us, myself included, this was a learning curve beyond all others. The students should be immensely proud of themselves!” The small group of students, some just 17 years old, lived and worked together for a week presenting themselves with professionalism, and consistently working to high standards. The intense environment left them feeling tired and hot with sore feet, but there was a real sense of determination. Sodexo Head Chef, Chris Burrows added: “Cambridge Regional College should be really proud of their learners, they have excelled themselves and should be proud of what they have achieved. It is amazing what happens when you push people outside of their comfort zone.” The students agreed the week had been challenging, but worth every minute.

PDG Architects Ltd are delighted to announce that Kirsten Brown has joined Paul Hutchings and Colan Bartram as a Director of the Practice. Kirsten first came to the Practice 20 years ago for work experience and been involved with the Practice ever since. She spent her summers with them whilst studying at university, returning full time in 2011 and qualifying as an Architect in 2014. Kirsten works on projects across the different sectors and has developed strong client relationships during her time with the Practice. Paul Hutchings said: “Despite the challenging climate of the last two years, the work of the Practice has continued and developed, including moving to our new offices in Warmington, near Oundle, in October 2020. Kirsten has always taken a keen interest in the running of the practice and her appointment as Director was the next natural step. Her enthusiasm and commitment to PDG has been a fantastic asset and will maintain continuity of the Practice moving forward.” Kirsten Brown said: “PDG has been a big part of my life, supporting me through my studies to qualify as an Architect and allowing me to realise my career goals. I’m really excited to start this new chapter and contribute to the future of the Practice.” PDG Architects Ltd has experience on a wide range of projects from small house extensions to large housing developments, commercial, education and community projects. They offer a bespoke service tailored to each client’s requirements. Details of their full services and projects portfolio can be found by visiting www.pdgarchitects.co.uk

New Director appointment for PDG Architects Ltd

Passionate King’s Ely Teacher recognised with national award

A teacher at King’s Ely has been crowned a winner in this year’s Pearson National Teaching Awards. Esmeralda Salgado, who is Head of Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) at King’s Ely, has won Silver in the prestigious award scheme’s ‘Teacher of the Year in a Secondary School’ category. Esmeralda, who joined King’s Ely in 2009 and has been teaching languages for 20 years, is one of 80 Silver Pearson National Teaching Award winners in the UK. Esmeralda is now in the running to win a gold award later in the year. Recognition of this once in a lifetime achievement will be broadcast on the BBC’s ‘The One Show’ as part of a week-long celebration of teaching, which sees famous faces honouring award winners every night in the run up to the ceremony. Esmeralda, who was presented with her silver award at Ely Cathedral during King’s Ely Senior’s Prizegiving Service on 27 May, said: “As an MFL Teacher, I am truly honoured and humbled to receive this award, which is not only national recognition of my work, my MFL Department’s work and my school, King’s Ely’s work, but most importantly, recognition of the hard work, enthusiasm and dedication of all MFL Teachers in the country! I am extremely grateful to the Pearson National Teaching Awards team for giving me this incredible opportunity to celebrate outstanding teaching and learning throughout the UK.” Esmeralda, who was born and raised in Albacete, Spain, has taught languages to students from Key Stage 2 through to Key Stage 5. She is an Advanced Skills Teacher and alongside her role as Head of MFL, has been King’s Ely’s Digital Lead for two years. Esmeralda was instrumental in helping her colleagues develop their online teaching skills when the pandemic struck in 2020. In the classroom, Esmeralda implements informed evidence practice in everyday lessons to foster confident, fluent, independent and creative learners, who have a strong growth mindset. Her goal is the driving force behind the King’s Ely MFL Department, and it is at the core of the Teaching and Learning Steering Group at King’s Ely, to which she belongs. Her approach to teaching informs the school’s Digital Learning Strategy and Languages Curriculum. It is underpinned by Rosenshine’s principles of instruction and research on second language acquisition. In her current position and in her previous role as an Advanced Skills Teacher in the Medway Learning Authority, Esmeralda has supported and coached colleagues within MFL and other curriculum areas, especially NQTs and struggling teachers in Medway schools. She helped them develop their own teaching and learning strategies and boost their confidence, and as a result, that of their pupils. Jane Thomas, Vice Principal Academic at King’s Ely, said: “Esmeralda is one of the most talented, committed and positive teachers I have ever worked with. She is an amazing problem solver and has a ‘can do’ attitude to everything; this was brought home to me more than ever when during the January-March lockdown last year she took on the teaching load of a colleague who was off with long Covid, meaning that at times she was teaching classes of 50+ pupils and ensuring they continued to receive quality feedback on all their work. Alongside this she also mentored members of her team who were at short notice teaching courses unfamiliar to them.” Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “Congratulations to Esmeralda Salgado on this incredible achievement, and for the hard work and dedication which led up to it. Winning this award is impressive, well-deserved and shows Esmeralda’s commitment to helping students achieve their full potential.” The Pearson National Teaching Awards are open to every school across the UK. The awards were established by Lord Puttnam CBE in 1998 and are managed by the Teaching Awards Trust, an independent charity. The vision of the charity is to recognise and celebrate excellence in education. For more information, visit: www.teachingawards.com

Local Charity named In Best Places to work

Local Charity The Edmund Trust; based in Waterbeach, has been named as one of the best companies to work for in the East of England as well as one of the best Charities to work for in the UK. Named as the 14th Best Charity to work for in the UK; and the 31st Best Company to work for in the East of England, The Edmund Trust is a shining example of the care and support given to those with learning disabilities, putting Support Workers at the forefront of its service to those with the most immediate need of support. With services across Cambridgeshire, The Edmund Trust are always on the lookout for local businesses to sponsor, donate or work alongside them in a mutually beneficial way.

Do you have some exciting news to shout about that could be featured on this page? Get in touch. Tel: 01223 237424 email: s.parr@cambscci.co.uk

Intrepid hikers from Stone King more than double fundraising target

A team from Cambridge law firm Stone King completed a 22.5km windy hike in the Peak District to raise funds for two charities and more than doubled their original £1,000 fundraising target. The challenging, seven-hour hike included 850m of ascent and took place on a paid weekday, forming part of the firm’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) scheme for which people are encouraged to take a day every year to support charitable causes. Nicole Reed, Senior Associate at Stone King who organised the hike, said: “It was a great day, we had a good mix of people from all levels and ages and from across our national offices. Some had joined during lockdown and others I hadn’t seen in a long time so it was great from a social point of view, as well as being an opportunity to fundraise.” They set out from Edale at the start of the Pennine Way climbing steeply up onto the southern edge of Kinder Scout. After the team’s first summit of Grindslow Knoll they progressed along Kinder’s southern gritstone edge, with gritstone boulders carved by wind, rain and ice erosion into fascinating and unusual shapes. The second and highest summit was Kinder Low at 633m from where they crossed the head of the valley and passed Jacob’s ladder and on over moorland habitat. They then passed a third summit before ascending onto Rushop Edge and The Great Ridge with a final steep climb to the summit of Mam Tor, and then descended back into Edale to complete the circuit. Nicole, who is a member of Stone King’s CSR team, added: “The most challenging part was facing the final climb, we were all getting tired with aching muscles and feet but there was great camaraderie and we encouraged each other along, even though we were almost blown off Mam Tor!” Guides from Peak Walking Adventures, paid for by the firm, guided the group of 15 Stone King walkers and told them about the history and geology of the National Park along the way. Richard Tower of Peak Walking Adventures said: “It was great walking with such a determined team who exceeded their challenge and remained positive and cheerful throughout, even as they faced their last steep challenge to the summit of Mam Tor! It was a privilege to spend the day with them.” The walkers pledged to raise £500 each for two charities, but have so far raised £822.50 for food bank charity The Trussell Trust and £900 for Refugee Action, which supports refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK. In addition, the Stone King Foundation – the firm’s charitable arm which is run separately with a board of trustees made up of Stone King volunteers – has voted to award an additional £250 per charity, bringing the fundraising total for both to more than £2,200. Anyone wishing to donate, please go to: https://www.justgiving.com/team/SKCSRHIKERS

Murray Edwards futureproofs AV expertise with new appointment

A Cambridge College is strengthening its technical capability with the appointment of Liam Martin as Audio Visual Technician – including meeting the currently changing needs for hybrid events. Responsible for all the AV equipment across the College and conference spaces, Liam runs the technology aspects of all events including sound, live streaming, filming, recording and hybrid elements. Following a first class degree in Audio and Music Technology from Anglia Ruskin University, Liam worked freelance as an audio producer, mostly making podcasts, as well as organising live streams and remote meetings during the pandemic. Liam says: “In my new role I have already worked on some exciting projects with interesting people, including an Art event which included a live link from Ukraine and a session with a BAFTA and Academy Award-nominated film maker about her documentary ‘For Sama’. “Most recently, I have been helping out on an active set on a TV show for a wellknown actor/producer in the lecture theatre I look after. “I am also working on refitting the AV equipment in Paula Browne House, so we can provide broadcast-standard live streams and hybrid events there. It’s a really great development that we are able to support remote participants, anywhere in the world, making events more accessible to a much wider audience.”

DOMINO PRINTING SUPPORTS INTERNATIONAL DAY TO CELEBRATE WOMEN IN ENGINEERING

A Cambridge company has marked this year’s International Women in Engineering Day on Thursday 23 June by paying tribute to some of its female employees working in key technical roles. Domino Printing, a world leader in coding, marking and digital printing technologies used worldwide across a wide range of industries, is committed to helping its staff to progress in their chosen fields. This includes supporting employees studying for additional professional qualifications which will enhance their skillset and personal career development. As a business, it welcomes the annual awareness campaign by the Women’s Engineering Society to highlight the range of rewarding careers available in the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and mathematics which for a long time were more popular with boys. Susan Palmer, Head of Global Pre-Sales, realised at school that she was interested in a technical career which led her to study for a degree in Materials Science including three six-month industrial work placements. “I have held several roles in Domino and having a good technical background has enabled me to use my skills to understand information and explain it in a way that can be understood by people with different backgrounds,” she says. “Studying STEM subjects gives you great future employability with a choice of diverse roles ranging from hands-on testing, building or designing products to supporting the sales or marketing team to ensure a technical message is communicated clearly.” Natasha Jeremic, Digital Printing Ink Development Manager, studied for a degree in Organic Chemical Technology & Polymer Engineering followed by a PhD in Chemical Engineering. She says: “In my current role I enjoy watching our inks start their lives as an early stage concept and then improving, evolving and progressing until they graduate into the fully commercialised products that serve our customers and solve some practical issues for them. “We need to change perception for engineering that it is a man’s world as it would be nothing without women.” Mariam Khalfey, Data Product Owner, is currently expanding her skillset with a secondment in the Advanced Services Team in Product Management. She says: “I was interested in science at school and went on to study Chemistry & Molecular Physics at university which set me up perfectly for becoming a Chemist at Domino. I love my job because it’s varied and every day is different. “As a company, I’ve found that Domino is incredibly supportive of career development and progression, always finding exciting opportunities such as collaborations with external bodies, or with other departments within the business.” Dr Josie Harries, Group Programme Director studied Chemistry at university and joined Domino after completing her PhD in Inorganic Chemistry, since when she has held a number of different roles relating to product development. She says: “I am passionate about the introduction of novel technologies, delivery of new products and understanding the fundamental science and processes that sit behind all these activities. An important and enjoyable part of my job is coming up with new concepts and ideas to improve the business’s capabilities. “I believe that women have an essential role at all levels in STEM and must be supported throughout their careers to achieve their full potential. The STEM environment often goes hand-in-hand with a masculine culture which women can find exclusionary. This reduces diversity of thought and hampers the problem-solving ability required for successful innovation.” Rachel Hurst, Chief Operating Officer, concludes: “The annual International Women in Engineering Day shines a light on successful female role models at different career stages to inspire more women and girls to believe they can do it too. “I trained in Manufacturing Engineering as I like problem-solving and feel good about making a difference. Manufacturing engineers take products from design into manufacture and ensure they meet market needs – it’s a great role to learn about a business and how it runs. Engineering doesn’t have to be male dominated and companies need to do more to be inclusive and inspire women to develop in technical subject areas.”

Do you have some exciting news to shout about that could be featured on this page? Get in touch. Tel: 01223 237424 email: s.parr@cambscci.co.uk

Meet Cambridge welcomes International Association Conferences this Summer

The official conference and events bureau for Cambridge and the surrounding area is preparing to welcome around 850 delegates at three international association conferences during August and September. Founded and funded by the Cambridge Colleges, Meet Cambridge is looking forward to seeing three of its key conferences take place at its member venues across the city, bringing a total of £720,000* economic impact to the local area. First to arrive is the 35th International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences between 15-19 August. With 300 international delegates, the event will be held at three venues: Cambridge Union Society for the Opening Ceremony, Clare College for the conference sessions and King’s College for the Gala Dinner. This biennial conference first held in 1929, discusses topics of heraldic and genealogical interest, bringing together scholars and other interested people from around the world. It was last held in the UK in 1976 and this is its first time in Cambridge. The same month is the International Symposium on Veterinary Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy, originally scheduled for 2020 and now taking place 18-20 August. Attracting 200 international delegates, this is the first time the event has been run as a hybrid conference using the facilities at West Road Concert Hall and Gonville & Caius College. The client is being assisted by Meet Cambridge’s Digital Conference Organiser partner, Opening Doors and Venues Ltd. The event brings together scientists, educators, clinicians, and policy makers to stimulate and support the study of veterinary rehabilitation and physical therapy, and to translate that knowledge into improved animal rehabilitation worldwide. Another conference which has been postponed since 2020 is the 20th Biennial Congress of the European Psychiatric Association [EPA] Section of Epidemiology & Social Psychiatry which is now taking place 8-10 September. To deliver the event for 350 delegates, Meet Cambridge introduced its client to its Professional Conference Organiser partner Suzy Howes & Associates Ltd. Open to delegates from across the world, the biennial conference explores the themes of psychiatric epidemiology, social psychiatry and public mental health. It will be held at three venues: West Road Concert Hall, Darwin College for the Welcome Reception and Selwyn College for accommodation and Gala Dinner. Judith Sloane, Head of Meet Cambridge, said: “We are delighted to finally be able to host these three major conferences at our venues and to welcome delegates from around the world to our wonderful city so they can experience the unique ‘Cambridge Experience’, as well as get together with others in their field. “Our portfolio of more than 50 venues is offering a wide range of spaces, with something suitable for every type of meeting. We are also able to support multi-site events where different venues can be used for different parts of the conference programme.”

____________________________________________________________ *VisitBritain Business Events Research, Delegate Spend and Trip Extensions Report 2017.

New Chief Executive Officer officially opens This Land Showhome

David Lewis, the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of developer This Land™, has officially opened the company’s showhome at Spiregrass Square, their site at Over, Cambridgeshire. David has been Acting Chief Executive Officer for the past 12 months and his appointment has now been made permanent. In his role as Chief Executive Officer, David cut the ribbon on the new four bedroom showhome, The Evergold. Once completed, Spiregrass Square will feature 53 two, three and four-bedroom homes, 21 of which are affordable homes to help meet the needs of the local district. “I’m delighted to have been able to cut the ribbon and officially open the showhome at Spiregrass Square,” said David Lewis. “This is an important project for This Land. It demonstrates our commitment to create much needed quality housing across the region. Interest in the project is very encouraging and work is progressing on target with the first units due to be completed and handed over in the next few months.”