12 minute read
Worcestershire Works Well
TIME TO CHANGE .... IT’S TIME TO TALK AND ENGAGE AGAIN
The Time to Change Worcestershire team is part of a national network of community volunteers that look to address the stigma and discrimination around poor mental health by engaging with the community they live in and sharing their stories and experiences. The Worcester Time to Change Champions group is very active and has around 15 members that have attended many local events such as the Malvern Spring Fair, Pershore Plum Festival, and Malvern Pride, creating opportunities for people to do something creative and share experiences of mental wellbeing and associated local support services. During the Pandemic however, the opportunity to engage face to face was restricted and so the team ventured online and held a number of successful online events. Over the next few weeks and months, the Champions are looking forward to attending local events again and chatting face to face with the community. Why not visit the team at the next event at Worcestershire Pride on September 18. The Time to Change Worcestershire Champions are always happy to gain new members, but anyone can apply for the £500 grant to run their own events to help address the stigma around mental health. If you would like more information about becoming a champion, to find out how you can get involved as an employer or how to apply for a grant, visit the website: www.comfirst.org.uk/ worcestershire_time_to_change1 or email:
Advertisement
timetochangeworcestershire@comfirst. org.uk.
DEMENTIA CENTRES OPEN IN WORCESTER AND MALVERN
Age UK Worcester & Malvern Hills have set up 5 new Dementia Meeting Centres to support people living with dementia, their families and carers. The team are also seeking volunteers who would like to help out. Social contact is so important to all of our lives, but a dementia diagnosis can often be a tremendously isolating experience. At Age UK Worcester & Malvern Hills, they understand the importance of companionship and maintaining links with the outside world, which is why (in partnership with other local organisations) they are opening 4 Dementia Meeting Centres. Dementia Meeting Centres are a great low-cost community-based way of supporting people living with dementia, their families & carers. They provide a place where people are supported to understand and adapt to living with dementia. Each centre is led by trained and experienced staff and volunteers, in an ideal environment. They welcome anyone who has a suspected or confirmed diagnosis for dementia. There is no need for a confirmed diagnosis though, everyone is welcome. The meeting centres work best when a family member or a carer comes along, although, you can choose not to stay if you prefer. More information can be found here www.ageuk.org.uk/worcester-malvernhills/our-services/dementia-meetingcentres.
PUBLIC HEALTH LAUNCH NEW ADULT OBESITY CAMPAIGN
Public Health England has launched the latest Better Health campaign, to encourage adults across the nation to lose any excess weight, eat more healthily and get active this summer. The new campaign offers free evidence-based support and guidance to those working towards a healthier weight. There are a variety of NHS endorsed apps which will help people to introduce changes that will help them eat better and get active this summer, including the newly updated NHS Weight Loss Plan app. New research, published by Public Health England, suggests that those who used and followed the NHS Weight Loss Plan app over 12 weeks, reported a loss on average of almost a stone (5.8kg). The move follows a nationwide survey of over 5,000 adults has revealed that over 4 in 10 (41%) adults in England say they have put on weight since the first lockdown in March 2020. A high proportion (89%) of adults who said they gained weight since March 2020 said it was important for them to introduce new healthy habits this summer, with nearly half (49%) saying they would like to have a healthier diet. Half of adults (53%) feel optimistic about making the changes they desire, and a majority (57%) would welcome more advice on eating more healthily, ideas for doing so on a budget, and ideas for exercise routines. More information is available, search ‘Better Health’ or visit nhs.uk/BetterHealth for free tools and support to start leading a healthier lifestyle today.
RECYCLING COMPANY LAUNCHES NEW GLASS RECYCLING PROJECT
A Herefordshire company is using pedal power to launch a new glass recycling scheme for the city – with help from a grants programme supported by the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership.
Hereford Pedicargo will use its fleet of specially-designed bikes to collect glass from businesses across the city before turning it into sand to use in sandbags to help prevent flooding. The company – which already runs a successful trade waste recycling service which collects thousands of tons a year – has now been awarded just over £8,000 from the Small Equipment Grant scheme to help buy a hammer mill to grind the glass down to sand. The grant scheme, which is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and supported by the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership and Marches Growth Hub, is part of a £3million funding package which also includes the Marches Building Investment Grant. Will Vaughan, from Pedicargo, said the grant would help it develop a new sustainable, hyperlocal glass recycling service – which would be carbon positive because it used cargo push bikes to collect the waste.
“We needed an 11kw hammer mill at our depot to process the glass into sand, which is where the Small Equipment Grant comes in – helping us to purchase the mill and turning the scheme into reality.” Programme manager Caroline Cattle said Pedicargo’s environmental credentials and vision for growth made it a perfect candidate for the grant. Grants of between £1,000 and £10,000 are available under the programme, which is open to small and medium-sized companies across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin. The grant is available as a contribution of up to 50 per cent and primarily covers B2B companies. More details of the scheme are available through the Marches Growth Hub. The Marches Growth Hub Herefordshire can be contacted at
business@herefordshire.gov.uk
Herefordshire Council is the accountable body for the scheme. Full details are available from the programme team on seg@herefordshire.gov.uk or by calling 01432 261511.
ERDF LOGO
A5 DOUBLE SIDED LEAFLET
Front page high level information
Marches Small Equipment Grant (SEG)
Capital grants up to a maximum of £10,000 are available for SMEs to purchase new equipment that will create new jobs, boost productivity or develop new products and services
pictures
Find out more at
(https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/info/200139/community/393/community_funding_advice_and_ business_grants/14 - REDUCE LINK SIZE PLEASE
Email: seg@herefordshire.gov.uk
Call: 01432 261511
Bottom of Logos: LEP/ HC/ Teford and WC/ Shropshire C/ Midlands Engine
Back page of Leaflet:
Eligible Applicants:
✔ Businesses must be located in the Herefordshire, Shropshire or Telford and Wrekin area. ✔Employ fewer than 250 employees ✔Have a turnover of less than the equivalent of £50m euros p.a. or balance sheet less than £43m euros ✔Trade mainly on a business to business basis (B2B) ✔ Will create new employment opportunitiesSEG HALF PAGE ADVERT HFD3648.indd 1 ✔ Will create a new product or service to be provided to other businesses
DO YOU NEED MORE BUILDING SPACE?
WILL YOU BE CREATING NEW JOBS?
It’s a question Harrison Clark Rickerbys’ free Cyber Conference, which runs 21-23 September 2021, aims to answer.
Cyber-attacks are a very real threat for businesses today. The most recent research from Ipsos MORI found that four in ten UK businesses reported cyber security breaches or attacks in 2020.1 One in five of those reported losing money, data or other assets. One in three reported negative impacts including having to implement new post-breach measures, seeing staff time diverted or suffering wider business disruption.2 But how can you protect your business against the threat of a cyber-attack, especially in a post-pandemic world where remote and hybrid working patterns are more likely? It’s the subject of Harrison Clark Rickerbys’ biggest ever virtual event, The Cyber Conference. The fully funded conference
runs 21-23 September and it brings together experts and business leaders from across the country alongside risk advisory and technology lawyers from Harrison Clark Rickerbys (HCR). There are over 40 speakers and 25 sessions across the three days and you can attend as many as you like. Here’s a taste of what to expect.
DAY ONE: BUSINESS CONTINUITY
The first day of the conference looks closely at how to ensure business continuity in the face of cyber threats. There will be sessions on insider threats and commercial espionage with experts from HCR and global firm, FTI Consulting as well as AI for cybersecurity innovation with Cardiff University’s Prof. Pete Burnap. There will be practical advice on getting your contracts and policies right and cryptoassets and their taxation in the UK. You can learn what you need to know about cyber insurance with experts from HCR, CFC, Canopius, Axis and Lime Street Brokers.
DAY TWO: START-UP TO SCALE UP
Day two of the conference is for start-up and growing businesses. Highlights include the growth story of Awen Collective. There will be sessions on how to spot an insider threat in your growing business with Susanna Berry of Blacksmiths Group and digital asset recovery strategies with Hon J Brazier of CiRO™ Global Risks. There’s a session with speakers from HMT LLP and Horizon considering one of the perennial questions for growth tech business – is it better to sell out, partner up, or carry on? You’ll also be able to see just how easy it is to hack into a system with a live demonstration from ethical hacker Mike G.
DAY THREE: FUTURE GAZING – STAYING IN CONTROL
The final day of the conference looks to the future. Sessions include a look at the National Digital Exploitation Centre and cyber education with Holly-Marie Lidbury of the University of South Wales. Elsewhere there will be discussions on cyber governance for directors, policing cyber, cyber in major infrastructure and the risks and opportunities of personal digital assets. You can also hear how to fight back with Jerry Bessette, formerly of the FBI.
Whether your interests are personal or business-related, the Cyber Conference will help you to minimise the risk of cyber threats. It promises to be an invaluable event.
Kristine Scott
TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES
Running parallel to the conference sessions there will be a technology showcase that will help you get to grips with what your business needs to know about emerging cyber tech. Plus there will be networking opportunities with open drop-in sessions at the end of day one and day two as well as an in-person drinks and networking session to celebrate the end of the conference on day three.
PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS FOR THE FUTURE
The Cyber Conference promises to be a fascinating, frightening and ultimately valuable event that will give you a solid understanding of how to manage the risks that may threaten you and your business. To see the full schedule and book your free place, visit www.hcrlaw.com/event/thecyber-conference/
MAINTAINING YOUR PRODUCTIVITY WITH EXCELLENT PHOTOCOPIER SUPPORT
Clarity Solutions supply multifunctional printers from manufacturers like Sharp, Sindoh and Olivetti. Clearly, these products are not unique to us. What sets us apart is the quality of the service we offer.
Most of our stock is imported and we have worked hard recently to strengthen the relationships with our suppliers, enabling us to ringfence machines and secure stocks of consumables, so we can maintain that quality service despite the challenges of Covid, Brexit and ships stuck in the Suez Canal!!
Our photocopier service contracts operate on a cost per copy model, based on monthly meter readings, and include:
All toners and consumables
Remote toner monitoring so replacements arrive before you need them All service and maintenance including parts
Remote or on-site engineer assistance If possible, we solve issues quickly on the phone or by accessing your network remotely (with digital permission). If it needs an engineer visit, we carry comprehensive parts stocks on our vans, fixing over 95% of issues on the same day Managed by our Service Director Mark Berryman, our engineers are the friendly face of our business and the conversations they have with customers often uncover additional opportunities to support them, such as:
Improving efficiency by training staff on advanced machine features
Offering information on new products that may be better suited to your needs Advising on hybrid working solutions, from home office desktop printers to interactive collaboration screens which we also supply Even if you’re a limited company and want to take up the current tax incentives for the outright purchase of new equipment you can still benefit from our ongoing service contract, they’re not just for lease customers. To discuss your business’s multifunctional printer provision and maintenance give us a call on 01905 721400 or email
sales@claritysolutions.co.uk. www.claritysolutions.co.uk
No time for marketing?
We Are Marketing do. You work hard, so we work hard to be the best support. Whether developing marketing plans, finding creative ways to engage your customers or just being your ‘virtual’ marketing team, we pride ourselves on our flexibility, agility and the ability to scale for any requirements. Whatever size of business, you still need a marketing plan that delivers to your business goals. Chat to us to see how we can help you make your marketing happen.
I attended a one to one session ran by Heather. Her marketing knowledge was presented so well. The level of detail was really inciteful and gave me the tools I needed to help me in my role. Sometimes the concept of marketing can seem overwhelming but she helped to break it down and define a clear process. Thank you. Right Hand Woman, The Workplace A forensic approach to identifying the right problem to solve and uncovering the right insights to delivery, tremendous value, always on time and on budget. Head of User Experience, Cambridge University Press ”
