31 minute read
CHAMBER NEWS
Rapid recovery for jobs market
The East Midlands jobs market is picking up faster than just about every region in the country, according to the latest Government figures.
Between January and March this year, the region’s unemployment rate for people aged 16 and over was 4.9% – a 1% decrease on the previous three-month snapshot from October to December 2020.
This trend is well above the -0.3% change to the national unemployment rate and the joint-fastest decrease in people out of work proportionally alongside the North East.
Scott Knowles said: “With business confidence higher than at any point in the pandemic, companies are gearing up to capitalise on a full reopening of the economy and restarting pre-Covid projects that had stalled, both of which demand more resources.
However, the Government must be prepared to intervene further in the jobs market if necessary as the squeeze on business cashflow from any marked delay to the planned full reopening of the economy may trigger renewed job losses.”
Rail reform must make improvements
Making travel “easier, cheaper and more reliable” must be at the heart of the Government’s rail reforms, says the Chamber.
New public body Great British Railways has been set up to set timetables and prices, sell tickets and manage rail infrastructure.
A new flexible season ticket will also be launched for people who commute two or three times a week, which Scott Knowles identified as a key move due to an expected hybrid future of home and office working.
He added: “The success of Government’s plans will be judged by whether they make travel easier, cheaper and more reliable, which will be crucial in getting more people onto trains and more sustainable modes of public transport.
“It’s important the move towards greater public ownership isn’t allowed to hinder innovation, and it’s absolutely crucial that investment now follows to bring our ageing rail infrastructure into the 21st Century.”
Economy takes centre stage in Queen’s Speech
A lifetime skills guarantee, commitment to levelling up and planning reforms were the cornerstones of a business-heavy legislative agenda announced during the Queen’s Speech.
Chamber chief executive Scott Knowles said it was “encouraging” to see the economy take centre stage as it signposts businesses where to invest – with a nod made to the East Midlands freeport as confirmation of National Insurance Contributions Bills detailed the tax breaks available.
Commenting on the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill, which gives people access to high-quality education and training throughout their lives, he said: “Closer ties between local employers and further education providers are crucial if we are to make
meaningful strides towards the upskilling agenda and have a tangible impact on productivity.”
Meanwhile, Scott said the planning reforms should consider the role of industries such as logistics, which require more land availability “to meet the significantly growing demand for warehouse space”, and urged the Government to show it was serious about the levelling up agenda by finally confirming HS2 Phase 2b in its entirety.
“This is a ready-made tool that has the ability to deliver some form of levelling up by increasing capacity for freight on our railways – something that’s crucial for an area that makes and moves a huge proportion of the nation’s goods –while delivering inward investment to the area around the proposed Toton HS2 hub station,” he added.
Reopening of hospitality is a key milestone
The reopening of indoor hospitality marks a “crucial milestone” in the roadmap to recovery, believes the Chamber.
Scott Knowles said it provides “far more certainty about what lies ahead” for businesses and communities.
He added: “Hospitality businesses have been hit harder than most during the pandemic, but we’ve argued all along that they will be viable in a fully functioning and open economy. So it’s vitally important our communities are ready to support them now they are able to once more.”
He pointed out how the Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey for Q1 2021 showed business confidence was returning strongly. A net 53% of businesses expected their turnover to improve over the coming year and a net 35% anticipated profits to rise.
Scott added: “For this belief to be maintained, businesses will need to see today as just one more step towards normality. That means they require certainty about what the future holds, including the fourth stage of the roadmap commencing irreversibly as planned on 21 June.”
Meanwhile, the Chamber also welcomed the reopening of borders via the Government’s traffic light system for international travel.
But Scott said clarity on quarantine guidelines was vital and for costs of tests to be minimised, while calling for popular holiday destinations to be added to the green list as soon as it was safe to do so.
Lucy Robinson
Chamber offers a top place to work
Creating a family-like workplace culture with complete transparency and strong support has helped the Chamber to be recognised as one of the top organisations to work for in the region.
The organisation features in two categories of the Best Companies to Work For lists released –The Midlands’ 100 Best Companies to Work For and the national Business Services’ 20 Best Companies to Work For.
It follows in-depth staff surveys by the industry-leading employee engagement specialist that reflected well on a steady programme of changes in recent years to improve workplace culture at the Chamber, which employs 180 people across offices in Chesterfield, Derby, Leicester, Nottingham, Glossop and Mansfield.
These include improving internal communication methods, establishing new online meetings in which all employees are invited, and adopting and benchmarking against a set of values.
The Chamber’s director of resources and HR lead Lucy Robinson said: “We set out a vision about five years ago to make the Chamber a better place to work and one where people can thrive. We’re trying to create a culture where it feels more like a family than just a workplace.
“Improving our internal communication has been at the centre of this work and we’ve found the weekly all-staff meetings we hold have made it a lot easier and quicker to get messages out.
“By becoming a more supportive employer, people will feel like they can bring their whole self to work. It all comes back to the work we’ve done to build our values and the responses in the survey corroborated this.”
Chamber chief executive Scott Knowles said: “Being recognised in the Best Companies to Work For list, is a huge achievement for our organisation and the work we’ve done over the past five years or so. It’s about valuing our people so they feel respected in the work they do, which in turn means we can provide the best service to our 4,000-plus members.”
Pandemic has impacted needs of entrepreneurs
The Chamber offers initiatives and programmes to support businesses across the whole spectrum, ranging from start-ups to established forces. In her role as start-up adviser manager, Abigail Phillips (pictured) helps to guide people at the very beginning of their business journey – and has noticed a shift in the demographics and needs of new entrepreneurs during the pandemic, as she explains.
The past 14 months has sparked a real shift in the lives we all lead but here at the start-up team, we have seen how that translates in the world of work and the economy.
The D2 Business Starter Programme – which helps people move into self-employment and develop their ideas into commercially viable businesses –has welcomed 200 individuals from a mix of age, gender, ethnic and economic backgrounds. The free workshops we deliver in conjunction with Derby City Council and Derbyshire County Council have ensured their foundations are strong for starting a business.
As furlough and, for some, redundancy hit many people, 2020 brought a change in clients. With the help of Way2Work, which is aimed at people who are facing personal and economic barriers to finding work, the number of people unemployed joining the D2 Starter workshops has more than doubled since the last project.
NEW TRENDS IN BUSINESS START-UPS
We have also seen a move away from cottage industry-type businesses towards consultancy, wellness and online retail as the opportunity to set out on their own has been grabbed by some. The demographics have changed too. In the past, we found a much more even split between genders, with the majority of participants being over 30.
Today we have found the amount of people under this age has increased by 7% and shifted from being more popular among women to a 60:40 male-female ratio. This could be down to changes in current lifestyles with different demands on home life and the fine juggling act that many are facing.
However, the one thing we have seen was an alteration of timeframes. Historically, many people don’t look to take a wage in their first year of business, but this need has changed.
People are setting up their businesses out of necessity and need to draw an income sooner. Many are now looking at how they can immediately draw money to support themselves.
In the Sheffield City Region, where our Chamber is active, Scaleup 360 has been there to support high potential new businesses and start-ups. It gives them the skills and next-level help, such as prototyping and packaging design, to really help them shoot for the stars.
It is our privilege to help all these people along their journey. One-to-one support from our business advisers to help with the finer details, as well as look for funding opportunities, is offered from all our programmes, giving a leg up to those in need of speed with clear direction across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
HINTS AND TIPS FOR STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS
1. Know what it is that you will be doing. An elevator pitch is as much for you as the person you are talking to. Understanding your business offering and being able to tell someone in a clear and defined way is essential. 2. Write a business plan. It doesn’t need to be long but it is part of your story. Knowing what you would like to achieve really does help you fulfill your ambitions. 3. Consider your finances. How much will it take to get your venture off the ground? 4.Find a business best friend. Running your own business can be lonely and don’t expect your best friend, mum or sibling to understand what you’re going through. Join our workshops and meet likeminded people, the ones that are going through the same things as you. Take advantage of our business advisers and ask for help. You are not alone. 5. Be realistic. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Report outlines the next normal
New ways of working introduced during the pandemic offer opportunities for both employers and staff, according to a new report by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and Barclays LifeSkills.
Titled The Next Normal: Futureproofing the Workforce for a Post-Pandemic World, it reveals the thoughts of businesses on futureproofing the workplace for a post-Covid world.
Among the key findings of research conducted between November 2020 and February this year are that employees’ mental health and digital skills will become increasingly important, while employers must be ready to adapt their training priorities to help the next generation of school-leavers enter a markedly changed workplace.
In terms of attracting new talent digitally, businesses found online recruitment processes had given them access to a much larger pool of candidates.
Hannah Essex, co-executive director of the BCC, said: “This report tells us that companies are now looking to the future of the workforce and are keen to grab hold of opportunities for greater productivity and improved wellbeing for their employees.
“But firms will need more support to ensure their staff thrive. The capability to adapt to shifting training priorities and new ways of working across the board will be a key strength for any organisation.”
THE NEXT NORMAL FUTUREPROOFING THE WORKFORCE FOR A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD
Supported by
Sharing success stories from the Kickstart Scheme
Diane Beresford
More than 500 young people have found employment after the Chamber played a pivotal role in the Kickstart scheme.
About 1,500 vacancies are also live – like the starters, based mostly in the East Midlands – after the organisation worked with 640 employers to date to create the sixmonth work placements.
Employers that want to create Kickstart roles – which are aimed at people aged 16 to 24 who are on Universal Credit or at risk of longterm unemployment – often use gateway organisations such as the Chamber to apply to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for a grant to cover the costs.
Diane Beresford, the Chamber’s deputy chief executive and Kickstart lead, said: “We’re so proud to have played a key role in giving young people a chance they may not otherwise have had. After spending many months working with employers on their applications, it’s incredibly exciting and rewarding to see the fruits of our labour as people now start their jobs.
“Businesses taking part are playing a vital role in their communities by supporting and preparing our future workforce, while they also benefit from a relatively risk-free opportunity to
KICKSTART CASE STUDY: BIRCH PRINT, ILKESTON
Taking on five Kickstarters was a “no-brainer” for Birch Print, a specialist print management company in Ilkeston.
The family-run business, founded 35 years ago, had reached the point when it needed to expand its team of nine but felt restrained by the uncertainty of the pandemic.
By using the Kickstart scheme, it has hired an admin assistant, marketing assistant, sales support officer, warehouse assistant and studio technician in recent months.
Joint owner and sales director Andrea Priestley said: “The uncertainty of the past year has brought a sense of cautiousness that avoids going out on a limb by adding new people to the team.
“But the Kickstart scheme gave us the opportunity to expand with minimal risk to the business, as well as opportunities to give young people the experience that allows them to shine in valid roles that potentially could become full-time positions.”
Ollie Wheway, 23, from Derbyshire, joined in the sales support role after a previous apprenticeship ignited a passion in business development.
He said: “The current climate has hit many people hard, especially for young professionals starting their careers. After I was made redundant, I found it difficult for other prospects to ‘give you a chance’ and the reasoning was always the same – ‘little experience’.
“I could not understand what I was doing a wrong. The demand for work was high and after applying for over 100 positions and almost losing hope, Birch Print offered me a position within its team. The Kickstart scheme is vital for the younger generation in such challenging times.”
Amanda Priestley and Ollie Wheway, of Birch Print
KICKSTART CASE STUDY: SECRET WHISPERS, MARKET HARBOROUGH
Chloe Godding had been looking for a job ever since graduating from university last summer, only managing to secure a couple of temporary roles for a few weeks at a time.
So landing a digital marketing apprenticeship at women’s healthcare company Secret Whispers, based in Market Harborough, earlier this year was a turning point in her fledgling career.
Her role has provided a cross-section of experience, ranging from running social media channels to seeking out wholesalers to carry its Kegel Kit products, which help women to improve the strength of their pelvic floor muscles.
The 22-year-old, who also lives in the town, said: “I have really enjoyed the experience so far and feel that my contributions are noticed. The knowledge and skills I have gained by being involved with a small business that’s selling worldwide couldn’t be learned in a ‘normal’ job.
“This is a great step and will give me the experience I need to secure a similar job in the future, or even better stay here in a full-time role.”
Her colleague Millie Stokes, from Loughborough, also joined via the Kickstart scheme as an ecommerce apprentice.
The 23-year-old, who has learned how to use programmes such as Google Ads and HubSpot to drive and manage sales, said: “I have learned about so many areas and aspects of running a business that I could not have gained elsewhere.”
Secret Whispers owner Julie Colan, who previously ran the award-winning business on her own, said the Kickstart recruits had made a “massive difference” to her company.
“They provide a new insight that is invaluable in a business when you are the sole employee,” she added. “They have continuous training and attend many training workshops, which means they can better improve their knowledge and their roles within the business.”
Matt Rawding, from Nottingham, had struggled to find permanent employment since completing a business and marketing degree at Nottingham Trent University last summer.
He recalled watching a news interview on his graduation day in which a local business owner said it was the “worst time ever” for graduates looking for jobs.
“This was really scary for me, particularly as a business graduate wanting to work in an office environment, when so many businesses were making redundancies or closing.”
But the 22-year-old now has a career path laid out in front of him after joining Express Recruitment, a family-run SME based in Nottingham city centre, in February as a sales consultant via the Kickstart scheme.
He said it has protected his mental health during the pandemic, adding: “The Kickstart Scheme is so important to me and my generation because it has given us all the opportunity to get into a work environment. We can now see a future that we perhaps couldn’t see this time last year.”
Operations manager Theo Kirk said the company, which employs 14 full-time and four part-time staff, believes the Kickstart scheme provides mutual benefits for both the employee and employer.
She said young people are more equipped to deal with constant changes in the workplace, while the subsidised wages has enabled the business to grow sustainably by pursuing new sales opportunities.
She said: “Taking part in the Kickstart Scheme has also cemented our idea that young employees can bring a new or different way of thinking to the business.” trial new roles that could lead to future growth.
“There’s still plenty of time for employers to sign up and we continue to work with local authorities to engage with companies about why they should take advantage of the scheme while they can.”
The £2bn Kickstart scheme pays for 100% of the age-relevant National Minimum Wage, national insurance and pension contributions for 25 hours a week.
Employers can choose to top up this wage and are also eligible for a £1,500 Government grant for training people on a Kickstart placement.
Once applications are accepted, young people are referred into the roles via a Jobcentre Plus work coach.
The scheme is due to run until 31 December – the date when Kickstart jobs must begin – with funding available until 30 June 2022. The Chamber recommends making applications by the beginning of August.
Express Recruitment operations manager Theo Kirk and sales consultant Matt Rawding Businesses interested in applying for a Kickstart scheme grant should contact East Midlands Chamber education and business partnership manager Pieter Eksteen on pieter.eksteen@emc-dnl.co.uk or 0333 320 0333 (Ext 2241).
Finalists for the Chamber’s inaugural Generation Next Awards have been announced – featuring some of the most promising young talents in the East Midlands.
The awards, held in conjunction with headline partner the University of Derby, recognise young professionals and business leaders aged under 35, as well as organisations led by people in this demographic.
There are seven categories, covering a broad spectrum of people in organisations – from Apprentice of the Year to Generation Next Future Leader – as well as the Breakthrough Award for a fast-growing start-up.
A judging day will take place on 3 June – featuring sponsors, a Chamber representative and members of the Generation Next board of “champions” – and winners will be announced at a virtual awards ceremony on Friday 16 July.
Lucy Robinson, the Chamber’s director of resources and Generation Next lead, said: “Generation Next is a really exciting new initiative from the Chamber and these awards promise to be a fantastic celebration of the amazing young talent we have across the East Midlands.
“Young people don’t always receive the recognition they deserve but we hope that celebrating their achievements will provide the confidence they need to continue growing as they develop within their careers.
“The broad range of categories we chose were carefully crafted and we were delighted with the standard of entries, which are reflected in this incredible list of finalists.”
Generation Next was established by the Chamber last year as a network for young professionals to make connections, build new skills and advance their careers.
It features networking sessions and educational events on topics such as marketing, brand awareness, sales and personal finance, as well as the awards.
The University of Derby is the headline partner for Generation Next, with Fraser Stretton Estate Agents, GBS Apprenticeships, Hardy Signs, Loughborough College and Nottingham University Business School also signed up as partners.
Professor Kamil Omoteso, pro vice-chancellor and dean of the University of Derby’s College of Business, Law and Social Sciences, said: “Generation Next is the ideal initiative for providing young professionals with support for their new career or business, and these awards are a superb way of celebrating how those taking part have responded to the challenge of establishing themselves in what is a very competitive environment.
“The Generation Next Awards provide everyone whose name is put forward with deserved recognition for their contributions and ideas that are helping to take businesses forward, and to make our region’s economy more dynamic and resilient.”
Professor Kamil Omoteso
GENERATION NEXT AWARDS 2021 SHORTLIST
GENERATION NEXT FUTURE LEADER AWARD (SPONSORED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF DERBY)
Edward Morley - Rise & Recline Harry Dodge - Far-UK Kate Walker - ExpHand Prosthetics Leah Binney - TTK Confectionery Theo Kirk - Express Recruitment
THE BREAKTHROUGH AWARD
Holly Daulby - Honest Communications Daniel Jones - Professional Heating Solutions Max Poynton, Jacob Watts and Matthew Bond Project D Kate Johnson - Rate Social Junyi Xiao - W&W Trading and Consulting
EXCELLENCE IN INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY AWARD
(SPONSORED BY GBS APPRENTICESHIPS)
Rikan Patel and Tanrik Patel - Business 2 Business Tony Buck - EyeSiteView (Division of Oasis Studio)
CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD
Beth Bearder – Keebles Jenna Hadfield - Banner Jones Solicitors Rob Spence - Paragon Sales Solutions Emily Marriott - Order Blinds Online Evie Margetts - Corporate Architecture
THE COMMUNITY AWARD
(SPONSORED BY HARDY SIGNS)
George Hanvere and Elliot Dipper - Paragon Law Nisha Pahuja - Charnwood Regency Guesthouse Limited Charlotte Robey Turner – Leicestershire Cares Katie Gilbert - TTK Confectionery
ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
(SPONSORED BY FRASER STRETTON)
Trent Peek - CCM Group Holly Daulby - Honest Communications Jordana Chin - Nutri2Go Ltd Max Poynton, Jacob Watts and Matthew Bond Project D Aaron Gent – Aroment
APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR
(SPONSORED BY LOUGHBOROUGH COLLEGE)
Chloe Newton - BEDE Events Chris Guard, Coral Guard - GBS Chloe Deville - Hardy Signs Olly Torrence - Purpose Media
Applications are now open to host an event at Leicester Business Festival – which will showcase the innovation and resilience of the local economy.
The event, running from 8 to 18 November and backed by the Chamber, will feature a mix of virtual and in-person sessions as organisers seek to help the business community bounce back following the pandemic.
Last year involved 118 events across the two weeks and more than 3,000 online attendees, who were able to learn about the various business support on offer, gather knowledge and learn about the latest commercial trends.
This year features five new themes that represent the key areas within Leicestershire that have either been impacted or thrived over the past year, as well as those that could help businesses in their recovery. These are resilient innovation, connectivity, perception, people and growth.
Help and guidance for event applications is available from the Festival team. Email hello@leicesterbusinessfestival.com or call 0116 464 5995. The deadline for applications is 10 September. For more information, visit www.leicesterbusinessfestival.com
Seminar offer in Innovation Week
Business owners with an eye on innovation can find out how to access relevant support at series of upcoming webinars hosted by Business Gateway Growth Hub.
The sessions form part of Leicestershire Innovation Week, which takes place from Monday 21 June to Friday June 25.
Aimed at SMEs across the city and county, this year features one of the most varied programmes since the event began four years ago.
It will demonstrate that innovation does not have to involve high-tech solutions or even particularly big changes, and is something any business can do, whatever its size.
The areas of focus will include life sciences, textiles, food and drink, automotive, the creative industry, and space. Women in innovation and digital retail will be other distinct themes.
For more information, visit bizgateway.org.uk/ourservices/innovation.
Structural Adhesives has developed a safe and eco-friendly material for cladding high-rise residential buildings
A green solution for cladding
An all-female team of chemists from Leicester has developed a safer and greener material that can be used by the construction industry —after receiving backing from a Chamber-led business support programme.
The scientists’ work means Structural Adhesives is set to become the first UK company to produce a certified adhesive product that can be used when cladding high-rise residential buildings.
The A2 fire-rated greener adhesive fills a significant gap in the market as many companies that had previously supplied cladding systems for use on external walls above 18 metres have been unable to do so since the Grenfell Tower tragedy in June 2017.
As well as being durable, non-combustible and having high bond strength, it contains significantly fewer raw materials from non-sustainable resources compared with general construction adhesives.
Structural Adhesives, which has manufactured and delivered bonding solutions internationally to industries including aerospace, engineering and construction for more than 30 years, has been supported by the Business Gateway Growth Hub in growing the business in a sustainable way. The one-stop-shop for business support across Leicestershire, which is delivered by a consortium of organisations including the Chamber, has a goal to help businesses become cleaner and greener.
Angela Orton, a former art and design teacher who has changed the company’s direction towards greener adhesives since taking over the business from her father Mani Suri, said: “I found some fantastic opportunities through the Business Gateway Growth Hub. I realised this was a platform we could bounce off, and we were excited about where it could take us.
“Our business adviser Altaf Ahmed was amazingly helpful. He talked to me about what my expectations of a green agenda were and got the ball rolling with a whole host of other ideas.”
Support helps drive transport planners
A package of business support helped a Nottingham-based sustainable transport consultancy continue the growth journey that landed it a major merger deal with a multinational firm.
Integrated Transport Planning (ITP), which seeks to address 21st century mobility challenges through green transport planning and research, worked with the D2N2 UpScaler project to become a more “vision-led business”.
Key staff, including managing director Jon Parker, attended events on strategic HR, scale-up performance, supplier development, customer needs, employer brand and strategic marketing – giving them confidence in their structure for growth and helping to identify where they needed to invest.
Support from the programme, which comes to an end this month, played a key role in securing investment from Dutch multinational engineering consultancy Royal HaskoningDHV, giving it a platform to further its transport planning offer across the world.
Jon said: “All the events were really well organised and the business advisers we dealt with were invaluable. They enabled us to think about things in a way that we hadn’t really thought about before to get a new perspective on where we stand as a business.”
ITP was set up in 1998 and employs 40 people, including a multi-disciplinary team of skilled professionals. The company researches, designs, implements, monitors and evaluates transport initiatives for public and private sector clients. It offers advice on how to support an increase in walking, cycling and public transport use by creating transport systems that are safe, sustainable, fair and accessible for all.
It was named Nottinghamshire Business of the Year at the Chamber’s Business Awards in 2019 after building international trade to about 35% of its turnover.
To reassess their market position and customer offering, Jon and his team used the start of the first national lockdown as an opportunity to learn more about how to continue developing and growing.
The D2N2 UpScaler business coaches also offered one-to-one support and mentoring, while signposting ITP to further local support initiatives. And a graduate talent grant from Nottingham Trent University enabled it to recruit and support a new member of staff.
Jon also praised the convenience of the scheme, adding: “It didn’t demand a lot of time out of the office, which is good, because it didn’t focus too much of our attention away from running the business.”
The D2N2 UpScaler project, delivered in partnership with Nottingham Business School has supported 250 SMEs – with a combined workforce of 3,550 people and £435m turnover – across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire since November 2018.
D2N2 UpScaler business coaches have helped Integrated Transport Planning get on the road to success. Inset: Jon Parker (left) and ITP founder Colin Brader
For more information, visit d2n2lep.org/project/upscaler
Hospice offers comfort to patients and their carers
Each year, the Chamber president chooses three charities across our three counties to support through fundraising activities. In 2021, the organisations are Chesterfield Samaritans, Help the Homeless Leicester and Nottinghamshire Hospice. In this issue, Business Network speaks to Rowena Naylor-Morrell (pictured), chief executive of Nottinghamshire Hospice.
What is the background to your charity?
Nottinghamshire Hospice was established in 1980 by a group of local people led by Bernard Brady. At that time, the work of Dame Cicely Saunders – who founded the hospice movement – was becoming better known. There was an emerging understanding that people dying of cancer needed more than the administration of drugs, and palliative care offered so much more to support patients and families.
While physical pain can be managed by medication, the pain patients feel about those they love or the things important to them requires compassionate, whole-person care. This is at the heart of what hospices do, recognising total pain and providing total care.
The steering group worked with the council to refurbish and later buy our Woodborough Road premises after raising more than £150,000.
Who do you support and how?
All our care is provided free. We support anyone aged over 18 with a terminal or life-limiting illness who is registered with a Nottinghamshire GP. More than half our patients have non-cancer diagnoses, including heart failure, lung disease or neurological conditions like MND.
Our patients come from across our community – some are young with children, careers and dreams shortened by their illness. Most of our patients choose to die at home. We make that possible with one of the largest “hospice in your home” services in the country led by our nursing team. We believe everyone deserves a good death and we aim to be alongside every person dying at home from a terminal or life-limiting illness.
Our Woodborough Road centre provides therapy and wellbeing services to help patients make the most of their days, and stay independent for as long as possible. We also provide counselling and emotional support for carers before and after bereavement.
How has Covid-19 affected the charity’s work?
Covid has changed the way we work, with three key impacts. We rely heavily on income from our 10 shops, which have been closed during each lockdown. The shops are also information hubs in their communities, where people feel comfortable to talk to us about concerns or bereavement. Our fundraising was also impacted. With events cancelled, we took new approaches and became much stronger at digital fundraising and attracting new individual and regular givers. Our Christmas appeal raised £80,000 – a fantastic Christmas present for our patients. The third impact is on services. Being a small, nimble organisation, we reshaped and even expanded our care after Covid hit, launching two new services. GriefLine is a free support phoneline for people experiencing grief during the pandemic. We also established the Hospice Outreach and Discharge Support service, which fast-tracks patients out of hospital by putting a care package in place for them at home.
This is now one of our most successful services, providing fast responses and intensive support where and when it’s needed. We now provide roundthe-clock care to patients in their own homes.
How important is business support for your charity?
We have some wonderful partnerships with businesses across our city and county, many fostered during the Hoodwinked street art campaign in 2018, which put giant robin sculptures on the streets of Nottingham. Businesses support us through fundraising and providing volunteers to support our shops, patients, garden works or other key areas. It’s great when a company chooses us as their charity of the year or fundraises for us. This support is vital to the care we provide. In return, we offer businesses the opportunity to give something back to their community and build team spirit.
What does the future hold for your charity?
We have set ourselves four markers for the future – excellence in our care, resilience in our communities, inclusion in the way we practice and sustainability – to be there for those who need us. This year will be challenging as we need to recover lost income and rebuild relationships, but we are confident in the continuing support of our wonderful communities.
Nurses deliver the charity's 'hospice in your home' service For more information on how businesses can support Nottinghamshire Hospice, contact fundraising@nottshospice.org
Campaign encourages people back to Leicester
Creativity is at the heart of a new drive to encourage people back to Leicester city centre post-lockdown.
The “We’ve Missed You” campaign was launched by Leicester City Council last month with a speciallycommissioned video showcasing the ways people can once again to make the most of what the city has to offer in terms of hospitality, shopping and entertainment.
It’s accompanied by a poem, titled By the Clock Tower, which evokes memories of meeting friends at the city centre landmark.
The council is working with businesses to ensure they can welcome back customers in a Covid-safe manner to help boost consumer confidence after more than a year of restrictions.
It was awarded £318,000 in May from the European Regional Development Fund’s (ERDF) Reopening High Streets Safely fund, which has since been matchfunded by the UK Government’s Welcome Back Fund, designed to help businesses in cities badly hit by the Covid-19 measures.
About £120,000 of that pot was used on the six-week campaign, which is run in conjunction with Arch Creative and Fraser Urquhart Media until the end of June.
