May 4, 2017

Specflue to offer comprehensive first-aid courses

Fully certified first aid training is being offered by Specflue, a leading supplier of flues, chimneys and renewable heating products based in Sudbury. Local facilities offering this type of training are very limited so the move is expected to be welcomed by local businesses as well as individuals. It is

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Sprial UK Has Been Awarded Two New Contracts

Spiral UK, the Helston based company has been awarded two new contracts. These contracts are to install helical stairs inside The Gherkin and the Salesforce Tower. These two iconic buildings are having new stair constructions designed. The Gherkin was designed by Norman Foster, and the architecturally award winning building stands

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Network of Not-for-Profits leads the way in Low Carbon Transition

A thriving sustainability network for not-for-profit organisations has launched its new strategy, laying out plans for making its members climate-friendly, adaptive and resilient over the coming years. In 2016 the network, Fit for the Future, helped its member to save an estimated £1.2million and generate 32.1GWH of renewable energy, enough

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Unispace Makes Senior Client Relations Hire

Unispace, the global design firm with integrated project delivery capabilities, has appointed Roz Allen as a Senior Associate, Client Relations based in its London studio in Southwark.   Roz was most recently at Soho House where as Project Director she looked after commercial and project management for the UK design and

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Vivaldi Announced That They Will Be Teaming up With Ecosia

The Web browser, Vivaldi, has announced that they will be teaming up with Ecosia in order to support more environmental projects around the world. Ecosia is known for being a search engine that supports sustainability by planting trees, therefore the collaboration with Vivaldi ill enable the company to extend their

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Latest Issue
Issue 323 : Dec 2024

May 4, 2017

Specflue to offer comprehensive first-aid courses

Fully certified first aid training is being offered by Specflue, a leading supplier of flues, chimneys and renewable heating products based in Sudbury. Local facilities offering this type of training are very limited so the move is expected to be welcomed by local businesses as well as individuals. It is a legal requirement for companies to offer some first-aid provision because employers need to ensure that an employee who is injured or taken ill at work receives immediate attention. The Specflue first aid training is open to anyone over 16 years old who wishes to participate. Workplace welfare authority the Health and Safety Executive will always prosecute in cases where there is a significant risk, a disregard for established standards or persistent poor compliance with the law. Specflue can provide four levels of first aid training. The first – ‘First-Aid at Work’ – takes 18 hours and is delivered over three consecutive days. The course comprises practical and theoretical classroom work, as well as a practical assessment on CPR and first aid. It results in a qualification, valid for three years, by delivering the comprehensive set of practical skills needed by first aiders in most workplaces, enabling attendees to deal with first aid emergencies to the standards required to help comply with Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations. The course covers a range of content including head injuries; managing an emergency; resuscitation; burns and scalds; severe allergic reaction; chest pains; shock and eye injuries. The second course – ‘First-Aid at Work Refresher’ – is run over two days and enables attendees to requalify as a first aider. The aim is to update and refresh attendees’ knowledge of the First Aid at Work syllabus, while allowing time for revision and practice sessions in preparation for a written assessment. The third – ‘Emergency First-Aid at Work’ – is a six-hour course delivered in one day. The course comprises of practical work and theoretical classroom work, including practical assessment on CPR and first aid. It is designed to help attendees meet regulatory first aid requirements in smaller, low-risk workplaces. The course provides basic lifesaving first aid and workplace health and safety regulations, covering things like the role of the first aider; Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations; adult CPR; communication and casualty care; seizures; bleeding; choking, and using a defibrillator. Finally, Specflue will offer half-day first aid annual refresher training suitable for people who have completed either the three-day First Aid at Work or the one-day Emergency First-Aid at Work courses. Specflue’s David Ebbs, who will run the courses, has 29 years’ experience as a first aid trainer. He said: “It is strongly recommended that holders of a first-aid certificate should attend at least an annual update. The majority of first aiders hope that they are not going to be called upon to use the qualification, but, without practising the skills they will lose the knowledge and abilities they’ve gained. There will also be of changes in procedures to contend with. “Bearing in mind that it is a legal requirement to have first aiders at work, if nobody was available or somebody offered first aid incorrectly, then it opens up a massive potential for a law suit against the business.” Specflue can also offer paediatric first aid courses for nurseries and schools. Furthermore, automated external defibrillator courses are available at the Specflue training facility, either as standalone training or as a ‘bolt-on’ to an existing first-aid qualification. For more details, contact training@specflue.com or call 0333 9997974.

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Sprial UK Has Been Awarded Two New Contracts

Spiral UK, the Helston based company has been awarded two new contracts. These contracts are to install helical stairs inside The Gherkin and the Salesforce Tower. These two iconic buildings are having new stair constructions designed. The Gherkin was designed by Norman Foster, and the architecturally award winning building stands at 180m tall. The building is thought to be one of the most widely recognised pieces of contemporary architecture in London and is also ranks amongst Britain’s most expensive office buildings after being bought in 2014 for £700 million. The work on the new stairs at the Gherkin is expected to be completed during the Summer this year. The new staircase will be made from stainless steel and glass. The new piece is being installed on the 19th floor on behalf of one of the most elite law firms in the world, Kirkland & Ellis. Further down Bishopgate the Salesforce Tower can be located. 110 Bishopgate is the home to the biggest CRM company in the world, Salesforce. The building is 230m tall and has the title of the tallest building in London. Spiral UK are working to install a new staircase on the 31st floor. The new staircase will consist of a stainless steel framework with Oak treads and a balustrade that is made from glass. Most of the work on these two projects is being carried out at night in order to reduce the level of disruption that is caused to the workers in the building and in the surrounding area. Spiral UK had to fight of a great deal of competition in order to win these contracts and their success is a reflection of the company’s focus on quality and professionalism. These two new contracts are really good news for the company, and is a really good start to the year. Hopefully their success continues for the rest of the year.

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Network of Not-for-Profits leads the way in Low Carbon Transition

A thriving sustainability network for not-for-profit organisations has launched its new strategy, laying out plans for making its members climate-friendly, adaptive and resilient over the coming years. In 2016 the network, Fit for the Future, helped its member to save an estimated £1.2million and generate 32.1GWH of renewable energy, enough to power 8,834 homes for a year. Fit for the Future has attracted dozens of charities including Cancer Research UK, the RSPB, Guide Dogs, RNLI and Oxfam GB since it was set up by the National Trust and sustainability charity, Ashden in 2013. By engaging in honest and open collaboration with each other, member charities are moving forward with environmental projects and becoming leaders for the low-carbon transition in the third sector. The Network’s new strategy marks a departure from it being solely clean-energy focused. Instead it will provide its members with practical solutions to wider climate change issues with a focus on the not-for-profit sector. At a time when relevant funding for charities has largely dried up, the Network is stepping in to facilitate adaptation and resilience. Fit for the Future’s Chair, Sir Ed Davey, said: “The need to future-proof charities and make them resilient against climate-change is becoming increasingly urgent. As the not-for-profit sector strives to put environmentally friendly practices in place, it’s clear that a lot more can be achieved if we all work together. That’s exactly what Fit for the Future is about.” “At a time when it’s crucial for charities to make their donations go as far as possible, the £1.2 million saved by our members in 2016 is a significant achievement. For me it’s simple: money saved on energy and other environmental resources means more money to spend on charitable objectives.” Fit for the Future’s 2016 Impact Report revealed how Oxfam GB’s 2016 savings on mileage alone could pay for safe, clean water for 250,000 people, whilst National Trust’s savings on oil could pay for the treatment of 42 historic sculptures. Fit for the Future works as an environmental ‘match making’ service, linking those with questions about their sustainability work to those who have the knowledge and experience to provide answers. Last year, Fit for the Future arranged events, workshops, peer consultancies and site visits across the UK for more than 500 people. This network is used by hundreds from the not-for-profit sector in fields as diverse as conservation, energy management, procurement and catering. Johanna Gosling, Environmental Manager at Oxfam GB, said: “Fit for the Future is one of the most useful Networks I have been a part of. It’s accessible, targeted, relevant, and everyone is very open about sharing their learnings. Its unique selling point is that it gives you access to a network of peers who have similar challenges and work within very similar constraints. Being a member has also saved me hours of research and allowed me to regularly update my knowledge in key areas.” The Network is going from strength-to-strength as it recruits new members and helps them not only advance their environmental projects but to measure their impacts. Fit for the Future supported a 40% increase in energy reporting and monitoring amongst its members in 2016 and aims to grow that number this year. To find out more about the Network, its upcoming events and how you and your organisation could benefit from being involved, visit the website www.fftf.org.uk

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Unispace Makes Senior Client Relations Hire

Unispace, the global design firm with integrated project delivery capabilities, has appointed Roz Allen as a Senior Associate, Client Relations based in its London studio in Southwark.   Roz was most recently at Soho House where as Project Director she looked after commercial and project management for the UK design and build element of its business.   Before Soho House, Roz was at Mace where she worked her way from a graduate joiner to commercial manager working on a broad spectrum of construction projects from fit outs for JP Morgan Chase and Invesco to the large-scale refurbishment of Café Royal.   Anthony Hazell, Managing Director, Europe, said: “As Unispace continues its rapid expansion across the UK and Europe, our team continues to grow – Roz is a highly talented individual with valuable experience working on the client side for a high-end design and development brand. She has been described a “star in the making” by the property press and we are very fortunate to have her on board.” Roz will be based with the client relations team in London, working on projects across Unispace’s European offices including those in Madrid and Lisbon.   “Joining Unispace is an exciting prospect” explained Roz Allen.  “The firm promotes an innovative, solutions focused methodology to clients that is founded on exceeding their expectations.  It is great to be part of a dynamic team and delivering the best service to the industry.”  “There is a real demand from the clients in the market for an alternative approach and, I believe, that Unispace is capitalising on this.  The firm is challenging established conventions and bringing its singular methodology to bear on leading projects around the world.”

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AECOM-Led Team Offering Design Service for Newest Crossing of Menai Strait

The recently awarded Infrastructure Architect of the year 2017 has revealed that they are a part of the AECOM-led team that will offer design services for the third and newest crossing of the Menai Strait. The contract has been given by the Welsh Government and Richards, Moorehead & Laing the environmental consultancy will also be involved in the development. The team working on the project will be carrying out the Key Stage 2 Appraisal of the options for the development that will allow the best possible designs for the new bridge will be identified and constructed. This third crossing of the Menai Strait will see connect Anglesey to the mainland of the Wales. It is thought that this project will identify a new preferred route for a number of the passengers. This new connection will help to reduce the traffic in the two existing crossings for the Menai Strait. The original Menai Bridge was built in the 1820s by Thomas Telford. The second crossing, Robert Stephenson’s Britannia Bridge that was built in 1850 struggle with heavy congestion. The congestion is caused on Britannia Bridge because it is the only section of the A55 that is not a dual carriageway which creates a bottleneck. The route that connects the M53 with Holyhead Port via Britannia Bridge is a part of the Trans European Road Network. The new bridge has been planned in order to improve the capacity and reliability of the road network in this area. This new project will also offer better network resilience and improved opportunities and safety for non-motorised users and safety. It is thought that Knight Architects will contribute to the project with their significant expertise in delivering infrastructure designs that are of high quality in both high profile and sensitive locations. Recently the Architects firm has completed a 50m highway that extends across the River Avon in Bath, which was the first new bridge to be constructed in a World Heritage Site for more than 100 years. Knight are also working on the £600 million Mersey Gateway.

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Vivaldi Announced That They Will Be Teaming up With Ecosia

The Web browser, Vivaldi, has announced that they will be teaming up with Ecosia in order to support more environmental projects around the world. Ecosia is known for being a search engine that supports sustainability by planting trees, therefore the collaboration with Vivaldi ill enable the company to extend their efforts supporting environmental projects. Because of this partnership, the people that use Ecosia in the Vivaldi browser will be able to transform their web searches in to trees that will be planted in some of the most environmentally threatened areas around the world. Ecosia is known to donate at least 80% of their profits gained from search ad revenue in order to support tree planting programs worldwide. This project means that Vivaldi users will be able to make a big difference to the environment just through using a search engine. By searching with Ecosia, users will be able to monitor their contribution, as a small tree counter, located in the top right corner of the screen shows how many trees that have been planted through the help of the user. Currently Ecosia state that they have planted nearly 7.5 million trees since the company was launched in 2009. It is hoped that the company will have planted 1 billion trees by 2020. This new partnership with Vivaldi will help Ecosia reach this target. This partnership is a reflection of the way that technology can allow millions of different people to contribute to environmental projects. Vivaldi began operating in 2016 and offers a flexible browsing tool that is fully customizable. The browser offers a range of unique features that includes a built in screenshot tool, customizable appearance of the browser, and the ability organise and handle tabs in a more advanced way than other browsers. Vivladi is an employee-owned company that has their headquarters in Oslo.

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Considerate Constructors Scheme Announced the Winners for National Site Awards

The Considerate Constructors Scheme has announced the winners of their National Site Awards. It has been revealed that the winner of the Most Considerate site this year is the Graham-BAM Healthcare Partnership. This partnership has been formed by Graham Construction and BAM Construction in order to complete work on Ulster Hospital Phase B2-General Ward Block. This project also forms the basis of the award. The Graham-BAM Healthcare Partnership was awarded with the title of Most Considerate Site in the category of projects that were valued at £50 million and above. On top of this prestigious award, Graham was awarded five silver and two bronze awards for a number of their sites that are located around the country. It is thought that the National Site Awards are one of the most respected awards in the UK construction industry. The Awards scheme looks to recognise scheme registered sites that show the highest possible levels of consideration as well as respect for the community, environment and Workforce. The Ulster Hospital Phase B2 project includes the construction of a seven storey ward building that will house a procedural area and 288 en-suite bedrooms that form part of 12 impatient wards. The development will cover 30,000 sq. m. and has also been designed in order to comply with the highest building and infection control standards. The project monitors have been praising work on the site because of the attractive appearance and presentation of the new building while also recognizing the low profile of the team working on the site in the hospital environment. The project also has connections to local schools, charities and stakeholders in order to positively advertise the industry. It is a huge achievement for all of the companies that won a 2017 National Site Award and the scheme reflects the intention of the industry to continue to deliver world-class projects while also adopting the Code of Considerate Practice.

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Telling Architectural Announced That it Has New Financial Facility Costing £1 Million

Telling Architectural is a developer and distributor of advanced building facades based in the West Midlands. The company has announced that it has agreed with Aldermore a new financial facility that will be worth £1 million. The developer and distributor has been in operation since it was established in 2002. The company is based in Four Ashes, Wolverhampton and deals with clients in the UK and in North America. Telling Architectural has been expanding steadily since first starting up. The company moved to new premises in July of 2016 in order to accommodate their growing numbers of staff as well as in order to support their increasing sales. Telling Architectural revealed that they achieved a turnover of £5 million in 2016 and the company forecast that this figure will have doubled by 2018. The funding that has been granted by Aldermore is expected to help Telling Architectural achieve this ambitious level of growth. Aldermore Group PLC is a specialist bank that offers clients a range of straightforward products. The bank mainly caters for Small and Medium sized Enterprises, or SMEs, as well as offering services to homeowners, landlords and individuals. Aldermore does not offer a network of branches, but deals with their customers online, by phone or face to face via their regional offices that are dotted around the UK. The Bank was established in 2009 and focuses on delivering a reliable, dynamic and expert service for their clients. Telling Architectural are joining Aldermore after their previous lender proved unable to offer the kind of financial support that the company needed in order to maintain and continue their strong growth patterns. One of Telling’s independent consultants introduced the company to Aldermore and the bank was willing to offer a tailored funding solution and also proved very easy to work with. Support from Aldermore has allowed Telling Architectural to move in to their new premises and has given the company the opportunity to continue to meet customer demands while still forecasting and achievable level of growth.

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