Warringtonfire, a world leader in fire testing, inspection and certification services, has made a significant investment in its High Wycombe testing facility to meet the growth in demand for acoustics, smoke leakage and fire resistance testing. The transformation of the facility includes refurbishment of its onsite fire resistance and smoke
Caddick Construction’s growing apprentice programme across the North West is going from strength to strength with the appointment of a further seven new faces over recent months. The young recruits come from a variety of educational backgrounds as Caddick continues its commitment to bring through new talent to meet demand
In November 2020, the Government published its 10-point plan for a Green Industrial Revolution. It set out a path to Net Zero by 2050. CO2nstructZero is the construction sector’s response. It sets out how the industry can collectively meet Net Zero and uses the Climate Change Committee’s 6th Carbon budget to establish the priorities
Mobile Mini UK, one of the leading worldwide providers of portable accommodation and secure storage containers, has furthered its reputation for excellence after being named the GOLD winner of the Customer Experience category at the 2022 UK Business and Innovation Awards (UK B&IA). These prestigious awards celebrate achievements across a
United Living Group is delighted to announce that Caroline Lewis has been appointed as Managing Director for New Homes. Caroline has been working for United Living as Development Director, having joined the business in 2018, bringing with her 17 years of industry experience from both the public and private sectors.
Advanced Industrialised Methods for the Construction of Homes (AIMCH), the UK’s most ambitious post-war project to transform house building, will present its findings and issue a call to the industry to mainstream their use at the Futurebuild exhibition at the ExCeL London conference centre on 1 and 2 March. Results
Video games Creativity is sparked by playing video games. Adults, as much as children, need the ability to be creative. Do you realise just how much of our day-to-day activities and professional careers are reliant on our capacity for original thought? Even the driest field in the world requires some
Warringtonfire, a world leader in fire testing, inspection and certification services, has made a significant investment in its High Wycombe testing facility to meet the growth in demand for acoustics, smoke leakage and fire resistance testing. The transformation of the facility includes refurbishment of its onsite fire resistance and smoke laboratories. This comprises new smoke leakage testing equipment, a complete re-lining of two test furnaces as well as installation of a new cold abatement system to extract test fumes from the fire laboratory environment. Alongside the additional fire resistance testing equipment, Warringtonfire’s acoustics laboratory has also been revamped, with new acoustic measuring equipment to enhance and improve testing capabilities. Lee Wade, General Manager at Warringtonfire High Wycombe, said: “We have seen a surge in demand for the smoke testing of products. This is being driven by both regulatory changes, as well as an increasing appreciation from our customers of the value that testing and certification adds to their products. “That’s why, despite the uncertainty COVID has generated within the industry throughout the past two years, we have committed to significant capital investment to ensure our laboratory is the benchmark for acoustic, smoke and fire testing, here in the UK”. Further investment has also been made to improve the facility’s sustainability credentials, with the installation of a new cold abatement system to extract fumes and odours from the test area, as well as fitting energy efficient LED lighting throughout the laboratory. Alongside this, the company has added more floor space through a new purpose-built building to ease congestion and improve working conditions, allowing staff to build test specimens away from the furnace. New digital viewing technology has also been introduced at Warringtonfire High Wycombe. The package enables customers to watch live product testing remotely at higher quality and has the capability to share live test data from Warringtonfire’s control system “Given the changing ways we and our clients have had to adapt, we’ve increased our focus on digital technology. This includes new video packages, better viewing angles of tests in ultra-high definition, and the ability to zoom in on specific areas of the test and our furnaces,” said Wade. “In order to maximise the potential of the investments made throughout the site, we’ve also embarked on an internal programme to train and upskill our colleagues in testing capabilities, technical qualifications, and project management. This will help our clients stay ahead of any regulatory changes and help them continually improve their products.” For more about Warringtonfire, please visit: www.warringtonfire.com.
Caddick Construction’s growing apprentice programme across the North West is going from strength to strength with the appointment of a further seven new faces over recent months. The young recruits come from a variety of educational backgrounds as Caddick continues its commitment to bring through new talent to meet demand in the North West construction sector. Nathan Crowther and Malachy Cefai join as apprentice quantity surveyors while studying for their degrees in Quantity Surveying at the University of Salford. Nathan Worrall, from Liverpool, has joined as an apprentice administrator as he studies for his Level 3 in Business Administration at Warrington College. Harry Young, Georgia Harper, George King and Cameron Snow were taken on as trainee engineers while studying for their HNCs in Civil Engineering or Construction in the Built Environment. As well as studying at local colleges in Wigan and Leigh or Warrington, the apprentices are gaining live construction experience on Caddick Construction projects such as Guinness Point at Trafford Park, Gemini 8 in Warrington and AVIATOR at Ellesmere Port. All have the opportunity to shadow team members on site and, as part of their qualifications, they also spend a number of days on site to embed their knowledge and understanding of the wider construction industry. Ian Guildford, Contracts Manager at Caddick Construction, said: “We have a fantastic calibre of apprentices working closely with us on some high-profile projects across the North West. It is essential we equip the future workforce with valuable construction skills, enabling them to work on live projects. Work readiness is key if we are to continue to bolster the economy across the region and prepare the next generation for the construction sector.” Michelle Swarbrick, Social Value Manager from Caddick Construction, added:“Having joined Caddick to help deliver social value across the North West, I’m delighted to recruit seven apprentices from across the region demonstrating our commitment to tackling future skills shortages in the industry.”
In November 2020, the Government published its 10-point plan for a Green Industrial Revolution. It set out a path to Net Zero by 2050. CO2nstructZero is the construction sector’s response. It sets out how the industry can collectively meet Net Zero and uses the Climate Change Committee’s 6th Carbon budget to establish the priorities that frame an action plan of how they will measure their progress and hold themselves to account. Launched in March 2021 by the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), CO2nstruct Zero brings together organisations that are demonstrating leadership in relation to carbon reduction, sharing their good practice with others from across the UK construction sector, and providing a set of metrics that enables the sector, quarterly, to collectively measure its progress to Net Zero. Since its launch more than 70 Business Champions have committed to targeted carbon reduction, and to provide details of how they are achieving this to help those from across the wider sector. Robert Candy, Chief Executive of the Scaffolding Association said “The Scaffolding Association has always been a strong advocate for moving to a sustainable future. This initiative is a step in the right direction to provide individuals and businesses with scalable practical help, support and the tools they will need to understand and play their part. Climate change is happening. Every industry has a part to play in reducing carbon emissions and meeting net zero by 2050. The construction industry is no exception”. For more information on CO2nstructZero visit CO2nstructZero » Construction Leadership Council
Mobile Mini UK, one of the leading worldwide providers of portable accommodation and secure storage containers, has furthered its reputation for excellence after being named the GOLD winner of the Customer Experience category at the 2022 UK Business and Innovation Awards (UK B&IA). These prestigious awards celebrate achievements across a multitude of sectors and industries, highlighting successful and innovative businesses from all corners of the UK. 19 trophies were awarded to winners via a virtual awards ceremony in diverse categories reflecting distinct areas of business and innovation excellence. Mobile Mini has a fleet of over 40,000 portable units for a variety of storage solutions and 16 strategically placed sites throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Members of staff from the business gathered at the company headquarters in Stockton-on-Tees to witness the moment they were crowned winners of the Best Customer Experience Award, alongside their multi-award winning CX partners Think Wow. Think Wow support companies with strategy and training when they establish a need to remain customer-focused, competitive, profitable and happy. The team undertake a deep-dive review of company culture, shared objectives and customer feedback, then use detailed insights to expertly design a positive future strategy. Once agreed with senior members of staff, the Think Wow team assist with the implementation and adoption of newly refined processes. These activities assist with building a positive brand reputation, growing business operations from within and most importantly, empowering all staff and customers to both provide and receive the best possible experiences. Mobile Mini recognised that post-pandemic, customer needs, expectations and behaviours had significantly changed and the company understood maintaining standards, as well as improving approaches, was more essential than ever before. The business launched its CX project with a presentation to almost 300 members of staff, outlining the thinking behind implementing a renewed customer focus. The Think Wow team mapped out unique experiences and spoke with individuals and teams to establish what could be done better, embedding themselves within Mobile Mini to avoid working in a vacuum and ensuring accurate holistic benchmarking took place. They also directly contacted customers to establish an external view of what succeeds and used this insight to build improvement objectives. Rebecca Brown, CEO of Think Wow said, “Partnering with Mobile Mini on their Customer Experience strategy has been one of the most rewarding experiences we’ve had at Think Wow. Their passion and enthusiasm for getting things right, not just for customers but for employees too is genuinely special. We couldn’t be happier that their hard work and commitment to consistently great customer experiences has been recognised with this award win. We’re sure it will be the first of many to come!” Simon Gray, Head of Region at Mobile Mini, was the customer experience project lead for the partnership with Think Wow, he said, “Mobile Mini has built a reputation for excellence and we are pleased that the ongoing efforts of our staff have been highlighted with this fantastic award. There is always room for improvement and despite our recent acclaim and achievements, Mobile Mini is committed to never standing still and always challenging ourselves to do better. This accolade is truly about everyone at Mobile Mini. It is the responsibility of our people across the UK to look after our customers directly and indirectly. Every member of staff deserves recognition for contributing to this achievement through a consistent level of service and going above and beyond every single day. Our thanks go to Think Wow for their support and expertise in guiding us on our continued customer experience journey.” Mobile Mini has won multiple awards in recent times including being named ‘Safety Team of the Year Highly Commended Winner’ at the last International Safety Awards and winning the North East Business Award for its COVID-19 response. The business supported the NHS with units throughout the pandemic, rolled out life-saving defibrillator equipment to all of its branches and invested in new safety features on an upgraded fleet of trucks. 7% of employees at Mobile Mini are now qualified Mental Health First Aiders and the company continues to adapt its approach to better support general well-being and work-life balances.
United Living Group is delighted to announce that Caroline Lewis has been appointed as Managing Director for New Homes. Caroline has been working for United Living as Development Director, having joined the business in 2018, bringing with her 17 years of industry experience from both the public and private sectors. A Chartered Town Planner, Caroline has worked on multi-million-pound land acquisitions, regeneration and open market sales schemes, and implemented viability assessment models for both new build and asset management. Her promotion follows a series of key appointments at United Living Group as it moves into the next stage of its strategic development and ensures a best in class service for its customers in 2022 and beyond. Conor Bray, Chief Operating Officer, United Living Group, said: “I am delighted that we continue to strengthen our executive team from within the business which clearly demonstrates the strength and depth we have within the team. Caroline has taken on the role of Managing Director at an exciting time for United Living Group as we continue to innovate and drive forward our ambitious growth strategy”. “She has strong operational leadership and has led the New Homes business into the Build to Rent sector – securing a number of schemes, PCSA opportunities and direct negotiations of significant value. She also holds a degree and masters in Town Planning, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Surveying, highlighting her expert knowledge within the field”. Caroline Lewis, Managing Director, United Living New Homes, commented: “Having worked with the teams at United Living, I am delighted to be given the opportunity to take on the New Homes Managing Director role. “During my time with the business I have been very impressed with all of the people I have met and worked with. United Living is blessed with very talented, ambitious and dedicated people and the company has a tremendous future, well placed to go from strength to strength and I am excited to be on this journey.”
Advanced Industrialised Methods for the Construction of Homes (AIMCH), the UK’s most ambitious post-war project to transform house building, will present its findings and issue a call to the industry to mainstream their use at the Futurebuild exhibition at the ExCeL London conference centre on 1 and 2 March. Results from the three-year AIMCH project indicate it has been highly successful in producing mainstream viable solutions to tackle all the challenges faced by the housing sector, including skills shortages, an ageing workforce, poor productivity, low output and low affordability. Senior figures will reveal industrialised methods for how the industry can deliver 120,000 homes for similar costs to traditional methods, built 30% quicker, with fewer defects and less embodied carbon. The £6.5m research and development project is a collaboration between Stewart Milne Group, Barratt Developments PLC, L&Q, Forster Group, the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) and Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC) and project managed by Limberger Associates. It is supported by Innovate UK through the Transforming Construction Fund. Futurebuild 2022 will take place from 1 – 3 March with more than 20,000 senior professionals from across the built environment sector predicted to attend. Representatives from AIMCH will deliver a keynote speech and a presentation with the project’s outcomes on the first day. On day two stakeholders and industry can learn about and discuss all key outputs in more detail at a day of seminars. “It will be a proud moment for everyone involved in the three year long AIMCH project to take the main stage of Futurebuild and unveil an industrialisation blueprint for the industry to address challenges faced by the housing sector,” said Stewart Dalgarno, AIMCH project director and director of innovation and sustainability at Stewart Milne Group. “Primarily, we will showcase mainstream viable solutions to support the delivery of much needed new homes, especially net zero homes, while reducing the sector’s overall environmental impact. We will demonstrate how these methods can deliver more homes, built for similar cost to masonry, something the industry cannot afford not to implement. “The project’s partners are all leading innovators within our industry and the Futurebuild conference is the ideal opportunity to connect their vision with the decision makers who will be responsible for implementing change across the sector. This is a pivotal moment for businesses big and small to drive change and reap rewards from transforming how we build homes.”
Video games Creativity is sparked by playing video games. Adults, as much as children, need the ability to be creative. Do you realise just how much of our day-to-day activities and professional careers are reliant on our capacity for original thought? Even the driest field in the world requires some inventiveness in order to function. The importance of creative playtime in the development of closeness in relationships cannot be overstated, and it can even help to avert criminal tendencies in some individuals. When we talk about “thinking beyond the box” games, we’re not simply referring to role-playing simulations like The Sims or games where you can test your interior design skills. Similar to virtual escape rooms where you may play out riddles and logical mini-games in the comfort of your own home in a safe virtual setting. As a result, you’ll be more likely to come up with inventive solutions to real-world problems. The seeming lack of focus and short attention span of today’s youth is one of the most pressing concerns facing this age. Everything we do is geared at satisfying our insatiable want for rapid fulfilment. Everything, except for games. One of the few remaining activities that need complete attention to the activity at hand is gaming. In order to really participate, you can’t be distracted by your phone or by half-paying attention. In order to answer the riddle, you must immerse yourself in the universe shown to you, and your brain must work to do so. Online poker The United Kingdom has long been known as a nation that enjoys gambling. Even if you don’t care about sports or gambling, the Grand National is a good example of individuals who don’t even think about these things joining in the fun and betting on horses just because they like the name or the colour of their jockeys’ silks. Gambling should be enjoyable, and the people of the United Kingdom embody this ideal. According to detailed research, it is important to find a reliable resource for finding the greatest providers for online poker games, it’s also worth remembering that the United Kingdom’s regulations played an important role in establishing online poker as the popular form of poker it is now. It has become widely available across many providers so it’s good for new players to properly examine each provider to see which one can suit them best. (Source: sportslens UK) Thanks to pioneering poker TV shows like Late Night Poker, we wouldn’t be here right now, enjoying the non-stop, 24-hour buffet of poker, where everyone who can play this fascinating game may win a life-changing sum of money in a matter of minutes. As bizarre as it may seem, this has been going on for millennia! In a world where online poker has become as ‘normal’ as the internet itself, many players who are reading this article are unaware that they were born at the same time as the global phenomenon of online poker, which was ignited by the likes of the late great, WSOP bracelet-winning, Poker Hall of Fame inductee David ‘Devilfish’ Ulliot and his peers. Online poker The United Kingdom has long been known as a nation that enjoys gambling. Even if you don’t care about sports or gambling, the Grand National is a good example of individuals who don’t even think about these things joining in the fun and betting on horses just because they like the name or the colour of their jockeys’ silks. Gambling should be enjoyable, and the people of the United Kingdom embody this ideal. Learn an instrument online If you want to learn an instrument but don’t want to spend a lot of money or time, consider starting with the ukulele. Practising for an hour a couple of times a week will yield quick results with one that is reasonably priced (around £20). The Ukulele Tricks YouTube channel is an excellent resource for learning the fundamentals of playing the ukulele. Learn how to create animation Animation is the process of adding movement to a still picture, photograph, or drawing. Making a motionless picture appear to move, such as by making it run, walk or leap is the art of illusionism. On the right-hand corners of a flipbook, I would draw a sequence of pictures, or stick figures, each one somewhat different from the one that came before it. The stick guy appeared to be sprinting as the book was finished and swiftly glanced through. To a large extent, animation and cartoons are the same. The act of rapidly displaying a series of pictures in order to give the impression that something is moving is known as animation. It’s a motion-based optical illusion that’s grown immensely in popularity over the years. Computer-aided animation has become a tremendously powerful tool for animators. There are many forms of animation to choose from.
