Commercial interior design and fit out company APSS has created a stunning interior design for Lincolnshire charity Naomi’s Garden part of a volunteer project bringing together construction and professional service companies across Lincolnshire. Louth-based Naomi’s Garden provides a conductive education and special education needs consultancy. It also provides Bowen Therapy
Hot on the heels of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, a young engineer from the UK is aiming to fly the flag at this month’s “Skills Olympics’’ in France, with continued backing from Fujitsu General Air Conditioning UK. Luke Haile, a refrigeration technician from Lightfoot Defence, will represent the UK
wienerberger UK & Ireland, a leading provider of solutions across the building envelope, has launched a new partnership with charity Emmaus UK as it begins to implement its first ever social impact strategy. Under the agreement, wienerberger will contribute £10,000 to Emmaus UK’s Companion Training Fund. The programme provides grants
Commercial interior design and fit out company APSS has created a stunning interior design for Lincolnshire charity Naomi’s Garden part of a volunteer project bringing together construction and professional service companies across Lincolnshire. Louth-based Naomi’s Garden provides a conductive education and special education needs consultancy. It also provides Bowen Therapy along with running a Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF) in conjunction with Lincolnshire County Council. Conductive education is based on a ‘simple’ concept of human potential, meaning that everyone has the capability to learn and develop irrespective of their starting point. The Bowen technique comprises a series of precise movements over muscle and connective tissue to naturally assist the body in re-balancing and re-setting itself. Between each set of moves there is a pause allowing the nervous system to adjust the tension level in the muscles. The charity is currently raising funds for its new HQ in Manby Park near Louth to transform it from a motorcycle repair shop into a fit-for-purpose facility, where it can deliver its life-changing services to more people who need them. APSS designer Caitlin Maginess created the interior concept which steered away from a usual clinical interior and made it a more welcoming and fun experience for the children and adults who require the services. Caitlin said: “It was important to have a home away from home for people to visit, so we focused on creating a homely feel with a contemporary industrial design using a lot of soft furnishings. “There are areas within the design where we toned the concept down to focus on the needs of the people who will be using the space. “In addition to providing the primary service, there will be a space for people and businesses to rent out for classes like Zumba or spinning and birthday parties. There is also a communal kitchen that everyone can use in addition to therapy rooms, meeting rooms and counselling rooms as well as the classroom which will be the heart of the facility.” When complete, the new centre will enable the charity to extend its working hours, provide group sessions and create a dynamic learning environment for all – no matter what their disability – resulting in 50% more adults and children being supported each year. The building will also give them the option to run group sessions and be used for the wider community. Sarah-Jayne Walker, Lead Conductor at Naomi’s Garden, said: “When we received the designs from APSS, I cried. We were blown away with how beautiful they were and exactly what we were after. “Now we need to continue our fundraising journey while we gather as many Lincolnshire-based companies to make this dream a reality. We are in awe at the generosity we have already received from these local companies and businesses along with other charities who have stood shoulder to shoulder with us. “We currently have a waiting list across Lincolnshire who are keen to benefit from the unique therapy we provide. We desperately need our new more accessible hub to be functional so we can continue our work and expand to help those families who are relying on us as the only service provider of our kind in our area.” To make a donation towards Naomi’s Garden’s new premises please visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/naomis-gardens-big-move?utm_campaign=p_nacp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Hot on the heels of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, a young engineer from the UK is aiming to fly the flag at this month’s “Skills Olympics’’ in France, with continued backing from Fujitsu General Air Conditioning UK. Luke Haile, a refrigeration technician from Lightfoot Defence, will represent the UK at WorldSkills 2024 in Lyon (10-15 September) on equipment supplied by Fujitsu in France, having completed his training on similar kit donated by Fujitsu in the UK. The former apprentice, from Hampshire, won the WorldSkills UK-RACHPSkills UK gold medal in 2022, when Fujitsu was headline sponsor of the event. That victory earned him the right to compete at WorldSkills 2024, known as the “Skills Olympics’’. In keeping with their efforts to help develop the next generation of engineers, Fujitsu has maintained its relationship with Haile and continued to offer support by providing equipment for him to train on, under the guidance of Mark Forsyth, a WorldSkills UK training manager and owner of Coriolis International. Haile said: “Fujitsu General Air Conditioning has supported my WorldSkills journey from the very beginning. Its sponsorship during the early stages encouraged not only myself but other young and up-and-coming engineers. “Fujitsu’s backing extended far beyond sponsorship; offering me access to their technical experts and a wide range of advanced equipment to train on, as well as onsite visits. This invaluable support has not only sharpened my skills but also shaped me into becoming a better engineer. I am deeply grateful and am certain the friendships forged will extend beyond the WorldSkills final.’’ Martyn Ives, Commercial Director, Fujitsu General Air Conditioning UK, said: “Fujitsu is extremely proud of its efforts to help improve standards across the air conditioning and heat pump sectors. We have formed partnerships with a number of colleges across the UK and we are delighted to have been able to help Luke on his way to Lyon. “We donated a wall mounted split system for Luke to train on and hopefully that training will help him to prove his worth against the best young engineers from around the world.’’ Ben Blackledge, Chief Executive, WorldSkills UK said: “We are extremely grateful for the continued support from Fujitsu towards Luke’s training programme for WorldSkills Lyon 2024 and for our National Finals which will take place in Greater Manchester in November. “We couldn’t be prouder of Luke and Team UK; they are fantastic role models. We will use their participation at WorldSkills to boost the prestige of technical and vocational education, inspiring many more young people to take up technical and vocational training across the UK.” WorldSkills UK, a four-nation partnership between education, industry and UK governments, is responsible for selecting, mentoring and training Team UK for WorldSkills Lyon 2024. Pearson, the world’s leading learning company is the official partner of Team UK for WorldSkills Lyon 2024. WorldSkills Lyon 2024 will host over 1500 young people from 65 countries, who will compete in 62 different skill disciplines. To discover more about the Fujitsu product range, visit https://www.fujitsu-general.com/uk/ or email sales@fgac.fujitsu-general.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
wienerberger UK & Ireland, a leading provider of solutions across the building envelope, has launched a new partnership with charity Emmaus UK as it begins to implement its first ever social impact strategy. Under the agreement, wienerberger will contribute £10,000 to Emmaus UK’s Companion Training Fund. The programme provides grants to residents of Emmaus UK communities, enabling them to acquire valuable skills and qualifications for employment. Priority will be given, when feasible, to allocating funds for companions interested in pursuing training and education opportunities within the broader construction industry. The partnership will also allow for product donations to build and/or renovate Emmaus UK’s buildings, and opportunities for wienerberger’s employees to volunteer for the charity “Emmaus is really excited about the future of our partnership with wienerberger. With the combination of a corporate donation, colleague fundraising, training opportunities and product donations, we look forward to seeing the positive impact this partnership will have on our companions and communities,” commented Robyn Cummins, Director of Fundraising and Influence, Emmaus UK. There is a growing crisis of housing insecurity within the UK, with the housing and homeless charity Shelter estimating that over one million households are waiting for social homes and at least 300,000 people are estimated as homeless in England, with a 27% rise in rough sleeping in the past year alone. wienerberger’s inaugural social impact strategy focuses on addressing housing insecurity through meaningful action. The initiative aims to prevent individuals from losing their homes, support those at risk, and assist people experiencing housing crises in rebuilding their lives. The programme is a key component of wienerberger’s broader sustainability strategy, “Let’s Build Beyond,” which is dedicated to supporting communities throughout the UK and Ireland. The company’s social impact strategy also includes proactive actions to prevent homelessness, such as working with vulnerable groups to offer support through work experience and skills development. This includes young care leavers, who have experienced a 33% increase in homelessness in the past five years. wienerberger will offer work taster days in partnership with Greater Manchester Youth Network at the company’s Head Office in Cheadle, Stockport. Simon Nevitt, Chief Manufacturing Officer at wienerberger UK & Ireland said: “We have a responsibility as a leading provider of building solutions to create value for our communities and play an active role in the areas in which we operate. Our social impact strategy is just the beginning of our commitment that will deliver ambitious, positive and long-lasting impact for our people, our partners, and our communities.” Further efforts to tackle homelessness and deliver social value include collaborating with the supply chain, making targeted product donations to improve public amenities, and direct engagement with community groups and schools. Through its social impact strategy, wienerberger also aims to engage its employees in causes that are close to their hearts. This includes support for personal fundraising, and a Community Fund for each UK location. Causes that have been nominated by employees to receive Community Fund support to date range from a dog rescue centre, a dementia community café, sports teams, a memorial garden, hospices, and a charity supporting homeless families. To find out more read wienerberger UK & Ireland’s social impact strategy here – https://www.wienerberger.co.uk/about-us/sustainability/social-impact.html. To explore wienerberger UK & Ireland’s product donation guidelines and apply, visit its website – Product Donations | Wienerberger UK Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
