From Bath to Doncaster and Chelmsford to Guildford, top-10 housebuilder Linden Homes has been spreading some festive cheer across the communities it builds in with staff from across the business taking part in a range of activities to help those in need this Christmas. In both Guildford and Chelmsford, the
The players at London Irish faced their biggest challenge yet when their principal sponsor, waste management company Powerday, brought a selection of skips, some healthy competition and just one question to the pitch: who would come out on top in the Rugby Kick Challenge? On a sunny July day at
The Bognor Regis branch of Covers Timber and Builders Merchants will be supporting the Pagham Pram Race 2018 as a corporate sponsor for a third consecutive year. Pagham’s traditional Boxing Day pram push – the oldest in the world – spans back more than 70 years and regularly welcomes visitors
Surely one of the most enjoyable parts of living in Spain is that you can make the most of the Mediterranean sunshine. And whether you’re a permanent resident or have a holiday villa, this means enjoying a private outdoor pool. Swimming for fitness, fun or family entertainment is an activity
WISE, the campaign for gender balance in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), carried out a research that showed the UK is on track to have 1 million women working in core STEM roles by 2020. There are over 900,000 women working in STEM currently and an estimated 200,000 women
Temporary buildings are used by manufacturers for a variety of purposes. They provide a quick solution to short-term needs or a way to create space that is needed fast. They can be attached to a warehouse or installed as stand-alone structures on a manufacturing plant. Modular buildings, which are sectional
The shortlist for this year’s Construction Marketing Awards has been announced by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). The companies will compete for awards in 23 different categories, including best use of content marketing, best low, medium and high budget campaign and marketing team of the year. The awards are
Street cabinet camo! The pioneering housing development adding innovation and style to broadband boxes by SEAMLESSLY blending them into the background Now you see them…and soon you won’t! At least that’s the case at an innovative Tees Valley housing development where street cabinets are looking a little different. Wynyard Park
On the ever growing journey to create a greener world, Architecture firms across the globe are raising the stakes in green design implementations. Sustainability is being taken to new heights across an array of cities and countries, with New York and San Diego standing amongst a growing number of jurisdictions
Losing your hair is quite a common thing for many people as they get older. In the past there has been very little that could be done about it, and in the more recent past it was only the rich and famous that could afford to have it done. But
From Bath to Doncaster and Chelmsford to Guildford, top-10 housebuilder Linden Homes has been spreading some festive cheer across the communities it builds in with staff from across the business taking part in a range of activities to help those in need this Christmas. In both Guildford and Chelmsford, the Linden Homes South and Eastern teams have been collecting and delivering gifts to local children who may be spending their Christmas in either a hospital or a hospice this year. Employees from Linden Homes South dug deep and donated a range of gifts to the children at the Shooting Star Chase Hospice in Guildford. Speaking of the donation, Jenny Pearman, corporate relationship manager at Shooting Star Chase said: “The gifts donated by Linden Homes will help make our Christmas celebrations extra special at our two hospices and means our hospice at home team can deliver gifts to children and siblings throughout December.” For the fifth-consecutive year, the staff from Linden Homes Eastern played Santa and delivered sacks full of goodies to the children at the Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford. The hospital’s fundraising manager, Charlotte Jefcoate said: “We would like to thank Linden Homes for once again visiting the children and making their day with these wonderful gifts.” Further North, the Linden Homes East Yorkshire division has been supporting the Doncaster Homeless Outreach Service, a charity that helps rough sleepers across Yorkshire take the first steps towards finding a home, whilst offering emotional support and practical advice. The team from Linden Homes collected ‘Christmas bags’, with the contents including basic but essential toiletries. Developments operated by Linden Homes Western also became home to food bank collection points, which will remain open throughout January. Local schools, businesses and residents have been invited to donate food that can be then distributed to people in a time of crisis. Linden Homes communications manager, Naomi Burrell commented “It’s fantastic to see the Linden Homes business units pulling together to help out and give back to the communities nearby to our developments up and down the country. Our staff have gone the extra mile to bring some Christmas cheer to children and families. It’s so heartening to see the donated gifts and items coming in and even more heartening to see how much pleasure these generous gifts give.”
The players at London Irish faced their biggest challenge yet when their principal sponsor, waste management company Powerday, brought a selection of skips, some healthy competition and just one question to the pitch: who would come out on top in the Rugby Kick Challenge? On a sunny July day at Hazelwood, the Exiles stepped up to an out-of-the ordinary training challenge to see who could earn the highest score by kicking rugby balls into different sized skips and bins. The rules were simple: each player had three shots to get the ball in one of six targets. The smaller the skip, the higher the score; so would they risk it all to hit that magic 100-pointer wheelie bin, or play it safe by aiming for larger, less valuable goals? One by one, the boys attempted to dropkick their way to the top of the leaderboards. Curious to see who was the most accurate on the day? Follow the action one kick at a time in the full competition video here – https://www.powerday.co.uk/news/london-irish-rugby-kick-challenge/ After the final scores were tallied, Powerday took the challenge online, asking fans if they could beat the pros at their own game with the official Rugby Kick Challenge game! Whether you’re on your phone, tablet, laptop or PC, you can choose your favourite London Irish stars to see how well you can do with just ten kicks of the ball and three targets to aim for. Shoot for the golden skip for maximum points, then share your top score for ultimate bragging rights. Will you be able to kick the perfect game? Visit the Powerday website and Play the Rugby Kick Challenge today to find out. See here – https://www.powerday.co.uk/rugby-kick-challenge/
The Bognor Regis branch of Covers Timber and Builders Merchants will be supporting the Pagham Pram Race 2018 as a corporate sponsor for a third consecutive year. Pagham’s traditional Boxing Day pram push – the oldest in the world – spans back more than 70 years and regularly welcomes visitors from all over the world in an effort to raise funds for local causes. The three-mile route, which sees teams in fancy dress pushing decorated prams around a race course, starts at the Mill on Pagham Road and finishes at The Lamb pub car park, passing other local pubs along the way. Paul Allwright, who is Depot Manager at Covers Bognor Regis, said: “The Pagham Pram Race is a real highlight of the festive season. We are delighted to be part of this much-loved event and we can’t wait to see all the fun, novel and creative entries from the competitors.” Andrew Goodwill, who is the Treasurer of the Pagham Pram Race, added: “We would like to thank Covers for their continued support and look forward to welcoming as many people as possible to another successful Pagham Pram Race in 2018.” The Pagham Pram Race takes place at 11am on Boxing Day. Full details about the event, including how to take part, are available at www.paghamprace.com.
Surely one of the most enjoyable parts of living in Spain is that you can make the most of the Mediterranean sunshine. And whether you’re a permanent resident or have a holiday villa, this means enjoying a private outdoor pool. Swimming for fitness, fun or family entertainment is an activity everyone can get behind, particularly during hot Spanish summers. It’s not often that you find a villa on the Spanish Costas without a pool, but it does happen. If your property lacks this essential facility, you may want to think about installing one in your garden or on your terrace. Not only will a swimming pool add real value to your Spanish home, it will transform your enjoyment of the Spanish lifestyle. Consult an experienced pool construction company with a flair for design, and ideally one where English is spoken, such as this one in Marbella. If your villa does come with a private pool, regular pool maintenance is key for keeping it in top condition. Looking after your pool isn’t rocket science but someone has to do it. With a bit of knowledge about how pools work, you can do it yourself, or you can outsource the task to your gardener, a regular ‘pool guy’ or a professional pool cleaning company. And don’t forget to schedule in an annual pool service once a year too, just to make sure there are no nasty surprises that could have been nipped in the bud earlier. Here are 7 essential tips to help you maintain your outdoor pool for longer: 1. Remove surface debris every other day In every outdoor pool, the water’s surface where most damage takes place. Falling leaves and other debris can fall into the pool and will sink to the bottom if not removed. The less attention you give your pool, the further down the dirt will sink. This can make it more difficult to remove and run the risk of clogging up the filtration system. Use a hand skimmer or net every second day to keep on top of pool detritus. 2. Schedule a weekly brush and vacuum clean Use a strong broom or brush to tackle the walls of the pool to remove any algae build-up. Invest in a dedicated pool vacuum cleaner and use it weekly to remove any debris that has sunk to the bottom of the pool. Swimming pool vacuums are now readily available to buy, and they’re easy to use, as can be seen here: 3. Ensure the proper pH balance of pool chemicals This is the science bit, so do pay attention. An incorrect balance of pool chemicals can turn the water a murky green, creating the perfect condition for algae and bacteria to thrive and multiply forth. Ask your pool builder to recommend the correct chemical composition and use a testing kit to check regularly; you are looking for a healthy pH value of 7.4-7.6. 4. Clean the filter regularly Your pool will have one of three types of filter: cartridge, sand or DE (diatomaceous earth). They all have different cleaning requirements and all of them can easily become blocked with debris if left unattended. When clogged, the flow of water circulation reduces, pushing up the pressure in the system. Check the pressure gauge to make sure it remains at or below 10psi. 5. Top tip: Use a tennis ball to help collect debris ere’s a genius little tip to help you mop up unwanted residue on the pool’s surface including oil from sun creams. Simply throw a tennis ball into the water and let it gradually soak up any residue. Without any effort required on your part, it will soak up the residue, get rid of any dirt and help keep your outdoor pool clean. 6. Shock the water Did you know that if there’s an overwhelming smell of chorine around your pool, it’s not because there’s too much chlorine in the water? On the contrary, contaminants including nitrogen and ammonia are mixing with the chlorine (hence the offensive smell) meaning you need to put more chlorine in. Shocking the water with a high dose of chlorine will clear the contamination and make the water crystal clear in a few days. 7. General poolside clean-up Finally, don’t forget that the area around the pool will also need regular cleaning and disinfecting. Surfaces such as wooden decking, or a tiled or paved sun terrace, can make the floor very slippery and dangerous. In addition, the constant moisture on the surface can be a perfect breeding ground for bacteria that are easily spreadable to the pool itself.
WISE, the campaign for gender balance in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), carried out a research that showed the UK is on track to have 1 million women working in core STEM roles by 2020. There are over 900,000 women working in STEM currently and an estimated 200,000 women with STEM qualifications will reach working age within the next 2 years. The news was announced at WISE 2018 Awards presented by the Patron of WISE, HRH The Princess Royal. WISE’s annual Awards recognise inspiring individuals and organisations who are actively working to promote STEM to girls and women and drive change. Costain, Network Rail, EDF Energy, and BAM Nuttall were among some of the companies who collected Awards. “We need UK employers to do more and follow the great example of our Award winners who are leading the way. They have managed to get more women into engineering and technology, removed barriers preventing women moving up through the ranks and seen the benefits of doing so in terms of improved business performance. The great news is that there are more women than ever before coming onto the labour market with engineering and technology qualifications. If employers manage to recruit just half of these women, the UK will have achieved a major milestone,” explained Helen Wollaston, Chief Executive Officer for WISE. WISE also wants to see an increase in the proportion of girls choosing maths, physics, computer science and engineering, as well as making it easier for women who did not study these subjects at school, college or university, to obtain the relevant qualifications later in life. “A girl studying A level electronics told WISE recently that she feels her generation is on the cusp of finding new and better ways of creating things – in a sustainable way. Science and engineering and tech are fundamental to the future of the planet, we need women to take their rightful place in creating that new future,” concluded Helen at the end of the evening.
Temporary buildings are used by manufacturers for a variety of purposes. They provide a quick solution to short-term needs or a way to create space that is needed fast. They can be attached to a warehouse or installed as stand-alone structures on a manufacturing plant. Modular buildings, which are sectional prefabricated structures, can be put together elsewhere then delivered to the customer. The delivery may be in one or several complete sections. These buildings are cost-effective and provide a fast solution when one is needed. Smart space buildings are some of the best quality temporary buildings in the market. Advantages over Traditional Construction Temporary buildings have many advantages over traditional ones. Some of these advantages include: Flexibility They are portable, therefore, providing ease of relocation. Whether temporary or permanent, modular buildings are durable and secure. They are appropriate for the applications of any manufacturing plant. They take a shorter time to construct They employ an accelerated production method thereby making it possible for the construction to be completed fast. There are no site-related delays or bottlenecks. Design and constructions time is reduced by up to 50%. They are cost-effective This is due to reduced labor and fewer material costs. When construction is done off-site, there is maximum utilization of labour and fewer material purchases. Waste is also reduced. Additionally, you have the following financial options: Lease your portable structure Opt for a lease-to-own alternative Purchase the building outright Opt for a guaranteed buy-back option Any type of industry will find an alternative that best suits its particular requirements. Their quality is more consistent With modular buildings, for instance, quality is guaranteed every step of the building process. The components are inspected at every phase and approved by third-party inspectors. Compliance with specifications and codes is insisted upon. The facilities that are utilized are state-of-the-art and the constructers integrate the best practices to produce the best designs. Temporary buildings must meet the same specifications of conventional buildings. Therefore, you will get a structure that meets the same standards of quality, longevity and durability that are expected of the traditionally constructed structures. Other benefits include versatility and diminished site disruptions. These benefits make them suitable for a lot of uses in not only the manufacturing industry but also other industries as well. They have therefore risen in popularity over the years as better alternatives to conventional buildings which take a lot of time and money to put up. It is possible to build individual modular building components on site as the site is being prepared for construction, and then have additional architectural details added. The modular project then looks just like the other conventional structures. This saves you time and money. Types of Temporary Structures for Manufacturers Restrooms Training facilities Locker rooms Administrative offices Break rooms Laboratories Healthcare facilities The manufacturing industry players have a deep understanding and appreciation of the value that temporary buildings bring to the sector. This is especially with regard to providing solutions for much-needed space. In addition, there is the quality, safety and speed all of which are highly regarded in manufacturing.
The shortlist for this year’s Construction Marketing Awards has been announced by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). The companies will compete for awards in 23 different categories, including best use of content marketing, best low, medium and high budget campaign and marketing team of the year. The awards are organised by CIM’s Construction Group, celebrating creativity, innovation and effectiveness in marketing across the construction industry. “The construction sector is renowned for its innovation and creativity and when it comes to marketing, the awards confirm that the industry recognises and celebrates the insight, creativity and impact of marketers in construction. This year we’ve received the highest level of entries which reflect the very best in construction marketing talent and are a fantastic way to raise awareness of the originality across the industry,” said Mike Lomax, chair of the CIM Construction Group. “Judged by some of the leading figures from brands such as Tarmac Cement, BMI group, MRA marketing from across construction and marketing, the Construction Marketing Awards set the benchmark for marketing success in the construction sector. We look forward to celebrating with guests at the annual awards ceremony and honouring marketing excellence across the built environment,” Mike added. Nominees include Senior Architectural Systems, BMI Redland, Fibo and many more. The Construction Marketing Awards Gala Dinner takes place on Thursday, the 29th of November at Hilton London Bankside, 2-8 Great Suffolk Street, London. Tickets can be booked individually or in tables of 10 and 12. Dress code is black tie and evening wear and the ticket price includes drinks reception, three course dinner, half a bottle of wine per person, and entertainment!
Street cabinet camo! The pioneering housing development adding innovation and style to broadband boxes by SEAMLESSLY blending them into the background Now you see them…and soon you won’t! At least that’s the case at an innovative Tees Valley housing development where street cabinets are looking a little different. Wynyard Park has teamed up with graphic design experts at Shutter Media to blend street furniture into its surroundings by wrapping them in a range of clever designs – from brick, rendering and landscaping through to the woodland animals commonly seen on the development. Sixteen Virgin Media street cabinets are to get the wrap treatment – with plans to eventually hide the majority of the development’s street cabinets in plain sight. The project was the brainchild of Wynyard Park Development Manager Craig Pinder who teamed up with Steve Hale of Shutter Media to initially lessen the impact of two street cabinets with a deer and stag design. Work is currently underway to wrap a further 14 boxes. Craig said: “I saw an opportunity to add a bit of imagination and colour to some of the cabinets that have to be installed as part of the infrastructure and that’s when we decided to wrap the initial two. “The residents’ garden is a nice, relaxing area adjoining some of our woodland. “We wanted residents and guests to focus on the beauty of the garden rather than the cabinets. “The new graphics will certainly add a unique feel to the estate.” He added: “We get people stopping and taking photos with the first two boxes we trialled.” The reaction has been so positive that the idea was also picked up in other areas of the country – with Steve’s company, which is based at Durham Tees Valley Airport, wrapping street cabinets in Manchester and London. Wynyard Park and Virgin Media have co-funded the pilot project which may be rolled out to other developments if successful. Steve said: “We were certainly one of the first locations to do this. “The feedback has been great.” The vinyl used to wrap the cabinets is the same that Steve uses to decorate shop shutters as it adheres to galvanised steel. Graphics are then printed onto the material with latex and given UVA protection. The wraps have a seven to ten-year lifespan. “Our company started putting images onto shop shutters,” explains Steve, “hence our name Shutter Media. “But we have now used the material for so many different applications. It works on brick walls, we can wrap concrete up and once it’s on, it’s on. “The demand for these wraps is now rapidly increasing – and it all started here at Wynyard Park.” Luke Pattison, Head of New Business Development at Virgin Media, said: “This is a great project and we are always open to hearing about new and innovative ways in which we can do more with our cabinets. We hope local residents like the designs on the development.” For more information about the properties and self-build plots currently available at Wynyard Park please visit http://wynyardpark.com. Picture caption: Street cabinets at Wynyard Park
On the ever growing journey to create a greener world, Architecture firms across the globe are raising the stakes in green design implementations. Sustainability is being taken to new heights across an array of cities and countries, with New York and San Diego standing amongst a growing number of jurisdictions looking to expand the scope of energy and water use requirements in new construction projects. San Diego is now dedicated to all new buildings being created to reach net energy standards. Meaning each new build should theoretically produce more energy than it consumes. Requirements surrounding energy efficiency are now tougher to comply with than ever. Proposals and strategies that used to be optional are no longer so, and buildings have to account for certain codes regarding energy usage if we are to tackle the energy crisis successfully. Staff members of FX Collaborative, an architecture firm in New York City, are pro-actively involved in a variety of task forces that relate to green building codes and ethics. A recent focus has been on energy use intensity and the city has passed a law that grades a buildings performance, requiring the building’s owner to post an energy grade into public view. This will allow for the buildings efficiency to be publicly known and noted, which should hopefully help older, more energy consuming buildings to contemporize their features. Specific goals for future design projects include aspects of energy regulations, such as solar carve outs – which set goals for solar panels to generate certain amounts of Eco-friendly electricity. A variety of cities are now using modern standpoints as realities, over guidelines, to implement a green future sooner rather than later. The District of Columbia have proposed an ambition that will see the equivalent of 5% of its buildings energy consumption to be generated completely by solar before 2032. Building Green is no longer a simple matter of discussion. In the policy climate of the modern day, Building Green extends long beyond the reduction of a building or structures carbon footprint, and emits into the greater catalysts of larger conservations in terms of both water and energy efficiency. With so many architectural firms already taking huge steps to create a better future through green buildings, it would seem that the next decade could show immense success in aiding the world to recover from generations of global damages. This is refreshing news for an industry that has remarkable potential to help determine a stable environmental future.
Losing your hair is quite a common thing for many people as they get older. In the past there has been very little that could be done about it, and in the more recent past it was only the rich and famous that could afford to have it done. But things are changing and more and more people are winding back the clock by bringing back the hairline of their younger selves Before you embark on your hair transplant journey it is well worth doing a little research to make sure you are well prepared for what will happen. It is a surgical procedure, but it isn’t really surgery The general principle of hair implants is simple. Hair follicles are surgically removed from the donor site, and implanted in the recipient site that has suffered hair loss. From this perspective it is surgical in nature, but it is carried out under local anaesthetic meaning the patient is awake and conscious the whole time. This carries far less risks than putting someone under general anaesthetic, yet the patient will feel nothing. The usual technique, known as Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is minimally invasive, almost bloodless and is considered to be ‘non-surgical’. Together with the patient the doctor will locate a donor site in agreement with the client. Prior to the transplant the hairs need to be shaved down to around 1-2 mm in length, and once the anaesthetic has taken effect they are ready to be moved. A small tool that looks a little like a punch is looped over the follicular unit and pushed into the skin just enough to allow removal with a small pair of forceps. Each unit contains 1 to 5 hours and is laid to one side to await implantation in the new location. Small incisions are the made and the units inserted one and time, and will be done thousands of times so that the new growth will be dense enough to look natural. Once healed it can have huge impact on your confidence Hair loss is fairly common in men, less common in women, but for both it can have a huge impact on your emotional well being. After the procedure has finished healing and started to grow, it can really boost your confidence and change your look completely to how you looked 10, 20 or 30 years ago. There are a number of celebrities who have undergone the procedure, and before and after photographs are easy to see across the internet. Check out the results for yourself and imagine how it would look on you. It can be expensive in Europe and the US It can be expensive, but it doesn’t need to be if you choose to go abroad for the procedure. For example, in Turkey some of the best hair transplant surgeons from around the world are flocking to Istanbul to set up hair transplant clinics with the latest modern techniques. And yet it costs so much less than in other countries. This doesn’t mean there is any loss of quality, in fact it is far from it. There is a wide list of low cost hair transplant clinics in different countries that are worth looking into. The best clinics are regulated, and the procedures carried out in brand new accredited hospitals. Yet the price of the procedure will often come in under €2,500 compared with around €12,500 in the UK, and as much as €25,000 in the US. This is mostly down to the currency exchange rate, the Turkish Lira does not perform well against the euro, dollar or sterling. Add this to the fact that salaries and running costs are cheaper in Turkey, and as the world centre of excellence is in Istanbul and the competition is fierce. The price is simply a lot more affordable for people. You can be treated to a 5 star stay as a client Not only is the price lower in Turkey, but the patient care is second to none. And all the extras are included. For example during the days you are there, you will be chauffeured to and from the airport and appointments. You’ll also stay in a 5* hotel, and allocated an interpreter to look after you and answer the questions you may have. Some people decide to turn it into an extended holiday. The transplanted hair is permanent, but it has to be the right treatment for you Hair implants is the only permanent and effective treatment for baldness. But the timing and treatment has to be right. If you notice that you are suffering from hair loss the first thing you should do is visit a dermatologist, to make sure it is clear what the cause is. Also the symptoms need to have stabilised, this is rare in the under 25’s so it may be that other treatments are more appropriate initially before progressing to implant. This way you can be sure to get the best results.
