Birmingham teenager Niall Quinney is an apprentice carpenter, following in his granddad’s footsteps to establish a career working with timber. The 18-year-old from Sheldon joined Persimmon Homes Central in May 2019 and will soon complete his NVQ Level 2 Carpentry and Joinery apprenticeship. He said: “I attend Solihull College one day a week, the rest of the time I’m out on site. I’m at Paragon Park in Coventry at the moment, which is my third development. “I’m really enjoying the work and learning lots of new skills from everyone here.” Elliot O’Sullivan, Site Manager at Paragon Park and Niall’s line […]
The post Birmingham teenager nails carpentry apprenticeship first appeared on Connect East Midlands.

A new Electro-mechanical Engineering degree apprenticeship launched by the University of Nottingham is set to transform the way firms attract recruits and upskill existing staff – and ultimately produce apprentices who can solve business-specific problems with both mechanical and electrical engineering expertise. The degree apprenticeship, starting in September 2021, develops technical skills in design, testing and analysis and the soft skills that enable graduates to be effective members of an engineering team. Employer-specific project work is a major theme throughout the blended learning and block release programme, empowering apprentices to foster skills, knowledge and behaviours by solving engineering challenges that […]
The post “Elite skills development for everyone” offered through new University of Nottingham Electro-mechanical Engineering degree apprenticeship first appeared on Connect East Midlands.

Renowned fire stopping tech business FireArrest, who offer software that allows users to monitor all fire stopping processes within a premises, has recently published an in-depth product comparison. FireArrest has compared their Pro package with similar offerings from Bolster Systems and Onetrace. While primarily intended for fire stopping professionals, this kind of software is also used by responsible people in a range of settings from education and healthcare to construction and facilities. Managing Director Mark Shaw had this to say, “We operate in a very niche industry, and it’s not always easy for people to understand exactly what we do. […]
The post Renowned Fire Stopping Tech Company Release Product Comparison first appeared on Connect East Midlands.

EE will upgrade nearly thirty 4G sites in the East Midlands in 2021 as part of the Shared Rural Network (SRN) initiative to extend coverage in rural areas across the UK. SRN is a programme between the UK’s four mobile network operators and the UK Government to extend 4G coverage to 95 per cent of the UK’s geography by the middle of this decade. The upgrades announced today fall under the first phase of the Shared Rural Network, where EE will invest to significantly reduce ‘partial not-spots’ by 2024. EE has already upgraded its 4G network in 25 locations across […]
The post EE TO EXTEND 4G COVERAGE IN 26 PLACES IN EAST MIDLANDS IN 2021 TO BOOST RURAL CONNECTIVITY first appeared on Connect East Midlands.

Connect Derby, the city’s leading managed workspace provider, has appointed Talvindar Shanker as finance manager. Talvindar joins the Connect Derby team from The University of Derby where she worked in the finance department for two years. Prior to that she spent more than 17 years at Derby College. She started her career in the student records department at the College’s former Wilmorton campus and went on to gain a broad range of experience, including four years in a finance role. In her new role as finance manager at Connect Derby, Talvindar will be responsible for budgeting, rent rolls, processing purchase […]
The post CONNECT DERBY APPOINTS NEW FINANCE MANAGER first appeared on Connect East Midlands.

With the unpredictable weather and ever-changing lockdown rules, ensuring your outdoor space is functional and welcoming when you need it most has never been more important. Homeowners looking to make the most of their outdoor space, can look to the experts for guidance on easy to integrate features that will take their outside space – be it a garden, terrace or balcony – to the next level, and all in time for when we can invite friends and family around again. Research shows that being outside improves your mood and reduces stress*, so when things are out of our control, […]
The post Top tips to make your outside space more useable in an unpredictable Britain first appeared on Connect East Midlands.

Blueprint Interiors invest in new look for WorkLife Central Monday’s announcements outlined key dates for unlocking the economy, and the race is now on to provide workspaces that employees will want to return to.  However, given that many employees may still opt to work from home, many companies are seeking ways to embrace more agile ways of working and discovering that offices need to provide other functions that support and encourage teams to collaborate and innovate safely together.  According to workplace consultants and commercial office fit-out specialists Blueprint Interiors, post Covid employers need the reassurance that they are doing everything necessary […]
The post Bosses race to adapt workplaces ready for return of workers first appeared on Connect East Midlands.

Loughborough based Commercial and Development specialists, Mather Jamie, is celebrating its 30th company anniversary and attributes its longevity of success to the strength of its relationships with clients, partners and staff. It is very optimistic heading into 2021, having secured the mandate to act as the commercial property agent for over 150 retail, office and warehouse units in major UK wide business parks and advising on the sale of over £200million of land for commercial development. The company was instrumental in building a bridge over the M1 at junction 21, which unlocked the potential to build 4200 new homes at […]
The post Property Agency firm celebrate 30th anniversary with £200m land deal first appeared on Connect East Midlands.

Contractor Henry Brothers has been appointed to build a new £4 million extension at Glossopdale School in Derbyshire after successfully completing the £23 million main school complex, which opened in 2018. Work on the two-storey classroom block is expected to get under way in April and will provide a further 240 places at the school in Hadfield, near Glossop – 200 extra spaces for pupils aged 11 to 16 and 40 additional sixth form places. It will also create additional social spaces and will be built to match the main complex of the school. Managing director of Henry Brothers Midlands, […]
The post Henry Brothers appointed to build Derbyshire school extension first appeared on Connect East Midlands.

Creative Fradley pupils have put their stamp on a brand new community in the town thanks to a naming competition by local leading developer Barratt Homes. Pupils at St Stephen’s Primary School inspired the name of the new development after the leading homebuilder asked pupils for their suggestions. After several classes submitted a whole host of entries for their chosen development name, Barratt Homes landed on Fradley Manor for its soon to launch Hay End Lane development. Among the winning answer, pupils considered the town’s history, landmarks and famous people when choosing their entries. The school was gifted a £40 […]
The post LOCAL FRADLEY PUPILS INSPIRE NAME FOR NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT first appeared on Connect East Midlands.

With working from home becoming a long-term reality for many people in Derbyshire, Barratt Homes is urging homebuyers to take a look at its developments in Buxton for flexible homes in a peaceful location. The developer currently has a range of three bedroom homes available at Heathfield Nook and High Peak Meadow with an abundance of space and a scenic countryside outlook. Research from Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) shows that 40% of employers reported that 75-99% of their workforce is now working continuously from home[i]. As a result, two in five workers, out of 3,000 surveyed, said […]
The post LEADING DEVELOPER PROVIDES IDEAL HOMES FOR DERBYSHIRE HOME WORKERS first appeared on Connect East Midlands.

Pupils at Ledbury Primary School have been going ‘quackers’ following a donation of books which celebrate friendship and bravery from leading homebuilder David Wilson Homes. Written by local author Victoria Palmer, ‘The Angry Duck’ is a children’s book which explores relationships, overcomes misunderstandings and celebrates that everyone is different.   In supporting the community close to its Kipling Road development St Catherine’s Grange, David Wilson Homes was touched by the powerful message in the book and wanted to help to share the story with local children.   Victoria said: “I’m so humbled to have had my book selected as part […]
The post LEDBURY PUPILS GO QUACKERS FOR LOCAL AUTHOR BOOK DONATION first appeared on Connect East Midlands.

When Bliss was founded in 1979 by a group of parents, our objective as a charity was set out “to support the life of babies in distress at birth”, and since our foundation we have always sought to deliver this for all babies admitted to neonatal care, whether they were born prematurely or at full term. Over the past 41 years our reach has grown and we now work with many neonatal units in the East Midlands and across the UK. Having a baby in neonatal care can be incredibly distressing for families and Bliss offers emotional and practical support […]
The post Bliss raises awareness of ‘hidden neonatal journeys’ first appeared on Connect East Midlands.

Leicester-based industrial supplies distributor Cromwell  is celebrating a strong start to 2021, with two prestigious accolades recognising it as a great place to work. The company, a global supplier of industrial tools and equipment, was awarded Great Place to Work UK certification and placed 26th in the Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Awards, an annual ranking of the UK’s top 50 employers. Both awards were based upon the feedback from hundreds of colleagues to determine eligibility. The certification from leading workplace recognition programme Great Place to Work was awarded to Cromwell following a rigorous evaluation process that takes both employee feedback and […]
The post PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS FOR INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES DISTRIBUTOR CROMWELL first appeared on Connect East Midlands.

Irthlingborough Food Bank has received a £250 donation from Davidsons Homes to help support its efforts to end food poverty. Based at the Salvation Army Citadel on Spinney Road, close to the housebuilder’s Diamond Heights development, the organisation provides crisis food parcels – in single and family sizes – that contain enough food for three days. Angela Bridge, one of Irthlingborough Food Bank’s volunteers, said: “As we receive no Government funding, we rely on the generosity of donations to help provide food for people in genuine need. I’d like to thank Davidsons Homes, and all of our other kind donors, […]
The post Irthlingborough Food Bank receives donation from local housebuilder first appeared on Connect East Midlands.

Deanestor, one of the UK’s leading furniture specialists, has completed a £750,000 bespoke kitchen and bedroom fitout contract at Affinity Living’s luxury urban living scheme in the centre of Manchester.   Built by Sir Robert McAlpine and designed by architects Denton Corker Marshall, Riverside provides 190 studios and one, two and three-bed apartments for rent in a stunning 16-storey tower overlooking the river and the cityscape. Affinity Living Riverside is the first development to be launched under Select Property Group’s residential property brand. The sleek, high-end open-plan kitchens have marbled white granite-effect worktops, an oak-effect finish to the breakfast bars […]
The post Deanestor Completes £750,000 Contract to Provide Kitchens and Bedroom Furniture for Luxury Apartment Scheme in Manchester first appeared on Connect East Midlands.

The Department for Work and Pensions will soon be setting up shop in a former Derby banking centre. The property, which is located on Sir Frank Whittle Road, was last occupied by Barclays Bank PLC but has now been let to DWP. Hugo Beresford, of Salloway Property Consultants, is delighted to have secured the letting and sees it as a real boost to the local office market. “There has been considerable interest in the property mainly from prospective purchasers but our client has always preferred to let the building. A single 10,000sqft office letting to a public sector tenant is […]
The post DWP letting a banker! first appeared on Connect East Midlands.

Midlands contractor G F Tomlinson is progressing with multi-million expansion works at Cardinal Newman Catholic School in Coventry, for Coventry City Council. The project involves the construction of a new dining hall and the refurbishment of existing buildings for optimised teaching spaces, which will allow for an additional 200 places at the school, in line with a government drive to provide extra student spaces in Coventry. Procured through Pagabo’s National Framework for Medium Works, this is the first scheme G F Tomlinson has been awarded through the framework in its allocated region, which covers projects between the value of £1m-£5m […]
The post Works underway on £3.7m expansion of Coventry secondary school first appeared on Connect East Midlands.

Couples looking to separate can look to advice from family law experts who can help the difficult process move forward more seamlessly. From financial assets, to future shared contact arrangements and the marital home, there are a number of important considerations to look after when it comes to separating, so it’s important to have full disclosure and to split assets fairly. Relationship breakdowns can be distressing and complicated, with plenty of difficult decisions and arrangements to think about and implement, so seeking legal advice from specialists can provide support during an undoubtedly stressful time. From listing outgoings, to providing full […]
The post How to settle a divorce seamlessly first appeared on Connect East Midlands.

Specialist engineering company P Ducker Systems has appointed a new managing director from within its ranks to succeed long-serving Mike Rose. Nathan Lawson has taken the helm of PDS at a buoyant time for the business. A strong order book means revenues for its next financial year are already on course to be 25 per cent higher than the current year, which ends on March 31. Mike, who has been managing director since 2012, will remain with the Derby-based company as a consultant until the summer. Nathan, who has been promoted from services director, joined PDS in 1997 as a […]
The post New MD takes over at buoyant PDS first appeared on Connect East Midlands.