Fairway View, Front of House Manager, Alison Fry, was awarded ‘Support Star of the Year’ at the Prestigious Awards. Alison Fry, who has worked at Fairway View care home since 2019, has been recognised for her enthusiasm, insightful care home knowledge and dedication to help others.
The award was particularly poignant, as Alison spent much of her time throughout the pandemic offering guidance, updates, and regular check ins with residents friends and families, whilst also organising socially distanced visits and skype calls so loved ones could keep in touch throughout the lockdowns.
The annual Ideal Care Awards were created in 2019 to recognise, reward and pay tribute to the Ideal Carehomes staff team who go above and beyond their roles. After a callout for nominations, the group received a record breaking 1200 entries across 14 categories, ranging from Housekeeping Hero and Resident Outstanding Contribution to Home Manager and Home of the Year. Internal judging days took place in July which determined the finalists who were invited to celebrate their achievements at a gala dinner at Casa Hotel in Chesterfield. The awards were hosted by Shaun Williamson, well- known for his role as Barry Evans in EastEnders.
Shaun entertained the finalists with stand-up comedy before announcing each category winner. He said, ‘It was a real honour to have been asked to join Ideal Carehomes at their awards ceremony. The stories of each finalist were incredibly moving, and it made every award extremely meaningful. Congratulations to the winners, you are all such a deserving bunch of people!’. Speaking after the awards, Alison, said, ‘I am so thrilled to have been presented with the ‘Support Star’ award. There were so many incredibly talented people within the category, so to have won makes me feel incredibly proud. Thank you to everybody who took the time to nominate me, it really means so much to me that my work brings such comfort and support to others’.
Home Manager, Gaynor Smart-McCann, said, ‘I am incredibly proud of Alison and her achievements, she is an extremely deserving winner! Alison is an extremely valued member of our team, however, her work throughout the pandemic has been invaluable. Alison devoted herself to reassuring families, providing a listening ear and shoulder to cry on. Alison also helped us to welcome so many new starters, putting them at ease throughout the course of their training and explaining just how everything works around our home. Congratulations Alison!’.
Fairway View is a residential and dementia care home, which is rated ‘OUTSTANDING’ by the Care Quality Commission. If you are interested in current opportunities to work at Fairway View, visit www.idealcarehomes.co.uk/careers or contact Home Manager, Gaynor, on 0115 975 8770.
The short answer is … everyone. It doesn’t matter if you are someone wiser in years (like me at almost 50 years wise), an athlete, or someone recovering from injury. Pilates is suitable for all ages and at Stretch Fit Pilates & Therapy Ltd we have clients of all ages who benefit from a regular, steady paced, Pilates class. In fact, the majority of our clients are middle-aged wise or more.
As our bodies progress in years, it is important to keep the body strong, supple and balanced. Pounding the ground and doing heavy weights with mass repetition builds bulky, short muscle that can put pressure on joints and make you more prone to injury as you age. Where as Pilates develops long, lean and functionally strong muscles and limbs. Pilates exercises are low-impact and partially weight-bearing, which is good for the prevention of osteoporosis and other joint problems. The creative routines of our classes build strength and improve posture, flexibility, agility and balance.
Our clients know from experience that our Pilate’s programme is one of the best ways to energise the body, alleviate aches and pains and put that spring back in your step. I am a testament to the benefits of Pilates as almost 12 years ago I was seriously injured and told I may not be walking unaided ever again. Pilates and a great teacher (my husband) had me walking, running, mountain climbing and tree climbing pain free again. At almost 50 I’m in the best shape of my life and it just gets better. This could be you too! We have classes in person and also zoom & pre recorded classes.
This month’s advertorial comes to us from the founder of T4 Physio clinic in Bolton, and author of ‘Discover the Secrets to Aging Well and Staying Active’, Nash Danga.
On finishing my book I realised I had thoroughly enjoyed writing it and one of the reasons is, I know it is going to help people far and wide. I’m so lucky that I enjoy my job and Physiotherapy is really a huge passion of mine, and part of my life rather than just a job. Movement is essential, and it never ceases to amaze me how many conditions can be eased with physical therapy and rehabilitation plans. Often, we turn to medication and pain killers as a fix, forgetting that really, we need to find the root cause of the problem. Our busy lives take over and taking a few tablets a day or applying some cream allows us to go about daily life, but what is the long- term damage?
Conditions such as trapped nerve, arthritis, plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow and frozen shoulder, can all return if left untreated and cause further complications. It might also surprise you to know that Physio can help with other chronic problems such as fibromyalgia, weak bladder, stress, diabetes and high blood pressure. It’s simple really- move right and feel right! Chemical fixes in the form of painkillers and drugs should be part of a balanced plan, and it’s part of my job to advise how you can live a better quality of life through physiotherapy. It’s truly a lifesaver! T4 Physio is a renowned clinic located in Kearsley Bolton.
The techniques used by lead therapist and founder Nash Danga are helping the population of Lancashire make the most of their lives. Contact T4 today on 01204 506 804 or log on at t4physo.com/contact.
A Prestwich resident has had all his TVs, stereos and speakers seized after continuing to cause a noise nuisance to his neighbour despite numerous warnings.
The man (who can’t be named for legal reasons) failed to comply with a noise abatement notice to prohibit him playing his stereo at high volume. Bury Council environmental health officers made recordings which showed that the disturbance was frequent and occurred late in the evening and at night. Officers obtained a warrant to enter his home to seize all noise-making equipment which consisted of numerous televisions, stereo and speakers.
Any further breaches will result in further confiscation of noise-making equipment and additional prosecution proceedings. Councillor Alan Quinn, cabinet member for the environment, climate change and operations, said: “People have a right to live in peace in their own homes and not be disturbed by their neighbours. We will continue to take action against those who ignore all the warnings and persist in causing a nuisance.”
This month’s aerial photo shows Nottingham University Jubilee Campus. This modern site covers 65 acres and the initial phase was opened by the Her Majesty the Queen in 1999. The photo was taken by Robin Macey who is a member of Nottingham & Derby Hot Air Balloon Club. The club is currently looking to expand. Members take turns being on the chase crew as well as flying in the basket. For further details about how to get involved phone 0115-8541028 or visit www.facebook.com/ndhabc.
A Rushcliffe Borough Council (RBC) Full Council meeting has approved recommendations that include working collaboratively with Bingham Town Council and an offer to create an Improvement Board to review its governance. Earlier this year RBC received a petition from 635 local signatories in the town calling for changes to the Town Council and it has now outlined where it could assist the authority going forward.
Following a report discussed at the meeting last night (September 30) it outlined a unanimous recommendation on the creation of the Board that will offer to review governance and improvement issues. The recommendation that was passed also asks RBC’s Monitoring Officer to make any necessary changes to the constitution to allow the authority to establish such a group.
Leader of Rushcliffe Borough Council Cllr Simon Robinson said: “We now wish to work with Bingham Town Council and offer assistance with the Improvement Board that can see it make strides forward. “This is not a talking shop, we want to take action, we want a more efficient and fit for purpose Council. “We want Bingham Town Council to be a better place to work and its ability to deliver. Bingham is a wonderful unique place that deserves better. “We’re aware of the points the petition raised and wish to assure Bingham residents who signed it we want to do what we can to steer governance in the right direction if the Town Council accept the assistance.
“Once we engage with the Town Council on this offer of support, we will ensure details of the Board’s proposals will be communicated to all.” In line with the report, a recommendation was also passed to provide a written response to the petition organisers, indicating its reasons for rejection of the petition and writing to Bingham Town Council and Nottinghamshire County Council to share the contents of the report and what the Full Council meeting resolved.
A pioneering Nottinghamshire business centre is going from strength to strength as the post-pandemic economic recovery in the county continues to gather pace. For little more than a few months after the country fully re-opened for business following the easing of lockdown measures, it’s full steam ahead at Worksop Turbine where it currently boasts an impressive 97 per cent occupancy rate and has a waiting list for office space.
Based at the Shireoaks Triangle Business Park on the outskirts of Worksop, The Turbine has been home to some of the area’s creative and entrepreneurial talent since April 2006. It is a purpose-built, Nottinghamshire County Council-serviced business and innovation centre which is managed by Claire Gregory together with assistant centre manager Adele Davies and centre support assistants Katy Sanderson and Fran Thornton.
Claire joined The Turbine eight years ago as a part-time receptionist and enjoyed a meteoric rise through the ranks before being appointed manager in 2016. Adele started as a receptionist in July 2017 and her development, overseen by Claire, led to her being appointed assistant manager two years later. The Turbine is an innovation centre designed to help entrepreneurs ‘grow into their own and make a business for themselves’.
It offers firms, especially fledgling start-up businesses, a range of services to flourish and establish themselves with a helping hand from Claire and her team. Claire said: “We offer a virtual floor to get them off the ground and to give them a professional image for their business, once they are more established they are encouraged to grow into the centre as their company thrives.” The Turbine boasts 59 offices and workshops ranging in a variety of different sizes to cater for the needs of individual companies – some of whom have been at the centre since it first opened. It is home to a diverse range of sectors, all of whom complement and collaborate with one another.
One of the businesses which has thrived since it moved into The Turbine a decade ago is the Ortus Group, a successful technology company that provides industry-leading medical and telematics solutions to the emergency services and other specialist industries across the UK. It began life at the centre with a single office but today occupies multiple offices reconfigured to include engineering rooms, a warehouse, photography studio and general office space – all of which are required to operate successfully to serve various NHS trusts and other critical sectors throughout the UK. However, the company’s chief executive Craig Hall says it was during the Covid-19 pandemic that the support of The Turbine proved crucial.
At the height of the crisis, the Ortus Group continued with its vital work servicing and delivering defibrillators to ambulance services on the frontline – while it also answered the Government’s call to provide ventilators. Craig said: “The Turbine has remained flexible with our requirements throughout the pandemic. “When most of the UK was informed to work from home, we had to continue our vital operations servicing defibrillators and procuring additional ventilators, and having access to our offices and workshops was imperative to be able to service the need for the critical situation everyone faced.
“We established a dedicated number of staff who needed to be in our engineering department to service and dispatch the medical equipment. We were able to access our office space at all hours and adapt the environment to meet Government guidelines to ensure we were operating safely. “Our staff and The Turbine really pulled together, it was a great team effort from all involved and I am immensely proud of the role our business has played throughout these challenging times.” However, The Turbine experienced a significant drop in occupancy rates shortly after the country was plunged into lockdown in the spring of 2020 – falling from 93.6 per cent at the beginning of the pandemic to 70.6 per cent shortly afterwards.
Claire said: “Over an eight-week period, 12 businesses handed in their notice, we dropped around 26 per cent in occupancy – (which equates to) around £8,500 in revenue per month. “It was just sheer panic at first because nobody knew what to say, nobody knew what to do. We were in limbo. “Using our experience and knowledge as a team, we put things into place that meant we could continue offering the services required and as restrictions eased we managed to safely welcome back all of our customers.
“I have a huge passion for the centre and our customers and knowing that we needed to remain open for those critical businesses was the most important thing, our business community had been rocked and were experiencing individual pressures so the help and support was more crucial than ever. “Safe to say, it was a challenge we certainly learned a lot from and from a personal aspect it was quite scary not knowing what was going to happen.” The centre has been unable to hold its usual networking events during the pandemic but it’s fair to say with an occupancy rate of 97 per cent, the future is once again looking brighter.
It has also recently benefitted from a significant cash injection to install the latest digital connectivity, which Claire says has been ‘long overdue’. She said: “It has now given us full access around the centre for new connectivity in terms of WiFi, improved customer internet and a VOIP (telephone) system which is the way these kind of places need to be now, as things are always moving forward.”
But how has the centre successfully attracted new occupants? “The service we offer, and I might be biased, is second to none,” said Claire. “We’ve built a reputation on the quality of service that we provide. “We’ve got a good social media following, we’ve got a good marketing network, we’ve got a good reputation and we’ve got companies from within the centre that didn’t want to work from home coming out of Covid so expanded themselves – freeing up smaller space for people who needed a small office and couldn’t work at home. “So, the moving around of companies that wanted to remain here but needed more space provided that little bit of extra room for other people to then step into us.
“I’m also a massive advocate of word of mouth and it’s recommendation from people, who know who we are and what we offer, that aids our success. “Every day is a new day and every day is different at The Turbine, it always has been, and I am almost certain it always will be!”
For more information about The Turbine and how it could support you or your business, visit https://worksopturbine.nottinghamshire.gov.uk.
Residents and businesses have another chance to view plans for Rushcliffe’s new crematorium, Rushcliffe Oaks. Further information about the new facility and community space in Stragglethorpe near Cotgrave can now be found on its dedicated website www.rushcliffeoaks.co.uk or by picking up a leaflet from the Cotgrave Hub, NG12 3UQ, during operating hours.
Many residents and stakeholders, including local funeral directors, attended the recent information event on September 23 hosted by Rushcliffe Borough Council to learn more about the project and share their thoughts. The Council is seeking to be carbon neutral in its operations by 2030 and this is reflected at the heart of the design and thought process for the new facility.
An extensive landscape management plan has been developed for the project which focuses on retaining and enhancing boundary planting and a living roof on the single-storey building aims to reduce the visual impact from the surrounding area. Rushcliffe Oaks development will focus on reflecting a connection back to nature and wildlife. Through the use of innovative technologies and renewable energy sources, there are plans for a greener electric powered cremator rather than the more traditional use of gas, lowering CO2 emissions by up to 90 per cent. Rushcliffe Oaks will be one of the first in the country to invest in this new technology. Development is due to commence on site soon and it is anticipated it could open in Autumn 2022.
Rushcliffe Oaks will be operated and managed directly by the Council with potential opening hours of 9.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday.
Nottinghamshire County Council is to take part in a wide-ranging consultation process with the British Deaf Association (BDA) to help understand the group’s needs and shape its services for individuals. The audit will highlight what the County Council has achieved since signing and adopting the British Sign Language Charter and map the improvements it has made to ensure access to services is available for the deaf community. County Council officers will work with the BDA in the coming weeks to identify any areas where deaf people still have barriers in accessing services – as well as celebrating the good work the authority has carried out and sharing best practice.
Councillor Gordon Wheeler, Chairman of the Personnel Committee, says the County Council is committed in its support of the charter and highlighted the importance of engaging with the deaf community as part of the audit to ensure the correct processes are in place. He said: “Having this audit and communicating with people from the deaf community will allow us to understand their needs and ultimately create better services for individuals and, where needed, make changes to achieve the standard we strive to achieve.
“I am really looking forward to engaging with our Equalities Officer and the British Deaf Association to look at practical ways of developing our services further and making sure people from the deaf community feel they can access Nottinghamshire County Council without any barriers. “We need to understand the issues they have experienced which can help us shape our services and identify solutions going forward. Together, we can create inclusivity for people from the deaf community.”
The BDA works closely with the deaf community and those who use British Sign Language (BSL). It campaigns to empower people who use BSL and works to improve access to services for the deaf community as well as encouraging them to feedback and take part in local services. The organisation also carries out training and advocacy and encourages local authorities, health service providers and other local services to adopt the BDA’s BSL Charter to improve access and rights for deaf people who use sign language.
The work to create a new fit-for-purpose home for Penkford School is under way. Staff and pupils from the school had the chance to see the work for themselves when they paid a visit to the school’s new home at the former Red Bank Education Unit in Newton-le-Willows with members of St Helens Borough Council’s Cabinet.
Contractor Galliford Try will complete the transformation of the site so that the maintained special school can continue to support young people from across the borough. The council approved the £7.6m project in September 2020 which will see the vacant site brought back to life with the extension of the existing building to create a more therapeutic learning environment, incorporating new learning spaces as well as a dining and multipurpose sports hall.
The works also include a new playing field, sports pitch, car park, fencing and amended access from Winwick Road. As part of the contract Galliford Try will also deliver more than 20 projects aimed at supporting the wider community and delivering social value for the area. Among those is an exciting community project with Wargrave Special Educational Needs School to create an outdoor classroom and community café. Councillor Kate Groucutt, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Business, said: “It’s fantastic to finally see work starting on this exciting project that will support young people across our borough who need the specialist care and education that Penkford provides. We are committed to make sure every child in our borough gets the best start in life so now it’s great to see ideas we have been talking about coming to life.
“We’re also delighted that Galliford Try are connecting with the wider community in Newton-le-Willows and are delivering a range of projects to support other schools and groups in the area.” Darren Parker, Managing Director for Galliford Try Building North West, commented: “Social value is one of the key elements of Galliford Try’s Sustainable Growth Strategy and we are excited to be able to implement such a fantastic programme alongside the Penkford School. Not only will that value provide a lasting benefit to the local community going forward, but the new school is set to be a high-quality facility that will help provide the welcoming educational environment these students deserve.”
Anne Kyle, Head Teacher at Penkford School added: “The Special Educational Needs children of St Helens deserve the best facilities to learn in, as they already have so many barriers to learning to overcome. The whole school community, but especially the pupils are so excited and grateful to St Helens Borough Council for investing in them and their futures. We cannot wait to start our learning journey in our brand new school.”
