State schools invited to nominate next generation of budding engineers
Calling for nominations for the Oxfordshire High Sheriff Young Engineer Awards!
The annual High Sheriff Young Engineer Awards are once again calling on Oxfordshire’s state schools to nominate the next generation of budding engineers.
State schools are invited to nominate students who have a passion for, and show great promise in, the fields of engineering, resistant materials and design technology. Prizes include £400 for the winning student in each category and £1,000 for the students’ respective school or college.
Now in their 13th year, the awards are sponsored by Abingdon & Witney College, The Engineering Trust and Lucy Group Ltd, a long-standing Oxford company that engineers smart electrics for the built environment. Applications must be submitted by Thursday 6th April and the top three students from each category will be invited to attend an awards ceremony on Monday 26th June at Abingdon & Witney College.
Commenting on this year’s awards Marea Brown, event organiser at Abingdon & Witney College, said: “The judging panel is increasingly inspired by the ingenuity of the nominated students and the rise in nominations for girls. Our aim is to help give talented youth a chance to ignite their interest in engineering, go on to reach their full career potential and help meet some of the world’s biggest challenges.”
Surrey Wildlife Trust launches fundraising drive to save the adorable Dormouse
One of Surrey’s most-loved but rarely-seen residents – the Hazel Dormouse – is the focus of a major new conservation and habitat creation campaign led by Surrey Wildlife Trust.
The fundraising effort is part of a wider push to halt and reverse the decline of nature in our county. The campaign aims to raise £25,000 to enable the Trust to improve and protect the hedgerows and woodlands that Dormice and many other species rely on. This will create healthy and connected corridors of habitat across the county, enabling Dormice to shelter, breed, feed and sleep safely.
These nocturnal and once-common rodents, characterised by large black eyes, golden-brown fur and long black whiskers, have been present in Surrey since at least the Ice Age but have suffered big population declines due to the destruction and fragmentation of their woodland and hedgerow homes. Dormice numbers have fallen by 75% in Surrey over the last 25 years alone, with research suggesting they are now in chronic decline nationally and should be reclassified as endangered.
These nocturnal and once-common rodents, characterised by large black eyes, golden-brown fur and long black whiskers, have been present in Surrey since at least the Ice Age but have suffered big population declines due to the destruction and fragmentation of their woodland and hedgerow homes. Dormice numbers have fallen by 75% in Surrey over the last 25 years alone, with research suggesting they are now in chronic decline nationally and should be reclassified as endangered.
Image: Ian Pratt
Weighing a maximum of 30 grams and living for up to five years, Dormice are the only small British mammal with a furry prehensile tail, which they use to wrap around their body during lengthy winter hibernations as well as to assist with climbing. As their name suggests, they spend up to seven months of the year asleep in tightly-woven, low-level leafy nests approximately the size of a tennis ball.
Rarely seen on the ground when awake, these agile climbers favour the branches of native trees such as hazel, hawthorn and oak, where they live in small family groups and feed on flowers, pollen, fruits, insects and nuts. They need a healthy and diverse ecosystem to survive and have been chosen as the focus of SWT’s new appeal because protecting Dormice and their homes will have positive effects on a myriad of species from Peacock and Red Admiral butterflies to other mammals including Hedgehogs to birds like Yellowhammers and Corn Buntings.
Surrey Wildlife Trust CEO Jane Chimbwandira says: “It’s easy to love Dormice, but their decline isn’t just a tragedy for people who care about cuteness – it is symptomatic of the decline of the wild places that we all depend on. The hedgerows and woodlands that Dormice need to survive and thrive also support hundreds of other species, help to protect us from flooding and soil erosion, block out traffic noise, keep the air clean and store thousands of tons of CO2.
“By supporting our campaign to save Dormice, you can help secure the future of Surrey as a great place to live not just for wildlife but for people too.”
Katy Fielding, project manager of Surrey Wildlife Trust’s Hedgerow Heritage programme says: “Hedgerows are the forgotten heroes of Surrey’s landscape. With a properly-managed hedgerow supporting up to a dozen types of native tree, not to mention a huge variety of plant life at the margins and base, they are superhighways of biodiversity, offering shelter and safe passage to countless species.
“With something in fruit or in flower all year round, mature hedgerows also offer a permanently-stocked buffet for bees, bats, birds and butterflies as well as Dormice and other mammals. But with many in poor condition due to the decline of traditional management skills, our hedgerows are in urgent need of help.
“Even if you can only give a little, there’s no better way to assist nature’s recovery than by backing our campaign to install and restore miles of these priceless habitats across the county.”
Surrey Wildlife Trust has a positive vision for nature in Surrey. By working with landowners, local people and public bodies to create connected corridors of habitat – including wildflower meadows, hedgerows, and woodlands – right across the county, it believes that wildlife can not just be protected, but also become more abundant, enriching the lives of people from all our communities.
Where they live
Shy and nocturnal, Dormice are elusive during daylight hours. They are present across Surrey, but recent records suggest they are largely confined to small pockets of habitat, with only a few known strongholds.
Discarded hazelnuts with a neat round hold nibbled in their shells are the best giveaway to their presence in local woodland and hedgerows.
What your money could do
£10 – plants a new hazel with the guards needed to allow it to flourish into a future nesting place.
£30 – delivers one metre of maintenance or restoration work (such as hedgelaying) on an existing hedgerow, which is vital for the long-term survival of hedgerows.
£50 – funds coppicing work in woodland habitats to create ‘natural nesting places’ for Dormice.
£2,000 – enables SWT to manage coppice rotation of 1 hectare of woodland reserve over four years.
Charity of the Year: ‘Adopt a Grandparent’ secures Co-operative support for fundraising push
‘Adopt a Grandparent’ has been nominated to benefit from Co-op’s Local Community Fund – being named as one of its charities of the year and making a major step towards its 2023 fundraising goals.
The independent charity works to pair elderly care home residents with volunteers worldwide to combat loneliness and isolation. What began as a project based out of one Surrey care home group became a fully-fledged charity in 2022 and now works with care homes across the UK, with almost 100,000 volunteers signed up to ‘adopt’.
The Co-op donates 1p from every £1 spent on selected Co-op members who chose to support Adopt a Grandparent will be directly benefiting the charity through this Fund when shopping. With the charity requiring a minimum of £100,000 a year to stay in operation, and hopes of growing this to £1million, support such as this is essential to maximise its potential impact. Co-op members can choose Adopt a Grandparent as their elected charity by visiting its page on the Co-op Membership site: Co-op (coop.co.uk)
Deborah Speirs, Co-op Member Pioneer for Surrey and Sussex Borders, said: “We’re thrilled that Adopt a Grandparent is one of the charities and causes set to benefit from our Local Community Fund. We proudly support projects across the UK that our members care about, giving local causes a helping hand whenever our members buy selected Co-op products and services. Since 2016, £117million has been raised by our members, helping to make a significant difference to countless people.”
As part of the package of support from Co-op, Adopt a Grandparents will be taking part in a community morning at its local Co-op in Farncombe, Surrey on Tuesday 21st March. The event will give the charity the chance to raise awareness of its work among local residents and encourage them to choose it as their nominated cause for the year.
Shaleeza Hasham, founder of Adopt a Grandparent explained: “Loneliness became a huge crisis during the pandemic. The health risks related to loneliness include a higher risk of mental and physical conditions including heart disease, depression, anxiety, dementia and premature death. By helping volunteers to virtually ‘adopt’ a grandparent, we hope to alleviate loneliness and generate companionship in as many communities as possible, with both parties benefiting from the enriching relationships.
“It’s exciting to be a part of Co-op’s Local Community Fund and we love that members are able to support a cause that matters to them while doing their regular shop. We’re hoping lots of people in our local community will nominate to support us for the year, but also that those further afield will do the same since the charity’s work benefits older people throughout the country.”
It costs £1 to become a Co-op member and those who wish to donate towards the charity’s £15,000 target through the initiative, will have until October 2023.
While financial support is critical to the charity’s continued work, so are people. The charity is currently on the lookout for ‘Adopt a Grandparent Community Champion’ volunteers, who can help spread the positive work of the charity in their local communities. Those interested in getting involved and being trained up as a volunteer, can email Michelle Husserl at [email protected].
Those who wish to sign up as a volunteer can do so by visiting the website or downloading the free app, which is available through Apple’s App Store and Google Play. They can also donate to the charity’s GoFundMe page.
For more information on Adopt a Grandparent, please visit Adopt a Grandparent
Day of activities: talks, toasting and tasting, tree planting, bike repairs, and celebration cupcakes on March 18th
One Planet Abingdon CEC are celebrating after having another five-year license granted by Abingdon Town Council to stay in their premises at County Hall in the Market Place.
Join them on Saturday, 18th March from 10.30am to 3pm when they will be marking the occasion by teaming up with Abingdon Carbon Cutters for a day packed with activities: foodie talks and speeches by sponsors, chair and youth representatives, toasting and plant-based tasting plates, tree planting by Abingdon Carbon Cutters, bike repairs under the arches, and celebration cupcakes for everyone!!
One Planet Abingdon Climate Emergency Centre is an inspirational community hub run by volunteers, for the benefit of the people and the planet, building resilience in a climate emergency. One Planet Abingdon – Climate Emergency Centre
A garden with nature’s recovery at its heart will be premiered by The Wildlife Trusts at this year’s RHS Malvern Spring Festival.
The Wildlife Trusts: Wilder Spaces garden promises to take wildlife-friendly gardening to a new level, combining beauty with biodiversity.
Wilder Spaces is sponsored by The Wildlife Trusts, led by Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) and its ecological consultancy Future Nature WTC. Working with experts from Oxford Garden Design, the team will demonstrate how wildlife habitats can be designed into the structure of a garden, using building waste, reclaimed material and untreated timbers. With biodiversity designed into the garden, hopes of winning a prestigious RHS medal are high.
The Wildlife Trusts believe gardening has a vital role to play in nature’s recovery, with long-term benefits for climate and people’s wellbeing too. The aim of the garden is to inspire visitors to think differently about the appearance of a garden designed for people and wildlife, and to show how we can all nurture nature, no matter what size or style of garden.
Estelle Bailey, BBOWT’s chief executive, said: “Nature is in crisis and not enough is being done to reverse this terrible decline in the UK’s biodiversity. We want to see 30% of land well managed for nature by 2030 and our gardens are a vital part of that wild jigsaw. Private gardens make up a bigger area than all of Britain’s nature reserves combined – they can provide a mosaic of mini-habitats that support a diverse range of species, so they are key to helping create more nature everywhere. RHS Malvern Spring Festival will be a great opportunity to showcase to people everywhere what they can achieve in their own gardens for nature, for climate and for themselves.”
The garden will include a range of nature and climate positive features, including grassland, wetland & deadwood, pollinator and larval friendly planting, a steam, waterfall and pond, a compost channel and hoverfly stumpery, recycled materials – timber, steel, building aggregate, a biodiverse roof and solitary bee columns & climate resilient planting and landscaping.
The garden features a watercourse that meanders through the plot towards a central pond and a section of bog planting. A pavilion, created in conjunction with Charlie Luxton Design and constructed from reclaimed steel joists and grating, will be topped with a living roof.
Oxford Garden Design, with Jamie Langlands as lead designer, is returning to the RHS Malvern Spring Festival following its successful 2022 show garden. Jamie has designed a garden that’s beautiful to behold and beneficial for the natural world. Jamie says: “I love creating spaces that are wild and untamed whilst having a little wonder within them.”
“I love creating spaces that are wild and untamed”
Sheena Marsh, owner and founder of Oxford Garden Design, which is also building the garden, said: “We are delighted to be working with BBOWT on The Wilder Spaces Garden, bringing together our learnings from BBOWT with Jamie’s creativity. We hope that this garden will inspire home owners to create wilder spaces in their own gardens.”
Once the RHS Malvern Spring Festival is over, the garden will be distributed across various Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust sites and projects. The seating will go to BBOWT’s College Lake visitor Centre, near Tring or Sutton Courtenay Education Centre’s wildlife garden near Didcot. The RHS Malvern Spring Festival runs from 11-14 May 2023 at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern, Worcestershire.
Viral festival favourites The Showhawk Duo announced for celebration at Reading’s popular street food and drinks arena
On Friday 10th March, Reading’s popular street food and drinks arena Blue Collar Corner is celebrating 12 months as a permanent site in Hosier Street with a big free entry birthday bash.
Headlining the event will be viral sensation acoustic rave pioneers The Showhawk Duo, festival favourites famous for playing all the best dance/rave songs we know and love on two acoustic guitars, with millions of YouTube views.
Joining The Showhawk Duo on the night will be Rum & Donuts DJs, a trio of Blue Collar Corner resident DJs that know a thing or two about filling dancefloors, having recently warmed up for Grandmaster Flash and provided the soundtrack for Double Barrelled Brewery’s fourth birthday party last October. The party begins at 5pm and continues until midnight with Blue Collar bars serving celebratory booze all evening and Sarv’s Slice, El Asado and YouBao serving delicious street food until 10pm.
Blue Collar’s Glen Dinning said: “After the year of our lives, of summer boozing, next level street food, rotating beers and cocktails, a winter refurb, a cost of living crisis, World Cup screenings, massive DJ sets and live music, our baby will celebrate it’s first birthday on Friday 10th March.
“We’ll be going big that weekend,” Glen continues, “starting on Thursday 9th with the return of Thursday DJs and the launch of a special first birthday beer from Double Barrelled Brewery. On Friday it’s the big birthday bash with The Showhawk Duo & Rum & Donuts DJs. Saturday starts with an Indie Brunch followed by Six Nations rugby on our big screens then a party set from DJ Acronym.
“On Sunday 12th, we are raising funds for homelessness prevention charity, Launchpad, one of our partner charities, alongside local indie band Third Lung. Between 12-5pm we’ll have a stripped down live set from Third Lung, Loveless, Reliant & Who Ate All The Crayons.”
More events take place at Blue Collar Corner throughout March including the return of Big Jay’s Big Drag Brunch on Saturday 25th March. Reading Vintage Flea Market launches on Sunday 26th March, bringing a host of stalls from local dealers specialising in affordable original vintage, mid-century furniture, decor, home ware, clothing, signs, art and posters to the venue.
Full listings for DJs and events at Blue Collar Corner in March can be found below. More info on separate events is available at blue.collar | Facebook | Linktree
Thu 9th March – Feel Good Thursdays w/DJ Rich Sloman
Fri 10th March – 1st Birthday Party w/Showhawk Duo + Rum & Donuts DJs
Sat 11th March – Indie Brunch + Six Nations: England v France + DJ Acronym
Sun 12th March – Launchpad Fundraiser w/Third Lung (Stripped down) + guests
Thu 16th March – Feel Good Thursdays w/DJ Mark Fitzpatrick
Sat 18th March – Six Nations: Super Saturday + DJ Fajita Funk
Sun 19th March – Mother’s Day Specials
Thu 23rd March – Feel Good Thursdays w/DJ Rich Sloman
Fri 24th March – DJ Ryan MacGregor
Sat 25th March – Big Jay’s Big Drag Brunch + Rum & Donuts DJs + DJs Elle Cee & Kingpinn
Sun 26th March – Reading Vintage Flea Market + Boat Race Screening
Thu 30th March – Feel Good Thursdays w/DJ Rich Sloman
Local business hero & dad Peter Mols, named the nationwide Networker of the Year and champion of small businesses, answers some questions to help locals in his community
Q. Hi Mastermind9, I’m struggling to generate new leads for my business. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not out of business and I have some very loyal customers. But with the current rate of inflation, and cost of living, my current clients can’t sustain me. And if things carry on this way, I might have no choice but to completely shut down, or find paid employment to subsidise my income.
I’m working hard; I’m active on social media, I have a newsletter and I’m attending networking events, but I haven’t had a single new client in the last 3 months. My pipeline is dry, and I don’t know what to do. Have you got any advice? Sincerely, AE.
A: Hi AE,
Lack of leads is a really common problem affecting most small business owners. You have to keep feeding the pipeline, and you have to find ways to do this constantly. We think one of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make is to have only a couple of ways to generate leads. That’s just not enough.
“You have to keep feeding the pipeline”
We would take a closer look at your social media, how often you’re posting, what’s the quality of your content. Are you adding real value to your audience? The same goes for your newsletter. What quality are you offering your readers, and how relevant is your content to them? Are you collecting feedback? These are a few questions you need to ask yourself.
And secondly, if you want to keep your pipeline running, don’t just rely on organic social media posts. Success in 2023 will come down to proactivity.
We’d consider the following:
• Get really clear on your customer avatar (here’s how) • Creating a top 30 (a list of the 30 companies you’d like to work with) • Getting a Google business profile and working hard to get lots of testimonials. • Sending prospects in the post • Creating downloadable content that speaks to your avatars pains or desires • Create blog posts with Calls to Action • Asking for referrals from your best customers • Advertising in places that your avatar hangs out (ahem… such as Round & About) • Attending trade shows or business expos. • Doing more networking
We’re sure that by mixing up the different approaches to lead generation, you’re bound to start attracting some new customers.
We hope that this answers your question and gives you some new ideas or inspiration. Onwards and upwards my friend!
Mastermind9 provides mastermind groups for business owners who want to grow. We bring together groups of diverse and skilled business owners under Non disclosure agreement to create powerful trusting and supportive communities. Visit www.Mastermind9.com
Launchpad’s annual pancake day race raises almost £8,000 as teams batter it out for glory
A total of £7,900, and counting, has been raised at Launchpad’s annual Pancake Race which saw teams batter it out on Broad Street on Shrove Tuesday, 21st February.
A team from creative agency TMW saw off all competition and took home the coveted frying pan trophy. Now in its 26th year, the race was sponsored by Reading based technology solutions company, TIEVA and Reading Town Centre BID (part of REDA, Reading’s Economy & Destination Agency). All the money raised will help fund Launchpad’s vital services for people who are homeless, or at risk of losing their home.
Teams of four from businesses across Reading raced in fancy dress after a lively warm up at Broad Street Mall – led by fitness instructor, Maggie Watkins. Teams then paraded to Broad Street where they flipped pancakes as they relay raced through knock-out races, semi-finals, and a gripping final, all compered by Gavin Harris from B Radio in front of an egg-static crowd of spectators, including the Mayor of Reading, Rachel Eden.
The final was a hotly contested race with teams from planning and development consultancy, Lichfields, creative agency TMW and IT company, Air IT giving their all to win top prize.
Our winners, TMW received the first prize of a Cocktail Masterclass for four at The Roseate, and runners up, Air IT were given vouchers to spend at Shed cafe. Vouchers for Blue Collar Corner Bar and Street Food were awarded to Lichfields for third place. The team from Aldermore raised over £400 and won a Revolución de Cuba voucher for the highest fundraising total.
Davis Tate – who raced as characters from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – won best fancy dress and received cocktails for four at High Spirits. Metro Bank won the award for best team spirit, with a prize of cocktails for four at Novotel.
Kirsti Wilson, Head of Fundraising and Marketing, said: “It’s so wonderful that the pancake race has been embraced by the local business community – 36 teams signed up this year and we had more on a waiting list! The costumes were as incredible as ever, with Peaky Blinders rubbing shoulders with Oompa-Loompas and astronauts. We’re also grateful to the hundreds of people that cheered on the runners – the race just wouldn’t be the same without them. Our joyful and silly event has a very serious purpose – to raise essential funds and awareness that we are here for anyone that has become homeless, or is threatened by homelessness, regardless of their personal circumstances. In these challenging times this is a vital message.”
For more information about Launchpad and to donate, visitHome – Launchpad.
Hundreds of families to be offered help with cost of living from the council
More than 700 disabled people, carers and armed forces veterans will be offered a £130 shopping voucher by Runnymede Borough Council, as it steps up practical help for people affected by rising prices.
Funding for the vouchers comes via a Government grant to the Council and will not involve using Council Tax money. The vouchers can be used at supermarkets across the Borough.
As a result of the funding, the Council has also been able to open a third round of grants from the Household Support Fund. Grants of up to £160 are available and can be used to help pay for:
Residents who think they might be eligible are encouraged to apply though the Council’s website.
Larger grants for more expensive items such as replacing white goods may also be available, up to £800. To access these, residents need to be referred to the Council’s benefits team by either Citizens’ Advice, Surrey County Council’s Adult Social Care team, the Council’s Housing service (for council tenants) or the council’s social prescribing team.
The relaunch of the Household Support Fund is likely to be welcomed by many families in Runnymede as inflation continues to remain high, driving up the cost of many day-to-day items.
Cllr Tom Gracey, Leader of Runnymede Borough Council, said: “The cost-of-living crisis has sadly embedded itself in the lives of many people, so we’re providing direct, practical support through shopping vouchers. These vouchers have been brought in to provide targeted support to those experiencing ongoing challenges with the cost of living and I would encourage any household offered one to take it up and make use of it.
“Equally, the Household Support Fund is a valuable source of direct financial help and I am pleased the Government has pumped in extra money to allow us to help people in our Borough. Please do take a minute to see whether you meet the criteria as they may not be as strict as you think.”
• grants for day-to-day help, • ways to cut costs, • money to help improve the energy efficiency of your home, and • support with Council Tax bills.
It also signposts to support for people suffering with the pressure of rising costs and gives ideas on dealing with financial issues. Residents can also contact their local ward councillor for help and advice on finding support.
Mill House is working to support small businesses and are developing a programme to help improve sustainability
The Mill House Wooburn is all about support local businesses and one way in which they are doing this is through their passion for sustainability.
Working in partnership with Sustainability Consultancy – B Other Wise, they have developed a programme to run throughout 2023 to help businesses in the area be a Force for Good.
The programme will include:
• Expertise, helping businesses build sustainable practices • Support creating a sustainability plan and creating a common understanding of what being a sustainable and regenerative business mean • Qualified guidance through the B Crop Framework • Monthly workshops at Mill House on specific sustainability topics • The opportunity to build meaningful relationships with other, like-minded local founders and business owners • Bespoke support on a 1:1 basis face to face at Mill House
We will be raising money for local environmental charity – Wild Cookham.
The event launches on February 23rd and offers small businesses the opportunity to find out more about the new Sustainability Workshop Programme.
