Independent family brewer Shepherd Neame has been named as the official beer supplier of The Open in a new three year partnership. The partnership commences this summer with The 151st Open, which will take place at Royal Liverpool. The global sporting event, running from July 16 to 23, will be attended by a record 290,000 fans. As the official supplier of The 151st Open, Shepherd Neame’s award-winning beer and cider will be on sale in the bars around the course. Guests will be able to enjoy Singha, the original Thai lager, which Shepherd Neame began brewing for the UK market in 2022, along with Whitstable Bay Pale Ale and Orchard View cider on draught. It is the third year that the Faversham-based brewer has been chosen as the official beer supplier for The Open, following the success of last year’s partnership when the Championship took place at St Andrews in Scotland. Shepherd Neame’s Chief Executive Jonathan Neame said: “We are incredibly excited to be partnering with The R&A once again for this historic sporting occasion, as we embark upon a three year partnership. The Open is a world-renowned event, and offers a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of our award-winning brands with new audiences. We are particularly excited to showcase Singha at the Championship, which has a long history of supporting flagship sporting events in the UK and globally.” Neil Armit, Chief Commercial Officer at The R&A, said: “Shepherd Neame has a long and cherished history as Britain’s oldest brewer and is renowned for producing award-winning beers from its home in Kent. We look forward to working with them during the next three years to offer our fans and guests a range of high quality British-crafted products at the Championship.”

Introduction/overview Flight Club and its cleaning and hygiene partner Sybron, celebrated their first year of partnership in March 2023. As Flight Club’s parent company, Red Engine, renews its contract with Sybron, significant benefits have been identified from their collaboration including 15% cost savings, zero stress, and 100% confidence! The first contract which was signed in March 2022 was fully mobilised in under four weeks. After the three month ‘honeymoon period’, there was no dip in the levels of service from Sybron, something which can be prevalent in many new supplier relationships. Indeed, both the purchasing manager and venue managers of Flight Club, are delighted that all it takes is just one call or email to Sybron and any issue is resolved swiftly and efficiently. The challenge Flight Club opened the oche at its first social darts venue in Shoreditch in 2015 with its focus on bringing joy, fun and quality time to its patrons. Today, Flight Club has grown to 13 venues across the UK, with two more planned by 2023 year-end. When David Piazzani joined Red Engine as Purchasing Manager in October 2021, it quickly became apparent that one of his first tasks was to review the supply of consumables for cleaning and hygiene at the Flight Club sites. “The then supplier of all the cleaning, hygiene and ancillary products caused me and our Flight Club managers a lot of stress and anxiety every day,” explains David. “With no after-sales service and a poor response to issues and problems, we started to look for a company we could develop a real partnership with. We knew that there must be a better supplier out there with more sustainable solutions, plus the attention to detail, pro-active approach and willingness to be a real business partner to us.” The solution When David met Sybron he knew immediately that they were the right partner and in March 2022 both companies began a relationship that still, one year on, astonishes the Flight Club team with its level of service and proactive approach to every day needs. Hygiene Service Partner, Sybron, provides products such as cleaning and disinfectants, hand towels and toilet paper, as well as janitorial supplies including sponges, mops and brooms to all the Flight Club venues. However, it is the Sybron ethos of differentiation through a seamless service that has delivered the bullseye for Flight Club. “Being a buyer can sometimes be very frustrating because everyone offers you the same thing over and over again,” explains David. “Sybron take a completely different approach.” The Sybron approach • Regular communication with an open and honest dialogue. • Sybron deals directly with venue managers, ‘I don’t have to be the middle-man’ says David. • Problems and issues are dealt with swiftly and efficiently. Cases in point! o In 2022 the Bloomsbury Flight Club in central London had a random council and risk assessment. The manager immediately emailed Sybron, who replied within 30 minutes and provided all the additional information requested by the inspector. o In December 2022 the Bloomsbury Flight Club site had all its sanitary bins unexpectedly removed by the previous contractor, leaving no facilities for that day. Within a few hours of being alerted to the problem Sybron had delivered, set up and installed bins ready for use, so there was no disruption of service. • Sybron has a pro-active approach to managing our account. o The team is consistently taking initiative and provides alternatives if there is a spike in price or a supply issue. o Sybron finds the best product, explains why it is better and what the environmental benefit is – they don’t just provide a catalogue and ask you to choose. o The Sybron approach is to engage with staff to plan and avoid problems before they happen. o They do not wait for busy managers to call them with urgent supply issues. “Usually, Sybron has presented us with the solution before the problem arises,” explains David. “That’s because Sybron is totally aligned and integrated with our business. This gives me and the Flight Club team the confidence that someone is thinking on our behalf." “Having a partner that understands the nature of our business means that I don’t have to repeat or re-explain anything. We discuss it once and it is done.” The results As a result of its partnership with Sybron Flight Club bagged a cost saving of 15% across all its sites. But as David says: “We have saved a lot of money, but to me the cost is secondary to the service. A good price is pointless without the service. Sybron delivers zero stress and the fact that I have 100% confidence is equally valuable.” “When I find a partner like Sybron, it makes my life easy. Now they are completely symbiotic with us in terms of growth and are completely integrated into our operations for the opening of a new venue. I am not even a part of it anymore, it just happens automatically. I don’t have to be the middle-man as with many suppliers. It is a dream partnership.” Our customers are our partners “Of course, service is a big part of our business,” explains Brad, director of operations at Sybron. “We are completely focused on both solving any problems promptly, but also on working to make sure there are no glitches or setbacks in the first place. “That has always been our take on business. We see every contract as a joint partnership where we help both businesses move forward and grow. That does not happen by being reactive, so we differentiate ourselves by a wholly proactive and integrated approach.” “It is thanks to our team that we have created the synergy with Flight Club, particularly our colleagues in the office and our drivers. Our ethos resonates across the whole company – our customers are our partners, and they have a name rather than a number.” Sustainable growth Flight Club has doubled its estate for venues in over three years and by the end of 2023 will have 15 locations, including the first site to open in Scotland. “With such massive growth, some things can get a bit lost. The partnership with Sybron has enabled us to meet our environmental goals to switch to eco cleaning products,” explains David. “Moving such a big ship over to using solely sustainable products is not something that can happen overnight. However, thanks to its proactive attitude and breadth of product range, Sybron is working with us to reach our aim – to move to all eco-cleaning and hygiene solutions by the end of 2023.” Forward together “WE SEE THIS PARTNERSHIP AS A JOINT VENTURE. LONG TERM, WE WOULD LIKE TO CONSOLIDATE MORE AND CREATE MORE FLUIDITY WITH SYBRON THAT WILL ALLOW US TO GROW. THEIR SEAMLESS SERVICE GIVES US THE PLATFORM TO ACHIEVE THIS. ALL OUR TEAMS HAVE TOTAL CONFIDENCE IN SYBRON.” “For me, it is something I don’t even think about anymore,” concludes David. “As a Purchasing Manager, Sybron is at the back of my mind, which is the best place to be if you are a supplier.” “Looking ahead, maintaining a top-class service gets harder as you grow, so more efficiencies are required,” adds Brad. “Our business has a strict growth strategy to ensure we maintain continuity of supply. We continually aim not just to be a box-mover, but to maintain a seamless service and be a real partner to our customers.”

Following the acquisition of six Individual Inns pubs in 2019, family brewers – Robinsons Brewery – have completed an extensive renovation the Tempest Arms, a 17th century inn situated on the edge of the picturesque Yorkshire Dales – their largest pub investment to date. Following a five-month closure, the Inn now presents a brand new look, including a full refurbishment of its 21 guest bedrooms. William Robinson, Joint Managing Director at Robinsons Brewery, commented: “It was always very important to retain the character and heritage of the pub, and simply enhance its original features. This investment represents our dedication to our estate where we have further investments planned during the remainder of the year.” Internally, the Tempest now offers a new semi-private dining room beside the restaurant area, featuring a beautifully restored trestle table for 10 – the perfect space for a private function accompanied with delicious food, proudly made with the freshest, seasonal produce. The stunning bar, re-designed as the pub’s focal point and hub for its loyal and local community. It is the ideal base to enjoy Robinsons’ award-winning cask ales, lagers and spirits from around the world. The new design, generating a ‘farmhouse’ feel throughout, features original reclaimed furniture upholstered in an array of beautiful fabrics, with atmospheric lighting forming the perfect ambience. Stone walls were carefully cleaned, beams lovingly restored and original fireplaces retained. 21 bedrooms have benefitted from complete makeovers, designed with a mid-century feel that reflects the beautiful surrounding countryside to provide a calming, serene environment for guests. A colour palette of warm neutrals and an aged pink to the rooms was carefully selected, paired with various textured fabrics and a simple lighting design, all with the theme of nature in mind. Artwork by Yorkshire Artist Sue Lawson adorns the bedroom walls, complementing the scheme perfectly and giving a nod to the local landscapes. Popular with weddings and celebrations, the Tempest also boasts an impressive function room, the perfect space for wedding receptions and other functions. Externally, a spaciously paved courtyard garden (which sits between the bedrooms and the main bar and restaurant) shows off remarkable country planting, lantern lighting and brand new wooden dining furniture; the ideal spot to relax and take in the rolling countryside views with friends or family.

A recently launched report has shown that a family-owned ingredients manufacturer has helped 529 charities with 14 tonnes of food donations since April 2022 – the equivalent of 33,320 meals. The annual Impact Report from Glenbervie-based Macphie Ltd has highlighted numerous ways that the business has improved the lives of its local communities and charities in an effort to hit its major environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets. The food firm was among Scotland’s first businesses to achieve B Corp status in 2015, having successfully demonstrated an unwavering high standard of social and environmental performance. In its latest B Corp assessment, Macphie achieved a 93.7 rating – the median score is 50.9 – up by 15% from its first scoring in 2015. In the last 12 months Macphie has taken a number of steps in key areas to strengthen its standing impact areas. Andy Stapley, Macphie’s CEO said: “Our ways of working have always been based on the principles of sustainability and we want to make a positive impact on both our local and wider environment, both now and in the future, by doing the right thing to protect the people and places around us.” “Proving we’re not just talking the talk when it comes to sustainability, we are B Corp accredited which means we’ve proactively joined a community of like-minded businesses using their force for good and this report only highlights the work we have been successfully achieving up to this point.” Macphie’s Impact Report shows that the firm’s food donations have prevented the waste of 22.4 tonnes of CO2e, while its other contributions have included the hosting of local secondary pupils as part of a foundation apprenticeship programme and funding a scholarship and three-month work placement for a university food science student. To reduce its carbon footprint, Macphie has invested £75,000 into the installation of a sub-metre network across the Glenbervie site to closely track energy use and identify ways to operate more efficiently. Since 2014, the business has been using power from two on-site wind turbines installed and owned by Glenbervie Wind and the installation of a 1.2MW on-site biomass facility in 2008 made it the first food manufacturer to produce ingredients using this technology. Andy continued: “Since our move to Glenbervie in the seventies, we’ve closely aligned our ambitions to hit social and environmental goals, as well as financial targets, and have committed to continuous improvement across five key pillars covering governance, customers, communities, workers and the environment.” “We have made great strides as a company towards our goals, yet we are still steadfast on our ESG journey, making it a priority to not only give back to the land and our external stakeholders, but also our own Macphie family.” A winter payment scheme was also introduced to provide staff with an additional £750 to help with cost-of-living challenges, and in partnership with the Scottish Refugee Council, two Syrian refugees were taken on as full-time employees. Macphie is an internationally renowned ingredients manufacturer established in 1928, which now employs more than 250 people across its three sites. It manufactures a wide range of products including cake mixes and savoury sauces, as well as offering plant-based and gluten-free options. Its vision is to be the go-to partner for food brands around the world, turning ideas and creativity into practical solutions. Its passion for making life easier for chefs and bakers is reflected in its “simply clever” strapline.

2023 is turning out to be a highly successful year for Lincoln based entrance matting manufacturer Make An Entrance, whose Managing Director Stuart Burlton has been shortlisted for the sought after title of Institute of Directors, Director of the Year. The IoD Awards are designed to find the stars of UK business and leadership. There are 3 regional awards: North, Midlands, and the East and South, with directors being recognised in 9 categories such as: Innovation, Young, Family, and Sustainability. The story of the Make An Entrance journey is truly inspirational. Having started out as a simple e-commerce operation, today it has brought almost all production in-house to become a thriving UK manufacturing business and in doing so has prevented the traditional skill of hand-stitched doormat making from being lost. The team’s hard work was recognised earlier this year when they scooped the Business Transformation Award in the 2023 Business Champions Awards. This further nomination in recognition of Stuart’s particular leadership skills as an accomplished Managing Director is the icing on the cake for the family firm. The IoD said: “The calibre of entries has been consistently high this year, so it is a great achievement to be shortlisted. Congratulations!” Stuart Burlton, Make An Entrance Co-Founder said: “I am delighted to be shortlisted as a finalist in these awards. It is wonderful for me and the team to be recognised for all the hard work that has gone on, to transform ourselves from a humble online company 5 years ago to a full-blown UK manufacturer today. Success is a complete team effort, and my shortlisting is just a reflection of that, and is proof that manufacturing in the UK can succeed!!!” Winners will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony at IoD Headquarters in Pall Mall, London on Friday 29th September 2023.

Robinsons Brewery announce another year of increased operating profits despite the challenging economic climate that the hospitality and brewing industry has faced. The sixth-generation Stockport-based family brewers generated an operating profit of £5.9m and invested a further £7.7m across their 249 tenanted and managed pubs. Recently the company further consolidated its family shareholder base by concluding a share buyback. Sixth-generation family members and Joint Managing Directors, Oliver and William Robinson, commented: “2022 was a year of challenges across our sector and across the UK. Although we had the first full year without significant coronavirus restrictions in place, we faced new challenges. Brexit arrangements impacted on worker availability, the lasting impact of the pandemic and the cost increases caused by the war in Ukraine hitting utility and food costs particularly hard. We saw our business affected by difficulties in recruiting new team members across all areas of the business from chefs to engineers. Like many businesses, these pressures have driven up our operating costs. We have risen to this challenge and are investing in our systems and processes to improve efficiency and performance across the business; whilst simultaneously developing our consumer offering and our learning and development program.” In this challenging economic climate, Robinsons has maintained a strong performance in the market. The family brewers increased sales by approximately 20% in 2022, rising from £63.3m (2021) to £83.1m comparing favourably with our pre-pandemic sales of £75m in 2019. The increase in turnover for the brewers delivered an operating profit of £5.9m, noticing a growth in trade as the country recovers from the impacts of the pandemic. Robinsons have continued their commitment to investing into their pub estate, this year almost trebling their investment figure (£2.8m in 2021). The company spent £7.7m on the development and improvement of 40 sites to achieve quality and enjoyable environments for their guests and licensees. This figure saw the family brewers invest £3.9m across their tenanted estate. Significant investments included the Shoulder of Mutton, Chapel-en-le-Frith and the Church House, Buglawton. The company has also acquired two new premises for their managed house division, in 2022 The Woodman Inn, Thunderbridge, West Yorkshire and more recently in early 2023, Hartford Hall near Northwich. The £3.8m investments across their managed house division included the Tatton Arms, near Manchester Airport and the Waggon and Horses, Eaton. The year also saw brewhouse plans come to fruition as construction work began at their Unicorn Packaging Centre in Bredbury with plans for the new brewery to be operational by 2024. The sixth-generation family directors commented: “We feel confident our business is well placed to develop and continue strengthening and investing over the coming years. The conclusion of the buyback of a number of shares from family branches less directly connected to the operation of the business is a significant moment for the business and family. It is the first time since the company was founded such an exercise has been undertaken. We are committed to continuing investment in our pub portfolio during 2023 and will continue to seek to acquire pubs, or small pub groups in exceptional trading or idyllic locations which align with our future business vision.”

Two Yorkshire family businesses have collaborated to create recipes that celebrate Yorkshire produce. The team at Thixendale based Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil has created a series of three recipes using cheese and yoghurt from Yorkshire Dama Cheese in Sowerby Bridge to celebrate summer: Smoked Chilli Squeaky Cheese Flatbreads, Baked Ricotta with Chilli and Spice and Labneh Topped Spiced Carrot Cake. Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil’s Marketing Manager, Jennie Palmer explained the rationale for the recipe creation: “Here at YRO, we’re passionate about spreading the word about fabulous Yorkshire producers. Over the years we have found that the best way to do this is to create recipes that encourage people to try the fabulous food that we have on our doorstep. “Yorkshire Dama Cheese was established by Razan Alsous after she fled war torn Syria in 2012. She was inspired to make dairy products after discovering the distinctive taste of Yorkshire cow’s milk for the first time and has gone on to win numerous awards for her products that include Squeaky Cheese, Ricotta Cheese and a selection of dairy lines including the spreadable yogurt Labneh that we used to top the spiced carrot cake.” Mrs Alsous said: “We love the creative ways that the Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil team have used our products in their recipes and we can’t wait to try them – especially the Smoked Chilli Squeaky Cheese Flatbreads.” Mrs Alsous and Mrs Palmer are both Board Members with deliciouslyorkshire; the organisation dedicated to making Yorkshire food and drink the first choice by respecting tradition, encouraging innovation, and celebrating great taste. Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil was established in 2008 by the Palmer family on their farm in the heart of the Yorkshire Wolds. They produce a range of oils, dressings and mayonnaise based on their award-winning Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil that is pressed, blended, bottled and labelled on the family farm.

Grasmere Gingerbread® has opened a second shop in Hawkshead; 169 years after its inventor Sarah Nelson first sold her world-famous famous spicy-sweet cross between a biscuit and cake from her Church Cottage home – now The Grasmere Gingerbread Shop – in the village of Grasmere. The new venture sells freshly baked Grasmere Gingerbread® and takeaway coffee supplied by artisan roaster Duffin’s Coffee, Staveley, near Kendal. It also offers Grasmere Gingerbread® ice cream and stocks dozens of other foodstuffs and gifts – many of them ginger themed – made by fellow Cumbrian small businesses. “The response from customers has been overwhelming,” said Andrew Hunter, co-director of the 169-year-old business. “Our Hawkshead shop does not simply replicate The Grasmere Gingerbread Shop experience in Grasmere; it provides terrific takeaway coffee and consciously showcases lots of great products made by other small and family Cumbrian businesses, many of whom we have been working with for years but whose products we may have only sold online due to a lack of space in our original shop.” “Duffin’s Coffee provided all the barista training for our staff and they have been a joy to work with.” The Staveley-based artisan roaster is known for its commitment to eco-friendly and ethical coffee bean production in South America. “As we already produce Sarah Nelson’s Comfort Coffee for Grasmere Gingerbread® we were absolutely thrilled to collaborate with them on this exciting venture in Hawkshead,” said Steven Duffin. The Hawkshead shop, which is located at Corner Shop, Main Street, is open to the public seven days a week, 10 to 4.30 pm.

Willmott Dixon has launched its first Midlands-based Drylining Academy at HMP Lincoln, which aims to upskill prisoners to help them find employment upon release. Working alongside some of its local supply chain partners, Willmott Dixon has facilitated and launched the academy, with the first cohort of learners finishing this month. The programme is designed to help ex-offenders develop their skills and get ‘work ready’, ultimately helping them find employment upon release. Groups of up to eight prisoners will go through the academy to learn drylining skills and get their Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card, which will enable them to work on construction sites. As the fourth Drylining Academy launched by Willmott Dixon, having seen success at HMP Elmley, HMP Belmarsh and HMP Cardiff, it is hoped that the scheme will reduce the likelihood of reoffending within the Lincolnshire community. Nick Heath, director at Willmott Dixon, said: “We are incredibly proud to be launching our first Drylining Academy here in the Midlands at HMP Lincoln. Willmott Dixon is committed to providing opportunities within the communities we work in, and with our remit in the county growing at pace, our newest academy is very much aimed at delivering on this promise within Lincolnshire." “There is a real skills shortage within the construction industry and the academy not only offers huge benefits to ex-offenders by equipping them with the skills required to transition into a rewarding job once their sentence has come to term, but it also boosts the local talent pool with skilled workers. We’re really pleased that this first cohort will be completing their training soon, and the academy is already proving to be a success with some of them already in talks with some of our supply chain about job opportunities upon their release.” On 11 May, key stakeholders and the current cohort of learners gathered to celebrate the official opening of the academy. A prisoner at HMP Lincoln, said: “The programme has given me knowledge as to what I could do [when I'm released], and how it could lead to a job, really. It will help me to not go back to being the same person I was before." "My favourite bit of the programme has been building something and looking back and knowing that you’ve done it - the satisfaction of doing something.” Matt Spencer, governor at HMP Lincoln, said: “The partnership between Willmott Dixon, HMP Lincoln and the supply chain is a great example of the quality vocational training HMP Lincoln wants to provide to its prisoners. With this vocational training HMP Lincoln prisoners have a much better chance of getting a job on release and this means they are much less likely to reoffend which therefore ensuring the public is protected in the future”. After completing the course, individuals will be supported by Willmott Dixon and its supply chain partners in finding employment. The academy would not be possible without the generous donations of money, time and tools from Willmott Dixon’s supply chain partners. In particular, the support provided by Advante, British Gypsum, Elmsmere, Nuneaton Signs, We Are Social Enterprise and Lincsco.

The LEGO Group has collaborated with award-winning actor and producer Samira Wiley to celebrate the power of creative self-expression within the LGBTQIA+ community during this year’s Pride. Working closely with LEGO Certified Professional Builders, community member and advocate Samira co-created an epic 41,000 brick self-portrait that brings to life her personality and life experiences in a playful, creative way. “Celebrating who we are and all the pieces that make you, you, is so important, and as part of the LGBTQIA+ community, I know the value of embracing the opportunity to be proud. It was a joy to create this portrait because I had the chance to do that in a creative and playful way,” commented Samira Wiley. “As an actor, I’m always sitting down and analysing other people’s identities to work out how I make them my own in a role, but I don’t always do that for myself. The process of creating this portrait allowed me to see myself through other people’s eyes and that felt really inspiring and rewarding. Play is an such an important part of creative self-expression – it allows us to explore and share who we are, and to be proud of who we are.” The giant five-foot-high portrait took 200 hours to build and included three hour-long creative sessions with Samira where she openly shared her stories and anecdotes. The finished work of art combines the pieces of Samira’s life that have helped form who she is today and include personal references to her family, the importance of creative experimentation and two Adinkra symbols that Samira has as tattoos to honour her West African heritage. The first, Nsoromma, means ‘Child of the heavens’ and marks her deep gratitude to her ancestors. The second, Okodee Mmowere, is the Adinkra symbol for courage and bravery, and has been placed over her heart in the portrait to represent living authentically and being a role model to help others do the same. The rainbow glow surrounding Samira’s face symbolises her personal mission to bring visibility to the marginalised groups she identifies as being part of. The radiant portrait has been unveiled in the June edition of Rolling Stone magazine to launch Pieces of Me, an open invitation for members and allies of the LGBTQIA+ community to build a self-portrait that captures the pieces of themselves they are most proud of. Build a picture of you Pieces of Me is the latest from the LEGO Group as it seeks to create LEGO play experiences that make everyone feel welcome. As well as building Pieces of Me portraits at home, building tables and minifigure personalisation stations can be found in select LEGO stores globally. The LEGO Group will also be at local Pride events this summer including Munich, Berlin, London and Copenhagen. This year’s activity builds on previous attendance at Pride events in London in 2019, Copenhagen in 2021, and Munich in 2022. Julia Goldin, Chief Product and Marketing Officer at the LEGO Group said of the campaign: “Pieces of Me is an open invitation for creators to take a moment to celebrate themselves in a playful way. Play and creative self-expression go hand-in-hand and the process of building a self-portrait gives us an opportunity to show the world who we are and celebrate the pieces of ourselves we are most proud of. At the LEGO Group we believe that Everyone is Awesome and are committed to building a more diverse and inclusive world where everyone gets to be themselves and reach their potential.” Samira’s Pieces of Me portrait will be on display from June 8 to August 23 in the LEGO Masterpiece Gallery at LEGO House in Billund, Denmark – the Home of the Brick.

A prestigious Staffordshire school is putting careers for women in engineering centre stage with a series of innovative and fun education days. In the run up to International Women in Engineering Day on June 23rd, The JCB Academy at Rocester has joined forces with world-renowned digger maker JCB to encourage girls from across the county to consider careers in engineering. Almost 400 Year 6 girls from schools across Staffordshire and Derbyshire visited the Academy for a day of inspirational talks from JCB graduates and apprentices as well as engineering experiments to spark their imaginations. The youngsters built giant towers using spaghetti and took part in an Egg Crash Challenge as part of their interactive taster day. The JCB Academy Principal Jenny McGuirk said: “Year on year the number of girls choosing to study at The JCB Academy is rising but we still have more to do. Events like this give the Year 6 girls a real taste of what engineering is all about; problem-solving, innovating and having great fun at the same time.” “The girls also got to meet some great role models, working with our own female students as well as apprentices and graduates who are forging fantastic careers in engineering and business with JCB. The event is also supported by The Institute of Engineering and Technology and Loughborough University who both champion this important issue.” JCB Early Careers Scheme Leader Holly Broadhurst added: “The number of female engineers at JCB is growing and while 20% of our early careers recruits are now female, we are not complacent and work hard to encourage more women into what has historically been viewed as a male profession. Changing these perceptions is a long-term goal and by supporting The JCB Academy and engaging with the next generation we can show girls that engineering is a great career path for everyone.”

Working with GAP Hire Solutions, Kier Highways Solutions (KHS), a national surface treatments provider, has electrified its entire forklift fleet. This forms part of KHS’ efforts to embed sustainable practices throughout its operations, following an audit of Wymondham Plant, its bituminous materials manufacturing arm. Located on a 7-acre site in Wymondham, Norfolk, and producing thousands of tonnes of bituminous materials each year, forklifts play an important part in KHS inventory management. KHS also sells roofing felts, sealants, solutions, tools, and PPE. It approached GAP to learn more about the potential carbon savings associated with transitioning its forklift fleet. By switching from diesel to electric, KHS has removed fumes and carbon emissions from its forklift fleet. KHS chose the Baoli KBE52N 2.5tonne model, which is powered by a 48x 625 AH battery. This is also fitted with automatic electric braking when the accelerator is released. This enhances driver safety, and the recovery of part of the braking energy is also converted into electricity and made available again. The new models will create annual carbon savings of up to 71,270 kgCO2e (based on an 8 hr shift) across Kier Highways Solutions’ forklift fleet. Neil Faulkes, Major Account Director at GAP, commented: “Both Kier and GAP have been delighted with the build quality and operational longevity of the Battery powered Baoli forklifts. Coupled with the support from DAB Handling, the UK Baoli stockist, the hand-over familiarisation given as part of the overall supply and support package GAP offered to Kier, the experience has been seamless and has enabled GAP to support Kier in reducing their environmental impact.” Lee Draper, general manager at KHS, said: “At Kier Highways, our sustainability strategy sets out how we plan to reach net-zero on our scope 1 & 2 emissions by 2030. A key part of this is transitioning to alternative, non-fossil fuels across our fleet.” “This empowers all of us to look at how we do business, and make the necessary steps to reduce our environmental impact, while ensuring the same quality product. We’re pleased that GAP could support us to find a solution with considerable long-term carbon savings.” GAP continues to work closely with Kier Highways Solutions to support its decarbonisation efforts across the business.