Poppy PR:
A dream has come true for Poppy PR owner Tina Clough (pictured above) following an invitation to host her own radio show on Erewash Sound. The Ilkeston-based radio station approached Tina after being blown away by her ‘air-style’ as a guest interviewee on numerous shows for Erewash Sound and Radio Derby over the years.
Tina will share the stage on the new Erewash Sound Business Show with two other local female business leaders, Sally Peacock and Sheralyn Pattison. The three women will take it in turns to host the weekly show, playing songs and inviting guests to the show.
The one-hour slot, which will be broadcast every Tuesday at 7pm from July, will feature interviews with local business owners across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, covering topics affecting the business community.
Tina said: “After being a regular guest on other shows, I always wondered whether I could actually do one on my own. So, to be asked to present this show along with two other strong business women like Sally and Sheralyn is just amazing. It took me all of 30 seconds to agree to it!
“I love the fact that Erewash Sound has chosen three female hosts. I’m a huge champion of promoting women in business, and a bit of girl power will hopefully show other women that they too can achieve their dreams.”
Castle Donington-based Poppy PR was originally founded in 2010 in Ilkeston, where Tina first sparked her relationship with the team at Erewash Sound.
Centrick:
Commercial and residential property specialist Centrick has appointed Callum Rowland to lead its East Midlands operations.
Callum, who joined the company in November, becomes branch manager at the company’s Nottingham office.
He said: “I see what the business has achieved in Birmingham and Solihull and it is really inspiring. It is my aspiration for Nottingham to become an East Midlands hub, mirroring what we are doing in the West Midlands.”
“There is a really great opportunity to grow the Centrick business in the region.
“At the moment, the Nottingham market is super exciting, with buy to let investors, first time buyers and home movers all making moves in and around the city. With two universities in the city, there is a huge demand for rental units. With strong rental yields, regularly returning 7% plus, Nottingham has a huge appeal to investors.
“There's also continuous development in the city, with new home and build to rent schemes giving us much-needed stock for both tenants and buyers. Average asking prices are consistently on the rise and currently Nottingham is seeing some of the highest growth in the country.”
Reuseabox:
Reuseabox has welcomed marketing manager Rachael Hunt to its growing team.
With over 10 years of experience in strategic marketing within the Lincoln business community – as well as a Lincolnshire 30 under 30 award – Rachael has taken up the role at Reuseabox to help fulfil its ambitious growth plans over the coming years.
Based on the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire border, Reuseabox is a packaging company dedicated to promoting the benefits of a circular economy where boxes are reused before being recycled. Not just because it is good for the environment, but it can also save businesses money.
The company was set up over 10 years by Jack Good during the last recession where he helped his father buy and sell used cardboard boxes.
John Pye:
Nottingham-headquartered national auctioneers John Pye & Sons Ltd has appointed Patrick Molyneux as its new B2B marketing strategist as it looks to meet the demands of its expanding online customer network.
Over the past few years, the firm’s marketing strategy has focussed on growing its retail sales. The online auction site now sees 2.5million monthly visitors and is among the top 500 in the UK. The first quarter of 2023 has seen record numbers of new customer online registrations. To continue this success and meet the growing demand for stock, the company is now focusing on further expanding its business to business customer base.
Working within the marketing team at John Pye’s head office in Basford, Patrick will be responsible for driving B2B business from new and existing contacts and identifying new revenue streams from retailers, distributors and manufacturers. He will also be responsible for helping John Pye to realise its ambitious growth targets and will support the auctioneer’s communications strategy by helping promote news and wider developments within the business.
Mitchells:
Laura Pain has been announced as an equity partner at Mitchells chartered accountants and business advisers – the first female equity partner in the company’s 155-year history.
A fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, Laura has been with the Chesterfield-based accountancy firm since 2008 and became an associate partner in 2021.
She joins fellow equity partners Tim Leeman, Tony Hornsby and Andrew McDaid in leading the business, and will continue to lead the firm’s team of digital accountants who specialise in advising start-ups and small businesses leverage the power of Cloud Accounting to automate their business processes and reduce costs.
Senior partner Tim Leeman said: “Tony, Andrew and I are delighted that Laura is now an equity partner. Her experience and passion for the business and clients is very much valued and will be instrumental in helping us grow the business further.”
Ampa:
Legal and professional services group Ampa has announced 30 promotions, including 12 in the East Midlands across its Shakespeare Martineau and Marrons brands.
Becoming an equity member in Ampa is Shakespeare Martineau partner Sandeep Leighs, an employment specialist within the firm’s Leicester hub, who was named a rising star in the 2022 Legal 500.
New partners at Shakespeare Martineau, who are all based at the firm’s Leicester hub include:
- Jonathan Fear, who has been with the firm for more than 30 years, working on strategic land acquisitions and complex development projects.
- Kylie Wesson, who spent the first seven years of her career working for local government and now specialises in build to rent developments and local authority planning work.
- And finally, supporting individuals with all aspects of private client work including inheritance tax planning, asset protection and estate planning is newly-promoted partner Sarah Brack.
Promoted to legal director within the Shakespeare Martineau brand is Nottingham-based employment professional Ewan Carr and Leicester-based residential development expert Charlotte O’Loughlin.
Also in Leicester as part of planning and design consultancy Marrons, Karen Brightman has been promoted to planning director.
Within the Shakespeare Martineau East Midlands region there have been four promotions to associate level including Sam Naunton in the corporate team in Nottingham. And in Leicester; Lauren Crowhurst in the private client team, Ruth Thoms in the residential development team and Emma Ali in commercial property and development.
Within the firm’s Nottingham claims and insurance team, Katie Kerry has been promoted to legal counsel.
OTB Legal:
Nottingham-based immigration law specialist OTB Legal has announced a raft of new hires and promotions.
The 15-strong firm, which has its head office is in Daleside Road in the city, has appointed Amritpal Singh as a personal immigration solicitor.
Meanwhile, Tom Davies steps up from trainee operations manager to operations manager. His new role will see him continue the smooth running and high performance of all aspects of OTB Legal – from accounts to IT.
Hannah Bowers has been promoted from trainee marketing manager to marketing manager, promoting the firm and keeping the team up-to-date with growth strategies and rolling out OTB Legal's upcoming series of webinars.
Nottingham Venues:
Nottingham Venues has created a new mental health first aid team within the business, as its commitment to the wellbeing of its employees. The initiative aims to raise awareness of the importance of good mental health and provide support to colleagues who may be experiencing mental health problems.
A team of 12 people from a range of roles within the organisation have undergone mental health first aid training designed to equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to assist colleagues, and potentially guests.
The training was conducted and accredited by MHFA England and covered a range of topics, including how to identify the signs of someone struggling with their mental health, how to provide initial help and support, and how to guide people towards professional support if needed.
IDT:
Ilkeston managed service provider IDT is welcoming back a previous employee to the fold.
Jarad Thomson rejoins IDT as account manager, with responsibility for strategic planning for the company's growing customer base.
Jarad comes back to IDT after just over a year away. Managing director Luke said that when Jared left IDT, he made sure the company supported his decision and that he left on good terms.
He said: "I knew he only wanted to further his career and I wasn't going to stand in the way of that. Even though I had a plan for Jared, I hadn’t voiced my plans and goals to him and this new role gave me the opportunity to right that wrong.
"This has been a learning curve for me and one that I have used to ensure we are better."
The hire is part of IDT's drive to ensure all staff show a human touch when dealing with clients - and Jarad says he feels like he has come "home".
Derby College:
A Derby College student has a place in the final of a bricklaying competition after he was crowned regional winner.
Matthew Woolley, from Alvaston, Derby, came top of the senior category in the Guild of Bricklayers competition, which was held at Ilkeston Community College, part of the Derby College Group (DCG).
The 21-year-old who studies at Ilkeston is in his 2nd year of bricklaying training, having started back in 2021.
He has recently embarked on an apprenticeship with Major Oak, Design and Construction.
Matthew will go through to the national finals on July 4th at NHBC Training Centre, in Tamworth.
Ben Cotton, who also studies at Derby College achieved 2nd place in the junior competition, which was a very close contest.
Clive Smith, brickwork lecturer at DCG, said: “All the competitors did incredibly well and showcased a very high standard of work.
“They have done fantastically, with some pupils only in their first year of training. To be able to say they competed in the competition is really good but to be placed and even win is amazing.
“For all of my students that entered, this is a considerable achievement for them and has given them the opportunity to highlight their skills to potential customers and employers.”
