Monthly Archives: November 2020

COVID-19, Food & Drink, News

Covid-19: towards online solutions for food safety

Written by QADEX Founder and Managing Director Stephen Whyte

During Coronavirus lockdown, Food Safety software solutions business QADEX saw a profound and positive change in its interaction with customers, highlighting the move towards a digital future for the food safety industry, post-Covid-19.

The onset of Covid-19 was a terrible time for some elements of the food industry. Foodservice was particularly hard hit, and some businesses that had been profitable – and long-standing QADEX customers for many years – were driven into administration, as their products were no longer viable. In addition, many business opportunities that were about to come to fruition were placed on hold.

As the UK went into lockdown on 16th March, QADEX – based in Sileby, near Loughborough – was in a very fortunate position as its managed service, accessed and supported via an online portal, enabled remote working for its team.

At QADEX, robust business continuity plans were already in place and had been tested… and Covid-19 was the ultimate test. Many of our colleagues moved to work from home and were still able to deliver the level of service our customers expected.

Home baking highlighted a change in customer service interaction

While the biggest change was having colleagues working from home, from a customer delivery perspective, little actually changed, and our customers still spoke to largely the same Account Managers (replaces customer service contacts). During the lockdown period there was a noticeable shift in attitude from our customer’s customers – the end consumer. One of the services QADEX offers is an outsourced Consumer Careline for our customers to manage their consumer complaints. Our Careline Team noted a dramatic upturn in ‘goodwill’, and the number of positive comments received about our customer’s products increased notably.

Calls to the Careline were less and less complaints about product and more and more about how good the product was. Calls to one Customer Careline were actually often centred around home baking successes. Being in lockdown and stuck at home, people turned to baking – with a big emphasis on banana bread – which became a feature on social media.

One of our Careline team said: “We received numerous calls from people who were starting out baking for the very first time, wanting some recipes or tips, to people who were experienced bakers getting in touch to let us know about a new sweet treat they’d made. One that sticks in my mind is a lady who emailed to let us know she had been baking ‘Lockdown Slices’ for herself and her husband. She signed the email off as her alias: ‘The Lockdown Slice Baker’. Rather than getting in touch about a product she was unhappy with, we instead chatted about how we were both getting along during lockdown.”

The benefits of online solutions

During lockdown, our customers began to recognise additional benefits from using our online software solutions as information remained available to everyone, anywhere, and always, whether they were working from the office or from home.

We ran four webinars post lockdown and took the opportunity to survey the participants. The majority of those polled said that they had worked from home for some or all of lockdown. The top-line conclusion was that when it came to data access, QADEX users were less affected when having to work remotely than their non-QADEX using peers.

Almost all of those surveyed said that they believed working practices would change, post Covid-19, with most saying that home-working was feasible for members of a food safety team. We are delighted that the constant development of our software solutions enables efficient – and therefore safe – remote, home working. Existing QADEX customers voiced the ease at which their food safety teams could reach and work with key data sets, allowing an almost ‘business as usual’ approach whether team members were working from home or the office.

The Coronavirus pandemic and the changes it has brought to working methods may be very long-lasting. I wonder if there will ever be a requirement to have all members of staff working from the office. For the foreseeable future, at least, we will be operating a hybrid model, with colleagues working from home or from the office – as long as social distancing in the office can be maintained. The biggest learning is how to try to recreate the fun vibe of being in the office when people are working from home.

Aiming for ‘one version of the truth’

As we head into learning a ’new normal’, QADEX can recommend specific areas of focus for the future of food safety – the most obvious being to at least begin the digital transformation journey. When selecting partners, it is essential that they offer a solution that is proven, low cost, reliable and delivers tangible ROI. The move away from paper can’t begin soon enough. With digitised data you can use Application Program Interfaces (APIs) to connect systems, so there is just one version of the truth. Blending data across systems enables the creation of dynamic dashboards which then give you instant visual identification of where issues exist across a business. Data analytics enable the detection of patterns and risks not easily identified manually.

Too often, pocket knowledge or information bias can blind decision makers to the risk that exists within their business. Electronic systems, such as QADEX will analyse actual data and return absolute results, based upon configured variables removing individual opinions.

Covid-19 has had a profound effect on the food industry and its working methods. Positively, it has accelerated the move to digital platforms such as QADEX which support and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of food safety teams whether working from the office or home.

News, Property, Property Buyer News

Final apartments in attainable Apsley released for sale

The final apartments at a new canalside development in Apsley – recently identified as Hertfordshire’s most affordable village – are now available to buy.

Bellway North London is building 170 new homes at Apsley Quay, which enjoys a peaceful setting by the Grand Union Canal off Frogmore Road, with the last apartments now released for sale within Watermark Place, the second phase of the development.

Apsley, a 19th century paper mill village, was earlier this month (October) named as the village in Hertfordshire where it was cheapest to buy a home.*

Apsley is especially popular with people who work in London but want to enjoy a more rural lifestyle in their free time – made possible by local rail and road links. Apsley railway station provides trains into London Euston in as little as 25 minutes, while it’s just three miles to the M25 and four miles to the M1.

Greg Allsop, Sales and Marketing Director of Bellway North London, said: “We have seen many first-time buyers purchasing apartments at Apsley Quay and we’re expecting this final collection of homes to be just as successful.

“Buyers are attracted to the new homes here for their high-quality construction, the sensitive integration of the local heritage in their design, their canalside location and their affordable prices.

“And they’re equally drawn to Apsley for its friendly, village feel and attractive marina, with all the necessary amenities that modern working professionals need right on their doorstep.”
Bellway has already sold over 60 homes at Apsley Quay, with more than 80 per cent of purchasers being first time buyers. The first residents will move into the development in November.
Greg said: “For first-time buyers, the apartments at Apsley Quay are a great opportunity to get on the housing ladder and live in a sought-after area within easy reach of both the nearby countryside and the capital.”

Watermark Place at Apsley Quay offers a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments. Each property has either a balcony or a terrace and prices currently start from £272,500.

For more information about Bellway and Apsley Quay, visit bellway.co.uk or call the sales advisor on 01442 331285.

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Awards, Environment News, News

Southampton solution for turning carbon emissions into plastics honoured by Royal Society of Chemistry

Scientists from the University of Southampton have invented a hybrid catalyst platform that can efficiently and sustainably convert carbon dioxide into versatile plastic materials.

The Viridi CO2 platform, created by Dr Daniel Stewart and Professor Robert Raja, has been recognised by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) as a winner of its prestigious 2020 Emerging Technologies Competition.

The novel chemistry solution could be used to more effectively produce tens of millions of tonnes of plastics used annually in mattresses, clothing and building insulation, while also reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

In future, the technology could be retrofitted to the output streams of petrochemical refineries to close the carbon loop, representing a major step toward the UK’s vision to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.

Viridi CO2 has emerged from Dr Stewart’s doctoral research, which followed an MChem degree from Southampton’s School of Chemistry. During this research he and Professor Raja invented the hybrid, heterogenous catalytic platform (PCT/GB2019/053596) capable of superior Carbon Capture Utilisation (CCU) potential compared with conventional Carbon Capture Storage (CCS) solutions.

Professor Raja’s group has been developing a predictive catalyst design rationale at Southampton for the past 15 years, but this new technology represents a significant advance from the finite potential of CCS technologies while offering sustainable alternatives for the advanced manufacturing of plastics through CCU.

The award-winning approach has focussed on the production of polyurethanes. These materials, which can be tailored to be either rigid or flexible, are currently created solely from fossil fuels and are single use.

One way to improve the sustainability of these materials is to derive the starting materials, in this case the polyol, from carbon dioxide. This process produces polyols with carbonate linkages that allow the polymer to be more easily broken down at the end of its life and recycled.

There are, however, few catalysts capable of performing this transformation. Current processes suffer from using highly toxic chemicals, or require synthetically demanding and costly processes to remove the catalyst from the polymer, as is the case for homogeneous catalysts. The few heterogeneous examples available all require forcing conditions with extremely high pressures, temperatures and lengthy reaction times.

Viridi CO2’s catalyst platform provides a route to polymer feedstocks that can be synthesised under more sustainable conditions with energy savings of up to 75 per cent. The innovation has been named the Energy and Environment winner of the RSC Emerging Technologies Competition, selected from over 90 proposals worldwide.

Dr Stewart, EPSRC IAA Research fellow within the School of Chemistry, says: “To have the endorsement of the Royal Society of Chemistry for the stage we’re at is phenomenal, and gives us real impetus to speak with investors and stakeholders and demonstrate our enthusiasm and expertise in this area.

“Our platform is capable of maximum carbon dioxide insertion under lower temperatures, pressures and dramatically reduced timeframes. These benefits provide superior energy efficiency and high productivity leading to reduced costs. Unlike other alternatives, these catalysts can also be reused and synthesised in minutes.”

The research team have filed a patent for the discovery and are participating in the SETsquared Innovation to the Commercialisation of University Research (ICURe) Programme, as they prepare to spin out the technology.

Professor Raja, Professor of Materials Chemistry and Catalysis, says: “This ground-breaking research is motivated by the lack of technologies utilising carbon dioxide as a viable synthetic feedstock, despite its low price and huge abundance.

“30 million tonnes of polyurethanes are produced globally every year yet they remain scarcely recyclable. They find use across many commercial sectors and the industry is set to grow to $70 billion by the year 2022. In the presence of uniquely designed catalysts, up to 50 per cent of the polyol feedstock mass can be replaced with carbon dioxide.

“By developing a platform-based design, we have shown that components of the catalyst can be modified, tuning the catalyst towards desired physical properties within the polymers. Having worked with multinational catalyst and petrochemical industries worldwide for over 20 years, we are optimistic the innovative and advanced characteristics of this catalyst platform can provide a significant manufacturing impetus to the UK chemical industry.”

The Viridi CO2 platform was produced with research funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), with further scale-up work and commercialisation activities supported by an EPSRC Impact acceleration (IAA) award.

The team has been advised by the University’s Future Worlds start-up accelerator and business mentor Chris Spackman, together with technology transfer expert Paul Wilkinson.

This article first appeared here: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/chemistry/news/2020/10/27-southampton-honoured-by-royal-society-of-chemistry.page#:~:text=Southampton%20solution%20for%20turning%20carbon,by%20Royal%20Society%20of%20Chemistry&text=The%20Viridi%20CO2%20platform%2C%20created,prestigious%202020%20Emerging%20Technologies%20Competition.

Data, Finance and Banking, Insurance, Investment

CAMRADATA enters strategic partnership with Insurance AUM Journal and expands into the USA

CAMRADATA, a leading provider of data and analysis for institutional investors is expanding into the USA market, through a new strategic partnership with Insurance AUM Journal, the leading, dedicated insurance asset management publication read by insurance firms in the USA.

CAMRADATA will be offering its investment research, data and asset management search services through its on-line database, CAMRADATA Live, to Insurance AUM Journal’s US insurance clients enabling them to access its rich data, insights, research reports and to search and select asset managers using its search and evaluation tools.

Currently, CAMRADATA has an extensive database of insurance asset managers but is calling for asset managers to populate CAMRADATA Live free of charge and add their data so they too can be searched on and selected by US Insurers.

Insurance AUM Journal provides a dedicated research centre and thought leadership platform for its members, which will be enhanced thanks to this partnership. It will be offering access to CAMRADATA Live, where US insurers can currently research over 6,000 investment products and over 700 asset managers to help carry out asset manager reviews, monitor risk and evaluate their performance.

It will also offer them CAMRADATA’s powerful search and evaluation analytical tools to help them compare and select the insurance asset managers to work with or they can use CAMRADATA’s bespoke assisted search when looking for a manager to manage a particular mandate, using specific search criteria.

Stewart Foley, Editor in Chief, Insurance AUM Journal said, “CAMRADATA is a very well established and highly regarded provider of data for institutional investors.  Our partnership will provide insurance investors with a very robust set of tools to evaluate and select insurance asset managers. We are offering an opportunity for insurers to sign up to CAMRADATA Live free of charge and we will provide a login so they can get started.”

“Insurers’ invested assets topping $30 trillion globally, $7 trillion of which is in the USA alone.  There is a tremendous need for the accurate, extensive and in-depth investment research and analysis CAMRADATA can provide which can inform investment decision making.   We are thrilled to be bringing these capabilities to U.S. insurers.”

Sean Thompson, Managing Director, CAMRADATA says, “Insurance AUM Journal is dedicated to the insurance asset management market and it is highly valued by its members for its investment insights, resource and thought leadership.

“Our partnership will enable us to expand our client base to the USA and to offer asset managers the opportunity to connect and tap into a vast market of insurance investors in the USA. We are very pleased to be partnering with Insurance AUM Journal, and very much looking forward to offering access to CAMRADATA Live to US insurers and working with asset managers offering their services to this industry.”

For more information on CAMRADATA visit www.camradata.com

Appointments, Finance and Banking, News

Paul Cooper joins GS Verde Group

The GS Verde Group has announced the appointment of Paul Cooper, a vastly experienced corporate lawyer, who joins as a non-executive director to support the Group’s accelerated growth in Bristol and to work alongside the corporate directors as they continue to develop their presence throughout Wales and the South West.

Paul previously worked as a corporate finance partner at Osborne Clarke in both its Bristol and London offices.  During his 20 year spell at Osborne Clarke, Paul worked on an extensive number of high-profile deals including flotations on both AIM and the main market.

This strategic appointment is designed to support an increase in demand for the services of the GS Verde Group, whose operations in Bristol and the South West of England have increased in the last 12 months as a consequence of a number client wins and deals completed by both the group’s corporate and commercial law firm, Greenaway Scott, and M&A finance specialists Verde Corporate Finance.

Speaking on his appointment Mr. Cooper said: “I am very excited to be working with GS Verde.  My legal skills are in corporate and corporate finance, so they are completely appropriate for my role with the firm and I am looking forward to contributing to the business”.

The group’s development in the South West has been overseen by Director Lorna Bolton, who is head of the Bristol office.  Paul’s experience of the South West markets will provide valuable support to Lorna and her growing team.  He joins a growing stable of experts, including experienced banker Dave Shalliday, who also joined the group as a non-executive director in March this year.

Ms. Bolton said: “We are very excited to have Paul come on board with us. His wealth of experience and knowledge of the market and industry in Bristol is second to none, and I am looking forward to what we can achieve in our next period of growth with Paul on our side”.

As well as the expansion of personnel, the group has recently announced the launch of its digitised investment platform, the Elevate investment network, an initiative designed to improve on the traditional corporate finance advisory offering by providing a modern approach to how business founders can connect with experienced investors and raise private equity investment.

CEO of GS Verde Group, Nigel Greenaway, said: “It is an exciting time for the GS Verde Group and we continue to develop our teams and opportunities. Paul brings with him a superb track record as a corporate lawyer and as a partner of a large corporate law firm. I am very excited at the prospect of working with Paul both at CEO level and also generally on our corporate projects”

With offices in Cardiff, Bristol and Pembroke Dock and satellite offices in London and Oxford, the group now has over 40 employees, and continues to grow each year.

 

 

Awards, Finance News, News, NHS News

NHS Wales Finance leader wins ACCA Award after overcoming leaving School with No Qualifications

NHS Wales assistant director Tim Kelland has been named ACCA UK Advocate of the Year 2020 for championing the organisation and inspiring young people with his incredible journey to success.

Tim, from Pontypridd, joined the NHS in Cardiff in the post room at the Mid Glamorgan Health Authority 36 years ago, after failing all his exams at Coed-y-Lan Comprehensive School, where his father John was Deputy Head.

His academic struggles had left him with no confidence, and he did not believe he could attain any professional qualifications until 1999, when a senior NHS manager persuaded him to study to become a qualified accountant with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

Eight years later, he had qualified and even become a Fellow of the organisation. He was so grateful for the opportunities that becoming a qualified finance professional presented, that Tim has spent decades mentoring younger members of staff in the NHS and promoting ACCA to future students.

Tim says: ‘The only way I feel I can pay the people back who have supported me, and to repay the ACCA organisation, is to promote the qualification to the next generation of students.

‘I love telling students about my journey, how a boy with no qualifications was inspired, and how the ACCA has made me the person I am today.’

As assistant director of NHS Wales’ Finance Delivery Unit, based in Pencoed, Tim now has responsibility for some pivotal projects that keep the NHS operating efficiently.

In recent times, he led the project developing a stock control system to ensure the NHS in Wales had enough personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff tackling the global pandemic.

The ACCA advocacy award, which is now in its fourth year, is given to an ACCA member who has gone above and beyond to champion the professional body across categories such as inspiring the next generation, developing future members and promoting inclusion.

The judges were particularly impressed by Tim’s advocacy over the long term including:

  • Single-handedly establishing the annual Wales ACCA Healthcare conference and taking a personal and active involvement in developing the programme for the event
  • Input and support for ACCA’s selection as the accountancy qualification of choice for the
  • NHS Wales Graduate Training Scheme and taking an active involvement in recruitment and ongoing support of students
  • Being a registered mentor with NHS Wales Finance Academy
  • Providing support to the ACCA Wales office, as a member of the ACCA UK Health Sector Member Network Panel.

After receiving the award, Tim said: ‘I am so grateful to the ACCA for recognising my work by awarding me this prestigious award. Prior to me commencing the qualification my academic record was poor, and I had little confidence in my own ability.

‘Passing all the exams and joining the ACCA family transformed my life. The qualification has created a number of work opportunities and allowed me to have a really successful career in NHS Wales, and at long last, I have achieved something that has made my dad proud of me.

‘I am grateful to so many people for getting me to where I am today, but I could not have achieved the success I have without the support of my wife Marianne. She has been my rock. I will always continue to promote the great work of the ACCA and take great pleasure in telling new students about my ACCA journey, and the positive impact it has had on my life.’

Claire Bennison, head of ACCA UK, said: ‘Tim is an example of the opportunity that exists in the accountancy profession for those who fall outside a more traditional career model of school to university. I am delighted he has been recognised for his invaluable contribution to help the next generation feel inspired and confident about their own potential.’

Professor Alan Brace,  Director of Finance, Finance Directorate, Health and Social Services Group, Welsh Government & Honorary Professor Swansea University School of Management, said: ‘The strength of the accountancy profession in NHS Wales is built on people and Tim is not only a key part of those foundations but also epitomises what a real professional should be.

‘When people mention what’s good about NHS Finance in Wales, they usually also mention Tim.’

Tim’s boss Hywel Jones, Director, Finance Delivery Unit, NHS Wales, added; ‘Tim is an outstanding finance professional who is a key part of the NHS Finance Delivery Unit and the finance community within NHS Wales. He is an inspiring individual, who is extremely passionate about ensuring that the profession, organisations, and their people achieve their potential.’

Tim will now be put forward for the ACCA Advocacy Award for Europe & Americas.

Entertainment, News

Stay at Home Choir partners with Koor to deliver a global Christmas Celebration

Stay at Home Choir partners with Koor to deliver a global Christmas Celebration

The collaboration will enable singers to work with John Rutter and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to prepare for a virtual performance, featuring Star Carol and Hark The Herald Angels Sing

The Stay At Home Choir is a global community of more than 16,500 music lovers and artists. They have partnered with Koor, a free app that helps choral singers learn, improve and enjoy singing, to deliver their virtual Christmas celebration this year.

The collaboration will enable singers to work with John Rutter and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on the run-up to a virtual performance, featuring the Christmas classic Star Carol and a roof-raising rendition of Hark The Herald Angels Sing.

Simon Capet, founder and CEO of Koor comments, “We’re so proud to be supporting the formation of virtual choirs across the world to enable musicians to come together to celebrate, discover and sing short pieces of music while physical rehearsals are not possible.

“Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without John Rutter and, now singers across the nation can work with him directly through this exciting collaboration with the Stay at Home Choir.”

Those participating in the festive edition of Stay at Home Choir will be able to learn about the music from John Rutter himself, rehearse with world-class singers and workshop leaders, as well as build their technique and confidence.

Through a variety of events suited to multiple time zones, participants will also receive support with their recording and singing technique as well as direct access to socials with their 16,500-strong singer community.

Formed since lockdown, the Stay at Home Choir has become known for its vibrant webinar rehearsals, whose places often fill in as little as three minutes. They have welcomed thousands of singers from 75 countries through their Zoom ‘virtual doors’ for the Stay At Home Choir process, where members can meet and rehearse with featured artists such as The Swingles, VOCES8, The Sixteen and the King’s Singers.

Koor is a progressive web app, that enables choral singers who have trouble reading music to learn their parts by interacting with high-quality recordings of professional singers and improve their vocal technique by interacting with personalised online guidance driven by machine learning-based algorithms.

The app allows choral singers to practice with pitch-perfect professional singers, so they can either have them as an accompaniment or learn from them to get their singing just right, using their pitch, rhythm, and correct pronunciation; how to shape vowels and phrases, and where to breathe. In the settings, users can also turn off certain voices or change the volume, allowing them to take anyone’s place, and practice however they wish.

Registration costs £15.99 per member and includes access to all events, resources (including rehearsal tracks on https://about.koor.app/) and scores. Subscription to Koor is free of charge.

Register here: www.stayathomechoir.com/projects/christmas

 

COVID-19, News, Recruitment News

How is COVID Changing Recruitment?

COVID has changed a lot of things around the world, including recruitment. Recruitment has seen a lot of significant changes all around the world. The companies have to look for different options if they want to recruit the right employees.

Big and small companies worldwide have found new ways to find recruits for their companies. Everyone is in a very critical situation right now economically but also mentally. Many people have lost their jobs due to COVID, while some companies have also recruited employees.

The lockdown has affected everyone everywhere. When we talk about recruitment, companies have adopted new ways to recruit employees. Still, people don’t prefer to go to the companies for interviews due to the fear of infection.

The panic is still there, but a company needs employees, and there are people who need jobs. So to make everything work, there are various ways through which companies can recruit employees.

  1. Everything is online
  2. Companies can recruit afar
  3. Focus on internal candidates
  4. Using technology at its best

Everything Is Online

In this situation of COVID, everybody fears a little while going outside for anything. In this case, what you can do is handle everything online. It means you can put out an ad about the openings in your company.

You can mention there that the interviews will be taken online on video calls, or it can also be a telephonic interview. This way, the candidate will get convinced to apply for the job.

Companies Can Recruit Afar

The companies located in remote areas were facing problems with recruiting someone who lives far away or in any other city. But now, due to COVID, all the work is done online. These companies can recruit employees from distant areas too, which are not close.

So the company can also look for candidates who stay afar because all the company needs are some hardworking employees.

Focus On Internal Candidates

In a big company, many employees are working day and night to get promotions. In the situation of COVID, when recruitment is becoming difficult, the company can look for its own employees. The company can recruit employees from one department to the required department. It is called internal recruitment and requires focusing on expert human resources recruitment in order to build a sustainable internal recruitment model. It is beneficial to the company as the candidate is already familiar with the company and knows its important rules.

Using Technology at Its Best

In this era of technology, you can almost run a company with just a mobile phone. There are many tools available for recruitment like the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). If you apply to a big company, then there are high chances that your resume may be filtered in ATS.

ATS is a system in which the resumes of the candidates are stored. Many companies use this system to filter the resumes that they are receiving. If you are a reputed company, you will obviously receive resumes from thousands of candidates.

Now what this system does is filter the candidates according to your requirements and list the suitable ones. This way, time is also saved.

Conclusion

In these times of COVID, when we have to support each other, the companies can opt for any options to reach out to the candidates. It will be better for the company as well as the candidate.

News

FASTFLOW GROUP ANNOUNCES NEW STRUCTURE AND BRAND AS IT PREPARES FOR THE FUTURE

Fastflow Group has restructured its business in a move designed to ensure the company is ‘fit for the future’ and able to adapt to the changing marketplace. It will also cease using the Fastflow Group name and instead be known as The United Living Group. It follows the successful merger last year and the creation of a new business. The Group will have combined revenues for the financial year ending 31st March 2020 of c£400m, with 2021 revenues budgeted to be £420m.

The new streamlined business is made up of the three distinct service pillars – United Living Infrastructure Services, United Living New Homes and United Living Property Services that together will deliver a broad range of integrated services. This includes essential new housing and property maintenance services to Local Authorities and Social Housing landlords as well as supporting the vital infrastructure services required to keep the lights on and water flowing throughout the UK.

The size and scale of the newly shaped company will ensure it is large enough to deal with major capital projects, yet agile enough to react quickly to customer demands and facilitate further growth. Neil Armstrong, the current Chairman and Chief Executive will continue to lead the business supported by an executive team of COO Daren Moseley, CFO Stuart Hall, Group Strategic Development Director, Ryan Brennan, Group Business Improvement Director, Peter Scraton and Group HR Director, Kamal Shergill.

The Managing Directors of each of the pillars have also been confirmed with Conor Bray heading up Property Services, Gordon O’Regan leading the national New Homes division and Benn Cottrell taking the helm at Infrastructure Services – the combined water, multi utility and gas transmission business. They will also sit on the Executive Board.

Commenting on the changes, Neil Armstrong, said “Our business has stood up well to the shock of the pandemic. Essential utility and property maintenance operations continued throughout but in the height of full lockdown, new housing sites were temporarily hibernated. Several new contracts were secured during the period. As a result we continue to trade well, however we, like other businesses, continue to face a number of challenges which will see us working, living and managing our business with the COVID-19 virus still present and Brexit on the horizon.

“These changes are designed to ensure that we are in the strongest position possible to address necessary market changes with a key objective to generate ‘profit for purpose’ continuing to make a difference in our communities. We remain committed to creating value in everything we do for our people, customers, shareholders and communities.”
A new Group website has also been launched which showcases the new branding and can be seen at https://unitedliving.co.uk/

Contract Wins, Data & Analytics, News, North of England, Tech

KEYSOURCE WINS DATA CENTRE UPGRADE PROJECT FOR LEEDS CITY COUNCIL

Leeds City Council has awarded Keysource, the data centre and critical environment specialists, a major cooling upgrade project for its facility in Leeds, following a competitive tender.

Under the terms of the deal, Keysource will be responsible for the full mechanical and electrical installation of a replacement data centre cooling system to increase efficiency, improve airflow, and reduce operational costs. The new system will monitor the space and the cold aisle temperature and humidity to optimise the delivery of required cold aisle conditions to maximise efficiency.

The space will be cooled by 5 new Airedale SmartCool Inverter precision cooling units operating on supply air control. It will also benefit from a fresh air feed that will operate as the primary stage of cooling, when ambient conditions allow, to further improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact. By monitoring the outside ambient air temperature and humidity the ACIS system will aim to utilise the fresh air free cooling at every opportunity. The existing AHU controls will also be upgraded and incorporated in the new control’s platform.

Commenting on the new project Ted Pulfer, Enterprise & End User Sector Consultant at Keysource, said: “Public sector organisations and local authorities are increasingly facing scrutiny and pressure to operate at maximum efficiency and our solutions are designed to deliver this without compromising sustainability, resilience or security.”

Adam Edmands at Leeds City Council, said: “Keysource provided a high quality response, that demonstrated how they would carry out this project without impacting on live services and supporting the Council’s vision to maximise efficiencies and reduce costs. I look forward to working with Keysource in delivering this project and have no doubt that it will be a success”.