Category Archives: Northamptonshire

Awards, Healthcare, News, Northamptonshire, Northants, Nursing

Northampton nurses celebrate being first UK hospital to be reaccredited with prestigious international nursing quality standard

Dame Ruth May, Chief Nursing Officer for England, visited Northampton General Hospital today to congratulate its nursing teams on achieving an international quality standard.

The hospital has achieved the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Pathway to Excellence reaccreditation after becoming the first hospital in England to achieve the standard in 2018.

Dame Ruth May said: “I am delighted that Northampton General Hospital has achieved Pathway to Excellence® redesignation. It is an incredible achievement and a testament to the hard work and dedication of all nursing colleagues at the Trust.

“This recognition demonstrates a strong commitment to championing nursing excellence. Through this, we can empower nursing professionals and, most importantly, support them to deliver high quality patient care.”

 

NGH Chief Executive Heidi Smoult said: “I am delighted that our nursing and nursing associate teams are the first in the UK to achieve Pathway to Excellence® redesignation, a huge achievement.

“It demonstrates our unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional patient care, a positive work environment for nurses and nursing associates, and for delivering excellence in nursing practice.

“I am so proud of the teams, who have created a culture and environment across our hospital where our people are empowered to thrive and flourish.”

 

As part of the Pathway to Excellence® programme, over the last five years the nursing teams at the hospital have worked on implementing positive changes to patient care and the working environment, including:

 

  • Improving end-of-life care for patients and their families – This was a project led by the hospital’s Deputy Lead Nurse for Palliative Care, Kerry Messam, which involved looking at all aspects of end-of-life-care and making improvements including dedicated end-of-life Swan Rooms (this led to a Chief Nursing Officer Silver Award and to Kerry being invited to meet the Prime Minister at a Downing Street reception on NHS75 July 5.)
  • Pastoral support for overseas nurses joining NGH – In May the hospital achieved the NHS Pastoral Care Quality Award for International Nurses to recognise its commitment to providing exceptional support for staff moving to work in the UK from overseas including language support, cultural awareness training, and access to support networks and resources.
  • Established 40 Shared Decision-Making Councils across the organisation which enable front-line nurses to be involved in the making of decisions which affect patient care and their working lives.
  • Establishing a nurse-led violence and aggression reduction group – which works to offer support to all members of staff who experience upsetting incidents and helps develop ways to reduce the risks of violence and aggression
  • Fully supported the pioneering Professional Nurse Advocate role set up to support nurses in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. NGH now has recruited 35 PNAs who listen, understand and support nurses in ways that improve their wellbeing, encourage nurses to stay in the NHS, and help them to improve patient care.
Dame Ruth May and Staff Nurse Fummi Yakubu cutting the celebratory cake

NGH’s Director of Nursing, Nerea Odongo, said: “Over the past five years our nursing teams have continued to go from strength-to-strength and our reaccreditation for Pathway to Excellence is evidence of this.

“This recognition highlights our commitment to providing exceptional care to our patients and creating a workplace that empowers our nursing professionals.

“We are incredibly proud of our nursing staff and their unwavering dedication to delivering outstanding healthcare services.”

 

Pathway to Excellence® assesses healthcare organisations based on nursing practice standards, nurse satisfaction, patient outcomes, and the overall work environment for nurses.

As part of reaccreditation all of the hospital’s nurses and nursing associates were asked a series of questions. NGH passed the survey with flying colours achieving rates significantly higher than the set standards. (see editor’s notes)

During Dame May’s visit the hospital was able to showcase some of its ongoing work in nursing leadership, safety, quality, shared decision-making, wellbeing, and professional development.

 

At the event Dame May told staff: “I am in awe of the way you have all worked together to achieve redesignation. I plan to take some of the learning showcased here today to the national level.”

 

 

Education, Healthcare, News, Northamptonshire

Local Northamptonshire Pub landlady calls time as she switches from pulling pints to studying podiatry

Switching careers is a brave decision but for one student at the University of Northampton (UON) who has moved from pulling pints to podiatry, it’s been quite a shift.

39-year-old Claire Eyles is in her second year of a degree in podiatry. After co-running The Wheatsheaf pub in Braunston with husband Chris since 2016 and, many years working in the hospitality sector, she has jumped professional ships to a radically different career in a healthcare role.

A Podiatrist’s primary aim is to improve the mobility, independence, and quality of life for their patients. They specialise in the foot, ankle and leg, leading the patient care through the whole journey including prevention, diagnosis and treatment[i]. It’s an area that can appeal to people looking to re-train and change careers. This is exactly what happened to Claire, who decided after having a family young and running a successful pub with her husband to do something “just for her”.

 

Claire says, “We have two teenage children, and my career has taken a bit of a backseat because of family commitments, running a home and supporting my husband’s career. But I’ve always wanted to do something for me, so when the pandemic hit and with the toll it wreaked on the hospitality sector, I thought it was a good time to do something different.”

While Claire had originally planned to go to university aged 18, after meeting her husband, taking a gap year and then enjoying working she chose not to. Fast forward 20 years and after completing a 12-month access course to apply to university she got offered a place on the BSc in Podiatry at the University of Northampton.

 

Claire explains why she chose podiatry: “I wanted to work in healthcare, so I researched the courses at my local university to see what they offered. My daughter Pippa is a budding gymnast and is an elite tumbler for Team England. Over the years she had been treated by several podiatrists and the discipline fascinated me. You don’t realise the diversity there is even in one podiatric specialism, it is so interesting.”

She says most students on her course are mature because it’s a career most don’t think about at school. She hopes this perception is changing and likens ‘podiatry’ to what ‘dentistry’ was in the 1950s – and that over time it is slowly being seen as a healthcare discipline that goes way beyond cutting toenails.

She said: “People think it’s just treating feet, but it’s so much more. From treating patients with diabetes and those with sports injuries, to working with patients with musculoskeletal conditions and even spotting skin cancer in people’s lower limbs. People understand how varied dentistry is now. I believe podiatry is going through a similar transition. It’s a fast-evolving profession and an exciting part of healthcare to work in.”

 

One of the benefits of studying podiatry at UON is the university runs a Podiatry Clinic based at Northampton General Hospital which enables students to gain practical, hands-on experience from year one, something not every university offers. For Claire this is one of the stand-out features of the degree course at UON as it means students don’t feel they are thrown in the deep end when they head off on NHS placements.

She adds that the university is incredibly supportive, with great lecturers and facilities. Also, because there is a smaller cohort of students studying this subject, lectures are friendly and more like seminars in their approach, which enables people to ask lots of questions as they go along – ideal for those returning to academic study.

 

Claire highly recommends the course, especially for people switching careers who can bring their skills and experiences to the role. She said: You wouldn’t immediately think there are similarities between being a publican and a podiatrist, but there are transferrable skills. Many podiatrists work privately, so my experience managing a business, working with an accountant, and handling marketing and social media will come in handy in the future.

“Communication for any healthcare professional is hugely important, being able to relate to and talk with a wide variety of patients. I have worked with diverse communities of people in hospitality, young and old, who I need to engage and empathise with.”

 

Claire concludes about how to approach ‘dipping a toe’ in new, professional waters: “Sometimes you have to take a step to one side and look at where you are, because if you need something fulfilling, something you’ve always wanted at the back of your mind, then if you want to do it then you absolutely should.”

For more information on the BSc in Podiatry at the University of Northampton, click here. 

 

The University of Northampton is part of the Best of Both Worlds recruitment campaign which is shining a light on healthcare careers across the county.

[i] https://rcpod.org.uk/become-a-podiatrist/what-is-a-podiatrist

Careers, Healthcare, News, Northamptonshire

Rhys Walden doesn’t let disability hold him back from his dream career as an occupational therapist

People who thought a disability would ruin one man’s shot at education have been proven wrong now he’s achieved a top class allied health degree.

Rhys Walden, 30 years old, who comes from Northampton, graduated with a first class degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Northampton (UON) last year. He is now six months into his role as an occupational therapist with North Northamptonshire Council’s Community Occupational Therapy team.

Rhys has cerebral palsy, a lifelong condition that affects movement and coordination. He first encountered occupational therapy after his Mum had a brain haemorrhage. When she was discharged from hospital, the friendly occupational therapy team helped her adapt to getting the most out of life until she fully recovered.

This is when the seed to become an occupational therapist was first planted, but when Rhys left school at 18 he wasn’t ready academically. At the time going to university wasn’t even a consideration so he went to college to do an accountancy qualification. After this though he realised that he wanted to work with people rather than numbers.

He left college and did various admin jobs, including an admin role at St Andrew’s Healthcare. It was here that he learnt more about what being an occupational therapist (OT) entails and he decided it was what he was going to do.

Although Rhys was a late bloomer for university, having had a knock-back after being told his disability meant he’d never be able to go into higher education, he is someone who is up for a challenge – and tackling it – after being bitten by the ‘OT bug’.

He said: “I’ve known of the UON course for some time as friends of mine are graduates, but academia was never my strong point. I was never predicted good grades; in fact, I was told at school and college to just do as well as I could.

“I have cerebral palsy hydrocephalus (a blockage in the brain) which means I have irregularities in my cerebral spinal fluid. Because of this, I had some brain damage as a child that left me with a mild learning disability, but I’ve never let that hold me back.

“My parents have been the driving force behind me my entire life. They taught me that, if things are a challenge, that it is really an opportunity in disguise with the potential for personal growth. University was always going to be on the table if I wanted it. And I wanted to become an occupational therapist with University of Northampton.”

At 26 years old Rhys applied and got onto the OT degree course at UON. Before starting he spoke to the university about his disability and they reassured him he would be fine. He said: “Their whole approach and willingness to support me told me it was the right place for me. As they said it wouldn’t be a very good OT course if they couldn’t adapt to my disabilities.

“Before starting the course, I had an assessment with the University’s ASSIST team. They helped sort out lots of things that would support my learning, such as installing specialist software on my laptop to record, transcribe and read out my classes. I’m an auditory learner and this way I could digest large chunks of information within half the time if I had tried to read it.

“I had unwavering, unparalleled support from UON staff and other students. Even when the pandemic came about and I had to ‘shield’ for almost the whole of those two years, the teams here helped. If I phoned up and asked for book chapters to be scanned and sent to me, the library staff were more than happy to do that. My peers were understanding and supportive and were there if I needed to talk though something being taught. I’ve never experienced that level of dedication to my progression. I feel like I’m an entirely different adult to the one who started the degree.”

In recognition of his incredible work and progress, Rhys received the Sara Simons Award when he graduated with a First Class honours degree. Sara was practice lead for occupational therapy at the University of Northampton before her retirement in 2018 and the award recognises practice excellence and students who have overcome adversity.

He is now enjoying his first job in the role he’s dreamt of doing for so long. He adds: “I wanted to work in community physical health (the team that supports people like me and my mum to live at home) before I started at the University so perhaps there’s some fate in my working in my field of choice. The Council’s service is hugely supportive of me and very open-minded about the benefits of having a practitioner who also happens to have a disability.

“I love the variety of the job, there’s never a dull day and no two people I support are ever the same. I feel privileged to work with people who are going through a difficult time. I’ve achieved more than I – or others – ever thought possible and hope to go on exceeding expectations, but now for my service users as well as myself and my family.”

Find out more about Occupational Therapy (BSc) and the Advanced MSc course at the University of Northampton.

Awards, Diversity & Inclusion, News, Northamptonshire

This Is Us Conference announces sponsors in the lead-up to the much-anticipated Diversity & Inclusion Event and Awards

Innovative Diversity and Inclusion conference, This Is Us, has released its latest list of sponsors for its up and coming event and awards ceremony, including North Northamptonshire Council.
Now in its fourth year, ‘This is Us’ is dedicated to helping business leaders to facilitate and promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace through a series of talks, workshops, and panel discussions.

Taking place on Thursday 12th January 2023 at the leading Northamptonshire conference venue, Kettering Conference and Exhibition Centre, the event has announced a spectacular line-up of speakers and leading sponsors of the awards, including North Northamptonshire Council, VTCT, Compass Group UK & I, Change The Balance CIC, Venues Collection Group and MKEBC.

The event will showcase best practices, offer training materials, and address and facilitate important conversations around Diversity & Inclusion, enabling companies to support and improve corporate cohesion and productivity within their teams.

In the evening, there is an awards ceremony to recognise the D & I initiatives of businesses across the regions and highlight companies’ commitment to equality and their positive impact on the workplace experience.

The awards comprise of 12 categories including Education, Women Empowerment, D, E & I Company, Training & Development, Recruitment Policy and Implementation, Community Upliftment / Community Engagement, Organisational Champion Awards, Employee Resource Group, Apprenticeship, Changemaker, Icon/Lifetime Achievement and Tomorrow’s Leader/youth.

Meena Chander, founder of the This Is Us Conference and Awards, stated: “We are delighted to have such a fantastic collection of sponsors from prominent organisations, businesses and associations which are supporting and helping to facilitate a more inclusive future.

For D&I to take precedence in our society, leaders within business, politics, and social groups play an integral role in creating real change, and we are thrilled to see these key leaders within our sponsors.

With the media partnerships, speakers, sponsors and award entry participants that we have obtained, we are ecstatic by the interest and awareness that This Is Us Conference and Awards is gaining.”

Cllr David Brackenbury, North Northamptonshire Council’s Executive Member for Growth and Regeneration said: “We are proud to be exhibiting at the upcoming This is Us Conference and Awards. This is Us provides a clear and strong message, helping to create and celebrate all things diversity and inclusion which we strongly admire and support.

“Our team are looking forward to meeting all the attendees and discussing the services we offer at NNC to local businesses, as well as our work as a Disability Confident employer.”

For more information, visit: https://www.thisisusconference.co.uk

Careers, Healthcare, Jobs, News, Northamptonshire, Northants, Wellbeing

The University of Northampton shines a light on a career in Occupational Therapy during Occupational Therapy Week (7-13 November)

This week is Occupational Therapy week (OT week)[i] and the University of Northampton, and leading healthcare providers in Northamptonshire are shining a light on opportunities to train for a career in occupational therapy, as well as current job opportunities across Northamptonshire.

OT week, organised by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT), aims to raise the profile of occupational therapy with a campaign called ‘Lift Up Your Everyday’.

Occupational therapists play an important role in looking after the nation’s health by supporting people to overcome the challenges of everyday life resulting from illness, trauma and ageing and the role is increasingly in demand. A survey from the RCOT found that 85% of OT’s report an increase in the number of people seeking children’s services[ii] and 82% said there was an increased demand for OT led rehabilitation[iii].

As well as working with individual patients and their families, occupational therapists could also work with groups, or as part of a multidisciplinary team in hospitals, clinics, charities, prisons and social services departments[iv].

 

“Helping others overcome barriers to leading a meaningful life is a truly fulfilling vocation”

Oliver Perry recently graduated from the University of Northampton and now works as  an occupational therapist in a Neurological Rehabilitation Centre in Northamptonshire.

Oliver says, “Occupational Therapy is a remarkably diverse and unique form of healthcare. The profession offers an incredible variety of opportunities across many health and social care settings, working with equally varied patient populations.

I am an advocate for the profession, having seen the real-life impact occupational therapy can bring. I would encourage any student who is motivated to positively impact the lives of others to study occupational therapy. Supporting others in overcoming barriers to leading a meaningful life is a truly fulfilling vocation.”

Undergraduate study at UON encompasses a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops and assignments. Taught modules will serve to prepare students to apply Occupational Theory to any practice placement.

Whether working to support dementia patients in their own homes, providing strategies to enable children to manage at school or delivering education to carers and family, occupational therapy has a key role play.

The route to becoming an occupational therapist is via a degree in occupational therapy at university or an apprenticeship degree. The University of Northampton is one of the top 10 institutions for occupational therapy and offers a BSc Occupational Therapy degree which prepares people to work as a registered occupational therapist in the UK and overseas.

Open Days Planned in November, December and January

The university is hosting several open days on 19 November, 7 and 10 December and 14 January for those considering a degree in occupational therapy. Click here for information and to register to attend.

Those already qualified, could also considering furthering their careers by applying for an MSc Advanced Occupational Therapy at Northampton University. This is a post registration masters that can be completed on a full or part time basis.

 

Existing Vacancies

There are also a number of vacancies across Northamptonshire for those wanting to progress their career. These include:

 

  • Occupational therapist opportunities at NHFT for full-time and part-time physio and occupational therapists in the community rapid response, intermediate care team based in both Kettering and Northamptonshire supporting people across the county. This is a Band 5 role with a salary of £27,055 to £32,934 per year. Closing date is 14 November 2022.

 

  • Senior occupational therapist at St Andrews Healthcare, a leading provider of specialist healthcare for people with mental disorders, acquired brain injury and progressive neurological conditions. This role is working in the medium secure division with people presenting with a wide range of diagnoses and occupational needs. The salary is £33,275 to £40,000 and the closing date is 30 November 2022.

 

To find out about other vacancies across Northamptonshire visit https://bestofbothworlds.uk.net/

[i] https://www.rcot.co.uk/occupational-therapy-week-2022

[ii] https://www.rcot.co.uk/news/survey-finds-childrens-services-crisis-point

[iii] https://www.rcot.co.uk/rehabilitation-workforce-survey

[iv] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/allied-health-professionals/roles-allied-health-professions/occupational-therapist

4 Day Week, Midlands News, News, Northamptonshire

HR specialists say four-day working week trial could bring great opportunity

A Kettering-based HR consultancy has outlined the benefits of the world’s largest trial of a four-day working week.

More than 70 organisations worldwide signed up to the six-month pilot scheme in June, which involves more than 3,000 UK employees.

Although HR Solutions are not taking part in the trial themselves, CEO Greg Guilford is aware of the potential benefits from the experiment.

He said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has already changed many aspects of our working lives, with many people switching to working from home or hybrid working. It is a logical time to test out different working practices and see how a new approach could help with employee wellbeing and productivity.”

Employees participating in the trial receive their full salary but only work 80% of their standard hours. In exchange, workers must commit to maintaining 100% productivity.

Firms taking part include office-based software developers, housing, food and beverages, workplace consultancy, skincare, housing, and recruitment firms.

Greg added: “Workers must use their time more wisely, concentrating on being as effective as possible in a smaller time frame to achieve the same level of performance. The additional rest day is anticipated to improve staff wellbeing, create a greater sense of achievement in completing work more efficiently and make workers feel motivated to work harder.

“I believe that happy and motivated people are a core part of a successful business. And while there is great potential in this kind of scheme, a contented workforce may also be achieved through good internal communication, relevant staff reward schemes, job flexibility, equality and fair opportunity.”

For more information on The 4 Day Week Global Campaign, which is coordinated by researchers from Oxford and Cambridge universities, experts from Boston College and the Autonomy think tank, or you would like to enquire about how HR Solutions can help your business, visit https://www.hrsolutions-uk.com/4-day-working-week-trial-launched/

Midlands News, News, Northamptonshire, Sport

Commonwealth Games bronze medal for senior estimator

A senior estimator at Northamptonshire’s Bhangals Construction Consultants, has scooped a much-coveted bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games 2022.

Kieran Rollings, 22, took third place for England in the Lawn Bowls contest, which saw him play alongside his partner – the aptly named Craig Bowler – at Royal Leamington Spa as part of the competition, which was watched across the world.

It is the second time that the athlete, who lives in Kettering, has competed in the Commonwealth Games, becoming the youngest ever Lawn Bowls participant in 2018, when the event was held on the Gold Coast in Australia.

2018 was also the year that he started his role at award-winning construction consultancy Bhangals.

Kieran said: “My colleagues have been so supportive and are really proud of what I’ve achieved. Everyone wanted to see the medal when I came into the office! It’s the second Commonwealth Games for me and to come away with a bronze on home soil is pretty good! I’m super proud.

“In a sport like ours, we don’t get a lot of funding so we all have to work. Funnily enough, a lot of the England team are in construction and we worked out that between us all we could build a house!”

Kieran was inspired by his grandfather to take up Lawn Bowls in 2011, when he was looking for a hobby to fill his spare time.

“I took up the sport and loved it from the first day I played,” said the medallist, who has been playing the sport internationally since 2015.

The selection process for the national team begins 18 months before an event takes place. The nation’s finest are whittled down over the following months until the squad is a team of just four players. Kieran and Craig are this year’s top two.

“It’s so nice to be selected for a home game,” said Kieran. “It doesn’t come round very often. It is an honour, a privilege, and a source of great pride. To compete for your country is unbelievable. There is enormous pressure to do well but you are representing your whole nation. We had the whole country behind us, and I was so proud to be out there.”

Bhangals Construction Consultants managing director Parm Bhangal said: “Kieran winning a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games is an incredible achievement, especially at such a young age. Kieran is a highly valued, hardworking member of the Bhangals team who always strives to do well. We are immensely proud of him and will continue to support all his athletic ambitions with great gusto.”

For more information about Bhangals Construction Services visit www.bhangals.co.uk or call 01604 871806.

Midlands, Midlands News, News, Northamptonshire, Property News

Corby schoolchildren partner with estate agency for dream home competition

Pupils from a Corby primary school were asked to team up with a local estate agent to design their dream home.

Children from Beanfield Primary School took part in the competition run by Belvoir in Corby for a chance to win an individual prize and a big prize for their school.

A total of 55 children, aged between 8 and 11, took part in the challenge across the school. Ideas included a roller coaster and chocolate fountain in the garden, slides for stairs and a donut making station and cinema room. Nearly all of the children also opted to include pools and hot tubs.

Alexis Webb-Stranaghan, aged 9, was crowned the winner after designing a house that featured a room especially for bunnies, a pizza room, drinks room, clock tower and seating area on the roof.

Mia Tansur and Kasia Sobczyk-Dybul, from the Belvoir Corby office, visited the school to present the prizes. Alexis received £20 worth of Book Tokens and Beanfield Primary School was presented with a further £100 of Book Tokens to purchase books for the school.

Alexis said: “It feels very good to win. I just like to be creative and use lots of colours. The pizza room was my favourite part of the design.”

Assistant Principal at Beanfield Primary School, Liam Benner, said: “We wanted to take part in the competition as a school as we think it is really important for children to be able to express different skill sets. Whilst traditional subjects like Maths and English are obviously important, some children shine at other things and we like to encourage opportunities for them to do this, explore other experiences and find something they enjoy and think about what paths it might lead to in the future.

“We are also keen to make more links with our local community. This competition gave us an opportunity to do both. The Book Tokens will go a long way to helping with reading books in the school too.”

Belvoir managing director, Bobby Singh Braich, said: “We passionately believe that Corby is a fantastic place to live and we are lucky to have many good schools in the area.

“We love helping our customers to not only buy or let properties in Corby, but build homes in the town and enjoy living here. So, it is really important to us to engage with the local community and encourage the children within it to think big and have dreams.

“We were blow away by the creativity shown in this competition and want to thank all of the children and staff at the schools for taking the time to take part.”

Awards, Charity & CSR, Midlands News, News, Northamptonshire

Students’ outstanding achievements are recognised at Foundation’s annual awards

The extraordinary achievements of children and young people who have been working with the Northampton Saints Foundation were recognised at a special awards evening.

Held at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, the event was attended by 120 guests, including children and young people from the Foundation’s education and social inclusion programmes, trustees, supporters, donors and fundraisers, parents and guardians.

The Northampton Saints Foundation was founded in 2017 using sporting values to inspire, educate and support children and young people as they build positive futures for themselves.

Chief Executive of the Northampton Saints Foundation, Catherine Deans said: “The awards ceremony was all about our remarkable young people, recognising their achievements and just how far they have come – we are so proud of each and every one of them.

“It was also an opportunity to thank our supporters and our volunteers who have done so much to support our work throughout the past year.”

Among those students who were recognised at the event was Domi Szablinska, who joined the Foundation’s Engage + programme, which is run in partnership with Northampton College, earlier this year. She received the Foundation Values Award.

She said: “At the beginning of the academic year I went to college, and it wasn’t working for me. But I came to the Northampton Saints Foundation, and everything has been better. I am so grateful for all the opportunities I have been given and everything the team has done for me. I wish that more young people could get involved with the Foundation so they could experience the same things that I have.”

Sidney, who also won a Foundation Values Award through his work with the Engage programme, said: “I am really happy to receive this award. The Northampton Saints Foundation has really helped me to develop my confidence and I’ve had a blast in Engage.”

A special contribution award was presented to Marcel Binley of The Roastery, a coffee company based in Wellingborough, which has supported The Foundation by offering work experience placements to its students, barista qualifications and has raised money for the Foundation through the development of a bespoke coffee blend called Marching In.

Accepting the award, he said: “Just having the opportunity to work with these students gives us so much joy. Watching them grow and learn about coffee has been a huge privilege. We will keep on doing everything we can.”

A total of 14 awards were given out during the evening, which was hosted by BBC Radio Northampton’s sports editor and Saints’ historian, Graham McKechnie.

For more information about the Northampton Saints Foundation and the work they do to support children and young people, visit their website at www.northamptonsaintsfoundation.org

 

Photography
Domi Szablinska receives her Foundation Values award from the Foundation’s Employability Lead, Craig Philips and ambassador, former Saints player, Tom Wood.

—

About the Northampton Saints Foundation

The Northampton Saints Foundation was founded in 2017 to help give children and young people the help and support they need to build a positive future.

Inspired by the history of the Northampton Saints, the Foundation uses sporting values to inspire, support and educate young people through social inclusion and education programmes. In the past year, more than 5,000 children have taken part in education programmes delivered by the Foundation in schools.

You can learn more about the Foundation’s work at www.northamptonsaintsfoundation.org or on Twitter by following @SaintsFdation.

Driving, Midlands News, News, Northamptonshire

Fleet firm celebrates 10 year milestone

Award-winning vehicle leasing firm Silverstone Fleet Management is celebrating a decade of trading.

The Northamptonshire firm, which champions first class customer service while looking after fleets, was the brainchild of managing director Scott Norville and incorporated in August 2012.

SFM started life with Scott hotdesking at his sister’s office on the Brackmills industrial estate in Northampton. Scott was a one-man-band with a dream.

He said: “Before I started the SFM journey, I worked for a dealer supplying cars and quotations to the broker market. This gave me a great insight into how the world of brokers worked.

“The leasing broker market was saturated and had been for years with many ‘bedroom brokers’ offering services with extremely poor customer service. On the flip side to this, many other brokers were high volume brokerages focusing on churning out cars, rather than on the customer and journey.

“Silverstone Fleet Management was born out of recognising the gap in the market for a customer-focused solution.”

But the country had just come out of a recession, so it took a lot of long hours to build the business and a lot of rejection in the early days from finance partners.

With a lot of perseverance and small steps Silverstone Fleet Management delivered 50 vehicles to customers during the first full year of trading.

In 2019 before the pandemic, the company handled 756 vehicles and – even with the more recent challenges posed by Covid-19, semiconductor shortages, Brexit and the Ukraine war – this year (2022) SFM anticipates sales of up to 1500 vehicles nationwide with a continued yearly growth of 25%.

Silverstone Fleet Management work with the top finance providers in the UK- which enables them to provide exceptional market leading offers and support to clients. All vehicles are supplied through a national network of main dealers.

In 2017 SFM moved to a purpose-built barn conversion at Preston Deanery where the family has grown to a ten-strong team.

Together the firm give back to the wider community by sponsoring a grassroots lady’s football team and in 2021 became a sponsor for Northampton Town Football Club. SFM also work regularly fundraising for charity, in particular Cynthia Spencer Hospice.

Scott said: “To say I am proud of what we have achieved as a team would be a huge understatement. Despite all the recent challenges, we continue to work hard, stay positive and provide a first-class customer service, which is why I started SFM in the first place. It is a dream come true to have successfully reached the 10-year milestone.

“The positivity and willingness of the SFM collective alongside our hoard of awards and valued collection of online reviews is both humbling and inspirational. We always strive to be better, to do more and to be the best possible version of the industry for our clients and will continue this in the next decade to come.”

For more information on Silverstone Fleet Management, contact 0800 6127184 or visit www.silverstonefleetmanagement.com.