Could You Be Our Charity of the Year for 2022?
Shooting Star, an award-winning PR, marketing and digital agency, has begun its search for a charity or non-profit organisation that could benefit from free PR and marketing services in 2022.
Based in Lincoln, the agency is encouraging anyone who runs or works for a third-sector organisation which needs help raising its profile to apply to become its 15th Charity of the Year.
Shooting Star provides 12 months of free advice, expertise and support to a charity that would not otherwise be able to afford such support.
Jez Ashberry, Director at Shooting Star, said: “We have adopted a charity every year since 2009 as it’s important to us to give something back and support good causes whenever we can.
“We feel we can best help by offering our services for free – something our team here is delighted to do!
“We’re excited to receive applications for 2022 and we’d encourage all charities large and small to get in touch with us, even if you’ve applied unsuccessfully in the past.”
Throughout 2021 Shooting Star has provided Help Us Grieve (HUG) with pro bono marketing, PR and social media support to help them raise their profile and provide the vital funds needed to run the charity.
Newark-based HUG was established in 2017 by mum Amy Everatt after she lost three babies at different gestation periods. Leaving hospital after each loss, she discovered there was little emotional support available and found it difficult to talk about what she had been through physically and emotionally.
She and her husband Oliver set up a JustGiving page to raise money to start Help Us Grieve. Now they have a website and an app to signpost people to help and support after baby loss.
Shooting Star ran a social media competition for the public to submit their favourite recipes and have a chance of seeing them published in the book, which is being released in time for Baby Loss Awareness Week 2022, and TV chef Kwoklyn Wan chose five winning recipes in total.
The agency also secured an interview with Amy in Woman magazine in October.
Amy said: “The support from Shooting Star was perfectly timed for HUG as the pandemic threw us all into a wave of obstacles and panic.
“With their help we have managed to keep going, increase our support to families and grow significantly and we couldn’t be more grateful. A huge thank you to everyone at Shooting Star for being incredible with HUG. There is no way we’d have managed it alone through the most testing times all round. What a fantastic team!”
To request an application form, email hello@weareshootingstar.co.uk. The deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday 17th December 2021.
To find out more about the charities that have been helped by Shooting Star over the years, visit: https://weareshootingstar.co.uk/charity
Sheffield-based L.B. Foster Wins Equipment Innovation Category at Prestigious GE Awards
L.B. Foster’s award-winning submission detailed the deployment of its Insight Earthworks Monitoring solution on a project for Network Rail in Gloucestershire. Little Hagloe is on the coastal rail line adjacent to the River Severn in Gloucestershire. The railway runs along the bottom of a steep embankment and has a history of failures of the cutting slope. L.B. Foster’s Insight LiDAR units are now providing real-time monitoring of slope integrity at critical sites along the line.
Adam Cousins is Head of Business Development at L.B. Foster. He says: “Winning this award is recognition of all the hard work that has gone on behind the scenes to design, develop and deliver a truly outstanding remote condition monitoring solution for Network Rail.
“On Friday 28th August 2020, our Insight Earthwork Monitoring system measured a slippage that was reported in real time. This was after the system went live in June 2020 for full site reporting to Network Rail’s local infrastructure management team. The report generated from Network Rail noted that the system measured a slip. LiDAR head 2 recorded the movement on the track point measurement. The Insight system recorded the slip at precisely 07:24:31am, with Network personnel receiving the email alarm notification at 07:25am.
“This event during live reporting operation of the system showed the excellent response time of the system to a detected cutting slippage of sufficient dimensions to cause concern. Of particular importance was the ability of the train controllers to action signalling to halt trains on receipt of a critical alarm prior to potential concern for a derailment. ”
Network Rail manages a portfolio of more than 190,000 earthworks assets, including slopes, embankments, soil cuttings and rock cuttings. Many of these assets are over 150 years old and pose a significant risk to the railway especially after heavy rainfall, making the earth saturated and more prone to movement. Insight Earthworks Monitoring deploys LiDAR units to scan the earthwork slope, comparing against previous scans to detect tiny movements of the earthwork. Software ignores non-valid movement, such as wildlife and vegetation detection, and determines if the slope has moved sufficiently to raise an alarm. The amount of valid movement depends on the slope, soil type, vegetation, and water saturation and threshold limits for alarms can be configured to meet customer requirements.
The Ground Engineering Awards celebrate the very best in geotechnical engineering and are organised by GE Magazine. This year’s awards received almost 230 submissions across 18 different categories.
Nia Kajastie, editor of Ground Engineering, said: “We were delighted to host the GE Awards as an in-person event once again, and it was great to have so many industry representatives join us to celebrate the achievements of the ground engineering industry.
“The last year and a half have been tough for us all, but this sector and the people at the centre of it
have shown their perseverance and adaptability in the face of sudden changes.
“Despite the pandemic challenges, this was a record-breaking year for entries to the GE Awards. With a total of 227 submissions of a high calibre, our expert judges had their work cut out for them to choose the amazing winners.”
Hull broadband firm continues rapid expansion with new recruits and more to come
One of Hull’s fastest-growing broadband providers, Pure Broadband, is continuing to expand as new customers flock to use their ultrafast, full fibre service.
The East Riding-based company continue to increase their market share across an area where competition has traditionally been limited. As more customers become aware of the choice on offer, Pure Broadband is now recruiting more staff to help with the rollout of their service.
More than 15,000 households have already signed up to the provider which offers competitive pricing and superfast speeds to homes across Hull, the East Riding and nationwide.
In recent weeks, the Pure Broadband team has welcomed Stephen Conlan as their new marketing manager and Oliver Gowland into a new sales manager role. Both have several years of expertise in their respective field and will bolster the businesses in the new roles. Despite having an average of 32 seconds hold time, Pure Broadband are also looking to add at least five new support staff to their growing workforce.
Commenting on his new role, Stephen said: “Being able to drive the Pure Broadband brand forward at such an exciting time of growth is a tremendous privilege. In the short time I’ve been with the company, I have already seen how appreciative our customers have been to have a viable and cost-effective alternative in Hull. One thing I am hearing first-hand is how happy our customers are to have such rapid support available to them.
“Hearing about our plan to double growth in the next three years shows just how ambitious we are as a company. Undergoing significant recruitment, such as that which we are doing now, also indicates just how far we’ve come.”
New sales manager Oliver said: “Our sales figures continue to rise alongside increased awareness of just how good the Pure Broadband product is. I’m looking forward to welcoming new members of staff onto my team as our rapid expansion continues.”
Stephen and Oliver are the latest additions to the Pure Broadband team after a summer of high-profile appointments. Tony Jopling stepped up to the role of managing director while Sally Kirkwood left KCOM behind to sign on as the firm’s service operations manager.
Pure Broadband also recently launched its new website complete with postcode tracker to give customers an instant way to discover which deals are available in their area. The new website is available here: www.purebroadband.net/home
Regional disparities already arising in nascent green jobs market
The transformation to a net zero economy is feeding through to the employment market, accounting for 1.2% of total advertised jobs, equating to 124,600 new jobs, for the year to July 2021. However, disparities are already arising in how the transition to greener jobs is affecting different parts of the UK.
These findings come from PwC’s Green Jobs Barometer – a first of its kind analysis, tracking movements in green job creation, job loss, carbon intensity of employment, and worker sentiment across regions and sectors.
Currently the proportion of new green jobs is small, but each new green job generates a further 1.4 jobs (rising to 6 jobs for sectors closely aligned to the energy transition), through increased demand for goods and services in the supply chain. This figure should also grow as the UK accelerates efforts to transition to net zero. Nevertheless, the scale-up will need to intensify to meet Government targets of two million green jobs by 2030.
Moreover, work is needed to ensure the green jobs transition doesn’t exacerbate regional inequalities. The West Midlands, Yorkshire & the Humber, Northern Ireland and Wales are the lowest ranking regions across all aspects of the Green Jobs Barometer. Scotland and London are the top performers.
Kevin Ellis, Chairman and Senior Partner at PwC, said: “Jobs are getting greener and this is cause for optimism, but evidence is needed on the level and distribution of these opportunities. Left unchecked, green employment will grow in the most fertile spots, but not necessarily where they’re needed most.
“Our research indicates where support and investment needs to be targeted. Green jobs in energy, utilities and manufacturing sectors have a greater knock-on effect on employment, generating further jobs. Likewise, regions including Northern Ireland and Wales may see a disproportionate rise in green energy and jobs, given their current reliance on carbon intensive fuels. By acting now, we have a massive opportunity to rebalance the economy and ensure a fair transition.”
The research highlights workers’ fears about the impact of the net zero transition, with 5% expecting their job will disappear during the net zero transition, which would equate to 1.7 million jobs. PwC’s analysis suggests this figure is likely higher than the eventual reality, as many jobs will be easily repurposed for a green economy, and will be easily surpassed by new green jobs – creating a Net Jobs gain. Some sectors will clearly be impacted by job loss more than others. The sectors with the biggest share of sunset jobs are electricity, gas, utilities and waste. The latter provide support and advisory services, which can be more easily transitioned to other sectors.
Regionally, the largest relative impact of job loss will be felt in Scotland (9.4%) and the East Midlands (8.1%), in second place for sunset job losses – driven mainly by relatively high concentrations of workers in mining, manufacturing and utilities sectors, where the risk of job loss is greater than other sectors. The research also shows the East Midlands has an above average sentiment score on the environmental friendliness of their jobs.
Matt Hammond, Midlands Region Leader, PwC added: “The research highlights the Midlands must address with speed the impact of a net zero economy. The West Midlands is amongst one of the poorest performing on the index among England’s regions, placing 9th on the index out of 12, with the East Midlands in 7th position. The East Midlands is also in second place for sunset job losses – driven by relatively high concentrations of workers in mining, manufacturing and utilities sectors.
“The impact of the net zero transition will be profound and there is a very real risk that people and communities could be left behind. The focus shouldn’t just be on the number of jobs at risk, but where they are concentrated, both in terms of industries and communities.
“It is incumbent on all of us to ensure that a reduction in economic opportunity is not the legacy of the green transition. Green jobs must not become elite jobs. With targeted policies, investment, and training, and collaboration between government, business and education providers, a green future can be a future of employment for everyone.
“It is however encouraging to see the commitment from the West Midlands Combined Authority, Midlands Local Enterprise Partnerships and City Councils in building a greener economy, transportation and skills development in this area, through various green strategies and net zero and carbon neutral commitments.
“This includes the aspirations for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, which will be the first ever carbon neutral Games and will also provide employment opportunities and upskill the workforce in the region. As well as transportation initiatives such as the £22 million Future Transport Zone – which is trialing ground-breaking projects such as mobility credits and demand responsive bus services and the proposed gigafactory to build batteries for electric cars in Coventry.”
