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Fruit and veg vendor wanted to discourage hospital smokers
Hull Royal Infirmary wants to sign up a fruit and veg vendor for an experiment designed to cut on-site smoking.
The idea is to set up a commercial fruit and veg stall at the hospital entrance which will not only make it easier for patients, staff, and visitors to get their ‘5-a-day’, it is hoped the move will reduce the number of people who smoke at the hospital entrance, and in turn, who smoke on site at all.
Amy Brocklesby, NHS Project Lead for Tobacco Dependency at Hull University Teaching Hospitals Trust said: “The Hull Royal Infirmary site has been officially Smokefree for several years, but we have struggled to discourage smoking on the grounds. People don’t always feel comfortable or empowered to ask people not to smoke on site. “To encourage a more natural shift in behaviours, we’re now taking the lead from a number of other hospitals across the country who have introduced fresh fruit and vegetable stalls in their hospital grounds. “Evidence from those hospitals shows that people tend to refrain from smoking tobacco around fresh produce, so we’d love to share the opportunity to promote healthier behaviours with a local grower or retailer and help support local trade too. “The staff who we’ve spoken to so far have been overwhelmingly positive about the idea, so we’d now like to see if it works in practice”. Amy and her team are initially looking to run a short trial of between four and six weeks in the first instance. Businesses interested in the opportunity to sell fresh produce at HRI are asked to contact Amy Brocklesby on 07976 854904Yorkshire firms offered peep through the window of business opportunity offered by University of Hull
Businesses across Hull, East and North Yorkshire are being given the chance to find out more about the help, advice and support on offer from the University of Hull.
At a forthcoming networking breakfast on May 16th firms can take part in a 30-minute Speed Support Session of their choice, minimising the amount of time they need to spend away from their business.
Taking place at Aura Innovation Centre at the Bridgehead Business Park near Hessle, the Business Speed Support event is an opportunity to connect with support networks and programmes led by the University of Hull. Sarah Clark, Operations Manager at Aura, said: “We fully appreciate how busy business owners and leaders are, so we’re bringing our support programmes and schemes together under one roof to allow businesses to drop in and meet them – all in one place and at the same time! “It will be hugely worthwhile for businesses to visit the event because, in just 30 minutes, they’ll get a clear snapshot of the wide and varied range of support on offer to them.” Sarah added: “Whether you’re looking to consult with our experts, develop your people or drive innovation, I’d encourage you to start your day by attending this fast-paced, fun and engaging session. The format is just like speed dating – but without the chat up lines – and has been designed to make it quicker and easier for businesses to connect with the University’s many different support programmes. Simply choose your preferred 30-minute speed networking slot or come along to network at a time to suit you.” To book a free place, visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/business-speed-support-free-networking-breakfast-event-tickets-617096721907Livestock industry skills training enhanced by new facility at Askham Bryan
Cash injection will help workplace health advisors meet growing demand
A Rotherham firm that helps employers to reduce work-related ill health has secured a £125,000 loan from NPIF – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.
The funding will enable Workplace Scientifics to invest in new equipment and meet the growing demand for its occupational hygiene services. The company – which advises on ways to mitigate workplace hazards such as noise, vibration, hazardous substances and chemicals – was founded in 2020 by entrepreneurs Dave Lombardi and Thomas Wood, who have a background in the industry.
They set out to deliver services in a different way, offering ongoing support to help employers improve safety, in addition to providing one-off assessments. The company now employs a team of eight and serves a growing list of clients including Masonite, Magnet, Howmet Airspace, Severfield and Phillips 66. The funding will enable it to create three new jobs over the next six months and provide additional working capital to take on new contracts.
Thomas Wood believes companies are increasingly seeing the value in taking a pro-active approach to health at work. “Authorities are taking a tougher stance on worker health protection. Breaching the rules can cost millions, but perhaps more importantly, attitudes are changing. Organisations are taking worker health more seriously and understanding their moral duties to create safer working environments,” he explains.
“As occupational hygiene practitioners, we not only help employers to identify hazards that might otherwise go unnoticed, but also situations where they are taking unnecessary precautions, which can be wasteful and costly. For example, we visited one business where the workers had worn disposable ear defenders for years, which was uncomfortable and created lots of plastic waste. We were able to find ways to reduce the factory noise to a level where hearing protection was no longer required. Each company is different and it is about having the right measures in place.”
Andy Tyas of Mercia said: “Employers increasingly recognise the value of good working practices in safeguarding their reputation and the health of their workforce, and reducing absence and staff turnover. Dave and Thomas are passionate about delivering a high-quality, expert service. The business has gained rapid traction since its launch and its services are in growing demand. This funding will help them to invest in new equipment and expand the team to support its continued growth.”
Julia Wilkinson of Funding Round provided fundraising advice to the company.
Run With It charity names Hull businessman as new chair
A charity which provides educational support for young people across East Yorkshire has appointed Shaun Watts as its new chair.
Shaun, who is chairman of Hull-based Chameleon Business Interiors, succeeds Wykeland Group’s Dominic Gibbons who has been an integral part of the Run With It charity for over ten years.
Run With It, based at the MKM stadium in Hull, focuses on raising the levels of literacy and numeracy in the region. Indeed, since it was established over twenty years ago, it has helped over two thousand young people by getting them out of the traditional classroom for real-life experiences which support their studies.
Shaun said: “I feel privileged to assume the role of chair for this exceptional charity. Witnessing the profound impact that Run With It has on the lives of young children is truly remarkable and I am convinced that the organisation has the potential to make an even greater difference by providing invaluable support to thousands more children in the future.”
Working with schools and education providers, including special needs and adult learners, all programmes are designed to support the delivery of the national curriculum.
Lisa Dawson, who set up the charity, says she is looking forward to working alongside Shaun.
“We are so pleased that Shaun has accepted the position as our new chair. It will be great to have a fresh set of eyes at board level as we look ahead to our future growth.
“Not all children respond to the classroom environment so, with our programmes, they often don’t even realise they are learning and improving all the time. We have had great success over the years.
“All of a sudden they understand the purpose of what they are being taught at school because they are seeing it in a real-life, practical context. In addition, we help with self-esteem, mental wellbeing and key workplace skills that they are going to need both now and in the future.
“We’d also like to say a big thank you to Dominic Gibbons for all the help, support and commitment he has given us, getting us set up as a charity and establishing our Board of Trustees.”
Meanwhile, Wykeland remains on the board with finance director Ian Franks becoming a registered trustee.
The charity has three separate locations which act as backdrops for their learning programmes: Hull’s MKM stadium, the Flemingate shopping centre in Beverley and Bridlington Town Football Club.
Over twenty local businesses already support the charity across the three sites, but the charity is looking for more to come on board in order to help even more young people across the region.
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