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BUSINESSnews
Textile designer gains national acclaim Bishopston-based textile designer Penny Seume has reached the final of the New Design Britain Awards for her New York collection of fabrics inspired by the Manhattan skyline. She creates furnishing fabrics, lampshades, cushions and wall pieces for interiors, with all designs printed and made in the UK using natural fabrics such as velvet, linen and cotton. As one of four finalists in her category Penny won a stand at the Interiors UK fair at the NEC in Birmingham. The New Design Britain Awards are judged by industry experts and the prize is a placement with a leading industry supplier. With a dream of working for herself, Penny went
News in brief ■ Staff at the Bristol branch of law firm Clarke Willmott LLP, asked to suggest charities to support, have voted for the AT Society and Bristol-based Jessie May. Bonnie Martin, partner and head of corporate responsibility at Clarke Willmott, said: “We want to get staff to buy-in to our fundraising activity so this year we handed the power over to them to choose the charities we support. As part of our push on corporate responsibility, we’ve also introduced a Community Day – a day’s paid leave for staff to use for charitable benefit.” ■ Madame Arlette Izac, Presidente of the Association Bordeaux Bristol, has been awarded the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur by the French Government. This follows her MBE and an honorary doctorate from Bristol University. Madame Izac took part in the Bordeaux Schools Exchange when she was 11 and fell in love with Bristol. She has been a volunteer on the Bordeaux side for five decades. During her tenure at least 30,000 Bristolians have taken part in an exchange. Alix Hughes from the Twinning Association said: “ I can honestly say Bristol could not have had a better ambassador in Bordeaux than Arlette Izac.” ■ Bristol & Avon Multiple Sclerosis centre (BrAMS) is planning a rickshaw ride on 25 May and needs volunteers to help distribute posters before the event and help along the route from the Clifton Suspension Bridge to London’s Tower Bridge. BrAMS’s Shaun McCarthy said: “The event has been planned to raise vital funds for pioneering stem cell trials which are world-leading. We need to raise an extra £1m for the trials which could make a massive difference to the lives of sufferers across the world.” The treatment being trialled at Frenchay involves taking patients’ bone marrow stem cells and injecting them into their veins to repair damage done by MS. Contact Shaun, tel: 0117 3406490 or email: shaun.mccarthy@brams.org.uk
to Outset Bristol in January 2011 for advice. She progressed through its programme of workshops, receiving more than 50 hours of support. Outset Bristol is a £960,000 business support programme funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Bristol City Council. The team has helped more than 700 local people interested in exploring self-employment and, together with Outset Finance has helped to create more than 100 new jobs for Bristol. To see her work, visit: www.pennyseume.co.uk. To find out more about the business start-up support offered by Outset Bristol visit www.outsetbristol.co.uk.
LATEST BUZZ
Cider house rules OK? At a time when so many British pubs are closing, it’s encouraging to see the recent launch of The Cider Press on Gloucester Road. The former Rising Sun pub has been refurbished to include images of famous Bristolians on its walls. Owned by the Stonegate Pub Company, The Cider Press specialises in ciders and cask ales. It’s also offering customers meal deals, regular showings of sporting fixtures on two big TV screens and, on Sunday nights, a quiz night with cash prizes. The Stonegate Pub Co owns 560 pubs in the UK and employs more than 10,000 staff nationwide.
BRISTOL BUSINESS news & views
A round up of achievements and events from the city’s business community
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February 2012
TAKING THE PLUNGE: Martin Lewton thigh deep in mud during the Sodbury Slog
Running the nine-mile Sodbury Slog cross country race, complete with a dip in the muddy sludge of Sheepdip Mile, was just one of the ways that the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) Bristol Customer Service Centre’s 400 staff have been supporting Above & Beyond as its charity of the year. Martin Lewton and Nick Lewis took part in the Easy Runner Sodbury Slog organised by the Bitton Road Runners each year, while other members of staff have held cake sales, raffles and an Open the Box game to help the charity which raises funds for all Bristol’s nine central hospitals. As a result, £4,392 was presented to Lorna Clarke of Above & Beyond by Martin Lewton and the Community Involvement Team. Martin, 26, is a keen runner whose father was treated at Bristol Haematology & Oncology Centre. He said: “That was my inspiration to really drive raising funds for Above & Beyond in my workplace. The care he received was brilliant and he was in the right place to get help.” For more information about the charity and how your workplace can make a difference, visit: www.aboveandbeyond.org.uk
Make sure you’re sitting comfortably
FIRST IN UK: a chair from the new range at Italsofa 56 The Bristol Magazine
Going the whole muddy mile
A large furniture studio filled with contemporary sofas, chairs, rugs, cushions and tables, has opened at Clifton Pavilion in Queens Road. The UK’s first ever Italsofa showroom is part of the Natuzzi Group, which runs the shop on the ground floor, and occupies more than 150 square metres of floorspace on the lower level. Italsofa’s aim is to provide modern, designer style pieces for the home made in Italy. Sofas range from £999 to £1,999, while there is also a wide range of accessories for the home, along with coffee tables and armchairs.