Cambridge & South Cambs area news

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Cambridge wins major international events bringing £1.5 million to local economy

Meet Cambridge, founded and funded by the Cambridge Colleges, has supported three local organising committees through the services of its Conference Ambassador Programme to win bids against stiff competition from other international destinations. The association congresses are global events, which rotate between countries, often following a strict selection process. Following Cambridge’s success against Shanghai, the 16th Symposium of the International Neurotrauma Society – NeuroTrauma 2024 – will bring around 700 leading scientists from around the world to the city in August/September 2024. This meeting is considered the ‘Olympics’ of Neurotrauma and it is the first time the six-day event has been held in the UK. The second event is for The International Association of Music Libraries (IAML), which is organising a five-day event in July/ August 2023 to be attended by 400 delegates and including plenary sessions and social activities. IAML encourages and promotes the activities of music libraries, archives and documentation centres to facilitate projects in music bibliography, music documentation and music library and information science at national and international levels. The third successful bid is the International Organization For the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IOIBD) which will take place over four days in early 2023. With 115 delegates, the event will comprise plenary sessions and a gala dinner. Meet Cambridge assisted with venue-finding and site visits, as well as providing options for a local PCO. Judith Sloane, Head of Meet Cambridge said: “It is such welcome news that Cambridge has been selected for these high-profile international events against stiff global competition. Not only does it reinforce our city’s continuing appeal to associations, it also signals confidence in a return to in-person meetings following the pandemic. “Cambridge’s unique scientific and academic clusters offer outstanding opportunities for collaboration and knowledge transfer; the impact of these events and the legacies that they will produce will have long reaching effects across the world, I’m certain. We are looking forward to welcoming the delegates over the next couple of years. “In total these three events will bring around 1,200 delegates here, staying for an average of five days with sessions and accommodation spread across both Colleges and hotels. We estimate that these congresses will have an economic impact of around £1.5 million for the city, in terms of spend on accommodation, meals, tours and shopping.

Cambridge Science Centre welcome MP, Daniel Zeichner

The team at Cambridge Science Centre were delighted to welcome MP, Daniel Zeichner and his colleagues to the Centre. Daniel explored the exhibits and joined a session entitled ‘Built for Speed’ where communicators and visitors explored how machines work, why some go faster than others and how we build machines for speed. When asked about his visit, Daniel commented: “It is wonderful to see the Cambridge Science Centre open for family and schools visits once again. Cambridge is one of Europe’s most significant centres for science-based research and enterprise and so empowering future generations to pursue STEM subjects is absolutely critical to maintaining the region’s - and nation’s - position at the forefront of scientific enquiry and academic excellence. “Cambridge Science Centre do such great work in laying the foundations for science learning for our young people, and this is seen in the impact it has made on over 300,000 children that have been through its doors. The Centre offers a safe space for children to explore, have a go and get involved with all things science, and I commend them for everything they are doing.” CEO, Helen Slaski said: “It was a great pleasure to welcome Daniel and team to our Centre. He shares our passion to reach new audiences and inspire children from our City and beyond with the excitement and fun STEM brings. Our team have worked exceptionally hard to reach children during the recent pandemic through various mediums and we will continue to do this as we start to return to ‘normal’.”

CAMBRIDGE & SOUTH CAMBS AREA

DOMINO SAYS THANK YOU AS MEMBER OF STAFF RETIRES AFTER 40 YEARS’ SERVICE

Kenn Martin is leaving Domino Printing after working in a variety of roles, ranging from a Service Engineer to his last position as Senior Software Engineer. He joined the company in September 1981 and recalls that in the first month four ink jet printers were produced and installed. As Test, Installation and Service Engineer his work was very varied, often involving impromptu European travel, going there and back in a day to service customers’ machines. Kenn then moved from Service to Software Development, with responsibility for writing software to make the printer more user friendly, incorporating features gained from his experience installing machines. He later set-up the first email server in Domino and when it was installed on people’s PCs, the usual response was ‘Why do we need that, we have the orange internal circulation envelopes?’ His last role was in Management Information Systems. Kenn says: “How things have changed during my time with the company! Over the years, Domino has been like an extended family to me, and I will miss everyone in my retirement. Although most of us have been working from home there has always been a warm welcome whenever I have been into the office.” Robert Pulford, CEO added: “We wish Kenn a long and happy retirement and thank him for his loyal service with us. During his time here he has seen so many changes as the business has developed and diversified and as with other long-serving members of staff, we are extremely grateful for his valuable input on our journey.”

First European Graduate Hotels® properties open doors in Cambridge and Oxford

Graduate Hotels®, a collection of handcrafted hotels in university-anchored cities across the US, has debuted its firstever set of hotels in Europe in the British university towns of Cambridge and Oxford. Graduate Cambridge and The Randolph Hotel by Graduate Hotels have officially opened their doors for overnight stays with food and beverage outlets to follow later this month. Inspired by the world-famous academic reputation and unique traditions of the cities and universities, both Graduate Hotels properties offer design rooted in storytelling, distinct food and beverage experiences and a range of programming and events with local partners hosted year round. Crafted for local neighbours and students, regional alums and weekenders and international travellers alike, Graduate Cambridge and The Randolph Hotel by Graduate Hotels both seek to celebrate the dynamic communities they are positioned within. “Our team is humbled to be launching the Graduate Hotels brand in two of the most historic and prestigious university communities in the world,” said Ben Weprin, Graduate Hotels founder and CEO. “The legacies that these iconic destinations represent drive the ethos of what inspires us to create memorable spaces to be enjoyed for generations to come. We look forward to welcoming global travellers for a uniquely Graduate experience in these centuries old, one-of-a-kind cities.” Graduate Hotels has partnered with restaurant developer, White Rabbit Projects, to launch all food and beverage outlets at Graduate Cambridge and The Randolph Hotel by Graduate Hotels. Graduate Cambridge is positioned along the idyllic banks of the River Cam, the 148-room Graduate Cambridge is surrounded by the University of Cambridge, within walking distance of several colleges, and a stone’s throw from the city’s best restaurants, bars and shops. The hotel has undergone a complete interior renovation that includes all rooms, common spaces, fitness club and pool. A ground floor conversion has seen the addition of a café and bar, as well as the renovation of the full-service restaurant.

Do you have come exciting news to shout about that could be featured on this page? Get in touch. Tel: 01223 237424 email: s.parr@cambscci.co.uk

Cambridge Regional College is awarded Catering College of the Year for second consecutive year

At a live ceremony in London, Cambridge Regional College received the exciting news that they had been awarded Catering College of the Year at the Public Sector Catering Awards 2021, one year after accepting the same award in a lockdown virtual ceremony. Graham Taylor said: “It is a huge honour to receive this award for the second year running, particularly after such a challenging year. The national lockdown put a strain on the service industries however through innovative delivery and strong collaboration we have been able to provide the best possible experience to our students. We are delighted that this has been recognised, and we are looking ahead to the coming year where we expect to provide even greater opportunities to our learners as our campus café and restaurant re-open to the public.” The Public Sector Catering Awards celebrate organisations working in public sector catering, allocating awards across 18 categories. Cambridge Regional College featured as one of three UK colleges to be shortlisted for Catering College of the Year, alongside Edinburgh College and Eastleigh College. Michelle Dowse, Deputy Principal, said: “A key priority for CRC is to ensure that our students are life, work and career ready. Our commercial catering outlets, a restaurant and a café, enable our students to hone their skills learned in lessons, so that they are equipped with the skills, knowledge and behaviours that employers want. The collaborative working between our curriculum and commercial teams certainly pays dividends for the students and employers in the region and we are thrilled to have been recognised again for our work to enhance employability skills.”

Cambridge appoints new Chief Operating Officer

The Cambridge Building Society has appointed Lucy Crumplin as its new Chief Operating Officer and member of the Board. Lucy joined The Cambridge in November 2019 to lead the society’s Human Resource department as Head of People before becoming interim COO in April 2020. She was confirmed in the position this summer following approval by the financial regulators. “I found a team I loved and a society with a real energy, sense of purpose and ambition, and was delighted to take on the role of Chief Operating Officer,” said Lucy. “Just one of the nice things about The Cambridge is the potential to develop your career in ways you might not have imagined on your first day here.” Lucy has responsibility for ensuring the organisation has everything in place to grow the business. CEO, Peter Burrows, said: “Lucy is a pleasure to work with and makes a real impact. She has been instrumental in attracting team members with outstanding customer service skills, and implementing safe and effective IT.” Lucy has also developed the society’s various customer channels, which include 12 branches in and around Cambridge, its customer contact centre, online banking and the mobile app, and its head office in Newmarket Road.

Stone King accredited as Living Wage employer

Law firm Stone King LLP is now a real Living Wage accredited employer. The voluntary commitment ensures that Stone King employees will earn no less than a living wage based on the actual cost of living. The hourly rate is higher than that of the government national living wage which is based on median wages. Commenting on real Living Wage accreditation which is a voluntary benchmark for employers, Stone King Managing Partner, Steven Greenwood said: “Across all roles, Stone King team members work incredibly hard to serve the needs of our clients. Taking the decision to become a real Living Wage accredited employer reflects just how seriously we take our duty as a responsible employer that cares about the well-being of the people who make Stone King one of the UK’s top law firms.” Plans are also in place to ensure that all Stone King’s third partycontracted staff are paid the real Living Wage. Laura Gardiner, Director, Living Wage Foundation which announces the hourly rate as part of the annual Living Wage Week said: “We’re delighted that Stone King has joined the movement of over 7,000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.” The current UK real Living Wage hourly rates which are independently calculated annually by the Resolution Foundation are £9.50 per hour and £10.85 for London to reflect the higher costs of living in the capital.