DRIVEN: Hendy Group reviews the all-new Lexus N

DRIVEN:

Hendy Group reviews the all-new Lexus N

What do you think of when you hear ‘Lexus’? For us, it’s practicality, reliability, and style – and the all-new Lexus NX doesn’t disappoint when ticking off against these criteria. The first plug-in hybrid from Lexus, prepare for a relaxing drive, exhilarating power, and impressive range.

Sitting comfortably between the smaller UX and larger RX models, the Lexus NX doesn’t overwhelm – but, equally, doesn’t underperform. If you choose to enter the range at the cheaper price point, the self-charging NX 350h offers a luxury, gentle driving experience, or level up to the plug-in hybrid NX 450h and experience a powerful, fuel-efficient drive that also saves in tax costs!

While the NX 350h offers a composed and quiet drive, the 450h’s petrol engine will make itself known when driving under acceleration due to the eCVT gearbox. That said, you’ll make no sacrifices on boot space or fuel tank capacity, so you can navigate motorways, city streets and country lanes with confidence.

Inside, expect an upgraded infotainment system, now displayed on a larger touchscreen for a user-friendly experience. Plus, a 360° panoramic camera allows for a whole host of safety features, making it easier to park and keep wheels in good condition. Verdict: If you’re looking for an efficient hybrid engine, comfortable interior and intuitive tech, the Lexus NX needs be added to your shortlist. With this in mind, it’s no wonder that the new NX was voted ‘Best plug-in hybrid’ for 2022 by What Car?.

Our advice? Snap yours up today and be one of the first to show it off! Book a test drive at our showroom in Poole to experience the Lexus NX for yourself.

www.hendy.co.uk

Dutton Gregory Welcomes Partnership Duo

Law firm Dutton Gregory made two key appointments to strengthen and develop its commercial services by welcoming Laurie Heizler and Ailsa MacLean to its Partnership.

Laurie Heizler joins the firm with over three decades’ experience in commercial agreements and specialist knowledge of intellectual property and data protection matters.

‘I spent the first seven years of my career working in-house for GlaxoSmithKline and the Kellogg Company, which gave me a real grounding in the corporate world,’ Laurie recalls. ‘Being surrounded by all the different departments that contribute to an enterprise gave me a good understanding of what goes into a business, and the support legal services can offer.’

Laurie has been at the forefront of the evolution of business online with contracts relating to digital activity and ensuring compliance with recent GDPR legislation.

‘From initial policies and agreements for those starting out, to the negotiations needed when a business is challenged with an IP dispute or breach of contract issue, I see my role as being one of guidance, support and reassurance, because there is always a solution to be found.’

Whether a business is looking for premises or managing a property portfolio, Ailsa MacLean joins Dutton Gregory’s commercial property team having worked on a long list of impressive projects, including Westfield, Lakeside and Salesforce Tower.

‘Commercial property has been a source of much discussion and speculation over the past couple of years due to the pandemic, but there is a tremendous amount of work going on within the profession and we continue to face one of the busiest times that the property market has seen to date,’ she says.

‘Projects that may have been stalled are now forging ahead, businesses are adapting to their needs for more or less space, there are exciting new developments, and those simply looking to refinance in order to take advantage of preferable lending rates. On the whole, as an industry, we are finding there is still unprecedented demand out there and flexibility is key.’

Both Partners are excited by the welcome and opportunities they have received at Dutton Gregory.

‘The firm has real ambition and a clear vision for the future,’ says Ailsa. ‘I found the way the firm has embraced modern technology and modern hybrid ways of working without compromising its collaborative ethos or clear client focus very refreshing, so I am delighted to be part of the team.’

‘Laurie and Ailsa are huge assets to the firm’s commercial teams,’ says Managing Partner, Andrew Tilley. ‘We are delighted they have chosen to join us and look forward to their contribution in our moving forward.’ www.duttongregory.co.uk

Hall & Woodhouse introduces Blue Light Card discount to give back to essential services

Family brewer, Hall & Woodhouse, has introduced a 15 per cent Blue Light Card discount in all its managed house pubs that serve food.

The discount, available Monday to Sunday, has been introduced as a thank you to the many essential workers across the country for their services to the community since the start of the pandemic.

Lucinda Gray, Company Relationships Manager at Hall & Woodhouse, said: “The last few years have been difficult for everyone, and our emergency services have done extraordinary work to keep us all safe. Introducing a Blue Light Card discount to all our managed houses is a small way to give back to all of the incredibly selfless people that have worked so hard during such a challenging time.”

The Blue Light Card is the largest Emergency Service and NHS discount service for the UK’s public sector. The card is available to all NHS workers and other essential and public sector employees such as the British Army, social care workers, the Red Cross and many more.

In addition to the Blue Light Card offer, any Pub Charity Partners of Hall & Woodhouse, including employees and volunteers, are able to also claim a 15 per cent discount in the pub they are partnered with.

Lucinda Gray added: “Hall & Woodhouse is always looking for ways to further enrich the communities it serves. With nearly 500,000 Blue Light Card members across our trading area, this presented us with the perfect opportunity to give back to these extremely valued members of our community.”

The discount allows 15 per cent off a customer’s entire bill when dining in a Hall & Woodhouse Managed House, seven days a week. The bill needs to include main meal or sandwich or a slice of cake and a hot drink. www.hall-woodhouse.co.uk/about-us/charity.

Hendy Group’s commitment to colleague training

Hendy Group’s commitment to colleague training saw a resilience workshop held for some of the company’s younger employees at Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium.

Alex Danson, who won Olympic Gold in her hockey career together with regional general manager Will Hendy hosted the session for 18-30 years olds working in Bournemouth and Poole.

“Resilience is so important in our professional and personal lives and this workshop was designed to help our colleagues deal with challenges and come out stronger,” said Will.

“Alex has faced many challenges in her life and by talking about how she has coped with these gave our colleagues an insight into how they can use different techniques in their own lives.”

Colleagues from sales, marketing, business improvement and the people team were involved in the workshop where Alex talked about how she deals with low point and moves forward.

“One aspect we covered was learning how to fail fast and moving quickly on,” said Alex. “Being part of the GB hockey team taught me how important it is to know strengths and weaknesses of team members and that is something that can be translated to business.”

She also talked about the importance of resilience following her brain injury in 2018 and the physical and mental battle that followed.

Will said that Alex also talked about the benefit of small wins which help build up our resilience bank.

“This was such a valuable workshop for the colleagues who said they had been inspired by Alex who has been a Hendy ambassador for 10 years,” he said. “We are now hoping to run similar workshops elsewhere in the Hendy Group area of operation.” www.hendy.co.uk

Will Hendy, Regional General Manager at Hendy Group

Tsunami’ of health problems occurring because of poor ‘work from home’ practices, ergonomics specialist warns

Too many employers have neglected vital workstation assessments for homeworkers during the pandemic, industry experts Osmond Ergonomics warn – and employees could be paying the price.

Guy Osmond, of Osmond Ergonomics, who has 30 years’ experience in the workplace health and wellbeing sector, has urged employers to recommence Display Screen Equipment (DSE) assessments for staff who have moved to homeworking or hybrid working during the pandemic.

Without the correct set ups, workers risk developing long term health issues, including potentially debilitating back problems, he warns. Guy said:

“I fear we are facing a tsunami of musculoskeletal health issues amongst the population of workers who shifted rapidly to homeworking during the pandemic.

“Unfortunately, the ‘temporary’ set ups and makeshift arrangements they adopted have been allowed to continue, as many employers have allowed their risk assessment schedules to drift. Two years down the line, many of those workers are paying the price. “Sorting out those who have developed back aches, neck and shoulder pain, repetitive strain injury and so on used to be more than half of our business but the demand diminished significantly through the pandemic. “But, since the beginning of 2022, we have observed more employers starting to address the problems arising due to people being neglected at home.”

Prolonged sitting and poor workstation layout can be the trigger for the musculoskeletal pain and discomfort experienced. All parts of the body can be affected and most injuries tend to develop over time. The causes for these injuries are not always immediately obvious but, if left untreated or unmanaged, they can progress from mild to severe conditions and lead to longer-term physical health problems. Employers are legally required to carry out a DSE workstation assessments for knowledge workers and protect them from the health risks of working with display screen equipment such as PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones under The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations. These apply to workers who use DSE daily for continuous periods of an hour or more.

But, in many cases, assessment programs have either been makeshift or completely neglected for those working from home during the pandemic, leaving millions with home working set-ups which could damage their health. Guy added:

“Many, probably millions, of people are working from home in circumstances that encourage or even force prolonged poor postures. Often, there is just not enough space or insufficient equipment to work effectively.

“Anecdotal evidence from physiotherapists and other professionals suggests that a backlog in Display Screen Equipment assessment needs is resulting in significant numbers of employees with untreated musculoskeletal problems.” Now, as many companies and individuals are opting to make the move to homeworking or hybrid working permanent, employers must reinstate their DSE assessment procedures, Guy added: “It is high time employers take responsibility for the needs of their remote workers, ensuring they are carrying out proper risk assessments and acting on the findings. By responding now, they could still prevent the kind of physical health problems which can blight lives, as well as undermining productivity.” www.ergonomics.co.uk Guy Osmond, Manager Director at Osmond Ergonomics

Popular holiday park raises important funds for RNLI Mudeford Lifeboat Station

For the last two years, Hoburne Park in Christchurch has been supporting the RNLI Mudeford Lifeboat Station as the park’s nominated charity.

Despite covid measures and restrictions on fundraising events, the popular family holiday park has raised more than £5,000 for the muchneeded local charity, which last year responded to nearly 50 call outs.

Fundraising at the park has consisted of various themed charity nights with its holidaymakers and holiday homeowners, plus Hoburne’s £1 booking donation scheme.

Commenting on the donation, Hoburne Park’s Manager, Shelley Monger, said: “We are hugely grateful for the wonderful work that the RNLI Mudeford Lifeboat Station undertakes in supporting the local area. In the last two years, their fundraising has been drastically cut and we know this donation will be used locally by the station to enable them to continue helping people around our coastline and waterways.”

A spokesperson from the RNLI Mudeford Lifeboat Station added: “This substantial donation from Hoburne Park is received with thanks, appreciation, and the knowledge that every penny will be put to good use saving lives at sea. Our local community, including Hoburne Park and visitors to the local area, are incredibly supportive in ensuring the 24/365 search and rescue cover the RNLI provides.” www.hoburne.com