REWARD - AUGUST 2021
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REWARD
“The Journey is the Reward” regularly quoted by Steve Jobs to his Apple employees. A phrase which resonates so well as lockdown restrictions are eased.
Stories IN ASSOCIATION WITH DISCOVER HARLOW
REAL STORIES ABOUT REAL PEOPLE
No ads. No clutter.
Harlow Stories Magazine is curated by Magnificent Stuff www.magnificentstuff.net
The curated opinions expressed in our published works are those of the relative author(s) and do not reflect the opinions of Discover Harlow, MW Studio or Magnificent Stuff Limited. Information contained in our published works have been obtained by Magnificent Stuff from sources believed to be reliable. However, neither Magnificent Stuff nor its contributors guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information published and shall not be responsible for any errors, omissions, or claims for damages, including exemplary damages, arising out of use, inability to use, or with regard to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information contained in the Stories publications both on and offline. All rights reserved. No part of any Magnificent Stuff published work may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher.
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Issue 12
Hello and welcome As proposed, we have themed this issue REWARD. REWARD because whilst we certainly aren’t free of COVID it feels as though we are finally celebrating the end (for now), of solitary confinement and what was a very long winter of lockdowns. The shops, bars and restaurants are opening up properly as summer parties and some holidays are being planned to go ahead. The Reward for all that staying home and staying safe is our freedom, being able to see friends and family again and live our lives in the way that we were used to. Firstly, it goes without saying that we continue to be very grateful to all of our loyal supporters and readers and to all of those businesses and individuals supporting the common goal to drive a positive perception of Harlow. This issue we will hear from the fabulous HTS Group – Harlow’s very own Local Authority Trading Company who have supported this issue of the magazine with sponsorship. Thank you HTS! We have stories from Anglia Ruskin University from Business Signs & Graphics, and Murwalls plus much more from other businesses, organisations and high-profile individuals locally.
Produced with thanks to: Magnificent Stuff Content curation www.magnificentstuff.net MW Studio Design & Layout www.mwstudio.uk Datum Print Print & Paper www.datumcp.com Best Mailing Services Mailing & Fulfilment www.bestmailing.co.uk
THIS ISSUE OF STORIES MAGAZINE HAS KINDLY BEEN SUPPORTED BY
I would like to take this opportunity to also send a BIG thank you to the Discover Harlow’s Place Brand Manager, Sharon Summerfield who has been working for Discover Harlow for over 3 years. We wish her the best of luck in her new role as CEO of Rainbow Services. They are very lucky to have you Sharon! In the meantime, please do get in touch to share your stories, support the magazine and the help promote the Discover Harlow initiative. As always thank you to MW Studio for their fabulous design skills and to Best Mailing Services who look after the postage of issues for us.
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Now it’s time to reward yourself, have a cup of tea, take some time out and have a read... enjoy! Emma www.magnificentstuff.net
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Dear Reader Welcome to August 2021 edition of Stories! Dr. John Keddie Chair of Harlow Place Board
This month we are saying goodbye to our Place Brand Manager Sharon Summerfield who is leaving us to become CEO of Rainbow Services, a local voluntary sector organisation. Sharon has been with us since the beginning of Discover Harlow and she has been critical to the success of our Ambassadors programme. Her many notable achievements include: •B uilding of a 450 strong Harlow business network, comprising of private, public and voluntary sector organisations, from sole traders to multi nationals, who are now working together to support local business, and sell Harlow for inward investment. • Corporate Social Responsibility projects including donations from Harlow business to set up a new community fund which is providing free essential living items to those in need. • Global recognition for Harlow as a business destination by City Nation Place and the New York Times with shortlisting for Place Brand of the Year, along with Barcelona, California and Brand Scotland. Many thanks to Sharon for all her support and we wish her best wishes in all her future endeavours. With so much happening in Harlow at the moment in terms of development and growth Harlow has a great story to tell the world. Finally, I would like to once again thank our Harlow Ambassadors; Emma Knewstub from Magnificent Stuff, Mark Welby from MW Studio, and Lyn Reed from Best Mailing Services, for partnering with us to produce and distribute this publication. If you would like more information on joining Discover Harlow and becoming an Ambassador, or you are interested in sponsoring an edition of Stories please email discoverharlow@harlow.gov.uk. Best wishes Dr. John Keddie Chair of Harlow Place Board www.discoverharlow.co.uk
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A UNIQ U E P ER SP EC T I VE Adapting to the latest guidelines is the norm. Harlow College proves this with their ‘Virtual Work Experience’ project, offering a different kind of ‘behind-the-scenes’ job participation.
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ISCOVER HARLOW HAS BEEN working with Media Studies students at Harlow College on a live brief to produce content for Discover Harlow communications. Three students; Tilly Brown, Jessica Newman and Grace Andrews have been part of the virtual work experience project, and have provided written content, photography and video, giving a unique perspective on our town through the eyes of a young person studying in Harlow. For Discover Harlow this work is hugely valuable, as not only does it provide fresh content, but also engages young people in the Discover Harlow initiative. Very important given the original place brand research suggested young people were the group most likely to have the most negative perceptions of Harlow.
With Harlow Town Park being one of the largest urban parks in England, allowing for the perfect wellbeing and lifestyle balance, I think it makes for the perfect day out for people of all ages. The activities are endless for a packed full day of entertainment, educating and relaxing, the 160 acres of grade two listed park allow for the perfect adventure exploring and seeing the areas and aspects that set the park apart from others with its inclusivity and uniqueness. Within Harlow Town Park, Pets Corner, allows you to meet traditional farm animals along with the more unusual, such as reindeer, reptiles and alpaca’s.
This first piece was written by Grace and the photography is by Tilly, you can view Jessica’s videos on both our Twitter and LinkedIn channels.
Animals can be seen exploring pets corner too, Whether it is ducks floating in the pond, or waddling around the pathways, alongside the chickens and turkeys, or the peacock showing off just how beautiful he is. The farms pet cat might join you on your tour too if he isn’t too busy sleeping on the benches! The farm is a great place to visit and a perfect place to spend an afternoon. After the farm you can visit the inclusive playground. The equipment isn’t technically suited to my age group, being older I would potentially get stuck going down the slide! However, the park having equipment that I can share and enjoy with friends and family of all abilities is a real attraction and why I think this park is truly special, a perfect spot to bring children and let them run around knowing they are accepted, with differences uniting them together instead of dividing.
Goodbye After three years heading up Discover Harlow I will be leaving on 12 August, as I am both hugely honoured and excited to be starting my new role as the new CEO of Rainbow Services in Harlow in September. I will be very sad to leave Discover Harlow, but I hope to stay in touch
with the Harlow Ambassadors, indeed I am looking forward to officially becoming an Ambassador myself! I want to thank you all personally for all your support over the last three years. It is important that Discover Harlow is owned by the stakeholders of Harlow, and you
have all certainly done that. I am extremely proud of what we have all built together, and I hope it will continue to grow and go from strength to strength for many years to come. Thank you! Sharon Summerfield Place Brand Manager Discover Harlow
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M U RWA L L S: B O R N O UT O F T H E LOV E OF F OOTBALL, A PAS SION F OR ART , A N D A N E X T R AO RD INARY ACT OF KIND NESS
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ARLOW RESIDENT MARC SILVER has been running Media Group, Square Rock for 12 years, running events, creating award winning global publications, and working with some of the world’s finest artists. With almost 25 years of experience in Art and Design Marc has an unrivalled CV of collaborations and connections with some
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of the UK’s most prestigious brands and celebrities. Whilst decorating his home Marc had a brainwave and decided to commission a piece of original street art for his 9-year-old sons bedroom wall. “We hired “Gnasher” - David Nash (who started his graffiti career back in 1985 in
Harlow) to create a bespoke West Ham themed mural for my son’s bedroom wall. Having him over and chatting to him was incredibly inspiring and encouraged me to learn more about the potential commerciality of Street Art. I decided to setup MurWalls with the tagline ‘Street Art in your home’ – offering bespoke murals and graffiti in ordinary people’s
Our Prestigious CV: BBC Sport – Match of The Day opener 2020 Keith Lemon / Stirling Eco – we customised Keith’s e-bike Dame Vera Lyn – tribute Marcus Rashford – tribute Graham Taylor – tribute for Watford FC Sergio Agüero – for Man City Silverstone – Murray Walker Edinburgh – Commonwealth Gold Medalist
homes... but then Covid struck and home visits were halted literally overnight!” Rather than sit and wait Covid out with Gnasher and Mr. Meana as his lead artists Marc pivoted, using his time in Lockdown to re-connect with old contacts and establish commercial relationships for MurWalls. They started working with West Ham after showing them a project they did for Spurs fan, Ella Markham. “16-year-old Ella has Down’s syndrome and had been the victim of terrible online bullying after her dad had posted a video of her dancing at a game after her beloved Tottenham FC had played. We offered her the mural to cheer her up and boost her morale. It worked. We showed the creation to a contact at West Ham and they loved it. They signed to work with us and even recommended us to Liverpool Football Club.” Since then, Marc has continued to build connections and agree more licences, “We now have licences to work with brands such as England Rugby, Manchester City, Brighton & Hove Albion, Care Bears and HASBRO including Transformers, NERF, My Little Pony and Monopoly, to name a few!” “We work on a project-by-project basis. I have a core management and logistics team and dependant on the brief, we create a design and collaborate with the artist most suited to the subject/brief” “Because of the nature of the art we are producing much of our creations go viral which has meant we need to do very little advertising. We’re currently working on a very exciting project we are hoping to create locally in or around Harlow for a big Hollywood blockbuster... watch this space!” You can follow @MurWalls on social media. For more information or to commission MurWalls please visit www.murwalls.com
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Online learning during the pandemic gives a new outlook on life
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T WAS WHILE HARLOW RESIDENT Paula was reading an article in her company communication entitled “what are you doing in your journey to work and home time” that she started thinking about undertaking an e-learning course with Harlow College. As Paula says: “I was doing nothing apart from getting out of bed much later and being home earlier.” As an over 50 year old divorcee, Paula admitted: “With the pandemic in place there wasn’t much else to do, so I signed up for a course to do in my ‘travel’ time. Just studying for 30 minutes each morning and afternoon lead me to complete six courses which I have found incredibly interesting. The amount of time you need to study isn’t at all daunting.” The first course undertaken was ‘Counselling Skills’. This Level 2 course is a nationally recognised qualification and aims to develop counselling skills for use in either work or in a personal capacity. Having successfully completed the course and being awarded the completion certificate, Paula completed
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five more courses, including Team Leading, Workplace Violence and Harassment and Data Protection and Data security. Paula is currently studying her seventh course, and all this in her ‘journey time’ to and from work. “These courses are really interesting and have helped widen my knowledge on the subject matters I have researched and studied, and although there is a timeline to complete, you can fit the course into your day to day life. “The courses are free and they are easy to sign up for and would be a benefit to all adults, including anyone wanting to improve their CV to retired individuals wanting something of interest to do. “Studying these courses gives me a better understanding of the society we live in and helps me to be a more open and understanding person. The sheer volume of research I’ve done helps you think more and has given me a different outlook on life.”
“The courses are free, easy to sign up for and would benefit anyone wanting to improve their CV.”
For more information on e-Learning courses at Harlow College, visit www.harlow-college.ac.uk/elearning
NE W WO O D LAN D E SCAP E A newly landscaped route has been created by the council to offer a haven for local people looking for a new walk or cycle route.
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ARLOW COUNCIL HAS CREATED A new walking and cycling route from the Town Park to Harlow Museum Walled Gardens.
The route can be walked either from the Town Park, which boasts 162 acres of Grade 2 listed park including Pets’ Corner, Spurriers Café, two play areas, and themed gardens including the water garden, or from the Harlow Museum Walled Gardens. Signs have been installed along the route to help you find your way.
The museum is located in the former stable block of Mark Hall. The three Museum gardens are a welcoming peace haven, surrounded by grade II listed walls. To find the museum’s latest opening times visit: www.harlow.gov.uk/parks-and-culture/ harlow-museum-and-walled-gardens E: harlow.museum@harlowcouncil.gov.uk T: 01279 446222
Image by: Francesca Tye. Top right image by: Tilly Brown
Starting at the Howard Way entrance to the Town Park, the route is about 1 mile long and on mainly level surfaces, passing
through woodland and the landscaped historic Mark Hall Park, to arrive at the entrance to the walled gardens.
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PROU DLY SERVI N G COM MU N I T I ES HTS Group are committed to continual investment. Stories explores the work of our very own Local Authority Trading Company.
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TS GROUP LTD IS A LOCAL Authority Trading Company (LATCo) set up and wholly owned by Harlow Council which commenced trading in February 2017. HTS Group currently consists of two companies HTS (Property & Environment) Ltd and HTS (Housing & Regeneration) Ltd. The original purpose of setting up HTS Group Ltd was to take all aspects of Housing and Non-Housing Repairs and Maintenance, Environmental Services and a level of Capital and Planned Works under a trading company HTS (Property & Environment) Ltd, and deliver these services, creating a profit that is
returned to our shareholder, Harlow Council. In addition, we ensure positive contributions to the local community. Late in 2020, HTS Group Ltd established HTS (Housing & Regeneration) Ltd, specifically to regenerate and provide housing available to Harlow Council in the form of purchasing and refurbishing homes to very high standards and letting them at either social, affordable or commercial rents, whilst looking for future redevelopment and new build opportunities. HTS purchased and refurbished their first five properties for let and have just begun their first property redevelopment and new build homes.
At a national level, HTS are one of the founding members of the LATCo Network which has been set up to share the knowledge and experience gained by the formation of LATCo’s by local authorities. Our journey of just over 4 years since we started trading has been exciting, eventful and successful. We are very proud of our achievements. We have worked hard to provide local jobs for Harlow’s people with 70% of our employees living locally. Keeping the Harlow ££’s in Harlow is important to us and 66% of our spend is with local companies.
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HTS Housing and Regeneration transform properties creating homes for the community
The core values at the heart of our business are: - Customer Satisfaction - Ethics - People - Leadership and Accountability - Quality - Safety and the Environment - Social Responsibility
We have been measured by an external, independent body over 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 and are reported to have produced £2.1million of social impact value over this period. We hope to be able to issue our next social impact report and contribution to the community for 2020/2021 in September. In addition to this we have returned over £2.75M in profit to Harlow Council that would otherwise have gone to National Contractors, at the same time reinvesting in fleet and plant renewals including the purchasing of electric vehicles. Our work in the community on education has
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“We have returned over £2.75 million in profit to Harlow Council to reinvest in the community.”
covered most (if not all) of the academies and the college in Harlow on such things as mock interviews, careers carousels and work experience jobs fairs and we have voluntary governors serving on various academies and schools. We have a rolling year on year programme of up to ten apprentices/trainees three apprentices complete their training in 2021, we will be employing a further four across carpentry and finance sections. Several of
Award-winning customer service
our apprentices having won apprentice of the year awards through Harlow College, and HTS also won awards for employer engagement and best new business following our first year of trading. An assessment of our employees shows that 10% of our work force would as likely qualify under the Equality Act 2010 as disabled where we are an accredited Disability Confident employer alongside our minimum pay rate, including for apprentices, as set by the Living Wage Foundation. We work in partnership with a range of local charities and not-for-profit organisations such as St Clare Hospice, Rainbow Services, Harlow Save Credit Union and Employability to name but a few. HTS have serving trustees or non-executive director positions to support various organisations. Central to HTS has been our sponsoring, supporting and participation in local events such The Great Get Together, Harlow Showcase and sponsoring and presenting at local awards ceremonies. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we proactively managed to maintain our emergency, urgent and essential services whilst at the same time ensuring we are a Covid Secure company signed off under out trade union and the HSE standards. The welfare and wellbeing of our employees continues to be central to our operation. In doing this, we have managed to achieve a 95% success rate against a suite of 57 KPI’s for the year.
Despite the backdrop of the pandemic, HTS have won national and Gold awards across Health & Safety and Corporate Social Responsibility For the last nine months, HTS have facilitated a Covid-19 testing centre at our depot and we provide welfare facilities to the NHS staff who have worked there, this on-going. Despite the backdrop of the pandemic, HTS have still been able to be assessed by a number of external bodies and won national Gold awards across Health and Safety from The Royal Society of Prevention for Accidents (RoSPA), a distinction award from the British Safety Council and behind these we are pleased to have achieved 1 million reportable accident free (RIDDOR) hours. In addition, receiving an award for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) services to the community by The Green Organisation, that reflects one of the core principles and visions of HTS as being independently recognised as a company that has a heart. We are proud of our accreditations that have been achieved which include Customer Service Excellence which is a government backed industry standard that assesses whether services are efficient, effective, excellent, equitable and empowering, using 57 different criteria. These along with our international accreditations ISO 9001 for the Environment, 14001 on Quality Systems and
45001 on Occupational Health and Safety. Together with our Shareholder we have significant ambitions to grow our business both by increasing the current work we do for both Harlow Council and other public sector clients and to diversify into delivery of new technologies and services. All of the above has led to a ‘Best Value Review’ (BVR) by our shareholder and the successful award of a 5 extension to our contract. In conclusion we are and continue to be proud of our hard-working and dedicated employees who are proudly serving the people of Harlow. The continued commitment and strong work ethic of our employees has been even more prominent during this most challenging of times. To find out more about HTS Group follow them on LinkedIn or their latest news here: www.htsgroupltd.co.uk/news/
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Innovation into Medtech
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OLLOWING PARTICIPATION BY THE Innovation Core in the recent inward mission by 16 Medtech and Healthcare companies from British Columbia, Canada. Memorial University Newfoundland (MUN) held an event to introduce a vibrant cluster of Healthtech companies based near the university’s base in St John’s Canada to the Medtech and Healthcare cluster around Harlow. Harlow Campus is the international Campus of MUN one of only two universities in Canada with Campus facilities in the United Kingdom. Professional schools and academic departments at MUN use the Harlow Campus to deliver ongoing and specialized one-time programming, internships and experiential learning. It provides technologically equipped meeting facilities and residence accommodation for up to 51 people. The Old Harlow Campus consists of a group of converted 19th century and older buildings. The main building is The Maltings (once used to dry grain), which now houses the administration offices and accommodation for residents. Interested companies associated with the university could potentially be offered the use of these existing facilities in Harlow as a “soft landing” if they would like to explore business opportunities in Harlow and the surrounding Innovation Core region. Once landed, these companies will be able to consider making use of the other excellent local facilities, such as Harlow Innovation Park, especially the Arise Innovation Hub, managed by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU).
In order to support the growth of this Medtech and Healthcare cluster, Harlow District Council and the Innovation Core are supporting two funding bids submitted for consideration under the UK Community Renewal Fund. The first bid, submitted by Anglia Ruskin University, is titled Innovation into Med Tech, Enabling Convergence (IMTEC). This project will pilot the implementation of an established model of investment in life sciences and medtech businesses that has been successfully deployed in the Midlands, to support and stimulate growth and development of the medtech, health and wellbeing sectors primarily in Harlow, and to a lesser extent, across wider Essex. The second bid, submitted by Harlow District Council, is to set up a Harlow Local Procurement Portal. This project will deliver a pilot local procurement programme for Harlow. As some of the largest projects
“Interested companies could potentially be offered use of facilities to explore business opportunities.” in Harlow are linked to the broader Life Sciences sector, such as the relocation of the successor to Public Health England to Harlow and the construction of a new Princess Alexandra Hospital, this project will allow local SMEs to register as potential suppliers. These projects, as well as larger local anchor institutions will be able to use this portal to more easily find local suppliers, supporting the development of a vibrant supply chain for the Medtech and Digital Healthcare cluster. It is hoped that the decision by Government regarding whether these bids can proceed will be given in the summer. In addition, the UK Innovation Corridor Medtech Forum is promoting internationalization of the Medtech and Healthcare cluster in Harlow and the Innovation Core. Seminars held so far have included three Portuguese companies who were invited to participate in the discussions around convergence between AI and Machine Learning and Medtech and Healthcare. As well as a session discussing the topic of NHS Engagement and how SMEs can access this market. For more information please contact David Burrows - david.burrows@harlow.gov.uk
BRIGHT EY ES Harlow welcomes new sculpture from Eva Rothschild whilst Hepworth sculpture goes on loan for a year to Wakefield for restoration and exhibition display.
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ARBARA HEPWORTH’S Contrapuntal Forms sculpture will be included in the most expansive exhibition of the artist’s work in more than 45 years. Barbara Hepworth is considered one of the most important artists of the 20th century. The piece not only was her first public commission but also the first sculpture in Harlow’s collection. The 10-foot tall, 3-tonne sculpture was safely removed from Glebelands by specialist art technicians. While in Wakefield, the sculpture will undergo important restoration work before its display and return to Harlow next year. “We are thrilled to share the work of such a prestigious artist with more people. That said, the Trust did not take the loan decision lightly and residents were consulted, planning permission received, and legal agreements are in place,” said Chris Snow, Chair of Harlow Art Trust.
The piece will be displayed in The Hepworth Wakefield Garden as part of the ‘Barbara Hepworth: Art & Life’ exhibition celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the gallery from 21 May until 27 February 2022 before being returned to Harlow. In addition, the Trust has announced that Bright Eyes, a sculpture by leading female artist Eva Rothschild, will be on view at Glebelands, whilst Contrapuntal Forms is on loan. The swap brings innovative contemporary sculpture to the public realm as Hepworth’s work did 70 years ago, reinforcing the power of sculpture to create a positive impact in our everyday lives. Rothschild is internationally renowned for her large-scale public commissions. Her notable works include Tate Britain’s Duveen Gallery Commission for 2010, and most recently the playful and interactive My World and Your World at London’s Kings Cross. Her show ‘Hot Touch’ was the inaugural exhibition at The Hepworth Wakefield gallery when it opened in 2011.
While in Harlow, Bright Eyes is presented as a visitor attraction for local schools, community groups, residents and tourists alike. Harlow Art Trust is also planning an event to celebrate the historic loan project later in the year. For more information about Harlows sculptures please visit: www.harlowsculpture.art/category/ artists/barbara-hepworth/
Image Credits: Nina Preece, Harlow
Eleanor Clayton, curator at The Hepworth Wakefield said, “We are delighted we will be able to display Contrapuntal Forms in our exhibition. Hepworth was obsessed with the physical encounter with sculpture, how it could impact the viewer and alter their perception of the world. We appreciate the impact her work has had on residents and
visitors of Harlow since 1951 and cherish the opportunity to share this exceptional work with a wider audience”.
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COLLA BOR AT IVE OPPORTUN ITIES F OR T H E R EG ION S ECOSYSTEM As the world begins to open up again, so too does the opportunity for collaboration on an international scale.
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RISE HARLOW AND ANGLIA Ruskin University (ARU) have been taking part in a number of virtual events that have brought together Canadian companies from the medtech and life sciences sectors with key stakeholders from the UK Innovation Corridor in a bid to create future collaboration opportunities that will bolster the region’s growing innovation ecosystem. The latest event on the 8 June was organised by MedTech accelerator Bounce Health Innovation (https://bounceinnovation.ca) and is part of an ongoing initiative to leverage the Harlow campus of the Memorial University of Newfoundland as the ideal location for Canadian companies wishing to enter the UK market. Located in close proximity to the Harlow Campus on the new Innovation Park and at the heart of the Harlow Enterprise Zone and the UK Innovation Corridor, Arise Harlow welcomed the opportunity to showcase its offer and plans to develop an innovation ecosystem that connects entrepreneurs with relevant expertise, networks, and funding opportunities at ARU. Arise Harlow benefits from being a part of ARU, an anchor institution in the eastern region with campuses in Cambridge and Chelmsford. It has strong research capabilities in pharmaceutical, biomechanics, optics, eye research, nanotechnologies, biomedical, drug discovery, molecular diagnostics, cardiovascular research, emergency medicine, bioinformatics and medical devices which is incorporated under the Medical Technology Research Centre which also includes the Clinical Entrepreneur Programme and has wide-ranging collaborations including those with pharmaceutical companies such as Almirall, CymaBay and GlaxoSmithKline. Professor Barbara Pierscionek, Deputy Dean for Research and Innovation within ARU’s Faculty of Health, Education, Medicine, and Social Care who presented at the event said, “ARU welcome opportunities for partnership with Canadian companies in med tech and life sciences research, development and
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for Canadian companies and other inward investors and start-ups to locate and benefit from the support provided by ARU.” This is an exciting time for Arise Harlow, as it welcomed a new Innovation Hub Director at the end of June. Dr Beverley Vaughan rejoins ARU having previously worked as a senior lecturer in Biomedical Science, before taking on roles helping incubate bioscience business at Stevenage Biosciences Catalyst, Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, and the University of Oxford.
knowledge exchange. The event highlighted a number of synergies and exciting ventures that will lead to pioneering collaborative ventures in Harlow and add to the growing innovation ecosystem in the East of England.” David Burrows, Economic Development Advisor to the Innovation Core also believes “Arise Harlow is a key component of the Harlow Innovation Park and the Innovation Core, the part of the UK Innovation Corridor situated midway between London and Cambridge. It is where research and big ideas are translated into successful commercial products and services. Medtech and Digital Healthcare are a key focus and the Arise Harlow Innovation Hub is the perfect place
Dr Vaughan said: “I am thrilled to have joined Arise at this exciting stage of the incubator development in Harlow. Having worked across the UK incubation and innovation sectors for the last 10 years, I really believe that now more than ever continued investment and support of UK research and development, talent, entrepreneurship and innovation programmes can help us to bolster and grow as a nation. The innovation hub will continue to support opportunities for growth and innovation in the life science and medical technology sector, which already provides around 11% of UK employment. I look forward to working with the team to develop an innovation ecosystem that attracts international partners and supports the local regional economy.” Find out more about Arise Harlow at www.ariseinnovation.co.uk
Swinging the balance to positivity during the pandemic
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OW HAS LOCKDOWN BEEN FOR you? Robert Southey would probably have described it as Agathakalogical, comprised of both good and bad simultaneously. We are Employ-Ability a local Harlow based charity that are trying to swing the balance of power to good during the pandemic this is our story of how we have worked with local employers to help people with poor mental health to get into and retain work, in Essex and beyond. Established in Harlow and fully funded by NHS England, we support individuals living with Mental ill health find their way back into fully paid employment, offer in work support for both employer and employee to ensure that every one of our service users stays in their role long term. We have found lots of people have lost jobs during the pandemic which they have been in for years, and suddenly they do not know how to go about finding a new one, which has left them not knowing where to turn. This is where we help. The service is Individual Placement and Support (IPS), which means that every person has a personalised support programme and are matched individually to each role. Therefore, employers we work with are confident the candidates we
put forward are right for the job and their business. It is also a totally free service, therefore we have no ulterior motive to place a candidate, we never accept any remuneration from companies we place candidates with. It’s an ancillary service to complement and dovetail with your current recruitment practices, often we speak to employers and carve out new roles that never existed, roles that they never thought someone could do. As a charity we support our service users in a variety of ways, including but not limited to CV writing, interviews skills, workplace behaviours, office etiquette, communications skills, confidence, and personal issues. We work in the best interests of our users by mentoring, encouraging and supporting them
“As a charity we support our service users in a variety of ways working with them to help achieve their potential.”
to achieve their potential in their working life. Local employers with whom we are proud to have built great links include companies such as Tempest Resourcing, who Caitlin McSherry Regional Consultant for Essex and Herts, said of Employ-Ability “Tempest Resourcing are working closely with Employ-Ability to empower those struggling with their Mental Health and supporting them in finding a secure job positions in schools local to them. We understand how sometimes finding your way back into employment can be daunting, we are here to encourage and find their service users a job that they love! We work with schools across England supplying them with all teaching & support staff and have found working side by side with EmployAbility to be really rewarding. Rianne Hoye an IPS Specialist based in Loughton has built an amazing partnership with Oak View School, Teacher and Upper School Lead Rose West commented, “Rianne has always worked closely with the school demonstrating her understanding of both the client and the school expectations and using this knowledge to make successful placements. Most clients that have had a 2-week placement are now employed by Oak View and are valued staff members”. If you are thinking about your staff turnover in any sector over the next few months perhaps you need seasonal staff, then speak to us we can help and save you time and money, not to mention what this will do for your CSR, diversity and wellbeing. To find out more about the great work of Employ-Ability or to register for support please Email: info@employ-ability.info or call 01279 450299
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FOXGLOV ES TO F EN U GR EE K How accountancy firm Price Bailey used ‘Sacred Space’ to offer respite for staff during Lockdown.
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HILST NOT LOCATED IN Harlow, accountancy firm Price Bailey has long been a part of the community in the town. As well as having a strong contingent of Harlow based clients and staff, they continue to support Harlow based organisations. Staff members such as Paul Bartlett and Tom Meeks are encouraged to volunteer their time during working hours to support local organisations. Paul sits on the boards of Streets2Homes and Harlow College and Tom on the board of NET Academies Trust. The firm also selected St Marks West Essex Catholic Academy to be a part of its ‘PB Inspires’ program which is designed to support, mentor and coach local young people in a variety of disciplines, be it CV writing all the way through to mock job/ university interviews with much support offered in between. It would be easy to batten down the hatches when presented with a lockdown situation, but Paul and Tom came up with two initiatives to run for staff during the lockdown which will continue to operate beyond the pandemic and into the ‘new normal’, whatever that may look like. Off the back of a project he undertook for his training as a workplace minister, Paul set
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“The concept of community has changed so much in the past 12 months.” up a weekly lunchtime session for staff called ‘Sacred Space’, which is a group for members of all faiths and none. The group has explored mindfulness, meditation, reviewed the book ‘Tuesday’s with Morrie’ and is currently exploring the impact of bias upon their lives. Tom on the other hand set up a lunchtime gardening group that has grown (pun intended) exponentially since it began at the beginning of the summer last year. The group has grown everything from foxgloves to fenugreek and everything in between. This spring has been particularly busy as new members have joined with new levels of enthusiasm. When asked what the inspiration was behind these initiatives Paul remarked “I love the concept of Kintsugi, that is the art of repairing broken pottery to create
something stronger and more beautiful, and so saw the pandemic as an opportunity to try new things so that we can come out the other end of the pandemic with something stronger and better than before. It has undoubtedly been a very difficult time for everybody but hopefully these sessions have created some respite from the monotony of lockdown and helped people develop new hobbies and ideas”. Tom endorsed that with “The concept of ‘community’ has changed so much in the last 12 months. To bring together a group of people not constricted by geography but bound by purpose, has given us something to look forward to in times of such uncertainty.” So if you run into either of them at local events they will be more than happy to discuss the benefits of running such sessions with you and Tom will happily provide gardening tips to anybody that needs it! For more information visit www.pricebailey.co.uk or call 0800 434 6460
If you’re looking for a sign... THIS is it.
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IGUEL LUQUE IS ONE OF Harlow’s truest Ambassadors. Born at Princess Alexandra Hospital he attended Passmores School and launched his sign business in the town following a fruitful career in engineering and sign making locally. Business Signs and Graphics boast a portfolio of signs working with the likes of ICAEW in London, The Royal College of Nursing, Kings College to Harlow Council for the signs in our Town Park and Town Centre. Their work is incredibly varied but all carries the same mark of quality and are beautifully engineered to meet both the client and the end user requirements. Pre-pandemic you could find Miguel pounding the Town Park’s pathways, checking the strategically and perfectly positioned signs he’s constructed there whilst taking part in the weekly Park Run. In his spare time Miguel volunteers for a number of local charities including Teens Unite Cancer charity and Chocolate Run, supporting poverty and hunger. “The greatest reward in doing what we do is leaving a positive legacy behind. The signs we created and installed on
“I believe Harlow has offered me so much as an individual. I am incredibly proud of my hometown and of the evolution of the area. The opportunities for businesses and young people here is just getting more and more exciting.” highways, pathways, in offices, outside shops, etc are all going to be there for some years. Especially the work locally, that helps both our local people and those from afar to navigate their way around the area. This gives us the greatest sense of reward. We are proud of what we create with our clients and our reward is that legacy and that pride.”
Business Signs and Graphics Limited has most recently supported a transformation of the highly popular Dorringtons bakeries throughout our region. This involved working on Sundays and evenings to get the work executed without affecting store opening times or customers and deliveries. Miguel’s advice to new business owners or entrepreneurs in the area is to make sure you network as much as possibly locally. To speak to Miguel about his extensive background in sign-making please contact him on 07709 977201
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TH IS JU G GL E I S R EA L How many of us can relate to juggling work with the demands of childcare? As we come out of lockdown we are trying to re-jiggle our lives and re-adjust to merge the online work:life balance with the re-discovered freedom.
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WAS RAISED IN NORTH LONDON (Tottenham), I met my husband at Secondary School and went to university to study Construction Management.
Today I have 4 children at 2 different schools. My home is in Hertfordshire and my office is in Harlow, Essex.
A year into my degree I was headhunted by a construction firm to work on site management and quantity surveying for refurbishments across Central and West London.
I am the Aftersales Manager for Essex Prestige where I look after everything from legal, commercial decisions and compliance. The company launched 6 years ago and we field over 150 calls a day and sell over 100 cars a month. We are doing pretty well!
I worked mainly across site management and construction procurement but working full time with a young baby and another on the way proved pretty difficult. After having my 4th child by aged 28, it became near enough impossible to have a career in construction and I decided to forge a career with my husband. I needed the flexibility for childcare that came with running your own business.
As with most people Lockdown hit us hard. Having to close the business totally during Lockdown #1 made us reassess the way we operate. Rather than sit tight, waiting for things to open up we set up a stringent ‘By Appointment Only’ system - this works really well for us in terms of COVID safety but also in adding a heightened sense of exclusivity and excitement to the purchase too.
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With our customers spending anything from £10k-100k+ on a vehicle it’s important that we can dedicate time to that customer to give them a service they not only expect but deserve. We have also setup a flexible contactless delivery system for cars too and a full video tour of the vehicle to send customers giving them an informed view of the car. Again, this worked really well – we have over 10k followers on social media and with the post COVID increase in demand for premium used cars we often sell as soon as a video/ image is posted online. This pandemic has had a huge impact on everyone in different ways. The first lockdown really made me reassess who I was, and what I wanted to achieve with my life.
TOP TIPS to manage juggling:
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Go to bed early, get up early and make time for yourself in the morning.
2 “Life has moved too fast at times and I’ve had to learn a lot of lessons.” Whilst juggling home schooling for 4 different aged children, managing their screen time allowances with the dwindling fridge contents, plus usual sibling bickering I was so touched by the stories of families really struggling financially I decided I wanted to give something more back. I had previously been inspired by a visit to both Ongar and Harlow libraries where, during winter they had a coat rack in the library for those who were cold to grab or swap for a warmer coat than they already had. I setup YOU-NIFORM during Lockdown 2.0 because I saw a gap in the market. Restrictions mean that shopping for uniform is not as accessible as pre-COVID times and online school uniform shops left me confused. I know the cost of uniform and I couldn’t find many outlets who could offer pay-plans to spread the cost. I know I can make a difference. I want to help by supporting parents and carers getting uniform for their children. I built the website myself and proved to myself I could learn new skills. I like a challenge and the result is: www.you-niform. co.uk. We are a one stop shop for everything schoolwear, dancewear and gymnastics kits. I am adding new product lines all the time. Our work also promotes the School Uniform
Grant and the opportunity to help parents struggling to afford school uniform. We do this by encouraging parents, carers, and schools to donate old uniform and in turn get vouchers to buy new uniform through our online shop. I have also set up Klarna, LayBuy and ClearPay on our site to make payments through interest free instalments more manageable. My friends think I’m crazy and that I should sit back and enjoy life a bit more but perhaps it’s because I had to forge my early work life around having and caring for the babies that I now have this burning desire to create something really special on my own. I don’t have a long corporate CV or years of work experience behind me but since having the children I have only been involved in entrepreneurial ventures. This means I have gained some fantastic experience over the years. I have learnt a lot and made some spectacular mistakes - I know I can win contracts, sell myself and promote my business. Life has moved too fast at times and I’ve learnt a lot of lessons. I’m really looking forward to the next chapter of my career and watching YOU-NIFORM grow.
Set a plan for the day and then for the week. Then...Take each day as it come BUT be prepared for change, you can never over-plan but remember disappointment/ delays are inevitable.
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Check your daily schedule the night before.
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Meal prepping has not only helped us loose loads of weight over lockdown it’s also really helped us manage food consumption at home, reduce waste and also means I’m not chained to the kitchen all night feeding the busy family at different times.
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My kids have had to learn that work isn’t just for the office now and are often asked to help more around the home whilst I’m on calls or writing emails. They have to help with their laundry, the dishwasher and making breakfast. While they are still young- we don’t always get it right and I really have to work hard to remind them and be consistent - but it will all work out in the long run.
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Being focused and having an end goal really helps keep some form of sanity throughout parenting and running a business. I try to break tasks into small projects and I don’t like long term tasks... I need an end date.
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Have a sanctuary – or a quiet space you can go think or hold a conversation. Mine is my garage!!!
To find out more about YOU-NIFORM please visit: www.you-niform.co.uk
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Open for Business Closed for Crime Public Engagement Harlow’s Community Safety Engagement officers, Pc’s Brad HALL and Sandra MARAYEN have started to do engagement events out and about in Harlow. Events so far such as ‘Coffee with cops’ have all been well received. If you would like us to be part of a local event that you are organising, please contact us via e-mail HarlowCPT@Essex.Police.uk. For further event details please follow our Facebook and Twitter pages.
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E WANT EVERYONE TO STAY safe as we return to retail, whether you are a customer or a member of staff. As well as maintaining a social distance and wearing face coverings where necessary, this also means treating hospitality and retail staff with respect. Which is where our Open for Business Closed for Crime campaign comes in – encouraging staff to report violence and abuse to us. Baris Vatansever is the fourth generation of his family to run The Sandwich Bar in The High, Harlow, which he does with his father Gasko. Baris commented that our officers have done ‘a very good job’ of dealing with people who cause anti-social behaviour in Harlow town centre.
Facebook: EPHarlow Twitter: @EP_Harlow He says: “My customers and people around town were getting intimidated and were scared of them. They weren’t coming into town and I wasn’t seeing my regular customers.” But now things are different, Baris says. “The Essex Police team are very happy and I’d like to give them a thumbs up and say ‘keep it up’.” Find out more about Open for Business Closed for Crime and how to report incidents of violence or abuse: www.essex.police.uk/news/essex/news/ news/2021/april/essex-return-to-retail/
STOP the hate Like many people across Essex we were disgusted with the racial abuse directed towards three England players who missed penalties in the Euro 2020 final. Superintendent Richard Melton, Essex Police force lead for Hate Crime, Hostility and Anti-Social Behaviour, said: “We, like many people across Essex, have been horrified by the racial abuse directed at England players Marcus Rashford, Jaydon Sancho and Bukayo Saka after the Euro 2020 final. “Although the result wasn’t what we hoped for, it’s absolutely no excuse for the appalling behaviour we have seen reported across the country. “We would like to remind our residents that racial abuse of any kind in Essex is not acceptable and will be investigated “Everyone has the right to live, work and socialise in Essex without fear of abuse. “If you have suffered racial abuse or if you have witnessed racial abuse, please report it to us. We will always take it seriously and we will investigate it. “If you do not want to report your experiences directly to us, or you do not want to give your details, you can also go to www.report-it.org.uk to do so.”
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T HE G I F T T HAT K E E P S G I V I N G Young women and girls in Harlow, Ongar and West Essex are being given the chance to unlock their potential with a brighter future.
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SPECIAL INITIATIVE BY THE GIFTED Organisation, to provide online sessions giving girls and young women support and inspiration, has received high-profile backing with a grant of £4,690 from the independent charitable trust, Essex Community Foundation (ECF). The grant, which has come from the High Sheriff’s Fund managed by ECF, has given The Gifted Organisation a vital boost at a time of enormous challenges. Lockdowns and school closures caused by the Covid pandemic affected referrals for the organisation’s services and meant that support sessions could no longer be held face-to-face.
“The young people themselves have emphasised a clear need for our services, saying how it has a real impact on their lives.”
Determination won the day and means that much-needed online support, confidencebuilding and life and work skills sessions are helping vulnerable or disadvantaged young women and girls living in Harlow, Ongar and across West Essex.
“We have been hearing of the crippling isolation and anxiety young women and girls have been experiencing during lockdown. It is a really tough time for them, they can’t go out or see their friends and they feel starved of the things that mean so much to them. Many lead very complex lives and if they are vulnerable the current situation makes them more so.
Tori Pearson, partnerships and progressions manager of The Gifted Organisation said: “Young people are at the heart and soul of what we do and we work with them to create solutions to the difficulties they face.
“We feel that this is the forgotten generation and that is why we are determined to get our online project going. It is so important, as it gives a connection for young women and girls to learn skills that they can go on to use
in real life. The more services we can provide to make them feel they are not alone and can achieve the better.” The online sessions and workshops for girls and young women aged 15 to 25 range from yoga to inspirational talks and advice from high-achieving female mentors from various sectors. Tori said: “Everyone in the The Gifted Organisation loves working with young people, supporting them to unlock their gifts and create brighter futures for themselves. Our aim is to enable young people to develop transferable skills while supporting their emotional and mental wellbeing and helping them move forward in a positive way, gaining creative, entrepreneurial and leadership skills. Since it was founded in 2012, The Gifted Organisation has worked with over 4,000 young people and the funding from ECF will mean that their help and motivational support can reach many more. For more information visit www.essexcommunityfoundation.org.uk and www.thegifted.org.uk
Stories
“ONE OF THE REWARDS OF SUCCESS IS FREEDOM, THE ABILITY TO DO WHATEVER YOU LIKE.” STING
IN ASSOCIATION WITH DISCOVER HARLOW
REAL STORIES ABOUT REAL PEOPLE
