Some 13 members of staff from Lincoln and Scunthorpe letting agent branches raised over £7,500 for cancer charities when they took part in a daring tandem skydive.

The staff from Starkey & Brown Estate and Letting Agents were inspired to take up the challenge after two members of the team were diagnosed with cancer.

The team quickly decided to play a part and raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support and the Ocular Tumour fund.

Thankfully, both members of staff suffering from skin cancer and eye cancer were given the all clear in 2013, and the company said they wanted to do something which helped them both through this traumatic period.

The brave skydivers completed their feat on Sunday, June 1 and have been collecting donations since.

Michael Brown, a director at Starkey & Brown, said: “Last year one of our members of staff was diagnosed with skin cancer while another staff member’s fiancé was diagnosed with cancer of the eye.

“In February this year I put the feelers out to staff from both Lincoln and Scunthorpe offices to see who would like to do a skydive and before I knew it 13 of them signed up.

“We have a great team at Starkey & Brown and I’m so proud of everyone involved, those who were brave enough to do the skydive plus everyone at both offices for raising more than £7,500.

“Every single member of staff was effected by what happened last year and the fact that they all wanted to get involved to give something back gives me a huge sense of pride.”

Lesley Joosub, from Starkey & Brown, added: “We are an incredibly charitable company and last year we supported Joel James, a young boy with cerebral palsy, by organising charity events and publicising his plight in our property newspaper.

“Due to the hard work done by everyone involved Joel raised enough money to go over to America to have pioneering surgery which has enabled him to now walk without being in excruciating pain.”

Businesses in Lincolnshire can bid for a share of £200 million following the launch of round six of the Regional Growth Fund (RGF).

The Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is urging firms to apply for the latest round of the fund which supports projects to create growth and employment.

Businesses will be able to submit their bids until noon on September 30, 2014.

Round six is only applicable for wholly private organisations, such as limited companies and universities, seeking £1 million or more.

The fund, which was launched in 2010, has supported a number of businesses and organisations including the University of Lincoln, Bifrangi and the Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce.

Ruth Carver, Manager of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, said: “This latest round of funding will provide a welcome boost for our economy and give businesses in Greater Lincolnshire an opportunity to move forward with important investment projects.

“The RGF funding we have been awarded to date will deliver more than 1,200 new jobs to our area.”

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: “The Regional Growth Fund is a helping hand from government to create thousands of jobs that last, boost the private sector and rebalance the economy.”

The government is calling on companies to plan high quality projects that will generate significant private sector investment and sustainable jobs.

Businesses are encouraged to make contact with Greater Lincolnshire LEP for advice and help with submitting a strong bid by calling 01522 550540 or emailing enquiries@greaterlincolnshirelep.co.uk.

Lincoln-based Angels Bring Business (ABB) has teamed up with a national charity in a drive to empower women across the globe.

The Lincoln business club has forged an alliance with Women for Women International (WfWI) to encourage women to “fight back from life crisis and become emotionally independent”.

WfWI was established 20 years ago by Zainab Salbi and works to provide women survivors of war with the resources they need to move out of poverty to a state of stability and self-sufficiency.

The organisation works in eight different countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Sudan.

To date it has helped more than 384,000 women, by training them in life skills.

Angels Bring Business co-founders Wendy Spalding-Siracusa and Josephine Peacock said that there are strong synergies between the two organisations.

Wendy, a Partner in the Commercial Property Department at Sills and Betteridge solicitors, said:

When they founded Angels Bring Business Wendy and Josephine had a vision of partnering with a charity which shared their vision and ethos on an international scale.

“It was one of those serendipitous moment when Josephine and I found that, independently, we had both come across and wanted to support the same charity,” she added.

Josephine said: “It shouldn’t matter where you empower women to be economically independent, that’s just about geography.

“We face similar challenges and those of us, who are the lucky ones, can grow by giving back to those less fortunate.”

Both ABB and WfWI are now getting behind the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative, which is being spearheaded by William Hague, Foreign Secretary and Angelina Jolie, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

The team are encouraging anyone wishing to learn more to get in touch by contacting Wendy Spalding-Siracusa on wendy@angelsbringbusiness.com.

Lincoln school dinners specialist Kidz Kitchen is putting more meals and jobs on the menu as it prepares a move and expansion.

The firm is moving to two neighbouring units in Great Northern Way, off Great Northern Terrace, with around 2,240 sq ft of space, allowing for production of up to 1,200 meals per day.

The business plans to complete the move in time for the beginning of term in September 2014.

They are also looking to employ three new members of part time staff.

Kidz Kitchen was launched 11 years ago, when owners Lynn and Bob Robertson began supplying food to nurseries.

The staff at St Peter at Gowts School in Lincoln (attended by Lynn’s grandsons at the time), asked if they could also offer dinners.

Jamie Oliver’s school meals campaign also helped drive the business and Jo, Bob and Lynn are now assisted by three part-time staff.

Joint owner Jo Bramwell, and her father and stepmum Bob and Lynn, is also investing in new equipment.

Jo said: “We start work at about 7am and prepare, cook and deliver about 650 meals every day of the week to about 10 primary schools. They are based within a rough six-miles radius of Lincoln.

“Each day, we provide each child with a main course and a sweet, and we cater for vegetarians too.

“There is much more potential for the business following a government announcement earlier this year that all Reception years 1 and 2 children, in state primary schools, should be provided with free hot lunches, from September.

“We have been looking for new premises for some time because we are at capacity in our current site, from where we take orders, prepare, cook and despatch meals.”

Chartered Surveyor Banks Long & Co leased the units to the meal provider. Trainee Surveyor Jonathan Purkiss said: “Together they provide around three times Kidz Kitchen’s current building, so the units offer plenty of room for the business to expand.

“We are delighted to have assisted a growing Lincoln business at such an exciting time in its development.”

Not only is July 4 a day for celebrating everything stars and stripes in the US, it’s also a chance to put Lincoln independent businesses in the spotlight.

Lincoln’s Independents’ Day is an annual event in the summer calendar, giving shoppers and visitors to the city a line-up of great entertainment and special deals.

The event, organised by Lincoln BIG’s levypayers encourages local businesses to come up with special offers, with those taking part spanning from the city centre to the Cathedral Quarter.

Discounts and deals include treats on restaurant and café menus and gifts.

Lincoln BIG is getting behind local businesses by producing posters and flyers, providing bunting for shopfronts and through online marketing activities.

There will also be music and busking on Castle Hill for the occasion.

Lincoln BIG Chief Executive Matt Corrigan said: “Lincoln’s independent, niche businesses, many of which are family-owned and run, play a hugely important role within the city’s retail mix.

“We are encouraging shoppers to take a closer look, because they tend to offer something a bit different from the national stores, such as individual gift ideas. Naturally, they are equally recognised for their tip-top service.

“In Lincoln, we are very fortunate in that the city is growing in prominence and attracting customers from a wide catchment area, as well as rising numbers of tourists.

“Independent retailers also offer surprisingly good value for money. They don’t have the high overheads and complex supply chains of larger businesses and can be more astute in their buying.”

Linda Wardale is the owner of Yellowbellys in Gordon Road and also Bailgate Guild Chairman.

She added: “The Cathedral Quarter, which includes Newport, Bailgate, Steep Hill and The Strait, is amazing to visit and features unique and interesting shops, offering fantastic customer service.

“We are important providers of local jobs and services and a lot of businesses are longstanding, so people have confidence in us.”

Midas (which is opposite the Assembly Rooms in Bailgate) is a niche store selling handmade products, with the emphasis firmly on British craftsmanship.

Owner Dee Barnes, who has run the business for 15 years, said: “We are keen to see more county people and visitors embracing the uniqueness of our independent shops.

“Without their support we would not be here. Lincoln’s strength lies in its independent traders.

“We are celebrating Independents’ Day by giving away a free handmade bracelet, worth £5, to every customer who spends £25.”

Richard Baxter is the owner of Goodies – a traditional sweetshop in The Strait – and also Chairman of the Bottom of the Hill Group.

He said: “We are urging more people to discover this beautiful part of Lincoln. The Strait is only small, but it is home to some important shops and people can buy everything from cheese to sweets, gifts and clothing, as well as visit restaurants and cafes.

“We also lead on to Steep Hill, named Britain’s Greatest Street in 2012, so we want to encourage people who only get as far as the High Street area, near Corporation Street, to come and discover what is so special about this area.”

Other special offers, notified to Lincoln BIG so far, include:

• Beauty @ Bailgate – 15% off all purchases
• The Whisky Shop, Bailgate – 10% off all purchases
• Roly’s Fudge Pantry, Steep Hill – 10% off your fudge bill when quoting “Indie Day”
• Yellowbellys, Gordon Road – 10% off purchases over £10 and free tea/coffee with every cupcake purchased

A former pub in uphill Lincoln is set to be demolished and rebuilt into a new retail or restaurant unit.

The former Bowlo pub site, off Wragby Road, is owned by Lincolnshire Co-op and is under let with Banks Long and Co.

The pub has been disused for around six years, and recently obtained planning permission to be revamped for restaurant use for a prospective operator.

However, no local or nation interest in the current building was found, which lead to the decision for the site to be demolished.

The pub will be completely demolished, then the land could be used as a temporary car sales premises, subject to planning permission.

Long term, it is hoped an operator will take on the land to develop a new retail or restaurant unit, with council approval.

Banks Long and Co Director James Butcher said: “We have plenty of interest in the site but not in the current building.

“We believe that this scheme will breathe new life into a prominent site and in the long-term, improve the shopping experience by integrating the surrounding retail developments.”

The first phase of demolition started on June 23, to be complete by the beginning of September at the latest.

A solicitor firm specialising in Divorce and Family Law practice in Lincoln has made two key appointments in its family unit.

Langleys Solicitors has appointed new partner Emma Lawler and partner Mark Day, previously head of the Family Unit in York.

Lawler moves to the role from Lincoln’s Sills and Betteridge, while Day was previously head of the Family Unit in York, but will now head both offices in York and Lincoln.

Day is the only divorce solicitor in York recommended in both Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners directories.

He specialises in resolving the financial aspects of separation and divorce, and deals almost exclusively with complex and high value cases.

He said: “It will be a privilege to lead a Family Unit as established and renowned as Langleys’, and we’re delighted to welcome Emma Lawler to the matrimonial team.

“Her wealth of experience advising clients in relation to complex financial cases is a tremendous boost to the Unit.”

Lawler added: “I welcome the opportunity to work for a firm with such a strong reputation for providing a high quality service for clients. I intend to build on that reputation.”

Work to trasform derelict buildings and unused land in the west of Lincoln to become a science and innovation park is moving fast, with the first offices ready for use in August.

As previously reported, work began on the £14 million Lincoln Science and Innovation Park, the result of a partnership between Lincolnshire Co-op and the University of Lincoln, in August 2013.

The 80 hectare site includes Minster House and Becor House, now called Joseph Banks Laboratories, plus Charlotte Scott House and land nearby, which will be developed in future phases of the park.

Giving a tour to The Lincolnite, director of the park Tom Blount explained that despite a link with the university, the park puts an emphasis on encouraging business into the area.

He explained the Think Tank, which already exists on the site, made a good anchor for the new park, which uses the close proximity of the university, its researchers and businesses nearby to hopefully create even more innovation across the county, describing the project as an “engine for prosperity”.

As well as the School of Pharmacy, School of Chemistry and animal behaviour team making use of facilities, the park will support a range of businesses, from engineering to electronics and other technology and science areas.

The new building has commercial and academic laboratories, meeting areas, offices and relaxation areas.

Minster House will act as a home to the animal behaviour team, with state of the art facilities built for the animals with welfare in mind.

The recently acquired Charlotte Scott House will play home to both commercial units and temporary space for the School of Physics.

Businesses will have access to state of the art facilities, including superfast broadband, which Tom Blount hopes will be ultraband speed — a first for Lincoln.

The park is also keen to be good neighbours to the industrial area surrounding it along Beevor Street and Green Lane, providing them with support.

To open up Think Tank and businesses based in other areas of the park, Green Lane will be transformed completely with a pedestrianised zone, featuring a large green space and cafe.

This lawn will then be used for a variety of events as well as relaxation space, such as BBQs, music events or meetings, where businesses, academics and even students and residents can integrate and develop relationships.

Old to new

While adding modern facilities to the site, the science park aims to preserve the old industrial buildings in the area, some of which date back to the early 1900s.

The Joseph Banks Laboratories building was started in 1936, but was not completed until 1952 due to World War II. Despite this, the area still went on to become world renowned for engineering.

“50 years ago, this was the heart of engineering, but the story of this site has been sad over the last couple of years as it’s been in decline,” explained Tom Blount.

“We want to redevelop the site for the next century, with a hub for highly skilled, new jobs — not just through the university but through local business too.

“We want to make it a site for businesses where academia is welcome, rather than vice versa, which happens on other parts of the university campus.”

The original buildings on site have been completely gutted of the old offices and meeting rooms and replaced with the new facilities, but the outer shell and core are now complete, which cost £8 million.

The next stage is to work on the fittings, costing around £7 million, in time for September, when the first students will be able to use the facilities.

Businesses meanwhile can expect to use the offices on the park from August.

Despite large alterations to the site, Tom Blount is gathering a range of media from archives about the site, and will host an exhibition event for residents, in which they can share opinions of the project as well as memories from working on site in the past.

Strong support

While residents’ support in still a work in progress, the project has been welcomed by a range of local business and councils.

The City of Lincoln Council includes it within its strategic masterplan for the city, due to its potential to create jobs.

Tom Blount believes that the park could create up to 600 new and existing jobs over the next five years through just phase one of the development.

Finally, the park waits to reinvest money made into Lincoln and Lincolnshire economy, through funding business support projects to setting up business funding pots and holding “meet the buyer” style events.

Later in the year, the park will host an innovation conference aimed at local businesses of all sizes.

To learn more about the upcoming events, or if you’re a science or technology business interested in office space or partnerships, contact Director Tom Blount, at tblount@lincoln.ac.uk.

A business organisation supporting growth and promoting Lincoln city centre has been highly commended by judges at a national awards ceremony.

Lincoln BIG was praised for the range and depth of funding the organisation has managed to attract to the city.

The judges also acknowledged the city’s business improvement district for having one of the greatest range of activities and financial turnovers of any BID outside of London.

The award was handed to the chief executive of Lincoln BIG, Matt Corrigan, at a special ceremony in Dundee.

Lincoln was just one of five shortlisted for the awards, which recognise BID organisations, who have delivered innovative projects and real economic benefits to their town or city.

“We are absolutely delighted that the hard work of all the Lincoln BIG staff has been recognised,” said Matt.

“We are proud of what we have achieved in bringing in lots of external funding – all of which has been invested in supporting our city centre to grow and thrive.

“The award is also another important step in raising the profile of Lincoln.”

The Lincoln BIG entry has generated external funding from a variety of sources to deliver city centre projects, with funding increasing from £225,000 — at the start of the first Lincoln BID in 2004 — to £1.2m in 2014.

This additional income has meant that BIG is able to deliver bigger and better projects and services to levy payers as well as ensuring its long term financial sustainability.

Lincoln building service Stirlin Developments Limited has concluded sales of its new ten-unit Stirlin Court scheme on Saxilby Enterprise Park in Lincoln.

Stirlin completed sales of the buildings in its one acre scheme, as well as acquiring the adjacent one acre site – where the development of ‘phase two’ is now underway.

Stirlin’s Managing Director, James Kirby, said: “We completed sales on seven units during the last year, giving us the confidence to acquire the adjacent site to continue our development.

“The first sale on phase two has already been agreed and construction is underway.

“Construction of the new premises for Callow Retail is already well underway and we are just about to start building six small workshop units which will be available by the mid-Summer.

“With prices again commencing from £60,000 we are confident these will prove very popular.”

Chartered Surveyors Hodgson Elkington, who are marketing the scheme, say that small industrial units available for sale are rare in the Lincoln market and there has been a very strong demand for small freehold units at Saxilby Enterprise Park.

Hodgson Elkington Partner, Dan Race, said: “One of the most successful aspects of phase one was small workshop units offered for sale freehold to local businesses at prices from £60,000. These have proved very popular and all five of these sold ‘off plan”.

The largest unit on phase one was sold to Torque Engineering, who moved in in June. Director Jeremy Lee said: “As our business continued to grow, a move to our own bespoke facility was an essential pre-requisite.

“The Stirlin Court development gave us this opportunity and we have been impressed by the speed with which Stirlin have managed the development of our initial concept into our ideal high quality business facility”.

Existing occupiers on phase one include Print Talk, Spence Accounting and Torque Engineering.

Callow Retail Ltd. are occupying the first building in phase two. Managing Director, Scott Frances said: “We have traded on Saxilby Enterprise for many years and Stirlin Court has offered us a fantastic opportunity to acquire purposed-designed premises that exactly meet the needs of our business as we continue to grow.”

Some five Lincoln jobs are among the 752 at risk across the country as UK lingerie franchise La Senza falls into administration for the second time in two years.

There are currently 5 members of staff employed at the Lincoln La Senza store, which is located in the Waterside Shopping Centre.

Robert Moran, Michael Jervis and Stuart Maddison have been appointed as joint administrators of Marnixheath Limited to manage its affairs, business and property as its agents.

Robert Moran said there were “no immediate plans to close any stores” and that the search was on for a buyer to rescue La Senza’s 58 UK stores.

Mr Moran said: “The challenging conditions in the UK high street are well documented. Like many other retailers, La Senza has been hit hard by the difficult economic environment and a slowdown in consumer spending.

“The administrators are continuing to trade the businesses as normal for the time being whilst discussions take place with interested parties in respect of a sale. We welcome any approaches to purchase all or part of the store portfolio.”

A new £44 million reservoir and water facility serving Lincoln has officially turned on its taps, providing 20 million litres of high standard drinking water to homes and businesses.

Hall Water Treatment Works, built close to Newton-on-Trent, uses new UV light technology to purify previously untreatable water.

River water will be pumped two kilometres to the newly constructed 20 acre reservoir – roughly the size of 11 football pitches – which holds 300 million litres of water and was carved out of the ground using satellite controlled excavation machinery.

From here, up to 20 million litres every day will be treated before it is supplied to homes and businesses in south Lincolnshire.

Water from the new treatment station and reservoir should start reaching taps in Lincoln in the next two weeks.

The new Hall water treatment works was officially opened by Mr Tony Worth, Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire on Wednesday, July 2.

The opening celebrations were attended by representatives from Lincolnshire County Council and the Chamber of Commerce, and representatives from the communities that will be served by it.

Peter Simpson, Chief Executive of Anglian Water Group, said: “Between now and the end of the decade, Lincolnshire is expected to continue to grow at a faster rate than the national average.

“For this county to continue to grow, and for its businesses to continue to prosper, it’s vital that services like water are readily available to the communities and businesses which rely on them.

“Investments like this should give people confidence that Lincolnshire will remain an attractive place in which to live and do business for many years to come.

“We’re committed to playing our part in securing the region’s future by making investments like this. Hall Water Treatment Works is a major part of our £327 million investment in the county’s water and water recycling infrastructure between 2010 and 2015.”

The treatment works has been named Hall WTW in memory of Gavin Hall, a much respected colleague and a key member of Anglian Water’s team who sadly passed away before the project was completed. Gavin’s family attended the opening ceremony on Wednesday.

Planning for Hall water treatment works was approved in April 2012, with the entire site being constructed in just 18 months.

The construction included a large pumping station, which is capable of taking up to 64 million litres of water a day from the River Trent, four kilometres of pipes and the new treatment works, which includes filters 1/20th the thickness of a hair and ultra-violet light to disinfect the water.

A construction firm based in Lincoln has appointed a new chief executive to lead the company.

Tom Robinson will replace Paul Hodgkinson from July 7 as CEO of Simons Group, based on Doddington Road.

Tom Robinson trained as a Construction Manager (MCIOB), in which he also has an MBA, and has worked on a range of property and facilities related activities.

He recently worked as Chief Sustainability Officer for the whole of Carillion, where he had also run facilities management and construction activities.

Due to the family-business nature of the firm, Paul Hodgkinson will remain as Simons’ Group Executive Chairman with Philip Hodgkinson continuing as Deputy Chairman.

Tom Robinson said: “I am delighted to have been entrusted with the stewardship and progression of Simons which has been a business I have admired for many years having grown up in Lincoln.

“It is a great opportunity to build on the strong platform provided by two generations of Hodgkinsons and lead the business through its next chapter of development and growth.”

Paul Hodgkinson added: “We are confident with the appointment and wish Tom every success in leading Simons into the future.

“We have every faith that everyone at Simons will continue to support him in the way they have done with myself and Philip and we are sure that Tom’s skills will enhance our aim of being an excellent property solutions business.”

Virgin Media’s TV, phone and broadband services in the Lincoln area have been affected by an outage on Friday night.

Hundreds of people have reported problems with their broadband, TV and phone services since 7pm on July 4.

The entire Lincoln area has been affected.

Readers from Grantham, Gainsborough and Sleaford also reported similar issues with Sky broadband and phone services.

Virgin Media has confirmed that it is aware of the problem and said it is working to fix the issue.

Emma Hutchinson, a Virgin Media spokesperson, said: “A power fault in the area has affected our services.

“Our engineers are ready to get people back online as soon as the third party is able to give us access to the site.

“We apologise for any inconvenience.”

Outage reports from as far as Nottingham indicate this is a MSO (major service outage).

A BT Openreach engineer told The Lincolnite the problem is coming from a node in the exchange, affecting more than one service provider.

“The exchanges all work like a daisy chain, the one that’s failed is Langley which serves Lincoln, Newark and Nottingham.

“Because there are several other exchanges, it depends on the actual routing if you’re affected. It’s about 80% of Lincoln.”

He said a fix is expected after midnight.

Virgin Media said it is working on a fix for the outage that is affecting people in Lincoln and the surrounding area since Friday night.

Emma Hutchinson, a Virgin Media spokesperson, said: “A power fault in the area has affected our services.

“Our engineers are on site and have been working through the night to restore services.

“We’ll have everyone back online as soon as possible and we apologise for any inconvenience.”

Virgin Media’s online service status pages is showing customers a fix is not expected until Sunday morning.

As previously reported, hundreds of people are having problems with their broadband, TV and phone services since 7pm on July 4.

The entire Lincoln area has been affected. Readers from Grantham, Gainsborough and Sleaford also reported similar issues with Sky broadband and phone services, which use Virgin’s equipment.

A Virgin Media engineer explained that the fault is due to a fire that damaged cabling in Nottingham on Friday afternoon.

The Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has gained £40 million in funding from government for key infrastructure projects, with more earmarked for the future.

The government announced its Growth Deal on July 7, which meant a number of local projects were signposted funding, totalling £39.86 million, plus another £27.5 million in future.

The funding will help the LEP build infrastructure, create jobs and train local people.

Projects which secured the funding from the Growth Deal for 2015-16 are:

• Grantham Southern Relief Road – £16 million
• Boston Quadrant – £4.75 million
• Boole Technology Centre, Lincoln – £3.38 million
• Unlocking Rural Housing – £4.13 million
• Bishop Burton College – £7.5 million
• Skegness Countryside Business Park (including the western relief road) – £4 million

According to the LEP, the projects will create 1,857 new jobs, deliver 2,300 new houses and lever in an additional £94 million in investment.

Ursula Lidbetter, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, said: “The deal we have secured represents a major boost to our economy.

“We have worked very hard to achieve this very positive outcome in the face of some stiff competition from other regions.

“From the moment we were invited by Government to put together our strategic economic plan, we worked with our local partners to develop our assets and address our key economic challenges across Greater Lincolnshire before outlining the proposals that will bring about sustained economic growth.

“Not only will the Growth Deal support job creation, it will also improve our skills base and allow us to invest in our infrastructure to meet the economic needs of the future.”

Councillor Martin Hill, Leader of Lincolnshire County Council, added: “We put in a strong bid with a range of exciting projects which demonstrate Lincolnshire’s potential for growth.

“And the size of this investment clearly shows that we’ve convinced Government that the county is a good place to do business.

“I’m particularly pleased with the significant contribution towards Grantham’s southern relief road, which will be of real benefit to the town both in easing congestion and driving economic growth.

“We can now focus on bringing all these ambitious plans to fruition, helping to both safeguard and create jobs locally.”

The Growth Deal covers a two-yar investment period, offered to LEPs nationally.

The further £27.48 million will be used in 2016-17, subject to approval and be funded on another round of projects:

• Lincoln East-West Growth Corridor – £3.1 million
• Grantham College – £2.28 million
• Transport Hub in Lincoln – £11 million
• Access to Employment A16/A46 – £4.2 million
• Skegness Sustainable Transport – £4.0 million
• Lincolnshire Lakes Blue and Green Infrastructure, Scunthorpe – £2.9 million

Councillor Chris Shaw, Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “This is really exciting news and demonstrates that once again North East Lincolnshire Council is securing funds to assist the industries in our area to flourish.

“There is no escaping that we have seen some challenges in this industry over recent years but we have also seen some fantastic investments too.

“Securing these funds with the support of one of our key partners means we will see further investment in the area which will stimulate the local economy, create jobs and supports the council’s key priorities to create a stronger economy and stronger communities.”

A new Lincolnshire 
Co-op food store has been officially opened on Boultham Park Road in Lincoln on July 7.

The £1.2 million outlet has been built on the site of the former Parklands pub on Boultham Park Road. It replaces the food store on Moorland Avenue and post office on Rookery Lane.

Normal opening hours are 7am to 10pm, seven days a week. The post office is open between 9am until 5.30pm on Monday to Friday and from 9am until 12.30pm on Saturdays.

The 3,000 square foot outlet has 14 parking spaces, and energy-saving features include doors on fridges and freezers, a heat reclamation system, LED lights and motion sensors in back office areas.

Local products on sale include Lincolnshire meat, bread and cakes from the society’s own bakers Gadsby’s and products from the Love Local range, sourced from smaller producers across Lincolnshire Co-op’s trading area.

At the opening ceremony, Co-op made £250 donations to two local causes – The Survey of Lincoln, a group that aims to compile and publish information about city history, and the Boultham Park Restoration Project.

Store Development Manager Matthew Wilkinson said: “As a co-operative, we share all our profits with the local community and part of that is investing in and improving our services.

“This new purpose-built community hub gives our customers better choice, a more pleasant shopping experience, parking and improved access.

“Having the post office inside the store is an extra convenience for shoppers and will also help to sustain that important community service in the long-term.”

The empty food store and post office units are being marketed to let by Banks Long and Co and would suit a range of potential uses.

A partner at Streets Chartered Accountants has been appointed as a new governor for the University of Lincoln.

Neil Gray, a Streets Corporate Finance Partner, is known across the region for buying and selling business, advising corporate finance transactions and helping businesses turnover up to £100 million.

In his new education role, he will be approving and monitoring key performance indicators against agreed objectives and helping to safeguard the University of Lincoln’s assets.

He starts the new job next month, for a term of four years.

Neil Gray said: “I am excited to be joining the University Board of Governors at such an interesting time and I look forward to fulfilling this challenging new role helping to shape the educational character and future direction of the university.

“I very much look forward to be playing in such an active role in the university’s development over the next four years, particualy advising on strategy and performance.

Paul Walsh, University Secretary, said: “We are delighted to welcome Neil to the Board of Governors. His professional expertise, affinity to the university and great understanding of the region’s business community will be a valuable addition to the Board.”

While businesses in Lincolnshire have reported continued improvement to trading conditions for the second quarter of the year, there are still a number of concerns, according to the latest economic survey.

The Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) studies Lincolnshire’s business economy every three months, to see how firms are coping throughout the year.

The report found that while businesses are still seeing improving trading conditions, their main concern is issues of supply and tight profit margins.

While domestic and overseas sales figures are much improved since those in 2009 and businesses have reported improved sales, the percentage is lower than last quarter.

Fewer local businesses in the exporting trade reported improved sales in overseas markets this quarter compared to last, which reflects the national challenges in exporting due to slow growth in markets.

Meanwhile in manufacturing, over half of businesses reported improved sales figures compared to almost a third of service sector businesses.

Though manufacturing also found more firms reporting worsening cash flow, with a small majority reporting improved profits in this quarter.

David Holt, Managing Director of BGB Engineering in Grantham, reflects this concern.

He said: “Sales figures have been increasing because people are now gaining more confidence in the market as it continues to improve and we move further away from the recession.

“Turnover is also now back to pre-recession levels and we have invested a high amount in growth including new CNC machinery, an extension, significant improvements to existing buildings and we have been involved in more exports.

“However, margins continue to stay the same and decrease as there is currently a high level of competition which is resulting in us having to drop our prices to keep the demand up.”

Strong resilience

Despite these concerns, Councillor Colin Davie, Executive Member for Economic Development at Lincolnshire County Council, feel businesses are still fighting the challenges well.

He said: “Despite the worst recession in decades Lincolnshire businesses have shown strong resilience from its worst effects. And now the recovery is fully underway it’s clear the county is well placed to move forward with optimism.

“We’ll continue to work with our partners to make sure Lincolnshire remains a place where business happens.”

Simon Beardsley, Chief Executive at Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce said: “The latest results suggest that business confidence across Lincolnshire remains high. We’re expecting overseas trading conditions to improve later in the year, but the positive headlines for the domestic market run alongside new concerns.

“Despite over a fifth of QES respondents saying that they planned to increase their workforce last quarter, many told us that that they face significant challenges finding skilled labourers to keep up with demand.

“While the current skills shortage may help the short term bargaining power for workers with the right skills, it also poses a risk to the momentum of economic growth when businesses that want to recruit more skilled staff find that they can’t, or that the cost to do so has significantly increased.”

David Mather, Economic Development Manager at South Kesteven District Council added: “The unemployment rate has fallen so the pool of people searching has got smaller, and the skillset of those searching are not always quite right for the workplace.

“Since the recession hit, businesses did not want to put money aside for training or investment as margins were tight. However, I think the situation will improve, businesses are becoming more positive as the economy stabilises and new opportunities are appearing.”

A print and document solutions company based in Lincoln will invest £5 million into a new strategy.

The Danwood Group are using the funds to further understand printing and document management needs of businesses across the UK and Ireland.

It will also be used to revamp the business, with streamlined workflow and improvements for customers. This includes staff training, upgrades of IT systems and customer-facing technology.

In particular, Danwood is looking into printing behaviours of organisations in 20 sectors across the UK such as legal, real estate, retail, construction and finance.

This includes looking at print types, volumes, number of devices in the field and user attitudes.

Steve Francis, CEO of Danwood, said: “The whole industry has focused on its own needs, rather than those of the customer, for too long. It’s time for change.

“Traditionally, print resellers have concentrated on ‘shifting tin’ and neglected to understand how printing and document solutions can help streamline businesses processes and drive efficiency.

“Our industry study gives us an incredible insight into what customers really want, and through our comprehensive business transformation programmes and our close relationships with all key OEMs, we can help bring about a distinct change in the document solutions market that will put the customer first and help position print and document solutions as important business-enablers for companies of all sizes.”