As the sun sets on the bustling Brayford Pool in Lincoln, architect and businessman Nigel Stevenson can proudly watch as his portfolio of contemporary creations illuminates. From an innovatively restored derelict warehouse turned university library, to landmark floating restaurants and a music venue that started life as a railway engine shed in 1874, the achievements of a once aspiring footballer have truly made their mark.

This feature interview was first published in issue 18 of the Lincolnshire Business weekly magazine, now available to read at www.lincsbusiness.co. Subscribe to the email newsletter to receive the latest edition in your inbox this Friday.

Although Stem Architects Director Nigel Stevenson, 49, describes himself as having always been artistic, he fell into a world of architectural design through a common family adversity. “There was a reason I didn’t go to university immediately,” he said.

“I grew up in a place called Mexborough in South Yorkshire and went to Doncaster Art College. My dad used to work in the coal industry but he’d been on strike for a year. It was for that reason that I took a few years out to earn some money before then going to study for my qualifications, which I did when I was about 21.” He added, “During my time out I was also playing semi-professional football and did, naively, at one point think I could make it.

“I studied art at school and I liked the idea of architecture, so I rang Hull School of Architecture to see my options. The Head of the School of Architecture at the time, Christopher Jones was the son of a coal miner. I told him why I’d had a few years out and a day later I got an unconditional offer.”

Nigel graduated from Hull School of Architecture in 1991 and went to work for the then University of Humberside on a new campus in Hull. “For political reasons that project got shelved,” he explained. “The Vice Chancellor at the time, Roger King, did a deal with the university project company in Lincolnshire to bring the University of Humberside into the county in the early 90s. I was then seconded to come down to Lincoln and work on the new university.

“We started a company called UL Architects which was owned by the University of Humberside & Lincolnshire, which later became the University of Lincoln when David Chiddick arrived as Vice Chancellor.

“I’ve worked on most of the university buildings in some capacity as project manager or as architect over the years. But when David Chiddick left in 2008, I set up Stem Architects Ltd and left the university with the architecture team to become a totally independent company. We’ve gone on to pastures new since then and built up a fantastic client base.”

Read the full story in issue 18 of Lincolnshire Business magazine now.

The Dog and Bone pub is celebrating being named the Lincoln CAMRA Branch Pub of the Year for the second year in a row.

The small pub, which was deemed a “hidden gem” among terraced houses off Monks Road, on John Street, came top in the judge’s vote and will now go forward to the Lincolnshire round of the competition.

The pub has been run since 2013 by husband and wife team Chris and Sarah Sorrel.

Having won the award in 2014, the Batemans’ pub went on to reach the final 16 of CAMRA’s national competition.

This year, the Lincoln branch competition was divided into two categories. Members voted for their favourite city pub and their favourite from the villages in the branch area.

A team of five judges then visited the top three pubs in each category to assess the quality of the beer, the atmosphere, service, community focus and value for money.

Sarah Sorrell, Landlady of The Dog and Bone said: “We were very surprised. We are a good honest pub, we don’t have pool tables or fruit machines. Our focus is on good Ale, good company and good friendships.

“Sunday night, everyone mixes together and it is a safe and happy environment. That is very important to us. It is the heart of the community.”

Aaron Joyce, Lincoln CAMRA chairman, said, “For the Dog and Bone to win the title for the second year in a row is credit to the hard work of Chris, Sarah, their staff and indeed their customers. But the competition was close.”

North Kesteven District Council’s plans for a new £2 million Teal Park development would create 19 units to support local businesses and create hundreds of jobs.

In response to a demand for smaller workspace units locally, NKDC plans to purchase 20,000 sq ft of land at Teal Park in North Hykeham – building into its £21 million capital programme for supporting business growth.

Subject to planning approval, the scheme would be designed and built by contractor Lindum Group.

The plans will be considered in April 2015 with building hoped to start in June and reach completion in November.

NKDC’s proposed units will be a range of sizes between 500 sq ft and 2,000 sq ft and the council is also seeking to create four more business units in Metheringham in addition to its 86 current units.

Councillor Marion Brighton OBE, NKDC Council Leader with Executive, said: “Our estate of almost 80 units in other areas of the district have maintained a 100% occupancy for some time now, which gives us the confidence to invest further in supporting expanding businesses through the provision of such high-quality space.

“As the council’s wider involvement in the LN6 project gathers momentum and progresses, the rationale and benefits of this investment become clearer and stronger by the day.”

The land is currently owned by Lincolnshire County Council and the park is shared by companies including Siemens’ turbine servicing plant and Lincolnshire’s Energy from Waste Facility.

On March 2, Taylor Lindsey was also awarded planning permission for 26,700 sq ft of new business space at its Teal Park site.

Plans to regenerate the Cornhill Quarter in Lincoln have so far been supported by 80% of residents and businesses as part of a £70 million commitment by Lincolnshire Co-Operative.

The Co-op launched a public consultation and revealed the plans for phase one of the new-look Cornhill Quarter on February 26.

Four out of five shoppers, residents and traders have said they would support the phase one proposals in a week long consultation which closes on Friday, March 6.

The Lindongate scheme, which has been developed by major landowner Lincolnshire Co-op, includes 30,000 m²  of new shops and restaurants, a 1,000 space car park and Transport Hub.

The planning application will be submitted in March, with work expected to start on site by early 2016.

Lincolnshire Co-op say the Cornhill regeneration would be completed by 2020 after a phased process of development.

The scheme will in large part be funded by the Co-op, however the City of Lincoln Council has allocated its own funds and secured a grant for the Transport Hub element.

Phase one of the project, which will cost around £12 million including land and buildings, will introduce five new units within the Corn Exchange, three new units within the stretch from 30a to 35 Sincil Street, and new kiosk units behind 34 and 35 Sincil Street.

Modern extensions to the existing Grade II listed Corn Exchange building will be stripped away and City of Lincoln Council is developing proposals for its Market Hall.

Lincolnshire Co-operative has reassured market traders concerned about the future of a market in Lincoln through the commitment made to Eunice Porter, head of the local branch of the National Market Traders’ Federation.

Businesses and market traders will undergo relocation under the plans and a freeze has been agreed for new market pitch applications to Central Market.

All of Lincolnshire Co-operative’s traders have been invited to individual meetings at which they will have the opportunity to specify their requirements and work will begin to find a suitable alternative location that all will be offered.

Lincolnshire Co-operative Chief Executive Ursula Lidbetter said: “We’re encouraged that our phase one proposals for The Cornhill Quarter scheme have prompted this level of response, with so much being positive.

“The scheme is the result of a huge amount of work, in which consideration has been given to many factors, particularly the likely impact upon our local residents, visitors and traders.

“We look forward to reviewing the final responses at the end of this week, before understanding and considering all the feedback as we take the next steps with the scheme.”

Developers have been given the go-ahead to build a new 350-home estate on the edge of Welton, near Lincoln.

The land, off Prebend Lane to the north of the village, is currently agricultural fields.

In a planning meeting on March 4, West Lindsey District Council granted outline planning permission to the development, subject to conditions.

The council has said that 25% of the new properties (87) must be affordable homes.

Of these, 56 will be constructed by the applicant, Beal Homes. The remaining 31 will be affordable retirement homes provided by LACE Housing Association.

In addition, Beal Homes has submitted a Unilateral Undertaking which, subject to planning permission, would oblige them to make a significant capital contribution of £500,000 towards works to improve the A46 Centurion Garage junction.

Capital contributions of £1,161,218 and £148,750 respectively are also required to address the rise in the number of school places and added strain on health care facilities in the village that the increase in population will cause.

Further conditions include providing suitable on-site sports facilities, constructing a suitable drainage system, and protecting the local Great Crested Newt population.

The council has also proposed a full archaeological investigation as parts of the site may have rare Roman and Iron Age artefacts of historical value.

The development has not been without its detractors, with the main objections concerning the size of the development and the strain it would put on services in the village.

Sir Edward Leigh, MP for Gainsborough, said: “The development will completely change the character of Welton as well as adding an extra burden onto services, schools and shops.

“The size and scale of proposed development is completely beyond what is acceptable.”

Councillor Diana Rodgers, ward member for Welton of WLDC, added: “The application affects the open countryside, the health centre is already over-extended, the schools are over-subscribed, and the parlous road network is under-funded and over-utilised.”

A brand new water taxi service will be entertaining people in Lincoln this summer.

Monna Owen, owner of the city’s popular Brayford Belle service, has launched a new American pontoon, named Paul’s Legacy in memory of her late husband.

Paul, who skippered the pleasure cruiser for 13 years, sadly died in November 2013.

Monna said: “My husband had wanted to launch this service for a long time, so I applied to the Canal and River Trust, who inspected the vessel to see if it was okay to be used by visitors. It has actually taken me a year to get the licence, but at last we are ready to go.

“The pontoon will be sharing the same mooring as the Brayford Belle – as they will alternate river trips. The water taxi will transport people to and from The Pyewipe pub, which is a 30 minute journey (one way) and to and from Burton Waters (45 minutes one way).

“People will just be able to turn-up to use the service, although the water taxi can be booked by private groups for social and special events. The daily service will run from Brayford Pool at 11.30am, 1pm and 2.30pm.”

Paul’s Legacy, which can transport up to 11 passengers, will be open for business from April 3.

For details of Lincoln Boat Trips, people can call 01522 881200.

A new opportunity for budding entrepreneurs is on the cards as a popular kids fashion store goes up for sale on The Strait in Lincoln.

Rubyred Kids Boutique business at 27 The Strait has three years remaining on the lease and has been placed on the market at £39,950.

The sale includes all fixtures, fittings, stock, customer base and suppliers details.

The store currently caters for newborn babies up to 4-5 years including clothing, gifts, and unique, colourful toys.

The premises has chandeliers and light wood floors, as well as built in storage and double frontage with big windows. There are also three stockrooms and a bathroom over the three floors.

The new owners of the business would be responsible for covering the rent and taking on the current three year lease.

Lucie Poole current owner of the shop, and sister business Rubyred Boutique, decided to sell the business after news that she was expecting her second child. She said: “We will be sad to see the shop go as we really put our heart and soul into it.

“We feel strongly that we would love a local person/persons to take over the shop, then they can obviously put their own stamp on, adding or changing brands or redecorating.

“With a central location just off the High Street, the tourist trail has good footfall without the huge rents you find a few hundred yards down the road as you hit High Street. It also benefits from the annual Christmas market which brings so much business to our doorstep at the beginning of every December.

“We are looking to sell the business as soon as possible as it will take a little time to deal with the paperwork and to exchange.”

Anyone who is interested in this new opportunity can contact Lucie Poole one 01522 567080 or email rubyredboutique@yahoo.com.

A planning application to build 120 homes in a village south of Lincoln has been unanimously rejected due to its scale and impact on local infrastructure.

The proposals by Gladman Developments to build the houses on land north of Thurlby Road and west of Lincoln Road in Bassingham were refused at a North Kesteven District Council planning committee meeting on March 10.

As previously reported, local groups and councillors have previously voiced objection to the large development in the village, which was given ‘Limited Growth’ status with 1,425 residents.

The committee’s recommendation was to approve the project, subject to a number of conditions.

However, all councillors in attendance were in agreement to reject the plans due to the size of the planned development, the impact on services, and the potential damage to the character of the village.

A representative from Gladman Developments was present, who explained the reasons for their application, their job creation plans, and the ways they planned to improve healthcare, schools and other village facilities.

Councillor Ian Carrington moved to refuse the application.

He said: “I believe that to progress this scheme would be contrary to our own planning policies and the National Planning Policy Framework.”

The motion was seconded by Councillor Sue Howe, who added: “Bassingham wants to remain village, not a town. An additional 120 homes would have an impact on the infrastructure of the village.”

Other councillors spoke at the meeting, outlining their opposition to the development.

Cllr Laura Conway: "This amount of housing is disproportionate to a village such as Bassingham, which has limited growth status" #NKplanning

— North Kesteven DC (@NorthKestevenDC) March 10, 2015

Cllr Pat Woodman: "If we keep on adding bits onto edge of Bassingham it will no longer be a country village" #NKplanning

— North Kesteven DC (@NorthKestevenDC) March 10, 2015

Cllr John Money: "This development will stick out like a sore thumb in a village like Bassingham" #NKplanning

— North Kesteven DC (@NorthKestevenDC) March 10, 2015

The meeting was attended by ticket only due to the interest it generated, with over 337 objections submitted to the district council by members of the public.

One of the objectors, Nicholas Squire, wrote: “Many residents are against this move and our stance has not changed.

“The problems identified still remain, poor roads, an overcrowded school and doctors surgery. Parking and increased traffic in the high street near shops is already difficult to navigate for those on foot. Disabled, elderly and young residents will be at increased risk of harm.”

Bassingham Parish Council and the Sustainable Bassingham Village Group also spoke of their fears about the development at the meeting.

Bassingham PC opposes application on grounds of 'bringing too many to the village, too quickly' and applicant 'is opportunistic' #NKplanning

— North Kesteven DC (@NorthKestevenDC) March 10, 2015

‘Lovely’ is a word which Pev Manners uses frequently, and it often pops up on his drinks company’s website too – so should we read anything into that? The answer has to be a resounding yes because Pev has turned Belvoir Fruit Farms – the table top business started quite innocently by his parents Lord John and Lady Mary Manners in the early 1980s – into a £15 million success story.

This feature interview was first published in issue 19 of the Lincolnshire Business weekly magazine, now available to read at www.lincsbusiness.co. Subscribe to the email newsletter to receive the latest edition in your inbox this Friday.

Refreshingly, there’s even more good news to come. In April, his 65-strong workforce will switch to a new complex costing £4 million, in Barkestone Lane, Bottesford, about two-and-a-half miles from its current home in the beautiful Vale of Belvoir.

“My late parents would never have imagined we would be where we are today, but I started making changes from the moment I joined the business and we’ve never stopped. We’re in a highly-competitive market and it is essential to keep innovating.”

So everything’s “looking lovely” for the business, then? “It is very exciting, it’s just a case of working hard to get everything to come together on the new site. For instance, we have three working shifts and we are having to ensure that we make sufficient quantities of our drinks to see us through the changeover period. We are already testing one of our two production lines,” Pev said.

“Ideally, I’d like to invest further and eventually add photovoltaic panels to the south and east faces of our new building, possibly install a biomass boiler and also create a reed bed for waste water, but with the cost of our capital build threatening to rise daily, we will have to do these other things in stages.

“However, one thing I am particularly proud of the fact that our investment will bring everything together within premises which we own, rather than lease, and that they are being constructed in a way which will allow for further expansion,” said Pev.

Read the full story in issue 19 of the weekly Lincolnshire Business magazine.

With a unique display of the county’s top advances in digital technology, the Lincolnshire Digital Conference was an inspiration for many businesses.

The event, at The Showroom in Lincoln, took place on March 10 with guest speaker Jason Bradbury demonstrating some of his favourite new technologies.

The TV personality not only entered the stage via a robot on wheels, but he also rode a futuristic hands free Hovertrax board throughout his talk.

Jason Bradbury said: “The good news is that now with the decentralisation of technology like 3D printing or rapid prototyping, Lincolnshire is set up to utilise those opportunities.

“There is a ground swell of expertise in the digital domain in Lincolnshire, which positions the county really well.

“In the digital sector Lincolnshire is doing brilliantly. We have broadband here, we have initiatives like today and we have the University of Lincoln offering incredible facilities.”

The conference highlighted that superfast broadband is helping businesses in Lincolnshire, having been rolled out to over 75% of the county in an Onlincolnshire and BT project.

See photos from the first Lincolnshire Digital Awards

Will King, Director of local business Epix Media, said: “With programs like Onlincolnshire having been rolled out over the last couple of years, wireless or satellite is now available; this helps people wherever they are to access faster connections.

“It has made us more productive; we can deliver faster, better services and be far more reactive. We now use it so heavily that we would be at a massive disadvantage if we didn’t have it.”

Councillor Colin Davie, Executive Member for Economic Development at Lincolnshire County Council, added: “I hope that people went away with a vision of what we are trying to do with technology in Lincolnshire. I want to make sure that it is a great place to live, work and play in and technology is key to that.”

Eight outstanding businesses were awarded for their use of digital technology and innovation at the first Lincolnshire Digital Awards.

The inaugural awards ceremony was hosted by Lincolnshire Business magazine at the DoubleTree by Hilton on March 10.

Tech guru and TV personality Jason Bradbury made a memorable appearance, beaming himself into a robot on stage to welcome everyone to the event, before gliding to the front of the room on a Hovertrax hands free hover board.

He then announced the winners and congratulated them on their awards.

BBC Radio Lincolnshire presenter Melvyn Prior hosted the evening, announcing that there had been over 60 entries for the eight categories.

Councillor Colin Davie, Executive Member for Economic Development, closed the ceremony with a speech encouraging delegates to continue to represent the county and innovate.

The winners were determined by a panel of six independent judges.

The unique awards presented on the night were created by the Lincolnshire Technology Hub at the University of Lincoln.

They were made using a mixture of 3D printing, CNC milling, laser etching and traditional woodwork – bringing together the past, present and future of technology.

Also see photo from the Lincolnshire Digital Conference earlier in the day

Dean Graham, Associate Publisher of Lincolnshire Business, organisers of the event, said: “When we formed the idea of a digital awards for Lincolnshire we didn’t know how well it would be embraced; there’s always an inherent risk that you can create something that no-one is really interested in attending.

“Luckily our expectations were surpassed, not just with the amount of nominations that were received, but the support from the creative industry in Lincolnshire has been fantastic to see.

“Lincolnshire Business magazine was designed to celebrate, promote and connect businesses within the region, and I think our first event has achieved exactly that.”

Tom Whittaker, Managing Director of Trade Clients and winners of Best Digital Startup award, said: “The scaleability of what we do, combined with the future potential, gives us a leap above the other competition but they all did very well; they all have very good businesses and, as a start up, we now have to put our money where our mouth is.

“Version two is about to be submitted to the app store, once that goes in it is about scale, boosting the numbers and getting our customer acquisitions is where we want them to be.”

Daniel Westlake, Managing Director of Artsgraphica, and winner of the Digital Business of the year, said: “There is so much good talent locally; we’re delighted to be honoured with this award. There is a real buzz around the digital sector at the moment and it’s great to be a part of that.

“Artsgraphica is a bit unusual in that we don’t offer online marketing services. Instead, we see the web as a place that helps business to work better, not just to sell more.

“I think events like the Lincolnshire Digital Awards are crucial in recognising and developing local talent.”

The Lincolnshire Digital Awards 2015 winners were:

Best Use of Digital Photography

Sponsored by Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce

• Double Red

Best Use of New Technology

Sponsored by Onlincolnshire

• broadbandrating.com

Best Use of Mobile Technology

Sponsored by Soper Of Lincoln

• Bluecube Telecommunications

Best Digital Startup

Sponsored by Barclays

• Trade Clients

Best Use of Multimedia

Sponsored by Lincolnshire Business

• Epix Media

Best Digital Campaign

Sponsored by The Lincolnite

• Hemswell Antiques

Innovation in Web Design

Sponsored by Think Tank

• Root Studio for lincolnshireshow.co.uk

Digital Business of the Year

Sponsored by Streets Chartered Accountants

• Artsgraphica

Look out for a full gallery, photo booth pictures, videos and additional highlights from the first Lincolnshire Digital Awards in Issue 20 of Lincolnshire Business Magazine on Friday, March 13. Subscribe to the email newsletter to receive the weekly magazine in your inbox.

An application to create a new 201-home estate off Newark Road in North Hykeham has sparked concerns from neighbouring residents about the impact on traffic congestion.

The applicants, Barratt & David Wilson Homes, plan to build 199 two to five bed houses and two four bed flats on the site between Mappleton and Nero Way.

A new link road would be constructed at part of the development, which will be considered by North Kesteven District Council.

As part of the plans, the developers have stated that they would provide open public spaces and land for education and shopping.

The application has already received a number of objections from local residents.

One person objecting said: “I live at Mappleton and have concerns about the extra traffic that will add to the already awful congestion on Newark Road.

“The queues of traffic at peak times and throughout the day are awful and add a lot of time to car journeys. This will only get worse with the traffic lights being used more.

“There aren’t enough buses at this end of Newark Road so people have to use their cars for convenience. Why do we need more houses? The infrastructure in Hykeham is already suffering.”

Another added: “Construction traffic and subsequent residents’ traffic will impact severely on the existing residents of Tiber Road and Taurus Avenue, causing noise pollution, overcrowding, congestion and health and safety issues.”

The first Lincolnshire Farming Conference brought together a range of businesses and organisations in the agricultural sector on Thursday, March 12.

The conference was held at, and organised by, Lincolnshire Showground in Lincoln, and was attended by around 275 people.

Delegates enjoyed talks, case studies and sessions with industry experts, from accountants to agronomists and machinery dealers.

Individual companies also had the chance to showcase their products and services.

Guests included main speakers Sir Peter Kendall from AHDB, president of the NFU for eight years, and Allan Wilkinson, Head of Agriculture for HSBC Bank plc.

Lincolnshire Showground CEO Jayne Southall said: “The idea behind hosting the first Lincolnshire Farming Conference was to bring people in the farming industry together, and it was built on the success of our Spring Conference.

“Until now, there was no farming conference in Lincolnshire. Today we’ve seen 13 speakers from a range of sectors talk to people about topics from accounting to technology advances.

“The closing item was particularly interesting because it discussed farming for under 35s.

“When we return with the conference next year we hope that even more young people will attend – especially will the exciting Riseholme College project ongoing.

“The event was a great opportunity for people to network and find out what’s going on in their area and we really want to build on that. There is so much on our doorstep.”

The number of shops in Lincoln fell in 2014, with more stores closing than opening, new figures have revealed.

Services network PricewaterhouseCoopers’ research, compiled by the Local Data Company (LDC), show that 25 stores in Lincoln closed in 2014, with just 18 shops opening.

Across the East Midlands, mobile phone shops, video stores and building societies suffered the most over the last year, with the number of mobile phone stores dropping by 24.58%.

There was a significant rise however in the number of pound shops, charity shops and financial advisors, with the number of pound stores rising by 11.9% and charity shops seeing a rise of 3.25%.

Andy Lyon, partner and retail expert at PwC in the East Midlands, said: “We’re again seeing the continued effects of the digital revolution and consequent change in customer behaviour play out on the high street – these trends have been with us for some time and we should expect the rate of closures to continue.

“As customers are embracing new digital and mobile technologies, traditional retail channels to market are being forced to integrate with online channels to respond to this change in behaviour. The impact of this is that many retailers are choosing to invest in their online offering, rather than their store portfolio.

“The future can be seen by watching the ‘digital natives’ at work and play – those who have grown up with online shopping, mobile phones and wide-spread broadband have a very different relationship with traditional high streets than the previous generations.

“Rather than try to recreate the past, the high street needs to evolve to be relevant to the future.”

Women from across the county were recognised for their success in the business world at the Angels Bring Business Awards, held at Doubletree by Hilton in Lincoln on Friday March 13.

The women only business club was co-founded by Wendy Spalding-Siracusa and Josephine Peacock. Wendy said: “The evening aimed to celebrate successful women in business, and to inspire others into starting their own enterprises.”

Recruitment specialist Amanda Watson was “over the moon” to be named Business Woman of the Year. The Managing Director of Ambitions Personnel, who is more used to giving jobseekers good news, received applause as she collected the Angel on Fire accolade.

Amanda, who started the business in Lincoln, was presented with her award by Sills & Betteridge LLP Managing Partner John Mitchell.

Amanda said: “This year marks the 25th anniversary of the company, which has a turnover of more than £40 million, 12 branches and 70 employees. I am proud to receive this honour, but the award is as much for my colleagues as myself.”

She pipped Belinda Darley of ABC Accounting Services to the top award and she joined five other overall prizewinners.

Kirsty Gale of Branston-based Red Carpet Ready found herself under the spotlight after beating Rachel De Caux and Paula Short of Beauty Boulevard in Lincoln to clinch the Angels Wings Unfurled award – for start-up business of the year.

Kirsty, who dazzled in a gold sequinned gown, received her award from the University of Lincoln’s Head of Business Incubation & Growth, Vicky Addison.

Kirsty said: “In the last 15 months, we have become one of the UK’s biggest dress stockists. We won Prom Queen on Channel 5. Our customers visit us from all over the UK, but we also sell worldwide and we are the nominated dress suppliers for Miss Great Britain and Face of The Globe.”

Sally Baker of Perfect Day Training & Development was equally thrilled when Lincolnshire Police Chief Superintendent Paula Wood presented her with the Angel Outreach Award, sponsored by Lincolnshire Business, which recognises excellence in commitment to the community.

HR Consultant and mum-of-four, Sally set up her business in 2006. In 2009 she got involved with her local Pre-School, Busy Bees in Sutton-on-Trent, putting in place processes and structures which allowed it to operate more efficiently.

“I am enormously proud to win this award. It is also for the staff of Busy Bees and I would also like to dedicate it to my mum Lorna Dyson,” said Sally.

Naomi Watkins of NW Consultancy Solutions was runner-up in this prize category.

The Active Angel Award was split between two winners: Running Imp International Managing Director Faye Yarwood presented the “key contributor to sport” accolade to Michelle Mortimer, who founded Witham St Hughes-based Witham Runners. Kim Baker of Skegness Amateur Swimming Club was runner-up.

Faye then congratulated delighted champion, off-road motorcyclist Emma Bristow, from Alford, as she presented her with the award for “top sportswoman.”

2014 was an amazing year for Emma, whose achievements included becoming World SuperEnduro Champion, World Trials Champion, World Team Trials Champion and Women’s British Trials Champion.

“It is difficult for girls to succeed in motorsport as a whole and the boys get paid so much more than me. It hasn’t always been easy but mum and dad have been there for me the whole time, now they can step back a bit,” she said.

Runner-up in this awards category was Lincoln’s Jade Etherington, the most decorated British female Paralympian in history.

Claire Hall, from Kirton Holme, near Boston, had every excuse to toast herself with a glass of her very own vodka iced tea, when she walked away with the Angel Manna Award – presented by Lincolnshire Chef Rachel Green.

Claire, who has successfully devised a range of award-winning drinks, recently celebrated starting to sell them online via Not On The High Street! Rachel Linstead of Firecracker was runner-up in the Angel Manna award category.

The evening also included a performance by Jan Jack of the Laughter Comedy Club, and the dinner menu featured recipes from the Women for Women International (WfWI) cookbook.

Guest speaker, WfWI Director of Fundraising & Marketing Shivonne Graham showed a short film about the charity – which helps women survivors of war to access the organisation’s life-skills and vocational training programme.

Its aim is to help these women to rebuild their lives and gain the skills and confidence to launch small enterprises which will support their families.

As an ongoing supporter of the charity, the Angels Bring Business Awards, ran a bumper raffle, which raised £625 for WfWI.

A new low carbon heating network is to serve parts of Lincoln and Hykeham, after Lincolnshire County Council secured a £80,400 grant to get the project off the ground.

The network, which would be powered by the Energy from Waste Facility in North Hykeham, has been given the funds from the Heat Network Development Unit, a team set up by the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Lincolnshire’s Energy from Waste Facility has been operational since 2014 and is now processing 150,000 tonnes of residual waste every year.

The facility recovers energy from the waste and uses it to produce electricity which is fed back into the national grid – enough to power 26,500 homes.

However, even after maximising electricity production, there is still a lot of heat energy contained in the low quality steam being produced at the site, which could be used to power a district heating network.

The grant will pay for expert studies and consultations into what can be achieved at the facility, and the areas the network could take in.

Routes and services that could be served include Teal Park, parts of North and South Hykeham, Hykeham Station, and possibly the University of Lincoln and city centre – depending on the feasibility of extending the network along the rail line.

The funding will also ensure that the council can develop a business plan to help attract commercial investment.

Lincolnshire County Council is contributing another £40,200 (making a total of £120,600) to fund the necessary studies to establish the viability of the Greater Lincoln District Heating Network.

Executive Councillor for Waste and Recycling, Reg Shore, said: “It’s really exciting news that heat generated will potentially go further afield than we originally anticipated.

“We need to reduce our carbon footprint and become a greener, cleaner society. A low carbon heating network would be far more energy efficient and cost-effective, meaning that the county council could transfer the money saved into sustaining services, instead of literally burning money.”

According to the government, an estimated 15% of UK heat demand could be cost-effectively met by heat networks by 2030, and around 40% by 2050.

Dr Rona Mackenzie started the year by creating a bucket list of 40 challenges to celebrate her 40th birthday. However, the Principal of the Lincoln University Technical College (UTC) is focused on making sure that her students get the best possible future in business.

This feature interview was first published in issue 20 of the Lincolnshire Business weekly magazine, now available to read at www.lincsbusiness.co. Subscribe to the email newsletter to receive the latest edition in your inbox this Friday.

With the support of her husband Paul and her three step children, now aged between 21 and 25, Rona has taken on a whole variety of activities from learning how to alpine and cross country ski to giving blood and milking a cow. But her biggest challenge has to be setting up the £7.5 million Lincoln UTC with only a blank canvas to start with.

“One thing that life has taught me is that every time you get an opportunity, you have to have a good look because you can always say no at the end. But if you don’t go through that door and try, you will never know what you missed.”

After graduating at university and training to be a PE teacher at the age of 22, Rona never imagined that she would end up as the Principal at a school specialising in science and engineering. Her career moved quickly and she took on every challenge that she faced along the way.

Rona helped to teach children who had been excluded or were about to be excluded in a mainstream school in Hertfordshire. “I became a head of year in my second year of teaching, then ran a house, then was second in PE and I did all sorts of things.”

When she heard about the new position for Lincoln UTC, Rona was the Deputy Head at North Kesteven School. It was not a challenge that she wanted to miss out on. Although she doubted that she would get an interview, she put in her application and surprised herself as the job was hers.

“This job came up and it was a blank canvas. There was nothing here. There were building designs and an education brief which gave a really good steer for opportunity but I had to make it into a reality. It was a huge challenge and they don’t come along very often.”

Read the full cover interview in issue 20 of the Lincolnshire Business magazine. Get the next issue on Friday in your inbox – subscribe to the newsletter.

Roadworks, transport schemes and innovation in Lincoln were among growth strategy highlights at an annual conference mapping a new-look city.

Around 100 representatives from local businesses and organisations attended the Lincoln Growth Conference at Lincoln Drill Hall on Wednesday, March 18.

With the theme Connecting for Growth, a series of presentations from business and council leaders focused on issues and opportunities around place, skills, innovation and partnership working.

The day celebrated the city’s growth achievements since the first city centre masterplan was drawn up in 2007, and looked ahead to new priorities moving forward with the Growth Strategy for Lincoln 2014-2034.

Combined projects underway in the city such as the Canwick Road works, the East West Link scheme and other highways developments, in addition to rail footbridges and parking strategies, were referred to as a “perfect storm”; regenerating the area.

There were nine main speakers at the event from local councils, Lincoln Business Improvement Group, Lincoln’s Science and Innovation Park scheme, Lincolnshire LEP and Visit Lincoln.

Creating a fresh, accessible city with welcoming facilities was a shared vision by speakers, and the partners behind disruptive ongoing roadworks said the inconvenience will be worth it in the long run.

Alan Aistrup, Head of Highways at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “Canwick Road is halfway through the project and still on programme. The East West Link road is set for an Autumn 2016 completion.”

Toby Forbes-Turner, Principle Planning and Regeneration Officer for the City of Lincoln Council, outlined the city’s new parking strategy, which was approved by the City of Lincoln Council Executive on Monday, March 16.

He said key issues addressed would be the quantity and quality of spaces, appropriate tariffs and updated payment methods such as pay-on-exit systems.

Deligates also heard from Matt Corrigan of Lincoln BIG and Emma Tatlow of Visit Lincoln on Lincoln’s retail landscape and changing visitor economy.

Tom Blount, Director of the Lincoln Science and Innovation Park, spoke about how the continuation of the park’s growth will feed into and expand local infrastructure and connections.

Amid standout Lincoln infrastructure growth projects in 2015 is the £25 million Lincoln Transport Hub, with new bus station, 1,000 space car park and dual purpose footbridges.

Angela Andrews, Acting Chief Executive at the City of Lincoln Council, said: “The Transport Hub is a really exciting project for Lincoln and for me the bus station is at the heart of that.

“Most of the things that we have heard about today within this perfect storm of growth have been planned for so long and it’s now coming to fruition. The key thing I would say to the public and the users of the roads, the bus station and our transport systems is ‘patience’.

“In terms of the Lincoln Transport Hub plans, as a whole there is a funding gap; we are talking about £3-4 million at the moment. We are working towards securing additional funding, and we are also looking at whether the scheme can be phased in some way so that we can deliver some of the key elements, like the bus station, first with the money that we have secured.

“Investment within the city centre will raise the profile of the city and that will help all of us, both private and public sector, to lobby rail operators; to let them know we are here and to bring electrification forward or more trains to and from London. The more we do the more strength we have.”

Vodafone has started its rollout of 4G voice and data connectivity in Lincoln.

Customers on Vodafone’s Red 4G plans in the city should now be able to connect to the internet more quickly, more reliably and in more places than before.

They should also be able to watch a wider range of music, sport, movies and TV either at home or on the move.

Rivals 02, EE and 3 already have a 4G network in the city, with the latter testing one out in the north and south of Lincoln.

Vodafone has now extended its 4G coverage to 460 larger cities, towns and districts as well as thousands of smaller communities across the UK.

The rollout of 4G is part of a £1 billion investment Vodafone is making in improving its network nationally.

The company plans to provide coverage using 2G, 3G or 4G services to 98% of the UK population.

Employers across Lincolnshire held a summit in Lincoln on increasing the number of jobs for disabled people in the region.

The event was one of a number of conferences hosted across the country to promote the Disability Confident campaign.

Lincoln MP Karl McCartney chaired the event and took questions from employers about how to improve and increase the recruitment of disabled people.

The Disability Confident initiative was launched by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in 2013 to encourage employers to become more confident about recruiting disabled people.

Businesses become Disability Confident employers by removing barriers in recruiting disabled people and hiring local disabled jobseekers.

Sponsored by employment, learning and skills charity, Shaw Trust, there was a presentation from Clare Gray, who spoke about how the charity helps employers eager to increase the diversity of their workforce.

Clare, Shaw Trust’s Specialist Disability Co-ordinator, is a wheelchair user with spinal muscular atrophy and has been a passionate advocate for the disabled community for many years.

The DWP also discussed the Access to Work scheme which pays for practical support when disabled people need help to start and stay in work.

Karl McCartney said: “It was great to learn more about how Lincolnshire employers are working closely with the disabled community to offer them employment opportunities.

“I welcome the targeted specialist support offered to disabled people so they can find work. We should never be complacent about reducing unemployment and the support we offer disabled people to fulfil their career ambitions.

“Disability Confident is helping to break down traditional barriers that have held progress in this area back. It is clear to me that employers are increasingly aware of the talents disabled workers possess.”

Roy O’Shaughnessy, chief executive of Shaw Trust, added: “Through our work with employers across the UK we are seeing an increasing number of businesses who are committed to recruiting more disabled workers.

“There has been a positive culture shift among employers who recognise the benefit of a diverse workforce and the Disability Confident campaign continues to make significant progress towards ensuring the job market is open and fair for all.”