Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has heaped praise on the outstanding work of a long-established packaging firm in Colwick.
The Wilkins Group has been recognised as spearheading the national reputation of not just East Midlands firms but businesses nationally, by Mr Hunt.
The award-winning family firm was one of around 100 ‘Business Champions’ honoured by the Chancellor during a recent visit.
Business champions are beacons of good business practice and Andre Wilkins, head of the Wilkins family and managing director of the company, was invited to represent the company at a reception at 10 Downing Street.
After praising the Wilkins family firm, the Chancellor said: “Local businesses are vital for our economy, our day to day lives and our communities. Creating jobs, supporting growth in a huge variety of sectors, their tireless hard work does not go unnoticed.
“As Chancellor, I see the contribution that local businesses make across the country to all our cities, towns and villages and this is something we can all be proud of. Not only do they bring immeasurable value to the economy, but they are also the heart and soul of so many of our communities.”
The praise from the Government is the pinnacle of a number of achievements for the Wilkins Group over the past few years, which has seen the firm named Midlands Family Business of the Year, win Best Business in the Pride of Gedling awards and launch its multi-million-pound 50,000 sq ft Phase 3 factory extension at its UK headquarters at Colwick Industrial Estate.
The three-acre addition to the site also aims to bring further investment in numerous new machines, capable of assisting in the current demands of the wider food packaging sector.
Mr Wilkins, who was just 17 when he helped his father Ken set up the firm in a room in a house in Talbot Street in 1963, said: “It was an honour to get invited to meet the Chancellor.
“It really is a spin-off from the massive investments we have been making in the last 12 to 18 months, creating more highly skilled jobs to grow the business at a higher level.”
He added: “Mr Hunt was very supportive, and was keen to give recognition to key businesses, particularly family firms, that are supporting the local economy.”
The firm – well-known for designing the LED light base for Marks & Spencer’s festive snow globe liqueurs and supplying packaging to leading supermarkets – hopes to have a £70m turnover in the next five years.
The company’s headquarters are in Gedling and Mr Wilkins was invited to the reception by the constituency’s MP, Tom Randall, who gave him a tour of the Houses of Parliament beforehand.
Mr Randall said: “Thank you to the Wilkins Group for investing in and expanding its Colwick head office and employing so many local people.”
The Wilkins Group, a family-run carton packaging supplier, now has manufacturing hubs in Colwick, Eastern Europe, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, China and the USA, employing 340 people in Nottingham and around 500 globally.
Proposals for a new art block at the Redhill Academy, Redhill Road, Arnold, Nottingham NG5 8GX have been submitted to Gedling Borough Council Planning by CPMG Architects acting as agents on behalf of the academy.
The proposed single storey art block will provide 5 classrooms, of which 4 will be art studios, 2 changing rooms, 2 office rooms, plus storage & WC facilities on a single storey over 718 sq. metres.
A design and access statement completed by CPMG Architects advises that the proposed new block is to be sited to the west side of the existing school building on an area currently covered in grass.
Visuals of the proposed new block Courtesy of Gedling Borough Council Planning
The statement further states that a simple rectangular block will sit along the existing internal vehicular road opposite of the current school block on the north. Art studios and a classroom with accompanying facilities will directly face the existing school forming a courtyard to the existing parking area.
Proposed location of the proposed new block (Courtesy of Gedling Borough Council Planning)
The school currently caters for pupils between ages 11 to 19 with a total of 1600 pupils enrolled. Redhill was the first secondary school in Nottinghamshire to be awarded an “outstanding” Ofsted rating for the quality of its teaching, a distinction they have been awarded twice in succession.
Full details on planning application 2023/0588 can be accessed HERE
A year ago this week the first issue of This is Gedling was distributed across Gedling borough and now the 100% independent Free Not for Profit magazine has celebrated its first birthday with the publication of Issue five.
The magazine features forty pages of news, features and lifestyle articles all about the borough as well as puzzles, games reviews and more.
This is Gedling was created as a Not for profit group by independent publisher Swift Publications, with support from the team at Gedling Eye.
Magazine publisher Justin Doddy said at the launch of the magazine last year that he decided to publish the magazine after spotting a need for a high quality printed magazine in the borough.
He added at the time: “Digitally I think the borough is pretty much covered but there wasn’t really anything on the market covering local news in depth in print.
“Not everyone can get online or access digital news so hopefully now they can read about news in their neighbourhoods the old fashioned way.”
A year later Mr Doddy is overwhelmed with the popularity of the magazine and said: “We have made changes to our magazine over the year following feedback from our readers who have been telling us what they want to see and read in the magazine and we have added a crossword, a letters page and even added a games review.
“Our magazine is now in our very own dump bin in The Bonington in Arnold – I have to keep topping it up every week until we run out of magazines – amazing!.
“Whether you are a lover of digital reading on the go or like to relax, have a coffee and a slow read while appreciating the smell and touch of the printed word you can access our magazine for free.
“Also, although we deliberately limit our advertising as This is Gedling is not an advertising magazine we can’t thank our advertisers enough as they keep us going, these include Notts County FC, A W Lymn, Lindsay Finance, Taste First, Joy 2 Care, Netherfield Post office, Keepmoat Homes, The Bonington Theatre / Cinema and Mapperley Golf Club.”
Mr Doddy added: “I would specifically like to thank the Jigsaw Foundation for funding earlier this year which made a big difference to our group”
If you run a venue and would like to stock This is Gedling, you can contact the team to organise a free delivery here: https://thisisgedling.co.uk/contact-us/
A hair cutting charity event was hosted at Sashas Bar on Front Street, Arnold today (18) when 9 year old Casey from Arnold cut her beautiful hair and donated it to the Little Princess Trust.
The charity will now receive Casey’s hair and over £700 from Casey’s supporters who donated to the great cause.
The Little Princess Trust provides free real hair wigs to children and young people, up to 24 years, who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment or other conditions.
BeforeAfter
The fund raising event included a raffle with prizes donated from a lot of local businesses including a £30 drinks voucher from Sashas, a family ticket to Flora Lands park, an afternoon tea for 2 at the Market Place café at the AMP, wine tasting at Taste First (also at the AMP) and Full Circle Parties who donated the balloons as well as a raffle prize.
A Gedling church has been awarded vital funding to provide help for local children and families throughout the school holidays.
Eagle’s Nest Church received just over £5,000 through the Jigsaw Foundation, part of local housing provider Jigsaw Homes Midlands, which set aside £45,000 to help groups, projects and charities in the region.
The money is being used to help fund a free breakfast club, held at Killisick Community and Children’s Centre in Arnold, three times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 9:30am to 11:30am.)
During all school holidays, a free hot breakfast is provided for children under the age of 11 and their parents or carers, alongside activities for the children, as well as a packed lunch that they can take away with them.
The breakfast club, which is run by members of Eagle’s Nest Church, also provides the opportunity for parents to connect with other people. They can be signposted to any help or support they may need, such as debt management, help with application forms and mental health support.
On average, around 60 children and their parents and carers visit the club each day but it is estimated that up to 210 children and their parents/carers from the Killisick and Arnold area will benefit from this project each week during school holidays.
Pictured: Eagle’s Nest Breakfast Club Volunteers (PHOTO: Jigsaw Foundation)
The club was set up and organised by Gary and Tina Leonardi who have previously volunteered for a homeless charity making meals and realised nothing similar was being done for children in the local area.
Gary and Tina said, “The take up has been amazing; even better than we imagined and it has already got a real community feel. Parents have told us that the children love coming and really look forward to it, and our volunteers say it is giving them a sense of purpose too, so it’s bringing us all together.”
Julie McGlynn, Neighbourhood Engagement Officer and part of the Jigsaw Foundation team said: “No-one is currently providing anything like this for children in the area and the cost of living crisis means this project is required now more than ever before. We are delighted to be able to give funding to help support more families in our communities.”
Due to the success of the project, and places booking up, Eagle’s Nest Church plan to continue running the club for 13 weeks, to include other school holidays.
Anyone who is interested in attending the breakfast club, or would like further information, should go to the Eagle’s Nest website https://www.eaglesnest.org.uk/visit.
The Jigsaw Foundation allocates £450,000 each year to resident groups, charity projects, voluntary organisations, social enterprises and partner agencies in areas where it works, across the North West and East Midlands.
The next round of funding will be open in April 2024 for applications. More information on how to apply and eligibility, can be found on the Jigsaw Foundation website.
A relatively quiet week in the planning department with a new Pergola planned for The Inn for a Penny pub and a new art block planned for Redhill Academy being amongst the applications submitted to Gedling Borough Council and validated over the last week.
Here is a round-up of the latest plans that the council’s planning officers validated this week (w/e 18/8/23) and will now decide on.
Redhill Academy have issued a statement commending this year’s A-level students, saying that they have shown incredible determination and an impressive commitment to their studies.
Head of Redhill Sixth Form Charlie Barlow said, “The sixth form team are thrilled by the excellent results achieved this year. It is a privilege to work with such a hard-working and talented group of students. We look forward to hearing about their future success as each student follows their chosen pathway whether this is University, competitive apprenticeships or employment.”
An Academy spokesperson added that ‘Each students set of results welcome an exciting personal and professional future, the result of much hard work and focus. The unwavering commitment of these talented students has paid off with students taking up places at their first or second choice university many of whom have been offered a place at Russell Group universities, a remarkable achievement given the fierce competition this year.
“While we hope that all our students are pleased with their outcomes, we are thrilled to congratulate the following students who have achieved an impressive string of A* and A grades:
“Paul Hurst achieved exceptional results with 3 A* and 1 A grade. Others achieving A* and A grades are Alex Linford, Charles Cogdon, Theo Pearce, Sam Berthels, Aimie Taylor, Elliott Taylor, Toby Bond, Ramiz Akhtar and Lucy Barham. Also celebrating straight A’s are Tim Lindars, Arun Paterson and Abbie Ward.
“We also wish to congratulate Caitlin Clarke, who will be studying French and History at Oxford University after achieving A*, A, A.”
The Redhill Academy is a part of the Redhill Academy Trust.
Goals from Romello Nangle and Alex Howes maintained Carlton Town’s perfect start to the season with a 2-1 win against Sheffield at Stoke Lane.
In a hard fought encounter which contained some controversial refereeing decisions, the Millers also saw another penalty saved and had to resist fierce Sheffield pressure at times. But overall they were good value for the win which saw them move to fourth in the early-season table with six points from two games.
Mark Harvey and Tommy Brookbanks made one change from the side which won at Pontefract last time out with Khyle Sargent returning for the absent Greg Tempest. Amongst the superb crowd of 229 was Nottingham Forest Ladies captain Lyndsey Harkin, the club’s guest speaker on the night, and former Millers legends Josh Thornton, Ruben Wiggins-Thomas and Martin Ball.
Sheffield had the first opportunity when Luke Mangham sent over a dangerous cross but there was no one on the end of it. Carlton then failed to clear a corner and Benni Ndlovu saw his effort cleared off the line by Lamin Manneh.
Manneh had Carlton’s first effort on goal but Jordan Pierrepoint saved comfortably. At the other end Felix Annan was called upon to save a well-struck free kick from Rory Coleman.
Alex Howes was voted man of the match (Carlton Town TV)
Both sides were cancelling each other out in midfield, but Carlton were starting the gain the ascendancy when they were awarded a penalty on 41 minutes. A Lewis Durow throw-in to David Adegbola saw the full back’s cross strike the arm of Sam Greenhouse. The decision seemed a little harsh and Pierrepoint will have thought justice was done when he dived low to his right to keep out Sargent’s spot kick.
Moments later Manneh fed Niall Hylton and his drive flew just wide.
Club had the final chance of the half when Annan couldn’t keep hold of the ball and Ndlovu’s cross-shot went just beyond the far post.
Carlton pushed forward early in the second half without getting behind the Sheffield defence while Dan Brown had to be alert to see off a couple of dangerous counter attacks. Sargent and Michael Ford were busily effective breaking up Sheffield possession and it was Carlton who looked the more dangerous.
The game’s most controversial moment came on the hour. Adegbola sped down the right, darted past Luke Aldrich who grabbed hold of his shirt outside the area. He kept hold of it as Adegbola ran into the box before going down. The referee, who was in a good position, awarded another penalty to Carlton to the fury of the Sheffield players, who claimed what foul there was had been committed outside the area. The referee spent some time conferring with his linesman before confirming the penalty, which Nangle duly fired into the corner of the net.
The Millers were now on the front foot and when Pierrepoint failed to clear a corner, a Nangle shot was cleared off the line by Coleman. Howes then burst forward and saw a shot blocked with Nangle slipping as he was about to latch onto the rebound.
Dean Freeman then flicked on a Durow throw-in which was begging to be tapped in only for no-one to be at the far post.
The second goal that Carlton were threatening arrived on 78 minutes and it was a beauty with Howes volleying home a Niall Davie corner from the edge of the box.
Sheffield to their credit refused to give up and Annan did well to save from Greenhouse before Connor Cutts volleyed high over the bar from a good position.
Dan Brown then blocked twice as Club pushed forward and with the game in the third minute of six added minutes Club were awarded a penalty of their own when Annan was adjudged to have fouled Mangham. Mangham himself converted the penalty but held on for the final few minutes to secure the win and send the majority of the crown home very happy indeed.
Carlton Town: F Annan, D Adegbola (S Thompson-Harris 76), L Durow, D Brown, D Freeman, M Ford, L Manneh, K Sargent, R Nangle (M Jawarra 74), A Howes, N Hylton (N Davie 76). Unused subs: N Liburd-Hines, L Gorman
Goals: R Nangle 64 (pen), A Howes 78; Luke Mangham 90 (pen)
Fri 18 – Wed 23 Aug, Various Times £6.80pp / £5.00pp on Tuesdays
To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken.
From Oscar-nominated writer/director Greta Gerwig (Ladybird, Little Women) comes Barbie, starring Oscar-nominees Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken! Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colourful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.
Fri 18 – Thu 31 Aug, Various Times £6.80pp / £5.00pp on Tuesdays
In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, after years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.
Fri 18 – Thu 31 Aug, Various Times £6.80pp / £5.00pp on Tuesdays
Written and directed by Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk, Inception, Interstellar), Oppenheimer is an IMAX®-shot epic thriller that thrusts audiences into the pulse-pounding paradox of the enigmatic man who must risk destroying the world in order to save it.
The film stars Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer and Emily Blunt as his wife, biologist and botanist Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer. Oscar® winner Matt Damon portrays General Leslie Groves Jr., director of the Manhattan Project, and Robert Downey, Jr. plays Lewis Strauss, a founding commissioner of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.
The quiz is a Web based quiz so a phone tablet or laptop will be needed – don’t worry if not 100% with technology it’s really easy and our team are on hand to support if needed
Hello there comedy fans. The award winning Comedy Hotspot have teamed up with the wonderful Bonington Theatre to bring you the very best in British Comedy. So, who is coming to entertain you on launch night?
I can tell you this, we will have probably the finest line up of live comedy anywhere in the UK that evening, and here’s a little more information on each act.
MC – STEPHEN GRANT
A repeat award winner of Best UK Compere, Stephen Grant has written for some of the best in Britain and is widely regarded as being one of the very top TV warm ups!.
DAVID LONGLEY
Longley has found himself headlining comedy clubs all over the country and is without doubt one of the best comedians working in the UK today.
TAL DAVIES
A multiple award winning Brummie and a rising star of British comedy, her deadpan style sees her deliver a blend of sarcastic, observational humour with self-deprecating stories based on her own life experiences.
STEPHEN BAILEY
The multi-award nominated star’s indecorous brand of gossipy humour has singled him out as one of the UK’s most sought-after talents for comedy. You may have seen him in shows such as Live At The Apollo, Unbreakable, co-host on Date or Drop alongside Amanda Holden, Would I Lie To You, Richard Osman’s House of Games, Strictly: It Takes Two, Pointless Celebrities and The Stand Up Sketch Show to name just a few. A superstar in the making – British Comedy Guide
To make this the perfect evening of live comedy, we need an audience up for a laugh. Is that you? Come and join us and see what an award winning comedy show looks like…
Please contact venue to confirm availability and details
A quick word from ‘This is Gedling’ Magazine who sponsor The Vibe
Covering the whole of Gedlng borough ‘This is Gedling’ magazine is being distributed now – you can pick up a FREE copy at your local pub, club, venue, theatre, takeaway.
This is Gedling is a Not for Profit (NfP) community initiative that depends on the support of advertisers, contributors, readers and donors to continue to bring FREE borough news and general interest content to the all 46 square miles and 120k residents of Gedling borough.
A wanted criminal was arrested after police found him hiding in a loft space behind a chest of drawers at a property in Calverton.
Magistrates issued a warrant for Michael Wilson’s arrest after he failed to comply with the requirements of a post-custodial sentence.
The 48-year-old – who has over 150 convictions on his record – was jailed for 30 weeks in August 2022 after he admitted possessing Class B drugs and handling stolen goods.
He was released on licence mid-way through his sentence and told to attend appointments with both probation and drugs support workers.
However he frequently missed appointments and a warrant for his arrest was issued by magistrates on 8 August.
He was arrested on Tuesday (15) after Gedling Operation Reacher officers searched Wilson’s address in Labray Road and found him hiding in a loft space behind a wooden chest of drawers.
He appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court today (16) and was jailed for 14 days for failing to meet a supervision requirement.
Sergeant James Carrington, of the Gedling Operation Reacher team, said: “Failing to comply with sentencing requirements is a serious matter and will not be tolerated.
“Wilson’s efforts to avoid arrest failed miserably and we are pleased to have returned him to the courts to face the consequences of his actions.
“This is a great example of the tenacity of my team even when individuals do their best to evade us. We will always go the extra mile to capture these people and put them before the courts.”
