December 2020 Meeting Shorts
By Lisa Harrison – LJH Copywriting
December – the last month of the year and the last Newark Business Club meeting of 2020. And what a year it’s been.
Proudly displaying her ‘I love Santa’ jumper, Kerri McGarrigle, Chairman of Newark Business Club, swiftly got the meeting underway.
This month’s sponsor
Buttercross Estates were this month’s sponsor. Daniel Otton, Managing Director, began his ‘There ain’t no such thing as a free mince pie’ presentation by introducing the business. Daniel launched Buttercross Estates in 2015 to provide a better letting service. This was achieved within two years when they were named the best letting agency in NG24, Newark and Nottinghamshire by AllAgents.co.uk. An accolade they still hold today.
The business has recently introduced a new property sales service. Daniel and the team want to differentiate themselves from other estate agents by providing excellent customer service, keeping things simple and embracing modern marketing techniques, such as 360 tours and WhatsApp viewings.
Daniel explained the complexity of valuing a property and described it as being a mixture of art and science. At Buttercross, they look at £ per sq. ft of sold properties and also compare against houses currently on the market. If you’re after a basic valuation, you can look at online valuation tools, such as Zoopla.
The meeting then took a dramatic turn. Daniel and Kerri McGarrigle played a quick game of Higher or Lower, comparing the value of properties from across England. Tensions were high as they approached the end of the game – Kerri had to guess correctly on the final property to win a Loft mince pie. Luckily, she hit the nail on the head.
Daniel also explained how he and the team are dedicated to helping the local community. They often get involved in local initiatives like Keep Newark Tidy and Sleepout Newark and Sherwood. Daniel’s a member of the Newark and District Round Table who do a lot to support the local community. This year Buttercross Estates are pledging that for each new property they list between now and January 2021 they’ll donate £200 to Newark Round Table.
Daniel made everyone’s day when he ended his presentation by telling us that he’d reserved some Loft mince pies for NBC members to enjoy.
For more information visit: www.buttercrossestates.co.uk or call Daniel Otton on 07742 850879 or 01636 343014.
It’s fun to learn about YMCA
Following the first table networking session, Todd Cauthorn, Executive Director of Newark’s YMCA Activity Village and Tom Dyke, Corporate Finance Manager at Triodos Bank, shared news of the YMCA Activity Village.
The Village is described as a place for young people and families to belong, contribute and thrive.
The entire ethos of the YMCA is embodying the following three main priorities:
- Healthy living
- Youth development
- Social responsibility
These priorities are reflected in the facilities and activities that form the Activity Village.
From YMCA Digital (empowering young people to develop creative talents through digital media and creative arts) to sports programmes such as Friday Running Club and Pushy Parents (exercise with strollers) – there is literally something for everyone to enjoy.
For more information on the activities currently available, visit www.ymcanewarksherwood.org
Todd also gave us an overview of the facilities available for use, including, running tracks and multi-use games areas for tennis, basketball and netball.
With big plans for the future, expect to see more from Todd and the team. They’re planning to introduce a nursery, health suite and an education wing that includes a rehearsal space, a recording studio and radio station facilities.
By partnering with leading sustainable bank – Triodos Bank, the YMCA Newark and Sherwood team are putting together the funding to make these exciting plans happen. They’re also aiming to have 1200 learners take part in their education projects and launch 38 apprenticeships by 2024. The YMCA Activity Village will also create 137 full-time jobs.
Tom Dyke from Triodos Bank told NBC members that they’ve raised over 60% of a £3million crowdfunding target. The deadline to achieve the final figure is on the 21 December and they’re confident that they’ll raise enough money to forge ahead with their plans.
Visit www.triodoscrowdfunding.co.uk/invest/2661 if you’re interested in finding out more about the opportunities to offer financial support. You’d be backing community investment and helping young people to thrive.
Welcome to Robert Jenrick
After a festive round of table networking where local retailers held a virtual Christmas market, Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government joined the meeting.
Robert wished everyone a Merry Christmas and informed us on the latest pandemic news. He explained the reasons why Newark and Sherwood were put into Tier 3. He said that there were a high number of cases in the over 60’s. However, if we work hard at adhering to the regulations in place, there’s a chance that parts of both Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire could move into Tier 2 on the 16th December.
He mentioned that plans for late-night shopping has been well received by local councils and retailers who are now able to take advantage of this as we move into the festive season.
Looking ahead to the new year, Robert Jenrick said now the vaccine has been approved, we can see a clear path signalling the end of the pandemic. He explained how the UK has secured the largest number of vaccine doses and the government’s aim is to have the vulnerable fully vaccinated by Easter 2021. Great news for business planning.
After a Q&A session, Kerri thanked Robert for attending before bringing the meeting to a close.
Thank you to everyone who attended the Newark Business Club sessions throughout 2020. Kerri and the committee would like to take the opportunity to wish you all a merry Christmas and a prosperous & healthy New Year.
Business Club Desk calendars are now available to Collect from G.H Porter Provisions in the Market Place and from Buttercross Estates, The Beacon, Cafferata Way Newark Nottinghamshire NG24 2TN Call Daniel on 01636 343014 if collecting from the Beacon.
