December 2018 Meeting Shorts
Whoever had the great idea of making it Christmas jumper day at Newark Business Club couldn’t have picked a warmer morning! As the club members arrived for the last meeting of 2018, the Everyday Champions Conference Centre felt like a furnace underneath layers of festive knitwear. Thankfully, there was lots of Christmas cheer in the air, making this one of the jolliest club meetings I’ve been to… we even ended up singing!
And through it all…
Get the Edge were the meeting’s sponsors, and the business and executive coaches woke up the audience by getting us all to sing-along to Robbie Williams’ Angels – It turns out that not only does Newark have a thriving business scene, we’re also not a bad bunch of singers! (Auditions for the NBC Choir will be held in the New Year – right, Kerri?)
Every month, we draw two business cards from a bowl, with the winning newcomer winning an advert in the Newark Advertiser. The winning returning member was Kevin Guthrie of MindCoaching Solutions.
Unlike many training companies, all of MindCoaching Solutions trainers are working therapists who take what they’ve learned in the therapy room to deliver workshops for businesses and individuals. We don’t get taught how to deal with conflict, stress and anxiety in school, we often bumble through life coping and thinking that if we ignore our emotions, they will go away.
MindCoaching Solutions trainers help individuals to develop new ways of thinking, thereby helping team members become happier, more content and of course more productive in the workplace. To find out more about how Kevin and the team can help you, visit www.mindcoaching.solutions.
Roundabout roadworks
Anyone who’s used to commuting in and out of Newark at peak times will be all-too familiar with the roundabouts on the A46; particularly the hellish roundabouts that connect the A46 to the A1. Paul Valentine from NMCN which works with the Highways Agency explained that, finally, work will begin in January to make these roundabouts – and the Cattle Market roundabout – a little bit safer.
These won’t be the major works which we’re probably all crying out for but they will resurface the roundabouts, repaint the markings and make a few tweaks that could avoid some of the problems that road users encounter.
Some of these roundabouts will have the entrances and exits made wider, the cattle market roundabout will have its pedestrian island made a little smaller to help turning lorries, and the roundabout by the Friendly Farmer will have the number of lanes entering it from Lincoln reduced from four to three.
This all seems sensible stuff, and I know that repainting the lines will go along way, because you literally can’t see them in some places but as Paul explained, these are small tweaks and not a silver bullet that will solve all our problems. Thankfully, all the work will be carried out at night between 8pm and 5am, so it shouldn’t cause too many problems during rush hour.
Newark Book Festival
This summer, 3,454 book-lovers came into the town for Newark Book Festival; a celebration of all things literature with 11 venues hosting 59 events. Organiser, Sara Bullimore took to the stage to share the exciting news about the next festival which is to be held on 12th-14th July 2019. Bestselling author, Matt Haig (who grew up in Newark) headlined the festival this year, joining 121 other artists and creatives who took part in the festival.
Sara hopes to make Newark Book Festival into one of the UK’s top 10 literature destinations but to help build the festival, she needs the support of the town’s businesses. Sponsors benefit from being included in the festival’s publications and pamphlets, social media mentions and press activity… and they have the chance to help a growing festival put Newark on the map and promote reading and learning in the community.
The festival has until January to meet its funding targets, so visit www.newarkbookfestival.org.uk for more information on how to sponsor the 2019 event, which has the theme ‘home and away’ and promises to take visitors ‘Around the World in 80 Books’ while celebrating all things Newark and Nottinghamshire.
#ProjectEncouragement
Rachel Wilson from Newark Childrens’ Bereavement Centre added yet more Christmas cheer to proceedings with a raffle for members to win tickets to visit Father Christmas as Newark’s Newest Santa’s Grotto.
The raffle raised £44.37, so a huge thank you to all those that bought tickets or made donations and to the Business Club and Newark & Sherwood District Council for donating their tickets to be raffled.
The money will be added to the other grotto funds and the profits will be split between the Children’s Bereavement Centre and Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance
The vicar of St Mary Magdalene Church, Rev. David Pickersgill was next on the stage to give us all some words of encouragement: In the run up to Christmas, he’s asking us to encourage one another through #ProjectEncouragement.
We all know that it feels good to receive warm words and support from others and so letting someone know that they are valued and appreciated is good for morale, good for business and it helps us all towards our goals. You can support the project by displaying posters, sharing a Christmas card or sending someone a nice message on social media using the hashtag. As Rev. David says: “In this time when the world might feel a bit dark, let’s spread some light and some encouragement to those around us.”
Wrapping up 2018
That’s it for Newark Business Club in 2018 – we’ll be back for our next meeting on Friday 11th January 2019 so enjoy your time off. Remember, newcomers to the club can join us for free at their first meeting until March so spread the word and invite other businesses to join us: the more the merrier!
Thank you from Kerri and the whole team to everyone who’s helped and supported Newark Business Club throughout the year.
Merry Christmas everyone and have a Happy New Year!
Sponsor a Meeting
Want to see your name on the big screen? Please contact Simon Shaw, Club Vice Chair, to find out more about our sponsorship opportunities. For a one-off payment, you will get 10-minutes in front of a range of businesses at one of our meetings and we’ll use your logo and business details in our marketing materials.
We’ll also give you a shout out on social media and share images of your presentation during the meeting before writing you up for a feature in the Newark Advertiser.
Join the club
New to the area? Just set up your own business? Or in a new role? Why not join us for our next business club?
We’re a group of supportive, welcoming and approachable people representing a range of different disciplines and businesses from across Newark and the surrounding area.
Each meeting takes place at the Everyday Champions Centre in Newark on the first Friday of the month, 7am-9am. Entry is £7 and includes free tea and coffee, with breakfast rolls available to purchase during the break.
Got a question about joining us? Get in touch via social media and ask a question or read through some of our recent updates on our website. Follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/newarkbc or search for Newark Business Club UK on Facebook.
In the meantime, you can find out more about the club and sign yourself up to receive our newsletter via the website: www.newarkbusinessclub.co.uk.
By David Sykes – Carrington Communications
Carrington Communications is a PR agency based in Lincoln with a strong client base in Newark. They specialise in traditional public relations, helping companies to reach the audiences that matter to them through the media. They also offer SEO and social media management. Clients include startups, SMEs, charities and large organisations.
