Solihull
All the latest news, advice and events for the Solihull business community
Contact: Joan Smith T: 0121 678 7488
In Brief
A team of Year 4 budding engineers from Balsall Common Primary School recently won a place in the finals of the ‘F1 in Schools Challenge Midlands’. The competition is for primary school
students and involves designing and manufacturing the fastest car possible, by emulating the processes used by engineering companies. The children did not build a proper Formula
One car but one made out of cardboard, although it was designed using computer aided design software. And in order to ape the proper F1 teams, the children also had to source sponsorship for their cars. Howard Rose, director of funding and
publicity at Central Schools Trust, said: “We are always looking for new ways to excite our pupils as part of their learning. The F1 Schools Challenge is a fantastic way to encourage children into STEM (science, technology, Engineering and maths) subjects.”
A quiz night between competing Solihull businesses has raised more than £5,000 for charity. The event, at Solihull Municipal Club, was
the The Lloyds Commercial Banking Quiz Champion Team 2017. Eighteen teams took part, with the winner
being ‘In Our Prime’, (Prime Accountants) Runners up by a whisker, were ‘At Least We Beat Paul’s Team’ (Wallace Robinson & Morgan Solicitors), closely followed by FD Centre. The cash raised on the night went to Lloyds’
nominated charity, Mental Health UK. The bank who has committed itself to raising £2m this year for the charity, to help with the launch of a pioneering mental health and money advisory service.
Office technology supplier Midshire has donated 25 printers to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council’s children’s services division. Danny Walden, Midshire’s regional sales
manager, said: “Midshire is proud to support several important community projects and charities, and the work done by the Children’s Services division of Solihull Council is no exception. “It is so important to support the efforts that
help our young people get the best start in life so that they can become active and contributing members of the local community.”
Solihull’s Regency Hotel’s has opened its newly- refurbished gym, which has included the installation of various new equipment, including treadmills, cross-trainers, bikes and multi weight machines. There is also a special fitness area, designed
for fitness classes and personal training. Further refurbishment is planned for the gym’s changing facilities, as well as the hotel’s well-known Morrissey’s Bar re-opening to the public. Hotel general manager Bradley Shough said:
“2017 really is a year of transformation for The Regency. We are delighted to be in the position to make such enhancements to the hotel, to improve our guest’s experience and to ensure the facility is of the best possible standard.”
28 CHAMBERLINK June 2017
Innovation campus duo named digital leaders
A Solihull hi-tech entrepreneur – who is helping to find the borough’s apprentices of the future - has been named with his son as two of the UK’s ‘digital leaders’. The pair are Mick and Rich Westman, and they
are two of just three West Midlands business figures to be named in this year’s ‘Digital Leaders DL100’ list. Digital Leaders is described as ‘a global
initiative for promoting effective, long-term digital transformation across government and industries’. Mick and Rich are at the helm of two entirely
separate businesses, Kaido and Quick Code Labs. The former is based at Innovation Birmingham Campus, and is a ‘digital health and well-being platform’. Quick Code, run by Mick, is based at Solihull
College and is a not-for-profit venture is aiming to help find the apprentices of the future for local businesses. One of its key aims is to ‘future proof’
apprentices so they can successfully tackle the jobs of tomorrow. Mick said: “The current generation of
youngsters, those under 24, are the most digitally enabled generation of all time. Digital is part of their DNA and as digital leaders we need to find ways of embracing their skills and teaching them how to use them in the digital economy. I’m thrilled that QCL has been recognised in the Digital Leaders 100 list 2017.”
Digital leaders: Rich and Mick Westman Son Rich, who is CEO of Kaido, said: “I have
been inspired by many articles that I have read from a plethora of digital leaders in the health and tech markets. “This has enabled me to create a new and
innovative business in the health and wellbeing market that will transform the way people manage their own health using digital technologies. “It’s an incredible honour to have been
nominated and as one of only three digital companies shortlisted from the West Midlands, we look forward to flying the flag for the region at the awards dinner in June.” Kaido and Quick Code will now progress to
the DL100 awards dinner at St. Pancras Renaissance London Hotel on 22 June, where both have been nominated for awards.
Hotel gets the seal of approval
Hogarths Hotel Dorridge has won one of the industry’s top awards. The establishment has been awarded the 2017 ‘Gold Seal’, by the Good Hotel Awards, the highest accolade that is given to hotels in the UK. During the past year, Good Hotel Awards has
evaluated customer feedback and Hogarths has demonstrated ‘exceptional levels of customer satisfaction, service and value when compared to industry benchmarks’. In recognition of achieving this standard for
the past three years, the hotel has been awarded the ‘Gold Seal’. Group general manager Steve Quick said: “The
team at Hogarths are continuing to go above and beyond to deliver fantastic customer service and delivery of hospitality in all areas. “This is even more evident in the positon we
Seal of approval: Hogarths’ Mandy Hannigan and Jessica Oseman with ‘Gold Seal’ award
hold on TripAdvisor, where guests have now moved us to the fifth best hotel in the whole of the West Midlands. We have, for the third year, been awarded the Silver Star award by the AA hotel services and also retained our second rosette for culinary excellence."
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