Why teamwork will make the dream work

Here, in his latest monthly column reflecting on the news over the past month, our Press and PR Executive Robin Johnson looks at the headlines.

Never before did I think I’d be shelling out cash for the workplace Secret Santa and a World Cup sweepstake in the same week.

I don’t know about you, but I’m still trying to get my head around watching the world’s greatest football tournament while it’s cold and dark outside. As if 2022 hadn’t been disorientating enough!

Oh well, at least it’s a welcome distraction from the persistent doom and gloom on the news.

It’s true that times are tough right now – and likely to get tougher. Rather than looking towards the new year with optimism, many of us are doing so with trepidation.

However, as I’ve said before many times in this blog, challenges can bring opportunity.

And there are many things happening in Derby and Derbyshire that give me cause to think that our patch is well positioned to offer the solutions to tackle some of those issues, particularly when it comes to the energy challenge.

We have companies here who are doing things that collectively make a case for the argument that we have many of the answers to the nation’s headaches.

Take the Vaillant Group. In November, our managing director John Forkin was at the firm’s Belper site to officially open a new multi-million-pound heat pump production line.

With traditional boilers soon to be outlawed, Vaillant has taken the decision to invest and be at the forefront of producing this technology.

It is an investment not done out of blind faith but foresight – and probably explains why as a company, Vaillant, which to this day remains family-owned, has been around for almost 150 years.

Henrik Hansen, managing director of Vaillant UK, said as much at our recent London Embassy event, where he was one of the keynote speakers.

You can catch Henrik in a new film that was released in November all about the Embassy, which was made by GoldBox Productions.

Another company that is always continuing to focus on the future is Rolls-Royce as it continues to develop all manner of new greener technology, from more efficient aero engines to mini nuclear power stations.

And despite the economic storm clouds, according to a trading update it released in November, the firm remains confident about the future.

Going forward, nuclear has a key role to play in helping to solve the UK’s energy crisis.

Here in Derby, Rolls-Royce has its newly opened Nuclear Skills Academy, while working progressing nicely on the neighbouring Nuclear AMRC building, which will help manufacturers across the Midlands win work in growing low-carbon markets and develop new sustainable technologies.

The issue of the environment was front and centre of talks between world leaders who attended COP27, in Egypt, in November.

At the event, global businesses joined the debate – and showcased some of their technology.

Encouragingly, among them was Alstom, which of course has its UK train factory in Derby.

Like Rolls-Royce, Alstom is also developing technology that aims to make the way we travel kinder to the environment.

But it is all well and good having firms who can develop the technology – getting others to adopt it is the key.

In the construction industry, that is just what firms like Bowmer + Kirkland are doing – and they are being recognised for it.

The construction giant recently picked up a brace of national awards after it adopted technology that could reduce emissions and fuel costs on its building sites.

Talking of award winners, at Marketing Derby we are lucky to have some truly excellent award-winning charities among our Bondholder community.

Among them is YMCA Derbyshire – and what a month November was for the youth charity.

Firstly, they played host to a major national conference, which saw YMCA chief executives and senior leaders from across the country descend on Derby for a major conference.

During the YMCA Chief Executives Network and YMCA Strategic Leaders Network 2022 conference, delegates met with key figures from the city and visited some of our most impressive venues – showing that Derby is more than capable of hosting such important national gatherings.

The charity then followed this up with a double success at the YMCA Youth Matters Awards, including the coveted YMCA of the Year title.

One of the places the YMCA delegates attended was Derby Museum’s Museum of Making, a venue one cannot fail to be impressed by.

In the short time it has been open, the museum has attracted national acclaim and recognition.

Its latest success came in November when it won Best Medium Museum in the Kids in Museums Family Friendly Museum Awards 2022.

The Museum of Making, and other cultural assets like it, have a key role to play in attracting people and spend to the city centre.

And that is why it was great to see that Derby Museums was among the Derby cultural organisations included on the Arts Council’s National Portfolio.

The millions of pounds secured will help ensure that culture can continue to thrive in the city – and given the current economic climate, remain affordable and accessible for all.

Many of the organisations who received cash are themselves charities – who now more than ever, need our support, whether that is financially or in terms of raising their profile.

That is why I was particularly delighted when I saw that Derby County had decided to gift its first team shirt sponsorship to the NSPCC.

It is gestures like this that make me proud to call Derby my club.

It also reminded me of when I used to watch the Rams in the 1980s and their shirts were sponsored by BPCC – not a charity but a company owned by Robert Maxwell!

Finally, November saw the launch of our Rising Star competition, which aims to provide a helping hand to an emerging business.

The benefits of winning the competition are considerable and I would encourage any up-and-coming business to enter and start 2023 in the best possible way.

It’s not going to be an easy year, but to bring it back to the World Cup, getting through it will be a team game.

Anyway, have a safe and productive December – and a very Merry Christmas. I look forward to catching up again with you all in 2023!