Hellen – blind but doing well

[Social media for charity Child of Hope]

Remember Hellen? She's one of our former pupils suffering with extremely limited eyesight, who had to go off to a specialist school. She’s been back on holiday, but with school re-opening, staff member Tracy took her back to school as she cannot travel alone. She is in year P2 now and is doing well academically.

Hellen came to us when she was just six years old and already suffering with eyesight problems. She’d had an eye infection in one eye – something which could have easily been solved with some eye ointment. Instead she was taken to the local witch doctor who rubbed herbs directly onto both eyeballs. She immediately went blind in one eye and had reduced sight in the other. Hellen’s a pretty determined kid and was still desperate to go to school so we decided to bring her onto the Child of Hope programme.

To start with she was managing quite well, but gradually the scarring on her seeing eye worsened. After many appointments with local eye surgeons around eastern Uganda, it became clear that there was nothing that could be done to save her sight and Child of Hope didn’t have the facilities or expertise to be able to give Hellen the help she really needed.

So we arranged for her to be sponsored to attend a school for visually impaired children (in Soroti – two hours drive from Mbale) where we were impressed with the facilities and the kindness that was on offer there. She quickly made lots of new friends and is really enjoying her new school. The matron who looks after the children in the boarding home is sweet and gentle – a great mother for her while she’s away from home. We visit her regularly and are very happy with the arrangement.

Solid surface: tips for interior design

[News and social media for high-end joinery Kirolite]

Some ideas for using solid surface material in commercial, retail, hospitality and high-end residential interiors…

Interior designers and architects use solid surface as a material that can bring their design ideas into reality in ways that other materials cannot do. You can customise surfaces, virtually without creative limit. These materials feel great, have fantastic colours, can be translucent and shaped to almost any design. Here are some simple tips for you…

Combining materials produces wonderful results and solid surface sits well with them all, especially wood, metal, natural stone and glass.

You can have intricate designs carved using CNC, or moulded to produce raised patterns and textures.

Solid surface comes in pretty much any colour/hue/shade you want. Some come with great effects: vein, translucent, metallic fleck, or grain.

Want curves? No problem… these surfaces can be formed into any curved shape, or given perfect rounded edges. Or keep to straight lines… or mix it up, your choice.

Light with translucent solid surface produces a very special luminosity. Illuminated logos, subdued lighting effects, eye-catching glowing surfaces… all are in your grasp.

And when you want an imposing, classic look, like stone or marble – use it big and solid surface is amazing for walls and pillars. Being virtually seamless, solid surface creates a wall cladding upon which you can create amazing forms and designs.

Kirolite’s solid surface fabrication facility is one of the largest in the south of England. You’d be most welcome to come and see for yourself… maybe it will spark off some creative ideas for your next interior project?

Beat the 'knowing-doing' gap

[Social media post for Prism PMA]

Developing competent P3M professionals (project, programme and portfolio) is the key to your organisation achieving its strategic objectives.

The pressure is on your business is to do more with less and develop an effective skills base that is capable to deliver desired results and performance. Well, good news – competency based training fills the ‘knowing–doing' gap and will provide your company not only with a return on your training investment but also the outcomes you need.

Store & Secure wins top award for UK self-storage industry

[Photography, press release and social media for Store & Secure]

Bournemouth-based self-storage company Store & Secure has won a UK self-storage industry’s top award!

Facility managers Lucy and Sophie Maidman walked away from the ceremony with the award for ‘Best Facility UK, Independent Operators 2014’ – and have now been shortlisted for the similar category at the European awards in Sweden on October 30.

The awards were held jointly by The Federation of European Self Storage Associations (FEDESSA) and the Self Storage Association United Kingdom (SSA UK).

Lucy said: “Entering was a bit cheeky really, as we’re only four years old – but actually we thought we had a good chance of winning. Nice to win at our first entry!

“Filling in the entry was fun… under the question ‘What makes the business stand out from the rest?’ we put all the usual information about how professional we are – but what really sets us apart is our friendly customer relationships, hospitality (hot drinks, sweets and even ice creams during the summer) and providing free extra services.

“We also pride ourselves on a clean and tidy facility, something that is regularly mentioned as an important point by new customers.”

UK self-storage companies entering the awards were judged on various aspects, including what makes the business stand out from the rest, how it meets the needs of its local market, how well the business is performing and what investments have been made for its future.

Baggy trousers

[Photography and news for Store & Secure, Bournemouth]

The main self-storage advantage for a booming internet business selling clothes and bags from Thailand is our free goods-in and -out service, which saves them from having to be on site waiting for deliveries every day.

The no.1 seller for Thai Fisherman Pants this year has been harem pants – which have been flying out the door following sales on Amazon and ebay took off. Colourful Dashiki (West African-style) shirts and hippie shoulder and sling bags have also been hugely popular.

Owner Simon Newell runs his mobile office from his storage room and is delighted how his business has grown since moving to his 100 sq ft unit in our premises in February this year. He previously ran it part-time from home, but following expansion it is now a full-time venture. He says he also loves our free tea and coffee and the friendliness of our staff!

The business started after research he conducted during a holiday in Thailand, when he immediately purchased stock of fisherman pants to bring back to the UK and commence trading from home. His first 100 pants sold within a month on ebay and he has never looked back.

Products are sourced from various areas in Thailand – from Chiang Mai in the north to Koh Phangan in the south. All are handmade and purchased from small businesses, supporting the local communities. New products are being regularly added as Simon comes across them during his research trips to the country.

Check out his cool website www.thai-fisherman-pants.co.uk - but watch out… you’ll want to buy something! If you do, for a great first-order 10% discount, use code THAIFISH.

Boy beaten up by alcoholic mother

[News post for charity Child of Hope]

This six year-old lad – one of our younger pupils – was beaten up for feeding his youngest brother too early… by his alcoholic mother. It turns out this happens almost daily, so our welfare team has organised for him to spend some time staying in our children’s home.

As the firstborn in the family, Otim was regularly left him in charge of his two young siblings while his mother went out to drink. In this particular incident, the younger of the two (just one year old) cried for food and Otim decided to serve food before the set time they always eat (9pm).

With agreement from his mother, young Otim will stay in our boys’ home for three weeks while our team provides them both with counselling and eventual reconciliation. The aim is to help her through her current issues and help prevent further harm to any of her children. She is a single parent; her husband left her because of her drinking habit.

Hopefully this will work out well and the mum will respond positively to our intervention. If not, those kids are in for a miserable time and potential break-up of the family.

Stairway to Heaven-ly Dorset

[Photography and news post for high-end joinery Kirolite]

We have just manufactured and installed this minimal oak and glass staircase in a newly-built house in Purbeck.

Architect Iain Freeman commissioned the staircase from Kirolite for his new home on the edge of the historic village of Briantspuddle. Although the roof is thatched as an acknowledgement to a long tradition of that style in the village, the new house is a modern interpretation, a theme which is carried through to the interiors, including the staircase.

The staircase is a seemingly simple cut string solution. Finished in solid and veneered oak it is constructed on a steel armature with a glass balcony and balustrades, stainless steel tread inserts for extra grip and round section solid oak handrails. It stands independent of the walls and at night when it is backlit it appears free-standing in front of the two storey hall window. By day the hall is flooded with light and allows an almost uninterrupted view of the rural landscape. More pictures

Freezing water dip, all for slum kids

[Social media post for charity Child of Hope]

Bryony Burton did an alternative ice bucket challenge… plunging into an icy lake of glacier water! Watch the short, 30-second video of her sliding into the extremely cold lake.

Thanks Bryony, every penny counts for making life better for slum kids!

Launched today: new service for project managers to develop competence

[News for Prism PMA]

A new service launches today to develop highly-competent P3M project managers… from Prism Project Management Associates.

Director Jan Underdown said: “P3M (project, programme and portfolio) competence is the key to your organisation achieving its strategic objectives. More than knowing about project management, but the ability to do it.”

Prism launches with the following suite of services: Competence-based training, coaching/mentoring, competence assessment tools, behavioural assessment, resources for project managers, career path development, project life cycle development and project health checks. More will be added over the next few months.

See our website www.prismprojects.co.uk for more information.

Knowing = ability to do?

[Social media post for Prism Project Management Associates]

Project management development for years has been in the pursuit of qualifications such as PRINCE2, APMP, PMI and recently a whole lot more.

Although all of these play a major role in the development of professional project/programme managers and provide certification, they are only part of the picture when it comes to true competence – which is not just having the knowledge, but also having the skills/capability and confidence to apply it appropriately, within a given context. We call it the knowing–doing gap.

Table cover

[Photography and news post for high-end joinery Kirolite]

An usual job for us… a furniture manufacturer supplied a lovely coffee table for a superyacht, with metal frame and top of shell embossed in polycarbonate.

Our role was to coat the metalwork in the same metal finish (distressed platinum) that we had applied to lots of wood and metal trim as a theme throughout the boat. Our own work for the luxury boat included doors, cupboards, vanity units and wall cladding.

Coating wood or metal products in an antique metal finish is becoming a regular job for us as interior designers and customers expect increasingly exotic finishes to their homes and superyachts.

Pedal power and roses

[News post for charity Child of Hope]

In late August, a team from Surrey cycled the Way of the Roses, a 180-mile cross-England route – and have so far raised a terrific £977 for Child of Hope! Clare burrows sent us this report of the ride…

Clare, Joan and Rebecca set off in sunshine with great enthusiasm from Morecambe on the Sunday, armed with map, waterproof sat nav (on loan) and three pairs of eyes to scout for the signs of the red and white roses. As they rounded a corner, they spotted Clare’s husband in a nearby car park. Trying to attract his attention by tinkling their bells and calling “yoo hoo”, he looked up confused… they were heading in the wrong direction! More...

All the latest

[eNewsletter for high-end joinery Kirolite]

Our latest news round-up to help you bring your design project to life – hotel, office, superyacht or luxury home

Shortlist to national award!

[Photography and news post for Store & Secure, Bournemouth]

A few of weeks ago we entered the UK self-storage industry awards – and you know what?… we have been shortlisted in the category Facility of the Year for Smaller Companies!

Self-storage companies entering the awards are judged on various aspects, including what makes this business stand out from the rest and how it meets the needs of its local market. Plus, of course, things like how well the business is performing and what investments have been made for its future.

We are over the moon to have got so far in the awards process and wait now with bated breath to hear if we have actually won. The awards ceremony is in Manchester on Sept 11 – so not too long to wait!

A helping hand

[Social media post for charity Child of Hope]

There is no support system in Uganda to help the poorest children get the most out of their education (actually there is no effective social services in the country whatsoever). So, if there are significant problems at home (for example, a lone parent is critically ill, the family is kicked out of their rented hut, or the child is suffering abuse/neglect at home) then clearly that child will not be able to concentrate on their studies. It’s a big problem that causes lots of kids to drop out of school temporarily and even altogether.

CHILD OF HOPE’S SOLUTION: An entirely free social welfare support system, working with parents, guardians, community leaders, and police to give advice, counselling, training, advocacy and emergency support where needed (and a children’s home for those at high risk or totally orphaned)... more