Commenting on the sixth assessment report by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was published on the 9 August, East Midlands Chamber has identified the important role businesses need to play in the sustainability agenda. It has also recognised that there are strong commercial benefits to adopting a greener and cleaner approach to doing business.

Chamber director of resources Lucy Robinson said: The report by the IPCC is a sobering reminder of how each and every one of us has a role to play in the fight against climate change, and this is particularly true of businesses – no matter what their shape, size or location.

“The Chamber launched the Sustainable East Midlands campaign last year to help more organisations in our region embrace the sustainability agenda after recognising how businesses account for 18% of the UK’s emissions.

“The good news is we are moving in the right direction. Our latest research, conducted in partnership with the University of Derby, shows the proportion of East Midlands companies that derive turnover from supplying pro-environmental goods or services has increased from 16% in 2015 to 37% in 2021. Even in the past year, we’ve seen a 7% rise in the number of firms that have integrated clean growth into their business strategies – now at 36% of businesses.

“We still need to do more though, particularly in supporting SMEs to adopt a sustainable growth strategy. While the latest IPCC research illustrates how reducing our carbon emissions is clearly the right thing to do if we are to avoid the worst effects of climate change, there are also strong commercial benefits to adopting a greener and cleaner approach to doing business.

“Just like the automotive industry is now beginning to shift from petrol and diesel to building electric cars because it has identified the direction of the market, engaging with sustainability will make our business community more competitive in the long term – whether it’s in securing public sector contracts, cutting operating costs or offering innovations that help solve climate challenges.

“It will ultimately also make the East Midlands more competitive as a region, but it also plays into our strengths as we have all the pieces of the sustainability jigsaw – the high energy users in manufacturing, the energy producers in our coal field heritage, and new hi-tech businesses coming out of our world-leading universities.”

For more information on the support available to East Midlands businesses in adopting sustainable practices, visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/sustainability.

East Midlands Chamber will host the East Midlands Sustainability Summit in partnership with the University of Derby on 23 September. For more details, click here.

A new campaign created by employers for employers to boost mental health and productivity by encouraging open conversations in workplaces in the East Midlands has been officially launched.

“Bridge the Gap, Start a Chat” has been launched by the Mental Health and Productivity Pilot (MHPP) to give businesses and organisations of all sizes and sectors the help they need to encourage staff and bosses alike to open up about their mental health.

The campaign was created by MHPP with input from a group of ten Midlands employers from a variety of sectors and geographies, as well as employees with lived experience of mental health problems.

It’s one of a number of ways that MHPP, a collaboration of Midlands universities, local authorities and mental health charity Mind, is supporting employers to understand the important link between staff mental health and wellbeing, and business productivity.

Research has shown that mental health is one of the biggest causes of sickness absences in Midlands businesses – and the impact of COVID-19 has recently become another key factor in poor mental health at work.

As well as tips and advice on starting conversations, for line managers and employees, employers can access a free ‘resource pack’ on the MHPP website, which gives resources and guidance to help them roll out a campaign to encourage conversations about mental health in their own organisation.

The pack includes campaign planning guidance, downloadable resources to support both employees and line managers to start conversations and awareness-raising promotional materials such as posters, social media assets, video call backgrounds and email signature banners – all of which employers can use to suit the needs of the business.

Manjinder Singh, Head of Consulting at infrastructure consulting firm AECOM, which has offices in Chesterfield and contributed to the campaign, felt it was a great way for businesses to take the first step into making a huge difference to staff mental health and productivity.

He added: “As a business we began to place a spotlight on the topic of mental health some years ago, recognising the importance of wellbeing in creating a culture of care that enables our people to bring their best selves to work.

“Through Midlands Engine’s Mental Health & Productivity Pilot (MHPP) we can share lessons learned from our journey with other organisations, adding diversity of thought to discussions on the role of employers in supporting mental health.

“In the current global climate, it is more important than ever that people know it is OK to talk openly about mental health in the workplace. We hope that MHPP will help remove some of the stigma surrounding this topic for businesses and their employees in the region.”

And Sinziana Irimia, who was diagnosed with postpartum depression while working for her current employer, thought Bridge the Gap, Start a Chat was key to supporting employees to feel comfortable with talking about their mental health at work.

She said: “No one should feel they have to hide mental health conditions at work. For so many years it has been seen as a weakness, but that’s far from the truth.

“I got involved with this campaign because I wanted to help change the mindset of workplaces when it comes to mental health. The pressure I felt around not delivering in my job because of my mental health condition was huge.

“On more vulnerable days, my anxiety kicked in and I feared that I might become jobless. But in reality, I love my job and I am good at it. People with mental health problems can and do fulfil our jobs to a high standard every day.

“It is essential to be able to talk openly with your colleagues about mental health. Just knowing that someone else has been in your shoes and they are still standing and can get on with their lives – that’s important.

“This campaign will get employees feeling more confident to open up to talking about mental health in the workplace, which will make a massive difference to people’s wellbeing with a direct impact on their performance at work.”

MHPP is funded by Midlands Engine and is led by Coventry University in partnership with the University of Warwick, the West Midlands Combined Authority, mental health charity Mind and the universities of Birmingham, Derby, Lincoln, Loughborough and Nottingham.

Prior to the campaign launch MHPP has been helping employers across the Midlands to take steps to support and improve the mental health of their workforce, and ultimately increase productivity.

Caroline Geraghty, MHPP Project Manager at Coventry University said: “Bridge the Gap, Start a Chat is all about giving employers and employees the support and confidence to start conversations at work about mental health.  In the same way that we all have physical health, everyone has mental health too, so it’s important that people feel able to talk about mental health wherever they work.

“We know from talking to Midlands employers, that often people find it hard to talk about mental health at work.  Through ‘Bridge the Gap, Start a Chat’ we want to show employers and employees that it doesn’t need to be difficult and starting a conversation is a great place to begin.

“There’s some really good advice on the web site, and we’ve made it easy for employers run their own campaign by providing guidance and resources that can be downloaded and shared with staff.

“Ultimately, talking about mental health is the first step that employers can take to supporting staff.  MHPP also offers a range of other free support, to help organisations implement a structured approach to improving workplace mental health – and it doesn’t cost anything as our work is funded by Midlands Engine.

“We would encourage all employers to head to the MHPP website and have a look at the employers resource pack – there’s plenty in there to get started on making a big difference.

“If enough employers get on board, it will make an enormous difference to the health and wellbeing of workers across the Midlands.”

Find out more at https://mhpp.me/

Derbyshire Building Control Partnership (DBCP) has strengthened its team across Derbyshire with a trio of brand-new appointments, as the demand for building control continues to rise in the region.

Two new fully qualified Building Control Surveyors have been welcomed to the team. This now makes DBCP the largest building control company in the East Midlands. The company has also welcomed Jade Sheppard to its technical support team.

Steve Mansfield and Andy Moran have joined DBCP as Building Control Surveyors. They bring 47 years of combined building control experience to their new roles.

In their roles, Steve and Andy will be working with builders, architects and property owners throughout the South Derbyshire region providing plan checks, site inspections and advice and support to clients and contractors for commercial and residential developments. They will also be on call for requests to assess dangerous structures.

Beginning his career as a trainee building control officer in 1987, Steve is now a full member of both industry bodies, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Institute for Leadership and Management (ILM).

He commented: “On a day-to-day basis, I’m going to be liaising with architects, builders and homeowners for site visits and plan assessments but ultimately, my role is about ensuring public safety.”

Outside work, Steve enjoys spending time with his family and going on walking holidays whenever possible.

Andy, who is a chartered member of CIOB, Level 6 LABC Building Standards Fire Safety Specialist and Fellow of the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (UK), joins Steve in covering the South Derbyshire area.

He commented: “I’m looking forward to DBCP’s growth plans and its progressive stance within the building control sector. I enjoy getting out and speaking with all types of people through site inspections and also enjoy working closely with architects and designers with a particular interest in the fire safety side of complex buildings, so I’m just really looking forward to getting started.”

Outside work, he enjoys getting out to walk his Welsh terrier, Ferry and regularly visits his holiday home in Barmouth, Wales.

It’s a complete career change for Jade, who joins the Technical Support team at DBCP. Previously working at a world-leading learning company checking exam papers, Jade has a strong eye for detail. She is also a member of the World Championship competitors – Trailblazer Allstars Cheerleading Academy, and represents England

She commented: “With the organisational and people skills I have developed with previous employers, the building control industry and the role at DBCP allows me to bring them all together and put them into practice each day.”

For expert building control advice and guidance across Derbyshire, please get in touch with the DBCP team at www.dbcp.co.uk or call 0333 880 2000. 

Derbyshire Business Control Partnership supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.