Solar solutions business Advanced Renewable Power (AR Power) has secured the Contractor of the Year trophy at the National Solar and Storage Live Awards.
The business, which was set up by husband-and-wife team Mark and Maria Dunville 12 years ago, installs commercial and industrial solar energy systems and it has seen strong performance in tandem with strong growth in the sector. The awards, which took place in Birmingham and were hosted by newsreader Krishnan Guru-Murthy, single out the most innovative and impactful solar and storage projects and contributors throughout the 海角视频. AR Power was cited as having “exemplary best practice, outstanding customer service and a trail of brilliant, completed projects”.
Technical director Mark Dunville said “We are delighted to win this major accolade. It’s all about our team and the way we focus on quality workmanship and customer service, which comes down to our people and the culture we’ve created. We always pay attention to detail and put the same amount of care into every project regardless of its size or scale.
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“It’s been a great year for AR Power with our award, new staff and a new work stream. We’ve come a long way in the industry and I’m very proud of the team for their dedication to getting us to where we are now. We are very much a nationally operating company now and we’re looking forward to installing more systems and creating excellent working relationships across the industry.”
Newcastle-based creative agency Drummond Central has had its Never Ordinary campaign for bet365 awarded with three global Clio Awards for Sport. The awards celebrate the best in sports advertising and marketing around the world. They bring together marketing and creative executives from brands, agencies, media, teams and leagues, to select and honour the communications that propel the industry forward.
Drummond Central is one of a handful of 海角视频 agencies to be recognised by the Clio Sports Awards, and is the only North agency to be awarded. The campaign won silver for Film in Sports Betting, and bronze for Cinematography in Film Craft. Academy, the production company on the campaign, was also awarded a Bronze for Direction in Film Craft. The campaign was also shortlisted for Film in 61 Seconds to 5 Minutes.
Executive creative director, Stephen Drummond, said: “Everyone at Drummond Central couldn’t be any more chuffed about our wins at the Clio Awards. Just one award would have done, but three is amazing. This is the first time we’ve entered for a Clio, so to win on our first outing is a real achievement for us – it took Don Draper four seasons before he got his.”
Newcastle film company Mango Studio Productions has been awarded a £2,500 grant from Open North Foundation (ONF) to meet growing demand for its services. Trading as The Church, Mango Studio Productions is a collective of post-production film specialists which has tapped into help from the ONF, which was established in 2020 to help regional businesses to recover from the impact of the pandemic. Since then, it has widened its remit to support small and early-stage businesses that have a compelling case for support to enable them to grow at pace.
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The Church provides a range of services including colour grading, offline and online editing, VFX and audio post-production, sound design and music composition mixing from its base in Kingsland Church Studios, Byker. High-profile clients include the BBC Channel 5 and Paramount Pictures.
James Baxter, CEO of The Church, said: “We are delighted with the amazing growth the collective has achieved, an array of highly talented individuals with specialist skills to meet any client need. However, an influx of work meant an influx in data. We needed to find a central data solution to enable us to share files between the different departments at a faster speed and also a way of securing, managing and backing up the footage for the TV shows we are making.
“The grant will help pay a significant percentage of the overall cost of the codex machine. However, we found a provider looking to sell the machine at a discounted rate. The ONF have been an amazing help and supported us right throughout the project. With its help, we can now look to grow our team and expand the amount of edit suite and jobs we can take on in 2024.”
Richard Swart, ONF chair, said: “Our grants award team could see that The Church collective comprised highly talented, passionate individuals with a clear vision and it was growing quickly. However, for any company, fast growth can offer challenges that can hold them back and our grant support is meant to unlock those hurdles. We also recognised the Church collective was one of the many flourishing creative industries based in the North East, whose skills are sought nationally and internationally and that any grant award should help lead to job creation for people in our region.”
Staff at Sunderland based Just Travel Cover are celebrating after taking home a national award at the Insurance Choice awards. The broker, who works with multiple insurers to help people of all ages and those with medical conditions find cover, was named Best Travel Insurance provider 2023 at the event, run by Smart Money People at the Underglobe in London last week.
The awards are solely based on customer feedback and this year more than 60,000 votes were cast on the Smart Money People website. Dale Robinson, head of marketing and communications at Just Travel Cover said: “Winning this award is a fantastic way to mark the end of a great year for us, after bouncing back from the Covid pandemic. We put our customers at the heart of everything we do, so with these awards being based on feedback, it’s rewarding to be recognised for that commitment to first-class service."
Jacqueline Dewey, CEO of Smart Money People said: “As the post-pandemic world opens again, more and more people are needing travel insurance, Just Travel Cover has impressed its customers with its straightforward processes and friendly and knowledgeable staff. Along with competitively priced policies, Just Travel Cover has made travel insurance simple but incredibly effective. Congratulations, this win is well-deserved.”
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Young people in Newcastle are improving their physical health, mental well-being and long-term life chances with help from The Children’s Foundation. The charity has received a £3,000 grant from the Newcastle Building Society Community Fund at the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland to help cover the cost of its Roots to Health project and of taking on a second Coxlodge allotment, which will help meet growing demand for places on the course from local schools.
The Children’s Foundation’s Roots to Health project at the Coxlodge Allotments in Fawdon allows groups of young people aged 14 and over to gain new skills and greater self-confidence while working towards obtaining a City & Guilds Level One Award in Practical Horticulture.
Sean Soulsby, CEO of The Children’s Foundation, said: “Everyone knows how beneficial it is for your physical and mental well-being to spend time outside, and we’ve used this as the basis for helping young people who might need a different kind of environment to help them progress. Newcastle Building Society shares our commitment to improving our communities and we’re really grateful for their support for this highly effective project.”
Sue Scott, head of mortgage service centre at Newcastle Building Society, who recently visited the charity, added: “The dedication of the Children’s Foundation team to doing everything they can to support young people across our home area is absolutely inspiring, and the positive impact of the Roots To Health project is plain to see in the achievements of its young participants.”