The Body Shop opened their brand-new store at Rushden Lakes yesterday, Thursday 29th June 2023. At 10.30am, a green ribbon was cut by Nathan Long from The Wildlife Trust to officially open the British beauty brands doors in Garden Square.The friendly team, donned in green aprons, welcomed their first visitors – some of which had been eagerly waiting to explore haircare, make up, skincare and more since 9am. Many will have been happy to learn that the first 200 customers to spend £25 or more in-store are set to receive a goodie bag worth £20*, and that limited edition fragrances,...

30 June, 2023

The British Independent Retailers Association has said that recent news about WHSmith and Boots closing stores has prompted discussions about the challenges faced by retailers in today's market.Bira, which works with over 6,000 independent businesses of all sizes across the UK commented on news that Boots plans to close 300 stores while WHSmith has decided to shift its focus away from the high street and concentrate on airports and non-high street locations.Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira said that while the strategic move makes sense for these companies, it also raises an important question about the future of retail on the high street."The...

30 June, 2023

Last night’s NNBN meeting at the Northampton Town Centre Hotel by Accor Hotels saw a great presentation from Pritesh Ganatra from BTS UK Limited as attendees from businesses, charities and organisations from across Northamptonshire learned more about the services his business offers, but also the change over from ISDN which is fast approaching.Pritesh has over 25 years of industry knowledge around the Telecoms sector and his company provides a complete consultancy, audit and report based around your current and future TECHNOLOGY requirements. The report encompasses ALL equipment that is likely to, now or in the future, be a ‘connected’ device...

30 June, 2023

A campaign has been launched to showcase Northamptonshire as a brilliant destination for experiencing great value days out this summer.Focusing on all the county offers to summer visitors, ranging from well-known festivals and attractions like Shambala, Greenbelt, Silverstone, Wicksteed Park and Adrenaline Alley, to a whole host of hidden gems visitors can discover for the first time, the campaign includes 30 suggestions for days out for under £10.Encouraging families to enjoy great experiences at great value, and promoting Northamptonshire’s accessible location, the campaign highlights family-friendly places to visit, stay and eat, with many offering special offers and days out for...

29 June, 2023

Final approvals have been given by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) for the remaining two projects in the Towns Fund - the train station to town centre link road and Smart and Connected Corby.Together with two previously approved projects, the four projects will bring many benefits to the town and surrounding area:The Corby 6th Form College Multi-use building Train station to Town centre link road Smart and Connected CorbyThe last two projects in the list have now been given the formal, final go ahead to proceed by central Government. They will further add to the...

29 June, 2023

A business furniture and interior specialist which has designed thousands of workplaces across the UK is backing a scheme that benefits the environment and social housing tenants.Northamptonshire-based Verve Workspace has joined forces with Uplyfted which collects used carpet tiles from commercial projects and refurbishes them so they can be used for social housing and other community initiatives.Verve Workspace group managing director Steve Allan said: “All too often, when we're working on an office fit out project for a new client, they need entirely new carpets to suit their interior plans.“Sometimes, that means good carpet tiles are uplifted and disposed of...

29 June, 2023

With as many as three million people turning to an illegal money lender in the past three years, Northamptonshire based credit union Commsave has pledged its support and advice to families battling the cost of living crisis.Research from not-for-profit organisation Fair4All Finance found that seven per cent of 18 to 75-year-olds said they or someone in their household had borrowed from an unlicensed or unauthorised informal money lender who charges interest – also known as a loan shark.James Richards, Business Development Manager, Commsave, said: “The statistics are shocking. Loan sharks are exploiting the cost of living crisis to target struggling...

28 June, 2023

Tuesday 27 June 2023 saw the official launch of the Northamptonshire Anchor Institutions Network, bringing together organisations who have a significant impact in the county to work together to address important social and economic inequalities to make Northamptonshire a great place for people to live, work and visit.It is only by working together with shared commitment and priorities, that we can achieve a great impact which has been endorsed by anchor institutions network members at yesterday's official launch event and commitment of pledges. The Network will work together to seek best practice, measure impact, hold each other to account and...

28 June, 2023

North Northamptonshire Council have released the following statement on their website regarding Kettering Conference Centre:We are pleased to confirm that following ongoing discussions with North Northamptonshire Council and Phoenix Leisure Management, a decision in principle has been made subject to the various approvals required, that the Lighthouse Theatre, Arena Sports Centre and Balance Health Club will now remain open. We will be supporting with the transition of operations to Phoenix Leisure Management until 4 September 2023.As we have previously communicated, we have been running Kettering Conference Centre at a loss for a number of years. The sharp increase in energy...

28 June, 2023

A North Northamptonshire Council-led project which aims to improve the health, wellbeing and mental health of truck drivers has been Highly Commended at a prestigious national awards ceremony.The Council’s Wellbeing team, Environmental Health and Public Health teams reached the final of the MJ Awards 2023 in the Transforming Lives category for their work alongside Welcome Break in supporting HGV drivers using Rothwell Truck Stop.An event took place at the Truckstop in September 2022 where drivers were given opportunities to speak to the team, use body composition scales, and have their blood pressure checked, as well as two further supporting visits...

26 June, 2023

In a Harvard Business Review article in June 2019 companies with higher ethical standards experience greater customer loyalty, satisfaction, and referrals. So what is ethical selling and how do you apply it in your business. A new workshop is being delivered by Rupert Turton from Action Coach Oakham and Kettering to help local businesses understand more about ethical selling and it's one not to be missed! The Workshop is open to all businesses in the Northamptonshire area as Rupert delivers this 90 minute workshop adding value to local businesses by applying 3 steps. If you are a business looking to increase their sales...

26 June, 2023