Two paintings dating back to the 1800s have been returned to Chester House Estate – hand delivered by a former Northamptonshire resident.Carole Gillespie, who lived in Northamptonshire when she was a young girl, travelled from her home in Sheffield earlier this month to deliver two paintings that had been in her family for years.Carole said: “I was deep cleaning my house and rediscovered the paintings underneath my bed that my late husband Harry’s aunt left to us. They’d been there for more than 20 years, but we never did anything with them.“My brother Paul, who used to be a Northampton...

21 August, 2023

An elevator pitch is a brief, concise and captivating speech designed to grab the attention of someone in a short period of time. It is most commonly used during a networking event, an interview, or a pitch meeting where you have limited time to sell your idea or yourself.The elevator pitch concept originated in the business industry where executives and entrepreneurs found themselves constantly pitching their business ideas in elevators to potential investors or customers. The idea stuck and slowly made its way beyond the business world into the everyday lives of individuals.Why is it called an elevator...

21 August, 2023

No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents CIC has been awarded a grant from the Constance Travis Endowment fund for Northamptonshire to provide mealtime cooking inspiration to members of the Brixworth Community LarderThe newly formed CIC was awarded this funding through Northamptonshire Community Foundation to work with the Northampton Hope Centre Community Larder Network, to provide video how-to cookery tutorials and recipe cards. These will focus on how to utilise some of the fresh and store cupboard food that’s typically available at the Brixworth larder, which operates MOST Wednesday afternoons from 4.30 pm – 5.15 pm or 5.15pm – 6pm on the...

18 August, 2023

Silverstone Museum has announced its partnership with Radical Motorsport as the museum unveiled its new simulator suite.British race car manufacturer Radical Motorsport has been named as the lead sponsor of the museum’s exclusive space where its newly launched professional grade racing simulators are all located.Avid gamers and racing fans can take on multiple driving challenges and go wheel to wheel on some of the world’s most renowned racetracks in the new sim room.One of Radical’s iconic vehicles will be on display in the museum’s new sim space, inspiring racers who can take the chequered flag on one of the numerous...

17 August, 2023

The High Sheriff of Northamptonshire has awarded £10,500 to four local groups, through the Northamptonshire High Sheriff’s Initiative Fund.The fund is administered by Northamptonshire Community Foundation and has awarded grants to four local community organisations, funding projects set up to bring people across the county closer to their communities. The funding programme awards grants of up to £3,000 to groups doing work to tackle serious youth violence, creating stronger and safer communities and reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.This year, Northampton Basketball Club, The Core at Corby Cube, Home-Start Wellingborough and District, and Ramgarhia Board Northampton have received funding from The...

16 August, 2023

One Local Business Thinks It Has Found The AnswerThe UK loves its mobile phones, the average person uses their mobile phone for 4 hours and 14 mins per day (Statista 2022). To make a mobile phone takes approx 13 000 litres of water (Friends Of The Earth, Mind Your Steps)  and between 80-90kg of Co2 (8billiontrees.com) and once it has been made there is an impact every time you switch it on and use it and save documents, messages and emails, streaming.Whilst mobile phones and the UK’s love of them is not going away, we do need to lessen their...

16 August, 2023

New research shows that many young people have misconceptions about careers in accountancy which may be creating unnecessary barriers and preventing them from seeing it as an attainable option, limiting the potential future talent pool of the profession. In the research*, leading accountancy firm Grant Thornton UK LLP explores Generation Z’s view of accountancy as a career.  Analysing the responses of 2,000 people aged between 16 - 25 in the UK, the study seeks to better understand the attitudes and perceptions towards the accountancy sector of this age group.   The top misconceptions held by Gen Z about accountancy, identified in the research, are:  62%...

16 August, 2023

A daredevil Northamptonshire greengrocer who has trekked to Mount Everest Base Camp, completed Wolf Runs and run marathons, raising more than £10,000 for charity, is hosting a charity curry night as part of his latest fundraising mission.Sean Connolly recently completed the DB Wood Newark half marathon in aid of Brain Tumour Research and is celebrating in style with a charity dinner at the award-winning Saffron restaurant in Castilian Street, Northampton this Sunday, August 20.Later this year Sean will compete in the Chicago Marathon.He said: “I have been working with Saffron for 12 years, supplying their fresh fruit and veg, and...

15 August, 2023

The former Job Centre located in Wood Street Northampton, has been purchased by West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) as part of the ongoing redevelopment of 35 – 45 Abington Street.The site is in the heart of the town centre, set just behind Abington Street and the Grosvenor Centre. Having sat vacant for more than a decade the site has fallen into disrepair.WNC has stepped in and bought the building to ensure that this site benefits from restoration and provides high-quality homes and services for the local community.The £475,000 freehold price plus costs, was funded through the Towns Fund, which is allocated...

15 August, 2023

An award-winning recruitment consultancy has been shortlisted in an inaugural local awards roll call.Kettering-based Wills Consultants has been named as a finalist in the Small Business of the Year category in the first-ever NNBN Business Awards.The event, previously known as the Kettering Business Awards, recognises and celebrates innovative, hardworking, and enterprising businesses across the whole of Northamptonshire.The nod comes just weeks after Wills Consultants scooped their debut award win – the Silver Award for High Growth at the prestigious SME Northamptonshire Business Awards.The past 12 months have been notable for the talented team, led by husband-and-wife duo Simon and Nikki...

15 August, 2023

A new business support contract has gone live as of today from North Northamptonshire Council to help support retail businesses across Kettering, Corby, Wellingborough, Rushden and East Northamptonshire.North Northamptonshire is home to a wide range of small and independent retailers who continue to feel the impact of the pandemic and changing consumer habits.Business Support measures to drive employment growth has been identified as a key priority in the North Northamptonshire UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) Investment Plan.Funding is available through the UKSPF to deliver a comprehensive programme of support to retail businesses across North Northamptonshire until 31st December 2024. This...

15 August, 2023