In Brief: PLB, social entrepreneurs, RAM tracks Perham, and more

A YORKSHIRE-based heritage and design consultancy has played a major part in helping to bring Charles Dickens’ only surviving London home to life and open to the public in time for Christmas.

PLB, of Malton, North Yorkshire, has carried out interpretive work at the site as part of the £3.1m Great Expectations regeneration project to restore and enhance the Charles Dickens Museum. 

The project is a key element of the celebrations for Dickens’ bicentenary during 2012.

PLB was appointed by the Charles Dickens Museum to undertake the interpretive design development to support a second round Heritage Lottery Fund bid, awarded in December 2010.

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THREE social entrepreneurs from across Leeds are celebrating after securing a place on the first Lloyds Banking Group Social Entrepreneurs Programme.

The three enterprises were selected from a wide range of entries for their initiatives which aim to provide a better quality of life to all members of society.
 
The winners of the places are: Me’n’u Café, a community café run by Yvonne Crowther which provides training and experience for young people; Yes We Can, run by Stewart Lee, a consumer review website for disabled people; and RedsLarder.com, a service run by James Blandford selling bespoke snack boxes to office workers in the city.

As well as funding their placements on the Lloyds Banking Group Social Entrepreneurs Programme, the winners will benefit from a grant of £4,000 to support the development of their projects. Alongside this financial support, a mentor is being provided by Lloyds Banking Group for 12 months.

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THE youngest person to have solo circumnavigated the world by land has been given a helping hand by a Yorkshire-based business.

Mike Perham, 20, has travelled more than 23,000 miles over the past four and a half months during a challenge that has seen him raise funds for disaster relief charity ShelterBox.

Leeds-based vehicle tracking company Remote Asset Management (RAM) provided the tracking kit for the feat, and its advanced technology has allowed thousands of people to log on and use real time monitoring to keep up to date with Mr Perham’s progress.

James Taylor, of RAM Tracking, said: “It has been an absolute pleasure to support Mike as he embarked on this world’s first. Being part of something like this is brilliant and knowing we were playing an active part in not only Mike’s safety, but also the joy of others tracking his progress was fantastic.”

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CARDZONE has acquired family-owned Special Occasion (Greetings) and launched its 60th retail outlet in Hull with funding from Barclays.

CardZone, which also trades as Paper Kisses, is headquartered in Nottingham and has outlets across the UK.

The new group employs 190 staff and expects turnover to increase to £9m. The new Hull store employs 18 staff and will retail cards, wrapping paper and gifts.

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