NW briefs: Phonebox overhaul; LJLA; Saturn Visual Solutions; Dine Contract Catering; Shree Swaminarayan Mandir; House of Care
Preston’s nine Grade II-listed red telephone boxes are set for an historic face-lift as the project to restore them dials up.
On December 12, telephone box restoration specialists, L Carr Contractors, began the removal of the iconic kiosks for sandblasting and restoration to their original condition. Once the restoration is complete, the boxes will be returned to their location outside the former post office on Market Street for the spring of 2025.
After the kiosks are removed, work will take place beneath the pavement to install new digital infrastructure that will home the new enhanced telephone boxes.
Originally designed by British architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, who also designed Liverpool Cathedral, to mark the Silver Jubilee of King George V’s Coronation in 1935, the cast iron kiosks with timber doors form the longest line of historic red telephone boxes in the UK.
Potential future uses of the kiosks include creative installations in partnership with artists to add to the vibrancy of the Harris Quarter in Preston. Liam Carr, director of L Carr Contractors, said: “The award of this prestigious contract allows us to revitalise these historic telephone boxes and enhance community pride and local tourism, ensuring that the charm and nostalgia associated with such iconic traditional red boxes endure in an increasingly digital age.”
Cllr Valerie Wise, Cabinet Member for Community Wealth Building on Preston City Council, said: “Preston celebrates being the home of the UK’s longest line of iconic red telephone boxes, a landmark in the centre of our city that we’ll bring back to life for current and future generations to enjoy. Once the restoration is complete and the kiosks are returned to their home on Market Street, we will work with artists to commission light, audio visual or graphic work to bring them alive, adding to the vibrancy of the Harris Quarter.”
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A charity plane pull organised by Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) has raised thousands of pounds for the airport’s charity partner, Alder Hey Children’s Charity.
Leisure airline, Jet2.com, provided one of its Liverpool-based Boeing 737-800 aircraft to be used by various teams from within the airport community and across the region, who each had 60 seconds to see who could pull the 40-tonne aircraft the furthest along the taxiway at the airport.
The various teams had each paid to take part and raised their own sponsorship with all the money going towards equipment for Alder Hey’s new Surgical Neonatal Unit. The eventual winner, GSTS Security, pulled the aircraft a fantastic 55m in 60 seconds.
More money is still to be counted, but the event is expected to raise more than £15,000 for Alder Hey Children’s Charity. Carol Dutton, LJLA HR and Community Director, said: “This has been a fantastic event and we really appreciate the support given by a host of businesses who have helped to make this happen. In particular Jet2.com for providing one of their aircraft and to Ravenair for hosting us all and not forgetting all the teams who took part and helped us to raise over £15,000 for the Alder Hey Children’s Charity.”
Ellie Freestone, Corporate Partnerships Manager at Alder Hey Children’s Charity, said: “We are so grateful to everyone who helped to make this exciting event happen. Thank you so much to all the teams who took part and to Liverpool John Lennon Airport for their ongoing support, we simply couldn’t do it without you.”
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Matthew Drury
Manchester-based digital signage consultancy, Saturn Visual Solutions, has been appointed for a project by PDJ Management to revitalise the interiors of five cinemas in England.
Saturn will be installing multiple digital displays at each site and creating new digital menus and additional content to enhance the concessions counters and foyer areas.
James Jervis, Director at PDJ Management, said: “Each of our cinemas has a unique look and feel. We want to make sure that our cinemas deliver an exciting experience for our customers, whilst also retaining what makes them special.
“Saturn has a lot of experience in working with different types of cinemas and making sure that any digital signage is sympathetic to the site’s architecture and interior design. They also offer a comprehensive service, which will make things easy for us and our site managers, so they were an obvious choice for us for this project.”
Matthew Drury, co-owner and Sales and Marketing Director for Saturn, said, “We’re really looking forward to working on these sites and helping PDJ to upgrade the ‘big screen experience’ that they offer at each of them. Digital displays and slick content can make a big difference to how enthused customers are about the food and drink options available. It can have a big effect on profitability.”
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Dine Contract Catering Atlas team
Dine Contract Catering has won a long term contract to provide bespoke food and beverage services for ATLAS ELEKTRONIK UK (AEUK) at its Dorset headquarters.
Dine is a business and industry specialist caterer, based in Warrington but with clients across the UK, offering tailored contract-catering services. AEUK, a prime and sub-prime contractor in the naval and maritime domain, works within the Defence industry and has more than 600 staff.
Under the new partnership, Dine will support in delivering AEUK’s new restaurant, named The Galley for employees and visitors, offering exciting, healthy and cost-effective meal options. Nick Haynes, Managing Director at Dine, said: “This is an exciting contract win which required a skilled and bespoke approach. I’m extremely proud that our team had the experience and creativity to meet AEUK’s needs and deliver a tailored food offering which provided everything they desired.”
Under the new partnership, Dine is supporting with improving employee wellbeing by offering healthier meal options, a nutritious salad bar, daily specials, and a rotating menu. And Dine will oversee their tailored hospitality service and has launched a premium hot beverage service to replace the vending machines.
Lisa Bowyer, HR Manager, ATLAS ELEKTRONIK UK, said: “The team showed passion, innovation and, most importantly, listened to our concerns and requirements for this new venture.”
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Shree Swaminarayan Mandir
Oldham’s iconic temple is leading the charge in environmental sustainability by aiming to completely eliminate the use of plastics on its premises.
In a significant step towards a greener future, the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir has replaced plastic utensils with reusable metal plates for its large scale thali events and temple Mahaprasad, which cater to hundreds of attendees, as well as offering recyclable plates and cups and spoons for external hall bookings. It said this move not only highlights the temple’s dedication to environmental preservation but also sets a benchmark for the community.
Temple Secretary, Vinod Vekaria, said: “We recognise our duty to protect the environment. Switching to metal plates that we can wash, and reuse is just one step in our journey towards sustainability.”
The initiative to increase reliance on sustainable practices is evident in several other aspects of the temple’s operations, including the recent installation of 90 solar panels.
The move is not just about reducing costs for a facility, but also about fostering a community culture that values and practices environmental responsibility. Treasurer, Jit Kara, said: “As we continue to innovate and implement green practices, the site can serve as an inspiration for other organisations and communities to follow suit.”
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Madalina-Maria Paraia, left, and Sue Chambers
Birkenhead-based domiciliary care company, House of Care, has secured a £25,000 investment from NPIF II-River Capital and GC Business Finance Smaller loans, which is managed by River Capital and GC Business Finance as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II).
The loan is also the first deal completed by River Capital in the Liverpool City Region since the launch of NPIF II in March.
Founded in 2022 by experienced care professional Madalina-Maria Paraia, House of Care aims to address the growing demand for high quality domiciliary care services in the Merseyside and Cheshire regions. The £25,000 investment will provide crucial working capital to support House of Care’s expansion plans, enabling the company to take on additional care contracts and create multiple new full-time equivalent jobs in the region over the next two years.
Sue Chambers, Investment Manager at River Capital, said: “Madalina’s extensive experience in the care sector, combined with her commitment to providing person-centered care, positions House of Care to make a significant positive impact in addressing the shortage of domiciliary care services in the area.”
Madalina-Maria Paraia, said: “This investment from River Capital comes at a crucial time for our business. With our CQC registration now in place, we are poised for growth. The funding will allow us to expand our team of carers and take on more clients, helping to reduce the backlog of individuals waiting for care packages in the Wirral area.”
