In brief: Lloydspharmacy, Hadrian’s Wall challenge, women’s awards

Pharmacy appoints new internal comms head

COVENTRY-based community chain Lloydspharmacy has appointed a new head of internal communications. Nick Murray joins the firm from Warwickshire-based TNT Express where he was communications manager for over four years. Reporting to Lloydspharmacy’s director of transformation and network support, Kirstie Hepburn, Nick takes over from previous internal communications head, Steve Howard, who has recently been made superintendent pharmacist.
Mr Murray said: “I’m delighted to be joining Lloydspharmacy and helping the business connect with its employees. With more than 17,000 staff across the UK it is critical that we provide consistent communication across the board and I’m relishing the challenge of finding innovative ways to engage with all employees.”
Prior to joining TNT, Nick spent more than a decade in the regional media, holding senior editorial roles at titles including the Coventry Telegraph and Birmingham Mail.

IT staff take on 118-mile Hadrian’s Wall Cycle Challenge

STAFF at Worcester IT firm Open GI are hoping to complete the 118 mile Hadrian’s Wall Cycle Challenge.
The six-strong team will set off from Silloth on the west coast of Cumbria on July 31 and cycle along the site of the historic wall, ending up in South Shields around 24 hours later. The trek is part of a year-long mission by the company to raise £5,000 during 2010 for three Air Ambulances units serving the Midlands and Welsh border regions. If the target is reached, Open GI’s board has promised to match it with a further £5,000. MD Chris Guillaume said: “It’s pleasing to see that staff are setting themselves further testing challenges this year. In 2009 the Three Peaks Challenge was an enormous success, helping us to exceed our annual target.” For more details and to sponsor them visit hadrianscrawl.co.uk.

The team from left: Julian Slaughter, Colin Reader, Paul Davies,
Will Duckworth, Steve Taylor and Mike Peters.

Awards celebrate female entrepreneurship

THE deadline is approaching for an annual awards scheme celebrating female entrepreneurship. The NatWest everywoman Awards have been running since 2003 and was established to celebrate women who have started up and run successful businesses. They are open to women from all walks of life, running any type of business, and there are 10 prize categories including an award for under-25s and one for someone who has used IT to improve their business. One woman will be chosen to receive the overall NatWest everywoman Award which goes to the person judges feel has overcome the greatest challenge to achieve business success in 2010. The deadline for entries in July 30 – for more details visit everywoman.com . Winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on December 1.