News in brief: Law firm accolade, Green fleet hits road and more

LEEDS law firm Irwin Mitchell has won the Rehabilitation Initiative of the Year award at the Rehabilitation First Awards 2008 in London.

The award ceremony, which is in its fourth year, was hosted by insurance industry publication Post Magazine at the Honourable Artillery Company and highlights the pioneering efforts of those people and businesses supporting the role of rehabilitation for severely injured people.

The awards are part of the Post Magazine’s Rehabilitation First Campaign, now in its eighth year.

Irwin Mitchell scooped the claimant solicitor award for Rehabilitation Initiative of the Year for the firm’s work and commitment on two Yorkshire based cases that saw its clients receive settlements of more than £5m.

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PLOUGHCROFT is blazing the trail for environmental sustainability having bought some of the latest ‘green’ vehicles on the market.

The innovative roofing and building company based in Owler Ings Road, Brighouse, West Yorkshire, has just taken delivery of three Mercedes ECO-Start vans in order to reduce harmful exhaust emissions and slash fuel bills in one go.

By automatically cutting the engine when standing still for more than two seconds and then restarting it when the driver depresses the clutch, the vans are able to significantly reduce fuel consumption, especially in busy city centres or heavy traffic.

The new mini fleet, which will cut the vans’ fuel bills by at least 6%, is the latest component in a wider environmental strategy that has just won Ploughcroft accreditation with the internationally recognised environmental standard ISO 14001.

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MULBERRY Hall, the family owned wedding list specialist based in York, has announced an increase in baseline turnover of 16%.

The company stocks brands including Alessi, Wedgwood, Baccarat, Georg Jensen, Emma Bridgewater, Waterford and Lalique and since setting up its wedding list service in 1960 it has handled more than 7,000 lists for couples around the region and beyond.

Mulberry Hall also arranges lists for couples nationwide, thanks to its online service, which was launched in 2005.

Adam Sinclair, Mulberry Hall’s managing director, said: “The wedding list service at Mulberry Hall has been running for 50 years and our latest results prove local businesses offering online shopping, a flagship store, excellent service, a range of the world’s best products and attention to detail can still prosper even during difficult times.”