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Blue Donkey shortlisted for national award

Intelligent telemarketing company Blue Donkey narrowly missed out on further award success at the Technology for Marketing Awards ceremony. These awards were created to recognise outstanding results and success achieved in marketing-related and customer relationship marketing technology.

Blue Donkey entered the ‘Best Use of Customer Relationship Management Software for SME’s’ category. However, the judges upgraded the entry from the SME to the Corporate category – normally the preserve of companies with more than 500 employees. This move demonstrated the judges’ recognition of Blue Donkey’s excellence but inevitably competition was much tougher in the section. Blue Donkey was one of four finalists alongside corporate heavy-weights Hewlett-Packard, Nike and Orange.

Sureya Landini, Blue Donkey’s Managing Director commented “Being shortlisted is clearly not as satisfying as winning but nevertheless this is a significant achievement for us. These are national awards and important in the sector. Having passed Investors In People with flying colours and gained international ISO accreditation at the end of 2006, this was the icing on the cake for us. It paves the way to an exciting year ahead.”

Lavish Looks courtesy of Linden House Curtains

Linden House Curtains offer a personal, professional bespoke and efficient curtain making and soft furnishings service, providing stylish and functional designs to suit individuals’ lifestyles and budgets.

Based in Wortham, Suffolk, Judi Haywood’s first order (for a pair of silk curtains) came via a networking group she set up near Woodbridge. Since then her growing customer base has spread to the region and beyond. Judi now works with a curtain maker and a fitter but as the business continues to expand more proficient curtain makers are required.

CBN Members are invited to view the extensive fabric ranges by leading design houses, from contemporary to traditional, during a personal consultation (at no cost or obligation) in the comfort of your home … or commercial premises if relevant.

Hand-made curtains, blinds, pelmets, cushions, bed coverings … and more can be created exclusively for customers. All curtains are interlined, and completed orders are personally delivered and hung in situ.

Whether it’s a fresh, new look for a bathroom, impact in an entrance hall, a window dressing in an awkward niche or a sumptuous feel to the living accommodation required, there is always a solution. Judi Haywood’s advisory/consultative approach works well, ensuring clients achieve the best possible result and wow factor.

Tel: 07765 831957
Tel/Fax: 01379 783443
Email: lindenhousecurtains@hotmail.com

Cambridge Editorial Partnership expansion

Moving their business onward and upward, Cambridge Editorial Partnership have started trading as a limited company. To help manage the increasing workload Ros and Sally have employed Sue Ecob as project manager and in-house editorial support and Antony Bond as financial officer and adviser.

Teacher loses his hair to raise money for Comic Relief Appeal

Mat Conway, the Mathematics teacher from Cambridge Centre for Sixth-form Studies (CCSS) invited students and the college staff members to sponsor his haircut on Red Nose Day to raise money for the appeal. Other CCSS teachers were dressed in yellow clothes, hats and wigs whilst giving their lessons on that day.

Elaine Jarman, Head of Science at CCSS and the main organiser of the other fundraising events on the day, said that the college had collected more than £800 to donate to Comic Relief Appeal (it is a large amount of money for 90 members of staff and 184 students).

Cambridge Centre for Sixth-form Studies (CCSS) is one of the UK's leading independent sixth-form colleges, specialising in A-level and GCSE courses for entry into the best British universities. CCSS achieved charitable status in Spring 2001.

Contact: Tatiana Ansell, Marketing Manager
01223 518531 www.ccss.co.uk

Free mentoring sessions for people working in the creative sector

Andrea Chance, co-director of Brainwave Media Ltd, was recently invited to participate in a training course in mentoring, specifically aimed at people working within the creative industries. The training scheme was organised by The Creative Industries Business Improvement Partnership (CIBIP) and delivered across the Eastern region by Pam Lawrence, Director of The Business International Partnership.

As part of the ongoing training, the scheme will fund the first few mentees of each participant and Andrea is now seeking some volunteers to take advantage of these free taster sessions.

As an individual, Andrea has had experience of both performance and behind the scenes production and having run her own pre-school music business for over 15 years as well as managing the financial side of Brainwave and juggling family commitments, she has something to offer to other creative businesswomen in particular.

‘I wanted to consolidate the mentoring skills I had developed as a result of working on these programmes, and the course helped me do exactly that’, commented Andrea. ‘It also provided valuable opportunities to try out these skills in real life, and it was really interesting to discover how helpful a simple yet constructive conversation can be.'

Andrea can be contacted at Brainwave Media by telephone: 01799 542620, or by email: andrea@brainwavemedia.co.uk.

Travel advice and immunisation for independent and corporate travellers

What do you need for your trip? How long before travelling should you seek advice? Are vaccinations really necessary?

At the Travel Clinic Ltd we can answer all these questions and more. As providers of travel health medicine and information we provided detailed specialist advice tailored to your requirements. Our business is split between the needs of, independent travellers requiring advice and immunisation for holidays or expeditions and the corporate traveller. We stock and administer all vaccines.

Additional services requested have been flu vaccinations, Gardasil, which can prevent cervical cancer and Hepatitis B for scientific workers.

Since 2003 when we opened The Travel Clinic Ltd in Mill Road, our reputation has grown, together with the number of number of patients we see. In addition we continue to train other health workers in the community.

To accommodate the demand we have moved to 41 Hills Road (behind the Beechwood Practice). This is a new customised clinic, with disabled access, in a central Cambridge position with parking for our clients.

We are registered with the Healthcare Commission and are still the only registered travel clinic in the Cambridge area. Our referrals come from a wide range including corporate and GP practices.

Mary Kedward
01223 367362
mkedward@travelcliniccambridge.co.uk
www.travelclclinicccambridge.co.uk

Do you have something to say?

If your company has recently received an award, celebrated a key event or achieved a significant milestone, please send information to the Grapevine Editor, Ann Bonnett ann@abcr8.co.uk.