Make your employees feel appreciated: 3 tips for Lincolnshire businesses
Your employees are important for the success of your business. To make sure that the workers do their best and stay motivated, you need to ensure that you provide them with the right conditions.
Of course, you should provide them with a workplace where they can focus on the job. However, you should also ensure you make them feel happy and valued.
To make your employees feel appreciated, you should engage them in conversation and celebrate their achievements. You should also provide them with constructive feedback and acknowledge any feedback they might give you in return. Here are more tips on how to make your employees feel appreciated in your Lincolnshire business.
Celebrate all the achievements
When you’re running a business, your task list might seem never-ending. But it’s essential that you still find time in your schedule to talk to your employees and celebrate their wins, no matter how big or small. To get started, you could celebrate employees who join your company. Then, you could praise those who get an excellent review from the client or land your company the job of your dreams.
You might also want to celebrate when you launch new services or products and award your employees for all their hard work. However, you could also focus on their personal achievements. That way, you might show your employees you care and make them feel more appreciated.
Acknowledge their feedback
Throughout your career, there might be many occasions when you’re required to provide feedback to others. However, you should also ask for feedback from others. That might help you to understand if there’s anything you need to improve or do differently. To make your feedback sessions more interactive and engaging, you could use features like word cloud polls from vevox.com.
Once you get feedback from your employees and others in the organisation, you should acknowledge it and act on their input. You might be able to show them that you’re open to suggestions throughout the organisation and make them feel more valued. Accepting feedback from others when you’re in a leading position could help them to see that they have a purpose in the company and that you listen to them. So, you could take the suggestions on board and see if you can include them in your future plans.
Help them to establish work-life balance
The work-life balance of your employees could have a direct link to their performance and results. At the same time, it might impact their job satisfaction. To ensure that your employees are happy and productive, help them to reach a work-life balance that works for them. But how could you achieve that? For instance, you could provide them with wellness days.
You should also promote the importance of health and wellness, so your employees can achieve optimal physical and mental health. You might even provide them with remote work opportunities that would give them more flexibility and allow them to focus on life outside of working hours. Ultimately, your employees might become more productive and loyal to the company.
St Barnabas launches HeART trail to mark its 40th birthday
Lincolnshire’s St Barnabas Hospice is celebrating its 40th birthday this summer with the introduction of the county’s largest-yet street art trail.
It’s the bespoke HeART Trail which will run during the summer of 2023 across Lincolnshire – and it’s a first of its kind because it will take public art to every town in the county in which the Hospice has a physical presence, including Louth, Grantham, Spalding, Boston, and Gainsborough as well as Lincoln, and Skegness, which has its business months over the summer, offering publicity to a much wider audience.
Hearts will appear on the trail in all of those locations on June 10th and will remain in place until early September thanks to a range of sponsors, led by five ‘Presenting Partners’ of Jacksons Workwear Rentals, Lincolnshire Freemasons, Chestnut Homes, Branston, and Daniel Charles Construction
Caroline Swindin, Fundraising Development Manager at St Barnabas Hospice, said: “It only seems fitting we expand the trail to cover key areas including Skegness and the coast where tourism is at an all-time high in the summer months; it’s a significant injection of trade after almost two years of disturbance because of the pandemic.
“Hearts are our chosen sculpture because ‘people are at the HEART of all that we do’, one of our values is ‘Having Heart’ and our emblem is also a heart. Hearts will adorn our streets, embellished, painted, sculptured from an array of materials bringing joy to all who see them.”
Lincolnshire Freemasons’ Provincial Grand Master Dave Wheeler said: “Lincolnshire Freemasons’ decision to be a Presenting Partner for the 2023 HeART Trail reinforces our long-term commitment to the Hospice movement in general and St Barnabas Hospice in particular.
“Our support for the hospice movement is, by extension, support for all those people in our communities whose lives are touched by its services; not only those suffering terminal illnesses, but also their families and friends, which clearly includes our own members.
“In this way, the money invested in being a Presenting Partner is an investment in making some of life’s most difficult times a little more tolerable.
“For that reason, the St Barnabas Hospice choice of the heart as the artwork to symbolise its ongoing commitment to dignity and compassion in the end of life care is especially appropriate in the year of its 40th anniversary, and our Province is delighted to be associated with it.”
Government investment promises to cut Monday morning madness when trying to reach a GP
Patients will be able to contact their general practice more easily and quickly – and find out exactly how their request will be handled on the day they call – as part of a major multi-million pound overhaul of primary care, the government and NHS will announce this week.
Practices across the UK will also be given £240 million this year to embrace the latest technology, replacing old analogue phones with modern systems so patients never get engaged tones and easy to use online tools to ensure patients get the care they need as soon as possible.
This will mean when patients contact their practice online or over the phone, they will know on the day they make contact how their query will be managed, rather than being told to call back later. If their need is urgent, they will be assessed and given appointments on the same day. If it is not urgent, appointments should be offered within two weeks, or patients will be referred to NHS 111 or a local pharmacy.
Primary care is the way most people access the NHS, and the government is committed to modernising the way patients contact their GP surgery – improving satisfaction and delivering on the Prime Minister’s promise to cut waiting lists.
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay will announce a major expansion of the role of receptionists to become expert “care navigators” – whose job it is to gather information, to make sure patients are directed to the most suitable healthcare professional and to simplify and streamline the process.
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “We are already making real progress with 10% more GP appointments happening every month compared to before the pandemic. I want to make sure people receive the right support when they contact their general practice and bring an end to the 8am scramble for appointments.
“To do this we are improving technology and reducing bureaucracy, increasing staffing and changing the way primary care services are provided, which are all helping to deliver on the government’s promise to cut waiting lists.”
Minister for Health Neil O’Brien said: “Where GPs have already moved over to these new technologies we see they free up the phones, making it much easier for people to get through to their general practice team. “As well as being more convenient for patients, these really easy to use digital tools allow a lot of patients to get the help they need without ever needing to go in for an appointment, which will help cut waiting lists.“Investing £240 million in these modern tools and the help GPs need to move onto them will make things more convenient for patients, but also make the workload more manageable for general practice teams.”
An average sized practice of 10,000 patients often receives more than 100 calls in the first hour every Monday. With advanced digital telephony, rather than an engaged tone patients will receive a queue position, a call back option and their call can be directly routed to the right professional. The phone system will also be integrated with the clinical systems so practice staff can quickly identify patients and their information from phone numbers. Practices that have invested in modern online booking and messaging systems find they help free up phones for those who prefer to call, while giving patients a convenient way to get the help they need. As well as helping patients to make contact the government is supporting staff in dealing with the calls. Working with NHS England the government will fund 6,500 care navigator training places – that is one member of staff per practice who can then pass on the training to colleagues. Care navigators will help assess, prioritise, respond and assist. They can help make sure those who want to see a named GP or preferred member of staff can do while those who are happy to see a duty doctor can also do so. Care navigators will direct patients to other professionals within the general practice or other medical professionals such as community pharmacists who can best meet the needs of the patients. Successful care navigation can help direct 40% of requests more effectively and speeds up appointments for those who need them. Image: Health and Social Care Secretary Steve BarclayBRIC gifted 60,000 pens to support communities in need
A generous donation of 60,000 pens has been received by BRIC in a bid to support vulnerable families and children across Lincolnshire.
Gainsborough based charity BRIC (Building Resilience in Communities) provides emotional support and practical help to children and their families to get them back on their feet after dealing with issues such as illness, disability, abuse, isolation, and the demands of having a young family.
BRIC organised a ‘Be Kind To All Kind’ event, which encouraged children to write a story about kindness and send it to BRIC’s office where a select few would be shared on the charity’s website, social media channels and newsletter.
The storytelling activity was so popular that BRIC ran out of resources for families that wanted to take part, so they sent out an appeal to the community.
R.E.A.CH (Resources for Extra Activities for Children), a charity also based in Gainsborough, responded to the appeal and donated 60,000 pens, believing that the ethos of work at BRIC matched its own.
R.E.A.CH is a community fund raising group that approaches companies and individuals to donate resources for particularly vulnerable children and their families and works with local schools and community groups to identify need and allocate resources.
The charity was born out of lockdown in 2020 with a mission of helping children to meet their emotional and creative needs and in 2022 was awarded a Good Citizens Award by Lincolnshire County Council for its hard work and commitment. R.E.A.CH currently works with several local schools and two community groups and have supported over one and a half thousand children and their families.
Shiella Jennings at R.E.A.CH said: “We are always looking for ways to support some of our most vulnerable and disadvantaged children and their families; particularly during such a difficult time after the pandemic and during the current dramatic rise in the costs of living. Working with BRIC seemed a very positive next step for us.”
Both charities have a history of supporting vulnerable children across Lincolnshire. By joining forces, they hope to make an even greater impact and create lasting change.
Kamila Zolotar, Community Engagement Manager at BRIC, said: “We organised the ‘Be Kind To All Kind’ activity with a hope to get children engaged with writing a story about being kind to encourage them to think about why everyone needs a little act of kindness sometimes, how does it impact on their personal energy and self-esteem, and those around them.
“Many families we support wanted to take part in this activity but due to high cost of living there is often no budget for the art and craft tools for the children.
“We are incredibly grateful to R.E.A.CH for their support. With their help, we can continue to expand our reach and impact, and provide vital resources to those who are most in need. We believe that this donation will help make a real difference in our communities.”
The donation will be used to support a range of programmes and initiatives, including the ‘Be Kind To All Kind’ activity for children. Both charities will work together to ensure that the pens are utilised effectively and efficiently to maximise their impact.
The charities hope that by working together they can put a little bit of colour back into the homes of families.
Image: L-R – Vikki Hern (BRIC), Perry Smith (REACH), Sheila Jennings (REACH), Kamila Zolotar (BRIC).
Metal detectorists could get access to part of Cleethorpes beach
North East Lincolnshire Council has submitted a proposal to Natural England to trial a free metal detector consent scheme on a specific section of Cleethorpes beach – including the North Prom from the rock groyne at Wonderland and the Pier and between the Pier and the Leisure Centre, from the sea wall to the front of the Pier structure.
The council says it has always wanted to talk to Natural England to ensure correct measures are introduced to balance protection of this highly important coastline – all of which is protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest – whilst managing the impact of metal detecting.
Natural England has agreed to consider a proposal from the authority to carry out a trial within a low impact area of the beach to gather information on the number of consents required and understand the impacts of metal detecting.
This will run from its introduction – as soon as possible – to September 30 this year. It is hoped this will lead to a long-term permanent solution being found for metal detecting on Cleethorpes beach. To ensure a permanent solution is found, co-operative and good relationships with metal detectorists and their associations will be sought.
It has already been agreed however that restrictions to detect on the popular tourist section of the beach only will be imposed to protect the SSSI, and consent will strictly apply to the designated area and not extend beyond that or to any other land, inland or otherwise, across North East Lincolnshire.
People who have already registered their interest with the council to metal detect on the beach will be informed as soon as the trial consent scheme is ready. Until then no action will be taken against detectorists. After that time, anyone without consent or straying from the designated area, will be subject to a Fixed Penalty Notice under the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO).
To ensure necessary protection is in place, North East Lincolnshire Council are working extensively with Natural England to agree a Cleethorpes Habitat Management Plan, which is currently under review. Activities that are permitted in certain areas of both the beach and wider coastline are included within the Plan with permissions and locations detailed.
An online consent request form will be added to the council’s website, www.nelincs.gov.uk, in the coming weeks. People who have already registered their interest with the council to metal detect on the beach will be informed as soon as the trial consent scheme is ready.
Lincolnshire’s Freemasons invite public to say ‘hello’ at classic car event
Lincolnshire Freemasons are giving an open invitation to anyone who’d like to learn more about Freemasonry to visit a classic car show being organised at Doddington Hall near Lincoln.
Freemasons from throughout the historic county of Lincolnshire will be bringing classic and interesting vehicles to the event, which last year attracted dozens of cars and hundreds of spectators, to the grounds of the stately home on the afternoon of Sunday July 23rd.
Said the Freemasons’ spokesman Stuart Pearcey: “This is a very rare opportunity that brings together classic and interesting vehicles with the opportunity to learn about Freemasonry in a relaxed atmosphere and a wonderful setting – and there’s no admission charge.
“This event has been running for several years, and we believe that its current home at Doddington Hall is the perfect location; easy to reach from anywhere in the country, with a great display space and lots of other things to see and do during a visit. We have also been blessed with good weather in most of the other years the event has been staged.”
In previous years exhibitor vehicles have been on one, two, three, four or more wheels, and have even included a steam-driven car. “Perhaps the oddest vehicles have been the monowheels,” said Mr Pearcey, “with engine and rider sitting inside one great big wheel… Talking to us about Freemasonry isn’t compulsory; we’d be happy for anyone to come along and enjoy the event.”
He added: “Freemasonry is one of the oldest secular social and charitable organisations in the world, with its roots lie in the traditions of the medieval stonemasons who built our castles and cathedrals.
“Membership is open to men over 18 from all backgrounds, and our organisation’s aim is to empower members to be the best they can be – it’s about building character, supporting members as individuals and helping them make a positive contribution to society.
“Freemasonry provides a structure for members to come together under these common goals, enabling people to make new friendships, develop themselves and make valuable contributions to charitable causes. We are one of the largest charitable givers in the country, contributing £51.1m to deserving causes in 2020 – and we give about £60,000 a day to non-masonic good causes, many of them in Lincolnshire, from the hospice movement and the air ambulance to youth football teams and groups befriending the elderly.”
Urgent call made to energy suppliers: renegotiate fixed contracts for small businesses on market-peak tariffs
Hundreds of thousands of small businesses are trapped in contracts that mean their latest bills are at last summer’s peak market rate for energy – even though wholesale prices have fallen since last winter, new research shows.
The Federation of Small Businesses is urging energy suppliers to allow small firms locked into fixed tariffs from last year to renegotiate contracts to better reflect the significantly lower wholesale energy prices we see today.
This comes a month after massive cuts to government support on energy bills for businesses. Since 1 April 2023, the Energy Bill Relief Scheme has been downgraded to the Energy Bills Discount Scheme, which changes support to pennies that do not touch the sides of huge bills.
The downscaled government support means small firms that signed up to fixed tariffs in 2022 will see their bills revert back to last year’s peak levels. This could be three or four times what they were paying when the more generous government support scheme was in place.
FSB’s latest research shows more than one in ten (13%) small firms fixed their energy bills between 1 July and 31 December 2022, during which businesses were quoted up to £1 per kWh for electricity. Of this group, 13% say they could be forced to either close, downsize, or radically restructure their businesses, equating to 93,000 small firms across the UK.
A significant proportion of small firms stuck in fixed contracts are from the accommodation and food sector (28%), and the wholesale and retail sector (20%).
Four in ten (42%) small firms that fixed energy contracts in the second half of last year say it has been impossible for them to pass on costs to consumers who had to tighten spending and can’t afford further price increases amid the cost of living crisis.
FSB is calling on energy suppliers to allow these small firms to extend their fixed contracts but at a blended and lower rate – between their original fixed rate and the current, lower wholesale rate.
The option to renegotiate fixed contracts should be made automatically available to businesses which:
- negotiated the new energy contract between July 1 and December 31 2022
- can confirm the level of wholesale price on the contract is above the EBRS wholesale price cap
- can confirm the end date of the contract to demonstrate the length of exposure to higher prices from April 2023 onwards
George III coronation saddle forms part of new display at Lincoln Museum
A saddle thought to have first been used in the coronation of George III in 1760 forms part of a new display of coronation artefacts at Lincoln Museum – formerly known as The Collection
The saddle belongs to the King’s Champion and would have been used at the coronation of each new monarch.
Clad in full armour and carrying a gauntlet, the Champion would ride into Westminster Hall on a white horse and throw down the gauntlet, challenging anybody who denied the sovereign to be the rightful heir to the crown.
After challenging three times, and there being no response, the monarch would toast the health of the Champion, in the knowledge that he or she was undisputed as sovereign.
The earliest record of the ceremony dates to the coronation banquet of Richard II in 1377, with the last such ceremony taking place at the coronation of King George IV in 1821.
The office of King’s or Queen’s Champion has been held by the Dymoke family since 1292, and the title is directly linked to the feudal ownership of their home, the Manor at Scrivelsby in Lincolnshire.
Despite no longer being expected to ride in on horseback, the Champion does still has a role to play in modern coronations.
For Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953, Lieutenant-Colonel John Dymoke served as the Queen’s Champion bearing the Union Standard. Charles III’s King’s Champion is the current 34th Lord of the Manor of Scrivelsby, who carried the Royal Standard in the Westminster Abbey ceremony.
The saddle on display in Lincoln is leather covered with red silk velvet and ornamented with silver-gilt lace, braid and fringe, and was probably first used at the Coronation of George III in 1760.
Alongside the saddle, a selection of other memorabilia celebrating previous coronations including Edward VII’s, George VI’s and Elizabeth II’s is also on display.
The King’s Champion saddle and other artefacts are now on display at Lincoln Museum – formerly The Collection Museum – on Danes Terrace, Lincoln. Entry is free.
University’s visiting professor to play key role in Coronation
A Visiting Professor at the University of Lincoln will play a key part in the King’s Coronation later this week by presenting King Charles III with the Robe Royal in which he will be crowned.
Baroness Merron of Lincoln will take part in tomorrow’s Coronation at Westminster Abbey as a Peer representing the Jewish faith.
She will be joined by Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh Peers in presenting the King with four key pieces of regalia during the ceremony. They will make history as the first ever non-Christian figures to be involved in the crowning of a British monarch.
Baroness Merron is a Visiting Professor at the Lincoln Parliamentary Research Centre, which forms part of the College of Social Science at the University.
She said: “This is an honour beyond anything I could ever have imagined. I feel humbled to be making history in a Coronation ceremony that will validate Britain as a ‘community of communities’.
“In his Coronation, HRH King Charles III will demonstrate his commitment to protect the space for faith and its practise through religions, cultures, traditions, and beliefs. Through my part in this, I hope to do everybody proud.”
Invitations to the Coronation of King Charles III have been sent to about 2,000 people including members of the Royal family, politicians, royals from overseas and 850 representatives from communities across the UK.
Strong Girl Squad listed as national award finalist
A group of female strength and conditioning coaches runnings girls-only weightlifting workshops for girls in years 7 to 11 have been selected as a finalist for a national award by the Department for Education.
They’re Lincoln ‘s Strong Girl Squad, and during the summer, Christmas and Easter holidays, they run a Holiday Activities and Food Club on behalf of Lincolnshire County Council.
The squad has now been selected as a regional champion for the East Midlands in the inaugural HAF 2023 Awards, organised by the DfE. The club now goes forward to the final judging stage, with the winners due to be announced in a ceremony at the House of Commons on Thursday 18th May.
Cllr Mrs Patricia Bradwell, executive member for children’s services, said: “The HAF programme is making a real difference to the lives of thousands of children and young people across the county. Many of our providers really do go above and beyond to give the children and young people an experience to remember, while also explaining the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Strong Girl Squad have provided amazing support to the girls taking part in their club, and I’m delighted that they’ve been recognised for their efforts.”
Kristen Ingraham-Morgan from Strong Girl Squad said: “Everyone at the Strong Girl Squad is beyond excited to be recognised for this award. We have been so fortunate to work with the incredible HAF team at Lincolnshire County Council, who have supported us since the very beginning, and it has allowed us to create a very special experience for the girls in our club.”
Fellow Squad member Claire Kirk added: “We are also looking forward to meeting other regional champions and sharing best practice for even better clubs in the future.”
The HAF programme is a government-funded initiative that provides free holiday clubs in Lincolnshire over the summer, Christmas and Easter holidays. It is designed to ensure a high-quality experience for children and young people providing healthy and nutritious meals and physical activity. Children and young people who attend HAF clubs develop a greater understanding of food, nutrition and other health-related issues, make new friends and have the opportunity to take part in fun and engaging activities.
