Elderly residents at a luxury care facility in Redcar have been rolling up their sleeves and getting messy in a bespoke arts and crafts session designed to ease the effects of dementia.

Yew Tree Care Centre recently welcomed specialist creative practitioner, Claire Ford to host a workshop at the facility, as part of their commitment to roll out the very best in elderly healthcare.

From sculpture and painting, through to poetry reading and storytelling, residents sampled a range of sensory-based activities all designed to enhance their health and wellbeing in a relaxed atmosphere.

Sam Jones, activity co-ordinator at Yew Tree Care Centre which offers 76 ensuite bedrooms, said: “We like to offer all our residents a wide variety of activities and when we heard about Claire’s bespoke workshops we knew that they would provide a valuable therapeutic and fun experience to all our residents.

“Whether its arts and crafts, cooking, gardening in our greenhouse and allotment, or simply socialising and watching a good film, we aim to provide an environment which is socially stimulating, keeping the minds of our residents active.”

Claire Ford has recently returned to the North East following a lengthy research mission throughout America. It was during her travels that she decided to concentrate her energies on conducting bespoke workshops for the elderly and people suffering with dementia.

She said: “My focus is to use art as a tool to stimulate and empower people with dementia. One of the key outcomes of the workshops is to encourage self expression and promote self understanding. The residents at Yew Tree responded really well to the workshop many used it as a vehicle to reminisce which is often the case when they are provided with a creative setting.

“Forward thinking care homes like Yew Tree are ensuring that our elderly population is being well cared for, by making it their priority to provide an inspiring and caring environment in which to express themselves. I am looking forward to working closely with them in the future.”

Research shows that as we get older, we become more creative and while cognitive ability deteriorates with dementia, creativity increases and therefore it is crucial to provide dementia sufferers with alternative ways of communicating. 

Sam concludes: “The session was popular with our residents suffering from dementia, as well as with our general residents, and families were quick to get involved too. It was an absolute delight to see everyone participating together and having such a good time.”

Yew Tree Care Centre is one of 30 care facilities owned by the Executive Care Group and is located on Yew Tree Avenue in Redcar. More information can be obtained by telephoning 01642 489 480 or visiting www.execcaregroup.co.uk.

Claire Ford is running creative workshops with a range of groups across the North East of England. For more information, visit www.bespokeartworkshops.co.uk.

The first stages of an ambitious investment plan worth £50,000 are underway at Newcastle’s most well-established entertainment venue.

The Assembly Rooms, situated on Fenkle Street close to Central Station, is undergoing a series of improvements over the next 12 months to ensure it remains the region’s premier conferencing, wedding and events venue.

The main body of the works being carried out initially is on the ground floor, and will see a complete overhaul of the washroom facilities of the Lower Ball Room and Sovereign Suite, which can jointly accommodate up to 370 people.

Antony Michaelides, owner of the Georgian venue, said: “Top of the agenda for us is to ensure that our refurbishments are sensitive to the building’s rich history and highlight the wonderful, original  features within each of our eight suites, which combined, can accommodate over 1000 people.

“Careful consideration and planning has been required in order to execute the works so there is no disruption to the smooth running of the Assembly Rooms. This is why we are undertaking refurbishments in a number of stages.”

Built in 1776, the Assembly Rooms is one of the region’s oldest entertainment venues, showcasing the very best in Georgian architecture.

Once complete in the lower ballroom, updates will then start on refurbishing the upper first floor which houses the Meldon Suite and Halton Suite, which holding up to 30 and 35 people respectively.

Further general refurbishments are to be carried out across the first floor of the Assembly Rooms which is made up of four rooms, the Chandelier, Regency, Wedgwood and Falstaff. Combined, these suites hold up to 640 people.

Antony adds: “The decision to upgrade the facilities at the Assembly Rooms is part of our commitment to offer our customers the best experience possible as well as ensure that we remain ahead of the market.

“With the likes of Las Iguanas, MacDonalds, Proctor and Gamble and the Royal Institute of British Architecture choosing to hold their conferences with us, we are proud to say that the calibre of our venue certainly matches the calibre of our clients.”

The five star luxury resort in Hurworth near Darlington has been placed second in the list of the UKs most luxurious hotel destinations by popular review website TripAdvisor. Only the esteemed Dorchester Hotel on London’s Park Lane finishes higher, with Rockliffe Hall putting the likes of The Ritz and Claridge’s firmly in the shade.

Even more incredibly, TripAdvisor’s Travellers Choice Awards has placed Rockliffe Hall as fifth most luxurious venue in Europe and a stunning ninth place in its round up of the world’s most luxurious hotel destinations.  Having recently won Large Hotel of the Year at the North East Tourism Awards, this new addition to their healthy list of accolades is their most welcome yet.

TripAdvisor is a public website which features reviews on hotels made by members of the general public, and Rockliffe Hall has welcomed this platform for reviews since soon after opening in 2009. The website provides guests the opportunity to post their views on their stay or experience at Rockliffe Hall, and their recent top rating is something which the hotel is extremely proud of.

Rockliffe Hall, managing director, Nick Holmes, said: “It is really pleasing that our guests, who we value so much, have placed us above some of the most iconic luxury hotels in the UK.  We have been rated higher than some of the well-known and respected five star hotels in London and the rest of the UK, and we really feel that this is a great achievement for us.

“Its even more incredible to see our name above other world-renowned destinations, such as Sandy Lane in Barbados and the St Regis Resort in Bali. It shows how far we have come in such a short space of time. We are really very proud.”

Rockliffe Hall now has even higher hopes for the future and has set its sights on becoming number one for the 2013 list. Nick Holmes added: “We are constantly working harder to ensure that anyone who visits Rockliffe Hall, whatever they visit us for, has the best possible experience. Receiving this great award is a real credit to the fantastic resort at Rockliffe Hall and encourages us to reach the top spot next year.”

The resort boasts a PGA approved 18 hole championship golf course, award winning spa, spacious meeting rooms, three beautiful restaurants, including the 3AA Rosette Orangery restaurant headed by celebrated chef, Kenny Atkinson, and offers guests 61 luxurious bedrooms to enjoy. With such a fantastic offering, the opportunities are endless for Rockliffe Hall, and Kenny Atkinson, director of food at the resort is keen to reach the number one spot for the UK Luxury Hotel title next year.

Kenny Atkinson added: “It’s a fantastic feeling to know that all the hard work you put in is worth it. Guests are our most important critics, and to know that they rate the experience they have at Rockliffe Hall as higher than The Ritz and Chewton Glen Hotel is great. Rockliffe Hall is a Northern gem, and to know that we are sourcing local ingredients for our food and employing local people, and putting the North on the map as a luxury resort is superb!”

“After five years of working with Quay 2 Media it is fair to say they know how get the best media response to generate foot fall and provide measurable return on investment .”

Newcastle’s finest entertainment venue is to be transformed into a famous late 19^th Century cabaret attraction on Thursday 1 December.

The North East’s World AIDS Day Red Ball will see Newcastle’s Assembly Rooms step back in time to host a Moulin Rouge extravaganza.

With extravagant fancy dress the order of the evening, The Assembly Rooms is all set to be packed to the rafters with Toulouse-Lautrec look-alikes, troupes of scantily clad can-can dancers, and circus-inspired ring masters.

Sean Murphy of Body Positive North East, the region’s official World AIDS Day committee, said: “A Moulin Rouge-themed evening gives people the opportunity to be as flamboyant as they like, whilst at the same time raise money and awareness for HIV/AIDS.

“And what better place to host our theatrical evening, than in one of the city’s best-established entertainment venues. Its elegance, its history and the amazing attention to detail in its decor, make it the perfect venue to recreate the Moulin Rouge.”

As well as a delicious three-course meal, the Moulin Rouge spectacle at The Assembly Rooms is jam packed  with singing, dancing and interpretation of the love story central to the famous theatre show. Highly-esteemed dancer and aerial artiste, Stuart Hatton, is confirmed as appearing alongside can-can troupes and singers from Middlesbrough College.

Antony Michaelides, owner of the Assembly Rooms, said: “We have hosted the North East’s World AIDS Day Red Ball in the past, and it is always a truly tremendous evening. Last year, the World AIDS Day committee organised a Masquerade Ball, to highlight the changing face of HIV/AIDS.

“This year’s Moulin Rouge-themed ball is certain to be even more flamboyant, and so it’s unsurprising that tickets are almost sold out.”

Amidst the laughter and showbiz style entertainment, there remains a serious message to the evening at the Assembly Rooms on December 1.

Sean adds: “Throughout the evening, guests can purchase a star in memory of a loved one affected by HIV or AIDS, which they place on our Christmas tree. At the end of the Moulin Rouge stage show, a Congolese choir will sing in their memory, before lighting the Christmas tree. It’s a sombre moment to see so many stars lit up like that and we’ll spend three minutes contemplating those affected by HIV and AIDS.

 “The choir will then perform a few upbeat songs, before the disco starts, and the party will soon be back in full swing.”

World AIDS Day is observed on December 1 every year as an occasion to raise awareness about the AIDS pandemic caused through the spread of HIV infection. Around 33 million people live with HIV around the world, making it one of the most destructive disease outbreaks in history. In southern Africa alone, AIDS has left some 14 million children orphaned.

There are a handful of tickets on sale for the Moulin Rouge spectacular at The Assembly Rooms, which includes a three-course meal and starts at 7pm. With tickets priced at just £29.50, organisers of the event are urging interested parties to book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

For more information about the event, please call 0191 2322855 or visit www.bpne.org. Tickets can be purchased by calling 0191 277 2048.

Rescue crews on the north east coast are saying cheers, thanks to a new brewery which has been launched by a local solicitor with every sale dedicating cash to the RNLI.

Cullercoats Brewery has been opened by Bill Scantlebury, and will be focusing on two main beers initially both with a local flavour.

The names of the beers, Lovely Nelly and Jack The Devil, draw on the history of the lifeboats at Cullercoats, from News Year’s Day 1861. On that day Cullercoats Fisherwomen pulled the lifeboat 2 miles to Whitley Bay where the lifeboat could be launched into the rough conditions to rescue the Lovely Nelly which had run aground off Cullercoats Bay.

The lifeboat saved all the lives on board except one cabin boy, and the Bowman on the lifeboat was John Chisholm, known as ‘Jack the Devil’.

Lovely Nelly is a pale ale, 3.9 percent and Jack the Devil is special bitter, 4.5 percent. The first brew of these ales, which uses the best English ingredients and traditional craft methods, will be ready for distribution to public houses and restaurants in December.

Bill has brewed his own beer since the age of 13 and has dreamed of opening his own brewery for over 15 years, when he struggled to raise the funds in 1996. Since then he has built up the funds through his role as a solicitor and is now delighted to launch Cullercoats Brewery as a ten barrel operation meaning he can turn out 2880 pints every week. He said:

“Cullercoats Brewery is something I have worked towards for a long time, ensuring I have the skills and the funds to get it off the ground properly. As a real ale drinker I am exceptionally pleased with the product we have developed.

“The added incentive for the 3p per pint donation to the RNLI is the icing on the cake for me – to do what I am passionate about and help a charity makes all the years of grind as a solicitor worth it! If the brewery goes to plan it could mean a donation of £4,500 in the first year alone.”

Both of Bill’s beers are made with 100 percent Yorkshire malt, English hops and a selection of the best fermenting yeast. He will be providing the beer to outlets across the region in Firkin measures, which is 72 pints and is confident that it will prove popular.

The father of three who is married to Anna and has lived in Cullercoats for 16 years concluded:

“Before investing in equipment for the plant I have spent much time travelling to other successful microbreweries and taking the best from each of them. I have by no means gone for the cheapest option, but for the best flavour producers, and am now the proud owner of a stainless steel plant, made to measure, with state of the art controls that produces the highest quality beer.

“From mid December the two beers will be spotted at bars, identifiable by their enamel metal pump clip, bearing the RNLI Lifeboats logo. I urge everyone to try at least one pint and help a great cause!”

Landlords and managers interested in stocking Lovely Nelly and Jack the Devil can contact Bill on 07895 692 881or by emailing cullercoatsbrewery@gmail.com

The arguments for and against re-naming one of football’s longest standing and iconic stadiums will be had in other arenas (pun intended) more geared than this one, suffice to say that the handling of this (if not so much the intention) can go down as another of Mike Ashley’s blunders.

However,  for a man who seems to shun any of the standard rules in the well-thumbed book of PR, it was an interesting move for Newcastle United and Mike Ashley to try to execute what seems to be something of a dying art these days, that of the media embargo.

For the uninitiated, the practice involves releasing information to the media, but placing rules upon its publication or airing before a certain period or date. When the printed press led and set the news agenda for the day, it was a popular PR tool to ensure information ‘hit the press’ on a desired date.

They would be used frequently, but now are mostly commonly used in cases of security, such as the movements of the Prime Minister or royalty. In situations like that, the press behave impeccably. But last night, the embargo on the information about St James’ Park changing its name to the Sports Direct Arena was broken by The Times, who flashed an image of its back page story on twitter some two hours prior to the midnight embargo.

The tweet was quickly taken down, but not before Newcastle United fans had seen it and re-tweeted out to their own followers. By then all other media saw little point in respecting the embargo and quickly followed suit.

In all honesty, the news was old by the time we woke this morning, once again leaving the printed media looking a little behind the curve. The embargo placed on the news by the club looks like a respectful attempt to allow the printed press a chance to be first with something this morning, but when one of their own broke that embargo by some two hours last night, the predictable result was a hasty free-for-all of other media then racing to get their own angles out on twitter too.

Newspapers have accepted the challenge that social media channels has set them and most are responding in a positive way. It’s healthy for the industry, but in a world where faced-paced news has become the norm, you do wonder how long the traditional embargo will last. A month or two ago, The Northern Echo inadvertently broke a Newcastle City Council embargo, again on twitter by one of its journalists. It left fellow journalists on other publications a little peeved to say the least.

And here is perhaps the emabrgo’s biggest problem. Embargoes now seem such a clunky and outdated tool to use in the current climate.   One can’t help but feel that the uneasy stand-off the media used to respect impeccably will more regularly be tested to the very limit by social media channels and those desperate to win the race to be first with the news.

A national construction consultancy is revolutionising the process of tendering to significantly boost the chances of construction schemes being completed on time and to budget.

Rider Hunt, based in Newcastle, has devised an Alternative Tender Method (ATM) to address cost and time pressures inherent in construction contracts.

Rider Hunt, which has operations throughout the UK, specialises in a range of cost planning and management services in the construction sector.

Stephen Roberts, partner at Rider Hunt, says: “As well as asking contractors to submit a tender based on a standard building contract, we are asking them to submit an alternative tender, which essentially requires them to assess the likelihood of delays and variations within a project.”

Whilst many project variations can be absorbed in an overall construction scheme, some lead to “Extensions of time” and “Loss and Expense” claims, often making the end cost of the project higher than the original tender, as well as the project not being completed within the original time frame.

Rider Hunt’s ATM involves deleting a careful selection of clauses relating to “Loss and Expense Claims” and “Extensions of Time” from standard contracts, so that at tender stage contractors assess the risk of project variations and competitively assess a premium to cover those deletions.

Stephen added: “By asking contractors to submit an alternative tender we are giving clients the option of discharging the majority of the risk of extensions of time and their financial implications back to the contractor. The negligible (and sometimes zero) premiums being tendered are well worth considering by clients”.

Construction schemes will always be subject to variations and risk. Standard tenders, however, come with the risk that if there are any project variations which cannot be absorbed in the overall duration of the project, clients could be subject to unbudgeted increased costs and a delayed completion.

Construction consultants Rider Hunt, say that the ATM makes the process of tendering more transparent. Up and down the country, clients are said to be welcoming the innovative tendering process, which is allowing them to budget more fully for schemes. Progressive contractors too, are commending the ATM as being a vehicle to enable them to tender openly, as well as incentivising them to complete on time.

Stephen concludes: “The ATM has made a considerable impact on our reputation as forward-thinking construction consultants, whose main aim is to forge effective and financially realistic relations between everyone involved in the construction process.

“Being so reliant on public sector tenders, the North East construction sector is experiencing particularly tough times of late, and our ATM not only substantially reduces the anxiety surrounding contracting in a lean period, but enables all those involved to forecast and budget even more accurately.”

Rider Hunt has a broad portfolio of clients ranging from housing developers to larger public sector organisations.  More information about Rider Hunt can be found at www.riderhunt.co.uk or by calling 0191 270 2211.

Rapidly expanding specialist accountancy firm, Qubic Tax, has recruited an associate director to oversee business development.

The firm, just three years old, has employed Mark Richardson to coordinate and manage the growth of the fledgling firm, which offers cutting edge tax solutions to a range of clients from multi-nationals through to owner-managed businesses, high net worth individuals and financial service professionals countrywide.

Mark, 41, of Washington, brings with him almost 20 years of experience within the financial services sector. He added: “Having enjoyed a long career in business development and coming from a commercial finance background, I am well networked with a number of accountants, solicitors, financial advisors and lenders, all of whom have been incredibly receptive to Qubic Tax and the expert taxation services it offers both for themselves and their clients.”

Central to Mark’s position will be to ensure that the Qubic Tax brand is at the forefront of people’s mind whenever tax planning is on the agenda. Recent government austerity measures are seen to be a major contributing factor to the fledgling firm’s rapid growth, which is attracting increasing numbers of tax savvy businesses looking to maximize on profits and savings to ensure their own steady business growth.

Mark adds: “A major component of my role will be to work with professional services, in particular those who might be risk adverse, to change their perception by demonstrating the range of tax saving strategies which can both minimize their own burden, and in the case of financial services professionals be something which we can work alongside them to offer their clients.

“By being purely focused on offering innovative tax advice and strategies and offering no other accountancy services, means that Qubic Tax can enjoy tremendous working relationships with other financial services professionals, and part of my remit will be to nurture that.”

Associate director Mark will be working out of the Qubic Tax headquarters in Central Square South, Newcastle, to develop business in the North East in the first instance, with a view to branching out to the rest of the country in the near future. Qubic Tax already has offices in the Gherkin, London which service the South East of England.

Qubic Tax director Cathy Rouse commented: “The appointment of Mark as associate director of business development is a clear indication that as we are expanding to enjoy a firm stronghold in the market, both in the North East and beyond. Mark is well respected in the financial services sector and to have someone of his calibre on board will serve to strengthen Qubic Tax by raising brand awareness so that we continue to thrive in the market place.”

Qubic Tax is a firm of chartered accountants that specialises in innovative tax solutions and tax dispute resolution to a range of clients throughout the UK.  More information can be found about Qubic Tax by visiting www.qubictax.com, or telephoning 0191 2322001.

Staff at a specialist accountancy firm are today celebrating becoming the most recently qualified contingent of its rapidly growing team of experts.

 As part of its drive to offer the most cutting-edge tax solutions in the region, Qubic Tax is rolling out formal training in accountancy and taxation to over a third of its workforce. Neil Devapal and Gemma Farrell are amongst the latest employees now armed with the formal qualifications ready to host a first-class service.

 Neil, who as well as being a qualified solicitor, is now a fully qualified member of the association of tax technicians, said: “Having been with Qubic Tax for over three years, this is a fantastic milestone for me.

 “Not only does having my skill and expertise formally recognised in this way serve as an incredible boost to my career prospects, but also, serves as a valuable tool to enable me to deliver a host of innovative taxation solutions.”

 Qubix Tax is an authorised training partner of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and, as a partner, more than a third of the forward-thinking firm’s worforce consisting of over 20 staff undertake the ICAEW training. This includes paid study leave, exam and course fees, internal training and counselling from fellow ICAEW members across the country. As an approved ICAEW partner, Qubic Tax is amongst a handful of firms in the region also authorised to train chartered accountants.

Gemma Farrell, now a chartered certified accountant, was part qualified when she joined Qubic Tax a year ago. She added: “I opted to follow a non-graduate route to qualification, qualifying first as an accounting technician before completing my final accountancy exams here at Qubic Tax.

“With so many routes to achieving professional qualifications, for a company like Qubic who offer such a specialist service, it has been extremely beneficial for us to be given the opportunity to be trained on the job.”                                              

And the success doesn’t stop there for the team, with Anthony Capstick, Vicki Cairns, Harriet Alderson and Chris Mitchell all now nearing the completion of their respective qualifications.

 Qubix Tax financial controller, David Langley, is also the ICAEW member responsible for staff training. He said: “Training helps our staff to become more efficient and effective at delivering great service and advice to our clients.

“The advisory work we do is extremely specialised, making it difficult to recruit people with the relevant skills and experience. Being approved training partners of ICAEW has enabled us to develop our staff to be able to deliver a bespoke service relying on the most cutting edge tax information at our fingertips.”

Qubic Tax is a firm of chartered accountants that specialises in a range of cutting edge tax solutions and tax dispute resolution to a range of clients throughout the UK.  More information can be found about Qubic Tax by visiting www.qubictax.com, or telephoning 0845 450 4482.