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NEW MEMBER: WELCOME JAMES IBBITSON FROM VISUAL PUNCH

Please give a warm DBN welcome to James Ibbitson from Visual Punch!I'm sure that many of you will already know James as he was a DBN member for many years before taking a break to concentrate on a long term project.Now he's back and we are so pleased to reintroduce him to you all.Visual Punch is an award winning North East-based video production agency helping business, brands, event organisers, and content creators grow using video.Doddington Dairy, National Trust, Visit Durham, Enterprise Made...

KIDS IN MIND - ORGANISED BY THE CLUBS OF DISTRICT 1030

My name is Norman Sellar, and I serve as the Treasurer and Trustee at the Consett Rotary Club. Each year, we at Consett Rotary organise an annual outing for disadvantaged children.  This year, a total of 27,000 children across Great Britain participated in similar events, and in the northeast, we organised a trip to The Beamish Museum, where we hosted 1,000 children from 13 local schools.Since 1990, the partnership between the Rotary Club and the charity Kids in Mind has been...

NEW MEMBER: WELCOME JOANNE FOWLER FROM BUNZL CLEANING & HYGIENE SUPPLIES

Please give a warm DBN welcome to Joanne Fowler from Bunzl Cleaning & Hygiene Supplies.Some of you may have met Joanne earlier in the year when she came along to our March meeting at Derwentside College. At this meeting Joanne made some great contacts and gained a new customer! Joanne is Account Manager at Bunzl and responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with her customers. Bunzl is one the of UK’s leading supplier of janitorial, cleaning, and hygiene ...

NEW MEMBER: WELCOME SHIRLEY BONE SB HYPNOTHERAPY

Please give a warm DBN welcome to Shirley Bone from SB Hypnotherapy.Shirley is a fully qualified hypnotherapist and neuro-linguistic programming practitioner.Over the last 15 years Shirley has helped women overcome limiting beliefs that have held them back from living a happy, healthy life. Whether it be moving on from a marriage/ relationship breakdown, having the confidence to climb the corporate ladder or simply overcoming beliefs that were instilled from childhood. Shirley has help...

WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBER - NORTHERN CANCER VOICES

My name is Tori Bradison, and I am the CEO of a small Charity Northern Cancer Voices.  We are a network of patients, carers and volunteers that cover the North East and North Cumbria working with anyone impacted by a cancer diagnosis.Northern Cancer Voices, a charity based in South Tyneside and operating across the North East and North Cumbria, is actively seeking new volunteers to join their mission.  The charity, led by CEO Tori Bradison, is dedicated to improving cancer services and...

MELANIE WALKS 20 MILES T0 RAISE MONEY FOR WILLOW BURN HOSPICE

On Saturday, 31th August Melanie participated in the Steel Town 20 walk to raise much needed funds for Willow Burn Hospice and in memory of Gemma Justice.Gemma and her husband Steven were DBN members for a time and continuously supported our meetings with their warm hospitality when we have hosted our networking mornings at the Derwent Walk Pub in Ebchester.After learning about Gemma's passing Melanie thought it would be a nice idea to fundraise in Gemma's name and thought it would be fitting to...

AUGUST NETWORKING MEETING AT CONSETT RUGBY CLUB

It was lovely to see so many of you at our meeting this morning at Consett Rugby Club.Thank you to Stephen Marshall from County Durham Building & Joinery Ltd for being our guest speaker today and delivering an interesting presentation about the construction industry and highlighting examples of his work.Our speed networking went on until way after 11am!  It was great to see you all deep in conversation 😀Our September event is going to be our biggest this year.  A combined meetin...

NEW MEMBER: WELCOME KL ACCOUNTANTS

Please give a warm DBN welcome to Ryan Dodds and Tom Lee from KL Accountants.KL Accountants are based at Viewpoint in Consett. They are a small team of chartered accountants helping businesses of all sizes to achieve compliance and optimise their tax position.We'll be sharing more about KL Accountants in due course, in the meantime make sure you give them a follow and introduce yourself on their socials below:FacebookLinkedInWebsite: https://www.klaccountants.co.uk/...

The Small Business Podcast featuring DBN member Owen Weightman.

Whether you're feeling stuck in your current career or seeking inspiration to pursue your passions, this episode offers invaluable insights and encouragement. Tune in now and embark on a journey of entrepreneurial fulfilment and life balance with Owen Weightman from 3D Virtual Spaces, exclusively on the 'About Small Business' podcast!...

ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS SHORT REEL

Barrie McDermott from About Small Business Podcast asks Donna:What has been your biggest challenge?What are you most proud of?About Small Business Podcast explores stories of UK small business owners, celebrating successes, learning from mistakes, and providing support and inspiration.For more short reels and stories you can take a look at the ASB YouTube channel HERE...

NEW PODCAST: Meet Stephen Marshall from County Durham Building and Joinery Ltd

In this episode Melanie talks to Stephen about his career to date. At 17 yrs old Stephen joined the army, started college in his 30's to train as a joiner and set up his own business in 2010.Stephen and Melanie also discuss the 'ups and downs' of being a business owner, building industry problems and the importance of apprenticeships in the building industry. Listen to the full podcast HEREConnect with Stephen on LinkedInCounty Durham Building and Joinery Website...

About Small Business Short Reel

Kieron Young, Operations Manager for the Walk and Talk Trust gives a short interview about the Heritage 100 Project.Kieron tells us:What has been his biggest challenge and  what he is particularly proud of?This short reel was created by Barrie McDermott from About Small Business Podcast. About Small Business Podcast explores stories of UK small business owners, celebrating successes, learning from mistakes, and providing support and inspiration.For more short reels and storie...

About Small Business Short Reel

At our June networking meeting Barrie McDermid from About Small Business Podcast came along and created a series of short reels for some of our members.In this reel Barrie interviews Anthony Cunningham from CW Financial Management.The Small Business Podcast explores stories of UK small business owners, celebrating successes, learning from mistakes, and providing support and inspiration. For more short reels and stories you can take a look at their YouTube page HEREConnect with Ant...

INTRODUCING BUSINESS DURHAM

If you run a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) in County Durham, you likely know how challenging it can be to start and grow your business in today’s complex economic landscape.  You need access to funding, but also tailored business support, skills development, networks and property solutions to really set your enterprise up for sustainable success.That’s where Business Durham comes in.  As Durham County Council’s dedicated business support service, we’re here to help com...

Could you be eligible to start claiming for R&D Tax credits?

Do you work with a company that conducts research that benefits the industry they work in? You could be eligible to start claiming for R&D Tax credits.Worried it's too complicated to submit your evidence? Don't have time to deal with HMRC? Not sure if you qualify at all?Lumo are here to help! Contact DBN member Lee Quarzi for a chat and see how Lumo can make the process a breeze info@lumo.tax - 01207 460616....

September Networking Meeting set to be our biggest this year!

Our September networking meeting at Beamish Museum is set to be the biggest meeting this year!So far 55 people have booked to attend the DBN / Beamish Business Friends networking event on Tuesday 17th September.It will be a great chance to meet with other local businesses to develop contacts; plus an exciting opportunity to explore the latest 1950s exhibits to open namely the A Reece electrical repair shop, Romer Parrish toyshop and the magnificent Grand Cinema, based on the original building in...

NEW DBN MEMBER: Stephen Marshall from Co Durham Building and Joinery Ltd

Please give a warm DBN welcome to Stephen Marshall.For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of meeting Stephen yet, Stephen is Director at County Durham Building and Joinery Ltd, an independent construction company based in Chester-Le Street.Operating since 2010 the company now concentrates on four main areas which are new house builds, extensions, extensive refurbishments and garden rooms and studios.Take a look at his website https://countydurhambuildingandjoinery.co.uk/Connect on Li...

NEW PODCAST: Meet Stephen Clark from JohnsonClark Surveys and Architecture

In this episode Melanie talks to DBN member Stephen Clark from Johnson Clark Building Surveys and Architecture Launched in 2018, JohnsonClark offers a range of surveying and architectural services for residential and commercial clients. Their highly skilled team bring enthusiasm, professionalism, and over 75 years of combined industry experience to each project with a track record of delivering outstanding outcomes to their clients.Listen to Stephens podcast HEREYou can connect with Stephen...

July Wag & Walk Networking Meeting

Thank you to everyone who came along to our Wag & Walk this morning at Land of Oak & Iron. In true northern style we prepared for the worst and hoped for the best and although the sun didn't make an appearance the rain didn't either!We met in the car park at 8.30 and did a 2.5 mile loop on the Derwent Walk and finished up at the cafe for refreshments.Find out about our upcoming networking meetings on our website here: https://lnkd.in/e9Hfy6xYTeam DBN#networking #walkandtalk #wagandwalk #...

UNLOCK STRATEGIES FOR EMBEDDING EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN YOUR WORPLACE

Creating a workplace where every team member feels safe, valued, and empowered is essential for fostering productivity and success. At UMi, we're committed to helping you effectively embed Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) into your organisation's culture. Join us for a strategic webinar hosted by Fraser Kennedy from Croner, where we'll delve into practical steps to integrate EDI principles at every level of your business. Fraser will cover cru...

Small Business Podcast Short Reel

At our June networking meeting Barrie McDermid from About Small Business Podcast came along and created a series of short reels for some of our members.In this reel meet Rob Richardson from Derwent Reservoir Sailing Club.The Small Business Podcast explores stories of UK small business owners, celebrating successes, learning from mistakes, and providing support and inspiration. For more short reels and stories you can take a look at their YouTube page HERE...

NEW DBN MEMBER: Stephen Clark

Please give a warm DBN welcome to Stephen Clark, Director at JohnsonClark Building Surveys and Architecture.Launched in 2018, JohnsonClark offers a range of surveying and architectural services for residential and commercial clients. Their highly skilled team bring enthusiasm, professionalism, and over 75 years of industry experience to each project with a track record of delivering outstanding outcomes to their clients.Connect on LinkedinWebsite: https://www.johnsonclark.co.uk/Welcome ...

LinkedIn Discussion

A handful of members met on Zoom today to discuss LinkedIn.Networking on LinkedIn and Face to Face is not so different. We discovered that no one likes to be 'sold to' and most success stories have come from building relationships.In a world full of 'fake it until you make it' profiles, you can be triggered into thinking that you are doing something wrong as you aren't getting lots of leads from your posts. So here are a few tips that we shared...• Be yourself. Being 'you' sets you apart from ...

SIGN THE ARMED FORCES COVENANT

Armed Forces Covenant Signing Event (for local businesses)Date & Time: Friday, 28th June 2024 at 12:00 Jun 28 2024 Venue: 1-3 Brewery Lane, Ponteland, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE20 9NHThe SME Centre of Excellence invites Ponteland businesses to join us in supporting the Armed Forces community by signing the Armed Forces Covenant on 28th June 2024.What is the Armed Forces Covenant?  A voluntary pledge to ensure fair treatment and support for those who serve or have served in the Armed F...

Networking Meeting at Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens

Thank you to everyone who came along to Ushaw: Historic House, Chapels and Gardens for our June networking meeting.A special thank you goes to Co-CEO Lucy Jenkins and Development & Fundraising Manager Olivia Willmore for their hospitality and to Barrie McDermid from About Small Business Podcast for recording mini reels for our members to share on their socials - we look forward to seeing them in the next couple of weeks!Those who stayed back enjoyed Olivia's whistle stop tour of the chapels,...