Monthly Archives: November 2014

PRESS RELEASE: Man Utd legend kicks off Highfield conference in winning style

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Directors Denis A Doncaster education firm kicked off its biggest ever conference earlier this month – with an assist from football legend Denis Irwin.

The former Manchester United and Republic of Ireland star was guest of honour and star speaker at a pre-conference charity dinner hosted by the Highfield Group to launch its conference , held at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, on 13 November 2014.

The conference, which was headline sponsored by Marks & Spencer and ProTrainings , brought together nearly 600 delegates from across the training and education sector in the UK to discuss the latest changes to vocational learning and apprenticeships.

Speakers and sponsors included names such as ASDA, City of London Corporation, Doncaster Culture and Leisure Trust (DCLT), Food Standards Agency (FSA), Laing O’Rourke, MITIE, New Scotland Yard, Security Industry Authority (SIA), Serco, Staples, Superdrug and the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES).

The dinner, held the evening before, helped to raise funds for Visually Impaired Children Taking Action (VICTA) , which supports blind and partially sighted people under the age of 29. Guest of honour Denis Irwin, who was a key part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s all-conquering Manchester United team in the 1990s and early 2000s – making over 500 appearances between 1990 to 2002 – spoke about his career and took questions from the audience.

Jason Sprenger, Highfield Chief Executive, said, ‘It was a great honour to have one of modern football’s true legends and gentlemen as our special guest and to kick our conference off in wining style. We raised over £4500 on the night for VICTA, which is a fantastic achievement, and welcomed nearly 600 delegates to our conference the next day to discuss the numerous changes and issues affecting the training and skills sector. It’s testament to how far we have grown that we were able to attract some of the biggest and most recognisable names in industry to either speak at or sponsor our conference, and we have been overwhelmed by the positive feedback received’.

The Highfield Group, which publishes training books, materials and e-learning solutions, and develops vocational qualifications and apprenticeships, has expanded rapidly to become one of the country’s leading educational companies, employing nearly 250 staff at three sites across Doncaster with a further office in Dubai.

For more information, go to www.highfieldabc.com/conference call 0845 226 0350 or email info@highfieldabc.net

For regular updates, go to https://twitter.com/HighfieldABC and www.facebook.com/HighfieldABC
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Notes to editors:
1. The Highfield Group offers hundreds of publications and titles, with over 2 million sales per annum. It has developed over 200 qualifications covering a wide variety of industries including customer service, health and safety, licensing, security, stewarding, retail, logistics, catering and hospitality through its awarding organisation arm, Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance Ltd.
2. The money raised for VICTA will go towards helping the charity in its work to provide equipment, services and events that support blind and visually impaired children and young people develop socially, emotionally and educationally, as well as offering their parents a vital network of assistance andinformation.
3. Denis Irwin’s honours during his playing career include 7 Premier League titles, 3 FA Cups, 1 League Cup, 4 Charity Shields, 1 UEFA Champions League title, 1 Cup Winner’s Cup, 1 European Super Cup and 1 Intercontinental Cup, as well as 56 appearances for the Republic of Ireland, including 2 starts at the World Cup USA 1994.

Highfield Chairman Richard Sprenger at Food Chain 2014

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FoodChain Doha 3 Highfield Chairman Richard Sprenger recently made an appearance as one of the guest speakers at Food Chain 2014 , focussing on the issue of food safety culture.

Held in Doha, Qatar, on 29 and 30 September 2014, the Food Chain conference is now in its seventh year and is becoming increasingly a focal point for food safety experts in the Middle East, with attendance by key government figures and prominent representatives of the top businesses in the region, including HABC MEA .

FoodChain Doha1 This year the focus was to further the cause of cold chain infrastructure in the country and its impact on health and well-being, in line with the development ideals of Qatar National Vision 2030, through plenary sessions on food safety-related policies and legislation, presentations (including video presentations), panel discussions, structured networking and cluster discussions.

Richard Sprenger said, ‘The conference is unique because it merges cold chain integrity with topical food safety issues in Doha. We all need to take the opportunity presented in the Food Chain conference in Doha to discuss how we can ensure sustainable improvements that result in developing and maintaining a positive food safety culture’.

For more information on the conference, click here .

B & V Group put their gladrags on for charity

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Trophy B & V Group have recently had the chance to put their gladrags on and dance the night away for the NC TLC Trust , which is a charity raising money to support families affected by childhood cancer.

The NC TLC Trust held a black and white masquerade ball at the Park Inn Hotel, Northampton, on 18 October 2014, with Sarah Pallett, B & V Group’s Marketing Manager representing the B & V Water Treatment Foundation, who have been supporting the charity throughout the year.

The B & V Water Treatment Foundation is a registered charity that was set up as a result of the unique work of, and in memory to, Dr. Chris Wederall. It has been supporting the Northampton-based NC TLC Trust over the past 12 months, having sponsored its first ever children’s fantasy ball earlier in September, which gave children and families who have experienced childhood cancer the chance to take part in face painting and party games, and dress up as princes, princesses, witches and wizards!

Sarah said, ‘It was a fantastic evening and a real pleasure to support such a worthwhile charity. It is clear how much the NC TLC Trust does for their members, not only in terms of practical support, for example through their charity caravan or the special events that they hold throughout the year but also, and perhaps most importantly, through the emotional support they can provide to affected families’.

During the masquerade ball, B & V Group was also awarded the Corporal Marc Birch trophy in recognition of the support that the organisation has given to the charity.

The NC TLC Trust was established in July 2008 by Janet Walker-Smith and her husband, after their son TJ underwent treatment for leukaemia. They found that the aftercare support for families was lacking and so the Trust was founded to provide emotional and practical support to other families and children affected by childhood cancers.

For more information on the B&V Water Treatment Foundation, click here .

For more information on NC TLC, click here .

PRESS RELEASE: New qualification to prepare foodservice staff for allergen legislation

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Allergens A new qualification has been launched that could help foodservice staff prepare for legislation on food allergens due to be introduced later this year.

The HABC Level 3 Award in Food Allergen Management for Caterers is aimed at anyone involved in the purchase, delivery, production and serving of food within the catering, hospitality or licensing sectors.

Forthcoming legislation from the EU, due to come into force on 13 December 2014, will mean that businesses will need to provide allergy information on any food sold unpackaged, whether via a pub, restaurant, café, deli counter, bakery or sandwich shop.

The qualification from Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance (‘HABC’) – which is the largest provider of food-safety related qualifications in the UK – will give food staff knowledge relating to the control of food ingredients and allergies at all stages of food purchase and production. They will also gain an understanding of the process for ensuring that accurate ingredient information is available for customers at point of sale and service.

The qualification is supported by two slide presentations, one of which covers the suitable control of allergens in line with the new EU legislation so that learners can remain compliant, and the other which allows supervisors and managers to deliver further training to their staff after completing the qualification themselves.

Christian Sprenger, Managing Director of HABC, said, ‘Around 8% of children and 4% of adults have a food allergy of some description, and that figure is rising, so even without the new legislation it would be important that caterers make sure their staff are aware of the issue. Through this qualification, businesses – whether large or small – will be able to help their customers make informed choices and protect their welfare, whilst also preserving the reputation of the organisation’.

The qualification takes just over 10 hours to complete, meaning it can be taken in just one or two days. It is one of the many food safety training qualifications available from Highfield.

For more information on the qualification content and prices, click here , call 0845 226 0350 or email info@highfieldabc.net.

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