Talent Week At Festival Place

Festival Place will be hosting an interactive talent week from Monday 25 October 2010 to Friday 29 October 2010, designed to encourage young people in the community to look at a variety of career options that are available in the local and wider area.

The event is an initiative driven by the British Council of Shopping Centres and aims to raise the working aspirations of young people in the regions of their member shopping centres.

Running daily from 11h00 to 16h00 in Porchester Square, Festival Place has lined up a range of organisations that will be putting on a variety of demonstrations and displays including:

Monday 25 October: Style zone from Basingstoke College of Technology and cooking demonstrations from students

Tuesday 26 October: Local community youth group, Vinvolve, with break dancing demonstrations

Wednesday 27 October: The Basingstoke College of Technology automotive team will be demonstrating their green car project

Thursday 28 October: Advice from The Prince's Trust and Key Training plus an interactive DJ studio demonstration from Heart FM

Friday 29 October: Displays from the Basingstoke Academy of Dancing with the opportunity to find out what dancing means to those that take part

Steven Connolly, centre director for Festival Place, said: “As a local employer we recognise the importance of harnessing talent in the local community, so we are delighted to be hosting a talent week at Festival Place. This initiative allows us to link up with a variety of groups and businesses to provide something of relevance and interest to young people who are considering their career options.”

For more information about this event, please visit: www.festivalplace.co.uk

Network In Your Lunch Hour

If you would like to make new business contacts join the Regus Basingstoke networking group on Tuesday 19 October 2010 between 12h00 and 14h00 at Regus in the Pinewood area of the park.

The event is free to attend with refreshments and provides you with the perfect opportunity to meet other local business people.

For each company that attends Regus will give free blue businessworld cards allowing 10% off meeting room bookings with any Regus centre.

For more information, please contact the Regus Basingstoke team on 01256 698000 or email basingstoke.chineham@regus.com

Town Buses Benefit From New Chineham Park Fuel Point

MEPC Chineham Park, Basingstoke's leading business location, has invested in a fuel filling point where the town's Park and Ride buses and its own courtesy coaches can refuel.

Rupert Batho, managing director for MEPC Chineham Park, said: “Our new courtesy coaches run on used cooking oil (UCO) which is more environmentally friendly, but the nearest refueling depot meant that the coaches would have to travel approximately 30 miles every day. We decided the most sensible option was to create a fuel filling point at Chineham Park for our coaches and the local council’s Park and Ride buses, which also run on UCO.”

Borough cabinet member for the environment and climate change, Cllr Elaine Still, said: “The refueling service at Chineham Park is very convenient and also helps to enhance the service we offer to the local community. Having such a facility on our doorstep minimises the town transport fuel consumption and maximises Basingstoke’s offering.”

Bizz Radio Launches On Monday

Bizz Radio, 100% local in Basingstoke, officially launches on Monday 20 September 2010 at 07h00 in the morning.

Famous voices of radio and television including ex Virgin Radio favourite Neil Francis and ‘Mr Saturday Night’ voiceover artist Peter Dickson, most famously known as the voice of the X Factor, will come alive in four days time to bring local radio back to the town.

To tune in to Bizz Radio online 24 hours a day, please visit: www.BizzRadioBasingstoke.com

Chineham Park Raises Money For Naomi House

Chineham Park has raised £3,500 for Naomi House Children’s Hospice, having entered a team which completed the London to Paris bike ride last week.

The Chineham Park team, managing director Rupert Batho and estate manager Richard Hawkes, cycled for three and a half days covering nearly 500km starting from the UK's capital, through the English countryside over to France and on to Paris, finishing under the Eiffel Tower.

Rupert Batho, managing director for MEPC Chineham Park, said: “The London to Paris bike ride was extremely challenging, but we were determined to complete the cycle and raise as much money as we could for Naomi House.”

Parklife Puts Hello Paris In The Spotlight

Welcome to Spotlight, Parklife’s new feature. Every month Parklife will interview a different Chineham Park employee to give you an exclusive insight into other occupiers on the park.

This month Parklife put Laurie Pruvost from Hello Paris Ltd in the Spotlight.

Who do you work for and what do they do?

I am the managing director of Hello Paris, which sells Paris extras to private customers and small tour operators. Anything from a travel card to travel on public transport, a museum pass to visit lots of museums without queuing, tickets to glittery cabaret shows and Disney.

What does your job role involve?

Oh God, where shall I start? I have to make sure we have enough business to maintain employment mainly. I am responsible for the jobs of eight people. It is a big responsibility. I have to maintain my customer’s database, get more, travel and attend exhibitions to do so, juggling with money and the exchange rate is another daunting task. Honestly, I would need three pages to tell you all the things involved in running two companies.

What do you like about working on Chineham Park?

I like the environment, the landscape gardens, the gym, the nursery for my staff, Dayer’s restaurant and take away. But, mainly it is the environment. I visited so many cheaper offices, but they were either facing a scrap yard, behind a railway line or next to a builder’s merchant. I thought my staff would hate it and I like to have a happy workforce.

Which Chineham Park amenities do you use?

I use all of the amenities. I go to Dayer’s both to the restaurant and for sandwiches regularly, one of my girls has put her three year old son in the nursery and I am now a member of Fitness First as is my daughter.

What do you do on your lunch break?

Lunch break? What lunch break? I do not have time, but I do go to yoga on a Thursday.

What are your interests outside of work?

My main interest outside of work is my motorcycle, which is my passion. Fighter planes, aircraft carriers, submarines. Ask me to choose between going to an air show or the shops.

Are you a collector of anything?

I collect fighter plane keyrings and pins. I have a Typhoon and an F-117 keyring and B2, Typhoon and Blackbird pins.

What is the best present you have ever received?

The best present I have ever received was a sat nav for my motorbike.

What is the worst present you have ever received?

The worst present I have ever received were two ugly porcelain figures representing a marquis and marquise. Yuk!

What single thing would improve your life?

To have more me time would improve my life.

What is the greatest lesson you ever learned?

Rationalise! If something is not done in time, it is not the end of the world. Look around you, people are dying.

What motivates you?

My daughter motivates me. Everything I do today is for her tomorrow.

What is your motto in life?

I will do this! Whatever it takes!

What is the first thing you notice about people?

The first thing I notice is whether they are smiling or not.

Which TV show would you like to be in and why?

I would like to be in Megastructures. I love all things big and I would absolutely love to be able to follow a reporter on a mission about something enormous.

If you went on Mastermind what would be your specialist subject?

My specialist subject would be fighter planes.

Who would you like to be for a day and why?

I would like to be the person in charge of the US Air Force so I could spend one day flying in a B2 bomber.

You have won a round the world trip with five stopovers. Where would they be?

The USA, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia and the Galapagos Islands.

What is your least favourite mode of transport and why?

My least favourite mode of transport is a bus. They take forever to get anywhere, stop everywhere and are uncomfortable.

What is your dream job?

My job is my dream job.

What would be your epitaph?

I will never surrender.

If you would like to be in the Spotlight, please email parklife@chinehampark.co.uk

MEPC iPhone App Now Available

MEPC are delighted to launch their first ever iPhone App today giving customers immediate access to current availability across the eight MEPC Business Estates.

The App can be downloaded from the App store.