Around 60,000 descended upon Chester Racecourse earlier this month to dress in their best outfits and attend the events, which were spread over three days. Thursday was the ever-popular ladies’ day, which was sponsored by Boodles, the jewellery retailer. The chairperson of Boodles commented on their inaugural sponsorship, saying:

“After the tremendous success we have enjoyed with the racecourse over the years, this seemed a very natural step for us.”

Celebrities and footballers were amongst those who attended the races over the weekend. Former England player Michael Owen commented on the races, saying:

“There’s a family feel at the yard and Chester Racecourse is the Holy Grail. People from this area understand that.”

Many people choose to make a weekend of the Chester Races May festival, often staying in nearby towns, such as Wrexham. Wrexham council works to promote its attractions and accommodation to race-goers by distributing brochures and leaflets which have been produced using flyer printing. Wrexham is located only 20 minutes’ drive from Chester racecourse, making it convenient for race fans who have been unable to book accommodation in nearby Chester.

Chester and Wrexham have become synonymous with The Stan James cup, which is the highlight of the weekend. The winner of this year’s cup was called Unknown Address and was ridden to victory by Jamie Spencer who rode under the guidance of Richard Fahey, who trained Unknown Address in the run up to the race.

Basingstoke

The residents aired their views at the Overton Parish Council general meeting, where the findings of a survey were also shared.

The surveys were sent out to households across the village, having being produced using digital printing. Nearby Basingstoke is home to printing companies that often provide this kind of service, which helps local authorities to stay connected with residents.

Of the surveys sent out, 271 people responded, accounting for more than 14 per cent of people living in the village. This response rate brought with it in excess of 200 comments and suggestions for how the future of the village could look. The chairman of the Overton Future Community Plan group spoke about the consultation process, saying:

“Since we started, the Localism Bill has become law and devolves planning to the local level but interestingly assumes that the local community has a community plan.”

“This exercise is of fundamental importance to the parish and Overton’s community. We have now taken this as far as we can and now need the help of groups within the village to get together and start developing an action plan.”

The main points that came out of the consultation process were that residents had concerns that a new housing development may affect the village’s character. It was also apparent that people want an upgrade to access at the local railway station.

Croydon

One company, Martek Contracts, had more reason to celebrate than most, taking home two awards from the bash. The company scooped the coveted awards for Business of the Year and Best Green Business.

Martek creates reception areas, commercial catering venues and restaurants and science laboratories for use in schools. Amongst its list of high-profile clients are Virgin Atlantic and Costa Coffee.

The managing director of Martek Contracts, Derek Galloway, spoke about the award, saying:

“We have increased the amount of recycling we undertake and we also work to ensure our products are made out of as much recycled material as possible.

“Winning the awards puts manufacturing in the forefront of people’s minds which is quite exciting and makes us feel very proud. It’s an acknowledgement for all our staff and everyone who has worked hard to get there were are.”

The ceremony was held at Fairfield and was a great chance for businesses to network while celebrating their success. Companies across the region work with local printing companies in the run up to events like this to produce handy materials using services like business card printing. Croydon business owners then spend time making valuable contacts and exchanging business cards at the event, forging business relationships which could set them on track to win an award in 2014’s ceremony.

A full list of the winners and nominees for this year’s Croydon Business Awards can be found on the official Croydon Advertiser website.

East Kilbride

The concert, which was held was on 9th May at the Legends venue, featured a host of local bands, singers and songwriters.

Tickets for the event were priced at £3 and all proceeds were donated to the National Schizophrenia Fellowship, which is also known as Support in Mind. The night featured acts such as Amanda Coffield and The Clock. New band Flight also made their live debut at the gig.

Charity events like this are usually promoted using flyer and poster printing. East Kilbride residents often rely on gig flyers and posters, as well as social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter, to find out about events.

Promoters depend heavily on a mixture of traditional printed promotional materials and newer online methods in order to attract audience members. This is even more important when the funds being raised are for charity, as the more an event is promoted, the higher the chances are of it raising a significant amount of money.

The National Schizophrenia Fellowship works to empower and support people who are affected by mental illness. The organisation has struggled to match its funding year on year, so successful events like the recent East Kilbride fundraising gig are crucial to its survival, and donations like those from the organisers help the group to continue to provide support to those in need.

Altrincham

The fun day was held at Broadheath Primary School on 21st April and was designed to engage residents on the subject of the new community centre. Broadheath has not had a community centre for around 10 years, and developers hope that this will help to drive a sense of community spirit in the area.

The planned community centre would sit between the primary school and Waitrose supermarket and is being brought to life by the Broadheath Residents Association and Trafford Housing Trust. The chief executive of the trust, Matthew Gardiner, spoke about this, saying:

“We are delighted to be supporting this community event, and have been extremely impressed with the determination and tenacity of the Broadheath Community Association in their campaign to bring vital new facilities to Broadheath. We wish them every success with their project.”

The vice chairperson of the Broadheath Residents Association, Brenda Houraghan, spoke about making the community centre dream a reality, saying:

“After years of campaigning, our area is now so close to achieving the dream of a community centre, which will make a huge difference to the quality of life of local families.”

Community centres across the UK are hubs of information and resources for local people and many centres aim to inform residents about local events and news using flyer printing. Altrincham and Broadheath residents will have access to similar facilities and information at the new community centre when it opens.

Dunfermline

Cara Donald, who has a degree in wildlife biology and zoology, recently took the role at Pittencrieff Park, where she will be in charge of keeping the grounds in good order and of ensuring that Dunfermline residents are getting the most from their local park.

As part of the role, Cara will be helping with the production of eight leaflets which will be used to inform and educate the public on the historical and natural significance of the park. These will also be used to promote specific events.

Cara commented on her progress in the role so far, saying:

“So far it’s been about deciding what activities and events we’re going to have and when. It’s been getting to know people and groups and the park, what can be improved, doing the research for walks and leaflets and interpretation boards.

“My job is to get people to come in and use the park – the Heritage Lottery Fund want to know we’ve made an increase in people coming in.”

The leaflets will be produced using full colour printing and Dunfermline residents will be able to pick these up to find out more about the events happening at the park and to learn about the park itself, the rich history behind it and the wildlife that lives within its boundaries.

Norwich

The former Quality Hotel in Norwich is now known by its new name, The Brook Hotel, and the name is not the only thing that has changed. The new management team, which includes Sarah Jones as the hotel’s sales manager, aims to turn the previously neglected hotel around and make it one of the go-to venues in Norwich. Sarah said:

“I am determined that everyone should find out about what has been one of Norwich’s best kept secrets – until now.”

As part of the hotel’s re-launch, a business event was held, encouraging local traders and entrepreneurs to visit the premises and re-evaluate their perception of the hotel, as well as taking the opportunity to network and exchange digital business cards.

Norwich-based Gareth Stone, the hotel manager, commented on the objectives shared by the new team who are now running the hotel. He said:

“We intend to quickly change the perception people have of the hotel in Norwich.”

The refurbishment of the hotel, which has a total of 81 bedrooms, including new luxury suites, is said to have cost around £500,000. Bookings for both business and leisure stays are now being taken. To book or for more information, customers are advised to contact The Brook Hotel directly.

Loughborough

Walking has always been a popular pastime in Loughborough and Charnwood, with the town’s annual Bluebell Walk being one of the highlights of the rambling calendar. The Bluebell Walk lasts for two miles and is a guided walk through some of Loughborough’s prettiest countryside, taking in a carpet of bluebells and other flowers as the area bursts into spring.

However, this year’s Bluebell Walk had to be postponed after adverse weather conditions prevented it from taking place. The extra-long winter meant that the bluebells had not flowered by the time the original date for the walk came round, which had been set for 25th April. The revised date was 15th May 2013.

The brochure that has been produced by Charnwood council explains the health benefits of walking and is accredited by the national ‘Walking4Health’ scheme. The brochure, which is titled ‘Guided walks in and around Charnwood 2013′ also gives details on some of the most popular routes in the area, from scenic strolls to more challenging hikes.

Walking guides like this are used in several parts of the country where rambling is a popular hobby and local councils or tourism organisations produce walking guides or brochures by working with local brochure printers. Loughborough residents wishing to obtain a copy of the guided walks brochure can do so by contacting Charnwood borough council directly.

Nottingham

Alexandra Bartley, who is a year seven pupil at Christ the King Academy, created the fire safety awareness leaflet as part of her work over the Easter break. On her return to school, her teacher, Matthew Herridge, was so pleased with the work that he got in touch with the fire service and recommended that they use the leaflet to raise fire safety awareness amongst other students.

Alexandra commented on the achievement, saying:

“I’m very proud. I had no idea it would get turned into an official guide and just thought it was normal homework. I did quite a bit of research. I know how to avoid a fire now and I hope it helps others.”

The leaflet has now been produced by a professional printing company in Nottingham and more than 800 copies of Alexandra’s work will be distributed.

Frank Swann is the Chief Fire Officer at Arnold fire station. He commented on the work, saying:

“We are always looking for new ways to spread fire safety messages, so when we were contacted by Alexandra’s school we wanted to thank her and encourage her interest in the subject.”

The Fire Service and the school both hope that this approach will help to raise awareness of fire safety and prevent future fires. It is thought that a leaflet written from the point of view of a pupil will appeal more to the school’s young readers.

The ride, called the Thrill-O-Matic, takes its influence from the adventures of the cheese-obsessed inventor and his trusty canine sidekick. It features scenes from films like ‘The Wrong Trousers’ and ‘A Grand Day Out’. The ride, which cost £5.25 million and took two years to complete, is set to be a hit for families at Blackpool’s main attraction this summer.

Nick Park, the animator behind the legendary Wallace and Gromit series spoke about the ride, saying:

“We have the perfect marriage between Wallace and Gromit and Blackpool Pleasure Beach. I grew up in Preston, which is just down the road, so Blackpool feels like a natural home for Wallace and Gromit.”

“It has been a great experience working with the Thompson family to create this family ride that sits right in the heart of the park, I really hope that our fans enjoy the Thrill-O-Matic as much as we have enjoyed creating it.”

The ride itself takes four minutes to run its course and features special effects and even little finishing touches, like a holiday brochure for trips to the moon, which has been created using full colour printing services.

Preston-based Nick and Blackpool Pleasure Beach hope to unveil the highly-anticipated ride to the public this summer. It is expected to provide a significant boost to visitor numbers.