The success of last year’s ‘Nottingham in Parliament Day’ was recognised last week at a black-tie awards ceremony in London.

The University’s Political & Public Affairs Unit, who led the ground-breaking initiative, collected the PRmoment.com ‘Event of the Year’ award in recognition of the day-long celebration of all things Nottingham.

Nottingham in Parliament Day – held on 25 October 2016 – saw over 100 organisations take over the Houses of Parliament for 45 different activities showing off the strengths of the city.

From research showcases with Michelin starred chefs, GSK and Rolls Royce; to “Parliamentary Ping Pong” with Table Tennis England and Robin Hood – 3,000 guests, 140 speakers took part in a trail-blazing initiative with a media reach of 15 million that boosted Nottingham’s profile, highlighted Nottingham’s issues and celebrated Nottingham’s strengths at the heart of government.

With over 800 entries, a jury session involving 93 judges and an awards ceremony attended by over 700 PR and communications professionals – the PRmoment Awards took place in London on Wednesday 29 March 2017.

In the same week, the team learned the initiative has also been shortlisted for the ‘Education Communications Campaign’ award at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Excellence Awards, and been put forward as a European finalist to the global CASE Platinum Awards for ‘Best Practice in Marketing & Communications’. Both awards will be announced in the week commencing 5 June 2017.

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Nottingham has blazed a trail for others to follow, according to the Speaker of the House of Commons.

John Bercow MP was full of praise for Nottingham in Parliament Day, a one-day takeover of Westminster by more than 100 organisations from Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

“Nottingham has shown itself to be a leader,” Mr Bercow said at the event on October 25th. “And where you have led, others may now follow.”

2,500 guests, 45 events

The day saw more than 2,500 guests gather at 45 events across Parliament, celebrating all that is great about Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

The event showcased Nottingham business, education, research, culture, sport and global connections, bringing together a broad range of organisations with their roots in the county.

With large and small companies involved alongside charities, public bodies, arts organisations, sports teams and celebrities, Nottingham in Parliament Day was an unprecedented exercise in co-operation intended to raise Nottingham’s profile in the corridors of power.

Investing in Notts

Professor David Greenaway, Vice-Chancellor of The University of Nottingham, said: “Sometimes we feel that as a city and a county we undersell ourselves. So we thought: rather than trying to bring people to us all the time, what better way to raise our profile and show what we can do than taking Nottingham to the capital? Why don’t we use our connections as a University to build alliances and partnerships?

“And that is what we have done with Nottingham in Parliament Day. It’s all about persuading government that our city and region is worth investing in. About persuading people far and wide that this is a great place to live, to work, to study, to invest in. And about using all of that to improve the opportunities available to everyone who lives here.”

Highlights of the day included ‘The Future of Food’ featuring a dish created by Michelin-starred Nottingham chef Sat Bains; a live chemistry experiment in Old Palace Yard, with Professor Martyn Poliakoff and Universities Minister Jo Johnson; a high-level debate on Nottingham’s role as a driver of the Midlands Engine; sessions on the future of energy, healthcare, transport and justice; and a campaign that has declared Nottingham a ‘City of Zero Tolerance to FGM’.

Jo Johnson, Science and Universities Minister, said on the BBC’s Daily Politics Show: “The university is at the cutting edge of so much that is brilliant about our higher education system and I’m delighted that Nottingham in Parliament Day is demonstrating that to a wider audience.”

A great story to tell

A special edition of University Challenge saw a House of Commons team of MPs take on a team of professors from the University of Nottingham, while sports on offer on Speaker’s Green and New Palace Yard included table tennis, football, archery (with Robin Hood, naturally) and cricket.

Brendan Moffett, Chief Executive of Marketing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, summed it up when he spoke at the evening business reception. He said: “Nottingham has a great story to tell – and the ambition to tell it.”

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Nottingham in Parliament Day, on October 25^th 2016, is a celebration of all that’s great about Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Here’s just a sample of recent good news:

City of Science & Healthcare Innovation

A £30million extension to the BioCity Nottingham building is currently under construction and due to open spring 2017. Safeguarding 250 jobs and expected to create 700 further jobs across the lifetime of the building, this is a Nottingham City Council/BioCity project supported by £6.5million from D2N2’s Local Growth Fund.

£23.6m boost for medical research: medical researchers received a £23.6m package of government funding to expand their pioneering work into new treatments and diagnostics. The University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals Trust will establish a large new Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) which will incorporate two existing smaller Biomedical Research Units in the city.

The Universities of Nottingham, Oxford and Warwick are leading ‘blue sky’ research into artificially-intelligent medical devices that will improve treatment for cancer and intensive care patients and those with chronic wounds.

The Health and Life Sciences Innovation Showcase will bring together leading organisations across the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire health and life sciences sector to display the latest innovations and developments that are benefitting frontline staff and patients.

Medilink East Midlands – also based at BioCity in Nottingham – is launching its £4.9m INSTILS project – Inspiring Networking to Stimulate Technological Innovation in Life Sciences – to help small and medium enterprises in D2N2 LEP area’s life sciences sector with support and advice, to innovate and create new products. D2N2 is contributing £2.49million investment to this project.

A Nottingham service to get people in poor health into homes more suited to their needs has saved housing and care services more than £500,000 in nine months.

Business Talent & Enterprise

A new £5.2m centre for entrepreneurship was opened in the city on October 24th by the Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation. Jo Johnson was guest of honour at the opening of the Ingenuity Centre at The University of Nottingham, which will generate hundreds of jobs by providing offices for technology-driven start-up businesses.

Nottingham is the best university in the UK for graduate employment, according to the just-published Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017. The University is also back in the top 20 after moving up five places this year, due mainly to a significant increase in student satisfaction. It is the biggest rise among the leading universities in the league table and enough to earn a shortlisting for the coveted University of the Year award.

Nottingham Business School joined the world’s top 5% after Nottingham Trent University received accreditation for the quality of its business and management courses from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Property consultancy Innes England celebrated its 25^th anniversary in 2016 with the accolade ‘Agent of the Year’. Another business celebrating an anniversary is Cartwright Communications, a PR and digital business, which marked its first decade in 2016. Hugely committed to growing local talent, Cartwright works with further education in the city and has devised its own training programme for young account executives.

Global Connections

An extra £12million for Midlands Connect – the transport connectivity arm of the Midlands Engine – will continue its strategy of better transport connections within the Midlands, and between the region and the rest of UK and rest of world. D2N2 is one of 11 Local Enterprise Partnerships in the Midlands involved in the Midlands Engine.

Newton Funding: from a total of 68 Universities, the University of Nottingham has emerged as the top awardee of British Council Newton Fund Institutional Links grants (13) and is joint top awardee from a total of 160 institutions competing for British Council Newton Fund Researcher Links Workshop awards (6).

The collaborations, which are designed to tackle community issues through science and innovation, include finding alternatives to fossil fuels used in airplanes and producing biodegradable food bags with links formed with countries such as Brazil, Egypt, Philippines and Indonesia. Since the Newton Fund was established in 2014 The University has been awarded a total of £4.5m in funding.

Through the Mojatu Foundation’s “End FGM in a Generation” campaign in UK and beyond, Nottingham city has taken a strong stance and declared Nottingham a “Zero-tolerance to FGM City” – the first city in the UK to do so. Other cities are now keen to follow.

Culture Heritage & Society

£500,000 Arts Council England grant to the Creative Quarter company in Nottingham’s ‘Big House’ programme.

Creative Quarter to lead a consortium of creative and cultural organisations (including the New Art Exchange, The Broadway Cinema, Nottingham City Council and Nottingham Trent University in Nottinghamshire) to support more than 200 local businesses and 90 new ventures.

Nottingham’s Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall secured £1.5milion from Arts Council towards its £3.3m Royal Transformation Project. Nottingham City Council has already confirmed it will provide the remaining £1.8m.

The National Justice Museum will launch in Nottingham in February 2017 – as well as featuring the UK’s largest collection relating to law, justice, crime and punishment, it will deliver education programmes at legal and heritage sites across the UK.

Nottingham’s Strategic Cultural Partnership are celebrating Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature status at Nottingham in Parliament Day, with guests including Stephen Mangan, John Harvey, Stephen Lowe, Tanya Myers, and Hetain Patel.

Nottingham has secured Purple Flag accreditation for a seventh consecutive year – demonstrating that Nottingham is a great, safe and vibrant place for a night out.

The National Biodiversity Network – the UK’s largest partnership for nature – gathers 30,000 biological records per day.

Nottingham Research Futures

Future of transport innovation

D2N2 has invested £6.1million in new cross-Nottingham cycleways – currently being built – as part of Nottingham City Council’s Nottingham Cycle City Ambition Programme. Meanwhile WEGO Couriers are promoting sustainable transport connections to champion the East Midlands as a driver for economic growth.

A £48million investment in East Nottinghamshire’s railway continues: the latest phase of the Railway Upgrade Plan will see the modernisation of signalling as well as a number of level crossing upgrades.

The UK’s first Eco Expressway has created an electric vehicle-only lane, as Nottingham boosts its electric bus fleet and aims to become UK’s leading ‘Cycle City’.

Future of food

Launch of £3.5million FEAST (Food Enterprise Advisory Support Team) programme to help food and drink manufacturers in Nottingham and rest of the D2N2 LEP area looking to expand, take on extra staff, develop new products and access growth financing. Half the £3.5m programme cost will come from D2N2’s EU funding allocation.

The food at two Michelin starred Restaurant Sat Bains with Rooms has ensured the place of Nottingham on the international gastronomic stage.

Future of healthcare technologies

Cripps Health Centre, the GP surgery that serves The University of Nottingham has been rated the best in Nottingham by its patients. With around 41,000 patients, Cripps Health Centre is the biggest single-site GP practice in the country.

However, a new health centre is in the pipeline following a £9 million gift to the University by the Cripps Foundation – the largest single donation from a private foundation in the University’s history.

Home of Sport

Nottingham is set to host the UK Corporate Games for the first time in 2017. The UK Corporate Games is Europe’s largest annual multi sports festival for businesses taking place between the 6- 9 July. Marketing Nottingham & Nottinghamshire is helping to build a strong reputation as an event city and a home for major sporting events and is delighted to be working with the UK Corporate Games.

Gold medal for table tennis superstar: an English student at The University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) won his second paralympic gold medal.

Nottingham alumni scooped two silver medals in the Rio Olympics with the biggest success taking place out on the water in the canoe slalom and the rowing.

After clocking a time of 102.01 seconds (+0.43 behind the Slovakian gold medallist team) there was a nail biting wait for David Florence (Mathematical Physics 2005 graduate) and teammate Richard Hounslow, as they had to watch the German pair navigate the course before their silver medal could be confirmed.

2005 graduate Melanie Wilson was part of the Women’s eight rowing team who powered from the back of the pack at the halfway point to a photo-finish, claiming the silver medal and scooping the first ever Olympic medal won by a British women’s eight.

Current University of Nottingham students will be able to train in the £40 million David Ross Sports Village – now open.

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Increasing exports is crucial to the health of the UK economy, With a British exit from the European Union expected within the next few years, the future holds new challenges  and opportunities for our exporters.

‘ Export or Die’- is a panel discussion chaired by Iain Wright MP, and featuring Rt.Hon Sir Vince Cable, Vicky Pryce and former Rolls Royce CEO, John Rishton, as part of Nottingham in Parliament Day.

Professor Richard Kneller from the School of Economics at The University of Nottingham gives us a taster of what can be expected from the discussion:

The UK is a successful exporter globally. But this is highly dependent on a relatively small number of firms and products. Understanding these patterns highlights its vulnerability to possible Brexit alternatives.

Last year the UK exported £510bn of goods and services internationally. This makes it the 3^rd largest exporters of services globally and the 10^th largest exporter of goods. UK exports are split approximately 60% of goods and 40% of services.

This total is the sum of the export transactions made by firms, of products, to various country destinations. It turns out that exports are fairly well spread across lots of destinations, but in terms of products and firms they are very highly concentrated.

The UK sells about 50% of goods and 40% of service exports to the various EU countries (about 10% to Germany and about 6% to France), with a further 13% of goods and 19% of services sold to the US, and 6% to China.

Government statistics show that just a little over 1 in 10 of firms in the UK are exporters (about 220,000 firms). For exports of goods, just 1% of these export firms account for 70% of goods exports; with the top 5% accounting for 90%.  For services the top 1% of exporters account for 74% of export value; the top 5% for 87%.  Similarly, just 10 products (out of the 4,800 manufacturing products the UK sells) account for 25% of total manufacturing exports (there are very few service categories so it doesn’t make sense to perform this calculation for services).

UK exporters are therefore comparatively rare, and the total is very dependent on a few products sold by just a couple of thousand of these firms. Why? Because the UK has only a smallish number of ‘world-class’ firms and products.

As a general characterisation they are usually large, very productive multinational firms, that employ lots of skilled workers, pay high wages, are involved in R&D and participate in supply chains across Europe and the world. They also include foreign owned firms. They are to be found in pharmaceuticals, chemicals, the automotive sector, or producing engines, business services and telecoms services.

It follows from this that most firms only export a little to a small number of markets. Out of the 1 in 10 UK firms that are good enough to export at all, the number shrinks quickly with the distance from the UK, even for relatively large countries. Using estimates for partner-GDP and distance from standard gravity model of international trade, and comparing countries to France, as a country with a large economy and close to the UK, then we would expect that a little under half of the number of firms that export France would export to the US. This occurs despite the US economy being 6.5 times bigger than France (but it is 10 times further away from the UK).

For China, the expected number of exporters would be just 1/10^th of those exporting to France, while for Australia the number of exporters is just 1/20^th. So even for countries that are the second and 12th largest economies globally distances severely affect the number of exporters. For economies that are distant and small even fewer firms export to those markets.

So why does this matter in a post-Brexit world?

Two main conclusions might be drawn from this analysis. The dependency of UK exports on a relatively small number of high-quality firms should demonstrate to the government that getting its policy actions wrong, in particular with respect to trade policy, risks damaging exports, but also the UK economy in general, if these firms choose to expand elsewhere or leave the UK altogether.

It is also reveals that trade deals with small and distant countries will benefit just a few firms, and stimulate relatively little exports. Retaining current trade policy arrangement with countries that are large and close by would bring no new exports, but they would prevent the decline of the already rare species of UK exporter and total trade. Leaving the EU-trade bloc will harm exports even if this is compensated by new trade deals with others. In such an outcome, the budget of UKTI, the UK’s trade promotion agency, would have to be increased enormously to try to get new exporters to fill this gap.

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When Nottingham takes over the Palace of Westminster next Tuesday it will be showtime: 45 events, 100 partner organisations, and a huge opportunity to wow the audience on Britain’s most influential political stage.

Showtime looms large in the life of Sarah Walker-Smith right now. If being Chief Operating Officer at Nottingham’s professional services crown jewel, Browne Jacobson, isn’t enough, outside work she has just written, directed and produced her first musical, The Legend of Lady Rock, at the Nottingham Contemporary.

Put that professional services ambition together with a keen eye for story-telling and you have someone who sees Nottingham in Parliament Day as a chance to create a compelling narrative about the city that has been Browne Jacobson’s home since 1832.

“Nottingham in Parliament Day matters not just because of the day itself – which is a massive opportunity to raise the city’s profile – but because it’s a result of cooperation between all the partners involved,” Sarah explained.

“We have seen the great and the good and a wide range of organisations come together for a common cause and the relationships that have been forged as a result must continue. If all the key players have a consistent message, we can go way beyond this. It’s the legacy I’m passionate about.”

Browne Jacobson’s involvement in Nottingham in Parliament Day stems from taking part in the Nottingham Post Great Debate earlier this year, an event which saw stakeholders discuss the city’s reputation and the need to give more opportunities to the talent it develops.

“It was a no-brainer for us,” Sarah says. “It was about a group of people coming together for the collective benefit of the city. That’s also the way I see Nottingham in Parliament Day.

“It isn’t just about adding our name to the event. We’ve been able to bring skills from our team in terms of organisation, project management and profile. We’ve been happy to throw our weight behind it and put some resources in. This is what the city has to do – demonstrate shared ambition.”

Westminster is a noisy, competitive environment with many people and places telling tales about ‘investability’. So how can Nottingham stand out?

“That’s easy,” says Sarah. “You can have your cake and eat it here! You can have a brilliant quality of life while still having a career in London if that’s what you’re looking for. So this can be the best of both worlds.

“I’m totally biased about Nottingham’s Creative Quarter because of my theatre. Look at the Contemporary and what it’s achieved, the whole relaunch of Hockley as something intimate and vibrant, two outstanding theatres, Lakeside, the literature festival…there is a real creative story to be told.

“Then there is the start-up culture. There are some fabulous SMEs in this city, and a steady stream of start-ups coming out of technology, lifesciences, digital and creative. You don’t need to name-drop the big names because it’s about that spirit of freedom and getting stuff done – there is an attitude here.”

At a time when the Brexit vote has posed questions about the UK’s place in the world and England’s regions are vying for greater powers, the timing of Nottingham in Parliament Day couldn’t be better, she suggests.

“If Westminster doesn’t hear Nottingham, then it is missing an opportunity,” she said. “This country isn’t all about London and Westminster. If we get all the economic centres driving growth it puts us in a far better position post-Brexit. The passion and energy that we have in Nottingham can help that enormously.

She added: “What this all tells you is that Nottingham is not a second choice – it is an intelligent choice.

“For Browne Jacobson, Nottingham is where our heart is – this is our spiritual home. We’ve seen a number of other businesses go down the same path of national expansion, but a few lose sight of their roots. We’ve stayed connected here and we’ve continued to invest substantially here because it’s a key part of who we are.

“Being from Nottingham is a part of our identity as a professional services firm. Clients find it refreshing because it cuts through the usual corporate gloss. They get the service, they get the quality, but they get a sense of fun and personality. To me, that is what Nottingham is about – we’ve got some real attitude here!”

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Commons Speaker John Bercow (pictured right) says Nottinghamshire should not be “shy and retiring” as he spoke out ahead of a regional ‘take-over’ of the Palace of Westminster by Nottingham, which is holding a day of events in Parliament on Tuesday 25th October.

Led by the University of Nottingham, the day begins with a debate about the Midlands Engine initiative and will also feature University events exploring the future of food, energy and justice.

Senior diplomats from China, the USA and 14 other nations are due to attend, Nottingham Forest and Notts County will be giving MPs “political football” masterclasses, while the city’s official Robin Hood will be taking part in some “Westminster Target Practice” on College Green.

The day will also feature a special edition of the University Challenge quiz show, with MPs taking on a team from the University of Nottingham – and The Speaker keeping order.

Mr Bercow, who sanctioned the initiative after discussions with Nottingham East MP Chris Leslie (pictured left), suggested the Nottingham in Parliament Day might be a model for both regional involvement in Parliament and greater public appreciation of what the House does.

“There is a lot of evidence that people have a low opinion of politics and politicians,” Mr Bercow said. “What I am hoping is that events like this may cause people to think again about us.

“This is a good idea and an interesting idea. The merit of closer engagement in an exercise like this is that it gives people from Nottinghamshire, the University, the city’s businesses and other institutions a chance to get to know us, and people in Parliament a chance to get to know Nottinghamshire a bit better.

“Might it set a precedent for other regions? Yes, I think so.”

Mr Bercow added: “I’m not pretending there will thereafter be some special relationship with Nottinghamshire that would be denied to others, but this has significant potential to interest parliamentarians in the ‘who we are, what we are and where we excel’ of Nottinghamshire.”

Mr Speaker is not unfamiliar with Nottingham: he has delivered lectures at the University, attended the Youth Parliament in the city, and returns to give a lecture next March.

Nevertheless, he hopes to learn more from the take-over: “I hope to learn something about what is being done in Nottinghamshire, not least on the University’s research on ending contemporary slavery, and the work being done by various agencies to tackle misogyny and discriminatory language.

“But I also want to see the lighter side – the football masterclasses with Notts County Ladies, the Forest Legends, the University Challenge between the Commons and the University of Nottingham.”

Mr Bercow says it will be up to the organisations taking part in Nottingham in Parliament Day to build upon the opportunity it represents, but paid tribute to the work of its MPs.

“I’m in no position to promise that this will yield resources for Nottinghamshire,” he said. “But I do think it is a great opportunity for the city and the county to put its best foot forwards and increase knowledge and respect. It has some good and extremely active MPs on both sides of the House.

Parliament may have to pull the shutters down for several years to enable large-scale repair and refurbishment of a landmark which is both working environment and World Heritage Site.

While Mr Bercow says he believes that moving the entire Parliamentary machine outside London is impractical, there could be opportunities to “showcase” Westminster in places like Nottinghamshire.

“I’m sceptical about the practicalities of the whole House sitting elsewhere,” he said. “But if there is an appetite for informal exchanges between party leaders in some of the great cities so that we could take the democratic process beyond London then I’d be perfectly happy to chair them.

“Parliamentary Select Committees already do some regional visits to take evidence, but could there be more? Yes – and I’m all in favour of us getting out from here more. Nottinghamshire should not be shy and retiring about suggestions for suitable locations!”

“I really do have a very high regard for Nottinghamshire members. I make no bones about the fact that Chris Leslie is a friend, I’ve known Ken Clark for more than 20 years, Graham Allen is an extremely principled backbencher, and though Lilian Greenwood has been in the House only since 2010 she has definitely made her mark.

“And Anna Soubry, of course, was until recently a Minister. She is a very bright individual who works prodigiously on behalf of her constituents.”

Mr Leslie has played a central role in turning the Nottingham in Parliament Day from an idea into a reality, and says it represents a new way for Westminster to bring in the outside world.

He said: “The House of Commons will, of course, have its normal legislative business to transact on October 25th. But with over 40 Nottingham-themed events in and around the Palace of Westminster, it’ll be hard to avoid the sense that we’ve taken over for the day!

“Mr Speaker has always been an incredible advocate of initiatives to fling open the doors of Parliament and let the outside world in. ‘Nottingham In Parliament’ day is a great way to bring in new people, new activities – and new ideas as well.”

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Business and social science students from Nottingham Trent University will be going to Parliament later this month to solve challenges faced by society and identified by MPs.

This political version of the University’s unique Thinkubator Challenge^® is being held on 25 October as part of Nottingham in Parliament Day – a one-day takeover of Westminster to showcase the businesses, institutions and people that make Nottingham great.

Around 40 students will collaborate to solve problems pitched to them on the day by politicians. The challenges will fall under the three themes of social mobility, industrial strategy, and transport.

The students will have just two hours to thrash out their ideas from both business and political perspectives before they present their solutions to a VIP audience in the Churchill Room of the House of Commons.

Nottingham Trent University Vice-Chancellor Professor Edward Peck said: “Nottingham Trent University is located in the very heart in the City of Nottingham. As such, it is appropriate that this Thinkubator Challenge^® is a central event in the programme of  Nottingham in Parliament Day. It is an excellent opportunity to showcase to a predominantly London business and political audience the amazing talents of our students who so often win national and international prizes. This event will also highlight the forward-looking approach of Nottingham Trent University to tackling head on some of the key challenges facing our society.”

Baback Yazdani, Dean of the University’s Nottingham Business School which runs the annual Thinkubator Challenge^®, was behind the idea to adapt it for this political venue.

“Nottingham Business School’s Thinkubator Challenge^® has proven since its launch that it really can bring young business brains together to solve companies’ challenges, from recruitment issues to marketing strategies. With this event, we want to show the approach can apply to issues which affect policy makers too. Bringing in School of Social Sciences’ students will create a perfect opportunity for students of different disciplines to collaborate and gain valuable experience through presenting to a VIP audience within the iconic venue of the House of Commons.”

While the students are busy grappling with the politicians’ problems, the University will run a roundtable discussion on Women in Leadership. It will be hosted by Baroness Diana Warwick, who has been a member of the House of Lords since 1999. Baroness Warwick, a member of the Board of Governors at Nottingham Trent University, spent 14 years as Chief Executive of Universities UK, responsible for representing the interests of 130 universities to government, the media, the public and internationally. Speakers for the roundtable event include Judy Naake, High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire and founder of the St Tropez tanning brand and Sue Fish OBE QPM, Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police.

The event is being supported by Nottinghamshire MPs Sir Alan Meale MP, Vernon Coaker MP, and Gloria De Piero MP.

To find out more about Nottingham in Parliament Day visit the website and sign up for events.

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Historical figures were traditionally immortalised in marble but Nottingham’s future engineers are recreating the heads of MPs in plastic to showcase the skills that are essential for the country’s growth.

Lillian Greenwood MP, visit to NUAST ahead of the Nottingham in Parliament Day.
Taylor Jones 17 pictured creating a 3D printer image of Lillian Greenwood MP.

Students at Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology invited their local MP Lilian Greenwood (Nottingham South) into the classroom to scan and produce a 3D print out of her head.

The finished product will be presented to Lilian at Nottingham in Parliament Day on Tuesday October 25th as part of an event in demonstrating how Nottingham is developing the Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) skills of the future.

Lilian said: “Nottingham has a really proud heritage of science and engineering but we’re also part of the future. The University of Nottingham and NUAST are both part of that and it’s exciting that young people in Nottingham are developing skills in the STEM subjects that the country needs. I’m looking forward to Nottingham in Parliament Day where we’ll be showcasing what we have to offer and of course to receiving my 3D head, which will have pride of place in my office.”

From school outreach activities to apprenticeships and technical education, to innovations in undergraduate and postgraduate study, organisations such as E.ON, Science Council, Siemens and Nottingham Trent University are working together to ensure the future of STEM skills in Nottingham all of which will be showcased on October 25th.

Pictured LtR; Katy Walker 16 and Matt Taylor 16 pictured working on a 3D printer image of Einstein.

Jim Smith, Assistant Principal at NUAST, said: “There is a national shortage of engineers in Britain and for the country to grow we need to make things. NUAST bridges this gap between secondary education, university, and industry and we’re developing the future scientists and engineers.

“Our students  need to understand how things are manufactured and using a 3D printer is very useful for that. They can design something and then print it immediately to test how it works. It’s a high end skill but it’s at the foundation of future manufacturing and for those that are interested this will be in action at our open days.”

Nottingham in Parliament Day will see more than 100 Nottingham institutions come together for 44 events taking place in the Houses of Parliament. It is the first time a city has taken over Westminster and aims to celebrate the people, institutions and businesses that make Nottingham great.

Pictured LtR; William Cole 17, Lillian Greenwood MP, Paige Hancox 18, Michael Leek 17.

Pictured LtR; Katy Walker 16, Lillian Greenwood MP, Robert White (Principal), Paige Hancox 18.

Lillian Greenwood MP, chatting with students.

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Browne Jacobson is joining Nottingham’s leading politicians, business leaders, major sporting institutions and world class universities in celebrating the very best the city has to offer at a special day of celebration  in London.

Organised by the University of Nottingham, Nottingham in Parliament Day will take place on 25 October when more than 60 local institutions and businesses will travel to Westminster to showcase the city’s rich heritage and culture as well as its achievements as one of the country’s major cities for research, industry and commerce to the country’s MPs, peers, parliamentary decision makers and key stakeholders through a series of high profile events.

Sarah Walker Smith, Chief Operating Officer, at Browne Jacobson said: “Nottingham is such a dynamic, innovative and hugely aspirational city in which to live, work, study or visit.

“From the thousands of starts-ups that are keeping our rich entrepreneurial spirit alive to big corporates and household brand names known the world over from Raleigh, HP Sauce and Paul Smith through to Speedo, Boots and Experian.

“The city’s thriving creative quarter is a magnet for business, arts and technology and our excellent infrastructure means professionals from all sectors can continue to pursue a London career whilst enjoying the lifestyle advantages of a city such as Nottingham. You really can have the best of both worlds.

“We have an incredible story to tell and Nottingham in Parliament Day gives us that unique opportunity to showcase a side of the city and the county that many people are simply not aware of. It is the perfect platform to make sure Nottingham plays a key role economically as the UK moves towards a post Brexit future.”

Browne Jacobson will be hosting an evening networking reception where representatives from the world of business, sport and education including Boots UK, Experian, Nottingham Forest Football Club, Marketing Nottingham & Nottinghamshire and the University of Nottingham will showcase the city’s key commercial strengths, discuss ways of attracting inward investment and retaining and developing talent.

Other headline events during the day include, amongst others, a roundtable with Sir John Peace and ministers discussing Nottingham and the Midlands Engine Room followed by a lunchtime event exploring the University of Nottingham’s role as a world leader in research and academia with the Chinese Ambassador and Malaysian High Commissioner.

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Medal-winning Paralympians, leading business figures, MPs and diplomats will be joining forces next month in a one day take-over of Parliament.

Nottingham in Parliament day is a festival of research, debate and showcases, taking place in Westminster on October 25, led by The University of Nottingham.

It is the first time a city has staged an event of this sort in the Houses of Parliament and has had the endorsement of John Bercow, Speaker of The House of Commons.

He said: “Nottingham in Parliament day is a great idea, not only because Nottingham is such a fine city but because all parts of our country should have a stake in democratic life and public policy-making. I’m really looking forward to the October 25 and the novel ways in which Nottingham can make its mark.”

Highlights of the day include academics from The University of Nottingham pitched against members of the House of Commons in an episode of University Challenge, members of the GB archery team giving Robin Hood target practice, and Professor Sir Martyn Poliakoff conducting live chemistry experiments with Jo Johnson, Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation.

This is against a backdrop of high profile debate between key business leaders and politicians such as Sir Vince Cable, Lord Michael Dobbs, Elizabeth Fagan, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Boots, Chief Constable Sue Fish OBE, QPM, Nottinghamshire Police, Sir John Sawers CMG, Former Head of MI6, Liz Nicholl, Chief Executive, UK Sport and Sir Andrew Witty, Chief Executive Officer of GlaxoSmithKline plc.

The University of Nottingham Vice Chancellor Professor Sir David Greenaway said: “As a city, we sometimes compare ourselves with London and Manchester and think that we’re something small but we’re actually the ninth biggest city in the fifth biggest economy in the world.

“We have huge strengths in those areas that play to the Government’s agenda of great technologies. Yet we don’t have a loud enough voice in Westminster.

“Government needs to know that Nottingham matters for two key, strategic reasons. It’s an important part of the Midlands Engine, which is about more than just the West Midlands and the automotive industry. It’s also about better exploiting the strengths of the East Midlands economy, which are considerable.

“Then there are those strengths in the great technologies that support science and business going into the future. That has to be at the centre of a forward-looking industrial strategy.

“One of those great eight is Big Data. Nottingham doesn’t pitch itself as central to Big Data but it has been for a long time – we have large organisations like Experian, which is almost a heritage business in Big Data, and an important ecosystem of smaller, growing companies operating in the same sector. The level of data and digital talent here is of international standing.

“The same is true of life and health sciences and transport innovation. Both are a heritage industries in Nottingham and the East Midlands, with companies like Boots and Rolls Royce worldwide brands, yet remain anchored in Nottingham, working closely with the University and our world leading researchers. Energy is another of the great technologies – with one of the £180m Energy Research Accelerator hubs based right here.

“All of these things have concentrations in Nottingham. All of them are activities which speak to the future, not the past.

“Nottingham in Parliament Day can only be the beginning of a campaign to get the city’s significant strengths and substantial potential better understood.”

The Nottingham in Parliament Day website contains a full list of confirmed speakers and more information about the events programme.

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