Tag - Community

<h5 class="MsoNormal">The 'net zero target' refers to&nbsp;<strong>a government commitment to ensure the UK reduces its greenhouse gas emissions by 100% from 1990 levels by 2050</strong>. If met, this would mean the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by the UK would be equal to or less than the emissions removed by the UK from the environment.</h5>
<p class="MsoNormal">At Acorn by Synergie, we aim to be Carbon Net Zero by 2050.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Scope 1, 2 and 3 are in the process of being addressed. We will be working with our parent company Synergie for a Group wide response to Carbon Net Zero.</p>

Carbon Net Zero 

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<p>Staff are taking on the challenge of swimming the same distance from the UK to France - a total of 1,352 lengths of a standard 25 metre pool - between June 19th and July 1st to help send a family on a VIP weekend to London or Disneyland Paris.</p>
<p>The team wants to raise between &pound;1,000 and &pound;3,500 for our chosen charity for 2023, When You Wish Upon a Star, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses. Funds raised will sponsor a much-needed trip away for a child and their family as part of a wish programme run by the charity.</p>
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<p><strong>David Harvey, Branch Manager for Chippenham and Gloucester at Acorn by Synergie, says:</strong>&nbsp;&ldquo;When You Wish Upon A Star is such a great cause and I felt they deserved a really great challenge to support them. With the parent company of Acorn by Synergie, the Synergie group, being based in France, there seemed no better way to unite our team and raise money for this excellent cause at the same time than swimming the channel, therefore.&rdquo;</p>
<p>So far, Acorn by Synergie has raised over &pound;1000 for When You Wish Upon a Star and aims to bring that total to &pound;10,000 for the cause throughout 2023 with a range of initiatives that include its cross-channel swim challenge, a charity golf tournament and more.</p>
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<p><strong>Bernard Ward, Managing Director of Acorn by Synergie, says:</strong> &ldquo;Our goal for 2023 is to continue raising as much money as we can and help make wishes come true for as many children as possible, therefore, through the amazing support services When You Wish Upon A Star provides to young people and families who are otherwise facing some really tough challenges in life.&rdquo;</p>
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<p>To show your support for the Acorn by Synergie South West team and When You Wish Upon A Star, visit:&nbsp;</p>
<p><a title="Just Giving Page" href="https://www.justgiving.com/page/southwest-swim-the-channel"><span class="button">Donate here&nbsp;</span></a></p>
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Acorn by Synergie staff get set to swim the English Channel for our chosen charity, When You Wish Upon A Star

<p class="__intro">A team of volunteer cyclists are hoping to turn pedal power into pounds with a charity bike ride spanning the length of a nation.</p>
<p>Colleagues from UK recruiter Acorn and leading house builder Edenstone Group have joined forces to cycle from North Wales all the way to the South in the space of just two days.</p>
<p>The team of six hope to raise &pound;10,000 in aid of mental health charity Mind UK after completing the 206 mile stretch from Holyhead to Cardiff Bay in Acorn&rsquo;s 30th anniversary year.</p>
<p><strong>Bernard Ward, Managing Director at Acorn Recruitment, said:</strong>&nbsp;&ldquo;We are celebrating Acorn&rsquo;s 30th birthday throughout the year and supporting our chosen charity for 2022 seemed like a great way to mark the occasion. Cycling 100 miles in a day is a big undertaking in itself, but when that is being done on two consecutive days with a combined elevation of 17,000 feet, that&rsquo;s even tougher going.</p>
<p>&ldquo;But we also know that one in four people experience mental health issues and that Mind UK is a fantastic organisation which helps those who are suffering to continue climbing their own personal mountains too. As a company, mental health and wellbeing is our top priority&rdquo; Bernard continued.</p>
<p>&ldquo;If we can raise &pound;10,000 to continue supporting those who need help, after what has been a challenging time for many people in recent years, that will be celebration enough for us.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Operations Manager, Osian John and his colleague from Acorn, Director of Operations, Marc Jones, joined pedals with Edenstone Group&rsquo;s Operations Director Chris Edge, Build Director Mike Huddleston, Finance Director Stuart Rodden and Project Manager Phil Bindon for the ride.</p>
<p>Together, the cyclists had already raised more than half of their &pound;10,000 target ahead of their departure on June 11th through their Just Giving page, alongside the good will of colleagues, family and friends, with hopes to double the amount following completion of the ride itself.</p>
<p><strong>Chris said:</strong>&nbsp;&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve always had a great relationship with the team at Acorn, and when we heard about their cycling challenge to raise &pound;10,000 in celebration of their 30<sup>th</sup>&nbsp;anniversary, we thought it was a great opportunity to support them as well as a hugely worthy cause in Mind UK too.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Anyone keen to make a donation in support of either organisation can visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/AcornHousingCyclingChallenge</p>

Acorn by Synergie and Edenstone Group join forces to cycle the length of a nation in just two days

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<p>The UK recruiter has launched a new scheme in partnership with three Welsh prisons and HMP Bristol to offer those nearing the end of their sentence the potential to secure meaningful employment in the construction industry.</p>
<p>The Reconstruct Programme supports people in the last 12 weeks of their sentence, who have shown willingness and an interest in securing a construction role, to equip themselves with the motivation and practical skills they need to re-enter the world of work.</p>
<p>The brainchild of Client Development Director for Acorn, Lawrence Beach, the new scheme already has the backing of UK construction companies including Bouygues UK, Willmott Dixon, ISG PLC and Bam, alongside support from homeless charity The&nbsp;Wallich&nbsp;too.&nbsp;</p>
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<div class="mixblock-imgwrap"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://www.acornpeople.com/media/1160/consultant-lawrencebeach.jpg?anchor=center&amp;mode=crop&amp;width=555&amp;height=340&amp;rnd=131661885700000000" alt="Acorn by Synergie joins forces with HM prison services and construction businesses to help people with convictions find work"></div>
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<p>Lawrence said: &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been working to place people with convictions into employment here at Acorn by&nbsp;Synergie&nbsp;for&nbsp;a number of&nbsp;years now, with outcomes for both clients and candidates proving increasingly successful as a result. The individuals we&rsquo;ve been working with have an incredible amount of potential and, in many cases, existing skills that come as a real asset to the businesses they end up working with once their sentences come to an end.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We hope now that by creating an ever wider collective of like-minded organisations across Wales and the South West, we can give confidence to even more people that there is a chance for them to succeed and put something back into their communities following their time in prison, through the launch of the Reconstruct Programme.&rdquo;</p>
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<p>Monthly visits from the Acorn by&nbsp;Synergie&nbsp;team to HMP Swansea, HMP Cardiff, HMP&nbsp;Prescoed&nbsp;and HMP Bristol will take the form of face-to-face sessions establishing the skills,&nbsp;motivations&nbsp;and geographical areas relevant to individuals attending the Reconstruct Programme ahead of their release.</p>
<p>Businesses looking to play their part in the scheme are invited to do so at no cost and without any obligation to employ anyone via Acorn by&nbsp;Synergie, as part of the UK recruiter&rsquo;s commitment to further supporting sustainable job opportunities for under-represented groups through its Acorn Building Services division.</p>
<p>Harriet Wade, Social Value Manager at ISG PLC, said: &ldquo;ISG is delighted to support the Reconstruct Network. For a long time&nbsp;now&nbsp;we have championed the benefits of employing people with convictions and the huge potential they can offer. The Network is a fantastic way of linking open minded organisations with these individuals that is time and cost effective.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Nicola Millard, Senior Social Value Manager at Willmott Dixon added: &ldquo;At Willmott Dixon, we have always maintained that the best way to improve a person&rsquo;s life chances is by enabling them to access good quality work. We support the Reconstruct network because it is helping to promote the many capable individuals being released each month that need an organisation to give them a second chance.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) providing proof individuals have the correct training in place for the work they will be doing is now also being delivered within prisons, meaning candidates looking to get into construction are leaving with a full qualification in place too.</p>
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<div class="mixblock-imgwrap"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://www.acornpeople.com/media/4164/reconstructs-ray-in-wd-warehouse.jpg?anchor=center&amp;mode=crop&amp;width=555&amp;height=340&amp;rnd=133331107670000000" alt="Acorn by Synergie joins forces with HM prison services and construction businesses to help people with convictions find work"></div>
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<p>Lawrence continued: &ldquo;We appreciate that successful recruitment, particularly in the construction sector, often relies on the timescales and location involved, and really feel that by pulling together we can help give both sides a better chance at securing gainful employment in the process.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Acorn by&nbsp;Synergie&nbsp;also carries out the front-end work on behalf of businesses involved, having already made it our responsibility to visit the prisons included in the Reconstruct Programme and working with teams to get them work ready in the first place.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;So, the only commitment a company has is to be open minded regarding candidates who might have the necessary skills in place, or be looking for work in the geographical area involved, when it comes to any&nbsp;vacancies&nbsp;they might have available,&rdquo; Lawrence added.</p>
<p><em>Picture - ex-prisoner Ray secured a placement and subsequent permanent role with Willmott Dixon following his release from HMP Cardiff.</em></p>
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Acorn by Synergie joins forces with HM prison services and construction businesses to help people with convictions find work

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Business leaders from across Wales came together on a level playing field to raise thousands of pounds for charity at the 3rd annual CEO Kickabout, organised by Acorn in partnership with the Football Association of Wales (FAW).</strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Attendees enjoyed a day of sport at the National Football Development Centre at Dragon Park, Newport, in support of the UK recruiter&rsquo;s efforts to raise &pound;30,000 for its 2022 chosen charity, Mind UK, in its 30th year of business.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Players from all sectors took their turn on the pitch to raise more than &pound;8,000 which will now go towards that total, and enjoyed some tactical insight from FAW Chief Executive Officer Noel Mooney and Wales&rsquo; national team manager, Robert Page, beforehand.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Bernard Ward, Managing Director at Acorn Recruitment, said:</strong> &ldquo;Mental health issues have been amongst the foremost of challenges faced by companies in recent times, and we have spent the last 12 months renewing and enhancing our focus on the wellbeing of the people that make our organisation what it is today in response.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&ldquo;Our HR policies have all been, or are in the process of being reviewed, renewed and added to with a focus on ensuring our team feel valued and supported. So, it made total sense for us to choose Mind UK as our charity of the year in our 30th anniversary year, to help us in contributing to the wider community too.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Bernard continued:</strong> &ldquo;We would like to say a huge thank you to the FAW for supporting us with this effort and once again partnering with us on this fantastic event, which brought businesses together for a day of football insights from Noel Mooney and Robert Page, a five aside tournament and a great opportunity to chat at the barbecue later on.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Organisations taking part included project managers Arena Projects, Watkins Davies Insurance Consultants Ltd, cyber consultants PureCyber Ltd, Eat Sleep Media, sales centre Outsource Strategies, RWG Mobile, training provider Call of the Wild and South Wales Sports Grounds,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Players from sporting agency Sotic, St Davids World, Vog Brewery and solicitor Harding Evans were also joined by those from Acorn and the FAW, while Jeff White Motors was named best team on the day, and Owen Eirey of Arena Projects became player of the day.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>FAW CEO Noel Mooney said:</strong> &ldquo;It&rsquo;s great to see the CEO Kickabout event continue to support worthwhile community causes with each year that passes, and we are especially delighted this year to have supported the amazing fundraising effort from Acorn to raise &pound;30,000 for charity in its 30th year of business.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&ldquo;Engaging Welsh businesses is vital to the work that we do in encouraging and continually improving upon football participation levels across Wales, and we are delighted once again to have welcomed a diverse range of organisations to enjoy the world-class facilities at Dragon Park in support of such a worthwhile cause.&rdquo;</p>

3rd annual CEO Kickabout

<p><strong>Acorn Building Services will combine the UK recruiter&rsquo;s Construction, Mechanical, Engineering and Housing divisions into one, to help increase the availability of sustainable job opportunities for under-represented groups in all sectors.</strong></p>
<p>Acorn has overseen a number of social value initiatives and consistently championed the introduction of new entrants into the construction industry in recent years, working with partners including Her Majesty&rsquo;s Prison &amp; Probation Service and homeless charity The Wallich, running its own Women in Construction initiatives, and more.</p>
<p>With a focus on South Wales and Bristol to begin with, its Acorn Building Services division will now help drive forward new projects and initiatives aimed at further supporting its clients in contributing socially as well as economically to areas they work in too</p>
<p>Lawrence Beach, Client Development Director for Acorn, will be responsible for developing these initiatives, focusing on social value, people pathways, tenders and more. Operations Director Osian John will also head up the new division in an operational capacity and drive the day to day running of the team involved.</p>
<p><strong>Lawrence said: </strong>&ldquo;The work Acorn has already done using employment as a key driver to create social value is something that we are hugely passionate about across the organisation, and we feel now is the time to push forward with plans to implement and develop a range of new initiatives that we hope will prove invaluable to Acorn and the businesses we support in future too.</p>
<p>&ldquo;My role as part of Acorn Building Services will involve working closely with clients and local stakeholders to develop collaborative programmes that will assist Acorn and our clients in maximising the social value we are able to have within local communities. In essence, we want to ensure the employment opportunities we are involved in are used in the most productive, sustainable way possible.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Osian said:</strong> &ldquo;We identified a need for Lawrence to spend a lot more time developing initiatives which will benefit the people and communities in which we work, but this on its own was a full-time commitment. So, I&rsquo;ll be responsible for day-to-day operations around sales, business development, compliance and recruitment strategy, enabling Lawrence to give that job his full focus.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Acorn has a network of 30 branches supporting businesses with recruitment needs through its specialist divisions, which cover manufacturing, production, IT, legal, construction, commercial, energy, life sciences, aerospace and other sectors.</p>
<p>Its Building Services division will initially support teams in Cardiff, Bristol and Gloucestershire to develop temporary and permanent employment partnerships with a community focus across the construction and housing sectors more widely.</p>
<p><strong>Marc Jones, Technical Operations Director at Acorn, said:</strong> "the focus then would be on growing and developing Acorn Building Services as a division within its own right over the next 3 to 5 years, with the aim of expanding its services throughout the South West and beyond."</p>
<p><strong>Marc added: </strong>&ldquo;This development really marks an important milestone for Acorn, as well as the businesses we&rsquo;re able to support in contributing to communities where they work in a much more impactful and sustainable way, as our reputation across the construction and building services sectors has become more and more established, through working so closely with a large number of construction-related employers.</p>
<p>&rdquo;The knock-on effect for workers, and for people looking for jobs, at all levels, whether skilled or currently un-skilled, can be genuinely transformational &ndash; and this is at the heart of the way our work across the building and construction areas has developed in recent years. It&rsquo;s something we at Acorn think very deeply about, and are determined to continue to make as big an impact as we possibly can.&rdquo;</p>
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Acorn launches Building Services Division 

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<p>In memory of his father Owen, who died in July 2020 from a very aggressive form of bile duct cancer, 37-year-old Osian was determined to raise money for Cancer Research UK but in a different way, so by using a rowing machine and a Ski Erg (gym equipment which mimics the movements of Nordic skiing) he covered a distance of one million metres, or 621 miles.</p>
<p>Osian, who lives in Cardiff, completed the task in 31 consecutive days covering on average just over 32,000 metres per day, which took him around two and a half hours to complete.</p>
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<p>By raising &pound;5,700 he smashed his original fundraising goal of &pound;3,500 in 34 days, raising around &pound;1,500 more and completing the challenge three days earlier than planned.</p>
<p>Osian explained the reason he decided to take on this mammoth fitness fundraising challenge: &ldquo;There was less than a month between my father starting to feel unwell and passing away, so it was a huge shock to the whole family. Dad was a former headteacher and founded and ran an outdoor education centre in Kent for 26 years, giving disadvantaged children from inner-city London a chance to experience and learn about the countryside. He then retired to his native Pembrokeshire in 2004 but passed away in July 2020 from this aggressive cancer.</p>
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<p>Osian said: &ldquo;I underestimated how tough it would be to cover 32,000 metres a day, and once I started, immediately regretted setting myself the challenge. However, I raised &pound;1,000 in the first 24 hours so that motivated me to carry on! I am so grateful to all of those who supported me in memory of my father, including my wonderful Acorn colleagues who donated in droves.&rdquo;</p>
<p>This is not Osian&rsquo;s first successful fundraiser, as over the two years he&rsquo;s been at Acorn he&rsquo;s raised more than &pound;11,000 for cancer charities, including a challenge in 2019 where he cycled 980 miles from Land&rsquo;s End to John O&rsquo;Groats over nine days, in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support<em>.</em></p>
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<p>Director of Operations, Marc Jones said of the fundraising, &ldquo;I am so proud of Osian&rsquo;s achievement. He is a shining example to us all by raising money for such a fantastic cause at time when he is dealing with his own grief.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We understand that in this difficult time, supporting and raising money for charity is more important than ever, with much needed research being able to continue and make a difference to so many people&rsquo;s lives. Knowing Osian, this won&rsquo;t be the last time we see him do some fantastic challenges to raise funds for charity and Acorn Recruitment will support him every mile of the way.&rdquo;</p>
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Acorn Operations manager rows and skis his way to a £5000 fundraising target

<p class="__intro">The&nbsp;<em>Career Changers &ndash; Women into Construction Project</em>, by Encon Construction, has succeeded in getting funding from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).</p>
<p>Encon is partnering with Acorn Recruitment and a number of other organisations in the sector, including Cardiff Community Housing Association, the Home Builders Federation, Glamorgan Construction Training Group, and Chwarae Teg for a project aimed at tackling the industry skills shortage by attracting more women into a construction career.</p>
<p>It&rsquo;s a two-and-a-half-year programme which will provide free organisation and unconscious bias training as well as mentorship for 50 women. One of its focuses is on helping&nbsp;support those changing careers, and those employing them, to implement flexible working arrangements as a further step to bringing talented women into the industry.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t wait to become a mentor and hopefully help other women to fulfil their career goals by sharing my knowledge and experience from 20 years in construction,&rdquo; said&nbsp;Antonia John, business development and CSR manager at Encon.</p>
<p>Phil Woodward, Encon&rsquo;s managing director, added: &ldquo;We are the first SME in Wales to have been awarded a CITB commission, and I am thrilled to be working on such an inspiring project that has the potential to transform the way the industry works, and the lives of all who engage with it.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Lawrence Beach, Construction Operations Manager at Acorn, said: &ldquo;We have lots of working examples of women thriving within the construction industry, but the gender gap remains an issue facing the sector. This partnership shows that employers and jobseekers of all backgrounds can work together in pursuit of a common goal, regardless of any perceived differences to the contrary.</p>
<p>We&rsquo;re absolutely delighted to place women into a work environment that they feel not only fulfilled by, but confidently capable of carrying out to the best of their abilities.&rdquo;</p>

Acorn partners with EnCon's The Career Changers - Women into Construction Project

<p>Horses bring YOUNITED Flag to Mansion House to award first UK companies to employ ex-offenders through new Key4Life award scheme</p>
<p class="__intro">23 September, 2021, London: Flag-bearing former convicts on horseback descended on the Mansion House today, where Alderman William Russell, the Lord Mayor of the City of London, awarded the first 15 UK companies to employ ex-offenders through the prestigious YOUNITED Flag award.</p>
<p>The YOUNITED FLAG award &ndash; launched in September 2019 by music legend Nile Rodgers together with crime prevention charity, Key4Life - encourages companies to employ ex-offenders and give them another chance, rewarding those that do with the prestigious YOUNITED Flag kitemark.</p>
<p>The 15 companies awarded the YOUNITED Flag today are: Acorn Recruitment, Avalara, Bouygues, Dent Global, MediaCom, Purple Hire Solutions, SheerLuxe, Sir Robert McAlpine, Social Pantry, Sony Music, St James, Trade Windows, Yeo Valley, Willis Towers Watson and Willmott Dixon.</p>
<p>Key4Life will extend the YOUNITED FLAG award to many more companies UK-wide next year, in association with the Corbett Network.</p>
<p>The special awards ceremony at Mansion House also celebrated the 9th birthday of Key4Life, which has an unrivalled track record for transforming the lives of some of the most disaffected young men in Britain. Key4Life reduces re-offending through its innovative rehabilitation programme for young men in prison and those at risk of going to prison, saving lives by helping to break the cycle of crime. Running programmes in London and the South West, the charity uses equine therapy, music, mentorship and employability training to help the young men heal and become valuable contributors to society. Horses play a vital part in rehabilitating the men, both inside and out of prison.</p>
<p>Alderman William Russell said: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m honoured to present the YOUNITED Flag awards. It&rsquo;s remarkable to see graduates from rehabilitation programmes attaining impressive corporate roles because some one cared enough, for long enough, to change their lives. Employing ex-offenders offers the chance to include a new perspective in the workplace and provides a genuine opportunity to do something meaningful by offering these young men a second chance.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Eva Hamilton, Founder and CEO of Key4Life says: &ldquo;Research shows that 50% of corporate Britain would not hire ex-offenders, and yet having a job is the crucial success factor for men with convictions. With reoffending costing the UK government &pound;18.1 Billion a year, the YOUNITED Flag award highlights how employing ex-offenders can drive change by dispelling stereotypes and removing unfair prejudice.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Ex-offender Liam Meredith, who worked for YOUNITED FLAG award recipient, Yeo Valley, for three years before recently setting up his own ice cream and burger van business in collaboration with Key4Life and Yeo Valley, said: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m hugely grateful to both Key4Life and Yeo Valley for helping me rebuild my life. Without more companies giving men with convictions opportunities, we can&rsquo;t break the cycle of crime. We&rsquo;ve made our mistakes, we can&rsquo;t deny that, but now we want change. So my message to other companies is that if you aren&rsquo;t going to be part of the solution by giving ex-offenders another chance, you&rsquo;re part of the problem.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Liam and some fellow Key4Life rappers featured on the new Key4Life Vol. 1 EP, produced by Sony Music (released 15 October), will shortly be closing the YOUNITED Flag awards ceremony with a short private performance of extracts from the EP. Guests will then gather to enjoy lunchtime burgers served from Key4Life&rsquo;s Food Cell &ndash; a former prison van, turned burger van which gives ex-offenders valuable business skills and experience to help them get future work.</p>
<p>This afternoon, Lord Mayor William Russell will challenge companies to employ ex-offenders as part of the Recruiting from a Different Talent Pool conference led by the Corbett Network.</p>
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