|
Brighton Media Centre ENews - December 2006
enews feedback: please email your news to: info@mediacentre.org before the 25th of the month for the chance to be in the following month's newsletter. Remember, you can advertise your jobs here. Just let us know the details so we can include them in the newsletter.
BMC News
DON'T FORGET THE BMC'S CHRISTMAS PARTY!
Invitations have now been sent out for the party. If you haven't received one and would like to please see our Site Managers Helen Katsouris for 15-17 & 68 Middle Street or Christine Stevenson at our Old Steyne site.
It's taking place on Thursday 7th December at Sumo Bar from 6pm till late.
You will receive a free drink on arrival (so remember your invite) followed by a Chinese buffet. During the evening we will hold the Charity Raffle with some great prizes once again this year kindly donated by local businesses including massages, hair styling, Komedia tickets, meals for 2 and more... For those of you who would like to buy tickets they are £1 each and are available at the reception points or just ask a BMC member of staff.
All proceeds will be going to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children: www.nspcc.org.uk. So please, please buy in abundance to support this worthy cause, which is particularly poignant at this time of year!
The entertainment will continue downstairs where "The Cadillacs" will play 2 one-hour sets. And if last year's performance is anything to go by the place will be rocking!!
Music will continue afterwards where a D.J. will see us through to the early hours.
|
|
To find out more about The Cadillacs, visit their web site at www.thecadillacs.co.uk
We look forward to seeing you all there!
Sound Recordist Needed!
BMC's own budding film makers Carl and Chris (the helpful chaps who greet you at our front desk) are currently looking for a sound recordist for their next short film. Having almost completed their first short, Mobius, they are currently in pre-production on their second short Static.
The film centres around a young couple stranded in a car in a countryside car park as we see their relationship slowly fall apart throughout the course of the day.
The film will be shot on DV with production scheduled for February. Ideally they are looking for a sound recordist (or a budding sound recordist who knows what they are doing) who has their own equipment and will work for expenses as well as being supplied with a copy of the film and an invite to the screening. However dependent on the budget it may be possible that they will supply the necessary equipment.
If anybody is interested and would like to discuss the project further then please email Carl on carlwhinder@hotmail.com.
BMC Clients
A Clear New Vision for the Future
After five successful years of trading as Bizvizion Limited they are rebranding. In future they will be Clear Business Development Limited or just Clear if you prefer. Their new website can be viewed at:
|
Barclay, the director says, "Not only is our new name easier to spell and easier to remember, but we think it better encapsulates what we do - provide clear business development advice to help SMEs develop and grow their businesses. |
Running your own company takes so much time and energy it’s hard to step back and be truly objective about your business and strategy. You can be too close - and too busy - to see what your business really needs. We at Clear can provide that objective overview, that different perspective that can help you identify new ways you can add value to your business."
Their shared office space service is also included in the rebrand and will in future be called Clear Shared Office Space, for more details see: www.clear-brighton-office-space.co.uk
For more information about our business development services please contact Barclay Thompson on 01273 275 832 or email:
barclay@reallyclear.co.uk.
The Number One site for Intern/Work Experience Recruitment has just been launched!
BMC Client, 'Upstream Connections' are delighted to welcome you to the world of Interntown at www.interntown.com , a site where you can advertise your jobs FOR FREE and tens of thousands of potential interns will be able to find you...and you will also be able to search their CVs.
So what exactly is an intern?
It is anybody who wants to gain some experience in the workplace to help them with their career, to bolster their CV (resume) or because it is a required part of their university course. Interns can be of any age, from any country and interested in any type of job.
Why should I take on an intern?
For 2 main reasons:
1)They provide a free source of labour and can take on many of the tasks/projects which you would not otherwise be able to afford to do.
2)You are helping somebody get a foothold in the world of work. It may be a requirement of their course to take an internship and without you, or others like you, many people will be unable to obtain their degree.
How much do I have to pay an intern?
It is up to you. You do not have to pay anything at all but you may prefer to pay a small amount to help them cover some or all of their travel, food or accommodation
costs. If you pay something, it will improve their quality of life while they are working for you, and will give you slightly more leverage over them,
as you are actually giving them money and not just experience.
However, many interns need internships and will happily work for nothing (as they are
required to do an internship as part of their university course). Interns will usually fund themselves through their own funds, parental donations,
part-time work during the internship and through grants (there are many EU grants available for students from EU countries, the best-known is the
Leonardo programme which gives students up to 500 euros per month for up to 6 months to help fund their internship).
Note: if the intern is not a
full-time student taking an internship as part of their course, then you may be required to pay them the minimum wage. Therefore, if you are unable or
unwilling to pay this amount, you should only take on interns who are full-time students.
How long do they come for?
Interns can come from as little as week to up to a year. It depends on their requirements and also on what positions are on offer. In most cases, we recommend internships of 3 months or more to enable the intern to really learn something new and for your organisation to really benefit from them.
What kind of jobs do they do and what about training?
You can ask your interns to do anything you need doing. We recommend providing training for them at the start of their internship - you should be prepared for this and have a training plan prepared before they start - and then provide ongoing monitoring and appraisal throughout their internship. Remember, this is the first serious work experience for many of them and you will set an example of how work should be carried out. Although it is up to you, we do not recommend that you give an excessive amount of menial work (e.g. photocopying, making tea) to your interns. Pick a bright intern who can really add value to your business and you will see them and your business flourish.
Why should I use Intern Town?
Because it is soon to become the number one site for intern recruitment in Western Europe. We have contacts with so many universities (all of which require their students to take internships as part of their courses) that we will soon have thousands of excellent CVs of interns all looking for internships. And because - for a limited period - it will cost you absolutely nothing. We guarantee you will have a chance to test the system for 6 months FREE OF CHARGE. We will then contact you and if you wish to continue, then we can discuss payment. There is no obligation on your part and no limit to the number of jobs (internships) you can advertise or CVs (interns) you can contact.
How do I sign up? Do you need help or do you have more questions?
To take advantage of our free sign-up, please contact Steffi@interntown.com for your Promotional Code for a 6 months free trial. After your sign-up is complete, you will then be able to post your jobs and/or search for interns. If you require help at any stage, or don't have time to add your details yourself, please contact Steffi at InternTown on 0870 760 68 68 or email: steffi@interntown.com.
Also feel free to visit their office and see how it works with their interns. Upstream Connections provide work experience in all of their companies and you are welcome to go and chat to the staff.
Fundraising Xmas Party and Star-Studded Auction
BMC client, the Animal Protection Agency (APA), are throwing a fundraising Xmas Party and Celebrity Auction on Thursday 14th December 2006 7pm-12am at the New Madeira Hotel, 19-23 Marine Parade, Brighton.
|
The ticket price of just £10 (advance) £12 (on the door) also covers a scrumptious 'all you can eat' veggie buffet, a live jazz/pop band (Ben Trovato)
and a disco. For more information about the event, please visit: www.party-animal.org.uk
|
It is hoped that the Christmas Party & Auction will help raise vital funds for APA's campaign against the trade in wild animals as pets. The Agency has enjoyed considerable success recently in persuading the Government to propose a ban on the commercial sales of pets at fairs.
For more information on the work of APA, please visit: www.apa.org.uk
Other news
PENSION PLANNING? THINK AHEAD!
Article courtesy of 'Business Heads'
state pension changes and how to profit from pension delay
A new government bill sets out proposed major changes to the state pension. In summary, the major proposals are these:
- in the course of the next Parliament the link between earnings and basic pension will increase;
- state pensionable age will rise to 66 between 2024 and 2026, to 67 between 2034 and 2036, and 68 between 2044 and 2046;
- the number of years required to build state pension entitlement will reduce to 30 for everyone (currently it is 39 years for women and 44 for men);
- the creation of a new delivery authority with the necessary expertise.
Already in place since April 2005, but the source of some confusion, the government offers a generous incentive to those willing to defer claiming their state pension having reached retirement age.The scheme offers a 1% boost to weekly pension for every five weeks of delay, a whopping 10.4% over twelve months. Delay for a year or more and you also have the option to take the deferred payments as a lump sum (equivalent to the payments deferred plus interest at 2% above base rate!).
This option is available to those of pensionable age even if they continue to work or have other income.Excellent though the incentive appears to be, a decision to defer needs to be taken with some caution. Like all government initiatives, there are inevitable complications which can cause confusion. Issues affecting surviving partners, for instance, need to be checked out and taken into account before reaching a decision.
So, for the full facts go to The Pension Service website where you will find a range of guides with all the details.
FREE - BUSINESS SUCCESS THROUGH DIVERSITY
In line with current legislation, all businesses now are obliged to have a Disability Policy, and to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that not only is the company open to all potential staff on an equal footing, but that if changes are needed to accommodate, for instance, a particular disability, that will be carried out. What is not always realised is that this is not a one-sided set of legal requirements - the Government, and the European Parliament, are making available all kinds of help to make it possible and easy to comply and to benefit from these recent Inclusive Policies.
The spin off is that advice, assessments and even financial assistance is available to all businesses who apply. The result can be in making it possible to employ someone who would be a good candidate for a particular job role, but that might raise apparent obstacles or financial constraints. Disability Equals Business are an organisation whose services are free, funded by the EU for the specific purpose of assisting companies to overcome any barriers around disability issues.
They can be contacted via their website: www.disabilityequalsbusiness.org.uk or by phone - 01903 708880.
Even if all you need is a compliant Disability Policy, they can help draw that up with you, for instance, or discuss any issues there might be for your
company - all for FREE!
Notices
Exclusive offer for Brighton Media Centre Businesses
|
Agra Brasserie which is situated on Ship Street, welcomes you to a completely new dining experience in the trendiest of Indian restaurants on the South Coast. |
The contemporary décor, modern music and relaxing lounge area makes it the perfect local choice for any business lunch, conference or festive party.
And by way of showing gratitude to future customers from BMC, they would like to offer you all a complimentary glass of house wine when taking lunch or dinner with them.
All their dishes are entirely made fresh, daily on the premises, using only the finest of local organic vegetables and halal meat.
In support of the "break for lunch" campaign, (promoting the many health benefits of taking an hour off for lunch), feel free to select and phone through your drinks and starter choices, tell them how long you will be, and they will have them ready upon your arrival to enjoy.
For more information on 'Agra Brasserie' you can visit their website on: www.agrabrasserie.co.uk
Work Experience Vacancies
The Friends Centre in Brighton is an adult education centre and an English language school who are currently working with Brighton and Hove city council to support black and minority ethnic individuals into employment by gaining work experience in the UK.
They are helping individuals from all over the world to gain work experience in areas that they are either qualified in from their home countries or need experience in the UK to get a job.
The placements are for a period of one day a week for 6 weeks, although on occasions employers have wanted to keep them on as volunteers for a longer period of time.
If you think your company can help then please email Raphaella Reilly at bellamackenzie@hotmail.com who is the employment support advisor for the Friends Centre.
otherstuff.com
How to be Happy!
Click here to find out 'How to be Happy' over the festive period!
Office Space
Sound Studio
Professionally designed sound machine studio includes inner sound-proof booth, office area and seperate machine room. Considered suitable for post production, acoustic sound recording,
voice-overs, digital editing etc [400 sq. ft.]
Animation Studio
Fantastic Industrial Workspace with Green Screen - Infinity Cove [1700 sq.ft.]
BMC clients always receive priority on new space. If you are interested in any of the above or for all other sales enquires contact sales@mediacentre.org or call Carla Avery on 201374
Back to Top
