Northants Telegraph Sunday Extra - food bank thank you, firm's top award and new development named

We've got so much news these days that we can't always squeeze everything into the working week. So every Sunday we'll bring you updates on recent stories, some news-in-brief and other things you need to know from across Corby, Wellingborough, East Northamptonshire and Kettering.

Corby Town Council members have said a huge thank you to all members of the public who handed over food bank donations at their stall in Corporation Street before Christmas.

Cllr Alison Dalziel handed over the donations to Corby Foodbank volunteers Jacki and Tricia where they heard that there is high demand for their services.

The Corby Foodbank handed out 3,404 three-day supplies packages to families in need during 2021. You can find out more about how to help by visiting their website https://corby.foodbank.org.uk/

A Kettering HR consultancy has won a much-coveted national award for outstanding customer service.

HR Solutions have been awarded the prestigious Gold Trusted Service Award for 2022 from customer insights company Feefo.

The annual awards shine a light on businesses who demonstrate an exceptional service to their customers. Winners are decided based on the ratings they receive from their clients.

To achieve the desired Gold Trusted Service 2022 award, a business must have collected at least 50 reviews during 2020 and 2021 and achieved a Feefo service rating of at least 4.5.

Greg Guilford, chief executive officer of HR Solutions, said: “This fantastic achievement is a brilliant reflection on the whole team and also reflects our mission and dedication to achieving service excellence.

“We take pride in going above and beyond for our customers, offering a first-class service from a committed and diligent team who genuinely care about the work they do and the people they help.”

High Sheriff of Northamptonshire Amanda Lowther has made it her priority to make a difference to young people in our county.

With help from The Lowdown, Service Six, University of Northampton, Faraway Children’s Charity, The Crysalys Foundation, Peak Empower and KidsAid, young people in the county who have face discrimination have come up with some fantastic pieces of artwork.

They have been entered in a competition run by the High Sheriff and will now go on display at The Future Through Their Eyes exhibition which takes place on Friday, February 4 between 4pm – 7pm at Northampton’s Guildhall.

A range of prizes are on offer and judges will be mayor of Northampton Cllr Rufia Ashraf, Alexis Taylor from the University of Northampton’s Faculty of Arts, Alexis Taylor and Jane Deamer from the Faraway Children’s Charity.

Oundle Church of England Primary School has helped name a new community coming to the town.

The school was asked to submit name suggestions for the new 130 home development, off Cotterstock Road, after being approached by developer Bovis Homes.

Cotterstock Meadows was the winning name chosen by the team at Bovis Homes after receiving 40 entries from the school, which received £100 in book vouchers as a thank you for taking part.

School headteacher Jo Griffin said: “I am delighted that Bovis Homes has allowed our school to influence a part of its local community.

“We are looking forward to seeing the town grow and flourish further. In particular, we look forward to welcoming new families to our warm and wonderful Oundle community.”

Hannah Dorner, senior sales manager for Bovis Homes, said: “I attended Oundle Church of England Primary School when it was Oundle Middle School, and I was keen to reach out and get the children involved in helping name our latest development.

“Building relationships with the communities that we build in is such an important part of our ethos, and now, doing so within the community that I grew up in and know so well, is even more rewarding.

“Both the pupils and staff came up with lots of brilliant suggestions for our new development, but Cotterstock Meadows stood out to us as an effective name, paying homage to the local area.

“It’s been fantastic to work with the school on this project, and we look forward to continuing to build relationships in the town when we start work later this year.”

Kettering Conference Centre has announced its reopening date.

The centre has been largely closed for almost two years because of the coronavirus pandemic, with a regional Covid testing site occupying its car park.

But after a ‘difficult’ two years for the hospitality industry it is now set to reopen on Monday, March 7.

The annual Time To Talk Day is the perfect opportunity to chat about mental health.

That's the message from Northamptonshire Mind, which has urged people to use the day on Thursday, February 3, to open the conversation about their mental well-being.

Run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness in partnership with the Co-Op, the day is about creating supportive communities by having conversations with family, friends, or colleagues about mental health.

Northamptonshire Mind fundraising officer Nick Tite said: “Being mentally or emotionally healthy is so important. By talking about it, we can support each other through the stresses and strains of life.

“Time to Talk Day is an important date in our calendar – one in four of us will suffer a mental health problem in any given year and we aim to make everyone feel comfortable about talking about their mental health – wherever they like.

“By talking we can create supportive networks where we can talk openly and about our well-being and feel empowered to seek help when we need it.”

You can follow Northamptonshire Mind's social media accounts throughout the week to find out more.