6 - 2022 | Chalmers News PR

Warwickshire-based Kidvelo Bikes scoops double industry award

Posted on June 14, 2022 by admin

Kidvelo, Karen and Gary Wood

A Leamington couple who both walked away from their successful careers to set up a balance bike business, are celebrating an international industry award double.

Kidvelo Bikes, run by Karen and Gary, pictured right, has received the coveted Platinum Best Buy Award and the Platinum Best Ride on 1-3 years at this year’s Loved By Parents Awards.

By establishing Kidvelo, the couple set out to improve the performance and quality of children’s bikes and make them available to parents at affordable pricing. The entrepreneurs’ prior experience of distributing balance bikes and teaching thousands of children how to ride, is behind the success of their new brand.

Balance bikes are small bicycles without pedals, drivetrain or cranks, that allow children as young as 18 months to ride on two wheels. By learning to balance the bike, with their feet safely on the floor, toddlers develop the balancing skill required to move onto a pedal bike, without ever needing stabilisers.

As parents, Karen and Gary’s passion for these bikes started 14 years ago when discovering them for their own children, going on to retail and then, in 2014, distribute them around the UK and Ireland.

Since then they have also organised inspirational fun riding events across the UK including at the Tour of Britain and the Women’s Tour. Britain’s equivalent of the Tour De France, which saw the kids climbing the podium stage and getting a backstage tour.

In 2019 the ambitious entrepreneurs stepped up to manufacturing and the Kidvelo brand was founded.

And the couple are proud of how far they’ve come since walking away from their careers in IT and Business Development.

Karen said: “Having witnessed how easy and fun it was for our two-year-old and four-year-olds to learn to use a balance bike, we were inspired to jack in our successful careers and start retailing and spreading the word what balance bikes were. The company grew quickly from there.

“The bikes have been designed to fit and adjust to cater for growth spurts, to help every child learn to balance and encourage a passion for cycling.”

Kidvelo, Karen and Gary Wood

The Loved By Parents Awards continues to be one of the largest and most trusted parenting awards programmes worldwide. Celebrating internationally recognised brands and start-ups, each entry is tested and voted for by parents, which means the ultimate score of credibility.

Karen said: “We are over the moon with this year’s Loved By Parents result. To take the two top awards, that are recognised by an industry-acclaimed awarding body with our first launched model is extremely humbling. We are beyond proud to prove testament to the hard work we put in designing the Rookie 12 to be the best balance bike.

“Taking the leap to manufacturing six months ago was pretty daunting. The decision to step up to improve bike design and the huge financial outlay required, especially as we are bootstrapping the growth, wasn’t taken lightly. However, our expertise within the kids’ bike industry, means we know exactly what the children need and the parents’ require of performance children’s bikes. Kidvelo has the quality at affordable price points, to be a disrupter in the marketplace.”

Kidvelo, Karen and Gary Wood

And it doesn’t stop there. Later this year Karen and Gary are launching Kidvelo’s balance bikes for older children aged 3- 8 years. These larger models enable the rider to add on a pedal kit to convert into lightweight pedal bikes.

Karen said: “There is a scary percentage of primary school children who have never owned a bike, and often by the time they show interest, they have outgrown the balance bikes available. Also a big percentage of children with dyspraxia and autism, tend to not show an interest in cycling until they are older. The convertible bikes will allow kids to learn to balance first without the distraction and complexity of pedals, before transforming into lightweight pedal bikes. Our aim is that, within the Rookie range, we can help every child learn to ride a bike.”

The https://kidvelobikes.co.uk/product/rookie-12/ wins Platinum Best Ride On 1-3 years

Kidvelo’s profile also recently received a huge business boost when it was chosen by Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis for his #SBS Small Business Sunday Initiative that won the business promotion across his huge network.

Karen has also been named a finalist in the Woman Who Start-Up Awards, with the winner to be announced on the 1^st July at Coombe Abbey.

Visit: https://Kidvelobikes.co.uk

Social Media – @Kidvelobikesuk

Back in the saddle for Cotswold Tour d’Ilmington

Posted on June 10, 2022June 10, 2022 by admin

Tour d'Ilmington, Shipston Rotary Club — A previous year.

Cyclists of all abilities are invited to sign up for this year’s Cotswold Tour d’Ilmington, organised by Shipston Rotary Club.

The popular event on July 3rd, will see fundraisers taking part in one of three rides across 10-, 30- or 100-mile courses, all starting and finishing from Newbold on Stour Village Hall.

Rotarians hope it raises even more than the £5,000 from last year’s event, which returned after an absence in 2020 due to Covid.

The 10-mile gentle Steve Edwards Family Fun Ride starts at 10am and visits Ilmington, where there is a refreshments station at the halfway point, before returning to Newbold.

The more challenging David Lockwood Hilly Ride starts at 10am and follows a 30-mile route around Ilmington and features over 2,500 ft of hard climbing.

And, for the longer distance riders, the 100k Classic Ride, at 8.30am, takes them through undulating Warwickshire and the Vale of Evesham countryside before returning back to Newbold.

Shipston Rotary Club, Tour d'Ilmington

The event is once again being organised in partnership with Shipston Home Nursing, one of the charities set to benefit from the day’s proceeds.

Rotarian and Tour Veteran Bob Armstrong, said: “SHN is a highly respected Shipston/Stour Valley charity providing much needed end of life care in people’s own homes. They have become under increasing pressure as a result of Covid. Our partnership also includes supporting each other’s fundraising events like Rotary’s Tour and SHN’s 10k Run.

He added: “This is a unique event, which by having three different routes, caters for riders of all ages and levels of skill and experience. The routes are through glorious Warwickshire and Cotswold countryside.

“It is not competitive in as much as riders are not timed and it is essentially a fun event. This provides riders with the opportunity to support local Rotary charities and good causes or those of their own choosing.”

Registration costs between £18-£22 for adults and £6-£8 for juniors (aged 12-16) and can be completed on the day or online here

South Warwickshire media entrepreneurs in running for national awards

Posted on June 9, 2022June 9, 2022 by admin

Amanda Chalmers, Woman Who Awards

TWO south Warwickshire entrepreneurs are finalists in a national awards celebrating female inspirational achievers.

Amanda Chalmers, from Warwick and Vicki Bravington, from Stratford, are among five women from across the UK competing for the crown in this year’s prestigious Woman Who Achieves Awards – Media and Marketing categories.

Amanda, who launched Chalmers News PR four years ago following a 30-year career in newspapers, is up against Kim Rowell, Executive Producer and News Editor at BBC Three and BBC News; Lisa-Marie Tonelli, Founder and fellow Director of The North East International Film Festival ; Natalie Adele Edwards, Head of Careers at Screen and Film School in Birmingham and Emma Wheeler, a professional voice over artist from Hereford.

Vicki, who runs Atherstone-on-Stour-based media planning and buying company Shakespeare Media, is named among fellow finalists: Jo Burton, of Project B Marketing, in Rugby; Louise Welsby, of Buy-From Creative Agency in Shropshire; Colette Bratton, of Small Business Equaliser, in Lichfield and Tejal Prajapati of TP Creative, in Coventry.

It marks the 7th year of The Woman Who Achieves Awards, run by Sandra Garlick MBE, recognising and celebrating the achievements of women in business.

The winners from all 12 categories will be revealed at an awards lunch at Coombe Abbey Hotel in Coventry on July 1^st.

Both ladies are mums of two who spent most of their careers in local media – Amanda as a journalist and Vicki in Sales, formerly Sales Director for Quidem, which owned seven radio stations.

Amanda has worked her way up the career ladder as a journalist at newspapers in and around Warwickshire for three decades, including The Rugby Advertiser, Daventry Express and, more recently, editor of The Stratford-upon-Avon Herald.

Now, through her PR and copywriting business, she works with a busy portfolio of clients across a wide variety of sectors including hospitality, artisan food and drink brands, leisure and retail.

She said: “I have loved spending the past four years championing so many wonderful small businesses in and around Warwickshire – even supporting a few local awards campaigns with their PR – and this year the tables were turned and I was encouraged by clients to enter myself, but never imagining I’d even get this far.

“That devil on the shoulder of all entrepreneurs – imposter syndrome – does its best to hold us back, but when I look at the company I’m keeping in my category, I feel like I’m already a winner. What a wonderful whirlwind journey I’ve been on!”

Vicki Bravington, Shakespeare Media — Vicki Bravington

Vicki established media planning and independent buying agency Shakespeare Media in 2014 working with local and national brands such as the RSC, Warwickshire College Group, The Jockey Club including the Cheltenham Festival and Randox Grand National, Bell Court Shopping Centre and Michelin Star restaurants.

The success also coincides with the announcement that Chalmers News PR has become official PR partner for Shakespeare Media.

Vicki, who recently won a Ladies First Professional Development Award for Excellence In Marketing, said: “I’m delighted and proud to be yet again among such inspirational women in my category.

“It’s also fitting that Shakespeare Media should now been working with Chalmers News PR as our official new PR partner. It’s so good for us to be flying the flag for female entrepreneurs in Warwickshire.”

‘Media’ and ‘Marketing’ are two of the new categories introduced by Sandra Garlick MBE as part of her Woman Who Awards this year.

She said: “Each year more and more entrants to the Awards had a marketing and media focus, especially since the pandemic. It seemed appropriate to recognise these women in business and celebrate their achievements. I was overwhelmed with the volume and quality of entries in these fields.”

For further information about Shakespeare Media visit here

For further information about The Woman Who Academy and Awards visit here

Sandra Garlick is the Founder of Woman Who, a woman in business community that hosts annual awards and network events. Sandra is the author of the series, a collection of inspirational stories from women in business role models who share their business journey to inspire others. More recently, Sandra has launched the Woman Who Achieves Academy to help women in business power up their personal brand and get visible.

Sandra was awarded her MBE for her services to women in business in the West Midlands. She regularly speaks at events and conferences and takes part in panel discussions. Sandra also hosts her own events and events for the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

This is my article about her receiving an MBE

Wedding day winners finally get to enjoy their big day – and mini moon

Posted on June 9, 2022June 10, 2022 by admin

A STRATFORD couple who won their wedding day in a radio competition, finally got to walk down the aisle at the weekend – three years on!

Laura Murphy and Adam Cherrington were over the moon when, in summer 2019, they were chosen in a public vote as the most worthy recipients of the prize package – only to have to then cancel their nuptials twice due to the pandemic.

The special day was also to mark new beginnings for the couple who have overcome personal heartache in the past including the loss of Laura’s late partner – and daughter’s dad – to a fatal road accident on Warwick Road in Stratford 10 years ago.

But it’s been a particularly long time coming after being forced to postpone the date twice during lockdowns.

The 42-year-old mum-of-two said: “The winner was being announced live on local radio in October and we were told the presenter would turn up at the winner’s house just after 8am. It got to about 8.40am and we hadn’t heard anything so we thought, it wasn’t us. As Adam stood up to leave to go to work he saw them outside. We were listening to the radio which was on a slight delay so we didn’t expect anyone to be outside but there they were! We were completely overwhelmed to have won.”

Laura and Adam’s bumper prize consisted of a honeymoon from Winchcombe Farm Holidays in Upper Tysoe as well as a reception for up to 40 guests at The Crown Plaza in Stratford; a wedding dress from Boho Bride in Stratford; wedding rings from Cotswold Jewellers in Shipston, a cake from Caking and Baking in Leamington and suits from Albie and Lonnie’s in Rugby.

Laura added: “We originally planned the wedding for August 2020 and then again for May 2021. It was all very grey about when the restrictions would be lifted and it was giving me really bad anxiety so I just wanted to make a decision.

“I was heartbroken. But I wanted all the build-up to the day and we wouldn’t have been able to go wedding dress shopping or have a hen do or stag do or any of that.

She added: “Even though we’d won this wonderful wedding, we got to the point where we thought, shall we just go abroad and just do it there? But we decided not to do that in the end because it meant the world to have our friends and family there.”

Just the alpacas for company on the newlyweds’ blissful mini moon

Laura recalls it was love at first sight for the couple, who met at Ettington Chase where they both worked five years ago.

She recalls: “There was definitely an instant attraction. The HR manager introduced us at work and I shook his hand and when I went back up to the office I said to the girls. ‘I’ve just met the new chef. I’m going to marry him!’ ”

It’s also a huge relief for Adam who, during the pandemic, had to take time away from the professional kitchens he loved, to work in care homes.

The 37-year-old said: “The delays to the wedding were incredibly frustrating but we knew the day was going to come eventually and the fact that people were losing loved ones to Covid put it into perspective.

“While it would have been lovely to get married in 2020, at least the time has come for us. It’s been a long time coming but looking on the positive side, we have had more time to deliberate over it and decide what we actually want on the day.”

Winchcombe Farm, mini moon — Their welcome pack included Champagne

The newlyweds have just returned from their mini moon courtesy of Winchcombe Farm, where they started married life together in what’s been dubbed one of the most romantic retreats in Warwickshire – Will’s Treehouse.

Co-owner of Winchcombe Farm, Jo Carroll, said: “We are delighted to have finally been able to welcome Laura and Adam to Winchcombe for their honeymoon, after so many postponements due to the pandemic.

“Will’s Tree House is a firm favourite for honeymooners and we have had so many couples who, like them, have had to reschedule their special stays over the past couple of years. But the best things in life are worth waiting for and we are delighted they finally got to start their married life in the tree tops. We wish them both every happiness.”

Following their stay, Laura said: “We are still on Cloud 9. We lead very busy lives and the three days away were so tranquil and relaxing. The most amazing welcome hamper helped us while away the hours in the hot tub. Will’s Treehouse was the perfect finish to our perfect wedding and we’re so grateful to Jo and her team.”

Winchcombe Farm is an idyllic five-star boutique holiday retreat on the Warwickshire and Cotswolds border.

The remote family-run retreat nestles on a private estate in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and beneath the famous battlefield landmark of Edgehill. It’s an oasis of tranquillity with just sheep, chickens, moorhens, ducks, ponies and alpacas for company.

Designed with outdoor living in mind, this unique collection of six beautiful holiday homes – includes Warwickshire’s only treehouse – offering the height of luxury and nestling in four sycamore and ash trees – three of them growing through the outside deck and one even growing through the kitchen!

Luxury features range from private hot tubs, hanging chairs, hammocks and outside shower, to barbecue shed, pizza oven, BBQ hut, firepit for toasting marshmallows and even geodesic domes with king size circular bed plus personal telescopes for a spot of stargazing! Guests even receive a welcome hamper on arrival to start their holiday in style.

Inside, the properties are well equipped with all the latest technology including 55-inch SMART TV and DVD and, in the kitchen, a range on lush josephjoseph and SMEG accessories plus all the mod cons.

Competition hotting up as fine dining chefs take part in Foodie Awards cook-off

Posted on June 8, 2022June 8, 2022 by admin

Coventry & Warwickshire Foodie Awards, cook-off, Paul Foster, Ellen Manning — *From left:* Tobias Reutt, Colm Jones, Paul Foster, Ellen Manning and Sam Barnett.

The heat was on for three local chefs who competed in a Cook Off this week for the Coventry & Warwickshire Foodie Awards.

Tobias Reutt, of Earlsdon Supper Club, Colm Jones of The Green Dragon and Sam Barnett of The Loft, all in Coventry, had one hour to prepare a dish of their choice in their bid for the title of Fine Dining Chef of the Year.

These dishes were then judged, at The Farm in Snitterfield on Tuesday, by Michelin Star chef Paul Foster, of Salt in Stratford and Warwickshire food blogger and journalist Ellen Manning.

Paul Foster’s successful career has so far earned him a Michelin star, three AA rosettes, a place in the top 50 UK restaurants in The Good Food Guide and has been awarded Observer Food Monthly ‘Young Chef of the Year’ and The Good Food Guide ‘Best Up and Coming Chef’ award.

The winner will be among those revealed at the Foodie Awards ceremony at The Box at Coventry’s Fargo Village, on Thursday (June 16^th). The second Awards, being run in partnership with Visit Coventry and Visit Warwickshire, focuses on quality, service and innovation with an emphasis on farm to fork, including best artisan food and drink producers, farm shop, independent food and drink retailer, newcomer, street food trader and chef or cook of the year.

New categories this year will also recognise Foodie Start-up, Fine Dining Restaurant and the International Taste Award. And the finalists in the Casual Dining Chef of the Year category will compete in front of a live crowd at this weekend’s Pub In The Park event in Warwick, judged by Former British Bake-off winner Candice Brown and food and drink broadcaster and champion Nigel Barden

Coventry & Warwickshire Foodie Awards, cook-off, Paul Foster, Ellen Manning, Tobias Reutt — Tobias Reutt talks judge Paul Foster through his recipe.

Paul Foster said: “I’m always looking for the same things when I judge a competition, first and foremost is execution and seasoning and then technique, but the most important thing is how it tastes. What have they done with the ingredients, are they seasonal, and the presentation.

“There’s been some really intersting dishes today, a diverse mix of cuisines and standards. There’s been some really well executed techniques and there are some things that need some improvement but I think the point of this competition is not just winning it, it’s so the chefs will learn from this and can grow. It was tough to come to a decision. I didn’t know what to expect and I’ve been pleasantly surprised.

“It’s a really positive awards. It’s great for the area, great for the local food community to show how diverse it is, to celebrate and for people to network as well.”

Fellow judge Ellen Manning said: “It was a real privilege to be involved in the judging of the cook-off and to see some of our great chefs doing what they do best. The Foodie Awards is a great way for our wonderful local restaurants to show off what they do and the talented teams behind them, so to be there in person alongside one of our area’s most lauded chefs and restaurateurs was a real treat.

“As Paul said, competitions like this aren’t just about winning, but about raising the bar when it comes to the quality of the food scene in Coventry and Warwickshire, and I look forward to seeing all of the finalists go from strength to strength.”

Tobias Reutt is hoping he can take the title for the second year running with his duck breast recipe. He said: “I’ve practised this dish quite a few times. It embodies how far I’ve come as a chef. It’s a real privilege to be a finalist again. “It’s been a crazy year after winning last year and I would definitely encourage chefs to enter these awards.”

Colm Jones, who chose to cook a Rainbow Trout dish, said: “I was very surprised to be selected for the finals and it’s good to see it’s all Coventry boys. I’m up against some very good chefs.”

Coventry & Warwickshire Foodie Awards, Jonathan Smith, Ellen Manning, Paul Foster — Sam Barnett and judge Ellen Manning.

Sam Barnett, who has been heading up the kitchen at The Loft since it opened just a few months ago, said: “My boss entered me into the competition and didn’t tell me but I was very happy when I found out I made the finals. I’ve never done anything like this before but I’m all for challenging yourself. It’s exciting to be a part of it.

“It’s nice to be back here because I’ve been away for so long and hopefully we can get a good name for the city.”

The Foodie Awards will once again be raising money for The Trussell Trust network of eight food banks in Coventry and Warwickshire.

For the full list of finalists visit here

@foodieaward