Door Industry Journal - Winter 2021

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk 24 THE door industry journal winter 2021 Industry News SWS UK Support Local Hospice Once Again with their Christmas Fundraiser Lancashire manufacturer, SWS UK is supporting its local hospice, St John’s with their Christmas fundraiser, Light up a Life for the second year running. St John’s, which is based in Lancaster is a local, charity-led hospice supporting a population of 250,000 people in North Lancashire, South Lakes and parts of North Yorkshire. Providing palliative care for patients with life-shortening conditions, the hospice has been caring for the community since 1986. Light up a Life is a unique fundraising event that has been held by the hospice each Christmas for over ten years. Members of the community are invited to dedicate a light, either in memory of a loved one or to honour someone still in their life, in exchange for a donation to the hospice. 70% of the services provided by St John’s are funded through community donations or the hospice’s own fundraising events like Light up a Life. With a heavy reliance on successful fundraising, events such as Light up a Life are fundamental to the hospice’s continued reputation for delivering excellent round the clock care for the palliative patient and their families. During the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic, in 2020 Light up a Life was limited to virtual, online events which meant the organisers at the hospice relied on the support of a sponsor to ensure its continued success. Despite still managing to raise an impressive sum of over £30,000 in 2020, the hospice is excited to see the return of its traditional services held at churches in both Lancaster and Kendal for 2021. Located just outside Lancaster, SWS UK is a shutter and garage door manufacturer which employs over 100 people, many of whom live in the community served by the hospice. Commercial Director Martin Fletcher commented on SWS UK’s reasons for supporting St John’s with their Christmas fundraiser: “Being the sponsor behind Light up a Life 2020 was a rewarding experience for SWS UK, so we were delighted to have been given the opportunity to work with them for a second year. The hospice is such a large part of our community and I know it has been a lifeline for many, including some of our own employees. As one of the area’s larger employers, it feels fitting that we can give something back to our local community and it remains an association that we are extremely proud of. On behalf of everyone at SWS UK, I would like to wish all the team at St John’s the very best for this year’s fundraising”. Visit www.sjhospice.org.uk/lightupalife for further information or to make a donation. IN2 Access Welcomes Industry Expert to New Role Experienced expert of access control industry joins IN2 Access & Control Ltd Automatic gate and door safety specialists IN2 Access & Control Ltd. welcome Tim Aitken to the team as their new Field Sales Executive. As the title suggests, the role is field-based with Tim situated in Bedford, but travelling across the UK visiting current customers and new prospects with a focus on the pedestrian door market. Having previously worked for some of the biggest names in the industry, Tim looks forward to using his skills to find the right access control and safety solutions for customers. “Accuracy in providing information and learning new skills adds to my enthusiasm for my new role,” Tim says. “I have a relaxed professional approach which allows me to interact with clients at all levels to achieve my targets. The experience I have gained has enabled me to better appreciate my customer’s needs and future-proofing solutions.” Derek Foreman, Managing Director at IN2 Access says the new position will help increase the company’s customer service reach as well as put focus on the pedestrian door market. “We are well known in the industry for our automatic gate safety products, such as BBC Bircher’s range of safety edges,” Derek says, “and we want to build on that reputation with the pedestrian door market. Tim’s ability to assess a customer’s needs and provide complete access control and safety solutions will help our growth in that area. We have some fantastic products already doing well in the market, and with Tim, in the field, more people will get a chance to see the products first-hand.” For more information about access control and safety solutions for the gate/barrier, industrial and pedestrian door market, contact: IN2 Access & Control Ltd. / Email: sales@in2access.co.uk / Tel: 01691 655150 / Live Chat: www.in2access.co.uk