Sidhil News

Clive's on the run!

2012-01-18T09:32:00.005Z

The 2011 Venice Marathon was the 26^th anniversary of a marathon which passes through one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It’s a fast, flat course, starting in front of Villa Pisani in Stra, about 25 km west of Venice, then following the “Riviera del Brenta”, rich and noble 18^th century Venetians built their vacation mansions.

It finishes in the historic centre of Venice, in the picturesque waterfront of St. Mark’s Basin. The final stages of the race are unique – runners follow the Giudecca Canal to Punta della Dogana, where they cross the Grand Canal on a pontoon bridge built especially for the race, passing through Piazza San Marco and crossing 14 little bridges over Venice’s canals.

Sidhil’s Sales & Marketing Director Clive Siddall was there this year and ran the race, completing in a very creditable 4 hours and 32 minutes. “It was a fabulous experience – the international marathons really are party time for those of us lucky enough to participate,” he said.

Clive’s next marathon is Amsterdam 2012, where 22,000 runners from 80 nations expected to participate - the event is one of Europe’s biggest annual road races.

The Sidhil Fun Casino - NAEP 2011

2011-07-05T10:03:00.010+01:00

The Sidhil Tuesday night out is now infamous amongst the delegates and staff at the annual NAEP conference in Blackpool. Having set a president due to recent years being so successful, (in 2009 we had the Magical Mystery Tour and in 2010 we had the Sidhil Comedy Club), It is always a challenge to keep the evening fresh and imaginative!

The evening got off to a brilliant start when the coach which had been arranged to take us to the venue didn’t arrive, so we had 73 people hanging around in the entrance of the Norbreck castle Hotel (desperate to get out of the place!!) After a bit of investigation work and several hundred phone calls we found the bus...parked at the rear entrance of the hotel!!! Crisis averted!! We got everyone on the bus!!

The venue we chose this year was the Imperial Hotel in Blackpool, a fantastic hotel situated on the sea front..The guests were treated to a three course meal, during which the speaker for the evening (Mr Ibbotson) got the room going with his party tricks, his bingo calling skills are the envy of the industry!! Prizes were flowing and by this time so was the alcohol!!

The Casino tables and croupiers were ready and waiting for our guests and the fun commenced, we had two Black Jack and two Roulette Tables and with a fantastic prize up for grabs our guests took full advantage!! Well done to Joanne King for winning a weekend away for two!!!
Thanks to everyone that attended the night, we can now start planning the next one!!!!

Thank you to all of the people who helped make the evening such a success:

The Imperial Hotel – Blackpool - Vivien Morrison - Event Manager
http://www.barcelo-hotels.co.uk/uploads/assets/12616dd1a2.pdf

Casino Casino Casino Ltd - Blackpool - Phil Raw
http://www.casinocasinocasino.co.uk/

Roll on next year, watch out for Sidhil at the top of the tower!!

Fifty and very fabulous indeed!

2011-02-23T13:44:00.007Z

So far this year we have celebrated many birthdays, there seems to be a tray of buns and cream cakes everywhere you look, which does not help with most peoples New Years resolution to lose weight! In and amongst these birthday celebrations we have had three of our Sidhil ladies turn 50, clocking up a staggering 150 years between them!

So I asked them how they feel about being half a century. Fifty and fabulous or fifty and frumpy?

Lynn Robinson our eternally optimistic Customer Service Manager puts her positive spin on being nifty at fifty!

Q: What is it like being 50 in 2011?

A: The best! In this day and age 50 is  definitely the new 40!  

Q: What are the pros of being 50?

A: Confidence, self awareness, worldly  wise, happy with my lot.  

Q: What are the cons of being 50?

A: There aren't any because you have the  confidence to ignore them and look at the positives!  

Q: How old do you feel?

A: In the head 30, looking at the body 30 something!

Q: What is here to look forward to?

A: Another 50 years. Based on my past  experience there's a lot to look forward to.

Julie Law our cool and collected Contract Account Manager explains how the number 50 means nothing to her!

Q: What is it like being 50 in 2011?

A: You don't have to behave or look like a 50yr old was expected to 30/40 years ago. Less formal as to where you shop than years ago, can do any activities you choose. Unfortunately, think I will have to work till I’m 70!!

Q: What are the pros of being 50?

A: No longer bothered about diets and how much exercise I should be doing.... been there, done that and worried about it... Can’t be bothered any more!

Q: What are the cons of being 50?

A: Spotting that Saga adverts apply to me now! Seeing adverts for 50 something clothing on the TV and thinking I wouldn't wear that! The 14year olds they use in adverts for wrinkle creams, cosmetics etc. Not having fitted in enough 'life' yet.

Q: How old do you feel?

A: Same as did in early 30s, don’t feel older, still swim, no aches or pains, not seizing up yet. Just the old wrinkles staring back in the mirror. Cannot relate to the number ‘50’ – it doesn’t mean anything to me.

Q: What is here to look forward to?

A: Dribbling?!!

Kim Gallagher our Territory Sales Manager explains how in her head she definitely feels 30 but her aching bones tell a different tale!

Q: What is it like being 50 in 2011?

A: Could have been worse I could have been 50 in 2001 which would now make me 60!! Could have been better could be 50 in 2021 which would make me currently 40!!

Q: What are the pros of being 50?

A: I have accrued a fabulous family and fantastic friends. My daughter and friends under 30 still happy to take me out on the town, quite often leave me there but thus far I have managed to find my way home.

Q: What are the cons of being 50?

A: Although I have learnt a lot over the years I can't remember what so not much use to me now. Have to work twice as hard at not looking or behaving your age but too tired to do so. Have to buy wrinkle cream for the over 50's!!

Q: How old do I feel?

A: On a good day 20! Ok maybe 30 on a bad day 70 - it's the knees you know!!

Q: What is there to look forward to?

A: Grey hair, wrinkles, weight gain (more) oh yes and only another 10 years until I can have a bus pass.

So the saying is true... You are only as old as you feel. Happy birthday ladies.

Sidhil - Environmental Awareness

2011-02-14T12:25:00.007Z

Contents

This information sheet covers the following topics:

General Introduction.
What is an EMS?
Introduction to ISO 14001.
What things does it cover on our site?
Why are we going for certification?
What part do I play?
Where can I get more information?

General Introduction

Welcome to the first in a series of newsletters intended to inform the site of activities connected with Environmental Management. Please take a little time to read it - your support is crucial to success.

What is an EMS?

EMS stands for Environmental Management System and basically it’s a system used to manage the elements of the business that can have an impact on the environment and damage it. These include:

All office and factory waste
Energy consumption
Raw material usage
Spills and contamination
Emissions and any discharges

At Sidhil we began introducing a formal EMS in January 2011 and are using the 14001 model to base it on.

Introduction to BS EN ISO 14001:2004?

This is the international management standard covering the environment: It is used as the model for our EMS and we will be audited by our own staff and formally assessed by BSI later this year and at regular intervals in the future.

What things will it cover on our site?

It covers the management, control and monitoring of the things we do, which are known as Environmental Aspects. We have to manage their impact including:

· Control of raw material and all substances used

· Waste management: storage & disposal

· Energy consumption

· Emissions to atmosphere

· General housekeeping and cleanliness of the site

· Any incidents or emergencies e.g. spillages

Why are we going for certification?

1. To ensure we adequately control the sites significant aspects, i.e. waste, energy, resource consumption, pollution etc.

2. To ensure the company fully complies with all the environmental legislation currently in force.

3. To meet customer demand – many customers now expect their suppliers to have ‘green credentials’ when tendering for new work. Operating an EMS certified to 14001 is an excellent way to demonstrate this.

4. Save money and improve operating efficiency and safeguard the future of the business.

What are my responsibilities?

Your support, co-operation and input into this system are essential for long term success!

You can help by:

Reading and supporting the Environmental Policy.
Ensure you are aware of the environmental impacts associated with your area.
Follow any work instructions relating to protecting the environment.
ENSURE THAT YOU SEGREGATE WASTE INTO THE CORRECT CONTAINERS – if in doubt ask.
Avoid wasting energy, water and materials.
Report any incidents or near misses including spillages using the Incident Reporting Forms in the same way you would an H&S accident.
Contribute to improvement teams and or provide ideas for improvement to management – help us to help ourselves.

Some examples of work carried out so far

Before After

Where can I get more information

Contact Lynne Dixon, Scott Heaton or Richard Locker for more information. Speak to your line manager for information relating to your work area and tasks.

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog story.

Sidhils Environmental Policy Statement

2011-02-14T12:16:00.003Z

Sidhil is a manufacturer of medical devices and associated equipment, supplying both UK and Overseas customers. The materials used in the products are recoverable and recyclable at the end of their life cycle. The company offers a refurbishment service for specific products to extend their life, therefore reducing cost and environmental impacts.

The company is fully committed to minimising its business aspects e.g. raw material, packaging, utility consumption etc impacts on the environment by:

Ø Preventing pollution through the management, segregation and recycling of waste to reduce volumes going to landfill.

Ø Promoting environmental awareness amongst our suppliers, employees, contractors and partners by effective implementation of operational procedures.

Ø Continual improvement through the setting of objectives and targets where these are implemented using management programmes, which result in improvements to our environmental performance

Ø Compliance with relevant legal and other requirements.

Management and supervisory staff have responsibilities for the implementation of the policy through our formal Environmental Management System (EMS) which is based on relevant ISO Standards.

All employees and sub-contractors are expected to co-operate and assist in the implementation of this policy, whilst ensuring that their own works, so far as is reasonably practicable, are carried out without risk to themselves, others or the environment. This includes co-operating with management on any environment related matter.

The Directors have overall responsibility for all Environmental matters. The operation of this policy and the associated procedures will be monitored and reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that they remain current and applicable to the company's activities.

This policy is available to the public on request. For more information on Sidhils Environmental Policy please ask Lynne Dixon - Production Manager. ldixon@sidhil.com

Sidhil's Innov8 bed. Star of stage and screen.

2011-02-14T11:42:00.005Z

Sidhil beds are no stranger to the arts. The latest acting role, played by our Innov8 bed was in the theatrical production ''‘The Garbage King’, arranged by'' the Unicorn Theatre group. Set in Ethiopia 'The Garbage King' is a tale of two runaway African boys both from very different backgrounds. However the boys have more in common than you might think… Watch out for it hitting a theatre near you soon!

This is one of many shows that Sidhil beds are featuring in at the moment. This year alone Sidhil beds have featured on Emmerdale Farm, Coronation Street, DIY SOS to name a few. Watch out for us on a TV screen near you!!

Carl's Mountain Bike Challange for Overgate Hospice

2010-07-27T14:18:00.004+01:00

Carl Haydock, our Pressure Care Supervisor here at Sidhil, found himself up against it last month when he took part in the 24 mile Summer Mountain Bike Challenge organised by Overgate Hospice.

The event took place on Sunday 20th June, starting in Elland and winding up through the moors, eventually finishing in Slaithwaite. Over 250 cyclists took part in the challenge, raising over £3000 for the hospice.

With over 23 miles of testing terrain, bridleways and tracks, Carl completed the challenge in 2 hours and 17 minutes, coming a respectable 161st and raising over £180 for the charity.

Carl described the bike ride as a ‘personal challenge’ and one he enjoyed tremendously!

Well done to Carl!!!!

Overgate Hospice have fundraising events happening all year round; if you are interested click on the link below.

http://www.overgatehospice.org.uk/fundraising/events/

David Lewis and his family take the plunge!!

2010-07-19T11:14:00.003+01:00

A serious scuba enthusiast, David Lewis our Procurement Manager here at Sidhil has been training with his family for their Professional Association of Diving Instructors Certification (PADI). The family achieved the certificate and are now able to SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) up to a depth of 18mts without a Dive Master.

Congratulations to David and his family!

For more information about the PADI courses please visit : http://www.padi.com/scuba/default.aspx

Ged's Triathlon Adventure

2010-07-19T10:19:00.014+01:00

Congratulations to Ged and his brother Ste for competing in the Liverpool Triathlon in support of The Brain Haemorrhage Support Group on Sunday 27th July.
The Brain Haemorrhage Support group was set up 3 years ago by a group of people who had been affected by the illness to provide practical and emotional support and to improve quality of life for all people affected by the condition.

The event required the brothers to complete a 1.5km swim, 40km bike ride and a 10km run as quickly as possible around Liverpool's Dockland.

A healthy competitiveness between the brothers helped them do the triathlon in an amazing 2 hours 43 minutes,. Ged came a very respectable 283 out of 631 just beating his brother in the final stages of the race (so he said!).

Ged has been training for the race consistently for the past three months and has even had Clive Siddall our resident hero training him in open water swimming at Gaddings Dam: on one of the photos you can clearly see a shark in the water proving that our Sidhil men are fierce in the face of danger.

So far the brothers have raised an amazing £550 with donations still being paid in.
If you would like to make a donation then please visit

http://www.justgiving.com/brainhaemorrhagesupportgroup all donations are very welcome.

Well done Ged and Ste from all at Sidhil!!!

For more information about the Brain Haemorrhage Support Group and how you can help by donating or taking part in future events contact them on bhsupport@live.co.uk

An award winning performance at NAEP 2010

2010-06-29T15:27:00.004+01:00

It’s official – Sidhil really was the best at this year’s NAEP Annual Conference – and we’ve got the trophy to prove it!

At the Gala Dinner on the Wednesday night, Kim Robinson was presented with the trophy for ‘Best Stand in Show’ – marking the success of the launch of our ‘Making it Better’ theme, based around quality manufacturing, ethical sourcing, excellence in customer services and environmental considerations.

It was a busy three days – stand space was sold out, and we lined up with 60 other exhibitors at the Norbeck Castle Hotel in Blackpool to market Sidhil to visitors from the community health, social care and voluntary sectors. No time for kiss-me-quick hats, sandcastles and donkey rides
– it was a full programme and we were determined to make the most of it to meet and greet existing and potential customers.

On the Tuesday night, we were pleased to be able to entertain 65 of those customers to dinner and a spot of after dinner entertainment in the shape of local comedian Lee Roberts. This event gives us a valuable opportunity to get to know our customers better and to improve our understanding of their needs for the coming year.

The NAEP Conference is an important date in our diaries, and we’re already thinking about what we’re going to do in 2011!

The Sidhil Factory photoshoot - April 2010

2010-06-07T17:08:00.008+01:00

Here at Sidhil we are currently gearing up for the NAEP (National Association of Equipment Providers) Conference in Blackpool.

We are taking our brand new strap line ...making it better and from this we have created a whole theme around its meaning incorporating three main areas:

UK manufacturing

Ethical Sourcing

The Environment

As part of our new theme and to celebrate that fact that we manufacture 70% of our products here in the UK, we had a photo shoot in our factory at the head office in Halifax, it was a great day and I would like to thank all of you that took part in the shoot!! Here are some of the photographs below!

Mitesh, Ged and Sam in Research and Development

Trevor in Powder Coating

Paul Blackburn, Sandra Stuart, Steve Oldan & Paul Ambler - Welding bays

Steve, Phil and Gary - Workshop

Richard and Daniel - Upholstery

Mark, Eddie & Paul - Laser Machine and Chris - Assembly.

We have only 2 weeks until our official ...making it better launch so watch this space for more information!!

Sidhil Staff Night out!!

2010-06-04T16:35:00.006+01:00

The Sidhil staff let their hair down (in a big way!) at the staff night out last month. A good time was had by all... The evidence is below!!

Clive'll Fix It! (With the help of the Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team!)

2010-04-27T08:49:00.013+01:00

We all know that Sales & Marketing Director Clive Siddall enjoys his outdoor pursuits – marathon man Clive is also a keen open water swimmer – but less well known is his 15 year involvement as a volunteer with Calder Valley Search & Rescue Team.

It’s a serious business – Clive also acts as Treasurer for the organisation – and this year’s snow and ice saw the volunteers respond to twice as many emergency calls over a two month period than in any previous year.

However, earlier this month they were involved in a more unusual operation – taking someone deep into the heart of our wild Pennine moorland rather than rescuing them from it!

The team were delighted to help Parkinson’s disease sufferer Joan Hutchinson achieve a heartfelt ambition to revisit Stoodley Pike. Once a keen walker and now confined to a wheelchair, Joan had dreamed of experiencing the stunning views from this landmark again.
Clive was part of a team of 40 that made Joan’s wish come true, driving as close as possible to the Pike in a Land Rover then stretchering Joan over a mile to the viewpoint – even using rescue techniques and equipment to raise her to the viewing platform 40 feet above the ground.

She can also be seen sitting on a Doherty transit chair kindly donated to the Rescue team by Sidhil.

Local Media Coverage

For more information on the Calder Valley Search & Rescue Team please visit http://www.cvsrt.org.uk/

Sidhil’s Independence Innov8 Bed – Stage Debut!

2010-04-08T13:47:00.009+01:00

Such is the presence and beauty of our award winning Independence Innov8 Bed, it has been chosen by the producer of one of Edinburgh’s leading theatrical productions to feature on stage.

The brand new play ‘Every One’ currently running at the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, goes through the motions of a family dealing with the death of a family member - seemingly morbid I know, however there is an exciting twist that has given the critics something positive to talk about.

Our Independence Innov8 will be treading the boards from the 19th March – 10th April, don’t delay go and book tickets today!!

So who knows what’s next for our star bed... maybe Hollywood’s calling, although I think we would all be happy with Emmerdale or Corrie!

Every One
19th March – 10th April 2010
The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh
By Jo Clifford

Fashion offences curbed: A smart, professional and “uniform” look for Sidhil

2010-04-01T15:23:00.003+01:00

Sidhil have provided their staff with new shirts and t-shirts to promote and reflect the smart, unified and professional outfit that we are!

Julie and Brian - Export Team

The uniform is fully endorsed by the management team, who can also be seen sporting the smart new shirts and t-shirts.

Vicki, Lynn, Colin and Julie - Customer Services

The smart new look – which will also help to clearly identify us to existing and potential customers whilst out on the road, at exhibitions and during factory and office visits – has been well received by staff and customers alike.

The only “down side” we can report so far is having to iron five identical shirts on a Sunday night! (Time saving tips most welcome).

Adele, David and Hannah - Service and Maintenance Unexpected bonus: serious crimes to fashion curbed!

Robert Gregory...making it better!

2010-02-24T14:17:00.005Z

We have an unsung hero in our midst – Robert Gregory, who on the run-up to Christmas 2009 did something really remarkable while the rest of us shopped for presents – he saved someone’s life.

Robert registered with the National Blood Service as a bone marrow donor some time ago, when he was working for British Aerospace. “Like everyone else, I never really expected to be called upon,” he said. “But when I was, I just felt it was something I couldn’t walk away from.”

It’s not an easy process. Following an initial visit to the Leeds Blood Unit for assessment, Robert spent a day with the consultant in Newcastle, undergoing a full medical including ECG to assess his levels of fitness for the procedure and a

detailed counselling session to ensure he understood the implications of his decision.

Robert felt he was fortunate in that it was decided to harvest his donation via the bloodstream rather than the more painful injections into the bone to extract stem cells. But even this process is far from plain sailing. A drug called GCSF is administered over four days prior to the donation date used which forces the stem cells into the bloodstream, following which the donor is linked via a needle in both arms to a machine for 10 hours (five hours over two days).

“I felt like death during the initial GCSF injections with migraines and all the bones in my body in pain,” admitted Robert. “I’m a keen mountain biker, and I was as weak as a mouse for a while – but after a month, I was more or less back to normal.”

Robert may never meet the recipient of his bone marrow as this is not allowed for five years, but the system does allow him to send an anonymous letter and also allows the recipient to respond anonymously. If the recipient requires more bone marrow in the future, Robert will be requested to undertake the procedure again – but for the moment, he’s just happy it’s all over!

Sidhils Fantasy Football League - 'Manager of the Month'

2010-01-02T15:19:00.013Z

Manager of the Month

Some of the Sidhil employees are currently managing their own Fantasy Football teams, selected from the players in the Premier League. The competition rewards a manager each month for their teams efforts. The 'Manager of the Month' is awarded with a 24 pack of beer!!

Here is an update of the staff that have won ‘Manager of the Month’ so far.

August winner (Left)
Richard Blackburn
Team name: Yid

September winner
Bernard Towell (Centre)
Team name: Bernard's Bandits

October winner
Michael Love (right)
Team name: Real ale Madras

November winner (below left)
Bill McDougall
Team name: Spur of the moment

Above Bill McDougall claims his 'Manager of the Month' prize handed over by Paul Blackburn.

Early Dream Team pace setters are 1st Michael Love, 2nd Steve Hoyle, 3rd Jack Nixon (last seasons winner) and 4th Steve Holden.

Sidhil take part in 'It's a Knockout' for Overgate Hospice

2009-11-19T10:11:00.018Z

Two teams from Sidhil locked horns to partake in the ‘It’s a knockout’ event organised by the Overgate Hospice at Shibden Park in Halifax on Saturday 19th September.

A very well organised event, the Sidhil teams - the Superstars and the Elite raised over £800 for the hospice.

The team captains, Kimberly Robinson of the Superstars and Dave Rowlands of the Elite, were first to lock horns. Kimberly with her quick fire witty remarks set the tone of the event as she ripped shreds out of her counterpart. Dave’s response was to wipe the floor with her in the group dance-off session; he was seriously busting a groove, which caught the eye of the ladies in the crowd.

The teams were neck and neck through out the day with tempers flaring, straining family ties within the teams, especially between both Clive Siddall and his daughter Katie Siddall and the team captain Kim Robinson and her mum Lynn Robinson.

With the family squabbling between the teams over it was up to other athletic members of the teams such as Mitesh Lad, Gerard Fitchett, Scott Curry and Gareth Nixon to battle it out for the rest of the day. With Dave’s team having the last laugh beating the Superstars in the last event.

Rivalry aside, it was a good fun family day out had by all with most of the Sidhil team coming to watch their colleagues make complete fools out of them selves.

I am sure revenge will be had by the losing team next year!!!!!

Well done everyone.

Scott and Mitesh are raring to go!

Clive, diving in feet first as usual!

Mount Everest!

Scott gets the award for the best shorts!

Mitesh apparently plays football 3 time a week...could have fooled me!

Well done the Sidhil Elite and the Sidhil Superstars.

Solite Photography

2009-08-23T09:08:00.005+01:00

We recently decided we need more images of the Solite with people in the shot - we have lots of product photos of the bed on its own, but very few of the bed in use.

The issue is very similar to when we needed photos of the Innov8 hospital bed in use. We could hardly go onto a hospital ward to take photos with real patients, so we went to a photographer’s studio and mocked up a hospital ward.

We did the same thing for the new Solite shots. We chose a studio in Elland where a ‘bedroom’ was constructed and, with the help of Kim Robinson’s Gran (Lynn’s Mum), took loads of photos of the Solite Laser 4 with lots of difference accessories. You can see the finished photo of the Solite below, and underneath that a broader shot showing how it was done.

Testing Our Website

2009-08-15T07:23:00.003+01:00

It has taken longer to develop than we expected, but we are nearly there - the new Sidhil website is almost ready for launch.

Before launch, though, there is an important step - user testing. It’s vital to ensure that what we think is a good idea really makes sense to our customers, and the only way to do that is to ask them to test the site for us.

So, we asked our local school if we could borrow their computer room and we invited a number of customers along for the afternoon. We then asked them to perform a number of tasks, monitored how easy or hard they were to perform, and asked them for their feedback and suggestions.

The feedback has been excellent. Customers found the site easy to use and to navigate, and they particularly liked the new ‘My Department’ feature which allows someone to see all the products relevant to where they work. Now, if they work on a hospital ward or buy for a community equipment loan store, there’s an easy way to find every product that might interested them in one place.

The customers spotted some items that weren’t very clear or didn’t work smoothly, but they were all very minor and we are working on them right now. We are also finishing off the proof checking for all the products, including checking all dimensions and specifications. By the end of August all of this should be finished, and we will then have a final internal test where we will ask a number of Sidhil colleagues to check the site out, looking for errors in the product information and problems with the site. Assuming there are no further problems we will be ready to go live and to formally launch the site early in September.

Sidhil Sponsor the Brand New Overgate Hospice Van

2009-08-08T06:55:00.006+01:00

The Overgate Hospice provides specialist palliative care for adults in the Calderdale area facing life limiting illnesses. The running costs for the Overgate Hospice are around 1.9 million a year with the local primary care trust only covering 18% of the costs, this leaves a lot of money to be raised from voluntary sources. To continue to provide the care and support to its patients the hospice requires £4000 per day.

Thanks to the support of local businesses the Overgate Hospice has recently purchased a brand new van. The van will be used to pick up unwanted furniture from homes and moved to the Overgate hospice shops located in the area. The money for the van came from local businesses which paid £500 each, in turn there company logo was placed on the side of the van for 3 years.

As a Corporate Member of the Hospice, Sidhil will continue to help raise funds for the Overgate Hospice throughout the year and for many years to come!

Kim hands over the van...

New Zealand Sales Success

2009-07-18T22:21:00.000+01:00

News from the International Division of Sidhil is the tender award for 54 Inspiration Children's Cots which have been delivered and are now in use with the Waikato District Health Board at the Hamilton District Hospital on the North Island in New Zealand

David Rogan, the Global Marketing and Export Manager of Medix21, our distributor in New Zealand, has worked tirelessly with the Waikato District Health Board to achieve this order and we are indebted to him and the Medix21 team for this.

A great breakthrough for Sidhil not only in this market but for Export sales generally and we look forward to continued sales successes from ‘down under’. Let's hope they express an interest in our new Innov8 range.

The Sidhil Team go bowling

2009-07-18T22:02:00.015+01:00

Ok, normally each photo would deserve its own comment. However, given that the bowling was a little while ago (it's taken too long to get our finger out and publish the photos to the blog, we'll do better next time), it's probably enough to show everyone enjoying themselves.

Have fun looking at the pics.

No no, the lane's that way!!!

Just to prove there really was some blowing during the evening.

Fantasy Football at Sidhil

2009-07-18T21:42:00.009+01:00

Paul Blackburn, the selfless and tireless organiser of the Sidhil Fantasy Football, presenting the first runner up prize to Trevor Noble.

Paul presenting a runner up prize to Stuart Monk.

Paul presenting the prize to this year's winner, Jack Nixon. We're all so proud.

Jack receiving the plate from Richard Locker, last year's winner. Richard didn't grip too hard, he managed to let it go to Jack.

Paul and Jack - note James in the background, standing there was as close as he managed to get to a prize.

Steven Hoyle presenting a well deserved gift to Paul Blackburn to thank him for all his hard work organising the leagues.

And here's the prize cake - tasty!

20,000 new workers join Sidhil...

2009-07-01T20:32:00.013+01:00

Unprocessed honey, straight from the hive, has been used worldwide for millennia to promote healing.

Honey is one of Mother Nature’s most valuable products. Sweeter than sugar - but moderate consumption does not cause weight gain - it is also a powerful antioxidant with all the goodness of fruits and vegetables.

What’s more, it’s antibacterial and antifungal, and can be applied to the skin to remove wrinkles and imperfections! Phytonutrients found in honey have been shown to possess cancer-preventing and anti-tumour properties.

So what does this all mean to Sidhil?

Our head office premises now have another 20,000 occupants in the shape of our latest residents – honey bees, looked after by our two resident apiarists Alastair Fry and David Lewis.

Alastair and David have been interested in bees for some time now and recently attended a beekeeping course run by Halifax Beekeeping Association. When they managed to obtain their bees despite the current scarcity, it seemed logical to house the bees on our secure site – safe, happy and close to the moors of Yorkshire to help with the production of lots of heather honey!

Bees are currently undergoing a significant decline in their native population, so we are delighted to be able to make a small contribution to the protection of one of nature’s hardest workers.

There is a rumour that bees have to fly the equivalent of once round the world to make a teaspoonful of honey – that does make a day at the office seem a breeze in comparison!

And a handful of interesting bee facts:

They navigate by using a combination of memory, visual landmarks, colours, the position of the sun, smell, polarized light and magnetic anomalies.
They have a well developed sense of time (circadian rhythm). Honey bees are one of the very few invertebrates in which sleep-like behaviour, similar in many respects to mammalian sleep, is known to exist.
Honey bee foragers die usually when their wings are worn out after approximately 500 miles (800 km) of flight.
Honey bee wings beat at a constant rate of 230 beats per second or 13,800 beats/minute.
The honey bee was a prominent political symbol in the empire of Napoleon Bonaparte, representing the Bonapartist bureaucratic and political system.

Surely Alastair has been warned about smoking

Two Bee or not Two Bees - no, lots of them

If you don't beehave...

That looks like it will be a little crunchy on toast

The bee's knees

Is he making it or breaking it?

First, build your own hive

And here's one we prepared earlier - the hive moves in at Sidhil

Careful

Wow, that's a lot of bees

Don't make them angry

Behind The Scenes

2009-05-22T21:40:00.000+01:00

You might have wondered what is involved in creating a brochure for something like the new Innov8 hospital bed - who lets us onto the ward for the photography, and how do we get the permission of the patients to take their photos?

Of course, it’s not really like that.

We don’t actually go onto the ward and take over it for a photo. Instead, we go to a photographer’s studio and build a set which looks like a ward, which can take a whole day to construct. We use models to act as nurses and patients, and spend most of a day getting the shots set up and taken.

Ok, sometimes we are able to photograph a product in real use, but like just about every single company we use a set. So the next time you see a brochure for a bathroom shower, a laptop computer or a hospital scanner, the products were almost certainly shot in a studio.

Peter Siddall Retires From BHTA

2009-05-07T22:12:00.000+01:00

Director Peter Siddall recently retired from his involvement with the BHTA (British Healthcare Trades Association) after a commitment to the Association dating back over 30 years.

The BHTA represents large and small companies, organised in one or more sections covering most sectors of the industry, and providing a platform for all companies to have an effective voice to influence the development of healthcare policies in the UK.

When Sidhil first joined the Association back in the 1970s, the trade was becoming increasingly competitive and membership gave us an effective avenue to talk directly to government as part of a group of manufacturers. Peter was elected Chairman of the BHTA in the 1980s, and latterly served a term as a Director.

During his time with the BHTA, Peter was also instrumental in setting up a Beds section which remains an active part of the function to this day.

You're Hired

2009-05-07T22:05:00.000+01:00

With demand growing steadily from overseas markets for our products, we recently decided to add to the senior management team with the recruitment of an experienced Export Sales Manager.

Recruiting the best people is never easy, and we were finding it hard to select the right candidate for the role, so we decided to take a different approach.

We invited 11 very able candidates with the right qualifications and excellent track records to join us for a day. Tasks set included asking the candidates to carry out presentations to the assembled group, and syndicate work debating issues and presenting their findings and results. It was a chance to hear the candidates talk about an area of their expertise and to see them in action.

We went to great lengths to make sure the session was friendly and open, and deliberately didn’t want to compare it to the Apprentice, but it’s just too tempting to use the analogy here - so, instead of announcing a firing, we’re announcing a hiring!

Thankfully Bob is better looking than Alan Sugar (but only just!).

We’re delighted to welcome Brian Zealey, who joins the team on Monday 11th May.

Red Nose Day

2009-04-03T15:05:00.001+01:00

So, Red Nose Day was recently upon us, and of course the team at Sidhil had to participate. There was a temptation to go for some outrageous theme, but common sense prevailed and we stuck to dressing in red and wearing red noses.

Our camp photographer. Sorry David, I don't really think you're camp.

Dig the nails.

Who's got a shiny nose, then?

Don't look so serious. You're doing this for fun.

Check out the hair. Someone always takes things too far.

Ok, I was wrong. THIS is too far!

At last some common sense. Phil, showing them how it is done.

The Innov8 Focus Group

2009-02-25T21:10:00.000Z

For the past year we have been developing the next generation of hospital beds for the acute and private sector - the Independence Innov8. It has taken tens of 1,000s of hours of engineering time, huge amounts of analysis on computer software, and meeting after meeting planning details and options; but the most important part of all of this is when we talk to our customers about the bed.

Last week we held our final focus group, where a number of helpful customers came to Sidhil to give us their opinions. Previously, at conceptual stages, the focus group has been used to refine the basic features and function of the bed; at this late stage it is a chance for customers to see actual samples of the bed and to get their final views on specific details.

By the beginning of February all the design decisions, modelling, analysis and checking was complete. The technical specs were loaded into the laser cutter and all the metalwork cut to shape. Jigs were created, and the various pieces assembled and painted. Finally, the bed itself was assembled. All was now ready for the focus group.

On Wednesday 18th Feb we invited a selection of customers to Sidhil. After a brief welcome and presentation from James Ibbotson and Clive Siddall, the bed was unveiled and demonstrated by Alastair Fry. The response from the customers was fantastic - they seemed to love the bed, but also made several helpful suggestions for minor improvements. An example of these was to raise the monitor stand by about an inch to allow more room for equipment hung from the footend.

One of the most fantastic moments was not directly related to the bed itself. While discussing reliability and maintainability, the group got onto the topic of Service & maintenance agreements. This is another service offered by Sidhil, and the customer from Liverpool spoke up about her experiences with us. They previously used another company who frequently let them down, and so towards the end of last year they swapped to Sidhil. Since then they have had an exemplarity service, and have enjoyed total peace of mind. In fact, the customer explained that for the first time she could have a holiday safe in the knowledge that there would be no problems or crises while she was away.

Overall the event was a tremendous success, giving us a lot of reassurance that the technical team have done an excellent job creating a fantastic new product. Let’s hope that hospitals around the UK agree, and decide to buy the bed in volume.

The new bed should be available for delivery to customers in April.

The New Sidhil 2009 Catalogue

2009-02-22T10:11:00.000Z

It’s taken a little while, but we’re just given birth to our brand new catalogue.

Our catalogue is very important. It’s our shop front, one of the key ways our customers can find out about our products, so it’s important to get it right.

After the success of the previous catalogue, which was well received by our customers, the 2009 catalogue had to be bigger and better.

First of all, we’ve improved the introductory pages inside the front cover. It’s easier for customers to find the product section they want, and there’s lots more information about the other services we offer, such as Service & Maintenance or Technical Support.

We’ve changed the layout of the product pages so that it’s easier to find things like accessories, product dimension, maximum user weights, and similar important information. We’ve also included diagrams showing which parts move, how far they can be moved, etc.

For the first time, we’ve even included an index!

We’re really proud of the improvements to the catalogue, and are confident that our customers are going to like it a lot. They’ll be receiving the catalogue from about 23rd Feb onwards. If you want to see it or ask about anything, have a chat with Kim Robinson in marketing.

Bowled Over For Christmas

2009-02-07T21:29:00.001Z

Christmas always offers a great opportunity for people to let their hair down, and the Sidhil team was no exception to the rule when a 50-strong contingent from offices and factory converged on the Electric Bowl in Halifax in December for an organised evening of fun and festivities.

The Electric Bowl is a new, state-of-the-art ten pin bowling alley recently opened in Halifax offering ‘extreme bowling’ - consisting of lanes, bowling balls, shoes and furniture that, on special occasions, glow in the dark!

Reports suggest that the delightful mixture of going out gear and the very flattering bowling shoes made for some good sartorial combinations!

It has to be said that no one took the bowling too seriously – Kim Robinson won the prize for lowest score recorded - not quite out for a duck but nearly there, Kim! There was a competitive element in the early stages, but rumour has it that soon faded to focus more on the fun than the sport.

The die-hards then went on to that well-known Halifax nightspot ‘Liquid’ where they claim that they partied till dawn!

Jeans for Genes Day

2008-10-17T12:47:00.000+01:00

The Sidhil team did their bit to support Jeans for Genes day - a national charity to support children with genetic disorders. As you can see from the photos, lots of people dressed down for the day, and we raised £54.04, which was a great result.

Not only is Jeans for Genes a good charity and a very worthwhile cause, but of course this area of charitable support strikes many chords with Sidhil - that's why we have products like the Inspiration Paediatric Cot, and it's why we're proud to be in the healthcare industry and to be playing a small part in helping to save lives or make people more comfortable and independent.

Thanks to everyone who took part.

Great Ormond Street Fire

2008-10-17T12:37:00.000+01:00

You don't often see our products in the news, but just recently the Inspiration Paediatric Cot appeared in various newspapers.

On 30th September a fire broke out in the cardiac wing of the Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital. About 40 young patients, plus about 300 families and staff, all escaped the blaze. Thankfully no-one was hurt.

You can see one of the children being pushed to safety in one of the Inspiration cots. If interested you can read more about the fire in the Daily Mail.

Siddall & Hilton's Own Little Bo Peep!

2008-09-24T16:12:00.000+01:00

Saturday 19th September saw Siddall & Hilton’s Kate Kendall turn shepherdess for the day as she took part in a charitable initiative to drive sheep over London Bridge – but Kate says that claims she dressed up as Little Bo Peep have been greatly exaggerated!

Only those made a Freeman of the City of London are permitted to drive sheep across the bridge, which is an ancient privilege dating back to the 11th century. These days, special dispensation has to be granted to allow the enactment of this ancient right.

As a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers alias Wireworkers, Kate qualified for the dubious privilege, and took part to raise money for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal.

“My sheep was the one with a blue ribbon in her hair – or rather fleece! We were ably assisted by a group of young agricultural students sent as minders - we didn't know whether they were there to mind the sheep or the liverymen!” said Kate.

The charitable theme selected for 2008 by Alderman David Lewis, The Rt Hon The Lord Mayor of the City of London, is investing in healthy lives, healthy vision, healthy futures as this most encapsulates the work of his two chosen charities, Wellbeing of Women and ORBIS.

Wellbeing of Women is the only UK charity dedicated to funding research that will benefit these women and their families. The charity also supports the training and development of specialists.
ORBIS is a founding member of ‘Vision 2020 - the right to sight’ a global initiative led by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to end avoidable blindness by the year 2020.

Kate drove her suitably adorned sheep just 200 yards across the bridge in a ‘shepherding relay’. Animal lovers should relax – no sheep were harmed during the process and Kate had received expert instruction on correct driving procedures!

In the Swim at Lake Windermere

2008-09-24T16:11:00.000+01:00

Our esteemed Sales & Marketing Director Clive Siddall – known for his Action Man exploits – took part in the inaugural Great North Swim on Saturday 13th September, when Lake Windermere - England's largest natural lake – was the perfect setting for the UK’s very first mass participation open water swim event.

Over 1700 swimmers of all abilities including club and competitive participants, fun and charity swimmers took up the challenge of a specially designed one-mile course originally inspired by the BUPA Great North Run.

“Although I must admit I needed help to get into my new wetsuit, the event was great fun, though drinking half a pint of Windermere in the first two minutes was a weird experience,” said Clive – who completed the swim a very creditable 865th out of 1700, or about half way, which was his target. “I have been accused of being marginally insane, but in reality, this was great preparation for triathlon events I’d like to try in the near future.”

The Great North Swim is the latest event to be launched as part of Take To The Streets – a national activity programme designed to fight spiralling inactivity and obesity rates and raise huge amounts of money for charity in the process.

Team GB’s David Davies splashed to victory in the swim, ahead of Olympic rivals, Holland’s Maarten van der Weijden and Germany’s Thomas Lurz. In the women’s race, Cassie Patten and Keri-Anne Payne led the field.

Sadly no photos seem to exist of Clive in his skin tight wetsuit - perhaps this is a good thing!

News from NAEP

2008-07-10T13:03:00.000+01:00

NAEP was an interesting and successful show for Sidhil. We had the opportunity to show everyone the Solite Laser community care bed and the Bradshaw Bariatric nursing care bed, which were of interest to our Community Loan Store and Care Home customers (check out www.sidhil.com for more info).

The conference was very good too. Of course, there was a lot of discussion about the Transforming Community Equipment Services programme, with presentations supporting the initiative and presentations against. If anyone is interested in what was said there is an internal report about the conference (just ask one of the directors for a copy), and you can find a summary on one of the industry's news websites at www.thiis.co.uk.

However, the most important part of the whole week was the ball which was held on the Wednesday evening. This year the organisers decided to have a theme, which was 40's attire, and the Sidhil team went to town on their outfits. Ok, it was fun, but there was a serious side to this too - many of our most important customers were at the ball, and this was a fantastic chance to get to know them better. In addition, most of the customers had put a lot of effort into the fancy dress, so it was important that we try just as hard and that we support the event as much as possible.

So, what did everyone look like?

This, of course, is the modern sales force in action.

Our glorious leader. And yes, he was armed, so everyone was on their best behaviour. Standing next to Clive is Phil Stephens of the TCES team and, just in case anyone needed her gentle healing hands, nurse Kim.

No, not an officer or a gentleman.

Helen looking sharp, with some of her customers. Did she outrank Clive?

Kim putting on a brave face.

Bill looking very spivvy.

It all got a bit warm, so who gets the prize for thinking ahead and choosing something lightweight to wear? Well done Mark.

Florence Nightingale never looked better.

We often say that it's important for Sales and Marketing to be close, but someone always takes it too far.

Helen as another nurse - were they all expecting their colleagues to need taking care of?

Jean Hutfield and Susan Heap from Cheshire, enjoying the evening.

Clive took care of Lynne Horn and Phil Stephens from the TCES team.

The whole room was decorated superbly, and had a real period feel to it.

And our table was suitably patriotic.

Clive and Sarah showing everyone how it's done.