Clinical Trial Specialists on the move
Clinical sample services specialist, Colibri Scientific, has relocated from Alderley Park to a large facility at Orbit’s Deanway Business Park, near Handforth, to support its continued growth.
Colibri Scientific provides sample operational services for early phase clinical trials across all therapeutic areas, with a focus on oncology and most recently Covid 19.
Set up in 2017 by managing director, Sue Keeler, the company now employs an 11-strong team to deliver and improve clinical sample management for a range of clients.
The new 4,675 sq. ft, self-contained, building in Handforth will house offices, kit production space and a laboratory area.
Sue said: “We operate in a specialist field and need space to fit those needs and to ensure we could provide for changing requirements of our customers and the wider industry.
We were delighted to find stand-alone facilities we don’t have to share with other businesses, and we now have the flexibility we need to support our growth ambitions.”
Dean Richards, regional leasing director for Orbit, said it was great to be able to accommodate Colibri Scientific in Handforth: “It is a successful business working in a growth sector, so it was important we could meet today’s needs and provide space for its future expansion. www.colibriscientific.co.uk
NHS leader who helped launch AHSNs joins Innovation Agency
A former NHS trust chief executive who set up one of the country’s 15 Academic Health Science Networks, eight years ago, has joined the Innovation Agency as a non-executive director.
Raj Jain
Raj Jain recently retired as chief executive of the Northern Care Alliance, one of the largest organisations in the NHS, providing specialist, acute and community services in Bury, Rochdale, Oldham and Salford.
In 2013, while he was chief executive of Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Raj helped to set up the AHSN for Greater Manchester, becoming managing director for the organisation’s initial 18 months and helping to establish the national AHSN Network.
Raj said: “Innovation is really important in the NHS; we cannot square the circle of demand, affordability and patient experience, without some major innovations in the way we work.
I wanted to join the Innovation Agency because its values, culture and leadership style align with my own; and I want to play a part in spreading innovations which benefit our local population and support our local systems in meeting the challenges of increasing demand.”
Innovation Agency chair, Gideon Ben-Tovim OBE, said: “We are delighted to welcome Raj to our senior leadership team. We believe our organisation and our region will benefit from his knowledge and experience as an NHS leader, particularly in managing change, developing place-based partnerships and his interests in innovation and addressing health inequalities.”
Born in the UK, Raj lives in Liverpool and has Punjabi Indian parents who emigrated to the UK in the 1950s. www.innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk.
Axon celebrates 20 years
Axon, a leading IT company focused on transforming businesses through technology, has hit the 20-year mark.
With a head office in Macclesfield, it supports SMEs across the UK with all their Microsoft IT and technology needs.
Originally a Microsoft training business, before moving to managed IT services, Axon is now focused on having a deep understanding of its clients’ business processes, advising and implementing transformational technology solutions.
One of Axon’s highlights over the years includes being advisors to Microsoft UK. It is frequently asked to attend roundtables with multinationals to input into the Microsoft Partner Programme and product development – including Microsoft 365.
Tim Mears
MD, Tim Mears, said: “We’ve done well at being ahead of the curve in terms of technology – I’m proud of that. The technology industry evolves quickly, and we keep up with the changes and that’s testament to our team. We’re not afraid to make mistakes.
You must keep changing as technology evolves and we’ve had to be fluid. We’ve attracted team members with this mentality.”
Dynamics is complex to implement and not many IT companies try to set up their own team. Axon’s Dynamics’ team is going from strength to strength, and has developed Dynamics Now – an automated solution whereby SMEs can have the best parts of Dynamics, the things they really need like their pipeline, a CRM, etc, literally at the click of a button. www.axon-it.com
Belong Strengthens Dementia Support
Community care village operator, Belong, has appointed Bridget Lawler as Admiral Nurse to support residents and customers who have been medically diagnosed with any form of dementia.
The specialist mental health nursing role is provided for free across all Belong villages through the organisation’s ongoing partnership with Dementia UK.
Bridget said: “Over the years I have gained so much knowledge about dementia that I truly feel I can make a difference to people’s lives. I have learnt that often people will not remember what you said or did, but they will remember how you made them feel.
That is to say the human element of the role is just as important as the clinical aspect. This is the essence of my involvement with people living with dementia, their family and support network.”
Originally from Zambia, Bridget moved to South Africa when she was eight years old and qualified as a registered nurse and midwife.
Stacey McCann, chief operating officer at Belong, said: “Bridget’s distinguished career as a nurse combined with her significant care sector experience, including promoting best practice in dementia care and track record of service for Belong, make her an ideal Admiral Nurse. She is an invaluable asset to the organisation.”
Dementia UK, a charity that works in partnership with NHS providers and commissioners, social care authorities and voluntary sector organisations, is responsible for upholding the standards of Admiral Nurses nationwide.
