Monthly Archives: July 2020

Building, furniture, maintenance, energy etc, School News

FIVE essentials that you MUST do to have the best chance of getting your new furniture delivered on time for the new term …….

If you’ve ever had the job of ordering school or college furniture for the start of a new academic year you’ll know that  it can be fraught with  problems.  Will the tables for the new teaching block arrive in time  ?   Will there be enough chairs for the new intake …….?   Will there be enough comfortable new chairs for the staffroom  ?

The production of educational furniture  (desks, tables, storage cupboards, classroom and office chairs etc) is highly seasonal.   Thousands of schools, from Penzance to Aberdeen  place their orders from April to August and expect to take delivery in time for the start of the Autumn term in September…

Unfortunately it’s almost impossible for manufacturers to meet such a demand and ensure that every school or college gets what they want in time….simply because there’s not enough production  and transport capacity to meet the extra demand in the summer months.

And this year,  the year of covid 19,  has thrown a massive big spanner in the works as several furniture manufacturers have already shut  down for nearly two months…..  thus reducing production capacity even more.

 Is there a way to improve the odds of getting your furniture delivered on time ….. ?

 Here are FIVE things you can do:

  1. Decide as soon as possible exactly what products you want to order. This may mean discussion with the site manager, the finance office, heads of departments ….but it should be done as a matter of urgency.

 

  1. If at all possible your premises should be open for deliveries during part or all of the summer holidays. This will mean that manufacturers can make AND deliver your orders before the start of the new  term.   Provide your supplier with  the mobile tel no of your site staff…

 

  1. If possible, be flexible. This is particularly important if you are late in finalising your orders. If you specify a  different type of  chair or table or a different colour it may mean that they arrive in time, whereas  your  ideal choice might not be able to be delivered until  eg. October.

 

  1. Contact some local schools and see if there is a way of collaborating. One school may have spare tables, another may have excess chairs.  It may be possible to borrow / loan / swop to    help each other out.
  1. Last but not least…and this is very important. If you are replacing existing products then do not dispose of them until your new furniture arrives.  This is vital as it means that even if the new furniture does not arrive on time then at least you can continue to use your existing chairs, tables etc.

If you are planning to order new furniture then please contact  Central Educational Supplies Ltd.,

They have been supplying schools and colleges since 2004 and would be pleased to help. They can make suggestions and  offer alternatives if you are having difficulty in obtaining exactly what you want.  Their links with UK manufacturers and importers mean that they are able to source a wide variety of educational furniture….which in turn could benefit your organisation.

Contact:     Central Educational Supplies Ltd.,  PO Box  999,  London  E14 6SH

email:       info@centraleducational.co.uk           www.centraleducational.co.uk

Their advice is free and without obligation, so if you’d like to chat and maybe discuss your furniture  requirements please phone:  020 7515 1797  and ask to speak to Martin Evans. You’ll get the facts and impartial advice without any “hard sell.”    That’s a promise.

School News

A New Way to Celebrate the End of the School Year — UK Print Business Launches ‘When We Were Apart Yearbook’

Where The Trade Buys, a UK commercial print company, has launched a ‘When We Were Apart Yearbook’ in order to help school children share and hold onto the precious memories of the lockdown.

This year, many students will have to go without their end-of-year celebrations or graduation ceremonies. What’s more, in light of recent announcements, the majority of primary school children in the UK will not be reunited with their friends in the classroom until the next academic year. We may still be apart, but it would be a travesty to forget the moments of inspiration, positivity, and creativity that children have shown us during the past two months in lockdown.

Despite being apart from the teachers and peers, children’s creativity has continued to flourish across the nation. Thousands of rainbows and other artistic pieces have appeared in windows around the country — a testament to the upbeat mindsets and strong community spirit that is still thriving here in the UK. Now is the time to record these precious memories so that they can be treasured by children, teachers, and families for years to come.

Yearbooks from Where The Trade Buys will work as a collective memory for schools and pupils. To get involved, simply collect creative responses from pupils (whether that be a drawing, a story, or a photograph — anything that reflects their unique experience of lockdown life), send them in to Where The Trade Buys. They will be professionally printed, bound, and returned to you so that you can distribute the books to parents.

Gary Peeling, Chief Executive Officer, at Where The Trade Buys, said: “A ‘When We Were Apart Yearbook’ is the perfect way to collect precious memories of this time and treasure them for years to come. We wanted to make sure there is plenty of flexibility in the design, so that each school can create something completely unique! Kids are missing their friends, teachers, missing school activities, and are wanting to express themselves however they can.”

He added: “We have a lot to thank our children and students for during these difficult times, so let’s make sure they never forget the role they played in supporting others during lockdown.”

The saddle stitched books are A4 and you can choose from 8, to 68 pages (including cover). You can decide between portrait and landscape orientation and mono or colour printing. Where The Trade Buys also offers a variety of finishes, including 120gsm Uncoated paper, 130gsm silk, 170 gsm gloss, and many more options.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Where The Trade Buys has also teamed up with Prime Group to produce face masks for NHS essential workers, as well as creating a range of paper clappers to bolster support for the nationwide ‘Clap for our Carers’ initiative.

To read more about the Where The Trade Buys ‘When We Were Apart Yearbook’, visit their blog.

 

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NOTES TO EDITORS

About Where The Trade Buys: Where The Trade Buys is a printing company based in London, Sunderland, and Surrey, that was created to make ordering inspirational printed products simple.

We offer super-fast printing to large and small print companies, as well as graphic designers. All of our products are manufactured in the UK.

For more details:

Where The Trade Buys’ website: https://www.wherethetradebuys.co.uk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WTTB_Print

Mediaworks’ website: https://www.mediaworks.co.uk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mediaworksuk
Mediaworks’ telephone: 0191 404 0100