Tuesday, 7 April 2020

The Mid Group: The Three Stages of the Brighton 3Ts Project




The Brighton 3Ts project, run by the Mid Group, was commissioned by Brighton & Sussex University Hospital Trust. This article will explore important details of the Brighton 3Ts project (which commenced in 2016), as well as how its new facilities will enable the Trust to better serve the local community.

The Three Stages of the 3T’s Project

The 3Ts Redevelopment Scheme was created to replace buildings at the Royal Sussex County Hospital. Divided into three stages, the project is expected to take nine years to complete, and the redevelopment will cost an estimated £485 million. The project has been cleverly designed so that the hospital will retain all of its functionality throughout the 9-year redevelopment, ensuring that all of its clinical services continue undisrupted.

Stage 1 of the 3Ts project – namely the construction of a brand-new building in the southeast quarter of the site – should be completed in summer 2020. This stage of the project also includes the addition of a helideck to the Thomas Kemp Tower, which will transform how seriously ill and injured patients are transferred to and from the hospital.

The second stage of the project focuses on the construction of new buildings in the site’s southwest quarter. Stage 2 is estimated to commence in summer 2020, with a completion date set for summer 2023 – and once completed, stages 1 and 2 will have replaced 13 of the structures that make up the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

Starting in 2023, Stage 3 will take just one year to complete. Focusing on improving conditions for patients and staff, the work undertaken in the third stage will benefit more than 40 departments and wards across the hospital.

 Brighton 3Ts and the Mid Group

The Brighton 3Ts project is being partly delivered by the Mid Group. Led by its CEO Sahel Majali, the Mid Group will utilise three separate companies to successfully deliver the project.

Mid Contracting will manage the 3Ts project, offering support and general assistance to the Trust.

Mid Consulting helped in the project’s design development phases, collaborating with the Local Authority to complete the project within the schedule and budget.

Sterling BIM has provided a full BIM model for the 3Ts project. Sterling BIM also developed an augmented reality app for the project and designed virtual reality experiences for a number of hospital user groups. 

How the Brexit Vote Continues to Affect British Business




The Brexit vote, carried out on the 23rd June 2016, expressed the British public’s desire to leave the EU. This article will explore how this historic vote has already affected UK business, and predict what its impact will be in the months ahead.

Lowered Exchange Rates

In line with predictions, there was a fall in the value of the pound immediately after the results of the vote were announced, which then caused domestic prices to rise, particularly on imported items. According to the London School of Economics, the drop in value of the pound, as a result of the Brexit announcement, was unprecedented – dropping in one night from $1.50 to $1.33. This was the single biggest drop in daily exchange rates amongst the world’s four biggest currencies since the 1970s.

The Brexit referendum also resulted in a slowing of Britain’s GDP growth. Although the GDP did remain positive, the UK fell from having the highest GDP growth rate in the G7, to having the lowest. Another area that has been affected by the Brexit vote is productivity (which has stagnated in the aftermath of the referendum), compared to a rise in productivity in other OECD countries.

One further consequence of the Brexit referendum is that there has been a drop in UK purchasing power, with wages stagnating across the country. This is coupled with a rise in consumer prices and reduced spending power. However, on the bright side, food prices have mostly resumed low level inflation rates. 

Sahel Majali, Chairman of Mid Group, has publicly offered his opinion on the impact of the Brexit vote, while noting that negotiations will be key to the UK’s future relationships once the process has been completed.

Four Years On

Almost four years since the referendum was taken, the details of the UK’s departure from the European Union have yet to be agreed. As a consequence, analysts have predicted that the UK will see its weakest growth, outside of a recession, since the Second World War.  Despite such gloomy news, inflation rates in November 2019 were at a three-year low, remaining under the 2% target set by the Bank of England.

Brexit Preparations

On the 31st January 2020 the UK officially left the EU, although negotiations continue with regard to the new trade deal between the two. Businesses continue to face uncertainty, with many businesses that trade with the EU being asked to consider how changes in VAT might affect them; how customs checks and duties may cause changes in the supply chain; and how their principal contracts might be affected.

Wednesday, 19 February 2020

How Robert Clack School Is Investing in Children's Futures



There's no denying that education is important. Robert Clack School, based in Dagenham, aims to support students no matter what their futures hold. This article will explain how improvements to the school are giving students more opportunities.

Improved School Facilities

Robert Clack School has just come to the end of a huge, £43.75 million investment scheme, designed to add expand the school premises and give students more facilities to use.

This project included the creation of:

  • 12 new classrooms
  • A new food technology lab
  • New kitchens
  • An extended dining hall 
These improvements will benefit children for years to come as they attend the school. Having extra facilities means the school can focus on giving students a fully rounded education.

Mid Group Awards and Accreditations

The school now has a 'Constructioniarium' too. This has been designed for students interested in construction and carpentry. Right now, future construction industry leaders need to be encouraged as much as possible. The shortage of construction workers in the UK threatens the £3 billion new homes investment promised by the government. If students are encouraged now, the industry will be ready for them.

What Next?

The school is very much not resting on its laurels. Work is currently underway on a new school campus:  Lymington Fields. This facility is going to be part of the Robert Clack School, and once complete it will help the school to provide over 4,000 places. It will also offer primary school places for the first time.

The development will include a total of 42 new classrooms, as well as two multi-purpose game areas and a sports hall.

Robert Clack School’s 2019 Expansion Programme


Construction of New Facilities


The construction of these new educational facilities has been undertaken by the Mid Group, overseen by Chairman Sahel Majali. The company has completed several educational projects in the past, making it the perfect choice. However, this is by far one of its biggest projects. As the school motto says, 'For the brave nothing is difficult'. This could not be more apt, as the Mid Group took on this role with ease.

Robert Clack School is looking towards the future, creating new learning opportunities with the Mid Group. Soon, there will be even more learning opportunities for students in the area.




Tuesday, 18 February 2020

How Multiple Universes Could Really Be Possible




There have long been theories about the existence of multiple universes. This article will explore how top scholars have theorized that parallel universes could work.

What Creates Multiple Universes?

There are several theories about how multiple universes could exist. The first theory, put forward by Hugh Everett in the 1950s, is that the Universe is continually splitting. As it splits, it creates multiple copies of itself. This of course means that there could be a copy of yourself in another universe.

There's also the idea that there are 'bubble universes'. This is the idea that every universe is separate and isolated. This is because, scientists have theorized, the Big Bang expanded some regions of space while others stopped expanding, creating bubble universes. This could explain why it's so hard to even confirm the existence of other universes.

There is also the theory that there are infinite universes, too. This means that universes are continually being created, with infinite versions of each of us.


Science and Multiple Universes

There are several scientists who believe that multiple universes could be possible. The first is the aforementioned Hugh Everett. He created his PhD thesis in 1954, arguing that quantum effects are the reason that the Universe continues to split and create new universes. His ideas weren't very well respected at the time. Niels Bohr, considered to be the ‘father of quantum mechanics’, didn't pay the theory much respect.

However, many other physicists have since thought about the creation of multiple universes. Even famous physicist Stephen Hawking believed that there could well be other universes out there. He mentioned this theory in his final paper before his death.

Many other forward thinkers believe in the possibly of multiple universes. For example, Sahel Majali, chairman of the Mid Group, is greatly interested in the concept of multiple universes.

What Are The 10 Dimensions?

Travel Between Multiple Universes

Could you travel between multiple universes? Writer Carl Sagan and physicist Kip Thorne worked together to create the theory of 'wormholes'. These are tunnels between different points of space time, essentially allowing for time travel.

According to scientists, there could be multiple universes out there. Whether we'll ever be able to contact them, however, is undecided. Perhaps in the future there will be an answer to this question.

Stephen Hawking’s Cosmic Paradox





Monday, 17 February 2020

Drone Technology and the Changing Face of Construction



The first non-military drones were made in 2006, and ever since then the technology has been taken up by many industries. In particular, the construction industry is seeing major changes thanks to drones.

Early Drone Usage

In the early days of drones, they were often used by government bodies. They were designed to take on emergency roles such as fighting wildfires, surveying borders, and delivering disaster relief. Once companies began to realise the potential of drones, they found they were perfect for taking on dangerous roles that put workers at risk.

For example, a drone was often used for spraying pesticides around fields, or inspecting pipelines that people weren't able to fit into. Companies have been finding all kinds of uses for drones, especially those in the construction industry.


How Construction Uses Drones

Companies such as the Mid Group, chaired by Sahel Majali, are leading the way when it comes to using digital technologies – such as BIM and VR – in construction.

Drones have been found to be highly effective at keeping construction workers safe. In the past, they would be required to take on hazardous jobs such as using cherry pickers to get to the top of a building to inspect it, or walking through incomplete buildings to carry out safety inspections.

With the introduction of drones, risk has been greatly reduced. Rather than sending a human worker to the top of a building, a drone can be sent up instead. With their feet firmly on the ground, workers are in a much safer position. Drones are also used to conduct inspections as they offer real time HD footage. It's much easier to send a drone to see what's happening inside a building.

Drones are offer other benefits too. They're capable of taking high-quality photos, making them perfect for taking aerial shots of a building project for publicity purposes. They can even be fitted with thermal image recording, to inspect hot or cold spots in a development. 

How Do Drones Promote Collaboration on Construction Projects?

The Future of Drones and Construction

As technology improves, we should soon see even more improvements in the construction industry. Africa in particular has placed very few limitations on the uses of drones, so there will be interesting developments coming from that part of the world.

It's clear to see that drones are soon going to be one of the most important tools on a construction site. They offer many benefits, making completing developments a lot simpler and safer for all involved.

How Could Drone Technology Help Grow Africa's Construction Industry?


Thursday, 6 February 2020

Why Is Virtual Reality Being Used in Construction?


Construction has seen many advances in technology over the years, and the latest innovation is virtual reality (VR). VR helps those in construction put together their dream projects.

Virtual reality is a way of creating full 3D maps that can be explored digitally. As humans, we use multiple senses to explore the world. These include the main five senses, but also our senses of balance, orientation, temperature, and so on. Virtual reality environments aim to give the user the sensation that they’re experiencing a real environment. Equipment such as headsets and controls allow the user to interact with the environment, just as they would a real one.

Planning a Building Digitally

Those in the construction industry have seen the progression of VR technology and realised the opportunity it presents. When planning a new building, it can be difficult to visualise it. At first, there are just blueprints and layouts; there is no ability to see a 3D space. In the past, developers would create 3D miniature versions of their buildings based on these plans. These models would allow them to see what the building would look like and make adjustments as required.
As good as these models were, they still had their limitations. The miniatures would cost money to create and would take up valuable space. Plus, it wasn't always possible to plan out the interior of the building as well as the exterior.

Virtual reality has changed the industry forever, as now an entire building project can be created digitally. There is no need to worry about space and it's more cost-effective to work this way. VR helps developers plan a building more carefully than ever before.

Sharing A Vision with Buyers

Companies such as the Mid Group, chaired by Sahel Majali, are pioneering the use of virtual reality in their work. One of the UK’s fastest-growing construction companies, The Mid Group implements cutting edge technologies such as VR and BIM to gain a competitive advantage and remain at the forefront of the market.

Being able to walk around a building before it's even built is invaluable. It can even be furnished and decorated however the client wants, so they can get a feel for what the building will eventually look like.

VR allows construction companies to create buildings that are planned down to the last detail. Clients can walk around a completed building before the first brick has been laid, giving them more control over the construction process.

Tuesday, 4 February 2020

5 Reasons Your Business Should Use AquAid



You may not have heard of AquAid before now, but after reading this article you might want to use its services. By using AquAid’s products, UK businesses can support charities giving clean water to people who need it all over the world.

AquAid Gives to Charity with Every Purchase

AquAid is a company that gives money to charity every time a customer makes a purchase. It supplies drinking water solutions for businesses, including water coolers and hot water boilers. Every purchase results in more money for charities working to supply clean water to those without it.

Over 500 Million People Don't Have Clean Water

In this day and age, it's hard to imagine so many people without access to clean drinking water. Figures from the World Health Organisation show that 435 million people have to drink from unprotected wells and springs, with a further 144 million having to take water from streams, ponds and lakes, putting themselves at risk.

Drinking Unclean Water Puts People at Risk

These 500 million people are at serious risk every time they drink from these water sources. There are many illnesses they could contract this way, including typhoid, cholera and dysentery. In the first world these illnesses are rare, but in areas without clean water they're a very real threat.

The Simplest Way to Help Those Without Clean Water

For businesses that want to help people without clean water but aren’t sure where to start, AquAid offers a simple solution. AquAid will give to charity every time a customer buys from them, making sure that essential business purchases are also contributing to a good use.

Many Companies Use AquAid

If your business uses AquAid, it won't be alone. There are more than 30,000 clients using AquAid in the UK. Its clients aren't just small companies, either. Capita, BAE Systems and even the NHS all use its products. This has allowed AquAid to donate £14 million to global charities. Sahel Majali and the Mid Group even helped with the installation of a water pump thanks to their patronage.