News from producers around Derbyshire

Derby-based aerospace company Bondholder Pattonair has celebrated its expansion into the Asia Pacific region with the official opening of a new office in Nagoya, Japan.

The move strengthens Pattonair's presence in Japan's aerospace industry, supporting the company's growing customer base there and helping to seek out new opportunities.

Bondholder Purely Digital has taken part in The Big Climate Fightback, a campaign organised by the Woodland Trust, as part of its commitment to reduce its impact on the environment.

Alongside BBC Countryfile presenter Julia Bradbury, owner Andrew Edmondson took part in a day in Mead near Heanor - an area planned to be the first Young People’s Forest - planting 150 trees; the amount it is said that everyone on the planet would need to plant to reverse the damage of carbon emissions over the past 10 years.

The Emirates Airline has signed a purchase agreement for 50 Airbus A350 jets at the Dubai Airshow, exclusively powered by Bondholder Rolls-Royce’s Trent XWB engines, designed and built in Derby, in a total deal estimated at $16 billion.

‘Spread more neighbourly cheer’ is the latest message from local friendship group, Derbyshire Peak Oddfellows, as it shares its top five tips to keep community spirits high this festive season.

The advice comes on the back of Campaign to End Loneliness’ Be More Us initiative, which reports that almost half of UK adults say that their busy lives prevent them from connecting with other people.

Matthew Hutchings has celebrated his first anniversary as Managing Director of The Derby Conference Centre - one of the leading events and conference venues in the East Midlands. His first year in charge has marked some big changes at the Conference Centre, with Hutchings’ leadership taking the venue from strength to strength.

A Derby charity fundraiser has successfully completed his ultimate challenge to raise money for local charity Safe and Sound’s Butterfly Appeal.

Simon Barcz from Oakwood has raised more than £4,500 on top of the thousands he has already secured for Derby-based Safe and Sound which specialises in grassroots work across the county to transform the lives of children and young people who are victims of or at risk of child sexual exploitation (CSE).

Acclaimed artist David Manley has donated one of his land and seascape-inspired paintings for a silent auction to support the community engagement programme at Déda – the city-based organisation that aims to enrich people’s lives through dance and the arts.

The 15” by 12” painting entitled ‘Cape Poem’ was recently on display as part of the ‘A Riotous Assembly’ exhibition at Déda in Chapel Street and would usually sell for around £120.

Telecommunications specialists Invictus Communications will reinforce its ethos of ‘buy local, sell local and support local’ by treating customers to a special hamper brimming with fayre produced by fellow local businesses this Christmas.

Twelve lucky customers will receive bottles of Melbourne water and gin produced by the Highfield Drinks Group and a platter of doughnuts from Project D.

Both companies are based close to Invictus’ Castle Donington offices and managing director Jonny McPhee’s Melbourne home.