January 19th, 2011 by admin
I’ve found the BBC series Edwardian Farm has successfully combined cheery comfort viewing with a backbone of solid research, which is interesting in the context of the food security analysis we’ve done. This is something we urgently need to continue if there’s to be any chance of planning ahead for a time when transporting overseas produce becomes unaffordable, and we’re still pursuing funding opportunities with our research partners.
Edwardian Farm is set in the Tamar Valley which divides Cornwall and Devon, a few navigable miles upriver north of Plymouth. The particular topography of this land, sheltered from north winds and offering a series of south-facing slopes (some very steep), together with the river and later the railway, enabled a specialist market gardening industry to develop.
The conditions meant local growers here could cash in on earlier fruit and flower crops than other areas, and long before road haulage was a reality [...] Continue Reading…
Tags: food security, research
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January 13th, 2011 by admin
An interesting perspective on our initial gambling research is the industry’s potential role in the transformation of the high street. Bookmakers have joined fast food outlets, charity and discount shops in taking over high street premises vacated by independent food retailers, specialist shops and boutiques, all hit by falling sales. Even Newmarket, the spiritual home of a quick flutter, has the local community questioning the opening of a 12th bookie in the town.
Individually, each change of tenant may have only a limited impact and certainly these new openings may be more welcome than empty shops. It’s only when the balance of a town centre’s characteristics tips beyond a certain point that we can see the whole local economy skewed towards night-time visitors, for example, which can then make the remaining traditional shops struggle even more.
Having worked in the town centres field since 1996 I’m aware of their pace of [...] Continue Reading…
Tags: research, town centres
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November 17th, 2010 by admin
November 2010: We’re delighted to be commencing work with The Responsible Gambling Fund and Responsible Gambling Strategy Board, together with social research experts NatCen, into the distribution of gambling machines in Great Britain.
The socio-economic characteristics of the locations with highest gambling machine densities will be correlated and analysed as part of this work, helping to lay a robust data foundation for future research into problem gambling, vulnerable gamblers and possible causal factors.
The Responsible Gambling Fund (RGF) is a charity funding relief for those in need as a result of gambling and promoting education, treatment and research. As part of its objective to use the best available evidence from the widest possible sources with regard to prevention, treatment and research in problem gambling and its causes, RGF regularly commissions high quality research on problem gambling and the risk of harm from gambling.
NatCen, the National Centre for Social Research, is Britain’s [...] Continue Reading…
Tags: clients, GIS, research
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October 13th, 2010 by admin
Don’t just take our word for it
It’s official – sustainability is no longer a brand issue or evidence of corporate social responsibility: it’s a key business driver.
We’re already directing our insight and analysis offer towards helping organisations make well informed long-term sustainability decisions, but it’s always nice to have your convictions reaffirmed. Companies aren’t investing in this field because they want to be seen to be green, but because it makes sound business sense, and that’s what will keep it going.
So here’s a short selection of views I’ve come across about why sustainability is central to business. What also emerges, of course, is that business is central to sustainability. Green campaigners have kept the torch alight for decades, but it will take the mass momentum of the business economy to make a difference at the scale that’s required.
“The scales literally fell from my eyes, and it was so obvious [...] Continue Reading…
Tags: data, Sustainability
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October 4th, 2010 by admin
Which non-profit organisations will survive the comprehensive spending review?
As we wait to see what the comprehensive spending review brings us, I’ve been struck by the different responses to the funding cuts among the various government departments, quangos, non-profits and others we meet and work alongside.
Some have a touch of fatalism. “There’s no money in food,” sighed one experienced campaigner in the sector this month. Supermarket profit figures flickered through my mind, but I knew he was talking about funding for food security research.
Major supermarket chains may grow more interested in this as their supplies become unaffordable, but it’s currently the domain of campaigners and environmental researchers and it’s certainly true that government investment is hard to come by.
Others seem to be quietly getting on with things, remaining committed to their objectives and hoping they can still be delivered through shrunken enterprises or other organisations altogether.
Now, I can’t comment on [...] Continue Reading…
Tags: food security, mapping, Sustainability
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August 4th, 2010 by admin
August 2010: The UK coalition government’s consultation paper on the new Regional Growth Fund is worth a read if you’re interested in how spending decisions will be made in future.
Anything which will move us towards investment spending again after this prolonged period of post-election purdah must be welcomed, but even the least politically minded among us must wonder how it is all going to work.
The idea, as we know, is for the Fund to “re-balance” the economy of England (the devolved governments and London will be funded separately) by funding projects which will “encourage private sector enterprise” and “create additional sustainable private sector employment”, which have been proposed by local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) or directly by private sector organisations.
What I hope this consultation exercise picks up is that any organisation responsible for setting local economic strategy and bidding for considerable sums of cash needs good quality information on which [...] Continue Reading…
Tags: data, Sustainability
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June 29th, 2010 by admin
We’re always interested in building our roster of bright, reliable software development freelancers to help us meet short-term demands and also to work on longer term projects, with hours to suit and with scope for remote working.
You’d mainly be working on our rich client side web applications, possibly also some spatial data modelling.
We’re looking for suppliers with solid experience in at least one of the following languages: Java, Python or PHP.
You should also be comfortable with MySQL or PostgreSQL.
There is a strong focus on Linux: you should be happy using Linux and not run a mile when you see a terminal window!
You’ll need to be confident sharing ideas with other programmers, understanding requirements quickly and communicating responses clearly.
We’d also be interested in hearing from skilled GUI designers with strong CSS to support web design and enhancement projects, especially those in reasonable proximity to Bath and able to join [...] Continue Reading…
Tags: Jobs
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June 29th, 2010 by admin
Now recruiting: IT Developers (contract and/or permanent) – Python / Java / PHP
Bath, south west England
Challenging, varied application development roles in a fast-moving data consultancy
Please note that we can only consider applications from candidates who are currently eligible to work in the EU.
The organisation
An independent geographic information science (GIS) specialist, established 2002, with a healthy client pipeline
Varied projects working for government, corporate and third-sector clients, with a growing emphasis on providing sustainability decision tools based on GIS
Requiring strategic development of core technology stack and future product/service code components
A bright and challenging development team, working closely with GIS specialists and client-facing colleagues
Cheerful, informal office in central Bath (12 mins walk Bath Spa station), close to shops, bars etc
The work
Geofutures delivers data to its clients via interactive websites. Projects typically involve two main elements: data modelling and delivery via the web.
The data modelling is where Geofutures really stands out from [...] Continue Reading…
Tags: Jobs
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June 14th, 2010 by admin
It has been a busy few months, with stimulating projects underway for The Audit Commission, Regen South West, London Climate Change Partnership and The Environment Agency among others. And because these things only happen when you’re busy, we’ve also moved offices – which is itself opening up some intriguing opportunities.
We’re now well settled in a handsome listed building in Bath’s Walcot Street, but the intriguing part is what happens when you start talking to your new landlords and their other business partners. MASCo is a long-established architectural salvage company, and in recent years they’ve applied their experience of sensitive demolition and reclamation of historic building materials to wider sustainability consulting, also recruiting full-time sustainability consultant James Hurley.
We were introduced to MASCo by Bath-based architects and urban planners Nash Partnership, who use their renovation and regeneration experience to maintain the highest standards of sustainable design.
So both these organisations saw the [...] Continue Reading…
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June 7th, 2010 by admin
We’re currently recruiting to fill a post of GIS Analyst, full time, permanent, based in central Bath and available immediately. Please check you have the relevant skills and see below for details of how to apply. We can only accept applications from individuals currently eligible to work in the EU.
GIS analyst – central Bath – min £19k according to experience
Have you successfully completed a GIS degree or Masters course? Do you have analytical ability, strong visual sense and a client service ethos? We’re a small but fast-moving GIS company with a vacancy for a qualified GIS analyst to create maps and data layers, manage and analyse spatial data and deliver under pressure on varied client requirements.
No two tasks are the same, and there’s always scope to think laterally, add value, help build client relationships and contribute to the success of a close-knit, committed and informal team. On-job training and [...] Continue Reading…
Tags: Jobs
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