Jen teaching a class

Jen van der Weide, one of Cumbrias longest established Zumba teachers, has retrained as a Neuro Linguistic Programming Master Practitioner and a Clinical Hypnotherapist so she can extend her services to help people look after mind as well as body.

Jen first became interested in NLP when she attended a management course where the trainer was using NLP techniques. She decided to become a Practitioner and then a Master Practitioner because she was intrigued by the power of words and the effect they can have on us.

Jen finished her studies at The Northern School of NLP then studied Clinical Hypnotherapy at the Awaken School. She has also taken an additional course in Virtual Gastric Band Hypnosis and is now fully qualified, practicing throughout Cumbria.

Jen explained We all know about the feel good factor of exercise and the saying a healthy body is a healthy mind - it works both ways. I was first a Weight Watcher, then a Weight Watcher Leader, but I know now that the mind and body is a complete package and we have to take care of both. Sometimes it is good to realise that we are in need of a little help to achieve the best out of life.

Armed with skills to look after mind and body, I can help people understand their behaviour and with a little help, weight can be shifted, stress can be relieved, anxieties/phobias/pain can be managed.

Jen has already achieved some great successes with people trying to lose weight for years, and with others who are suffering stress. Jen says clients are telling me they are more confident and able to relax and those who tried losing weight before are now steadily losing weight but more importantly, feeling comfortable with their size, shape and who they are.

Losing weight is difficult at any given time and Jen believes that with a combination of Hypnotherapy (Virtual Gastric Band), understanding why it is that we eat too much and more understanding about food, combined with physical exercise is a winning combination.

Jen has practise spaces throughout Cumbria and even makes house calls to ensure clients are comfortable in their surroundings.  She concludes We only get one shot in this life and we have to make it count, living life to the fullest and remembering we do this in different ways the way that suits us most.

Lowering the Loft Pod in Leicestershire

EnviroHomes Ltd, a West Cumbrian business creating environmentally friendly properties, is gaining a national reputation for their ability to design and build efficient buildings including, carbon neutral schools, loft pods and home extensions. Their sales have grown ten fold in the last three years and their successes include innovations like Loft Pods, contracts with B&Q and enquiries to build more extensions in the south of England. The growth of EnviroHomes has been supported by the Energy Opportunity Supply Chain Project (EOSCP).

Three directors set up EnviroHomes in 2006, spending the first three years developing and perfecting the technology and design for zero carbon buildings. Their team worked with Allerdale Borough Council to design products that would meet building regulation standards predicted to be in place by 2016, - these will demand that new builds are zero carbon to run.  Four years ago they built the first prototype to meet the buildings regulations anticipated to be in effect in 2013 a bungalow on their manufacturing site from which they have learned a great deal.

Simon Astill said people thought we were crazy to specify a building to this standard, but the more stringent building regulations get, the more we are becoming very competitive it is a very solid foundation for the future.

The company is now busy designing, manufacturing, shipping and installing all types of buildings. Their first major project was a state of the art classroom extension at Haydon Bridge High School that has just about every educational renewable source going. It is currently the only zero carbon modular building in the UK - excellent for teaching, and it also includes a purpose built chicken incubator.

Simon explains The EnviroHomes philosophy has a fabric first approach which means you dont have to add as much renewable energy to achieve zero carbon running cost. One key product development they introduced is Vacupor Vacuum Insulation Panels a supreme insulation that can meet building regulations in just 15mm. It has the same insulation properties as far thicker products like Kingspan and Rockwool, but is easier to install in old or listed buildings.

Simon said Initially we imported it to use on a specific job, then the manufacturer inspected us before inviting us to be their only UK accredited supplier. Space is worth a lot so it is a premium product and ideal for conservation and renovation projects.

Since 2008, EnviroHomes has received business support from WCDA through the EOSCP, Simon added. We are grateful for the help we have received from the supply chain - both with financial and consultancy support on a regular basis. Geoff Chandler provided help with grant funding applications to help us get a new Loft Pod concept off the ground, but over the years he has also helped us organise our way forward and provided a great sounding board for our ideas.

Their first Loft Pod project was to design, build and install a Loft Pod for East Midlands Housing Association on an extremely short turnaround, less than 4 weeks from initial enquiry to installation. The entire loft extension was built undercover from their manufacturing premises in Aspatria, creating a fully finished loft space that only needed connecting by a single electrical cable. This project was the first of its kind for the Association and EnviroHomes so there was a level of tension and anticipation when the pod swung into place on completion, the Housing Association Project Manager Tarrif Javid said it fitted better than a bespoke Saville Row suit.

Simon Astill says The beauty of this concept is that the pods and extensions are all manufactured undercover and then delivered to site for installation. It means tradesmen are not interrupted by bad weather which makes a huge difference in winter. It is very dramatic to watch, but with cramped space and hectic lives, we can see why it has grown in popularity in the south and around London so quickly.

This form of extended space costs 5-10 more, but it has become popular because of the vastly reduced time on site and the speed in which it all happens. Normally a loft extension could take 6-8 weeks these pods are installed and other work on the house completed in less than a week, dramatically cutting time and disruption.

The company has worked with B&Q whos ECO HOME was filmed during installation. It is featured on the www.loft-pod.co.uk website which was recently developed with support from the EOSCP 

Geoff Chandler from WCDAs EOSCP said This is just the type of business that we wish to see flourish on Britains Energy Coast.  Businesses need to innovate and diversify into markets outside of West Cumbria and EnviroHomes are a prime example of this.  We are pleased to be working with them through our Energy Opportunities Supply Chain project and delighted to see such positive results.

EnviroHomes are currently working on a large domestic extension in Keswick, where several modules which will all be transported compete to the site. It is the first of its kind in the county. Each module will be 3.3metres wide thats the maximum width we can get down the lane!  It will more than double the size of the home and will make the extension carbon neutral to run with solar panels, air source heat pump and under floor heating.

Whilst this new technology has not been quick to catch on in Cumbria, there are great opportunities for the future. Nationally only 15 of homes are defined as hard to treat with insulation in Cumbria that leaps to 33. With products like Vacupor, more old Cumbrian homes can be insulated, and new extensions built that reduce the UK Carbon footprint thanks to innovation and manufacture in Cumbria.

Simon Astill is very positive about the future. We are getting a lot of good enquiries for extensions across Wales, London, Southampton, Harrogate and the North East. Theres certainly a bright start for us in 2012.

For more information about how the Energy Opportunity Supply Chain Project can support your business, contact WCDA on 01900 65656.

For more details of EnviroHomes contact Simon Astill or Karen Mitchell on 01228 575080 or visit www.envirohomes.co.uk and www.loft-pod.co.uk and www.vacuum-panels.co.uk