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Big hearted Stansted staff have taken "our boys" to their hearts by supporting the Help for Heroes campaign.　

BAA staff have voted to scrap corporate Christmas cards this year, and instead donate the money to the charity. This is on top of raising over £2,000 with a raffle and donating £500 to a craft group making duvetsfor wounded soldiers. The combined total of their efforts so far standsat more than £4,000.　　

Terminal General Manager Neale Jouques OBE, formerly a Lieutenant Colonel with the Royal Logistic Corps in Afghanistan said:　　"Our troops do an amazing job around the world and we must never forget that. Staff at Stansted have been raising money for Help for Heroes fora while now because it is very close to their hearts, with many having either served in the Armed Forces or with friends and relatives involved. We are proud to be doing our bit for such a worthy cause."　　

Stansted Security Officer, Heather Stevens, who formerly served with the Expeditionary Forces Institute (EFI) providing NAAFI facilities in war zones, first got involved in Help for Heroes by collecting old uniform shirts for needleworkers to turn into patchwork quilts.　　These quilts have been provided to patients at Hedley Court, the Armed Forces rehabilitation centre in Surrey.   In recent weeks, with the support of colleagues, she organised an airport-wide raffle which raised over £2,000 for the centre.　　"Companies and staff across the airport have been so generous indonating prizes and buying tickets," she said. "There really is overwhelming support at the airport for the Help for Heroes campaign."

Radisson SAS Hotel London Stansted Airport, has this week changed its name to Radisson Blu Hotel, London Stansted Airport. This renaming is part of a total brand change of name, which includes seeing all UK hotels currently flying the Radisson SAS flag becoming Radisson Blu.

The change of name follows the announcement earlier this year that Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts was being rebranded as Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts. The small, but significant name change marks the latest step forward in the Radisson SAS success story and reflects the natural end of Radisson’s links with the SAS Group following Rezidor’s IPO back in November 2006.

The Stantsted hotel joins the other UK Radisson SAS hotels in becoming Radisson Blu, in addition to three properties that joined the portfolio earlier this year, opening as Radisson Blu hotels in Bristol, Brighton and Cardiff.

Radisson SAS was created in 1994 when SAS International Hotels (SIH) joined forces with the Radisson brand for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The resultant new, highly individual hotel brand grew rapidly and won a world class reputation for innovation, design and service concepts: many more recent Radisson SAS hotels, including the Stansted hotel, are “new breeds” – contemporary flagship properties with iconic architecture and bold design solutions – that have become increasingly synonymous with the brand.

Jens Hallman, General Manager, Radisson Blu Hotel, London Stantsted Airport said: “We are extremely proud to hoist the Radisson Blu flag and our new Radisson Blu signage outside the hotel. We will be celebrating our new name over the coming weeks with our guests and suppliers, so look out for lots of Blu themed promotions, special offers and events over the coming weeks.”

Earlier this year Gordon McKinnon, Rezidor’s Executive Vice President of Brands, revealed that the name Blu emerged as the most natural choice from Rezidor’s intensively researched quest to find the right new visual differentiator to replace the familiar SAS ‘blue box’.

“The name Blu started life as the project’s working title. But it soon became apparent that it was actually the most natural of choices. It’s simple, it’s short, it’s relevant and we’ve applied it in a way that adds a certain modernity to the identity without taking it too far,” he said. “Most importantly it also promotes our specific brand heritage by preserving the graphic ‘blue box’ which has become the recognised symbol of the distinctive characteristics of the Radisson brand in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Radisson Blu preserves the continuity of our unique brand, while taking it that one essential step forward to more accurately represent its true position and future ambitions.”

A coalition of aviation representatives, including BAA Stansted, has today (Wednesday, October 7) launched an initiative to cut aircraft noise, emissions and improve local air quality at airports.

The new Departures Code of Practice promotes how aircraft can taxi to and from the runway with less than all engines operating, leading to significant reductions in ground noise, CO2 and NOx emissions, depending on aircraft type and operator techniques.

Welcoming the publication of the new guidance, Dr Andy Jefferson, Stansted Airport’s head of environment, said:

“It's really great news that a new interim departures code of practice has been agreed. I'm particularly delighted as we have helped lead the trialling of this new technique here at Stansted, working very closely with easyJet, so it's very pleasing to see all our hard work coming to fruition.

 “We have already enjoyed significant success with a similar collaborative approach when we developed and subsequently updated the arrivals code of practice, which has led to the introduction of continuous descent approaches at Stansted. I believe this next step will help build on that excellent work, maintain our forward momentum and is further evidence of our commitment to explore new and innovative ways to address the industry's environmental impacts.

 “I also believe the collaborative approach the aviation industry has adopted is the best and most practical way forward. Working together as an industry, we are all able to fully focus on the wide range of issues and challenges the sector faces as we look to satisfy future passenger demand for air travel while at the same time achieving our aim to reduce aircraft noise impacts and meet  aviation's commitment is to reduce CO2 emissions from aircraft by 50% by 2050 compared to 2005 levels.

 “To this end, and to fully utilise the experience and knowledge of all the local participants in the coalition, we’ve now established the Stansted Aircraft Emissions Working Group which has been tasked to determine how the Stansted airlines might best use the recommendations made in this code of practice.”

The Code has been produced by a group representing airlines, airports, air traffic control, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and ADS – the UK’s aerospace, defence and security trade body.

George Hutton, easyjet’s pilot manager at Stansted, said:

"easyJet has invested billions in the latest technology to make sure that we operate one of the cleanest, youngest and most fuel efficient fleets in the industry - the average age of our aircraft is just 3.4 years.

"We’ve been working in collaboration with Stansted Airport’s environment team for three years to explore noise and emissions saving strategies. As a result of this work, single-engine taxiing is now part of easyJet’s Standard Operating Procedures almost everywhere we fly to. Airlines adopting this procedure could see reductions in ground emissions of up to 30% and a taxi fuel saving of up to 40% depending on aircraft type and operator techniques."

Manor of Groves Ltd is pleased to announce the purchase of the elegant Shendish Manor Hotel.  

Shendish Manor Hotel is situated in 160 acres of beautiful parkland in Apsley, near Hemel Hempstead. The purchase of Shendish Manor Hotel ensures that Manor of Groves Ltd is at the forefront of Hertfordshire hospitality. 

Both the Manor of Groves Hotel, Golf & Country Club in High Wych, Sawbridgeworth and Shendish Manor feature traditional elegance, state of the art conference facilities, and a championship golf course.  The picturesque grounds, exquisite dining options and high level of service make them two of the most sought after wedding venues in Hertfordshire. 

Marisa Willingham – Strategy and Development Manager said “This exciting purchase demonstrates the passion and determination of Manor of Groves Ltd in assisting the growth of tourism in the Hertfordshire area.  Shendish Manor perfectly complements the service levels and style of Manor of Groves. Whether visiting on business or visiting friends and family guests now have the choice of two stunning hotels” 

 www.shendish-manor.com    www.manorofgroves.com