Thinking about a career change? Think care. Think ECL

As a profession that isn’t discussed enough but is critical to the wellbeing of the nation, ECL understands the importance of the carer and how we need to help erase common misconceptions and promote this rewarding career opportunity.

ECL, the Care & Wellbeing Company, has a broad range of services offering different career opportunities, caring for those with learning and physical disabilities, elderly customers, and those in need of extra support to regain their independence around the home and community.

With customer and community wellbeing being at the foundation of our working model, ECL ensures that all roles within the organisation have the customer in mind, from managerial through to front line staff.

At ECL, we are firm believers that in order to provide the very best service to our customers, it is essential to invest in our staff. We have specially designed training programmes that allow our employees to not only develop at the beginning of their career with ECL, but flourish throughout.

A career in community care services is not only incredibly rewarding but you will be making a positive impact on those who need it the most;caring for the safety and wellbeing of an individual. So why not consider starting your career in care, today.

If you’re interested in working for one of the leading social care services in the UK, please visit www.ecljobs.com. 

Customers and staff celebrate exciting change to ECL

This month, customers from our Basildon and Harlow Wellbeing Hubs celebrated our rebrand in style, inviting friends and family down to the Hubs to spread the news of our transformation to ECL, the new Care & Wellbeing Company – a leading elderly care service provider.

Harlow kicked off the events with a pirate themed partywhere staff and customers were swashbucklers for the day; proudly clad head to toe in skull emblazoned garments, a wave of eye patches and uncountable (plastic!) cutlasses plunging into the delicious and very much appropriately branded, ECL celebration cake.

Customers were seen walking the plank, the brink of brain freeze from an ice-cream eating competition as well as hoopla and other activities.

Ashleigh Wellbeing Hub followed on with the excitement by hosting a tea and cake party at the Barley Twist Diner, offering a range of delectable homemade treats to the local community who attended that day. The staff at the centre really pulled together and delivered an exceptional event, thinking of every detail to really impress.

Guests were able to get a feel of what the centre delivers on a daily basis through tours around the Hub, seeing the customers in action with a range of engaging activities.

 The Hub really came to life with not only the beautiful customer artwork that flooded the walls, but with the buzz of activity all around the centre.

A huge thank you to everyone who made the celebrations happen!

Take a look at the coverage received:

(can be found atW:\Essex Cares\Marketing and Comms TEAM\Nicola\EC coverage\August 2015)

‘For further information about our Wellbeing Hubs please visit https://www.ecl.org/in-the-community/wellbeing-activity-centres/’

ISLAND's fortunes soar after troubled beginnings

The building formerly known as IYLO may have faced a tough start in life - famously so, from the perspective of many local residents - but it is now fulfilling its promise after finally being completed and rebranded as ISLAND.

Work was first started on the building seven years ago, but construction is now finally done and residents have been moving in. The 20-storey tower offers London living without the price tag that you might expect from such a facility, with a host of well-appointed one, two and three-bedroom apartments.

Each of ISLAND's apartments and penthouses offers either a terrace or balcony. Floor-to-ceiling windows in each of them offer exceptional views of one of the world's truly great cities. Those heading down to ground level are able to explore and unwind in idyllic landscaped gardens, and residents are only a few steps away from West and East Croydon stations. Public transports links are numerous, so you can get to wherever you need to be whether you're travelling by bus, train or tram.

The complex is situated just steps away from Central Croydon, which offers a host of exciting shops, restaurants, bars, live music venues, theatres and cinemas. Although ISLAND didn't have the greatest start when it still known as IYLO, construction gathered pace a few years ago and the complex has now been unveiled and opened its doors to residents.

Progress was initially halted when the previous owner went into administration, but the new team in charge has brought genuinely secure funding, along with a determination to fulfil ISLAND's destiny as one of the most sought-after places to live in the capital.

The completed ISLAND comprises 183 luxurious penthouses and apartments, as well as a standard-raising lobby and reception area. Like the area it is situated in, ISLAND is ready to move onto bigger and better things after changing its image remarkably. Croydon was once seen as one of the most run-down and undesirable areas of London, prior to the significant amount of investment that it has received in recent years.

The town is now home to a number of the world's most prominent tech firms. In 2017, it will also become the home of a brand new, high-profile shopping centre, designed to be among the most impressive in the UK. It all means that when one moves into a new ISLAND apartment or penthouse, they can look forward to a luxurious and rewarding lifestyle, both now and for years into the future as the locality's fortunes continue to rise with those of the one-time IYLO. 

The former IYLO brings a luxury London lifestyle within reach

In any setting, the sleek, 20-storey ISLAND building would be quite the sight. It could be in the most sought-after district of Dubai or the most in-demand corner of New York City and still turn heads. That's on account of such astonishing design features as its elliptical plan consisting of two equal halves appearing to 'slide' past each other, the jaw-dropping double-height entrance lobby and serene water-fountain communal garden.

However, the structure appeals for reasons other than its own impressive internal and external specification. That's because this building was once called IYLO, and since the beginning of its construction, was intended to make luxurious living attainable for a wider audience of prospective residents of what is, after all, a very special city. That city is none less than London, one of the world's most formidable and thriving metropolises.

So many reasons abound to make London your home. This is a city that offers a universe of opportunity on your doorstep, a city in which you can dine in the very finest of fine restaurants, discover world-renowned artistic treasures 'in the flesh' or scream in ecstasy as an attendee of concerts and festivals simply unparalleled elsewhere in their importance and excitement. It is also, of course, a place to realise all of your most treasured career dreams.

In short, London is the complete city. Whether one is taking in any of the endless parks and gardens - such as Hyde Park or Kensington Gardens - that make it a surprising green lung, or instead making the most of landmarks like Buckingham Palace or the London Eye, it's clear that this is a part of the world where there is always something to see, do and hear.

However, there's also nothing quite like being able to return from all of this stimulation to the most hospitable abode - one featuring everything from engineered wooden flooring and opulent underfloor heating to white sanitary ware throughout the bathroom and a living/kitchen area fully equipped with the highest quality integrated appliances. Such luxury is all the more to be savoured when it is available at a genuinely affordable price.

So popular a city is London, that such a proposition is like gold dust in this city - and yet, it does exist, in the form of the recently-completed ISLAND penthouse and apartment building. Formerly IYLO and a project that was subject to successive unfortunate delays, the structure is now a finished reality, and it won't be long before each and every one of its temptingly-priced living spaces has been snapped up.

Croydon's surprising architectural heritage now being added to by the ex-IYLO building

London is, of course, a repository for some of Western civilisation's very greatest buildings. Anyone who is even casually quizzed on the rich architectural inheritance of this global metropolis can reel off the names of structures of iconic status the world over, from the Tower of London and London Eye to Tate Modern and Battersea Power Station.

However, rather less is said of the buildings that predominate in one of the capital's most unsung corners, Croydon, and even when conversation does turn to that area of south London, it so often turns to stereotypes, of dull 1960s office blocks and angular shopping centres, dotted between roads suffering from choking congestion.

Not only do so many people seem to forget how much of Croydon's architecture predates the post-industrialised 20th century, but the same seems to apply for the fresh influx of construction that is rapidly bringing forth a very different Croydon. Such perceptions have contributed to this part of the ever in-demand English capital remaining relatively un-gentrified compared to those areas of a similar history - but this cannot remain the case for much longer.

It certainly can't remain the case for as long as such a remarkable new addition to the Croydon skyline as the former IYLO building exists. From whichever angle one views this sleek 20-storey tower in the heart of Croydon, it truly merits that adjective - "remarkable". One might most admire the structure's decidedly 21st century elliptical plan, consisting of two equal halves that appear to slide past each other.

Alternatively, it may be the inside of the building that most strikes the observer - its sophisticated lobby and reception area, perhaps, or the well-planned apartments and penthouses themselves, with their plentiful natural light. What cannot be denied, is that the erstwhile IYLO building befits a tradition of surprisingly beautiful Croydon architecture. Such a tradition stretches back to the likes of the English Gothic Croydon Minster and the Old Town Hall, and continues through to Fairfield Halls and the Saffron Square luxury apartment development.

The former IYLO building - now rebranded ISLAND - takes its proud place in Croydon as the town looks to celebrate its rejuvenation this decade. Most astonishingly of all, some ISLAND penthouses and apartments remain available - but are sure to be snapped up as word gets round of Croydon's new architectural giant.

TMC, truly proving that 'Content is King'

Content is so central today to providing your company with the strongest possible online presence - one that generates the right interest and with it, the right revenue. However, the wider field of content marketing is also a fiendishly difficult one to navigate, such a vast range of subcategories is there to consider. That is why, as an ambitious business owner, you may engage the services of a reputable content marketing agency like The Marketing Café.

In some ways, it might seem to be the sheer breadth of content marketing expertise that most distinguishes TMC from the competition. We do, after all, not only offer services in video production in London and Scotland, conceiving videos to make the desired impact on your target audience while also making the most of the medium's relevance to modern Internet users, but we are also a dab hand in such fields as web development, magazines and creative marketing.

Whatever aspect of content marketing you require assistance with, we won't just provide that assistance - we'll devise the perfect campaign for you, built around you and your own organisation's most specific requirements. We were established in 2003, and have gained considerable renown since then for our use of the most innovative content marketing techniques for the development of all manner of client brands.

However, TMC isn't even just about content marketing. We are also routinely contacted by clients requiring our knowhow in such other creative disciplines as website development, branding, advertising and product packaging design. Our team truly knows how to make magic happen, consisting of talented, hardworking and straight talking designers, video editors, filmmakers, copywriters, producers and video FX artists who apply no shortage of skill and innovation to each and every project.

None of this would be possible if we didn't also possess the right ethos - one that prizes the utmost in passion, style and commitment. These basic principles allow us to consistently wander off the beaten track in our creativity, in the knowledge that they will also bring us consistent success. Our clients would seem to agree, not least given how wide-ranging they are. Although our work is especially valued in the luxury hotel and estate agency sectors, we've also catered for the likes of manufacturing and professional services clients.

Such ingredients have all helped to make us a force far beyond mere video production in London. Talk to TMC today about making us your first choice content marketing specialist.

The former IYLO makes a valuable addition to the London skyline

London's 'skyline living' is something to which so many people aspire, but that rather few people actually achieve. With the gentrification of even the most previously unsung parts of the English capital continuing apace, even many of those from both the United Kingdom and further afield who have aspired to a London lifestyle have often been forced to look further and further out from the centre of the city - to housing developments like the one-time IYLO.

Croydon is certainly one part of London that has not always had the most alluring image. However, this image has not necessarily ever been indicative of the reality. Croydon, after all, is the part of London that gained considerable popularity as a pleasant, leafy residential suburb for the Victorian middle classes, following the arrival of the railway here earlier in the 19th century. Indeed, Croydon today retains its importance as a travel hub for the rest of the city.

Even in much more distant times than that, Croydon had its architectural delights. From the Grade I listed Whitgift Hospital almshouses and Croydon Minster to the Grade II listed West Croydon Baptist Church and the Grant's building on the High Street, this large South London town has long boasted esteemed structures. This continued into the 20th and 21st centuries with the construction of the likes of the 24-storey NLA Tower - now No. 1 Croydon - in 1970, as well as the large Centrale shopping centre, which opened in 2004.

Croydon, then, has a formidable architectural heritage, but far from a museum, it is also a living, breathing and thriving part of London, serving up plenty of educational, employment and recreational opportunities across its many schools, restaurants, bars, clubs, art galleries, leisure venues and blue chip companies. Despite all of these benefits, however, Croydon also remains a very affordable place to live compared to so much of the rest of the capital.

That is not set to remain the case for many years longer. With such ambitious developments in the pipeline as a new Westfield shopping centre that will be Europe's largest shopping mall when it opens in a few years' time, house prices here are sure to spiral, locking out those who hesitated to seize on their London property ownership dream. In short, now is the time to buy or rent in Croydon - and there can be no better accommodation to invest in than the ex-IYLO.

IYLO is the previous name of the elegant 20-storey tower now known as ISLAND. The specification of its luxury penthouses and apartments is truly impressive, encompassing everything from bathrooms with white sanitary ware throughout, to kitchen/living areas with widespread multimedia network cabling and chrome-plated taps.

These are apartments and penthouses that offer the highest standard of London living for a far-from-London-sized price tag, and with construction of the building almost complete, prospective buyers must act fast to snap up the few that remain available.

ISLAND finally open for viewings after a long and difficult birth

It may not be appropriate to exactly describe the ISLAND building - formerly IYLO in Croydon - as "fashionably late", given the very real pain of the very real setbacks that the project encountered during its protracted construction. Anyone who has read the local Croydon media over the last few years will be aware of the stop-start nature of IYLO's building process, which has finally recently concluded.

The scale of those setbacks certainly cannot be downplayed, but nor can the difficulty of avoiding them for those overseeing the IYLO project at the time. This elegant glass structure, towering some 20 storeys above Croydon's streets, was always a project of great promise for those from around the United Kingdom and the world who aspired to a luxury London lifestyle at an affordable price. However, for a time, it looked like a dream that would never be realised.

With Summer 2012 having been the initially intended completion date, construction was going well until 2009, when the wider global economic collapse also accelerated the slide into administration of HBOS, which had been funding IYLO up to that point. Construction did recommence in late 2010, but then, in the middle of 2011 - with the international economic recovery still fragile - the building company itself entered administration.

These were immense obstacles that might have led to the permanent mothballing of many residential projects, but that did not prove the case for IYLO in Croydon. The building was subsequently delivered safely into the hands of new owners Regency Homes Ltd and construction was able to begin again, and this time, the coast was clear for the long-delayed completion of work. By the end of 2014, with many of its penthouses and apartments already reserved, the former IYLO - now rechristened ISLAND - could finally say goodbye to the construction cranes and swing open its doors.

Every aspect of the finished building, in fact - not merely the doors - is impressive. With the final specification including everything from a stunning double-height entrance lobby and water-fountain communal garden to engineered wooden flooring, underfloor heating and supremely well-appointed living/kitchen, bedroom and bathroom areas, one would have never guessed that ISLAND had undergone such a painful birth.

That's a hugely positive sign as the building looks forward to a long and successful presence in Croydon, powering forward the regeneration of the wider neighbourhood while also providing the most comfortable living quarters for residents in the here and now. Those interested in the final few available ISLAND apartments and penthouses are urged to get in touch swiftly if they are not to miss this golden opportunity of an attainable - but exciting - London life.

The ex-IYLO building and Fairfield Halls: natural bedfellows

It is often said that some things are both well worth a long wait and worth enjoying slowly, and both of these characteristics can certainly be applied to the former IYLO building and Fairfield Halls - both landmarks of Croydon, a true up-and-coming destination in its own right thanks to a host of existing attractions, things to do and regeneration initiatives.

The IYLO building sadly became synonymous with failed dreams and urban neglect as a result of events that the circumstances of the late 2000s economic slowdown made extremely difficult to avoid. Today, that structure is an impressive sight, its sleek glass frontage towering some 20 storeys, its two equal halves 'sliding' past each other to produce a glint in the emerging New Year sunlight.

The finished project, also featuring an incredible double-height entrance lobby, serene water-fountain communal garden, engineered wooden flooring, matt finish walls and extensive multimedia network cabling on the inside, is a far cry from the sad, half-finished structure left after the administrations of the funding source, HBOS in 2009 and then the construction company in 2011.

Whereas the former IYLO building - now proudly rechristened ISLAND - had a short, but chequered past that blossomed into a 'Happy ever after' story, the Fairfield Halls arts and entertainment venue in close vicinity to it has enjoyed a long and continuously illustrious history. Having first opened in 1962, it has hosted a true who's who of British and international show business.

Such luminaries of the entertainment world have included everyone from Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Morrissey and a-ha to Genesis, Pink Floyd, The Who and The Beatles. It was also Fairfield Halls where Traffic recorded a live album, Family recorded the first half of their Anyway album and Morecambe and Wise filmed their live stage act for the first and only time.

But crucially, neither the one-time IYLO building or Fairfield Halls are mere products of their past. The Halls, for instance, continue to serve up such major acts as Elkie Brooks, Tim Vine, Alan Carr and the Commodores, while the elegant tower now known as ISLAND has seen its luxurious penthouses and apartments snapped up in double-quick time, many of them long before the formal completion of construction in November 2014.

The erstwhile IYLO building and Fairfield Halls are therefore both very much fixtures of the present day treasure that is Croydon, with both awaiting your appreciation if you choose to purchase or rent one of the glass structure's sleek penthouses or apartments.