​A vital community fundraising event is due to run as smooth as silk thanks to the generous support of a London tech firm.
 
WM Reply, expertsin enhancing collaborative tools and business systems platforms for large organisations, will be supporting Notting Hill Genesis’ (made up of Notting Hill Housing and Genesis Housing Association) ‘A5 Show’. The firm will do this by providing their technical services free of charge to ensure the exhibition’s website, which will enable people to purchase the different artworks, runs smoothly.
 
The community exhibition gives creative residents and staff the chance to have their work displayed alongside professional artists, with all items displayed anonymously until it is purchased for the set price of £50. All proceeds from the sale of artworks will go towards The Tenant Hardship fund, which supports the most vulnerable tenants living in Notting Hill Genesis communities.
 
With the majority of artworks expected to be purchased through the dedicated website, it was vital for Notting Hill Genesis to be sure the system would not fail. So when the opportunity came, they gladly accepted the specialist services of WM Reply to stress test the online portal free of charge – a service that would normally have cost thousands.
 
Richard Acreman, Partner at WM Reply, said:
 
“The Resident Art Show is a fantastic event showcasing the creativity of the community it also aims to help. It’s an honour for us to be part of such a worthy cause, so we were just happy to help in whatever way we could.”
 
Mandy Worster, volunteer programme manager for Notting Hill Genesis, said: 
 
“Everyone involved is really looking forward to the A5 Show and giving our extremely talented residents the chance to display their work to a wider audience. Having a website we know works well and can help us raise money for such a good cause is vital, and we are extremely grateful to WM Reply for becoming one of our sponsors and providing such an important and efficient service.”
 
The community exhibition will take place at the Koppel Gallery in High Holborn, London and run from Thursday 29 November – Friday 21 December 2018.

​A Chester tech firm has been announced as the sponsor of a local developer’s group for the third year running. 
 
WM Reply, which specialises in enhancing collaborative tools and business systems platforms for large organisations is proud to announce it is the sponsor of the tech community group for 2018/2019.
 
Chester Devs is a not for profit community group for over 1,000 developers in the region, providing free monthly events for its members to learn new skills, keep up with technology, best practice and network. It has proven an important forum for those working in the city’s tech scene, something WM Reply wanted to acknowledge and support.
 
Through their financial sponsorship of the group, WM Reply have also been invited to speak at one or more of the events held throughout the year, which will also be streamed live via the group’s YouTube channel.
 
Cathy Taylor, who heads up the WM Reply team in Chester, said:
 
“Chester Devs has played a key part in the development of a strong and thriving tech scene in and around Chester. As a company which places importance on investing in the local tech community, sponsoring Chester Devs was a real no-brainer.”
 
Fran Hoey, the founder of the community tech group said:
 
“We’ve grown a lot since we first started in 2012, but one of the most important things for me was for Chester Devs to be free of charge. Thanks to WM Reply’s sponsorship this is still possible.”
 
This latest news follows the company’s relocation of their Chester office from Crook Street to One City Place, and an ongoing recruitment drive which has already seen a number of recent appointments to the team based there.

​A start-up app created to help people meditate has announced a series of workshops which will raise money for an international music charity.
 
Third Ear, which is the first app to use sound to invoke a meditative, mindful state in its users, is the creation of Leo Cosendai, the Swiss-born meditation expert now based in London.
 
The young entrepreneur, already a celebrated sound meditation teacher, created the app to allow users to access the benefits of his teaching wherever they are. To help promote the launch of the new app, Third Ear are holding a series of immersive events in partnership with Ministry of Sound. 
 
Leo said: “This series of events are a fantastic opportunity for anyone curious to experience sound not as a way of entertainment but as a way of self-entrainment.
 
“Whether you are experienced or completely new to meditation and mindfulness does not matter in the slightest for physical posture and silence are not part of the equation. In fact, it is not uncommon to see first timers come out of the room stunned.” 
 
As well as offering members of the public the chance to sample the benefits of sound mediation first-hand, Third Ear have also pledged 20% of the price of each ticket sold to London based charity Music as Therapy International.
 
Music as Therapy International are a UK-registered charity who believe passionately in the power of music to make the most of people’s potential, overcoming obstacles such as disability, trauma and mental illness. Their unique approach sees them train care staff to use simple music therapy techniques and musical activities, providing them with resources and professional support to make sustainable change.
 
Alexia Quin, founder and director of the music charity said, “We would like to thank Leo and Third Ear for their incredible gesture of support. The money raised will help us bring the benefits of music into the lives of vulnerable children and adults across the UK and around the world.”
 
The first Third Ear event will be held on 17 July, and then from September onwards on a monthly basis on the third Tuesday of each month. Tickets cost £20 per person and are available from SeeTickets.com. The Third Ear app is free to download on iOS, with a new version coming out on both iOS and Android in September 2018.