Father Christmas, snowmen, snowflakes, robins, Christmas trees, and even a festive dachshund came to work today – all in aid of charity.

At Chrisbeon we aim to support our community in as many ways as we can, but we also like to support communities nationally and internationally – and what better way to enter into the Christmas season than by donning some wonderful woolly jumpers in aid of Save the Children.

The Save the Children Christmas Jumper Day has been growing in popularity in recent years as more and more organisations take part. Everyone and anyone does their bit including many well-known faces.

Funds raised from the national charity drive all go towards helping improve the lives of children around the world. Projects supported have included giving youngsters access to books and learning in Rwanda, funding drugs to fight Pneumonia in Kenya, and helping Mexican families recover from devastating floods.

For just £2 each we invited staff to come to work in their fancy festive finery, and were delighted that so many chose to support the initiative. It seems for some, the wackier the jumper the better.

It’s a small thing for us to do, and we have a lot of laughs when we’re doing it, but it can make an enormous difference to children and families around the world.

For more information on the work of Save The Children, and to make additional donations visit www.christmasjumperday.org

Kelda Wood has set sail on her mammoth charity challenge to row single-handedly across the Atlantic. She has launched her boat, Stormy Petrel, from the Canary Islands as part of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge – and we will be following her epic journey all the way.

We are proud to be one of the sponsors of Kelda’s Row to Raise challenge which has the goal of inspiring young adults facing physical and mental trauma and raise £50,000 for her charity Climbing Out.

It’s called the World’s Toughest Row and just to highlight how tough it is we thought we would give you a few facts about the challenge ahead, listed on the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge website https://www.taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com – which is also where you can access the live tracker and see how the challengers are doing!

It really is a daunting prospect and we have nothing but admiration for all those taking part. It’s not the first time Kelda has put her body on the line to raise money for her Climbing Out charity but this 3,000-mile endurance marathon is mind-blowing to the majority of us.

During the trip Kelda will be rowing each day for a different young person, sharing their stories and links to relevant charities and organisations that provide support on Facebook and Twitter.

It’s an amazing effort and we couldn’t be more proud to be a part of it. We send Kelda and all of those taking part our best wishes and hopes for a trouble-free voyage.

For more about Row to Raise, visit www.rowtoraise.com and for more information about Kelda’s Climbing Out charity, visit https://climbingout.org.uk/.

You can donate on her Just Giving page and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

A need to be more health conscious is being drummed into us on a seemingly daily basis – with diets and exercise top of the list.

We may think we know what action is needed in our own time to remain healthy but it isn’t always that easy to do the right thing in the workplace.

Our job is going to dictate how we spend the working day and that could mean standing for long periods without sitting down . . . or sitting for long periods without standing. Either way it can mean problems.

Remaining seated for any length of time isn’t good, nor is it recommended, and if the chair you’re calling home for eight or more hours a day is poor, then it’s making a bad situation worse. We feel it’s important to raise these issues and we are highlighting five problems brought on by sitting:

There are things that you can do to limit the problems: Get your posture right, set your desk up in a way that will best benefit your body, make sure you have the correct chair with the appropriate support and ensure you take regular breaks during the course of the day.

We may have to spend a large part of our day at work but we can make sure we get through it in the most comfortable and healthy way possible!

It’s very important for you to get the right advice when you are thinking of buying quality office furniture and here at Chrisbeon we believe we have some of the best sales professionals in the industry.

Melanie Taylor, Chrisbeon, Sales Manager, staffOur team has just been strengthened by the addition of Melanie Taylor who has a wealth of experience in sales and will be helping customers and clients at our Telford showroom to come to the right decisions about what best works for them.

Melanie has already visited a couple of our furniture manufacturers to see how things are made and is coming up to speed with the way we operate and the extensive range of products we offer.

We are delighted to welcome her to our team, adding to the pool of talent we are immensely proud of.

Melanie, of Bridgnorth, said she is delighted to be part of the team at Chrisbeon. She said:

“It’s been a good start and there is lots to learn but I am really enjoying the challenge of my new role as Sales Manager.

“Before taking this job I was working as a portrait photographer, a brilliant job but involved lots of weekends so I needed the change and was thrilled at the prospect of getting back into sales.

“I previously spent 10 years working in sales so have a wealth of experience to draw on. I believe I can bring my creativity, knowledge of fabrics and colour awareness to my new role to benefit the company and our customers.

“I am working in our showroom and will be a first point of contact for visitors and potential new clients. Every day is different, I’m excited by the possibilities and look forward to helping people come to the right decision when it comes to choosing their office furniture.”

Melanie is based in the Telford branch of Chrisbeon and is on hand to talk about how Chrisbeon can help with your office needs.

Contact us at sales@chrisbeon.co.uk or call us on 01952 292606.

Sit-stand desks are becoming increasingly popular in the workplace and there is no doubt many people are making the switch after considering the undoubted benefits to their health and wellbeing.

Sitting at a desk all day has a detrimental effect on a healthy lifestyle and it is recommended people spend at least two hours a day, and preferably more, on their feet. Reports show the longer you stay seated the greater the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, obesity and anxiety.

Productivity is also a key benefit, as shown in a recent report in the British Medical Journal.

Here at Chrisbeon we have a range of height-adjustable sit-stand desks which allows varying the working day between the sitting and standing position. Some are manual controlled, some have counterbalance control and others are electric.

Feedback from our customers say sit-stand desks increase alertness, fights fatigue and leads to greater productivity.

Craig Marston is the founder and director of Ke-design, an architectural services company with bases in Oswestry and Shrewsbury. Craig opted for one of our sit-stand desks and here is what he had to say:

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“I wanted the desk initially because of the benefits of standing over sitting all day.

As an architectural designer I am constantly having clients or colleagues in my office to chat about projects on the computer screen. At a normal desk while sat down people would be peering over the shoulder making it uncomfortable.

“My personal office is small so there isn’t enough space for people to pull up a couple of chairs. Now with the desk being in the stand-up position three people can stand around it talking about a project. There is no need for a chair, so the office feels so much bigger.

“I have my computer on the desk so I purchased the computer cradle and monitor arms so that I don’t have monitor stands on the desk, giving more desk space which I need when drawing sketch schemes.

“The cradle and the desk in the elevated position also means more accessible floor space for filing. Not sitting in a chair means I don’t need to struggle to get up to go to the photocopier.

“When I first got the desk, being in the elevated position it reminded me of being at Uni when I got my first computer. Being in student accommodation I simply put my architects drawing board level and put the computer on it.

“Since purchasing the desk I’ve had consultants come in and say ‘I need one of those’. Certainly, if you want a big desk in a small space it gives you more room.

“I have also purchased a ‘wobbly stool’ (or balance stool) which is good for your core muscles and posture, so if I do get tired of standing I perch on the stool and adjust the desk height to suit.”

“Initially, I called into Chrisbeon in Shrewsbury where they had a sit-stand desk on display. They suggested I visit their Telford showroom as they had more on display.

I actually ended up messing up my own order, but they were very happy to put it right.”

The news has come as no surprise to us at Chrisbeon that standing desks boost productivity, we have been shouting about the benefits for some time and have seen a huge increase in interest from businesses and individuals who want to give them a try.

A study carried out by the University of Leicester discovered 52% of people using standing desks over a year felt more engaged at work, while 43% of those who swapped from the more traditional sitting to standing desks said their performance in the workplace had improved.

The research, which was published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), followed 146 NHS staff who had previously spent the majority of their day sitting down, with 69 continuing to be seated at work and 77 being given sit-stand office desks.

After a year, it was discovered that those using the sit-stand desks had reduced their sitting time by more than one hour every day.

We already knew that medical research has suggested constantly sitting down at work leads to health problems – particularly cardiovascular and a heightened vulnerability to diabetes. Now it appears we have evidence of a path to a healthier lifestyle.

Here at Chrisbeon we have a range of height-adjustable sit-stand desks which allows varying the working day between the sitting and standing position. Some are manually controlled, some have counterbalance control and others are electric.

Feedback from our customers has been extremely positive and they say sit-stand desks have made a big difference to their working day.

There is no doubt more and more people are turning to the sit-standing desk as an alternative option to being rooted to the sitting position for hours and hours each day. It is recommended that people spend at least two hours a day on their feet and preferably more to foster a healthier lifestyle.

The benefits to health and well-being appear clear and now we have some invaluable research which goes a long way to supporting this argument.

If a sit-stand desk helps to fight off fatigue, increases alertness and is beneficial to health it seems like a good idea to give it a go, doesn’t it?

Craig Marston, founder and director of Ke-design, an architectural services company with bases in Oswestry and Shrewsbury, recently added standing desks to his office and gave us his feedback on the difference it has made.

Read more about the studies here https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45819203

It can be a real pain but looking after your back is not something to be taken lightly. The tendency is to battle on regardless of the consequences and we often get away with it – until the time we don’t!

Lifting, sitting, standing, turning and twisting can all lead to back problems which can cause major difficulties, or make an existing situation much worse. That is why we thought we’d tell you about National BackCare Week which takes place from October 8-12.

It provides the ideal opportunity to think about how well you treat your back, highlights some of the causes of back pain and what you can do about it.

We see and hear from many people over the course of the year who call us or come into our showrooms for advice on what chair or desk best suits their needs and could help their particular back problem.

We have a range of products here which have helped people with back issues, and prevented others from getting them in the first place, and we encourage people to try out the products to ensure they are right for them.

We also offer a free back care chair trial service on our more expensive ranges to allow our business clients to try the chair before they invest in the product.

Back pain is one of the most prevalent conditions that can hit people over the age of 60, with many lower back pain causes attributed to psycho-social or physical changes associated with getting older.

During this week the BackCare charity will be raising awareness of the problems that can occur and providing information of the do’s and don’ts when it comes to taking care of your back, pain and pain management.

The charity says severe and chronic lower back pain increases with age and older people are more likely to develop conditions like osteoporotic vertebral fractures, tumours, spinal infection and lumbar spinal stenosis than those of a younger age.

We can’t stop you getting older but we can point you in the direction of the right desk, sit/standing desk or chair to ensure you are not spending your day in a crouched, unhealthy position.

It may delay the onset of back problems – or, hopefully, keep them at bay indefinitely.

For more about BackCare Awareness Week, visit http://backcare.org.uk

October sets the scene for National Work Life Week, an annual campaign that gets employers and employees talking about wellbeing at work.

This week is a great opportunity for many employers to show their employees – and potential new additions to the team – how their organisation works to be family friendly and flexible.

And we often find ourselves chatting with employers about the ways in which they can work towards this ever-growing culture.

The work/life balance has long been discussed and as technology moved forward, and we were able to complete our working tasks from laptops, tablets and mobile phones, flexible working policies were introduced in businesses across the country.

But often employers don’t realise how their office base can be impacted, and what can change, when it comes to flexible working.

If flexible working is brought in across the board companies can completely change their offices and layout – such as introducing a hot-desking room that allows for a large number of staff to use a reduced number of desks or having more comfortable surroundings with sofas and dens that people can use with their laptops rather than a more rigid setting.

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Big companies like Facebook have laptop holders outside the toilets as their workers are often carrying their laptop around to wherever they are comfortable!

We have seen an increase in open plan furniture and more comfortable working areas over the past few years – and our office designs will more often than not now include a lot of breakout space (you can see ideas of the types of furniture available above).

The benefits of having happy and content and comfortable employees is well documented and as well as the impact on the general business, and the productivity, is also means a company can be more attractive to the types of candidates they are hoping for when they advertise new roles.

National Work Life Week is run by Working Families, the UK’s work life balance charity, which has been supporting family friendly workplaces for nearly 40 years.

We imagine that 40 years ago having a career and a family would have been very different from today – and we are looking forward to helping more and more businesses turn their offices into the best place it can be for their employees!

We don’t know about you but we can’t wait for this year’s Shropshire Oktoberfest – and if it’s anywhere near as good as last year then we are all in for a massive treat!

The Shropshire Festivals team did a great job in organising the inaugural event last year and here at Chrisbeon we are proud to get behind them and support it in any way we can – we hope you will, too.

Shrewsbury is going to be THE place to be between October 5-7th with so many events being planned in The Quarry and around town. The best of local food and drink will be showcased, there is some amazing entertainment on offer and there really is something for everyone to enjoy over what promises to be a wonderful weekend.

What will you find at Shropshire Oktoberfest?

As a company that works with hundreds of businesses in Shropshire and beyond we find Shropshire Oktoberfest, like all the other wonderful events our county hosts, also provides a great opportunity for a catch-up with the business community … a chance to meet up and do some informal networking at one of Shropshire’s biggest events of the year.

We are really looking forward to Shropshire Oktoberfest and will be heading along to give the event our support over the weekend, why not make it a date yourself? We hope to see you there!

For more about Shropshire Oktoberfest and what you can see there, visit their website or visit their Facebook Page for a chance to win VIP tickets!

Whether you’re a new company looking to build their office space from scratch, or an existing firm needing a make-over, it can be tempting just to think in terms of practicalities – how many desks and chairs do I need? Do I need a break-out or reception area?

But if customers are going to be visiting the office, showroom or headquarters then it’s vital you think about them too – creating the best first impression could leave them less tempted to check out your competitors!

We’ve put together our top tips for showing your business off at its best to anyone walking through the door:

1. Seats for all

If you know you’re going to be welcoming customers into your office on a regular basis then simply providing an extra chair or two at your desk might not make them feel as welcome as a whole area dedicated to meetings or catch-ups.

Creating space within your company for customers to sit that’s comfortable, while in-keeping with the style of the rest of your furniture, is a great way to give them the impression they’re valued. We have a whole range of options whether you’re after a boardroom-type set up or more of a relaxed cafe vibe.

2. Spend on what your clients will see

Reception desks and seating is normally the first thing your clients or visitors see – and possibly a meeting or board room – so this is where you want to impress and maybe spend a little more on the ‘wow’ factor. Back admin offices can utilise pre-loved items and furniture that are more functional for employee needs.

3. Clever storage

Walking into an office where there’s paper strewn all over the place, pens and stationery piled up everywhere and everything looks totally disorganised gives such a bad first impression. Setting aside some of your budget to look at some handy storage ideas can make a real difference to how the office looks, without breaking the bank.

Tidying away your paperwork and supplies is something which hardly takes any time if you get each member of staff to clear away their own stuff, and our fantastic options at Chrisbeon mean there’s something to suit all companies.

4. Shabby is not necessarily chic

There’s a time and a place for shabby and your office, showroom or headquarters certainly isn’t it. We understand that companies may not have a huge budget for furniture, especially smaller businesses and those just starting out, and that’s why we offer affordable ranges and second-hand options too.

Pre-loved furniture doesn’t have to look used, and we offer a three-month guarantee on all of ours to give you peace of mind that it’ll be the right purchase for you.

5. Look after your staff

If a customer walks into your office and can see all of your staff are productive, motivated and enjoying the work they’re doing, that’s going to make a fantastic first impression.

Ensuring your staff are happy while they’re in the office can be a key way of drawing in more custom, and one of the ways you can do that is by thinking about the comfort of your workforce.

At Chrisbeon we’ve been highlighting the benefits of sit/stand desks for years now – using one can have a positive impact on the health of your employees. And they’re certain to be a talking point for customers who may not have seen one before.

We also have a huge range of back-care chairs, they’re not only great for your workers but also promote to anyone visiting that you have your staff’s best interest at heart!

6. Make it fit

Vintage style desks might look out of place in the offices of a tech-savvy digital-focused company while uber modern furniture probably isn’t going to look great at the headquarters of an antiques dealer.

Choosing office furniture which fits with your company’s offering shows a customer you’ve really invested some time and thought into all aspects of your business.

We’ve got decades of experience within the furniture and stationery world, so why not get some advice from the experts and ask our staff to show you items within our range we think might be perfect for your office?

With the advent of technology and the ever-increasing ways of being able to work from any location it is not surprising that more and more people are creating a working space at home alongside the office.

So, how do you go about it?

You could settle for setting up on a coffee table and sofa in front of the TV in the living room but you will probably, on reflection, decide on a more professional approach and having that designated spot in the house where you can work undisturbed – especially as the work may take place after hours when you have spouses or children at home.

Depending on the layout of your home you may ultimately opt for converting a bedroom. You will want it to be serviceable and attractive, you don’t want to face working in a room for hours on end which is drab and dreary.

Being one of the smallest rooms in the house doesn’t mean you have to compromise on taste or equipment.

Here at Chrisbeon we have more than 40 years experience of helping people decide what sort of office they want and how best to furnish it. We have a dedicated team that can design and install your office – whatever the size.

The bedroom option means a need to maximise the space to the full but if you are running your business with just a laptop and mobile phone then you may only need some storage space to keep files, documents, invoices and so on.

It may mean bespoke sizing but that is no problem for us: we can create 3D plans to ensure there is a perfect fit for every room or space.

Any desk and units you have installed need to be thought out for ease of access and comfort and allow you to work freely and effectively.

You will also need a chair and that needs to be selected carefully so it suits you and isn’t going to spark pains in the joints, back and neck.

Lighting is another important consideration when planning the office and it is vitally important to have sufficient light to work by and not something that will lead to strained eyesight and headaches.

There are a wide variety of desks available to choose from to fit any sized office and you’ll want one that is the right shape and slots seamlessly into the available space.

Working from home can be a great benefit to busy business owners and there are a range of options to consider – our staff are here to help. Why not give us a call on 01952 292606 oir pop in to our Telford or Shrewsbury Showrooms?

Hands up if you’re in need of a comfier, more functional office chair?

You can often be swayed by buying one that’s in the sale or inexpensive. It’s all too easy to be surfing on the net, see a chair and add it to your basket without thinking about whether it’s right for you (or your staff). Nothing beats trying them out for size, fit and comfort!

With our near 50 years of experience, we like to think we’ve learnt a thing or two about what you should be looking for from an office chair for you or your staff … your health and productivity depend on it ….

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Why not pop by our Telford or Shrewsbury Showrooms and try out some office chairs to make sure you get the best chair for you and your well-being!