A daredevil fundraiser is gearing up to abseil 529 ft. down an iconic London landmark to raise funds for a charity close to her heart.

Francesca Girardelli (Frankie), from Fareham, will scale Broadgate Tower on 8th September, before descending the almost vertical skyscraper to raise funds for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

Frankie’s Dad, Adrian Girardelli was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at the age of 55, despite the family not having any history of the disease, and since then it has rapidly transformed the entire family’s lives.

Frankie will be supported by her colleagues at local organisation Allied Office Machines and partners at Ricoh EMEA, as they hope to raise as much awareness and donations as possible, to fund groundbreaking research to change the lives of individuals and families affected by dementia.

Frankie, 29, said: “When I heard about the abseil, my immediate reaction was, I have to take part. This was something I wanted to do for my Dad, but also for families just like mine. I believe with the right support, people can live very well with dementia, I’ve just watched ‘The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes’ on Channel 4 and it showed just how anything is possible!

“My concern is that with all the work amazing charities like Alzheimer’s Research UK undergo, this area of research remains extremely underfunded, and for that reason, I am choosing to face my fear of heights and raise vital funds and awareness for dementia research.

“Although this will be a huge challenge for me, it doesn’t compare to the daily struggles of someone living with Alzheimer’s or any kind of dementia for that matter. That’s why we must do everything we can to find a cure.”

Kate Moss, Senior Corporate Partnerships Officer at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “I am blown away by how brave and determined Frankie has been in her fundraising efforts for Alzheimer’s Research UK. Our mission is to bring about a life-changing dementia treatment and it’s incredible individuals like Frankie who will help make that possible. From everyone at Alzheimer’s Research UK, we’d like to say thank you for all your hard work so far and good luck with your abseil!”

According to Alzheimer’s Research UK, dementia is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the UK. Yet just half (51%) of the public recognise that dementia can cause death. The overall number of people developing dementia is increasing and this will continue to rise unless we find effective treatments to slow, stop and prevent the diseases, like Alzheimer’s, that cause dementia. Through improved public awareness, for example Frankie’s abseil, this will help to challenge the social stigma around Alzheimer’s. This will encourage more people to seek help when symptoms of dementia appear, while also building much-needed support for dementia research.

Ambitious Frankie has already raised just over £400 for Alzheimer Research UK and is determined to grow her donations. To help Frankie reach new heights, please donate to her Everyday Hero page here.

We are excited to announce the launch of our brand new website. With the launch of many exciting new products for 2017, we wanted our website to correspond with our products and services, as we continue to extend our document processing services into the digital field.

Our homepage has been modernised, making it easier for our customers to locate their way around the site. Whereas our old site had 8 different menu options, this has now been simplified to just 4 tabs, focusing on our key areas of expertise, of which we are extremely proud.

A ‘Why choose Allied?’ section has also been added to the homepage. We are proud to have remained an independent, family-run business since we were established in 1994, and we have been recognised for our commitment to quality, tailor-made service by the electronics industry leader, Ricoh. This section allows us to showcase our accomplishments and expertise.

Customer service has always been integral to our business model, and therefore a new contact functionality has been integrated into the website. The ‘Get in Touch’ tab makes contacting our team a lot simpler, and gives the user more options as to how they wish to make contact.

The multifunctional printers section under the products tab has also been
re-imagined. Previously our site advertised the products in one list. This has now been split up into various tabs, making it a lot easier and quicker for the user to find the product that they are looking for.

Although the content has largely remained the same, the new look and feel of the website highlights our new digital offering. This should in turn improve the web experience for both existing and new customers.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on our new website! Give us a call on 01794 526088.

The Veterans Team of Winchester Rugby Football Club are proud to announce a new three year sponsorship deal with local office solutions provider Allied Office Machines Ltd.  The Vets team is nearly as old as the club itself and many senior players are well past the requisite 35 years. The vets ambition for this year is to field an entirely fathers and sons team. Romsey based Allied Office Machines has donated an up to date Ricoh multifunctional printer to help with the ever increasing administration of the club. The new equipment will allow the club to produce tournament and match day programmes.

Allied representative and self confessed rugby fanatic Dennis Hey said “We are delighted to support Winchester Rugby Football Club in this way and wish the Vets every success for the new season and beyond.”  Winchester RFC’s Facilities Manager, Adriaan van Jaarsveld said, “It is the generous support that we get from our Sponsors that helps our Senior Players to play rugby and improve their game to a higher level.  I hope that we will have a happy and productive association which will be of benefit to both our organisations.

 

We are currently looking for a Sales Account Manager to join our sales team.

The candidate

A position has become available for a highly skilled and market savvy sales executive to join a small but growing company in the south of England. The ideal candidate should be able to demonstrate their ability to sell solutions into new and existing accounts, including print audit and Managed Print Services (MPS).

The position

The successful candidate will be reporting directly to the managing director and supported by two lead generators and print audit compiler. Covering the Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire area, the candidate will be required to work with a small but dedicated team.

The Opportunity

The package is flexible and can be tailored to the right candidate. The financial package is open to negotiation,  but the right candidate should expect an attractive OTE, together with the usual benefits including car and expenses etc. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to move into a senior management role, reporting directly to the board of directors and have the opportunity to acquire share options.

Please email steve.drayson@aomltd.co.uk with your CV.

Thank you.

Ever wondered how much time and money you could be wasting on excess printing?

PaperCut MF is a globally acclaimed software package that helps organisations to maximise efficiency in the printroom… and minimise their carbon footprint.

It’s a powerful accounting and management tool that we at Allied Office Machines are proud to offer – and it’s just got even better with the release of the latest version.

In a nutshell, PaperCut MF enables user and device level control for all your printers and multifunctional devices. User access rights, copy quotas and print costs can all be monitored and managed in the minutest detail, thereby delivering potentially significant savings over less efficient practices.

And PaperCut doesn’t just encourage the responsible use of company resources – it also helps to create an environmentally friendly workplace. Developed originally for the education sector, PaperCut has been expanded and fine-tuned over the past decade to embrace everything from SMEs to government departments.

Recent improvements have included ID number auto-generation to reduce overheads, email-to-print enhancements, more flexible user group management, and upgraded search facilities.

And now the latest version (14.3) introduces an option to release all print jobs with a simple card swipe – a boon for staff who are visually impaired or have limited mobility. Simplified print queuing and easy guest printing from mobile devices are among a raft of other enhancements now available.

For further information about PaperCut MF, drop us a line on 01794 526088 and
we would be happy to talk it through with you.

Okay, it might not be just like watching Brazil, but the Samba Boys are certainly making their mark on the Hampshire five-a-side football scene. The Sambas – who include Allied Office Machines technical manager James Stride and field service engineer Jamie Paulton – are riding
high in their section of the JD Fives league and chasing their second title.

Formed five years ago, the team play at Wide Lane in Eastleigh and are among nearly 200 sides who contest more than 30 different JD Fives leagues across the county.

It’s a glorious grassroots celebration of The Beautiful Game, a million miles removed from the riches and razzmatazz of the Premiership.

No surprise, then, that the glass trophies which marked the Samba Boys’ first title triumph last time out were accompanied  not by vintage champagne but a humble crate of beer – though no doubt it tasted every bit as sweet.

Alongside James and Jamie in the Sambas’ squad are, in alphabetical order, Pete Bowl, Tommy Fletcher, Matt Lewis, James Markwell, James Screen, Shaun Swift and David Trathan.

Ricoh awards Allied Office Machines its highest service award

Allied Office Machines has joined an elite band of companies to be granted Gold Partner status by global business technology giant Ricoh.

Customer service has always been integral to Allied’s business model, and this unswerving commitment to quality has now been recognised by the electronics industry leader.

In making Allied a Gold Customer Service Certified Partner, Ricoh has bestowed on the company its highest possible service award.

To achieve the coveted accolade, Allied has been able to demonstrate its ongoing commitment to a number of key practices including:

* Achievement of industry best practice
* Highly skilled staff who are trained continually on the latest products
* Use of only genuine Ricoh parts and consumables
* Regular customer surveys and continual development through feedback
* Minimum call procedure to ensure all equipment is checked and serviced as necessary
* Fully documented call escalation process to ensure fast, comprehensive resolution of faults and problems

Allied Office Machines MD Steve Drayson said: “When I started Allied 20 years ago it was because I felt a lot of companies in our industry generally delivered a poor level of service.

“I was determined to change that, and delivering a consistently high level of service together with good communications through staff and customers alike has been central to our business ever since.

“I am delighted that Ricoh has recognised this commitment with this award.”

Eddie Hall, Dealer Sales Manager for Ricoh, said: “Clients are constantly demanding more from their suppliers.

“Ricoh Gold Partner status is awarded only to those dealerships that achieve the most exacting and advanced levels of customer service across the full span of products.

“All of our Gold Partners are subjected to a rigorous audit and vetting process to ensure that their customer service and technical knowhow is at the highest possible level.”

Where is Europe’s biggest Hyundai dealership based?  Germany? France? Maybe even Spain?

The answer is, right here in the UK; and what’s more it is right here in the South of England, in the form of Allied Office Machines’ newest customer, Richmond Motor Group.