Just for Dogs was founded in 1997 to rescue and re-home abandoned dogs. To date they’ve rescued over 6,000 dogs and provide a safe and caring environment at the centre whilst helping find forever homes.

A sunny Autumn morning saw 5 of the Esker ladies welcomed at the centre, located near Ashbourne, and put straight to work! First on the list was a clean of the kennels. Each dog (or pair of dogs) has an indoor and outdoor area so they can go in and out as they please through a dog flap. The site is also fortunate in having several large outdoor pens and enclosed paddocks – so on the days that dog walkers are in short supply, the dogs can still get out and have a good run around.

Once all the kennels were clean it was finally time to get to know some of the four-legged friends! Taking one (very excitable) dog each, we all stretched our legs across the seemingly-endless acres of fields that back onto the centre. The dogs revelled in being out in the sunshine, interacting with one and another and ourselves, and discovering the sounds and smells of the countryside.

Back at base we had time for a quick chat with the owner, Margaret, who explained more about the centre’s teams and their continual demand for funding and supplies. Having dedicated the past 21 years of her life to the charity, she continues in her passion in caring for dogs big and small and maintaining this great charity.

It was our pleasure at Esker to give our time to the charity – and we hope to continue supporting them in the future with further time and resource donations. Just for dogs are always welcoming of new volunteers and dog walkers – please do get in touch if you could help too.

Jennifer Ball

As Marketing Co-ordinator for Esker UK, Jennifer manages Esker UK's marketing campaigns and events for S2P solutions. She has been part of the Esker family since 2019.

Read more insights from Jennifer Ball

Both cities have histories dating back to Roman times, but it is Lyon’s Roman district which forms part of the Historic Site of Lyon. Other areas of the Historic Site include Fourvière, the Renaissance district (Vieux Lyon), the silk district on the slopes of Croix-Rousse, and the Presqu’île. Vieux Lyon and Croix-Rousse are both known for their traboules, or narrow passageways, the first examples of which were thought to have been built in the 4th century. These allow the Lyonnais to get from their homes to the River Saône and the canuts, or silk workers, to get from their workshops to the textile merchants at the foot of the hill. The canuts were subject to extremely poor working conditions, and so staged many revolts which are considered among the very first worker uprisings. The second of which, in February 1834, lasted 6 days before being supressed by 12,000 soldiers.

Silk, too, is a link between Lyon and Derby. In 1716, John Lombe visited Piedmont in Italy and came back to Derby with the necessary knowledge (and some Italians) to build a mill on the west bank of the River Derwent. This mill, completed in 1721, is considered to be the first fully mechanised factory in the world, and cements Derby’s claim to be one of the birthplaces of the Industrial Revolution. The Silk Mill, as it is known today, was converted to a museum in the 1970s and forms part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site – a collection of paper, cotton and silk mills and their communities built by Lombe, Richard Arkwright and others that pioneered the use of water power on such a large scale and provided the blueprint for factory production. Interestingly, the first cotton mill on the European mainland – based upon Arkwright’s mill in Cromford – was built in Ratingen, Germany, the hometown of Esker EDI Services. It too is now a museum.

Esker are pioneers in the use of the cloud and AI technology to streamline business processes in today’s Digital Revolution. Though we continue to look forward, it’s fascinating to look back at where we’re from and the revolutions of the past.

Mark Johnson

Mark is a Professional Services Engineer at Esker UK. He has been part of the Esker family since 2018.

Read more insights from Mark Johnson