Latest Innovate Magazine shines a light on charity finding ‘fur-ever’ homes

In the latest edition of Marketing Derby’s Innovate Magazine, out this week, we go behind the scenes at RSCPA Derby’s animal rescue shelter.

Every year, the charity’s Abbey Street shelter finds loving families for hundreds of neglected, mistreated and unwanted pets.

In the spring edition of Innovate, we go along to meet the dedicated team (along with some of their furry friends) who share their stories – both heart-warming and heart-breaking.

Innovate highlights the crucial role they play and discovers that while it may say RSPCA above the door, the Derby branch is a charity in its own right – responsible for raising every penny it spends.

Not far away from the RSPCA shelter is Inka Studios, in Curzon Street, run by Ben Memmory, a man who is really making his mark in the tattoo industry.

Innovate goes along to meet Ben, an award-winning tattoo artist who is at the top of his game.

He shares his story of how he built up the business – the passion he has for his art and his crusade to drive-up standards in the industry.

As many of us know, the English weather does not always play ball – but that doesn’t bother Nigel Bratton and his new indoor golf business Drive In Golf.

Kitted out with the latest, state-of-the-art golf simulation tech, Nigel has opened his business on a Derby business park.

Innovate goes along to find out how a sporting passion – and a touch of winter frustration – helped create one of Derby’s most exciting leisure businesses.

It is hard to believe that there are incidents of modern slavery occurring right  on our doorsteps – but reality says otherwise.

For the past seven years the team at Rebuild East Midlands has been working to help survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking build new lives.

It provides crisis support for those who have recently left exploitation and then long-term assistance to secure housing, address health issues, build confidence and find routes into education and employment.

Innovate meets its chief executive Paul McAnulty and head of support delivery Diane Rogers, who share harrowing stories – and how the charity helps turn around lives.

At its Annual Business Event earlier this year, Marketing Derby crowned its Rising Star for 2026 – Victoria Dunn Coaching.

In this edition of Innovate, Victoria shares with us the very personal journey that led her to establish her business, which offers divorce coaching.

She also talks about her mission to educate businesses in spotting the signs of those employees struggling as a result of a relationship breakdown.

Innovate also sits down for a Q&A with Fei Zheng, project director at Derby Heat Network (part of 1Energy), which is planning to deliver a new multi-million-pound city-wide heat network.

How to achieve growth is a question on the lips of everyone in business. In this Innovate, our assembled panel of experts discuss how to boost the sluggish economy and ensure that growth benefits all.

Finally, the importance of achieving inclusive growth is discussed in depth by Robin Johnson, Marketing Derby’s press and PR executive, in his column.

Inspired by the launch of the Tale of Two Cities Early Years campaign at Marketing Derby’s Annual Business Event, Robin asks the question ‘What is the point of growth if it isn’t inclusive?’

To read a digital version of the latest Innovate Magazine click here.