Always lots going on at Advo. Let’s have a look back at some of the highlights and news in May.

New Member of HR Consultancy Team

Kim (left) is with Advo’s HR Manager, Jenni Welch

A big welcome to Kim Brunger a new member of the HR Client Consultancy Team. Kim brings a wealth of experience to the Advo Consultancy team having worked in HR across a range of specialised industry sectors in addition to HR Consultancy.

Cyber Essentials Plus

Advo has once again been accredited Cyber Essentials Plus for our IT and Data management and infrastructure.

One of Advo’s IT experts, Colin Middleton, shows the new certificate. Colin was instrumental in completing this colossal but essential piece of work which demonstrates Advo’s robustness in everything IT.

Cyber Essentials is the Government-backed cyber security certification scheme. The advanced Cyber Essentials Plus is a far higher standard than the basic accreditation involving independent auditing and testing of systems and procedure.

This month Advo also underwent its regular Pen Testing. This effectively employs outside firms to try and break into Advo systems, to try and hack us. We are please to report that even with AI’s influence we retain robust and secure IT environments with no High or Critical vulnerabilities., and so no access found.

Our Q1. Company Meeting.

We try to communicate regularly with each other, a left over from the Pandemic, with light-hearted emails at the beginning and end of each week and periodic online updates, also face-to-face get togethers every quarter where we review past results and future plans and celebrate people and successes.

Our 2026 Q1 Meeting, delayed from April, had many of the Cobdown based staff meeting in the main board room with other staff joining online.

Covering off the Financial results, which were looking very positive, the CEO, Larry Bulmer talked about the impact and advantages of AI withing Advo and our clients. We then welcomed our newest member of staff, John, Nick and Kim then updates on marketing, IT, upcoming charity events, the Cobdown House build, then an intermission where we paused for Gold Cupcakes celebrating an interactive session on culture, in light of our IIP Gold reaccreditation.

GDPR Refreshers

Our Operations Manager, Nic Draycott hosted the first of our annual GDPR training and refresher. Each year all staff undertake the training, followed by exams, as part of our overall approach to Data Protection. June’s focus is Cyber Security training and refreshers.

Supporting our Chosen Charity

A fabulous, but very tiring 6 mile walk undertaken by Advo’s Jess Hall, Sam Brown and Kevin Crew, and wife Jean supported the Heart of Kent Hospice’s Bluebell walk raised over £700. Advo has raised over £2,700 so far for the hospice and is again for 2026, Advo’s main charity Partner where our aim to continue to raise cash but also give our time to help out where needed. If you would like to support this fantastic charity, the link to our Just giving Page is HERE.

What’s new at COB?

We are still finding surprises, still discovering new clues to the house’s early history. This week early piousness wallpaper and tiles from an original walkway were uncovered. You can read more HERE.

Lights, no Camara, but lots of Action

Excitement continues to mount as more design features start to arrive. One of the most difficult choices is lighting. How to keep a Victorian style with a modern twist in the old parts of Cobdown House while more contemporary & funky approach in more modern parts.

Now another of these gorgeous lights has just been delivered. This rather large, magnificent centrepiece will be one of three in the main entrance. We have chosen an imposing chandelier style with a nod to the House’s heritage, but with a modern twist! We will only be able to tell if the right choices were made once they up!

The Cobdown Folly

With the extension of the East entrance discovered under flagstones and debris the old access and window to the original basement was uncovered. Given the choice of losing this again or making a feature the choice of preserving another part of the original part of the house was an easy one.

With a glass walkway and lighting this will be an interesting feature for the East entrance. We will share more when the flooring, lighting and glass has been fitted.