TALENTED staff and suppliers of Scotland’s fastest growing dental group are to perform during an online concert to link up colleagues across Scotland and have some fun during lockdown.
Bosses with Clyde Munro have been in overdrive to keep up the morale of 500-strong team, made up of dentists and staff across 40 practices and centralised services, who are either working from home or furloughed during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Now a number of singers, musicians and performers from within the ranks of the company are to perform during a two-hour online gig for co-workers in an event being billed as, The Lockdown.
Hundreds of workers from the group are expected to tune in on Friday night for the event and are even being urged to dress up in music festival outfits, headgear and glitter.
The concert is the brainchild of Clyde Munro founder, Jim Hall, who launched the business in 2015 with the acquisition of seven practices. He said: “Nothing is more important than our people.
“We have an amazing team at Clyde Munro who are passionate about supporting each other during these worrying times for everyone. We want to do whatever we can to maintain morale.”
Jim has driven the rapid growth of the Scottish-based and Scottish-focused group through acquisition and Clyde Munro now comprises 40 practices across Scotland, with more than 200 dentists, 350 staff and 300,000 patients.
Since the beginning of April, as the full extent of the lockdown started to sink in, Jim knew that keeping in touch with staff and maintaining morale would be essential to ensuring the business comes through the virus crisis in the best possible shape – so started laying plans for the concert.
He added: “Across a group this size I knew there would be lots of talented singers and musicians. I’m sure this event is going to be a real bright spot amid everything else that is happening. Everyone seems to be really looking forward to it.”
The job of coordinating the event has fallen to Carolyn Young, who has been focused on the project since joining Clyde Munro on April 1 as one of five Heads of Region. As well as coordinating the performers she has also arranging the rehearsals, sent out invitations to all colleagues and organised the private Zoom conference.
Carolyn, from Cockenzie, East Lothian, said: “It has certainly been a baptism of fire, but what a fantastic way to get to know the company. At first, I really didn’t know what to expect, but it has been amazing to see it take off.”
Among the performers will be dentists David Devine from the group’s Clyde Dental Baillieston practice in Glasgow and Rania Savvidi, who works at Penicuik Dental Care in Midlothian.
Other singers performing on the evening will be dental nurse Claire Milne, from Diamond Dental practice in Glasgow; hygienist Claudia Ardila from the Nanodent practice in Glenrothes, Fife; Lynn McQuade, the practice manager from Bellstane Dental in South Queensferry; and Sandra Fowler a dental nurse from Dollar Dental Care in Clackmannanshire
Other staff performing include Jill Stewart an integration accountant based in Glasgow, while accomplished bagpiper Stuart Gunn, who recently joined Clyde Munro’s transition team, will be in Auchterarder, Perthshire, in full Highland regalia and will open and close the evening.
Even staff from a trusted partner company are getting involved. Ian Wilson, owner of specialist dental support company IWT, plays in a band and will be giving an acoustic performance. The line up will be completed with a performance from two of Jim Hall’s nephews Luke and Jack Belardo based in Dunblane.
Fiona Wood, Chief Operating Officer, said: “I knew there would be a lot of talented people here and it has been rewarding to see so many of them coming forward and keen to play their part. I genuinely think we have a treat in store for everyone who logs in for the event.
“Everybody I have spoken to thinks it is a brilliant idea. After weeks in lockdown people are getting really weary of it and something like this really fires the imagination. That’s why we are encouraging everyone to dress up as if they were going to a summer music festival.
“That means it’s not just the performers who will be taking to the stage, all of us will be contributing, making a statement and having fun. Hopefully it will be a night to remember.”
Clyde Munro’s ambition is to become Scotland’s “local dentist”, operating an expanding network of family dentists across Scotland, with each devoted to providing the best dental care, while reflecting the needs and character of its community.
