Latest from the blog

Posted on22 April 2016

Fran Meets World | St George's Day

St George's Day

Tomorrow is the day we celebrate St George – the patron saint of English. St George was a Roman soldier who became a Christian. When the authorities found out, George refused to renounce his Christianity and thus the Romans did what they did best and killed him. They were pretty quick in killing people that didn’t honour the gods they believed in, (the same thing happen to Alban – the Saint that the city Atlas is based in is named after) but I would have loved to have had the chance to argue with them that one God is more than enough! If you’ve been reading this blog series, you’ll know by now that I went to Catholic school all my young life, and dealing with nuns on a day to day basis is no walk in the park!

So contrary to the legend, he apparently didn’t kill a dragon to save a princess, I am afraid he was killed because he was a Christian.

I must admit I am a slightly glad the dragon killing story is only a legend as I am rather fond of dragons. I grew up with a cartoon called Grisu, a small dragon that dreamt of becoming a fireman but unfortunately his fire breathing was an obstacle to landing his dream job.

Saint George’s Day also marks the beginning of asparagus season. Personally I feel that this would be a better reason to celebrate tomorrow! I love any celebration of food because you always have a focus on eating!

In Italy because of our obsession with eating, we have “Sagre” (food festivals). They are held all over the country and every little town celebrates the produce of the local area. I have been to a few – truffles, artichokes, mushrooms, different cheeses, and of course a wine one (though I don’t remember much of that).

Just keep in mind that we are celebrating St George’s technically because the Romans didn’t take no very well for an answer, so again you have the Italians to thank for your celebration! I’m only joking of course. Besides, I think the Romans may have had a little too much wine at one of the many wine festivals in Italy – when you do this you are bound to make bad decisions you live to regret the next morning!

I am impressed by the size of the Empire the Romans managed to build, but I think the wine intake at that stage was under control, and the minute they lost it all was when their drinking got out of hand. I am surprised they didn’t create any rehab centres instead of their Roman baths!

Happy St George’s Day for tomorrow everybody!
Save

ISO 17100 – ISO 17100:2017 for Translation Services (since this standard began, in 2008, externally audited annually).
Mindful employer

Mindful Employer Plus – As a Charter member, our team have access to an Employee Assistance Program with 24/7/365 support, as we work toward achieving better mental health at work.
Federation of Small Businesses and the Self-Employed

A proud member of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), a dynamic and inclusive not-for-profit membership organisation. FSB is dedicated to supporting and empowering small businesses across the UK and is committed to fostering an environment where entrepreneurs can thrive, innovate, and succeed.

Atlas Translations has been accredited by the Fair Tax Foundation since February 2024. The Fair Tax Foundation is a not-for-profit social enterprise developed by a team of tax justice, corporate responsibility, and ethical consumer experts. It was launched in 2014.

We’ve been registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) since 2004. Go to https://ico.org.uk/ for more information.

We hold a full membership in the Association of British HealthTech Industries. The ABHI supports the HealthTech community by providing products and services that help people live healthier lives. As the voice of the industry, we show the value of health technology and overcome barriers to people benefitting from it now and in the future.

Certified since 2003, externally audited annually. ISO 9001:2015 is the international standard for Quality Management Systems (QMS), applicable across all sectors. ISO 9001 provides a framework to respond to changing quality requirements in line with changing demands across society, economics and the environment.
Logo

Disability Confident Committed is creating a movement of change, encouraging employers like ourselves to think differently about disability and take action to improve how we recruit, retain, and develop disabled people. Being a DCC employer is a unique opportunity to lead the way in our community and show that we’re a disability inclusive employer.

Corporate membership of the ITI (Institute of Translation and Interpreting) since 1994. Corporate Member of the Year 2021. ITI is the only UK-based independent professional membership association for practising translators, interpreters and all those involved in the language services sector.

CIEP: We’ve held Corporate membership Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading since 1993. CIEP are an international membership organisation that offers training and community for editorial professionals (copy editors and proofreaders) while helping members develop business confidence.

ATC: We hold full membership with the Association of Translation Companies, a trade association representing the interests of language service companies in the UK and internationally. It is the leading voice for companies operating in the UK’s language services industry.

Living Wage Employer: As a living wage employer, we believe our staff deserve a wage which meets every day needs. The Living Wage Foundation has a mission to encourage employers to play their part in tackling in-work and post-work poverty and provide a decent standard of living by paying the real Living Wage, adopting Living Hours and Living Pensions as well as wider good employment practices.
4-day week

Proudly a 4-Day Week Employer since 2019. Amongst other items, the 4-Day Week initiative calls for a reduction to the maximum working week from 48 hours per week to 32 hours per week by 2030.

 
GBC_Accredited_Logo

A member of the Good Business Charter since 2022. The GBC is a simple accreditation that organisations of all sizes in the UK can apply for in recognition of responsible business practices.
PIF

We’re a proud member of the Patient Information Forum (PIF), a membership organisation for anyone producing health information and support. PIF promote access to trusted, evidence-based health information for patients, carers, the public and healthcare professionals.

The Fair Payment Code (FPC) sets standards for best payment practices and is administered by the Small Business Commissioner on behalf of the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). The Gold Award is awarded to those paying at least 95% of all invoices within 30 days.