Colors: Purple Color

A Birmingham-headquartered engineering firm has accelerated its strategic growth with several senior appointments. And the move coincides with an overall boost in employment which has seen the business employ over 50 new employees since the start of the year.

The multi-disciplined adi Group, which covers a broad range of sectors including aerospace and defence, automotive, food and beverage and manufacturing markets, has recently taken on 12 new senior figures at the company, bolstering its 30+ divisional offering. Accelerating its numbers to 700+ staff across the Group, which is situated at Kings Norton, the business has undergone significant growth as it looks to support the manufacturing market throughout the coronavirus crisis and beyond.

“This has been a key time for both the business and the wider manufacturing sector,” said adi Group founder and CEO Alan Lusty, who celebrated the Group’s 30 years of the Grou last year. “Rather than bunker down and hope for the best, we’ve actively recruited in a number of key areas of the business, which has enabled us to continue serving a wide range of manufacturing markets.

“It’s our ears to the ground approach, actively monitoring and responding to changes in the marketplace, that has enabled us to continue our success and birth over 30 specialist service divisions over the years. We now look forward to the future ahead, which will be increasingly shaped by needs to lower carbon footprints, drive production efficiency and lower operational costs, something which is always at the forefront of our minds and business philosophies.”

Joining the adi Group are experienced industry veterans, including new Vehicle Charging Solutions general manager Robert Byrne. Helping to drive electric vehicle infrastructure in the UK, Robert will support divisional director Kenny Green with over 35 years of experience to his name, having led charge point installation projects for big brand names including Nissan and its electric Leaf range.

Elsewhere, new air hygiene manager Gareth Richards is set to bolster adi Environmental’s ranks, having racked up an impressive career in the air and water hygiene sector, with works completed across NHS properties, HM prisons and high security MOD sites across the UK and abroad. Overall, the Group now operates across 12 regional sites in the UK & Ireland, with a manufacturing capacity in excess of 200,000 sq. ft.

The business has also extended its commitment to youth skills development in the sector, continuing both of its apprenticeship schemes throughout the pandemic, as well recently ranking as one of the Best Companies to Work For in the Midlands in The Sunday Times annual survey list. For Group strategic account director James Sopwith, adi’s successes are indicative of its sustainable ethos:

“We’re immensely proud of the success of the Group, particularly given the year that businesses like us have endured in the past year,” he said. “What we’ve been able to do is focus on our foundations, which are fuelled by a belief that building sustainable communities, from regional to nationally, are the building blocks for propelling forward our industry and those that want to work in our sector.

“Our pre-apprenticeship scheme really is the best example of this, a partnership with a local school that educates young people on the rewards our industry has to offer at an early age, dispelling outdated perceptions of the sector and going some way to fulfilling an ever-growing skills gap that we as business face and tackle head on. It would have been quite easy to postpone our apprenticeship schemes in light of the difficulties the pandemic posed, but we simply couldn’t take away that opportunity for young people to get on the careers ladder at a time they needed it the most.

“At adi, we continue to grow and diversify our workforce, with the Midlands and regions across the UK integral to our ongoing business aims.” With household food and drink brands, automotive giants and aerospace experts part of its ever growing client list, adi continues to build in a stature as a one of top engineering firms in the UK, a status upheld by its top ten ranking in the construction and engineering sector in the Best Companies 2021 sector lists.

The North West is seeing the fastest growth in electric car ownership of any region in the UK, according to DVLA car registrations data analysed by car leasing comparison website LeaseLoco. The latest figures provided by the DVLA reveal that electric car (EV) registrations have more than tripled - up 214% - in 12 months in the North West, with 21,993 EVs registered at the start of 2021, compared to 7,005 a year earlier.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) submission was made by LeaseLoco to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in June 2021, requesting the most up-to-date figures on BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles) registered in the UK. Three other regions have seen electric vehicle registrations more than double over the past 12 months; with registrations up 142% in the South West, 132% in Yorkshire and the Humber, and 128% in the South East.

EV registrations have almost doubled in Scotland (97%) since the start of 2020, while registrations in London are up by more than two thirds (69%). The West Midlands is languishing at the bottom of the EV table, with the slowest growth in registrations, EV registrations are up just 45% since the start of 2020, suggesting car owners are showing resistance to early switching to electric.

Table: UK regions ranked in order of fastest growth in BEV registrations, 2021 vs 2020

Region

Number of BEVs registered -  

Start 2020

Number of BEVs registered -

Start 2021

% Increase in BEVs

North West

21,993

7,005

214.0%

South West

27,964

11,554

142.0%

Yorkshire & the Humber

14,639

6,304

132.2%

South East

51,205

22,453

128.1%

Scotland

14,808

7,529

96.7%

East

21,038

11,152

88.6%

Northern Ireland

2,549

1,390

83.4%

East Midlands

10,047

5,793

73.4%

Wales

4,641

2,696

72.1%

London

24,908

14,735

69.0%

North East

3,574

2,323

53.9%

West Midlands

16,888

11,628

45.2%

 

John Wilmot, CEO of car leasing comparison websiteLeaseLoco comments: “These DVLA figures show a huge disparity between regions where consumers are showing commitment to early switching to electric vehicles, and regions where electric car switching needs a jump start. 

“The Government will start feeling the pressure if EV registrations don’t show signs of accelerating and momentum is lost on its journey to “Road to Zero” emissions. The demand is definitely there - we have seen electric car enquiries on our site almost triple this year and we have hundreds of thousands of EV deals available to consumers.

“But EV registrations still make up a very small percentage of the total number of new car sales. While they are cheap to run and most owners are keen to drive less-polluting cars, too many people who rely on their vehicles for work and leisure, are holding off making the switch while there are question marks around the charging infrastructure and the initial cost of an electric vehicle.

“The Government needs to take advantage of the growing popularity of zero emissions motoring, but the worry is that without more focus, investment and education, demand will not translate into sales and momentum will be lost. With the sale of new diesel and petrol cars banned from 2030, the next two to three years will be critical in ensuring that the switch to greener motoring stays on track.”

Government transport minister Rachel Maclean MP has been shown how more than three million pieces of data a day gathered from the region’s roads network is helping to reduce traffic congestion and keep people moving.

This cutting-edge data gathering project, called Network Resilience Live Lab, is funded by the Department of Transport (DfT) through the two-year £22.9m ADEPT Smart Places Live Labs programme, until November 2021. Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) is using data that is harnessed round-the-clock from Static Automated Traffic Counters (SATCs) backed up by live feeds from more than 2,000 CCTV cameras covering the transport network to build up a detailed picture of traffic and transport movements around the region.

This data stream is being further enhanced with 5G roadside data sensors which relay live information on traffic movements. TfWM, which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), is working with partner councils and transport operators to relieve pressure on the region’s roads. Approximately 50% of the road traffic in the region is carried on 7% of the road network leading to congestion.

Data is compiled by the Regional Transport Coordination Centre (RTCC), run by TfWM in collaboration with local authorities and transport operators, to better direct and manage the transport network around major incidents and large scale events. This data is used to offer instant traffic advice and warnings to the travelling public, such as through the @WMRoads twitter feed, to avoid an incident or find an alternative route. Transport planners are also using the information to act, such as putting diversions in place, to deal with congestion.

Rachel Maclean, who is Redditch MP as well as Department for Transport Minister toured the £22 million Regional Transport Coordination Centre (RTCC), the information gathering nerve centre in Birmingham, where the data is received, along with live information from public transport operators, and analysed.

Transport Minster Rachel Maclean said: “The UK is paving the way when it comes to the future of transport and the development of cutting-edge technology and I’m delighted to see this being embedded in the West Midlands area through the Adept Live Labs project.

“Reducing traffic will cut transport emissions and improve air quality, making our communities healthier, better places to live. That’s why supporting innovation is a priority for this Government, as we look to solve the complex challenge of decarbonising transport and achieving net zero by 2050.”

Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street said: “We took this opportunity to show the Minister the ground-breaking work being done with big data to deal with traffic congestion on our roads.

"It is a major issue for many thousands of people a day as they travel about our region which is why we are investing more than £1 billion in improving our bus, train, tram and cycling infrastructure around the region as well as relieving some of our notorious congestion hotspots such as Birchley Island in Oldbury. Alongside this we have introduced the RTCC which uses the vast amounts of data gathered to produce better travel information, and even spot problems before they develop, so people spend less time sat in their cars – saving them time and benefitting our environment in the process.”

Live Labs programme director Giles Perkins said: “The ADEPT Live Labs programme represents the cutting edge of innovation in the local roads sector.

“We are pleased that the Minister and Mayor have been able to see first-hand the great things that our West Midlands colleagues have achieved with their approach to the application of large-scale data processing to help solve challenging congestion issues. Over the coming months we’ll be sharing insights and learnings from the programme widely so that the whole of industry can benefit from DfT’s £23m investment.”

As well as the large-scale data gathering operation in the Live Lab, work is also being carried out, under TfWM’s Future Transport Zone umbrella, to study and research individual travel patterns and behaviour to find ways of better targeting messages to encourage people to change their travel choices – such as choose a better time of day or switch to public transport.

The Minister also spent time with the Future Transport Zone and West Midlands 5G to find out more about their work on innovative projects including the autonomous vehicle testbed. Reducing the traffic congestion on the roads can help cut carbon emissions and improve air quality as part of our #wm2041 plans for a net zero carbon region.

Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: "We're harnessing cutting edge technology in the Live Lab to boost our efforts to reduce congestion and change the way people travel across the region.

"Information gathered from the traffic counters is helping us to better manage our network and design new ways of getting about to reduce gridlock and encourage more walking, cycling and greater use of public transport." ADEPT represents local authority, county, unitary and metropolitan directors.

The ADEPT SMART Places Live Labs programme is a two-year £22.9 million project funded by the Department for Transport and supported by project partners SNC-Lavalin’s Atkins business, EY, Kier, O2, Ringway and WSP. Nine local authorities are working on projects to introduce digital innovation across SMART mobility, transport, highways, maintenance, data, energy and communications.

Live Labs is part of ADEPT’s SMART Places programme to support the use of digital technology in place-based services.

Downtown in Business Liverpool hosted an exclusive breakfast event the first live ‘Liverpool Property Club’ event of 2021. We were joined by a panel of esteemed speakers, CEO of Liverpool City Council, Tony Reeves, CEO of Knowledge Quarter & Sciontec, Colin Sinclair and Principal & Managing Director of Avison Young and Chairman of the Liverpool MIPIM delegation, Stephen Cowperthwaite at Malmaison Liverpool.

The Liverpool Property Club came together to discuss Liverpool post-Covid and the recovery from the pandemic, the property and regeneration sector across Liverpool, plus the developments across the city including The Spine building up in Paddington Village, to the new Everton football stadium down at Bramley Moore Dock and the need for repurposing parts of the city.

CEO of Liverpool City Council, Tony Reeves commented on how Liverpool ‘has the potential to do some amazing things starting [today]’ looking beyond lockdown restrictions across the region, particularly following the success of the pilot schemes across the city.

Knowledge Quarter CEO, Colin Sinclair addressed the guests in attendance about the importance of returning to work from the office and the increase in productivity and career/business developments when working collectively in person, plus the exciting new projects taking place in the Knowledge Quarter.

Lastly, MD of Avison Young and Liverpool MIPIM Chairman told the attendees of the plans for the changes being made to MIPIM in now becoming the ‘Liverpool Place Partnership’ to cover a broader spectrum of sectors in Liverpool.

Many thanks to Malmaison Liverpool for hosting our first live Liverpool Property Club of the year. DIB also extends their thanks to sponsors Project FourMorgan SindallLiverpool MIPIM and Sutcliffe.

UK supermarkets are fuelling demand for meat and dairy products which is harming public health and the climate, reveals a new supermarket scorecard published by environmental charity, Feedback, today. 

The scorecard ranks the UK’s top 10 supermarkets on their efforts to reduce the environmental cost of the meat and dairy products they sell. The Co-op, Tesco, and Waitrose top the rankings but even the Co-op, the best performing retailer, scored just 45%.  Asda, Iceland and Lidl ranked bottom with the worst performer, Lidl, scoring just 17%.

Carina Millstone, Executive Director of Feedback, said: “UK supermarkets are continuing to drive demand for meat and dairy products that are already responsible for around 15% of greenhouse gas emissions - and fuelling deforestation in the Amazon and elsewhere. It’s time for supermarkets to step up to the plate, slash their meat and dairy products and offer customers more sustainable and healthier options”. 

The scorecard revealed that many supermarkets have improved their environmental policies since the last assessment in 2019 but that they were failing to translate this into action:

·         All 10 supermarkets actively encourage meat consumption through promotions, and not just to avoid waste when products near their expiry dates. This means retailers are fuelling – and not simply responding to - demand for meat. 

·         Only one supermarket, the Co-op, is accurately measuring and publicly reporting on the climate impact of the goods it sells – but only for its own label products. 

·         Half the supermarkets including Tesco, M&S and ALDI continue to use misleading or ‘fake farm’ labels and names such as ‘Trusted Farms’ which give the impression that their meat is produced to higher standards than is the reality. 

·         Options such as organic or free range make up less than 20% of the products offered by all the supermarkets, while Iceland offers no free range or organic options. Only 3 retailers – Asda, Morrisons and Tesco – ensure that more than a quarter of the ready to cook meals they offer are vegetarian or vegan.

·         None of the supermarkets reveal how much meat and dairy they sell as a proportion of their protein sales, making it difficult to track their progress. 

More promising signs include the steps taken by all retailers to promote healthy fruit and vegetable consumption, commitments from the Co-op and Sainsbury’s to link board or senior leadership remuneration to achieving environmental outcomes, and supermarkets’ work to put pressure on Brazilian suppliers to prevent products linked to deforestation from entering their supply chains. All the retailers, with the exception of Iceland and ASDA, have made a public commitment to drop meat linked to deforestation, however they have yet to remove these products, including chicken and pork fed on soya grown in deforested areas, from their shelves.  

Meat and dairy production contribute to climate change through direct emissions from animals and their waste and through the destruction of important ecosystems such as the Amazon rainforest to raise cattle or grow soy for animal feed. The UK imports the majority of its soya from South America, at least 90% of which is fed to animals, particularly chicken and pork.

The 10 supermarkets control 94% of the UK grocery market and have a huge influence on what we eat through the products they sell, and the way in which they market, package and promote them.  Many customers want to reduce the health and environmental impacts of their food with 43% of people surveyed by YouGov say they often make the choice to reduce their meat consumption when shopping. 

The government's Committee on Climate Change has said the UK need to cut meat and dairy consumption by 20% by 2030 to meet its climate commitments while the University of Oxford estimates consumption of meats such as beef should be cut by as much as 89% to meet the NHS Eatwell guidelines.

Millstone added: “With 3 out of 4 shoppers visiting supermarkets several times a week, it is clear that retailers have a special responsibility to help their customers enjoy food that is both good for them and for the planet. Supermarkets must be clear about the climate impact of the food they sell and commit to selling much less meat and dairy and much more fruit and veg.

Former Arsenal and Crystal Palace footballer and environmental entrepreneur, Mathieu Flamini, said: “Reducing my consumption of animal protein and dairy improved my health and my performance on and off the pitch: I was able to recover quicker and cope with the daily workload better. I was not only doing myself good by eating less meat, but as a nature lover I was also able to reduce my impact on the planet. We all need to do our bit, including the retailers who supply us with so much of the food we eat.”

Simon Billing, Executive Director of Eating Better added: “Feedback’s scorecard shows retailers are still focused on boosting meat sales, despite setting net zero targets and pledging to help us eat healthier and more sustainably. Making it easier for shoppers to buy more meat and dairy than they need, or probably want is not the way forward for our health, or that of the planet.” 

 

The 2021 scorecard ranking, and scores are outlined below:

Rank

Supermarket

Score (%) 

1st

Co-op

45.6%

2nd

Tesco

41.3%

3rd

Waitrose

38.1%

4th

Sainsbury's

37.5%

5th

M&S

33.1%

6th

Aldi

28.1%

7th

ASDA

23.8%

8th

Morrisons

22.5%

9th

Iceland

21.9%

10th

Lidl

17.5%

Midlands Air Ambulance Charity in partnership with M6toll, is launching its ‘MAAC’s Moguls’ competition for schools, a Dragons’ Den-style challenge, designed to give secondary school pupils across the region the chance to develop their business skills.

Schools, and Year 10 students (academic year: 2021/22), in the West Midlands are being encouraged to register their interest in the competition before Monday 12 July 2021.  Teams of six will have the chance to pitch their entrepreneurial ideas to five local business leaders to request funding for their plans.

The successful teams from across the whole of the Midlands will be presented with £100 each for their concept, which they must grow into a £500 donation or more for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity. As part of the initiative, the teams will be mentored through the process by the business leaders, providing them with a unique experience to help make their CVs stand out from the crowd.

Pam Hodgetts, corporate partnerships manager for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity is passionate about supporting young people and created the MAAC Moguls initiative. She said: “As well as operating our vitally important air ambulance-led service, we are also socially committed to the communities we serve. Our competition will help students develop skills in public speaking, teamwork, creativity, marketing and finance, as well as having the rare chance to be mentored by some of the region’s leading businesspeople, including members of the management team from M6toll.”

Sarah Loizou, CSR executive sponsor at M6toll, which is supporting the MAAC’ Moguls competition, adds: “At M6toll, we take our responsibility in the local community extremely seriously, and support dozens of local projects each year. We are also passionate about developing the talent of the future, which is why we are proud to support Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s MAAC Moguls initiative, helping youngsters embrace their entrepreneurial skills and help raise funds to save local lives in the process.”

To register your school’s interest, visit: midlandsairambulance.com/maacmoguls before Monday July 12. The competition will launch officially in September and students who pitch successfully will have 12 weeks to grow their £100 into at least £500 for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity. Judging will take place in November and an awards ceremony will be hosted in December.

Retail trade union Usdaw has provided written evidence to the Low Pay Commission (LPC) on minimum wage rates. The LPC’s annual call for evidence closes today and responses will help shape the recommendations they will make to the Government this autumn on the 2022 minimum wage rates.

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary, says: “Today we are providing the Low Pay Commission with evidence of why we need a new deal for workers that includes at least £10 per hour, an end to youth rates and more secure employment.

“The impact of the Coronavirus crisis continues to be felt across our economy and society, even as we emerge from the current restrictions.

“Workers in retail, distribution and many other low-paid industries have shown just how vital they are to keeping the UK economy going during a time of extreme pressure. As we emerge from the pandemic, these key workers must not be forgotten and it can only be right that their contribution is recognised with a wage they can live on.

“The impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on the hours available to workers varied significantly across different sectors. Workers deserve a right to a normal hours contract to end the uncertainty many face.

“The priority must be to bring confidence back to the economy and ensure that people are spending again, by putting more money in people’s pockets. The National Living Wage should be increased at least in line with the planned target to reach 66% of median earnings by 2024.

“Usdaw continues to campaign for an immediate National Living Wage of at least £10 per hour for all workers, regardless of age, so youth rates are abolished as soon as possible. If you’re old enough to do the job, you’re old enough to be paid the rate for the job.

“As the country tries to recover from the pandemic we need a new deal for workers that includes a minimum wage of at least £10 per hour, more secure contracts and an end to rip-off youth pay. The best way to thank key workers is to ensure fairness at work.”

Usdaw’s New Deal for Workers calls for:

·         A minimum wage of at least £10 per hour for all workers, ending rip-off youth rates and providing a living wage.

·         Minimum contract of 16 hours per week, for everyone who wants it, that reflects normal hours worked and a ban on zero-hour contracts.

·         Better sick pay for all workers, from day one, at average earnings.

·         Protection at work – respect for shopworkers, abuse is not a part of the job.

·         A proper social security system, Universal Credit does not provide a safety net.

·         Job security, with day one employment rights for unfair dismissal and redundancy.

·         Fair treatment and equality for all workers, including equal pay.

·         A voice at work, stop rogue employers refusing to engage with trade unions and end ‘fire and rehire’.

New analysis of the latest ONS figures has revealed that Staffordshire Moorlands has had the largest increase in average house prices in Staffordshire in the past 10 years. The study by A-Plan Insurance compared the average price of a house in March 2011 to March 2021, across more than 400 areas of the UK.

Staffordshire Moorlands is at the top of the list with a 53.80% percentage increase when compared to the average house prices ten years ago. In March 2011 the price was £137,293.93, whilst in March 2021, it rose to £211,151.49.

Cannock Chase is the area with the second largest percentage change over 10 years with a 52.46% increase. Over the ten years, the average house price has increased by £66,316.32.

Tamworth is the third house price hotspot of Staffordshire having risen from £125,096.62 in 2011 to £192,164.81 in 2021.  

Staffordshire’s house price hotspots over the past decade, by A-Plan Insurance

Area

Average house price in March 2021

Average house price in March 2011

Percentage change over 10 years

Staffordshire Moorlands

£211,151.49

£137,293.93

53.80

Cannock Chase

£191,412.94

£125,552.36

52.46

Tamworth

£192,164.81

£127,096.62

51.20

Stoke-on-Trent

£125,934.18

£84,175.77

49.61

Lichfield

£266,771.84

£179,851.35

48.33

Stafford

£242,090.89

£168,320.62

43.83

South Staffordshire

£260,723.63

£184,800.77

41.08

Newcastle-under-Lyme

£166,858.52

£118,928.38

40.30

East Staffordshire

£194,319.80

£139,233.46

39.56

Staffordshire

£212,282.58

£146,585.27

44.82

Coming in at the bottom of the list is East Staffordshire, where average house prices have risen from £139,233.46 to £194,319.90, a percentage increase of 39.56. The county’s second lowest average house price increase is in Newcastle-under-Lyme, where it has risen from £118,928.38 in March 2011, to £166,858.52 ten years on – a jump of 40.3%.

Lichfield has the highest average house price in Staffordshire, standing at £266,771.84 in March 2021, compared to £179,851.35 ten years previously, but has only had the fifth largest increase in price at 48.33%. The lowest average house price in Staffordshire is in Stoke-on-Trent, where it was measured at £125,934.18 March 2021, after a 49.61% rise from £84,175.77 in March 2011.

Overall, Staffordshire’s average house price has increased by 44.82% in the last decade. In March 2011 the average price was £146,585.27 and has risen to £212,282.58 in March 2021. Across the UK, the average house price in March 2011 was £165,648.54, while the latest figure stands at £256,405.17– an increase of 54.7%. 

Comparing the four nations of the UK, England has seen the biggest increase in average house price over the past ten years – 58.6% - going from £173,045.56 in 2011, to £274,615.37 in 2021. Wales showed the second highest increase of 48.1%, going up to £185,431.00 in March 2021, compared to £125,133.01 a decade earlier.

Scotland’s average house price has risen by 32% since March 2011 – third out of the four nations. It was £126,172.03, and according to the most recent ONS data, is now £166,566.05. Northern Ireland has seen the lowest rise in the UK, but the average house price has still gone up by 25.3%, standing at £149,178.24 in March 2021, up from £119,023.88 in March 2011.

Commenting on the figures, a spokesperson for A-Plan Insurance said: “Ten years is a long time in the property market, and in the time more than half of the areas measured in the UK have seen the average house price rise by more than 50%. Some places have seen the average price nearly double in value, reflecting just how important home ownership is to people in the UK.” The research was carried out by A-Plan Insurance, which has a high street branch in Lichfield and more than 100 nationwide.

The company, established in the 1960s, provides a personalised service to more than 600,000 clients.

With two weeks to go before the deadline, small and medium sized businesses in the West Midlands are being encouraged to apply for funding to help them adapt to new customs and tax rules when trading with the EU.

The £20m Brexit Support Fund, which closes 30 June, enables businesses who trade with the EU to access up to £2,000 of funding for practical support including training and professional advice on new customs, rules of origin and VAT processes.

Since launching in March, more than 12,000 businesses across the UK have registered for the fund. In the West Midlands, 264 businesses have submitted applications, with a total of £396,859 in funding applied for so far.

Katherine Green and Sophie Dean, Directors General, Borders and Trade, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said: “Smaller businesses who trade with the EU have a vital role in our economy and we understand they may have experienced a more challenging time than larger businesses in adapting to changes. We would encourage small and medium businesses impacted by new importing and exporting rules, to apply for funding today.”

To be eligible for the grant, businesses must have no more than 500 employees and turnover no more than £100m. They must only import or export goods between Great Britain and the EU, or move goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

If businesses already import or export goods to and from a non-EU country, they are not eligible.

In addition to the funding, small and medium businesses can access specialist advice and support:

Additional support is available to businesses moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland through the Trader Support Service.

With the final phases of the government’s easing of lockdown restrictions plan well underway, new research suggest that Covid-19’s legacy for some businesses could be that of innovation and bigger thinking.  59% of businesses have changed their business model as a result of the pandemic and lockdown restrictions, according to research by Langleys Solicitors, published in the Back to Business? report, which looked into the future of the region’s companies.

While digitalisation is an inevitable evolution for most modern businesses, the pandemic restrictions made it necessary for business to fast-track digital transformation. The report revealed that 48% of businesses now have a greater online focus, allowing them to refresh the way they work and helping them adapt to an increase in demand.

Almost one in three (30%) existing businesses are considering new products or services, following an increased or completely new demand for alternative services. Furthermore, 20% of businesses have introduced delivery-based systems into their businesses. While this was a move intended to bridge the supply gap during enforced closure, the business owners and directors polled plan to make these temporary changes permanent.

Interestingly, the region’s business owners and directors still highlighted a shift to online among their biggest challenges facing in the years ahead, meaning those that have used the past 12 months as an opportunity to innovate may be ahead of the curve. Despite acting with caution during the pandemic, almost two-thirds (60%) of businesses have made changes they were already planning, more than a third (39%) of businesses have brought forward change, and 23% have made planned changes bigger.

Tim Cross, managing partner at Langleys Solicitors, said: “It’s great to see the many months of lockdown restrictions have not been lost time for the region’s businesses, who have seized the opportunity to innovate and restructure their practices to face the future of their industry.

“Those who have adapted to the changes in consumer demands have been able to prioritise expansion during a time where other businesses’ rigidity has come a great cost. The clear desire of business leaders to continue with expansion points towards a real renewal of prosperity across the region.”

While existing businesses have made changes to innovate and adapt to new challenges, almost a quarter (23%) of the region’s business owners and directors expect new start-ups to enter the market to make the most of new opportunities.

Tim Cross continued: “It’s a positive sign to see businesses expecting the market competition to grow, particularly following a global recession.

“The increased competition is likely to have a positive impact, acting as further incentive for more innovation as new start-ups increase the fight for market share. While there is no mistaking the past year has been difficult for many, our research and experiences show that there is still a strong appetite to continue with their innovations and changes during the post-Covid recovery.

“More than 40% of businesses expect to emerge from the pandemic stronger than they entered and one in six (15%) business owners and directors will also invest more than they did pre-Covid. With these findings considered, and a new sense of optimism as restrictions ease, I expect that we are in for a genuine period of growth for businesses in the region. I for one cannot wait to see it unfold.”

Langleys’ specialist Corporate, Commercial Property, Dispute Resolution and Employment law teams are available to advise on any questions business leaders and owners have concerning new business planning and operations post-lockdown. 

A game of musical (empty) chairs, or a landfill disaster? The move toward home working could cause a landfill influx of millions of chairs and desks as offices close or downsize following Covid-19, warns BusinessWaste.co.uk.

The business waste specialists are warning of a mountain of unwanted office furniture making its way to landfill as companies embrace a new way of working - and closing offices as a result. A study undertaken by YouGov showed that a quarter of UK businesses are planning to close or downsize their office space as a result of a shift toward home working, with the BBC reporting that over 50 major employees have ‘no plans to return full time’.

There were over 6 million private sector businesses in the UK in 2020 (ONS) - the vast majority (5.94m) of which were small businesses, which have an average of 10 employees. If a quarter of businesses closed their office space, this would mean around 15 million desks and chairs no longer in use. London, as the nation’s capital, has the largest square footage of office stock at 140m sq ft - the next closest, Manchester (20m sq ft), Birmingham (18m sq ft) and Glasgow (13m q ft), are all less likely to see huge influxes of office furniture being turfed out. But even cities with a few million office workers are going to feel the effects - both economic, in city centres, and environmental, as office supplies are ripped out and unceremoniously thrown away.

Worryingly, if even half of the 1.5 million businesses looking to shift their working patterns merely downsized, it would still create an enormous excess of office furniture ready to be sent to the tip - and charity shops aren’t the answer.

A spokesperson for BusinessWaste.co.uk said: “Charity shops are full to the brim with stuff people have cleared out during pandemic spring cleaning - and most don’t have the capacity to store bulky items like desks and chairs in large numbers. Plus, even if they did, there’s no resale market - other offices are closing down en masse, so there’s nobody who wants to buy them.”

It’s certainly at risk of becoming a strain on waste centres. Second hand office retailers or reselling sites like eBay, previously a great choice for cheap office renovations or new businesses short of cash, are overflowing with second-hand furniture at ever-lower prices, and even waste disposal centres don’t have the capacity to cope with larger amounts of office furniture at once.

Mark Hall added: “Nobody wants - or has the space for - bulky corporate desks in their home working spaces. At the beginning of the first UK lockdown, furniture retailers such as IKEA and Argos were selling out of their more attractive offerings as soon as they were restocked

These desks tend to be smaller, with more chance of being able to match them to your decor - not many people have ‘office chic’ as the theme of their dining room or spare bedroom! As a result, office furniture is set to be heading to landfill in frankly alarming numbers.

“Some furniture types can be recycled effectively - chipboard and metal, both of which are key components of many office desks, can be recycled effectively, but it remains to be seen whether businesses take the time to separate them into the individual components and recycle them appropriately. We certainly hope so.

“Some retailers, such as IKEA - who are a popular choice, especially among smaller businesses who love their cheap and cheerful pieces, offer to buy back or recycling schemes, so this is something we hope will be used, too. But realistically, we are still about to have millions and millions of desks and chairs heading to landfill sites - a real concern.

“Businesses should not forget their obligation to dispose of waste responsibly, even in unusual circumstances such as this.”

As the average first-time buyers’ deposit reaches nearly £59,000, £12,000 more than a year ago, new research conducted by CreditLadder and Equifax found lack of savings for a deposit is preventing over a third (34%) of first-time buyers getting on the property ladder. However, encouragingly, 33% see the new 5% deposit mortgage scheme as the help they need.

Sheraz Dar, CEO of CreditLadder comments: “The new Government backed mortgage scheme launched in April is good news for many first-time buyers who have struggled to raise the 10% or more deposit needed to secure a mortgage.  But a reduced deposit isn’t the only thing needed to help those trying to get on the property ladder. One in five respondents to our research also said that the Stamp Duty holiday introduced last July had prompted them to look at buying a property and if it were completely removed for properties under £500,000 nearly half (48%) said it would encourage them to think about buying a property in the next 12-months.” The Stamp Duty holiday is ending on June 30th.

Affordability for first time buyers is also a barrier to getting on the property ladder, however Government schemes are helping make a difference for potential buyers. The joint CreditLadder and Equifax research found that 62% of respondents had looked at Help to Buy schemes, 26% shared ownership, 18% right to buy/right to acquire and 18% starter home schemes.

Lisa Hardstaff, Head of Customer Experience at Equifax adds: “The research clearly demonstrates the barriers first-time buyers are facing. However, it is not just about how much you can afford, the deposit raised or what type of mortgage is required – first-time buyers need to be ‘mortgage ready’ when it comes to their credit information too.”

To ensure first-time buyers are in the best position to obtain a mortgage they need a good credit history. This will allow them to secure the right mortgage deal for their financial situation. However, those first-time buyers who have traditionally rented can have ‘thin’ credit files due to a limited borrowing history. One way to build a credit history and show lenders that they can manage their financial commitments is to add rental payments to your credit report information and over time this should help strengthen an individual’s credit history and their credit score.

“The inclusion of rental data in mortgage assessments is a huge lift to improve financial inclusion and fairer access to the right financial products”, concluded Sheraz Dar. “This data insight provides lenders with a much more reflective picture of renters’ ability to manage their finances. Renters who make full and timely monthly payments should see a significant benefit in proving their ability to repay a commitment, just like mortgage payers.”

Brixly announced today they had become the proud winners of the award for 'Best Independent Web Hosting Platform 2021' for their incredible services to innovative web hosting for enterprise. Tailored specifically to the reseller market, including design and digital agencies, development agencies, and hosting startups, Brixly provides one of the fastest-growing reseller hosting solutions available on the market today.

Brixly is a web hosting platform that has been consciously built from the ground up to provide high performance in the enterprise market. In addition, the business now manages the hosting infrastructure, hardware, and support for over a quarter of a million sites, with clients in over 135 countries worldwide. "Brixly continues to answer the demand for reliable and affordable enterprise and reseller web hosting solutions in these changing digital times," said Dennis Nind, Founder and Owner of Brixly.

"Digital times are changing in the enterprise world, and the demand for high quality, flexible and affordable web hosting solutions has had to change with it, which is how Brixly was born.” Dennis believed in his initial concept of a reseller-focused hosting platform that provided stability, performance, and tools to assist with business growth. From this, Brixly has achieved a further accolade, 'Best Independent Web Hosting Platform 2021', which is another fantastic achievement for the independently owned brand!

As a result of the recent pandemic, the Brixly team has been challenged with a marked increase in demand from clients onboarding with Brixly, seeking out the best solutions for their business with such fierce competition. As a result, Brixly continues to provide the most reliable web hosting service for the reseller market available today and is proud to have achieved such an incredible accolade as 'Best Independent Web Hosting Platform 2021.'

Headquartered in Nuneaton, UK, Brixly is a hosting brand independently owned and provides one of the UK's fastest-growing web hosting platforms designed for the reseller market and enterprise.

City of Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet will next week receive confirmation that prudent financial management enabled the authority to balance its books during 2020-2021.
 
Notwithstanding the costs of managing the immediate emergency phase of the pandemic, the council was able to end the financial year within budget, without having to draw down any general reserves.
 
The Budget Outturn 2020-2021 report, which will be considered by cabinet councillors next Wednesday (JUNE 16), will detail how council departments carefully managed their finances over the year, including holding back on projects and keeping vacancies unfilled, to ensure the overall budget came within 0.26% of its target.
 
As the council continues to classify its budget as a red risk with a forecast deficit of almost £30 million by 2023-2024, last year's underspend will be used to ease some future pressures, as will a newly created budget strategy reserve.
 
Councillor Ian Brookfield, Leader of City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “Covid massively distorted our budget last year, it meant that certain council services were unable to operate as normal and therefore departments spent less than they ordinarily would because it was all hands to pump dealing with the pandemic emergency.
 
“This, combined with our planned and prudent financial management, led to a small underspend which will be used to ease future pressures because it is vital to remember we continue to forecast a deficit of almost £30 million by 2023-2024.
 
“This council has been forced to make cuts of £235 million due to reductions in government funding over the past 10 years and we have absolutely no certainty over how government intends to fund councils in the future. Based on the very limited information provided by the government, we continue to be prudent with our finances and we’re planning for the continuing austerity ahead until we hear any different.
 
“In the government’s budget earlier this year, funding for local councils was not mentioned, we literally have no clue what our funding will be beyond the money we have been given for this financial year.
 
“I continue to urge the government to give us the tools we need to do the job so we can deliver our ambitious long-term plans for our city and help our communities and businesses to ‘relight’ from the shadow of Covid.
 
“The impact of the pandemic is not going to disappear, it will be felt for years to come in terms of businesses which have gone bust, unemployment and associated problems of poverty and mental health issues.
 
“We need a guarantee of sustainable funding to be able to realise our big ambitions for the City of Wolverhampton, to be able to make long-term plans and so we can confidently emerge from this pandemic stronger than ever and looking forward to a far brighter future.”  

Since opening the doors of the first Hard Rock Cafe in London in 1971, Hard Rock International has established itself as one of the most globally recognised companies in the world. The brand is kicking off its anniversary celebrations by unveiling a new partnership with footballer Lionel Messi, who will serve as brand ambassador for the next five years, as the first athlete to partner with Hard Rock.  

The partnership harkens back to Hard Rock’s roots, as the brand’s world-famous T-shirts came to fruition when the original London Cafe sponsored a local football (soccer) team in the early 1970s. The team T-shirt featured the simple Hard Rock logo. The extra shirts were returned to the cafe and then given away to loyal customers. Eventually the restaurant had to set up a separate concession stand to handle T-shirt sales. To this day, Hard Rock’s Classic T-shirt remains an integral part of the brand’s identity. 

As part of the new partnership, Hard Rock has also unveiled a new collection of merchandise inspired by its new ambassador. In addition to the special 50th anniversary logo, the garments show some of the player's most characteristic symbols, such as the lion, the number 10 and his own logo.  This collection joins the brand's iconic merchandising line, available in all its stores and online shop.

“Over the past five decades, the Hard Rock brand has grown to become one of the world’s most recognizable and beloved brands, with a Cafe, Hotel or Casino located in 68 countries,” said Jim Allen, Chairman of Hard Rock International. "As we reached our 50th anniversary milestone, we knew that we needed to partner with an icon to help us celebrate in a new and unexpected way, and there was no better choice than the legendary Lionel Messi.”   

“I am honoured to partner with such a renowned brand as Hard Rock, and even more so at this historic moment - its 50th anniversary!” said Lionel Messi. “Sports and music are an integral part of my life, a perfect combination between my profession and my leisure time. Uniting both is a great success, and I am very happy that they have counted on me for this special outcome. It is an honour to be the first athlete to partner with a brand who has a history of teaming with music legends."

Allen and Messi have sealed this agreement with an original gift exchange. Messi has given him a signed replica of his golden ball, a gesture that Allen has reciprocated with an electric guitar designed especially for him. A replica of this guitar, signed by the player, will be displayed at a Hard Rock property to be announced soon, making it part of the most valuable collection of musical objects in the world.

The partnership is part of "Live Greatness", the new campaign that Hard Rock has launched on its 50th anniversary, which marks a before and after in the brand, honouring its past and while shining a beacon of light towards the future. 

As part of the campaign, Messi makes his debut as an ambassador starring in a commercial that unites his skills with the soccer ball as it takes its place among the cherished memorabilia of the brand.

June 14, 2021 marks the 50th Anniversary of Hard Rock Cafe opening its doors in London. To kick off this milestone, Hard Rock Café Manchester will be offering HRC Country Burgers for 71p during the first hour.

Courier-centric digital platform launches operations in Bristol, Manchester, and Cambridge; company CEO pledges ‘same passion, swiftness and rider advocacy’ in new operations as rapidly growing start-up eyes European territories.

Ryders, fast becoming a disruptive force in the UK's last-mile delivery market, today announced it has expanded its national operations to Bristol, Manchester, and Cambridge amid growing demand for its unique commitment to riders, and its ability to offer same-day delivery pledges to customers.

The company is also eyeing European markets for expansion by the end of the year, spurred by observations of investor sentiment favouring last-mile courier businesses with substantially better records on workers' rights.

"Our riders-first ethos got us immediate recognition in the British last-mile market," said Duncan Mitchell, CEO of Ryders. "We were able to grow on the back of that promise to the point where we could offer instant delivery and grow our partner network."

Ryders recently joined forces with Shopify partner Zapiet for exclusive last-mile delivery in the UK. Zapiet was largely enticed by Ryders' focus on improving conditions for couriers, merchants, and aggregators.

"We will bring the same passion, swiftness, and rider advocacy to our operations in Bristol, Manchester, and Cambridge, and we have every confidence that Europe will be a future success story for us," Mitchell added.

Ryders' last-mile delivery platform supports businesses in the management and scaling of their internal workforces alongside an on-demand rider pool. Since its launch in 2020, it has seen escalations in both demand and expectations regarding one-hour and instant delivery. Research by Supply Chain Dive in the US shows one-third of 18-to-24-year-olds to be "frustrated" with slow deliveries. And the World Economic Forum has predicted a 78% surge in worldwide demand for last-mile delivery by 2030. Further research from Fixlastmile has shown that 66% of millennials are looking for one-hour delivery options.

"From eCommerce and fashion retail to the innovative start-ups that are looking to disrupt their industries, Ryders stands as the go-to last-mile option as these companies look to keep pace with changing consumer expectations," said Mitchell. "We are committed to helping companies of all scales live up to their pledges of swift delivery first time, every time."

Ryders' advanced technology seamlessly integrates with any other platform, connecting businesses to a ready fleet of on-demand couriers, and levelling playing fields in industries traditionally dominated by larger companies with dedicated fleets. And as enterprises come under increased scrutiny for ethical workplace practices, Ryders is the ideal partner to protect couriers' rights.

Ryders has become a major force in the UK last-mile delivery market. It posted 1,000% month-on-month revenue growth in its first three months of operations. Founded on a promise to give the nation's gig economy a makeover, Ryders has seen more than 4,000 couriers join its platform and has reached an onboarding average of 300 per week. Its corporate team has doubled in size each month to meet swelling demand.