Colors: Purple Color

Aston Manor Cider has unveiled their latest multi-million pound investment – a move that has increased employment and extended the capacity and capability of the business. The Birmingham-based drinks producer has spent a further £6m in recent months to reconfigure their Aston production site and add a state-of-the-art new packaging line.

This follows investment in excess of £30m in the last five years and a further commitment that is likely to exceed £50m over the term of the long-term contracts agreed with farmers to supply apples from new orchards planted in Herefordshire.

Part of the most recent investment has been to develop the research and development capability to create new products. In order to bring these and other drinks to market meant millions to install a whole new packaging line that has enabled new formats to be produced.

Now commissioned, this and previous investment means Aston Manor’s portfolio of ciders can be packaged in bag-in-box formats, in mini-kegs, and in different sizes and shapes of cans.

Having the ability to expand the availability of cans directly responds to changing consumer preferences as three-quarters of growth in cider sales in the take home sector is from that format.

Gordon Johncox, chief executive at Aston Manor said: “We have a track record of being responsive to consumer trends and having the flexibility and agility to deliver great products in different styles and formats.

“It is for this reason we are recognised as having a broad portfolio to delight every consumer and on every occasion – from value and mainstream to the most premium.

“This is by design. We consistently invest significant sums and support our people to build our capacity and capability. It is vital to our approach and our ambition to offer new products and develop new markets.”

This work has also supported the growing demand from major drinks businesses and brand owners to work with Aston Manor as a specialist contract packer. Increased demand from growing sales has meant in the first seven months of this year nearly 127 million products have been made across production sites in Birmingham and Tiverton in Devon – over 8 million more than in the same period last year.

Johncox added: “I pay testament to the great work being done by our people – during a period of exceptional disruption they are delivering products of quality that people are enjoying as evidenced by award success, assurance from independent audits and customer care levels that exceed industry standards.”

In the latest international cider competitions, Aston Manor’s ‘Malvern Gold’ brand scooped the prize as the World’s Best (still) Cider for the second year running – after claiming top spot in the year this stunning cider was launched.

 

 

Youth skills development has received an encouraging shot in the arm after it was revealed that a Birmingham engineering firm has provided innovative pre-apprenticeship spots for 60 young people over the past five years.

 

Leading engineering business, adi Group, has celebrated the achievements of students on its pre-apprentice scheme since 2016, with this year’s graduation evening over the now-familiar Zoom format due to COVID-19.

 

Proud parents and students gathered online, as senior adi personnel and programme mentors revealed that all twelve pre-apprentices in the Class of 2020 passed the rigorous course, with four distinctions and eight merits among the esteemed group.

 

“This was really encouraging news given the current economic climate,” said adi CEO, Alan Lusty. “Businesses of all shapes and sizes have had some difficult decisions to make over the course of the  past few months, not least our own, but we are pleased to be strengthening our commitment to young people and the engineering sector at a time when many youngsters are desperate to get their foot on the careers ladder.

 

“I started in the industry as an apprentice myself, so I know the importance of giving back to this really inspiring and talented bunch of students that will hopefully go on to have successful careers in our sector and beyond.”

 

The adi pre-apprenticeship scheme began life in 2016 as a link was forged between nearby North Bromsgrove High School and the engineering company, aiming to help foster youth skills development across the Midlands. This partnership with the school is truly mutual, with both parties achieving opportunity via the students taking up one of the annual 12 pre-apprenticeship places.

 

It was launched by then Birmingham Northfield MP Richard Burden and has since gone on to receive a number of plaudits, not least from former Prime Minister, Theresa May, who visited the company’s headquarters for a tour of the facilities and programme in 2018 and praised adi Group during PMQs. Fully 50% of the scheme’s first and second year intakes are still with adi today and the business remains committed to youth skills development with its sign-up to the 5% Club, an initiative designed to raise the number of apprentices on formal programmes to five percent of the total workforce within five years.

 

“What we’ve done at adi is continue to shine the spotlight on the importance of inspiring the next generation of engineers,” added Group strategic account director, James Sopwith. “The services and the skill sets we’re inspiring provide support to the manufacturing sector, which is only in rising demand as the UK looks to bounce back from the current economic crisis.

 

“More closely, what we feel is most important is fostering a sense of connection at a local level between businesses and educational institutions, so that each feels the reward of building a sustainable pathway to the engineers of tomorrow.”

 

News of adi’s pre-apprenticeship milestone comes as the government recently announced its new Kickstart scheme designed to get disadvantaged youngsters into working roles. With adi having developed its own starter pack for other businesses to replicate its pre-apprenticeship programme, it is hoped such schemes can help the UK turn the tide on bleak unemployment forecasts and begin to bridge the STEM skills gap.

 

The latest research by leading property recruitment specialists, Rayner Personnel, has revealed which UK cities are currently proving the most competitive where the ratio of estate agents to listed properties is concerned.

Rayner looked at the number of residential estate agents operating across 23 UK cities and compared this figure to the number of properties currently listed for sale online to find the average number of listings per agent.  

The research shows that Aberdeen is currently the most competitive market to be an estate agent. Based on the number of estate agents currently listed on Zoopla (39) and the number of residential properties listed for sale (511), there is just an average of 13 properties for every estate agent in the city.

Cambridge ranks as the second most competitive city to be an estate agent, with an average of just 15 properties for every one agent operating in the city, while Edinburgh and Leicester complete the top three with an average of 16 properties per agent in each city.

Oxford (18), Manchester (21), Glasgow (21) and Bristol (22) also rank in the top 10.  

While London is home to by far the most abundant level of available stock (98,637) there are also some 4,041 agents battling it out to sell it.

This results in an average of just 24 properties per agent in the capital, with Southampton and Newcastle home to an average of 25 properties per agent, while Bournemouth (26) and Cardiff (27) complete the top 10.

In contrast, Newport (46), Liverpool (41), Plymouth (39), Sheffield (37) and Leeds (36) rank as the least competitive in terms of the stock available to the volume of agents trying to sell it.

Founder and CEO of Rayner Personnel, Josh Rayner, commented: “The market has exploded back to life in recent months and many agents will be relishing the chance to get stuck back into work after the boredom of lockdown and the industry restrictions imposed as a result.  

Estate agency has always been an incredibly competitive profession, and in fact, it’s one of the things that drives the best agents to perform day in, day out. 

While we’ve highlighted the most competitive cities based on the ratio of agents to stock, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing and agents across the UK must ensure they are on the top of their game if they want to succeed.  

This means having the best team around you, providing above and beyond service and, in more recent years, embracing technology to help improve performance. By doing so you can further your reach and list properties outside of your traditional operational boundaries which can also help you to remain profitable.

If you build a business based on a mixture of great technology and great people, there’s no reason you can’t succeed in today’s sector, even in the most competitive of spaces.” 

Rank

Location

Residential Estate Agents

Number of Properties Currently for Sale

Average listings per agent

1st

Aberdeen

39

511

13

2nd

Cambridge

71

1,084

15

3rd

Edinburgh

185

2,894

16

Leicester

114

1,829

16

4th

Oxford

81

1,490

18

5th

Manchester

236

4,876

21

Glasgow

224

4,647

21

6th

Bristol

230

5,063

22

7th

London

4,041

98,637

24

8th

Southampton

107

2,627

25

Newcastle

108

2,729

25

9th

Bournemouth

64

1,636

26

10th

Cardiff

83

2,220

27

11th

Birmingham

287

7,993

28

12th

Portsmouth

48

1,460

30

13th

Swansea

75

2,284

30

14th

Belfast

6

198

33

15th

Nottingham

164

5,760

35

16th

Leeds

164

5,868

36

17th

Sheffield

97

3,554

37

18th

Plymouth

75

2,942

39

19th

Liverpool

141

5,813

41

20th

Newport

22

1,012

46

Data sourced from Zoopla and correct as of 4th September 2020. The number of properties includes those already marked as under offer or sold subject to contract.

A fundraising campaign aimed at supporting Wolverhampton’s most vulnerable during the Covid-19 crisis has raised an incredible £90,746.Organisations across the City of Wolverhampton joined forces at the start of the pandemic to launch the crowdfund initiative to support struggling families and individuals throughout this difficult time.

A total of four campaigns were run under the One City Fund umbrella, each with a particular focus - people facing severe financial hardship as a result of Covid-19, raising vital funds to support the increased demand on the city’s food banks, supporting the homeless and helping people who have no access to technology to access important services or information.

The initiative was a collaboration between City of Wolverhampton Council, the Wolverhampton Voluntary Sector Council (WVCS) and local organisations.Over 250 individuals and businesses contributed to the fund; their donations have gone directly to over 15 local, not-for-profit organisations supporting people in need throughout the city, so they can get the help they need during this difficult time.

The final campaign, ‘Stay Connected’, concluded last month (August 28), raising over £15,000 for local charities supporting individuals facing isolation as a result of digital exclusion, including the Refugee and Migrant Centre, Wolverhampton Samaritans, Gazebo Theatre and Wolverhampton Learning Platform. 60% of the funds raised will be distributed to partner organisations. The remaining 40% is available as small grants to grassroots community groups supporting local people during the crisis. 

Leader of the Council, Councillor Ian Brookfield, said: “The One City Fund was created, in response to the spirit of generosity shown throughout the city, to give people a simple way to contribute to the city’s efforts to support vulnerable residents during the pandemic and make sure no-one gets left behind.

“I’d like to thank everyone who donated to the One City Fund campaigns, the organisations the fund is supporting provide a vital lifeline for people across our city. I’m delighted to say that each of the campaigns exceeded their individual targets, demonstrating the resilient, caring and community-spirited nature of our city.”

Deputy Chief Executive of Wolverhampton Voluntary Sector Council, Saffi Price, added: “Wolverhampton’s One City Fund has shown, once again, how kind and generous the people of Wolverhampton are. Voluntary and Community Sector organisations have come together to help make the most of this crowdfunding campaign as they continue to support citizens in Wolverhampton who have felt the greatest impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

WVSC are very pleased to have played a part; working alongside other VCS organisations and statutory agencies. I know that we will all continue to work together as a city to ensure that no-one is left behind.”

Spacehive, the crowdfunding platform powering Crowdfund Wolves, waived its 5% fee for all projects created during lockdown, which means all monies raised will go directly to local third sector organisations.

The Leader of City of Wolverhampton Council, Councillor Ian Brookfield, and some of the charities supported by the One City Fund campaigns, have also put together this message to thank everyone who donated to the campaigns.

 

One feature of the soon to launch OpenBrix property portal is their MLS function, or Multiple Listing Service, and it’s a benefit that Adam Pigott and his team are unashamedly pushing. 

Why? Well simply because it works to help all parties in the property market – not just the seller or the buyer or the agent - but all of them.

An MLS is a database or network established by estate agents to share details on current property stock listed for sale or let. It essentially allows member estate agents to see what stock other estate agents have on their books with the wider goal of connecting buyers and sellers.

It has become the norm in the US and Canada and allows agents to offer properties that fit a buyer’s requirements that they may have otherwise been unable to do, with the agents involved choosing how to split the commission of the sale when working together.

OpenBrix has researched MLS data for the Canadian property market, a market that’s similar in many respects to the UK, to ascertain whether agents that use and promote the MLS actually achieve higher prices for their clients. The answer is that they do – by 12%.

OpenBrix says that Canada residential real estate is a market worth $361billion USD in sales (2019). About half the size of the UK but nonetheless the 8th largest in the world (UK $745bn USD).

In July this year, data suggests that the average Canadian house sold at a value of $571,471 CAD. Whereas those that sold via the Canadian MLS system achieved $640,800 CAD - a difference of 12.1%. This analysis was across a sample size of 42,000 transactions.

If this were translated to the UK market it would suggest that agents could achieve £28,591 more for their sellers than the average UK house price of £235,673 (HM Land Reg). And if agents wanted to look at this purely selfishly, that could equate to earning almost £430 more per sale in fees at a typical 1.5%.

As validation of this, leading Canadian real-estate broker Irene Kaushansky of Kaushansky Brown in Toronto offers us this exclusive comment:  “Having not lived in a real estate world without MLS I personally cannot imagine doing business without it. We have over 58,000 realtors in our Toronto Board but whether it's that or 5000, or even 500, no matter how connected you are, there is no other way to know all agents and buyers. The more exposure there is for a property, the more buyers have an opportunity to see it and the greater the potential sale price for our sellers.”

“I'll give you a very current example and it's only because it happened this week.  A property was listed at $1.439m and after one week we had 47 private showing appointments.  On offer day, we received 5 offers. Here’s the thing - the top price from one local agent was $1.6m but the final sale price we achieved was actually $1.675m from one of two agents from outside the area that I didn't even know. While this is just one example to illustrate the above, it gives you an idea of the power of MLS exposure in dollar terms.”

Adam Pigott, CEO of OpenBrix in an untypically brief comment on the matter ads “Using our MLS system on the OpenBrix portal could make agents and their clients more money. The data proves it and it’s plain for agents to see once they start to be open to the power of this concept. Don’t be left behind.”

More than half (52 percent) of British commuters say they believe that this year will change their commuting habits forever.

29 percent say they think they will work from home more often and a further 23 percent are planning to change the way they travel to the office.

One in ten (10 percent) intend to opt for the outdoor air and walk to work, whilst a further 12 percent are planning to ditch public transport in favour of the secluded safety of their own car.

Of the 1,000 motorists polled by webuyanycar.com, nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of commuters say that they do not miss the commute at all, and 27 percent say that there is NOTHING they miss about the office.

For those that will be going back to the office, it’s not all bad news, as 38 percent are looking forward to a time when they can be in the office more often, with more than half (54 percent) say they have missed socialising with their colleagues.

One in ten are excited to get away from their partner for the day and 8 percent are yearning for a break from the kids.

Richard Evans, head of technical services at webuyanycar.com, said: ‘’This year has seen all of us adapt our daily routines and for many of us, our ways of working and commuting has been hugely impacted.

‘’We know that there will be many motorists looking to sell their car now that their commuting habits have changed, whether that be to upgrade their, car as they plan to drive into work over using public transport, or because working from home means they no longer need their car at all.’’

Richard added: ‘’At webuyanycar.com we’re big advocates of doing things safely.  That’s why we offer our customers a safe and hassle-free solution to selling their car. Motorists can avoid the potential risks of a private sale by selling directly to us at one of more than 300 local branches.’’

Whilst we might not all be missing the daily back and forth to the office on the whole, there are a few things about our old commute we long for.

Topping list of things we miss about the commute is ‘time to ourselves’ (38 percent), shortly followed by ‘listening to music’ (36 percent) and time to think (32 percent).

11 percent, who fancy themselves as the next Adele, miss singing in the car and 8 percent can’t wait to see their favourite barista again and pick up their proper morning coffee.

For those that are heading back to the office, something to look forward to is experiencing that true Friday feeling again, as more than half of those surveyed (57 percent) agree that Friday feeling is better in the office.

 

The Rolling Stones opened the doors to their world-first flagship store, ‘RS No. 9 Carnaby’ in the heart of London’s Soho, at 9 Carnaby Street.

 

Created in partnership with Bravado, the store is now home to an exclusive mix of collections and collaborations for fans of all ages, and will feature a bespoke T-shirt customisation station. Framed in an exceedingly contemporary red and black shop fit, visitors will be able to explore the diverse product offering whilst listening to tracks from the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world!

 

The Rolling Stones said: “Soho has always encapsulated Rock ’n’ Roll so Carnaby Street was the perfect spot for our own store. We are confident this exciting project that our friends at Bravado have created will be an unrivalled experience for everyone to come to London and enjoy.”

 

It is a bold time to launch a permanent retail space in London, but RS No.9 Carnaby Street will provide a major long-term boost to music tourism in the capital, as one of the most iconic music British brands and bands of all time, launches this unprecedented experience on London’s historic Carnaby Street in Soho, which has been synonymous with British music culture since the sixties.

 

The Stones’ deluxe reissued 2020 version of their historic ‘GOAT’S HEAD SOUP’ album, out this week looks set to top the U.K. album charts, 47 years after its first release.

 

Fans who were unable to visit can experience it through a bespoke online store and experience which will be going live shortly at: https://no9carnabyst.rollingstones.com  

 

 Leading rural insurer NFU Mutual has joined forces with police and agricultural machinery manufacturers to tackle a surge in thefts of expensive guidance systems.
 
Across Europe, thefts of tractor GPS systems have surged as criminals target the expensive guidance systems now extensively used to guide farm machinery. Many of the stolen systems are John Deere StarFire receivers and cab display units – but other systems are increasingly being stolen.
 
In the UK, thefts have spread from East Anglia, where they first became commonplace, and police and insurers are now dealing with thefts all across the UK. In recent weeks, NaVCIS, the police agricultural vehicle theft co-ordination organisation funded by NFU Mutual, is being alerted to multiple GPS thefts from farms and machinery dealers almost every day.
 
To help stamp out the crime wave, farmers are being urged to rigorously check that any GPS kit offered for sale outside dealer networks has not been stolen.
 
Bob Henderson, NFU Mutual National Technical Engineering Manager, said: “Having tractor GPS kit stolen during harvest is hugely disruptive. Not only do replacement units – which can cost £8,000 and more – have to be sourced, fitted and programmed, but modern farms can’t work effectively during the vital harvesting period without them.
 
“As the main insurer of the UK’s farmers we are working with police and tractor manufacturers to tackle this worrying new crime trend.”
 
To help the checking process, John Deere has a system enabling farmers to call their local dealership to check the serial number of its popular StarFire GPS system. The company’s database includes a marker for stolen equipment – but stresses that not all John Deere thefts are reported to it, and that the system cannot provide proof that equipment offered for sale online is legitimate.
 
If you are unfortunate to have John Deere stolen, the theft can be reported to local John Deere dealers so it can be logged in the system.
 
To make it more difficult for criminals to sell-on stolen StarFire GPS systems, John Deere included a PIN security feature in its StarFire 6000 series, launched in February 2019.
 
Superintendent Andy Huddleston, national police lead for agricultural machinery and vehicle thefts, said: “Making careful checks on the provenance of any GPS kit offered for sale outside the dealer network can stop criminals making money from these crimes and halt the surge.
 
“The service introduced by John Deere dealers makes these checks easier by enabling farmers to quickly check if a StarFire serial number is on their database of stolen systems.”
 
He also urged farmers to be very wary of buying GPS kits which have had serial number stickers removed.
 
NFU Mutual GPS security checklist:
Activate PIN security on GPS kit with your own unique number
Keep tractors and combines with GPS fitted stored out of sight when possible
Check serial numbers of second-hand kit offered for sale
Remove GPS kit from tractors and other machinery and store it securely when not in use
 
For further information, contact:
Kate Ryder
NFU Mutual Press Office
Phone: 07814 365257
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Swedish company Voi has been appointed to operate e-scooters in the West Midlands, it was announced today. The trial will launch to the public in Birmingham and Coventry next week and be rolled-out across the region soon after.

E-scooters will be rolled-out in Birmingham and Coventry from next Thursday (10 September). Soon afterwards, the scooters will be deployed in, Sandwell (West Bromwich), Solihull, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Warwickshire.

The tender process, part of the West Midlands Combined Authority concluded with the contract being offered to Voi as the sole operator. Voi launched Europe’s first dockless e-scooter service in 2018 and now operates in 45 cities across 11 countries.
The public will initially be able to access and ride e-scooters within the immediate vicinity of Birmingham and Coventry’s city centre, with an ambition to expand the trial zones as the trial progresses.

For the purpose of the trial the DfT requires a maximum speed of 15.5 mph on roads. In pedestrianised areas a lower speed limit of 5mph will be applicable. E-scooters are allowed on any 30 mph or less road, however the council have advised users to use designated cycle routes wherever possible.

Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, said: “The West Midlands is proud to be leading the way on future transport development, and it is great to be able to partner with Voi and reveal our plans for e-scooters across the region.

“E-scooters will help bring more flexibility, choice, and greener travel solutions for the West Midlands.

Its unquestionably offer a healthier, more environmentally friendly, alternative to the car for shorter journeys around our towns and cities and It’s a great coup for the West Midlands to be at the forefront of the Government’s e-scooter trial. I look forward to work with Voi and local authorities to make sure we maximise the potential.”

The Department of Transport passed legislation earlier this year to accelerate the deployment of e-scooter trials across the UK and Birmingham City Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and the Environment, Councillor Waseem Zaffar, said: “This is brilliant news for the West Midlands, and I am delighted that Birmingham will be one of the first UK cities to trial e-scooters. This provides the public with yet another green alternative to private car, supporting social distancing but also helping to reduce pollution levels and improve air quality.

“Working with our partners, we have managed to turn this project around really quickly and made sure that safety is absolutely paramount. I hope the people of Birmingham will embrace this new, environmentally-friendly way of getting around our city.”

Up to 10,000 e-scooters are due to be deployed across the region over the course of the trial. Birmingham and Coventry will initially start with 200 each, with demand monitored by Voi – working closely with Local Authorities.

Riders will need a provisional or full driving licence to unlock an e-scooter. They will cost £1 to unlock and 20p per minute to ride, however there will be reduced rates for NHS workers, students and those on low incomes. Those who are looking to use the e-scooters regularly can have unlimited rides for £40 per month. Private e-scooters will not be permitted as part of the trial.

To make sure that e-scooters are introduced as safely as possible, Voi has gone over and above Government requirements on age limits, insurance and rider verification. Voi will provide in person and online rider education, provide rider identity verification and will make #RideLikeVoila - its online traffic school - available to users in the West Midlands.

Lucy Yu, Voi’s Director of Public Policy, said: “In the UK, 60 per cent of car journeys are between one and three miles, which significantly increases congestion. Cars no longer suit the way we live today, and we estimate that 20 per cent of short journeys could be replaced by low-carbon e-scooters with a minimum five-year lifespan. E-scooters provide a compelling alternative that will outrun the car.”

Voi is also committed to upholding West Midlands Combined Authority’s health and safety policy to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the region. Voi is adding Shieldex Copper-Tape to the handlebars of its e-scooters, which kill 99.98% of coronavirus on contact, and all e-scooters will be disinfected every 24 hours.

The trial is due to run for 12 months. It will be closely reviewed by the Department of Transport and Transport for West Midlands working closely with local authorities and stakeholders, with a view to establishing longer-term options for e-scooters in the region.

 

 

Inspire International UK, pioneers in health and safety, environmental and quality management within the commercial vehicle market, based in Meriden Business Park, West Midlands has announced the launch of its new vehicle workshop safety e-learning solution, E-Workshop – a first for the industry.

Inspire International UK is a family run business, with 20 employees, managed by Jagjeet Singh Virdee, Managing Director and his Father Harvinder Singh Virdee, Technical Director. The father and son duo have provided commercial vehicle health and safety solutions to over 250 commercial vehicle workshops across the UK for over 30 years.

Aimed at the commercial vehicle market, the E-Workshop solution has been designed and developed by Inspire International UK, the UK’s leading provider of health and safety management solutions for commercial vehicle workshops, offering 16 health and safety e-learning modules, plus many more which are soon to be released. 

Recent statistics showcased that over half of companies expect an increase in their risk profile with 71 per cent expecting to increase investment in legal compliance, with the largest anticipated risk increase from health and safety.[1] To address this, Inspire, through its E-Workshop solution, is offering a Covid-19 Return to Work programme, which explains the changes that have been introduced into the workplace and what employees must do to protect themselves and others from the spread of infection.

Inspire International UK work with well-established and leading businesses in the industry, including the likes of Keltruck, Scania (Great Britain) Ltd, MAN Truck and Bus UK, Haydock Commercials, Ford and Slater Group, Europa Worldwide Group and RH Commercial Vehicles, plus many more.

Jagjeet Singh Virdee, Managing Director at Inspire International UK explains why now is the time for businesses to invest in health and safety e-learning that is specific to their commercial vehicle workshop: “In light of Covid-19 and the challenges this presents Commercial Vehicle Dealerships now and over the next few years, we have worked with Senior Commercial Vehicle leaders to ensure they can maximise workshop hours/utilisation whilst complying to the health and safety regulations that are applicable to their operations.

“E-workshop is the UK’s first commercial vehicle specific health and safety e-learning solution that will help to ensure commercial vehicle dealerships remain compliant to applicable health and safety regulations through the use of e-learning.

“E-workshop is ideal for the current economic climate and will be the future of health and safety training within the commercial vehicle industry.”

The easy to use e-learning solution caters for all personnel, from Directors to Workshop Controllers and Technicians, educating them on the importance of effective health and safety management within a commercial vehicle workshop.

Inspire advises that by investing in the e-learning training modules, it will ensure workshops remain compliant, workshop hours are maximised, the correct type of health and safety training for the correct job role is delivered and teams are educated to effectively avoid and manage health and safety within their working environment.

Jagjeet Singh Virdee continues: “We are a one stop shop for all areas of health and safety management that relates to commercial vehicle businesses. With the launch of E-workshop, we look to further strengthen our position as the experts in commercial vehicle health and safety solutions that are effective, efficient, pragmatic and proven. We are the leaders in our Industry and truly passionate about what we do, so we will continue to invest in developing solutions that will benefit both our existing and new clients.

“We plan to continue to listen to the needs of our customers and monitor any changes/introduction of health and safety regulations to ensure our customers continue to introduce best practices in order to remain compliant.”

The 16 e-learning modules currently include: Covid-19 Return To Work, PIT Safety Awareness, Working At Heights, Health Surveillance – Noise, Respiratory and HAVS awareness, Equipment Checks – Pre-Use and Defective, Vehicle Lifting Equipment, Tyre Inflation and Compressed Air Systems, Electrical Safety and Awareness, Hot Works – Oxy-acetylene, Abrasive Wheel and Welding Safety Awareness, Fire Safety Awareness, Workplace Transport Safety, Fire Warden, First Aid Appointed Person, Introduction To Vehicle Workshop Health and Safety, Emergency Procedures and Reporting Accidents, Incidents and Near Misses, and, Display Screen Equipment, plus many more which are planned to be introduced. 

With over 30 years’ experience and having worked with over 250 client locations, Inspire has a proven track record of ensuring risks are managed effectively and efficiently through the implementation of 'proven' solutions. Each solution has been developed specifically for the commercial vehicle, logistics and food manufacturing markets.  
 

 


This October, Dementia UK’s brand-new fundraising event, Raise Your Game, sees fundraisers across the UK getting out their Jenga/Snakes and Ladders/Ludo/Scrabble sets [delete as appropriate] to help families face dementia. Families are invited to spend time together (either virtually, socially distanced or within their household) having fun, as well raising awareness and funds, for more of Dementia UK’s dementia specialist Admiral Nurses.  
 
When things get challenging or difficult for people with dementia and their families, Admiral Nurses work alongside them, giving the compassionate one-to-one support, expert guidance and practical solutions that can be difficult to find elsewhere. They are a lifeline - helping families to live more positively with dementia in the present, and to face the challenges of tomorrow with more confidence and less fear. 
 
Fundraisers will be getting involved in a number of different events over the next few months, from 24-hour board game marathons to whole villages throwing the dice. One fundraiser who will be taking part in Raise Your Game this year will be Sue from Hampshire. Her mother was diagnosed with dementia in 2013. Sue says: “I had never heard of Admiral Nurses but I realise just how valuable they could have been in my situation in terms of supporting me with respite, and talking through the feelings of guilt I faced after having put mum in a nursing home.” 
 
Games have always played (no pun intended!) a strong role in Sue’s life. She lived in Germany with her husband who was in the military. They used to get involved in games nights with the people who were stationed there. Sue continues: “We used to play Ludo tournaments during our lunch breaks and in between our shifts. It didn’t matter if we didn’t speak the same language as Ludo has a language of its own! A six is a six in any tongue. There were teams of British, German, Portuguese, Yugoslavian and we never tired of playing.” 
 
Hannah Gardner, Admiral Nurse from East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, said: “My mum was diagnosed with young onset dementia and it’s this which ultimately led me to becoming an Admiral Nurse. Being an Admiral Nurse, I help families through many challenging times but also allow them to appreciate the moments they have together.  
   
“I remember my own family used to play Monopoly but never got to the end of the game, as it took far too long! But it was nice to just spend time together. I’m delighted that Dementia UK has put this fundraising event on as I know it will be of benefit to so many families.”  
 
Hilda Hayo, CEO of Dementia UK and Chief Admiral Nurse, said: “People affected by dementia can feel isolated, and straightforward games can be an excellent way to help them communicate and have fun. Our first-ever Raise Your Game fundraising event is a welcome addition to our events calendar. It will no doubt bring many families together in the face of one of the most challenging health conditions out there, whilst also raising money for more dementia specialist Admiral Nurses.” 
 
Families can look at the charity’s online coronavirus hub for the latest updates on how to care and support a relative at this time.

Technology entrepreneur Charlette N’Guessan has won this year's Royal Academy of Engineering Africa prize for engineering innovation. The Ivorian 26-year-old, who is based in Ghana, is the first woman to win the prestigious prize. Her team's invention, Bace API, uses facial recognition and artificial intelligence to verify identities remotely, the academy said.
 
It takes live images or short videos recorded on phone cameras to detect whether the image is of a real person, or a photo of an existing image. It is aimed at institutions that rely on identity verification. Two financial institutions are already using the software to verify customers’ identities, the academy said. Ms N’Guessan won £25,000 ($33,000) for the top prize.
 
The winner was voted for by a live audience during a virtual awards ceremony held on Thursday where four finalists delivered presentations. Three runners-up received £10,000 ($13,000).
 
They are Aisha Raheem from Nigeria - whose digital platform provides farmers with data to improve their efficiency, Dr William Wasswa from Uganda - whose low-cost digital microscope speeds up cervical cancer screening and David Tusubira from Uganda - who devised a system that manages off-grid power grids by monitoring the condition of solar arrays.
 
In a statement the academy said: "Fifteen shortlisted Africa Prize entrepreneurs, from six countries in sub-Saharan Africa, received eight months of training and mentoring, during which they developed their business plans and learned to market their innovations."
 
 
 

City of Wolverhampton Council is putting plans in place for another major Bilston Urban Village development that could enable the delivery of up to 300 jobs for the city - and vital business rates revenue.
 
A report to be heard at the council’s Cabinet Resources Panel meeting on Wednesday, September 9 is proposing the disposal to a delivery partner of 17 acres of brownfield land identified for employment use to provide at least 100,000 square feet of industrial/commercial space.
 
The site is situated at the East of Bilston Urban Village, to the rear of Morrisons supermarket, and borders the Midland Metro to the east and Bankfield Road to the west – with quick connections to Junction 10 of the M6 via The Black Country Route.
 
There is demand from businesses requiring high-quality premises and market testing last year indicated a number of developers interested in building out the site for employment purposes.
 
Bilston Urban Village has been created following multi-million-pound investment by City of Wolverhampton Council, Homes England and the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership to remediate brownfield land through a range of major works, including the site clearance, former factory floors being broken up, the old railway embankment removed, treatment of mineshafts and highways and drainage infrastructure being installed.
 
Significant, initial investment in Bilston Urban Village saw the building of the Bert Williams Leisure Centre and South Wolverhampton and Bilston Academy – improving health and increasing education and skills opportunities.
 
With the first residential phase of 78 Kier homes off Dudley Street now complete and people already moving into the larger Countryside development off Coseley Road, which will provide 420 homes across 27 acres, there is an increasing population right on the doorstep of the town centre.
 
A newly-built Marston’s family pub/restaurant, the White Rabbit, and the new Loxdale Primary School also form key components of Bilston Urban Village.
 
Extensive landscaping works also mean these destinations have been connected by 35 acres of green space, creating a conservation and recreation area accessible by a network of paths, including Bert Turner Boulevard, which leads into the heart of the town centre.

Councillor Stephen Simkins, Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: “The disposal of this land for employment use is another critical piece of the Bilston Urban Village jigsaw.
 
“It is even more critical now to provide new opportunities for our residents as we look to recover economically from the impact of Covid-19.
 
“We are realising our vison of affordable urban living for hundreds of families - all right at the heart of Bilston.
 
“The urban village offers extensive areas of open space to enjoy on the doorstep, new schools for kids to learn in, a top-class leisure centre nearby, a new family pub/restaurant on tap and further investment planned for the town centre.
 
“It is also a great location with purpose-built transport connectivity and the new commercial plot will provide hundreds of jobs opportunities.
 
“Bilston Urban Village also shows why our work towards establishing a National Brownfield Institute at the University of Wolverhampton’s outstanding £100million Springfield Campus is so critical.
 
“This will help get more former industrial land ready for development, creating future employment sites and homes.”
 
The land has been assembled by the council over a number of years following a transfer of ownership from Homes England (formerly Homes and Communities Agency) and the acquisition of neighbouring scrapyards.
 
Full site investigations on the employment site have already been carried out thanks to funding through the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership.
 
Access is proposed off Brook Street and, with offices and general industrial use identified for the land rather than storage and distribution, the movement of heavy lorries is expected to be minimised.
 

Child Trust Funds are due to start maturing today and millions of children who received a handout from the government have benefited from their parents choosing to invest in stocks and shares rather than cash.

Launched in 2005, the first Child Trust Funds are starting to mature this month when the oldest group of children turn 18 and gain access to their accounts. HMRC say around 55,000 will mature each month.

When they were opened, parents had the option of choosing to invest in cash or funds that invested in stocks and shares.

Of the 6.3million Child Trust Funds opened for children born between September 2002 and January 2011, around 4.84million of them were invested in funds that invested in stocks and shares, but more than a million were invested in cash.

And those families who invested in shares are likely to have seen better returns.

£250 invested in April 2005
Returns
FTSE All-Share
£590.34
Cash
£319.40
*Figures from FE 01/04/2005 – 28/08/2020

Sean McCann, Chartered Financial Planner at financial advisers NFU Mutual, said: “Many play it safe when it comes to investing for children and keep the money in savings accounts, but families who invested in share based funds may be surprised by the returns they’ve made.

“These figures demonstrate the longer-term potential of the stock market and how taking more risk can produce better returns when investing for children.

“Despite the credit crunch of 2008 and the financial downturn this year, many Child Trust Funds invested in shares have still outperformed those invested in cash.

“One of the aims of the Child Trust Fund was to help children understand the benefits of longer term saving and investment.

“Thousands of teenagers will start receiving this money in September, and when they take control at 18 they can move some or all of the money into an ISA and continue to benefit from any future growth.” 

If parents didn’t invest their child’s handout, the government did it for them. You can trace a lost Child Trust Fund, by logging onto: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs/contact/child-trust-fund

England striker Marcus Rashford has formed a taskforce with some of the UK's biggest food brands to try to help reduce child food poverty.

The 22-year-old Manchester United forward successfully campaigned to extend free school meals this summer. He has written to MPs, outlining the help he feels some families still need.

They include expanding the numbers who are eligible for free school meals - and offer them free food and activities during school holidays in England.

He has spoken about his own experiences of using a food voucher scheme as a child and was praised for pressing the government into a U-turn on the issue.

The group of supermarkets, businesses and charities - including Aldi, Asda, Co-op, Deliveroo, FareShare, Food Foundation, Iceland, Kellogg's, Lidl, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose - have formed a taskforce and backed proposals from the National Food Strategy, an independent review of UK food policy.

The taskforce is calling for three policy recommendations by the National Food Strategy to be funded by the government as soon as possible:

Expanding free school meals to every child from a household on Universal Credit or equivalent, reaching an additional 1.5m children aged seven to 16
Expanding an existing school holiday food and activities programme to support all children on free school meals in all areas of England. instead of the current 50,000 children that are helped
Increasing the value of the Healthy Start vouchers - which help parents with children under the age of four and pregnant women buy some basic foods - from £3.10 to £4.25 per week, and expanding it to all those on Universal Credit or equivalent, reaching an additional 290,000 people

The taskforce says implementing the three recommendations would mark a "unifying step to identifying a long-term solution to child poverty in the UK".

Rashford said he was "confident" the group could help change lives "for the better" and said that the move to extend free school meals over the summer had been a "short-term solution" to stopping children from going hungry, but it "wasn't going to work in the long run".

"We had to think about the best way to do it, to think about how these families can eat long term and not have any issues," he said.

He is hoping that, with a bigger team of experts around him, he might be able to help more children.

"We wanted to do it the best way we could, introduce the best people into our group, and see if using them [we] can push it even more."

The CEOs of City First Bank in Washington, DC and Broadway Federal Bank in Los Angeles have decided to merge to create one of the largest in the US - and Black-led Minority Depository Institution (MDI) in the nation - with more than $1 billion in combined assets under management and approximately $850 million in total depository institution assets.
Brian E. Argrett, CEO of City First, will be CEO of the newly combined company, which will use City First as its banking brand but keep the publicly-traded Broadway Financial Corp (BYFC) as its bank holding company. Wayne-Kent A. Bradshaw, Broadway’s CEO, will be the chairman of the new company.

Combining the two institutions increases their collective commercial lending capacity for investments in multifamily affordable housing, small businesses, and nonprofit development in financially underserved urban areas while creating a national platform for impact investors.

Both banks have held a strong financial position as Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), and have a longstanding history of advancing economic and social equity through the provision of capital in low- to moderate-income communities. The combined institution will maintain its CDFI status, requiring it to deploy at least 60% of its lending into low- to moderate-income communities.

CDFIs help to close funding gaps, create jobs, expand critical social services, and spur equitable economic development with a mission to strengthen the overall well-being of vulnerable communities. Since the beginning of 2015, City First Bank and Broadway Federal Bank have collectively deployed over $1.1 billion combined in loans and investments in their communities.

The new institution will maintain bi-coastal headquarters and will continue to serve and expand in the banks’ current geographic areas, with a desire to scale to other high-potential urban markets. As a national bank, the combined entity intends to continue to operate under the supervision of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and to be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market.