Business News

Switching to a water meter or tapping into financial support from water companies’ social tariff schemes could help millions of low-income households stay afloat ahead of a wave of April bill rises. 

The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) is urging people that have been hit in the pocket during Covid-19 to join more than a million customers who are already receiving ongoing financial help from their water company.

Water is one of the few household bills set to fall on average from 1 April by about £2 but consumers still face many other soaring costs including energy, council tax, mobile phones, broadband and TV licences. 

Not everyone will also see their water and sewerage charges fall with changes to bills depending on a host of factors including where people live, whether or not they are metered and other individual circumstances. 

That’s why CCW wants customers on a low income to dip into the pool of help on offer from their water company with social tariff schemes, payment breaks or switching to a water meter just some of the options available. 

Senior Policy Manager Andy White said: “Covid-19 has hit millions of people in the pocket which makes the prospect of some significant bill rises in April even harder to swallow.”

“Water is often overlooked when it comes to saving money but whether it’s trialling the benefits of a water meter or seeing if you’re eligible for your supplier’s social tariff – there’s the potential to slash hundreds of pounds of your water bill.” 

Sign up to a social tariff – average saving typically £150

Every water company in England and Wales has a social tariff scheme that caps the bills of low-income customers who meet the eligibility criteria. Each scheme and the support it provides is different but CCW has a guide to these tariffs on its website. Bills can be reduced by as much as 90 per cent in some instances. 

Cap your bills with WaterSure – average saving £270

WaterSure is also offered by all companies in England and Wales. It limits metered bills for low income, high water users to – at most – the average bill for the region. Customers qualify for help through this scheme if they are metered; in receipt of certain welfare benefits and are receiving child benefit for three or more children under the age of 19 or have someone living at the property with a medical condition requiring high water use.

Trial a water meter – average saving £200

For smaller households - even those having to spend more time at home during lockdown - one of the most effective ways to cut their bill remains switching to a water meter. Water companies usually give customers two years to trial the benefits and return to unmetered charges if they’re unhappy – unless you live in parts of the south of England where metering is becoming compulsory. 

Over the past year more than 220,000 people have used CCW’s free water meter calculator to see if they might save money by switching – clocking up savings totalling £14 million. 

Give your finances a break with a payment holiday

Customers who just need some breathing room with bills might want to consider joining almost 100,000 households who have already taken a payment break since the outbreak of Covid-19.

News Direct and Media OutReach - two newswires that are revolutionizing the news distribution industry with advances in technology, analytics, security and workflow - have entered into a reciprocal press release distribution arrangement covering the United States and Asia Pacific region.

Media OutReach clients will benefit from News Direct's full-fledged access to The Associated Press distribution network in the US, which includes the nation's leading newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations, and online sites. Additionally, releases are posted to AP's popular app and apnews.com, the news agency's heavily trafficked consumer-facing site.

News Direct's geographic distribution capabilities are supplemented by its robust industry-specific reach, allowing for highly relevant targeting. Trade sector and consumer-focused lists are refreshed with each use for maximum effectiveness. The partnership also allows Media OutReach clients to issue multimedia such as infographics, videos and images as independent assets in line with journalistic preferences. As a confirmation of ROI, clients receive a robust Performance Report that includes postings on major portals including Yahoo! Finance and MarketWatch.

Media OutReach is the first global newswire founded in Asia Pacific and has a unique, in-depth understanding of the media landscape in the region. Its success has been driven by its technology-led distribution platform with an unrivalled Asia Pacific network, comprehensive database and precise editorial targeting capabilities which has proven to be highly-effective for PR professionals to reach out to journalists and editors - including influencers in their target media and countries. Through this partnership, News Direct's clients can expand their reach and build direct connections with journalists in the region.

Additionally, News Direct clients can leverage Media OutReach's extensive media partnerships which guarantee online postings. As such, they will see their stories posted on leading news portals such as SINA, Viet Nam News and AsiaOne among others, further enhancing their exposure in Asia Pacific.

News Direct clients will have access to the Media OutReach automated post release reports which provide qualitative and quantitative performance metrics. Importantly, this includes access to the proprietary Media and Journalist Insights dashboard, which provides insights such as the interaction between journalists and the press release including story open rates by publication, by country and eventual write ups.

"News Direct aims to differentiate itself in many ways," noted founder and CEO Gregg Castano. " but above all we want to be known for the unrivalled quality of our distribution network. We are proud to partner with Media OutReach, which has earned its reputation as Asia's most innovative and dynamic distribution service."

Jennifer Kok, founder and CEO of Media OutReach said, "This partnership enhances our USA distribution capabilities and customers can now distribute their news release and multimedia through its leading-edge delivery platform in America. Overall, this adds further strength to Media OutReach's global distribution network, and we are pleased to be working with News Direct.

The team at News Direct are industry veterans, many of whom are formerly from Business Wire and have built on their expertise to create an exceptionally strong distribution platform and service."

Lovell Homes’ Station House development in Stourbridge, in the West Midlands, has almost sold due to high demand, with its final apartment remaining. The former police station was recently renovated into 31 ‘one-of-a-kind’ one and two-bedroom apartments, including unique mezzanine and penthouse apartments.

With just the final mezzanine apartment available released at £275,000, homeowners are being encouraged to act quickly. Situated on New Road, the site has stood for more than a century and was the police base for decades in the town.

Part of the building dates back to 1885, when it was built as the County Police Station, replacing an earlier court and jail. The main police station, now known as Constable House, was built in 1911 as the headquarters of the Worcestershire County Constabulary and the Magistrates Court, including on-site police cells, highlighting the historic and important role of Stourbridge at that time.

Victoria House was formerly an accommodation block for officers, which featured a bar, lounge and pool room where they could unwind. Wendy House, the newest building on the site, formerly housed office accommodation. Both of these buildings are believed to date from the 1930s.

Stourbridge’s police station closed its doors in 2017 and was purchased by Lovell in 2018 and construction work commenced in 2019. The sales launch took place early last year and the first residents moved to their brand-new apartment in November 2020.

Trish Foster, regional sales director at Lovell, said: “We’re thrilled at how successful Station House has been since its launch. Despite the backdrop of the current pandemic, the homes at Station House have proven exceptionally popular, with almost 40% of the development selling out during the first lockdown alone.

“It’s been wonderful to bring a new lease of life to this historic building and restore its stunning police station features. We hope the new residents enjoy their lives within this remarkable development and feel proud to call it home.”

The development’s stylish homes have been built with many of the original police station features from the 1900s remaining, including the striking external blue doors and stunning ceiling of the old courtroom, in keeping with the main, historic character of Stourbridge’s town centre. Former police cells have even been converted into apartments, creating one-of-a-kind properties that offer the very best in modern and flexible living. 

Perfectly situated in the heart of Stourbridge, the development is surrounded by amenities including supermarkets and Merry Hill shopping centre, home to major high street shops, restaurants and more.

Stourbridge is in good proximity to Birmingham, Dudley and Wolverhampton, with excellent transport links and a nearby train station making Station House ideal for commuters.

Station House’s marketing suite is now closed and private appointments must be arranged.

Two new schemes are being launched to encourage more diversity at board level in the West Midlands.

One scheme will offer people from underrepresented backgrounds a chance to learn the skills needed to successfully secure a position on a board or committee of an organisation; the other will support local professional services firms to develop more diverse talent for their business. The projects aim is to equip more people from underrepresented groups to apply for board-level opportunities and, at the same time, encourage boards and recruiters to consider these applicants more seriously by demonstrating the value that these candidates could add.

The two projects are being run by the West Midlands Leadership Commission, which was set up by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) in 2017, to help people from under-represented parts of society make it to the top of the career ladder.  Back in September the WMCA Board endorsed a renewal of the Commission’s activity following the influence of Black Lives Matter and the unequal impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on some communities.

This new phase of the Leadership Commission activity is being co-chaired by Anita Bhalla OBE and Professor Kiran Trehan. Anita who was awarded an OBE in 2009 for services to broadcasting and communities said: “The Leadership Commission worked for 18 months to interrogate the makeup of leadership in the West Midlands and evidence the barriers underrepresented groups, such as women and ethnic minority communities, face to reaching top positions.

“Our findings report ‘Leaders Like You’ set out the data and recommendations for the whole region, some of which have been taken forward. However, there are still huge inequalities to tackle and our next task as the Commission will be to take action that really focuses on getting more people onto boards.” The training scheme, called Get Board Ready opend to applicants on March 19 and will focus on the skills, knowledge and experience needed to apply for public appointments, and provide the successful cohort with training on how to apply and be interviewed for board level positions.

A workshop will give them the potential to be appointees with extra know-how and practical experience needed to clinch a position. The project aims to help achieve the Government’s aim that by 2022, 50% of public appointees should be women and 14% should be from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Meanwhile Professor Kiran Trehan, pro-vice chancellor at York University and director of the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Enterprise, Leadership and Diversity is working with businesses in the professional services sector to help make the leadership of their firms more inclusive and build pipelines to develop diverse talent within their organisations. The professional services are being targeted as they are a key sector for the region and the WMCA is participating alongside these firms.

The Leadership Commission was established by Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and the WMCA Board in 2017 to investigate why the diverse makeup of the region’s population is not reflected at leadership levels. The Mayor said: “The West Midlands has a really diverse population, but we’re finding that this diversity isn’t being displayed at leadership level.

“This is a problem for boards and businesses, who are not connecting to talent that could help them to thrive, as well as for our communities, who are missing that representation and seat at the table. So the Leadership Commission is setting out to help rectify this situation by opening up routes to these top positions, and I am pleased we have been able to launch these two new schemes to help achieve that.”

Councillor Brigid Jones, who is the WMCA portfolio lead member for inclusive communities and deputy leader at Birmingham City Council, said: “It is vital that the diversity of our communities is represented in leadership roles.

“People need to have leaders who look like them and speak up about the things that matter most to them, and our region’s young population needs to know that these aren’t roles that are shut off to them; they are roles for them. These schemes have been devised by the Leadership Commission to open up opportunities and develop aspirations of all people across the West Midlands.”

Applications for the workshop in applying for public appointments will open on 19 March and close late April, with the workshop taking place in early June.

The British Army is set to be reduced by about 10,000 soldiers as part of a move towards robots, drones, and cyber warfare.

The defence review is likely to see the loss of some tanks and aircraft - but the government said there would be more ships, submarines and sailors. Numbers in the regular Army will be reduced to about 70,000 soldiers, having already fallen in recent years.

The UK’s Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, will make a statement in the Commons aster saying he was making decisions in the context of an increased defence budget. There were 80,010 soldiers in the UK's regular Army in January 2021, latest figures showed, down from 86,080 in October 2015.

Labour responded by saying the number of soldiers was being cut despite an increase in threats facing the UK. The latest reduction in the number of soldiers could be made through natural movement, with those who leave the service not replaced by new recruits.

As part of the military restructure, the Royal Marines will be transformed into a new Future Commando Force, taking on many of the traditional tasks of the special forces - the SAS and SBS. The force will receive more than £200m of direct investment over the next decade to carry out maritime security operations and to pre-empt and deter sub-threshold activity, and counter state threats.

Following the publication last week of the separate so-called integrated review of foreign and defence policy, ministers have said big changes are necessary to create a more agile military. As part of that review, the government increased the cap on UK nuclear warheads from 180 to 260.

Firms across the Greater Birmingham have shown an “indomitable sprit” in the face of the grave crisis caused by the Covid-19 crisis, a new survey reveals today. The Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) first quarterly business report of 2021 shows renewed optimism after the Prime Minister’s Roadmap to Recovery set out a blueprint for recovery.

GBCC chief executive Paul Faulkner says Boris Johnson’s assurances seemed to translate into greater levels of business confidence among firms in the region. He added: “Both profitability and turnover projections were the highest we’ve seen in 12 months. Elsewhere, it was a mixed bag – domestic and international sales saw a minor upturn but still remain in negative territory.

“Hiring levels picked up markedly. However, unsurprisingly, capex and training investment remains sluggish. The majority of firms continue to experience severe problems related to cash flow levels and we also saw a noticeable increase in the number of firms that are under pressure to raise their prices as the dual forces of Covid-19 and Brexit continue to bite.”

Domestic demand balance rose by five points to 47 but remained short of returning to positive territory as businesses attempted to adapt to latest nationwide restrictions. Across the board, 33 per cent reported an uplift in domestic sales – up from the 28 per cent listed in Q4; 27 per cent reported that their UK sales remained constant for the second consecutive quarter, whereas 40 per cent witnessed a drop in domestic demand (down from the 45 per cent noted in Q4).

Contrasting trends emerged from the two individual sectors. For the second consecutive quarter, the manufacturing balance for UK sales recorded a fall – this time by four points to 44. The service sector balance went up by seven points to 48 with a notable increase in the number of service firms recording an increase in domestic output (up from 27 per cent to 35 per cent in the current quarter).

The domestic orders balance score returned to positive territory for the first time in 12 months, reflecting the positivity generated by the Government’s announcements. Export sales across manufacturing and professional services combined rose for the second consecutive quarter.

However the overall balance score remained just shy of positive territory. In total, 30 per cent of businesses in both sectors reported an increase in international sales – an uplift of eight per cent compared to Q4. This offset the rise of firms in both sectors which recorded a drop in export sales (up from 29 per cent to 32 per cent) which lead to the overall balance score going up two points for 47 to 49. Again, differing trends emerged in the two sectors.

The service sector balance fell by one point to 47 because 33 per cent of service firms witnessed a fall in overseas sales (up from 29 per cent in Q4). The manufacturing balance made a welcome return to positive terrain for the first time since the start of last year; 37 per cent of manufacturers noted increased export sales over the last three months (compared to 19 per cent at the end of 2020) which meant the balance score went up from 46 to 53.

Professor Julian Beer, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Birmingham City University, who sponsor the report, said: “The figures for the first quarter of 2021 represent a significant upside surprise. In spite of the imposition of a national lockdown, the figures actually represent a broad-based improvement on Q4 of 2020.

“This is quite remarkable given the enormous challenges created by both the lockdown itself and the impact of school closures on employees. It will be interesting to see the extent to which this is mirrored in national GDP data when they become available.

“Looking forward, it seems likely that we will see a significant recovery in activity moving forward into the second and third quarters of the year, which is cause for optimism after an extremely difficult year.”

Housebuilders Countryside and Taylor Wimpey have been told to change their leasehold contract terms by the UK competition watchdog or face legal action.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the unfair terms, which double ground every 10 to 15 years, trap people. It said the contract means people can struggle to sell or mortgage homes. The builders said they had already taken steps that address the issue.

The CMA said it had concerns that the clauses in the contracts may break consumer protection law. They must be removed and not used again, it said.

CMA chief executive Andrea Coscelli said: "These ground rent terms can make it impossible for people to sell or get a mortgage on their homes, meaning that they find themselves trapped. This is unacceptable. Countryside and Taylor Wimpey must entirely remove all these terms from existing contracts to make sure that they are on the right side of the law."

He added: "If these developers do not address our concerns, we will take further action, including through the courts, if necessary." The watchdog is also looking into Barratt Developments and Persimmon Homes contracts.

Campaigners have called for leaseholds to be banned on new builds, and the government has said previously it would work to end the practice. Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said unfair practices, including crippling ground rents, have no place in our housing market.

"This behaviour must end and I look forward to appropriate redress being forthcoming for leaseholders," he added. Taylor Wimpey said: "We will continue to cooperate with the CMA and work with them to find a satisfactory resolution, within the required timescale."

The housebuilder added that it stopped selling leases that doubled ground rent every ten years on new developments from 1 January 2012. In 2017 it launched a voluntary help scheme that covers the cost of converting terms so ground rents are linked to rises in the retail price index (RPI) measure of inflation and set aside £130m to cover the cost of lease conversions.

The company said that a significant number of Taylor Wimpey customers have already used this scheme and it remains open. Countryside said it had sold no properties with doubling ground rent clauses since 2017 and that it had an assistance scheme for people who charges doubled more than every 20 years. It said it would continue to engage constructively with the CMA to resolve this complex issue.

The National Leasehold Campaign (NLC), which wants to abolish new-build leasehold, said that Taylor Wimpey and Countrywide were two of the worst offenders in the leasehold scandal. NLC founder Katie Kendrick said the campaign was delighted with the CMA's stance.

However, she said that ground rents are only one of the ways for freehold investors to make money at the expense of leaseholders. "Leaseholders are navigating a feudal system that is stacked against them,” she said, “with rip-off permission fees, escalating service charges and, for many new build estates, estate management fees. The big developers could do more to provide redress for the systematic mis-selling of leasehold homes; they choose not to".

Pollution-busting plans for Coventry to become the UK’s first All Electric Bus City have been backed by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) leaders today.

Under the ground-breaking project, every bus in the city of Coventry will be electric powered by 2025, leading to improved air quality, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and lower running costs. Approval from the WMCA Board means that £50 million Department for Transport (DfT) funding will now be handed to the region to deliver the project.

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), which is part of the WMCA, will work with bus operators to replace buses and install charging infrastructure on the streets of Coventry. This includes pantograph, or overhead, charging points which will be available to all bus operators. Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street, who chairs the WMCA, said: “It took a lot of lobbying and persuading, but I am delighted we won the Government’s national competition to turn Coventry’s bus fleet all electric.

“It was great to welcome the Prime Minister to Coventry this week to talk about our all-electric plans, and crucially today’s confirmation by the WMCA board now unlocks his Government’s £50 million investment, meaning we can get on with rolling out the clean, green, electric buses onto the city’s roads. Not only will the clean bus fleet improve the public transport offering in Coventry, but it is also another step towards tackling the climate emergency and helping to attract people to leave their cars at home in favour of taking the bus.

“This is a great time for bus users in Coventry, with our newly refurbished Pool Meadow bus station, the trial of West Midlands On Demand buses serving the University of Warwick campus, as well our wider investment in fare-capping and better value fares, bus priority measures, real-time travel information and on board facilities like wi-fi and USB charging. It is a bus revolution here in the West Midlands, and Coventry is right at the heart of it.”

Transport Minister, Baroness Vere, said:  “Our £50m investment will see Coventry’s entire fleet of buses replaced with new, all-electric vehicles. This will have a profoundly positive effect on air quality and emissions in the area and reduce noise pollution. This Government is committed to decarbonising the transport network across the UK, as we build back greener and strive to achieve net zero by 2050.”

Councillor Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs and regeneration at Coventry City Council, said: “We have finally got this over the line after we were able to convince the government that this city is the ideal location and this will make a major dent in addressing air pollution.

“We already have a range of schemes to improve air quality and this will help exceed our targets. We have great working relations with bus companies in the city and these are exciting times for all of us. The hard work starts now.” TfWM will lead the project in partnership with Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council and local bus operators – who are together paying 25% of the added costs of electric vehicles over diesel and charging infrastructure.

This is a major project for bus operators across Coventry, and attracts significant investment from them to replace every bus in their fleet within five years. Operators, including National Express Coventry, which launched 10 electric buses in service last summer, and Stagecoach, will also ensure the new buses offer customers the best in on-board comfort and technology, as well as being good for the environment. 

The clean air benefits will be felt beyond the city boundary, as many services which start or finish in Coventry serve Warwickshire, Solihull, Birmingham, Rugby and Leicester. This will support the #WM2041 target for the region to be net-zero carbon within two decades

Coventry was selected to be the UK’s first All Electric Bus City following a successful bid to the DfT. Applicants were required to demonstrate support from stakeholders in their local areas, outline existing plans to reduce greenhouse gases and improve air quality, and show how the plan would tackle an existing air quality problem.

This year TfWM is already on target to for buses to be Euro-VI compliant low emission vehicles – but this plan sets the region well on the road towards a zero-emission bus fleet.

Following months of planning and a period of interviews, The Black Pounds Project is thrilled to announce the names of the first Black owned SME businesses in the West Midlands to benefit from the organisation’s free mentorship programme. The Black Pounds Project (BPP), founded by Birmingham playwright CJ Webley in 2020, aims to help Black businesses who have been severely hit and at risk because of COVID-19, continue to contribute to the regional economy.

Sue Bedward founder of Midlands Business Leadership Academy and member of the interview panel said: “In the current climate we are delighted to welcome onboard our first cohort of eight-businesses, who will receive mentoring, coaching, workshops, business support and advice services through the BPP. The high calibre and the diverse range of products and services they offer is exceptional and we look forward to helping them take their businesses to the next level in building capability, capacity and a stronger local economy for the West Midlands, #blackbusinessmatters.” Those announced were amongst thirty businesses to make it to the shortlist.

The West Midlands-based businesses confirmed are: Fiona Morrison, Fegus Designs offering a range of eye catching and vibrant merchandise and art for children, with a strong emphasis on diverse characters; Craig Markham, Bubble Bar a full service bar with a full range of local beers, ciders, wines, guest cocktails, gins and soft drinks served from a vintage caravan; Christianne Lee, Broke and Beautiful UK creating a brand for girls  who want a luxury handbag on a budget and on-trend for each season; Dave Daniels, Ms Tita Coffee a distinct, luxury and hearty coffee brand, born in the Jamaica Blue Mountain region; Ebony Hemmings, Breathe in Media helping businesses to maximise their digital platforms and engage with their audience through social media, video and content marketing; Kenya Mcfarlane, Natju  providing a range of freshly made natural juices, teas and a popular detox programme to suit all budgets; Ayisha Hamilton-Amos, Yeesh LTD a skincare and haircare beauty brand that specialises in naturally sourced products allowing men and women to take back control of what they allow on their skin and crown and Cleo Wright, Cleo’s Kitchen providing tasty healthy, vegan desserts and treats.

Founder CJ Webley said: “This Mentorship scheme will offer access to a pool of professional advisors who are dedicating their services for free to help kick start the businesses for when we come out of lockdown.  Topics covered will include professional development coaching and training in becoming legally and regulatory compliant across all areas and, where necessary, funding to help with digital and branding strategies, marketing materials, set up costs, graphic design and finance management.”

The BPP will support each business over a twelve-month period and, as the project develops, the team will compile a directory of high quality, professional Black owned businesses that everyone can benefit from.

The Black Pounds Project launched its fundraising page in June 2020. For the project to support as many Black businesses as possible during this time, further funding is desperately needed.

The government is to cut grants aimed at encouraging people to buy electric vehicles in a move that has been criticised by the motor industry.

The Department for Transport will reduce the grant from £3,000 to £2,500 and restrict it to cars under £35,000. But Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said it is "the wrong move at the wrong time".

It said the decision goes against the government's zero emissions ambitions. SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: "This sends the wrong message to the consumer, especially private customers, and to an industry challenged to meet the government's ambition to be a world leader in the transition to zero emission mobility."

The government said that higher-priced vehicles are typically bought by drivers who can afford to switch to electric vehicles without a subsidy. It said the changes will allow funding for the grant to go further.

Transport minister Rachel Maclean said: "We want as many people as possible to be able to make the switch to electric vehicles."

"The increasing choice of new vehicles, growing demand from customers, and rapidly rising number of charge-points means that while the level of funding remains as high as ever, given soaring demand, we are re-focusing our vehicle grants on the more affordable zero emission vehicles."

The government will also alter how it calculates the plug-in van grant, and change the eligibility for grant to vehicles that are able to travel for 60 miles without any emissions. The plug-in car grant was introduced a decade ago, and was designed to reduce the price of electric cars, which generally cost more to make than petrol or diesel equivalents, to encourage more people to buy them.

A Wolverhampton-born community interest company that is committed to eradicating homelessness for women has set out ambitious plans to offer over 2000 beds by the end of 2021. Lotus Sanctuary has moved from a start-up non-profit organisation in 2018 into one of the sector’s fastest instigators of change, offering up to 550-bed spaces for vulnerable women, who are dealing with complex issues or fleeing domestic violence.

The social enterprise has been able to leverage over £30m of private sector investment to lease a mixture of one, two and three-bed properties across the East and West Midlands, the North West, the North East, the South West and Yorkshire and Humber. Driven by a desire to give individuals more than bricks and mortar, the critical service has seen referrals for its wrap-around support surge during lockdown and now has plans in place to quadruple the number of people it can help over the next twelve months.

“There are over 300,000 people currently homeless or living in temporary accommodation, from the rough sleepers who have become a familiar sight in our cities to the hidden homeless, sofa surfers or those living in shelter,” explained Gurpaal Singh Judge, Chief Executive Officer of Lotus Sanctuary. “Combating houselessness is an issue in itself with a shortage of housing in the UK. However, homelessness is something we are only starting to realise is a deeper issue, an issue that sits deep within the hearts and minds of our residents. More than an issue of bricks and mortar, it’s an issue of trust and trauma. A house isn’t always a home.”

He continued: “A woman who has sought drugs as a way to escape the past or ongoing violence, only to find herself in a male dominated hostel or sleeping on the streets needs more than a house or a flat to solve her problems. As a sector we need to realise that it’s homelessness we need to solve by working with our residents to create that same sense of belonging that we all feel at home. That can only be done by a multi-pronged approach - a holistic, person-centred programme, tailored to fit the needs and requirements of the individual.”

Lotus Sanctuary typically provides properties for two years and, during that time, will work with the resident to understand their issues before creating a bespoke pathway to independence, including mental health and specialist support, access to training and a host of volunteering/employment opportunities. Over the last year, the CIC has grown from 24 units in the West Midlands to over 550 bed spaces in seven out of the nine English regions.

This is just the start, with strategic expansion plans targeting 2000 beds by 2022, with the biggest growth being in the Midlands and Greater London. Whilst the focus will still strongly be on supporting vulnerable women, the decision has been taken to create units for mothers with children and separate dedicated properties for men.

Lotus Sanctuary Business Development Manager, Stephanie Knight, added: “Volunteering is another fully fledged provision we are adding, giving volunteers the chance to get involved in supporting our residents. This carries a two-fold benefit of bolstering the amount of support we offer individuals and creating a pathway into employment for the volunteer…a win-win we like to think. Our mission is to eradicate homelessness and to do that we need to be bold and brave.

This means we are exploring financing options to start the purchase of freehold properties for Lotus Sanctuary itself (instead of us leasing) and are hoping to open coffee shops and second-hand furniture stores that can be staffed by our residents. Covid-19 and lockdowns are naturally presenting challenges for our plans, but we are determined as ever to take the Lotus ‘approach’ to as many people as we can.”

Leading investment professionals Rob Freer and David Newton have today announced the launch of NewHall Capital, an independent, owner managed private equity firm, with the aim of providing equity funding for companies in the Midlands to grow, create jobs and build value in their businesses.

Managing Director Rob Freer has over thirty years corporate finance and private equity experience, having previously held senior positions at NorthEdge Capital, Royal Bank Private Equity, Lloyds Banking Group, EY and Deloitte. He most recently set up and managed the Midlands office of NorthEdge Capital where he was responsible for originating and executing a number of successful investments. He was shortlisted twice for the Insider Dealmaker of the Year and secured the International Deal of the Year award in 2019. 

Rob is joined by David Newton who has previously worked as a corporate financier for EY, investment banks Williams de Broe, Seymour Pierce, XCAP Securities (where he was Head of Corporate Finance) and the Midlands based corporate finance boutique, Cattaneo. David has been the CEO of an AIM listed business and the FD of a number of SME companies.

NewHall Capital seeks to address the significant regional imbalances in the supply of SME equity finance that has historically favoured London and the North of England. They are looking to partner with local management teams committed to growing and developing their business.

NewHall Capital is now actively seeking investment opportunities with an enterprise value of up to £10 million and is predominantly focused on funding scenarios including Management Buyouts, Equity Release, Shareholder Recapitalisations and Development Capital transactions.

Unlike conventional private equity companies, NewHall Capital offers a highly flexible and tailored investment structure with no fixed term fund life. Most importantly, the team invest their own money into the deals they execute and manage, generating a strong alignment of interest with the management teams they are supporting.

The firm’s generalist sector approach and bespoke funding solutions, combined with the deep private equity, corporate finance and growth capital experience of its team, will ensure investee companies receive the right support they need to build value in their businesses.

Rob Freer, Managing Director of NewHall Capital stated: The SME sector in the Midlands has been underserved for too long. Despite the uncertainty caused by the government’s ongoing coronavirus lockdown, local businesses are keen for investment to grow their businesses, delivering on their existing plans or accelerating new opportunities. Therefore, I am delighted to say that we are firmly open for business and looking to secure as many quality opportunities as possible. We have been delighted to the response to our launch and are already reviewing a number of exciting opportunities.

Director at NewHall Capital, David Newton, added: “Everyone at NewHall Capital is passionate about supporting business in the Midlands and its neighbouring areas. We strongly believe that when it comes to investment, regional businesses want to work with a local partner they can build strong relationships with. Our supportive, straight forward approach, professional experience, and shared alignment provides the confidence that businesses need to invest and fulfil their financial, operational and strategic objectives.

“We look forward to working with like-minded passionate companies as we build value together.”

Probation services must show greater consideration and confidence in their work with Black, Asian and minority ethnic service users and staff, according to a new report. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation found the probation service’s focus on racial equality has declined since Transforming Rehabilitation reforms were introduced in 2014.

Inspectors also found the service has no specific strategy for delivering activity to ethnic minority service users. More than 222,000 people are supervised by probation services across England and Wales. Around a fifth of people on probation are from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

Chief Inspector of Probation Justin Russell said: “This has been a challenging year for probation staff and I pay tribute to the way they have pulled together to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. But the service faces other major challenges too – not least, ensuring that every service user, whatever their background, gets proper support and supervision.

“In this inspection, we found very little evidence of probation officers speaking to service users about their race, ethnicity or experiences of discrimination. Some officers – by their own admission – avoided talking about these issues altogether.

“Data about race, ethnicity and religion was missing in almost one in 10 inspected cases. Sometimes staff met with individuals who had experienced discrimination or trauma, but no issues were recorded on their file.

“These are disappointing findings. We have concerns about every stage of probation supervision from the quality of pre-sentencing reports – we found 40 per cent were insufficient in considering diversity factors – to the way that ethnic minority service users were involved in their assessment and sentence plans.

“Probation officers need to find out as much as possible about individuals to support their rehabilitation. How can you help someone if you don’t know what their life is like?”

Some individuals cited that it was difficult to engage with probation because of previous negative experiences with the police, prison staff or with white people in other positions of authority. Some service users reported their probation officers were kind and well-meaning but did not understand their heritage, culture or religion.

Links with local community organisations are poor and culturally-appropriate services are rarely commissioned. There are also few programmes to address racially-motivated offending.

The report also explored the experiences of ethnic minority probation staff. Key findings include:

·         inspectors heard distressing stories of inappropriate behaviour towards ethnic minority staff including instances of stereotyping, racist and sexualised language, and false allegations

·         ethnic minority staff were not always consulted or supported to work with individuals who had committed race-related offences

·         many surveyed staff did not feel it was safe to raise issues of racial discrimination at work and lacked faith that complaints would be handled appropriately. Inspectors heard serious complaints had been repeatedly downplayed, ignored or dismissed

·         of the 30 staff from our survey who had raised an issue of racial discrimination, only two felt the process and outcomes had been handled fairly

·         some ethnic minority staff felt recruitment and promotion practices were not open and fair.

The Inspectorate’s report includes 15 recommendations for HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and the National Probation Service (NPS).

Mr Russell said: “In a little over 100 days, probation services will be unified in England and Wales. This is an important opportunity to reset and raise the standard of work with ethnic minority service users and staff.

“At a national level, we want to see a strategy that sets out how the unified service will work with ethnic minority service users. Data should be gathered and published to identify and address trends, for example if particular ethnic groups are breached or recalled to prison at a disproportionate rate.

“Training gaps across all grades need to be addressed. Training senior leaders and managers will lead to improved understanding and behaviour change. Training probation officers will ensure they understand the impact of racism and discrimination on service users’ lives and on their own practice.

“There is also an urgent job to do to rebuild trust with ethnic minority staff. It was painful to hear stories of discrimination and this was made worse by the fact that staff did not feel heard or believed and were considered ‘trouble-makers’.

“There is a critical need to review the complaints and grievance process and train managers to deal with discrimination confidentially and sensitively.”

In an unusual move, Mr Russell announced his intention to reinspect this work again in two years. He concluded: “HMPPS and the probation service are now paying attention to this issue but need to keep up the momentum. This work needs to be taken forward at pace, and real and rapid progress to further race equality in probation.”

Sandwell Council has been recognised at the Children and Young People (CYP) Now Awards for their outstanding work with children in care. The Sandwell Virtual School and Connexions services teams saw off competition from seven finalists to win the Children in Care CYP Now Awards 2020.

They work together to help children in care into education, employment or training when they finish school. Children and young people are supported throughout secondary school and given careers advice to help them choose the path that’s right for them. The programme - Sandwell Careers Guarantee - has resulted in nearly all young people being in either education, employment or training at the age of 16.

Figures for those not in education, employment or training have come down from 24% in 2017 to 6% in 2021. The outcomes for Sandwell’s children in care have been rapidly improving. Sandwell Virtual School helps children in care get the very best education possible.

Councillor Joyce Underhill, cabinet member for best start in life, said: “We are thrilled to gain national recognition for the amazing work we are doing to rapidly improve outcomes for children in care.

"Sadly, children in care are often less likely to do well at school and we are very pleased that here in Sandwell we are bucking that trend. There are 559 children in care who are currently in education and latest data has shown they are all doing better from nursery right through to GCSE and A level results.”

Cllr Maria Crompton, deputy leader of Sandwell Council, added: "Getting recognition at such a high level is a wonderful achievement and our teams and young people have done an amazing job to improve so much since 2017. We want to continue to support children and young people in care in every way we can, by raising aspirations to help them achieve their full potential and thrive.

"We will continue to work hard with giving extra support to children, our wonderful foster carers and schools to make sure these vulnerable children are able to achieve their potential and thrive."

Plans to build five new council homes on two sites in West Bromwich have been given the green light with the awarding of a building contract by Sandwell Council. The £1.09 million scheme will see the much-needed homes built on two council-owned sites by J Harper & Sons Ltd.

Two four-bedroom houses and a bungalow adapted for wheelchair use will be built in Bull Lane, with another two two-bedroom bungalows being built at Albion Road. The Albion Road development replaces a block of three one-bedroom bungalows – which previously had to be demolished due to subsidence issues – and will be repositioned to avoid the poor ground conditions. The scheme is part of the authority’s three year plan to invest £70 million in building 650 new council homes across the borough.

Councillor Keith Allcock, Sandwell’s cabinet member for homes, said: “It’s good news that we have awarded this contract and we can get on with building these new council homes which will add to the council’s stock of affordable housing. There is a continuing demand for affordable homes, especially family houses and bungalows in Sandwell.

“The development will also provide job and training opportunities and result in improvements to the local area.”

Cllr Maria Crompton, Sandwell’s deputy council leader, added: “We’ve invested around £70 million in the past three years as part of our ongoing programme to build hundreds of new council homes and invest in affordable housing for local people.

“In the past 12 months, despite the pandemic, we’ve continued to work closely with our contractors – following strict Covid-19 guidelines – building 110 new council homes, with another 106 on site and due to be completed in the next six months and a further 97 in the pipeline.”

Work is expected to start on the West Bromwich sites in May this year, with the homes set to be completed by the end of the year.

Leaseholders could miss out on billions of pounds of funding to remove unsafe non-ACM cladding, as new figures reveal less than a quarter (22%) of applications to the Building Safety Fund (BSF) are currently proceeding to funding.

According to analysis by cladding remediation specialists Cladding Consulting, of the latest figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communiities and Local Government (MHCLG)1 just 624 out of a total of 2,820 registrations to the BSF, have been assessed as eligible to proceed with an application for funding. And with the deadline to submit eligible applications for funding the end of June 2021 - which is just over three months away - thousands of leaseholders are in danger of missing out on funding, and could be forced to pay for the cladding remediation works themselves.

Even more worrying, the updated MHCLG figures also reveal that 891 registrations to the Building Safety Fund haven’t even progressed beyond the ‘registration of interest’ stage. 

Applicants had to register interest to the BSF by 31st July 2020, which means more than seven months on, almost a third (32%) of registrations, basic information hasn’t been submitted to the BSF team to assess whether they are eligible for funding.

MHCLG figures also show that of the remaining BSF registrations, 354 were ineligible for funding, 349 have been withdrawn, 238 - information has been provided and eligibility is being checked, 364 - some but not all evidence has been provided to allow verifications. The £4.5bn Building Safety Fund (BSF) has been set up by the Government to pay for the removal of non-ACM cladding from high-rise buildings 18m or above.

Cladding Consulting are the UK’s first specialist cladding remediation service, helping and supporting leaseholders, landlords, Right to Manage (RTM) companies and property managers applying for both ACM and non-ACM cladding funds.

Steven Truman, managing director of Cladding Consulting, comments:  “It’s worrying that with just over three months to go before the deadline for completed BSF applications passes, less than a quarter of registrations are currently proceeding, while a third of applications haven’t even submitted information to assess eligibility for funding.

“Thousands of leaseholders could miss out on billions of pounds of life-changing funding to remove unsafe cladding from their buildings, and will be forced to dig into their own pockets to pay for the remediation work. The Government needs to address this problem urgently. The entire BSF application process is proving too complicated and time-consuming for leaseholders, and it’s hard to see how many applications will meet the deadline if more support is not provided.”