Business News

Azets, the UK’s largest regional accountancy firm and business advisor to SMEs, has appointed Heidi Webster to Forensic Accounting Director, leading a raft of promotions and one new recruit into its growing specialist team in Birmingham.

The team, formed two and a half years ago with just two people, now has six members and is experiencing its busiest ever period, with the Covid-19 pandemic likely to be a future driving factor for further growth as more disputes and investigations are likely to arise.

Facebook users who watched a newspaper video featuring Black men were asked if they wanted to keep seeing videos about primates by an artificial-intelligence recommendation system. Facebook described it as clearly an unacceptable error, before disabling the system and launched an investigation.

It said: "We apologise to anyone who may have seen these offensive recommendations." It is the latest in a long-running series of errors that have raised concerns over racial bias in AI.

Thirteen of the UK’s finest van operators are celebrating today after being announced as finalists in Logistics UK’s prestigious Van Awards 2021. After another round of judging, the winner of each category will be announced at a drinks reception and lunch at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham on Friday 24 September 2021, with entertainment to be provided by legendary English cricketer, Matthew Hoggard MBE.

Supported by Logistics UK’s Van Excellence Scheme and the Van Gold Partners – The AA, Bott Ltd, Brigade Electronics, Hertz UK Ltd, Lex Autolease, Quartix, and TVL – the awards celebrate the operators who have made a significant contribution to the industry over the past 12 months.

During the COVID-19 pandemic the UK Courts have been faced with a significant amount of divorce applications due to the pressure of family life during lockdown. The new digital divorce process, which is due to come into effect from 13 September, is set to speed up divorce applications whereby individuals can now use an online portal where the Court will acknowledge and process applications far more quickly.

The online process is more straightforward and avoids technical language and legal jargon which in effect simplifies the divorce process, meaning a more stress-free divorce.

City of Wolverhampton’s Shopmobility service will reopen to customers on Tuesday, 7 September.

Located in the City Centre Market, the service will initially be open on market days - Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, from 10am to 2pm, with plans to offer longer opening hours and additional days in the near future.

The Shadow Secretary of Health and Social Care the Rt Hon Jonathan Ashworth MP is to speak at a University conference aimed at helping people improve their health and wellbeing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Member of Parliament for Leicester South is the keynote speaker at the Intelligent Behaviour Analytics (IBA) Global Leadership Conference 2021 organised and hosted by Birmingham City University, to be held at the University’s Royal Birmingham Conservatoire on Wednesday September 8.

The title for this year’s conference is ‘IBA Global Leadership Conference; the road to resilience in a COVID-19 World’ and the event will explore individual experiences of the pandemic and the influence that effective Leadership can have in such pressured situations.

Young van drivers today are more health-conscious than ever before, new survey finds. The Vansdirect survey of 250 UK van drivers discovered that fewer than 20 per cent of young van drivers (aged 18-24) choose a fry up for breakfast, with the majority opting instead for healthier options, like breakfast bars, smoothies, and fruit.

Overall, only 26 per cent of van drivers today consume a full English while on the road. Surprisingly, just 4 per cent of van drivers skip breakfast entirely.

Severn Trent and Octopus Energy Group, the fastest growing energy supplier in the UK, have pledged to develop together renewable energy projects across the Midlands. It is the first time two major utility companies in the UK are teaming up to produce renewable power generation.

The two companies have agreed to explore potential opportunities to generate clean, green energy at Severn Trent sites and other third-party locations throughout the region. The collaboration agreement will support Severn Trent’s triple carbon pledge of reaching net zero carbon emissions using 100 per cent renewable energy and transitioning to a fleet of vehicles that are entirely electric by 2030.

The following changes to the city council’s cabinet have today been announced:

• Councillor Sharon Thompson becomes Cabinet Member for Vulnerable Children and Families.
• Cllr Shabrana Hussain joins the cabinet as Cabinet Member for Homes and Neighbourhoods
• Cllr John Cotton, Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion, Community Safety and Equalities, will now take on the responsibility for Bereavement Services and Registrar Services.

Historic manufacturers and diversity champions, Shelforce, have been crowned the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) Business of the Year. Shelforce were presented the award, sponsored by SCC, during the Chamber’s second online awards ceremony.

PVCu window and door manufacturers, Shelforce, claimed two awards on the night, taking home the Excellence for People Development award and also being crowned as the overall Business of the Year.

Having recently revealed an exciting 50th Anniversary Season, today Birmingham Repertory Theatre is thrilled to announce the appointment of seven new board members.

Local inequality campaigner Atif Ali, accountant Andrew Chiduku, lawyer Mike Hibbs, CEO Lucy Marcus, environmentalist Victoria Marsom, entrepreneur Brandon Relph and theatre producer Rachel Roussel-Tyson are welcome additions to the Board of Trustees.

Viewers unable to watch television for more than a month due to the Bilsdale transmitter fire are to be offered a partial refund to their TV Licence. A million people were impacted by the blaze across Teesside, North Yorkshire and County Durham.

The majority of homes affected - more than 400,000 - have had services restored. All services were due to be completed by today but a legal wrangle has led to delays.

NHS staff working in IT services at two health trusts in the West Midlands are willing to take industrial action over plans to transfer them to a private firm, says UNISON. Almost 150 IT staff at George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust (GEH) and South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT) face being transferred to a new wholly owned subsidiary company (subco) against their will, says the union.

UNISON says this is an attempt to bring in ‘backdoor privatisation’ in the NHS and that managers at SWFT set up the subco months ago, before they even held discussions with staff. 

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has confirmed a multi-million-pound investment package to kickstart the development of nearly 400 homes and new commercial premises at three derelict sites, supporting hundreds of jobs.

The brownfield regeneration schemes in Coventry, Nuneaton and Wolverhampton are the latest from the WMCA’s nationally acclaimed devolved housing and regeneration programme which, in partnership with industry, is providing new homes, jobs and commercial spaces while supporting the region’s economic recovery from the Covid pandemic.

Four “superheroes” are about to embark on a unique fundraising challenge to raise vital funds for the Live and Work Village, a building project in Sandwell, West Midlands that will create new homes and employment opportunities for local young homeless people.

Tom Johnson, Karen Allen, Lee Ward-Poulton and Janice Perkins from international law firm Pinsent Masons (aka the “Legal Eagles”) in Birmingham will be taking to the skies on September 9 for a truly hair-raising Wing Walk to raise money for the LandAid Midlands-backed Live and Work Village that is currently in development by youth homeless charity St Basils.

Make UK is backing a new initiative by support platform Next Gen Makers to help manufacturing and engineering employers retain apprenticeship talent and maximise their investment in young people.

As official training provider partner, Make UK will help to promote and develop the Engineering Apprenticeships: Best Practice Programme - an initiative designed to support firms to overcome skills challenges and build talent for future success.