Education solutions firm The Twinkl Group acquires Natterhub
Sheffield-based The Twinkl Group, which provides teaching and learning resources, has acquired Natterhub, an interactive, gated platform that gives schools and parents all they need to teach learners how to stay safe online and be responsible digital citizens.
By providing a ‘sandbox’ for pupils to practise navigating the digital world, Natterhub embeds crucial online safety discussions and experiences into the curriculum, rather than isolated events that limit engagement.
The platform provides interactive social media-like features, as well as impactful lessons that resonate with students – making learning, and the discussions about online safety, more meaningful and effective.
“With reports showing children are spending more time online than ever before, there is added pressure to equip them with the knowledge to explore the digital world safely,” said Caroline Allams, co-founder and Product Director, Natterhub.
“Meanwhile, new technologies such as AI are increasingly inuencing how children develop social and emotional skills. Joining the Twinkl ecosystem will allow us to help schools better address these challenges and prepare the next generation.”
Natterhub adds to The Twinkl Group’s existing B2B education offerings used by schools and multi-academy trusts around the world – including Twinkl resources, Twinkl Phonics Training, and online assessment tool Educake.
“We are thrilled to be joining forces with Natterhub and look forward to helping them grow and have an even bigger impact,” said Jonathan Seaton, founder and CEO of The Twinkl Group.
“This marks a signicant step forward in Twinkl’s ongoing mission to help those that teach, allowing us to address even more challenges for schools, educators, parents, and students alike.”
New youth enterprise hub to be developed in Hull
Hull City Council is engaging with contractors to help create a new youth enterprise hub and business incubation facility in the city centre.
The council has allocated £1.5m of government funding for the refurbishment of 161 High Street.
The plans will be developed by the council’s Building and Design Services and initial works will focus on regenerating the ground and first floors of 161 High Street to be used as a hub for young entrepreneurs.
The new project aims to support start-up businesses and entrepreneurialism in the city.
It also ties into Hull’s community plan to help create an enterprise culture which is vital to establishing a vibrant, sustainable and inclusive economy for Hull.
Cllr Paul Drake-Davis, the council’s portfolio holder for regeneration, said: “The development of a new youth enterprise hub at 161 High Street is great news for the city’s economy.
“As a council, we want to grow Hull’s economy and by investing in young people and enterprise, we’re doing just that.
“This new hub will provide a much-needed friendly and welcoming space for young people from all over Hull to grow their skill base and self-confidence by learning from local business experts and inspiring peers.
“The aim is that, for whatever length of their engagement with the hub, young people come out of it better prepared for the world of work.”
West Yorkshire Mayor pledges almost £90m to unlock new homes
A multi-million pound programme is supporting the delivery of thousands of new homes across West Yorkshire.
Speaking at the largest annual gathering of Northern social housing leaders in Leeds, regional Mayor Tracy Brabin pledged almost £90 million by March next year to help unlock over 5,400 new homes.
The funding is being distributed to housing providers working across 28 sites in Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, and Wakefield. Work is already in progress or completed on 16 projects, with work on the remaining 12 due to start before March 2025.
The developments on previously developed, disused “brownfield” land include:
- Saxton Lane in Leeds, which will deliver 204 new, affordable apartments
- Newport House in Wakefield, which has delivered 37 new, affordable apartments
- Cow Green in Calderdale, which will deliver 122 new homes
- Manchester Road in Bradford, which will deliver 107 new, affordable homes
- Plane Street in Kirklees, which will deliver 30 new homes
Government makes £3bn available for housebuilders in new support package
A new £3bn support package for housebuilders has been launched by the government to help builders apply for more accessible loans, reducing the risk for lenders and encouraging them to increase the supply of credit for housebuilders.
It’s hoped that housands of new homes will be delivered across the country as a result, supporting the ambition to build 1.5 million homes over the next five years.
This includes doubling the ENABLE Build scheme to £2 billion so smaller housebuilders and firms can support the delivery of over 10,000 new homes, including more student accommodation and specialised housing for older people, in areas most in need.
Build-to-Rent developers will also see the Private Rented Sector Guarantee Scheme reopen at the end of the year, with nearly £2 billion available to ramp up housebuilding. A broader variety of projects will be eligible to access additional lending, so more housing projects can be completed without unnecessary delays.
Housing and Planning Minister, Matthew Pennycook said: “SME housebuilders and Build to Rent operators have a crucial role to play in delivering the government’s target of 1.5 million new homes in this parliament.
“The significant additional support provided by our housing guarantee schemes will enable them to access low-cost loans and support the building of thousands of new homes across the country”.
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders, said: “SME house builders have a crucial role to play in helping to deliver the Government’s ambitious target to build 1.5 million new homes over the next five years. In recent years, small house builders have faced a particularly difficult set of financial challenges. Diversification of the UK’s housing market is essential to deliver the number of homes needed.
“The Government’s announcement providing greater support for small housebuilders is welcome news. For the Government’s plans to succeed, it will be crucial that this lending is available for those small house builders who need it most and can build the homes this country needs.”
Two win promotions art Harrogate legal practice
Harrogate-based legal practice Raworths has promoted two associate solicitors within its growing Commercial team.
Harjeet Nangla, who has more than eight years’ experience as a specialist employment lawyer, has been promoted to Senior Associate. Harjeet, named an ‘Associate to Watch’ by Chambers UK and recommended in the Legal 500 UK, provides specialist legal advice to regional and national SMEs and large-scale organisations.
Adam Colville-Robins has also been promoted to Senior Associate. Adam has six years’ specialist litigation experience and is rapidly building his reputation in this practice area, delivering exceptional results for clients on property disputes and commercial litigation. Also recommended in the Legal 500 UK, Adam acts for a variety of commercial and private clients.
Matthew Hill, Head of Commercial Client Services and Head of Dispute Resolution said: “We congratulate Adam and Harjeet on their very well-deserved promotions. They have both excelled in their roles, building trusted, long-term relationships with their clients and establishing strong reputations for the fantastic results they achieve.
“They have contributed enormously to the growth of our Dispute Resolution and Employment teams and their commitment has been rightly rewarded. These promotions are an important part of our ongoing business development and strategy for growth. Our people are our biggest asset and to attract and retain the best talent, we continue to nurture the wellbeing and development of our team. Investing in both their technical skills and emotional intelligence is what sets us apart as a business and in turn, means we can offer an exceptional quality of service to our clients.”
The promotions conclude a year of expansion and industry recognition for the firm, which employs more than 70 staff.
New rules leave businesses feeling bruised, says BCC
The British Chambers of Commerce says businesses are feeling a post-Budget bruising, and has raised businesses’ serious concerns with MPs about the legislation and the speed and detail of consultation in the Employment Rights Bill.
The issues highlighted included a lack of detailed consultation on wide ranging changes to Trade Union powers; greater restrictions and penalties for firms who need to make workforce changes, and increased responsibilities, costs and complexity for employers.
The BCC said the Bill includes some of the most significant and wide-ranging changes to employment laws for decades. Employers are concerned that major decisions have been taken and written into the Bill without detailed consultation with business.
The Government’s own assessment suggests that the legislation will cost businesses almost £5bn per year, with SMEs impacted the most.
These costs follow a harsh budget for business, where increases in employers’ national insurance contributions and the national living wage are set to pile a further cost of over £20bn on firms.
BCC Director General Shevaun Haviland said: “Businesses welcome the overall aim of this Bill to guarantee job security, offer employees a fair reward and provide them with workplaces free from discrimination.
“But the scale and scope of the changes is huge, with many feeling they are being rushed through at breakneck speed.
“The Budget has already left many firms feeling bruised, and if this legislation is enacted as it stands, it could hamper growth, restrict recruitment and lead to job losses.
“Firms are particularly concerned about the lack of detailed consultation on the Trade Union changes, especially when the Government’s own assessment was so vague about the impact.
“Overall, there is a lot in the Employment Rights Bill that reinforces much of what good businesses already do. But the fear remains that certain elements could create huge costs for firms and damage the UK’s ambitions for growth.”
Accu celebrates with FightFest competition winner
Accu, a leading Huddersfield-based supplier of high-precision engineering components, invited the winner of this year’s FightFest Featherweight robot fighting competition to its headquarters in Huddersfield to judge its own robot combat competition, as part of its commitment to innovation in robotics and engineering.
Winner Ellis Ware, 28 and from Shropshire, was presented with his prizewinning cheque of £1,000 by Accu’s CEO Martin Ackroyd – Accu has sponsored the national FightFest event for the past three years and this latest competition was held at Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham in August.
This is the first time that Ellis Ware, who heads up Team Ranglebots, has won FightFest, however he has had a very successful career at almost every weight class in robot fighting, often securing a top three place. He has competed in combat robotics from a young age, which includes battling in the official BBC Robot Wars reboot programme. Ellis uses Robot Wars as a platform to show that robotics can be self-taught, as his knowledge came from the Internet, having not taken a route into higher education.
Accu CEO Martin Ackroyd gave Ellis a tour of the factory and headquarters, followed by him being professional judge for the eight fighting robots designed by different departments within the company. All robots were ‘Antweight’ or less than 150g and this was the first robot fighting challenge ever held at Accu, with each battling it out for first, second and third places, with prizes for best designed, most destructive and most destroyed robots.
Accu CEO Martin Ackroyd, said: “We would like to congratulate Ellis on his fantastic achievement at FightFest! There was really strong competition there with 39 robots, including both Featherweights and Hobbyweight robots built by teams from across the country. With all his robot fighting experience, we’re honoured that he was able to judge our first staff Antweight robot wars competition!”
Martin adds: “We sponsor FightFest as part of celebrating innovation in robotics design and engineering. We also run a design competition alongside FightFest which encourages people of all ages, who may not have any previous design or engineering experience, to get involved. We’re hopefully inspiring the next generation of robotics engineers!”
He concludes: “Having our own internal Antweight challenge meant that employees who maybe haven’t tried their hand at designing and modelling robots before, can gain useful new skills in CAD modelling and 3D printing. It’s not just our engineers taking part but people in quality, marketing, IT, product strategy, product integration and purchasing.”
Ellis Ware said: “I really enjoyed FightFest and it was fantastic to take home the winning title! I was delighted to be invited to Accu and to judge their Antweight competition – hopefully this will be the first of many they host!”
Founded with a vision to support engineers, innovators and trailblazers, Accu has rapidly grown into a global business renowned for its award-winning customer experience. By integrating advanced technology through its dedicated team with deep engineering knowledge, Accu delivers precision components that drive innovation across multiple industries.
For more information about Accu visit www.accu.co.uk.
Lincolnshire Coop invests £200k in body cameras to fight increasing threats to staff
In the wake of a 245% increase in threats, abuse, and violence to its staff Lincolnshire Coop is investing £200k in body cameras for al of its 99 food stores and 44 pharmacies.
Security Manager Mark Foulds said: “We have had positive feedback from four trial sites with colleagues telling us the body cameras helped them to feel more confident and secure.
“The cameras are front-facing so show the customer what the colleague sees, which we believe may help with de-escalating incidents or make people think twice about what they are doing and how they are treating our colleagues.
“They also record both video and audio which we can share with relevant authorities when we believe a crime has taken place.”
Mr Foulds said that incidents vary and can include abusive and foul language, threats against colleagues or their families and in some cases, physical attacks.
“The vast majority of our customers are polite and respectful, but there are a minority whose actions are unacceptable,” he said. “This not only impacts on our colleagues – who are simply trying to provide the best service they can to our communities – but it can also impact on our other customers, who can find these incidents distressing and who don’t want to see our colleagues treated in that way.”
Mr Foulds said that age-related sales refusals and shoplifting are two particular flashpoints.
“Our teams have a responsibility to enforce the legal requirements around age-related sales for products like cigarettes, vapes and alcohol but regularly face abuse and threats from customers when asked for ID, or when a sale is refused,” he said. “We have also seen a 37% rise in shoplifting in the past year, which is another trigger.”
The society, which operates in Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and surrounding counties, has seen a 245% increase in incidents of threats and abuse to colleagues in the past five years. In the last year, there has been 127 incidents reported in food stores and 23 in pharmacies. There are a range of other security measures in place in Lincolnshire Co-op outlets. These include security guards in some locations, CCTV monitored by central service desk, and personal attack alarms.
High-tech day care facilities for people living with dementia complete
Building works at Knowl Park House have come to an end, with Kirklees Council making final preparations before doors open to residents living with dementia.
The old two storey building has made way for a high-tech, single storey, purpose-built facility that better meets the needs of people living with dementia including those with physical disabilities, sensory, and mobility needs.
Situated on Crowlees Road next to Knowl Park in Mirfield, the new facilities will provide dementia care for vulnerable residents and give carers much needed respite from looking after their loved ones.
The new facilities incorporate design features to give maximum flexibility and be fully inclusive. A key collaboration with the University of Stirling’s Dementia Services Design Centre (DSDC) has ensured the facilities incorporate dementia design principles and meet the DSDC dementia design standards.
From the colour of the paint on the walls to the layout of rooms – everything has been envisaged through the eyes of someone living with dementia.
Modern facilities include a Home Therapy Zone incorporating a homely open plan lounge, dining, and kitchen area; an Activity Zone incorporating a large arts and crafts room; and a Wellbeing Zone incorporating a sensory and cinema room and a spa.
Throughout the building, people living with dementia can make use of the latest assistive technology that will enable them to maintain their independence as much as possible.
This continues outside in the sensory garden with more outdoor lighting, improved pathways, plenty of seating, a gazebo, and outside all weather coated handrails throughout allowing service users to move around freely.
Alongside the day service, which will run Monday to Friday with potential to expand to evenings and weekends, is the Centre for Excellence. The centre will offer advice and support for people with a dementia diagnosis, their carers, and adults and children with other physical and sensory disabilities.
The centre has a bungalow which is a mock-up of a Dementia Friendly home environment displaying the latest support techniques and practices in a safe and secure setting. There will also be opportunities for partnership working and the focus will be on early intervention, so people are better able to stay well and independent at home for as long as possible.
Councillor Beverley Addy, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, said: “I am delighted to announce the completion of our fantastic, state-of-the-art day service facilities for people living with dementia. This is such a major investment for the council as we look to focus our efforts and resources on areas of the market where there are fewer alternatives.
“Having visited the facilities myself, I know they will make the lives of those living with dementia and their loved ones, a happier and more independent one. I look forward to seeing how service users interact and make use of the latest equipment and technology that will enable them to live more independently for as long as possible.”
Phil Shaw, Managing Director-Building North, at Tilbury Douglas, added: “This project showcases what can be achieved when construction, community, and care come together. It’s a shining example of how we can deliver both outstanding facilities and meaningful social contributions, which is at the heart of what we do.”
Plans to redevelop Knottingley social club move forward
Plans to redevelop the site of the Kellingley Sports and Social Club have taken a step forward.
A planning application has now been submitted for the demolition of the Kellingley Social Club and Sports Pavilion. A new sports pavilion will be constructed in its place for community activities and a social club.
Cllr Michael Graham, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Growth, said: “The people of Knottingley have waited too long for work to progress on this site and it’s time to deliver.
“Various proposals have been put forward for its future. I hope that this latest news provides reassurance to the local community that work is continuing to transform the area.
“We remain committed to investing in Knottingley and delivering on our promise to provide improved facilities that everyone can enjoy.”
The first phase of the £6.345m project requires the Council to submit a planning request to demolish the existing buildings and construct a new sports pavilion. Providing a bar and function room, new changing facilities and enhanced spectator provision alongside a new car park and landscaping.
Avison Young (UK) Ltd. was instructed by Wakefield Council to prepare and submit a full planning application for the demolition of the Kellingley Social Club and Sports Pavilion in Knottingley. A decision is expected to be made by February 2025.
