A live evacuation drill of a container vessel was carried out for the first time at the Port of Immingham as part of ongoing emergency testing at the Humber’s busiest port.
Associated British Ports and Humberside Fire and Rescue carried out the rescue on a vessel owned by port customer A2B in Immingham Container Terminal. The scenario was based on a fire in one of the bulk heads at the front of the container ship to test the effectiveness of procedures. They also carried out a search and rescue of a man down.
Simon Bird, Regional Director for the Humber said: “This is the first time we have undertaken this kind of training exercise and it’s important for us as a port operator to be confident that in extreme circumstances we have the expertise and knowledge of the emergency services.
“Giving them access to our plant, but also to our customers provides confidence in our operations team that we have all bases covered should anything concerning happen because it is where knowledge and skills are gained, to save lives if ever needed.”
Steven Smith of Immingham East Green Watch at Humberside Fire and Rescue Service said: “The scenario we completed is one of the biggest risks we face as a fire service, what we call a low frequency high risk event.
“This type of partnership and training, allows both of our organisations to test our procedure in a real-world environment, allowing our teams to appreciate the associated risk with fires on board cargo vessels.”
Arthur Groeneweg, Marine & Crewing Manager, A2B added: “For A2B-online Ship Management it is important to practice with fire departments and port authorities as in a simulated environment we can test our emergency preparedness.
“In the ports of our operations, the close involvement with the port authorities and partners is an added value, which allow us to excel and improve. Feedback and lessons learned will be shared and used to set our future goals, it is supporting our ambition. With renewed energy we are looking forward to the next cooperative drill.”
A former student from the University of Bradford is putting up £1.25m to launch a Dragons’ Den-style ‘enterprise ecosystem’ at the university to take business ideas from concept to market.
He’s Dr Murthy Venkata Renduchintala, who studied at the University from 1983-91, and his money will be matched by a similar sum from the University to create the Bradford-Renduchintala Enterprise Ecosystem. It’s objective will be to provide financial and mentoring support from business leaders to help young entrepreneurs. It will be open to students, staff and members of the community, who will be able to pitch ideas and bid for grants.
The former Qualcomm and Intel executive said: “What we are trying to do with BREE is to emulate what has been popular and prolific in many areas of the US and other parts of the world, where academic research ultimately leads towards ground-breaking transformations in real life.
“For example, if you look at many of the technologies that have come out of some very well-known academic institutions in the US and you go forward to today, they are helping create ground-breaking environments. For example, think of how Google or Facebook started.
“This was entrepreneurs in the making who were doing research and undergraduate projects who decided to take those ideas and make them into game-changing commercial entities. But they required a support environment and a gathering of advisers and well-wishers that could chaperone those plans, not just through the good idea phase, but how to create a business entity, and how to ultimately get that business entity developing products that ultimately consumers can see, touch and feel. And that’s what we are trying to do here.”
University Vice-Chancellor Professor Shirley Congdon said: “We are immensely grateful to Dr Renduchintala for his contributions to the university. BREE represents a fantastic opportunity for the University of Bradford to promote its entrepreneurial spirit and become a leading light for enterprise and innovation in the UK and beyond.
“This initiative will also expand our vision of a world of inclusion and equality, where people can make a difference. We want to be known as the place to be to make that difference. The whole idea behind BREE is that if you have an idea today, you can create a different future.”
Sole traders with sales of more than £50,000 will come under HMRC’s Making Tax Digital umbrella in April 2026 – and that means they’re going to have to maintain digital records using compatible online software.
Making Tax Digital is the HMRC toolbar managing taxes online rather than with self-assessment tax returns. VAT-registered businesses are already using it to maintain digital business records and submit VAT returns.
On April 6th 2026, MTD rules will be extended to income tax. Sole traders and landlords earning above £50,000 annually will need to sign up ahead of the deadline. Those with income above £30,000 must do so from April 2027.
The best advice is to talk to a qualified accountant, who will understand the rules and be able to guide you through them.
Lincolnshire-based commercial design and fit specialist APSS has completed a luxury private dining and games lounge as part of the final phase of a £3 million refurbishment to the main building at Bainland Lodge Retreats.
The rural retreat improvements included transforming an existing area into a private dining room and a snug, plus designing and installing a mezzanine floor to create additional space for a games lounge.
As part of ‘The Garden Room’ dining scheme the team created new walls, floors, a double-height ceiling and large glass exterior. The room features bespoke joinery to providing a little extra luxury for guests. This includes a new servery station with copper worktop, large 24-person dining table and credenza media unit. Acoustic partition walls were installed to ensure guests have privacy in the intimate dining area.
Refurbished games lounge at Bainland Lodge Retreats with a pool table
In the games lounge the ceilings, walls and floors were constructed with acoustics in mind. The space was fitted with a pool table and an interactive dart board.
In the snug they installed traditional Georgian style panelling, a media unit along with the client’s upholstered designer furniture.
All three new areas have ‘call for service’ buzzers installed.
The finalised snug featuring the Georgian panelling delivered by APSS
John Bysouth, Senior Project Manager, said: “The ability for guests to continue to enjoy their stay at the luxury lodges without being disturbed whilst work was carried out was crucial. APSS was able to install an acoustic wall to significantly reduce the noise of any works going on so that Bainland customers would hardly notice we were there.
“We have enjoyed working closely with Bainland Lodge Retreats to transform its space into a luxury dining and entertainment environment for their customers to create unforgettable experiences with friends and family.”
Nick Rouse, Finance and Operations Director from Bainland, said: “It has been a pleasure to work with the APSS team. We appreciate their friendly patient approach to undertaking the challenge of a build project on a fully operational holiday park. They provided expertise and sound advice on how to move the project forward and delivered a successful stunning final product.
“These guys are professionals – that’s why we have engaged them on other major projects at Bainland for completion in 2024.”
Elland-headquartered acceptcards® has become employee owned, with all shares transferring to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT).
The business, founded by CEO Richard Bradley in 2005, is an independent payments broker providing bespoke advice and payment solutions working alongside some of the biggest names in financial services including Handelsbanken, Metro Bank, Square, Barclaycard, Clover, Lloyds Cardnet and WorldPay.
In a transaction understood to be the first of its kind in the UK payments sector, the EOT will see the 14 employees take ownership of the firm. Staff members David Mills, Jo Kava and Sheenah Bond will become trustee directors.
Richard Bradley, CEO of acceptcards®, will remain in his position and expects to do so for at least six further years. He said: “This is the natural next step for our business and a really exciting time in the history of acceptcards®. The business has secured continuous year-on-year growth, which has only been possible because of the hard work and dedication of everybody working here.
“Transferring to an EOT gives our team much-deserved recognition and autonomy after being pivotal to our success to date. I’m proud that we have a long established, settled team who have welcomed the opportunity to become an EOT with open arms.”
The EOT means that employees will acquire the business, which is held in trust, and will see them have direct involvement in strategy and benefit from future growth. EOTs were launched in 2014. As of June 2023, the total number of employee-owned businesses in the UK stood at 1,418 – a 37% growth in a 12 month period.
acceptcards® decision to become employee-owned comes seven years after the business launched a profit share scheme for its employees, enabling staff members to directly benefit from the success of the firm. Bradley added: “We’ve invested time and energy into making sure we have an amazing working culture at acceptcards®.
“It’s a brilliant feeling to pass on the stewardship to the team as a collective, as I know they embody our ethos of a business which prides itself on delivering the very best service while at the forefront of innovation for the payments sector.”
Advisors on the EOT transaction were Justin Smith of Kirk Newsholme and Ewan Hall of Baxendale Employee Ownership.
acceptcards® projects a three-fold increase in turnover in the next three years, and in that time expects to hire a further six people.
HDM Solar, which operates from sites in Sheffield and Hull, has won two business awards.
The Clean Energy Family Business of the Year award is said to be a testament to HDM Solar’s dedication to maintaining a strong family culture within the organisation. The company values its employees and customers as an extension of its family, and this has helped it create a loyal customer base.
The Sustainable Energy Startup of the Year award recognises the company’s innovative approach to renewable energy solutions that are making a positive impact on the environment and the success it has achieved over the past year.
MD Adam Firth said: “We are honoured to receive these awards. It is a testament to our team’s hard work and dedication towards creating a sustainable future. We will continue to lead the way towards a cleaner and greener environment and a more sustainable energy future as we provide our customers with more innovative products from across the world.”
People with experience of prison or probation are being helped to move on with their lives thanks to a pioneering scheme funded by the Mayor of West Yorkshire.
A pilot project saw a group of six work with ex-offender led charity, User Voice, to achieve a level one NCFE educational qualification.
They have also gained fixed term jobs as Peer Commissioners with User Voice.
User Voice and the Peer Commissioners will be an integral part of the Mayor’s upcoming work to re-commission a key victims’ service, restorative justice.
They will use their experience to ensure the service meets the complex needs of victims and engages offenders to help them reform.
Jay, who has lived experience of the criminal justice system, was struggling with confidence and self-belief before joining the project. In the future, he aims to continue helping other people from similar circumstances.
Jay said: “My confidence is developing each time I come. It’s been fantastic, I couldn’t have asked for a better group.
“After volunteering on the project I want to continue to help others through hard situations like I’ve experienced and open new doors for them and for myself.”
The group were awarded certificates by Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, and Alison Lowe OBE, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, at an event in Leeds.
West Yorkshire Mayor, Tracy Brabin, said: “I am on a mission to create a safer, fairer West Yorkshire and that includes supporting ex-offenders into employment and positive pathways.
“Whilst victims of crime remain at the heart of our work, it’s so important that we also support people leaving prison or probation and tackle underlying issues.
“We hope that the learning from this pilot will not only continue to help our communities locally but also be adopted nationally.”
Simon Boddis, CEO of User Voice, said: “This project brings people’s lived experience of the criminal justice system to the heart of systemic change. Over the past 14 years we have seen the positive effects that this can have not only on an individual’s life but also communities and the wider system.
“The peer commissioners trained as part of this project will now go on to ensure that services supporting people leaving prison in West Yorkshire are robust, effective and help prevent future victims.
“It is important that we do not stop there. We strongly urge that this pilot is adopted nationally to support more prison leavers and give them a voice to help drive positive change.”
The headline NatWest Yorkshire & Humber PMI® Business Activity Index – a seasonally adjusted index that measures the month-on-month change in the combined output of the region’s manufacturing and service sectors – rose for the third month in a row to 50.0, from 48.4 in November, signalling a stabilisation of the private sector economy in the region following four successive months of contraction in business activity.
That said, this compared with a moderate expansion in private sector output across the UK overall at the end of 2023.
Private sector companies in Yorkshire & Humber recorded another monthly fall in their new business intakes during December. Generally subdued demand conditions, in part due to a slowing UK economy, was noted by panellists.
While the rate of contraction was modest and the weakest since July, Yorkshire & Humber recorded the second-fastest decline in new orders of all 12 monitored UK regions. The UK as a whole saw growth for the first time in six months.
Although the Future Activity Index remained in firm optimistic territory, it fell further below its long-term average in December, signalling subdued expectations for growth in the year ahead. Predictions of sales growth and new product development underpinned confidence, although economic headwinds was cited as a reason to be downbeat towards the outlook.
After rising for the first time in three months in November, staffing levels across Yorkshire & Humber stagnated during the latest survey period. Efforts to raise productivity were noted by companies that expanded their workforces, although others opted to not extend temporary worker contracts or replace voluntary leavers due to weak demand.
Notably, Yorkshire & Humber was only one of four parts of the UK to not see a decline in employment in December.
Signs of spare capacity within Yorkshire & Humber’s private sector were seen through a tenth successive monthly reduction in the volume of work outstanding during December. Weak demand conditions reportedly facilitated the sustained completion of unfinished business. That said, while the rate of backlog depletion was strong, it was the softest since July.
Private sector companies in Yorkshire & Humber continued to face rising input prices during December. Where greater costs were registered, firms commented on general inflationary pressures across the economy, although some noted higher labour expenses. Overall, the rate of increase in operating costs was sharp and the steepest since July.
In response to higher input costs, private sector firms in Yorkshire & Humber raised prices charged for their own goods and services during December. The rate of inflation quickened to a five-month high, but remained below that seen for the UK as a whole.
Malcolm Buchanan, chair of the NatWest North Regional Board, said: “The stabilisation of Yorkshire & Humber’s private sector is a slice of good news as it ends a four-month period of contraction. That said, the region is still underperforming by comparison with the UK average, which showed a strengthening of growth at the end of 2023.
“Nevertheless, another month in which the slump in demand has eased suggests Yorkshire & Humber may be past the worst of its downturn, and we can begin to look towards some greenshoots in 2024. Indeed, anecdotally, we saw businesses cite sales growth as a reason to be optimistic for the year ahead, with new product launches and slowing inflation expected to boost demand.”
It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead. It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.Here we speak to Czajka Care Group’s Managing Director, Konrad Czajka.
We all know that sometime in 2024, and possibly as early as the Spring of 2024, there will be a general election.
Both major political parties are talking about cutting immigration numbers, which is causing concern amongst those in the care sector. Caps on care worker numbers, and a restriction on their dependents being allowed to come to the country too, or an increase in minimum salary threshold will have a major impact on the people who rely on these services. A reduction in the number of job vacancies in the care sector over the last year has been a result of foreign workers coming into this country, as opposed to the domestic workforce growing.
The plans to overhaul the adult social care system are stalling, and survival without fundamental changes will be dependent on pockets of funding to help plug the gaps. In 2024 central government investment is critical, alongside a long term workforce plan akin to that of the NHS, to ensure social care is a desirable sector to join and remain a part of.
The rise in the national living wage announced a day before the Autumn statement is welcomed by the social care sector but should be matched by more generous funding for local authorities, who can pass that money onto the providers they commission care from. If this does not happen then we will see providers who are currently on the brink, pushed over the edge by the increased cost. That will mean a further loss of care provision at a time when we need it most.
In 2024 we expect to see greater collaboration and communication between health and social care professionals. This will lead to more effective care planning, improved information sharing, and better outcomes for the individual. There will be a continued demand for social care services with an ageing population and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases. We will continue working hard to improve health outcomes, enhance the user experience, and reduce healthcare costs.
With a 27 place climb since they first entered The Lawyer publication’s prestigious UK200 rankings in 2019, Sills & Betteridge LLP are now in position 160 – with growth of 15% on the previous year placing the firm in the top 10 best performing firms in the country.
The report is seen as the benchmark for anyone with a serious interest in the business of law. It comprises months of detailed, impartial research into the firm’s financial performance, characteristics of its service delivery and analysis of its people – looking forensically at diversity, progression and development.
Chief Executive Martyn Hall said: “A combination of factors has led to these results, but they are principally due to organic growth, our acquisition of niche matrimonial practice Acclaimed Family Law of Sheffield, the recruitment of several senior fee earners across the firm and continuous efficiency initiatives across our working practices and operations.”
But it’s not just about financial performance, the firm is also recognised in the gender analysis section of the report with another top 10 position for a notable number of female partners (60%) and female lawyers (64%) working across the firm. Karen Bower-Brown now goes into her 3rd year as Senior Partner – the first female Senior Partner in the firm’s 265 year history.
Other highlights for Sills & Betteridge in 2023 included the Legal 500 Legal Directory results which saw the firm retain two prized accolades – Leading Law Firm and Top Tier Family Law Team, with a record 10 teams making the list and 30 individual lawyers. The firm also won the Solicitor Firm of the Year at the British Wills & Probate Awards and Children Team of the Year at the national Family Law Awards.
Plans for 2024 include the relocation of the firm’s Sleaford, Sheffield and Northampton operations, significant refurbishment of its Boston premises and continued investment in its people and delivery of excellent service.
Lincoln-based Almond Finance has made three appointments on the back of its growth of more than 50% over the last there years.
Two additional Paraplanners and a Mortgage Protection Consultant have joined the team as part of a recruitment drive for the business.
Joshua Davis, 22, joins the business as a Paraplanner, having graduated with a first-class degree in Banking & Finance from the University of Lincoln.
Ryan Sharpe, 35, also joins Almond Financial as a Level 4 Qualified Paraplanner having previously had a career as a research scientist with a PhD in Chemistry. Ryan joins the firm as he looks to redirect his career in financial services.
Joe Fleet-Chapman has joined as Mortgage Protection Consultant. With previous experience in Mortgages and Protection, Joe, 27, specialises in securing property finance.
Sam Robinson, Principal Financial Advisor, said: “It’s great to welcome new talent and fresh, relevant knowledge to the team with our Paraplanners, Joshua and Ryan. We’re also pleased to welcome our new Mortgage Protection Consultant, Joe, coming from his already experienced background in mortgages.
“We’re excited to be working with a growing number of clients nationwide every day. As a company, we look to make financial help accessible to everyone, which is why we’ve made this a priority as we’ve grown through acquiring business outside our previous scope and employing as needed.
“With around 50% of advisors expected to retire over the next 5 years, Almond Financial is well-positioned with a young but experienced team to acquire new business following the transition of market assets.”
Yorkshire Water is investing £2m to replace almost three kilometres of pipes in Thorne and will start the work today.
The company is working with contract partners United Living and Geraghty’s who will be carrying out this work, as the pipework in the area is old and prone to bursting, so the investment into the new pipework will reduce the risk of this happening in future.
One main pipe will also be upsized, to relieve pressure issues and ensure the network can cope with any future infrastructure in the area.
The first phase of the ten-month project is set to start on Plantation Road from Monday 15 January, and the second phase on Fair Tree Walk will commence from 12 February. Traffic management and road closures will be in place throughout the duration of the scheme.
Steph Horgan, project manager for the scheme at Yorkshire Water said: “This is a fantastic upgrade to the water system in Thorne and I know it will come as welcome news to our customers in the area.
“We’ve worked closely with Doncaster Council and our contract partners to ensure that the work will be carried out in phases to complete the project with as little disruption as possible to our customers, and we thank you in advance for your patience during this time.
“This work will ensure that our customers will benefit from a more resilient network and allow us to continue providing the high standard of drinking water our customers are used to.”
some of the Future Humber and Bondholders team headed to London to support the launch of UK Tech Cluster Group’s report into ‘Four Big Ideas’ for regional tech in Parliament.
Along with representatives from C4DI and other organisations around the Humber, we attended the launch in Parliament of UKTCG’s latest report ‘Ecosystems of Innovation’, looking at grassroots activity in the regions and how potential can be harnessed for growth. UK Tech Cluster Group (UKTCG) members work with tech businesses of all sizes, across all tiers of government and with partners in other key sectors driving our economies.
The report outlines ‘Four Big Ideas’ to transform our economy:
A globally competitive tech talent pipeline in every region
Driving digital innovation at the foundations
A UK innovation policy which gives every place a chance
Mobilising ecosystems to help businesses to start and grow
The reception was hosted by Alex Davies-Jones, Shadow Minister for the Home Office and Former Shadow Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy.
Katie Gallagher, Chair of UKTCG gave an overview of the report and C4DI’s MD John Connolly helped present part of the report. Saqib Bhatti MP, Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy, and Matt Rodda MP, Shadow Minister for AI & Intellectual Property, shared their insights with us.
The labour market remains tight for most firms according to the latest Quarterly Recruitment Outlook survey of almost 5,000 UK firms by the British Chambers of Commerce Insights Unit.
Jane Gratton, Deputy Director Public Policy at the BCC said: “The recruitment crisis continues to loom large for many businesses across the UK.
“Too many firms are still struggling to hire and retain staff. The situation in the hospitality sector is especially concerning. At the start of an election year, and with a budget just weeks away, it’s vital that politicians start outlining how we can plug these gaps and support more people into work.
“The Chancellor announced several welcome measures on apprenticeships in the Autumn Statement, but more action is needed. For example, increasing flexibility in the apprenticeship levy would help more people get the workplace training they need.
“And we need to ensure that local training provision meets the needs of employers and learners. Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs), many of them led by local Chambers, are now shifting the dial on this by planning for skills needs, now and in the years ahead. But this transformation won’t happen overnight, and LSIPs need long-term funding and commitment from politicians.
“We’ll be looking closely at tomorrow’s labour market statistics from the ONS. While the number of vacancies has continued to decline in recent months, the prospects going forward remain challenging. Our latest Quarterly Economic Forecast predicts unemployment is expected to stay higher for longer, hitting 4.8% by the end of 2025
“Businesses urgently need to see a long-term strategy on skills and training from politicians. We need to properly resolve the ongoing recruitment crisis and ultimately boost economic growth.”
Fourth quarter results for 2023 show a slight rise in the number of companies facing hiring difficulties, from 73% in Q3 to 76% in Q4. That’s six percent down from the historical high of 82% at the end of 2022, but has remained at or above 70% since the economy reopened after the pandemic.
Attempted recruitment in Q4 was virtually unchanged from the previous quarter, with 59% of responding firms looking to find staff (61% in Q3).
The hospitality sector continues to suffer disproportionately from the recruitment difficulties in the economy, with 82% of firms reporting hiring challenges in Q4 (compared with 79% in Q3). This is closely followed by the transport and logistics sector where 81% of businesses attempting to recruit, reported difficulties in finding staff. Meanwhile 79% of construction firms, 77% of manufacturing companies and 66% of retailers, said they had experienced recruitment issues.
Of the hospitality firms reporting problems, 62% faced difficulties in finding semi/unskilled workers, 41% skilled manual/technical staff.
As firms continue to navigate a series of economic pressures, many are struggling to increase investment in workplace training. For the second quarter in succession, just over a quarter of firms reported an increase in investment plans for staff training (26% compared to 27% in Q3) with 14% reporting a drop (13% in Q3)
Labour costs are cited by most firms as a source of cost pressure, with 68% citing this (compared to 66% in Q3). 55% of firms say they’re concerned about energy costs.
The commercial freehold market in Lincoln is holding its own due to the resilience of local SMEs and a limited supply of available stock, according to Eddisons incorporating Banks Long & Co whose industrial agency has just confirmed that a manufacturer, supplier & retailer of e-liquid vaping products has acquired Jarvis House, Sadler Way, Lincoln.
The 22,905 sq ft Jarvis House workshop with offices, on a 3.75 acre site, was offered either to let or for freehold sale through Eddisons.
William Wall, Director, Eddisons, was the lead agent in the sale of Jarvis House on behalf of his client. Announcing the completion of the sale, he said, “There is a squeezed supply of freeholds in this part of the East Midlands.
“This means that our clients can remain confident in achieving local agents’ quoting prices where the acquiring business is as robust and focused as the new occupier of Jarvis House.”
Work has started at a depot to bring the first fleet of zero emission electric buses to South Yorkshire as part of a partnership between Stagecoach and SYMCA.
Electrification work costing about £2.5m has begun at the Rawmarsh depot ahead of the arrival of the first fleet of 23 zero emission electric buses to arrive in the region.
The brand-new electric Yutong buses will be introduced on the region’s bus network in the spring and will feature on the 22x and 221 routes which connect the Dearne Valley across Rotherham, Barnsley and Doncaster.
Stagecoach Yorkshire MD Matt Kitchin said: “This development marks a huge step towards the future of sustainable travel in South Yorkshire as we await the arrival of the new buses.
“Sustainable forms of public transport are key to reducing congestion and improving air quality across the region and we look forward to these state-of-the-art vehicles encouraging more people to make the switch to bus travel as well as making local air cleaner for all our futures.”
DfT contributed about £8,351,000 to which SYMCA added £2,683,000 of its City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement.
Contractor EO will install the 23 output chargers as well as two mobile workshop chargers at the depot which will facilitate the running of the zero-emission fleet.
South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard, said: “We think around 200,000 people in South Yorkshire live in areas vulnerable to air pollution, and 1 in 20 deaths here are related to poor air quality. That’s a challenge we simply have to address, and why we need to get cleaner, greener vehicles of all sorts on our roads.
“To meet that goal we’ve funded electric bus projects that are underway across the region as part of the Zebra1 project and we also have a second bid for ‘Zebra 2’ funding submitted to the Department for Transport with Stagecoach and First.
“Not only will they help improve public transport in South Yorkshire, they’ll make a real contribution to us hitting our net zero goals, and making South Yorkshire’s air cleaner.“
Trading Standards services across Lincolnshire have joined a national scheme that allows residents to know they’re buying from businesses that work in a legal, honest and fair way.
Businesses who sign up to the scheme will be vetted by Lincolnshire Trading Standards – working in conjunction with North and North East Lincolnshire councils – and then added to an online Buy with Confidence database.
Consumers can then search that database and have the added piece of mind that each business has been thoroughly vetted and approved by Trading Standards.
To receive accreditation, businesses go through a strict procedure of researching their trading history, financial background and a criminal records check.
Buy With Confidence first launched nationally in 2008 and is the largest scheme of its kind, supported by 67 local authority Trading Standards services around the country. The scheme is open to businesses operating in most sectors, not just the building and motor trades.
Cllr Daniel McNally, executive councillor for Trading Standards at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “Buy With Confidence helps give the public the reassurance that any business on our list is only there because it deserves to be. By becoming members, businesses can help us steer people away from the rogues and fraudsters that give legitimate businesses a bad name, and towards good, honest, reliable traders.
“Being Trading Standards approved sets businesses apart from their competitors, and reassures their customers that they’re operating in a legally safe and honest way. Each approved trader gets a public profile on the database, can use the ‘Trading Standards approved logo’, and will get ongoing advice from Trading Standards to help them stay compliant with any new or changing legislation.
“During these challenging financial times, we all want to make sure every penny is spent wisely. By choosing to shop with ‘Buy With Confidence’ approved businesses, you know you’re getting what you pay for.”
Cllr Carl Sherwood, cabinet member with the responsibility for public protection at North Lincolnshire Council, said: “It is so important that customers can find reliable businesses, which is why we have teamed up with Lincolnshire Trading Standards to provide that extra level of reassurance.
“Buy With Confidence allows people to know they are buying from reputable businesses that have undergone stringent checks. Next time you are looking to buy from a business, make sure you check the Buy With Confidence database.
“Any businesses that aren’t part of the scheme, I would urge you to look into this.”
Doncaster’s first-ever Women in Business Conference will shine a light on female entrepreneurs and explore the challenges many of them face.
Jade Dyer, Business Director at Doncaster Chamber said the event would allow examination of serious issues that didn’t always get the attention they deserved.
“It’s a particularly relevant conversation for us in Doncaster, where females are underrepresented in terms of entrepreneurship. Data from the Office of National Statistics shows that only 2.5% of women in our local population are self-employed, a relatively low figure when compared to other places around the UK, while a comprehensive study from Money.co.uk found that we are also one of the country’s most challenging districts for female business owners.
“Despite this, we have assembled a fantastic line-up of speakers for the conference — spanning different backgrounds and sectors —who we believe will really inspire the community. For example, we have Rebecca Dickenson; an internationally-acclaimed hairdresser who recently won our Self-Employed Person of the Year award and who is, with good reason, recognised as a true leader in her field.
“She will be joined on the day by other amazing guests, including: Leana Coopoosamy-Pearson, Global Inclusion Business Partner at Mastercard and owner of her own Boutique; Julie Carrier, Chief Commercial Officer at Unipart Rail; Zoe Hands, MD in the region for First Bus Midlands; and Amelia Banful, Head of Business Strategy at Enviro Electronics. We cannot wait to hear from all of these professionals, and from those who attend on the day itself, about how we can make Doncaster a more friendly environment for women in business.”
The event is sponsored by Polypipe Building Products, and takes place on January 24th.
More than a million people a month have tapped into the HMRC app to find their employment history and National Insurance number to pass on to a new employer.
The app was opened more than a 80 million times in 2023, but HMRC still receives around three million calls a year, with people waiting on hold for information they could quickly access digitally at a time and place to suit them.
During January, when HMRC’s helpline experiences a surge in enquiries about employment history, HMRC is encouraging customers to download the free and easy to use HMRC app instead, which provides secure access to personal tax affairs, saving an unnecessary phone call and a potential long wait listening to hold music.
Nigel Huddleston MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said: “When people apply for a job the last thing they want to be doing is wasting time on the phone to HMRC to find their National Insurance number or tax code, which is why I encourage jobseekers to save themselves effort in the future and join 1.2 million monthly users and start using HMRC’s fantastic app.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General of Customer Services, added: “With the new year bringing new opportunities and career aspirations for many, our app is a great way to securely access your tax code, National Insurance number, and employment details – information a new employer may ask for. A few taps will save you a call and the information is accessible at any time.
“App users will need to create an account or sign in if they already have one to access their personal information. If you need to set up an account, the app will guide you through the process.”
Leeds Beckett University and Q Medical Technologies Limited have secured Government funding to develop and commercialise innovative new products repurposing healthcare waste.
The team will begin by commercialising new, low-carbon aggregate substitutes known as floc – repurposed and treated, clinical and offensive NHS waste – which are in demand for use in civil engineering.
Dr Ash Ahmed, Reader in Civil Engineering Materials Science in the School of Built Environment, Engineering and Computing at Leeds Beckett University, is leading the project.
He explained: “This innovative opportunity to process and utilise healthcare waste – particularly NHS waste – to create new products, has multiple benefits: reducing costs to the healthcare sector, reducing the emissions from the disposal of healthcare waste, and reducing the drain on dwindling natural resources such as sand.
“Sand suitable for construction is a finite resource and there is pressure to create more sustainable supply chains to preserve this valuable commodity for future generations.
“The NHS produces an estimated 156,000 tonnes of clinical waste per year with disposal costs of around £700million per year – largely through waste management contracts that end in incineration or landfill, both of which are harmful to the environment.”
The 30-month project is a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), part-funded by the Government through Innovate UK. The KTP aims to create long-term innovation and New Product Development (NPD) capabilities and pathways for NuGreen – a sister company of Q Medical – to develop, test, commercialise and launch products in new sectors.
The project will refine and commercialise earlier proof of concept studies between Leeds Beckett and NuGreen in the use of floc as an aggregate – most notably sand – replacement in cementitious materials, for example concrete and asphalt.
The market for aggregate replacements is very large. The worldwide construction industry consumes 25-30 billion tonnes of sand per year and the cost of aggregates is increasing.
Clare Atkinson, Founder of NuGreen, said: “The opportunity to divert high volumes of healthcare waste from incineration and transform it into a valuable, low carbon construction material – that replaces the use of a finite resource such as sand – is the future we see.
“Healthcare waste incineration contributes to poor air quality, increasing the strain on NHS resources by impacting respiratory health – this is a cycle we want to break. The opportunity for healthcare to be at the forefront of a lower carbon future is vital to drive the global shift required for true connectivity, progress, and sustainability.”
Use of healthcare waste is challenging from a regulatory perspective and tightly controlled by the Environment Agency. Construction materials are also highly regulated and rigorous testing and compliance for the floc will be required to meet British standards for commercial use.
By the end of the project, NuGreen will have taken healthcare waste through a product development lifecycle, resulting in a commercially viable product to take to market as an aggregate substitute. The Leeds Beckett team will support NuGreen to develop and commercialise further products using other forms of healthcare waste, such as silicone, during and beyond the completion of the KTP.
A skilled graduate will be recruited, as a full-time member of the NuGreen team and with the full support of the Leeds Beckett academic team, to manage the project as a KTP Associate.
Dr Sepehr Ghaffari, Senior Lecturer in Engineering, and Killian Ngong, Senior Lecturer and Chartered Civil Engineer, will lead the asphalt concrete investigations. Dr Alfred Chinta – an expert in supply chain management with a focus on technology and sustainability – will lead on the strategic support, embedding the innovation and product development systems into the business.
Professor Silke Machold, Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at Leeds Beckett University, said: “There is a very high level of innovation attached to this project that addresses the UK’s Net Zero ambitions. It offers the potential for an agile solution to the healthcare sector – particularly the NHS – to manage and reduce their carbon footprint.
“At Leeds Beckett University, our School of Built Environment, Engineering and Computing is an international leader in sustainability research. This includes research on retrofitting and net zero technologies in buildings conducted by our Leeds Sustainability Institute.”
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy
