Marketing agency The Be Brand is to partner with Sailors’ Children’s Society to raise awareness and funds for its work in providing support to children who face unique challenges due to their association with the maritime industry.
As well as financial contributions, The Be Brand will actively supporting the Society with both fundraising and marketing expertise in a year-long collaboration. The agency will support critical campaigns, such as the Winter Appeal, which not only provides warm coats to children in need but also aims to engage the community in a meaningful way.
Natasha Barley, CEO of Sailors’ Children Society, said: “We are thrilled to collaborate with The Be Brand in our mission to support children from seafaring families. Their commitment to both fundraising for critical campaigns and providing pro-bono marketing support will undoubtedly make a significant impact on our efforts. We look forward to a successful partnership that will benefit the children we serve.”
Rhiannon Beeson at The Be Brand added: “Working alongside Natasha and the dedicated team at Sailors’ Children’s Society is an honour. Together, we can combine our strengths to make a meaningful difference in the lives of these children, and we are excited about the positive impact we can create.”
A lawyer who spent more than 60 years working for the practice in Hull his father founded has now made the move to join another firm in the city.
Patrick Burstall has been appointed as a Consultant Solicitor in the Private Capital team at Rollits.
Burstalls was founded by Bryan Burstall at Imperial Chambers, Bowlalley Lane, Hull, in 1946 and Patrick joined in 1961, qualifying as a solicitor in 1968.
When his father retired in 1978, Patrick became Senior Partner, a role which he retained for 42 years until he stepped down as a Partner in 2020 to become a consultant.
Patrick specialises in many aspects of Private Client work and has particular expertise in trust work, wills, probate administration, tax issues, agricultural law and conveyancing.
He is a member of STEP – the worldwide respected Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners – and is a past President of the Hull Incorporated Law Society. He is also a past President of the Hull and Literary and Philosophical Society.
Patrick said: “After so long with the same firm I’m excited to join Rollits and look forward to contributing to their continued success in serving clients with exceptional service and advice.”
Businesses are being encouraged to attend one of three events organised by Public Sector Procurement to help them learn how to sell to local authorities.
The aim of the events is to provide useful advice and guidance on how to sell to the Councils, listen to the concerns suppliers may have around the process of Public Sector procurement, understand areas of concern or misunderstanding that may be putting suppliers off bidding for works or services within the Council, and to showcase that the procurement team are approachable and willing to support.
During the event, suppliers can expect support in registering onto the e-Tendering Portal, support in where to look for Public Sector contracts, a detailed explanation on the tender process, and answers to any queries they may have.
Providing various services including Procurement & Contracts for South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership, PSPS play an important role in the work that goes on across the East Lindsey, South Holland and Boston Borough areas.
In a joint statement, Councillor Sandeep Ghosh, portfolio holder for Finance at Boston Borough Council, Councillor Richard Fry, portfolio holder for Finance at East Lindsey District Council, and Councillor Paul Redgate, portfolio holder for Finance, Commercialisation, UKSPF and Levelling Up at South Holland District Council, said: “We are very pleased that this event is taking place in an all important effort to engage with local suppliers and listen to any concerns or queries they may have around the procurement or tendering process.
“Ensuring that our local suppliers understand our processes thoroughly is key in building helpful and constructive partnerships, so we really encourage any applicable person to book a session with our friendly procurement team who will do everything they can to inform and clear up concerns or misunderstandings.”
The events are taking place on 17 April 2024 at the following locations:
East Lindsey District Council, The Hub, Mareham Road, Horncastle, LN9 6PH
South Holland District Council, Council Offices, Priory Road, Spalding, PE11 2XE
Boston Borough Council, Municipal Buildings, West Street, Boston, PE21 8QR
There will be an added option to attend supplier premises within the District should suppliers find this more useful.
Lincolnshire County Council’s executive is commissioning an independent report into the potential impact of National Grid’s proposal to build 420 50-metre pylons to run 140km of high voltage cables through the Lincolnshire countryside.
Members plan a formal objection to the scheme that would see cables running from Grimsby to Walpole in Norfolk.
An independent analysis is also being commissioned to look at the impact the pylons could have on Lincolnshire including putting farmland out of use, the visual impact on the flat landscape, the effect on tourism and air traffic limitations.
Council leader Martin Hill said: “The council’s view is that National Grid has dismissed a valid alternative of putting the cables on the sea-bed, and instead plan to blight our landscape and affect our countryside and coastal communities for generations to come.
“We are keen to take urgent action to get all the information about the options. If necessary we will take legal action to challenge the reasoning that this infrastructure is the best solution.”
The stance taken by the Financial Conduct Authority in response to an FSB super-complaint on suspected excessive use of personal guarantees by banks isn’t good enough, according to FSB National Chair Martin McTague.
He says the FSB flagged up in December that it believed there was a potentially a systemic problem when it comes to personal guarantees, and the effect they have on growth and investment.
He claims the FCA has declined to gather evidence from regulated lenders, which he says is illogical because it would illustrate the scale of the problem affecting limited companies.
He said: “The fact that the FCA has failed to gather as much evidence as possible on lending to limited companies only increases the urgency for Treasury to consider an expansion of the regulatory perimeter.
“We are not at all calling for personal guarantees to be banned – we recognise their role in lending to SMEs, but it is the excessive imposition of them which we wanted to highlight.
“Anecdotally, we hear that requesting personal guarantees is almost a blanket policy for some lenders, which cannot be right if the loan value is relatively small, and there’s no evidence that the business will struggle to repay.
“Personal guarantees sit in a twilight zone in terms of regulation, as they turn a loan to a limited company into a personal liability, yet the individual borrowers aren’t covered by consumer protections that exist for other kinds of lending.
“We strongly believe the FCA ought to have gathered data on the extent to which personal guarantees are being requested by regulated lenders, and to assess the economic damage caused as a result. Data is also needed to assess whether particular groups or types of would-be borrowers are affected by the issue more than others. Individual borrowers have very little recourse when set against the power held by the banks.
“Since sending the super-complaint, our first since being granted super-complainant status ten years ago, we have heard from numerous businesses about the negative consequences a personal guarantee has had on them.
“The FCA has committed to gather some limited data on personal guarantees over the coming months. We would now urge FCA to broaden this exercise to gather as much evidence as they can on lending to limited companies by regulated lenders, which is where the real problem lies.”
James Pinchbeck, partner at Streets Chartered Accountants, comments on the Spring Budget.
The headline grabbing announcement from the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Spring Budget, and perhaps his last before an election, was the 2% cut in rate of National Insurance (NI). This second cut follows a similar cut given in last year’s Autumn Statement and comes with an election looming.
For some it might have felt like that ubiquitous loss leader that retailers prompt to get you to buy so as to take your mind off the fact that whilst making such a purchase, perhaps one you hadn’t intended to buy, you might buy something else at higher price and margin. In this case, the reduction in NI perhaps coupled with the freezing of alcohol duty, the fuel price cap and changes to child benefit are all sweeteners to give us a sense that things are getting better and we are better off than we might be really.
This aside there were a number of key announcements that will affect both businesses and individuals.
The freeze on alcohol duty no doubt will be welcome for both consumers and the licenced trade. Perhaps though more could have been done in light of the cost-of-living crisis and the impact it is having on our pubs, clubs and eateries.
Plans to scrap the furnished holiday lets regime perhaps comes with a double edged sword in that hopefully it can address the issue of access to affordable homes for those living in holiday destinations, but equally will it adversely affect the provision of holiday accommodation for holiday makers.
Turning to property, there was a reduction in the higher rate of property capital gains tax from 28% to 24% – a move aimed to stimulate the market for sales of properties caught by the higher tax rate. The Chancellor also announced the abolition of stamp duty relief for those buying more than one dwelling, a relief known as the Multiple Home Relief.
Many small businesses including the self employed will have welcomed the news that the VAT registration threshold will rise from £85,000 to £90,000 from the start of April.
For those businesses looking to invest in plant and machinery, whilst no date was given as to when it might come into effect, the Chancellor stated that plans were in place to draft new legislation so that leased assets could be included in Full Expensing for the purchase of plant and machinery.
Whilst this may not affect many reading this, Jeremy Hunt confirmed the non-domiciliary status will be abolished and it will be replaced by a ‘simpler and fairer’ system from April 2025. The current system means that those living in the UK with overseas links and financial interest only pay UK tax on money earned here, going forward they will be required to be taxed on worldwide income.
For those engaged in the creative industries sector, news of the £1bn additional tax relief must have been as good news as perhaps being nominated for a BAFTA. Not least that measures include a tax credit for UK independent films with budgets under £15m.
Also announced was a 40 per cent relief on gross business rates until 2034 for eligible film studios. The Chancellor also said the government will remove the 80 per cent cap for visual effects costs in the audio-visual expenditure credit.
When it comes to the public sector though it would seem the only real beneficiary was the NHS with a commitment to a public sector productivity plan. There were no real announcements around the much needed support for education, skills, emergency services, nor our local authorities, all facing the pressures of the cost of living crisis and often increasing demands.
Overall, was it a Budget to gain or even regain voter confidence, or did it fall short? Did it feel more like a government that is tired and lacking ideas and one that has perhaps lost its way?
Perhaps we will know more over the next few weeks and months on the run up to the 2024 election.
For the devil in the detail there is still time to book for Streets Chartered Accountants’ post Spring Budget webinar which takes place from 11am until 12noon on Thursday 07th March.
Register to join us live and/or to receive a post broadcast recording to watch on catch up. https://www.streetsweb.co.uk/about/events/spring-budget-2024/
ABP’s Humber Container Terminal at the Port of Hull has taken delivery of a new state of the art reach stacker to boost its container handling capability in Hull, which, with its Immingham counterpart, is the leading northern England gateway for short sea container traffic with Europe and the Baltic.
The new truck joins the ten-strong fleet of reach stackers used across the container terminal to move and store containerised cargo and load out containers onto lorries for their onward travel. The new reach stackers are the latest addition to ABP’s £50 million investment plan at the container terminals in the Ports of Hull and Immingham completed in recent years.
Simon Bird, Regional Director for the Humber ABP ports said: “ABP has the space and state-of-the-art service across its container terminals here on the Humber for those looking for a reliable and resilient route to market.
“Our northern access makes the Humber a great solution for retailers and suppliers looking to build more sustainable supply chains by reducing road miles for their customers.”
ABP’s Humber Container Terminals at the Ports of Immingham and Hull have become a significant gateway for containerised cargo in the UK, offering, flexibility, value added services and excellent road and rail access.
The Port of Hull Container Terminal, spanning 30 acres, has the capacity to handle more than 400.000 units per year. The terminal is complemented by ABP’s Port of Immingham Container Terminal; together they welcome over 26 vessels a week, connecting trade routes from European and global ports, handling 243,000 containers combined in 2023.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is to update load security guidance introduced last July after the NFU identified that it was neither reasonable nor practical for many transporting agricultural loads.
The agreements reached during the recent negotiations help to ensure that those transporting agricultural loads are less likely to be unfairly penalised, particularly over sheeting of loads, as is the case with the current guidance, with specific reference to where there is a risk that loads will bounce up and out of the trailer.
NFU Farm Safety and Transport adviser Sarah Batchelor said: “This is a great win for the NFU. Not only should this help both our members and enforcement officers to better understand the requirements for load security, but it should also help to reduce unnecessary risk involved with having to work at height and often alone to apply sheets to trailers where hydraulic or mechanical sheeting systems are not suitable.
“It should also help members to have confidence in how they are managing their load security, and reduce the stress associated with potentially getting a penalty.
“It is in farmers’ best interests to not overload their trailers and, to act safely and within the parameters of the law.”
Inspiring more young people from marginalised and economically-deprived backgrounds in the Midlands about technology, science and engineering is the aim of a new community funding offer.
Registered charities and non-profit companies could get up to £5,000 each from National Grid Electricity Distribution to engage children in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics activities. Unregistered community organisations can apply for up to £2,000.
National Grid’s Community Matters Fund is offering £250,000 worth of grants to boost engagement and take learning beyond what’s covered by the national curriculum.
Successful projects will need to meet at least one of the following themes:
Open the eyes of a new generation to the exciting possibilities of a career in STEM, for example, projects that bring the area to life in a lively and engaging way.
Inspire further confidence and widen the skills of those already interested in STEM, for example via hands-on workshops and interactive experiments.
Break down barriers with access to tools, time, and resources for those for whom STEM’s potential may be unfamiliar, for example, launching after-school coding clubs or giving access to 3D printers.
Ellie Patey, Community Engagement Manager for National Grid Electricity Distribution, said: “Big challenges facing schools around resources, time allocation and funding have proven major barriers to engaging kids with this vital area of learning. National Grid is committed to widening the appeal of these exciting subjects which can lead to fulfilling and rewarding careers.
“We’d particularly welcome Midlands-based projects focussed on supporting young people from disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds for whom STEM feels unfamiliar, out of reach or even intimidating.”
“Inspiring the STEM leaders of tomorrow not only supports National Grid’s wider objectives to deliver a clean, fair and affordable energy future, but also plays a part in meeting the anticipated 400,000 roles needed between now and 2050 to reach the UK’s net zero targets.”
Applications open on Wednesday 6 March and close on Wednesday 27 March. Grants for successful applicants will be distributed in April.
A family-run, Barnsley-based property and land company, has unveiled the highly anticipated next phase of development for Penistone’s coal drops, signal house, and former railway siding site.
With this next stage of the site’s transformative journey, Fairbank Investments is marking a significant moment in Penistone’s history, with the development promising an inspiring blend of heritage preservation and modern rejuvenation.
The new designs, including business units, office space, retail and restaurant units, demonstrate how Fairbank Investments envisages how the coal drops and the land will look once fully transformed. The plans are subject to final approval.
Steeped in history, the coal drops site stands as a poignant reminder of Penistone’s industrial past. In recognition of its cultural significance, Fairbank Investments has embraced the opportunity to breathe new life into these iconic structures, preserving their heritage while welcoming a new era of prosperity.
Fairbank Investments has a proven track record of sustainable development projects such as the former David Brown factory on Green Road in Penistone. The company revitalised the site after transforming it into a new business park with 15,000 sq ft of offices and a further 66,000 sq ft of warehouse space, creating new jobs and attracting multiple businesses to the area.
Antony Green, Managing Director of Fairbank Investments, said: “Our vision extends beyond bricks and mortar; it’s about creating a lasting legacy that enriches the fabric of Penistone’s identity. We’re honoured to play a role in shaping the future of this historic site.
“Working in tandem with local authorities and community groups, we pride ourselves on delivering positive, proactive development results and have demonstrated this repeatedly over many years of business success.
“We turned the redundant site at the old David Brown site in Penistone into the thriving Fairfield Business Park, generating employment and helping multiple start-up companies and we intend to do the same at the coal drops site.
“Our current development represents a bright new beginning for a site that without our investment and vision would have likely remained a permanent wasteland.”
Image credit: Fairbank Investments
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