‘No bad treatment’ campaign aims to highlight domestic abuse with help of beauty industry
East Riding of Yorkshire Council is inviting anybody in the area who works in the health and beauty industry to an online event which will launch a new campaign: ‘No Bad Treatment’.
The campaign aims to raise awareness of domestic abuse, offer brief training on how to spot the signs, and provide information support services to those working in the Health & Beauty industry so they can discreetly signpost clients, colleagues, family or friends.
The online launch event will be on Tuesday, 16 April, from 7pm-8pm.
The No Bad Treatment campaign offers free training for hairdressers, aestheticians, beauty therapists and students. The session will provide the tools and resources to support a client who is experiencing domestic abuse.
Since its Hull launch in January, 2023, over 60 hair and beauty professionals have signed up to the No Bad Treatment campaign.
This event will provide an overview of the campaign and how people can sign up. It will look at why this is so important and what impact it could have on the local community.
The Warren Youth Project and the Domestic Violence and Abuse Partnership will be joined during the event by Rachel Williams, founder of Stand Up to Domestic Abuse.
Councillor Leo Hammond, East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Cabinet member for planning, communities and public protection, said : “Domestic abuse is a huge issue in our society, affecting one in four women and one in six men over their lifetime. On average, a victim will experience abuse 50 times before seeking help, and sadly may go to as many as five different agencies before finding the appropriate help, advice and support.
“We are aiming to educate people who may be in a position to spot the signs and signpost correctly, and so we hope to dramatically reduce this number.
“If you are in the health and beauty industry, please share these event details widely with anyone else in the industry, and hopefully we will see you at the launch.”
Foreign labour’s no longer a cheap option for UK businesses after enactment of new laws
UK businesses are now required to pay overseas workers coming to the UK on a Skilled Worker visa significantly more, as the government clamps down on cut-price foreign labour and continues to deliver on its commitment to drive down net migration.
Part of a package of measures announced by the Home Secretary in December, which will mean 300,000 people who arrived in the UK last year would now not be able to, the general salary threshold for those arriving in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa has now increased by 48%, from £26,200 to £38,700.
It’s said that this increase will help ensure the UK’s immigration system focuses on recruiting high-skilled workers, helping to grow the UK economy while bringing overall numbers down.
A new immigration salary list has been created, following advice from the expert and independent Migration Advisory Committee. Roles on the list will be included only where they are skilled and in shortage, and if it is sensible to include them considering the efforts being made by sectors to invest in the resident workforce.
Inclusion on the list must not serve to reduce pay and undermine the recruitment of British workers. Employers are encouraged to invest in training, upskilling, and hiring domestic workers first.
It comes as the government takes decisive action to support British people into work, in one of the biggest employment interventions in a generation, through its £2.5 billion Back to Work plan. This will help break down barriers to work for over a million people who are long term unemployed, long term sick, or disabled.
Home Secretary James Cleverly said: “It’s time to turn off the taps and end the flow of cheap workers from abroad. Mass migration is unsustainable and it’s simply not fair. It undercuts the wages of hard-working people who are just trying to make ends meet.
“We are refocusing our immigration system to prioritise the brightest and best who have the skills our economy needs, while reducing overall numbers.
“I promised the British people an immigration system that serves their interests, and to bring numbers down – these tough measures deliver on that commitment. Employers must also play their part and put British workers first.”
Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said: “For too long we have relied on labour from abroad when there is great talent right here in the UK. “I’m determined to give jobseekers the support they need to get on and get ahead through our £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan, while our network of Jobcentres are providing apprenticeships, bootcamps, and skills programmes to help even more people into work.”The changes coming into force today coupled with my next generation of welfare reforms will unlock the huge potential of the great British workforce.
Ashcourt Group increase fleet with new statement Defenders as they continue regional growth
New Ashcourt Defenders designed and wrapped in their iconic blue to increase the company’s presence in new areas.
The Ashcourt Group is a well-established construction materials supplier in Hull & East Yorkshire, with recent acquisitions becoming stepping stones into new regions of Durham & Tees Valley and Lincolnshire.
The iconic blue is hard to miss with its existing fleet already boasting over 300 vehicles from tipper wagons and concrete mixers to heavy haulage and artic tippers.
Recently investing in new Defenders, Ashcourt Group have had four of these designed and wrapped in a statement Ashcourt design for their field sales team to drive when visiting customer sites throughout new territory, where the brand isn’t as well known.
This will help promote brand awareness to further increase Ashcourt’s presence in these different areas as they continue their growth, with them now operating three regional businesses, Ashcourt (Hull & East Yorkshire), Ashcourt (Durham & Tees Valley) and Ashcourt (Lincolnshire).
Emily Summerson, Group Operations Director, said: “We are delighted to see our new fleet additions making bold statements as our field sales team continue to conquer new territories with positive feedback from all.
“Following recent regional expansion, this helps increase our brand awareness in our expansion strategy and allows us to create a presence in these areas, using our iconic Ashcourt blue to further strengthen our position as the industry’s sustainable construction materials and recycling partner.”
Administrators appointed to warehousing, distribution and logistics business
James Lumb and Howard Smith from Interpath Advisory have been appointed joint administrators to Carlton Forest 3PL Ltd, Green Forest Solutions LLP, and Carlton Forest Group Holdings Limited.
Based in Bawtry, South Yorkshire, Carlton Forest 3PL Ltd is an award-winning warehousing, distribution and logistics business. Employing 90 people, the company operates over 1.2m sq ft of warehouse space across four sites in Bawtry, Worksop, Hellaby and Tuxhill.
Green Forest Solutions LLP owns the UK’s first and only continuous pyrolysis plant for end-of-life tyres, an innovative technology used across the tyre recovery and recycling sector.
In recent times, and in common with a number of other companies operating in the third party logistics sector, Carlton Forest 3PL had been battling industry and wider economic headwinds, including rising costs, significant excess warehouse capacity in the market and decreasing storage rates.
With pressure on the company’s cashflow increasing, the directors sought to undertake a review of their options, including sale and investment options. However, when a solvent solution could not be found, they took the decision to seek the appointment of administrators.
James Lumb, managing director at Interpath Advisory and joint administrator, said: “We are seeing a lot of businesses in UK logistics which are facing similar issues to Carlton Forest, driven by new warehouse capacity hitting the market over recent years, and the general destocking of the UK consumer economy as Covid-related supply chain disruption has subsided.
“Carlton Forest, like many of its peers in the market, had grown to meet demand and this has had the effect of increasing its overheads. Unfortunately, however, the race to the bottom on pricing and the loss of a key customer ultimately contributed to Carlton Forest’s inability to keep trading.
“Our immediate priority has been to work with employees, suppliers and customers to repatriate stock as quickly as possible, minimising disruption to customers as best we can.”
Morrisons invests £1.4m in new Innovation Centre in Bradford
Morrisons Greenside fresh food manufacturing operation, has officially opened a brand-new on-site innovation centre as part of a significant investment programme.
Costing £1.4 million, the brand-new ‘Greenside Innovation Centre’, was officially opened with the unveiling of a plaque by the Leader of Bradford Council, Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe and Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin.
The centre features a new state of the art development and showcase kitchen that will support the growth of Greenside and the wider Morrisons manufacturing division – Myton Food Group. The innovation centre will allow the site to showcase the food they’re known for and allow for the development of new and exciting products to present to prospective customers.
Morrisons prepares and makes more than half of the fresh food sold in its stores. The Greenside site is the UK’s largest fresh food factory producing bacon, quiches, pies, sausages, gammon, cooked meats and packed cheese.
Rami Baitiéh, Chief Executive Officer of Morrisons, said: “We’re pleased to officially open our Greenside Innovation Centre here in the city of Bradford. At Morrisons we are proud food makers and we are always exploring ways in which we can showcase our expertise and develop new and exciting opportunities to take our products to a wider market.
“This new facility gives our fantastic team of chefs a space to create the high-quality, British products our customers want, using ingredients from our trusted farmers and growers.”
Bradford Labour Leader, Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, said: “We’re really proud that Bradford is the home of Morrisons and therefore I really welcome this latest investment from the company in the city.
“It’s a very well run operation and it’s great to see what care and thought they are putting into new product design at the Innovation Centre. It’s this kind of investment which will retain Morrisons’ place as a market leader.”
Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, said: “I welcome the investment Morrisons has made into the Greenside Innovation Centre, helping to bring new opportunities to Bradford. Morrisons is an important partner for Bradford and West Yorkshire and I will continue to support them to grow and succeed.”
The site has received significant investment in the past year, with an additional £6.6 million being used in cheese automation technology; a further £7m will be invested this year in new sausage lines.
Morrisons Greenside is a 400,000 sq ft manufacturing site, employing a 1,400 strong team, producing 277m packs of fresh food products across 44 production lines.
Retailers record six months of negative sales
Total in-store and online sales fell -2.2% in March, marking the sixth consecutive month of negative sales results, according to new data from BDO’s High Street Sales Tracker.
The last six months marks the longest consecutive period of negative growth outside of the COVID-19 pandemic.
BDO’s data, which looks at sales across discretionary spend categories, highlighted that in-store sales were negative for the fourth month in a row (-1.8%) and pulled down by sharp falls in both fashion and homewares sales.
Non-store sales were also negative (-2.3%), following three successive months of positive results.
Sophie Michael, Head of Retail and Wholesale at BDO, said: “These results continue to paint a bleak picture for retailers. Despite both the Easter bank holiday weekend and Mother’s Day falling in March this year, these results serve as a stark reminder of the pressure the sector is under.”
Fashion was the only non-store category to see positive results in March but the growth of 1.5% failed to offset the negative in-store sales, which declined by -6.0%.
The homeware sector also performed poorly, falling by -10.9%, the lowest monthly result for this category since May 2022. The lifestyle sector performed slightly better, with sales up +0.9% compared to the same month last year.
Sophie continued: “Going into April, retailers will see their costs rise even higher with the uplift in the national minimum wage and increased business rates leaving very little room to spend on investment, promotions or other ways of encouraging consumer spending.
“Elsewhere, there are reports that order levels fell in March and are expected to fall further in April, showing no signs of appetite for consumers to increase discretionary spend. Retailers will be fixated on managing their cost base to ride out what continues to be a challenging trading period, with no notable recovery on the horizon just yet.”
Hull firm acquires Scottish bathroom specialist
Hull-based MKM has acquired Dumfries bathroom specialist Rob Corder Bathrooms, making it the company’s 126th branch nationwide.
The acquisition marks an expansion of MKM’s presence in the Dumfries region, with Rab Corder Bathrooms becoming ‘MKM Dumfries St Mary’s’ with full support from existing branches, MKM Dumfries and MKM Dumfries Timber, both of which originated from the acquisition of Dumfries Timber Company (DTC) Merchants Limited in 2020.
The latest acquisition was founded by Rab Corder in Castle Douglas in September 2011. Company growth saw him open the Dumfries showroom in September 2018.
The business will continue to provide bathroom design to the trade and public, benefiting from MKM’s logistics and industry experience with the addition of new brands and free local delivery services, plus investment to enhance the existing bathroom showroom, introducing a new kitchen showroom and expanding the plumbing and heating offering in the comign months.
Andrew Popple, MKM’s Business Operations Director, said: “Rab has built an outstanding reputation in Dumfries, approaching MKM in 2023 about a potential acquisition due to retirement. We are delighted to retain the whole team. This acquisition is a fantastic opportunity for MKM to further strengthen our presence in Scotland, enhancing our services with the capabilities of Rab Corder Bathrooms.”
Former owner Rab Corder has stepped down from his position as CEO with immediate effect, but all other employees remain with the business as it transitions to MKM Dumfries St Mary’s. The acquisition and expansion of the plumbing and heating services will create three new full-time jobs in the next two months.
Sheffield Chamber offers financial advice service to members’ employees
Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry has launched a new Financial Wellbeing Support Service to help employees in the city region amid growing cost of living concerns.
Partnering with Mortgage PA, Forest Oak Financial Planning, Money Helper, Step Change Debt Charity, Mind and Sheffield Credit Union, SCCI is offering the free-to-access service to all Chamber members.
It is split into two halves: the Financial Wellbeing Support Programme – available to all levels of membership offering a range of support through an online self-serve portal and a Financial Friend Session – available to Premium and Patron members.
Through this service, a financial expert will visit an organisation to offer one-on-one specific, tailored advice for employees.
The introduction of these services comes as the Bank of England reported that UK households and businesses remain under pressure from higher borrowing costs. Interest rates are expected to remain high and more than 1.5 million people are reported to be experiencing both problems with debt and mental health*.
Liam Hughes, MD at Mortgage PA, said: “One in three people are said to be experiencing anxiety caused by debt related worries or fears over job insecurity or unemployment. Regardless of the industry you work in, financial wellbeing is highly important, both for greater confidence in a business but in the wellbeing of employees too.
“Finance related anxiety, and more specifically debt related stress, is reported to cause sleepless nights, higher chances of anxiety and depression, and diminished social lives which can all lead to lessened wellbeing for individuals.
“We’re grateful to partner with Sheffield Chamber and work together to help those people that are struggling or who want greater confidence in managing their finances.”
Independent inspector to assess plans for major North Yorkshire housing scheme
Plans for thousands of new homes to help meet demand for housing in North Yorkshire have been submitted for independent examination.
The proposals for the Maltkiln Village scheme would see as many as 3,000 properties built on a site centred around Cattal Railway Station, which is 10 miles to the east of Harrogate.
North Yorkshire Council have sent the Draft New Settlement (Maltkiln) Development Plan to the Planning Inspectorate for independent examination.
The draft plan, which sets out how Maltkiln should be developed, has been drafted in consultation with communities and specialist organisations. It includes a vision, objectives and detailed policies to guide development.
Corporate director of community development, Nic Harne, said: “We are acutely aware of the need for more housing across the whole of North Yorkshire to meet the demand for homes so that people can choose to live in the communities that they wish to.
“The Maltkiln development is a major scheme and is aimed at addressing the housing needs in the area.
“We have now submitted documents for the independent examination, and we will wait for the inspector’s comments to see how we can then hopefully progress the development.”
The draft plan, as well as accompanying evidence and consultation responses received during the consultation on the draft plan, will now be examined by an independent inspector to assess whether it has been prepared in accordance with legal and procedural requirements and if it is ‘sound’.
In most cases the examination will include hearing sessions which are held in public. The inspector will determine the appropriate format for these sessions.
At the end of the examination, the inspector will send a report to the council recommending whether or not it can adopt the plan, and if any modifications are needed.
The Maltkiln Village development is due to be heavily themed around sustainability and the environment and is set to provide local amenities and facilities alongside the new homes, as well as extensive areas of open space and landscaping.
£1.8m seed fundraise for biotechnology business
SynGenSys, a fast-growing biotechnology spinout company from the University of Sheffield, has completed a successful angel-led £1.8m seed fundraise as Dr Andy Racher steps in as its Commercial Operations Director.
SynGenSys specialises in designing and constructing synthetic genetic components to advance next-generation biomedicines and biomanufacturing processes.
With over three decades of experience in the biotechnology sector, Andy brings a wealth of expertise to his new role. He has previously held numerous senior positions at Lonza Biologics, a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO).
Andy’s roles at Lonza included Director of R&D IP Strategy, Associate Director within the Future Technologies Group, Head of Process Development Sciences, Acting Head of Cell Culture Process Development, and Senior Principal Scientist of Cell Culture Process Development.
Andy said: “I am delighted to be joining the SynGenSys team at such an exciting time in the company’s development, and I am looking forward to helping SynGenSys build out its market-facing commercial function.”
Professor David James, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of SynGenSys, added: “We are very pleased to have recruited someone of Andy’s calibre to our team. His is the first of a number of appointments that the company is looking to make as we start to offer our products and services to customers across the world.”
Law firm Freeths advised SynGenSys on the seed fundraise. Commenting on Andy’s appointment, Freeths’ Corporate Partner, Peter Crawford said: “Having recently advised on SynGenSys’ successful seed fundraise, it is great to see the company making real progress and Andy’s appointment is fundamental to support that growth. I’m confident he will be a great addition to the team.”
Corporate finance advice on the fundraise was provided by Translink.
