British Gas adds £2m to efforts to help with cost of living crisis
British Gas is to put an extra £2 million towards money advice centres funded by the British Gas Energy Trust, an independent charity solely funded by British Gas, to get more help to those struggling with living costs.
There are currently 23 advice centres funded by the British Gas Energy Trust over the UK, and this additional investment will add another 20, helping consumers with money advice, access to benefits, help with bill disputes, energy support and help applying for grants. They have managed debts for 24,000 people and have gained an additional £16 million in income for those seeking advice, as well as enabling the write-off of £7 million worth of debts. The extra £2 million in funding will increase this impact with an expected 35,000 people visiting the centres this year.
Independent research from the Centre of Sustainable Energy has shown that over three quarters (78%) of those supported through these organisations were able to plan ahead for household bills and other expenses. Over two thirds (68%) reported that support helped them to access additional income and 72% experienced an improvement in their financial situation since receiving support.
Says Helen Charlton, Chair of the British Gas Energy Trust: “The impacts of high energy bills and the cost-of-living crisis are harsh and far-reaching. So, as a charity we took the decision to release £1m in funding for further advice, help and support, funding projects in areas shown by our research and modelling to be most in need. We felt it was right to take this step at a time of severe, serious and likely ongoing crisis for the people we serve. And we are deeply grateful to Chris O’Shea and British Gas for £1m of matched funding, enabling us to double our efforts and impact at this critical time.”
Every year the British Gas Energy Trust delivers advice and support services for all consumers and last year provided £1.8 million of debt relief, emergency fuel vouchers, and grants to replace boilers, with a further £3.6 million of funding provided to charities who offer advice and money support.
Since the launch of the Trust in 2004, over £85 million has been invested in helping More than 500,000 people manage their energy costs.
This year British Gas Energy Support Fund was also created with a £6m investment in response to the cost-of-living crisis. Through the fund thousands of British Gas customers have been provided with grants between £250 and £750 to help pay towards their energy bills. Over a third of the recipients are on disability benefit and many are families – 30 per cent are single parents and a quarter have children under five years old.
Window on Gate Burton Energy Park consultation is about to close
Developer Low Carbon is urging people to take part in the second stage of consultation on its updated proposals to build a new solar and energy storage park on land near Gate Burton near Gainsborough in Lincolnshire, which is due to close on Friday, 5th August.
Low Carbon is specifically seeking feedback on its updated masterplan for the solar energy park, the route an electrical connection could take from the site into Cottam substation to export the electricity the scheme generates on to the national grid, as well as the measures proposed to reduce the potential impacts associated with the project.
Views and suggestions for community benefits and local initiatives Low Carbon could support to directly benefit those communities closest to the proposed energy park are also being invited.
Mike Rutgers, Development Director at Low Carbon, said: “It’s really important to us that as many people as possible share their thoughts on our refined proposals for Gate Burton Energy Park. Low Carbon is committed to having a lasting and positive impact on climate change and we want to ensure that communities living and working in the area have a chance to inform and influence the proposals we’re developing.
“We’ve already received a good amount of feedback, but we’d really like to hear from anyone who hasn’t yet shared their views with us. We’re conscious there are other large-scale solar schemes being proposed in the area which are currently undertaking public consultation, so we’d really appreciate people taking the time to articulate their views to us directly on Gate Burton Energy Park specifically.”
Low Carbon will consider all the feedback submitted to this consultation together with the findings from ongoing technical and environmental studies to help finalise the details for the project before submitting an application to the Planning Inspectorate later this year.
Further information: www.gateburtonenergypark.co.uk
Powerhouse fund takes investment in the north to 12,000 businesses
In its fifth anniversary year the £500m Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund is celebrating having invested in more than 1,000 businesses across the North of England.
With an investment total of £334m and an additional £504m attracted in private sector co-investment, NPIF has delivered a total of over £800m of funding to Northern small businesses in the last five years.
NPIF was launched in 2017 by the British Business Bank using funding from the European Regional Development Fund, HM Government and the European Investment Bank. NPIF forms a key part of the Bank’s activities to back the Government’s Levelling Up agenda by helping to reduce regional funding imbalances and create economic prosperity in the North of England.
Throughout the past five years, NPIF has worked closely with the North’s 10 Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), Combined Authorities and Growth Hubs. NPIF and its Fund Managers have worked with these organisations to support small and medium businesses across the North West, Yorkshire & Humber and Tees Valley Regions.
At the Spending Review in October 2021, the Chancellor pledged a further £660m for the next generation of NPIF, which is set to cover every corner of the North, including the North East LEP area.
NPIF offers a range of funding options to suit all types of businesses including Microfinance between £25,000 and £100,000, Debt Finance between £100,000 and £750,000, and Equity Finance up to £2m.
Amongst investment recipients is Tribosonics, a company based in Sheffield that creates smart sensors to improve efficiency. The company raised £1.5 million in investments led by NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance, offering the company further growth capital to increase capacity and enhance current facilities.
Catherine Lewis La Torre, acting CEO of British Business Bank, said: “Supporting over 1,000 businesses across the North of England is a significant milestone for NPIF. This investment has provided these businesses with the capital they needed to invest in R&D and to bring new products and services to market. This has resulted in increased revenues and has supported local communities through the creation of high quality jobs. As NPIF celebrates its first five years, and as a second NPIF fund has been announced, we recognise that there is still enormous potential for further productive investment in a broad range of businesses with ambitious growth plans across the North of England.”
Neil MacDonald, Vice Chair at South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority LEP and NPIF Strategic Oversight Board Member, said: “More than 100 South Yorkshire businesses have successfully secured funding from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund over the past five years. The impact has not only been in business growth and productivity, but it has also allowed companies to create new jobs, invest in new technology, plants & equipment, expand their products or services into new international markets and to train and develop more staff. We look forward to supporting even more local businesses to access the NPIF fund in the future.”
The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.
University of Sheffield and Rolls-Royce launch project to enable supply chain resilience and security
A new project launched in collaboration between the University of Sheffield and Rolls-Royce aims to help industry and government track and compare facility-level supply chain resilience.
Project FPSCRS (Future Proof Supply Chain Resilience and Security), funded and supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and Rolls-Royce, will establish a resilience index scorecard system, hosted via a secure online tool, to provide a quantitative scale of resilience measurement and capture qualitative insights.
The tool, co-developed by Rolls-Royce and researchers from the Management School at the University’s Faculty of Social Science, enables high value manufacturing industries such as civil aerospace, automotive, and rail to benchmark their supply chain resilience, and manage and respond to risk and security issues.
Created with input from industry leaders, the tool will allow the government and advanced manufacturing industry to measure and reduce uncertainty and risk, minimise vulnerability and threat, and improve supply chain security and resilience.
A policy brief will be generated in consultation with key partners and stakeholders in the supply chain and within government departments for green economy recovery post-COVID-19, focusing on supply chain resilience and security.
The brief aims to bring transformational industry and policy impact economically, environmentally and socially for UK businesses and global supply chains.
Professor Lenny Koh, director of AREC and co-head of Energy Institute, and academic lead of FPSCRS, said: “Through this co-creation with Rolls-Royce, Project FPSCRS advances the understanding of supply chain resilience and security in the advanced manufacturing industry. Novel measures and models will be developed, along with the tool and policy brief, using multiple methodologies. This research will help solve the pressing challenges of disruptions via improved risk mitigation and business continuity.”
Peter Ralph, head of Security and Resilience, Rolls-Royce, and the industry lead of FPSCRS, said: “This research forms our underpinning basis and decision making in shaping our resilience and security strategy and framework. The involvement of all 4 businesses within Rolls-Royce validates the agility and replicability towards a resilience standard which has national and global relevance. The impact of this future-proofing of our supply chain resilience and security is global and significant at industry and government levels.”
Paul O’Rourke, group security director, Rolls-Royce, said: “Rolls-Royce’s capability to safeguard customers’ delivery, and lead and future proof our organisation and supply chain against disruptions ranging from security of critical materials supply to the flexibility of our manufacturing and test facilities, is a top priority from management.
“The dynamic geopolitical, economic and environmental externalities in the industry such as the Russia-Ukraine war, COVID-19 and climate change affect resource resiliency. This research plays a key role in changing mindset and informing policy on putting resilience and security-critical factors in decision making in industry and government.”
New tenants arrive and more expand at Marshall’s Mill
Strong demand continues for office space across the Marshall’s Mill and Round Foundry estate in Leeds South Bank as two businesses renew their leases, another expands, and two new tenants arrive.
The newest arrivals to the historic area, taking up 3,035 sq ft on the 4th floor of Marshall’s Mill, are digital marketing agency Flaunt Digital and Cumulus Management, who will be occupying 1,722 sq ft of Marshall’s Court.
International IT and communications agency Whitespider, has added the 5th Floor studio to their current lease, an additional 294 sq ft. Whitespider first took space at Marshall’s Mill in 2021 occupying 1,100 sq ft on the 4th floor.
Local institution Out of the Woods renews its 472 sq ft lease by signing a new 10-year contract. A long-standing tenant in the Urban Village, the café first opened on Water Lane in December 2006 before doubling in size to include a second location at Granary Wharf in November 2010. Global media agency MediaCom have also extended their lease for the next decade, retaining their 5,582 sq ft office on the 2nd floor of Marshall’s Mill.
Paul Taylor, Managing Director at Creative Space Management, who oversaw some of the lettings said: “The surge in new tenants, expansions and 10-year leases shows that businesses are growing and have confidence in this area, with only a limited number of units now remaining. Leeds South Bank is clearly a leading location for creative, independent, technology-based companies and it’s great to see the individual businesses succeed within this one community.”
Meanwhile, Elizabeth Ridler, partner at Knight Frank and joint letting agent, said: “It’s incredibly positive that we have this continued demand for space in the area, especially as we look towards the comprehensive refurbishment of the former Round Foundry Media Centre which will provide suites from 3,500-28,000 sq ft.”
Out of the Woods owner Ross Stringer was equally positive about the area: “Marshall’s Mill and the Round Foundry area has been the perfect location for us. We love the fantastic regeneration here the people and most importantly the community vibe between the businesses – it has a cool ‘village feel’. After 16 years in the area, we are continually looking forward to seeing the new surrounding developments come to life and breathing even more energy into Holbeck.”
Lee Fuller from Flaunt Digital agrees saying: “Marshall’s Mill is an iconic building; we haven’t been here long but are already so happy. It was the perfect choice to accommodate our growing staff numbers and because it is so close to Leeds Train Station it makes commuting easy for both our staff and clients.”
Hush Acoustics invests £500,000 in move to new Yorkshire factory
Acoustic insulation manufacturer Hush Acoustics has completed its move to a new site in Sheffield which provides significantly more capacity for production and stockholding of its soundproofing product range.
Having outgrown its former site in Liverpool, Hush Acoustics was keen to capitalise on its potential for growth and support the high demand for soundproofing solutions from the UK building industry. With no suitable sites available in Merseyside, the company looked further afield for its new home and settled on an ideal building in Sheffield, one of Yorkshire’s manufacturing heartlands, which will be ideally suited to facilitating its long term plans.
Hush Acoustics’ new HQ and factory at Tinsley Industrial Estate covers more than 15,000 sq ft, an increase of 46% on its previous site, providing employment for 15 people. The additional space is already giving the company extra storage for raw materials and finished product stockholding, along with ability to increase production volumes – all of which ensures it can keep lead times to a minimum and respond quickly to customer demands.
In addition to Hush Acoustics’ wide range of timber soundproofing products, the team at the new Yorkshire factory will manufacture all its rubber based insulation materials, including its numerous acoustic membranes for concrete floors.
Robert Crampton, MD of Hush Acoustics, said: “Our move to new premises marks the start of an exciting new era of growth for Hush and I’m delighted with the facilities and extra capacity we now have available to us.
“Acoustic comfort and soundproofing in our homes, offices, public buildings, hotels, schools and numerous other types of buildings is becoming an increasingly important design and specification consideration for both new build and conversion projects, and we are committed to ensuring the construction industry has access to the best performing products and systems.”
Seven senior promotions at BRM Solicitors
Growth at regional law firm BRM Solicitors continues with seven promotions across its two offices in Chesterfield and Sheffield.
The promotions include two new heads of departments, one director, three senior associates and an associate.
The round of promotions are to acknowledge the continued hard work of key staff within the firm.
James Alger, newly appointed as head of Sheffield real estate, said: “This is an important chapter in the continued growth of BRM, I aim to continue to grow the real estate team and continue to provide a top-tier service to all clients.”
New corporate director Trevor Bird said: “The team at BRM are very talented and it is great to see the team being strengthened to support our growing client base.”
Property litigation solicitor, James Parden, plot sales specialist, Rachael Sawyer, and real estate solicitor, Chris Hey have all been promoted to senior associate.
Wills and probate solicitor, Rose Evans, was promoted to associate.
Additional promotions have also been made at the firm, including employment specialist Ellie Leatherday who has been promoted to the position of senior solicitor in the employment team, who have seen strong growth in its client base over the last 12 months.
Sanjeev Batra, new head of Chesterfield real estate, said: “The promotions highlight BRMs commitment to staff development and we are dedicated to offering mentoring and clear career progression for our staff.”
People pile into Paull for beach clean-up
Seventeen volunteers from KCOM’s People Team have helped to clean a 100m stretch of the rocky Paull beach as part of an initiative working alongside the Marine Conservation Society.
Chief People Officer Kenneth Ross said: “It’s been a brilliant but also an incredibly eye-opening day to learn just how much rubbish we throw away, pump into the sea and pollute our world with.”
As well as making the world a little cleaner, collecting plastic and other discarded litter will also form part of an ongoing survey by the MCS to assess the amount of rubbish being dumped in the sea and washed up on our local beaches.
Data collected by the society is used to advise the Government on policies to help clamp down on plastic and other types of waste escaping into the natural environment.
Among the litter collected on the day were: dozens plastic bottle tops, cotton bud tubes, sweet wrappers, bottles, cans, a plastic chair, bedraggled wet wipes, a nappy and hundreds of mini plastic balls – or nurdles – which are the raw material used by manufacturers to make plastic objects. Described as the “most toxic waste you’ve never heard of” these tiny spheres pollute the sea and are eaten by wildlife.
Multi-million pound deal sees wagon maintenance contract work done at Doncaster
Doncaster will be the setting for maintenance of more than 700 railway wagons under a multi-million pound contract awarded to Wabtec UK by GB Railfrieght.
Wabtec will undertake preventative maintenance and failure repairs, operate a 24/7 callout service, and overhaul wheelsets. The fleet of wagons will be used by Network Rail as part of its 10-year infrastructure modernisation plan, overseen by Wabtec UK’s Doncaster team.
Garry Mowbray, Vice President of Regional Services UK – Wabtec, said: “This is a superb team effort by all involved and provides further evidence of Wabtec UK’s well-earned and justifiable reputation within the freight sector. I am confident that our skilled maintenance teams will provide the robust support and responsiveness that GB Railfreight will deservedly expect”.
David Golding, Asset Director of GB Railfreight, said: “With their wealth of experience and long, reputable history of successfully managing wagons, the award of our contract to Wabtec UK will come as positive news to the freight industry. We have full confidence in the ability of their maintenance teams and look forward to working with them in support of our customers.”
Wabtec is a global company, with operations in more than 50 countries.
Rotherham school expands service provision in South Yorkshire
Witherslack Group, the leading provider of schools for children with special educational needs, is to open a new vocational training centre in South Yorkshire.
The educational specialist has taken a 16,000 sq ft unit at Kea Park in Rotherham which will become the organisation’s sixth setting in Yorkshire alongside current schools in Rotherham, Wakefield and Shelf.
The training centre will support a catchment area from across the region, expanding its current provision at Abbeywood School in Rotherham which educates boys and girls between 10 and 18.
Abbeywood School supports pupils with conditions such as Autism, ADHD and SEMH and provide a unique, safe, and inspirational environment where young people can fully thrive and develop.
Colin Swaine, property director at Witherslack Group, said: “Once operational, the centre will be used to support Key Stage 4 children from our existing Abbeywood School nearby.
“Not only are we helping to satisfy the demand for SEN school places in the South Yorkshire region but will also create several new jobs in the area.”
Rebecca Schofield, partner and head of industrial in Yorkshire at Knight Frank, which acted on behalf of Leeds based property company Pullans, with CBRE Leeds, said: “Kea Park is a development of four modern, self-contained units and forms part of the well-established and successful Hellaby Industrial Estate.
“Since being built, the units have been refurbished and provide accommodation for a number of businesses due to the flexibility of the space. Bruce Strachan, Property Director at Pullans, added: “We are delighted to have been able to secure the letting to Witherslack Group and play our part in the delivery of much needed training and educational facilities for the region. The work undertaken to transform the unit has been comprehensive and has resulted in a very impressive state of the art facility, with which they can be very proud. They have been a pleasure to deal with throughout the letting and redevelopment project and we wish them every success going forward.”
