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Loughborough Lightning have bolstered their front row options with the signing of England Under-20s international Catherine Wells. Wells progressed through Worcester Warriors’ Centre of Excellence Programme while representing Barkers’ Butts after starting her rugby journey for fellow Coventry-based club, Old Coventrians. The abrasive ball carrier also played county rugby for Warwickshire before signing senior terms with Warriors in March 2022. Wells found herself without a club entering the 2023/24 season following the demise of Warriors in October but will restart her career at the elite level of English women’s rugby after agreeing to join Loughborough Lightning. “We’re really happy to have Catherine on board after what sadly happened at Worcester,” said Lightning head coach Nathan Smith. “Catherine is an England Under-20s loosehead who is comfortable playing tighthead too." “She fits in with our recruitment strategy, we want young hungry players who want to develop and want to kick on to the next level. We have great competition among our props. We feel over the next six months we can develop and evolve Catherine into a quality Premiership prop.” Wells, who recently turned 20 years of age, has been training with Lightning for three weeks and was delighted to get her career back on track at the elite level. “I am so excited to be at a new club and the girls have been amazing with me,” said Wells. “I knew a few of them through playing for England Under-20s so that has really helped." “What happened at Worcester was horrendous, I had been there a long time and progressed through their Centre of Excellence and into the senior squad. But I am happy to be at Loughborough Lightning and now it is all about proving myself as I want to play Premiership rugby.” Wells is available for Saturday’s Premiership Women’s Rugby Round 5 trip to Heywood Road to face Sale Sharks, kick-off: 3pm.

Global logistics company John Good Logistics Limited, trading as Good Logistics, has strengthened its European road freight offering by acquiring 100 percent of the share capital of Inter-Ways Limited. Based in Doncaster, Inter-Ways is a family-owned freight forwarding business that focuses primarily on road freight to Eastern and Northern Europe. Over the past 20 years, it has built an enviable reputation in these markets, through its unwavering focus on service excellence. Part of the family-owned business, the Denholm Group, Good Logistics has built its reputation as a preferred supply chain partner. It delivers forward-thinking, value-added solutions and has become an integral part of its customers’ supply chains. Its comprehensive supply chain management capabilities include global freight forwarding, customs clearance, CO2 tracking, warehousing, haulage and port and liner agency. Alan Platt, Divisional Managing Director of Good Logistics, said, “Like Good Logistics, Inter-Ways has a solid focus on superior customer service. With its extensive European road freight network developed over 20 years, it is a perfect fit with Good Logistics. The acquisition of Inter-Ways will amplify our skills and knowledge, which, combined with digital innovation, help set Good Logistics apart from other logistics providers. Inter-Ways has a great team of people who are committed to the business and its customers and I am delighted to welcome them to the Good Logistics team.” Justyna Polom-Wilkinson, former Director and owner of Inter-Ways, commented, “I started Inter-Ways in 2003 and, with the support and dedication of a great team of people, the business has flourished to become a trusted logistics provider to our customers. I am proud to see Inter-Ways begin a new chapter. With its size, scale and, of course, strong family values, choosing Good Logistics as Inter-Ways’ new owner was a great decision.” Ian Baker, Branch Manager of Inter-Ways, said, “At Inter-Ways, we have truly put our customers at the heart of our operations for the past 20 years. Becoming part of Good Logistics creates an exciting new dynamic for both teams, as we integrate Inter-Ways’ specialist road freight knowledge with Good Logistics’ existing road freight specialists which, combined with digital innovation, is a cornerstone of its service delivery.” The acquisition of Inter-Ways was signed on 31st October 2023. Inter-Ways will continue to trade under its own brand for the foreseeable future and operate from its offices at Doncaster Finningley Airport.

Christmas is in full swing at Halifax Borough Market, marking the end of a year of great progress towards the Victorian building’s transformation. Calderdale Council has launched a Christmas campaign to encourage people to shop locally and visit the market for a unique festive experience. There are independent stalls selling a variety of gifts and seasonal produce, friendly and knowledgeable traders, special events, an elf trail with prizes and the chance to win a bumper hamper. Visit the Council’s website to find out more: Halifax Borough Market this Christmas. Attracting more people into the market and Halifax town centre is also the aim of the £4.5 million revitalisation project, funded by the UK Government’s Future High Streets Fund. The project reached several milestones in 2023, paving the way for a thriving future for the market hall as a focal point for shopping, business and leisure. The latest milestones include: Removal of the outdoor canopy along the Albion Street side of the market, after planning permission and listed building consent were granted earlier this year. This is to make way for modern new shop fronts, including new signs and retractable awnings. A distinctive new steel and glass canopy above the market entrance on Albion Street will also create a warm welcome and make the market stand out more along this side. This is due to be installed in early 2024. Submission of the application for listed building consent to install new signage to help people find their way around the market. Plans include fitting new signs at each market entrance to promote the traders and events available. Installation of the foundations and frames for a ‘sample stall’ unit. This will show how the market stalls could look when the Council starts to modernise vacant ones. Existing traders will have the option of whether to adopt the new style, and will be able to test and give feedback on the various storage and display options in the sample stall. Work is nearing completion to refurbish the public toilets, and the granting of listed building consent for the area around the historic clock means that work can start in 2024 to create a new seating space, with new display boards showcasing the market’s unique history. Work to refurbish the roof continues and is progressing well, making the market watertight, supporting improvements to heating and allowing more natural light into the building once complete. The ceiling and iron structure have been redecorated in tones of blue, green, gold and cream, in keeping with the market’s historic colours. Work will start in 2024 to install new automatic sliding doors at the market arcade entrance to replace four of the heavy, free-swinging doors, after listed building consent was given earlier this year. The two original outer doors will be repaired and preserved, revealing previously hidden details. Cllr Silvia Dacre, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Resources, said: “The Grade II listed Borough Market is full of the spirit of Christmas. We’ve worked with traders to bring events, activities and competitions to give people even more reasons to visit our unique and historic Market. Shopping with local businesses - both in our markets and with other independents - puts money back into our economy and helps our towns and places to thrive.” Cllr Sarah Courtney, Cabinet Member for Towns, Tourism and Voluntary Sector, added: “It’s been a year of great progress for Halifax Borough Market, and it has a bright new year and longer-term future ahead. Our investment into this magnificent building will support current and future market traders, increase the number of visitors, preserve the market’s heritage and contribute to local climate action by creating a more energy-efficient building. This is part of the opportunities we are creating for Halifax’s high street to grow and thrive.” The market transformation, along with the range of other planned projects, is thanks to the £18 million awarded to the Council in December 2020 from the Government’s Future High Streets Fund, to support town centre improvements in Halifax (£11.7 million) and Elland (£6.3 million). For more information about the planned Future High Streets projects in Halifax and Elland, and the other major investment and projects happening throughout Calderdale, please visit www.calderdalenextchapter.co.uk

Manufacturing firms in the North West have the chance to make efficiency gains and significantly reduce their operating costs, thanks to the launch of a new productivity improvement programme. The Manufacturers Network has joined forces with Kaizen Impact Coaching to deliver the Productivity and Capability Energiser programme (PaCE). The new partnership provides manufacturing leaders and their management teams with 15 days of intensive targeted support from two specialist coaches over a five-month period. It is designed to help them improve manufacturing productivity by optimising processes, maximising value, standardising work and strengthening leadership. Participants will build capability and make improvements using proven Kaizen techniques including value stream mapping, process observation and practical problem solving. They will also attain the Lean Competency System (LCS) accreditation from Cardiff University. Chris Merriman, Associate Director of Practitioner Services at the Manufacturers Network explains: “Our new programme affords manufacturing leaders and managers time they never usually get to take a step back from their business and analyse where productivity, processes and workflow can be improved." “More importantly, they get to work with a highly effective specialist Kaizen coaching team on identifying opportunities to increase productivity and reduce costs." “Participants attend for three days each month to receive intensive coaching which includes improving workflow and identifying activities to achieve the highest return on investment and longer-term financial benefits." “They then have the chance to start applying identified improvements and benchmarking progress at the end of the programme." Barry Williams from Kaizen Impact Coaching, who has worked for global manufacturers such as Jaguar Land Rover, Rolls Royce and Airbus adds: “Over the five months, we deliver each step in individual blocks, with the pace set to deliver the greatest potential for learning." “Our purpose is to deliver high impact improvement, in a scalable, high value, easy to follow approach that can be used forever." “We'll be working with the manufacturers to build their capability to see things differently, use facts and data, and understand where and how they can make improvements." “We’ll be providing them with everything they need to make sustainable improvement in targeted areas. They will develop wider knowledge, skills, tools and confidence to deliver improvement across their business. The benefits and potential of the approach are huge, and so too the value.” By working with other manufacturing firms during the programme, the aim is that participants will also benefit by growing their networks, sharing best practice and encouraging more collaborative ways of working. From its headquarters at Trafford Park, the Manufacturers Network provides a host of productivity excellence and business transformation programmes, with courses combining advanced manufacturing techniques and latest thinking, practical insights, and best practice from the factory floor to the board room. Its team has worked with manufacturing giants such as Siemens, Continental, Ricoh and GSK. The network’s manufacturing specialists deliver site visits and study tours for knowledge transfer, organisational assessments for excellence, education, on-site support and peer-to-peer learning. For further information about the new programme, call 0161 533 1617, visit www.manufacturersnetwork.co.uk/kaizen-impact-coaching or email hello@manufacturersnetwork.co.uk

While vacancies in the UK may be declining, the latest data from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) suggest this is more likely driven by skills shortages than a reduced demand. The data - provided by the global leader in software for the staffing industry, Bullhorn – revealed that while new vacancies are dropping – with permanent roles down 43% last month on pre-Covid levels recorded in November 2019 – placements are growing. Since November 2019, the number of people placed in a new job has increased 7%. Compared to 2018, placements are up 11%, with figures increasing 41% since November 2017. According to APSCo, this suggests that the decline in vacancies is demonstrative of firms taking longer to fill roles and reigning in new jobs as a result. Ann Swain, Global CEO of APSCo comments: “We’ve known for some time that the UK’s skills shortages were having a growing impact on recruitment and this latest data really does re-enforce this. "There may be a slow-down in new jobs at the moment, but that doesn’t mean that the staffing market is grinding to a halt. In fact, what we are seeing at the moment is a delay in new roles being added while outstanding placements are filled, hence the uptick in permanent placements alongside new vacancy declines." “It’s unlikely that we’ll see a solution to these skills shortages any time soon, so recruitment firms can head into the New Year reassured that demand for the services is still going to remain buoyant.”

Team members at a leading process filter maker joined an army of fellow corporate volunteers to help a social enterprise clear more than a million leaves from its grounds. Nine colleagues from Surrey-based Amazon Filters spent a day outside Frimhurst Family House in Frimley Green equipped with rakes, spades, bags and gloves to do their bit and complete the mammoth task. It followed a request from community interest company Frimhurst Enterprises which uses the Victorian building as a base to offer adults with learning disabilities a chance to develop life skills, independence and work experience. Frimhurst House also supports families in crisis by offering respite from poverty, discrimination and social exclusion. Its grounds extend to seven acres of park and woodland, hence the need to keep on top of a huge volume of leaf debris that can turn acidic if not removed from the grass. Amazon Filters’ involvement in the ‘Festive Frimhurst’ clean-up was brokered by the firm’s volunteering partner CMPP, the Community Matters Partnership Project. It brought the number of CMPP volunteering days achieved by Amazon Filters’ Surrey staff to 55 this year, up from 47 in 2022. Ruth Pappadakis, Head of People & Culture at Amazon Filters, said: “What better way to spend a cold and rainy day than clearing more than a million leaves from the grounds of a great charity with a great team of people, including from other businesses and organisations." “We heard heartwarming stories of how Frimhurst House helps vulnerable families and knowing that we’ve contributed to that in some way really is amazing." “We’re gradually ramping up the number of volunteering days we do each year and are already looking forward to 2024 and seeing where else we can help." “Volunteering enables our local staff to give something back to the community and that supports wellbeing, workplace values and company culture.” On another recent CMPP day, Amazon Filters staff helped plant 300 saplings in the grounds of Challengers, a play centre for disabled children in Guildford. Previous projects have included clearing the pond area at Lorraine Infant School, gardening services at Reg’s Garden in Farnborough, general maintenance at Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice and beach cleans at Littlehampton and Hayling Island. Community volunteers from Amazon Filters represent a range of departments at the firm’s Albany Park, Frimley, production centre. They include engineering, fabrication and office-based roles. CMPP Corporate Volunteer Manager Rachel Austen said: “A huge thank you to the Amazon Filters team for coming to our Festive Frimhurst Annual Volunteering Day. Amazon Filters always come fully prepared and full of determination and energy to give back so we can't thank you enough for your support." “It is so wonderful to see over 100 volunteers coming together from 16 different local companies to give back to Frimhurst Family House, who offer holidays to families in deprivation." “A simple task of raking leaves but what a difference this has made to this charity and to the families that will stay there.” Amazon Filters became a CMPP business partner in November 2021.

Redemption Roasters, the UK’s largest purpose-led speciality coffee company, is set to treble revenues over the next three years as it embarks on a new investment round to help drive expansion in London and across the UK. The company is about to open its 11th retail premises in London and it also supplies its premium brand coffee to more than 200 wholesale customers, including KPMG, Meta and Amazon. Launched in 2017, Redemption Roasters has recorded a 78% rise in monthly sales growth since 2019 and is currently on target to generate £8.1m in sales in the last 12 months with annual revenues forecast to exceed £25m by 2026. With the UK branded coffee shop market valued at nearly £5bn per year and research showing London’s market for independent coffee retailers has capacity for major growth compared to other international cities, Redemption Roasters is planning to open a further 17 shops in the capital and other parts of the UK by 2026. The company is also developing a new app to boost B2C revenues by an estimated 15% and is focused on further expanding its wholesale customer base. Redemption Roasters’ business is built around a strong social commitment. The company’s partnership with the UK Ministry of Justice provides retraining programmes aimed at reducing reoffending rates amongst prison leavers. 20% of Redemption Roasters’ current retail staff are either prison leavers or individuals deemed to be at risk of offending. The company also operates a roastery inside HMP The Mount where resident 'trainees' benefit from spending extended periods out of their cells working in a positive environment alongside Redemption Roasters’ team. The company also provides coffee training inside and outside of prison with direct pathways to long-term employment. Through 14 partnerships with UK prisons to date, over 1500 individuals have taken part in these programmes, with participant reoffending rates sitting well below half the national average. As well as paying an average of 120% more than the Fairtrade price to their bean suppliers, Redemption Roasters is also committed to social initiatives including supporting female farmers in Brazil and helping former civil war combatants in Colombia to retrain as coffee producers. It has also funded a new cupping lab to help an indigenous tribe in Burundi enhance the quality of its coffee. The company was founded by Max Dubiel and Ted Rosner, who met while attending St Andrews University. Prior to launching Redemption Roasters, Max worked as a strategy consultant with large consumer brands and was also a founder of Black Sheep Coffee, the UK’s fastest growing independent coffee chain. Ted, who qualified as a solicitor, worked with Wall Street firm Debevoise & Plimpton as a corporate specialist handling M&A deals. The company’s executive team includes chairman Jonathan Heilbron, an experienced and successful brand innovator who was former CEO at shirtmaker Thomas Pink and is now a partner at premium consumer fund Redrice Ventures. To help drive its ambitious growth strategy and support further development of its social aims, Redemption Roasters has now launched a £1.2m investment round, which includes a crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube. Further details can be found here The majority of the proceeds of the investment round will go towards financing the opening of new outlets. Commenting on the investment round, Redemption Roasters founder Max Dubiel said: “As a purpose-driven business that has achieved phenomenal growth, we are very excited about this next chapter in our journey. This current investment round includes a crowdfund, enabling those who share our ethos to join us on our journey." “The proceeds will drive further growth of our brand and help us achieve even greater profitability through scale. This will also enable the business to do more to help prison leavers and further deliver on our wider social ambitions to support coffee producers throughout the world.”

As the UK celebrates 50 years of its favourite furry recycling environmentalists, namely the Wombles of Wimbledon common, a family firm based in Newtownabbey is also making use of the things discarded by society, namely recycled plastic. Since 1998 Environmental Street Furniture (ESF) has been creating treasure by recycling plastics and designing and manufacturing furniture for outdoor spaces. From litter bins to high tech security solutions ESF provides bespoke, innovative, and inspirational solutions that are not only environmentally friendly but are as functional as they are aesthetically pleasing. With innovation and excellence at the core the company’s identity it currently exports to over 27 countries worldwide including the Gulf State of Qatar where ESF is currently displaying its current Wombles inspired range of outdoor furniture at UK Pavilion as part the Doha Horticultural Expo. The eye-catching range will be on display until March 2024 and ESF is confident that the sunny surroundings of the Expo will really allow the collection to illustrate its environmental credentials and timeless charm. Although the blazing sun over Qatar can be too much for some to handle, this collection dedicated to our subterranean furry friends uses innovative technology to take full advantage of the sunny climate. From the Madame Cholet planter, the Wellington bench and the Tobermory Smart bin both of which are solar powered, all the ESF’s Womble range is manufactured from 100 per cent recycled plastic which is very hard wearing and not prone to warping or rotting. ESF’s CEO, Alan Lowry is proud of the contribution that his products are making to a more sustainable circular economy and ‘greener’ environment. He said: “We are delighted to be showcasing our products at the Doha Horticultural Expo. Our business model is all about developing sustainable growth." "The more we export and find new clients both at home and abroad, the more we divert waste away from landfill sites and water sources. This all helps to reduce plastic waste which contributes to a cleaner and greener environment.” In January, the team from Environmental Street Furniture will be attending the EXPO and presenting the Wombles Environmental Day in the UK pavilion in partnership with Invest NI and the Department for Business and Trade.

During December, Perrywood Garden Centres in Tiptree and Sudbury gifted seasonal planted containers to Abberton Rural Training, The Red Rose Community Farm and The Tiptree Community Hub. This is a part of their Christmas Cheer campaign to thank volunteers who kindly give up their time to support these amazing charities and community group. Abberton Rural Training is an educational charity providing practical and skills training alongside therapeutic support and mentoring to the residents of Essex and surrounding areas. The Red Rose Community Farm located near Sudbury (run by The Befriending Scheme) provides a therapeutic environment with friendship and learning opportunities for those with learning disabilities, people suffering from ill mental health, and vulnerable children and families. The Tiptree Community Hub provides a range of services for the local community such as access to free food and supporting good physical and mental health. Louise Smith, Senior Communications Manager, comments, "I’ve helped organise our Christmas Cheer campaign for a number of years now and the enjoyment of delivering them hasn’t wavered." "It's an honour to gift the planters to well deserving volunteers or someone in need of a little lift. Visiting the charities we support and local community groups is always inspiring, the work they do is so valuable and this is even more apparent when you visit and see the huge smiles from those that benefit”

A Lancaster hotel is giving a local fundraiser a night out to remember in recognition of the charity work he has done over the last decade. Neil Holroyd has been raising funds for Prostate Cancer UK for many years across the Lancaster area. In 2013 he established an annual board game day, working in partnership with Lancaster House Hotel as the location to host his event. Having raised over £10,500 in that time with the help of event participants and sponsors each year, the hotel decided to present Neil with a complimentary dinner and B&B stay for two to reward him for his sterling fundraising efforts. The Prostate Cancer UK board game day invites gaming enthusiasts of all ages and abilities to meet each year and pit their wits against each other. It attracts around 150 players, from as far afield as Tyneside in the North and Devon in the South. And perhaps surprisingly to those who are not aficionados, it is the non-traditional, modern and more interactive board games such as Wingspan, Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne and Catan which prove most popular with participants. From contemporary games like these to traditional favourites like Monopoly – preferably the Lancaster version played by guests at the hotel – there is something for everyone and Neil saw it as a fantastic platform from which to raise funds for his chosen charity. “The reason I started doing this was because Prostate Cancer UK was our adopted charity where I used to work and it’s a cause that perhaps doesn’t get as much coverage as others,” explains Neil. “There are so many people to thank for their generosity over these years. Gamers are truly fantastic people and have always given their time to keep this event going and increase donations to this worthy cause." “We’ve also had great support from local businesses and I’d particularly like to thank English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues for their kindness in allowing us to host the event at Lancaster House." “It was a wonderful surprise when the hotel called me to say Happy Christmas and offer me a free dinner and stay. My wife Lou and I are greatly looking forward to it.” The board game day raised £1,209 this year and Neil hopes that this figure will increase to match the 2019 record performance of £1,610. Lancaster House Hotel general manager Emma Underwood adds: “With this being the tenth year of hosting Neil’s event, we really thought it was fitting to offer him some well deserved R&R to reward him for his tireless fundraising work. The board game day is an extremely popular event here at the hotel and long may it continue.” Across the UK, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. More than 52,000 are diagnosed each year on average. It is not always life-threatening, but more than 12,000 die from it each year. If it is caught early and diagnosed, the more likely it is to be cured. Around490,000 men are living with and after prostate cancer .

Staff at Greenfield Court Care, part of not-for-profit care provider, Harrogate Neighbours, have been offering more than just care this festive season in a bid to tackle feelings of loneliness amongst the elderly. Greenfield Court Care has provided person-centered care into the community through its growing team of dedicated carers since 2010. Through getting to know their clients, the 33-strong team identified that 20 per cent would be spending Christmas alone. Lynsey Robinson, registered care manager at Greenfield Court Care said, “Over the years we’ve got to know our clients very well – Christmas can be a very lonely time for older people, especially those who have lost loved ones, or those unable to leave the house due to their health, so we wanted to do something special for them.” The staff at Harrogate Neighbours have spent weeks donating gifts, from toiletries and chocolates, to stationery and socks to be delivered to client’s in the community who may not receive a gift this Christmas. Staff at Greenfield Court Care donned their very best elf costumes and surprised clients with a doorstop delivery of festive treats. Doreen, who has been receiving care at home from the Greenfield Court Care team for over 12 years said, “I got such a surprise when the elves turned up, I was quite taken back. My husband passed away earlier this year, so this will be the first Christmas I have spent on my own without him. The lovely girls brought me a festive mug, cosy socks and they have also invited me and a friend to have Christmas Day lunch at The Cuttings.” Doreen continued, “I am going to take my friend Margaret with me, who also lost her husband this year – it’s very thoughtful of them.” Lynsey added, “The team have built strong relationships with their clients – they’re more like our extended family, so to help them to feel a little less lonely this Christmas has been something we’ve all enjoyed being part of.” Greenfield Court Care provides at-home, personalised care to older people ranging in age from 55-100 and above. Qualified staff are on hand to support an aging population to stay in their homes for longer and live independent and fulfilled lives. To find out more about Greenfield Court Care at Harrogate Neighbours, or to become a volunteer, visit www.harrogateneighbours.co.uk

‘Serenity’ has arrived at Warwick’s Wroxall Abbey Hotel in the form of new luxury outdoor hot tubs. From this weekend, guests at the Victorian four-star hotel can now book exclusive use of one of four private and secluded cabins, overlooking some of the estate’s rolling 27 acres of grounds. Each cabin contains a four-seater hot tub and lounge area and are available for hourly or half-daily hire – with Champagne upgrade option - or as part of an overnight package. The project marks the start of a big round of investment for the hotel, including plans next year for a new state-of-the-art indoor spa and health club and renovation of the Courtyard Building to create an additional 24 bedrooms. Since its takeover September 2022, the business has obtained a wedding licence and launched afternoon tea and Sunday lunch menus. Most popular among the local community though is the reopening, after five years, of the 14th century church. The hotel currently offers 72 bedrooms, plus six conference rooms, a patio garden, Henry’s Lounge & Bar and Henry’s Restaurant which serves seasonal British and Mediterranean cuisine as well as Sunday Lunch and Afternoon Tea. Managing Director Paresh Thakkar said: “There is nothing more peaceful than being with nature. Ever since we took over Wroxall Abbey we always wanted to create a private area within the estate, where you could sit back, relax and take in the beautiful surroundings. That’s when we thought of Serenity at Wroxall Abbey." “Being able to complete the area before the end of the year was a fantastic achievement and a great step towards the development of the future spa. I hope our visitors will enjoy the serene atmosphere our team have created.” He added: “This is the latest chapter in our long-term vision to continue to transform the hotel into the most beautiful and luxurious venue it can aspire to be.” For further information on packages visit: www.wahotel.co.uk