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Suresh Balaji has joined Lloyds Banking Group as Chief Marketing Officer. He will oversee the group-wide Brand, Marketing and Experience function. Suresh will be responsible for creating and maintaining the Group’s strong, inclusive and sustainable portfolio of brands, developing marketing strategies, driving creative excellence, and designing customer experiences to contribute to business growth. Suresh joins the Group from Standard Chartered Bank where he was Global Head of Marketing & Communications, leading the function across Consumer, Private and Business Banking, based in Hong Kong. Prior to this, he spent 17 years at HSBC where he held various regional, country and global leadership roles, latterly as Chief Marketing Officer for the Asia-Pacific region. His earlier career includes marketing and sales roles at United Breweries, WPP and GSK. Suresh, who has recently relocated to the UK, said: "To be Lloyds Banking Group’s CMO at this point in its history is truly an honour and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Lloyds Banking Group has helped millions of customers prosper over the course of its history, and there is no better time to be joining than now - to grow our brands, build world-class experiences and get creative for the wide range of customers the Group supports." Jayne Opperman, Chief Executive Officer for Consumer Relationships, Lloyds Banking Group said: "I'm delighted to welcome Suresh to Lloyds Banking Group. As a highly accomplished marketing leader with an outstanding track record in financial services, his passion to create digital and data-led change will help us make a huge difference for our customers. I know he'll be a great addition to our team."

A new initiative to provide Devon and Somerset with an innovative tool to support tourism has taken another step forward. Following the successful outcome of the Feasibility Study earlier this year, the next phase of the Tourism Data Hub project will see the development and build of a cloud-based Data Hub solution to gather and analyse data from a variety of sources. This will include information from accommodation providers and attractions, transport networks, parking providers, the Meteorological Office plus third-party data to help analyse occupancy, revenue, footfall, and sentiment. The Tourism Data Hub will allow businesses to identify future trends and to react accordingly or to monitor data from previous weeks or months. Richard Stevens, Chair of Destination Plymouth and LEP Board Director commented, “The development of the Tourism Data Hub will bring enormous benefits to the whole region, allowing our businesses to use real-time data to make better business decisions and grow as a result. It’s great to see Devon and Somerset leading the way in how we use data as a sector.” Destination Plymouth is undertaking the procurement for the Tourism Data Hub for the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise area of Devon and Somerset. The project is funded by the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) with Destination Plymouth acting as lead body, working with a number of key partners. David Ralph, CEO of the Heart of the South West LEP, said: “The procurement of the South West Tourism Data Hub is a significant step towards enhancing our region's vital tourism and hospitality sectors. We are delighted to be supporting this initiative, which will not only drive recovery from the challenges of Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis but also foster innovation and growth.” The Tourism Data Hub project will build a sustainable comprehensive data and research programme to support tourism, leisure and hospitality businesses to help drive productivity across the Heart of the South West LEP region of Devon, Somerset, Plymouth and Torbay. The Tourism Data Hub will provide tourism businesses, Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) and the wider business community with consistent, robust, and valuable data insights into consumer and business behaviours to enable more efficient market targeting and product development to drive recovery post-Covid and the cost-of-living crisis.

In its annual Employment Trends Survey with Pertemps Network Group, the CBI reports that labour shortages are having a material impact on firms’ ability to invest, respond to demand and grow. Nearly 7 in 10 businesses (69%) are trying to narrow the gap by investing in training to upskill current workers while 3 in 5 (60%) are investing in technology and automation to improve productivity and reduce reliance on labour. The survey found that: More than a third (38%) of businesses have been unable to grow and respond to new business opportunities despite demand due to labour shortages in the last 12 months, while more than 1 in 5 (22%) have had to hold back investment in other parts of the business and 1 in 10 (12%) have shrunk due to shortages. More than three quarters of respondents (76%) said the UK has become a less attractive place to invest/do business in the last five years – the most negative result since the survey began. Respondents saw access to skills (77%) and access to labour (66%) as key threats to the UK’s labour market competitiveness. Concern about the cost of living (61%) continues to be a threat. In 5 years’ time, more than 8 in 10 (82%) respondents believe that access to skills would still be a threat to labour market competitiveness, demonstrating the long-term nature of the issue. To ease the impact of labour shortages; 65% are investing in leadership and management capabilities to help engage and retain employees, 3 in 5 (60%) are investing in technology and automation to reduce reliance on labour via productivity gains and 60% are investing in base pay to attract and retain talent. When asked what measures the government should prioritise to help ease labour shortages, 68% called for introducing incentives to help businesses invest in technology and automation to boost productivity and 65% would like to see reform of the Apprenticeship Levy to give employers flexibility to spend levy funds on a variety of training to help fill shortage roles. Rain Newton-Smith, CBI Chief Executive said: “It is crystal clear that while labour shortages are making it more important than ever to focus on productivity, they are also making it harder to invest and grow, stifling the economic transformation needed to deliver sustainable growth." “Businesses have been helping people get into work by increasing flexible working and making proactive investments in employee health, but with government support like expanding tax-free health support and subsidising the cost of occupational health services for SMEs, they can do even more." “More often and more effectively adopting technology will be key to improving living standards. In doing so, we’ll need to help employees add to their skills. That’s why government needs to go further with their skills reforms and turn the Apprenticeship Levy into a Skills Challenge Fund, unlocking firms to invest more capital in improving the skills of more workers than apprenticeships alone." Carmen Watson, Chair of Pertemps Network Group, said: “Hiring pressures are likely to continue for some time, with more people economically inactive or likely to retire in the next decade than join the workforce. This is compounded further by the record number of people in long-term sickness or disabled and lacking support to enter the workforce." “While this survey highlights measures firms are taking to ease shortages – like investing more in technology, automation or training to upskill current employees – there is more they can do. Working closely with recruitment specialists on long-term attraction and retention strategies will enable firms to make the best of a changing labour market.” Ahead of an era-defining General Election and with shortages impacting firms’ ability to grow, business wants political parties to focus on measures that will drive productivity and sustainable growth in the UK. 82% of respondent firms support introducing incentives for firms to invest in productivity-boosting technology and automation when asked to what extent political parties should prioritise them in their manifestos. Nearly 3 in 5 businesses (59%) support making all skill levels permanently eligible for the Shortage Occupations List. 62% of business respondents support increasing the financial support provided through the Access to Work scheme to help employers to hire people with disabilities. More than half of businesses (54%) support the introduction of incentives for businesses to invest in workplace health measures. On future hiring intentions, business’ approach to next year’s pay reviews and attractive employment packages to attract and retain talent: The balance of employers expecting their workforce to be larger in 12 months’ time than it is now, is +37% - up from 28% in 2022. 1 in 3 respondent firms (31%) are expecting higher levels of permanent recruitment in the next 12 months while 16% expect it to be lower. Nearly half (46%) of respondents are planning to increase pay either in line or above inflation for their next pay review. This is an improvement from last year but remains well below the long-run average. 1 in 4 (24%) plan an increase below inflation. Business continues to help employees manage the cost of living, with more than half (53%) offering more flexibility to work at home to reduce transport and fuel costs, 42% giving staff one-off bonus payments and just under a third (32%) bringing forward or having additional pay reviews. In response to the NLW, 47% of businesses affected by it are increasing prices to offset the cost. Beyond 2024, more than half of respondents (53%) believe that when assessing the future rate, the Low Pay Commission should prioritise the extent to which increases in the NLW can be afforded by productivity gains rather than causing price rises and inflation. Investing in basic pay (66%), training and development opportunities (53%) and in developing and communicating a strong purpose and company values (52%) are seen by business as the most important parts of an employment package with regards to attracting and retaining talent. Carmen Watson, Chair of Pertemps Network Group, said: “Recruitment expectations show that the labour market remains in a strong position, with the number of firms expecting to grow their workforce higher than those expecting it to be lower. Likewise, it is good news to see firms making every effort to match pay with inflation, yet many workers are still feeling the pinch.” “As workers shop around the labour market for the most competitive employment packages, business is having to do all it can to both attract and retain talent. Two-thirds (66%) are investing in basic pay, more than half (53%) are investing in training and development opportunities as well as (52%) communicating a strong purpose and company values.” Matthew Percival, CBI Director of Future of Work said: “Pay decisions in the last 12 months have been difficult for businesses and workers with companies having to put up prices to afford pay rises that still didn't match inflation. Fewer than half of companies expecting to be able to match inflation in the next 12 months suggests another difficult year ahead. Employers will need to invest heavily in relationships with their workers and trade unions to minimise disputes and maintain employee engagement.” "With the National Living Wage set to reach its target next year, businesses want to focus on improving productivity in all jobs and ensuring that those gains are shared with the lowest-paid.”

Brewers has announced the launch of their industry leading sustainability framework to support its journey to be a net zero business by 2040. As a family business trading for 120 years Brewers has always prided itself on taking a responsible approach to doing business, caring for its people and supporting the communities it operates in. To formalise this, 2023 is the year that they have set their goals, plans and actions into a sustainability framework that will inform the way they do business for the next 20 years. At the heart of the framework are 4 sustainability pledges: To decarbonise To consume less and eliminate waste To improve lives To develop the next generation To help them meet these pledges and measure progress towards them, they have established 6 primary targets: To be a net zero-carbon business by 2040. To reduce the total of our scope 1, scope 2 and transport related scope 3 emissions by 15% per annum from a 2022 base line. Through targeting a minimum volume reduction of 10% per annum, to phase out interior solvent borne decorative trim paint by 2030. To reduce, reuse, remanufacture or recycle all waste by 2030. To be an Accredited Living Wage Employer. To demonstrate a 10% annual improvement in social value through the TOMS (themes, outcomes & measures in social value) framework from a 2022 baseline. Mark Sandison, Head of Sustainability at Brewers explains more adding that "The first step has been to quantify where we currently are on our sustainability journey." "This proved to be quite challenging and we were pleased to work with our partner ‘PlanetMark’ to deep dive into the business and calculate our current carbon footprint and social value." "This has now given us a baseline upon which we can build future actions and seek continuous improvement. In the spirit of transparency, our full PlanetMark report can be viewed via our sustainability web page." "In planning our journey from this baseline, it has been vital to ensure that the whole business is involved and that we weigh three key elements – doing the right thing for the environment, doing the right thing for people and doing the right thing commercially. It’s a delicate balance but we believe the pathway we have set for the business achieves this and is, in itself, sustainable." "It has been very important to ensure that our sustainability framework is science based and fully verifiable. To ensure this we have worked with our specialist partners – PlanetMark and Resource Futures throughout the process." "Our sustainability framework is industry leading and will make a big contribution to helping to make the world a better place.” Visit their website here to find out more.

New research from the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and the University of Melbourne shows start-up founders have distinct personality traits, and they’re more important to the success of their companies than previously thought. While good fortune and circumstances can play a part, new research reveals that when it comes to start-up success, a founder’s personality – or the combined personalities of the founding team - is paramount. The study, published in Nature Scientific Reports , shows founders of successful start-ups have personality traits that differ significantly from the rest of the population – and that these traits are more important for success than many other factors. Paul X. McCarthy, first author of the study and adjunct professor at UNSW Sydney said: “We find that personality traits don’t simply matter for start-ups – they are critical to elevating the chances of success. A small number of astute venture capitalists have suspected this for some time, but now we have the data to demonstrate this is the case.” Personality Key To Start-Up Success The researchers found that the personality traits of successful start-up founders, in particular, the core ‘big five’ traits - which measure someone’s openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism – significantly differ from that of the population at large and are typically heightened in entrepreneurs compared to others. Dr Fabian Braesemann, Departmental Research Lecturer, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford and corresponding author of the study, said: “Our study also shows there isn’t a single ‘founder-type’ personality. Instead, we find that six different personality types appear in the founders of successful start-ups displaying common personality traits, which we identify as fighters, operators, accomplishers, leaders, engineers and developers.” The other facets distinguishing successful entrepreneurs include a preference for variety, novelty and starting new things (openness to adventure), enjoying being the centre of attention (lower levels of modesty) and being exuberant (high activity levels). Adds Braesemann, “Our findings also suggest that the more prevalent these particular traits are in the personalities of start-up founders, the higher the chances are of that organisation becoming a success." The researchers inferred the personality profiles of the founders of more than 21,000 founder-led companies from language and activity in their publicly available Twitter accounts using a machine learning algorithm. The algorithm could distinguish successful start-up entrepreneurs from employees with 82.5 per cent accuracy. They then correlated the personality profiles to data from the largest directory on start-ups in the world, Crunchbase, to determine whether certain founder personalities and their combinations in cofounded teams relate to start-up success – that is, if the company had been acquired, if they acquired another company, or listed on a public stock exchange. While personality is crucial, the researchers also cite other external factors as having an important role to play in the ultimate success of founder-led companies, including location, industry, and company age. Large, Personality-Diverse Founding Teams Make For Greater Success The researchers undertook multifactor modelling to measure the relative significance of personality on the likelihood of success versus other firm-level variables. They discovered a founder’s personality was more predictive of success than the industry (5 times) and the age of the start-up (2 times). Explains Fabian Stephany, Departmental Research Lecturer, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford and co-author of the study: “Firms with three or more founders are more than twice as likely to succeed than solo-founded start-ups. Furthermore, those with diverse combinations of types of founders have eight to ten times more chance of success than single founder organisations.” They also found start-ups with diverse and specific combinations of founder types – an adventurous’ leader’, an imaginative ‘engineer’, and an extroverted ‘developer’, for example – had significantly higher odds of success. “While all start-ups are high risk, the risk becomes lower with more founders, particularly if they have distinct personality traits,” Prof. McCarthy says. “Largely, founding a start-up is a team sport and now we can see clearly that having complementary personalities in the foundation team has an outsized impact on the venture’s likelihood of success, which we’ve termed the Ensemble Theory of Success.” The researchers say the findings have critical applications for entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers and can inform the creation of more resilient start-ups capable of more significant innovation and impact. “By understanding the impact of founder personalities on start-up success, we can make better decisions about which start-ups to support and help fledgling companies form foundation teams with the best chances of success,” concludes McCarthy. The implications of the research also go beyond start-ups: it adds a new dimension to understanding the drivers of team performance and success in different settings, such as sports, research, policymaking, or entrepreneurship. It is the diversity of different personality combinations in a team that influences group dynamics and long-term success.

Odsal Stadium is to host the first ever Bradford Diwali Awards on Thursday 26th October. Organised by the Bradford Hindu Council, the first ever Bradford Diwali Awards are set to honour the unsung heroes whose contributions to the local community have changed people’s lives. There are a total of 11 award categories, which are: Empowering Children through Sports; Diversity in Inclusive Women's Sports Promotion; Community Unity through Charity; Educational Excellence and Community Engagement; Community Mental Health, Wellness and Awareness; Cultural Preservation and Religious Understanding; Community Empowerment through Quiet and Humble Leadership; Cultural and Faith Pioneers and Promotion; Cultural Heritage, Folk Music and Language Education; Independent Living and Community Support and Inspiring Youth Leader & Outstanding Community Organiser. Bradford Bulls' Head of Commercial Ian Stafford said: "We are delighted to be hosting the first ever Bradford Diwali Awards next week at Odsal Stadium. The awards will celebrate the fantastic efforts of individuals who have made significant contributions to better the lives of others." "The Bradford Bulls is a wholly inclusive club - and anyone is welcome at our stadium whether that is for rugby matches, stock cars or for any events such as next week's awards." "We have held a number of multicultural events over the last 18 months and we are extremely keen to continue to engage with all communities within Bradford." Deepak Sharma, one of the organisers said: “These categories represent the diverse tapestry of contributions that define Bradford's Hindu community spirit. The Bradford Diwali Awards stand as a testament to the city's unity and commitment to celebrating the remarkable individuals and groups who tirelessly work to make a difference within the community, spanning diverse fields of culture, education, sports, and community welfare." “So we look forward to the first-ever Bradford Diwali Awards, we anticipate an evening filled with recognition, celebration, and unity, showcasing the strength of Bradford's community bonds and the indomitable spirit of its people." “As the city prepares to shine even brighter during this Diwali season, the Bradford Diwali Awards stand as a beacon of hope, light and inspiration for all communities. They have the potential to become a cherished tradition, celebrating Bradford's diversity, resilience, and the strong spirit of its people.” Diwali is the five-day Hindu festival of lights which occurs in autumn every year to celebrates the return of Lord Rama - an avatar of the Hindu supreme god Lord Vishnu - to the Kingdom of Ayodhya.

New research commissioned by NatWest of 2,000 Brits, in conjunction with their own data, showed that almost two thirds (63%) of Brits feel apprehensive about their financial online safety – with 60% worried about losing money to a scammer online. The bank commissioned the study to highlight the rapid evolution of the methods which scammers use, evident in the range and complexity of the most common scams criminals are currently using to con people out of their cash. Top scams Brits have been targeted with this year are: Phishing Scam (37% of Brits targeted) Fake emails, calls, messages or websites that seem to be from legitimate organisations which ask you to provide personal/financial information. Trusted Organisation Scams (21%) Criminals contacting you impersonating trusted organisations such as HMRC, energy companies or service providers saying there’s something wrong with your account, you owe a fine or similar. Refund Scams (13%) Criminals impersonating trusted organisations telling you that you’re due a refund and asking to share your personal or banking information, such as your one-time-passcode, to receive the refund. Friend Or Family Scams (12%) Messages sent to your phone or via social media claiming to be someone you know asking for money urgently to pay bills. Get Rich Quick Scams (9%) Criminals claim that you’ll make money quickly by investing in a company or goods, with the promise of making far more than you put in. Purchase Scams (9%) Criminals place adverts for fake consumer goods and products online, on popular social media and even auction sites to gain money or information. Products often include tech like games consoles, vehicles, concert and event tickets and designer clothing, pets or even holidays. Investment Scams (8%) Criminals encouraging people to invest money into fake opportunities or pyramid schemes. Safe Account Scams (7%) Criminals call pretending they are your bank or the police and that there has been fraudulent activity on your account, and to protect your funds you must move them to a new account to keep them safe. Lottery Cons (7%) Falsely being informed you have won a lottery prize, with a request to send over sensitive personal and/or financial information to claim your prize. Befriending Scams (6%) Criminals create fake accounts on social media and send connection requests, and after building up a friendship they ask for money, login information or other favours. The new study revealed that 13% of Brits have lost money to fraud, with 7% having lost as much as £5,000 -and a previous NatWest study revealing an average loss of £350 per person. It also emerged the top cons on the rise this year include purchase scams where criminals place false adverts for products and services that don’t exist, with 24% of Brits seeing an increase in the number of these this year – and four in five (21%) have seen an increase in phishing scams, where false emails and calls are made from what seems to be from a legitimate company. Trusted organisation scams are also becoming more common – where the con artists pretend to be from a company you use and tell you there is a problem with the service. 61% of Brits agreed that they now see more digital scams (online, social media or via messaging platforms such as WhatsApp) than real life scams (e.g., people coming to the door and asking for money). Stuart Skinner, Fraud Expert from NatWest, which commissioned the research after its own data showed an increase in the number of scams that customers were being targeted, said: “We continue to see scams on the rise, especially through digital and social media channels. With the increase in new digital tactics used by fraudsters, it’s becoming increasingly harder for consumers to spot, avoid and track." “Messaging platforms including WhatsApp and social media sites are providing more channels for scammers to operate and reach people through. It can be hard for people to keep up with what they should be looking out for next.” With digital scams on the rise, 16% know someone who has refused to shop online because they are concerned about being targeted and one in ten (10%) know someone who won’t book their holiday online to avoid being scammed. While many people are apprehensive about their financial online safety, 42% still don’t think they would fall for a scam. However, 61% are concerned about their vulnerable relatives becoming a target. Impersonation scams include when scammers pretend to be friends and family, a trusted organisation and service providers account for over 40% of scams amongst the over 55s. 8 in 10 of those polled are also concerned impersonation fraud may become harder to detect in the next five years because of the rise in AI - with 18% saying they have replied to a message from impersonator in the past, initially believing it to be a friend of family member. NatWest has seen a particular increase in impersonation scams with the over 65s targeted by trusted organisation scams at the highest rate and fraudsters impersonating companies like HMRC, police, service providers, energy companies or even your bank, to try and swindle away money. Adults aged 18-24 were targeted with the highest number of purchase scams (8% higher on average than last year), which are when criminals place false adverts for consumer goods and products online to scam the buyer out of money or personal information. Goods can include gig or festival tickets, vehicles or designer clothing – with the majority of these scams starting online or via social media. Experts at NatWest say that they continue to see criminals utilising phishing (tricking people into revealing sensitive information or downloading malicious software through emails or text messages) to gather information about consumers to appear trustworthy when they then contact them – and will also often use timely events as a guise, such as the UK Government’s ‘Energy Bill Support Scheme’ or missed delivery texts. According to 81% of adults, more should be done to stop scams at their source – though 83% of Brits also want to become more vigilant at recognising impersonator fraud themselves. Stuart Skinner from NatWest advises: "Talking about fraud with your family and friends is a good way to share information across generations and keep up to date with latest guidance. This is particularly important following the increase in ‘friends and family’ scams, where fraudsters impersonate a family member and ask for cash or information – which our research has revealed is the fourth most common type of scam that Brits say they have been targeted with this year.” NatWest’s Fraud Prevention Team have shared six tips for what to look out for to avoid these ‘mod cons’: Knowledge share : Discuss scams you are targeted by or hear about with your family and friends and share information about how to spot and avoid them. Sharing knowledge helps us all to keep up with the fast rate that scams are evolving. Be honest with your bank : Scammers may ask you to lie to your bank about what a payment is for. Never mislead your bank about the reason for a payment - if you are honest, your bank will be able to help you. If it’s too good to be true : We all love a bargain but be vigilant when buying from social media and online marketplaces or paying for an investment you’ve come across online. Always do your research and if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Check the contact details on the website, if there is no address or phone number given, this is an indication that the site may not be genuine. Be in the know : Your bank, the police or other trusted organisations will never ask you to transfer money to keep it safe or ask for your full PIN, password or passcode. Take care : Never respond to unsolicited calls, texts, emails or social media messages or open attachments that you feel might be suspicious. They could be criminals attempting to steal your personal information. Use the tools in your banking app : Whether it’s come via email, text or in your banking app, always check your payment requests are going to who you meant them to and pay attention to the scam warnings on your texts and in your banking app. They’re there to keep you safe. Stuart Skinner, Fraud Expert at NatWest added: “Fraudsters are continuing to develop new and more modern ways of trying to trick people out of their money, and we want to support everyone in what to watch out for. We’d always encourage our customers to get in touch if they have any concern they’re being targeted by a scam.” For help and advice about fraud and scams, visit the NatWest website here

The brand-new, SQA accredited programme intends to transform beauty school beginners into qualified massage therapists, with candidates securing permanent employment at the venue as soon as they are enrolled on the course. Applications for the intensive training course and yearlong programme of learning opened today (Monday 16 October), with up to eight spots in the initial cohort up for grabs when launches in January 2024. The new programme will see students obtain an SQA qualification and permanent employment at the venue. Applications for the intensive training course have officially opened, with the first cohort set to begin their new careers in January 2024. Scotland's leading spa hotel and resort Crieff Hydro has announced the launch of its very own Spa Academy, aimed at boosting the number of people choosing a career in the sector. It’s hoped the Academy will deliver fresh opportunities for people in the area and those keen to get on the career ladder, with the course tailored specifically for students with no prior experience in the spa or beauty industry. Laura Wilson, Spa Manager at Crieff Hydro, said: “We’re all about creating exciting opportunities and nurturing new talent, and that’s why I’m absolutely delighted to be launching Crieff Hydro’s very own Spa Academy." “It’s no secret that Scotland’s beauty industry is facing a recruitment crisis. Much of that comes from the barriers people face while trying to take up a role within the sector for the first time, so we’ve made it our mission to address that." “We’re encouraging absolutely anyone with an interest in starting a new career and has a passion for health and wellbeing to apply for a spot at our Spa Academy – this course that really is open to all." “Our top facilities and professional working environment will give you the skills and qualifications you need to excel in your career, especially if you’re brand-new to the industry.” Those selected to take part in the programme will be provided with extensive training in a range of different kinds of massage, take part in mock treatment days and gain an in-depth knowledge of muscle anatomy under the guidance of Crieff Hydro’s team of expert trainers. After graduating with an SCQF level five Beauty Massage diploma, students will then continue their careers at Crieff Hydro on a work-learning split, giving them the opportunity to become qualified in a wealth of new spa skills on the job, including hot stone massage, facials and body treatments. Laura continued: “This is an exciting time for the Crieff Hydro spa. We have been working behind the scenes on implementing lots of wonderful new treatments in partnership with some of the biggest names in the beauty industry, which is going to take our spa offering to the next level." “To do that, we need a robust, talented and enthusiastic team of therapists and I’m confident we will find them with the help of our brand-new training course.” Stephen Leckie, chairman and CEO of Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels, said: “Crieff Hydro is continuing to pave the way with industry leading recruitment initiatives, and our brand-new Spa Academy is no exception to that." “Being a spa therapist at Crieff Hydro offers excellent career progression and a range of outstanding incentives, including competitive pay and commission on product sales, discounts on leisure membership, food and hotel stays and live in accommodation where required." “Not only that, but we also provide the opportunity for our spa therapists to attend a 5-star trip to Parma in Italy to see the products we use in-house made first-hand." “I’m excited to watch our team grow and look forward to welcoming some brand-new team members to the Crieff Hydro Family.”

Loughborough will host a popular vegan market in the town on Sunday, October 22. This will be the third vegan market, run by the Vegan Market Co. in partnership with Charnwood Borough Council, to take place in Loughborough this year. The event in the Market Place will feature a variety of vegan street food, artisan bakes, craft cheeses, handmade cosmetics, ethical clothing and jewellery, arts and crafts and charity stalls. All items are created by a handpicked selection of talented, ethical and sustainable businesses. Gluten free options are available and well-behaved dogs are welcome. The event is also fully wheelchair accessible. The vegan market will run from 10.30am-4pm. Councillor Jennifer Tillotson, the Council’s lead member for economic development, regeneration and town centres, said: “I’m so pleased that we are welcoming the vegan market back to Loughborough following its popularity over the last year. We are very proud of our markets and it is important for us to offer residents and visitors a variety of specialist markets throughout the year as well as our retail and vintage markets which take place weekly.” Lewis Beresford, Vegan Market Co. founder said; “We are so excited to be back in Loughborough. We work hard to find the country’s leading vegan producers, from street food vendors and bakers to ethical clothing and cosmetic producers." “We also work with many local businesses and can’t wait to give all of these fantastic producers the platform they deserve and introduce them to the wonderful people of Loughborough!”

A detailed new report has shown the wide-ranging concerns Leicestershire County Council has with the proposed Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange (HNRFI). Responding with a written representation as a statutory consultee on the proposal, the county council’s report states that it cannot support the application due to the lack of information provided by the applicant. HNRFI is planned on land to the east of Hinckley with access from M69 Junction 2. Plans submitted by Tritax Symmetry have been assessed by the county council, who found significant gaps, including: Only 21 of 45 junctions needing detailed assessments by the applicant having been carried out. No detailed assessment of impact on M1 J21/M69 J3. No detailed analysis of the impact of the development on Sapcote village. Significant impact on public rights of way and lack of proposals for new walking and cycling routes. Overexaggerated carbon benefits of the scheme. With the scale of the development increasing demand on the surrounding road network, Tritax have failed to properly address or plan for appropriate access infrastructure on numerous elements of the scheme. Concerns in relation to economic information and carbon emissions have also been highlighted, including inconsistencies over employment claims for the development and the additional emissions being bought to Leicestershire that have failed to be mitigated against. Councillor Ozzy O’Shea, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “It’s plain to see that the highways information provided by Tritax is nowhere near enough for us to support this proposal. Information is lacking and where it is provided, some is inconsistent." “I hope this reassures residents who will be most impacted by this development that our representation to the Planning Inspectorate makes it clear the information supporting the proposals falls way short of what we’d expect to see. “Rail freight interchanges do have benefits and another in Leicestershire would be welcomed, but it has to be right for the county and our road network, and from what we can see this location just isn’t suitable.” Due to the scale of the development, the final decision will be made by the Secretary of State for Transport. The council’s cabinet will discuss the HNRFI at 2pm on 24 October.

Some of the biggest names in rugby league are lending their support to tackling hate crime in new videos made by Wakefield Council. Wakefield Trinity players, Isaac Shaw, Reece Lyne and Beth Cain are spreading the message that hate is not ok and will be challenged in the district. Joining them are players and young people from Castleford RUFC, Pontefract RUFC and Sharlston Rovers. Councillor Maureen Cummings, Cabinet Member for Communities, Poverty and Health, said: “Sadly, in our district more than 1,000 hate crime incidents were reported over the last year. The largest proportion of reports were due to hate crime based on race or disability." “To abuse or attack someone because of who they are is unforgivable. In our district many hate crimes go unreported. We owe it to the victims to keep challenging the despicable attitudes that keep hate crime alive. And, as our videos highlight, when it comes to tackling it, we are all a team and have a role to play in stopping it. I’d like to thank our local rugby clubs for their support on this important campaign.” The videos are being shared on social media and with local organisations, in a bid to raise awareness, during National Hate Crime week which runs until 21 October. It’s organised by Stop Hate UK and this year they are encouraging people to tackle hate by becoming an ally and reporting hate that they experience or witness. Mark Brennan, Head of the Wakefield Trinity Community Foundation, said: “As a club and Foundation, we wholeheartedly support this campaign. There is no place in society for hate crime of any nature." “We pride ourselves on being at the heart of the community and work daily with people from all walks of life and are an inclusive organisation that supports everyone." “Across the club, we play and support all forms of Rugby League – women’s, girls, wheelchair, physical and learning disability, and the men’s game. This shows our commitment to providing opportunities for all to be involved in our great sport." “We are one of only a handful of clubs to support all forms of the game, and additionally we provide social Rugby League opportunities.” To watch and share the videos click on the following You Tube links for What is a hate crime and Wakefield, let's tackle hate together . Hate crime is a crime or incident which is perceived by the victim or any other person as being motivated by prejudice or hate on grounds of race, religion or belief, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation. It can include verbal abuse, harassment, threats, intimidation, physical abuse and vandalism. The Council has online information on how to report a hate crime, where people can get help if they are a victim or want to know how to support someone who is. It can be found here

Arco , the UK’s leading safety products and services company, has announced the renewal of its long-standing relationship with FedEx, the world’s largest express transportation company. The exclusive multi-million-pound deal will ensure Arco’s commitment to deliver excellent customer service and remain at the forefront of logistics and supply chain excellence. Hull-based Arco provides a joined-up safety approach through equipment, expert knowledge, training and consultancy services. As the only safety partner to deliver a strategic end-to-end approach across the hierarchy of control, its collaboration with FedEx will continue to enhance the efficiency of its operation. Working across Arco’s operating bases including the National Distribution Centre in Hull, the Arco Clothing Centre in Preston and all other retail operations, FedEx currently processes over 7,500 parcels per day, for next day delivery. This collaboration has been a vital part of Arco’s supply chain, ensuring seamless logistics and timely deliveries to customers across the UK. The long-term close strategic relationship between Arco and FedEx first began in 2009 and has since been extended to December 2026. Throughout this relationship, FedEx has consistently demonstrated its ability to provide high-quality services, making them an ideal supplier for Arco's ongoing growth and development. Neil Griffiths, Divisional Director, Logistics and Supply Chain at Arco said: “Since we signed the original contract in 2009, FedEx has proven to be the perfect supplier for Arco." "With demonstrated excellence in reliability and customer service, we are delighted to extend this exclusive agreement through to the end of 2026. Both companies share the same values in terms of innovation and quality, and together we can build a positive future for our business and the customers we serve.” ‘’We are delighted to continue our long-standing relationship with Arco. We’ve been working closely with them to improve and optimise their supply chain to deliver outstanding customer experience whilst delighting Arco’s customers.” said Rob Peto, Vice President Ground Operations, FedEx Express.