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Berghaus, Endura and Canterbury of New Zealand are teaming up with Scottish rugby star Kenny Logan for a charity challenge with a difference. Starting on the 1st October, Kenny and a team of celebrity friends will undertake a gruelling 700 mile walking and cycling challenge from Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, to the Stade de France, Paris. Kenny will be accompanied by stars including football legend Ally McCoist, actor Jamie Bamber, television and radio presenter Kirsty Gallacher, adventurer Jason Fox, and Kenny’s wife and television presenter Gabby Logan. Kenny’s Challenge will raise vital funds for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, supporting research into Motor Neurone Disease (MND). With a shared goal of creating a world made stronger by sport, Endura, Berghaus and Canterbury are committed to giving more people the chance to live a healthy, active lifestyle. The brands are calling on peers in the sports industry to join them in supporting the cause and help create a world free of MND. Endura, Berghaus and Canterbury are donating products to support the celebrities during their gruelling 700-mile journey. Pentland Brands is also fundraising by encouraging employees to take part in a 700-mile virtual challenge alongside the celebrities, donating funds to the charity for every hundred miles covered. The challenge is undertaken in memory of Doddie Weir OBE, one of rugby’s most recognisable personalities. After earning 61 caps for Scotland and representing the British & Irish Lions, in 2017, Doddie revealed he was suffering from Motor Neurone Disease. The challenge marks the first Rugby World Cup tournament since he sadly passed away in November 2022. Supported by World Rugby and in memory of Doddie’s incredible legacy, the challenge team will deliver the match ball to the final pool B game at the Rugby World Cup, Ireland vs Scotland, on the 7th October. Kenny Logan, ex-rugby player and challenge leader, says: “Doddie had the most incredible mindset in the toughest of circumstances. He was stubborn, but as soon as he realised he wouldn’t be able to help himself, he dedicated his time to helping others. We’re grateful to all the partners who’ve supported us and the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, so that one day, everyone in Doddie’s position will have a better chance.” Charlotte Cox, regional president – EMEA, Pentland Brands, says: “Everyone can take inspiration from Doddie’s sporting career and the unrivalled legacy that he’s left behind. We’re proud to support Kenny in his quest to raise vital funds and create a world free of MND. We’re calling on our peers, retailers and partners in the sports industry to join us in supporting this incredible cause.”

Financial services firms that are encouraging their staff to return to the office should prioritise office design if they want their policies to prove successful. That’s according to data from global workplace design experts, Unispace . Responding to the move by some major finance groups to encourage staff to return to the office with either a range of perks or mandated days in the workplace, data from Unispace’s Returning for Good study suggests that it is not a lack of perks that is preventing employees from being in the workplace more often, but rather the environment. The study revealed that 65% of professionals within the financial services and banking industries struggle to do their core job when in the office due to the number of distractions. The report also revealed that 57% of workers in the sector are reluctant to return to the office on a more regular basis. The individual reasons behind this reluctance include; preferring the privacy of working from home (34%), feeling more effective in a quieter home environment (31%) and being more productive when not in the office (24%). When it came to why they enjoyed being in the office, financial services professionals said they liked the social interaction (35%) and wanted the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues (29%) as well as having access to better IT facilities than at home. Consequently, Unispace argues that financial services employers should consider the way they are using their available space and whether it aligns with what their workers need from the modern office, before investing in incentives that are misaligned with staff requirements or mandating returns. Lawrence Mohiuddine, CEO EMEA at Unispace, commented: “While it is positive to see financial firms looking to encourage their staff back to the office, many tactics we’re seeing do not address the root cause of the reluctance to return that prevails. The only way these employers will see real, lasting change in behaviour and sentiment towards being in their workspaces is by designing these areas to enable productivity and efficient work.” “This means listening to and engaging with your staff to find out what they really want. Our data shows that professionals enjoy having privacy and being more effective in quiet areas, but they are also looking for opportunities to socialise and collaborate. While these sound like two disparate concepts, being flexible with your office design and creating different areas that align with these needs will help really encourage people to return on a more regular basis.”

Recent reports have revealed that the global gig economy is bigger than previously estimated, especially when it comes to online gig work. Employment screening and identity expert, Sterling , has encouraged firms to ensure their workforce management is scalable, compliant, and provides a great user experience. The World Bank shared that the gig economy now accounts for 12% of the global labour market, and reports from the CIPD state that almost half of UK gig workers undertake desk-based services through apps and websites. Due to this increased gig work trajectory, Sterling recommends that businesses review their background screening processes specific to gig workers to help drive efficiency and mitigate potential risk to their firm. Businesses have an opportunity to not only seize the benefits that online gig workers offer, but to enhance the workflows that enable them. Steve Smith, President International at Sterling, explained: “The gig workforce is by its very nature complex, but the make-up of this demographic is evolving at a significant rate and businesses need to be prepared to adapt. When this segment of the workforce first emerged, the terminology was largely attributed to private hire drivers or food delivery workers. Today, though, gig staff are increasingly made up of people who work remotely, delivering anything from tech support to administration services. " “While gig labour provides significantly valuable services to businesses, with this growth in online gig work comes a new challenge: being able to screen, vet, and manage staff without ever meeting them. When workers are delivering services from behind a screen it is much more difficult to verify that the person delivering the work is the individual that has been contracted. However, that’s where more sophisticated technology is being utilised to not only manage this, but also better identify red flags and track those who are linked to previous unscrupulous behaviour." “Even for those firms that don’t yet utilise large swathes of gig workers, the chances are they may do so in the future. Getting ahead of the curve now and ensuring your company is equipped with the tools to engage gig workers quickly and compliantly will have longer-term strategic benefits that shouldn’t be underestimated.”

Burton-based Willshee’s Waste & Recycling has appointed Jenna Willshee to its board of directors following a 13 year career at the leading Midlands family-owned waste management business. Jenna’s responsibilities as a director will focus on leading and developing the customer service, office management, payroll and human resource functions within the growing company which comprises of 140 people. Jenna joined the family business straight from school, studying Business Management and taking her Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) qualifications alongside her job. She comments: “I was always committed to working in the family firm but the longer I’m here, the more ambitious I get for the business! While waste and recycling is a predominantly male environment, I have never known anything else and given that my mum Maria has been integral to the company from day one, I have always had a good role model who has consistently supported women progressing within the organisation. This was formally recognised by J.P. Morgan in their latest annual Top 200 UK Women-Powered Business Report – and we are so pleased to be listed for the first time!” She added: “While we are currently enjoying 20% year on year growth, I’m really looking forward to helping to develop the company further, with innovative solutions for waste and recycling management and partnering with more and more businesses to achieve zero waste to landfill, improve their carbon footprint and generally encouraging organisations to reduce, reuse, recycle and recover”. Willshee’s is the largest independent waste and recycling company in the East Midlands region and has been providing waste and recycling solutions for nearly 40 years.

For the first time, Mackie's have hit £20 million in ice cream sales over the latest financial year. Ambitious growth south of the border, which has increased their market share, has seen them hit this milestone, having doubled ice cream sales in 10 years. In reaching this landmark figure, last year they sold over 13.3 million litres of ice cream – that’s enough to fill more than five Olympic swimming pools! This has all been made possible by their continued investment into their production facilities and workforce, and bolstered by an increase of product listings in England and Wales. Strong sales figures last year were underpinned by an 11% annual increase in market penetration across the whole of the UK. This increase is tied to their successes in landing nationwide spots in major retailers for their second most popular flavour, Honeycomb, which is now across the UK in Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Morrisons. The expansion of choice beyond Traditional to the rest of the UK has proved popular with the nation’s ice cream consumers, reflected in strong sales growth too. Another reason for the strong sales rise in recent years has been the business trying to swallow the majority of the industry’s rising costs in an effort to keep prices as close as possible to those from before the cost-of-living crisis. Stuart Common, Managing Director of Mackie's commented that: “Our recent sales success is a reflection of our team’s hard work and considered, responsible decision-making." “While the cost-of-living crisis has pushed up the prices for our raw materials, we’ve taken every effort to limit price rises that are passed onto our customers, which has been reflected in reduced profits." “However, our increase in both sales and market share demonstrates that consumers reward companies like Mackie’s for leaving more in their pocket without compromising product flavour, sustainability, or quality." “We’re thrilled to have returned such an impressive increase in our sales during a difficult period for the sector. The key for us now is to continue to grow our reach while ensuring our new customers become long term advocates for us, as the economy settles.” The growth has seen Mackie’s add half a million customers across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to their significant existing share in Scotland, where they occupy 21% of the ice cream market.

KultraLab, leading innovator in AI-driven coaching, is pleased to welcome Sir Clive Woodward as Strategic Advisor for Organisational Performance. In this key role, Sir Clive will be partnering with KultraLab to guide its clients towards achieving high-performance excellence. The wealth of experience and expertise he brings will be instrumental in shaping the development of Kultra, their AI coaching tool. Sir Clive Woodward's illustrious career includes leading England’s rugby team to victory in the 2003 Rugby World Cup, elevating them from a ranking of 6th to become the number one team in the world during his tenure as Head Coach. In 2006, he joined the British Olympic Association as Team GB’s Director of Sport, supporting the national coaches and athletes at the Beijing and Vancouver Olympics as well as delivering Team GB’s most successful Olympic Games in the modern era at London 2012. One of the exciting initiatives involving Sir Clive is serving as the Chair of an upcoming report titled ‘The Secret DNA of High-Performing Teams’. This report is in collaboration with KultraLab, the World Retail Congress and the University of Manchester. The research will be exploring the cultural and behavioural drivers of high-performing teams within the retail and consumer sector. Over 15 global retail organisations are committing to participating in this ground-breaking research. The aim of the research is to provide organisations with a valuable framework and measurement index for high-performance behaviours. This framework will enable businesses to benchmark themselves against their competitors, paving the way for enhanced performance and productivity. The report’s findings are being presented at the World Retail Congress in Paris in April 2024. Commenting on his role, Sir Clive said, “I am really excited to be partnering with the team at KultraLab. Our businesses share a strong alignment, particularly in our shared commitment to creating high-performing teams and making coaching accessible to everyone. I am genuinely excited to be contributing to the upcoming report, offering businesses a blueprint for understanding the key behaviours that create high-performing teams and how these can be applied across the entire organisation. It will offer some truly fascinating insights.” Steve Baggi, CEO & Founder KultraLab shared his excitement about the collaboration, saying, “We are thrilled that Sir Clive is partnering with KultraLab. With his esteemed coaching background and a wealth of experience creating winning and high-performing teams, we are incredibly excited to learn from his expertise." "This collaboration will play a pivotal role in shaping efforts to create exceptional coaching programmes, accessible to all front line managers through our AI coach, Kultra. Furthermore, Sir Clive’s invaluable insights will undoubtedly enrich our research on ‘The Secret DNA of High-Performing Teams’.”

A recent survey by Sapio Research, conducted on behalf of Celebration Packaging, looked at consumer understanding of the bans on single-use plastic packaging, the alternative materials available and expectations around reusables. “In our previous report on the findings of the survey, we looked at how over 50% of consumers expect a food-to-go outlet to provide cutlery, while 51% of consumers never, or rarely use reusable cutlery for eating on the go,” says Celebration Managing Director Nick Burton. “We concluded that takeaways are still going to have a requirement for single-use cutlery of some kind, despite the bans.” “Here, we look at consumer understanding of alternative materials, sustainability and end of life options.” Material choices When compared to plastic, the survey showed that 42% of consumers in the UK agree that wood is their most preferred type of cutlery, because it is sturdy (43%) and it is recyclable or compostable (42%). Only 17% of respondents in the survey were aware of moulded fibre cutlery, otherwise sometimes called bagasse, as a viable alternative. While they described it as ‘environmentally friendly’ as it uses natural fibres, and found it to be sturdy, various comments were made about its characteristics. “I don’t like the feel of it and food sticks to it,” was one observation, while others were: “It is not as strong as plastic,” and “The texture is not smooth like plastic or metal.” “In the survey, the preference expectations around bamboo and metal as reusable cutlery lead us to believe that consumers are yet to discover the benefits of bagasse cutlery alternatives,” says Nick Burton. “When we established our EnviroWare® brand over 16 years ago, we set out to seek better and more sustainable packaging solutions, made from different materials which can be reused or recycled.” Thinking about the environment When asked to comment on the environmental impact of different materials, three in four (75%) felt that plastic cutlery is worst for the environment, while there is less consensus on which is the best. Around a quarter believe that metal (27%), wood (25%), or paper (23%) is best. “It is important for consumers to understand the varying environmental impacts of different materials, but they also need to know if these materials are sustainably sourced,” says Nick Burton. “We always say: ‘look for the FSC® logo‘ to see if wood, paper or bamboo products are Forestry Stewardship Council certified.” End of life Understanding of how to dispose of different cutlery types differed widely. The survey shows that over a quarter (27%) of consumers in the UK don’t know how to dispose of moulded fibre cutlery, while nearly two thirds (63%) know that plastic cutlery should be recycled. “It is interesting that the understanding around whether materials are recyclable or compostable varies so much depending on the age group,” says Nick Burton. “Surprisingly, older people are more likely to prefer a material for being recyclable – 25% in the 18 to 24 group versus 58% in the over 65s. 43% in the 55-64 age group preferred materials for being ‘good for the environment’, but this fell to 20% for 18–24-year-olds." “Celebration Packaging offers a wide range of options including EnviroWare® packaging made from compostable and recyclable materials. As a consultative business with many years’ experience in the sector, we can help outlets choose the most appropriate solutions which best match their business.”

Over £2,000 worth of stationery has been donated to Manchester-based charity, HideOut Youth Zone, to support vulnerable young people during the stressful back-to-school period. The donation comes from the UK’s leading office and stationery business, Ryman, who donated the supplies to help the charity’s mission of providing young people in the region the opportunity to discover their passion and purpose through engaging activities and projects. The financial implications of a new school year can be challenging for many, but with official figures suggesting almost four million children in the UK are now living in poverty, a huge portion of the country’s youth will be without essentials such as food, clothing and a warm place to stay. For those, even basic school supplies can be out of reach which is why Ryman wanted to go the extra mile to help bridge this gap and support Manchester’s young people this new school year. The back-to-school stationery donation provided by Ryman equates to £2,000, providing necessary equipment such as pencil cases, calculators and felt tips that any schoolchild would need to succeed in their studies. HideOut’s primary mission is to provide children and young people with somewhere safe to go, something positive to do and someone trusted to talk to, in order to unlock their potential and discover their passions. The charity aims to give young people from a diverse range of backgrounds access to incredible facilities in a vibrant, purpose-built space that provides opportunity to make friends, develop new skills, build their confidence and have fun. Theo Paphitis, Ryman Chairman said: “I am delighted that Ryman has been able to assist HideOut Youth Zone for a further year in their mission to support disadvantaged young people in the Manchester region. School is such a vital part of a child’s development, and as such, having the right equipment is absolutely essential for them. We’re pleased to be able to play a small part in Hideout’s wider goal and hope this helps students have the best possible start to the year.” Laura Dawson, Employability and Enterprise Coordinator at HideOut Youth Zone, said: “As we all know, the increasing cost-of-living is a rife crisis across the whole country, but it affects those who are in the highest percentile of deprivation the most." “Thanks to the generosity of Ryman, we have been able to give young people and their families one less thing to worry about in terms of the mammoth to-buy list that comes with returning to school and college for a new year." “No young person should be left unable to access essential equipment and we are proud and very appreciative of the support from Ryman in providing young people with the resources to start the new year right.”

The UK economy may be at a tipping point as interest rates remain unchanged, but job seeker confidence remains high in an unusual scenario that will only put greater pressure on the country’s employers. That’s according to specialist recruitment firm, Robert Half. Following reports that the Bank of England (BoE) will pause on its interest rate rise for the first time since November 2021 and the decline in inflation, the firm has warned that job seeker confidence continues to grow as the UK workforce increasingly recognises its worth amid skills shortages. In Robert Half’s latest Jobs Confidence Index (JCI) – an economic confidence tracker produced in partnership with the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) – the specialist recruiter found that pay sureness in the workforce increased 70.1 points, returning to positive territory for the first time since Q2 2022. The overall confidence reading also increased to 47.2 - the highest recorded level since Q1 last year. As Matt Weston, Senior Managing Director UK & Ireland, at Robert Half, explained, this is an unusual situation that may help employers who are willing to go the extra mile for the right talent to attract them: “We’re facing a highly unusual economic climate and the BoE seems to be well aware of that in view of the cliff-hanger decision to halt interest rate rises for the time being. And despite the labour market showing marginal signs of loosening, there is still enough scope of concern with wage growth surpassing inflation." "Recent economic data published last week revealed the UK unemployment rate rose, the number of people in work decreased and vacancies fell below one million for the first time in two years - a clear loosening of the historically tight labour market. Nonetheless our Jobs Confidence Index is being driven by positive candidate sentiment and wage inflation. The consequence of this is job seeker confidence is perhaps the most pressing issue if you are trying to hold onto your valued employees." “We’ve seen over the course of the last year or so an unusual behaviour in the workforce. Traditionally reports of recession and significant changes in inflation or interest rates are pre-empted by job losses and uncertainty from the workforce. This hasn’t happened, largely due to the significant lack of skills that the country is facing. With job seeker confidence and pay sureness increasing in the workforce, businesses have two challenges to manage - flight risk of existing employees who know their worth seeing how wages are rising, as well as attracting the talent they critically need at a cost that is in line with current budgets.” “As we warned back in June, there simply is not enough talent in the UK to satisfy the demand in the UK labour market. One thing I can predict, though, is the trend of decreasing vacancies will lead to more candidates per vacancy, which will inevitably give hiring managers more choice for a while.”

Both the number of new jobs and applications have fallen dramatically in the UK over the past 12 months, that’s according to the latest data from the world’s largest network of job boards, Broadbean Technology. The firm’s data shows a 3% decline in the number of new jobs last month when compared to July’s figures, highlighting a slowdown in the job market. The number of people applying for roles has fallen by a dramatic 27% month-on-month, indicating that key markets are feeling the impact of skills shortages. While a seasonal decline in hiring is expected around this time, the annual statistics demonstrate a significant decline. Both jobs and applications fell when compared to data from the same period last year, dropping 24% and 30% respectively. Alex Fourlis, Managing Director of Broadbean Technology, commented on the data saying that: “Both the data on new jobs and applications paints a concerning picture for UK employers across all industries. It will come as no surprise to firms in many sectors but we do not have enough highly skilled professionals in the country at the moment to meet demand, even when the number of new roles has fallen.” “We would expect to see a connection between the new job and application data, however, the fact that the proportion of new applications has fallen at a much deeper rate than the number of new roles suggests that skills shortages are intensifying." "Businesses won’t be able to solve these problems overnight and will need to invest in ways to source and hire the right talent as well as upping their retention efforts in order to hang on to the skills they already have on their books in such a skills-short environment.”

Businesses and homeowners are being urged to act now and protect their properties - and themselves - from Storm Agnes which is forecast to hit most of the UK this week. The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for 80mph winds for much of the country from Wednesday at 10am right through to 7am on Thursday, and has warned there is possible ‘danger to life’. The warning, which stretches from the south west of England up to Scotland, predicts a chance of injuries and danger to life from flying debris, damage to buildings and power cuts as a result of Storm Agnes. To minimise the potential damage, Stuart Torrance, the Claims Manager at independent insurance brokers, H&H Insurance Brokers, is urging the UK to take precautions ahead of the disruptive weather. Stuart said: “The Met Office’s weather warnings aren’t something to be taken lightly, and we have been told to expect significant stormy weather later this week. My advice is to heed the warning and start preparing for the strong winds to ensure any damage to your home or business - or even yourself - is minimal." “Carrying out essential maintenance around your property is vitally important so make sure any loose fence panels or roof tiles are fixed, overhanging or loose tree branches are removed, garden furniture or trampolines are secured to prevent them from blowing away, and all vehicles are parked securely and away from fences, walls or trees which could fall on them." “A common disruption caused by stormy weather is the loss of power to the home so I would highly recommend that people have key items such as a working torch, important documents and any medicines to hand, and make sure mobile phones are fully charged to contact anybody in an emergency with landline phone lines likely to be down.” To those unfortunate enough to experience storm damage, Stuart is also providing advice on ways they can gather evidence for any insurance claim they need to make. “To make the process of making a claim easier, your insurance broker will be on hand to assist throughout so it is important to report any damage caused to them as soon as possible,” said Stuart. “Gather together all supporting information for the claim once it is safe to do so, including photographs and notes detailing the extent of the damage." “Providing your insurance broker with this level of detail will ensure your claim can be handled quickly and it takes that extra level of stress away from you after such an unsettling period.” H&H Insurance Brokers operates across the UK with offices in the North West, North East, Yorkshire, Wales and the Scottish Borders, and specialises in business insurance.

Students from the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group recently took part in a major incident exercise with local emergency services at Xscape Yorkshire, in Castleford. The scenario saw West Yorkshire fire, police and ambulance crews be deployed to a suspected chemical attack in a busy public area. This resulted in 65 casualties, played by Performing Arts and Public Service students of the Group, suffering from exposure to an unknown toxic substance. As part of the exercise, West Yorkshire Police were sent in to deal with the assailant, while other emergency responders assisted in removing casualties from the building. From there, firefighters took the casualties through a mass decontamination process where they were checked for injuries, such as an increase in pulse rate and chemical burns. Approximately 250 people, and numerous emergency service vehicles, participated in the operation, which was designed to test the joint response of West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, West Yorkshire Police and Yorkshire Ambulance Service. Station Manager Ronan Bruce, from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, organised the exercise. He said: “Training exercises such as these are vital to the success of West Yorkshire’s emergency services, enabling crews to use real-life scenarios and venues to test the robustness and effectiveness of our emergency plans. The drill went extremely well and demonstrated how our crews can work together to respond quickly and minimise risks and casualties when dealing with major incidents." “I would like to thank all the emergency service personnel who planned and took part in the project, as well as the students from the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group for acting as casualties and Xscape Yorkshire for hosting the exercise.” Sam Wright, Principal and Chief Executive at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, said: “Taking part in the exercise was an invaluable opportunity for our Public Service students to see first-hand how emergency service crews work together to effectively respond to incidents, as well build our Performing Arts students’ acting skills. The crews were constantly talking students through what they were doing during the exercise, which is fantastic insight for our students and will help prepare them for future careers in the emergency services or performing arts.” This comes after West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Services recently delivered a number of open water talks and demonstrations across the Group’s three Colleges in Castleford, Selby and Wakefield. The first-of-its-kind by both Fire Services, the exercises showed students and staff how to stay safe when submerged in cold open water.