Drivers across Dorset now have easier access to cars from BYD, one of the UK’s fastest-growing vehicle brands, thanks to significant investment from Hendy Group in creating a dedicated new showroom in Poole, which is open now. Hendy is now the sole representative for BYD in Dorset, with the new Poole site on Wallisdown Road. The opening marks Hendy’s fourth BYD facility in the South of England – alongside Christchurch, Crawley and Tonbridge – and brings the total number of vehicle brands in Hendy’s portfolio to 26. Locals visiting the new BYD Poole showroom can explore the full model line-up, from the compact Dolphin and Dolphin Surf hatchback to the Atto 3 crossover SUV and the largest models in the range, including the all-electric Sealion 7 family SUV and the plug-in hybrid Seal U DM-i. Test drives will be available across the range, helping potential buyers find the model best suited to their needs and preferences. Customers at the Poole dealership can also benefit from dedicated aftersales support, with their workshop offering servicing, maintenance, repairs and MOTs for all BYD models. For added convenience, the dealership also has electric vehicle charging points available for customers to use while charging on site. Paul Hendy, Chief Executive at Hendy Group, said: "BYD has already proved hugely popular for other parts of the Hendy network, and opening a dedicated showroom in Poole gives local people the opportunity to see the amazing products available. As more people consider making the switch to plug-in mobility, having a local showroom where they can experience these vehicles first-hand and receive expert advice will make that decision even easier.” Further information is available here. Hendy Group currently represents 22 manufacturers along the south coast of England, offering new and used car and van sales as well as servicing, MOT testing, parts, fleet management and much more, Hendy Group has been providing a premium experience to customers for over 165 years.

Leicester continues to buck the national narrative of high street closures as a new wave of restaurants, cafés, fashion stores and independent businesses open their doors across the city centre. Vacancy rates have fallen from 18% in 2021 to 14% and are now holding steady, with the latest arrivals ranging from international fashion brand Hollister and menswear specialist Cavani to a growing crop of independent restaurants, coffee shops and food businesses, adding fresh reasons to shop, eat and spend time in the city. Here are some of the exciting businesses who’ve chosen to open in Leicester: Fashion retail There’s a fantastic new store coming to Leicester’s High Street. Premium men’s suit specialists Cavani blend traditional English tailoring with Italian style and are opening in an 1,800 square feet unit on the Highcross side of the street. Brand new inside the Highcross is Hollister who are bringing their ‘new format’ store; made up of a range of clothing, accessories and fragrances. Hollister have recently celebrated their 25th anniversary, with the Abercrombie & Fitch-owned retailer becoming a global staple for laid-back, Southern California-inspired style. Over in the Haymarket C&S Collection is a great-value fashion store offering modest womenswear in a wide range of colours and styles. From lightweight everyday layers to longer dresses and outerwear, it specialises in comfortable, flattering pieces at affordable prices. Restaurants Now open on London Road is Golden Sands, a Goan and Portuguese influenced Indian restaurant with some fantastically delicious and unique dishes on offer. Mandi & Biryani House is open at the top of Granby Street doing exactly what it says on the tin, great rice based Indian flavours. New on Cheapside is Ghara, a family-run spot expanding from their original site in London who have great Indian street food. Rounding out the curry quadruple is Bright Panipuri who have expanded from their super popular street food spot just off Melton Road. Just up the road from Grimsby Fisheries, this viral sensation offers all kinds of Pani Puri, Bhel Puri, Vada Pav and Indian snacks. New at the Highcross on Shires Lane is Hasty Tasty Pizza serving pizza by the slice, hot baked pretzels and other street food. Flame & Ice have opened on Horsefair Street with Smash Burgers, Shakes and Desserts. There’s fresh grilled chicken from Cluck’d on Humberstone Gate. This is a healthier option than your usual fried chicken places. And finally Pizza Sofia have opened in the former Maurizio’s site on Belvoir Street with authentic Neapolitan pizza, £5 pizza wallets for lunch, pasta and Italian salads. Cafés Some great new cafes and dessert spots have come to Leicester recently. At the edge of St Martin’s Square on Silver Street, Paper Wings Café is the latest addition to Leicester’s enviable coffee scene. No frills, just great coffee. Mowchi is a new addition to London Road, Mowchi, a popular franchise chain which is famous for its premium matcha, bubble tea and Asian-inspired fluffy bao buns and light bites. There’s more Matcha on King Street as Ma-Chaii has just opened with delicious deli sandwiches, matcha and lassis. If you fancy something more refreshing then Mango Twist – Juice Bar brings South American flavours to Cank Street with smoothies, slushies and acai bowls. Frurt is Leicester’s first dedicated frozen yoghurt shop and you can find them near Leicester train station on London Road. And finally Waffle & Bagel is a great new café in St Martins Square with freshly made sweet treats and lunchtime snacks, plus great coffee and fresh juices plus loads of special events. The best of the rest Next to Cavani on High Street, eeMotion is a small family-run local business dedicated to E-Bike Retail with all the very best powered bikes, scooters and accessories and pioneering the future of urban mobility. Blue Banana is one of the top piercing and alternative stores in the country and they’re opening a new unit in the Highcross! Spirit Crystal has been open in Highcross for a little while and they are a fantastic experience retail shop. Starting as a small online store, they have grown into a trusted destination for high-quality ethical crystals sourced from around the world. And last but not least, Tooth Club is a specialised Dental Clinic newly opened on Market Street offering cosmetic, general and restorative dentistry. With new names continuing to arrive alongside Leicester’s established independent businesses, the latest openings are bringing fresh life to streets across the city centre and giving visitors even more reasons to come in and explore. From fashion and food to coffee, culture and experiences, Leicester’s high street continues to evolve, with plenty more still to come.

Hampshire Chamber of Commerce welcomed more than 100 business leaders to its annual Southampton Boat Show lunch, the signature networking opportunity on the membership organisation’s 175th anniversary calendar. The maritime-themed occasion, held at the Novotel Southampton on the opening day of the show, drew parallels between navigating changing conditions at sea and the leadership skills involved in steering organisations through times of uncertainty and opportunity. Keynote speaker Paul Adamson, founder of business training provider Lighthouse Training and a sailor of 25 years with a quarter of a million miles at sea, including a circumnavigation, shared insights from his personal story and his work with company founders, executives and leadership teams. “I’ve built my talk around three phone calls that changed my life,” Paul told the audience. “One that put me on the ocean, a chance call from the late Formula 1 legend Eddie Jordan, one that put me in the boardroom as a chief commercial officer, rebuilding the order book of one of Britain's great yacht builders, and one that put me in the examination room, with a blood cancer diagnosis I’ve since come through." “What struck me was that getting through all three came down to the same handful of principles: the difference between being pushed around by the storm and becoming the fixed-point others navigate by.” Paul explained that these principles became SHINE, the framework at the heart of a forthcoming book Be the Lighthouse, due out later this year. Thanking him for his talk, Ross McNally, Hampshire Chamber’s Chief Executive and Executive Chair, said: “Paul gave us plenty to think about. His message about staying focused on what you can control and providing a clear sense of direction is particularly relevant given the pressures faced by so many businesses today.” Ross added: “Our Boat Show lunch is always a much-anticipated highlight of the Chamber calendar, and this year it had an added significance as we celebrate 175 years of supporting and connecting Hampshire’s business community.£ “It was fantastic to welcome so many members and guests and to continue our long tradition of bringing businesses together to build connections, share ideas and create opportunities. The popularity of the lunch demonstrates that, while the business environment continues to change, the value of coming together in person remains as important as ever.” As well as the talks by Paul and Ross, the lunch featured presentations from UK Export Finance Manager Ian Power and British Marine President Lyndsay McClay, alongside networking opportunities and a drinks reception. The lunch was supported by sponsors UK Export Finance, Carpenter Box, NatWest, Air Copier Systems and British Marine. Hampshire Chamber traces its origins back to 1851 and the establishment of a chamber in Southampton to support business in the port and the wider town. It was one of the first chambers in Britain, predating the formation of the City of London’s chamber by more than 30 years. The Southampton International Boat Show, owned and operated by British Marine and running from 18 to 27 September 2026, is the UK’s flagship annual festival of boating, watersports and waterfront entertainment. This year it features a purpose-built marina hosting more than 250 craft alongside paddleboarding and kayaking sessions and a dive tank experience.

Year 7 pupils at Harris Academy, Clapham took part in a special football and netball tournament designed to celebrate the power of sport, with guidance from football creator and UEFA B coach Harry Cain and former England netball international and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Beth Durant. The pupils competed across football and netball fixtures before taking part in skills demonstrations, Q&A sessions and discussions with Harry and Beth about their own sporting journeys, including the lessons and opportunities sport has given them. The event highlighted the positive role sport can play in young people’s lives, helping to build confidence and teamwork while encouraging more children to stay active from an early age. The tournament was delivered as part of online retailer MandM’s wider partnership with The Harris Federation, a group of 55 schools throughout London, aimed at raising awareness around the rising school uniform and PE kit costs and concerns around physical activity levels among young people. The event comes against the backdrop of new Department for Education research which found that required school uniform and PE kits costs an average of £442.25 for a secondary school pupil, rising to £454.31 for girls. PE kit alone accounts for around £170 of that spend, with costs 55% higher when all items must be purchased from a school or designated supplier. Those financial pressures sit alongside a wider challenge around youth participation in sport, with London Sport estimating that 594,600 young Londoners, equivalent to 53%, are not meeting recommended activity levels. The tournament marked the latest collaboration between the Harris Federation and MandM, with the retailer having already provided more than 6,000 personalised football kits worth £250,000 to children across London. Harry Cain, football creator and UEFA B coach said: “Through sport you learn key skills such as teamwork and leadership that shape the person you become. It was great to see pupils right at the start of Year 7 throwing themselves into everything and supporting their teammates." "Giving more young people the chance to have experiences like that by providing them with the correct kit and equipment is hugely important, because the lessons they learn stay with them for life.” Mike Tomkins, Chairman, MandM said: “At MandM, we believe cost shouldn’t be a barrier to playing sport. Our whole proposition is built around making great brands and the right kit more affordable, and our partnership with the Harris Federation is an extension of that." "By working with schools and providing children the kit and opportunities they need to take part, we can help more young people experience the confidence, enjoyment and life lessons that sport can bring. Off the back of the tournament, we have launched our biggest football offer ever” Jenny Rose, Head of Academy, Harris Academy, Clapham said: “Sport provides a platform for young people to excel, thrive and develop critical life skills. For many young people, it allows a sense of escapism - an opportunity to reset their physical, emotional and mental well-being." "The opportunity provided to Harris Academy Clapham has left a milestone in the secondary school journey for our year 7 students. As Head of Academy, I am extremely grateful for the support provided by Brandnation and MandM Direct. It really was an amazing day!” Beth Durant, former England netballer and Commonwealth Games gold medallist added: “Playing sport changed my life, but girls can’t experience those benefits if we’re losing them before they’ve had the chance to start. When girls are getting less access to facilities or don’t feel comfortable in what they’re expected to wear it isn’t surprising to that participation falls away." "I want young girls to see women in sport and think, ‘there’s a place here for me too’. The talent is there so we need to make sure the opportunity is too. It was fantastic to see the energy from the pupils and how willing they were to get involved. The more we can do to give girls those positive experiences, the better chance we have of keeping them active.” The tournament comes as MandM launches its biggest ever football offering, giving players of all ages access to an extensive range of football boots, kits and equipment from leading brands at affordable prices.

Family-run Loch Lomond Brewery has sold over 77,000 more beers through Aldi Scotland in a year, and lands three new exclusives this autumn. Loch Lomond Brewery has seen sales with Aldi Scotland climb 57% in a year, as more than 77,000 extra beers have been sold across Scotland in 2026. The growth comes as the family-run brewery adds three new exclusive beers to Aldi Scotland shelves: Climb Every Mountain, a 5.5% Vienna Lager; Grand Tour, a 5.5% West Coast IPA; and Sunset Grill, a 5.5% Red IPA. Loch Lomond Brewery has supplied Aldi Scotland since 2013, growing from occasional listings into a regular fixture on shelves. In that time, it has brewed 36 different beers for the supermarket and sold more than 750,000 bottles and cans, around a third of them in the past year alone. Production has scaled up to match, from roughly 150,000 pints a year at the start of the partnership to close to 1.5 million today at its home near Dumbarton. The family-run brewery now expects it one-millionth Aldi beer to reach shoppers during 2027. Its first beer for the supermarket was Kessog, a 5.2% dark ale. More recently, Lost in Mosaic, a 5% New World IPA, has been the brewery's best seller with Aldi Scotland, followed closely by Bonnie & Clyde, a 4.5% West Coast IPA. Changing tastes have shaped the range too. The brewery has seen growing demand for low and no-alcohol beers, stouts and flavoured lagers. The new exclusives reflect that appetite for variety. Climb Every Mountain, a Vienna Lager, has been created to coincide with Oktoberfest, while Grand Tour fulfils a long-held ambition to bring a West Coast IPA to Aldi Scotland shoppers. Sunset Grill, a Red IPA, completes the trio, giving customers a richer, maltier take on the IPA for the colder months. Fiona MacEachern, Managing Director at Loch Lomond Brewery, said: “We’ve had a great time crafting these three beers, and we can’t wait to see them land ahead of the winter months, when we hope they'll become firm favourites with shoppers. A Vienna-style lager for Oktoberfest was a natural next step for our Aldi partnership, and a proper West Coast IPA is one we’ve wanted to make for a while." “We love working with the Aldi team. What began as the odd listing has grown into an ever-present and evolving range, and we're already looking ahead with them to plan the beers we’ll bring to shoppers in spring 2027.” Alan Leslie, Buying Director at Aldi Scotland, said: “A 57% rise in sales in a single year is a real achievement. It says everything about the quality Loch Lomond Brewery brings to our shelves and the appetite our customers have for great Scottish beer." “It's been brilliant to watch the brewery grow over the years while keeping that family feel, and we're looking forward to hitting the one-millionth beer landmark with the team next year. These three new beers are a fitting way to mark another strong year, and exactly the kind of local, high-quality products our customers love to find in store.” Climb Every Mountain (440ml, £1.99), Grand Tour (440ml, £1.99) and Sunset Grill (440ml, £1.99) are now available across all 113 Aldi Scotland stores, while stocks last.

Lancashire based foster care and special needs provider Family Care has teamed up with The East Lancashire Railway to provide a British Sign Language Interpreter for children on its Santa Special trains later this year for the very first time. The innovative new facility will be available for families to book from November on select dates, promising to make Christmas even more accessible. The new festive interpreter will travel on specific Santa specials run by the East Lancashire Railway (ELR) between Rawtenstall and Bury from 29 November, helping to ensure that the magical ride is as inclusive as possible for every young traveller on board. The new interpreter service has been made possible by a special new partnership between Family Care and ELR, with Family Care sponsoring the new facility. This latest innovation reflects the ELR’s continuing commitment to making its famous Santa Special events a welcoming and magical experience for as many people as possible. In 2023 the railway ran its first-ever Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Santa Special train. This Christmas experience was adapted to make it an accessible adventure for those with special educational needs. This involved several careful refinements, all made with expert advice. The lights on the station footbridge (the Winter Wonderland Walkthrough) were toned down, with fewer flashing bulbs. The Characters were more spaced out and low-key, and the arrival window was extended to avoid the usual hustle and bustle of boarding. Once on board, visitors could avail themselves of special quiet carriages and were given signage to indicate if they wanted the characters to keep their interactions to a minimum or be more enthusiastic. The SEND Train proved to be hugely popular with local families, and it has since been expanded to multiple trains on multiple dates.This year, in order to expand the offering further, the ELR, working with Family Care, will introduce a British Sign Language interpreter to give families even more opportunities to get the most out of this event. Marie Marshall has been working as a BSL Interpreter for 26 years, having previously worked in education and covering Community BSL Bookings. She has been involved with Football interpreting in both mainstream and Deaf Football and even took part in the 2025 Tokyo Olympics with Great Britain’s Deaf Women’s Football Team. For four years, she spent her summer months providing Performance Interpreting for music events. She had this to say: “I am really looking forward to being part of the Santa Express team so deaf children can have the same experience as other children.” Phil Williamson, Director at Family Care Group, which will provide the funding for ELR to offer the interpreter service, said: “We’re proud to be supporting the ELR with their dedicated SEND Santa Specials which provide a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for families to enjoy this amazing trip." “As a family-owned and community focused organisation, we have a real passion for providing opportunities for all children in the Lancashire and North West, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities. Our new partnership with East Lancashire Railway reflects our own strong commitment to supporting SEND children in the work we do.” Chairman of the ELR Mike Kelly said: “We are incredibly proud to have been the first heritage railway to introduce dedicated SEND Santa Specials in 2023, creating a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment where families could experience the magic of Christmas together." Since then, we have expanded the programme each year, ensuring even more children and families can enjoy this special experience. In 2026, we are delighted to extend our reach further by providing the support of a professional British Sign Language (BSL) signer, making our events even more accessible." "As we look ahead to the 40th anniversary of our Santa Specials in 2027, our vision is simple: that every visitor, whatever their additional needs or challenges, can experience the wonder and excitement of Christmas and create treasured memories that will last a lifetime." The East Lancashire Railway will continue its efforts to make sure that everyone can have the most magical experience possible on the Santa Special train. The Santa Specials run from late November through to Christmas Eve. Visitors can look forward to a magical Winter Wonderland walkthrough before boarding their steam train and setting off on their adventure. During the journey, they will meet colourful Christmas characters, enjoy performances from traditional brass bands, and of course be visited by Father Christmas himself, who will be handing gifts out to the little ones. Find out more about the Santa Specials by visiting here. To learn more about Family Care Group and its fostering and SEND services, visit here.

National centre gains new retrofit facility to become premiere heritage hub: Exterior-Lock-16 Scotland’s Centre of Excellence for Canals and Traditional Skills to house national facility for the retrofit of traditional buildings. Historic Environment Scotland’s (HES) national Retrofit Centre for Traditional Buildings is to become part of Scotland’s Centre of Excellence for Canals and Traditional Skills in Camelon, Falkirk. The new Retrofit Centre will strengthen the national centre as the premiere hub for retrofit heritage skills and science alongside the Engine Shed while supporting Scotland in tackling the climate emergency. Supported by £1m of funding from UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council via the Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science (RICHeS), the retrofit facility will put heritage science and research at the heart of its approach to developing bespoke solutions required for the decarbonization and conservation of the historic environment. The centre will become a key facility for climate heritage science, housing training, research and specialist equipment. Scotland's Centre of Excellence for Canals & Traditional Skills is funded by £4m Scottish Government funding through the Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF), Scottish Canals, Historic Environment Scotland and the Pride in Place Impact Fund. The Retrofit Centre for Traditional Buildings is funded by UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council via the Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science (RICHeS). The centre will support the retrofit of Scotland’s traditional buildings, crucial to achieving national net zero targets and addressing other challenges related to climate change and the quality of our indoor environments. The 2024 audit of Scotland’s historic environment estimates that almost 500,000 buildings in Scotland are of traditional construction, including around 18% of homes, 24% of offices, 33% of shops and 41% of public buildings. Scotland’s Canal and Traditional Skills project, spearheaded by Scottish Canals in partnership with HES, sees the former AG Barr Irn Bru factory in Camelon, Falkirk, transformed into a new centre to bring heritage knowledge and skills together in one place. The centre will look to address some of the growing challenges of sustaining Scotland’s historic environment by supporting the development of specialist skills critical for its future, including pioneering canal management and maintenance. Works at the centre are currently gathering momentum as major internal and external construction progresses. Colin Tennant, Head of Technical Conservation at HES, said: “We are delighted to include the Retrofit Centre facility within the new national centre. Expanding the scope of what the centre has to offer means that we are creating a central resource that will ensure that everything that makes up our built heritage – our castles, aqueducts, forts, canals and traditional buildings -- continues to be protected and cared for." “The Retrofit Centre will deliver UK-wide benefits as an innovative knowledge transfer space, a research workshop, a retrofit materials library, and a heritage science laboratory. The new location will allow the centre to provide more training and practice more heritage science research, all while adding to the dynamic collaborative space that will make up Scotland’s Centre of Excellence for Canals and Traditional Skills.” Richard Millar, Scottish Canals Chief Operating Officer, said this project is at the forefront of public service reform with two government agencies aligning to create transformation at a local, regional and national scale. He continued: “Scotland’s Centre of Excellence for Canals and Traditional Skills will create a focus to safeguard and develop the traditional skills that are essential to caring for Scotland’s canals and historic places. The addition of the Retrofit Centre reaffirms that ambition, complementing the existing vision of the project by adding an exciting dimension where heritage science, innovation and training will come together." "The Retrofit Centre will help equip future generations with the knowledge and expertise needed to improve the performance of traditional buildings while protecting the heritage that makes them so special.” The public will have the opportunity to see some of the cutting-edge heritage science equipment that will be used in the Retrofit Centre when the Engine Shed in Stirling opens its doors for Doors Open Days on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September. Visitors will also be able to learn more about the wider project and the future opportunities the centre of excellence will create for heritage skills, volunteering and learning. For more information on the Doors Open Days, visit the Engine Shed website.

Leading British spring and comfort technology manufacturer, Spinks, has announced the expansion of its portfolio of innovative spring solutions across North America through HS2 – its long-standing joint venture with U.S.-based Hickory Springs Manufacturing (HSM). Building on more than 13 years of successful collaboration, Spinks and HSM will introduce a broader range of spring technology to North American mattress manufacturers, expanding beyond HS2’s established microcoil expertise to include new pocket coil technologies, open-coil systems, and advanced spring components. At the heart of the expansion will be the introduction of several new innovations designed to add value for HS2’s customers through meaningful differentiation and greater product uniqueness in an increasingly competitive market. Many of these new coil concepts are patented or patent-pending, giving customers confidence that the innovations underpinning their products will be protected from imitation. HS2 will also offer opportunities for customer exclusivity linked to agreed volume commitments, enabling qualifying manufacturers to secure distinctive technologies and create clearly differentiated mattress collections, while helping to improve their customers’ margins. The expanded portfolio combines Spinks’ proven expertise in advanced spring design, engineering, and product innovation with HSM’s extensive North American manufacturing capabilities, market knowledge, and customer reach. Together, the partnership aims to establish one of the most comprehensive platforms of spring technologies, designed specifically to support the evolving needs of the North American bedding market. The expansion comes at a pivotal time for the U.S. bedding industry, amid a changing competitive landscape. HS2 will offer mattress manufacturers greater choice, stronger product differentiation and access to innovative spring solutions supported by domestic manufacturing and supply. Darren Marcangelo, Chief Commercial Officer of Spinks, commented: “We are delighted to bring more of our exciting spring technologies to the North American market through HS2. Our partnership with HSM has been extremely successful, and this expansion allows us to combine our strengths in a much more powerful way." "We have a great team in place, both operationally and commercially, enabling us to work closely with our key partners and deliver what they are looking for.” Tim Becker, President of HSM’s Hickory Springs Wire and Bedding divisions, commented: “Expanding our partnership with Spinks is superb news for our customers and the North American bedding industry. Together, our businesses can offer a compelling combination of manufacturing expertise, responsiveness and genuine product innovation—something mattress manufacturers are increasingly demanding." “HS2 will give our customers more opportunities to differentiate their products, create meaningful consumer benefits and bring new mattress concepts to market.” The expanded portfolio will build upon HS2’s established microcoil expertise while creating a comprehensive range of products for the development and commercialisation of new comfort, support and sustainability focused coil technologies specifically for the North American market. For more information, visit here.

North Yorkshire furniture specialist Hill Cross Furniture has presented £1,500 to Overgate Hospice after taking on a 1,042-mile cycling challenge inspired by the team’s work on the hospice’s new Inpatient Unit. Colleagues from the family-owned furniture business completed the virtual distance from Land’s End to John O’Groats on static bikes as part of Overgate Hospice’s Big Bikeathon corporate challenge. The fundraising followed Hill Cross Furniture’s involvement in Overgate Hospice’s landmark Big Build redevelopment in Elland, West Yorkshire. Working alongside healthcare interior designer Elaine Lewis, Hill Cross supplied furniture for the hospice’s new 16-bedroom Inpatient Unit, including patient bedrooms and the Family Lounge, as well as bespoke modular seating designed specifically for the north and south wings. The new unit has been designed to provide a comfortable, welcoming environment for patients and their families while meeting the practical demands of a busy hospice setting. Each bedroom includes an en-suite bathroom, private terrace overlooking the gardens and a sofa bed so loved ones can stay overnight. For the Hill Cross team, seeing the work of the hospice first-hand provided the motivation to do something more. Matt Waters, Group Finance Director at Hill Cross Furniture, said: “Working on Overgate’s new Inpatient Unit gave us a real appreciation of the care and thought that goes into creating the best possible environment for patients and their families." “Our team wanted to do something to support the hospice beyond the furniture project, so taking on the Big Bikeathon felt like a brilliant way to get everyone involved." “Completing 1,042 miles certainly took some determination, but knowing what we were raising the money for kept us going. We’re delighted to be able to present Overgate with £1,500 and would like to thank everyone who sponsored us.” Rebecca Ryan, Head of Fundraising at Overgate Hospice said: “We’re incredibly grateful to everyone at Hill Cross Furniture for taking on the Big Bikeathon and raising £1,500 for Overgate Hospice. It’s been wonderful to see their support extend beyond their work on our Big Build, with the team really getting behind the challenge." “Every pound raised helps us continue to provide vital care and support for patients and their families across Calderdale.” Hill Cross Furniture has developed growing experience within hospice environments, working with Elaine Lewis on projects including Martlets Hospice, St David’s Hospice and Severn Hospice, with further schemes currently underway at North London Hospice and Hospice in the Weald. Its approach involves more than supplying furniture. For hospice projects, the company has also developed a Sample Showcase process, bringing furniture together for patients, families and multidisciplinary hospice teams to try before final specifications are agreed. Feedback from nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, housekeeping teams and others helps inform decisions around comfort, ergonomics, durability and practicality. The relationship with Overgate Hospice is also continuing. Hill Cross Furniture is supporting Phase Two of the Big Build redevelopment, which will include a new Activity Room, Social Hub and Therapy Rooms. Hill Cross Furniture is a family-owned contract furniture specialist based in North Yorkshire. For more than 25 years, the company has supplied furniture for hospitality, leisure, healthcare and commercial interiors across the UK and internationally. The company provides loose, fixed and bespoke furniture alongside design, sourcing, project management, delivery and installation services. Overgate Hospice provides specialist palliative and end-of-life care for people in Calderdale and their families. Photo Credit: Overgate Hospice interior photography: Alisdair McIntosh

Rathbones, one of the UK’s leading wealth and asset management groups, launches its first major brand campaign. Inspired by its recently refreshed purpose, ‘to help more people invest their money well, so they can live well’, the campaign reinforces the long-term positive impact that high quality financial planning and investment advice can have on people’s lives. Rathbones’ purpose – to help more people invest their money well, so they can live well – was developed as part of a major rebrand after its successful combination with Investec Wealth and Investment (IW&I). Rathbones’ enhanced scale and clear and consistent ambition positions it well to realise its ambition of becoming “the best wealth manager in the UK, by far”. The new campaign, which includes Rathbones’ first TV advert, is designed to support greater confidence in investing and focusses on real-life outcomes that matter to people as they plan for the future. Its launch comes as the Government seeks to highlight the importance of investing to long-term financial wellbeing and the benefits to the national economy. The ‘Invest well. Live well.’ campaign features at its heart the Rathbones compass, a central brand asset that represents direction, perspective and long term thinking. It captures the firm’s belief that successful investing is not about short term reactions, but about providing steady guidance through life’s emotional and financial milestones — helping clients make informed decisions with confidence. Simonetta Rigo, Chief Client Officer at Rathbones, said: "Invest well. Live well.’ is a clear expression of our long term approach. At Rathbones, we believe good investing is about clarity, confidence and perspective — helping people make better decisions over time so they can focus on living. This campaign brings that philosophy to life in a way that feels human, positive and grounded in real outcomes.” Rather than focusing on market movements or financial jargon, the campaign shows how professional wealth management can support people in planning for the future in a way that feels personal, accessible and grounded in real lives. The creative centres on empowerment and reassurance, demonstrating how thoughtful, long term advice can reduce uncertainty and help people focus on living well. Effectiveness testing indicates the campaign, delivered in partnership with BBD Perfect Storm and media agency Medialab Group, resonates strongly with its intended audience. Independent research by leading market researcher System1 awarded the campaign a 5.9 star rating (out of 6) among high net worth audiences, significantly ahead of category norms, alongside a Spike Rating of 1.45, pointing to strong short term commercial potential. Supporting eye tracking research also showed high levels of attention and engagement. Simonetta Rigo continued: “What sets this campaign apart is the strength of the results as much as the creative idea behind it. The exceptional scores from System1, combined with strong attention and engagement metrics, show that it’s landing with real impact, both emotionally and commercially. In a category where it’s rare to achieve both long-term brand building and short-term effectiveness, these results demonstrate that we’re doing exactly that. It reinforces our belief that when you focus on helping people truly live well, stronger business outcomes naturally follow.” The campaign is led by a 30 second hero film, while the ‘Invest well. Live well.’ platform is supported by a series of line extensions, including ‘Relax well’, ‘Retire well’ and ‘Sleep well’, reinforcing Rathbones’ role in helping clients plan and invest in a way that is right for them, at every stage of life. The campaign launches across TV and streaming, digital, social, display advertising and radio, with initial activity running across London and the South East.

Leading accountancy and business advisory firm Johnston Carmichael's partnership with the ICAS Foundation is helping talented young people from diverse socio-economic backgrounds into the profession, with four Foundation students set to return to the firm as graduate trainees. The quartet – three former summer interns and one RGU placement student – represents the largest number of students recruited by any ICAS Foundation employer partner from this year's graduate cohort, demonstrating how long-term investment in social mobility is translating into career opportunities at Johnston Carmichael. They are four of 80 students to join the firm this year, 46 of whom were inducted last month. Islay Sutherland joins the Aberdeen office, following a successful placement year with the firm as part of her Accounting and Finance course at Robert Gordon University. Dean Bastien, Katie Farley, and Emma Savage also secured return offers following successful summer internships last summer, and they will each join the Glasgow office this August. All four will also undertake Chartered Account (CA) training with ICAS. Launched in 2012, the ICAS Foundation was established to support talented young people from under-represented backgrounds to study accountancy and finance degrees, helping to create a more diverse and inclusive pathway into the profession. Through financial assistance, mentoring, and access to employer partners across the profession, the Foundation supports students throughout their academic journey and up to the point they start their professional training contracts. Since becoming one of the ICAS Foundation's first national employer partners in 2023, Johnston Carmichael has invested £5,000 annually to fund the equivalent of two bursary places. Alongside its financial support, the firm provides Foundation students with mentoring, and insight events that, help them build the skills, confidence and connections needed to succeed in the profession. Three Johnston Carmichael colleagues currently volunteer as ICAS Foundation mentors: financial reporting advisory services director, Jordan Haldane, financial reporting advisory senior manager, Darren Robertson-Smith, and audit partner, Sally Hewish. Together, they support students to build confidence, expand their professional networks and prepare for careers in accountancy. Laura Carter, Head of Early Careers at Johnston Carmichael, said: “Seeing four ICAS Foundation students return to Johnston Carmichael as graduate trainees is fantastic and demonstrates exactly why we invested in this partnership." “Creating opportunities for talented people, regardless of their background, is incredibly important to us. Through bursaries, mentoring and meaningful work experience, we're helping to remove barriers while also strengthening our future talent pipeline." “These students have already made a real impression during their placements with us, and we look forward to welcoming them back to begin the next stage of their careers.” The graduates joining Johnston Carmichael first experienced the firm through internships and placement opportunities, allowing both the students and the firm to build relationships before returning as permanent trainees. Their appointments demonstrate how the partnership has evolved from providing financial support into creating a successful recruitment pipeline. Dean Bastien, from Glasgow, recently achieved a First-Class Honours degree in Accounting and Finance. He said: “My internship with Johnston Carmichael provided me with first-hand experience in audit, exposure to a wide range of clients and industries, and confirmed that it was the career path I wanted to pursue." “Being trusted with meaningful work made the transition from university to professional life both rewarding and enjoyable. I’m delighted to be returning to Johnston Carmichael as an Audit Graduate and look forward to continuing to learn and develop my career with the firm.” Sanjay Singh, Managing Director at the ICAS Foundation, said: "This is exactly what the ICAS Foundation was created to achieve. By combining financial support with mentoring and internship and placement opportunities, we're helping talented students overcome barriers and build successful careers in accountancy." “Johnston Carmichael has fully embraced our partnership and seeing four students return as graduate trainees is a fantastic example of what's possible when employers make a long-term commitment to social mobility. We hope this success encourages more firms to get involved.” The ICAS Foundation is currently recruiting additional mentors from partner firms ahead of its welcoming around fifty new programme students in September, as it continues to expand support for talented young people pursuing careers in accountancy and finance.

A major new report from professional services firm Deloitte has found that most Scottish workers are now using GenAI at work, with those who have adopted it making clear productivity gains. However, while Scottish adoption and usage is broadly in line with the rest of the UK, a clear gap with London remains. The findings come from Deloitte UK’s inaugural GenAI Workforce Survey, the largest study of workplace GenAI use conducted in a single country. Based on responses from 25,000 workers across the UK, collated between 7th May and 10th June 2026, the research reveals how employees are really using GenAI* in their jobs and how organisations are responding. The survey will be repeated every six months to monitor how usage evolves as the technology becomes more widely adopted. Adoption trails London, but Scotland is no outlier Almost six in 10 Scottish workers (58%) have used a GenAI tool for work, compared with 76% in Greater London. Scotland sits slightly below the 61% average across the UK outside the capital, however. In Scotland, 36% of respondents said they use GenAI at least weekly (compared to 55% of those in London), while 21% said they used it at least daily (with London sitting at 37%). Over seven in ten (71%) of Scottish GenAI users say that they use AI tools that they have permission to use. However. one in five Scottish (21%) said that they use tools at work without their employer’s knowledge, believing they would approve, while a further 9% do so believing they would not, indicating around three in ten don’t have explicit employer permission. Sentiment is broadly positive across the country. Over a third (37%) said that they see their use of GenAI for work as a positive, against 23% that see it negatively. A quarter (26%) remain neutral. A fifth (22%) of Scottish GenAI users said that their work is more enjoyable because they’re using it, against 8% that said it is less enjoyable. The majority, 63%, said that enjoyment levels remain the same. Time saved, but not yet transformation Just under half of Scottish GenAI users (49%) say the tools save them time. Of those, almost six in 10 (59%) save up to three hours a week and almost one in ten (9%) save more than 10 hours. That time is coming from routine tasks rather than complex work. Scottish users most commonly turn to GenAI for looking up information (42%), writing or editing emails (41%), summarising documents (32%) and fact-checking (31%). Almost three in ten (28%) of Scottish GenAI users said they complete ‘some’ of their work by using GenAI. A tenth (12%) said they complete ‘most of it’ by using the technology. However, 22% said that they complete ‘hardly any / none of it’ with GenAI. Training: an opportunity to boost usage and impact Fewer than three in ten Scottish employees (29%) have received formal GenAI training, against 47% in London and 33% across the UK. Where it has been given, it is valued, with eight in ten (81%) Scottish recipients rating it as helpful. A quarter (25%) of Scottish respondents said that training on how to evaluate/fact-check GenAI would be helpful. A fifth (20%) want more GenAI skills training at an advanced level, 21% would like more cybersecurity training specific to AI. A third of Scottish employees (32%) said their employer has a GenAI policy, the same amount (32%) that said their employer does not, 36% do not know, or aren’t sure whether one exists. A lack of trust remains in Scotland More than half of Scottish workers (51%) are concerned about the misuse of personal data, a third (34%) cite bias or discrimination in AI outputs, and 26% worry that managers will overestimate what AI can achieve. Additionally, nearly six in ten Scottish workers (56%) worry that essential workplace skills will suffer because of generative AI, slightly ahead of the UK figure of 55%. Turning to leadership, 22% of workers say leaders at their organisation talk about GenAI and have a good understanding of it, while 29% say leaders do not talk about it at all. Angela Mitchell, practice senior partner at Deloitte Scotland, said: “Scotland is embracing technological change, supported by a skilled workforce and world-class universities. Our survey points to where businesses can go further to better support their people in harnessing GenAI to deliver lasting productivity gains and economic growth." “Adoption rates across Scotland are strong, and workers want to learn about the technology, and understand how to use it in a responsible and impactful way. Firms across the country have an opportunity to build genuine workforce capability that moves beyond providing access to tools and focuses instead on capability, confidence and trust. Doing so will enable employees to spend more of their time on the activities that create value for firms, customers and the wider economy." Nationally, the survey found that British workers are spending close to £1 billion a year from their own pockets on GenAI tools they use for work, with Deloitte estimating annual personal spend at £958 million. One in six (17%) UK GenAI users pay for at least one tool themselves. In Scotland that figure is 14%, against 24% in London, while 46% of Scottish users rely on free tools. *In this press release, GenAI refers to generative artificial intelligence: AI tools, including chatbots, that can generate content such as text, images, video and audio in response to user prompts.