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20% of small businesses encounter cash flow problems thanks to late payments. During this crucial half year stage for many businesses, Legateca , a leading platform for professional legal service providers, is drawing attention to the critical issue of late payments, revealing in new findings, that a concerning one-third of payments to small businesses across the UK are not made on time. The average value of each delayed payment stands at £6,142, causing significant cash flow challenges for small UK enterprises who rely on cash flow. This growing problem has also resulted in 20 per cent of small businesses encountering significant cash flow issues, hindering their growth and sustainability. Late payments have become a pervasive obstacle for small businesses across industries, impacting their ability to manage their finances effectively. With an estimated 5.9 million small businesses in the United Kingdom alone, the consequences of this issue are far-reaching. Legateca's analysis indicates that if small businesses were paid promptly, the economy could experience a boost of approximately £2.5 billion annually, leading to increased productivity and overall economic growth. Umair Zahid, CEO for Legateca, expressed concern about the significant impact of late payments on small businesses. "Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, contributing substantially to job creation and innovation. However, the prevalence of late payments is impeding their ability to thrive and fulfill their potential. It is crucial for both businesses and policymakers to address this issue promptly and implement effective measures to ensure timely payments." To combat this issue, Legateca calls for small business owners to be brave and take the necessary legal action in order to encourage timely settlements. Umair adds: “So often we see that small businesses are the losers in the game of chasing payments, they’re often strapped for time and resources, with a big emphasis on confidence too - especially if they are going up against bigger organisations. This doesn’t and shouldn’t have to be the case. If work was undertaken and business owners know that they fulfilled their duties but haven’t been paid - they have every right to claim their money.” As the issue of late payments to small businesses continues to persist, Legateca remains committed to raising awareness, offering solutions, and collaborating with businesses and policymakers to drive positive change. Umair concludes: “By addressing this pressing concern, we can create a more resilient and thriving small business sector, ensuring a stronger economy for all.” Zakia, an SRA-regulated freelance solicitor with extensive experience in Commercial Litigation and Business Debt Recovery says. "It's really important for small businesses to have a robust and proactive debt recovery process for late payments, which includes take legal action where necessary and efficiently and in a timely manner. I have spoken to many small business owners, who have said they didn't know they what steps to take to recover payment for overdue invoices, it's often overlooked but not having a clear process will impact cash flow thus impacting the overall stability of the business."

An unusual horticultural artefact from the Victorian era has been unearthed at a Lake District hotel on the shores of Windermere. The ornate limestone rockery and water garden has been discovered at the south end of Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa during pruning work and the removal of overgrown foliage around the venue’s grounds. Believed to have been originally created sometime in the mid to late 1800s, the water garden features an extensive limestone rockery with three pools – a larger one and two smaller ones linked by mini waterfalls. It was discovered by the hotel grounds team whilst clearing overgrown paths under 12 inches of leaf mould and debris. The most likely date for its original construction is at or around the hotel’s rebuild and re-opening in 1859 after a major fire in 1856. It is thought that the water garden was buried and lost most probably during the second world war while the hotel was closed. When it re-opened after the war, there would not have been the staff to look after the grounds as there had been in its earlier heydays of the 1930s. Executive chairman of English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues Simon Berry explains: “We’re keen to find out if any local historians can shed any further light on the provenance and background of the water garden and the limestone used to create it, as we have no official record of when it was installed and last seen. It doesn’t appear in Michael Berry’s book about the 300-year history of Low Wood Bay and Lakeland tourism." “It seems that at some point it became overgrown and disappeared from sight until now. There have been small pieces of limestone unearthed over the years, so there was always an idea there that there was something there, but we did not realise the scale of the garden or that it included ponds and waterfalls until the latest grounds work." “We are very pleased that this feature of the resort’s grounds is now back on show for guests and visitors to enjoy.” The hotel has installed a new water circulation system for the ponds and repaired leaks from them but other than that, the water garden is intact and as originally found with no stones moved from where they were uncovered.

Blackfinch Group, the Gloucester-based investment specialist focused on tax-efficient investments, property lending, renewable energy and ventures, has hired finance lawyer Tom Marshall to strengthen its in-house legal team and enable the group to provide clients with significant cost, time and efficiency savings. Tom Marshall joins Blackfinch from the banking and finance team at TLT (a national law firm with headquarters in Bristol), where he advised a wide range of clients on debt finance transactions. Prior to that, he trained and qualified at Osborne Clarke. David Higson, Head of Blackfinch Property, says: “As a specialist lender, Tom’s real estate finance expertise and experience, and his experience acting for both lenders and borrowers, represents a real coup for the whole of Blackfinch Group. It’s incredibly rare to find his expertise available as an in-house service within the specialist lending sector. Our in-house legal team has already earned plaudits with commercial property developers and helped establish our reputation as a lender who goes the extra mile to facilitate complex deals through to completion. Now, with Tom on board, we will grow our capacity and loan book, enabling us to offer even faster transactions and processing - which will be music to the ears of our clients.” Tom Marshall says: “I wanted to move in-house and I am attracted to the ethos of Blackfinch Group, plus the way that its portfolio is structured around property lending and its energy portfolio aligns perfectly with my experience. I’m also looking forward to getting involved in the ventures part of the business, where Blackfinch funds exciting and ground-breaking tech companies." “One of the big attractions of Blackfinch Group is its agility and the speed at which we can do transactions - having the legal function in-house really helps with that because it means that we can do things that bit quicker and we're also closer to the commercial side of the transaction. And there's obviously a cost saving for our customers because the external legal fees are reduced, so there are lots of advantages.” Blackfinch Group is committed to helping to create a more sustainable world through its focus on environment, social and governance factors.

JMG Group is marking its tenth acquisition this year as it completes a deal with Cheshire-based Blackfriars Group. Blackfriars Group employs 20 people at offices in Sandbach and Gibraltar and specialises in liability and business insurance for small to medium sized businesses across the UK. Steven Lewis, director of the £7m premium business, says it will be ‘business as usual’ for the firm, the team and their clients as the business embarks on its next phase of growth as a JMG Group company.: “One of the many benefits of joining the JMG Group is that the majority of the administration, business management and compliance functions will be centralised, which will free up more of my time to focus on clients and supporting the team here to develop their roles and careers with us,” he says. “For anyone dealing with us, it will be business as usual. The company will continue to trade as Blackfriars, clients will deal with the same people in our team, and we will continue to specialise in liability and business insurance for businesses UK-wide." “We wanted to ensure the business would be in the best hands moving forward, and I can safely say that my experience of the JMG Group has left me in no doubt that we are doing exactly that. I’m looking forward to working more closely with the JMG team to continue growing our business.” JMG Group CEO Nick Houghton says, “I’m delighted to welcome Steven and his team to the group, and we look forward to supporting them as they continue to build on the company’s success. Having them on board further strengthens our presence in the North West, and the team’s track record of generating online leads will add another dimension to business development within the group.”

Deliveroo has marked its 10th birthday with an exciting report looking into the future of food trends and delivery. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the iconic UK delivery brand Deliveroo has commissioned the exclusive insight into future food trends. And the results are mouth watering! From desktop to dining table, bench to beach, Deliveroo has launched a SNACK TO THE FUTURE report, bringing together leading futurists and experts from the worlds of food, science, technology and innovation to create a forward-looking view of how the nation will be eating by 2040 and how our dinner tables are set to revolutionise. The SNACK TO THE FUTURE report from Deliveroo and guest experts including Georgie Barrat (Technology Journalist and TV Presenter on The Gadget Show) and Tom Cheesewright (applied Futurist), reveals key predictions and technological advancements by 2040 that are set to rock consumers’ worlds, including: BREATH-PRINTS : Find out how breath-prints will make our future food decisions for us. Expect personal tech devices to be enabled with BreathTech, meaning you can breathe on your device and get a deep level of insight into what foods you should be eating to have optimal impact on your individual health and wellbeing. ME-GANSIM : Move over Keto, the predicted next big thing in dieting and set to be the mainstream diet of the future, is the Me-gan diet (Me-ganism); a hyper-personalised diet which is fully bespoke to your individual nutritional needs, powered by AI technology. PERSONAL AIs : Underpinning the Me-gan diet and lifestyle, AI technology will offer you your own personal AI (a life long AI buddy) which will help automate and tailor what you are eating based on preferences and needs at any given time. FOODGASMS : Food that makes you feel… food delivery services will be using additional digital audio and visual content to elevate the meal enjoyment experience, so much so that it could take food pleasure to the next level with ‘foodgasms’ (braingasms via what you eat). EDIBLE BEAUTY : Get ready to see the food and beauty industry become more integrated than ever with a rise in edible beauty products like anti-aging ice-cream and the chance to dine from hormone-balancing and dopamine driving menus. 3D PRINTED MEAL PLANS : From packed lunches to printed lunches, food prep is about to become a lot easier with advances in 3D printing technology helping you create perfectly portioned and nutritionally balanced meals, of your choice, at home. VR DINNER PARTIES : Dine with celebrities, royals and late loved ones in your favourite holiday destination, or recreate food moments from famous movies thanks to VR technology, which will simulate dining experiences from the comfort of your home - think: enjoying a delightful breakfast at Tiffany’s, while you’re tucking into a bacon sandwich on the sofa. FAREWELL FUSSY EATERS : Thanks to VR and AR technology, your brains could be tricked into thinking you are eating something you are not, for example, if you are a fussy eater who doesn’t want to eat vegetables, you could put on smart glasses and think you are eating chocolate or sweets. RESTORATIVE RESTAURANTS : New restaurant concepts will remove outside world distractions, with personal tech devices banned at entry and a rise in the popularity of silent cafés and restaurants, ONLY offering tables for one to encourage mindful eating. PASS THE AMARANTH : Whole grain staples, such as corn or maize, are about to look very different with alternatives such as amaranth, fonio, sorghum, teff, khorasan, einkorn and emmer, all likely to be mainstream in 2040. ALT-OHOL : As the nation increasingly seeks alcohol alternatives, we can expect to see a rise in popularity of ‘wine’ cordials that mimic the taste and flavour profile of real wine, without the negatives Research commissioned by Deliveroo reveal that solo dining (18%), virtually smelling and tasting your takeaway before you choose your order (17%) and breath-prints (15%) are at the top of the list of expert predictions that you and the nation can’t wait to experience (see the full consumer research in notes to editors) SNACK TO THE FUTURE: 2040 is commissioned by Deliveroo and written by Avansere with contributions from Will Shu (CEO and founder at Deliveroo) and; Carlo Mocci (Chief Business Officer UK&I at Deliveroo) Devesh Mishra (Chief Product and Technology Officer at Deliveroo) Georgie Barrat (Technology Journalist and TV Presenter on The Gadget Show) Sarah DaVanzo (Quantitative data-driven Futurist, experienced start-up Entrepreneur, Agency Leader and F500 Corporate Executive) Tom Cheesewright (applied Futurist helping people and organisations to see, share, and respond to a clearer vision of tomorrow) Kaave Pour (Co-Founder of Space10, IKEA’s independent research and design lab) Tracey Pollard (Managing Director of Bruce Gillingham Pollard) Will Shu, Founder and CEO of Deliveroo said: “I started Deliveroo in 2013 with a mission to connect people to the best quality food from local restaurants and deliver it directly to people’s doors. It has been an incredible ride over the past ten years and I am really proud of what we have built." "As we look towards the next decade and beyond, Deliveroo will continue to create exciting new innovations in food delivery, build new and better consumer experiences and take Deliveroo beyond functionality and convenience to really capture the passion and emotion of food.”

Two members of the Senior Management Team at a Middleton-on-the-Wolds poultry business are celebrating after gaining additional qualifications. Soanes Poultry’s Factory Manager, Dmitrijus Solovjovas has completed a Level 5 apprenticeship in Operations/Departmental Management, and Health, Safety and Procurement Manager, Kevin Holderness has gained a NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. Mr Solovjovas studied part-time at the University of Lincoln and modules included: Factory design, Project management, Health and safety, Management, Food Sector Business, Finance, People and Performance. “I am enjoying applying what I learnt on the course at work and would like to build on this with further studies in the future,” he said. Mr Holderness studied online for his certificate and was examined on subjects including Health and Safety management systems, Managing risk, Physical and psychological health, Chemical and biological agents and workplace issues. “The course and qualification will be very beneficial to many aspects of my job and I’m very grateful to the business for their support in my studies. I hope to go on and study for the NEBOSH Diploma in due course.” Both Mr Solovjovas and Mr Holderness report to Soanes Poultry's Operations Manager, Simon Rodgers, who said: "Dmitrijus and Kevin have worked hard out of hours for these qualifications and thoroughly deserve their respective successes. Their new skills will add value to the Senior Management Team and the business as a whole.” Soanes Poultry is a family-owned business which has been rearing and preparing chicken since 1947. It employs 120 people and sells its chicken to butchers, independent retailers and restaurants in Yorkshire and to wholesalers and catering butchers nationwide.

As the second anniversary of the installation of Dearnsdale Fruit’s heat recovery system approaches, the team at DK Heat Recovery has recalculated the cost savings based on today’s fuel price cap. Staffordshire soft fruit farmer, Dearnsdale Fruit is now saving £19,596 and over 230,000 kWh per annum by harnessing waste heat from its cold store. The recovered heat is used for showers for its team of 600 and in its pack house. The savings also equate to an annual reduction of 48 tonnes of carbon. DK Heat Recovery’s Engineering Manager, David Haughton liaised with installer, Spiral Cool on the project: “The heat recovery system that we supplied was a 3000-litre storage tank with five internal heat exchangers that are capable of generating over 1800 litres of free hot water per hour. “Unlike plate heat exchangers, the twin wall design of the heat recovery exchangers comply with EN1717, which is a requirement for all potable water use. “With no moving parts, the DK Heat Recovery from Refrigeration system is simple and maintenance-free. It is also highly efficient due to the innovative design of the heat exchangers that can remove up to 100% of the energy produced by the cold store.” Scott Price from Spiral Cool concluded: “Even with the plant running at 10% and the tank without its insulation fitted, the water temperature reached 46°C.” Based in Beverley, East Yorkshire with a satellite office in Peterborough, DK Heat Recovery is the sole UK agent of DK Kaelteanlagen GmbH's heat recovery systems and is supported by a network of installers and refrigeration engineers nationwide. It was established in 2012 by Nigel Upson and David Haughton and has installed heat recovery systems for food manufacturers, supermarkets, farm shops, butchers and garden centres over the last decade. DK Heat Recovery’s systems are suitable for use in any business that has refrigeration plant and a requirement for hot water or space heating.

Two members of the team from an award-winning Pickering farm shop are taking part in a marathon fundraiser next month to raise money for charity. On 15th July, Lindsey Adams, assistant café manager at Cedarbarn Farm Shop and Café is taking on the marathon distance of the Northumberland Coast Mighty Hike and will walk 26 miles with her friend, Amy Cook, and on 16th July, Cedarbarn’s General Manager, Alison Riley, husband Paul and five friends will do the 13-mile challenge of the same event. “My husband has Prostate Cancer he was diagnosed in 2020. He is a very strong and positive man and I am immensely proud of what he has achieved. He has taken part in numerous fundraising walks since his diagnosis and I have decided to walk with him on this occasion. Any donation would be greatly appreciated,” said Mrs Riley. The Northumberland Coast Mighty Hike goes from Alnwick Castle to Bamburgh Castle and takes in the beautiful beaches and fishing villages of the Northumberland Coast. It is one of 12 hikes taking place in some of the most beautiful and unspoiled parts of the UK from the Lake District to the Gower Peninsula. Each participant pledges to raise £250 to fund services for people living with cancer and it is hoped that the Northumberland Coast hike will raise a total of £1.6 million. “£250 doesn’t sound like much to raise, but when you consider that £252 could pay for a Macmillan Support Worker for two days and just £32 could pay for a Macmillan Nurse for an hour, it’s an achievable goal and a very worthwhile thing to do,” said Ms Adams. Both Mrs Riley and Ms Adams have exceeded their £250 targets but would welcome additional donations in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. Donate here for Mrs Adams and here for Mrs Riley. Cedarbarn Farm Shop and Café began as a small PYO strawberries operation from a caravan 26 years ago and now is a thriving farm shop and café that sources a large percentage of its produce from its own farm and a neighbouring farm supplemented with local suppliers. In 2019, Cedarbarn’s co-founder, Karl Avison raised £20,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support when he took part in the Macmillan Ride of Your Life at York Racecourse.

Buoyed by the sellout success of the inaugural festival in 2022, organisers at a Yorkshire Wolds brewery have released tickets for a second Oktoberfest event. The event will take place at Wold Newton-based Wold Top Brewery on 30th September and visitors can expect a specially brewed Oktoberfest beer, German food with a Yorkshire twist and an Oompah Band. Michelle Savage from Wold Top’s events team explained the rationale for a second German-themed event: “We had such good feedback from last year’s event and our brewers were excited to have another opportunity to brew our Oktoberfest beer, Field Day, so we’re repeating our German beer festival with a Yorkshire twist. We’re all really excited and it should be a fabulous, fun-filled afternoon and evening. Fancy dress is optional, but very much encouraged!” Tickets for the event, which runs from 3 pm to 11 pm on Saturday, 30th September, cost £17 per person and include a pint or a soft drink. Basic, but scenic, camping, caravan and motorhome pitches are available for £12 per pitch. You can book online or by calling 01723 892222. Wold Top was founded in 2003 and is located on the Mellor family farm at Hunmanby Grange near Filey. The team use home-grown barley and water from the farm’s borehole to produce a range of award-winning cask, keg and bottled beers that are available throughout Yorkshire and nationwide.

New cohort of business leaders and entrepreneurs bring their expert experience to Oxford Brookes University Experts from a range of companies and organisations will be sharing their top tips and experience with students at Oxford Brookes Business School. Leaders from organisations including Jaguar Land Rover, Comic Relief, Cafédirect and the UN World Food Programme are among the Entrepreneurs in Residence and Visiting Industrial Fellows who will be supporting Oxford Brookes University students from September. Professor Tim Vorley OBE, Dean of Oxford Brookes Business School, said: "Our Entrepreneurs in Residence and Visiting Industrial Fellows make an invaluable contribution to the Business School and the richness of the student experience." “I'm delighted to be welcoming new Entrepreneurs and Fellows to the scheme and am excited to work with them as they support our courses and our students with their hands-on knowledge from their various businesses." "My thanks go to our outgoing Entrepreneurs in Residence and Visiting Industrial Fellows who have contributed their time and expertise so generously to the Business School over the last two years, as well as a special thank you to those who are staying on for the 2023 to 2025 term.” Among the new entrepreneurs is Oli Coles BEM, from Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire who is best known for multiple campaigns to support frontline workers during the pandemic. He is the founder of Hospitality For Heroes which provided the NHS with 150,000 healthy meals, raised £250,000 in public donations and organised a surprise International Nurses Day charity music concert that was streamed into hospitals across the country, featuring artists Clean Bandit, Anne-Marie, Zara Larsson, James Blunt, Mel C and Elderbrook. Oli said: “I’m looking forward to working with students at the Oxford Brookes Business School, sharing what I’ve learnt in a fast changing business environment.” Another is Stephanie Lvovich, the founder and managing director of Shared Planet, a consultancy based in London which specialises in environmental and social impact work with charities, governments and the private sector. Stephanie said: “I’m excited to take on this role with the Oxford Brookes Business School because the climate crisis necessitates helping the next generation of business leaders to understand sustainability and to show them how they can make a practical difference in their future careers. I’m looking forward to doing my part to help them on this journey so that they can better understand the role that business must play in driving positive social and environmental impact today and in the future.” The Entrepreneurs in Residence and Visiting Industrial Fellows 2023-2025 are: Entrepreneurs in Residence: Adam Bastock, Founder, Small99 Dr Simon Biltcliffe, Founder & Executive Chairman, Webmart Chris Blake, Director, Green Valleys CIC Fran Boorman, Founder, Goal 17 Oli Coles BEM, Founder, Hospitality for Heroes Charly Cox, Co-Founder, Climate Change Coaches Gerrard Fisher, Partner - Circular Business, QSA Partners LLP Stephanie Lvovich, Founder and Managing Director, Shared Planet Visiting Industrial Fellows: Jonathan Arthurs, Managing Director (Europe), Metrixlab Steve Butler, Chief Executive, Punter Southall Aspire Elle Covell, New Partnership Manager, Comic Relief Fanzi Down, Commercial Director, DPS Designs Paul Hutton, President, Entertainment Technology Partners Robert Johnson, former Global Purchasing Director, Jaguar Land Rover Teresa Moore, Director, AGF AGreenerFuture Michael Pooley, Managing Director, purpose-made solutions ltd Andrew Potter, Strategic Advisor, UN World Food Programme John Steel, Chief Executive Officer, Cafédirect Giles Orr, Head of Business & External Engagement at Oxford Brookes Business School, added: “This is an amazing array of people who have launched successful companies and done incredible things in industry. We are looking forward to working with them over the next two years.” Photo Credit: Cyrus Mower.

BBC One’s Dragons’ Den is about to receive a massive shake-up in 2024, with ex-footballer Gary Neville officially entering the den as a guest dragon. Famous for being a star player for both Manchester United and England, and now as a regular pundit for Sky Sports, Gary Neville is also a keen businessman. In recent years, he has invested in property development, operates his own hotel, and also owns shares in the football club Salford City, which plays in League Two. However, Gary Neville is not the first ex-sports star to have taken up entrepreneurism after hanging up their playing boots, as research from Business Name Generator reveals five more sports stars turned successful investors. 1. Mathieu Flamini Whilst having a decent time in his footballing days playing for the likes of Arsenal and A.C. Milan, plus making three international appearances for France, Mathieu Flamini’s career really took off when he ventured into the world of investing. Flamini is a co-founder and partner of GF Biochemicals, one of the world’s leading producers of levulinic acid, which is used in various industries as a sustainable alternative in plastics, solvents, fuels and pharmaceutical products. What’s more, Flamini helped to establish this business in 2010, when he was just 26 years old and still quite early into his football career. Having only retired from football in 2019, Flamini was technically one of the world’s richest footballers during his playing days, due to his success in the business world. In 2020, Forbes estimated that Flamini’s net worth was approximately £10 billion, making him richer than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo combined. 2. Maria Sharapova One of the most famous women to ever wield the tennis racket, Maria Sharapova has won Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon, the US Open, the French Open and more, and she has swung for success in the business world, too. In 2012, Maria Sharapova launched her own confectionary brand, Sugarpova, with the company now valued at a very sweet £150 million. The retired tennis player has also invested in brands such as Tonal and Moonpay, as well as the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). In 2022, she joined the board of directors at luxury fashion brand, Moncler. In true Gary Neville style, Maria Sharapova has also appeared as a guest investor on Shark Tank, which is the US equivalent of Dragons’ Den. During her guest appearance on the show, she teamed up with Mark Cuban to invest $900,000 in Bala Bangles, the wrist and ankle weights company. 3. Shaquille O’Neal NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is one of the world’s most recognisable basketball players, and has continued his winning mentality even after retiring from the court in 2011. Standing at a whole 7 ft 1 in tall, Shaq’s business career has also reached dizzying heights. He has invested stock in some giant companies over the years including Apple, Pepsi and Google - where he was one of the company’s earliest investors. In more recent years, Shaq has invested heavily in huge food and drink brands. Most prominently with the burger restaurant chain, Five Guys, where he owned and later sold 10% of the company. He has also invested in Krispy Kreme (doughnuts), Auntie Anne’s (pretzels) and in 2019 joined the board of directors at Papa John’s (pizza). 4. Ryan Bertrand Potentially following in Flamini’s footsteps, Ryan Bertrand has started to make waves in business ventures off the pitch. The 33-year-old defender who has made 19 international appearances for England and is currently on the books at Leicester City. As well as this, he founded the fintech brokerage firm Silicon Markets back in 2015, while he was still playing for Southampton in the Premier League. Silicon Markets aimed to, “Bridge the gap between trading floors and the retail brokerage sector” by utilising AI and machine learning. The company was eventually sold to a Malaysian firm, meaning Ryan Bertrand saw the entire entrepreneur journey through from start to finish, all before he had even hung up his football boots. 5. David Beckham David Beckham is one of the most recognisable footballers not just in England, but the world over, having boasted a hugely successful career on the pitch representing the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid, and L.A. Galaxy. Such was Beckham’s fame on the pitch that he was able to build a hugely successful brand off it, one that he used to make a number of very smart business decisions and investments. The former England captain has made over $30 million through his company, DB Ventures Limited, and has pocketed even more through huge brand deals with companies such as Adidas, Pepsi, Sainsbury’s, Emporio Armani and much more. He has also been a patron for charities like Unicef, the Elton John AIDS Foundation and Help for Heroes. Meanwhile, Beckham has kept plenty of his investments in the world of football. In 2014, he spent $25 million to establish the MLS’ newest club, Inter Miami, who are due to sign superstar Lionel Messi this summer. In 2019, Beckham linked up with Gary Neville and the rest of his ‘Class of 92’ teammates to invest in Salford City - taking a 10% stake in the club.

Fabrication and Welding apprentices at Castleford College showed off their vast welding skills, as they took part in the SkillsWeld 2023 qualifiers. This saw apprentices complete four separate tests covering the three main types of welding processes - gas tungsten arc welding, stick welding and metal insert gas welding. Castleford College apprentices Benjamin Mace, Dale Robinson, Korey Wigglesworth, Paisley Mitchell, Oscar Emery and Zack Newall represented the North East, with student Kalum Smart representing Yorkshire and Humberside. Once the competition was completed, Stephen Haymes, from Engineering Skills Competitions, Clive Slocombe, from Code A Weld and Chris Porter, from Air Products, presented the apprentices with their certificates. Kalum Smart took home the first prize, with Korey Wigglesworth placing second and Dale Robinson third. The winners all received a bag of supplies to help them with their studies by Air Products and Code A Weld, who are both sponsors of the SkillsWeld 2023 competition. Oscar Emery, Level 3 Fabrication and Welding Apprentice with Yorkshire and Laser Fabrication, said: “Taking part in the SkillsWeld qualifiers really challenged my knowledge and skillset within welding and the different types of it. It was great to be able to apply the knowledge I’m learning day-to-day within my Apprenticeship to the tests. I always knew that I wanted to do an Apprenticeship once I’d finished school, as I wanted to earn whilst I learnt and be able to learn in a hands-on, practical environment.” Lucas Moon, who is also a Fabrication and Welding Apprentice with Yorkshire and Laser Fabrication, placed in the top four for Welding at the WorldSkills UK 2022 competition. Following his performance, Lucas has been selected to train on the squad for Great Britain’s Welding team and will compete in the European World Skills finals in Poland, in September 2023. He will then go on to the 47th WorldSkills competition in Lyon in France, in September 2024. Gary Wright, Fabrication and Welding Lecturer at Castleford College, said: “Lucas is a shining example of the success of the SkillsWeld competition, with him now placing in the top three Welders in the UK for under 25-year-olds. The competition is a fantastic way for our apprentices to further test and develop their welding skills and is a great addition to their CV. Myself and fellow tutors within the Engineering department are incredibly proud of them for taking part in the qualifiers and hope that we will have a number of apprentices at the national finals.” Held by WorldSkills and Engineering Skills Competitions, SkillsWeld is aimed at trainee and apprentice welders working and/or training in the welding industry at Level 2-3 or a higher level.