Monthly Archives: August 2020

Data, News, Tech, Tech Thought Leadership

What does the enforcement of CCPA mean for businesses?

Written by Martin Sugden, CEO Boldon James, a HelpSystems company 

Last month saw the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) enter the enforcement phase on 1st July, despite lobbying from some business groups to delay it, with many stating that owing to the impact of COVID-19, they wouldn’t be able to dedicate the manpower, resources and time to CCPA in order to prepare for it.

The implementation means that California’s Attorney General (AG) will be able to take direct action against businesses that violate the privacy protection requirements of the CCPA. The law has been in effect since 1st January 2020, but until now enforcement was limited to civil actions brought by consumers against violators.

Over the last few months, the AG’s office has been busy finalising how to assess penalties, how to define a breach and how to justify the size of a fine levied for violating the CCPA. Already, the extent to which businesses are concerned about meeting these new regulations is evidenced by the calls to delay the start of enforcement. However, California’s Attorney General Xavier Becerra was unmoved on the timing, stating that enforcement of the regulation would commence as planned and saying: “We encourage businesses to be particularly mindful of data security in this time of emergency.”

For those less familiar, the CCPA is a state-wide data privacy law that regulates how businesses all over the world can handle the personal information (PI) of California residents.  It is the US (Californian) counterpart of the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which came into force in May 2018.  However, the difference between GDPR and CCPA is that the CCPA’s definition is extra-personal, meaning that it includes data that is not specific to an individual, but is categorised as household data, whereas the GDPR remains exclusively individual.

Not long ago organisations operated closed systems, with most data processing taking place in their own environment and the ability to communicate directly with the outside world limited to email and telephone. The data protection laws in place then were benign, with only repeat or very serious offenders receiving a fine. The data protection landscape and its associated compliance environment changed fundamentally with the implementation of the GDPR, with many other privacy regulations following suit around the globe. California is the first US state to address the issue, however, Singapore, India and many other large economies have already published GDPR equivalents each with their own local flavour.

Now that CCPA is in force, it will be interesting to see what size of fines and types of action will be issued. It was about a year after the launch of GDPR, that the first fines were issued by the ICO and they left no one in any doubt that this regulation has teeth. Record financial penalties for organisations such as Google, Facebook, Marriott and British Airways were a salutary lesson to businesses across the board that they cannot afford to fail against these regulations. Increasing public awareness of privacy rights means the damage is not just financial, but reputational too, a factor that is infinitely more difficult to measure, but can be catastrophic and long-lasting.

The tone from the various regulatory bodies’ communications around COVID-19 indicates that businesses cannot afford to take their eye off the data protection ball, even during these challenging times and California having gone ahead of the other states is clearly serious about data protetction.

When it comes to privacy, most countries have aligned to the standard of GDPR with some appropriate domestic legislation incorporated, such as I’ve indicated above with regard to CCPA. Therefore, I would say that if organisations work to incorporate GDPR requirements – including the mandate to ensure data protection by design and default – into their compliance regime, they won’t go far wrong.

So how do you comply and get some value for your organisation? While compliance with data protection regulations is non-negotiable and the penalties for failure are severe, it is a mistake to see compliance solely as an inevitable burden. With an intelligent and proactive approach, organisations can pivot from viewing compliance only as an expense and turn it into a positive competitive differentiator and one that, over the long term, will deliver efficiencies and cost reductions.

With this in mind, what steps should organisations take to sensibly adopt a better data protection posture and with it, build a firm foundation towards onward compliance? This is where data classification is a robust and critical first step in any compliance and data protection strategy.   Data classification is defined as a tool for the categorisation of data to enable organisations to effectively answer questions around what data types are available and where and how certain data is located, shared, and used.  Here at Boldon James we have been helping organisations for over 35 years put in place the right data classification and secure messaging, to meet their compliance objectives.  Therefore, as CCPA is now in force, I thought it would be helpful to share a few pointers to home in on when looking at data classification and your compliance strategy:

  • IT security and operations do not own business data – so do not look to the CISO for all the answers, his job is to help you, not do your job.
  • Identify and engage stakeholders right across the business, including risk, legal, and compliance. This is critical to the success of your compliance programme.
  • Data stewardship will correctly align to regulations only when the data owners are identified and engaged.
  • Organisations must educate users about the sensitivity of data and ensure the appropriate controls are in place around confidential and sensitive information.
  • Alert users in real time that their actions may involve risk, for example, when data is leaving the organisation to warn them before sending messages that contain sensitive information. Allowing an automated gateway to put it in a queue slows the business down and helps no one.
  • The first step is the need to classify or label data with visual labels to highlight any specific handling requirements.
  • Then, secondly, ensure metadata labels can be read by other security tools to enforce security controls to stop unauthorised distribution of data.
  • Link data classification tools to solutions such as DLP, encryption, access control and rights management to enhance overall data protection.
  • Make sure you provide critical audit information on classification events to enable remediation activity and determine your compliance position to the regulatory authorities.

It will be interesting to see how CCPA is adopted and how draconian the first few fines are.  Hopefully, the pointers I’ve outlined above will set you on the right path and keep your business out of the headlines.  If you are interested in finding out more about how data classification can help, why not download our whitepaper Classification By Design: The Foundation of Effective Data Protection Compliance.

FInance, Finance News, News

Wesleyan Bank provides new block facility to support Genesis’ CBILS drive

Genesis Asset Finance (Genesis) has secured a new £1 million block discounting facility from Wesleyan Bank. The additional funding will enable Genesis to continue to support businesses under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), as well as underpinning its own growth ambitions.

To date, Genesis has approved over £1.1 million of CBILS facilities for existing and new customers in a range of sectors across England and Wales. Since its formation in 2000, the independent family-run business has provided over £10 million of funding to UK SMEs.

Wesleyan Bank launched its block discounting offering at the beginning of this year. Despite the impact of COVID-19, it has approved a number of significant wholesale finance facilities for asset related investments and general working capital requirements. In addition, the specialist commercial finance provider has expanded its back-office support and wholesale expertise to meet rising demand.

Richard Baker, Head of Block Discounting at Wesleyan Bank, comments, “We’ve remained open for business and have been talking to potential new customers throughout the pandemic. In addition, we’ve utilised this period to proactively develop and speed-up our internal processes and systems. We’re building facilities around our partners’ needs and are pleased to complement Genesis’s existing portfolio of wholesale funders.”

Andrew Frost, Director at Genesis Asset Finance, says, “This new facility from Wesleyan Bank complements our existing financing sources and enables us to continue to support businesses let down by other lenders at a time of significant economic uncertainty. The facility terms offered were very competitive and Wesleyan Bank’s service focused approach mirrors our own business model in going the extra mile to put customer relationships at the heart of all we do.”

Appointments, Creative News, News

Oxfordshire video production agency appoints brand new animator

Oxfordshire based video production agency, RAW Pictures are delighted to announce the appointment of their first animator, Rebecca Miller who has just joined the team.

Rebecca Miller, who has just this year graduated from Norwich University of the Arts with a 1st class honours degree in Animation joins the team of specialists at RAW Pictures who are established in creating promotional films for business and video marketing campaigns for clients.

Will Littlewood, Head of Production at RAW Pictures comments on the agency’s latest hire:

“We were hiring for the role having seen a big increase recently in animation requests from clients, possibly due to the current climate and the fact that live action filming was made much more difficult by lockdown. Rebecca got in touch with us initially looking for work experience having graduated earlier this year and we were really impressed by her skillset and work ethic in a couple of freelance projects she did for us, that we decided to bring her on full time in house.

Animation has seen a huge boost in recent months and regardless of the shift in lifestyle and routine during current times, it’s been a growing marketing tool for a long time now”.

Rebecca’s experience in 2D and 3D animation with a background in illustration has seen her work featured in children’s books and covers as well as music videos.

Will Littlewood, added: “It’s a huge benefit to us and she’s really fallen on her feet with her work so far. She’s a great addition to the team and we’re happy to have her on board. It’s also really positive that we’re growing the team given how this year has been, so hopefully this means bigger and better things to come”. 

To find out more about Raw Pictures and their services, you can visit: https://www.rawpictures.co.uk/

 

Cybersecurity, News, Start Ups

Cybersecurity becomes the fastest growing start-up sector in UK during Covid-19

  • Funding increased by 940% since beginning of lockdown – compared to same period last year
  • £496m raised by UK cybersec firms in first half of 2020
  • 44% increase in no. of cybersec start-ups in past 2 years
  • New cybersec business registered every week
  • 90% of infosec sector is made up of fast-growing SME’s
  • 55% of the UK’s cyber start-ups based outside of London
  • No. of cybersec start-ups in North doubled in last 2 years
  • 138% increase in cybersec hiring in the North – whilst London stalls

Funding has increased by a staggering 940% for UK cybersecurity start-ups since the beginning of lockdown – with £496m being raised in the first half of 2020, almost outstripping the 2019 total of £521m.

Investors have been quick to put their money towards start-ups specialising in cyber risk management, as the pandemic forced CEO’s to look beyond just financial or regulatory risk.

The findings come from a new report by global recruiter Robert Walters and data provider VacancySoft – Cybersecurity: Building Business Resilience – which claims that business spending on cybersecurity will double to £136bn this year.

Darius Goodarzi, Principal – Information Security and IT Risk at Robert Walters, comments:

“For years the UK has been building its reputation as a beacon of innovation and investment in cybersecurity. This year in particular cybersecurity start-ups have risen to become business heroes – from tools that alert users to security vulnerabilities, to those that spot fraudulent activity — these news firms and tools have taken an important role in protecting our ‘new world.”

According to the governments Cyber Security Sectoral Analysis 2020 there are 1,221 firms active within the UK providing cyber security products and services – a 44% increase in the last two years – indicating that a new cyber security business is registered every week within the UK. Of this, 90% of the sector consists of SMEs – with an associated estimated turnover of £2bn (24% of the sector’s revenues).

Ajay Hayre – Senior Consultant Technology at Robert Walters – comments:

“Historically IT security has represented only 5% of a company’s IT budget but due to remote working and transition to online or cloud-based solutions, cybersecurity has been thrust to the centre of business continuity plans – having proved its worth in enabling business objectives during lockdown.

“Not only will every company see the benefit of having this expertise in-house, but they will be looking externally for tools, services and advisors to help guarantee the future-proofing of their business by way of solid and robust cybersecurity provisions.”

Demand for Consultancies

With 48% of UK companies stating they do not have adequate cyber security to enable long term remote working, and a further 70% of companies across Europe admitting that they do not have a sufficient cyber security team in general, it seems the race is on to hire talent in this area – with job vacancies growing by 6% in the UK for the first half of this year.

However with a talent shortage across the continent of 140,000, companies are being left with no choice but to turn to cybersecurity consultancies. In fact, such is the demand that cybersecurity consultancies are one of the fastest growing start-ups in the UK – now at 1,000 companies with the average number of employees being just 10.

Adam Casey – Managing Director at i3Secure – a UK-based Cyber Security and Data Protection consultancy – comments:

“The pace at which companies are having to undergo digital transformation means security projects will be rife, add to that a period of ‘rationalisation’ – where firms will need to check whether what they fitted ‘overnight’ is totally secure and fit for purpose. As a result, one of the main drives for cyber security over the next 12 months will be to amend and create sustainable and secure systems.

“With this, a trend we expect to manifest is an increase in ‘Cyber Audits’ performed by specialist external providers, as a way of helping companies test their resilience and identify vulnerabilities.

“Companies are increasingly out-sourcing projects to these new & exciting firms promising efficient project delivery, in place of hiring a CISO and in-house team at a significant cost to the company.”

The North is Rising

Unlike the tech sector as a whole, where 80% of VC funding goes to London and just 20% to the rest of the UK – within cybersecurity the success is nationwide, with 55% of the UK’s cyber start-ups based outside of London.

In the North West of England, the number of cybersecurity start-ups has more than doubled in the past two years from 39 registered firms to 80.

This is also prevalent in hiring patterns, where traditionally London has been the centre for IT security hiring – representing 41% of total jobs in the UK – roles are emerging more evenly across the country.

In fact, year-on-year cybersec roles in Yorkshire and the North East have exploded by +138% – with the region now making up 18% of overall cyber security hires.

Ahsan Iqbal, Director of Technology at Robert Walters, comments:

“With part-remote working here to stay for the foreseeable, removal of geographical barriers is allowing companies to make tactical hires outside of London. Not only is cost saving an advantage here, but the North has built up a reputation for its highly skilled and experienced pool of tech talent.”

COVID-19, Finance News, News, Research

60% of leaders re-evaluating investment in change & transformation since COVID-19 – but only a third are committing to higher spend

New research from Gobeyond Partners, the consulting firm focused on customer journey transformation, and Webhelp, Europe’s leading provider of outsourced customer engagement services, has today revealed that over 60% of business leaders are re-evaluating how much they will be investing in change and transformation since COVID-19, yet only a third of survey respondents are committing to a higher spend in this area.  

Gobeyond Partners and Webhelp surveyed 500 respondents at director level and above across a range of industries about the impact of COVID-19 on their businesses. By combining Webhelp’s expertise in customer engagement with Gobeyond Partners’ customer journey design and transformation capabilities, the two organisations were able to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 across a number of key areas and offer recommendations to businesses as they start to plan towards a post pandemic world. When it comes to the issue of transformation, the research highlights the value of an intelligent use of rightsourcing* which will be crucial for businesses to establish the most cost effective and relevant solutions to support the flexibility and speed needed during this transition period. 

Change and transformation are two of a number of data points highlighted in the joint research and accompanying report by Gobeyond Partners and Webhelp which explores how consumers arenow demanding more human experiences, even in digital environments, and why organisations must balance agility and adaptability against a clear focus on maximising value from investment in transformation.

Mark Palmer, CEO of Gobeyond Partners comments on the findings: “As the urgency for change and transformation intensifies in our new reality, it raises some pivotal questions. How different willservice look and feel in the future? How will businesses and their operations need to adapt? And how can employers engage and support their colleagues to deliver on new customer promises? The engineering of an authentic human experience in the digital world will need a delicate balance, and companies will need to work hard to create service transformation that satisfies both these needs. This may expose a lack of capability and flexibility inherent in many organisations, due to a lack of investment. For brands to survive, leaders can no longer pay lip service to digital transformation and digital must be fully integrated into the overall operating model.”

Other key findings from the joint research include:

  1. 70% of businesses have seen a direct impact to their bottom line as a result of COVID-19, with more than half being negatively affected. 
  2. These financial impacts are expected to last, with more than 80% of respondents believing they will be financially impacted for six months or more and 50% expecting their finances to be affected for more than a year. 
  3. Companies that have been affected negatively by COVID-19 are twice as likely to expect cuts to their transformation budgets after the pandemic has subsided.

Craig Gibson, Chief Growth Officer at Webhelp Group continues: “Overall whilst budgets may reduce, spend on individual change and transformation programmes should not be reduced commensurately. Instead, the entire change portfolio should be reviewed and reprioritised. Now is the time to focus on and invest in a critical, clear and concise set of priorities, which the whole organisation can communicate and contribute to. This will ensure that the most critical agenda items will accelerate, without depleting vital cash reserves.”

*Rightsourcing is the process involved in selecting the best way to deliver services based on what a business needs resulting in the most appropriate sourcing arrangement to help organisations meet their strategic goals. 

News

Norwegian Block Exchange (NBX) has joined Norwegian Airlines’ loyalty program

Norwegian Block Exchange (NBX), started as a spin-off from Norwegian Air Shuttle (NAS) – a company with a strong track record of bringing disruptive business models to the global market, now makes it possible for anyone to trade cryptocurrency, earn CashPoints and exchange them for NAS services – flight tickets, seat bookings, changes to booking, etc.

Over the past few months, global interest in Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies has reached a fever pitch. With this trend showing no signs of slowing down, there has never been a better time to introduce new ways for everyone to get involved in cryptocurrencies.

Enter Norwegian Block Exchange and CashPoints

Get onboarded on Norway’s pioneering cryptocurrency exchange and earn CashPoints every time you make a trade: buy or sell cryptocurrency to get you in the air faster with 10-20% CashPoints earned on the trading fees paid.

“The increased interest in cryptocurrencies over the past years is now attracting traditional businesses to this new market.”, says Stig Aleksander Kjos-Mathisen, Managing Director of NBX. “Most cryptocurrency exchanges offer their customers standard loyalty schemes, but we decided to go the other way and provide an existing cash back option that is widely used in the real world. Getting a plane ticket as a result of simply buying or trading, for example, Bitcoin is an attractive offer for many.”

Bjørn Kjos adds, “Being able to offer the NBX’s customers access and benefits given by the award winning loyalty program is a true joy. On the other hand, we are also giving 10 million Reward customers the possibility to earn CashPoints while accessing the future of finance. It is a win-win for all parties.”

Making your first trade on NBX is easy:
– Create an account for yourself.
– Verify your identity to be able to perform actions on the platform.
– Register your Norwegian Reward Number directly in your NBX account.
– Deposit cryptocurrency or fiat money.
– Buy or sell cryptocurrency of your choice.
– Earn 20% CashPoints on trading fees paid during the August and September of 2020.

For more information on Norwegian Block Exchange, please go to: https://nbx.com

Finance News, News

Why alternative lenders mustn’t be frozen out during Covid-19 crisis

By Douglas Grant, Director of Conister Finance & Leasing Limited

There are around 5.9 million small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs, or any business with fewer than 250 employees) in the UK according to the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills. Seen to be the backbone of any healthy economy, they drive growth, create a group of skilled and semi-skilled workers, generate competition and encourage innovation across a range of industries, as well as supporting future industrial and business expansion in the country. They keep the business sector energised, generating a healthy flow of new skills and ideas.

Since 2008, alternative lenders have risen in prominence, working alongside larger more traditional clearing banks, offering a funnel of vital liquidity through tailored and flexible lending solutions to SMEs. Today there are significant amounts of private capital (often referred to as dry powder) waiting to be invested in resilient SMEs and the market share of clearing banks has fallen significantly in a far more diversified lending sector. In the last 12 years, banks have also become much better capitalised than during the Global Financial Crisis. Previously businesses could service debt from remaining cash flows with little or no capital for investment which resulted in a zombie status for many UK SME borrowers. Today, the environment is very different although this trend has not disappeared. In fact, as a result of Covid-19, it is estimated the trend could develop further given the potential that businesses may build up £100 billion of debt1 by next March.

The UK Government has been quick to back sectors post Covid-19 that are resilient to recessions and market volatility, providing financial security and protection through initiatives such as the bounce-back loans scheme. This is where alternative lenders that understand the very basic needs of specialist SMEs, often in their lending infancy and operating in sectors such as infrastructure, technology and renewables, can provide the additional support and natural lending progression alongside the larger clearing banks. Alternative lenders understand the characteristics of specialist SMEs and with the flexibility they offer, empower their staff to make judgement calls on capital requirements.

The economy though is facing a double dip recession that could last well into late 2021 and it will need these resilient sectors to be protected with their existence guaranteed. Many clearing banks are working tirelessly to process emergency loan applications but with pressures piling up – for example from within their mortgage lending divisions – a lot of SMEs will become unsustainable, with some estimates predicting 780,0001 insolvent SMEs. It was concerning therefore to see that alternative lenders are potentially unlikely to receive much financing from the Bank of England to deliver emergency government loans. It is crucial that clearing banks pass on finance from the Bank of England to alternative lenders and find a way to make it work on commercial terms. SMEs must have a tripartite level of support from Government, alternative and traditional lenders working together in these difficult times.

As traditional banks deal with the impact of Covid-19 around their balance sheets, it is likely that they will have to pause financing discussions around succession and growth financing as well as recapitalisations, in order to redirect resources to addressing an enormous influx of CBILS applications from capital-starved SMEs. Those resilient SMEs who have weathered the pandemic best in their sector will be able to benefit from the potential acquisition opportunities to increase their market share and will need capital to carry this out. Alternative lenders have the know-how and flexibility to help process this type of financing quickly and effectively. Without legacy loan books and unencumbered by CBILS applications coupled with high levels of dry powder, alternative lenders working together with clearing banks can help to execute rapid credit decisions on flexible terms.

The UK business sector as a whole needs both more financial support for the alternative lending sector which is working together with traditional banks but also more sustainable initiatives to support SMEs in more resilient sectors from the Bank of England as we come to terms with an increasingly capital hungry economy – an issue that necessitates urgent attention.

FInance, Finance News, News, News from Wales, North Wales, Recruitment News

Flintshire recruitment company is the right candidate for post-COVID growth thanks to RBS support

Recruitment and training services provider, Enbarr Enterprises, has secured a £300,000 funding package from Royal Bank of Scotland Invoice Finance to support the business through the coronavirus pandemic and drive forward growth plans.

The Flintshire-based company, which specialises in recruitment and upskilling workforces in organisations in the manufacturing, distribution, innovation and space, engineering, and third sector industries, will use the funding to boost cashflow until lockdown restrictions are fully lifted.

Enbarr’s Managing Director, Vicki Roskams, founded the business in 2015 to help clients with their recruitment, training requirements and upskilling their current workforce. The business also works with candidates in the local area looking for new roles. Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, the firm expected to turnover up to £3 million this year.

However, the impact of lockdown meant hiring ambitions for many of Enbarr’s clients were put on hold. And, while the business quickly pivoted into training key sectors like skilled cleaning for COVID-19 to secure workplaces, demand for Enbarr’s core services dropped in lockdown.

The funding from NatWest will allow Enbarr to see through this challenging period while providing enough supporting capital to allow the business to continue its growth plans once lockdown restrictions are lifted. The funding has also been used to upgrade Enbarr’s IT and digital connectivity to make it easier for its customers to access its services online.

The additional capital will also support the recruitment and training firm as it brings its two key members of staff back from furlough.

Vicki said: “The last six months have been challenging to say the least and without this funding and support, I believe the future sustainability and story of our organisation would not have been so positive.”

“The team at NatWest have supported us from the beginning of the pandemic and as a result, we should be in a strong enough position to continue with our growth ambitions after lockdown and once our full team have returned to the office.”

Bathgate Leasing Limited introduced Vicki to Business Development Managers, Maria Fraughan and Steven Phillips.

Steven said: “Recruitment & Training businesses like Enbarr rely on a strong economy and active job market, so when both were impacted by lockdown, it was important that we stepped in and helped as much as possible.

“Considering the company is only five years old, Enbarr has an impressive turnover and that’s testament to Vicki and her team’s drive to grow the business. We’re confident they’ll come out of this stronger and meet the company’s future growth ambitions.”

Education, News

New research highlights the most lucrative languages in the UK

There are many reasons to learn a second language, both professionally and personally. In fact, according to online educational platform Preply, almost 40% of users learn a new language to grow professionally.

Employment rates in the UK have increased by 0.3% in the last year therefore standing out from the crowd with the advantage of being able to speak another language has never been more important.

To help multilingual workers in the UK looking to enter a new field, or inspire those debating on which language to learn for work purposes, Preply has created an interactive map showcasing the most lucrative languages across the UK alongside the average wage, top sectors and locations3, the map also showcases data for both the USA and Australia. 

Arabic revealed as the UK’s most lucrative language

Arabic has been unveiled as the most lucrative language across the UK. With the average UK salary currently at £30,4204, this could increase by 74% if you’re able to speak Arabic. What’s more, teaching is the sector with the highest demand for Arabic-speaking candidates.

Mandarin and Dutch follow closely behind.

The top five most lucrative languages, alongside the average wage and region/sector with the highest demand for workers who can speak the language, are as follows:

Language Average wage Region and sector
Arabic £52,806 South East England, Teaching
Mandarin £44,664 Eastern England, Teaching
Dutch £44,157 Eastern England, IT
German £41,227 Eastern England, Teaching
French £40,894 Eastern England, Engineering

For those considering learning one of the most sought-after languages, it costs around £11-£16 per hour, on average, to learn with a dedicated Preply tutor.

Explaining how learning a second language helped to elevate her career, Ylenia Raia, a Preply tutor based in London, says: “I’m a teacher as well as an interpreter. I’m currently living in London and because I can speak fluent English and Italian, I’m able to teach English to students based in Italy. So far, I’ve had many results in my career due to being able to speak another language, and I love sharing my knowledge with everyone I work with.” 

Summarising the findings, Kirill Bigai, CEO and co-founder at Preply, expresses: “It’s interesting to see which languages are the most lucrative across the UK and just how in-demand they are.

“Being fluent in two or more languages will always give you an edge over a monolingual candidate when it comes to job interviews and these opportunities exist in many businesses from health care, to education and tourism. As outlined, language skills also lead to an increase in salary.

“Whatever your career aspiration might be, with the additional skill of being able to speak another language, you’ll certainly thrive and reach your goals.”

Other lucrative languages in the UK include Spanish and Italian. Click here to find out more: https://preply.com/en/d/lucrative-languages/

Charity & CSR, Sport

Football club celebrates 10 years of fundraising success with African prison partnership

A POPULAR community football team celebrating 10 years of fundraising success has netted new partnerships in lockdown – including an African prison’s soccer squad.

The North Wales Dragons refused to let the Coronavirus pandemic stand in the way of their drive to support social change and raise much needed funds for charities and health organisations across the UK.

Made up of players aged 16 to 65 years old, the team came together a decade ago for a charity soccer match and have been together ever since, highlighting the importance of sport and exercise in creating a positive environment.

Co-founder Chris Roberts, from Colwyn Bay, said while 2020 has been “hugely challenging” there have been positives for the Dragons.

“Since the turn of the year we have made huge strides, though of course the COVID-19 pandemic has had an effect,” he said.

“We had visited universities, attended charity events and even had the opportunity to attend Celtic Park in Glasgow, to find out more about how a top-flight football club deals with social conscience.

“The team also played in a match to raise awareness of men’s mental health awareness in Leeds and attended a diversity fashion show in Manchester.”

Chris added: “The lockdown period put an end to our plans to be at more events this year, which is a huge shame, but behind closed doors we have continued to be busy.”

Other progress includes a new collaboration with Bangor University Sports Centre, the creation of the North Wales Dragons Women’s team, and donations to local foodbanks, hospitals and cancer and children’s charities.

They even formed a partnership with Hearts of Ruiru Sports FC, a club with players drawn from a prison and community in Nairobi, Kenya, and will be delivering memory workshops to dementia sufferers when it is safe to do so, with social distancing measures in place.

Chris added: “There are many reasons for us to be positive about the future after what has been an unprecedented few months.

“For anyone out there who needs us; if you are struggling, need someone to talk to or want to work together with North Wales Dragons to help make a difference, please get in touch.”

For more information, visit the website www.northwalesdragons.co.uk or email chris@northwalesdragons.co.uk