Monthly Archives: October 2020

Food & Drink, News

Have the ultimate Halloween ‘fright in’ with M&S Food…

Halloween celebrations are set to be a little different this year but we’re all still looking forward to the spookiest of seasons – and a bit of light-hearted family fun. 2020 will become the year of Halloween-at-home, centered around family feasting, as we all look to create the ultimate ‘fright in’!

This year the Marks and Spencers Halloween range is better than ever before, with innovative new products for all the family, like vegan-friendly Petrifying Popping Candy Brain – an EPIC jelly centrepiece with candy that pops for over an hour! Available in the company’s 3 for £10 Squeal Deal across limited-edition meals and desserts, which also includes the likes of their signature flavour Toffee Apple Bangers (the best banger of the season!).

We couldn’t celebrate without our favourite caterpillar and, especially for the spooky season, M&S  bring you Frankencolin, decorated with nuts and bolts! At our in store bakeries, their famous Yumnuts have had a Halloween makeover – the new Yummy Mummy Yumnuts are set to be the season’s MUST-HAVE, only £1.35 each. Sticky Toffee Cookies are the ultimate treat on the go, just 75p each.

The popular Pumpkin Shaped Bloomer (above) is perfect for a spooky start to the day, at just £2. There’s also a whole host of fa-boo-lous family sweet treats too!

Perfect for carving with all the family, you can also pick up pumpkins at hair-raisingly low prices too – just 65p each. Whether you celebrate Halloween virtually or in person, you can pick-up everything  you need for a family feast at M&S Food.

Please note products launch on various dates – each specified below.

All available in M&S Food stores from 7th October:

 

Yummy Mummy Yumnuts

£1.35 each at M&S in store bakeries

Our famous Yumnuts have had a Halloween makeover! These light and fluffy Yumnuts are enrobed in white fondant bandages with two spooky eyes!

 

 

Pumpkin Shaped Bloomer

£2.00 at M&S in store bakeries

Perfect for a spooky start to the day, the bloomer is made with British flour and finished with a malted semolina topping for a delicious flavour and crunchy texture.

 

Sticky Toffee Cookie – 75p each at M&S in store bakeries

These sticky toffee cookies are perfect on the go, at your desk or in front of a Halloween movie! Deliciously rich, made with dark chocolate, toffee pieces and caramel pieces

Available in stores from 14th October.

Frankencolin the Caterpillar / Mini Frankencolins

£10, 640g / £2.25, 5 pack

Colin’s gone creepy! No night in would be complete without Colin the Caterpillar, and this year you can invite Frankencolin along! Choose our full-size version, a chocolate sponge roll smothered in chocolate and decorated with nuts and bolts, or Mini Frankencolins, with tasty (and super scary) chocolate faces!

 

Petrifying Popping Candy Brain (Vegan)

£4.50, 635g

Available on 3 for £10 deal

POPS FOR OVER AN HOUR! This EPIC vegan-friendly centrepiece is set to become the ultimate family favourite this Halloween. The apple flavoured jelly is shaped into a gruesome brain, with a raspberry drizzle and popping candy sprinkle. Pour the candy over before serving for an hour of spooky family fun! Available in M&S Food stores from 26th October.

Available in stores from 26th October.

Frighteningly Tasty Feasts

2 Halloween Burgers, 

£4, 302g

Available on 3 for £10 deal

Perfect for an indoor or outdoor BBQ, these spooky burgers are made with British beef, with pockets of molten Cheddar cheese, topped with a blackened seasoning face – salt, pepper and dried herbs.

Mummy Meatloaf

£4.50, 450g

Available on 3 for £10 deal

Our favourite puff pastry mummy has made a comeback for 2020! A delicious mix of mince beef with mature cheddar and smoked bacon, wrapped in flaky butter enriched puff pastry.

Toffee Apple Bangers

£4, 590g

Available on 3 for £10 deal

Perfect for Halloween or Bonfire Night BBQS, these delicious bangers are set to be a favourite of the season! British pork sausages with Bramley apple pieces with a sticky toffee glaze.

 

Eerie Eyeball Margarita Pizza

£4, 398g

Available on 3 for £10 deal.

A delicious vegetarian stone baked pizza with a gory garnish of cheese, red pepper veins and terrifying tomatoes.

 

Devilishly Hot Pizza

£4, 480g

Available on 3 for £10 deal.

A devilishly delicious stone baked pizza topped with spicy tomato relish, mozzarella, pepperoni & spicy Roquito peppers.

 

Plant Kitchen Firecracker Ghouliflower Popcorn (Vegan)

£4.50, 300g.  Available on 3 for £10 deal. Celebrate Halloween with our bestselling Plant Kitchen battered and spiced cauliflower popcorn, served with smokey BBQ sauce.

 

 

 

Terror-fic Treats

Available in stores now

Dracula’s Blood Fruity Drink

£1.50, 1l

A creepy crimson brew, perfect for big and small kids alike. This high juice squash is full of fruity flavour – apple, strawberry and raspberry, with no added sugar.

 

 

Fruity Gruesome Treats Tub         

£4, 800g

A tub of fruity jelly brains, bones, hearts and skulls. Perfect for sharing in front of a scary family film!

 

 

40 Monstrous Milk Chocolate Treats – £5, 432g – REDUCED TO £4 FROM 13TH OCTOBER

Spectacularly spooky milk chocolate bars, individually wrapped to share with big and little monsters

40 Fruity Gruesome Sweet Treats – £5, 490g – REDUCED TO £4 FROM 13TH OCTOBER

Fruity body parts, strawberry vampire veins and sour apple mummy bandages, all individually wrapped.

 

Super-Spooky Halloween Treats – available in store now:

Pick up spooky Halloween treats for all the family –  all available on 3 for 2 deal. Available in stores now.

Creepy Milk Chocolate Choco-Pops

£1.50 each, 24g. Milk chocolate foiled lollipops

Bubbly Boo!

65p, 23g. Bubbly wrapped milk chocolate

Creepy Peeper and Goolish Gang Chocolates

£2, 130g. Nets of milk chocolates for little monsters to munch

Fizzy Wizzy Bats

£1, 110g. Blackcurrant and cola flavour jelly sweets – so sour they’ll send you batty!

Oozing Skulls

£1 110g. Strawberry flavoured jelly sweets

Get the Party Started

Spooky decorations in store now

Halloween Novelty Pumpkin and Ghost Ceramic

£5 each

Luminsecent spooky succulents, perfect as a fun Halloween gift!

 

 

Petrifying Pumpkins, 65p each>

Our M&S Select Farms medium pumpkins are perfect for carving, and their sweet and tender flesh is delicious! Ideal for roasting and blitzing into soup – perfect paired with our Pumpkin Shaped Bloomer.

 

 

 

News

Serial entrepreneur organises virtual conference to tackle mental health in work

A serial entrepreneur and bestselling author from Wales has highlighted the pressing need for a greater awareness of the importance of mental health in the workplace – especially in the context of the challenges of COVID-19.

For Bernie Davies, a former lawyer, restaurateur, motivational speaker and owner of the Introbiz West Wales franchise, this is such a pressing topic that she has organised a one-day virtual conference dedicated to tackling this challenge, scheduled for Thursday October 15.

The event will feature a number of keynote speakers with personal experience of mental health challenges. They include Andrea Byrne, one of the best known news presenters of ITV News, who will share how she overcame personal challenges relating to infertility; Sue Worrall, a champion for nutrition and wellbeing; Mark Colbourne MBE Paralympic champion and international speaker; and Emma Jay, a stress management coach who supports several businesses with stress management during the pandemic.

The event is sponsored by Ministry of Furniture, the business that emerged from the closure of the Port Talbot Remploy factory in 2013, which designs and creates inspirational interiors for the smallest or largest workplaces – and has social values at its heart. Graham Hirst, managing director of Ministry of Furniture, will also speak at the event.

Health and wellbeing have always been dear to Bernie Davies’ heart. For over 14 years Bernie‘s son has battled mental health challenges. In the context of the challenges so many are facing due to the COVID-19 lockdown, she believes that employers must push the importance of mental health even further up the agenda. This has also been reflected in the many coaching and mentoring sessions Bernie participates in, helping individuals fulfil their potential in business.

Last Saturday was World Mental Health Day – an international day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries. Bernie says this occasion also prompted a lot of discussion around the importance of mental health.

“We are living through unprecedented times when so many people are facing challenges on so many levels,” she said. “I am constantly speaking to businesses about the challenges they face, and I realised just how high up the agenda this has become for so many people. The best way of dealing with these issues is to be open and transparent about the challenges we are all facing and help each other. I was inspired to organise an event that addresses this topic, and I am delighted with the support we have received from speakers and delegates so far.”

Bernie recently formed a new venture, Bernie Davies Global, which has the stated aim of helping businesses and other entrepreneurs navigate the pitfalls of getting back to a new normal post COVID-19 lockdown – and ready to embrace the opportunities that emerge.

Bernie has also recently published a new book designed to help individuals fulfil their potential in business by better understanding what is truly unique about them – and the businesses they have created.

‘Your Business, Your Way’, No 1 on Amazons Hot New Releases list in the HR-Training category, builds on Bernie’s previous work the ‘Networking Handbook’, which has been used by hundreds of entrepreneurs to upskill themselves in the art of networking. Bernie argues that networking in the right way leaves an indelible imprint on those you meet, a phenomenon she calls the ‘You Print’.

Bernie boasts a remarkable CV. An attorney-at-law by training, she became head of property at NewLaw Solicitors, a role in which she became a successful networker, Dynamo Role Model for the Welsh Government and now Business Wales Mentor. She has since built a career as a serial entrepreneur, business strategist, motivational speaker and author. She launched a much-loved chain of restaurants called Jamaican Jill’s and owns Introbiz West Wales – a successful networking franchise.

She was also a founding council member of the South Wales Chamber of Commerce, chair of the Neath Chamber of Trade, sits on the Black History Wales Management committee and has received numerous accolades including Best Caribbean Restaurant in Wales 2019, Swansea Black Icon 2019 and Excellence in Business 2017, an award associated with Black History Month. She was also voted in the Top 100 Business Women in Wales 2017.

If you would like to attend the virtual event on health and wellbeing, please visit the following link and register: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/healthy-you-healthy-business-wellbeing-summit-tickets-121981410683

‘Your Business, Your Way’ can be purchased in Kindle and paperback at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Business-Way-Perspective-Development-ebook/dp/B08FNJHRLF

News

Bidwedge announces partnership with World Food Travel Association

Bidwedge and the World Food Travel Association have confirmed a partnership designed to bring both businesses to a wider audience and deliver added benefits to their customers/members.

Bidwedge is an online platform that makes it easy to change your left-over cash currency back into Sterling – at great rates for even the smallest amounts. Simply enter the amount, hit ‘show me the money’, post the cash and watch the pounds appear in your bank account. It’s easy to do – and every transaction is insured.

The World Food Travel Association is the world’s leading authority on food and beverage tourism. It works to preserve and promote culinary cultures through hospitality and tourism.

The partnership will involve a range of co-marketing initiatives over the next 12 months including sponsorship of the pioneering Food Travel Talk TV.

“With both businesses focused on travel the fit was obvious. Plus, research of our customer base has shown us that they are food lovers and put an emphasis on enjoying local food and food experiences when travelling, so we know they will benefit from our partnership with the World Food Travel Association. We hope they will enjoy discovering new food experiences when they travel.” said Shon Alam, founder of Bidwedge.

“I know from my own experience, and that of many of our members, that coming home with leftover, unwanted currency usually means shoving it in a drawer somewhere to be forgotten. So, it’s great that Bidwedge is designed for those smaller, unwanted amounts. We’re very much looking forward to working together to bring more benefits to our members.” said Erik Wolf, CEO of the World Food Travel Association.

For more information about Bidwedge see: www.bidwedge.com

For more information about the World Food Travel Association see: https://worldfoodtravel.org/

News

Free wood available from builders merchant

RGB Building Supplies is offering excess wood to the local community and groups for free.

RGB’s branches have a number of damaged wooden pallets, that can be broken down, as well as off-cuts of wood which people are welcome to collect and use to complete projects.

Kevin Fenlon, CEO of RGB, commented:

“The wood is perfectly usable so instead of simply skipping it, we wanted to offer it out to those who wish to complete jobs in their own homes, or community groups and charities who are struggling to fund the purchase of wood to finish a project. All we ask is that people only take what they need so more people can benefit from the offer.”

Those who would like to pick up free wood are asked to contact their local RGB branch to check availability before visiting, and make themselves known to the RGB team when they arrive to collect. Wood is available while stock lasts.

Creative News, Marketing, PR and SEO, News

Report: The Dangers of AI-Powered Advertising (And How to Address Them)

Fresh research from Mozilla Fellow Harriet Kingaby examines how the digital advertising ecosystem can surveil, misinform, and endanger consumers around the globe. Kingaby also offers insight on potential reform

Twenty years ago, digital ads were little more than online billboards — pesky pop-ups that didn’t know who was seeing the ad, or why.

Today’s AI-powered digital advertisements are exponentially more sophisticated. These ads can profile consumers and segment them into astonishingly precise audiences. And these ads are highly personalized, from the language and images used to the price of the item being sold.

This AI-powered advertising provides consumers around the world with “free” access to products and services. It’s highly effective for advertisers, and highly lucrative for platforms. But there are grave harms, and consumers bear the brunt of them.

Today, fresh research by Mozilla Fellow Harriet Kingaby examines these harms on a global scale. In the report titled “AI & Advertising: A Consumer Perspective,” Kingaby identifies seven major threats that AI-powered ads present to consumers, from discrimination to misinformation. Kingaby details the consequences of those threats, and how they will likely grow worse as AI technology advances.

The report also identifies five major reforms that could mitigate these harms, and the steps that civil society, regulators, and industry must take to realize them.

Says Kingaby: “Digital advertising is a booming industry: over $300 billion in 2019 alone. It’s also the primary business model sustaining the internet, humanity’s most important communications tool. But as AI-powered advertising grows more pervasive and sophisticated, it is doing so without guardrails. There are few rules to ensure it doesn’t surveil, misinform, or exclude consumers. If the industry doesn’t undergo major reform, these problems will only grow more pronounced.”

Kingaby is a UK-based Mozilla Fellow embedded at Consumers International, where she researches the consequences of AI-enhanced advertising. Kingaby is also co-chair of the Conscious Advertising Network, a coalition of organizations supporting ethics in advertising.

The seven key harms identified in the report are:

● Excessive data collection. In order to tailor individual ads, multiple companies must collect and store huge amounts of data on consumers. Meanwhile, consumers are totally passive actors in adtech systems. They are something to be profiled and targeted, and are not given meaningful choices about how much data they would like to hand over, to whom, and for what.

● Discrimination. The personalisation of ads inherently restricts the products, services, and content consumers see. This can potentially lower consumers’ aspirations, restrict lifestyle choices, and hide products, services, or events from groups of consumers.

● Harm to the vulnerable. Digital advertising may encourage compulsive and harmful behaviour, mental health issues, or unsustainable consumption. Data that predicts when consumers are in particular emotional states is already in use, and targeting can also be used to single out consumers or groups who are particularly vulnerable or otherwise receptive.

● Online scams and misinformation. Fake news and misinformation have a lucrative business model via advertising, which favours content which garners a reaction. Social media sites, where disinformation can spread, have ad-based business models, and “addictive” interventions are designed to keep consumers on the sites for longer, enabling platforms to serve more ads.

● Limited agency. Consent mechanisms for advertising under GDPR and CCPA are poorly designed, and often nudge consumers into making choices which favor advertisers. Privacy policies and other terms and conditions are overly long, sometimes non-compliant, and frequently fall short of educating consumers. It is demonstrably not clear how the system works to the average consumer, making it hard, if not impossible, to make informed choices or obtain redress in the case of harm.

● Environmental harm. The number of data centres worldwide has grown from 500,000 in 2012 to more than 8 million today. The amount of energy used by them continues to double every four years, meaning they have the fastest-growing carbon footprint of any area within the IT sector. Researchers estimate that the tech sector will contribute 3.0–3.6% of global greenhouse emissions by 2020, more than double what the sector produced in 2007 and the estimated 2020 global footprint is comparable to that of the aviation industry. Online advertising consumed between 20.38 to 282.75 TWh of energy in 2019, and 11.53 – 159.93 million tons of CO2e was emitted to produce the electricity consumed.

● Hate speech. Global hate crimes are on the rise, and have been linked to social media, polarisation caused by personalisation, and “filter bubbles.” Platforms have struggled to keep up with policing hateful content, and AI is not yet sophisticated enough to be efficient. Far-right commentators and other hate preachers are continuing to make money through digital advertising on the open web or through platforms such as YouTube — which in turn radicalizes young people.

The report also identifies a lack of cross-sector collaboration as a critical issue holding back progress. It calls for cross-disciplinary, mediated forums to be created, comprising digital rights groups, consumer protection experts, funders, publishers and advertisers.

Forums should ensure ethics by design in AI-powered advertising, identifying harms and creating new initiatives to solve them as they evolve; as well as monitoring ‘unknown unknowns’ which arise as a result of new technologies.

Forum priorities to include:

● Maintaining consumer protection and human rights, using these as core design principles for new AI technologies.
● Proactive AI stewardship, using AI sparingly, tracking and acting on the emergence of harms in real time.
● Supply chain accountability, ensuring advertisers are able to take responsibility for their digital supply chains in the same way as their physical ones.
● Funding a healthy internet, directing ad budgets to support diverse voices, quality content, and accountable platforms.

News

SWC wins Lloyds Pharmacy Contract

Specialist Window Cleaning (SWC), have added another household name to their growing client portfolio. One of the UK’s leading pharmacists, LloydsPharmacy, has appointed SWC on a significant two-year cleaning contract. The well-established window cleaning solutions leader will be providing internal & external window cleaning, fascia and signage cleans, as well as adhoc reactive call outs to over 1,000 LloydsPharmacy sites across the UK after a delayed start during lockdown.

Chris Thomas, Commercial Director of SWC, said: “It’s been a testing year for the window cleaning sector, and we have had to provide creative and flexible solutions for our clients to adapt to the unprecedented current conditions. Winning the LloydsPharmacy contract really pays tribute to the hard work of our teams on the ground. To work with such an established household name and provide a service that aligns with their trusted customer experience, is something we take immense pride in as a business and we are proud to partner with them.”

SWC specialises in high-level, cradle and rope access window cleaning providing window cleaning solutions to many of the UK’s most recognisable retailers, including Pizza Express, and employs more than 70 cleaning staff across the country. The two year contract is one of numerous significant wins SWC has seen during the last 12 months.

News, Work from Home

Where the UK is headed post-COVID-19 for technology in the workplace

Windsor Telecom decided to take a look into the UK’s current working styles and trends to discover what tools and technologies are needed to bridge the generational gaps in the workplace.

Pete Tomlinson, CEO of Windsor Telecom said:
“It’s vital that employers address the fundamental changes we’re seeing across all generations. Lockdown has forced a conversation that needed to be had higher up the agenda because many employees are struggling to use the technology needed day to day, and employers are searching for straightforward and reliable solutions that work for all.”

Our Data

Windsor Telecom analysed their customer call data from 2010, 2019 and Jan – July 2020, which amounts to over 73.9 million calls.
A sample size of 7,385 companies across the UK and Ireland shows that:

As the UK went into lockdown in April 2020, 44% less business calls were made compared to April 2019
This continues in May 2020 with 40% less business calls compared to May 2019.
In total, 28% less business calls are made between March and July 2020 compared to the same period in 2019
(Period compared – March – July 2019 vs March – July 2020)

General Public Quotes

We spoke to people across the generations to discover what their biggest technology frustrations in lockdown have been.

Stella Ralfinis, Age 73.
“What greatly frustrated me during lockdown was my lack of technical skills which mostly has to do with my age – 73. My main work is teaching live seminars which were all cancelled and won’t start up again until next Spring. I bravely attempted to teach a few seminars online and my confidence was hugely dented when the screen blanked out or lighting was so poor that those online couldn’t see me clearly. I am now doing my best in a world where I was left behind because I never foresaw what was coming.”
Christian Azolan, Age 37.
“We were all promised that the networks and broadband providers had the bandwidth and capacity to cope, clearly they didn’t account for my three iPads, iPhones, MacBook’s and a host of other devices like my Apple and Amazon TV that all need to be connected all the time! Then there’s WhatsApp, FaceTime and Zoom. Why does everyone want to see everyone? What’s wrong with just talking on the phone with no video? It’s ok to just speak on audio only.”
Lindsey Evans, Age 31.
“The biggest issue we have had during lockdown is having to interview people via Zoom (for a podcast) and having their audio cut in and out. There’s no way to salvage it and makes it a waste of everyone’s time. An issue we never had to deal with when we were sitting with people face to face.”
Dymohe Mensink, Age 22.
“As a travel influencer and blogger with over 72k Instagram followers [Dymabroad] I constantly have to be connected to the internet to manage my online business. Since the Wi-Fi connection in my house is very bad, it was very inconvenient to work from home. Frequently, the Wi-Fi suddenly stops working. Also, it costs lots of time when there is a power outage (which happens quite a lot at my home). Normally, I work a lot at other places, such as the library or a Starbucks, but because of the lockdown I couldn’t go there. Therefore, I lost a lot of time due to these technical issues.”

Multi-generational Working

For many, the future of working is virtual. Companies need to invest in becoming more adaptable, focused on providing technologies that are straightforward to use and the training required for every generation to be able to use them with ease. This means rather than opting between technology tools or training, providing both.
Many technology providers are adapting to be able to suit all five generations. The adoption curve has now been turned on its head. This is amplified when new generations enter the workplace.
Mass adoption of home working has brought technology pain points and the issues surrounding connectivity and communication to the forefront of people’s minds.
With the user experience and adoption becoming far greater priorities for every technology provider, companies should make sure that they don’t compromise on these when looking for the right solution for their business.
We have devised a list of areas to consider to ensure the best efficiency at work.

Training

A team that is aware of all the technology at their disposal, and that are confident using it are likely to be more productive and collaborative. They can also play a supporting role with team members who may be less confident using certain technologies.

Video Conferencing

Demand for video conferencing, whether it be standalone tools like Zoom or more integrated unified comms solutions like Microsoft Teams, has surged since lockdown. In fact, business-focused mobile app downloads reached 62 million during the week of March 14-21, the highest number ever seen.
While some employees are experiencing so-called ‘Zoom fatigue’, the key is to get the right balance of video and phone calls. Research suggests that the energy needed for video calls is so much more than in person so plan your meetings with that in mind to help maintain a happy, motivated workforce.
A workforce consumer survey from Gartner revealed that employees spent an average time of 11.7 hours a week in meetings. In fact, 9% of respondents spent more than 20 hours of their working week in meetings.

Instant Messaging

Instant messaging apps like Slack and Skype, or new unified comms tools like Microsoft Teams, mean that the team can be in contact with each other throughout the day, without needing to pick up the phone. However, all have the capability for video and audio calls if needed. You can send files with ease and quickly ask any burning question rather than waiting for an email reply.

VoIP Calls

VoIP cloud phone systems provide businesses with an easy way to answer calls on-the-go without being restricted to one device. The call handling features make managing calls in and out of your business responsive and straightforward and integrate with unified comms solutions

Cloud Based Storage

Cloud-based tools like Microsoft 365, Google Drive, SharePoint and Dropbox allow your team to share and collaborate in real time, from any location.

Connectivity

As our case studies show you can’t work effectively and use technology like the above without a reliable connection. Without that your employees are going to struggle to be productive and frustrations will rise
In August 2020 the government reached its gigabit broadband rollout milestone, with half a million premises with access to gigabit technology. But there still fundamental improvements needed to get everyone connected and working as seamlessly as possible.

There are various options to choose from when it comes to improved connectivity, ranging from solutions like business broadband perfect for those needing a robust connection when working from home, to leased line DIA and SD-WAN for offices, businesses and people back in the office.

North Wales, Security, Tech

CCTV company marking 20 years is focused on national growth after lockdown revamp

A CCTV company recording 20 years in business used lockdown to reinvent itself and focus on national growth.

Adrian Standerwick, Director of Active CCTV, unveiled a new-look website, branding and mission statement to celebrate two decades of the Mochdre-based firm.

It has been a challenging time for Adrian and wife Debbie; four years ago, their beloved son Sam died of an unknown heart condition aged just 25, a tragedy that shook them to the core.

Adrian threw himself into charity work and launched the Sam Standerwick Memorial Fund – which has raised more than £50,000 – but admits he “took his eye off the ball” when it came to the business.

“We were working all over the country, and Sam was my main installer, so when he passed away it had a devastating impact and made me reflect on everything,” said the 54 year old, who also has sons Simon, Matthew and daughter Amy.

“Matthew stepped into the breach and took over the installation side of the business, if it hadn’t been for him and the way he took on the challenge we would never have survived those first few months – I am so thankful and proud of him for that.”

He added: “As a company we had started to concentrate too much on the big national jobs, the hotel and pub chains, petrol stations, supermarkets and warehouse distribution.

“That was all fantastic, and at one point our turnover was more than £500,000, but I had lost sight of where it all began and what we were about.

“For the first few years if anyone wanted security systems installing in our local area, they would come to us, but that changed – I had to do something about it, and have.”

Originally from Bristol, Adrian previously owned a signage firm before a career in sales took him across the country and eventually to Llanddulas, North Wales.

After doing market research and seeing a gap in the market for an innovative security business, he took the leap and Active CCTV was born.

“At the time certain companies were selling alarms but none were really doing CCTV,” he said.

“Using my sales background, I began to drum up interest, and while it was a steep learning curve from the electrical and fitting side of it, things started to take off.

“One thing I always want us to be is at the forefront of new technology and equipment, and within a year of us launching we were the very first company in North Wales to install a PC-based CCTV system – from there we grew and grew.”

Soon they were fitting systems for some of the biggest names in retail and hospitality, including Tuffins and Marston’s brewery chain, before moving on to huge warehouse installations, sometimes fitting 100 cameras at a single site.

“We watched the sector evolve from VCR to PC-based systems to standalone CCTV technology, 8Mega Pixel cameras, perimeter protection and more,” said Adrian.

“We encourage clients to change their system at least every five years as there is of course the chance the footage captured will be needed as evidence in court, so it has to be of the highest quality, and we never compromise on that.”

Playing a key part in helping to bust a card cloning ring at a national petrol station chain was an example of that, and there have been other times when they helped bring people to justice.

But just as important for Adrian is client satisfaction, which is why everyone they work with has their own bespoke system tailored for the needs of their organisation, or private home.

The priority now is re-establishing themselves in North Wales and beyond, starting with a free CCTV health check for their existing and past customer base.

And the Memorial Fund will continue to promote CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) and raise awareness of SADS (Sudden Adult Death Syndrome).

“The support we have had from Sam’s friends and the local community in particular has been incredible,” said Adrian.

“We have raised more than £50,000, which has enabled us to match-fund 15 defibrillators and screen more than 600 youngsters in our local area. Those efforts will continue, and we are so grateful to everyone who has helped us.”

He added: “I’ve learned that you should never lose sight of where you are from and where you started, and that’s a tough lesson.

“Since the start of the year, even taking into account the Coronavirus pandemic, we have worked hard, secured contracts with new and existing leading North Wales businesses – such as Afonwen Laundry and PetPlace – and Active CCTV has a whole new look.

“Ultimately, I will build the company back up to the point where we are operating all over the country, but at a sustainable pace and with North Wales at the heart of everything we do.

“That’s my goal, and for Sam and all of our loyal customers, we will make it happen.”

For more information, visit www.active-cctv.co.uk or email info@active-cctv.co.uk. Alternatively, call 01492 547997.

Visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/1402315749909671 to support the Sam Standerwick Memorial Fund.

HR News, HR Software, News

PeopleGoal drills down on customisation with first ‘build-as-you-go’ HR app store for SMEs

PeopleGoal, the agile HR app engine for SMEs, today announces a complete reinvention of its product architecture to meet growing HR demand for agility, flexibility and customisation.

PeopleGoal is an end-to-end global HR solution that helps growing businesses (100 to 500 employees) to engage and develop their people. The company’s version 2.0 platform is the first HR app store of its kind and offers a suite of 30+ best-in-class apps within five key HR themes: onboarding, engagement, performance management, culture and HRIS.

The antithesis of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution, PeopleGoal now offers complete customisation so that HR teams can either modify or build tailor-made apps to better support their people and improve the employee experience. Key benefits include full visibility of team dynamics and real relationships, as well as the ability to build custom surveys in a matter of minutes.

Commenting on the company’s announcement, PeopleGoal Founder & CEO, Nikolaos Lygkonis, said: “The reinvention of our platform has been two years in the making and we’re extremely proud of the result. We have a top-quality product that is unrivalled in the SME space and we’re excited to take it to market at a time when the need for HR agility and customisation is at an all-time high.”

With no code configuration, PeopleGoal empowers HR leaders to do things when and how they want, supported by apps built on best practice templates.

James Strickland, Founder and CTO at PeopleGoal, commented: “We believe the customer knows best so we wanted to build a game-changing, customer-led product that would enable HR teams to do things their way. PeopleGoal requires no code configuration yet it unlocks all the opportunities that come with a highly agile and completely customisable solution. Our version 2.0 customers are already reporting significant time and cost savings and that’s great validation for the product we’ve created.”

Echoing this point, Nora Thomas, HR Manager at Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research – one of the first customers to start using PeopleGoal 2.0, said: “The new system has been built in direct response to customer feedback and that makes for a very relevant and nimble HR solution. The great thing about PeopleGoal is that it works for everyone – from the CEO right down to entry level positions, and it can be customised to fit any organisational structure, which offers a great employee experience.

Thomas continued: “I’ve also been really impressed by the system’s ability to seamlessly link performance reviews with compensation. This is something I’d wanted to have the ability to do from the outset and PeopleGoal’s workflow engine not only enables me to achieve this, it also lets me configure it exactly as I want.”

PeopleGoal’s new app engine also offers seamless integration with a number of leading global SaaS companies, including: BambooHR; Workday; ADP Workforce Now, UltiPro; Slack; Microsoft Azure; Microsoft Teams; and Jira.

The version 2.0 platform is already receiving strong industry recognition having been shortlisted for Best Business Application, Best Business Software Provider, and Best Software-as-a-Service Provider at the 2020 Technology Product Awards last month.

Cybersecurity, News

5 effective ways UK businesses can avoid a cyberattack

Businesses in the UK have been on the receiving end of malicious threats from cybercriminals. There have been reports of significant data breaches compromising their IT system, customers’ data, and reputation. A study by Carbon Black revealed the sheer volume of attacks, with 88% of UK companies acknowledging they experienced a data breach in the past 12 months.

As attacks continue to increase, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis, data protection is becoming an important consideration for businesses. But according to a recent report, only 31% of organizations have done a cyber risk assessment over the last year. Businesses need to take more precautions to secure their IT infrastructure and protect their customers.

 

Some of the biggest cyber-attacks in the UK

While businesses are under severe economic strain caused by the coronavirus pandemic, they are also grappling with cyberattacks from threat actors. This is especially true for companies that have shifted to remote working. The situation is the perfect opportunity for cybercriminals because home offices are less secure, and employees have limited IT support. As a result, cyberattacks such as phishing emails and ransomware are on the rise.

 

Phishing emails 

Phishing campaigns are designed to obtain sensitive information from individuals and businesses. The emails often appear to be coming from a trusted or official source, tricking persons into clicking on malicious links that take them to a fake website. One recent campaign is businesses being targeted by scammers impersonating Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. This HMRC scam is exploiting financial fears of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Ransomware

This kind of attack can be very costly for businesses. Ransomware distributes a malware that infects a user’s device and encrypts their data. When this happens, the user is essentially locked out of the system and can only regain access after making a payment to the perpetrators. Recently, there has been an upsurge in ransomware attacks on the education sector affecting schools, colleges, and universities in the UK.

 

5 ways businesses and individuals can protect their system and data

Use encryption

One way a business can protect data transmitted over the internet is by ensuring the information is encrypted. A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts data and prevents hackers from accessing confidential information. This means that any document, email, or financial information shared between employees remotely will remain private. Companies can use a business VPN or encourage their remote workers to install a VPN for network encryption.

 

Use two-factor authentication

Another way to enhance security is through the use of two-factor authentication. This extra layer of protection is designed to prevent unauthorized access to a device or account by requiring additional authentication beyond just a username and password. If a password gets stolen in a phishing attack, 2FA is an excellent way for businesses and individuals to lock hackers out of their devices. There are different types of 2FA, such as a fingerprint, a PIN sent to your smartphone, or security tokens.

 

Use hard-to-guess passwords

Formulating a strong and unique password should be well-thought-out; however, many persons spend little effort on this task. A simple password can be cracked easily by sophisticated hackers. Businesses must implore employees to change their passwords regularly and to make them difficult to decipher. Create hard-to-guess passwords with a combination of upper letters, numbers, and special characters.

 

Update software regularly

The next important security step that individuals and businesses can take to prevent a data breach is keeping all application software and operating systems updated. When patches are installed, they address known security vulnerabilities and stop attackers from infiltrating the network. Updates should be installed once they become available.

 

Employee training

Finally, cybersecurity training and education is paramount for businesses. Transitioning to remote working has left many employees unprepared to deal with cybersecurity issues. Businesses need to implement company wide training at all levels, so users know how to safeguard data and secure their devices. Employees should be taught about the different types of phishing attacks and how to avoid those pitfalls. An educated workforce is a solid defense against cyberattacks.