Video of Ryan Lynch ending his relationship with Just Eat emerges after he battled the aggregator for months, as experts calculate Just Eat, Deliveroo and UberEats take £6.6m from UK restaurants on the most romantic day of the year
Just Eat, Deliveroo and UberEats took an estimated £6.6m from UK restaurants on Valentine’s Day alone, according to analysis by Peter Backman, the country’s independent restaurant consultant.
Ryan Lynch, the owner of the DOUGH pizza chain in Liverpool, after a long and hard-fought battle with the tech giant, has published his break-up poem with Just Eat on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. In his video, Lynch explains that Just Eat has been taking over 20% of his revenues and enough is enough.
The entrepreneur who owns three restaurants across Merseyside has also sent customers a text message with a version of the poem and outlining his decision to come off the platform.
Ryan also took to twitter to publicly breakup with the delivery platform with a tongue-in-cheek ‘roses are red, violets are blue, you’ve screwed me over, now I’m leaving you’ poem:
Now, DOUGH has established its own website and app using Flipdish, Europe’s leading online ordering and loyalty platform for takeaways and restaurants. With the business now not giving away so much revenue to Just Eat, the pizzeria is offering customers 14% off this Valentine’s weekend.
Seeing what was unfolding, Flipdish decided to step in
Ryan Lynch, owner of DOUGH in Liverpool has said:
“When a relationship is only beneficial for one partner, it’s time to end it. This was exactly the case with Just Eat. They promised me the world but delivered nothing but disappointment. If I use its delivery service, Just Eat charges me 33 percent plus VAT on every order. It was outrageous. At a time when the whole hospitality industry is struggling, I’ve decided enough is enough.
“Building my own website and app, I’m back in control and making more money. Orders are up 59%, with one Friday night seeing us up a crazy 371%, and profits have increased 64%. In fact, we’re now in a position to launch our fourth and fifth restaurants, including the first from JML Restaurant Group’s new brand, BRGR.
“I want to give some of the savings back to my loyal customers which is why I’m offering 14% off this weekend. I also cannot stress enough how much other restaurants should be brave and do the same because we certainly aren’t looking back.
Fionn Hart, UK Country Manager at Flipdish, has stepped in: “Valentine’s Day is the time to celebrate the special and important relationships in your life. Sadly for Ryan, he realised his business is not in one and this story is all too familiar.
“A restaurants’ biggest love affair is with their customers. By having an online platform where they can order from the restaurant directly, they can start taking back control.”
Peter Backman calculated how much the aggregators will earn on Valentine’s Day by factoring in over 140 variables, covering 100+ sectors and subsectors.
Co-op, one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives, is bolstering its wellbeing offering for the company’s 62,000 employees by partnering with Gympass, the world’s largest corporate wellbeing platform.
The agreement gives Co-op colleagues, the majority of whom are front-line key workers, access to Gympass’ wealth of digital wellness offerings including mental health apps, nutrition support, personal training, and live virtual classes. And when current restrictions end, they will be able to choose from over 2,000 gyms, studios and leisure centres across the UK.
Colleague wellbeing has long been a priority for Co-op but the pandemic was a catalyst for a whole new programme to better support them. This included weekly communications offering guidance and support, free flu jabs, as well as access to virtual medical and mental health support. Although they already offered a comprehensive benefits programme, Co-op wanted to ensure it was meeting colleagues’ needs across the full spectrum of wellbeing, and Gympass was the obvious partner for this, according to Co-op’s Health Wellbeing Manager, Paul Caudwell:
“We have been following Gympass’ success for a number of years, and believe it is the best partner to help us offer a completely holistic wellbeing support programme. Our colleagues have worked incredibly hard to help each other and local communities during this difficult time. Our increased focus on wellbeing is part of our broader recognition of the role they have played, and with Gympass’ expertise and diverse offering we can help colleagues make small and sustainable changes to improve their wellbeing.”
Luke Bullen, Gympass CEO UK/IE, said: “We are delighted to partner with Co-op, an institution known for championing fair business and serving local communities. Gympass and Co-op are aligned on the importance of a complete, flexible offering as wellbeing isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ solution, particularly for Co-op employees who work across the country, many on the front-line and during unsocial hours. Gympass’ corporate wellbeing platform offers a range of resources from mental health support, to smoking cessation tools and personal trainers, to meet the needs of every individual. We are thrilled that all 62,000 Co-op colleagues can benefit from this.”
About Gympass
Gympass is a discovery platform that empowers companies to engage their workforce in physical activity by providing access to the largest global network of workout facilities. With a single monthly membership, companies can help employees find an activity they’ll love amongst more than 600 activities across the U.S., Europe, and Latin America. Our goal is to multiply the number of people exercising at every company to create a healthier and more engaged workforce.
Founded in 2012 and headquartered in New York, we have a growing team in 30 offices around the world. Our mission is simple yet ambitious: defeat inactivity. In the United Kingdom, Gympass offers unlimited access to over 2,000 gyms, studios and fitness centres.
Find out more about Gympass https://hs.gympass.com/uk/corporate-gympass
About Co-op
The Co-op is one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives with interests across food, funerals, insurance, legal services and health. Owned by millions of UK consumers, the Co-op operates 2,600 food stores, over 1,000 funeral homes and provides products to over 5,100 other stores, including those run by independent co-operative societies and through its wholesale business, Nisa Retail Limited.
Employing over 62,000 people, the Co-op has an annual turnover of £10 billion. As well as having clear financial and operational objectives, the Co-op is a recognised leader for its social goals and community-led programmes. The Co-op exists to meet members’ needs and stand up for the things they believe in.
Knutsford-based integrated marketing agency, 438 has launched a new division, specifically focused on offering SMEs a range of tailor-made brand support packages to help them power out of lockdown.
The introduction of its ‘WORKS’ brand comes on the back of new research that 80 per cent of SMEs have seen their revenues decline in the past 12 months, and many are struggling to prioritise their resources in areas such as optimising websites, delivering high quality virtual presentations and events; and social media outreach.
A similar survey by Nucleus Commercial Finance also suggests that the businesses with savings have spent around £72,000 on average to stay afloat already, with this increasing to £149,101 in medium size businesses.
Andy Whitmore, 438 director, said: “The pandemic has undoubtedly had a meteoric impact on the economy, with many SMEs across all sectors either struggling to stay afloat after 12 months of restrictions that have forced them to turn models on their head or straining to cope with demand.
“Covid has significantly propelled forwards our reliance on digital channels and the businesses that have thrived under these circumstances are those that have been agile and that are underpinned by a solid digital strategy and robust web presence.
“Many SMEs are finding themselves needing to quickly bolster their digital resources to cater for increased demand, offer reliable ecommerce and increase brand awareness through online channels, however many need expert support to take their business to the next level.
“WORKS is designed to offer these businesses fast, affordable and most importantly, effective, packaged solutions aimed at driving rapid growth; it’s also for ambitious entrepreneurs and start-ups through to small businesses who need an alternative payment scheme versus paying the large up-front costs associated with outsourcing these products.
“The initial services will include website design and build, managed social media packages, inbound marketing and virtual events – and we will add more in coming months.”
Whitmore added: “We really do understand the magnitude of the challenges that many businesses are facing which is why we have developed this dedicated support with payment options that are designed to support SME cash flow. The tailored packages offer business owners access to a team of agency experts dedicated to propelling their growth.
“As a brand communications agency, we provide an end-to-end service delivering events and experiences of all kinds; internal and external, virtual and physical. We have packaged how we approach all projects in a way that makes our services accessible to businesses with smaller budgets, offering innovative, objective strategic advice, design and integrated marketing solutions, agile service delivery from a team of great-to-work-with, accountable, experienced marketing professionals.”
60% of business leaders consider hiring more freelance workers
Research from PeoplePerHour shows 60% of business leaders said that they plan to use more freelance workers in 2021 to employ a more flexible workforce after COVID-19. This, says an award winning career coach, could be an interesting new work pathway for many job seekers.
Emma Louise O’Brien, award winning job coach of Renovo, said: “The PeoplePerHour survey showed that the most popular reasons for using freelancers was to introduce skills the business didn’t have in-house and help speed up projects.
“Freelancing is a really interesting opportunity for job seekers – it helps many gain more control of their working life and opens up different working potentials in an uncertain job market.”
However, she advises people who are considering freelancing to research the idea well. “Being self-employed can be rewarding, but should always be approached with caution and a sound strategy.
“Firstly, understand a business’s or team’s pressure points and key market issues so you can develop and present a clear solution to support their needs. You need to be clear on why they should hire your services and the benefit it will have to their company, not least as you may be marketing yourself to companies who would not traditionally use a freelancer.
“Secondly, networking is essential. Having a strong online presence in key industries you want to work in is vital, so incorporating this into your daily working routine will help highlight your expertise to a wide range of organisations and maximise your chances of success.
“And thirdly, don’t forget to research whether there are any legalities such as tax assessment or registrations that you will need to adhere to, as well as seeking further advice from an accountant.”
Here are the three key questions people ask Renovo about freelance work:
I have a variety of skills and don’t want to be tied down to one job. How can I take control of my career to shape work around me and my expertise?
Consider a pluralist or portfolio career. This is an agile, autonomous working style combining multiple streams of income using a mix of employment, freelancing and volunteering.
Having a portfolio career is a working style that has many benefits. It allows someone to take control of their career so they can shape work around them, their expertise and individual strengths. Not only are portfolio careers helping individuals redefine work, but they help achieve a healthier work life balance. Other advantages include higher earnings, stronger sense of personal growth, more variety (ideal if someone is not driven by one interest), more opportunities, and exposure to different cultures and environments than if they were employed full time and office based.
I have a skill I developed as a hobby over a period of time and I’m really good at it. Can I turn this into a business?
One of the most appealing factors is undoubtedly the chance to make a living out of something enjoyed – it’s little surprise that many people strive to turn hobbies into businesses. Nonetheless, it’s a serious challenge to turn a passion into a sound business strategy.
Bear in mind that once a hobby is combined with an income, a great deal of enjoyment may be removed from the process. Meeting the demands of customers could include working to a very tight deadline and repeating the same processes over and over again. This is why it’s important to start small. As demand rises it’s important to ask whether it’s still enjoyable. If not, individuals may wish to reconsider self-employment as a career choice. Some people do this alongside a part time or permanent role, so they can explore if this is something they want to commit to longer term.
I’m an expert in my field and I want to continue to do what I do. What do I need to do to be successful as a consultant?
Effective marketing is essential. Individuals will need to expand and excel at this in specific areas to help optimise success as a consultant. Before beginning any marketing, set goals to measure successes and route of travel. For instance, who will want the service? What is the current market demand and where do employers or customers look for this type of service or product? Conducting research and having answers to these types of questions is a great place to start.
Renovo is the UK’s leading outplacement services specialist, working with hundreds of companies across 30 sectors, helping their employees during transition. It helps thousands of people to return to work twice as fast as the national industry average.
Outplacement helps manage change more effectively, with employees feeling more supported in their transition. It ensures departing employees become employer brand advocates and safeguards the morale, productivity and loyalty of remaining employees.
Employees feel supported and can focus positively on their next career step. They have expert support and direction in a complex job market to help find and secure the right opportunity.
Message from Quantum Advisory’s latest pension and investment industry insight seminar
Despite market volatility and significant disparities between markets, a senior investment consultant for one of the UK’s leading actuarial and pension consulting firms has stressed that with the continuing effective vaccination rollout, we can confidently expect GDP to bounce back and will see a strong robust economic recovery.
Paul Francis, Principal Investment Consultant at Quantum Advisory, was speaking at Quantum’s latest ‘Pensions for Brunch’ webinar which features key insights into selected topical issues affecting the pension and investment industry.
Paul opened the event by outlining the investment market forecast for 2021 and themes for pension fund investment. Highlighting the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) confident predictions of a 5.5% GDP growth over the coming year, Paul said: “2020 was obviously difficult in many ways, but there were some positive returns over that period.
“Our rapid vaccination rollout is giving confidence to markets, with the vaccine allowing industry to return to work. Political issues such as the US administration and Brexit near enough a done deal, means there is less short-term uncertainty. However, the long-term outlook is still far from certain with significant government debt levels to be addressed, the challenge of decarbonising energy and trade deals still to be done.
“Central banks have pumped a lot of money into the economy and when the output gap closes there is a low risk this may lead to inflation longer term – although this won’t be for some years to come.”
Andrew Riley, Director of Resilient ESG Governance Services, gave an overview of practical tools for pension trustees to assess what their pension scheme is doing and what steps can be taken to integrate ESG considerations.
Senior Consultant and Actuary at Quantum Advisory, Simon Hubbard, ended the session by providing a roundup of key pension issues including the imminent change to reform the UK’s Retail Prices Index which should result in a fairer system, the decreasing number of people in a defined benefit pension arrangement – which in 2020 fell below 10million for the first time, and the effect of COVID-19 on mortality rates. Simon said: “Life expectancies are difficult to predict from this past year and the industry has not fully worked out the implications of this just yet. It might be that we disregard these abnormal years and assume largely stagnant life expectancy for a short period.”
The ‘Pensions for Brunch’ webinar was the latest in Quantum’s pension and investment focused seminars.
Quantum Advisory has offices in Amersham, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, and London and provides pension and employee benefits services to employers, scheme trustees and members.
For more information about Quantum Advisory, please visit: https://quantumadvisory.co.uk.
Deeside Regeneration Limited, a joint venture between Maple Grove Developments and Trebor Developments, has received detailed planning consent for its new speculative industrial scheme of 46,100 sq ft, to be located adjacent to Junction 35 of the M4 Motorway, on Pencoed Technology Park.
The scheme, which sits within a Tier One grant assisted area offering the highest level of grant assistance for qualifying projects, is supported by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government In line with Welsh Government’s sustainable buildings standards, the scheme will be built to BREEAM Excellent Standard, putting sustainability at the forefront of the development
Bob Tattrie, Managing Partner at Trebor Developments, commented: “We are delighted to achieve planning consent which will now allow us to commence construction on site in April, with building completion this year. The project is available as a single unit or can be divided into two and therefore offers a most attractive mid-box, high quality, industrial scheme which is very rare in the South Wales market. We expect strong demand given the low availability of quality industrial stock and the location can serve both directions of the M4 (to Cardiff or Swansea) and so is highly flexible.”
Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport Lee Waters said: “This development will provide modern business space. It will also support our commitment to create opportunities and secure lasting economic change for our communities.
“I am delighted we have been able to support this important project, and I look forward to seeing it progress and help make the area a more prosperous place to live and work.”
The scheme will be available on a leasehold or freehold basis.
Knight Frank, Cardiff and DLP Surveyors, Cardiff, have been appointed as joint letting agents for the scheme.
Additive Manufactured mountain bike company Atherton Bikes has raised £385,000 through Angel Investment Network. The Welsh business is the brainchild of world-famous mountain biker siblings Gee Atherton, Dan Atherton and Rachel Atherton who have partnered with a team of engineers from F1, aerospace and NASA to produce a world-beating mountain-bike. The business is chaired by entrepreneur and Dragon’s Den investor Piers Linney.
The raise took two months with the funds being used to scale production. The bikes are made in UK by joining carbon tubes with Additive Manufactured lugs (3d printing in titanium). Every bike can be fitted to its rider, stock holding is low and learnings can be in production in days. Frames are optimised for light weight and high strength and unlike traditional mountain- bike manufacturing which relies on costly carbon moulds the business can offer thousands of variants in frame assembly for different riding experiences, all with an eye on personalisation and performance.
According to Gee Atherton: “We were delighted to work with AIN on this raise which means we can really scale production and bring our vision for what the perfect mountain bike should look like to thousands of riders. We’ve spent our lives racing and developing and we know that having the right bike for the stage you are at can transform your experience. The beauty of the additive manufacturing process is that it’s so responsive, enabling us to incorporate immediate improvements and create perfectly tailored bikes. We’ve been able to achieve this with brilliant people like our suspension designer Dave Weagle and expert business guidance from Piers. Our big goal is to see kids, all mountain explorers, bike park shredders, racers and e-bikers enjoying our bikes.”
According to Ed Stephens: “It is hard not to get excited by the bravery and the boldness of the Athertons’ mountain biking escapades. I don’t think a single investor didn’t marvel at the 60+ft jumps made by Gee in the Red Bull video that accompanied our promotion. Add something as evocative as this to the improvements afforded by 3D printing and the project simply put excited people. As world-class mountain bikers the Athertons were perfectly placed to spot a gap in the market for a brand new approach and work with some of the best people to bring this to market.”
Employee engagement experts, Inpulse, the firm that was able to measure that UK employee anxiety levels rose by 240% in the space of a year after the impact of COVID-19, is transferring 75% of its company shares to its employees. According to the founder of Inpulse, the move to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) empowers employees, clients and the business long-term.
Matt Stephens, Founder and CEO of Inpulse, explained, “Last year, after seeing how our employees dealt with all the changes brought about by the pandemic and how they rose to the challenge of helping clients through tough times made us consider ways of involving them more in the business. What better way to engage and reward our employees than offer them ownership of it at no cost to themselves.”
“My conviction is to put the employee at the heart of the business and focus on clients’ needs not shareholders’. The EOT was a perfect move to ensure our team is fully invested in Inpulse’s future. We couldn’t and wouldn’t have done this without full trust and belief in each one of our team and this will only reinforce everyone’s collective desire to support our clients.”
Inpulse supports employee engagement by helping clients measure and understand their employees’ emotions – perhaps about wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, culture or change.
The announcement will have no material day to day impact on the company or Stephens’ role as Founder/CEO.
He continued, “In effect, this is about making our business as successful as possible. We’re providing the incentive for superlative performance, as well as supporting business mainstays of productivity and innovation. One of the biggest reasons we chose an EOT was because we are helping our team and because employee-owned companies tend to outperform others.”
Bertie Tonks, Chief People Officer at Collinson, added: “This is the sort of reason we love partnering with Inpulse. They don’t just support engagement, they live it. Many companies choose venture capital or private equity funding, but Matt and the team live by their values. It’s personal to each of them and is growing organically. I love it.”
According to the Employee Ownership Association, sales in employee-owned companies increased by 4.3% and operating profits increased by 5% in 2019. On top of this, the top 50 employee-owned companies realised 6.9% productivity growth.
An Employee Ownership Trust transfers control of a business to employees, while having tax incentives for the shareholders. An EOT must pass control of at least 51% of a business to employees; after independent valuations, Inpulse’s founders has passed 75% of the shares, via a Trust, to employees.
Stephens summarised:
“We have complete independence to plan what’s best for clients, plus this move helps us attract and retain our staff. I keep a shareholding, so I’m also fully invested, as well as able to look at new business opportunities.”
Former Worldpay CEO will attend a virtual Q&A with FinTech Wales CEO on 25th February
FinTech Wales, the independent membership association and champion of the FinTech and Financial Services industry in Wales, is hosting an online chat with FinTech entrepreneur and former CEO of Worldpay, Ron Kalifa OBE.
Sponsored by global data and analytics provider, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, the webinar will be a Q&A session with arguably one of the biggest global voices of FinTech, and will chart his journey, which includes the creation of Worldpay as a small start-up to the global corporation that it is today.
Ron, who was awarded an OBE in 2018 for services to finance and technology, will have plenty to talk about. His reputation as one of the world’s leading voices on FinTech led to him being appointed by the UK Government in 2020 to lead its independent Fintech Strategic Review.
Having started his career in the financial sector at NatWest in 1978, Ron later went on to join the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), where he worked in strategy, marketing and operations across the UK, Europe and the USA.
Ron became Vice Chairman of Worldpay in 2013, having served there as CEO for 10 years prior. Under Ron’s leadership and strategic oversight, Worldpay moved from an under invested division of a UK bank to a FTSE 100 company and, more recently, merged with FIS to create a $75bn global payments company which is listed on the NYSE.
The current chairman of Network International and Future Learn, Ron also sits on various not-for-profit boards. He is a Non-Executive Director for Transport for London and in 2019 was appointed as a Non-Executive Director to the Bank of England’s Court of Directors. Ron is also on the Board of the England Wales Cricket Board and the Council of Imperial College London.
FinTech Wales CEO, Sarah Williams-Gardner said: “Ron’s reputation as a global voice of FinTech will no doubt provide some fascinating and inspiring insights into the sector and we’re absolutely thrilled to be hosting this Q&A with him.”
“As well as hearing about his amazing journey, we hope to talk about some of the outputs from the Independent Fintech Strategic Review that Ron is leading. This is an absolute must for anyone working in the FinTech sector.”
The UK fintech sector is estimated to be worth around £7 billion to the economy and employs hundreds of thousands of people up and down the UK. The review will help to ensure UK FinTech has the resources to grow and succeed, that conditions are right for the widespread adoption of financial technology, and that the UK’s global reputation for innovation is maintained and advanced.
Founded in 2019 as a not-for-profit, FinTech Wales exists as global voice for Welsh-based FinTech and Financial Services. As well as nurturing and supporting those businesses already in Wales, it will develop the ecosystem to help FinTech companies, start-up or scale-up in Wales and aims to establish Wales as a pillar of the global FinTech economy.
A budget of more than £900m, including funding for infrastructure, regeneration and job training schemes that can support the region’s post-Covid-19 economic recovery and help protect the environment, has been approved by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) today (Friday February 12).
The 2021/22 WMCA Budget includes a package of major transport projects to help drive economic growth and cleaner air as well as funding to unlock and transform the region’s derelict industrial sites for new, energy efficient homes and jobs, relieving pressure on the Green Belt.
An Adult Education Budget (AEB) of £142m, the biggest of any UK region outside London, will be used to give people, especially those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, the skills needed to get back into work quickly and to secure jobs in growing sectors such as construction, digital and the emerging green industries.
The Metro tram extension through Dudley is one of the schemes to be funded by the 2021/22 WMCA Budget
But in approving the budget, the WMCA Board warned of the financial uncertainty caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic with recent independent research also suggesting the West Midlands could be hit harder than any other UK regional economy.
Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “The investments outlined in this budget will help the West Midlands make significant strides towards a quick and effective recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, as well as tackling the climate emergency facing our region.
“We’re investing hundreds of millions of pounds in our green public transport network, with zero carbon and Sprint buses, new rail stations, cycling infrastructure, and of course Metro extensions – with almost £100m alone being spent over the next year on the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill extension.
“Meanwhile more than £116m is being spent on the remediation of derelict brownfield land, saving acres of greenbelt from development, and we’re investing £142m to level up our skills, getting us ready for the huge boost in the green jobs of the future as we look to help get people into work.
“What these investments will do is help to create and protect jobs at what is such a critical time for many people’s livelihoods, whilst also helping us on our way to becoming carbon neutral by 2041.
“We are managing to deliver all of this without costing the taxpayer any more money, as this will be the fourth year in a row where we have not introduced a mayoral precept, meaning not an extra penny from us will be added to people’s council tax bills.”
The approved budget includes £363m for the WMCA’s transport arm – Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) – to deliver schemes that will improve connectivity, drive economic growth and help cut carbon emissions by making it easier and more attractive for people to switch to public transport.
Projects include:
The expansion of the electric-powered Metro tram system
The opening of new railway lines and stations at Darlaston, Willenhall, Moseley, Kings Heath and Hazelwell
The development of a ‘Sprint’ rapid bus network using zero emission vehicles
Support for the continuing conversion of buses from diesel to hybrid
More cycling and walking routes
Concessionary travel for older people, the blind, disabled and children
In addition, there will be £11m available for subsidised bus services, £7m for Ring and Ride and nearly £4m to enhance transport for the Commonwealth Games.
More than £116m is committed for housing and land projects and in particular the WMCA’s ‘brownfield first’ policy to unlock and redevelop derelict urban land and help safeguard the Green Belt.
Investments will accelerate the on-going transformation of former industrial sites to deliver energy efficient, affordable new homes and modern commercial premises for businesses to grow and create jobs. There will also be support for the regeneration of town centres and for the research and development of modern methods of construction and zero carbon homes.
Key brownfield housing schemes include:
Up to 750 new homes on a former sewage works at Friar Park in Sandwell
252 homes on the former Caparo steel works at Walsall
The construction of a further 138 homes using cutting edge construction technology on derelict land at Icknield Port Loop in Edgbaston
Around £120m in capital grants will be allocated to local authorities to help fund major infrastructure projects with significant investment in Coventry (Station Masterplan, City Centre South, Very Light Rail, City of Culture), Solihull (UK Central Programme) and Birmingham including £20m for the Commonwealth Games.
The £142m of skills funding will be used by the WMCA’s productivity and skills team, working closely with local authorities, to fund training courses that give people the opportunity to upskill and get back into work, with more training matched to those industries suffering skills shortages, including higher level skills.
Cllr Bob Sleigh, Deputy Mayor and WMCA portfolio holder for finance said: “I would like to thank all those who have done such tremendous work in putting together a balanced budget in what are extremely difficult times, not least because of the substantial loss of revenue the combined authority has suffered as a result of the impact of Covid-19 on our public transport.
“But it’s important to recognise the significant funding in this budget for new transport infrastructure, brownfield regeneration and skills and training, all of which can help take forward the green agenda and provide support for a future economy that is more focused on innovation and new green technologies.
“Clearly there are challenging times ahead and we will be refreshing our medium-term priorities early in the new financial year with the aim of recapturing our pre-pandemic economic success while driving innovation and carbon reduction.”
The WMCA Budget report also highlights how, ahead of Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Budget announcement on March 3, the authority is continuing to seek the additional funding set out in its Spending Review Submission while lobbying for additional capacity and ongoing funding to tackle the impact of Covid-19.
Business in the News – the latest UK Business news from NTSI
