Monthly Archives: October 2021

News

Vulnerable section to benefit from multiple monetary injections

Written by Mr. Kunal Sawhney, CEO, Kalkine Media

With the advent of the coronavirus pandemic, the world has experienced rumbling losses in terms of health, earnings, livelihood, connectivity and the ability to roam around freely. The pandemic restrictions, alongside massive lay-offs, pay cuts, increased spending on health and social care, surging utility bills amid huge rise in the energy prices and beaten-down rate of recovery has furthered the misery for many households, as well as people living far from their native places and hometowns.

The government of the United Kingdom has taken multiple measures to safeguard the interest of vulnerable people and communities during the pandemic, especially for the people who were left with no regular source of income.

The multi-month long furlough scheme has categorically supported the earnings for individuals, effectively assisting the businesses to maintain and retain the staff. The scheme primarily helped in ameliorating the rate of unemployment and the activity in the employment landscape. With the termination of the furlough scheme, the industries have been partly hit as they are now in position to cover up all the charges categorised as the employee benefit expenses.

Furthermore, the worries of people living on rent have slightly increased as they are no longer a part of the government-backed job support scheme, the programme that has comprehensively benefitted the households, minimising the job uncertainty at the same time.

The Downing Street administration has recently announced a multi-million support package, especially designed to cover the vulnerable renters still struggling due to the impact of Covid-19 pandemic.

As a part of the broader objective of diminishing the challenges for renters, a sum equalling £65 million has been set aside to provide support to low-income households. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities have been managing the fund, supervising the grants to vulnerable households that are grappling with the increased household expenses, while they service house rentals.

The multi-million funding has supplemented the £500 million monetary assistance announced by the government of the UK to help the vulnerable families with the essential products and services during the winter period.

The regional councils in England will be empowered through the funding to support the low-income households and people with truncated earnings to cover up the rent arrears, productively supporting the families while they bounce back to the pre-Covid levels and helping the nation to prevent the condition of homelessness.

The renters across the nation have been thoroughly protected by the support package to the tune of £400 billion during the heightened Covid activity. The government has time and again intervened to extend monetary support to the vulnerable section of the country.

The ban on evictions during the pandemic has been highly appreciated and a welcomed measure by the government, alongside this, other support measures has helped in ensuring that no one should suffer due to missed rent payments. As a result of comprehensive planning by the authorities, a maximum section of the households are up to date with the respective rent obligations.

Under the £65 million fund, the grants will be made available to the financially weaker section of the society, the vulnerable individuals staying on a rented accommodation and the people fearing the risk of eviction through the winter months. The households and persons worrying about the possibility of homelessness have been advised to contact their local councils for the proportionate support.

The low-income earners and the financially weaker households have been encountering unending troubles due to the severe repercussions of pandemic on health and wealth. As a consequence of continuing distress for the people, the multi-million funding facilitated by the government will help the vulnerable families look to fulfilling their near-term objectives of travel and shopping during the upcoming period of Christmas, while they continue to service the rental obligations.

The fallout of pandemic on the private rented sector with the lowest income and uncertain sources of income have immensely disturbed the financial position and spending capacity.

The announcement of such a package to support the weakest households with the monthly rental payments will benefit many. With the help of this package the government is intending to improve the financial prospects for low-income earners as it becomes really difficult to service the rent and manage other periodic expenses that increase with the commencement of winter season.

So far in 2021 itself, the government has already sanctioned a sum totalling £310 million to councils through the Homelessness Prevention Grant. The recent addition for averting the homelessness in winter season will increase the total amount by a further £65 million in the present calendar year.

Separately, the government has made available £140 million through the Discretionary Housing Payments. The sum has been judiciously utilised to prevent evictions, at a time when people lookout for new rental accommodation. This implies the comprehensive working model for the Downing Street administration as it subsidised the stamp duty for home buyers during the pandemic, and, on the other hand, the authorities made sure that people living in rental properties should remain in a position to fulfill their rental needs.

Under the umbrella of the £500 million Household Support Fund, the government has provided £421 million to assist the vulnerable individuals in England. As a part of this monetary injection, the devolved administrations were entitled to receive nearly £80 million.

During all of this, the landlords and the primary owners of the property have also proceeded hand-in-hand with the government’s objective to minimise the evictions and homelessness due to the hardships of the pandemic.

The multiple fundings are primarily utilised to support the households needs including the cost of essentials and other necessary requirements. Of the total monetary grant, nearly 50% of the funding has been reserved for the households and families with children.

As the country steps into the final stages of the apparent recovery process, the government has been doing the major bit to resurrect the confidence, identifying the best possible measures to support the vulnerable section. The additional fundings and specific monetary injections have thoroughly augmented and bolstered the existing lines of support being channelised through the government.

News

Google and Techfugees launch Digital Sparks with scholarships to uplift refugee job-seekers

Techfugees, a global non-profit which advocates for the digital inclusion of refugees, announces the Digital Sparks campaign in collaboration with Google.

Google will offer 100 digital skills career scholarships to the global Techfugees community, which will provide unemployed job-seeking refugees with the digital skills required to become job-ready for careers in the digital-tech sector.

The scholarships will reach a wide range of participants particularly empowering women refugees and unemployed displaced young job seekers in the Techfugees global community. This will support refugees in regional migration and resettlement across several countries that include Lebanon, Uganda, Kenya, UK and Germany.

The online courses available through the scholarships are in four high demand digital fields that include Google IT Support Professional Certificate, Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate, Google Project Management Professional Certificate and Google UX Design Professional Certificate.

The campaign aims to help people get the skills employers are looking for today and in the years ahead. Refugees will not need to have any relevant experience or a degree to be eligible for the scholarship and the qualification is recognised by industry experts and employers. Each course can be completed in four to six weeks if undertaken full-time to be completed by March 2022.

The scholarships are part of the Techfugees and ‘Grow Stronger with Google’ initiative to help empower digital talent and accelerate participation of refugees to the digital economies across Europe, Middle-East & Africa, led by Techfugees’ local Chapters, volunteers and supporters.

Further information about the Google Career Certificate scholarships is available here https://bit.ly/3zSI9Rk or contact Techfugees to apply.

Finance and Banking, News

Forget about trendy investments such as NFTs and look at angel investing

By Chantelle Arneaud, Envestors 

You may have noticed some of the the unusual things that people are investing in.  And perhaps you have considered investing in them yourself.

Not long ago, an invisible piece of artwork sold for the hansom sum of $18,000. By ‘invisible’ I don’t mean it’s a new James Bond style tech that you haven’t heard of. I mean in actual terms, this art does not exist. And yet, someone invested in it. The craze with Non Fungible Tokens (NFTs) has seen monies poured into assets including a digital perfume, a digital house which went for $500,000.

There are many trendy things you could invest your money in. But how long will this craze last? Who knows? What I can say is that if you’re looking to invest your money into something exciting (and slightly more predictable) you should consider angel investing.

Angel investing is a journey where you have the opportunity to identify and help grow the UK’s brightest businesses – and if you’re savvy make a good financial return in doing so.

So, if the idea of being an angel investor is not something you have ever look into, here are some good reasons to consider it.

The feel-good factor

Cash is important, but it is not the only thing young businesses need. They need advice, support and your black book. When you invest in a start-up you join them on a journey, one in which you can directly impact their growth trajectory.

You may also be the difference between a business growing into a future giant or not existing at all. So, if there is a cause you feel passionate about, like sustainable fashion or social care for the aging population, you can support seed businesses in those areas which can help affect a broader social impact.

You’ll save money on your taxes

The UK government runs two lucrative and important tax schemes that a shocking number of people have never heard of – the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS). Both of these schemes are designed to encourage investment into early-stage businesses. So far, the scheme has helped raise £22bn for over thirty-thousand companies.

It’s that successful because the tax incentives are that good.

The EIS scheme, which is for slightly more established, companies offers:

  • Income tax relief of 30% of the amount invested
  • Exemption from Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on any gains from selling your EIS shares
  • Further income tax relief at top rate of income tax (40% or 45%) for any losses made on the disposal of EIS shares
  • Unlimited deferral of capital gains

Its earlier stage counterpart, the SEIS scheme offers:

  • Income tax relief of 50% of the amount invested
  • Exemption from Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on any gains from selling your EIS shares
  • Further income tax relief at top rate of income tax (40% or 45%) for any losses made on the disposal of EIS shares
  • Unlimited deferral of capital gains

All of this is designed to encourage investing into early-stage businesses, while off-setting the risk, because investing in early stage businesses is risky.

You might wake up richer

One day you might find out that one of your businesses has been sold for big money. (Conversely, I need to mention that one day you might wake up and read the news discover that one of your businesses has gone down the drain.)

A recent study published in January 2021 by FounderCatalyst showed that angel investments yielded an average 2.77 X return. With the additional benefit the EIS scheme that grows to an average 3.19 X return.

It is worth pointing out here that averages are averages. Any experienced angel will tell you that many companies take much longer than 4.5 years to mature and exit. Some companies fail quickly while others fail slowly, never growing and never exiting— locking up your assets indefinitely.

You’ll increase your networks

A huge part of angel investing is networking. As you start to investigate opportunities you will meet passionate founders and like-minded investors with whom you can discuss said passionate founders.

You can also join an investment club (which I recommend for all new investors). Opt for a sector specific club aligned to your interest and expertise or for a sector- agnostic one. There are plenty to choose from. Research agency Beauhurst lists the most active ones here.

And finally, whether you make a load of money or a little bit (or none at all) you’ll have great stories to share. Because as an angel investor you will have a positive impact on the businesses you choose to invest in. And that is worth talking about.

Capital at Risk. Please see full risk warning.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chantelle Arneaud is from Envestors. Envestors’ digital investment platform brings together entrepreneurs and investors across geographies, communities and sectors – creating the single marketplace for early-stage investment in the UK.

Envestors partners with accelerators, incubators and angel networks to provide a white-label platform empowering them to promote deals, engage investors and connect to other networks.

Founded in 2004, Envestors has helped more than 200 high growth businesses raise more than £100m through its own private investment club.

Envestors is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Web: https://www.envestors.co.uk/

News, Retail & E-commerce

Mind the knowledge gap: Retailers miss out on £15bn per year due to poor advice instore

Brands across some of the top retail categories potentially missed out on close to £15bn in instore revenue in the past year, due to poor in person advice. The finding comes from new research commissioned by field marketing and retail experience agency, Gekko. The study of 2,000 consumers, conducted by OnePoll, looked at what influences shoppers in making a ‘considered purchase’ – purchases that are made with significant financial or emotional thought. 

The research revealed 1 in 10 shoppers said they had walked out of a shop due to poor advice relating to a considered purchase they were definitely going to make. This equates to some £15bn in revenue overall over the past year.* The experiences vary across categories and age groups. Gekko surveyed experiences across several key retail categories including: Consumer electronics, homeware, baby & child, gaming, home improvement, clothing & apparel. Overall 59.8% said they had received ‘excellent or good advice in store’, highlighting the benefit of human interaction and face to face sales. 

However £15bn could be a drop in the ocean of additional revenues that could be accrued with better advice. 37% of shoppers in the consumer electronics category revealed they would be prepared to spend more if they received excellent and knowledgeable in store advice, indicating a golden opportunity for retailers. This compared with 30% of shoppers in the home improvement category and 27% in homeware/ home furnishings and 21% in clothing and apparel.  

 According to the survey, 50% of Brits made a ‘considered purchase’ in DIY during the pandemic, more than in any other category. However only 1 in 5 (21%) rated the advice they had as ‘excellent’ in making the purchase. This was compared to 32% for baby and child, 31% for gaming and 24% for consumer electronics. Meanwhile 1 in 4 DIY shoppers (25%) were so disappointed by the advice they were put off making an expensive purchase altogether, with 11% pulling the plug on the purchase and walking out of the store. 

Encouragingly for the future of physical retail, Gen Z are most likely to seek out great advice in store (45%) versus an average of 38% and are more likely to find staff knowledgeable across categories. They are also the most likely out of all ages to appreciate product demos (39%) against a 29% average across all ages. 1 in 2 Gen Z’ers  (52%) and 38% of Millennials will spend more for a good experience in store across all categories – crucial for the development  of experiential retail. 

Meanwhile, a conclusive 85% of shoppers are now doing online research before making a considered purchase in-store. 84% of Gen Z, 45-54 and 55-64 categories were even higher at 89% and 90% respectively. Interestingly, 69% said a well synchronized online and offline experience would make them more likely to make a considered purchase. 

According to Daniel Todaro: “Our research highlights the timeless appeal of a positive engagement with an instore expert. While we have spent so much of the past year and a half shopping online – it is clear online alone is no replacement for the experience and interaction of trained advisors. They are consistently the best way to influence and convert a sale of a considered purchase item. 

While there is overall satisfaction, our survey clearly shows more can be done and retailers have potentially missed out of billions. Now this is not to say that all retailers are doing it wrong. Those with a real customer service first mentality are doing it amazingly well. Every person that walks through the door should be viewed as a potential customer, an influencer, someone who will talk about you positively through their experience and tell others in person, online or on social media and is not viewed as just another body to ‘deal’ with.” 

 He continued: “Belying the stereotypes, it is also clear the generations who most welcome expert advice are the younger ones – indeed as our research indicates the right advice can lead to younger customers willingly spending more. This is good news for the future of bricks and mortar retail, but it doesn’t mean retailers don’t need to adapt. Our survey also shows that a joined up and seamless experience online and offline is also now expected with older generations also more likely to research. Brands already know the need to embrace experts and adapt to survive in a changing market, it’s now about making the investment to do so and implement the new experience-centric playbook.”   

Awards, News

Specialist marketing agency named best in industry for third year running

UP Hotel Agency is delighted that it has, once again, been awarded the ‘Best Hotel and Lodging Website’ at the globally-renowned WebAwards competition this month.

Scooping the award for the third year running, the specialist web design agency secured the 2021 title as a result of its high-quality work for the luxury boutique hotel, The Hari.

The website scored an impressive 68.5 points out of a possible 70, which is more than 10 points above industry average, and achieved full marks for its ease of use, interactivity, copywriting and technology.

The team at UP Hotel Agency fought off tough competition to be named best in industry by an influential and respected international judging panel, including senior figures from Microsoft, Adobe, and Marriott International.

The agency also received three further accolades in the competition, winning ‘Outstanding Website’ awards for The Ostrich Inn in Norfolk, VidaMar Hotels & Resorts in Portugal, and for their own agency’s website – all of which scored an impressive 60 points or more.

Established in 1997, the Web Marketing Association’s annual WebAwards recognises standards of excellence and celebrates exceptional digital work, businesses and talent. The competition brings together independent judges across the world to review high calibre websites in almost 100 different industries and sectors.

A judge at the awards commended UP Hotel Agency’s outstanding work on The Hari, saying: “Beautifully done – I want to travel and book a room right now!”

The award-winning agency created a sleek, responsive website that is fully optimised for both mobile and desktop users and aims to entice and engage potential guests. Alongside The Hari, the team works with a range of international hospitality clients to maximise online presence – from small boutiques right through to leading chains.

David Ohandjanian, who founded UP Hotel Agency in 2014, said: “I am so proud that the team has been awarded the ‘Best Hotel and Lodging Website’ for their work on The Hari. It is a huge accomplishment to be recognised yet again as the best in the hospitality industry and to sit amongst other top global digital agencies. It also demonstrates the hard work, exceptional design, and results that we have worked hard to deliver for the client.

“It goes without saying that it is great to have such positive feedback from industry experts but our real satisfaction comes from knowing that we have created a website that our clients around the world are proud to share and, more importantly, achieves amazing results. The last year has, without a doubt, been one of the most difficult periods for businesses and this award has spurred us on to keep delivering impactful digital solutions at a time when clients need it most.”

The company is a full-service digital marketing and web design and development agency that specialises in the hospitality industry. It aims to cut through the complexity of the online space and work with accommodation providers to increase direct online bookings through a range of digital services.

Climate, News

Families urged to get creative in the kitchen this Halloween to tackle food waste

Every Halloween in the UK, we throw away more than 12 million perfectly edible pumpkins. Philip Simpson, commercial director at ReFood, explains why we need to think twice this October – and what we can do differently – to prevent food waste from being left to rot in landfill.

Recent statistics suggest that only 42% of ‘trick or treaters’ know that the fleshy innards of pumpkins are edible, with most people (85%) not even considering the squash as food at all.* But that misconception needs to change. High in fibre, calcium and magnesium, pumpkins are a real superfood. Their seeds, when toasted, are rich in potassium and protein. Better still, an average portion counts as one of your five-a-day, while high concentrations of vitamins A and C improve your eyesight and protect the skin.

Granted, carving pumpkins is fun and certainly gets children away from screentime for a couple of hours, but the scale of wasted food at Halloween is truly shocking. Indeed, based on figures from food waste charity Hubbub, if the UK’s 12 million wasted pumpkins were laid out on football pitches, they would fill more than 2,600 stadiums. If we instead cooked these pumpkins, we could make enough soup for everyone in Britain to have a bowl.

Pumpkins may not yet be part of our staple diet, but that is changing for the better. A Google search for ‘pumpkin recipes’ comes back with more than five million results – plenty of options for aspiring chefs! From pumpkin pie to pumpkin gnocchi, soups, waffles and even pumpkin curry – the list of recipe options is huge. The alternative is leaving perfectly edible vegetables to rot in landfill, which creates greenhouse gases 21 times more damaging to the environment than CO2.

 

Make a change this Halloween

At ReFood, we’re encouraging people to do something different this year – at a time when world leaders at COP26 are seeking to reduce harmful emissions contributing to global warming. By all means, carve out your ghoulish gourds, show them off on the doorstep, but this year finish your Halloween celebrations by making or baking something special. Fiendish fun with a clear environmental conscience!

We see food waste as the real Halloween horror story. When you consider the sheer number of people suffering from food poverty, as well as the significant environmental consequences caused by improper disposal, it’s clear that something must be done.

Eating what we can and reducing what we waste should be our national priority. For any surplus, we should redistribute it to those in need. For inedible waste or out-of-date produce, we should prioritise anaerobic digestion (AD) to harness the value from such an important resource.

With three state-of-the-art AD facilities across the UK, we turn more than 400,000 tonnes of food waste into renewable energy every year. Our ambition is to see zero food waste to landfill right across the UK, including pumpkins at this time of year.

Our message is therefore clear – when you’re carving your pumpkin this Halloween, think twice about unnecessary food waste. Why not try a new recipe? Why not save the seeds? If you have a food waste caddy, use it! Most importantly, don’t throw your pumpkin into landfill – it’s a terrible waste.

Law, News, South East

Rising tax burden threatens South East growth

As businesses continue to focus on recovery from the pandemic and speculation on the contents of the forthcoming Autumn Budget continues, Grant Thornton UK LLP’s latest Business Outlook Tracker finds that one in three (31%) mid-market businesses believe the increased tax burden is a top threat to the growth of their business.

The survey of 605 mid-market businesses in October 2021 showed that the increased tax burden was considered as big a threat to the market as digital security and cyber risk.

Businesses have already been hit this year with the upcoming rise in corporation tax to 25%, announced in the March Budget, and the recent announcement of a rise in National Insurance from April 2022 to help fund the health and social care sectors.

With changing tax policy placing ever greater strain on business finances, the survey found that the policies the mid-market would most like to see introduced by government to support business growth are led by measures to improve infrastructure (32%) and incentives for employers to invest in skills attraction and development (31%).

Backing for low carbon business strategies (30%), measures to level up the UK economy with more devolved powers (30%) and simplification of UK business tax systems (30%) all scored highly.

John O’Mahony, the practice leader for Grant Thornton’s Gatwick team, which covers Surrey, Sussex and Kent, commented: “There is never a good time to raise taxes but businesses around the South East will fear that’s inevitable. I’m sure what the community wants to see is a careful balancing act from the Chancellor. UK Plc is currently batting a perfect storm of issues from supply chain disruption, rising tax burden, lack of talent, increasing energy prices and rising uncertainty as we move towards winter.

“To gain the confidence of UK businesses, the government will need to show that they are able to deliver a clear path to, not just recovery, but also growth. As our research shows, businesses have long favoured a simplified UK tax system but, as the tax burden grows, we are yet to see any progress in this area.”

With COP26 on the horizon and the publication of the government’s Net Zero Strategy this week, it’s encouraging to see that policies around low carbon business strategies are a priority for the mid-market. We know from previous research that only 51% of mid-sized businesses have a net zero carbon strategy in place. To shift the dial in this area and to engage the market effectively in taking action, policy setters need to share clearer guidance that helps businesses to integrate net zero strategies into their operations, ensures the mid-market has access to funds and projects, and consolidates relevant reporting frameworks and standards.

News

Real Housewives star the new face of booming Welsh leisure business

A POPULAR reality TV star is the new ambassador for a North Wales Leisure Firm.

The Real Housewives of Cheshire (RHOC) favourite Ester Dee will represent the UK Leisure Living brand going forward.

Born in the Czech Republic, Ester says she is thrilled to be joining forces with the multi award-winning company, which has sites in Deeside, Mochdre and St Asaph.

The 35 year-old – a former Playboy playmate who also appeared on Celebrity Dinner Date and Celebrity Coach Trip – now lives in Deganwy with daughter Pearl and looks forward to working alongside Managing Director Gareth Jones and his 15 -strong team.

“UK Leisure Living is a fantastic business, at the forefront of products for the home and garden,” said Ester.

“I am really excited by their range of amazing items – and those which are coming soon – and as someone who now lives in North Wales feel proud to support a growing local company which plays such a big part in the community.

“We have lots of exciting things in store, so watch this space!”

Among the innovative lines to be introduced by UK Leisure Living is a collaboration with Swedish group Tylo – a pioneer in the production and global distribution of saunas, steam rooms and steam showers – and a brand new range of barbecue grills and garden furniture.

Gareth is also celebrating another award win, this time for Best Hot Tub and Leisure Company at the UK Enterprise Awards 2021.

He said: “We have had an incredible start to 2021 and are already ahead of last year’s sales, and last year was the best we’ve ever had.

“Next year we are moving our focus and will be positioning ourselves as the area’s leading outdoor leisure retailer, with products you won’t find anywhere else.”

Gareth added: “As we grow as an organisation, we want to keep raising our profile, so it is great to have Ester onboard.

“She is a dynamic, entrepreneurial person who is very popular, especially on social media channels including Instagram – where she has more 279,000 followers – and with viewers of The Real Housewives of Cheshire. She also shares our love for hot tubs, being an avid user herself.

“The partnership is a great fit, and we can’t wait to get started.”

Ester recently returned to RHOC for series 13 after announcing her departure last year.

An iconic figure on the ITVBe show, she has enjoyed a busy time since joining the cast in 2016, launching her own swimwear range – All About the Beach – and working with other notable brands including Rolls Royce and Nutri Body.

The UK Leisure Living group includes Carbon Zero Renewables, The Swim Spa Centre, Outdoor Kitchens North Wales and North West, Verandas North Wales and North West, Hot Tubs North Wales and Cheshire, and Saunas North Wales and Cheshire

For more information on UK Leisure Living, visit www.ukleisureliving.co.uk and follow @ukleisurelivinggroup on social media.

You can follow Ester on Instagram at @esterdee and Twitter at @dohnalovaester.

Cardiff, Charity & CSR, Health, News

Daring to Dream Charity Gives Critical Care Hospital Rooms a New Lease of Life

Daring to Dream is a young and ambitious charity whose mission is to support the emotional health and wellbeing of adult patients in Wales. One of the ways in which they do this is transforming patient day rooms, relatives’ rooms and quiet rooms in hospital.

They have completed another two such rooms in the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) in the last month: the relatives’ room and quiet room in critical care.

Before and After

Rooms such as these are normally very dismal and bleak, both in décor and furnishings, yet they are important spaces to support emotional wellbeing. Spaces for relatives for rest, have respite from their bedside vigil, and for difficult conversations between families and clinicians.

Daring to Dream has taken these rooms and transformed them into interior-designed, comfortably refurnished, non-clinical spaces that provide patients, families and staff a safe space to escape to.

Angela Hughes, Assistant Director of Patient Experience, Cardiff & Vale University Health Board, said: “The redecorated relatives and quiet rooms offer a haven for people at some of the most difficult and distressing times in their lives. They create an environment that does not feel like it is in a hospital and can offer a much needed sanctuary for families and friends.”

Dr Julie Highfield, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Lead Psychologist for the ICU and MTC Psychology Team, University Hospital of Wales, said: “A quiet space to retreat for our families and our staff is so important. The nature of that space is key to their experience and can make a positive difference when they need it.

“We are so grateful to Daring to Dream for their support with the much needed redecoration of these important spaces on our critical care ward.”

Daring to Dream is supporting the wellbeing of the chronically ill who are home-based with their very first virtual festival. Lleswyl: The Daring to Dream Festival will take place online on the evening of Friday, November 26. Sign up for your free tickets here https://daringtodream.wales/tickets/  to host your own festival experience.

To find out more or support Daring to Dream, visit https://daringtodream.wales/.

 

News, Security

Five things Heras learned from the International Security Expo

Heras exhibited at the recent International Security Expo (ISE) and Country Marketing Manager (UK) Rebecca Hughes pinpoints five things that the company learned from the show.

  1. Physical still just as important as cyber

Cyber(security) was definitely the buzzword of the show – and there was clearly lots of innovation on display. But what came across loud and clear for Heras was that physical security is still absolutely vital for UK sites of national importance, data centres, warehouses and distribution hubs.

These sites need clear demarcation, effective entrance control and detection to make sure that perimeters aren’t breached and that only authorised personnel and visitors can enter the site and specific areas within the site. And, if there are any deviations from this, there needs to be a swift and accurate response.

The rapid growth in the construction of warehouses to cope with the demand from online shopping highlights the need to secure these sites and protect the valuable stock held in them.

 

  1. PIDSs the star of the show

We piqued a lot of media interest with our ‘listening fence’, and our team enjoyed demonstrating our newly launched, next generation of perimeter intrusion detection systems (PIDSs).

GeoMic was mounted on Zenith A1 (SR1) fencing, and GeoPoint was mounted on Zenith SR3 fencing. Both were demoed by the Heras team to show how PIDSs complement and greatly increase the overall effectiveness of both existing and specified perimeter protection fence and gate lines.

GeoMic uses a discreet microphonic sensor cable (alpha) that listens for sounds – such as those generated from an intrusion attempt – around the entire perimeter. And the GeoPoint sensor system utilises multiple sensors that are distributed along the fence line to detect movement and vibration.

 

  1. Fuel shortages prompt downtime conversations

The ISE fell just after a weekend of panic fuel buying across the UK, after widespread media reporting of a shortage of lorry drivers for fuel tankers. This naturally led into lots of conversations with visitors about the issue of business interruption and the risks and implications if sites are compromised.

We work closely with the operators of many sites of national importance, data centres, warehouses and distribution hubs, and disruption – be it protestors blockading entrances to sites or more-aggressive tactics involving breaking into sites – is not an option because the knock-on effects can be costly and potentially damaging to an organisation’s ability to operate.

 

  1. More than fencing

The issue of business interruption flowed into conversations with visitors about the range of products we offer. Put simply, everyone knows us as the ‘fencing people’ – but that’s the tip of the iceberg.

As Europe’s leading end-to-end supplier of permanent and mobile perimeter protection solutions, we delighted in telling visitors about our key areas of expertise: demarcation, entrance control, detection, integrated systems and maintenance.

For us, maintenance is the unsung hero of effective security, and we had demonstrations of Connect, our breakthrough cloud-based portal that offers real-time insights into the status of an entrance control system, with remote monitoring of user access and automatic alerts and notifications via smartphone, tablet or PC. It also enables users to open access systems via mobile phone, as well as enables Heras to provide remote and proactive monitoring of the systems. This integrates with the company’s Essential, Premium and Premium VIP maintenance support packages.

 

  1. It’s good to meet people again

The last thing we learned is just how great it is to meet people again. The UK security industry came out in force for the ISE, and it was fantastic to meet people who we’d only ever seen on a screen via Zoom or Teams.

Nothing beats talking to a real person over a cup of coffee – and boy, had we missed it! As a business, the ISE was fantastic for Heras, not just in the quality of enquirers but more importantly in the connections we made with new people and in reconnecting with people we hadn’t seen for a couple of years.

 

One last thing… Fight Club

OK, it’s not strictly the sixth thing we learned, but it reminds me of the film Fight Club, starring Brad Pitt. And that is: “The first rule of Fight Club is: you don’t talk about Fight Club.”

The first rule at Heras is that we can’t talk about the vast majority of the projects and installations we get involved in because of the sensitivity around many of the sites we support – which is really hard, especially at shows such as the ISE.

We generally say that these have included UK sites of national importance, data centres, warehouses and distribution hubs. But no names. This is such a shame, as one journalist said that the likes of the BBC would feature Heras much more prominently if we were able to give examples of the scope and complexity of the projects we get involved in.