Monthly Archives: December 2021

News

Pop-up retail project a Christmas hit with seaside shoppers

A VIBRANT pop-up retail and advice hub for independent producers provided shoppers in a coastal town with plenty of Christmas cheer.

Love Live Local @ Rhyl has been home to artisan creators, food and drink makers and craft companies over past weeks.

A hit with customers in the White Rose Centre, the 3,000 sq ft unit – supported by Antur Cymru, Denbighshire County Council and the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns Coastal Communities Fund – has also been offering Business Wales support and guidance to the traders, who all hope to go on and have their own premises in the future.

Among them is Michelle Hughes, from Rhyl, whose Crafty Creations include festive gifts, wooden items, and monogrammed apparel.

“This project has been a breath of fresh air as we’ve been able to display our products in the centre but also have the space to make new items, which has been of interest to shoppers who want to see how it’s done,” she said.

“I have loved every minute, especially working alongside the producers and supporting each other. We were all based either at home or local units on industrial estates, so this has been a great opportunity to reach more people.”

The initiative runs until December 30 and is led by Project Manager Lowri Roberts; it was designed to garner interest among bespoke businesses ahead of the 2022 redevelopment of Rhyl’s Queen’s Market.

Nadine Holmes, from Prestatyn, is another to seize the opportunity, with her unique Green Beings range of ethically sourced sustainable gifts and home-grown plants.

“The support has been fantastic throughout, with many people keen to help small businesses and have a positive impact on the local economy,” said Nadine.

“Our products are recyclable and come from overseas – predominately Bali and India – with a portion of the proceeds going back to charitable organisations in those communities, so there is a story behind what we are doing and the chance to make a difference.

“Being here has been wonderful as we are all at a similar stage with our businesses and have received a lot of help and guidance, including our strategies, so it’s given me the confidence to go forward and take things to the next level.”

Words echoed by Natasha Field, from Rhyl, who began crafting in lockdown before launching Del Creations.

“To have a place we can make and sell our products is fantastic, because previously my house was full of bath bombs, wax melts, soaps, body butter and all of the things I’d created!” said Natasha.

“I had wanted to start a little business for me, and from there it’s grown to the point where I will take the leap and find premises locally.

“This has been a really important stepping-stone and made me believe I can do it because the feedback has been incredible, especially from those with sensitive skin who say these health and beauty items are unlike anything they’ve seen before.”

Other firms to have joined the space since opening include Flintshire-based Blooming Brownies and Ivy Bank Honey Bees, and popular Rhuddlan cake makers Royle Bakes, whose owner Debbie Rowley also used the pandemic to change direction and begin a new chapter in her life.

“People want to come in and meet the people behind the business, to see how things are made and have an experience you don’t get online,” said Debbie.

“We have all benefited from being here, especially the support of Lowri and Business Wales, so thank you to them and Antur Cymru. We certainly need to see more projects like this across the region, giving small businesses a voice, and the support they need to grow.”

Blooming Brownies added: “The shop has given us the opportunity to showcase our delicious brownies to a wider range of new customers and given us the chance to actively interact with them face to face as previously everything was via social media and our website.

“Thanks to everyone in Rhyl and the surrounding areas for their support, and to Lowri, Nick Palmer from Business Wales and the other agencies involved for making all of this possible for small businesses.”

Lowri is delighted Love Live Local @ Rhyl has had such a positive effect on participants in the project and hopes they will all go on to great success in the years ahead.

“We have achieved what we set out to do, but most importantly the project has allowed them to look at their business models, strategize and move forward with confidence,” she said.

“This is new framework for supporting small business, being able to test trade, whilst being supported through the fundamentals of business development, prior to investing in a retail space.

“We look forward to the next few weeks here and thank the community and shoppers for their support. We hope you have a fantastic Christmas and continue get behind your local businesses at a time when they really need you.”

For further information, email lroberts@anturcymru.org.uk or call 01745 585025/07779 457367.

Follow the hashtag #LoveLiveLocal and visit www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/business/business-support/love-live-local.aspx for more on the Love Live Local campaign.

ENDS

Health, Health & Safety

5 Reasons Your Business Should Invest In An Automated Defibrillator

For business owners, employees should be crucial assets that deserve the best protection at all times. Establishing a business culture of security and safety will positively ramp up employee satisfaction and retention. The growth of a business is ensured when a safe, secure, and healthy work environment is prioritized.

Investing in safety measures, such as fire alarms, smoke detectors, first aid kits, fire extinguishers, and personal protective equipment, guarantees a safe environment for both employees and clients.

As cardiac arrest is becoming prevalent in both homes and the workplace, it may be time to consider implementing an automated external defibrillator (AED) program. The risk of mortality from cardiac arrest is generally higher than a fire or other workplace accidents. When an AED is readily on hand, it has the potential to save lives.

A Close Look At An AED  

An AED is a medical device that assesses the heart rhythm and determines if a shock or defibrillation is necessary to restore a working rhythm. Once the AED pad is in proper position, the device will analyse the heart rhythm and provide prompts on what to do.

The device plays a crucial role in the chain of survival, which includes timely contact with emergency services, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), defibrillation with an AED, and advanced care by the emergency medical service.

AEDs are made portable and easy to use with the help of technological improvements. They’re readily accessible in malls, health clubs, schools, airports, restaurants, hotels, businesses, and sporting venues today. There are also laws and regulations for AED signage requirements, which you can learn more about in this post from avive.life.

Reasons Why Your Business Should Invest In An AED

If you value the health and safety of your employees in the workplace, investing in an AED is worth considering because you’ll never know when a medical emergency will happen. Here are several reasons why investing in one is a good decision for your business:

  1. Saves Lives

A high percentage of individuals suffering a cardiac arrest die while on the way to the hospital. Remember that the first few minutes after a cardiac arrest are crucial in determining the chances of survival.

The timely use of an AED within three to five minutes will significantly improve survival chances. Consider purchasing an AED as a business owner to save lives. Both your employees and your clients will benefit from it.

  1. Promotes A Safe Working Environment

Although not all businesses invest in an AED, you better think twice. If you value the health and safety of your employees, you should implement the necessary measures. As a business owner, ensuring you’re ready for emergencies is a pivotal move.

One of the ways to boost workplace safety is investing in an AED. When you have one, it can significantly improve chances of survival if an employee or client experiences a cardiac arrest.

Aside from having an AED, try to reassess the medical history of your employees. Although some don’t want to divulge their health conditions, this device can benefit those at risk for heart conditions.

  1. Improves Staff Response During Emergencies

Employee training should be a top concern for businesses, especially on basic first-aid procedures, so they know the appropriate steps to take during an emergency. Using an AED and proper CPR can increase the odds of survival.

CPR involves the delivery of compressions and artificial ventilation to maintain the flow of oxygen to the brain. Sadly, if it cannot restore the heart rhythm to normal, an AED would be required immediately.

With this in mind, providing your staff with the proper knowledge and skillsets when dealing with emergencies is critical. A CPR and AED course for your employees will help lessen the risk and danger of cardiac arrest, thereby making the workplace a safe environment for everyone.

  1. Better Retention Of Staff

Making safety a priority in the workplace is an advantage, especially if you want better staff retention. Aside from providing a better chance of surviving a cardiac arrest, your staff will have a higher level of security.

  1. Protects The Reputation Of Your Company

A workplace death can negatively harm the reputation of your company. This might also make your company less desirable for job seekers.

Having an AED in the workplace can significantly lower the chances of a fatality among employees. The investment will help maintain your company’s good reputation while also boosting the trustworthiness level of your employees as their safety is prioritized at all times.

Final Thoughts

An AED is a safety device that should be present in any business establishment. One way to prioritize the safety and health of your employees in the workplace is to invest in the device along with introductory safety courses. Doing so will ensure everyone in the workplace is ready to deal with medical emergencies that might occur. Investing in an AED will keep everyone in the workplace safe and help improve their chances of survival.

 

News

3 businesses with an innovative approach to company culture

Company culture is one of the hot topics in business right now.

But when companies talk about their culture, they’re often inadvertently having very different conversations to their employees.

Many can be found guilty of speaking in buzzwords without really bringing substance to the conversation, whilst others just don’t understand what their staff are really looking for.

But the truth is, the way a company treats its employees can be a great forecaster of its success. A business which does not value its staff is at risk of losing them and will struggle to retain great talent. On the other hand, a company with a culture of respect and reward will nurture and encourage its staff development and allow them to grow alongside it.

With that in mind, these are just three UK businesses whose approach to company culture and working practices fosters positivity and productivity.

  1. Ormiston Wire

Ormiston Wire was founded in 1793, and over a century later the wire manufacturers are still going strong.

But it was in the 1970s that their pioneering approach to productivity was implemented. Around this time, it was commonplace for employees to be paid every Friday morning. This led to something of a tradition amongst staff, who would enjoy a drink with their lunch on payday.

Unfortunately, as the company relied on staff operating heavy machinery, this practice led to safety concerns amongst bosses. But rather than punish their staff, the business took a different approach. Instead, they decided to give their employees Friday afternoons off so that they could enjoy their payday celebrations safely.

Whilst these types of concessions are becoming more common in the 21st century, it was extremely rare back in the 1970s. But the company continues to operate to these hours to this day, with great success.

  1. Techsixtyfour Ltd

Techsixtyfour Ltd is a UK-based wearable tech company owned by mum-of-two Colleen Wong.

The Gator Watch, its flagship product, is a GPS tracker and communication device designed to help parents keep an eye on their young children, and the company’s ethos has families in mind at every step.

That’s why Wong’s fantastic family-friendly philosophy has filtered down through her business and working practices to encourage full flexibility for her employees.

  1. People Insight

Another great example of practising what they preach, People Insight are a survey and consultancy brand dedicated to improving employee experiences in the workplace.

So perhaps its no surprise that their own approach to company culture is a model for our times. Offering flexibility to their employees when it comes to working hours, remote hours and carefully curated communication that ensures the company is run democratically and prioritise the opinions of staff, theirs is a welcoming working environment with a great track record of employee satisfaction.

Conversations about company culture are constantly changing, and what employees expect has evolved since the pandemic. But these three brands are ahead of the curve in their working practices.

How does your workplace encourage good company culture? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Hybrid Working, News

89% of businesses plan to host tech off-premise propelling shift to ‘Destination Offices’ that aid collaboration, learning and socialising

Remote and hybrid working is driving a permanent shift in how businesses are organising their tech. Dependence on on-premise infrastructure, to support a full capacity office, is no longer required, shows survey.

 Surveying 200 business leaders across the UK, a new study by Zen Internet has found that:

  • only 11% of planned tech operations will be hosted on-premise
  • off premise tools are among the top tech investments set to be made in the next 12 months, alongside artificial intelligence (25%) automation (24%) and application programming interface (24%)

It’s estimated that only 55% of office space and desks are expected to be in use over the next year, with a majority of workers set to spend three days there a week in 2022 (or less in-line with government guidelines changes).

More space will also be created when on-premise data centres move ‘online’; currently on-premise data centres are found to take up on average of 8% of office floor space.

When determining what companies who have a data centre are doing with their office space in 2022, 39% of those questioned said that they will use the extra space for ‘collaboration meeting areas’.

Other plans include creating social spaces (36%) and individual working spaces (33%) to aid hybrid working. Meeting rooms (32%), adding additional equipment (32%) and leaving it as open space (28%) would also be amongst the plans if they did not have an on-premise data centre, according to business leaders.

Commenting on these findings, Becky Turner, Workplace Psychologist at office interior design fit-out, furniture and technology company Claremont, said: “As we’re propelled into the Hybrid Era, the purpose of the office is rapidly evolving, becoming a place where the primary goals are for colleagues to meet, collaborate, socialise, and learn – becoming The Destination Office.

“Whilst focused tasks can largely be carried out from home, the Destination Office maximises the office space for those necessary functions that have been noticeably absent from our working lives over the past 18 months; the Coffee Shop provides a social heart to your space, enabling you to build relationships with your colleagues over a coffee or lunch; the Department Store is your support centre, where you can find helpful resources to work effectively from any given location; the Co-working Bureau enables teams to come together to work from a central location, providing mentoring, meeting and collaboration opportunities; and the Forum is a flexible space to facilitate larger-scale collaboration sessions or town hall meetings.

“With the introduction of each of these spaces, your workspace will become the cultural epicentre of your organisation, a place where your colleagues can come to feel energised and connected with the principles and values of your organisation.”

While small to medium sized businesses are moving to CloudComms to benefit overall business operations, and adopting the latest solutions for remote and hybrid working, the move away from on-site hardware opens up of lots more space within working environments and allows space to be re-utilised more creatively.

Steve Warburton from zen.co.uk added:

“The combination of fewer employees working full time on site, advances in cloud technology and less siloed ways of working between departments will reach a crescendo in 2022 to fuel a permanent reconfiguration in office design. More businesses may even now take the step to reduce square footage altogether as a means to adapt to this shift.

 “The consensus certainly seems to be big change in 2022 and recreating ‘the destination office’ as an environment to engender greater collaboration among staff than ever before.” 

 

News

‘How LaplandUK fought to keep alive the magic of Christmas’

This short independent film tells the story of a family-run British business and their struggle to preserve the magic of Christmas for thousands of children, as their site in Berkshire moved into lockdown last year.

Mike and Alison Battle, Founders of LaplandUK, explain: “The pandemic crisis and its effect on our business has been biblical, we faced challenges at every twist and turn. We vowed to do everything to keep our experience alive and we pulled out all the stops to put on one last show before lockdown hit us last year. We feel that we have a responsibility to preserve the precious relationship between Father Christmas and the children who visit LaplandUK.” 

The film, which was directed by Josh Williams and produced by Nancy Ryan at Black Dog Films, documents the way the LaplandUK team pulled together; aware of the herculean task they needed to complete and the ever shortening timeline.

“When Nancy first approached me about the LaplandUK project, it felt fated – this was clearly a documentary made for me – my friends have always come to me in December for Christmas joy – I’m the most Christmassy person they know. I’m one of 5 and an uncle 11 times so it’s a big deal! I’m obsessed with Christmas, the films, the music, the food but most importantly the message. I get very emotional thinking about it – Christmas is the one time of the year where we reflect on what and who we care about the most. It’s not about the presents, it’s about the caring and the love we give to each other and how we are able to show it. It’s the most selfless time of year and that is something so special that I think the whole world has really focussed on throughout the pandemic. What and who really matters to them. 

I think the Lapland Doc is a story of hope, bred through pure passion for the experiences of children at Christmas time, but also the joy of being together as a family in an age where parents are so very busy. When they enter LaplandUK, work, stress and technology is left behind and it’s been so magical to witness the pure joy involved in this experience. “ (Josh Williams, Black Dog Films)

LaplandUK was created fifteen years ago by the Battle family, originally for their own children, but then launched as a business venture. To date, three of the Battle’s four sons now work for the company and they are the UK’s most successful Christmas experience.

LaplandUK strives to be an ethical and sustainable business, Mike and Alison Battle add: “, You won’t find any single-use plastic or resin on our site, and we build the experience from scratch each year, and then take it down – leaving no trace in the woodlands. We come at this as parents, we know how important the attention to detail is, but also as a business that strives for good in every way. Our 700-strong staff includes West End performers whom we were able to support with paid work throughout the pandemic, local residents and a diverse and talented community, bound together by a common goal to make LaplandUK the stuff of children’s memories for a lifetime.”

Accounts and Accountancy, Finance and Banking, News

The Welsh Budget’s green emphasis welcomed by ACCA Wales

The green focus in the recently announced Welsh Government’s draft Budget places Wales at the forefront of tackling the climate emergency, says the Head of ACCA Wales Lloyd Powell, who also welcomes the co-ordinated approach to investment and budget planning for 2022 to 2025.

Targeted, green investment of more than £160m revenue and a total investment of £1.8bn capital will be committed over the next three years, in a growing overall budget.

Lloyd Powell says: “What’s commendable about the draft budget is that it’s collaborative and future-looking – after all green investment cannot be done in silos, and it needs to be planned for the short and longer term. Green investment will be targeted across a wide variety of policy areas, and impact on all areas of government and society, with the Minister for finance and local government emphasising the need for a collective effort.”

Highlights in the draft Budget include:

  • Investment in the NHS, social care and local authorities: helping to address the on-going impact pandemic and to build back after it. This is essential spending.
  • Skills and employability support are also welcomed with an additional £61 million of spending, but it is disappointing that higher level apprenticeships (Level 7) still do not appear to be an area of focus.
  • Business support: the non-domestic rates relief measures for businesses in retail, leisure and hospitality are most welcome, and especially so for smaller businesses. But it’s likely further support will be needed depending on any further restrictions. Although additional funding was announced in the Budget to support businesses across Wales over the next three years, there were very few details. It will be interesting to understand what support will be available to support SMEs which represent such a large part of the Welsh economy.

Additional spending across a range of areas and sectors will be used to invest in net-zero technology and energy efficient building upgrades. However, for businesses it’s vital that investment in adaptations, such as energy efficient property fit-outs does not materially alter the rateable value and result in a business rates uplift.

ACCA Wales is also keen to see this investment reported appropriately. Lloyd Powell explains:

“There are also implications for net zero reporting in Wales for many organisations in all sectors. As part of global climate plans, we expect to see an expansion of monitoring and reporting on emissions in coming years, whether in the public, private or third sectors.

“Increasingly, this will be pushed down supply chains – whether public or private – to smaller businesses and organisations. In our recent report, published jointly with the ICC and Sage, we highlighted the urgency to begin to streamline, simplify and automate this process to avoid an unnecessary burden on small businesses. The Welsh Government needs to ‘think small first’, as part of its Tax Policy Work Plan and explore ways in which practical barriers can be broken down for SMEs.”

Lloyd Powell says that in the immediate future, it is essential that investment is set aside to support businesses impacted by any further Covid restrictions, on top of the support announced last week: “Throughout this pandemic, alongside the huge investments in supporting public health, the Welsh Government has supported businesses to survive and recover, including emergency business support. This must continue as support for small businesses is very much needed at this very challenging time. Alongside this, businesses need to be given certainty and stability that will help them recover and to help create a fairer, greener and prosperous future for Wales.”

The final budget will be published 1 March 2022, after scrutiny in the Senedd in the New Year.

 

Charity & CSR, Christmas

Moneypenny Support Dandy’s ‘Give a Gift’ Appeal

Moneypenny supported Dandy’s Topsoil again this year with their ‘Give a Gift’ appeal.

The company got fully involved in the project and held their own ‘Give a Gift’ day where employees bought in in gifts for Dandy’s to collect and deliver to children throughout Wrexham, Cheshire and Flintshire, through the charities Save the family, The British Red Cross and Local Solutions.

Joanna Swash, Group CEO of Moneypenny comments: “This is always one of my favourite days of the year here at Moneypenny and we have supported Dandy’s with this excellent initiative for number of years. Our wonderful people enjoy bringing in something to help others and this is just a small thing to make a child smile this Christmas.”

News

Inspirational Army veteran and foster parent lights up the lives of South Wales community

A KIND-HEARTED foster parent and Army veteran lit up the lives of struggling families, pensioners and vulnerable adults throughout the Coronavirus pandemic.

Passionate Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) resident Dawn Parkin set up The Lighthouse Project two years ago, initially as a service supporting bereaved families in the area.

Operating from home to begin with, Dawn seized an opportunity to take over the Tonyrefail Community Centre in January 2020 – which in her own words needed some “TLC”.

In less than two years, the Project has joined forces with leading charitable, housing and health and wellbeing organisations across the Cwm Taf Morgannwg region.

Wellbeing coordinators within RCT (operating from within GP surgeries) already refer a lot of people who are lonely, isolated or in need of mental health or economic support to Dawn’s services, helping to lessen the strain on their practices.

As Welsh Government and Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (CTMUHB) reiterate the Help Us, Help You message this Winter – encouraging its communities to think about alternative healthcare options to best suit their needs – Dawn is keen for the centre to further strengthen its links with GP surgeries and health workers.

“We are just pleased to play a small part in doing whatever we can to make life easier and safer for our CTM doctors and nurses who are under so much strain, especially at this time of year”, said Dawn, who left the Armed Forces as a Major having spent 35 years in Logistics and Welfare, travelling the world over.

“This is an area which has long struggled with economic issues and a lack of opportunity. The Lighthouse Project is trying to address that; it’s about giving people who didn’t feel they had a reason to get out of bed in the morning a place to go, a welcoming refuge from their troubles.

“Whether that’s mental health problems, unemployment or poverty, whatever it is, we are here for them.”

Unfortunately, Dawn had to shut the centre’s doors after a matter of weeks when Covid-19 took hold in the UK last Spring.

Undeterred and relying entirely on donations and goodwill, she and a group of volunteers set up a foodbank in her garage and began collecting items from supermarkets and convenience stores to distribute to hard-hit families in the area.

And when the building did eventually reopen, because of the “huge amount of trust” built up among the community there was a buzz of activity and interest.

“The foodbank has continued – with gifts, toys and up to 150 food hampers set to again be delivered to those who need them most this Christmas – and since the summer we’ve introduced new services and support networks which have been well received,” said Dawn, who has fostered nine children since leaving the Army and has a daughter of her own.

With people starting to think about unwinding for Christmas, Dawn has no plans to slow down and has even bigger and brighter plans for the centre for early 2022.

“We already have an over 50s club tackling isolation and loneliness; a senior citizens social group; parent and toddler activities, and in January we are launching a wellbeing drop-in centre, a breastfeeding clinic and advice service, a ‘chill out zone’ for secondary school pupils and men’s mental health sessions – we have literally not stopped,” she said.

“And next year, our project aims to forge even closer relations with partners such as Interlink RCT and our wider community partners across CTM.”

Dawn added: “I love The Lighthouse Project; it keeps me alive, it’s what I’m made for.

“What makes me most proud is that people come here at their lowest ebb, we help them and so many of them become volunteers and then help other people, it’s amazing.

“My vision is to see Lighthouses across the Valleys, even worldwide! My dream is to set one up abroad, I want to leave a legacy and affect future generations. I have a very strong faith and that is the fuel for my passion and the fire inside me to serve others.”

Changing perceptions of her community is another issue Dawn wants to address.

“You see negativity about the Valleys, about poverty and deprivation, but richness comes in many forms,” she said.

“We are rich in spirit, and you can’t buy that – it’s priceless.”

Paul Mears, Chief Executive of Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, congratulated Dawn on her “incredible efforts” over the past two years.

He said: “As a Health Board one of our top priorities is building healthier communities together, and the Lighthouse Project is a perfect example of that.

“Our organisation has four main goals – Creating Health, Improving Care, Inspiring People and Sustaining our Future – these are all underpinned through Dawn’s vision.

“We are truly inspired by the way in which the centre has united the community during such a challenging time; it shows how one person’s passion and determination can make a huge difference – Dawn has changed lives.

“We look forward to working together to bring mental and physical health and wellbeing support to those who need it most and thank Dawn for being such a beacon of hope and kindness in the Tonyrefail community.”

To donate to The Lighthouse Project and for more information you can contact Dawn via the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/181989913012650/.

If you need help or advice, before contacting your GP, visit: www.111.wales.nhs.uk/LiveWell

To find out more about GP Wellbeing coordinators offering support services in your local area, speak with your local GP practice.

Please use the hashtags #HelpuNiHelpuChi and #HelpUsHelpYou to support the Help Us, Help You campaign.

News

UK House Prices Set to Rise by 5% in 2022

In 2022, UK house prices are predicted to surge by 5%, Rightmove has found. They attributed this to the available stock of property for sale hitting the lowest level per estate agency branch that they have ever recorded.

Guy Robinson, head of residential agency at agent Strutt & Parker said: “Following the highest house price growth in seven years, the outlook remains positive for 2022. Buyer demand continues to be robust and applicant numbers are still significantly higher per property than any time since 2006.” 

 

Current House Price Statistics

The average UK house price in 2021 is now £272,992. This is compared to an average house price of £252,235 a year ago – a staggering rise of £20,757 in just a year. This means that the annual house price growth is currently at 8.2%, peaking at 9.5% in May 2021. This was the strongest rate of annual growth in average house prices since July 2014. 

Inflation is rising, so it’s more than likely that interest rates will also rise further in 2022. Last year’s Government support measures for COVID-19 have largely stopped, so this will put greater pressure on household budgets. Managing Director at Halifax, Russell Galley, believes that “house price growth will slow considerably” as a result. 

Galley continued: “Interest rates will remain low by historic standards and property prices will continue to be supported by the limited supply of available properties.”

“We expect, therefore, that house prices will maintain their current strong levels but that growth will be broadly flat during 2022 … there is still a large degree of uncertainty around this forecast, particularly the extent to which savings accrued during the pandemic continue to boost housing transactions and prices, and how lasting the recent shifts in housing preferences prove to be.”

“Indeed, it is prudent to highlight the potential for house prices to rise or fall by much greater margins next year, depending on how COVID-19 and its variants continue to impact the economic environment and the potential for any further policy interventions.”

 

House Prices Across London

The trend continues in London of a rise in average house prices. 

Hampstead

According to Zoopla, the average price for property in Hampstead was £1,581,292 in December 2021. This is a rise of 1.57% since September 2021, and a rise of 1.17% since December 2020. 

St. John’s Wood

The average price for property in St John’s Wood came in at £1,507,699 in December 2021, Zoopla found. This is a rise of 1.76% in the last three months and rise of 2.00% since December 2020. Breaking this down into property types, flats in St John’s Wood sold for an average of £1,047,866 and terraced houses for £3,049,177.

The Trend for 2022

It’s predicted that the average house prices in the UK will continue to rise in 2022, but at a less drastic rate than in 2021. The rises are anticipated to be consistent across the UK, but regional and local factors will still influence the house prices. It probably goes without saying, but COVID-19 will continue to play a significant role on the economy as a whole, and on house prices. 

Science

How Lab Managers Can Further Improve Safety Throughout 2022

Amidst the ongoing threat of the Coronavirus and the rising demand for the development of innovative new treatments, the life sciences and healthcare markets are under increased scrutiny.

Both commercial and academic laboratories need to be working efficiently and safely, but this can be a challenge, particularly when labs already have stringent health and safety standards.

With skills shortages and the pandemic reducing the efficiency of scientific laboratories, it’s vital that any health and safety tools or procedures save time and are effective.

So, how can laboratory managers improve health and safety in their labs without slowing down the discovery and production of cutting-edge new treatments? We explore a selection of smart tips for modern scientific team leaders.

Use High-Tech Fume Extraction Systems  

Getting rid of contaminants in the air is in focus right now, thanks to the pandemic. In most labs, clean air and fume cupboards are a vital requirement, but some older tech can require a lot of maintenance and doesn’t give the best results. Check out companies like TION, which specialise in fume extraction systems and are dedicated to creating safer labs with solutions that last. By exploring cutting-edge tech, you can make your lab safe for users and reduce the chances of airborne cross-contamination. It will also reduce downtime for your lab and ensure that your staff don’t have to spend as much time on maintenance and cleaning as they might with older, less efficient fume extraction tools.

Plan Regular Health And Safety Meetings

To ensure that health and safety are always at the front of everyone’s mind in your lab, you should consider conducting regular health and safety meetings. These could be quick, informal chats or more serious sit-down meetings. These meetings will help you to ensure that everyone is always aware of changes in the lab and how they will affect health and safety procedures. Regular meetings can also help you to stay on top of any incidents and get feedback from your team, which you can then use to inform your future policy amendments and changes to health and safety procedures. These meetings will also help you to reassure your team that you remain dedicated to keeping them safe while they go about their vital work.

Increase And Improve Labelling Across The Lab

Correct labelling and clear instructions are both vital for safety in any lab. Most experienced lab staff should be aware of common warning labels and signs in the lab. That being said, it could be useful to consider offering additional training for any new staff or non-clinical team members. You should also regularly check that warning labels are still clear and easily readable and replace any that are now unclear and worn. If you’re concerned that warning labels aren’t easily visible, then consider adding more or making them larger to ensure that everyone can clearly and quickly see them and act accordingly.

Safety is and always will be a key focus for any laboratory manager. While it’s impossible to eradicate accidents completely, you can prevent them by using tips such as these.