Monthly Archives: March 2022

Marketing, PR and SEO

Organic Traffic – Importance, Relevance, & The Need For It In 2022

The need for organic traffic has increased in the past two years because the online scenario has become a lot more competitive. The only way to survive is through genuine leads and organic traffic that would convert into loyal customers. Also, people have had a lot of exposure to the internet and the many entities online.

The overall use of websites and mobile apps has increased by over 70% since the covid-19 pandemic. It continues to increase in the year 2022 as well. This is why it is important to talk about the relevance and the need for organic traffic this year and beyond. Let’s discuss:

 

Understanding How SEO Works In 2022

SEO is very crucial for your business and it works just the way it used to up until a few years back. Notwithstanding a few changes in Google algorithms and other methodologies, this promotional tactic has remained intrinsically uniform. The leading search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing are going to crawl your website(s) for the quality of content that they have and will rank you accordingly. And do remember that Google, for instance, uses over 500 parameters to assess and evaluate your content. This is how your eventual ranking gets established.

 

Relevance Of Organic Traffic In 2022 For Your Business

The digital space has become much more competitive and ranking on the top of the search engine results is not the end but only the beginning. Brands from all over the world are competing against one another with more and more relevant ad campaigns and promotions, advertisements, paid marketing, and optimized content. According to Outreach Monks, the trend of using websites and applications has stuck by and therefore has translated into increased relevance of organic traffic in 2022 as well. If you are not online, you do not exist to your customers. Period.

 

Trivia: Do you know that organic traffic drives more than 53% of all web traffic? Studies suggest that close to 41% of these leads turn into returning clients within a month’s time.

 

The Need For Organic Traffic

Organic traffic is way more important than paid traffic. It is also more reliable than the traffic that you get from your social media networks. The reason is that it is highly targeted and only possible to generate through content optimization and white label link building in addition to other ethical promotional strategies. Any of your users who land on your website from a traditional search engine query are going to have a specific intent in mind. If you are able to address their query on time with a relevant solution on your website, they are highly likely to convert. Studies say that they are 61% more likely to convert as compared to any other lead that you generate from your social media channels.

 

Conclusion

Organic traffic holds a lot of relevance and is going to continue to do so in the future. If you want to stay relevant and valuable to your users, you have to constantly invest in as many ways as possible to attract them to your website.

 

 

Charity & CSR

Mystery Illness Leaves Horror Film Director Bedbound and Facing Eviction from Swansea Home

Once described as ‘one of the UK’s most prolific indepedent  horror film Directors’, Swansea’s Andrew Jones has gone from creating independent horror films to facing his own nightmares after being struck with a  rare life-threatening adrenal condition known as Cushing’s Syndrome which has left him bedbound and facing eviction as the couple have lost their income and are now relying on benefits.

Andrew is a popular film producer, screenwriter, director, and editor.  He founded North Bank Entertainment aged just 27, and has an established track record of commercially successful titles. Up until 2020, Andrew had produced 29 independent feature films including the popular Robert the Doll series, but having already been struggling after productions were put on hold during covid, Andrew was tragically struck with a sudden illness in 2020 which has prevented him from working and left him bed bound.

With little financial help available, and no income, Andrew and his producer wife, Sharron are crowdfunding in the hope of getting help, as they face the prospect of being evicted from their home, and also need to fund private treatment for Andrew as NHS resources are so limited.

Sharron explains:

“The benefits we receive are not enough to cover the rent, bills, or food let alone the additional life-saving private healthcare treatments Andrew now needs if he is to fully recover and resume his film-making career.

“The added stresses of the eviction notice has seen Andrew’s already dampened spirits impacted further, and while I am caring for him full time I have no income either.  I am hoping that by raising funds, we can secure enough money to provide somewhere safe for us to live while Andrew recovers, and pay for the treatment he needs.

“The treatments for Cushing’s Syndrome are invasive surgeries, radiotherapy, and a lifetime of toxic medications with adverse side effects which would prevent Andrew from returning to the career he loves. However, significant, natural treatments and protocols are a realistic option but would have to be paid for privately.

“Andrew is weak and exhausted, he has muscle atrophy in his arms and legs so cannot currently walk or use a wheelchair and he is bedridden.  He will need extensive rehabilitation, physiotherapy, and chiropractic and also we need to find new accommodation as, apart from the eviction notice, our current home is unsuitable anyway and we need to find .a ground floor home with good wheelchair access and a level access shower, so Andrew can work towards using a wheelchair until he is able to walk again.  The Council has very limited housing stock due to the current housing demand caused by the Covid Pandemic and knock-on economic situation with over 200,000 currently being evicted in the UK. The Council also will not house you till you actually become homeless, which is not an option for Andrew in this vulnerable condition. A truly catch 22 situation.”

“The professional healing team, ready to help, are confident that 12 months is what he needs to heal, and so we need 12 months of living and treatment costs raised. This will allow Andrew to ONLY focus on healing, and then getting back to what he does best – we have tried every other avenue and are hoping that the love, support and kindness of Andrew’s film fans, who have always been so supportive of his work, will enable them to make a small contribution to help aid his recovery so he can get back to making the films they love as soon as possible.

The couple have set up a funding page here: https://fundrazr.com/AndrewJ-Healing-Journey?ref=sh_9B2Es7_ab_1Wb9Crpdm4i1Wb9Crpdm4i

There is also a Telegram and a FaceBook group you can join for updates, support, and anything else that contributes to helping Andrew heal.

Telegram Group https://t.me/+Fdu86gwW6Sk4NTA8

FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/groups/1667269696966094

 

IT Services

EndaceProbe Release Changes the Game for Network Forensics

Latest software from Endace extends support for threat hunting and security incident response with easy file reconstruction, log generation and multi-tenant support.

London, UK, Austin, TX and Auckland, NZ: March 2, 2022: Packet capture authority, Endace, today announced OSm™ 7.1 for the EndaceProbe™ Analytics Platform. This new release enables analysts at all levels to gain deeper insight into malicious network activity from packet capture data quickly and easily.

The new features benefit customers by:

  • Enabling security analysts to easily reconstruct and extract files from recorded packet data to rapidly understand the nature and extent of threats or breaches. Analysts can analyze the actual files – malware, ransomware, executables, zip archives, exfiltrated data, and more – used by attackers to compromise user and network security and steal data. This gives analysts certainty about exactly what happened. See a short demo video here: https://www2.endace.com/osm7.1-endace-vision-demo
  • Allowing analysts to generate detailed logs – including DNS, HTTPS, TLS, SMTP, database transactions, and many others – from recorded packet data. This gives analysts rich contextual insight into activity that has occurred across the network and enables more accurate threat assessment and response. Read more here: https://www2.endace.com/osm7.1-making-forensics-easy-blog
  • Enabling MSSPs or organizations with multiple tenants to securely share packet recording infrastructure. This allows teams from different organizations or divisions to take advantage of continuous packet recording while keeping each organization’s data separate. Read more here: https://www2.endace.com/osm7.1-endace-multi-tenancy-blog

Continuous, always on, packet capture has always been the gold standard for understanding the threats traversing networks. However, until now, packet analysis has often been limited to senior security analysts with deep experience in packet forensics. The OSm 7.1 release makes packet capture more useful to security team members with little or no packet forensics experience. Junior analysts can reconstruct, extract and save files that have traversed the network along with easy-to-understand logs. This lets them quickly reconstruct and analyze malicious activity, analyze files, and see exfiltrated data without needing deep packet forensics expertise.

“Recorded network traffic is key to solving the most complex and threatening security incidents,” says Cary Wright, VP of Products at Endace. “These new capabilities, combined with the EndaceProbe platform’s always-on, global-scale network recording puts vital evidence in the hands of SecOps teams – so they can respond to threats faster and with greater confidence.”

OSm 7.1 also extends the power of always-on packet recording to multi-tenant environments such as MSSPs, federal or government organizations securing multiple entities, or large enterprises with multiple divisions. Multiple entities can now share a common recording infrastructure and each securely search, access and analyze only their own traffic.

OSm 7.1 is available immediately for EndaceProbe customers. For more information, visit www.endace.com/products

Appointments, News

Globalization Partners Appoints Simone Nardi as Chief Financial Officer

Globalization Partners, the leading global employment platform that simplifies remote team building by making it fast and easy for companies to hire anyone, anywhere, within minutes, today announced the appointment of Simone Nardi as Chief Financial Officer following the recent promotion of Bob Cahill to President.

Nardi brings extensive experience in strategic planning, capital markets, investor relations, M&A, business development and change management with companies of various sizes, industries, and complexities across the U.S. and internationally. Reporting to Bob Cahill, Nardi will play a key role in Globalization Partners’ (“G-P” or “the Company’s”) strategy to create value across financial functional areas including planning and analysis, financial reporting, treasury, investor relations, capital markets, accounting, tax, insurance, and risk management. In addition, as part of the executive leadership team, Nardi will engage on corporate strategy as G-P expands its employment platform to new markets and languages while ensuring world-class legal, HR and compliance standards.

“We are at the forefront of the worldwide shift towards global remote workforces, and I am pleased to have Simone joining our team at such an exciting moment in time for us as a company,” said Bob Cahill, President, Globalization Partners. “His experience in executing strategic and operational growth plans is combined with a global mindset that will help position us as we meet the accelerating market demand for our technology platform now and into the future, and I look forward to collaborating with him.”

Prior to Globalization Partners, Nardi served as CFO at fuboTV successfully transitioning the organisation from a private to a public company. Previously, he served as SVP and CFO, international for Scripps Networks Interactive, where he was responsible for all finance and strategic planning for the company’s international business across Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Prior to that, he served as SVP and CFO for NBC Universal’s international channels and television production businesses. He also served as CFO of NBC Universal’s business development division in New York, where he assumed a lead role in launching Hulu. Nardi began his career with General Electric in Italy and the United States.

“I’m excited to be joining Globalization Partners at such a pivotal hyper-growth stage of the Company’s journey and playing a key role as we seize the massive opportunities ahead,” said Simone Nardi, CFO, Globalization Partners. I look forward to collaborating closely with Bob, Nicole and the rest of the leadership team to position the Company to meet the needs of this enormous and virtually untapped global talent market.”

Globalization Partners’ global employment platform provides unmatched technology and support that enables customers to hire talent anywhere they find it, quickly, securely, and easily. As the world’s largest and most established fully compliant employment platform, G-P has seen surging demand for its solution, with approximately $1 billion in Annual Recurring Revenue.

Finance and Banking, News

7 in 10 business account holders have never switched business bank providers

  • 6 in 10 (60%) business account holders have their business account with the same provider as their primary personal account
  • Online banking tops the list as the most important business banking feature, with 75% saying it is important
  • Challenger banks have the highest customer satisfaction rating with an average approval rating of 88% (vs 76% for traditional banks

 

7 in 10 (72%) UK business owners and directors have never switched business bank accounts before, according to a new report from personal finance comparison site, finder.com. Furthermore, 64% of business account holders don’t intend to switch in the next 12 months.

Interestingly, 3 in 5 (60%) business account holders have their business account with the same provider as their primary personal account. This is particularly unusual as, in comparison, 61% of Brits have switched their individual personal accounts last year according to our digital banking adoption survey back in January/February.

However, attitudes in the business banking sector may start to change as 36% of business bank users intend to change providers within the next 12 months. This includes 29% of business account holders who have never switched before but intend to this year.

Challenger banks have the highest satisfaction for business banking 

Despite the lack of business account holders who have ever switched banks, challenger banks have a significantly higher customer satisfaction score, with 88% of their customers saying they are satisfied or very satisfied with them. This is in comparison to three quarters (76%) of users of traditional bank providers. Full customer satisfaction results in our 2022 league table.

 

Online banking is a major priority for business owners

A significant 75% of business account holders have selected online banking as the most important feature needed when considering a business bank account. This is closely followed by mobile app banking (73%) which indicates business banking users are favouring digital banking features above all.

Other priority features includes level of customer service (72%), cost of account transaction fees (71%) and cost of monthly account fees (70%)

At the bottom of the list, employers consider having an additional card for employees as the least important feature (50%) according to the survey results.

Author of the report and banking deputy editor at finder.com, Michelle Stevens, said: 

“While historically, business owners and directors have seemed quite reluctant to switch providers, our findings indicate there is an appetite to switch bank accounts as business banking priorities shift towards digital-led features. In addition to our survey, our analysis of figures from Pay.UK shows that over the past 5 years (between 2017 to 2021) 207,500 small business bank account switches were made using the Current Account Switch Service (CASS).

“We could see a surge of business bank account switches to challenger banks if traditional banks don’t keep up with the demand for sophisticated digital banking features.”

To see the whitepaper research in full visit: www.finder.com/uk/business-banking#report

Methodology:

Finder commissioned Censuswide to carry out a nationally representative survey of business owners (sole traders and limited company) and directors, between 22.12.2021 and 05.01.2022.  A total of 362 business account holders were questioned throughout Great Britain, with a minimum quota for each banking provider.

Creative News, News

Creating good imagery for business-focused social media

By Emeka Ikechi, Director, Vanity Studios

It can seem hard to stand out in social media’s endless sea of imagery. But the bar set by many of those images is relatively low. If you master a few basics of photography, you can boost the effectiveness of your own images.

LIGHTING

Do not use your flash. Nine times out of ten you won’t need it and it’ll only add glare and shadow that will make your photo look tacky. The only time you’ll need to pop the flash on is when you have a bright background and the foreground is silhouetted.

Rather than using a flash, find a selection of lights that you can place strategically around the product to create interesting highlights and shadows. Consider the colour of the lights as well. Not all ‘white’ lights are the same shade of white ─ some will be warmer and more yellow while others may be colder and bluer.

Mixing colours can work but it needs to be done with care otherwise it will look messy. If you are working on developing your photography skills, it is best to start off with the same colour of white lights and go from there. If you want to add some colour later, you can always apply filters using photo editing software.

With lights set up, play around with their position to highlight features or create a bit of shadow to achieve an interesting contrast.

How much light versus shadow you’ll want might depend on the product being photographed. Luxury items tend to have more contrast, giving them a cooler, classier vibe. Technical products with lots of features and accessories can benefit from more light to show off the details.

Try to avoid actual shadows, however, as they look unprofessional. Ensure that some of your lights are focused on the area surrounding your product and the background. These lights will wash away any shadows, leaving a clean, professional photo.

COMPOSITION

Working to the rule of thirds is always advisable. Try to think of the space as broken into thirds vertically and horizontally, lining up the objects along these lines. For just one object, try to get it in the centre square. For two objects, line them up in the middle of the horizontal section and along the vertical third lines.

Not only does using the rule of thirds help keep the negative space to the edges balanced (you don’t want lots of space on one side and little on the other) but it also guides the eye to the most important features of the photo. This is particularly important when you have a noisier background or you are using multiple props.

For good composition, only include necessary items in the shot. Lots of clutter is distracting and unprofessional. Even if you want to show the product in-situ, it is important to clear away anything that does not need to be there.

You could remove everything except for the product. This will focus the eye on the product and can be useful for both technical and luxury items. If, however, you want to take an action shot ─ perhaps a luxury spirit being enjoyed at a bar ─ you could clear the table of any unused glasses or other distractions and use depth of field to ensure the background noise is blurred out.

BACKGROUND

Every photo has a background so make them work to your advantage. You could opt for a simple white or coloured sheet to bring focus to the foreground, but just make sure that any creases or folds are either obscured or work to your advantage.

You could pin the top of the sheet in the middle to give a draped look, like theatre curtains. Or perhaps try rumpling the sheet around the product to make it look cosy.

If you find that, despite your best efforts, the background is too noisy, then playing around with depth of field can really help. While this is best done using your camera to ensure the sharpest details, it can also work in editing to blur the background and ensure that your products are always sharply in focus.

A little know-how, some good lighting and a bit of trial and error can really make a difference to your social media content, but if you don’t have the time or energy to get all of this right yourself (or just lack the eye for it), then a professional can help you shift your social media imagery up a gear.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emeka Ikechi is Director of Vanity Studios, a contemporary studio for photoshoots in the centre of Shoreditch in London. Since 2009 Vanity Studios has been providing clients with high quality professional photos and an excellent photoshoot experience. The team of photographers and make-up artists ensure each client receives bespoke photography that meets their requirements.

Web:               https://vanitystudios.co.uk/

Business, Business & Property News, Business Mergers, Acquisitions & Partnerships, Business News, Cardiff, Finance and Banking, News, Property, Wales News

GS Verde Group doubles HQ office space following significant growth

Following a year of significant growth, dealmaking business GS Verde Group has signed a lease to double their head office space in Cardiff, as part of impressive expansion plans for the multidisciplinary M&A advisory firm.

 

With a team of now more than 60 strong, the M&A and business sale specialists have seen a 30% increase in staff since the middle of 2021. The team’s growth spans the full scope of its multiple disciplines, with 5 new Legal experts, 10 Finance and Accounting specialists, 2 Data Analysts, and 3 Communications professionals.

 

This includes a number of high-profile senior appointments including new Directors, Joel Dunning (Corporate Finance), Fleur Riggs (Head of Specialist Tax), Garry MacKay (Commercial Law & IP), and most recently Simon Pathé, who joined the multi-discipline team as an Associate Director and Employment Law expert for GS Verde Law.

 

The growth in personnel, coupled with ever increasing demand for the Group’s dealmaking services, has led to the need to take on additional space at their head office in the Maltings, Cardiff.

 

Speaking of their expansion, GS Verde Group CEO, Nigel Greenaway said: “We are delighted to take on this additional space at the Maltings, a building we have been in since inception. To think we started as 2 people just 9 years ago, to now needing to double the capacity of our Cardiff office to meet our growth plans, really is credit to our excellent teams across the Group.”

 

Speaking on the signing of the new lease, Gareth Oram, Managing Director of the Maltings said: “We are delighted to continue our long-standing relationship with GS Verde as the home of their head office. We look forward to seeing the next stages of their exciting growth.”

 

With further expansion planned in both Bristol and Dublin in 2022, as well as the business planning to continue to acquire as part of its own buy and build strategy, this year is proving to be an exciting one for GS Verde.

 

Mr. Greenaway added: “Working as one team, we are building something very special at GS Verde.  Our offering is truly unique, and the board and I are extremely excited to see our ambitious growth plans coming to fruition.”

News

Segura warns retailers to prepare for the Taskforce on Climate Related Financial Disclosure (TCFD)

Retailers need to be ready to act on the requirements of the Taskforce on Climate related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) or potentially risk a number of financial and reputational penalties, according to Segura, the leading platform for next-generation supply chain transparency.

Peter Needle, Founder and President at Segura, said: “The time for procrastination is over as this legislation requires urgent action. Retailers must fully understand and asses their supply chain risks. TCFD is already advisable and reporting becomes mandatory for the financial year following April 2022. Non-compliance will immediately affect the cost of capital, create negative publicity, threaten board room incentives and will gradually attract sanctions.”

TCFD was set up by the Financial Stability Board (FSB) in 2015, to develop recommendations for climate-related disclosures. From 6 April 2022, over 1,300 of the largest UK-registered companies and financial institutions will have to disclose climate-related information on a mandatory basis. This will include many of the UK’s largest traded companies, retailers,  banks and insurers, as well as private companies with over 500 employees and £500 million in turnover.

With less than 6 weeks to go companies will need to be ready to disclose their governance around climate-related risks and opportunities; the actual and potential impacts of climate-related risks and opportunities on the organisation’s operations, strategy, and financial planning; how the organisation identifies, assesses, and manages their climate-related risks; together with what metrics and targets they will use as part of their assessment.

Needle comments: “Although initially the legislation will focus on climate-related information for the 1,300 largest UK-registered companies, others shouldn’t be complacent. If it follows previous legislation, this could be rolled out across a much broader number of companies, and encompass other environmental considerations.  At Segura we are already working with some of the UK’s leading retailers, helping them to achieve ethical, sustainable and compliant multi-tiered supply chains through automatic supplier onboarding, mapping and reporting.”

Needle strongly advises that failure to comply with TCFD will put companies at risk of audit non-compliance and strategic risk to business continuity.  “In the next financial year, larger UK retailers must fully understand all parts of their supply chain, in order to provide TCFD reporting. This requirement goes beyond Tier 1 and Tier 2 and reaches through the whole multi-tier supply chain. Typically, this is where 96% of a retailer’s carbon footprint exists and 100% of their exposure around safe and ethical working practices.”

Please see the whitepaper download here: https://inbound.segura.co.uk/resources/downloads/tcfd-and-the-implications-for-retail

Mental Health, Mental Health at Work, Midlands News, News, Wellbeing

Wellbeing business makes leap into US market

Employee wellbeing platform provider, Lumien, has announced its US launch, as it sets up its first stateside base in Colorado Springs.

The award-winning, Birmingham-based mental health platform was launched in 2019 to empower individuals to take control of their own health and wellbeing, integrating with employers’ processes to help them manage workplace mental health more effectively.

By launching in the US, Lumien is looking to take this one step further, by helping to create a world where employee welfare is the most important attribute.

 

Expanding across the Atlantic

Lumien has established its first US base in Colorado Springs, the up-and-coming US business centre, which is recognised for its positive lifestyle and ranked the 6th best place to live in the US.

The move comes after a huge spike in resignation rates in the US during 2021, nicknamed ‘The Great Resignation’, which has highlighted the need for greater investment into workplace culture to support both employers and employees. By launching in the US, Lumien is leading the way for employers to embed wellness and culture into their business strategy.

Christopher Golby, co-founder and director at Lumien, highlights the background of the company’s decision to establish its first US base in Colorado Springs: “The essence of Colorado Springs aligns with Lumien’s core purpose, to get businesses talking and acting on workplace wellbeing. It’s a place that’s geared up for modern working life, as employees reflect on their priorities and expect a more enlightened employer.

“Colorado Springs is an extremely good place for expanding businesses, as its time zone allows you to communicate with Europe and Asia within the same working day.

“Colorado Springs offers support, not just within the business community, but also across the large veteran community, presenting Lumien with a unique opportunity to support those who dedicate their lives to the US Armed Forces.”

 

Over recent years, the city’s focus on wellbeing and a positive lifestyle has been attracting a growing number of people and businesses, and Lumien hopes to become a central part of this, as it demonstrates the importance of a wellbeing strategy for US business.

 

Workplace mental health

Today’s workplace is completely different to two years ago. The pandemic has had a major, worldwide impact on mental health, and it’s never been more important to take action.

Emphasising the importance of taking a proactive approach in this turbulent workplace environment, Chris says: “Companies need to proactively invest in giving their leaders ‘tools’ to monitor and respond to wellbeing issues. With many businesses struggling to fill posts, the stakes are high. Job vacancies are at record levels, with many businesses struggling to recruit even when offering higher salaries.

“Our launch into the US comes at a critical time in helping to protect and improve workplace mental health in an area that’s prioritising a higher standard of life with a growing entrepreneurial community.”

Lumien’s platform focuses on creating a robust wellbeing strategy for workplaces, helping to get wellbeing and culture on every board meeting agenda in a time where employees need it most.

 

For more information on embedding wellness into your business, visit Lumien or call 0330 120 0835.

 

Image caption: Lumien team (from left to right): Chris Golby – chief executive officer; Simon Mangan – chief revenue officer; Ben Skirth – chief product offier; Gareth Rowe – chief operating officer.  

 

Charity & CSR, Midlands News, News, North of England, Sport

Ramathon is back for 2022 with a brand-new title sponsor

Runners will be back on the streets of Derby on Sunday 19th June, for the newly named Derbion Ramathon and RAM 5 Mile.

Derby’s best-loved retail destination, Derbion, has announced today (01 March) that it will be joining forces with Jane Tomlinson’s Run For All to become the title sponsor of one of the region’s biggest charity road runs.

The Derbion Ramathon and the RAM 5 Mile will see 4,000 people take part across both events, in order to raise tens of thousands of pounds for local good causes.

Working in partnership with Derbion, Run For All is looking to increase community engagement in the event, with the all-new Derbion Ramathon Team Challenge, which will see teams of colleagues, running buddies and friends battle it out to be crowned champions.

The team challenge will be open to teams of four or more to each take on the full half marathon distance, in the hope of being the fastest team of 2022.

Both the half marathon and five-mile course will start and end on Iron Gate, in the shadows of the Cathedral before taking runners through the city centre. The Ramathon will then see runners pass through Elvaston Castle Country Park, Alvaston Park and past Derby County’s Pride Park Stadium and back to the city centre for the big finish.

Adam Tamsett, general manager at Derbion, said: ”We’re extremely proud to support the Ramathon and to be officially announced as the new title sponsor, as the races really do bring the city of Derby together. We’re looking forward to seeing all those taking part at the starting line in June!”

Tristan Batley-Kyle, head of events at Run For All, said: “Having the support of Derbion is a fantastic way to start the year. The centre is at the heart of the city and together we will work to engage and inspire people to pull on their trainers, and take part in one of the events this year.

“It was great to see a team from Derbion take part in the event last year and for their enthusiasm and passion for the event mean they now wish to be intrinsically linked to the Ramathon by becoming our title partners.”

For those wanting to be part of the 5-mile distance, you must be 15 years or over to enter, and for those wanting to tackle the half marathon, you must 17 years or older.

For more information and to enter, please visit www.runforall.com.