Monthly Archives: June 2023

Employee Engagement, News, Transport

Transport employees’ emotions – data analysis shows the depth of strike and deadlock issues

  • 65% of transport workers feel that if they do great work, they won’t be recognised
  • Just 43% are committed to their employers (global average 58%)
  • 38% feel highly unappreciated (global average 22%)
  • 48% trust the senior leaders to lead the company in the right direction (global average 69%)
  • Insight from nearly 45,000 employees at over 20 operating companies 

Transport workers are one of the most unappreciated groups of employees according to engagement surveys across the sector. Only 35% of employees feel recognised for their contribution at work, compared to other industries where the average is 63%.

Inpulse, experts in employee engagement, analysed the emotional climate at over 20 transport companies to understand precisely how people feel at work and why they feel this way to help uncover what action can be taken to increase employee engagement.

The findings from circa 45,000 employees showed that more than one-third of transport workers (38%) feel negative about their workplaces, with emotions such as ‘unappreciated’, ‘stressed’ and ‘irritated’ prevailing. In addition, over half of workers (51%) don’t feel confident they will be listened to when they share their views. Only 59% understand how their work contributed to the company’s strategy and goals – a low statistic compared to an average of 80% across other industries.

Matt Stephens, Founder and CEO of Inpulse, said: “The emotional climate in the transport sector is unlike any other industry. The positive and negative sentiments are near equal strength (53% positive, 47% negative), which is highly unusual as it is normally much more strongly positive.. Generally speaking, transport employees feel positive emotions due to enjoying the nature of their work and, therefore, they have high levels of job satisfaction. What’s more, people feel committed to their roles and responsibilities and are happy carrying out their day-to-day duties.

“However, the negative emotional climate is dominated by people feeling unappreciated. Alongside feelings of stress and irritation, the negativity is often so deeply entrenched that it breeds toxicity and is presenting leaders and HR teams with an arduous challenge.”

The report also highlighted that people feel uncertain and anxious about the direction of the organisation and, therefore, what this means for them in their roles and personal lives. Additionally, only 48% trust senior leaders to lead the company in the right direction (compared to a global average of 69%).

Despite this, many transport workers (43%) are still committed to their companies, even though they feel highly unappreciated (38% vs global 22%). However, commitment is slipping compared to the commitment from the overall global workforce (58%).

Stephens continued: “There are so many transportation strikes challenging the industry, yet our analysis shows that behaviours of leaders and line managers is key to unlocking the situation and can make a significant difference.

“Important engagement factors for employees include working towards clear goals and having sight of the direction of the organisation – the lack of which is impeding efforts to engage employees. It can be difficult, however, for transport leaders when strategy and vision can be in the hands of government decisions.

“The good news is that we’ve seen, over the last five or six years, that appreciation is one of the easiest emotions to turn into positive recognition. With small tweaks in leader and managerial behaviour, other sectors have seen enormous change, helping reduce negative emotions. What’s more, it doesn’t need financial involvement. Behavioural shifts include saying ‘thank you’ more often and recognising when people are doing the right thing, rather than calling people out if they’ve done the wrong thing.”

 

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About Inpulse

Inpulse provides real-time emotion-driven employee insights that improve engagement to help increase the performance of a company. The Inpulse team provides support, including analysis of data to bring unbiased perspectives to decision-makers.

Healthcare Tech, News

New health technology will revolutionise asthma management saving millions for the NHS

  • Asthma and other respiratory conditions are the third biggest cause of death in the UK and cost the NHS more than £3b in 2022.
  • A Cambridge-based Health Tech company has developed a new technology that will revolutionise patient understanding to improve life-long condition management.
  • electronRx says the new technology will target the 5,000 Emergency Department visits and costs of prescription medications associated with Asthma saving hundreds of millions for the NHS.

Cambridge-based Health Tech company electronRx has been undertaking studies in healthcare settings worldwide after developing a new technology designed to revolutionise patient condition management through education and real-time information.

Experts at the company have been working alongside leading healthcare providers, payers, and pharmaceutical companies across the globe to develop the new, sub-dermal technology that connects with a patient’s mobile device to record real-time data about life-long conditions.

In the final stages of development, the company targets patients with one of the most common and costly, life-long conditions affecting the NHS, Asthma. Asthma accounts for 5,000 NHS Emergency Department visits every month, with a dramatic 149% increase in admission for children, costing the NHS more than £3bn in 2022.

Asthma causes fear and anxiety in patients, carers, and parents due to the frightening symptoms associated with the approach to a potential attack. However, experts believe that if the patient – or parent of a child – had better education around their condition and could monitor and understand the way their body is changing approaching an issue, visits to the Emergency Department could reduce almost immediately and have huge cost saving for the NHS.

Dr. Bipin Patel, CEO of electronRx, who developed the technology, explains: “The answer to reducing overcrowding in Emergency Departments and the 8am race for a GP appointment lies with the patient. We see all too often patients in a state of heightened anxiety, visiting the Emergency Department to then be released without further intervention in a matter of hours. Why? It is because they do not understand how to manage their condition. Asthma is a costly example of this. Many of the thousands of admissions to the ED every month are completely unnecessary, with many patients being released with no more intervention than the reassurance of the nurse or consultant. electronRx has been working to create a technology that gives the patient the required understanding of their condition, providing them with the ability to monitor essential bio-signs – much like diabetic patients can monitor their blood sugar – allowing them to manage their condition with correctly administered interventions, such as the use of an inhaler.”

Aside from the benefits to the patient, the technology also aids healthcare providers and third-party stakeholders. The data is collected securely with the patient’s mobile device, storing data 24/7 to form a unique yet powerful insight into the condition, its progress or recession over time and how effectively the patient manages it.

Dr Patel explains: “Asthma is a prevalent condition in the UK and around the globe, affecting adults and children alike. Healthcare professionals, over the years, have learned much about triggers and causes of attacks. What we have developed now is the next evolution in data collection about any condition that can have life-long implications for the patient. The GP can access the data to monitor the patient, reducing the need for as many appointments for routine tests. Healthcare providers can give the patient a more personal understanding of their condition and provide caregivers with more tailored advice by developing more educated condition management programmes to prevent worsening symptoms. It will show the efficacy of interventions – such as using an inhaler. It will identify if the patient is obtaining the correct dose from the drug, which will identify if the patient, as is the case in most, is misusing it (or not at all). The positive implications across the entire UK healthcare system are phenomenal and exciting and will go a long to address the issues faced by our NHS. But more importantly, as usage grows, the billions of bytes of data and insight collected across the globe will provide healthcare researchers and scientists with more detailed and real-time data than ever before.”

electronRx has been undertaking investigations with a range of lifelong conditions through clinical and healthcare partners in the UK and worldwide. The trials have proven the efficacy and legitimacy of the technology, and the company are preparing for a launch into the private sector imminently.

 

 

Finance and Banking, Mortgages, News, Property

“More lenders expected to increase their mortgage rates or withdraw new business rates within the next two to three weeks.”

EXPERT SHARES 5 STEPS TO HELP NAVIGATE MORTGAGE MARKET

MORTGAGE lenders are likely to increase their rates further following the recent Bank of England announcement, according to a leading financial services provider.

Over the past five to six weeks, rates have increased by about 0.75 percentage points to approach an average fixed deal of over 5.5%, and only yesterday, lenders NatWest and Nationwide announced further rises.

Experts at Inspired Financial Services warn other lenders could follow suit.

 

Mortgage specialist Natalie Leeman from Inspired Financial Services, said: “We believe more lenders will increase rates or withdraw new business rates within the next two to three weeks. This may cause people to put a hold on viewings and moving home.

“However, It’s worth keeping in mind that a professional mortgage adviser can continue to review available deals should a lower rate become available between submission and before exchange. There is a lot of doom and gloom around at the moment but the reality is there are still deals out there, and there is activity in the market.”

 

Mortgage specialist Chris Parkin added: “Following last year’s mini budget in September 2022, we saw a lot of lenders withdraw  their mortgage deals and increase rates dramatically over a short period of time. Positively, we saw these rates recover by the end of 2022 so we hope that this happens again following a similar lender situation. The prediction of the Bank of England’s base rate hitting 5.5% is alarming; however, we are hopeful that the coming inflation figures are better than expected and that this will help the situation overall.

With the current tumultuous nature of the market in mind, Inspired Financial Services say there are five tips they’d offer to house-movers.

These tips are to:

  1. Not sit and wait as standard variable rates offered by mortgage lenders are extremely high right now;

  2. Talk to a professional mortgage adviser as early as possible;

  3. Be mindful that you can review and secure a rate up to 6 months in advance for remortgages and purchases.  Your mortgage adviser can continue to review the deals offered;

  4. Explore all options with your mortgage adviser to decide what is most suitable for you

  5. Ensure you understand your affordability before viewing properties.

 

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ABOUT INSPIRED FINANCIAL SERVICES:

Inspired Financial Services is a trading name of Just Mortgages Direct Ltd which is an appointed representative of The Openwork Partnership, a trading style of Openwork Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Chris Parkin and Natalie Leeman have worked together for a number of years as fully qualified mortgage advisers, beginning their careers within the estate agency sector. They pride themselves on offering a high standard of care to every client ensuring they are kept informed throughout the moving process and at future reviews. The pair’s aim is always to make the process stress-free for clients, keeping them at the centre of everything they do.

NOTE: YOUR PROPERTY MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE 

 

News

Respected organic meat manager retires after cutting it at highest level for decades

AFTER cutting it at the highest level for decades a respected meat production manager has stepped down from the role.

Following 17 years at Rhug Estate and many more in the trade – including a spell at London’s famous Smithfield Market – Gary Jones has retired from the industry.

He handed over the reins to Chris Esler, who joined the award-winning business, based near Corwen in North Wales, earlier this year.

Gary plans to return to his native Bedfordshire with wife Debbie – who previously worked as a supervisor in the restaurant and delicatessen at Rhug – and thanked Estate owner Lord Newborough and the team for their support.

“It has been a very eventful, fun and rewarding 17 years but the time is right for me to say goodbye, and with Chris set to take over, the meat production side of the operation is in very good hands,” he said.

“We’ve had our challenges of course, notably the pandemic, but there have been so many positives and I’m proud to have played my part in developing this side of the business, notably when we opened up to the international export markets.”

Gary added: “Debbie and I have been married for more than 45 years so we are looking forward to a new start and to spending more time with our children and grandchildren.

“I am so thankful to Lord Newborough for the opportunity and wish Chris all the very best for the future, I am sure he will enjoy many happy years here, as we have.”

Rhug Estate is recognised as one of the UK’s leading producers of high-quality meats and was appointed a Royal Warrant of Appointment by the now King Charles III for its care of the countryside and high animal welfare standards.

Its Organic Dee Valley Bronze Turkey was a recipient of the 1* Great Taste Award and voted a ‘best buy’ in The Independent newspaper, as well as being featured on the menu at Michelin-starred venues and leading restaurants globally, from London to Singapore.

Having also moved from the south of England to join Rhug Estate, Chris – whose partner Jessica has taken on the role of purchasing manager at the farm shop – was thrilled to join the internationally-renowned farm estate, having worked in the beef sector for more than 10 years.

A former apprentice with ABP food group, he said: “I’m really enjoying the responsibility and it’s very different to my past roles, there is a lot of scope to use my butchery skills and to take Rhug to the next level.

“It’s a new challenge but I’m looking forward to it and wish Gary all the best in his retirement, he has been hugely encouraging and I thank him for all of his support over past months.”

For more news and information including upcoming events, visit www.rhug.co.uk and follow them on social media @rhugestate.

Hospitality, News, Tech, Technology

Chester Hotel Tech Firm Targets Growth After Milestone

-200th hotel signed up as business eyes strategic partners-

A Chester hotel tech company is eyeing increased market share after celebrating the 200th UK property to run its all-in-one hospitality software in only 5 years.

Hop, founded by hoteliers Richard Drummond and Jon Erasmus, alongside co-founder and CTO Ronald Tweedie, secured its first hotel client, in 2018.

Drummond and Erasmus, who themselves operate their own hospitality businesses, developed Hop after becoming frustrated by out-dated and expensive hotel software systems; deploying sector knowledge to develop a bespoke, cloud-based, system.

Now, after posting year on year growth and increasing Design and Creative staffing levels at its Chester base, Hop intends to develop its share of the hotel technology market further, with strategic partnerships playing a prominent role.

The news comes hot on the heels of the company signing an integration agreement with Australian Venue Management Software firm, iVvy, to help hotels and venues manage large scale Events, weddings and conferences through the Hop software system.

Gold Coast-based iVvy has over 25 000 users in 14 countries.

Hop Co-founders Jon Erasmus (left) and Richard Drummond (right) have an in-depth knowledge of the hospitality sector and market, as hotel owners themselves.

Hop officials believe fostering such partnerships and extending what it can offer clients will play a key role in attracting new customers and developing the company’s growing position within the hotel tech market.

The company will also be assessing inward investment options as its aims to double in size within 24 months.

“Passing the 200 property milestone is an achievement for the company as we continue to grow and we will always look to the market leaders within other areas if it means we can advance and improve what we can offer Hop customers,” said Chief Operating Officer, Sharon Smith.

“The iVvy partnership is an example of that. We have clients now in the UK and globally that manage hundreds of events per year. That requires in-depth functionality and that is why, for this type of customer, we decided to partner with one of the industry leaders to provide that solution.

“Our clients are getting a great Events module with Hop’s ability to handle all the bedroom reservations, rates, reporting and finances.

“In terms of the user, they are getting a seamless ability to book everything in one go.”

Hop now operates from three offices, with its principal North West base in Chester, an Edinburgh address, and a site in South Africa.

Recent customer acquisitions include iStay Liverpool which runs a number of serviced aparthotel properties in the city in the north of England.

Hop has also added a digital marketing agency, HopDigital, to its brand in order to help hotels reach new customers through digital strategies, with 25 creative and design staff recruited.

 

 

Header Image Caption: Hop’s Chester-based staff, with Chief Operating Officer Sharon Smith (2nd from right, seated) are eyeing a growing share of the hotel tech market.

 

 

Home Improvements, Homeowner Advice, News

Insulation boards: weighing the pros and cons

Poor insulation has a direct impact on your utility bill. To keep your home warm enough during the colder months and cool enough during the hot season, you must ensure it is properly insulated. In this situation, you must first choose a suitable high-quality material with excellent thermal insulation properties and a long lifespan. Optimum thermal insulation can be ensured with the help of special plates. The best solution is to use insulation boards. Several advantages speak for this material, and you should learn about them before choosing the right insulation boards. 

Our article is a good place to start if you are serious about insulating your home. Our short guide will help you understand all the features of the material. 

What insulation boards for home isolation  are: the main features

Insulation boards are produced in the form of a flat rigid panel. It can be fixed to various surfaces: roofs, walls and floors. Insulation boards differ in thickness, size and other parameters. Choose the right material depending on your needs and the features of your house. The optimal material is selected based on your own requirements and the characteristics of the object.

Insulation boards are highly resistant to moisture. You can easily install the boards yourself, even if you are inexperienced. Compared to fiberglass and other thermal insulation materials, these boards cost less, are quicker and easier to install, and provide optimal protection for residential and industrial buildings.

What types of PIR insulation boards are available

If you shop for insulation boards, you should first find out which brands of this material can be found on the market. Each brand has its characteristics. 

Mannok 

In favor of insulation boards from the presented brand is evidenced by the zero potential for destroying the ozone layer. It means that they can boast a long service life and ecological compatibility.

Ecotherm 

The insulation boards of this brand are characterized by their excellent durability. For this reason, the material can be installed immediately together with the plasterboard walls of the house.

Celotex

The insulation material from the Celotex brand has a foil-lined surface to minimize heat loss as much as possible.

Recticel

When you want to cover all surfaces (roof, floor and walls) at once, Recticel is the perfect solution.

Kingspan

This insulation material competes with Celotex products. But the main difference with Kingspan is that the manufacturer offers a thicker board.

Why use insulation boards: benefits of the material

Insulation boards have been widely used for thermal insulation for a long time. Over the years of active use, the material has the following advantages.

  • low weight;
  • easy handling and application – no special knowledge or practice is required for installation, so even an inexperienced person can cope with the task;
  • the low thickness of the boards maintains excellent protection against heat loss;
  • they are resistant to damage caused by moisture, steam and mould
  • safety and environmental friendliness;
  • reasonable cost compared to other insulating materials;
  • minimization of heat loss and additional soundproofing.

Despite these positive qualities, insulation boards are unsuitable for every thermal insulation application. You must first understand when you have to install this material.

When is it best to install insulating boards?

The main characteristic of insulation boards is that they are not afraid of water vapor and other dampness. That is why you don’t have to worry about getting the material wet and its performance deteriorating after installation. Insulation boards are well suited for installation in places exposed to moisture: cellar, attic, and exterior walls.

Suppose you need to know what type of insulation is suitable for building and how to properly protect your home from heat loss or looking for a universal solution for any house. In that case, insulation boards are the best solution available to everyone.

What do I need to know about installing insulation boards?

An experienced home craftsman is fine with coping with the task. The installation principle is similar to that of wall cladding with plasterboard. If you are new to the subject, you should cut the boards with a circular saw or knife. You should use large screws and washers to ensure the boards are firmly fastened to the surface. In addition, you can buy special adhesives for installing the boards from a construction shop specifically designed for this insulation material.

Where can I buy a complete set of insulation materials?

If you have decided to minimize heat loss in your home, you will find everything you need in this shop – insulation boards https://insulationwholesale.co.uk/insulation/insulation-board/  from different brands and materials for fixing them. 

 

Cybersecurity, Finance and Banking, Technology

ACCA and PureCyber join forces to fight cyber criminals

Memorandum of understanding aimed at increasing digital knowledge and cyber awareness

Cybersecurity experts and the leading global accountancy body are working together to increase awareness and understanding of IT security issues among UK businesses and the accountancy sector.

ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and award winning cybersecurity business PureCyber are set to work on projects to increase knowledge and understanding of cyber risk and threats of attacks on computer systems and networks.

The two have signed a three-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaboratively deliver educational content to ACCA members and others.

Cyber risk is a real issue for enterprises of all sizes, as illustrated by recent coverage of vulnerabilities in Progress Software’s MOVEit file transfer app, which is used by thousands of organisations around the world. Payroll services provider Zellis suffered a data breach as a result, with customer data being stolen. Countless firms of all sizes have already been hugely impacted.

Abdul Goffar, director of ACCA UK, said: “Whether working in business, public sector or practice our members are often leading or advising on digital strategy. In this fast moving space it is key that financial professionals keep up to date with the ever changing threat posed by cyber attacks and have knowledge and understanding of the ways they can protect their organisations.”

The MOU builds on the existing relationships between ACCA and Cardiff-headquartered PureCyber. This includes providing resources and guides highlighting potential risk for organisations and taking practical steps to support members such as demonstrating penetration testing, one of the ways to test the resilience of the security of an IT system.

Damon Rands, founder and CEO, PureCyber, said: “We are passionate about raising awareness and understanding of cybersecurity at all levels, sectors and business sizes. As cybersecurity has been recognised as the number one threat to business in the UK, we’ll be working with ACCA to demystify cyber jargon and improve understanding, confidence and resilience across the membership and their businesses.”

HR, Leadership, News, Research

Employees in HR, consulting, and tech report highest satisfaction with senior management

  • New research reveals industries with the highest and lowest leadership approval ratings in the UK, according to employee reviews on Glassdoor
  • Leaders in Human Resources have the highest proportion of staff enthusiastic about their leadership, with both HR & Staffing and HR Consulting in the top 2 for ratings above 4.5 stars (out of 5 stars)
  • Sporting goods store employees are the least satisfied with their management teams with the highest proportion of workers scoring their senior management team 0-1 stars (8.11%)
  • The North East & Cumbria were revealed as the best UK region with 11.90% of companies receiving at least 4.5 stars in their Glassdoor senior management reviews

New research by Leadership Dynamics, a proprietary leadership analytics and evaluation platform powering The LCap Group, has shed light on which industries and areas in the UK have the highest and lowest leadership approval ratings according to their employee reviews on Glassdoor.

Research shows employees in Human Resources & Staffing are most likely to be extremely satisfied with their leadership teams, with 35.06% of all companies in this sector holding a 4.5 stars employee rating or higher for senior management, taking the top spot in the industry ranking.

HR Consulting comes second, with 22.7% of company leaders proving popular amongst staff. These results suggest that HR leaders possess a unique understanding of how to effectively lead and motivate their teams.

The top 10 industries in the UK with the highest proportion of 4.5-star ratings for senior management are:

  1. Human Resources & Staffing (35.06%)
  2. HR Consulting (22.70%)
  3. Internet & Web Services (17.79%)
  4. Enterprise Software & Network Solutions (17.01%)
  5. Information Technology (15.56%)
  6. Business Consulting (15.32%)
  7. Management & Consulting (15.27%)
  8. Advertising & Public Relations (14.88%)
  9. Information Technology Support Services (13.87%)
  10. Financial Transaction Processing (12.34%)

Reviewing the opposite end of the ranking, Sporting Goods Stores and Department, Clothing & Shoe Stores are at the bottom when it comes to favourable ratings – ratings above 4.5 stars being at 0.98% and 1.52% respectively. Sporting Goods Stores perform particularly badly, taking both first places for their high share of 0-1 star reviews (8.11%) and last place for 4.5+ star reviews (0.98%).

In fact, the study shows employees at Sporting Goods Stores are 8 times more likely to give a 0-1 star score than a score over 4.5 stars, with a large number of their disgruntled workers located in the South East and Wales.

Furthermore, industries involving manual labour, such as Building & Personnel Services, Agriculture, Taxi & Car Services and Security & Protective have seen significant dissatisfaction among their employees, with a high percentage of 0-1-star reviews.

Senior management teams within the public sector, including Primary & Secondary Schools, National Services & Agencies and Government & Public Administration also perform poorly with their low proportion of 4.5-star ratings and above.

Samuel Roberts, Chief Strategy Officer at Leadership Dynamics, commented: “Running a successful organisation goes beyond effective administration. Leaders establish the vision of the company and have the power to bring people along with them to achieve it. They drive change, resolve conflicts and inspire their workforce. And that workforce’s opinion of senior management is influenced by confidence in their effectiveness and the environment they promote within the workplace.

Leadership teams can improve both their organisational effectiveness and their employee engagement at the same time, but first, they need a clear and objective understanding of their strengths and areas for growth.

Using behavioural evaluation tools, like the PACE assessment, will help companies identify weaknesses in leadership teams and how to overcome these, whether it be via a new senior appointment or developing a new leadership development programme.”

Regionally, The North East & Cumbria stands out with the highest proportion (11.9%) of workers that are highly satisfied with their management teams. Similarly, London boasts the second-highest approval ratings (11.10%), primarily driven by industries such as HR & Staffing, HR & Consulting, and Enterprise Software & Network Solutions. The South West follows closely, displaying a similar trend with HR & Staffing and HR Consulting leading the charts.

Middlesbrough, a relatively small city in the North East, is the city with the highest leadership ratings (12.24%), reflecting the region’s industry rankings. London secures the second position (11.10%), while Bristol takes third place (8.79%) with a strong presence in HR, technology, and consulting sectors. Aberdeen, Scotland, takes last place for its low percentage of 4.5-star ratings (4.36%).

Looking outside of England, senior leaders in Northern Ireland inspire the least amount of enthusiasm; their organisations have the very lowest percentage of 4.5+ star scores at 5.24%. The same goes for leaders in Wales where only 5.88% of organisations received top scores for their leadership teams.

Finally, workers in Sunderland are the most indifferent, inspiring neither enthusiasm nor much anger towards their management team.

Food & Drink, News, North of England

Hydes invests £3.6 Million in Newly Acquired site

A leading North West & Wales brewery and pub retailer has acquired premises in Heswall, on the Wirral, Merseyside, and is set to open a new pub restaurant that will create at least 35 jobs.

Salford-based Hydes brewery has acquired the building in Heswall on Telegraph Road, which will see the conversion of the town’s former police station into a premium dining and drinking establishment. Hydes have also chosen to name the pub ‘The Harry Beswick’ in honour of the original architect of the building.

Born in Chester in 1856, Harry Beswick was county architect for Chester from 1895 until 1926, responsible for designing over 40 buildings including numerous police stations and school buildings.

The £1.3million acquisition of the building is Hydes’ first property acquisition in over five years. The building has been empty for several years and over the next few months will be transformed into a premium pub dining venue serving both quality food and drinks. 

Hydes intends to invest over £2.3million in the restoration and refurbishment. It will open in late 2023 with a 35-strong team of fully trained staff.

Heswall police station was originally built in 1911 from red brick with sandstone and regional detailing including the county flag of Cheshire corn sheafs at the centre of the County Constabulary plaque.

The transformation of the building will be carried out by WHB Construction and designed by DV8 Architects. The iconic building will undergo a sympathetic and complementary renovation programme, retaining many of the original features, with design enhancements and touches reflecting the station’s history.

Part of the renovations will be to extend the building to create new dining zones, including outside dining with the addition of a welcoming sun facing terrace and the provision of car parking, resulting in a positive contribution to the street scene, and vibrancy of the town centre.

Hydes operates nearly 50 pubs ranging from Lancaster in the North to Stoke-on Trent in the Midlands and across to North Wales including a wide selection of premium dining destination outlets, craft style bars and traditional community pubs. Hydes currently operates one other establishment on the Wirral, the Boat House in nearby Neston.

Managing director of Hydes Brewery, Adam Mayers said: “The Harry Beswick is a great location in a stunningly designed building boasting real history and character. Heswall is a thriving area and launching the Harry Beswick opens us up to new audiences.  

“We are working hard to make sure The Harry Beswick will deliver a great experience for customers in the area with a quality, contemporary new design scheme and feel combined with a premium dining and drinking experience and Hydes’ standards of customer service.”

The acquisition forms part of an ongoing multi-million investment programme across the Hydes’ estate over the next few years. Last year, Hydes committed over £4.5m to refurbishments of pubs across its estate and it intends to increase that investment substantially throughout 2023.

Adam Mayers continued: “It’s great to see after years of closure the building being developed, fully retaining its heritage and history, which is very important to us and our customers. As one of our  premium pub dining pubs we’re confident that customers will love the Harry Beswick and also see it as a lasting honour to one of the area’s famous local residents.  

“Hydes remains totally committed to all of the pubs across its estate and this latest investment is part of an ongoing programme of planned investment, redesigns and refurbishments. Providing our customers with a quality, memorable experience is a top priority, and we’re delighted to have secured such a stunning presence in Heswall.”

Hydes, with its brewery in Media City, Salford, was formed in 1863 and supplies beers to wholesalers, pub companies and other brewers throughout the UK and a pub retailing estate of nearly50 pubs across the North West of England and North Wales.

Pictured: Artists impression of The Harry Beswick, Heswall

Logistics

Last-Mile Delivery Challenges: Solutions for Efficiency

We’ve all been there when you’ve ordered an item from an online shop and had it sent straight to your home. This is all part of last-mile delivery service.

The ‘last-mile’ delivery is the final step in a product’s journey from the warehouse to your doorstep and is often the most tricky section of this process. Retail e-commerce sales in the UK reached over £129 billion in 2021 and while this exponential growth has been welcomed, it has given rise to a number of challenges.

If tracking your parcel when it’s out for delivery has ever felt like forever, then you’ve had first-hand experience with the current inefficiencies affecting last-mile delivery. From congested traffic to increasing parcel volumes, logistics companies have recently had to develop new solutions to deliver superior delivery experiences.

What are the problems in the last mile?

The main objective of last-mile delivery services is to get products from A to B in as little time as possible. Every challenge faced by couriers makes the process longer and more expensive.

Costs

Customers want to receive their items as quickly and cheaply as possible, but this is often the most expensive part of the delivery process. Due to the rise of free delivery, many customers don’t want to foot the bill for any delivery fee. So while same-day couriers can get your order to you within a few hours, all the costs for transport and manpower are down to them.

Unpredictability

Local and long-distance transports are unpredictable due to the lack of an efficient delivery framework. This makes it impossible to properly plan out delivery routes and provide accurate tracking throughout the service, leading to higher levels of delays in deliveries and customer disappointment.

Outdated delivery tools

Customer demands and scalability are always evolving, and outdated delivery technology can’t meet these new needs. This can lead to increased rates of human error and failed deliveries. Replacing traditional delivery tech will help your workforce communicate efficiently and give you better control over your business operations.

What solutions are there to improve efficiency?

The only way to combat the last-mile problem and increase profitability is to streamline every level of the delivery process.

Increase sustainability

Optimising routes and finding ways to make your delivery more eco-friendly can help reduce the environmental impact of your operations. This makes businesses more attractive to a variety of customers, especially those who are eco-conscious.

Real-time communication

Providing real-time communication between the delivery driver and the customer goes a long way to improving user trust. Customers can be kept in the loop about any delays, delivery times, or any other issues within the delivery process.

Optimise vehicle routes

Not only is route planning better for your fuel emissions but finding the most effective route to a destination can result in decreased delivery times. Advanced software can be used to schedule routes automatically while taking into account traffic and vehicle type.