Monthly Archives: February 2024

Shropshire

Chance to buy your own little piece of England with a £25,000 guide price

Fancy owning your own little bit of England in a scenic location on the Herefordshire border with Shropshire, close to Mortimer Forest and High Vinnalls viewpoint?

 

Halls, the leading regional firm of estate agents, chartered surveyors, auctioneers and valuers, is offering just over half an acre of amenity pastureland at Killhorse Lane, north of the hamlet of Pipe Aston, near Ludlow.

 

The ring fenced land, which has a guide price of £25,000, is for sale by informal tender with a closing date of Friday, March 8.

 

There is a pull in off the road, a gated access, a natural water spring in the corner of the field, a roadside hedge has recently been laid and there are no Basic Payment Entitlements included in the sale.

 

Halls director Sarah Hulland, who manages the company’s Kidderminster office, said: “We anticipate a lot of interest in this amenity land which enjoys a very scenic  location close to the Herefordshire border and Ludlow.

 

“With the Mortimer Forest and High Vinnalls hill nearby, this area is very popular with walkers and provides panoramic views in all directions.”

 

Viewing is during daylight hours with a set of the sales particulars from Halls.

 

For more information, contact Halls director Sarah Hulland at the company’s Kidderminster office on Tel: 01562 820880 or email: shulland@hallsgb.com .

 

Picture caption:

 

The amenity land close to Mortimer Forest which is for sale with Halls.

Apprenticeships

Finalist Whitbread reaping the rewards of apprenticeships

Leading UK hospitality business Whitbread Group PLC, which has more than 800 hotels, 400 plus restaurants and in excess of 36,000 employees, is reaping the rewards of its strong commitment to apprenticeships.

 

The business has discovered that its staff retention rate is 10% higher for apprentices, which equates to £5 million in reduced costs, increased sales and better guest experiences.

 

Apprenticeships from Levels 2 to 5 are delivered by Lifetime Training, in partnership with Cambrian Training Company in Wales, for staff ranging from chefs, housekeepers and receptionists to managers and team and project leaders. Achievement and distinction rates are substantially above industry averages.

 

Now, Whitbread Group PLC has been shortlisted for the prestigious Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2024 as a Large Employer of the Year finalist.

 

Highlight of the year for apprentices, employers and work-based learning providers and practitioners, the awards are organised by the Welsh Government and supported by the National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW). Headline sponsor is EAL.

 

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony to be held at ICC Wales, Newport on March 22, 2024. The awards highlight the outstanding achievements of employers, apprentices and work-based learning practitioners.

 

Over the past year, more than 270 Whitbread Group employees have achieved an apprenticeship and in excess of 2,000 are working towards one across the UK. A network of Apprenticeship Champions supports the development of learners across the business.

 

Apprenticeships are integral to Whitbread’s Force for Good programme which gives all employees the opportunity to learn and develop. A ‘no barriers to entry’ approach for apprentices aims to ensure that all employees reach their potential.

 

In a UK-wide survey, 86% of the company’s employees said an apprenticeship had improved their confidence in their role and 90% believed they had developed new skills. 47% were promoted or have taken on extra responsibilities within a year of completing their apprenticeship and 20% of deputy hotel managers were promoted from an apprenticeship.

 

This commitment to learning and development has helped Whitbread to achieve a Top Employer status for 13 years running.

 

Richard Brooks-Harley, Whitbread Group’s apprenticeship delivery manager, said: “Our founder, Samuel Whitbread, was himself an apprentice which makes apprenticeships a core part of our DNA.”

 

Matthew Summerbell, senior operations manager at Lifetime Training, said Whitbread promotes apprenticeship opportunities with schools and colleges, particularly in deprived areas.

 

“The combination of the apprenticeship culture, stakeholder engagement and community outreach results in positive achievements and outcomes, with apprentices twice as likely to be promoted within Whitbread and 30% more likely to stay with the business,” he added.

Economy Minister Vaughan Gething congratulated the Whitbread Group and all the other finalists. “Today’s apprentices will be tomorrow’s specialists, and Apprenticeship Awards Cymru allows us to recognise apprentices, work-based learning practitioners, and employers that have gone above and beyond,” he said.

“Their tenacity, passion, and commitment to growing their own careers, the careers of others, and the larger Welsh economy is inspiring. I wish each of the finalists the best of luck at the awards and with their future endeavours.”

Congratulating the finalists, Al Parkes, managing director at EAL, said: “As the specialist awarding organisation and skills partner for the engineering and manufacturing industry, apprenticeships in Wales are especially important to us.

Apprenticeships play an important role in supporting personal progress through career opportunities and a sense of achievement, while ensuring that employers have the right skills at the right time to keep up with evolving industry needs.

“EAL is committed to encouraging employers to take on apprentices. Marking the achievements of employers, apprentices and work-based learning practitioners at the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru is vital to this.”

For more information about recruiting an apprentice, visit: https://gov.wales/apprenticeships-genius-decision or call 03000 603000.

Picture caption:

 

Whitbread Group apprentices Rebecca Cleary, Corey Proctor, Luke Williams, Stacey Trace, Kate Palmer, Shannon Watkins, Kayla Millon, Alethea Lloyd and Tyra McMahon Premier Inn Cardiff.

Awards, Business, Business News, Industry News, Networking, News from Wales

Final call to enter Wales Business Awards 2024

Chambers Wales South East, South West and Mid is encouraging businesses across Wales to submit their entries for the Wales Business Awards 2024, ahead of the forthcoming deadline.

With just a week until the deadline, Thursday 29 February, businesses are now urged to enter to be in with a chance of winning a prestigious accolade.

The Wales Business Awards, organised by the Chamber and sponsored by Jardine Norton, recognise the very best from businesses across Wales.

Chamber members and non-members can submit their entries for free by completing an application form or uploading an audio or video entry.

Paul Butterworth, CEO of Chambers Wales South East, South West and Mid, said: “The Wales Business Awards are a brilliant way for businesses to shout about the incredible work they are doing, recognise their teams’ hard work and celebrate their successes in the company of the Welsh business community, ministers and dignitaries.

“We can’t wait to reward the achievements of Welsh businesses in May, which is why we are encouraging firms to get involved now and ensure they have submitted their entries before the deadline.”

There are 11 categories for businesses to enter this year, including: B2B Customer Commitment; B2C Customer Commitment; Digital Business of the Year; Diversity & Inclusion; Employee Engagement; Global Business of the Year; Green Business of the Year; Innovative Business of the Year; SME Exporter of the Year; Workplace Wellbeing; and Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

The Chamber will also be awarding ‘Wales Business of the Year’ at the ceremony on 16 May at The Vale Resort, which sees broadcaster Andrea Byrne return as host.

Entries can be submitted at https://cw-seswm.com/events/awards-2024-enter/ on or before Thursday 29 February.

Technology

BlueVoyant Expands Cyber Third-Party Risk Management Solution to Monitor Risk Across Eight Business Risk Categories

The new service enhances BlueVoyant’s Supply Chain Defence, enabling a holistic capability for organisations to manage risk within their supply chains

BlueVoyant, a cybersecurity company that illuminates, validates, and remediates internal and external risk, today announced the release of its AI-driven Supply Chain Defence Business Risk Monitoring. Seamlessly integrated into the existing Supply Chain Defence (SCD) platform, the new product offering enhances the company’s industry leading SCD, a fully managed solution that rapidly identifies and resolves critical cybersecurity issues in organisations’ third-party ecosystem.

Expanding beyond third-party cyber risk management (TPRM), BlueVoyant’s Business Risk Monitoring solution collects, prioritises, and contextualises risk events that may prevent a third party from delivering its service or product or expose the client to reputational or regulatory risk through its business relationship with the third party. The service uses AI/Machine Learning (ML) to monitor more than 50,000 data sources to detect risk events across eight categories.

Those categories include:

  • Legal/Regulatory
  • Foreign Influence
  • Financial
  • Operational
  • Governance
  • Market/Economic
  • Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

“With the addition of Business Risk Monitoring, clients will now be able to manage business risks attributed to third parties through validated and prioritised risk findings according to client-specific thresholds,” said Joel Molinoff, global head of BlueVoyant’s Supply Chain Defence. “Clients increasingly want to integrate cyber and business operation-related third-party risk management programs, and BlueVoyant is now filling this critical need.”

BlueVoyant’s foundational strength in supply chain cyber risk reduction also sets its solution apart from other TPRM vendors, who started with a business risk offering and only recently expanded into cyber risk through partnerships and integrations. With BlueVoyant, business and cyber risk reduction are seamlessly integrated, enabling clients to operate with efficiency and confidence across the entire spectrum of third-party risk.

More information on BlueVoyant Supply Chain Defence Business Risk Management is available here.

About BlueVoyant

BlueVoyant combines internal and external cyber defence capabilities into an outcomes-based cloud-native cyber security solution by continuously monitoring your network, endpoints, attack surface, and supply chain, as well as the clear, deep, and dark web for threats. The full-spectrum cyber defence products and services illuminate, validate, and quickly remediate threats to protect your enterprise. BlueVoyant leverages both machine-learning-driven automation and human-led expertise to deliver industry-leading cyber security to more than 900 clients across the globe.

News

I hate to say it, but we will see fewer jobs for filmmakers and more for AI creative prompt engineers. Which creative jobs will be replaced by Sora AI?

On February 15th, 2024, OpenAI unveiled Sora, its newest GPT model. Sora is a sophisticated text-to-video creation tool. It’s easy to see why creative professionals and agencies, particularly those who produce videos for a living, will be affected.

Video Expert Rupert Rixon from Perspective Pictures runs a 25-person video production company working with brands like RedBull, TikTok and Deliveroo. He shares an honest perspective on how companies like his will be affected after the technology is released if they don’t adapt.

He explains the following companies and jobs staring into an AI-shaped void:

Camera Operators: Sora could completely replace the need for camera operators on productions where the camera work involves standard or replicable shots. Shoots requiring nuanced judgement and adaptability need human operators. However, they will not require a human if you can describe it precisely in writing.

Product-led Social Media ads – Sora AI will easily produce all the imagery for highly cinematic ads that are faceless or lack real-life context. Consider a popular social media drink ad format – it commonly consists of larger-than-life colours, environments, and ingredients floating and popping in slow motion. Once Sora is released, it will likely be faster and cheaper to make this imagery with AI than to hire a production agency – I’m convinced Sora will replace 90% of this work.

VFX (Animation and Visual Effects) Designers  – Maybe not Sora specifically, but AI will do a fantastic job of creating explosions on the big screen, painting out wires or generating giant monsters, and significant elements of this role will be replaced entirely by AI and there’s a high chance we will use Sora for some of our animation needs.

Video Stock footage – AI video generators like Sora will swallow this up pretty quickly. Generating videos from prompts is far more likely to develop the exact clip you need rather than trawling through a database with some basic tags attached. It’s undoubtedly significantly cheaper, too. Is this why Getty’s stock price has taken a hit?

Documentary style content – Anything that needs to be genuine to resonate is safe. Human stories, CEOs pitching their company in crowdfunding videos, big Red Bull stunts, these things will always have a place as people want to witness them authentically. However, AI will help speed up the process, help people with less experience/expertise film them, and then clear up quality issues with AI. 

Set Designers: The creative input of set designers is not replaceable, especially for large-scale productions, but Sora will likely become a tool set designers use. I see a reduction in the demand for physical set construction as the role of a set designer changes. Especially those locations that can be simulated realistically in a virtual environment.

Costume Designers: Similar to set designers, the need for physical costume design and production might diminish for productions utilising Sora, primarily if virtual characters and their attire can be generated to meet the production’s dynamic needs. However, unique, high-quality costume design that requires a human touch will likely still be in demand.

Colourists: Sora’s ability to generate video content might include automated colour grading based on the textual descriptions provided. While this could affect the demand for colourists, especially for standard or lower-tier production work, high-end productions seeking a unique aesthetic or mood through colour grading might still rely heavily on the expertise of professional colourists.

While all these changes are coming fast and heavy – There are still some things people will always want to see the actual video for. “ A Founder speaking about their company in a crowdfunding video, a celebrity eating worms in the jungle, a big stunt, or even your favourite influencer apologising for a product they promoted turning out to be a gambling game for kids.

As such, there will always be a requirement to have SOME things filmed using a real camera.

There are also some real hurdles to overcome regarding AI, from lawsuits over source material, quality, versatility, public acceptance and how well it remembers and implements feedback. Still, given how quickly it’s progressed, I suspect it will make light work of them. 

Rupert concludes, “I love my 25-person creative team, and I don’t want this industry powered by robots. However, as much as I hate to say it, we will see fewer job roles for ‘filmmakers’ and more ‘AI Creative Prompt Engineers’ over the next few years. I think the AI revolution is coming, whether I like it or not. So we can work out how to adopt it at Perspective Pictures, or I can complain about how no one cares about ‘real filmmaking’ anymore when we lose revenue to progressive video production companies in London utilising AI in 18 months. – it’s bleak, but I’m also kind of excited. “

 

ENDS

E-Commerce

How I Made $1000 with Temu Affiliate in 1 Month

In this article, I’m excited to share a detailed guide on how I successfully earned $1000 in just one month by leveraging Temu, an emerging online shopping platform, and strategically utilizing some of the best coupon submission sites. This journey involved not only understanding the intricacies of Temu but also how to effectively use coupons to attract and retain customers. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of my approach, filled with actionable tips.

What is Temu?

Temu offers a wide range of products, from fashion and electronics to home goods, all at competitive prices. My first step was to identify the most popular categories and products with high demand. Understanding the platform’s audience was crucial; I focused on items that appealed to Temu’s diverse user base, ensuring the products I chose had broad appeal.

Free Gifts

New users are in for a treat with Temu’s latest offer! Simply by downloading the Temu app, new users can enjoy a selection of gifts. 

Use the exclusive code “frd79503” to claim your rewards. Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to explore Temu’s diverse offerings and start your shopping journey with added excitement. Download the Temu app now and claim your gifts!

What is the TEMU Affiliate Program?

You might have seen a lot of people sharing their TEMU link and code already, but you might not know that TEMU has an affiliate program that everyone can join. If you’re an avid TEMU enthusiast looking to generate a stable source of passive income, look no further than the TEMU Affiliate Program. With a high earning potential of up to $100,000 per month, the TEMU Affiliate Program is the perfect fit for you to start.

How I Make Money with the Temu?

The core of my strategy was to utilize coupon submission sites effectively. These platforms are frequented by bargain hunters looking for the best deals online. I submitted coupons for my Temu products on several well-regarded sites, including:

  • RetailMeNot: One of the largest coupon sites, offering a vast audience.
  • Slickdeals: Known for its community-driven bargains and deals.
  • Coupon Chief: Offers a user-friendly interface for submitting coupons.
  • DealsPlus: Allows for easy submission and has a large user base.

Crafting Appealing Offers

The success of a coupon campaign hinges on the attractiveness of the offer. I ensured my coupons provided real value, such as a $100 coupon or gifts for new users. The goal was to make the offer irresistible while still maintaining a profit margin.

Marketing and Promotion

Simply submitting coupons to sites wasn’t enough. I promoted these coupons through social media channels, leveraging hashtags and joining groups related to shopping deals. Engaging with the community and sharing exclusive deals helped drive traffic to my Temu listings.

The key to my success was creating a Facebook group dedicated to sharing Temu products and recommendations. I update the group daily with new content, including:

  • Temu product recommendations
  • Temu deals and discounts

I believe it is important for the group to have an informative and friendly atmosphere. Members are free to ask questions, and I do my best to help everyone.

Start by registering for Temu

Making $1000 in a month on Temu through the strategic use of coupon submission sites was a rewarding experience that taught me the importance of strategy, promotion, and adaptability in e-commerce. This approach is not just limited to Temu but can be applied across various online platforms to boost sales and visibility. Whether you’re a seasoned seller or new to the online marketplace, leveraging coupons can be a powerful tool in your e-commerce arsenal. If you also want to make money with Temu, you can register here.

Energy, News

A Brighter Future Ahead: Kurt J. Lesker saves over £25,000 per year by installing Solar PV

Kurt J. Lesker Company® (KJLC®), designer and manufacturer of vacuum technology, is due to save £25,687.20 in energy costs per year thanks to the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels with a combined capacity of 100.04 kWp on a factory site in Hastings. 

Having worked with Kurt J. Lesker since 2016, Advantage Utilities has enabled the company to pursue more favourable energy and gas contracts, simultaneously assisting them to get scope 1 and 2 emissions certified. 

In June 2023, Advantage Utilities then facilitated a large solar PV installation on one of Kurt J. Lesker’s factories in Hastings, enabling annual savings of £25,687.50. Estimated savings throughout the 25-year lifetime of the system amount to £513,265, based on energy costs of 25p/kWh, bringing the lifetime cost of electricity (LCoE) down to 5p/kWh. 

Kurt J. Lesker’s innovative approach reflects a sea change currently taking place within the manufacturing industry; nearly half of UK manufacturers surveyed by Make UK revealed they see the transition to net-zero as an opportunity. This is reflected in the 6.7% yearly increase in solar PV installations between June 2022 and June 2023.

Commenting on the recent installation, Simon Mansbridge, Managing Director at Kurt J. Lesker Company, said: “We’re incredibly pleased with the results of our recent installation. We’ve made energy savings of 85,624 kWh per year, meaning we now produce a third of our on-site energy needs at one of our sites in Hastings, with potential exports back to the grid also enabling energy savings. Advantage Utilities’ collaborative and respectful approach enabled us to deepen our relationship, having previously only focused on energy contracts.”

Dr. James Crosby-Wrigley, Head of Sustainability at Advantage Utilities. adds: “Kurt J. Lesker’s installation is a prime example of what’s possible through the latest solar PV technology – now one of the cheapest and greenest solutions for businesses. The reduction in their carbon footprint will be dramatic, with a carbon benefit relative to UK standard grid consumption of 20,409kg/20.5 tonnes of CO2 in the first year. To use another metric, that’s the US forest equivalent of 90 acres. Better still, the installation on the Hastings site will bring their factory’s energy bills down by 30%, an impressive result for Kurt J. Lesker.”

For more details on this project, visit the Advantage Utilities website here.

Health & Safety, News

Making these 9 dangerous mistakes in the workplace could prove fatal

We all know the importance of health and safety in the workplace and why guidelines are put in place to protect us. For both employees and employers, the finer details may be lesser known depending on how rigorous your health and safety documentation and guidelines are.

To encourage worker safety and accountability from employers, Horizon Platforms has shared some common mistakes that could be hazardous to health and wellbeing. This provides guidelines relevant for both office and manual workers. Take a look below.

The worst health and safety mistakes to make in your workplace

1.   Undertaking dangerous activities without supervision

Sometimes you may undertake dangerous activities which have been risk assessed and which are crucial for your line of work. When taking on any dangerous activity it is of utmost importance to ensure you have someone with you to supervise, where necessary or appropriate. This person can advise you on obstructed vision tasks, give you additional reassurance and also be available to call for help should anything go wrong.

2.   Working during adverse weather conditions

This winter we have seen sub-zero temperatures and stormy conditions, making it crucial to assess the risk before you decide to work in adverse conditions. Not only can cold cause frostbite and hypothermia, in extreme cases, but ice is one of the biggest causes of slips and falls which could lead to serious injury (HSE). Hailstone and snowstorms also may risk your ability to complete your work safely if you work outside, any obstructions to your vision should be accounted for and risk assessed before you begin work, if at all.

3.   Working at height without proper equipment or PPE

Falls when working at height is one of the leading causes of fatal injury at work (HSE), making it imperative to stay safe if you need to undertake tasks at height as part of your role. Where required, you should ensure you have access to the most appropriate working-at-height equipment such as Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) or mobile scaffold towers, for example, and provide the right training and protective equipment, which may include harnesses, horizontal lifelines, work restraint systems and hard hats.

4.   Neglecting safety training

Skipping or rushing health and safety training is a no-no for employers and employees. This may feel like a chore or take time from your work day but this is time well spent as it could make the difference between life and death, as you learn how to avoid unnecessary risk in the workplace. Employers could be at risk of fines if they are found to not be properly following health and safety guidance within their respective industries.

5.   Cutting corners on risky tasks

Unfortunately, there have been news stories where companies have been fined for taking shortcuts. Saving time may seem appealing but could put you and others at risk, especially when working at height or operating machinery, for example. Manual workers are most at risk of taking shortcuts, as skipping steps in these types of tasks usually bypasses health and safety guidance. Not only could this be risking yourself but also your co-workers.

6.   Working when you don’t have a clear mind

Being honest about pre-existing mental health conditions and sharing changes in your life which may impact your mental wellbeing are all important steps to take at work to ensure you can be properly supported by your employer, and employers should be open and non-judgmental to these issues. Anxiety and depression remain the most common mental health conditions suffered by workers in the UK, having an understanding and making reasonable adjustments to support this will reduce your risk at work of making mistakes and burning out. If you have suffered a bereavement or life event which impacts your ability to work, you should always let your boss know so they can accommodate this. Neglecting your mental health has a long-term impact on your health, affecting areas such as sleep, diet and critical thinking skills. Good employers will offer support with respect to mental health issues, as will mental health charities and services. So, if you or any of your team it’s best not to struggle on your own because unintentional accidents and injuries can occur.

7.   Pressuring your employees to work overtime and not take breaks

Senior leaders and managers should set a good example and encourage workers to take regular breaks. Asking your employees to work overtime and through their lunch breaks may not be legal and can lead to detrimental impact on their physical and mental health. Hitting a deadline is important but safety and the health and wellbeing of team members is far more important. Burnout is the biggest risk a lack of breaks may cause, as well as sleep disruption, poor diet and mistakes being made which may be dangerous due to not letting your staff switch off and recharge.

8.   Leaving machinery switched on and using faulty tools

Some machinery is already dangerous to use and will require operation and health and safety training to use, making it important to always follow manufacturer and safety guidelines. Some machinery can cause permanent and irreparable damage to your physical health. Making sure you switch off tools and machines out of use is a good habit to have to ensure you don’t unnecessarily put yourself or others at risk. You should also never take risk and use faulty machinery that is known to not work to standard.

9.   Working in a building which doesn’t follow safety guidelines

Commercial building owners, tenants and landlords are all bound by different rules to follow for health and safety. UK employers must carry out fire risk assessments and have a plan in place should a fire occur. Businesses should appoint a fire marshal, keep documentation up to date and run regular fire drills to make sure all staff know the procedure to follow in the event of a fire. UK commercial building owners and landlords need to also have gas appliances checked every 12 months and follow standards for electrical appliances within their buildings. Since 2012 building owners are also expected to take steps to find out if their buildings contain asbestos and follow the correct procedures for removing this safely (The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012).

 

Charity & CSR, Mental Health, News, Sport

Whitworth FC champions Mental Health support in grass roots football

Embracing the ethos of mental health awareness, Whitworth FC has made a bold statement by adorning their 1st team kit with the Kelly’s Heroes brand.

Over the last five years the charity logo has become a much-recognised symbol of Mental Health support in the Wellingborough area.  This move gives a timely reminder to players and spectators that support is available for those facing challenges with their mental health.

In addition to the fresh new kit the club has enhanced visibility around the pitch and surrounding grounds with highly visual boards, posters and bar mats and coasters with support information and links, ensuring that help is readily accessible to all who need it.

“As a local grass roots team we have potential to drive this vital service through our local communities whether playing, volunteering or spectating at the club. Mental health is as crucial as physical fitness in achieving peak performance and overall well-being for our youngsters starting out in the game right through to the adults who continue to enjoy their game.” Martin Goodes, Club Chairman of Whitworth FC. “The Kelly’s Heroes logo is a highly visual and recognised mark in Wellingborough and by prominently placing it throughout the club, we aim to ensure our players feel free to talk about their mental health and know where and how they can get any support needed.

The initiative is much more than a visual connection, directly opening up access to counselling, training and support to reduce stigma and promote self-care practices among players, coaches, families and staff.

“Both myself and family and friends have played with the club over the years, the scope for helping and supporting the community through the collaborative work we are doing together is immense.  These kinds of partnerships help us to connect directly to one of the highest risk demographics for Mental Health” said John Hewitt, Founder of Kelly’s Heroes “We’re thankful to Whitworths for steering this conversation and see it as point in an approach for working with grass roots clubs and ensuring we can raise the profile and awareness to players and families.”

To find out more about Kelly’s Heroes, and see how they can work with you to support mental Health in your team, business or community group please contact katie@kellysheroes.org.uk  or visit www.kellysheroes.org.uk

Marketing, PR and SEO, News

Superfi Chosen For Inaugural Communications Accelerator Programme

Cherish PR, a Wilful Group company, announces it has chosen to support social impact app, SuperFi with its inaugural Communications Accelerator Programme, an initiative to help young innovators scale their businesses through powerful communications.

As one of the UK’s most respected tech and innovation communications firms, Cherish PR will provide SuperFi with communications counsel and advisory services, PR and publicity, content and campaign creation in 2024. Cherish PR has helped many of the world’s leading digital businesses and brands on their path to success, and SuperFi will join the Cherish client portfolio including global giants such as Airtasker, Wix.com, Vimeo, Kobo and Indiegogo.

SuperFi, is a social impact Fintech app that helps people to stay on top of their bills and out of problem debt, which will also help during the Cost-of-Living crisis. It was chosen for the programme after a powerful presentation and interviews with co-founder, Tom Barltrop.

Mr Barltrop, says, “We were really impressed with the calibre of work that Cherish has done over the past 20 years and we know how important good communications is in cutting through to investors, customers and partners. As we build SuperFi, we want PR to be at the heart of the business and we couldn’t be more delighted to have the power of the Cherish PR team supporting our journey.”

Lisa Wlodyka, Director at Cherish PR and Group Head of Digital & Innovation for Wilful comments, “SuperFi impressed our team with their innovative solution to those struggling financially and real focus on social mobility. When considering personal finance, managing money and changing behaviour, awareness and credibility are critical to generate trust and that’s where PR comes into its own. We were excited by the prospect of what we can do with SuperFi and how our work can act as a catalyst for the growth of a business that will have such a positive impact on society. It’s a win, win, win and we’re looking forward to partnering with SuperFi to make this a reality”.

Cherish PR launched its Communications Accelerator Programme in August 2023 to help young startups grow through effective communications. To mark its 20th anniversary and as part of its mission to “make change happen”, Cherish PR will dedicate a minimum of 150 hours of consultancy time each year to a young startup that is ripe to evolve and change the status quo. Thirty young companies applied in October with applications from across the globe, and as far afield as South Africa and Australia. Applications for 2024 will open in August this year and until then the team will be working closely with SuperFi to help them make change for good.

 

You can find out more about SuperFi and the Communications Accelerator Programme here Communications Accelerator | Cherish PR