Category Archives: Regional News

Law, News, South West, South West England News, Start Ups, Start-Up News

Roskilly and Mills: new legal practice launches in Bristol, specialising in advising non-married couples on separation, wills and inheritance disputes

Emily Roskilly and Lucia Mills announce the launch of their new business, Roskilly and Mills, which will provide specialist advice to cohabiting couples pre and post-separation with a holistic, transparent and empathetic approach.

“Common law marriage is a myth,” explains Emily Roskilly, “In the legal world, there is no such thing. The truth is that married couples have greater rights than unmarried ones, and unmarried couples and those who co-own property may need specialist legal advice. Contrary to popular belief, when there is a property dispute, this area of law is civil Law and not family Law – the two specialisms are governed by different Courts with different rules. When cohabiting couples separate, it is often a huge shock because one of them may end up with nothing – and huge costs!”

 

Post-pandemic, there has been an increase of 9.6%* in granted divorces, but many couples who lived together through lockdown were unmarried (or were unable to wed) and are now looking to separate.

Lucia Mills adds “There have been calls to reform the law in this area, however, this is currently not being prioritised.  We believe the law is out of step with modern-day society and there should be increased awareness for all unmarried couples”.  When a couple is married, the matrimonial assets are considered to be part of the family financial pot (which includes pension, savings, etc) and the Court often addresses these cases on a need basis and considers equality regardless of legal ownership.  However, this is not the case for unmarried couples and we therefore offer specialist advice to unmarried individuals in a changing world.

 

Emily empathises with those separating having been through it herself Roskilly and Mills are supportive of reform and are keen to raise awareness.  They are both members of Resolution, a professional body committed to a constructive approach to family disputes, who are actively campaigning for reform in this area.

 

As well as providing legal services, Roskilly and Mills understand that cohabiting couples also need help with finances, childcare, divorce coaches and well-being. Roskilly and Mills have experts on hand and tailor-made advice to help with every stage. And Emily and Lucia – unlike many corporate law firms – do not have internal financial targets which means they can focus on their clients.

 

“We are transparent about our fees” explains Emily “We understand that sometimes clients need emotional support – and we don’t charge a fee for kindness and a confidential chat.”

“As mums ourselves, we are keen to put the human, compassionate element back into legal advice. We ensure clients are involved in all decision-making, kept informed and updated throughout and that they fully understand the specialist legal advice they receive. The last thing our clients need to feel is uncertainty, in these difficult times.”

 

Roskilly and Mills have the following advice for ALL couples currently cohabiting:

-Be clear on intentions from the outset – they can prepare Cohabitation Agreements

-Consider putting a declaration of trust in place on the purchase of a property

-Obtain specialist legal advice on your rights if you are unsure of your legal position or if you have already separated

 

Roskilly and Mills also provide advice in respect of will and inheritance disputes which is also a complex and niche area of law.  We can advise on whether you have a claim against an Estate post-death,  with regard to executor and beneficiary disputes and potential validity challenges against wills.

For more information about this modern forward-thinking firm go to https://roskillyandmills.co.uk

 

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*ONS statistic 9.6% in granted divorces between 2020 and 2021 (Nov 22 figures)

International News, News, Retail, Retail & E-commerce

Proposed Border Strategy: “Everything is last minute, and poorly thought through,” warns Jenney

The Chief Executive of the UK’s Fresh Produce Consortium, Nigel Jenney, spoke frankly to the House of Lords Horticultural Sector Committee last Thursday (6 July) urging them to heed the consortium’s warnings concerning the proposed border strategy.

Referencing the governments TOM (Target Operating Model) Jenney remarked: “Well, they’ve missed the first target, because the target was to actually respond to the industry with guidance by the end of last month. This hasn’t materialised and won’t materialise for weeks, which puts huge pressure on the industry in terms of being able to prepare for the hard delivery dates that the government is currently suggesting.

“We are operating in a sector which grows and distributes highly perishable, highly sensitive products as quickly and efficiently as possible ,” he continued. “So frankly, from my industry’s point of view, we believe the current proposed strategy will fundamentally compromise our industry’s least cost, highly efficient supply chain from Europe, without a doubt.

“We don’t manufacture widgets, we don’t keep them in a UK warehouse for six months, hoping someone’s going to buy them. Our produce is literally harvested, packed, and delivered within hours, not days.

“As such, the TOM provides some huge challenges for our sector in terms of compromising that just -in -time least cost to maintain both the quality of the products, but also the cost of the products,” Jenney explained.

“We are extremely concerned that the current proposed government border strategy which adopts government managed border control points (BCPs) , are frankly highly inefficient.

“We believe the current proposed strategy will fundamentally compromise our industry’s least cost highly efficient supply chain from Europe which will have considerable and wide ranging impacts.

We will proactively, and we have for years now, offered solutions to the current BCP model, including adoption of control points. They are facilities which are managed by our industry, or our commercial partners.

“A Government managed BCP adds, brutally, no value for my industry,” he continued.

“One of the things that we proposed several years ago but which didn’t happen at that time, is that we offered government the opportunity to use our industries facilities to carry out these inspections. This wasn’t an option that was considered appropriate at that time.

“We also suggested it would be wise to allow responsible businesses within the industry to be trained and accredited to complete official inspections. Because do you want a few hundred official inspectors managing your border security, or do you want thousands of people managing your border security?

“And the best part is that you wouldn’t have to pay them because the industry pays for those people. It’s incredibly disheartening that this system will not be available, assuming the 31st of January date is the go live date.

“Our industry will be forced to either use BCPs or control points but still wait for an official inspection by an official officer. Which is so frustrating, because we’ve had years to manage and plan the processes, yet everything is last minute, and it appears to be poorly thought through.

“The industry, ultimately, is going to have to pick up the pieces and I’ll remind you all again today that, with the costs  we envisage the industry having to incur, I have to sadly say that we simply cannot absorb those costs. They will instead be passed on to hard pressed consumers in a very difficult environment at this moment in time.

“We have no choice. Our margins just simply do not allow us to do anything else.”

The House of Lords Horticultural Sector Committee plans to release its report by the conclusion of this year to summarize their findings and recommendations.

Cardiff, News, Wales News, Waste and Recycling

New Cardiff hazardous waste transfer station officially opened

A new hazardous waste transfer station has been officially unveiled in East Moors Road, Cardiff, as part of an ambitious growth strategy by Welsh environmental services specialist Forward Waste Management.

The new facility, which serves many of the manufacturing giants across South Wales and the rest of the UK, is authorised to receive hazardous waste in both solid and liquid form, whether that be drummed or packaged, and has been opened to help meet significant demand for the service.

Forward delivers total waste management solutions specifically within the manufacturing industry, with services including collection, recycling and disposal and was established in 2006.

With a broad permit and capacity of 10,000 tonnes per annum, the new facility will allow the firm to process much of the hazardous waste they collect, prior to being sent on to specialists for further treatment, recycling, or final disposal. The site is operated by a highly skilled team, including degree qualified chemists, plant operators, and is supported by a fleet of qualified dangerous goods vehicle drivers.

Forward’s new hazardous waste transfer station has been in operation since August last year but was officially unveiled by President of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) Dr Anna Willetts last week (26th June).

Lyndon Ward, Chief Executive Officer, Forward Waste Management, said “There are very few hazardous waste transfer stations in South Wales, and many are full to capacity. This new site has been long in the making and will provide a much-needed additional service for our existing customers where we already provide hazardous waste collection, as well as new customers.

“Our hazardous waste specialists are supported by our substantial fleet of vehicles providing one-off or regular collections of all types of hazardous waste materials.

“We’re very pleased to have added this cost effective and extensive hazardous waste disposal solution to our portfolio and are confident that it will be hugely beneficial to the businesses we serve.”

Dr Anna Willetts, President, Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), said: “I’m delighted to officially unveil Forward’s new site this morning. There is a great need for compliant hazardous waste and chemical waste disposal solutions in the area and I’m sure that this state-of-the-art facility will serve their customers very well.”

The company also owns subsidiary Enviroquip, which was formed in 1998 and manufactures compactors, balers, containers and other handling equipment for waste and recycling applications across the UK. The long-established waste systems manufacturing company moved to its 30,000 sq ft workshops on a one acre site at Atlantic Trading Estate in Barry in 2021.

For more information on the services provided by Forward Waste Management, visit https://www.forwardwastemanagement.co.uk/

 

Image caption: (L-R) Lyndon Ward, Chief Executive Officer, Forward Waste Management and Dr Anna Willetts, President, Chartered Institution of Wastes Management

AI, AV tech, Finance and Banking, Investment, London, London News, Tech, Technology

AI video generation startup Immersive Fox secures €3.3m seed to advance ‘AI twin’ technology

Funding will support R&D and product advancement of AI solution that unlocks personalised video production at scale

London-based Immersive Fox – a tech startup specialising in AI-generated videos for sales and corporate communication – has closed a €3.3million [£2.8million] seed funding round to help advance proprietary AI technology that allows clients to create unlimited video content using their face and voice.

Defying investor trends – which have seen top venture capitalists favour fintech of late – the funding comes from a trio of prominent VC firms, including Redseed VC, Monte Carlo Capital, and Altair.

While total VC investment into UK businesses has slumped, B2B technology enablement is becoming a key driver of investment, not only in finance but across every sector.

Immersive Fox, which currently has a host of customers on a waitlist across the fields of sales enablement, customer communications, learning & development and corporate communications, offers a superior alternative to traditional video content production – an often painful, time-intensive and expensive process for sales and marketing professionals (on average video production takes 3+ weeks and $2000-$5000/min).

As social media marketing rises, some have wondered “is email marketing dead?” However, in the battle for attention, video wins – viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it on video, compared to 10% when reading it in a text. Despite this, few have the resources to produce it at scale. Immersive Fox’s solution allows its clients to create personalised videos on mass, in 1 minute to generate a 1 minute of sales videos on average – shaving 7 minutes off closest competitors. This saves time and money, enabling businesses to enhance customer experiences, streamline operations, and unlock new possibilities for growth.

Funding has been allocated to developing the company’s cutting-edge technologies further – with product and R&D plans including a video analytics tool, embeddable video player, UI animations and captions, and full body movement synthesis from text.

Boosting sales and attracting new talent is also on the agenda following the raise, with Immersive Fox aiming to increase its team twofold by the end of this year, to penetrate new markets and strengthen customer relationships.

Eugene Belov, managing partner at Redseed VC – one of the largest investors in Immersive Fox’s latest round – comments: “Artificial Intelligence came to the foreground of the investor community during 2022. With the rise of generative AI and LLMs, the tremendous disruptive potential of this technology became apparent to the broader population. However, the true value of any new technology lies in the extent to which it solves and simplifies existing problems and challenges. While we were very impressed with Immersive Fox’s tech stack and brilliant team, what really solidified the investment case for us was the company’s razor-sharp focus on the sales & marketing use case, which to this day saw very little innovation and disruption throughout the years. We are strong believers in the tremendous value Immersive Fox and its technology can generate for sales teams across multiple verticals by constantly tailoring their product to their customer’s needs.”

Alisa Patotskaya, CEO and Founder of Immersive Fox, adds: “This significant investment is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, who work together diligently to bring a wealth of experience and professionalism to the table. Both my team and investors are all excited to see how this innovation shapes the industry.”

Key features of the Immersive Fox technology include:-

  • quick onboarding of customers  – one week
  • personal avatars or ‘digital twins’ are created at speed and off the back of only two 4-minute videos
  • high-resolution personalised video content is generated in 1 minute compared to market competitors at 8 minutes
  • using a cloned voice, videos are auto-translatable into 50+ languages
  • the company has integrated with HubSpot and other systems, empowering their CRM, and allowing video to become central to HubSpot’s sales process.

Privacy and security are also paramount concerns for the company, who have taken proactive measures to prevent the theft of personalised avatars, clearly defining ownership in contracts, while all data is securely stored on its servers, ensuring confidentiality and peace of mind.

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

Accountancy & Accounts, ESG Investments, ESG/CSR, News, Wales News

Accountancy and finance professionals must drive the journey towards social equity, says ACCA report

The future of our organisations and society itself depends on sustainability and a just transition

Accountancy and finance professionals are at the forefront of the transition to a sustainable future according to the latest research by ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants). Finance professionals from around the world – including Wales – shared their views, resulting in ACCA’s new report ‘Accounting for Society’s Values’.

Organisations need to transition to a sustainable future that embraces the economic, environmental and social aspects in combination. Society faces long-term challenges from social injustice, with stakeholders and regulators increasingly focusing on the social implications of the actions of organisations. That’s why defining and measuring the return to society by an organisation’s activities is becoming as important as the financial objectives themselves.

The accountancy and finance profession needs to see this as an opportunity to define its future role and put the social agenda at the core of the profession.

 

Three key messages from this report:

  1. The profession’s future embraces sustainability through social equity and protecting the environment.
  2. Measuring the social agenda is difficult, but we must act.
  3. There is a strong business imperative to embed this agenda into strategy now.

 

Helen Brand OBE, ACCA chief executive, commented: “The social agenda is a broad one and requires organisations to act now. Without the valued and proactive input of the accountancy and finance profession, the goal of reaching sustainability for all organisations will be unattainable. The profession has an opportunity to play its full part in enabling the just transition, not least the social aspect – one that it cannot afford to shirk.”

 

Report author and senior insights manager at ACCA, Clive Webb, said: “Whilst the emphasis for many organisations may have become focused on the environmental aspects of a just transition, it is important to ensure that nobody is left behind.”

 

Lloyd Powell, head of ACCA Cymru/Wales, said: “The social agenda is a vital element of the transition and whilst it may present challenges in readily measuring progress this cannot be an excuse for a lack of action. Accountancy and finance professionals need to be at the forefront on ensuring that their organisations measure and report performance in this area if we are to be a just society.”

 

For more information, read the full report on the ACCA website.

 

Finance and Banking, Investment, Investment News, North of England

Rosebridge create UK business first, in collaboration with Vanguard and Redington

With the launch of their new DFM Proposition

One of the North’s leading chartered financial planning businesses, Rosebridge, today announced the launch of its DFM arm – Rosebridge Asset Management Limited (RAML) – providing the UK’s first offering of its kind within the industry.

By working in collaboration with two leading global asset managers in Vanguard and Redington, RAML will provide unparalleled asset allocation and fund selection analysis for its innovative range of risk rated active and passive investment solutions.

This is the first custom model portfolio solution global investment management firm, Vanguard, has entered into in the UK to date. They currently hold approximately $7Tn in assets under management, with a client base spanning 30 million worldwide,[1] and it is one of the first partnerships of its kind for Redington’s Global Assets team, which provides advice to institutional clients with an aggregate of +£500bn in assets.

 

Phil Rose, CEO of Rosebridge Asset Management Limited commented: “We are delighted to work alongside both Vanguard and Redington to launch our new proposition. We know that joining forces with two such renowned global asset managers and harnessing their collective expertise, research capabilities and bargaining powers will ultimately translate into better investor outcomes.

“The UK financial planning community is striving for this, and I believe we will see larger mid-market financial advice companies, not only build bespoke relationships with global investment firms, but also with platform providers to help increase efficiencies, reduce costs but most importantly enhance the service level agreements offered to consumers.

“We began the process of developing an innovative DFM proposition over two years ago. Thanks to the invaluable guidance of our Investment Committee, we took the decision to look for global active and passive investment specialists to work alongside in order to strengthen our consumer proposition.”

 

The strength of this expert duo is unrivalled and will provide investors with access to innovative active and passive investment solutions – the former being built on Redington’s market leading research and fund selection processes and the latter utilising Vanguard’s array of low-cost index tracking funds.

Additionally, the RAML Investment Committee bring a wealth of experience, retaining the independent expertise of Graham Harrison (Group Chairman of Asset Risk Consultants) to provide direction and unique industry insight, Peter Bickley (ex-Chief Strategist at Deutsche Bank UK) to monitor and review asset allocations and Mark Harris (award winning ex Henderson fund of funds manager) to provide quantitative and qualitative fund research analysis.

 

Phil added: “These bespoke relationships will ensure RAML’s investment solutions remain relevant and appropriate for the ever-changing investment landscape both now and in the future.”

 

Neil Cowell, Head of UK Distribution, Vanguard UK, commented: “We are delighted to work alongside Rosebridge Asset Management Limited for what is our first custom model portfolio solution with a financial advice firm in the UK. We’ve had a longstanding relationship, dating back many years with Rosebridge, and share many of the same principles; namely delivering value to investors, a relentless focus on low-cost solutions, and a shared alignment on investment philosophy. We will launch a range of index fund-based model portfolios later this year that we trust will continue to serve Rosebridge and their clients going forward.”

 

Determining the right investment specialists to work with posed a significant challenge to RAML given the high volume of active investment specialists. “Ultimately, it was Redington’s robust asset allocation, quantitative and qualitative research processes that truly set them apart.” said Phil.

 

Tara Gillespie, Head of Global Assets at Redington, commented: “We are delighted to be supporting Rosebridge Asset Management Limited in getting the best outcomes for their clients through outcome focused strategic asset allocation and manager selection advice. Supported by the deep expertise across our business, we will bring institutional strength solutions and access to innovative, best-in-class investment opportunities to RAML and their clients.”

 

RAML will be partnering with AJ Bell’s institutional platform to deliver their new investment solutions.

 

Phil added: “AJ Bell’s status as a FTSE 250 listed company greatly reduces the risk of a private equity take over. In our experience such events have caused significant upheaval, client uncertainty and poor service outcomes – this is something we wish to try and avoid.

“Whilst it has been a long and at times difficult process, we believe the bespoke relationships we have forged will place our innovative range of risk rated active and passive investment solutions ahead of those available within the wider financial planning community.”

 

Rosebridge Asset Management Limited is a UK based company – more details about the platform can be found here: https://rosebridgeassetmanagement.com/

 

References

[1] Source: Vanguard as at 31st March 2023

Image: Stock Photo

Business & Property News, News, North Wales, Wales News, Wrexham

Ipsen Wrexham investment unveiled as Wrexham mayor joins 50th birthday celebration

Ipsen today announced a £75 million investment in its Wrexham site, a world-renowned “neuroscience centre of excellence.” The announcement coincides with the site’s 50th birthday, which was celebrated with a tree-planting ceremony attended by the newly appointed Wrexham Mayor, members of the community, and Ipsen employees, including the company’s Chief Executive Officer, David Loew.

The event commemorated half a century of researching, developing and manufacturing innovative treatments for patients in over 90 countries across the world, with the tree-planting ceremony serving as a symbol of the company’s strong roots in North Wales, sustainable work practices, commitment to the environment, and future growth.

Wrexham’s new Mayor, Councillor Andy Williams, who took part in the tree-planting ceremony, said, “Today marks a significant milestone for Ipsen as a company, and for the Wrexham community. Through the creation of numerous jobs over five decades, Ipsen’s Wrexham site has contributed significantly to the growth of the local economy while working sustainably and ethically, making it a shining example to businesses locally and globally. From driving global health to ‘going green’ and helping local students pursue careers in the life sciences sector, Ipsen Wrexham has much to be proud of as a community partner and global innovator.”

Ipsen Wrexham, which is the largest of Ipsen’s UK sites, uses 100% renewable energy across its production and research units. Earlier in the year, the Wrexham-based global manufacturing site was awarded a grant by the government in recognition of its outstanding contributions to the life sciences ecosystem.

“The 50th anniversary of Ipsen’s Wrexham site marks a proud moment for our company,” said David Loew. “We have seen huge growth in demand at this important site, and we are pleased to continue our investment in the area and contribute positively to the local economy.”

Ipsen Wrexham is a global site, producing products that are exported to more than 90 countries around the world. It currently houses approximately 500 Ipsen employees, including scientists focused on developing a range of scientifically advanced, high-quality processes and methodologies required for the manufacture and supply of clinical products across the Ipsen Biologics portfolio. It was recently named as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces™ (2023) in the category of large organisations, by Great Place to Work®, the global authority on workplace culture.

 

 

Electric Vehicles, EVs and Automotive News, London, London News, Telematics

Enfield Council Adopts Ground-Breaking AI Video Telematics For Electric RCV And Targets Road Safety Improvements

Enfield Council has teamed up with VisionTrack to lead the way in road safety and stay at the forefront of fleet innovation. The London borough has worked closely with its existing video telematics partner to develop a sophisticated AI-powered vehicle camera solution for its first fully-electric refuse collection vehicle (RCV). The Renault E-Tech D Wide 26-tonne truck has been specially-designed by Enfield Council and Renault Trucks, to create the most advanced and high-performing waste management vehicle currently available.

“Our aim was to develop an electric RCV of the future that brings together class-leading technologies and helps achieve sustainability, duty of care and road safety goals,” said Cllr Rick Jewell, Cabinet Member for Environment at Enfield Council.  “The collaboration with VisionTrack will provide increased protection to our residents, refuse collection teams and other road users.”

The video telematics solution combines four AI cameras, for 360-degree vision and vulnerable road user (VRU) detection, along with two wing mirror cameras and an external speaker for audible lefthand turn warnings. The intelligent detection cameras use deep learning technology to identify pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and people on scooters, while disregarding street furniture.

With configurable safety zones, blind spots around the vehicle will be eliminated and drivers alerted to the precise location of nearby VRUs. Footage will automatically be displayed on an in-cab monitor, and supplemented with an audible, spoken warning. Road safety insight – including footage of collisions, near misses and harsh driving events – will also be uploaded to the Autonomise.ai IoT platform, so Enfield Council has complete visibility of driver, vehicle and fleet risk.

The ultra-quiet Renault Trucks E-Tech D Wide Low Entry Cab, equipped with a CP Davidson Titan refuse body, is the first of four to be delivered and will service local households. The electric RCV has been in development for over a year, with Enfield Council and Renault Trucks working in partnership to create a prototype that met the precise needs of a large, busy, London borough. It underwent extensive testing and road trials in Enfield, which demonstrated impressive performance levels, reliability and battery life.

Richard Kent, President of Global Sales at VisionTrack commented: “As a longstanding partner of Enfield Council, we have been supporting their road safety strategy for a number of years with our proven video telematics technologies. This latest initiative uses the latest advances in AI to deliver a ground-breaking solution for a revolutionary waste collection vehicle. It will demonstrate the potential of intelligent camera solutions – especially for heavy vehicles in the urban environment – in terms of 360 visibility, people detection and fleet risk reduction.”

News, Property, Scotland, Social Housing

Homes for Good to play a leading role on the International Stage

Scottish social enterprise, Homes for Good, will take to the stage on the opening day of this year’s International Social Housing Festival (ISHF) in Barcelona, to share their knowledge of the UK social and private housing sectors.

Homes For Good is a letting agency with a difference buying neglected homes and renovating them to a high standard, then letting them to people on low incomes.

With an audience of over 250 individuals from as many as 35 different countries around the world registered to attend the session, Homes for Good will look to inspire others to follow their lead as they tell the story of how the unique social business has grown to help hundreds of people on low incomes or at immediate risk of homelessness to live somewhere which is high quality and affordable to them.

Since August 2014 they have raised £20m in social investment, created 314 homes and expect to increase this to over 500 in the next 2-3 years.

One resident said:

“…we are the luckiest private tenants in Scotland. Everyone’s lovely.

“It’s the whole attitude of being interested in your tenants as people not just as money machines.

“I couldn’t actually believe the work that was done specifically for us in this flat, it was unbelievable that when we said we weren’t happy in Carntyne we were earmarked for this property, and we couldn’t believe the en-suite which was specifically for my son’s needs.”

Joining Homes for Good on stage to discuss ‘Affordable Housing and Homelessness Best Practice’ will be other like-minded organisations including Un-Habitat, Barcelona City Council and Barcelona-based Sostre Civic, the SIPHO municipal programme, and Hàbitat3.

The session taking place on the 7th of June and co-organised by World Habitat, will encourage the spread of innovative housing practice around the world and to exchange and transfer knowledge and experience.

World Habitat Deputy Chief Executive, Louise Winterburn said: “At a time when housing problems seem to be increasing, ISHF provides an important opportunity to bring together world-leading housing experts working on similar challenges and talk about what is working in terms of creating safe, secure and affordable housing. Homes for Good is now an inspiration in Europe and providing leadership for social enterprises everywhere.”

Homes for Good, Founder, Susan Aktemel said “I am truly delighted to be in Barcelona at the International Social Housing Festival with our team. This year is Homes for Good 10th birthday and being able to share our journey with like-minded colleagues from around the world and be presented with the prestigious World Habitat Gold Award is an unbelievable honour. ”

To conclude the session, World Habitat and Un-Habitat, will present Homes for Good with their 2023 Gold World Habitat Award.

Find out more about Homes for Good and how they won this prestigious award.