Tag Archives: covid

News

Freelancers move from pandemic uncertainty to exploiting demand opportunity in UK

  • Initial uncertainty over finding work during the pandemic led to half of freelancers being concerned about their financial security
  • Nearly half (47%) of freelancers across the UK now seeing increased demand as a direct result of the pandemic and Great Resignation
  • Concerns remain for most vulnerable freelancers hit with higher living costs and tax rates after having to take on COVID relief grants

London, 15 February – New research from Worksome, the tech platform connecting businesses with freelancers, and IPSE, the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed, has today found that almost half of freelancers (47%) have become concerned with their financial security following the pandemic.

The Great Resignation, caused by months of remote working during the pandemic led many workers to reassess their careers, job satisfaction and resign in a large number of cases, which has had an interesting double effect on the freelance community.

Nearly half (47%) of freelancers across the UK saw an increased demand as a direct result. In terms of job roles, nearly one in six (15.8%) freelancers said that the pandemic directly led to them becoming a freelancer. Of these, almost six in 10 (57%) of former full time workers are earning more than before and nearly three quarters (74%) are happier.

The report also found that while the majority (55%) of freelancers were saving for a future period of no work during the pandemic, nearly one in ten (9%) were not saving at all. These freelancers could be particularly hard hit by higher tax rates for freelancers that have also taken on COVID relief grants on top of rising inflation and living costs.

Despite the rollout of the government’s Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), almost a quarter (24%) of freelancers had to use most or all of their savings for everyday expenses, with nearly 1 in 5 (18%) using a credit card or overdraft to support themselves during COVID.

While 57% were still able to put aside savings for later life and retirement, 13% said debt taken on during the pandemic prevented them from saving for later life as much as they would like and 7% said debt meant they hadn’t been able to save at all.

Morten Petersen, CEO and Co-Founder, Worksome said: “While the freelance market may be buoyant again, it’s clear that the darkest days of the pandemic and lockdown will have an impact on the freelance community for years to come. It’s crucial for government, business and civil society to come together to support this group of crucial workers who were not necessarily supported as well financially during the pandemic as others. Meanwhile, unfair tax rules on COVID relief grants continue to penalise this group of often highly skilled workers who contribute £162bn to the UK economy.”

Andy Chamberlain, Director of Policy at IPSE said: “Today’s research paints a mixed picture of the self-employment landscape. While we at IPSE welcome the increase in demand and the shift from some full-time employees to freelance work, it is clear that COVID-19 has been devastating for contractors. After 11 years of continuous growth, the number of self-employed workers has fallen from 5 million in 2019 to 4.1 million in 2021. Moreover, for thousands of those that have remained as freelancers, they have lost work, fallen into debt and been severely impacted by the reforms to IR35 in April 2021.

“As we (hopefully) start to recover from the pandemic, the government needs to clear up the confusion around IR35 and help self-employed workers that have fallen into debt during lockdown.”

News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

News

Regional Recruitment Group Release Market Insights Report

Hales Group surveyed commercial and industrial candidates for their latest Market Insights Report

Regional recruitment company Hales Group has recently surveyed their industrial and commercial job candidates to gain a real insight into the job market through the eyes of candidates.

Some of the key insights from the Commercial Report:

  • Just 4% of commercial candidates surveyed claimed that remote working was extremely important to them in their next role
  • 28% claimed that job security was the most important thing to them in their next role.
  • When asked what they would prefer if they were offered an enhanced benefits package 69% would favour increased holiday entitlement.
  • 17% of those looking for a new role were doing so because they had been made redundant.

See the full Commercial Report Here>

As for the Industrial Report, these are the key findings:

  • 38% of respondents claimed that salary and benefits were the most important thing to them in their next role.
  • 32% of those looking for a new role were currently employed but seeking a new role.
  • When asked what they would prefer if they were offered an enhanced benefits package 32% opted for ongoing training and development.

See the full Industrial Report Here>

“We were very surprised that remote working was important to only 4% of commercial candidates surveyed,” said Hales Group Managing Director Kirsty Walpole, shortly after the reports were released.

“We would have expected this to be higher, but we think that more candidates are open to a return to ‘normal’ working practices, now restrictions have been eased and equally they could be missing the comradery of team environments.”

“Security and career progression topped the poll for commercial candidates whilst salary and benefits proved the most attractive factor to industrial candidates when considering their next role, Kirsty continues, “this matches the results from our candidate survey completed earlier this year, so candidate choices have remained consistent.”

“The last survey indicated that 73% of candidates were looking for a new role due to redundancy but now only 38% are seeking a new role for this reason, indicating that the economy is in recovery and jobs are increasing.”

Healthcare, News

What does the future of system recovery in healthcare look like?

Resilient services, collaborative working, and better support for staff, experts say

As system recovery planning sits at the centre of healthcare services post-COVID, experts look to create foundations of support to tackle the growing demand, including setting realistic targets, working within communities to utilise resources, and ensure staff wellbeing is at the forefront of initiatives.

In Connect Health’s latest Change webinar, leading healthcare experts explored the future of healthcare services, looking at how system recovery can support patients, staff, communities, and the wider system.

The event was chaired by Dr Graeme Wilkes, Chief Medical Officer at Connect Health. Providing opening remarks, Dr Wilkes said: “We have an expert panel, but in reality none of us are truly expert in how to come out from a pandemic. We’re using our past experiences to deal with a new situation of uncertainty. The key principles of uncertainty are, tell the truth and give people hope.”

He welcomed guest speaker, Ken Bremner MBE, Chief Executive at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, who explored supporting staff during system recovery.

He said: “Collaboration is the watchword for system recovery – and that’s collaboration at all levels. In the North East and North Cumbria (NENC) we have around 18,200 people waiting over 52 weeks for surgery and almost half of these fall into either Ophthalmology or Trauma and Orthopaedics. They are therefore a big focus for us along with those Priority(P)2 cases that have been waiting over a month for treatment. The total waiting list for the ICS is now around 260,000 but we are aiming to get back to a position as soon as possible where we have a sustainable and manageable waiting list.

“We’ll do this by extending some of the activity we introduced during the pandemic, including extending our weekend and evening working, looking at making better use of our operating capacity, and expanding rapidly where we can.”

Considering the impact the growing service demand is having on staff, Bremner continued: “You might say this is the most important thing we need to get right as an organisation. We need to make sure our staff are fit and on the road to recovery themselves.

“At one point, we had about 400 of our workforce shielding. They’ve been coming back to work since April and health and safety is never far from our minds. We’ve been doing all the dedicated risk assessments and taking appropriate occupational health advice. Things like trying to redeploy staff into lower risk areas and adapting their way of working, such as changes to their start and finish times to help them get back into routine.”

When asked about the immediate ‘quick wins’ planned to address the most pressing issues, Bremner said: “There isn’t a quick fix. Transparently sharing data across the region will hopefully help to find solutions to challenges that lead to wider recovery.”

Providing a patient viewpoint, discussing what support and resources would help patients with arthritis and musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, was Jonathan Canty, Policy Officer at Versus Arthritis.

“We recognise that global health services face a whole range of different challenges when it comes to recovering services, including MSK and orthopaedic services. Towards the end of last year, we ran a survey to understand more about the experiences of people waiting for joint replacement surgery across the UK, which revealed worsening levels of mobility and independence, and a decline in physical and mental health.”

Considering what resources would be beneficial for patients waiting for treatment, Canty said: “The survey highlighted to us that better support is needed for patients on waiting lists and it gave us a strong sense that the priorities should be clear communication, self-management support, access to physical activity programmes, mental health support and signposting to financial support and advice.”

Posed with the idea of working collaboratively with other organisations across the country, Canty said: “Versus Arthritis has recently published a report calling on Integrated Care Systems and other local health bodies to take a number of actions to support people waiting for joint replacement surgery.”

Emma Challans, Executive Director of Culture and Improvement at Sherwood Forest Hospitals FT, and Founder of Proud2bOps, addressed the backlog and opportunities to restore services.

Exploring the hot topics of discussion within planning sessions, Challans said: “There has been quite a lot of discussion around resilience and what resilience means for the healthcare professional, for a team, and for patients. There’s also then the element of restoration, but with a very clear line of sight of what the future might look like. We’re thinking about collaborative working and what the future asks are around system shaping, planning, and delivering.

“Much has been socialised from a personal leadership perspective in terms of your own values and morals, the process of asking colleagues to keep going above and beyond. The title of this discussion is ‘Now the hard work begins’, but many colleagues will probably say ‘what have we been doing for the past 12-15 months?’ Is that not hard work?”

Discussing the need for increased activity, Challans considered the safety of staff, saying: “We’re having to recover services and get activity levels back up to a threshold similar to the previous year before COVID, but we’re learning how to do that in a safe, supported and transparent way. Some of the conversations we’re having, and particularly in Sherwood, are open and honest about being realistic in terms of what we can achieve and what we can’t.”

Questioned on what roles are essential within a team to help recover systems, Challans said: “I would certainly have key specialists in welfare and well-being at the centre of conversations around responding, planning, and delivery – and couple that with psychological support. Before COVID, would we have gone straight for welfare and well-being? Maybe, maybe not. These are some really key things to think about.”

Agreeing with the idea of changes to the way teams work, discussion-lead Dr Wilkes said: “It’s interesting how nature has a way of resetting things and to hear these points around welfare and support for patients from a holistic point of view.”

Discussing integrating services within the community was Mo Taylor, Director of Business Development and Communities at Northumberland Council.

Taylor said: “Local authorities take a significant role in emergency planning and responses, so when the health system at the very beginning of the pandemic needed to limit attendance and protect its systems, social care, community services, and home care had to continue with that community provision under immense pressure. We needed to support residents to make sure we could keep people out of the hospital system, which was protecting those that desperately needed medical support.”

Addressing the challenges within the county, Taylor said: “We developed some significant new relationships within our community. There is an enormous amount of support in the voluntary sector and communities that we hadn’t harnessed on this scale before. We have more than 300 community groups across the County that have energy and innovation – we captured these and pulled them together to mobilise that kind of support. We started to understand what social prescribing and support planning actually meant in practice.”

When asked about the role of local authorities in system recovery and capacity to support, Taylor said: “It’s about being more aware of what a local authority can do when it puts its mind to it and being a bit more aware of where the local authority sits in the system. It’s not just about emptying bins, maintaining parks, and managing social care, its so much more than that. It’s about harnessing what’s available in the communities and putting that to really good productive use.”

Chris Lyon, Head of Operations at Cross Counties and North Blaby Primary Care Networks, and Director of East Leicestershire & Rutland (ELR) GP Federation, provided the primary care perspective on managing demand.

“There are concerns about resilience with small and large practices. You would perhaps expect these concerns from small practices, but some of the larger ones have also struggled. We’ve seen a real increase in mental health contact, with some GPs reporting 70% of their daily workload is low level mental health support.”

Considering some of the positive things to come from changes to services, Lyon said: “The shift towards the technological solutions that we’ve implemented has been really rapid, and in most cases really very effective. Primary care now has to work out what ‘normal’ is. That could be a return to what normal was, but I think everyone can recognise that this is a golden opportunity for primary care to change what it is – I think it will be a mix of face-to-face and virtual appointments.

“We need to work on pathways that allow primary care to keep patients away from secondary care. For the future, I think local collaboration and working within the community and with voluntary sectors, is key to getting ourselves out of this and getting ourselves back on an even keel.”

Questioned on staff morale and job retention within primary care, Lyon said: “There isn’t a consistent picture across the region. Morale is patchy in some practices, others are struggling with staff leaving, whilst some seem to be doing ok. The issues are magnified in the city, but we’re looking at system recovery as a whole.”

During a panel discussion led by Dr Wilkes, all participants were asked to consider one thought or action that is really important to assisting in recovery.

Ken Bremner MBE, Chief Executive at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust:
“Let me turn it around and tell you the one question I’m asking every single member of our team at the moment: Why has it taken a pandemic for us to fundamentally change the way we work?”

Jonathan Canty, Policy Officer at Versus Arthritis:
“We recognise that it’s going to be a long road to tackling the backlog of surgeries, so please work with patient groups like us to support patients to ‘wait well’ over the coming months and years.”

Emma Challans, Executive Director of Culture and Improvement at Sherwood Forest Hospitals FT, and Founder of Proud2bOps:
“Changing the way that we performance manage systems in relation to the ask of delivery.”

Mo Taylor, Director of Business Development and Communities at Northumberland Council:
“We need to share what we now know. I think there are some blind spots for different organisations and we should share what we know now about residents, resident behaviours, patient behaviours, and workforce issues. We need to have a huge collective understanding of those pressures.”

Chris Lyon, Head of Operations at Cross Counties and North Blaby Primary Care Networks, and Director of East Leicestershire & Rutland (ELR) GP Federation:
“I think Primary Care needs to work through networks, federations, and other similar bodies to play an active role in the health economy as a whole. The advent of ICS’s will help that. Primary care needs to stop seeing itself as just a GP practice – it’s much more than that.”

Visit the Connect Health website to replay the webinar.

Food & Drink, News

New online training packages prepare hospitality workers for safe return to work when bars and restaurants reopen

Online learning providers Virtual College have created two new course packages that will help to prepare the hospitality industry for a safe reopening over the coming months.

The Back to Business course collection has been created to cover all information and processes which hospitality workers need to know for returning to work safely, as bars and restaurants prepare to re-open for outdoor service on 12th April and indoor service from 17th May.

While this is not the first time the hospitality industry has reopened with Covid policies in place following a lockdown, the updated courses from Virtual College will cover the most relevant and current guidelines as well as vital UK/EU training requirements for food hygiene.

There are two course options available within the ‘Back to Business’ release, featuring Level 2 or Level 3 Food Safety and Hygiene course, a Covid-19 Training course, and a free Re-opening your Hospitality Business online learning resource as well. This combination of courses ensures that all staff within hospitality businesses know how to keep themselves, their colleagues and their customers safe as bars, restaurants and cafes begin to reopen.

The Level 2 and Level 3 Food Hygiene courses suit the different requirements of employees who serve or handle food at work, with both covering the relevant health and safety information concerning topics like food preparation, first aid and hygiene practices to follow before handling ingredients. The training will ensure that all employees comply with official food health and safety legislation and are not increasing the risk of infection when working with food.

The COVID-19 Training course begins with an overview of the symptoms of Covid-19 so that staff know what they should be looking out for and can start self-isolating immediately if they do catch the virus. It then covers appropriate personal hygiene measures that everyone should be following to prevent the spread of coronavirus at home and in the workplace, including advice on social distancing and why it is necessary to reduce the spread of infection as much as possible.

It also includes information on the current best health and safety practices in the workplace to help prevent transmission of Covid-19, which is vital for anyone who will be returning to work in the hospitality industry as soon as restrictions allow.

As well as these two essential courses, the collection also includes a free ‘Re-opening your Hospitality Business’ training resource designed for both the employers and employees of food establishments. Topics covered in the course include a breakdown of the risks associated with reopening and the best ways to protect staff and customers, touching on measures like shift patterns that avoid spreading infection around the whole team and using PPE to help staff feel safer.

Advice is also given for identifying and mitigating potential infection risks before the business reopens, factoring in the work environment, official procedures that need to be followed and what kind of health and safety training will be required before hospitality teams return to work.

Available online, the ‘Back to Business’ packages are a comprehensive yet simple way of preparing both employers and their employees for a safe return to work within hospitality following the most recent lockdown. Suitable for various levels of experience, the course ensures that participants are aware of the risks posed by coronavirus in the workplace, the safety procedures they must follow, and how best to prevent the spread of infection.

The ‘Safe Return to Work: Seated Service’ course is also available to complete now on the Virtual College website – https://www.virtual-college.co.uk/back-to-business

News

CoolMed announce warehouse move to accommodate accelerated growth in demand for medical fridges

Medical refrigeration experts, CoolMed, have relocated their Manchester premise to allow for further expansion amid growing demand for medical refrigerators. The move will see CoolMed remain in Manchester but relocate to a much larger facility in Trafford Park.

The new Trafford Park premise will provide CoolMed with much more space to accommodate their growing stock levels and develop their future expansion plans. The facility will also offer CoolMed a central and accessible base, allowing them to supply all corners of the British mainland and Northern Ireland with medical refrigeration quickly and efficiently.

Regarding the move, Stephen Johnson, Managing Director of CoolMed said: “CoolMed only started trading in 2017, so we’re thrilled to be able to scale-up so quickly. The demand for medical refrigeration has never been higher, so we needed to relocate our headquarters to allow us to keep up with that demand. Our new headquarters in Trafford Park will allow us to accommodate the large orders that we’re seeing and expand our product range even further.”

Originally founded in the early 2000s, CoolMed has grown year-on-year under several different brand names. The CoolMed brand was launched in 2017 to bring high quality, hi-tech refrigeration products to the medical industry at cost-effective prices.

Since 2017 CoolMed has seen demand for its products increase exponentially. In the past 3 months alone CoolMed has supplied over 1900 medical refrigerators to businesses throughout the UK and seen turnover reach £1.3 million. The company is currently on track to achieve £2.5 million turnover in 2021.

Due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, medical-grade refrigerators have been more in demand than ever, and the subsequent vaccine roll-out recently led to one of CoolMed’s biggest contract wins to date. CoolMed are now Lloyds Pharmacy and Lloyds Pharmacy Clinical Homecare’s exclusive supplier of medical-grade refrigerators and will be for the next 3 years.

The move to new premises in Trafford Park will provide CoolMed with the space to supply Lloyds Pharmacy and other customers with fast deliveries, quality products and excellent customer service.

More information on CoolMed and their products can be found here: https://www.coolmed.co.uk/.

Health, News

Need for medical reports will spiral as a result of Covid

Written by Richard Freeman, managing director of Medi2data

The insurance industry is under pressure as a result of Covid, and it’s set to increase. As the job retention scheme ends, there will be increases in unemployment, those on universal credit and income protection claims. This will mean an increase in requests for medical reports as people need to demonstrate if they have a health condition or disability that prevents them from working.

With GPs dealing with the vaccination roll-out, logistical restrictions on the number of patients they can see in surgeries, and increased remote consultations, this is a pressure to their workload they could well do without. The result is likely to be increased delays in medical reports being processed which is bad news for all, not least patients who will face delays to payments. Insurers will be impacted too as they deal with the administrative burden of chasing, processing and managing patient data.

Richard Freeman, managing director of Medi2data says: ‘Sharing patient medical data, with patients’ consent, efficiently and quickly, is in the interests of everyone involved, from insurers to GP surgeries to patients. That need is about to increase and it’s vital that a solution is in place.’

It’s paramount that any electronic transfer of medical information is GDPR-compliant, swift, secure and trusted. Just as structured medical data reports make it easier to review and sign-off by GP practices, it also makes it easier for insurers to review for underwriting and claims assessment. The majority of GP surgeries are now able to transfer medical information that has patient approval in this manner and insurers need to be ready to work with them.

There are approximately 3 million Subject to Access Requests (SARS) every year and 2.8 million requests for medical reports (AMRA). The industry has been used to an average turnaround time for SARS of 30-40 days, and 25 days for AMRAs. However, the latest technology platform now makes it a reality to turn around SARS requests within 10-14 days, and AMRAs in just five days.

Richard Freeman continued, ‘The technology exists to make this impending increased demand much more manageable, and it’s vital for GPs, patients and insurers that it’s utilised. Now is the time for insurers to ensure they are fully aware of the latest platforms to fulfil AMRAs and to incorporate them into their administration of underwriting and claims processes and procedures.

‘GP surgeries have saved significant time using such technology, and this has proved a great incentive for them to use it – which of course is key in the insurance process – and the resulting five-day turnaround brings clear advantages for insurers: benefitting their customers, ie patients, too.’

Climate, Environment, News

Building back better post pandemic and the urgent need for action over pledges

By Vaughan Lindsay, CEO, ClimateCare

Not only has the Covid-19 pandemic affected our health and personal lives, but it has also and indeed continues to, fundamentally challenge our political, social, and economic norms. Most notably it has impacted how many businesses think about tackling the big issues like climate change. In this article we will talk about the similarities (and differences) between tackling Covid -19 and the climate crisis. We will also discuss how, as we emerge out of lockdown, we will need to start to re-tool in order to build back better, rather than simply restarting the engines. There has never been more of a need for real action, right now to tackle climate change.

Covid-19 vs climate change

The parallels between the Coronavirus response and how we could all collaboratively tackle the climate crisis should not be overlooked. Tackling either problem, for instance, has changed our lifestyle in so many ways. In short, we have all have to make adaptations for a much longer-term gain. I also believe that the pandemic has highlighted to us all that we can live differently; indeed, that we are all incredibly adaptable.

Nevertheless, there are also some very important differences too; namely the speed in which we witness effects and how long we will all live with the impact. Covid-19 is more immediate, it’s on everyone’s minds (no matter how fatigued we all are by the topic after a year of living with it). Climate change, on the other hand, feels like a much longer-term threat which doesn’t invoke the same kind of unease or fear – or at least not enough for people to take immediate action. Yet, as Mark Carney so eloquently summed up recently, the world is heading for mortality rates equivalent to the Covid crisis every year by mid-century unless action is taken right now. “One of the biggest issues is you cannot self-isolate from climate,” he said. “That is not an option. We cannot retreat in and wait out climate change, it will just get worse.” Bill Gates also further highlighted the severity of the situation too when he recently commented that solving climate change would be “the most amazing thing humanity has ever done” and by comparison, ending the pandemic is “very, very easy”, the billionaire founder of Microsoft claimed.

An active response

Ultimately, the short-term imperative of dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic doesn’t alter the urgency of dealing with the climate crisis. And certainly, there is currently no ‘silver bullet’ for solving either the pandemic or climate change. However, there are a set of agreed actions that every business and individual can (and should) take to help tackle these issues.

For Covid-19 it’s about working from home, social distancing, washing our hands and wearing masks to protect one another and the NHS. And of course, continuing to roll out the vaccines and treatments for longer term protection.

For climate change, it’s about understanding and taking responsibility for our climate impact, both by changing our behaviour to reduce our carbon footprint and by decarbonising many of our business models and lifestyles. .

Building back better

If we are indeed going to ‘build back better’ then we need to work towards a sustainable low or zero carbon recovery, and this needs to be done with realism and integrity. Not only does this mean that we need to work together to create integrated and robust climate strategies, but we also need to take action to decarbonise sooner rather than later and while we make these structural changes, we need to ensure that we are compensating for all residual emissions as part of everyday business too.

Action over pledges

Last year, and despite the pandemic, it was encouraging to see the ever-increasing number of corporates committing to achieve Net Zero status. However, whilst it is great to see firms working hard to measure their footprint and set reduction targets, many firms still admitted to us that they are waiting to get this right before they take action to reduce and compensate for their emissions. This remains a concern. Because, whilst these plans and long-term targets are commendable, they do little for the environmental damage that is being done right now. There is a risk of action hiding behind plans.
Ultimately, we need to more than halve emissions by 2030; this is equivalent to reducing the current emissions of China, India, the EU and the US combined. It’s a mammoth task. To tackle it we need to drive actions simultaneously and at pace, and then modify and adjusting moving forward. In simple terms, there really isn’t time to take things one step at a time anymore. We need to take action right away. As such – and as we continue through this coming year – we need to see more of these ambitious plans and statements put into practice, as companies continue to turn their plans (and pledges) into action.

Raising the bar

The issue of climate change is now central to nearly all forward-thinking corporates and we are now witnessing one of most encouraging environments for them to act on this. It’s vital to ensure that the role of the voluntary carbon market delivers real additional emission reductions on the ground and at scale.

Never before has there been a better time to raise the bar and our own ambitions about what positive corporate action looks like. Because the climate will not respond to targets and pledges. Only action counts.

Marketing, PR and SEO, News

Merope Beddard: Picking up the pace to the finish line

By Merope Beddard, Client Services Director at London-based advertising agency, AML Group

I’m no Paula Radcliffe, as anyone who has seen me run can testify, but we’ve all been on a marathon over the past twelve months and I, for one, think the finishing line is in sight.

There is a bit of science to the burst of energy towards the end of a race. On average during middle and long-distance track world records, there is an uptick in pace at the end of the race. And that’s looking at the best of the best – athletes who are performing at their peak.

Whether it is a physical or a mental trigger, it seems that humans (elite or otherwise) tap into their emergency reserves only when they know they are near the finish line.

It’s about pace and survival. But it’s also about tactics.

Sebastian Coe received some good advice just before he took on the 1500m in the Moscow Olympics in 1980. Having lost the 800m two days earlier, his signature distance, to his arch-rival Steve Ovett, it was advice he needed to hear. A couple of experts sent him a letter “Relax on the pace, move into position and strike – remembering that he who strikes first is generally the victor,” they told him. “The only person that can beat you is yourself.”

The pace in the world of advertising has been quiet, with only a few brands like the global investment company, Vanguard, standing out for being confident and active when other brands weren’t. And it’s been rewarded for its bravery, hailed as the ‘Nike of the investment world’ (another nod to running)…

But it seems the pace is about to pick up again. 2021 is going to get busy and noisy, fast. Consumer demand is there and for those fortunate enough to have saved money during the past year, they will wreak ‘consumer revenge’ and splurge on clothes, food and experiences. Or maybe they’ll make life-changing investment decisions? Either way we’re all hungry to do something different, for the marathon to be over.

This month we have a step challenge at AML. Teams built, a leader board monitored and a competitive spirit reignited. My money is on the Mamils, but irrespective of the ultimate victors – we’re all putting one foot in front of the other, moving forwards together.

And whilst I’m more in the Pilates camp, maybe I’ll be able to channel my inner Paula and get a bit of a wiggle on.

I’m pretty sure I can see the finish line.

Awards, Driving, News

Peterborough Car Dealership Wins Dealer Excellence Award

Boongate Kia are thrilled to announce that their dealership has been awarded the Dealer Excellence Award!

Located just outside the centre of Peterborough, the dealership has achieved remarkable things whilst ensuring that their customers’ needs, and the COVID safety requirements were put first.

As an experienced family-run operation, the dealership was further recognised amongst the UK’s top-performing dealerships for its trusted and transparent customer service, which is especially important when purchasing a vehicle.

A Boongate Kia representative had this to say, “We’re extremely proud to have been awarded a Dealer Excellence Award from Kia. This achievement would have never been possible without the hard work and dedication of all of our staff here, so they deserve a massive thanks for everything they’ve done in such a difficult period.”