Tag Archives: covid19

Finance and Banking, News, Wellbeing

Transforming Financial Services through Mindfulness in the Middle of the Pandemic

There has been a significant spike in demand for mindfulness programming since the start of the pandemic – but can the financial services industry really bank on the benefits being real? A new white paper from the Mindful Finance Institute shows how mindfulness can strengthen mental health, risk management and a culture of innovation and collaboration in financial services.

Including data from the first study of mindfulness in finance, over 400 financial services employees in the UK and Germany took part in the mindfulness-based workingMIND training that led to significant improvements in well-being, stress, focus and agility.

Friedhelm Boschert, Co-founder of the Mindful Finance Institute said: “Mindfulness unlocks human potential – even in the middle of a pandemic. Our White Paper connects the dots: It shows how and why mindset-change creates and sustains the much needed and upcoming transformation of the finance sector for our shared future.”

Including a HSBC Case Study: mindfulness in the time of Covid-19

Demand for HSBC’s mindfulness-based programming has grown steadily over the past years, with a significant spike in employee interest at the beginning of the first lockdown.
Using a blended model of internal Leader Champions and external partner trainers, they were able to quickly scale up the reach of their Mindfulness Foundations programme by five-fold, with more than 450 employees participating in the six-week training in April through May.

During a time when mental health levels plummeted in the general population4, a survey of participants found that resilience to stress and flourishing improved by 27 and 22 percent respectively.

John Hinshaw, Group Chief Operating Officer and global excecutive sponsor of HSBC’s Mindfulness Employee Resource Group, said: “I am heartened HSBC was able to respond so quickly to the COVID pandemic by scaling and mobilising the mindfulness programme begun by our employees. Ensuring everyone is able to be at their best at home and at work is a key part of our ambition to build a bank fit for the future. HSBC’s mindfulness practise clearly supports our colleagues wellbeing by enabling crucial skills such as resilience and creativity.“

HSBC’s Mindfulness employee network, first established in 2014, is an award-winning, employee-led initiative and community offering mindfulness services, resources and training to all HSBC employees. Since 2018, over 10,000 HSBC employees have participated in the bank’s mindfulness programmes, training and events.

Key findings: how to integrate mindfulness into corporate culture

Case studies by HSBC and NASPA, a Top-10 German savings bank, share recommendations about integrating mindfulness into their corporate culture in the white paper.

The core attention and emotion regulation skills that are associated with mindfulness training have a broad applicability for the financial sector:

• Banking cannot prosper within a culture of fear and stress. Reducing stress translates into increasing innovation.
• Employee wellbeing drives culture change. Employee wellbeing leads to better customer relations and is a characteristic of a resilient business (HSBC Navigator Report 2020).
• Effectiveness starts with paying attention. Increasing concentration while reducing multitasking is key to economic results.
• Psychologically safe collaboration and a new kind of risk culture can increase collective intelligence.

Chris Tamdjidi, co-founder of the Mindful Finance Institute, said: “The inner changes that are supported by practices like mindfulness can lead to insights into the kind of changes that we need to see in the financial sectors. Mindfulness starts by developing wellbeing and resilience but doesn’t stop there. The study results and research shows that the skills acquired can be applied to create a more sustainable future in finance.”

References

1. Full MFI white paper, MINDSET-CHANGE FOR TRANSFORMATION IN FINANCE, available here: https://www.mindful-finance.org/wp-content/uploads/White_Paper_-_Mindset-Change_for_Transformation_in_Finance.pdf

2. Infographic about white paper results: https://www.mindful-finance.org/wp-content/uploads/EN_Mindset-Change-Infographic-3.pdf

3. workingMIND study / 400 people in UK and Germany: Fully Minded – The Potential of Mindfulness in Financial Services. Awaris, 2020, available here: https://awaris.com/study-the-potential-of-mindfulness-in-financial-services/

4. Etheridge B, Spantig L. The Gender Gap in Mental Well-Being during the Covid-19 Outbreak: Evidence from the UK. Institute for Social and Economic Research; 2020, available here: https://www.iser.essex.ac.uk/research/publications/working-papers/iser/2020-08

5. HSBC UK Case study, MINDSET-CHANGE FOR TRANSFORMATION IN FINANCE, Mindful Finance Institute, page 19
About the Mindful Finance Institute (MIFI)

The Mindful Finance Institute (MIFI) promotes the application of mindfulness in leadership, business and work in financial services. Founded in 2018, the Mindful Finance Institute’s mission is to unlock human potential in finance for the greater good.

Entertainment, News

Pantomonium! to grace Blackpool Grand Theatre in time for Christmas

Blackpool Grand Theatre has announced that with the generous support of producer Martin Dodd of UK Productions, panto legend, BBC Radio Lancashire presenter, and Britain’s Got Talent ‘finalist’ Steve Royle, and special guest West End and TV’s Tom Lister a condensed and COVID-safe pantomime fundraiser will ensure Christmas isn’t cancelled this year at Blackpool’s Grand!

The Christmas production Pantomonium! will run with strict COVID safeguards for a limited time and for a limited period – a sell-out is guaranteed!
Created by Jon Monie (winner of Best Script at The Great British Pantomime Awards 2019 for ‘Beauty & the Beast’), Pantomonium! is a specially written, one-act pantomime about pantomime.

When the beloved panto character, Fairy Tales, is kidnapped by the villainous Killjoy, an extraordinary adventure unfolds as the hunt for the all-powerful magic book begins.
Stepping out of the chorus-line, a young unnamed girl from the village of Ensemble joins the adventure to help find the missing manuscript. Along for the ride are the handsome Prince Charmless, and the hapless Tilly and Billy Topps from the local Panto Emporium.

With laughter and mayhem at every turn, the forces of good and evil fight to the final page over the future of pantomime itself.

A concentrated pantomime……just add laughter!

Matin Dodd, Producer UK Productions said ‘Blackpool Grand is very close to my heart, and this year would have been our 25th pantomime in this beautiful theatre. Our Wardrobe Department and costumes for all our productions are still housed in Blackpool.

‘Unfortunately, we had to postpone our usual major production as the costs and limitations just wouldn’t work based on COVID safe admission numbers.
‘However, after long discussions and the generous support of Steve Royle, Tom Lister and many of our regular suppliers we’ve created a show, a fantastic show, that’s all about Panto!

‘Full of all the great panto elements Comic, Dame, Prince and Princess (a girl from the village in this case!), and the usual mayhem Steve creates (safely distanced, of course!), we just can’t wait to get started. I am thrilled that we can bring Steve and Tom back together following their hilarious antics in last year’s hit Peter Pan.
‘All profits will go to Blackpool Grand, and we hope with the support of our great audience we create a total sell-out.”

Actor, Comic, and Presenter Steve Royle added ‘It was understandable but heart-breaking getting the call saying Pantomime was postponed. I just simply couldn’t let it go, I’d promised Martin and Ruth I’d do anything to make it work.

‘We kept talking and we all agreed our love for Blackpool’s Grand just made us want to find a way to help secure the theatre’s future and save panto and Christmas at the same time, so a fundraiser of a shorter, more COVID-safe version was considered and we are all working hard to make it work along with the kindness and support of others.

‘I cannot wait to be back on that stage, every performance is going to be so special…oh and very, very, funny!’

Ruth Eastwood, Chief Executive Blackpool Grand Theatre added ‘I’ll tell you, there’s been many sleepless nights! First having to close and then to cancel pantomime – the one show that we know means so much to local families – it’s been devastating. But the wonderful support we have received has been really heart-warming and spurred us on to try and salvage Christmas.

‘After days and nights of conversations about how we could make a production work, I am delighted to say with the support of Martin at UK Productions, Steve Royle and Tom Lister we are able to offer this unique Seasonal experience and help raise funds the theatre desperately needs. I guarantee this production will be from the heart, every single person involved just wants to get back on our beautiful stage and entertain. It has been an incredibly emotional time.

‘This will be a unique production, the only show of 2020 following our closure in March. All socially distanced seats will be the same price and, limited numbers available for each performance, you’ll need to book yours fast!’

Tom Lister joined adding ‘Having performed at Blackpool Grand many times it’s a favourite of mine. I was keen to help them last year with their 125th Anniversary and it’s hard to believe only months later the building was forced to close its doors. Martin contacted me and I agreed we had to do something.

It’s going to be a fantastic production and we all know the quality UK Productions are known for at Blackpool Grand. There is going to be a few less people on stage and a few less of you, so bring your enthusiasm in spades, you’re in for a great time! We can’t wait to see you all.’

Pantomonium! will run at Blackpool Grand Theatre from Friday 18 December 2020 to Sunday 3 January 2021. There will be three performances a day (11am, 3pm, and 7pm, running for approx. 1hr.15mins with no interval). All seats will be £25.50 per person and only available in set bubbles of 2, 3, 4 or six.

For your safety: Strict COVID-safeguards will be in place including track-and-trace, specialist cleaning, temperature checks, facemasks must be worn, and sanitiser will be provided. Tickets will only be available in advance and full customer details will need to be provided for UK Government Track and Trace. If a performance is cancelled full refunds will be given. Tickets will only be available in bubbles of 2, 3, 4, 5 and six. Set timed arrivals will be in place, and late arrivals will not be accepted.

News, Property

State of the market –the residential property sector and the COVID pandemic

The economy and the property sector are inextricably linked. Buyer-behaviour, investor appetite and lender/landlord confidence are most commonly examined and referenced when there is significant damage to or speculation about the economy.

Interest rates are at a record low, demand for housing is high and the press have been reporting a rebound in the market due to ‘pent up demand’ from the UK population who have been in lockdown for the last 14 weeks. Rishi Sunak has announced a temporary raise of Stamp Duty to £500,000 until March 2021 to boost the property market and help buyers struggling because of the coronavirus crisis.

We spoke to a selection of property professionals from Oxford and London to ask about their experiences since lockdown easing measures have started to be announced and their projections for the future of the market.

The residential property market opened its doors again on 12 May after six and a half weeks of restrictions which included a ban on viewings and valuations. Zoopla, who provide property market statistics and trends, estimate that 373,000 transactions were put on hold during this period at an estimated value of £82bn. Since lockdown easing has come into effect, house listing sites such as Rightmove are recording record amounts of visits and press reports are rife about a spike in residential sales and rentals.

Chris Dixey, Director of Sales for Oxfordshire based estate and letting agent Breckon & Breckon says that the few weeks since they opened their doors again have been ‘busier than anyone thought they would be’. Despite holding the business and client-service levels together during the lockdown by completing on sales which had already been agreed, they were apprehensive about opening again. This was not just because of the concern about the level of business that may (or may not) come through the door but, how this might be perceived by the local community and the worry that agents might be seen to be spreading the coronavirus. So far, their experience has been ‘oddly encouraging’ says Dixey although, he points out that he would be irresponsible not to be wary or have any concern about what might happen moving forward

Middleton Advisors who source prime property on behalf of clients wanting to purchase or rent have had a similar experience in that their client enquiries for June are so far quadruple what they were last year. Tom Hudson, Founder and Head of Country Business says that there are plenty of interested clients in the market and supply is starting to pick up, they have also seen sales of stock which has been on the market for some time. Tom’s clients are predominately cash-buyers, many of whom have been planning to move for a while brought their purchases forward. Although it is hard to know whether buyers are serious or are window-shopping, a long period of down-time does tend to have this effect, with decisions about moving to a new house most commonly made over the Christmas period.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hudson predicted that there would be a rise in the country market in 2020 and he still thinks there will be an increase in prices for good quality properties. Dixey has also seen that the demand for country homes with gardens massively increase with buyers looking for ‘the kind of place that you would want to be locked down in’. Some buyers who have been looking at the same four-walls for 14 weeks have realised that their home is no longer fit-for-purpose whereas others are looking to be closer to their relatives, with family now being deemed more important than ever.

‘The home has now become more of the castle’ according to Marcus Gunn, Mortgage Advisor for Carbon FC and this has led to people revaluating their needs. In several situations, decisions have been accelerated. For example, some who would typically be city-dwellers for a few more years are now looking for their country home earlier in the property ownership life-cycle with half a mind on the fact that they will no longer need to commute due to successes achieved working from home and the notion that the physical office will forever be changed. Others have realised that they are happy in their current home having lived and worked (and in some instances schooled) in it. They are simply making some adjustments to make their working-from-home experience more comfortable, for example says Marcus ‘Log cabin sales have gone through the roof so that people can have an office in the garden’.

Carbon have seen houses going above the asking price since lockdown easing, with some clients having to put in sealed bids – often the sign of a buoyant market. Marcus is however cautious in predicting whether this will fizzle out or become a systemic change. Lenders are fearful of being over generous, some have withdrawn the 90 and 95% mortgages and there is caution over loan-to-value multiples. It is rare for banks to grant loans to those who are furloughed from employment and there is a reluctance to provide mortgages for those employed in certain sectors such as travel, leisure and hospitality. This means that the highly-regulated mortgage market in which he operates has become more complex and mortgage applications have ‘become more like a research project than ever before’. It is exceptionally cheap to borrow money for those that can afford to so those with stable jobs who are looking at the long-game are in a good position. Property owners looking to sell are also faring well as there are fewer properties on the market, so competition is high. Low interest rates have also resulted in an uptick in interest in the buy-to-let space, an area which had fallen by the wayside due to the increasing obligations on the private landlord. Like many, Marcus likens the current market to the financial crisis of 2007 ‘it is comparable in a way, but the difference is that people are still confident in property’.

Investments

Stuart Bradney who runs the property development and investment side of Carbon FC says that ‘a lot of business being done, but by fewer people’, most of his investor clients are ‘sitting on their hands’ and waiting to see how the market unfolds but those who are active are using cash and low interest rates to their advantage. Bradney believes that the Investment economic-cycle will change with private landlords looking to ‘dump’ property due to tax disadvantages and the over-regulation of the sector.

‘Any change in the economy provides opportunity in the property market as there is movement’ says Sarah Gardener, Partner and Head of Real Estate & Construction for Shaw Gibbs. This is an opportunistic time, with some being in a very strong position because they can leverage the competitive environment that Marcus and Stuart have covered. Sarah has in fact experienced more property enquiries since lockdown-easing from her clients who are looking to diversify their family wealth or income streams by investing further into the market. The stock market has taken a hit, and although the UK stock market has partially recovered, there is still a lack of confidence in some investments. This coupled with questions around sustainability of some sectors has meant that these clients are interested in generating additional income through property rentals as another layer of security should this (or another) pandemic hit the business-world or their personal finances again with force.

Although standalone property has a higher cost to entry than the investment market, it is ‘still tangible’ says Gardener and the confidence in the likely return-on-investment in bricks and mortar is still in evident. However, it remains to be seen whether the traditional yield of capital returns being higher in the South and income returns usually being higher in the North will continue. The tax on residential property has undoubtably become more stringent over the years, prior to today’s announcement on the increase in the threshold on Stamp Duty only tax change which has been announced since the COVID-19 pandemic has been the relaxation of higher rate stamp duty surcharge reclaims if a sale of a previous main residence has been prevented. ‘As a rule of thumb, any movement of property ownership has a tax consequence’ warns Sarah and therefore she urges those who are looking for property investment opportunities or to make significant changes to their existing portfolio to think about the structure of this before making any decisions in order not to incur unnecessary tax charges.

Despite the huge shock the sector has suffered as a result of the suspension of trading during the COVID-19 lockdown, these early weeks indicate that the residential property market is making a steady recovery. There is a quiet optimism amongst those in the profession and whilst press reports fuel opportunistic offers in the market, there is no evidence yet to suggest that prices are falling. Whether this is a spike as a result of an ‘collective exhale of people who were desperate to do something’ (Marcus Gunn, Carbon FC) or the sign of longer-term return to growth remains to be seen. The overarching message from those we interviewed was that it is too early to tell, six-nine months will give us a clearer indication of market stability. Meanwhile, those with cash, low Loan-to-Value assets and borrowing potential are in a strong position now to take advantage of the interests rates, competitive market and Stamp Duty holiday, perhaps stronger now than they were pre-lockdown.

Business Advice, Coronavirus

Back to Work: How to adapt your Office Design to the Covid-19 responsibilities

Ben Grave, Director of workspace experts, www.dthreestudio.co.uk considers the impact Covid-19 responsibilities will have on workspace design

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the idea of the physical office space, both temporarily and potentially irrevocably, as employees continue to work remotely in adherence with the government’s lockdown measures. COVID-19 will have implications for office design, especially open-plan offices, and will surely come under increased scrutiny in the immediate short term, as governments contemplate relaxing lockdown measures, and allowing workers back to the office. In this piece, our Director, Ben Grave, highlights COVID-19’s impact on office design and the learnings from Dthree Studio’s interactions with clients over the past six weeks.

What have we learned?

This period has been a steep learning curve for many companies, regardless of the sector in which they operate. At Dthree, our tightly knit team and work culture have helped us operate efficiently during this challenging time. Prior to the pandemic, we were already serving several clients virtually – those unable to be physically present at meetings or on-site, either due to scheduling issues or geographical barriers – meaning that our technology set-up was already up-to-date. We are well-versed in online versions of site walks, presentations and sign off meetings. The enhanced use of technology due to COVID-19 has enabled us to leverage our existing set-up and continue collaborating closely on ongoing projects. The importance of a strong culture and flexible approach to working is something also borne out in conversation with clients and how they are responding to the crisis. As a result, we have been experimenting with new ideas, such as online workspace consultancy sessions. While embracing the flexibility, clients have also become more accepting of the limitations that all of us are facing and are, across the board, showing high levels of empathy. These challenges have made our team rethink design strategies and use a more evolved approached in serving our clients. The willingness of clients to try out new ideas and concepts is very refreshing.

What is the impact on ongoing client work?

In our ongoing projects, several of our clients have been pleasantly surprised at the extent our work can be achieved remotely thanks to the tools available to us. In particular, Dthree is still able to survey and in some instances, carry out work without the presence of staff on-site. This can have a significant impact on our clients and actually save them financially with staff not having to work out of hours (nights and weekends), thus, leading to lower project completion costs. The design lead-in, except for physically standing on-site, is still, essentially, a standard service. Despite many of our services continuing as normal, we are fully respecting government guidelines and draw up a risk register for every project, no matter how big or small, to clearly indicate problematic elements of a fit-out under current conditions.

COVID-19 is already having an impact on office design requests, with one client specifically requesting that we install desk dividers in their 120-person office. In the short term, we expect concerns surrounding social distancing to have the most immediate impact on office design and client requests. From a sectoral standpoint, design companies willing to ‘socially distance’ themselves from conventional norms of what is considered best-practice design will adapt and overcome current challenges.

What’s next?

In the short term, for ongoing on-site projects and a few lining up to go-to-site at the moment, we are making clients aware that while adhering to responsible and ethical on-site practices in keeping with the government’s social distancing norms, there could be a potential increase in construction time. Our constant communication with clients has been reassuring for them in these challenging times. The COVID-19 pandemic has also provided an opportunity for business owners to reassess their office design strategy, the desired size of their space, as well as staff density levels. As a result, in the short term, small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will likely revert to serviced offices if they have reduced staffing or are in the process of searching for new offices and relocating.

Over the medium term, supply chains will begin to return to ‘normal’, causing the price of building materials to flatten. Smaller businesses within the supply chain, however, will face severe financial difficulties. We anticipate that bigger businesses will pick up where they left off, with property acquisitions resuming.

With specific reference to office design, numerous things are likely to change as a result of the pandemic, including a reverse of the recent trend towards open-plan offices. Security barriers on entry to buildings will change, as will multi-let building receptions and the entire ‘experience’ of staff and guests ‘arriving’ at a building, and making their way up to the offices above. Future offices may have more signs to indicate standing spots in communal areas such as receptions, lift lobbies and lifts themselves. We believe numerous things will change as a result of the pandemic – way finding and circulation is one key aspect with simple solutions such as increased circulation routes and direction suggestions to minimise cross over in heavily used areas such as WCs, breakout areas and receptions. Increased divisions between workspaces, a design element that we thought would be a thing of the past, is likely to be reintroduced, especially in areas of close proximity or high usage turnover such as hot desks. The biggest changes are likely to be around culture, communication and interaction. One aspect that this pandemic has taught us is how much we miss face-to-face engagement – with friends, with family and with colleagues – how we retain interaction, the culture, the essence of a business that isn’t tangible. This will be the biggest challenge to office design.

Clients are also requesting offices to now be designed to minimise personal contact with one another as well as with the building itself. This would likely involve technological change where doors would open automatically via facial recognition, and where coffee and tea could be ordered via smartphone, for example. These technologies were already available, but were historically seen as a premium or were perceived to be unnecessary. As a result of the current circumstances, we are now utilising not only new technologies, but existing ones to facilitate a safer, lower contact environment.

Inclusivity will also be a more prominent consideration for office design. We also expect a return to the previous norm of individual offices and a reduction in breakout rooms. The office space could also be used by many as an external meeting point for third-party meetings. As several firms have now adapted to the technology needs of employees, we believe that they may become more accepting of remote working. This could be reflected in reductions in the size of new office requirements and fit-outs. Commuting will also become less desirable as people may not want to return to heavily urbanized areas, causing firms to spread their wings away from the major cities towards less developed areas and towns.

Despite the challenges that we face as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dthree still believes that offices will remain an essential part of our working lives in the future. An office space generates a sense of belonging and community amongst co-workers. In an efficiently designed office, reaching out to co-workers is easier, resulting in simple queries being resolved faster. Besides, working from home can be challenging for many with space or family constraints. An office also helps to create a divide mentally between home and work. Though it remains to be seen if the pandemic will result in significant changes to the idea and need of the office, the ‘new normal’ of working remotely has made us rethink future design of the physical office space.

Regardless of the changes that COVID-19 will bring, Dthree remains committed to keeping our staff safe and healthy during this time, as well as continuing to serve our client needs to the best of our ability.

For more information or advice, please visit: www.dthreestudio.co.uk

Bristol, Children and Childcare, News

Charlton Nursery in Bristol to remain open for children of key workers throughout the crisis

Bristol-based Charlton Nursery has confirmed it will keep its Charlton Imperial branch, based in Winterstoke Road, open for any key worker children throughout the current Coronavirus crisis. A dedicated team will be running the nursery and they have capacity for up to 78 children.

The setting is open from 7.30am to 6pm every week day, for breakfast, lunch and tea, and the team are welcoming children who have key worker parents or carers, both new and those who normally attend either the Imperial or Flax Bourton branch, which is based in North Somerset.

“We’ve had a lot of enquiries recently and we are keen to support in any way we can,” commented Helen Nott, CEO and co-founder. “These are unprecedented times and having childcare in place can make the difference between being able to perform a critical role or not. We hope by committing to staying open we will be able to make a difference.”

The emphasis is on running day-to-day nursery life as normally as possible for all children, with in the moment planning and observations continuing, as well as plenty of outdoor activities.

There are currently 12 staff working at Charlton Imperial, including a cook to provide fresh hot meals, and Early Years leads. The team will ensure workers are in place depending on the level of demand. They are rotating where possible and management staff are working from home where it’s practical to do so.

Meanwhile, children of non-key worker parents or carers who cannot attend are receiving regular updates from staff on the Famly app, such as videos of staff reading stories and leading activities, ideas for things to do, links to other activities and learning resources.

All voucher schemes are accepted and Charlton Nursery is open to children from six weeks to five years old, 51 weeks a year.

Coronavirus, FInance, Research

Savanta makes daily insights free for all during Coronavirus crisis

Market insight specialist, Savanta, is committing to providing comprehensive daily customer behaviour data for free during the entirety of the Coronavirus crisis. Hosted on a dedicated hub on its website, insights are updated each working day, by 12pm, and include the latest insights and analysis, with a complimentary 90-page PowerPoint presentation that businesses are welcome to download and use.

Savanta has multiple audience based Coronavirus Data Trackers, which cover insights into customer feeling, attitude and behaviour during the international health crisis, on a day-to-day basis. Trackers offer deep dives including data on UK, US and international consumers UK, US and international businesses and UK, US and Chinese millionaires. The data is designed to help brands and businesses stay informed and take action.

Today’s responses show that 50% of people didn’t leave the house yesterday, 43% have seen income decrease and 59% saying that they’ve now switched to working from home.

The Savanta trackers used are as follows:

Coronavirus Data Tracker: UK Daily gives a day-to-day view of how the UK population is responding to Coronavirus including their attitudes, opinions and behaviour towards measures such as:
· In-store and online purchasing and consumption; media and news consumption
· Attitudes towards the Coronavirus, behaviour changes and self-diagnosis
· Response to the Prime Minister’s daily press conference and trust levels of business and individuals
· Impact on disposable income
· Feelings about support for airlines, insurance, the NHS, supermarkets, small businesses, cinema, theatre and pubs

Meanwhile, the Coronavirus Data Tracker: Weekly UK & US consumers, tracks seven set questions:
1. How near do you feel to Coronavirus?
2. How worried are you?
3. What is the impact on your income?
4. What is the impact on your outgoings? (by category)
5. Who do you trust for information?
6. How long do you think the Coronavirus crisis will go on for?
7. How do you foresee life after Coronavirus?

Coronavirus Data Tracker: UK Businesses offers businesses the opportunity to access and understand the current opinions, attitudes and behaviours of UK business owners and decision makers towards COVID-19, together with plans for how they will adapt their businesses going forward to mitigate the impact of any future crises.

Five key topic areas are covered: business operations, service demand, confidence, budgets, and future strategies. A series of questions on each of these areas are covered bi-weekly, presenting businesses with an up-to-date picture of this ever-changing situation.

Coronavirus Data Tracker: US Businesses. Within the US market a weekly tracker is measuring the business impact of COVID-19 among decision makers in organisations of all sizes and industries. The report tracks the perceptions on the economy as well as organisation specific impacts including sales, employee outlook, productivity and performance. The report also specifically explores the utilisation and impact of remote workplaces and how companies are adapting.

MillionaireVue: MillionaireVue, a new quarterly-run omnibus focused on millionaires, covers three of the world’s main wealth markets – the UK, United States and China – offering access to and understanding of millionaires across the globe. In light of coronavirus, the most recent wave looks at how concerned millionaires are about the pandemic and how it is affecting their lives across several key areas: travel, socialising, finance and business strategy.

Julian Dailly, EVP Consumer for Savanta commented:

“Whether you want to stay informed on attitudes and behaviours, or want to use data to enable decision making, we are committing to providing it, fast and for free. The Coronavirus Data Trackers offer brands and businesses daily and weekly insights into consumer and business opinions and behaviours towards Coronavirus, to actively and quickly support their vital decisions.”

More information on the Coronavirus Data Tracker can be found here: https://info.savanta.com/covid-19-survey-tracker

Coronavirus, News

Roomzzz FOR OUR NHS: Aparthotel brand signs up to fight virus

Roomzzz aparthotels has donated an initial 2,000 overnight stays to key workers from the NHS in a bid to support their efforts during the COVID-19 outbreak, in a gesture worth quarter of a million pounds. With healthcare professionals on the front-line of the fight to control the outbreak, many workers are being asked to locate themselves in specific areas or isolate themselves from family, to ensure they are able to focus full attention and efforts on tackling this pandemic.

Roomzzz, owned and operated by The Parklane Group, has allocated a number of apartments at each of its locations across the UK for NHS staff and their sole use. The offer has already been fully taken-up at the brand’s Burley Road property in Leeds, which is just a few minutes’ walk from Leeds General Infirmary and they want to extend this offer nationwide.

Naveen Ahmed, Founder of The Parklane Group, said:

“In these unprecedented times, we want to do what we can to support our brilliant NHS, who are on the front line of the fight against this outbreak and coping with unbelievable situations in a remarkably professional and brave manner. The donation of these facilities equates to a substantial charitable contribution already totalling £250,000, which is a mark of how we operate as a business.

“Our long-established work through The Parklane Foundation has proven the Group’s ongoing commitment to supporting the wider community in times of need. If we as a business can help in any way, then we stand ready to support the cause.”

Roomzzz occupies sites in ten core locations throughout the UK, including London, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, York, Chester and Nottingham. For any other organisations who are reviewing the logistics of where their staff need to be located at this time, please get in touch with the Roomzzz team to discuss subsidised and preferential rates via the website: https://www.roomzzz.com/contact