Business London Press

Twice Round the Sandstone Trail: 12 of Bakkavor’s Team Raise Money for Grocery Aid

Charity

-

11/05/2023

Twice Round the Sandstone Trail: 12 of Bakkavor’s Team Raise Money for Grocery Aid

Yesterday, on Tuesday 10th May, the first half of a team of 12 staff from Bakkavor’s Cheshire sites began their walk of the Sandstone Trail in order to raise funds for Grocery Aid.

Over a 24-hour period, between them the two halves of the team walked the 34-mile trail both ways – 68 miles in a single day

Colleagues from across Bakkavor’s sites in Crewe, Aston and Barton, followed the walk, streamed live in staff areas across the sites. Already, staff members have raised £2,500 for Grocery Aid, and that sum will grow further over the coming days.

The Sandstone Trail is one of the finest and most popular long-distance walks in North West England. The Trail stretches for 34 miles/55 kilometres along Cheshire’s Sandstone Ridge and offers superb, unbroken, and often elevated walking across the still largely green and pleasant English county of Cheshire. It runs from the ancient market town of Frodsham on the broad Mersey estuary, in the north, to Georgian Whitchurch in rural north Shropshire, in the south.

Senior managers from the region’s Bakkavor sites lead from the front for this fundraiser – David Brown, Head of Operations from Bakkavor Crewe leading the first team of seven on their 12-hour trek, along with Gavin Houghton, Site Manager from Bakkavor Aston and Cheshire’s Technical Manager Andrew Ticehurst, leading the second team of five for their return leg of 34 miles in 12 hours.

GroceryAid is a charity that supports people from all over the UK who have worked, or are working in the grocery industry, and who find they need extra support to get by. People in the grocery industry use GroceryAid for financial support and practical assistance. This includes support and guidance on health and wellbeing, personal issues, benefits, career, housing and legal issues.

Before heading off on the 68-mile fundraising walk with Bakkavor colleagues, David Brown Head of Operations at Bakkavor Crewe commented: “GroceryAid is something all our people have access to – and many have benefitted from. A fundraising walk seemed like an appropriate fundraising activity because it continues the wellbeing walks our staff started in the pandemic and have continued ever since. Health and wellbeing are important issues for us at Bakkavor and we are pleased to be raising money and giving something back to GroceryAid this week.”

To support the Bakkavor team and make a donation to GroceryAid visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/onecheshiresef?utm_source=copyLink&utm_medium=one_page&utm_content=page%2Fonecheshiresef&utm_campaign=pfp-share&utm_term=e7060c2f3d6a457795411b73c45df914

Folk Announces Third Battersea Site Coinciding with Rise in Co-Living Popularity

Property

News Desk

-

11/05/2023

0

Folk Announces Third Battersea Site Coinciding with Rise in Co-Living Popularity

Co-living brand, FOLK, has opened its third site in twelve months after an impressive uptake at Harrow and Earlsfield.

Folk (www.folkcoliving.com), the co-living brand on a mission to set a new standard for renting, is launching its third site in the capital, Florence Dock, in Battersea. The building, which already has a waiting list of 2000 people, is expected to be completed in April and open for renters to move in from June, and is located riverside in SW11, just a ten-minute walk from both Clapham Junction and Wandsworth Town Stations. Florence Dock will feature multiple roof terraces with views of London, a huge co-working space, high spec community kitchens, a gym, cinema room, gaming room, lounge and on-site bar for residents to enjoy. The building is the third in Folk’s co-living portfolio in the capital, and has been cleverly designed around the brand’s key pillars of community and connection, encouraging social interaction and the formation of new friendships and relationships.

Folk has conducted extensive research with renters and taken learnings from the brand’s first co-living spaces in Harrow and Earlsfield to design its Battersea building. Folk is continuing to disrupt the rental market by eradicating the traditional pain-points tenants face such as run-down accommodation, lack of outdoor or working-from-home space and rising cost of bills. Particularly attractive for London renters is the value the spaces provide – with the £1,695 per calendar month Studio price not only including access to all events and communal areas including gym, cinema and co-working space, but also covering all bills, removing the worry of rising costs which many are facing in the current climate.

Folk’s Florence Dock in Battersea is designed to impress: the building has 270 beautifully designed private studios and thoughtfully designed shared spaces for residents to come together and cook, enjoy social events, work-out and relax.

Paul Naylor, FOLK General Manager says, “The launch of Florence Dock in Battersea is an exciting next step in Folk’s journey as we continue to offer hassle-free co-living in London. As our brand has grown rapidly over the past year, we’ve been able to hone our offering, take all the best bits of co-living and combine them with state-of-the-art design and innovative technology to launch Florence Dock. We’ve balanced the indoor and outdoor spaces perfectly by working with architects and positioning the building riverside, and we are really excited for our first residents to sign up and move in!”

For more information, visit: www.folkcoliving.com

Drivers Warned Against Throwing Apples Out of the Window and More, at Risk of Hefty Fines

News Desk

-

10/05/2023

0

Drivers Warned Against Throwing Apples Out of the Window and More, at Risk of Hefty Fines

Drivers have been warned to not throw apple cores out of the window, amongst other common offences which could land them with hefty fines and penalties.

Motoring experts at LeaseCar.uk are cautioning UK drivers that seemingly innocent driving acts could actually see them disqualified in extreme cases.

From flashing other vehicles to warn of speed cameras up ahead or getting angry behind the wheel, there are several surprising laws which can land motorists in hot water.

All of these driving acts can be seen out on UK roads daily, but more and more motorists are getting caught out by these Highway Code breaches.

Tim Alcock from LeaseCar.uk said: “We’re all aware that we can receive a big fine for using our phones whilst driving, but many Brits are unaware that even holding a device which can connect to the internet will also land them extortionate fines – even if you’re not actively using your phone.

“Another common driving act which could see you receive hefty penalties is smoking. Doing so whilst behind the wheel isn’t illegal in itself, but if you’re not careful, police can hand out on-the-spot fines for careless driving. It’s important to also note that smoking in the car with under 18s as passengers is against the law.

“Make sure you’re wary of these more unusual common driving offences. Even though the majority of drivers would admit to breaking many of these laws, it is safe to say that most of us are completely unaware we can be fined or even disqualified from driving because of it.”

LeaseCar.uk have shared six common driving habits, which could result in a hefty penalty:

Throwing Out Apple Cores

Drivers could be given an on-the-spot fine of up to £150 if caught throwing an old apple core out of the window. Although having a quick snack on the go is common for most drivers, throwing something outside can be classed as littering – even if the item is biodegradable or an animal comes along and eats it.

Smoking

Although the act of smoking whilst driving itself is not illegal, motorists who are distracted behind the wheel whilst smoking could be fined £100 for careless driving with three points on their licence. It is against the law, however, to smoke in the car whilst carrying passengers under the age of 18 – this ban was introduced in 2015 to protect younger ones from second hand smoke.

Swearing

Most motorists can admit they are guilty of road rage, but getting excessively angry whilst driving may be classified as disorderly conduct – potentially resulting in hefty fines of up to £1000 for offensive hand gestures or verbal swearing.

Driving with Pets

Many drivers will happily travel around with their pets in the passenger seat, footwell or in the boot – but this could land them a £5000 fine. The Highway Code clearly states all animals must be suitably restrained, so as not to distract the driver.

Flashing Headlights at Others

Flashing lights at vehicles in an attempt to warn others about speed cameras or police up ahead, is commonly seen on UK roads everyday. But this act could carry a penalty of £1000, as headlights should only be flashed by a driver to warn another driver of their presence.

Holding a Mobile Phone

Most drivers are aware that it is illegal to use and touch our mobile phones whilst behind the wheel, which comes with a fine of up to £1000 and a driving ban – but this law actually extends to even holding any device which can connect to the internet, even if not actually using it.

To find out more about driving acts which could land you with a fine, head over to https://leasecar.uk/.

Women-Friendly Wellbeing App Launched by Scottish Entrepreneur

News Desk

-

10/05/2023

0

Women-Friendly Wellbeing App Launched by Scottish Entrepreneur

Starting out as just a handful of women in a local Facebook group during the Covid lockdown, Robyn Drummond has since expanded the reach of her fitness, nutritional and positive mental attitude to food advice, and is now reaching new heights with the launch of a user-friendly mobile app.

Thanks to the launch of an all-new mobile application, the sphere of influence of Robyn Drummond’s unique combination of fitness, nutrition and psychological support for women continues to grow. IOS and Android compatible, the Robyn Drummond Fitness app is available at Apple’s App Store and Google Play.

Aged just 24, but already an established coach by the outbreak of Covid-19, the pandemic forced Drummond – reluctantly – online. With a friend’s help she began teaching to a Facebook community of just 20 women local to her home in Fife, Scotland. But word of her engaging approach to helping women improve their health and increase their confidence spread rapidly. Soon more than 1,000 women were subscribing, leading to the launch of her own website. The development of the Robyn Drummond Fitness app adds greater convenience and the scope for adding more services.

A Healthy Relationship with Food and Body Image:

With a growing community and rapidly expanding reach, Drummond’s app contains hundreds of pre-recorded workouts, nutritional guides, quick and unfussy recipes and education videos – all available on demand 24/7. Users can set their step goals, nutritional targets or chosen fitness programmes (E.g., improve fitness levels, 15-minute workouts, fat loss, tone up) and have it synced automatically to their app for their own exercise programme. There are routines for improving strength, cardiovascular, core, flexibility and mobility. Everything, in fact from someone who wants a high intensity workout, to getting toned, through pre-and-post natal routines, to workouts for women experiencing menopause and other seated routines for those with mobility struggles.

But it is in the nutritional tips and her more general advice about women’s relationship to food and dieting that sets the Robyn Drummond approach apart.

“A lot of our members are women aged between 30 and 55 who feel like they are carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders,” says Robyn Drummond. “They just want to eat healthily and quickly, but have tried every diet and are confused. Is it okay to eat after 8pm? Will I gain fat if I eat foods with fat in them? Are carbs good – or bad? There’s so much confusion – so we try to simplify things and debunk all these faddy ideas. It’s all about helping women develop a positive mindset when it comes to food and health and body image.

“It’s my mission to help women like themselves a little more,” continues Drummond. “That involves getting them a bit more active so they can enjoy life and not feel guilty about eating a bit of cake.”

The Robyn Drummond Fitness app integrates with health and fitness apps, such as Apple Health, MyFitnessPal, Chronometer etc. It is available on a subscription basis, for £14.99 a month.

B2BTradeCard Support Children’s Air Ambulance with Generous Fundraising Commitment

News Desk

-

09/05/2023

0

B2BTradeCard Support Children’s Air Ambulance with Generous Fundraising Commitment

Chorley-based incentive, loyalty and advertising services solutions provider B2BTradeCard will raise funds to cover 10 missions (£3,500 per mission) for Children’s Air Ambulance over the next 12 months., as part of a generous fundraising commitment.

Starting with an immediate cash donation of £3,500, further funds will be raised with planned activities such as sponsored events organised by the charity, as well as the company’s own events, including its annual golf day and members event at the AO Arena, and also by enabling customers to donate using loyalty points from B2BTradeCard’s loyalty solutions.

The Children’s Air Ambulance is a lifesaving transfer service for critically ill babies and children. Its helicopters complete journeys four times faster than those taken by road, reducing the risk of further complications and helping to save lives.

When a child is too sick to travel, it can also fly medical teams and bespoke equipment to them from across the UK, so that they can receive specialist treatment at their local hospital.

B2BTradeCard CEO Craig Parsons said: “We’re really pleased to have chosen Children’s Air Ambulance as our charity partner for the next year. It’s their tenth anniversary, so we decided a good goal would be to cover the cost of ten lifesaving missions.

“Two of our team, account managers Alex and Bex, have already signed up to abseil from Liverpool Cathedral in July and we’re looking to complete a number of further major team events going forwards, and to get our members involved too.

“We’re also baking each week, in turn, and also currently collecting all our old clothes together to donate. The team have collectively got right behind the idea and we’re confident of achieving our goal for such a fantastic charity partner, saving children’s lives across the country.”

For more information go to https://theairambulanceservice.org.uk/childrens-air-ambulance/ or www.b2btradecard.com.

London Chef Celebrates the King’s Coronation With Sushi Making

Helen Greaney

-

06/05/2023

0

London Chef Celebrates the King’s Coronation With Sushi Making

Makiko Sano, a professional sushi chef and owner of The Suzu House restaurant and cooking school, is celebrating the King’s Coronation by spreading the joy of Japanese cuisine and honouring England’s influence on her personal and professional life. She’s offering a Coronation voucher that allows the holder to bring along a guest for free to take part in a sushi-making class at her popular London school.

Based in Hammersmith, The Suzu House serves traditional Japanese cuisine in an intimate setting and also offers hands-on cooking classes. Through Makiko’s instruction, students of all ages can learn how to make popular Japanese dishes like sushi, ramen, dumplings and even mochi.

A personal chef with years of experience, Makiko has catered private events and cooked for high-profile clients like Stanley Tucci and Hayley Atwell. She’s also a teacher specialising in delicious and healthy Japanese cuisine. In addition to her classes at The Suzu House, she also teaches at a sixth form college.

Her decision to celebrate the King’s Coronation with a cooking class gift voucher isn’t based solely on her desire to spread happiness through cooking. Makiko has personal ties to England and Buckingham Palace.

Born in Japan, Makiko made the decision years ago to marry a foreigner and relocate to the UK. Her grandmother, the only person who gave her her blessing, was overjoyed with their decision to make England their new home. At 80, her grandmother travelled from Japan to London for Makiko’s wedding. During the trip, she visited Buckingham Palace, whereupon she bowed deeply with heartfelt gratitude toward Her Majesty on Makiko’s behalf.

In 2007, Makiko was invited to Buckingham Palace to cook and serve sushi, an experience that sticks with her to this day. She’s since been invited back three more times to prepare sushi.

“I remain profoundly grateful for this incredible country which has given me both business opportunities as well as wonderful friendships throughout many memorable experiences. This month marks a momentous occasion – the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The joyous event will undoubtedly be felt by all.” – Makiko Sano

The versatile chef and teacher is also an author. She’s published three books on sushi and Japanese cuisine, two of which have been translated into many languages. Her fourth book, which focuses on ramen recipes, is being released in June of this year.

While Makiko’s work is deeply rooted in Japanese culture and cuisine, she remains grateful for England and the opportunities she’s had since moving here. The Coronation voucher for The Suzu House is her way of celebrating the King’s reign and also giving people a way to embrace the art of sushi making.

Learn more about Makiko Sano’s culinary work, teachings and books at https://makikosano.com/

London Officially Crowned the Biggest UK “Suntrap” City!

News Desk

-

05/05/2023

0

London Officially Crowned the Biggest UK “Suntrap” City!

A new study by the team at Betway provides the ultimate sun-seekers travel guide by revealing the best spots for guaranteed sun, with The Big Smoke coming out on top as the biggest suntrap in the UK.

Taking a seedlist of some of the most populated cities around the world, the team ranked them on their sunshine credentials to discover which are the best spots to catch some rays.

The team considered various factors when ranking each city, such as the average number of daylight hours in the year, which month of the year has the most sun, average annual temperature, the number of beaches/distance to the nearest beach, average annual rainfall and how windy the area is (km).

Although the weather in the UK is famously unpredictable, those living in London have slightly more exposure to sunshine compared to other parts of the country, with the English capital scoring 44.6/70 overall in the report.

The report found that London has one of the highest annual average temperatures in the UK, coming in at 11.1°C.

Reading follows closely behind as the second biggest suntrap in the UK, with an overall score of 39.6/70. The report found that Reading has one of the highest number of average annual daylight hours in the UK, with an average day length of 11:15.

Manchester was ranked the third biggest suntrap in the UK, with an overall score of 29.6/70. Although the ‘rainy city’ didn’t score too highly for average annual temperature, least amount of rainfall or number of sunshine hours, the report found Manchester comes out on top as the least windy city in the UK, with an average speed of 15.8km.

See how the top 10 UK cities ranked in the report:

	City	Score /70
1	London	44.6
2	Reading	39.6
3	Manchester	29.6
4	Bournemouth	28.7
5	Brighton	28.5
6	Liverpool	27.6
7	Bristol	26.1
8	Birmingham	25.8
9	Derby	25.7
10	Plymouth	23.8

The ‘SunTrap Cities’ report conducted by Betway reveals which cities around the world are the best spots for guaranteed sun. To find out more, please visit: https://blog.betway.com/casino/suntrap-cities-the-sunniest-places-in-the-uk-and-beyond/

Pure Drinking Water Without Single-Use Plastics: Unique Bluewater Rainwater Harvesting and Purification Tech by Innovative EV Charging Hub to Bring Drinking Water to Drivers

News Desk

-

26/04/2023

0

Pure Drinking Water Without Single-Use Plastics: Unique Bluewater Rainwater Harvesting and Purification Tech by Innovative EV Charging Hub to Bring Drinking Water to Drivers

Bluewater, a global leader in innovating healthy and sustainable water purification and beverage solutions for home, HORECA, and public dispensing applications, are making history with a world-first rainwater harvesting and filtration system. The Scottish city of Dundee will see a state-of-the-art system installed for drivers, using a new EV charging station.

The new charging hub at Clepington Road, central Dundee, features an on-site solar canopy that can provide power for both the electric vehicle charge points and the Bluewater system. Rainwater that falls on the canopy is collected and processed using multiple stages of advanced water filtration and purification technologies to create chilled and purified drinking water vended from the two on-site Bluewater dispensers.

“The new EV Hub with Bluewater hydration solutions in Dundee is a game changer because it will provide clean water for the city’s residents and visitors for free, while reducing pressure on municipal resources and helping to build greater water resilience,” said Bluewater founder and CEO Bengt Rittri, one of Sweden’s foremost environmental entrepreneurs. Rittri added, “In the past, drivers went to a petrol station, filled up the car and often at the same time ended up purchasing a beverage in a single-use plastic bottle. The Dundee project represents the future of the service station, in being not only zero-emission but also zero-single-use-plastic.”

Rittri believes the global problem of environmental pollution by plastics and chemicals – increasingly apparent in both marine and freshwater ecosystems – can be fixed using human ingenuity, which is why he is building a purpose-driven beverage organisation focused on innovating creative approaches to using water sustainably. Bluewater represents the world’s most sustainable drinking water solution that ends the need for environmentally damaging single-use plastic bottles, and their associated high-carbon production and transportation.

Bluewater UK Events and Venues Managing Director, Philip Russell, noted that Bluewater purification solutions have been verified in independent testing to efficiently remove PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ from tap water, providing peace of mind to consumers by removing up to 99.99% of health-threatening microplastics and chemicals such as toxic PFAS from tap water. The tests were carried out by Bluewater and verified by the independent worldwide bio-analytical testing group Eurofins. Russell added, “Fear of what is in tap water has driven millions of people worldwide to use bottled water, but research continues to show the potential health concerns associated with frequent use of bottled water.” A study published in the journal Water Research and led by Johns Hopkins University researchers detected PFAS substances in 39 out of more than 100 bottled waters tested. And in 2022, a French study showed that 78 percent of French bottled mineral water tested by the environmental group Agir pour l’Environnnement contained microplastics.

The combination of low-carbon and sustainable technology solutions being deployed at the new public EV charging hub in Dundee resulted from a unique collaboration between Bluewater, Dundee City Council, and traffic technology group SWARCO. The new hub features as the latest instalment of Dundee’s efforts to become the greenest city in Europe by investing in sustainable EV structures with 3.9 public EV charge points per square mile. The Bluewater Rainwater harvesting system integrates rainwater storage, controls, pumps, and mains water backup and was developed in close partnership with GRAF – a global market leader in rainwater harvesting technologies.

In other innovations, the Bluewater system also includes an integrated digital signage solution with weatherproof 55-inch high-resolution video screens, allowing the EV charging hub operator to share information with users filling their reusable water bottles. The media platform enables enhanced customer experience and the dissemination of high-value business and public service information, which can be used to give advice on how to avoid plastic and live a more sustainable lifestyle. The screens operate using a built-in secure and stable cloud-based digital signage software developed by Bluewater partner Visual Art, an international leader in digital signage solutions. The platform gives users complete control of a digital fleet no matter how many screens or where in the world they are located.

Special film by Yeni Rakı Global for the Centennial of the Republic: “Let’s honor our Republic at every table we will set this year”

News

News Desk

-

25/04/2023

0

Special film by Yeni Rakı Global for the Centennial of the Republic: “Let’s honor our Republic at every table we will set this year”

Yeni Rakı Global celebrates the centennial of the Republic with a film themed unity and solidarity. Yeni Rakı’s centennial celebration film, which was released on its global social media accounts across Europe on Monday, April 24, emphasizes the message “Let’s honor the Republic not just on October 29, but at every table we will set throughout 2023”.

In a film targeting foreign markets and Turkish citizens living abroad, Yeni Rakı Global, a brand distributed by Mey|Diageo in 30 countries worldwide, calls for the celebration of the Republic’s 100th anniversary by coming together every day, with open arms, at every table set outside the homeland.

The film, shot in Europe and Turkey, captures the enthusiasm of people celebrating October 29th anywhere and everywhere all around the world: on the beach, subway, boat, shops, streets, homes, and roads with their partners, family and friends, and significant others, waving flags, raising glasses, singing, hugging, and embracing. Emphasizing that the first century of the Republic deserves to be celebrated throughout the entire year, not just on a single day, the film sends the message “Let’s honor the Republic in all tables we will set throughout 2023, no matter where you are in the world”.

Tolga Karaçelik directed the commercial film for BLAB İstanbul.

Those living abroad can watch the film on Yeni Rakı Global’s Instagram, Facebook and YouTube accounts, and on Yeni Rakı Germany’s Instagram, Facebook and YouTube accounts.

CREDITS:
Brand: Mey|Diageo
Advertising Agency: BLAB İstanbul
Production Agency: Public Film
Director: Tolga Karaçelik
Post Production: İmaj
VO: Nejat İşler
Music: Comfortnoise

WePlay Ventures announces the launch of Europe’s biggest Acceleration Program for Gaming Startups

News Desk

-

25/04/2023

0

WePlay Ventures announces the launch of Europe’s biggest Acceleration Program for Gaming Startups

WePlay Ventures has launched Europe’s largest Game Acceleration Program. The game studios will be trained on various aspects of game development during the three-month program. Upon completion of the program, the studios will have the opportunity to receive investments.

London — WePlay Ventures, which recently expanded its operational region to Europe and Central Asia, has launched the largest Game Acceleration Program in Europe in collaboration with key players in the gaming ecosystem. Early-stage gaming studios that develop games for mobile, PC, console, and Web3 platforms in Europe, Central Asia, and Turkey will be able to apply to the program.

During the three-month program, studios will receive training in finance, business development, and strategy, as well as technical areas such as development, art and game design. They will have the opportunity to meet with industry professionals and benefit from their experiences. The gaming studios that successfully complete the program will have the opportunity to test their games with the world’s largest publishers and receive investment from WePlay Ventures.

Physical workspaces will be available in 13 countries

The Game Acceleration Program, created in collaboration with Europe’s top gaming companies, stands out from other programs due to its emphasis on securing the best investment and publishing opportunities. The program aims to foster knowledge-sharing and synergy among participants in the region. While the program will primarily take place online, physical workspaces will be available in 13 countries. Further details on the countries and program will be announced soon.

“We aim to find the most promising yet overlooked gaming studios”

Explaining that they are excited to have been working on this program for a long time, WePlay Ventures Managing Partner Bora Koçyiğit said; “At WePlay, we are committed to supporting early-stage gaming studios in every way we can. We have recognized that these studios require strategic and financial guidance, which forms the foundation of our Acceleration Program.”

“In collaboration with leading stakeholders in the European gaming ecosystem, we have created what we believe will be Europe’s largest game acceleration program. We are confident that the program will surpass expectations and benefit the entire gaming industry in the region,” he added.

Click here to apply and check out the program.

Contact: Oyku Uygan, [email protected]

Physical workspaces will be available in 13 countries

“We aim to find the most promising yet overlooked gaming studios”

Company

Latest

Popular

Sitemap