Forbes Solicitors has announced that partner Chris Booth will lead its newly formed Public Sector division, as the firm completes a restructure to fulfil its ambition of being the number one regional law firm with a national reach.
Chris, who has been part of the Forbes family since 2002, steps up from his previous role as Head of Insurance to lead a team of over 100 professionals who make up the Public Sector division.
Kella Bowers takes over the Head of Insurance role from Chris Booth, with Alastair Gillespie promoted to Head of Abuse and Social Care within the division’s Insurance department. The insurance and care departments work across both the public and private sectors.
They join existing heads of department in the division, who are Catherine Kennedy, Head of Housing and Regeneration (Property), Siobhan Hardy, Head of Housing and Regeneration (Litigation), Jonathan Holden, National Head of Employment and Education, and Daniel Milnes, Partner, Governance & Procurement.
The changes follow the creation of three specialist divisions at the 200-year-old law firm, with the Public Sector division joining the Commercial division, led by Emma Swan, and the Consumer division, led by Adam Bromley. Each of the three divisional leaders is a ‘Legal 500 Recommended Lawyer’ and share more than 60 years’ experience between them advising SMEs, public sector organisations and individuals.
Forbes’ Public Sector division has, within its roster of clients, over 100 registered providers of social housing, more than 60 local authorities and numerous education establishments, as well as many leading insurers and brokers. The divisional team provides expert advice covering an array of legal matters, including specialist areas such as health and safety, employment, occupational and industrial disease, and data protection.
Commenting on his new role, Chris Booth said: “We’re proud to have relationships with public sector clients stretching back over the last 50 years. These relationships are built on a deep understanding of the complexities and opportunities facing organisations and providing expert support that helps them to navigate fast-changing circumstances and regulations. Our new team structure will enable us to strengthen this proposition through even richer sector knowledge allied to our renowned people-first services.
“Many public sector bodies are facing a multitude of pressures. There are expectations to enhance service standards and users’ satisfaction, while addressing financial challenges and carefully managing the risks of an increasingly litigious society. Addressing this dynamic requires dedicated expertise – a factor that our new structure champions.”
The new divisional team structure is the inspiration and vision of Forbes Solicitors’ Managing Partner, Pauline Wild, who commented: “Chris and his departmental heads are all highly experienced professionals with an in-depth appreciation of how legal challenges can manifest and quickly diversify in the public sector. They personify the levels of service and ways of working that set Forbes apart as being more than law and their strategic leadership will drive the development of our Public Sector division.
“Our new divisional structure fosters collaboration across each of the teams and creates opportunities for everyone to thrive, so they can truly focus on delivering what clients need. This requires strong and empathetic leadership in each division and will drive our growth.”
Professor Glenda Cook, Director of the Better Living in Later Life Research Group at Northumbria University and spokesperson for Stiltz Homelifts, issues a stark warning:
“Ignoring the housing needs of our ageing population is no longer an option. Change is not only overdue—it is critical.”
Britain faces a demographic time bomb that demands immediate and sustained action. Around 13 million citizens—nearly one in five—are aged 65 and over. By 2050, this proportion will rise to one in four. Yet despite the scale of this demographic shift, our housing stock and community infrastructure remain dangerously ill-equipped to support an ageing society.
Professor Glenda Cook
At present, hundreds of thousands of older adults face an unacceptable choice: remain in homes that no longer meet their needs or leave behind familiar surroundings for specialist accommodation. Already, 440,000 individuals have moved into care homes—many reluctantly—raising a fundamental question: Is this truly the best solution Britain can offer?
The Health Secretary, the Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, has recognised this challenge, pledging to strengthen community-based care to reduce reliance on hospitals and residential homes. However, achieving this vision requires more than funding promises; it necessitates a fundamental rethinking of how government, families, and communities support older people’s right to age in place.
The urgency is stark: only 9% of UK homes meet the most basic accessibility standards. Features such as level thresholds, wider doorways, and accessible bathrooms, which can significantly prolong independent living, remain rare. Under current planning regulations, these features are not mandatory for new builds. Without decisive policy intervention, this shortfall will only deepen.
Why does this matter? For older citizens, a home is not merely a physical structure—it is an anchor of identity, mental well-being, and community connection. Research shows that over 40% of Britons see their home as central to their mental health, while 60% state they would feel ‘devastated’ if forced to relocate. Losing a familiar home often results in severing social ties, with evidence suggesting such disruption can accelerate cognitive decline and physical deterioration and drive up both NHS and social care costs.
The good news is that solutions are available and affordable if implemented proactively. Future-proofing homes—through adaptations such as accessible bathrooms, level access, and modern home lifts—can be significantly less costly than prolonged residential care. However, awareness of these options remains low, and financial support through the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) is insufficient and overly restrictive. Renters, in particular, face serious barriers, often unable to secure necessary adaptations.
To address this, urgent reforms are needed. The government must expand eligibility and significantly increase funding for grants that support home adaptations, ensuring interventions are proactive rather than crisis-driven. New housing developments should be mandated to incorporate age-friendly design features as a standard requirement, aligning with the government’s pledge to deliver 1.5 million new homes. It is also essential to support private sector innovation and raise public awareness about the availability and benefits of adaptation technologies that can extend independent living. In parallel, efforts must strengthen community infrastructure, ensuring that older citizens remain socially connected and actively engaged within their local communities.
This is not merely a matter of individual well-being but a national economic imperative. Keeping older people healthy, independent, and connected reduces demands on health and social care services and strengthens community resilience.
Britain cannot afford complacency. Ageing in place must be recognised as a societal priority, integral to public health strategy, housing policy, and community planning. Delivering dignity, independence, and respect for older citizens is not just a moral obligation—it is a necessity for a sustainable future.
The clock is ticking. Policymakers must act decisively to ensure that Britain is a country where people can age with confidence, security, and pride in their communities.
Finbogo, a ground-breaking digital platform designed to streamline public access to private healthcare practitioners, has secured significant investment to lead a new, digitally driven era within private healthcare.
While sectors such as property, retail, and hospitality have rapidly embraced digital transformation over the past twenty years, making services easily accessible to consumers, private healthcare has significantly lagged—until now.
Henry Anderson, aged 23, who is a co-founder of Finbogo and leads the team of 40 at its Headquarters in Greater Manchester, is set to revolutionise the private therapy market which is currently valued at £23billion and projected to reach £53billion by 2030.1
With 67% of the UK population willing to pay for private healthcare services, there’s no reason practitioners should struggle for visibility or business. Today, opting for private care is increasingly viewed as a proactive investment in long-term health and well-being rather than a luxury. Finbogo is at the forefront, redefining what it means to ‘go private’ in the digital age.
“At Finbogo, we are creating a thriving community,” says Henry Anderson, Commercial Director. “With over 400,000 practitioners across the UK and an anticipated annual growth rate of 16.7% to 2030, the demand for an efficient, transparent comparison platform has never been greater.”
“For the first time, the public will be able to find, compare and book treatments with private practitioners through its intuitive comparison site, empowering users to effortlessly select the best practitioner suited to their specific needs.”
In the past decade, demand for private healthcare services has surged by 65%, driven significantly by lengthy NHS waiting times and a proactive shift towards preventive healthcare, fuelled by less than one in four people in the UK expressing satisfaction with NHS operations the lowest in 41 years.2
Simultaneously, the therapy sector has experienced explosive growth, attracting many professionals retraining from diverse career backgrounds.
Henry Anderson further commented: “Increasing numbers of individuals across the UK are seeking private healthcare accessible on their terms, but potential patients struggle to locate appropriate practitioners, while practitioners themselves face challenges to fill their appointment slots.”
“Finbogo is on a mission to bridge this gap with innovative technology, enabling users to quickly find, book, and attend the care they need.”
Appointment comes following her successful oversight of the £2Bn IT portfolio at UK’s Ministry of Defence
Quantum Trilogy, a technology company providing mission-critical, agile solutions to urgent government needs, is delighted to announce the appointment of Rebecca Alderson as Chief Portfolio Officer, as the company experiences a significant surge of interest.
Rebecca Alderson
In the new role, Alderson – who is well-versed in navigating challenging, classified, and highly intricate environments – will oversee the company’s portfolio strategy and alignment. She will ensure the initiatives support the company’s long-term vision and priorities – balancing innovation with core business growth. She will serve as the bridge between strategy and execution teams to develop Quantum Trilogy’s customer acquisition pipeline and relationship strategy.
Alderson brings over 10 years of experience working at the UK’s Ministry of Defence delivering large scale complex and classified programs which supported operations in the most challenging environments. This was across both the defence digital space and wider global defense community.
Most recently, Alderson was the Head of Portfolio Management for Defence Digital, which saw her oversee a £2Bn IT portfolio, delivering mission-critical capabilities across the globe. This experience will be vital to lead the delivery of ongoing projects, ensuring best-in-class execution for clients operating in exceptionally complex and high-stakes arenas.
“Rebecca’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for Quantum Trilogy, as demand for our mission-critical solutions continues to grow at pace,” said Alain Obadia, CEO at Quantum Trilogy. “Her deep expertise in managing complex, high-stakes portfolios, coupled with her proven track record of delivering at the very highest level, will be instrumental in helping us scale with purpose, while continuing to deliver exceptional outcomes for our clients.”
Rebecca Alderson comments, “It is certainly an exciting time to be joining Quantum Trilogy, and I am thrilled to be a part of its growth trajectory, so early on.
I look forward to building a world-class team, where together we can focus on forming strong customer partnerships that drive forward an ambitious portfolio of work.”
As the impact of recent Government and economic decisions have put local councils under more pressure than ever before, councils are turning to digital technology to build efficiencies that can improve their financial position to be able to maximise provision for their communities.
In fact, a survey by the County Councils Network (CCN) has revealed that more than half (51%) of England’s county and rural local authorities are more likely to cut their 2025 services in adult social care, such as care homes and support for voluntary and charity groups. There is additional pressure with the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology’s publication of the new Blueprint for Modern Digital Government.
This may also see council technology leaders who haven’t already embarked on digitalisation scrambling for ways to integrate disparate customer data sources to save costs and improve resident experiences. Yet many local authorities lack the digital maturity or don’t know where to start.
Challenges for local councils to digitalise services
As part of their remit, local authorities provide a wide range of services to a population with diverse requirements, which leads to a wealth of data from a range of sources, held in disparate locations in legacy systems, and on paper, email, or cumbersome spreadsheets.
In a typical scenario where a resident needs to contact a council about its services or to make a report or a change, their engagement may be via phone call, email, or completion of a form. There is typically no central hub for the resident to keep track of progress in their case or to add an update. This may prompt a follow-up call to the call centre that is already over-stretched and unable to give the resident the time required. In turn this can negatively impact the experience for both the resident and call centre staff.
How the single view of the citizen works
The answer is to have shared data that runs across all customer touchpoints. This is critical to cut down administration and enable a smooth customer experience. This is known as the Single View of the Citizen, which aims to replace outdated and inefficient processes, bringing data sources and services together for efficient handling and secure access via the local authority Contact Centre’s CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool.
With a Single View of the Citizen, contact centre staff can deal with cases and requests more efficiently and effectively. It eliminates time-wasting duplication, can speed up case resolution and send automated notifications to appropriate residents, improving resident experience and reducing operator workload in an otherwise often overstretched environment.
By embracing digital technology to unify systems and provide a Single View of the Citizen, budget-saving changes can be made. Critically, business information reporting tools can be used to identify potential savings, for instance where more income may be available for the council to help support their service provision, or where particular demand exists for adult or children’s social care services.
A resident portal which centralises all information not only improves the resident’s user experience by reducing the number of different accounts they need to manage, but also minimises the number of calls they may need to make to the contact centre raising or following up cases, thus reducing the team’s workload. This also allows contact centre staff to allocate more time where required to resolve the residents’ issues effectively.
Resident Portal and other functionality
There is specific technology that can enable services to be available online 24/7, which most consumers now expect of council services. These should include:
Resident Portal
This is a hub where the resident can access multiple services via SSO (Single Sign-on). The aim is for residents to be able to make a council tax payment, start a garden waste subscription, submit a report, or respond to local planning applications, for example, through one portal without having to remember multiple sets of login credentials.
Functionality for field staff
Functionality for field staff to interact with, and update, cases in the central CRM system can be available through use of the Dynamics Field Service module on an iPad or smartphone. By replacing a manual process where a paper form is completed in triplicate and information copied to the system once back in the office, this will save significant administration time and reduce the risk of human error.
Business Information Reporting
The consolidation of data from various locations and apps also improves data visibility and consistency for business information reporting, utilising tools such as Microsoft Power BI and Dynamics Customer Insights to look at such areas as debt and demand as a Single View. Such analysis can be used to identify potential savings, where more income may be available for the council to help support their service provision, or where particular demand exists for adult or children’s social care services for example.
A new technology partnership formally announced today, could help NHS, local government, and housing organisations collaborate to create an unprecedented understanding of the risks and needs of people in their care. Resulting intelligence could enable co-ordinated decisions that help to ease demand on recovering NHS services, prevent avoidable harm and A&E visits, and target community interventions where they can make the biggest impact for individuals.
The two companies behind the initiative, clinical analytics specialist C2-Ai and software company Netcall, have already been individually working with significant impact to help NHS trusts, integrated care systems, social care, and housing providers, to enhance productivity and better support people on hospital waiting lists.
A new partnership agreement to combine the companies’ capabilities, could now allow NHS, housing, and care providers to collectively harness multi-sector data in entirely new ways, in order to create detailed risk profiles for individuals that can inform action based on new insights into each person’s needs.
John Clarke
Different organisations are already using Netcall to continually capture wellbeing and wellness measures from individuals in the community through multiple channels, but usually this data remains confined to a single organisation. With the agreement of various agencies, data could now be combined and applied to AI models from C2-Ai, that are already being used in high-impact NHS programmes to find and act for hidden high-risk patients waiting for treatment.
It means, for example, that a person on a waiting list for COPD treatment who reports worsening problems through any one of a range of channels including social media, chat, portals, telephone, or targeted questionnaires, could be identified early as being at high-risk of A&E admission, harm, or complications. This could reinforce an intelligence picture that could help NHS teams make decisions to prioritise medical intervention.
Housing providers and social care teams could also be alerted to intervene to address other previously unknown factors in the individual’s deterioration such as unaffordable heating, or living in poor housing with mould, which could be addressed through effective social housing provision.
And community pharmacists could take informed actions to help keep the individual well, in a co-ordinated approach that could keep the person out of hospital, improving their outcomes and preventing the need for additional costly care.
Dr Mark Ratnarajah
John Clarke, head of client solutions for healthcare at Netcall, said: “Patients are complex and are rarely viewed as one individual – they are looked at separately by acute hospitals, GPs, community care, mental health services, social care, as a local council’s citizen, or as a housing association tenant. But these services can and should positively impact each other, prioritising resource where it can make the biggest difference, by using the right intelligence.
“By combining up-to-date information from encounters across services and from regular communication with individuals, and then applying new data to AI already helping the NHS to find those most urgently in need, providers can harness a much more comprehensive and continuously updated risk profile.
“That’s what we hope to achieve through our new partnership – to allow region-wide services to make much better decisions in response to the various needs of a person, and to work together to enable better outcomes, reduce health inequalities, and address the recovery burden on the NHS.”
The new partnership is expected to support all three core shifts in health and social care being set out by the government: effective use of digital, prevention of worsening health and rising demand, and better supporting patients in community. It is also anticipated that it could have relevance to healthcare systems around the world.
Dr Mark Ratnarajah, UK managing director for C2-Ai, said: “This could be a seismic opportunity to become person-centric, rather than patient-centric: to understand and enable responses to changing risks by looking at whole person, rather than just the sum of their symptoms or conditions.
“We want to enable providers across different settings to keep individuals safe and well, to keep them out of hospital, and prevent avoidable downstream costs. This is already intuitively a good thing to do for many working across health and care, but is often not possible when a person’s information is held in lots of different places, making it challenging to understand and act on dependencies.
“We look forward to engaging conversations across healthcare, local government and housing, that we hope will lead to new ways to anticipate needs and make effective and efficient use of scarce resources, including human capital by doing more of the right things, at the right time, and in the right place.”
Matrix’s Social Value team has made a significant impact in communities across the UK, supporting over 10,000 individuals between March 2024 and April 2025 on their journey to employment. Through a range of initiatives, including employability workshops, career support and volunteering days, Matrix has helped students, job seekers and local authority employees unlock new opportunities and build vital skills.
Siobhan Goss
“Social value is at the heart of what we do,” said Siobhan Goss, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Matrix. “We are proud of the meaningful impact we have made on communities, helping individuals gain the skills and confidence they need to succeed in their chosen career. This is not just about fulfilling a corporate responsibility but about becoming real partners with the communities we support.”
Key initiatives this year include the Myth-Busting Apprenticeship Workshops during National Apprenticeship Week, Careers Week and the Graduate with Confidence Scheme at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), where Matrix facilitated 10 individual workshops aimed at empowering students as they navigate the challenges of entering the workforce.
The Matrix Social Value team has worked closely with 43 local authorities to provide early career workshops and encourage diverse groups of candidates to consider public sector careers. In addition, more focus was placed on reaching younger students in primary schools, aiming to spark interest in future careers earlier in their education.
“Working with schools, universities and local councils has allowed us to make a lasting difference at all stages of career development,” said Goss. “Our aim is to build relationships and understand the unique needs of each community, ensuring that the support we provide aligns with their priorities.”
Matrix continues to engage with key stakeholders to create tailored social value programs that make a meaningful difference, from providing one-on-one career coaching to facilitating group workshops. The success of these initiatives highlights the growing importance of social value in fostering sustainable community development.
With this milestone achievement, Matrix is committed to continuing to support communities across the UK, helping individuals reach their full potential and contribute positively to their local environments.
by Gareth Jelley, Product Security Manager,edtech charity, LGfL – The National Grid for Learning
Figures from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO, 2024) reveal a steep increase in cyber-incidents within the education and childcare sector, with 354 cases reported in 2023, a significant rise from 224 the previous year. Government data also indicates that the majority of schools and colleges have experienced a cyber-security breach in the past year (DSIT, 2024).
What steps can schools take?
Gareth Jelley
Emerging cyber-security trends include the exploitation of remote access systems.
A growing number of schools have fallen victim to cyber-attacks due to vulnerabilities in their remotely accessible systems. Without multi-factor authentication (MFA) remote desktop services which enable staff to access internal resources, become easy targets for attackers.
Cybercriminals exploit weak points through brute force password attacks, password spraying, and phishing schemes, to gain unauthorized access to school networks. They can then launch further attacks, steal sensitive data, or disrupt school operations. Multi-factor authentication is one of the most effective defences, yet many schools still do not have it in place.
Control user access privileges
Role-based access control (RBAC) ensures employees only access information necessary for their roles. Limiting administrative access reduces the risk of internal security breaches and enhances overall data protection.
Outdated software can be costly – proactive planning is key.
On October 14, 2025, Microsoft will cease support for Windows 10. Software updates not only enhance functionality – they include essential security patches that protect against vulnerabilities. Schools relying on outdated software will need to invest in extended support, or budget for hardware upgrades, to mitigate potential security risks. Security vendors are also expected to increase their fees for maintaining older systems.
Plan ahead for software and operating systems updates. Always apply security patches as soon as they become available to mitigate vulnerabilities.
Robust cyber-response plans.
The National Cyber Security Centre Audit (NCSC, 2023) revealed that 50% of schools lack an effective Cyber Response Plan. Existing plans often omit critical details – access to administrator passwords, encryption keys, system restoration procedures, and notification protocols for cyber insurance providers. Strategies should include: a risk register to identify and analyse potential threats; both cloud-based and hard-copy documentation of security protocols; and clear instructions on responding to data breaches, ransomware attacks, and other cyber threats.
A collaborative approach between school leadership and IT teams offers several benefits:
Comprehensive risk assessment: Leadership understands operational risks, while IT teams provide technical expertise.
Shared responsibility: Cyber-security should not be solely an IT concern. When leadership is engaged, a culture of awareness and responsibility spreads across the school community.
Effective training: Senior leaders can champion security training initiatives, ensuring all staff members understand their role in preventing cyber-incidents.
Resource allocation: With leadership backing, schools can secure necessary funding for security tools, staff training, and infrastructure improvements.
Continuous improvement: Cyber-threats constantly evolve so regular reviews and updates to security protocols help schools to stay ahead of emerging risks.
Annual cyber risk assessment, along with termly reviews, help schools identify vulnerabilities in hardware, software, and data management. Proactively addressing weaknesses can strengthen security and response plans.
Anti-malware and firewalls
Installing anti-malware software and firewalls helps safeguard school networks from malicious activity. Anti-malware tools detect and remove threats, while firewalls act as barriers against unauthorized access.
The 3-2-1 backup plan
Regular data backup is essential in case of a cyber-attack. The NCSC advises the 3-2-1 backup rule:
Maintain three copies of important data
Store backups on two different types of media – cloud and external drive
Keep one backup offsite to ensure recoverability in case of a disaster.
Any cyber-attack should immediately be reported to Action Fraud (www.actionfraud.police.uk/) the UK’s national cyber-crime reporting centre. Rapid reporting helps mitigate damage and prevent further attacks.
As cyber-attacks rise, proactive steps must be taken to strengthen school defences. Regular risk assessments, user access controls, and robust security protocols are essential in protecting student and staff data. Keeping software up to date, implementing multi-factor authentication, and maintaining comprehensive backup plans further enhance cyber resilience.
By adhering to government cyber-security guidelines and fostering a security-conscious culture, schools can reduce their vulnerability to cyber threats. Collaboration between leadership teams and IT support is key to ensuring that cyber-security measures are both strategic and effective. A well-prepared school is not only better equipped to prevent attacks but also capable of responding swiftly and effectively should an incident occur. For more information on cybersecurity for schools please visit Security | LGFL.
The professional body representing environmental health professionals has shared its disappointment at reports that wood-burning stoves are set to be allowed to heat new-build homes in England.
A letter from the Government to the Stove Industry Association (SIA), as reported by the Guardian, states that the Government do not intend to ban wood-burning stoves in new homes under the Future Homes Standard, despite mounting evidence of the harmful effects of pollution caused by wood burning.
This potential decision would go against the Climate Change Committee’s recommendations’ that wood-burning stoves in homes should be phased out because of the carbon they emit. Wood burning smoke also contains fine particle air pollution (PM2.5), which is widely seen as the air pollutant that has the most devastating impact on human health.
The Future Homes Standard states as its aim that it will mandate that new homes in England be designed for low-carbon heating and high energy efficiency. Essentially, such houses will be carbon neutral once the grid itself is decarbonised.
The weakening of these rules for developers with the allowance for wood-burning stoves as a secondary heating source appears to go against these stated aims.
CIEH, along with the Healthy Air Coalition of which it is a member, have called for an action plan for the phasing out of domestic wood burning to be developed.
Therefore, CIEH believes this decision, if confirmed, to allow wood-burning stoves in new homes despite the growing evidence showing their significant contribution to air pollution and carbon emissions, is a backward step in the fight to improve air quality and protect public health.
Mark Elliott, President of CIEH, said:
“While CIEH understands that in some settings there is little or no choice for domestic wood burning, we have been clear that where there is a choice and alternatives available, these must be sought as the harmful effects of domestic wood burning cannot be ignored.
“The Future Homes Standard was an opportunity for the Government to make a clear commitment to phase out polluting wood burners.
“It would therefore be a real disappointment if this opportunity is lost. We urge the Government to be serious about air quality and protect the public from the harms that PM2.5 has on their health.
“We would call on the Government to reconsider their position on this matter before it’s too late. We will continue to advocate for homes being heated in the cleanest way possible to reduce the pollutants people and communities create, the health impacts they cause and the strain this generates on our health services.”
As we enjoy the longer days and warmer weather, it’s easy to forget that winter will be here before we know it. Spring is the ideal time to get ahead, ensuring you invest in your fleet well before the sub-zero temperatures hit and heavy snowfall arrives.
Kärcher’s range of implements carrier such as the MIC 35, MIC 42, and MC 150 are all designed to take on winter’s toughest challenges. Whether you are cleaning city streets or ensuring public spaces remain safe, these machines deliver the power, precision, and reliability needed to tackle whatever winter brings.
Advance planning is key to keeping operations running smoothly. Investing in the right equipment and scheduling proactive servicing now means fewer headaches when the harsh weather hits.
A Tool for Every Winter Task
MIC 35: Compact & Versatile
For those working in tight urban spaces, the MIC 35’s compact design and high manoeuvrability make it an ideal municipal machine. Its compatibility with snowploughs and spreaders ensures effective snow and ice management.
The intuitive implement carrier features a clever, quick-change system, a comfort cab with a panoramic view, and an engine that significantly undercuts STAGE V emissions limits. Whether you’re clearing snow from pedestrian pathways or tackling car parks, it offers flexibility and efficiency, while easily moving loads over a tonne in capacity.
The MIC 35’s common rail engine, with its diesel particulate filter, ensures emissions values stay well below STAGE V standard, and its low fuel consumption enhances its environmental credentials.
What’s more, a complete retrofit from sweeper to winter service – and vice versa – is, in fact, completed in a matter of minutes. Saving time and money, this efficient transformation is true of the majority of Kärcher’s municipal machines. This gives flexibility for operators – whether you are hiring or purchasing the implements for the winter season, your machines can be used all year round.
MIC 42: Power and Performance
Striking the perfect balance between strength and agility, the MIC 42 is the go-to option for operators who need more power without compromising on manoeuvrability.
Combining the attributes of an implement carrier and vacuum sweeper, the MIC 42 delivers a high engine and driver performance (42 HP, 130Nm torque), and can move a tonne load capacity effortlessly with high hydraulic power. At just 1.08 metres wide, it remains compact and manoeuvrable.
With increased payload capacity, enhanced traction, and superior visibility, the MIC 42 allows you to clear larger areas quickly and safely. Thanks to high quality components, maintenance intervals are 500 to 1,000 hours, ensuring reliable performance throughout the year and changing seasons. This, in turn, reduces the risk to the public – something of great benefit for operators working with government bodies, who are required to ensure they can do as much as ‘reasonably practical’, to mitigate risks.
Like the MIC 35, the MIC 42 is built with sustainability in mind, its rail diesel engine, including diesel particle filter, achieves exhaust emissions values well below the standard, making it perfect for urban green zones.
Both MIC 42 and MIC 35 offer exceptional flexibility when it comes to changing implements, thanks to a standardised coupling triangle with a lifting and lowering device positioned at the front. This adaptability makes them a reliable partner all year round for those across a broad range of industries.
MC 150: Heavy-duty winter specialist
When extreme winter conditions call for serious power, the MC 150 rises to the challenge. Designed for high-demand operations, this model boasts a powerful engine and high-performance hydraulics to tackle deep snow and high-volume grit spreading.
The MC 150 is a comfortable, economical multi-purpose sweeper featuring a two-seater cab and all-wheel drive in the 3.5 t class. Ideal for the winter season, the MC 150 also comes with winter-proof equipment features, such as heated seats and heated windscreen, guaranteeing perfect vision at any time – drivers won’t want to leave the cab.
Suitable for large scale municipal and industrial settings, the MC 150 includes an advanced suction and sweeping system to keep roads and pathways clear of slush and debris.
The hydrostatic drive system ensures smooth and reliable operating even in slippery conditions, while its large hopper capacity extends operating times. Additionally, the machine is fuel efficient and eco-friendly with emissions well below STAGE V standards.
Maintenance
While having the right equipment is crucial, keeping it in top condition ensures peak performance when it’s needed most.
With decades of German engineering, Kärcher machines are built for durability and efficiency and the comprehensive maintenance service, ensures they do just that.
A well-maintained machine is a reliable machine. Servicing your fleet now ensures you’re not caught off guard when winter arrives unexpectedly. Regular serving optimises machine performance, keeps your operations smooth and effective, and helps avoid unexpected repairs and breakdowns.
Get ahead of the curve
Winter may seem like a distant concern, but those who plan now will reap the benefits when the first snow falls. The right equipment and proactive maintenance can mean the difference between seamless operations and costly downtime. Moreover, with the option to hire implements, Spring and Summer is the ideal time to enquire about hiring winter implements, giving you use of the tools exactly when you need them. It’s time to take control of the season and prepare in advance to make sure your fleet is winter-ready.
Written by Amanda Griffiths, Head of Communications Planning at Royal Mail Marketreach
Last year was a year of elections. Around the world, new leaders took office with the promise of change. Now, with critical political milestones on the horizon, from Donald Trump’s first 100 days in Spring to the Labour Party’s one-year anniversary in the Summer, the next few months pose leaders with a new communication challenge.
Public sentiment here is critical, and that relies on governing parties showing the meaningful impact of their short time in office as effectively as possible. This means understanding how and where to communicate.
Luckily, the recent elections shone a light on political communications – and the public’s feelings towards them. What we learned may surprise you.
Medium matters
With each election cycle, the volume of digital media grows. Last year’s General Election was expected to be the ‘first TikTok election’,
To understand if this was true and what it meant for direct mail, Marketreach conducted a significant piece of consumer research during and after the General Election. The findings from this study as reported in Landslide: How mail won the General Election were surprising and enlightening. Trust in parties and candidates is critical in an election. Yet one in three Brits reported concerns that social media posts about the election were misleading or inaccurate. While digital platforms were expected to be particularly popular with younger constituents, only 65 percent of voters aged 18-24 reported engaging with political messages on digital channels. Whereas 81 percent of this same 18-24 audience reported engaging with direct mail, confirming voters relied significantly more on mail than digital when exploring serious matters such as who and what to vote for.
What did this research tell us about how people want to be communicated with? This first answer, to me, is thoughtfully. We live in a world in which political leaders from all sides are gravitating towards soundbites – short, sharp party lines that can fit into evening news programming, front pages, and social media feeds. But these soundbites by definition provide little detail and are also short-lived – here today and gone tomorrow. This not only means that an unengaged audience might miss the impact of a strong soundbite, but also its transience makes political communications much harder to fact check, to process, or to expand on.
For any party attempting to showcase its thinking, this is a fatal flaw. At the moments in time in which voters truly engage with their leaders – elections, milestones, times of crisis – thoughtful, longer form communication is a powerful tool. It stands up to scrutiny, and politicians look all the better for it.
Constituents also want to feel like the communications they receive are honest. No matter how good the message, voters need to be able to trust what they’re reading. This is why mail becomes so critical in election periods. It reaches voters where they are, at home, with a trusted message that they can read, reread, and explore further (if needed) in their own time. In fact, research Marketreach conducted in partnership with Trinity McQueen showed that 71 percent of people trust the mail they receive, particularly when it’s addressed to them.
Time for reflection
The recent General Election showed a nation particularly open to considering their choices. In our election survey, around half of all voters reported that they were uncertain who they might vote for during the election campaign and open to changing their minds before casting their votes. This was even higher for younger voters, rising to 61 percent among 18-34 year olds.
And not just targeting but timing and location is key when it comes to political communications. Mediums, like out-of-home, social and online display advertising all work well to drive home messages and influence voters, but they can often appear to a voter while that person is distracted, disinterested, or even just tired after a long days’ work, meaning they lose their impact. And once passed by or scrolled over, they often cannot be found again.
To paraphrase a political slogan we’ve heard often – the public wants to take back control over how they engage with politics. Effective communications understand this, giving people the freedom to learn and engage in their own time, at their own pace, without in-fighting or soundbites.
By offering a tangible piece of communication, delivered to their home, mail offers a flexible informative tool that recipients can retain and read in their own time, at their own pace. From a survey conducted with Blue Yonder and WARC we know that 58 percent of mail is kept for future reference. And in political communication, this means valuable messaging is likely to be “saved for later”, stored and re-read whenever voters choose to. Among our surveyed voters, 59 percent read electoral mail, compared to just 36 percent reading posters, social and digital ads.
But mail does not operate in a vacuum. Voters value it specifically because they see it as playing a strong part in an integrated election communication campaign. Along with Party Political Broadcasts, online advertising, social media, press and out of home (OOH), mail enables voters to find the accurate and honest information they need to play their part in this vital democratic process.
Leaning into thoughtful communication
So as we approach a key milestone in the political calendar, last year’s election offers us a handy, recent guide to ensure that party leaders understand and meet the nation’s communication preferences to find success.
For communicators and marketers, I believe the biggest takeaway from last year is that the public is engaged with their government and political process. Voters believed the election was important and they wanted to make the right decision. Audiences truly respond to and consider political messaging that shows solid and detailed thinking. Social media and TV broadcasts, or interviews, will always have a role in helping to land and reiterate party messages. But to truly engage and convince voters to act, these channels must be reinforced with direct mail. Uniquely, this channel delivers engaging detailed communications to constituents where they live in a way that meets their needs for information they can commit to in their own space and time.
Politics has rarely felt more personal, more impactful on our lives, than it does today. Why shouldn’t our outreach feel the same?
Living conditions for families in military housing will be transformed under a new Consumer Charter, as Defence Secretary John Healey promised to “stop the rot” in military housing.
The Charter will be part of a new Defence Housing Strategy, to be published later this year, which will set out further plans to improve the standard of service family homes across the country.
Defence Secretary visits Service Family Accommodation
Under the Charter, basic consumer rights, from essential property information and predictable property standards, to access to a robust complaints system, will be rapidly introduced. These will be underpinned by new, published satisfaction figures, putting forces families front and centre.
The wider Defence Housing Strategy – overseen by the Defence Secretary and the Minister for Veterans and People, Al Carns – will also turbocharge the development of surplus military land, creating opportunities for Armed Forces homeownership. It will further support the delivery of affordable homes for families across Britain as part of the government’s Plan for Change.
It follows the Government’s landmark deal, completed in January, to bring back 36,000 military homes into public ownership, reversing a 1996 sale described by the Public Accounts Committee as “disastrous”, and saving the taxpayer £600,000 per day by eliminating rental payments to a private company.
The announcement follows the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge to deliver “homes for heroes” and means that under this government, support will be there for veterans at risk of homelessness. This included removing local connection tests for veterans seeking social housing, meaning as of November, veterans will have access to the housing support they need.
Defence Secretary, John Healey MP, said:
“Our Armed Forces serve with extraordinary dedication and courage to keep us safe. It is only right that they and their families live in the homes they deserve.
“For too long, military families have endured substandard housing without the basic consumer rights that any of us should expect in our homes. That must end and our new Consumer Charter will begin to stop the rot and put families at the heart of that transformation.
“We cannot turn around years of failure on forces housing overnight, but by bringing 36,000 military homes back into public ownership, we’ve already taken greater control and are working at pace to drive up standards. This is about providing homes fit for the heroes who serve our nation, and I’m determined to deliver the decent, affordable housing that our forces families have every right to expect.”
The new Consumer Charter will include the following commitments:
A strengthened move-in standard so families can have confidence that the home they are moving into will be ready on time and will be clean and functional.
Improved, clearer information for families ahead of a move, including photographs and floor plans of all homes when a family applies for housing.
More reliable repairs, including an undertaking to complete urgent repairs within a set timeline consistent with Awaab’s Law, and a new online portal for service personnel to manage repairs.
Raising the minimum standard of forces family housing with a new programme of works targeted at the worst homes, with up to 1,000 refurbished as a downpayment on the broader programme of renewal to be set out in the Defence Housing Strategy.
Better and clearer communication for families, including a named housing officer for every service family who they can contact for specific housing related queries.
A new, simpler complaints process that will shorten the process to two stages in line with industry best practice, so that service personnel and families have a quicker resolution, backed up by the new Armed Forces Commissioner.
Modernising policies to allow more freedom for families to make improvements, giving them a greater sense of pride in their homes.
These improvements will be in place by the one-year anniversary of the announcement to buy back military homes last December, with final detail to be set out in the Defence Housing Strategy following consultation with military personnel and their families.
Many of the commitments in the Charter will be achieved by driving better performance – and better value for the taxpayer – from existing suppliers of maintenance and support for service family housing.
The new standards will be underpinned by new published customer satisfaction measures and enhanced accountability so families can have confidence in the improvements being made. This will sit alongside an independently conducted stock survey, as recommended by the Kerslake review of military housing which was published last year.
The Defence Housing Strategy will be driven by an independent review team whose members have been announced today, and which will be chaired by former Member of Parliament and housing expert Natalie Elphicke Ross OBE, drawing on expertise from industry and forces families.
Notes to editors:
In the meantime, the Defence Secretary and the Minister for Veterans and People have instructed the MOD to immediately plan improvements for the new Consumer Charter, as part of a short-term action plan to enhance the family homes after years of neglect.
Natalie Elphicke Ross, Chair of the Defence Housing Strategy Review said:
“Our pride in our armed forces must include pride in our military homes. Delivering better housing, boosting home ownership opportunities for service personnel and improving the experiences of service families will be at the heart of our work.”
David Brewer, Chief Operating Officer of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, said:
“We are dedicated to making changes that will bring real improvements to the lives of families living in military homes and the plans set out in the new charter are an important step towards doing this.
“The advisory team, announced today, brings together an exceptional group of individuals, who through their expertise and experience will help ensure our housing strategy maximises benefits, not just to families living in military homes, but to communities and industry more widely.”
Antony Cotton MBE said:
“Our Armed Forces community are the backbone of our society, so improving the standard of service family housing is essential if we are to continue to retain and recruit the soldiers, sailors and aviators that protect us selflessly, every day. I welcome this consumer charter as a starting point to give our military families an improved service, and homes they deserve.”
Hospitals have been using technology to stimulate patients in new ways. Innovative approaches to engaging and informing patients could soon rapidly scale. Dean Moody, healthcare services director at Airwave Healthcare, explains how.
In NHS trusts across the country, a momentum has been building to engage patients in innovative ways.
Patient Engagement – engage patients whilst entertaining them
Dean Moody
Driven by a desire to enhance patient experience, healthcare providers have been moving away from outdated patient entertainment systems that charge patients to watch otherwise free television.
Instead, they have been making new systems work harder – in part by distracting patients with the media they are accustomed to at home, aiding in their recovery, but also in ways that educate and inform.
Such systems are being deployed in ways that provide insights to patients about their care, their condition, their procedures, and the exercises they can take to help to enhance their outcomes.
Media technology at the bedside is being used to capture patient feedback on services provided. It is able to direct patients to relevant services in the community that might be needed post-discharge.
And it is starting to lessen some of the pressures faced on busy wards – allowing patients to use their bedside screens to request assistance for bathroom visits, order their meals, engage with the chaplaincy service, or simply to ask for a glass of water, such that requests are fielded directly to the right members of staff, and not always busy nurses.
In more than 150 NHS organisations, patients can now access these services for free. But the opportunity can be scaled significantly further.
Some hospitals are achieving engagement benefits at-scale, trust-wide, or across their estate.
Many have also started to do this in pockets of best practice where budgets permit. Specific wards might have received dedicated funding from beneficiaries to make this happen, for example.
In other trusts, success may be hindered by ageing patient entertainment systems that are not used due to cost, and that provide limited content. And in some scenarios, there may be no provision for patient entertainment technology at all.
Now, with patient engagement such a strategic priority the opportunity is to deliver content that entertains, engages, educates more equitably for all patients – and it is something more and more trusts are working to make possible.
An expansion of this technology could enable a significant boost for patient engagement. But it is not the only tool in the box.
Digital signage – engaging patients before they reach a ward
With effective engagement and communication required by both policymakers and regulators, hospitals are looking to seize every opportunity.
A growing number are examining new ways to engage patients and visitors before they reach a ward, using technology in areas of high-volume footfall, where dwell time is a factor.
Effective digital signage in these areas is one means to achieve that. Digital screens in waiting rooms and reception areas is not a new concept, but the means by which content is being delivered and devices supported is changing.
Healthcare organisations under financial pressures might not be able to invest in new screens, or afford time from their busy teams to ensure that hardware and the content displayed is effectively maintained.
A new model is now being introduced where all of this is outsourced – in some cases even the cost.
Screens can be installed in busy areas where they can reach the most people with messages that engage audiences with messages around hospital and community services, public health issues, vaccinations, patient safety matters such as sepsis, site specific content, and clinical priorities that might contribute to a provider’s CQUIN targets.
Financial models to make this affordable, and potentially even revenue generating, are being introduced.
Hospitals can outsource the management of media provision and can intersperse NHS messages, with appropriate sponsored content. Such content would be fully approved by the trust and would be carefully focussed on products and services complementary to patient care – for example high street pharmacies and other health and wellbeing services. It could also include messages from relevant charities.
Trusts could choose for screens to be installed entirely free of charge. Some are already beginning to work with us to make this happen – with two acute trusts and around 50 GP surgeries taking advantage of a new digital signage service.
This is about innovative provision of technology, so that it can make an immediate difference without the need for financial burdens on the NHS.
Making more of WiFi as an engagement tool
A third technology tool that could complement these approaches is WiFi. Now in place across every NHS trust in the country, free WiFi was originally launched with the idea of exposing patients to self-help tools.
Hospitals are now looking to take that one step further, by directing users to a customised landing page that can provide key information to engage patients, families and visitors.
It can show key information about services available, and flag important public health messages, as well as messages relevant to the specific health needs of the local population.
An interconnected opportunity
Healthcare organisations may be able to harness one engagement tool to reinforce another. Digital signage might flag how visitors can access the WiFi, to avoid busy nurses having to answer such questions.
More than that this is about engaging patients at the point of contact in the system – and making sure the technological enablement exists to support that reach, at that moment.
Leeds GP and CCIO will bring an important primary care perspective to the leading health tech agency’s panel of NHS IT professionals and industry experts
The Highland Marketing advisory board has welcomed a new member – Dr Jason Broch, a GP and director with a strong track record in the NHS and IT-enabled transformation.
Dr Broch brings a wealth of experience to the board, which debates issues in digital health and advises the specialist health tech agency and its clients on policy, procurement and implementation.
Dr Jason Broch
He is a GP partner at the Oakwood Lane Medical Practice in Leeds and medical director and chief clinical innovation and information officer at Leeds Health and Care Partnership, which unites organisations from across the city to improve health and wellbeing.
“What drives me is trying to make the experience of the NHS better for staff and for patients,” he says. “Most of what we do is communication, whether that is consulting with patients or with colleagues.
“Digital has a huge role to play in bringing together fragmented services, removing duplication during handovers, and improving the experience of care for patients. I’m also interested in using data for quality improvement and for population health management.
“And also in how we can be clear about what we are trying to achieve, collectively, and how we can deliver maximum value for patients with the resources available to us.”
Dr Broch is joining the Highland Marketing advisory board at a difficult but potentially exciting inflexion point for health tech.
The NHS is facing huge demand and financial pressure, and the government has embarked on a rapid reorganisation of its central and commissioning bodies, which have important roles in delivering infrastructure, national systems, and data collection and analysis.
Yet the government is also committed to a shift from analogue to digital as part of its 10 Year Plan for Health, which will also seek to shift care from hospital to community, and from treatment to prevention.
Dr Broch says: “I am optimistic. Yes, we have had the pandemic, and there are questions about funding and capacity, and we need to address inequalities. But there are things that put us in a good position for the future.
“We have electronic health records in place, we have more data than ever before, so we can start measuring the things that really matter to people, and there is a lot of new technology coming on stream.
“There are still issues that we need to address around infrastructure, and integration, and taking people with us, but I think we are on the cusp of real change.”
Highland Marketing is an established research, PR, marketing and sales acceleration agency with more than 20 years’ experience in digital health. Its advisory board is comprised of experts working in NHS health tech and leading suppliers.
“I think the best way to learn and to challenge yourself is to be part of conversations,” Dr Broch adds. “When you look around the table, there are lots of people with different expertise, so being part of that feels like a huge opportunity.”
Mark Venables, chief executive of Highland Marketing, said: “We are very pleased that Dr Broch has agreed to join our advisory board. Primary care is a critical sector of the NHS. It is also one that digitised early and has continued to innovate.
“That means it is vital that the primary care perspective is considered when further digital developments are being discussed, planned, and implemented.
“Dr Broch will bring that perspective to the advisory board’s discussions and provide vital insight for our clients, who work in all areas of health tech and med tech.”
Brightly Software, a Siemens Company, is pleased to confirm that it has met the requirements of the Carbon Literate Organisation Standard and has been certified as a Bronze-level Carbon Literate Organisation.
Emphasising the collective role we all share in tackling climate change, CLO accreditation supports the development (recruitment and retention) of a Carbon Literate workforce and requires accredited organisations to engage positively with its own employees and with external stakeholders in developing, and delivering, zero carbon behaviour. The accreditation is applicable to any organisation, from large corporations to SMEs
“Carbon reduction is easy to talk about, and most people recognise its importance, but it can be challenging to identify actions that can make a meaningful difference – and more challenging still to put those into practice,” says Zoe Stirling-Wall, Brightly’s newly-appointed Business Development Manager (Sustainability), who spearheaded the process to gain the accreditation for Brightly. “I’m delighted to have joined a company that doesn’t just talk the talk – but also walks the walk – and helps clients to do the same.”
She adds: “I joined Brightly in January 2025, as a Business Development Manager, with a sustainability focus, and it was immediately clear to me that Brightly took Carbon Literacy very seriously. Hannah Winstanley General Manager and Country Lead, UK recognised the value of the training, both for Brightly as a company, and for clients, leading her to arrange training for herself and colleagues in November 2024. Nineteen staff (nearly a third of Brightly’s UK workforce) are now carbon literacy trained, and as an approved carbon literacy facilitator myself, I can offer ongoing formal training to colleagues, and to clients. Providing tools to our clients to manage and track carbon commitments and to boost sustainability is already a significant part of Brightly’s offering. We’re thrilled now to be able to add even more value to our clients through Carbon Literacy training.”
With such a significant proportion of staff now Carbon Literacy trained, and with an approved facilitator in Zoe Stirling-Wall, Brightly qualifies as a Bronze-level carbon literate organisation for the next three years. When this term expires, Brightly intends to push for silver-level accreditation – with an even greater proportion of staff carbon literacy trained and accredited.
“We see this as just the beginning,” Zoe concludes. “Being carbon literate is not just about knowledge – it’s about action. As part of the training, all of us had to commit to both a personal and a professional change that we would make in order to reduce our environmental footprint. It’s about making meaningful changes and then tracking those commitments over the long term. I look forward to helping our team and our clients to continue to develop and maintain more and more environmentally responsible practices over the coming years.”
Dave Coleman, Co-Founder and Managing Director of The Carbon Literacy Project, says: “Carbon Literacy is an essential skill, vital to every workplace, community, and place of study. It is the foundational knowledge, and a catalyst to empowering people to act on climate, however, Carbon Literacy is only the first step. The actions taken and pledged by learners as part of their Carbon Literacy have an immediate impact within their organisation, however it is the maintenance of these and further actions, supported by Carbon Literate organisational culture, that reaps the greatest rewards for both participants and their organisations. By becoming a Bronze accredited Carbon Literate Organisation, Brightly Software has demonstrated its commitment to genuine low carbon action, environmental and economic impact, and the building of a low carbon future for us all.”
Suffolk County Council, in partnership with charge point operator (CPO) Believ, will deliver around 6,000 new public electric vehicle (EV) charge points across the county to support residents make the transition to EVs.
Suffolk County Council is the first local authority in England to both award their LEVI main funding tender, and subsequently sign a contract with an operator.
The county council has made this project possible with a successful £5.3m bid to the government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, which supports local authorities to plan and deliver charging infrastructure for residents without off-street parking. This roll-out uses a proportion of that funding along with over £16m funding from CPO, Believ.
From left to right: Matthew Ling and Amy Rushton of Suffolk County Council, Charlie Allen and Steve Beer of Believ
Beginning in Summer 2025, thousands will be installed on residential streets, with many locations suggested by local residents following a survey last year.
The county council has also worked closely with district and borough councils and communities to identify further suitable sites.
The majority will be bollard-style units at the kerbside, suitable for long-stay or overnight charging. Drivers will be able to benefit from an overnight off-peak tariff, and a dedicated resident’s tariff which features discounted charging at all times.
Public car parks will also see a number of rapid and ultra-rapid charge point installations, allowing for quicker charging.
Councillor Philip Fairclough-Mutton, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Communities and Equality said:
“25% of Suffolk households don’t have a driveway and park on their street. This is a significant barrier for people who would like an EV, as they have no convenient way to charge.
“We are providing a solution by installing charge points on their street, or very nearby. Our ambition is to provide them with a public charge point within a 5-10 minute walk or wheel.
“There are around 1.5 million EVs on the country’s roads and we need thousands of new public charge points in Suffolk, and we need them quickly – around 5,400 by 2030, and 12,000 by 2040. Working with Believ, our new installations will bring a significant reduction to those numbers.
“The benefits of EV ownership go beyond helping residents and businesses to reduce their carbon emissions and their impact on climate change. It means together we can contribute to Suffolk’s Climate Emergency Plan, improving Suffolk’s air quality and enabling us to live healthier lives.”
Following a competitive procurement exercise, Believ will install, operate and maintain the charge points, which deliver 100% renewable energy.
Believ is able to install all speeds of charge points to accommodate the full breadth of resident and visitor charging needs.
Believ will install a minimum of 2,100 on-street charge points and over 400 car park charge points by the end of 2026, increasing to a total of approximately 6,000 throughout the project as EV demand increases. Believ will also support with the installation of fast and rapid charging infrastructure at key locations, building on the county council’s successful ‘Plug In Suffolk’ project which launched in 2018.
Guy Bartlett, Believ CEO, said:
“We’re delighted to have been awarded the opportunity to rollout such a significant number of charge points across Suffolk.
“It will make a real difference to local EV drivers and give others the confidence to go electric, helping to support our mission to deliver cleaner air for all. Through this project we forecast the removal of nearly 140,000 tons of emissions by the end of the initial phase in late 2026*.
“As one of the UK’s best-backed privately funded charge point operators investing over £16m in the Suffolk area, Believ is well placed to support Suffolk deliver its zero carbon transport ambitions.”
Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood said:
“Making charging as easy as possible is a crucial ingredient to make the switch to electric a success. Rolling out over 6,000 charging sockets across Suffolk will make driving an EV easier and more convenient, especially for those without a driveway.
“The switch to electric will power growth, cut emissions and improve lives in Suffolk and beyond, as we continue to support jobs, attract investment and secure our future as part of our Plan for Change.”
Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust has marked an important milestone in connecting busy radiologists across large parts of South East England, following the successful go live of Sectra’s enterprise imaging solution.
The trust is the sixth NHS organisation in the South East 2 Imaging Network to deploy Sectra’s enterprise imaging solution. Commonality of technology now in place opens opportunities for clinical collaboration across multiple locations, and brings with it the means to further enhance care and safety for patients.
Trusts involved now share a single instance for radiology imaging. This means that imaging, such as x-rays, CT scans, and MRIs, are now instantaneously available to professionals across the six participating NHS trusts.
Improved access to critical diagnostic information captured at each organisation has implications for safer and better-informed decision making at the point of care, and in the delivery of high quality diagnostic reporting.
It also lays the foundations for workforce development at a regional level – with new possibilities for harnessing scarce resource where it is needed most.
Trusts that have already benefitted from deployment in the imaging network include Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, and University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust.
Several trusts in the region have also deployed the digital pathology module of Sectra’s enterprise imaging solution. Though this module was not part of the agreement at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, trust imaging specialists will still be able to benefit from visibility of pathology cases from elsewhere in the region, to complement their reporting.
Tony Newman-Sanders, Consultant Radiologist and Chief of Cancer and Diagnostics at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “We are placing modern technology into the hands of our healthcare professionals, and creating the foundations on which we can build imaging services that meet the needs of our patients into the future. This has potential to deliver rapid impact for safer care, and to maximise the use of our specialist diagnostic expertise.”
The deployment, which comes after a previously signed contract with Sectra, follows thorough work to consolidate imaging at the trust, evaluate the safe use of Sectra’s solution, and to ensure that it is configured around trust workflows, and the needs of healthcare professionals and patients.
Jane Rendall, UK and Ireland managing director for Sectra, said: “Hard work has gone into making sure that this deployment is successful. The potential for enhanced patient care that comes with it is highly significant at a time when diagnostics is so high on the national agenda. It has been gratifying to collaborate with teams at the trust, and across the region, in delivering against their objectives, and I look forward to ongoing collaboration as the future of diagnostics continues to evolve.”
The news of the UK government’s recent push toward a circular economy is a welcome and much-needed step in reshaping our waste management practices. As part of its plan, the government has launched an initiative to tackle waste and encourage recycling across various sectors. But while the overarching goal is commendable, local authorities and waste management companies need to be particularly vigilant in addressing one area that is too often overlooked: the mismanagement of grocery delivery equipment such as bread baskets and dollies.
Paul Empson
At Bakers Basco, we’ve been at the forefront of managing a vast pool of bread baskets and dolly equipment used for transporting bread to retailers across the country. However, our industry has faced a persistent challenge: misplaced or abandoned bakery equipment. Many of these items, which are essential to the logistics of the bakery supply chain, are either inadvertently discarded by waste collection services or sometimes left in public spaces without proper attention. The result is not only waste but a severe environmental impact as these items often end up in landfills instead of being returned to the supply chain where they can be reused.
As part of our commitment to reducing environmental harm, we have made significant strides to prevent this. Through investments in GPS tracking and a dedicated national investigations team, we have worked tirelessly to recover misplaced equipment. However, we are only one part of the puzzle. Local authorities and waste management companies play a crucial role in this transition to a circular economy. We need them to be vigilant in their waste collection practices and recognise the value of grocery delivery equipment in the supply chain.
This isn’t just about reclaiming misplaced baskets; it’s about ensuring that materials are reused, repaired and put back into the economy rather than thrown away. With the UK government’s goal to reduce waste and encourage recycling, local authorities must take active steps to prevent the inadvertent collection of these vital assets. When a bread basket is taken away with general waste, it not only represents a financial loss to the industry but also contributes to the unnecessary production of new plastic products. This is a critical issue and it’s one that we need to address collectively as we transition to a more sustainable economy.
One of the most recent incidents involved the discovery of large quantities of misplaced bread baskets across several locations in a Scottish city. These items were found abandoned in public spaces and while this is an unfortunate scenario it did prompt the local Commercial Waste Enforcement team to act swiftly. They reached out to Bakers Basco for assistance and we were able to arrange for the prompt collection and repatriation of the equipment. This collaborative effort is exactly what needs to happen more frequently across the UK.
For local authorities and waste management companies, this is a call to action: to consider the impact of their waste collection practices and to work with companies like ours to ensure that important materials are not lost in the waste cycle. By being more mindful of grocery delivery equipment in the waste stream, local authorities can play a pivotal role in the circular economy. It’s about ensuring that equipment like bread baskets, which are often used hundreds of times, is not discarded needlessly, but returned for reuse, reducing the need for additional production and saving resources.
The government’s vision for a circular economy is one that I fully support, but the success of this transition will require more than just policy changes. It requires a fundamental shift in how we view materials and waste. Local authorities must be part of this shift, ensuring that waste management processes are aligned with the principles of reuse and sustainability. We are more than prepared to collaborate with or assist the Circular Economy Taskforce should they need inside knowledge or additional support. The time to act is now, and through effective partnerships, we can all contribute to a circular economy that works for everyone.
For anyone who comes across these baskets, please contact the Bakers Basco team, who are willing to arrange collections for free. You can report via the recovery helpline: 08000 327323 or email: enquiries@bakersbasco.co.uk.
Influential investors convened in London to discuss future routes to defence financing.
Government’s record spending uplift and reforms will help unlock private-sector investment into UK defence, Defence Secretary said.
Defence “is an ethical investment” as Government set to back Britain’s high-growth companies with new innovation funding.
Comes alongside up to £250 million of Government investment into UK firm to help boost missile defence.
Major venture capitalists from across Europe can help unlock billions of pounds of private investment into UK technology and defence firms, as part of a “new partnership” between defence and private investors, the Defence Secretary has said today.
In a first-of-its-kind meeting between venture capital firms and a UK Defence Secretary, John Healey MP spoke at a breakfast roundtable at Plural’s offices in central London. The meeting was convened by Plural co-founder Khaled Helioui, and Grace Cassy of Ten Eleven Ventures who has supported the development of the Strategic Defence Review as part of the Defence Review Team.
In a changing world, with increasing threats and war in Europe, the group discussed how to incentivise greater private investment into defence and deep technology, to help deter Britain’s adversaries, secure the UK economy, protect the incomes of hard-working families up and down the country and support European security.
The Defence Secretary set out how the Government’s largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War – with 2.5% of GDP spend by April 2027 and a commitment to hit 3% in the next Parliament – coupled with defence reforms, can unlock private sector investment into high-growth British firms – boosting jobs and delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change by making defence an engine for growth across the UK. This includes:
A new ambition to unlock more private defence investment, supported by long-term certainty of rising Government defence investment over the next decade, alongside the new Government direct expenditure target for SMEs including start-ups and scale-ups to give high-growth companies more certainty and sight of future investment.
Turbocharging innovation with a new £400 million ringfenced budget for UK Defence Innovation, announced by the Chancellor last week, alongside a commitment to spend 10% of the MOD equipment budget on novel technologies.
Making clear that “defence is an ethical investment” in deterring conflict and preventing the huge human and economic costs caused by conflicts such as Ukraine. It comes as some funds look to renegotiated Limited Partner Agreements to better enable investment into defence.
In a sign of the Government backing British firms with long-term public investment, the meeting comes as the Government confirms up to £250 million investment across the next six years with UK defence tech firm Roke – supporting around 150 jobs and delivering analysis, trials and technology development against ballistic and hypersonic missile threats.
Defence Secretary, John Healey MP
Roke – based in Hampshire and focused on innovation and AI development – have been awarded a contract up to six-years in length, known as Science and Technology Oriented Research and development in Missile defence (STORM). The framework streamlines crucial research into innovative technologies, helping enhance the UK’s ability to detect, identify, and defeat ballistic and hypersonic missile threats – work that is essential to safeguarding the UK and its allies.
Defence Secretary, John Healey MP said:
“In this new era of rising threats, national security isn’t just a military imperative. It’s the foundation for economic growth, securing Britain’s future and our Government’s Plan for Change.
“As Defence Secretary, I am determined to bring together investors, innovators and industry in a new partnership that drives British jobs and growth. We want to mobilise private investors to take a fresh look at defence, alongside the certainty of our Government’s record long-term uplift in defence spending.
“With countries across Europe facing new threats stepping up to take more responsibility for our continent’s defence is an ethical investment, and it’s good to see increasing numbers of private investors recognising that. There is no more important investment than in our European security.
“As a government we are determined to tackle any blockers which are preventing private finance from flowing into UK defence, which is why today’s landmark meeting is so important.”
The Defence Secretary also said the government is bringing “a clear mandate to bring innovative technology to the frontline at speed and enable the defence sector to create high-growth British success stories that deliver investor returns and national security.”
Matrix Workforce Management Solutions (in association with The People Space) has today launched its in-depth Unlocking Unseen Talent: The Future of Work whitepaper, following extensive research and a high-level industry debate with leading HR professionals. The whitepaper explores the critical shift towards a blended workforce and the role of AI and workforce agility in shaping the future of employment.
Bringing together insights from industry leaders and working with the HR sector’s editors and reporters, the report highlights the increasing reliance on contingent talent, gig workers and AI to drive business adaptability, efficiency and innovation. With traditional employment models becoming less viable in today’s rapidly evolving economic landscape, the paper’s insight outlines the strategies HR and business leaders must adopt to build resilient, future-proof workforce ecosystems.
The launch follows an exclusive HR Leaders Debate Lunch, where prominent figures in talent strategy, HR and workforce management discussed the challenges and opportunities of a blended workforce. The discussion reaffirmed that businesses must move beyond rigid, permanent hiring structures and embrace new, flexible workforce strategies that integrate technology, data-driven insights and human expertise.
The Future of Work whitepaper outlines several key findings:
The Workforce is No Longer Binary – Businesses that blend full-time employees with contingent workers, gig talent and AI-powered solutions are better positioned to navigate volatility and access the best skills at the right time.
AI is an Enabler, Not a Replacement – The report debunks the myth that AI will replace human workers, instead highlighting its role in augmenting workforce capabilities, improving decision-making and increasing productivity.
Skills Over Roles – Organisations must shift from job-based structures to skills-based workforce planning, ensuring they can deploy the right talent dynamically to match business needs.
Workforce Compliance and Governance Are More Complex Than Ever – As businesses move towards a more flexible talent model, navigating global labour laws, IR35 regulations and AI ethics is essential to mitigate risks.
Speaking on the launch, Mark Inskip, CEO of Matrix, commented: “The world of work is undergoing a profound transformation. Traditional workforce structures are no longer fit for purpose in a world where agility and resilience define business success. Our whitepaper provides a roadmap for HR and business leaders to embrace workforce flexibility, AI-driven decision-making and innovative talent strategies. The insights from this whitepaper reaffirm that businesses must take bold steps today to stay ahead tomorrow.”
The full Future of Work whitepaper is now available for download at landing.teammatrix.com/download-unlocking-unseen-talent offering invaluable guidance for HR leaders, business executives and policymakers looking to adapt to the next era of work.
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