Manchester-founded proptech company BNKer has announced a new partnership with fellow property technology business Doorly as the two firms look to reshape apartment living through smarter in-building storage and resident experience solutions. The collaboration aims to address growing space pressures across the UK residential market by integrating BNKer’s self-storage offering within modern developments.

After a successful first year, bringing self storage to the doorstep of over 4500 apartments, BNKer has already begun making its mark on the UK’s residential property market. Since launching in Manchester, the proptech company has quickly connected with leading property developers across the North West – including the renowned Renaker – and beyond, bringing its onsite self-storage solution to some of the most sought-after home hotspots. Now, through a partnership with fellow Manchester-founded and rapidly expanding start-up Doorly, the two businesses are working together to reshape the way renters experience modern apartment living. 

Also founded in Manchester, Doorly has created a platform designed to simplify everyday living by connecting users with trusted local service providers. Through the app, users can browse, compare and connect with professionals offering a wide range of home services – from at-home hairdressing and beauty treatments to cleaning, babysitting, dog walking and more. By linking with BNKer, residents can now book extra space. 

Like BNKer, Doorly places the end user at the centre of its model. The platform provides a natural opportunity for BNKer to introduce its storage solution directly to people navigating the realities of modern apartment living. 

With a clear ambition to place its self-storage solution in front of the right audiences across the UK, BNKer’s partnership with Doorly marks an important step in both companies’ growth journeys. By connecting BNKer with Doorly’s growing renter audience, the collaboration creates opportunities to raise awareness of the storage solution while opening the door to new conversations with developers and property operators across the UK. 

Michael Lawes, Founder of Doorly, said: “This was a very natural partnership for us, particularly as both businesses are at similar points in our growth journeys. Doorly was created to make everyday living easier by connecting people with trusted local services, and BNKer is tackling another major challenge many people face in modern apartments – the lack of space. 

“As we continue expanding beyond the North West and into cities across the UK, it made sense to work with a company that shares a similar outlook on improving the way people live in their homes. Through this partnership, we can introduce BNKer’s solution to the people experiencing these challenges first-hand.” 

The timing of the collaboration is particularly relevant as both companies look towards further expansion in London, where the challenges of limited apartment space are felt most acutely. As rental living continues to grow across the capital’s high-density developments, demand for practical, accessible storage solutions is only increasing. 

David Fricker, Founder of BNKer, said: “Partnering with Doorly gives us the opportunity to connect directly with the people experiencing the space challenges that come with modern apartment living. 

“Doorly gives residents access to services from their phones, so now they can reserve extra space as and when they need it. 

“Our goal has always been to help buildings make better use of the space they already have. Doorly has built a platform that speaks directly to residents across the UK, so working together allows us to better understand which residents need for extra space and where, while continuing to build relationships across the wider residential property sector.” 

As both companies continue expanding their presence across the UK, the partnership reflects a shared ambition to improve the everyday realities of apartment living – connecting residents with the services and space they need while helping landlords make better use of the buildings they manage. 

SCEND, the eCommerce fulfilment and third-party logistics (3PL) provider, has been awarded B Corp Certification by B Lab, placing it among a vanishingly small group of UK logistics operators independently verified against the standard. Of the approximately 3,500 UK 3PLs in the market, only a small handful are B Corps. SCEND’s B Impact Assessment score of 93.7 sits comfortably above the 80-point threshold required for certification.

The certification covers governance, employee practices, environmental impact, and community engagement, requiring demonstrable outcomes rather than stated policies, and is subject to ongoing reassessment as businesses grow. It sits alongside SCEND’s existing ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certifications adding another layer of external verification to an operational framework that was already being held to account.

“There’s a version of growth that looks good on a spreadsheet and not much else,” said Jack Crumpton, Co-Founder of SCEND. 

“We didn’t set out in 2017 to become a B Corp – we just made decisions we could defend to ourselves. B Corp is the external audit of whether we actually did. The fact that fulfilment as a sector is so under-represented in the certification tells you something about how far it has to go, and we’d rather be part of changing that than waiting for it to change.”

One shift the certification process made tangible was how SCEND measures success. Revenue growth remained important, but it was no longer the only metric that mattered. Client satisfaction, employee wellbeing, and supplier due diligence became equally central – alongside the development of shared values that could be embedded across the business and felt at every level of it.

SCEND worked with B Corp specialists The Pollinators throughout the certification process. “Logistics has such an important role to play in shaping more responsible supply chains, and SCEND’s curiosity about the certification translated into practical changes with real impact across the business. Their commitment to doing business with greater transparency, accountability and care really aligned with our own values,” said a representative from the firm.

The sector isn’t typically associated with this kind of accountability. For SCEND, the certification reflects a longer-term commitment to how the business is run, not simply a milestone to mark. What began as a regional operation has grown into a business with international reach, and the same principles that shaped it then are now being held to an internationally recognised standard.

 B Corp Certification represents a point of accountability for what comes next: growth that holds itself to something.

London Harts United FC have completed a remarkable unbeaten campaign in the Essex Alliance Senior League, lifting the title and earning promotion to Step 6 football after a flawless season without defeat.

The club played thirty games, winning 24 and drawing six. The team scored 112 goals across the campaign and kept 10 clean sheets. They are one of only four teams down to Step 7 to go through the entire 2025/26 season unbeaten.

The title win earns the club a place in the Thurlow Nunn League next season, stepping up to Step 6 of the English football pyramid. It is the biggest moment in London Harts United’s 3-year history and the start of a new chapter for everyone at the club. 

A club representative said: “This is a huge moment for us as a team and as a community. With over 7,000 clubs competing across the English football pyramid, staying unbeaten from August through to May is something very few sides ever manage at any level. 

“To go a full season unbeaten takes discipline, unity, and belief. The players have shown incredible commitment from the first match to the last.

“The club’s achievement this season shows exactly what grassroots football is capable of, bringing people together and giving the next generation something to aim for.”

London Harts United draws support from families and supporters across London and Essex. With promotion secured and the league title under their belt, the Harts head into next season as a club to watch out for.

The Mysteries of Rome and Intrigue by Robert Faulkner has been released, offering readers a dramatic journey through a world where trust is uncertain, danger is constant and survival is never assured.

The Mysteries of Rome and Intrigue follows field operative Giorgio, whose plans for rest are abruptly interrupted by a sealed message ordering his immediate return via Athens. What begins as a routine directive quickly escalates into a dangerous pursuit of stolen secret files, drawing Giorgio and his long-time associate Emilio into a web of deception where loyalty is uncertain and survival is never assured.

Set against a richly drawn backdrop of Athens and Rome, the story unfolds through a series of tense encounters, shifting alliances, and quiet moments of reflection that reveal the personal cost of life lived in the shadows. The novel is inspired by Faulker’s years of global travel and professional work across borders.

As powerful enemies close in and hidden motives surface, Giorgio must navigate betrayal, moral ambiguity, and the consequences of trust in a world where nothing and no one is as they seem.

As the story moves from Greece to Rome, secrets surface, alliances fracture, and powerful forces close in. Amid hidden desires, manipulation, and escalating danger, Giorgio must navigate a web of lies where one wrong decision could prove fatal. In this world of power and passion, trust is a risk and survival comes at a cost.

Speaking of this latest work, 68-year-old Faulkner said: “The novel opens in Athens with sharp dialogue and immediate tension, immersing readers in the lived reality of seasoned operatives who understand that even friendships have an expiry date.

“Rome becomes the emotional and symbolic heart of the story, where moments of beauty and reflection stand in stark contrast to the dangers faced by those lives lived in shadow.”

Keen readers will observe that poetic elements are woven throughout the book, including a striking concluding poem that echoes the journey, the losses, and the quiet sacrifices made along the way. Themes of loyalty, consequence, and moral ambiguity linger long after the final page.

A cinematic book trailer script reinforces the novel’s atmosphere, tracing the characters’ movements across continents and culminating at Rome’s fountain of love and dreams, where past fears become present reality and separation is inevitable.

This compelling thriller will appeal to readers who enjoy international espionage, political intrigue, espionage fiction, political intrigue, Rome thriller, Athens espionage, global conspiracy, intelligence operatives, high stakes suspense, emotionally complex characters, and stories rooted in real world experience.

The Mysteries of Rome and Intrigue has been published by Maple Publishers, a UK-based publishing company. It is now available worldwide through major retailers, including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Waterstones, WHSmith, Blackwell’s, Foyles, Books A Million, Powell’s Books, Indigo and more.

As businesses increasingly depend on large volumes of electrical equipment, workplace safety and regulatory compliance remain key operational concerns. From offices and retail spaces to warehouses and public buildings, PAT test expert Ray Brosnan, Managing Director of Brosnan Property Solutions, says organisations are placing greater focus on preventative maintenance and operational resilience. He adds that regular Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) helps detect electrical faults early, ensuring equipment remains safe for ongoing use.

Ray said: “PAT Testing is a practical way for organisations to reduce risk and maintain safer workplaces,” he explains. “Small faults can quickly develop into larger safety or operational issues if they are not identified early.”

Why PAT Testing Matters

PAT Testing involves the inspection and testing of portable electrical appliances to ensure they’re safe to operate. It forms part of a wider health and safety strategy for many commercial organisations.

Commonly tested items include:

• Desktop equipment 
• Kitchen appliances 
• Extension leads 
• Power tools 
• Portable heaters 
• Charging equipment 

Routine PAT checks can help businesses:

• Reduce the risk of electrical faults 
• Improve workplace safety 
• Minimise unexpected downtime 
• Support insurance requirements 
• Maintain compliance documentation 
• Extend equipment lifespan 

For businesses operating across multiple sites, structured testing programmes also improve visibility and consistency across estates.

Reducing Risk Through Preventative Maintenance

Electrical faults remain a common cause of workplace incidents and equipment failure. That’s because damaged cables, overloaded sockets and worn appliances may not always be visible during day-to-day operations. PAT electrical testing provides a structured process for identifying risks before failures occur.

According to Ray, proactive maintenance, like electrical safety PAT testing, is becoming increasingly important as businesses seek greater control over operational performance.

“Organisations are looking for ways to avoid disruption while maintaining safe and compliant environments,” he says. “Regular electrical appliance testing supports that by helping businesses identify developing issues early and take corrective action before systems fail.”

Supporting Compliance and Operational Continuity

PAT Testing is often integrated into wider facilities management and maintenance strategies. By combining electrical testing with planned preventative maintenance programmes, businesses can reduce administrative burden and maintain more consistent oversight of equipment and assets.

For commercial organisations, this supports stronger operational continuity while helping teams maintain accurate records for inspections, audits and internal compliance processes.

As workplaces continue to evolve, structured safety and maintenance programmes are becoming increasingly important. PAT Testing remains one of the simplest and most effective ways businesses can protect staff, safeguard equipment and support long-term operational reliability.

Lady Justice took centre stage at Olympia London as TikBox unveiled its enterprise rights and provenance platform for the AI era.

The UK-based provenance and licensing technology company used the visual symbol of justice to highlight a growing challenge for businesses, creators, publishers and rights-holders: in a world of AI-generated and AI-assisted media, how can organisations show what content is, who owns the rights, and how it can be licensed?

TikBox’s “Make Rights, Not Wrongs” activation, staged in the AI Zone at the Media Production & Technology Show, brought that message to life. Lady Justice appeared alongside TikBox founder and CEO Nageela Yusuf, drawing attention to the need for practical tools that help organisations distinguish between human-created, AI-generated and materially altered content.

The launch comes as AI transparency rules under the EU AI Act approach, with transparency obligations due to take effect from August 2026. For organisations, the issue is no longer limited to lost licensing revenue or unauthorised use. Reliable provenance is becoming central to legal readiness, brand protection and public trust.

Every organisation now publishes, shares and relies on digital content. Images, video, likenesses, marketing assets, archives and branded media all carry reputational value. As synthetic and AI-assisted media become harder to distinguish from human-created work, businesses need clearer ways to show whether content is authentic, AI-generated or altered, and whether it is properly licensed.

The TikBox platform helps enterprises manage rights, unlock licensing opportunities and provide clear provenance signals for human-created, AI-generated and altered content. The technology supports businesses that need to verify content, protect brands, preserve public trust, retrieve rights and licensing information, and manage digital assets at scale.

TikBox brings provenance verification, rights management and licensing into one enterprise-ready infrastructure layer. Modular by design and federated by architecture, it allows organisations to deploy what they need today, extend as requirements evolve and retain control of their assets.

Core capabilities include C2PA compliant content signing; rights and permissions management that connects licensing terms directly to content; and retrieval and audit tools for legal, commercial and technical teams.

The platform has already received an enthusiastic welcome from broadcasters, social platforms and the heritage sector.

“AI has accelerated the need for modern rights infrastructure, but the principles around control and commercialisation remain the same,” said Nageela Yusuf, Founder and CEO of TikBox.

“What is new is the challenge of clarity: being able to distinguish between human-created, AI-generated and altered content. TikBox gives organisations the means to label content, attach rights information and create routes to commercialisation before questions of origin, permission and licensing become disputes.”