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Civil Engineering Capacity Expanded at Narro

Engineering consultancy continues expansion with dedicated Civil team.

Narro’s dedicated Civil Engineering team is continuously expanding, contributing to the growth and expansion of the company. The revamped team will take the lead on all drainage, highways, active travel, public realm and infrastructure engineering projects. 

Amelia Donovan joins the team as a Project Engineer, based in our Edinburgh office. Amelia graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2020 with an MEng in Civil Engineering. Since then, she has developed expertise in highways and transport infrastructure, which will further enhance the skillset within the team. 

Amelia joins Principal Civil Engineer and Section leader Craig Smith, Senior Civil Engineer Alan de Pellette, Senior Technician Jack Munro, Project Engineers Owen Cairns and Reece Edgar, and Civils Technician Stuart McColgan. 

Craig Smith commented, “I’m delighted that Amelia is joining the team, she’s bringing some excellent experience in roads and transport, which compliments the existing skillset. The addition of Owen, Jack and Stuart within the last six months has also really enhanced our technical resources, allowing us to tackle civil projects of increasing size and scale.” 

Narro Managing Director, Ben Adam, said; “Over the thirty-six years the company has been in operation, we’ve built up an excellent reputation for providing quality engineering consultancy services. Civil Engineering has always been a key sector for us, and we’ve done great projects, for example at Culzean Country Park or the Scottish National Gallery at Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh. We’ve also built on our conservation and refurbishment expertise to restore historic infrastructure such as bridges, harbours and piers.” 

He continued, “We’ve really been seeing increasing demand in for civil engineering work over the past few years. The growing number of enquiries from the public sector and more projects having a civil engineering aspect made appointing a dedicated team an obvious choice. We currently have over 50 projects with a civil engineering element! I’m delighted that the team is growing and I’m confident that they will continue to provide excellent support to our clients and partners across all our six office locations.” 

The Narro Civil Engineering team is continuing to hire, with vacancies for Engineers and Technicians still available, which could be based from any of our locations. Interested applicants should visit the Practice’s website to find out more details. 

For more information on the Civil Engineering services provided by the Practice, please visit www.narroassociates.com/civil-engineering or email [email protected].  

London’s Commercial Property Market in ‘Rude Health’ Despite Forecasts – Expert Says

The London commercial property market is in ‘rude health’ despite other forecasts expressing concern – a leading expert argues.

Richard Clarke, Partner at Fisher German’s Central London agency – formerly known as Matthews & Goodman – has questioned the impact of rising interest rates, the Ukraine war and cost of living crisis on the occupation market due to London being dominated by leasing and a lack of supply.

Richard, who has 35 years’ experience in the sector, cited the increase in demand for high-end office space in London that focuses on ESG and a welcoming environment for companies, instead of nondescript office blocks which were more prevalent in the pre-COVID market.

He said: “Despite forecasters predicting challenges, the commercial market in London is currently in a state of rude health, and concerns around economic shocks such as spiking inflation and interest rate rises are not causing it to slow down.

“Headline commercial rents are around 10 per cent higher than they were pre-COVID, which will offset the squeeze on capital values caused by softening yields.

“The major shift in thinking has been towards what offices are actually offering for their occupiers. Our advice to our landlord clients now is to ensure office spaces are as attractive and sustainable as they can be.

“Gone are the days where companies will rent space and fit it out themselves – so many now want the office to have everything in place from day one, whether it’s superb kitchens, breakout areas and meeting facilities, or proper ventilation and air conditioning that actually works and much more.

“London remains not only the capital of the UK but is one of the world’s great cities and people will always be attracted to it, however a poor work environment with a good postcode will no longer command the rent it once did. Landlords have to be savvier.

“But those that invest in their office spaces are seeing occupiers willing to pay higher rents for them – the market is definitely shifting in this direction.

“There’s no doubt it is not all plain sailing, but with the prevalence of leasing in the commercial market, decisions have to be made by occupiers and landlords when leases come to an end. These decisions are what shape the market and keep it moving despite the external pressures on it.

“Because of this, I think London’s market is actually in a great place right now, and as long as firms are still looking to the capital to do business, I think it is likely to stay healthy.”

Richard joined Fisher German when Matthews & Goodman merged with them in June 2022, creating a company of more than 800 personnel across 28 offices. 

He added: “The merger will give Fisher German a major presence in London and other major cities, and the company will now benefit from our years of expertise in those commercial property transactions.

“In turn, Fisher German’s superb knowledge of the development, planning, land, and rural markets will complement our services brilliantly.

“The firm is stronger and more informed than it has ever been, and we look forward to continuing our work in London and beyond as the economy moves forward.”

Newspaper Launched by My Wokingham With a Fresh Approach for Wokingham Berkshire

Wokingham Berkshire sees the introduction of a brand new local paper that’s created by Wokingham residents for Wokingham residents. My Wokingham makes a fresh approach to the industry with a positive editorial ethos.

The news and events platform at Mywokingham.co.uk has been online for just 12 months and following its online success is now venturing into print. 

Created by Wokingham borough resident Nick Marr, the paper is set to serve a fresh approach to help the community keep informed and make the most of living and working in the area.  The editorial ethos of the newspaper is picture heavy and to ‘celebrate the Wokingham Borough’. 

The 32-page tabloid will be free to readers and delivered directly into homes in the borough. It will be available at all major supermarkets and a network of community and business distribution points. 

Nick Marr, who comes from a background as Chief Marketing Officer for companies in the UK, Europe and the US, was named FT Tech Entrepreneur for innovation in the property sector. 

My Wokingham was initially launched as blog that helped charities amplify their causes.  The positive feel of the platform and the way it covered events that included short videos appealed to its local audience.

Nick said: “When we attended events, the public consistently requested to see their photos in print. It’s clear that print still holds a special place and coverage in print is regarded as more impactive than online.” 

The My Wokingham team all live in Wokingham and includes some seasoned individuals including Jacqueline Hayler, a former deputy editor at both the Bracknell News and Henley Standard, head photographer Paul King, who started his career at the Windsor Express, Phil Gee, a Radio Berkshire presenter and Andrew Batt, a popular Berkshire sports photographer. 

The paper looks to appeal to small businesses with a print and digital combined marketing model. My Wokingham launched a sample print edition in March but look to officially launch with a souvenir Coronation edition in May this year. 

Last Days For Application To Bilişim Vadisi Mobility Acceleration Program!

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Türkiye’s technology and innovation hub, Bilişim Vadisi continues to subsidize startups. Leading the industry with its contributions to the mobility and startup ecosystem, Bilişim Vadisi will organize the 3rd Mobility Acceleration Program this year. The deadline for applying to the Mobility Acceleration Program is March 27, 2023.

Bilişim Vadisi, which continues to contribute significantly to the development of the mobility industry and which has become the focal point of the industry, is once again opening its doors to startups with the “Mobility Acceleration Program”, which will be held for the 3rd time this year and which was launched to guide startups who will shape the future mobility ecosystem in Türkiye in areas such as mentoring, financial and legal consultancy, project follow-up support and R&D incentives.

The Mobility Acceleration Program also serves as a platform that brings potential customers and startups together. The program brings stakeholders and initiatives together, enabling them to build stronger relationships and work together on potential projects.

In the Mobility Acceleration Program, for the first time this year, executives and employees of foreign companies operating in the mobility industry will provide one-to-one mentorship to startups. In this way, startups will not only take the first step towards going global, but also seize the opportunity for potential international cooperation.

Who can apply?

All local and foreign startups who have a business idea, are developing or have developed prototypes in areas such as connected technologies, artificial intelligence, internet of things, cyber security, smart payment systems, electric vehicle solutions, battery technology with a focus on mobility can apply to the program. Applicant startups will be subjected to a pre-application process and evaluated according to their level of technology readiness.

What awaits the startups who will apply to the program?

Startups who apply to the program will have the following opportunities:

· One-to-one mentoring and consultancy support from national and international mentors specialized in mobility,
· Customized trainings by industry-leading and expert trainers,
· Prioritized utilization of the Venture Capital Investment Funds of the Bilişim Vadisi,
· Negotiations with national/international investment funds,
· Bilişim Vadisi Incubation Center office support,
· Meetings with OEMs and suppliers for potential collaborations,
· Benefiting from the 1.0000.000 Turkish Liras supported KOSGEB Advanced Startups Program,
· Benefiting from TUBITAK BIGG Techno-Entrepreneurship Support Program,
· Meeting with investors at the “Demoday” at the end of the program.

Having become the focal point of the industry with its pioneering role in the development of the mobility industry, the Bilişim Vadisi will continue to support Türkiye’s technology startup ecosystem for unique, innovative and sustainable value generation.

Application Deadline: March 27, 2023

For Detailed Information and Application: https://bilisimvadisi.techin2b.com/tr/events/mobilite-hizlandirma-programi-2023?Id=409

Gülşah Durak Canbaba – [email protected]

Allianz and Oscar Winner Christoph Waltz Launch New Series to Help People Prepare for their Financial Future

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Munich, Germany –

Through its new “Start Making Cents” social media series, Allianz has partnered up with award-winning actor Christoph Waltz to help people prepare better for their financial future.

With rising prices and higher costs top of mind, Allianz aims to make financial literacy topics more accessible and relatable, with the series providing valuable tips for managing personal finances.

The six-part social media series shows Waltz performing seemingly random actions, which just so happen to be visual, easy-to-understand metaphors for financial topics. With this new series, Allianz aims to help people become better prepared to enter the world of investing by simplifying a topic that’s often seen as unapproachable and complicated.

Chairman of the Board of Management (CEO) at Allianz Oliver Bäte, said, “At Allianz, we want to help people manage their money, so that it goes further, lasts longer, and enhances their quality of life. We believe financial literacy is critical in this effort.

We are excited to partner with Christoph to raise awareness of this important issue and bring the topics to life through his insights and humor.”

In his unique, characteristic way, Waltz eats Spaghetti Bolognese in a white suit, builds DIY furniture, packs a suitcase, patiently shaves wool sweaters, follows a strict skincare routine, and deals with bees. All to help understand the basics of investing.

Christoph Waltz says: “It’s very useful and important to know how to handle money. If you are like me starting a degree in business is not really an option. Thankfully there are other means to acquire some of the necessary knowledge. Far more accessible, easier to approach and relate to. Our little series for Allianz seems like an ideal platform. After all – the story of your money is about you.”

Without advertising any products, the series focuses on financial literacy education, and thus Allianz is assuming its responsibilities as one of the leading financial services companies.

The full series launched in early February and can be accessed by visiting Allianz.com and Allianz’s social media channels.

Financial Literacy

Financial literacy means the skills and knowledge needed to make important financial decisions. The OECD/INFE 2020 International Adult Financial Literacy Survey suggests that “on average the surveyed individuals do not consider their financial situation to contribute positively to their well-being, but rather to add stress and worry.“ Therefore, there is plenty of room for improvement.

In contrast, current issues such as inflation and rising electricity and gas prices mean that a large proportion of the population would like to catch up on this knowledge to safeguard their own finances. And how could it be easier to get started than with the entertaining short films “Start Making Cents” with the quirky and enigmatic characteristics of Christoph Waltz?

One-Stop-Shop Handyman Services Brought To Greater London by Trusted Professionals

One of the biggest issues for London homeowners has long been where to turn for help when they need work carried out on their property. While there is no shortage of companies offering individual contractor services in the capital, finding a “one stop shop” service has, until now, been practically impossible.

Finding a painter and decorator may not present too many challenges, but what if you need drywall repairs or a ceiling installed at the same time? The need to search for multiple professionals to complete a single project is time-consuming, stressful, and often, expensive with multiple call-out fees and labour costs. This is a situation that Handyman London has now set out to rectify. 

“We realised that London property owners were crying out for a single point of contact for all their home repair and maintenance needs,” the team behind Handyman London explained. “A project such as a kitchen renovation, for example, can become far more complex and costly than it needs to be simply because of the need to find individual contractors to cover different elements of the process. Finding a joiner to assemble and install the cabinets is just the first step. Who is going to install the electrics, fit the sink, tile the walls and lay the flooring? Finding separate professionals for each of those tasks takes an enormous amount of effort and results in the overall cost of the project increasing significantly.” 

The team decided that it was time to make life easier for homeowners in London, and they have wasted no time in putting together a skilled team of professionals who are specialists in a wide range of fields. Plumbers, electricians, joiners, carpenters, painters and decorators and more have now all been brought together under the single umbrella of Handyman London to deliver their expert services to customers in the city and beyond. 

“We want to address all of the pain points of our customers,” the Handyman London team state. “We know that finding individual contractors is just the tip of the iceberg. Customers need to be able to trust the professionals that they invite into their property to carry out work too. Homeowners are under a lot of pressure not only to source a suitable professional to carry out the necessary work but also to vet that individual to ensure that they’re fully qualified, licensed if necessary, and also trustworthy. That’s a lot of responsibility for customers to face, especially when they need to repeat the same process over and over with multiple contractors.” 

Handyman London aims to remove that burden from the shoulders of London homeowners, taking it upon themselves to carry out the necessary checks before accepting any contractor onto their wider team. 

“We want homeowners to be confident that they can rely on anyone that they hire through us,” the team explain, “and we want them to feel safe with any Handyman London professional in their home.” 

Another issue that Handyman London have set out to resolve is the availability of services throughout the Greater London area. Often, homeowners find that contractors will only operate in certain boroughs, making their search for a suitable professional even more complex. It also makes it more difficult to follow up on recommendations. If a friend in Croydon recommends an excellent plumber who has carried out work on their property, it’s unlikely that the same plumber will be willing to come out to work on a home in Enfield. 

“It’s our mission to ensure that homeowners can enjoy the same high level of service no matter where they’re located across the Greater London area”, the Handyman London spokesperson says.  “Whether customers are in Hillingdon, Boxley, or Westminster, we want them to be confident that all their work will be carried out to the same professional standard and that the customer service they receive will always be excellent.” 

A commitment to outstanding customer service is something that Handyman London believe will set them apart from the crowd, as the team require the contractors they use to have punctual attendance, a friendly, polite and courteous attitude, and a dedication to ensuring the customer’s complete satisfaction with the work that has been carried out at all times. 

“We know that customers often find that the work that contractors carry out on their properties is of a high standard, but the customer service experience is lacking,” the team report. “We’re committed to ensuring that the customer service experience is just as good as the work itself, and we take time and effort to ensure that the professionals that we use are prepared to deliver on this promise.” 

One final issue that the team have addressed is that of pricing. The cost of living is constantly on the rise, and nowhere is the pinch felt more strongly than in the capital. Finding professionals to carry out work on a property at a reasonable rate is a time-consuming task, and involves homeowners having to make multiple enquiries, obtain several quotes, and compare prices in order to find an affordable contractor to complete the necessary work. Handyman London is striving to address this with highly competitive pricing that is consistent across the whole of Greater London. 

“We’ve established a clear and transparent pricing structure that applies across all of the London areas that we serve,” Handyman London’s spokesperson explains. “We’re working to keep our prices affordable in today’s economically challenging climate, and customers can be sure that there’ll be no hidden extras. Everything is included in our quoted costs except the materials required to complete the work, and, depending on the location of the property, the London congestion charge.”

Offering outstanding availability, with bookings available seven days a week and up to as late as 10pm from Monday to Saturday to ensure maximum convenience for customers, Handyman London is setting out to revolutionise the way in which homeowners can arrange work on their properties, no matter where they’re based across the capital. 

60% of professionals confess to ‘rage-applying’ to new role – amidst peak frustration with employees

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Two-thirds of white-collar professionals (60%) have admitted to ‘rage applying’ to a new job since the beginning of the year – with a toxic workplace culture (56%) being the primary motivating factor. 

The trend – which has seen a spike since New Year appraisals – occurs when professionals retaliate to a bad day at work by firing out multiple applications to new job roles. 

Of those who admitted to rage applying in the past six months, almost half (40%) stated that they had applied to multiple new roles within a short space of time. The findings come from a recent poll by staffing firm Walters People, of 2,000 UK professionals. 

Toxic workplaces to blame

The leading issue provoking rage-appliers is a toxic workplace culture – with over half (56%) of professionals stating this was the primary reason they took to the keyboard to apply for new jobs.  

A fifth of workers blamed an unmanageable workload (20%), followed by 18% who state that poor work-life balance continues to be an issue. 

Just 6% said that a  disagreement with management led to them rage applying in the past six months.

Janine Blacksley – Director of Walters People – comments:

“By and large it continues to be a candidate-driven market – with more jobs than people available – so ‘rage applying’ is really something that most employers cannot afford to happen. 

“Interestingly it is not issues relating to pay or progression that is creating this knee-jerk reaction – but the work environment itself, something well within the control of the employer. 

“Toxic workplace cultures can very much be invisible but the knock-on effect to employee happiness is significant – from a staff members mental and physical safety in the workplace, productivity levels, ideas generation and innovation. 

“As a result we are increasingly seeing more ‘culture matches’ in the hiring process – where both the company and prospective employee are vocal about what kind of worker or workplace they are looking for.”

Problem with the culture 

According to Walters People, working for an inspiring company culture and colleagues is the number one thing that attracts professionals to a job advert – ahead of flexible work and enhanced benefits packages. 

Janine top tips on how to improve a toxic work-environment: 

  1. Put it high on your management’s agenda – ensure that managers are well aware that team morale and a positive work environment is a core responsibility of theirs. Business leaders should raise this in management meetings often, as well as asking managers what type of activities/initiatives have taken place in the last month to encourage inclusivity.  
  2. Launch anonymous feedback surveys – a fairly basic initiative that simply not enough employers do! Find out how your employees actually feel, and ask open-ended questions on culture. Take time to read all of these comments to get a steer on what is actually going wrong. 
  3. Invest time and money – culture does not come for free. Fact is the workplace is made up of a set of people bought together because of their varying skillsets – not because they would necessarily make good friends. As such, companies need to put more effort into helping to create a friendly, social and inclusive environment – these things often don’t happen by chance. 

Muslim Aid starts its distribution of 30,000 meals to battle Ramadan cost-of-living crisis 

Muslim Aid on Tuesday distributed 10,000 meals as it introduces its flagship Feed The Fasting campaign in the UK to combat the cost-of-living crisis. 

Muslim Aid, which is one of the oldest British Muslim charities, carried out launch event for the distribution at East London Mosque in partnership with Euro Foods. 

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Food packs and content

Local high-profile figure such as Dilowar Khan, the Director of East London Mosque, Lutfur Rahman the Mayor of Tower Hamlets and Shelim Hussain MBE, Managing Director of Euro Foods, attended the distribution. 

 

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Dilowar Khan, Director of East London Mosque

Muslim Aid’s leadership team also spoke of their experience in food poverty and the way their experience drives their humanitarian work. 

“Sadly, we do have poverty right here on my doorstep right here in Tower Hamlets. I myself, I grew up not far from here in a council estate in Hackney, and I remember as a child, my mother and I used to live alone and I used to come home from school and there wasn’t hot food in the house”, said Mustafa Faruqi, Muslim Aid’s Chair of the Board of Trustees. 

“I remember eating plain bread because we didn’t have food in the house. We didn’t need food banks or food parcels but I do have a little bit of experience of what it’s like to be in food poverty and food hunger”, he added. 

“The distribution was a massive success and we are proud that Muslim Aid has extended our Feed The Fasting campaign by launching it at one of Europe’s largest Mosques, and we are looking to roll it out to the rest of the country as we find more partners to work with”, said Abul Kalam, Head of Fundraising and Marketing Campaigns at Muslim Aid.   

“Muslim Aid is based in London’s borough of Tower Hamlets, where 56 percent of children live in poverty, it felt natural for us to launch this campaign closest to home”, said Khalid Javid, Interim CEO of Muslim Aid. 

Feed The Fasting takes place every Ramadan by Muslim Aid — the second oldest Muslim charity in the UK — which feeds people in poverty across the world to cover their meals throughout the holy Muslim month. 

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Lutfur Rahman – Mayor of Tower Hamlets 

Last year, Muslim Aid’s Feed The Fasting campaign delivered over 2.2 million meals across the world in 12 countries. Muslim Aid is planning to roll out the campaign in the UK by engaging with civil organisations, businesses and local political leaders to become partners in this national endeavour. 

For interview opportunities, press enquiries or multimedia from the collection or a chance to cover the next collection, please email [email protected] 

Aston University partnership project with Aurrigo strengthens its driverless vehicle’s capabilities 

Aston University has finished a two-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Coventry-based global transport technology firm Aurrigo, resulting in a sophisticated machine vision solution making its autonomous vehicles more capable. 

The project has led to the company’s driverless vehicles being able to see and recognise objects in greater detail resulting in improved performance across a wider spectrum of operational domains.

Previously the company’s driverless vehicles were only capable of detecting that there was an object in their path and not the type of object, so would just stop when they encountered something in their way.

The project team leveraged computer vision systems, coupled with machine learning and artificial intelligence, to differentiate between objects of interest. The new technology has been applied to the company’s airport Auto-Dolly, which is now able to differentiate between many different objects airside improving its operational performance.

This project has built on the success of Aurrigo’s passenger and airport transport solutions  and has been awarded the highest grade of ‘Outstanding’ by the Innovate UK KTP Grading Panel.

The Aston University team was led by Dr George Vogiatzis, senior lecturer in computer science, who has extensive research in the subjects of machine vision, machine learning and artificial intelligence, including deep-learning neural networks and deep-learning methodologies for indexing large video and image collections.

He was joined by Dr Luis Manso, lecturer in computer science, whose research interests include active perception, social and assistive robotics, ambient intelligence, robotic cognitive architectures, human-robot interaction, and deep geometric learning.  

James Heaton, KTP associate for the partnership, deployed computer vision and machine learning systems onto the company’s autonomous vehicles. Following the completion of the project, James has been employed by Aurrigo as a machine learning engineer.

Dr George Vogiatzis, senior lecturer in computer science at Aston University, said: 

“This KTP has been a great way for us to work with a new industrial partner whilst applying our expertise in deep learning and robotics to the exciting field of autonomous vehicles. 

“It is very rewarding to see the success of this collaboration.”

Professor David Keene, CEO of Aurrigo, said: 

“KTPs provide resource and academic support to companies with development ideas which otherwise may not be possible.  

“This partnership has allowed us to produce a system which has resulted in our vehicles becoming smarter and more capable and enabled us to expand our operations, particularly with baggage handling in airports worldwide.”

Learnings of this project will have further applications for vehicles in their larger product range.

A KTP is a three-way collaboration between a business, an academic partner and a highly qualified researcher, known as a KTP associate. Aston University is a leading KTP provider in the West Midlands, ranked third in terms of volume by Innovate UK, the National body. 

A Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) is a UK-wide programme that helps businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills. Aston University is a leading KTP provider, ranked third in terms of volume by Innovate UK, the National body. 

This project is co-funded by the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK and was awarded the highest grade of ‘Outstanding’ by the Innovate UK KTP Grading Panel.

Watch our short film to see how it works and visit our website for examples of KTP in action at Aston.

To find out more about how your business can benefit from working with Aston University, please email [email protected] or call 0121 204 4242.

Debt Awareness Week: 1/10 People Are Having Money Problems Because They Don’t Discuss Eat

  • 21% of Brits admit to being in debt because of poor money management
  • 13% confess that not discussing their debt has resulted in further money problems
  • Debt Awareness Week runs from 20th-26th March

With Debt Awareness Week running from the 20th March, credit management company Lowell has conducted a national study to find the main causes of debt in the UK.

Currently, 13% of Brits confess that not discussing debt has resulted in money problems and one in ten (9%) say that their debt is caused by a lack of financial knowledge.

Worryingly, 32% of people in the UK find it too uncomfortable to discuss finance issues, prompting Lowell to raise further debt awareness and to encourage people to talk and learn more about their money.

The research also determines the main causes of money problems and the detrimental effects it has on personal lives. 

What are the main causes of debt specifically? 

As well as one in five (22%) Brits claiming that the cost-of-living crisis is having an impact on them accumulating debt, 9% also confess a lack of financial knowledge is a big cause.

Poor money management (21%) is the second highest cause for debt, and worryingly, credit cards are responsible for one in five (20%) people’s debt.

In family life, children (7%) and pets (3%) are affecting borrowing around the UK and worryingly 10% are accruing debt because of the loss of a job.

What is your main cause for debt in general (excluding any mortgages)? Percentage 
Cost of living crisis      22%
Poor money management21%
Credit card20%
Unexpected expenses17%
Low income16%
Taking on credit / not keeping up to payments15%
Energy crisis13%
Holidays12%
Job loss10%
Misunderstanding financial terms9%
Student debt7%
Children7%
Relationship breakdown5%
Pets3%

What are the main causes of money problems and personal difficulties?

Currently, almost a third of Brits[2] are too uncomfortable to discuss money problems, which is having a detrimental effect on people’s personal lives. Talking about a financial situation could prevent some life changing situations such as relationship breakdowns and even divorce (14%). 

In fact, although 37% have confessed that their financial difficulties are caused by unpredictable expenses, borrowing from a family member or loved one has also caused issues for one in three (33%) and disagreeing about how money is spent has also affected 12% of people’s relationships and financial situations.

Frivolous overspending (26%), and the cost-of-living crisis (20%) have also led to problems with keeping up with bills and debt payments (28%), and not discussing debt is also creating further financial issues (13%).

What has been the cause of the money problems? Percentage 
Unpredictable/unforeseen expenses37%
Borrowing from a family member or loved one33%
Misunderstanding financial terms and getting into financial difficulty31%
Not having enough money to keep up with bills or debt payments28%
Frivolous overspending26%
Cost of living crisis20%
Not discussing debt13%
Disagreeing how money is spent12%
Delay in retirement5%

John Pears, UK Managing Director of Lowell UK said “At Lowell, we know the importance of talking about your finances.

The cost-of-living crisis is having a huge impact on many households, and in such an intense financial period, we want to ensure that people are as well-equipped as possible to handle and discuss their finances, so that they don’t have a heavy influence on accruing debt.

We want to help break down the stigma surrounding money and people asking for help because it’s very difficult to learn about money matters when you’re discouraged from talking about them.

We’d like to remind anyone looking to discuss their debt to seek out further support and information here, and to use Debt Awareness Week as a platform to make a change: https://www.lowell.co.uk/about-us/lowells-blog/wellbeing/time-to-talk/