Business London Press

With Endorsement from ITV’s Holly Willoughby, TentBox Roof Tents Steal the Show at the NEC, With A New Product Launch

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16/03/2023

With Endorsement from ITV’s Holly Willoughby, TentBox Roof Tents Steal the Show at the NEC, With A New Product Launch

TentBox, the UK’s revolutionary roof tentcompany, has made its debut at Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show 2023 at the NEC in Birmingham. Introducing two exciting new models and capturing the imagination of an audience that adored its ingenuity and ease, TentBox stole the show, becoming a hit on national TV and scoring a welcome endorsement from Holly Willoughby.

It was the first time TentBox had showcased its entire fleet of TentBox roof tent models for the public in one event space, but the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show was the perfect platform for it. The show is the biggest camping event in the industry’s calendar with over 400 big-name exhibitors across five vast exhibition halls and there was little doubt TentBox was the one to watch.

All four TentBox roof tents were on display on board a Land Rover Defender, Audi A4 estate, Renault Traffic camper and Fiat Panda to showcase the convenience, flexibility and affordability of every model in the range. Indeed, a steady stream of prospective adventurers queued to climb up and into each TentBox throughout the week.

TentBox kicked off its show with the launch of the new Lite XL, one of the most lightweight and versatile 4-person roof tents to emerge onto the market. This substantial, 62kg roof tent takes just a few minutes to set up and, with a price point of just £1895 for the promise of easy, comfortable and rugged family adventures under canvas, the orders soon began to roll in. Find more info on the new models here.

ITV’s This Morning broadcast (Holly Willoughby loved it!)

The press and public were quick to pick up on the buzz surrounding the launch and it wasn’t long before the TV cameras arrived. ITV’s This Morning presenter, Josie Gibson, broadcast her live report to the nation from inside the XL to the joy of the TentBox team – and an excited Holly Willoughby who described it as ‘Amazing’ and a ‘Treehouse’. The XL had certainly made its presence felt.

View the ITV This Morning footage here.

The all-new Lite 2.0, a clever upgrade of the brand’s mega-popular 2-person roof tent, was also launched at the show and, mounted on top of the Panda micro, drew hundreds of visitors into its new, improved space. At just 50kgs, 133cm wide and a very attractive £1295 price tag, the Lite 2.0 was a hugely successful launch for the brand with record enquiries still coming.

A quote from the founder

Founder and CEO, Oliver Shurville, puts the TentBox triumph down to the fleet’s versatility and scope to add an extra room and even more fun to every camping trip:

“TentBox was founded with inclusivity in mind,” says Ollie. “In other words, TentBoxing is for everyone, which is why our products can work on any vehicle and come at a range of price points. You can turn any car into a camper with ease or add a TentBox to your existing caravan/campervan set-up to create an extra bedroom, with epic, up-high views.

“We’re all about creating high-performance products that are easy to use at a price that everyone can afford. This approach, together with a continual focus on product excellence, customer service and our rapidly growing community of TentBoxers, is helping us become a household name in the outdoor space.”

It’s fair to say this year’s Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show was a phenomenal success for the brand with serious numbers of TentBoxes ordered and great contacts with exciting brand partners made at the show.

The new Lite XL and 2.0 are shipping in April so, if you want to turn your car into a camper and make light work of your next adventure, visit tentbox.com and discover the model that’s right for you and yours.

Visit the TentBox image gallery here
More info on the new products here

TentBox was founded in 2016 by Ollie and Neill Shurville. A TentBox is a hugely innovative way to convert any car into a campervan or add an extra bedroom to any caravan towing vehicle. Each comes with a super-comfortable, storage-savvy sleeping and living pod with a 6cm-thick memory foam mattress and a rugged exterior that pops up in seconds. With a choice of exciting models to suit every size car, TentBoxes are weatherproof, midgeproof, roomy and an affordable way for adventurers of all ages to enjoy camping, the great outdoors, epic road trips and festivals and spontaneous getaways. The TentBox Community and TentBox Ambassadors share the passion and lead the charge for the brand and meet regularly for TentBox events. Discover the TentBox concept at tentbox.com and be part of the adventure.

Book a TentBox roof tent test ride: TentBox models are available for press loans features and reviews. Please contact us to find out more.

Images: We have an extensive photographic library. Please contact us if you require further images in different resolutions or formats.

Contacts for information, comments and interviews:

Louise Beech, Press Relations | TentBox
+44 7885 821828 [email protected]

Dom Pemberton, Head of Partnerships and Events | TentBox
+44 7846 719835 [email protected]

New In-House Events Promotion Arm Named Citizen Live Launched by Citizen Ticket

News Desk

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16/03/2023

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New In-House Events Promotion Arm Named Citizen Live Launched by Citizen Ticket

UK-based online ticketing and livestream events platform, Citizen Ticket, has recently grown its UK and European presence through the launch of a new promotion arm, Citizen Live.

As part of the expansion, the newly formed Citizen Live will host between 80 and 100 events this year in London, further afield in the UK, and Europe. Tickets for Citizen Live will be sold exclusively through Citizen Ticket, with every ticket sold, 5p goes towards planting trees in the UK – making it one of the most sustainable event ticketing platforms on the market.

The new promotion arm, Citizen Live, will be led by Harpo Scaini & Alesandro Sforza. Between them, Scaini and Sforza have over a decade of industry experience in creating, producing and selling out shows, and have hosted more than 300 events across the UK and Europe.

To celebrate the launch, Citizen Live will be hosting a launch event at Amazing Grace in London Bridge on Tuesday 28th March. Scaini and Sforza have secured Emma Noble to help mark the monumental night for the brand. Tickets for the event start at £13.50 and can be purchased via the Citizen Ticket website.

Harry Boisseau, Co-founder & CEO of Citizen Ticket, said: “We’re delighted to have Harpo and Alesandro on board and look forward to embarking on this next chapter for the business.

“Through ticketing thousands of events and analysing the data from Citizen Ticket, we can really get a grasp of what ticket purchasers are looking for and what there is demand for. We’re excited to host a wide range of events over the next year.”

Commenting on the launch, Harpo Scaini and Alesandro Sforza, said: “We share a passion for producing live events and we know that every detail matters. We’re excited to launch Citizen Live and continue promoting a strong line-up of events going forward.”

Citizen Live aims to create an established UK-based promoter that can also operate in Europe. It will tailor a live music product, expand a roster of artists, and venues and create the best live shows. The data and marketing reach of the Citizen Ticket platform will help market the shows and feedback data to help understand the type of shows that there is customer appetite for.

In 2023 Citizen Live will host 80-100 events at a mid-capacity range (200 – 600) with plans to focus on a larger scale, higher production and more ambitious live content within the next few years.

London Contemporary Juried Exhibition – Rush to the Wilderness

News Desk

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15/03/2023

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London Contemporary Juried Exhibition – Rush to the Wilderness

Exhibition introduction: Rush to the Wilderness: As a result of the pandemic era, people’s perspectives have shifted and the interconnectedness of all beings has been highlighted, including nature itself. Inspired by artists collective urge to return to the wilderness, Artists explore the relationship between nature, human identity, and connection in the aftermath of a global crisis in this exhibition. As people navigate a new normal, people are reminded of the vital role that nature plays in people lives, providing solace, nourishment, and a sense of belonging. Through art and reflection, this exhibition invites everyone to immerse ourselves in the diversity of flora and fauna, to appreciate the delicate balance of ecosystems, and to cultivate a deeper connection to the natural world as people move forward in a post-pandemic era.

Selection criteria for the exhibition: The exhibition plan will be drafted by GALLERY NAT London, and will be called for globally in February 2023. It is open to outstanding professional artists from all over the world, and European art history critic Renaud Ego / Maxence Alcalde and GALLERY NAT London curator team will be invited / M P BIRLA MILLENNIUM ART GALLERY Tripartite joint selection. A total of 19 contemporary artists from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, India, China, and Hong Kong, China were finally selected from the 370 artists who submitted submissions from around the world, and will be held at M P, London, England from March 15th to March 21st, 2023 Live exhibition at BIRLA MILLENNIUM ART GALLERY. At the same time, the GALLERY NAT London curator team will hold an exhibition reception on March 15, 2023. During the exhibition, various art awards will be selected for the exhibition theme “Rush to the Wilderness”. Each award is born from the works exhibited on the spot in line with the principles of fairness, justice and academics. After the end of the pandemic crisis, the world focuses on rationally returning to the inner connection of nature, philosophy, and human nature. The diversity of natural organisms, the inheritance of human civilization, and the changing contradictions of all parties in the society form a series of survival and thinking problems, and study the direction of social development.

Exhibition theme

Rush to the Wilderness – London Contemporary Juried Exhibition

Organizer

GALLERY NAT

M P BIRLA MILLENNIUM ART GALLERY

Exhibition reception

16:00, March 15, 2023 (Greenwich Mean Time)

Exhibition time

March 15-21, 2023

Exhibition address

4A Castletown Road West Kensington London W14 9HE

Curator

Xi Wang /Yue Yin / Wuchao Feng

The final selection of participating artists in the global public selection

Prasad Beaven / Yan Chen / Xiangyu Dong / Chun Han / Phil Hohn / Mack Gingles / Yizhu Gong / Stacy Isenbarger / Xiaotong Jiang / Saruha Kilaru / Danlei Kong / Steve Kong / Francesca Miotto / Giulia Simeoni / Josh Spindler / Annie Trevorah / Yijuan Wang / Zhuo Yao / Yuyi

Part of the exhibition works

Prasad Beaven Reflections II, 38 x 28 cm – Varvara Beaven

Phil Hohn “Nature Nurture ”Sculpture, 68 x 35 x 63 cm, 2022

Xiangyu Dong“Untitled” from series “In a Mood for Love”30x40cm, photography

Francesca Miotto“On the Fig tree ”oil on linen, 60×40 cm, 2023

Giulia Simeoni “Soffio (Egl. translation “Blow”)”Sculpture of Alabaster, Plaster, Rattan Wood and straw r – Total volume (W x L x H) ca. 35 x 35 x 40 cm – Year 2023

Annie Trevorah “Totems (series of 4)” Jesmonite, paint, 17 x 84 cm, granite boulder 30 x 51 cm, 09/22

Yijuan Wang“The girl living in the wilderness.”digital 2023

To Help Fill Vacancies, More Diversity is Needed in Construction

News Desk

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14/03/2023

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To Help Fill Vacancies, More Diversity is Needed in Construction

From a wide range of backgrounds in South London, young people are being encouraged to become construction apprentices in an aim to fill the vacancies at sites across the city.

Thousands of roles need to be filled at building sites across London as research shows more than 4,000 jobs will need to be filled every year for construction projects to be completed on time.

A campaign has been launched in a bid to meet these ambitious targets by highlighting the wide range of jobs that are available to apprentices in construction. The campaign includes two virtual information events, which are taking place later this month.

The South London Partnership (SLP) campaign is seeing councils, colleges and businesses in South London working together to find the construction apprentices and tutors needed across the industry.

Shane Routledge-McDonald, 21, an apprentice site manager with the Berkeley Group working on the creation of 926 apartments at the iconic Prince of Wales Drive development in Battersea, said: “After school I wanted to be able to find a way to expand my education while learning something new, and an apprenticeship ticked all those boxes.

“Ever since I’ve been young I’ve had a keen eye for detail and I liked making floor plans for my parents. When I looked into construction, site management suited me and what I wanted to do for a career.”

Shane is studying at Farnborough College of Technology to learn the skills needed to create the Prince of Wales Drive development, which includes resident facilities such as a swimming pool, bar, karaoke room and cinema. Following up on why apprenticeships are a good route into employment, he explained:

“I’d encourage anyone to become an apprentice because you get paid and you can actually see the job getting done rather than being in a room and someone just talking to you about the subject. You also gain skills a lot faster, and looking to the future, I want to complete this apprenticeship and my NVQ and then work up the ranks to become a project director.

“When I wake up in the morning it always puts a smile on my face knowing that I’m not only doing a job I love, but I’m also making my family proud as well.”

Supported by the Mayor of London, the SLP initiative comes after research revealed that more apprentices and tutors are needed across the city.

The South London Partnership is a sub-regional collaboration of five London boroughs: Croydon, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames and Sutton. Apprenticeships are available in hundreds of careers including as a 3D Visualiser, Gas Service Installer, Building Technician or a Glazier.

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) recently released its annual Construction Skills Network (CSN) report which shows that Greater London needs 22,800 extra workers by 2027 – that means an annual recruitment boost of 4,560 must happen.

Tutors from a range of backgrounds are also needed to help apprentices achieve the qualifications they need to progress in the construction industry. They will be responsible for providing the support needed for apprentices to develop their technical skills – as well as professional attributes such as communication, problem-solving and teamwork abilities.

The virtual events include one for anyone wanting information on becoming a tutor on March 27 at 5pm https://www.eventbrite.com/e/become-a-tutor-in-construction-find-out-more-tickets-576344861997 and one for apprentices on March 30 at 4.30pm https://www.eventbrite.com/e/apprenticeships-in-construction-find-out-more-tickets-576195144187

For more information email [email protected] or visit http://southlondonpartnership.co.uk/skills/mayors-construction-academy-hub/

Legislate Earn $3.6M to Provide Startups & SMEs the Technology to Query and Compare Every Contract

News Desk

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14/03/2023

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Legislate Earn $3.6M to Provide Startups & SMEs the Technology to Query and Compare Every Contract

UK-based Legislate today revealed it has added $3.6M in funding in a round led by Parkwalk Advisors, with contribution from Oxford Capital and several high-profile angel investors. Using its patented knowledge graph technology, Legislate provides companies with ontologies of legal terms, allowing anyone in the business to semantically search for information across an entire database of contracts. The company, which until now has focused on creating a solution for startups and scaleups, is using the funds to double down on UK sales and prepare for international expansion in 2023.

“For scaling companies, keeping track of terms across hundreds or thousands of contracts is a challenge that creeps up on you. Searching for basic information like contract start and end dates, or nuances in confidentiality terms across entire databases of contracts is painfully manual, or impossible. Before working with us, we know that some of our customers would spend weeks doing this” said Charles Brecque, Legislate’s founder.

“By allowing companies to create their own ontologies of terms and making them semantically searchable, we enable anyone in that business to search for information in contracts, even if they don’t have a legal background. That’s incredibly powerful for scaling companies where business teams need to review terms across hundreds of contracts quickly to understand exposure to risks”, he continued.

With Legislate’s technology, contracts are first made machine-readable, this subsequently allows all business users to easily compare, create, query, and sign every contract without the need for outside legal involvement.

In 2022 the company announced it had been granted its second US patent for semantic document generation, further enhancing its patented knowledge graph technology – ultimately benefiting Legislate’s customers. Customers primarily use Legislate for employment, consultancy, internal contracts, and terms of business agreements.

“We are delighted to have secured additional funding capable of helping us continue to drive innovation in this sector. The grant of our second patent last year has put our technology in an extremely strong position coming into 2023 – we’re making it easier for businesses of all sizes to create and manage complex contracts quickly and in a way that allows them to extract and aggregate data afterwards. We’re looking forward to what we can achieve this year as we focus on our sales capability”, commented Charles Brecque, Founder and CEO of Legislate.

“Legislate has developed a unique solution to simplify contracting for SMEs and mid-market businesses in a way that scales. We’re confident that they are well-positioned to take a significant portion of the market. Their focus on making contracts machine-readable is particularly impressive and we believe it has the potential to be a game-changer in the industry,” commented Claire Pardo from Parkwalk Advisors.

“We are proud to back Charles and the team in their mission to use tech to revolutionise contract creation and management. Investing in Legislate is investing in the future of machine-readable contracts. Their patented Knowledge Graph system sets them apart from other technologies and makes it simple for people without legal training to access contracts created by lawyers and manage them effectively,” commented Stephen Hampson, Investment Director at Oxford Capital.

For more information about Legislate, visit their website at https://legislate.ai/

British Muslim Organisations Partner Up For ‘Fast Money’ in Ramadan’s Charity Spirit

News Desk

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10/03/2023

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British Muslim Organisations Partner Up For ‘Fast Money’ in Ramadan’s Charity Spirit

Muslim Aid has partnered with Muslims in Rail to launch our ‘Fast Money’ campaign to raise money for victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

We’re calling on the UK to fast one day in Ramadan on 5 April on what we’ve declared to be ‘National Fast Day’ and give up your lunch money to feed fasting victims of the earthquake in Syria and provide emergency assistance to both Turkey and Syria.

Throughout the rest of the month, which will occur between 22nd March to 21st April, we ask that the British public donates what they’d pay for their coffee, lunch, or meal deal to the ‘Fast Money’ campaign.

In February, two deadly earthquakes of 7.8 and 7.6 magnitudes struck Southern Turkey and Northern Syria, killing at least 50,000 people. Muslim Aid, the second-oldest British Muslim charity that aims to serve humanity regardless of who they are and what they believe in, was one of the first to respond to this humanitarian catastrophe and is still on the ground helping victims rebuild their lives.

Muslims in Rail (MIR) is a national network of professionals drawn from leading rail and transport organisations and is committed to connecting, growing and inspiring people working or seeking a career in the rail industry.

The idea stemmed from the two organisations’ faith-inspired interfaith work to contribute to wider society indiscriminately and to unite the British public during one day of Ramadan for the good of humanity.

Since the start of the emergency last month, Muslim Aid has served nearly 10,000 people, providing fuel, food, blankets, water and sanitisation items.

“This is a great initiative to build a strong national community spirit for a great cause”, says Diana Alghoul, Muslim Aid’s Communications and Public Relations manager.

“We are proud of who we are and believe our Islamic ethos calls for us to be of service through unity, charity, and in this case, a lot of fun. We encourage everyone to try the fasting challenge or at the very least, be part of the spirit of charity that Ramadan brings in all of us and donate.”

Nasir Khan MBE, Co-Founder and Director of Muslims in Rail, says: “We are not living in a perfect world; economic distress, rising inflation and worsening geopolitical situation has created several constraints, but we are still privileged to have food, shelter, and health.”

“Our partnership with Muslim Aid means that we will be able to give back to those that are most in need. Bringing food to the disaster-stricken people of Syria and Turkey will help bring meaning to life, and create opportunities to nurture and strengthen our personal values.”

UK Economy Beats Expectations, Growth Up 0.3%

News Desk

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10/03/2023

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UK Economy Beats Expectations, Growth Up 0.3%

GDP grows 0.3% in January
This follows a decline of 0.5% in December
UK services sector rebounds, up 0.5%
Construction fell by 1.7%
Production fell by 0.3%

Jonathan Moyes, Head of Investment Research, Wealth Club said:

“The UK economy continues to beat gloomy expectations. Led by the dominant services sector, GDP growth of 0.3% was stronger than the 0.1% expected. This follows stronger than expected performance in 2022.

It may take a great deal more expectation beating data to shift the bleak expectations for the UK economy. However, a quiet, more optimistic, consensus does appear to be forming. The economic outlook is much improved, energy prices are falling sharply, China is reopening, and interest rate expectations have eased significantly.

All eyes will now turn to Jeremy Hunt and the spring budget next week. With a chorus of voices calling for some relief from the highest tax burden in living memory, will the Treasury spend this unexpected growth windfall?.”

BusinessLDN responds to GDP monthly estimate

News Desk

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10/03/2023

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BusinessLDN responds to GDP monthly estimate

Responding to the GDP monthly estimate, Muniya Barua, Deputy Chief Executive at BusinessLDN, said:

“The date released today show that the economy is still stuck in the slow lane. The Chancellor needs to use next week’s Budget as the catalyst for sustainable economic growth. There are several low-cost measures that could provide an immediate boost, including reforming the apprenticeship levy to encourage greater take up and further devolution of regional pots of government funding so spending can be targeted where needed locally. The decision to end tax-free shopping, which is vital to attracting big spending international tourists, should also be reviewed.

“With strikes on the Tube and rail due to wipe out much of the working week, businesses and Londoners will also be hoping that both sides are edging closer to resolving this long-running industrial action which will inflict further damage on the economy .”

‘World first’ Plastic Free Bottles for Commercial Cleaning Products to be Released at London Trade Show

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10/03/2023

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‘World first’ Plastic Free Bottles for Commercial Cleaning Products to be Released at London Trade Show

Innovative Biovate Hygienics is set to launch of one of the world’s first plastic free paper bottles for commercial cleaning products at a major London trade show.

The fast-growing start-up was co-founded last year by experienced environmental entrepreneur Nick Winstone with a mission to drive sustainable change in all markets that use cleaning products.

Their game-changing ‘Zero Compromise’ range – in which Biovate Hygienics has committed over £100,000 – features 500 ml ultra concentrates of floor and wall degreasers and washroom and multi-purpose cleaners.

The eagerly anticipated range will be officially unveiled by the company at The Cleaning Show. Biovate Hygienics is exhibiting on Stand D18 at the show, which is being held at ExCeL London from March 14 to 16.

The new products are all multi-tasking, taking care of 99% of cleaning tasks within a cleaning environment and they also use naturally derived bacteria, enzymes and plant-based actives for their primary cleaning power.

Although highly concentrated, the concentrates cleaning products are not corrosive and do not contain any petroleum derived ingredients. In their diluted form the products are not an irritant or classified in anyway.

Another UK first by ensuring only natural actives have been used, Biovate Hygienics is intending to submit the range to organic certification organisation, Ecocert, to be classified as natural eco detergents. The carbon footprint of Biovate Hygienics and its products are also undergoing certification by Neutral Carbon Zone using their gold standard. This ensures that the integrity of the products and their impact on the environment are externally validated by credible third parties.

Nick Winstone enthused: “In a time of economic hardship, we have ensured that the range is incredibly cost effective, amounting to just a few pence per spray bottle. Our multi-purpose cleaner concentrate 500 ml makes up to 250 spray bottles.

“Commercial cleaning products tend to have traditional fragrances, so we’ve launched the range with contemporary and sustainable perfumes such as Rhubarb Multi-Purpose Cleaner, Mandarin Floor & Wall Degreaser and our Rhubarb Washroom Cleaner.

“Our plastic-free bottle is made in the UK using sustainably sourced vegetable waste fibre paper pulp. This makes the bottle not only plastic free but it’s also created using materials that would otherwise be discarded. This sustainable sourcing also means that no trees were cut down in the production of our new bottles, helping to reduce waste and decrease our carbon footprint”.

The bottle’s interior features a bio liner that protects the inside, preventing contact with Biovate’s liquid cleaning products. This coating is made from natural pure plant sap latex while the outer case is infused with natural seaweed extract for added water resistance and helping to break down the paper fibres quicker, if composted.

Nick added: “Paper is more easily recycled than plastic and breaks down naturally when composted without creating harmful micro plastics. In contrast to plastic that can only be recycled up to six times in most cases, our unique plant-based paper bottle can be recycled indefinitely or composted, allowing two alternative means of disposal.

“With 91% of UK waste plastic not currently recycled but over 75% of paper waste recycled effectively, this is a ground-breaking”.

The paper can be easily pulped in most recycling centres and the natural coating comes away and is used within the organic waste stream for composting back to nature. The bottle has been designed to be recyclable or compostable, while its screw neck and cap are made of Moso Bamboo that breaks down easily and can also be recycled.

“Being a pioneer of biological products 15 years ago and having been out of the FM sector for three years, we wanted to ensure that our new range for the Cleaning & Hygiene sector was as pioneering as bacteria-based cleaning was all those years ago,” stressed Nick. “We spoke to cleaning operatives, managers in cleaning businesses and distributors and we kept on hearing the same thing, namely that the industry wants to eliminate chemicals and plastic from their cleaning practises. However, it was also clear that the products still needed to smell good, work better and cost no more than the chemicals they were replacing. After this extensive feedback we are delighted to unveil our Zero Compromise range”.

Biovate Hygienics, which is based near Towcester, Northamptonshire, has recently completed a successful first year of trading with more than £2 million in sales achieved. The company primarily focuses on providing bio products to housekeeping, hospitality, care and general cleaning sectors.

Building for the future: new campaign to fill construction roles in South London

News Desk

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10/03/2023

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<strong>Building for the future: new campaign to fill construction roles in South London</strong>

The South London Partnership (SLP) is launching a campaign to find apprentices and tutors to help boost the construction trade across South London, as UK labour vacancies reached a record 48,000 in 2021.

Supported by the Mayor of London, the SLP has created the initiative after research showed the construction industry has a shortage of apprentices and tutors. The campaign includes two virtual information events, which are taking place later this month.

Last month the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) released its annual Construction Skills Network (CSN) report which shows that Greater London needs 22,800 extra workers by 2027 – that means an annual recruitment boost of 4,560.

The SLP is a sub-regional collaboration of five London boroughs: Croydon, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames and Sutton. The SLP will work alongside Wandsworth Council, South London businesses and colleges to deliver this campaign.

Councillor Gareth Roberts, Leader of Richmond Council and Chair of the South London Partnership said:

“South London is a great place to live, but like other parts of London, provision of good quality, affordable and sustainable homes is a priority. Whether this is building new homes or retrofitting existing housing stock, we are predicting an even greater demand on the construction workforce.

“There is a wide range of apprenticeships on offer locally, which give young people a pathway to good quality careers in the industry. And for those further on in their career, tutoring provides a great opportunity to take those years of knowledge and experience and put their skills to use in a different way and help nurture the next generation of the workforce.”

A survey of 1,000 people conducted by UK Construction Week (2022) noted several barriers to young people pursuing a career in the industry. This included it being seen as a ‘dirty job’ (23 per cent), a lack of careers advice (19 per cent), and the sector being seen as male-dominated (15 per cent).

Shakir Kikomeko, 21-years-old, is an apprentice site manager working on one of South London’s biggest projects while studying one day a week at college.

“Most of my friends have gone to university, but I felt it wasn’t for me as I was keen to earn money and get started in a career. Sometimes you can feel unsure about asking questions, but you soon learn that there’s no such thing as a stupid question. When doing an apprenticeship you are surrounded by people that have been in the construction business for 20 or 30 years and there isn’t anything they don’t know.”

A recent study by The Financial Times on behalf of the Association of Colleges found that 85 per cent of colleges across the UK were understaffed for construction courses, with the lack of tutors contributing to a sector-wide shortage of construction workers.

Kevin Williams, 54, worked as a self-employed plumber for 20 years before becoming a lecturer and assessor at South Thames College. Kevin, who himself was an apprentice, said:

“It’s seeing the students grow and learn that really drives me. You can literally see the passion and determination in their faces to learn and succeed.”

The virtual events include one for anyone wanting information on becoming a tutor on March 27 at 5pm https://www.eventbrite.com/e/become-a-tutor-in-construction-find-out-more-tickets-576344861997 and one for apprentices on March 30 at 4.30pm https://www.eventbrite.com/e/apprenticeships-in-construction-find-out-more-tickets-576195144187

For more information email [email protected] or visit http://southlondonpartnership.co.uk/skills/mayors-construction-academy-hub/

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