With the arrival of snow on Sunday morning some of the animals at Cotswold Wildlife Park were having much fun. The snow was welcomed by a few of the species, including the Red Pandas, Camels and Wolverine who would normally come from colder climates. Even the Capybaras seemed to enjoy it, despite their relatives coming from South America. Chris Kibbey, Assistant Animal Manager at Cotswold Wildlife Park, said: “Although we are currently closed, keepers are still working daily to ensure all the animals are well cared for”. Head Keeper Mark Godwin’s children, Henry and Mollie, made a snow Rhino and he…
Author: sme-admin
Record numbers of hauliers declined to move goods from France into Britain in the second week of January whilst those that did raised their prices significantly. According to data from German software firm Transporeon, which monitors transportation prices and movement rates, prices to transport goods from France to the UK rose by more than 50% in the second week of January, compared with the third quarter in 2020. Meanwhile rejection rates increased by 168%. This compares to a 102% jump recorded by Transporean in the first week of January. The report uses the third quarter of 2020 as a comparator…
The office for national Statistics is reporting that Young people and those on the lowest incomes who were furloughed are more likely to have felt the impact of the coronavirus. Estimates of personal and economic well-being in Great Britain, from March 2020 to December 2020, showed people under 30 years and those with household incomes under £10,000 were around 40% and 60% respectively more likely to be furloughed than the general population. Young people and those on the lowest incomes were as likely to be impacted in this second phase, during November, as they were in the first lockdown. There…
Covid started in China at the back end of 2019 and few of us could have foreseen the impact the virus would have on the global economy, business, our way of life and mental well-being. I am, by nature, a highly positive person, I have had more than my fair share of “issues” but survived them to become quite a wise man, always defaulting to positive. Prior to Covid, I was quite fortunate insofar as I had, inside Aspen Waite, launched the concept that “nobody ever needed to be alone any more”. When Covid hit us, it seemed intuitively obvious…
Martine Catton, Chief Commercial Officer, explains,” Newspaper headlines tend to focus on the potential high number of business failures caused by COVID and the various lockdowns. However, little attention is given to those businesses that have weathered the crisis well by being innovative, creative and adaptable. “These businesses are facing a different challenge – how they are going to finance increasing opportunities to invest and grow while also keeping an eye on inevitable cash flow challenges.The new loan facility, between £10,000 to £1 million, is designed to cover VAT paid on commercial properties or other large asset purchases. It is…
Andrew Baker, a brain injury survivor who made it his mission to raise thousands of pounds for brain injury and children’s hospital charities, will now, after almost two decades of fundraising receive an (MBE) from the Queen. Mr Baker, 32, the founder and CEO of Play2Give, the Oxfordshire fundraising organisation, was born with a brain injury and was cared for since birth, he then suffered a head injury at the age of eight which resulted in him needing further treatment and later surgery at the age of 12. The St Birinus pupil started raising money at age 14 in what…
SME Today recently spoke to Andrew Baker BCAv, founder of Play2Give, a Didcot-based fundraising organisation supporting, raising money and awareness for many Oxfordshire charities. “Having a disability is no barrier to success, and for me that saying is perfectly true, as my very own fundraising organisation, Play2Give (or P2G for short), which I proudly founded in 2007 just keeps going from strength to strength.” “In February 2001, aged 12, my life changed when I underwent life saving brain surgery for a head injury sustained when I was knocked over at primary school, aged 8. It was treatment that would prove…
Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are responsible for around 48% of all waste fires occurring in the UK each year, costing some £158 million annually to waste operators, fire services and the environment, according to new research conducted by Eunomia Li-ion batteries are found in an increasing number of electrical and electronic household items such as mobile phones and electric toothbrushes, and even items such as singing greetings cards, an issue often unknown to householders. These batteries cause a significant fire risk when they get into the residual and mixed recycling waste streams, either loose or inside electrical items. When these batteries…
Global Primary Lithium Battery Market 2020-2024 The analyst has been monitoring the primary lithium battery market and it is poised to grow by $ 1.88 bn during 2020-2024 progressing at a CAGR of 7% during the forecast period. Our report on primary lithium battery market provides a holistic analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis covering around 25 vendors. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current global market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The market is driven by the advantages associated with use of primary…
High Wycombe based Grant & Stone Limited, an independent builders’ merchant in the Thames Valley, has agreed to acquire and merge with CRS Building Supplies Limited (CRS), marking a decisive stage in its strategy to expand through a combination of acquisitions, new site development and organic growth. Established in 2005, CRS Building Supplies provides a broad range of heavyside building materials to trade and retail customers from 12 branches across Somerset. Headquartered in Wells, CRS is a highly successful local brand, with the reputation for outstanding customer service, which has demonstrated continued organic growth since its formation. Strategically, the partnership…