Prime Minister Boris Johnson sets out a timeline for retail to reopen in June Thousands of high street shops, department stores and shopping centres across England have been given the green light to reopen next month the Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed on Monday 25th May. Outdoor markets and car showrooms will be able to reopen from 1 June, as soon as they are able to meet the COVID-19 secure guidelines to protect shoppers and workers. All other non-essential retail including shops selling clothes, shoes, toys, furniture, books, and electronics, plus tailors, auction houses, photography studios, and indoor markets, will…
Author: sme-admin
Sellafield Ltd’s Geospatial and Strategic Spatial Planning Team have used their skills to help support the most vulnerable in the community as part of Cumbria’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Richard McGrath, who heads up the team at Sellafield Ltd said, “Three colleagues worked closely with Cumbria County Council since the beginning of lockdown, to help them develop a web-based interactive ‘app’ to help triage and coordinate support to the most vulnerable in the community.” The application provides information, in a web-map, on where vulnerable people in the community live and matches this with the geographical spread of local community…
The race to manufacture millions of doses of a coronavirus vaccine has been boosted with a multi-million-pound government investment, Business Secretary Alok Sharma announced on Sunday 17th May. The government will invest up to £93 million to accelerate construction of the new Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre (VMIC) which, when completed, will have capacity to produce enough vaccine doses to serve the entire UK population in as little as six months. The funding will ensure the centre opens in Summer 2021, a full 12 months ahead of schedule. The new Centre, which is already under construction, is a key component…
From yesterday (Thursday 14th May) anyone in England wanting and able to move house can do so, as long as they follow new guidance the Government has published. When the lockdown was announced in March, the rules changed so that people could only move home if they thought it was “reasonably necessary”. That meant that more than 450,000 buyers plans were put on hold. Under these new guidelines people can now start to move forward with their house moves. Under the plans estate agents offices can re-open, viewings will be permitted – whether virtual or in person, show homes can open…
The Chancellor announced yesterday, Tuesday 12th May, that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will remain open until the end of October. In a boost to millions of jobs and businesses, Rishi Sunak said the furlough scheme would be extended by a further four months with workers continuing to receive 80% of their current salary. From the start of August, furloughed workers will be able to return to work part-time with employers being asked to pay a percentage towards the salaries of their furloughed staff. The Chancellor commented “This extension and the changes we are making to the scheme will give…
Rolls-Royce is publishing, for free, its world-class digital skills training programme to help people and businesses around the world prepare for a potentially digital-centric recovery from COVID-19. Bringing together its trusted training partners and platforms, the first suite of courses includes introductions to data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, coding and digital culture. Courses range from ‘bitesize’ 20-minute sessions, to extended fully certified training programmes. This release by Rolls-Royce follows its founding role in establishing the global Emergent Alliance, a voluntary group of technology companies and data science specialists working together to find new ways to accelerate and smooth the…
Baroness Dido Harding has been appointed to lead the programme of testing and tracing as part of the government’s ongoing response to coronavirus. NHS Improvement chair Baroness Harding will start the role immediately and report directly to prime minister Boris Johnson and cabinet secretary Mark Sedwill. Professor John Newton, the government’s head of testing, role is being “expanded” to allow him to ensure coordination between the testing and test and trace programmes, supporting Baroness Harding a government statement said. Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said:“ Baroness Harding “significant experience” and “ fantastic leadership” will bring “added strength” to our…
How many of us truly understand what it means to transform ourselves, to live a transformed life? A caterpillar transforms into a butterfly, and no one could mistake the butterfly for the caterpillar it once was as there has been a noticeable change in appearance – a transformation. If you never knew it was once a caterpillar, you would never guess, as the butterfly bears absolutely no resemblance to the caterpillar. So why then when we want to change and need to undergo a total transformation, do we expect that we can stay the same and that no one will…
Cotswold Wildlife Park debuts its first Binturong breeding success on World Binturong Day. Saturday 9th May is World Binturong Day – a worldwide event to raise awareness for this rare and endangered mammal. This year, keepers had hoped to share some exciting news with visitors at the Park – for the first time in its fifty-year history, a Binturong cub has been born at the collection. It seemed rather fitting to announce the new arrival on World Binturong Day but, due to the Park being temporarily closed to the public, the cub will now make her debut on social media.…
Founder of UK fostering agency calls for more people to find out about the rewards of fostering during Foster Care Fortnight Foster Care Fortnight™ is the UK’s biggest foster care awareness raising campaign, delivered by fostering charity, The Fostering Network. Foster Care Fortnight begins today running until 24th May. The annual campaign was established to raise the profile of fostering and to show how foster care transforms lives. Banya, an independent fostering provider supporting foster carer households in Greater London and beyond, is fully involved in the event & will be live every day on Facebook at 11:30am to discuss exciting topics and answer…