Business News

To mark this year’s International Women in Engineering Day (June 23rd), Dame Judith Hackitt, Chair of Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation, is calling on young women across the Midlands to join its diverse and talented intake of apprentices, to meet the on-going challenges that both the sector and UK now face.

The proportion of women in the UK joining the sector as apprentices is 7.5%1; at Make UK, however, women accounted for almost 10% of the 2019/20 intake at its Technology Hub in Aston, Birmingham.

Dame Judith commented: “2020 has demonstrated to us all, more than ever before, the need for talented people to address the challenges we face in engineering, manufacturing and in every aspect of how we live our lives. 
 
“Solutions to some of the biggest challenges we’ve ever faced require diverse and inclusive teams – women and men from all backgrounds. Young people who really want to make a difference in the world choose engineering. Make UK’s centre at Aston is a shining example of diverse and inclusive groups working together to shape the future. More than ever before your talent and your passion is needed in manufacturing.”

Vicky Stanislavska, an apprentice with Alcon, added: “I decided to go into engineering because I believe that there are so many opportunities in this field, because of my interest in cars, and I wanted an opportunity to work in the automotive industry. I also had a passion for art, so design engineering was a logical solution to combine both interests. Places will always need engineers and there are so many jobs which women would enjoy.”

Evie Hammond, who is in her third year as a Severn Trent engineering apprentice, spent her first year of studies at Make UK’s Technology Hub. She commented: “Not only have I gained on-the-job experience, but I have also gained the same academic achievements of someone that went to university to do a similar course. I definitely made the right decision!”

Now in its seventh year, ‘​International Women in Engineering Day’ is an international awareness campaign which raises the profile of women in engineering and focuses attention on the amazing career opportunities available to girls in the industry. The theme of this year’s campaign is #ShapeTheWorld.

The latest research by estate agent comparison site, GetAgent.co.uk, has highlighted the declining revenue of the average UK estate agent due to a reduction in transactions, largely driven by the industry-wide lockdown as a result of the coronavirus.

GetAgent looked at the average fee charged by estate agents and what the total potential value is when considering all residential transactions. GetAgent then compared this to market performance over the last year and five years to see how lucrative it is to be an estate agent in the current market climate. 

In the financial year of 2015-2016, the average estate agent charged a fee of 1.3%+VAT which equated to £2,622 on the average house price of £201,695; £3,146 when taking VAT into account.

Fast forward five years and this fee has dropped marginally to 1.25%+VAT, however, with house prices climbing to an average of £231,906 the average agent has seen income from each transaction climb by 10.6% to £2,899.
 
The difference? A -11.8% reduction in transactions, meaning that five years ago the 1,321,630 annual transactions within the resi market would have made the industry nearly £3.5bn in fees.

With the lockdown in March seeing agents restricted throughout April and transactions plummeting as a result, this total value has seen a notable decline, with £86,373,744 lost in fees.

Between 2018/2019 financial year and 2019/2020, the data also shows transactions have fallen by -1.9% meaning that while the average estate agents fee has still increased when compared to this time a year ago, the industry as a whole has seen revenues fall by nearly £25m where the fees secured on completed transactions are concerned.  

Founder and CEO of GetAgent.co.uk, Colby Short, commented: “The property industry has endured a tough couple of months and the Government’s lockdown of the market has had a notable impact on transactions and as a result, the revenue of many agents.

“This struggle is likely to continue over the coming months as we inevitably see a further reduction in transactions.

“The good news is not all agents are average and we’ve seen a monumental effort by many to adapt, evolve and in some cases, thrive in current market conditions. People still want to move and it will be those agents out on the front line helping them to do so that will remain relevant in an ever evolving industry. As ever these days, the best service will prevail and UK agents are really understanding that differentiator now.

“Many will have to knuckle down, manage overheads and potentially jettison branch offices.

“Some may also reconsider Rightmove as one of their biggest expenses. However, in recent years we’ve seen the industry survive the financial crash, pivot to fight against online agents and overcome months of Brexit uncertainty, and we’re confident we will see this resilience shine through once again.”
 

The total amount of vital coronavirus business grants so far paid to City of Wolverhampton businesses is closing in on £40million.
 
Eligible city businesses who have yet to claim their coronavirus business support grants are also being urged to submit their online form.
 
More than 3,400 businesses have now received a share of £38.8million distributed by City of Wolverhampton Council from the Government’s Small Business Grant Fund and Retail Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund, since April 6.
 
Over 94% of requests for funding have been paid and there are currently a further 162 city businesses at various stages in the process, working with the Council.
 
Eligible businesses have been contacted by letter and/or email and allocated a code, a Business Account reference number, and a link to a web form to capture the relevant business information. Businesses are encouraged to check their post and emails for correspondence from the Council.
 
Anyone with any business support queries should call 01902 290242 between 9am and 5pm from Monday to Thursday or from 9am to 4.30pm on Fridays. 
 
All forms submitted by businesses are subject to thorough eligibility checks, and to ensure that they meet the criteria of:

Being the ratepayer
In occupation of the business on 11 March 2020

The council is dealing with a high volume of calls to update records and is working as quickly as possible. Following this, businesses are contacted and invited to confirm their eligibility for a grant.
 
Further communication with businesses may be necessary if any of the required information is missing.
 
City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, Councillor Harman Banger, said: “We are doing everything we can to support our small businesses to access this money including proactively contacting businesses who are eligible.
 
“We have staff on hand to support businesses who require help and advice with the online process, and I would urge eligible businesses to get in touch.
 
“If you’ve already filled in an online form but haven’t received your grant payment yet, please bear with us.
 
“We yesterday (Monday) also launched the Discretionary Grant Fund for small and micro-businesses who have been ineligible for other schemes.
 
“But I would urge businesses to first ensure they are not eligible for a grant from the Small Business Grant Fund or Retail Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund.
 
“Rest assured, we will make sure every business is supported in whichever way possible.”
 
The Government guidance on the size of the grants is as follows:

small business grant funding of £10,000 for all business in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief, and have a rateable value of £15,000 or less; or
grant funding of £10,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses with property with a rateable value of £15,000 or below; or
grant funding of £25,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses with property with a rateable value between £15,001 and £50,999

Full details of the latest government business support measures can be found at https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support.

A new business hub is offering a fully funded programme of support focusing on preparing local companies for the problems they may face following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Delivered through the University of Wolverhampton in Stafford, the Stafford Business Hub programme is providing over £500 worth of support for business start-ups, re-launches or up scales through a structured and dedicated service based in Stafford.

The project is funded through Stafford Borough Council’s Economic Growth programme and is available for small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) of Stafford Borough to support their business growth plan.

UwiS Centre Co-ordinator, Trevor Humphreys, said: “In addition to giving access to a wide range of training courses and qualifications which we provide at the Centre, Stafford Business Hub provides businesses with expert support to identify ways in upscaling their business or setting up a new venture.

“The free training will pinpoint ways in which they can facilitate their growth plans as well as improving their ability to adapt to the evolving business environment in Stafford Borough.”

The full programme is based on attendance at four key phases and the business must be based within Stafford Borough.

Phase 1 focuses on starting or growing a business and is designed for those responsible for growth or business development.  It will focus on the basic principles of running a small business with basic marketing techniques, opportunities and pitfalls as well as business planning.

The second phase of the programme is a 2-day more intensive look at the skills needed for start-ups and up-scaling, including in depth marketing of the business, networking and pitching to clients. 

Stafford Business Hub will also provide individual 1:1 support to help plan business development and growth.

Councillor Frances Beatty, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Planning at Stafford Borough Council, said:  “The Stafford Business Hub will complement the range of successful skills development programmes we already have up and running within the Borough. 

“Our strong partnership with the University of Wolverhampton in Stafford is built on a shared ambition to deliver our strategy for growth.”

Delivered by the University of Wolverhampton in Stafford, through local providers, the training is for business operating in Stafford Borough. 

The business programme will play an important role in supporting Tourism and Leisure businesses who have been most affected by the recent pandemic.

The courses are designed to support those who sell their services directly to the consumer, advising on planning ahead, cash flow, marketing support and digital development. 

People are set to join Ushvani Spa, in collaboration with Shilpa Reddy Flower Design, for a special online ‘Garland Workshop’ – a beautiful afternoon of festival-style flower garland making using handcrafted sustainable paper flowers. Perfect for crafty adults and children alike - a brilliant activity to fill the long school summer holidays!
 
Shilpa, the creative director of fashion-forward flower brand ‘Shilpa Reddy Flower Design’ will demonstrate how to create a stunning floral lei in her signature style. Those joining will have the chance to make their very own lei alongside her that will include flowers such as the Hibiscus, the national flower of Malaysia in a nod to Ushvani’s roots.
 
At a cost of £25 per kit (and £15 per additional Garland), participants will also receive a complimentary Ushvani Balm (rrp £35) – to help with the inevitable headache that craft related activities with children might create! A blend of pure essential oils and camphor crystals designed to soothe both mind and body, the balm is based on a traditional Asian ‘cure all’ aromatherapeutic remedy, containing healing oils of rosemary, thyme, eucalyptus and soothing menthol.
 
The workshop, on Saturday August 1, at 2pm, will take place online via Zoom allowing those taking part the chance to interact and share their creations. All materials required will be posted out prior to the workshop and it will also be recorded so participants can access and replay the content when required.
 
Maximum 20 bookings per class and 1 Ushvani balm per booking.

Change into Action, the alternative giving scheme, has raised more than £150,000 in donations to help support homeless people across the West Midlands.
 
The scheme, which supports local specialist charities and street teams working to change the circumstances of rough sleepers and those at risk of rough sleeping, uses donations to pay for items such as clothing, travel to get to medical and other essential appointments, emergency accommodation, and rent deposits.
 
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, donations from generous residents and businesses have continued to come in, with the scheme now passing the £150,000 milestone. In Coventry alone, more than £12,000 has been donated during the lockdown period.
 
Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands and founder of the WMCA’s Homelessness Taskforce, said: “I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported our most vulnerable members of society across the region by donating to Change into Action.
 
“The Coronavirus pandemic has been extremely difficult for businesses and residents, but despite this people are still giving generously to Change into Action, which is incredibly heart-warming.
 
“Rough sleepers are at high risk from Covid-19, and it is therefore more important than ever we do everything we can to support them. Change into Action is a safe and easy way for residents and businesses to do that, with people having the confidence that the money they donate will go directly to helping people who are sleeping rough.
“For those wanting to donate to the scheme, the easiest and most direct way is through the Change into Action website at www.changeintoaction.org.uk “
 
Change into Action was initially launched as a pilot in Birmingham in 2017, as a partnership between the Mayor of the West Midlands, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), and Birmingham City Council. The scheme now covers four West Midlands areas Birmingham​, Solihull, Coventry and Walsall, and Wolverhampton City council runs a similar scheme called Small Change for Big Change.
 
Cabinet Member for Homes and Neighbourhoods at Birmingham City Council and Chair of the WMCA Homelessness Taskforce Members Advisory Group, Councillor Sharon Thompson, added: “This is wonderful news and I’d like to thank everyone who has contributed. Homeless people are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19, and in Birmingham alone, 267 people have received help through the scheme which is fantastic.

“Over the last decade, we’ve seen rough sleeping increase exponentially. While we’ve been working tirelessly to do all we can to support and prevent homelessness, the resources of local authorities across the country, and particularly in the West Midlands, have been limited. That’s why Change into Action is vital. It provides rough sleepers with the type of funding that can be seemingly small but in reality, is life changing.

“As a homeless teen myself, I know first-hand how tough it can be to change your life. Donations, like these, will make a huge difference and will put us one step closer to designing out homelessness in the West Midlands.”

The news comes as the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) Homelessness Taskforce urges the Government to act now to prevent a post-COVID-19 surge in homelessness across the region.
 
The Taskforce has called on Government to introduce a range of new measures to support rough sleepers and people at risk of becoming homeless as the pandemic continues. More than 800 existing or potential rough sleepers have been housed by local authorities in the region throughout the crisis and now the Taskforce wants to use the lessons learned during the pandemic to ensure that those who have come in are able to stay in.
 
A West Midlands submission to the Government's homelessness Tsar, Dame Louise Casey, highlights growing concerns that the number of people presenting as homeless could rise due to the virus temporarily ‘bottling up’ demand. In particular, the Taskforce has highlighted rent arrears and wider debt accrued during the lockdown due to the reduction in people’s incomes as two key reasons why people will find themselves facing homelessness as the pandemic continues. The group has also raised the ‘significant risk’ of relationships breaking down during the lockdown phase as another factor leading to homelessness.

The government has announced that self-employed people in the UK whose work has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic will be receiving a “second and final” grant in August.

More than two million people have applied for a single grant of up to £7,500 so far.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, has announced that they, and other self-employed people, will be eligible for a second payment of up to £6,570.

It comes as details of the extended furlough scheme were also outlined.

Until now, self-employed workers who qualify have been in line for a grant of 80% of their average profit, up to £2,500 a month for three months.

This is being paid in one instalment.

Those whose work has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic will still be able to apply for the lump sum up until June 13.

Now Chancellor Sunak has announced that applications for a taxable grant will open in August.

This will be slightly less generous with it covering 70% of the applicant’s average monthly trading profits.

It will also be made in a single payment, covering three months and capped at £2,190.a month, or £6,570 in total.

Applicants will need to confirm that their work has been affected by the Covid-19 virus, but they would not need to have taken the first grant to be eligible for the second.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is in talks with the government to secure a loan of more than £1bn, following a drop in sales during the coronavirus pandemic.

According to reports, the carmaker has been in discussions for weeks about a support package.

JLR, which is owned by India's Tata Motors, has seen sales plunge by more than 30% in its most recent quarter.

A spokeswoman said JLR is in "regular discussion with government on a whole range of matters".

She added: "The content of our private discussions remains confidential."

While the exact size of the loan is not yet clear, JLR said suggestions that the carmaker is seeking as much as £2bn is "inaccurate and speculative".

A spokesman for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: "The government is in regular contact with the car manufacturing sector to assist them through this crisis.

"We recognise the challenges facing the industry as a result of coronavirus and firms can draw upon the unprecedented package of measures, including schemes to raise capital, flexibilities with tax bills and financial support for employees."

JLR has taken advantage of the government's Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and around 18,000 of its UK workers remain furloughed.

The Coventry-based company employs 38,000 people in the UK.

However, the company does not qualify for the joint Treasury-Bank of England Covid Corporate Financing Facility aimed at large businesses, which requires that firms must be "investment grade rated".

This shows a company's credit worthiness and whether it is at a low or high risk of defaulting on its debts.

In its most recent results for the period to 31 March, JLR said it had £3.6bn in cash and investments as well as an undrawn credit facility of £1.9bn.

It is not known how much that position has changed in the intervening seven weeks.
JLR's facilities have been shut since the end of March, although last week it restarted some production at its Solihull plant and at its engine-making site in Wolverhampton.

Credit rating agency Standard & Poor's recently estimated that JLR will burn through £1bn in cash each month following the shutdown of its facilities and if "severely reduced production" continues over the next financial year.

JLR said sales of its vehicles fell by 30.9% in the three months to the end of March compared to the same period last year. It said the coronavirus pandemic had "significantly" impacted sales.

Warwickshire County Cricket Club has appointed Stuart Cain as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), to replace Neil Snowball.

Cain is a well-known figure in the West Midlands’ business community and the broader sports and entertainment sector, of which he has amassed more than 20 years’ experience.

He joins the Bears after three years at Wasps Holdings Limited where he held a number of positions, most recently CEO, and helped establish Wasps rugby and netball teams at the Ricoh Arena after the move from London. In that time, he has also developed the Ricoh Arena’s conference, exhibition and concert business, as well as their wider estate masterplan, including the development of additional hotel, retail and leisure space.

Prior to joining Wasps, Cain spent more than seven years with the NEC Group as Managing Director of Commercial Marketing. His career has also included commercial and marketing leadership roles in football with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Glasgow Rangers as well as leading the sports practice of global media agency WPP, which involved working with FIFA on the World Cup in South Africa and initiatives in Asia and the USA.   Before working in sport he was Marketing Services Director at Molson Coors in Burton-on-Trent, masterminding Carling’s sponsorship of the Premier League.

Mark McCafferty, Chairman of Warwickshire CCC, said: “We’re delighted that Stuart will be joining us at the Bears. His experience and achievements in sport, events and venue development will complement very well the existing leadership strengths at the Club and help ensure the delivery of our new five-year plan.

“These are difficult times for everyone to navigate but we appreciate more than ever the huge role that the Club plays in the community and the enjoyment that we can bring to so many when we return.

“It’s very clear that we shall now need to adapt and enhance our engagement with Members, fans, commercial partners and cricket communities locally and overseas. Stuart’s experience will be central to that growth and we look forward to welcoming him to the Bears.

“On behalf of everyone at the Club, I’d like to express our thanks and appreciation to Neil for everything he has achieved over the last few years and for the platform he and the team have put in place for the next stage of our development. We shall look forward to continuing to work with him in his new role at the ECB and wish him every success.”   

Cain is expected to join Warwickshire CCC in August following the departure of Snowball, who will leave Edgbaston after four and a half years as CEO to take up a position as Managing Director of County Cricket with the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

“I’m very excited at the prospect of working with the management team and Board to deliver a new era of sporting success on the field, while working with the wider team to build new levels of community involvement and deliver the next phase of Edgbaston’s development,” said Stuart Cain. “Neil has really moved Warwickshire CCC forward and I’m relishing the opportunity to build on his legacy.

“I’ve been a regular visitor to Edgbaston over the years and witnessed some great games. By a quirk of fate, I have also played cricket at the Edgbaston Community Sports Ground, when I worked in the beer trade, and so I’m looking forward to going back again.

“The Club has very proud traditions and its men’s and women’s teams have achieved great success across all formats of the game.  We need to continue this into the future.

“In Edgbaston, we have one of the world’s great sporting venues, which consistently stage the biggest fixtures in the game and offers outstanding facilities that can be utilised all year round.  Part of my role will be to develop this multi-use philosophy further.

“With the second phase of the master-plan due to get underway soon and a third phase due to be launched in the near future, I’m looking forward to working with the team at Edgbaston and with our major local and national stakeholders to support the development of cricket in Birmingham, Warwickshire and the wider West Midlands.

“Fate is a wonderful thing; little did I know when organising the Neil Abberley Memorial Trophy between Wasps and the Bears at Knowle & Dorridge CC in 2018 that I would end up swapping sides and working for Warwickshire CCC.  I can’t wait.”

The UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, has announced that more than two million self-employed people whose businesses have been affected by t5he coronavirus pandemic have applied for government grants, as he told the House of Commons that the value of the claims made so far is in excess of £6 billion.

And, as such, he said that the money would be reaching claimants within six working days.

The Self Employment Support Scheme is designed to support people in a similar way to the scheme for furloughed employees.

The grants are calculated as 80% of monthly profit, which is averaged out over a period of up to three years, and is capped at £7,000.

The money will be paid out in a single instalment covering three months whilst the temporary scheme to be put under review as it could be extended.

The process, being run by HNMRC (HM Revenue & Customs), was originally unveiled after it was highlighted that the government faced criticism for its failure to support self-employed and freelance workers.

In a statement, Chancellor Sunak described the scheme as “one of the most generous schemes in the world”.

The UK’s leading charity for disabled and terminally ill children, Newlife, has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, with a plea for an emergency grant for their vital services after being excluded from getting a slice of the government’s funding allocated to supporting charities through the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite all of their stores currently being closed, they are continuing to operate their vital services to families with disabilities and terminally ill children throughout the UK who are most at risk of the effects of Covid-19.

This includes the UK’s only emergency equipment loan service which provides vital specialist equipment to families in crisis within 72 hours, often enabling children to be discharged from hospital to self-isolate in safety at home, equipment grants and the nurse-led support service.

Based in Cannock, in Staffordshire, they recently announced that they ran out of emergency loan beds and without urgent support the service will grind to a halt.

They are appealing for the government’s support, and say they need it now.

Because there is a statutory duty to provide the equipment, as the UK’s largest funder of the equipment for disabled children, Newlife have also highlighted that they are also unable to apply to Children In Need, or Comic Relief, or other aids mentioned by the Chancellor, for funding.

But, they say, in reality, families turn to Newlife every day in desperation because of delays and cuts to statutory services, whether that be because of red tape or poor planning.

Without Newlife, children, they say, risk being left living in crisis, or even stranded on hospital wards when they could be shielded from coronavirus at home.

Newlife is their lifeline.

People in England who cannot work from home are being encouraged to return to their workplaces, as the government begins to ease some lockdown measures.

Grant Shapps, the government’s Transport Secretary urged people to avoid public transport if possible to enable social distancing.

He said: “This is a life and death situation”.

Under the new rules, people can also spend more time outside, meet a friend at the park and move home, while garden centres have now been able to reopen.

Business groups have however, called for clarity on what will be needed to change in the workplace as Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled his “conditional plan” to reopen society.

The British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) said; “Businesses need their practical questions to be answered so that they can then plan to restart, rebuild and renew”.

Mr Johnson said that those who could not work from home should be “actively encouraged to go to work” in England.

But he told people to avoid using public transport where possible.

Adam Marshall, director of the BCC, said: “Businesses will need to see detailed plans for the phased easing of restrictions, coordinated with all nations across the UK and supported by clear guidance.

“It is imperative that companies have detailed advice on what will need to change in the workplace, including clarity on the use of personal protective equipment”.

The furlough scheme, which pays employers in the UK who have been laid-off from work due to the coronavirus pandemic, will now be extended for an extra four months with it now being in operation until October 2020.

The announcement of such was made by the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, who confirmed that staffs who are off work will continue to receive 80% of their monthly wages up to £2,500.

But, this time around, there is a caveat – in that Sunak added that the government will ask companies signed up to the scheme to “start sharing” the cost from August.

A quarter of the UK workforce – anywhere up to 7 and a half million people – are currently covered by the furlough scheme, which has, to date, £14 billion.

The Chancellor said that from August, the scheme will continue for all sectors and regions of the country but with greater flexibility to support the transition back to work.

Employers using the furlough scheme will be able to gall furloughed employees back in to work on a part-time basis.

Millions of self-employed people in the UK whose businesses have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic can now apply for grants from the government.

The Self Employed Income Support Scheme is designed to match the support that is being given to employees who are under the furlough scheme.

The grants will be calculated as 80% of the average monthly profit over a period of up to three years.

The government said that the money will be paid into the accounts of eligible people si days after making the application

The aviation watchdog has warned airlines that they are legally required to provide refunds to customers who had their lights cancelled because of coronavirus.

By law, plane operators must refund customers within seven days if their flight is cancelled.

But with fewer than 10% of UK flights already taken off, airlines are struggling to deal with all the requests for refunds.

The CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) said that it could take action against airlines.

In a statement, the regular said; “We are reviewing how airlines are handling refunds during the coronavirus pandemic and will consider if any action should be taken to ensure that the consumer rights are protected”.

Last month, consumer group Which? said that it had received thousands of complaints from people who are struggling to secure a refund from their cancelled travel.

Instead, airlines were offering customers vouchers to be used when lockdown is lifted.

Which? said that the travel industry’s own estimates suggests £7bn of travellers’ money was affected.

A six-year-old boy with spinal bifida who raised £28k for the NHS has won a special award from the PM.

Frank Mills, from Bristol, only learned to walk 18 months ago managed to walk for 10 metres per day with the aid of his walking frame.

He had set out to raise £99 to match Captain Tom Moore’s age when he completed his record-breaking walk but, in the end, he managed to achieve 3,000 times that target figure.

In awarding the Point of Light to Frank, Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said: “He was as brave and brilliant as Captain Tom”.

Frank’s mother, Janet, set up a JustGiving page and shared Frank’s story – with the target set for just £99.

She said: “After four weeks in lockdown, the family came across Captain Tom’s daily fundraising walk - with his walking frame, and Frank just said ‘I want to do that’.

“So we grabbed hold of that magic moment of motivation and we took his walker outside for him and chalked out 10 metres on the pavement with a start and finish line and two metre ‘you can do it’ markers”.

She continued: “Frank’s enthusiasm was not just surprising, but invigorating, and as he shouted at one of our neighbours to sponsor him, we thought why not?

“So we quickly put something up on JustGiving and shared the link on Facebook and, from then it really took off.

“We couldn’t believe the response”.

Born with spina bifida, Frank has had on-going top-class NHS care at Bristol Children’s Hospital, as well as in his community.