Business News

According to new research from leading digital marketing agency, AccuraCast, both men and women are still missing out on pension knowledge and pension savings. The survey asked 1,000 respondents how they felt about their pension pot and the results found that many people were still not paying into a pension and more worryingly did not understand their pension. 

The survey shows the gender pension gap still exists, with overall less women paying into a pension than men (8.5 percent of women surveyed said they did not currently pay into a pension fund compared to 5 per cent of men.) 

However, the survey found that twice the proportion of men aged from 35-44 years don’t currently pay into a pension compared to women the same age (20.5 per cent of men compared to 9.6 per cent of women). This could be an impact of COVID or the current economic climate. In consumers aged 45-54 years it was the opposite, with 8 per cent of men not paying into a pension, compared to 15 per cent of women.  

Almost one third (30 per cent) of women aged under 44 years and a quarter of men (25 per cent) in the same age category said they did not understand their pension. 

The gender pay gap is widely talked about, but we hear less about the gender pension gap. There are various figures online about the gender pension gap, but some reports suggest that women save on average £100,000 less in their pension pot compared to men – a staggering two-thirds less. This could be down to the lack of knowledge or understanding, along with difference in average pay and the fact women can miss out on pension contributions whilst taking time out to have a baby or look after their family. 

In people heading to retirement there was a disparity between men and women's understanding of their pension pots – 6 per cent of women aged over 56 said they were retired and understood their pension, as opposed to 10 per cent of men. 

Farhad Divecha, founder and managing director of AccuraCast said: “Our research has sadly shown that the gender pension gap is still very much real and there are gaps in knowledge between men and women’s understanding of their pension pots. Our research also follows the national trend about less women paying into their pension than men, but also showed some interesting findings about men paying into pensions. There is a real opportunity for brands to build on this and ensure products are clearly explained.” 

Justin Harris, managing director of Chase Belgrave, an independent financial advisory company, said: “When planning for your future, it is important that you have a clear understanding of your pension, what the terminology means and how much you need to be putting away to have a comfortable retirement.” 

Representatives from some of the construction industry’s biggest names have been added to the board of Constructing Excellence Midlands.

Kier Group, SCAPE and Tilbury Douglas Construction – formerly known as Interserve - are just some of the companies represented on industry body’s 25-strong board, which oversees its activities in promoting innovation and best practice for construction industry across the Midlands.

Matt Talbot from Tilbury Douglas Construction, Adrian Hill and Mike Salter of SCAPE and Chris Stevens of Kier Group have all been elected, alongside Ben Hole of Faithful+Gould, Peter Richardson of Mott MacDonald and Nikita Badesha from Rider Levett Bucknall. In addition, Hole, Richardson and Badesha have been elected as the Midlands region’s co-chairs for Constructing Excellence’s Generation 4 Change group, which is aimed at enhancing collaboration between young professionals and industry leaders, creating an open forum to share knowledge, experience and opinions.

The public and education sectors are also well represented in the group, with Simon Delahunty-Forrest and Dr Amrit Sagoo speaking for Birmingham City Council and Nottingham Trent University respectively. Sophie Chater from Totally Modular, and Chris Hall of Acivico Group complete the additions to the board.

Adrian Hill, acting deputy managing director at SCAPE, said: “SCAPE has been a proud member of Constructing Excellence for many years. The work and support that Constructing Excellence provides is essential, and in particular as the industry looks to recover following the events of last year.  I am delighted to take over Scape’s representation on the board and look forward to playing an active role.”

Preconstruction director at Tillbury Douglas, Matt Talbot, said: “I am delighted to join the Constructing Excellence Board and look forward to making an active contribution in sharing best practice and innovation across the industry.”

Andrew Carpenter, chief executive of Constructing Excellence Midlands, said: “We are delighted to add so many talented, insightful individuals to the board. We’re always keen to have as many different elements of our diverse industry involved as part of Constructing Excellence, so to have representation from the likes of top tier contractors such as Kier and Tillbury Douglas, right through to SMEs such as Totally Modular, as well as local authorities and academia, is really encouraging.”

Charities and good causes in the West Midlands are being urged to take advantage of AnyVan’s ‘Magic Van’ and give free moves to good deeds moving more donations or other items to where they are needed in the local community.

AnyVan, the UK’s leading online network of delivery vehicles, has pledged to provide the use of a free van for worthy causes who support the community in and around the West Midlands.  All organisations or individuals that want to nominate a good cause have to do is simply get in touch on anyvan.com/blog/magic-van/ Already running for the past decade across the UK, the AnyVan ‘Magic Van’ programme has assisted more than 19 local charities who strive to make a difference in the community. 

Angus Elphinstone, CEO, AnyVan, says: “Now more than ever, it is important that communities pull together in support of those less fortunate than us.   We have been running the AnyVan Magic Van scheme for over a decade and it has been brilliant seeing the positive impact it has had on many communities as charities have taken up the offer of free use of our Magic Van.

“We’ve seen everything from pianos to toys and food transported by the Magic Van over the years, but now that charities are struggling more than ever we want to accelerate the programme.” As a specialist in all aspects of transportation logistics for home removals, furniture and car deliveries to the home, as well as the manpower to make moving home effortless, AnyVan has the expertise to coordinate cost effective and efficient delivery services for a range of businesses and consumer clients.

Angus Elphinstone continues, “The consequences of the pandemic have made us refocus our attention on helping where we can and using the expertise we have in coordinating our national network to help those in need. I would urge charities and other community groups in the West Midlands to seriously consider our Magic Van offer and get in touch if we can be of help. With so many people struggling at this time we want to do more to help out where we can.”

Legendary laundry brand Dr. Beckmann changed its name and its iconic brand colour to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Dr. Beckmann, beloved by domestic gods and goddesses everywhere, rebranded to Dr. Beckwoman, for the second year running, to commemorate the day – with a limited-edition purple run of the UK’s number one washing machine cleaner, Service-it Deep Clean. The brand revealed that the winner of Dr. Beckwoman of the Year for 2021, and cleaning champion of the year, is the inspirational cleaning guru, loved by the nation, Mrs. Hinch.

Mrs. Hinch, aka Sophie Hinchliffe, retains the award for the second year running after being named as one of the Dr. Beckwomen of the Year in 2020. The bold change from Dr. Beckmann to Dr. Beckwoman acknowledged the special day and paid tribute to gender equality worldwide.

Susan Fermor, Dr Beckmann spokesperson, said: “We sent love and respect to the incredible women around the country on what was a special day by rebranding as Dr. Beckwoman in their honour.

“We’re delighted that our fans and customers have also named Mrs. Hinch as cleaning champion and Dr. Beckwoman of the Year for 2021. Her award is thoroughly deserved as she’s inspired so many women (and men) across the UK throughout lockdown to take joy in keeping our homes as clean and fresh as possible.

It’s the second year running that she’s been nominated – this time she wins the title on her own, after sharing it last year with Stacey Solomon and Vicky Pattison.” Dr. Beckmann has also partnered with Women’s Aid - a nationwide charity established to end domestic violence against women and children and agreed to make a donation, as part of its International Women’s Day campaign, to help the charity’s hugely important work.

On partnering on the campaign, Women’s Aid Fundraising Manager, Faye Connelly, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Dr. Beckmann on this year’s IWD campaign. The success of our work very much depends on funds generously donated by companies and individuals across the UK – so to get this donation from Dr. Beckmann is a real boost.

“International Women’s Day was the perfect platform to remind everyone that violence against women is still a huge issue – and has been especially so during lockdown. We’ve lots of work still to do.”

This year, International Women’s Day’s mantra was ‘#ChoosetoChallenge’. It challenges everyone to call out gender bias and inequality.

The Black British Business Awards (BBBAwards) have launched the Enterprise Academy, a membership community providing support for UK Black entrepreneurs. The BBBAwards will launch the Enterprise Academy with a virtual event on 11^th March 2021 to discuss how Brexit and Covid-19 are impacting Black owned businesses. Paul Scully MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will give a keynote speech and take audience questions at the event with Chair and Co-founder of the BBBAwards Melanie Eusebe moderating.

Ethnic minority entrepreneurs and businesses contribute at least £74 billion a year into the UK economy (Minority Businesses Matter, OPEN 2021). However, according to a report published by the British Business Bank (BBB) and Oliver Wyman, Black entrepreneurs report lower turnovers and profits than their white counterparts and ethnic minority entrepreneurs face ‘persistent disparities in business outcome’ due to a myriad of factors including different access to finance, lack of representation in senior ranks and discrimination. Despite the fact that ethnic minority businesses have provided major contributions to combatting the coronavirus crisis, research shows these individuals are two to three times more likely to die from Covid-19. As a result, minority ethnic businesses face disproportionally more pressure during the pandemic and in the economic fallout it brings with it.  

To help boost Black business and level the playing field in the UK, the BBBAwards have launched the Enterprise Academy which will provide Black entrepreneurs access to expert-led workshops, practical seminars and have negotiated discounts on essential resources and tools to build, scale-up and accelerate their businesses while being part of a formidable community for advocacy and change.

Melanie Eusebe, Chair and Co-founder of the Black British Business Awards said: “The impact of Brexit and the ongoing pandemic have exacerbated pre-existing socio-economic inequalities. Whilst furloughing has helped big business, many small business owners are struggling to stay afloat. The Enterprise Academy will equip Black entrepreneurs with the necessary tools to navigate the right business support, build connections within a community and maximise their scope and commercial impact. As we emerge from the crisis, we must ensure that SMEs are provided with support and investment to play their leading role in the UK’s economic recovery”.

Small Business Minister Paul Scully said: “Black entrepreneurs will have a key role to play in our national effort to build back better from the pandemic, and in ensuring everyone is empowered to use every scrap of their drive, their initiative and their talent to forge the future we all want for ourselves and for each other. I’m excited to be involved in the launch of the Enterprise Academy which, alongside Government support including Start Up Loans and mentorship programmes, will help level the playing field and provide a real boost to Britain.”

Now that the UK has left the EU single market, small business-owners want to know what the implications are and how they can adapt to the new arrangements. This is especially important for ethnic minority SMEs who will play a crucial role in boosting exports in a post-Brexit environment. The Enterprise Academy event tomorrow (March 11) will focus on the consequences Brexit for Black-owned business, including the implications on importing and exporting goods with the European Union, what financial support is available, how to avoid trade delays and what the government is doing to support small businesses hit by the pandemic.

On March 31, the BBBAwards will co-host an online event with OPEN, a London-based think-tank, to discuss the findings from Minority Business Matters, a new groundbreaking report on the contribution and challenges ethnic minority businesses face in the UK. Melanie Eusebe, Kanya King CBE, Founder of the MOBO Awards and Peter Oakden, Founder of CaveFit were spotlighted in the report. The event will feature Martyn Fitzgerald, senior researcher for OPEN, Mayank Shah, founder of MSDUK, Philippe Legrain, founder of OPEN as well as established entrepreneurs featured in the report.

Additional upcoming events and initiatives include bespoke PR support for Black businesses, a masterclass course in marketing strategy, training on how you perfect your elevator pitch and interactive workshops on customer relationship management and the secrets behind raising business capital led by leading venture capitalists and finance experts.

The Enterprise Academy will also host workshops on how to raise capital for your business, creating a successful digital sales and marketing strategy and as well as media training and support on becoming the face of your company.

Rull service content marketing agency, HDY Agency, has strengthened and expanded its senior team after appointing its first Chief Operating Officer, Andy Herbert.

Bringing more than 15 years of executive management experience, Andy joins the fast growing content marketing agency to support its managing directors and co-founders with their vision of expanding the agency. HDY Agency was co-founded by Global broadcaster Ed James and accomplished marketeer Angel Gaskell in 2018.

The award-winning Birmingham-based agency, which boasts an international portfolio of clients, is set to celebrate its best financial year on record after securing £1 million worth of new business during the first UK lockdown. The agency now plans to expand with Andy Herbert joining the team to strengthen HDY’s proposition. Prior to his role at HDY, Andy held a number of high-profile executive roles including Operations Director at McCann and Head of Creative Services and Talent at Cogent.

Commenting on his appointment, Andy said: “Joining a rapidly growing agency like HDY that’s already making waves in the Midlands and beyond is a fantastic opportunity.

“I’m passionate about the success of agencies and know that agency structure and operations is the core of business performance. I’m looking forward to working with the team and supporting Angel and Ed as they look to attract and retain outstanding creative talent.”

Beauty industry veteran and HDY’s non-executive chairman, Geoff Percy said: “Appointing our first Chief Operating Officer is a big milestone moment for us as an agency. I’m delighted to welcome Andy to our dynamic and diverse team of creatives as we look to drive the business forward.

“In just two and a half years, we’ve grown from a small team of one full-time employee to 25 of some of the best creative minds in the country. We’re now focussed on our next phase of growth and strengthening our senior management team is the best way to futureproof our success.”

Specialising in developing creative campaigns, amplifying social moments, crafting killer strategies and making stand-out content, HDY spans a full spectrum of services and expertise including digital, social media and email marketing, design, brand development, PR, experiential, influencer marketing and search engine optimisation.

With plans set to start televised daily press conferences, Downing Street has spent more than £2.6m on fitting out a new media briefing room, it has emerged.

To be set out like those held at the White House in the US, the Cabinet Office declared the spending to be in the public interest and would be increase public accountability and transparency. The Cabinet Office issued a breakdown of spending on the briefing room, which totalled £2,607,767.67 as a response to a Freedom of Information request made by the Press Association news agency.

The Cabinet Office said that the money had been spent to allow various news organisations to broadcast from No 9 Downing Street. A spokesperson said: "This will necessarily require one-off capital works, including audio-visual equipment, internet infrastructure, electrical works and lighting. Spending on maintenance and technical facilities reflects that 9 Downing Street is a Grade I listed building." Labour said: It reflected Boris Johnson's warped priorities".

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner contrasted the spending to the government's proposed 1% pay rise for NHS nurses.

It comes as further details emerged about plans to renovate Mr Johnson's Number 10 flat, including possibly asking the public to donate to it. "It would take around 100 years for a newly qualified nurse to get paid this kind of money,” she said. "It sums up Boris Johnson's warped priorities that he can find millions for vanity projects, while picking the pockets of NHS workers.

"Our NHS heroes deserve a fair pay rise after all they have done for us."

The new briefings were expected to begin in the autumn, but have been delayed because of the pandemic.

Sandwell Council's budget for the coming financial year has been agreed which leaders say will protect frontline services and recognises the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the local community. Councillors have approved a council tax of 1.99% to fund local services, plus an extra 1% to help pay for adult social care services meaning a total increase of 2.99%.

Total council tax charges are different for each one of eight property valuation bands – and also include additional charges from police and fire services. Including the charges for police and fire services, most Sandwell residents will need to pay an extra 77p to 89p per week from April 1. This is the lowest council tax rise in the West Midlands.

Councillor Wasim Ali, Sandwell Council's cabinet member for core council services, said the budget - which was agreed at the Full Council meeting – acknowledged the impact of Covid-19 on the local community. He said: "The budget for the coming year again protects frontline services but also recognises the massive impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on our residents and businesses.

"In order to do this we are proposing an increase in council tax of 1.99% and an extra 1% for adult social care services. This is lower than the 4.99% allowed by government which has been adopted by neighbouring authorities, making the rise the lowest in the West Midlands and the minimum we believe is necessary to protect frontline services. We’re also one of very few councils nationally whose Council Tax Reduction Scheme provides 100% support to our lowest income residents.”

Cllr Ali said that the council's budget for 2021/22 had a £13.8 million shortfall and that the deficit would be met by using one-off balances and Covid-19 emergency funding, and that savings plans were now being considered to address the shortfall in coming years. He also gave a reassurance that the council’s free balance provision would remain stable at the end of 2021/22 and remain within the recommended limits.

He said: “This is the first time we have needed to use one-off balances to balance the budget but the pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges and it’s important to say that the council maintains a strong balance sheet and a comfortable level of reserves.”

Sandwell’s deputy council leader, Cllr Maria Crompton, added: “This has been a very difficult year for so many people, with our residents, businesses, community organisations, and the council, all facing financial challenges.

“We have approved a budget to protect frontline services for our communities while also keeping the council tax rise to the minimum we can in order to achieve this.” The budget also confirmed 2021/22 funding for the Sandwell Children’s Trust of £68.028 million and that the council’s fees and charges would be frozen for 2021/22.

The University of Wolverhampton has appointed a main build contractor for the ‘shovel ready’ National Brownfield Institute (NBI) at its £120m Springfield Campus. 

ISG has been awarded the contract to build the NBI on the construction super campus, with work starting later this month. 

The £17.5million research centre, designed by Birmingham-based Associated Architects, received planning approval in December 2020. The NBI will be a world-class institute that provides the facility to develop modern methods of building through innovation and partnership with the construction industry, focusing on the practical application of future brownfield regeneration through the work of research teams, leading policy development and commercial services. 

The scheme has benefited from £14.9million of funding from the Government’s Get Building Fund for the West Midlands. City of Wolverhampton Council worked closely with the Black Country LEP and West Midlands Combined Authority to secure the funding. A request for the remainder of the funding required forms part of the city’s bid to the Government’s Towns Fund. The NBI will secure the City of Wolverhampton's position as a leader internationally in sustainable construction, circular economy and brownfield development and will deliver new skills, jobs and opportunities for local people in the city, which has been hit hard by the pandemic. 

Professor Geoff Layer, Vice-Chancellor at the University, said: “We’re delighted to announce the appointment of ISG as contractor for the NBI meaning that we are a step closer to delivering the project and adding to the portfolio of construction and built environment expertise that now resides at the Springfield Campus. The NBI will be integral to the way we look at land remediation and regeneration across the Black Country and the UK and will play a pivotal part in unlocking industrial land to help tackle the housing shortage in our towns and cities.” 

Councillor Stephen Simkins, City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: “We have seen the University’s Springfield Campus blossom into the reality of a European-leading built environment education campus and we are delighted to have got to the point of delivering the National Brownfield Institute so quickly after securing vital funding. 

“It will make Wolverhampton a world leader in construction, regeneration and built environment, offering teaching and skills development, cutting edge research and innovation, and enterprise and business engagement through multi-sector partnerships.  

“It is yet another sign of the confidence being shown in Wolverhampton as a place to invest, as our regeneration plans change our city and help it recover and relight from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, providing new skills and jobs opportunities for people in the city.” 

Tom Westley DL, Chair of the Black Country LEP Board, said: “The Black Country LEP is delighted to support projects such as these which are making a real positive impact on the local economy, creating jobs and supporting skills development, as our region looks to recover from the impact of the pandemic.” 

The Mayor of the West Midlands and Chair of the WMCA, Andy Street, added: “This Institute will help the West Midlands become a global leader in the clean-up and regeneration of derelict sites. That’s important for several reasons not least because every brownfield site we develop saves a greenfield one. But it will also drive next generation thinking and the development of new techniques for transforming brownfield land into vibrant new communities offering affordable and energy efficient homes for local people and modern commercial premises for growing businesses. 

“The Institute will also equip our residents with the modern construction skills they will need to work on these brownfield projects, helping to get people into high-skilled, well-paid, work as we look to bounce back from the economic impact of the pandemic.” 

Wayne Flannery, ISG’s regional director, said: “Helping to deliver on the city’s vision for a dedicated centre of excellence for construction and built environment learning has been highly motivating for our team. It’s inspiring to work collaboratively with a customer so focused on creating the very best facilities for students and academics to excel in ground-breaking research that could potentially change the way we approach construction in the future.” 

Head of Capital Developments at the University, Steve Lamb, said: “The project team has worked incredibly hard to get the project moving with thanks to Associate Architects, CPW, Faithful & Gould, Delta Planning, Atkins and MACE for all of their efforts in getting the project to this point so quickly.” 

The 12-acre Springfield Campus is already home to the Thomas Telford University Technical College, Elite Centre for Manufacturing Skills and the recently opened £45million School of Architecture and Built Environment. These facilities, combined with the NBI, will lay the foundation for the delivery of a National Centre for Sustainable Construction and Circular Economy, which will focus on sustainability and the climate change emergency. 

This is the fourth year of this annual two-week festival, which switched from May to October in 2020 due to Covid-19. Organisers, the Black Country Chamber of Commerce took the decision to keep the dates the same this year to allow more time for the possibility of in-person events to take place.

The autumn dates worked very well and the Festival still amassed 96 registered events and nearly 900 businesses were involved, despite some tiered restrictions being in place.

Corin Crane, chief executive of the Black Chamber of Commerce said, “We are thrilled to share the dates for this year’s Festival. It’s been a challenging time for everyone for a long while now. The Business Festival is an important part of our annual calendar and will give a real boost to our business community, as we hopefully edge out of this dip and re-mobilise again.

“This is historically an exciting two weeks for the Black Country with events of all descriptions taking place right across the region. We are looking to make some positive changes to the structure of the fortnight to make it accessible to all businesses and offer opportunities to develop lead and challenge.  We were overwhelmed by the response from businesses last year in the peak of the pandemic so this year is certainly going to be something to look forward to.

“Of course, the Business Festival relies on support from organisations to make it happen and we would now like to hear from any companies that may wish to get involved and learn about the benefits that can be gained from being part of this longstanding, far-reaching business event.”

There are many advantages to partnering with the Business Festival. Brand positioning is one such benefit with a marketing reach that topped 161 million last year, and an audience that stretched locally, regionally and even internationally. There are also multiple opportunities to increase business leads and contacts as another example.

Freedom comes to the West Midlands soon with the announcement of a lifting of lockdown restrictions starting next month. And working on a local plan for people in the area and visitors is Daniel Goodby the General Manager at Stratford Manor, who from tomorrow will be actioning an 80 day countdown to ‘Freeday’ May 17.

Boris Johnson’s announcement this week detailing the re-opening of golf courses from March 29, Spa and Leisure facilities from April 12th and a chance to leave home and stay in a hotel overnight from May 17 means that the hotel can finally put their plans in place.It is a task worthy of a major military operation:

To get ready for guests’ arrivals across the QHotels Group, housekeeping staff will be deployed to complete 88,170 minutes of cleaning bedrooms with 11,756 pillows to be fluffed.

The maintenance team will furiously busy themselves prepping leisure facilities with 58,422 yards of golf course lawn to mow and 298 meters of pool to clean until sparkling.

Meetings will be welcomed back with 250 meeting rooms to prep, and happy couples will be able to celebrate their postponed nuptials, with the group preparing for 212 summer wedding celebrations. There are 2,100 Moët & Chandon bottles waiting to be popped in celebration, and 45,800 new seasonal menus to be ordered for delicious afternoon teas and mealtimes.

QHotels Group are preparing right down to the last detail, with 21 check-in bells to polish – ready for the joyous arrival of the first overnight guests on 17 May.  “The demand is going to be huge,” said Daniel. “We are expecting the biggest number of guests, probably ever, as people breathe the sigh of relief after lockdown and plan a “going out”, pampering sessions, leisure breaks, overnights and weekends away like never before. So we need to be ready.”

The QHotels Group have been planning for this time for over six months so the scale of the re-opening operation doesn’t phase them. Even though hotels in the group have been open for essential stays for key workers throughout the pandemic, the task is still immense. “There are huge challenges in re-opening a hotel. Most don’t realise the enormity of the task, but thousands of staff across the group have been rehearsing for this moment for some time and we have already swung in to action,” he said.     

Already the phones are ringing at the 21 hotels that the group manage and bookings, especially in the West Midlands, are higher than anticipated and way above the normal for this time of year. “We have seen a huge surge in bookings already and a bigger take up than ever for that first week of “unlock,” said Daniel.  “Not only is this due to the freedom break but our special Great British Breakaway deals are also proving irresistible,” he said.

The QHotels Group promise also ensures that dates can be moved and refunds given in full if for some reason bookings can’t go ahead. So no reason not to take advantage of these “not to be repeated” early freedom offers.

Guests can be assured of their safety during their visit and stays as all hotels in the QHotels Group have been accredited by Shield Safety Group as part of the group’s Clean + Safe programme. This provides staff, customers and suppliers with the confidence that all hotels have been fully assessed for safety measures. The government have spoken and the Great British Public have absolutely responded – Freedom is here at last.

The furlough scheme will be extended until the end of September, the Chancellor is set announce in today's Budget.

Rishi Sunak said the scheme - which pays 80% of workers' wages for hours they cannot work - would help millions through the challenging months ahead. Some 600,000 more self-employed people will also be eligible for government help as access to grants is widened.

Labour said the support schemes should have been extended months ago. There are currently about four million people who are using the coronavirus job retention scheme (CJRS) - or furlough - the highest level since last summer.

The scheme has been credited for slowing the pace of job losses as tens of thousands of businesses remain shut, with nine million people furloughed at its peak. But business groups say the chancellor has taken too long to extend the scheme in the past, creating a cliff edge for employers.

Mr Sunak must also come up with a long-term plan to pay for the schemes, which have contributed to the government borrowing some £270bn since the pandemic began. The government said furloughed employees would continue to receive 80% of current salary, capped at £2,500 a month, until the scheme ends at the end of September.

Employers will be asked for a contribution of 10% from July and 20% in August and September towards the hours their staff do not work. The chancellor will also announce that a fourth self-employment support grant will be available to claim from next month. This will be worth 80% of three months' average trading profits, capped at £7,500.

To access the grants, claimants have had to show their 2018-19 tax returns - but this has meant hundreds of thousands of newly self-employed people have been excluded from help.

As tax data for 2019-20 is now available, the government says many more workers will now be eligible for support. Mr Sunak was also due to announce details of a fifth grant today.

Birmingham-based contractor, Willmott Dixon, has collaborated with Offsite Solutions, the UK’s leading bathroom pod manufacturer, to maximise the time, cost, quality and sustainability benefits of offsite manufacturing during the build of its two plots worth £78m, as part of the wider £500m Perry Barr Residential Scheme.

The development, commissioned by Lendlease on behalf of Birmingham City Council, will see Willmott Dixon create 430 apartments in the dual four to six-storey blocks, on the site of the former Birmingham City University campus. The two apartment blocks will make up a crucial part of the Perry Barr Regeneration Scheme’s plan to deliver 1,400 much-needed homes for north-west Birmingham - the apartments will be made available for rent and sale, with homes being occupied in 2023. 

Working in collaboration, the contractor and offsite manufacturer are completing two contracts totalling £3.5m, to supply 692 steel-framed bathroom and en-suite shower pods. The use of innovative offsite manufacturing not only provides programme certainty and increases quality due to factory conditions, but also increases time efficiency by 30%.

Dan Doyle, operations director at Willmott Dixon, said: “The recently launched Construction Playbook has put standardisation and the use of modern methods of construction at the heart of public sector building progarmes to enable us to build ‘better, greener and smarter’, and that’s exactly what we’ve done on this scheme. The benefits of using offsite manufacturing during a project of this scale are unmatched. In one day, we can install approximately 20 pods. Traditionally this would involve a number of trades across several weeks. For our customers, this means additional project certainty and added programme benefits, along with assured quality. The benefits don’t stop there. The use of the pods helps to reduce the project’s carbon footprint while also supporting the compliance of Covid-19 safety guidance on-site. 

“This project also features a lightweight steel frame and a unique brick-like Corium cladding – both of which further demonstrate our use of offsite manufacturing techniques to support with time and cost efficiencies for our customer, while also adapting to ensure our workforce remained safe on-site during the Covid-19 pandemic.” The bathroom pods feature contemporary grey floor and wall tiles, a wall-mounted D-shaped hand basin, heated towel rail and a bath with a hand-held shower on a sliding rail. The shower rooms are fitted out with a hand-held rain shower, a large shower tray and sliding glass door, with an accompanying single bar towel rail adjacent to the shower or bath.

Managing director of Offsite Solutions, James Stephens, said: “We are very pleased to be working with Willmott Dixon on a project that will provide much-needed homes for local people. The use of bathroom pods will improve the programme by maximising work offsite. By moving the fitout of bathrooms into a factory setting, we offer much greater certainty of completion on time, on budget and consistency of quality”.

These dual housing blocks, designed by Corstorphine & Wright, were designed to be part of wider residential development that will create new activity and vibrancy for the area whilst providing much-needed housing provision. The steel-framed bathroom pods in these blocks support the ambitions of the design, offering a premium aesthetic with traditional porcelain wall and floor tiling and a high-quality finish.

Anna Evans, project director at Lendlease, said: “We’re pleased to see the innovative use of bathroom pods at Perry Barr. This is another excellent example of the work taking place to ensure this development will be completed efficiently, safely and sustainably.” 

Cllr Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council said: “We have an urgent need for new and high-quality housing in this city.

“The Perry Barr Residential Scheme is making a significant contribution to meeting this demand – so it is really pleasing to see the innovative approach being used to equip the homes on these plots with excellent facilities.

“The completion of the bathrooms for these homes represents another significant milestone for the wider regeneration of Perry Barr.” As part of Willmott Dixon’s commitment to leaving a legacy in the local community, working in collaboration with Lendlease and other contractors on the Scheme, the business will be contributing towards delivering a wide range of community and economic activities that will benefit local people both during the development and in the future.

These benefits include supporting community projects and engaging with local schools as well as the creation of 400 new jobs - 50 of which will be apprenticeships. Contractors operating on the Perry Barr Residential Scheme will be working in collaboration to support 1,000 pre-employment training places and contributing towards hosting 10,500 work experience hours during the development.

The contractors' support of the local community will also see them working in collaboration with Birmingham City Council’s employment access team to promote jobs and training opportunities through a variety of initiatives including the Construction Skills Hub and the Women in Construction programme.

UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said he is preparing a Budget that provides support for people as Covid lockdown rules are eased. As the earliest restrictions in England are set to be fully lifted by 21 June he said he would provide help during that period but added that he wanted to level with people about the shock to the economy caused by Covid.

Mr Sunak dismissed claims he told Tory MPs he wanted to raise taxes now so he could cut them ahead of the next election. This comes as the government announced £5bn to help high street businesses. Meanwhile Labour's shadow chancellor, Anneliese Dodds, accused the chancellor of being focused on politics over protecting the economy.

Mr Sunak said the government had gone "big and early" when providing support to those hit by Covid at the beginning of the pandemic - and added that there's more to come. The furlough scheme - which supports around 4.7 million people - is due to finish at the end of April along with the £20 weekly increase in Universal Credit.

He said he was focused on preparing a budget that provides support for people and businesses and families through the remaining stages of this crisis and in line with the easing of restrictions as set out by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. However he also said he wanted to "be honest" with the public about the pandemic's impact on the economy and "clear about what our plan to address that is".

He warned high levels of borrowing had meant Britain was "more sensitive to interest rate changes" and that debt could "rise indefinitely" if borrowing continued after the recovery. He also added that making public finances sustainable isn't going to happen overnight but would not confirm newspaper reports he was planning to freeze income tax thresholds or raise corporation tax in a bid to lower debt.

Freezing thresholds would mean more people paying more tax as wages rose.

Nigeria is fast becoming world leaders the world with more cryptocurrency trading going on there than anywhere else with one of the more prominent investors being Lagos resident, Tola Fadugbagbe.

After undertaking a series of odd jobs earning the minimum wage to survive, in 2016 the 34-year-old saw a Bitcoin advert after which his cryptocurrency journey began.

"I was spending hours every day watching videos on YouTube and reading articles about Bitcoin,” he recalled, “and I didn't have much money so I started with $100 to $200." It was a decision that transformed his life forever.

Now Mr Fadugbagbe is trading full time and teaches budding investors. He since said, at an early stage, that he had cryptocurrency worth more than $200,000 (£140,000) in his possession. And, furthermore, he has not looked back since.

"I'll soon be moving into my own house, which I'm building,” he said. “Now I have a very big farm - courtesy of cryptocurrency," he said. "No Nigerian comes to cryptocurrency and wants to look back. It's a big opportunity."

Tola’s story is just one of millions of Nigerians who have been attracted to digital currencies such as Bitcoin, with 2020 survey by data platform Statista revealing that 32% of the country is using cryptocurrencies - the highest proportion of any country in the world as it makes alternative sources of income and alternative currencies attractive.

Estimates show that of the top 10 countries for trading volumes, Nigeria ranked third place after the US and Russia in 2020, generating more than $400m worth of transactions. The Central Bank of Nigeria devalued the currency, the naira, by 24% last year, with fears of a further fall in value by as much as 10% this year.

Many Nigerians, however, have been reporting that their bank accounts have been frozen due to cryptocurrency-related activity, but Mr Fadugbagbe's bank manager managed to  call him and advise him that his account would be closed, giving him a day to transfer his funds – which he managed to do, leaving him ,and many other investors, say that they will continue to trade using their overseas bank accounts.

At the heart of the rise of Bitcoin in Nigeria is a distrust of centralised financial systems and top-down economic control, investors say. Many express their frustrations with government policy and the decline of the Nigerian economy.

None more so than Mr Fadugbagbe, who spent years struggling to scrape by as what he describes as a "minimum-wage slave".

"I don't do shares and government bonds", he says. "Those are scams. I trust cryptocurrency more."

VisitBritain has today announced that tourism businesses in the UK registered to the ‘We’re Good To Go’ industry standard scheme can now be automatically issued with the international ‘Safe Travels’ stamp from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). The We’re Good To Go scheme, launched last year by VisitEngland in partnership with the tourism boards of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, has been recognised by the WTTC as meeting its international global standardised health and hygiene protocols and for its role in supporting the recovery of the UK tourism sector.

The WTTC stamp enables travellers to recognise destinations around the world which have adopted global standardised protocols - so they can experience ‘Safe Travels.’ VisitBritain is coordinating the Safe Travels stamp issue in the UK, on behalf of the WTTC, for businesses registered to the We’re Good To Go scheme, with those who welcome international visitors particularly encouraged to apply.

VisitBritain CEO Sally Balcombe said: “We are delighted that businesses certified to We’re Good To Go can also automatically register for the WTTC’s global Safe Travels stamp, recognising the standard of protocols and processes we have in place in the UK. This is also testament to the hard work and commitment of tens of thousands of businesses right across the country who have adapted and innovated to safely meet new ways of working and are already ‘good to go’.

“This international stamp sitting alongside our We’re Good To Go mark also serves to reinforce that ‘ring of confidence’ for visitors that UK tourism businesses, attractions and destinations have clear processes in place to welcome them back safely as travel restrictions can be lifted. Our priority is to support the industry through crisis to recovery and beyond and this is a timely boost for businesses as well as for future inbound visitors, reassuring them that they can plan their trips to the UK with confidence, once we can travel again, and have a great experience when they get here.”

WTTC President & CEO Gloria Guevara said: “We are pleased to see VisitBritain, the tourism agency for one of the world’s most popular destinations, implementing enhanced health and safety measures that are in line with our global protocols, to ensure safe travel, and we are delighted to recognise its efforts through the WTTC Safe Travels stamp. The globally recognised stamp enables both business and leisure travellers to distinguish destinations around the world which have adopted health and hygiene global standardised protocols – so they can experience ‘Safe Travels’ and VisitBritain’s adoption will help to restore consumer confidence.”

From Friday February 26, We’re Good To Go registered businesses in the UK can log into their online account to download the Safe Travels stamp. Any business not already part of We’re Good To Go can apply to the scheme through the usual process and indicate within that application their wish to use the additional global WTTC stamp. More than 44,000 businesses across the UK are registered on to the ‘We’re Good To Go’ industry standard demonstrating they are adhering to the latest Government and public health guidance, have carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment and have the required processes in place to aid social distancing and cleanliness, reassuring customers, staff and local residents.

The protocols for the WTTC’s global Safe Travels stamp were designed with the World Health Organisation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines’ and developed alongside leading industry associations and international organisations