Business News

Birmingham has been at the forefront of so many inventions but it is easy to forget just how much we have contributed to the modern world. The new book: ‘Invention & Design; Elkington of Birmingham’ looks at the discovery of electroplating in the city, with author Jonathan Berg saying we should: “Shout-out more about the city’s role in modern science and industry”.

Midlands Air Ambulance Charity (MAAC), in partnership with longstanding supporter, M6toll, is inviting all secondary schools in the region to register their interest in the MAAC Moguls business initiative.

M6toll has worked collaboratively with Midlands Air Ambulance Charity for several years on campaigns that target the education sector.

National law firm Clarke Willmott LLP has been named among the top 200 legal practices in England and Wales by The Times.

The Times Best Law Firms 2022 is a peer-selected directory of the best lawyers for business, public and private client law, with survey respondents asked to recommend the best law firms across 26 practice areas.

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Board has today asked Transport for West Midlands to conduct an independent review into the WMCA’s oversight of the region’s metro services.

The review, to be carried out by an industry expert, will look into the way Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) manages the delivery of new extensions and operation of metro services through a wholly owned company.

A new scheme has been launched to help homeowners make their properties greener, more sustainable and save money on energy bills.  

City of Wolverhampton Council, in partnership with Marches Energy Agency, will deliver the Green Homes Grant - Local Authority Delivery Scheme. The scheme will enable city homeowners on low incomes, who may be struggling to pay their heating bills, to make energy efficient improvements to their homes that will help to keep them warmer and reduce energy use.

Health and wellbeing charity The Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS) have been crowned Asian Business of the Year for their prompt and selfless response to helping local communities throughout the pandemic.

The charity was presented the award, sponsored by Lets Sanify, at the annual ABCC awards celebration on 18 November during an online ceremony recognising the remarkable achievements of businesses and professionals over the past 12 months. Headline sponsors were Aston University, Doug Wright (T/A McDonald’s), Inspired Energy and Lioncroft Wholesale Stores.

The Active Wellbeing Society is a community benefit society and cooperative working to build healthy, happy communities living active and connected lives. The not-for-profit organisation play a pivotal role in connecting the voluntary and community sector, including hundreds of grassroots groups and organisations, with the system – working with GPs, adult social care, public health and the NHS, to ensure that communities are supported to meet their needs.

Pre-Covid, TAWS’ service delivery focused on bringing people together. They worked with communities in parks, on streets and in health centres, to deliver wellbeing interventions and activities building up trust in some of Birmingham’s most vulnerable communities.

Over the last two years, TAWS has shown up and pitched in –navigating a period of crisis and uncertainty with bravery and integrity. When lockdown restrictions were announced, they changed their delivery overnight and began working with partners across Birmingham to coordinate a citywide emergency response.

As supermarket shelves emptied and many services shut their doors, TAWS was there to help people access the support they needed. Working with partners from across the city – including faith groups, mutual aid groups and community organisations – TAWS were part of a network of volunteers providing emergency food parcels to those in need and set up distribution hubs across the city.

Their campaign #BrumTogether provided 200,000 emergency food parcels, 50,000 community meals, 6,000 tonnes of clothing, to 2,300 people, 15,000 phone calls, supporting 5,500 people, and 1,203 virtual wellbeing sessions. They demonstrated a new way of working collaboratively and at pace to respond to need, showing the system how it needed to behave.

Their work has not only met the immediate day-to-day needs of people they support, but also has created a partnership of over 200 organisations to work together now and in the future. The organisation’s work in Birmingham has been recognised nationally, and across Europe, as best practice in system leadership and wellbeing.

Anjum Khan, director of the ABCC, said: “I would like to extend a huge congratulations to everyone at The Active Wellbeing Society on being awarded the overall ABCC Business of the Year Award 2021.

“TAWS are highly deserving of this award for their incredible contribution to our community and their seamless response to the pandemic. Their willingness to support our city’s most vulnerable individuals displays just how efficient and dedicated they are to actively making a difference.

“They should be very proud of all they have achieved.” Other category winners included:

Outstanding Business Resilience in COVID19 - Sponsored by Squire Patton Boggs

MotorServ UK Solihull

Outstanding Charity of the Year - Sponsored by Learner Engagement Training Services

The Active Wellbeing Society

Outstanding Contribution to Diversity and Inclusion - Sponsored by Edgbaston Stadium

Shelforce

Outstanding Customer Service of the Year - Sponsored by The HR Dept (Birmingham NE & SW)

MotorServ UK Solihull

Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year - Sponsored by Burton & South Derbyshire College

Voilo Limited

Outstanding Financial Services of the Year - Sponsored by SME Outsourcing

Central Business Finance                                

Outstanding Start-Up Business of the Year - Sponsored by Awan Marketing Plc

The Leadership Coaches

Outstanding Young Achiever of the Year - Sponsored by South & City College Birmingham

Yung Lau, Jacobs UK Ltd

Deb Leary has become only the third female president of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) in its 208-year history and pledged to put the region’s interests “front and centre”.

Her two-year term as successor to Steve Allen was confirmed at the GBCC annual meeting at the Radisson Blu in Birmingham city centre where chief financial officer Helen Bates reported an income for 2020-2021 of £5.5 million, generating a surplus after tax of £80,000.

Some 180,000 jobs could be lost across the UK Travel & Tourism sector this year, if travel restrictions are re-imposed this winter, according to alarming new data from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). 

WTTC, which represents the global private Travel & Tourism sector, made the warning after an analysis which showed the impact caused by a further tightening of borders.

Kura, a leading transport technology provider offering safer, greener and smarter travel for education and businesses, is celebrating a host of achievements made over the last 12 months. The company, founded with the intention of transforming the traditional school bus run, enables schools and businesses to maximise the safety, wellbeing and productivity of their students and employees, while driving down transport costs and CO2 emissions.

Full service content marketing agency, HDY Agency, has expanded its portfolio of clients after securing a number of new projects with global biotechnology company, The Binding Site.

Founded by researchers at the University of Birmingham, The Binding Site provides specialist diagnostic products to clinicians and laboratory professionals around the world. 

A Shrewsbury car retailer has received a prestigious award for its continued efforts in striving towards a zero-emissions future and tackling the ongoing climate crisis.

Volvo Cars Shrewsbury, an approved Volvo dealer on Featherbed Lane, has received the Electric Vehicle Accreditation (EVA) by the National Franchised Dealers Association (NDFA) for its recognition in promoting more sustainable transport options.

It has been reported that the government has finally cancel plans for the HS2 rail link to Leeds.

This comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson previously committed to building the connection from the West Midlands to the northern powerhouse of Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds. Government ministers were said to be poised, instead, to fund disparate projects that favour Tory constituencies.

New market research released today reveals that nearly one in five (19%) working adults surveyed in Birmingham don’t feel they can be their true self in their current job or career. 

Nationally, this rises to nearly a third (30%) of Gen Z working adults – those aged between 18 and 23 – surveyed who feel they can’t be their true self in their current role. More than four fifths (85%) of this age group say they feel more at ease expressing their individuality outside of work.

The council announced in March it had struck a deal with AEG Presents and contracts have now been exchanged to secure a major coup for the city.  

AEG Presents, the live-entertainment division of AEG - the world’s leading sports and live-entertainment company, supported by ASM Global - the world’s leading venue operator, is scheduled to take up occupation of the halls in late April 2022 and then commence the internal fit out to the front of house bars, kitchen and sound and lights systems.  

Pressure Pump Solutions has just entered into a strategic partnership with Hyundai Power Products. The collaboration originated from meetings held over the past two months between Hyundai UK, and Sheffield-based David Wood, owner of Pressure Pump Solutions.

This alliance comes at a vital time in the UK, as tradespeople and home DIYers look for the most economic solutions to business and domestic problems, using suppliers they know they can rely on.

GXO Logistics, Inc., the world’s largest pure-play contract logistics provider, announced today that Letitia James has joined the company in the newly created position of Vice President, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging. James will serve as a champion for advancing and evolving the company’s Diversity and Inclusion vision, strategy and initiatives, supporting GXO’s business objectives and reinforcing its inclusive culture.