LONDON: January 19, 2016 — The Prime Minister’s speech outlining the UK Government’s “Brexit Principles” urges British business to develop an international trade strategy, says Peter Snell, CEO of global strategic consultancy firm Ipsos Business Consulting.

“Theresa May’s speech is welcome, as it reflects the increasing maturity of discussion about post-Brexit Britain. Business leaders now know the British government’s negotiating position and its timetable for serving notice of triggering Article 50. This in turn gives us a rough timeline for any trade deal between post-Brexit Britain and the EU bloc”, says Snell.

“But business leaders will realise that negotiations are going to be challenging, and British government officials have a steep learning curve to climb as they prepare for the task at hand. We’re talking about a substantial period of time before British business can be certain of the type of trade arrangement that will exist with its EU partners. Business cannot afford to wait for clarity on trade agreements.” Snell continues. “Ipsos Business Consulting believes that the PM’s statement confirms our view of last year when we advised British business leaders to fill the coming void and take a serious look at opportunities for international trade. They need to update international trade strategies to exploit global opportunities before the picture on EU trade is fully clear.”

“Currently, the picture for international trade is much more certain than that of Europe” Snell concludes.

Ipsos Business Consulting has profiled 18 countries that merit serious consideration by British business leaders looking for new non-EU trade opportunities. It is evident from this week’s British Government statement that now is the time to take a fresh look at international trade strategies.

CREATING OPPORTUNITY: How to build a new era of trade for post-Brexit Britain presents its findings in plain English and includes engaging infographics and other resources to help businesses easily identify opportunities.

To schedule an interview, or for more information on Ipsos Business Consulting’s Brexit briefing, please contact Chivanon Piyaphitakskul, Marcoms Manager on consulting.bc@ipsos.com

The Ipsos Brexit Report and microsite can be found at www.ipsosconsulting.com.

Liverpool-based sales firm Roar Ambition help to develop their young leaders on a daily basis. Here, the firm has revealed how great leaders inspire action.

When wanting to become a great leader, it can sometimes prove difficult to understand what it is that makes one. Simon Sinek has a theory in which Roar Ambition firmly believe in and use to motivate their contractors. The firm has recently run a motivational meeting for their contractors to inspire them and teach that great leaders inspire others to take action, using this theory to do so. Government studies revealed that 65% of organisations have a deficiency in leadership skills, something that Roar Ambition uses to help motivate their team.

About Roar Ambition: http://www.roar-ambition.co.uk/

Simon Sinek is a famous author, motivational speaker and marketing consultant. His theory of the Golden Circle, a theory in which Roar Ambition often use, has challenged the way executives think about the emotional core of the business they operate. The theory offers insight into why some leaders and organisations can achieve an exceptional level of influence. It shows how some leaders have the ability to inspire action instead of using manipulation. This theory can be broken down into three key parts:

1. ‘Why.'

There are very few organisations that can state precisely the reason they do what they do. Most will say that it is to make a profit. However, this is actually the result of the reason. The 'why' is about the purpose, ‘why' is it that they provide the product or service, the deeper meaning behind it all.

2. ‘How.'

Most businesses and people know how they do what it is they do. Some will use a unique selling point, others a differentiating value proposition. The ‘how’ part of this theory is outlining how they do something different, or better than their competitors.

3. ‘What.'

Everyone knows what it is that they do. From small organisations to large corporate companies, the ‘what’ is just outlining the service or product that is available to the consumers.

Most organisations and leaders believe that the act of marketing and selling starts with the what, however, Simon Sinek explains that it all starts with the ‘why’. People are investing into the business and the reason they do what they do, not just simply purchasing a product or service.

A spokesperson from Roar Ambition stated, “It is vital to remember that people are buying from you because they believe in the same beliefs as you, not just because of what you are trying to offer them.” The firm offers contractors the opportunity to be part of their business development scheme, and it is through this scheme that they use Simon Sinek’s theory of the golden circle and the theory of why to motivate everyone to become great leaders. The scheme allows the contractors to understand the why behind what they are doing, moving on to how they can do this for themselves and what it is they will ned to provide. This is actioned through the development opportunity.

Roar Ambition are a Liverpool-based Sales and Marketing firm which provides a unique experience to their clients. The firm aims to be the ‘king’ of the industry and offer all clients the motivation and determination to deliver a successful, exciting and unique experience. The outcome of their direct and face-to-face marketing approach allows for an increase in customer acquisition and brand loyalty for clients.

###

Sources:

https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action/transcript?language=en#t-83074

http://enviableworkplace.com/executive-summary-golden-circle-simon-sinek/

Keith follows in the footsteps of Jack Dee and Zoe Lucker and joins Catherine Tate as Patron of The Laura Crane Youth Cancer Trust.

Keith Senior first became involved with the work of The Laura Crane Youth Cancer Trust in 2010 whilst playing for Leeds Rhinos. Since joining The LCYCT team in 2010, Keith has attended events on behalf of the charity including fundraising and corporate events and has used his influence to attract additional support to the charity; raising thousands of pounds for the fight against cancer in young people. Keith has also joined the team with visits to hospitals to meet young cancer patients.

Star of Rugby League Keith Senior is originally from Huddersfield where the LCYCT is based. He started his career at Sheffield Eagles in 1994 moving to Leeds Rhinos in 1999 where his name became synonymous with the club and where he held the record for the most Super League appearances & the record for the most Super League tries until 2012. Keith represented both England and Great Britain in Rugby League and despite retiring from the game as a player in 2011, his remains one of the most iconic names of the sport.

Since retiring as a player, Keith’s involvement with the charity has increased and he has taken on a number of high profile challenges for the charity, most remarkably running four Marathons in four corners of the UK over four consecutive weekends during his M4R4THON Challenge in 2014 and most recently launching the #GettingToughOnCancer campaign with charity Ambassador and amputee Sarah Dransfield.

“Keith has covered hundreds of miles for The LCYCT on foot, on bike wheels and even paddled. From the very early stages of his support, Keith has been able to highlight the need for the work of The LCYCT and has helped raise the profile of the charity. We were thrilled when Keith informed us that he would be taking on the Virgin Money London Marathon and raising money for the charity for the third consecutive year. As a Yorkshire based charity, we are very proud of our association with a true legend of Rugby League and could only be more proud if Keith took on this year’s London Marathon as the charity’s Patron, which he has graciously agreed to do.” Rob Hoult, Chair of Trustees.

The 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon takes place on 23 April and Keith hopes to beat his previous PB of 4 hours and 14 minutes.

Keith Senior comments: “I was asked by the charity to consider becoming their Patron at the beginning of the year and was happy to accept. I enjoy challenging myself physically and my work with the charity can be challenging in other ways, as ultimately we are supporting young people who through no fault of their own are dealing with the horrors of cancer.”

To celebrate the announcement of their new Patron and his participation in the London Marathon, the Laura Crane Youth Cancer Trust are offering five limited places in their Patron’s Challenge – following in the footsteps of Keith Senior and participating in the London 10,000 on 29th May.

Registration is £10 and participants must raise a minimum of £100 in sponsorship. Each participant will receive a personalised letter of thanks from the charity’s Patron Keith Senior and will have the opportunity to be photographed with Keith. For more information about The Laura Crane Youth Cancer Trust or the Patron’s Challenge please contact the charity team on 01484 510013 or email hello@lauracranetrust.org

With 2017 still in its infancy, people around
the world are continuing to set goals for the year ahead, however,
unfortunately, not all of them will be successful. Here sales and marketing
firm Norfolk and Suffolk Promotions have shared what they believe sets
successful people apart from the rest.

Norfolk and Suffolk Promotions offer a unique
and enthusiastic approach to event marketing for their clients and through this
service their aim to change the way brands think about marketing. To provide
such a service, Norfolk and Suffolk promotions have shared the traits that they
always see in successful people and things they look out for when expanding the
firm.

About Norfolk & Suffolk Promotions: http://www.norfolkandsuffolk.com/

1. They’re onto something
unique.

To be a successful entrepreneur a gap will need
to be found that can be filled or a problem that no one else knows how to fix.
Successful people’s minds work in different ways; often they are considered unique or
eccentric. However, it is this personality and creativity that makes allows
them the confidence to tackle such problems.

2. They
are rooted in a powerful purpose.

Those people that have big dreams and work
non-stop to turn that into a clear, profitable reality, are the people that are
building on desire and have a deep-rooted purpose for their motivation. Anyone
on the road to a prosperous future will know what they want and will do
whatever it takes to achieve those dreams.

3. They’re like a dog
with a bone.

Building a business that will become profitable
takes persistence and resilience. Any entrepreneur has to keep their vision and
purpose at the forefront of their mind from day one. Successful individuals
will have thick skin and can handle anything that is thrown at them while
knocking on every door until they find the one they are looking for. However,
this does mean the ability to adapt to changing circumstances is required.

4. They
listen to those around them.

Besides needing to be a strong leader, anyone in
this position will need to be able to seek guidance and support from others in
their pursuit of success. As mentioned, it is important to keep any original
goals and original purpose in mind. However, the ability to make changes when
someone else makes a better suggestion to completing something is key to any
entrepreneur’s quest.

5. They
think on their feet and learn on the job.

The majority of entrepreneurs are trying to
break into an industry that they have not yet worked in. They have a skill set and
knowledge that is transferable. However, this is not always enough to be
successful in a new industry. There can be no fear of being a beginner again;
use this opportunity to learn as the ideas unfold.

6. They’re willing to
fail.

Trying and failing is better than never trying
at all. Without the risk of attempting a new venture, real success can never be
found. Some entrepreneurs fail the first time, but get back up and try again
using their previous failure to learn what it is that they did wrong first time
around. If mistakes aren’t made, the steps that are needed for success are not being taken.

Norfolk and Suffolk Promotions firmly believe
that real success isn’t easy, and to succeed in any business ventures, the ability to
adapt and learn some new traits is essential. Personal development is key to
business development, as stated by Managing Director Simon Reynolds.

Norwich-based event marketing experts, Norfolk
and Suffolk Promotions believe customers deserve a more attentive, personalised
and engaging brand experience than these new technologies can deliver. This is
a service which the firm pride themselves on being able to provide for all
clients.

###

Source:

http://www.businesszone.co.uk/community/blogs/luke-lang/the-six-traits-we-consistently-see-in-successful-entrepreneurs

London-based sales and marketing specialists, Monarch Movements were rewarded for quality standards, receiving over £40k in bonuses in 2016.

Managing Director at Monarch Movements, Damian Crofts revealed that the firm was paid over £40k in bonuses in 2016 for quality customer acquisitions. Monarch Movements believe that the secret to their success is their direct and personalised approach to marketing. At Monarch Movements, they went back to basics to utilise the traditional form of communication, face to face conversations. Advances in technology have provided brands with a multitude of platforms to reach consumers. However, Monarch Movements believe that face-to-face interactions will always be the most effective.

About Monarch Movements: http://www.monarchmovements.co.uk/about-us/

Monarch Movements develop unique and tailor-made marketing solutions, conducting extensive market research before they launch their campaigns. The firm use in-person promotions, meeting with customers face to face at their homes, where they work and shop. Utilising the human element allows them to deliver marketing solutions with a smile and a handshake. One on one interaction with customers allows the firm's representatives to build relationships, handle queries, instil consumer confidence and build brand loyalty. “People buy from people, and the significance of human interaction should not be understated,” said Mr Crofts, Managing Director at Monarch Movements.

At Monarch Movements, they are committed to delivering an outstanding customer experience and customer service is at the top of their agenda. “I believe if you get that right, everything else will fall into place,” revealed Mr Crofts.

The firm's commitment to delivering an outstanding customer experience has seen them gain a reputation for their ability to deliver both quality and quantity customer acquisitions for their clients, and it is that ability which resulted in the firm receiving a pay-out of over £40k in quality bonuses in 2016. That commitment to delivering both quality and quantity customer acquisitions has seen Monarch Movements amass a client portfolio containing many of the UK’s leaders in their respective fields.

“We promise our clients that we will represent them with complete confidence, professionalism and transparency, allowing them to put their trust in us. Getting results is something we can do, no matter the product or service, and I believe that is because of our high customer service standards, and commitment to delivering an outstanding customer experience,” shared Mr Crofts.

Monarch Movements is a dynamic and cultured sales and marketing firm based in Angel, London. The company specialises in customer acquisition through face-to-face promotional marketing and sales campaigns. By understanding their clients' customers and target markets, as well as long and short-term goals, Monarch Movements can develop unique marketing campaigns which deliver quality results and build brand loyalty.

Leeds, Yorkshire 21/1/2017

End.

As a young firm with big goals, Sheffield-based sales and marketing firm, Syrac Inspirations regard education and self-development as the key to business success. With the firm focusing on self-development, Managing Director, Rachel Robinson held motivational and informative company-wide workshops every day last week.

Despite being a relatively young business, operating for less than two years, Managing Director Rachel Robinson has big goals and aspirations for the firm, and to make those goals come to fruition, Ms Robinson believes that her own personal self-development, and the development of the firm’s staff and contractors is imperative.

About Syrac Inspirations: http://www.syracinspirations.com/

Syrac Inspirations is focusing on growth in 2017 and their main objective for the first financial quarter is to add to their client portfolio, allowing the firm to diversify their services. Looking ahead to the second financial quarter, the firm's attentions will be focused on expanding their market reach with Ms Robinson planning to launch Syrac Inspirations in a new city.

To meet their growth goals, Ms Robinson argues that self-development is critical. At Syrac Inspirations they are committed to helping expand the knowledge and skill set of everyone who comes through their door. They invest a tremendous amount of time into everyone they work with, offering on-going coaching and mentoring sessions, as well as regular access to client and in-house workshops, and industry conferences and seminars.

During the workshops, Ms Robinson explained techniques for both personal and professional development, providing advice and guidance for those in attendance. Syrac Inspirations frequently holds educational and motivational workshops as they believe that education is the secret to success.

“Act like a sponge and absorb all of the informative available to you. I am constantly seeking out opportunities to educate and develop myself. There is always room for improvement, and I firmly believe that the more you know, the further you will go,” revealed Ms Robinson

Syrac Inspirations argue that self-development will play a pivotal role in the firm achieving their growth goals, so they have committed to hosting monthly workshops, seminars and tutorials to allow their staff and contractors to learn, grow and develop.

New brand sets out to disrupt steam iron market London, United Kingdom

Monday 23rd January 2017

New British start up business The Funky Iron Company today announced that their crowdfunding campaign on Europe’s largest Crowdfunding website Seedrs (http://www.seedrs.com/thefunkyironcompany) will go live on Friday 27th January 2017. The company are looking to raise £150,000 via the attractive Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme(SEIS) and will allow for an overfund of up to £250,000 which will take advantage of the EIS scheme.

The brand new Funky Iron is the brainchild of entrepreneurial husband and wife team Joe and Sadie Sillett. Founder Joe Sillett commented, “With so much good design available in the household categories, we just couldn’t work out why all irons tended to look and feel the same. This gave us a challenge, could we design an iron which would be visually appealing as well as highly functional? We had initial ideas on overall look, styling detail, functionality and materials, and then worked with product designers to bring the idea to life. Kitchen mixers, toasters and kettles have all moved forward with style and colour. We think our new Funky Iron gives consumers a really stylish, and highly functional alternative to what’s out there at the moment. “We’ve been taken back by the positive comments we’ve been getting from a range of people – from our initial small scale consumer group research, to designers and manufacturers we’ve been talking to. Britain is renowned for its style and product innovation so we’re delighted to bring what is essentially a British idea to the global market.”

Pricing and Availability

The new Funky Iron will be priced in the £60 to £70 bracket and will launch in August 2017. It will be sold online at www.thefunkyironcompany.com and is expected to be stocked at major retailers in the UK. The company is also expecting to receive interest from overseas buyers both in the trade and consumers.

The Iron Marketplace

5.2 million irons are sold in the United Kingdom every year making the UK the 6th largest country in the world for sales (£200 million) behind India (1), USA (2), China (3), Brazil (4), and Mexico (5). The worldwide market is worth £3.124 billion where 132.3 million irons are sold every year.

The Funky Iron Brand

The Funky Iron Company is setting out to disrupt the electric steam iron market by creating a brand with style, attitude, and individuality through product design, innovation, functionality, and customer experience.

Contact

The Funky Iron Company is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. For more information see www.thefunkyironcompany.com Contact Founder Joe Sillett +44 (0)7766 804402

joe@thefunkyironcompany.com Joe is available for interviews.

Media Pack

Images can be downloaded from The Funky Iron Company’s PR Dropbox folder:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/uk9rsydg4zxb693/AADAdJ3xB8DVsjc75Jfyp2fUa?dl=0

Seedrs Crowdfunding Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-flt1tHZpk&t=193s

Bereaved mums and dads in Wakefield, Dewsbury and Pontefract are inviting local people who have also been affected by the death of a baby, to come along to the launch of a new Sands (Stillbirth & neonatal death charity) support group.

The group will support parents whose baby has died before, during or shortly after birth. It will be launched on Saturday 4 February at 10am at The Therapy Rooms, 23 Cheapside, Wakefield WF1 2TF.

After the launch, regular support meetings will take place on the first Saturday of the month from 10am-12noon at The Therapy Rooms, and bereaved parents are more than welcome to drop in for a cup of tea and a chat.

Rachel Keaveney, Chair of the Wakefield and District Sands group, said: “When I lost our son James in 2014 we received amazing support from Huddersfield Sands. We were lucky enough to be able to travel and have support available. .”

Sands groups are run on a voluntary basis by people who have themselves experienced the death of a baby.

Dr Clea Harmer, Chief Executive of Sands, said: “We hope the new Wakefield and District Sands group will help and support bereaved parents and their families at a devastating time for them. Many bereaved parents tell us that other parents who have experienced the death of a baby are able to offer real understanding and empathy.

“I would urge anyone in the local area who is bereaved to come along to the launch of the Wakefield and District group, or attend a group meeting in the future. We are dedicated to providing emotional support and information right from the early hours after a baby's death, through to the weeks, months and years ahead.”

For further information call Ashleigh Corker, North East Network Coordinator at Sands on 07514 741349 or email wakefieldsands@gmail.com The group can also be contacted via its Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/wakefieldanddistrictsands Follow Sands on Twitter at @SandsUK

Notes to editors

For further information, please contact Lee Armitt, Press and PR Officer in the Sands press office on 0203 598 1959/07587 925411 or media@uk-sands.org

About Sands

Sands is the leading stillbirth and neonatal death charity in the UK. They work nationally to reduce baby deaths through promoting better maternity care and funding research. They have a programme of training and a wide range of resources designed to support professionals to improve the bereavement care they provide following the death of a baby, and they provide a comprehensive bereavement support service both nationally through their helpline and locally through around 100 regional support groups based across the UK. Further information can be found at www.uk-sands.org.

Over 100 nurseries, playgroups and schools across the UK have raised £18,000 for The Sick Children’s Trust after taking part in its first Pyjama Party.

In October, children across the country were sponsored to pop on their favourite pyjamas and take part in The Sick Children’s Trust’s Pyjama Party to raise money to support families with seriously ill children in hospital.

The money raised from Pyjama Party will help keep thousands of families together, just minutes from their sick child’s hospital bedside, thanks to free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation run by The Sick Children’s Trust. Chief Executive, Jane Featherstone, says:

“We are overwhelmed by the amount of support we received for Pyjama Party and would like to thank everyone who has taken part.

“It costs the charity £30 a night to support a family with ‘Home from Home’ accommodation and because of all the support we’ve received from Pyjama Party we will be able to give thousands of families a ‘Home from Home’ when their child is in hospital for lifesaving treatment.”

One nursery which took part is located next to The Sick Children’s Trust’s ‘Home from Home’ Scott House at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital. Free Spirits Nursery raised £1,080, with 20 children taking part.

Manager Marika Knotts says: “Both the children and the staff at Free Spirits had a lovely day wearing their pyjamas and raising money for such a worthwhile cause.

“As our close neighbour, we have seen first-hand the fantastic work carried out by The Sick Children’s Trust and all the staff at Scott House. We have also been privileged to work with many of the families there.”

The Sick Children’s Trust’s runs ten ‘Homes from Home’ giving families a private bedroom with a direct phone line to the ward, access to kitchens and living areas along with laundry facilities. Although the accommodation is free to families, it costs £30 to support a family for one night and the charity relies solely on voluntary donations.

For further information about The Sick Children’s Trust, please visit http://www.sickchildrenstrust.org/

The award-winning online instalment loan provider MYJAR has been shortlisted for further recognition of Consumer Finance Product of the Year, as a finalist in the FStech Awards competing against the likes of nimbl and LV=.

MYJAR is an innovative financial services company that provides flexible online loans of up to £3,600 for up to 12 months. MYJAR pride themselves on being there for their customers when they need them the most. They have devised an efficient and well recognised online system for loan applications, which has simplified the products they offer to customers through their MYJAR Ladder.

Stuart Sykes, Group Customer Operations Director at MYJAR said; “It is a tremendous achievement for our company to reach the final of such a prestigious Award. This brings the total to 6 nominations and 1 win in the past few months alone for MYJAR and reflects both our growth and development of our product.” Tom Newbould, MYJAR’s Chief Marketing Officer, added: “We are delighted to be announced as a finalist for the FStech Awards which illustrates that not only are we a recognised brand within our immediate industry, but also the wider financial service sector for innovation and technology as well as responsible lending.”

Now into its 17th year, the FStech Awards recognises excellence and innovation in the field of information technology within the UK and EMEA financial services sector. Winning entries come from financial services institutions and technology suppliers who are leading the way in such areas as social media, customer service, compliance, mobile, online, systems integration, outsourcing and data governance.

The awards are independently judged and the winners will be announced at the FStech Awards Gala Dinner & Ceremony on 23 March 2017 at the London Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square.

Check out www.myjar.com for more information about MYJAR and their loan product. Find out more about the FStech awards at www.fstech.co.uk/awards.

TomTom (TOM2) and Mappy today announced that they have extended their long-term relationship. Through this new agreement, Mappy has increased its access to TomTom traffic data from 10 countries to now the whole of Europe, matching its coverage access to TomTom maps. Mappy is also positioned to leverage TomTom’s next generation map database, leading the way to smarter mobility. Mappy is licensing TomTom map and traffic information to power its Internet mapping site and mobile consumer app via app stores. Mappy leverages traffic information from TomTom when calculating a route.

“Our customers rely on dynamic advice for their route planning. By extending our relationship with TomTom, having access to live traffic information displaying incidents and congestion on a map, assures that we are meeting our customers’ mobility needs.” said Bruno Dachary, COO of Mappy.

“We are very pleased in our relationship with Mappy, and the coverage expansion and next generation technology this new agreement entails,” explains Anders Truelsen, Managing Director of TomTom’s Licensing Business Unit. “Having access to TomTom’s map and traffic information throughout Europe ensur

CARAS is a charity based in South London since 2002 that welcomes, values and supports those who have sought refuge in the UK, building a community in which refugees and asylum seekers can flourish.

CARAS is a winner in the 2016 Aviva Community Fund with our project ‘Gardens of Refuge’.

Picking up from the achievements our previous project ‘Rooting in Tooting’, we will be working with refugees living in and around Tooting to improve the green spaces around us, in partnership with Transition Town Tooting and the Grange Norfolk.

We’ve already witnessed the transformations that take place when people can use their skills and knowledge to create something shared. We know that learning together and growing plants brings beauty, hope and a sense of purpose when times are hard.

CARAS and Transition Town Tooting attended a Parliamentary Reception on the 23rd of January, to discuss the importance of community with other winners, Aviva executives, and Members of Parliament.

For more information, please contact:

Etienne Berges, etienne@caras.org.uk, 020 8767 5378

ZOO Digital's delivery of multilingual subtitles for the biggest names in the global TV and movie business has just reached the 150 million mark. This reinforces the company's position as a world-leading provider of localization and digital distribution services, powered by ZOO's cloud technology.

ZOO Digital offers foreign language subtitling and captioning in all global languages and distribution formats for clients worldwide, and has provided subtitles for the six major Hollywood studios. The last year has seen the subtitling provider become an approved vendor for one of the industry's major online retailers. Further, new innovations and services related to subtitling including digital screeners, metadata localization and compliance editing, have all added to a full-service offer which is appealing to a growing number of studios and global broadcasters.

The secret to ZOO's success is the company's unique way of working using cloud technology. This makes the subtitling process far more efficient with significant business benefits passed on to ZOO's customers, such as reduced production time and cost. ZOO's technology also connects its growing network of native translators around the world, providing the company with capacity to respond and scale efficiently to address the needs of global clients.

ZOO processes over 250,000 minutes of subtitles and captions per month, which include many well-known feature films and TV programs. In addition to preparing new subtitles for worldwide release, ZOO's platforms enable existing content to be stored securely and accessed easily. This means that subtitled movie and TV titles can be repurposed rapidly for distribution by online retailers like iTunes, Amazon and Google Play.

Gordon Doran, President at ZOO Digital, said: 'Reaching 150 million subtitles is a significant milestone. Subtitling in the cloud gives us the ability to find new ways to meet industry challenges while enabling the most sought-after TV and movie content to reach audiences around the world quickly and to the highest quality. We're delighted that our cloud-based approach to subtitling is realizing benefits for content owners and global broadcasters on this scale.'

Reuse Furniture for Scottish Welfare Fund Clients

A ground-breaking reuse consortium has been created in Scotland to deliver quality, affordable furniture to people in need.

The reuse consortium, created by Community Resources Network Scotland (CRNS), is the first consortium of its kind in Scotland. It has been described as ‘transformational’ and ‘the best thing to happen to social enterprises in decades’. It changes the way that people in need are given access to furniture.

CRNS is the national membership network that supports third sector reuse, repair and recycling projects throughout Scotland. It has over 120 members operating in communities within every local authority area, with a combined turnover in excess of £63m. Its members have at their core a determination to reduce waste and to create real social, environmental and economic benefits at community level.

The CRNS Reuse Consortium comprises 17 accredited furniture reuse members with CRNS operating as the lead organisation. The consortium is able to support 24 local authority areas in providing 34 key household items through the Reuse Lot on the Scotland Excel Domestic Furniture and Furnishings Framework. This includes all the main household essentials such as beds, sofas, tables and chairs, cookers, fridges and washing machines.

“We hope that quality reuse furniture will, over the period of the contract, begin to be prioritised over new furniture when a decision has been made to support families and individuals in need through the Scottish Welfare Fund.” says David Wood, CEO of CRNS.

The benefits of utilising the Scottish Welfare Fund to provide quality reuse furniture to families and individuals in need from a local authority and a community perspective are completely logical and quite significant:

The consortium has developed a simple online ordering system, which enables local authorities to order quality reuse furniture for clients in need and then be invoiced by the reuse organisation that delivers it. This simple system ensures an efficient and affordable service that could transform the way that local authorities deliver quality, affordable reuse furniture to people in need.

The provision of the Reuse Furniture Lot on the Scotland Excel Framework is a catalyst for real and potentially transformational change that allows local authorities the opportunity to adopt a more efficient and more inclusive approach that can support more vulnerable people in our local communities. In addition, through the CRNS Reuse Consortium, real and potentially long term local partnerships can be developed with key social enterprises that will bring long term benefits to the communities within local authority areas.

For more information on the Reuse Consortium, contact:

Alison Brown, Consortium Co-ordinator, reuseconsortium@crns.org.uk, Tel 01786 469002

David Wood, CEO, david@crns.org.uk, Tel 01786 469002

Icon Travels With PETA to Refugee Camp in France

Dunkirk, France – PETA took a special ambassador to a Dunkirk refugee camp today: Pamela Anderson,
who delivered warm vegan hats and gloves, along with hundreds of
animal-themed activity books and coloured pencils, to children who have
been forced to flee their home countries.

The
trilingual educational activity books (in English, Farsi, and Arabic
and French, Farsi, and Arabic) are full of child-friendly facts about
animals, pictures, quizzes, and other activities, allowing children to
improve their language skills as well as their knowledge of other living
beings in a fun way. PETA has donated hundreds of the colouring books
to refugee day centres across the UK and France and also made them
available for free download on its website.

Photos are available here, here, and here.

"As
a mother and a longtime animal advocate, Pamela Anderson has a huge
heart for those in need", says PETA Director Elisa Allen. "She was eager
to deliver vegan knitwear and educational activity books that will
provide a little warmth and comfort to these children who have lost so
much."

PETA
– whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to abuse in
any way" – named Anderson its 2016 Person of the Year for her efforts to
encourage vegan eating, for her opposition to circuses that use
animals, and for speaking out about fur, among many other actions for
animals.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk.

London Borough of Waltham Forest is proud to announce that Wise Thoughts will be delivering an exciting programme of events for LGBT History Month 2017.

LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) History Month is celebrated annually each February in the UK and presents an opportunity for Waltham Forest to celebrate its rich diversity and for residents to gain greater awareness and understanding of the differences and commonalities shared amongst families, friends, colleagues and neighbours. The 2017 theme set by the national LGBT History Month campaign is Citizenship, PSHE and Law, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of male homosexuality in England and Wales (1967 Sexual Offences Act).

Wise Thoughts, an arts charity based in Wood Green, have made a name for themselves by organising GFEST- Gaywise FESTival®, an annual cross arts festival taking place all over London every November. To help celebrate LGBT History Month in Waltham Forest, Wise Thoughts will present '#GFESTbytes' - a series of film screenings, workshops and authors’ talks culminating in a cabaret extravaganza at Mirth, Marvel & Maud on 24th February.

Wise Thoughts' artistic director Niranjan Kamatkar FRSA said, “We are excited to win this contract and continuing the partnership this year with LGBT History Month and Schools OUT, when we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of male homosexuality in England and Wales.”

“The #GFESTbytes program promises to be an exciting and enjoyable opportunity for LGBT and straight people alike. It highlights the rich diversity that exists in LGBT arts, culture and communities.” He added.

Council Leader Chris Robbins said: “We’re hugely proud to be such a vibrant and diverse borough, and events like these are a wonderful way to bring residents with different backgrounds and beliefs together to celebrate as one community. As well as giving people a chance to gain greater awareness and understanding of the LGBTQ community, it also showcases the valuable contribution it has made to society.”

The programme has been Wise Thoughts website providing details and booking links to each event.

Wednesday 25th January 2017: Pearson, the world’s leading education company, announce the winners of their first Global ELT Teacher Award.

The award launched on 5th October 2016 showcasing teachers across the globe who love what they do and motivate and inspire learners. It gained a large international reach with entries from 108 countries, totalling 1,395 entries overall.

Judging the entries and choosing a winner from each of the five global regions were author and academic, David Nunan; Chief Education Advisor at Pearson, Amar Kumar; and Founder of EL Gazette, Melanie Butler.

Regional winners are:

Africa & Middle East - Imane Nejjar, Morocco

Asia & Oceania – Koki Shimazu, Japan

Europe – Agnieska Bilska, Poland

North America – Gabriel Cambiasso, United States

South America – Ornella Valentinuz, Argentina

The winners will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the IATEFL or TESOL conference in 2017 to learn, share and talk with other ELT teachers and industry experts.

The competition also included a People’s Choice, where the judging was handed over to the public. A winner, the entrant with the most votes in each region, will receive 20 Kindles for their class, pre-loaded with Pearson content. Voting for this prize was open for four weeks and received a staggering 34,300 votes.

People’s Choice winners are:

Africa & Middle East - Yassir El Haj El Sheikh, Sudan

Asia and Oceania - Amreet Kaur, Malaysia

Europe - Sylvie Dolakova, Czech Republic

South America - Runner-up: Kellen Geremias, Brazil

North America - Runner-up: Rosa Higueros, Guatemala

The winning entries for the Pearson Global ELT Teacher Award and the People’s Choice are available to view at:

www.pearsonELT.com/teacheraward.

For further information please contact:

Richard Cleeve

Richard.Cleeve@Pearson.com

About Pearson

Pearson is the world’s learning company, with expertise in educational courseware and assessment, and a range of teaching and learning services powered by technology. Our mission is to help people make progress through access to better learning. We believe that learning opens up opportunities, creating fulfilling careers and better lives. For more, visit www.Pearson.com.

About David Nunan

David Nunan is the Professor Emeritus of University of Hong Kong, Anaheim University, California, and Professor in Education at the University of NSW has published over 100 vital texts on bettering education and the classroom. In 2003, he was awarded the TESOL Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2005, he was named one of the 50 most influential Australians internationally. In 2015 he was given the James E. Alatis Award for Service to TESOL.

About Amar Kumar

Amar Kumar holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelors in Computer Science from Purdue University. He is directing the Global Efficacy & Research team which is confirming the learner is the focus. Amar also leads some of Pearson’s investments in a low-cost school in India as part of the Pearson Affordable Learning Fund (PALF).

About Melanie Butler

Melanie Butler has taught in schools in Iran, Spain and Italy before specialising in language teaching for the BBC World Service. The EL Gazette informs English and International educational news and resources for teachers.

The Managing Director at London-based Live Innovations announced this week that he would be travelling to Texas at the end of the month, and has launched a competition for one of the firm’s contractors to accompany him on the transatlantic trip.

About Live Innovations: http://liveinnovations.co.uk

At Live Innovations, they believe that competition is important because it provides an incentive for people to consistently work to the best of their ability, thereby driving better results. “We believe that competition pushes people to work harder and perform at a consistently high level,” stated Managing Director Tom Harris.

Mr. Harris will be flying out to Texas at the end of January to spend a week with one of the most successful sales and marketing professionals in the U.S. The purpose of the trip is to allow Mr. Harris to observe the daily practices at the Texas marketing agency, as well as to network with like-minded, fellow professionals.

Managing Director Tom Harris is a big advocate of travelling. The Australian-born entrepreneur set out on an adventure years ago and arrived in London with an unbelievable work ethic and determination to make his dreams a reality. Mr. Harris believes there are many tangible benefits to travelling, and he has shared the top lessons travelling teaches us below:

The ability to adapt. Travel brings challenges such as delayed flights, lost luggage and a sudden change of plans which forces someone to adjust to new situations and environments. These hindrances teach entrepreneurs to be flexible and enhance their ability to adapt to a variety of unforeseen circumstances. The experiences someone has while travelling will mold how they handle similar situations back in the workplace.

Time management. From getting to the airport on time, to sticking to an itinerary, to experiencing all the things you want to see and do - a successful trip is all about time management. Those who have extensive experience travelling have mastered the art of time management, and that translates to business success.

Networking. “The power of networking should never be under-estimated,” said Mr. Harris. The entrepreneur and business owner is encouraging travelling professionals to use it as a networking opportunity, something that he will be doing on his trip to Texas. Establishing relationships with people around the world can come in handy when starting a new venture. Travelling can also strengthen networking skills as it forces people out of their comfort zone, and to interact with people, they wouldn’t normally speak to.

Live Innovations is an event marketing company specialising in personalised marketing events which represent their clients’ brands directly to consumers. These individual event marketing campaigns give Live Innovations the chance to connect with consumers on a face-to-face basis, which often helps to establish long-lasting and personal business relationships between brand and consumer. Mr. Harris is looking forward to the upcoming trip and is excited to see which one of the firm’s contractors will win the chance to accompany him.

SOURCE:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/drewhendricks/2015/02/04/entrepreneurs-believe-traveling-makes-them-more-successful/#7b0b4b4f15fc

UK car production achieved a 17-year high in 2016, according to the latest figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). 1,722,698 vehicles rolled off production lines last year from some 15 manufacturers,1 an 8.5% uplift on total production in 2015 – and the highest output since 1999.2

More cars are now being exported from Britain than ever before, the result of investments made over recent years in world-class production facilities, cutting-edge design and technology and one of Europe’s most highly skilled and productive workforces. Ten brand new car models began production in the UK last year, nine of them from premium brands which has helped make the UK the second biggest producer of premium cars after Germany and the third biggest car producer in Europe.3 Total committed investment annoncements in the automotive sector in 2016 were approximately £1.66 billion across a number of companies. This figure is down from £2.5 billion in 2015.

Production growth was predominantly driven by overseas demand, with global appetite for British-built cars rising by 10.3% to an all-time high of 1,354,216 – a second consecutive annual record. Around eight out of every 10 cars manufactured in the UK is now exported, bound for one of 160 markets worldwide.

It was continuing economic recovery across Europe, however, that accounted for the bulk of the growth. Exports to the rest of the EU grew 7.5% to 758,680 and accounted for more than half of all UK car exports. Furthermore, Europe supplies the majority of components within UK-built vehicles, underlining the critical importance of tariff and barrier-free trade to future UK automotive production.

Growth was strong across a number of markets, notably the US – the UK’s biggest export destination after the EU – where demand rose by almost half (47.2%) meaning it now accounts for around 14.5% of all UK car exports. Notable uplifts were also seen in Turkey, Japan and Canada whilst China, third on the list of export markets, grew by a more modest 3.1% with 88,610 vehicles exported last year.

Domestic demand for UK built cars also grew last year, up 2.4% in the year, and the UK remains the second largest car market in Europe, again after Germany.4 One in seven new cars registered by UK buyers is now made in Britain, up from one in eight three years ago.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “The tremendous growth in UK production is testament to the global competitiveness of the UK automotive sector. High class engineering, advanced technology and a workforce committed to quality have helped turn around the industry, making the UK among the most productive places in Europe to make cars. Significant investment in new plants and products over the past few years has driven this growth, not a post-Brexit bounce. We want trade deals but they must be the right deals, not rushed deals. Failure to do so could damage UK automotive manufacturing beyond repair.”