17 February 2017: Significant changes to UK corporate governance, including a radical reform of executive pay, are proposed in the response of the Institute of Business Ethics to the current Government Green Paper.

Besides calling for a simplification of executive remuneration through the abolition of complex share rewards and smaller bonuses, the IBE also says company chairmen should be required to make a formal statement each year on how their boards have lived up to the Companies Act requirement to take key stakeholders such as employees, customers and suppliers into account when making decisions.

A radical suggestion is that the government should consider whether the privilege of limited liability should be removed for extreme cases of failure to meet Companies Act obligations. This would make shareholders liable for the company’s debts.

Philippa Foster Back CBE, IBE Director, said:

“In our response we have set out a range of measures which we believe should be a practical spur to good governance without generally requiring major new legislative initiatives or compliance costs. The UK generally has a strong record in governance, but we are facing new challenges, including a serious deficit of trust. It is important that the government now follows through on its Green paper initiative.

“Removing limited liability would be a nuclear option, but experience shows that nuclear deterrents also work. This is not a change to be taken in a hurry but we believe it should receive consideration, particularly because it would be an incentive to unlisted companies to act responsibly. Most governance arrangements to date have focused on listed companies."

ENDS/

Contact: For interviews, comments or op-eds please contact

Katherine Bradshaw, Head of Communications k.bradshaw@ibe.org.uk 07771 517700 or

Alex Johnson, Marketing & Events Manager a.johnson@ibe.org.uk 020 7798 6040

Nearly Naked Models Reveal the Painful Truth About the Exotic-Skins Industry

London – A trio of nearly naked models – dressed in little more than lingerie and crocodile masks – crashed the first day of London Fashion Week, brandishing signs proclaiming, "Cruelty to Crocodiles Unmasked" and "Animals Die for Exotic Skins". The action follows a recent PETA exposé of crocodile farms in Vietnam – including two that have supplied skins to a tannery owned by Louis Vuitton's parent company, LVMH – which revealed that animals are confined to tiny pits and sometimes hacked apart while they're still alive and thrashing.

Photos are available here, here, here, here and here.

"For every crocodile-skin bag or belt, animals were beaten and were likely still conscious as their skin was torn off", says PETA Director Elisa Allen. "With so many beautiful, luxurious vegan fabrics available, it's easier than ever to get that killer look without killing animals."

PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to wear" – has exposed cruelty on reptile farms on three continents, revealing in each case that intelligent, sensitive animals are forced to live in squalid conditions before being killed in violent and painful ways.

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

Imperial College Healthcare Charity is looking for thrill-seeking participants to take on their abseil challenge down 10-storeys of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington.

The popular abseil event takes place on 26 April 2017 and is in support of the charity’s More Smiles Appeal. The fundraising appeal aims to raise £2 million to upgrade and expand the hospital’s children’s intensive care unit, transforming it into a state-of-the-art facility that matches the expertise of its staff.

Abseil participants will scale 150 feet from the rooftop of the hospital’s Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother building, taking in spectacular views of London on the way. Full training will be provided on the day of the abseil and it is open to everyone over 18-years-old including staff, supporters and members of the public.

This will be the fourth year the abseil has taken place, raising money for numerous departments and projects at St Mary’s and across the London hospitals of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. Last year it raised an impressive £10,600 and it is hoped that even more will be raised this year for the More Smiles Appeal.

Sadly the children’s intensive care unit is currently unable to meet demand and forced to turn away many children in need of its services. The expansion will increase capacity from 8 to 15 beds, meaning up to 200 more critically ill children can be treated there each year. The upgrade will also include new equipment, a dedicated parents’ room and a private room allowing space for doctors and nurses to provide emotional support and care to families whose children are seriously ill.

Thanks to the generous support of the public and the charity’s supporters, the appeal has raised £1,368,254 so far, but continued support is needed to help get this vital work completed. The unit is a world leader in the understanding and treatment of serious infections in children such as pneumonia and meningitis. It also specialises in other life-threatening conditions including severe trauma, neurological conditions, children who have undergone surgery and those with lifelong conditions such as sickle cell disease.

The unit’s expertise recently featured in the popular BBC Two documentary Hospital, in which 18-year-old patient Debbie underwent a lifesaving bone marrow transplant. The Trust is one of the few in the country where a transplant can be done with a 50 per cent match, allowing her brother to donate his bone marrow to her, curing her of sickle cell disease.

Laura Kell, head of fundraising at Imperial College Healthcare Charity, said: “We can’t wait for this year’s abseil and we’ve already had lots enquiries from people keen to get involved. The More Smiles Appeal is an incredible cause to be supporting and the money raised will make a huge difference to some of the capital’s most severely ill patients and their families.”

Imperial College Healthcare Charity raises funds for the five hospitals of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust which serve a large area of Central, West and North-West London. This is used to provide grants for clinical research, equipment and healthcare projects. The More Smiles Appeal is run in partnership with COSMIC – the charity for the children’s intensive care unit at St Mary’s Hospital. The remainder of the £10 million redevelopment project of the unit is being jointly funded by the Trust and Imperial College Healthcare Charity.

There is a registration fee of £30 to participate in the abseil and a minimum fundraising target of £80. For more information and to sign up, visit the More Smiles Appeal website www.moresmiles.org.uk.

Alternatively, contact Lauren Levy at the charity on 0203 312 5694, or email lauren.levy@imperial.nhs.uk.

-Ends-

Notes to editors

For more information about the More Smiles Appeal, contact Amanda Richards on amanda.richards@imperial.nhs.uk, or call 0203 312 5693.You can stay up to date with the appeal through the appeal website www.moresmiles.org.uk or on Twitter @MoreSmilesApp

St Mary’s Hospital More Smiles Appeal

The St Mary’s Hospital More Smiles Appeal is a joint appeal between two charities, COSMIC (Children of St Mary’s Intensive Care) and Imperial College Healthcare Charity. It is aiming to raise at least £2 million to help fund the £10 million expansion of the Children’s Intensive Care Unit at St Mary’s Hospital, London. The Appeal’s vision is of a top quality children’s intensive care unit, able to care for every critically ill child who needs it. www.moresmiles.org.uk

Imperial College Healthcare Charity

Imperial College Healthcare Charity raises funds for five London hospitals within Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust: Charing Cross, Hammersmith, Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea, St Mary’s and Western Eye hospitals. Since 2009, the charity has awarded over £34 million in grants to more than 500 pieces of clinical research and healthcare projects across the hospitals, all of which aim to improve patient healthcare. www.imperialcharity.org.uk

COSMIC

COSMIC (Children of St Mary’s Intensive Care) was founded in 1994 to support and raise money for the Children’s Intensive Care Unit at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London. The charity funds vital state-of-the-art medical equipment, a ground breaking programme of internationally significant research into life threatening childhood illness and provides support and accommodation to help families through one of the most difficult times imaginable. www.cosmiccharity.org.uk

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust provides acute and specialist health care for around a million people annually. We have five hospitals as well as community services across North West London. With Imperial College London, we are a designated academic health science centre, improving care through rapid translation of research and excellence in education.

STOCKPORT (17th February 2017) - A group of local parents has launched a new social enterprise to help families across Stockport and Cheshire. Cheshire Parenting Collective CIC is the vision of three local mums - Ellie Thouret, Alex Smith and Gemma Jones - and provides support and information throughout pregnancy, childbirth, infancy, and toddlerhood.

Local parents and their children are invited to a free coffee morning at The Bubble Room, Bramhall, at 11am on 13th March to celebrate the launch of the new social enterprise, and meet the directors and volunteers of Cheshire Parenting Collective CIC.

Director Ellie Thouret says “Our goal is to provide the kind of services that were not available when we had our children.

“We're very lucky to have a fantastic team of volunteers, who are willing to help us achieve our vision of having a community hub where parents and carers can find information on different things that they might need help or support with, or simply activities to do with their babies and children.”

Currently the community interest company offers: a baby sling library where parents, carers and prospective parents can learn about and borrow baby carriers; drop-in advice sessions; a Fourth Trimester group for expectant and new parents; a cloth nappy lending library; and referrals to other specialist organisations.

Future plans include developing a community hub through building partnerships with local groups and agencies. The Stockport & District NCT branch, PANDAS and Greater Manchester Homebirth will be represented at the coffee morning on 13th March.

A Community Interest Company (CIC) is specialised type of limited company providing services to benefit the local community. Cheshire Parenting Collective is a not-for-profit organisation supported by volunteers.

Notes to Editors:

Cheshire Parenting Collective is reliant on donations and grants and is currently fundraising to establish the cloth nappy library and secure the future of the sling library.

Donations can be made in person at the coffee morning on March 13th, or through www.paypal.me/CheshireParentingCIC.

For further information contact Ellie Thouret - 07813945061

The 2017 Soldiering On Awards honoured 46 finalists in ten categories at a reception at the House of Lords on 9 February. The evening was hosted by the charity’s patron, the Rt Hon Earl Howe PC, and celebrated individuals and organisations for their inspirational and outstanding achievements in support of the Armed Forces Community.

Two of the finalists were recognised in the Lifetime Achievement category, made possible by award sponsors Square Mile Salute and CSARN, City Security And Resilience Networks.

“It's an honour to play a part in supporting such outstanding Finalists,” said Anne Donoghue CEO Square Mile Salute. “The Salute has been raising funds in support of the Armed Forces since 2011. We were delighted to join forces with CSARN in 2016 to raise funds with a night of Fun and Laughter resulting in our ability to sponsor the Soldiering On Awards in 2017. We look forward to doing it all again this year.”

Brett Lovegrove, CEO, CSARN said: ‘City Security and Resilience Networks (CSARN) are absolutely delighted to partner Square Mile Salute in sponsoring the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Soldiering On Awards this year. We in the business community only sometimes get the opportunity to show our appreciation to the men and women who support our military and those returning from battle and we are so proud to be able to do so thanks to Soldiering On. Best of luck to everyone on the 24th March!'

The finalists for the Lifetime Achievement Award are:

Finalists were nominated by members of the public and more than 40 charities and not-for-profit organisations either representing or associated with the wider Armed Forces Community. Winners are selected by a distinguished Independent Judges Panel, co-chaired by General the Lord Dannatt GCB CBE MC DL and Debra Allcock Tyler, Chief Executive of the Directory of Social Change.

“The Soldiering On Awards recognise the amazing contribution that former members of the Armed Forces – and animal partners – continue to make to society and also those individuals, charities and groups in the wider community who support their journey,” said Earl Howe. “We believe that we are all part of one community and are stronger together supporting each other.”

This year’s winners will be announced at the 2017 Soldiering On Awards on Friday, 24 March at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel, London.

The Soldiering On Through Life Trust encourages support for the UK’s Armed Forces Community by nationally recognising the achievements of groups or individuals supporting this Community through the annual Soldiering On Awards.

Soldiering On Awards: National Recognition for the Armed Forces Community.

For highlights of the 2016 Soldiering On Awards visit: www.soldieringon.org

Briefly describe what your business does and why you started it.

Youth Sport Nutrition® has created the worlds' first recovery shake specifically designed for adolescent athletes in the form of a pre-mix powder named PRO-TEEN™.

The company founder used to work within elite football academies and noticed that the application of sports nutrition was lacking in professional clubs and that young athletes had no specific dietary supplement specifically designed to aid them through this unique and critical phase of growth. This wasn't helped by young athletes tending to dislike vegetables and healthly foods in general, not only due to the cost, but also due to the availability, preparation time and specific insights into the correct application, timings and dosages, relative to their age, sport, level of participation, gender, maturation rate, etc.

The existing mass market supplements tend to portray overly muscular physiques in their marketing and can even contain substances that may be potentially harmful to youth development, so YSN® decided to collaborate with universities, nutritionists and dieticians to reverse-manufacturer a recovery drink tailormade to suit the unique demands of teenagers aged 13–19 for sports participation.

Youth athletes face unique nutritional demands as they transition through periods of advanced growth. Youths participating in high-level sport as well as the elderly are statistically more likely to be prone to illness and injury. Some of this is due to overtraining, but also the correct application of nutrition is rarely catered for and this can result in a weakened immune system and greater likelihood of illness or injury

Teenage athletes go through periods of rapid natural change as part of the growth process but at the same time they are beginning to condition their body towards specific movement patterns and forging the skeletal and muscular base for their adult platform. This is frequently compromised during adolescence in high-level sport via incorrect nutrition and overtraining, both of which, as aforementioned, heighten their susceptibility to injury and affect their performance potential, as well as leading to health problems in later life and potentially even ultimately forcing them to retire at a much earlier age than necessary.

PRO-TEEN™ is the first supplement of its kind nationally, and with its use we aim to aid and educate parents, coaches, clubs and players in the correct application of nutrition to aid their individual development. We want to assist in creating more robust, responsible athletes, and helping to lay sound nutritional foundations at an earlier age, thus reducing the likelihood of injury, drop-out rates and common health issues occuring in later life otherwise caused by nutritional deficiencies.

PRO-TEEN™ is available in 1 KG stand-up pouches in dry powder form, which can be easily mixed with water, milk or a smoothie after training. It is available at youthsportnutrition.co.uk and retails at £39.99 for 20 servings, which is roughly £1.99 per scoop.

How has your business grown since you started it? How do you plan to continue that growth moving forward?

From the proof-of-concept phase, Youth Sport Nutrition (or YSN®) has grown from idea, to dry market testing and will be very soon launched in the UK market, with online purchase available from 01 March 2017. YSN® have the aim of partnering with national, local and private academy facilities as well as Olympic youth teams and professional clubs in order to sustain, replenish, nourish and aid the development, lifestyle and recovery of junior athletes after intense training sessions or game play.

Describe one specific hurdle you overcame while growing your business

Creating a marketing proposal for a very 'taboo' audience. There are a lot of ethics surrounding teenagers given the unique transitional period they are entering through in their natural growth and development.

YSN® are very commercially sensitive in all of their marketing efforts to ensure they are not promoting ideal physiques, instead favouring conditioned athletes, relative to their age, gender and sport of choice.

Our key objective is to instil confidence in parents, guardians, coaches and academies that our unique powder mix is wholesome, drug tested (Via LGC Informed Sport) and scientifically validated. PRO-TEEN™ is formulated using solely natural ingredients, adopting the latest technology in plant and pea proteins, a specifically adapted vitamin and mineral mix and Omegas 3 and 6, all constituents that are safe for teen consumption. Furhermore, PRO-TEEN™ tastes amazing! These were all key requisites when designing our recovery shake and it took a while to get right!

YSN® have deliberately moved away from the mass market ideal of a 'bodybuilders' physique, which might imply steroid abuse, and that only being big and strong are important, in favour of instead promoting health, responsibility and fitness, and encouraging a fair and full participation in sport.

What sets your business or business story apart from others?

YSN® is the first to enter into the subpopulation niche of adolescent athletes. No sports nutritional brand has yet researched and provided a commercial solution for sporting adolescents due to the unique developmental and social ethics that surround this demographic.

YSN® have built their business from the ground up on core values that support and reinforce the themes of correct eating patterns and health over physique, which align with our sense of responsibility to our market. YSN® is also one of the very few sports nutrition firms to run with a strong social theme, partnering with UKActive to fulfil a wider mission of getting more people more active, more often. We also seek to sponsor athletes where other mass market brands would turn a blind eye due to a perceived lack of physicality and attractiveness to prospective customers, and we look to support or part fund developing athletes.

YSN® believe in and support youths, consistently adapting our products to understand their needs as we want to help them become the best they can be, including supporting them through the tough periods and helping them be an inspiration to generations to come.

What would you want other business owners to know about starting or running a business?

On this subject, CEO and Founder Lou Antonio Matera stated 'Become or be a member of your target market, and don’t speculate about what they need or will be willing to buy. Run dry market testing, talk with your audience, find out what they really want and don’t pretend that because you think it is right or good, that they will too. Being able to quit things that don’t work, is integral to being a winner. Don’t find a fault, find a remedy'.

www.youthsportnutrition.co.uk

A recreation ground in Harpenden which is used by hundreds of people in the town each year has been granted legal protection from any future development, thanks to a national campaign to find and protect green spaces throughout the country. Westfield Recreation Ground in Harpenden, is one of more than 100 sites identified by members of the public as part of the search launched by the Carnegie UK Trust and Fields in Trust to find and protect over 900 ‘lost’ playing fields and it’s new status was marked by a plaque unveiling at the site on 16th February by the Town Mayor of Harpenden, Councillor Mrs Nicola Linacre.

The fields were set up with the aid of a grant of £200,000, the equivalent of £10m in today’s money, from the Carnegie UK Trust between 1927 and 1935. As part of the nationwide #FieldFinders search, Fields in Trust has analysed the submissions and shortlisted 20 sites which have already begun to make significant progress in improving legal protections associated with their site to protect them from future development.

Alongside the Westfield Recreation Ground, which was identified as an historic Carnegie field by local historian, Councillor Teresa Heritage, other successful sites have also been discovered in Adlington in Lancashire, Lossiemouth in Scotland, Lydbrook in Gloucestershire, and Stalham in Norfolk.

Douglas White, Head of Advocacy at Carnegie UK Trust, said: “A requirement of the original grant made by the Carnegie UK Trust more than 80 years ago to establish playing fields throughout the country was that these green spaces would remain public areas for the community in perpetuity. The aim of the new #FieldFinders campaign was to ensure that this legacy lived on.

“We were absolutely inundated with requests from members of the public upon launching the search last year and we are delighted with the result of being able to identify so many. Filtering through the entries and pairing them with the original 900 Carnegie fields sites is no mean feat and we thank the Fields in Trusts team for all of their efforts.”

The sites shortlisted by Fields in Trust were also invited to apply for two improvement grants worth up to £5k as part of the campaign and the Westfield Recreation Ground was successful in winning one of these. Following local consultation the Carnegie improvement grant contributed to a major redesign project including additional fitness trail elements and repositioning the multi-use games area. Alongside the enhanced sport facilities, new play equipment and increased seating were added.

The Town Mayor of Harpenden, Councillor Mrs Nicola Linacre, said: “Now that Westfield Recreation Ground has been granted legal protection from any future re-development, local residents are reassured that the park will be there to be enjoyed for generations to come.

“We are so pleased to have received funding from the Trust. This has allowed us to make the site more attractive to local residents; improve play equipment, install a fitness trail and offer more seating so people can sit and enjoy the open space. We’re delighted with the improvements!”

Helen Griffiths, Chief Executive at Fields in Trust, said: “Our public green spaces are places to relax, play sports or hold community events. Ensuring they are around for years to come is a top priority so we are delighted that we have been able to protect these valuable assets for the long-term and to fund the improvements with Carnegie Trust Grants.”

A plaque has now been erected in the Westfield Recreation Ground to recognise it as a protected Carnegie-Fields in Trust site.

For more information on the project visit www.fieldsintrust.org

-ENDS-

CONTACT For media enquiries, please contact Richard McKeever, Fields in Trust e: richard.mckeever@fieldsintrust.org t: 020 7427 2117 m: 07940072832.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Photographs of the site are available (Credit: Courtesy of Angela Ward Photography for Proludic Ltd)

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Fields in Trust

Fields in Trust is a national charity that operates throughout the UK to safeguard recreational spaces and campaign for better statutory protection for all kinds of outdoor sites.

Founded in 1925 as the National Playing Fields Association by King George V, the mission is the same now and as it was then: to ensure that everyone – young or old, able-bodied or disabled and wherever they live – should have access to free, local outdoor space for sport, play and recreation. These spaces are vital to building happy and healthy communities and sadly continue to be threatened by all kinds of development. www.fieldsintrust.org

About The Carnegie Trust

The Carnegie UK Trust is a charity founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1913. It was the last of the Trusts and Foundations he established. There are some twenty trusts, endowments and institutions endowed by Andrew Carnegie in the UK and Ireland, the USA and across the world.

www.carnegieuktrust.org.uk.

The event will take place in the grounds of the iconic Lincoln Cathedral from 7pm on Friday 3rd March 2017.

YMCA Lincolnshire is one of fifteen YMCAs across the country that have joined forces to raise awareness of homelessness during the first-ever national Sleep Easy Week.

The charity has hosted sleep-out events since 2010, with last year’s event raising over £10,000. These funds have helped maintain the support services of YMCA Lincolnshire and The Nomad Trust, who work with the most vulnerable people in our society.

The Sleep Easy event aims to raise awareness of homelessness, through encouraging people to sleep rough for one night.

Read Meme’s story - she joined us last year for her first Sleep Easy event;

‘Sleep easy was an experience that made me rethink how I view the homeless, it makes you see through the eyes of a homeless youngster for a brief moment. It has affected me deeply, to the degree I cried on the way home thinking on how awful life on the streets truly is and how harsh.’

‘From being looked through by early morning street cleaners thinking you're homeless, with sleeping bag under arm to seeing the actual homeless waking in shop doorways and moving their belongings for the day.’

‘I had an abusive childhood, I was lucky that I did not end up homeless like many children escaping an abusive or violent home life can.’

‘Everybody should experience the sleep easy sleepover at least once, I guarantee you; it will touch your heart for life.’

Helen Lloyd from Homelet, part of Barbon Insurance Group, has encouraged employees to form a fundraising team for the event; ‘so far, we have ten people sleeping easy in March!’

‘I’m not excited about the idea of sleeping rough, but I’m very excited to see the impact of the event itself.’ Said Joe Hicks, part of the event planning team.

‘It’s fantastic to see so many local supporters, both individuals and organisations, committing to this event in support of the homeless.’

‘We want to offer a final invitation to those individuals or organisations who are interested in taking part but who have not yet signed up yet – it’s not too late!’

‘Your one night of discomfort will make a lifetime of difference…’

Register for the event at: www.lincsymca.co.uk/sleepeasy

On your marks, get set, get chocola-tea! Big Chocolate Tea is back and The Sick Children’s Trust is asking you to join in the fun this April to raise money for families with seriously ill children.

Big Chocolate Tea is The Sick Children’s Trust’s biggest annual fundraising event for chocolate, tea and baking lovers, running from Friday 21 April to Monday 1 May. Take part by hosting a tea party, cake sale or bake-off and donate the proceeds to The Sick Children’s Trust to support families with seriously ill children in hospital across the UK.

Last year, the campaign raised an outstanding £60,000 which provided 2,000 families with free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation for one night, while their child underwent lifesaving treatment in hospital. The charity hopes this year’s campaign will be an even greater success.

The Sick Children’s Trust runs ten ‘Homes from Home’ at specialist hospitals across the country, providing vital emotional and practical support to keep families together, just minutes from their child’s bedside. The charity is calling for the nation to join in with Big Chocolate Tea so it can continue to help thousands of families stay together with their sick child when it matters most.

The Sick Children’s Trust Chief Executive Jane Featherstone says: “If you love chocolate, tea and baking, you must get involved with our biggest fundraising campaign, Big Chocolate Tea. Last year we had lots of fun, with fantastic chocolate creations, wonderful parties and people coming together to raise money for families with seriously ill children in hospital.

“Whether you’re the next Bake Off champion, or are just beginning your baking adventures, we’ve got something for you. You’ll get your very own free Big Chocolate tea pack full of recipes, ideas and some extra special goodies to help you get your event off to a choc-tastic start. Join us in April and help raise money for families who need a ‘Home from Home’ so they can stay near their seriously ill child.”

The campaign has a host of celebrity supporters, including TV and Heart Radio presenter Sian Welby and Jen Pringle, Presenter on Channel 5’s Milkshake, who’ll be joining in the chocola-tea fun.

TV and Heart Radio presenter Sian Welby says: “I never need an excuse for a cup of tea and there’s nothing better than indulging in a big cuppa and a chocolate treat after a busy day. That’s why Big Chocolate Tea is a must-do fundraising event! Choose to support Big Chocolate Tea in whatever way you like – whether that’s at work, school or home with friends and family. Dust off that apron, crack open the eggs and get baking to help The Sick Children’s Trust raise lots of money to keep families with sick children together when it matters most.”

2012 Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite and Food Writer Alex Hollywood amongst others, will also be supporting the campaign and sharing their top chocolate recipes.

Food writer, Alex Hollywood says: “The work that The Sick Children’s Trust does to help families is absolutely brilliant and I am completely in awe of the difference they make to thousands of families. I hope my recipe will inspire lots of people to come together and get chocola-tea to help raise funds for The Sick Children’s Trust.”

Supporters can choose to take part in Big Chocolate Tea at any point during the year and will receive a pack full of goodies to help host their event. If participants raise at least £30 during Big Chocolate Tea, they will be able to support a family with ‘Home from Home’ accommodation for one night.

To find out how you can get involved with Big Chocolate Tea, please email bigchoctea@sickchildrenstrust.org or visit www.sickchildrenstrust.org/bigchoctea/.

Caversham, UK – 21st February 2017: Cyber attack is once again the top threat perceived by businesses, according to research published today by the Business Continuity Institute (BCI) in association with BSI (British Standards Institution). Eighty eight percent of organizations are either ‘extremely concerned’ or ‘concerned’ about the possibility of a cyber attack. The threat of a data breach remains in second place (81 percent), while unplanned IT and telecom outage stays in third place (80 percent).

For the first time in the study’s six-year history, the threat of uncertainty around the introduction of new laws and regulations has entered the list of top ten business continuity concerns in the Horizon Scan Report.

These external events underscore the interconnected nature of risks and demonstrate the need for businesses to take them into account and plan accordingly.

This year’s global top ten threats to business continuity are:

For the first time, the survey also asked which disruptions respondents had experienced during the previous year in order to understand what lies behind the worry. The results showed that nine of the top ten concerns also appeared in the top ten list of disruptions, with transport network disruption appearing at the expense of act of terrorism. Unplanned IT and telecom outages came in at number one, followed by interruption to utility supply and then cyber attack. Data breach came in at eighth place.

With the top four threats all showing an increasing in level of concern, it is worrying that 14 percent of respondents will experience business continuity budget cuts over the next year, making them less likely to be able to respond effectively to these threats.

Despite growing fears over the resilience of their organizations, the report records another fall in the use of long-term trend analysis to assess and understand threats, down 1 percent to 69 percent this year. Of those carrying out trend analysis, around a third of organizations (32 percent) do not use the results to inform their business continuity management programmes.

David Thorp, Executive Director at the Business Continuity Institute, commented:

“Given the diversity of the threats out there, it is absolutely essential to adopt agile and dynamic responses.

“Planning to recover from a data breach is very different from planning for the aftermath of a terrorist attack, and, as this year’s report highlights, the risk spectrum can be very broad. Malicious internet actors, political shake-ups, and climate change are all amongst the main worries for societies around the world.

“As always, the key takeaway should be that with challenges come opportunities. Change does not have to mean less favourable environments, but the landscape may be different. As organizations venture into uncharted territory now is the time to identify and undertake the measures that will increase resilience within your organization by ensuring that effective business continuity planning is in place.”

Howard Kerr, Chief Executive at BSI, commented:

“2016 continued to see high profile businesses affected by cyber attack and disruption, so it’s not surprising to see it remains as the top threat to business.

“However, we remain concerned to see that businesses are still not fully utilizing the information available to them to identify and remedy weaknesses in their organizational resilience.

“Ultimately, organizations must recognize that, while there is risk, and plenty of it, there is also opportunity. Taking advantage of this means that leaders can steer their businesses to not just survive, but thrive.”

Globally there were some variations to the top three threats: In Belgium, act of terrorism was in third; in Central and Latin America, new laws or regulations featured in third place; and in Sub Saharan Africa, exchange rate volatility was third.

There was more variation when it came to actual disruptions with adverse weather appearing in second place throughout North America, Asia and Australasia; while the loss of key employee featured in the top three throughout the Middle East and North Africa, Central and Latin America and the United Kingdom.

Actor Margot Robbie has been revealed as Nissan’s new electric vehicle (EV) ambassador by racing the carmaker’s radical all-electric BladeGlider sports car around the world-famous Monaco Grand Prix circuit, at midnight.

The prototype 190km/h Nissan BladeGlider, which hits 100km/h in less than five seconds, challenges the conventional thinking of what an all-electric sports car could look like in the future. Showcasing all the fun and excitement of pure electric vehicles, the prototype is part of Nissan’s Intelligent Mobility vision of how cars should be driven, powered and integrated into society.

Margot Robbie put the radical three-seater through its paces around the closed Monaco street circuit before racing another BladeGlider. The pair of 272PS performance cars raced through the iconic Tunnel and diced with each other along Massenet before finishing in the glamour of Casino Square.

In the film, the Suicide Squad and The Wolf of Wall Street star is also seen demonstrating the drifting prowess of Nissan BladeGlider around one of the most famous corners in the world of motorsport – the iconic Fairmont Hairpin.

Margot Robbie said: “It’s a really exciting time for electric vehicles. More people are choosing to go electric, leading the way to a more sustainable future and the Nissan BladeGlider hints at the future of smarter performance cars.”

As the manufacturer of the world’s best-selling electric vehicle, the LEAF, Nissan is also revolutionising the way energy is generated and utilised with products like its intelligent xStorage Home unit and vehicle-to-grid technology, which harness the power of battery technology from electric vehicles.

Gareth Dunsmore, Director of Electric Vehicles for Nissan Europe:“The electric revolution is happening. As the global leader in electric vehicles, and with mass adoption just around the corner, it is more important than ever that we showcase all of the benefits of driving an electric car – from energy efficiency, to sustainability, from handling to performance. Having Margot on board will support us in spreading news of the personal and societal benefits of electric vehicles to more people than ever before.

Dunsmore added: “Nissan’s Electrify the World movement recognises the importance of us all working together to achieve positive change in our communities. We want to inspire people to take meaningful steps towards cleaner, safer cities.”

The Nissan BladeGlider will be on display at the 87thGeneva International Motor Show from 7th to 19th March 2017. Developed from a concept car first debuted in 2013, the all-electric sportscar is a precursor to a suite of future technologies that will combine Intelligent Mobility, environmentally friendly impact and sports-car driving capabilities.

Monte Carlo provided the perfect location for Nissan to reveal its exciting new partnership with Margot Robbie. Monaco has a rich heritage in street racing and an ambitious sustainable strategy to decrease carbon emissions by 50 percent by 2030.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR IMAGES GO TO http://www.nissanpress.co.uk/

The management and members of the
Professional Mediators Association (PMA) are thrilled to welcome over 30 tax
dispute mediators from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) as accredited members of
the PMA. The PMA is committed to delivering excellence across all areas of
mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). We are delighted that HMRC
have chosen the PMA as the standard bearer for best practice in tax dispute mediation.

Each of the HMRC tax dispute
mediators has undertaken a rigorous accredited training programme designed and
delivered by The PMA’s training partners at The TCM Group. The route to
accreditation for HMRC mediators included completing an assessed role play and
the completion of a detailed learning journal.

David Liddle, president of the
Professional Mediators Association added: “We are delighted that HMRC have
chosen the PMA as their mediator certification body and we look forward to
working with HMRC and other Government Departments to ensure that they uphold
the highest of professional standards going forward.”

About the PMA

The Professional Mediators'
Association is an independent, not for profit company formed in 2007 to act as
a professional body for a community of mediators working across the UK and
globally. The PMA exists to raise awareness of mediation and to promote
excellence in all aspects of mediation. Our aim is to provide a voice for professional mediators and to
influence government policy and decision making whilst raising the profile and
standards of mediation practice. For more details and to join the PMA, please
visit www.professionalmediator.org.

For more details please contact the Professional Mediators' Association
(admin@professionalmediator.org)

The top 10 cities in Britain for threesome sex have been revealed by dating app 3somer. Hot on the heels of 3somer’s revelation of the top 10 threesome capitals of the U.S.. 3somer has carried out similar research in the UK. They found that Britain’s vibrant and eclectic capital, London, is the number one place in the UK for arranging three-way lovemaking.

Located in the center of England, London has a population of roughly 9 million. The popular dating app for arranging threesomes, 3Somer, found that the city came leagues ahead of the other 9 cities which made it onto their top 10 UK list. London, with 20.36 percent in 3Somer’s research, is by far the place where adults seeking more adventurous hookups are most likely to find success.

After London came Manchester in England’s north, then Birmingham, Britain’s second largest city. Next came Bristol in the Southwest, followed by Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. All of these cities achieved 1.6 percent or less, a big jump from London’s impressive 20 percent. The remaining cities that feature on the top 10 list for a ménage à trois are Nottingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Edinburgh (in Scotland), and Cardiff (in Wales).

The majority of the cities are coastal or located on estuaries, with only Nottingham in the East Midlands, Birmingham in the West Midlands and Leeds in the North being inland.

3Somer’s research recently revealed that New York was the number one city in the U.S. to fulfill a threesome fantasy, followed by Los Angeles. They also recently identified the top 10 countries in the world for a threesome, with the United States taking the lead with nearly 70 percent, followed by Brazil and then the United Kingdom in third place.

Download links:

IOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/3somer-threesome-dating-app/id1115092461

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sansomer

Website: http://3somerapp.com/

John Martinuk

Co-founder of 3Somer

Email addresses:

Jhmartinuk@gmail.com

press@3somerapp.com

Phone number: +16472676834

The 2017 Soldiering On Awards honoured 46 finalists in ten categories at a reception at the House of Lords on 9 February. The evening was hosted by the charity’s patron, the Rt Hon Earl Howe PC, and celebrated individuals and organisations for their inspirational and outstanding achievements in support of the Armed Forces Community.

Six of the finalists were recognized in the Sporting Excellence category, made possible by award sponsor Spectra.

"Spectra is extremely honoured to sponsor the Sporting Excellence category at the Soldiering On Awards,” said Simon Davies, CEO, Spectra Group (UK) Ltd. “The Soldiering On Through Life Trust provides unstinting support to the armed forces community and Spectra is privileged to be able to support their important work.”

The finalists for the Sporting Excellence Award are:

Finalists were nominated by members of the public and more than 40 charities and not-for-profit organisations either representing or associated with the wider Armed Forces Community. Winners are selected by a distinguished Independent Judges Panel, co-chaired by General the Lord Dannatt GCB CBE MC DL and Debra Allcock Tyler, Chief Executive of the Directory of Social Change.

“The Soldiering On Awards recognise the amazing contribution that former members of the Armed Forces – and animal partners – continue to make to society and also those individuals, charities and groups in the wider community who support their journey,” said Earl Howe. “We believe that we are all part of one community and are stronger together supporting each other.”

This year’s winners will be announced at the 2017 Soldiering On Awards on Friday, 24 March at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel, London.

The Soldiering On Through Life Trust encourages support for the UK’s Armed Forces Community by nationally recognising the achievements of groups or individuals supporting this Community through the annual Soldiering On Awards.

Soldiering On Awards: National Recognition for the Armed Forces Community.

For highlights of the 2016 Soldiering On Awards visit: www.soldieringon.org

Vietnam Airlines, in collaboration with The Hanoi Municipal People's Committee, today announced the Vietnam Airlines Classic - Hanoi Concert 2017, an historic outdoor concert by the world-famous London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) which will take place in Hanoi on 4 March. The performance by the LSO will be the first ever by a British orchestra in Vietnam.

The Vietnam Airlines Classic is an annual event held by Vietnam Airlines to bring world-class cultural and artistic works to local audiences, as well as promoting cultural exchange between Vietnam and other parts of the world. The event will serve as a cultural bridge connecting Vietnam, and its capital Hanoi, to the world -not only in terms of tourism, but also as a country, and city, of rich cultural traditions and identity.

Many well-known classical musicians, choirs, symphony orchestras and Ballet troupes have been invited to perform in previous years, with the event becoming ever more popular among public art lovers. This year, in partnership with the Hanoi Municipal People's Committee, the “Vietnam Airlines Classic - Hanoi Concert 2017” will see the world-renowned LSO performing in the unique cultural setting of Hanoi's Old Quarter – the first time ever that a British orchestra has performed in Vietnam.

Taking place at the Ly Thai To Statue and Garden in Hanoi's famous Hoan Kiem District, from 7.45pm – 9.30pm on Saturday 4 March 2017, the concert will also showcase the beauty of Vietnam; its people; and its thousand-year old capital Hanoi - a city of peace, and a world-class destination for international cultural events.

Featuring 95 talented artists from all over the world, led by one of the world's finest conductors, Elim Chan, the prestigious LSO will bring a performance filled with musical virtuosity and enthusiasm. The event will also be brought to an even larger audience via three big screens placed at both ends of Dinh Tien Hoang Street and in Tonkin Free School Square.

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We Buy Motors is an online used car platform that offers instantaneous valuations and free car collection to UK customers. The company offers an ideal solution if you are looking to sell your car quickly. By simplifying the process and streamlining operations, We Buy Motors can provide an extremely fast turnaround and reduce the frustration many people have when selling a car.

The company provides an end to end service, with a quote, payment and collection commonly completed within a 48 hour period. Sellers are only required to input their car registration and mileage to receive a free online valuation in less than 60 seconds. Once accepted, the car collection team at We Buy Motors organise a convenient time to meet sellers at their home or office to conduct the final inspection, review documentation and transfer payment. The process works seamlessly, and the seller receives payment before the car is collected.

While many sellers may be apprehensive about the safety of selling a car online, We Buy Motors helps to ease customer concerns with their friendly team of advisors assisting each step of the way. All relevant seller documentation (V5C or V62) is handled by the company, and any finance associated with the car cleared. This can be a huge benefit for car owners as it can often be difficult to sell a used car with an associated loan.

We Buy Motors has helped car owners across the UK sell their cars and aim to redefine the market by providing a quick, clean and intuitive service. With no third party involved, the company have been able to meet and exceed seller expectations continuously. Glowing testimonials have praised We Buy Motors for their ‘stress-free’ and ‘efficient’ process that eliminates many of the roadblocks private sellers come to expect.

Designer home heating specialists – BestHeating – have raised over £3000 for National Energy Action’s - Warm Homes Campaign - in support of the charity’s ongoing efforts to put an end to fuel poverty in the UK.

The fundraising began on Fuel Poverty Awareness Day – February 17th 2017 – and saw BestHeating offer a 5% discount to anyone that used the voucher code NEA5, when shopping in their online store. BestHeating then matched the 5% discount and donated the value to National Energy Action.

Thankfully, customers did not disappoint and by the end of the trading on Monday there was £3,066.95 in the pot, ready to be donated to this important campaign.

Fuel poverty affects over 4 million UK households and BestHeating felt the Warm Homes Campaign was a cause worth highlighting and promoting to their customers.

BestHeating’s E-commerce Manager, Jack Hutchinson, said: “The NEA have worked tirelessly over the last year or so to bring the issue of fuel poverty into the public eye, and we wanted to get behind the great work they are doing.”

“We felt that by offering our customers a discount and promoting the work the charity do through social media posts and blog articles, we could help to raise awareness and donations for the worthwhile cause – I’m very pleased our customers got behind this campaign.”

Having previously run campaigns to highlight the dangers of carbon monoxide, BestHeating hope that their support of National Energy Action is the first of many fundraising activities the company will be involved in going forward.

BestHeating are a specialist home heating supplier providing high quality designer home heating solutions to the domestic and commercial market.

For more information, visit www.bestheating.com

'50 per cent of curry houses to close within 10 years,' predicts Asian Catering Federation

The Chairman of the Asian Curry Federation (ACF) Yawar Khan, has made the gloomy prediction that half of the nation's curry houses will disappear from the High Street inside a decade.

Issues facing curry restaurant owners – such chef shortages and rising costs – have been widely reported, but it is the failure of some restaurateurs to respond to changing customer demands and ignoring modern technology, that will spell the collapse of this once thriving sector.

Despite two curry restaurants closing each week, the dining out sector as a whole, is actually thriving, with sales and new openings on the increase.

The Asian Catering Federation represents owners of over 35,000 ethnic restaurants and takeaways – including those in the Indian, Chinese, Thai and Malaysian community, but the largest single group are Bangladeshi. Over 90 per cent of Britain's 'Indian' curry restaurants are Bangladeshi owned.

“We British Bangladeshis can be very insular and inward looking, we fail to regard other cuisines as competition and we are slow to adopt new marketing opportunities, such as social media platforms,” said Khan.

Although the ACF lobbies Government about takling skills shortages, high business rates and VAT, Khan says his message “won't go down well with many of my members, who continue to fail to heed warnings and take responsibility for the survival of their businesses.”

Each year, the ACF organises the prestigious Asian Curry Awards to recognise the best in the industry, encouraging ever higher standards and inspiring the next generation of chefs. The Federation also runs a nationwide roadshow, educating members about changing eating trends and key industry issues like health, nutrition and hygiene.

“For years we have been telling restaurants they need to up their game with shorter menus, offering lighter healthier options with more fish and vegetable dishes, with genuinely authentic regional food.

“Many rarely see a customer at lunch time, whilst pubs and chains like Nandos are serving thousands of spicy dishes throughout the day.

“Restaurateurs feel that there's no demand for spicy dishes when temperature rise – as if it never gets hot on the subcontinent.

“Looking at drinks menus, you would never know that they grow tea in India – where are the green, oolong and white teas. Where's the Darjeeling, Assam, Dooar, and Travancore?” asked Khan.

Fellow ACF committee members are in agreement. Thomas Chan (who is also Chairman of the Chinese Takeaway Association) .and Teddy Chen (Chairman of the Malaysian Restaurant Association) report similar complacency among many of their own members.

“The best run restaurants will survive and thrive – the less well run will be replaced by a new wave of more innovative operators,” said Chan, whilst Chen added, “It will be sad to lose some old favourites, but there some exciting and dynamic restaurateurs waiting in the wings to take their place.”

The 7th Asian Curry Awards will take place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Mayfair on Sunday 12th November 2017.

Editors' Notes:

The ACF is the “voice of the curry industry” it is a nationwide non-profit making and non-political organisation, which lobbies on MPs, Government and Whitehall, promoting and protecting the interests of the curry industry in Britain.

The British curry sector contributes around £4.5 billion to the British economy, creates about more than 100,000 jobs.

End Water Poverty (EWP), is a global coalition of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) charities and NGOs large and small. The group consist of more than 350 members, from over 50 countries. For the second year, End Water Poverty and its members have designated the month of March as what it calls Water Action Month; which is a 30-day worldwide water, sanitation and hygiene advocacy action events.

Hope Spring, a Herefordshire based WASH charity and an active member of End Water Poverty coalition, has planned series of events for March 2017, as part of their Water Action Month. Most of the activities planned by Hope Spring Water in Herefordshire, their home base will focus on awareness campaign on their website and social media pages.

The biggest part of Hope Spring contribution to Water Acton Month, is a series of WASH advocacy events planned for Nigeria capital city, Abuja. Speaking about Hope Spring water action month events, Mr Temple Oraeki, Hope Spring coordinator for Water Action Month said, “Our main focus this year is to work with children and youth”. He added that, “we will be working with a number of schools; our plan is to involve youth in WASH initiatives and raise awareness among them”.

Hope Spring Water and other End Water Poverty coalition members are working to reduce, if not eliminated the daunting challenges posed by lack of adequate water and sanitation in some of the poorest countries around the world.

It is estimated that 663 million people worldwide do not have access to clean, safe water. More than 2.3 billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation facilities. Women from countries that lack access to readily available clean water 200 million hours a day collecting water. More than 500,000 children die every year from diarrhoea, caused by unsafe or dirty water and poor sanitation.

More information about hope spring water at: http://www.hopespring.org.uk

More information about Hope Spring Water action month events : https://www.facebook.com/hopespringwater/

More information about End Water Poverty: http://www.endwaterpoverty.org

Surveys at Trees for Life’s Dundreggan Conservation Estate near Loch Ness have revealed a range of rare species, including a midge never recorded in the United Kingdom before – underlining the site’s growing reputation as a ‘lost world’ for biodiversity.

The discovery of the non-biting midge (Chironomus vallenduuki) by entomologist Peter Chandler last August brings the total of UK biodiversity firsts found at the estate in Glenmoriston in Inverness-shire to 11.

Other key findings during the charity’s 2016 survey season included two rare gnats whose larvae feed on fungi. One of these (Sciophila varia) is only known from four other UK sites. The other (Mycomya nigricornis) is only known in the UK from a handful of Scottish sites and had not been seen since 1990.

“Dundreggan is a special part of the Caledonian Forest that keeps on revealing beautiful, interesting and rare species. The surprisingly rich wealth of life in this corner of the Highlands highlights the importance of concerted conservation action to protect and restore Scotland’s wild places,” said Alan Watson Featherstone, Trees for Life’s founder.

The charity also found two parasitic wasps (Homotropus pallipes and Diphyus salicatorius), for which there are very few Scottish records, and – for the first time in Scotland north of the River Tay – a pseudoscorpion called the knotty shining claw (Lamprochernes nodosus).

A micro-moth, the small barred longhorn (Adela croesella) – only documented at three other locations in Scotland, and never before this far north – was found by volunteer Richard Davidson. Richard had been taking part in one of Trees for Life’s popular volunteer Conservation Weeks at Dundreggan when he found the moth.

“Our latest discoveries add to an already-remarkable range of rare and endangered species found at Dundreggan – some of which were previously unknown in the UK or Scotland, or which were feared to be extinct,” added Alan Watson Featherstone.

New species for the UK discovered on the estate in recent years were three sawflies (Nematus pravus, Nematus pseudodispar and Amauronematus tristis), an aphid (Cinara smolandiae), two aphid parasitoids (Ephedrus helleni, Praon cavariellae), three fungus gnats (Brevicornu parafennicum, Mycomya disa, Sceptonia longisetosa), and a mite (Ceratozetella thienemanni).

Dundreggan has also revealed the second-ever British record of a waxfly species (Helicoconis hirtinervis); a golden horsefly (Atylotus fulvus) only seen once before in Scotland since 1923; and the juniper shieldbug (Cyphostethus tristriatus), thought to be the first Highlands record.

In total, more than 3,300 species have now been recorded at the forest restoration site. At least 68 of these are priority species for conservation.

Members of the public can volunteer to help plant half a million trees at Dundreggan as part of Trees for Life’s award-winning restoration of the Caledonian Forest. The charity’s rewilding activity also includes working for the return of rare woodland wildlife and plants, and carrying out scientific research and education programmes. See www.treesforlife.org.uk.

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