Royal Mail plc (RMG.L) today announces that General Logistics Systems (GLS) has acquired the US overnight parcel delivery company, Postal Express.

Postal Express is a regional overnight carrier operating in the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Postal Express offers overnight parcel delivery, mainly to business-to-business customers, across a number of industries. This acquisition follows the purchase of Golden State Overnight Delivery Service Inc. (GSO), the regional carrier acquired by GLS in October 2016.

The total consideration paid for 100% of the shares in Postal Express is approximately $13.3 million (around £10.6 million). Postal Express generated revenue of approximately $42 million and delivered around 8.7 million parcels in the year ended 31 December 2016. The transaction is expected to be economic profit accretivefor GLS in 2018-19.

Postal Express will be consolidated within GLS for reporting purposes but managed as a separate entity.

Rico Back, Chief Executive Officer, GLS Group, said: 'The acquisition of Postal Express is in line with GLS' strategy of careful and focused geographic expansion.'

Ends

Investor Relations

Catherine Nash

Phone: 020 7449 8183

Email: investorrelations@royalmail.com

Media Relations

Royal Mail plc

Andrew Moys

Phone: 078 4180 3321

Email: andrew.moys@royalmail.com

GLS

Anne Putz

Phone: +49 (0) 172 1781 105

Email: anne.putz@gls-germany.com

Notes:

1. GBP:USD rate of 1:1.25

2. Economic profit accretive: Post tax earnings minus (total amount invested x cost of capital)

About GLS Group

GLS, General Logistics Systems B.V. (headquartered in Amsterdam), provides reliable, high-quality deferred parcel services for over 220,000 customers, complemented by logistics and express services. Through organic and inorganic expansion, the Group has grown to provide network coverage of 41 European states via wholly owned and partner companies, and it is globally connected via contractual agreements. 41 central transhipment points and more than 700 depots are at GLS' disposal. With its ground-based network GLS is one of the leading parcel service providers in Europe. In the financial year 2015-16 GLS achieved revenue of €2.2 billion.

About Royal Mail

Royal Mail plc is the parent company of Royal Mail Group Limited, the leading provider of postal and delivery services in the UK and the UK's designated universal postal service provider. UK Parcels, International and Letters (UKPIL) comprises the company's UK and international parcels and letters delivery businesses operating under the 'Royal Mail' and 'Parcelforce Worldwide' brands. Through the Royal Mail Core Network, the company delivers a one-price-goes-anywhere service on a range of parcels and letters products. Royal Mail has the capability to deliver to more than 29 million addresses in the UK, six days a week (excluding UK public holidays). Parcelforce Worldwide operates a separate UK network which collects and delivers express parcels. Royal Mail also owns General Logistics Systems (GLS) which operates one of the largest ground-based, deferred parcel delivery networks in Europe.

About Postal Express

Founded in 1985, Postal Express is an overnight carrier in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Postal Express customers enjoy a high level of customer service, including later pickup times and higher degrees of customisation, at competitive prices. Postal Express operates a network of 15 hub facilities, with around 400 employees.

Only 6% of
people in the UK know a lot about pancreatic cancer, according to a national
awareness survey commissioned by Pancreatic Cancer Action. Furthermore, half of
respondents know nothing about the symptoms of pancreatic cancer.

The survey also reveals major discrepancies in awareness across the UK with only 3% of people in the North West claiming to know a lot about pancreatic cancer, compared to 17% in London.

Across the nation this year, 9600 men and women will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and 8,800 will die of the disease.

It is the UK’s fifth worst cause of cancer death, with a survival rate of just 5% - the worst of the 22 most common cancers. Despite these stats, pancreatic cancer remains largely unheard of and research into the disease is chronically underfunded.

Pancreatic Cancer Action is a UK charity founded by Ali Stunt, a rare survivor of the disease. The charity’s main objective is to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer with the public, the UK medical community and the government in order to improve early diagnosis

Ali Stunt says that: “Despite the increasingly high rate of pancreatic cancer in the UK, our new research highlights a fundamental lack of awareness of the tell-tale signs of the disease.

“Survival rates of pancreatic cancer remain at a standstill, with less than 1% of sufferers being given a prognosis for a ten-year life expectancy. Given that there is currently no screening process available for pancreatic cancer, it is imperative that people can spot the signs and symptoms early enough to make surgery a viable option, in order to secure earlier diagnosis of this deadly disease, and improve survival rates."

Symptoms include (but are not limited to) jaundice, weight loss, new onset diabetes and severe abdominal or back pain.

Most people with these symptoms do not have pancreatic cancer, but anyone with one or more of them should see their GP. Studies show that diagnosis early enough for surgery increases a patient’s life expectancy significantly.

For more information on symptoms visit pancreaticcanceraware.org.

To find out how you can help to increase awareness and ultimately reduce pancreatic cancer deaths in the UK, contact Natasha North at Pancreatic Cancer Action at natasha@panact.org

A local playgroup is joining in with The Sick Children’s Trust’s biggest and most chocola-tea fundraising campaign this month – Big Chocolate Tea.

Littlefoot playgroup, in Godmanchester, will be hosting a Big Chocolate Tea event and craft stall next month to raise money for The Sick Children’s Trust to say thank you for supporting a family who attend the group.

In 2008, local mum Paula Williams gave birth to her first baby, Lydia, 11 weeks early. Lydia was kept in Hinchingbrooke Hospital for three months, but was rushed to Addenbrooke’s Hospital for lifesaving treatment when she caught the lung infection bronchiolitis. For five days, parents Paula and Simon watched their tiny baby fight for her life on the intensive care unit before eventually being allowed to take her home. During this this time, the couple were able to stay just minutes from their seriously ill baby’s side thanks to free ‘Home from Home accommodation run by The Sick Children’s Trust.

Eight years on, Lydia has made a full recovery and is now a big sister to 19 month old Juliet, who attends Littlefoot. Paula’s friend, Amanda, who volunteers at the playgroup suggested they hold a Big Chocolate Tea party after learning that another family in the area had also been supported by the charity. 37-year-old full time mum, Paula who stayed at Acorn House, says:

“When we arrived at Addenbrooke’s Hospital we were completely exhausted and so frightened. Lydia’s life was in the hands of the doctors and we knew we had to prepare for the worst. For the next two weeks it was very touch and go. At one point, it was as if her little body had just given up, she wasn’t responding at all.

“At a time like that, when all you can do is stand back and watch the doctors work on your baby, you need somewhere where you can clear your head and Acorn House was that place we could go. We were so lucky to have been supported by The Sick Children’s Trust, it meant that we were just minutes from Lydia’s bedside at all times. And we could get away from the busy and manic hospital, whether that was to eat a homemade meal or catch up with family who were visiting.

“Being given a free ‘Home from Home’ was one of the most incredible things we could’ have received at such a traumatic time. Fortunately, Lydia did get better and we managed to get her home, but eight years on we haven’t forgotten that so many other families could be going through something similar. So, when Amanda mentioned that the playgroup wanted to do a fundraiser for The Sick Children’s Trust, I couldn’t wait to get involved to help raise awareness and money for a charity that is so important.”

Last year, Big Chocolate Tea raised £60,000 which gave 2,000 families free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation, keeping them together just minutes from their seriously ill child’s bedside. The Sick Children’s Trust hopes this year’s campaign will be an even greater success. Littlefoot volunteer, Amanda Last, says:

“I’ve heard first-hand the difference The Sick Children’s Trust has made to families going through the most unimaginable times with seriously ill children in hospital. And because of this we had to get the playgroup involved in Big Chocolate Tea. If we can raise at least £30, then we know we will be making a difference to one family by giving them a ‘Home from Home’ for one night.”

The Sick Children’s Trust runs free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation across the UK, supporting families with seriously ill children in hospital. While accommodation is provided free to families, it costs the charity £30 to support a family for one night. Acorn and Chestnut House Manager, Abi Abdel-aal, says:

“It’s so wonderful to hear that The Sick Children’s Trust has been able to support families who attend Littlefoot playgroup, and that because of this the community are supporting Big Chocolate Tea.

“Big Chocolate Tea is our biggest annual fundraising campaign and such a lot of fun. Individuals up and down the country will be taking part to support thousands of families, keeping them close to their seriously ill child while they undergo lifesaving treatment in hospital. We run two ‘Homes from Home’ in Cambridge, so by getting involved with Big Chocolate Tea this April and raising at least £30, you could support a family for one night who have a seriously ill child in Addenbrooke’s or The Rosie Hospital.”

Supporters can choose to take part in Big Chocolate Tea at any point during the year and will receive a free fundraising pack full of goodies to hold the perfect event. For more information and to request your pack, please visit: http://www.sickchildrenstrust.org/bigchoctea.

Event sales and marketing firm Fortitude Plethora exclusively announced last week that their Managing Director, Toni Stewart will be flying to the USA for the second year running to attend the annual USA sales Awards Gala.

Based in Manchester, Fortitude Plethora is a first-class event marketing and sales agency. The firm is an outsourced event marketing solution, led by innovation and results. Fortitude Plethora work on behalf of their client’s to increase their market share and customer base by promoting a positive brand awareness through face-to-face interactions at event marketing sites.

About Fortitude Plethora: http://www.fortitudeplethora.com/about-us/

2016 was the firm’s most successful year to date and a year of significant expansion; it saw them team up with a leading agency in neighbouring Liverpool and expand their services across the UK. Last year, the firm achieved some major industry accolades, in October, went to Tenerife for a well deserved R&R break and strengthened and acquired new business relationships while travelling across the UK, USA and Europe.

The firm’s success last year led to Miss Stewart being invited to America to attend the coveted sales Awards Gala, a VIP event held in the heart of New York to celebrate the achievements of the country’s top sales and marketing professionals. And this year Miss Stewart has been invited to attend the event once again, but this time will be flying over to Miami during her stay in the USA to reconnect with business associates in the city and meet and work with the industry’s rising talent.

The Global Business Travel Association estimates that 488 million business trips are taken annually in the U.S., with 1.3 million business trips happening each day. Miss Stewart believes that both national and international travel is essential to business success because it is crucial to be spending time with the right mentors and business associates to continually improve. And sometimes, interacting in the same room is more beneficial than a conference call.

Fortitude Plethora is continuing their success from 2016 and has continued to expand in the first quarter of 2017. The long-term goal for the ambitious firm is to expand into every major UK city and to New York in the next three years.

To find out more about Fortitude Plethora you can follow @FortitudePletho on Twitter or like their Facebook page.

Source: https://www.creditdonkey.com/business-travel-statistics.html

Source: http://www.fortitudeplethora.com/

Remembering Srebrenica has welcomed the visit of the Government’s Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues, The Rt Hon Sir Eric Pickles, to Srebrenica, the site of the worst atrocity on European soil since World War Two.

Sir Eric met with survivors and the bereaved in Srebrenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina, where over 8,000 Muslim men and boys were killed. He visited Srebrenica with the Chairman of the charity Remembering Srebrenica, which works to commemorate the Srebrenica genocide and to tackle hatred and prejudice in communities across the UK by learning from the past. Remembering Srebrenica is also the sole organiser of the UK’s commemorations of the genocide.

On visiting Srebrenica, Sir Eric said:

“I was reasonably familiar with the story and with the facts, but until you come here, until you talk to the survivors in the very place where it happened, the full dreadfulness of it doesn’t really hit you.

“To walk round this graveyard and monument it does strike me that this is what happens when young men’s heads are filled with hatred. The Memorial Centre records without bitterness and it makes Europe look itself in the eye to see the flip side of European civilisation; that we are capable of the most vile crimes known to humanity. I hope that every European will make a pilgrimage here to remember what we are capable of and what we are capable of avoiding.”

Dr Waqar Azmi OBE, Chairman of Remembering Srebrenica, accompanied Sir Eric and said:

“The lessons we can learn from Srebrenica of standing up to hatred, challenging prejudice and emphasising what we have in common rather than what divides us have never been more important. We need to be wary of increases in hate crime and the language of division in the UK. Srebrenica teaches us where this could lead if left unchallenged.

“Sir Eric, in his position as the Government’s Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues, can send a powerful message about the need to focus on education, to stand up to hatred and take positive action to build cohesive communities free from intolerance and division.”

The Department for Communities and Local Government part-funds Remembering Srebrenica’s work in learning lessons from the genocide to create stronger, more cohesive communities in the UK. July 11 marks the 22nd anniversary of the genocide of Bosnian Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica, – murdered because of their Islamic faith. The genocide in July 1995 was the culmination of a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing, in which men were tortured and killed while between 20,000-50,000 women were raped. This year, the charity is focusing their commemorations on breaking the silence on women’s experiences of the genocide.

As well as supporting a network of 1,000 Community Champions to hold hundreds of events commemorating the genocide in July, the charitable initiative runs the ‘Lessons from Srebrenica’ educational visit programme taking people to Bosnia to learn about the genocide and the effect that it has had on the lives of people there. This year the participants include MPs, faith leaders, teachers, barristers, journalists and students all of whom pledge to organise projects in their communities to strengthen community cohesion and create a better society on their return.

Jaguar Land Rover, the UK's largest manufacturer of premium luxury vehicles, today reported record retail sales of 604,009 vehicles (including sales from our China joint venture) in the financial year, up 16% compared to last year, exceeding 600,000 for the first time in the company’s history. Retail sales for the Fourth Quarter were 179,509 vehicles, up 13% on the same quarter a year ago, and March sales reached 90,838 units, up 21% on March 2016.

Retail sales for the full financial year were up year-on-year in China (32%), North America (24%), the UK (16%) and Europe (13%), whilst sales in other Overseas markets were down 6%. For the month of March, retail sales were up in Europe (21%), North America (21%), China (21%) and Overseas markets (6%) compared to March 2016. In the UK, March sales were up 26.5% to a record 31,778 vehicles.

Andy Goss, Jaguar Land Rover Group Sales Operations Director said: “These numbers set the seal on Jaguar Land Rover’s seventh successive year of sales growth, by breaking through the 600,000 barrier. We continue to make encouraging gains in key markets such as China and North America, as well as seeing sustained customer demand for the Jaguar F-PACE, Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport.

“The last 12 months have seen the launch of three completely new product lines, and successful growth across many of our existing products. Jaguar sales are still increasing strongly and Jaguar is now Europe’s fastest-growing car brand.”

Retail sales for Jaguar were a record 172,848 vehicles in the financial year, up 83% compared to the prior year primarily driven by the successful introduction of the F-PACE and solid sales of the XE and XF. Jaguar retails in the Fourth Quarter were 53,972 vehicles, up 81% on the same quarter last year, and 27,820 units in the month of March, up 83% compared to March 2016.

Land Rover retailed 431,161 vehicles this financial year, up 1% compared to last year, as continuing strong sales of the Discovery Sport, Evoque and Range Rover Sport were offset by the run-out of Defender and Discovery. Retail sales for Land Rover for the Fourth Quarter were 125,537 units, down 3% on quarter four last year, and retails in March were 63,018 vehicles, up 5% compared to March 2016.

Last month Land Rover launched the Velar, a new addition to the Range Rover family, positioned between Evoque and Range Rover Sport.

ENDS.

PETA Exposes Violent 'Training' Behind the Scenes at Hanover Zoo

Hanover, Germany – A new PETA video
offers a glimpse behind the scenes at Germany's Hanover Adventure Zoo,
where employees were caught using whips, bullhooks – weapons resembling a
fireplace poker with a sharp metal hook on one end – and even, in one
instance, a fist to force elephants to perform circus-style tricks to
entertain visitors. In response, PETA Germany has filed a complaint with
local law enforcement and is calling for an end to the facility's
elephant exhibit and breeding programme.

Elephant
expert Carol Buckley, who evaluated the footage, explains that the sole
purpose of this systematic abuse – whereby the trainers inflict pain on
adult and baby elephants for even the slightest perceived infraction –
is to teach them tricks and that it can lead to long-lasting trauma.

"No
zoo can provide elephants with the open space, freedom, and
companionship these highly intelligent living beings need in order to
thrive", says PETA Director Elisa Allen. "If zoos were serious about
protecting endangered species, they would ask the public to donate to
programmes that protect animals in their native habitats, rather than
turning them into living exhibits."

PETA
– whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to use for
entertainment" – notes that elephants are highly social animals who
thrive in matriarchal herds, protecting each other, caring for their
young, and travelling many miles a day. In zoos, they're confined to
small enclosures, causing them to develop arthritis and other foot
problems – which can be fatal – and to suffer from psychological
distress. Many captive elephants exhibit signs of zoochosis, including
repeatedly swaying back and forth. Their life expectancy is half that of
elephants in the wild.

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

Dwayne Foster of GoldIcon Enterprise has revealed he has set his sights on a major industry prize at an upcoming awards ceremony and shared what steps he'll take to secure the accolade.

About GoldIcon: http://www.goldicon.co.uk/about/

Dwayne Foster, entrepreneur and business owner of GoldIcon Enterprise is aiming to win ‘Rookie Owner of the Year’ award at the upcoming sales and marketing industry awards in May. The brand awareness specialists have had an incredibly successful first year in business and are anticipating their successes to be acknowledged by other business owners and industry professionals at the prestigious event.

This will be a significant achievement for the firm as a whole because it will increase motivation within the company, as the award will be the recognition of hard work and achievements over the year. The award will also help to attract new talent to push the business forward for the second year in business. Winning the award will also increase the credibility of the firm within the competitive sales and marketing industry.

GoldIcon Enterprise is planning to put significant steps in place to win this major title. They have goals to increase results, attract new clients, attract new top talent, help existing and new contractors to achieve their goals and progress them to leadership.

The event in May will be a unique and prestigious occasion, but the firm would additionally like to win this award to see their sales contractors recognised for all their hard work and efforts that have helped make the company a success.

Based in Birmingham, GoldIcon Enterprise is the city’s newest sales and marketing firm. The company specialise in a unique form of direct marketing, allowing them to meet the needs of their client’s consumers on a personalised and face-to-face basis. GoldIcon Enterprise believes that the human interaction helps to establish better long-lasting business relationships between the brand and consumer, which then results in more customer acquisitions, a better brand awareness and stronger brand loyalty for their clients.

GoldIcon Enterprise is excited for the awards ceremony in May, but in the meantime will be keeping their head down and increasing results for both their clients and the firm.

Follow @GoldIcon_ on Twitter or like their Facebook page for more information GoldIcon Enterprise.

MomentCam has reached the Top 20 for Photography Apps in Google Play for Thailand as well as other high rankings for Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam from being featured in Google Play’s celebration of the Songkran festival. MomentCam will offer 20% off selected personalized products as well as a new Songkran themed emoticon pack with an added 50% value. The offers will be available from March 31st to April 17th.

MomentCam’s little sister app, AiMee, has also reached the Top 10 for communication apps in the Play Store in the same countries. AiMee is a keyboard app that allows users to instantly create their own personalized stickers and send them directly in chats. With thousands of stickers to choose from, users can now add fun and humor to any conversation.

Since the opening of its in-app merchandise shop, MomentCam has been expanding its worldwide reach with personalized products. Coincidentally, the shop was recently made shipping available in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.

“We are thrilled to have gone viral again in Southeast Asia,” said Filipe Santos, Director of International Business at MomentCam. “Working together with Google is a great opportunity to allow more people to enjoy our content. It is a pleasure to give something extra special to our Thai users and to everyone celebrating the Songkran Holiday, whether it is through our personalized caricatures, emoticons or merchandise products”.

About MomentCam:

First released in 2013, MomentCam is a popular mobile App available on Android and iOS that allows users to instantly turn themselves into personalized cartoons and emoticons. It features a content library of tens of thousands of caricatures that cover a wide range of topics. Since its launch in 2013, MomentCam has been downloaded globally by over 350 million users, and was selected as the winner of Facebook’s FbStart App of the Year award in 2015.

Download MomentCam here: Google Play

Download AiMee here: Google Play

Curated by James Unsworth, Abject Gallery hosts ‘Canadians’, an exhibition of new works by four Canadian figurative painters who employ a variety of traditional techniques and mediums.

We seem to be living in an increasingly polarized world; one in which western structures, economic power and culture are devolving. Curator James Unsworth attempts to explore this trajectory by presenting recent works by Canadian painters Becker, Dean, Kouroumalos and Mainella.

Becker, Dean, Kouroumalos and Mainella are children of the 80’s, who now find themselves approaching middle age. The world these Canadians grew up in was optimistic, in looking back at these shattered illusions of the ‘golden years’ they show how history blurs the edges of reality making the sharp focus of the present all the less appealing. It’s the uncertainty of this present that gives rise to the creeping anxiety present in their work. This exhibition looks backwards both in terms of western painting traditions and the pop cultural references lifted from their adolescence. The future? … “We’re probably fu**ed”.

Joe BeckerThere are many recurring themes and subjects in Joe Becker’s work: corrupted innocence, notions of nostalgia, degeneration and mass-marketed characters and icons of youth. His new work takes the forms of visceral composites plundered from cartoons, humour magazines, horror movies, video games that all mix together into a primordial stew. The resulting efforts create an agitated universe besieged with agonising gluttony, toilet humour and rich amalgams of inside jokes and jumbled memories. Born in 1978 in Kitchener Ontario, Becker received his MFA at Concordia University and now lives and works in Montreal, Canada.joebeckerpaintings.blogspot.co.uk

Roy DeanDean, who graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design in 2006, wields his brush and pencil with great acuity, throwing the world we’ve created for ourselves back into our faces with merciless black humour and insight. His colourful yet maddeningly dark paintings and drawings pull no punches in shedding the current state of affairs in an honest, and concurrently scary light.rorydean.com

Peggy KouroumalosThrough the representation of re-counted personal memories or invented open-ended narratives, Kouroumalos’ interests lie in creating a point of intersection from various influences from the past; art historical, cinematic, cultural or personal. By working free associatively—pulling from selected archived images or meandering internet searches, she looks to both utilize and arouse symbolism, creating her own meaning with a combination of elements driven by recurring themes of death, desire, alienation and transformation. Kouroumalos was born in Toronto, Ontario and is currently based in Montreal, Quebec where she recently graduated with a Masters of Fine Arts at Concordia University.pkpaintings.blogspot.co.uk

Derek MainellaAn artist primarily and independent curator second, Mainella is known mostly for his oil on canvas paintings, while maintaining a constantly evolving relationship to format in his practice. Working mostly in series, Derek Mainella sustains an exploratory relationship to format, process, critical issues and historical reference in painting. He has had several solo exhibitions, in addition to numerous group shows in Toronto, as well as art fairs and group exhibitions internationally. Born in 1973 in Toronto, the artists now lives and works in London.derekmainella.blogspot.co.uk

The preview for this exhibition takes place as part of The Late Shows on Saturday 20th May, 7pm – 11pm, featuring music, poutine, Canadian beer and a chance to meet the curator.

The exhibition continues to be open from 24th May – 24th June, Wednesday to Saturday, 12pm – 5pm. Entry is free.

Abject Gallery, run by Breeze Creatives, is a new contemporary art gallery, in Newcastle city centre that exhibits a selection of national and international artists. Located on the 8th floor of Bamburgh House on Market Street East, the gallery is also known for its stunning views of the Quayside including the Tyne Bridge, Sage and BALTIC.

More information is available at www.abject.gallery

Canadians: Joe Becker, Rory Dean, Peggy Kouroumalos, Derek Mainella Preview: Saturday, 20th May 2017, 7:00pm – 11:00pm Exhibition: 24th May – 24th June 2017 Opening Times: Wed – Sat, 12:00pm – 5:00pm Location: Abject Gallery, 8th Floor, Bamburgh House, Market Street East, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6BH

- ENDS -

Information for editors

For media enquiries contact Zoe Anderson on 07533 195512 or email info@breezecreatives.com.

Press image available at:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4919hv7foxl3jp9/AADYG1KbM7Xxm-yUhgIS3uTza?dl=0

Additional images can be emailed upon request.

Cutting the water bill and protecting nature. LG Electronics do Brasil conducted an unprecedented experiment to promote the LG Washer & Dryer Smart Care product line, which uses a lot less water than conventional washing machines, and to encourage people to conserve natural resources. Created by the Y&R Brazil advertising agency, the initiative shows people that the LG washing machine can operate so efficiently that it can wash a load using water extracted from cactuses in the middle of the Atacama Desert in Chile. The video was launched on all of the brand's digital channels: https://youtu.be/irCulWtPSwg

Brazilian botanists Marlon Câmara Machado and Ricardo Cardim—who holds a master's degree from the University of São Paulo (USP) and created the "Pocket Forest" technique—assisted with the creation of the action, which marked the launch of the "Field Test" platform in Brazil. The action featured LG products facing atypical situations with different challenges. "Our goal was to bring innovative products and solutions to our customers to improve their lives, as well as introduce them to new consumption habits that would help them conserve water and power," stated Tânia Silva, Marketing Manager at LG Electronics of Brazil. Corporate Relations Manager of WWF-Brazil, Hânia Ribeiro, thinks that this is an important action given Brazil's and the world's current situation and the need for people to change their water consumption habits. "Since 2015, LG has been supporting WWF-Brazil, encouraging people to conserve biodiversity and to use natural resources rationally." The 1'26"-long video "Field Test LG - Washer & Dryer LG" takes place in the arid Atacama Desert and features botanist Ricardo Cardim. In the experiment, the LG Washer & Dryer washing machine is connected to cactuses using a specially-designed device that employs non-aggressive techniques guaranteed not to harm the plants. The wash cycle could be performed with such a small amount of water because the washing machine is a front-loading model, which means it can wash clothes without filling the whole drum with water. Because of this, the machine can use up to 42% * less water with each wash cycle. Additionally, the washing machine has an intelligent load sensor, which calculates how much water will be needed based on the amount of clothes put into the machine. According to Rafael Pitanguy, Creative Vice-President at Y&R Brazil, the "Field Test" platform aims to position LG as a brand that provides knowledge, entertainment and relevant content to its consumers. "Advertising agencies can do more than just provide brand communication services to their clients. In this case, we used science and nature to draw attention to the product's differentiating factors," completed Pitanguy. To emphasize the message about the importance of saving water and to promote the attributes of the LG Washer & Dryer washing machine, Y&R Brazil developed a strategy to implement the action through several pieces to be featured on portals and a series of content to be featured on LG communication channels. The video was created by Daniel Groove, Felipe Pavani, Bernardo Tavares and Marcos Lee, with creative direction from Rafael Pitanguy and Victor Sant’Anna, and was produced by 7Filmes. * Calculation based on indexes published by Inmetro comparing similar-capacity top-loading models that use the same voltage and have similar technical specifications. CreditsClient: LG ELETRONICS BRAZILProduct: LG Washer & Dryer Smart CareTitle: CactusAgency: Y&R Brazil Creative VP: Rafael PitanguyCreative Director: Rafael Pitanguy e Victor Sant’AnnaACD: Daniel GrooveHead of art: Felipe PavaniCopywriter: Bernardo TavaresArt Director: Marcos LeeAccount: Marcello Penna, Luiz Villano, Diego Passos e Danielle Shimba.Client Team: Bárbara Toscano, Marco Frade, Tânia Silva e Bruno Giorgetto.Planner: Paulo Vitta e Eduardo Dami.Media: Gustavo Gaion, Glaucia Montanha, Thiago Martinez e Isabella Biasi.RTVC: Nicole Godoy, Anderson Rocha e Caroline ReisProducer: Thais GordonProduction Company: 7FilmesDirector: Gugu SeppiAudio: CabaretDate: March/2017 PR – Y&R Brazil Gê Rocha – +5511 3026-4558 / 99618-1215 – ge.rocha@gruponewcomm.com.br Tercio Silveira – +5511 3026-5023 – tercio.silveira@gruponewcomm.com.br

A Carillion Joint Venture, has been awarded the HESTIA South East and London Region Multi Activity Contract, one of the seven HESTIA contracts that will be awarded. This contract has the potential to generate in excess of £200 million across the initial contract period of five years, based on retail revenue projections.

Under the contract, the Carillion Joint Venture will deliver a range of soft facilities management services, including catering, retail and leisure, and hotel and mess services, for 87 key Defence sites across Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Berkshire and Central and Greater London. The contract will go live at the beginning of September 2017 and will employ over 1800 people.

This contract builds on the strong relationship that Carillion has established with the Ministry of Defence through its existing Next Generation Estates contracts with Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) that cover the provision of housing maintenance, design, construction and facilities management services across the UK.

Carillion will use the HESTIA South East and London contract to create further opportunities to demonstrate its commitment to the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant, which helps ex-service personnel find employment and supports the recruitment of Reservists.

Carillion Chief Executive, Richard Howson, said: "We are extremely proud that our Carillion Joint Venture has been selected for this major contract. We look forward to building on our existing strong relationship with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, and to working with the DIO and senior military personnel to deliver a range of services that will help to improve the lives of service personnel."

HESTIA will provide a consistent quality of soft FM services for everyone living and working on the UK defence estate through a suite of seven regional Multi Activity Contracts. These contracts will promote the wellbeing of people within UK defence through the delivery of quality soft FM services that meet individual and defence needs, are adaptable to local circumstances and agile enough to meet the changing needs of the defence community.

The Bank launched its block discounting offering in 2011 and provides facilities ranging from £1 million upwards to smaller UK finance companies who can in turn use the money to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with asset finance funding, broadening Aldermore's reach to a wider range of SMEs across the UK.

Hywel Prewett, Business Development Manager, Wholesale & Structured Asset Finance at Aldermore, said: 'Our block discounting business has achieved strong growth in recent years, and we're keen to continue developing our offering to specialist lenders, helping us to extend our reach to the UK's SMEs.

'Block Discounting forms part of Aldermore's Wholesale & Structured Asset Finance offering that has tripled new business originations over the past three years via our team of experienced business development managers operating across the UK.'

Lee Rhodes, Commercial Director, Wholesale and Structured Asset Finance at Aldermore, said: 'We have made great strides in expanding the reach of our Wholesale proposition over the past three years and Block Discounting has played an important part in this success. We are now looking to drive our next phase of growth and will be aiming to achieve this by increasing our customer base, supporting the wider Aldermore business and developing our product offering to enable us to continue to support the ambitions of the UK's fast-growing SMEs.'

**Ends**

For further information, journalists can contact:

Ian Burge, PR ManagerPhone: 020 3553 4292Mobile: 07767 794956Email: ian.burge@aldermore.co.uk

Notes to Editors:

For further information about Aldermore, please review our Notes to Editorspage

Follow us on Twitter: @AldermoreNews

Work is set to start later this month on the construction of a new fast response gas plant next to the existing Brigg power station in North Lincolnshire.

The investment into the 50MW plant was confirmed in December last year as part of a £180m investment programme into new flexible power plants across the country.

Comprising of five reciprocating gas engines, the plant has been designed to respond to peaks in demand and will be capable of producing enough power to meet the needs of around 50,000 households - more than all the homes in the district of West Lindsey.

Brigg Generation Manager Ian Griffiths said: 'The site here at Brigg has been going through a real transformation over the past year. The team has been working hard on the demolition of redundant equipment, including the four chimneys and the old fuel oil tanks where the new plant will be built so it's great to now be ready for a new chapter for the site as construction begins.'

A team of up to 95 people will be on site during construction, which is expected to take around 15 months. The plant will be operational in winter 2018.

Once complete, the new plant will operate as a highly flexible 'peaking plant' that will be able to go from a cold standstill up to full power in under two minutes - a feature that is becoming increasingly important as more intermittent renewable capacity such as wind and solar comes on line.

To find out more and keep up to date on construction, go to www.centrica.com/brigg.

For more information contact: Emily Highmore-Talbot on 07557 614936 or email emily.highmoretalbot@centrica.com

On March 10th, a new record on music was broken. Ed Sheeran's new album "Divide" sold an amazing 672,000 on his first week, giving Sheeran the highest opening week album sales in Official Chart history for a male artist.

Sheeran also broke all records concerning streaming and digital download in Spotify. Only on the debut day the album had more than 56,7 millions streams on Spotify.

Although the numbers of Sheeran's album sales are impressive, without the contemporary IT-infrastructure it would not have been possible to have so many people from all over the world listen to his album in such a short period of time. How does Spotify do it?

Spotify relies on Google’s cloud computing platform service to listeners - A regular internet connection of 1mb, should allow you to listen to Sheeran's songs instantaneously. To understand the necessary IT-infrastructure, it is worthy to check how much bandwidth Spotify Sheeran's record represents.

Spotify has 3 different audio quality:

Kbps are a bit rate measurement which means the number of bits per second transmitted along a digital network. In average Spotify stream uploads 160 bits per second for each song

Considering average Spotify upload rate and an average of 3.5 minutes per song, Sheeran's "Divide" trasmitted 238.2gb of data just in the first day or an average of 66.2 mb per sec.

If you had to upload all this data by yourself considering average UK upload speed of 2.9mb/s, it would take 296 hours, or approximately12 days to have the task done. Impressive for Spotify!

Spotify relies on Google's Data centers to provide a smooth experience for Ed Sherran's fans and make all these number possible. Google’s Data centers use around 260 million watts of power, divided into 13 big center and 900.000 serves, which accounts for 0.01% of global energy consumption.

Sheeran's record smashed most of the existent ones. If you look into streaming data, it is impressive how many people were able to quickly listen to it at the same time. All this is just possible due to current music structure, where you can rely on platforms such as Spotify where such an amount of data can be provided instantaneously anytime and anywhere.

Source: StreamHostLink

Bitdefender, a leading Internet security company protecting 500 million users worldwide, received a 5-Star rating in the 2017 Partner Program Guide published by CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, confirming its status as the organizer of an industry-leading partner program.

Bitdefender, a leading Internet security company protecting 500 million users worldwide, received a 5-Star rating in the 2017 Partner Program Guide published by CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, confirming its status as the organizer of an industry-leading partner program.

The 5-Star rating recognizes Bitdefender as a member of an elite subset of companies that offer solution providers the best partnering elements in their channel programs. The annual guide is the definitive listing of partner programs from technology vendors that provide products and services through the IT channel.

To determine 5-Star ratings this year, The Channel Company's research team assessed each vendor's partner program based on investments in program offerings, partner profitability, partner training, education and support, marketing programs and resources, sales support and communication.

The Bitdefender Partner Advantage Network is designed to enable partners to earn high profits, with account protection, lead generation campaigns, state-of-the-art training and the full backing of a world-leading Internet security vendor. Bitdefender's solid support, unique approach and dedication to partners have led program membership to more than double in the past two years alone. The program now consists of a network of knowledgeable partners in more than 150 countries.

'For solution providers, finding the right technology vendors to partner with is crucial to the health of their business, and the vast array of choices can be overwhelming,' said Robert Faletra, CEO of The Channel Company. 'Our annual Partner Program Guide and 5-Star ratings help them narrow the field, identifying the most rewarding partner programs and outlining their strengths and benefits.'

'One of our key philosophies is continuous improvement. As we never stop advancing, the most recent program's updates were based on partner input, reflecting our deep mutual confidence,' said Bitdefender's Worldwide Partner Program Manager, Raluca Cosciug. 'We know continuous success comes when results are directly rewarded, thus improving the deal registration program - The New Opportunity Registration program and the ordering process. These are only a few of our latest developments that will contribute to strengthening our relations even further and help our partners grow in an ever-changing market.'

The 2017 Partner Program Guide will be featured in the April issue of CRN and online at www.CRN.com/ppg.

VANCOUVER BC, CANADA - The upcoming Scrum Day 2017 in Stuttgart Germany has added another sponsor, this time Comalatech, a Canadian software developer. Fresh off of co-hosting a "Scrum@Scale" training course by Dr. Jeff Sutherland in Madrid, Comalatech is looking forward to taking part in another event that brings together some of the brightest minds in Scrum from around the world.

Scrum Day represents one of the largest Agile community conferences in the world. As its name suggests, the focus is on Scrum and everything to do with the popular agile framework. Sessions address relevant topics like agile organizational development, agile strategies, agile management, Scrum and agility on a large scale (scaling) and much more.

Gorka Puente, Product Manager at Comalatech, is excited to be supporting the event. "We use Scrum practices in our development team, and my previous exposure to Scrum experts has taught me that there is always room for improving our use of the methodology, and always new things to learn. I think the organizers of Scrum Day 2017 have pulled together an excellent line up of speakers, and I am happy that we could play a part in supporting it."

Taking place May 30-31st, the event promises to be a "can't miss" opportunity for Agile practitioners to learn from the best in their field. To learn more about Scrum Day 2017, including ticketing information, visit http://www.scrum-day.de/home.html.

Comalatech is a Canadian software company dedicated to providing solutions within the Atlassian ecosystem. Employing staff around the globe, the company is committed to delivering user-friendly products that enhance collaboration in today's fast moving workplace. As a supporter of Pledge 1% Comalatech is also proud to give back to the communities it calls home. Learn more about the company and its causes of choice at www.comalatech.com

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For high resolution photos and logos please contact Mike Rink at mike@comalatech.com or call 1-844-266-2521.

Birmingham-based sales and marketing firm GoldIcon Enterprise has been discussing Malcolm Gladwell’s successful book, ‘The Tipping Point’ and uncovered how it only takes one person to make something happen.

About: http://www.goldicon.co.uk/about/

Gladwell described the tipping point as that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behaviour crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. To help describe the concept, he uses the metaphor of an epidemic - a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. The tipping point phenomenon is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas:

“As human beings, we always expect everyday change to happen slowly and steadily, and for there to be some relationship between cause and effect. And when there isn’t — when crime drops dramatically in New York for no apparent reason, or when a movie made on a shoestring budget ends up making hundreds of millions of dollars — we’re surprised. I’m saying, don’t be surprised. This is the way social epidemics work.” - Malcolm Gladwell.

GoldIcon Enterprise firmly believes in the book's precedent. The company believes it takes only one person to lead others into a successful life. Any one individual's ideas, behaviour and messages can cause significant change in the industry. CEO Dwayne Foster explains:

“Social epidemics govern the way the world works. GoldIcon Enterprise embraces this quality; we’re always looking for the spark that could change everything about the market.”

The firm is looking to start some “positive” epidemics of their own. They are offering mentoring opportunities and workshops to help engage individuals with the capability to lead the way for others, as well as to insight inspiration in the whole team to pursue their goals, no matter how ambitious. The company works closely with all their contractors to help them develop the critical sales and marketing skills they need to make an impression.

Specialists in direct marketing, GoldIcon Enterprise have a passion for people and genuine connections. They deliver the most personalised, dynamic and unique marketing solutions with the aim of creating hype and brand awareness for their clients.

Shrek's Adventure! London are looking for kind, generous people willing to have at least 7”/17cm of their hair cut off for the Little Princess Trust at a fabulous, fun-filled day on the afternoon of 29th April. While the minimum length of hair for donation is 7”/17cm longer hair donations are especially welcome, so real-life Rapunzels looking for a style change are particularly sought-after!

The Little Princess Trust is a charity which provides free real hair wigs to boys and girls across the UK & Ireland that have lost their own hair through cancer treatment and other illnesses.

Donors should register for a time slot at https://realliferapunzel.eventbrite.co.uk, when they can donate their hair and then enjoy a complimentary haircut and styling courtesy of students and staff from South Thames College Hair Salon, a glitter makeover and plenty of fun activities too. Each donor can bring one non-donating guest – although the more donors the better!

Charity Manager, Monica Glass, said “We are absolutely thrilled that Shrek’s Adventure! London has offered to host this wonderful event on behalf of the Little Princess Trust. We are really looking forward to meeting so many of our amazing donors and we feel this is a great opportunity to offer everyone who supports our charity that day a fun-filled afternoon!’

Steve Blackburn, General Manager of Shrek’s Adventure! added, “Shrek’s Adventure! London is home to lots of princesses and we are really proud to be working with the Little Princess Trust, spreading awareness of the incredible work they do and encouraging those with long hair to donate it for the benefit of children suffering from hair loss.”

#RealLifeRapunzel

Ten year-old child model Sofia Holmes from Gorseinon, Wales, is planning on cutting her hair on 13th April from 2pm at the Llanelli Parc Trostre branch of Marks and Spencers, and donating the 18” braid to the Little Princess Trust.

In 2015, Sofia won the Face of the Globe competition – an annual international beauty pageant hosted over one week between the UK and Disneyland Paris. After winning, Sofia elected the Little Princess Trust to be her charity of choice and she has since been working hard to raise money for the Trust.

One of her many fundraising activities includes frequent stints of bag-packing at the Llanelli Parc Trostre Marks and Spencers store. During this time, she has developed quite a rapport with the local shoppers and staff of M&S. So much so, that Gail Webster, an employee of the Llanelli M&S branch, will be cutting Sofia’s hair for her!

Gail told us ‘I have been cutting Sofia’s hair for a very long time now but she only ever has a trim! It is nearly down to her knees so it’s a huge amount to be donating to the Little Princess Trust!’.

Pradeep Patel, Store Manager at M&S Llanelli Parc Trostre said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be supporting Sofia’s fundraising for the Little Princess Trust. Helping to transform the lives of children facing hair loss through cancer and other conditions is a cause that matters greatly to myself and my colleagues. Sofia has inspired us all by bravely facing the chop and we’re overwhelmed by the support our customers have offered in helping her to fundraise for such a worthy cause.”

Monica Glass, Charity Manager at the Little Princess Trust said ‘We feel honoured that Sofia has chosen to support the Little Princess Trust since 2015 and on top of all of her other fundraising efforts, we think that her decision to donate her lovely long hair is truly amazing. What an inspiring young girl Sofia is!’.

If you would like to go along and support Sofia, head along to Llanlelli Parc Trostre Marks and Spencers on Thursday 13th April. Sofia will be bag-packing in store from 10am and the hair cutting event will commence at 2pm.