Dan Coolican is the CEO of outsourced sales and marketing firm Goldstream Incorporated, and he passionately believes that continuous self-development is the secret to success.

About Goldstream Incorporated: http://www.goldstreamincorporated.co.uk/

Reading is a widely renowned source of knowledge, and Mr. Coolican is encouraging inspiring entrepreneurs and business owners to read the following five books to expand their knowledge and develop their skill-set.

"Losing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had Fun, And Made A Fortune Doing Business My Way," by Richard Branson

Sir Richard Branson is one of the world’s most iconic billionaires. The Virgin Group founder is a business magnate, investor and philanthropist and controls more than 400 companies. In the book, Branson shares how he built his Virgin empire with the philosophy ‘Oh, screw it, let's do it’. The autobiography explains to the reader that having the confidence to fail is one of the surest ways to success.

"How To Win Friends And Influence People," by Dale Carnegie

Dale Carnegie was an American writer and lecturer and the developer of famous courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking, and interpersonal skills. How to Win Friends and Influence People is one of the best-selling self-help books ever published, selling over 30 million copies worldwide, and was voted number 19 on Time Magazine's list of 100 most influential books in 2011. In "How To Win Friends And Influence People" Carnegie helps the reader to understand the fundamentals of likability. The author explores how to make good conversation and win people over to the same way of thinking – in essence, the skills necessary to succeed in business.

"The Zigzag Principle," by Rich Christiansen

Richard Christiansen is a serial entrepreneur, best-selling author, and philanthropist. In the Zig Zag Principle, Christiansen encourages the reader to ignore the urge to charge full steam ahead toward their goals and instead to zigzag around obstacles, while staying the course to reach the final destination.

"Good to Great," by James Collins

Jim Collins is an American business consultant, author, lecturer on the subject of company sustainability and growth and a graduate of the Stanford School of Business. Good to Great is a follow-up to the acclaimed “Built to Last”. In Good to Great, Collins identifies top-performing companies and the traits of the CEOs that lead them. An example - Level 5 leaders have personal humility and an unwavering resolve to accomplish the tasks at hand, as well as creating a culture of honesty. Mr Coolican believes this is the perfect book for new leaders.

"Never Eat Alone," by Keith Ferrazzi

Keith Ferrazzi is a Harvard Business School, Harvard University and Yale University graduate. Mr Ferrazzi is also an American author, public speaker, nationally recognized networking expert, and the founder and Chief executive officer of Ferrazzi Greenlight. In Never Eat Alone, Ferrazzi highlights the importance of networking and explains to the reader that networking is the key to success. Ferrazzi explains how some of the most powerful people in the world, including Bill Clinton, mastered the art of networking and made it to the top.

“If you’re only going to read one book from the list choose 'Never Eat Alone'. It took me a while to realise the importance of networking, but after reading this book it clicked, and my career began to take off,” said Mr Coolican.

Goldstream Incorporated is an outsourced sales and marketing firm based in Nottingham. Goldstream Incorporated are supporters of entrepreneurship, and they believe that self-development is the secret to success.

For more information Follow @Gold_streamInc on Twitter and 'Like' them on Facebook.

SOURCE: http://www.businessinsider.com/books-you-should-read-if-you-want-to-succeed-as-an-entrepreneur-2012-5?op=1&IR=T

After committing to offering guidance, mentorship and support to young professionals, Norfolk and Suffolk Promotions recently announced that many their young workforce had reached important professional goals in the past few weeks.

For more information, visit www.norfolkandsuffolk.com.

Based in Norwich, Norfolk and Suffolk Promotions is a provider of the UK’s most exciting sales and marketing solutions. Exclusively operating within face to face, pop-up marketing the firm aids brands in forming personal connections with their consumers – offering them a platform from which to interact and engage with brands and their products in person. This hands-on approach has led to Norfolk and Suffolk Promotions becoming one of the UK’s most sought after outsourced sales and marketing providers, generating a consistently high ROI and positive market reputation for clients from a wide variety of industries.

CEO Simon Reynolds has worked hard to instil his passion for professional development, making sure his company provide ongoing support for their young workforce. The business owner considers nurturing fresh young talent and mentoring his ambitious contractors to become the future leaders of the sales and marketing industry to be a core factor in the firm's mission statement. Mr Reynolds encourages this development by creating awareness of company expectations, providing fast solutions and knowledge management.

Results of the development strategies implemented by Norfolk and Suffolk Promotions is evident in the three company contractors who recently accomplished major professional goals, smashing expectations and surpassing their potential. As a result, all three contractors have secured promising futures in the industry, with Norfolk and Suffolk Promotions honoured to have played a role in this success.

The firm is more than happy to impart their industry wisdom and experiences to their newcomers, and believe this is a critical thing to do as it helps the company grow a bigger and better workforce, ultimately leading to further market reach for their clients' campaigns.

###

Norfolk and Suffolk Promotions guarantee a high return on investment. For more information Follow @Norfolk_SuffPro on Twitter and Like them on Facebook.

Source https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-knowledge-sharing-important-workplace-amrita-bulchandani

A young Mum is to take part in the London Marathon with four fellow runners for Francis House Children’s Hospice.

Sian Dobson-Hughes, 32, from Cheadle in Greater Manchester, gave birth to baby Albie in September last year, and just 6 weeks later was back out running – often pushing the buggy as she trained.

A pastoral and academic care worker at Wright Robinson College in Gorton in Manchester, Sian looks after the progress of vulnerable students.

Sian said: “I have spent my working life supporting young people and children who are born into difficult circumstances, and for the last seven years I have committed myself to various sports-related challenges to raise money for charities in and around the Manchester area.”

During the cold winter months Sian and training buddy Lauren Iredale, pounded the cold rainy streets of Manchester in preparation for the 26.2 mile course.

“I massively missed running when I was pregnant and wanted to challenge myself as soon as possible. On New Year’s Eve I ran 13 miles and felt great, it was good to know I still had a relatively good level of fitness,” said Sian.

With the support of her family, Sian and husband Rory Scott took part in the Limassol Marathon in March, less than 6 months after Sian gave birth.

Sian said: “I am nervous and excited, Lauren has completed a marathon before and we’ll run the course together. We’re looking forward to crossing the finishing line and getting a medal,

“We chose Francis House not just because they care for the child or young person with life-limiting conditions but they also support the whole family, often for many years, through the difficult times they face,” said Sian.

Family and friends will be accompanying the pair to London, including baby Albie who will be seven months old on April 23, the day of the race.

The pals were given a special tour of the hospice by chief executive David Ireland. Joined by fellow marathon runners Tim Lovatt and James Gowin, employees at Altrincham based software firm Aquila Heywood, whose staff have been fundraising for the hospice for nearly 3 years.

“The months of training have been grueling but when you come to Francis House it’s incredible, and it’s only here because of donations from lots of people. So although the training has been pretty horrible, it really isn’t the worst thing in the world,” said Lauren.

The pair have set a fundraising target of £4,000. Sian and Lauren at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/SianandLozza

The parents of a baby born 14 weeks prematurely, weighing the same as a bag of sugar, are asking the community to get behind The Sick Children’s Trust’s Big Chocolate Tea campaign.

Albie Mellor, who turns one year old next month, was born seriously ill at their local Colchester Hospital weighing just over 2lb. At just five hours old the tiny baby was transferred 60 miles away from home to The Rosie Hospital, Cambridge, for lifesaving treatment. Albie remained in hospital for nine weeks undergoing numerous procedures to help him survive. During this time his parents Tyler, 21, and Michala, 35, were just minutes away as they were given free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation run by The Sick Children’s Trust.

Tyler and Michala were supported at Chestnut House, located just below the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) where Albie fought for his life. Although the accommodation is free to families, it costs The Sick Children’s Trust £30 to support a family for a night in one of its ten ‘Homes from Home’ and it relies entirely on voluntary donations to meet this cost.

Big Chocolate Tea is the charity’s biggest annual fundraising campaign and raises money to support families when their child is seriously ill in hospital. Albie’s parents are hoping others will join them in supporting Big Chocolate Tea. Dad Tyler, a soldier from Colchester, says:

“Because Albie was so ill, it wasn’t possible for us to sleep by his bedside, so we really don’t know what we would have done. We were so far away from home and couldn’t have funded a place to stay in Cambridge for over two months. It wouldn’t have been manageable.

“Every morning we woke up not knowing what the day ahead would bring. Having the support of The Sick Children’s Trust helped us enormously with coping with this uncertainty. We were staying just minutes from Albie’s side in the charity’s ‘Home from Home’ Chestnut House. Without this place, we would not have coped physically, emotionally or financially.

“We want to do whatever we can to raise awareness of The Sick Children’s Trust, and to help the charity support more families like ours. If you can join in Big Chocolate Tea, and raise at least £30 you will be giving a family with a seriously ill child in hospital a ‘Home from Home’ when they need it the most.”

Last year, Big Chocolate Tea raised £60,000 which gave 2,000 families free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation, keeping them together when it matters most. The Sick Children’s Trust hopes this year’s campaign will be an even greater success. Chestnut House Manager, Abi Abdel-aal, says:

“It’s lovely that Tyler and Michala are asking others to support The Sick Children’s Trust’s Big Chocolate Tea campaign.

“When a baby is seriously ill, it’s an incredibly difficult time and The Sick Children’s Trust helps ease some of the worries families have by keeping them together by their baby’s side in free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation.

“Big Chocolate Tea is such a great campaigns as it the perfect way for supporters to get together with friends, family and colleagues over a nice cuppa and chocolate treat!”

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.

For years, the issue of
waste tyres has been swept under the rug in the UK. Vast storage
piles ignite and can burn for days; causing harm to the health of
people, the environment and the ever-decreasing ozone layer.

Husband and wife team,
Dan and Vicki Templar, have worked together for over a decade finding
solutions to environmental threats, and three years ago we formed
Mishergas Ltd to focus on the burning issue of tyres. Our company has
developed a unique “Mishergas Process” to clean up and convert
waste tyres into reusable and valuable commodities.

Everything we have
achieved so far is by people taking the initiative to invest in their
planets’ future. We are crowdfunding again to push our first
facility to the finish line. We are close to completion but we are
once again calling on the support of the people. We are projecting a
500% return on your investment (through EIS government tax relief),
and not only that but you will be helping make a positive change to a
cleaner, greener future.

Visit our campaign at
https://www.seedrs.com/mishergas-energy-recovery
to invest or for more information call 01963 202237 or email
info@mishergas.co.uk

Our
ethos is “waste is only unrealised potential” we take liabilities
and transform them into valuable commodities.

Stourbridge, UK - April 21, 2017 – As part of their range, online jewellery website, Encanto, is offering a line of jewellery for cremation ashes, to enable the wearer to keep their loved one's ashes close to their heart forever. The exclusive range of jewellery includes commemorative sterling silver lockets - with or without Swarovski crystals – as well as beautiful jewellery charms, some of which can be crafted using cremation ashes or fingerprints.

“What makes our jewellery so unique is that customers can design their own pendant completely from scratch. They can achieve 100 per cent personalisation, so they have a keepsake that is special to them,” said a spokesperson for Encanto. “No other online jewellery company currently offers this service.”

Customers looking for memorial pendants and jewellery can choose from:

For a limited time, Encanto are offering customers a 25 per cent discount on all of their jewellery pieces. For two weeks, between April 22nd and May 6th 2017, customers can enjoy a reduction on any item on-site using the code EJPROMO25. This includes all memorial charms, fingerprint charms and pendants.

Jewellery from Encanto is packaged in a beautiful, pearlescent white, exclusive Encanto embellished gift bag/box and comes with a polishing cloth to keep the item of jewellery looking its best. The company also offers free U.K. shipping.

About Encanto

An established UK jewellery company, Encanto is one of the UK’s premier suppliers of quality lockets and charm sets online. With a unique emphasis on commemorating special events, such as a birth, christening, anniversary or wedding, each piece is designed to be “Your Own Kind of Beautiful”. Their jewellery is ideal for special gifts, such as a present for your Bride, Bridesmaids or as Birthday Gift. The durable nature of sterling silver makes it ideal jewellery that special FOREVER Gift.

UK wide charity, Fields in Trust, in partnership with HAB Housing, are marking an innovative collaboration which will secure recreational land in perpetuity as part of a new housing development at Winchester, Hampshire. A plaque was unveiled at the site by HAB Housing Founder, Kevin McCloud and Fields in Trust Trustee and former international footballer, Graeme Le Saux, to mark the safeguarding of the site. Mayor of Winchester, Councillor Jane Rutter and Chairman Kings Worthy Parish Council Stewart Newell, were also in attendance.

The semi-rural site on Lovedon Lane, in the historic village of Kings Worthy, is two miles from Winchester and is being developed with, allotments, wildflower meadows, play areas, a running circuit and a community orchard area. Once the development is complete and ownership transferred to the local Parish Council, this will complement the existing facilities in the adjoining Eversley Park, with its football pitches, playground and basketball and tennis courts.

There is an urgent need to build new homes across the UK and sometimes hard choices have to be made. Fields in Trust believe that all communities, and particularly young people, should be able to enjoy healthy, active, outdoor recreation within walking distance of home. As well as protecting recreational space via a legal mechanism, the charity Fields in Trust produces benchmarks for accessible outdoor space. The “Six Acre Standard”, recommending adequate recreational provision, has been accepted and implemented by local councils since the 1930s; the latest version “Guidance for Outdoor Sport and Play” was published in 2015 – Lovedon Fields conforms to these latest guidelines.

The design of new housing can play an important role in facilitating social interaction and creating healthy, inclusive communities. Recreation spaces in residential areas remain a priority for protection, especially at a time when there is pressure on land for new housing. The innovative HAB Housing development has taken a pre-emptive approach and designed-in recreational space from the outset which has been safeguarded with a Fields in Trust “deed of dedication”, ensuring that the land will be protected for community use, in perpetuity. This makes properties at Lovedon Fields attractive as buyers can be assured that local open space will be safeguarded forever.

Land owners, local authorities and enlightened developers working with Fields in Trust can secure their green spaces through a legal mechanism; ensuring public recreational land is protected forever. Fields in Trust currently safeguards over 2,600 sites, a total of 30,000 acres of land (12,140ha.) including playgrounds, playing fields, and formal and informal parkland across the UK.

Environmental design of the landscape, sustainable water management and ecological features of Lovedon Fields take account of local wildlife and are a vital part of the design. Spaces for swallows, slow worms, bats, hedgehogs and insects have been incorporated throughout the scheme. Every home includes an integrated micro-habitat for bats, birds or even the honeycomb-like Bee Bricks to help house the pollinators of the wildflowers in the new parkland.

Homes benefit from highly energy-efficient construction and also generate significant electricity from solar panels controlled by a smart home heating controls via smartphone, tablet or computer. There will also be a shared car club on site - for the use of everyone at Lovedon Fields as well as the wider community.

Fields in Trust Trustee Graeme Le Saux says: “Fields in Trust protects land for play, sport and recreation and campaigns for recognition of these spaces to contribute to the health and wellbeing of communities. If we are to reduce child obesity and build a more active nation, as the government’s sports strategy aspires to, we need to ensure that all new housing developments make space for outdoor recreation.”

HAB Housing Founder and Chairman Kevin McCloud said “At HAB we set out to build beautiful homes that are a joy to live in. It’s a mission that we approach with real zeal. It’s not just the fantastic designs of the homes; we’ve an equally strong focus on the spaces between the buildings themselves, ensuring that we’re creating amazing places to live. These delightful homes are nestled by the local park, which we’re doubling in size and packing full of stuff for both our new residents and the existing community.”

-- ENDS--

For media enquiries, please contact Richard McKeever, Fields in Trust Communications Manager, e: richard.mckeever@fieldsintrust.org, t: 020 7427 2117, m: 07940 072832

Hi-Res Photographs of the unveiling event – and of the partially completed site are available

NOTES TO EDITORS

The parents of a little girl who survived a life-threatening condition are supporting The Sick Children’s Trust’s Big Chocolate Tea campaign.

Danielle Bestford, 26 and Corey Nelson, 22 from Wingate, were told to prepare for the worst when their unborn baby was diagnosed with a diaphragmatic hernia, a condition which meant that their baby’s lungs would be underdeveloped and she would struggle to survive.

Just hours after their daughter Evie was born at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI), she was rushed to Leicester Royal Infirmary’s Children’s Hospital for life-saving treatment. At just three days old, Evie underwent major surgery to repair her hernia and at two weeks old was transferred back to the RVI, where she remained for another six weeks. During this time, Danielle and Corey were supported with free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation run by The Sick Children’s Trust. Crawford House, which is located in the hospital grounds, is just a few minutes’ walk from the children’s wards and gave the couple a place where they could rest and recuperate.

Mum Danielle is now thanking The Sick Children’s Trust by holding a Big Chocolate Tea event on Saturday 22 April at the Jack Turnball Hall, Shotton Colliery. Danielle says:

“Crawford House gave us somewhere we could go which was homely, clean and close to our daughter who was so poorly. We were just a few minutes’ walk from our baby at any time which meant we didn’t have the additional worries of travelling every day from our home in Durham to the hospital or worry about paying for a hotel in Newcastle. By being just minutes from Evie’s side, Crawford House gave us a lot of security as we knew that if anything bad were to happen, we weren’t miles away. The ward could just call us directly on the phone in our room and we could be there in an instant.

“Evie is now doing really well and has been home with us for a few weeks now. And every day we see her getting stronger and stronger – she makes us so proud. We decided we wanted to hold a Big Chocolate Tea event to give back to The Sick Children’s Trust – the amazing charity that was there for us in our darkest time. The Sick Children’s Trust is there for people who need a ‘Home from Home’ and emotional support when they’re at their most vulnerable. To have a seriously ill child is a very stressful time for parents, and to know that you can be nearby is a huge help.

“We’d love to see people come along to our Big Chocolate Tea on Saturday 22 April. We will have cakes, pies, tea, coffee, stalls and a raffle – it will be a lot of fun! We will be at the Jack Turnball Hall (next to St Saviours Church) in Shotton Colliery from 11am – 2pm. Please come down and help us raise money for the increasing number of families who need support from The Sick Children’s Trust.”

Last year, Big Chocolate Tea raised £60,000 which gave 2,000 families free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation while their child undergoes treatment in hospital, 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. Crawford House Assistant Manager, Linsey Brough, says:

“It’s lovely to hear that Evie is getting on well since she left the RVI, and we’re delighted to hear that Danielle and Corey are taking part in Big Chocolate Tea.

“The Sick Children’s Trust runs ten ‘Homes from Home’ across the country supporting families with seriously ill children in hospital. Although the accommodation is provided free to families, it costs us £30 to support a family for one night. So we’re asking everyone, like Danielle and Corey, to join us in our most chocola-tea fundraising campaign and raise £30 to help support a family with ‘Home from Home’ accommodation minutes from their sick child’s hospital bedside.”

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.

Business Secretary Greg Clark today (21 April) named the winners of the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s 91st birthday.

One hundred and seventy-six businesses from across the UK have been recognised for their contribution to international trade, innovation, sustainable development and promoting opportunity.

This year’s winners include UK businesses leading the way in a broad range of industries - from green energy solutions and medical healthcare, to laser technology and digital marketing.

Now in its 51st year, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are one of the most prestigious business awards in the country, with winning businesses able to use the esteemed Queen’s Awards emblem for the next 5 years.

Successful businesses included:

Business Secretary Greg Clark said:

Five small and medium sized companies – MastaPlasta Limited, Servecorp Limited, EcoTile Flooring Ltd, 10ACT Ltd t/a TrackBack, and Oakland International Ltd – received awards for both International Trade and Innovation, with Oakland International Ltd getting the double for International Trade and Sustainable Development.

Six businesses have also been named winners of the new Promoting Opportunity category. This new area was introduced to recognise the important work of social mobility initiatives and programmes that specifically reach out and support people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Winners include Allen & Overy LLP, its Smart Start programme has supported over 770 young people in gaining high quality work experience and Procurement Plus Holdings Ltd which has helped 354 people into employment.

According to research by the University of Strathclyde, 73% of International Trade winners between 2012 and 2015 directly attributed increased international sales to winning a Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

Entry to the 2018 Awards opens on 21 April 2017 and closes on Friday 1 September 2017. To apply and for more information, go to: www.gov.uk/queens-awards-for-enterprise.

Young people worldwide are being given the chance to plan and run REAL businesses through the School Enterprise Challenge.

The awards programme, run by UK charity Teach A Man To Fish, is now in it’s 7th year. In 2016, 50,000 young people planned and ran a wide variety of businesses ranging from Games Console Rental in India to a Brass Band Entertainment Service in Uganda and even a Banking Cooperative in Peru!

From coming up with a business idea and writing a business plan to actually launching the school-based business, young people worldwide are having the opportunity to go on their very own entrepreneurial journey. Having fun along the way, they also pick up essential 21st Century skills such as communication, teamwork, financial management and problem solving.

A student at Mount Litera Zee School in India explains just how much impact the programme has had: “It gave us a totally new experience in school. It made us full of zest to be back to school every day to move another step ahead to run our business. We got a new career prospect of starting our own business and to be entrepreneurs.”

As well as being fantastic educational tools, these businesses are also a great way to generate extra income for schools and develop the abilities of teacher too. “It makes teaching and learning easier”, says a teacher in South Africa. “The most important thing about the School Enterprise Challenge is that it links with the curriculum. It makes learners want to come to school regularly and improves their performance . It makes our learners want to be Employers not Employees.”

It’s completely free to take part and registration is now open at www.schoolenterprisechallenge.org

Smarktivity has been investigating motivational strategies and how a lack of motivation leads to failing to achieve goals. To avoid a loss of motivation and stay on track, the Birmingham-based firm has been discussing how to remain motivated and in the zone, and capable of achieving desired results.

About Smarktivity: http://smarktivity.com/about-us/

Smarktivity is committed to consistent professional development and providing ongoing support and guidance through their entire workforce. The firm is keen to cultivate a business environment which motivates and inspires all involved and to achieve this, company's enterprising company CEO runs daily meetings. The business owner is keen to endorse motivational tactics, ensuring each and every day gets off to the best possible start and everyone is fully equipped for the day ahead. In this week's meetings, the company discussed a number of effective motivation hacks including:

Visualising the Obstacles

Smarktivity encourages professionals to envision any recurring obstacles standing in the way of their success, for example, “What occurrences are preventing a professional from having a great week?” The firm believes thinking about these obstacles and writing down what can be done to combat them will result in eradicated their ability to stunt productivity, when they inevitably arise.

Keep a Scorecard

To stay in the zone all week long, the firm endorsed the importance of keeping a scorecard of productivity whether that be how many goals are achieved, clients are contacted, or targets are hit every week. The act of keeping score helps keep people on track, both visually and mentally, and helps boost motivation throughout the week.

Play to Strengths

It is easier to stay in the zone if a person is focusing on activities they have a natural inclination for. Spending time on the things they resent will drain a professional's energy and motivation so, if possible, they should eliminate any activities which are not 100% productive in the overall achievement of their goals and are not in line with their natural strengths. If a professional cannot limit an activity altogether, they should consider outsourcing or automating it.

Smarktivity's mission is to be bright, colourful and passionate in everything they do. Their brand was conceptualised on the idea that over half of the world’s species live in a jungle environment, and the Birmingham firm feel like this represents the amount of sales and marketing businesses out there – but unlike the rest, Smarktivity aim to be different and the best at representing their clients’ brands. The company has a unique vision to grow and expand across the UK and further, establishing Smarktivity as the number one sales and marketing brand in the UK.

Source: https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/7-powerful-ways-to-stay-energized-and-in-the-zone-all-week/

Interserve, the international support services and construction group, has won a £36.5 million contract to design and build a new secondary school in Caldicot, Monmouthshire, South Wales.

Caldicot School is part of Monmouthshire County Council’s ‘21st Century Schools Programme’, which will see two new schools built in the county over the next three years.

Interserve won the contract to build the 13,076 square metre, three-storey school through the South East Wales Schools Capital Working Group. Work is underway on the project to build the new school, which will house up to 1,500 students. The project, which is due for completion in June 2018, will be built to BIM Level 2 standard to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating.

Gordon Kew, Managing Director at Interserve, said:

“We have a strong history of working with the education sector, having completed over 200 schemes during the last 15 years, and we look forward to providing a modern new school in Caldicot, which we hope the pupils, teachers and the local community will be proud of. As part of the project we will be creating local jobs and using members of our trusted local supply chain.”

County Councillor Liz Hacket Pain, Monmouthshire’s cabinet member for schools and learning added:

“I'm very pleased with the progress on the delivery of the new schools. This is one of the largest construction projects in Wales, one which will bring fantastic opportunities to thousands of Monmouthshire’s young people in the coming years."

The new school will be built next to the existing Caldicot School, which will be demolished when the new school is complete. Interserve has ensured that lessons at the existing school will go ahead without disturbance by scheduling deliveries carefully to minimise disruption to both the school and local residents.

The overall project is due for completion in June 2018 and will be built to BIM Level 2 standard to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating.

Interserve last week announced that it had started work on a £41.4 million contract to build three new schools for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH), which will be split across three sites in north, east and south Leeds.

- Ends -

Interserve Press Office Tel: 0118 932 0123

Email: press.office@interserve.com

Karen Lewis, Marta Fernando or Peter Haddock, Edson EversTel: 01785 255146

Sky News has appointed Mark Austin as US Correspondent. Mark will be joining Sky News at a time when US politics has never been so high on the news agenda, or important to customers. He will bring his award-winning experience to an already stellar team of US correspondents in Washington, New York and Los Angeles.

Mark will be based in Washington where, along with his colleagues, will cover the latest news from The White House and Capitol Hill, as well as being deployed across the US on other major stories.

Mark joins Sky News from ITN where over three decades he presented the News at Ten and the Evening News at 6.30pm, often on location from around the world including the Antarctic, Iraq, Libya, Haiti, Nepal and Mogadishu. Mark has been named the RTS Presenter of the Year twice, won five BAFTA awards, an international Emmy for his reporting on the devastating floods in Mozambique, and a Golden Nymph for his coverage of the war in Kosovo.

Jonathan Levy, Director of News Gathering and Operations at Sky News, commented:'Mark is one of the most talented journalists of his generation. He will become a key member of our world-class US team at a time when US politics has never been more exciting or divisive; I know he will do an outstanding job.'

Mark Austin added:'The Trump Presidency is one of the most extraordinary stories of our time. I want to go back on the road so where better to do it than America, when better to do it than now and who better to do it for than Sky, an organisation with news at its very heart.'

Mark will be joining Sky News on a one year contract.

For more information

lucy.ellison@sky.uk

PETA Delivers Open Letter Calling for End to Cruel Neurological Experiments on Primates

London – To mark World Day for Animals in Laboratories (24 April), PETA members gathered outside the Home Office wearing monkey masks to protest experimenters' attempts to change the category of suffering assigned to neurological experiments on primates from "severe" to "moderate". They delivered an open letter with more than 40,000 signatures to the Home Office, calling on the government not only to reject attempts to downgrade the severity classification but also to end these cruel experiments altogether.

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

"The suffering experienced by sensitive animals during these experiments is severe and should be categorised as such. Experimenters need to stop trying to downplay the pain and distress to which animals are subjected", says PETA Science Policy Adviser Dr Julia Baines. "PETA is urging the Home Office to end these fruitless and obsolete monkey torture sessions and move instead towards more relevant and humane computer-based research methods, human-derived models, and advanced scanning and imaging techniques."

PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to experiment on" – notes that neurological experiments often involve cementing bolts to monkeys' skulls, implanting electrodes into their brains, and keeping them hungry or thirsty while confining them to restraint chairs and forcing them to complete repetitive behavioural tasks for hours at a time. Lowering the severity categorisation to "moderate" would mean less scrutiny of experimenters by the Animals in Science Committee, fewer restrictions on reusing monkeys in experiments, and less frequent inspections of facilities.

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

Making a new car is usually associated with professionals such as designers, engineers or assembly line workers. However, vehicle manufacturing also involves several curious professions that require a high degree of craftsmanship, creativity and precision. The following five are a few examples of these:

-The first driver: 2 million kilometres per year. This is the distance covered by the team of expert drivers to test all the cars that leave the SEAT factory in Martorell in a single year. These professionals closely study the performance of the vehicles as soon as they come off the assembly line, testing them at different speeds on six different types of pavement, including cobblestones and uneven surfaces to ensure they do not make any unpleasant noise. During the process they also test that horns, lights and brakes function correctly.

-The clay sculptor: These sculptors handcraft clay into life-sized cars that even weigh the same as a real vehicle. This requires 2,500 kilos of clay and up to 10,000 hours of patient scraping to elaborate a single clay model, which will fully display a car’s silhouette before locking in its design.

-The car tailor: They hand sew the vehicle upholstery patterns, coming up with the best combination of colours and fabrics and hides to suit the personality of each car. These expert tailors need more than 30 metres of seams to fully upholster an entire car, and their creations are crafted two years in advance.-The seat tester: This profession consists in shaping the ideal seat. Testers and their teams also have to perform up to 20,000 folding operations for each different type of seat. The study is exhaustive: they have to find the right foams, fabrics, structure or stitching that will adapt to different body types and external conditions. They also ensure the correct design of headrests to prevent possible neck injuries.-Car sommeliers: Their most important work instrument is their nose to achieve the ultimate goal: the famous “new car smell”. This team of chemists performs more than 400 smell tests every year, exposing cars to temperatures of 60 ºC. This profession also places some curious demands on them: they cannot smoke or wear perfume so as not to alter the outcome of test results.

Travelport (NYSE: TVPT), a leading Travel Commerce Platform and Onur Air have today announced a new, multi-year global full content agreement. Onur Air, a Turkish low cost carrier, founded in 1992 is based at Istanbul Atatürk Airport. The carrier owns 30 aircraft, operating to 14 major domestic and 120 international destinations, across 25 countries.

Under the new agreement, Onur Air's full content including its branded fares and ancillaries are live on Travelport's unique Travel Commerce Platform for over 68,000 Travelport-connected travel agencies and corporate travel buyers around the world to search, sell and book.

Onur Air has also signed up to and joins a network of over 200 airlines, currently live on Travelport's industry leading airline merchandising solution, Travelport Rich Content & Branding. Travelport's innovative solution, allows airlines to merchandise their full offering to Travelport-connected travel agencies around the world. Helping airlines to connect travellers to a world of travel choice, the technology provides better opportunities for travel agents to upsell at the time of booking within the same workflow.

Elmira Tulunay, International Sales Manager at Onur Air, said: 'This agreement with Travelport is a great opportunity for our business, as their pioneering technology will support us to more effectively satisfy the demands of our customers. Travelport's solutions will increase our visibility and sales growth and maximize the level of personalization in our services. We are happy to start a very promising working relationship with Travelport.'

Philip Saunders, Vice President, Air Commerce, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Travelport commented: 'We are happy to announce this new agreement with Onur Air, a fantastic airline with great value proposition. We look forward to partnering with them to maximize their offering and grow their business via our powerful Travel Commerce Platform.'

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About Travelport (www.travelport.com)

Travelport is a Travel Commerce Platform providing distribution, technology, payment, mobile and other solutions for the global travel and tourism industry. With a presence in approximately 180 countries, and approximately 4,000 employees, our 2016 net revenue was over $2.3 billion.

Travelport is comprised of:

Travelport is headquartered in Langley, U.K. The Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and trades under the symbol 'TVPT'.

For Travelport media enquiries, please contact:

Media Contacts:

Siobhan McCarthy, Manager, Corporate Communications, Europe, Middle East, Africa and South Asia

Tel: +971 (0) 43614800

Mob: +971 (0) 501070018

Email: siobhan.mccarthy@travelport.com

The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust has just awarded 14 Travelling Fellowships to people working in Enterprise.

This is the first year of a three year partnership with The Rank Foundation. An investment of over £95,000 has been made in people in this field travelling in 2017. They will travel to 13 countries between them, across five continents.

The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and The Rank Foundation see enterprise as a positive force in society that creates employment and enables financial sustainability and social good. Enterprise increases the opportunity for organisations to improve their double bottom line, an important development in relation to measuring financial performance alongside social impact.

This year’s award winners are:

Julia Weston, Chief Executive of The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, said:

“Churchill Fellows travel globally and return with innovative ideas and a commitment to sharing their findings to help others in the UK. Our Fellows’ projects in this field recognise enterprise as a positive force in society that produces financial sustainability alongside social impact. By observing outstanding organisations and projects overseas, they will return to the UK able to make improvements in their own work.”

David Sanderson, Chief Executive of The Rank Foundation, said:

“We are delighted to be working with the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust to provide opportunity for people to explore the potential that enterprise can bring to the social sector, to think in a more entrepreneurial way about how they deliver their services or fund their organisations and for those working in commercial organisations as they look to embed or integrate social benefit across their working practices.”

Fellow’s Case Study

In 2013, Roger Warnock travelled to Brazil and the USA to study entrepreneurship programmes in disadvantaged areas, and the crucial role local community based organisations play in assisting economic development in these communities. He aimed to understand how local people, particularly disadvantaged individuals, are encouraged to become entrepreneurs, and to observe different models for incentivising and supporting such individuals to participate in wealth creation.

Since he has returned to the UK, Roger has worked in partnership with another Churchill Fellow, Paul McMinn, to form a management consultancy specialising in social enterprise with the aim of assisting vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals and groups to become economically viable and self-sufficient.

In June 2015 Roger and Paul launched The Book Reserve, a new social enterprise. A café and second-hand book business, The Book Reserve will employ up to 36 young parents over the next three years who have had contact with the justice system.

Ends

Notes to Editors

The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust

In total 150 Fellowships have been awarded across the UK in 2017, an investment of over £1.4 million in UK citizens. The Fellows will be travelling to 49 countries between them, across six continents, where they will carry out a wide range of projects, designed to benefit their communities and professions in the UK. The average length of a Fellowship is six weeks.

Churchill Fellows come from all over the UK and from many different backgrounds. They must be UK citizens aged 18 or over, but no qualifications are required. What Fellows share is a passion to make a difference and a desire to share their passion to inspire others.

The categories for the 2018 Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowships will be announced on Tuesday 9th May 2017. See www.wcmt.org.uk for more details.

We have many examples of Fellows’ stories of achievement from 1965 to the present day. If you would like one from a particular year or location, or would like to interview a Fellow, please contact The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Press Office on 020 7799 1660, or email press@wcmt.org.uk

The Rank Foundation

The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust has just awarded 10 Travelling Fellowships to people working in Early Years prevention and intervention.

Around 30-40% of abused children go on to abuse their own children when they grow up.1

This is the third year of a partnership with Wave Trust and The Dulverton Trust, during which time 30 Fellowships have been awarded – an investment of over £195,000. Past projects have included research into support for infants traumatised by family violence, empowering vulnerable pregnant women and speech and language development.

This year’s award winners are:

Julia Weston, Chief Executive of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, said:

“Churchill Fellows travel globally and return with innovative ideas and a commitment to sharing their findings to help others in the UK. Through their projects, our Early Years Fellows will be helping to make a real and lasting difference to the lives of vulnerable children, their families and their communities.”

Watch George Hosking, Founder and CEO of the Wave Trust, speak about the Early Years Prevention & Intervention Fellowships:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etcmaneInhA&t=37s

Fellow’s case study

Lucy Potter, a Family Outreach Worker from Leeds, travelled to the USA and Brazil in 2014 on her Churchill Travelling Fellowship to investigate parental engagement in socially deprived areas.

During her travels, she was invited to be a guest speaker at the 'Semana do Bebe' (Baby Week) in Brazil. This annual event attracts families, professionals and students interested in the early stages of babies’ development. Over 17 years it has helped influence local policy, reduce infant mortality and mobilise communities in Brazil.

Once she had returned to the UK, Lucy set about adapting Semano do Bebe for the UK, and in September 2016 the inaugural Baby Week Leeds took place. The event provided a platform on which mainstream and voluntary sector family support services could come together and promote their services, thereby helping to engage wider participation for isolated families seeking support. Leeds is the first English-speaking city to replicate the Semana do Bebe model, and plans are already underway to hold the event again in 2017.

1. The Wave Trust http://www.wavetrust.org/our-work/the-evidence/the-problem

Ends

Notes to Editors

The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust

In total 150 Fellowships have been awarded across the UK in 2017, an investment of over £1.4 million in UK citizens. The Fellows will be travelling to 49 countries between them, across six continents, where they will carry out a wide range of projects, designed to benefit their communities and professions in the UK. The average length of a Fellowship is six weeks.

Churchill Fellows come from all over the UK and from many different backgrounds. They must be UK citizens aged 18 or over, but no qualifications are required. What Fellows share is a passion to make a difference and a desire to share their passion to inspire others.

The categories for the 2018 Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowships will be announced on Tuesday 9th May 2017. See www.wcmt.org.uk for more details.

We have many examples of Fellows’ stories of achievement from 1965 to the present day. If you would like one from a particular year or location, or would like to interview a Fellow, please contact The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Press Office on 020 7799 1660, or email press@wcmt.org.uk

Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Wave Trust

Wave Trust works to break the damaging cycles of family dysfunction and child maltreatment through research, advocacy and implementation of a primary prevention approach – preventing harm before it happens. www.wavetrust.org

The Dulverton Trust

The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, in partnership with the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, has awarded a Travelling Fellowship to Dr Dush Mital, a consultant physician from Milton Keynes, who will be researching ways of improving understanding of substance misuse for both healthcare professionals and patients.

Dr Mital, who works for Milton Keynes University Hospital, will be travelling to Canada to carry out his research.

With the NHS under increasing pressure to find savings without compromising on patient experience, there is a real need for fresh perspectives on existing problems.

Dr Dush Mital explained:

“The provision of healthcare with respect to substance addiction has always been a mixed picture in the UK. Addiction is often viewed as a 'lifestyle' issue rather than a medical condition, and this has contributed to a lack of public support. The main aim of my Fellowship is to gain an insight into what educational, development and training methods exist to deliver an understanding of substance use and addiction to both healthcare professionals and patients. I will also benefit from the observation of education and management of Blood Borne Viruses in Injecting Drug Users, as part of substance abuse and addiction observations.”

Julia Weston, Chief Executive of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, said:

“Churchill Fellows travel globally and return with innovative ideas and a commitment to sharing their findings to help others in the UK”.

Elaine Tait, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, said:

“The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh is delighted to be supporting the Churchill Fellowships for a third year. The College is committed to supporting the international exchange of knowledge in healthcare, which can ultimately lead to improvements in patient care.

“Through his Fellowship, Dr Mital will experience first-hand some of the approaches used abroad to improve provision of healthcare for patients with drug addictions. He will translate his learnings back into the UK healthcare system and help deliver a new perspective on how we tackle challenges we face in relation to substance abuse.”

Ends

Notes to Editors

The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust

In total 150 Fellowships have been awarded across the UK in 2017, an investment of over £1.4 million in UK citizens. The Fellows will be travelling to 49 countries between them, across six continents, where they will carry out a wide range of projects, designed to benefit their communities and professions in the UK. The average length of a Fellowship is six weeks.

Churchill Fellows come from all over the UK and from many different backgrounds. They must be UK citizens aged 18 or over, but no qualifications are required. What Fellows share is a passion to make a difference and a desire to share their passion to inspire others.

The categories for the 2018 Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowships will be announced on Tuesday 9th May 2017. See www.wcmt.org.uk for more details.

We have many examples of Fellows’ stories of achievement from 1965 to the present day. If you would like one from a particular year or location, or would like to interview a Fellow, please contact The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Press Office on 020 7799 1660, or email press@wcmt.org.uk

Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh aims to improve the quality of patient care. It represents over 12,000 Fellows and Members worldwide, setting standards and influencing health policy. The College helps physicians and related specialties pursue their careers through its world-renowned education and training programme, while maintaining the highest standards in training, assessment and continuing professional development.

'I am pleased that the plans to invest in thousands of public Wi-Fi access points throughout the European Union has broad backing in the European Parliament's Industry Committee. The establishment of these Wi-Fi access points will not only be a tangible benefit for citizens - locals and tourists alike - but will also underpin the development of new e-services like e-government', said Anne Sander MEP, the EPP Group's Spokeswoman on the Report 'Promotion of Internet connectivity in local communities'.

The initiative, which was launched by the European Commission under the heading 'WiFi4Eu - Free Wi-Fi for Europeans', aims at bringing high-quality wireless internet access to at least 6000-8000 local communities and has a total planned budget of €120m until 2020. It will provide internet access for locals, visitors and tourists in parks, squares, libraries or public buildings.

'Public Wi-Fi is already a reality in some areas. It is therefore a priority that the programme should take rural areas more into account and bridge the digital and social divide', Sander pointed out. 'It is an important step to take action at European level in favour of a Gigabit society which is more visible in the everyday lives of EU citizens. The aim now is to make local communities aware of this opportunity.'

The general roll-out of high capacity and high quality internet access and services is closely related to the development of the fifth generation (5G) of mobile internet.

Michał Boni MEP is the EPP Group's Rapporteur on an initiative Report on 'Internet connectivity for growth', which was adopted today.

5G is more than a mobile revolution. It will promote innovation. Michał Boni MEP

'5G is more than a mobile revolution. It will promote innovation, make profound changes across industries and it will allow the development of new business models, create quality networks (Very High Capacity Networks) and high-quality services. The infrastructure will become a business. And Europe needs to ensure a leading role in setting technology standards allowing for the deployment of 5G networks and services', said Boni.

Critical points and requirements for the implementation of 5G and the so-called Gigabit Society are mentioned in the Report. These are related to a clear understanding of what 5G will mean for citizens and businesses, the skills required, technical conditions, the demand for new 5G services and products and investments.

'Investments are the key for achieving 5G goals so we need the simplification of the legal framework, flexible models for co-investments, and long-term certainty and predictability, a level playing field in Europe in that area, and conditions for the adequate return of investments, considering business and societal dimensions', Michał Boni concluded.