Last year, EiB launched a dedicated work-winning team for Scotland. Driving its success is Gordon Wilson, with a strong background in highways and infrastructure operations and a passion for bid management.

With over four decades of experience in the highways and infrastructure sector, Gordon has played a pivotal role in securing numerous projects across various sectors.

40 Years of Operations Experience

Gordon’s experience of highways and infrastructure brings a wealth of operational knowledge to his role at EiB. Throughout his career, he has held director-level positions in both private, public and third sector. His engineering background has seamlessly merged with his operations expertise, providing him with a unique perspective that benefits the bid management process.

Discovering the Work Winning Space

Through his experience of a subject matter expert for bids, Gordon found himself drawn towards managing bids and tender opportunities early in his career. Gordon’s understanding of work-winning strategies, and what truly wins work has become a cornerstone of his approach. His ability to translate his operational experience into compelling bids sets him apart.

EiB’s Impressive Track Record

EiB has made significant strides in the Scottish work winning landscape, securing projects and clients with a cumulative value exceeding £2billion in the past five years. This remarkable achievement is a testament to the company’s dedication and in recent years, Gordon’s leadership from our Edinburgh office. EiB’s continuous improvement ethos, combined with their broad knowledge across sectors and disciplines, allows them to extract best practices from the market and continue to deliver exceptional results.

Nurturing Talent and Success

Gordon takes great pride in the client wins EiB has achieved, fuelled by his competitive nature and desire to come out on top. Hard work and dedication have always been rewarded, and unexpected victories hold a special place in his heart. Additionally, Gordon finds immense satisfaction in the development of EiB’s people over the past five years, having adopted a mentor role and qualification as a mental health first aider. Seeing new graduates and emerging talent flourish in the bid writing world brings a sense of fulfilment.

Goals for 2023 and Beyond

Gordon’s journey from operations to work winning has not only propelled EiB to unprecedented success in Scotland but has also left an indelible mark on the bid management landscape. Looking ahead, Gordon’s focus for EiB centres on further honing the skills of the newly established Scotland-based bidding team and upcoming future in Ireland. Gordon’s vision for EiB encompasses growth, innovation, and a commitment to delivering excellence in work winning across the UK.

Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home are hosting their annual Open Day from 12-4pm on Sunday the 3^rd September 2023.

This free, family-and-dog-friendly event promises to be a lively afternoon of activities and entertainment with shop stalls and refreshments provided by local businesses and craftspeople.

Hosted in the large paddock at the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home’s 26 Seafield Road location, visitors can expect to:

• Learn about dog and cat care from expert animal trainers.
• Enter their pup in fun competitions like best OAP, waggiest tail, handsomest boy.
• Put their dog’s self-control to the test in the chaotic and fun ‘Temptation Alley’.
• Treat themselves (and their pets) to goodies and tasty food from local stall holders.
• Remember your dog’s favourite day out with a perfectly adorable pet portrait.
• Enjoy an afternoon with more pups than people!

Check out the event description here to find out more.

The firm’s Corporate Group has advised Gooch & Housego (G&H), a leading provider of precision optics and photonics solutions, on its acquisition of Artemis Optical, a leader in advanced thin-film coatings. 

Under the new company name, G&H | Artemis, this partnership marks a significant milestone in the journeys of both companies. With origins dating back almost 200 years to a pioneering optician in Victorian London’s Wigmore Street, the Plymouth-based Artemis Optical currently employs 40 talented individuals. G&H plans for the newly acquired site to become a dedicated centre of excellence for coatings within the Group.

The acquisition further enhances G&H’s product portfolio and creates new opportunities for vertical integration and the cross selling of enhanced combined capabilities. G&H selected Artemis Optical due to its state-of-the-art facilities and highly skilled team. This investment follows G&H’s recent acquisition of GS Optics, further advancing the Group’s position in the aerospace, defence and life sciences sectors at the same time as fostering greater innovation within the organisation.

The Burges Salmon team included partner Richard Spink, senior associates Amy Carr and Douglas Streatfeild-James, associate Hannah Wilson, solicitor Oliver Kent and trainee solicitor Beatrice Petrescu – all from the firm’s Corporate Group – alongside specialists from across the firm covering banking, IP, commercial, real estate and tax.

Chris Jewell, Chief Financial Officer at Gooch & Housego, says: “The Burges Salmon team provided us with an excellent service on this transaction. They were able to bring to bear a broad range of their specialists so as to support us in all aspects of a complex deal. Their achievement of the tight deadlines we were targeting, whilst maintaining the quality of their service delivery, was impressive.”

Richard Spink concludes: “We have worked with G&H for many years and it was a pleasure to support Chris and the team not only on this acquisition but also the UK aspects of the GS Optics acquisition. Artemis is a perfect fit for G&H’s existing capabilities, complementing its existing coating capabilities. We look forward to seeing Artemis and GS Optics go from strength-to-strength within the G&H group.”

The Firm’s Development and Regeneration Built Environment team has advised Translink on the transformational Weavers Cross city centre regeneration project surrounding the new Belfast Grand Central Station.

The Development and Regeneration Built Environment team from independent UK law firm Burges Salmon advised Translink on its procurement of a real estate development partner, MRP, for a 1.3+ million sq ft, £500 million project. The project will regenerate former railway/transport land in central Belfast, creating a dynamic new employment and mixed-use hub for the city, called Weavers Cross.

The firm’s depth of experience in dealing with transport orientated development projects using regulated procurement, enabled the team to work with Translink’s in-house legal team and Northern Ireland solicitors Tughans, in particular supporting the in-house procurement team through the process, including the terms of a master development agreement and interface with the new £250 million transport hub currently under construction, Belfast Grand Central Station.

The Burges Salmon team advising on this transaction comprised partners Philip Beer and Laura Wisdom, director Amy Simpson, senior associate Rebecca Bicknell and solicitor Amy Rogers from the firm’s Development and Regeneration Built Environment team.

Philip Beer says: “It’s fantastic to have played a key role in contributing to this hugely significant project for Northern Ireland. The Weavers Cross regeneration scheme presents a unique opportunity to transform a brownfield site in the heart of Belfast, creating a brilliantly connected, mixed-use, sustainable development.” 

Laura Wisdom adds: “Once completed, Weavers Cross will be transformational for Belfast, providing places to work, live and play – and be a destination in its own right. Our involvement underlines our ability to work on complex development schemes across the UK, particularly transport orientated projects.”

Commenting on the Bank of England’s latest rise in the interest rate to 5.25%, Vicky Pryce, BCC Economic Advisory Council member, said: 

 

“Businesses across the UK will be fervently hoping that today’s rise in interest rates is the last they will see.

 

“While many firms will have already factored this increase into their plans, it is clear from the recent rise in insolvencies that the economic environment is becoming stacked against smaller firms. They are the ones with less cash reserves in the bank and greater exposure to finance.

 

“Yet data from the Office for National Statistics clearly shows that input cost pressures for firms are finally falling.  And recent BCC research backs this up with 45% of companies now expecting to increase prices, a 15-percentage point fall compared to six months ago.

 

“We are also likely to see a further substantial fall in inflation in July as last year’s energy price rises drop out of the data.

 

“While inflation remains the top concern for businesses overall, interest rates have emerged as the second top concern, with 41% citing this as more of a worry than three months ago in the BCC’s latest survey.

 

“And there is now a real danger that the economy could be pushed into recession as it takes 18 months for changes in interest rate rises to filter through. With all the cumulative pressure of past rises yet to come, business will be watching closely for any further indications on the Bank’s plans.

 

“At the same time, it is encouraging that the Government has recently expanded the list of shortage occupations to recruit more workers from abroad.  Hopefully it will now be considering what more can be done to ease staff pressures.”

The Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) has opened its doors to the Edinburgh Festival  for the 20th time, with Pleasance at the EICC, Venue 150 of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and the Edinburgh TV Festival later in the month among highlights this August.

EICC CEO Marshall Dallas said: “It’s brilliant to welcome the Edinburgh Festival Fringe back at the venue this month, and it’s incredible to think we have now hosted Festival-related events for two decades.  Arts and culture are absolutely engrained in this city, and we are really proud to be a part of that.”

Following its cancellation in 2020, with a smaller, scaled back Fringe in 2021, the EICC is hosting a full line-up of events in 2023 for the second straight year, with headline act Dark Noon, a drama from award-winning Danish director Tue Biering and co-director Nhlanhla Mahlangu, TONY! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera], Trainspotting Live, and a series of Iain Dale: All Talk events, including with Jeremy Corbyn, Penny Mordaunt, Harriet Harman, and Alex Salmond featuring alongside a number of other shows.

Leith’s, the EICC’s food and beverage partner, is providing a variety of street foods and drinks again this year, with a focus on provenance and sustainability. Internationally inspired dishes are crafted with locally sourced ingredients served in packaging by startup company Notpla, who replace plastics with products made from seaweed. The use of Klimato carbon labelling on the menus means that festival goers can compare the carbon consumption of dishes, while drinks are being served in cups from the Event Cup Solutions reusable scheme.

Marshall Dallas added: “We are always looking at ways to bring more sustainability into our overall offering, and we’ve been impressed with the Notpla team, a startup who have gained global recognition for their commitment to sustainable practices and the environment.”

The Edinburgh TV Festival runs at the EICC between 22-25 August, with over 2,000 senior leaders and executives from the industry in attendance, with featured talks and sessions including Louis Theroux, who will be delivering The MacTaggart Lecture 2023, and Universal Studio Group chair Pearlena Igbokwe.

13 park tennis courts across four of the capital’s parks will reopen this summer after state-of-the-art renovations worth £190,000.

The improvements to the courts in Inverleith Park, Leith Links, Victoria Park and St. Margaret’s Park has been managed by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and funded by the City of Edinburgh Council, UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation. Through the Parks Tennis Project, the LTA is delivering the biggest ever investment in parks tennis facilities across Britain, which has been used to transform 13 courts across the capital providing a significant boost to sporting facilities. The courts have undergone extensive work to ensure viability for years to come, including; resurfacing, repainting, some new fencing, nets and a new booking gate system. This nationwide programme of investment is seeing thousands of existing park tennis courts in poor or unplayable condition brought back to life for the benefit of communities across the country, providing vital opportunities for children and adults to get active. As part of the partnership, the Council’s Parks and Greenspace service will manage the courts and will adopt the LTA’s Clubspark booking system to manage community access which will be connected to a smart access gate at each of the refurbished venues. The new booking systems and gate access technology means it is now easier to get on court by booking in advance to guarantee availability. The small booking fee of £1 will ensure that the courts are maintained at their new high standard for years to come. The LTA and the Council will work together to ensure free park tennis sessions are also available on the courts providing regular opportunities for anyone to pick up a racket and play. Investment into parks is one way in which the LTA is working to open tennis up across Scotland, in partnership with Tennis Scotland. The LTA, Tennis Scotland and sportscotland are also delivering the £15million Transforming Scottish Indoor Tennis fund to provide more year-round community accessible tennis provision. Oriam, Scotland’s Sports Performance Centre at Heriot-Watt University’s Riccarton Campus, has benefitted from this fund with new indoor tennis courts scheduled to open in September 2023. The refurbishment works for courts at Inverleith, Victoria Park, and Leith Links have now been completed. Residents will be able to begin using these courts immediately, with the online booking system launching in the coming weeks. Works at St Margaret’s Park are expected to be completed by early September. Councillor Val Walker, Culture and Communities Convener said:  “We very much welcome the funding boost that the LTA project will bring to the city’s provision for tennis. Working together we’re investing in and improving four of our park tennis courts giving more opportunities and availability for residents to get involved in the sport. “I am delighted that courts at three out of four of these parks, Inverleith, Victoria Park, and Leith Links have now had works competed and will reopen this weekend, with St Margaret’s Park expected in the near future. “I am looking forward to seeing residents and visitors take advantage of these fantastic new facilities.” Julie Porter, Chief Operating Officer at the LTA, said: “After months of hard work, we’re delighted that we will soon see park tennis courts across Edinburgh officially back open to the public, and in better shape than ever.  “Public tennis courts are such vital facilities for getting active and we want as many people as possible, of all ages and abilities, to pick up a racket and enjoy playing tennis. Thanks to this investment the sport will be opened up to more players, for years to come.” Stuart Andrew MP, Sports Minister, said: “We are committed to levelling up access to sport which is so important for the nation’s physical and mental health. “The Government and the LTA are working together to deliver thousands of refurbished courts across Great Britain, supported by £30 million of investment including in Edinburgh. “These improved Edinburgh Tennis Courts will provide the local community with fun opportunities to get active and potentially become the next Andy Murray or Emma Raducanu.”

“He Kept Me Safe” is a new compelling play fearlessly tackling the invisible issue of intimate partner violence within the LGBTQ community, a topic seldom discussed yet affecting one in three LGBTQ individuals. With cutting-edge storytelling, “He Kept Me Safe” delves into the poignant and candid real stories of gay men who have courageously survived harrowing intimate partner violence.

In an era where inclusion and representation are paramount, “He Kept Me Safe” harnesses the power of live performance to shed light on a pressing social issue. Through a series of immersive and thought-provoking counselling sessions, the play unveils the early stages of three men’s journeys as they bravely share their traumatic encounters with abusive partners. Audiences will be captivated by the raw emotions and vulnerability displayed, fostering a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding intimate partner violence for members of the LGBTQ community.

Through its innovative approach using powerful real life based narrated storytelling, “He Kept Me Safe” is an unmissable event that tackles a subject rarely discussed with the sensitivity and authenticity it deserves. All profits from ticket sales will be donated to an LGBTQ charity, further supporting the vital work of organisations dedicated to helping survivors.

Wellbeing Insight and Co. is a passionate LGBTQ-owned company that champions equity, diversity, and inclusion and prioritises holistic wellbeing. Through innovative projects and initiatives, they strive to create experiences that foster positive change. Wellbeing Insight and Co. is committed to using their platform to raise awareness and support marginalised communities, ensuring that everyone has access to the support they need to thrive.

To find out more please download the event flyer here.

• Government must fix people problem to ease inflation and take pressure off interest rate rises
• 79% of businesses surveyed (92% of whom are SMEs) attempting to recruit have faced challenges, with hospitality and construction firms the most likely to report difficulties
• Three in five (60%) businesses attempted to recruit in the quarter 

The latest Quarterly Recruitment Outlook (QRO), a survey of 4,800 UK firms of all sectors and sizes by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) reveals there is still no easing in the record high difficulties in finding staff.

The second quarter results for 2023 show that the percentage of firms facing recruitment difficulties has fallen just three percentage points from the historical high of 82% in Q4 2022. This has now remained above 75% for the last two years.

Attempted recruitment in Q1 was virtually unchanged from the previous quarter, with 60% of those surveyed looking to find staff (59% in Q1 2023).

While recruitment difficulties are being experienced across the economy, the construction & engineering, and hospitality sectors were the most likely to report problems with 86% of firms reporting difficulties (up from 81% and 83% respectively in Q1). This is closely followed by manufacturing on 81% (83% Q1) and then professional services on 77% (79% Q1).

Of the firms in the construction & engineering sector facing recruitment difficulties, 76% faced difficulties in finding skilled manual/technical workers. However, for hospitality businesses that struggled to recruit, 69% faced difficulties in finding semi/unskilled workers.

Investment in training remains stubbornly low with just over a quarter of firms (27%) reporting an increase in their training investment plans over the last three months (the same as Q1), while 14% report a drop (also the same).

In terms of cost pressures, the data show that the main factor for increasing prices is now coming from wages rather than utility bills or raw materials.

With concern around utility costs dropping, 63% report these as an issue (74% in Q3 2022), the number of firms reporting labour costs as a source of pressure has risen to 68% (67% in Q1) and is now the lead cost pressure.   Although, overall, the percentage of firms expecting their prices to rise fell below 50% for the first time since Q3 in 2021.

Responding to the findings, Jane Gratton, Head of People Policy at the BCC, said:

“The tight labour market continues to ramp up wage costs, fuelling inflation, and creating huge difficulties for businesses.   With the Bank of England expected to increase interest rates again, it is vital that Government boosts efforts to increase the supply of labour to help break the cycle.

“Firms are being squeezed on all sides.  With 36.8 million jobs in the economy there are more employment opportunities than ever before.  But we also have low unemployment, and over a million jobs are currently left unfilled.   Firms cannot fulfil order books and are turning down new work.

“They are caught in a vicious circle where the lack of people holds back growth and reduces opportunities for investment, including in training – part of the long-term solution.

“While firms can do more to make workplaces more flexible and jobs easier to access, the government must redouble its efforts to support people into work.

“But where there is evidence of critical national skills shortages, that are crippling business sectors and pushing up wages, the government must look again at the role immigration can play in easing difficulties in the short term.  This includes making sure the criteria for the Shortage Occupations List are proportionate and realistic, as well as expanding access to youth mobility schemes

“Access to a skilled workforce is a major concern for businesses across the UK. The longer these shortages continue, the more long-term damage is caused.  Government has made a start but has yet to shift the dial. If we are to get the economy growing again we need more action, now.”

Air Canada today announced the expansion of its award-winning in-flight entertainment with the addition of exclusive Apple TV+ original programming beginning Aug. 1, 2023. The partnership marks Air Canada’s latest investment in the customer experience, adding critically acclaimed original programs including Ted Lasso, Bad Sisters, Severance, Foundation and many more for its global customers.

“At Air Canada, we know that inflight entertainment is an important part of our customers’ travel journey, particularly on long-haul flights. We continually evaluate opportunities to expand our entertainment and introduce exclusive, current content that our customers will love. We look forward to welcoming customers onboard to catch up on their favourite Apple TV+ shows or discover new hits during their flight,” said John Moody, Managing Director of Product Design at Air Canada. “This new partnership with Apple puts us on track to increase our onboard entertainment content by more than 95 per cent since last year. We look forward to introducing even more entertainment before the end of 2023.”

Earlier this year, Air Canada was recognized by Global Traveler as Best Airline for Onboard Entertainment for the fifth consecutive year, and by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) with the Passenger Choice Award for Best Entertainment in North America. With 420+ movies, 1,000+ TV episodes, 130+ music albums, podcasts and more, customers can enjoy the best programming from boarding to landing. All content onboard Air Canada’s inflight entertainment equipped aircraft is complimentary for all customers.

Air Canada’s partnership with Apple follows the airline’s recent collaboration with Mattel which brings more family fun with some of the most popular kids’ shorts.

In May, Air Canada and Bell began offering free messaging for all Aeroplan members worldwide on all Wi-Fi equipped aircraft across Air Canada’s fleet, including Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express flights. Customers can send and receive text-based messages via onboard Wi-Fi using popular messaging apps including Apple’s iMessage, Meta’s WhatsApp and Messenger, Rakuten’s Viber, and Messages by Google.

Last November, Air Canada became the only Canadian carrier to offer live Canadian TV featuring English and French channels, giving customers the ability to cheer on their favourite sports teams by watching global sporting events in real time, as well as live news onboard equipped flights.