Workplace design and management consultancy, Space Solutions, has appointed Tracey Bell as Senior Facilities Manager, to boost its expert FM division.

Tracey’s appointment expands the Facilities Management team to over 30 and builds on skills in supporting client operations from procurement and contract management to service delivery, performance monitoring and strategic reviews.

Tracey has a proven track record in delivering Facilities and Property Management services across both public and private sectors and has a background in architecture and engineering.  Her former roles include Head of Estates & Facilities at Mental Health Concern Insight; National Account Manager, North for Salisbury Group; and Estates & Property Manager for TEP Ltd.  Tracey joins an expert team which includes contract management and logistics specialist, Miguel Montenegro and which is headed by Director of Facilities Management, Stuart Craig.

Stuart Craig commented: “Our FM team is highly regarded and brings considerable expertise in contract management, procurement and operational performance that can transform our client’s business.

“The team works with clients across the public and private sector, and we are proud to have added NEC4 TSC accreditation to our skillset through Miguel Montenegro.  This allows us to work across NEC contracts on procurement, negotiations, implementation and contract management.“

Tracey Bell said: “I’m so thrilled to have joined Space Solutions to work alongside such experienced and skilled individuals.  I’m really looking forward to sharing my enthusiasm and passion with everyone in FM, using my wealth of knowledge and skills to set the standard, grow sustainably and extend our range of services.”

The Space FM Consultancy Service offers specialist support, using bespoke software packages, with the procurement and adoption processes of NEC contracts and includes fully trained and qualified practitioners in the implementation and use of NEC3 & 4 Contracts (TSC, TSSC, and FM).

A MAJOR EDINBURGH conference and events business is almost entirely powered by Scottish renewable sources, saving an estimated 790 tonnes of carbon per year and equating to 3,430 return trips to Rome.

Surgeons Quarter – the commercial arm of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) – has formed a partnership with Glasgow-based utility company Eyebright Utilities to power its entire estate by wind and hydro technology sourced in Scotland.

Against a backdrop of rising energy costs and the climate crisis, the milestone will add to the venue’s list of impressive green credentials, including six EV charging points for customers and gifting wildflower seed packets to hotel guests

The Living Wage-accredited organisation, which manages a vast mix of historic and purpose-built RCSEd venues, as well as Ten Hill Place Hotel, Café 1505 and Surgeons Quarter Travel, has also axed plastic water bottles from all rooms, saving an estimated 80,000 single-use bottles and £22,000 per year.

Scott Mitchell, Managing Director of Surgeons Quarter, said: “In the midst of a period of increasing uncertainty around energy costs and supplies, Eyebright Utilities is continuing to help steer us through troubled waters, providing us with a futureproof utilities solution that reduces expenditure and our environmental impact.

“Unlike households, businesses do not have the advantage of having energy costs capped, so working with Eyebright has been wholly beneficial, especially in the current climate.

“As we up our operational capacity over the coming months, it is important now more than ever that we are powering all of our operations responsibly and from renewable and local sources where possible.”

Established in 2009, Eyebright Utilities is a leading utilities management company with a mission to change the way businesses manage their utilities. The company strives to bring together sustainability and effective management strategy to, futureproof clients’ businesses while reducing expenditure and environmental impact.

Michael Dogan, Client Account Manager of Eyebright Utilities, said: “From the outset, the Surgeons Quarter team, including Financial Controller Neil Johnston and Managing Director Scott Mitchell, were strong advocates for finding a utilities solution that delivered sustainability in terms of having both strong green credentials and robust, long-term financial planning.

“One of the values of Surgeons Quarter is ‘Considerate’ and the organisation’s goal is to provide a considerate service to all stakeholders, but also to apply a thoughtful approach to the environment too.

“Accordingly, we began sourcing tariffs that would meet the agreed objectives. We successfully found a plan that met all green criteria by almost being 100% renewable and to ensure budgets were protected.

“Moving forwards, we have set Surgeons Quarter up on our bespoke monitoring platform to give Financial Controller Neil Johnston real-time data on all of the meters to remove many of the headaches that typically arise when dealing with close to 100 utilities accounts.

“Surgeons Quarter now has a renewable energy solution that is considerate to the environment. The energy is generated using wind and hydro technology and is sourced right here in Scotland.”

Surgeons Quarter is looking to boost its headcount by 70% over the coming months, with 60 to70 new hires planned across April, May and June with new major conference bookings such as the Functional Regulatory Genomic Disease Meeting marking a return to close to maximum operating levels.

The venue has a busy year of events ahead, with occupancy rates expected to exceed pre-pandemic levels and a full return of the Festival Fringe in August – for which Surgeons Quarter are one of the largest operators – followed by a busy festive period.

Surgeons Quarter promotes, sells and manages all commercial activities held within the RCSEd campus. All profits support the charitable aims of the College which are education, assessment and advancement in surgical standards worldwide.

For anyone interested in joining the dynamic and award-winning Surgeons Quarter team, please email recruiment@surgeonsquarter.com

For more information on events, conferences and meeting space at Surgeons Quarter visit: https://www.surgeonsquarter.com/conferences-meetings/

The creation of a new Community Fund for Leith launches today (30 March 2022) to provide funding to support local projects in Leith with particular emphasis on projects including tackling isolation or loneliness, wellbeing or providing targeted education opportunities for young people.

The Leith Community Fund is a registered charity which has been established by Forth Ports Limited and The Leith Trust by way of a significant seed fund by Forth Ports of £250,000. The Fund is fully incorporated and now calls on charitable organisations in the Leith community to apply for funding for their work in the local Leith area.

As part of the launch the Leith Community Fund has also partnered with The Tilbury on the Thames Trust to deliver an employment programme called Attention to Logistics, aimed at ex-military or young people who have military parents. The key aim of this will be to provide training that leads to professional qualifications to help ex-military people into jobs. Detailed information on how to apply for this programme will be announced soon.

Commenting on the launch, Charles Hammond OBE, CEO of Forth Ports said: “Being headquartered in Leith, we are extremely proud to be part of the local community and a trustee of this new community fund. We see this as a great opportunity for Leith to make decisions on how money is spent in their own community. We hope the fund will support local work already underway in tackling isolation or loneliness, enhancing the local area or providing learning opportunities.

“We have seed funded this and we are keen that other businesses in the area support and contribute to this important community resource. 

“The Fund’s partnership to deliver the Attention to Logistics employment programme can really help identify jobs and training that ex-military people need. We have seen this working effectively in Tilbury we hope that it will support people in Leith to find a route to employment through mentoring support and skills training.” 

Announcing the launch, Sir Andrew Cubie CBE, Chair of The Leith Trust said: “I am delighted that today we are at last able formally to launch the Leith Community Fund. We in the Leith Trust have worked hard to bring the Fund into creation and we are indebted to Forth Ports Limited for their generous support in inaugurating the Fund, which I am sure will grow further in the near future. Leith is made up of many diverse communities and I am certain that the Fund will play an important part in linking those communities even more closely together, as we have sought to do in holding our Leith Conferences and overseeing the Leith Gives initiative.”

Edinburgh Northern & Leith MSP Ben MacPherson said: “As the local MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, I welcome the launch of this ‘Leith Community Fund’ by The Leith Trust and Forth Ports and commend them for creating it. It’s right and appreciated that a financial contribution from the successful operation of the port is going to be invested into local projects, on top of the excellent job opportunities that the port area provides in maritime, engineering and filmmaking roles. I hope other successful businesses in the area who can, will also consider donating to the fund, as a collaborative way of supporting others in our communities who need care or assistance. This fund will make a positive difference for the benefit of all of Leith, as we recover from the pandemic and get through these challenging times together.”

The Fund calls for applications from charitable bodies with a focus on the following:

• Education and the development of youth skills and training as well as programme for people of all ages;
• community development;
• financial hardship;
• Countering loneliness, isolation and mental health/wellbeing issues;
• Support further the relief of domestic violence

The Leith Community Trust is a registered charity in Scotland and will be governed by trustees from both The Leith Trust and Forth Ports. For more information on the Fund and how to apply for funding for a community project go to: https://leithcommunityfund.co.uk/

On 23^rd March 2022, UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak set out his Spring Statement. This was not intended to be a full budget, but did include a few announcements around tax cuts and measures to try and ease the cost of living crisis, as well as providing an economic update and setting out some of the Governments intentions around financial policy going forward.

In terms of the current economic context, there is of course unusually high uncertainty around our economic outlook, but the Office of Budget Response (OBR) now forecast growth of 3.8% for this year, growth of 1.8% in 2023, and of 2.1%, 1.8%, and 1.7% for the following three years. However, the cost of living is a real concern with inflation at 6.2% in February 2022 and the OBR predicting that inflation will rise further still, averaging 7.4% this year.

The Chancellor therefore announced 3 immediate measures to help with the increase to the cost of living:

• To help motorists, fuel duty will be cut by 5p per litre, the biggest cut to fuel duty rates ever. This will take effect from 6pm tonight and be in place until March 2023
• To help domestic households increase their energy efficiency, for the next 5 years homeowners will pay no VAT on energy efficiency materials including heat pumps, solar panels, or insulation
• As a form of targeted support, the Government is doubling the Household Support Fund to £1bn. Local authorities will receive this funding from April

The Chancellor also made several announcements around taxes:

• From July 2022 the National Insurance threshold will increase to £12,570 to equalise it with the threshold for Income Tax, claiming this is equivalent to a tax cut for employees of over £330 a year, and saving a typical self-employed person over £250 per year
• The Government have also today published a tax plan, setting out their approach to cutting and reforming taxes over the rest of this parliament
• By the end of this parliament, the Government intend to cut the basic rate of income tax from 20 to 19 pence in the pound – however, as income tax rates are devolved in Scotland, the Scottish Government will receive extra funding when this change comes into place, and it will then be up to them whether to implement the same cuts

The new tax plan also sets out tax cutting options on business investment and innovation, with final decisions to be announced in Autumn budget. These will aim to:

• Incentivize businesses to invest in training
• Incentivise greater business spend on R&D through reform of R&D tax credits
• Cut tax rates on business investment

Other announcements for businesses include:

• An increase in the Employment Allowance, which allows eligible businesses to reduce their employer National Insurance contributions. From April this will rise from £4000 to £5000
• Bringing forward an exemption on business rates for green technology including solar panels and heat pumps – this will now begin in April of this year

In terms of reaction from the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber network, we feel the Spring Statement falls short of the action we have been calling for over the past few months. While there are some positive announcements that firms will welcome, it did not fundamentally address the huge cost pressures facing member businesses across the country – this is an agenda which we will continue to push on our members behalf over the coming months.

You can find more detail in the Government’s Business Support Factsheet here.  The British Chamber of Commerce has also produced a useful Economic Summary Document and a Policy Grid outlining key measures and business impacts here.

Free Employment Law Advice with Blackadders

Friday 8th April, 9.30 – 10.00am

 

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is urging the Chancellor to take bold and decisive action in his Spring Statement to tackle the escalating cost of doing business crisis.

As global and domestic headwinds mount following the invasion of Ukraine, the BCC believes he must act now to protect the UK from a renewed economic crisis.

The call comes as businesses are increasingly reporting a crippling burden from a myriad of cost pressures, including rising raw material costs, soaring energy bills and other overheads:

Simon Boyd, managing director of Reidsteel, which manufactures and builds steel framed buildings, said: “We have seen huge shifts in the commodities market with raw materials like nickel going from $10,000 a tonne to briefly hitting $86,000. That might be just a spike, but the reality is steel making has become much more expensive due to the situation in Ukraine, the aftereffects of Covid and ever-increasing energy prices.

“On Friday we had an extra £250 a tonne added to our prices for steel sections and plate. We cannot stand an increase in National Insurance or any further increase in any other taxes whatsoever, they need to be looking at reducing the tax burden.”

Chris Black, managing director of jukebox manufacturer, SoundLeisure, said: “Like every business we are facing increased costs in raw materials, production and energy costs, mainland deliveries and international shipping. In 36 years, I have not personally witnessed anything like this, across the globe, all at the same time. Some of the costs of raw materials are not just impacting the price of goods, they are also impacting lead times. Nickel prices quadrupled last week, and copper doubled!  This is just a small proportion of what we are facing on a daily basis and the cost to the business in man hours and production delays is immense.”

The ongoing energy crisis is also having a significant impact on consumers and businesses who are facing a sustained period of soaring prices. Businesses have been hit by steep rises in their energy bills, with further increases likely as existing fixed tariff contracts come to an end in the coming months:

Lee Strickland, who runs the Cohort St Ives hostel, said: “Energy prices are a massive issue, they’ve gone up by 250%. This is not sustainable. On top of which we are being squeezed by huge increases in supplier costs. We are still recovering from Covid and this is a huge setback to that recovery.”

Julia Fairchild, Director at Restorative Techniques, a manufacturer of masonry cleaning machines, said: “We use a lot of electricity in this business and have sought to make savings where possible, however [we’re] now expecting a massive rise in cost and less choice of energy suppliers available.”

The BCC’s latest economic forecast projects that the war in Ukraine has increased the risk of a recession in the UK by exacerbating the already acute inflationary squeeze on consumers and businesses and derailing the supply of commodities to key sectors of the economy. Raising taxes at this time would weaken the UK’s growth prospects further, by undermining confidence and diminishing households’ and firms’ finances.

With a week to go, the BCC calls on the government to use the Spring Statement to enact the BCC’s Five Point Plan to Tackle the Cost of Doing Business Crisis:

1. Delay the impending National Insurance rise by one year to give firms much-needed financial headroom to weather this unprecedented surge in costs facing businesses and power the recovery.
2. Temporary energy price cap for small businesses to protect smaller firms from some of the price increases they would otherwise face, offering the same protection as households.
3. Additional financial support, through the expansion of the energy bills rebate scheme for households to also include small firms and energy intensive businesses, a new support fund, administered by Ofgem to support the smallest firms with their soaring energy bills and a six-month extension to the Recovery Loan Scheme, leaving it in place until the end of 2022.
4. A moratorium, for the life of this parliament, on all policy measures that increase business costs, including no new business taxes or added regulatory burdens, but excluding only evidence-based changes to the National Living Wage.
5. A commitment from the government’s Supply Chain Advisory Group and Industry Taskforce to continue to work with industry to urgently deliver practical solutions to ease the supply chain disruption and labour shortages that continue to drive the upward pressure on prices.

The Five Point Plan gives firms a chance to stabilise without having to seriously increase their prices, cut jobs or cut the investment that is so vital to sustaining our economic recovery from Covid-19.

In Q4 of 2021, the BCC’s QES found two thirds of businesses did not increase investment, with only a third reporting increased cashflow. If not addressed, the surging cost pressures produced by the cost of doing business crisis will continue to lead to increased prices and fuel the cost-of-living crisis currently being faced by people across the country.

The BCC is also calling on energy firms to work more closely with government, business and other key stakeholders to provide more substantial support to help businesses and households to navigate this difficult period.

Shevaun Haviland, Director General at the BCC, said:

“The Spring Statement is taking place against a backdrop of soaring uncertainty surrounding both the UK and global economy, so a business-as-usual approach from the Chancellor simply won’t cut it.

“Business confidence is on the floor. Coming so soon after a covid-induced squeeze on cashflow and investment plans, the cumulative effect of rising raw material costs, soaring energy bills and other overheads is causing many firms to take cost reduction measures. This is weighing down on their ability to invest, recruit and grow.

“Businesses strongly oppose a rise in national insurance contributions as it will be a drag anchor on the economy, landing significant costs on firms when they are already facing a raft of other cost pressures and have built up huge debt burdens.

“The government must now fortify our economy for what will likely be some gruelling weeks and months ahead. It must prove it is serious about doing whatever it takes to support companies through these domestic and global economic shocks.

“Implementing our five-point plan would help shield firms from the worst of the costs’ crisis – giving them headroom to keep a lid on prices, protect jobs and make investment that is so vital to sustaining our economic prospects.”

Today we had an update from the First Minister on Covid regulations and guidance. Case numbers and numbers of people in hospital with Covid do continue to rise, driven primarily by the new BA.2 Omicron sub-variant. However in accordance with the revised strategic framework, it is expected that the threat posed by Covid will be downgraded from ‘Medium’ to ‘Low’ over the Spring.

The main announcements made today were:

• From Friday 18^th March, all remaining Covid-related travel restrictions will be lifted, in line with the rest of the UK.
• From next Monday (21^st March), most remaining legal measures will be lifted, including the requirements on businesses to retain customer details and to have regard to Scottish Government guidance on Covid.
• However, given the recent rises in case numbers, the requirement to wear face coverings on public transport and in certain indoor settings will be retained. This will be reviews again in two weeks’ time before the Easter Parliamentary recess, and the expectation is that this will then revert from a legal requirement to guidance in early April.

On testing, the First Minister announced that from mid-April onwards, Scotland will see a transition away from routine, population-wide testing, towards more targeted testing. It is expected that:

• For the next few weeks, there will be no change to testing advice
• However from the 18^th April: those without symptoms will no longer be advised to test regularly, except for those working in certain health and care settings
• Until the end of April: people should continue to use lateral flow tests daily for 7 days after being in close contact with someone with Covid, and should take a test before visiting hospital or a care home. For this time the advice will continue to be that if you have symptoms, you should take a PCR test. Contact tracing will also continue until the end of April.
• From the end of April: all routine population-wide testing will end, including for those with symptoms. Contact tracing will also end at this point.
• From 1^st May: testing will only be used on a targeted basis to support clinical care/treatment, and to protect higher risk settings, as well as for monitoring purposes
• At any time, whenever the Scottish Government does recommend testing, this will remain free of charge in Scotland.

The UK has today announced new economic sanctions against Russia.

The new sanctions will deny Russia and Belarus access to Most Favoured Nation tariffs for hundreds of their exports and ban UK exports of high-end luxury goods to both countries. The full press release can be viewed here.

In addition, UK Export Finance has announced it will no longer issue any new guarantees, loans and insurance for exports to Russia and Belarus, whilst retaining £3.5 billion of financial support for trade to Ukraine. You can view the press release here.

Upcoming webinars: 

HMG officials are hosting two webinars for businesses about the recent changes to UK sanctions relating to Russia.

• UK Sanctions relating to Russia: Briefing by UK Government, Thursday 17 March, 13:00 GMT 
  The webinar will cover; sanctions legislation overview; new sanctions measures: financial, trade and transport; individual and entity designations; and humanitarian issues. Please register via Eventbrite.
• UK sanctions against Russia, Thursday 24 March, 14:00 – 15:30 GMT
  The webinar will cover; the scope of sanctions, scope and application of trade sanctions; financial sanctions: restrictions and general licenses; the Export Support Service and enforcement of trade sanctions. Further details can be found here, and you can register here.

Businesses and traders with questions relating to trading with Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus can submit their enquiries to DIT’s Export Support Service by visiting https://www.gov.uk/ask-export-support-team, or calling the helpline using the number 0300 303 8955.

The British Chambers of Commerce has also put together useful links information here: Ukraine Support

A small Scottish charity which has – to date – managed to safely evacuate around 50 orphans from the war in Ukraine today launched a plea for accommodation.

Dnipro Kids, which has been praised for its “amazing” efforts by Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, needs accommodation large enough to help them keep traumatised youngsters with their friends, siblings and orphanage “parents.”

Despite dozens of well-intended and kind offers Dnipro Kids is not looking for  “spare room” accommodation for single youngsters, but rather is in need of accommodation that can take 10-12 people so that the orphanage “family groups” it supports can be kept together avoiding further trauma.

The charity – founded by supporters of Hibernian FC when the club played a European game in Ukraine against Dnipro in 2005 – has been supporting a number of small orphanages in the city in the east of Ukraine.

Already around five of the orphanages have taken the decision to flee Putin’s invading army, with three choosing to stay put – for now.

More than 50 people, most of them youngsters aged 4-17, have fled by train and bus to Lviv and then onto Poland – all organised by the charity working with partners.

Charity chairman and co-founder Steven Carr said: “ We have been overwhelmed at the incredible generosity shown by lots of people, companies and organisations and by the donations people have made.

“We have also received many offers from people to take one or two youngsters into their homes.

It’s important to point out that, while we do appreciate the kindness of the offers, we are looking for entirely different accommodation arrangements.

“The orphanages which have evacuated through us are, effectively, extended “family” groups made up of 12 people, and we are working to keep them together. Significant trauma has already been suffered by the youngsters and we feel it is important that we keep them together.”

If you, or anyone you know, or any organisation you know, can help us find accommodation please get in touch. We need your help.

dniprokidsappeal@gmail.com

On behalf of Laurence Heron at Business Doctors – we’d like to extend an invite to a free face to face event on 23^rd March from 9:30 to 12:30.

Event Description

Are you being left behind?!

Business in Edinburgh is moving again! Now is the time for you to create the opportunities that will grow your business.

How can your business best capitalise on the opportunities for 2022?

Laurence Heron of Business Doctors Edinburgh will help you reset your business growth roadmap to ensure you have a focused strategy suitable for your business.

In this group interactive seminar workshop you will have the opportunity to:

• Share experiences and knowledge with other attendees
• Start building a structured roadmap for your business
• Access our free online tools and resources to manage your growth
• Receive a free one hour one to one health check for your own business

Don’t miss this event if you want to kick goals in 2022!

Coffee, tea and pastries provided. This is a face to face event so numbers are limited.

Click here to book!

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/redefine-your-strategic-growth-roadmap-tickets-295172447737