Katie Pringle has started her own business, Rock, Paper, Scissors »
Matthew Rippon is an IP lawyer for BHP Law »
Ian Brown, Northumberland farmer and businessman writes about the agricultural industry »
Accessibilty Champion Steve Wilkinson on the importance of inclusion »
Jonathan Wheatley from Stokesley-based MC Ware writes about IT matters »
Mark Lisgo is a Northeasterner who works for law firm Eversheds in Abu Dhabi, UAE »
Adam Lopardo is director of the Sponsors Club for Arts & Business, bringing business and art together »
Curator Danielle Pender shares the peaks and pitfalls of working with 21 designers on a month-long exhibition »November 2008 Archives
A biiter taste in the mouth
Posted by Andrew Hebden on November 5, 2008 5:27 PM
As a Yorkshireman and a fan of real aleas, I should be crying into my pint tonight over the decision announced by Carlsberg today to shut down the historic Tetley brewery in Leeds.
Continue reading "A biiter taste in the mouth" »
- Post to:
del.icio.us
Digg
Newsvine
Nowpublic
Reddit
Rates on their way to an unprecedented low of 1%
Posted by Paul Williamson on November 6, 2008 12:59 PM
Roger Bootle, economic adviser to Deloitte, comments on November MPC meeting
- The 1.5% cut in interest rates, from 4.5% to 3%, is an extremely bold move and shows that the MPC appreciates the seriousness of the situation. But more needs to be done. I think that interest rates need to be cut to the unprecedented level of 1%, and quickly.
- Rates have never before been this low, but extraordinary times require extraordinary action. And it is not impossible to imagine circumstances under which rates end up having to go lower, perhaps even to zero as they have done in Japan.li>
Continue reading "Rates on their way to an unprecedented low of 1%" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
November spawned a monster rate cut
- Tags:
- interest rate cut
Posted by Ross Smith on November 6, 2008 2:16 PM
The size of today's interest rate cut has taken almost everyone by surprise, but it is to be hoped it produces the desired positive effect on consumer spending and investment.
As NECC's vice president Martyn Pellew said earlier today, there are many exciting investment projects in the pipeline for the North East including in the processing and ports sector. Hopefully these have been brought a little closer by today's announcement.
Martyn went on to say that banks, businesses and the public all need a confidence boost at present, which the MPC has gone some way towards providing.
Continue reading "November spawned a monster rate cut" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Disability Discrimination Dilemma
- Tags:
- accessibility
- DDA
- discrimination
Posted by Steve Wilkinson on November 9, 2008 11:55 AM
If you are a business owner or manager, ask yourself this question:
Yesterday, did we discriminate against a disabled person using our facilities to access our goods and services?
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
If you are a disabled person, ask yourself this question:
Yesterday, did a service provider you used discriminate against you?
The chances are that the answer to both question's is "Yes", but the outcome in both cases is likely to be that nothing will happen.
Firstly, in your business, you may be unaware of how many disabled people used your services. You are likely to be unaware of how many were satisfied or otherwise with the facilities and services you offer. Equally, you are likely to be unaware of how many people did not use you because they either didn't know how accessible your services were, or they have been told by others that they are inadequate.
At a time of recession or credit, surely being accessible makes sense as you could be increasing your income by attracting more customers with special access needs.
If you felt you were discriminated against, are you going to do anything about it? The Disability Discrimination Act has been established to protect you. But, you don't want the hassle, do you? You don't want to be seen as a troublemaker. Possibly, you don't even know your rights and how to go about making a claim.
I feel I encountered a discrimination situation while attending a party at a hotel belonging to a leading hotel chain. My feelings were hurt, (the magic expression as far as a DDA claim is concerned) as I was stuck in the "accessible" toilet, which had an inward opening door, which meant I got stuck in my wheelchair.
I've been to this hotel many years ago, and it was like this then. I thought they may have improved things, being a major hotel chain I'm told take looking after their disabled guests seriously.
Alas, words speak louder than action.
I'm not going to name the organisation, as I'm sure there are many hotel chains that could look at themselves as ask "was this us"?
I shall be taking some action, as I think as a business looking to promote accessibility as my company, WheelchairSteve Ltd , (www.wheelchairsteve.com), is, it would be hypocritical of me to let this go.
So if you are in business or a disabled person and answered "yes", to my question at the beginning, please get in touch with me at steve@wheelchairsteve.com. I need to understand how, four years on from when the part of the Disability Discrimination Act became law where a business was supposed to remove physical barriers preventing disabled people accessing their services, including toilets, we have this unsatisfactory stalemate situation.
We can't blame recession on media
- Tags:
- economy
- Robert Peston
Posted by Jez Davison on November 10, 2008 10:00 AM
IS the media really responsible for talking the economy into recession?
Would any of this have happened without Robert Peston?
Business journalists are often condemned for stoking up the fires that are leading the country into possibly the worst downturn in post-war history.
Continue reading "We can't blame recession on media " »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Vikings to the rescue
- Tags:
- Norway
Posted by Andrew Mernin on November 14, 2008 10:51 AM
A POSTER outside a Bigg Market nightspot has confirmed what all of us feared - we are now definitely in a recession.
Continue reading "Vikings to the rescue" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Ain't No Mountain High Enough? How about Kilimanjaro?
Posted by Andrea Wilkinson on November 18, 2008 4:25 PM
Yes you have read correctly; my colleague Neil Stoker and I will be climbing the highest free standing mountain in the world to raise money for Shared Interest Foundation Swaziland Project.
Over seven gruelling days we will be walking 20,000 feet to reach the summit, which is the highest point on the African continent!
This is all to raise money for something I feel very passionately about. As many of you are aware I have visited Swaziland many times over the last two years and was struck firstly by the kindness of Swazis, secondly by the beauty of this small landlocked kingdom but mostly by the gross inequality throughout the country.
Swaziland has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the world with almost every other person being inflicted with the disease. This - as you can imagine - is having devastating effects on an already struggling population.
The life expectancy currently stands at little over 30 and is set to drop to 27 (the same age as I am now) in the only two years.
There are 60,000 AIDS orphans, which is set to double in the next two years to 120,000.
Whilst Swaziland is classified as a middle income country there is an appalling skew in the income spread, with unemployment at approximately 40%, and 70% of the population living on less than one US dollar a day.
Working with fair trade producers, we will be giving business skills training to help them build sustainable organisations that will benefit the workers and therefore the immediate families and local communities.
Businesses are hugely impacted by the woefully low life expectancy and as such HIV awareness is an inherent part of the training that we will be conducting.
We are looking to raise £10k to fund this project and are more than happy to discuss corporate sponsorship opportunities as well as individual donations.
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Corporate Christmas
- Tags:
- Christmas
Posted by Andrew Mernin on November 20, 2008 1:42 PM
I've done some pretty degrading things in my working life - handing out tissues on the streets of Japan and screwing lids on to vinegar bottles in a factory in Leeds are two notable career low-points.
But neither of these harrowing experiences come close to the plight of Starbucks' embattled workforce.
Continue reading "Corporate Christmas" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Unrest in Rwanda
Posted by Andrea Wilkinson on November 20, 2008 4:51 PM
It was reported to day on the Red24 alert that Over 800,000 people took to the streets in protest yesterday, paralysing the city, as demonstrators marched to the German Embassy and the local offices of Deutsche Welle, Germany's national broadcaster.
This follows similar protests earlier in November when Kabuye, an aide to the Rwandan president, was initially arrested in Germany in connection with the 1994 assassination of former Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana. Although the protest passed without violence, tensions remain and the possibility of further civil unrest is high at this time.
Shared Interest Foundation training has resumed today and our Project Co-ordinator Donatien and the participants all sound like they are in good spirits and have reported back that the training is going extremely well.
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
We have a bit of a Mountain to Climb!
Posted by Andrea Wilkinson on November 21, 2008 9:58 AM
After an extremely generous donation of £5K, we are now a third of the way towards achieving our fundraising goal.
This money will be a massive help in launching our training project in Swaziland, helping thousands of producers build sustainable businesses as well as raising awareness of HIV/AIDS, which is crucial in a country that currently has the highest rate in the world.
So ....now for the physical goal!
The donation yesterday spurred me on and after a two week lull in training, I hit the gym for a two hour session!
I did half an hour on Kilimanjaro mode (yes, conveniently this setting does exist!) on the cross trainer, which I hope is very close to the real thing as I was exhausted afterwards.
Then I did 20 minutes on the bike and 30 minutes on the running machine!
And I have to say I'm not feeling too bad today, so I will be returning for round two this evening!
Neil and I will be keeping you posted on the ups and downs of our training regime as well as progress on fundraising We are also seeking corporate support to help us out with essential kit for the climb over the next few months.
If you are interested in hearing more about the Swaziland project, the Kilimanjaro climb or way you could get involved please contact me at andrea.wilkinson@shared-interest.com
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Stairway to the Stars
Posted by Andrea Wilkinson on November 21, 2008 3:45 PM
Apparently the stars will be following in our footsteps after we climb Kilimanjaro next year.
Yep, according to the reports of a certain daily newspaper, the likes of Ronan Keating, Gary Barlow, Cheryl Cole and Denise Van Outen will all be scaling the heights for another worthwhile cause.
Gary Barlow who is organising the trip said: "The other people on the climb feel similarly, so it made sense to ask them to join me. I have chosen the people I want to be stuck on the side of a mountain with, even if we are the least likely you would expect to find there."
Continue reading "Stairway to the Stars" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Be Like Boy Scouts!
Posted by Andrea Wilkinson on November 26, 2008 12:06 PM
With just over two months to go, it was time to step up the training...so I booked the week off from Shared Interest Foundation to immerse myself in my new fitness regime!
To kick things off, Neil and I headed to the Cheviots.