WaterAid Garden set to flourish in new home at the National Trust’s Manchester ‘sky park’ after winning Gold at RHS Chelsea Flower Show

WaterAid is delighted to announce the relocation of its striking Gold medal-winning garden from this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show to Castlefield Viaduct in Manchester, where it will inspire even more people to think about sustainable water management. The WaterAid Garden will stand at the entrance of the Victorian-era Grade ll listed steel viaduct in the heart of Manchester, which was opened as a sky park by the National Trust in 2022, providing vital green space and helping preserve part of the city’s industrial heritage. The charity’s garden, which celebrates…

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Founder of Hey Girls CIC and My Period App Recognised in King’s Birthday Honours List

Last month Celia Hodson, the visionary founder of Hey Girls CIC and the PickupMyPeriod App, has been awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her remarkable contributions to promoting period dignity and raising awareness of free period products in Scotland. This prestigious honour was announced as part of last month’s King’s Birthday Honours List, recognising Celia’s tireless dedication to social enterprise and charitable initiatives. Celia Hodson has been a pioneering force in the movement for period dignity. Hey Girls CIC, established under her leadership, has become a beacon…

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Research finds AI, burnout, inclusivity and falling budgets keeping marketers awake at night

New research from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) highlights the issues keeping marketers up at night in 2024. The latest Impact of Marketing report suggests that progress on diversity and inclusion is stalling with 44% of respondents stating that their team has not become more diverse within the last 12 months.  Only around half of those surveyed (56%) indicated that they felt that progress had been made on diversity and inclusion within their teams. Some respondents reported seeing a greater diversity of ethnicities (28%), genders (12%), and ages (11%)…

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The Payments Association echoes industry calls for policymakers and the fintech sector to support consumers with community finance

With millions of people in the UK struggling to access affordable financial services, The Payments Association is calling attention to underutilised solutions including community finance options like credit unions. The association’s newly released paper: “Redefining Community Finance: Unlocking Pathways to Financial Inclusion” highlights the potential of these institutions but also the significant barriers hindering their growth. The Payments Association’s Financial Inclusion Working Group has the specific purpose to inform and collaborate with government, regulators and third sector bodies, providing clarity on innovations and solutions in payments that can reduce financial…

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Some chemical pollutants reducing in humans and the environment, but new ones keep popping up

A comprehensive global study of POPs – health-endangering chemicals that stay in the environment over decades and longer – confirms they persist in human milk, air, water, soil, food and various ecosystems. The study, implemented by UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), stresses the importance of POPs monitoring, caution in introducing alternatives, and addressing gaps in awareness and regulation.  The study was conducted across 42 countries in regions where data on POPs is limited, including Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the…

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