Month: July 2024

Scottish firms less likely to report skills shortages compared with UK, but businesses lack confidence in AI and green technologies

Stuart Mitchell

New data from this year’s Business Barometer report published by The Open University in partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce, has found that over half (56%) of Scottish organisations are still reporting worrying skills shortages.  The annual report, monitoring the current UK skills landscape, highlighted more than half of Scottish businesses (56%) are reporting skills shortages. This is lower than the UK average of 62%, but a modest improvement on 2023 UK results, when almost three quarters (73%) reported skills shortages. However, despite this, less than one in four (23%)…

Read More

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

Stuart Mitchell

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…

Read More

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

Stuart Mitchell

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…

Read More

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

Stuart Mitchell

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%)…

Read More

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

Stuart Mitchell

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…

Read More