Day: 7 May 2026

PRCA highlights opportunities in new apprenticeship funding rules

Stuart Mitchell

The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) has welcomed the government’s 2026/27 apprenticeship funding changes, highlighting key opportunities for employers and young people entering the communications industry. Key points: Part of a wider £2.5bn, three-year investment supporting nearly one million young people Up to 500,000 “earn or learn” opportunities and 50,000 additional apprenticeships From October 2026: £2,000 incentive for SMEs hiring apprentices aged 16–24 Continued benefits: no National Insurance for under-25s and full training costs for eligible apprentices From August 2026: tighter levy rules, including a 12-month expiry and increased…

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Over 100,000 schools have aligned to UNESCO’s green school guidance

Stuart Mitchell

On Earth Day, celebrated on 22 April, UNESCO and partners highlight the growing global movement toward greener education systems. nearly 112,000 schools in 98 countries have become green schools and received the badge, as part of the Greening Education Partnership. These include 32,944 nursery schools, 54.292 primary schools, 17,138 secondary schools and 7,535 higher education establishments globally that have adopted UNESCO’s Green school quality standard, published in 2024.  The green school quality standard defines for the first time the minimum requirements for creating ‘green learning environments’ around four dimensions: governance,…

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Queen Elizabeth Trust launched to strengthen communities across the United Kingdom

Stuart Mitchell

A new UK-wide independent charity, the Queen Elizabeth Trust, has been established on the occasion of the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth to honour her lifelong commitment to public service.  His Majesty The King has accepted the Royal Patronage of the Trust, which will bring the late Queen’s values to life for present and future generations.  The Trust is one of three related memorial projects—alongside a national memorial in St James’s Park and a digital memorial—to honour her legacy at local, national, and global levels. These plans are being…

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New WWF Report Examines Market-Based Solutions to Invasive Species

Stuart Mitchell

New framework helps assess when commercial use can deliver environmental and economic benefits Invasive species, introduced accidentally or purposefully outside their original range, can wreak havoc in their new environments, contributing to 60% of global wildlife extinctions and costing $423 billion per year. A new report from World Wildlife Fund (WWF) explores how, when eradication is not possible, developing commercial uses for these pests can help manage their populations and provide environmental and economic benefits to local communities. It presents a first-of-its-kind framework to help businesses and ecologists evaluate the…

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Octopus Energy and Prosperity Group unveil world’s largest Zero Bills site

Stuart Mitchell

Octopus Energy, the UK’s largest energy supplier, and Prosperity Group have teamed up to deliver the world’s largest Zero Bills site to date, where residents won’t pay a penny for their home energy for at least 10 years. The first of the 300 Zero Bills homes at the record-breaking site in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, are due to be completed in 2028, with residents expected to move in later that year. Launched in 2022, Octopus’ Zero Bills is a world-first energy tariff that allows customers to move into homes packed with cutting-edge…

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