As world leaders continue to discuss the climate crisis at COP 27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, action to reduce carbon emissions continues to be taken closer to home. The LLEP Business Gateway and its partner Zellar, are celebrating a milestone for their pioneering initiative which helps Leicestershire businesses save money and reduce the carbon they generate. Eighteen months ago, the LLEP Business Gateway launched the Zellar programme, giving 100 local SMEs free access to an online platform through which they could track their carbon emissions and kickstart their sustainability journeys. Today they announced that they have so far helped local businesses save a massive £143k on their energy bills, allowing them to invest in sustainable changes to secure further savings. Participating companies have so far invested £400,000 in green technologies since the start of the Zellar programme and contributed 3,400 hours of volunteering towards local environmental projects. Welcomm Communications – a telecoms business based in Market Harborough – has been using Zellar since the start of this year. Their sustainability champion, Wendy Savill, said: “Since starting on our sustainability journey, we have been so encouraged by the Zellar platform in many ways, not least by realising the cost savings we have made. “These have come from making small changes in the business which were so easy to implement. We are excited to measure further changes in the near future and to achieve more savings, especially in the current economic climate. A huge thanks to Zellar for giving us that focus.” Acting head of the LLEP, Sue Tilley, added: “We are so proud of how Leicestershire companies have embraced this initiative as part of their response to the climate emergency. “We’ve always been leaders in environmental issues and it’s great to see that tradition continuing with our Zellar project which is the first of its kind in the UK. We do still have 16 free places left if any other businesses would like to join the scheme to save money and attract new customers.” A further benefit to the region has come in the form of a £600,000 investment from the Co-operative Bank to Leicestershire businessman Gary Styles, who is the founder and CEO of Zellar. Mr Styles said: “The Co-operative Bank is a perfect investor for Zellar. We hold so many shared values and they have the highest Environmental Social and Governance score of any UK high street bank. “We’re also incredibly thankful to the LLEP Business Gateway and to all the pioneering Leicestershire businesses that have supported our journey so far. We would urge more businesses to get onboard and grab those final free licenses.”

Auction house, John Pye & Sons Ltd, has been appointed by administrators of Made.com Design Limited to put stock on the market, in order to recover funds for creditors.

Due to difficult economic conditions, the high-value retailer, Made.com Design Limited appointed administrators from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) to manage its affairs, business and property on the 9th November 2022.

PwC has this week appointed John Pye Auctions to put the Made.com stock to the market, through its network of over 700,000 customers and 1,000,000 sq ft of sale space.

All of the UK stock from Made.com is included in the inventory, which comprises several thousands of upholstery, home furniture, outdoor and leisure, home accessories and lighting items.

Adam Pye, Managing Director at John Pye, said: “John Pye Auctions is deeply saddened by the nature of this case, having worked as close partners with Made.com Design Limited for over six years. We’ve formed relationships with many staff members. We wish all the very best to everyone negatively affected.

“As with any insolvency of a great British brand such as Made.com, there are always the tragedies of redundancies and loss. It is John Pye Auction’s role to realise the best we can for all creditors of the company. Thanks to our long-standing partnership with Made.com Design Limited, we have a customer base who are familiar with buying this type of stock, so we hope to be able to realise a positive return for creditors.”

A public consultation about devolution for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire has begun. The consultation is taking place from Monday 14 November until Monday 9 January 2023 and is an opportunity for everyone in the area to have their say about devolution proposals. It is open to residents, businesses, community and voluntary groups, and other organisations in the region. The leaders of the four councils signed up to work on a devolution deal on 30 August this year at an event at Rolls Royce in Derby, following an announcement from Government that a package of new powers and funding, worth £1.14 billion, were available for the area. Since August the councils have been working on agreeing a more detailed proposal for consultation, which includes more information about how devolution would work in our area. The four councils agreed to go ahead with a public consultation as the next step in the process, so everyone has the chance to give their views on the proposal. Chris Poulter, leader of Derby City Council, said: “The East Midlands has long been overlooked and held back compared to other areas of the country. The cities and counties in our region should have a bigger voice, and this devolution deal would give us the influence, funding, and powers that we deserve. “The investment in this deal will bring with it many opportunities. We could see more jobs, better transport and housing, an enhanced greener environment, and more value for money of services provided for our people. “The proposals that we’re consulting on are just the beginning, and we’re determined to build on it over time. I would encourage everyone to give us their views on the deal by taking part in the consultation.” Barry Lewis, leader of Derbyshire County Council, said: “Devolution is about getting a better deal for Derbyshire and the East Midlands and achieving a fair share for our region. It will bring us more money and mean we can make more meaningful decisions here, rather than in London. “This deal will bring more and better jobs and opportunities for training, improve the local economy, result in better transport and housing, and accelerate our route to Net Zero. I encourage everyone to take part in the consultation and give us their views on devolution. “A devolution deal, should it be agreed, would be the beginning, not the end. We’re determined to build on this deal over time, as other areas have done.” Ben Bradley MP, leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “It’s great news that we’re moving forward with devolution plans for Nottinghamshire and the wider area. I’m really pleased that we’re making progress with this. “Devolution can bring real benefits for local people, as it has done in other parts of the country. It will mean more funding for our region, and the opportunity to have more meaningful decisions made here, near the people they affect, rather than in London, so they can be better tailored to local needs. “This is an opportunity to create jobs, boost our economy, enhance transport, build more and better homes, improve our environment, and more, and we need to grab it with both hands. I don’t want our area to miss out on a chance to improve things for everyone who lives and works here. “Devolution can help us be more effective locally, make better use of public money, and most importantly, improve people’s lives. It would lay the groundwork for us to build on in the future, to benefit future generations. “I’d encourage everyone to take part in the consultation and give us their views on the devolution deal.” David Mellen, leader of Nottingham City Council, said: “This deal has the potential to make a significant difference and local people would see the real benefits from the investment with more and better jobs, housing, training and much more. “For too long this region hasn’t had the investment it needed and deserves – by working on a deal we can start to address this, but this is just the start, and I will make sure that we get our fair share and make the most of this funding. “Importantly the deal would give us more control over our own area, where local people would have a say in the region’s priorities rather than decisions made in London. I look forward to hearing people’s views on the deal when the consultation launches.” Devolution would provide the region with a guaranteed income stream of £38 million per year over a 30-year period, and would cover around 2.2 million people, making it one of the biggest in the country. If the plans go ahead, it will mean a new regional mayor and it would create the first of a new type of combined authority for the two counties and cities, which requires new legislation from central government. The new elected regional mayor, like those who are already in place in other areas, would represent the whole area. The role of the mayor would be to look at major issues affecting the whole region, give the area a bigger voice, and take advantage of local knowledge and expertise. As well as the £1.14 billion, devolution plans include an extra £16 million for new homes on brownfield land, and control over a range of budgets like the Adult Education Budget, which could be better tailored to the needs of people in our communities. Devolution would mean that a future mayor and combined authority could: Work towards Net Zero and cleaner air with new low carbon homes, retrofit existing houses with external wall insulation, promote the use of renewable energy, and protect and enhance green spaces, like areas for wildlife and green verges. Build on the region’s existing knowledge and expertise in green technology and promote the growth of a future low carbon economy by investing in related skills training at colleges and other training facilities. Set up and coordinate smart integrated ticketing and enhanced concessionary fares schemes. Work with Homes England to build more affordable homes, by using new powers to buy land and housing (with district and borough council consent). Enhance the region’s economy by developing new commercial space to maximise opportunities. Work with national government on initiatives to address homelessness, domestic abuse, community safety, social mobility, and support for young people. Take advantage of economies of scale by using combined and devolved budgets to deliver more value for taxpayers and more cost-efficient services.   The four councils sent initial proposals to negotiate a combined devolution deal back in March 2022, after being named as pathfinder areas by the Government in February and then being invited to apply for a devolution deal. The councils have been working with the Government to develop details of the deal, alongside discussions with district and borough councils, businesses, and other stakeholders. If the devolution deal is formally approved, the Government will pass legislation bringing a new combined authority for the East Midlands into existence. The first election for a regional mayor for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, and Nottinghamshire, would be in May 2024. The regional mayor would lead the new combined authority, which would also include representatives from local councils, with decision making powers and resources moving from London to the East Midlands. Local businesses would also have a voice, as well as other organisations. The devolution deal would not mean scrapping or merging local councils, which would all continue to exist as they do now and would still be responsible for most public services in the area. The mayor and combined authority would instead focus on wider issues like transport, regeneration, and employment across both cities and counties. More information about the consultation, and a link to the online survey, are available online.

A new index which benchmarks businesses’ health provision is launched today by the CBI to help tackle the record long-term sickness absence levels restricting the UK’s productivity and undermining economic growth ambitions. Data shows the UK loses 131 million working days a year to ill-health, costing the nation around £180billion in GDP. The ONS is today due to publish new data that further reinforces the need to address the number of people leaving the labour market through ill health. The labour shortages this creates has a damaging impact on productivity; growing the economy will be impossible without a healthy population. With workplaces known to be an effective influencer of health behaviours, the CBI – working with Business for Health and supported by the NHS and HM Government – is today launching a first iteration of its Work Health Index (WHI) to benchmark private sector health provision across the economy. The WHI will give all businesses the opportunity to diagnose the strength of their health offer and benchmark it against peers. It will cover all workplace policies, practices and provision designed to support employee health and wellbeing, from cycle to work schemes to counselling to parental leave policies. In the immediate term, it will help firms understand their competitiveness and enhance their employee value proposition. In the longer term, it should help businesses to create better work environments and support better health outcomes across the working age population – resulting in elevated workplace productivity. Brian McBride, CBI president, said: “Labour market resilience is a precondition to growth. Without healthy, productive employees, the UK economy will be unable to achieve the growth it sorely needs. “Businesses understand the link between health and wealth, and have a major role to play. While the NHS continues to serve us all in our moments of immediate need, employers across the UK have a golden window emerging from the pandemic to lean into long-term measures which enhance employee health and wellbeing. “With the UK staring down a fiscally constrained period, the moment to boost the UK’s preventative health model is now. The Work Health Index is here to help achieve just that.” With workforce health higher than ever before on the business agenda in the wake of the pandemic, the CBI believes this is the ideal time to launch this partnership between industry, Government and the health service. By uniting these stakeholders, the CBI believes it can further grow businesses’ appreciation of employee wellbeing as an investment rather than a cost. The next steps will see the CBI’s Health team working closely with partners across Government and the health service, and continuing its strategic partnership with Business for Health to bring the Work Health Index through private sector testing to public usage in 2023. Tom Pursglove MP, Minister for Disabled People, said: “It is clear a healthier, more productive workforce is key to driving growth and tackling inactivity. Government and employers must work together to unlock talent from those who may be facing health barriers. “We also know that being in work boosts wellbeing, and that is why our initiatives including additional Work Coach time are supporting people with health conditions into work. “We’re building on this with schemes like our new £6.4 million online service giving employers free advice and guidance to support staff with health issues to stay in, or return to, work. We are delighted to support the CBI’s Work Health Index which complements this by providing employers with the tools they need to build healthier, more inclusive workforces.” Minister for Primary Care and Public Health Neil O’Brien said: “A healthy and resilient workforce is vital for the economy of our nation, and any steps employers make to improve the health and wellbeing of their staff are commended. “We are committed to doing everything we can to level-up health and care across the country, and the CBI’s Work Health Index provides a great example of using data to drive employer action to improve the health of their workforce.” John Godfrey, Business for Health Chair, said: “Business has a huge role in public health: as employers, as providers of healthy goods and services and as drivers of healthy local economies. “This Index with the support of the CBI starts to tackle the first of these. Business is shifting the dial on climate, it is in our interest to do the same on health.”

Leaders of small businesses in the region are invited to help Academics from Nottingham University Business School build an understanding of what they want from business support and how they access it. Analysis from the project will help to inform the future of business advice and support available in the region. Dr Robert Wapshott, associate professor in Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Nottingham University Business School, said: “Effective systems of advice and support for small businesses can add value to ventures and the region. To achieve this, however, we need to focus on what small businesses really want and how they want to access advice and support. “We are very aware of the current economic climate and issues with international trade, so we are keen to make sure that the support on offer directly addresses and assists with the concerns that business leaders have. The growth of the region relies on this.” Scott Knowles, Chief Executive of the East Midlands Chamber, said: “External factors, such as the disruption we’ve experienced over the past few years, have meant the needs of businesses have evolved significantly – whether it’s in their supply chains, people or innovation. “This means the business support ecosystem must respond accordingly to ensure our firms are well-equipped to overcome challenges and take advantage of opportunities as they arise. “The high quality of the business support services we offer was recently recognised by the British Chambers of Commerce, which named us the UK Chamber of the Year for 2022, but we know we must not stand still as an organisation. This unique research project will provide us with the intelligence required to continue supporting the success of our region’s businesses and communities.” Interviews with small businesses across the East Midlands will begin in the first quarter of 2023. Participants will be asked to take part in an online 45-minute interview focused on how they engage with business advice and support services and how the support on offer could be improved to better meet the needs of their business and others in the region. Leaders of small businesses who are interested in helping to shape knowledge on business advice and support can contact policy@emc-dnl.co.uk to find out more about the project and how to get involved.

Privately owned, everyday household and garden retailer, wilko has confirmed plans to unlock £48 million as part of a strategic 15-year partnership agreement with logistics specialist DHL. The business refinance, made possible by the sale and leaseback of its Nottinghamshire distribution centre, is just the first of a series of positive partnership benefits that will allow the business to further improve the proposition and the customer experience across its 402 stores and wilko.com. While day to day operations will remain unchanged, working in partnership with DHL, who already have several large operations in the local area, means both wilko and DHL will benefit from scale in property and warehousing. Jerome Saint-Marc, wilko CEO, says: “It’s standard business practice to constantly review how we manage our finances. This property deal with DHL represents long-term stability for us and our team members and is the right response to the current market conditions and our priorities. “We’re making smart choices to trade a business and allow us to continue to invest in our long-term transformational strategy. Wilko remains family owned and continues to focus on helping hard working families to be the best that they can be, delivering great value products to our customers.”