Farming industry feels the pain

Michael Fisher
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Farming industry feels the pain
As the dust settles on last week’s Budget, the consequences for the wider economy and farming are beginning to become clear. And that is particularly the case when it comes to stimulating growth, supporting domestic business and strengthening agriculture.
The Inheritance Tax (IHT) changes – reducing agricultural and business property relief (APR and BPR) will be costly to many farms and rural businesses, while the arguments used appear based on misunderstood and partial data, says Jeremy Moody, secretary and adviser to the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV). “These changes will affect many more family farms than the Government suggests and will do so when farming needs its resources to meet the new policies, to invest and adapt to advancing climate change.
“At a strategic level, the Government may have missed its optimum moment to drive the economic growth programme we need,” he adds.
Of course, the devil is in the detail – so what do the IHT changes really mean? In simple terms, where land, dwellings, machinery, animals and other assets are worth £4m, there will be £600,000 in tax to find. “That is a lot to pay. Even if spread over 10 years that is as much as many farms make in profit over 10 years, precluding important investment.”  The Government argues that only a quarter of farms; the wealthiest quarter, are affected. But that misunderstands the tax data:
  • First, it is only based on APR claims and takes no account of the farm’s machinery, livestock, working capital or other business assets, including diversified business activities supporting the farm and the rural economy. That figure misses half the picture and so understates the effects of the change.
  • Second, it is not an assessment of farms but of individual ownerships of agricultural land. The average value of £486,000 might generally be just 50 acres but nearer 20 in some areas. Some will be small intense farms or family members’ land used by the family farm, but more will be lifestyle units and stray fields let out for grazing round a house – both likely with wealthier non-farming owners. The data does not record farms when, on DEFRA data, the average cereals farm would need four owners to be out of tax on its farming activity.
“If farmland has to be sold, the increased capital gains tax rate will mean more acres must go, reducing the farm’s production capacity and its ability to meet its overheads,” warns Mr Moody.
However, and almost immediately, English farmers face the dramatic acceleration of delinked payment cuts.
The centrepiece of the Budget was a £25bn increase in employers’ National Insurance, increasing the cost of employing staff, especially lower paid and part-time workers. “The whole food chain will now be less able to invest and take on new hires, with anyone earning even £9,100 costing at least £615 more,” he explains. “This will be particularly felt in many of the labour-intensive sectors of farming like dairy, pigs, poultry fruit, vegetables and horticulture.”

Senior Funeral Director appointed to lead all-female team

Stuart Pearcey
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Senior Funeral Director appointed to lead all-female team
Nottinghamshire funeral director A W Lymn has appointed a new Senior Funeral Director to lead an all-female team at its Wollaton funeral home. Kirby Cranshaw, 34, joins the team of six Senior Funeral Directors working across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Leicestershire. As part of her new role, Kirby oversees the funeral directors working at funeral homes in Wollaton, Beeston, Stapleford, Aspley, and Long Eaton in both a professional and pastoral capacity. Her team is made up of all women, reflecting a change in what, the company says, has historically been a male-dominated profession. Kirby’s passion for funeral directorship started at the age of 15 when she completed work experience at a funeral directors in Blackpool. After obtaining a degree in Forensic Science from the University of Lincoln, she started to write to funeral directors in the area and secured her first role. She said: “I’ve known ever since that first bit of work experience that working in the funeral industry is what I was put on this earth to do. It’s about making someone’s final journey perfect, helping people through some of the most difficult times and making it just a little bit easier.” After nine years of working in Lincoln and becoming a branch manager across four funeral homes, Kirby joined us as a Funeral Director and moved to Nottingham. She added: “I’d always known of and dreamed of working for A.W. Lymn, but because I lived in Lincoln, I didn’t think it would be possible. I’d seen their service brochures and the way they operate, and their approach really aligned with me. “In my previous role as a branch manager, I’d had to step away from directly working with and supporting families. Joining A.W. Lymn allowed me to get back to what I was really passionate about, which is building relationships in the community. “I’m incredibly proud to have been promoted to Senior Funeral Director and take on a new level of responsibility within the business. What makes A.W. Lymn so unique is that despite taking on a more managerial role, I still get to conduct funerals and be hands on with the families, which is highly important to me and will always be my priority.” MD Matthew Lymn Rose added: “Ever since Kirby joined the team in 2020, we have been incredibly impressed by her commitment to the job, and her devotion to embodying our core values and ethos in everything she does. “We have no doubts that Kirby will excel in her new role supporting her colleagues across the west area, and we look forward to seeing her continue to grow professionally as she takes on this new challenge.”

New study reveals the features that make a company most attractive for hackers

Michael Fisher
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New study reveals the features that make a company most attractive for hackers
The go-to targets for cybercriminals have been revealed, and a private small company from the United Kingdom operating in the retail field would definitely be one of them, according to the latest study by NordPass. In partnership with NordStellar, NordPass evaluated nearly 2,000 data breach incidents worldwide from the past two years, extracting insights on which companies are most likely to experience a cybersecurity breach. Experts ranked companies based on their likelihood for a breach depending on their industry, size, company type, and country of registration. “While small retail companies are highly attractive, other profiles are no less appealing for hackers. This analysis helped us illustrate which businesses face higher risks and explain what measures can be taken to avoid them,” says Karolis Arbaciauskas, head of business development at NordPass. Retail and technology sectors are in the line of fire Among the data security incidents investigated by experts, most occurred in the retail industry (95 incidents). The second most breached sector is technology, with 56 incidents recorded in the past two years. The top 10 most attractive industries also include more specific technology-related sectors, such as internet and web services, IT services and consulting, software development, and computer hardware development. According to Arbaciauskas, these results are rather surprising, given that many think that the technology or IT sectors are less vulnerable and are better equipped against threats online. However, the reality is that hackers see technology firms as an appealing target — even if the company is equipped with high-end IT solutions, human mistakes can still occur. Therefore, companies should choose tools that eliminate possible risks, invest in employee training, and carefully evaluate their cyber preparedness. The United Kingdom is the third most affected market The study reveals that companies operating in the United States get the most attention from hackers, with almost a quarter of businesses (489) investigated for this research registered there. The United Kingdom (73) also got into the top of the list and ranked third after India (114). Among the countries in the European Union, Spain and France are more appealing to hackers than others. “It’s natural that bigger countries are in the spotlight, given that hackers see a lot of opportunities there. However, no country is resilient to cyber threats and this is important to stress. It is up to businesses themselves to ensure their own and their clients’ security online, no matter their address,” says Arbaciauskas. SMBs aren’t too small for hackers In terms of company size, hackers seem to prefer small and medium businesses (SMBs). In the past two years, the absolute majority of investigated breached companies had up to 200 employees. Arbaciauskas explains that the problem could simply lie in SMBs underestimating their value to hackers. “There are targeted attacks, yes, but hackers often go for much broader scope activities, such as credential stuffing, dictionary or rainbow attacks that do not choose their victims. Because of employees’ reused and poor passwords, or downloaded malware, company credentials appear in the leaked credentials’ databases, which gives a chance for hackers to break in. For smaller companies, a data breach is a risk for business closure — financial costs and reputational damage carry significant aftermath effects,” says Arbaciauskas. Having investigated the company types that fall under the hackers’ radar the most, NordPass concluded that private businesses are targeted most often. As much as 85% of the analyzed data breaches were against such companies. What should you do if your business profile falls under this study? According to Arbaciauskas, any organization, no matter its size or type, should be cautious of its cybersecurity. Employing critical tools such as password managers that allow for secure management of company credentials and accesses, or virtual private network (VPN) solutions is a first step towards better resilience against the threats online. In addition, cybersecurity auditing is helpful to spot weaknesses in a company’s IT infrastructure and prepare resilience strategies. It is also critical to invest in the overall cybersecurity awareness raising among the organization to avoid human mistakes that often lead to serious data breaches.

Reverse coal on display at climate SAFE event

Michael Fisher
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Reverse coal on display at climate SAFE event
An engineered natural solution to extract carbon from the atmosphere was on display last month at a farming estate near Doncaster, which crosses the borders of Nottinghamshire, North Lincolnshire and South Yorkshire. Visitors to The Lapwing Estate were shown the novel ‘Reverse Coal’ project, which has been brought to life by an innovative farmer, a team of academics and engineers, including a team from the Lincoln Institute of Agri-Technology (LIAT) and the School of Engineering and Physical Science at the University of Lincoln, UK. The day started with presentations from Lapwing Energy, Collison Associates, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and the University of Lincoln who are involved across a vast array of projects exploring the shared vision of rethinking farmed peatlands. This was followed by a tour of the site including workshops looking at biomass feedstocks, biochar, industrial decarbonisation as well as an opportunity to sequester carbon back into the geological reserve for long term storage. Reverse Coal was mentioned as a positive case study in the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan 2023, the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio Progress Report 2021-22, and Powering Up Britain – The Net Zero Growth Plan. It has been widely highlighted as an example of how peatlands can be more responsibly managed and pave the way for climate-resilient agriculture. Peatlands are some of the most fertile soils for food production, but agricultural drainage causes large greenhouse gas emissions. Reverse Coal has been developed as a whole systems approach, that tackles landscape emissions whilst shifting towards controlled environment agriculture for greater food security. This tackles the common criticism of most biomass projects which is the displacement of food production for bioenergy. The renewable energy comes from biomass grown on rewetted peatland thereby ending emissions associated with drainage for agriculture. This biomass is then chipped and fed through a thermochemical treatment called pyrolysis to generate energy and biochar. Biochar is a solid, stable form of carbon which will then be stored in a innovative storage facility demonstrating that CO2 can be permanently captured for geological time. Prof Simon Pearson, Founding Director of Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology said: “The Reverse Coal project showcase was a fantastic opportunity for the University of Lincoln to share its expertise with industry partners, and support innovative approaches to sustainable food production systems. “One of LIAT’s goals is to create a sustainable future for agri-food production through innovation and research, and the the Reverse Coal project is a great example of this. “Reducing the impact of agri-food on the climate through projects such as Reverse Coal is at the heart of what we do, and it is very encouraging to see the project being so well received by the wider food industry.” James Brown, CEO of The Lapwing Estate said: “This was a great opportunity to showcase Reverse Coal to industry and partners as well as say a big thank you to those who have supported us and backed this project from the beginning. This is just the beginning for The Lapwing Estate as we look to deliver a more sustainable food production system that also delivers for our planet!”

Nottingham is 7th largest coworking market in UK

Michael Fisher
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Nottingham is 7th largest coworking market in UK
Nottingham’s total number of coworking spaces is 39 – the 7th largest coworking market in the UK, according to research from CoworkingCafe, specialists in coworking. In Nottingham, median prices for:
  • dedicated desks are £211 / month – on par with the national median of £210;
  • open workspaces are £158 / month – on par with the national median of £160;
  • virtual offices are £49 / month – on par with the national median of £50;
  • meeting rooms are £18 / hour – below the national median of £25.
Balazs Szekely, Senior Writer and Coworking Specialist at CoworkingCafe, commented about the coworking industry in the UK and Ireland, “Flexible workspaces in the UK and Ireland have reached a new level of accessibility, with over 3,300 locations catering not just to solo remote professionals but also to businesses of all sizes and needs. As demand grows beyond London to regional hubs like Manchester, Birmingham and also numerous smaller cities, this growth highlights a notable shift with businesses increasingly seeing coworking as a sustainable long-term solution that combines flexibility while reducing overhead.”

New report calls on more Government funding to help East Midlands SME manufacturers make the digital skills transformation

Michael Fisher
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New report calls on more Government funding to help East Midlands SME manufacturers make the digital skills transformation
Nearly three quarters (73%) of small to medium-sized manufacturers (SMEs) in the East Midlands are crying out for more Government funding to help them bridge the digital skills divide it was revealed today. A new report produced by Oxford Innovation Advice has revealed that 90% of companies are looking to ‘digitally upskill’ their staff but are finding the biggest barriers to achieving this are cost and a lack of in-house knowledge. 59% of businesses questioned are planning to invest in digital technologies, meaning there is a massive opportunity for the new Labour administration to deliver more specialised support to help boost skills and unlock the potential of UK industry. Based on responses from the survey, Oxford Innovation Advice has developed a five-point policy action plan that it plans to submit to Government to build on successful programmes, such as Made Smarter Digital Adoption. The recommendations focus on providing basic level training and advice to manufacturing SMEs to convert critical analogue data capture processes into digital ones. This is a critical first step for companies and gives them the ability to analyse processes and identify efficiency improvements. Training should also be tailored to include a strong problem-solving focus, which could feature mentoring and one-on-one practical support to help manufacturers trial solutions and digitalise processes. Finally, Oxford Innovation Advice is urging Government to involve companies in the design of businesses support, whilst also ensuring that programmes are available nationally and connect SMEs to their peers to sustain their digital journey. “65% of manufacturers in the East Midlands are predicting growth in the next six months and this is great news. However, as the report clearly shows, how many more could be increasing sales and creating jobs if they had more help to improve their digital skills?” explained Jane Galsworthy, Managing Director of Oxford Innovation Advice. “The digital revolution is no longer the preserve of the larger companies, it’s here and needs to be embedded on the shopfloors, in the design hubs and in the offices of our smaller manufacturers.” She continued: “What is clear is that SMEs need more Government funding to help make this happen, with two thirds admitting they would accelerate their journey if the right specialist support was in place. “90% also said they want to upskill their staff, so the appetite is there – we just need to create the right business support environment to make it happen using a combination of more financial grants and practical assistance that ensures firms can embrace digital technologies.” Oxford Innovation Advice surveyed manufacturing SMEs during August for its Skills and Digital Adoption report, one of the largest compiled this year for manufacturers. Other findings included: · More than half of companies are looking to hire new employees with the necessary skills for growth · SME leaders feel that the Industrial Internet of Things is the most important digital tool for their business, followed by big data/analytics and Enterprise Resource Planning systems · 86% of firms want to embrace digital transformation to improve operational efficiency, with over half wanting to utilise it to reduce costs · 46% of manufacturers believe time is the biggest barrier holding back their digital journey · The top three training approaches preferred by small to medium-sized enterprises are peer-to-peer learning, workshops/seminars and mentoring. Jane concluded: “Made Smarter Digital Adoption is a fantastic programme for helping SMEs who have already made headway in developing their digital capabilities. However, we feel that there is still a significant number of companies who need support to develop lower-level processes before they can start to apply Industry 4.0 technologies.”

Keepmoat announces new regional leadership team

Michael Fisher
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Keepmoat announces new regional leadership team

Top 10 housebuilder Keepmoat has announced a new leadership structure at its East Midlands region, a key step in its strategic growth plan.

The Nottingham-based regional division has strengthened its senior leadership team, led by new Regional Managing Director, Adam Sharpe. Adam will be joined by Robin McGinn as the Land & Partnership Director, who will coordinate the land pipeline across the region.

Adam and Robin will steer the housebuilding landscape in the region and navigate to deliver more than 550 homes in 2025. The newly formed team boasts a wealth of experience in a range of disciplines, crucial to homebuilder’s continued success in the new build sector as it continues to deliver homes across Nottinghamshire, Derby and Leicester. Adam was formerly MD at Vistry, South West Midlands.

Commenting on his appointment, Adam said: “I am thrilled to have been appointed by such a well-established, national homebuilder. Over the past few years the East Midlands has seen significant successes and has grown to become one of Keepmoat’s flagship regions.”

CMP Legal Ranked In The Legal 500

Michael Fisher
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CMP Legal Ranked In The Legal 500
CMP Legal, a leading niche commercial law firm that specialises in corporate, commercial, dispute resolution and employment law has been ranked in the prestigious Legal 500. The company is the only law firm based in Chesterfield to be recognised in the Corporate and Commercial: Elsewhere in East Midlands category. For over three decades, the Legal 500 has been analysing the capabilities of law firms across the world, with a comprehensive research programme revised and updated every year to bring the most up-to-date vision of the global legal market. The Legal 500 assesses the strengths of law firms in over 150 jurisdictions. The rankings are based on a series of criteria, the Legal 500 highlight the practice area teams who are providing the most cutting edge and innovative advice to corporate counsel. The Legal 500 research is based on feedback from 300,000 clients worldwide, submissions from law firms and interviews with leading private practice lawyers, and a team of researchers who have unrivalled experience in the legal market. CMP Legal said: “We are delighted to be ranked in the Legal 500. This is such a remarkable achievement and an incredible milestone for CMP Legal. We launched in 2021 and to receive such recognition in such a short period of time, and from the firm’s very first submission, is testament to the hard work and commitment from everyone in our team. It is fantastic to be ranked alongside such high-calibre, well-established and large national corporate law firms. We’re immensely proud of our achievement.”

Gifty launches Secret Santa—a gift exchange without the guesswork

Tess Egginton
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Gifty launches Secret Santa—a gift exchange without the guesswork
For many HR professionals and managers, organising a successful office Secret Santa can be a stressful, time-consuming challenge—especially when balancing diverse teams, including new joiners, and trying to ensure everyone feels included. To combat this, Gifty, a Nottingham-based startup, has announced the launch of its web-based Secret Santa generator. Designed specifically with businesses in mind, it simplifies the often-complicated process of organising office gift exchanges. The mission is to turn what often feels like an obligation into a fun experience. Gifty understands the challenge business leaders face when trying to keep their colleagues engaged and connected, especially during the holiday season. The new Secret Santa generator is quick to set up, enabling managers and HR professionals to organise a memorable gift exchange with just a few clicks. “We’ve developed Gifty’s Secret Santa feature to be both intuitive and friendly. It’s designed to enhance workplace culture by making it simple to connect through thoughtful gifts, without the usual stress of coordination,” says Ash Sobhani, founder of Gifty. Key benefits of Gifty’s Secret Santa:
  • Quick setup: Organise your Secret Santa event in minutes, eliminating complicated logistics.
  • Gift recommendation: Sharing ideas for each other along with AI suggestions will help people in the team pick a great gift, no matter who they draw.
  • Inclusive activity: Create gift exchanges that foster teamwork and ensure everyone, new joiners and long-term employees, feel valued and included.
  • Strengthen workplace culture: Leverage Secret Santa to boost team spirit, inclusivity, and stronger interpersonal connections.
A recent survey by Nulab found that 96% of employees believe team bonding activities, like Secret Santa, positively impact relationships with colleagues, fostering better collaboration and workplace satisfaction. Gifty’s Secret Santa tool ensures that businesses can maximise these benefits while keeping the process stress-free. Visit Gifty | Boost Team Spirit with a Secret Santa Exchange today and get setup in just a few clicks. Or contact contact@giftyapp.io for any inquiries.

Derby-based Sort Legal has scooped two awards at the 21st annual ESTAS Award

Michael Fisher
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Derby-based Sort Legal has scooped two awards at the 21st annual ESTAS Award
The company has been recognised for delivering outstanding customer service after receiving the Silver Award in the Conveyancer category for the East Midlands and being named the Best in County for Derbyshire. The awards were presented by Phil Spencer, the country’s favourite TV property expert at the Grosvenor House in London, in front of more than 1,000 of the UK’s leading property professionals. The ESTAS honour the best, agents, conveyancers, and mortgage brokers in the UK. The awards are powered by The ESTAS’ own customer review platform which recognises the best conveyancers for customer service, based on ratings from home movers who have been through the whole moving experience with a conveyancer. This year’s results were calculated from over 300,000 customer review ratings. Conveyancers were recognised in regions and counties around the UK. A National Grand Prix Award was also announced for the Best Conveyancer Office in the UK. Phil Spencer, who has hosted The ESTAS every year since their inception in 2003, said: “The ESTAS is a community of likeminded property professionals all focused on one mission – to deliver the best possible service they can time and time again to their clients. You’ve all been incredibly brave with your businesses and by joining our community you’ve declared your intentions to provide the highest standards of service, and you’re prepared to prove it.” Rhodri Howells, Sort Legal’s Head of Legal Practice, said: “We are are incredibly proud to have been named the Best in Derbyshire and win the Silver Award for the East Midlands at this year’s ESTAS. It means so much to our team as we know it’s our customers who have judged our performance.”
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