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A student who has continuously worked toward improving equality and diversity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects has received the most prestigious award given to University of Dundee students. Maitane Sandonis Perez has been named as the winner of this year’s Wimberley Award, given to the student or students who have made the most distinguished contribution to university life. Throughout her time at Dundee, Maitane (21) has helped deliver positive cultural change within the School of Life Sciences and the wider University through her work on equality and diversity with the Athena SWAN Undergraduate Committee. Athena SWAN is an equality charter mark framework and accreditation scheme that recognises and celebrates good practices in higher education and research institutions towards the advancement of gender equality. Maitane’s efforts includes facilitating campaigns to promote the visibility of female scientists, prevent gender-based violence and raise awareness on neurodiversity in STEM. She will graduate with a degree in Biological Sciences on the afternoon of Tuesday 20 June, joining her peers in crossing the Caird Hall stage. “I am truly honoured by this recognition,” said Maitane. “It makes me very happy to see that the work towards equality and diversity in STEM is valued by the University. It is a meaningful closure to all the work put into it and a great chance to celebrate the achievements of my Athena SWAN colleagues." “I am proud to be a part of such a high standard, yet ever-improving institution. These campaigns have helped break the biases towards women in STEM in our university and have led to the implementation of measures to prevent and facilitate help in instances of gender-based violence in the academic environment." “The neurodivergence in STEM campaign will launch in the next academic year. It is meaningful to me that the School is working to break the stereotypes associated with neurodiversity, and that students and staff will soon have the testimonies and encouragement of successful neurodivergent scientists." “I would like to thank Melissa d'Ascenzio and Lesley-Anne Pearson for leading the wonderful Athena SWAN group in my School and helping us students in our projects to improve the university. Likewise, I must acknowledge the work of the rest of the student committee who have worked just as hard to make all these projects happen, and the efforts of many other students that I have come across who also want to see the University of Dundee become a better place.” Alongside her equality and diversity work, Maitane, who is originally from Alicante, Spain, stood as the environment and sustainability representative within the Dundee University Students’ Association (DUSA) Student Representative Council. She was named Student Representative of the Year in 2022 in recognition of her efforts and plans to continue a career in Ecology and Conservation. “Dundee has provided me with a platform to develop professionally while working for important causes,” Maitane continued. “I have developed a deep love for the city. I feel in awe, and this has been my motivation to work to give back to our community. I sincerely hope my work helps the University and the city to continue improving.”

The Employee Ownership Association (EOA) has marked this year’s EO Day by releasing its latest update on the state of the sector. Produced in collaboration with the White Rose Centre for Employee Ownership (WREOC), the EOA’s figures show that there were 332 businesses that transitioned to employee ownership in the 2022 calendar year alone, and that as of June 2023 the total number of companies owned partially or fully by their employees has reached 1,418. This means another record year for growth of the sector, following a boom in recent years. To mark EO Day, where the employee owned community looks to celebrate and raise awareness of the impact of EO, the EOA has also released its annual list of the Top 50 largest employee owned businesses in the UK, produced in collaboration with RM2 Partnership. The John Lewis Partnership and Arup Group top the list, with several new businesses also joining the Top 50 this year, including EOA member Kingsland Drinks Group. Recent years have seen a continued boom for the EO sector. Between 2020 to 2022, the sector more than doubled in size to over 1,000 EO businesses. Growing awareness of employee ownership through high-profile transitions in recent years, such as those of retailer Richer Sounds and makers of Wallace and Gromit Aardman Animations, are partially credited with the rise. It’s thought that the increasing number of business owners reaching retirement age, coupled by deeper consideration of succession brought about by the pandemic, has also fueled interest in the model. James de le Vingne, CEO of the EOA, said: “Employee ownership has incredible power to unlock the potential of UK business. As the sector continues to grow, we want to highlight that EO produces results for businesses, employees, the economy and the planet. That’s why this year’s EO Day theme is #TheEOeffect – celebrating this fantastic impact is at the heart of our celebrations.” Riverford Organic Farmers, an EOA member whose founder Guy Singh-Watson recently sold his remaining shares to convert the company to 100% employee ownership, is featured in the Top 50 list. Charlotte Tickle, Director of People, Finance and Change at Riverford, said: “It’s great to see the continued growth of EO across the UK. Employee ownership is now central to Riverford’s culture, and ensures we stay true to our purpose and values. We’ve seen first-hand how it can support our business to be more resilient and profitable, whilst giving genuine power to those who have invested in our long-term success, allowing co-owners to be more happy, engaged, and productive by having a real stake and a say in the business.” This year’s EO Day campaign is sponsored by boutique legal practice Postlethwaite Solicitors, which specialises in advising companies on becoming employee owned. Robert Postlethwaite, founder and Managing Director of the firm, commented: “We’re delighted to have sponsored this year’s EO Day campaign. The latest figures on the growth of the EO sector powerfully illustrate the growing recognition of the positive effect EO can have on businesses, its people and our wider society. We strongly believe in the fantastic impact that employee ownership can have, which is why we ourselves transitioned to 100% employee ownership earlier this year.” CleanTEC, a cleaning services company featured in the EO Top 50 and employing more than 1,500 people, is an exemplar of this effect. “CleanTEC are proud to have become Employee Owned in 2021,” commented Ingrid Cherry, Sales & Marketing Manager at their Watford-based Head office, said. “Our EO allows us to give employees a real stake in how the company is run, making them happier and more engaged in knowing they are partners in delivering the company’s future success. EO can be transformational for workers in traditionally low-paid sectors such as cleaning, so we’re excited to see the continued growth of EO in years to come.”

Yorkshire-based retail and play destination, Tong Garden Centre has joined forces with Yorkshire Muddings forest school to offer children and their adults a brand new unique outdoor play session hidden in a secret woodland area on site. The venture at Grass Hoppers hopes to welcome an additional 2,500 children through the woodland doors in its first year. Founded in 2021, Yorkshire Muddings which is now open to the public, includes activities like mud kitchens, nature crafts, bug hunting, climbing, large loose parts play to ignite children’s imaginations, hammock swinging and every session ends with a story and a toasted marshmallow on the campfire. Also operating from a private woodland in Grange Moor, on the Wakefield/Huddersfield border, Yorkshire Muddings provides fully outdoor forest school and woodland play sessions predominantly for pre-school children. Since launching in November 2021, Yorkshire Muddings has gone from strength to strength and in its first 12 months has tripled its work force - including a new Director, and another Forest School Leader to run its second site at Tong Garden Centre. Matt Lowrey, Manager at Grass Hoppers said: “We’re thrilled to be able to make use of a woodland space that was previously unloved and a bit forgotten - the vision that Yorkshire Muddings had for the land was inspiring and we’re really excited to be working with them as they continue to promote the benefits of outdoor play." “We’re always looking for new ways to encourage families to get outside and to build on the success of our own play offering - Yorkshire Muddings has built a strong brand based on celebrating the joy of play and we know this partnership will be a great addition.” Owner and founder Victoria says: “Yorkshire Muddings has been really well received since the very first session, the aim was always to open multiple sites so that we’re able to encourage and nurture a love of outdoor play in a natural environment to as many children as possible - the positive feedback we’ve had about our play provision has been truly overwhelming." “This sort of play is what children are born to do; they are masters of our slow paced, investigative and explorative play in a natural setting. The woodland that we have given new life to at Grasshoppers is so beautiful - a huge chestnut tree provides beautiful dappled shade and is the perfect spot for playing in the mud kitchen.” Susannah Holroyd, Director and co-owner adds: “We’re so proud to have a site at Tong Garden Centre and within the already excellent Grasshoppers - creating a love of the great outdoors starts by giving children the chance to enjoy nature in its purest form, allowing them to play and create happy memories will foster a lifelong love and respect for the world we live in.” Sessions run at Grasshoppers on Wednesdays and Fridays, and at the Grange Moor woodland on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Suitable for confidently walking children up to age 7 within term time and children up to age 11 in school holidays.

Extreme weather events such as wildfires and droughts will accelerate change in stressed systems leading to quicker tipping points of ecological decline, according to a new study. Using computer modelling, the UK research team, which includes scientists from the University of Sheffield, looked at four ecosystems under threat to work out what factors might lead to tipping points, beyond which collapse was inevitable. In some systems, the combination of adding new extreme events on top of other ongoing stresses brought the timing of a predicted tipping point closer to the present by as much as 80 per cent. Ultimately, say the authors, a 'perfect storm' of continuous stress from factors such as unsustainable land use, agricultural expansion and climate change, when coupled with disruptive episodes like floods and fires, will act in concert to rapidly imperil natural systems. The team looked at two lake ecosystems and two forestry examples, including the historic collapse of the Easter Island (Rapa Nui) civilisation, widely thought to have been the result of over-population combined with unsustainable exploitation of tree cover. The models were run over 70,000 times for each ecosystem, with variables adjusted on each occasion. Up to 15 per cent of collapses occurred as a result of new stresses or extreme events, even while the main stress was kept constant. In other words, even if ecosystems are managed more sustainably by keeping the main stress levels like deforestation constant, new stresses like global warming and extreme weather events could still bring forward a collapse. “All four of the ecological systems we looked at showed the same overall outcomes,” said co-author Dr Gregory Cooper from the University of Sheffield’s Institute for Sustainable Food. “This has potentially profound implications for our perception of future ecological risks. While it is not currently possible to predict how climate-induced tipping points and the effects of local human actions on ecosystems will connect, our findings show the potential for each to reinforce the other. Any increasing pressure on ecosystems will be exceedingly detrimental and could have dangerous consequences.” The number of extreme climate events has increased since 1980 and global warming even at 1.5°C will increase those numbers further. Scientists are also concerned about possible knock-on effects as one collapsing ecosystem impacts on neighbouring ecosystems. “Over a fifth of ecosystems worldwide are in danger of collapsing,” said Professor Simon Willcock from Rothamsted and Bangor University, who co-led the study published in Nature Sustainability. “However, ongoing stresses and extreme events interact to accelerate rapid changes that may well be out of our control. Once these reach a tipping point, it’s too late.” He added: “In the past two years, the world has come together around the climate and ecological crises through the UN Climate Change and Biodiversity Conferences. But we should remember that the causes of the crises are interlinked – that they have already collided - and that inaction over both may result in dire consequences.” An example is the UN’s International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimate for a tipping point in the Amazon Forest prior to 2100. The new study suggests a breakdown may occur several decades earlier than predicted by the IPCC. For example, it is well known that the Amazon Forest is threatened by deforestation. However, it is easy to imagine how global warming and extreme climate events such as droughts and wildfires add to this stress. This may decrease the Amazon’s ability to generate its own rainfall, making it drier and more vulnerable – resulting in the ecosystem spiralling down in a doom-loop. “Previous studies of ecological tipping points suggest significant social and economic costs from the second half of the 21st century onwards. Our findings suggest the potential for these costs to occur much sooner,” added co-author Professor John Dearing, Emeritus Professor at the University of Southampton.

This year’s Agria Derby Trial saw two riders share top prize, in a repeat of what happened on this day at last year’s Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting. Twelve months ago it had been William Funnell (Billy Diamo) and Harriet Biddick (A Touch Imperious) who had shared the honours, while this year it was Britain’s Robert Whitaker and Brazil’s Carlos Ribas who opted not to jump-off against the clock but instead save their horses for Sunday’s Al Shira’aa Derby. Drawn 16th to go, Robert was the first of the 33 starters to produce a clear round, riding the 14-year-old gelding Evert. As the remaining riders followed him into the International Arena, it seemed no one was going to match Robert’s clear until Carlos, the very last rider to go, netted a faultless round with last year’s British Speed Derby runner-up Trix. Whitaker was quite happy to share the honours with Ribas. “My dad [John Whitaker] bred Trix, and Carlos bought him off us last year, so if it was anyone else, I wouldn’t be so happy!” he joked afterwards. The Agria Derby Trial is similar to Sunday’s grand finale in that it’s longer than the usual showjumping course, with more jumping efforts – plus it includes some of Hickstead’s iconic permanent fences such as the less steep side of the Derby Bank. But none of these fences cause Robert’s ride Evert any concern. “He just gets a bit hot, so if you can keep him quiet, then he jumps very well. I'm not worried about any of the higher fences, I’m just trying to keep him relaxed and try and get him in a good spot in front of the fence, and he'll do the work.” Carlos’s ride Trix would have been a formidable opponent had they jumped off against the clock, having proved himself super speedy in last year’s Speed Derby. The nine-year-old gelding has now stepped up to jumping the bigger tracks, and he marked himself as a serious Derby horse when winning one of the Hamburg Derby qualifiers last month. Having finished runner-up in both the Derby and the Speed Derby last year, Carlos was delighted to take the top spot in the Trial. “It’s such a good feeling. He knows this ring, and he loves it here – he’s already been around here as a seven-year-old, and last year, so he feels at home. He was awesome today. I rode the horse for the Whitakers for half a season, and I liked him so much that I ended up buying him myself – so thanks, Rob, for the good job! He has a lot of ingredients of a big jumper: he has a lot of scope, he’s careful, and he has a very big heart. He can be quite strong to ride sometimes because he wants to do so well, but we get on really well and I have a lot of fun on him.” Both riders are now in with a good chance of lifting Sunday’s Al Shira’aa Derby. If Robert wins, he would become the fourth member of his famous family to win the Boomerang Trophy, while Carlos would become the second Brazilian to win after the legendary Nelson Pessoa, who won in 1963, 1965 and 1996. “The Derby is a class that I have a lot of respect for,” said Carlos. “I want to be positive and confident, but I also don't want to overwhelm myself expecting too much, because you never know – the luck has to be on your side. But I'm prepared; I'm fit; my horses are fit. I’ve done everything that I can, so I'm going to try to enjoy Sunday afternoon here.” In the Agria Derby Two Phase, the 2019 Al Shira'aa Derby winner Mikey Pender took the top spot riding HHS Fortune. The pair finished less than 1sec quicker than Graham Gillespie and Veneno. “I'm just very lucky that my horse is so fast, and so when I do my job half decent, normally I'm there or thereabouts as she's so fast. I'm very lucky to have the ride on her.” The pair are formidable against the clock, and last year at Dublin Horse Show she was placed in several speed classes and won the Speed Derby. "She's just an amazing horse; she's such a fighter and she always tries her best," added Mikey, who is now aiming to win Hickstead's Speed Derby for the first time. Photo credit to Elli Birch/Boots and Hooves Photography.

Twenty-one year old Ella Dalton won the British Speed Derby at Hickstead, riding Quality Rubies N Diamonds. It was Kent-based Ella’s first ever attempt at the 1.45m world-ranking speed class, which features many of Hickstead’s unique obstacles. Drawn 11th to go out of the 26 starters, she set off in determined fashion, especially after an early fence down put pressure on. But even with the 4sec time penalty, she still finished in a time of 101.72sec to take the win. “I wasn't happy fence two came down, but I just thought, keep going really fast – it doesn’t matter,” said Ella. “It was quite incredible, and quite shocking that I managed to win!” The young rider has grown up competing in working hunter classes as well as eventing up to three-star level, which meant Hickstead’s permanent fences didn’t cause her much concern. So what did she make of her first trip round the course? “I was definitely just trying to enjoy it, but the bank’s actually quite high up, so I was quite scared about that! But when you’re on a horse that’s bold and brave, you get the confidence from that.” British riders filled the top four places, with second placed William Rekert (Concert Z) and third placed Jay Halim (Zuniek VD Tojopehoeve) each having a fence down apiece to finish on 104.79sec and 106.21sec respectively. William marked himself as one to watch for next year’s class, as Concert Z is a brand new ride. “We only picked him up last week, and this is literally the fourth time I’ve sat on him, so I’m very pleased!” he said. Ryan Lockwood (Hyperion VP Wisbecq) was third, and the 2019 Al Shira’aa Derby winner Michael Pender was the best of the Irish riders in fifth place, riding HHS Fortune. It was a class filled with thrills and spills – especially right at the end of the class. Three-time winner Harriet Biddick was looking like collecting another victory with the fantastic campaigner Silver Lift when her bridle broke over the Irish Bank three fences from home. The grey 18-year-old gamely carried on through the tricky treble of Hickstead planks despite Harriet having no bridle at all, but they were unable to jump the final fence and retired. Third place Jay Halim took a tumble early on course with second ride Gentle. “I actually thought he would be the one for the win, and it’s gone the other way,” he explained. “The mare is a new horse to me and I’ve only had her a few months. She was amazing, and I’m really pleased with this for her first attempt.” A total of 48 partnerships came forward for the £24,400 Agria Hickstead Master’s Trophy this afternoon, and just eight of those would nab an elusive clear round and qualify for the jump-off. For a significant chunk of the class, it looked as though the old adage, where there’s a will, there’s a way, might come true: William Whitaker, William Funnell, and Will Edwards each delivered the goods to sit at the business end of the leaderboard, with two of those – Whitaker and Edwards – logging the exact same jump-off speed, 46.21 seconds. But you can never discount the Irish at Hickstead, and two of them came in to break up the run of Wills. The first of those was Shane Breen, who snuck in with Scarteen behind then-leader William Funnell – and then it was the turn of Dermott Lennon. Riding Bronte Stables Ltd and Harry Marshall’s Millview Cicero, Dermott cantered into the ring fully aware of the standard the three Wills had set. “I knew the boys were quick, and it was very close, so there was no room for error,” said Dermott, who threw down an extraordinarily quick jump-off time of 42.75 to win by more than three seconds. “We like to try to beat the English on home ground! My horse was jumping super, and so it was easier to go fast – and for once, the jumps came to me in the right place.” Now the Irishman is looking ahead to a bright future with the nine-year-old, who he bought as a five-year-old from breeder Harry Marshall in Northern Ireland. “I’ve always believed he can do the very biggest stuff, and he’s doing some lovely things along the way to that. He’s jumped every day here and he’s gotten better every day, so I’m delighted with him. He makes me look better! The horse has a very easy scope, and he’s careful, so you can really ride him at the jumps. He’s brave, too – sometimes, the horses come to these big arenas for the first time and with so much going on, they can be a little bit intimidated, but he’s gone right in and taken it all on.” Photo credit Elli Birch/Boots and Hooves Photography.

Businesses could lose the battle for talent due to automation, warns leading workforce solutions provider, Reed Talent Solutions, with research showing that Gen Zs1 are more likely to prefer human interaction in the recruitment process. A survey of 1000 people who had secured a new job, with a new company, in the last 12 months, conducted by Reed Talent Solutions, found that the majority of Gen Zs (77%) felt frustrated with not being able to speak to someone directly during the recruitment process. In comparison, only 64% of Gen X and Boomers felt the same. On top of this, the research also found that Gen Zs were much more likely to pull out from the recruitment process, with six in ten (60%) withdrawing an application early – with the most common reasons being the process was too slow (45%) and they would rather deal with a real person opposed to automation (37%). In comparison, less than a half (46%) of the Gen X and Boomer generation have withdrawn their application early, with the top reasons being the process was too slow (51%) and that they weren’t fully aware of the job description and salary (31%); only 16% of this generation withdrew due to automation. “Businesses need to reconsider how they use automation throughout their recruitment processes to attract the next generation of talent. We all assume the younger generation prefers technology and its convenience – but in reality, the human element is so important,” says Julie Hinchcliffe, Managing Director of Contingent Workforce Solutions at Reed Talent Solutions. On top of this, when asked if they would prefer more or less automation during the recruitment process, less than a third of Gen Z (31%) and Gen X (24%) candidates wanted more automated processes, in comparison to nearly half (47%) of Boomers. Julie continues: “Automation can help some recruitment processes, making it faster and easier for both the candidate and the employer. If done well, you won’t lose talent by implementing automation, but what is key, is ensuring the time it takes between encountering automation and hearing back from a person is kept to a minimum. The longer you leave it, the more disengaged the candidate will be. “Those hiring also need to make sure candidates are given all the information they may desire throughout the process – from salary to the working environment – as without speaking to someone, if the information is not there, they are likely to be frustrated." “In a market where attracting talent is more of a competitive sport than a walk in the park, businesses need to regularly assess and evaluate their recruitment processes to ensure they’re as inclusive as possible.” When asked about the effectiveness of chatbots, Gen X and Boomers were the least impressed. Nearly half of Gen Zs (43%) stated chatbots were helpful, whereas only a quarter (25%) of the older generations agreed. The survey also found that different generations of workers preferred automation at different stages of the recruitment process. The Boomer generation were much more likely to prefer chatbots when trying to book an interview (51%), whereas only 29% of Gen Zs agreed. The research also found some key trends that were quite consistent for all generations. For example, the majority of people would prefer to be told they have secured an interview for their job from someone directly, as opposed to via an automated response. The top reason for this was due to it being more personal and engaging, and because a real person can provide clarification and additional information. “The survey brings some interesting differences to light that HR teams ought to consider. We found that Gen Z candidates are much more likely to want more human interaction during the interview stage, whereas Boomers prefer human assistance during the booking of interviews and tests, and during the reference and vetting process,” continues Julie. “Knowing when to implement human interaction or chatbot assistance, can really change the recruitment experience for potential candidates. If candidates leave you feeling heard, valued and respected for their time in the application process, they are much more likely to want to accept a job offer, or even try for another job with you in the future if unsuccessful.”

Six talented Harlequins will link up with the senior men’s squad this summer, Josh Bellamy (fly-half), Conor Byrne (fullback), Tom Humphreys (wing), Sean Kerr (centre), Franklin McMillan (centre) and Lucas Schmid (back-row). Head of Academy Chim Gale said: "We're delighted to welcome the next generation of Harlequins into our Academy and senior training environment. All six players are excellent young athletes, who are hugely talented and have been standout performers for their schools, clubs, and International teams." "We have seen an outstanding trend of Quins Academy graduates take their opportunities with both hands over the last few seasons, with the likes of Marcus Smith, Cadan Murley, Jack Kenningham and Louis Lynagh establishing themselves as regular performers in the Gallagher Premiership. I have no doubt these homegrown success stories will serve as huge inspiration to our latest group of Academy players, and we're excited to watch how they develop and grow over the next 12 months." "Finally, we must mention the huge contribution and support these players have had from their families, schools and clubs on their rugby journey to date. The six players would not be in this exciting position without their excellent guidance and support.” 2023/24 Academy Intake: Josh Bellamy Position: Fly-half School: Trinity School Club: Rosslyn Park Honours: England U19 Conor Byrne Position: Fullback School: Trinity School Club: Wimbledon Honours: England U18 Tom Humphreys Position: Wing School: RGS Guildford Club: Farnham Honours: England U19 Sean Kerr Position: Centre School: Whitgift School Club: Sutton & Epsom Honours: England U19 Franklin McMillan Position: Centre School: BHASVIC Club: Haywards Heath Honours: England U18 Lucas Schmid Position: Back-row School: Epsom College Club: Effingham & Leatherhead Honours: England U18

Leading UK plant nursery, Johnsons of Whixley, has provided £130k worth of plants for two luxury holiday park developments by Darwin Escapes, including a new self-catering retreat due to open on the Blenheim Palace Estate this summer. The Yorkshire-based horticultural business has been chosen as the primary supplier of plants for the project, which will see a collection of one, two and three-bedroom lodges constructed in the grounds of the historic Blenheim Palace Estate. The retreat will be the first venue of its kind on the grounds of a historic British palace. With a supply worth £100,000, Johnsons of Whixley has provided a diverse range of plants to enhance the outdoor areas of the Lodge Retreat, which is a blend of contemporary and traditional design in keeping with the Palace and its grounds. From Lavender, Euonymus and Hebe shrubs to vibrant Perennial plants including Rudbeckia, Geraniums, Iris and Salvia, the selection encompasses a rich variety of species, each carefully chosen to create a harmonious and captivating ambience. In addition to the Blenheim Palace project, Johnsons of Whixley is proud to have received a further order to supply the grounds of Plas Isaf Lodge Retreat, in North Wales, another recent project by Darwin Escapes, which opened its doors earlier this year. To date, the nursery has delivered plants worth £30,000 to Plas Isaf Lodge Retreat, encompassing a diverse range of species. The supplied plants include an assortment of hedging varieties, such as Acer campestre, Crataegus monogyna, Ilex aquifolium, Ligustrum vulgare, Pyracantha 'Red Column,' Prunus rotundifolia, Sambucus nigra, and Viburnum opulus. Johnsons of Whixley has a long-standing relationship with Darwin Escapes and has previously supplied plants for several of its notable projects, including Sandymouth, Woodside Beach, Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat, Canterbury Fields, Stratford Armouries, Norfolk Woods, and The Springs. Johnsons of Whixley marketing manager, Eleanor Richardson, said: “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Darwin Escapes and to have the opportunity to supply both Blenheim Palace Lodge Retreat and Plas Isaf Lodge Retreat." “Our team is dedicated to sourcing and supplying the finest quality plants, tailored to the unique requirements of each project to enhance the natural beauty and appeal of the landscape.” Lindsey Esse, Managing Director of Darwin Escapes added: "Johnsons of Whixley have once again supplied us with a beautiful range of plants which perfectly enhance the landscape of our two newest luxury lodge retreats”.

Level 3 Business students at their afternoon tea fundraiser for Dogs Trust Selby College Business students have raised more than £650 for local and national dog charities through a number of community fundraising events. As part of their final assignment, Level 3 Business students were tasked with organising and hosting their own event. This saw a group of students hold a sold-out afternoon tea event at Selby Garden Centre, which also included a quiz and raffle to raise money for the Dog’s Trust – the UK's largest Dog Welfare Charity. The students arranged for prizes to be donated by local businesses including Boots, Morrisons and Tesco, as well as for the winner of the quiz to receive a portrait of their pet by local artist, Daniel Read. More than £480 was raised for the Dog’s Trust through ticket admission sales, raffle tickets and Just Giving page donations. Students also hosted a games night at St Wilfrid’s Church Hall, in Brayton, which raised more than £170 for the Hull Greyhound Rescue Centre via ticket admissions and a raffle. Hull Greyhound Rescue is an independent rescue charity run by volunteers and greyhound owners and relies on the generosity and kindness of supporters who also have a passion for greyhounds. Heidi Wilson, Business Lecturer at Selby College, said: “From booking the venue, to arranging catering, to promoting the events, the students were extremely enthusiastic and organised when planning and executing their events. The project has provided the students with invaluable experience in events planning, which I hope they will take with them as they continue their studies in Business and embark on a career in the industry. All the events were well received by the local community and raised a significant amount of money for local and national dog charities –they should be extremely proud of themselves.” At the College, students held a murder mystery themed experience where clues were displayed around the room and guests were encouraged to mingle with the suspects in the room to find out who was the murderer. The winners were then presented with an Amazon gift card. Another group of students planned and executed a sports activity event for Year 6 Pupils at Marshlands Primary School, in Goole. 35 children took part in a range of activities, including parachuting, cricket, hockey, hurdles, archery and Connect 4. At the end of the session, all children were presented with a certificate of participation, a medal and some sweets. Marshland Primary School Pupil’s after being presented with their medals James Wrafter, Deputy Headteacher at Marshlands Primary School, said: “I would like to say a huge thank you to the College and the business students who arranged and ran the sports event. All the children had a fantastic afternoon and were engaged and enthused throughout - which is not an easy task!” The Level 3 Business programme enables learners to develop practical and theoretical skills in Business, including managing an event, developing a marketing campaign, business-decision making and personal and business finance. Selby College offers Business courses from Level 2 right up to Level 6, meaning learners can gain a full degree at the College.

Professor Jane Hill has been awarded an OBE for services to conservation ecology in the King’s Birthday Honours. Professor Jane Hill has been a member of staff at the University of York for more than 20 years, examining how species, particularly butterflies, have shifted their ranges in response to climate change. Her research has revealed which species are the winners and losers and that habitat fragmentation plays an important role in slowing up range shifting, examining the effectiveness of improving connectivity and which species benefit. Biodiversity Her work includes research to improve the environmental sustainability of oil palm cultivation and the importance of setting aside patches of rainforest for biodiversity. She is the Associate Dean for research in the Faculty of Sciences at the University and Professor of Ecology in the Department of Biology. Currently the president of the Royal Entomological Society, Professor Hill is only the fourth woman to hold this role since 1833. She is also an honorary Fellow of the Society and she received a ZSL Marsh Award for conservation in 2012. Inspirational Professor Hill said: "I am delighted to receive this honour for services to conservation ecology." “It's such a pleasure for me to have the privilege of working with fabulous colleagues to address the challenges of how species respond and adapt to modern, human-dominated landscapes, and how to help biodiversity thrive in a world of rapid climate and habitat changes." Passion Vice-Chancellor Professor Charlie Jeffery, said: “Jane is an inspirational researcher and colleague; her concern and passion for the protection of our natural environment is felt by anyone who has worked alongside her." “She works tirelessly in enhancing public understanding of complex issues, and she is fully deserving of this award for her many contributions to science.” A second academic at the University of York was recognised for her work in the Birthday Honours. Professor Nicky Milner was awarded an OBE for services to archaeology and higher education in the King’s Birthday Honours. Professor Milner is an award-winning archaeologist who for the last couple of decades has co-directed a number of excavations including the world-famous Middle Stone Age site of Star Carr.

Britain’s manufacturers are seeing a continued rebound in activity in the second quarter of the year, easing fears of a significant recession for the sector according to a survey published today by Make UK and accountancy and business advisory firm BDO. The findings in the Make UK/BDO Q2 Manufacturing Outlook survey show a continued positive picture with the improvement being driven by strong demand in the Other Transport and Electronic sectors in particular, with the balance of output in Other Transport (largely aerospace) extremely strong at +82%. According to Make UK and BDO this reflects continued recovery in the aerospace sector with the increase in passenger miles, together with a spate of large orders for new aircraft over the last year. Furthermore, strong balances for electronics are becoming embedded as companies invest in digitalisation and extra capacity to counter labour shortages. These investments are now translating into consistently strong balances for the South East where electronics is the second largest industrial sector in the region. However, despite conditions remaining positive, Make UK is still forecasting a slight contraction for manufacturing in 2023, although the picture remains far better than the significant contraction Make UK was forecasting at the end of last year and in Q1. James Brougham, Senior Economist at Make UK, said: “Manufacturers are seeing a gradually improving picture but the word ‘gradually’ is doing a lot of heavy lifting. However, companies are at least seeing a relative period of stability after the political and economic turmoil of the last few years when they have spent most of their time firefighting. Substantial challenges still remain, however, and so long as there is an absence of an overarching industrial strategy growth prospects will remain anaemic at best.” Richard Austin, BDO’s National Head of Manufacturing, says the burden on manufacturers still lays heavy, adding: “Despite the first half of the year seeing some pressures easing, there are longer-term systemic challenges in the UK market, with built-in inefficiencies that need to be addressed urgently in order for UK manufacturing to effectively plan and invest." “Supply chain pressures, for example, are an endemic issue for the businesses we talk to, particularly medium-sized firms. They are facing continued disruption and increased costs, at home and abroad, with many choosing to onshore operations but facing major barriers in doing so. These issues cannot be overlooked by policymakers or we run the risk of tepid-at-best growth for UK manufacturing while neighbouring countries outpace us.” According to the survey, the balance on output increased slightly from Q1 (+24% from +21%) and is expected to remain at a similar level in the next quarter at +22%. Total orders fell slightly to +21% from +28% in Q1 although companies are more optimistic for increased orders in Q3 with a balance of +27%. In line with this stable picture, UK orders fell slightly to +15% from +20% in Q1 although as with the picture for total orders are expected to pick up in Q3 to +21%. Export orders also saw a rise from +12% to +15%, although companies see a slightly weaker picture in the next quarter at +12%. The scramble to attract and retain talent also shows no signs of abating, with recruitment intentions remaining stable at +18% (+19% in Q1) improving substantially to +30% in the next quarter. These employment balances are very elevated by historic standards and, apart from the initial quarters of the pandemic, have been at elevated levels since the EU referendum. Investment intentions, whilst still positive at +10% eased back from the 14% in the first quarter, perhaps reflecting the crossover between the end of the super-deduction scheme and the onset of the benefit from full expensing. The survey also shows that, in the face of continued skills shortages and strong labour demand, wage growth shows little or no sign of easing with a fifth of pay settlements reached in April at 5% and a further 15% of settlements at 6% or above. In terms of overall output this year Make UK and BDO are forecasting a contraction of 0.3% although this is a significant improvement from the contraction of -3.3% made in Q1 and the -4.4% forecast at the end of last year. However, Make UK is maintaining its previous forecast for growth of just 0.8% in 2024. UK GDP growth is at 0.4% for 2023 and 1.3% for 2024. The survey of 327 companies was conducted between 19 April and 24 May.