FIRST MULTI-MILLION POUND DUAL POLICE AUTHORITY PFI INITIATIVE CLOSED BY MCBAINS COOPER.

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

March 31, 2010.

FIRST MULTI-MILLION POUND DUAL POLICE AUTHORITY PFI INITIATIVE CLOSED BY MCBAINS COOPER.

Property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper, working with the Justice Support Services (JSS) consortium, has secured financial close on a £60m contract to provide six new Police Investigation Centres (PICs) for Norfolk and Suffolk Police Authorities.

This follows the approval of the final business case by the Home Office.

The JSS Consortium comprises Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd, Kier Project Investment Ltd and Lloyds Banking Group.  Funded largely by central government, the initiative will run for a 30-year term.

The PICs will be located at King’s Lynn, Aylsham, Wymondham, Great Yarmouth, Bury St. Edmunds and Ipswich where they will accommodate custody, detainee processing and administration functions.

Commenting on the complexities of reaching financial close on the first PFI project of its kind, Mark Leeson, director at McBains Cooper said: “This is the first PFI procurement in the police service to have been undertaken jointly by two Police Authorities together.

“It’s great to have secured financial close on such a complex project, especially as we had to liaise concurrently with six different local planning authorities, as well multiple stakeholders and interested parties for the six sites which are dispersed widely over two counties.

“While all the buildings have been designed around a common functional layout to encourage operational efficiency and familiarity for the two forces that will be using them, each building has been sympathetically adapted to meet the particular needs of its location. We have used a ‘kit of parts’ approach to the development of the design, where each site solution has used that kit in a different way to respond to aspects such as access, orientation, colour, existing landscape features, ecological concerns, as well relationships with neighbouring buildings. Each PIC will achieve BREEAM “Very Good” by using ground source heat pumps.”

Three of the developments will comprise 30 cells, two will include 24 cells and one of the buildings is an eight cell development.

Phil Townsend, a director of Justice Support Services said: “These centres will enhance Norfolk and Suffolk Police Authorities’ ability to deliver efficient and effective 21^st century policing to the public, improve the working conditions of the staff, and allow them to optimise operational practices and procedures.”

McBains Cooper is providing a full interdisciplinary service including architecture, structural and civil engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering services as well as CDM, sustainability and cost management to the scheme.

The Police Investigation Centres are due to become operational in 2011.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley / Chris Fowler

07788 978800 / 07719 172225

im@pressrelations.co.uk / cf@pressrelations.co.uk www.mcbainscooper.com

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Lima (Peru) and Mexico City, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

EMMA SOAMES AND SAGA ON SOCIAL CARE FUNDING - DAILY TELEGRAPH

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/7539324/Government-plans-for-elderly-care-branded-a-train-crash.html

WAITING FOR GOD – AND CARE FUNDING.

EMMA SOAMES
EDITOR-AT-LARGE, SAGA MAGAZINE
PRESS RELEASE
 
March 30, 2010.
 

WAITING FOR GOD – AND CARE FUNDING.

Over-50s lifestyle, holidays and financial services organisation Saga says in many respects the care funding issue has simply not progressed despite the plans tabled in the government’s White Paper.

“We’re disappointed by the delay, lack of detail and any figures. Overall, it seems like a lot of waiting just to be told that they are going to a Royal Commission - which they could easily ignore as they did with long term care in 1999 - to draw up proposals for a change in the system for 2015,” said Emma Soames, editor-at-large of Saga Magazine, and a trustee of the Saga Respite for Carers Trust.

“Our concern is that a change of government will herald yet more uncertainty, because the three main parties are so far apart in their views. While another Labour government will likely see this plan driven through, a Conservative government would inevitably result in a further review, and a Coalition could well yield further delays at the hand of political favour bargaining.

“Whilst we welcome the comprehensive model of care free at point of delivery, the question is whether it will survive post-election. The response from those who are likely to be affected – those needing care, and those providing care - is for Heaven’s sake, please chart a course and stick to it. If we know it’s going to uncomfortable, then at least we can prepare. But right now, we’re unclear as to what we need to prepare for.

“No proposal is going to sit well with everybody involved: the challenge is going to be convincing the affected population that it is not politically motivated, nor is any opposition to it politically inspired.”

Saga commissioned independent research company Populus to survey 11,500 older people to gauge their views on the provision of social care in the UK.

Only one in five (21%) of those surveyed preferred an insurance policy approach, paid throughout their working lives, to fund care should it be required.  However, the alternative strategy of a one-off payment at retirement or death to pay for care equally lacks support: only 6% think long-term care should be funded this way.

Emma Soames, added: “Half of over-50s questioned (51%) were in favour of a system that would see the government provide a set standard of care for everybody, regardless of where they live, and which could be topped up by the individual if they wished.  This also reflects the government’s own figures of 41% of the population in favour of the comprehensive model of funding.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800
www.saga.co.uk

Emma Soames, editor-at-large, was editor of Saga Magazine from 2002-2008. Previously she edited the Telegraph Magazine for seven years and before that was editor of ES Magazine, Tatler and the Literary Review.

CHESHIRE PROBATE LAWYER WARNS OF THE BUDGET’S HIDDEN INHERITANCE TAX INCREASE

SAS DANIELS LLP SOLICITORS

PRESS RELEASE

March 26, 2010

CHESHIRE PROBATE LAWYER WARNS OF THE BUDGET’S HIDDEN INHERITANCE TAX INCREASE

Cheshire probate lawyer Pauline Platt from SAS Daniels LLP has issued a stark warning – don’t be fooled by the four-year freeze on the threshold for inheritance tax – it’s a hidden tax increase.

The warning comes post-budget after the Chancellor announced that he would freeze the inheritance tax threshold, but if inflation continues to drive prices up whilst the tax threshold remains the same, more people's estates are likely to be caught out.

The individual tax threshold is currently £325,000 and with transferable allowances since 2007, is £650,000 for married couples and registered civil partners. However, the rate of tax above the thresholds is 40%.

"It’s a veiled stealth tax - even with the recession the worst of which we are told is behind us, if the value of property and investments continues to rise even marginally, more and more estates are likely to be caught by inheritance tax," said Pauline Platt, Probate lawyer, SAS Daniels LLP.

"Inheritance tax is often referred to as a ‘voluntary tax’ meaning that you can manage your affairs by careful estate planning during you lifetime and in your will in ways which will reduce or even eliminate Inheritance tax charges.

“Taking steps at an early stage is essential to maximise tax saving strategies – and taking into account yesterday’s budget, I’d advise anyone with an estate to bequeath to think about it now."

SAS Daniels LLP has offices in Stockport, Macclesfield, Chester, Congleton and Bramhall.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley or Megan Codling

07788 978800 / 07795 848586

im@pressrelations.co.uk / mc@pressrelations.co.uk / www.sasdaniels.co.uk

THE BBC ON A BRITISH AIRWAYS FLIGHT OPERATED BY ASTRAEUS

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8593582.stm

FOREIGN “FORCED HEIRSHIP” LAWS PASS HOLIDAY HOME OWNERS BY.

SAS DANIELS LLP SOLICITORS

PRESS RELEASE

March 29, 2010

FOREIGN “FORCED HEIRSHIP” LAWS PASS HOLIDAY HOME OWNERS BY.

Tens of thousands of over-50s who own a holiday home abroad may end up passing it on - against their will and their dying wishes – to the wrong beneficiary.

Probate lawyers at SAS Daniels LLP, Cheshire’s biggest law firm, say that a recent opt-out by the United Kingdom from European Union laws on succession has highlighted previously barely-known problems disposing of foreign assets on death.

Several European countries have “forced heirship” laws, which say that certain types of assets must be passed, for example, to offspring when the owner dies. These laws are already catching people out.

Ten per cent of over-50s own a holiday home abroad, with 12% of them owning property in France, where forced heirship is becoming a bigger and bigger issue for Brits living abroad.

“Buying property abroad has been largely off the radar during the recession and because of the weakness of the pound against the Euro, but buying is now beginning to make a comeback,” said Pauline Platt of SAS Daniels.

“Although the United Kingdom opted out of the EU Succession laws, many European countries do abide by the forced heirship rules which can and do cause a vast array of problems.

“For instance, how many of us travel in France and see gorgeous but abandoned properties that are screaming out to be bought and turned into holiday homes? Well, the reason they’re empty and unused – and falling apart – can be the forced heirship rule, with properties having as many as 30 owners from an extended family; it would be virtually impossible to trace every one of those owners.

“But not only does that mean it can be difficult to buy, it can also make life very complicated if you own a foreign property, because the rules are generally the same for British ex-pats as they are for locals. If the owner dies, then the property may have to go to the children and you may not be able to leave it wholly to your spouse.

“Lifetime ‘gifts’ of ‘non-moveables’ such as property can also be clawed back to meet France’s heirship rules.

“It’s a classic example of a dream potentially turning into a nightmare – buyers really do need to be aware of these complicated European laws, and they really should consult professional advisers – because the powers of a will may be limited as a consequence, and could well cause massive complications when it comes to assigning the estate.”

SAS Daniels LLP has offices in Stockport, Macclesfield, Chester, Congleton and Bramhall.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley or Megan Codling

07788 978800 / 07795 848586

im@pressrelations.co.uk / mc@pressrelations.co.uk / www.sasdaniels.co.uk

CARE FUNDING: ONLY ONE-IN-FIVE OF OVER-50S SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL TO USE AN INSURANCE POLICY TO FUND FUTURE CARE.

EMMA SOAMES
EDITOR-AT-LARGE, SAGA MAGAZINE
PRESS RELEASE
 
March 29, 2010.
 

CARE FUNDING: ONLY ONE-IN-FIVE OF OVER-50S SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL TO USE AN INSURANCE POLICY TO FUND FUTURE CARE.

Saga, the over-50s’ holidays, lifestyle and financial services organisation commissioned independent research company Populus to survey 11,500 older people to gauge their views on the provision of social care in the UK.

Only one in five (21%) of those surveyed preferred an insurance policy approach, paid throughout their working lives, to fund care should it be required.  However, the alternative strategy of a one-off payment at retirement or death to pay for care equally lacks support: only 6% think long-term care should be funded this way.

The results show that some of the proposals expected to be included in the Care Funding White Paper may not be as popular with over-50s as ministers may hope.

Emma Soames, editor-at-large of Saga Magazine, and a trustee of the Saga Respite for Cares Trust, said: “The vast majority (84%) of over-50s are in resounding agreement that the current system of means testing is unfair.  However, the problem of how to fix the funding gap is leaving over-50s divided. 

“Half of over-50s questioned (51%) were in favour of a system that would see the government provide a set standard of care for everybody, regardless of where they live, and which could be topped up by the individual if they wish.

“The current system for the provision of care and support is widely accepted as being outdated and in many cases grossly unfair.  Saga’s research, however, clearly shows that the funding proposals debated so far are receiving a decidedly cool reception amongst over-50s.

“We hope that the proposals will include enhanced measures for the funding and quality of care, but also measures that will help redress the balance for the huge contribution made by our army of unpaid carers, who provide 24/7 care to their loved ones with little or no financial or respite support.“

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800
www.saga.co.uk

Emma Soames, editor-at-large, was editor of Saga Magazine from 2002-2008. Previously she edited the Telegraph Magazine for seven years and before that was editor of ES Magazine, Tatler and the Literary Review. Emma is also an occasional columnist for The Daily Telegraph.

FOREIGN PROPERTY OWNERSHIP LAWS PASS NORTH WEST HOLIDAY HOME OWNERS BY.

SAS DANIELS LLP SOLICITORS

PRESS RELEASE

March 29, 2010

FOREIGN PROPERTY OWNERSHIP LAWS PASS NORTH WEST HOLIDAY HOME OWNERS BY.

Tens of thousands of over-50s in the North West who own a holiday home abroad may end up passing it on - against their will and their dying wishes – to the wrong beneficiary.

Probate lawyers at SAS Daniels LLP, Cheshire’s biggest law firm, say that a recent opt-out by the United Kingdom from European Union laws on succession has highlighted previously barely-known problems disposing of foreign assets on death.

Several European countries have “forced heirship” laws, which say that certain types of assets must be passed, for example, to offspring when the owner dies. These laws are already catching people out.

Ten per cent of North West over-50s own a holiday home abroad, with 12% of them owning property in France, where forced heirship is becoming a bigger and bigger issue for Brits living abroad.

“Buying property abroad has been largely off the radar during the recession and because of the weakness of the pound against the Euro, but buying is now beginning to make a comeback,” said Pauline Platt of SAS Daniels.

“Although the United Kingdom opted out of the EU Succession laws, many European countries do abide by the forced heirship rules which can and do cause a vast array of problems.

“For instance, how many of us travel in France and see gorgeous but abandoned properties that are screaming out to be bought and turned into holiday homes? Well, the reason they’re empty and unused – and falling apart – can be the forced heirship rule, with properties having as many as 30 owners from an extended family; it would be virtually impossible to trace every one of those owners.

“But not only does that mean it can be difficult to buy, it can also make life very complicated if you own a foreign property, because the rules are generally the same for British ex-pats as they are for locals. If the owner dies, then the property may have to go to the children and you may not be able to leave it wholly to your spouse.

“Lifetime ‘gifts’ of  ‘non-moveables’ such as property can also be clawed back to meet France’s heirship rules.

“It’s a classic example of a dream potentially turning into a nightmare – buyers really do need to be aware of these complicated European laws, and they really should consult professional advisers – because the powers of a will may be limited as a consequence, and could well cause massive complications when it comes to assigning the estate.”

SAS Daniels LLP has offices in Stockport, Macclesfield, Chester, Congleton and Bramhall.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley or Megan Codling

07788 978800 / 07795 848586

im@pressrelations.co.uk / mc@pressrelations.co.uk / www.sasdaniels.co.uk

UNINSURED GLASSES: SPEC WEARERS LOOK TO FRIENDS, PSYCHICS - AND THE TOILET.

SPECSCOVER.COM

GLASSES INSURANCE

PRESS RELEASE

March 26, 2010.

UNINSURED GLASSES: SPEC WEARERS LOOK TO FRIENDS, PSYCHICS – AND THE TOILET.

Consulting a psychic and dialling 999 are just two of the things people have done or would do if they lost their uninsured glasses.

Praying, posting a lost-and-found ad on the internet and going to a Police station in a bid to recover their uninsured specs also figure in what people would do to be re-united with their specs according to a survey carried out by glasses insurer www.specscover.com.

The most common place they’re found is “in plain view”, while other locations they’re likely to be re-discovered include “on my head”.

“There’s a tremendous sales opportunity from opticians and insurers to glasses wearers: With something like 30 million specs users in the UK there will inevitably be losses and breakages – but we’re still surprised how few opticians actually offer glasses insurance,” said Carmi Korine of Supercover Insurance, which owns the SpecsCover.com (www.specscover.com) brand.

“Some opticians are embracing glasses insurance sales with enthusiasm – those that are business-focussed - but those that are medical-led are simply not seeing the incremental revenue opportunity.

“Based on selling four standard insurance policies a day for 25 days each month, opticians we’re currently working with are on target to generate £30,000 profit in the first 24 months of insurance policy sales.

“With insurance premiums to customers starting at 6p a day it is extremely easy to sell – and ours is the only policy that covers theft as well as accidental damage and loss - but there is also the potential to up-sell to higher-value glasses when customers make claims for lost, stolen or broken glasses.”

SpecsCover.com, a multi-level policy aimed at both the consumer market and as an incremental revenue product for independent opticians. The policy allows opticians to guarantee their customers 48-hour turnaround on replacement glasses, with premiums of between £19.99 and £49.99 a year offering between £150 and £500 of cover. Customers also have the option of making interest-free monthly payments from as little as £1.99, with no financial penalties for paying by instalments.

People searching for glasses most readily asked friends had they seen them, followed by backtracking their most recent route or actions, posting an online lost-and-found ad, offering a reward, going to a Police station, “quartering” (carrying out a methodical search), consulting a psychic, praying, dialling 999 or doing “other”.

Most likely place to find lost glasses was “in plain view”, followed by in or on furniture, in own clothing, in a bar or restaurant, in a bus/train/cab, on a car roof, in the bin, in newspapers, “on my head”, in a washing machine, in somebody else’s clothing and in a toilet.

www.SpecsCover.com is owned by Supercover Insurance, a 15-years-established provider of insurance for consumer portable high-intrinsic-value products such as mobile phones, laptops and other gadgets, as well as spectacles.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

im@pressrelations.co.uk

0161 929 0446/07788 978800

www.supercoverinsurance.com

www.specscover.com

LOST GLASSES: SPEC WEARERS LOOK TO FRIENDS, PSYCHICS – AND THE TOILET

SPECSCOVER.COM

GLASSES INSURANCE

PRESS RELEASE

March 25, 2010.

LOST GLASSES: SPEC WEARERS LOOK TO FRIENDS, PSYCHICS – AND THE TOILET.

Consulting a psychic and dialling 999 are just two of the things people have done or would do if they lost their glasses.

Praying, posting a lost-and-found ad on the internet and going to a Police station to report them lost also figure in what people would do to be re-united with their specs according to a survey carried out by glasses insurer www.specscover.com.

The most common place they’re found is “in plain view”, while other locations they’re likely to be re-discovered include “on my head”.

Thirty three per cent of people would go to a friend or colleague first to ask if they’d seen them, while 5% would go to a psychic and 1% would dial 999.

“People who don’t wear glasses perhaps don’t appreciate the desperation and lengths those who do wear them will go to to find their lost specs,” said Carmi Korine of SpecsCover.

“That 4% of specs losers would pray is pretty significant, that 5% would consult a psychic indicates the level of desperation, but even just 1% dialling 999 is a little eye-opening.”

People searching for glasses most readily asked friends had they seen them, followed by backtracking their most recent route or actions, posting an online lost-and-found ad, offering a reward, going to a Police station, “quartering” (carrying out a methodical search), consulting a psychic, praying, dialling 999 or doing “other”.

Most likely place to find lost glasses was “in plain view”, followed by in or on furniture, in own clothing, in a bar or restaurant, in a bus/train/cab, on a car roof, in the bin, in newspapers, “on my head”, in a washing machine, in somebody else’s clothing and in a toilet.

“The great irony is that glasses insurance covering loss, damage or theft only costs from £1.99 a month, probably about the same as the bus fare to the local Police station, and certainly less than the price of a reward or lost-and-found ad,” said Carmi Korine.

www.SpecsCover.com is owned by Supercover Insurance, a 15-years-established provider of insurance for consumer portable high-intrinsic-value products such as mobile phones, laptops and other gadgets, as well as spectacles.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

im@pressrelations.co.uk

0161 929 0446/07788 978800

www.supercoverinsurance.com

www.specscover.com

CREATE POST-ELECTION "GRANDTZAR" CARE FUNDING ROLE SAYS OLDIES CHAMP.

EMMA SOAMES
EDITOR-AT-LARGE, SAGA MAGAZINE
PRESS RELEASE
 
March 25, 2010.
 

OLDIES CHAMPION CALLS FOR POST-ELECTION CARE FUNDING “GRANDTZAR”.

 
Oldies champion Emma Soames is calling for the immediate post-election appointment of an all-powerful care funding “grandtzar”.
 
Emma, 60, editor-at-large of Saga magazine and a trustee of the Saga Respite for Carers Trust, says that a pre-election White Paper on care funding would be a massive mistake because electioneering and bickering has taken politicians’ eyes off the ball.
 
“The window of opportunity pre-election has passed. Any proposals tabled now would become victims of electioneering, and anything inherited or taken-up again post-election would be changed and argued over, thereby causing even more delay,” said Emma.
 
“Politicians across all parties are digging a bigger and bigger hole for themselves. The three main parties should agree to take the care funding issue out of the pre-election squabbling for the good of themselves and those to whom care issues are crucial.
 
“The crux is deciding where the money is going to come from, and, at the moment, any politicians engaged in the care funding debate can’t decide their way out of a parking space, let alone come to any sort of conclusion on an issue of massive importance to what is, in effect, the most influential element of the electorate: over-55s are three times as likely to vote as under-25s.
 
“Electioneering has killed productive debate and progress. Andy Burnham should park the launch of any proposals, and we’d like to see all parties  planning for a blank-sheet start overseen by a care funding ‘grandtzar’ appointed immediately after the election,” said Emma, 60.
 
“He or she should be expert in care issues, and authoritative enough to cut through the current fudge and get cross-party agreement. If Vince Cable is free then he could sort it out.
 
“And I’d like to remind all parties that not only are over-55s three times as likely to vote as under-25s, but 70% of over-50s surveyed independently have said they will be voting. Older we may be, but those of us who vote are not only older, but shrewder and wiser too.”
 
Ends
 
Further information:
 
Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800
www.saga.co.uk
 
Emma Soames, editor-at-large, was editor of Saga Magazine from 2002-2008. Previously she edited the Telegraph Magazine for seven years and before that was editor of ES Magazine, Tatler and the Literary Review. Emma is also an occasional columnist for The Daily Telegraph.

“SIX-SEASON YEAR” DRIVES EARLY AND DOUBLED-SIZED OUTDOOR FURNISHINGS LAUNCH.

HOUSING UNITS

PRESS RELEASE

March 23, 2010.

“SIX-SEASON YEAR” DRIVES EARLY AND DOUBLED-SIZED OUTDOOR FURNISHINGS LAUNCH.

Home furnishings retailer Housing Units has brought forward the launch of its 2010 outdoor range, and doubled the floor space of the department as it plans for what it expects to be yet another “six season” year.

Failsworth, Manchester, -based Housing Units sold out of outdoor and gardening furnishings ahead of forecast in 2009 – with sales in the department up 15% on 2008. The UK outdoor furniture retail sector is expected to grow by 2% in 2010.

“The past few years we seem to have seen six seasons in 12 months – Winter, Spring, Summer 1, Autumn-in-August, Summer 2 and then Autumn. Customers want their outdoor furniture earlier because of this seemingly now consistent weather trend, and they want to spread the cost when they buy extended sets,” said Nick Fox, director of Housing Units.

“Trading can still sometimes be challenging – although we’re actually in pretty good shape - so we’ll listen to anything and everything our customers say, and they’ve been saying they want outdoor furnishings sooner rather than later.

“It’s been a little like our Christmas approach: we opened the Christmas department in September 2009, and overall sales figures were higher over a longer period because people spread their spending.

“That’s what we expect to happen in our outdoor department, which has been doubled in size to 3,500 square feet. People are fed up with the weather, are cautious about planning a holiday or house move, and so are investing in the new generation of outdoor furniture which is both extremely hardy, and stylish enough to be used indoors as well – although not always with the parasol, of course.”

Housing Units – known for its top-hatted doormen - was established in 1947. It is a family-owned furnishings retailer based in Wickentree Lane, Failsworth, Manchester M35 9BA, next to Junction 22 of the M60. It stocks 30,000 high-quality lines across a range of departments in two buildings and prides itself on its unique style of customer service, the value of its goods and the shopping experience it provides.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

0161 929 0446/07788 978800

im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.housingunits.co.uk

MICHAEL WILSON: MEDIA TRAINING TO SUPPORT THE SUBLIME – AND ADDRESS THE DISASTROUS.

MICHAEL WILSON MEDIA.

MEDIA COACHING, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS.

PRESS RELEASE.

March 22, 2010.

MICHAEL WILSON: MEDIA TRAINING TO SUPPORT THE SUBLIME – AND ADDRESS THE DISASTROUS.

Business news broadcaster Michael Wilson's MW Media www.michaelwilsonmedia.co.uk has joined forces with All About Brands (www.aabplc.com), the London-based brand management group.

Michael, Britain's longest-serving broadcast business and economics editor will specialise in media coaching and advising senior business figures, supported by the All About Brands (AAB) team.

“Not only does money talk, it also listens very hard. Speaking to and for the business community demands a far more specialised approach than for general news”, said Michael Wilson.

"I've winced and marvelled in equal measure at how some of the biggest and most influential names in the City have delivered economy-, business- or market- changing messages. News of some financial developments can be delivered and have hugely positive financial impact – but it can also be undersold or completely mis-communicated.

“Equally, I've seen some CEOs collapse instead of fighting their corner, while others don't know when to give up and take it on the chin. I've seen the product of both disastrous and sublime media coaching and media training. No matter how big the ego or extensive the experience, getting the right words in the right order with the right attitude at the right time can have a serious impact on share price.

“The package we've developed obviously covers the technical aspects of media training, but it also has an element that introduces advice and interpretation of current or surrounding business and economic issues to ensure that messages are delivered in context, with insight, authority – and integrity.”

Michael Wilson is television's longest-serving business and economics editor, becoming a household face and name as a recognised first voice on some of the biggest business stories of our age.

Over the past twenty years he has anchored all Sky's coverage of major business and financial news – giving quick, accurate, on-the-spot analysis from Budgets to crises, from boom to bust. He is equally well-known in the City and in journalism and his views are respected in all areas of television, business and finance.

Michael Wilson joined Sky at its inception in 1989, quickly establishing himself as a trusted and authoritative journalist. In 1992 he left to present GMTV's early morning news and business hour.

He then returned to Sky as Business and Economics Editor in 1995, and launched Sky Business Report, the news channel's then-daily evening money programme. Business figures, corporate communications professionals and fellow journalists alike viewed Michael as a must-speak-to commentator and journalist.

Michael Wilson is represented by www.peoplematter.tv.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800

im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.michaelwilsonmedia.co.uk

www.aabplc.com

ASTRAEUS PROVIDES BRITISH AIRWAYS REPLACEMENT AIRCRAFT

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8575314.stm

TREND 2010: VICTORIAN-TECHNO AND CHALKY PASTEL FURNISHINGS AND INTERIORS.

HOUSING UNITS

PRESS RELEASE

March 19, 2010.

TREND 2010: VICTORIAN-TECHNO AND CHALKY PASTEL FURNISHINGS AND INTERIORS.

Photos available.

“Victorian-techno”, chalky-pastels, striped carpets and classic floral flooring look set to be the design cues for post-winter 2010 as weather and finance-delayed interior updates gather pace.

Buyers and designers from Housing Units, one of the UK’s leading home furnishing stores, are returning from design shows and manufacturer visits with clear views on how 2010 could be one of the most distinctive design years yet.

“Striped, and two-colour floral-on-plain carpets are the easy ones to describe, but while ‘chalky pastel’ sounds a bit watered down, it’s actually producing some fabulous centre-piece accessories because of the fine balance they achieve between looking good but not being too colour-dominant,” said Nick Fox, director of Housing Units.

“But what is really exciting is something we’ve called ‘Victorian-techno’: typically, we have a large sofa called Balmoral which is front-to-back - or top-to-floor - stripes which are in waves or groups varying between beige and metallic cerise.

“Bizarrely, the richness of the colours causes it to slot in with rich and opulent Victorian and Edwardian-style rooms, but it also looks fabulous in what we might term ‘footballer-chic’ rooms where it is a classically-shaped techno-colour centrepiece over a minimalistic or monochrome floor or décor background.

“It’s fantastic modern glamour that straddles an astonishingly wide range of décor tastes.”

Housing Units – known for its top-hatted doormen - was established in 1947. It is a family-owned furnishings retailer based in Wickentree Lane, Failsworth, Manchester M35 9BA, next to Junction 22 of the M60. It stocks 30,000 high-quality lines across a range of departments in two buildings and prides itself on its unique style of customer service, the value of its goods and the shopping experience it provides.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

0161 929 0446/07788 978800

im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.housingunits.co.uk

MCBAINS COOPER TO USE ATHENS HUB FOR EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN GROWTH.

MCBAINS COOPER


PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE



March 18, 2010.



MCBAINS COOPER TO USE ATHENS HUB FOR EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN GROWTH.



Property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper, which has opened offices in Greece, is to develop its Athens base as a hub serving businesses across North Africa, the eastern Mediterranean and eastern Europe.



Anthony Coumidis, managing director of McBains Cooper Hellas Technical Consulting, heads a multi-lingual inter-disciplinary team acquired from an international professional consultancy which has recently exited Greece after the completion of a major contract.



McBains Cooper will expand on the expertise and experience of the acquired team – which has a background in petro-chemical and related sectors – and introduce consultancy services as diverse as life-cycle costing, energy surveys, facilities management (FM) professional services, consultancy services to banks involved in management of investment, as well as sustainable design and energy reduction solutions.



“In terms of professional and technical services related to property and facilities management in the eastern Mediterranean, McBains Cooper is a very big and long-established player, and can considerably expand the range and level of consultancy expertise available in the region,” said Anthony.



“We will bring in professional consultancy expertise based on experience and practices well-established in the UK and elsewhere, and introduce a vast array of businesses and organisations to new and enormously more efficient approaches.



“Athens is currently being seen as a low-cost base and gateway not just for Greek contracts and projects but also for the entire region of southern and central Europe – a point that has not been lost on financial and management consultancy organisations who are now also moving strongly into the area.



“However, we are perhaps in a particularly strong position, because a combination of circumstances including low set-up costs arising from current economic conditions, and the certainty of income from existing relationships with international clients, leads us to believe this is a wise investment.



“The consultancy - whose team we have brought into McBains Cooper – was working with BP Group which sold its ground fuel operations in Greece to the Hellenic Petroleum Group. This means we now provide professional services relating to a considerable number of petrol stations, distribution facilities, aviation fuel and related businesses across Greece. But given that we are fully-licenced to operate in petrol-chemical and fire protection fields, we will also be making the service available to other businesses in the same and similar sectors.



“Looking further afield - and further ahead - by utilising world-renowned British engineering and construction resource, but operating at local levels in local languages and with strong contacts at every level of government, business and finance, McBains Cooper is bringing the next generation of consultancy to the entire eastern Med.



“Our approach is termed ‘inter-disciplinary’ – it is distinct from the multi-disciplinary approach in that ‘inter’ involves a single seamless team operating across all construction-related professional disciplines, as opposed to the ‘multi-disciplinary’ approach which brings together unrelated organisations.



“These unrelated organisations have different agendas and find clashes of culture, differing levels of pace and urgency, different systems and demands upon budget inevitably extend the cost and duration of projects, an unacceptable situation in a growing business culture of speed and efficiency



“We are also very well placed to assist contractors bidding for project or ongoing work, and provide expert technical advice to lenders and governments involved in supporting Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) projects.



“UK companies are considered to be expert, fair, balanced and independent of local influence when it comes to involvement in bidding processes, which can prove to be a massive advantage when governments and private finance mix - particularly so in a highly-sensitive economy such as that incumbent in Greece.”



Ends



Further information:

Iain Macauley / Chris Fowler

07788 978800 / 07719 172225

im@pressrelations.co.uk / cf@pressrelations.co.uk www.mcbainscooper.com



Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Lima (Peru) and Mexico City, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

STL LAUNCHES GREEN CONSULTANCY SERVICE FOR RETAILERS AND MANUFACTURERS.

SHIRLEY TECHNOLOGIES

TEXTILE TESTING

PRESS RELEASE

March 8, 2010.

STL LAUNCHES GREEN CONSULTANCY SERVICE FOR RETAILERS AND MANUFACTURERS.

Shirley Technologies (STL), one of the world’s leading textile testing laboratories, has launched a specialist green (ecological) manufacturing consultancy service.

STL says that significant numbers of manufacturers and retailers are still embracing false economies by buying and trading in cheaper-to-make non-green products to sell on to consumers and businesses alike.

But it also says that local authorities are, in the main, recognising that ecologically sound products and services can be as economical to buy and use as the cheapest non-green.

“Many companies and organisations, as well as some local authorities, still don’t fully understand green issues and influences, because their suppliers will skew the message according to the ecological and environmental soundness of their products,” said Asif Shah of STL.

“We are a completely independent organisation, and as well as carrying out general textile testing we have a growing team of specialists who deal with ecological issues. We also conduct and compile research giving indications of how consumers react and respond to companies who pretend to be ecologically sound, or who use their green credentials to charge higher prices.

“Our scientists and specialists won’t just tell businesses whether they are producing or supplying sound green products or services, they can look at the full extent of green issues: tax liabilities, environmental penalties, cheaper green production processes, and compliance with international standards for ethically sound manufacture.

“Most companies or organisations who address the whole range of green issues can expect to save money.”

STL is the UK associate of www.madeingreen.com, a not-for-profit organisation which certifies that products, throughout the supply chain, are traceable and have been manufactured in factories that respect the environment and the universal rights of workers.

Businesses and organisations unsure of the ethical potential of their sourcing or manufacturing processes should be consulting Shirley Technologies www.shirleytech.co.uk.

“Green manufacturing processes are developing and progressing so quickly that retailers and manufacturers have a duty to stay on top of progress, and, in some cases, may find they are close or at the point at which green makes more business sense than cheap,” said Asif Shah.

“Ethical and organic food production and processing has moved from being viewed as somewhat oddball to now being accepted mainstream – textiles are a few years behind, but moving in the same direction.”

For more information:

Press Relations

Iain Macauley / Megan Codling

im@pressrelations.co.uk / mc@pressrelations.co.uk

mb: 07788 978800 / 07795 848586

About Shirley Technologies

Shirley Technologies Ltd (STL) is a UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) accredited laboratory providing competitive, independent, expert textile testing, certification, advisory and investigation services across the traditional and specialist textile industries.

STL is an independent subsidiary of BTTG Ltd, formerly the British Textile Technology Group. With more than 80 years experience, Shirley Technologies Ltd provides unrivalled and expert reassurance through its technical services to a global network of clients which include manufacturers, retailers, the legal profession, police, consumers and related interest groups including Trading Standards. Highly qualified and experienced technical staff work directly with clients to ensure that they receive the best advice and service in a wide range of technical areas.