SUPERCOVER INSURANCE LAUNCHES PERSONAL EMERGENCY COVER POLICY FOR RESELLERS.

SUPERCOVER INSURANCE

MOBILE PHONE & GADGET INSURANCE

PRESS RELEASE

February 27, 2012.

SUPERCOVER INSURANCE LAUNCHES PERSONAL EMERGENCY COVER POLICY FOR RESELLERS.

Supercover Insurance, www.supercoverinsurance.com, has launched a personal emergency cover policy which is available for resellers to offer to customers and clients.

“HelpMeOut!” is a concierge service which can be a stand-alone product or added to existing Supercover products such as Gadget Cover, Handbag Cover, Tools Cover or Bicycle Cover.

RRP is £1.25 a month or £15 a year, with a highly competitive ongoing commission.

HelpMeOut! Provides cancellation and replacement of debit and credit cards in case of loss or theft, arranges a locksmith in case of lost or stolen keys, replaces car or house keys, reports and blacklists a lost or stolen mobile phone to the network provider, arranges transportation in case of lost or stolen car keys or wallet or any similar emergency, and makes family and friends aware of the emergency situation.

London-based Supercover Insurance is the UK’s longest-established insurer of mobile phones and high-intrinsic-value consumer electronics. Launched in 1995, the company offers theft, loss and damage insurance, as well as up to 3GB gadget content backup, for laptops, PCs, satellite navigation equipment, MP3 players including iPods, and other such communication, storage and gaming equipment.

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Further information:

Iain Macauley

im@pressrelations.co.uk

07788 978800

www.supercoverinsurance.com

FAKE INSURANCE CLAIMANTS CAUGHT WITH TROUSERS DOWN – LITERALLY

GADGET-COVER.COM

MOBILE PHONE & GADGET INSURANCE

PRESS RELEASE

February 22, 2012.

FAKE INSURANCE CLAIMANTS CAUGHT WITH TROUSERS DOWN – LITERALLY.

A naked bedroom raider and a trouser-removing prostitute who couldn’t be fought off one-handed by a youth carrying a takeaway are amongst dodgy and declined insurance claims made for lost or stolen mobile phones.

More and more fraudsters are being caught with their pants down as insurers tighten the belt on ever more creative bids to trouser cash from false or questionable mobile phone loss and theft claims.

Gadget-cover.com, which provides policies for resellers including many high street names, saw a near-doubling of insurance claims for lost or stolen mobile phones in January 2012 over January 2011, but it would have been higher still had new tougher checks not identified fake or suspicious claims.

Carmi Korine of www.gadget-cover.com, which is the biggest and longest-established insurer in the sector, said that two attempted claimants in particular were caught, literally, with their pants well and truly down.

“One attempted claim arose when a customer’s son went on holiday with a friend and his friend’s parents. The phone was alleged to have disappeared one night when, whilst they were all in bed, a naked guy came in to the parents’ room and got in the bed with them.

“The father then awoke and kicked the naked guy out of their room, but before leaving, the naked guy put on the customer’s son’s trousers, which were on the floor, and left – we weren’t given a clear explanation as to why his trousers were in his friend’s parents’ hotel room.

“The phone was said to be in the trousers which were taken by the naked guy. The parents did not think the incursion was strange, and carried on with their sleep. There was no sign of forced entry.

“The second incident is also alleged to have involved a loss of trousers. The claimant’s son was coming home from a takeaway shop. He said he walked into a back street in order to wait for a cab, which he had called for earlier.

“Whilst waiting for the cab in this back street, a woman, who he described as looking like a prostitute, walked up to him and began touching him and pulling down his trousers. The customer says her son tried to push the ‘prostitute’ away but was ineffective in his efforts as he was carrying his takeaway in one hand.

“The woman managed to pull his trousers all the way down to his ankles and, after a while, she left and he later realised his phone was no longer in his pocket. The customer’s son was so traumatised he did not leave his room for three days.”

In each case, and based on wider assessment of the submissions made, but withheld here to avoid identification, the claims were declined.

www.gadget-cover.com is part of London-based Supercover Insurance, which is the UK’s longest-established insurer of mobile phones and high-intrinsic-value consumer electronics. Launched in 1995, the company offers theft, loss and damage insurance, as well as up to 3GB gadget content backup, for laptops, PCs, satellite navigation equipment, MP3 players including iPods, and other such communication, storage and gaming equipment.

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Further information:

Iain Macauley

im@pressrelations.co.uk

07788 978800

www.gadget-cover.com

CAR INSURANCE: DITCH POSTCODE-BASED PREMIUM-SETTING, USE 17TH CENTURY SHIPPING RISK ASSESSMENT

COVERBOX

CAR INSURANCE TELEMATICS

PRESS RELEASE

February 23, 2012.

CAR INSURANCE: DITCH POSTCODE-BASED PREMIUM-SETTING, USE 17^TH CENTURY SHIPPING RISK ASSESSMENT.

Car insurance premium-setting-by-postcode should be ditched and replaced by a rating process based on a system of risk assessment developed for 17^th century shipping.

That’s the view of insurance pioneer Johan van der Merwe who says that advanced but established 2012 telematics technology would produce far more representative insurance premiums based on where and how a car is driven rather than socio-economic factors relating to the owner’s home address.

Mr Van der Merwe and a group of fellow investors acquired UK pay-as-you-drive car insurer Coverbox earlier in 2012, and with it they acquired telematics technology which monitors the time, place and manner in which a car is driven, all of which he says are more significant in calculating insurance premiums than where the car owner’s home is.

“Theft of a vehicle from its owner’s home is a minor consideration for insurers when compared with the third party injury consequence of an accident. The cost of compensation for injury after even a relatively minor accident can be huge, and increases pro-rata with the number of occupants of vehicles involved,” said Johan van der Merwe.

“Currently premium and risk calculations are worked backwards from claims rather than forward from actual risk.  Claims are themselves flawed and as such not an accurate measurement of risk.

“But insurance premiums are rated on the home postcode of the car owner or user, and that car can often spend only a part of the day or night there, with a comparatively low theft risk.

“The remainder of the day it is driven through the rush hour, or on a school run, or on a shopping trip, and then parked in a location which may be more or less risky than the home location.

“But there is more danger of an accident in an urban rush hour than a motorway rush hour, more danger of accident if driving overnight or through an accident black spot and so on. So somebody who lives in a high-risk postcode but parks their car for most of the day in a low risk area is perhaps being charged too high a premium, while somebody who lives in a low-risk area and drives through accident black spots in the rush hour is being charged too low a premium.

“This is where 17^th century insurance risk assessment comes in, when underwriters sat in dockside coffee houses and assessed the risk value of each and every ship leaving the port according to cargo, route, season, state of repair of the ship and level of experience of the captain.

“Telematics – on-board measurement, movement, location and systems monitoring and recording – track the vehicle, how and where it is being driven, and provide us with information which enables us to accurately assess the insurance risk of that specific car based on route and driving behaviour.

“The system will generate the technological version of a wince if the car is being driven through an accident black spot at peak time, but be far more relaxed if the route and time of travel is less risky. That will be reflected in an according premium adjustment, and, because the driver can go online and see what the system thinks about driving behaviour or location, may even cause him or her to alter their driving standards or routes they travel. That obviously has massive potential for bringing down, for instance, young drivers’ insurance costs by changing their behaviour.”

Coverbox pay-as-you-drive insurance allows drivers to take out comprehensive cover paid for by the mile, with the price per mile varying according to the time of the day or night: off-peak, peak or “super-peak” times.

All Coverbox policyholders have a personal website enabling them to see precisely how many miles they are driving, and what the cost is. The technology behind Coverbox is based on proven equipment and technology.

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Further information:

Iain Macauley

im@pressrelations.co.uk

@Press_Relations

07788 978800

HACKNEY SCHOOL CENTREPIECES UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

February 14, 2012.

REGENERATED HACKNEY SCHOOL CENTREPIECES UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE.

A newly-built school in Hackney, East London, could become a model for schools worldwide when it features in a presentation at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on February 21, 2012.

The Urswick School, in its former life as Hackney Free and Parochial School, was run-down and under-achieving - but since undergoing regeneration under the Building Schools for the Future programme it has not only seen huge improvements in academic and behavioural standards, but has also had a massively positive impact upon the local community.

The Urswick School story will be part of a presentation made by Anthony Coumidis, a director of London-based international property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper, at the United Nations in Geneva, to more than 400 Public-Private Partnership practitioners from 70 countries.

Anthony’s team were independent certifiers of the project, appointed by the local authority in Hackney and the Building Schools for the Future Local Education Partnership (private sector and local authority JV organisation, Mouchel Babcock Education and Hackney Council), which involved McBains Cooper ensuring the project complied with technical and quality requirements.

“Because of our role we were provided with the opportunity to ensure the project maintained schedule and standards, but it also gave us a fantastic opportunity to chart the before and after aspects,” said Anthony Coumidis.

“We monitored the reconstruction, but we also engaged with the school; what we learnt was that not only did the new school prove inspirational on academic and behavioural levels, it also had a significant and positive impact for the local community, with the new school facilities being used out-of-hours by the local community for everything from choir practice to sports events.

“But the school also became a learning centre for other local schools, with entire classes being walked over to The Urswick School for educational experiences they’d never before experienced in, for instance, science labs.”

Anthony will be chairing the “Transforming Urban and Rural Spaces through PPPs” session.

“Such a presentation and ensuing debate and discussion will highlight what can be achieved to a wide range of representatives of influencing authorities and organisations in dozens of countries,” said Anthony.

“There’s no room for modesty here, because there is great benefit to be gained: British property and construction consultancies are the most advanced in the world when it comes to brokering, driving and delivering PPP projects, so there is a very real chance that The Urswick School could become a model for similar regeneration projects around the world.”

Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) Days is the premier global meeting for public sector PPP practitioners. It provides a forum for those charged with developing and implementing PPP programs to share experiences on innovations in

PPP policy, structuring, and financing. The four-day conference brings together PPP practitioners from public sector PPP units and senior PPP executives worldwide to analyze and explore innovative PPP models and key policy issues.

The PPP Days 2012 will take place at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, on 21-24 February 2012, and will be jointly hosted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the World Bank Institute and the Asian

Development Bank.

The event includes two days of presentations and debates among public sector PPP practitioners, managers and experts, followed by a full-day Business Forum open to the private sector. On the fourth day there will be a special session dedicated to case studies, while site visits to operational PPP are also envisaged. An exhibition will also run for the four days.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.mcbainscooper.com

@McBainsCooper

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), Glasgow, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

MAKING THE MOST OF LEAP YEAR – BY FLINGING THEMSELVES OUT OF A PLANE.

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

February 13, 2012.

MAKING THE MOST OF LEAP YEAR – BY FLINGING THEMSELVES OUT OF A PLANE.

Members of the Oxford team of property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper are making the most of the extra day in Leap Year 2012 – by flinging themselves out of a plane.

It’s all part of “Make Today Count”, the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign’s initiative to get people using the extra leap year day to make a difference and raise funds.

The ten – nine from McBains Cooper, one from business partner law firm TWM – will skydive over an airfield in Brackley, Northants, on February 29, in a bid to raise £4,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign.

“The team’s well used to birds-eye views of the country, usually as part of the planning and development process for anything from a Police station to an entire housing estate, railway section, docks, road or retail park – but not usually dangling from a parachute,” said London-based Michael Thirkettle, Chief Executive, who has family affected by the challenge presented by Muscular Dystrophy.

“Muscular Dystrophy is a muscle-wasting disease which has no known cure, and the only way to find a cure is to research and research and research – and that costs money.”

Emma Harwood of McBains Cooper Oxford said: “It’s one of those occasions where you can’t decide whether you’re being brave or stupid, but the fact is that people who are afflicted by Muscular Dystrophy are both incredibly brave and incredibly inspirational.

“There are many diseases which remain completely misunderstood by much of the population, so as well as raising funds we’re also hopefully raising awareness of just what need to be done to tackle the challenge it presents.”

The ten skydivers are:

• Michael Thirkettle, London
• Adrian Southgate, Oxford
• Jamie Mead, London
• Emma Harwood, Oxford
• Joseph Sherratt, London
• Janet Belk, Manchester
• Matthew Truelove (TWM Solicitor, Surrey)
• Simon McNabb, London
• Neil O’Brien,  Manchester
• Charles Terry, London

Anybody wishing to donate can do so by going to: http://www.justgiving.com/mcbainscooperskydive

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.mcbainscooper.com

@McBainsCooper

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), Glasgow, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

CARE CRISIS: SEFTON COUNCIL’S OPPORTUNITY OF 1,600 LIFETIMES

SEFTON CARE ASSOCIATION

PRESS RELEASE

January 31, 2012.

CARE CRISIS: SEFTON COUNCIL’S OPPORTUNITY OF 1,600 LIFETIMES.

Sefton Council has the opportunity of 1,600 lifetimes to be the first local authority in the country to properly assess and fund care for the most vulnerable members of society.

That’s the view of Sefton Care Association, which represents a large proportion of care homes in the borough, following a High Court ruling which directed the council to establish the actual cost of care for the elderly in the area.

The opportunity arises following a Judicial Review in the High Court in Manchester in November 2011 in which His Honour Judge Raynor QC ruled that Sefton Council - a typical middle-sized authority - should not have frozen 2011/2012 payment levels to 1,600 elderly people in care in the borough, and that it did not pay due regard to the actual cost of covering care in making its unilateral decision.

He then directed Sefton Council to reassess care payments for the 2011/2012 financial year – but Sefton Care Association sees an opportunity for the council to set a standard and precedent for the rest of the country’s social care budget-holding authorities, not just retrospectively, but also as budget-setting deadlines approach for 2012/2013.

“Those needing care have not had one single positive word of certainty on care and support for as far back as most of us can remember; this is an opportunity for one local authority to change the prioritisation of care provision forever, and get itself a place in history,” said Mark Gilbert, a member of the executive committee of Sefton Care Association.

“Sefton Care Association has brought in Laing and Buisson – a nationally recognised research organisation - which will provide an independent report into the cost of providing care in the borough, a move which the council has not resisted. The key issues are not solely the cost of care, but also homes gaining a reasonable return on capital investment so enabling essential maintenance and upgrading of property and equipment.

“Sefton families with elderly relatives in care, as well as carers and care home operators in the borough, have been appealing to local councillors to reverse the local authority’s stance on paying for care in the area. This is a great opportunity for funding to be assessed in a sensible fashion, and provided at a realistic level.”

Dan Lingard, chairman of Sefton Care Association, added: “There’s a big gap between the cost of providing care and the level of funds Sefton Council currently allocates: families and those in care are struggling to afford the shortfall between Sefton’s current funding provision level, and the cost of care – and the care homes are doing everything in their power to bring costs down. But they’ve reached a point where there is nothing else to cut.

“Sefton Council currently pays a maximum of £510 a week towards funding of nursing care for an individual, but the indications are that the actual cost is in the region of £600 a week. Currently, individuals – many with dementia - and their families have to fund that shortfall, which most would agree is not an acceptable state of affairs.”

Ends

For further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800

im@pressrelations.co.uk

@Press_Relations