Author Archives: Shaun

Shrewsbury travel business shortlisted for presitigious tourism award

Janet Redler Travel & Tourism in Shrewsbury has been shortlisted for this year’s UKInbound Awards for Excellence, the leading awards for the UK inbound tourism industry.

Janet Redler and Nick Bardsley, the Partners at Janet Redler Travel & Tourism

2019 has been a huge year for Janet Redler Travel & Tourism, including seeing their team expand to meet growing worldwide demand and taking on additional offices at their Shrewsbury base.

The shortlist was selected by an independent panel of industry experts, and members of UKInbound will now have the chance to vote for their winners. UKInbound is the trade association that represents the UK’s inbound tourism – the sixth largest export industry and third largest employer in the country.

Janet Redler Travel & Tourism specialises in delivering tailor-made, personal and luxury tours of the UK. With over 30 years’ experience, Janet and her team work with travel agents, organisations and individuals to arrange customised travel for clients all over the world.

The annual awards celebrate the best of inbound tourism and nominations are for those businesses which have made a significant contribution to the UK’s inbound tourism industry over the past 12 months.

Categories include Tour Operator of the Year, Attraction of the Year, Accommodation Provider of the Year and Regional Member of the Year, the category for which Janet Redler Travel & Tourism has been shortlisted.

Janet Redler, Chief Executive of Janet Redler Travel & Tourism, said: “We are delighted to be shortlisted for the leading awards in our industry, demonstrating the strength of the inbound tourism industry across the UK regions and shining a light on our fabulous town of Shrewsbury.

“2019 has been a momentous year for us, as we have welcomed many more clients from different parts of the world. 2020 is set to be even bigger and better, with some incredible specialist tours in the pipeline, including three quilting tours and a large-scale trip from the US which will allow over 200 travellers from North America private access to Stonehenge.

“Two years ago, we were delighted to be chosen for the Tour Operator of the Year category; this time we are hoping to go one better and win Regional Member of the Year.”

The wide range of tours offered by Janet Redler Travel & Tourism has continued to grow, including specialist garden tours, wine and food tours, heritage, academic and music tours. They have also welcomed increasing numbers of independent travellers and small groups from North America, allowing them to showcase the best that Great Britain and Ireland have to offer.

This year, Janet’s son and daughter-in-law have relocated to Shrewsbury to join the team, helping to ensure that the warm family feel that Janet Redler Travel & Tourism is known for continues.

Janet was also delighted to welcome Kat Colling on board, to bring innovative ideas to the business and to assist with future growth. Kat is an experienced UK tourism professional, director of two UK tourism-focused businesses and 2018’s Young Person of the Year at the Wales Tourism Awards.

The winners will be announced at a gala dinner at Aerospace Bristol – the home of the legendary aircraft Concorde – on Thursday 6 February 2020 as part of the UKInbound Annual Convention.

Cae Post signs up as right Waste, right Place campaign ambassador

Cae Post, the environmental charity and social enterprise based in Welshpool, has become an ambassador for the right Waste, right Place campaign, a national initiative aimed at raising awareness of the Duty of Care for waste amongst UK businesses.

Managed by the Environmental Services Association (ESA), the campaign was launched in April 2016 following damning evidence of widespread non-compliance with Duty of Care legislation for waste, and mounting costs on local authorities and private landowners for tackling fly-tipping.

Recent research has revealed that 56% of UK businesses are not complying with the law, despite recent changes to sentencing guidelines and the removal of the £5,000 maximum fine in the Magistrates Court.

Cae Post offers trade waste and recycling services in Powys and Shropshire and is committed to promoting best practice when it comes to duty of care for waste. Cae Post is keen that businesses in the area are fully aware of their responsibility for the good management of waste and recycling.

Speaking about the announcement, Sue Packer, General Manager at Cae Post said: “Our mission as a charity is to create employment and promote positive environmental action. We support right Waste, right Place, as a way to encourage all organisations to think about the environmental impacts of their waste and to adhere to best practice with regard to waste management.”

Sam Corp, Head of Regulation at the ESA, commented: “We are delighted that Cae Post has become a right Waste, right Place Campaign Ambassador. We are looking forward to working with Cae Post to raise awareness of Duty of Care in their area and to many more organisations signing up to the programme in the near future.”

As a social enterprise, Cae Post has a firm commitment to the environment and its mission is to provide meaningful employment and work experience opportunities to people who would otherwise find it difficult to gain these opportunities.

Charity looks to secure its future by leasing premises from Powys County Council

Cae Post, an innovative charity and social enterprise, has submitted a bid to Powys County Council to take over its premises in Trewern, Welshpool, through a Community Asset Transfer.

Cae Post is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and is looking to the future with its bid to take over the Trewern premises so it can carry on providing employment and training opportunities to local people for years to come.

Speaking about the bid, Sue Packer, General Manager at Cae Post, said: “Cae Post exists to help people take part in economic and community life and we actively develop links with the public, private, voluntary and community sectors. These are two of the main aims of a Community Asset Transfer, according to Powys County Council, and so Cae Post clearly meets the criteria for this bid to be accepted.”

For 30 years it has delivered services that ultimately provide people who have a range of disabilities, or who are disadvantaged in the labour market, with the same opportunities as anyone else for contributing to their community through work. Currently, Cae Post offers waste management and recycling to businesses and households across mid-Wales.

Added Sue: “Recently, Powys County Council decided not to extend our contract to deliver kerbside recycling, bringsite collections of plastic and cans and the operation of the materials recovery facility – services we have successfully operated for well over a decade. We accept, of course, that the County Council has the right to bring the service in-house – but it will impact significantly on our clients who benefit so much from working at Cae Post each week.

“The important thing for us now is to be secure in our premises, so that we can plan for the future and develop new income streams that allow us to continue our work with some of the county’s most deserving people.”

Cae Post will be contacting all of Powys’s councillors to remind them of the important work the social enterprise does in giving people who, for whatever reason, find it difficult to get jobs, offering people the chance to improve their lives and contribute to society. Cae Post will of course be asking councillors to support the Community Asset Transfer.

Cae Post is unique within Powys in the way it has pioneered a model of working that empowers people who otherwise might find it difficult to secure work and training opportunities.

Cae Post’s future plans for the building in Trewern will see it increasing the opportunity for young people to access work-based learning, improving access to work for people with learning disabilities and encouraging more people to volunteer.

Said Sue Packer: “If we are successful with our bid to Powys County Council, ownership or a long lease of the building will enable us to seek investment to develop new businesses. This will mean we can provide increased job and volunteering opportunities, reduce poverty and assist in the economic and environmental well-being of not only Powys but the rest of Wales well into the future.”

If you would like to find out more about Cae Post, please visit www.caepost.co.uk.

Happy birthday to Ethos public relations

We are 18 – again.

Ethos public relations is celebrating 18 years in business today. Over the past 18 years, we have worked with a huge range of businesses, charities, individuals and others to help them get their message out to a wide variety of audiences.

We have helped our clients launch new products; deal with a number of crises; produce videos, magazine and leaflets; create new websites; manage social media; prepare for newspaper, TV and radio interviews and engage with their employees.

The list of clients we have worked with over the years is a long one and the number of passionate individuals even longer. With hardly an exception it’s been fun, fulfilling and worthwhile.

We have helped raise awareness of issues as diverse as knife crime, disability, co-operation, Fairtrade, products made in the UK, tourism, credit unions, social enterprise, vegetarianism, local food, recycling, social housing and the closure of pubs.

Each of these issues required differing approaches but we hope we dealt with them all with the same commitment both to the subject, and as importantly, to the ethics with which we were founded back in 1998.

Our ‘ethical’ approach was adopted to try and counter some of the perceived negativity towards the public relations industry. Our approach was based on honesty and having an open dialogue with clients and the media. At times this was tested and back in 1998 we couldn’t have imagined how it would be the media itself that would become the focus of unethical practice. It seems both sides of our industry have work still to do.

We have written before about how things have changed, almost unrecognisably, since we first started trading. Posting out press releases and photos being replaced by email, faxes now defunct, far fewer local (and a couple of national) newspapers, not to mention the rise of bloggers and social media – the PR landscape is very different now.

However, our honest and ethical approach to the way we undertake PR has remained the same, and is so much part of who we are that it will remain. As we get near to the end our teenage years, we are wiser and a very different ‘person’ to the Ethos public relations of 1998, but hopefully our friends and colleagues will still recognise us.

So thanks to all our previous and current employees, clients and suppliers. We’ve had a great first 18 years. Time to crack open the fizzy wine – Fairtrade of course.

American visitors explore their Welsh roots

David Melding AM welcomes visitors from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

David Melding AM, Deputy Presiding Officer at the National Assembly of Wales, welcomed visitors from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania to the Senedd during their recent tour of Wales.

Bryn Mawr College is a women’s arts college in the town of Bryn Mawr near Philadelphia in the United States. The town of Bryn Mawr takes its name from a house near Dolgellau which was owned by Rowland Ellis, a Quaker who emigrated to America in1686 as a result of religious persecution. Bryn Mawr College itself was founded by Quakers in 1885.

The group travelled all over Wales on a 10 day tour organised on behalf of Academic Arrangements Abroad by Janet Redler Travel and Tourism in Montgomery. As well as the National Assembly and Cardiff, the group visited Swansea, Snowdonia, the Conwy Valley, Llangollen and of course the Bryn Mawr Estate near Dolgellau.

Janet Redler, Chief Executive of Janet Redler Travel and Tourism, said: “We are seeing increasing interest from visitors across the world in coming to Wales. In this case, Bryn Mawr has a deep association with Wales and a history going back over 300 years. It was a pleasure to help bring these tourists over from America to find out more about Wales and their Welsh heritage.”

Visit Wales, the body set up to encourage more tourism to Wales, has offices in the US and works closely with tour operators like Janet Redler Travel and Tourism to bring visitors to Wales to experience the culture, language and historic towns that the country has to offer.

David Melding AM said: “I was delighted to welcome this American delegation to the Senedd and to show them the hospitality that Wales is renowned for across the world.”

Five Star Fairbanking Mark for London Capital Credit Union

The Fairbanking Foundation – the not-for-profit charity dedicated to encouraging banking institutions to improve the financial well-being of their customers – has awarded its first Mark certifications to credit unions, with London Capital Credit Union receiving 5 stars for its personal loan products.

London Capital Credit Union had to demonstrate that its personal loan customers have experienced a tangible positive impact on their financial wellbeing from using their products.

Martin Groombridge, Chief executive of London Capital Credit Union

Speaking about the award of the 5 star mark, Martin Groombridge, CEO, London Capital Credit Union, said: “Our focus is always on our members, which is why 76% of our personal loan customers interviewed by the Foundation said that they had one or more other products with us. It is not just about offering competitive and transparent products, but also a range of features and services that help people manage their money better.

“Many in the financial services industry are too obsessed with getting into best-buy tables, but to do this transparency can often be lost with many products offering short term “teaser rates” that can quickly get expensive. People with these products can end up worse off than if they chose another product that takes a more holistic approach to helping customers with their money.”

Fairbanking’s assessment also reviews the provider’s complaints procedures and experience for the product in question. Antony Elliott, Chief Executive of Fairbanking Foundation said: “Our quality mark programme is an important step in helping customers to identify products that have been rigorously tested for the financial well-being they can deliver. Crucially, it also provides a powerful incentive for financial institutions of all sizes to compete through continual improvement of their products in ways that will truly benefit their customers.”

Over the last ten years, London Capital Credit Union has seen a 1,400% increase in members’ savings from £436,000 to over £6 million. And as co-operative, London Capital Credit Union is owned and controlled by its members – not outside shareholders.

Find out more at www.credit-union.coop.

Father and son’s cycling challenge raises over £1,000 for charity

Paul and James Housden in Bridlington at the end of their Coast to Coast cycling challenge

A father and son from Preston have raised over £1, 000 for national charity COFEPOW by successfully completing a cross country cycling challenge.

Paul Housden and his son James cycled across Lancashire and Yorkshire from Morecambe to Bridlington to raise funds for national charity COFEPOW, which is dedicated to keeping alive the memory of prisoners of war held in the Far East in World War Two.

As well as raising funds for the charity, Paul and James wanted to highlight the suffering of the Far East prisoners of war, as this year sees the 70th anniversary year of Victory in Japan (VJ) Day. More than 200,000 Allied civilians and service personnel were taken prisoner by the Japanese and by VJ Day, on 15 August 1945, some 50,000 of these people had died.

Paul says: “We’re very pleased to have successfully completed the Coast to Coast cycle ride. Day one was very challenging as it poured down for 55 miles across the Pennines, but day two was much better with a nice breeze from behind and only a couple of showers.

“I came off my bike once and finished up with some cuts and bruises, but I survived. I thought about what happened to my Dad in the war and that stopped me feeling too sorry for myself.”

Paul Watson from COFEPOW says: “We are delighted that Paul and James got from Morecambe to Bridlington by bike and we can’t thank them enough for raising funds for COFEPOW. The money collected will go towards building a memorial garden for Far East prisoners of war at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. We would also like to thank all those who donated and supported them.”

Paul Housden adds: “My Father was a POW in the Far East and it is hard to imagine just how much he and thousands of others suffered. COFEPOW exists to ensure this important part of history is kept alive. What we went through on the cycle ride was a small effort compared to what my Father and many others like him went through in World War Two.”

The 70th anniversary of VJ Day takes place on 15 August 2015 and there will be a number of events taking place around the country to commemorate this important occasion.

There is still time to sponsor Paul and James by visiting https://www.justgiving.com/Paul-Housden and to find out more about Far East Prisoners of War visit www.cofepow.org.uk.

Savings boost for London Capital Credit Union

London Capital Credit Union has had one of its best months ever, with member savings rocketing by £300, 000 in March alone.

The credit union saw its savings deposits grow by almost 4% last month, taking the total amount of member savings to over £7.75 million for the first time.

Martin Groombridge, Chief Executive of London Capital Credit Union, said: “2015 is proving to be another exceptional year for us, with more people than ever turning to the credit union to find a safe home for their savings.

“With bank interest rates at rock bottom, the dividend offered by London Capital Credit Union looks very attractive – last year, for example, we paid 1.2% on all of our members’ savings. For an instant access account, this rate of return is not to be sniffed at.”

Martin adds that many people are also turning to the credit union because they like its ethics and philosophy of putting customers first.

“As a co-operative owned and controlled by its members, people like the fact that their money is staying in the community and not being used to generate profits for investors or speculators.”

London Capital Credit Union is dedicated to promoting saving and helping people deal with debt and now has over 11,000 members.

“At London Capital Credit Union, we believe that one of the best ways of keeping people out of the clutches of payday lenders and other high interest lenders is to encourage a savings habit and, by putting a little bit away each month, people can soon build up a pot of money to cover any unexpected expenses,” says Martin. “We are pleased that our message is getting through and that more and more people now see the credit union as a good place to save.”

London Capital Credit Union provides secure savings and low cost loans for anyone living, working or studying in Barnet, Camden, City of London, Hackney, Haringey or Islington. As a locally owned and run co-operative, all the money saved in the credit union stays in the community and is used to help other local people.

Find out more at www.credit-union.coop.

Ten years of growth for London credit union

London Capital Credit Union has welcomed the latest figures from the Bank of England which show that credit unions have grown dramatically over the last decade.

While the most recent figures from 362 credit unions show credit union membership and lending have more than doubled over the past ten years, figures at London Capital show a thirty-fold increase in members, from 321 to 10,062.

Over the last ten years, London Capital Credit Union has also seen a 1400% increase in members’ savings from £436,000 to over £6 million.

The latest Bank of England figures are great news for British credit unions,” says Martin Groombridge, Chief Executive of London Capital Credit Union. “Since the first credit union was set up in Britain over 50 years ago, the sector has continued to thrive and it is good to see that growth has gathered pace in the last ten years.

“As our figures show, London Capital is one of the credit unions leading the charge and we are so proud to be delivering affordable financial services to thousands of Londoners.”

London Capital Credit Union is dedicated to promoting saving and helping people deal with debt. It provides secure savings and low cost loans for anyone living, working or studying in Barnet, Camden, City of London, Hackney, Haringey or Islington.

Across England, Scotland and Wales there are now over 1,173,200 people with credit union accounts.

As a co-operative, London Capital Credit Union is owned and controlled by its members – not outside shareholders. Members of the credit union can find out more about how their organisation has performed over the past year by attending the AGM which takes place on Tuesday 3rd March 2015, starting at 6.30pm in the Peel Centre, Great Percy Street, WC1X 9EY.

Find out more at www.credit-union.coop.

Charity call for wartime artefacts

COFEPOW member Patrick Toosey with a Samurai sword brought back by his father.

COFEPOW, a national charity dedicated to keeping alive the memory of prisoners of war held in the Far East in World War Two, is asking people to hunt out any mementoes or artefacts passed down by parents and grandparents from their time in captivity.

2015 sees the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Japan and COFEPOW, a charity set up to perpetuate the memory of Far East Prisoners of War and raise awareness of the suffering they endured, is keen to track down any artefacts such as letters, photographs or diaries brought back from the Far East by prisoners of war.

COFEPOW (Children and Families of Far East Prisoners of War) was founded by Carol Cooper, the daughter of a prisoner of war who discovered her father’s wartime diary advertised for sale and decided to set up a charity to keep alive the memories of Far East prisoners of war (FEPOWs).

Seventy years on from VJ Day, the charity wants to make sure as much precious material as possible is recorded to commemorate this important anniversary, to help recognise the enormous contribution made by individual FEPOWs. So, COFEPOW is now looking for local people who might have almost forgotten artefacts hidden away.

Says Keith Andrews of COFEPOW: “Many of us have artefacts and mementoes stored away that were passed down by our parents and grandparents from their time in the Far East. We want to find more of these valuable artefacts to record them for future generations, and that is why we asking local people to help.”

COFEPOW member Patrick Toosey from the Wirral is backing the initiative: “When my father, Brigadier Toosey, returned from the Far East he brought back a Samurai sword from one of his Japanese captors. When I was a child, my father didn’t mention the war and what he went through, but this sword is now a permanent reminder to me of his suffering.”

Keith added: “The artefacts people have are often not valuable in financial terms, but they do mean a great deal to the families of prisoners of war. Anyone interested in letting us know what they have will be helping us preserve this valuable archive material for the future.”

If you would like to help or to find out more, please visit http://cofepow.org.uk/pages/appeal_keeping_memories_alive.htm