August Business Roundup
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Regional News
North East business confidence highest in the UK in August
North East business confidence jumped in August to the strongest of any UK nation or region, according to new research.?
The latest Business Barometer from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking found that companies in the region reported higher confidence in their own business prospects month-on-month, up 13 points to 65 per cent.?
Newcastle Airport handles record-breaking amount of cargo in H1
Newcastle International Airport is celebrating record-breaking cargo volume in the first half of 2024.?
From January to June this year, the airport handled 3,100 tonnes of cargo - an?87 per cent increase on the same period last year.??
Leon McQuaid, director of Aviation Development at Newcastle Airport, said: "This record-breaking result is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the hard work of the Airport team and the support of our partners and customers.?
Construction of Sunderland’s new Wear Footbridge reaches new milestone as mammoth barge arrives
A mammoth barge carrying the first two steel sections of Sunderland's new Wear Footbridge has arrived at Port of Sunderland UK .?The shipment marked the latest milestone in the construction of the landmark, which is expected to open next summer.?Once complete, it will connect the former Vaux site to Sheepfolds - home to a new leisure hub.?
Port of Tyne hails resurgence in cruise ship calls marking 25 years of industry on the river
Bosses at the Port of Tyne are celebrating an uplift in the number of cruise calls to the river following a resurgence of the industry after the lifting of pandemic restrictions.
The port operator says a record 61 cruise ships carrying 164,000 passengers called in the river during 2023 - a 127% increase on 2022's level when 32 vessels carrying 72,000 passengers arrived. Pre-Covid the passenger levels had been 127,000 in 2018 and 140,000 in 2019.
Middlesbrough College celebrates stellar year of results
Middlesbrough College is celebrating an exceptional year as it announces outstanding results across A-Levels, T-Levels and Vocational courses.
These remarkable achievements underscore the college's status as a premier education and training provider in the region.
This year's success comes hot on the heels of a glowing Ofsted report, which praised the college for its high-quality teaching, impressive student outcomes, strong industry connections and outstanding leadership.
Home Group sees turnover rise against challenging housing market
Newcastle-headquartered affordable housing developer Home Group has reported an uptick in turnover despite a "challenging" environment which impacted the market. The business's chief financial officer said she is seeing "promising signs of recovery".?
In the year ended 31 March 2024 the company - which owns and manages more than 56,000 homes - reported an uptick in turnover from ￡453.7m to ￡493.1m, mainly due to an increase in income from social housing lettings.?
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National News
Shop prices fall for first time in nearly three years
Summer sales by fashion retailers trying to shift stock helped shop prices to record their first annual fall for nearly three years, research suggests. Prices in August were down 0.3% from a year ago, the lowest rate since October 2021, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
The drop in prices was driven by non-food goods, such as clothing and furniture, with retailers offering discounts after wet weather and continued cost-of-living pressures hit sales.
Communicate risks of not getting Covid vaccine to boost uptake, study suggests
Policymakers who want to encourage the uptake of Covid vaccines should focus on communicating the risks of not having such jabs, research suggests.
Researchers in China say they have found the approach, known as a loss frame strategy, is more persuasive in boosting people’s willingness to get vaccinated than focusing on the benefits either to the individual themselves or to others.
That, the team say, could be because focusing on gains tends to be beneficial when people think a certain behaviour is safe.
'Windiest part of the UK' could power nearly 500,000 homes
Power is flowing from the Shetland Isles to mainland Britain for the first time as the UK's most productive onshore windfarm comes on stream. SSE Renewables says its 103-turbine project, known as Viking, can generate 443 megawatts (MW) of electricity, enough to power nearly 500,000 homes.
Shetland is the windiest part of the UK, which means it will be rare for the blades, which reach a massive 155m at their tip, not to be spinning.
Nearly three in 10 teachers ‘bring in food for hungry pupils’
Nearly three in 10 teachers in England personally provided food to pupils in the summer term out of concern for their welfare, a survey has suggested.
More teachers have been forced to bring in food for children in their school than last year - especially in the most deprived areas of England, according to the poll conducted for charity FareShare . The survey, carried out by the Teacher Tapp app, suggests that 28 per cent of teachers in England personally provided food to at least one pupil in the summer term. This is up from 26 per cent of teachers last summer.
Outdoor smoking ban at pubs being considered
Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed the government is looking at tougher rules on outdoor smoking to reduce the number of preventable deaths linked to tobacco use.
Responding to reports that smoking could be banned in some outdoor spaces in England, the prime minister said "we have got to take action" to reduce the burden on the NHS.
Scientists baffled as food allergies double in a decade
Food allergies have doubled in the space of ten years in a trend that is puzzling scientists and disproportionately affecting young children, a study has found. Researchers at Imperial College London found that lives were being cut short by an unexplained rise in allergies to foods such as eggs, peanuts and fish.
Analysis of data from GP surgeries in England revealed 4 per cent of under-fives had a “probable” food allergy in 2018, up from 1.2 per cent in 2008.
Number crunching