Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch has knocked down barriers to markets worth more than £2.2 billion to UK businesses in her first 200 days in the job - equivalent to over £11 million every day.British exporters regularly encounter obstacles of all kinds - including bureaucracy, red tape, and bans - which stop them from selling abroad. The Department for Business and Trade has a global network of specialists working to get rid of them by engaging governments around the world to find and resolve the issues.Earlier this year, Badenoch made the removal of these trade barriers one of her top...

26 March, 2023

The lambing barn at Chester House Estate is baaaaing – packed with 50 newborn cade lambs, several ewes and their lambs, plus a few goats and their kids.From Saturday, 25th March families will be able to visit and bottle feed the lambs as part of the estate’s spring activities, which also include an Easter egg hunt and a chocolate lolly making workshop.This year Chester House Estate is looking after a local farmer’s cade lambs. These are lambs that cannot be fed by their mums and need help to survive and thrive. The Estate’s team expect to go through 10,000 litres...

24 March, 2023

A group of service users from Teamwork Trust have enjoyed their first ever holiday – thanks to a generous donation from the Landmark Trust.For many of the charity’s service users - autistic adults, people with learning disabilities and individuals with mental health needs - leaving Northamptonshire and going on holiday has rarely, and in some cases never, been an option.For one group this has now changed, with suitcases packed and unpacked and new memories made.Donald, one of the charity’s six happy holiday goers, said: “We stayed in a landmark house, visited the seaside, and had a trip to Duxford’s Imperial...

24 March, 2023

Over 100 organisations that work in supporting micro businesses have united to create and launch the Micro Business Alliance.The support provided to businesses during the pandemic failed to recognise the vast majority of micro-businesses that account for 1 in 3 employees in the country and contribute a fifth of the country’s GDP.The Micro Business Alliance has been established to ensure that there is an effective dialogue with the Government to ensure that they have the opportunity to understand and better communicate with micro businesses, including all start-ups.Driving the initiative, Tony Robinson OBE, who has championed the micro business sector for many...

24 March, 2023

Businesses across West Northamptonshire are being encouraged to play a key role in supporting local celebrations to mark the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort.Plans are under way to organise a packed weekend of festivities in West Northamptonshire from 6 to 8 May, including a Community Festival street party with big screens in Northampton town centre on the Saturday between 10am- 4pm, a Coronation Big Lunch and Afterparty at Delapré Abbey on the Sunday from 12pm - 10:30pm and local volunteering opportunities for the Big Help Out on Bank Holiday Monday.The free events, will...

24 March, 2023

Residents across West Northamptonshire are invited to the inaugural Chairman’s Community Fair on Friday, 31 March.Organised by the Chairman of West Northamptonshire Council, Cllr André González De Savage, at the Guildhall in Northampton between 2pm-4pm on Friday, 31 March in aid of his chosen charities, Air Ambulance and Northants Search and Rescue.The Community Fair will offer a great opportunity for residents to interact with teams across the council including the Economy, Culture and Tourism, Regeneration, Business and Intellectual Property Centre Northamptonshire, Library Service, Learning Resources for Education and Strong Start team as well as local community groups and charities such...

24 March, 2023

The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee announced on 23 March 2023 to increase the Bank of England base rate to 4.25% from 4%.HMRC interest rates are linked to the Bank of England base rate.As a consequence of the change in the base rate, HMRC interest rates for late payment and repayment will increase.These changes will come into effect on:3 April 2023 for quarterly instalment payments 13 April 2023 for non-quarterly instalments paymentsInformation on the interest rates for payments will be updated shortly. How HMRC interest rates are set HMRC interest rates are set in legislation and are linked to the Bank of England base rate.Late payment interest...

23 March, 2023

The British Independent Retailers Association has commented on today's 'double blow' of the interest rate rise jut a day after inflation rates also soared.The announcement from the Bank of England that interest rates will be raised by 0..25 %, taking the base rate to 4.25% is the 11th rise since December 2021.It was just yesterday that inflation rates hit 10.4%, which has meant prices in drinks, clothing, meals out and fresh food have been driven high.The interest rate rise will now mean monthly bills might affect mortgages, house prices and credit cards.BIRA, which works with over 6,000 independent businesses of all...

23 March, 2023

In a bid to provide lifesaving protection for its hundreds of team members, Panther Logistics has installed defibrillators at all its depots.To ensure essential lifesaving first aid can be immediately administered at all its UK sites during a medical emergency, Panther Logistics has invested in defibrillator devices and specialist staff training at all its depots.Crucially, the defibrillators will also be made available to emergency first responders and ambulance crews operating within every depot’s vicinity, should medics need access to them to help save a patient’s life.Panther depots joining a nationwide network of defibrillators accessible to all emergency medical crews in...

23 March, 2023

Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust has today announced that prestigious design studio, Buttress, has been selected as the multi-disciplinary design team that will help bring the Abbey’s 19th century stables back to life.With a track record of creating high quality architectural solutions that respond sensitively to their context, Buttress is well-placed to help transform the former block of stables in the grounds of the historic, grade II* listed Abbey into a hub for social enterprise and wellbeing, responding to the needs of the local community. The project, which has received development support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, is due for completion in...

23 March, 2023

Four leisure centres across West Northamptonshire will soon benefit from new facilities to improve their carbon footprint, following West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) successfully securing £7 million as part of the Government’s Decarbonisation scheme.Daventry Leisure Centre, Moulton Leisure Centre, Brackley Leisure Centre, and Towcester Centre for Leisure have been identified as part of the scheme to benefit from heat decarbonisation and improved energy efficiency following WNC’s successful application to the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme phase 3b. The fund, initiated by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, is delivered by Salix Finance, which supports decarbonisation and energy efficiency across Great...

23 March, 2023