Press release: Preparing for major Romsey flood exercise

Field teams will be building 400 metres of temporary barrier close to Greatbridge Road, to train new and existing members of staff on its construction. For a short period of time the road itself will be closed, to allow the barrier to be built across the carriageway and to ensure that the exercise mimics as closely as possible what would happen in a real flood event.

The exercise will be run in conjunction with local partners including Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, Hampshire County Council, Test Valley Borough Council, Romsey Town Council and local businesses.

The barrier is one of the temporary options to help reduce the risk of flooding to residents and businesses in Romsey, specifically around the Budds Lane and Greatbridge Road area which was flooded in 2014.

Environment Agency Flood and Coastal Risk Manager Gordon Wilson said:

It’s unlikely that we’ll see a repeat of the extreme weather conditions that caused the 2014 flooding in Hampshire, but the exercise will make sure that we’re ready, should the worst happen this winter. In partnership with Hampshire County Council and Test Valley Borough Council, we are developing a flood alleviation scheme which will help protect more than 100 homes against flooding. We are looking to start construction works in early summer next year (2018), although this is dependent upon us securing sufficient local financial contributions, to top up the funding allocated by the Government.

Tom Simms, Head of Resilience for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, said:

We work extremely hard with our partners all year round to ensure our communities are well prepared to deal with emergencies such as the floods experienced in Romsey and other parts of the county in 2014. This work ranges from producing localised actions plans for communities to exercises like this, which all helps to provide the necessary resilience for any unexpected or sudden events.

Deputy Leader of Test Valley Borough Council, Councillor Nick Adams-King said:

We have built strong relationships with our partners through the Test Valley Flood Resilience Forum which helps all of the agencies to work together for the benefit of our residents, and this exercise will put this into practice. One of our ambitions in the Romsey Future Document is to develop the town’s resilience to managing the extremes of weather and this includes addressing potential environmental risks such as flooding.

Councillor Rob Humby, Executive Member for Environment and Transport at Hampshire County Council, said:

We are committed to helping reduce the risk of flooding across Hampshire and I’m pleased to be working collaboratively with our partners to help the residents and businesses of Romsey. We are making good progress with plans for a package of measures to mitigate the impact of flooding in Romsey and I hope local people will be able to come along to our public exhibition in Crosfield Hall between 11 and 14 October to find out more.

The barrier construction is part of a 3 day exercise that will fully test all physical aspects of a localised flood event. The build will begin at 9am and continue until midnight. Greatbridge Road will be closed from around 7pm until midnight.

For all media enquiries please contact 0800 141 2743 or email southeastpressoffice1@environment-agency.gov.uk.



News story: UK team sets off to compete at the Invictus Games Toronto 2017

A 90-strong team of wounded, injured and sick (WIS) military personnel have departed from London Heathrow for Toronto, Canada to represent the UK in the third Invictus Games.

The eight-day sporting event will see 550 individuals from 17 nations compete across 12 sports including athletics, wheelchair basketball, swimming and a new sport for 2017, golf. The event will begin with an opening ceremony on 23 September at the Air Canada Centre, featuring Canadian singers Sarah McLachlan and Alessia Cara, and will finish with a closing ceremony on 30 September with performances from Bruce Springsteen and Bryan Adams.

The Invictus Games, the only international multi-sport event for WIS military personnel and veterans, harness the power of sport to inspire recovery. Getting involved in sport provides significant physical and mental health benefits including increasing self-confidence.

More hopefuls than ever before applied for a place in this year’s UK team, which was unveiled by Prince Harry, the patron of the Invictus Foundation, in May. Team selection was based on the benefit of the games to an individual’s recovery as well as their performance and commitment to training.

Minister for Defence People and Veterans, Tobias Ellwood MP, was at Heathrow. He said:

I was proud to meet our UK competitors who are overcoming injury or illness to achieve incredible things and truly embodying the meaning of Invictus; unconquered. I am extremely excited to attend the Games next week to cheer them on and I’m sure we will see some remarkable achievements.

Of this year’s UK team, 62% are new to the Invictus Games including the 2017 Captain, former Army Major Bernie Broad. Bernie served in the Grenadier Guards for around 30 years and due to injuries sustained in Afghanistan lost both his legs below the knee.

Team Captain Bernie will represent the UK in golf, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby. He said:

I feel extremely proud to lead the UK Team to Toronto for what promises to be an outstanding third Invictus Games. Our success will not be measured by how many medals we bring home, but by our personal successes, how many challenges we overcome and how many international friends we make.

On 22 September, 260 family and friends will travel to Toronto to join team members and show their support.

The Ministry of Defence has worked in partnership with Help for Heroes and The Royal British Legion to deliver the UK Delegation for Toronto 2017. The Ministry of Defence is a partner in the Defence Recovery Capability, a programme which helps WIS Service personnel either return to duty from injury or helps them back into civilian life.

The Invictus Games Toronto 2017 will take place from 23 – 30 September.



Press release: Environment Agency chair to visit Derbyshire’s BogFest 2017

Emma Howard Boyd, Chair of the Environment Agency, will be visiting Derbyshire on Friday 22 September to present at a conference as part of the three-day BogFest 2017 event in Edale.

BogFest 2017, organised by the Moors for the Future Partnership and the International Union for Conservation of Nature UK Peatland Programme, forms a conference programme for invited delegates alongside a range of activities and sessions for the public to celebrate the iconic moorland of the Peak District and South Pennines.

Emma Howard Boyd will be presenting at the conference along with the Environment Agency’s East Midlands Area Manager, Louise Cresswell, and other Environment Agency officers. Emma will be presenting on the benefits and progress made in using natural flood risk management and also chair other sessions at the conference.

Emma Howard Boyd, Chair of the Environment Agency, said:

I am looking forward to visiting Derbyshire and attending the BogFest 2017 conference. The Environment Agency has been working with the Moors for the Future Partnership as a significant partner for over 10 years, and we have supported a range of research and delivery projects.

Whilst our involvement initially focussed on the biodiversity- and carbon-related benefits of the peatland restoration, it has increasingly focussed on the water quality and natural flood risk management benefits.

Through our ongoing involvement in the partnership, we are able to influence as to where resources are devoted in the moorland landscape. We benefit from the influence offered by working within the partnership to achieve this, and from the work of the programme team in securing significant resources from funding bids.

The partnership’s strength lies in its relevance to people and wildlife across the Dark Peak and South Pennines. The region is one of the most visited areas of moorland in the world offering a range of ecosystem services to a vast local population.

The partnership also provides a great networking opportunity between landowners and policy-making bodies and allows us to influence the various needs of research to supply evidence which supports the management of the moorland.

Chris Dean, Moors for the Future Partnership’s Head of Programme Delivery, said:

We are delighted to welcome Emma Howard Boyd to BogFest – our first festival-style conference, celebrating the iconic uplands and brilliant blanket bogs across the UK.

The conference takes place in Edale, at the foot of the South Pennines, where blanket bog is slowly recovering from devastation caused by pollution dating back to the industrial revolution and damage from wildfires.

With the support of the Environment Agency, together we have restored much of the most severely damaged blanket bog, facilitated the regeneration of upland clough woodlands, and inspired the public to get involved in the UK’s first upland citizen science initiative.

Thanks to the funding from the Environment Agency and our other partners and funders, our work has far-reaching benefits including natural flood risk management, water quality, biodiversity, carbon storage, and health and well-being.

Background

The Moors for the Future Partnership delivers its work through the Peak District National Park Authority as the lead and accountable body. It is supported through its partners including the Environment Agency, Natural England, National Trust, RSPB, Severn Trent Water, United Utilities, Yorkshire Water, Pennine Prospects and representatives of the moorland owner and farming community.

BogFest is financed by Moors for the Future Partnership’s MoorLIFE2020 project, a 5-year programme that aims to protect remaining active blanket bog in the South Pennines Special Area of Conservation. The project is delivered by the Peak District National Park Authority as the lead and accountable body. On-the-ground delivery of the project is being undertaken largely by the Moors for the Future Partnership staff team with works also undertaken by the National Trust High Peak and Marsden Moor Estate, the RSPB Dove Stone team and Pennine Prospects (the Associated Beneficiaries).

The Moors for the Future Partnership has been working since 2003 to protect the most degraded landscape in Europe. Using innovative conservation techniques it has transformed over 32sq km of black degraded peat in the Peak District National Park and South Pennines. A monitoring programme provides evidence of the effectiveness of these techniques and is backed up by innovative communications that inspire people to care for these special places.



Press release: Top graduates put their games to the test at UK’s biggest games gathering

Tranzfuser, a graduate talent competition funded by the government and UK Games Fund (UKGF), sees 23 teams from across the country battling it out for the grants which could take their games into the homes of millions of gamers.

The teams have been working over the summer to produce playable demos of their games and showcase them to the expected 75,000 people who will attend the show in Birmingham.

The teams will not only have to impress the thousands of game fans, but will need to pitch their projects to a panel of industry experts to be in with a chance of winning the funding.

Matt Hancock, Minister of State for Digital, said:

The UK’s video games industry is one of our biggest success stories and the Government’s UK Games Fund exists to ensure it has access to a steady pipeline of talent.

From concept through to publishing, Tranzfuser helps graduates hone the skills that are essential to the success of start-up companies and to growing the volume of original games made in Britain. I wish all of this year’s entrants the best of luck at EGX.

Already awarded a grant of £5,000 from UKGF, the teams have been working on their own projects with invaluable support provided by a nationwide network of Tranzfuser Local Hubs based at some of the best universities for video game design and development, including Brunel, Glasgow Caledonian and Teesside.

Deborah Farley, Head of Talent and Outreach at UK Games Fund, said:

This year’s teams have been phenomenally dedicated and passionate competitors. Each of the 23 teams has shown commitment, innovation and tenacity in what has been a challenging 10 week development window. Taking an idea from scribbles on paper to a playable demo at the UK’s largest consumer video games event is an outstanding achievement, especially when you consider the teams are new to the industry.

Their success is in large part thanks to the support provided by our pioneering network of Local Hubs; the universities and innovation centres have gone above and beyond in their work with the teams. We’re thrilled to showcase the class of Tranzfuser 2017 to the 75,000+ attendees at this year’s EGX.

The diverse bunch of teams have been working on all manner of fun and innovative games, from single-player puzzle-based games to multiplayer room-scale Virtual Reality experiences.

Eleanor Cunningham, Team Leader at Final Forge in Sheffield, said:

Tranzfuser has been an amazing venture for my team – every day we’ve learnt new things and improved as developers. Being able to combine our skills to create a game prototype for EGX has been one of the most enriching experiences we’ve ever had.

We now understand some of the ranging aspects of indie development, from general development, working collaboratively, grasping the business aspect to learning how to take an idea and make it a reality. This opportunity has been an invaluable chance to hone our skills, and we are all excited about our future and careers from this moment onward.

Rory Thomson, Programmer at Pocket Sized Hands in Dundee said:

Tranzfuser has been a bit of a wild ride. So many ups and downs over the course of the 10 weeks – from being invited to the Valve offices in Seattle to game breaking bugs that took a few days to fix.

Game development comes with a wide range of emotions and as you can imagine at times it can be pretty stressful. But with the support from the UK Games Talent team, we have got Honeypot Espionage to a stage where we are excited to show it off at EGX and we can’t wait for the public to get their hands on it.

Laura Wells, Team Leader at Mochi Software in Cardiff said:

After graduating, it’s tough to know what steps will help you ‘breakthrough’ into the games industry. That was especially true for us with the aspiration to start up our own studio. Tranzfuser has given us guidance at a crucial point of our development. Most importantly, it has allowed us to make a little magic!

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The Tranzfuser competition is unique in being a UK-wide talent programme linked directly to a prototype fund allowing new teams to benefit from grants and peer to peer interaction with a host of other early stage games development companies. 85% of the UK Games Fund and Tranzfuser’s spend to date has been outside London.

Teams that secured support from UKGF in the first Tranzfuser in 2016 are now successful studios. Cold Sun Studios and Miracle Tea Studios are both working towards release of their funded projects.

Outside of Tranzfuser, the UK Games Fund supports young start-ups who can apply for funding. Companies such as White Paper Games (based in Manchester) and Coatsink (based in Sunderland) are both excelling as established indie games developers.

Since first being selected for funding, Coatsink has grown significantly with nearly 50 employees in the business and further growth plans to take that number up in the next couple of quarters. Their latest VR title, the critically-acclaimed Augmented Empire, was released in July.

Eddie Beardsmore, Chief Operations Officer at Coatsink said:

“Coatsink expanded rapidly over the last year. Due to our current project roster of over a dozen titles – all in various stages of development – we’re looking to employ a further 15 to 20 developers by April next year.

“We continue to develop for multiple platforms and recently announced a partnership with Nintendo to bring our much-loved platformer Shu to the Nintendo Switch later this year. The UK Games Fund has provided a huge amount of support for the studio and we wouldn’t be in this amazing position without them.”

White Paper Games, a team of graduate colleagues who were supported by YEAR (the predecessor to the UK Games Fund) is doing incredibly well with the imminent release of a much-anticipated game The Occupation.

Pete Bottomley, Co-Founder of White Paper Games said:

“Working with the UKGF has been a great experience. The fund afforded us the additional time to push the quality and design of the game which ultimately allowed us to announce it in a strong position. This was instrumental to The Occupation’s early success and interest and without this, I don’t believe we would be in the position we are now. I can’t recommend and praise the fund enough.”

The participating teams and hubs are:

Teesside Launchpad, Teesside University (North East England)

Fox Byte Games


Futureworks Media School (North West England)

Broken Pixel Studios 


Foxtrot 203


University of Bradford* (West Yorkshire) 


Gebba Games


University of Huddersfield, Enterprise Team (West Yorkshire)

Giant Games 


Nocturnals 


Shuttershade Studios

Sheffield Hallam University (South Yorkshire) 


Final Forge 


Inside Out Games 


Grim Inc 


Brunel University (London)

A Loaded Teaspoon 


Drift 


Slime Time Studios 
Eastern Enterprise Hub (South East England) 


IndieByte


Wrexham Glyndwr University (North Wales) 


Ethereal 


Round Square Studios 


Static Shell Studios 


University of South Wales (South Wales) 


Mochi Software 
 Dark Planet Studios 


Filthy Fresh 
Northern Ireland Screen (Northern Ireland) 


No Piknik


Abertay University (East Scotland)

Pocket Sized Hands

Glasgow Caledonian University (West Scotland)

Pioneer Games



News story: MHRA statement on Essure devices

Advice for women following the decision by Bayer to withdraw the Essure device from the European Market.

Bayer has advised the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency that they are withdrawing the Essure Device from the European Market.

The manufacturer has advised this is a commercial decision and is not related to any safety concerns and the device will continue to be available in the USA. They have also advised there is no need for women to have their device removed.

Patient safety is our highest priority and there is currently no evidence to suggest any increased risk to patient safety. Any women with questions should speak to their GP or healthcare professional.

We encourage any woman who has experienced a complication from her Essure device to report this to us through the Yellow Card scheme, regardless of how long ago the implant was inserted.