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What happens when you gather together some of the most inspirational talents in the Operational Delivery Profession (ODP) to celebrate their achievements?
You get one of the most exciting, emotionally-charged and surprise-filled days in the Civil Service calendar, that’s what. We’re talking about our sixth annual ODP Celebration Event and this year it took place on Thursday 6 February.
Representing 28 different government departments or agencies, almost 220 ODP colleagues – each of whom had been nominated for a Civil Service Award in the previous year – joined us for this special day in London.
It’s the calibre of its people that makes the government’s largest profession such a resounding success and this is something that the Celebration Event showcases perfectly. Each of the individuals and teams present was invited on stage to receive a Certificate of Excellence in recognition of their achievements. The certificates were presented by a range of guest VIPs, who also gave their own presentations and words of appreciation for ODP’s work. Want to know who our very special presenters were? Find out by logging in and reading our full-length review of the event.
In an agenda packed with highlights, some of the most moving and emotional moments of the 2020 Celebration Event were delivered by our ODP colleagues themselves. Given the opportunity to speak, they each told remarkable, inspirational stories that often involved acts of courage, kindness and commitment in the name of helping others. Although these speakers represented vastly different areas of work, from civil protection to benefit claims processing, they were united in their pride at being part of the Operational Delivery Profession.
Read the article here – The Brilliant Civil Service – you’re it!
One Lancashire-based business benefiting from this health and wellness trend is Private Label Nutrition. The UK contract manufacturer of vitamins, supplements and powders has seen a 75% increase in overseas sales during the last 12 months, with exports to countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) soaring due to a demand for vitamin D in the sun-drenched region.
The company has secured two new contract wins in the UAE with support from the Department for International Trade (DIT) after attending a trade show in Dubai to further capitalise on their share of the market.
The Middle East is our biggest growth market and in the last 12 months we have seen a 35% increase in exports to the GCC.
Paradoxically, despite the intense sunshine in the region, we have seen a growing demand for our vitamin D supplements, especially in the UAE. Deficiencies of the ‘sunshine vitamin’ are widespread among the population due to the soaring temperatures limiting time spent outdoors.
As a small business with limited exporting experience, DIT have given us the confidence and knowledge that we need to succeed in these growing markets.
The GCC provides a lucrative market for British products and services, with latest figures showing that the UK’s annual exports to the GCC are worth £28.4 billion.
The UAE is the UK’s largest trading partner in the region and as Dubai prepares to welcome 190 nations to Expo 2020 Dubai in October, this year presents exciting opportunities for both the UAE and UK to strengthen their trade relations.
It is great to see innovative British companies like Private Label Nutrition exporting to dynamic international markets.
Success stories such as these illustrate just how profitable exporting can be, with overseas consumers increasingly looking for British products and premium quality brands.
I would urge other businesses looking to export to call your local DIT office so that we can support your business on its exporting journey.
Smarta Security Limited was incorporated in November 1999 and the company supplied security and cleaning services from premises in Churwell, Leeds.
Marc Neville Green (54), from Leeds, had been appointed a director of the company since it was incorporated. 16 years later, however, the company struggled financially and following negotiations, Marc Green sold his shareholding to a third party.
While Marc Green had resigned as a director of Smarta Security in January 2016, his activities were put under the spotlight after the security and cleaning firm entered into liquidation in February 2016.
While winding-up Smarta Security, liquidators uncovered that the company had failed to pay the correct amount of tax. Further investigations by the Insolvency Service confirmed that Smarta Security had left a large deficiency to creditors, including the tax authorities.
In October 2019, the Secretary of State accepted a disqualification undertaking from Marc Green in which he did not dispute that he caused Smarta Security to trade to the detriment of the tax authorities by failing to ensure that Smarta complied with its statutory obligations to submit returns and payments as and when due.
Effective from November 2019, Marc Green is banned for 5 years and 6 months from acting as a director or directly or indirectly becoming involved, without the permission of the court, in the promotion, formation or management of a company.
Ken Beasley, Official Receiver for the Insolvency Service, said:
Deliberate neglect of tax affairs is not a victimless action as it deprives the taxpayer of the funds needed to operate public services.
Company directors have a duty to ensure businesses meet their legal obligations, including paying taxes, and the Insolvency Service will take action against directors who do not take their obligations seriously and abuse their position of trust.
Marc Neville Green is from Leeds and his date of birth is April 1965.
Smarta Security Limited (Company number = 03871477)
Persons subject to a disqualification order are bound by a range of other restrictions.
You can also follow the Insolvency Service on:
Rural areas will benefit from a series of UK Government-funded trials to help them seize the potential of modern technology, the Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden announced today.
CoCore, a 5G testbed in south east Wales will receive £5m in UK Government funding to connect rural communities across Monmouthshire and Blaenau Gwent by demonstrating how 5G technology can be a force for good and open up new opportunities for businesses and citizens.
The project will provide innovative solutions in areas such as immersive tourism and farming security as key parts of the rural economy, whilst leveraging related technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things and cyber security as part of an as part of an ‘innovation platform’.
A total of nine projects across Wales, England and Scotland will receive a share of £35 million from our rural and industrial 5G competitions, and a new £30 million open competition – 5G Create – will look at how 5G can create new opportunities in industries including film, TV, video games, logistics and tourism.
These new trials will help spread the benefits of technology across the country and allow the UK to grasp an early advantage by using the new applications 5G networks can enable.
This forms part of our £200 million investment in testbeds and trials across the UK to explore new ways that 5G can boost business growth and productivity, improve the lives of people in rural areas and maximise the productivity benefits of new technologies. Our innovative trials will also support the UK Government’s ambition to diversify the supply chain for digital infrastructure in the UK, a key recommendation from the Supply Chain Review.
We’re determined that towns and villages in Wales aren’t left behind and get the world-class 5G connectivity they need to flourish.
With £5 million of UK Government funding, CoCore will prove that rural Welsh communities can harness the power of revolutionary 5G technology to transform rural businesses like agriculture, improve the way public services are delivered and tackle loneliness.
The UK Government is committed to eliminating the difference in connection between urban and rural areas whilst exploring innovative ways to use 5G technology to develop emerging industries, supporting our rural economy in Wales.
Today’s announcement is a great opportunity for rural parts of Wales to boost the productivity and capacity of their digital infrastructure and forms a key part of our plans to build a UK which is fit for the future.
I am delighted by this investment in Wales through the Rural Connected Communities Competition. This exciting project aligns with our ambition to exploit digital connectivity and cutting edge technologies to drive new markets and enhance economic growth across Wales.
We are committed to connecting communities. Digital infrastructure and 5G connectivity are critical to providing the services needed to provide social and economic prosperity.
The true measure of success will be what we do with 5G. I look forward to seeing how this project through its innovative partners, such as Cisco, can make the most of the benefits of this technology to realise positive social and economic impact here in Wales, and beyond.
5G has speeds up to ten times faster than 4G and will greatly increase mobile capacity across the UK, meaning more people will be able to get online and find and download the content they want, without slowdown.
But 5G is about more than a speedier internet connection. It uses technology that is far more advanced than that of our current mobile networks, so as time goes on it could transform the way we interact with critical services – from energy and water, to transport and healthcare.
It will also drive the adoption of new technologies such as driverless cars, remote healthcare and the ‘smart’ devices we increasingly use in our homes and at work.
The £65 million package announced today includes: