Month: April 2026

Farmer Autocare Joins with Kerr’s Tyres Group in new chapter of investment and expansion

Farmer Autocare has been acquired by Belfast-based Kerr’s Tyres Group, bringing together two family-run organisations with strong community roots and a shared long-standing commitment to looking after their customers and people.

Founded by Sir Tom Farmer in 2003, Farmer Autocare is recognised as one of Scotland’s most successful car maintenance and servicing businesses. The Company has grown rapidly over recent years and now operates 21 sites across Scotland, employing almost 200 people, many of whom have been with the Company since its beginning.

Strong staff retention, coupled with Farmer’s major focus on training and development, has created one of the most talented teams in the sector. 

Farmer Autocare will continue to operate in Scotland under its existing management team, led by Managing Director, Colin McNeill, providing stability and continuity for both colleagues and customers.

Kerr’s Tyres Group was founded in 2002 by Norman Kerr in Antrim and has grown to be a trusted business with over 27 retail sites, a large commercial tyre business and a successful tyre distribution group. The retail business has a strong customer service focus providing tyres, services, maintenance and repair across Ireland.

Over the next five years Kerr’s Tyres Group plans to expand to 250 sites throughout the UK. Backed by its investors, Chiltern Capital, this expansion will be achieved by acquiring industry leading businesses, like Farmer Autocare, to create a national chain of centres.

A spokesperson for The Farmer Family said: “The Farmer Autocare business has been built and grown on the key principles that Sir Tom Farmer brought to the car maintenance and servicing sector over his sixty years in the business.

“Look after your customers by offering good value with excellent customer service and look after your people by giving them quality jobs and great opportunities. 

“When Kerr’s Tyres Group approached us we quickly recognised a shared belief in how our businesses should operate and a natural fit between the two organisations.

“We also saw an opportunity to accelerate the expansion plans that were already in place for Farmer Autocare.

“There are tremendous prospects ahead for Farmer Autocare under the guidance of an experienced owner such as Norman Kerr with ambitious plans.

“This will be good for Scottish motorists and good for all colleagues at Farmer Autocare.”

Commenting on the acquisition, Norman Kerr, Founder and CEO of Kerr’s Tyres Group, said: “Farmer Autocare is an exceptional business, built on genuine care for customers and colleagues, values that very much mirror our own.

“We aim to continue delivering what makes Farmer Autocare so successful and share those best practices across Kerr’s Tyres Group, whilst providing operational scale to both businesses.  

“Our growth and investment plans will create new opportunities for colleagues, while ensuring the Farmer Autocare standards and ways of working, are embedded as we expand.

“Together, we will help the business move forward without changing what makes it special.

“Having worked for Sir Tom Farmer much earlier in my career, it is an absolute privilege to build on what he created and help the team thrive for decades to come.

“Community matters to both of us and we understand the responsibility that comes with serving customers who rely on us every day.”

Looking ahead to the future, Colin McNeill, Managing Director of Farmer Autocare, said: “This is an incredibly exciting day for us all in Farmer Autocare. 

“The Kerr’s Tyres Group investment creates tremendous opportunities for our people.

“Their ambitious growth plans for our already successful business, will mean we expand our centres even faster and offer our great value for money service to even more Scottish customers.”

Employment Rights Act 2025: What’s changing from 6 April

TUC GUIDE

A further wave of employment rights introduced under the Employment Rights Act 2025 came into force yesterday (6 April).

Trade union campaigning has delivered a transformative package of new rights. The April changes will improve statutory sick pay for millions of workers, enable more working parents to take leave and give more workers a voice at work, by making it easier for unions to get recognised by employers for the purposes of representation and negotiation. 

But changes delivered by the ERA will go much further than just these protections, with wide ranging new rights coming into force in a staggered timetable.

The first tranche of rights, which revoked large sections of anti-trade union legislation came into force on the 18 February 2026.

Further rights are scheduled to come into force on October 6 2026, with many more to follow in 2027. 

Keep an eye on our Employment Rights Act homepage for further details.

What’s changing from April 6?

Statutory sick pay 

No more earnings threshold and no more waiting days. All eligible employees can receive Statutory Sick Pay regardless of how much they earn. From their first full day of sickness absence. 

Day one rights to Paternity Leave or Unpaid Parental Leave  

Currently there are lengthy qualifying periods before working parents become entitled to paternity and parental leave. Both types of leave will become “day one” rights. Employees will also be able take Paternity Leave and Pay after Shared Parental Leave and Pay (currently they can’t). 

Stronger protections against unfair redundancy  

If an employer fails to comply with collective redundancy consultation obligations, employees may be entitled to a higher “protective award” (fine paid by the employer). The maximum protective award that an employment tribunal can make where an employer has not properly consulted during large scale redundancies – is increasing from 90 days’ pay to 180 days’ pay. 

Whistleblowing protections – sexual harassment 

Workers will have stronger legal protection if they ‘blow the whistle’ on sexual harassment at work. If a worker makes a whistleblowing disclosure about sexual harassment they may be protected from detriment (adverse treatment) and dismissal by their employer, as long as certain conditions are met. 

New Fair Work Agency enforcement body 

A new government agency called the Fair Work Agency will: 

  • Bring together enforcement of key workplace rights in one place.
  • Work closely with Acas to provide better support and guidance to workers about their rights.
  • Investigate employers who break the law.
  • Issue penalties to employers who don’t comply.
  • Enforce rights including the national minimum wage. 

Trade unions will have representation on the Fair Work Agency Advisory Board, ensuring workers’ voices are heard in how the agency operates. 

Easier union recognition 

The process for statutory recognition of a trade union has been simplified: 

  • When applying for recognition to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC), unions will no longer have to show that a majority of the bargaining unit is likely to support recognition. The requirement that ten per cent of the bargaining unit are members remains in place, although the government has committed to consult on lowering this later this year.
  • A simple majority voting in support will secure recognition. The requirement that 40 per cent of workers in the bargaining unit must vote in favour to achieve recognition will be abolished. 

What this means for you

The ERA will continue to transform the lives of all workers in years ahead. 

Improvements to statutory sick pay will mean that up to 9.6 million workers will have improved rights if they are unwell. Trade unions will be given groundbreaking new rights enabling them to access workplaces and speak to workers who have never seen or heard from trade unions before. 

And enforcement of core workplace rights will improve as the new Fair Work Agency is given new powers, a wider remit, and increased resources.  

The changes are too significant and too wide reaching to reference in one blog. But the TUC will be developing its guidance to reflect the new changes as they happen. 

More information

  • Learn about the full range of new rights in our guide.
  • Talk to your union rep about the new rights, think about how they might impact colleagues in your workplace and think about next steps.
  • Keep an eye out for an extensive, new Trade Union Education offering.
  • Share this with colleagues in your workplace. 

Specsavers teams celebrate clinical milestone as five colleagues qualify as audiology specialists

ACCESS to professional ear care health in Edinburgh has received a significant boost following the success of five colleagues completing rigorous clinical training.

The team at Specsavers Morningside and Cameron Toll stores are celebrating as five colleagues, Gillian Hudson, Isla Dowell, Jamie Raes, Samuel Jeffries and Larissa Barclay have gained their Audiology Clinical Assistant (ACS) qualification.

This milestone transforms the customer’s experience, allowing the newly qualified assistants to perform clinical tasks such as otoscopy and professional triage on the spot. 

The achievement highlights Specsavers’ commitment to ‘growing its own’ talent, taking staff members from diverse professional backgrounds and providing a career ladder in healthcare.

Jonathan Bell, audiology director at Specsavers Cameron Toll, says: ‘Having multiple ACS-qualified staff members is a total gamechanger for our stores. We now have specialist cover seven days a week at Cameron Toll and six days at our Morningside store.

“It empowers my team, reduces appointment bottlenecks, and ensures our senior audiologists can dedicate their time to customers with the most complex hearing needs. It proves that we don’t just provide hearing devices; we provide expert clinical care.’

For the local community, the qualification means immediate peace of mind. Patients who may have previously faced long waits for GP appointments can now walk into the stores for an instant hearing check. The ACS team can identify wax blockages or hearing concerns immediately, ensuring customers are placed on the correct clinical pathway from their very first interaction.

The newly qualified team adds: ‘Achieving this qualification is a proud moment for us. It represents more than a certificate; it’s a shows that Specsavers is invested in our long-term progression.

“Previously, we had to rely on busy audiologists to check for abnormalities, which often meant the customer had to wait. Now, we can look in their ears on the spot and provide personal and immediate care. It’s an exciting first step toward more advanced clinical roles.’

The transition from support roles to clinical professionals was supported by mentorship from the stores’ senior audiologists. Despite the challenge of balancing formal study with daily roles, the team notes that the discipline has prepared them for the high level of responsibility required in modern healthcare.

To book a hearing assessment, you can visit Jonathan and his team at:

https://www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/camerontoll or call 0131 672 9218, or at https://www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/morningside or call 0131 672 9218.

First wave of England’s Young Futures Hubs open ‘to turn the tide on youth services decline’

First eight ‘Young Futures Hubs’ opening in Birmingham, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, County Durham, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham and Tower Hamlets

  • Part of the National Youth Strategy, a network of 50 Hubs will provide joined-up services across mental health and wellbeing, employment and crime prevention
  • Next week the Government will launch its plan to halve knife crime within a decade to save lives, transform the futures of young people and protect communities across the country

Young people in eight locations across England are to benefit from the first ‘Young Futures Hubs’ opened by the Government. The hubs, targeted in areas with high levels of anti-social behaviour and knife crime, will:

  • Transform the lives of young people, cut crime and protect communities 
  • Divert them away from knife crime and anti-social behaviour
  • Provide them with services and advice to combat social isolation, mental health and unemployment
  • Give access to safe, trusted adults

Under the government’s National Youth Strategy, Youth Matters, the first eight of 50 Young Futures Hubs have opened or will shortly open in Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Durham, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham and Tower Hamlets.

Hubs will build on existing services, and create safe, welcoming spaces bringing a range of local support services under one roof. Young people aged 10-18 (and up to 25 for those with SEND) will have access to trusted adults who will provide wellbeing support, careers guidance, and positive activities like sport, arts and volunteering.

The government is committed to ensuring that success for young people is not determined by their background, and the hubs will also offer support for vulnerable children. These activities help divert young people away from knife crime and anti-social behaviour, as well as combat social isolation and mental health, and increase access to job opportunities for young people.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “The closure of over a thousand youth centres since 2010 didn’t just take away facilities, it took away community, connection and opportunity for a generation. We are determined to rebuild that.

“These hubs are about more than bricks and mortar, they’re a statement that this government believes in young people and is investing in their futures. What makes them different is that we’re joining things up – wellbeing support, crime prevention, work coaches, youth services, all in one place. 

“We’re making sure teenagers have somewhere to go, someone to talk to, and a real chance to thrive.”

This comes as the UK Government launches its plan to halve knife crime within a decade. Titled “Protecting Lives, Building Hope”, it will save lives, transform the futures of young people and protect communities across the country.

The Government will support young people so they get the best start in life, stop those at risk from turning to knife crime and police our streets to catch and punish perpetrators. 

In some areas, the Hubs will work with new multi-agency Young Futures Panels, to ensure children at risk of knife crime are provided with the support they need.  The panels bring together the police, children’s services, schools, and community organisations to identify vulnerable children early, spot risks that may otherwise go unnoticed, and ensure they are quickly referred into the right support before issues escalate. 

Sarah Jones, Policing Minister, said: “Knife crime devastates lives. Behind every statistic is a child who didn’t make it home, a family whose world has been shattered, and a community left with fear.

“This Government will halve knife crime within a decade, saving lives and protecting communities. We will roll out Young Futures Hubs in crime hotspots across the country to divert young people from violence, cut crime and protect communities.”

The Prime Minister has spoken of how young people have become “collateral damage” over the past decade, prompting the launch of the National Youth Strategy – the first in 15 years. The ambitious 10-year plan to rebuild youth services is backed by over £500 million of investment, and was designed in collaboration with more than 14,000 young people across England.

£70 million will be invested to establish 50 Young Futures Hubs and transform local youth services, rebuilding Local Authority capability after a decade of declining investment, with spending falling by 73% since 2010. As a result, many young people have been left without access to safe, supportive environments or a community to belong to, while reliance on online interaction has grown in the absence of face-to-face opportunities.

Minister for Youth and Civil Society Stephanie Peacock said: “When this Government developed the National Youth Strategy, we listened to over 14,000 young people from across the country.

“What came through clearly was that they wanted somewhere to go, something to do, and someone who cares. Young Futures Hubs are part our response to this and we are delighted to see the first eight up and running.

“Hubs are places where young people can belong, with trusted adults and positive activities all under one roof. Keeping young people safe and away from crime starts with making sure they have the right support around them, and that’s exactly what these hubs deliver.”

The Young Futures Hubs programme has been designed to respond directly to these challenges by creating welcoming, youth-led spaces where young people can enjoy real-life connections, with somewhere to go, something to do, and someone who cares for them.

From the Barca Leeds in Bramley to the Full Circle Docklands in Bristol, each hub has been co-designed with young people themselves, ensuring the atmosphere and activities reflect their true needs and passions.

The eight Young Futures Hubs have opened or will shortly open in the following locations:

  • Manchester: Young Futures Hub (YF Hub) network based across Moss Side Millenium Powerhouse (Moss Side), Manchester Youth Zone (Harpurhey), and Woodhouse Park Lifestyle Centre (Wythenshawe), with further outreach planned in six smaller neighbourhood hubs across the city. 
  • Birmingham: YF Hub to open in temporary location at Library of Birmingham before moving to permanent Cannon Street site from summer 2026. 
  • Brighton and Hove: Main YF Hub based at 67 Centre, with linked sites in central locations at Brighton Youth Centre, Tarner and Impact Initiatives, as well as in Hangleton and Knoll. Further offers in the east of the city are under development. 
  • County Durham: YF Hub based at Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre.
  • Bristol: Main YF Hub based at Full Circle Docklands, with enhanced provision and a connected network across five venues in Ashley, Central and Lawrence Hill wards, connecting the Hub with additional outreach in the community and schools. 
  • Tower Hamlets: YF Hub based at Haileybury Youth Centre in the central St Dunstan’s ward.
  • Leeds: Main YF Hub based at Barca Leeds in Bramley, with additional ‘spokes’ sites at LS-TEN in south Leeds and Imagination Station in east Leeds. 
  • Nottingham: Main YF hub based at Beaumont Street Community Centre with plans to work with partners to provide services for all children and young people to access across the City.

More information on specific provision at each site is available on request. 

New CEO for Eric Liddell Community

The Eric Liddell Community, the Edinburgh-based dementia care charity, is pleased to announce the appointment of Megan Veronesi as its new Chief Executive Officer, following a careful and considered recruitment process.

Megan formally takes up the role on 1 April 2026, succeeding John MacMillan, who has served as CEO since 2016.

Megan brings more than 15 years of experience across the third sector, having held senior roles at organisations including Royal Trinity Hospice, Firstport, and Edinburgh World Heritage. Most recently working as a freelance interim CEO and consultant, Megan has provided strategic leadership, guidance, and practical support to a broad range of charities and social enterprises.

She brings a strong track record in organisational leadership, with particular expertise in strengthening operations, diversifying and growing income, and increasing the impact of important charitable work.

Megan Veronesi, CEO of The Eric Liddell Community, said: “It is an honour to join The Eric Liddell Community as Chief Executive Officer. The charity plays a vital role in supporting people living with dementia and unpaid carers, while also serving as a vibrant and treasured community hub in the heart of Edinburgh. 

“I look forward to working closely with the team, volunteers and partners to build on these strong foundations and ensure long-term sustainability in an increasingly complex environment. Together, we can help to reduce loneliness and isolation for more people and families at some of the most challenging times in their lives.”

Irene Adams OBE, Chair of The Eric Liddell Community, added: “We are delighted to welcome Megan Veronesi as our new Chief Executive Officer.

“Megan’s breadth of experience and leadership within the sector make her exceptionally well placed to lead the charity through its next phase of development. We look forward to working with her to continue delivering meaningful impact for those we support.”

Megan joins the organisation at a pivotal time, following the publication of its 2026 manifesto, which outlines key priorities including improving support for people living with dementia, unpaid carers, and volunteers, as well as addressing ongoing challenges around third sector funding and the implementation of dementia policy. She will lead the organisation through its next phase of development, with a focus on expanding its reach and deepening its impact across the community.

To find out more about The Eric Liddell Community, please visit: 

The Eric Liddell Community.

Spring Fair at LifeCare

SUNDAY 12th APRIL 10.30am – 1.30pm

Join us on 12th April at our Community Hub in the heart of Stockbridge for our Spring Fair! Come along for a relaxed wander around a fantastic array of stalls, featuring delicious home baking, as well as treats from Chulos Cookies, Söderberg and The Pastry Section.

There’ll be fun for all ages, including games, a big prize raffle, and an exciting children’s drawing competition to design our Summer BBQ poster!

Join us in welcoming spring with a fun-filled family day out — all while supporting our charity.

📍 LifeCare Hub, 2 Cheyne Street, Stockbridge, EH4 1JB

🕥 10:30am – 1:30pm

Huge thanks to the National Lottery Community Fund and ScottishPower Foundation, whose generous funding has enabled us to make this event happen.

Join us on 12th April at our Community Hub in the heart of Stockbridge for our Spring Fair! Come along for a relaxed wander around a fantastic array of stalls, featuring delicious home baking, as well as treats from Chulos Cookies, Söderberg and The Pastry Section.

There’ll be fun for all ages, including games, a big prize raffle, and an exciting children’s drawing competition to design our Summer BBQ poster!

Join us in welcoming spring with a fun-filled family day out — all while supporting our charity.

📍 LifeCare Hub, 2 Cheyne Street, Stockbridge, EH4 1JB

🕥 10:30am – 1:30pm

Huge thanks to the National Lottery Community Fund and ScottishPower Foundation, whose generous funding has enabled us to make this event happen.\

Spring Fair – Sunday 12th April

Read to the Beat: Summer Reading Challenge 2026

It’s here! 🎶📚

We’re excited to reveal the official booklist for the Summer Reading Challenge 2026 – Read to the Beat! – along with this year’s incredible illustrations by Harry Woodgate.

This year’s collection features 55 amazing titles for all reading levels, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and graphic novels (plus dyslexia-friendly options). From rap and K-pop to orchestras and opera, there’s a whole world of music-inspired stories waiting to be discovered.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4sqP7aV

📅 Launch dates:

Scotland & online – 20 June

England & Wales – 4 July

The Summer Reading Challenge 2026, delivered in partnership with public libraries and powered by Universal Music Group UK, is almost here! Launching in June in Scotland and July in England and Wales, the Challenge invites children to embark on an exciting reading journey, either through their local library or online. This year’s theme, Read to the Beat!, celebrates the joy of music and the power it has to move, inspire, and connect us – all through the magic of reading. This year’s Challenge is brought to life with illustrations by award-winning author and illustrator, Harry Woodgate.

The 2026 Summer Reading Challenge collection features 55 captivating titles for different reading levels, spanning early readers, and middle grade titles, as well as dyslexia-friendly titles. With a rich mix of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and graphic novels, the collection has been carefully curated to get young readers tapping their feet and turning pages. The books will be available to borrow for free from public libraries. 

The Challenge is supported by publishers from across the UK and the official list includes titles such as Marching Band by Kael Tudor, Put Your Records On by Corinne Bailey Rae, Kofi and the Brand New Vibe by Jeffrey Boakye, The Adventures of Rap Kid by MC Grammar, and Glory Days in New Orleans! by Bïa. 

Libraries and schools can order this year’s books through their usual suppliers, with eBook and audiobook versions available for select titles. 

Every year, the Summer Reading Challenge plays a vital role in keeping children excited about books. This year’s collection is particularly special as it celebrates the universal language of music – from drumming and dancing to orchestras, opera, rap, K-pop and everything in between. We are proud to work with libraries and publishers to bring these fantastic books to children across the UK. 

Please note these titles have been broadly divided into age categories for the Summer Reading Challenge Book Collection but you can find more specific age ratings, including any relevant content warnings, on publisher websites to ensure a title is suitable for your child.

Read to the Beat! 2026 Book Collection 

For younger readers (ages 4–7) 

  • The Very Noisy House – Sally Nicholls, illustrated by Gosia Herba (Andersen Press) 
  • Music of the Mountains – Sabrina Shah, illustrated by Manal Mirza (Barefoot Books) 
  • The Missing Piece – Jordan Stephens, illustrated by Beth Suzanna (Bloomsbury) 
  • Busy Little Fingers: Music – Eva Wong Nava, illustrated by Eleonora Marton (Bonnier Books – Big Picture Press) 
  • Some Bears – Christian Foley, illustrated by Rob Turner (Caboodle Books) 
  • Tree Whispers – Mandy Ross, illustrated by Juliana Oakley (Child’s Play) 
  • My Little Drummer – Sian Radford, illustrated by Gwen Millward (Farshore) 
  • Bhangra Boogie – Hena Khan, illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat (Farshore) 
  • 1, 2, 3, Do the Unicorn – Michelle Robinson, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw (Farshore) 
  • ABC of Opera: Romantic – Mark Llewelyn Evans, illustrated by Karl Davies (Graffeg) 
  • Listening to the Quiet – Cassie Silva, illustrated by Frances Ives (Lantana) 
  • The Life-Changing Magic of Drumming – Nandi Bushell, illustrated by Andrea Stegmaier (Magic Cat Publishing) 
  • The Elephant and the Piano – Colette Hiller, illustrated by Nabila Adani (Magic Cat Publishing) 
  • Songs in the Shade of the Cherry Tree – Nathalie Soussana, illustrated by QU Lan (The Secret Mountain) 
  • The Piano – Joaquin Camp (The Secret Mountain) 
  • The Rock Family Band – Robert Tregoning, illustrated by Laura Brenlla (Oxford University Press) 
  • The Twirly Wiggly Dance – Farrah Riaz, illustrated by Navya Raju (Oxford University Press) 
  • Little Sheku and the Animal Orchestra – Sheku Kanneh-Mason, illustrated by Rekha Salin (Penguin) 
  • The Wonder – Tom Percival (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books) 
  • But Dancing is for Girls! – Gyasi Sheppy, illustrated by Ola Snimshchikova (Sweet Cherry) 
  • Coorie Doon – Jackie Kay, illustrated by Jill Calder (Walker Books) 
  • Skipping to Sammy’s Beat – Coral Vass, illustrated by Blithe Fielden (New Frontier Publishing) 
  • Marching Band – Kael Tudor, illustrated by Kate Hindley (Nosy Crow) 
  • Meet the Mubbles – Liz Pichon (Macmillan Children’s Books) 
  • Carnival Queen – Donette Williams-Harry, illustrated by Amélie-Anne Calmo (Little Tiger) 
  • All the Wonderful Ways to Move – Laura Baker, illustrated by Sandra de la Prada (Little Tiger) 
  • Doggy Dance Off – Steve Smallman, illustrated by Robert Starling (Little Tiger) 
  • Put Your Records On – Corinne Bailey Rae, illustrated by Gillian Eilidh O’Mara (Fox & Ink Books) 
  • The Big Time Boogie-Woogie Animal Band – Giles Andreae, illustrated by Nick East (Hachette Orchard Books) 
  • The Paper Piano – Rachel Ip, illustrated by Natelle Quek (Hodder Children’s Books) 

For older readers (ages 8–11) 

  • I Tell Myself I’m Awesome – Joshua Seigal, illustrated by Chris Piascik (Bloomsbury Education) 
  • Raising the Roof – Jack Pepper, illustrated by Michele Bruttomesso (Bonnier Books – Templar Books) 
  • Girl on the Fly – Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl (David Fickling Books) 
  • Be More Olivia Rodrigo (DK) 
  • Rebel Girls Rock: 25 Tales of Women in Music (DK – Rebel Girls) 
  • The Color of Sound – Emily Barth Isler (Carolrhoda Books) 
  • Hari Kumar: Ultimate Superstar – Rashmi Sirdeshpande, illustrated by Mamta Singh (HarperCollins Children’s Books) 
  • Melody Queen – Puneet Bhandal (Lantana) 
  • Glory Days in New Orleans! – Bïa, illustrated by Fanny Berthiaume (The Secret Mountain) 
  • Gordon Starts a Band – Alex Latimer (Oxford University Press) 
  • Isadora Moon and the Pop Stars – Harriet Muncaster (Oxford University Press) 
  • Space Band – Tom Fletcher (Puffin) 
  • Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diper Överlöde – Jeff Kinney (Puffin) 
  • Lil’ Muffin Drops the Mic – Romesh Ranganathan, illustrated by James Lancett (Puffin) 
  • Happy Hills: Attack of the Giant Danger Kittens – Sophy Henn (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books) 
  • The Adventures of Rap Kid – MC Grammar (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books) 
  • The Magic Piano: Dahlia and the Land Without Music – James B Partridge, illustrated by Laura Wood (Sweet Cherry) 
  • Skylar and the K-Pop Head Teacher – Luan Goldie (Walker Books) 
  • You VS the Poison Plot – Josh Hicks (Walker Books) 
  • My School Musical and Other Punishments – Catherine Wilkins, illustrated by Katie Abey (Nosy Crow) 
  • Running My Own Race – Abena Eyeson (Nosy Crow) 
  • Hunt for the Golden Scarab – M. G. Leonard, illustrated by Manuel Sumberac (Macmillan Children’s Books) 
  • The Piano at the Station – Helen Rutter, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli (Barrington Stoke) 
  • Kofi and the Brand New Vibe – Jeffrey Boakye (Faber) 
  • How to Build an Orchestra – Mary Auld, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli (Hachette Wayland) 

Find out more about the Challenge by visiting the official Summer Reading Challenge website for competitions, book recommendations, and activities throughout the year.

The Read to the Beat! Summer Reading Challenge launches on Saturday 20 June 2026 in Scotland and online, and on Saturday 4 July 2026 in England and Wales. Children can sign up at their local library to join the adventure and discover how music and stories make the world come alive. 

Sign up to the Summer Reading Challenge bulletin to stay up to date. 

Read more about the books here.

Get ready to join the challenge, find your rhythm, and let reading move you all summer long 💃🕺

@andersenpress

@barefootbooks

@BarringtonStoke

@BloomsburyKids

@templarbooks

@BigPicturePress

@ChildsPlayBooks

@davidficklingbooks

@dkbooks.uk

@FaberBooks

@FarshoreBooks

@UCLANPublishing

@lernerbooks

@graffegbooks

@hachettechildrensgroup

@hodderbooks

@HarperCollinsPublishersUK

@lantanapublishing

@LittleTigerBooks

@newfrontierpublishinguk

@NosyCrow

@OUPAcademic

@PuffinBooks

@penguinbooks

@Simonandschuster

@SweetCherryPublishing

@walkerbooks

Britain’s innovators backed with around £100m of new investment

  • £100 million of new investment a year unlocked as entrepreneurship tax relief package comes into force.
  • Package includes significant expansion of Enterprise Management Incentives scheme, Enterprise Investment Scheme, and Venture Capital Trusts.
  • Wider support measures include the British Business Bank’s Five-Year Strategic Plan and three years of UK Listings Relief.

Entrepreneurs, start-ups and scale-ups are to receive a boost as a package to unlock private investment and double tax reliefs is brought into force.

The changes implemented today (6 April 2026) at the start of the new tax year include:

  • Significantly expanding the number of companies eligible for the Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI) scheme, further supporting companies to attract and reward talent.
  • Doubling the amount a company can raise through the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Venture Capital Trusts (VCT) to boost investment through additional tax relief through these schemes.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves introduced the package for entrepreneurs at Budget 2025, and together these changes are expected to support around £100 million of additional investment a year.

The EMI is a world-leading tax advantaged share scheme which allows eligible companies to offer their employees options to acquire tax-advantaged shares. EIS and VCT provide a range of tax reliefs for investors to encourage investment in higher-risk, early-stage companies that face the biggest challenges in accessing growth capital.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said: “I am backing business with a more active state that’s making big commitments to industry. I have taken steps to unlock £100 million a year for new investment in the businesses founded by our wealth creators so they can access the finance critical to their success.”

The expansion to EMI will include quadrupling the gross assets test from £30 million to £120 million while both the employee limit, and company share option limit, will be doubled from 250 to 500, and £3 million to £6 million, respectively.

This is expected to support around 1,800 of the highest growth scale-up companies in sectors including financial technology, life sciences, and AI over the next five years, allowing them to reward an estimated 70,000 employees.

The EIS and VCT lifetime company investment limits will double to £24 million, and the annual company investment limits will increase to £10 million. The gross assets test will increase to £30 million before share issue, and £35 million after.

The government is backing the UK’s most innovative companies. Knowledge intensive companies using EMI, EIS and VCTs benefit from higher asset and investment limits so they can continue to benefit from the schemes as they scale.

Income Tax relief available for those investing in VCTs will be reduced from 30% to 20%, to better balance the amount of upfront tax relief compared to EIS, and incentivising funds to seek out higher returns to ensure they are targeting the highest growth companies.

As part of the package, the government launched a Call for Evidence at Budget 2025 to gather evidence from founders, scaling companies and investors, on tax policy support for investment in high-growth UK companies. The consultation closed in February and the government will respond in due course.

The government is also supporting scale-ups to list in the UK as the Chancellor announced at the Budget, in an international first, UK Listing Relief – a three-year exemption from Stamp Duty Reserve Tax for companies listing in the UK. This will boost the trading volumes and share prices of UK scale-ups that take the next step and list in the UK.

Today’s package comes on top of the British Business Bank’s (BBB) new Five-Year Strategic Plan – a step‑change in how it will support small businesses, including scaling companies, using its increased permanent financial capacity of £25.6 billion.

The BBB will invest at least £5 billion in growth-stage funds and scale-up companies, and the government has also asked the BBB to explore using its existing financial guarantee capacity to support IP-backed lending.

Stakeholder responses:

Carolyn Dawson, CEO at Founders Forum Group, said: “The UK has always been a brilliant place to start a company and today’s reforms are a positive step towards making it just as compelling a place to scale.

“We’re particularly pleased to see the expansion of the EMI scheme: giving more employees a genuine stake in the companies they’re building is one of the most powerful ways to attract talent and reward the risk-takers who drive British innovation forward. But keeping Britain’s best companies at home requires an ongoing commitment from all of us to back British success stories.

“When British innovation thrives, it translates directly into better jobs, higher wages, and a more resilient economy for everyone.”

Eva Barboni, Executive Director of Enterprise Britain, said: ““Britain needs more companies to make the leap from start-up to scale-up to global champion.

“These measures speak directly to two of the three pillars we set out as urgent priorities in our most recent report: access to capital and the ability to attract and retain talent. The changes to the EMI scheme are particularly important.

“Talent is the lifeblood of high-growth firms, and widening access to share ownership will help more British scale-ups attract and retain the people they need to compete globally. It will also help ensure that the benefits of those companies’ success are shared more widely.”

Dom Hallas, Executive Director, Startup Coalition: “Expanding EMI is a genuine win for the startup ecosystem – it gives high-growth companies far more room to compete for talent, which is ultimately what drives scaling success.

“The improvements to EIS will also help unlock more capital into early-stage businesses, particularly in knowledge-intensive sectors where the UK has real comparative advantage.

“We are optimistic that next year we will see further improvements to the tax landscape for founders, following the ongoing call for evidence.”

Irene Graham OBE, CEO at ScaleUp Institute, said: “It is very good to see the commitments made in the Budget now being fully enacted. The changes now in effect for EIS / VCT / EMI make a tangible difference to businesses scaling across sectors and geographies as they progress their global growth ambitions.

“The long-term increased capacity of the British Business Bank and practical solutions that are now deployed such as the British Growth Partnership Fund, alongside Venture Link, are vital enablers, working with the private sector, to build and increase critical scaleup investment into our innovative scaling firms across the country.

“These packages, alongside the Government’s listing relief; further review of tax policy to support investment in high-growth UK companies and focus on how to evolve IP lending, are clear signals to encourage businesses to start, scale and stay in the UK.”

Thousands to be supported into work as Westminster government reforms welfare system

Hundreds of thousands of sick or disabled people will be offered voluntary help towards employment as part of a package of measures coming into force today (6 April) that will encourage work and save taxpayers around £1 billion.

  • Incentives that discourage work and trap people on benefits to be removed via legislation coming into force today.
  • Nearly £1 billion taxpayer money expected to be saved thanks to measures to narrow the gap between payments for people on health-related benefits and those actively seeking work.
  • Comes alongside employment support package of £3.5 billion, with 65,000 disabled people or those with health conditions already given tailored help.

The system inherited from the previous Government encouraged more people to stay on benefits without support to move into work.

Reforms coming into force today will change that, tackling perverse incentives by introducing a lower Universal Credit health element rate of £217.26 per month for new claimants, compared to the higher rate of £429.80.

Those with the most severe, lifelong conditions, those nearing end of life, and all existing Universal Credit health claimants will continue to receive the higher rate.

Anyone affected by the changes to Universal Credit will be entitled to voluntary employment support, with more than 65,000 people with limited capability for work and work-related activity taking up the offer since March 2025 – exceeding the target.

And as the UK Government continues to bear down on the cost of living, the changes will also see almost four million households on the standard rate of Universal Credit receive a boost worth around £295 extra this year in cash terms, around £110 above inflation, for a single person aged 25 or over.

Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms said: “The welfare system we inherited has for too long locked disabled people and people with long term conditions out of work.

“Laws coming into force today will change that, reducing projected expenditure on Universal Credit by almost £1 billion.

“Simultaneously boosting the standard allowance and investing £3.5 billion in employment support means we’re creating a welfare system that backs people to work and helps them build a better future.”

From 8 April, customers (? – Ed.) with limited capability for work or work-related activity will also see a new notification on their Universal Credit account giving information on the support available and allowing them to opt in to being contacted to find out more about the support.

This will trigger a conversation with a Pathways to Work adviser, who can offer personalised appointments and refer individuals to programmes such as Connect to Work, WorkWell, or local Trailblazer schemes.

The changes come alongside the £3.5 billion investment the Government is making to help disabled people and those with long-term health conditions move closer to the labour market, offering personalised support aimed at improving employment and living standards.

This includes the Connect to Work programme, which will provide tailored help to 300,000 people over the next five years, and the groundbreaking WorkWell programme, set to support a further 250,000 people to stay in or return to work.

With 2.7 million people on Universal Credit assessed as having limited capability for work- and work-related activity, the tailored employment support aims to open up opportunities and remove barriers to work, rather than leave people stuck on benefits.

Additional information

  • Based in every Jobcentre across England, Wales and Scotland, the advisers offer one-to-one support to people with Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) status – those who receive benefits without any requirement to look for work
  • The Act delivers the first sustained, above inflation uplift to UC’s standard allowance. The four rates of standard allowance will rise above the rate of inflation in each of the years from 2026/27 to 2029/30. From April 2026, monthly rates increase to:
    • £338.58 – Single under 25
    • £424.90 – Single 25+
    • £528.34 – Couple under 25
    • £666.97 – Couple 25+
  • The previous system means that people receiving the Universal Credit health top-up were paid more than twice as much as a single person on the standard rate who is looking for work, without any support to move into employment.

Record monthly fuel price increases in March

Petrol and diesel increase by record monthly amounts

  • Diesel goes up by 40p in a month – 18p more than the previous record set four years ago
  • 20p monthly hike in the average price of petrol surpasses June 2022 record of 16.6p
  • Full tanks of petrol and diesel go up by £11 and £22 in March

The average prices of petrol and diesel both increased by record monthly amounts in March on the back of the conflict in Iran, analysis of RAC Fuel Watch data reveals.*

A litre of unleaded rose by 20p from 132.83p on 1 March to 152.83p by the end, surpassing the previous all-time biggest monthly jump of 16.6p seen at the end of June 2022 when petrol went up from 174.84p to 191.43p.

The increase in the average price of diesel was even more dramatic, going up 40p in March to 182.77p from 142.38p – almost doubling the previous record rise of 22p seen in March 2022 where the price went from 155.23p to 177.29p at the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Despite the record rises seen in March, average fuel prices are still some way off the all-time highs of summer 2022 when petrol peaked at an average of 191.5p (3 July) and diesel at 199p a litre (25 June).

The sudden hikes have added £11 to the cost of filling a 55-litre family car, which now stands at nearly £84 (£84.06), and £22 for the diesel equivalent, with a tank topping £100 (£100.52)

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “March has been truly unprecedented – fuel prices have never risen this fast in a single month. But while this is the biggest pence-per-litre increase ever in a month, it’s not as great in real terms as those seen during the 1973 oil crisis when the price of a barrel quadrupled.

“The increases drivers have had to endure in March 2026 far exceed those seen in the early days of the war in Ukraine. 

“While the monthly rise in a litre of petrol is bad enough, the jump in the cost of diesel is even harder to swallow at 40p a litre – 18p more than the previous monthly record. With long-term RAC research showing eight-in-10 people are dependent on their vehicles, these costs must really be taking their toll on both households as well as businesses.

“Ahead of the Easter getaway, which is expected to be the busiest on the roads since 2022 with nearly 21m leisure journeys planned, we urge drivers to fill up as usual and to use the myRAC app to find the cheapest forecourts near them.”

Drivers looking to save money on their fill-ups should take advantage of the fuel finder feature in the free myRAC app. The app can be downloaded for free from the App Store or Google Play, and drivers don’t need to be RAC members to use it. Up to 10 searches a day can be made over a two, five or 10-mile radius, with each giving the five cheapest prices. 

The RAC Fuel Watch web page has more information about the average price of petrol and diesel at the big four supermarkets and at motorway services.

It also features graphs showing average prices since 2000 as well as a daily financial breakdown of the cost of a litre of petrol and diesel.