We are delighted to welcome our new permanent CEO, Sarah Van Putten, to the LifeCare family.
Sarah joins us as an experienced third sector Chief Executive, with a career in health and social care spanning 3 decades. For the last 6 years, Sarah has been supporting Befriending Networks across the UK, and tackling loneliness and isolation by influencing public policy.
On her appointment, Sarah said: “I am delighted to have joined the LifeCare team as permanent CEO.
“I bring a long track record of working within and managing social care organisations. I knew of LifeCare as my great Aunt was a client and I have always been impressed by the work they do.
“Since taking up post, the commitment and passion of the team has already become evident – with staff continuously going above and beyond for the people they support. I look forward to working closely with staff, our board of trustees and most importantly the clients to identify our priorities for the next 3 years.
“I hope to bring my wider experience of social isolation policy work to help Lifecare amplify the voices of those who use our services, so that we can continue to offer those “extra years of Zest” to the people in our communities that need it most.”
An Edinburgh media agency focused on connecting independent businesses with social media savvy students has expanded its presence in the UK and Africa thanks to support from Business Gateway.
Today Agency is a student-driven media agency based in Edinburgh. Launched in 2017, the agency assists independent businesses with creative content creation and social media management, while offering students the opportunity to gain essential practical and paid for industry experience.
Founder Jack Allan started the business whilst at university and, during the 2020 Covid lockdown, completed Business Gateway’s five-week programme ‘Gateway to Investment’ designed specifically to help start-ups grow and secure investment.
The programme provided him with advice on securing funding, covering aspects such as investor research, financial readiness and pitch presentation training.
Today Agency has since opened offices in Manchester and Newcastle, with clients across five UK cities and secured a partnership with The Challenges Group, opening offices in Kampala and Accra with plans to open three more throughout Africa.
Jack also accessed regular 1:1 support from his dedicated business adviser as part of Business Gateway’s Growth Service. He received a strategic review of the business plan to identify new opportunities and priorities, advice on PR and marketing, as well as specialist support in international expansion.
Jack Allan, founder of Today Agency, said: “Business Gateway gave me, as a leader, the opportunity to speak to mentors and think critically about the business. This helped greatly in assessing our next steps and has provided us a platform to successfully expand our business operations worldwide.
“There is a significant opportunity for our business to grow internationally over the coming years. Across Africa, we’re seeing dynamic ideas originating from the likes of Rwanda, Ghana and Uganda which is exciting. Businesses and young people across the UK and further afield are ambitious and we want to work with them.
“We have our sights set on becoming the world’s first global student-driven media agency and thanks to the clear advice and direction given by our Business Gateway adviser, we were able to develop our business and are well on our way.”
Lindsey Sibbald, adviser, Business Gateway, said: “It is wonderful to see how Today Agency has taken such an innovative concept and scaled it up with offices not only in the UK, but across the world.
“It is rewarding to see how Jack has achieved his goals, despite the pandemic, reaching a new market in which they are thriving by working with our team. We would encourage all businesses to get in touch and make use of the services we have at Business Gateway, if there are areas where support is needed.”
To find out how Business Gateway can help your business, visit:
Longevity of motorists driving ability put to the test
Those who don’t drive regularly exhibit more dangerous driving
Two thirds (41%) of Edinburgh motorists know someone who they think needs to retake their test
When it comes to driving, motorists must ‘use it or lose it’, new research has revealed. A recent opinion poll of Edinburgh drivers found that two thirds (60%) know someone who they think needs to retake their driving test, with nearly a third (28%) thinking that we should all have to retake our tests every decade.Continue reading Two thirds of Edinburgh drivers know someone who should resit their driving test
One in three employers regard soft skills as more important than academic achievements
In a poll of more than 500 senior managers commissioned by The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, 98% think young people should invest more time enhancing their soft skills
9 in 10 say young people with strong soft skills often progress faster in the workplace
Three quarters of employers think traditionally laid out CVs do not showcase young people’s soft skills in the best possible light
British Entrepreneur and Dragon’s Den investor, Sarah Willinghamis amongst the 82% who think ‘soft skills’ should be renamed to better reflect their importance
93% reveal they are more likely to employ a candidate who can demonstrate achievements beyond their curriculum studies, such as a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, with 86% looking more favourably on a candidate who shares evidence of volunteering and other extracurricular activities on their social media channels
As GCSE students across England and Wales await their results and prepare to enter the world of work or higher education, new research by youth charity The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) reveals the attitudes of UK business leaders when it comes to employing young people.
The polling has found 95% of UK senior managers regard soft skills as equally or more important than exam results alone, with 98% recommending young people invest more time in enhancing soft skills such as communication, teamwork and leadership, to get ahead of the game in the competitive job market.
9 in 10 of the business leaders surveyed revealed they are more likely to employ a candidate who demonstrates achievements beyond grades and those who show evidence of strong ‘soft skills’ often progress faster in the workplace.
British Entrepreneur and Dragon’s Den investor, Sarah Willinghamis amongst the 82% of employers who think the term “soft skills” does not adequately reflect their importance. “Real life skills” or “Core skills” would give the term more gravitas and better highlight the key message: when it comes to employability, the value of those skills cannot be underestimated.
It comes as no surprise to UK Businesswoman and Dragon’s Den investor, Deborah Meaden, that a third of UK employers are urging young people to value soft skills over academic achievements. Deborah said: “I would actively encourage young people to get involved in extracurricular activities and volunteering. Achieving a DofE Award is a brilliant way to gain recognition for all the effort put in and shows potential employers a candidate has great communication, confidence and teamwork skills, which are indispensable in the workplace.”
When it comes to receiving a young person’s CV, three quarters of senior managers say the traditional format does not showcase soft skills in the best possible light. Employers are urging candidates to flip traditional CVs on their heads, highlighting skills and experiences up front, to better reflect their skills and competencies outside of the curriculum.
Jayne-Anne Gadhia, Chief Executive at Virgin Moneyagrees and said: “There’s more to life than exams. I did 10 O Levels and got 5 ‘A’s and 5 ‘B’s. Sir Richard Branson left school without any qualifications and went on to launch the Virgin Group. Good exam results show you have the discipline to study hard and that’s important, but the right attitude will get you a long way. Be yourself. Find your purpose. Make a difference. Each and every one of us can change the world. Go out and find your way.”
As social media continues to be an increasingly popular tool at the hiring stage, over half (65%) of senior managers say they check a potential candidate’s online presence before recruiting and 86% state they look favourably on candidates who share evidence of volunteering and other extracurricular activities on their social media.
The DofE’s Chief Executive, Peter Westgarth, said: “The results demonstrate that a young person’s potential should not be measured solely on academic achievements. Whilst grades are of course important, they don’t showcase a young person’s full potential. Evidence of soft skills helps employers to see that a young person is more employable and that they will adapt to the workplace culture more easily and progress faster in the job.
“It’s therefore really important that young people are aware of this and have access to opportunities such as the DofE which is instantly recognised by employers as evidence of the skills for life and employability they are looking for. Over the years, our Charity has helped millions of young people from all walks of life to transform their lives, gain self-confidence and develop essential employability skills.”
