<div class="editor-cover-image" data-dimensions="780:300" data-pmr-editor-image="" style="background-image: url(&quot;https://leaders-council-web.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/store/30d2158c7c0b729694756c05eaeb18b7.jpg&quot;);"></div>

 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin">Just a month after three members of the governments LGBT advisement panel quit, the entire panel is set to be disbanded. A government spokesperson has said that a replacement for the panel would be set up in due course. Less than a month ago, Equalities minister Liz Truss, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-brings-together-sme-leaders-to-champion-lgbt-equality">chaired a meeting of SMEs</a> urging business leaders to do more to protect their LGBT Staff from bullying and harassment within the workplace. Liz Truss said ‘“We want everyone to be able to seize opportunities in the workplace without fear of discrimination or harassment.“There is clearly positive work being done by SMEs and self-employed business leaders to champion LGBT equality in the workplace and I want to ensure everyone can benefit from this.“As we build back better it is vital that everyone is able to contribute. Today’s event will help to ensure more businesses can share best practice and offer an environment where people can thrive.”The panel had been beset by problems after three members had quit in quick succession. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/10/government-adviser-quits-over-hostile-environment-for-lgbt-people">The last to quit was Ellen Murray</a>, the executive director of TransgenderNI, accusing ministers of acting “in appalling faith”.After she left the role she tweeted: “There’s precious little patience I have left for the government at this point, but with what remains: get your act together. Use the panel for what it was intended and actually prohibit conversion therapy. Stop deporting LGBT refugees. Drop the trans culture war.”The row around the panel has been exacerbated by the government seemingly dragging their feet to ban conversion therapy, initially promised more than three years ago. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56731460">A government spokesperson</a> said that ''The LGBT Advisory Panel was created under the previous administration and the term of all panel members ended on 31 March.



























"The Minister for Women &amp; Equalities has written to panel members to thank them for their contributions, and plans for a replacement for the Panel will be set out in due course’’</div>

Just a month after three members of the governments LGBT advisement panel quit, the entire panel is set to be disbanded. 

Government LGBT Panel set to disband

<div class="editor-cover-image" data-dimensions="780:300" data-pmr-editor-image="" style="background-image: url(&quot;https://leaders-council-web.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/store/4afc1948f206d552d788972af2a508ff.jpg&quot;);"></div>

 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin">Unified communications, contact centre and cyber solutions specialist, <a href="https://babble.cloud/">Babble</a>, has purchased <a href="https://www.81gblue.co.uk/">81G Blue</a>, its third acquisition in as many months. The deal, which forms part of Babble’s wider buy and build strategy, is the company’s seventh purchase since the beginning of last year and its third completed with the help of new private equity partner, <a href="https://www.graphitecapital.com/">Graphite Capital</a>.81G Blue is a fully managed IT solution service provider and will bolster Babble’s cyber capability. The deal for the company follows the <a href="https://www.leaderscouncil.co.uk/news/aiming-for-expansion-babble-acquires-activ-technology">purchase</a> of Tyneside-based <a href="https://babble.cloud/activ/">Activ Technology Ltd</a>, and <a href="https://babble.cloud/ultracomms/">Ultracomms</a>, which helped grow Babble’s presence in the Contact Centre as a Service [CCaaS] market.With bases in London, Burton and Newcastle now at its disposal, Babble is now supporting more than 3,000 different organisations in a range of sectors, including finance, health, education, travel and accommodation, and public services. It supports these companies by sourcing and deploying the very best cloud solutions to deliver greater efficiency, customer engagement and profitability, crucially whole protecting clients’ businesses.Babble chief executive, Matt Parker, commented: “We’re delighted to have completed this deal. The talented team at 81G Blue shares our ambition to enhance customers’ agility, efficiency and profitability and we’ve no doubt they’ll add significant value as we continue to strengthen our cyber business unit.“Our buy and build strategy has continued at pace in 2021. We have more acquisitions in the pipeline, as we seek high quality, innovative businesses that have the potential for further growth.”81G Blue CEO, Samantha Gibbs, said that she and her business were looking forward to joining the Babble corporate family.She said: “We’re incredibly excited to be joining Babble’s exceptional team as we continue to deliver world class support and services to our customers. We look forward to playing our part in their incredible story.”</div>

Unified communications, contact centre and cyber solutions specialist, Babble, has purchased 81G Blue, its third acquisition in as many months.

Babble acquires 81G Blue

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 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin">As was the case with so many businesses across the UK, the announcement of the Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020 left Brighton and Hove bakery business <a href="https://sugardough.co.uk/">Sugardough</a> facing an uncertain future. However, not only has the business managed to keep itself operating during the long months of restrictions, but it is set to undergo expansion on April 26 this year with the opening of new premises. The business already boasts a restaurant on Brighton’s Market Street, which has been in operation since 2015. Its other premises, situated in Hove’s Victoria Terrace, was its first unit and has been baking since 2009.Its newest unit will be situated in the new <a href="https://www.brightonandhoveindependent.co.uk/lifestyle/food-and-drink/brighton-food-hall-set-to-reopen-next-month-with-a-masterchef-on-board-3174777">Shelter Hall </a>food hall on Brighton’s seafront, will be entitled ‘Tart by Sugardough’ and is set to launch on April 26 and will showcase several local chefs and host a weekly events programme.Like its other premises, ‘Tart’ will also serve Sugardough’s signature products including hand-made cakes, tarts, croissants, and more.Sugardough co-owner, Julie Haylett, said that the opening of a new bakery unit so soon after lockdown comes as a welcome boost for the company, which will enable the business to take on a further five flexible staff members or two new members of staff on a full-time basis.She told <a href="https://www.brightonandhoveindependent.co.uk/business/consumer/bakery-business-is-on-the-rise-how-one-independent-brighton-and-hove-company-has-baked-its-way-through-the-lockdown-3191256">The Brighton &amp; Hove Independent</a>: “We are really pleased [about the Shelter Hall], it’s a really nice focus to pull us out lockdown. It’s really exciting, it’s a really nice and energising site and it’s great for the staff.”Significantly, what has helped provide Sugardough with the platform to expand post-lockdown has been its agility as a small business and the willingness of its team - from top to bottom - to pivot and find new ways to operate during the Covid-19 lockdown. Although Sugardough's senior leadership team was left with no choice but to close its restaurant and cookbook shop while lockdown rules remained in force, the business diverted to takeaway and delivery options to allow it to continue to operate while restrictions were in place, which have proven immensely popular.Reflecting on the previous 12 months, Haylett said: “We are quite pleased with how we have managed the last year. It was difficult and quite scary at first, having to close things down and not knowing what was going to happen. But we moved quickly and changed our offering quickly and our customers really supported us.“The bakery has done well. We were really pleasantly surprised that people were coming, and people started coming to us in bigger numbers than we were expecting.”In fact, the demand for Sugardough’s takeaway service grew to such an extent that Haylett and fellow co-owner, Kane McDowell, had to expand the takeaway product range and were able to increase the number of work hours for staff, which has been complemented by the government’s flexi-furlough scheme since it came into action.Similar demand was also heaped upon the bakery’s delivery service, which saw the Sugardough team and its one delivery van having to carry out several dozen deliveries every morning, for seven days a week.Looking back on some of the more difficult aspects of managing through the lockdown period, Haylett explained that the impact of having to close and reopen Sugardough’s businesses intermittently when restrictions were partially eased in the summer of last year before being reimplemented over autumn and winter, had been significant.She said: "The blunt numbers of the impact are stark. We had to close our restaurant three times in the last 12 months and reopen it twice, with a third reopening now coming up. We have also had to close our cookbook shop, Cookbookbake, three times and open it twice with the third time coming up on April 12. The impact on staff and the energy involved in closing down businesses cannot be underestimated."Very luckily, although we had to close our tables, our bakery in Hove has been open throughout and has been very well supported by locals. This has meant that we have been able to keep on most of our staff. A year ago, we started delivering locally and we still deliver every morning seven days a week."Although Cookbookbake, which doubles up as a demonstration kitchen, can fully reopen on April 12 in line with the return of outdoor hospitality, the Sugardough restaurant on Brighton’s Market Street will not reopen fully until May 17, the date that indoor hospitality can resume under the government’s <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-sets-out-roadmap-to-cautiously-ease-lockdown-restrictions">roadmap</a> out of lockdown.</div>

As was the case with so many businesses across the UK, the announcement of the Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020 left Brighton and Hove bakery business Sugardough facing an uncertain future.

Improvising and overcoming: Sugardough set for post-lockdown expansion

<div class="editor-cover-image" data-dimensions="780:300" data-pmr-editor-image="" style="background-image: url(&quot;https://leaders-council-web.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/store/ac1a6b335727804236799ecd098a2f81.jpg&quot;);"></div>

 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin">After a year of stop-start opening and restrictions on trade, the first step in a full re-opening of the economy has taken place on Monday 12th April. England has moved into step 2 of the ‘<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56068362">cautious but irreversible</a>’ easing of lockdown, meaning that hospitality can open outdoors alongside non-essential retail, gyms, zoos and beauty services. For hospitality businesses the rules around ‘track and trace’ have been strengthened with all members of the party needing to check in and details need to be kept for a minimum of 21 days. Hotels are to remain closed until May 17th but those that have self-contained accommodation have been allowed to re-open. For any venue that is selling alcohol customers will be required to order, consume &amp; pay at the table. Customers are to remain outside at all times unless using the bathroom or paying the bill. Any outdoor covered or ‘roofed’ area must have at least 50% of its walled area open to be used. Close contact services have re-opened including hairdressers, barbers &amp; spas, with restrictions on customer contact, in-shop waiting areas and music volume throughout the premises alongside urging staff to work in pairs in case of any positive tests. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/close-contact-services">The guidance provided to the sector </a>also encourages business to ‘’consider providing shorter, more basic treatments to keep the time to a minimum."While the government are moving forwards with the easing of lockdown restrictions the <a href="https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/matt-hancocks-stalling-tactics-rejected-20331420">court case to re-open hospitality</a> early led by Sacha Lord, the night time economy advisor for Greater Manchester, has been fast tracked through the High Court and will progress to the next phase on April 19th.





























Matt Hancock responded and stated that the Department of Health and Social Care 'opposes the case' and noted: "the Court is asked to refuse the Claimants’ request for expedition and to allow the claim to proceed on the normal timetable for judicial review."</div>

After a year of stop-start opening and restrictions on trade, the first step in a full re-opening of the economy has taken place on Monday 12th April. England has moved into step 2 of the ‘cautious but irreversible’ easing of lockdown, meaning that hospitality can open outdoors alongside non-essential retail, gyms, zoos and beauty services.

Hospitality and non-essential retail opens as Sacha Lord court case is expedited to the High Court

<div class="editor-cover-image" data-dimensions="780:300" data-pmr-editor-image="" style="background-image: url(&quot;https://leaders-council-web.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/store/309db435c315962277c38a095af0538c.jpg&quot;);"></div>

 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin">The Home Secretary, Priti Patel, has <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/visas-extended-for-thousands-of-frontline-health-and-care-workers">announced that frontline health</a> workers and their dependents will be granted free visa extensions. The extensions will be automatically granted to eligible workers whose visas were set to expire by 1st October 2021. The extension looks to benefit more than 14,000 applicants. The extension will mean that doctors, nurses, paramedics and in other supporting frontline roles will be able to continue their work in the fight against coronavirus. Home Secretary Priti Patel said ‘’The dedication and skill of overseas health and care workers who are leading the UK’s fight against coronavirus is truly extraordinary.‘’Thousands of them have helped save countless lives throughout this pandemic and are now playing a vital part in the hugely successful vaccination rollout.‘’Our offer of free visa extensions shows how our country values the contributions of these heroes.’’The move has been met with criticism for leaving out care workers and those not seen as directly involved in the NHS. UNISON general secretary<a href="https://www.carehomeprofessional.com/government-accused-of-overlooking-care-workers-following-visa-extension/"> Christina McAnea said</a>: “Thousands of NHS workers will be relieved they don’t face hefty bills to continue providing vital services across the UK.“Many have faced huge stresses and pushed themselves to the limit to treat and look after us all. It’s only right the government looks after them and makes their lives a little easier by granting free visas.

















“But it looks like the care sector has been overlooked again. This scheme must extend to all employees in health and care, particularly the lowest paid who need this help the most.”</div>

The Home Secretary, Priti Patel, has announced that frontline health workers and their dependents will be granted free visa extensions. The extensions will be automatically granted to elligble workrs whose visas were set to expire by 1st October 2021.

Ian Bennett

Articles published by Ian Bennett

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Government LGBT Panel set to disband

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