London Wine Week 2014

London Wine Week starts on Monday - it’s time to start planning!. When you're not using your wristband to enjoy £5 glasses of wine on the self-guided Wine Tours, book into one of the London Wine Week events. Here's a pick of the best:

7-Day Challenge to Live Like You!

In support of World MS Day, Novartis announced today the launch of the 7-Day Challenge to Live Like You for people with MS.

Using wearable technology or accessing personal online systems that people use on a daily basis, including calendars, social media channels and fitness trackers, people with MS are invited to track their activities for seven days and gain valuable insights into what works best for their lifestyle.

This year's World MS Day campaign focuses on 'access'. Importantly, the topic of access spans beyond access to treatment in MS. Increasingly, there is a need for access to relevant and personalized online information that allows people to utilize available tools in order to make adjustments that can help them to manage their MS in a way that best suits their lifestyle.

Access For Disabled

A mother of three suffering from Motor Neurone Disease, a progressive disease which attacks the nerves of the brain and spinal cord, has founded a brand new charity to tackle the ever growing need for better facilities for the physically disabled in the UK.  The Association for the Independence of Disabled People (AID) aims to improve the life of the disabled with better access in public buildings and on transport and there are plans to launch an annual ‘Disabled Day’ to raise national awareness.

 

Food Glorious Food! #Devon

Feeling hungry and want to experience new tastes? Head to Devon this weekend for a food festival fiesta!

Mobilty Insurance Firm Created

An Insurance firm has been created as a direct response to disappointment with the range and quality of mobility equipment insurance products currently available.

Mark Effenberg ‘s son has cerebral palsy and uses powered mobility equipment so he developed Blue Badge Mobility.

The company will provide policies covering use, protection and liability relating to scooter, wheelchair and home equipment, and will price-match like-for-like policies currently on the market. Other care-related insurance products will be launched throughout 2014 - all aimed at people who want to remain independent and receive care at home, and for those that care for them.

Typical guideline premium prices will be £24 a year for wheelchair cover, and from £59 for electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

"We simply do not have the overheads of the big insurers - and that means we can pass on cost savings to customers," said Mark.

All Britain's Are Scaredy Cats?

Nearly two thirds (64%) of British adults perceive themselves to be a fearless adventurous type of person. However, a new study by Travelodge has revealed we’re actually a nation of scaredy cats, as only 29% of Britons has actually had the courage to take on an adventurous activity.

In response to this misconception and to celebrate it’s new ‘Get Up & Go’ campaign, Travelodge has commissioned the UK’s first series of interactive 3D adventure postcards. This offers Britons a unique opportunity to be photographed doing an adventurous adrenaline rush activity but with two feet firmly on the ground.      

The postcard pictures have been created using 3D street art, which is an optical illusion designed to trick the mind into believing that a two dimensional painting is a three dimensional object. This is created by using the laws of diminishing or expanding perspective which tricks the mind and creates the illusion of depth and height within a picture.

 

The 6m x 3m x 2m bespoke floor to wall 3D interactive picture postcards are being trialled at Britain’s busiest railway station, London Waterloo today, Thursday 22^nd May 2014, from 6am to 7pm. Members of the public will be given a unique opportunity to be photographed abseiling down the iconic White Cliffs of Dover which represent a drop of 350ft and also be captured jet skiing along one of the world’s most famous rivers, The Thames against the iconic London skyline.

Modern Marco Polo 2014 Found

A global search has led to one lucky recruit landing their dream job and becoming the Modern Marco Polo.

After a worldwide campaign, 26-year-old London man Liam Bates has been named as the new ambassador for the city of Hangzhou in China. He follows in the footsteps of legendary Italian traveler Marco Polo, who visited Hangzhou in the 13th Century.

Liam has secured a €40,000 salary and will spend a year promoting Hangzhou on social media, with the aim of encouraging more visitors to the city in south eastern China. He was crowned the Modern Marco Polo at a lavish ceremony on the banks of the Grand Canal in Hangzhou at the start of his own personal 19-day tour of the city and surrounding area. The tour will include a four-day trip along the canal and activities based around topics such as tea, silk, traditional medicine and the art of sigillography (seal carving).

 This is the first time that a global recruitment campaign has been held to find a foreign ambassador for a Chinese city. The “Be the Modern Marco PoloProgram” was launched by the Hangzhou Tourism Commission’s Facebook page in March 2013 and subsequently attracted 26,000 applications from hopefuls wishing to get the chance to learn more about China and its cultural highlights.

 The campaign included a Hangzhou quiz and Travel Gear challenge, as well as four online experience sessions connected to Hangzhou and China: My Chinese Name, My Chinese Menu, My Chinese Costume and My Chinese Love Story. Candidates had to complete a minimum of three challenges and were also required to submit their CVs to apply. After short listing five candidates, each of whom posted their own video on social media and outlined their plans for the job, it was Liam who was chosen to represent Hangzhou.The success of the Modern Marco Polo campaign led to Hangzhou being the most Googled destination in China in 2013.

Shopping Vs Holiday

Sunny spell leads to new clothes and items for the home and garden

The latest figures from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index has revealed the impact the short spell of warm weather had on shoppers' spending in April, recording an annual growth of 17%; equating to an estimated £7.8 billion spent online. This solid performance is a clear reflection of the ongoing consumer confidence in the UK economy and is in-line with IMRG and Capgemini's forecast of 17% annual growth for 2014. 

Due to this, travel saw a significant dip recording a disappointing year-on-year increase of just 6%. This is in contrast to the same period in 2013, which saw a much stronger 16% annual growth.

According to the Index, instead of spending on expensive holidays, British shoppers chose to update their wardrobes and purchase items for the home. As a direct result of the patches of spring sunshine experienced across much of the UK, the clothing and home and garden sectors recorded an impressive 17% and 23% annual growth, respectively.  

Trike to Help Mobility

For Stockport based businessman Mark Harrison, a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 2004 has led to a brand new business developing a new breed of British designed and engineered mobility solutions. 

 

This month sees the launch of Mark’s new product, the TripleTread trike that aims to bridge the gap between MS sufferers being unsteady on their feet and needing a wheelchair to travel short distances. To bring the unique trike to market, Mark has been working with the Start Up team at the Business Growth Hub who have provided him with a Start Up Loan, business planning and mentoring services and a range of specialist advice including legal and financial masterclasses.  Mark also worked with the Manufacturing Advisory Service on potential future manufacture partnerships and Intellectual Property advice where he has submitted Trademark, Logo and Design Registration protection applications.

Formerly a successful International Sales and Marketing Manager working with brands such as Adobe, Apple, Canon and Sony, as Mark adjusted to life with his worsening MS he found that his lack of balance meant that he couldn’t ride his cycle any longer. Unable to find anything desirable on the market that would enable him to remain mobile without a wheelchair, Mark decided to create a product himself that would balance fitness, fun and freedom.

“ I wouldn’t have ridden an old-fashioned, ugly bike before my diagnosis and having MS certainly hasn’t changed that.”

Hoist Saviour

Jason Miller, 44, was left paralysed from the chest down after being knocked off his bike while on holiday in Portugal in 2012. Following initial treatment in Lisbon, Jason returned to England to receive further treatment and rehabilitation at AddenbrookesHospital in Cambridge and NorthernGeneralHospital in Sheffield respectively. “It was while I was undergoing hydrotherapy in Sheffield that I realised how important it would be for me to continue this therapy in my own pool when I returned home,” explained Jason.

Since Jason would require assistance with getting in and out of the pool, he started researching hoist manufacturers: “I wanted a hoist that would not only be comfortable but also unobtrusive as there was limited poolside space,” he said.  “After looking into several companies I soon realised that Dolphin Mobility and its range of tracked hoists and slings would be perfect.”

 

The hoist Jason opted for was the HandiMove HM2500 LRC ceiling hoist, a model with infrared hand controls and an electrolytically polished body support to enable self-hoisting, which allows the user to transfer safely and independently from bed to wheelchair, toilet, bath or in Jason's case, into his swimming pool. Jason's version of the model also features a membrane panel and has had a PCB treatment applied for use in environments where water is present. The hoist is ergonomically designed without any loss of space, making it ideal for smaller areas or for domestic use.

Prefer 3* & 4*

Bathrobes, slippers and free mini bars are some of the amenities that can usually be enjoyed by upgrading to a 5-star hotel. However by shunning these indulgences, Brits appear to be saving cash to spend on other luxuries whilst away, according to new analysis this week from travel site momondo.co.uk.

Worldwide hotel bookings made between the 16th of January and the 20th of April 2014 were analysed, in which, well over three out of ten Brits booked 3- or 4-star hotels for trips, with less than one in 10 Brits booking a 5-star hotel. And 15% of Brits booked a hotel with a 2-star rating.

British hotel bookings sorted by stars*
3 stars  – 35 %
4 stars  – 33  %
2 stars – 15  %
5  stars  –   8  %
1 stars   –   4 %

20th Anniversary Phone

Eurotunnel has completed mobile telephone and internet connections in the Channel Tunnel
For its 20th Anniversary.

Eurotunnel has installed British mobile telephone services inside the North Running Tunnel with the help of UK operators Vodafone, EE and O2 UK and the equipment supplier, Alcatel-Lucent, with services commencing on 6 May for Vodafone and EE, and soon for O2 UK. With the goal of improving services for customers, the fibre optic GSP-P retransmission system for 2G and 3G mobile telephone and internet which will enable passengers on board Le Shuttle and high speed passengers to use their mobile devices to make calls and use the internet inside the Channel Tunnel is similar to that installed in the South Tunnel in July 2012 (direction France-UK) by the French operators, in time for the London Olympic Games.

Take a trip on the wheelchair accessible Eurostar to Lille. Write about your experience.

Roadl Dahl Funds Disability

Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity will be funding thirteen innovative projects to help make life better for seriously ill children. At a launch event in London, the charity showcased the new projects, which all intend to pioneer new ways to help whole families cope emotionally with the effects of having a child with a chronic illness or disability.

Families caring for a seriously ill child particularly need emotional resilience to deal with a range of feelings including anger, guilt, sadness and blame. This new programme will stimulate creative responses to the question of why some families are more resilient than others when faced with these feelings and with the challenges - and privileges - of caring for a child or young person with a serious long-term illness.

Other projects are trying out new ways to reduce isolation and increase confidence, or focusing upon particular family members such as siblings and parents.

The Charity hopes that the emphasis of this two year programme on finding inventive and practical strategies will help contribute to the growing knowledge of which particular interventions work for different family members at specific times. The charity will champion the most promising new approaches to encourage them to be widely used by other people and organisations across charity, health and social care sectors, in order to help as many children and families as possible.

Vote For Disabled- Friendly Technology

Technology innovation may be on the rise, but accessibility remains an issue for the disabled community
Robin Christopherson, Head of Digital Inclusion, AbilityNet said ”We've found that while almost everyone agrees you can't have a normal life without access to digital services, one in two believe disabled audiences are overlooked by many technology companies and developers, and that the latest gadgets and devices are built with a mainstream and much younger audience in mind.”

"For disabled people, the difference technology can make is like the difference between night and day. Our research highlights the crucial role technology plays in solving the unsolvable and helping people get on with daily life. It also shows that social innovation should be at the heart of inventors' motivations and goals when they're creating new devices and services.”

“We set up the Technology4Good Awards with BT's support in order to celebrate those entrepreneurs, NGOs and businesses transforming their ideas into creative solutions that make a difference to people with disabilities. This year sees the introduction of the BT Ingenious Award which will honour innovative use of technology that brings people closer together.”

We may well be a nation of "mobile addicts" but nearly half of the respondents said they would like to see a focus on accessibility within digital education and training, in order to encourage developers to design apps and services with disabled people in mind.

Public support for investment in accessibility is equally important. The BT and AbilityNet research illuminates how more than a third would like to see a public commitment from businesses to build and invest in accessibility features for digital devices and services. The public backing from influential business minds would enlighten the UK jobs market today by encouraging digital inclusion and equality as we build the economy up in the right direction.

The public can nominate individuals or businesses for the Tech4Good Awards Entries close 6 May 2014.