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Gateshead Council

   

Gateshead Becomes the home of Amazing Radio|

Budget Summary|

Celebrate your achievements|

Team Valley Open day|

You're Hired|

Leadership, Enterprise, Opportunity|

Tune in: Gateshead Becomes the home of Amazing Radio

The first ever national radio station to be set up outside of London is now broadcasting… from Gateshead! 

Digital radio station Amazing Radio has relocated to Gateshead and is now broadcasting from the former Century Radio studios at the Gateshead end of the Tyne Bridge.

The building – in Church Street, Gateshead - was vacated by Century Radio last year after the company moved to new studios on Gateshead’s Team Valley.

Amazing Radio’s relocation to Gateshead was supported by Gateshead Council’s recently-launched Enterprise and Innovation Fund which seeks to stimulate investment and job creation in Central Gateshead and Team Valley.

Director of Development and Enterprise at Gateshead Council, Sheila Johnston said: “This is exactly the kind of high-quality digital business we are working so hard to attract to Gateshead.

“This is a hugely ambitious and forward-thinking company which has seen what Gateshead has to offer and has found the decision to locate here an easy one to make. I have no doubt that success will follow.”

Amazing Radio is the first interactive radio station in the world and the first one which only plays new music from unsigned bands. Musicians upload their songs to the associated website amazingtunes.com, and as well as receiving 70% of any subsequent download sales, their music can also receive airplay on Amazing Radio.

Amazing Radio is part of The Amazing Media Group, which was founded by musician Paul Campbell, an award-winning media entrepreneur who used to make radio & TV programmes for the BBC and elsewhere before he began working in new media.  

“We looked at some other locations before deciding on Gateshead,” says Campbell.

“It was an easy decision.  It’s one of the most forward-thinking and ambitious councils in Britain, with a visionary approach to how it sees its future and a track record in doing bold, world class things to make it happen. We really feel at home here.”

Amazing is already expanding in North America and expects to launch an American version of Amazing Radio – which it will also broadcast from Gateshead.

Gateshead Council’s Enterprise and Innovation Fund was launched last November to stimulate business investment in Gateshead and help local companies to ride out the current recession. This initiative is part of the Council’s £200 million 10-Point Plan for Economic Resilience aimed at supporting local residents and businesses to manage the impact of the economic downturn.

For more information on the Enterprise and Innovation Fund phone the Economic Development service on: 0191 433 2093

Budget Summary: Chancellor's Budget Report 2010

The Chancellor of the Exchequer presented his Budget Report on 24 March 2010. Below is a summary of his report.

Economy

• Predicted growth of 1%  to 1.5% in 2010. Growth forecast for 2011 predicted to be between 3% and 3.5%.

Borrowing

• Borrowing this year is forecast to be £167bn - £11bn lower than expected.
• Borrowing to fall from £163bn in 2010-11 to £74bn by 2014-15.

Savings

• 15,000 civil servants to be relocated outside of London within next five years.

Bank Lending

• One-off bank bonus tax has raised £2bn, double the amount forecasted.
• Treasury has already received more than £86bn from state-supported Banks in return for support the Government has given them.
• Everyone in UK is to be guaranteed a bank account. This will extend the facility to more than 1 million who are currently denied.
• RBS and Lloyds Bank Group to provide £94bn in small business loans.
• New service to adjudicate credit disputes.
• Support for tax on bank transactions but on a global basis.

Other Taxes and Allowances

• Tax allowances for those who earn over £100,000 to be gradually removed.
• No changes to VAT or income tax planned.

Housing

• Stamp duty to be scrapped for first time buyers on properties less than £250k. This will apply in 2010 and 2011.
• Stamp duty on residential property sales over £1m to increase to 5%.

Education

• There is to be a £35m university enterprise capital fund to support innovation and help start up companies set up by graduates.
• 20,000 more places for students to study subjects such as, Maths, Science or Engineering.

Supporting Business and Growth

• Business rates are to be cut for a year from October 2010. This will mean a tax reduction for 500,000 small businesses in England. Eligible small businesses occupying properties with rateable values up to £6,000 will pay no business rates for one year from October 2010. Small businesses that benefit from the rate relief taper (rateable values up to £12,000) will receive significant reductions.
• £2.5bn support for small businesses to boost skills and innovation.
• Annual investment allowance will be doubled for small firms.
• Doubling the tax relief on capital gains tax for entrepreneurs.
• No change to capital gains tax rates.
• A new investment corporation to be set up called “UK Finance for Growth” to oversee the Governments £4bn range of support for businesses and help them negotiate the bureaucracy involved.
• £100m for local road repairs and £285m for motorway improvements and expansions projects. The funding for local roads will be distributed to local highway authorities over the coming months based on the length and condition of roads they are responsible for.

Achieving Fairness and Providing Opportunity

• The number of hours people aged over 60 will have to work in order to cover working tax credits will be cut.
• Government also intends shortly launch a formal consultation on reforms to the Default Retirement Age. No changes will be made before April 2011.
• The guaranteed offer of work for those under 24 who are currently unemployed for six months or longer will extend to March 2012.
• Cuts will be made to Housing Benefit paid to those in very expensive properties.
• Reform of Housing Benefit to save £250m.
• Winter fuel allowance rates to be extended for a further year

Protecting Public Services

• Public sector current expenditure will grow at an average of 1.8% per year from 2011/12 to 2014/15 and public sector net investment will fall to 1.25% of GDP by 2013/14.
• The budget confirms that spending on frontline schools and NHS, 16 to 19 education and Sure Start will be protected in the years to 2012/13, with sufficient funding provided to maintain police officer numbers.
• Action to control public sector pay, including confirming a one year cap on basic pay uplifts for 2011/12 and 2012/13 and a new Code of Practice on senior pay-setting.

Securing Low Carbon Growth

• Fuel duty increase will be staged to soften the blow. It will rise by 1p per litre in April and another 1p in October and a final 1p in January 2011.
• Government want to set up an investment bank controlling £2bn equity which will focus on investing in greener and cleaner energy and transport. Focussing first on wind turbines.

Cigarette and Alcohol Duties

• Duty on cider to rise by 10% above inflation.
• Wine, beer and spirit duty up 2% a year until 2013.
• Tobacco duty up 1% this year and 2% a year in future years.

Celebrate your achievements: The National Training Awards

The deadline is fast approaching for entries to the National Training Awards (NTA).

The Awards have been running since 1987 and are designed to celebrate organisations and individuals that demonstrate outstanding business and personal success through investment in training.

Previous NTA winners testify to the many advantages to be gained from entering the National Training Awards – from the valuable entry process and feedback provided, to new business opportunities gained through media coverage and external recognition.

The entry categories are as follows:

• Small Employer: Providing Education and Training
• Medium Employer: Partnership and Collaboration
• Large Employer: Individual

Important Dates

For more information and to download an entry form, go to The NTA website: www.nationaltrainingawards.com|

The closing date for entries is 5pm on 23 April 2010.

You can also contact the NTA via their email address: northeastambassadors@nationaltrainingawards.co.uk|

Team Valley Open Day

Following the success of Team Valley Open Day 2009, UK Land Estates will be hosting another event for 2010 on Wednesday 12th May at their headquarters at Building 7, Queens Park, Team Valley.

The first developments at Team Valley were started in 1937 and since then it has grown from strength to strength as a business location. Its 700 businesses and almost 21,000 employees firmly establish it as the North East's biggest mixed use business estate.

The idea behind the Team Valley Open Day is to create an annual event bringing as many of its businesses together as possible. It may be the first introduction to a successful business relationship or you might want to share your views about the running of Team Valley, security, future developments, or exhibit your company's wares. Team Valley Open Day is a forum for all of this and so much more.

This event offers an open invitation for anyone to attend to find out more about Team Valley as a business location and to meet existing and potential Team Valley occupiers. Existing occupiers are welcome to register with UK Land Estates to exhibit their business.

The set up for the day is for exhibitors to be on site between 10.30am and 3.30pm. Free refreshments will be provided throughout the day and food served at lunchtime. Each exhibitor will be provided with a table, tablecloth and two chairs with access to power supply for their exhibition stand. Click here for a map| of where we'll be.

Registering for this popular event is simple. If you would like to exhibit or find out more information simply contact John Seager at UK Land Estates by:
Phone:  0191 440 8880  Email:    john@uk-land-estates.co.uk| 

You're Hired! North East Apprenticeship Company

The North East Apprenticeship Company:

• Select the right apprentice for your business
• Conduct all the interviews and find the best match
• Manage all the payroll, national insurance and tax
• Organise the latest, most innovative training to equip the apprentice with the right knowledge and skills for the job
• Offer ongoing support and guidance.
• Make hiring an Apprentice easy for you.

To find out more contact Paul Champion, Managing Director, North East Apprenticeship Company by:

Phone: 0191 490 2453
Email: paul.champion@neapprenticeship.co.uk|
Web: www.neapprenticeship.co.uk|
In writing: North East Apprenticeship Company, Baltic Business Quarter, Quarryfield Road, Gateshead, NE8 3BE

Leadership, Enterprise, Opportunity (LEO): A lifechanging experience

The LEO programme is targeted at highly valued senior and executive employees who are in danger of losing their jobs due to the prevailing economic conditions, organisational restructuring, or through mergers and acquisitions.

The programme has a clear aim to retain and develop our region’s talent and help executives become more enterprising, entrepreneurial and adaptable in the market they are facing.

LEO offers an innovative and intensive three-week programme that helps executives ‘repackage’ themselves to make them more marketable through a mixture of activities from peer-to-peer working, practical skills development including self-promotion, CV and proposal development and consistent one to one coaching sessions.

The programme also has the support of some of the regions most influential entrepreneurs, business support specialists and regional leaders. Their active participation is key to the programme’s success.

LEO delegates have achieved superb results that are directly attributable to the programme with over70% of candidates back in full time work or fee-earning opportunities as well as several business ventures underway - including joint working between LEO candidates.

There is a series of programmes across the north east region for 2010, with the next programme starting on April 19 in Newcastle. Both employers and employees who would like to hear more should contact:

Lindsey Price by:

Phone: 0191 260 4412 or 07595 204138
Email: lindseyprice@nrgplc.com|