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Gaia Learning secures £400k to expand specialist education support for neurodivergent learners

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Gaia Learning secures £400k to expand specialist education support for neurodivergent learners

STOCKPORT, UK. July 15, 2026 – Education technology company Gaia Learning has raised £400,000 in a new equity funding round backed by GC Angels, NESTA and a group of angel investors. The investment will support the company’s continued growth, strengthen its specialist services for neurodivergent children and accelerate the rollout of its new SEND platform, Bloom.

Established in 2019, Gaia Learning was founded to help tackle the lack of suitable educational options for neurodivergent children. The online education provider delivers specialist alternative provision for children and young people across the UK whose needs are not always met in mainstream education. It supports learners experiencing autism, ADHD, anxiety, school avoidance, mental health challenges and other additional needs by providing personalised learning environments designed around their individual circumstances.

The company previously raised £550,000 in 2024 in an investment round led by NESTA Impact Investments alongside GC Angels. Since then, Gaia Learning has grown its workforce to 24 employees across full-time and part-time positions while also building strategic relationships, including a collaboration with Pearson Edexcel.

Part of that earlier investment supported the creation of Bloom, a SEND infrastructure platform that enables schools and education providers to plan, monitor and evidence support for pupils with additional needs. The platform draws on Gaia Learning’s experience of working directly with neurodivergent learners, educators and support professionals.

With this latest funding, Gaia Learning plans to extend access to its specialist education services while continuing the rollout of Bloom. Pilot programmes are already taking place in Northern Ireland, with additional school pilots due to begin in September. The company’s long-term vision is for Bloom to become a central system that helps schools coordinate, deliver, monitor and evidence SEND provision, making support more effective while improving accountability and outcomes for children with additional needs.

Kate Heath, Founder and CEO of Gaia Learning, said: “Gaia Learning was born out of a passion for ensuring neurodivergent children can access education that is best suited to their unique needs. Our first funding round really helped us to get this idea off the ground, allowing us to grow our team and accelerate the development of Bloom. Most importantly, it has enabled us to support more neurodivergent learners and help more schools deliver effective support for children with additional needs.

“This latest funding round will help us to build on this success. By once again partnering with the teams at GC Angels and NESTA, we’re proud to be working with investors who share our commitment to improving educational outcomes for young people. This support will play an important role in helping us accelerate our plans and extend our reach.”

Marc Shirman, Head of Equity Investment at GC Angels, added: “Gaia Learning’s progress over the last few years has been outstanding. Kate and the team demonstrate the strength of innovation across the North of England, using technology to create more inclusive and accessible educational opportunities for neurodivergent learners.

“It has been a pleasure to support Gaia Learning throughout its growth journey, and we are excited to see the impact Bloom will have as it is introduced to more schools and education providers. We look forward to continuing our partnership as the team develops solutions that improve outcomes for children and young people with additional needs.”

Gate Insure Highlights Specialist Digital Motor Insurance Proposition for UK Drivers

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Gate Insure Highlights Specialist Digital Motor Insurance Proposition for UK Drivers
WEST BERGHOLT, ESSEX. July 15th, 2026 – Gate Insurance Brokers Limited, trading as Gate Insure, has outlined how its specialist digital motor insurance proposition differs from larger UK insurers, national broking groups and mainstream online insurance brands.
The UK motor insurance market includes direct insurers, national brokers, digital insurance businesses and specialist intermediaries. Gate Insure takes a more focused approach, compared to competitors.
The Essex-based business concentrates on private motor insurance and on customers whose circumstances may require greater flexibility during the quotation process. This includes younger motorists, drivers with penalty points or previous motoring convictions, customers with limited or no No Claims Discount, and motorists whose circumstances may not fit conventional mainstream underwriting models.
Gate Insurance Brokers Limited acts as an insurance intermediary rather than underwriting insurance itself. The business arranges cover through authorised insurers and underwriting relationships, with each quotation assessed according to factors including the driver, vehicle, location, occupation, annual mileage, intended use and insurance history.
Gate Insure operates through a digital-first customer journey that allows motorists to obtain quotations, receive policy documents and manage important policy information online. Customers receive a Certificate of Motor Insurance, Policy Schedule, Insurance Product Information Document and full Policy Wording setting out the cover, insurer and conditions applying to their policy.
For eligible younger drivers, some quotations may also be available without a compulsory black box or telematics device. Availability remains subject to underwriting criteria and is not guaranteed for every applicant, but it can offer greater choice to qualifying motorists who would prefer a conventional insurance arrangement.
Depending on the policy selected, comprehensive motor insurance can include accidental damage, fire and theft, third-party liability, windscreen protection, personal accident benefits and an uninsured-driver promise. Optional protections may include motor legal assistance, courtesy-car cover, breakdown assistance and enhanced personal injury benefits where shown on the individual Policy Schedule.
A spokesperson for Gate Insure said: “The UK motor insurance market is diverse, and different providers are suited to different customers. Large national businesses offer significant scale and broad product ranges, while established specialist brokers may concentrate on particular vehicle types.
“Gate Insure’s difference is its focus. We are building a straightforward digital motor insurance proposition for motorists who may feel underserved by more conventional routes. Our objective is to help customers understand their options and access cover that reflects their individual circumstances.”
Gate Insure encourages motorists to compare more than the headline price when choosing insurance. Policy excesses, instalment costs, cover limits, optional benefits, eligibility requirements and customer-support arrangements should all be considered before purchasing.
Gate Insure is a trading name of Gate Insurance Brokers Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under Firm Reference Number 839588. The company arranges, but does not underwrite, insurance policies.

Manchester Businesses Are Losing Millions to Crime — Is Your Premises Secure?

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Manchester Businesses Are Losing Millions to Crime — Is Your Premises Secure?

Manchester’s business scene has been on a genuine upward run — new retail developments, a booming hospitality sector, and industrial and logistics space expanding out along the M60 and into Trafford Park and beyond. That growth is exactly why business security deserves more attention than it typically gets. The more a business has invested in stock, equipment and premises, the more there is to lose when security hasn’t kept pace.

 

The national numbers make the case on their own. UK businesses lost £12.9 billion to burglary and theft last year, and more than a quarter of businesses that were burgled lost over £10,000 in that single incident. Retail crime specifically is now at its highest level on record, with the British Retail Consortium’s 2025 Crime Survey recording over 20 million theft incidents nationally — around 55,000 a day — at a direct cost of £2.2 billion to retailers. Manchester, as one of the country’s largest retail and commercial centres, carries a significant share of that exposure.

Why This Matters More Than It Used To

Security used to be treated as a background cost — something fitted once and left alone. That’s no longer a safe assumption. Criminals targeting commercial premises have got more organised and, in some cases, more willing to use force or vehicles to breach a property rather than attempt a quiet break-in. A shutter or door that was adequate protection five or ten years ago may simply not be rated for what it’s now being tested against.

 

At the same time, insurers are paying closer attention to physical security when they assess risk and set premiums. Businesses that can demonstrate certified, properly specified doors and shutters are often better placed commercially, not just more protected physically.

Where Manchester Businesses Are Most Exposed

Three patterns come up consistently across the city and its surrounding boroughs:

 

City centre and retail park units face the highest footfall-driven theft risk during trading hours, plus break-in risk overnight when streets that are busy by day are quiet by night.

 

Hospitality venues, a genuine growth sector for Manchester, often hold cash, stock and equipment on-site overnight with less robust perimeter protection than the value warrants.

 

Industrial and logistics units around Trafford Park, Ardwick and the wider M60 corridor hold high-value stock and machinery in premises that are frequently unattended outside working hours — a combination that makes them a persistent target.

 

In each case, the common thread is the same: the physical barrier between the premises and the outside world — the doors, shutters and grilles — is doing more of the security work than most businesses give it credit for, and it’s often the part that gets the least attention.

Roller Shutter Doors: An Underrated Line of Defence

For a huge proportion of Manchester’s retail, hospitality and industrial premises, the roller shutter is the single most important piece of physical security on the building. It’s the barrier that has to hold when everything else — alarms, cameras, monitoring — has already been triggered, and it’s also one of the most visible deterrents a premises has, simply by being there.

 

The problem is that not all shutters are equal, and a lot of premises are still running older, undersized or purely manual shutters that were specified for a different use case entirely. A shopfront that’s expanded its stock value, or an industrial unit that now houses more expensive equipment than when the shutter was originally fitted, needs a shutter rated for its current risk — not the one it happened to inherit.

 

Modern roller shutter doors have moved on considerably: stronger galvanised and aluminium options, electric operation for speed and convenience, insulated profiles for units that need to manage temperature, and finishes — including perforated designs — that maintain a shopfront’s visibility and presentation rather than making it look shuttered off and uninviting during closed hours. Getting the specification right means balancing the level of protection a premises actually needs against how the business wants the unit to look and function day to day.

 

Businesses assessing their options can browse Britannia’s full range of roller shutter doors to see the range of commercial, industrial and retail-specific shutters available, from manual single-doorway units through to heavier-duty electric shutters built for higher-value premises.

Getting the Specification Right

The businesses that get the best value from their security spend tend to follow the same process: a proper site survey to establish actual risk, a specification that matches the premises’ current use rather than its original one, installation from a manufacturer that can stand behind the product, and an ongoing servicing arrangement so the shutter still performs reliably years after installation, not just on day one.

 

Britannia Retail is based in Stockport, right in the heart of Greater Manchester, and manufactures and installs roller shutters, fire-rated shutters, security doors and grilles for commercial and industrial premises across the UK. Being locally based means genuinely fast response times for Manchester businesses, backed by a 24/7 emergency call-out service for when a shutter is damaged or fails and needs to be secured again quickly — not left as an open door overnight while a business waits for a contractor to become available.

Quick Checklist Before Winter Trading Ramps Up

With footfall and stock levels rising heading into the busier trading months, it’s worth every Manchester business manager checking the basics now rather than in the middle of a busy period:

 

  • Do the shutters close fully and lock securely, without staff needing to force them?
  • Is there a documented last-service date for every shutter, door and grille on site?
  • Would the business know who to call for an emergency repair at 11pm on a Saturday?
  • Are the shutters rated for what’s currently stored behind them, not just what was there when they were installed?

The Bottom Line

Manchester’s business growth is real, and so is the exposure that comes with it. Given the scale of losses UK businesses are absorbing to crime this year, reviewing the physical security of a premises — starting with something as fundamental as the shutters and doors protecting it — is one of the more straightforward, cost-effective steps a business can take. It’s considerably easier to have that conversation before an incident forces it than after.

Why Manchester Businesses Are Switching to a Single Roller Shutter Provider

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Why Manchester Businesses Are Switching to a Single Roller Shutter Provider

Manchester’s retail, hospitality and industrial sectors have grown steadily across the city centre, Trafford Park and the wider M60 corridor, and with that growth comes a familiar pattern: a business ends up with one contractor who installed the shutters, another who’s called for repairs, and a third, if any, handling servicing. Each relationship is managed separately, each comes with its own paperwork, and none of them necessarily talks to the others.

It works, in the sense that the shutter gets fixed eventually, but it’s rarely the most efficient or reliable way to manage something as important as the physical security of a premises. A growing number of Manchester businesses are moving away from this patchwork approach in favour of a single provider that covers the full lifecycle of a roller shutter, from installation through to servicing, maintenance and emergency repair.

The Problem With a Patchwork Approach

When installation, servicing and repair sit with different providers, information gets lost between them. The installer who fitted the shutter may not be the same engineer who services it, which means service visits are based on general assumptions rather than knowledge of exactly how that specific unit was specified and installed. A repair contractor called out in an emergency may be working on a system they’ve never seen before, without access to the original specification or service history.

This disconnect tends to show up at the worst possible moments: a repair takes longer because the engineer is diagnosing an unfamiliar system from scratch, or a service visit misses something the installer would have flagged immediately. None of this is anyone’s fault exactly, it’s simply what happens when the people responsible for a shutter’s entire working life have never actually communicated with each other.

What a Consolidated Service Actually Covers

A single provider managing the full range of roller shutter services typically brings installation, planned servicing, ongoing maintenance and emergency repair together under one relationship, with a consistent record of the shutter’s history from the day it was fitted. In practice, that means:

  • Installation carried out to a specification the same provider will later be responsible for maintaining, so nothing gets lost in translation.
  • A servicing schedule built around how the shutter is actually used, informed by direct knowledge of the original installation.
  • Emergency repair from engineers who already understand the system, rather than diagnosing it from a standing start.
  • A single point of contact and a single, continuous service history, useful for compliance, insurance and simply knowing what’s been done and when.

For a business managing multiple sites across Greater Manchester, this consolidation also means dealing with one contract and one set of engineers rather than juggling different providers across different locations.

Why This Matters More During an Emergency

The value of a consolidated provider is most obvious when something goes wrong. A shutter that fails to close overnight, or is damaged in an attempted break-in, needs a response that doesn’t waste time working out what was fitted, how it was specified, or who last serviced it. A provider that’s handled the whole lifecycle already has that information on file, which typically means a faster, more accurate repair.

Manchester businesses assessing their current arrangement can review Britannia Security Group’s full range of roller shutter services, covering installation, servicing, maintenance and repair, to see what a genuinely joined-up approach looks like in practice.

The Commercial Case for Consolidation

Beyond the practical benefits, there’s a straightforward commercial argument for working with one provider rather than several. A single relationship tends to mean clearer accountability if something isn’t done properly, more consistent pricing across services, and less administrative overhead chasing multiple invoices and contracts for what is, ultimately, one piece of equipment.

It also puts a business in a stronger position when it comes to compliance. Powered roller shutters are classed as work equipment under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations, and employers are expected to keep a documented maintenance history. That’s considerably easier to demonstrate when one provider holds the complete record, rather than piecing it together from several different suppliers’ paperwork.

What to Ask a Prospective Provider

Before switching to a single provider, it’s worth confirming a few things upfront: does the company genuinely handle installation, servicing and repair in-house, or does it subcontract parts of the work out to third parties? Will the same team be responsible for the shutter across its lifetime, or does that change depending on what’s needed? Is there a documented service history kept for every site, accessible on request? And what does emergency call-out actually look like in practice, including realistic attendance times for a Manchester-based site?

A provider that can answer all of these clearly is generally the one capable of delivering the consolidated approach in practice, rather than simply offering it as a marketing line.

What Manchester Businesses Should Do Next

For any business currently managing separate installers, service contractors and repair firms for its roller shutters, it’s worth asking a simple question: if a shutter failed tonight, would the person attending know anything about how it was originally specified and installed? If the honest answer is no, that’s the gap a consolidated service is designed to close.

Reviewing the current arrangement doesn’t need to wait for a breakdown to prompt it. Manchester businesses that make the switch before an emergency tend to find the transition considerably easier than those forced into it by a failed shutter with no clear history behind it. More information is available at Britannia Security Group.

Marllm Named Official Anthropic Partner as It Joins Claude Partner Network Amid £1m Revenue Milestone

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Marllm Named Official Anthropic Partner as It Joins Claude Partner Network Amid £1m Revenue Milestone
LONDON, UK. July 14th, 2026 – Marllm, the AI growth studio founded by Jolanta Jas, has been confirmed as an official Anthropic Partner, joining the Claude Partner Network as enterprise AI moves from experimentation into real-world deployment for real estate digital growth at scale.
The milestone caps a year of rapid momentum for the London-based studio, which is reshaping how real estate and property brands grow through AI.
“It feels like the start of a new era,” said Jolanta Jas, Director of Marllm.
“Enterprise AI is moving into production across every sector, and real estate is at its core. The brands that win will be the ones recommended inside AI answers, and we build the content and workflows that get them there.”
The Anthropic Partner status adds to a growing list of credentials. Marllm is headed towards £1M revenue by the end of the year, has also been listed as a high-growth innovative startup by UK Innovate Edge, came through Antler with revenue generation from day zero, and is backed by the renowned global B2B SaaS investors TinySeed and MicroConf, both known for investing in high-recurring-revenue startups.
At the winning Keynote Pitch for GenAI London, Jolanta shared how the winning businesses of tomorrow are already using work-augmenting AI tools at a deep level to drive enquiries for listings at scale, thanks to the new customer referrals from LLMs like ChatGPT, Perplexity and others.
That thesis is now showing up in client results as a new Marllm client, the director of a luxury short-stay suites booking platform, shared how his team used the studio’s AI-assisted listings workflow to publish 7,500 data-driven rich content and listing pages that answer buyer queries. The travel agency then began receiving hundreds of enquiries routed directly from AI assistants like ChatGPT. “I’m getting billionaire customer referrals from ChatGPT,” the Director of the travel agency reported.
As an AI software architect and AI marketing leader, Jas sits at the intersection of AI software architecture and content product, helping clients lacking deep technical capacity and digital marketing expertise to act on the opportunities created by the momentous shift to AI search.

TikTok Star Nicole Murawska Chooses Manchester Private Hospital for Cosmetic Surgery

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TikTok Star Nicole Murawska Chooses Manchester Private Hospital for Cosmetic Surgery

MANCHESTER, UK, July 14, 2026 – Manchester Private Hospital has announced that comedy content creator and TikTok personality Nicole Murawska will be undergoing a breast augmentation procedure at its facility. The influencer selected the hospital after receiving a recommendation and is now preparing to begin her cosmetic surgery journey with the team.

Nicole Murawska is best known for her TikTok account (@nicolemuraaa), where she has built an audience of more than 1.1 million followers through her signature deadpan comedy. Her viral sketches include humorous conversations with everyday objects such as bins and bushes, along with her well-known catchphrase warning people to “stay indoors” whenever she is heading out. Her distinctive style has helped establish her as one of the platform’s standout Gen Z creators.

Earlier this year, Nicole expanded her mainstream profile by interviewing television presenter Jonathan Ross to promote the launch of Channel 4’s Handcuffed: Last Pair Standing.

“I’m having the breast augmentation because I know it will make me feel much more confident,” said Nicole Murawska.

“It might sound silly, but I’ve always felt like I was meant to have bigger boobs and just never got them! It’ll be so nice this summer to wear outfits I haven’t felt comfortable wearing before. I’m already confident in myself, but it will definitely be nice not having to depend on a push-up bra as much. Lol!

“I decided to go with Manchester Private Hospital because someone I know in the social media industry recommended them. After seeing her results, I was really impressed. From my consultations to the phone calls I’ve had with the team, the care has been fantastic.

“I also mentioned that I was feeling a little nervous, which I think is completely normal, and they’ve been incredibly supportive and reassuring throughout the process.”

Manchester Private Hospital is home to an experienced cosmetic surgery team, including resident consultant Mr. Shivram Singh, one of the UK’s longest-serving plastic surgeons, alongside consultant surgeon Mrs. Lopa Patel and a permanent team of up to 20 surgeons.

The clinical team is led by Clinical Lead Mrs. Debra Byrne (RGN), who oversees patient care from the initial consultation through every stage of recovery, with support continuing for up to 24 months after surgery.

Pankaj Kishore, Director of Manchester Private Hospital, said: “We’re delighted that Nicole has chosen Manchester Private Hospital for her procedure. Providing exceptional clinical care and patient support is at the heart of everything we do.

“The fact that Nicole came to us through a personal recommendation from a friend is especially rewarding. We look forward to supporting her throughout her journey and seeing her share her experience with her audience.”

Critical Cloud and Tarian Labs introduce continuous runtime security assurance for fintech organisations

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Critical Cloud and Tarian Labs introduce continuous runtime security assurance for fintech organisations

CARDIFF, UK, July 14, 2026 – Critical Cloud has formed a strategic partnership with Tarian Labs to provide fintech organisations with Continuous Runtime Security Validation. The joint service is designed to deliver ongoing evidence that live production environments remain protected, replacing the traditional approach of relying on penetration test reports that quickly lose relevance after software releases, cloud updates or AI deployments.

The service combines Critical Cloud’s Managed Runtime Assurance approach with Tarian Labs’ practitioner-led offensive security expertise, built on experience across government, defence and critical national infrastructure sectors. Managed Runtime Assurance focuses on the accountable operation of production applications, cloud platforms and AI systems so they remain observable, resilient, secure, cost efficient and ready to provide evidence when required.

For regulated organisations, security testing becomes an ongoing operational process rather than a one-off assessment. Findings are remediated, validated through retesting and supported with evidence confirming completion.

Continuous Runtime Security Validation brings together Critical Cloud’s Datadog-powered managed operating model and Tarian Labs’ offensive security specialists through an Observe, Detect, Validate cycle. Critical Cloud maintains visibility and operational governance across production cloud, observability and AI runtime environments, while Tarian Labs independently assesses those environments through penetration testing, cloud and infrastructure reviews, web application testing, API assessments and retesting. Security findings move directly into remediation before independent verification confirms closure.

Independence remains central to the service. Tarian Labs is responsible for testing methodology, findings, severity ratings and retesting, while Critical Cloud manages remediation and runtime improvements. Every engagement is conducted with customer approval, defined scope, agreed rules of engagement and controlled evidence management.

“Detection without validation is hope, not assurance,” said James Smith, CEO of Critical Cloud.

“Testing should not stop at the report,” said Kevin Hanford, Co-Founder and CEO of Tarian Labs.

Continuous Runtime Security Validation engagements are now available across the UK and Ireland. A packaged joint offering will follow, alongside Welsh fintech events and a live demonstration environment showcasing the Observe, Detect, Validate process, remediation, retesting and evidence of closure.

Critical Cloud is ISO 27001 certified, holds Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation and is both a Powered by Datadog accredited partner and Datadog Advanced Partner. Tarian Labs delivers engagements through CREST registered practitioners with sign-off at NCSC recognised CHECK Team Leader (CSTL-INF) level.

Why your business marketing needs to be paracetamol, not vitamins

Helen Greaney
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Why your business marketing needs to be paracetamol, not vitamins

By business mentor Faye Mac (pictured), founder of Faye Mac Consultancy.

There’s a question I ask every business owner I work with when we start looking at their
marketing: are you selling paracetamol or vitamins?

It sounds simple, but the answer tells me everything. Vitamins are, in lots of cases, a ‘nice to
have’. Yes there will be people who are deficient but lots of people take vitamins simply
because they think they probably should take them. They may buy them occasionally, use them when they remember, feel vaguely virtuous, and then forget about them once the latest health kick is over.

Paracetamol? When you need it, you need it right now. You’re not browsing, you’re
not comparing options, you’re not waiting for a sale. You’re buying it.

That’s the difference between marketing that gets ignored and marketing that converts. And if your business isn’t growing at the rate you want it to, I’d put money on the fact that your
marketing looks a lot more like a trendy vitamin bottle than a blister pack of pain relief.

Start with the pain, not the product

The foundation of paracetamol marketing is understanding your ideal client so thoroughly that you can articulate their problem better than they can themselves. Not the surface-level problem that they should get around to figuring out but the one that keeps them up at night.

The one that’s costing them money, time, or both and they need to solve it and keep moving forward. Time and money are almost always the biggest urgent pain points, and they’re the best place to start when figuring out how to position what you do. Not because they’re the only things that matter to people, but because they create urgency.

When someone is haemorrhaging money or drowning in wasted hours, they’re not looking for a nice-to-have. They’re looking for a solution. They’re looking for you. If you’re showing up in the right way of course.

The mistake most business owners make is leading with what they offer rather than what they solve. “I’m a business coach” tells someone what you do. It might sound appealing to someone who thinks ‘I should probably get one of those at some point. However, “I help personal trainers stop leaving money on the table with marketing that actually converts into my clients rather than getting ghosted by prospects” tells them what changes.

Lead with the resolution

Once you know the pain, your marketing job is simple: lead with the resolution. Not just the
aspirational lifestyle content of you drinking champagne or being on a yacht. The “join me on a journey” language sounds lovely but leading with an outcome is much better.

What does life look like on the other side of working with you? Not just the glamorous side but what problem no longer exists? What’ the tangible, measurable difference? Whether that’s hours saved, more time spent with kids, doubling their client base. That’s what goes at the top of your content, your website and all your socials. The transformation comes first.

This is where so many businesses get it backwards. They spend paragraphs explaining what
they do and how they do it, and leave the “so what” as an afterthought at the end. By that point, you’ve already lost people.

Your ideal client is scanning for proof that you understand their problem. Give it to them in the first line.

Credibility is your proof of concept

Here’s where paracetamol marketing really pulls ahead. Paracetamol works because we know it works: it has a track record. Again, it’s not just about fancy client pictures but the proof that you made their life easier.

Share the stories but go further than that. Break down the before and after by showing the
specific, tangible differences. Talk about the client who came to you overwhelmed and
overstretched and left with a system that gave them their weekends back. Talk about the
business that doubled its revenue in six months because they finally got their positioning right.

Real examples, real outcomes, real people will beat any luxury content on social media at the
moment.

Testimonials matter but so does the way you talk about your work day to day. When you
consistently show up with content that demonstrates you understand the problem and have
solved it for others, you become the obvious choice.

The bottom line

People don’t go looking for vitamins when they’re in pain. They go looking for the fastest, most trusted route to feeling better. If your marketing is built around what you offer rather than what you cure, you’re asking people to invest in a nice-to-have. Even if they do buy, nice-to-haves are the first thing that gets cut when budgets are tight or time is short.

Get specific about the pain. Lead with the resolution. Back it up with proof. Do that consistently, and you stop chasing clients and start attracting them.

That’s the difference between marketing that gets scrolled past and marketing that makes
someone stop and think: that’s exactly what I need. And that, right there, is your paracetamol moment.

About the author

Faye McCann is an international speaker and business mentor, working with business
owners to help them become more visible , gain more clients and make more money.
For more information visit: https://www.fayemac.com/

Millions of motorists could be mistaken about driving someone else’s car on their insurance

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Millions of motorists could be mistaken about driving someone else’s car on their insurance

New study highlights confusion around Driving Other Cars cover, with a quick policy check helping drivers avoid unexpected insurance gaps.

  • 77% of UK drivers are either incorrect or unsure about whether their annual policy lets them drive another person’s vehicle.
  • 60% do not realise Driving Other Cars cover usually only provides third party protection.
  • 17% face both misunderstandings, representing an estimated 6.8 million motorists who may wrongly believe they have full cover.
  • Reviewing your insurance policy before borrowing a car only takes a couple of minutes.
  • For the full research findings visit: covertime.com/guides/insurance-knowledge-gaps

LONDON, UK, July 9, 2026 – Millions of drivers across the UK may be relying on assumptions instead of checking the details of their insurance before borrowing a vehicle. New research from Covertime.com suggests uncertainty around Driving Other Cars cover is widespread, leaving many motorists unaware that they could be driving without the protection they expect.

The research, conducted by temporary car insurance provider Covertime, surveyed 1,120 UK licensed drivers. It found that more than three quarters, 77%, either incorrectly believe or are unsure that their annual motor insurance allows them to drive someone else’s car. In many cases, Driving Other Cars (DOC) cover is not included, especially for younger or less experienced motorists.

The survey also found that 60% of drivers did not know that DOC cover, where available on a comprehensive policy, is generally limited to third party protection. This means damage to the borrowed vehicle is not usually covered.

Researchers also identified that 17% of UK drivers, around 6.8 million people, hold both misconceptions. They believe they can drive another person’s vehicle under their own policy while also being unaware that any DOC cover is usually third party only. This combination could leave drivers believing they are fully insured when they may have little or no protection.

The findings are significant because driving without valid insurance can have serious consequences. According to the Motor Insurers’ Bureau, around 300,000 uninsured vehicles are driven on UK roads every day, creating an estimated £1 billion annual cost to the economy. Last year, almost 160,000 uninsured vehicles were seized, the highest number recorded in 17 years. The survey suggests confusion may be contributing to this issue.

Tom Warsop, motor insurance expert at Covertime, said: “This is not about catching people out. It is about helping drivers understand what their policy actually covers before they borrow a car.

“The most important step is to check your insurance rather than assume you are covered. It only takes a couple of minutes.

“Driving Other Cars cover is not included with many comprehensive policies and, where it is available, it is normally restricted to third party cover. That means it protects other road users, not the vehicle you are borrowing.

“If your policy does not include the cover you need, temporary insurance can provide comprehensive protection for the borrowed car.”

For the full research findings visit: covertime.com/guides/insurance-knowledge-gaps

Birmingham VR initiative recognised for innovation in helping schools prevent youth violence

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Birmingham VR initiative recognised for innovation in helping schools prevent youth violence

BIRMINGHAM, UK. July 10, 2026 – Birmingham immersive technology specialist Virtual Decisions has received the Midlands Education Award for Innovation in recognition of its pioneering virtual reality programmes that help schools and youth justice organisations educate young people about knife crime, antisocial behaviour and county lines exploitation.

Using immersive virtual reality, the programmes place participants in realistic situations where they must make decisions and experience the consequences in a controlled environment. Designed using trauma-informed practices, the experiences encourage learning and discussion while avoiding the risk of retraumatisation. The programmes are currently being delivered in schools, pupil referral units and youth justice settings across the UK.

Originally developed in Birmingham, Virtual Decisions‘ programmes are now used throughout the UK and overseas. Since 2020, they have engaged an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 young people. Created by co-founders Stuart Lane and Claire Downes, the VR experiences and accompanying educational resources are embedded within youth justice teams, local councils, schools, police forces and Violence Reduction Units, helping address issues including knife crime, antisocial behaviour, exploitation, identity and peer influence.

Stuart Lane, Co-Founder of Virtual Decisions, said: “Winning this award is a proud moment, but the work is what matters. We’re using immersive technology to reach young people at the point where early intervention can make a real difference. These programmes are built to be honest about the realities of knife crime and exploitation, without ever putting young people back in harm’s way.”

The programmes continue to make a positive impact in schools and local communities. A teacher working with Nuneaton Bedworth United to Achieve said: “The children talked very highly of how good the session was and how much it had made them think. Both packages have really supported our children to see how things can go so wrong if you take certain paths in behaviour and life. It has also got the children talking to school staff more openly about things they see.”

Virtual Decisions partners with schools, local authorities, youth services, police and crime commissioners across the Midlands. Its VR programmes are designed to strengthen existing early intervention and violence reduction strategies by providing practical support for practitioners alongside measurable outcomes.

Following its success across the UK, the company is continuing its international growth with new partnerships in Ireland and Australia. Virtual Decisions has also commissioned additional VR experiences, broadening its programme offering to address a wider range of issues affecting young people.

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