Famous astronaut and author, Tim Peake has been announced as the key-note speaker for the 2022 Yorkshires Business Awards.
The shortlist has recently been announced for The Yorkshires. Business Awards 2022.
The first of the annual event will be held by Yorkshire Children's Charity to celebrate the best of the region's start-ups, entrepreneurs, legendary leaders and giants of industry.
The awards will be held on Friday 9 December 2022 at the Queens Hotel in Leeds.
The charity have revealed that legendary astronaut and author, Tim Peake, will be making a celebrity appearance as key-note speaker for the event.
We’ve had to be tight lipped about this one, but we are DELIGHTED to announce that the one and only Tim Peake will be speaking at The Yorkshires. Business Awards on Friday 9th December! 🚀
Not only will he be reflecting on his incredible career, he will also be delivering a workshop to pupils from St Peter's CofE Primary School in Leeds city centre ahead of the highly anticipated awards.
Composed of four main categories, The Yorkshires. Business Awards will award; Large Corporate of the Year, Mid-Market Corporate of the Year, Business Leader of the Year and Board of the Year.
Shortlisted Yorkshire companies in the running include Betty’s, BJSS, Team 17, MKM, Big Change, Astonish Cleaning Products and Air Logic.
As well as this, the winner of the Yorkshires. Young Entrepreneur Challenge will be announced, which has seen school pupils from some of the most economically challenged areas in Leeds, work in teams to present a business idea and turn £500 seed money into as much profit as possible.
The money raised from this challenge will be used to purchase specialist equipment for young people living with disabilities.
Start your Christmas celebrations early by celebrating the best in Yorkshire business at The Yorkshires. Business Awards 2022! 🎄
Charlotte Farrington, CEO at Yorkshire Children’s Charity said: “We are delighted to be holding the first of our annual The Yorkshires. Business Awards and are especially looking forward to hearing the key-note speech from Tim Peake, which I am sure will be an incredibly inspiring listen.
“This event will allow us to celebrate the success of both the region’s leading business minds, alongside the school children who have worked so hard to raise funds for children with disabilities across Yorkshire. Raising money to support these children is always at the forefront of any event we plan, and we never lose sight of the responsibility we are entrusted with - to raise significant funds for the children and young people who depend on us.”
Leeds is set to welcome an exciting new addition to the city’s interactive gaming scene, as Prison Island prepares to open its first northern venue.
The new multi-activity entertainment venue at the Merrion Centre will make itself at home inside an 11,000 sq ft unit across two floors, with Prison Island being at the heart of the action.
Prison Island is an immersive team challenge that sees players in teams of up to five tackle a series of themed cells designed to test physical ability, skill, teamwork, and problem-solving, and unlike a traditional escape room, teams can take on a variety of challenges that enable them to create a different experience with every visit.
The internationally established concept will also offer a range of additional competitive experiences - including interactive darts and interactive golf.
Leeds will join a global network of more than 110 Prison Island locations, and will become the concept’s fourth venue in the UK and first venue in the North of England - joining existing locations in Belfast, Maidstone, and Camden.
Credit: SuppliedCredit: Supplied
Prison Island Leeds - which will create 18 jobs once it opens - will be operated by the team behind the hugely successful Belfast venue, which opened seven years ago and has established itself as one of Northern Ireland’s leading attractions.
Suitable for groups of friends and families, as well as celebrations, corporate events, and team-building activities, the venue is joining the Merrion Centre and wider Arena Quarter’s growing leisure and entertainment offer.
Ryan Lyttle, director of Prison Island Leeds, said: "We’re most looking forward to finally bringing the Prison Island experience to Leeds. We’ve seen how well the concept works in Belfast, particularly because it appeals to such a broad audience and every visit can be completely different.
Global interactive action game Prison Island to open first northern venue in Leeds / Credit: Supplied
"With Prison Island alongside a range of additional activities, we’re excited to create a venue where people can come together, compete, have fun and discover something they haven’t experienced before."
Prison Island Leeds is expected to be open in time for Christmas, with the team promising special plans to mark its arrival in the city, although details are being kept firmly under wraps for now.
Further information on the opening, including launch plans, will be announced in due course.
Featured Image - Supplied
Business
Government to investigate companies like Trainline and Virgin Atlantic for ‘misleading’ pricing
Emily Sergeant
The Government is investigating a number of companies for 'misleading' pricing practices.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched three new consumer protection investigations into Trainline, Virgin Atlantic, and RED Driving School over concerns that customers were not shown the total price upfront when buying things like train and coach tickets, holidays, or even driving lessons.
The investigations are part of a wider CMA clampdown on misleading pricing practices - in this instance, where mandatory charges are separated from the headline price, or added later in the buying process, which is known as drip pricing.
These practices leave consumers facing 'unexpected' costs or having to calculate the so-called true cost themselves.
Such practices can also impact competition between businesses, as a firm using drip pricing may falsely appear to be cheaper than a competitor pricing correctly, and therefore attract more customers.
Trainline is being investigated over whether all mandatory fees have been included in the upfront prices displayed to consumers buying tickets in advance on its app and website, while Virgin Atlantic's investigation will focus on whether mandatory resort fees and local taxes have been included in the upfront prices shown to customers buying package holidays.
Trainline and Virgin Atlantic are among the companies being investigated for 'misleading' pricing / Credit: Northern | Aric Cheng (via Unsplash)
RED Driving School is being investigated over how a mandatory booking fee and 'digital' fee have been displayed to people booking driving lessons - specifically whether these fees have been included in the total upfront price.
"At a time when many households are watching every pound they spend, it is important that people are not surprised by extra fees," commented Emma Cochrane, who is the Executive Director for Consumer Protection at the CMA.
"Clear pricing helps people compare offers confidently and choose the option that works best for them.
"Unexpected mandatory charges make this much harder, which is why the CMA initially put these firms on notice over concerns about their pricing practices and is now opening formal investigations."
The CMA says it's at the beginning of its investigations and has reached no conclusions about whether these firms have broken the law.
If it finds there has been an infringement of the law, the CMA can order businesses to pay compensation to affected customers or be charged up to 10% of global turnover.
Clementine Hall -
29th November 2022 
