The bosses of a Yorkshire company have been praised online after giving all of their staff a pay rise to help them deal with the soaring cost of living.
RotaCloud co-founders Joel Beverley, James Lintern and David Brandon wanted to do something to help their staff, following countrywide price rises that have seen most UK households' energy bills double since last month.
After sitting down and putting their heads together, the trio behind the York-based company decided they would give the entire team a £1,500 pay rise to make sure they could all still afford to pay their bills and maintain the same standard of living they'd enjoyed before.
Speaking to The Mirror, James said: “We’re all painfully aware of the increase in the cost of living, so as a business we wanted to help shoulder some of the pressure that everyone is feeling.
"As well as promotions and planned pay rises, we wanted to give the whole team some extra support, so we’ve introduced a company-wide pay boost of £1,500, effective retroactively from the beginning of the month.
Image: RotaCloud
The enormous energy price hike, created when energy regulator Ofgem raised its price cap by £693 on 1 April, has led to energy prices increasing by 53% in the space of a month.
It comes alongside increases in council tax, water bills, national insurance, broadband costs and mobile phone charges.
Energy companies such as BP and Shell have reported record profits since the price increase, and some have even called on the government to introduce a windfall tax to help the poorest in the UK pay their bills.
However, for now, at least, no real government support has been forthcoming for those faced with the choice of heating or eating and benefits have not been increased in line with inflation - although there are some indications that the Treasury may be looking again at proposals for a windfall Tax.
Rishi Sunak has previously talked about the possibility of introducing such a tax if investment from energy companies was not forthcoming, but has held out until now.
The Chancellor said in an interview: “What I would say is that if we don’t see that type of investment coming forward and companies are not going to make those investments in our country and in our energy security, then, of course, that’s something I would look at and nothing is ever off the table in these things.”
Leeds has been ranked the number one city in the UK for construction growth.
Well well well, it seems we've got another accolade under our belt.
A new survey has revealed that Leeds leads the way in national construction growth, outdoing London and other major cities. How cool is that?
It's all down to a number of factors, including high housing completions, strong planning activity, and thriving construction businesses.
The findings are all down to Astrak’s new Construction Hotspot Index, which analysed job availability, planning activity, housing completions and construction businesses across 12 major UK cities.
Leeds performed strongly across all key indicators used in the index, beating the likes of Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh and Birmingham in the national rankings.
Key findings for Leeds included:
1,343 live construction job adverts – one of the highest in the UK
1,017 planning application decisions in Q2 2025 – a strong indicator of future developments
4,327 housing completions – the latest government annual data shows the highest rate per capita
3,760 construction businesses – per capita, second only to London
James Coughlan, CMO at Astrak, commented: “Leeds is clearly a city building for the future. With strong demand for skilled workers, a thriving business base and thousands of new homes completed, it’s a great time to be in construction here.
“The city offers a wide range of opportunities – from on-site trades to technical and office-based roles, and with even more growth forecast, we expect demand for talent to keep rising well into 2026 and beyond.”
We can't say we're surprised, and although it may be frustrating for construction to be popping up here there and everywhere the city is benefitting from recent developments such as Aire Park and the South Village.
A ‘Mini Mall’ full of independent food traders and local brands is coming to Leeds city centre
Clementine Hall
The Merrion Centre is set to become the home of an exciting new retail and food destination this summer.
Introducing The Mini Mall, an innovative retail concept designed to create a flagship city-centre destination for local brands, artisan producers and independent food traders.
The new 4,885 sq ft ground-floor space will be completely dedicated entirely to independent Yorkshire brands, artisan producers, and local food creators.
Operating as a premium 'satellite department store', The Mini Mall provides established independent businesses with fully staffed, centrally managed retail bays.
Image: Supplied
Shoppers can expect a carefully curated selection of Yorkshire-based homeware designers, fashion labels, craft producers, and street food vendors under one roof.
The Mini Mall will open on Saturday 25July with an official public grand opening featuring a ribbon-cutting ceremony, live brand showcases, and the full launch of the Mini Food Hall.to meet the makers behind the brands.
Shaz Westfield, founder of Eventszo, said: "The Mini Mall was created to give independent businesses the opportunity to trade in a prime city-centre location without the barriers that often come with traditional retail.
“Yorkshire is home to an incredible community of makers, creators and food businesses, and our goal is to provide a platform where they can grow, connect with new customers and thrive. We're delighted to be launching our flagship venue at the Merrion Centre and look forward to building a destination that champions local talent and entrepreneurship."
Charles Newman, asset management director at Town Centre Securities PLC (TCS), owners of The Merrion Centre, said: "What makes the Merrion Centre different is the breadth and character of our occupier mix. We've always championed businesses that bring something unique to the city centre, creating a destination that offers visitors experiences they won't find elsewhere on the high street."
You can find out more about Leeds' new Mini Mall here.
Georgina Pellant -
13th May 2022 
