Mohsin and Zuber Issa, the brothers who recently acquired supermarket chain Asda, have been awarded with CBE in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
Richard Pennycook, former chief executive of the Co-operative Group, has also been awarded with a CBE.
The Indian-origin Issa brothers, working with private equity firm TDR Capital, have brought back Asda to UK ownership earlier this month, agreeing to buy the No.3 supermarket from Walmart for an enterprise value of £6.8 billion.
Commenting on the recognition they said: “We are truly honoured to have received a CBE and would like to thank the many people that have helped us along the way, including colleagues, partners, the people of Lancashire and our family.
“When we bought our first petrol forecourt in Bury almost 20 years ago, we could never have dreamed that we would be collecting such a prestigious award today.”
The brothers are known for the fast-expanding forecourt operator EG Group, which now runs almost 6,000 sites across 10 countries.
Initially called Euro Garages, the Issa brothers founded the Blackburn-based group in 2001, acquiring a single petrol filling station in Bury, Greater Manchester.
The recent acquisitions of the group include forecourt groups in the US and Australia, Little Chef roadside cafes and a major Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise in the UK.
The group has expanded to the US in April 2018 acquiring the convenience store business of Kroger and branched out to Australia in November that year with the purchase of petrol business of Woolworths Group.
The brothers each own a quarter of £10 billion EG Group. TDR Capital now owns half of the group.
Their parents came to the UK from Gujarat, India, in the 1960s. They attended their local comprehensive school in Blackburn and began their careers working in their father’s local petrol station.
“We plan to step up our contribution to good causes through our charitable foundations and this award will inspire us to do even more to support people in the communities that we operate, particularly the North of England,” they added.
In 2019, EG Group reported revenues of more than €20bn (£17.9bn). The Issa brothers were placed in the ninth position in the Eastern Eye Asian Rich List 2019 with an estimated worth of £1.5 billion.
Richard Pennycook, who currently serves as the chairman of Boparan Holdings, the holding company of 2 Sisters Food Group, is credited for saving the Co-op from collapse after the financial problems of the Co-operative Bank. He joined the consumer co-operative in 2013 as chief financial officer and served as the chief executive from March 2014 and February 2017.
He later served British Retail Consortium as chair till May 2020. His previous executive roles include Board positions at Morrisons, the RAC, Bulmers and J D Wetherspoon.
The Honours List has several names from the grocery industry, recognising the frontline role of shop workers in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Asda has won big in the list with eight colleagues receiving recognition. Imran Rashid Dawji, human resource administrator at Asda head office, received an MBE in recognition of his work in creating a recruitment process that allowed the retailer to bring on board an extra 25,000 temporary colleagues.
“It was a pivotal time to ensure everything was close to perfect as we had a duty to ensure support was provided to everyone around the country,” Davji said.
“Myself and the team bought into the idea that this work would be accomplished by knowing conscientiousness would be imperative whilst working outside of process. Hard work and tenacity were the key ingredients of this success and gave impetus to this journey over the past few months.
“I would like to thank my manager and all my colleagues. Our success would not have been possible without your unwavering support and encouragement. Thank you.”
Seven other Asda colleagues received a British Empire Medal (BEM) for going above and beyond for their local communities. They include: Geoff Norris, home shopping driver at Asda Wisbech; Julie Cook, community champion at Asda Aberdare; Karen Clark, e-commerce customer trading manager at Asda Ellesmere Port; Lucy Mansell-Render, nights department manager at Asda North East Clothing Depot, Washington; Samantha D’Souza, community champion at Asda Hayes; Simon Lea, general store manager at Asda Altrincham (previously Marple); and Faisal Tuddy, Asda house superintendent pharmacist.
Two colleagues from Tesco, Jayne Griffiths, community champion in Llandrindod Wells, Powys and Philip Richards, lead people partner are bestowed with an MBE and another, Theresa Fisher, community champion in Gloucester is awarded a BEM.
Four colleagues from Sainsbury's received BEM, and they are: Andrew Dunsmore, food services assistant in Bromley, Kent; Margaret Gurney, services assistant in Amersham, Buckinghamshire; Rani Kaur, food services assisant in Bedford and Eugenia Lyle, customer experience colleague at Derry.
Jean Hughes, who works as a trade Improvement and response manager at the Co-op, has won an MBE and Liz McClean, a store manager at the Co-op’s Brodick store on the Isle of Arran, has been awarded a BEM.
McClean has made her store the centre of the Isle of Arran’s community response to the coronavirus crisis, including working round the clock to ensure deliveries were made to hundreds of elderly and vulnerable members.
“It was a feeling of disbelief when I received the letter, I thought it was a joke at first! I love our customers to bits, they are brilliant. And, the way the community has responded has been incredible,” she commented.
“Local businesses, volunteers, community groups, the local authorities and especially the Port Manager of Calmac, all helping the community to get through this together. In addition, the whole Co-op team has been fantastic - so it feels like this is as much in recognition of all their hard work too. I really am delighted.”
Hughes was recognised for working closely with frontline retail workers and the Co-op’s central support centre. Her work ensured feedback and insight from Co-op’s 2,600 food stores was gathered, prioritised and acted upon – initiating and implementing a range of key measures in communities to ensure colleagues, customers and the most vulnerable in society were supported throughout.
Hughes commented: “I never expected anything like this. It really hasn’t sunk in as yet – it is an incredible feeling to be recognised and honoured in this way.”
Adam Smith, food delivery driver at Iceland store in Rustington, West Sussex won a BEM.
He worked more than 220 additional hours to visit customers, collect their shopping lists, do their shopping for them in store, and then drop off their supplies later on. Identifying that some customers had nowhere else to turn, he would leave his personal mobile and home phone numbers alongside the delivery of shopping.
Smith, whose father is a recipient of the medal, said he was “absolutely amazed” to receive the award.
“My family are very proud with what I have achieved, and when I told my father he was beaming with pride, even more so because he received a similar award over 25 years ago which I had the pleasure of attending with him at the Palace. I am so pleased that I was able to serve my community and give help to people when they had no one else to turn to for help,” he said.
Sharon McKendrick, store manager at Morrisons in Coldstream, Berwickshire has also received a BEM.
From Waitrose, Alex Bonsu has been named for BEM. Started working at John Lewis in High Wycombe, he began at Waitrose Beaconsfield as a delivery driver five years ago.
Commenting on the medal, he said: "It's really amazing and something that I never thought would happen. Through being a delivery driver during the pandemic I feel that I have been able to support my local community more than ever before.
“Both myself and my family are so happy that I have been awarded a place on the List and I can't wait to share the news with the other Partners in the shop."
Pontrilas postmistress Sonya Cary received a BEM for services to rural communities in Herefordshire, recognising her work to help combat loneliness and malnutrition in the elderly.
Cary, who has not taken a day off in two years, runs the Post Office, shop, café, gym and weekly lunch club for the local community and those who don’t have family or other pastoral support. She runs her branch with a team of volunteers alongside a social enterprise as part of the national charity ‘C.A.R.E. CIC’.
“It feels surreal to receive this honour. The community will be bowled over by the news,” she said.
“The lockdown was stressful. We had to adapt what we could offer as the need was even greater to stop isolation and malnutrition. Many elderly men are not good at looking after themselves. We serve 23 villages in Herefordshire and during the pandemic we were also getting requests from over the border in Wales for lunch and prescription deliveries.”
During the Covid-19 pandemic Pontrilas Post Office has operated services seven days a week, and provided a wide variety of services to community residents including arranging deliveries of groceries to the vulnerable and Sunday lunches to isolated people
“The Post Office is at the centre of what we do. Without the Post Office we couldn’t have been able to provide the lunch club and gym. People don’t think of what we offer as care, they think about it as a Post Office with social centre and gym attached,” she added.
Britvic, the soft drinks manufacturer set to be acquired by Carlsberg, has posted robust annual results after investment in marketing and product innovation helped it maintain demand for its brands.
Over the year to Sept 30, the company’s pre-tax profits climbed 10.5 per cent to £173.2 million despite a £21.3m hit related to the proposed Carlsberg deal. Britvic stated that its growth was driven by both volume and price-mix, with strong demand for brands such as Pepsi, Tango, Lipton, MiWadi and Ballygowan.
The group noted that scaling up new brands such as Plenish, Jimmy’s, Aqua Libra, and London Essence helped it build its presence in fast-growing categories. Meanwhile, it increased advertising and promotional (A&P) spend by 30.9 per cent to “support long-term brand growth”.
Volumes grew 3.1 per cent, driven by both organic growth and the acquisitions of the Extra Power and Jimmy’s brands.
Chief Executive Simon Litherland said, “We have delivered another excellent financial performance this year, with strong growth across our markets and portfolio of market-leading brands. We have also continued to ensure the business is fit for the future, adding more capacity, investing in our people, and significantly increasing investment in marketing and innovation.
“I am confident that the prospects for our brands and people are extremely positive, and I look forward to them going from strength to strength,” concluded Litherland.
Subject to approval by the regulatory authorities, the £3.3bn acquisition of Britvic by Carlsberg is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2025.
The Metropolitan Police has identified two new suspects in its investigation into possible criminal offences as part of the Post Office Horizon scandal. This takes the total number of individuals to four as the force also revealed it believes more suspects will be identified as the inquiry progresses.
Scotland Yard said members of the investigation team met with Sir Alan Bates, the leading Post Office campaigner, and fellow victims to update them on the development.
A Met spokesman said: “On Sunday Nov 17, members of the investigating team met with Sir Alan Bates and a number of affected sub-postmasters to provide an update on our progress and next steps, following an invitation to do so.
“Our investigation team, comprising of officers from forces across the UK, is now in place and we will be sharing further details in due course. The team is preparing to contact other affected sub-postmasters soon. While four suspects have been formally identified at this stage, this number will grow as the investigation progresses.”
However, Sir Mark Rowley, the Met Commissioner, has warned it could be years before anyone faces charges because of the “tens of millions of documents” that must be worked through.
Speaking previously on the matter, he said, “I think at the core of this you’ve potentially got fraud, in terms of false documents, if it’s for financial purposes.
“Clearly, we have to prove beyond all reasonable doubt, so really it’s 99.9 per cent, that individuals knowingly corrupted something. So that’s going way beyond incompetence, you have to prove deliberate malice, and that has to be done very thoroughly with an exhaustive investigation.
“So it won’t be quick. But the police service across the country are alive to this and we will do everything we can do to bring people to justice if criminal offences can be proven.”
More than 900 sub-postmasters were wrongfully prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 as a result of the Horizon scandal, in which the faulty computer software incorrectly recorded shortfalls on their accounts. Of these, hundreds of people are still awaiting compensation despite the previous government announcing that those who had convictions quashed were eligible for payouts of £600,000.
Oral evidence at the Post Office inquiry concluded this month.
New research by American Express Shop Small reveals the nation’s top 10 hotspots for independent shops, showcasing the small businesses and the valuable role they plan in their local communities.
American Express partnered with retail experts GlobalData to identify the top high streets for independent shops through ranking factors such as the number of independent outlets, variety of business types, and vibrancy of the high street.
The list also took into consideration the number of Gen Z and Millennial independent business owners (those aged between 18-43) in each location, factoring in how these younger generations are investing in the future success of UK high streets. Across the top 10 hotspots, on average over a third (36 per cent) of all business owners are in these age cohorts.
The research identified bustling St Mary’s Street in Stamford, Lincolnshire, as Britain’s top hotspot for independent shops – scoring highly across all the factors and delivering a unique experience for shoppers.
Britain’s top high street hotspots for independent shops:
St Mary’s Street, Stamford, Lincolnshire
Devonshire Street / Division Street, Sheffield, Yorkshire
Gloucester Road, Bristol
Market Street / Bridge Gate, Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire
Stoke Newington Church Street, Hackney, London
High Street, Narberth, Pembrokeshire
Oldham Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester
Bailgate, Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Byres Road, Glasgow
The Lanes, Norwich, Norfolk
Beyond their contribution to local communities, the research also revealed how living near a vibrant independent high street can benefit home valuations.
Dan Edelman, general manager, Merchant Services at American Express, said, “Small businesses play a crucial role in supporting local economies up and down the country, and it’s pleasing to now see their impact beyond the high street. Through our Shop Small campaign and support of Small Business Saturday we’re proud to be championing and shining a spotlight on the diverse and vibrant independent businesses who help our local communities thrive.”
The research is released ahead of this year’s Small Business Saturday (Dec 7), of which American Express is founder and principal supporter. Small Business Saturday is the UK’s most successful small business campaign. Over the years it has been running, it has engaged millions of people and seen billions of pounds spent with small businesses across the UK on the day, with an impact that lasts all year round.
Michelle Ovens, director of Small Business Saturday, said, “The nation’s 5.5 million small businesses bring incredible value to the UK’s economy, society and communities, and this research underlines the material impact they have in boosting local areas. On Small Business Saturday, and beyond, we are asking the nation to throw their arms around their favourite local small businesses and show them how much they mean to us all and the wider community. Public support is so vital for small businesses, particularly for the next generation of owners.”
Matt Piner, research director at GlobalData, commented on the findings, “Independent shops bring something different to high streets, offering uniqueness and propositions that are finely tuned to the needs of their local communities. As younger generations of shoppers are attracted to their local high streets, so too are shop owners, with a new breed of Gen Z and Millennial entrepreneurs helping to keep them thriving.”
As part of this year’s Shop Small campaign, American Express has pledged £100,000 worth of grants to small businesses. The Champion Small initiative encourages Cardmembers to nominate their favourite independent small business, with 10 set to receive a £10,000 grant. Those who nominate a business will be entered into a prize draw too, with a chance to win one of 50 x £1,000 statement credits.
Shoppers who walk and wheel spend more than those arriving by car, states a recent report, demonstrating the significant economic and social benefits of investing in walkable town centres, challenging traditional views on urban accessibility.
The findings published in third edition of "The Pedestrian Pound Report", recently published by Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, come at a critical juncture for British high streets, with a record number of retail failures in 2022 and a vacancy rate of nearly one in seven by the end of 2023.
The launch of the report is backed by Scotland’s national walking charity, Paths for All, underscoring the need to make walking a central feature of Scotland’s high streets.
“Making high streets and town centres more walkable increases time – and money – spent in those businesses,” says Catherine Woodhead, Chief Executive of Living Streets. “It’s slowly being recognised – the majority (95 per cent) of London’s Business Improvement Districts identify a good walking environment as important to business performance.”
The report highlights encouraging data from Scottish towns, such as Nairn, where public space improvements and community events have significantly bolstered foot traffic. In 2022, a Christmas event in the town drew 7,800 attendees, including 600 new visitors, while a classic car show in 2023 attracted over 10,000, with 80 per cent saying they would return even outside of events.
Kevin Lafferty, Chief Executive of Paths for All, emphasised the broader benefits, “These findings show that when we put people first and make walking and wheeling the easiest, most natural choices, we don’t just get an economic boost – we build communities that are happier, healthier, and more sustainable for everyone.”
The report highlights that 85 per cent of Scottish adults walk or wheel regularly, contributing to both economic and health benefits.
In Scotland alone, the health benefits from walking to work are valued at over £600 million annually in prevented deaths. Community-focused initiatives, such as the Alloa Hub, are proving successful in encouraging residents to travel into town centres, with research showing that 56p of every £1 spent in community businesses stays in the local economy.
The report is timely, with investment in active and sustainable transport cut by £23.7 million by the Scottish Government this September. The Pedestrian Pound provides an excellent case for these vital funds to be restored.
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Home secretary Yvette Cooper speaking at the annual conference hosted by the NPCC and APCC on 19 November 2024
Home secretary Yvette Cooper has announced plans to rebuild neighbourhood policing and combat surging shop theft as part of an ambitious programme of reform to policing.
In her first major speech at the annual conference hosted by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners on Tuesday, Cooper highlighted four of the key areas for reform: neighbourhood policing, police performance, structures and capabilities, crime prevention.
The initiatives she announced include:
a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee to get policing back to basics and rebuild trust between local forces and the communities they serve
a new Police Performance Unit to track national data on local performance and drive up standards
a new National Centre of Policing to harness new technology and forensics, making sure policing is better equipped to meet the changing nature of crime
The home secretary also announced more than half a billion pounds of additional central government funding for policing next year to support the government’s Safer Streets Mission, including an increase in the core grant for police forces, and extra resources for neighbourhood policing, the NCA and counter-terrorism.
In her speech, Cooper said that without a major overhaul to increase public confidence, the British tradition of policing by consent will be in peril.
“I am determined that neighbourhood policing must be rebuilt,” she said, pointing to its decline over the past decade. Cuts to community-based roles have left town centres vulnerable to rising crime and antisocial behaviour, she added.
“Shop theft is up at a record high, street theft is up 40 per cent in a year… Criminals – often organised gangs – are just getting away with it. We cannot stand for this,” she said.
Cooper reiterated the government’s commitment to deliver an additional 13,000 police officers, PCSOs and special constables in neighbourhood policing roles, adding that further steps will be announced in the coming weeks.
The reforms will restore community patrols with a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee and an enhanced role for Police and Crime Commissioners to prevent crime. The changes will also ensure that policing has the national capabilities it needs to fight fast-changing, complex crimes which cut across police force boundaries.
“The challenge of rebuilding public confidence is a shared one for government and policing. This is an opportunity for a fundamental reset in that relationship, and together we will embark on this roadmap for reform to regain the trust and support of the people we all serve and to reinvigorate the best of policing,” Cooper said.