Bede Homes has announced that it will build 21 five-bedroom executive homes in Beck View, Yarm, which will go on sale in early summer.

India-based student loan provider Kuhoo has secured $20 million in seed round funding from West Bridge Capital.

The platform plans to provide online loans to students aspiring to study at universities in India and abroad.

Talking about the development, Prashant A. Bhonsle, Founder of Kuhoo said, “We are on a mission to make Indian students Atmanirbhar. In our cumulative experience of more than 30 years in the field of Indian student loans, we have observed that many talented students do not apply to good universities because they are afraid of imposing tuition fees and fees on their parents. high living expenses. We want to change that.

“At Kuhoo, we combine our vast experience with cutting-edge technology and data science to create risk and credit models. These models help us assess the potential employability of students and their future earnings for the various courses in which students enroll. With this unique ability, Kuhoo can offer different products that are better suited to the individual profiles of students from a variety of family backgrounds. The other benefit – usually underestimated – for students will be that this loan will help them to build a credit history during their studies.As we all know, in today’s world, a good credit rating ensures that students will have access to the best financial products like credit cards, other loans, etc., once they start working,” Bhonsle added.

Kuhoo has also onboarded experienced global talent in the areas of technology, data science, consumer and student loans. Apart from launching their innovative products, Kuhoo will partner with banks and other NBFCs, as well as top colleges and coaching centers around the world.

Sponsored

“As a completely online student lender, we want to provide the most dignified experience for students, parents, universities and all our partners. We also plan to use our expertise to help students find universities, courses and even jobs best suited after completing their studies,” added Bhonsle.

Commenting on the financing, Deepak Ramineedi, Partner, West Bridge Capital, said: “We have been following India’s education sector closely for over a decade now. With the rising cost of education, we believe that India needs loan providers who fully understand the issues of students, parents and academic institutes. Assessing student employability and future earnings are two of the biggest challenges for existing banks and NBFCs that offer student loans. »

“We are happy to have found the right entrepreneur in Prashant. Apart from his experience in building one of the most successful student loan companies in India, we like his vision of using technology and analysis to create an online business model. Additionally, Prashant’s passion for organizational culture and creating impact aligns with West Bridge’s core values. We are excited to partner with kuhoo and wish the best to the talented team,” added Ramineedi.

Speaking in more detail about the investment cycle, Sumir Chadha, Co-Founder and Managing Director of West Bridge Capital Partners, added: “Over the past decades, only a tiny percentage of talented Indian students have had the chance to pursue their higher education dreams. at universities abroad. Although it will continue to grow, the emerging world order and India’s economic growth provide students with many career opportunities. Moreover, the Indian government’s policy of creating high-quality educational institutes and the Edtech revolution of recent years have opened up attractive prospects for young Indian students.

“West Bridge Capital is committed to financial inclusion through long-term investments in sectors such as affordable housing finance and education. We strongly believe that Kuhoo will play a vital role in making these expensive courses affordable, primarily for middle class Indian families. We are delighted to support Prashant and his talented team at kuhoo in their endeavor to build one of India’s leading student loan institutions,” added Sumir Chadha.

After a two-year hiatus, the awards are back in full swing and we’ve received record nominations for hundreds of worthy teachers and support staff.

David L. Stern, Joby Warrick, Kareem Fahim, Dan Lamothe, and Missy Ryan reported on the front page of today’s Washington Post that, “Russian forces pounded key airfields in central Ukraine and launched a new assault on the beleaguered port city of Mariupol on Sunday.Russian and Ukrainian officials said, as Moscow continued its invasion in defiance of new Western economic threats and fierce resistance Ukrainian defenders outgunned.

Financial Times writer Emiko Terazono reported last week that “Russia and Ukraine supply almost a third of global wheat exports and since Russia’s assault on neighboring Black Sea ports are practically paralyzed. As a result, wheat price reached record levels, surpassing the levels seen during the food crisis of 2007-2008”.

The FT article stated that ““If Ukrainian farmers do not start planting soon, food security will be seriously threatened”. If Ukraine’s food production drops in the next season, the price of wheat could double or triple,” said [Kees Huizinga] the Dutch national, who has been farming for two decades in Cherkasy, 200 km south of Kiev. He is part of a farmers’ union, whose 1,100 members cover just under 10% of the country’s farmland.

“While well-stored wheat, like that from the Huizinga farm, can last for several months, agricultural experts and policy makers have notified of the impact of delayed shipments on the countries that depend on the region for wheat, cereals, sunflower oil and barley.

Terazono said that “sitting in his friend’s house in Siret, near the Romanian-Ukrainian border, Huizinga said that the main question raised during a call with 75 fellow Ukrainian farmers was to plant or not to plant. They may find it difficult to obtain fertilizers and crop protection products and it is unclear if they could actually harvest and ship the crop. “The supply chain is broken,” he said.

Bloomberg writers Megan Durisin and James Poole reported on Monday that “Wheat prices approached record highs as Russia’s escalating war in Ukraine cuts off supplies to one of the world’s major breadbaskets.

“Chicago futures have exceeded the daily limit for the sixth consecutive session, up 7% to $12.94 a bushel. This is based on a massive wave of 41% last weekthe most data spanning six decades, and puts prices at their highest since 2008. The Paris contract violated one all-time high after jumping up to 11%.”

The Bloomberg article stated that “” serious disorders‘, the Agricultural Market Information System said in a report on Monday. “Any serious disruption to production and exports from these suppliers will undoubtedly drive up prices further and erode the food security of millions of people.”

“Food costs have already reached an all-time high, according to the United Nations, and are expected to rise further, compounding the woes of importers,” the article said.

And Patrick Thomas and Alistair MacDonald reported on the front page of today’s Wall Street Journal that, “Ukrainian farmers are supposed to plant their spring crops soon. Yet even if the fighting stops, they may not have enough fertilizers and pesticides. Agriculture industry leaders warn of small yields in Ukraine, which normally has some of the most productive fields in the world.

“‘Depending on the crop you’re considering, it could have pretty serious impacts already in the first growing season,’ said Svein Tore Holsether, managing director of Norway’s Yara International AS A, one of Norway’s largest manufacturers of fertilizer in the world. . ‘Yields could fall by 50%.’”

More generally, Thomas and MacDonald pointed out that “fertilizer supplies were already tight and prices were at record highs. This adds pressure on farmers, who pay significantly more for fuel, weed killing chemicals, seeds and seasonal labour.

“If fertilizer supplies run out or become too expensive, some farmers may move acres to less fertilizer-intensive crops like soybeans. Others could reduce fertilizerpotentially slimming cropsanalysts said.

In a day-long online awards ceremony, 54 winners were announced for the Dorset Tourism Awards 2021/22, with three more to be revealed in May, when winners and sponsors gather at the Sculpture by the Lakes in Pallington, which won gold, silver and bronze at this year’s event.

The judges found many examples of excellence, innovation and resilience applied by Dorset businesses as they worked their way over one hurdle after another, with many becoming significant contributors to the efforts from the county to support key workers.

Judges’ chairman, Professor Peter Jones, said: ‘The tourism industry has seen the very lows of lockdown and the highs of holiday enquiries. What this year’s judging showed is how resilient, creative and innovative tourism businesses in Dorset need to be to survive. They work hard to overcome setbacks and showcase the excellence that Dorset tourism offers to all of its visitors.

Find more details on dorsettourismawards.org.uk

DORSET TOURISM AWARDS 2021/22 sponsored by Quality in Tourism

ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE TOURISM AWARDsponsored by Bournemouth University: Gold – Ellwood Cottages Blandford Forum.

SPECIAL APPRENTICESHIP PRIZEsponsored by NFU Mutual Wessex: will be announced in May.

B&B AND COTTAGE OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Goadsby: Gold – St John’s Guest House, Weymouth; Silver – Canal View Bed and Breakfast, Weymouth.

One of the bedrooms at St John’s Guest House in Weymouth – winner of B&B and Guest House of the Year
– Credit: stjohnsguesthouse.co.uk

BUSINESS EVENTS AND WEDDING VENUE OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Furleigh Estate: Wedding Venue of the Year – Highcliffe Castle, Christchurch; Business Events Venue of the Year – Marsham Court Hotel, Bournemouth.

Highcliffe Castle, once the home of Gordon Selfridge, founder of Selfridges in London, has won the award for wedding venue of the year
– Credit: 2021 Phil Jackson/ Harbor View Photography

CAFE/TEA ROOM OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Clipper: Gold – Picnic Park Deli, Bournemouth; Silver-Tangerine Cafe & Gallery, Beaminster; Bronze – EBIKE Cafe @Deheers, Weymouth; Congratulations – Break Cat Cafe, Bournemouth.

CAMPING & CARAVANING PARK OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Anytime Booking: Gold – Monkton Wyld Holiday Park, Charmouth; Silver – South Lytchett Manor Caravan and Camping Park, Dorchester; Bronze – Higher Moor Farm Campsite, Weymouth.

Monkton Wyld Holiday Park in West Dorset, Campsite and Caravan Park of the Year
– Credit: Neil Bigwood/ monktonwyld.co.uk

PRICE OF RELAXED MEAL AND RESTAURANT, sponsored by Furleigh Estate: Gold – The Station Kitchen, Bridport; Silver – Nicetta, Weymouth; Bronze – Shalims Indian Restaurant, Weymouth.

The Station Kitchen in West Bay – with its award-winning restaurant inside a former WWI hospital carriage – winner of the Restaurant and Casual Dining category
– Credit: thestationkitchen.co.uk

DOG FRIENDLY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Pear Marketing: Gold – Marsham Court Hotel, Bournemouth; Silver – Burnbake Forest Campsite and Lodges, Corfe Castle; Congratulations – Polygon Pets Ltd, Poole.

ETHICAL, RESPONSIBLE AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AWARD, sponsored by Bournemouth Water: Gold – West Bay Discovery Centre, Bridport; Silver – Dorset Forest Garden Glamping, Beaminster; Congratulations – Naked Coffee, Bournemouth

EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR (ACTIVE OR APPRENTICESHIP), sponsored by Saffery Champness: Gold – All Hallows’ Farmhouse Cookery School, Wimborne St Giles; Silver – Jurassic Coast Guides, Milborne St Andrew; Bronze – Shore Campers – Campervan Hire, Bournemouth.

The Astronomer’s Shepherd’s Hut at Dorset Forest Garden Glamping, Beaminster – Glamping Business of the Year
– Credit: dorsetforestgardenglamping.co.uk

GLAMPING COMPANY OF THE YEAR, sponsored by NFU Mutual Wessex: Gold – Dorset Forest Garden Glamping, Beaminster; Silver – The Yurt at Hollands Farmhouse, Dorchester; Bronze – At Goathill Farm, Sherborne.

HOLIDAY PARK OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Tozers: Gold: Highlands End Holiday Park, Bridport; Silver – Golden Cap Holiday Park, Chideock; Bronze – Waterside Holiday Park & ​​Spa, Weymouth; Congratulations – Durdle Door Holiday Park.

Bird’s eye view of the award-winning Highlands End Holiday Park, Bridport – Holiday Park of the Year
– Credit: wdlh.co.uk/James Loveridge

GRAND HOTEL OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Hotel Perfect: Gold – Marsham Court Hotel, Bournemouth; Silver – Holiday Inn Bournemouth; Bronze – RNLI College, Poole; Congratulations – Moonfleet Manor Hotel, Weymouth.

GREAT ATTRACTION OF VISITORS OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Love To Visit: Gold – Moors Valley Country Park and Forest; Silver – Dorset Museum, Dorchester; Congratulations – Adventure Wonderland, Christchurch.

Moors Valley Country Park & ​​Forest in the east of the county won major tourist attraction
– Credit: moors-valley.co.uk

NEW TOURIST COMPANY AWARD, sponsored by Visit Dorset: Gold – Carey’s Secret Garden, Wareham; Silver – The King’s Arms, Dorchester; Bronze – At Goathill Farm, Sherborne; Congratulations – Apex Expeditions, Poundbury.

Click here to read our review of The King’s Arms in Dorchester

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO DORSET TOURISMSponsored by Darren Northeast PR: To be announced in May.

Carey’s Secret Garden – a magical walled garden near Wareham – has won the award for new tourist business of the year
– Credit: careyssecretgarden.co.uk

BAR OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Dorset Food & Drink: Gold – The Acorn Inn, Evershot; Silver – The Grosvenor Arms, Shaftesbury; Bronze – The Keys to the Cross, Sherborne.

RESILIENCE AND INNOVATION AWARD, sponsored by Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Tourism: Gold – Weymouth Bay RIB Charter; Silver – Shore Campers – Campervan Hire, Bournemouth; Bronze – Sculpture by the Lakes.

SELF-CURRENT HOUSING OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Touch Stay: Gold – Spring Cottage, Wareham; Silver – Greenwood Grange Holidays, Dorchester; Bronze – Frog by the Sea, Chideock.

SMALL HOTEL OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Clockwork Marketing: Gold – The Pig on the Beach, Studland; Silver – The Grange at Oborne, Sherborne; Bronze – The Grosvenor Arms, Shaftesbury.

LITTLE VISITOR ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Resort Dorset: Gold – Nothe Fort, Weymouth; Silver – Sculpture by the lakes; Bronze – West Bay Discovery Center; Congratulations – Bridport Museum Trust.

TOURIST EVENT / FESTIVAL OF THE YEARsponsored by Dorset Magazine: Gold: FORM – The Sculpture Exhibition at Sculpture by the Lakes.

Christine Hughes of Moors Valley Country Park & ​​Forest, winner of the Unsung Hero Award
– Credit: Moors Valley Country Park

UNKNOWN HERO AWARD, sponsored by Sculpture by the Lakes: Gold – Christine Hughes, Moors Valley Country Park; Silver – Mick Callaghan, Bournemouth Electric Club.

VISITOR INFORMATION SERVICE OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Yellow Buses: Gold – West Bay Discovery Center.

WINNER OF WINNERS. sponsored by Dorset LEP: To be announced in May.

Click here to find 20 famous filming locations in Dorset

Under the new plan for ‘Living with Covid’, the legal requirement to self-isolate after testing positive for the virus will end on Thursday. Free lateral flow tests will also be removed from April 1.

From Monday February 21, the train operator will return to its previous services, meaning commuters traveling to the capital will no longer have to change at Bournemouth.

The tourist attraction, run by Poole-based Merlin Entertainments, says any increase will have a ‘significant negative impact’ on the tourism sector and its millions of jobs.

• Funding will help tackle youth unemployment, support communities in deprived areas and give people in need access to finance
• New government bill could unlock an extra £880m for good causes

Communities and good causes across England have received an additional £44million through the Dormant Assets Scheme.

The funding will be used to tackle youth unemployment, expand access to investment for charities and social enterprises, and help improve the availability of fair and affordable loans for people in vulnerable situations.

The Dormant Assets Scheme releases funds from dormant bank and building society accounts, which are accounts that have been open for 15 years, but during that time no transactions have taken place.

The £44 million funding will be distributed by the National Lottery Community Fund, as follows:

• £20m will enable the Youth Futures Foundation to test and demonstrate the best approaches to breaking down barriers and improving access to employment for disadvantaged young people
• £20m will go to Access – The Foundation for Social Investment, to provide urgently needed funding to up to 1,000 charities and social enterprises, particularly in the most deprived areas
• £4m will enable Fair4All Finance to accelerate its work on affordable consolidation loans for people in financial vulnerability

Already more than £800m has been released through the Dormant Assets Scheme over the past decade, including £150m that supported the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Nigel Huddleston, Minister for Sport, Tourism, Civil Society and Youth, said:

This latest £44million allocation from the Dormant Assets Scheme will make a real difference to people’s lives in communities across England. As well as helping young people find jobs, it will also provide financial support to those who need it most.

And we won’t stop there. We are currently pushing through legislation to expand the Dormant Assets Scheme even further, so that it can free up even more money to help improve communities across the country.

This follows the government’s release of its Leveling Up white paper last week, which set out a plan to transform the UK by extending opportunity and prosperity to all parts of the country.

Following a public consultation process, a new bill is currently before Parliament, which should deliver on the government’s commitment to extend the Dormant Assets Scheme.

This could potentially unlock an additional £880million across the UK over the next few years by allowing a wider range of dormant assets to be transferred into the scheme from the insurance and pensions sectors , investment and wealth management and securities.

There are 30 companies participating in the Dormant Assets Scheme, which will continue to have consumer protection at its heart, with participants’ top priority continuing to connect people with their assets.

Where this is not possible, more companies will soon be able to voluntarily transfer dormant assets into the scheme, unlocking funding for social and environmental causes across the UK which is on top of central or devolved government funding.

The scheme has already helped people like Chris Coyle, who grew up in a deprived area of ​​Coventry and was introduced to cycling through a city center council initiative, and later set up Ebikebrum, a community bike cafe and shop . With a combined grant and loan of £83,000 from the Key Fund as part of the Growth Fund, a partnership between the National Lottery Community Fund and Big Society Capital provided by Access through a range of social investors, Chris was able to provide services from information on health lifestyle choices to a full program of cycling activities, specializing in electric bikes.

Fair4All Finance has previously used the Dormant Assets Scheme to provide Moneyline with long-term funding, enabling them to provide more affordable credit to people in vulnerable situations. A beneficiary, who asked to remain anonymous, had been divorced from an abusive relationship and was struggling financially before contacting Moneyline, who provided the support she needed.

Another organization that has benefited from the scheme is the West of England charity, 1625 Independent People (1625ip), which receives grants from the Youth Futures Foundation in partnership with the West of England Combined Authority. This funding helps youth leaving care prepare and find good jobs through its Reboot West program. The charity works in partnership with the leaving care and employment and skills teams of four local authorities in Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset. It offers tailor-made coaching, training and career support.

David Knott, chief executive of the National Lottery Community Fund, said:

The money released through the Dormant Assets Scheme will be widely welcomed and comes at a difficult time for communities. We are delighted to distribute this £44million on behalf of DCMS, to support charities and social enterprises working to help people in some of the most deprived areas of England. This vital funding will impact people’s lives and support them towards a more prosperous and thriving future.

Seb Elsworth, Managing Director of Access – the Foundation for Social Investment, said:

Communities need the support that charities and social enterprises can provide, creating vital jobs and tackling rooted social issues. But too often, they can struggle to get the financing they need to innovate or grow. The additional £20m from dormant assets will help us and our partners provide the small-scale loans most charities and social enterprises need and focus investments more in places and communities that were previously neglected.

Matthew Poole, Director of Grants and Investments at the Youth Futures Foundation said:

When disadvantaged youth told us what they wanted from employment assistance, they talked about system-wide changes. That’s why we’ve launched our £6.1m Connected Futures Fund to reduce the fragmentation of youth employment and skills supply in the places that need it most. Our goal is to unite services at the local level so that young people who are furthest from the labor market benefit from quality, consistent support that understands their complex needs. We will intensify our learning of what works so that more places are able to offer an effective offer. The additional £20m from dormant assets will help us build on this momentum.

Sacha Romanovitch, Managing Director of Fair4All Finance, said:

11million people have racked up some £25billion in debt during the pandemic. Much of this burden falls on low-income people in the poorest parts of the country. Problematic debt, often well over £10,000 across multiple suppliers, quickly becomes unmanageable. It has a significant impact on mental health and general well-being. This limits opportunities and prevents people from participating in communities.

We are delighted that the government is supporting affordable debt consolidation with £4m of dormant asset funding. We would also like to see the broader credit industry play a role in working with us to service and consolidate debt through affordable credit providers where customers have reached their tipping point.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• The definition of a dormant bank or building society account is contained in the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008: an account is “dormant” at any time if it has been opened for the period of 15 years ending at that time, but during this period no transactions have been carried out in relation to the account by or on the instructions of the account holder.

• To address systemic inequalities and ensure access to opportunity, funding is particularly directed to some of the most left behind regions of the country.

• Where dormant asset funding has been distributed to date:

• In England, the Scheme released £100 million to tackle financial exclusion and debt problems; £110m to remove barriers to young people working; and £485m of investment in charities and social enterprises across the country. In 2020, £150million from the scheme has been released for organizations in England to support their coronavirus response and recovery efforts.

• In Wales, £37.7m of dormant asset funding supported a variety of projects, including investing £16.3m in young people, learning, education and employment; and £4.9 million for climate change action. Sustainable Steps Wales will invest a further £16,950,000 over the next 18 months.

• In Scotland, £67.2 million of dormant asset funding has been allocated under the Young Start scheme. Young Start has awarded over 950 grants of up to £100,000 to voluntary and community organizations for projects led by young people, which help them to become more confident and realize their own potential.

• In Northern Ireland, Dormant Asset Funding is used to provide flexible multi-year funding to increase the capacity, resilience and sustainability of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector through a 22.4 million pounds.

• Funds under the program are held by Reclaim Fund Ltd (RFL). RFL is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and must hold sufficient money to cover customer claims. It donates the surplus to the National Lottery Community Fund to distribute to social or environmental initiatives across the UK. The DCMS Secretary of State can issue policy guidance on the English portion of the funding.

DORSET Charities say it could take more than a year for their funds to recover from the Covid pandemic – with demand for their services hitting an all time high.

Charities across the county spoke about the challenges they faced during the pandemic and the impact it had on their services.

And as we begin to emerge from the latest restrictions, with lives tentatively on the path to normality, groups and good causes are seeing an increasing number of calls for their services.

Sarah Lloyd, Managing Director of Age UK Bournemouth, Poole & East Dorset, said: “Like many businesses, our much-loved community services have had to stop. We very quickly shifted our focus to creating a telephone hub and at the height of the pandemic, we were receiving over 400 calls a day.

The charity is now in the recovery phase and has reopened most of its community services with the reopening of its day centre, activities and food clubs in February.

Sarah said: ‘As a charity we will be fully operational by March 2022 but this has had a detrimental effect on our income over the past two years and we have had to rely on the use of our reserves, we expect it will take another year to fully recover.”

Nathalie Sherring, chief executive of the Dorset Race Equality Council, said: “We have had many more requests for support, many more people who have had problems accessing services.

“Discrimination has a hugely negative impact on people’s mental health, so now we’re seeing a lot of clients who have very serious issues and I think that’s going to continue unfortunately.

“We are working from home and it has become absolutely relentless, like any charity we juggle with funding and demand, which far exceeds the capacity of our charity.”

Alistair Doxat-Purser, chief executive of Faithworks Wessex, said: “The impact of Covid is far from over in terms of the economic challenges so many people are currently facing – the work continues to help people strengthen their personal, food and relational resilience: here at Faithworks, we want to continue to play our part in this area.”

The story continues

As a smaller charity providing support to families struggling with chronic, life-limiting and terminal illnesses, Amelia’s Rainbow has been forced to review its services and reassess what it offers and how it delivers it. provides. Like many charities, its revenue has been significantly affected.

The charity is 50% down on budget and that has put increased pressure on the team who are still very determined to help the 150 families they currently have on the books.

Farah Batchelor, Director of Amelia’s Rainbow, said: “We have had to cancel so many opportunities and the uncertainty has both financial and mental consequences.

“2022 is our 10th anniversary and we hope it’s a chance for the community to celebrate with us but also to grow and recover as we learn from the pandemic.”

A spokesperson for Access Dorset, a charity for people with disabilities, older people and carers, said: ‘From the start we established how important it was for us to stay connected with our communities, who were already isolated even before the pandemic and were likely to be strongly impacted by the restrictions.

“A lot of people were self-isolating, so we started doing our online activities again through zoom.”

The charity is now looking forward to resuming in-person activities at the community centre, hopefully towards the end of this month.