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Business

Coffee company 'overwhelmed' by support after fire

by Amelia March 28, 2025
written by Amelia

A coffee roastery says it has been "overwhelmed" by the support it has received after a devastating fire.

The fire at Hormozi Coffee's site in Sittingbourne, Kent, on 25 April saw equipment, inventory and records destroyed.

The family-run business has since received more than £6,000 in donations as it looks secure a temporary site, buy roasting equipment and keep staff employed.

Rubin Hormozi, who is one of the company's directors, said: "That's the thing that's really kept me together and was really helping us move forward, it was that sense of community, the way that everyone is helping."

The company, which started in Kent 25 years ago, said in a statement: "The outpouring of support has been overwhelming.

"The messages, the donations, the shares, the hugs; we're humbled and moved beyond words.

"Our world was turned upside down in a single day, but because of you, we're beginning to feel hope again."

Mr Hormozi said the family's "entire lives" were inside the unit.

'Worst nightmare come true'

He added: "We're not rich people, every penny that we've got we put back into the business trying to grow it, and grow it and grow it and make something.

"All our lives have been dedicated to this and honestly, when it was all happening, it's my worst nightmare come true."

The company has also thanked customers online.

"You're helping us rebuild more than just a business. You're helping us protect a legacy, a team and a community that means everything to us," a spokesperson said.

March 28, 2025 0 comments
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Tech

Village rallies behind homeless families after fire

by Alexander March 28, 2025
written by Alexander

Residents of a close-knit village have remarked on an "incredible show of support" for several families who were left homeless following a fire.

Sixteen fire crews were called to Low Street in Bardwell, Suffolk, after reports that a fire was ripping through a row of thatched cottages on Saturday at 16:43 BST.

Residents had initially attempted to tackle the blaze themselves before crews arrived and a stop was called at 23:47.

Bardwell Parish Council set up a fundraiser to support those involved, which had so far raised more than £13,000. Chairman, David Ruffles, said it was "phenomenal".

Jenny Kirk/BBC
David Ruffles said the parish council had wanted to do something to help the affected residents before setting up the fundraiser

"It's blown us away, we never expected to get to this level of support," Ruffles said.

"I can't say as chair how proud I am of the residents of this village, and also very proud of the councillors and our clerk."

Ruffles said there had been a "raw" feeling left in the village and he had personally spoken with those affected.

"There's just a sense of this isn't right, it doesn't happen," he added.

"This is a tight-knit community and for this to happen to us is unbelievable.

"They [those affected] are very appreciative of the support. It's going to be ongoing, and we're going to do all that we can for them."

Luke Deal/BBC
Some smoke could still be seen billowing out of one of the cottages two days after the fire

Ruth Suggett is a resident who lives opposite the cottages that went up in flames.

She initially believed someone was having a bonfire.

"We saw our valiant neighbours on ladders with garden hoses trying to put out what looked like a small fire," she explained.

"Although with a terrible sense of foreboding, we could see smoke moving along."

Luke Deal/BBC
Residents of the cottages were being supported by other villagers

Ms Suggett said she was not surprised by the level of support already shown for those affected.

"It is the top kind of village for everyone pulling together and looking after each other," she added.

"I think that's really true, and the firefighters have commented on how well the community responded."

Luke Deal/BBC
Graham Curtis Thomas said he could not believe what had happened in the village

Graham Curtis Thomas also lives opposite the affected cottages.

"I heard the noise, so I came out and there was a young couple opposite," he said.

"The fire seemed to start from the centre, and there were guys coming out with hoses. I came out with a ladder in a vain attempt to try and put it out.

"But unfortunately, it just started to come toward the cottage.

"I can't believe that this has happened."

Luke Deal/BBC
Margaret Berrill who lives nearby was alerted to the fire by another neighbour

Resident Margaret Berrill was told of the fire when a neighbour knocked on her door to ask if she had a fire extinguisher, which she did not.

By the time she arrived at the fire, she saw the residents up the ladders with hoses as others attempted to move cars out of the way for the fire engines.

"It's just horrendous really, because the fire spread so quickly," she added.

Luke Deal/BBC
Karen Witt said the community had been deeply shocked by the fire

Karen Witt, vice chair of the parish council, said "our hearts have gone out to everybody".

"It has been amazing how everyone in this village wants to help them," she said.

"I live just up the road and I thought someone was having a bonfire, then suddenly I realised I couldn't see because of the amount of smoke.

"When we came down, I think it's fair to say everybody was just in deep shock."

Witt said those affected were not only having to "rebuild their lives" but also their properties.

"They will never get back some of the things they've lost," she added.

"But at least by people helping them, they can feel we've collectively got an arm around them and we're helping them to feel a bit better."

Luke Deal/BBC
Andrew Smith triggered the Bardwell Emergency Action Plan to help assist affected residents in the community hall

West Suffolk councillor and ward councillor for Bardwell, Andrew Smith, said when the fire broke out, he was helping to manage a burst water main at the other end of the village.

He feared it may affect the fire service's efforts and rang Anglian Water to ask for immediate help.

Fortunately, the issue did not affect crews as they made use of another water source.

He said he was pleased to see the community's support for those affected.

"The DNA in this village is just unbelievable," he explained.

"They turned out on the night and subsequently to help out these poor families."

Dave Witton
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service will investigate into the cause of Saturday's fire
March 28, 2025 0 comments
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Global Trade

Insect tower installed to boost nationwide research

by Cameron March 27, 2025
written by Cameron

A new tower has been installed at a university as part of a nationwide research project using insects to study the effects of climate change.

The 12m-high (39 feet) tower at Harper Adams University, near Newport, in Shropshire, is designed to collect insects as they pass over its top.

Information about the various species collected is being sent on to Rothamstead Research in Harpenden, Hertfordshire.

The resulting data can be used to help farmers know about possible pest movements as well as to examine seasonal changes in insect populations and movement, said the university.

Harper Adams University
Harper Adams University specialises in agriculture, animal health and food technology

The tower is the latest in a series of new installations gathering data about the insects on the campus – with a moth trap installed in February 2024.

Professor of applied entomology at the university Tom Pope said: "Most species of aphid are not pests of crops and so data on the timing of migrations and numbers of aphids provides a valuable resource in studying effects of climate change."

Nikoletta Foskolou from the university's entomology group added with the tower installed the team were now preparing to collect samples to be sent for identification.

March 27, 2025 0 comments
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Economy

Rare storks first to be born in region in 600 years

by Hunter March 26, 2025
written by Hunter

Two rare baby white storks are the first to be born in the West Midlands region in more than 600 years.

They were born in Staffordshire as part of a conservation project that aims to reintroduce the birds.

The newborns need 24-hour care, according to experts at Celtic Rewilding, a conservation company based in the county that is looking after them.

They are fed with a white glove and red tweezers so the offspring think they are being fed by an adult stork rather than a human.

"We've assembled this flock here to try to breed this lost species in Staffordshire again," said Harvey Tweats, one of those involved in the project.

"We've had two baby chicks hatch, under controlled conditions, and we're just really, really excited."

The parents have become inseparable, those behind the scheme said.

The babies are expected to reach adult size in about two months

The birds were once a familiar sight across the UK but vanished due to habitat loss and hunting.

It is hoped this project will help reverse that, and it has been supported by locals.

"They're not shy of people, so one day you could have a pair of white storks nesting near your house, on your community building," said Derbyshire Wildlife Trust's Katie Last.

"And those storks are families – they'll come back each year, and you will have a great bond and connection with those storks."

Tom Whitehurst from Celtic Rewilding added that people had been contacting them to say how amazed they were to discover the species once lived in the Midlands.

The babies are expected to grow to full size in just two months, reaching about 3ft (1m) in height and having a wingspan of 6.5ft (2m).

March 26, 2025 0 comments
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Market

Food bank turning people away due to funding gap

by Amanda March 26, 2025
written by Amanda

A community foodbank said it has had to turn people away due to high demand and funding struggles.

The Silver Road Community Centre in Norwich, Norfolk, started its food bank and community fridge in 2020, in response to the Covid pandemic.

The food bank is run by a team of volunteers and relies on grants and donations to finance the service.

Julie Brociek-Coulton, a Labour councillor on Norfolk County Council and a volunteer manager at the food bank, said: "We used to get quite a lot of grants, but with the cost of living and everything, it's just been so cut back."

Over the last five years, Brociek-Coulton said she has seen an increase in the number of people needing the help of the food bank.

The Trussell Trust, a food bank charity, said it has seen a 51% increase over the last five years in the number of emergency food parcels it has provided to people in the UK.

Last year 332,540 emergency food parcels were handed out by the trust across the East of England, compared with 190,144 in 2019.

Brociek-Coulton said that the food bank and community fridge serve about 100 people every week.

"That is a lot of people who are coming in, and we're an essential part of the community," she said.

"Everyone I talk to about food banks, they mention Universal Credit.

"But it's not like that anymore. All sorts of people are coming in here now," she added.

Julie Brociek-Coulton
Julie Brociek-Coulton and her team apply for the grants themselves

The Silver Road food bank is funded by donations from the community and grants that the team apply for.

"Recently we put in for a grant that would help us for six or seven months, and we didn't get it," Brociek-Coulton said.

"That was one of the main things we needed to survive."

"We used to get quite a lot of grants, but with the cost of living and everything, it's just been so cut back."

Without this grant, Brociek-Coulton estimated the organisation would be able to help 50 fewer people every month.

She added: "It's really devastating to those people, but what can we do?"

March 26, 2025 0 comments
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Market

Boy, 14, sentenced over Harehills disorder

by Kristen March 26, 2025
written by Kristen

A 14-year-old boy who helped overturn a police car during disorder in Leeds last summer has been handed a youth rehabilitation order.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, posed for a photograph in front of the upturned vehicle as troubled flared in the Harehills area on 18 July.

The boy, who was 13 at the time, was also part of a crowd who threw missiles at police officers.

The defendant, who was found guilty of violent disorder at a trial last month, continues to deny being present during the trouble, Leeds Youth Court was told on Wednesday.

Representing the defendant, John Ratcliff told the court he had tried to persuade the boy it would "help" his case if he was "willing to admit his involvement" given the "strength of the evidence".

He added: "Unfortunately, and that's from my perspective, he is still maintaining that he was not involved."

Speaking through an interpreter in court, however, the boy's father said he was "sorry" on his son's behalf.

The court had earlier been told how the disorder had started when social workers were removing children from another family in the Harehills area under a family court order.

When police arrived they were attacked by a crowd, which included the teenager, who was pictured on CCTV throwing pebbles.

He was also seen throwing a football, which struck an officer on the arm, it was said.

As the trouble continued, a bus was set on fire after its driver and passengers abandoned it, and other property was vandalised and set alight, although there was no suggestion the boy was involved in those incidents.

The overall cost of the disorder and the clean-up has been estimated at £850,000, the court was told.

District Judge Charlotte Holland said that although the teenager had no previous convictions, his pre-sentence report suggested there was a "high" likelihood of him committing further offences without involvement with the Youth Justice Service.

Sentencing him to a 12-month order, she told the defendant: "What happened on that day was serious and we need to make sure you never commit offences like that again."

The teenager's family was also told to pay £100 to cover the costs of his trial.

Addressing the boy's father, Judge Holland added: "He will have to help you out with jobs around the house, to make sure he pays you back."

West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds

March 26, 2025 0 comments
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Innovation

Fans hail Isle of Man TT as the 'ultimate race'

by Liam March 25, 2025
written by Liam

Fans visiting the Isle of Man TT have described the excitement of watching the "ultimate race" from up close around the course.

Tens of thousands of visitors have travelled to the island for the event, which continues until 7 June, with the final qualifying rounds set to conclude later.

Fans will then pick their favourite spots around the 37.7-mile (61km) course to watch the first day of racing at the 2025 event on Saturday.

John Little from Belfast said the the draw of coming to the event was down it being "totally different" to other motorcycle races and "the one everyone wants to win".

The biker, who is visiting the festival with friend Paddy Corey, said the racing felt like an "addiction", which meant "you just have to keep coming".

Mr Corey, from County Tyrone, said he returns to the island year after year because he's able to witness the "speed of the bikes and the way they're ridden around the course up close".

"It is the ultimate race, the speeds, the turns and the bends. It's amazing how the riders do it," he said.

The competition takes place on closed public roads with riders reaching lap speeds of up to 136mph (219mph).

Adam Deen (right) and his partner Shania Evans are visiting the Isle of Man TT for the second time

Adam Deen, who was visiting the island from Burnley, said it was "unbelievable" to watch the bikes "go at stupid miles-an-hour, especially past terraced houses".

"When you watch it on TV you don't really get a feel for it, but when you watch it on the course you can feel it in your chest, you can smell the exhaust fumes," he said.

On the island with his partner Shania Evans for their second their TT festival, Mr Deen said he was excited to watch professional riders Peter Hickman and 2024 Senior TT winner Davy Todd in action.

But it was a thrill to "see everyone out there, hats off to all the riders", he added.

About 60 solo competitors and 30 sidecar pairings are set to compete in the 118-year-old races.

Sam Jones is rooting for rider Dean Harrison to get a win at TT 2025

Sam Jones, from Morecambe, has been to almost every race after "getting hooked" whilst visiting the centenary event in 2007.

"The adrenaline that you're getting just spectating, never mind being on the bike, is amazing," she said.

"The speed they go at, the skill, they're just unbelievable aren't they?"

She said, after rain saw some qualifying sessions being cancelled, they were "praying to the weather gods for sun for the racing".

But the wet conditions would not put her off returning and she had "already booked for next year", she added.

March 25, 2025 0 comments
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Economy

Glastonbury glampers' concern after yurt firm goes bust

by Nicole March 25, 2025
written by Nicole

A number of Glastonbury glampers have been left ticketless and out of pocket weeks before the festival after a luxury yurt company went into liquidation.

Festival-goers had booked accommodation and event tickets through Yurtel, based in Corsham, Wiltshire, but have since been told by the company that their bookings will not be fulfilled after it ceased trading on 8 May.

Prices for hospitality tickets and accommodation packages offered by the company ranged from £10,000 up to £16,500.

The BBC has approached Yurtel for comment. Glastonbury Festival said while it was "disappointing" for those who had booked through the company, it has "no involvement with the operation of Yurtel".

March 25, 2025 0 comments
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