1 horse incident reported every day on North West roads despite changes to the Highway Code

IN 2022, there were 370 road incidents involving horses in the North West logged to The British Horse Society. This shocking figure is reflective of the significant equine road safety challenge we're facing, despite the Highway Code changes which were introduced this time last year (2022).

Overall, this figure equates to over 1 incident a day. Lancashire was the worst affected area with:- 111 incidents, followed by Greater Manchester:- 110 and Cheshire:– 103.

Across the UK, the equine charity received details of over:- 3,550 equine related road incidents in 2022, which is a notable 21% increase on the number reported in 2021.

The new guidelines, many of which were a direct result of The British Horse Society's significant involvement in the Highway Code review's stakeholder group for vulnerable road users, include:- setting the advisory speed for passing people riding horses or driving horse drawn vehicles at 10mph, and advising drivers to allow at least 2 metres of space.

Another key change was the new Hierarchy of Road Users, with horse riders now, alongside pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, recognised as road users most likely to be injured in the event of a collision.

While the new Highway Code guidance is an essential step in the right direction to protect horses and riders, the BHS is disappointed to see that not enough is being done to reinforce the behavioural messages and to make the public aware of the urgent importance of driving carefully around horses.

The BHS is committed to informing drivers and creating awareness about how to safely pass horses on the roads through their Dead Slow campaign. The equine charity is calling for more succinct information and awareness of the changes in the Highway Code.

Alan Hiscox, Director of Safety at the BHS says:- "Horses are still being killed and injured on our roads, riders continue to be seriously injured and too many drivers underestimate the importance of driving carefully around horses. This is detrimental to the safety of equestrians. You only have to look at the 68 horses who were tragically killed across the UK in 2022. Our fear is that guidelines aren't being clearly explained and delivered; this needs to change. Urgent action is required to make every road user aware of the Highway Code changes and, critically, why it's so important to pass horses with care. Only through working collaboratively to educate and drive awareness will we be able to stop these awful incidents from happening over and over again."

The equine charity is urging equestrians, and the wider public, to log any equine related safety incidents using the:- 'Horse i app.' The more incidents that are logged, the more the BHS can do to protect the rights of horse riders on Britain's roads. To learn more about The British Horse Society's Dead Slow campaign and how you can help, visit:- BHS.Org.UK/DeadSlow.

1 in 5 Brits change jobs due to lack of progression

MORE than 1 in 10 people (13%) now move jobs every 18 months or less, with a lack of progression deemed a major factor for leaving. According to a snap poll of UK workers taken in January 2023, 1 in 5 UK workers (20%) cited a lack of progression opportunities as their main reasons for job hunting. The poll was undertaken by leading pub company and brewer Greene King ahead of this year's National Apprenticeship Week, that ran from 6 February to 12 February 2023.

Given that a 5th of UK workers leave a job due to lack of progression, Greene King is encouraging people to apply to its apprenticeship scheme, where 87% of its apprentices say they feel the business offers long term opportunities for career progression. What's more, 57% of Greene King team members who achieve their Level 2 apprenticeship say they had been promoted or have taken on additional responsibilities. In addition, team members who achieve their apprenticeship stay with Greene King a further 41 months on average.

National Apprenticeship Week traditionally celebrates the achievements of apprentices around the country and the positive impact they make to the economy. This year's theme is:- '#SkillsForLife' which explores the valuable skills acquired during an apprenticeship, whatever stage of life you are in.

While apprenticeships are commonly associated with young employees starting out in their career, they're also a helpful pathway for those restarting or starting a new career, returning to work after family commitments, or are potentially looking to progress within their existing roles to further their career.

Greene King's apprenticeship scheme offers valuable skills development opportunities for people from all backgrounds. The programme aims to demonstrate that a long-lasting career can be found in Hospitality, with lots of opportunity to learn and grow.

Unsurprisingly during the cost of living crisis, data from Greene King's snap poll of UK workers also revealed that 91% now believe additional employee benefits such as financial support schemes and discounts to be important when it comes to looking for a new job, with a 20% claiming it as essential.

As a business, Greene King has recently invested in an enhanced wellbeing package to complement its existing team member wellbeing schemes, including the Team Member Support Fund, which will continue to play a vital part in supporting team members financially.

Andrew Bush, Chief People and Transformation Officer at Greene King said:- "Given the current climate, it's no surprise that our data shows that people are putting progression 1st when it comes to job hunting. Luckily, the Hospitality industry has so much to offer when it comes to a career and job progression. At Greene King, we have made a series of commitments to ensure our apprenticeship programme helps people to succeed from all backgrounds, whether they're just out of education, someone returning to work after family commitments or prison leavers. Since 2011, we've supported over 16,500 apprentices across the business, and last year, we made a pledge to expand our offering even further to support an additional 5,000 new apprentices by 2025. We know that the cost of living crisis has made the demand for better progression opportunities and team member support schemes even higher and, as an employer, we're committed to helping our team members and apprentices as much as we can throughout 2023 and beyond."

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