What Would the Loss of Poundland Mean for the High Street?

The future of Poundland has become uncertain just weeks before Christmas, raising questions about the effect its potential loss could have on workers, shoppers and town centres across the UK.

The retailer has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators. This gives it a short period of protection from creditor action while efforts continue to find a solution. 

Poundland’s shops are still trading, and its future has not yet been decided. But around 12,000 jobs and hundreds of stores are at risk.

For many people on tight budgets, Poundland is more than a place to pick up an occasional bargain. Its everyday value offer can help households stretch their money, particularly at a time of year when the cost of food, gifts and Christmas preparations can put pressure on family finances.

Lisa M has started a Change.org petition arguing that Poundland is a cornerstone of the high street for millions of people. With the threat of job losses arriving just before Christmas, she is urging the Government to take decisive action to save the business and protect those 12,000 jobs. The measures she suggests include financial assistance, tax reliefs or help facilitating a restructuring process.

The impact could reach beyond Poundland’s employees and customers. A large store can bring regular footfall to a town centre, benefiting nearby shops and cafés as people combine errands. If branches close, landlords may be left with empty units, while neighbouring businesses could lose passing trade. Replacing a sizeable retailer can take time, and some high streets already have more vacant premises than they would like. Some branches closed down last year are still empty.

The timing adds to the concern. In the run-up to Christmas, many households depend on low-cost options for decorations, small gifts, wrapping supplies and everyday essentials. 

Staff, meanwhile, face the prospect of uncertainty over their jobs during a period when household bills are already high.

Government support is not a simple decision: any intervention would need to consider whether it could help secure a viable future for the company and its workforce. 

But the petition highlights the wider consequences that may follow if a major retailer disappears, particularly for communities with limited shopping alternatives.

For now, Poundland remains open while discussions continue. The coming days will matter to its employees, customers and the high streets that depend on the activity its stores bring.

Put Your Business on the Map: Personalised OS Maps Make Memorable Corporate Gifts

Finding a business gift that feels thoughtful can be surprisingly difficult. 

What do you give a longstanding employee, a valued client or a business partner to show that you have put some care into choosing their present?

Personalised Ordnance Survey maps offer a rather splendid answer.

By placing a meaningful location at the centre of a map, businesses can create gifts with a story behind them. OS’s folded custom-made maps can also feature a personal photograph and cover text, making them particularly suitable for marking milestones.

A thoughtful way to recognise staff

For an employee celebrating a significant work anniversary, a map centred on the office, factory or shop where their career began could make a lovely keepsake.

A photograph of the team or premises, used with the appropriate permission, could add another personal touch. Accompany it with a handwritten message recognising their contribution, and the gift becomes a tangible reminder of their working life.

Retirement presents offer another opportunity. You might choose somewhere connected with the recipient’s plans: a favourite walking destination, their home town or an area they hope to explore.

The key is knowing the person. A carefully chosen location demonstrates the attention that makes recognition feel sincere.

B2B gifts that celebrate a shared journey

These maps also lend themselves beautifully to business-to-business gifting.

A supplier could mark a longstanding relationship with a map centred on its customer’s headquarters. Two businesses celebrating a partnership anniversary might choose the location of their first joint project.

For a client opening new premises, a map of the surrounding area could provide a thoughtful welcome. Estate agents, property developers and relocation businesses could also consider a personalised map as a completion or moving-in gift.

Framed versions offer the possibility of a lasting display in a reception area, meeting room or office, with a story ready to share whenever someone asks about it.

Options for different budgets

Small folded custom-made maps are listed at £7.99, with large folded maps at £21.99. Framed and canvas options are also available for more substantial gifts. OS additionally advertises quantity discounts on folded custom-made maps, subject to its terms.

For Christmas, work anniversaries, retirements or partnership milestones, the appeal is clear: a location can say something meaningful about the people and businesses connected with it.

Choose the place carefully, explain why it matters, and you have a gift worth remembering.

Explore the options at the Ordnance Survey shop https://shop.osmaps.com/custom-made

Prices and offers may change. Check current details before ordering.

How management skills could get a boost from added horsepower with Equine Facilitated Learning

Could a horse help your team communicate better? At Harness Change, Zara Myers believes so. Her Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL) workshops use horses to bring leadership and teamwork into focus.

“Horses give genuine, immediate and non-judgemental feedback,” she says. “They respond to subtle cues in your body language, breathing and energy that you might not realise you’re giving.”

Myers is chief executive of Harness Change, part of Cumbria Rural Academy, a community interest company offering EFL, alternative education and riding-school activities.

 A management consultant and dressage competitor at Prix St Georges level, she combines disciplines to create bespoke programmes for organisations and teams seeking better communication, teamwork and less siloed working.

She first used EFL to support behavioural change in Cumbrian primary schools. Horses can reduce anxiety, build confidence and encourage mindfulness. Sensitive prey animals, they respond to the present moment, making unspoken behaviour visible.

In an arena, participants complete groundwork exercises with Gaia, a grey Lusitano mare, individually or in teams. Leading Gaia around obstacles can reveal how people give direction, listen and adapt.

“Every workshop is tailored to how participants present themselves on the day,” Myers told That's Business. 

She identifies gaps between current behaviours and the group’s goals, then uses a classroom session to explore them. Participants return to the arena to try new approaches. The horse is chosen to suit the aims: a team developing assertive sales communication might work with one that responds only to confident direction.

Jacqui Gale MBE, chief executive of Reframe Cancer, took part with colleagues during organisational change. She wanted the team to step away from pressures and consider how they communicate, build trust and work together.

“Working with Gaia brought all of that to life in minutes,” Gale told us. “You could see and feel the reaction to your behaviour, make a small adjustment and see the difference.”

She found it humbling. Leadership, she reflected, is not always about pushing harder or giving more direction; a small change in approach can make a big difference. Gaia also let colleagues see one another in a new setting and understand how individual behaviours affect the group.

Gale hopes the team will carry that awareness into challenging moments, drawing on a shared experience to prompt open conversations. The workshop was memorable, enjoyable and effective, she says, with learning that might take hours of discussion becoming clear in minutes.

For information about Harness Change workshops, contact Zara Myers https://www.harnesschange.co.uk

FM Conway leads construction sector support for The Big Goal

FM Conway has become the headline construction sector sponsor of The Big Goal, a national funding drive supporting homeless and vulnerable young people through football.

Led by the Street Soccer Foundation, The Big Goal brings businesses together to help young people facing significant disadvantage build confidence, develop skills and move towards employment, education and independent living. 

FM Conway has supported the charity since 2016, when it became its first corporate sponsor and founding commercial partner.

At the centre of the programme are Street Soccer Academies. Football helps engage participants, while mentoring, education, employability and wellbeing support gives them tools to take their next steps. The impact can extend well beyond the pitch, helping young people build relationships, learn new skills and imagine a different future. 

Academies combine football with personal development, employability, education and wellbeing support, alongside clubs and community organisations.

During the 2025–26 season, FM Conway sponsored 10 Academy groups across London, West London, South East London and Kent. 

The partnership supported 82 young people and delivered around 480 hours of education and mentoring. More than 80% of participants who completed the programme progressed into employment, education or further training.

For the 2026/27 season, FM Conway will sponsor up to 12 Academies, alongside its new headline construction sector role with The Big Goal. The expanded partnership aims to turn individual business support into collective action, bringing employers, supply chains and industry partners together to widen opportunities.

Construction can offer meaningful routes into work, skills development and long-term careers, yet many young people may not know about the opportunities available. The Big Goal aims to connect them with those pathways, while helping them develop the confidence and support networks to thrive.

Street Soccer Foundation founder and chief executive Keith Mabbutt said FM Conway’s long-term backing had helped the charity grow from a Kent pilot into a national programme. He added that football was a powerful way to engage young people, while the wider support helped them build confidence, learn skills and see new possibilities.

Matt Smith, managing director at FM Conway, said the company had seen the difference the Foundation could make. He said construction had an important role in creating opportunities and opening pathways into employment, adding that collaboration could help young people build the skills and confidence to take their next steps.

Businesses across the sector are invited to find out more and join The Big Goal at www.TheBigGoal.co.uk.

Jewish Employees’ Concerns Highlight Gaps in Workplace Inclusion

More than seven in ten Jewish employees surveyed have avoided raising concerns about antisemitism because they were unsure how those concerns would be received, according to new research from business psychology consultancy Pearn Kandola.

For employers, the findings raise an uncomfortable question: does a public commitment to inclusion translate into support when employees need it?

The survey of 1,002 Jewish employees found 87% agreed their organisation expressed a clear commitment to tackling racism and discrimination. 

However, 75.5% said its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) approach was inconsistent in responding to antisemitism.

Meanwhile, 70.8% had avoided raising antisemitism concerns because of uncertainty about the reception they would receive. Just 15.9% said they felt able to raise such concerns.

These findings suggest that visible equality initiatives do not necessarily give every employee confidence that their experiences will be understood.

Interviews conducted as part of the research identified responses including denying discrimination, explaining away behaviour, treating incidents as misunderstandings and acknowledging prejudice without taking meaningful action.

Particularly concerning, the consultancy says, was that some dismissive responses came from DEI functions themselves.

Professor Binna Kandola OBE, Pearn Kandola’s co-founder and senior partner, told That's Business: “No employee should have to repeatedly prove that their experience matters before it is taken seriously.”

The research follows the consultancy’s earlier work examining antisemitism and Islamophobia at work. It also follows its Antisemitism at Work Week webinars in May 2026, during which Jewish attendees described difficulties obtaining responsive support from DEI teams.

For business leaders, the practical message is clear: reporting procedures need to be backed by knowledgeable people who can listen carefully, recognise prejudice and respond appropriately.

Pearn Kandola recommends six areas for improvement: independently reviewing DEI practice; developing specific expertise in antisemitism; distinguishing representation from inclusion; clarifying Employee Resource Groups’ responsibilities; strengthening organisational listening; and encouraging DEI teams to examine their own assumptions.

The consultancy also warns against assuming that perceptions of Jewish wealth, influence or success remove vulnerability to discrimination.

Crucially, Pearn Kandola presents its findings as an opportunity to strengthen DEI. Any function responsible for challenging bias must also be willing to recognise shortcomings in its own understanding.

For employers of every size, inclusion must mean more than policies, statements or awareness campaigns. Employees need confidence that raising a concern will lead to a fair hearing and an appropriate response.

The full report, “Yes but…”: Antisemitism and the Limits of Workplace Inclusion, is available from Pearn Kandola’s website, https://pearnkandola.com

Why Are Businesses Still Flushing Money Down the Toilet? Clever Ways to Save Water and Money

Combined basin/cistern really saves water

Discover how combined toilet cistern washbasins, waterless urinals and simple plumbing improvements can help UK businesses save water and cut costs.

From the smallest village pub to the headquarters of a multinational corporation, businesses could be wasting thousands of litres of water every year. 

Yet some remarkably simple innovations could help put an end to this unnecessary expense.

Take a look at the photograph accompanying this article.

At first glance, it appears to show a rather unusual, compact handwashing basin with a soap dispenser mounted above it.

But look more closely.

This isn't an ordinary washbasin. It's actually part of an ingenious water-saving toilet system that uses the same water twice!

Wash Your Hands, Then Flush the Toilet!

The principle is beautifully simple.

Instead of having a separate washbasin connected directly to the drainage system, this arrangement incorporates a small basin into the top of the toilet cistern.

When the toilet is flushed, fresh water flows through the basin's tap, allowing users to wash their hands.

Rather than disappearing down the drain, the handwashing water flows into the toilet cistern, ready to be used for the next flush.

The result? Water that would ordinarily be discarded after handwashing gets a second, perfectly practical use.

It's important to emphasise that users wash their hands with fresh, clean water. Only afterwards is that water collected for flushing.

For pubs, restaurants, offices, shops and other commercial premises, particularly those with frequently used toilets, this could represent a worthwhile reduction in water consumption.

The compact design can also be useful where washroom space is limited.

Waterless Urinals: Another Clever Solution

Another innovation deserving serious consideration is the waterless urinal.

Traditional urinals can consume considerable quantities of water, particularly older systems that flush automatically at regular intervals day and night, even when the building isn't used.

Waterless urinals eliminate flushing water altogether.

Instead, specially designed traps or cartridges allow urine to drain away while preventing unpleasant sewer gases from entering the washroom.

Some systems use replaceable cartridges, while others employ different sealing technologies.

For businesses with busy male washrooms, the potential water savings can be substantial.

However, proper installation, regular cleaning and appropriate maintenance are essential to prevent odours and drainage problems.

Think About the Bigger Picture

Water-saving toilets and urinals are only part of the solution.

Businesses should also consider:

Installing tap aerators and flow restrictors.

Repairing dripping taps and leaking toilets promptly.

Introducing dual-flush toilets where appropriate.

Using water-efficient commercial dishwashers.

Monitoring water meters to identify unusual consumption.

Training employees to recognise and report water wastage.

Larger organisations could benefit from comprehensive water audits to identify opportunities for improvement.

Saving Water Makes Good Business Sense

With commercial water and wastewater charges representing an ongoing operating expense, reducing consumption can deliver financial as well as environmental benefits.

Of course, any new plumbing installations must comply with relevant water regulations and hygiene requirements.

Businesses should also consider installation costs, maintenance requirements and likely usage before investing.

Nevertheless, innovations such as the combined handwashing basin and toilet cistern pictured here demonstrate that sustainability doesn't always require complicated technology.

Sometimes the cleverest solutions are also the simplest.

So, whether you're running a village pub with two toilets or managing a corporate headquarters with dozens of washrooms, perhaps it's time to ask a very important question:

Is your business quite literally flushing money down the toilet?

That's Business – Helping Businesses Work Smarter.

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