HULL IS THIS LOCAL NEWS – WITH A POSITIVE PURPOSE Kingswood Parks Primary School is thrilled to have received a positive Ofsted Inspection Report following a visit in March 2025 The report highlights that the school is “a setting where pupils can grow aspire and achieve” which is a testament to the hard work and dedication of staff The Ofsted Inspector commented positively that “highly skilled staff ensure that children develop their communication and language skills and the well-designed curriculum increases in challenge over time.” Those responsible for governance were praised for working in unison with the Trust to “provide effective support and challenge” The Inspector observed that “pupils flourish in this kind and inclusive school showing immense respect and pride for their school and the wider community” and “have a deep respect for others” The school were commended for their bespoke support for those children with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) noting that “they make exceptional progress from their starting points” Headteacher Nic Loten spoke of her joy with the outcome: “At Kingswood Parks Primary School stimulating and secure community for every child I was delighted to hear that the Inspector recognised this including that staff have the best interests of children at heart and how proud they are to be a part of the Kingswood Parks family” Humber Education Trust CEO Rachel Wilkes expressed her gratitude to the leadership students and wider school community: “Kingswood Parks Primary School ensures children will experience It is an inclusive school where everyone is valued as an individual and the staff work as a team I am delighted that the report reflects the care and commitment of its leadership You can send press releases and local news items to: Subscribe to receive a summary of our latest news direct to your inbox each morning Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your HULL IS THIS eNews subscription You can unsubscribe at any time by following the link in each daily email Jack Woodman(Image: Avon & Somerset Police)A violent woman beater who verbally and physically abused his partner over a five year period has been jailed Jack Woodman, 33 and of Tennis Court Road in Kingswood He was convicted of one count of grievous bodily harm and two counts of actual bodily harm He was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court to two and a half years in jail on Monday The court heard that Woodman was verbally and physically abusive towards his 28-year-old partner The abuse was often in front of their two young children between 2017 and 2022 Woodman’s assaults escalated from abuse to hair pulling and punching then left her in pain and went out with his friends Ms Taffs required surgery as her jaw was broken in two places hitting her face while holding a phone and glasses case He said he hoped he’d broken her jaw again continued to verbally abuse her and poured a drink over her When they reached their home Ms Taffs waited for Woodman to go inside before fleeing in the car with her children Kingswood is in advanced discussions with its private equity backer HSQ Investments about taking over the company and delisting it to rescue it from mounting debts due to its acquisition strategy HSQ — a subsidiary of Pollen Street Capital which owns Mattioli Woods — originally invested in Kingswood in September 2019 which in September had assets under management of nearly £13bn HSQ owns a 68.4 per cent stake in Kingswood and said it continues to support the business But while Kingswood has seen growth in revenues and assets since HSQ invested it has admitted that its debts have increased “significantly” in the past two years due to its acquisition strategy The company’s debts mean that over the past two years it has moved from a net cash position of £39.7mn to a net debt position of £48.1mn at the end of 2023 Since then HSQ has provided the company with additional loans of £21mn to help it meet its obligations This means that at the end of 2024 its debts stood at £90.7mn In a statement Kingswood said: “The company has imminent obligations which significantly exceed the cash balance available at the end of March 2025 In the absence of new external financial support the company would not be able to satisfy these obligations.” Its statement said: “Notwithstanding the company’s growth in revenues and [assets] since HSQ initially invested [  the company’s performance has been impacted by the headwinds seen across the sector over the last couple of years “This has resulted in the company’s growth not being as strong over the period as management had expected.” it said it would only provide funding if Kingswood moved to an unlisted private company and it became the only institutional shareholder at 7p a share Kingswood directors have said there is no other near term credible alternative than the continued financial support from HSQ In July 2024, Kingswood’s chief executive David Lawrence resigned The consolidator has been active in recent years buying a number of advice firms with deals seeing it expand into the Scottish and Irish advice market Kingswood has confirmed it is in “advanced discussions” with its majority shareholder Pollen Street Capital regarding a possible cash offer for the firm’s entire shareholding bought 68.4% of the voting rights in Kingswood in May last year in which it will pay 7p per Kingswood share for the remaining 31.6% of the company The current minority shareholders are listed as: KPI (Nominees) Limited HSQ initially invested in Kingswood in September 2019 providing up to £80m of growth equity capital to the business the company’s performance has been impacted by the “headwinds seen across the sector over the last couple of years” This has resulted in its growth not being as strong over the period as management had expected the acquisition strategy has seen the company’s debt position increase significantly over the last two years rising from a net cash position of £39.7m to a net debt position of £48.1m as at 31 December 2023 in order to satisfy the working capital obligations of Kingswood HSQ has provided it with additional loans of £21m the unaudited gross debt in the company from its senior debt facility and the loans provided by HSQ since February 2024 amounted to £90.7m Kingswood has “imminent obligations” that significantly exceed the cash balance available at the end of March 2025 the company would not be able to satisfy these obligations HSQ has confirmed that it “continues to be supportive of the business” but believes that this is most appropriate from a position as sole institutional shareholder alongside the company moving to an unlisted it has stated that it would be willing to provide the required near-term funding “only on this basis” The Kingswood independent directors are strongly of the view that there is no other near-term credible alternative to the company other than the continued financial support from HSQ There can be no certainty that an offer will be made Further announcements will be made as and when appropriate You must be logged in to post a comment First team player and Bristolian Will Capon dropped into Combination Club Kingswood RFC to present their junior section with a signed Bears shirt after they purchased more than 250 tickets for May’s Big Day Out clash with Bath at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium Kingswood took advantage of our maximum Group Rate discount off 30% and earned themselves some signed Bears merchandise in the process Our Group Rate offers are applicable to category B C and D tickets at the Principality Stadium with at least a 20% discount available for eight tickets or more Contact our dedicated account manager to organise your group booking on groups@bristol-sport.co.uk or 0117 963 0611 Ashton Gate StadiumAshton RoadBristolBS3 2EJ To continue please log in with your personal details Logging in will give you access to ticketing If you have not yet set up a Bristol Bears account just click Create Account below which has bought a raft of financial advisory and related wealth sector firms in recent years has seen its debt burden expand to the point where it would not be able to shoulder it without added support Gain access to regular and exclusive research on the global wealth management sector along with the opportunity to attend industry events such as exclusive invites to Breakfast Briefings and Summits in the major wealth management centres and industry leading awards programmes Register Here A new Kingswood Family Hub is now open to provide support for older children young people and their families to understand and manage their emotional wellbeing and promote better mental health Established in the old caretaker’s house in the grounds of the King’s Oak Academy the pilot project is a collaboration between South Gloucestershire Council Kingswood Town Council and partners who provide support services on site The building will be known as ‘Martin’s House’ in recognition of the former caretaker whose home it was when employed by the school The type of support which young people and their families can access will include advice guidance and services focused on all aspects of emotional wellbeing and strengthening relationships between young people and their parents and carers and help to build the resilience required by young people as they develop into young adults The council recognises that many young people and families are facing more challenges today than say before the pandemic and due to financial hardship it is important to create opportunities for young people and families to share concerns at the earliest stage and for services to be able to respond in a timely way The Family Hub is part of the South Gloucestershire Council Children’s Partnership Early Help Offer By locating services closer to the community teachers and other professionals will be able to point those who need help towards it more easily and support will be available in a familiar environment In addition to the councils and the school South Gloucestershire Council Director of Education said: “Family Hubs are part of the Children’s Partnership Early Help Offer and there are three key elements: Access The new Kingswood Family Hub puts these elements into action “It will make support accessible to families in their communities It will help families to connect to services and services will be connected to each other all the organisations can help meet families’ needs without them needing to repeat their stories all of the agencies involved will be able to build relationships with families and with each other to meet young peoples’ needs better “We know that working in partnership makes a big difference and the range of organisations that are part of this pilot demonstrate our commitment to making that difference together.” said: “We are delighted to open this hub as a space where families and young people can access the support they need “Our aim is to bring people together and strengthen our community while also improving access to early help support services.” Shares in troubled wealth manager and Financial Planner Kingswood have been cancelled on the AIM market with effect from today as the full £48m takeover of the business by its PE owner HSQ moves to its final stages Kingswood warned recently that it may run out of money to service its £91m debt pile In recent times it has needed several cash injections to repay loans This week Kingswood reported that HSQ had acquired 99.27% of Kingswood's existing share capital through its takeover offer Private equity firm HSQ recently made an unconditional offer to buy the remaining 10% of shares in the business it did not already own HSQ offered 7p per ordinary share for the business a slight premium over its previously traded price HSQ is part of Pollen Street Capital which has substantial interests in financial services businesses HSQ and Pollen Street are considering merging Kingswood's UK and Ireland business with another wealth management company managed and advised by Pollen Street HSQ believes that the merger of its wealth management businesses could spur growth Kingswood Holdings Limited (trading as Kingswood) manages about £12bn of assets under advice and management It services 19,000 clients from offices across the UK with overseas offices in Ireland Before being cancelled on AIM at its request falling from 10.25p at the start of the year to their current level of 6.9p but have been on a downward spiral since 2005 falling to around 58p in 2008 and failing to recover since Prior to the takeover HSQ already owned 68% of Kingswood shares Recently HSQ provided a £5m debt facility to support Kingswood's “immediate funding needs.” It said the cash injection would enable Kingswood to “meet its immediate deferred consideration obligations." Kingswood has seen strong growth in revenues and AUA/M since 2019 but admitted recently its performance had been hit by “headwinds” it says have also been seen across the sector many of them Financial Planning businesses in a rapid expansion drive in recent years David Lawrence, Kingswood’s CEO, quit the firm last July after overseeing much of the expansion. He was replaced by ex-Positive Solutions CEO and Chartered Accountant Peter Coleman as interim CEO. 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Part of Arc network, www.arc-network.com HSQ Investments has made an offer to buy the remaining shares in Kingswood in a deal worth an estimated £43m HSQ currently owns 89.39% of Kingswood’s issued share capital and has now put in an unconditional offer to purchase the remaining 10.61% at 7p per share It also announced it was considering a merger of Kingswood’s UK and Ireland business with another wealth management company This company is already in the portfolio of funds managed and advised by Pollen Street Last week, Kingswood revealed it was in advanced discussions with HSQ about taking over the company and delisting it to rescue it from mounting debts providing up to £80m of growth equity capital to the business to pursue Kingswood’s strategy of creating the leading UK advice-led wealth management consolidator Kingswood has completed 19 acquisitions and at 30 June 2024 group assets under advice and management were approximately £12.9bn despite the company’s growth in revenues and AUAM it admitted its performance has “been impacted by the headwinds seen across the sector” The acquisition strategy has seen the company’s debt increase significantly over the last two years rising from a net cash position of £39.7m to a net debt position of £48.1m at 31 December 2023 Between 1 February 2024 and 31 December 2024 HSQ and/or Pollen Street provided Kingswood with a further £21m through additional loans to repay debt Prior to the acquisition of the KPI stake by HSQ the independent Kingswood directors were “strongly of the view that there was no near-term credible funding route for the company other than the continued financial support from HSQ” Kingswood’s private equity backer HSQ Investments has made an offer to take over the company and has revealed it will seek to merge it with another wealth management business in the portfolio of its parent company Pollen Street Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Latest to report April assets slide amid tariffs volatility ‘No shortage’ of high-quality advice firms Troubled Financial Planning group Kingswood which has expanded rapidly in the past five years may be sold 100% to a private equity firm as it wrestles with a £91m debt mountain may make a bid for the rest of the business at 7p a share Kingswood has borrowed heavily to fund expansion but has needed several cash injections to repay debts and has said today that it is in danger of running out of money to service its debt pile Kingswood has stressed that HSQ may possibly make an offer for the rest of the shares and nothing has been confirmed If the deal goes ahead it's likely Kingswood will delist from the stock market and become a private company HSQ initially invested in Kingswood in September 2019 and in doing so provided up to £80m of growth equity capital to the business HSQ owns 68.4% of Kingswood's voting rights and has reiterated its support for the company HSQ believes that it can best support Kingswood by being the complete owner of the business Kingswood has seen strong growth in revenues and AUA/M since 2019 but admitted that recently its performance had been hit by “headwinds” it says have also been seen across the sector over the last couple of years Kingswood said that in tandem with this its acquisition strategy has seen the company's debt increase significantly over the last two years rising from £39.7m to £48.1m as at 31 December 2023 to satisfy the working capital obligations of the company including to meet deferred payment obligations and debt interest payments on its senior debt facility have provided the company with additional loans amounting to £21 million the unaudited gross debt in the company from its senior debt facility and the loans provided by HSQ and/or affiliates of HSQ since February 2024 amounted to Kingswood said against this backdrop it has “imminent obligations” which significantly exceed the cash balance available at the end of this month (March 2025) In a statement the company said: “In the absence of new external financial support The statement added: “HSQ has confirmed that they continue to be supportive of the business but believe that this is most appropriate from a position as sole institutional shareholder alongside the company moving to an unlisted private company setting and therefore they have stated that they would be willing to provide the required near-term funding only on this basis “The Kingswood Independent Directors are strongly of the view that there is no other near term credible alternative to the company other than the continued financial support from HSQ.”   Kingswood has expanded rapidly in recent times and has acquired over 20 firms, many of them Financial Planning businesses. However in July last David Lawrence, the CEO, quit the firm after overseeing much of the expansion. He was replaced by ex-Positive Solutions CEO and Chartered Accountant Peter Coleman as interim CEO. Mr Lawrence headed the company for four years and oversaw many acquisitions and integrations an expansion to approximately 20,000 clients and the integration of IBOSS Recent results showed that group revenue was £86.2m In a statement last summer the company said Assets Under Management or Advice in the the UK & Ireland were approximately £9.8bn (31 December 2023: £9.4bn) However the most recent reporting period saw outflows in Assets under Advice in the UK following the departure of some wealth advisers Email: [email protected] You are currently accessing Investment Week via your Enterprise account If you already have an account please use the link below to sign in Email: [email protected] Join now Login Welcome to schooltravelorganiser.com. This site uses cookies. Read our policy Schools and academies can claim a free print subscription to School Travel Organiser magazine Or keep it digital and register to access our web content for free and receive the magazine’s digital edition to your inbox as well as the fortnightly email newsletter The move has resulted in the Kingswood brand closing several residential centres with three sites acquired by PGL Beyond and two by Halsbury Travel Group from the Inspiring Learning Group portfolio Climbing walls and pushing boundaries were all part of the experience at a Kingswood centre Kingswood has been popular with school groups that want to fly down its zip wires climb high ropes and take part in bushcraft and orienteering A typical Kingswood day or residential trip would be based around character development to help equip a child with the tools needed to develop adaptability skills for real life scenarios It would offer tailored options and link activities back to the curriculum across its 11 centres including sites in North Devon and Staffordshire A statement on the Kingswood website said: “Three centres have been acquired by PGL which is committed to ensuring all trips go ahead as planned They have also worked with our administrators to provide a package of support to groups where centres are closing by offering alternative arrangements at PGL centres “If you have a booking with Inspiring Learning North Devon, please note that it has been acquired by Halsbury Travel Group, one of the UK’s leading school travel operators. Should you have any questions or require further information about your booking at North Devon, please don’t hesitate to contact the team via email on centre.nd@inspiring-learning.com.”  PGL Beyond said: “Following the news that the Inspiring Learning Group has entered into administration we can confirm that PGL Beyond has acquired three Kingswood centres (part of the Inspiring Learning Group) and has pledged to support customers and colleagues impacted by the closure of seven other Kingswood centres “We will take immediate ownership of the three sites we are acquiring - Grosvenor Hall in Ashford South Yorkshire; and Overstrand Hall in Cromer Norfolk – saving over 150 jobs and over 100 seasonal contracts and ensuring that the planned ‘residentials’ for over 50,000 young people in 2025 will still go ahead “The administration will see seven Kingswood centres close across the UK with immediate effect PGL has pledged its full support to the administrators of the Inspiring Learning Group to proactively facilitate as many trips as possible booked with the closing centres We will accept new bookings from impacted Kingswood customers at the price previously agreed with Kingswood and further reduce that price to recognise any monies previously paid to Kingswood “Colleagues impacted by this news are encouraged to contact resourcingforkw@pgl.co.uk for assistance in finding alternative roles within PGL Beyond.” has acquired Skern Lodge Limited and the Ultimate Adventure Centre Limited (UAC) from the Kingswood Learning and Leisure Group Limited Based in North Devon both centres deliver outdoor activities experiential learning and development training to a host of different customers ranging from schools to corporate groups.  expressed his enthusiasm: “I am delighted that we are now part of the Halsbury Travel Group I believe Halsbury is the right home for us and I am confident we will thrive and grow under this new ownership.” added: “Richard has built a business with a strong reputation and excellent people Skern Lodge and UAC are a great addition to our group and will enable us to collectively grow and flourish This is an exciting new chapter for Halsbury Travel Group and another positive step towards our mission to be the industry-leading school travel company in the UK.” A further seven sites previously operated by Kingswood have now closed Kingswood says that it is in the process of contacting all customers who have a confirmed or a provisional booking for 2025. Further information can be found at www.pglbeyond.com/kingswood-support. “We are devastated by this news and want to thank all our colleagues and customers for supporting Kingswood over the years,” read a statement from the company on its website “We wish them all the very best for the future It has been a privilege to be a part of so many life-changing experiences for young people and we hope that they continue to be memories they will treasure forever.” A scheme offering pupils from targeted schools the chance to spend a week immersed in nature has been shown to have long-term benefits for young people talks us through a range of considerations to discuss when taking pupils on overnight visits Park Primary School in Lancashire took part in a ‘Connecting to nature’ residential which is part of the YHA’s Generation Green project A free exhibition at London’s Science Museum will examine the impact of unsustainable food systems and highlight the scientists producers and communities working on solutions for a healthier future Comedy legend Sir Lenny Henry’s book about an ordinary boy who becomes an extraordinary hero, The Boy With Wings School visits to the Tower of London will now be able to learn about the kings and queens who shaped it and lived there with a new exhibition in the Medieval Palace covering areas of the Key Stage 3 history curriculum Site powered by Webvision Cloud a UK-headquartered wealth and investment management group Private equity firm HSQ has injected a further £4.8m to support its troubled Financial Planning business Kingswood which warned recently that it may run out of money to service its £91m debt pile HSQ confirmed on Friday that it would provide a near £5m debt facility to support its Kingswood business's “immediate funding needs.” HSQ is part of Pollen Street Capital and has substantial interests in financial services businesses Last week HSQ increased its shareholding in Kingswood to nearly 90% to take near full control of the firm which has expanded rapidly through acquisition but struggled to manage its debts non-exec deputy chairman Jonathan Massing and ex-CEO Gary Wilder both stepped down last week and have sold their near 21% shareholding to HSQ The new debt facility will mean HSQ providing up to £4.8m in loans with an interest rate of 12% paid at maturity The repayment date is 29 October 2030 or in the event of a full or partial exit HSQ says the cash injection will enable Kingswood to,“meet its immediate deferred consideration obligations." Kingswood Holdings Limited (trading as Kingswood) is an AIM-listed (AIM: KWG) wealth manager looking after about £12bn of assets under advice and management HSQ already owned 68.4% of Kingswood shares until recently but said last week it would bid for the rest of the business at 7p a share Kingswood has borrowed heavily to fund expansion and has needed several cash injections to repay loans the unaudited gross debt of Kingswood from its senior debt facility and the loans provided by HSQ and/or affiliates of HSQ since February 2024 many of them Financial Planning businesses in a rapid expansion drive in recent years Pollen Street Capital’s subsidiary HSQ Investments has handed Kingswood a cash offer worth £43m for all of its remaining shares The offer will take the indebted firm off the AIM market and potentially merge it with another Pollen Street-backed wealth business the firm will ‘consider a merger of the company’s UK and Ireland business with another wealth management company that is an existing portfolio company of funds managed and advised by Pollen Street’ Kingswood has appointed former Succession Wealth executive Peter Coleman as its new chief executive Coleman was hired as CEO in an interim basis last July following the departure of David Lawrence who will also join the board of Kingswood as a director was handed the job today (10 January) on a permanent basis He was previously chief commercial officer (CCO) at Aviva-owned Succession Wealth he was CCO at Wealth Wizards and CEO of Positive Solutions respectively Kingswood chair David Hudd said Coleman “came with strong credentials” and praised him for building “positive momentum since joining the group in July 2024” Kingswood is an AIM-listed wealth-management group with circa £12bn of assets under advice and management It services around 19,000 clients from a growing network of offices across the UK The wealth manager is backed by private-equity firm Pollen Capita Kingswood secured a £8m debt facility with Pollen Street Capital Limited it also secured another £3m debt facility with HSQ Investment Limited a subsidiary of Pollen Street Capital Limited Private equity firm HSQ has today confirmed its unconditional offer to buy the remaining 10% shares of the troubled Financial Planning business Kingswood and said it hopes to conclude the deal by 15 April Kingswood warned recently that it may run out of money to service its £91m debt pile and has needed several cash injections to repay loans HSQ has offered 7p a share for the business HSC said: "Kingswood Shareholders are encouraged to accept the Offer as soon as possible." HSQ and Pollen Street are considering  merging of Kingswood's UK and Ireland business with another wealth management company managed and advised by Pollen Street HSQ said it believes that the merger "has the prospect of delivering the long-term capital investment that the UK and Ireland operations requires which would provide all advisers and clients within these businesses an exciting opportunity for growth." Kingswood Holdings Limited (trading as Kingswood) is an AIM-listed (AIM: KWG) wealth manager looking after about £12bn of assets under advice and management Its shares have slumped by a third this year Around 20 years ago after Kingswood's founding in 2004 the shares traded at 2,230p recommended that they accept the HSQ offer He said: "Action needs to be taken to ensure the long-term success of Kingswood HSQ already owned 68.4% of Kingswood shares until recently but said earlier this month it would bid for the rest of the business at 7p a share Last week it provided a near £5m debt facility to support Kingswood's “immediate funding needs.” It said the cash injection would enable Kingswood to “meet its immediate deferred consideration obligations." Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Work is starting on the first stage of South Gloucestershire Council’s landscaping programme for Kingswood Park which will involve major accessibility and biodiversity improvements This forms part of The National Lottery Heritage Fund award granted to improve accessibility and enhance the site for local wildlife in the park The work includes laying a new stone path as well as major tree landscaping work with the public invited to help create a new green wildlife corridor Over the winter work will begin onsite to create the missing section of a circular route around the park The new 150 metre section will be laid between Orchard Road and Edward Road using local limestone The stone has been selected as a more environmentally friendly option compared to standard asphalt as it allows air to reach the roots of trees As the area near the path includes mature lime trees the council will be using no dig construction techniques to protect the sensitive environment and root systems of the trees The tree landscaping work will involve the removal of 70 metres of Leylandii trees and replacing them with native hedgerow which will provide a much better source of food and shelter for wildlife The Leylandii trees were planted originally as a screen but provide little benefit to wildlife compared to a native hedgerow with the timber used to make path edges for the nature reserve area The bark chippings will be used to create this new path and used to mulch the newly planted hedgerow The timber will also be used to make a dead hedge along the park boundary providing a new habitat that will benefit insects and birds Once established the new hedgerow will have greater amenity value Local people are invited to help create this exciting wildlife habitat with a ‘hedgerow heroes’ planting day on Saturday 7 December 10.30am to 2.30pm as part of National Tree Week 2024 The next phase of the council’s wider work programme will begin in spring next year and will include revamping the amphitheater with new seating and performance area as well as the building of a new accessible toilet block creating more accessible paths and extending the play area wellbeing and other community activities in the park will continue to run alongside these physical improvements This three-year project is an important piece of South Gloucestershire Council’s wider programme of investment in Kingswood. More info is available on the council’s website here https://kingswoodparkimprovements.commonplace.is/ National advice firm Kingswood’s IBOSS model portfolio services (MPS) provider has exited its position in the WS Gresham House UK Multi Cap fund as it cuts UK investments to boost exposure to US equities which manages £2.1bn invested by Kingswood clients and external IFAs is cutting its Gresham holdings after what Chris Metcalfe called a ‘very tough time’ for the fund alongside a gloomy UK outlook.  Metcalfe backed Donald Trump to ‘cut red tape’ and prioritise stock market performance He told Citywire that IBOSS will maintain its emerging markets (EMs) overweight due to the pro-business rhetoric from Chinese authorities.  We’d all like the guarantee of doubling our money on an investment but it’s not the way the world works it turns out that offer is available – if you’re a private equity (PE) house willing to invest £77m in an advice consolidation business was able to secure just those terms from Kingswood Holdings when first investing in the AIM-listed financial adviser and wealth manager in 2019 Good morning and welcome to your Morning Briefing for Wednesday 12 March 2025. To get this in your inbox every morning click here. It said today (12 March) that it is considering a full takeover Read the full story Retail annuities sales help L&G profits soar Legal & General (L&G) has reported record retail annuity sales of £2.1bn for 2024 marking a 48% increase from the previous year L&G said it had increased its market share in annuities to 23.6% Read the full story As a result of an unstable geopolitical situation — plus Trump’s re-election as US president rapid advances in the sophistication of weapons and the increase in global defence spending — defence stocks are booming But is there ever a case for defence stocks to be put into sustainable funds It is difficult to give a definitive answer particularly without broadening the discussion to encompass the whole morality of war Read the full story Vulnerability can impact any of us at any time yet too many people are struggling in silence responds to new research from the FCA on consumers in vulnerable positions Standard Life’s pension-finding tool has reunited customers with £50m of lost pension savings in just five months Standard Life and Raindrop have successfully reunited almost 3,000 customers with lost pension pots The number of lost pension pots that have been tracked down using the new tool The amount estimated to be sitting in lost pension pots across the UK based on recent research from the Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) Over eight in ten working-age adults admit they aren’t sure where all their pension pots are Almost a fifth are very concerned that their retirement funds are too low Research from Standard Life of people with multiple pensions have not consolidated them Specialist protection adviser John Lamb Hill Oldridge has expanded into the City of London The company said the office move will accommodate its ongoing growth and enable it to better serve its clients “Today’s announcement marks a significant milestone in John Lamb Hill Oldridge’s journey,” said the firm’s managing director it is essential that we invest in our workspace to ensure our team has the tools and environment needed to succeed “This new office allows us to take our services to the next level and support the increasing demand from our clients.” The expansion aligns with John Lamb Hill Oldridge’s mission to provide protection and advisory services to high-profile and high-net-worth individuals across the UK Extra defence spending will help Reeves meet fiscal rules (Bloomberg) EU retaliates after Donald Trump’s steel and aluminium tariffs take effect (Financial Times) Overloaded website prevents UK statistics agency from releasing economic data after markets open (The Guardian) Wealth managers and financial advisers are losing an estimated £517m annually due to inefficiencies in platform switching This is according to new research by AI-driven data management specialist Woven Advice published in the white paper Platform Switching Eats Strategy for Breakfast The study highlights the financial and operational risks caused by poor data quality and inadequate system integration between advice firms The demand for platform switching is rising driven by market forces such as Consumer Duty requirements industry consolidation and increasing cost pressures Lancashire Police Federation have teamed up with Kingswood Homes to provide offers to our officers wishing to purchase homes in Blackburn and Hoddlesden Quick links to information on the National Police Federation website: Follow @LancsPoliceFed for the latest updates Contact us in the office or a rep in your area Find all the latest member discounts and services © Copyright 2018 Police Federation All rights reserved Police file picture(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)A teenager has been left with serious injuries that are believed to be life-changing after being hit by a car Just after 9pm last night (Friday, April 4), officers were called to Wood Road in Kingswood The teenager was taken to hospital with serious injuries The driver of the car, a white hatchback, is assisting Avon and Somerset Police with enquiries. Police are now appealing for witnesses to come forward. Avon and Somerset Police said: "We are also interested in speaking to anyone with doorbell or dashcam footage. "If you can help, please call 101 and quote reference 5225096890." The road was closed between Crownleaze and Gladstone Street as police officers, firefighters and paramedics attended the scene. The road reopened by 8.15pm as the woman was brought to safety. In an update this morning (Wednesday, March 5), Avon and Somerset Police said the woman was detained for her own safety. They said: "She was brought down and detained under S136 of the Mental Health Act." The force previously said: “Soundwell Road, in Kingswood, has been closed this afternoon (Tuesday 4 March) while officers respond to an incident in which a woman is on the roof of a building. Officers are in attendance along with colleagues from the fire and ambulance service and the road has been closed as a precaution until the incident is safely resolved.” A South Gloucestershire convenience store owner has been sent to prison for two months and ordered to pay a combined total of £4,555.71 in fines and costs for selling illegal disposable e-cigarettes to customers of Warmley appeared at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Monday 9 December for sentencing having previously pleaded guilty (on 13 May 2024) to being in possession of 518 illegal e-cigarette devices for supply to consumers Jasem was sentenced to two months imprisonment ordered to pay costs totaling £3109.71 and required to pay a £154 victim surcharge Jyar Limited received a £923 fine and was required to pay a £369 victim surcharge The court heard that Jasem operates a convenience store trading as International Store in Kingswood South Gloucestershire Council’s Trading Standards team received a complaint in April 2023 that the store was selling illegal disposable e-cigarettes When Trading Standards officers visited the premises in May 2023 they found devices labelled as containing up to eight times the 2 ml legal limit of nicotine e-liquid and a declared strength two and a half times the 20 mg/ml (2%) legal limit A large quantity of illegal e-cigarettes were found concealed below the floorboards The products were seized and a prosecution case progressed The deliveries were a breach in the supermarket's planning permission which was granted before the store was built The store was contacted by council officers and advised to stick within their conditioned hours however investigators found that they continued to breach these and receive deliveries at all hours A Breach of Condition Notice was then issued to ensure the conditioned delivery hours were adhered to the council found that deliveries were still being made early on a Sunday morning LIDL pleaded guilty to breaching the planning conditions which state times where deliveries can be accepted at the store They were fined £14,500 and ordered to pay a £2,000 victim surcharge and the council’s costs of £973.66 Sign up to receive daily news updates and breaking news alerts straight to your inbox for free here “Deliveries taking place late at night and early in the morning can be very disruptive for nearby residents, so I’m really pleased that we’ve been able to bring this prosecution and ensure the supermarket meets its obligations.” Breaches can be reported via the South Gloucestershire Council website at www.southglos.gov.uk/report email plannigenforcement@southglos.gov.uk or if the breach relates to an urgent matter such as damage which puts a listed building at risk by phone on 01454 868004. Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Nick Allen has over 30 years of experience in financial services But new hires not ‘driven solely by money’ Gregg Lang heads up True Potential Adviser Services Plans have been approved to change the focus of the investment in Kingswood to reflect what local people told South Gloucestershire Council they want for the town The council has worked with partners to develop a new programme of work that will deliver what people said they want for Kingswood The proposal was presented to and has been approved by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) The initial focus will be working with businesses on Regent Steet in Kingswood to deliver a programme of shop front improvements in recognition of the difference this will make to the appearance of the town centre This will be a process of co-design where shop owners will work with local architects on the design of the shop fronts Subsequent phases of work will include improvements to Regent Street and investment in public spaces in the town centre The projects aim to deliver the change people said they want to see in Kingswood the council is also supporting a series of Sunday Social markets starting in October to bring people into Kingswood The council will be working with its local partners to look at more opportunities for future events and activities in the town Using the feedback gathered so far from the community the council will develop plans for improvements to Regent Street to make it a welcoming and accessible space Over the next few years people will see the work ongoing creating a sustainable and exciting town for future generations to enjoy the council will share more details around the timelines for this work and how people can get involved cabinet member responsible for local place at South Gloucestershire Council said: “Kingswood is a town with a strong sense of community the work we are talking about today is part of a broader programme of investment in Kingswood which includes Kingswood Park The Tabernacle and improvements to walking and cycling routes in and around the town “Shoppers at Kings Chase will have already noticed improvement work starting with scaffolding going up to enable new lighting to be installed which is part of our wider work in the area.” The Kingswood improvements are funded by the West of England Combined Authority through the Investment Fund administered by the West of England Combined Authority Anyone who wants to find out more about the projects can do so by visiting https://kingswoodregeneration.commonplace.is/ Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Stappard's supreme assault - smashing 84 off 44 with four fours and eight sixes - led Kingswood to victory by eight wickets ScorecardA stunning knock from Freddie Stappard earned Kingswood their first win of the tournament in a reduced-overs game against Park View Academy Stappard's sensational assault - smashing 84 off 44 with four fours and eight sixes - led Kingswood to victory by eight wickets A rain shower arrived 74 balls into the match and in the name of getting as many completed games of cricket in as possible Park View elected to forgo the rest of their innings with A Poulton (22 of 20) helping Park View to 108 for 6 from those 74 deliveries with the opener clearing the rope with regularity including back-to-back sixes twice in the innings With the ball, Kingswood shared the load, with six different bowlers picking up a single wicket. Toby Eayres was the most economical on the day, bowling 11 dots in his 15, and finishing with 1 for 8.The Cricketer Schools 100 is supported by NV Play Cricket. Find out what NV Play can do for your club or school at NVPlay.com | enquiries@nvplay.com Welcome to www.thecricketer.com - the online home of the world’s oldest cricket magazine opinion and cricket goodness from every corner of our beautiful sport and receive alerts when they’re in the news Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists Proactive news team spans the world’s key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London We are experts in medium and small-cap markets we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies commodities and broader investment stories This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation Kingswood Holdings Limited (LSE:KWG) shares fell 8.5% after the wealth manager revealed it is in advanced talks over a potential takeover that would see the business taken out at a discount to the current share price is considering an offer to buy out the remaining shares at 7p each - 1.5p below the current share price The company’s independent directors have indicated they would back the deal if it goes ahead which has climbed from a net cash position of £39.7 million in 2021 to net debt of £48.1 million by the end of 2023 HSQ has continued to provide financial support Kingswood warned it would struggle to meet its financial obligations HSQ has made it clear it will only provide more funding if the company goes private HSQ has until April 9 to make a firm offer or walk away Sign up to receive alerts and news direct to your inbox Autonomix Medical CEO Brad Hauser joined Steve Darling from Proactive to announce a significant milestone in the company’s development of breakthrough neuro-modulation technology The company has released a compelling new video testimonial from a patient who participated in the initial phase of.. 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