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Tech companies have been making headlines for mass layoffs of late. Google, Microsoft and Amazon all announced they’d be letting go of tens of thousands altogether and Twitter and Meta both announced layoffs in the fall.
But demand for tech skills remains high. “The skills gap is still sharp, it’s still a significant gap,” says Vicki Salemi, career expert at Monster. “Employers are struggling to find labor in this tight labor market” that can fill various tech needs.
While employers won’t always be looking for full-time experts, some may be looking for part-time or contract work. If you have tech expertise and are seeking opportunities, here are seven skills that will likely be in-demand for freelancers this year according to freelancer platform Upwork, along with descriptions of what each entails and how much freelancers on the site are charging.
Full stack development
Full stack developers are trained in building both the front and back end of a website. The front end is what users see and interact with and the back end powers the site. They know coding languages like JavaScript and Python and test sites and software to ensure both work smoothly.
Full stack developers on Upwork charge as much as $135 per hour.
Mobile app development
A mobile app developer is a software engineer who specializes in creating apps for smartphones, tablets and computers. They know coding languages, fix any bugs that arise in the software and work with graphic designers and data scientists to build their apps.
They charge as much as $155 per hour.
Web design
Web designers build websites, creating the appropriate functionality and look using programming languages like HTML and JavaScript and graphic design software like Adobe Photoshop.
Web designers on Upwork charge as much as $250 per hour.
UX/UI design
These designers focus on creating user-friendly experiences on websites and apps. They plan the structure of their sites, develop its content, create prototypes and test for bugs.
They charge as much as $120 per hour.
CMS development
A content management system, CMS, is a software that helps its users manage their various content, from creating it to publishing it. It also stores content in its database for later use. CMS developers are responsible for developing both the back and front end of the software.
CMS developers charge as much as $105 per hour.
Manual testing
These professionals test the functionality of a software without the help of automated tools. They ensure the software works correctly in various scenarios and note any bugs or issues along the way.
Manual testers charge as much as $50 per hour on Upwork.
Script and automation
Automation scripts are a list of commands for software that help automate tasks like sending an email to a customer. Specialists write them in coding language such as Python and JavaScript.
Scripting and automation specialists charge as much as $350 per hour.
“We use technology every day,” says Margaret Lilani, vice president of talent solutions at Upwork. “We use it to work, we use it to learn, we use it to communicate, we use it to transact.” That’s especially true of the last three years, as people leaned more and more heavily on their devices to connect.
“That genie is not going back in the bottle,” she says, adding that, “in terms of businesses and their digital presence, they have to have that.”
If you’re looking to gain these skills, Salemi suggests looking at online certificate programs, MBA programs or community college courses.
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Harvard neuroscientist: The 'most underrated' skill all successful people have—'especially introverts' Harvard neuroscientist: The ‘most underrated’ skill all successful people... 73-year-old pays $370/mo to live in a 1,066-sq-ft plane he bought for $100,000: 'I have no regrets' 73-year-old pays $370/month to live in a 1,066-square-foot airplane I'm a psychologist in Finland, the No. 1 happiest country in the world—here are 3 things we never do I’m a psychologist in Finland, the No. 1 happiest country in the world—here are... SIDE HUSTLES This 35-year-old mom built a side hustle that brings in $240,000 a month: ‘I only work 4 hours a day now’ Published Mon, Feb 6 202311:00 AM ESTUpdated 22 Min Ago thumbnail Katelyn Alsop, Contributor SHARE Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email Katelyn Alsop's photography education business brings in $240,000 a month. She works just four hours a day, which allows her to spend more time with her family. Katelyn Alsop’s photography education business brings in $240,000 a month. She works just four hours a day, which allows her to spend more time with her family.Photo: BreAnne Weston In 2008, I started a photography side hustle from my dorm room. My goal was to become a professional photographer. It wasn’t easy, especially at the height of the recession, but I’m glad I never gave up.
Today, at 35, I’m a self-made millionaire and run a wedding photography and education business, Katelyn James Photography. With my husband Michael, who joined as Chief Financial Officer in 2013, we’ve helped more than 100,000 people learn about photography.
In 2022, we brought in about $240,000 a month in revenue — 80% of which I put back into the business. Roughly $230,000 of our monthly revenue was passive income from online courses and training materials.
I only work four hours a day now, and I shoot about four weddings a year.
From $750 to $160,000 in one day
In the first year of my side hustle, I was a full-time college student, but I still worked 40 or more hours a week.
My rates started low: $750 for six hours of photographing and editing. As my skills improved, I started charging more. And by 2013, I was earning six figures.
I was lucky to have a great mentor, Jasmine Star, who photographed my own wedding. I also took some online courses, attended workshops, and took on projects for free to build my portfolio.
But there wasn’t a lot of affordable photography training out there, so I started sharing tips on my blog. About eight years in, I realized online photography education could be a scalable business.
Through word of mouth and a consistent social media presence, I grew an email list of 7,600 photographers who wanted to learn from me. All the while, I developed outlines, designed a workbook via Adobe InDesign, and recorded and edited course content with help from a videographer friend.
The majority of Katelyn's income is from photography courses and training materials. The majority of Katelyn’s income is from photography courses and training materials.Photo: Abby Grace Branding In November 2015, Michael and I launched our first online training program to teach photographers how to edit and streamline their workflow. The course cost $397, a price point that was far more accessible than a semester’s worth of college photography classes.
Our goal was $15,000 in total sales. But the first day, because of the trust we built with our customers over time, we made over $160,000.
Bridging the photography knowledge gap
The success of my first course showed me that it was more valuable to make photography education accessible, rather than just shooting weddings and continuously increasing prices.
We’ve created over a dozen courses, e-books and templates for various photography skills. Our resources are inspired by questions asked by our online community of over 70,000 people, and cover topics like posing couples and natural light photography.
We also have a membership product, KJ All Access. For $29 per month, photographers of all experience levels get to follow me as I shoot events and handle all sorts of unpredictable situations — like wedding dresses getting covered in mud or weather delays.
New videos are shot by my videographer, edited by me, and released each month. Members also have access to a library of past videos.
Our goal is to change people’s lives
I love my job. Being in complete control of our schedule has allowed my husband and I to spend more time with our three kids, and to pursue projects we’re excited about.
This year, we co-founded a school geared towards entrepreneurial families called Acton Academy West End. We focus on equipping children ages five to eight with the tools to find their unique passions through hands-on activities.
Whether we’re creating tools that teach photographers how to build a career that supports their family, capturing wedding moments, recording podcasts, or just simply sharing the ups and downs of our everyday life on social media, we want our life and our business to change lives.
Katelyn Alsop is a business coach and founder of Katelyn James Photography. Over 100,000 students around the world have used her platforms to learn about photography and entrepreneurship. She is also the co-founder of Acton Academy West End. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Laura Donnelly Health editor
The Daily Telegraph 01/2/2023
FOODS that make up half of the typical British diet are contributing to the risk of cancer, a major study has claimed.
Scientists said common daily fare, including most breakfast cereals, breads, snacks and convenience meals, appear to endanger the nation’s health.
A number of past studies have linked cancer to “ultra-processed” foods, which are mass produced and contain chemicals, colourings, sweeteners and preservatives, but researchers said the latest research, by Imperial College London, is the most comprehensive yet.
It involved almost 200,000 people, aged 40 to 69, who were tracked for more than a decade to assess their risk from 34 cancer types.
The Imperial team said their findings were particularly concerning because of the “exceptionally high” intake of processed foods by Britons, for whom it makes up around half the daily calorie intake. For every 10 per cent increase in ultra-processed food in a person’s diet, the chance of cancer rose by 2 per cent, while cancer deaths were 6 per cent up.
Some of the sharpest rises were seen in breast and ovarian disease, where cancer mortality increased by 16 and 30 per cent respectively.
Dr Kiara Chang, a researcher, said: “The average person in the UK consumes more than half of their daily energy intake from ultra-processed foods. This is exceptionally high and concerning as ultra-processed foods are produced with industrially derived ingredients and often use food additives to adjust colour, flavour, consistency, texture, or extend shelf-life.”
The study, funded by Cancer Research UK and the World Cancer Research Fund, cannot prove a direct link because it was observational research based on recall and cannot establish cause and effect. High intake of such foods can also be a marker for other poor diet choices.
However, the researchers called for warning labels on processed foods, urging people to limit their intake and said that the sugar tax should be extended to cover more processed products.
Countries including France, Canada and Brazil, have updated dietary guidelines to limit such foods but no such measures are in place in the UK.
Ultra-processed foods usually have ingredients that people would not add
when they are cooking at home. The most commonly eaten ultra-processed foods in the UK are mass-produced bread, ready meals, breakfast cereals, reconstituted meat such as ham, sweets, biscuits, buns and cakes.
Previous studies have suggested a link between ultra-processed foods and heart disease, as well as obesity and Type 2 diabetes.
In the new study, published online in eclinical medicine, the team used UK Biobank data to examine the diets of 197,426 people. Their health was tracked over a decade and their risk of developing cancer or dying from it was also analysed.
The study found that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with a greater risk of developing cancer overall, and specifically ovarian and brain cancers. It was also associated with a higher risk of death, most notably from ovarian and breast cancers. These links held true even after adjusting for factors that may alter the results, such as exercise, smoking. body mass index and deprivation.
Dr Panagiota Mitrou, director of research and innovation at the World Cancer Research Fund, said: “The findings in this first UK study of its kind are significant as this is the most comprehensive assessment of ultra-processed foods and cancer risk. This adds to the growing evidence linking these foods to cancer and other health conditions.”
Dr Mitrou said people should limit the consumption of “fast foods” and other processed foods high in fat, starches or sugars.
“For maximum benefit, we also recommend that you make wholegrains, vegetables, fruit and pulses a major part of your usual diet,” she added.
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Louisa Clarence-smith education editor and Blathnaid Corless
The Daily Telegraph 01/2/2023 Fears workers will circumvent rules as four out of five schools forced to shut classrooms
STRIKING teachers will be paid, officials fear, as unions are set to force the closure of classrooms at the vast majority of schools today.
More than 100,000 members of the National Education Union are expected to walk out in the most disruptive teachers’ strike in over a decade, with 85 per cent of schools in England and Wales closing to some or all year groups.
However, schools have decided to shut without knowing which of their teachers have backed strike action, owing to laws which mean union members cannot be forced to tell their bosses.
Concerns were raised that this could enable striking teachers to claim they are working and therefore be paid.
In a letter to all schools last night, Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary, reminded head teachers that any striking staff must not be paid. The letter, seen by The Daily Telegraph, stated: “In all cases, where employees take strike action, they are not entitled to be paid for any period during which they are on strike.” Mrs Keegan also stressed that teachers not on strike should turn up to work and could be asked to cover for those taking action.
Teachers on social media said they believed some workers could still get paid. “If [head teachers] close the school because teachers won’t say if they’re striking in advance, they’ll get paid,” one wrote. Another shared on social media that she had voted to strike, but that the first day of industrial action coincided with a “free trip” her class had planned to take to the zoo.
Her dilemma was apparently resolved after she spoke to her union. “I’m still going to the zoo and making a donation to the hardship fund and striking on the other days,” she said.
Unions have declared today a de facto general strike, with 500,000 workers walking out across seven unions, according to the Trades Union Congress. As well as teachers, train drivers, civil servants, airport and university staff are taking industrial action.
Commuters will be left stranded across the country as 15 train operators run no trains both today and Friday.
The walkouts by both the Aslef and RMT unions mean there will not even be reduced services operating.
Hundreds of military personnel, along with volunteers from across government are on standby to support public services. Although health unions are not on strike, NHS bosses are understood to be concerned that the industrial action could still cause chaos in hospitals as the teacher strike forces staff with children to take time off.
The NEU is striking after only a minority, or 48 per cent of its members in England voted to take industrial action. In Wales, 54 per cent of its members voted to strike over pay.
About 40,000 teachers have joined the NEU since teacher strikes were announced a fortnight ago. They will be able to participate in the industrial action and maximise disruption. While some schools have said they will adopt bigger class sizes and use volunteers to keep children in classrooms, many pupils have been told to expect a day of online learning. Teachers who are not on strike have been told to come into school, but may have little to do. There is nothing to stop teachers who have backed the strikes from going into school.
Some schools are likely to permit working from home, but it is unclear how this will be monitored.
The NEU has notified schools of how many teachers at each institution are members. However, legally, head teachers cannot demand to know who these staff are and members do not have to tell their bosses if they intend to strike. This has meant schools have assumed a worst case scenario in terms of teacher numbers, leading to the expected widespread closures.
Whitehall sources were alarmed by the suggestion from the NEU that 85 per cent of schools will be affected.
Nick Gibb, the schools minister, insisted he expected the “majority” of schools to be open “in some capacity”. Robin Walker, Tory MP and chairman of the education select committee, said: “It’s important that every effort should be made to keep schools open to as many pupils as possible. After the pan- demic, the last thing children need is to be out of school for any period of time.” With seven dates planned for strikes by teachers in February and March, parents fear children will be held back as they attempt to recover from lost learning during lockdowns.
Mrs Keegan thanked NEU members who gave advance notice of their intention to strike to schools so head teachers can “do everything they can to keep their schools open for as many pupils as possible, particularly for the most vulnerable, children of critical workers and those taking formal exams and assessments”.
TEACHERS in England are among the highest paid for the lowest hours in Europe and the developed world, according to analysis published ahead of a mass walkout over pay.
Data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows that average salaries for experienced teachers in England are higher than in Sweden, Switzerland, France, Finland and other countries.
Teachers in most state schools in England are legally required to be at work, or available for work, for a maximum of 1,265 hours spread over 195 days of the year – fewer than for any other developed nation that provides data to the OECD, except Luxembourg.
OECD research shows that for those with 15 years’ experience, average pay for primary school teachers in 2020, when adjusted to account for purchasing power in different countries, is $54,889 (£44,500) in England, which is higher than the OECD average of $49,245 (£40,000), and the EU average of $49,022 (£39,800).
Teacher pay in England was higher than for counterparts in Italy ($39,563), France ($40,043) and Finland ($45,772).
For England’s secondary schools, average pay after 15 years’ experience was also $54,889 (£44,500), higher than both the EU and OECD average.
The data show pay for primary teachers in England, as compared to their peers educated to a similar standard but in other professions, is higher than Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, France and Finland. Secondary school wages in junior years, as a proportion of average pay of similarly educated peers, is again higher than Sweden, Norway, France, Finland and the Czech Republic.
The findings come as more than 100,000 teachers prepare to strike across England and Wales today to demand further pay rises, even though experienced teachers were awarded a 5 per cent pay rise for last year, with starting pay increased by 8.9 per cent.
Prof Alan Smithers, the director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at the University of Buckingham, said: “I think it’s irresponsible for teachers to be pressing for big pay rises, given the financial circumstances of the country. Relatively speaking, they are well paid.
“What they are requesting is that money from the taxes of people who are also struggling be transferred to them.
“The heart of their job is the education of children, who have already suffered considerable disruption from the pandemic, and it seems irresponsible to me that they should want to impose further disruption.”
Across 36 countries, the UK ranks fifth for investment in education, with 4.1 per cent of GDP put into education up to university level.
Chris Mcgovern, of the Campaign for Real Education, said: “Our system is so expensive, we pay more per head than most counties ... we need to reward the best teachers but we don’t need to reward the poor teachers.”
He added: “Strike action is despicable, iniquitous and inexcusable.”
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Teachers have had double-digit, deep and sustained real-terms pay cuts since 2010. If this were not the case, then the Government would not be failing to hit recruitment targets.
“The OECD data appears to ignore the high levels of unpaid hours which teachers work and which devalues pay. Working weeks of 55 to 60 hours are typical for teachers in the UK.”
Three years ago today - we got Brexit done.
In the three years since leaving the EU, we’ve made huge strides in harnessing the freedoms unlocked by Brexit to tackle generational challenges.
We've forged a path as an independent nation with confidence by:
Taking back control of our borders — ending freedom of movement and replacing it with a points-based immigration system.
Introducing a Retained EU Law Bill — ending the special status of EU law, and ensuring that all remaining retained EU Law is either repealed or assimilated into UK domestic law by the end of this year.
Striking new trade deals — with over 70 countries around the world.
Making tax laws fairer — removing VAT on essential items like tampons and simplifying EU alcohol duty rates.
In my first 100 days as Prime Minister, we've carried on making the most of Brexit opportunities by cutting red tape for businesses, levelling up through our freeports, and designing our own, fairer farming system to protect the British countryside.
And don't ever forget that Labour and the Lib Dems tried to override the will of the people and keep Britain in the European Union. Sir Keir Starmer voted against Brexit 48 times.
We couldn't have got Brexit done without the generous support of members such as yourself. So thank you, Siu. Yours sincerely,
Rishi Sunak Prime Minister
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日本最近似乎掀起一陣香港飲食的熱潮。除了熱浪薯片及出前一丁相機成功反攻入日本市場之外,日前再有消息指東京將有一家飲茶專門店開幕,集團更打算年內加開至20家分店,逐漸發展至全國規模!
飲茶絕對是香港文化的一大部分,不論男女老少都有喜歡吃的點心。日前日本飲食集團「すかいらーく」(SKYLARK)向傳媒公開將於2月1日在東京都町田市鶴川開張全新「飲茶TERRACE『桃菜』」。
店舖旨在提供道地的飲茶體驗,除了店內以中式裝修之外,他們亦會提供燒賣、小籠包、腸粉、皮蛋粥等約50種點心、甜品、飯麵料理。據報他們大部分產品都是在中央廚房自家生產,其他的都是在店裡即叫即做。店內更會有店員推著餐車賣點心,非常正宗!
「桃菜」亦設計了一些在日本不常見的原創點心,例如蝦餃創作為「芝士蝦餃」,另自創「黑松露餃」,外型也是黑漆漆的。除了單點之外,食客還可以選擇點套餐或吃放題。自選點心套餐可以自由組合1種麵或飯和3至5種點心;售價由1,309円起至1,749円(大約港幣79至105元)。而放題方面分ABC餐,A餐可以限時90分鐘任食24款料理,B餐和C餐則限時120分鐘,分別可以吃到40及52種料理;價錢由2,089円起至2,639円(大約港幣126至159元)。而且若是小學生,放題ABC餐劃一收費1,099円(大約港幣66元),3歲以下小童則免費,對家庭客人很友善。
負責人表示去年3月SKYLARK旗下中華料理餐廳「バーミヤン」曾進行飲茶放題,誰知反應熱烈本來預定1個月的活動,只用了2個星期就售罄,成為這次新店「桃菜」開張的契機。他們計畫2023年內在南關東地區加開至20家店舖,並逐步發展至日本全國。
日本網民似乎對「桃菜」很期待,不少人都表示打算一開店就去試食,「唔知同喺香港食過嘅比較會點呢?」。有網民認為未來飲茶有可能會流行,而且價錢也算合理,相信會吸引不少食客。亦有網民表示很好奇會不會有鳳爪吃,希望他們不會為了迎合日本人而不提供鳳爪。
By Jess Clark
The Guardian 28/1/2023 Some people are paying only £150-£300 a month to rent in London. We explore options that can help you cut housing costs.
The cost of renting a home has soared, prompting tenants to seek out cheaper options that could save some people thousands of pounds a year during the cost of living crisis. Some who have turned to alternatives such as housing cooperatives and homeshares are paying only a fraction of what they used to shell out.
In recent months a string of surveys have shown that typical private rents in the UK have hit record highs. Experts say that severe shortages of rental properties have led to intense competition for what is available, with queues for viewings, desperate renters paying over the odds, and some landlords insisting on a year’s rent in advance.
In December, the London Renters Union said its members had reported average rent increases of almost £3,400 a year (about 20%).
The sharp rises mean tenants who are priced out of the market are looking for other solutions.
Housing cooperatives
Housing cooperatives, which have their roots in the squatting movement of the 1970s, are groups of people who manage and control the housing in which they live, according to the charity Shelter.
Advantages of living in a co-op include lower rents, sense of community and control over how the building is run. In London alone there are said to be more than 300 housing co-ops.
At Sanford, home to about 120 people in New Cross, south-east London, the standard rent for a room and shared use of facilities is about £65 a week including bills, according to the co-op’s website. The monthly cost of less than £300 for a room is considerably less than the amount charged by most private landlords in the area.
While cheaper rent is appealing, cooperative living will not work for everyone. It is usually best suited to single people without children or pets but some organisations do accept families.
In 2011 and 2012 the Guardian featured in-depth articles on a then brand-new housing co-op based in a derelict former children’s care home in Walthamstow, north-east London. The good news is that more than a decade later, the Drive Housing Co-operative (to give it its full name) is thriving, and has big plans for the future.
It is an 11-bedroom “intentional community” that “provides an alternative, sustainable and collective way of living in the city”, and has plans to build another house on the site to accommodate eight more members – taking the total to 18.
The current residents are all renting from the co-op. They each have their own bedroom, plus the run of a large Victorian house with a library, lounge, two kitchens, conservatory and a large garden. The co-op says the Drive “is always open for applications for new members, and interest from friends and investors”.
Some housing co-ops require prospective residents to sign up with their local council’s housing register and then fill rooms from the waiting list but others do accept a percentage of direct applications.
Each co-op has a different application process and criteria, and many have long waiting lists or are currently closed to new members.
Once you have applied there is likely to be an interview process before a new tenant is accepted.
The style of accommodation available also varies, from selfcontained flats to bedrooms with shared kitchens and bathrooms.
Some are targeted at specific groups, such as homeless families, young mothers or refugees.
Meanwhile, a growing number of student housing co-ops are popping up in pricey university cities such as Edinburgh – for more information, check out the website of Student Co-op Homes.
Members are typically expected to engage with the running of the co-op, for example, by attending meetings and helping with repairs. Some organisations also expect residents to eat together a certain number of times each week.
To find out more about co-ops, visit the websites of organisations such as Community Led Homes and Co-operatives London.
Homeshare
Homeshare providers match people seeking cheaper rent – often young professionals or postgraduate students – with an older person in need of help with household chores or some company.
Homeowners provide a bedroom in exchange for companionship and support – for example, with cooking and shopping – and the reassurance of having another person living in the property.
In return for perhaps a few hours of help a week, the sharer gets a discounted rent. Rooms often come with use of their own bathroom, and sometimes a kitchenette.
For example, at the time of writing, one advertised property in north London was available for £180 a month, with an extra £60 a month for bills, which was several hundred pounds cheaper than a double room in a standard houseshare in the same area.
With homeowners potentially able to save money on energy bills and food shopping, homeshare providers are expecting more people to sign up as the cost of living crisis bites this winter.
Sam Brandman, the founder and chief executive of the Londonbased homeshare provider Two Generations, says: “We are by no means the only solution but we are part of the chain between people who are fully independent and want to let out a room as a landlord and people who need full-time care. We sit in the middle.”
Many providers say they need more people to offer their spare rooms. The scheme is relatively unknown, and sharing space with a stranger can be a daunting prospect for some older people.
Brandman says: “Of course we want to provide affordable accommodation – that is part of our social goal – but ultimately the most important thing is making the match between two people who are going to get on and help each other and be of benefit to each other. That means things like shared interests, willingness to give support and a willingness to give back.
“If someone is just looking for a
cheap place to live, then homeshare isn’t for them.”
Amanda Clarke, a director at Share and Care Homeshare, agrees: “There certainly is a commitment and it doesn’t suit everyone.”
She says interest has jumped by about 50% during the cost of living crisis.
Demand has always been strong in London but adverts for homeshares in other areas of the country are now getting hundreds of applications as rents have increased nationwide.
“We’re incredibly busy,” Clarke says. “Every time we place an ad we get literally hundreds of people applying.”
The average age of a homesharer is about 34, according to her firm, but in recent years there has been an increase in people in their 50s and 60s signing up, and Share and Care’s oldest tenant is in their 70s. Clarke says older sharers may have experienced a divorce or their children moving away, and they don’t want to live on their own.
Natalie Pegg, 29, has been living in a homeshare with an 87-year-old woman since January 2022. They live in a south London suburb, and the homeshare was arranged by Share and Care. Pegg helps the homeowner by cooking and helping to clean the house, and spending time with her, for example watching TV in the evenings and going for walks at the weekend.
In exchange, the mental health nurse pays £150 a month in rent, compared with the £700 a month she paid when renting privately in London.
The discounted rent has allowed her to save a 10% deposit for her own home, and she is now considering buying a property in the next six to 12 months.
Natalie says: “It’s not just about the financial aspect – I think you do need to be the right kind of person to do homesharing. I think you need to be the kind of person who is naturally caring and compassionate and wants to help.
“The most valuable thing about the homeshare is that me and the lady I share with have developed a genuine friendship, and whether or not I stay on with the homeshare, I’ll still keep in touch with her because I really enjoy spending time with her.”
Homeshare UK operates a network for providers in the sector, and has details of some on its site.
Rent to buy
Under this scheme, tenants in England can rent a home typically at 20% below the local market rent to help them save for a deposit.
To be eligible you must have a job, be a first-time buyer and be able to pay rent and save for a deposit at the same time.
You may also be eligible if you are returning to home ownership after a relationship breakdown.
To access the cheaper rent, you apply to rent a property that is in the scheme. They are advertised on different websites for properties in the north of England, the south – excluding London – and the Midlands.
The initial tenancy agreement will be for up to two years but it may be possible to extend it if you need more time to save for your deposit.
Tenants can buy their home as soon as they have saved up enough for the deposit and can get a mortgage.
The Guardian has previously featured the “affordable rent-tobuy” provider Rentplus.
In the capital the scheme is slightly different and is called London Living Rent. Rent to buy is not available in Scotland, and different schemes operate in Wales and Northern Ireland.
London Living Rent
London Living Rent is the capital’s version of rent to buy.
To be eligible for a home in the scheme, applicants must live or work in London, currently live in private rented accommodation (or have some other kind of formal tenancy) or with friends and family, have a maximum household income of £60,000 and not own any other residential home.
They must also be currently unable to buy a home in the area where they live, including through shared ownership.
The amount of rent you pay will vary according to where you live in the capital – the average for a twobed home is about £1,077 a month.
The discounted rents mean these properties are in high demand and are often snapped up quickly.
Tenancies are usually offered for a minimum of three years, and residents are encouraged to buy their home within 10 years.
At the time of writing, homes being advertised included newbuild apartments in Walthamstow, north-east London, with prices starting at £1,010 a month for a studio, rising to £1,262 for a twobedroom flat. In comparison, there were two-beds in the area listed on Rightmove for about £1,650 a month, with studios listed for about £1,200.
To find out more, check out the relevant section on the Greater London Authority website.
Property guardianships
Property guardianship firms let out disused buildings on behalf of owners at discounted rates.
The buildings are often traditionally nonresidential properties such as former schools, offices and care homes but can also include houses and blocks of flats.
Property guardian firms charge less than market rent for people to live in the buildings, and in turn the guardians prevent the buildings falling into disrepair.
The schemes are for profit, and licensees – property guardian company jargon for tenants – have fewer rights.
In September last year, the Guardian told how property guardian companies had been accused of ramping up costs, with one firm reportedly increasing some fees by more than 100%.
While the licence fees that people pay have risen and the sector has received criticism for its treatment of residents, it is still cheaper than renting on the open market, and could be an option for those hoping to save money.
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Elliott Economics editor
The Guardian 28/1/2023
Estate agents normally radiate optimism, but they will be watching anxiously on Thursday when the Bank of England is expected to deliver the latest blow to a rapidly weakening property market. Crunch time has arrived for a sector that has for years appeared to defy gravity. Threadneedle Street’s monetary policy committee (MPC) is poised to raise official borrowing costs for a 10th meeting in a row, with mortgage approvals already running 30% below their pre-pandemic levels and house prices down by 4.3% from last August’s peak, according to the Halifax bank.
Further falls are inevitable as borrowers adjust to an era of persistently higher interest rates. The City is braced for a halfpercentage point rise to 4% and for the rate to remain at least as high until the Bank is sure inflation is on course to hit its 2% target.
Analysts are agreed that 2023 will see further falls in house prices, with one predicting a peak-totrough fall of more than 25% once inflation is taken into account.
There are structural reasons why house prices tend to go up in the UK – tough planning laws, a tax system that rewards home ownership, a sharp fall in the number of new homes being built since the 1950s and 1960s – but occasionally there are breaks in the trend. This year is set to be one of those break periods. A long boom driven by record-low interest rates has run its course.
The party was always going to end sooner or later as, even with
rock-bottom interest rates, finding a deposit for a home and meeting mortgage payments became more and more of a struggle. Figures from the Halifax this week showed a first-time buyer was paying just over £300,000 to get a foot on the property ladder and needed a deposit of £62,000. More than 60% of mortgage completions were in joint names last year.
But two other factors have contributed to the rapid cooling in demand: the steady increase in official interest rates since late 2021 and the impact of Liz Truss’s brief premiership, which involved mortgage rates rising to almost 6%.
Andrew Wishart, a property economist at the consultancy Capital Economics, said average quoted mortgage rates had climbed from 1.4% at the end of 2021 to a peak of 5.7% last November. While the effects of Kwasi Kwarteng’s budget had worn off slightly, mortgage rates were still likely to be above 4.5% by the end of the year.
“While the current level of house prices was affordable when interest rates were 2%, that’s not the case with mortgage rates at 5%, 4% or even 3%,” Wishart said. “Higher mortgage rates mean buyers will be less able and willing to borrow, reducing their budgets and putting downward pressure on house prices. To return affordability to a sustainable level by yearend would imply a drop in the price-toearnings ratio from almost eight times income now to below six, consistent with a drop in prices of about 20%.”
George Buckley, the chief UK economist at Nomura, said house prices would need to fall because rising interest rates had made it more expensive to service home loans. The extent of the fall would depend on how quickly this adjustment happened. According to Nomura, to return the mortgage repayments-to-income ratio to its long-term average by the end of this year would require a drop of
20% in prices. If the adjustment took place more slowly between now and the end of 2027 the decline would be just under 10%. Nomura’s central forecast is for prices to fall by 15% by mid-2024.
Kallum Pickering, a senior UK economist at Berenberg bank, said the scale of the correction in house prices mattered because the wider UK economy was sensitive to large swings – either upwards or downwards. Judging by the latest bulletin from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), he said, the imminent downturn was likely to be on a par with the early 1990s – when interest rates peaked at 15% – and the global financial crisis, when the banking system teetered on the brink of collapse.
“In contrast to the recent string of surprisingly positive data for the economy as a whole, the December RICS housing market survey makes for grim reading,” Pickering said.
The headline house price balance – the gap between RICS members saying prices were going up against those saying they were going down – stood at -42.0% in December compared with -25.7% in November, the lowest monthly balance since October 2010 and the third-largest annual drop going back to 1978.
“Although a housing market downturn was widely expected by economists, including us, the monthly drop in the December survey far exceeds our and consensus’ expectation,” he added.
In the early 1990s, a doubling of unemployment prolonged and deepened the house-price crash as people who lost their jobs had to sell their homes in a falling market. While the low level of unemployment currently makes a repeat of the record repossessions unlikely, Wishart said there would still be a sizeable fall in prices.
“Overall, even in the absence of forced sales we think that higher mortgage rates will lead to a severe repricing in the housing market this year. The nominal peak-to-trough house price fall of 12% we expect is shy of the falls of almost 20% seen in 2007-09 and 1989-92, and only takes house prices back to their March 2021 level. But note that in real terms it amounts to a 27% drop, on a par with those episodes.”
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Grierson Gwyn Topham
The Guardian 28/1/2023
The chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, has moved to quash speculation that HS2 trains will not run to central London, saying he did not see “any conceivable circumstances” in which the planned Euston terminus would not go ahead.
It had been reported that the high-speed rail line could instead terminate permanently in the western suburbs of the capital, stopping short of central London, to save money.
Asked if ministers were committed to HS2 going all the way to Euston, Hunt told BBC News: “Yes we are. And I don’t see any conceivable circumstances in which that would not end up at Euston.”
Hunt said he had “prioritised HS2 in the autumn statement,” adding: “We have not got a good record in this country of delivering complex, expensive infrastructure quickly but I’m incredibly proud that, for the first time in this last decade, under a Conservative government, we have shovels in the ground building HS2 and we’re going to make it happen.”
His words were later echoed by Downing Street’s official spokesperson. No 10 also played down fears of delay, saying that the planned phases of construction “remain the expected delivery dates”.
HS2 officials were reportedly considering scaling back the multibillion-pound project by delaying to 2038 – or scrapping completely – the Euston terminus, the Sun reported.
HS2 had already planned to initially run services from a new hub under construction at Old Oak Common, five miles away in the suburbs of west London, when the line opens in about 2030, after proposals in the 2019 Oakervee review. The Sun claimed, however, that the government was considering leaving it as the permanent terminus, with passengers having to finish journeys into central London on the Elizabeth line instead.
Tunnelling has started west of Old Oak Common but work to cut through to Euston is not yet under way. However, large numbers of homes around Euston have already been demolished during years of works around the station for HS2.
The government did not earlier specifically deny the reports. A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “The government remains committed to delivering HS2 to Manchester, as confirmed in the autumn statement. As well as supporting tens of thousands of jobs, the project will connect regions across the UK, improve capacity on our railways and provide a greener option of travel.”
The project has been dogged by criticism over its financial and environmental impact. Last October, Michael Gove, the levelling up secretary, suggested investment for HS2 would be reviewed – but Hunt subsequently backed the project.
The target cost of phase one between London and Birmingham was £40.3bn at 2019 prices. A budget of £55.7bn for the whole of HS2 was set in 2015.
Penny Gaines of the campaign group Stop HS2 said it was “not at all surprising” costs were rising. “These reports just show that there are so many problems with HS2,” she said. “It should be cancelled in its entirety as soon as possible.”
Tony Berkeley, who in 2019 was deputy chairman of the Oakervee review into HS2, argued yesterday that the entire project should be scrapped.
The Labour peer told the PA news agency: “The alternative in the news this morning is using Old Oak Common as a terminal station, which would work for half the number of trains that they want with a bit of redesign but it wouldn’t do the lot. There’s not enough space for it so they couldn’t do it except maybe a shuttle service from Birmingham.
“What’s the point of building HS2 just to get to Birmingham? I think the whole thing should be cancelled.”
He claimed investment in the project would be “much better spent on improving the railway lines in the north, east and west, than going to London a bit quicker”.
Henri Murison, the chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: “The problem with whittling down major infrastructure projects … is that the new, cheaper versions do not deliver the productivity transformation we were promised and, ironically, are less good value.”
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Davies
The Guardian 28/1/2023
The BBC chair, Richard Sharp, more than 20 Conservative donors, a string of billionaire businessmen and the Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton are among those who have declared they own UK property through offshore jurisdictions, a Guardian investigation has found.
The declarations are made on the government’s new register of overseas entities, brought in to increase transparency and help the tax authorities by showing the ultimate owners of British property held offshore.
The register shines a light on how wealthy business people, Gulf royals and states such as China have legally bought up billions of pounds of mostly London property via jurisdictions such as the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and the Channel Islands.
Sharp, who is under pressure over a loan secured by Boris Johnson, is the beneficial owner of a £4m flat in London via a Jersey-based trust.
A spokesperson for Sharp said: “Mr Sharp … has always been meticulous about always paying the full amount of tax here. The flat in question is Richard’s elderly mother’s home.
“Like many parents he has been thinking about how to provide for his children on his death. This arrangement isn’t about a personal tax benefit to him as he pays more UK tax under this arrangement, but about him planning for provision for his children.”
Hamilton owns a £16.5m property in Kensington via the BVI.
His spokesperson
The Chinese government owns a vast network of UK property via offshore jurisdictions such as Luxembourg and the Isle of Man, the Guardian can reveal, raising questions about Beijing’s grip on links in the UK supply chain.
Disclosures made as part of a new government register of property owned via offshore entities show that China’s investment division owns more than 250 properties across Britain via dozens of companies. They include distribution centres that are key to the flow of food and goods in multiple regions of the UK.
The properties are all ultimately owned via the China Investment Corporation (CIC), which manages the foreign exchange reserves of the People’s Republic of China and is estimated to have more than £970bn of assets.
Land Registry records suggest that CIC has spent at least £580m on UK properties, although the true figure is likely to be significantly higher as some records are incomplete. While CIC was known to be an investor in UK property, the scale and detail of its purchases has remained hidden until now owing to the use of a vast array of offshore companies.
The register, which brought the details to light, indicates that CIC has focused on distribution depots, retail parks and trading estates, including some that are critical to regional infrastructure.
Chinese investment in the UK has been a source of concern and division within the government. In 2020, the government ordered that the telecoms company Huawei be removed from Britain’s 5G mobile phone infrastructure before 2027, a decision that Beijing described as “groundless”.
The government also went cold on plans for China General Nuclear to be involved in the building of the Sizewell C nuclear power plant, buying CGN out of its stake.
The former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith said it was concerning that so much of the investment was “disguised” via offshore companies. He drew comparisons with the attempted takeover of the UK tech company Newport Wafer Fab, which initially appeared to be the target of a Dutch company before its ultimate Chinese ownership was revealed. The government eventually blocked the deal on security grounds.
Duncan Smith, who chairs the international Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, said: “This makes the case that we now need to have a strategic audit of the total amount of Chinese finance inside UK key areas.”
CIC and the Chinese embassy did not return requests for comment.
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Joseph Smith, Ben Quinn, Pamela Duncan, Carmen Aguilar García, Zeke Hunter-Green, Sabina Bejasa-Dimmock
The Guardian 28/1/2023
said he gained no tax benefits from the arrangement.
Yoko Ono is confirmed as the owner of her late husband John Lennon’s first home in Wavertree, Liverpool, via a company incorporated in the US state of Delaware.
As of noon yesterday Companies House had registered 17,754 overseas entities, with thousands more expected before the 31 January deadline. With 55% of overseas owners declared to date, the register shows that the royal families of Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar own about £1bn of UK property via tax havens.
It shows that the Chinese Investment Corporation, an arm of the Chinese government, owns at least £580m of property through offshore entities, including distribution centres vital for UK goods, such as food. Chinese investment in Britain has been a source of division within the government, with some MPs raising security concerns about the role of Chinese firms in strategic assets.
Conservative donors on the register include two peers: Irvine Laidlaw, who donated about £3.2m when the party was in opposition, and Stanley Fink, a former party treasurer, who has given about £3.7m over 20 years. Fink owns part of the St Pancras Renaissance hotel building through a Guernsey-based vehicle. He said: “To the best of my knowledge and belief I have gained no tax benefits from this structure whatsoever.” He said the deal had been structured like that when he was given the opportunity to invest.
Laidlaw, who is retired from the Lords, has a portfolio of offices and residential homes held through at least nine Isle of Man-based companies. Laidlaw has not responded to a request for comment.
Other Tory donors with UK property held offshore are the billionaire Reuben brothers, property developers with 106 vehicles spanning the BVI to Guernsey. A spokesperson for Reuben Brothers said: “All the entities are liable to UK taxes, and any taxes due have been paid.”
Wafic Saïd, the billionaire businessman and philanthropist credited with helping Saudi Arabia buy British weapons in 1985 in the huge Al-Yamamah deal, is listed as one of the ultimate owners of a Bermuda company that holds a commercial property in the City of London.
Saïd said: “My family hold some UK investments through overseas companies. I am assured that is perfectly legal. In any case, I am not resident in the UK and I am not a beneficiary of the trust.”
The Guardian believes there is a public interest in reporting business interests and property ownership structures of wealthy, politically connected and influential people.
Some individuals may have genuine privacy or security concerns or business reasons for using property in offshore trusts.
Experts say it can be done to minimise tax liability. Robert Palmer, executive director of the campaign group Tax Justice UK, said the government had closed down quite a lot of tax advantages “but there are still ways you can pay less tax by owning property via offshore companies”.
Politicians have taken action to make the practice more expensive, imposing stamp duty of 15% and an annual charge of £3,800 to £244,750 for the most expensive properties.
The ultimate owners of hundreds of entries are not public but are available to HMRC. Those on the register have complied with legal obligations declaring their ownership.
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Published Wed, Jan 25 202310:09 AM ESTUpdated Wed, Jan 25 2023At 10:37 EST
andreonegin | Envato Elements I’ve always been an introvert. When I got my first job after earning my PhD in neuroscience, I was concerned that I’d have a tough time communicating with others.
But I quickly learned that I didn’t need to force myself to be extroverted. The most underrated skill that successful people, especially introverts, have is the ability to write clearly.
It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in. If you are a thoughtful and strategic writer, you’ll be more confident in your interactions — in emails, public speaking or even just small talk.
Here’s my best advice:
Before you communicate an idea or request, decide on the best format to deliver your information.
For example, if you are sharing research involving complex data, then a PowerPoint displaying charts and images may be the best format.
If you are announcing management decisions, send a detailed email. Bullet points are a great way to get readers to focus on and digest information. You can also use the “STAR” method: situation, task, action and result.
For discussions like progress updates or collecting feedback, a short email or in-person visit is generally sufficient.
Plain and simple language is the most effective way to articulate complex topics. Avoid jargon or industry acronyms, no matter how universal you think they are.
Consider using graphics or analogies to drive your point home. One of the best examples I’ve ever seen of this was when an executive designed his annual financial strategy presentation to mimic a children’s book.
But don’t include extraneous details that can go off topic or overwhelm the audience. If it’s not necessary for the conversation, move it to the bottom of your note.
Your recipients are bombarded with emails and documents all day. So before you send anything:
Remind them why you are reaching out (e.g. “regarding yesterday’s meeting...”). Format the email so it’s easy to read on phone screens (e.g., short, bulleted sentences). Call out action items (e.g., “the next steps are...,” “the deadline is...”). If your message exceeds one page, create a separate document to attach and use the email to provide highlights. Don’t assume that the audience has the same amount of context that you have. Provide baseline information to bring everyone to the same starting line.
If you are dealing with a potentially controversial topic (e.g., allocating a budget or restructuring a company department), walk readers through your thought process.
This approach builds confidence and shows people that you are thorough, can weave together a number of nuanced perspectives, and can provide key context when it comes to big decisions.
Invite feedback, and make note of any concerns.
Finally, you want to make sure you project a strong and capable presence in all aspects of your job.
Before you send anything:
Don’t be sloppy. Check for typos, grammar and consistency in numbers. Avoid unnecessary jokes and humor. They don’t translate well in writing, especially with people who don’t know you. Challenge yourself to remove as many words, sentences and even whole ideas as possible. Then ask: Does my thesis still stand? Essentially, you should treat words like the valuable currency they are.
Juliette Han is a neuroscientist, biotech executive, faculty member at Columbia Business School, and academic advisor at Harvard Medical School. She holds a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard University, as well as an MS in physiological sciences and BS in neuroscience and physiological science, both from UCLA. Follow Juliette on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and LinkedIn.