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Albany HR, the Edinburgh based human resources consultancy, has been accredited as a Certified B Corporation (B Corp), joining just over 100 companies in Scotland.<\/p>\n
Director Kathleen McAdams, who set up Albany HR eight years ago, said: \u201cAchieving B Corp status is the culmination of years of work and a clear signal of our purpose driven approach.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the best and most meaningful early Christmas present for me and the entire team. It validates our founding principle, that organisations become great through their people. Now, it\u2019s not just our mission, it\u2019s our legally binding commitment.\u201d<\/p>\n
To secure the status, the firm provided evidence of impact across five key areas: Governance, Workers, Community, Environment, and Customers.<\/p>\n
The accreditation process was a collaborative effort led by the firm\u2019s two newest senior consultants, Monique Equi and Susan Friel.<\/p>\n
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Hand tech firm raises funds<\/strong><\/p>\n Wearables technology firm\u00a0StretchSense, which specialises in high-tech data capture gloves, has secured $2.3 million (\u00a31.75m) in a round led by PXN Ventures and supported by Scottish Enterprise.<\/p>\n The Edinburgh-based company aims to drive the global expansion of its extended reality (XR) training glove that enables organisations to immerse staff in simulated environments.\u00a0 <\/p>\n To date, StretchSense has raised almost $20 million through three external rounds.\u00a0<\/p>\n Warning from entertainment venues<\/strong><\/p>\n Britain\u2019s nightclubs, live music venues, and late-night entertainment spaces are warning that 2026 will bring\u00a0unsustainable operating costs, with nearly\u00a0half of venues expecting business rates to rise by 50% or more, according to a flash poll of\u00a0345 nightlife business operators.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not talking about growth, we\u2019re talking about survival,\u201d\u00a0said one nightclub operator.\u00a0\u201cStaff livelihoods, community spaces, and nights out are all at stake if costs keep rising.\u201d<\/p>\n Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), said: \u201cThe night-time economy is managing significant cost pressures. <\/p>\n \u201cTransitional relief will help, but it is temporary. The recent revaluation has pushed many city nightclubs into higher multipliers, even as wage, national insurance, alcohol duty, and other tax costs have risen. Without targeted support, venues will face difficult decisions around staffing, pricing, and opening hours.\u201d<\/p>\n \t <\/div>\n
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