NEWS IN BRIEF

Start Up Loans, part of the British Business Bank, has appointed SWIG Finance as its new regional business support partner (BSPs) for the scheme. The new appointment will work with the Start Up Loans programme to deliver funding and support for small businesses in the south west over the next two years.

Bodmin-based Harbour Brewing Co has developed a 4% IPA to be sold exclusively through Lidl supermarkets across the UK. Big on Sesh is part of a new line of six craft cans and is available now priced £1.79.

Cornish jewellery business Ethica Diamonds has been given top position in the Jewellery Ethical Ratings, recently published by The Good Shopping Guide. The guide gave scores out of 100, based on an assessment of companies’ practices towards the environment, animals and people. Ethica, along with London jewellery store Ingle & Rhode, came out on top with a maximum 100.

Cornish clothing brand Seasalt has launched a resale platform with Reskinned, the sustainable ‘pre-loved’ clothing repair and resale specialist. The resale platform allows customers to buy pre-loved and repaired Seasalt clothing that has been taken back from customers to be ‘rehomed’, avoiding them being sent to landfill.

Networking organisation, Your Partnerships, has received a £31k boost via SWIG Finance to support business growth. The funding, backed by the British Business Bank’s Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS), will be invested in new technology and three new jobs.

Young & Talented Cornwall, The Lord Lieutenant’s Fund has been awarded £15,170 through the Arts Council National Lottery Project Grants for its new Creative Writing Award.

Following its recent acquisition of Barefoot Media, Newquay-based B-Corp PR and marketing agency, Voice Communications, has moved to new larger offices in Nansledan. Founder Nichola Cain said: “We are thrilled that we have moved our Cornwall office to the wonderful Nansledan, an area of Newquay that I have always loved, and I’m delighted that Voice’s growth has made this possible.”

Scorrier-based heating oil supplier Mitchell and Webber has taken the first lifting of USA-imported hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) at the Valero terminal in Cardiff.

It follows a decision by the then Department of International Trade in November to lift import tariffs on US HVO, previously imposed when the UK was a member of the European Union, recognising that HVO could be used in a number of different decarbonisation pathways, including home heating.

The UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association (UKIFDA) and OFTEC, representing the liquid fuel industry, proposed an innovative approach that will deliver decarbonisation to UK off gas grid homes and businesses quicker and cheaper compared to the Government’s announced proposals to stop new heating oil boiler sales by 2026 with a heat pump first approach.

The industry has demonstrated that HVO can be used as a direct replacement for heating oil, reducing carbon emissions by up to 88%. The heating boiler conversion process takes about an hour and costs less than £500.

Cornwall has been leading the way in the push for HVO, with Mitchell and Webber running a successful trial in Kehelland.

MD Robert Weedon said: “This first batch of Valero’s HVO will be going to businesses in Cornwall. This initiative sits alongside our HVO village, Kehelland, where we have schools, churches and residential homes