In our weekly good news round-up, we feature three positive stories from across the week that showcase remarkable innovation, breakthroughs, and progress within the realms of healthcare, sustainability, equity and inclusion, workplace wellbeing, social impact and more.

Here are our favourite positive stories of the week, 14 to 20 October, 2024.

Tesco strikes deal for solar energy to fuel over a hundred large stores

Tesco has secured a landmark agreement to purchase enough solar energy to power 144 of its larger supermarkets, acquiring nearly two-thirds of the electricity generated by the Cleve Hill solar park when it goes online in early 2025.

The £450 million solar facility is being developed on agricultural land near Faversham in Kent by London-based investment firm Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, and is expected to have a total capacity of 373 megawatts.

Over the next 15 years, the site will supply Tesco with up to 10 percent of its electricity needs in the UK. Ken Murphy, Tesco’s chief executive, described the agreement as a “major milestone” in the company’s efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035. 

It is the UK’s largest corporate power purchase deal for a solar farm.

RELATED: Explore our programme, Power Shift: The Renewable Energy Revolution

 

New certification launches to bolster menopause support among healthcare professionals

Marking progress in the realm of menopause support, for World Menopause Day, The British Menopause Society (BMS) is launching the Management of the Menopause Certificate, an innovative e-learning platform designed to enhance access to gold-standard menopause education.

This new qualification aims to equip healthcare professionals (HCPs) with a special interest in menopause care, supporting the BMS’s goals for improving menopause management across the UK. Key objectives include building a well-educated HCP workforce and ensuring that every primary care team has at least one designated HCP focused on menopause.

The ‘BMS Management of the Menopause Certificate’ aims to empower healthcare professionals with the confidence to effectively manage 95 percent of patients, with the remaining 5 percent reserved for complex cases that require specialist menopause care. 

Since opening registration, over one thousand learners have registered for this education. Find out more details on the BMS website.

RELATED: Menopause: Misinformation and Management

 

Construction SMEs see largest surge in new business in over two years

The results of a recent survey conducted by NatWest show that small and medium-sized construction companies in the UK have experienced the largest surge in new business in two and a half years. Industry leaders attribute this positive trend to rising demand for residential projects, reduced borrowing costs, and an overall boost in business confidence following the recent general election.

In response to the increased demand, many construction firms have expanded their workforce, hiring additional staff to meet the growing needs of their order books.

The findings come from the NatWest SME Growth Tracker, which evaluates business performance and sentiment among UK companies with fewer than 250 employees, and is based on insights from 850 businesses across Britain.

Although the survey revealed a mixed picture for other sectors, service business owners are also maintaining a positive outlook on their long-term prospects and are actively hiring new staff to support their growth plans.  

Explore our upcoming programme: Urban Evolution: Our Future Cities – COMING SOON