EDITION 1046
18 NOVEMBER 2024

On this day in 1923, Walt Disney released Steamboat Willie, the first animated film with sound to feature Mickey Mouse; the huge success of the cartoon helped make Mickey an iconic character and led to the Disney Company's dominance in the animated market.

So, as another week passes into the annals of history, here are 10 things which caught my attention and may have escaped yours. Please feel free to share on social media and forward to your colleagues and friends so they can also subscribe, learn and engage. I would be very grateful if you did.

Just before you dive in, remember our POTENTIAL workbook [see below] is on offer for only £99. This unique workbook will help guide your organisation to its highest potential. Contact us today to start your transformation.

William Montgomery
Editor and CEO of TEN

1. How to maintain your mentoring relationship. Maintaining a strong mentoring relationship requires effort, communication, and mutual respect. By nurturing trust, accountability, and open communication, you can ensure a mentoring relationship remains productive and rewarding for both parties. READ MORE

2. UK economy stalls showing challenge for growth. The UK economy barely grew between July and September, with uncertainty about the Budget being blamed for the weak growth. The economy slowed over the three-month period, growing by just 0.1%, and shrank during September itself. Labour made boosting economic growth its top priority when it came into power, but many businesses have criticised tax rises in the Budget which they say will lead to higher prices and fewer new jobs and some have hinted they will increase prices because of the changes. The latest growth figure was weaker than expected and was a sharp slowdown from the 0.5% growth seen in the April to June period. BBC

3. Hospitality outcry over budget. Leaders in the hospitality industry have written an open letter to the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, warning her that increases to employers' national insurance contributions (NICs) will force business closures and job cuts. More than 200 bosses have signed the letter, which comes from UKHospitality. The trade body has warned that its members may have to raise prices by 8% to cover the increases to employer NIC rates. Industry leaders are calling on the chancellor to create a new threshold band for when employers start paying NICs. This new band would include those earning £5,000 to £9,000 a year and would have a lower rate of 5%. The letter's signatories say this would "protect businesses who employ lower earners". Financial Times

4. UK national well-being dashboard updated. The Office for National Statistics [ONS] has updated 39 of the 59 measures of national well-being. Among the measures being updated which saw changes were: Approximately 1 in 20 (5.4%) UK adults reported low satisfaction with their lives in April to June 2024, up from 4.5% saying this in April to June 2019. The percentage of UK adults reporting feeling high anxiety has increased to nearly one in four (23.4%) in April to June 2024, compared to 21.2% in April to June 2019. Females continue to be more likely to report high anxiety: 26.8% reporting this in this latest period, compared with 19.0% of males. Around 3 in 10 (27.6%) adults in Great Britain now tend to trust the UK government, compared with 22.8% in August to September 2023. ONS

5. NHS to roll out stop-smoking pill. A cheap new pill that helps people quit smoking will be given to tens of thousands of adults in England as a part of a major government drive to prevent ill health. The pill, varenicline, costs about £25 for 28 tablets and is seen as a vital new tool in efforts to completely phase out smoking in the UK. It will be introduced to all NHS GP surgeries in England as an option for anyone who wants to quit smoking, with more than 85,000 people a year expected to benefit. According to analysis by University College London, the use of varenicline on the NHS over the coming five years could prevent 9,500 smoking-related deaths, including those from cancer. The Times

6. Would you see value in having a part-time driver? Time is often considered the most precious resource. Unlike money or material possessions, time is finite and irreplaceable. Once a moment passes, it cannot be regained or recreated. It serves as the foundation for everything we do whether it’s pursuing goals, building relationships, or simply enjoying life. This perspective has inspired philosophies, productivity strategies, and even the way people prioritise their lives. By managing time wisely, we maximise its value, ensuring it aligns with what truly matters to us. To this end, imagine having a professional driver handle your car when needed - whether for errands, commuting, or special occasions. It’s convenience and luxury combined, but would it suit your lifestyle? Would you see value in having a driver for your car on a part-time basis? Please share your thoughts in our latest poll. VOTE HERE

7. Ugly buildings make people miserable. A report by The Centre for Social Justice suggested Britain’s ugly buildings make people lonely and miserable. The independent think tank argued that poor infrastructure made it harder for residents to sustain friendships. Two-fifths of people did not agree that buildings were designed to encourage community spirit, according to a poll of more than 2,000 UK adults by Whitestone Insight that was weighted to be representative. The government has announced a £5 billion package to construct 1.5 million new homes. The Times

8. Married people are happier. People who are married, or cohabiting with a partner, are less likely to be depressed than those who live alone, a major new study has found. Researchers analysed data on the marital status and mental health of 106,556 people in the UK, Ireland, US, China, Indonesia, South Korea and Mexico. About 21,000 of them reported having symptoms of depression – and these symptoms were 86% more common in those who were single, widowed or divorced than in those who were married or cohabiting, according to a report in the journal Nature Human Behaviour. The Guardian

9. One in ten children obese. Almost one in ten children in England will be obese by the time they start primary school, new data from the National Child Measurement Programme shows. In 2023/24, 9.6% of four- and five-year-olds were obese. That is up from 9.2% in 2022/23 but a bit down on 2019/20, when the figure was 9.9% – and well below 2021/22, when the figure spiked at over 14%, following successive Covid lockdowns. Among children in Year 6, the last year of primary school, 22.1% were obese in 2023/24, down from 22.7% in 2022/23, but up on 2019/20, when the proportion was 21%. The Telegraph

10. The bottom line. A record 2.8 million people are off work through long-term illness, with the cost of sickness benefits rising from £40 billion before the pandemic to £65 billion last year. The figure is projected to top £100 billion by the end of the parliament. The Times