MEMBER ZONE


COMMUNITY CAR SCHEMES MERGE


Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire, which runs the Northampton Volunteer Car Scheme, is taking over the Northampton Door to Door Service (NDDS). Both the Volunteer Car


Natasha Caton and Sammuel Yisrael


ECO-FRIENDLY COMPANY SUSTAINS ITS SUCCESS


A community interest company which runs an eco- sustainable permaculture farm with an education and rejuvenation centre in Northamptonshire has been honoured at the Rural Business Awards. Sol Haven provides individuals with a


safe working environment where they can learn, grow and blossom to their full potential. It won The Triumph Over Adversity


‘WE HELP PEOPLE TO GROW,


Award and was runner-up in the Best Rural Social Enterprise, Charity or Community Project category in the Midlands heat of the awards and will go through to the national finals in 2020. Director Sammuel Yisrael said: “The awards


EVOLVE AND BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES’


celebrate social projects that are dedicated to shaping the rural community and impacting the rural way of life in a positive way. “Our aim is to connect homeless and vulnerable


adults together with Mother Earth, providing a world of nourishment and rejuvenation through improving


people’s mental and physical wellbeing. We provide training in rural skills, growing, cooking and budgeting to help people to grow, evolve and believe in themselves. “We want to create sustainable rural care farms across the UK that showcase rural arts and crafts while providing a sustainable local source of food. “We also contribute to the rural


way of life by supporting other rural companies and have been helping to promote other local food producers, many of whom are based in rural locations. By actively partaking in the food network we’re helping promote a more sustainable rural economy.”


Sol Haven also has a large yurt which can be hired


by businesses, an earth dome, a polytunnel and growing areas and provides retreats, pop-up restaurants and masterclasses.


Visit: www.solhaven.co.uk


Scheme and NDDS have provided helpful, supportive community transport to elderly and disabled people living in the borough of Northampton for over 25 years. Between them they have over 1,500 members and undertake nearly 40,000 journeys per year. The merger will offer a more complete package of supportive transport for Northampton, reaching more people in the community. Voluntary Impact


Northamptonshire chair Chris Pallot said: “It was important to us to support NDDS as their remit fits perfectly with that of our Volunteer Car Scheme. Both are vital community projects that improve the quality of life of elderly and disabled people in Northampton.” Voluntary Impact is


passionate about the need for affordable, supportive transport provisions for those in the community, who do not drive and struggle using conventional buses. Not only is this type of transport essential for many to get to important medically related appointments, it is also a lifeline for shopping, social interaction and wellbeing to help prevent social isolation and keep our community active, independent and involved.


Visit: www.voluntaryimpact.org.uk


AN EASIER WAY TO PAY AND GET PAID


Viva Wallet is a European Fintech disruptor on a mission to change how businesses pay and get paid. Viva Wallet is the first fully cloud-based digital


payments factory in Europe, entirely based on Microsoft Azure and through a proprietary, game- changing technology, helps millions of users daily to run their businesses better, faster and cheaper, whether online, via mobile, in person, or through a physical network of agents. Its goal is to add value at every stage of the payments process. UK business development director Vasilis Larentzakis


said: “More than 70,000 customers have trusted Viva Wallet as their payment solution provider, achieving substantial cost reductions of 30% and, in most cases, improving cash inflows and providing real time access to payment transactions, through an


innovative management tool. As of the beginning of November, Viva Wallet will provide instant settlement to all its customers in Europe, which allows businesses to access their money immediately after they receive payment.” Viva Wallet has offices and operates in 16 countries


across Europe, including Greece, the UK, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Poland, Czechia, Romania, Austria, Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal, Denmark and Sweden. This allows businesses that operate in these countries to consolidate the different payment providers they use in each country under one provider, achieving significant cost reductions and better central management of their payment solutions.


Visit: www.vivawallet.com DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020 inbusiness 37


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