News

• HS2 THE BATTLE BEGINS
• Gurteen Knowledge-Letter
  
  Gurteen Knowledge-Letter: Issue 139 - January 2012 Contents 1 Introduction to the January 2012 Knowledge Letter 2 Is Knowledge Management Losing Sight of the Bigger Picture? 3 Challenging Minds with Knowledge Cafes at the ING Bank Academy 4 Knowledge Menu a la Carte in Turin 5 Henley KM Forum Conference and Positive Deviance 6 Announcing a Virtual Knowledge Cafe on Social Artistry 7 Visionary knowledge management: Trends and Strategies 8 The role of Creative Commons Licences in a KM environment 9 Gurteen Knowledge Tweets: January 2012 10 Upcoming Knowledge Events: January 2012 11 Subscribing and Unsubscribing 12 The Gurteen Knowledge Letter
• Government u-turn - incentives double for solar panels
  
  In a swift u-turn the government has doubled financial incentives for installing solar panels following a successful court case by Friends of the Earth. Energy experts are advising to install panels now, as there will never be a better time. The government slashed the financial incentives they offer for solar power installations in December last year. However, following a successful court action against them by Friends of the Earth, they have restored the rate to its original level for just two months. Peter Bladen, managing director of solar panel installer BSOLAR said: “My advice is to install solar panels now, there will never be a better opportunity. The government has more than doubled the financial incentives if you install before the third of March. This is an opportunity not to be missed.” Friends of the Earth took the government to court over incentives for installing solar panels in December, after the government slashed the “Feed in tariffs” they offer by half. "Feed-in tariffs" were introduced to motivate people to invest in solar panels by paying people for the electricity they generate. Before December the government was offering 43p per kilowatt-hour but the tariff was reduced to 21p. The decision however was done without adequate consultation with the industry and Friends of the Earth successfully challenged the government in the High Court. As a result the government has started a new consultation period and restored the rate to 43.3p per Kwh, for any panels installed before the 3 March this year. After this the rate will drop back to 21p. Peter said: “Install before March and you are looking at an investment which could give a 20% return year on year. This is guaranteed for 25 years. An average system costs around £8,500 to install and will generate up to £1,750 a year in income, paying for itself in around six to eight years and providing profit after that. Simply put these panels are one of the best investments you can make and I’d urge homeowners to act now before the third of March deadline.”
• Oxford event proves companies will grow 10x in a year
  
  Pitching for Management solves building management teams in AMAZON ADVERT entrepreneurial businesses 6 companies to compete for top talent on 28th February at Grant Thornton, Oxford 5-9pm On Tuesday 28th February six of the region’s most exciting young entrepreneurs will pitch to an audience of senior executives, value added business angels and serial entrepreneurs to find talented people who can help them grow their businesses. Natalia Ruiz-Moreno, Business Development Manager at Grant Thornton, which is hosting Pitching for Management in Oxford throughout 2012, said: “We are passionate about supporting our local entrepreneurs and want to help them grow quickly. It is much easier for an SME to do business if it has a top quality team that can deal with growth challenges. We have a very successful pilot of Pitching for Management before Christmas and saw for ourselves how it solves the problem of finding people with the right experience and attitude, in an effective, efficient way.”
• CENTRAL LONDON FABIAN SOCIETY
  
  CENTRAL LONDON FABIAN SOCIETY, 2012 Wednesday 15 February, 7.30 pm Seema Malhotra MP, winner of the Feltham & Heston byelection, and former chair of the Fabian Society on Labour’s Renewal Cole Room , 11 Dartmouth Street, SW1H 9BN Wednesday 21 March, 7.30 pm Robert Evans (former MEP) " Europe in Crisis". Cole Room, 11 Dartmouth Street , SW1. Nearest tube: St James’s Park. Take the exit marked Park / Broadway. Dartmouth Street is the second turning on the left. Meetings usually run from 7.30 to 9.00. We then go to the pub “The Two Chairmen” to continue the discussion. We hope to see you at these meetings Giles Wright Chair, Central London Fabian Society
• MAYOR AND MAYORESS TO OPEN NEW HAIR AND BEAUTY SALON IN WALLINGFORD
  
  23rd February 2012: A new hair and beauty salon is opening in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, that is set to revolutionise the way men and women in the area experience their hair-cuts. Mary Handy Hair and Beauty, founded by Susan Handy, a local hairdresser with over 25 years’ experience who has clipped famous locks that include Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees and members of Jamiroquai’s entourage, will be opened at an inaugural champagne launch on Feb 23rd by The Mayor of Wallingford, Councillor Colin Dolton who will be accompanied by The Mayoress, Mrs Sandie Clemas.
• The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games medals
  
  This display tells the story of the production of the medals for the London 2012 Games, from the mining of the metal to the creation of the designs by David Watkins and Lin Cheung and production by the Royal Mint. This display is part of the Cultural Olympiad and is supported by Rio Tinto. Examples of both these victory medals are shown here publicly for the first time and are the high point of the display
• Third round of consultation for new Barton neighbourhood
  
  Oxford City Council is beginning the third stage of consultation on a planning document that will shape the future of the new neighbourhood west of Barton . The document, known as the Barton Area Action Plan (AAP), outlines the draft planning policies for the development of new homes and community infrastructure on the 90-acre site. The public is invited to comment on these policies for a six-week period, from Friday 10 February until Friday 23 March. The policies are based on detailed financial and technical studies, including traffic and drainage modelling reports, which are available for the public to view along with the AAP itself at www.oxford.gov.uk/Barton.
• The Ashmolean Museum Celebrates A Major Benefaction From The Leon Levy Foundation
  
  The Ashmolean recently received a substantial grant from the Leon Levy Foundation in support of the Museum’s Restoring the Past Gallery. In recognition of this grant, the Gallery has been named in memory of Leon Levy, the distinguished financier whose wide range of interests and philanthropies included the ancient world, the arts and humanities. His charitable ideals are continued by the Foundation established in his memory by his widow, the author, collector and philanthropist, Shelby White.