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"Martyn's Law receives Royal Assent - act now, do not wait

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill – known as Martyn’s Law – has received Royal Assent (3 April), and is now the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. This means that what is expected to be at least a two year implementation period before the Act’s provisions come into force is now underway. But those two years are not a time to sit back and wait. Anyone responsible for qualifying premises and events (being those who have “control” of them) must start getting ready now or risk, if not physical damage to premises in the event of a terrorist attack, then at least causing reputational damage to their organisation.

Named in memory of Martyn Hett, one of the 22 people who tragically lost their lives during the 2017 Manchester Arena attack, Martyn’s Law signifies a pivotal change for public safety in the UK and aims to enhance security measures at publicly accessible venues and events. The new legislation requires a wide range of businesses and public sector organisations to ensure protection “so far as reasonably practicable” against terrorist attacks for staff and the public. With the Act now having been passed, those organisations need to take immediate steps to understand and prepare for the legislation coming into force. ..."

https://www.tlt.com/insights-and-events/insight/martyns-law-receives-royal-assent--act-now-do-not-wait/

Martyn's Law applies to healthcare settings, so for many hospitals etc. it brings new legal requirements that managers may not have previously considered necessary.

So, on top of increased Government healthcare funding-prioritisation, it is likely to provide a further big, ongoing boost to demand for Newmark's products-services in the healthcare sector: for both Grosvenor Technology and Safetell.

Newmark Security is ideally placed with very valuable products, services, and expertise to help businesses meet their Martyn's Law (Protect Duty) obligations:-

"Martyn’s Law: Safeguarding public spaces with comprehensive security"

http://newmarksecurity.com/insights/martyns-law-safeguarding-public-spaces-with-comprehensive-security/

"Martyn’s Law and Access Control – Being Ready for The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill"

http://www.grosvenortechnology.com/insights/martyns-law-and-access-control-being-ready-for-the-terrorism-protection-of-premises-bill/

"The Impact of Martyn’s Law/Protect Duty on UK Businesses

28 June, 2023"

http://www.safetell.co.uk/insights/the-impact-of-martyns-law-protect-duty-on-uk-businesses/

"Poisoned water and scarred hills

The price of the rare earth metals the world buys from China

By Laura Bicker and the Visual Journalism team

Updated: 08/07/2025

China

When you stand on the edge of Bayan Obo, all you see is an expanse of scarred grey earth carved into the grasslands of Inner Mongolia in northern China.

Dark dust clouds rise from deep craters where the earth’s crust has been sliced away over decades in search of a modern treasure.

You may not have heard of this town - but life as we know it could grind to a halt without Bayan Obo.

The town gets its name from the district it sits in, which is home to half of the world’s supply of a group of metals known as rare earths. They are key components in nearly everything that we switch on: smartphones, bluetooth speakers, computers, TV screens, even electric vehicles.

And one country, above all others, has leapt ahead in mining them and refining them: China.

This dominance gives Beijing huge leverage - both economically, and politically, such as when it negotiates with US President Donald Trump over tariffs. But China has paid a steep price for it.

To find out more, we travelled to the country’s two main rare earth mining hubs - Bayan Obo in the north and Ganzhou in the province of Jiangxi in the south.

We found man-made lakes full of radioactive sludge and heard claims of polluted water and contaminated soil, which, in the past, have been linked to clusters of cancer and birth defects. These journeys were challenging.

Beijing appears sensitive to criticism of its environmental record. We were pulled over by police, questioned by them and stuck in a three-hour standoff with an unidentified mining boss who refused to let us leave unless we deleted our footage.

Our calls for an interview or a statement have gone unanswered, but the government has published new regulations to try to strengthen its supervision of the industry.

Authorities have been making an effort to clean up these mining sites, scientists told the BBC. Still, China’s mining operations in the north just keep growing.

Machines are constantly on the hunt for rare earths called neodymium and dysprosium that go into making powerful magnets for a variety of modern technology, from electric vehicles to computer hard drives.

To find these rare earths, the machines strip away the topsoil layer-by-layer, kicking up harmful dust, some of which contains high levels of heavy metals and radioactive material. ..."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-66cdf862-5e96-4e6e-90b8-a407b597c8d9

Nice to see another British workforce management company performing strongly in the USA:-

3rd Jul 2025 7:00 am RNS Results for the year ended 31 March 2025

"Strong revenue momentum and enlarged opportunity through innovation and complementary M&A

ActiveOps plc (AIM: AOM), a leading provider of Decision Intelligence software for service operations, is pleased to announce its audited results for the year ended 31 March 2025 ("FY25"). The Group delivered double digit revenue growth, a record number of new customer wins and continued strong cash generation in the year, providing a strong basis for continued success in FY26. ...

Revenue growth was exceptionally high in North America, increasing by 22% to £7.7m (2024: £6.4m), driven by customer expansion and new customer acquisitions, with the region securing five new customers during the year. ..."

https://www.lse.co.uk/rns/AOM/results-for-the-year-ended-31-march-2025-7u1n4zhuh9n52hy.html

Businesses are clearly crying out for data-led efficiency improvements of the type provided by ActiveOps and NWT subsidiary Grosvenor Technology:-

"Why Decision Intelligence

Exploiting data to predict and prescribe decisions is critical for service operations. Imagine if every decision is consistently more accurate, timely and planned for. That’s millions of micro-gains every second of the day – at your leaders’ fingertips. Traditional workforce management is evolving. Decision Intelligence is now."

https://activeops.com/

"Delivering confidence in business intelligence

When managing people and their data, you need to know that your devices are up to the job. With leading global businesses trusting Grosvenor Technology to manage and maintain even the most sensitive data, you can be confident that your tech can support operational control needs.

The enhanced reporting and analytics that our HCM devices provide allow an organisation deeper insight into the aspects of their business that support strategic growth."

https://www.grosvenortechnology.com/human-capital-management/

And the NWT s.p. has also been performing well recently.

Newmark Security (NWT) 80p Market cap. £7.5M.

https://www.lse.co.uk/SharePrice.html?shareprice=NWT&share=Newmark-Security

This sort of great growth opportunity is the holy grail of investing, of almost mythical status.

So it could be characterised as a new AOM (Age of Mythology) era ...

Age of Mythology: Retold

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Mythology:_Retold

Nice to see another British workforce management company, ActiveOps (AOM), performing strongly in the USA:-

3rd Jul 2025 7:00 am RNS Results for the year ended 31 March 2025

03/07/2025 07:00 RNS Regulatory News ActiveOps PLC Results for the year ended 31 March 2025 LSE:AOM Activeops Plc

"Strong revenue momentum and enlarged opportunity through innovation and complementary M&A

ActiveOps plc (AIM: AOM), a leading provider of Decision Intelligence software for service operations, is pleased to announce its audited results for the year ended 31 March 2025 ("FY25"). The Group delivered double digit revenue growth, a record number of new customer wins and continued strong cash generation in the year, providing a strong basis for continued success in FY26. ...

About ActiveOps

ActiveOps is a Software as a Service business, dedicated to helping organisations create more value from their service operations. ActiveOps' Decision Intelligence software solutions are specifically designed to support leaders with the vast number of decisions they make daily in the running their operations. Our customers make better decisions and consume less time and effort making them. The outcomes are significantly improved turnaround times and double-digit improvements in productivity with backlogs of work materially reduced. Customers can leverage the capacity created to invest in transformation and development, and more efficiently utilise resources.

The Company's AI-powered SaaS solutions are underpinned by 15+ years of operational data and its AOM methodology which is proven to enhance cross departmental decision-making.

The Company has approximately 280 employees, serving a global base of enterprise customers from offices in the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia, India, and South Africa. The Group's customers are predominantly in the banking, insurance, healthcare administration and business process outsourcing (BPO) sectors, including Nationwide, TD Bank, Elevance and Xchanging. ...

I am pleased to report on a strong year for the Group, delivering double digit revenue growth with continued strong cash generation.

Revenue

Total revenue of £30.5m (2024: £26.8m) was 14% ahead of the prior year (15% ahead on constant currency), with SaaS revenues increasing 13% to £26.8m (2024: £23.8m) arising from both new and existing customers.

Revenue growth was exceptionally high in North America, increasing by 22% to £7.7m (2024: £6.4m), driven by customer expansion and new customer acquisitions, with the region securing five new customers during the year. ..."

https://www.lse.co.uk/rns/AOM/results-for-the-year-ended-31-march-2025-7u1n4zhuh9n52hy.html

"How To Get Physical Security Right in an Increasingly Unpredictable World

... Given how quickly threats can change, businesses must move beyond static security reviews. Regular, agile risk assessments are essential to identify and address vulnerabilities in light of the current global and local threat landscape.

Physical security should be viewed as a strategic investment in business resilience and continuity, not merely a compliance cost. Choosing security systems that can be upgraded, expanded, or reconfigured as threats evolve and business needs change is crucial for long-term protection.

Technology is only one part of the solution. Staff must be adequately trained to understand and use security measures effectively, and incident response plans must be regularly tested and refined. The most sophisticated security infrastructure is only as strong as the people who operate it.

Organisations also need to consider how their security measures integrate with existing systems and workflows. The best security solutions are those that enhance protection whilst maintaining operational efficiency, rather than creating bottlenecks or hindering daily business activities.

Meeting tomorrow’s challenges today

These global changes mean businesses need flexible, integrated security approaches. The ability of organisations to protect against changing threats – from geopolitical instability and rising economic crime to the complexities of managing dynamic occupancy – is essential.

Businesses that invest in smart, layered security are not just protecting their assets and ensuring staff safety; they are building fundamental resilience that ensures operational continuity and safeguards their reputation in an unpredictable world.

The question for business leaders is not whether security threats will evolve, but how quickly they can adapt their defences to meet them. In this environment, the organisations that thrive will be those that view physical security not as a static installation, but as a capability that grows and adapts alongside their business needs."

https://newmarksecurity.com/insights/how-to-get-physical-security-right-in-an-increasingly-unpredictable-world/

"Physical" - Olivia Newton-John

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxOksAKgXs8

"How To Get Physical Security Right in an Increasingly Unpredictable World

... The era of siloed security measures is over. Smart businesses are choosing integrated security systems that give better oversight. This approach allows for a unified response to threats, improved real-time situational awareness across an entire estate, and far more efficient security management. An integrated system can link access control to surveillance, enabling immediate alerts and responses to anomalies.

Comprehensive security solutions – from high-security doors and robust screens to intelligent entrance control systems – are increasingly designed for integration with broader security ecosystems, including existing access control platforms and CCTV networks. This creates layered protection where each part strengthens the others.

Modern physical security is not just about preventing an attack entirely, but critically about deterring potential aggressors and delaying any breach sufficiently to allow for rapid response from security teams or emergency services. Every second gained in a critical incident can be the difference between a minor disruption and a catastrophic event.

Security doors, screens, and security walling engineered with certified attack resistance are designed to withstand significant manual, ballistic, and blast forces. By incorporating these barriers, businesses can create crucial time for response protocols to be enacted, protecting both personnel and valuable assets.

At the heart of any effective security strategy is the protection of people and the assurance of operational resilience. Employees, particularly those in public-facing roles, are on the front line. Ensuring their safety directly contributes to morale, productivity, and the ability of a business to continue functioning even under duress.

Beyond protective barriers, transfer units minimise direct contact risks during sensitive transactions, further enhancing staff safety. Creating secure internal zones through security walling and specifying robust security doors for critical areas directly contributes to a safer working environment and enables essential operations to continue securely.

Building resilience through practical planning

Building resilience requires practical steps:

• Risk assessments that adapt to changing threat landscapes.

• Strategic investment in scalable, upgradeable security systems.

• Staff training and preparedness to maximise the effectiveness of security measures. ..."

https://newmarksecurity.com/insights/how-to-get-physical-security-right-in-an-increasingly-unpredictable-world/

"How To Get Physical Security Right in an Increasingly Unpredictable World

... This shows why businesses need robust cash and asset protection solutions. Secure tills, drop boxes, and transfer units are vital for safe cash handling, minimising exposure to theft. For public-facing environments, protective screens and counters provide a crucial barrier for staff, offering peace of mind and enhanced safety during interactions.

Economic pressures also worsen internal risks. The G4S World Security Report indicates that 92% of security professionals anticipate their company will be targeted by insider threats in 2025. This may stem from disgruntled employees or those facing personal financial hardship, increasing the risk of theft of cash, assets, or sensitive data.

Meanwhile, the widespread adoption of hybrid working models has significantly altered traditional building occupancy, creating new challenges for efficient and secure entrance management. Public buildings and large corporate sites also face the potential for increased social unrest or protests, demanding more sophisticated crowd management and access control. Managing changing visitor numbers whilst keeping unauthorised people out becomes essential.

Advanced entrance control systems, including speed gates and security portals, are designed precisely for this fluid environment. They provide precise control over who enters and exits, efficiently manage high throughput, and integrate seamlessly to deter unauthorised access.

How security strategies are changing

Several key trends are defining modern physical security strategies:

• Integrated systems that link access control to surveillance for unified threat response.

• Deterrence and delay tactics that buy crucial time for security teams to respond effectively.

• Staff safety prioritisation through protective barriers and secure transaction processes. ..."

https://newmarksecurity.com/insights/how-to-get-physical-security-right-in-an-increasingly-unpredictable-world/

And another excellent new Safetell article, also added to the website of Newmark Security this week:-

"Insights

How To Get Physical Security Right in an Increasingly Unpredictable World

The global landscape is in constant flux. Beyond specific geopolitical flashpoints or isolated incidents, the overarching picture is one of heightened unpredictability.

This creates bigger challenges for physical security across all sectors, from public buildings and data centres to retail environments and corporate offices. For businesses, a proactive and adaptable approach to physical security is essential for safeguarding people, assets, and continuity.

This article explores how these broader, dynamic influences are shaping today’s physical security landscape, highlighting the emerging trends and how organisations can adapt their security approach to build resilience.

How global instability shapes physical security

The ripple effects of global instability are felt keenly in physical security:

• Geopolitical tensions create elevated threat perceptions, meaning businesses need stronger protection against targeted attacks on critical infrastructure and high-value assets.

• Economic uncertainty drives increased retail crime, with theft incidents in the UK rising by 3.7 million cases in the past year alone, costing retailers £2 billion.

• Changing work patterns from hybrid models create new challenges for entrance management and access control in fluctuating occupancy environments.

Heightened geopolitical tension translates into a more generalised, elevated threat perception. This requires a robust approach to physical security against unexpected incidents, including a more proactive stance against potential targeted attacks on critical infrastructure, high-value assets, and public spaces.

Businesses operating in sensitive sectors must consider enhanced measures to protect against forced entry, sabotage, or more determined threats. This means businesses need stronger perimeters and secure access points. Security doors engineered with certified blast and ballistic resistance provide an essential layer of defence for vulnerable entry points, whilst security walling can create internal safe zones or highly secure compartments within facilities like data centres or corporate headquarters.

Economic uncertainty creates equally pressing challenges. The British Retail Consortium recently highlighted that retail crime is “out of control,”. And it’s not just petty theft; offenders are increasingly engaging in brazen acts, openly clearing shelves in “kamikaze” shoplifting tactics, whilst violence and abuse against shopworkers surged by 50%. ..."

https://newmarksecurity.com/insights/how-to-get-physical-security-right-in-an-increasingly-unpredictable-world/

"From SMEs To Enterprise: Scaling Workforce Management

... Enterprise-level requirements: advanced functionality without complexity

As businesses reach enterprise scale, workforce management requirements become more sophisticated. Self-service capabilities, advanced biometrics, integration with multiple HR systems, and comprehensive analytics become essential rather than nice-to-have features.

Enterprise-level timeclocks address these needs and maintain user-friendly operation. Large touchscreen interfaces enable comprehensive self-service HR functions, reducing administrative burden while improving employee experience. Android-based architecture ensures compatibility with existing IT infrastructure and allows for custom applications tailored to specific business needs.

But enterprise-level functionality doesn’t have to mean enterprise-level complexity. The best scalable solutions both maintain intuitive operation and provide advanced capabilities, ensuring that growth enhances rather than complicates workforce management.

Future-proofing your investment: avoiding the replacement trap

Perhaps the most important consideration when scaling workforce management is futureproofing. How do you avoid the expensive cycle of buying systems, outgrowing them, and replacing them entirely?

The answer lies in choosing platforms rather than products. Systems built on open, scalable architectures can evolve with your business, adding functionality and capacity without requiring complete replacement.

Key futureproofing considerations include:

• Open integration capabilities that work with leading HR systems

• Modular functionality that allows you to add features as needed rather than buying everything upfront

• Cloud-based architecture that provides scalability without infrastructure investment

• Vendor support and development roadmap that enables ongoing innovation and compatibility ..."

https://newmarksecurity.com/insights/from-smes-to-enterprise-scaling-workforce-management/

"From SMEs To Enterprise: Scaling Workforce Management

... Managing complexity in growing organisations

As businesses expand, workforce management becomes more complex. Multiple locations, varied shift patterns, different employee types, and the need for real-time visibility across sites create challenges that basic systems simply can’t handle.

This is where many businesses make expensive mistakes. They either stick with inadequate systems that create operational bottlenecks or jump to enterprise solutions that overwhelm their actual needs and budget.

Choose systems that offer graduated functionality and flexibility. Advanced timeclocks bridge this gap perfectly, offering features like biometric authentication, programmable function keys, and sophisticated integration capabilities without enterprise-level complexity or cost.

Research shows that approximately 60% of businesses now use cloud-based solutions for workforce management, recruitment and payroll. This shift goes beyond technology; businesses increasingly recognise that scalable, integrated systems are essential for managing growth effectively.

Multi-site operations and the integration imperative

Managing workforce across multiple locations presents unique challenges. Different sites often develop their own processes, leading to inconsistent data, complicated reporting, and administrative headaches. The larger you grow, the more these inconsistencies become expensive problems.

Cloud-based workforce management platforms solve this by providing centralised control with local flexibility. Sites can operate according to their specific needs while feeding into unified reporting and management systems.

Modern device and data management solutions exemplify this approach, scaling from single-site operations to complex multi-location enterprises. Remote device management, centralised data processing, and automated backup and recovery ensure that growth doesn’t compromise operational efficiency.

The business benefits are significant. Multinational corporations using centralised cloud-based payroll systems can reduce costs by 20%-60% through process streamlining and automation.

Even smaller multi-site operations see substantial efficiency gains from unified workforce management approaches. ..."

https://newmarksecurity.com/insights/from-smes-to-enterprise-scaling-workforce-management/

Another excellent new Grosvenor Technology article, added to the website of Newmark Security a couple of days ago:-

"Insights

From SMEs To Enterprise: Scaling Workforce Management

You started with a simple time clock. Maybe it was just a basic punch-card system or a straightforward digital device to track when people arrived and left. It did the job perfectly when you had 10 employees working from one small office. But now you’ve got 60 staff across three sites, and that simple system is starting to crack under the pressure.

Sound familiar? You’re not alone. The global human capital management market is projected to grow from $34 billion (£24.75 billion) to nearly $65 billion (£47.32 billion) by 2032, driven largely by businesses like yours that have outgrown their basic systems, but aren’t sure how to scale without breaking the bank or causing operational chaos.

The challenge isn’t just about the cost of bigger and better technology. It’s also about choosing solutions that can grow with your business while avoiding the costly mistake of constantly ripping and replacing systems as you expand.

When simple systems stop working

Most growing businesses hit an inevitable wall with their workforce management. The symptoms are predictable: manual processes eating up administrative time, different sites using different systems that don’t talk to each other, and HR teams drowning in spreadsheets trying to get a unified view of the workforce.

The temptation is often to jump straight to enterprise-level solutions. But this can create its own problems. Complex systems designed for thousands of employees can be overkill for a 100-person business, bringing unnecessary expenses and complications that slow down rather than speed up operations.

The smarter approach is choosing technology designed to scale gradually, allowing you to add functionality and capacity as your business grows without starting from scratch each time.

Starting simple – the foundation for growth

For businesses starting their workforce management journey, simplicity is key. A basic timeclock that accurately tracks hours, integrates with leading payroll software, and provides reliable attendance data forms the foundation of effective workforce management.

A straightforward timeclock exemplifies this approach – a robust, plug-and-play device that handles essential time tracking without unnecessary complexity. But here’s the crucial difference: the most effective solutions are built on platforms that can integrate with more advanced systems as needs evolve, rather than becoming dead-end investments.

The key considerations at this stage are reliability, ease of use, and integration potential. Your first workforce management system should solve immediate problems while laying the groundwork for overcoming future ones. ..."

https://newmarksecurity.com/insights/from-smes-to-enterprise-scaling-workforce-management/

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