Latest news with #DarrenMiller
Metro
30-06-2025
- Business
- Metro
Meet the Black entrepreneurs shaping UK's future - Metro partners with BBI
Metro is joining forces with the Black British Initiative (BBI) to boost representation for underprivileged Black entrepreneurs across the UK through a 12-month content partnership. The UK newsbrand with the most diverse audience will highlight the excellence of Black businessmen and women through a series of creative storytelling – starting with an interview with CEO and founder Darren Miller and a profile piece on Isabelle Pennington-Edmead, a fashion designer who started her own successful slow-fashion brand. The series will continue with profiles on 11 more stand-out entrepreneurs who have fascinating stories to share about their journey from startup to entrepreneurial excellence. Next, we will hear from personal trainer, Patrick Hutchinson, and gallery owner Aki Abiola. Bookmark the link to the tag page to follow along each month. For those unfamiliar with BBI, the organisation was founded in 2023 and at its heart is MBA30, an initiative that provides business training for Black entrepreneurs. The goal is to help address the cultural and race-based barriers experienced by aspiring Black businesspeople and the disparity of wealth in the UK. Between 2009-2019, just 0.24% of UK venture capital investment went to Black entrepreneurs, highlighting the systematic hurdles Black businesses face when securing financing. What's more, statistics from the Runnymede Trust show that Black households have on average nine times less wealth than white households. BBI CEO and founder Darren Miller, himself a successful entrepreneur, firmly believes executive education can help close this gap. One of his biggest challenges when starting out with his first business was pitching for investment without having the specialist knowledge to prepare him for the sort of technical financial scouring that would have applied to his business models. As a result, he tells Metro, securing funding was hard and he was often turned down for businesses he deemed 'rock solid'. 'They could see things I couldn't, and it put me at a major disadvantage,' Darren explains. Working with Metro, BBI now hopes to train up 3,000 entrepreneurs by 2030, playing a key role in unlocking the £75 billion economic growth opportunity that could come from a boost to Black-owned business. More Trending Darren says: 'Black and ethnic entrepreneurs could add up to £75bn to the UK's GDP, that is a huge 'win-win' and our mission is to help realise that potential.' He adds: 'The leadership and vision shown by the Metro is exemplary. Like BBI, they realise in order for the UK to be at its very best, every community must make a full contribution. Metro Editor-in-Chief, Deborah Arthurs says: 'Partnering with BBI aligns with our mission to reflect the diversity of the UK, and indeed our readership, to champion entrepreneurial ambition that too often goes unsupported. 'Darren's story is a powerful reminder of how much potential exists when talent meets opportunity — and why visibility, investment and education are key to unlocking more talent and a more inclusive and prosperous economy.' MORE: I didn't know the word entrepreneur growing up — now I help Black-owned businesses thrive MORE: I built a fashion business from the ground up — you don't need entrepreneur family to succeed
Daily Record
27-06-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Record
Five dangerous habits people need to stop doing in their cars immediately
A car expert has warned that drivers should ensure they and their passengers are following five crucial rules - or they could face fines of up to £5,000 and even imprisonment Motorists are being cautioned that they, along with their passengers, must adhere to five crucial rules or risk incurring fines of as much as £5,000 and potentially face jail time. A particular habit that might seem harmless in most circumstances could lead to serious consequences when carried out inside a car. Car specialist Darren Miller from has sounded the alarm, indicating that despite common knowledge around certain dos and don'ts, people often dismiss them as trivial and carry on regardless. The habit in question? Smoking in the presence of minors within your vehicle is strictly off-limits unless all occupants are over 18. In the first warning, Darren cautioned: "Smoking in vehicles with passengers under 18 is another situation where fines may apply, amounting to up to £50 for both the driver and the smoker. Beyond the financial implications, the health risks to children from exposure to cigarette smoke in enclosed spaces highlight the seriousness of this offence." Here's a rundown of the other four essential practices drivers must abandon immediately, reports the Express. 1. Seatbelts Wearing a seatbelt is widely understood as a basic safety rule, but are you aware of the consequences if you or a passenger fails to comply? The expert highlighted that drivers can be hit with a £100 fine and receive 3 penalty points on their licence. Additionally, the expert stresses that it's the driver's legal responsibility to ensure all children under 14 are properly belted, with fines reaching up to £500 per child for non-compliance. 2. Too many people Darren explained: "Exceeding the designated passenger capacity of a vehicle not only risks safety but can also lead to fines of up to £100 for the driver or, in more serious cases, a two-year prison sentence. The potential distractions from overcrowded vehicles increase the risks of accidents, making it important for drivers to keep to passenger limits." 3. Mobile phone use Regarding mobile phone use by passengers, Darren highlighted: "Passenger use of mobile phones, especially when supervising a learner driver, can also attract fines of up to £1,000 for the driver, along with six penalty points on their licence. Drivers must always focus on the road and ensure passengers follow legal restrictions on phone use while in the vehicle." 4. Animals Pet owners are being cautioned about the dangers of travelling with unrestrained animals, as they can become serious distractions and pose safety risks on the road. The motoring expert warned that failing to properly secure pets while driving could lead to hefty penalties, with fines reaching up to £5,000.
Metro
26-06-2025
- Business
- Metro
Meet the CEO on a mission to help Black businesses thrive in the UK
London-Born entrepreneur Darren Miller is the CEO and founder of Black British Initiative (BBI), a charitable organisation set up in 2023 with the goal of eradicating racial injustice. At the heart of BBI is MBA 30, an initiative that provides business training for Black entrepreneurs. Darren set up his first business aged 20 before moving into property development and luxury Italian interiors, subsequently working with the Saatchi Gallery and Design Museum among others. Here, he talks about his childhood in Nunhead, how he became an entrepreneur and his aim to elevate Black business through executive education. My parents came to the UK at the tail-end of the Windrush generation. I grew up in Nunhead, south-east London, in a close-knit Jamaican community. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video My school was awful. Most of the students were Afro-Caribbean and 90% of the teachers were white. Expectations were very low. Most boys left at 16 and went off to get a job – not a career – and only one or two got even one A-level. University wasn't mentioned. When I said I wanted to be a pilot, the teachers laughed. 'Miller, think about being a painter and decorator. Electrician if you're lucky.' I didn't even know the word entrepreneur back then. But in my first job at United Technologies, I started to get recognised and promoted. My manager said to me one day, 'Darren, you are able to just pick up the ball and run with it.' It was the first time I'd thought I might be able to run my own business. A chance conversation in a Chinese takeaway gave me the idea and I decided to pursue it. I was 20, my brother was 18. I was young and impetuous and thought I could conquer the world. To my mum's horror, I dragged my brother out of his safe job at NatWest, and we started our first business. It wasn't sexy, it was linen hire, providing napkins and tablecloths to restaurants: a tough industry, but we had a lucky break and got established. We ran it for four or five years then sold it for a great profit. We were in a position to really scale the business and went to one of the big four high-street banks to borrow some money, but got turned down. We thought we had a rock-solid case but the bank wouldn't back it. Difficulty getting funding, even when I had a solid business proposition, has been a constant. I believe race is a factor. There are systemic structural and institutional barriers. The people I was speaking to often had benefitted from a private education and had amazing networks. They knew about investment and had been to business school and would look at my balance sheet and see things even I didn't know. That put me at a massive disadvantage. I realised that executive education is important. We have found a way to democratise MBAs. An MBA is super-powerful, but can cost up to £100k, and can take a year or more full-time. The only mini MBA solely focused on Black entrepreneurs, it is accredited by SOAS University of London and costs just £3,250. We cherry-picked the nine most important modules and now run them for nine days over the course of a month. What makes ours even more exceptional is that we bring in at least two industry contributors per day – from the Bank Of England, Vodafone, Sky, Condé Nast, Mastercard and JP Morgan among others. That wealth disparity doesn't exist. Runnymede Trust statistics show Black and African households have nine times less wealth than white British ones, yet their businesses could contribute up to £75billion to the country's GDP. By failing to support Black entrepreneurs, we are overlooking financial growth that the country needs. If you can see someone like you, it acts as a beacon. It's like a light shining on the pathway – when you have moments when you want to stop, it helps you think, 'You know what? If they did it, I can do it too.' For us, a dynamic, small but exciting charity, this partnership is transformative. It shows that even though we live in a time whenDEI [diversity, equity, inclusion] and social equality don't get the limelight they deserve, there are organisations out there who understand the importance of driving social mobility and what it means for the UK at large. Metro is an exemplar and my hope is others follow its lead. To educate 5,000 entrepreneurs by 2030. Perfectly aligning with this are our exciting MBA 30 Emerging Entrepreneur Awards 2025. View More » Working with Metro, these awards will give cash-strapped entrepreneurs marketing opportunities that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive, as well as potential access to up to £1.5million of funding. Change has to come. Metro is joining forces with the Black British Initiative (BBI) to boost representation for underprivileged Black entrepreneurs across the UK through a 12-month content partnership. Starting with an interview with CEO and founder Darren Miller, Metro, the UK news brand with the most diverse audience, will highlight the excellence of Black businessmen and women through a series of creative storytelling. Follow along by bookmarking this link and return every month to meet a new entrepreneur. Want to join the next MBA30 cohort - and have a chance to enter the MBA30 Emerging Entrepreneur Awards? Register your interest by emailing mba@ MORE: No7 Beauty Vault is back with £105 worth of beauty products and £250 travel voucher MORE: This top-rated mattress is like 'sleeping like a marshmallow' – and it's on sale MORE: Glastonbury crowds fuming about sound 'issues' on day one – but there's a good reason why Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.
West Australian
04-06-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Mining giant looks to limit emissions by electrifying refining process
A South West mining giant is looking to limit emissions by electrifying its heavily polluting refining process with help from a $4.4 million grant. South 32 received funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency in order to support the development of steam electrification pathways at the Worsley Alumina Refinery in the South West. The alumina refining industry is the country's biggest user of industrial process heat, collectively responsible for about 15 million metric tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2021 — 3 per cent of Australia's total green house gas emissions that year. Currently, close to 70 per cent of these emissions are produced from steam production in the alumina refining process, fuelled by fossil fuel sources such as coal and gas. With the sector identified as a hard-to-abate polluter finding a method to reduce emissions is needed. The identified options to reduce these emissions include electric boilers, which generate steam directly using an electrode, and mechanical vapour recompression, which involves capturing low-pressure waste vapour from the refining process for recompression to create pressurised steam for reuse. Paired with renewable energy these technologies have the potential to reduce the significant contribution to overall emissions alumina production entails. ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the study was a significant step towards making low emissions alumina and decarbonising Australian metals production. 'Meeting Australia's emissions reduction targets will require businesses in the most energy intensive industries to incorporate renewables in their operations,' he said. 'Funding from ARENA will help South32 investigate innovative electrification options for steam generation that enable the use of renewable energy.' South32 chief operating officer Vanessa Torres said the company had a long-term goal to achieve net zero emissions across all scopes by 2050 alongside the Federal Government's target and to halve overall emissions from the company by 2035 from their 2021 baseline. 'Decarbonising our operations is key to achieving our goals and targets,' she said. 'The pre-feasibility study that we will undertake at Worsley Alumina, with funding support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, builds on the work already under way to reduce Worsley Alumina's greenhouse gas emission. 'Electrification of the steam generation process at Worsley Alumina's refinery has the potential to further reduce the operation's green house gas emissions and we look forward to starting work on the project. We welcome the support from ARENA and look forward to the outcomes of the study.'
Daily Mirror
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Warning over mistake that can make cars less efficient and cause engine damage
E10 fuel has been the standard in the UK since September 2021, with it being compatible for most cars made after 2011 - however not all vehicles can use it in their tanks A motoring expert has warned that using E10 fuel could lead to costly engine damage and reduced mileage. While most post-2011 vehicles are compatible with E10 petrol, which became the norm in 2021, some engines may suffer increased carbon deposits when running on this newer type of fuel. Darren Miller, a spokesperson from said: "Its performance in cars with smaller engines could also be less efficient, as some reports suggest it falls short of E5's efficiency." He also advised owners of certain classic cars to be wary of E10's higher ethanol content, which might exacerbate issues in their older engines. "Over time, engines can accumulate carbon, which might increase compression pressures and cause knocking or pinging," he added. For those driving older models not suited to E10, there's still the option of E5 petrol, though it's usually a tad pricier per litre, reports the Express. Carbon accumulation in engines can mess with the injector's fuel spray pattern and disrupt the optimal air-fuel mix in the combustion chamber, leading to less efficient fuel burn. The build-up of carbon in an engine can also dent fuel economy by increasing friction among moving parts, changing the engine's compression ratio, and causing incorrect ignition of the air-fuel mixture. Despite these concerns, the introduction of E10 fuel has been credited with cutting road pollution nationwide, as per recent findings from the Department for Transport (DfT). According to the Department for Transport's Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) annual report, the introduction of the new compound has resulted in the prevention of "millions of tonnes" of CO2 emissions.
