Latest news with #DavidRichards
Finextra
4 days ago
- Business
- Finextra
AI up lad! Yorkshire launches AI investment fund
English county Yorkshire is bidding for a prime position in the UK's AI sector with the launch of an investment fund targetting AI startups. 0 This content has been selected, created and edited by the Finextra editorial team based upon its relevance and interest to our community. The Oberon Yorkshire AI EIS Fund, has been developed in partnership with startup incubator Yorkshire AI Labs (YAIL) and will invest in AI-driven companies across Northern England, including those operating in the financial services sector. According to an announcement, the fund plans to invest millions in the region and will seek to capitalise on Yorkshire's "industrial heritage, strong tehcnology ecosystem and leading research institutions". 'This isn't just a fund, it's the next phase of a blueprint that's already working," said YAIL founder David Richards. "We've shown that you can build nationally significant AI companies right here in Yorkshire. The Oberon Fund allows us to take that model and scale it, to back more founders, accelerate more platforms, and build an ecosystem the whole country can be proud of.'
BBC News
08-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Dragons sign backs Lloyd and Richards
Dragons have signed fly-half Jac Lloyd and utility back David Wales Under-20s player Lloyd, 22, joins Dragons after impressing at Newport RFC and having previously had spells at Bristol Bears and Hartpury returns to Dragons having previously played four times for the 25-year-old also arrives from Newport RFC."Both players know what it takes in a professional environment and are eager to grab the chance when it comes," said Dragons head coach Filo Tiatia.
Times
23-06-2025
- Health
- Times
How an NHS team is changing lives — by 3D printing body parts
When David Richards was left with severe facial injuries after being knocked off his bike by a drunk driver, he faced a long road to recovery. The journey has now been made just a little easier by a pioneering NHS centre that prints replacement body parts. Richards, 75, from Devon, was cycling in Meare, Somerset, with two friends in July 2021 when they were hit from behind. His friends suffered broken bones and he lost his nose and an eye. 'The driver was on his phone,' he said. 'I was trapped underneath the vehicle and got severe burns down one side of my body and face.' After a series of reconstruction operations he is one of the first patients at the Bristol 3D Medical Centre — the first in the NHS where 3D scanning, design and printing have been brought together on one site to produce bespoke medical devices and prostheses. Amy Davey is the senior reconstructive scientist at the centre, which is part of the North Bristol NHS Trust. 'We provide small facial and body prostheses — noses, ears, eyes, fingers, toes, even nipples,' she said. 'As a profession, we've long known that 3D printing would transform what we do. We're a very small team — there are three of us, and we work very hard. And the motivation, really, is that there are so many people that we can help.' For Richards, the process began with his face being photographed from several angles. The images were used to create a highly-accurate 3D digital replica of his head. This model was then used as the foundation to design a facial prosthesis. In his case, a mould was 3D-printed and used to craft a prosthesis from silicone; for other patients, the parts of the prosthesis or a prosthetic implant could be printed from plastic or titanium. Richards had previously experienced the traditional process, which involved making a plaster cast of his face and was time-consuming and messy. 'Now, they just take a few photographs from different angles, and the software meshes it all together. It's incredible,' he said. As well as being less intrusive, the new techniques can produce prostheses that are more accurate. 'It's those small margins that matter,' he added. 'You look in the mirror and think, 'Okay, I look a bit better today.'' Other patients at the centre include people who have had operations to remove cancers and babies with plagiocephaly and brachycephaly, conditions that affect the shape of their skull. Previously, these infants would have needed a general anaesthetic to stop them from wriggling while a mould of their skull was produced to make a special helmet to help reshape their head. 'With our 3D surface scanning, the baby can move around freely and happily, and a 3D-printed helmet subsequently produced from that scan,' Davey said. By scanning patients while they move, her team can also make prostheses that deal better with the shifting contours of, for example, a face. Her team is developing techniques and finding new applications for existing ones. 3D models, for instance, can be printed to help surgeons prepare for surgery. A model of a damaged kidney can, for instance, show not only the area to be removed but also highlight nerves and blood vessels to help plan the operation. Most of the equipment within the centre is funded by donations to the Southmead Hospital Charity, the official charity of North Bristol NHS Trust. What counts as a successful outcome, Davey explained, depends on the patient. For some, it could be a facial prosthesis that helps them feel comfortable enough to answer the door. For others, it might be a 3D-printed splint that helps shape scar tissue, or the use of 3D scans taken over time to monitor their healing. 'It's not about making someone 'complete',' she said. 'It's about supporting their rehabilitation, whatever that looks like for them.' Richards is waiting for his latest prosthesis. A future version could be attached to his face using magnets, with metal studs embedded into the bone around his eye socket. 'You'd just put it on and it would click into place like a jigsaw piece,' he said. 'But I want to try one [attached using an adhesive] first, to see if I'm happy with it before I go putting studs into my head.' The real difference, though, may not be how it fits, but how it makes him feel. 'Children can be quite blunt,' he said. 'They'll come up and say, 'Mr, what's happened to your face? Where's your eye?' That doesn't bother me too much now, but maybe with a really good prosthesis, they wouldn't notice. 'In the early days I would avoid crowds completely. I had to really push myself to be more sociable. I'd have to tell myself: 'I'm going to go to my local yacht club and see how I get on,' and I'd monitor my progress. Having a prosthesis that makes me look a bit better certainly helps my confidence and my ability to mix. 'The new prosthesis won't solve all my issues. It won't undo the accident. But it might just give me a bit more confidence. And sometimes, that's what you need.'
BBC News
13-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
FIA changes pass amid warnings of 'dark period'
The result came despite support from the UK, Belgian, Portuguese and Swiss representatives for Austria's suggestion of a postponement so the FIA could conduct a "proper review and analysis" before making a decision on whether the changes were appropriate. An FIA spokesperson described the result as a "resounding majority". The OAMTC letter adds that recent actions of Ben Sulayem "are inviting comparisons with the excesses of political leaders intent on deconstructing the checks and balances that come with responsible governance". OAMTC chief executive Oliver Schmerold told BBC Sport after the vote: "We brought forward the motion to postpone the vote on the changes to a future assembly as we believe that they inherit some consequences which desire more discussion. "This was supported by several other members. The president underlined that the statutory process has been followed and asked for the vote. "We still believe that it is not good governance to change the longstanding rules for elections only four months before the submission deadline for candidates." The OAMTC letter hints at the prospect of a legal challenge, on the basis that the changes were "endorsed by (FIA) world council meetings that were not properly constituted, having intentionally excluded elected members from participating and voting". David Richards, the MotorsportUK representative on the world council, was among those members barred from a meeting in March in a dispute with Ben Sulayem over refusing to sign a revised confidentially agreement. Schmerold last year voiced his opposition to previous statute changes passed at the last General Assembly in December, describing them as "not good governance" and "not good in terms of checks and balances". The letter says of the proposed changes: Extending the deadline for potential candidates to declare "is intended to discourage opposition". Removing the rule requiring 21 of the 28 members of the world motorsport council to be different nationalities "is intended to stack the WMSC with supporters rather than encourage diversity of opinion" Aligning the terms of office of the audit, ethics and nominations committees with that of the president "would blatantly reduce the independence of oversight bodies" Removing the right to approve or dismiss up to four senate members from the senate and giving it to the president "self-evidently weakens the ability of the senate to perform its oversight functions, including and especially oversight of the president himself". Ben Sulayem's first term of office ends this December and he is so far the only candidate to have confirmed he is standing for election. Rally legend Carlos Sainz has said he is considering running but has not made a final decision. The letter accuses Ben Sulayem of reneging on his promises during his election campaign in 2021 to ensure "governance structures are compliant with best practices". And it says he has implemented none of the "critical changes" that were recommended by a review and audit of the FIA's governance structure commissioned from McKinsey in 2022. It highlights a series of changes that have eroded accountability at the FIA, including: Limiting the power of the ethics committee, saying "ethical enquiries can - in effect - be suppressed" because of the concentration of oversight into the hands of the FIA president and president of the senate. The eradication of the post of compliance office following the sacking of Paolo Basarri from that position last year Centralising decision-making power with the FIA president and president of the senate The imposition of contracts that require FIA personnel to pay a €50,000 fine if they breach confidentiality terms, and the power of the leadership on its own to determine whether this should be paid and why "without having a hearing, time frame, right of appeal or any definition of what confidentiality means". The FIA spokesperson added: "The FIA has taken steps since 2021 to strengthen its corporate governance policies. These policies guide the FIA's operations and ensure its rules, practices and processes are robust and transparent. "The proposed amendments to the FIA statutes are designed to further strengthen processes around governance and confidentiality. They will grant the nominations committee more time to examine the eligibility criteria of candidates, and help to ensure consistency and rigour in the electoral process. "All proposed amendments were voted through by a super majority of FIA member clubs at the General Assemblies, in line with the democratic process which governs decision making within the federation."
CBC
10-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Another Trudeau-appointed senator joins Conservative caucus
Sen. Mary Jane McCallum of Manitoba is now part of the Conservatives' Senate caucus — making her the second senator appointed by former prime minister Justin Trudeau to join the party this month. McCallum, who is Cree and a member of the Barren Lands First Nation, said she made the decision to join the Conservatives after consulting with chiefs and community leaders. "I feel strongly that this is a crucial step in building bridges," she said in a statement on Tuesday. "Our communities have long sought opportunities for greater collaboration and mutual understanding. By joining the Senate Conservative caucus, I hope to help broaden the conversation and ensure Indigenous perspectives are reflected across the full political spectrum." McCallum was appointed to the upper chamber in 2017 by Trudeau. She is the second senator appointed by the Liberal prime minister to join the Conservatives this month. New Brunswick Sen. David Richards joined the Conservative fold last week. McCallum and Richards — who both had been sitting as non-affiliated senators — join the Conservative caucus as its numbers have been dwindling in recent years. With the addition of McCallum, the Conservatives now have 13 members in the red chamber. But the Conservatives are still the smallest group in the Senate. The current standings in the Senate now sit at 46 senators in the Independent Senators Group, 21 in the Canadian Senators Group, 18 in the Progressive Senate Group and six non-affiliated senators, with one seat left to fill. Canadian senators must retire when they turn 75, which means that already small caucus will shrink later this year when Conservative Quebec Sen. Judith Seidman retires in September and Richards retires the following month. Newfoundland and Labrador Conservative Sen. Elizabeth Marshall is slated to retire in September of next year and Ontario Sen. Salma Ataullahjan's retirement date is set for April 2027. Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Sen. Leo Housakos, said McCallum is a "principled leader and a tireless advocate for Canada's Indigenous communities." "Her expertise and unique perspective will be invaluable as we work to strengthen the Senate's role as a forum for open debate, diversity of thought, rigorous accountability and meaningful dialogue reflective of all Canadians," Housakos said in a statement on Tuesday. CBC News asked Housakos's office if the Conservatives have been actively trying to recruit senators. "We believe that having a diverse and growing membership is vital to ensuring the health and effectiveness of the Opposition in the Senate. A strong Opposition is essential to upholding the Senate's role as a chamber of sober second thought," a statement from his office said in response.
