The UK houses some of the world’s most prolific aerospace companies, including Boeing, Rolls-Royce and Airbus, and employs over 360,000 people. But maintaining the UK aerospace industry’s global authority requires exploring emerging opportunities and markets.

To this end, organisations are invited to express an interest in a £150 million annual competition with their innovative ideas for aerospace design and manufacture.

The investment is part of the £3.9 billion UK Aerospace Research and Technology (UKART) programme, a partnership between government and industry that aims to maintain the UK’s world-leading position in civil aerospace. The best projects will then be invited to apply for grant funding.

Eyes on the sky

Priority areas within the UK Aerospace Technology Strategy include whole aircraft design and integration, aerostructures, advanced systems and propulsion technologies. This competition provides funding for industrial research or capital investment projects.

Priority areas include:

• bolstering UK whole-aircraft design and system integration
• future-proofing advanced systems technologies in the UK – specifically, smart, connected and more electric aircrafts
• securing the UK’s world-leading position in large, complex aviation structures, particularly wings
• developing more efficient propulsion technologies, including large turbofans

Competition information

• the competition will open on 3 May 2019, and the deadline for expressions of interest is at midday on 22 May 2019
• UK-based business, research and technology groups and academic organisations can be the project lead, depending on the project type
• businesses can attract a maximum of 50% grant funding. Within that, individual businesses can attract up to 70% depending on funding requests from other partners
• organisations must sign up to the ATI framework agreement
• an online briefing event will be held on 10 May 2019 where organisations can find out more about the competition and applying

Tips on how to enjoy the river without incident.

School’s out for Easter, and there is no better time to enjoy the beauty of the River Thames than over the holidays, when you can have fun, get close to nature and spend time with friends.

As the navigation authority for the non-tidal stretch of the river – from Cricklade in Wiltshire, to Shepperton in south-west London – the Environment Agency is asking parents and guardians to warn children and young people about the dangers of playing by its locks, weirs, bridges, and anywhere else in and around the Thames. Guidance available online has lots of good advice, but the overall message is clear: vigilance can save lives, and water-related accidents can be avoided by knowing how to stay safe.

Top tips for river safety:

1. don’t jump or dive in as the depth may vary and there can be unseen hazards
2. don’t go in near weirs, locks, pipes and sluices. These and some other water features are often linked with strong currents
3. inland waters can be very cold no matter how warm the weather. Those going into cold water can get cramp and experience breathing difficulties very quickly
4. keep a look out for boat traffic. Boaters especially on larger boats can find it very hard to spot and therefore avoid swimmers. Wear a bright swim cap and keep tucked into the river banks

Most importantly, parents and guardians can help keep children in their care safe by:

• teaching them to swim
• warning them not to go into water alone, or unsupervised
• ensuring they know where the children are and what they are doing
• supervising them closely when near any open water

Drowning can occur very quickly even in shallow water and the key to keeping safe is to take all necessary precautions to avoid getting into difficulty in the first place.

Experience shows it is often young people who get into trouble whilst swimming in open water, which contains hazards, particularly in and around structures such as locks, weirs and bridges. Unexpectedly cold waters or strong currents can also catch bathers off-guard.

Youngsters are often seen jumping off the many bridges along the Thames. While this may seem like great fun, there are hidden dangers in the water that can cause tragic consequences.

Russell Robson, waterways operations manager for the Environment Agency in the Thames Valley and south-west London, said:

Easter is always a busy time on our rivers, especially if the weather is good! We expect the River Thames to be a focal point for a lot of people’s leisure time, whether out in a boat, taking a dip, or just hanging out by the riverside. But we urge parents and guardians to supervise younger children closely in and around water. Teenagers and young adults should be warned of the dangers and to remember some basic safety points when out having fun.

We’d really like people to read and act upon our online water safety advice; it’s so important. There is more advice available online too, produced by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, the Canal and River Trust and others.

One of the main risks is cold-water shock, which can have a dramatic effect on your body, such as causing you to breathe in water, make your muscles weaken, and can even cause your heart to go into abnormal rhythms, ultimately resulting in death. You also have no idea what’s beneath the surface of the water: there could be unseen currents and reeds, which could pull you under.

In an ideal world, no-one would get on or in the river alone, so there would be someone around to help if they did get into any difficulties. Anyone out in any kind of boat should wear a lifejacket, just in case.

As for swimming in the Thames, we’d really rather people didn’t do it unless it’s part of an organised and supervised event. Swimming should be confined to swimming pools and lidos.

3 Regiment Army Air Corps is deploying to the Baltics for three months, with Apache attack helicopters of 663 Squadron taking off from their base at Wattisham Flying Station in Suffolk today.

The Apaches will be working in tandem with the Army’s Wildcat battlefield reconnaissance helicopters to provide valuable training opportunities to NATO allies on Estonia’s annual Exercise Spring Storm and to the UK-led battlegroup deployed on NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence (eFP).

Before the Apaches departed from Wattisham, the Defence Secretary spoke with the soldiers who fly and maintain the aircraft to understand more about its capabilities and their mission.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

The first deployment of Apache helicopters to Estonia underlines our position at the forefront of NATO. This is a world class machine operated by world class Army aviators and this deployment demonstrates our unwavering commitment to NATO’s collective defence.

The helicopter deployment will boost the UK’s presence in the Baltics – known as Operation CABRIT – to around 1,000 personnel, making the UK the largest contributor to eFP. The Wildcat’s surveillance ability combined with the Apache’s sensors and weaponry will be a step change in troops’ capabilities to detect, track and engage targets during the exercises they participate in.

Major Dave Lambert, Officer Commanding 663 Sqn, said:

The deployment to Estonia is a fantastic opportunity for the Squadron to challenge itself. It will test how we deploy and operate overseas, develop our operational partnership with the Wildcat and our ability to work alongside our NATO allies. Everyone in the Squadron – from ground crew to pilots – has worked hard to prepare for Estonia, and we’re looking forward to establishing ourselves in theatre and contributing to NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence.

Following a pollution incident in summer 2015, a Stoke-on-Trent company has donated £150k to help restore a river.