Latest news with #Farrington
BBC News
30-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Work begins on £3m refurbishment of Hilltop school
Work has begun on a £3m project to transform a school for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).Cramped and outdated classrooms at Hilltop School in Maltby, Rotherham, will be replaced with spacious and accessible facilities as part of the project, with more than 50 contractors working for free on the school, which provides specialist education for children with complex needs aged between two and 19, will remain open throughout the refurbishment work. Charlotte Farrington, founder of Yorkshire Children's Charity, which is co-ordinating the work, said it was "a life-changing project for the children and families" at the school. Half of state-funded schools in England for children with special educational needs and disabilities are oversubscribed, BBC research found in 2011, Hilltop School had just over 80 children enrolled, but that number is now more than 180, according to the Nexus Multi Academy Trust that runs it said the 1970s building did not have the space or features to properly accommodate their needs and that the school could not previously afford to update its facilities. Yorkshire Children's Charity works with SEND schools across the region, but Ms Farrington said Hilltop School was "without question, the worst I've ever been into"."I remember coming in to visit the first time, I cried all the way home from Rotherham to Leeds out of frustration - our most vulnerable children were having to make do with such poor facilities," she called it a "pressure cooker" for staff and students. As part of its transformation, new classrooms and a centre for trampoline therapy will be Sam MacDonald said he was excited to have a designated space for the school's trampolines, as using them led to "higher engagement, higher interaction, and more alertness" amongst added they also gave "massive access to the wider world" to children with physical school's ventilation system will also be Farrington said: "Outside of home and hospital, school for many of these children is all that they know, and we really have to question what kind of society we live in if we are not putting their needs first and foremost." Lee Powell, managing director of Henry Boot Construction, one of the contractors working on the project, said: "We're quite a competitive bunch in the construction and property industry."We're competing against each other for works and contracts, but for us all to join forces and do this here, it's quite rewarding."He said he was impressed by how "upbeat" the school's students and staff were despite the "run down" work is expected to be complete by September 2026. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds or catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Irish Independent
26-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
A third of companies are looking to scale back on work-from-home option, despite its popularity with employees, survey finds
That's according to the 2025 Benefits Trends Survey carried out by WTW, a multinational insurance broker. Orlagh Farrington, head of health and benefits at WTW in Ireland, said the one-third figure was a slight decline on the previous year, adding employers are looking to balance their needs with employee expectations. 'Nearly half of Irish jobseekers say they would turn down a role that doesn't offer hybrid or remote options,' she said. 'This puts employers in a challenging position: while some are eager to bring teams back onsite, they risk losing out on top talent if flexibility is reduced too aggressively.' The survey also found that rising benefit costs were a top issue, with 61pc of employers saying it was influencing benefit strategies. Healthcare benefits was identified as the most prevalent cost, with 41pc saying this was the most challenging to implement. Farrington said Irish employers were 'under increasing pressure to do more with less'. 'Most employers have indicated that rising budget pressures and increasing benefit costs are limiting their ability to enhance or expand their benefits offerings,' she added. "Unlike in previous years, when benefit enhancements were more common, employers are now focused on maintaining current benefit levels in a cost-neutral way.' So far, she had not seen widespread cuts to benefits. WTW's survey included 41 Irish employers, representing over 41,000 employees.
CNET
29-05-2025
- Business
- CNET
SAVE Student Loan Borrowers Likely Won't Make Payments This Year, but Should Do This One Thing Now
Pla2na/Getty Images/CNET It's been a trying year for anyone enrolled in the Saving on a Valuable Education student loan repayment plan. There's been a barrage of student loan updates in 2025: proposed changes to Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility, an effort to restart collections on defaulted student loan accounts and a new Republican-fronted bill seeking to change existing income-driven repayment plan options. But the biggest news for most borrowers has been the court ruling blocking the SAVE repayment plan for 8 million borrowers. However, since that news, very little has been shared about what's next for SAVE borrowers. Currently, your loan payments remain paused in a general forbearance and your balance isn't collecting interest. That also means you're not making progress toward a loan forgiveness program like PSLF during the payment pause. While you can choose to switch to an alternative repayment plan, most experts suggest sticking with SAVE, and doing this one thing ahead of payments resuming. Here's what you need to know about when payments will restart for SAVE borrowers, how to choose a different income-driven repayment plan and what experts say you should do during this downtime. Read more: How Much Could Student Loan Payments Skyrocket for SAVE Borrowers? We Did the Math When will payments restart for student loan borrowers in SAVE? It's not clear when payments will start again for borrowers on the SAVE plan but it's looking like the end of this year would be the earliest timeframe. The Department of Education's website says SAVE plan borrowers will stay in a general forbearance until at least the fall. It also directed loan servicers to adjust the income recertification deadline to no earlier than Feb. 1, 2026. Robert Farrington, student loan expert and founder of The College Investor, expects the general forbearance to last even longer. "Borrowers will likely see the SAVE forbearance end in mid-to-late 2026," says Farrington. "Many borrowers are already reporting the end date of their forbearance moving to September 2026." Should PSLF borrowers in SAVE switch to another repayment plan? If you're a teacher, nurse or other public servant pursuing PSLF, you may be worried that the payment pause is not counting toward your 120-payment requirement. That leaves you with three options. First, you could switch from SAVE to another income-driven repayment plan (ICR, IBR or PAYE). That way, your payments will count toward PSLF's 120-payment requirement. Alternatively, if you would have hit 120 months of on-time payments if not for the pause, you can apply for the PSLF Buyback program to get credit for your time in forbearance. "This program [allows borrowers] to make a lump-sum payment for any months spent in administrative forbearance under SAVE, ensuring those months count towards PSLF," explains Megan Walter, NASFAA senior policy analyst. The downside of these first two options is that borrowers have been reporting processing delays. So don't expect a fast response. Last, if you've recently enrolled in PSLF or are not close to receiving forgiveness, you might prefer to wait until you're moved into a new payment plan. Yes, your months in forbearance won't count toward your 120-payment goal, but this could give you time to start saving for a potentially higher student loan payment. Whether you decide to change plans now or wait, make sure your decisions align with your financial goals. With SAVE no longer an option, it's important to understand all your avenues for paying back your student loans. What should SAVE borrowers do now? That doesn't mean you should sit back and do nothing, though. Take this time to prepare for the likelihood that your payments will increase in the future. You can use the Federal Student Aid's Loan Simulator tool to help calculate how much your monthly payment will be under different payment plans. While your payments are paused, you won't have to worry about your account being moved to collections. Although borrowers with defaulted loans are once again subject to collections, including wage garnishment, those enrolled in the SAVE plan don't have to worry about those consequences for now. Use this time to improve your finances, suggested Farrington. "This is a great time to pay off other debts (including private loans), build an emergency fund, contribute to an IRA and more." If you have the wiggle room in your budget, start paying yourself each month the same amount you'd pay your student loan servicer. Put this money into a high-yield savings account to earn a little extra interest on your savings.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Delray Beach's Spady Museum founder Vera Farrington was a force of nature
I have only known two women, now deceased, who were forces of nature. One was my mother, Mrs. Mary Belle Murray, who raised six children and was the neighborhood organizer. Sick, shut-in, hungry? Our house was Grand Central Station for neighbors too sick to fend for themselves. We provided food, laundry services, and companionship to those in need. Our father quietly shook his head and delivered the assigned meals. I can still hear the sound of her slippers in the Murray house. I miss her voice, her care, her love, and her home cooking. She taught me to live life without limits. The other is Mrs. Vera Farrington, the founder of the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum in Delray Beach. Although Mother's Day has passed, it marks my first without her. To call her a force of nature does her inadequate justice. She breathed an entire museum and restored the significance of a historic part of the city into existence. Spady Museum a cultural fixture: Finding Black history in Palm Beach County is daunting, but rewarding After her retirement from the Palm Beach County Schools, Mrs. Farrington volunteered at the Delray Beach Historic Society in the 1990s. She noticed the archives did not include the history of the earliest settlers after the Native Americans. Black settlers who migrated from Georgia and the Bahamas into the city were absent from the archival history. It didn't take long for her to begin working to correct that error. Mrs. Farrington recognized the historic significance of the West Atlantic Avenue area, specifically the old 5th Avenue business district and the homes along Second Street. She urged city and Community Redevelopment Agency officials to canvass the area, researching the historic homes and structures to give the West Settlers community a historic designation. That work led to neighborhood improvements, like resurfacing streets, alleys and ultimately to rehabbing the home of Dr. Solomon Spady, an African American teacher and principal who came to the area in 1922 on the recommendation of the noted agricultural scientist and educator, Dr. George Washington Carver. The Spady dwelling stood in disrepair for many years. Mrs. Farrington had a dream of turning it into a museum and neighborhood cultural center, and she made it a reality. The Spady Cultural Heritage Museum opened in 2001. I admired her so much. She was quiet, and you could see she was serious. I am so glad that she received her accolades before she died earlier this year. As you remember your own mothers, as I do, and people like Mrs. Farrington, you realize how so many people in our lives shape us. My list is long in Delray Beach — Mrs. Hattie Ruth Pompey, Mrs. Addie Hudson, Mrs. Libby Wesley, and Mrs. Nadine Hart. My life was made so much better because of them. They taught me to be fearless. Rest well in heaven, all of you. We will carry on your legacies as fearless as you were. Rosalind L. Murray was Delray Beach CRA's manager for West Atlantic Ave., which included the West Settlers Historic District. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Spady Museum founder, an amazing woman and a force of nature | Opinion
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Farrington, named after a Hawaiʻi governor
HONOLULU (KHON2) — In the ahupuaʻa of Waikīkī, which lies in the moku of Kona here on Oʻahu, stands a roadway named for a past Governor of Hawaiʻi. We are speaking of Farrington St. Dillingham Blvd named after an industrialist Wallace Rider Farrington was born in 1871 in Maine and became a newspaper reporter following his public education. In 1894, he came to Hawaii and became an Editor for the Pacific Commercial Advertiser, which has evolved into today's Honolulu Star-Advertiser. After two years, he went back to America only to return to the islands the year of Hawaiʻi's annexation. Farrington continued his career with another newspaper company, becoming the VP and General Business Manager of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. He held these positions until his appointment as the sixth Governor of the Territory of Hawaiʻi, serving two Rider Farrington is given credit for a high degree of prosperity for the Territory of Hawaiʻi. From helping to form the Republican party to leading the Honolulu Chamber of Commerce to being a key figure in establishing higher education, Farrington's legacies continue. Since the mid-1800s, the establishment of a college in the Hawaiian Islands was discussed but failed to materialize. Farrington, with his enthusiasm and efforts, made way for the 1907 Legislature to pass and Governor to sign Act 24. This created the College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, which originally began near in Honolulu near Thomas Square. In 1912, it was renamed College of Hawaiʻi, then in 1920, the University of Hawaiʻi, and in 1972, finally became the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, which continues today. Check out more news from around Hawaii Farrington High School is the home of the Governors, named in honor of Governor Wallace Farrington who passed away in 1933, the same year it opened. Did you know? Now you do! Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
