Latest news with #MillwallFC
Business Mayor
12-05-2025
- Business Mayor
How to stay in the world's most expensive cities for free according to the woman who's visited 90 countries
AN AUSTRALIAN has visited over 90 countries, yet for several of her holidays she didn't spend a penny on accommodation and experienced destinations better than most tourists. Kiera Bourke from Newcastle , Australia, and her partner, Nathan, have experienced some amazing destinations through years of flying, backpacking and exploring the world. 10 Kiera and Nathan have been to many destinations and not paid a penny on accomodation Credit: Keira Bourke 10 They have been able to do this via pet sitting, whilst owners go away Credit: Newy Tours But the savvy traveller has also managed to find a way of seeing new places, without paying for accommodation – and actually having a better holiday for it. Kiera said: 'We've visited like 90 countries and all seven world wonders. 'We were looking after people's pets , in their homes , around the world. 'We didn't take any payment, but in return we would get these great places to stay, with great animals as company. 'It helped us to see more local parts of the world and the local way of experiencing places, that we may not have had access to otherwise.' Since, the 33-year-old has told other people about her experiences and how it is a great way to save money 'but also experience things more authentically'. Over the past years, using Trusted House Sitters, Kiera and Nathan has been to Glasgow with a German Shepherd, stayed with a Rottweiler on Vancouver Island in Canada and mostly carried, a French Bulldog around New York City. But it is not just dogs the couple have sat, they have also stayed with cats including in London. 'We did a cat sit in Wimbledon with a lovely lady, whose cat came and go as it pleased. 'We almost felt guilty because we had so much free time. The Sun's Travel Editor Lisa Minot shares her favourite destination dupes 'We would walk around and see cafes, chat with locals, write and even see how the subway (tube) connected into the area. 'It was definitely a more original way of seeing the city, rather than hopping into the very centre of London – which is still a cool experience, but once you have ticked off the typical tourist spots they are done. 'We even wet to a Millwall FC game.' As for her favourite place, that was also in the UK. 'I think my favourite sit was probably in Scotland, in Glasgow. 10 Destinations they have pet sat in include New York and Glasgow Credit: Keira Bourke 10 Glasgow was even Keira's favourite destination Credit: Keira Bourke 'We had a car and we were looking after a German Shepherd named Lola and she was a gorgeous dog. 'So we were really lucky that because she was so athletic, we could drive two hours into the countryside and go for mountain hikes with her during the day.' Lola went with the couple everywhere, even down to a creek on the hottest day of the year. 'We would keep the owners updated and it was funny, because we sent pictures of Lola when we were hiking, and her owners said she'd now seen more of Scotland than they had. 'I'd been to Scotland before, but not to Glasgow and being able to explore the regions, hike and see nature was absolutely beautiful.' 10 They have also sat other animals including cats Credit: Keira Bourke 10 Many of the times they explore, they would take the dog they were sitting with them Credit: Keira Bourke 10 It means the duo save thousands on hotels Credit: Keira Bourke Replacing hotels with peoples homes meant that Nathan and Keira could cook their own food and have space to spread out – as well as save thousands. Read More Why Croyde is riding the crest of a wave Keira added how in a lot of the destinations she pet sat, owners would leave a basket of goodies, or perhaps bake a cake or stock the fridge up. In return, her and Nathan would try and leave some Australian goodies. 'Slowing down and experiencing the local way of life around the world was something that was a novelty to us when we travelled before [pet sitting].' And when it comes to perhaps weird or hard situations, the couple have been fortunate enough to not experience any. Keira admitted: 'Sometimes an animals' quirkiness is quite funny.' The duo were so inspired by travelling locally, that when they returned to Australia they set up their own tour company, Newy Tours. 10 Some owners even leave treats out for sitters Credit: Keira Bourke 10 The couple have been fortunate to not have had any bad experiences Credit: Keira Bourke 'We found that the days we got the most out of a travel experiences, were not when we were at the middle of tourist hotspots but actually when we were experiencing the local way of life.' By fostering good relationships with locals, Keira and Nathan have created tours that allow visitors from the people who live there. People get to meet the creators and hear stories straight from owners – offering a different experience to much of the tourist draws in Sydney, only two hours away. There is also a man who has travelled to every country in the world and claims there are four things the UK does better than anywhere else. Plus, the clever way you can get a holiday abroad for free.
The Guardian
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Nepo babies should be doing stuff like this': are rich people ruining or reviving club culture?
Nestled between Millwall FC stadium and an intersection of south London railway lines, the 350-capacity Venue MOT – once an actual MOT garage – is a cornerstone of the city's underground music scene. But every Tuesday, owner Jan Mohammed gathers his staff at the bar and tells them how much money it has lost since the weekend. Mohammed, a sculptor, started renting a nearby space to use as a studio more than a decade ago. With no residential neighbours and relatively low costs, he opened Venue MOT in 2018 based on simple intuition: 'I thought music could thrive here,' he says. Despite the losses and Mohammed calling his operation a 'comedy of errors', it does. Time Out recently labelled Venue MOT the best nightclub in London and Jamie xx called it 'one of the last places in London that feels genuinely free and DIY' after his 10-night residency last year with guests including Charli xcx and Daphni. Mohammed describes the club's atmosphere as 'DDS' – deep, dark and sweaty. Indomitable characters like him are the lifeblood of a financially unstable scene that must constantly adapt to licensing rules and urban redevelopment. But there is another side to London's underground clubland: numerous promoters, including some who organise events in nightclubs such as Venue MOT, are from very wealthy backgrounds. Some of London's most successful and longstanding dance brands were set up by highly privileged individuals: Krankbrother, known for its parties in Finsbury Park with headliners including Four Tet and Solomun, is run by Danny and Kieran Clancy, the sons of the late construction magnate Dermot Clancy. Blaise Bellville, founder of dance music livestreamers Boiler Room is English gentry: the Marlborough College-educated son of Lady Lucinda Wallop (though he has said he 'didn't have any money' growing up). Today, newer ventures include Figura, an ambitious new project founded last year and funded by Tetra Pak heir Magnus Rausing, and one of the latest people to hire out Venue MOT is Ollie Ashley, the son of billionaire Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley. Ollie Ashley's last venture, the loss-making London-based online radio station Radar Radio, stopped operating in 2018 amid a storm of allegations including sexual harassment by station staff – Ashley himself wasn't accused, but he did preside over a dysfunctional working environment and a station accused of cultural appropriation. (In a company statement at the time, Radar said 'we don't agree with all the opinions' made in the allegations, but said it was 'capable of making mistakes' and apologised 'to anybody who has felt unsafe or discriminated against'.) Ashley didn't comment further, and has kept a fairly low profile since. But last year he launched a new club night, Virus, and his Venue MOT-hosted lineup in February included big names such as Hudson Mohawke, the night after he supported Justice at Alexandra Palace. Some in the scene fear that monied promoters will pay over the odds for star DJs like these, leading to over-inflated markets that end up making the overall scene less sustainable. 'If there's more money, things get frothy, things become unreal, and it takes a long time for them to settle down afterwards,' says DJ, producer and promoter Rob Venning, who started putting on events in his home of Watford in 2013, and only made his first significant profit last year. 'On a number of occasions, I didn't break even,' he says, and had to make up the difference with his own savings. It's made harder by the fact that clubbing, though an important part of British cultural life, is rarely supported by the kind of philanthropy that often props up visual art, theatre, opera or dance, nor does it tend to receive public funding. The cost of living crisis also hits clubs from both sides: their costs increase and their audience's propensity to go out goes down. 'You expect young people to go out, but how many have the money and how often can they do it?' asks Mohammed. All of this contributes to an environment where those investing personal wealth can go a long way. It's opened up a debate in the scene: are people like Ashley and Rausing buying their way into a grassroots culture? Or are they a new generation of arts patrons that could bring exciting opportunities? When I meet Ashley outside of the Virus headquarters in east London, I expect him to be terse and tight-lipped, but he's friendly and candid. Tattooed on one of his arms is a black circle, covering up what was once the Radar Radio logo. On the other is a black square. It was a tattoo of underground dance label Night Slugs' logo, he tells me, until he and label founder Bok Bok fell out. The latter wrote under a recent post on Virus's Instagram: 'That billionaire money at work again'. Virus is in the same building that once housed Radar, which now contains a number of recording studios that Ashley offers artists without payment, with recent guests including Skepta and Fred Again. Most artists who perform at Virus do so in exchange for studio time – so Ashley may not be driving up DJ fees, but this is a resource that very few others can offer. Despite his advantage over other promoters, Ashley says he wants to avoid going up against them: 'We're not trying to compete or discourage other promoters. That's why we normally do pop-ups on odd days in the week like Tuesdays or Wednesdays and tend to announce events at the last minute.' Before Radar, Ashley worked at London radio stations Rinse FM and NTS and flyered for the legendary, now-defunct dubstep night FWD>>. He presents himself as an enthusiast who is proud to be funding this scene. 'The whole nepo baby set should be doing stuff like this,' he says. 'We should be putting our money and resources into things we're passionate about and that make people happy.' He's under no illusion about his privilege, but says he wants to use it to build something that 'inspires young people to learn how to DJ, make music, throw a party, the same way parties like FWD>> did for me when I was 18'. He's also hosted promoters including Manchester-based Genesys and Evian Christ's Trance Party in his studios. 'We're actively trying to build community between promoters,' he says. DJ and producer I Jordan cancelled their Radar show in 2018. 'We all benefited so much from it,' they say, 'but at the same time there was this general lack of accountability and responsibility that often happens when people that come from wealth don't think about the consequences of their actions.' (For his part, Ashley says he had 'never run a company before, which isn't an excuse. I was really trying my best, but I let people down. I've learned so much from it and if I could do it again I'd do nearly all of it differently.') For Jordan, the unequal clubbing economy is part of a wider problem: 'We all exist under exploitative, unethical capitalism.' They and their agent have to make a case-by-case decision on who to work with and what fee to take. Recently, they took a well-paid gig and spent the money on gender-affirming surgery; it wouldn't be fair to ask DJs like Jordan to routinely resist the draw of wealthy bookers. But it's worth asking, as Jordan does, 'how can we redistribute that wealth or use that wealth in good ways?' Cyndi Anafo, who organises events with her husband Chris Ellis as the Handson Family, is happy to be a channel for wealth redistribution. For seven years, she's been running free-to-attend events at Brixton Market, funded by its owner, property developer Taylor McWilliams. She's glad to spend his money on organising nights that platform Black artists and pay them well, and believes that they give McWilliams something in return. 'Wealthy people are currently on the back foot when it comes to their brand identity,' she says. 'They want to make money – but their brands want to align with the good side.' So dance music can allow the rich to buy their way into a certain community, giving them cultural cachet. That's not a deal that Rausing, the Tetra Pak heir who funds Figura, seems interested in making: 'I don't like loud music and I like being in bed early,' he says. But he knows enough about London's nightlife to believe that there's room for improvement. 'I just want there to be a better experience out there. And for it to be just that, an experience. A place for people to get lost in the music, the production, and the people around.' He wants his financial support to allow Figura 'to be a celebration of art, and nothing else'. This simple goal can be difficult for poorly funded promoters to achieve. Venning started his Watford events because he wanted to platform artists who might not be heard otherwise, but as his nights have grown to demand more of his time and money, he's tempted to be more conservative in who he books, 'and it's an impulse I have to work against'. No such problem for Figura's founder and chief executive, John Becker, who started his career at Berlin club Tresor before consulting for nightlife brands such as Boneca and Unleash. Back then, he repeatedly booked the same artists who he knew would do well. With Figura, Rausing's support reduces the immediate financial pressure on the project, and gives Becker the freedom to programme more experimental events: next month's Seeing in Dreams will have boundary-pushing musicians including Andy Stott, Crystallmess and the Sun Ra Arkestra. Becker denies overpaying artists or competing unfairly with other promoters. He wants to position Figura not as a competitor but 'a collaborator that tries to enable creative freedom, risk-taking and artist-first programming, rather than an arms race for booking fees'. Rausing's funding, he says, instead allows him to encourage artists to work with them on less commercial projects and gigs. 'We can take a bit more of a risk than others,' he says, 'and maybe if we don't exactly break even, that's something we can cover'. Figura is also hosting a takeover from Accidental Meetings, a club night by Lucien Calkin, who also works at Venue MOT and runs free-thinking Bristol music festival Saccade. Accidental Meetings started in Brighton, where Calkin spent his student bank account overdraft on organising events. It still uses the same bank account, and when we speak, it's £1,000 in the red. 'You're constantly having to top it up yourself, and that's made me quite skint in the last few years,' Calkin says. 'It has to be a passion project.' It's unfair that grassroots promoters have to dip into modest savings and hope to break even, running events on hard-mode, while their better funded counterparts play a lower-stakes game. In the case of Ashley, his wealth might be seen to have helped him weather controversy. At the same time, the Rausing money that Calkin receives via Figura is useful – many of the best nights struggle to make a profit and it's unrealistic to expect a scene to run solely on the passion that drives him, Mohammed and Venning. When I ask Mohammed and Calkin what the plan is for the next five years, they both laugh. 'I don't know what's going on next week,' Mohammed tells me. 'Because it's so fragile, we've got no fucking clue,' says Calkin.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MyGuava and Millwall FC Announce the Launch of the MyGuava Millwall Reward Card
LONDON, March 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MyGuava, in partnership with Millwall FC, is thrilled to introduce the MyGuava Millwall Reward Card, a card that is designed to enhance the fan experience with exclusive rewards and benefits. This innovative payment card offers Millwall supporters a unique way to engage with their club while earning valuable perks. Cardholders can enjoy up to 7% cashback on purchases, plus automatic entry into exclusive prize draws. For the most devoted fans, 900 limited-edition Millwall cards will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, featuring enhanced cashback rates and special access to exclusive club benefits. "We are excited to bring Millwall fans a unique way to engage with their club while enjoying incredible rewards," says Grant Wyatt, Head of Strategic Partnerships at MyGuava. "Our collaboration with Millwall FC underscores our commitment to enhancing fan experiences through innovative financial products." "We're excited to launch the bespoke MyGuava Millwall reward card. Not only does the platform provide a host of seamless payment and currency transfer options, but with the addition of cashback and some great Millwall rewards, our fans can now be rewarded for their support wherever they are." - Luke Wilson, Chief Commercial Officer at Millwall FC. The MyGuava Millwall Reward Card is available in both virtual and physical formats and is fully compatible with Apple Pay and Google Pay for seamless and secure transactions. Fans can apply for the card via the MyGuava App and start enjoying the benefits. About the MyGuava App The MyGuava App, which is the flagship product of Guavapay, is designed to meet the broad financial needs of users. Users can open accounts in 20 currencies, make seamless local and global payments, and use both virtual and physical debit cards. The app also has significant global reach, with access to 140 countries in more than 90 currencies and there are additional benefits, including discounted gift cards from top brands and tools for enhancing user experience, such as digital skins, spending insights and vaults. To learn more about the MyGuava Millwall Card Reward scheme, please visit the link belowhttps:// About Guavapay Guavapay is a global fintech company with headquarters in London. The company has built a global financial ecosystem to empower individuals and businesses and give them more control over their financial lives. The All Things Payments App, MyGuava and the B2B platform, MyGuava Business, simplify financial services, making them more accessible and affordable for people who have historically been overlooked. The MyGuava Application is operated by Guavapay Limited, a company registered in England with company number 10601900 and its registered address at Salisbury House, 29 Finsbury Circus, London, EC2M 5QQ, United Kingdom. Guavapay Limited is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom as a Small Electronic Money Institution with reference number 900888. Guavapay Limited's ICO registration number is ZA274504. For more information, please visit or contact: Media Contacts PR Manager: Nigar Logo: View original content: Sign in to access your portfolio
