Latest news with #Tomasz
West Australian
25-05-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Low-deposit home loans support first-time buyers across WA
With the rising cost of living, a strong property market and high deposit requirements, homeownership feels out of reach for many. But for thousands of Western Australians, Keystart has offered an alternative way in. Since 1989, Keystart has helped more than 124,000 Western Australians get their foot on the property ladder by lowering the barriers to homeownership. One of the biggest challenges for first homebuyers is saving for a deposit. Keystart's low-deposit home loan enables more people to get started on their homeownership journey sooner, as it takes significantly less time to save for a deposit compared to traditional lenders. 'All Keystart home loans have lower entry costs with a two per cent deposit requirement and no lenders mortgage insurance, saving our customers thousands,' Keystart CEO Mark Tomasz said. 'With our low deposit, it may not take you very long to save the required amount, helping you get into your own home sooner.' With Keystart, you can choose to build new, or buy an established or newly built home. Whether it is a house, a unit or an apartment, you can choose what best suits your needs. As a transitional lender, Keystart's goal is to help you get started, not to be your lender for life. Once you have built up enough equity in your property, it encourages you to move to another lender who may offer lower interest rates and other benefits. With loan products designed to respond to market conditions, Keystart continues to support people across metropolitan and regional WA. Not everyone is eligible for a Keystart loan – to ensure Keystart helps those who need it, there are certain criteria, including maximum property price and income limits. Keystart's current property price limit on its Low Deposit Home Loan is $730,000. The income limit for singles is currently $148,000, with a family income limit of $218,000 for this loan product. For a Shared Ownership Home Loan, the property price limit is $615,000 with the singles income limit being $123,000 and the family limit set at $189,000. Separate property price limits exist in the Kimberley and Pilbara to reflect their unique property market conditions and higher living costs across the region. The property price limits are reviewed periodically against annualised median house price data sourced from the Real Estate Institute of WA. Income limits reflect the income required to service the property price limits. 'We're passionate about creating more opportunities to help people enter the property market sooner,' Mr Tomasz said. 'We're here to support you through your journey. 'Whether you're using our guides and resources, engaging with our financial coaching service or tracking your loan progress with our app, we'll set you up for homeownership success.' Keystart provides an affordable pathway into homeownership for more Western Australians with low entry cost loans, including two per cent deposits and no lenders mortgage insurance.
BBC News
17-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Firefighter to appear on his eighth reality TV show
"The reason I started applying for TV shows was down to my dad - he was inspiring me all of the time."Tomasz Wisniewski's father was his idol, a lover of all things entertainment, he was a professional dancer from Poland and told his son to "live life to the fullest". Before Tomasz took up his current role as a firefighter in Nottingham, he appeared on several reality TV shows. He decided to step away because he "did not want this anymore", in part due to the death of his parents while living in the UK. But after 10 years away, he has temporarily swapped the heat of his day job for the scorching temperatures of the Malaysian rainforest in Channel 4's Tempting in Wadowice, Poland, Tomasz came over to the UK aged 20 in 2005 and "didn't speak a word of English". He came to Nottingham with his father, who he worked alongside in Turkey as a performer in hotels. The plan was to stay for three months but that soon changed. He said he always wanted to live in the UK due to his "love of the Spice Girls" as a child. "I fell in love with the UK when I got here and I decided to stay - it's the best thing that ever happened in my life. "This country has given me so many amazing opportunities, I am so grateful to everyone here."After working various jobs, he learned the language and "immersed himself" in the culture - including the country's love of reality TV. Tomasz, now 40, said he "doesn't take himself too seriously" and applied for a variety of shows. His larger-than-life personality and hairstyle caught the eye of producers. His resumé includes Channel 4's Come Dine With Me, Total Wipeout, to which Tomazs eagerly points out he won, as well as a stint on BBC shows So You Think You Can Dance and Snog, Marry Avoid?His first appearance was on So You Think You Can Dance? and it became quite clear he was "not talented" and was the show's "joke". "It's funny looking back now... I honestly thought I could actually dance," he said."The reason I actually started applying for TV shows was down to my dad - he was inspiring me all of the time."He told me I would work in the entertainment industry and I would have so much to offer to other people - he told me to live life to the fullest."Do what you enjoy in life, I just threw myself into everything because life is too short to be boring. You don't know what is behind the next door." Tomazs said this outlook on life came from his father and mother passing away from cancer before they both reached the age of described them as his "best friends". "If I have 10 years left of being crazy then I will take it," he spent five years in London working in the Hippodrome Casino in Leicester Square but felt he "needed something more from life" and left TV behind career switch took him away from the glitz and the glamour of casino high-rollers to HMP Pentonville in north London. He worked as a prison officer before he moved back to Nottingham to care for his father after he had been diagnosed with his caring duties, he transferred to HMP Nottingham in 2017."I loved it there, it was an incredible job. I felt I could really help people," he then joined Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service as a firefighter in 2019. On his decade-long break from TV, he said: "Losing my parents was a massive factor in my life at that point. "I needed to focus on something else, it was a breakdown for me, I needed to withdraw from this happy world."Tomasz, who is still with the fire service in a job he "absolutely loves", was contacted by a friend in London to apply for the reality TV Fortune consists of 12 strangers spending three weeks in "paradise". They will arrive with basic survival gear and in order to win the prize they will have to resist the temptation to spend any of the prize money. "I was quite happy not to do anything like that again and I wouldn't have applied but my best friend said the show was made for me," he making it through several auditions, Tomasz touched down in the Malaysian jungle alongside his fellow contestants. He described the show as a "holiday" to start with but that quickly changed."The pressure does get intense and when there's big personalities. I include myself in that, it really ramps up." "It was brutal, it was extreme but it was such good fun. I couldn't get the fire going which was ironic with me being a firefighter."The first episode of the new series of Tempting Fortune was broadcast at 21:00 GMT on Sunday.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Southampton HGV driver takes on London Marathon for cause close to his heart
A Southampton HGV driver is set to tackle the London Marathon for a cause close to his heart. Tomasz Kowalski, 45, who works for Evri, will be testing his endurance this April to support disability equality. His marathon effort will contribute to his fundraising for Scope, a prominent disability charity. READ: Tomasz has been with the parcel delivery firm for 13 years and was motivated to run as part of his personal fitness journey and love for unique challenges. He has previously completed a 24-hour dance marathon and holds the title of Poland's Fastest Computer Builder. As part of his preparation, Tomasz follows a rigorous training regimen, running four times and working out in the gym three times each week to build endurance and strength. He said: "The marathon felt like a great goal. READ: "It will be another incredible experience to tick off my list, and if I can apply what I'm already doing to help others, it's a win-win." However, this marathon endeavour isn't just about personal achievement, as Tomasz is also raising funds to support Scope's mission of creating a more inclusive society. The charity strives to improve access and opportunities for disabled individuals to provide them with the same life chances as everyone else. READ: Since starting his fundraising campaign, Tomasz has raised more than £1,000 towards his £2,000 goal. "I'm hoping my Evri community will help me reach the target – even small donations make a big difference," he added. To support Tomasz's fundraising efforts, visit His marathon challenge reflects Evri's long-term commitment to accessibility and disability inclusion. READ: Through their partnership with Scope, the parcel delivery company aims to make the logistics industry more accessible, including improving courier and customer experiences for disabled individuals. As part of this initiative, Evri pledged £125,000 in donations in the first year alone and has now reached a £150,000 milestone for Scope since the start of the partnership. With the marathon day approaching, Tomasz remains determined. His advice for anyone considering a challenge like this is: "Don't be afraid, go out and run."
