GBAC Ltd

Yesterday, our team swapped emails for arrows, meetings for medals, and our desks for a day of friendly competition at our annual Team Reward Day... and the weather definitely got the memo! ☀️ We spent the day at Hazlewood Castle, where the brilliant team at Live For Today put us through our paces with an old-school sports day, archery, crossbow shooting, and the aptly named Last Bomb Standing challenge. Safe to say, there were plenty of laughs, a little healthy rivalry, and a few surprisingly competitive teammates! It turns out we've got some hidden talent in the team too! A special mention goes to Baillie Bennett, whose incredible shot managed to split an arrow during the crossbow challenge. We're not convinced he could do it twice... but it was impressive all the same! 🎯 Days like these are a great reminder of the importance of stepping away from our desks, spending time together, and celebrating the hard work our team puts in throughout the year. We've got plenty more social events to look forward to before the year is out, but we're already looking forward to planning next year's Team Reward Day!

On Tuesday, we were excited and pleased to welcome UK SME Commissioner Emma Jones and the SME Safari team to gbac in Barnsley. It was a great chance to talk openly about what life is really like for SMEs — the businesses that do so much to drive jobs, growth, innovation and local economies across the UK. Yes, we know the stats – good to hear them again… if you missed this, SMEs contribute three fifths of UK employment (c16.9 million employees) and around one half of UK revenue. SMEs are resilient, ambitious, and innovative, but there are still plenty of challenges to tackle. We covered lots of ground, including: ·        Access to funding for start-ups, for expansion and for succession planning ·        Better support for innovation, grants and R&D ·        The right trading infrastructure, including (for SMEs in Barnsley) the exciting opportunity around Barnsley Tech Town ·        Practical, well-thought-through HR and legislative changes ·        A tax environment that properly supports businesses and entrepreneurs ·        The Small Business Protections Bill – aimed at combatting late payments and help to improve cash flow for SMEs ·        The opportunities and challenges around AI and automation ·        Making sure legislation actually achieves what it sets out to do What stood out most was how genuinely interested the team were in listening, understanding the issues and thinking about what could be done better. A big thank you to Emma Jones and to her colleagues in the SME Safari team for taking the time to visit, listen and have such a constructive conversation. Thank you also to Tracey Johnson and Ben Hawley for helping make the visit happen. And of course well done team gbac: Marie Lang, Emma Dawson, Victoria Davies and Louise Wroe. There is lots more to say — and plenty still to do — but it was brilliant to be part of such a positive and practical conversation about the future of SMEs.

🚘 Do you use your own car for business journeys? 🚘 If so, it’s worth checking that you’re making the most of the mileage allowance available to you. For business miles driven in your own car, the approved mileage rates allow you to receive or claim: - 55p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles in the tax year - 25p per mile for each business mile after that These rates apply regardless of fuel type, including electric cars. The increase to 55p per mile was announced on 21 May 2026 and applies retrospectively from 6 April 2026, meaning eligible mileage from the start of the 2026/27 tax year can be considered under the new rate. For the self-employed, using mileage rates can also be a simpler way to work out business travel costs, rather than calculating the business proportion of the vehicle’s full running costs. With motoring costs having risen significantly since the rates were first set, the mileage allowance remains an important area to keep an eye on. As always, good records are key — keep a clear log of your business mileage, dates, destinations and reasons for travel. If you’re unsure what you can claim, it’s worth getting advice before submitting your figures. #BusinessMileage #TaxTips #SelfEmployed #SmallBusinessUK

🏃♂️ On Sunday 28th June gbac's very own Marie Lang will be taking on the Barnsley 10K in support of Base71 Youth Zone! By lacing up her running shoes and tackling this fantastic event, Marie is helping raise vital funds to support the incredible work Base71 Youth Zone does for young people in our local community. Every mile run and every pound donated makes a difference. If you'd like to support Marie and help the team reach their fundraising target, donations can be made via the JustGiving page below: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eUUrQezT Thank you to everyone who has supported the fundraising effort so far, and everyone at gbac wishes Marie Lang and the wider team supporting Base71 the best of luck on race day! 🏃♂️ #Barnsley10K #Fundraising #CommunitySupport

🌺 International Women’s Day is a reminder of the incredible women who shape GBAC. 🌺 We’re proud to now have four female directors — Marie Lang and Corinna Humphries are joined by Emma Dawson and Victoria Davies — whose leadership and care strengthen everything we do. Today we celebrate them, and our ongoing commitment to opportunity, equality, and helping everyone at GBAC thrive. #InternationalWomensDay2026

What a great piece of artwork that has recently been displayed between Barnsley interchange and the railway station. It’s a great way to break down the stigma surrounding mental health and encourage our younger generation to open up those conversations. A massive well done to the team at Barnsley Civic - Barnsley Civic Enterprise LTD for their involvement with this project 👏🏻 More great work carried out in our local area! ⭐️ #Barnsleyisbrill https://lnkd.in/evqUnNhF

🎅 Only 13 more sleeps until the big guy arrives and we're all hard at work getting ready for the Christmas break. At gbac we've already had a visit from Santa's chief accountant / mischievous elf.... Ledger Claus (yes that's the best we could come up with 😆) Ledger Claus has been up to all sorts of mischief since he arrived on the 1st December and apparently, we have a few team members on the naughty list?! Let's see if he can spread some Christmas cheer and put them back on the nice list. 😅🎄

🧧 The eagerly awaited Autumn Budget was announced earlier today as Rachel Reeves laid out Labour’s road map to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, invest in our public services and manage the UK’s spending. It did little to offer comfort to small business’ tackling the rise in costs and whilst there is a lot to digest from today’s update, here are a few key takeaways: ·        Income tax & National Insurance thresholds frozen until 2030 ·        Higher taxes on “asset income” – savings interest, dividends and property (rental) income will face increased rates. ·        New £2,000 annual cap on tax-free pension “salary sacrifice” schemes ·        Minimum wage increases to £12.71/hr ·        State pension rises and energy bill reductions If you’ve listened to today’s Budget and are considering how these changes could impact your business and future planning, our team are on hand to help you with any questions you have. 🧠

🎄 We’re proud to be supporting The Barnsley College Food Parcel Project, helping to create food parcels for over 400 students who need a little extra support over the Christmas break. 🎄 Alongside making our own donation, gbac will be acting as a drop-off point for anyone local who’d like to get involved and give something back. Every contribution, big or small, really will make a difference — and both we and the College would be incredibly grateful for your support. If any of our clients local to gbac would like to donate, we’re collecting non-perishable items such as rice, tinned soup, pasta, noodles, cereal, cereal bars, tea, coffee, long-life milk, sweets, biscuits, and selection boxes. 🍪☕🎁 Please drop your donations off with us by Thursday 4th December so they can reach students in time for Christmas. Thank you ❤️ #CommunitySupport #BarnsleyisBrill #ChristmasGiving