The club is currently struggling in the summer heat, and has launched a new fundraiser to keep its gymnasts safe.

The club, which is based at Grove House Barn near Warkworth in Banbury, launched the fundraiser so it could buy and install four air conditioning units to keep its space cool.

Currently, the club hopes to raise £7,000 through the appeal so it can buy four 10kW air conditioning units and cover all the installation costs.

So far, the club has raised £380.

Karl Wade, director of Wade Gymnastics, said the club has become “increasingly warm” during the summer months due to the rising temperatures.

READ MORE: Thames Water leakage targets are ‘not realistic’ says boss after pay rise

Wade Gymnastics at Grove House Barn in Banbury (Image: Google Maps)

“Despite our best efforts to keep doorways and shutters open, it becomes very uncomfortable for gymnasts to play and train,” Mr Wade said.

He added: “The safety of our gymnasts and coaches is always our utmost priority.

“Unfortunately, the risk of having to close the business during these hot spells is increasing and we need to have more effective ways of keeping everyone cool.

“An air conditioning system would allow the business to stay open during those extreme hot conditions and continue to provide classes for everyone who attends.”

The gym currently delivers classes seven days a week for around 900 people, which range from toddlers to athletes competing at national level.

The gym club was founded more than four decades ago by Ruth Wade and, for the past 20 years it has been based at its current facility.

New data from OpenScore shows families pay an average of £1,615 a week for care based on Care Quality Commission (CQC) ratings nearly five years old.

This means families are basing crucial decisions on information that may not accurately reflect current standards.

Care homes that have not been inspected for more than eight years include Bridge House in Abingdon, Eden House Residential Home in Oxford, Oxford Respite Service in Headington, and Newland House in Witney.

In some cases, care homes have not been inspected for more than nine years, including Mon Choisy Care Home in Kennington, Merryfield House Nursing Home in Witney, and Brook House Residential Care Home.

More concerningly care homes rated ‘requires improvement’ have been left years without reinspection, Cheney House and The Ridings in Banbury last received inspections in 2022, while OSJCT Longlands in Blackbird Leys, Oxford, and the Albany Care Home in Headington were last inspected in 2023.

The previous CQC models for inspection would typically mean care homes rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ would be inspected every 2 to 5 year, meanwhile those rated ‘requires improvement’ should be inspected within 12 month.

READ MORE: Thames Water leakage targets are ‘not realistic’ says boss after pay rise

More concerningly care homes rated ‘requires improvement’ have been left years without reinspection (Image: Radar)

But, a spokesperson for CQC, said the service now priorities where a current risk has been identified but “obviously we don’t want services going too long between inspections either”

They added: “CQC currently uses a risk-based approach to inspections. This means striking a balance between responding to emerging risk, re-inspecting services with aged ratings, and first-time inspections for newly registered services.”

The same survey found 65 per cent of people stop trusting an online review for a restaurant or hotel after just six months, and 89 per cent consider real-time data transparency essential when choosing care for a relative.

Debbie Harris, founder of OpenScore and Autumna, said: “Families in Oxfordshire are making some of the most expensive care decisions in the country, and they deserve to make them on the best available information.

“An inspection result from nearly five years ago does not reflect what a home looks like today.

“OpenScore gives families the current picture they need between official inspections.”

OpenScore is not a replacement for CQC regulation, but provides families with a more current view of daily care home standards.

The platform aggregates more than 65 real-time indicators daily, from safety checks and dining quality to staff training and live resident and visitor feedback, to provide a current picture of a home’s standards regardless of when the last official inspection took place.

KAREN JOY BACUDO

Finance Editor

Taxfix has found that many UK sole traders are changing their business structure or considering a return to salaried work because of Making Tax Digital. The findings suggest the policy is affecting self-employment beyond tax reporting.

According to the tax app company’s data, nearly a quarter of sole traders affected by the rules have already set up, or started setting up, a limited company because of Making Tax Digital. A further 57% said they had considered doing so.

The figures suggest a reform intended to expand digital tax reporting is also shaping decisions about legal structure. For sole traders, incorporation brings a different set of accounting, filing and compliance duties, even if some see it as a way to manage the burden of the new reporting system.

The survey also found that 45% of respondents had considered leaving self-employment and returning to permanent salaried work because of Making Tax Digital. That points to a possible effect on business formation and the size of the self-employed workforce at a time when policymakers remain focused on growth and productivity.

Age appears to influence how people are responding. Among 18 to 24-year-olds, 29% said they had already set up or begun setting up a company at least partly because of Making Tax Digital, compared with 28% of those aged 25 to 34. The share fell to 21% among 35 to 44-year-olds, 20% among 45 to 54-year-olds and 14% among those over 55.

A similar pattern appeared in views on returning to employment. Six in 10 respondents aged 18 to 24 said the tax changes had made them consider going back to salaried work, compared with 48% of those aged 25 to 34, 43% of those aged 35 to 44, 39% of those aged 45 to 54 and 40% of those over 55.

Record keeping

The research indicates that many sole traders are still adjusting to the practical demands of digital record keeping. Four in 10 said they had started keeping digital records but were not confident they were doing it correctly, while 46% said they were using compatible software and felt ready to submit.

That split suggests awareness has improved, but confidence remains uneven as quarterly reporting approaches. For some businesses, the challenge appears to extend beyond software adoption to the wider time and administrative demands of staying compliant.

The survey found signs that the changes are already affecting day-to-day business decisions. While 39% said they felt more on top of their finances, 29% said they had become more cautious about taking on new work, 25% said they had raised or planned to raise prices to cover the extra administration, and 19% said they had delayed plans to grow or invest.

The figures suggest a mixed picture. Some sole traders say digital reporting is helping them manage their finances more closely, while others appear to be limiting activity, passing on costs or postponing expansion.

Employment concerns

For those considering leaving self-employment, moving back into a salaried role is not seen as straightforward. More than a third, or 37%, said they were worried they would struggle to find a job that matched their current income.

The main concerns were lower income, cited by 41%, followed by a competitive labour market at 32%, age discrimination at 31%, spending too long outside traditional employment at 29%, and fears that employers might view self-employment negatively at 24%.

This suggests Making Tax Digital may be putting pressure on workers who do not see an easy alternative in the wider labour market. It also raises the prospect that some may be changing their business structure not because it suits their commercial needs, but to avoid extra administrative strain.

“Making Tax Digital was meant to modernise the system. Instead, our research suggests it’s pushing many to change their business structure or leave self-employment entirely. What’s particularly concerning is that with nearly a quarter (23%) of sole traders setting up, or starting to set up, a limited company, incorporation is increasingly being viewed as an escape route. But incorporation isn’t a shortcut to less admin. Limited companies face their own complex filing obligations, with a broader set of tax, accounting and filing requirements. While closing the tax gap is an important goal, if sole traders respond to MTD by incorporating, the policy could instead push businesses outside the very system it was designed to bring them into. The focus now must be on simplifying the system and making compliance achievable, not something to be worked around,” said Oliver Harcourt, Senior Director, Taxfix.