Business that ’ s squeaky clean !
Ringing the changes
Figures released by NFU Mutual suggest that that over half of household insurance claims involving children involve damage to items of technology with 53 per cent of claims involving mobile phones . The insurer also revealed that the number of claims involving girls were three per cent higher and , on average , £ 28 more expensive than those involving boys . In 2015 , the average cost of a household claim involving a girl was £ 376 with claims involving boys costing £ 348 . Five per cent of these claims involved damage caused by grandchildren . In 2014 the insurer ’ s claims data showed that boys were nearly two thirds more likely to cause damage in the home than girls . Nicki Whittaker , High Value Home Specialist at NFU Mutual said : “ It is estimated that 90 per cent of 11-16 year olds have a mobile phone and the most common claims we see are for phones which have been dropped and damaged , lost or fallen down the loo . “ In addition to claims for phones , children have also been responsible for flushing rings down the toilet , spraying cooking oil on the carpet , spilling juice over electrical equipment and throwing valuable items into the bin ,” Whittaker continued . “ Following George Osborne ’ s announcement that millions of grandparents could be paid by the state to look after their grandchildren , it ’ s also interesting to see that claims involving grandchildren accounted for 5 per cent of all claims relating to children .”
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former Royal Navy man and an ex-builder have put together their names and their skills to set up the Island ’ s first dedicated bin cleaning service . Sandown-based Newgents – founded by long-time friends and former neighbours Chris Newton and Dom Gentleman – offers a specialised and eco-friendly service for keeping domestic and commercial bins hygienically clean , clearing and cleaning gutters , and pressurewashing driveways and patios using rotary equipment . Since launching a year ago , they have already added around 300 domestic customers for the regular bin cleaning service , whilst steadily building clients for their other services . Dom , who served in the Royal Navy and the Marines for a total of 14 years and saw action in Iraq and Afghanistan , used his military resettlement package to re-train and set up the business . Having worked all over the UK , he ’ d been impressed by the waste management systems he saw in Scotland , and decided it was something new that he could bring to the Isle of Wight . “ The Island ’ s a fantastic magnet so I always planned to return here - but with so few jobs , I decided that having a business was the best way to go ”. Having the business here means that after years of moving about , Dom can now put down roots in Ryde with his wife Becky and their three month-old baby Florence . Sandown-based Chris is also a family man – he and his wife Lucy have four children – so both men have a strong interest in protecting the planet for the new generation . “ We take the eco side of the business very seriously ,” says Dom . “ All the products we use are food-safe and eco-friendly , and we use the latest techniques and equipment for all our cleaning and gutter clearing ”. Feedback for the new company on Facebook is already growing – and glowing . Customers are especially impressed by Newgents ’ exceptional value for money , as well as their attention to detail and great timekeeping . But then that ’ s something you might expect from someone with a military background ! Contact Newgents on 01983 609575 or email bins @ newgents . co . uk .