Category: 3. Business

As part of our ongoing commitment to speak directly with pharmacy owners and LPCs, Community Pharmacy England will be holding a series of regional roadshow events across the country in 2026.

Taking place throughout June and early July, the events will see members of the Executive Leadership Team, as well as Committee Members, visiting every region to hear directly from pharmacy owners and LPCs who we hope will want to attend to share views, ask questions, and engage in discussion sessions.

These events are a chance to meet with peers and talk with us about the many issues that matter to you and your future. We’d like to hear directly from as many pharmacy owners or their representatives as possible, so that our work continues to truly reflect the priorities and challenges you face as pharmacy owners.

By next summer you will have the opportunity to hear more about the outcome of the CPCF negotiations for 2026/27, and importantly to feed directly into our priorities for the 2027/28 CPCF negotiations and beyond. There will be time to ask questions of the team and share your views and insights as part of polling and table discussions.

The face-to-face events for pharmacy owners and their representatives will be held during the evening, after the team has spent the afternoon having discussions with LPC Chairs and Chief Officers in the region.

Community Pharmacy England’s Regional Representatives, as the representatives of independent pharmacy owners in their region, and other Committee Members, will also be available at their local roadshow events.

Save the date

Please see below for a list of our regional roadshow events. All events will be held from 7.30pm -9pm, with doors open from 6.45pm when a hot buffet and light refreshments will be available.

Attendance is for pharmacy owners or their representatives only, with places made available on a first come first served basis. The events are funded by Community Pharmacy England and free to attend.

For those who may be unable to attend their region’s event, please contact us (comms.team@cpe.org.uk) if there is an alternative event you would like to attend, and we will be continuing to engage with pharmacy owners throughout the year via our regular polling and our attendance at numerous sector conferences, including the Pharmacy Show.

Your input is vital to shaping the future of community pharmacy. We look forward to seeing you at one of our regional events.

Regional events

Yorkshire and the Humber – Tuesday 2^nd June 2026, York

North East – Wednesday 3^rd June 2026, Durham

East of England – Tuesday 9^th June 2026, Newmarket

East and North Midlands – Wednesday 10^th June 2026, Nottingham

West Midlands – Tuesday 30^th June 2026, Birmingham

North West – Wednesday 1^st July 2026, St Helens

South West – Tuesday 7^th July 2026, Exeter

London – Wednesday 8^th July 2026, Central London

South East – Thursday 9^th July 2026, Farnborough

It’s called the most wonderful time of the year, but everyone could use a break around the holidays. 

“I’d like to get up on the rooftops and cry out, ‘It’s OK to ask for some me time,’” psychologist Robert Coplan told The Sunday Magazine host Piya Chattopadhyay.

Between office parties, family gatherings and plans with friends, there can be lots of socializing crammed into the final weeks of the calendar. But Coplan, a chancellor’s professor of psychology at Carleton University, says spending time in solitude can offer a chance to “catch our breath.”

While people tend to equate loneliness and solitude, Coplan, author of The Joy of Solitude: How to Reconnect with Yourself in an Overconnected World, says they’re distinct. 

“Solitude is often construed as a punishment, but if we flip it around in our head and think of it more as a reward — even a gift — time to do things that we want to do…reframing positive thoughts improves our experiences,” he said.

In fact, University of Michigan researchers who analyzed hundreds of U.S. news stories published between 2020 and 2022, found that negative portrayals and discussions of being alone can contribute to the perception that solitude is harmful. The researchers found that negative beliefs about being alone increased participants’ feelings of loneliness.

Coplan acknowledges that loneliness can have negative impacts on our mental and physical health, particularly “when there’s a mismatch between how we would like our social lives to be and how they’re actually going.”

He likens loneliness to a bad feeling whereas solitude is a state that could allow for positive experiences for us.

‘We have to get out of this scarcity mentality’

People tend to prioritize others’ needs to the detriment of their own, but Toronto-based psychiatrist Marcia Sirota argues we should spend our time on things we find enriching. 

“If you don’t take enough time to be alone and tune into who you are, how you feel and what you need, it’s impossible to pursue things that are going to really feed your true being,” she said.

That lack of alone time can evoke negative feelings, too, Coplan says.

Researchers coined the term “aloneliness” to describe those wanting more alone time or a dissatisfaction with one’s solitary life.

“They feel more stressed, tend to have more negative moods, they even suffer sometimes from symptoms of depression,” Coplan said.

He encourages people to choose solitude and embrace the joy of missing out, better known as JOMO.

While it’s normal to feel guilt or disappointment about missing a social gathering or not seeing a loved one, Sirota says people who care about you will understand. 

“True friends don’t want us to deplete ourselves to be there for them,” she said.

Sirota is the founder of the Ruthless Compassion Institute, a wellness podcast that promotes self-awareness and empowerment.

She asks clients to consider what they’re really losing when they make choices to take time for themselves. 

“A lot of the time, what we think we’re losing isn’t real. It’s not the end of the world,” she said.

Sirota likes to remind people that life isn’t a competition; there isn’t a finite amount of cool or fun things in the world and missing them won’t hurt.

“There’s so much goodness that we can have and we can create for ourselves, we can pursue. So, we have to get out of this scarcity mentality,” she said. 

She encourages people to spend time alone and examine their feelings to help them find something meaningful to replace unfulfilling socializing.

Finding your core values

Similarly, Christina Crook sees solitude as a way to manage our biggest asset: time.

Crook is the author of The Joy of Missing Out: Finding Balance in a Wired World and the founder of the digital wellness education platform JOMO Campus. 

She says when we intentionally miss out on things, we leave space for what matters most.

“Even thinking about our core values for 10 minutes a day empowers us to say no to the things that are not aligned with our values,” said Crook, who is based in Toronto.

Crook suggests doing an exercise created by Harvard University psychologist Susan David. 

Ask yourself a series of questions like: What do I value? Or, who and what is dear to me? 

Then, she adds, sort those values into two categories — most and least important — using a process of elimination until you’re left with three values.

“It actually helps us to come into alignment and say, ‘Why am I even wanting for those things? Or why am I even feeling bad about not going to that thing because it’s not even something that I value,’” Crook said.

She says the exercise could be a good New Year’s resolution activity to discover more joy.

“If we have awareness about what’s life-giving, we’re not going to intentionally keep choosing the life-taking things. We’re going to start to notice and choose to do more of what’s life-giving,” she said.

For Crook, the most fulfilling activity was playing catch with her son.

“It was such a minor time commitment but it was hands down the thing that brought me most joy every single time.”

The project company Videberg Kraft, that will build and operate nuclear reactors, is applying for state aid for an investment in new nuclear power on the Värö Peninsula on the West coast of Sweden. The application has been submitted to the Swedish Government. Industrikraft has entered into an agreement with Vattenfall to acquire a 20 percent stake in Videberg Kraft.

On Tuesday, 23 December, Videberg Kraft’s CEO Desirée Comstedt submitted an application for financing and risk-sharing to the Swedish Government. This marks the next step towards new nuclear power on the Värö Peninsula.

The application is written in accordance with the framework for financing and risk sharing that is set out by the Government Bill on Financing and Risk Sharing in New Nuclear Power – a bill that was adopted by the Swedish Parliament (the Riksdag) in May 2025. The model encompasses provisions for state aid to companies seeking to invest in nuclear reactors.

As previously announced, nine companies within the consortium Industrikraft have entered into an agreement with Vattenfall to formally acquire a 20 per cent stake in Videberg Kraft. The aim is to complete the transaction in January 2026, provided that the Swedish Inspectorate for Strategic Products approve the acquisition.

As stated in the conditions in the financing and risk sharing framework, the sole focus for Videberg Kraft will be to develop and own the reactors on the Värö Peninsula.

Negotiations regarding the conditions that will apply to the project will begin once the Swedish Government Offices have processed the application. When an agreement between the state and Videberg Kraft has been reached, the government may initiate the formal state aid process with the European Commission. The Commission recently approved the Polish application for financing of the construction and operation of Poland’s first commercial nuclear power plant, declaring it compatible with EU state aid rules.

“We are pleased that Videberg Kraft is now taking a significant step towards enabling an investment in new nuclear power by submitting an application for state aid. Governmental risk-sharing will be pivotal for the project,” says Desirée Comstedt, VP of New Nuclear at Vattenfall and CEO of Videberg Kraft.

Videberg Kraft is planning a project with either five BWRX-300 reactors from GE Vernova Hitachi or three reactors from Rolls-Royce SMR, which will provide a total output of approximately 1,500 MW. There is currently an intensive evaluation process of the two remaining suppliers, and a decision on the final supplier is planned for 2026.

For further information, please contact:
Vattenfall’s Press Office, 08-739 50 10, press@vattenfall.com 

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The Indian group Praana is a leading producer of specialty chemicals and composite materials comprising Sterling Specialty Chemicals, Galata Chemicals, Artek Surfin Chemicals, and 3B Fibreglass, which offer advanced solutions for the construction, textile, automotive, cleaning and personal care products industries as well as various industrial markets.

This proposed divestment is expected to be finalized in the first quarter of 2026 and is subject to a preliminary information and consultation process involving the employee representative bodies in the Netherlands.

Arkema thus continues to actively manage its portfolio and to refocus on strategic and higher value-added activities in Specialty Materials.