6 Best Kids Websites for Fun and Learning Online

Amanda Howse
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6 Best Kids Websites for Fun and Learning Online

The UK and many other countries are in lock-down this Spring to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. Unless they are key workers all adults are at home but this doesn’t mean they can supervise, teach and play with children continually all throughout the day. They may be working from home or making essential telephone calls to family and friends who are self isolating.

Parents may be caring for babies or sick relatives or attending to administrative and housework tasks, that their young people cannot practically join in with. “There are around 1.8 million single parents – they make up nearly a quarter of families with dependent children.” states the charity Gingerbread. (1)

Fortunately there are many fun and educational activities that kids can do to entertain themselves at home. Schools have been sending appropriate schoolwork for their pupils of all ages to complete via email. When this is all finished and they have exhausted their favourite hobbies there are fresh channels providing content to inspire and teach developing minds.

Everyone who has a family and a TV license knows and loves CBeebies which is a firm favourite for shows, games and stories for the under sixes. (2)

BBC Bitesize will be available from the 20th April to support students of all ages learning maths, English, science and other subjects. There will also be advice on home-schooling for parents. Lessons for children with special needs will be part of the website. (3)

Lessons on screen via BBCiPlayer and the Red Button will be available every day. BBC Sounds has new audio Bitesize podcasts and there is an app for older teenagers. “This is the biggest education effort the BBC has ever undertaken” remarked Tony Hall, Director General of the BBC this week.

The Harry Potter at Home hub is a “free online collection of child-friendly activities, videos, puzzles, illustrations, quizzes, creative ideas, articles and much more..” that the team at Hogwarts promise will amuse budding wizards of all ages. J K Rowling launched the new platform on the 1st of April and is working in partnership with educational publishers Bloomsbury and Scholastic to provide engaging sessions with a touch of magic to lift the spirits at this difficult time. (4)

Oxford Owl gives families with kids from ages 3 to 11 access to eBooks they can download on their tablets. There are also plenty of activity sheets with colouring and quizzes to keep them busy.(5)

Explore Learning is an online learning experience for children aged from 4 to 14. The online parenting website Mumsnet recommends Explore Learning as a “winner”. Explore Learning have expanded their offering with ‘Explore at Home’ to support families in their efforts to keep education going successfully during the school closures. (6)

Funology describes itself as the ultimate parenting toolbox. A jolly combination of science experiments, tricks and arts and crafts, there is definately something for explorers of all ages. (7)

These sites all offer positive sessions in front of a screen, to keep children occupied. As part of a mix of partcipating in practical activities with parents, these web hubs can stimulate their creativity, imagination and also entertain young people. This all helps families get the most harmony and enjoyment out of ‘staying at home and saving lives’ at this extraordinary time.

 

(1) ‘Single parents: facts and figures’ Gingerbread charity website, 3rd April 2020 Single parents facts and figures Gingerbread

(2) CBeebies Official British Broadcasting Corporation website, 4th April 2020 CBeebies Official BBC website

(3) ‘How Bitesize will support you while you’re learning from home’ British Broadcasting Corporation website 3rd April 2020 BBC Bitesized website

(4) ‘WizardingWorld.com reveals new Harry Potter at Home hub’ The Wizarding World team 1st April 2020 Harry Potter Wizarding World at Home Hub

(5) ‘Welcome to Oxford Owl for Home’ Oxford Owl Educational Learning, 3rd April 2020 Oxford Owl for Home Learning

(6) ‘Keep Education Going’ Explore Learning, 4th April 2020 Keep Education Going Explore Learning

(7) ‘Funology is the Science of Having Fun’ 4th April 2020 Funology science website

Coronavirus Changes Cause Positive Benefits for the Environment

Amanda Howse
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Coronavirus Changes Cause Positive Benefits for the Environment

The effects of Coronavirus means 2020 has been a very difficult time indeed for many people across the globe. One silver lining to this international health crisis is the reduction in carbon emissions as commuters in many countries stop travelling. Industry has been halted and construction workers across Europe, America and the Far East have downed tools for many weeks. China alone is estimated to have averted the creation of an output of “200 megatonnes of CO2” which is great news for green campaigners. (1)

“Researchers have already seen massive drops in the release of nitrogen dioxide, with parts of China showing pollution levels up to 30 per cent lower than normal. In northern Italy, nitrogen dioxide levels have fallen by as much as 40 per cent.” states Chris Stockel-Walker at Esquire this week. (2)

Matt Simon at Wired magazine quoted one expert called Hausfather explaining that “Ironically, it may well end up being that because air pollution is such a public health hazard in China, the economic slowdown might actually save more lives than the coronavirus kills,” (3)

In the UK and several other countries all non essential travel is banned. On government instruction everyone is staying at home and not going to school and work. The emergency and care services are both one of few exceptions to this rule. People carrying out roles that are key to the running of a country, such as supermarkets and pharmacies are permitted to carry on trading.

Most businesses are closed and normal everyday meetings are forbidden. Therefore there a millions of cars that are not being driven and thousands of train, underground and bus services that are not running to their normal schedules. Nobody is travelling abroad for work or leisure, so hardly any jet fuel is being burned in the skies in Europe, for the first time since the 1930’s.

Shops and restaurants use very large amounts of electricity for equipment, lighting and refrigeration and as many of these organisations are closed, they are not drawing the enormous amounts of power as they would usually. Big events such as football games and music concerts use massive amounts of kilowatts per hour, plus all the transportation of the fans that is also part of the fossil fuels that are burned to make these occasions possible. Although we all want to celebrate our culture and enjoy sport, this extreme situation has highlighted what measures we could take, if we were all absolutely intent on reaching our goals to improve the environment and halt the impact of global warming.

The current pandemic has demonstrated what the priorities are for running a successful society. Food retailing, social services, healthcare (including pharmaceutical), waste collection, financial, postal and delivery services and the council and emergency services all have important roles to play. Basic train, underground and bus services are also vital to help key workers get to work and vulnerable people access medical services.

The generous government package offered to employees and the self employed by the chancellor Rishi Sunak shows the scale of the disruption to the economy which is happening this month. The forced closure of so many industries this week may lead to a very tough times ahead for every citizen in this country and abroad where similar situations exist. Many companies are now ‘surviving’ at best and there is talk of a future recession until economic momentum can be re-established.

However millions of people across the UK are using the internet to enable them to work, shop, socialise, entertain and connect in ways they have never been motivated to do before. This may lead to the final demise of the High Street but we may inadvertently actually be able to make a real difference to air quality and the environment through our sudden and drastic changes of behaviour. Virtual meetings are becoming the new norm and new software such as Zoom are popping up, to help groups of people communicate effectively.

Covid-19 is a undoubtedly a nightmare for anyone that works for Easy Jet or other aviation companies who rely on commercial and holiday travellers. A benefit of all this chaos is that environmental campaigners are rejoicing. This pandemic is an opportunity for world leaders to work together and for everyone to rethink what we do and how we do it. In the process of changing our habits we can avoid burning fossil fuels unnecessarily and make some progress at actually saving our wonderful planet for future generations to enjoy.

(1) ‘Coronavirus could cause fall in global CO2 emissions’ Jonathan Watts, The Guardian

10 March 2020 Guardian Coronavirus fall in CO2 emissions

 

(2) ‘Coronavirus Timeline: How The World Will Change Over The Next 18 Months’

Chris Stockel-Walker, Esquire Magazine 25 March 2020 Esquire, Coronavirus: How World Will Change

 

(3) ‘The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Bringing Down Emissions, but Not for Long’ Matt Simon, Wired Magazine

3 March 2020 Wired: Coronavirus: Bringing Down Emissions

 

(4) Zoom for video, conference rooms and phone

01 April 2020 Zoom software website

Coronavirus: 12 Tips for Staying Home Successfully

Amanda Howse
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Coronavirus: 12 Tips for Staying Home Successfully

New government instructions to prevent the spread of Coronavirus mean that nearly all of us are definitely staying at home for the next few weeks and keeping any trips out of the house to the absolute minimum, for the next few months.

Many people are understandably feeling anxious for themselves, their friends and their loved ones. This  global pandemic has affected everyone’s lives, on a scale not seen since the ‘Spanish Flu’ swept across Europe, over a hundred years ago, .

The good news is it is impossible for Coronavirus to spread out of control, if people all throughout the whole country, social distance correctly. If we all and respect the Prime Minister’s new lock-down restrictions we will slow the effect of the new superbug. We can protect our NHS workers and beat this disease and also stop dangerous germs spreading, by following the protocol advised by the Heath Department in Westminster. (1)

1. Breath Deeply

There are easy methods we can all use to prevent any undue worry or feeling frightened. One of the simplest ways is to practice simple breathing techniques. The NHS has information on how to do this effectively and there are lots of articles that can be found with a quick ‘google’. Basically, taking slow and deep breaths will let the body know that there is no immediate danger happening right now. This will allow every part of your body and brain to calm down, making you feel more relaxed.

2. Stretch

Yoga and meditation are also fantastic for beating stress and anxiety and online experts such as Yoga Yin have produced excellent free U Tube videos. These digital classes can be used at home anytime by any age and fitness level. The tutorials last anywhere from a few minutes to an hour and you don’t need any special equipment. You can even request a personalised yoga session, for your individual needs, all for a modest fee.

3. Spring Clean

Who doesn’t need a Spring clean at home at this time of year? It is a great place to start the next season by giving your home a good tidy up, dust and wash through. Not only will this burn calories and keep you busy, but you will feel more positive once everything is sparkling, tidy and shipshape. It is time to get the washing on the line outside if you have one and make sure everything is in place, so you can enjoy the space you have at home, whatever the size of your property, the best you can. Don’t forget to let the fresh air and sunshine in!

4. Stock take Provisions

Once you have your place looking great it is a good idea to assess what food you have for you and your family and plan some meals for the next week. Using provisions and supplies efficiently is essential at this time when the supermarkets are under pressure to provide the whole country with enough food. Supermarkes are confident they are catching up with demand but not all of their drivers and employees can come to work at the moment and they need to train new staff members up. It makes sense to use fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy and baked products first and save dried, tinned, bottled, pickled and frozen ingredients until later when you need them. Look at your cookery books if you have them or browse new recipes online and consider experimenting with some equipment, flavour combinations and ingredients you have been meaning to try for ages.

5. Bake

Try some new recipes and don’t give up if you are missing ingredients as there are many tasty substitutions that can be employed. For example you can use bananas instead of eggs for pancakes. It is also worth knowing that most breads and cakes can be reinvented with butter or oil and some cream or milk into a delicious bread pudding. This hot dish is guaranteed to disappear fast by adding some fruit, spices and a bit of creativity and baking in the oven for about half an hour.

It is also worth getting out the bread makers, mixers and the specialist grills and so on, that you might have been given as a present and have yet to spend time mastering. You may be pleasantly surprised how much a new kitchen machine can transform and elevate your cooking.

6. DIY Garden Time

Attempt any outstanding DIY projects if you have them pending first, so you can get the most enjoyment out of the more fun projects. Only have a go at straight forward fixes well within your skills and if you are not that confident, or you don’t have the right tools, than save the task until you can work with the professionals next year. We all need to avoid using the NHS services at this extra busy time.

If you are lucky enough to have a balcony, patio, garden or an allotment, now is the time to have a good tidy up and to plan what you would like to do now the days are getting longer and the temperature is rising. It is clever to invest effort in every area you can, to get the most enjoyment out of your precious green space. Mow the lawn if you haven’t already. Clear out the shed and garage and find out what supplies you have you can use to help you with your outdoor projects.

It is really important to avoid shopping, if at all possible so work out what you can complete using what you have already gathered. Using up paints, fence stains and other garden materials and creatively making the most of what you have already is the way to go this summer. It is a super time for planting, especially fruit and vegetables and herbs which can mostly be grown in pots if that is easier. There are lots of easy tutorials online with guidance for new gardeners, such as the Royal Horticultural Society’s guide, so it could be the perfect time to enjoy a new hobby.

  1. Make Do and Mend

Most people have a box of worn clothes and home furnishings that need some attention. This is a perfect opportunity to actually get round to sewing buttons on, taking up hems, darning holes and fixing seams. It is amazing how much you can do with simple hand sewing, such as taking in garments and covering small stains with pretty embroidery. This is a wonderful moment to teach children and other family members how to maintain their clothes, so they can keep their favourite outfits looking lovely, for as long as possible.

  1. Sew Brilliant

If you are lucky enough to own a sewing machine it is time to take off the cover and get going. You can transform your home furnishings and also many of the clothes in your wardrobe into some updated and unique designer pieces, that will be admired by all your friends, from over a two meter distance! Don’t worry if your thread colours don’t match, or you have to sew smaller bits of fabric together to construct your projects, just keep the look bright and colourful and your new items will be a joy to make and to use to. The sewing.com website has easy to follow examples that cover the basic sewing techniques.

9. Drawing and Painting

Have you ever had a go at drawing and painting? All ages can enjoy the satisfaction of getting lost in creating their own pictures. With basic paper, card, pens, pencils and paint supplies you can keep calm and feel the pleasure of this mindful and therapeutic activity. Don’t worry about the result of the image, just make the most of the journey of making your own masterpiece. To get your expressive juices flowing, practice some short timed sketches. Portraits of the people and animals you live with, a section of the garden or a ‘still life’ of a room or a part of your house, are all great subjects to start with.

10. Crafting

If the thought of lifting a paintbrush fills you with horror, try a collage which is a process that uses cut and torn paper and other materials or ‘mixed media’ to stick or sew selected elements together to produce a textured picture. Decorating small home accessories such as pots or boxes or even small bits of furniture, such as chairs, with paint and paper can be very rewarding.

Alternatively an easy paper art called decoupage, can be very eye catching and the results can give your home a fresh ‘artisan’ boost too. There are lots of instructions on how to decoupage online and we like this one by Prima magazine. You may well have pretty printed papers you can use and a printer, at home already.(6)

11. Music Time

How many people do you know who want to learn an instrument but never quite had time? Now is just the moment to dust off your guitar, piano, flute, trumpet or drums and allocate half an hour or so every day, to practice. If you don’t have enough music to learn from already, don’t worry as You Tube is packed with amazing music tutorials for the beginner student, right through to the more advanced player. There are musicians and choirs who are currently grouping together to encourage the country to keep practising and performing during these challenging times. Conductors and organisers are compiling new versions of classics, singing and playing a song one at a time and uploading these favourite tunes for everyone to enjoy.

Just singing songs on your own and with family is good for stress. This joyful activity will let your vocal chords practice for their big moment at a new choir, Christmas carols or Karaoke evenings once the world gets back to relative normality, well before the end of this year with any luck. Whenever you get a song ‘nailed’ don’t forget to share your talent with your fans and loved ones, as music is a very uplifting tonic for everybody, especially those who are self isolating at the moment.

If you are not ‘a musical person’ it might be worth trying music radio such as BBC radio 1 if you are very young at heart or under 25 years old or BBC radio 2 for everyone else. Choose your favourite genre such as Classic FM and your spirits will thank you. Adding more music into your life at this time will help your mood to improve every day.(7)

12. Relax and Movie Night

Turning off the news, once you have watched the key stories and absorbed the most important facts and information for the day, is a wise move for your mental health. Setting your phone and computer apps to ‘not giving you instant notifications’ is a good idea to avoid too much distraction, which is stressful for the brain. After a day of working from home and doing positive activities including exercising outside, (if you live somewhere you are able to) you may be quite tired. Treat yourself to catching up with films and DVDs that you wouldn’t have got around to seeing otherwise. Watching comedy series on iPlayer, Netflix or Amazon is a super way to keep mentally fit. Laughing is very good for you and a great way to end the day with your other family members too.

 

(1) Restrictions UK official government website, 26 March 2020 Gov.UK restrictions Coronavirus

(2) National Health Service breathing exercise for stress, 26 March 2020 NHS breathing exercises stress

(3) Yoga For Anxiety, Yoga Yin by Allahana website You Tube video link, 26 March 2020 Yoga For Anxiety, Yoga Yin

(4) Royal Horticultural Society official website, Beginner’s guide to gardening, 26 March 2020 RHS Beginner’s Guide Gardening

(5) ‘8 Basic Hand Stiching Techniques Every Sewer Should Learn’ Sewing.com website, 26 March 2020 Basic Techniques Sewing.com

(6) ‘Beginner’s Guide to decoupage – the prettiest papercraft’ Kirsty Robertson, Prima magazine online

26 March 2020 Beginer’s Guide Decoupage Prima

(7) ‘Self-isolating choirs and orchestras are performing powerful at-home concerts during coronavirus outbreak’ Classic FM website, 26 March 2020 self-isolating choirs Classic FM

Coronavirus: UK Adapts To Help Seniors and Vulnerable People

Amanda Howse
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Coronavirus: UK Adapts To Help Seniors and Vulnerable People

Following the announcement on Friday 13th by Boris Johnson, everyone who is over 70 years of age or who are vulnerable because of their health must self isolate. This means not going out at all for some but for many people it means only leaving their houses to buy food, supplies and attend appointments only if absolutely necessary.

The stockpiling of food and essential supplies that followed this news, which means a massive change to the lifestyles of many millions of people in this country, added to the fear and uncertainty that was already felt by people who had be watching events around the globe. Almost all countries governments are installing new measures to control the outbreak of Coronavirus to the best of their abilities.

However, this week although tough new steps have been introduced by Westminster including cancelling most events and closing schools from the end of this week for the rest of the term, most citizens agree and support that these drastic decisions are the only way to stop the spread of the disease and protect the elderly and vulnerable in our society. For those people that have health conditions or whose immune systems are much older it could mean that Coronavirus is life threatening.

Everyone has been told to limit travel and social contact and many businesses have shut for the time being creating uncertainty and job losses in aviation, leisure and dining, beauty services and other services like trades and estate agents who go to peoples home to carry out their work.

Marks and Spencer’s CEO Steve Rowe sent an email to all the customers of this classic store to explain how they will be reallocating staff from fashion and homeware to focus on assisting food and drink departments during this busy time. They are providing a contact free delivery service that laves purchases at the door. M&S are offering currency refunds if customers are no longer able to travel due to Covid-19.

Marks and Spencer have published advice on freezing food such as milk, cheese, bread, pasta, fruit and vegetables to make it last longer. They also recommend batch cooking. (1) It is also worth knowing that a full freezer is more efficient and cost effective to run.

Jim McDonald CEO at Costa Coffee wrote to all customers explaining that the company is staying open including toilet facilities but only accepting card payments and operating as take away venues using takeaway cups. (2)

David Lewis CEO at Tesco states today that “we are introducing a storewide restriction of only 3 items per customer on every product line and removing multi-buy promotions.”

This will help those less physically able by ensuring they have a chance to stock up on groceries. They have also dedicated time between 9 and 10 am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to dedicate the whole store specifically to older people and those who are vulnerable or have special needs. This will apply to all Tesco shops nationwide. There were 300m queues outside the Tesco store in Chichester first thing this morning when it opened and a store assistant said that “35 people where trying to buy yeast at the same time.” (3)

Tesco’s chief Mr Lewis has personally requested that people who can shop in store do so. This enables people who are self isolating to use on-line and ‘click and collect’ services whose resources are stretched at present.

Boots Chief Pharmacist Marc Donovan wrote to all their customers yesterday to provide resources about the new virus to answer common questions that the public have and provide information on how to recognise coronavirus symptoms and how it can be spread. (4)

Online Food Hub Great British Chefs will be championing UK chefs and communicating which restaurants are evolving to into take-away and delivery companies during the crisis. They will be publishing inspiring ideas on cooking at home and limited store cupboard supplies recipes. (5)

Local estate agents such as Crossmeads in Chichester, West Sussex will be offering 360 degree virtual tours of properties for customers not wishing to view in person. (6)

Today Sainsbury’s have devoted the first hour of opening in every store across the country to welcoming senior citizens and those who are vulnerable. (7)

Individual communities are doing what they can to help reach those in their 80’s and 90’s who may live in a rural location. Any retired folk who don’t have a car are also disadvantaged at the moment and neighbours all around the UK are checking on their neighbours (by standing a safe distance from the door) and asking them if they need any supplies delivered by car.

Facebook pages have been set up to help unite those in need who are self isolating, with those mobile men and women who are able to help keep their cupboards stocked and other practical solutions.

Charities and food banks who already support those on low incomes with food and supplies will continue to operate. They encouraged people to continue to donate items when they did their shopping if they can.

Elizabeth Harley at the Bridport Community Fridge explained “We get a lot of our donations from Waitrose and we are worried that because the shops are being cleared there will be less waste.”(8)

Anyone who attempted food shopping today has been met with empty shelves and Waitrose is no exception. Sir Charlie Mayfield and the executive team at Waitrose have advised that partners from John Lewis will be allocated to support the effort at Waitrose to support the flow on stock into its stores. At the moment their website is down due to the demand like many others have been like health food shops Holland and Barrett for example. (9)

We all need to do our bit to help our neighbours in whatever way we can who may be self isolating and who are less able to cope with the challenges presented by the national effort to stop the Coronavirus gaining any further momentum. If we all work together much positivity and kindness will be able to be celebrated once the worry of virus affecting the less strong members of our society, has been irradicated.

(1) Marks and Spencer, 18 March 2020, Marks and Spencer Website

(2) Costa Coffee, 18 March 2020 Costa Coffee Website

(3) Tesco, 18 March 2020 Tesco Website

(4) Boots, 18 March 2020 Boots Website

(5) Great British Chefs online food magazine, 18 March 2020 Great British Chefs Website

(6) Crossmeads estate agency, 18 March 2020 Crossmeads Website

(7) Sainsburys, 18 March 2020 Sainsburys Website

(8) ‘Coronavirus: How to help the rural elderly?’ Jennifer Meihans, BBC News, 18 March 2020 BBC Article helping elderly

(9) Waitrose, 18 March 2020 Waitrose Website

£1M New Hope for Solving Homelessness in West Sussex

Amanda Howse
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£1M New Hope for Solving Homelessness in West Sussex

“It cannot be right in the 21st Century that people are homeless or having to sleep on our streets.” said Boris Johnson to the Evening Standard as he committed to eradicate rough sleeping by 2024. (1)

Being homeless can affect both young people and adults and families of all ages. There are many complex reasons why people from all different backgrounds end up without a proper roof over their head. For example, young people who were in the social care system without stable backgrounds or refugees can find it difficult to afford anywhere to live.

People who have experienced relationship break-ups, domestic violence, debt problems, addiction problems and unexpected life changes such as redundancy or illness are among the many individuals who can all easily find themselves without any accommodation.

“The need for social housing is now vastly outstripping supply with 1.24 million households on local authority waiting lists.” writes Joe Mellor at the London Economic (2)

Despite the efforts and promises of previous labour and conservative governments homelessness is still a massive challenge in the UK. This is especially acute in the South East of England where property prices are comparatively very high compared to average earnings and housing benefit payment amounts. Other European countries such as Denmark and Norway have invested in much more affordable social housing to erase homeless people living on the streets.

Inside Housing stated that “The prime minister announced the allocation of £263m in homelessness funding over the Christmas period, with £200m from the Flexible Homelessness Support Grant launched in 2017.” (3) More than 300 areas in England will benefit and receive money that will allow local authorities to allocate financial backing to projects that will help the public to be able to live in shared accommodation or a home of their own.

The Chichester Observer announced that the country council’s cabinet members have now confirmed that “Homeless charities across West Sussex will receive £750,000 in transition funding to help them cope with cuts to housing-related support services.” (4)

Organisations that specialise in homelessness such as Crisis have a strategy for funding several different types of projects that can help people with specific types of need gain the skills and support they need, to take steps forward and be in a position to be able to live in a place of their own.

Charities that help members of the public that find themselves living rough or between hostels know that there is often no simple answer to helping men, women and children obtain permanent adequate housing. This is because in the commercial system we have in the UK means that you need a bank account and a permanent job to rent or buy a place to live. These are not easy things for those with complex social, health and financial issues to obtain.

Generally you also need a good credit background or at least a written promise of housing benefit eligibility. This can all be very complex for those without good written and spoken English and the easy access to technology and the internet to even begin the application process successfully.

Some projects have found that initially starting with directly giving those in need their own place is the best way. Then they support individuals along the way as they rebuild their lives. This method can be the most effective way of helping a person transition into a fully stable and contributing member of society. Most people want to get life back on track and there are programmes that can lead to volunteering opportunities and then paid work and some folk go on to enjoy successful careers.

Streets of London is a registered charity that has raised funds through music concerts and commercial donations. This year they are able to invest ten £10000 grants to help develop life-skills for young homeless people, give English tuition, a re-settlement scheme for finding long term accommodation, migrant support, a rough sleepers’ space, a skills teaching catering, baking and gardening scheme and a homeless persons volunteering scheme. (5)

In addition to the transition funding West Sussex council leader “Mrs Goldsmith announced that West Sussex had successfully bid for a share of the government’s Rapid Rehousing Pathway funding, and should receive around £336,000.” (6)

Therefore with both the transition allocation and the Rapid Rehousing Pathway funding West Sussex has been given a million pound opportunity to change lives for the better and help reassign homelessness to the old history books where it belongs.

Achieving the Prime Ministers vision of eradicating homelessness forever will take a great commitment from the public and the private sector to achieve but it is vital we all do our part to support this admirable goal to the best of our abilities. This is particularly important considering the additional hardships many thousands are facing, as a result of the adverse effects of the Coronavirus and Brexit on both the economy and working families lives this year. It is going to be problematic rolling out the programmes for the homeless or any social work meetings given the new health measures to prevent spread of disease but organisations are already finding ways to adapt and move forward in this area.

Johnson’s government budget this week showed an understanding of the challenges a significant section of our society may be facing and intended to help prevent further homelessness over the coming months due to sickness and unexpected changes in income. With nearly all businesses in the country affected by the virus in one form or another this is going to be a huge test for Westminster’s leadership to protect the vulnerable. We are hopeful that if we all work together we can still achieve major progress in providing enough homes for everyone who needs them.

One silver lining for those on low incomes may be a drop in housing prices as the market will probably find it very challenging to continue with momentum as the public will be reluctant to view properties until the countries health situation gets back to normal again. Everyone can help in the short term by continuing to donate to food banks and supporting their local homeless charities whenever possible.

(1) ‘No Londoner should be sleeping rough in the 21st century’ Evening Standard 23 December 2019

(2) ’19 shocking facts about the homelessness epidemic in the UK’ The London Economic, Joe Mellor 18 March 2020 London Economic Homelessness Article

(3) ‘Johnson promises to ‘expand’ homelessness programmes’ Inside Housing Inside Housing Homelessness Article

(4) ‘Transition funding for West Sussex homeless charities facing cuts’ The Newsroom, Chichester Observer, 13 March 2020 Chichester Observer Homeless Funding Article

(5) Streets of London charity Streets of London Website

(6) ‘More transition money for homelessness charities but cuts branded ‘immoral’ Karen Dunn, Chichester Observer, 19 February 2020 Chichester Observer Homeless Funding Article

Tescos Introduces New Bulk Buy Range

Amanda Howse
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Tescos Introduces New Bulk Buy Range

On Saturday the 8th of February at the Tescos supercentre at Solent Road in Havant in Hampshire, Tescos launched a brand new bulk buy section located next to the existing Home and Health and Beauty sections. Any customer who wanted to buy large sized packs of some of their favourite branded products can help themselves to the large boxes and bottles from this capacious area and then stack them in their trolley.

The section is flagged by big signs all the way along the aisles at head height that read Bulk Buys in big black letters on a brown background. Yellow chevron graphic patterns reminiscent of roundabout signage or a truck or tractor tire marks, all pointing the same way complete the shop’s new ‘rough and ready’ look. “Buy more,save more” is the slogan and all customers are invited to ‘top up on top brands’.

In the centre of the aisle are big round stacks of canned drinks piled up as high as stocks and health and safety will allow. Boxes of tea bags, oats, biscuits and cereals are arranged on pallets in a way that would more usually be found in low cost German supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl. Heavy bottles of washing liquids and softeners are piled high and sold for simple rounded figures like ten pounds. Pots of coffee that will power the office for weeks and trays of baked beans complete the assortment along with massive bags of loo rolls.

So why has Tesco decided to open a ‘cash and carry’ style section? It could be that it thinks customers want to stock up on basics before any change of Brexit legislation negatively impacts imported food and grocery prices. New ideas are definitely needed to entice shoppers in a competitive market. The British Retail Consortium “estimates 85000 jobs were lost in the last year.” (1)

Catering trade owners and anybody who runs a small business will most likely be interested in checking out Tesco’s new offering. The grocery market leader hopes the initiative will attracts fresh visitors to selected stores nationwide. In 2018 Tescos purchased the wholesale giant Booker.

In stark contrast to the downward trend affecting most retailers in the UK, in 2019 the public limited company Tesco reported that group sales were up 11.5% and the groups latest buoyant financial report stated a healthy operating profit of £2153 million.

All the big supermarkets in the UK have been accused of not doing enough to reduce unnecessary waste. Some of the packs of cans had several layers of plastic wrapping and cardboard to protect the multi-packs containing more than a dozen individual items. This bulk buy range may be good value but it is not necessarily a smart environmental choice. A oversized glass coffee jar would be a better option as the glass can be reused or recycled. Sensible caution will need to be shown by consumers that they were not buying more than they would practically use.

Overconsumption is also a problem that contributes to environmental problems and inequality. ‘Pile it high and sell it cheap’ is here to stay this season at Tescos but it is worth being mindful of the old biblical saying  “everything in moderation.”

 

(1) ‘Nation of shopkeepers? Not any more and that’s all to the good’ Matthew Lynn, The Daily Telegraph 26 October 2019.

(2) Tesco Annual Report 2019 Tescos Annual Report 2019

Five Silver Linings after Losing the EU Gold Star

Amanda Howse
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Five Silver Linings after Losing the EU Gold Star

“We will look after your star and work to ensure the EU is a project you’ll want to be a part of again soon,” said The EU Parliament’s Brexit co-ordinator Mr Verhofstadt responding to a message which had been projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover by a pro-EU group. (1)

So in the meantime are there any silver linings to losing the gold star?

Silver Lining 1: Save cost of membership of the EU

Saving the cost of membership of the EU could be one big plus as “the UK’s net contribution was £8.5bn”in 2016. (3) However the annual cost of being a member of the United States of Europe also entitles a country to instantly increased trade and free access to the world’s biggest global trade bloc. Belonging to the EU also contributed to our economy greatly in such a pluralistic way it is hard to quantify all the financial benefits of being in the club. Therefore there is still much to ‘offset’ this multi million pound yearly saving.

Silver Lining 2: Positive deal for UK business with the EU

It is possible that Prime Minister Johnson might be able to strike a positive deal for UK business with the EU, if he is able to emulate another non-EU countries existing successful modal. A BBC article reports that “Supporters of the deal say it will allow the UK to negotiate its own trade deals with other countries.” (2)

“I think we can strike a deal as the Canadians have done based on trade and getting rid of tariffs” and have a “very, very bright future” said Boris Johnson according to The Week. (3) However the EU will not want to be seen to reward the UK for leaving, with a set of too favourable trading deals, as it may just inspire other disillusioned countries to leave the Brussels based power bloc too.

Silver Lining 3: Enhanced national sovereignty

The Oxford dictionary definition of national sovereignty is “a self-governing state.” (4) Wikipedia describes how “sovereignty is a substantive term designating supreme authority over some polity. In international law..sovereignty refers to the exercise of power by a state. De jure sovereignty refers to the legal right to do so; defacto sovereignty refers to the ability, in fact, to do so.” (5)

The new government in Westminster may be able to ‘take back control’ of many of the UK’s laws that they deemed were unfavourably set by the EU, as the leavers campaign trail slogan demanded. Successful updating of importing and exporting rules and laws in the future could be of some benefit to millions of UK consumers and people owning businesses within Great Britain and Northern Island.

The interdependent nature of the global planet we live in may affect how transformative this perceived de facto advantage may be however as Ralph C. Bryant from Brookings explains that “Effective U.K. autonomy depends more on the complex web of economic, social, and cultural interactions with the rest of the world than it does on the U.K. government’s formal political power.” (6)

Silver Lining 4: Establishing a ‘Goldilocks’ immigration system

A ‘Goldilocks’ immigration system that perfectly suits the needs of the UK population might be within reach, whatever the detail of that may look like in the future. With none of the disadvantages of negotiating with another 27 member states in Brussels, Johnsons new government is free to design and agree an immigration policy that perfectly reflects the needs of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Island. The politicians in charge at Downing Street will not have to take into consideration the external factors that put pressure on leaders in Europe, with refugees arriving at their many borders, from some of the most politically turbulent parts of the world.

It is important to remember that we will need to keep our place as a sophisticated liberal society who sets an example by helping severely disadvantaged and desperate people, who otherwise do not have a safe place to live, because we can and also that it is the right thing to do morally. We also need to always be aware and teach our children about the positive contribution that European migrants and other international migrants have to our country.

Oxford Economics sites that “migrants who arrived in 2016 will make a total net positive contribution of £26.9 billion to the UK’s public finances over the entirety of their stay.” (7) That is of course is an extra bonus to the rich cultural contributions people who were born oversees make to our society. We should not forget the welcome addition to our working population in our ageing society that EU and other migrants have made and will hopefully continue to make, especially in areas like healthcare and scientific research.

Silver Lining 5: Environmental benefits of a weak economy

There is an environmental benefit to a UK economy that has shrunk as a result of all the uncertainty that the Brexit process has caused. Factories that are closed and offices that no longer exist in the city do not use the earths precious energy supplies. Manufacturing is one of the biggest polluters and less production in the UK at this time will cause less harmful emissions and may at least help us reach some of our national green targets quicker. People who do not have jobs do not need to commute by car or train and this change also saves fuel resources.

“Britain is on track to exceed its 2020 goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 37% and reducing the level of nitrogen oxides in the air by 55 percent compared to 2005 levels, and of ensuring that at least 10 percent of coastal and marine areas are protected habitats.” states the Financial Times.

Although many targets will not be met in 2020 “Britain is on track to exceed its 2020 goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 37 per cent and reducing the level of nitrogen oxides in the air by 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, and of ensuring that at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas are protected habitats.”(8)

Many modern families living on this beautiful island have a lot to loose now the UK is no longer part of Europe. Some families are formed of a combination of European and British, Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish partners and family members and they have faced some hard decisions about whether to ‘move to Europe’ or stay in the UK with Brexit. Most people want ‘what is best’ for the UK but what they perceive is best differs from person to person.

The government have been taught a lesson never to assume the public’s view and rely on the country to vote in a particular way again. The proof of whether this massive change to our international status and bold new direction, will be the making of a bright future for the United Kingdom, is in the ‘eating’ or trying out of this fresh economic system that affects every aspect of our society. The proof will be ‘in the pudding’ as the traditional 14th century proverb goes.

 

(1) ‘Brexit: UK begins new chapter outside European Union’ BBC News 1 February 2020 BBC: Brexit: UK begins new chapter

(2) Brexit: All you need to know about the UK leaving the EU, BBC News, Politics, 27 January 2020 BBC: All you need to know UK leaving EU

(3) ‘Brexit’ The Week, 8 February 2020 The Week : Brexit

(4) ‘sovereignty’ 11 February 2020 from Oxford Dictionary via google Sovereignty Oxford Dictionary search

(5) soverignty Wikepedia 11 February 2020 Wikepedia : sovereignty

(6) ‘Brexit: Make hard choices but don’t confuse sovereignty with autonomy’ Brookings, Ralph C. Bryant 21 December 2018 Brookings: don’t confuse sovereignty

(7) ‘The Fiscal Impact of Immigration on the UK’ A report for the Migration Advisory Commitee by Oxford Economics Oxford Economics Fiscal Impact of Immigration UK

(8) ‘Britain set to miss 2020 environmental goals’ Camilla Hodgson The Financial Times, 12 November 2019 The Financial Times: 2020 miss environmental goals

Fourteen Tips for a Top UK Pension

Amanda Howse
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Fourteen Tips for a Top UK Pension

Tip No.1 : The number of qualifying years that you need for a full UK pension is 35.

Tip No.2 : You may be entitled to a basic state pension with at least 10 years national insurance contributions.

Tip No.3 : National insurance contributions can be paid through employment, self-employment (voluntary payments) or with credits if you were receiving certain benefits

Tip No.4 : Auto-enrolment means UK staff pay 5% of their salary in to a workplace pension scheme and get a 3% top up from their employer. (7)

Tip No.5 : If you’re self-employed you pay Class 2 national insurance contributions at a flat weekly rate and Class 4 contributions annually, based on your level of taxable profits. It is worth checking you are paying the right type of contributions to make sure you have ‘paid your stamp’.

Some self employed people have been caught out as for example they have assumed their accountant has already taken care of paying the right national insurance correctly for them. You can do this online via your ‘self assessment’ portal that you can find by using the Government Gateway to sign in with HMRC.

Tip No.6 : You can download a state pension forecast from gov.uk/check-state-pension

Tip No.7 : Usually you can choose to buy missing years in your contributions directly from HMRC, to maximise the pension pot you are eligible for in the future.

Tip No.8 : You can invest to accumulate: Tax expert Mike Warburton gives an example that buying an extra “years worth, which cost £780 would add £250 to your pension at current rates.” (1)

Tip No.9 : Pension dashboard services are a government initiative aimed at helping people who have had multiple employers over some years resulting in building up several small pension pots. The services will be provided by more than one organisation and will be available from some time in 2020 or early 2021. Viewing all their “lifetime pension savings in one place” will allow people to make the most of their investments. (9)

Tip No.10 : Visit the Pension Wise website if you are aged 50 or over to receive up to an hours free and impartial government guidance about your personal or workplace pension options.

Tip No.11 : Request your pension online at the Department of Work and Pensions website or by telephone on 08007317898 or letter when you get to a few months before the age of 65. After October 2020 this changes to 66 or 67 after the rise scheduled between 2026 and 2028. (2)

Tip No.12 : You only need to claim your state pension in the last country where you lived or worked within the entire European Economic Area (EEA).

Tip No.13 : It is time to find work that you love and can do into what would usually be termed as ‘retirement age.’ The Centre for Social Justice has proposed “that the state pension age should rise to 70 by 2028 and 75 by 2035.” This affects people born between 6 March 1961 an 5 April 1977. (5) Anne Ashworth Property and Personal Finance Editor for The Times believes “the government is not going to raise the sate pension age to 75.” (6) However it would be sensible to be as prepared as possible just in case.

Tip No.14 : Remember you will need to pay tax on your pension if your income is over the personal allowance threshold to HMRC annually in your self assessment tax return.

 

(1) ‘Tax Hacks’ The Daily Telegraph Money, Mike Warburton 26 October 2019

(2) State Pension Age Calculator, Which Money website, Paul Davies, December 2019 State Pension Age Calculator

(3) ‘The New State Pension’ Gov.uk State Pension website 27 January 2020 New Satet Pension Gov UK

(4) ‘Living in the EU’ Gov.uk State Pension website 15 October 2019 Living in the EU Gov UK

(5) ‘The £84000 cost of a higher pension age’ The Times Money, Laura Whateley, The Times 24 August 2019

(6) ‘We need a pension dashboard wake-up call’ The Times Money, Anne Ashworth, Th Times 24 August 2019

(7) ‘Workplace Pensions’ Gov.uk website 27 January 2020 Workplace Pensions Gov UK

(8) ‘Welcome to Pension Wise’ Free and impartial government guidance about your defined contribution pension options. PensionWise website 27 January 2020 https://www.pensionwise.gov.uk/en

(9) ‘Pensions dashboard’ Money and Pensions Service website, 27 January 2020 Pensions dashboard MPS

(10) ‘Sign in using the Government Gateway’ Gov.uk website, 27 January 2020 Government Gateway Sign In

 

See Final World Tour Of Tutankamun’s Treasures Before May

Amanda Howse
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See Final World Tour Of Tutankamun’s Treasures Before May

The Tutankamun treasures of the golden pharaoh exhibition is on at the Saatchi Gallery at the Duke of York’s Head Quarters, King’s Road, London, SW3 4RY. This stunning collection of the Egyptian boy kings glittering personal possessions is on its final tour until 3rd May 2020.

“The legend of Tutankhamun captured imaginations globally when his tomb was unearthed by British explorer Howard Carter and financier Lord Carnarvon in 1922.” (1)

The production is organised by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and IMG in collaboration with Viking Cruises. Due to the demand to see these rare artworks, the show is open every day, and stays open until 7.30pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

These unique and glorious wonders appeal to people of all ages and cultures including small children. Their history is fascinating and it is a chance to gain a glimpse into the way people lived thousands of years ago in the Middle East.

Over 1.4 million people attended the earlier Tutankhamun event in France, which was a national record. Many people rated the experience as “amazing” and “mind blowing” and the authentic objects from from over 3000 years ago are certainly breathtakingly beautiful.

The craftsmanship, artistry and skills that this sophisticated civilisation mastered are demonstrated in the magical and exquisite designs on display, all painstakingly archived and transported from the original tomb.

The creative use of materials used to construct the sculptural and spiritual objects is shown to the public in detail and up close.

The are 150 artefacts to see and the average time for visitors to explore them is around 90 minutes. The show is constructed of a series of several dark rooms with glass cabinets and plinths, displaying the young sovereign’s favourite gleaming and jewel encrusted items. The curation is impressive and the accompanying virtual reality filming is successful too. Each element is carefully spotlit to reveal all its fine decorated features.

Solid gold and shiny gilt painted wood is embellished with precious gems such as turquoise, carnelian and lapis lazuli. Colourful stones are used for embellishing many of the masks, figures, animals, boxes and jewellery.

The Egyptian’s believed that the articles placed in Tutankhamun’s tomb would ease his journey through to the next world and also please many of the Gods that they were worshipping at that time.

The famous Funerary Mask still resides in the Egyption museum in Cairo ready for the entire collection to be viewed together at the new Grand Egyption Museum that is being built this year. At the Saatchi gallery in London one of the most important and priceless pieces is the Canopic Coffinette of Tutankhamun which is a “small vessel used to contain internal organs”. (1)

It is brilliant that these fantastic finds from the ancient Egyptian coffins unearthed by the English and Egyptian archaeologists nearly 100 years ago have been able to travel to both Europe and the UK’s capitol city.

“Make the most of it as the exhibits won’t be leaving Egypt again soon.” (2)

Tutankhamun will now be remembered forever and this exhibition ensures generations around the world can appreciate this incredible civilisation and the part the Egyptian’s had to play in our historical evolution. Visitors will certainly gain educational knowledge. Attendees at this special celebration of the young emperor may be more inspired to look after our planet in the future and its irreplaceable and valuable riches, for posterity.

 

(1) Official Tutankhamun website Tutankhamun in London website

(2) The Daily Telegraph, ‘The Hot List, Tutankhamun’ Chris Leadbeater 20 Oct 2019 Tutankhamun at The Telegraph

Tesco Extra Team Fix Unexpected Pain at the Pump

Amanda Howse
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Tesco Extra Team Fix Unexpected Pain at the Pump

In England we are used to always having the opportunity to fill up our tanks once we have located the nearest petrol station. There was shock, confusion and frustration at the petrol station in Hampshire yesterday, when customers drove to the largest refuelling station in the area and nothing happened when they lifted up the hose and squeezed the trigger.

The Tescos Extra in Solent Road in Havant is an excellent superstore which is respected in the area for comparatively good customer service and product availability.

However there was surprise when people who were navigating to the pumps in their cars were instructed to follow the signs posted on the front of the entrance to the forecourt area that read “unleaded available on front pumps only”.

Many people were reversing out of the station to select another queue and aim for the front pumps as only diesel and premium unleaded, which is more expensive, was available at the rear fuel dispensers.

Then without warning all the fuel filling was abruptly stopped at 10:30. This caused more confusion as there was no notice of the supply cancellation and some locals had already pre-authorised their payment cards on the pre-pay machines ready to top up their tanks.

After a few minutes of bewilderment the petrol station assistant announced on the tannoy:

“please bear with us the system is down.” Customers did not know what this meant and how long they would be waiting and if it was going to be fixed anytime soon. So a few cars drove off presumably to find an alternative supply.

Thankfullyfor everyone in the vicinity, a few minutes later, the machines bounced back into action and refuelling commenced again without any further problems. Some car horns were tooted as impatient car owners added several minutes delay onto their schedules for the day. They were irritated at any further pause their neighbours might be adding while they reorganised themselves, as they negotiated and queued for the stopping spaces and then finally headed for the exit.

Serious fuel supply problems are very rare in the United Kingdom and most British petrol stations have not run out of fuel since eight years ago, when drivers rushed to fill up ahead of organised fuel tanker strikes.

“Petrol stations across Britain are reporting fuel shortages and long queues as the Government dismissed accusations that it had triggered panic buying ahead of the impending strike by fuel tanker drivers.” (1)

More recently in 2017 The Telegraph reported that Shell was planning to open its first ‘no petrol’ service station soon, consisting only of biofuel and electric charging points. (2)

This does not seem to be happening yet as electric cars still represent a fraction of the total market. Instead Shell are encouraging green consumers to offset their carbon emissions by using their mobile phones and downloading a special app. The new Shell app records their petrol and diesel usage and automatically contributes the appropriate amount into schemes that protect and generate forests.

 

References:

(1) ‘Some petrol stations run out of fuel’ Richard Gasford ITV news, 30 March 2012 ‘Some Petrol Stations run Out of Fuel’ ITV

(2) ‘Shell plans UK’s first ‘no-petrol’ station as journey towards clean motoring continues’ Jillian Ambrose, The Telegraph Business, 23 Sep 2017 ‘Shell plans first no-petrol station’ Telegraph

(3) ‘Drivers set to go carbon neutral with Shell’ Official Shell website 10 Oct 2019 ‘Drivers go carbon neutral’ Shell

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