– Morrisons will be donating 50,000 books to help families in need –
– Customers can also bring unwanted books to Morrisons Little Libraries where children and families can pick up a book for free –
Morrisons has launched a book donation and exchange station for children – the Morrisons Little Library – in its stores across the UK which aims to promote reading and literacy in children, particularly those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The Morrisons Little Library was inspired by Canterbury-based children’s author, Rebecca Smith, who approached Morrisons asking for help to tackle the issues surrounding children’s literacy and the lack of availability of books at home.
Morrisons Little Library exchanges will be set up in stores across the UK from this week. Customers can bring along unwanted books to donate and all children, teenagers and parents can pick up a book for free. Books will also be donated through the initiative to local schools and community groups, via Morrisons Community Champions.
David Potts, Morrisons CEO, said: “The past year has been extremely difficult for everyone and we want to help as much as we can. We know that our younger customers love reading but some may not have access to books of their own. That’s why we’re launching the Morrisons Little Library – so every child has the chance to enjoy reading and brighten their future.”
Rebecca Smith said:“To think that there are children who have never enjoyed a bedtime story is heart-breaking. Stories change lives. Every child and every parent should have access to that experience. The Morrisons Little Library provides that potentially life-changing access.”
Research from The Open University, which has been involved in shaping the initiative, shows that reading books helps children to start conversations, spark imagination and support emotional wellbeing.
The National Literacy Trust recently reported that children who own books are six times more likely to read above the level expected for their age but that one in 11 disadvantaged children don’t own a single book.
Teresa Cremin, Professor of Education Literacy at The Open University, added, “It’s been great working with Morrisons to help make the Little Library idea a reality. Reading benefits children and young people in so many ways and is especially vital after such a difficult and disruptive year, as it creates a safe space to escape and learn.”
To continue to support children’s literacy, Morrisons has created a new book – Cedric The Seed – and will be publishing 50,000 copies. The book will be distributed nationwide by Morrisons Community Champions to local community groups and schools to ensure they are reaching those who need them most.
Cedric the Seed has been written for Morrisons by Danielle Corrigan from Saddleworth, who began writing children’s books last year whilst she was homeschooling her own children. Danielle began writing positive stories for children to read last year to help them cope with the mental health effects of lockdown.
Inspired by the pandemic and how lives were changed in an instant, the book follows Cedric, a small sunflower seed as he is separated from his family and friends. His journey is full of unexpected adventure, friendship and fun as when Cedric begins to grow, he realises his friends and family were there all along.
The initiative is the latest from Morrisons which aims to make good things happen and bring hope to the nation. Last month, Morrisons gave away over 2.5 million packets of sunflower seeds to customers to grow at home and half a million postcards for people to send messages to their loved ones who they haven’t been able to see due to lockdown.
Morrisons Community Champions have also launched the “Little Sunshine” awards which aim to recognise those who have gone above and beyond to help their community during the pandemic.
The governments of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK have issued a statement on Israeli Settlements
The statement reads:
We urge the Government of Israel to reverse its decision to advance the construction of 540 settlement units in the Har Homa E area of the occupied West Bank, and to cease its policy of settlement expansion across the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Settlements are illegal under international law, and threaten prospects for a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
If implemented, the decision to advance settlements in Har Homa, between East Jerusalem and Bethlehem, will cause further damage to the prospects for a viable Palestinian State, with Jerusalem as the capital of both Israel and a Palestinian State.
This move, alongside settlement advancement in Givat HaMatos and continued evictions in East Jerusalem, including in Sheikh Jarrah, also undermines efforts to rebuild trust between the parties, following the positive resumption of Israeli-Palestinian cooperation.
We call on both sides to refrain from any unilateral action and resume a credible and meaningful dialogue, to advance efforts for the two state solution and an end to the conflict.
Edinburgh’s count this year will take place over two days at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston. It gets underway at 9am this morning.
Throughout the planning process, our elections team has sought guidance from public health experts, consulting extensively with the Director of Public Health, to make sure the event runs as safely and as smoothly as possible.
Today (Friday 7 May) the results for Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh Southern and Edinburgh Western will be announced, while results will be declared for Edinburgh Eastern, Edinburgh Pentlands and Edinburgh Northern and Leith as well as the list/Region vote results tomorrow, Saturday 8 May.
Safety measures in place at the count
Everyone must wear a face covering when moving and circulating within the count venue, unless they are exempt.
Hand sanitising stations will be positioned throughout the venue.
Physical distancing will be in place.
Regular cleaning, including at touch points.
Contact tracing system with all people attending the count.
One-way systems in parts of the building.
Room capacity limits will be in place.
Enhanced ventilation at the venue.
Andrew Kerr, Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council and Returning Officer for the Edinburgh constituencies and the Lothian Region, said: The arrangements for the 2021 Scottish Parliamentary Election feel very different from previous elections.
“Throughout our preparations our elections team has sought guidance from public health experts and we’ve put in place extensive additional Covid-19 health and safety measures to help keep everyone safe, reduce the risk of spreading the virus and of course protect the integrity of the Election.
“We’re taking all the necessary steps to support the COVID-safe operation of the election count at the Highland Hall. In line with Public Health Scotland (PHS) guidance every effort has been made to make sure the centre is well ventilated, hand-sanitising stations are positioned throughout the venue, facemasks are worn whenever people move about the venue and that everyone observes two-metre physical distancing at all times.
“Count assistants will adhere to two-metre distancing but don’t have to wear a face covering when seated on the count floor.
“The safety of everyone working at the count is of utmost importance and measures will be enforced by our marshalls throughout the duration of the event for the health and safety of everyone present. I want to thank the team for their efforts so far and look forward to delivering a robust process in these unprecedented times.”
The results from the count will be tweeted live from @Edinburgh_cc as they are announced by the Returning Officer, with the hashtag #SPE21RESULT.
A coalition of organisations championing consumers, and representing civil society and business, have today joined forces to warn that the UK risks failing in its ambition to be the safest place in the world to be online unless it uses new laws to protect people from an avalanche of online scams.
In a joint letter to the Home Secretary and Digital Secretary, 17 organisations have urged the government to include online scams in its proposed Online Safety Bill – which could be announced in next week’s Queen’s Speech – so that consumers are better protected against the devastating financial and emotional harm caused by these crimes.
The organisations that have signed the letter include Which?, the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, Carnegie UK Trust, UK Finance, the Personal Investment Management and Financial Advice Association (PIMFA), the City of London Corporation, City of London Police, The Investment Association, Association of British Insurers (ABI), MoneySavingExpert and Age UK.
From using social media to stay in touch with friends and family to using search engines to research potential investments at a time of record-low interest rates – the coronavirus crisis has meant people are spending more time online than ever before.
However, scams have escalated in the past 12 months, with Action Fraud figures showing that £1.7 billion was reportedly lost to scams in the last year. Many criminals have shifted their activity online. Action Fraud estimates that in the year to June 2020, 85% of all fraud was cyber-enabled.
The actual financial losses are likely to be much higher and do not capture the devastating emotional impact on victims. Research also shows that vulnerable people, including those experiencing mental health problems, are more at risk of falling victim to these crimes online.
In their letter, the organisations write: “Online platforms play a pivotal role in enabling criminals to reach and defraud internet users through the hosting, promotion and targeting of fake and fraudulent content on their sites, including adverts that they make significant profits from.
“Yet platforms have very little legal responsibility for protecting their users, despite often being the best placed to tackle harmful content.
“While we recognise there are initiatives being progressed by the Government designed to tackle aspects of online fraud, there is a growing risk that current plans for future regulatory frameworks are not taking a comprehensive approach to the threats faced by consumers and do not reflect the extent or urgency of the problem.”
UK Finance figures show a 32 per cent increase in investment scam cases in 2020, which are often promoted through adverts on search engines and social media offering higher than average returns.
One victim of such a scam was Maria Teresa Jackson, 63, a teacher. Ms Jackson was tricked by an advert she saw on a social media site, featuring a fake news story with fabricated quotes from celebrity adventurer Bear Grylls, who supposedly told how he had become a millionaire by trading in Bitcoin.
She clicked the button and put in her details and soon received a phone call from a “financial advisor” who showed her around a professional looking website, and was very knowledgeable about trading. Over time she was persuaded to transfer increasing amounts of money to the scammer.
It later became clear that the Bitcoin did not exist. Scammers stole nearly £120,000 and First Direct, her bank, has so far refunded her half that amount.
She said: “I felt completely sick. I’m overall better now but often I get flashbacks of certain events and that upsets me a lot. I usually get them at night when I’m in bed and when that happens, it sets the tone for a bad night’s sleep.”
A spokesperson for First Direct said:“We would like to offer our sincerest sympathies to Ms Jackson, and fully appreciate how the situation has impacted her. Sadly, there are unscrupulous individuals who carry out criminal activities without any regard for the effect this will have on their victims.
“Although we believe Ms Jackson could have exercised more caution and carried out further checks before making the payments, we could also have offered more effective fraud warnings. So on that basis we’ve refunded 50% of the payments made.”
A wide-ranging consensus has emerged across industry, regulators and consumer groups on the urgent need for action to tackle scams and the critical role that online platforms must take in doing more to protect their users.
The coalition of groups is calling for online platforms to be given a legal responsibility to protect users from fake and fraudulent content on their sites that lead to scams. The government now has a perfect opportunity to deliver this in its proposed Online Safety Bill, which could be announced as part of next week’s Queen’s Speech on 11 May.
Anabel Hoult, CEO of Which?, said: “The biggest online platforms have some of the most sophisticated technology in the world, yet they are failing to use it to protect scam victims who are suffering devastating financial and emotional harm due to the flood of fake and fraudulent content posted online by criminals.
“The time for self-regulation is over, as clearly it has not worked. The case for including scams in the Online Safety Bill is overwhelming and the government must take the opportunity to act now. Online platforms must be given a legal responsibility to prevent, identify and remove fake and fraudulent content on their sites so that their users are better protected.”
Martin Lewis, Founder of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute and MoneySavingExpert.com, said:“It beggars belief that the government’s Online Safety Bill could ignore the epidemic of scams that the UK faces – but that’s the plan. Scams don’t just steal people’s money, they can take their self-respect too and those with mental health problems are three times more likely to be affected.
“The policing of scams is critically underfunded, leaving criminals to get away with these frauds with impunity. The government has a chance to at least deny them the ‘oxygen of publicity’ by making big tech responsible for the scammers adverts it is paid to publish.
“I plead on bended knee for the government to take that opportunity, by putting scams in the Online Safety Bill. Failing to do so will betray its promise to create world-leading online protection and will leave vulnerable people defenceless against online crime in the midst of a global pandemic.”
David Postings, Chief Executive at UK Finance, said: “Fraud has a devastating emotional impact on victims and even when the victim is reimbursed, the stolen cash is used to fund serious organised crimes which damage our society, including terrorism, drug trafficking, and child sexual exploitation.
“The banking and finance industry is tackling fraud on all fronts, but we can’t do it alone. We need other industries including the online platforms exploited by criminals to join the fight and take responsibility for criminal activity that is happening on their doorstep.
It’s not right that online giants are effectively profiting twice – once from criminals marketing scams on their platforms and again from organisations having to advertise fraud warnings to consumers.
“We are strongly calling on the government to take a major step forward by including economic crime in the upcoming Online Safety Bill and helping ensure tech giants take responsibility for their part in protecting consumers from the scourge of online fraud.”
William Perrin, Trustee at Carnegie UK Trust, said:“Our work at Carnegie UK Trust has set out the case for a systemic, statutory duty of care that would make online platforms take responsibility for the design and processes of their services to reduce online harm.
“This new research underlines the urgent need for action to protect consumers from harms such as online fraud and scams – and the Online Safety Bill is the way to do it. Both the City of London Police and the National Economic Crime Centre have told Parliament that their current powers are not enough to limit the spread of online fraud and scams.
“It is vital that the Government reconsider their inclusion in the Online Safety Bill.”
Liz Field, Chief Executive of PIMFA, commented:“The financial services industry has along with our partners been calling for financial harm to be included in the Online Safety Bill for some time.
“It is now vital that the Government takes action to provide better protection for consumers online by ensuring online search and social media firms take greater responsibility for what we, their customers, see on their platforms.
“The Online Safety Bill could provide a clear legal framework that would protect consumers from ever more sophisticated online fraud, largely perpetrated by organised criminals. PIMFA and our partners in this campaign continue to urge the Government to include financial harm in the Online Safety Bill.
“Doing so would save thousands of victims suffering enormous financial and mental distress and would be one of the best possible ways to disrupt organised crime.”
In March 2021 there were 90,833 attendances to major Emergency Departments across Scotland. This is a 30% increase compared to February 2021 and a 7% increase when compared to March 2020.
Despite this increase, 87.5% of attendances to major Emergency Departments in Scotland were seen within 4 hours, meaning one in eight patients are waiting for four hours or more before being seen. Although, this represents an increase of 1.6 percentage points compared to February 2021.
In March 2021, 315 patients spent 12 hours or more in an Emergency Department, this is down by one third compared to February 2021 and down by over one quarter compared to March 2020.
Data also show that 1,358 patients spent eight hours or more in a major Emergency Department, this is down by over 22% compared to the previous month and down six percentage points on the previous year.
Dr John Thomson, Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “We are beginning to reach pre-pandemic levels of hospital activity and demand for urgent and emergency care services. We fear a return of the pre-pandemic crowding that put patient safety at risk.
“The health service is in recovery, elective care waiting lists are growing, attendances at Emergency Departments are increasing, and the already depleted workforce is exhausted.
“As a result, some hospitals are beginning to face pressures with patients delayed for hours. We must rapidly assess and address our resources, capacity, and the way we deliver care.
“The College launched its campaign Summer to Recover: Winter Proofing the Urgent and Emergency Care system for 2021 which presents a series of actions the Scottish Government, NHS Boards and ED Leadership Teams can take to prepare their departments for the challenges ahead.
“There are threats of a further wave of covid in the late summer and a potentially gruelling winter with seasonal flu in the community. We saw how the NHS in Scotland was underprepared and under-resourced for the pandemic and the brutal winter which followed, now we have a chance to learn and do what we can to ready ourselves for the next phase.
“Staff are exhausted after a difficult year and are facing new challenges on every front, by preparing now and ensuring that departments are ready for this next phase, we may be able to manage demand and cope with system pressures.”
A donkey suffering from a form of cancer has received life-saving surgery, thanks to international animal welfare charities The Donkey Sanctuary and World Horse Welfare.
The eight-year-old skewbald donkey called Skye, who was living on the grounds of a distillery in Fort William, in the Scottish Highlands, had a large growth on his chest that needed urgent veterinary attention.
An independent vet examined the large growth on Skye’s chest, and diagnosed it as a sarcoid, a kind of skin cancer.
The vet confirmed Skye would need specialist surgery and dedicated aftercare due to the severity of his sarcoid. It was suggested that the only option could be to put Skye to sleep.
A local groom and volunteers looked after Skye and a pony he lived with, after their owner could no longer care for them.
In a desperate effort to save Skye, Emma Norval, a local volunteer who helped look after him, contacted The Donkey Sanctuary to see if they could offer any support.
The Donkey Sanctuary and World Horse Welfare worked together to explore other treatment options for Skye.
Jenna Goldby, Donkey Welfare Adviser at The Donkey Sanctuary, said: “Due to the nature of Skye’s sarcoid, the only treatment option available was to remove it via laser treatment.
“It was not going to be possible to remove it on site, so World Horse Welfare transported him to the University of Glasgow, School of Veterinary Medicine for the operation.”
John Burns, Field Officer at World Horse Welfare, said: “Because the sarcoid was on Skye’s chest the operation had to take place with him standing. Under the expert care of Professor David Sutton, the tumour was removed using laser treatment.
“Everyone is really hopeful that Skye will continue to make a full recovery and go on to live in very good health.”
Emma Norval said: “If it had not been for such a quick response from The Donkey Sanctuary I don’t think the lovely, gentle Skye would be here today.He is such a lovely boy.”
Jenna added: “This is a great outcome for Skye and I hope he goes on to live a happy and enriched life. The Donkey Sanctuary has a team of Donkey Welfare Advisers around the country and we’re here to offer free support and advice to donkey owners.”
Following surgery, Skye was moved to a holding base funded by The Donkey Sanctuary, where his health is continuing to improve. He has settled in well and is receiving the care that he deserves from his dedicated grooms.
The Donkey Sanctuary is a global leader for equine welfare, research and veterinary care. The charity operates programmes worldwide for animals working in agriculture, industry and transportation.
Morrisons has launched a mega in-store sale on baby and toddler products. The sale, which is on across the month of May will allow parents to save big on brands including Pampers, Baby Dove, Johnson’s and many more.
Morrisons has also launched a new baby food range under its Nutmeg brand with prices starting at just 50p – a fraction of the cost of similar products from Hipp and Ella’s Kitchen which normally for almost double (90p).
To help parents even further as the nation moves out of lockdown, they can also sign up to the Baby & More Club for additional exclusive offers, helpful tips, members-only freebies and competitions.
And because parents need treats too, Morrisons has further offers on bath and beauty products to unwind and relax.
Millions of internet users could be at risk of hacking attacks due to using outdated routers from their broadband providers that have security flaws, a Which? investigation has found.
Households across the country are using their home broadband more than ever, to work, educate their children or keep in touch with loved ones.
But many are unaware that old equipment provided by internet service providers (ISPs), including EE, Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and Vodafone, could be putting them at risk of hackers spying on what they are browsing online or even directing them to malicious websites used by scammers.
Which? investigated 13 old router models and found more than two-thirds – nine of them – had flaws that would likely see them fail to meet requirements proposed in upcoming government laws to tackle the security of connected devices.
The legislation is not yet in force and so the ISPs aren’t currently breaking any laws or regulations.
The consumer champion’s lab testing identified a range of issues with the routers. These security risks could potentially affect around 7.5 million people, based on the number of respondents who said they were using these router models in Which?’s nationally representative survey.
Around six million people within this group of users could be using a router that has not been updated since 2018 or earlier. This means the devices have not been receiving security updates which are crucial for defending them against cyber criminals.
The problems uncovered by Which?’s lab tests on the old router models that failed were:
Weak default passwords, which in certain circumstances could allow a cyber criminal to hack the router and access it from anywhere;
a lack of firmware updates, which are vital for both security and performance;
a local network vulnerability issue with the EE Brightbox 2. This could give a hacker full control of the device, and for example allow them to add malware or spyware, although they would have to be on the network already to attack.
The survey also suggested that 2.4 million users haven’t had a router upgrade in the last five years.
Which? is concerned that many customers are being left using old kit, often with no guarantee of an upgrade, and is encouraging consumers in this position to talk to their broadband provider about getting an upgrade.
In contrast to the other ISPs, the old BT and Plusnet routers that Which? tested all passed the security tests – researchers didn’t find password issues, a lack of firmware updates or a local network vulnerability with these devices.
When Which? contacted the ISPs with its findings, most of them said that they monitor for security threats and provide updates if needed.
BT Group told Which? that older routers still receive security patches if problems are found – although Which? did find an unfixed vulnerability on the EE (part of the BT Group) Brightbox 2 router.
Aside from Virgin Media, none of the ISPs Which? contacted gave a clear indication of the number of customers using their old routers. Virgin said that it did not recognise or accept the findings of the Which? research and that nine in 10 of its customers are using the latest Hub 3 or Hub 4 routers.
However Which? notes that Virgin was counting just paying account holders, whereas Which?’s survey was of anyone using routers within a household.
Which? believes that ISPs should be more upfront about how long routers will receive firmware and security updates – one of the requirements of proposed government laws to tackle unsecure devices – and encourage people to upgrade devices that are at risk.
As part of its proposed legislation to tackle unsecure devices, Which? is also calling for the government to ban default passwords and also prevent manufacturers from allowing consumers to set weak passwords that may be easily guessable and hackable.
The consumer champion also believes broadband providers should be ready to respond when security researchers warn them about possible issues – and should make it easy for researchers to contact them. Only Sky, Virgin Media and Vodafone appeared to have dedicated web pages for this.
Consumers with routers that are five years old or more should ask their provider if the device is still supported with security updates and if it is not they should ask for an upgrade.
Kate Bevan, Which? Computing editor, said:“Given our increased reliance on our internet connections during the pandemic, it is worrying that so many people are still using out-of-date routers that could be exploited by criminals.
“Internet service providers should be much clearer about how many customers are using outdated routers and encourage people to upgrade devices that pose security risks.
“Proposed new government laws to tackle devices with poor security can’t come soon enough – and must be backed by strong enforcement.”
After over a year in and out of lockdown, many of us have turned to technology to keep ourselves entertained – from binging on hit Netflix shows such as Tiger King and Bridgerton, to making daily purchases via Amazon Prime.
But as things continue to ease up, and we edge ever closer to the Great British Summertime (and freedom!), we may be planning exciting days out with friends and family – many of whom we haven’t seen in several months, or even a year!
Before you step outside and enjoy the sunshine, take a moment to check around the home for any appliances which may be on standby. Doing could save you £30 a year – not bad!
Debra Clason, Hub Manager at the Utilita Energy Hub in Leith, Edinburgh, has shared her top tips for saving energy during this time:
Dust off the clothes horse
As the days get warmer, pull out the clothes horse from the back of the cupboard and dry freshly washed items quickly in the sun without the need of the tumble-dryer.
Check your heating
When the weather heats up, check your heating and make sure it’s either off because it’s warm enough outside, or that it set lower to save you in the long run.
Stay cool with cross ventilation
Create a cool breeze through the home by opening a window at the font and another at the back, to let air free flow through rooms – and save the fan until things really heat up!
Make the most of the great outdoors
As the weather improves after being cooped up inside for several months, make the most out of the great outdoors. Less time in the home enjoying ourselves means less energy used.
Debra comments: “Our research reveals on average, British homes have 10 unused items plugged in and switched on at any time. Across the UK’s millions of homes, those with at least one TV waste a staggering £432 million on unnecessary energy every year by leaving the set on standby.
“By simply switching your appliances off at the power source after using them, you could save £30 a year.”
“Find other tips on how you could save £163 each year on energy bills with our Energy High 5 movement.”
Around 7.10pm last night (Wednesday 5 May), police received a report of a bus window being smashed in Pennywell Gardens, after a stone was thrown by a group of youths.
Enquiries are continuing and officers are following a positive line of enquiry.
