According to recent studies, the right background music can increase our enjoyment of food by up to 60%. If you’re busy preparing a festive feast and want to make sure everything goes smoothly, picking the right music is key!
Cooking Christmas dinner can be a stressful experience, even for the most accomplished chefs! You might have picked up the best ingredients and got your timings perfected, but you probably haven’t given as much thought to what music you’ll be listening to when you sit down to eat?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the number one spot went to the undisputed Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey, with her hit song ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ appearing in 104 Christmas dinner playlists.
Following closely behind is Michael Bublé, with his version of ‘It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas’ coming in second place, with 79 appearances.
Frank Sinatra and Michael Bublé share the title of most popular Christmas artists, with each having 6 songs in the top 100, including both of their versions of ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas’.
There were 5 different versions of this festive classic in the top 100, with other versions from Sam Smith, Ella Fitzgerald and Charles Snyder also making appearances.
Winter is here and that means Scotland’s 111 service sees an increase in calls relating to muscle aches, as well as joint and bone injuries.
As part of the national winter ‘healthy know how’ campaign, NHS 24 is advising people how to safely treat common musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions such as back pain, wrist ache and twisted ankles so they can still enjoy the holidays with family and friends.
Dr Ronald Cook, NHS 24’s Associate Medical Director says: ‘During winter, we always see an increase in calls relating to muscle, joint and bone injuries – often because of slips, trips and falls in bad weather.
“People can suffer a wide range of symptoms from minor discomfort right through to severe pain but a lot of the time these types of injuries will naturally heal and with safe treatment at home, don’t need a trip to the hospital.
‘We have recently updated NHS inform’s MSK pages with the most up to date advice on how to look after this type of injury, and also when and where to seek further help if the issue needs urgent attention or symptoms are not improving. It’s a fantastic resource and I would recommend anyone with an MSK issue to visit NHS inform first to help them get the right care, in the right place.’
Dr Cook’s advice compliments the national winter health campaign ‘Healthy Know How.’ The ‘Healthy Know How’ campaign provides advice on how to stay well and enjoy the festivities, avoiding the need to get medical help over the holidays.
Tips include:
Know how to stay on top of prescriptions. Order only what is needed and in plenty of time before the festive holidays.
Know how to be prepared for common illnesses. Ensure the medicine cupboard is well stocked.
Know how to check symptoms if you do become unwell. NHS inform’s symptom checkers can give you all the health advice you need online.
Know how to get the right care, in the right place. Further medical advice can be found during the week by contacting your GP, pharmacist, dentist or optometrist. For out of hours or during holiday closures call NHS 24 on 111.
Cash strapped Brits are being advised to freeze certain foods ahead of Christmas to help spread the cost of the festive holiday.
The penny-pinching pros at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk are advising Brits on eight of the lesser-known food items that can be safely stored in a freezer, to help households save money and prep ahead.
Storing food below zero degrees preserves the conditions of food by freezing potentially harmful molecules, so they die or enter a dormant state.
Most foods will last at least three to four months in the freezer, giving cooks a much wider timescale to add items to a meal.
Consumer expert Rebecca Bebbington from NetVoucherCodes.co.uk said: “Christmas has always been an expensive time and this year a lot of families will be feeling the pinch more than usual due to the cost of living crisis.
“The Christmas dinner shop can be an expensive one which is why we’re encouraging people to spread the costs by buying certain foods now and freezing them until they’re needed.
“Meat and veggies are just some of the items you can freeze to help you save money and if you’re worried about storage space, take the items out of their original packaging and pop them into some freezable food bags.”
Many stores are already speaking up over concerns over Christmas stock levels. To guarantee a prize turkey or a joint of roast beef, buying and freezing these staples ahead of time might be the way to go. Before making any big purchases, make sure that the food will still be in date and good to defrost by December the 25th.
Brussel sprouts
Some people love them, others hate this festive member of the cabbage family. These can be easily grown at home to really save on money, or shop bought ahead of the Christmas price hike. To really capture them in full flavour, blanche or roast them before freezing.
Parsnips
This honey covered Christmas staple will stay good to eat for around nine months. You can freeze them in small cubes, or chunks. Blanching parsnips before freezing them will lock in their flavour and texture. They will be right at home in the same draw as frozen carrots, peas and all of the other festive vegetable staples.
Cheese
Wanting to get prepped for the perfect cheeseboard or stock up This can be frozen as a full block, or if you mainly use it grated, you can grate the block and freeze it, meaning you can grab handfuls of cheese as and when you need it. Anything from mozzarella to parmesan can cope with being put in the freezer, but be warned, cottage cheese may react badly.
Milk
With more people in the house or more time spent having a cuppa, milk is a must-have around the home over the festive period. Frozen milk must be fully thawed before use and give the carton a big shake before pouring, to ensure all the solids and liquids have been fully mixed. Milk expands when frozen, so don’t put it in a tight container.
Bread
This should be frozen when fresh otherwise it will be slightly stale once defrosted. You can freeze it as a full loaf, or in individual slices if this is easier. You can then leave your bread to thaw naturally or pop it straight into the toaster.
Eggs
The shell of eggs can’t be frozen, but everything else can. Crack the eggs into a muffin tray, then place these into the freezer. Once fully frozen they can be transferred into a plastic container, creating even more space.
Chocolate
Chocolate doesn’t contain much water, meaning it won’t change as much as other items when frozen or defrosted. Put the chocolate in the fridge for a few hours before placing it into the freezer, as this will help bring the temperature down slowly, reducing the risk of the flavour or appearance changing.
For more information on foods you can freeze visit NetVoucherCodes’ blog here:-
Members of the public are being asked not to visit NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde hospitals if they are displaying symptoms of COVID-19, flu or Norovirus.
Those who plan to visit loved ones in hospital should only do so if they are not displaying any symptoms and all visitors should wear a mask, if eligible, during their time on site.
Symptoms of Norovirus include:
Suddenly feeling sick
Projectile vomiting
Watery diarrhoea
Slight fever
Headaches
Painful stomach cramps and aching limbs
Symptoms of COVID-19 include:
Continuous cough
High temperature, fever or chills
Loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell
Shortness of breath
Unexplained tiredness, lack of energy
Muscle aches or pains that are not due to exercise
Not wanting to eat or not feeling hungry
Headache that’s unusual or longer lasting than usual
Sore throat, stuffy or runny nose
Diarrhoea
Feeling sick or being sick
Symptoms of flu include:
A sudden fever
A dry, chesty cough
A headache
Tiredness and weakness
Chills
Aching muscles
Limb or joint pain
Diarrhoea or abdominal (tummy) pain
Nausea and vomiting
A sore throat
A runny or blocked nose
Sneezing
Loss of appetite
Difficulty sleeping
Taking precautions against viral infections have become part of our everyday life in recent years and we can all continue to help each other by following guidance around slowing the spread of the viruses and practicing good hygiene.
You can protect yourself and others by:
Staying at home if unwell, have a fever or are displaying symptoms of COVID-19 or Norovirus
Wearing a face covering in healthcare settings and not visiting loved ones if unwell
Wearing a face covering in indoor public places and on public transport
Cleaning hands and surfaces regularly
Opening windows when meeting indoors
Socialising outdoors when possible
Morag Gardner, Deputy Nurse Director for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Acute Division said: “During the winter months viral infections, such as COVID-19, flu and Norovirus, can further add to the pressures hard-working staff are facing across our sites.
“Our dedicated members of staff are working around the clock to continue to provide the highest standard of patient-centred care possible. To help protect yourself, your loved ones and our services, we are asking members of the public not to visit our hospital sites if they are displaying symptoms of any of these viruses. We are also asking anyone who does attend the site to follow infection control guidance, such as washing your hands regularly and wearing a mask during your time at the hospital.”
NHSGGC is urging people to only attend Emergency Department (A&E) across its sites if their condition is very urgent or life-threatening.
Any patient unsure of who to turn to has a range of options available to them:
This winter we’ve seen hundreds of thousands of workers taking industrial action – or striking – to defend their pay and conditions (writes TUC’s Alex Collinson).
These are individual disputes, and it’s important to understand the details in different workplaces. But there is a common cause: a pay disaster that means workers are being paid less in real terms now than they were 14 years ago.
First things first – what’s a strike?
Trade unions exist to defend their members’ jobs, pay and conditions. Normally they try to do that through negotiations with employers, through a process called collective bargaining. But when those negotiations break down, workers have the right to collectively withdraw their labour to help bring the employer back to the bargaining table.
In Britain, the right to strike is governed by complex and restrictive industrial action laws. In summary, to count as ‘protected industrial action’, a strike must:
relate to a work dispute with your own employer
be supported by a valid secret postal ballot with independent scrutiny, in which at least of half the balloted workers have voted (in other words, “not voting” counts as a vote against the strike)
be carried out with notice
In addition, since the Tories’ 2016 Trade Union Act strikes involving workers who provide what the government calls an “important public service” can only be lawful if at least 40% of the workers balloted over the action vote in favour of it.
How much has strike activity increased?
The number of strikes has been on the rise in recent months. The latest data shows that the 417,000 days were lost due to strike action in October 2022, the highest it’s been in 11 years. Some are estimating that this December will see over a million days lost to strike action for the first time since 1989.
But it’s important to put the recent rise in strike action into context. While the number of days lost due to strike action is relatively high compared to the past couple of decades, they’d be fairly standard in any decade before the 1990s.
If more than one million working days are lost due to strikes in December, it’ll be the first time it’s happened since July 1989. But between 1970 and 1989, there were 47 months when this happened. And the 417,000 days lost due to strike action in October 2022 may be the fifth highest on record since 1990, but we regularly saw far higher figures pre-1990.
So what’s behind the rise?
Each individual strike will have different reasons behind it, but there’s some common factors behind the recent rise.
Work has been getting worse for many – lower paid, worse conditions, increasingly insecure. At the same time as workers have seen pay and conditions get worse, businesses have been giving more and more money to shareholders, with dividends paid out to shareholders growing three times faster than wages over the past decade.
And the government has been refusing to properly fund pay rises for public sector workers, failing to introduce a proper minimum wage, and attacking trade union rights, and failing to introduce a proper minimum wage.
The government’s minimum wage remains below the Real Living Wage set by the Living Wage Foundation, and, even with next year’s rise, will be £4.58 below a £15 per hour minimum wage.
Pay
We’ll start with pay. Average real pay (that’s wages once you take inflation into account) is lower now than it was in 2008. It’s not expected to go back above 2008 levels until 2027. This 19-year pay squeeze is longer than any pay squeeze we have official records for, and likely the longest since Napoleonic times.
If wages had grown in line with pre-2008 trends over the past fourteen years, they’d now be £291 per week higher than they currently are.
Over a decade of stagnant pay has directly contributed to the current crisis, leaving many people unable to cope with a sudden rise in prices. While the cost of living crisis is often presented as a recent problem, it’s been building for years.
The situation was already dire before energy bills began to rise. As we went into the pandemic, the number of people in poverty was at a record high, with the majority of those in poverty living in a working household.
The recent rise in prices has made the situation even worse. After years of stagnant pay, workers are now facing double-digit inflation while being offered single-digit pay rises. The latest data shows that, in October, nominal pay rose by 6.4 per cent, while inflation hit 11.1 per cent. Real pay has fallen by £111 per month in the past year alone.
This is particularly bad in the public sector, where pay is rising by just 3.8 per cent, and average real pay has fallen by £185 per month in the past year.
Weak pay growth in the public sector is down to the government refusing to give proper pay rises to workers that kept the country running during the pandemic. Look at health workers, for example. TUC analysis of NHS pay scales shows that:
Nurses’ real pay fell by £1,800 over the last year
Paramedics’ real pay fell by £2,400 over the last year
Midwives’ real pay fell by £2,400 over the last year
This is after a decade of pay suppression by government that has led to nurses earning £5,000 a year less in real terms than they were in 2010. For midwives and paramedics this rises to over £6,000.
Working conditions and job losses
But it’s not just about pay. Many of the current strikes happening aren’t just about getting pay rising, but also protecting jobs, fighting against worsening working conditions, and putting an end to insecure contracts and outsourcing.
Fighting for pay itself is often a fight to improve working conditions. Better pay helps with recruitment and retention of staff.
It’s a political choice
The government spent months clapping for key workers, but now refuses to give them a fair pay rise. This is a political choice. The government could avoid, for example, rail workers, nurses, teachers, paramedics striking by getting around the negotiating table and offering a decent, fair pay rise.
Instead, it continues to offer real pay cuts to public sector workers, often hiding behind pay review bodies while it does. And when it comes to rail workers, the government is actively blocking deals being made. This is all part of wider cuts to public services that have left them understaffed and underfunded.
The government doesn’t agree pay deals in the private sector, but it can set a positive example to employers by offering decent pay rises. It also has the power to deliver increases to the minimum wage that get it to £15 an hour.
But instead, the government has repeatedly attacked trade union rights, making it harder to strike and therefore harder to negotiate for better pay.
Workers are winning
There’s another reason behind the rise in the number of people gaining confidence to take action: workers are winning. People are winning better pay deals and working conditions by joining together and standing up for themselves. Striking workers have won themselves double-digit pay rises across a range of different jobs, from bus drivers to BT engineers, as well as better conditions and an end to outsourcing.
If you aren’t in a union yet, there’s never been a better time to join – talk to your mates and talk to a union. And to learn more on how the TUC is supporting union disputes, see our solidarity hub here.
With just a week until Christmas Day, Christmas markets up and down the country are bustling with people, visiting their nearest towns and cities with the hopes of getting in the festive before the big day.
It’s an annual tradition which transforms towns and cities into festive wonderlands stuffed with mouth-watering food, drinks, and stalls laden with great gift ideas.
A new study by Envirofone, reveals the most and least popular Christmas markets in the UK this festive season, taking into account the general publics reaction to the markets since they opened a month ago.
SCOTLANDS TOP CHRISTMAS MARKET EVOKES FRUSTRATION AMONGST VISITORS
In total, 15 UK Christmas markets were ranked, scraping 63,160 social media posts that mentioned each Christmas market during last year’s opening period to analyse the emotional sentiment – identifying tones of anger, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, and surprise to reveal the percentage of positive and negative mentions. Additionally, we collected data from Instagram hashtags and TikTok views to see which are the most popular across those social media platforms.
Whilst overall Edinburgh Christmas markets take 2nd place when taking into account overall social listening, TikTok views and Instagram mentions, 16% of the social media posts mentioning the markets between October 2022 and the first week of December indicate feelings of anger, disgust and sadness towards the event.
Although many praised the markets for their variation of gift stalls and the range of food and drink on offer, the majority of the negative comments come from those commenting on the overcrowding and queues that have been in place to enter the markets.
People have taken to social media to comment on the unnessesary amount of food vendors at this years event, slamming the prices of the food and drink on offer at them.
However, we cannot forget the hidden wonders that Edinburgh Christmas markets offers, including a Christmas tree maze, theatre performances and concerts unsurprisingly has been viewed the most out of all the Christmas Markets on TikTok, with 12,516,000 views.
Mentioned a total of 6,700 times on social media during 2021’s festive season, 17% of these posts evoked feelings of joy, with the markets being noted for their festive feel, the number of activities that the event offers and the range of winter warming food available.
London’s Hyde Park Winter Wonderland ranks first as our festive front-runner, boasting 65,780 Instagram hashtags, over 10.5 million views on TikTok and 14,000 search mentions.
A favourite in the North of England, Manchester takes home third place with 16% of the social mentions evoking feelings of joy around the festive feel of the markets from those mentioning it.
NEWCASTLE IS RANKED THE LEAST ENJOYABLE
Newcastle sits at the bottom of the leader board, with 7% of mentions of the markets being of anger and fear. As “COVID” was a popular term used in conjunction with both Newcastle and Cardiff markets, this indicates that last year COVID was still affecting the running of the events.
Although 16% of Blenheim Palace mentions are joy, it’s high ticket prices pull down the ranking of the event, placing it in fourteenth place.
RANKED: CHRISTMAS MARKETS FROM MOST TO LEAST POPULAR
Rank
Christmas Market
Instagram (no of hashtags)
TikTok (no of views)
Total mentions
% Positivementions
% Negativementions
Average Index Score
1
Winter Wonderland
65,780
10,596,079
14,000
17%
9%
0.75
2
Edinburgh
47,214
12,516,400
6,700
17%
12%
0.78
3
Manchester
62,462
5,041,542
7,500
16%
13%
0. 83
4
York
9,315
445,842
9,400
12%
14%
1.27
5
Lincoln
12,275
494,313
2,900
14%
26%
1.28
6
Birmingham
17,789
525,978
4,800
16%
7%
1.34
7
Belfast
8,670
4,213,156
3,600
9%
23%
1.46
8
Bath
31,422
21,995
2,200
20%
6%
1.68
9
Nottingham
4,877
120,135
3,100
8%
31%
1.73
10
Winchester
7,908
34,779
1,400
23%
2%
1.84
11
Liverpool
3,600
602,204
3,100
10%
10%
1.84
12
Exeter
3,294
25,270
918
21%
4%
2.09
12
Cardiff
4,072
155,923
1,200
11%
8%
2.13
13
Blenheim Palace
6,937
96,308
442
16%
1%
2.24
15
Newcastle
2,248
3,780
1,900
11%
7%
2.40
Many other Christmas markets stand out when looking at individual metrics. York sits in second place for total social mentions, Belfast is ranked at number four on TikTok, gaining 4,213,156 views, whilst 23% of Winchester Christmas market social mentions were positive.
100% OF PROFITS FROM THE SONG WILL BE DONATED TOWARDS THE FIGHT AGAINST HUNGER AND POVERTY.
50% WILL GO TO THE TRUSSELL TRUST AND
50% WILL BE DONATED TO THE BAND AID TRUST
Chart topping social media stars and charity campaigners LadBaby aka Mark and Roxanne Hoyle are set to make history becoming the first ever act to be allowed to rework the iconic Band Aid song ‘Do They Know it’s Christmas’. The track ‘Food Aid’ is available to download now.
Yesterday they released ‘Food Aid’, a rework of the iconic Band Aid song ‘Do They Know it’s Christmas’ featuring money saving expert Martin Lewis.
100% of profits from the song will be donated towards the fight against hunger and poverty. 50% will go to the Trussell Trust and 50% will be donated to the Band Aid Trust.
The track was rewritten with kind permission from Bob Geldof, Midge Ure and the Band Aid Trust. To rework the track, Mark and Roxanne teamed up with Grammy winner Amy Wadge, one of the UK’s most prolific contemporary songwriters, known for her long established writing partnership with Ed Sheeran and this year’s UK Eurovision entry, to rewrite the festive song with a touch of the tongue-in- cheek humour that LadBaby are renowned for.
‘Food Aid’ is a slightly more tempo parody of the original which has a serious message but retains all the fun you would expect for a LadBaby track. The lyrics reflect the cost of living crisis that is affecting the UK.
Reflecting the mood of the nation, the track opens with “ It’s Christmas time , let’s come together for Food Aid, This Christmas Time, The nations skint and they’re under paid” continuing with “There won’t be food for everyone This Christmas time, For many there’ll be hungry Through the night , When there’s nowhere else to go, When the lecky’s running low Do they know it’s Christmas time at all ?”
The song is released alongside a hilarious, feel-good video which unveils the Band Aid all-stars. Mark is seen ushering Rox into a music studio for the big reveal. Instead of mega-A list musicians, Mark instead presents Rox with a group of look-alikes including Stormzy, Will.Am, Boy George, Adele, Kylie, Robbie Williams, The Gallagher Brothers, Paul McCartney and of course Ed and Elton.
‘Don’t worry’, Mark tells Rox, I’ve got Lewis… ‘Lewis Capaldi’, she asks? ‘No, Martin Lewis’, he responds. The video replicates the Band Aid video but with extra humour added in. Boy George can be seen helping Noel and Liam reconcile after a fight, Adele can be seen reaching for the wine, whilst Robbie pines over a Gary Barlow image.
Mark and Rox said:“In a year when people are struggling more than ever we felt it was time to keep both the lyrics and the guest-stars authentic and real.
“It just didn’t feel right roping in lots of megastars to sing about a cost of living crisis. It’s been loads of fun to get everyone guessing who we’ve had on the song. We hope the real stars now get involved and get behind the track.
But behind the hilarity, the reason for making the track is to raise as much money as we possibly can for the Trussell Trust and the Band Aid Trust. We HAVE to do whatever it takes to build a future where all of us can afford to go to sleep with a full stomach.”
Martin Lewissays: “When Mark and Roxanne contacted me out-of-the-blue to ask if I’d join them in Food Aid I thought they’d confused me with someone else. The nearest I’ve ever got to thinking about a Christmas number one is going to the loo on Boxing Day after too much orange juice the day before!
“Yet once I knew they were serious, and it was for the Trussell Trust, a hugely important charity I’ve a history with, I decided to give it a go, and do it with gusto.
“This has been a tough year for many, prices have rocketed. Advice charities and food banks are swamped. Deficit budgeting is becoming more common – meaning even after everything has been cut to the bone – people still have less income than expenditure.
“It’s going to be a tough winter, and things aren’t likely to ease much in 2023. So the need to help and support people struggling across the UK is profound. Hopefully this Ladbaby song and their lyrics will raise some cash and awareness.”
Emma Revie, CEO of the Trussell Trust said:“We are so grateful to LadBaby for their incredible support for a fifth year running.
“Between April and September this year, food banks in the Trussell Trust network provided 1.3 million emergency food parcels to people facing hardship. Soaring food and fuel costs are affecting us all, but for families on the very lowest incomes this crisis means so much more and more people are likely to need a food bank’s help.
“Food bank teams are working tirelessly to ensure help continues to be available. But ultimately, no one in the UK should need a food bank – all of us should have enough money for the essentials like food, clothing and heating.
“The support of LadBaby and the Band Aid trust will help food banks within our network continue to provide the lifeline of emergency support for local people in crisis, while we work in the long term to end the need for food banks, for good. Thank you so much”
The Hoyle’s are keen to use their social media platforms of over 13 million followers for good, especially when so many families across the nation are struggling.
Mark and Roxanne will support the Trussell Trust with both fundraising and awareness campaigns.
Through their Christmas chart topping endeavours where they’ve donated 100% of the songs profits and branded partnerships, the couple have already raised over £1.2 million for the Trussell Trust through their charity singles and brand partnerships, but as the cost of living crisis gets worse they are committed to do even more to help.
Now, more than ever, food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network need vital funds to support people struggling to afford the essentials. Figures released by the charity just a few weeks ago revealed that food banks in its network across the UK provided around five emergency food parcels a minute as families struggled to afford to feed themselves.
More emergency food parcels were given out during the April to September 2022 period than ever before for this time of year. Over the last six months, more than 320,000 people have been forced to turn to food banks in the Trussell Trust network for the first time.
For the first time, the need for emergency food is outstripping donations as the cost of living emergency is leading to a drastic increase in the number of people turning to food banks for support.
New figures from the Trussell Trust show more emergency food parcels were given out during the April to September period than ever before. Food banks in the Trussell Trust’s UK-wide network distributed 1.3 million food parcels to people facing hardship – this is an increase of 52% compared to the same period in 2019.
Half a million of these parcels were distributed to children. One in five people referred to food banks in the Trussell Trust network are in working households.
LadBaby have surpassed the Beatles and the Spice Girls as the act with the most consecutive Christmas number ones in a row.
The duo first topped the chart in 2018 with We Built This City, a cover of Starship’s 1985 hit; followed by I Love Sausage Rolls, their take on The Arrows / Joan Jett’s I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll; Don’t Stop Me Eatin’, a cheeky version of Journey’s beloved power ballad and last year topped the chart with ‘Sausage Rolls For Everyone’, the duo’s collaboration with Ed Sheeran and Sir Elton John.
The City of Edinburgh Council and national homelessness charity Bethany Christian Trust are operating a Welcome Centre this winter.
The Centre is providing accommodation of last resort, tailored support and positive move on options for people who would otherwise be sleeping on the streets. Since opening in October, it has already supported and accommodated over 500 people and will continue to operate over Christmas until May 2023.
Founded by Bethany Christian Trust in partnership with the Council, and supported by the Scottish Government, the Welcome Centre was pioneered in 2020 in an emergency response to the outbreak of Covid-19, providing en-suite rooms as a deliberate move away from congregate shelter provision, and has since helped to establish a new model of tailored support for people rough sleeping.
The Welcome Centre takes an innovative and person-centred approach, providing 24 hour tailored support for individuals all in one place. Guests receive their own en-suite room and 3 meals a day, including a hot evening meal prepared by volunteers.
They are also able to work with dedicated staff and visiting professional services with support to access longer term accommodation as well as on site assistance with mental health, addiction, wellbeing, health needs and accessing benefits.
Councillor Jane Meagher, the Council’s Convener of Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work, said:“When temperatures drop to this extent it’s more important than ever that we do all that we can to support anyone who may be at risk.
“With Bethany we’re operating a Welcome Centre this winter to provide an additional 65 beds for people with wrap around support, and demand for this service this winter has already been high.
“We’re also offering street-based outreach seven days a week through our partners to anyone we see rough sleeping and this involves checking in with people three times a night, specialist pharmacy and mental health services available on street and supporting people directly into Rapid Access Accommodation.
“The rise in homelessness we’re witnessing in Edinburgh is deeply concerning and the Council has a campaign to spread awareness of the support which exists for people who are struggling financially. We need to prevent more people from becoming homeless as far as we possibly can.”
Commenting on the increase in demand for the service, Alasdair Bennett, Chief Executive at Bethany Christian Trust said: “The Welcome Centre provides emergency en-suite accommodation of last resort for anyone who would otherwise be sleeping rough in Edinburgh.
“We have accomodated over 500 different people with the majority staying less than seven nights as they are assisted to rapidly move on to more appropriate accommodation. The centre is a place of warm welcome, hospitality and intensive support, tailored to the individual and involving multiple health, housing and charitable partners to respond to individual needs.
“We are seeing an increase in the number of people attending and being referred for this crisis intervention, even prior to the colder weather coming in, and we are working with all partners to find alternative options when there are no available bed spaces at the Centre. With a focus on rapidly re-accommodating people, new bedrooms become available at a rate of about 50 each week, or 7 a day, in order to support individuals in crisis that night.
“Even when we are full we are able to provide food, warm clothing and access to support here at the Welcome Centre, so we encourage anyone who is at risk of rough sleeping that night to come and we will do all that we can to support them, including linking them up with partner agencies and local authority housing options.”
Relying on the financial support of the general public, local churches, trusts, businesses, the City of Edinburgh Council and the Scottish Government, the Welcome Centre shows what can be possible when the people of Edinburgh come together to create change.
With a large professional staff team, over 1,000 Bethany volunteers and more than 20 visiting partner services, the Welcome Centre saw remarkable success in 2021 – 2022 in helping people recover from the crisis of homelessness and move on to a more stable situation.
The service accommodated and supported over 860 individuals who had fallen into homelessness because of a wide range of circumstances as well as those rough sleeping, with 97% of known outcomes positive.
Bethany’s Buy a Bed campaign, which is vital in enabling the service, is also in place again this year and gift vouchers can be purchased in Bethany Shops and online:
Children, families and NHS staff at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) were treated to a special Christmas surprise when players from Heart of Midlothian FC came to visit.
Captain Craig Gordon and the first team squad spread lots of festive joy when they made their way around the hospital, meeting and speaking with some of their biggest fans on the wards and handing out Christmas goodies.
The annual visit is organised by NHS Lothian and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC). This is the first time the Hearts players have been able to visit the hospital in person since 2019 due to Covid, making the occasion even more memorable.
Craig said: “This is an important day in our calendar and we are delighted to be able to visit everyone in person once again.
“Christmas is a special time of year but, unfortunately, not everyone is lucky enough to spend it at home, happy and healthy with family and friends.
“That it why this visit is really meaningful, because it affords us the chance to give something back and to, hopefully, put some smiles on some faces and spread some Christmas cheer.”
ECHC runs a programme of daily fun activities throughout December to make sure no one spending the season in hospital misses out on the magic of Christmas. So far, children and their families have been entertained by Santa abseiling into the building, a silent disco around the wards and a live pipe band, with plenty more still to come.
Pippa Johnston, Director at ECHC, said: “The Hearts team’s visit to the hospital always provides a real boost to children, families and staff so it is marvellous to be able to welcome them back in person. Some of the children are avid Hearts supporters so really enjoy the opportunity to meet and take photos with their favourite players and get some Hearts goodies too.
“Every year, together with our friends at NHS Lothian, ECHC works hard to make time spent in hospital a little bit brighter. We rely solely on donations and kindness to be able to do this, so we are enormously grateful to Hearts for taking time out of their busy schedule to visit those facing a hospital stay this Christmas.”
To find out more about ECHC’s Redirected Letters to Santa Christmas appeal and to donate, visit www.echcharity.org/donate
UK Government launches ‘It All Adds Up’ campaign with simple actions to cut bills by bringing down the amount of energy needed to keep homes warm and stay safe
‘It All Adds Up’ energy saving campaign launched today by government with advice that could help UK households cut hundreds of pounds off their bills this winter
Campaign features tips on simple, low or no-cost actions that households can take to immediately cut energy use and save money while ensuring people are able to stay safe and warm this winter
Advice also available on longer-term measures to improve the energy efficiency of homes that can bring down bills not just this winter but in years to come
Simple advice, with no or very low-cost actions that households can take to reduce their energy use and bills this winter, is now available to the public under a new government information campaign being launched today.
The £18 million ‘It All Adds Up’ energy saving campaign will raise public awareness of straightforward actions that people can take to cut their bills by bringing down the amount of energy needed to keep their homes warm and stay safe this winter.
The guidance focuses on simple measures which are not already adopted by the majority of households in the UK. How energy use can be reduced may be different for each individual household, but simple measures in the campaign can offer significant financial savings this winter without reducing comfort or putting people’s health at risk.
The ‘It All Adds Up’ campaign has been launched on a new website and promotes some of the government’s top recommended actions to help households save money on their energy bills at no or little cost, including:
reducing the temperature a boiler heats water to before it is sent to radiators (known as the boiler flow temperature) from 75⁰C to 60⁰C, which will not reduce the temperature of your home but could save around £100 annually
turning appliances off at the plug, which could save approximately £70 per year
reducing heating loss from the property such as putting draught excluders around doors or by adding clear film across windows, which could save around £60 a year
Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps said: “No-one is immune to rising energy bills this winter, so it’s in everyone’s interest to use every trick in the book to use less energy while keeping homes warm and staying safe.
“For very little or no cost, you can save pounds. It all adds up, so I urge people to take note of the advice in this new campaign and follow the easy steps to cut your fuel bills.”
Information on the ‘It All Adds Up’ campaign can be found at a new GOV.UK website, which will run alongside the government’s wider ‘Help for Households’ campaign. The new energy saving campaign will feature adverts across TV, radio, digital platforms and on digital billboards, with a television advert rolled out in the coming weeks.
In addition to these simple tips, there is also advice on other actions that households can take to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, as well as further details of government funding schemes to improve the energy efficiency of households across the country.
The ‘It All Adds Up’ campaign highlights longer-term energy efficiency upgrades, including installing loft and wall insulation or fitting double glazing, that people can make to their homes to save their energy use and bring down bills.
Richard Neudegg, director of regulation and policy at Uswitch.com said: “We know many households are actively looking to find safe ways to reduce their energy use to save on bills, and there are straightforward steps to take by making small changes at home. So we welcome renewed efforts to highlight practical tips that can make a real difference.
“Keeping track of energy usage can help people understand what’s most driving their bills and help identify where to make changes. To support households, Uswitch has developed Utrack, a free app which can help people see exactly what they are using and highlight ways to save money.”
Juliette Sanders, Director of Strategic Communications at Energy UK, said: “Energy UK welcomes the Government’s efforts in helping people to improve their energy efficiency.
“Many people are struggling to pay their energy bills and whilst additional support is available from both Government and energy suppliers, taking steps to cut down wasted energy will enable people to lower their bills immediately. We’re also pleased that advice on long-term energy efficiency measures is part of the campaign.
“It’s essential that this goes hand in hand with policies that will enable delivery to as many homes as possible, and with the roll out of smart meters so people can manage their energy use, and use it at times it is cheapest.”
Jonathan Brearley, the CEO of Ofgem, said: “I very much welcome the launch of the ‘It All Adds Up’ campaign. We know from the analysis we’ve seen that even small things, such as turning off radiators in rooms that are not in use and adapting boiler flow, can have a big impact, not only on customer bills, but in boosting our wider security of supply.
“This will complement Ofgem’s Energy Aware campaign, which provides information on ways to reduce energy use, cut costs, and points consumers towards financial schemes and other avenues of support that can help them through this difficult winter.”
Dame Clare Moriarty, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said: “This winter, many people will be worried about how much they might have to spend to heat their homes. These tips should help cut down the cost of staying warm.
“However, we know lots of people are living in cold, dark homes because they’re stretched to their limit and simply have nothing left to cut back on. If you’re in this situation, speak to your energy supplier or contact Citizens Advice for support. We’re here to help you find a way forward.”
Making homes and businesses more energy efficient and so bringing down fuel bills is part of the Government’s wider long-term commitment, announced as part of the Autumn Statement, to reduce the UK’s final energy consumption from buildings and industry by 15% by 2030 against 2021 levels.
Improving the energy efficiency of homes is the best long-term method of cutting household energy use and bringing down bills. That is why the government is accelerating the pace of upgrading the energy efficiency of housing with £6 billion of funding committed to 2028 in addition to £6.6 billion in this parliament.
A further £4 billion has been committed through ECO4 scheme, which is delivering home insulation measures to low income and more vulnerable households, and the £1 billion ECO+ scheme, which will install measures in households who have previously not been able to access support through the Energy Company Obligation scheme.
The ‘It All Adds Up’ campaign comes in addition to an unprecedented package of government support that is helping households meet their energy costs this winter, including the Energy Price Guarantee, saving a typical household over £900, the Energy Bills Support Scheme providing a £400 discount to millions and the most vulnerable receiving £1,200 each this year.
To publicise the launch of the new energy saving campaign website further, Business and Energy Minister Lord Callanan held a roundtable meeting on Friday 16 December with energy suppliers and consumer groups.
