Day: September 28, 2023

One third of social care workforce sickness absence due to mental health and stress, new figures reveal

Mental health, stress and work-related stress was behind nearly one-third (30 per cent or 500,021 FTE days)* of social care staff sickness absence in councils in England last year, shocking new figures uncovered by the British Psychological Society have revealed today.            

Analysis of new data obtained by the British Psychological Society (BPS) from 114 local authorities in England, has also shown that for more than three quarters (77 per cent)** of local authorities, mental health, stress, or work-related stress is the most common reason for sickness absence in their social care workforce.

The data shows 1.6million days (1,653,117 FTE days)* of sickness absence were taken by adult and children’s social care staff in 114 councils in 2022-2023 in total, against a backdrop of a debilitating recruitment and retention crisis, unmanageable workloads, and soaring local authority spending on agency social care staff.

The figures are based on analysis of data for the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023, from 114 local authorities in England, obtained through Freedom of Information requests submitted by the British Psychological Society.

The British Psychological Society and British Association of Social Workers say the new figures highlight the desperate need for the NHS Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs, which provided dedicated mental health support for struggling health and social care staff, until government funding ended in March 2023.

New research into the impact of three hubs recently published in the BMJ has found that Hubs were seen as a valuable, responsive and distinct part of the health and care system, but that the genuine promotion of and value placed on mental health support by health and social care management, and the creation of psychologically safe work environments, was vital.

At least 15 of the 42 hubs have already closed or are pending closure, while the majority of remaining hubs continue to operate in a funding limbo after NHS England provided an inadequate £2.3million for drastically scaled back services until March 2024 – despite staff wellbeing being a key focus of the new NHS Workforce Plan.

Some hubs had set up teams dedicated to reaching the social care workforce in their areas, including the Keeping Well in South East London (KWSEL) Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub, which proactively engaged with staff across six city boroughs. In one year, the team visited more than 110 care section organisations, with 448 care staff receiving training or an intervention to support their mental wellbeing, before the service was forced to close in March 2023 after its funding was cut.***

Integrated Care Systems in England are expected to make crucial decisions about future funding for the hubs and their staff wellbeing services in the next few months. The British Psychological Society and British Association of Social Workers are calling on health and care leaders to make funding for staff wellbeing support, including for the NHS Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs, a key priority in their budgets.

Dr Roman Raczka, President-Elect of the British Psychological Society, and Chair of the Division for Clinical Psychology, said: “These troubling figures are yet more evidence of the staffing crisis and working conditions within social care, and the deeply concerning toll it is taking on the mental health of a demoralised and burnt out workforce.

“Despite this, funding for the NHS Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs was cut just as many had started to make inroads into reaching social care staff who needed help, leaving significant unmet need.

“Health and social care leaders simply can’t afford not to invest in staff wellbeing if they wish to retain staff, recruit new talent, and provide the effective, safe services people deserve. 

“We urge them to commit to long-term ring-fenced funding for dedicated mental health and wellbeing support for health and care staff, including through the remaining NHS Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs.

“They must now seize upon the opportunity to build upon the foundations created by the hub network to provide mental health and wellbeing support for staff that’s fit for purpose and rooted in best practice.”

The figures published by the BPS reflect the findings of the British Association of Social Workers’ (BASW) Annual Survey of Social Workers and Social Work: 2022, which found that 75 per cent of respondents reported that they are currently unable to complete all of their work within their contracted hours.

BASW found a lack of funding for social care (68 per cent), recruitment and retention problems (54 per cent) and cuts to local services (42 per cent) were pinpointed as the biggest concerns for the profession as a whole.

They fell at Paschendaele: Three Great War soldiers buried in Belgium

More than a century after his death, Private (Pte) William James Meager, a 38 year old soldier from Bloomsbury in London, has finally been laid to rest with full military honours alongside two other unknown British soldiers.

The service, organised by the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), also known as the ‘MOD War Detectives’, was held at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s (CWGC) Poelcapelle British Cemetery, Belgium yesterday (27 September, ‘23).

The remains were discovered in August 2019 during a commercial archaeological dig, which was being conducted prior to development on the site. Along with the remains, they discovered various regimental insignia of the former Middlesex Regiment.

The Middlesex Regiment cap badge which helped to identify Private Meager. (Crown Copyright).

JCCC research and DNA testing identified one set of remains as Pte Meager: reported missing on 18 August 1917 during the early stages of the Battle of Passchendaele.

With no remains recovered at the time of his death, he was commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial. Despite extensive additional testing, the other two men were not able to be identified so have been buried as unknown soldiers of unknown regiments.

Nicola Nash, JCCC case lead said: “Although it was disappointing to not name all three men, we are thrilled to finally lay Pte Meager to rest. The Battle of Passchendaele is best known for the horrendous conditions that the soldiers had to fight through and the huge number of casualties. 

“Pte Meager and these two unknown soldiers tragically lost their lives during this battle. Today, we honour their sacrifice and pay tribute to their memory”.

Members of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment travelled from the UK to lay their fellow soldiers to rest.

Members of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment bringing in the coffin of Private Meager. (Crown Copyright).

Alan and Kathleen Meager, great nephew of Pte Meager and Alan’s wife, said: “We feel extremely honoured to be one of the lucky families whose relative has been found.

“We are so thankful for all the amazing work that has been done to identify William and for the respect shown by the local people of Belgium.”

The service was conducted by the Reverend Paul Collins, 3rd Battalion, The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment (PWRR). The Reverend Collins said: “It is wonderful to know that men and women of our armed forces are not forgotten even when they died so long ago.

“Being able to lay them to rest and conduct the military funeral honouring their sacrifice will be a highlight of my ministry within the Royal Army Chapins Department.”

The graves of Pte Meager and the two unknown soldiers will now be cared for in perpetuity by CWGC.

Director for Central and Southern Europe at the CWGC, Geert Bekaert, said: “Since his death we have ensured Pte Meager has not been forgotten, but today we are very glad to be able to finally lay him to rest along with two of his comrades at our cemetery.

“We will care for their graves in perpetuity.”

National Museum of Scotland hosts Fashion Tour for visually impaired visitors

Blind and partially sighted museum-goers were in attendance as the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh hosted an Audio Described tour of their exhibition ‘Beyond The Little Black Dress’. 

The exhibition explores how the little black dress by fashion designer Coco Chanel has changed over time and impacted fashion and culture, from punk and afro-futurist fashions to pieces from hit TV show Killing Eve. 

Audio Described tours allow visitors with sight loss to experience museums and galleries with greater accessibility and enjoyment. 

Kirin Saeed, a Disability Consultant and Actor, says: “For a visually impaired person like myself, the Little Black Dress exhibition is really brilliant.

“You know anything else you put with a black dress will match because everything can match with the black. It also has that kind of image of feeling sensational and a having lovely evening out, while also being comfortable. So, I was really excited to find out about the whole adventure of why the little black dress came about. 

“I think all exhibitions should do an Audio Described tour or at least have a handling box or handling collection, so people can walk around and feel bits of material or what the artist has made the object out of. It brings it to life and makes the whole experience much more exciting, fun and warm and you learn a lot more about the information they’re sharing. 

“I think the museum staff learned a lot from doing the Audio Described tour together, as opposed to just sharing bits of information you can read from a plaque. They were having to do a bit of research, think things through and describe the dresses which highlighted the great simplicity of some of the designs.” 

Amelia Hilton, a Content Producer at RNIB Connect Radio, says: “This is the first Audio Described tour I’ve ever attended, and I absolutely loved it!

“It was brilliant to pay attention to and discuss the differences in colour and variety of shapes, materials and patterns the designers had used. Listening to the Audio Description of how the exhibition had been presented and organised really helped me understand the themes and the history of the Little Black Dress.  

“The touch objects were really useful for understanding how designers wanted the wearers to feel when they had the outfits on, and it was so special to see the original Chanel dress and feel the material of such an important element of fashion history. 
 
“Sometimes people think people with sight loss don’t enjoy or care about fashion, which is so far from the truth – on our radio station we talk to lots of people who love and create fashion, and who take a lot of pride in how they look. I’m so glad the 20th anniversary has helped us break down myths like this and helped us showcase some of the awesome skills and interests blind and partially sighted people have.” 

* The ‘Beyond the Little Black Dress’ exhibition runs until October 29, and tickets are available on the National Museum of Scotland’s website:

Beyond the Little Black Dress (nms.ac.uk) 

Graeme Souness backs Rangers x BHF charity partnership

Graeme Souness urges Scotland football fans to look after their heart health as he backs British Heart Foundation Scotland as Rangers Charity Foundation’s new charity partner   


  Ahead of World Heart Day tomorrow (29 September), former Rangers player and manager, Graeme Souness, is urging Scottish football fans to look after their heart health as he backs British Heart Foundation (BHF) Scotland as the Rangers Charity Foundation’s new national charity partner. 

The partnership will last for the 2023/24 season with the Foundation pledging to raise £25,000 for BHF Scotland. 

It will also help raise awareness of heart and circulatory diseases – conditions which are some of the nation’s biggest killers, causing around 50 deaths each day, and are estimated to affect 700,000 people in Scotland. 

David McColgan, Head of British Heart Foundation Scotland commented: “We’re delighted the Rangers Charity Foundation has chosen BHF Scotland as its national charity partner for the season. 

“Heart and circulatory diseases are some of Scotland’s biggest killers and we hope this partnership will help us raise awareness in Scotland’s footballing community about the importance of looking after your heart health, while also enabling more people to learn lifesaving CPR skills and raise an incredible amount of money for the British Heart Foundation.” 

Graeme Souness has personal experience of heart disease and understands first-hand how important the lifesaving research the BHF helps to fund is. 

The football legend said: “I was diagnosed with coronary heart disease at 38 and had a triple bypass. When I was diagnosed, I was extremely fit. I never thought I’d be the type of person to get heart disease, but if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone. 

“Ten years later, I had a stent fitted as another one of my arteries had become blocked. Then in November 2015, I was rushed to hospital after suffering a heart attack at home. 

“Thankfully, I’m now OK, but without the research the BHF has helped fund into heart and circulatory diseases, it could have been a different story.” 

The charity partnership will also encourage at least 50,000 people – the capacity of Ibrox Stadium – to learn lifesaving CPR via the BHF’s free online tool, RevivR. 

RevivR allows people to learn CPR in just 15 minutes and aims to give people the skills and confidence to save a life. It teaches people how to recognise a cardiac arrest, gives feedback on chest compressions and outlines the correct steps in using a defibrillator. All people need is a mobile phone and a firm cushion.  

The Rangers Charity Foundation will be spreading the word about the RevivR app, which can be downloaded at www.rangerscharity.org.uk/Revivr, to supporters and the wider public throughout the season.  

Rangers Charity Foundation Chief Executive Connal Cochrane added: “The work of the British Heart Foundation Scotland aligns closely with the Foundation’s strategic priorities in terms of health and well-being and education and we are delighted to be able to combine both these pillars in a project which will roll out life-saving skills to thousands of fans. 

“Our donation this season will support the British Heart Foundation’s RevivR app which is a really simple, easy way to learn key skills in your own home which could save a life. 

“We also look forward to working with the British Heart Foundation on a number of other initiatives over the course of the season, such as providing free blood pressure checks at some home games for fans and sharing important information about heart health and where to go for help and advice.” 

For more information about the British Heart Foundation visit: bhf.org.uk or to find out more about the Rangers Charity Foundation visit: rangerscharity.org.uk  

CAMRA Guide highlights pubs and brewery numbers across Scotland

The Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) Good Beer Guide – the UK’s best-selling beer and pub guide – is celebrating its 51st edition with a striking cover and a foreword supplied by Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson.

The Guide, which surveys 4,500 of the best pubs across the UK, is the definitive beer drinker’s guide for those seeking the best pints in the nation’s pubs.

Dickinson’s foreword shines a spotlight on the cultural tradition of pubs within the United Kingdom, the importance of protecting the heritage, charm and welcoming nature of pubs and clubs, and not taking them for granted.

The Good Beer Guide, which is published annually by CAMRA, helps beer lovers take a barometer of the local beer scene.

As well as covering 306 of the very best pubs across Aberdeen and Grampian, Argyll and the Isles, Ayrshire and Arran, Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, Edinburgh and the Lothians, Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley, Highlands and the Western Isles, Kingdom of Fife, Loch Lomond, Stirling, the Trossachs, the Northern Isles and Tayside, it keeps track of brewery numbers, and notes a net loss of four breweries across the counties.

The story is the same across the UK, as although the Guide records 82 new breweries, 142 have closed. This net loss of 60 breweries is a worrying reminder that a lack of support from the Government means dire consequences for local businesses, in the wake of a cost-of-business crisis and the constant pressure of fuel bills.

This year’s Guide contains 910 newly featured pubs, which is a fantastic prospect for the pub trade which has been struggling to stay afloat in recent years following the pandemic and rising fuel costs.

The trade also faces an impending threat from unlawful demolitions, which CAMRA has declared a ‘national scandal’ in the wake of the demolition of the Crooked House in Himley.

CAMRA Chairman Nik Antona said: “The last few years have been an incredibly difficult time for the industry, and we need more support than ever before to keep our nation’s pubs and breweries open and thriving.

“I’d encourage everyone to use this year’s Guide to visit the very best pubs and breweries across the UK and support them for generations to come.”

The Good Beer Guide, which reviews over 4,500 pubs across the UK, is the definitive beer drinkers’ guide to the very best pints in a variety of styles of pubs to suit individual tastes. Compiled by thousands of independent volunteers, it helps identify significant trends and themes locally and nationally.

To order The Good Beer Guide 2024, visit https://shop1.camra.org.uk/product/the-good-beer-guide-2024/

A Warm Scots Future for Ukrainians

Next steps to help displaced people rebuild their lives

A new strategy will help Ukrainians living in Scotland to settle into communities and gain longer term housing.

Developed by the Scottish Government in collaboration with the Scottish Refugee Council and COSLA, the Warm Scots Future paper sets out priorities for the next phase of Scotland’s Ukraine response to support those fleeing the conflict to rebuild their lives here.

These include reducing the use of temporary accommodation, boosting access to settled housing, and keeping human rights at the heart of all integration efforts.

To support these priorities, more than £1.5 million is being made available to third sector organisations to benefit Ukrainians.

Local authorities will also receive £3.2 million to support staffing of resettlement teams. This is alongside £30 million being distributed to councils to support Ukrainians into sustainable housing, including through private and social renting.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville launched the plan at an arts and wellbeing event at the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain’s (AUGB) Edinburgh hub.

Ms Somerville said: “Scotland acted swiftly to provide an immediate place of safety to Ukrainians following the illegal Russian invasion. We have offered sanctuary to more than 25,500 people since the war outbreak.

“Many of those arrivals have now started to rebuild their lives in Scotland – gaining employment, enrolling children in schools, and settling into communities. As we look to the future, it is right that our approach to supporting Ukrainians reflects these changing circumstances.

“This paper sets out the steps we and our partners will take to help Ukrainians continue to settle into life in Scotland for the longer term. Working closely with charities and local authorities, this will include support for integration – from English lessons, to employment support, to accessing mental health services – and help even more people into settled housing.

“We are clear that we want Scotland to be home for every Ukrainian living here for as long as they need it to be; and this includes a need to establish clear routes to settlement in Scotland for those who wish to stay here. We will also continue to press the UK Government for much-needed clarity on options available for people displaced from Ukraine when the three-year visa period ends.”

Chief Executive of Scottish Refugee Council Sabir Zazai said: “The illegal invasion of Ukraine reminds us how quickly and devastatingly any of our lives can change. It underlines the lifesaving importance of providing refugee protection in an era of mass conflict and global instability.

“At Scottish Refugee Council we’re proud to have played a part in supporting people through this emergency, and we’ll continue to be there for people from Ukraine to do all we can to support them through the process of rebuilding their lives here.”

COSLA Community Wellbeing spokesperson Councillor Maureen Chalmers said: “I cannot underestimate the tremendous effort it has taken Councils and all partners to ensure that our Ukrainian guests have found a safe and welcoming place to stay in Scotland.

“The publication of the Warm Scots Future paper represents the start of a conversation on how we can move from an emergency response to a long term and more sustainable approach to resettlement.” 

Ukrainian Consul Andrii Kuslii said: “By offering comprehensive assistance, Scotland stands unwaveringly with the people of Ukraine, extending a message of hope and unity.

“The actions of the Scottish Government and its partners not only provide immediate relief but also send a powerful message to the world about the importance of coming together to support and protect vulnerable populations during times of Russia’s war against Ukraine.”

A Warm Scots Future: Policy Position Paper

warm-scots-future-policy-position-paperDownload

Scottish Government ‘will not meet infrastructure goals’

The Scottish Government no longer expects to have enough money to deliver all its planned £26 billion investment in public sector infrastructure. says spending watchdog Audit Scotland.

Growing the economy and delivering high quality public services relies on infrastructure like roads, railways, hospitals and other buildings. But a combination of reduced capital budgets, higher costs and increased maintenance requirements have left ministers with difficult decisions to make on prioritising capital spending. This includes stopping or pausing planned projects.

The Scottish Government’s investment plan focuses on driving inclusive economic growth, enabling the transition to net-zero emissions, and building resilient and sustainable places. But it is not always clear how the Scottish Government is directing funding to these three infrastructure investment priorities, or how they will contribute to reducing greenhouse gases.

Better data on the condition, occupancy and cost of the wider public estate is needed to ensure buildings are used more efficiently as part of Scottish Government plans to reform public services.

Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said: “Scottish Government spending decisions on infrastructure will affect public services, and ministers need to be transparent about how they are made.

“Efficient use of the public estate in the future is key to reforming public services, but the Scottish Government needs better infrastructure data to inform its planning.”

briefing_230928_scotlands_infrastructureDownload

Edinburgh boy conquers 100 Munros for his deaf sister

Edinburgh boy Alasdair MacDonald, 10, achieved his ambition of climbing 100 Munros before his 11th birthday for the National Deaf Children’s Society.

He scaled the final two, the twin peaks of Mayar and Driesh in the Cairngorms, on Saturday 23 September, accompanied by around 20 friends and family, meaning he’s climbed 50 Munros this year alone.

He set himself the challenge out of love for his little sister Heather, 8, who was born deaf, and to raise funds for the charity, who supported Heather and the family.

Ally’s family marked the occasion with a celebration on the summit of Driesh, followed by a party at their home to say thank you for all the support they’d received.

He’s smashed his target of £500, with £1,530 raised so far for the National Deaf Children’s Society, which supports the UK’s 50,000 deaf children.

Ally lives with Heather and their parents Sara and Ranald in Edinburgh.

Ally said: “It was an amazing feeling to complete the challenge and to get to the top of my 100th Munro. We had a lovely day on Saturday and I was very happy that so many of my friends could join me on the final walk.

“I never thought we’d raise as much money as we have for the National Deaf Children’s Society and I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who came and supported me.”

Sara, Ally’s mum, added: “We were so proud when Alasdair completed his 100th Munro on Saturday at Glen Clova with 20 of his friends and family. We were really lucky and the sun was shining as we set off.

“All the kids and adults were fantastic supporters throughout the day and it was a really emotional end to the challenge.

“When we got back home we treated everyone to pizza and drinks, to say thanks for the overwhelming support they gave Ally.”

Melissa Jones, who supports fundraisers for the National Deaf Children’s Society, said: “I want to say a huge thank you to Ally for taking on this brilliant challenge for us. 100 Munros, with the final 50 this year alone, and all before your 11th birthday, is a truly towering achievement. We’re so proud of you.

“The National Deaf Children’s Society is dedicated to supporting the UK’s 50,000 deaf children and their families. The efforts of fantastic fundraisers like Ally will help us to keep on doing our vital work, now and into the future.”

There are over 3,300 deaf children in Scotland, with around 200 in Edinburgh.

Those wishing to make a donation can still do so by visiting: 

https://www.justgiving.com/page/alasdair-macdonald-1681671245179

Consultation open for Desecration of War Memorials Prevention (Scotland) Bill

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Meghan Gallacher MSP yesterday (Wednesday) launched her Proposed Desecration of War Memorials Prevention Scotland Members Bill for consultation at Holyrood.

The legislation would ensure that attacks on war memorials – which have been on the rise over the last decade – are actively discouraged by amending vandalism law to recognise the desecration of these monuments as a specific offence, which would bring Scotland into line with England and Wales.

The consultation will run from now until December 19.

In the early hours of Monday 14th November the war memorial in front of Edinburgh City Council was vandalised in what was a mindless act of vandalism.

Miles Briggs asked an FMQ at the Scottish Parliament that Thursday describing the incident as an “absolutely appalling insult to our fallen war heroes”.

Groups including the Friends of Dennistoun War Memorial have campaigned tirelessly for this legislation, which has also secured the support of veterans’ organisations, past and present British Armed Forces personnel – including Simon Weston – veterans campaigners, community action groups, and leading veteran charities.

Miles Briggs is now encouraging people to make their views known through the consultation so that Scotland’s War Memorials will receive the protection that they deserve.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “I fully support my colleague Meghan Gallacher’s proposed bill to protect our war memorials in Scotland.

“Vandalising war memorials is an abhorrent act and those who damage these memorials should be punished appropriately.

“I encourage everyone in the Lothians to engage with this consultation to prevent our war memorials from being vandalised .”

Scottish libraries play key role in success of UK-wide circular economy project

Winners of the John Lewis Partnership’s Circular Future Fund – one year on

  • Four projects reveal their 12-month progress: creating ‘lend and mend’ hubs in libraries, helping to make menstrual cups mainstream, redesign children’s shoes to make them last longer and technology to enable polyester to be recycled again and again
  • The £1 million fund was launched in November 2021, calling for new ideas and innovations to transition towards a more circular economy
  • The Circular Future Fund was raised from the sales of 10p plastic bags
  • The Circular Future Fund impact report can be viewed at: hubbub.org.uk

An innovative ‘lend and mend’ initiative in nine Scottish libraries has played a significant role in the success of a new UK-wide circular economy project.

The John Lewis Partnership and environmental charity Hubbub, has this week published an impact report, detailing the progress of four trailblazing projects that were awarded funding as part of the Circular Future Fund, created to find pioneering circular economy ideas.

In 2022, four projects were each awarded grants of between £150,000 – £300,000, from 245 applications, to develop their innovative solutions that challenged the ‘make…use…throw-away’ culture of modern society. The £1 million fund was made possible by the sales of 10p plastic bags through the John Lewis Partnership.

Helping menstrual cups go mainstream, redesigning children’s shoes to make them last longer, creating ‘lend and mend’ hubs in libraries and enabling polyester to be recycled again and again were the winning projects chosen by an independent Grant Fund panel of industry experts. Each winner was then supported by Hubbub to develop and achieve their ambitions.

The successful projects have each reported significant progress with proven results that leave a strong legacy for their respective industries. By sharing their learnings and challenges in the report, they hope to inspire others to follow in their footsteps towards creating a more circular economy.

Key outcomes from each project are detailed below:

SCOTTISH LIBRARY AND INFORMATION COUNCIL (SLIC) – Establishing ‘lend and mend hubs’ in Scottish libraries  

SLIC’s project aimed to create a network of lend and mend hubs across Scotland to support communities to repair, reuse, rent and upcycle everyday items.

The difference made:

  • Nine hubs have been created, with early indications suggest hubs have the potential to reach around 2,000 people per year through sewing and mending classes alone.
  • All libraries are offering equipment, workshops, and tools free of charge to overcome cost barriers for the public, making everyday circular economy actions more accessible.
  • The hubs are fitted out with circularity in mind, using repurposed office furniture saving 5 tCO2 compared to buying new and upcycled peg boards that were part of Kenya’s display at COP26 in Glasgow.

SLIC plan to create a toolkit, disseminated through workshops, to share their learnings and help other library services across the UK replicate their approach.

Marion Kunderan, head of programme on the SLIC ‘Lend and Mend’ project team: “With the ongoing cost of living crisis, the Lend and Mend Hubs have the potential to support families to make more sustainable choices. 

“Libraries are trusted community spaces without agenda and have an opportunity to provide a space where communities can take action through practical everyday solutions locally.”

DAME – Helping menstrual cups go mainstream 

The perfect circular sustainable period product, the menstrual cup, has existed for decades, yet it remains a niche product that only 5% of people with periods use.  DAME aimed to break down the barriers to using menstrual cups. They gained insight of the barriers to cup use, through surveys and a small user group trial, identifying the main concerns as comfort, leaking, and inserting a menstrual cup, plus cleaning it.

The difference made:

  • To help combat these barriers, the project created a myth-busting cup user guide, featuring Hayley Morris which is viewed 4,500 times per day.
  • DAME also designed a groundbreaking self-sanitising menstrual cup, removing the need to boil or sterilise cups. Launched in June, the self-sanitising period cup has achieved several ISO standards to prove its safety and effectiveness.
  • Each cup is predicted to contribute 99 times less carbon over its lifetime[4] (compared to boiling a traditional cup) and avoids the need for 2,860 disposable period products per person over a lifetime of periods.
  • Next DAME are exploring charity partnerships to see if the cup could be available to those experiencing period poverty, and sharing the user guide content with educators to help more teenagers to try and stick with menstrual cups.

PIP & HENRY – Redesigning children’s shoes to make them last longer 

Pip & Henry’s research and development project explored extending the life of children’s shoes. Young children replace shoes every 4 months, while 85% of shoes currently end up in landfill. Pip & Henry’s project aimed to explore two solutions to disrupt the children’s footwear industry.

The difference made:

  • Over the year period, Pip & Henry actually developed three concepts to work towards their vision of an expandable shoe and shoe that can be more cleanly separated into their component materials and therefore more easily recycled.
  • They hope to launch a capsule collection in 2024 and are exploring licensing concepts to help scale their circular shoe innovations.
  • The project has provided in-depth knowledge about the environmental impacts of footwear manufacturing methods and material innovations, plus how to design for better end of life recycling.
  • Pip & Henry plan to share their learnings and insights with the footwear manufacturing and recycling industries, to help create an industry step change to more circular shoe designs.

UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS – Innovating technology to enable polyester to be recycled again and again   

Polyester is the world’s most common textile fibre and yet only 15% of polyester produced is made from recycled polyester (mostly from plastic bottles) [7]. Currently there is no true circularity in the polyester industry because the dyes in polyester mean it cannot be easily removed which prevents it being recycled back into new virgin polyester fibre. The University of Leeds’s innovation created new novel ‘switchable-solubility’ dyes that enables them to be switched from water-soluble to water-insoluble to colour and de-colour polyester.

The difference made

  • The research proves the dyes can be both added to, and removed from polyester, enabling the dye, water and fabric to be recycled with huge potential environmental benefits, needing less energy and water use, and removing the need for auxiliary chemicals in the dyeing process.
  • The introduction of the new CO₂ technology delivers a truly circular process that has the potential to recycle directly and mechanically some of the 57 million tonnes of polyester fibre produced globally each year[8].
  • The University of Leeds also made a bonus discovery, in that their technology also works on other fabrics such as denim and existing dyes in polyester.
  • Next the project plans to scale the technology to test at industrial scale, plus complete a full environmental lifecycle analysis.
  • The University of Leeds will share their discoveries with the textile and recycling sectors, plus exploring commercialising the technology to maximise its reach and impact.

Marija Rompani, Director of Ethics and Sustainability at the John Lewis Partnership, said: “The Circular Future Fund allowed us to connect and support leading innovators to enhance their circular business models and drive the shift in circularity within the industry and society.

“I’m so excited to share their findings, and hopefully this is just the beginning of the impact that each of the winning projects will have.”

Saskia Restorick, Director at Hubbub, said: “The four projects, while very different in nature, shared an ambition to bring innovative, creative and entrepreneurial approaches to designing out waste in their respective sectors.

“This forward-thinking fund, along with the winners’ hard work and dedication has enabled them to find tangible solutions and gain huge amounts of insight and knowledge. It has been a pleasure working with them and seeing their ideas come to life.

“We look forward to seeing how they develop and to sharing their successes to inspire even more innovation to speed up the transition to a more circular economy.”

The Circular Future Fund aimed to identify innovation and challenge the status quo, to boost the circular economy. The four projects have delivered on their ambitions, leave a strong legacy and offer tangible examples of the circular economy in action.

To find out more about the four projects, their impact and legacy, the Circular Future Fund impact report can be viewed at  hubbub.org.uk