Universal Credit claimants are set to benefit from a new deal launched by BT yesterday.
Home Essentials, a new social tariff for people on Universal Credit and other means-tested benefits, will give eligible customers a 36Mbps fibre broadband service and 700 minutes of included phone calls for just £15 per month.
The new package, which could potentially be taken by as many as 4.6 million UK households, is around half the price of a standard package on BT’s service with similar features.
Those who want faster performance can opt for average speeds of 67Mbps and unlimited calls via the new same social tariff, but this does push the price to £20 per month.
BT plans to make the new package available next month.
Marc Allera, CEO of BT’s Consumer Division, said:“Fast, reliable connectivity has never been as important as it is today, with millions of people relying upon our networks to get back on their feet after the pandemic.
“We want to help as many people as we can, which is why at the end of June we’ll be launching BT Home Essentials, increasing the eligibility of our social tariff to include all customers on Universal Credit.
“BT Home Essentials will be available at half the price of our standard fibre package, helping a potential four million households on low income save on bills and stay connected to vital online services.”
Matt Warman, UK Digital Infrastructure Minister, said:“In today’s digital world, everyone should be able to access fast, reliable and affordable internet, so I’m thrilled that BT is the latest provider to launch new deals for low income households.
“We have been working with internet providers to offer affordable broadband tariffs for those struggling with bills to help the UK build back fairer from the pandemic. I hope to see others taking similar action soon.”
Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said:“Access to a good broadband connection is vital for everyday life, however affordability can be an issue for some consumers, so it is good BT that has introduced this new tariff offering decent connection speeds at lower prices to help get more people online.
“BT must now ensure that it proactively engages with those who are eligible so they are aware and can take advantage of these new tariffs.”
17-year-old percussionist Fang Zhang – born in China’s Henan province and a recent student of Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester – has been revealed as BBC Young Musician 2020.
The announcement was made during the broadcast of the competition’s Grand Final on BBC Four and BBC Radio 3 last nght, presented by BBC Young Musician regular Josie d’Arby, organist and conductor Anna Lapwood, and star saxophonist Jess Gillam.
Fang Zhang (above, left) follows in the footsteps of 19-year-old American-born/UK-based pianist Lauren Zhang, who won the competition in 2018 and went on to perform in the UK and beyond, including a debut at the BBC Proms in 2018, and appearances as soloist with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, European Union Chamber Orchestra, China National Symphony Orchestra, and Adelaide Symphony Orchestra – among others.
Previous BBC Young Musician winners include celebrated classical music stars such as cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, violinist Nicola Benedetti, and clarinettist Mark Simpson.
A recent student at Manchester’s prestigious Chetham’s School of Music, which he joined in September 2018, Fang Zhang is a member of China Youth Percussion Orchestra, and thanks to this scheme he has been performing around the world since he was 11 years old.
Despite his young age, he has already won prizes at international percussion competitions all around the world, including USA, Japan, and his native China. Among his tutors are international percussion luminaries such as Royal Northern College of Music Deputy Director of Percussion Le Yu, and Chen ShaoLun, president of the Shanghai National Percussion Association.
Fang Zhang impressed the judging panel with a performance of one of the gems in contemporary marimba repertoire: Prism Rhapsody by Japanese composer and marimba innovator Keiko Abe. He was accompanied by the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Mark Wigglesworth.
The panel was chaired by Chief Executive of Saffron Hall Angela Dixon, and included composer, clarinettist and BBC Young Musician 2006 winner Mark Simpson, composer Errollyn Wallen, Principal Conductor with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales Ryan Bancroft, and experimental composer and turntable artist Shiva Feshareki.
Taking place after a year-long delay due to the global pandemic, the socially-distanced BBC Young Musician 2020 Grand Final was filmed on Sunday 25 April at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall without an audience in attendance.
The competition’s three finalists performed on stage with the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Mark Wigglesworth, performing with reduced numbers to allow the required social distancing.
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Fang Zhang says: “I am honoured and delighted to win BBC Young Musician 2020, and feel so lucky considering the talent of the other finalists.
“The BBC team is amazing and I want to thank them and my schools, Chetham’s School of Music and Qingdao Percussion College, for supporting me through the whole programme in every possible way.”
On Fang Zhang’s performance at the Grand Final, Angela Dixon says: “BBC Young Musician 2020 has been an outstanding competition, the standard has been incredibly high and all three finalists showed exceptional musicianship.
“Fang chose to perform on a single instrument, the marimba, but elicited a kaleidoscope of colours and expression from it that deeply moved the jury and presenters. It was a privilege to be one of the few people to hear his performance live.”
Conductor Mark Wigglesworth says: “BBC Young Musician is always a glorious celebration of the future, but especially this year, it offers a much needed sense of optimism to everyone in the classical music world.
“All three finalists have shown a tremendous passion and determination to maintain their commitment to the competition across a year of uncertain silence. They play with humility and respect but daring and personality too, encouraging all who hear them to look forward to more positive times ahead.”
The BBC Young Musician 2020 Final also featured exceptional performances by the winner of the brass final, 18-year-old French horn player Annemarie Federle from Cambridge, currently in her first year studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London; and 19-year old oboist Ewan Millar from Reading, Berkshire, who won the woodwind category. Ewan is now in his second year reading music at Oxford University.
Jan Younghusband, Head of BBC Music TV Commissioning says: ““BBC Young Musician competition is always a great celebration of incredible young talent. But this year in particular, with Covid restrictions still in place, broadcasting the grand final has had particular poignancy.
“All of these musicians have shown that there is much to look forward to. We wish Fang – and all of our outstanding finalists – the best for the future, and we are delighted that audiences at home were able to join us for such a spectacular display of musicality and technique.”
BBC Young Musician Executive Editor, Paul Bullock says: “We will surely remember the 2020 edition of BBC Young Musician as a unique and ultimately very special one.
“The three finalists have shown extraordinary resilience over the past 12 months when it’s been difficult for us to tell them when and if the final would go ahead. To see and hear them perform last weekend alongside the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Mark Wigglesworth was both thrilling and deeply moving.
“Congratulations to Fang and all of the finalists and a thank to the musicians of the orchestra and Mark for their support and commitment. This is a BBC Young Musician Final like no other and we’re delighted that audiences at home can now share this experience – a celebration of the future and the joy of making music together.”
In addition to the coverage on BBC Four and BBC Radio 3, the BBC Young Musician 2020 Grand Final is now available on iPlayer for 12 months, and BBC Sounds for 30 days.
BBC Young Musician 2020 is managed and produced by BBC Studios Music and Entertainment Wales.
Three in four will keep walking as lockdown restrictions ease to stay physically healthy, whilst a third will do so to reduce their carbon footprint.
Over half of 18-24 year olds walked to keep in touch with loved ones during lockdown.
Poll also revealed what would encourage people to return to their local high street with over one in four saying they would visit more if there was less traffic.
Living Streets is urging people to #WalkThisMay and pledge to walk their short journeys.
Poll results are for Great Britain.
The past year has seen people walking more and new research released for Living Streets’ National Walking Month reveals what Brits have enjoyed most about it.
Living Streets, the UK walking charity for everyday walking polled Brits to find out what they have enjoyed most about walking more and what would encourage them to keep walking as lockdown restrictions ease.
The vast majority of people enjoyed the health benefits offered by a daily walk, with 76 per cent naming physical health benefits and 56 per cent the mental health benefits of being active.
Walking was also seen as a good way to meet friends and family in a safe and legal way (36%) and to discover new places (29%), whilst one in five (21%) enjoyed the financial savings from walking instead of driving.
Meeting up with friends and family was particularly important to younger people, with over half (56%) of 18-24 year olds using a walk to keep in touch during lockdown.
Traffic levels initially fell during lockdown, leading to improvements in congestion, air quality and noise pollution. Living Streets wants people to keep walking their short journeys and polled people to find out what would encourage them to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Health benefits came out top, with 74 per cent saying they would continue walking to maintain their physical health and 54 per cent to maintain their mental health. Respondents also recognised the wider benefits from walking more with 33 per cent saying they would keep walking to reduce their carbon footprint, 27 per cent to reduce air pollution and 22 per cent to reduce traffic.
Living Streets is urging the public to ‘Walk this May’ for National Walking Month. The charity has launched an online pledge, asking people to commit to walk a certain number of short journeys each week. After making their pledge, people are shown how many miles they will walk, calories they will burn and the amount of CO2 they will avert compared to if they drove those journeys.
Mary Creagh, Chief Executive, Living Streets said:“Walking is good for our minds, our bodies and our neighbourhoods and has helped us stay active and connected this past year.
“As well as the mental and physical health benefits, we have seen the improvements to congestion and air quality when people drive less. That’s why we want people to #WalkThisMay. By walking the roadmap out of the pandemic, we can emerge healthier and happier.”
As non-essential shops re-open, the poll also asked what would encourage people to return to their local high street. Over a third of respondents would visit if there were more outdoor eating areas (38%), more public toilets (36%) and less cluttered pavements (34%).
Respondents also identified measures to make their high streets more welcoming, including more places to stop and rest (31%), more trees (30%) and less pollution (29%).More than one in four would visit their high street more if there was less traffic (27%).
Ahead of elections nationwide on 6 May, Living Streets has produced A Manifesto for Walking, asking candidates to pledge to make walking easier and cut pavement clutter. The manifesto sets out four key asks of candidates: end pedestrian deaths and injuries on roads; tackle air pollution; make school streets safe; and make walking easier and cut pavement clutter.
Mary Creagh continues:“Our towns and cities rely on people getting out and visiting their local high streets.
“By making streets safer and more welcoming with slower speeds, less traffic and more green space, candidates can protect jobs and help local businesses bounce back.”
Official statistics have been published for Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods for the period from December 2018 to 28 February 2021.
More than 162,800 Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods applications have been approved, with a total of £53.8 million paid to clients since launch.
Three cash payments make up Best Start Grant. These are Pregnancy and Baby Payment, Early Learning Payment, and School Age Payment.
Best Start Foods is a prepaid card that can be used in shops and online to buy healthy foods for pregnant mothers and children under three-years-old.
Since launch, more than £17.1 million of payments have been awarded for Pregnancy and Baby Payment, £13 million for Early Learning Payment, £10.1 million for School Age Payment and £13.6 million paid through Best Start Foods.
Authorised applications for December 2020, January 2021 and February 2021 for all payments stand at 4,755, 4,545 and 5,480 respectively.
Social Security Scotland began taking applications for Scottish Child Payment in November 2020. As part of the application process, individuals can choose to make a joint application for Scottish Child Payment, Best Start Grant, and Best Start Foods.
Details on how to apply for Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods are available at MyGov.scot.
The Melting Pot is encouraging people in Edinburgh to leave working from home behind and reap the benefits of hybrid working
The Melting Pot, Scotland’s first co-working space, is opening the doors of its new much-bigger work hub set up to meet changing working needs as we enter the “new normal”.
Delivered in partnership with Foundation Scotland, the space will officially open on Tuesday 4th May and is set up to host charities, social businesses, campaigners and freelancers that are leading Scotland’s recovery.
The recently renovated, three-floored city-centre space on Calton Road was previously the home to the renowned “The Venue” nightclub. It will now become the perfect space for workers to escape the monotony of full-time homeworking and instead work, learn, connect and collaborate with others in a safe environment with all needs catered for.
The Melting Pot’s Founder and CEO Claire Carpenter said: “We are thrilled to be opening the doors of The Melting Pot’s new home in Edinburgh’s city centre, we can’t wait to see our community putting it to good use.
“The team and I have been working hard to get everything ready. The new desks are set up, the social spaces are comfy, the wifi is strong, the tea and coffee all well stocked and even the printers are working! Everything is COVID safe; we have taken care of it all.
“Forced remote working has been a double-edged sword. On one hand it quickly introduced people to the benefits of working flexibly – we have all proved that we do not need to be tied to the same desk 9-5.
“The pandemic accelerated access to remote working and the positives that accompany it. However, full-time working from home has had a detrimental impact on our mental health; we have missed our usual social connections, felt frustrated at living and working within the same four walls, it has reduced opportunities for collaboration, and this has all had a negative impact on our motivation. Our communities have suffered.
“However, there’s no need for us all to return to the rigid traditional structure as we move out of the crisis.
“What we do at The Melting Pot is offer people the opportunity to mix it up, to get the best of both worlds. Organisations, colleagues and individuals can hire spaces for a day or two a week – whatever suits them.”
“They can come into our space to meet others, learn, connect and share, and then on other days choose to work from home. We offer a variety of affordable options that give members the opportunity to work from our space in a way which suits them best.
“We are encouraging anyone that is interested to visit our website and find out more. We still have spaces left, but they are filling up quickly. I look forward to seeing everyone in there together soon.”
In recognition of the growing demand for hybrid workspaces, The Melting Pot has ambitions to extend its support to communities beyond its Edinburgh hub.
They plan to create coworking hubs across the country to reinvigorate Scotland’s workspace infrastructure and ultimately aid the recovery from the COVID crisis.
The Melting Pot still has memberships available, although the new space is quickly filling up.
The UK will send 1,000 more ventilators for use in India’s hospitals
The Chief Medical Officer, Chief Scientific Adviser and NHS staff have given help and advice to their Indian counterparts
Fresh assistance follows medical relief sent by the Government last week and a surge in support from the British people to India
On Tuesday the Prime Minister will hold a virtual meeting with Indian Prime Minister Modi to discuss deepening cooperation between the UK and India
India’s fight against a surge in coronavirus cases will be reinforced by new UK Government support announced by the Prime Minister today. 1,000 ventilators will be sent from the UK’s surplus supply to Indian hospitals to help the most severe Covid cases.
This is in addition to 200 ventilators, 495 oxygen concentrators and 3 oxygen generation units the UK announced we were sending to India last week.
Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance have also spoken to their Indian counterparts to provide advice, insight and expertise to the Indian healthcare system as it deals with the world’s worse surge in Covid levels.
NHS England is also establishing a clinical advisory group led by Chief People Officer Prerana Issar to support India’s Covid response. The group will work with Indian institutions such as the All India Institute of Medical Services to share experience on managing Covid outbreaks.
The group will include researchers in public and global health, alongside nursing and other health professionals who have experience of the Indian healthcare system.
In a powerful demonstration of what Indian Prime Minister Modi has called the ‘living bridge’ between our countries, over the last week British people have come to the support of India in huge numbers. Businesses, civil society and the wider public have responded to appeals for help and launched funding drives.
This includes the British Asian Trust’s ‘Oxygen for India’ emergency appeal, which is raising funds for oxygen concentrators to be rapidly deployed to Indian hospitals. The BAT appeal, which has been personally backed by the Prince of Wales, has raised more than £1.5m in the last week.
Virgin Atlantic also flew 200 boxes of oxygen concentrators to Delhi on Saturday, after partnering with Khalsa Aid. Further cargo space will be given free of charge on 6 flights to India in the next week, in association with The Red Cross.
India has also provided support to the UK throughout the coronavirus pandemic. As the ‘pharmacy of the world’ the country has kept its borders open to supply the UK with vital medicine and PPE – exporting over 11 million face masks and 3 million packets of paracetamol over the course of 2020.
On Tuesday the Prime Minister will hold a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Modi to agree a huge range of commitments to deepen cooperation between the UK and India, including on fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “The terrible images we have seen in India in recent weeks are all the more powerful because of the close and enduring connection between the people of the UK and India.
“I am deeply moved by the surge of support the British people have provided to the people of India and am pleased the UK Government has been able to play our part in providing life-saving assistance.
“The UK will always be there for India in its time of need.”
The world is safer and stronger because of work between the UK and India. The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, for example, was developed in the UK, is currently being produced in the millions by India’s Serum Institute and will be distributed to the world at cost through COVAX.
It is those shared values of openness and the pursuit of knowledge and scientific advancement for the betterment of our societies that lie at the heart of the relationship between the UK and India. During his call with Prime Minister Modi the Prime Minister will emphasise the importance of working with India to promote our shared values.
India is the largest democracy in the world, a fellow Commonwealth country and in June Prime Minister Modi will travel to the UK to attend the G7 Summit as a guest – one of four world leaders invited to join the Summit of leading democracies.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: “This support will help urgently meet some of India’s acute needs, particularly oxygen for patients. We are determined to help our Indian friends in their hour of need.
“We need to all work together to defeat Covid-19. No one is safe until we are all safe.”
Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock said: “As a close friend of India, we have all felt the harrowing scenes and are determined to do all we can. Only a few months ago we felt the pressure of the pandemic here in the UK. This virus attacks all of us and in the battle against coronavirus, we’re all on the same side.
“This additional support will provide more capacity and expertise to help save lives and support India’s healthcare system. We will continue to work closely with the Indian government during this immensely challenging time.”
A 25-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with a serious road crash on the West Approach Roadlast night.He is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court tomorrow (Monday, 3 May).
The incident happened around 10.35pm on Saturday, 1 May, and involved a car and a rickshaw taxi. Three people, the rider and passengers of the rickshaw, were taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh with serious injuries.
Enquiries are continuing to establish the full circumstances.
Anyone with information, particularly dash-cam footage, that could help with police enquiries is asked to call 101, quoting incident 4392 of Saturday, 1 May, 2021.
We’re flushing away or binning an astonishing 11 billion wet wipes every year which can take up to 100 years to biodegrade.
BusinessWaste.co.uk, waste management specialists, are concerned about the volume of waste being created by the number of makeup wipes and says that women and men across their country need to change their ways.
“Makeup wipes are the quickest and cheapest way to remove makeup on the market, but this doesn’t mean they’re the best option for the environment,” says Mark Hall, company spokesman.
But as global sales of all wet wipes are set to hit £16 billion by 2021, it’s time to scrub away our nations unhealthy habits of using makeup wipes, he says.
Time to clean up
We all know that using makeup wipes is bad for the environment, but because they’re an incredibly convenient way to remove makeup, it’s easy to convince yourself that one wipe a day won’t cause too much damage.
Millions of consumers rely on makeup wipes as they promise to wash away the day in seconds using just one product, making them cost effective and a low maintenance part of their daily routines.
But despite the plush cotton feel makeup wipes have on your face, they actually contain a mix of plastic fibres such as polyester and polypropylene which prevent them from biodegrading.
BusinessWaste.co.uk warns that they break down into micro-plastics and smaller fibres which will end up polluting the oceans and entering the food chain.
“With such a high number of wipes being used, there’s a lot of single-use plastic coming into the world,” says spokesperson Mark Hall, “the only way to prevent this happening is to stop using them.”
To add to the damage, makeup wipes and other wet wipes are not recyclable, meaning that the only way they can be properly disposed of is to put them into your rubbish bin.
“For heavens sake do not flush makeup wipes down the toilet,” warns Mark Hall, “you’ll only break your toilet and block up the sewers. You don’t want poo flooding your bathroom, do you?”
“I know it’s hard to get hold of toilet paper at the moment, but this is not the answer.”
With 9.3 million wet wipes being flushed down the loo every day, they account for a staggering 93% of all sewer blockages, and makeup wipes are a big contribution to this problem.
BusinessWaste.co.uk explain that flushing anything other than toilet paper down the loo could add to ‘fatbergs’ in the sewers, which are caused by a build-up of fat and non-biodegradable materials such as wet wipes, which can lead to sewers blocking or overflowing.
Fortunately, several brands are leading the way, such as high street store Holland & Barrett pledging to remove all wet wipes from their stores***, and brand Huggies aiming to remove all plastics from their wipes in the next five years.****
“Thank god people are taking action, otherwise our entire planet is going to be covered in a layer of makeup wipes,” says Hall, “imagine a squishy wet wipe mush underfoot everywhere you go. Yuck.”
What alternatives are there?
With many people knowing that makeup wipes are bad news for the environment, alternative ways to remove makeup are becoming increasingly popular, so why isn’t everyone is making the change?
“I’ll admit, I buy the cheap makeup wipes from the supermarket, but then I end up using 4 instead of 1,” says shopper Heidi in Lancaster, “but I still think it’s cheaper than whatever else is out there.”
Makeup wipes can cost as little as a pound for a pack, whereas plastic free alternatives can cost ten times that, so it’s easy to see why people are finding it hard to make the switch.
We’ve put together a list of inexpensive alternatives to help people cut down on makeup wipe use.
Try one of the many cleansers such as micellar water available on the market with a flannel, a bottle can last for ages, and the flannel is washable
Invest in a washable makeup remover cloth which only needs to be run under a tap before use. It can be chucked in your washing machine when you’ve used it, which over time will be much cheaper than restocking on makeup wipes
Use a gentle soap and some water and little bit of arm power
Stop wearing makeup every day, saves on wipes and saves you money! This is the ideal lockdown solution
Ultimately, we need to get people to realise that makeup wipes are a single-use plastic, like carrier bags and straws, says company spokesman Mark Hall.
“If people can take their own bags to the supermarket, then they can wipe out the wet wipe.”
The Heart of Scotland Appeal is sending an invitation to everyone to take part in the first ever Big Scottish Picnic, a nationwide fundraiser to raise money for life-saving research across Scotland.
From the 7th-13th June, the Heart of Scotland Appeal is encouraging people to hold their own Big Scottish Picnics, enjoy some delicious treats and share stories about those they love, with those they love, all while raising vital funds to help take on heart disease.
The Heart of Scotland Appeal was launched in 2019 by Heart Research UK, in response to shocking stats regarding cardiovascular disease in Scotland.
Currently, 47 people a day die from cardiovascular disease, and the death rate is more than 50% higher than in the South East of England. The appeal was launched to raise money in Scotland, for Scotland, to support pioneering research at universities and hospitals across the country.
Recent grants have included £250,000 to the University of Glasgow to study the effects of COVID-19 on blood vessels.
The appeal was backed by First Minister Sturgeon, as well as a host of Scottish stars, including David Moyes, Amy McDonald, Jane McCarry and Heart Research UK patrons Mark Bonnar and Christopher Kane, the latter of which designed limited edition merchandise for the appeal.
Whether you’d like to host your Big Scottish Picnic in person or virtually, there are loads of resources available for you to download, including posters, invites and zoom backgrounds. There is also plenty of activities, recipes and fundraising ideas, to make sure that your picnic goes down a storm!
As an added treat, all picnics that raise over £47 will be entered into a draw to have a live Zoom visit from Heart Research UK patron Mark Bonnar, star of Line of Duty, Guilt and Catastrophe.
Amanda Donaldson, Senior Fundraiser for the Heart of Scotland appeal, said: “After what has been a difficult year for us all, I know we are all looking forward to coming together with friends and family and enjoying some of the famous Scottish weather.
“The Big Scottish Picnic is perfect for catching up with those we’ve missed, sharing some delicious food and making new memories, all whilst supporting an amazing cause.
“We know research works, but the 700,000 people living with heart disease need it to pick up the pace. Hosting a Big Scottish Picnic will help fund pioneering medical research here in Scotland, drive breakthroughs in treatment and help keep those we love around for longer.”
