– Customers can sign up for weekly, fortnightly or monthly deliveries of food boxes –
– Customers will receive the delivery without needing a delivery slot –
– Savings introduced for food boxes as demand for other online services increases –
– A Feed a Family Box is also being offered to feed a family of four for five days –
– New site opened in Wakefield to manufacture food boxes –
Morrisons is today announcing new measures to its online food box service that will help customers to get a delivery of groceries to their doorstep.
With demand for online delivery slots increasing across the retail sector, Morrisons will be offering more ways to help customers buy its pre-prepared food boxes.
New measures include:
From today, Customers can opt for a weekly, fortnightly or monthly food box delivery so they can receive a regular and predictable home delivery.
Those who opt for this ‘subscription’ service will receive a 5% discount.
To support customers who want to switch to its Food Boxes Morrisons is offering a further 20 per cent discount which will apply to the first shop. The code is BOX154864P.
Morrisons has set aside a facility in Wakefield with hundreds of staff to make food boxes for the nation.
Morrisons is offering a Feed a Family Recipe Box to feed a family of four for five days
With coronavirus case rates rising and new restrictions being introduced, demand for food boxes has increased by 56% per cent in the last week.
Morrisons food boxes were launched in March in response to the pandemic and subsequent lockdown. They provide an alternative for customers who are not able to leave their home or would prefer not to visit a supermarket. Customers can choose from a range of pre-prepared boxes to meet their needs.
Aidan Buckley, Director of Food to Order, for Morrisons said: “Customers use our food box service to get fresh food and cupboard essentials delivered to their doorstep quickly. We are making the service simpler and even better value to ensure everyone can get access to affordable food at this difficult time.”
Morrisons is offering a Feed a FamilyRecipe Box to help families get through the week. It contains five meals to feed a family of four. Costing just £30 each meal works out at only £1.50. A Cupboard Essentials box at £22 includes Long Life Milk, Soup, Rice, Pasta, Tuna, Beans, Custard Creams, Wine Gums and even a 4 pack of Toilet Roll.
Customers can also access a Beers, Wines and Gin Boxes, along with Flowers as treats for themselves or gifts for others.
Morrisons food box range includes; a series of weekly ‘food parcel’ style Essentials Boxes for meat-eaters, vegetarians and vegans; Fruit, Meat and Fish boxes for households who want to stock up; and Gluten Free, and Lean Meat boxes for customers with special dietary requirements.
All boxes are ordered online and delivered to customers doors the next day by DPD.
For further information and to order a Morrisons Food Box please visit:
Scotland’s GDP increased by 6.8% in July, according to statistics announced today by the Chief Statistician. The increase in the latest month follows revised estimates of 6.7% growth in June and 3.1% May, and falls of 20.1% in April and 4.9% in March.
Although GDP has increased for the last three months, it remains 10.7% below the level in February, prior to the direct impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In July there has been further growth in the three main sectors of the economy. Output in the Services sector is estimated to have increased by 5.5% compared to June, output in the Production sector increased by 8.6%, and Construction sector output is estimated to have increased by 23.4%.
Commenting on the publication of Scottish July GDP figures yesterday, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “As the Prime Minister said last night, the struggle against covid is the single biggest crisis the world has faced in our lifetimes.
“The UK Government is focussed on stopping the spread of coronavirus and keeping people safe, while doing everything we can to protect the economy.
“Through the furlough and self-employed schemes, we directly supported more than 930,000 jobs in Scotland, a third of the workforce.
“Now, the Chancellor’s comprehensive Plan for Jobs is bringing in the Job Retention Bonus, creating new jobs for young people through the kick start scheme, doubling the number of work coaches, and are supporting jobs in the tourism and hospitality sectors through a VAT cut.”
Background points:
The UK Government has directly supported more than 930,000 jobs in Scotland, a third of the workforce through the furlough and self-employed schemes.
Over 1.8 million jobs in the hospitality sector have been supported through the Eat Out to Help Out scheme with more than 6.3 million meals eaten in Scotland.
The UK Government has loaned more than £2.3 billion to 65,000 Scottish businesses.
An additional £6.5 billion in Barnett Consequentials has been provided by the UK Government to the Scottish Government since March 2020.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to make an announcement on a new emergency employment scheme to replace the current furlough arrangements later today.
Two-thirds of branded grocery packaging not fully recyclable
Crisps, chocolate and cheese are among the worst foods for packaging recyclability, with brands including Pringles, Cadbury and Babybel failing to do their bit for the environment, a new Which? investigation has revealed.
The consumer champion analysed 89 of the UK’s best-selling branded groceries and found only a third (34%) had packaging that was fully recyclable in household collections. To make matters worse, around four in 10 (41%) items had no labelling to show if they could be recycled, leaving consumers none the wiser about how to dispose of them.
Which? looked at 10 different categories of items including popular brands of chocolate, fizzy drinks, crisps, yoghurts, drinks, cheese, bread loaves and cereals. Which? experts broke down each item’s packaging into its component parts, weighed them and assessed whether each piece could be easily recycled.
The recyclability of different types of groceries varied hugely. The worst category by some distance was crisps, with only three per cent of packaging recyclable in household collections. This included Pringles and their notoriously hard to recycle combined material tube.
The tube’s plastic lid made it the only product in the category to have at least one component that was recyclable in household recycling. However it wasn’t labelled to say so and the tube design is far heavier than any other packaging in this category – so it would take more energy to transport.
The best of a bad lot in this category was a Quavers multipack. None of the individual packets of crisps were easily recyclable, but the outer bag, at least, was recyclable at supermarket collection points. However it wasn’t labelled to say so, meaning consumers could mistakenly throw it out with everyday rubbish.
While significantly better than bagged snacks, when Which? took apart and analysed cheese packaging it found that a third (34%) was not easily recyclable. Snack packs of Cathedral City and Babybel were packaged in plastic net bags, which are not only difficult to recycle but can also cause problems if they get caught up in the recycling machines accidentally.
Cheestrings were also found to be problematic, with packaging that was not recyclable in household collections.
At the other end of the spectrum, packaging for Dairylea Cheese Triangles, Seriously Spreadable Cheese and Laughing Cow triangles was all recyclable – but all had this important information missing from their labels at the time of testing. Philadelphia Soft White Cheese’s packaging is recyclable and was correctly labelled.
Among the chocolate snacks Which? looked at, almost a third of packaging was not recyclable. Favourites like four finger KitKats, Cadbury Bitsa Wispa, M&Ms, Cadbury Dairy Milk bars and Cadbury Twirl Bites were all found to not be recyclable in household recycling at all.
The Galaxy Smooth bar had 100 per cent recyclable packaging, but due to a lack of labelling risked being thrown out in the same way as its less eco-friendly counterparts.
None of the bread packaging Which? looked at was recyclable in household collections. But it was recyclable if taken to supermarket collection points alongside plastic bags. All of it was labelled.
The most recyclable category was fizzy drinks, which were found to be 100 per cent recyclable. All 10 items Which? looked at in this category were correctly labelled.
Juice drinks were mainly recyclable in household collections, with the exception of Ocean Spray and Capri-Sun. Ocean Spray cartons are like Pringles tubes in that they are made of mixed materials that make them difficult to recycle in household collections, while Capri-Sun’s foil pouches are not recyclable.
In a separate survey, Which? found that the recyclability of grocery packaging is important to eight in 10 respondents (79%), and two thirds (67%) often or always look for recycling info on grocery packaging before deciding how to dispose of it.
Some brands are trialling more environmentally sound options. Pringles is testing a new recycled paper tube at several UK Tesco stores, which if successful could be pushed out more widely.
In response to Which?’s findings, some manufacturers said that food waste had a larger carbon footprint than plastic waste and claimed that moving away from traditional packaging to recyclable alternatives could lead to compromised, stale or damaged food. Some also said that their packaging was recyclable at TerraCycle collection points.
But Which? believes that a lack of consistency and hugely varied approaches to grocery packaging shows that some manufacturers could be doing a lot more to ensure the materials used to package their products do not end up in landfill.
The responsible use of the right materials to package food is just one part of the problem. In order to tackle unnecessary waste, products also need to be correctly labelled with clear instructions of how packaging should be disposed of.
The recurring inconsistencies Which? has found on the way groceries are labelled when it comes to recyclability shows how confusing it is to navigate for even for the most environmentally conscious consumers.
Which? is calling on the government to make recycling labelling simple, clear and mandatory, so that all consumers are able to make informed decisions when buying groceries.
Natalie Hitchins, Which? Head of Home Products and Services, said:“Consumers are crying out for brands that take sustainability seriously and products that are easy to recycle, but for any real difference to be made to the environment, manufacturers need to maximise their use of recyclable and recycled materials and ensure products are correctly labelled.
“To reduce the waste that goes to landfill, the government must make labelling mandatory, simple and clear, enabling shoppers to know exactly how to dispose of the packaging on the products they consume.”
Long term support needed to stop Covid-19 causing permanent harm to a generation
This generation of children will need support to help them cope with the lasting effects of bereavement and loss long after the crisis is over, to avoid long term impact to their mental health and wellbeing.
This is the message from Barnardo’s on the same day the charity broadcasts its latest TV advert in its Believe in Me campaign, highlighting the importance of support services for children and young people who have experienced bereavement, loss or grief.
The leading national children’s charity says this is the situation for thousands of children facing a new reality after lockdown. In many cases, they have lost a loved one, lost the chance of opportunities they were about to take up or lost their normal support systems.
In the ad, to be aired from 24 September 2020 onwards, a computer generated crow symbolises the feelings of loss and grief a young boy experiences from losing his Mum, before receiving support from a Barnardo’s counsellor.
Before Covid-19, official stats showed 1 in 29 5-16 year olds had been bereaved of a parent or sibling – that’s at least one child in every average class.
Data is not yet available to show how much this number has increased due to Covid-19. But as of 1 September, 41,504 people had died within 28 days of being tested positive for COVID-19 – so we know many more children and young people will be experiencing bereavement.
Some communities will be especially impacted by grief and bereavement, especially those at higher risk of becoming seriously ill or dying from the virus, such as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities or those living in areas of high deprivation.
Data from Kooth, the online mental health counselling provider, shows the emotional toll the pandemic has had on BAME children. It has seen a 26.6% increase in BAME children contacting them with suicidal thoughts, compared to 18.1% for white children as a result of Covid-19.
And a survey of Barnardo’s frontline staff found approximately four in five(81%) are supporting someone reporting an increase in mental health issues due to the Covid-19 crisis.
There is support out there for children who are struggling with the return to school, including the Government-funded See, Hear, Respond programme, which is led by Barnardo’s and delivered in partnership with 80 charities and organisations. However, this is only funded until the end of November.
The Government has announced several initiatives to support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, including a package of mental health support through local authorities for schools to run for the next six months.
But Barnardo’s says that much more needs to be done.
Children’s grief will not just stop when these programmes stop and says there must be a strategy for longer term support, because children will need differing levels of support at different times.
This must not just be about providing counselling sessions for children, but also looking at how the systems in place to help young people cope with their mental health and wellbeing can be improved.
Ensuring schools are places of safety, offer a nurturing learning environment, and are linked to specialist services that can support children and young people through this difficult time will be critical.
And the UK’s leading children’s charity is calling on the Government to go much further than this in the longer term.
It wants the Government to use the pandemic as a catalyst to bring about a sea change in the education system – to ensure that schools prioritise child welfare and wellbeing, so that they are on a par with academic achievement.
There must also be additional long-term investment in early intervention children’s services to help not only children who are experiencing issues arising from the pandemic now, but also those who will need help in the future.
The pandemic has shut down valuable sources of income for the charity so it is also asking people to donate to ensure it can give the support that is needed.
Barnardo’s Chief Executive, Javed Khan said: “Our new TV advert features a young boy suffering from grief after the death of his mother.
“Sadly, these raw emotions will be familiar to thousands of children and families across the UK, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Too many children and young people have lost family members and experienced loss in their wider communities – especially those from BAME communities. Others have lost support systems, contact with friends and families, and missed out on opportunities, creating feelings of isolation and anxiety for the future.
“At Barnardo’s we believe that with the right support all children can recover from trauma and work towards a positive future. We provide this support across the country – but we can’t do it alone. Now more than ever we rely on the support of our friends and partners, and the generosity of the public, to continue our vital work.”
Case study – The Kerry Family – Barnardo’s Orchard Mosaic Bereavement Service – Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Rachel and Keith Kerry’s son Owen was killed in a knife attack in a social club in Cramlington, Northumberland on Christmas Eve 2016. He was 19.
Owen’s sisters Eve and Summer (now 14 and 9) started bereavement therapy at Barnardo’s Orchard Mosaic in Jesmond, Newcastle within a fortnight of Owen’s death. Rachel also has therapy at Orchard Mosaic. Their therapy is funded by Victim Support. Rachel is a Youth Worker and Keith is a Youth Support Worker.
Eve wasn’t ready to talk so she started by doing a lot of creative therapy with drawing and using shells and stones and other objects to represent feelings, which helped her express herself until she was ready to talk about how she felt.
“When my brother died it was very sudden and really upsetting” she says. “I came to Orchard Mosaic to get help and talk about how I felt about it. I was nervous – I was crying at first but I’ve been coming for two years and I’ve really shared things.”
Eve’s mother Rachel says: “At the time everything was such a blur – we were conscious that we wanted the girls to have that avenue to express how they felt. Because it was such an intense situation, we were very concerned they wouldn’t be able to share their feelings and that they would think they wouldn’t want to burden Mum and Dad with how they were feeling – that they’d think we’d already got enough on our plates.
“Just having the professional support there has been vital for the girls – to have someone who can give them an expert, objective view to help them understand a little of how they are feeling. So if they are feeling angry the therapist can tell them that that is how people normally react and be able work with them to deal with those feelings.”
Both girls have been coming to therapy for two and half years. The sessions with Barnardo’s have come in groups of six for Eve and Summer, so that they can use them as they’ve needed to – especially at difficult times like Christmas, Owen’s birthday and starting new schools. They can stop when they think they’ve gone as far as they can, but come back as things change and they feel different.
“It’s good to have that continuation, that safety net” says Rachel. “Because the door is left ajar for you to come back if you need to, it strengthens you knowing you have that safety net to catch you.
“It’s helped that the girls have been with the same workers all along and have not had to go through it all again from the beginning with different people. In that way the Barnardo’s workers have become like a nice family.”
“When I’m not managing I know I can come back” says Eve. “It helps to know once you’ve stopped your sessions that if you need the therapy again you can come back to the same person and not have to tell everyone everything all over again.”
When Summer first started she was only five years’ old and wasn’t ready for talking about her feelings , so she has had a lot of play therapy, then when she was a bit older she came back to start talking.
“I didn’t talk about my feelings at first, but I wanted to come”,she said. “I started doing some activities and it helped a lot.
“When I was angry I had lots of ways to help, like listening to music and stress balls, talking to adults. They all helped me when I was feeling angry but listening to music was my favourite.”
Rachel worried about Eve starting secondary school as the high profile nature of the their bereavement was well known, especially in a relatively small town like Cramlington.
“Everyone in the town knows what has happened to us, so the therapy has helped. It’s been an additional avenue for Eve to talk about the things on her mind, and it’s focused on her and her needs, so she knows this is for her and she can say whatever she wants. It’s important that it’s not to us she’s talking to, her parents, but someone else, so she can say what she wants without any worries about upsetting us.
“Everyone has been super supportive, and we’ve had a lot of support from our community with different charity events. But it can be a bit difficult to have people who know of you even if they don’t know you. It’s been more an issue for me – no one has ever said anything – but sometimes it’s been hard to get up in the morning and it’s hard to feel the spotlight is on you.”
“At school people understand but they don’t understand” says Eve. “They know what I’m going through, but they haven’t experienced it because it hasn’t happened to them. But they support me.”
Even so the grief has had an impact on Eve at school – she’s been distracted from her learning, so some of the therapy has been about the impact of what’s happened on her life, so she can stay focused.
“It’s been a joined-up thing with the school and Barnardo’s” says Rachel. “It’s hard for Eve in a new school and if she didn’t have the avenue to express her feelings she might have been pulled in the wrong direction.
“But grief has an impact on everything, every area of your life and at the time you don’t realise how wide it goes. In my therapy we’ve ended up talking about everything, not just Owen and my feelings. It’s really helpful to have your grief recognised and to have it confirmed that it’s a normal response to an abnormal situation and that that’s okay.”
Keith has had post-traumatic stress disorder and has tried different types of therapy (not through Barnardo’s) but he feels he hasn’t found the right way to help him yet. But he sees how effective the therapy has been for the others.
“We can see the change in the girls when they have the sessions” he says. “Before Summer came back she was angry without realising why and we could see the difference in her after a few sessions – it was the same with Eve. You can see the difference for even a small period of time.”
“It’s been good for us to see how the therapy worked for Eve at the beginning” says Rachel “and now it is helping Summer. I think it’s reassuring – obviously not everything works for every person, but for us it has worked. Everyone is at different stages of grief – we’re all past the initial shock, but we’re all managing and coping in different ways now.”
The difference the therapy has made is stark for Rachel and the girls.
“I think if I hadn’t come I would have been stuck” says Eve. “It’s made a difference being around someone you can share anything with and they won’t judge you for it.
“I don’t think I’d be where I am right now if I didn’t come here and get the help I needed. It’s helped me stay on the right track and understand why I feel like this and I know it’s part of grief”.
“I’ve really benefited from my sessions” says Rachel. “I dread to think where I’d be without them. I wouldn’t be the person that I am today without the help from Barnardo’s – that’s absolutely fact.
“It’s helped me with so many things like my relationships, being a better mam, working through things at work – we’ve talked about everything.
Summer sums it up: “It makes me feel a bit happier to come here and I really like it.”
2 – Shay from Merseyside
At the age of 14, Shay suffered from crippling anxiety and depression after her nan died and then her parents separated just a week later. She couldn’t leave the house for months and stopped going to school. Not long after, she was at the Manchester concert when there was a terrorist attack and was diagnosed with PTSD. Shay was supported through therapy by Barnardo’s BOSS service in Merseyside and is now looking to the future with hope as she studies her dream course at university.
Shay’s story
Shay*, 21, from Merseyside, has just completed her first year of university in Liverpool where she is studying advanced beauty, achieving a 1st for her coursework and practical exams. She is excited about the future as she enters into her second year.
It would be difficult for anyone that didn’t know Shay to guess the immense challenges she has overcome in the past few years, and still manages today, after struggles with crippling anxiety and depression triggered by events in her teens.
Up until Shay was 14, she had never really had any issues with her mental health, despite the fact she’d been bullied from a young age.
She was picked on by a girl in her class throughout primary school about anything and everything – from the way she looked to the way she held her pen – and this carried on with the same girl through high school.
Shay said: “Although there were a few other girls in her group, it was the same girl that was the ringleader and the bullying mainly went unnoticed by teachers.
“My mum knew about it and would come in and speak to teachers, who would have a word with the girl, but nothing changed. If anything, it got worse after every time she was spoken to. I had my own friends and so I just tried my best to ignore it.”
But in 2014 when Shay was in Year 9, she unfortunately suffered a series of traumatic events in the space of just a few days, when her nan died and then only a week later, Shay’s dad left her mum, taking her brother with him.
Shay said: “I was really close to my nan, she only lived nearby with my grandad and I used to go round to see her every Sunday and we would bake together. Her death hit me and my mum really hard. And then a week later, my dad left and took my brother with him. I’d noticed my mum and dad had been arguing for a while, but him leaving was just a total shock. My dad and I were so close but after he left, he didn’t want to have any contact with me. I just felt so depressed and so did my mum.”
Following the death of Shay’s nan, the school provided a bereavement counsellor for two weeks to help her come to terms with her loss. One of the things Shay did with her counsellor was to make a shoe box of memories of her nan, which Shay says helped her and she still has now.
But after this traumatic time, Shay’s depression and anxiety just began to get worse. She started to become withdrawn from her friends and not wanting to go out, only really speaking to her mum. And the bullying at school started to have much more of an impact on Shay’s wellbeing.
Things got so bad that over the next year, Shay was only able to go into school for one or two days a week. Another girl at school also started bullying her and made threats, resulting in Shay not wanting to get out of bed and barely leaving home.
Shay’s mum and her school referred her for counselling. Shay said: “I hadn’t thought about counselling, or that it was something I needed, but I was in such a bad place and just couldn’t see a way out. The counsellor came to visit me at school.
“In the space of only a few weeks, I was appointed three different counsellors, having to re-tell my story each time to each one. As you can guess, we didn’t get very far as it was mainly me just having to re-explain what had happened to me and how I felt each time, which just made me feel even worse and more depressed.”
To try and support Shay at school, she was offered ‘isolation’, where she was put in a room with a handful of other pupils.
Shay said: “There was no teacher in the room, you were given the topic and had to teach yourself and look things up on google if you were unsure. All the naughty kids were put in this room too, sometimes including the people that bullied me. It was so difficult to motivate yourself and I really struggled as it just made me so anxious all the time and didn’t help at all.”
Shay didn’t go into school for almost all of Year 11 and dropped most of her lessons. She started having suicidal thoughts and was referred to Barnardo’s BOSS service in Merseyside, which provides counselling for children and young people in the area.
Shay said: “By this point, I was so anxious and couldn’t leave the house, but I also knew I simply couldn’t carry on like this and wanted things to change.
“My counsellor from Barnardo’s came to the house to visit me and asked if I wanted help. She explained she would visit me at home for the first few sessions, but then she wanted me to start coming out to meet her, to get me out of the house.
“It was quite overwhelming at first but then I started to feel more hopeful about things. I met my counsellor once a week and she helped me with coping methods.
“She helped me to deal with the loss of my nan by talking about how it made me feel and writing my feelings down in a diary. She encouraged me to put all my nicest memories of my nan into a memory jar, and read these when I felt sad. I still use this now sometimes.
“We would make to-do lists and set goals to give me a focus of things to do for the day, so I wouldn’t just hide away in bed. She got me to start doing more of the things I enjoyed, such as baking, walking the dog and practising make up again, which was one of my passions I’d lost for a while.
“After the first few sessions, I started getting the bus to meet her. The first few times my mum would wait outside, but then I started getting the bus on my own and my counsellor would meet me at the bus stop.
“I became more positive and gained the confidence to start at college a couple of days a week and re-sit my GCSEs. I was still anxious for most of that time as I readjusted to socialising again, but I was also excited and started to plan what I wanted to do with my life.”
Shay started work experience at a beauty salon and the owner, who had also suffered with anxiety, helped Shay to continue building a more positive mindset.
Throughout Shay’s whole journey, her mum has been her absolute rock. The pair grew so close and did everything together.
On 22 May 2017, Shay and her mum had arranged to go to Manchester to see Shay’s idol, Ariana Grande, in concert.
Shay said: “I loved the concert but I was anxious about how many people were there, so my mum and I got up to leave slightly early to avoid the crowds at the end. As we were about to walk into the foyer, that’s when the bomb went off.
“We saw the people lying on the floor and everyone started screaming and trampling over each other. We ran to a different exit to get out and called a friend to pick us up.
“I just felt numb and empty about it all. I can’t remember much about what happened – I must have blocked it out – and the whole time period of weeks surrounding that night are a blur.
“The next morning was one of my GCSE exam re-sits. I didn’t want to go, but I also didn’t want to go back to how I was before, so I used the techniques my Barnardo’s counsellor taught me to not stay in bed and dwell, but to get up and went to sit my exam, which I was proud of myself for. I met with my counsellor a few days later as mum was worried this might set me back, but it hadn’t hit me then and didn’t until a long time after.”
Two months later, Shay was on holiday with family. As they watched an outdoor show one evening, a thunder and lightning storm hit unexpectedly.
Shay said: “Everyone started screaming and running to get away from the storm and it brought everything back from that night.
“I had a panic attack and started crying and felt I was reliving what happened at the concert. After that, I struggled to deal with loud or unexpected noises like people slamming doors and fireworks, or people running.”
Shay was later diagnosed by a doctor with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Shay had moved on from her one to one counselling sessions and started attending group therapy sessions through Barnardo’s, where a small group of young people would meet with the counsellor each week.
Shay said: “We did lots of ice breakers and exercises to explore anxiety and build our confidence, as well as things like meditation. We all made friends and it was really valuable to realise other young people were going through similar things to me.”
Shay continued in her efforts to move forward and enrolled on a beauty course at college, which she loved. However, she started to feel depressed again during a difficult period when her mum was ill and had a long stay in hospital, meaning Shay was living on her own.
Shay said: “I accessed support through adult mental health services but was discharged as I was struggling to keep appointments whilst visiting mum. I was able to restart these though once mum was feeling better and they helped me to manage the change of starting university and to feel more stable.”
A specialist NHS Hub kept in regular contact with Shay after the terror attack at the concert to monitor her PTSD and provided a series of specialist therapy sessions to manage the side effects she was still experiencing. Shay’s PTSD symptoms have since improved and she has even recently been back to the Manchester venue to attend a concert with friends.
“It was very emotional at first to remember where it all happened, but I enjoyed myself and was really proud I could do this. I’ve have been back a few times now.”
For the past two years, Shay has been involved with a Barnardo’s participation group linked to the BOSS counselling service, where she and several other young people that have used the service meet to talk about issues affecting them and young people in general, and help to advise Barnardo’s on how to make their services more user friendly.
Shay said: “I enjoy being a part of this group, it feels good to give back and help others after how much Barnardo’s has helped me.”
Shay was also able to go on a trip abroad last year with her university course, which was a huge landmark moment for her and something she never thought she would have the confidence to do.
“I felt so much pride that I was able to do this – of course I was anxious in the lead up and all the way to my mum dropping me off at the airport, but I calmed down when I saw my friends and I loved the trip. It’s given me the self-assurance now that I feel I could travel more in the future with friends.”
When asked what would have happened if she hadn’t received support for her mental health, Shay said:“If I hadn’t been able to access the counselling and support with Barnardo’s that I’ve had to improve my mental health, I feel like I still wouldn’t have left the house.
“I just couldn’t have seen a future going forwards and Barnardo’s has supported me so much.
“I’m so much more positive now and so proud of how far I’ve come in my journey. I learnt lots of different techniques that I still use every day to help manage my anxiety and depression, such as different breathing techniques and meditation, as well as the to-do lists, setting goals and writing down how I feel in a diary, which I really recommend.
“My goals started off as mini ones, such as getting the bus by myself and going to see friends, but they graduated to bigger goals, such as college, saving up for my own car, learning to drive and going to uni! A few years ago, I could barely leave the house but now I’m hardly in it as I’m always out with friends or walking my dog.
“I do still struggle sometimes with my anxiety, but it’s not as intense as it was and I have techniques I can use to help me deal with it.”
Has the lockdown impacted on you?
Shay said: “I feel the lockdown was a step backwards for me and had quite a big impact.
“I was doing really well before, and although I was lucky I could continue my studies online, I started getting more anxious about leaving the house, being near crowds and talking to people when I started going back out. I’m excited to start uni again and see my friends though.”
Shay’s advice for other young people who may be struggling with anxiety, depression or with their mental health in general, is this:“It’s hard to speak to people about things at first, but it does get easier and it does get better.
“There is support out there and although in the beginning I felt like nothing would work and was anxious about going to therapy, I started looking forward to it each week. It was good to have someone to talk to and I learnt lots of coping techniques that I still use today.
“By accepting help I feel it does help you to move forward and when I look back now, it’s crazy to think how far I’ve come in the last few years.”
Scale and urgency of the situation demands joint working to find solutions
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling for urgent four nation talks to continue to drive coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission to the lowest possible level.
Acting quickly and decisively is essential, said the First Minister, pointing to scientific opinion that bringing the virus back under control will require measures beyond those which any of the four nations have so far announced.
Last night’s letter also highlights the fact that the ability of the Scottish Government and other devolved administrations to take action is curtailed by a lack of financial levers to deliver economic support, for example to the hospitality sector.
The First Minister said four-nation talks should consider three inter-related questions:
Based on the most recent data, what further actions might be necessary and is it possible to reach early four nations agreement on introducing them?
Given that further restrictions will inevitably have an economic impact, what support is required for affected sectors?
If it is not possible to reach a four nations agreement on further restrictions with associated support, what arrangements can be put in place to ensure that devolved administrations are not constrained in making what they judge to be essential public health decisions because they lack the financial flexibility to provide support to affected sectors or individuals?
Similar to the 2019 Index however, more standardised packaging and recycling instructions (69%), coupled with an easier recycling system (52%), would be a major motivator to encourage more people to recycle their household waste.
Reassuringly, the survey found that the increase in use and disposal of single-use products, for example face masks and plastic bottles, during the COVID-19 pandemic has not had a negative impact on attitudes to recycling, with more than half of those surveyed (55%) saying this makes it more important to find recycling solutions for all materials.
The 2020 Recycling Index also found that Edinburghers are ready to lead the charge with three quarters of those polled believing it is up to individuals to ensure their rubbish and waste is recycled.
However, the majority (85%) believe the council has a responsibility here, with three quarters also saying national government still has a key role to play in driving change. In addition, 87% believe non-recyclable waste should be used to create energy.
With an increasing focus on returning products to a circular economy and an increased use of recycled materials, the poll reveals around nine out of ten people would still buy their regular products if the packaging is updated to be more environmentally friendly, both in terms of material (87%) and coloured plastic (86%).
Sixty three per cent said they were more likely to purchase products made from recyclable packaging, however 44% of Edinburgh residents would not be prepared to pay any more money for these.
Labelling also remains a challenge with 39% of those surveyed admitting they still found current labelling on packaging confusing – representing a 6% increase on 2019’s survey. In spite of this however, 83% of Edinburgh residents say they do take notice of recycling information on product packaging.
The lack of uniformity in terms of recycling across different local councils continues to be recognised by consumers with only 29% of those surveyed believing recycling collections are consistent across the UK.
Viridor CEO Phil Piddington(above)said: “Viridor has been listening to consumer attitudes to recycling for five years and applying the lessons we’ve learnt to the way we run our business.
“Like Edinburgh residents, we think producers should bear the cost of recycling as not only is it important to take responsibility for everything we produce, this acts as a powerful motivating factor influencing product design.
“Viridor has always been very clear that the key to empowering the circular economy is ensuring that everything we produce is designed with recycling in mind. That’s why Viridor was a founding member of WRAP’s Plastic Pact, working with cross-sector partners to achieve the pact’s 2025 recyclability goals.”
Steven Don,Head of Local Authority Contracts Scotland, Viridor, said: “Our Recycling Index shows that the people of Edinburgh care about recycling and feel empowered to play their part.
“There is, however, always room for improvement, particularly in adapting recycling processes and ensuring information is as transparent as possible. We are making real progress in Scotland with Viridor currently working in partnership with more than 90% of Scottish councils to streamline services.
“Viridor has ambitious plans for Scotland’s circular economy which we shared earlier this summer. Our vision for a Scottish Circular Economy and Innovation Park will ensure the country is at the forefront of the green recovery.”
Scottish International Storytelling Festival programme revealed
Set sail this autumn, as the Scottish International Storytelling Festival (SISF) takes audiences on a voyage, exploring Scotland’s coasts and water through music and storytelling.
The 2020 SISF programme promises an eclectic mix of online events spanning across the globe and small-scale face-to-face events, celebrating Scotland ‘a nation shaped by the sea’.
Events shine a light on lost stories of Scottish and international culture, give a new perspective on historical experiences and captivate, entertain and educate audiences on everything from Scottish colonial history to our connection to the natural world.
Over 100 performers will take part in the festival and countries represented include USA, Colombia, Canada, Italy, Spain, England, Kenya, Northern Ireland, Holland, Iran, Sierra Leone and Iceland. 93 events in total will take place in Edinburgh and across Scotland with 43 of these planned to be in-person experiences subject to Scottish Government Guidelines.
This year’s festival theme ‘In the Flow’ presents Voyage, a series of new work developed by storytellers and musicians for VisitScotland’s ‘Year of Coasts and Waters’, supported by the Scottish Government Festival Expo Fund.
Premiered as a pre-recorded studio broadcasts to be streamed online, Voyage is a collection of fourteen performances sharing tales of real and imaginary voyages that have connected Scotland to other coastal countries, near and far.
Highlights in the Voyage programme supported by the Edinburgh Festival Expo Fund and CalMac Ferries include:
Award winning performers Apphia Campbell and Mara Menzies collaborate for the first time on Nanny of the Maroons sharing the story of the Jamacian hero ‘Queen Nanny’ leader of the known as the Windward Maroons who helped those fleeing enslavement on Scottish owned plantations
Donald Smith’s reimaging of the iconic travelogue Johnson and Boswell’s Tour to the Hebrides featuring leading actors Andy Cannon and Christopher Craig.
Storyteller Nicola Wright revives the almost forgotten Scottish National Antarctic Expedition by explorer William Speirs Bruce whose success was ignored by the Royal Geographic Society.
One of Scotland’s best loved storytellers Andy Cannon steps over 700 years back in time as he sets out on a journey to bring the first ruling Queen of the Scots from Norway to Edinburgh Castle in Tales of a Grandson: The Maid of Norway
Award winning storyteller Fiona Herbert is joined by musician Emma Durkan as she draws the story of the mythical Cailleach from the depths of the world’s third largest whirlpool Corryvreckan in Argyll and Bute.
Music collaborations see David Francis & Hamish Napier celebrate the River Spey in Speyside to Fireside, and in Deiseal | Sunwise Mike Vass joins Ian Stephen for a journey to St Kilda, and ancient instrument musician John Kenny collaborates with sister Marion on The Voyage of St Brendan.
Speaking at the Festival launch last week, Scottish International Storytelling Festival Director Donald Smith said: “Stories and songs are vital for human survival. They carry our emotions, memories and values.
“They bind us together as families, communities and a nation, especially through tough times. The Scottish International Storytelling Festival will continue to channel that flow with an increased focus on wellbeing in the year of Covid-19.”
Socially distanced small-scale in-person events planned for the festival include:
Leaving Iona, a new show by Donald Smith and Heather Yule at St Columba’s by the Castle giving voice to the women, poets and monks of Columba’s / Colmcille’s story 1500 years after his birth.
Scuttlebut Stories! at Padlox Escape Rooms in Leith sees local storyteller Jan Bee Brown and musician Toby Hawks invite audiences to join them for some tall tales and spirited shanties, a heady blend of stories and songs of the sea that link Scotland and Scandinavia.
Small-scale indoor events will also take place at Universal Hall Findhorn, the Scottish Crannog Centre near Aberfeldy, Abbotsford House and other locations in the Borders. At the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh, open mic Storytelling Cafés will also take place every day of the festival from 4pm.
Outdoor promenade performances will take place as Storytelling Walks departing from the Scottish Storytelling Centre and Enchanted Garden: Paths of Stories taking audiences on a journey around the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Sangs an’ Clatter: Campfire Tales at Damshot Woods in Pollock will return storytelling to one of its most traditional settings.
All plans are subject to Scottish Government guidance during the festival period.
The workshop programme strand Global Lab returns, hosting a series of digital workshops with live participation bringing together storytellers, artists, activists and educators from across the globe to explore sustainability, ecology and healing.
Taking place online daily throughout the festival the workshop programme offers inspiring examples of creative practice in the arts, education and frontline activism, with the opportunity to share, question and discuss.
Contributors include NYC-based Laura Simms who will speak on Deep Healing and Ecology, social and environmental activist Grian Cutanda who will share his work on the Earth Stories Collection and Julie Cajune and Douglas Mackay whose work explores connections between Native America and Scotland.
Edinburgh’s long running story night Guid Crack returns online throughout the festival and the Storytelling Festival’s famous Open Hearth sessions also move online, with live digital participation in a ceilidh of cultures, hosted by some of the finest traditional storytellers from Scotland and around the world.
Running alongside SISF, the Community and Families Programme bookends the festival running between 12th October and 30th November. The programme will pair local storytellers with partner organisations in online and small-scale live settings, unlocking the ethos of ‘going local’.
Community groups and schools can take part in The Big Scottish Story Ripple (#StoryRipple) by holding a storytelling event led by a professional storyteller.
Groups can apply for a subsidy that will cover the cost of their storyteller’s fees. In return, successful applicants must offer a good deed back to their local community on or before St Andrew’s Day – continuing the ripple of kindness.
As this year’s festival closes with a celebration of the Feast of Samhuinn, the 2020 Scottish International Storytelling Festival is on the hunt for Scotland’s Greatest Ghost Stories. The call is going out to find local ghost stories and to encourage people in Scotland to discover those in their own area. As part of the festival a ghoulish storytelling workshop will be held to encourage storytelling enthusiasts of all ages to become frighteningly good!
More than 900 charities get a much-needed cash boost after toughest year yet
Scotland’s Kiltwalkers and The Hunter Foundation have raised a massive £5 million for over 900 Scottish charities in 2020.
The Covid-19 pandemic saw all four of Kiltwalk’s planned events, in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh cancelled, but Kiltwalkers all over the country took part in virtual events to support their chosen charities.
The fundraising deadline for last week’s Edinburgh Big Virtual Weekend closed at midnight last night [Monday], which alone raised £1.3 million. Sir Tom Hunter and The Hunter Foundation today announced this figure would not be topped-up by 50%, but will be doubled to 100%. This brings the fundraising from that weekend to £2.6 million.
Earlier this summer, Kiltwalk’s emergency pay-outs in Glasgow and Aberdeen plus the Dundee Virtual Kiltwalk raised £1.2 million and The Hunter Foundation doubled that to £2.4 million.
In total in 2020, Kiltwalkers raised £2.5 million and The Hunter Foundation doubled that to £5 million.
Sir Tom Hunter praised the Kiltwalk Kindness of the 16,000 Scots who dug deep as they walked, cycled, ran and swam separately all over Scotland observing the social distancing measures.
Sir Tom said in a video: “At a time when there’s not much good news about, we want to bring you some great news this morning from the Kiltwalk. The Edinburgh Virtual Kiltwalk took place and you hopped, skipped, jumped and even swam to raise money for what you care about. This morning, you have raised an amazing £1.3 million and more than 535 different Scottish charities will benefit, so thank you.
“As the numbers were coming in last night, we said if you can do £1.3 million, then we’ll do £1.3 million, so it’s a 100% top up from The Hunter Foundation this morning, because we just think you’re amazing.
“So in a year, a very strange year where we’ve not been able to walk together, for obvious reasons, but between Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and now Edinburgh, you Kiltwalkers have raised an amazing £2.5 million for the charities you care about and The Hunter Foundation has topped it up with another £2.5million.
“So this year, £5 million is going to the charities you care about, the folks who really need it are getting a hand up, not a hand out. So thank you. We’ll be back next year, no doubt about it. You can’t keep a good Kiltwalker down!”
Donna Paterson-Harvie, Founder of Neil’s Hugs charity, based in Linlithgow, said: “A huge thanks to everyone that supported us! We’re a tiny charity in West Lothian and having over 100 people raising funds means the world.
“The £15,000 raised – now £30,000 – will allow us to continue to offer one-to-one and group support for people affected by suicide and support those struggling with poor mental health by helping to reduce isolation and offering virtual safe spaces. Given the current climate, demand for this support is higher than ever so we are so grateful to the walkers, those who donated and Sir Tom Hunter”.
Co-founder, Chair and Director of Fundraising at It’s Good 2 Give, Lynne McNicoll OBE said: “Our heartfelt thanks goes out to each and every Kiltwalker and those who donated.
“Every penny of the £30,000 raised, plus Sir Tom’s incredible kindness takes it to £60,000 and this will allow us to continue supporting young cancer patients and their families by providing practical support such as supermarket vouchers, family activity packs and even equipment such as Vein Finder machines that help reduce the trauma of treatment for young cancer patients.
“It’s so difficult for everyone just now so we are super grateful to our supporters for the vital funds now more than ever”.
Bridie Ashrowan, CEO of Space and Broomhill Hub said: “All funds raised will go to Space & The Broomhouse Hub. We support hundreds of vulnerable families, young people and older folk in South West Edinburgh, particularly with well-being which is badly needed amid the Covid crisis.
“Our café courtyard area has never been more important, so funds raised will also go towards completing that, with the help of local people in the community, to make it a lovely space. Our profound thanks to all, we raised £950 and to The Hunter Foundation for the 100% top up to £1,900. It makes those 24 miles and Lyn’s bungee jump for the Virtual Kiltwalk Weekend all the more meaningful!”
The UK’s biggest cat charity is asking animal lovers to get in touch with their local MP to urge them to support compulsory microchipping of pet cats.
Cats Protection is campaigning for microchipping to become a legal requirement for pet cats, as it already is for dogs, to help improve feline welfare.
The charity will be hosting an online event for politicians on 20 October 2020, and is asking supporters to get in touch with their local MP to ask them to attend and pledge their support to the charity’s campaign.
Cats Protection’s Head of Advocacy & Government Relations Jacqui Cuff said: “We need to get as many MPs as possible to support a change in the law to make it compulsory to microchip pet cats.
“After years of campaigning by Cats Protection, major political parties put compulsory microchipping of cats in their 2019 election manifestos. But no progress has been made and the issue risks falling off the political agenda.
“As a nation of animal lovers, we know that many people will want to see their local MP taking a keen interest in animal welfare issues. By getting in touch with your MP and asking them to join in our online event you’ll be helping us move a step closer to a law change which will benefit countless cats and kittens in the future.
“Our campaign for compulsory microchipping of pet cats is one of a number of issues we’re working on to improve feline welfare across the UK. We’re grateful for support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, which helps make this work possible and ensures a better future for one of the nation’s favourite pets.”
Microchipping is the safe and permanent way to identify a cat and reunite a lost cat with their owner. Owners of unchipped cats can suffer unnecessary heartbreak not knowing the fate of their cat if they go missing.
Yet despite this, statistics show that over three million owned cats (29%) are still not microchipped (PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report 2019). Making microchipping compulsory will significantly drive up numbers of microchipped owned cats. Microchipping was made compulsory for dogs in 2016 and as a result 92% are chipped.
UNISON calls for government help as city council faces hundreds of job losses due to Covid and funding crisis
Edinburgh UNISON, the union representing most Edinburgh council workers, fears that hundreds of jobs could go over the coming months due to the Covid Crisis and poor funding settlements from the Scottish Government.
Tomorrow (Thursday 24 September), Edinburgh councillors will discuss the updated budget shortfall of £12.2 million due to the council’s Covid response.
Gerry Stovin, Edinburgh UNISON assistant branch secretary said: “With this figure, plus the proposed £25 million in cuts already approved for next year and this year’s cuts and savings not achieved, we could be facing a further £50 million of cuts over the next 12 months.
“This would have a disastrous effect on essential services the public rely on, especially at this critical time.
“UNISON is calling on the Scottish Government and COSLA to agree short term additional funding to cover the cost of Covid, financial flexibility and fundraising powers along with a fairer budget settlement for April 2021 for all Scottish councils.”
