Scotland’s largest independent funeral directors, William Purves, is fielding calls from several worried customers concerned about the implications of forthcoming funeral plan reforms.
From July 29th, organisations selling funeral plans will fall under the regulation of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) which will ensure that all plans are properly underwritten.
And while good news for customers in the long term, it is feared that many buyers will be out of pocket in the short term as some smaller funeral plan providers fold as they are unable to satisfy the FCA requirements.
Andrew Purves, Director of William Purves explains: “Customers who have purchased pre-payment plans designed to cover the cost of their funerals are naturally concerned about the implications of the reform.
“Thankfully we can put our customers’ minds at rest as in recent years our plans have been one of the big three providers. However, the stark reality is that some customers’ pre-bought funerals, particularly those bought from smaller providers, may not be honoured.“
A number of funeral plan providers have already decided to stop operating and have approached larger providers to take over their plans – sadly some are expected to fold as the July deadline looms.
Andrew continued: “My advice is if you have concerns or worries speak to the Funeral Director who you purchased the plan from, or the plan provider themselves, and ask what guarantees they can provide.
“We are in the process of contacting all William Purves pre-payment customers to update them on the situation.
“We welcome the regulation of pre-paid plans which are designed to protect customers and raise standards for plans sold in the future; however, this is of little comfort to those people who have taken steps to put their affairs in order and who may well be penalised.
“We will continue to keep our customers informed.”
How 13.2 million recycled plastic bottles become a game-changing furniture range: introducing Nassau from LifestyleGarden
Last week LifestyleGarden®, in partnership with Plastic Bank and the Eden Project, launched one of the most exciting furniture ranges to ever hit the UK market.
The new Nassau collection – powered by Social Plastic® is set to revolutionise the impact furniture can have upon the planet as well as people and communities.
Not only will every Nassau chair be made from the equivalent of 175 recycled plastic bottles, but the range is already committed to utilising the equivalent of 13.2million bottles (or 264,000kgs) in its first year. That’s a lot of plastic!
The impact of the Nassau collection goes further than vital environmental protection, however. In a true industry first, this collection will also close the loop by positively impacting the social and economic communities within the Plastic Bank supply chain through the use of Social Plastic®.
Simply put, Social Plastic® is ethically recovered plastic which helps fight ocean pollution, whilst simultaneously empowering those who collect it.
Collectors in Plastic Bank’s ethical recycling ecosystems in coastal communities receive bonuses for the materials they collect, which helps them provide basic family necessities such as groceries, school tuition, internet access, health insurance, cooking fuel and more.
But these collectors aren’t invisible entities operating in the background. Working with Plastic Bank, LifestyleGarden® is able to access a dashboard, enabling us to see exactly which collector has collected materials which will be funnelled into the Nassau range.
We can then follow these collectors to see how their lives change as the bonuses they receive continue to help them out of poverty.
Over the coming months we be following these collector stories and hope to share them with you.
For now, we hope the Nassau – powered by Social Plastic® range will be of interest.
The range is available to buy from a wide range of UK garden centres, the Eden Project’s online store and via Robert Dyas on the high street.
The RRP for a two-seater bistro set is £299, whilst a four-seater dining set is £499. A set of two chairs is priced at RRP £179. Available in peony pink, sage green and honey yellow, and white.
If you want to find out more about LifestyleGarden® and its premium-quality outdoor furniture, please visit us at www.lifestylegarden.com and follow the team on Facebook and Instagram.
This April will see TV star Trent Maxwell, more commonly known as ‘Lifeguard Maxi’ swap Australia’s world famous Bondi Beach for the waters of the UK and Ireland on a tour to spread the message about water safety.
To kickstart the tour, Maxi will be joined by former Olympian, Sports Scientist, Physical Activity Expert and trainer to the stars, Professor Greg Whyte OBE for an open water sunrise swim at Caversham Lakes in Reading on April 8th.
For the rest of his trip Maxi will be working with national charity and leader in lifesaving and lifeguarding training across the UK and Ireland, the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) to volunteer his time to deliver the important water safety messages to children across the UK and Ireland.
On his open water sunrise swim, Maxi said: “An open water swim with the legend Greg Whyte will be a brilliant, but chilly start to my tour! I can’t wait to then set off and meet with children across the UK to spread the word about water safety.
“Delivering these key messages might mean that lives can be saved this summer and beyond.”
Greg added: “’As a result of lockdown 2 million children missed the opportunity to swim leading to 1 million children leaving primary school unable to swim.
“Maxi’s campaign, in collaboration with RLSS UK, to deliver his water safety message has never been more important. I can’t wait to swim at sunrise with Maxi, it will be a few degrees colder that Bondi!”
Open water swimming has seen a rise in popularity over recent years with its benefits well documented.
Charity Director at RLSS UK, Lee Heard said: “There are numerous fantastic benefits to participating in open water swimming such as boosting your immune system; activating endorphins for a natural high; improving your circulation; reducing stress; as well as being a great form of exercise.
“To ensure that open water swimming can be enjoyed safely, we at the Royal Life Saving Society UK, have worked with Professor Greg Whyte to devise a cold water exposure 2 week home plan – Sponge to Plunge. The plan is a safe way to reduce the impact of cold water immersion so please take a look if you are looking to take the plunge!”
Ahead of his tour, where Maxi will visit RLSS UK Lifesaving Clubs to meet as many children and Rookie Lifeguards as possible, he added: “I want to meet as many kids as I can throughout April so together with RLSS UK we can prevent drowning this summer.
“Lifesaving clubs are at the heart of a community, they support young people and their families, so we all enjoy water safely, and return home at the end of day. They have been hit hard in the pandemic so we want to deliver some smiles, fun and most importantly valuable water safety lessons around the UK and Ireland ahead of summer.”
Maxi will be visiting numerous clubs throughout the UK and Ireland as he travels from Cornwall to Devon to South Wales to Nottingham. He then travels across the water to Ireland before returning to visit Scotland and the North East before he heads home for Sydney on 2nd May.
Maxi and RLSS UK invite children from all communities to attend an event near them to learn more about water safety and discover a RLSS UK Lifesaving Club in their area.
Lee Heard added: “Delivering water safety education is vitally important and working with Maxi to speak to even more young people is something we are excited about.
“In July 2021 we had 49 accidental drownings in just two weeks in UK waters, so delivering water safety messages such as this will help to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy water safely in the future.”
To help deliver the message Lifeguard Maxi and RLSS UK are calling for donations to help fund the not-for-profit tour to deliver the message to as many children in the UK and Ireland as possible.
Maxi added: “We would love for you to give what you can and feel part of something special that is happening to prevent drowning this summer.”
All donors will be entered into a draw to win either: a chance to meet Maxi in person at an event in England, Scotland or Ireland; a signed book pack of Maxi’s four books with a Lifeguard Maxi pencil case and signed photograph; or a Maxis Rescue Squad T-shirt and one year’s membership to Maxi’s Rescue Squad online education program with pencil case and signed photographs.
In his Spring Statement, the Chancellor promised to support families through the cost of living crisis today, and to cut their taxes in the future. But his failure to deliver on both of these means that absolute poverty is expected to rise by 1.3 million people next year, while only one-in-eight workers will see actually see their tax bills fall by the end of the parliament, according to the Resolution Foundation’s overnight analysis of Spring Statement 2022 today.
Inflation Nation shows that faced with an unprecedented squeeze on family’s household finances and a significant boost to the public finances, the Chancellor opted for a big but poorly targeted policy package focused on partially offsetting some of the big tax rises he’d previously announced, rather than on supporting those families hit hardest by the cost of living crisis.
Key findings from the overnight analysis include:
Families face £1,100 income losses. The scale of the cost of living squeeze is such that typical working-age household incomes are to set to fall by 4 per cent in real-terms next year (2022-23), a loss of £1,100, while the largest falls will be among the poorest quarter of households where incomes are set to fall by 6 per cent.
Absolute poverty rises by 1.3 million. The scale and distribution of the cost of living squeeze, coupled with the lack of support for low-income families, means that a further 1.3 million people are set to fall into absolute poverty next year, including 500,000 children – the first time Britain has seen such a rise outside of recessions.
Tax rises for seven-in-eight workers. Considering all income tax changes to thresholds and rates announced by Rishi Sunak, only those earning between £49,100 and £50,300 will actually pay less income tax in 2024-25, and only those earning between £11,000 and £13,500 will pay less tax and National Insurance (NI). Of the 31 million people in work, around 27 million (seven-in-eight workers) will pay more in income tax and NI in 2024-25.
A £11,500 wage loss. With real wages in the midst of a third major fall in a little over a decade, average weekly earnings are on course to rise by just £18 a week between 2008 and 2027, compared to £240 a week had they continued on their pre-financial crisis path. This lost growth is equivalent to a £11,500 annual wage loss for the average worker.
A parliament of pain. Typical household incomes are forecast to fall by 2 per cent across the parliament as a whole (2019-20 to 2024-25), making this parliament the worst on record for living standards, beating the 1 per cent income fall over the course of the 2005-05 to 2010-11 parliament.
Rapid fiscal consolidation. The decision to bank much of the borrowing windfall set out by the OBR sees borrowing set to fall rapidly from 14.8 per cent of GDP in 2020-21 to 1.3 per cent of GDP in 2024-25 – lower than it was expected to reach pre-pandemic. This increases the Chancellor’s fiscal headroom at the end of the parliament from £18 billion to £28 billion, the equivalent of a further 4 to 5p cut in the basic rate of income tax.
Torsten Bell, Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation, said:“In the face of a cost of living crisis that looks set to make this Parliament the worst on record for household incomes, the Chancellor came to the dispatch box yesterday promising support with the cost of living today, and tax cuts tomorrow. Significant measures were announced on both counts, but the policies do not measure up to the rhetoric.
“The decision not to target support at those hardest hit by rising prices will leave low-and-middle income households painfully exposed, with 1.3 million people, including half a million children, set to fall below the poverty line this coming year.
“And despite the eye-catching 1p cut to income tax, the reality is that the Chancellor’s tax changes mean that seven-in-eight workers will see their tax bills rise. Those tax rises mean the Chancellor is able to point to a swift fiscal consolidation and significant headroom against his fiscal rules.
“The big picture is that Rishi Sunak has prioritised rebuilding his tax-cutting credentials over supporting the low-to-middle income households who will be hardest hit from the surging cost of living, while also leaving himself fiscal flexibility in the years ahead. Whether that will be sustainable in the face of huge income falls to come remains to be seen.”
Message from First Minister to Ukrainians arriving in Scotland
A message of welcome from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon – available in Ukrainian and Russian, the two most widely spoken languages in Ukraine – is to be given to displaced Ukrainians arriving in Scotland.
The Scottish Government is working with a range of partners to offer practical help and assistance to Ukrainians, including with food, clothing, healthcare, language support and signposting to other services.
The full text in English and Ukrainian is below:
A welcome to Ukrainians arriving in Scotland, from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
On behalf of the Scottish Government – and the people of Scotland – I warmly welcome you, and your family and friends, to Scotland.
I want you to know that you are now safe.
Please know that you will be treated with care, dignity and respect, for however long you stay.
We have been shocked by what has happened to the people of Ukraine. We want to help, and to provide you with the support and the services that you need.
As we open our doors to you, we also open our hearts. We offer not just a refuge, but a warm Scottish welcome and a nation of helping hands to you and your loved ones.
Welcome to Scotland, our home – and, for as long as you need, yours too.
Вітання від першого міністра Ніколи Стерджен для українців, які прибувають до Шотландії.
Від імені уряду Шотландії – та народу Шотландії – я щиро вітаю вас, вашу сім’ю та друзів у Шотландії. Я хочу запевнити вас, що тепер ви у безпеці.
Будь ласка, знайте, що до вас будуть ставитися з турботою, гідністю та повагою, незалежно від терміну вашого перебування.
Ми шоковані тим, що сталося з народом України. Ми хочемо допомогти і надати вам підтримку та послуги, які вам потрібні.
Відчиняючи для вас двері, ми також відкриваємо наші серця. Ми пропонуємо вам і вашим близьким не просто притулок, а теплий прийом і допомогу від усіх наших громадян.
Ласкаво просимо до Шотландії – нашого дому, і вашого також, на той термін, який вам потрібен.
Scotland’s offer to provide refuge and sanctuary to displaced Ukrainians, as part of the UK Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme, is now open.
Accessible through the UK Government’s online portal, a distinct route to accommodation, support and care in Scotland – the Warm Scots Welcome – is now available to people displaced by the invasion of Ukraine.
Acting as a ‘super sponsor’, the Scottish Government’s route removes the need for applicants to be matched to a named individual before they are cleared to travel to the UK through the visa system.
The Scottish programme is available as an option to Ukrainians when applying for a visa under the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, by opting for the organisational sponsor route, and selecting “The Scottish Government” from the drop-down box in response to the question “Which organisation is sponsoring you?”
Scottish people willing to volunteer and provide homes for Ukrainians arriving through the sponsorship scheme are encouraged to sign up at the Homes for Ukraine portal.
Their details will be shared with Scottish Government so that appropriate matches can be arranged while immediate support is provided to those arriving.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Our distinct offer for a warm Scottish welcome to the displaced people of Ukraine is now open, as part of the UK’s Homes for Ukraine.
“We intend to fully harness the thousands of individual offers from people in Scotland willing to provide Ukrainians with a home. And I encourage those who want to help to express an interest on the Homes for Ukraine portal.
“We still believe visas should have been waived for those fleeing the appalling and illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia, but we established this Scottish scheme, embedded within the UK system, to provide help right now to those who need it.
“Our programme will allow significant numbers of people fleeing Ukraine to come to Scotland immediately, and will be able to come to Scotland for safety and sanctuary first.
“To those Ukrainians arriving in our country, I can say we will treat you with compassion, dignity and respect, and I extend a warm welcome to Scotland, our home – and, for as long as you need it, yours too.”
It is also possible for Ukrainian displaced people to come to Scotland by the other two routes: the family visa route and the individual sponsor route.
The Scottish Government is working with partners – local councils, the Scottish Refugee Council, the NHS, Disclosure Scotland, NGOs, faith groups and others – to complete safeguarding checks, put in place wider health, education, practical and befriending support, and arrange longer term accommodation.
The process for Ukrainian applicants to apply is this:
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
Healthy Heart Tip: Salt Awareness
14th to 20th March 2022 is Salt Awareness Week. It is estimated that in the UK we consume around 8.4g of salt a day which is 40% more than the recommended 6g a day. Too much salt in your diet can have a negative effect on your health and can increase the risk of water retention, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and kidney disease. Here are some tips to help you reduce your salt intake:
Reduce salt gradually
By gradually reducing the amount of salt in your food, your taste buds will adapt over time. Try tasting your food before you add salt. You may find that your food is tasty enough. You could try experimenting with different flavours to replace added salt, such as herbs, spices, lemons, or limes.
Check food labels
Around 75% of the food we eat contains hidden salt. Food labels use a traffic light system, which allows us to see if a product contains a low (green), medium (amber), or high (red) amount of salt.
Check the labels to see how much salt is in your food before you buy. Different brands of similar products contain varying amounts of salt, so look at the label and choose products that contain less salt. Salt is made up of sodium chloride and sometimes the label will list ‘sodium’ but not ‘salt’.
You can work out how much salt is in a product by multiplying every 1g of sodium by 2.5.
Make a swap
Swap your high salt foods with foods lower in salt. Try snacking on fruit and vegetables, plain rice cakes, unsalted nuts and seeds or lower salt alternatives to your usual snacks.
Foods such as processed meats, stock cubes, ready-made sauces and powdered soups can contain high amounts of salt. Try swapping these for lower salt versions or make your own soups, with little or no added salt. You can also reduce the amount of salt in your diet by having smaller portions of foods that are higher in salt.
Adopting these tips can be challenging, but reducing your salt consumption gradually over time can help to reduce your risk of high blood pressure and coronary heart disease.
Opportunity for classrooms to collaborate and compete, with prizes worth over £8,000 up for grabs
The popular game-based learning programme SplashLearn has announced the second UK edition of its massively popular SpringBoard Maths Challenge.
The maths competition is a calendar marked event and is highly anticipated by teachers across the US and Canada. The SpringBoard Maths Challenge 2022 is open to all classes from Year 1 through Year 6 in the UK and will run from March 1 – May 8, 2022.
Participation in the challenge, which is free, is designed to give teachers and schools the opportunity to engage their primary school students through fun maths challenges aligned to the national curriculum. The 10-week competition provides the perfect opportunity for teachers in Scotland to engage pupils in maths learning to master their maths skills and boost their confidence, all whilst having fun throughout the process.
After creating an account on SplashLearn, teachers can enrol their classes for SpringBoard 2022. Once enrolled, students can immediately start solving maths problems that will earn them points individually as well as adding up and counting towards the total class score.
The best performing classes with the highest points win weekly prizes at both a county and national level. The final winners will be announced at the end of SpringBoard, with prizes worth in excess of £8,000 up for grabs.
Joy Deep Nath, co-founder, SplashLearn, said: “SpringBoard is a maths competition, but over the years it has grown to be a platform for social and emotional bonding for both students and teachers alike.
“Of course, it also helps teachers to tackle the attainment gap and ensures students are prepared for the next school year. There is a growing appreciation for SpringBoard as an effective tool to challenge students in a familiar, secure and friendly setting to practice with their peers, which is paramount in the present times.”
Arpit Jain, CEO, SplashLearn, said: “SpringBoard, over the years has become like a tradition. It brings teachers and students together in an environment that enables competition as well as collaboration but most importantly celebrates learning.
“The fun and playful aspects of the competition ensures students stay motivated engaged, excited and continue learning, which is so important. I wish every school the greatest success, and every child a very happy learning journey.”
Catering for Year 1-Year 6 pupils, the SplashLearn programme is available completely free of charge to all schools and teachers in the UK, with the maths content covering more than 570 skills through 2000 activities and games.
Registration for teachers and entry to the competition is already open, and teachers can sign up for the SpringBoard Maths Challenge 2022 by visiting this page.
Nominations open today (Tuesday 15 March) for candidates to stand in the forthcoming Local Government Election.
The Election will take place on Thursday, 5 May, when people living across Edinburgh will elect members to the City of Edinburgh Council.
The Notice of Election was published yesterday for Edinburgh’s 17 wards where three or four councillors will be elected in each ward to represent residents.
In 2017, 63 councillors were elected to represent the City of Edinburgh Council, with a 50.5% turnout for the city – up from 42.6% in 2012.
In order to stand as a candidate, individuals must submit nomination papers, by 4pm on Wednesday 30 March.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A MEMBER OF A POLITICAL PARTY TO STAND FOR ELECTION !!
Andrew Kerr, Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council and Returning Officer for Edinburgh, said: “The Notice of Election signifies the official start of the election period. The forthcoming election will enable the city’s residents to have their say, and I would take this opportunity to urge all citizens to make sure they are registered and use their vote.
“There are a range of options for casting ballots – in person, by post or by appointing someone trusted to vote in your place, known as a proxy.
“The local councillors elected make important decisions on provision of public services, including education, social care, waste management, libraries, planning and much more on behalf of Edinburgh residents.
“Preparations are well underway to ensure a successful election with plans for any additional restrictions required due to the ongoing pandemic. We’re keen to continue the enthusiasm demonstrated by voters during last year’s Scottish Parliament Election when we had the same range of safety measures in place.”
Our weekly drop-in community gardening sessions, on Thursdays from 1 – 3pm, are open to everyone.
The community garden is inside the allotment, go through the gate from the back of Toby Carvery car park, past the containers, and its the gate on your right.
Last week we prepped beds, planted strawberries, beans and peas. More bed prep and making paths and areas for fruit bushes for this week.
Dress for the weather, wellies for the mud are best”
