Tag: Children and Families

Feed your kid on a budget during the summer holidays

 With food prices rising amid the cost-of-living crisis, parents are being provided helpful ways to feed their children during the summer holidays.

The penny-pinching experts at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk have looked at affordable ways to plan family meals throughout the summer break.

As supermarkets and fast-food chains increase their prices at the highest rates in over a decade, many parents are worried about the cost of feeding the kids during the holidays.

To support parents in the UK, restaurants and garden centres are offering discounted meals for kids to eat out, but there’s also simple methods to save money when cooking for the family at home.

Mitch Barnes, online consumer expert from NetVoucherCodes.co.uk said: “We wanted to give parents a helping hand this summer, as many will feel the pinch of rising food costs in their weekly expenses.

 “There are numerous schemes available this summer with a wide range of pubs and supermarket restaurants offering special discounts for kids to eat out. 

“But we also wanted to provide simple ways for parents to save money on making meals at home for their children during the holidays.”

Here are NetVoucherCodes.co.uk’s budget-friendly ways to feed your kid on a budget this summer:

Picky bits for dinner

A classic British summer favourite which many households are familiar with this summer. To make the most of the leftover meals, leave them in the fridge overnight and get creative about which bits can be used for dinner. This tip will save you from making a last-minute trip to the supermarket.

Batch cooking

Many parents use this effective way to make batches of school lunches in the week. Use this tip throughout summer by freezing your food and allocating which days the kids can tuck into a delicious meal without going out to buy more ingredients.

Shop around for summer deals

If the local supermarkets are near one another, don’t be afraid to venture out to each store to work out which has the best offers. Most shops will be near the end of summer discounts, which means the chances of finding even better deals are at an all-time high.

Discounted pub meals

Local pubs are providing a variety of discounts for kids to eat cheaper this summer, from half price fish and chips to chicken nuggets for a dime. Head down and find out which are available.

A trip to the garden centre

Taking the family to the garden centre is the perfect summer day out, with fresh flowers, gardening tools and this summer – discounted meals. Lots of centres are taking on the helping kids this summer initiative, so look up your local garden centre to see what offers are available.

Cheap meals at supermarket restaurants

Throughout the summer holidays, many supermarket chains are offering further discounts on kid’s meals to help with the rising food costs. Have a look at which ones are offering free meals, with many promoting a £1 dine out option.

‘Once a week’ rule

Set some time aside for a family meal out by using the ‘once a week’ rule where you either dine out weekly or you get a takeaway of your choice as a family treat. This way you can plan around your food shops so less food will be wasted, which will also help to prevent overspending allocating food budgets.

Social media budget recipes

Everyone has a favourite social media recipe which has become a weekly make. But if you’re unsure of any meals which can be added to your cookbook, explore social media apps for simple recipes which will cost less than a fiver to make.

Family pizza making

Instead of the Saturday night takeaway, it can be a proper family get together making your own homemade pizzas. While the children are off school it’s a perfect initiative to use this to spend quality time with them, without having to splash a fortune on takeout.

Yellow stickers before scheme ends

The best before scheme is phasing out, so it’s important to make the most of a late minute dash to the shops for reduced labelled food. Have a look in the evenings and on a Sunday afternoon to have the best chance of securing food on a budget.

Family meal plan

It’s best to be organised when planning meals to save the extra pennies. To make this more creative, mark each day with a different colour pen and decorate with stickers when it’s time for a special dish or a day when you’re dining out. 

Try veggie days

Meats typically cost the most on weekly meals. If you decide to swap the meat for veggie choices it can save around a third on select meals during the week. Have a look at meals which don’t involve meat or try out some delicious veggie options for half the price.

For budget-friendly ways to feed the kids during the summer holidays, head over to NetVoucherCodes.co.uk.

Become a superhero with Mary’s Meals

Children in Edinburgh are encouraged to find their inner superhero with an amazing free activity pack from school feeding charity Mary’s Meals.

Mary’s Meals serves nutritious school meals in 20 of the world’s poorest countries, many of which are impacted by conflict and natural disasters. The promise of a nutritious meal attracts hungry children into the classroom where, instead of working or looking for food, they can gain an education and hope for the future. The charity feeds 2,279,941 children every school day. 

The Mary’s Meals Superheroes pack is full of activities designed to teach children about life in the countries where Mary’s Meals works, such as Kenya, Zimbabwe and Yemen.  

The pack was inspired by a young girl named Upile, 13, who eats Mary’s Meals at her school in Malawi. She says: “When I grow up and finish my school, I want to be a nurse. I want to help people.” 

The activity pack includes a film featuring Upile – as well as a colouring sheet, a word search and materials for little ones to design their own superhero mask. 

Dan McNally, head of grassroots engagement at Mary’s Meals, says: “This fantastic pack is full of activities that will keep kids entertained. Visit our website to download your free copy today!”

Healthy Heart Tip: Healthy Habits for Summer Holidays

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

Healthy Heart Tip: Healthy Habits for Summer Holidays

The summer holidays can be a stressful time for many families. Whilst they are a lovely opportunity to enjoy the summer together as a family, parents and carers can find it hard to juggle having the children at home with work, household and general life commitments. Naturally, during busy periods one of the first things to be pushed aside is healthy eating and taking time for ourselves to recoup and recharge.

We’ve put together some tips to help you get through the summer holidays and keep providing nourishing meals for the family – without going crazy:

Consider an early start

  • If you have older children who sleep well, you could try getting up an hour before they rise. This gives you an hour of calm before the hustle and bustle of the day begins, you can use this time to get on top of the household chores, get ahead of the day’s work commitments, do some meditation to set you up for the day or just have your breakfast in peace! Of course, this means going to bed an hour earlier to make sure you are getting enough sleep (seven to nine hours per night is ideal).

Meal plan

  • If you don’t already meal plan, now is the time to start. Having a comprehensive meal plan over the summer holidays will really take the stress out of eating well. We recommend planning for every single meal, including snacks, and have the plan pinned on the fridge for all to see. To make it easier still, use the same meal plan for every week of the holidays, as long as you have varied meals throughout the week, there’s no reason why you can’t eat the same and it makes shopping easier, as it’s the same list each week.

Write a diary/plan

  • Writing a diary or a day planner the night before each day can really help lessen those feelings of overwhelm we can experience when life is busy. It can also help calm and quieten your mind before going to sleep. You could group things into ‘urgent’ – those things that are priority and can’t wait and ‘can wait’ – those things you want to get done at some point, but if they don’t happen tomorrow that’s ok.

Above all, remember to not take on too much, and try to let the small things go as children can be demanding and take up lots of our energy.

There is plenty of information available online about free and local things to do during the holidays, so be sure to have a look and get out and about in nature everyday where possible.

For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips.

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/.

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:

https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/.

Royal Bank of Scotland seeks donations for Ukraine support at national welcome centre

  • Royal Bank of Scotland partners with The City of Edinburgh Council, Volunteer Edinburgh and other city partners to create a donation distribution hub supporting Ukrainian people arriving at Edinburgh HQ 
  • Thousands of people displaced by the war in Ukraine have arrived in Scotland and been supported at Gogarburn site so far. With visa holders yet to arrive[i], many more are expected to be supported. 
  • Donations urgently needed to continue providing essential items such as toothbrushes and waterproof clothing 

    Royal Bank of Scotland has set up a dedicated donation distribution hub for Ukrainian refugees arriving in the capital. 

The hub runs alongside the Welcome Centre for Scotland, which was created through a partnership between the City of Edinburgh Council and local partners, and hosted within Royal Bank’s Gogarburn headquarters.

Using funding issued by the Scottish Government to local authorities to support welcome efforts, the Welcome Centre opened its doors earlier this year to support those resettling in the country and has been the first port of call for thousands of displaced Ukrainian citizens. 

Staff from the City of Edinburgh Council are on hand to process entrance paperwork upon arrival, facilitate introductions with host families or find temporary accommodation for the many people who arrive without a place to stay.  

To allow families and individuals to settle into their new home quickly and begin to adjust to life in Scotland, paperwork is completed within the centre on the same day – meaning people can make necessary medical or legal appointments as soon as possible. Relevant literature is provided as part of a Scottish Government-produced welcome pack. 

Everyone arriving at the Welcome Centre is also offered an essentials pack made up of donations to help them settle in for the first few days. The packs contain day to day necessities such as toiletries, clothing, UK electrical adapters and toys for young children. 

With the number of displaced people to the centre increasing daily and supplies of essentials packs depleted, the donations hub is today issuing an urgent call, asking businesses and members of the public who are looking for a way to support the Ukrainian crisis to donate towards the cost of these essential items. 

The cost of each complete pack is around £30 and any donation will make a valuable difference, especially to those arriving with no belongings.  

Donations can be made to the GoFundMe[ii] set up by Volunteer Edinburgh, who meet the Ukrainian people arriving at the airport and bring them to the Welcome Centre, and also help to purchase the welcome pack items in bulk.  

An Amazon Wishlist[iii] has been set up to facilitate donations, where anyone wanting to support these efforts can buy individual items such as toothpaste, sanitary products, rain coats and hand sanitiser. These items are delivered directly to the hub and packed by volunteer staff.  

Businesses who would like to help can donate directly through the GoFundMe, via the Amazon wishlist or can send donations directly to the Royal Bank’s Gogarburn offices marked for the attention of Skillbank.  

Sheena Hales BEM, who leads the Skillbank at Royal Bank of Scotland said: “At the beginning of the pandemic, we recognised an opportunity to make use of our facilities and converted the conference centre at Gogarburn into a foodbank distribution hub, coordinating deliveries and offering storage space to charities including Social Bite and Cyrenians.  

“This charitable legacy has continued ever since, and we’re honoured to have set up the Skillbank to offer our skills and resources to help communities and people in their time of need. 

“While Edinburgh has welcomed many Ukrainian people to Scotland through the doors of the Welcome Centre, the reality is that we know there are many more coming who have fled the horrors of war, leaving their lives and loved ones to seek safety here in Scotland.

“While handing out items like a toothbrush or colouring book might seem like a small act, everything we can do to help people feel as welcome as possible is hugely important.  

“Currently we have used all of our existing essentials pack stock so any donation – big or small – is massively appreciated.” 

Minister with special responsibility for Refugees from Ukraine Neil Gray said: “The safety and welfare of displaced people from Ukraine, who are primarily women and children who may have experienced much stress and trauma, is of paramount importance to the Scottish Government.

“I want to thank people and businesses across Scotland for the huge groundswell of solidarity and support they have shown for the people of Ukraine. 

“On arrival, displaced people are given a ‘Warm Scots Welcome’ at the Welcome Hubs, where the Scottish Government is working in partnership with local government and the third sector to assess their needs and provide accommodation and meals along with emotional support and medical attention if required.

“The work undertaken by RBS and the other volunteer organisations in addition to this is extremely important, providing people with items to help them settle into Scotland.”  

City of Edinburgh Council Leader, Cammy Day said: “As I’ve said many times already, Edinburgh’s people and businesses have been absolutely outstanding throughout this crisis, offering their unwavering support to Ukrainian people fleeing their homeland in these most desperate of times. From volunteers meeting people on their arrival in Edinburgh, to getting help with accommodation and receiving ongoing support at our advice centre and within the local Ukrainian community, we’re here for them every step of the way. 

“I want to thank Royal Bank and their teams for their incredible support – for volunteering Gogarburn House to host our Welcome Hub, where it has run successfully since April, for repurposing their conference facilities to distribute food packages, for their co-ordination of thousands of guest backpacks, filled with nappies, toys, toiletries and other essential items, and for this latest fundraising drive to help gather much-needed donations.”  

Situated in Gogarburn, the Welcome Centre is ideally located to welcome those arriving into nearby Edinburgh airport.  

To support volunteers working within the centre, colleagues within Royal Bank have given up their time to become Executive Coaches – helping them to navigate the demands of their role and offering expert mentoring advice.  

Royal Bank has also worked with suppliers to extend its colleague-wide counselling service to offer staff and volunteers working with vulnerable individuals a confidential outlet and mental wellbeing support.   

NHS Dentistry ‘at tipping point’

Over 8/10 NHS dental practices unable to offer appointments to new adult patients, in the most extensive survey of patient access ever undertaken 

The British Dental Association has pressed government to step up and deliver urgent reform, as new research from the BBC underlines the scale of the access crisis facing NHS patients across the country.  

Between May and July, BBC researchers reached out to every UK dental practice with an NHS contract to ask if they were taking on new patients. Working with the British Dental Association, the BBC identified 8,533 dental practices across the UK that were believed to hold NHS contracts and attempted to call them all.

The survey found:

  • In Scotland, 82% of NHS practices were not accepting new adult patients, 687 of 839.
  • Of those practices not taking on adults in Scotland, 39% (267) said they had an open waiting list, and 18% (124) said the wait time was a year or longer, or were unable to say how long it would be.
  • Out of 32 local authorities in Scotland, BBC researchers did not successfully reach any practices accepting new adult NHS patients in 9 (28%) local authorities.
  • In Scotland, 79% of NHS practices were not accepting new child patients, 663 of 839. Out of 32 local authorities in Scotland, BBC researchers did not successfully reach any practices accepting new child NHS patients in 7 (22%) local authorities.

Last month BDA Scotland warned the Scottish Government risked undermining the future sustainability of NHS dentistry, as they scaled down vital financial support for the service.  

From April to June practices received a 1.7 multiplier to the fees paid to provide NHS care, a reflection of the unprecedented backlog practices have faced as they try to ‘live with Covid’ and the continued suppressed activity compared with pre-pandemic levels.  This was cut down to 1.3 from July, following no discussion with the profession, leaving many dentists at risk of delivering some NHS treatments at a loss.

Official data suggests the total number of high street NHS dentists in Scotland has fallen by over 5% since the onset of Covid. The BDA has again urged the Scottish Government to, in the short term, develop a suitable interim funding package to support dentists and their teams as they work through the backlog, and begin work on a new, sustainable long-term model for NHS dentistry. 

David McColl, Chair of the British Dental Association’s Scottish Dental Practice Committee, said: “The Scottish Government promised free NHS dentistry for all, but the public are now living with the harsh reality. 

“You can’t run a health service on soundbites and slogans. Ministers need to take a long hard look at the evidence, and bring forward the reforms and resources we need to deliver for patients across Scotland.”

UK-wide 90% of NHS practices were not accepting new adult patients, 6,193 of 6,880.

Of those practices not taking on adults in the UK, 25% (1,572) said they had an open waiting list, and 17% (1,039) said the wait time was a year or longer, or were unable to say how long it would be.

Out of 217 local authorities in the UK, BBC researchers did not successfully reach any practices accepting new adult NHS patients in 77 (35%) local authorities.

80% of NHS practices were not accepting new child patients, 5,506 of 6,880. Of those practices not taking on children in the UK, 1,480 (27%) said they had an open waiting list, and 16% (902) said wait time was a year or longer, or were unable to say how long it would be. 

Out of 217 local authorities in the UK, BBC researchers did not successfully reach any practices accepting new child NHS patients in 25 (12%) local authorities.

Breakdowns by nation:

NationProportion not accepting adult patientsProportion not accepting child patients
England91%79%
Northern Ireland90%88%
Scotland82%79%
Wales93%88%

1 in 5 key worker households have children living in poverty

  • Around 1 million children with key worker parents are living below the breadline, research shows
  • In some parts of Britain more than two-fifths of kids in key worker households are living below the breadline
  • Poverty levels “likely to get worse” as ministers hold down pay
  • Key workers in the public sector facing another year of real-terms pay cuts

ONE in 5 (19%) key worker households have children living in poverty, new TUC research has revealed.

The research, which uses the government definition for key workers, shows that the number of kids growing up in poverty in key worker households has increased by 65,000 over the past two years to nearly 1 million (989,000) in 2022.

It forecasts that in 2023 that number will rise again to 1.1 million unless ministers take further action to support families.

North East hit hardest

The analysis – undertaken for the TUC by Landman Economics – highlights how in some regions of the UK more than two-fifths of children in key worker households are now living in poverty.

Key worker families in the North East (41%) have the highest rate of child poverty followed by the North West (29%) and London (29%) and the East of England (24%).

Scotland (8.3%) and Wales (8.9%) have the lowest rates.

Worse set to come

The TUC warned child poverty rates among key worker households are likely to get worse.

Ministers have announced another of year of real-terms pay cuts for key workers in the public sector.

The union body says this will have a devastating impact on frontline workers after a brutal decade of pay freezes and cuts:

  • Hospital porters’ real pay will be down by £200 this year 
  • Maternity care assistants’ real pay will be down by £600 this year 
  • Nurses’ real pay will be down by £1,100 this year
  • Paramedics’ real pay will be down by over £1,500 this year 

And ministers are calling for wages to be held down for some key workers in the private sector too.

The TUC says the additional support announced by the Treasury this year to help families with energy bills will be offset by cuts to real-terms pay and other rising living costs.

Risk of recession

The TUC says government calls for widespread pay suppression will reduce household spending and demand as the UK teeters on the brink of recession.

The union body highlighted how at the same time key workers are being told to tighten their belts, city bonuses are rocketing.

TUC analysis published in June month revealed that bonuses in the financial and insurance sector grew by 27.9% over the last year, six times faster than average wages in the same period, which grew by 4.2%.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Our amazing key workers got us through the pandemic. The very least they deserve is to be able to provide for their families.

“But the government is locking too many key worker households into poverty.

“Ministers’ heartless decision to hold down pay will cause widespread hardship and put the UK at greater risk of recession.

“After the longest wage squeeze in 200 years we urgently need to get more money in the pockets of working families. This will help people get through this cost of living crisis and inject much-needed demand into our economy.

“It is particularly galling that as key workers are being told to tighten their belts, city executives are enjoying bumper bonuses. Once again ordinary working people are being forced to carry the can for a crisis made in Downing Street.”

Support needed for key worker families

The TUC is calling on the government to guarantee decent living standards by:

  • Raising the national minimum wage immediately.
  • Giving all key workers a fair pay rise that meets the cost of living
  • Funding the public sector so that all outsourced workers are paid at least the real Living Wage and get parity with directly employed staff.
  • Boosting universal credit to 80% of the real Living Wage
  • Significantly increasing benefit payments to children and removing the two-child limit within social security.  

Children in poverty in key worker households by UK nation and region in 2022

RegionTotal number of children in key worker familiesNumber of children in poverty in key worker familiesPercentage of children in poverty in key worker families
North East170,58670,31141.2%
North West600,325174,49529.1%
Yorks & the Humber434,33547,65911.0%
East Midlands426,33549,15011.5%
West Midlands396,75693,15623.5%
East of England490,577115,56323.6%
London661,487189,69128.7%
South East811,614125,84815.5%
South West362,53943,28711.9%
Wales249,78922,2858.9%
Scotland445,82637,0058.3%
Northern Ireland146,35320,78714.2%
Total5,196,522989,23719.0%