Christmas is a time for celebration and festive fun, but it is also a peak time for tree and decorations related ladder accidents.
Every year, hospital A and E departments across the country report a rise in the number of people brought in during December after falling from heights, many of whom have toppled off ladders whilst putting up lights and decorations on trees both outside and in their homes.
ROSPA reports that in recent years, as many as 2.6million people have fallen off a stool or ladder while hanging up Christmas decorations.
British safety ladder expert Henchman has five golden rules for safe ladder use:
Assess the risks in scope and scale then consider and research most suitable equipment for the job in hand
Where possible always have another person with you when using a ladder
Uneven, sloping, soft terrain requires equipment fit for purpose
Check the condition of the ladder, and do not use damaged equipment
Always follow the instructions – they are there for your safety and vary by product and by application.
Henchman tripod ladders and High Step safety platforms are specially designed for safe working at height providing a stable footing on uneven ground for jobs ranging from domestic hedge trimming to a four-metre topiary sculpture. NOTE: Other ladders and platforms are widely available
Henchman managing director Tom Kitching said: “Nobody ever thinks it will happen to them. How often have we heard people saying, ‘it’s OK I’ve done this loads of times – I know what I am doing’ as they balance precariously up a ladder putting up outside Christmas lights?
“The sad fact is that it can, and does happen. Stretch out that little bit too far on an indoor step ladder to put a decoration on a top branch or lean the ladder against a tree or bush in the garden that suddenly gives way and you will fall, risking serious injury or even death.
Following basic rules and investing in the right ladder for the job could save your life.”
The UK designed and distributed Henchman lightweight aluminium ladders and High Step platforms are available in a wide range of sizes with prices starting at £225. NOTE: Other ladders and platforms are widely available
To see a video of Henchman safety ladders in action visit www.henchman.co.uk
Using fruit, fabric scraps, and utilising Facebook marketplace are all frugal ways for Brits to save money decorating their Christmas trees this year.
Penny-pinching gurus from NetVoucherCodes.co.uk have revealed some inventive ways to decorate trees for free and bring the family together by creating and crafting decorations.
Using scraps of paper and old magazines is one way to bring your tree to life but will also help to keep more money in Brits’ own pockets.
Taking inspiration from years gone by, using dried fruits such as orange slices are also a great way to add colour and also fragrance to the tree.
NetVoucherCodes.co.uk have recently surveyed 4,566 people and a fifth (20 per cent) have already put their Christmas tree up, and a further 33 per cent plan to have their festive decorations up before the end of the month.
A spokesperson for NetVoucherCodes.co.uk said: “After the year we’ve had, people need something to lift their spirits and to look forward to. There’s been a massive increase in people getting their trees up in November this year.
“Brits might think they’re out of festive luck, but the good news is, there are plenty of ways to decorate your Christmas tree for free.
“You don’t need a lot of expensive decorations to have a beautiful Christmas tree this year. It is so easy to enjoy a beautiful tree without spending a penny.”
Beautiful, fragrant and budget-friendly, this tip is an old-fashioned way to decorate the tree. If you have fruit that is starting to turn and go bad, then dry it! Most fruits can be dried but cranberries, apple slices, and orange slices are most traditional and they can be dried in a dehydrator or oven. Once dried, they can then be strung with thread and a needle to create a sweet decoration for your tree.
Use scrap paper
Growing up, many of us will remember making paper snowflakes as a kid. Why not get the scissors out and make them again? Use scrap paper or leftover magazines to make colourful snowflakes or snowmen.
Or you can cut out pictures you like from magazines of scenery, celebrities, or just pictures of items you are interested in. You can use dental floss or string to hang them from your tree.
Use old fabric scraps
If you have fabric scraps sitting around, such as old or damaged clothes, or bedding then you can always tie them into bows to use on the tree. This is so simple. Just cut them up and tie them to the tree.
Check online marketplaces and trading sites
The internet is full of free and for trade sites. Facebook marketplace and Gumtree are often the go-to sites, and this time of year, lots of people are giving items away such as old decorations. Make sure you are Covid compliant when picking up items you source through Facebook, but it is a free way to pick up some nice second-hand decorations.
Look in your garden and local parks
Chances are your garden and the local park is full of natural items that would make pretty decorations for your tree! Curly branches, pine cones, acorns, and flowers would all bring your tree to life this Christmas. You can even use some glitter or paint to add some personality to the decorations.
This Christmas, The Ivy on the Square celebrates with a magical, Narnia-inspired installation for guests and passers-by to enjoy; as well as a limited-edition, non-alcoholic cocktail menu.
Transporting guests through the whimsical world of Narnia, complete with playful and fanciful Christmas decorations, guests will step inside the wardrobe before being greeted with an array of delicious, bespoke cocktails available from Thursday, 26 November.
Mixed up by the restaurant’s bar team, creations will feature an array of non-alcoholic concoctions including Some Candy Talking (£6.25), an alcohol-free riff on our famous Candy Floss Fizz with Rose syrup, cranberry, ginger, lychee and lemon juices finished with Scavi & Ray non-alcoholic Spumante and Candy Floss, the Virgin Bellini (£5.00), a delicious version of the classic peach fizz incorporating white peach pureìe and Fever-Tree White Grape & Apricot Soda, and the Elderflower Garden (£5.95) a Seedlip Garden, Æcorn Dry non-alcoholic Aperitif, elderflower cordial and Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic, garnished with cucumber ribbon and edible flowers.
For those looking to indulge in something a little sweeter, the brasserie will also be serving up a bespoke The Greatest Snowman dessert, to keep guests in the Christmas Spirit.
Chris Greenan, General Manager at The Ivy on the Square says: “Christmas has always been a special time of year for us here at The Ivy on the Square and we’re delighted to be able to welcome residents and visitors to join us in the festivities.
“Our Narnia themed winter escape is the perfect way to enjoy the most wonderful time of the year.”
The Ivy on The Square is situated in the heart of Edinburgh’s city centre, offering approachable sophistication and luxury with an underlying feeling of glamour and theatre for residents, businesses, and visitors.
Port of Leith Housing Association is proud to be one of 17 north Edinburgh charities, community groups, schools and other organisations who have joined forces to support people most likely to be hit hardest by coronavirus and associated restrictions this winter in a new collaboration, called Leith Gives.
The Leith Trust is coordinating the campaign which seeks to provide tailored food hampers and other household essentials to vulnerable individuals and families in the run up to Christmas and again in late January.
It also plans to provide gifts and other items people may need to celebrate Christmas, Diwali, Hanukah and other festivals, and to offer practical help to get people online and connect with loved ones or support groups.
Heather Kiteley, Group Chief Executive, Port of Leith Housing Association, said: “The first wave of this pandemic showed just how much we all need each other to get by. Our tenants, the people of Leith and north Edinburgh, charities and community groups, have already demonstrated great resilience and perseverance.
“Now as we head into winter, we’re thrilled to help harness that collective dedication through Leith Gives to spread hope and offer practical support over the festive season and into the New Year.”
Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House on Wednesday 25 November:
Good afternoon. Thanks for joining us. I will give you today’s statistics first of all as usual.
There were 880 positive cases reported yesterday which is 6.8% of the total number of tests that were carried out. That means the total number of confirmed cases so far throughout the entire pandemic is 90,961.
260 of the new cases were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 190 in Lanarkshire, 122 in Grampian and 94 in Lothian.
The remaining cases were across 8 other health board areas. 1,161 people are currently in hospital – that is 36 fewer than yesterday. 84 people are in intensive care, that’s the same as yesterday.
And finally, I regret to report that 44 additional deaths have been registered in the past 24 hours of patients who first tested positive in the previous 28 day period. The total number of deaths under this measurement that we use on a daily basis is now 3,588.
However, National Records of Scotland, as it does every Wednesday, has just published its weekly update, that you will recall includes cases where COVID is a suspected or contributory cause of death in addition to those that we report daily where COVID has been confirmed through a test.
Today’s update shows that by Sunday just past, the total number of registered deaths linked to COVID under that wider definition, was 5,380.
244 of those deaths were registered over the course of the last week, that is actually 35 fewer than in the week before.
And that is the first decrease in the weekly number of deaths that we have seen since the end of September. Any reduction in the number of people dying is of course good news, but any feeling of relief that we feel about that must be tempered by a recognition that the number of deaths is still far too high.
160 of last week’s deaths occurred in hospitals, 67 occurred in care homes, and 17 at home or in another non-institutional setting.
Now every single one of those deaths was of an individual who will be right now mourned by friends and family. So again today, as it is important to do every day, I want to convey my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one as a result of this virus.
Now I have a couple of issues I want to cover today before I, with Professor Leitch, will take questions from the media.
The first is that literally as we will be speaking here today the Chancellor of the Exchequer will, in the House of Commons, be delivering his autumn statement.
Over the course of this pandemic, the Scottish Government and the UK Government have worked together constructively on many issues and I will come on to talk about arrangements for the Christmas period in a moment and that is one of those issues.
But we have also welcomed several of the Chancellor’s recent decisions; for example the extension of the Job Retention Scheme until the spring.
But we do believe there are several areas where families and businesses are likely, as a result of the pandemic, to continue to need help even after April of next year and that’s when many of the current support mechanisms are scheduled to end.
Now the kind of areas I am talking about would include rates relief for businesses, and the uplift to universal credit for households and individuals.
So we are very much hoping that today’s statement brings clarity and positive news on these issues.
That would be very important in providing certainty as all of us continue to cope with the immediate impact of COVID. And of course it would provide the Scottish Government with greater clarity as we prepare our own budget which will be presented to the Scottish Parliament in January – and that budget will provide more details of the support we are able to provide for businesses and individuals into the next financial year so the more clarity we have from the Chancellor about the overall spending envelope would be very welcome.
Now the second issue I want to cover and perhaps take a few moments to dwell on today is yesterday’s announcement about arrangements for the forthcoming Festive period.
Let me tell you that the Scottish Government will be publishing more detailed guidance fleshing out what we said yesterday, we will do that later this week, hopefully tomorrow (Thursday), and I will set out some further details in Parliament ahead of the weekly session of First Minister’s questions.
The festive period will be different for us all this year.
Watch our video on the changes we’re making to address isolation and loneliness ⬇️
Remember, just because you will be able to meet people indoors doesn’t mean you have to.
However as you will undoubtedly have heard yesterday the four UK nations decided that for a five day window over Christmas – that means from 23 December to 27 December inclusive – we will relax slightly the current rules on travel and household meetings.
This relaxation will enable you – if you feel it is necessary and that is a point I want to stress and I will come back to that point shortly – if you feel it is necessary the relaxation will enable you to form a bubble of up to three households over that five day period.
Now let me stress, if you choose to do that, it has to be just one bubble. You can’t chop and change it over the 5 day period. And none of the households in a bubble can form another bubble with other households.
Now, as is the case with most of these COVID decisions, some of you will think this a reasonable decision that we have arrived at, others of you will think it doesn’t go far enough, and many of you will think it is a terrible decision and it goes way too far and my email inbox has all of these views expressed within it today.
But I think that just reflects a reality that none of what we are dealing with right now, none of what we are seeking to steer and navigate our way through, is straightforward. And speaking as First Minister, as head of the Scottish Government, we agonise over all of these decisions and often we are trying to balance all sorts of different factors and come to, not a perfect outcome, because in a pandemic I am not sure there is such a thing, but come to the outcome that balances best all of these competing factors and desires that people have.
And on this particular occasion what we are trying to do is reflect a reality that for some people, whether I like it or not, sticking rigidly to the current rules over Christmas – if that means, for example, leaving loved ones on their own – is something that some people might not be prepared to do.
So rather than just leave everyone to try navigate that themselves and decide their own boundaries, we came to a decision to try to set out some outer limits and some boundaries that we are asking people to work within.
But and this is the key point. Notwithstanding that decision which is trying to recognise a reality that I have just set out, that does not mean that we are positively encouraging people to get together.
I want to stress today that just because we are allowing people to create a bubble it does not mean you have to do it. And, if you do choose to do it at all you don’t have to do it the maximum permitted.
We are relying on people, as we have been throughout this entire pandemic, but maybe particularly over these next few weeks, we are relying on people across the country, to make informed choices about whether or not to come together at all over the Christmas period.
We recognise that for many people, supporting others and their families by being with them, will be something that they feel is essential. But for others, it won’t be essential, and you might choose this year therefore to mark Christmas very differently to how you normally would.
Because the virus will not have gone away by Christmas and it is really important that I am very straight with you about that and we know bringing people together at home, carries risk.
That is why we are asking people not to meet in each other’s homes right now. And of course after 8 months of very hard and very painful sacrifice, of keeping loved ones as safe as possible, and now that we are so close to a possible vaccine, we all have to ask ourselves if that is a risk we personally want to take.
So as I say we will produce guidance to help you come to these decisions and to minimise risks for those of you who do choose to come together albeit in a limited way over the Christmas period.
As I said before we will set out more detail tomorrow. But let me repeat some key points which you will no doubt hear me reiterate over the weeks between now and Christmas.
The first point is this. If you can get through this Christmas staying in your own home, within your own household, please do so. That would be the safest decision and that I guess is the default advice that I am giving to people.
However, If you feel you need to see somebody from another household, please limit that as much as possible.
Remember what I said about the five days, three households. That is the outer limits. That should be seen as a maximum. Stay as far within that as you possibly can.
And if you feel it is essential to see others, think about how you do that think about whether you could do that differently to how most of us traditionally celebrate Christmas, particularly Christmas Day.
So for example and I know this is something I am thinking in my own personal circumstances, instead of meeting indoors for Christmas go for a family walk together, exchange presents on the way, see each other outside. All of this sounds difficult and strange, but we are living in difficult and strange times.
And of course if you are indoors with people from other households during this limited window, keep the literal windows open. Follow all the hygiene rules. It will be difficult to remember that I know, but wash your hands, clean the hard surfaces in the house that you are in and keep a physical distance as much as you can.
That will be the hardest thing of all if you are with loved ones. Not hugging them. And trying to keep apart, but it is really important we all remember and don’t allow to go by the wayside these really important rules we have been living by.
The fact that I am stressing all of this, despite the announcement we have made yesterday, underlines that yesterday’s decision was not an easy one in fact it was a really difficult one I am sure for all of the governments involved.
We know that the festive period means a lot to people, it means a lot to us as well as individuals, and we know in particular it can be an especially difficult time to be alone or to feel isolated.
Because of that, many people – in seeking to do the right thing over Christmas – will come to the view that for them that means spending some time with friends and loved ones.
And it is for that reason that we have decided to provide some rules and guidance that will minimise the risks of that. But these rules, if you exercise the flexibility they give you, still have a risk attached to them.
We know that people can be infectious without having symptoms of COVID, so all of us find it really hard to fathom and believe and comprehend that it might be our family gathering that is the one that has a risk attached to it. But it may well be, particularly if you are bringing together people in different generations that risk to vulnerable people can be great and that is exacerbated indoors.
So all of this is difficult. Governments agonise over these decisions and I am sure families will be coming to very difficult decisions as well. We are trying to give a framework in which we can all reach these decisions, but I will continue to ask you to err on the side of caution, to think about the safety of loved ones and not to forget how close we may now be to an end of this pandemic and if you have been making painful sacrifices for eight months to keep those you love safe then think about whether you want to take a risk with their safety at this eleventh hour in this horrible journey that we are all going through.
And one final point I want to stress before moving on to questions is this one.
While we are all thinking about Christmas as is inevitably the case as we get towards December Christmas is still four weeks away and the most important thing we can all do right now – to make not just Christmas as safe as possible but the period after Christmas as safe as possible – is to reduce the number of people that are infectious now and for all of us that means sticking to all of the rules and guidance that is in place right now.
Have a Happy Christmas – but hang back at Hogmanay
The Scottish Government has agreed a cautious and limited relaxation of the rules on household meetings to support people over the Christmas period.
A maximum of three households are to be able to meet in a “bubble” during a short window of time across the festive period.
Households will be able to travel between local authorities and between the four nations during December 23 and 27 to form a bubble, and must only join one bubble.
The five-day period provides time for travel, and for those who may have to work over Christmas. Households are not required to use all five days and should keep visits to no more than one or two days if possible.
Confirming the plans, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it is clear that there is a risk inherent in any relaxation of the restrictions and asked everyone to consider very carefully whether the opportunity to mix for a few days is necessary given the risk of spreading the virus.
She said: “We know that for some, contact with friends and family is crucial during this time as isolation and loneliness can hit people especially hard over the Christmas period. The “bubble” approach aims to reduce this impact.
“But we must be clear, there cannot be any further relaxation of measures for Hogmanay. Even this short relaxation will give the virus a chance to spread. Our priority is to suppress transmission of COVID-19 and reduce the risk to the vulnerable and those who have spent so long shielding – and that involves abiding by the rules.
“Just because you can mix with others indoors over this time, that doesn’t mean you have to. If you choose to stick with the rules as they are, then you will be continuing the hard work to beat this virus and prevent its spread.”
The festive period will be different for us all this year.
Watch our video on the changes we’re making to address isolation and loneliness ⬇️
Remember, just because you will be able to meet people indoors doesn’t mean you have to.
a “bubble” should be formed household to household only (i.e. different people in a household should not pick their own bubble)
between 23 and 27 December, people can meet in an exclusive “bubble” composed of three households
you should stay with your “bubble” where they are hosting you and you should follow the travel advice for the level you are in (e.g. people being hosted in a level 3 area cannot go on an outing to a level 2 area)
within your “bubble”, you can gather in a home, an outdoor place or a place of worship
in all other settings – eg. hospitality, entertainment venues – those who have formed a bubble must only socialise with members of their own household
households deciding to form a bubble will be advised to limit social contact before and after the period of relaxation
Further detailed guidance will be published shortly.
The UK Government and the Devolved Administrations agreed on joint arrangements for an easing of social restrictions that will allow friends and loved ones to reunite over the Christmas period.
All four parts of the UK have signed off an aligned approach allowing up to three households to form a ‘Christmas bubble’ from December 23 to 27.
Individuals will also be able to travel between tiers and across the whole of the UK without restriction within the five-day period, for the purposes of meeting with their bubble. Those travelling to and from Northern Ireland will be permitted to travel an additional day either side.
The approach was agreed by Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove, and the First Ministers of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and the deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland during a COBR meeting he chaired yesterday afternoon.
Speaking following the meeting, Mr Gove said: “The UK-wide agreement reached today will offer hope for families and friends who have made many sacrifices over this difficult year.
“We know that the Christmas period this year will not be normal, but following constructive discussions between the UK Government and the Devolved Administrations, families and friends will now have the option to meet up in a limited and cautious way across the UK should they wish.
“In coming to this agreement, we have listened to scientific and clinical advice on how best to minimise the risk and reach a balanced and workable set of rules that we hope will allow people to spend time together at this important time of year.”
Each administration will clarify their own rules on support bubbles and extended households in due course.
In England, support bubbles will continue to be counted as one household.
Christmas bubbles will be able to gather in private homes, attend places of worship together and meet in outdoor public places. Beyond this, people should continue to follow all other local restrictions in the area. Guidance is being published on Gov.uk.
As part of the agreement, each administration will be reminding households that they should remain alert to the risks still posed by the virus and consider how, where possible, they can celebrate and support more isolated friends and loved ones through alternative approaches such as video calls and meeting outdoors.
When following these new rules, people are reminded to continue to take personal responsibility to limit the spread of the virus and protect loved ones, particularly if they are vulnerable. Forming a bubble for those who are vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable carries additional risks.
The four parts of the UK will work together to communicate these new measures across the country and ensure that communities are aware of any variations in approaches.
Details of the new measures can be found in the joint statement, agreed yesterday.
Ocean Terminal has partnered with The Leith Collective to launch an inspiring new community initiative to make sure that no one misses out on having a Christmas tree this year.
Gift a Tree invites anyone who has an artificial Christmas tree that is no longer in use to donate it to the waterfront shopping centre’s ‘tree bank’ so that it can be given to a new home and a new family.
As part of the initiative, tree decorations and baubles are also being sought so that the trees can start their new life with a bit of guaranteed sparkle.
Donations are being collected at The Leith Collective store on the 1st floor of the centre (opening hours – 10am-6pm Monday to Saturday and 11am-5pm Sunday) until 6 December. Anyone who can re-home a tree is welcome to visit the store from 1 December to select a tree and a box of decorations (availability dependent) to take away.
Michelle McLeod, Ocean Terminal Centre Manager, said: “We want to make Christmas happy for as many people as possible and a Christmas tree is very much a part of a happy Christmas.
“It is a great way of recycling artificial trees that would otherwise gather dust in an attic somewhere or end up being thrown out to make way for a new one, when they could so easily be appreciated and decorated by a new family.
“We are part of a very generous and caring community in Leith and exchange initiatives like this in the past have always been extremely well supported. It’s a great way to get into the Christmas spirit.”
Sara Thomson of The Leith Collective, added: “Giving a helping hand to another family and helping to recycle surplus trees and unneeded decorations is a great way to support the local community.
“I would like to thank everyone who makes a donation – and I’m looking forward to seeing what wonderful Christmas treats arrives at our ‘tree bank’.”
For anyone wishing to donate:
Any artificial tree is most welcome – big, small, dusted with pretend snow… we can’t accept fibre optic trees however and please ensure it has its stand!
All decorations in good condition welcome except for tree lights.
Please donate to The Leith Collective store, 1st floor next to Zizzi (opening hours are 10-6 Mon to Sat 11-5 Sun)
Trees will be accepted until 6th December. Collections can be made from 1 December.
As Scotland prepares for an unusual festive period filled with firsts, Zero Waste Scotland is encouraging Scots to start their own new tradition this Christmas.
The organisation is a launching a campaign to help Scots with practical ideas and tips on small changes to cut our carbon footprint linked to waste, calling on everyone to retain the joy in what for many will be a different festive period.
Many Scots have embraced lifestyle changes that benefit the environment during lockdown – from making the most of food to repairing clothing, and recycling as much as they can.
Now Zero Waste Scotland is challenging the nation to apply that ethos to Christmas and come up with a ‘Christmas first’ that’s good for the planet and spreads a little joy.
Jenny Fraser, consumer campaigns manager at Zero Waste Scotland, said:“It has been wonderful to see how people across Scotland have continued to do their bit for the planet during lockdown – whether that’s by making or buying reusable face coverings, baking yummy treats from leftover ingredients, upcycling furniture or making the most of every available space in their recycling bins.
“It has been a challenging year for many and lots of people will be experiencing Christmas ‘firsts’ because of circumstances beyond their control this season. We’re encouraging people to take the opportunity to set their own – and we’re excited to hear all about them via the hashtag #ChristmasTrimmings.”
As Scotland’s circular economy expert, Zero Waste Scotland helps consumers and businesses reduce waste and emissions to combat climate change.
The organisation has come up with the following ‘Christmas firsts’ as examples of actions that keep the joy of Christmas without a hefty carbon footprint:
Ask for a second-hand gift. Research from Zero Waste Scotland shows most Scots would be happy to receive a pre-loved gift – but many would be unlikely to buy one for someone else². Why not turn that around this year by asking gift-givers (and Santa) to shop second-hand – either in person where Scottish Government coronavirus guidance allows or on online auction sites likes Gumtree and eBay?
Give a gift that keeps on giving. Subscriptions, donations and sponsorship are a great way to share the love without the ‘stuff’ – and support a good cause. Why not invest in a streaming platform like Netflix for the movie buff in your life, subscribe to a comic or magazine, sponsor an animal, or donate to a charity close to a loved one’s heart?
Make your own wrapping paper. With Scots using upwards of 19,000 miles of wrapping paper in previous years, a DIY effort could be a fun way to cut your carbon footprint down to size. Why not use kids’ drawings to wrap gifts, or if you have received a delivery recently jazz up the brown paper it was stuffed with? Just remember to avoid glitter and foil as paper mixed with these can’t be recycled.
Have a ‘Christmas dinner conference’. We all know how hard it can be to please everyone, so with smaller gatherings this year it’s the perfect time to get everyone involved in planning the Christmas shopping list. Whether you’re hosting an extended household (following Scottish Government coronavirus guidance) or just the immediate family, why not start a conversation about what you’ll eat come Christmas? Planning ahead will help you buy only what you need and stop good food going to waste.
Zero Waste Scotland is encouraging Scots to share their own ‘Christmas firsts’ on social media using the hashtag #ChristmasTrimmings.
The campaign aims to help everyone in Scotland have a happy Christmas without the waste, whatever way they’re celebrating this year.
Christmas is coming early for hundreds of British families this year as almost 1 in 5 already have their Christmas tree up, a new survey has revealed.
Data commissioned by NetVoucherCodes.co.uk shows that out of 4,566 respondents, nearly 20% already have their tree up and a further 33% will have their festive decorations up before the end of November.
After an unpredictable and chaotic year, hundreds of British households are choosing to embrace the festive spirit early.
Almost 20% already have their tree up, 12% are planning on having it up before the middle of the November, and another 21% will put it up towards the end of the month.
That means that over half of the respondents will have decorated their homes before the festive month of December even begins.
Another 39% of respondents are waiting until the first weekend of December to get in the festive spirit, and the remaining 8% will put the tree up in the final weeks running up to Christmas Day.
This means that the number of people getting their trees up in November this year has more than doubled in comparison.
A spokesperson for NetVoucherCodes.co.uk: “After the year we’ve had, people need something to lift their spirits and to look forward to, so it’s no surprise that there’s been a massive increase in people getting their trees up in November.
“Even celebs like Michelle Keegan are getting in on the early action! (Who is Michelle Keegan? – Ed.)
“It’s also a clear sign that people are well and truly done with 2020 and are keen to round off the year and put it behind them.
“Who knows what Christmas is going to look like this year, but if getting the decs up early helps families stay positive and brings some light to an otherwise dark and dreary year, then we’re all for it!”
The UK Government has published guidance for students to travel home at the end of the term while controlling Covid-19 transmission risk.
The Scottish Government is expected to follow suit with a statement at Holyrood later today.
University students will be able to travel home to spend Christmas with their families once the national restrictions end on 2 December, following steps set out in new Government guidance published today.
In order to travel home safely, students in England will be required to follow the current national restrictions in place until 2 December, completing this four-week period in their term-time accommodation.
From 3 December to 9 December, which will be known as the ‘student travel window’, students will be allowed to travel home on staggered departure dates set by universities, who will work with other institutions in the region to manage pressure on transport infrastructure.
The student travel window will mean students can travel having just completed the four-week period of national restrictions, reducing the risk of transmission to family and friends at home.
Universities should move learning online by 9 December so students can continue their education while also having the option to return home to study from there.
As announced by the Prime Minister this week, the Government will also work closely with universities to establish mass testing capacity. Tests will be offered to as many students as possible before they travel home for Christmas, with universities in areas of high prevalence prioritised.
This will provide further reassurance that where students test negative, they can return home safely and minimise the risk of passing coronavirus on to their loved ones.
If a student tests positive before their departure they will need to remain in self-isolation for the required period of ten days. Moving all learning online by 9 December gives enough time for students to complete the isolation period and return home for Christmas.
The guidance delivers on the Government’s pledge to ensure students can be with their families at Christmas while limiting transmission of the virus.
Universities Minister Michelle Donelan said: ”We know this Christmas will feel different, and following this incredibly difficult year we are delivering on our commitment to get students back to their loved ones as safely as possible for the holidays.
“We have worked really hard to find a way to do this for students, while limiting the risk of transmission. Now it is vital they follow these measures to protect their families and communities, and for universities to make sure students have all the wellbeing support they need, especially those who stay on campus over the break.”
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Jenny Harries said: “The mass movement of students across the country at the end of term presents a really significant challenge within the COVID-19 response.
“The measures announced today will help minimise that risk and help students get home to their families as safely as possible for Christmas. It is crucial that students follow the guidance in order to protect their families and the communities they return to.”
Universities are expected to make plans to ensure students can travel home safely at the end of term, working with local public health officials and transport operators.
Students should follow the Government’s travel guidance, which includes wearing face coverings unless exempt, avoiding busy routes and times, and limiting car sharing with only their household or bubble where possible.
We are working with the other governments across the UK to ensure that all students, no matter where they live or study are treated fairly and can travel home as safely as possible to keep all our communities safe.
English students at universities in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, should follow the guidance relevant to where they are living before returning home.
When they return to England, they should follow their local guidance for their home area. Students returning to their home in England who have not completed the 4 weeks of national restrictions should undertake at least 14 days of restricted contact either before or after return home to minimise their risk of transmission.
Universities have also been asked to provide additional help and practical support to students, particularly for students who remain on campus over Christmas, which can include care leavers, international students and students estranged from their families. Universities should ensure they are properly cared for and can access affordable food, medical and cleaning supplies if needed.
The Government has provided over £9 million to leading mental health charities to help them expand and reach those most in need, as well as working closely with the Office for Students to provide up to £3 million to fund Student Space, a new mental health support platform.
The department also worked with the Office for Students to clarify that providers were able to use existing funds, worth around £23 million per month for April to July this year and £256 million for Academic Year 2020/21, towards hardship support.
