Barley sustainability campaign nominated for two Global Good Awards

The Global Good Awards are a highlight of the awards calendar, and we were blown away to pick up Gold and Silver awards in the Campaign of the Year category last year for two campaigns with environmental charity Hubbub. So, we couldn’t be more thrilled to be nominated for two Global Good awards in 2020 with Barnardo’s.

Barnardo’s – Best Campaign of the Year Award | Environmental Behaviour Change Award

We’re finalists in the Best Campaign of the Year Award and the Environmental Behaviour Change Award with Barnardo’s for their Summer Fashion for Every Occasion campaign. The campaign’s objective was to change public  behaviour  around purchasing summer fashion items and drive more people to  Barnardo’s  stores  to buy second-hand items rather than new.

This campaign generated  £118,491  in additional sales at  Barnardo’s charity stores from 26,331 new customers  during the campaign period (8  July- 31st  August 2019) when compared with the same period in 2018,  helping to fund its work to transform the lives of vulnerable children across the UK. While retail outlets generally suffered slow sales last summer, Barnardo’s bucked this trend and continued to outperform the sector with clear year-on-year growth.

We’re also delighted for our fabulous clients, Borough Market and Hubbub, who have also been nominated for multiple awards.

Borough Market – Circular Economy Award | Community Partnerships Award

Borough Market are finalists in the Circular Economy category and finalists in the Community Partnerships category. Borough Market is the only fully independent market in London, they regularly run community events, free cookery demonstrations and they support local community projects and schemes.

Hubbub – Environmental Behaviour Change Award

Hubbub are finalists for the Environmental Behaviour Change Award for their Leeds By Example campaign. The effect of this campaign resulted in successfully recycled 1.2 million coffee cups, 140,000 good quality cans and 160,000 plastic bottles and increased number of people recycling in the City Centre from 17% to 49%.

Trewin Restorick – Individual Leader of the Year Award

Hubbub’s inspiring leader, Trewin Restorick, is also a finalist in the Individual Leader of the Year Award. From day one, Trewin has put his heart and soul into Hubbub, and under his leadership it has grown to a thriving organisation that has delivered more than 60 trailblazing environmental campaigns in partnership with over 700 partners.

Congratulations to all the finalists in the Global Good Awards.

A keyboard

Businesses join forces to combat COVID-19 scams

More than 100 organisations are spearheading a new initiative to combat fraud against businesses as more companies and employees adjust to working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing their exposure to sophisticated business scams.

NatWest, Places for People and the Co-operative Bank are among the first companies to join Businesses Against Scams, a cross-industry initiative led by National Trading Standards that provides free tools for businesses to upskill and train their workforce to help identify and prevent scams.

Security risks include criminals targeting employees working from home who are isolated from colleagues. Scams include criminals impersonating government officials or a senior member of the business to put pressure on employees to give out sensitive information or make payments.

Remote working also presents new cyber security challenges, with security reliant on the resilience of home Wi-Fi routers and more employees familiarise themselves with new software and devices.

The Businesses Against Scams initiative provides free online training modules, including examples of prominent scams and how to avoid falling victim.

Lord Toby Harris, Chair, National Trading Standards, said:

“Scams not only deceive legitimate businesses, they risk undermining the UK’s economic recovery. As more employees work from home, we’re urging businesses to protect themselves, their employees and their customers to help prevent significant financial losses or data protection breaches.”

The types of scams directly targeting businesses include tax refund fraud, which can lead to significant financial losses for businesses. Scams targeting customers also undermine businesses, as criminals often impersonate businesses to defraud their customer base, causing reputational damage and potential loss of business. The emotional and mental impact on employees who have fallen victim to a scam can also be devastating and long-lasting.

Louise Baxter, Head of the National Trading Standards Scams Team, said:

“We’ve launched Businesses Against Scams as a free tool for organisations to help safeguard their business and protect their workforce and customers. More than 100 businesses have already signed up to the free training, which is empowering businesses and employees – who are all adapting to new working environments – to take a stand against scams by equipping them with advice and knowledge on how to identify and prevent a scam.”

The four most common scams to target businesses include:

  • Government grant/tax refund scams – A business is contacted by phone, email or post by government imposters suggesting the business might qualify for a special COVID-19 government grant or a tax refund. Variations on the scheme involve contacts through text messages, social media posts and phone messages.Businesses should be cautious about unexpected urgent communications offering financial assistance. Check that the information is genuine by using official government websites.
  • Invoice/mandate scams – A business may be contacted out of the blue by someone claiming to be from a regular supplier. They state that their bank account details have changed and will ask you to change the payment details. Never rush a payment. Use contact details that you already hold or that have been obtained independently rather than any included in the request. Do not call the number in the request or reply with your email details as this may be fraudulent.
  • CEO scams – A sophisticated scam that plays on the authority of company directors and senior managers. An employee receives a phone callor email from someone claiming to be a senior member of staff – they ask for an urgent payment to a new account and instil a sense of panic. Scammers may even hack a staff email account or use spoofing software to appear genuine. Be cautious about unexpected urgent requests for payment and always check the request directly if possible..
  • Tech support scams – With more people working remotely and IT systems under pressure, criminals may impersonate well-known companies and offer to repair devices. Criminals are trying to gain computer access or get hold of passwords and login details. Once they have access, criminals can search the hard drive for valuable information.
    Always check that the bank or payment website you’re using is secure – a small padlock beside the web address will confirm you’re using a secure site. Always be suspicious of cold callers. Genuine companies would never call out of the blue and ask for financial information.

Allison Simon, Head of Fraud, Commercial Banking, NatWest Group said:

“During this uncertain period, fraudsters are using the anxiety and stress caused by the crisis to try and target individuals and businesses with seemingly legitimate and convincing requests. It’s more important than ever that our customers are aware and alert to this increased threat, and its why we’re pleased to be a founding member of Businesses Against Scams, in partnership with National Trading Standards.

“We’d encourage all businesses to remember three basic tips to keep themselves safe. Firstly, never rely on just an email to validate payment – contact the sender on a trusted number. Second, NatWest will never telephone you asking you transfer money to a new or safe account. And finally, if you receive a request from a supplier to update bank account details, always call back using a trusted contact number to check it’s genuine.”

Small Business Minister Paul Scully said:

“Scams are despicable at any time, but particularly so if they seek to exploit the Covid-19 pandemic.

“As businesses adopt new working practices in response to the outbreak, it is important they stay vigilant against scams.

“I urge business leaders to sign up to the excellent Businesses Against Scams initiative and make use of free training to help protect their employees, customers and businesses from being taken advantage of during this difficult period and beyond.”

If a business believes they have been the victim of a scam they must contact their bank immediately. Please report any suspicious communication to Action Fraud.

Businesses Against Scams is a new part of the successful Friends Against Scams initiative, run by National Trading Standards to provide free online training to protect and prevent people from becoming victims of scams www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk/

O2 gifting smartphones to Southwark’s most vulnerable to help them stay connected

O2 gifting smartphones to Southwark’s most vulnerable to help them stay connected

O2 is partnering with environmental charity Hubbub to encourage people to donate old or unused smartphones to digitally disconnected members of the community, as part of a trial to tackle digital exclusion during the Covid-19 pandemic. The ‘Community Calling’ trial will initially involve 800 handsets being distributed to residents of Southwark in London.

1.9 million households in the UK don’t have access to the internet and are considered ‘digitally excluded ’. O2 and Hubbub hope to change this, starting with a trial in Southwark which aims to encourage people to donate 500 old or unused smartphones which will be gifted to vulnerable members of society.

The pre-identified list of households has been put together by a number of local organisations in Southwark. Their clients range from the elderly, those in low-income households, survivors of domestic abuse and asylum seekers. Within these groups, each organisation has identified those who would benefit most from a smartphone, based on providing access to essential services, online learning or getting connected to family and friends.

The project will invite members of the local Southwark community and surrounding areas to donate unused smartphones which will then be data-wiped, cleaned and refurbished by Recono.me ready for redistribution. O2 is donating an additional 300 handsets alongside providing pay as you go SIMs and top up to be used with the donated devices.

Unused phones
In the UK, an average of four phones sit unused for every phone in use. O2 and Hubbub hope the trial will demonstrate a feasible phone-gifting model whereby, unused, workable phones can be donated and redistributed to the disconnected across the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond, extending the life of the devices whilst ensuring that people can stay connected to loved ones and vital frontline support services.

Once complete, O2 and Hubbub will share the learnings from the trial to help inform recycling and re-use initiatives in other cities across the UK.

The trial builds on O2’s commitment in March to become a Net Zero business, tackling carbon emissions in its business and supply chain. O2 has the longest-running major UK network recycling initiative in the UK, where customers can trade in their old devices for cash incentives. The scheme has saved over 450 tonnes of mobile phone waste from going to landfill, with all devices received being data-wiped and reused or recycled.

Tracey Herald, Head of Partnerships and Social impact at O2 said “Connectivity is a lifeline for so many at this time – and with so many smart devices sitting in drawers at home, this project provides the perfect opportunity to dust them off for a good cause. The Southwark community has been particularly affected by the recent pandemic, so we’re working in partnership with Hubbub, the local council and community groups to ensure we can distribute these devices to those who need them most. The trial will help us tackle digital exclusion and help the environment too.”

Gavin Ellis, Director and Co-Founder at Hubbub said“Community Calling offers a simple way to get unused smartphones to people who need them most during the current pandemic, allowing them to access essential services, to educate their kids or to stay in touch with loved ones. Plus it has the bonus environmental benefit of avoiding electrical waste going to landfill or incineration. We’re trialling the approach with O2 in Southwark and if successful, we’ll look to replicate it elsewhere in the UK.”

Councillor Evelyn Akoto, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Public Health and Councillor for Old Kent Road Ward said “At a time when we can’t physically visit our friends and families, many people are relying on their phones and computers as their only point of contact with others. This is especially tough on those who are vulnerable and have to isolate completely, and those who cannot afford, or are unable to get access to, a mobile phone or a computer. Our mental health needs protecting as much as our physical health right now, and this project provides a great way to combat loneliness and keep people connected.”

Krzysztof Mikata-Pralat, CEO at Community Southwark said“During this pandemic we are working with front-line organisations serving to support the most vulnerable and working with Hubbub and O2 to help deliver this project will ensure that many members in the borough will be more digitally included. Being able to connect with family, friends or your community is a vital lifeline during this time and we are proud to be a part of this project”

If you’d like to support the trial and donate your old smartphones to the Community Calling project, visit http://www.hubbub.org.uk/communitycalling/ for more details.

To find out more about O2’s commitments to help the nation stay connected, visit: https://www.o2.co.uk/covid-19

Dr Lucy Asher and her dog Martha

Adolescence is ruff on dogs too

Research led by Newcastle University shows typical teenage behaviour doesn’t just occur in young humans – it happens in dogs too.

Harder to train
The study, headed by Dr Lucy Asher from Newcastle University, is the first to find evidence of adolescent behaviour in dogs.

The researchers found dogs were more likely to ignore commands given by their caregiver and were harder to train at the age of eight months, when they are going through puberty. This behaviour was more pronounced in dogs which had an insecure attachment to their owner.

But Dr Asher, a Senior Lecturer in Precision Animal Science, in the University’s School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, warns adolescence can be a vulnerable time for dogs as many are taken to shelters for rehoming at this age.

“This is a very important time in a dog’s life,” she explains. “This is when dogs are often rehomed because they are no longer a cute little puppy and suddenly, their owners find they are more challenging and they can no longer control them or train them. But as with human teenage children, owners need to be aware that their dog is going through a phase and it will pass.”

Behaviour in adolescence
The team, which included Nottingham and Edinburgh universities, working with the charity Guide Dogs, looked at a group of 69 dogs to investigate behaviour in adolescence. They monitored obedience in the Labradors, Golden Retrievers and cross breeds of the two, at the ages of five months – before adolescence – and eight months- during adolescence.

Dogs took longer to respond to the ‘sit’ command during adolescence, but only when the command was given by their caregiver, not a stranger. The odds of repeatedly not responding to the sit command from the caregiver were higher at eight months compared to five months. However, the response to the ‘sit’ command improved for a stranger between the five and eight month tests.

Further evidence was found when the team looked a larger group of 285 Labradors, Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds and cross breeds of them. Owners and a trainer less familiar with each dog filled in a questionnaire looking at ‘trainability’. It asked them to rate statements such as: ‘Refuses to obey commands, which in the past it was proven it has learned’ and ‘Responds immediately to the recall command when off lead’

Caregivers gave lower scores of ‘trainability’ to dogs around adolescence, compared to when they were aged five months or 12 months. However, again trainers reported an increase in a trainability between the ages of five and eight months.

The experts also found that in common with humans, female dogs with insecure attachments to their caregivers (characterised by higher levels of attention seeking and anxiety when separated from them) were more likely to reach puberty early. This data provides the first evidence of cross-species impact of relationship quality on reproductive timing, highlighting another parallel with parent-child relationships.

A passing phase
Dr Naomi Harvey, co-author of the research from the University of Nottingham’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Science and the charity Dogs Trust, says that whilst the results of this study may not come as a surprise to many dog owners, it has important consequences.

“Many dog owners and professionals have long known or suspected that dog behaviour can become more difficult when they go through puberty” says Dr Harvey. “But until now there has been no empirical record of this. Our results show that the behaviour changes seen in dogs closely parallel that of parent-child relationships, as dog-owner conflict is specific to the dog’s primary caregiver and just as with human teenagers, this is a passing phase.”

“It’s very important that owners don’t punish their dogs for disobedience or start to pull away from them emotionally at this time” added Dr Asher. “This would be likely to make any problem behaviour worse, as it does in human teens”.

Teenage dogs? Evidence for adolescent-phase conflict behaviour and an association between attachment to humans and pubertal timing in the domestic dog is published in Biology Letters.

Borough Market

Borough Market welcomes new funding lifeline for traders

Borough Market today welcomed vital new funding for its traders who had been previously excluded from government financial support.

Following a campaign by the market’s constituency MP Neil Coyle, a loophole which meant the market’s food traders were not entitled to government grants has been closed by Business Secretary Alok Sharma.

In an announcement made at the weekend, an extra £617 million in grants were made available to help small businesses in financial difficulties due to the lockdown. Small businesses who did not pay business rates – a group which included many market traders – had not been able to access the previously-announced £12 billion government small business support fund.

The issue had been highlighted by Bermondsey and Old Southwark MP Neil Coyle after the Market’s management alerted him to how the loophole meant many of the market’s traders faced ruin because of it. The market pays business rates on behalf of its traders, meaning the individual businesses could not claim the grants as they were classified as non-business rate payers.

Darren Henaghan, managing director of Borough Market, said: “Our traders had effectively fallen through the gaps in the floorboard of the government scheme for small businesses and have suffered considerably as a result.”

“Thankfully Neil Coyle was alive to the issue and campaigned to get this loophole closed. We are hugely grateful to him.”

Mr Coyle, who wrote to Chancellor Rishi Sunak to raise the issue, said: “In the current circumstances, the traders deserve all the support they can get. I am delighted that this unfortunate discrepancy has been resolved.”

“Due to the unique make-up of the market, the traders were denied access to the grants available to other small businesses. I am sure this was unintentional. Having already come through the 2017 London Bridge terror attacks to prosper again, it is crucial the traders get support at this crucial time.”

It is anticipated that approximately 120 traders from the market’s community will be entitled to the grants of up to £25,000.

Despite suffering a drop in visitor numbers of about 90 per cent, the market remains open on six days a week. It is maintaining social distancing rules by limiting access to 800 customers at any one time under its “Come, Shop, Leave” guidelines.

Full details here: https://boroughmarket.org.uk/articles/come-shop-leave

Scaling up swab sample testing for COVID-19

At UK Biocentre they have transformed their facility to test swab samples for COVID-19 on an industrial scale.

This would not have been possible without their dedicated staff, 150 volunteer scientists and the support of the British Army, universities and other partners.

Hear more from the people who helped make this possible – click the video below.

COVID-19 Testing Equipment

Milton Keynes laboratory now testing COVID-19 samples 24/7

UK Biocentre analyses samples including the crew of HMS Queen Elizabeth.

More than 150 scientists from academia and industry have joined staff at UK Biocentre to test tens of thousands of COVID-19 samples every day. UK Biocentre laboratories in Milton Keynes have been transformed to analyse swab samples at industrial scale to support the national effort against the coronavirus pandemic.

Tens of thousands of COVID-19 samples are being sent to UK Biocentre every day from the drive through testing centres, mobile testing units and other sites. Home testing kits are also being sent to the laboratory in Milton Keynes for analysis. All swab samples – which are anonymous – are tested within 24 hours and the outcome of every test is then uploaded electronically and sent to the relevant organisation.

On 28 April a batch of additional samples arrived from HMS Queen Elizabeth – the Royal Navy’s largest ever warship and the future UK flagship – and were analysed overnight enabling the ship to set sail from Portsmouth.

The testing has enabled the aircraft carrier to sail from Portsmouth (29 April) to ensure she is ready to conduct her first operational deployment in 2021. The Portsmouth-based aircraft carrier will undergo several weeks of training and assessment with the staff of Flag Officer Sea Training to ensure the UK can deliver on its commitment to have a Carrier Strike Group ready to deploy from the end of this year. The training will include more qualifying training for UK F35 Lightning fighter jet crews, who will be conducting practice manoeuvres from her decks, giving vital experience to the aircrews and ship’s company involved in air operations.

Dr Tony Cox, UK Biocentre CEO, said:
“It is an honour for us to support the national testing effort by analysing samples from NHS staff, other frontline workers and their families – and this week on behalf of the Royal Navy. As the number of people being tested for COVID-19 increases, we are now analysing tens of thousands of COVID-19 samples each day.”

“Our 24/7 operation would not be possible without the support of universities and other partners who have loaned us equipment and the volunteer scientists who are using their expertise to oversee the liquid handling robots, the RNA extraction, the PCR reagent and other vital elements of our process.”

Thanks to vital support from partners, UK Biocentre has expanded rapidly by installing state-of-the-art robotic equipment and other technology enabling scientists to analyse at industrial scale. Large amounts of equipment needed to provide a fully automated service have been installed. Accuracy remains the number one priority and UK Biocentre continues to be supported by the NHS and PHE to ensure the highest standards of accuracy are achieved at industrial scale.

To meet the growing demand, UK Biocentre’s staff team has been joined by an army of more than 150 volunteer scientists – including molecular scientists, technicians and bioinformaticians – to deliver a high throughput, 24/7 analysis service for as long as is needed.

Dr Daniel Patten, a post-doctoral researcher at University of Birmingham, who is volunteering at UK Biocentre as a laboratory assistant, said:
“As a laboratory scientist, I possessed the right skills that were required to volunteer here – the same skills and techniques that I use every week. Many university labs are closed as a consequence of the lockdown and so it’s fantastic to be in the lab and actively contributing to our understanding of this virus. It’s been genuinely incredible to work on this and a fantastic experience. Normally as a researcher, you’d hope to make a key difference over the long-term in your specialty; however, working at the UK Biocentre we can have an immediate impact and could potentially be saving thousands of lives by supporting this national testing effort.”

UK Biocentre is working closely with colleagues at the other two Lighthouse Labs in Glasgow and Cheshire, and is proud to acknowledge the many private and public organisations who are partnering in this unprecedented effort, including Thermo Fisher Scientific, Tecan and Brooks, as well as Public Health England, NHS England and the Department for Health and Social Care.

Vegetables at a grocery store

COVID-19 is changing Britain’s relationship with food

Research paints picture of a divided nation

  • Just under 3 in 5 people (57%) say they value food more now
  • But almost half (45%) are more worried about food than before

Virtual meals, cooking from scratch, wasting less food and families eating together more are some of the positive shifts in food-related behaviours taking place in households across the country according to new research commissioned by environmental charity Hubbub. But the research also reveals many are struggling to put meals on the table and are worried about food, with increasing numbers turning to food banks for the first time.

90% of the nationally representative sample of 2,000+ UK adults surveyed* say their shopping and/or cooking habits have changed since the Coronavirus lockdown started.

What’s Cooking?

45% of respondents say they are cooking more since the restrictions were introduced to stop the spread of coronavirus. Over half (54%) of those cooking more said it was because they now have the time to cook that they didn’t before and 42% cite the need to cook from scratch more due to the sort of food they can get hold of.

44% of people are enjoying cooking more since the restrictions began although more than a quarter (26%) are finding preparing more meals everyday exhausting.

Young people in particular are keen to learn to cook more, with almost half (47%) of those aged 16-24 are seeing lockdown as an opportunity to improve their cooking skills, compared with a national average of 34%. 16-24s were, however more likely to find this tiring, with 40% saying they find preparing more meals everyday exhausting.

Eating and Meeting

More than half of people (57%) say they value food more now since the corona virus restrictions started, with 43% saying they are also enjoying their food more.

40% of those aged 16-24 have had a virtual meal over video link (Zoom, Skype, Facetime etc.) for the first time and almost half (47%) of people are enjoying spending more time eating with their family or housemates.

The diet implications of lockdown may have a lass positive impact on our health. 36% admitted to comfort-eating more to deal with the anxiety or boredom (40% for 16-24-year-olds) and almost a third (31%) are not eating as much fresh fruit and veg as usual due to avoiding shops as much as possible.

Struggling For Food

Whilst a reconnection with food has been a positive experience for some, for others the pandemic has reduced their food security. 45% of respondents said they were more worried about food than before and 43% are worried about the extra cost of providing food for their household. Almost a fifth (18%) of the population is worried about getting access to free food such as through a food bank or community fridge. 7% of people said they have used a food bank for the first time since the restrictions began, rising to 15% of those aged 16-24 and 14% of those aged 25-34.

Food Savvy

Concerns that a surge in panic buying would lead to an increase in food waste levels appear to be unfounded. Almost half of people (48%) say they are throwing away less food since the restrictions began and only 6% say they are throwing away more.

Of those wasting less, people say they are planning meals more carefully (51%) and are getting better at using leftovers (41%). People are also making better use of their freezer, with 35% using it more and 29% freezing a wider variety of foods. Portion control is also a factor, with 27% now giving more accurate portion sizes and just over 1 in 4 (26%) are leaving less on the plate.

Of those wasting less, one in six (17%) are paying less attention to use by dates, eating more out of date food than usual. One respondent recently found a can of beans from 1989. Others consumed a can of coconut milk six years past its sell-by date, a five-year-old bottle of beer and a six-year-old bag of pasta with, fortunately, no ill effects.

With a reported surge in people growing their own and demand for compost through the roof, 45% of people said they’d like to have more skills in growing food, rising to 58% of those aged 25-34 – the most of any age group.

Shifting Shopping Habits

More than a quarter (26%) said they are buying better quality food as they are not going out or spending money on other things. While more than a third (34%) of people are supporting smaller/local businesses more than ever before, 43% say they are buying fewer takeaways as they are worried about contamination. A further 42% say they are not buying takeaways because money is tight.

29% said they were using their local corner shop/convenience store for the first time.

And there are signs that this will this continue once the restrictions are over. The majority (89%) of those who’ve made changes say they will continue to use at least one of the new shopping alternatives to supermarkets once the restrictions have ended. Many will continue to use local shops (41% will carry on using their local corner shop, 20% the local butcher, 13% the local farm shop and 15% the local greengrocer). And many will continue with home deliveries – 11% will continue with their fruit/veg box, 9% with milk delivery.

Trewin Restorick, CEO and Co-Founder of Hubbub said: “The impact of COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the way we are eating.  Our polling reveals a divided nation.  Some families are eating together more, young people are learning to cook, people want to know more about growing food and are planning meals better and using up leftovers. More people are shopping locally. But concerningly, just under half are more worried about food than previously and 43% are concerned about the cost of food.”

“In response to the polling, Hubbub is stepping up the support that we are providing, helping people get more value from their food – but more needs to be done.  Today we are calling on supermarkets to step up their efforts to provide support and guidance to households helping them cope with these extraordinary times.”

Hubbub’s  top  ten  tips  to make your food go further  whilst  in isolation:

    1. Plan ahead  –  plan your week’s meals and  only buy  the food you need
    2. Avoid panic buying – we are all still able to shop once a week, so you don’t need to buy enough food for a month
    3. Check expiry dates when you’re shopping
    4. Remember that  food  might  still be eaten after its ‘best before date’ – check it looks and smells OK. Food past its best  can still be enjoyed.
    5. Make room  in your freezer so you have plenty of storage space  and check out Hubbub’s helpful guide to  what food you can freeze – it’s more than you think!  https://www.hubbub.org.uk/12-freezer-friendly-foods
    6. Many of us have  neighbours  who might not be able to get out to shop, so offer to share surplus food with them, whilst  remembering to observe government guidelines on hand washing and social distancing
    7. Make the most of store cupboard staples to bulk up meals – now is the time to make use of those chickpeas,  beans and  rice that have been sitting in your  cupboard for some time.
    8. Batch cook  meals  and freeze  them for future use
    9. Check out some of the online resources for free cooking and growing tips and lessons, such as  social  media channels for  Hubbub,  Mob Kitchen  and  Borough Market
    10. Take the opportunity of more time with your children to teach them valuable cooking skills  to set them up for a healthier and more sustainable future

For more advice and tips to make your food go further, visit https://www.foodsavvy.org.uk

healthcare communications campaign

‘Feed the Frontline’ Gives Fresh Fruit and Vegetables to Staff at Leeds and Harrogate NHS Hospitals

National campaign giving high quality food to those battling COVID-19 reaches Yorkshire

Hardworking staff at NHS hospitals in Leeds and Harrogate will be provided with bags of free fresh fruit and vegetables today, as part of a national campaign to provide high quality produce to frontline workers battling COVID-19.

‘Feed the Frontline’ launched on 3rd April, spearheaded by London’s Borough Market which is making twice weekly deliveries to hospitals in the capital. St Thomas’, Kings College Hospital, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, The Whittington Hospital and Orpington Hospital staff have all benefited from bags of seasonal, high quality, fresh food.

The campaign is now launching in Yorkshire, with twice weekly deliveries of 500 bags containing fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables from Bradford St James Wholesale Market and fresh produce supplier Delifresh being made to Leeds Teaching Hospitals, and the newly set up NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire & the Humber, based in Harrogate. Once at the hospitals, the bags will be distributed to frontline staff by volunteers.

Since launch, over 12,000 bags of fruit and vegetable bags have been delivered to NHS frontline staff. Initially funded by private businesses for deliveries throughout April 2020, Feed the Frontline aims to run throughout the peak of the COVID-19 crisis. Set up by new charity, The Healthworkers’ Support Foundation, the organisation is now calling for members of the public to help feed as many frontline staff as possible by donating via www.feedthefrontline.uk. Fruit and vegetable wholesale markets, companies and charities across the UK are also being urged to fund the expansion across the nation.

Jon Kenny, spokesperson for Feed the Frontline said: “We know we are already making a real difference to the hospitals supported by the campaign. The staff who are working around the clock to save lives and care for those affected by Covid-19 are telling us that receiving bags of fresh, seasonal fruit and veg brightens up their day and means they don’t have to spend precious time queuing at supermarkets. We’re asking the Great British Public and more companies to come on board with Feed the Frontline to help fund the expansion to more hospitals so those who are giving so much to care for others can stay healthy and feed themselves and their families.”

Paul Watkins, Director of Fundraising at Leeds Cares, the charity for Leeds Hospitals, said: “I’m so impressed with the quality of fruit and vegetables that we have received. Leeds Cares is proud to support this initiative of supplying fruit and vegetables to staff with a donation of £10,000. Thank you to everyone who is supporting us so that we can fuel the wonderful staff working around the clock at Leeds Teaching Hospitals. A huge thank you also goes to ‘Feed the Frontline’ for this great initiative”

Noel Kershaw, Managing Director at Delifresh said: “The whole team at Delifresh are delighted to be involved in this amazing project in providing beautiful fresh fruit & vegetables to the heroes working tirelessly for our NHS.”

Sara Danesin, a Masterchef finalist who has recently returned to work for the NHS as a Staff Nurse in a busy acute medical ward, said: “A good, balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is paramount to maintain good health whilst we are under so much pressure and stress. Our shifts are so long that by the time we have finished, shops are closed or have run out of fresh produce.” 

Visit  www.feedthefrontline.uk for more information about the campaign and how to get involved. Spread the word on social media via @FeedUKFrontline #feedthefrontline

Guide Dogs Virtual Tea Party

Celebrities join forces with Guide Dogs for Guinness World Record attempt at world’s biggest virtual tea party

Martin Clunes, Gregg Wallace, Imelda Staunton, Bill Turnbull and many more are inviting the public to come together for a cuppa in lockdown and raise funds for the charity Guide Dogs.

COVID-19 continues to impact all of us, the national pastime of catching up with friends for a nice cup of tea is on hold. So, Guide Dogs is planning the world’s biggest virtual tea party, to bring the country back together online for a cup of tea, a slice of cake – and the company of some wonderful guide dogs.

A host of famous faces are helping spread the word of the event taking place for National Tea Day, on Tuesday 21st April. They’ll be sharing photos of themselves enjoying a cup of tea and some of their favourite cake and biscuit recipes.

Tea party virtual guests can expect to be entertained by videos and photos of all things Guide Dogs, as well as the opportunity to be part of a Guinness World Record attempt as the charity ask supporters to share a selfie enjoying their favourite cuppa between 3pm and 4pm.

Martin Clunes said: “The charity Guide Dogs does such incredible work year-round supporting people with sight loss, and that work is more important than ever now. I know I’m finding lockdown hard enough to deal with, but for people with sight loss, social isolation can be there every day. That’s why I’ll be raising a cup and supporting Guide Dogs. I hope many others will join me to raise lots of money and hopefully achieve a Guinness World Record.”

Anyone interested in joining in the Great Guide Dogs Virtual Tea Party should click ‘going’ or ‘interested’ on the event on the Guide Dogs Facebook page: https://bit.ly/2UXsKf8. Guide Dogs is asking those who take part to donate the price of a cup of tea to help them continue their vital work supporting adults and children with sight loss.

Pam White, Fundraising Manager at Guide Dogs said: “Over the last few years our wonderful supporters have been hosting tea parties around the country on National Tea Day and donating the proceeds to Guide Dogs. Whilst that isn’t possible in person this year, we’re excited to host our first ever virtual tea party, which will give everyone the chance to join our #GuideDogsFamily and make a difference.”

“In these uncertain times we have adapted our services so we can continue to help those with sight loss. We also remain committed to the welfare of our 8,000 dogs, which are being cared for across the UK. Our income is dropping and it costs £13 a day to support each of our life changing dogs – that’s £100,000 every single day. Donating the cost of your cuppa on National Tea will ensure people with sight loss don’t feel alone now, and in the future.”.

For more information please visit www.guidedogs.org.uk/teatime

Guide Dog assisting with shopping in a supermarket

National information line launched to support people with sight loss during COVID-19 pandemic

Social distancing with sight loss, access to food, increased isolation and guide dog health among key concerns

Guide Dogs is launching the COVID-19 Sight Loss Information Line – offering practical support in response to an influx of concerns raised by people with sight loss, their friends and their families.

The information line will be launched by Guide Dogs supporter and actress, Joanna Scanlan, as part of a series of #GuideDogsFamily initiatives set up by the charity to help people with sight loss during the pandemic. Calls to 0800 781 1444 are being taken Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm.

Some of the most common concerns being raised have highlighted how difficult it is to stay safe during the pandemic and practise social distancing without being able to see:

Food shopping – people with sight loss are struggling to shop for groceries as they have not been included in the Government’s list of vulnerable groups which have access to priority online shopping slots and social distancing at supermarkets presents unique challenges

Social isolation – Guide Dogs research found that 58% of blind and partially sighted people feel socially isolated. Government guidance on self-isolation periods and social distancing is of course essential, but it does pose a real risk that people with sight loss become even more lonely.

Care for guide dogs – guide dog owners, puppy raisers and others who help care for the next generation of guide dogs have expressed concerns about keeping their dogs healthy and stimulated during lockdown. These worries are increasing at the prospect of potential further restrictions around exercise and visits to parks.

Clive Wood, guide dog owner, said: “I know first-hand that in the current situation, feelings of isolation only increase, and I have had a couple of times where it’s all been pretty overwhelming.”

“Something I have taken for granted all my life is being able to ask someone if I can take their arm if I need to be guided – not being able to do this makes simple things like going to the supermarket really challenging.”

“It is also extremely difficult to observe social distancing rules when you can’t see how close people are. My guide dog, Winnie, is fantastic and will guide me around people, but not necessarily two metres away. Last week on a walk, someone brushed past me, which made me feel anxious, but for guide dog owners, there is also the issue of ensuring our much-loved companions get enough enrichment and stimulation during lockdown.”

Kirstie Bower, Services Director at Guide Dogs, said: “We’re moving swiftly to adapt our support for people with sight loss in these challenging times. As well as launching the information line, we’re urging people to check on friends, family and neighbours with sight loss by phone or video to offer practical advice and emotional support.”

“We are also campaigning alongside other sight loss organisations for the government to include people with sight loss in the list of vulnerable groups with access to priority slots for online shopping and have also issued advice on keeping dogs stimulated and enriched during periods of isolation.”

For more information visit: www.guidedogs.org.uk/coronavirus

Simnel Cake

Borough Market celebrates Easter with online festival

London’s iconic Borough Market is celebrating Easter this weekend with a series of social media events. Running from 9-13th April, the Market is holding a five-day eggs-travaganza which will see chefs, artists and Borough Market traders join together on Instagram Live and IGTV to give advice and tips on cooking and drawing Easter favourites.

The weekend kicks off with This Morning and ITV regular, Juliet Sear holding an Easter Baking class on Thursday, followed by Borough Market favourites, Bread Ahead, teaching us how to make hot cross buns on Good Friday. The Borough Market Butchers will be offering people advice on ‘what to do with your meat’ in a two part series across the weekend, and the Fishmongers’ will be giving their top tips for Fishy Friday. The festival comes to a close with multi-award winning blogger, Poppy Loves London joining an Instagram live, cooking her favourite crumble.

There will also be plenty to keep children at home occupied, with storytelling and draw-alongs from authors and artists, cook-offs between Borough Market’s chefs and recipes for all the family to enjoy. On Easter Monday, TV Chef Beca Lyne-Pirkis will be running a workshop on eggs for children and adults alike!

Kate Howell, Director of Development and Communication, Borough Market said: “Like the rest of the nation we aren’t able to celebrate Easter weekend in the same style that we usually do at Borough Market. However, we couldn’t let the weekend go unmarked and wanted to bring some of our fantastic experts to people’s homes to offer tips, advice and fun things to do with children. We hope that people at home are able to join with us throughout the Easter festival to celebrate all that is great about food and family, and that we bring a little joy into homes across the UK.”

The timetable for the weekend is as follows:

Thursday 9th April

11am, Instagram – The Borough Market Butchers, ‘What to do with your meat, part 1’

1pm, Instagram Live – Easter Baking with This Morning’s Juliet Sear

Good Friday 10th April

11am, Instagram – Borough Market’s Fishmongers’ Top Tips for Fishy Friday

1pm, Instagram Live – Padre Founder Nick Fitzgerald makes fish tacos

2pm, Instagram Live – Bread Ahead Does Hot Cross Buns

Saturday 11th April

11am, Instagram – The Borough Market Butchers, ‘What to do with your meat, part 2’

12pm, Instagram – Borough Market Saturday Cook-Off , featuring Kiwi & Roo’s Lara Lee and Borough Market’s Angela Clutton & Roopa Gulati

4pm, IGTV – ‘Let’s Get Drawing’ children’s drawing workshop

Easter Sunday 12th April

11am, IGTV – Sunday Storytelling with Writer and Cook, Kate Young

4pm, IGTV: Let’s get drawing

Easter Monday 13th April

1pm, Instagram Live – Glorious Eggs with TV Chef Beca Lyne-Pirkis

2pm, IGTV – Poppy Loves London (and crumble)

4pm, IGTV – Get Planting with Kathy Slack

Borough Market’s Instagram account can be found at www.instagram.com/boroughmarket

Borough Market is open for business, Monday to Saturday with its usual trading hours – selling essential supplies of fresh produce and store cupboard ingredients for those working and living in the local community.

All stalls have been repositioned to allow at least 2 metres between them, and the ground is marked out with 2 metre distancing for the public, along with clear signage on the importance of shoppers remaining apart.

For those that don’t live nearby, Borough Market’s delivery and collection service, Borough Market Online, offers an alternative way for customers to access Market produce. The option of a doorstep drop service allows it to be received without contact with couriers.

For more information on Borough Market visit www.boroughmarket.org.uk