Financial Matters

With David Frederick FCCA | Marcus Bishop Associates | marcus-bishop.com

Reasons to be cheerful in 2023

Don’t we just love January? January affords us in the words of the late Ian Dury, “Reasons to be cheerful 123”. A new year! A new month! A new beginning! Everything just new! What more could we desire? As part of our new beginnings why not make a fresh start on addressing and taking control of our personal finances. This is the polar opposite of the usual new year plan to join the gym; signing the direct debit with great gusto and a sense of accomplishment before even entering, but by week two never return. However, the direct debit is paid religiously each month without another thought. Oh! It doesn’t happen! Really! The new year gym joiners are the favourite members of most gym owners. They join, pay monthly and never showup to use the equipment or facilities! What great clients. Unlike such grandiose behaviour taking charge of our finances can be undertaken without great cheer and fanfare. It does not involve or require any expensive or new technology or software. It is as easy as following theses five steps. Just take a deep dive into your bank statements for the past three months and identify any recurring transactions, like that gym membership, that you are not using or aware of what it is for. In addition, identify any frivolous or non-essential spending. This is a good one because, your frivolous spending, is determined by yourself. Most of us are dependent upon our employment salary. However, how many of us check our tax code? Your tax code determines the amount of income you take home to spend each month or week. However, few employees ever check the correctness of their tax code. Over 30% of employees have the incorrect tax code. Let 2023, be the year you check and review your tax code. Have you considered the cost of loyalty. Are you loyal to your current credit card provider as interest rates escalate? Are you loyal to stores and brands, as prices rise? Such loyal behaviour may be costing you pounds. Perhaps, as we enter 2023 this may be the time to consider that 0% interest credit card. It may be the time to have that financial review with your mortgage adviser to review your current mortgage interest rate. It may be the time to diversify your shopping and venture into other stores and try other brands. You may discover and unearth what you did not know you did not know. You may choose to put in place a financial plan of action or even my financial fasting game. This may involve for one or more months during the year you undertake a financial fast; such as a latte and sandwich free month or something of your choice. Although some of us managed it in 2020-21. A financial fast my be applied readily by some employees who are back in the office for three days per week, with their habitual morning breakfast of a branded latte and sandwich at £8.65. This does not include their lunch, afternoon or post work detox. Breakfast alone amounts to £112pcm or £1,349 per year. Applying a monthly financial fast throughout 2023 to that habitual breakfast may just add a few pounds to your pocket. Other breakfast approaches are available. The final step is to review your long-term financial planning. The two key areas here are your will and Lasting Power of Attorney. The former is to ensure your estate goes to your chosen ones when you pass on and the latter is to ensure that you have chosen at least two persons to be your decision makers when you can no longer decide for yourself. Taking control of your personal finances in 2023 can provide you with at least 5 reasons to be cheerful.

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The Clinic by DR MAYONI

0208 054 9191 | info@drmhumanhealth.co.uk | www.drmhumanhealth.co.uk

So, it’s that time again when we are teetering on the edge of a brand-new fabulous year. We are faced with all those opportunities to make massive changes to our life. To join another new shiny gym or take up that incredible diet that promises massive change. Whilst I embrace anything that helps us to live in health, I also speak to many of you who tell me how awful you feel for ‘failing’ at your new year’s resolutions. Everything then comes to a grinding stop when that tight deadline at work rolls in and you are left with a feeling of loss for something that started with such good intent. I would therefore urge you to stop and resist that desire to change something. What if instead you decided to set a new year intention rather than a resolution. You see, this subtle change in outlook has a massive difference in the energy that you are sending out to the world. A resolution implies that you are lacking something, that you are not enough already. How about instead you decide to say that you are enough and instead you are choosing to promote or enhance something that your body is already doing. This could be an intention to feel better about something rather than be fixed, like the feeling of health, joy and peace. What does that intention feel like to you? Where do you feel it in your body? Rather than deciding you want to stop being overweight, eating over processed food, and stop lazing about on the sofa - which feels very different. Energetically this last sentiment comes from a place of lack and you are likely to feel this in a different way. You may feel like it’s very anxiety provoking and urgent, whilst the former can feel kinder and gentler. I know this can all sound esoteric but it is critical to helping you make longer lasting health choices, and something we spend a lot of time working with you if you decide to embark on any Human Health journey. We know how hard it can be to make a choice about your health and indeed the trajectory of travel can often be a spiral rather than a straight line! How you talk to yourself and deal with making these steps is key. We don’t believe that health should be complicated and many of the health choices we will talk are simple solutions. However, you have to remember that they will often be outside your comfort zone, so they aren’t always easy. Understanding your why and motivation to reach for health is really important. Is it so you can run around with your kids, go for that new relationship, decide to climb Kilimanjaro? It doesn’t matter how big or small your dream is – if it is important to you, we will help you achieve these health goals. For more information on how it all works, contact us on info@drmhumanhealth.co.uk. Or come and meet us at our popular Human Health WOMAN workshop at Spinach on Lordship Lane on Thursday 19th January 9.30-12pm when we will be talking all things hormones and women’s health.

Thursday 26 January: An Evening with Tom Rob Smith

7:30pm -8:30pm. Village Books are delighted to be welcoming Dulwich College alumni and bestselling author Tom Rob Smith back to the College for a special event to celebrate the publication of his new book Cold People. The world has fallen. Without warning, a mysterious and omnipotent force has claimed the planet for their own. There are no negotiations, no demands, no reasons given for their actions. All they have is a message: humanity has thirty days to reach the one place on Earth where they will be allowed to exist... Antarctica. Cold People follows the journeys of a handful of those who endure the frantic exodus to the most inhospitable environment on the planet. While they cling to life on the ice, they must also confront the most urgent of challenges: can they change and evolve rapidly enough to ensure humanity’s future? Can they build a new society in the cold? Tom will be chatting to Dr Joseph Spence, Master of Dulwich College. Tom Rob Smith attended Dulwich College from 1987 to 1997. Tom won the International Thriller Writer Award for Best First Novel, the Galaxy Book Award for Best New Writer, the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award, and was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award and the inaugural Desmond Elliot Prize. Child 44 is now a major motion picture starring Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace and Gary Oldman. Tickets: www.trybooking.com/uk/events/ The Old Library, Dulwich College, Dulwich Common, London SE21 7LD, UK

Friday 27 January: Wizz Jones, Simeon Jones, Kirk McElhinney

7:00pm -11:00pm. We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming the fantastic folk and blues guitarist Wizz Jones back to The Goose Is Out! Wizz is one of the finest acoustic guitarists Britain has ever produced. He has influenced musicians ranging from Eric Clapton, John Renbourn and Ralph McTell to Bert Jansch, Rod Stewart and Billy Connolly. Bruce Springsteen is among the artists who have covered WIzz’s songs. Also appearing tonight will be Wizz’s son Simeon and - at Wizz’s special request - unique singer songwriter and guitarist Kirk McElhinney. The Ivy House is London’s first communityowned pub, and has a wonderful Grade 2 Listed ballroom with a purpose built stage.

https://www.ivyhousenunhead.com

This concert will be half seated, half standing, so come early if you want to be sure of a seat! Advance ticketsm £14:

www.wegottickets.com/thegooseisout

Tickets on the door (if any left) will be £16 (cash only, sorry). Door 7pm, Live music starts 8pm.

The Ivy House, 40 Stuart Road, SE15 3BE.

SE22 Councillors

Councillor Charlie Smith - Goose Green Labour Councillor | charlie.smith@southwark.gov.uk

Unfortunately, for many families this time of year has not been good. Rising energy prices has put huge strains on household budgets. To eat or put on the heating at home has become for many people a difficult choice. There is some help at hand. In response to the cost-of-living crisis,

Southwark Council is providing £5m of financial support to low income and vulnerable households.

If you have access to the internet and a printer, you can download the Council’s Cost of Living Support booklet. You can also visit your local library and go online there. As the weather has been so cold, the Council along with other providers has set up ‘Warm

Spaces’. Both local libraries at 368 Lordship Lane and the Grove Vale library at 18-22 Grove Vale are providing desk space, comfy places to sit, and plenty of books and periodicals for those who want something to read while they stay warm. You can stay in the libraries as long as you like during opening times. Link Age Southwark also offer a warm space every Friday between 1pm and 3pm at the United Reformed Church in Tell Grove, SE22 8RH. A hot lunch of soup and a bread roll and an afternoon social is provided.

Bassano Street Council Houses

The four 3 bed houses in Bassano Street are nearing completion. These homes will each have a private community space and will be let at Council rents to local residents who are on the housing register.

Lordship Lane shops

Barclays Bank shut abruptly in early December all though the bank had said it would not be closing until 2023. This has become a trend with other major banks closing branches saying footfall did not justify staying open. Also, where will shopkeepers take their takings at the end of each trading day? Customers are now required to use online banking. This is OK for those who have access to the internet, but for many older and poorer residents this is not an option. We will also be losing two cash dispensing machines. The only one left will be outside the Co-op store. There are a number of empty retail units on Lordship Lane. I have been told by a number of retailers it is the high rents, rates and reduced numbers of customers forcing shops to close. The Council does have a scheme to help with business rates in certain circumstances. It is important for local residents to support their local shops in Lordship Lane, North Cross Road, Grove Vale and Melbourne Grove.

Albrighton Community Fridge

The Albrighton Community Fridge on the East Dulwich Estate provides food and other essentials to more than 1400 people each week. The fridge was set up in the Community Centre in 2018 to reduce food waste among local food retailers and support the surrounding community at no charge. The Fridge offers fresh fruit and vegetables, hot meals, frozen meat, bread, tinned goods and a limited selection of toiletries and sanitary products. As the Financial Crisis bites even harder, the numbers seeking the Foodbank have grown enormously. Can you help by donating items to the Fridge. As well as tinned food, items such as toothpaste, soap, deodorant and sanitary products are needed. The Fridge is located at the Albrighton Community Centre on the East Dulwich Estate, SE22 8AH. You can donate by visiting the website

www.albrightoncommunityfridge.org

St Christopher’s Hospice

St Christopher’s Hospice was honoured to receive a visit from its patron, Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady of Ogilvy, in December. The Princess was welcomed to St Christopher’s by new Chief Executive Helen Simmons and Chairman of the Board Neil Goulden, who were joined by Clinical Team Lead Katie Grace on a tour of the hospice’s wards, where Her Royal Highness met a number of patients and their families and friends and wished them all a Merry Christmas. Following her tour of the wards, the Princess enjoyed a snowy stroll in the grounds where she observed one of the ‘Tree of Trees’, which was gifted to St Christopher’s as part of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations earlier in the summer. As a centrepiece of the Jubilee festivities, the Tree of Trees stood tall outside Buckingham Palace as a message of hope, regeneration and optimism to our nation and the world. St Christopher’s received one of the trees after being nominated by Sir Steve Bullock DL, and was awarded the honour in recognition of the vital contribution that the hospice makes to its local community. IT Support Administrator and part-time Garden Volunteer Nick White and Volunteer Terry Hammond originally collected the tree alongside Helen Simmons in a ceremony back in October, bringing it back to St Christopher’s to be planted, and both joined Her Royal Highness yesterday to speak about their experience and share how much it meant to be involved. To round off the afternoon, the Princess was invited in to St Christopher’s Centre for Awareness and Response to End of life (CARE), where afternoon tea was served and Her Royal Highness was met by Campaign Director Philippa Kelham, who then introduced groups of St Christopher’s benefactors, supporters and volunteers. The Princess joined guests at every table to share greetings and stories of everyone’s connection to St Christopher’s, whilst pianist Mark Dowling played a selection of Christmas carols and hymns. Finally, Her Royal Highness signed the St Christopher’s visitors’ book and was presented with flowers by Volunteer Sue Gilder, before saying her goodbyes and thanking everyone for such a warm and festive reception. Speaking yesterday afternoon, Helen Simmons, Chief Executive at St Christopher’s, said “We are so pleased to have been able to welcome Her Royal Highness today, and very much hope the Princess enjoyed her time at the Hospice. Everyone here always looks forward to her visits so much, and we wish her and the rest of the Royal Family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.” As one volunteer put it; “Today was such a special day. Everyone here, from patients to guests, will remember it for such a long time.” To find out more about St Christopher’s Hospice, please visit

https://www.stchristophers.org.uk/.

The ABC of Netball

Education News from Alleyn's | www.alleyns.org.uk

Caroline Ali, Head of Girls’ Games and Netball Lead at Alleyn’s Junior School, tells us how we can help our children develop their netball skills on and off the court, which will have knock-on benefits for any sport they play.

The ABCs

We often focus on agility, balance and coordination up until the age of seven but we mustn’t neglect these as our children move to Junior School. Agility is ‘the ability to change direction at speed’. Pushing off our outside foot as we change direction requires development of leg strength, knee and ankle stability, core control and fast footwork. Here are some simple agility exercises you can practise with your child: • Bursts of sprinting on the spot, focussing on toe strikes • Single and double leg squats • Balancing on one leg • Side to side jumps, landing on the outside foot, holding for two seconds • Footwork patterns through an agility ladder (which you can draw with chalk) focussing on changing direction • Running fast in a figure of eight or around four corners. Modify the patterns as you like but your child should keep their chest facing forward, head up as if watching for a pass, and use small steps and fast feet to move around the markers. These drills will also improve your child’s balance, but what about their hand-eye coordination?

The Ball Is Their Friend

It is no surprise that developing netball skills is best addressed by manipulating a netball! Show your child these methods to develop their hand positioning and dexterity: • Bounce the ball with two and then one hand, experiment with different ways of manipulating it while moving. • Push the ball above your head, move underneath it and catch it with outstretched arms, palms up, pulling the ball safely to your chest. Develops wrist strength in preparation for the shooting action. • Pass a ball from hand to hand. Progress this by standing close to a wall, using one hand at a time to draw a rainbow from left to right and back. • Chest, shoulder, bounce and overhead passing against a wall. Aim for the ball to return at a comfortable catching height, using power in each pass.

Receiving & Footwork

Here are some ideas to help your child stick to the footwork rule and pass within three seconds - both key to successfully participating in the game: • Begin a short distance from the wall, throw the ball and catch the rebound whilst landing on one foot after the other. Jog back and repeat. Your child can build up the distance from the wall depending on the power and accuracy of their pass and acceleration and control on landing. • Experiment with the above, landing two feet at a time. • Progress this by ensuring the ball rebounds slightly higher enabling you time to turn in the air as you land and further still by driving and throwing at differing angles. All these exercises can be found online but here are some websites to get you started:

www.youtube.com/channel/UCtkLCIbDu7_NxV6JNkpls9w www.thenetballcoach.com www.englandnetball.co.uk

meets on the last Wednesday of every month. The Lordship Pub, 211 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich SE22 8HA Find out how to register for FREE at:

www.cookingwithscissors.com | e-mail: sbn@ cookingwithscissors.com Next Meeting: Wednesday 25 January 2023 - 6.45pm

Around Dulwich is the community website covering in and Around Dulwich including Dulwich Village, East and West Dulwich, Forest Hill and Honor Oak Park. Up to date events, more stories and news.

www.arounddulwich.co.uk | Follow us @SEMags_AroundDulwich

All photos are of our classes

Adult Learning Lewisham

DAY, EVENING AND WEEKEND COURSES

Enrol Now for January

Develop your creativity or gain the skills you need for work and further education.

Find out about the wide variety of courses on offer at: www.lewisham.gov.uk/adultlearning or call us on 020 8314 3300

New Year: New Pet Diet

Pets Corner with Leonie St Clair | www.londondogstraining.co.uk

Most of us will face 2023 with a host of resolutions in mind. This time round, how to save on energy costs and stay warm and healthy are probably going to be higher on our lists than losing weight. However, do take a good look at your pet’s diet, because there is more than a grain of truth in the adage, ‘you are what you eat’. Quality food may cost more but it could save you large vet bills down the line. Obesity, diabetes, gut and pancreatic disease are all increasingly afflictions of the modern pet, and diet is thought to be a major factor. As a behaviourist, I see hyper dogs and vicious cats morph into sweet biddable pets overnight, once a change in diet has been made. Let’s be clear, cats are obligate carnivores, they need to eat meat. Not any old meat, but fresh, and as close to live and kicking as possible.

Look inside your cat’s mouth, these are teeth for piercing and tearing, not for grinding vegetables.

In the wild cats would eat some carbohydrate from the undigested stomach contents of prey, but this would account for around 5% of their diet, not the 30% that is the norm in many packaged cat biscuits. Some proprietary cat foods are excellent, but it is wise to check the label on the packaging.

Ground up bits of animal and fish do not count.

Beaks, feathers and trotters may all get thrown into that category and will be called meat and animal derivatives. Sure, the animal attached to those body parts may have been passed fit for human consumption, but when did you last eat beaks on a regular basis? There is no such thing as a vegetarian cat, so why do we consider it okay to feed cats a main diet of biscuits? Plant protein concentrates and various types of grain or sugar beet are routinely used as biscuit bulking agents. These may raise the overall protein content of the product, but is it the sort of protein a cat was ever made to digest on a regular basis? No, is the answer. The quality of protein will always trump quantity. All those extra, unnecessary carbs simply get turned into fat, and we wonder why our cat is getting porky? Our dogs fare no better. Unlike their wolf ancestors, they are opportunistic scavengers, not pure carnivores, and have evolved enzymes to digest carbohydrate in a way wolves cannot, but they still have the lupine short gut, and the dentition, of a meat eater. If morphology is anything to go by, dogs have developed to digest starch if need be, but overall are designed to consume flesh. The convenience of kibble, together with clever marketing, persuades many of us that we are feeding our pets a quality diet. There is no doubt that our infinitely adaptable canine chums may appear to thrive on kibble but, as one eminent Vet explained to me, it is like feeding your kids chips with everything! Just take a look at your cat, is he getting fat despite eating very little? Is your pooch itchy, flatulent, irritable, edgy and unpredictable? Diet may be the culprit. A healthy pet has well formed, firm to hard stools; anything less should prompt dietary investigation and a visit to the vet. As responsible pet owners we have the opportunity to make informed choices for our pets, it doesn’t have to be hard - you just have to know where to look and how to read the labels. Do some research and discover the high- quality options available. A place to start is:

http://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/