21 minute read
Charity
Charities&Volunteering
Less waste, more kindness
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Bethan Mascarenhas and residents of The Old Vicarage on a recent visit to Rhug Estate
Rhug Estate has made generous donations of its award-winning organic chicken to local hospices and charities including The Old Vicarage care home in Llangollen, Ty Gobaith/Hope House in Oswestry and Severn Hospice in Shrewsbury. Whenever there is surplus stock, whether it is award-winning organic meat from the Rhug’s farm or items in the farm shop, estate owner Lord Newborough is keen for local charities and residents to benefit. He said: “I am pleased we have found some good causes to support again. I believe something positive should always come out of having surplus stock.”
Bethan Mascarenhas, owner of The Old Vicarage said: “Our thanks to Lord Newborough and the staff at Rhug Estate for their generous donation and for a lovely warm welcome when we visited. The chicken was put to good use in lots of delicious recipes by our cooks. It was a real treat for our residents.”
All aboard for Windsor
Crewe-based charity the Railway Benefit Fund is holding a special fundraiser on Friday 3rd June – a Royal Charter to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The steam locomotive 70000 Britannia will depart from Crewe and call at Stafford and Nuneaton before arriving at Windsor for a sightseeing break, returning to Crewe in the late evening.
Passengers will have the choice of first-class non-dining tickets featuring armchair comfort, or first-class Pullman dining, which includes a sumptuous breakfast, a fourcourse dinner created by the executive chef, a glass of champagne and half a bottle of wine per person.
Prices start from £195 and £365 respectively.
The iconic locomotive 70000 Britannia was built in Crewe in 1952. She was the first British Railways standard locomotive to be built and the first of 55 locomotives of the Britannia class. From 2000 to 2006 she was owned by legendary music producer Pete Waterman, current president of the Railway Benefit Fund, and was housed at his workshops at Crewe Heritage Centre.
Tickets are available from
railwaybenefitfund.org.uk/ events/the-royal-charter
Your engine: the 70000 Britannia
Bloomin’ good effort
Students from Coleg Cambria totted up an impressive total from their annual appeal for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal at the end of last year. The pandemic could not stop Uniformed Public Services learners at the college achieving the staggering total of £9,157 for the charity campaign – taking the college’s overall figure since 2015 to £24,474.
Lecturer Jason Ferguson said he was overwhelmed by the determination and imagination of those involved, and the generosity of the local
community. “It’s a magnificent result and testament to the hard work of the staff and students, who were focused on raising more money than we ever have before for the Remembrance Poppy Appeal,” he said. “Following health and safety guidelines we ran events and held Determined: UPS students charity collections at shops and supermarkets across the region, where people gave so much support and goodwill.” The Poppy Appeal is the Royal British Legion’s biggest fundraising campaign for the Armed Forces community. The learners’ efforts will not only help the organisation – with money used for initiatives such as the vital personal recovery centres, veteran medical funds, mobility aids and equipment grants – but will also go towards their Level 3 (WBQ) Advanced Community Challenge and BTEC Level 2 in Preparation for Public Services Volunteering.
Popping up to help
Among the items on sale was a signed Wrexham AFC shirt
Alocal hospice has benefitted from the hard work and generosity of a student fundraising team. BTEC Business students based at Yale used their commercial talents to raise money for Nightingale House Hospice. The seven-strong group opened a pop-up shop at the site’s Enterprise Hub in Wrexham to sell items in-person and online and raised over £500, including proceeds from the sale of a signed Wrexham AFC shirt.
BTEC Business lecturer Anne Williams-Redfern from Coleg Cambria said: “This is part of their course but also a chance for them to make a real difference. They have worked so hard and been incredibly resourceful in gathering a wide variety of products to sell at the shop.”
Sarah Povey, community and events fundraiser for Nightingale House, thanked them for their efforts, saying: “We are incredibly grateful to this creative group of students for choosing the hospice to be the beneficiary of this project. It will make a huge difference to patient care and the services we provide.” If you would like a charity event to feature on these pages, just email the details to editorial@
shiremagazine.co.uk
by Pamela M. Sumner AVAILABLE NOW ON AMAZON
From post-war St Helens, to the edges of Snowdonia National Park, a Lancashire lass recounts a life driven by a lifelong love of the animal kingdom, from Chester Zoo and on to a thriving Kennels in rural Wales, breeding Irish Wolfhounds. Pamela shares with the reader many tales, tragedies, triumphs and tribulations, all told with a sharp Lancastrian wit.
Inspiring, in parts making you want to laugh aloud, and in others making you want to weep
Pam really has had an amazing life and writes about it in such a humerous, gentle way
I had to ration myself to a couple of chapters a night as I didn’t want it to end
When a family is thinking about care for a loved one, they want the best. They want to know the care home they choose will put their loved one’s safety, happiness and wellbeing first.
Care UK’s Deewater Grange care home in Chester provides residential, dementia and nursing care, giving families peace of mind that their loved ones can stay living at the home should their needs change.
Living at Deewater Grange is all about quality of life. Every colleague in the home is passionate about enabling residents to enjoy a fulfilling lifestyle, tailored around their unique needs and preferences. The lifestyle team organises a huge variety of group and one-to-one There’s always someone to activities, with plenty going on each day. chat to and something to do
The Deewater Grange team are proud to have achieved some great results in the recent relative survey – in fact, 97 per cent of families feel their loved ones are treated with kindness, respect and dignity^. Once their relative has settled into Deewater Grange they are able to focus on spending quality time with them again just enjoying each other’s company.
With the extra support that our care home offers, new residents are often surprised at what they can do, whether that’s being able to continue with an activity they’ve enjoyed in the past, or even discovering new hobbies with our daily activities. Whether your loved one enjoys a quiet cup of tea in bed before starting the day, going for strolls in the landscaped grounds or a chat over a beer, the team at Deewater Grange will spend time to enable them to continue Rooms have every comfort living life the way they want to.
Deewater Grange is part of award-winning provider Care UK – one of the UK’s most successful care home operators* with over 35 years’ experience of delivering high quality care to older people. See more at careuk.com/deewater-grange
*As rated by the Care Quality Commission in England and the Care Inspectorate in Scotland. ^ Care UK relative survey Aug/Sept 2021, based on a sample of seven relatives. Study operated by QRS Market Research, an independent survey agency.
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ON BADON FIELD Martin Kaye
If you liked the Da Vinci Code, then take a look at local author Martin Kaye. His first book On Badon Field is available as a digital novel on the Amazon Kindle Store.
You can buy a hard copy from Amazon.co.uk, order it from your local bookstore or buy it directly from my website
www.fachlwyd.co.uk
The second book ‘A Banner of Dark Shadows’ will be available in May 2022.
YOUR WORK IS YOUR CONTRIBUTION
Doing what we love, I believe, is one of the most important ways to enhance and elevate our mental wellbeing. When we do what we love, we flourish and thrive.
We sometimes fear making a career change because of the risk to security and stability. But if your mind and heart tell you it is time to create the change – listen and create it. You have the power.
Many of us experienced the forced change of working from home and unexpectedly enjoyed the benefits. It is ok to want to change direction as a result: if our experiences are different, then we change – we cannot not change. It’s a process of evolution.
If you aren’t able to take the leap, do it gradually step by step, but do something every day towards making the change. Take time to calm your mind to gain clarity and focus; a clear mind makes good decisions. Set out a plan of action towards your goal, working bit by bit, creating the building blocks to your new path. If you want to completely change your career direction,
“Do it put all of your energy gradually step by step, but do and passion into understanding the avenue you wish to pursue. Where something energy flows, every day” everything grows. When you live what you love, you will give the best of you because when we love something, we put our heart and soul into it. When we give heart and soul to something, it not only elevates our own journey, it elevates those around us. What better gift can you give to yourself and others than living your true passion and purpose?
Anne Carr Lisa Whelan has dedicated the past 20 years to creating a first-class wellbeing resource that is simple and fun. The result is ‘Mighty Minds’, a six-week animated, positive resource designed specifically for children, and the ‘Calm Your Mind, Control Your Life’ Mind Flight course for adults. Find out more at www.mindflight.online
CATCHING UP WITH TAX
Shire’s fi nancial expert recaps on the main tax measures from the Spring Statement 2022
The Chancellor delivered his Spring Statement to the House of Commons against a backdrop of a growing cost of living crisis. Rishi Sunak also stressed that, apart from untold human suffering, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is creating further uncertainty in the domestic and global economy, particularly in relation to energy markets.
National Insurance contributions (NICs)
The Chancellor did not remove the 1.25 per cent increase in NICs to help fund the NHS and social care, which came into effect in April. However, he did try to soften the blow by announcing a significant increase in the National Insurance threshold from £9,880 to £12,570 from 6 July. According to government figures, around 70 per cent of employees will pay less NICs, even with the health and social care levy.
Reducing Class 2 NICs payments for low earners
From April, Class 2 NICs liability for the self-employed was reduced to nil on profits between the small profits threshold (SPT) and lower profits limit (LPL). No one earning between the two limits will pay any Class 2 NICs, while individuals are still able to continue to build up NI credits. This change represents a tax cut for around 500,000 self-employed people, worth up to £165 per year.
VAT is zero per cent for energysaving materials until 2027
VAT
The government expanded the scope of VAT relief available for energysaving materials (ESMs) by reducing VAT from 5 per cent to 0 per cent until 31 March 2027. Households having such materials installed (eg solar panels, heat pumps, insulation) will pay no VAT.
R&D tax relief reform
A boost for the self-employed From April 2023, all cloud computing costs associated with research and development, including storage, will qualify for relief. This will boost sectors including AI, robotics, manufacturing and design.
Income tax basic rate
The Chancellor confirmed that the government will reduce the basic rate of income tax to 19 per cent from April 2024. Aaron Powis BSc, BFP, FCA, CTA is a partner at DRE & Co chartered accountants in Oswestry. Call 01691 654353 or see www.dre.co.uk
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Self assessment Accounts preparation VAT Returns Limited company audits Tax planning Making Tax Digital HMRC enquiry investigations Business & fault reviews
Divorce & separation agreements We are able to provide assistance with: Corporate sales and purchases Business planning Financial services
Self assessment Accounts preparation VAT Returns Limited company audits Tax planning Making Tax Digital HMRC enquiry investigations Business & fault reviews Divorce & separation agreements Corporate sales and purchases Business planning Financial services
Visit our website at www.dre.co.uk
Visit our website at www.dre.co.uk
Oswestry
01691 654353
tax@dre.co.uk
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What is a pension-sharing order and do I need one?
Your “Whole of Market” Financial Advisor.
At Commodore Finance we help all our clients achieve their financial goals, dreams, and independence. We will discuss your current situation and establish your financial objectives and more importantly when you want to achieve them. We can then develop a practical plan designed to help you meet your financial needs.
We will never use jargon that you do not understand. TAKING CARE OF YOU - With 37 years’ service, we can say with confidence that you would find it hard to find a situation that we have not dealt with. WE ARE RECOMMENDED - We are a “Top Rated Adviser” Verified by Vouched for 2020 and 2021 as shown in the Times and Telegraph. A 5* Gold Winner in the British Property Awards for Denbighshire. Think carefully before securing debts against your home. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or any other debt secured on it.
Commodore Finance Ltd is an appointed representative of Julian Harris Financial Consultants, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Tel: 01745 850653 or 07766920035 paul@commodorefinance.o.uk www.commodorefinance.co.uk
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Covering North Wales & Cheshire PAUL WILLIAMS OF COMMODORE FINANCE LOOKS AT AN AREA OF CONCERN FOR COUPLES WHO ARE SEPARATING
Iam often contacted by clients in the unfortunate situation of going through divorce or separation, and a question I am frequently asked is about pension-sharing orders and what they are. A pension-sharing order is a court order used when separating the assets that have been created during the relationship. They are mostly used during divorce proceedings but can also be used when a civil partnership is dissolved.
Predominantly there are three main options when dealing with pensions in a divorce or separation: sharing them, earmarking some of the income to be paid to one partner after retirement, or offsetting their value against other assets. The latter is often used where one partner is keeping a greater proportion of the value in the home in lieu of not taking so much of the former partner’s pension pot.
The process normally starts with you appointing your legal representative, then you need to work out the assets built within the relationship and get valuations for all the pensions each person has, together with the value of any state pension benefits you would be entitled to on retirement. Next, you need to assess the pension options available. Once this has been done you go to court to request the
pension-sharing order is granted, and you would then implement it.
One of the main benefits of a pension-sharing order is that it will provide a clean break between the parties, as the assets are split immediately. Each party can decide independently what to do with their share and neither has to build pension provision from scratch.
Taking independent financial advice is paramount if you are to receive a share of your ex-partner’s pension pot. It will help to ensure you don’t make unsuitable investments, or transfer the fund to an overseas scheme that is not bound to recognise a UK pension-sharing order or a scheme that is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates the providers of personal pensions.
commodore finance.co.uk
Always seek professional advice
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Tel 07743 574852 Commodore Finance Ltd is an appointed representative of Julian Harris Financial Consultants, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Contact 01745 850653. “The performance of your investments is subject to risk(s). Its performance may fluctuate based on movements in the market and economic condition(s). Capital at risk. Currency movements may also affect the value of investments. You may get back less than you originally invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of the future performance.”
Retirement Living
BEWARE OF SENIOR-SCAMMERS
It is an unfortunate fact that criminals target older people, either because they think they will be tricked more easily or that they have more readily accessible funds
There is a growing number of increasingly convincing and complex scams in operation these days and many specifically target older people. We asked Age UK for advice on how to spot, and avoid falling for, some of the more common attempts at fraud.
Cold callers
Pension scams
People over 55 now have greater access to their pension pots. Fraudsters will try different ways to persuade you to part with your pension cash – from promising opportunities that are simply too good to be true, to giving you false information. They might contact you out of the blue, over the phone, by text or email, or claim to know about loopholes that can help you get more tax breaks.
They could suggest you put all your money in a single investment, send paperwork to your door by courier for immediate signature or pressure you into making a decision quickly. Look out for any contact that feels like this or speak to your own pension adviser. Cold calls are phone calls from companies trying to sell you something, even though they’ve had no business with you previously. Cold calls aren’t usually illegal and don’t necessarily count as a scam although they can be annoying, frustrating and even frightening. Even though it won’t always block scammers,
“They you can register for free with the may claim Telephone Preference Service to know about tax (0345 070 0707; tpsonline.org. uk) to reduce the number of cold calls you receive. It can be hard loopholes” to tell the difference between a scam and cold calling.
Bank scams
Someone may call claiming to be from your bank, telling you there’s a problem with your card or account. The caller will often sound professional and tell you your card has been cloned or your money is at risk. They may ask for your account and card details, including your PIN number, and even offer to send a courier to collect your card. They may also advise transferring money to a ‘safe account’ to protect it. This is a common scam and your bank would never ask you to do this.
Doorstep scams
This is when someone comes to your door and tries to trick you out of your money or gain access to your home. Scammers aren’t always pushy and persuasive – they may seem polite or friendly. So be vigilant when you answer the door, and don’t let anyone in unless you know who they are.
There’s a wait for some…
BOOSTING THE POT
After a confusing back and forth on the future for pensions, those in receipt of one will get a £733 boost, after the government promised to reinstate the ‘triple lock’ – the mechanism that dictates how much the state pension rises by each year. This means those left out of pocket this year will receive an increase in 2023.
Ministers denied millions a record £822 increase this year due to its controversial decision to suspend the triple lock in April. This dictates the annual pension rise by taking the highest of three figures: inflation, wage growth or 2.5 per cent. Instead, the state pension will rise by just 3.1 per cent, September’s figure for inflation, rather than by wage growth, which was 8.1 per cent.
The government said a jump in wages due to furlough and redundancies during the pandemic made its manifesto pledge to keep the triple lock unaffordable. However, the increase will fall far short of inflation, which is expected to be above 8 per cent by the end of the year.
