EMPOWERED MAGAZINE ISSUE 2 | DECEMBER/JANUARY
FROM THE ASSISTANT EDITOR
Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be an assistant to the editor of an online magazine let alone the amazing response we had to our first issue so a big thank you from me! My life has changed massively over the last 2 years and I can honestly say it has been a roller coaster of a ride to get to where I am now. Not only am I working alongside some amazing people to put this magazine together but, I am also studying through the open university. So, yeah exciting busy times to keep me occupied and out of trouble! I am studying psychology with counselling which has been eye opening to the wide world so far. Really excited for you to see our separate Christmas gift guide, there is something for everyone in there. I am actually excited for Christmas for once. I don’t think I've been this excited in a long time, who else is loving the festive feelings this year? We have our amazing resident psychic as our cover story, so don’t forget to check out that story. Oh, myself and Hannah, have jumped on the letter to our young self, bandwagon. Definitely an interesting read! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this issue as much as we have enjoyed putting it together! LOUISE RIDGWAY - HOPSON ASSISTANT EDITOR
CONTENTS
HOW MUCH DO OUR PETS COST US?
You may be surprised at how much we spend on our pets every year!
SASA WELLNESS & PRODUCTIVITY PLANNER Check out this fantastic planner!
HOW TO STAY HEALTHY AS YOU HEAD INTO WINTER
Caroline Peyton of Peyton Principles shares her top tips to keep you healthy through the cold winter!
FROLO THE AWARD WINNING SINGLE PARENTING APP TRACY KEARNS COLUMN
The new app helping combat loneliness in single parents
Our resident parenting columnist shares what's been going on in her world!
LETTERS TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF
Read what Hannah and Louise would say to their younger selves if they had the chance!
SAMANTHA-JAYNE
Our cover star Samantha-Jayne shares her story with us.
A FESTIVAL WEDDING IN A COUNTRY VILLAGE
Charlott McAnsh shared how she knew from the start that she didn't want a traditional wedding!
WEDDING TRAVEL TIPS
The Wedding Travel Company shares their top tips!
SAMANTHA JAYNE MONTHLY FORECAST How are December and January looking for you?
ONE MAN'S STORY OF GROWING UP AS A REFUGEE IN THE UK
Kenny Mammarella-D'Cruz shares his story of battling fear, trauma and bullying, before finding redemption
TATTS UNFORTUNATE
Are tattoos making you look 'cheap'?
BOOK REVIEWS BY JANE LACEY - CRANE Jane shares her latest book review!
THE CHRISTMAS BAUBLE CREATED TO DO GOOD
Your purchase of this Christmas bauble can also help people in need
CONTENTS
TOP 5 THINGS A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT CAN DO FOR YOU Hannah shares how a Virtual Assistant can make your life easier!
6 TIPS FOR HOLDING SUSTAINABLE EVENTS
Tips for event planners and businesses can reduce their impact on the planet through corporate events and more
IS YOUR BUSINESS SUFFERING FROM INVISIBILITY? Fiona Scott of Scott Media shares her 10 tips for great PR in 2022
LIS MCDERMOTT COLUMN
Check in for part 2 of Lis' fantastic writing for business tips!
HELLO? WHERE ARE YOU? IS ANYBODY THERE?
How many times have you tried to contact someone by email and waited and waited for a reply that doesn’t materialise?
IRISH START-UPS GROUND WELLBEING AND ETHOS CBD COLLABORATE ON NEW WELLNESS PRODUCTS
Irish brands GROUND Wellbeing and ethos CBD collaborate to create two new CBD balms, one to support perimenopause and menopause symptoms and the other to help with pain and inflammation.
FLOWER POWER
Hannah digs deep to launch eco-friendly floristry business
ENTREPRENEURS - PREDICTING AND PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE Jo Richardson explores how the pandemic impacted entrepreneurs
IGNITE! BRING YOUR BUSINESS IDEA TO LIFE WITHOUT BURNING OUT The essential guide to help entrepreneurs turn their ideas into reality without burning out
BRITISH/BANGLADESHI MOTHER LAUNCHES INCLUSIVE BABY FOOD BRAND The brand created due to the limited range of diverse baby food products
NEWCASTLE TEACHER PUBLISHES FIRST CHILDREN'S STORY INSPIRED BY HER LOCKDOWN RAINBOW BABY Laura from Newcastle’s debut children's story was recently published using the power of social media connectivity and encouraged by her community to send a copy to the Duchess of Cambridge
SAMUEL'S LEAP OF FAITH
How one man left university and was unable to get a job so he went for a new career path
LIFESTYLE MAN’S EXPENSIVE BEST FRIEND! PETS COSTING THE UK £4.5 BILLION A YEAR Research from Purr & Mutt reveals owners spend £378 a year on their pets A total of £4.5 billion a year - 12 million households have pets in the UK1 Snakes are the most expensive pets to own, costing £420 a year 57% of pet owners will be buying their pet a present this Christmas
New research from pet portrait specialists, Purr & Mutt, has found that UK pet owners are spending an average of £378 a year on their furry friends - that’s a national total of £4.5 billion every 12 months. Unsurprisingly, dogs (67%) and cats (46%) are still the most popular pets in the UK, however perhaps more shocking is that pet birds (5%) now outnumber guinea pigs and hamsters (2%). This is especially true in Liverpool, which has the highest percentage of pet birds in the UK. Average annual spend by pet is as follows: Snake - £420 a year Dog - £399 a year Cat - £362 a year Rabbit - £324 a year Bird - £317 a year Guinea Pig - £287 a year Lizard - £260 a year Fish - £233 a year Hamster - £180 a year Despite snakes making up less than 1% of all pets owned, that still accounts for around 48,0002 households keeping snakes as pets in the UK. On average, snakes are the most expensive pets to own at £420 a year. Aside from necessities such as food, drink and insurance, gifts for pets also seem to be a priority, as 57% of owners said they’ll be buying their pet a gift this Christmas, with dog owners most likely to purchase a present. Purr & Mutt have a great range of portraits available for Christmas - the perfect gift if you want to treat a family member (furry or not).
LIFESTYLE CAREERS PLATFORM SASA LAUNCHES FIRST PLANNER
Careers platform SASA (She Aspires Skills Academy), recently launched its first planner to continue the brand's mission to provide career resources and personal development tips for the working woman. In addition to the tried and tested methods of traditional planning, the Working Woman planner also features a selection of motivational quotes and a personal manifesto. It aims to inspire and support personal growth and development within the day-to-day routines of the working environment, helping to guide and boost the attitudes that will work with you to achieve your goals. Recognising that self-care and productivity are not linear and opting for a more holistic approach to wellness, the 264-page resource has been intentionally left undated, removing the guilt that often accompanies missed or forgotten dates and wasted paper. Jenny Okolo, founder of SASA speaking to the motivations behind creating the Working Woman Planner, shares “I wanted to create a planner that would hold working like myself accountable to our goals and action plans, but also maintain a balanced wellbeing. Both factors work hand in hand – yes, we all want to be successful working women, but not at the cost of not taking care of ourselves also” Exclusively available at https://www.wearesasa.com/planner
LIFESTYLE HOW TO STAY HEALTHY AS YOU HEAD INTO WINTER BY CAROLINE PEYTON
It’s that time of year many of us dread. The daylight hours are getting much shorter and it’s much colder. It’s not surprising that the thought of eating and staying healthy start to diminish. But since our winter climate can extend into April (even May this year) it’s important to pay attention to healthy habits. Rather than feel like it is time consuming or too much effort, try and follow my simple tips below. Serotonin rich foods to ward off SAD Losing an hour of sunlight in the afternoons can have an impact on our mental health. The Winter sees an increase in seasonal depression (SAD) in the weeks following the clock change. For some this may settle over the following weeks but for others it is a real and serious consequence of the long dark nights.
Decreased sunlight may lower levels of the brain neurotransmitter serotonin associated with our mood. Serotonin is often called the happy hormone. It helps us to feel calm, relaxed and in control. Some people notice an increase in anxiety and irritability due to the darker shorter days
What if we could make serotonin from our foods? Well we can! .
LIFESTYLE It is no surprise to me that studies have shown that there is an increased risk of complications and poor outcomes associated with Covid-19 infections when vitamin D levels are low.
This is the time to supplement Vitamin D3 (1000iu daily) throughout the Winter- everysingle- day.
Maintain Regular Sleep/Wake Habits
It’s essential to maintain regular sleeping habits by going to bed and getting up at the same time, even when it is dark.
Some protein foods (containing tryptophan) are converted to serotonin in the brain. Aim to eat a portion of protein foods with every meal as many people do not eat nearly enough. Those foods that may be especially beneficial are eggs, fish, nuts, seeds, soya, dairy and turkey; but all other protein foods (meats, lentils and pulses) count too. There is a catch though. Due to competition with other protein type foods, to ensure tryptophan reaches the brain it is important to eat a little bit of fruit alongside. It is the simple sugars that assist this complex process. But don’t go mad! Too much sugar is going to be detrimental. Some berries or a small less sweet apple is sufficient.
If getting to sleep is a problem, create an evening routine. Remove tech from the bedroom; reduce exposure to blue light from gadgets in the hours approaching bedtime and don’t nap in the daytime. Watch the room temperature keeping it cooler than you would want daytime.
Your body sets its rhythms in large part by exposure to light. So get outdoors every day in the Winter. Go for a walk in the daylight even 15 minutes can make all the difference.
Watch your caffeine and alcohol intake. If you know caffeine may be a problem for sleep avoid it after 4pm, possibly earlier. Aim for several alcohol free nights. And stay hydrated with herbal and fruit teas, hot water with lemon and ginger or plain water.
Vitamin D essential especially in Winter Let’s not also forget during these winter months with minimal exposure to appropriate sunshine and UVB rays, that we have a poor intake of Vitamin D. This vitamin is essential for so many body functions but two worth mentioning are immunity and bone status.
If you struggle to stay asleep, night-time waking can be due to low blood sugar. It creates an adrenaline release which will ping you awake. If this happens frequently, try eating a small balanced snack close to bedtime such as a couple of oatcakes with a protein source (hummus, cottage cheese, nut butter, pate).
LIFESTYLE Nutrient Dense Soups and Casseroles People often associate healthy foods as being “light” such as eating salads. But this just isn’t true. Healthy foods should be vegetable rich, contain protein and some good fats. This is why I love soups and casseroles in Winter. Both are easy to make and provide a nutrient dense balanced meal. “Balanced” meals literally mean designed to keep your blood sugar levels stable (balanced) throughout the day. Most people will unknowingly have their blood sugar levels yo-yoing up and down, creating energy dips, poor concentration, weight gain and low mood. Put a stop to this by thinking of your plate in ratios: half should be non starchy vegetables, one third should be proteins and fats and a maximum of 20% should be starchy grains or starchy root vegetables. Utilise your Freezer Antioxidant rich berries – raspberries, blueberries, strawberries pack a powerful punch of goodness. They deliver a high dose of vitamin C- one of our most well known antioxidants that protects our cells from damage and keeps our immune system strong. And they also contain plant compounds called polyphenols which are an excellent source of prebiotic fibres that feed your gut microbiome. We need to continually feed these trillions of beneficial bacteria to keep the gut – and our whole body- in good health. I have bags of frozen berries always in stock to add to porridge and protein rich smoothies.
Contact Caroline Peyton www.peytonprinciples.com caroline@peytonprinciples.com
LIFESTYLE Berry Chia Pudding A great breakfast, light meal, snack or even desert
Ingredients 2 cups - Unsweetened Almond Milk 2 cups – Berries of your choice 1 tsp - Vanilla Extract 1/2 cup - Chia Seeds
Directions 1. Add the almond milk, berries chia seeds and vanilla to a blender and blend well until combined. 2. Divide into smaller jars or bowls and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes to thicken. 3. Top with additional berries if desired. Enjoy!
Notes LEFTOVERS: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days
LIFESTYLE FROLO - THE SINGLE PARENT APP Over a few days of flicking through the app - figuring out how it works and silently reading everyone's posts and replies. I noticed a few people putting up posts stating they were new to the app and wanted to say "Hi". So I thought best to be polite and follow suit... And wow! Within minutes I was inundated with "Welcome to Frolo" and "How are yous" it was heart-warming, and every single one of those people stuck around to chat, and many still are - 8 months on, firm favourites in my life.
Hello, my name is Kit and I am a single/solo parent to an amazing 4 year old called Ed. We have been this way for 2.8 years due to toxic domestic settings that led to homelessness, to then court proceedings with cafcass, court hearings, contact centres, custody battles, counselling, therapy and the rest... I, as a desperately lonely single mother with a toddler juggling single parentingdom, a new home in a new town, adulating, as well as my dwindling mental health, was fortunate enough to stumble upon FROLO. My life changed. 8 months ago I took the bull by its horns and downloaded the social networking app (some serious courage from a hermit like me!) and was instantly transported to a world of folk just like me!! There were people asking for advice on court hearings, juggling parenting and work as a single parent, advice on dealing with a less than amicable ex when it comes to co-parenting and much much more.
FROLO has so much to offer I was initially overwhelmed. There are group chats for everything from Book Clubs to Dating Advice, to Parenting Hacks and High Conflict Support. Let alone all the available and regular zooms you can jump in on if you wish. I am a naturally shy creature so zooms were out of the question for a long while. But I soon realised there is a huge community of people - mums and dads alike - that have gone through similar to me! And so the discussions and to-ing and fro-ing of advice started. My own little bit of therapy while helping other single parents in dire situations. The advice received in most cases aren't from professionals but from mums and dads that have been in your shoes, that GET IT!! And that, I found to be probably life saving! So the zooms took some more courage... (My hermit life - what hermit life?!) Using zoom was a new conquest too. I had heard about it, seen many examples of it, for heaven's sakes we were in lockdown! Zooms are the new thing. Kit was getting with the times! I started off joining the professional zooms. The ones where there are lawyers, counsellors and nutritionists giving free advice and encouragement. My camera was off and I did not speak. Until a good few subjects really resonated with me and then I felt I needed to open up and gain guidance that was offered.
LIFESTYLE There are a good few of us currently "Squatting for the charity REFUGE", and there are talks of a 10k run next year that is looking like a big event. As much as we are raising money for very needed charities we are making friends and having such a good laugh along the way. I am also very much looking forward to attending many of the camping trips available throughout the year. A real adventure without the constant reminder we're not like the other families there.. as we are all single parents, and we all muck in together. I would encourage any single parent to give FROLO a chance - It may be that one thing in your life you're unknowingly missing. You can check out what FROLO is all about on their Instagram page @frolo_app as well as their Facebook page. And slowly my shields were lowered and I was socialising with other people, in my living room, with a cuppa and, you guessed it - having fun! What a weird concept for a 30+ single mum ay! I soon started joining the social zooms - "Wine & Drawing", "Solo Mums Chat", "Friday Night Chat" just to name a few. There are local to you zooms available too! But I guess the main concept of FROLO, its main purpose is to bring single parents together. To elevate that lonely feeling us single parents have, and that is done so magnificently by the community itself. There are face to face meet ups available all over the UK and Ireland, and there are dedicated FROLO Ambassadors eager to encourage local frolos to meet up and support each other. All it takes is a little bit of faith in finding your people. 8 months on from initially and very apprehensively joining FROLO I now feel very much part of the community. I get involved in and/or support all the charity challenges that happen through FROLO -
Your loving Friendly Frolo Ambassador Kit
LIFESTYLE MY HOLIDAYS WHEN THE KIDS WERE SMALL
When the kids were small, I am thinking about 7 and 8 years old, our school holidays would start two weeks earlier than most families and definitely looked extremely different! It would start as soon as the school put the Christmas decorations up, my youngest would become a runner at school and leg it out the front doors, he didn’t do this at any other time of year but as soon as those decorations went up, he was off like a rocket! And so our holidays started two weeks early as the school could not keep him safe! Over the years we developed a few holiday season tips and would love to share these with you! 1: Relax: it’s easy to think how your Christmas should look instead of enjoying how it looks!
2: Keep as much of the normal routine as you can and want to, nuggets for Christmas dinner can still be amazing! 3: DO WHAT YOU WANT! 4: Wrapping, I think some years our presents have not been wrapped at all and others they have been wrapped in fluffy blankets (part of the present), not every child loves the sensory overload of wrapping! 5: Get your child involved in everything! If they put the lights up then they are less likely to rip them down later! 6: Quiet spaces: make sure there is a space to escape the music and lights! Headphones also help when out and about. 7: If you’re going with family or friends, go over the escape places if your child is likely to run and look for a quiet space, finding one first and showing them how to get there makes it easier in the long run! 8: Travel and holiday trips can be full of expectations, take favourite things with you and go with as few expectations and pressures as you can. 9: Christmas smells are one of those overwhelming things, this may be one thing a mask is useful for, we normally cover our mouths and noses with a scarf! 10: Putting a schedule on things: this is our schedule for the season Find the first chocolates for Christmas in the shop See which garden centre has its decorations up first Spot the lights in the neighbourhood Then it's my sons birthday in the first week of December
LIFESTYLE
The weekend after that we can put up a tree The weekend before Christmas we can put up lights Lights get turned on Christmas eve Christmas day means that holiday music can be played, and we open presents in the morning! Christmas afternoon is a board game after dinner ( dinner is eaten on the floor picnic style) Christmas evening is gaming and YouTube (normal routine) Boxing day is a scoff of anything you want when you want a day and a walk. All decorations come down the day after boxing day! I hope you find your Holiday patterns and I would love to hear about what works for you!
LIFESTYLE LETTERS TO OUR YOUNGER SELVES In the start of our new feature, our Editor and Assistant Editor have written letters to their younger selves. Read on to find out what they would tell their 18 and 21 year old selves.
To the younger me! At 21 you might think that you have your life planned out and it might seem weird that a 35 year old me has chosen you to write to but buckle up kid because things are going to get wild. It won’t be the path you were planning on but it will be the path that you’re meant to take so don’t panic. Trust in yourself and have confidence in your choices. You know what is best for you so don’t let anyone tell you any different. You’re about to meet some fantastic people. Your dream to run a magazine is going to come true and you’re going to be running it with one of your best friends.
The mentors that you need in life are going to come at the right points. You’ll meet some amazing business people on your journey. Listen to what they say and know that they have already walked the path that you will find yourself on. They know what they are talking about. There are going to be a lot of ups and downs in your life and you may even think that you need to runaway and change the direction your life is taking but it will still go the way it is going. You were put here for a reason and it doesn’t matter where you are - that reason will happen. Be happy. Enjoy being a godmother and ‘auntie’ to your friends' children. Don’t get upset over what you can’t change. Everything happens for a reason. Remember your favourite quote: You were born an original. Don’t die a copy! That will become even more true as you start your businesses. Be you and you’ll stand out from the crowd!
Future you x
LIFESTYLE Hey Lady!
So, 18 huh, who would have thought you would get this far haha!
Anyway, I have to tell you the next few years are going to be rough and well, if I could give you one piece of advice, I would say follow your gut, not your heart, or your head. Embrace being 18 go places, see bands, drink with friends and most of all be happy and free for as long as possible.
Destiny will always find you on the path you are meant to be on, however I know now that you are strong enough to get through it all. Hey, I wouldn’t be here writing this to you now if you weren’t.
Spend as much time with family as possible, travel to see family and make sure you carry on with your driving lessons, don't give up, just change your instructor if you are not happy.
Remember you are a daddy’s girl, so ask him for help where needed, ask him for driving lessons, spend as much time with him as possible. Make sure you mend all bridges with him but also do not distance yourself from your baby brother and mum. Family is important and you are going to really need them in the future. Remember how confident you are, how different you are, make sure to reach as high as you can. Follow what you want to do as a career and not what anyone tells you they think you should do. If you really want to be a mechanic then go for it, if you want to be a psychologist then go for it. It is your life. What can I tell you about where we are now? Well, you have a beautiful girl who lives with her dad at the moment but that’s a long story that you will unfortunately find out, but you are strong and it is ok! We are married to an amazing man, he’s not who you thought you would marry but he is amazing and caring and supportive. Anyway, Live. Love. Laugh and Enjoy!
What would you tell your younger selves? Email your letter and a photo to empoweredmagazineuk@gmail.com to feature in a future issue.
LIFESTYLE THE PSYCHIC COACH SHARES HER JOURNEY
Sometimes you hear a story and you know that you want to share it. Samantha Jayne shares with us her monthly forecast each issue and she has a great story to tell so we knew that we had to have her as our second cover star. Hannah met Samantha through a mutual business friend and she's been inspired ever since. Every day there is an energy alert email sent out and in her Facebook groups there are always positive and inspiring posts from Samantha and others that are in there. If you ever get a chance to talk to Samantha, take one of her courses or read one of her emails, you should definitely jump on the chance! Read on to find out more about Samantha and her journey.
LIFESTYLE WHEN DID YOU FIRST START USING YOUR GIFTS TO HELP OTHERS? This began a few years later from the age of 28. I began by teaching others how to meditate and connect with the world we live in spiritually. How to tale care of their souls not just their bodies and minds. This is so important.
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH FORM OF THERAPY A PERSON WOULD FIND BENEFICIAL? When a client comes to me, whether it is about their business or their personal life, I am aware of their energy and where their emotions, their fears are coming from. I also can feel what past experience is locking in, creating the new experiences they are walking through so I know how to clear it and fast!
WHEN DID YOU DISCOVER YOU HAD A GIFT? I have had my abilities since birth and have never known anything different than the way that I see things. How my mind interprets things energetically. It took me till I was 25 though to realise that not everyone was having the same life experience as me. That not everyone saw what I saw, felt what I feel, know what I know. I had a pub in Bristol called The Robin Hood where the ghost of a previous landlord liked to intimidate and even physically touch the barmaids. I found myself stood one day shouting at him in the bar the behave himself or I would get rid of him. People were watching and I didn’t realise. When I turned around and saw their faces, with their jaws on the floor, I realised there, in that moment, that this was not normal after all!
DO YOU PLAN TO WRITE ANY MORE BOOKS IN THE FUTURE?
I keep being asked this!! I have become a lover of the blog, you can read mine here: Samantha Jayne - Author and Spiritual Coach – Medium so for now this is where I am channelling and writing my guidance. There may be another book to come, but not just yet.
DO YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR WAY YOU LIKE TO RECHARGE? IT MUST BE VERY SPIRITUALLY DRAINING WHEN HELPING OTHERS.
I am a lover of nature, of getting out in the countryside and breathing in the healing energies, the peace and quiet, the pause that lies outdoors. I choose to nature to decompress after a long day in the office. I have horses too and this is how I reground and clear my own energy. I shift my focus here but you will also find me meditating in the fields amongst the horses as I get a lot of inspiration and insight when doing so.
LIFESTYLE
YOU ALREADY HAVE SO MUCH UNDER YOUR BELT, BUT WHAT IS NEXT FOR SAMANTHA JAYNE? Right now the focus is on building my network of spiritually minded Entrepreneurs and Business Owners who know they were put here to make a difference. I feel passionate about helping them join up the dots to their own success and to achieve the soul’s path, the path of fulfilment in life. This is how we make a difference in the world.
HOW TO CONTACT SAMANTHA JAYNE? www.samantha-jayne.co.uk www.needapsychic.co.uk Subscribe to my FREE Energy Alerts Book a one to one healing session here Book a one to one tarot reading here
LIFESTYLE A FESTIVAL WEDDING IN A COUNTRY VILLAGE BY CHARLOTT MCANSH
When we got engaged on 12th May 2020 in lock down I knew I didn’t want a traditional wedding… Jamie and I were meant to be climbing to Everest Base Camp and that is where he would have liked to propose but as this was postponed we were on top of our local mountain called Twmbarlwm and for me that made it more special as we can climb there any day of the year! The engagement ring was made out of a bolt and Jamie had spent hours up in the attic creating the ring as we couldn’t get out to the shops – we later found a beautiful ring via an online auction, but it is the bolt ring that still holds a special place in my heart. Planning a wedding in lock down was always going to be more challenging and at the time when we set the date 29th August 2021 we thought we would have no problem.
However, due to restrictions being lifted late in our area we decided to stick to a safe number where we could all feel comfortable, and the list kept changing weekly at one point. It was hard to bring numbers down, but our friends and family were extremely supportive. When it turned out that my family and friends from Sweden were not going to be able to join us we decided to stream our wedding ceremony in a private Facebook group which was special as I still look back on this and just love being able to watch the very special ceremony created by our celebrant Jane Grayer from Create Ceremonies.
LIFESTYLE We knew from day one that we wanted Jane to conduct our ceremony as she did a very special service for a relative that passed away and her attention to detail and the way she has with not just words but to also bring out your story is amazing. She spent an evening with us, and we decided to go for the traditional way of tying the knot via a hand fasting ceremony. We used the colours that meant something to us and wrote our own vows. She encouraged us to write a secret letter to each other which we opened during the ceremony and that made the service extra special and so personal. Community means everything to us and as well as running our company See No Bounds, an online business community and directory I have always been part of a community. This is why we decided to get married in the village hall of a small village called Llandenny where I used to own the pub. On the day I arrived at the village May 4th 2006 I was instantly welcomed and loved being part of a village community. This is my Welsh roots and where I have my Welsh ‘families’ so this was a natural choice.
I believe it is so important to make sure you plan your wedding day exactly how you want it and what makes it special to you. For Jamie and I that was to include all friends and family and instead of any presents we asked all guests to get involved. Our wedding cake and cupcakes was made by my maid of honour and Judy also contributed homemade scones as we had a high tea flow of canapes after the ceremony. Most of the ladies provided a plate of savoury and sweet and the men helped with providing the marquee and gazebos. A local farmer supplied the hay bales on loan and all friends brought blankets to sit on. Flowers were arriving from all different gardens and we had everyone from 5 years old to 65 helping creating bouquets and table settings for the special day. A balloon arrangement was arranged by our beautiful flower girl and a ladies and gents beauty hamper provided by Jemma and Lauren by the bathrooms for freshening up.
LIFESTYLE Our friend Jon Plimmer from Jon Plimmer Photography was our photographer for the day and even got a smile from our ‘asbodoodle’ who is very shy with large groups of people but with a piece of chicken hidden in my hand she walked me up the ‘aisle’ like the perfect companion. Music was provided by Mansel Davies who even took the time to learn four different songs in time for the wedding day and played for nearly 5 hours. We knew we wanted it to feel like a festival and both Mansel and our DJ friend Scott Hazledine made this happen as well as our lovely Flamin’ Joe’s who was busy behind the BBQ. Sustainability is important to us both and we made the most of using Facebook marketplace locally to find things for our wedding as well as making sure most could be re-used afterwards. My wedding dress went off in a parcel two weeks later and I had a lovely message saying this was exactly what she had been looking for and she couldn’t wait to get into it for her special day.
It is easy to get overwhelmed whilst planning a wedding and to think that you need so much and that you need to spend more than you would want and it does not need to be the case and my top tip would be to follow your dream and make sure that you have fun along the way together. We decided to make our own wedding rings with the lovely jewellers Andrea Griffin from Griffinhouse Design, and we made our own candles. I love flower arranging so I made all the bouquets and we had a few creative evenings with friends making the invitations as well as decorations and endless music requests playlists. By bringing your family and friends in to the organising it makes them part of your day and that is more memorable than anything else. The bonding that you create also makes it special and even though my family couldn’t travel they were involved with the organising and thanks to the cyber world were able to join us via the screen.
LIFESTYLE
My 10 top tips Create a budget that is realistic Decide on the ceremony that suits both of you Book a venue that feel special to you and where you can create the atmosphere that you wish Buy your dress nearer the time to the wedding Create lists of what is important to you Book entertainment, photographer and catering early Get family and friends involved Borrow items – you be amazed how helpful people are if you only ask and it all helps with sustainability and budget Organise your guest list early but do the save the dates a few months later so you have time to think of space and budget Most of all make the build up fun and creative with your friends and family
You can find Charlott and her husband Jamie over in their online community See No Bounds:
https://seenobounds.co.uk/
LIFESTYLE Top 10 tips for couples considering a destination wedding next year By The Wedding Travel Company 1. Hire a wedding planner When it comes to destination weddings, hiring a wedding planner isn’t just about reducing stress and having someone take care of bookings. Luke advises couples to work with an experienced coordinator who speaks the country’s language, has strong industry contacts, and who knows which legalities and documents need to be considered. “Organising and executing a wedding abroad is a big deal,” he says. “Planners need to be familiar with resorts, venues and services, and have trusted relationships with contacts. For example, if a decor service suddenly becomes unavailable or the company goes bust, your planner needs to have the means available to fix the problem and find an alternative. “There are some things not all international venues offer that couples may not realise need to be done the translation of paperwork after the ceremony, for one, and planners can help with this. Our team in the UK and abroad is highly experienced, and we have a checklist process in place that enables us to ensure everything is taken care of before, during and after the wedding.” 2. Check for legal requirements and documents If you’re not using a wedding planner, checking for legal requirements and documents needed is something couples will need to ensure they look into. This tool shows British nationals getting a marriage or civil partnership abroad, which documents are required from the UK Government. Luke said: “Couples will need to get in touch with local authorities in their destination of choice to be sure of exactly what it is they need. “Each destination may have different requirements, but usually at the least the documents needed are a full birth certificate and a certificate of no impediment from a local registry office. If either party is not a British citizen, an Apostille stamp may be required, which shows the Government has ‘legalised’ the document. The cost for both of these is paid in the UK. “In terms of legalities, most countries will require people to reside there for 3-7 days before they can marry. In Greece, it varies from island to island. In Spain, unless people live there or are having a religious wedding, all ceremonies are symbolic only and couples would need to have a registry office ceremony beforehand. “Another thing to be mindful of is whether the country permits same-sex , legal weddings. Unfortunately, places like Spain, Greece and Italy do not, but some venues will allow same-sex symbolic ceremonies. As this is subject to change couples should seek the latest information. Our team provides couples with all of the legal and documentation requirements for each country.” 3. Choose your destination - but be flexible with it if you can Getting a clear idea of your dream wedding location is one of the first steps and depending on couples’ needs and requirements, Luke explains that, sometimes, flexibility is needed.
LIFESTYLE “There are a number of elements that impact choosing a destination for a wedding, which is something we find a lot of couples do before considering other details. These include cost, time of year, party size, the type of wedding, like whether or not you want to incorporate the culture of another country into your big day, the setting, how formal it is, the temperature and climate, and so on. “As an example, if couples want to complete their wedding trip within a week and their guests cannot take much time off of work, that stunning beach wedding in the Caribbean might be better suited to a destination within Europe. Decide whether you want to wed in a church, chapel, at a hotel or on the beach, and have a back up choice.” 4. Be mindful of Covid restrictions in the UK and abroad As restrictions continue to ease all over the world, travelling and planning a wedding abroad are both easier now than when the pandemic began. However, restrictions still need to be considered, especially if the wedding is sooner rather than later. “Couples need to be aware that, at present, each country has its own travel and general restrictions in place, so subject to their wants and needs, their wedding might be better going ahead in a different country than they had in mind. This is also why we advise flexibility with destination choice. “It’s another reason having a planner is key, as they will be familiar with the restrictions and can help you alter plans if you need to. “It’s good to think about ease of travel to and from the destination too, including for vaccinated and unvaccinated guests, as well as any quarantine rules at the time of booking. Most, if not all, of our venues can host weddings outside, which means rules are generally more relaxed and easier to adhere to.” 5. Consider the weather A better chance of having glorious weather is one of the main reasons couples elope to warmer climates, according to Luke, who explains what people need to consider: “It’s more common for UK couples to wed abroad during the spring, and the summer especially, and so it’s important to take into account what the picture could look like for your chosen month. “In many of our European destinations, the chance of overcast weather or showers is higher in April and May than it is in June, July or August. “Of course during these months temperatures soar and affect what brides, grooms and guests wear, and whether or not they want to bring children, or even pets. The time of the ceremony is important too. We generally facilitate weddings at 2pm and 6pm - one of the reasons being that the temperature is slightly cooler than it would be at midday, for example.” 6. Get clear on your guest list from the start It can be one of the trickier elements of planning a wedding, but if you’re tying the knot abroad, knowing who and how many people are attending from the get go can save you time and money especially if you have less time to plan and organise. We advise people to finalise their guest list at the start of their planning process,” says Luke. “The reason for this is guests will have different requirements that couples and planners need to know if venues and hotels can facilitate."
LIFESTYLE “Some things that may need to be considered are any disability needs and requirements, venue capacity, advance booking group discounts, whether or not children or pets are allowed in hotels, food allergies for catering plans, and so on. “Knowing all of this from the start means plans are less likely to need to change further down the line, which is less stressful for the brides and grooms.” 7. Consider the cost The cost of planning and booking a wedding abroad is extremely varied depending on how intimate or large the ceremony, reception and wedding party is. Plus, how many ‘extras’ couples want, such as fireworks or a dove release, and whether or not it’s during the peak summer season will impact the price. “Of course with a destination wedding, couples need to consider the cost of travel and accommodation too, which varies from location to location,” says Luke. “People need to be mindful of what their guests can afford if they’re paying for themselves. Despite this cost needing to be factored in, lots of destination wedding packages are substantially cheaper than the cost of UK weddings. We facilitate many that are under £10,000 in stunning venues and locations across Europe. “The good thing about working with a wedding package facilitator like The Wedding Travel Company is we work with scores of suppliers and can secure discounted rates on accommodation, as well as guest deals for customers in advance, including for large parties.” 8. Decide where you want to honeymoon Honeymoon at your chosen wedding destination or jet off to somewhere else, the choice is yours, but consider the ease of getting from one location to the next with a wedding dress and gifts in tow. Luke says: “It’s easier and cheaper to have your honeymoon in the same destination as your wedding, especially if you are marrying abroad you may not be travelling light. Some couples get family members to take items home with them, like a wedding dress, so they can fly elsewhere with a bit more ease. “If you want your destination to cover both, consider whether your choice of locations can provide you with the setting you want for your wedding, as well as the activities, nightlife or relaxation you want for your honeymoon. With our knowledge and expertise, we can advise couples on locations that include everything.” 9. Insurance It’s not just travel insurance you’ll need, but wedding insurance with overseas cover, too. Protection for expensive items is a must. Luke says: “Most insurance providers offer wedding insurance, with overseas cover as an add-on. It’s really important to have this so that couples are covered in the event of any emergencies, like theft, loss or damage to items, such as wedding rings or supplier failures. Our planners are trained to offer toplevel advice when it comes to taking out insurance.”
LIFESTYLE 10. Allow enough time There’s nothing worse than turning up late or rushing around to prepare for your wedding day - jetlag, flight delays, relaxation time and rehearsals all need to be taken into account. “We tell clients they should arrive at their destination of choice no less than 48 hours before their wedding day. The further the distance, the longer you will need to relax and recuperate before the big event. “Some couples like to enjoy a spa and pool day before the ceremony, or carry out a rehearsal dinner, so consider what it is you would like to do prior. In the event of any flight delays, it’s incredibly important travellers, including guests, have some leeway. “Adequate time is also needed to plan the wedding, and while more last minute dos can of course be arranged, the more time to prepare means the more services will have availability and the easier it will be. A lot of couples are starting to plan now for weddings next summer.
The Wedding Travel Company The Wedding Travel Company has been established since 2014 and has experienced rapid growth each year, helping thousands of brides and grooms with their general wedding needs abroad. This includes planning, booking, and recommending a host of popular services, from bespoke transportation to firework displays, to cakes and wedding decorations. The company facilitates weddings in a vast array of destinations from Cyprus, Greece and Italy to Vegas, the Caribbean, and many in between. Alongside the picturesque locations, they offer a great selection of wedding venues from churches, chapels, villas to many stunning beach locations. The Wedding Travel Company is ABTA Bonded, meaning that customers and guests are financially protected when booking all services through the business, including accommodation and transfers. They pride themselves on customer service and are rated 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot and 4.6/5 on WeddingWire.
LIFESTYLE
Samantha Jayne Forecast for December and January The final month of 2021 will really be bringing home to us that the world is changing, whether our own private world or the big wide world that we live in. We will be seeing changes in the structures that we have been so used to whether our governments, schools, large corporations, within politics. We will also be experiencing an inner shift, a change in how we think and feel about the world we live in. A month where we will spend a considerable amount of time deep in thought about our own futures and hoping for better times ahead. This will have many of us wanting to be alone. To sit in solitude and feel our way forward as we always must. The energy of Venus comes in to have us feeling somewhat disconnected from our loved ones and some may struggle with loneliness and depression through the month of December. Business wise, December is a great month for making business plans and these plans should all go to plan too. A time where we are encouraged to be patient as we move closer and closer to achieving something that matters to us. Something close to our hearts whether in business or our personal lives for that matter. If we have learnt anything in 2021, it should be that patience pays off, and everything happens in divine timing. This is a month where there can be opportunities to truly free ourselves from restriction and it is as if we come alive. To get there though we will need to let go of old visions and versions of ourselves. We will need to be more authentic than ever. With us not being so tied into and caught up in old structures, regimes and beliefs that no longer suit us, we will be searching for and creating a new way of being and living that is more in line with our morals, our beliefs, and our values.
This is the year of adjustment now. We all passed through so many key events and changes and now we must adjust. We must find a new way of being in society as a whole. January is the start of a 12-month cycle where we get to be part of creating the whole. To build a life, a business, that reflects who we are and how we choose to see the world. A year where we will need to be more open and accepting of other peoples choices in life especially when it comes to those who are choosing to live alternative lives. It may even be you! So don’t be surprised if you start to feel it is time to act on that off grid life you have always wanted to build. We still have important changes to make through the year of 2022, but they should not feel so harsh as the ones we had to face in 2021.
LIFESTYLE
One man's story of growing up as a refugee in the UK By Kenny Mammarella-D'Cruz When I was 37 years old, my father told me that sometimes you just have to turn the page and move on. He is a much-loved man who led a hunger strike in his Italian refugee camp in protest of cut rations. My father’s life was threatened in many ways: from early childhood abuse, to death-defying situations with soldiers, to the loss of everything in our home country. I was born and raised in Uganda until the age of eight, when the dictator Idi Amin took over the country and gave us Asians 60 days to leave, otherwise we’d be disposed of. I clearly remember a phone call telling us we’d be killed the night we went into hiding. Before boarding the plane from Kampala to Stanstead I was told that I may never see my father again and as the new head of our family I was to care for my five year old brother and mother. We flew to the safety of English refugee camps, while my father was smuggled to Italy at the eleventh hour. I told my father that I didn’t want to turn the page until I’d read what’s written on it. I needed to know what happened, who I was and where I came from. How could I possibly move on without knowing what I was moving on from? I later realised that it was what was written between the lines in my unconscious that I was simply not seeing, something that kept me running for my life, getting spooked and bolting as soon as safety in work, love or home got close. A secret script running my life, I needed to know it and rewrite it. So I broke the unspoken pact of silence and started asking my extended family questions, in a bid to give shape and substance to the pieces of my life puzzle, so I could see my bigger picture. The stories I was told gave me glimpses through many different rose-tinted lenses, painting pictures of goodness and love, where my memories were of grief and fear. Family secrets and lies was the name of the game and much as I gained a glimpse of the story of my life, it didn’t touch my soul or free my spirit. I realised that the information I needed was held in my heart and my head couldn’t heal it. I was the golden boy: my mother’s eldest, my godmother’s favourite and raised by my loving grandmother until she and my grandfather had to return to Goa before we fled from Idi. My elevated oedipal status in my family made me super-sensitive to the needs and pain of the women and our addiction to what people might think, so I learnt pretty quickly how to second guess. However, all the love I received from the women in my family estranged me from the constantly criticised men. The other children couldn’t relate to me either, because of my elevated status. My first dirty little secret was that I feared men and children, but at the same time, I was desperate for their acceptance. I could not be one of them, because I felt that I had to save the women from their pain first. We lived an idyllic life in Uganda within a thriving Catholic community, brought up with house staff, constant sunshine, the freshest of food and unquestioned security. We lost everything and within a few freezing months of fear and trauma, we were reunited with my father and moved to a dilapidated council house in rural Wales. We had to learn to cook, clean and fend for ourselves. As a young boy, my next dirty little secret started seeping through the cracks as I began to tic, twitch and grunt. I felt embarrassed while trying to be invisible in a small all-white community, who couldn’t possibly perceive of where we had come from. I remember wondering whether my family would have had a better chance of survival if they had one less mouth to feed. As I moved further into my head, I started with the secret suicidal thoughts.
LIFESTYLE What I did manage to hide from the outside world, however, was the obsessive-compulsive disorder that owned me, where everything needed to be clean and in place with no risk of contamination or harm. To survive my inner warfare, I kept my outer space in order and learnt how to delegate. In turn I took care of the emotional wellbeing of others. A secret pact? I’d starve myself then binge, I had body dysmorphia and secretly wanted to be white, skinny and hairless like the other boys. I’d pull out my hair and gouge at my skin (trichotillomania and dermatillomania) and the sound of people eating (misophonia) would cause an inner rage which added to my raw anxiety that lacked expression and caused depression. On the outside, we were fine and well accepted by our new community; behind closed doors we all had our troubles and avoided sharing our struggles, for fear of everything falling apart. I was physically attacked in the changing rooms on the first day of secondary school. I’d never been in a fight and as I froze in shock, another boy took on the scuffle until a teacher broke it up. Nothing more was said of it. It became another dirty little secret that I kept from my family, alongside how I never knew how to handle being called a n****r. I held it together on the outside, not fighting back and jeopardising the safety of my family, as we had nowhere else to go. Flash forward a couple of decades, and despite having dyscalculia (dyslexia with numbers), my marketing consultancy was doing well, until my business got burgled and the insurance pay-out enabled me to escape again and to repeat a well-established script from my unconscious: when life got good I’d run away before doing well and losing it all again. I adventured for a few years, sitting with elders in Fiji, sitting with personal development clients in Sydney, sitting with dying men alongside Mother Theresa in Calcutta and eventually realizing that I wasn’t sitting in my own space at all, but running away from my shadow: the bogey men from Uganda, the changing room bully and whoever my second-guessing mind could fantasise over, for me to survive. So I stopped. I stopped running away, I took deeper breaths, I listened to my thoughts as I really felt my feelings, I let go of whatever wasn’t true anymore. As I started to feel, I started to heal. As my emotional journey set me freer and freer, my mental health issues transformed. I was ready to turn the page and move on, now able to hear the whisperings of life calling my name. My annual refugee anniversary call to my mother three years ago, was met with “We’ve survived…!”. As her words slowly settled into my psyche, I felt a shift inside. Something lifted from my shoulders: the part of me still in survival mode was allowed to lay down his mask and start living. I no longer fear men because I am my own man. I no longer fear children because I’m off duty and safe enough to play. I no longer tic, twitch, or grunt and I am happy that I’ve been there, so I can meet other men in their stuck places of trauma, their broken spirits and survival limbo and I can help them set themselves free. I no longer second guess. From a calm mind, an open heart and feet firmly on the ground I’ve turned the page and I walk to the beat of my own drum.
LIFESTYLE TATTS UNFORTUNATE IS YOUR TATTOO MAKING YOU LOOK CHEAP? WITH INFLUENCERS SAYING BODY ART IS AN AESTHETIC NO NO AND EXPERTS SAYING TATTOO REMOVAL TREATMENTS ARE RISING RAPIDLY, WE ASK IS IT OVER FOR INK? If you love your tattoos - look away now! A popular YouTube star believes body art is unattractive, saying ‘I feel like tattoos really bring down a person’s look.’ In a recent video ‘12 Brutally Honest Ways to Look More Attractive,’ Shea Whitney - a style influencer boasting over 1.3M subscribers on YouTube - reveals a dozen ways we can all look more attractive with some tips to fix our ‘unattractive’ mistakes, including filling in our hairlines and considering tattoo removal. Ouch! But is Shea onto something? Skin expert Lou Sommereux - Clinical Director Cosmex Clinic in Cambridge - says she has seen a steep increase since lockdown came to an end of patients seeking to remove their tattoos. She comments: “Over the last 3 months, since lockdown ended, we have received many more enquiries at the clinic from patients seeking laser tattoo removal.” A recent study showed that a whopping 61% of adults in the UK have considered undergoing laser tattoo removal, simply because they are ‘over it' or don’t like their artwork anymore. Let’s rewind a couple of years when having a tattoo was the pinnacle of fashion. Even those inky blunders made some seem “fashionable”, and A-Listers including Ariana Grande and Megan Fox proudly paraded their tatts. Now, these A-Listers have openly waved ba-bye to their tacky tatts - Megan Fox condemned her Marilyn Monroe tattoo for having ‘negative connotations’ saying, “I don’t want to attract that level of negativity to my life.” And according to experts like Lou it looks like we are following in the same footsteps, but why? Is Shea Witney onto something? Have tattoos lost their charm, and become unattractive? Lou says: “Body art can have sentiment, however, when tattoos become faded or the meaning behind the tattoo is lost, they become an unwanted aesthetic concern. That’s when patients come to clinics like ours to see what options they have for removal.” It was the dull, faded tattoos that Shea Witney referred to in her latest video, she said: “I’m not against tattoos but faded, old ones just don’t look attractive. I really feel like tattoos bring down a person’s overall look.” She advises getting old tattoos either touched up or removed if they don’t represent your personal style anymore. Lou adds: “We have seen a real change in attitude towards beauty standards these past two years and people are reverting to more ‘natural’ looks - this includes body art. Tattoo removal technology has come a long way in recent years, and I think this has played a huge part in the perception switch; people have become a lot more relaxed in the idea that tattoos are no longer a ‘lifetime’ investment.” John Culbert, from Cambridge Stratum - an award-winning supplier of tattoo removal lasers to the aesthetic market - adds: “Tattoo removal technology has improved tenfold over the last decade, and as such has become more widely available as more skin clinics, aesthetic clinics and tattoo parlours invest.
LIFESTYLE “The introduction of affordable Picosecond lasers, such as the Stratum Pico300 system, has been a major leap forward for tattoo removal.” In laser removal, light is passed over the upper layers of skin. As the light is absorbed by the tattoo particles, it causes them to heat rapidly, while the deeper layers of skin remain cool. This causes the particles to become unstable, and eventually shatter. A few years ago, the notion of tattoo removal was plagued with misconceptions. People were under the impression that it was painful, ineffective, and expensive. Some also believed it was risky and damaging to the skin causing scarring and changes in pigmentation. John explains that this is simply not true, and machines like the Pico300 or Pico500 undergo rigorous testing before they are released to the public. “There are misconceptions around tattoo removal, and a lot of them couldn’t be any further from the truth. The overall process of tattoo removal can feel a little uncomfortable, but with the right cooling in place it is bearable. We can also remove artwork in fewer sessions using a Picosecond – a benefit to both the patient and the healthcare professional treating them.” When referring to skin damage and overall effectiveness, John adds: “Tattoo removal is very effective nowadays, and with the introduction of more powerful lasers, like Picosecond - we can effectively break down most colours. Powerful Picosecond lasers put very little energy into the skin, but at a very fast pace meaning damage and side effects on the skin are considerably reduced.” So is Shea right? Do we think tattoos make people look ‘cheap’? Or do we simply see them as ‘fastfashion’ and have a more relaxed attitude towards them now we can have them removed more easily? Lou concludes: “The rise in enquiries is a clear indicator that patients are more aware than ever of their appearance, and we anticipate more and more seeking tattoo removal as the removal options and subsequent results are beyond anything we could have imagined a decade ago.” Whether it’s a drunken mistake, an ex-lover’s name, or something that just isn’t who we are anymore, we know that tattoos are reversible with removal and clever cover up artwork.
LIFESTYLE BOOK REVIEW - A TOWN CALLED SOLACE, BY MARY LAWSON. PUBLISHED BY CHATTO & WINDUS/ PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE BY JANE LACEY-CRANE
I originally picked up this new Mary Lawson novel only because I spotted that Anne Tyler, one of my all-time favourite authors, recommended it, but I must admit to thinking twice about buying it when I discovered it had been longlisted for the Booker Prize 2021. Now, don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against the Booker Prize, or the writers that win it, but after the last eighteen months or so, I have found myself less and less drawn to books that the literary establishment deem as ‘worthy’. In these horrendous COVID times, I have become more inclined to want to read books that offer comfort, books that are easy to digest and enjoy and don’t require you to have an extensive knowledge of obscure words or references; books that transport you from your sofa/bed/favourite reading armchair (delete as appropriate) with no discernible effort or complicated linguistic tricks. I’m very glad that I ignored those initial misgivings because “A Town Called Solace” is a real treasure of a novel. The story is told from the points of view of three main characters, all affected in different ways by loss, loneliness and longing – little seven-year-old Clara is feeling alone and abandoned because her parents are completely fixated on Rose, her older sister who has gone missing; Elizabeth Orchard, Clara’s elderly neighbour, in hospital and close to the end of her life, and who is lost in memories of not being able to have had children of her own, and Liam - a stranger in town, en-route from the big city, isolated and socially adrift, because his marriage of eight years has broken down. These are some of the most endearing and quietly real characters I’ve encountered in a long while. The pace of this book builds completely around them, moving like a Canadian version of the “soft pull” you will find in an Anne Tyler story.
LIFESTYLE Although this novel at first appears deceptively simply written, it’s this simplicity that allows Mary Lawson’s beautiful and heart-warming story of love in its many forms to take centre stage. It is my favourite kind of book, an easy read without pretension but one which has real depth. It explores the vulnerability that comes with love, the human need for connection and people's capacity for compassion. There is a tremendous warmth in this novel, particularly in the beautifully evoked sense of place and the connections that character’s form with each other. The town of Solace doesn't really exist, but its name is well chosen for what it is able to offer, particularly to the newcomer Liam, and there are also some delightful moments of humour, including a librarian whose delicious home-made ice cream can only be served using a hammer and chisel, and the charm of Moses, the cat. I read Mary Lawson’s first novel Crow Lake many years ago and I am over the moon to be reacquainted with her work. If you enjoy books that allow you to read between the lines and become part of the story, then this is for you. On the surface this is a very gentle novel, but each of the characters has real emotional depth, making this a very moving read overall. I would compare it to the likes of Anne Tyler because, as in her best works, nothing much happens; no dramatic plot twists, no cartoon villains or stereotypical ‘small town’ characters. Always in this novel, the interest is in the clever use of language to transport the reader, the intimately drawn characters and in the author's deep empathy for human nature. What I loved about this book is that it portrays loneliness, the need for human connection and belonging, with a deep compassion but without sugar-coating the kind of mental anguish that can hit a person hard at any age. Although this book should by no means be described as a ‘thriller’, by alternating between the three points of view, the author creates carefully crafted layers of suspense and anticipation which carry the different storylines all the way through until the final resolution. The narrative switches effortlessly between the past and the present, adding surprising elements and engaging dialogues that give each protagonist their distinctive voice and backstory. Mary Lawsons voice is a strong one and one which moves seemingly effortlessly between a child, a man and an elderly woman. Nothing is jarring or forced, all are equally believably characterised. Lawson’s writing is at times deceptively simple, but clever adaption of vocabulary, sentence structure, and rhythm give each character a distinctive voice. This is a book about Solace, (a sparsely populated fictional town in remote and chilly Northern Ontario), but it’s really about “solace” - the noun. The dictionary gives the definition of the word ‘solace’ as, “To give comfort to in grief or misfortune, to console”, and that’s exactly what Mary Lawson gives us with this wonderful book. By the time the story ends, I felt that I’d read something that perfectly explained why being human can be so hard and is often complicated and confusing. I warmed to each one of the characters and their stories taught me yet again why fiction when well executed shows that people’s behaviour cannot be seen in black and white. What drives them is complex and unique and touches on many big themes such as love, grief, family history and crime. If you are looking for something heartwarming and yet intense, I would suggest this book wholeheartedly, it’s an absorbing novel and a real warm hug in these pandemic times. I highly recommended it.
LIFESTYLE AWARD-WINNING SOCIAL ENTERPRISE PIVOT LAUNCHES DIY CHRISTMAS BAUBLE TO HELP END HOMELESSNESS
By providing meaningful employment and training in hostels across the UK, Pivot is empowering people experiencing homelessness one earring at a time Award winning social enterprise Pivot has launched a stunning DIY Christmas bauble and has pledged all sale proceeds to run its next jewellery making training programme that supports people experiencing homelessness in the UK. The Christmas tree bauble, it’s first ever make-at-home accessory, will join the Pivot’s other hand-crafted range including earrings, necklaces, bookmarks and keyrings - all of which make perfect ethical gifts or stocking fillers for a loved one this holiday season. Founded in November 2019 by Alice Moxely, Pivot teaches people experiencing homelessness to design, make and sell jewellery, while providing coaching and financial support. All sessions are delivered in homeless hostels, bringing support directly to those who may find it difficult to access. Pivot’s awards for jewellery design and efforts to tackle homelessness: The social enterprise has been awarded a number of accolades for both its jewellery design and work to help end homelessness. In October, Pivot won Westfield London’s ‘Future Fashion’ competition’s jewellery category for its environmentally sustainable capsule collection titled “Building and sustaining opportunities”. The competition was judged by Royal College of Art, John Lewis & Partners, Save Your Wardrobe, Emily Carter London and Love not Landfill.
LIFESTYLE In 2020 Pivot’s founder Alice Moxley was named one of Pioneer Post’s “Women of inspiration”. Moxley also received the Shackleton Leadership Award in 2020 and was shortlisted for the 2021 Deutsche Bank Awards for Creative Entrepreneurs. Where you can buy Pivot’s collection from this Christmas: In the run up to Christmas Pivot will have a pop-up stall at a number of London markets, including Lambeth Town Hall on November 27th, Dulwich College Christmas Fair November 28th and Stepney Christmas Market on December 11th. Pivot is also working with Crisis, the UK’s national charity supporting people experiencing homelessness, over December selling its range in Islington. More information about their upcoming events can be found here. The social enterprise range is available on its website and from its online stockist including: Crisis, The British Red Cross, Not On The High Street, Cubitts, The Big Issue, Pantree, Deptford Does Art, Crafty Fox and Social Supermarket. Customers can also learn how to make jewellery from scratch at one of Pivot’s jewellery making workshops, led by a Maker who has graduated from the organisation's hostel-based training programme. Comments from Pivot’s team and makers: “At Pivot we believe in the healing power of making something with your hands from scratch. Not only does it focus the mind, but by the end you have made a beautiful creation that someone can wear or decorate a tree with or mark their place in a good book. We designed the DIY Christmas bauble so our customers could experience the joy of making in their own homes,” said Pivot’s Founder Alice Moxley. “Mental health in these places [hostels] is crazy. The longer you’re in there the less empowered you are to get these work opportunities. But through its programmes Pivot provides people living in hostels with a chance to build up their confidence and skills, so they can work towards finding accommodation and employment. All of the sales raised from the DIY Christmas bauble will go toward running our next training programme and supporting our growing team, which hires directly from the pool of programme graduates. As someone who has been through the programme I know what a lifeline it was for me,” said Jason, workshops and programme lead and programme graduate.
BUSINESS 10 Tips for Hiring a Virtual Assistant
There have been many times that I have been asked what a VA does. I thought I would share the top 5 things a VA can do to help you. EMAIL MANAGEMENT It may seem like a simple task but reading, responding, & deleting emails can take up so much of your time. By outsourcing this task to a VA means that you can save some time throughout your day. DIARY MANAGEMENT Are you struggling to stay on top of your diary & finding that you’ve double booked yourself? Outsourcing to a VA means that you never have to worry about missing a meeting or double booking yourself again! CONTENT CREATION If you struggle to make your content for your social media, get yourself a VA that specialises in social media. They can create you content for all of your social media platforms & keep an eye on your insights to ensure the content works for you. SCHEDULING & COMMENTING Your VA can schedule on your chosen platforms & respond as you to anyone who comments on your post. OBSERVING COMPETITORS Your VA can observe what your competitors are doing on social media by checking out the rankings, online visibility & keywork prioritization.
BUSINESS 6 Tips for Creating More Sustainable Events With COP26 underway, climate change and reducing our impact on the planet has become a key focus for businesses across the country. Sustainability in the meetings and events industry is a fastgrowing trend, and it isn’t going anywhere soon. Many businesses are already looking into ways they can reduce their impact on the environment and event planners have a key role to play in addressing some of the sustainability challenges we face internationally. It can feel overwhelming, knowing where to begin creating eco-friendly events, but we’ve put together 6 quick tips to help make your next event more sustainable Choose a ‘Green’ Venue Choosing a venue with green policies in place is key to creating a sustainable event. Your event venue will likely dictate your water and energy usage and sometimes catering too. Look for a venue with a strong sustainability statement. Some venues are fully powered by green electricity or have a zero waste to landfill policy. Check if the caterers source their produce locally, or have plans in place to reduce food waste. Rural venues can be a great sustainable option as they are often surrounded by green space and have policies in place to plant trees that offset their carbon footprint, but city locations can reduce travel, so it’s worth looking into your attendees locations and the benefits of different venues, to weigh up which is the right option for you.
Consider Travel Arrangements Once your venue is sorted, it’s worth considering how attendees will travel to and from your event. Try choosing a venue that provides everything you need in one place, for example, onsite accommodation and catering, or that is in close walking-distance to other locations you plan to visit. Commuting to and from an event, and from the venue to any post-event activities, is one of the biggest contributors to an events carbon footprint. If walking to your venue isn’t an option for most attendees, consider organising shared transport such as a shuttle, or giving attendees details of public transport links around your chosen venue. You could even consider offering an incentive to delegates who car share or choose a more environmentally friendly means of travel. Or Consider a Virtual/Hybrid Event Alternatively, cut out travel altogether with a virtual event or reduce travel with a hybrid event. After multiple lockdowns, event companies have seriously upped their game on virtual and hybrid events and can now deliver everything from team building to large conferences via a live stream. Virtual events also typically create less waste than in-person events, with a reduced need for printed materials and large-scale catering services. Incorporate Sustainable Team Building Many corporate events now include some form of team building activity, to get attendees connecting with each other and engaged in the content. Hosting a sustainable team building option is a great way to create a more environmentally friendly event. Choose activities that use recycled materials or re-usable set-ups, or look for something that actively promotes better environmental practices. CSR focused activities are great, such as Plan Bee – a team building event designed to help increase the bee population. As with hosting a virtual/hybrid event, you could also consider a virtual/hybrid team building activity, hosted through an app or via video conferencing. These events can cut out travel by both you and the suppliers and the production of any waste.
BUSINESS
Reduce Printed Materials Something as simple as going paperless or reducing the number of printed materials your event uses, is a surefire way to reduce your event’s impact on the environment. Creating a digital invite or attendee registration site quickly cuts out paper and can be a quick and efficient way to communicate your event to delegates. Having your information readily available on your company’s website or blog also makes it easier for attendees to locate important information. It’s worth evaluating bigger printed items too, such as banners and other large format print. Could your company branding or message be displayed digitally instead? Perhaps on a large screen or projected onto a wall? Many events services will have lots of options to choose from, quickly reducing your paper waste and having a big impact on your events sustainability. Eradicate Single Use Plastics As most of us are aware, single use plastics are one of the biggest threats to the world’s wildlife and environment. Around 150 million tonnes of plastic is currently floating around in our oceans, having a devastating effect on marine life. Implementing re-usable tools and resources into your event can be a big way to reduce your events environmental impact. Encourage employees to bring along their own re-useable coffee cups or water bottles that can be refilled, negating the need for disposable cups and bottles. Look for caterers who use re-usable or bio-degradable cutlery rather than plastic cutlery and ditch any unnecessary plastic decorations or giveaways. Consider what impact the items you use will have in the long term, not only on the event itself, but also on the environment around you. The need for sustainable events isn’t something that will go away anytime soon. We are becoming increasingly aware of the impact of our actions on the world we live in and actively trying to create a more sustainable way of living. The more we can incorporate sustainable events into company culture, the better chance we have of beating climate change and preserving the natural world for future generations.
BUSINESS IS YOUR BUSINESS SUFFERING FROM INVISIBILITY? Do you ever feel confused or frustrated that no one knows about your business and what you offer?
Do you ever wonder why your competitors are being seen and heard and you are not?
Why are they ‘everywhere’ and you are ‘nowhere’?
There’s a simple answer to these questions – other companies invest in being seen and heard.
As the new year dawns here are ten tips for great PR in 2022: 1. Video will be bigger than ever. Research and engage on YouTube and share your stories and news in video format too across various social media channels. Not only is it the most powerful way to tell stories other than face to face, it has huge SEO benefits. 2.The continued rise of the MICRO-INFLUENCER. Think selling via social media, think of having a brand ambassador with a small but committed following – look at TikTok to see what I mean (and learn about TikTok too). 3.Digital content should be more ‘SEARCH’ orientated. What questions are our customers likely to be asking? Answer them with more Q&A style articles or ‘listicles’ – like this one! 4.Demonstrate COLLABORATION. I believe this will be a key theme in business and life generally and share details of those collaborations. This allows an SME to punch well above their weight in attracting new, bigger clients. 5.Openly embrace being GREEN. Increasingly bigger brands will only work with those in their supply chain who can demonstrate green ethics and a move towards net zero. Start on that journey now. 6. Show you care – GIVING BACK to your community through supporting a charity, community project or social enterprise. Always powerful for PR, increasingly it will be part of any bid for bigger contracts. Social responsiblity could be the one thing which gets you across the line. 7. Take the WELL BEING of your team more seriously than ever and do PR around this. In a county where recruitment and retention is an issue, you have to make a noise about what you can offer to an employee, and it has to be more than salary. 8. Look for stories in your DATA – the media love figures which show growth, which show something interesting. Data often holds stories which are left untold.
BUSINESS 1.Can you EDUCATE? – if you know there’s a change in the law that’s coming up which is relevant to your business, your clients and others then share that information as early as possible. It makes you a thought leader and very attractive to the media. 2. Show HUMOUR – many businesses never look for more light-hearted opportunities to shine. Comedy is a great way to share a serious or worthy message and to emotionally engage people. Done in the right way, it’s powerful. If any of the above resonates with you or your team and you don’t know where to start, I can show you how to become visible, liked and trusted as a ‘brand’.
PR POWER HOUR Feel stuck with your PR and visibility?
Would it help to have a dedicated one hour conversation with an expert on whatever it is you want to focus on? Don't want to invest in a full PR programme at the moment, but you need help and maybe you’re curious and want to try me out first?
We can cover pretty much anything. I can help you get clarity on a range of PR and visibility challenges. When you spend an hour completely focused on something, it's amazing what you can achieve!
If any of these issues sound familiar we should chat.
A 1:1 PR Power Hour is perfect for you!
By the end of our 60-minutes together, you’ll leave with absolute clarity, knowing the exact next steps to take. You’ll feel completely confident to move forward & excited to crack on!
PR Power Hour slots are strictly limited though & do fill up fast each month. So if you’re ready to take the next step – here’s where you can book your PR Power Hour, straight into my diary.
https://scott-media.mykajabi.com/pr-power-hour
BUSINESS ‘REMOVING WEAK ADJECTIVES, VERSIONS OF THE ‘TO BE’ VERB AND CONNECTIVES’ BY LIS MCDERMOTT Last month I talked about the importance of editing. This month, the focus is on how changing sentences around can add more impact. Sometimes our writing is just a matter of laziness. We use the first thing that comes to mind
What are adjective, verbs and connectives?
The most common ‘to be’ verbs are:
For those of you, who like me, went to school some time ago and have forgotten the technical terms of grammar – an adjective is a word that gives an attribute to a noun, eg. sweet, red, enormous.
Are, am, is, was, were, been and being
Verbs are the ones I always remember the meaning of – doing words! E.g. to swim, to drink. Connectives too are easy, because the word says exactly what they do - words or phrases that link other parts of language. Eg. before, after, then, but, and, etc. Apologies if I have just told my grandmothers and grandfathers to suck eggs!
Using any of these can weaken the words that follow. You can make sentences far more interesting by replacing them with alternatives: Weak sentence: They were not enjoying the editing process Strong sentence: They hated the editing process. Stronger sentence: The editing process repulsed them Weak sentence: It was interesting to hear about his engineering skills Stronger sentence: His engineering skills interested me.
BUSINESS Weak sentence: His failure to make the goal was unfortunate. Stronger sentence: Unfortunately, he failed to make the goal. Weak sentence: I thought I knew everything there was to know about printing Stronger sentence: I thought I knew everything about printing. Because we often write how we speak, many of us use the ‘and’, and ‘then’ connectives far too often. Always check your writing to ensure you haven’t overused them. Remember, ‘therefore, ‘however’, ‘as a result’ and ‘for example’. Connectives are useful, as they guide the reader through a thought process, connect the dots between your ideas and make your writing easier to understand. They give clarity to help your sentences flow, where they may otherwise feel unconnected.
Keep it simple – it’s best to favour short and sweet connectives, over long ones. Last month, I gave you 5 tips to help initial editing. Looking to make improve sentences, make them interesting and succinct can also help strengthen the emphasis of what you want to say. Next month: Misuse of words.
BUSINESS HELLO? WHERE ARE YOU? IS ANYBODY THERE? BY CHRIS ROBERTS MBE
How many times have you tried to contact someone by email and waited and waited for a reply that doesn’t materialise? Or how many times have you left a voicemail that has gone unnoticed and unanswered? Do you feel like you’re shouting into a black hole after you’ve put your message out there into the universe and then sit down at your desk with your fingers crossed, hoping for a reply? It’s not just responses to emails and voicemails – it’s also unreturned texts and messages via social media, all of which can be extremely irritating and frustrating. Thanks to my job in the journalism world, I’ve experienced a lot of frustration when it comes to unanswered messages. Why is that people want you to write about them, but then can’t get back to you within a set deadline with the information you need to be able to write that article?
I’ve found that lots of people are really bad at responding promptly and I realise that this can happen for a million different reasons. But what is the best way of following up with these types of people who are not great at getting back to you – if at all. How does it make you feel having to chase a response and what do you think when you read or hear a lame excuse such as “Oh sorry, I am very busy at the moment.” This particular excuse makes me want to send a snotty reply or shout down the phone: “We are all busy and it’s taking up my valuable time having to chase your inability to respond.” Obviously, this is not the way to handle a potential client, so how do you politely push people into replying within a reasonable timeframe? There are tactics that you can use to get answers when you need them without sounding too annoyed and too demanding.
BUSINESS When you don’t get an answer back from your first email, text or voicemail, you can follow up by providing a deadline for a response. “Further to my previous message, I look forward to hearing back from you by Friday if possible please.” So, now you’ve made it easy for the person to respond quickly, but they still don’t get back to you. What do you do now? At this point, it can be very awkward balancing being polite without sounding annoyed or annoying! You are left with only a few options – either follow up with a phone call direct to the person or their assistant (if they have one) reminding them of who you are, what you need and the deadline. Or you could email the person and copy in his/her boss or whoever else you think might spur the recipient into action. This is a last resort though as you may irritate the receiver a bit, but you will definitely get a reply! Another option is walk away! They’ve missed their chance! Their loss! Forget it! But sometimes you just can’t do that – as it’s probably not in your best interests to upset a business colleague or potential client and come across as tetchy, illmannered and bad-tempered! So, as well as feeling very frustrated, irritated and downright cheesed off, this laggard is now also making you feel guilty about getting annoyed! Unfortunately, there is no norm with digital communication about how long the silence at the end of the ether should last. With a face-to-face phone call, it’s completely clear how much time should pass between the speaker and the listener, as things can start to get a bit embarrassing when there’s a long period of quiet at the end of the line. The no-responders are those that regularly let emails slip to the bottom of the screen, but why? They must know that there is an email sitting there that really needs their attention. The most common reasons are lack of time and too many emails.
I can’t accept either of these excuses. I regularly run out of time, rush around meeting deadlines and groan when I see my inbox sagging under the weight of innumerable emails, but I do try to organise the emails in priority order and make sure each one has a full reply or a ‘holding’ reply giving a timescale when I will respond. I don’t consider myself the perfect prompt responder, but I do try to be considerate about how long I make a person wait for a reply. Some of the busiest people I know are the quickest responders. In my opinion, if someone cannot give me the courtesy of a reply, they go down in my estimation and appear unprofessional and rude. Occasionally, you might not get a response because the person replying to your email wants to put it off till later to give a longer, more thoughtful reply. However, they then wait too long and then feel too embarrassed to send it. Or they may not reply straight away in order to think about sending a meaningful reply. But then, the message ends up being the one that looks like you didn’t care enough to reply to, when in fact, you cared too much. The best thing is to have a system – reply first of all to those emails that will take two minutes or less. Then move on to the more complicated emails, which will take longer and will need a bit of research or information to reply to. I would really much prefer someone to get back to me with a ‘no’ answer to my email rather than just leave me wondering. Maybe the no-reply is the new no! Most of us can handle rejection. We just can’t handle not knowing. Who knew communicating could be so complicated? No matter what line of business you’re in, correspondence with others is almost always a necessity and, unfortunately, slowcoaches will always exist. So now stop reading this article and start answering a few of those emails!
BUSINESS IRISH START-UPS GROUND WELLBEING AND ETHOS CBD COLLABORATE ON NEW WELLNESS PRODUCTS Irish brands GROUND Wellbeing and ethos CBD collaborate to create two new CBD balms, one to support perimenopause and menopause symptoms and the other to help with pain and inflammation. Both brands launched in November 2020 and are now collaborating to utilise the strengths of each business to develop products that meet each brands’ customer needs. The collaboration of the two wellness brands brings together the worlds of aromatherapy and CBD. GROUND was founded by Peigin Crowley in Cork and offers natural plantbased ingredients to create simple, clean selfcare products. All products are handmade in small batches by founder Peigín, using vegan ingredients; organic where possible, and blended with sincere intention, to soothe the soul. Ethos was founded by couple Amy O’Flaherty and Fergus Kerrigan and offers CBD oils and organic Hemp Teas using hemp grown in Co. Wicklow combined with botanical extracts and essential oils to target specific wellbeing needs. Both brands are less than a year old having both launched in 2020, during the global pandemic. They have each experienced great success in recognition of the fact that Irish consumers are investing more in natural solutions to support their health and wellbeing and are seeking out Irish made products. Peigin, founder of GROUND Wellbeing spoke about the partnership: Developing a GROUND CBD Balm to soothe hormone fluctuations has been both a personal goal as well as a business focus for GROUND. There is so much about the journey towards menopause that we do not know about and we need to learn more in order to equip ourselves and our mental health.
This is something I am committed to being open about and delving into it to gain knowledge and share with our online GROUND Community. I had begun taking ethos CBD mid lockdown and I found it excellent. I had coupled it with ashwagandha supplements and it had really helped with anxiety and sleep. Being able to combine both into a soothing balm to incorporate into a night time ritual has been a labour of love. Working with Amy & Fergus has been my favourite experience this year - they are beyond generous of spirit, sharing their intellectual property around CBD and demystifying it for me. As founders go, they literally walk the walk and are an inspirational duo in Ireland’s growing wellbeing industry. I would class them as expert leaders in CBD as their integrity is second to none and I feel so fortunate to have partnered with them.
BUSINESS
Fergus, Co-founder of ethos CBD spoke about the partnership: The launch of the Repair CBD Balm is something very important for ethos as we know from talking to our customers that a real need exists for a topical CBD balm. A lot of people In Ireland are suffering from arthritis and other inflammatory issues that affect the muscles, joints and everyday mobility. The Repair balm and accompanying ritual for application provides a natural support to the body’s own ability to repair and heal. We are excited by the feedback on the balm so far and this gives us confidence it’s a product that can help a lot of people. Working with Peigin and creating this product has been one of the most fulfilling experiences we’ve had as business. The energy, passion and knowledge Peigin brings is unreal and we believe the product speaks to all these qualities. While sometimes businesses feel they need to protect their ideas, this product launch is a great example of how cool things happen when you are open to collaboration with a like minded business. We knew after our first phone call that there was something special in this, that we were aligned in how we work and in our passions for helping others unlock the ritual of everyday self-care and wellbeing.
BUSINESS
HANNAH DIGS DEEP TO LAUNCH ECOFRIENDLY FLORISTRY BUSINESS A Rotherham-based entrepreneur is hoping to bring a new meaning to the phrase “say it with flowers” after sowing the seeds of a new eco-friendly floristry business.
Hannah Jackson launched her fledgling business The Garden of Evie earlier this year. Unlike many florists, which typically rely upon importing flowers from overseas, all of Hannah’s displays are created using locally sourced flowers, some of which she even grows herself!
The launch of Hannah’s business earlier this year is the culmination of three years of hard work after deciding to leave her former role as a NHS administrator back in 2017. Drawing upon her lifelong love of flower arranging & gardening for inspiration, Hannah embarked upon a floristry course, balancing her studies with a part-time job before successfully securing a role working as a professional florist.
Despite enjoying the creative challenges of her new role, Hannah became increasingly concerned about the environmental effect of her work. Worried about the impact of the thousands of miles flowers travelled on a daily basis, as well as the high volumes of plastics, toxic chemicals and nonrecyclable materials commonly used in the industry, Hannah began exploring more sustainable ways of working. Keen to embed sustainability into her business, Hannah began developing her own cutting patch, she began delivering bouquets to friends and family to brighten up their homes during the Covid-19 pandemic and after successfully securing her first orders earlier this year Hannah turned to the Sheffield City Region Launchpad programme for help. Working with experienced business adviser Julia Millea, Hannah began developing her future business plans, as well as taking part in a range of business courses helping her to develop the skills she needed to grow her sustainable floristry business, drawing upon the symbolism and meanings behind different flower varieties, to create stunning floral displays. Since launching her business Hannah has developed a particular interest in farewell flowers, replacing traditional coffin sprays with living displays using a range of plants, bulbs and personal possessions, as well as advising and guiding the families of the bereaved with her knowledge of seasonal flowers and foliage, resulting in a highly personalised tribute giving those left behind a lasting memory of their loved one, helping them cope with the grieving process.
Despite being no stranger to entrepreneurship, Hannah previously balanced her NHS career alongside running an award-winning home interior business, she believes the support she has received from Launchpad has helped her business ideas to take root, enabling her to not only pursue a career in an industry which she loves, but also helping to play her part in protecting the environment.
BUSINESS As part of her commitment to working more sustainably, Hannah also donates some of her profits to support the Tree Sisters charity, which helps contribute to reforestation efforts in Africa, South America and Asia. To date Hannah’s contributions to the charity have enabled over 600 trees to be replanted. Hannah Jackson, Owner of The Garden of Evie, said: “I have always wanted to run a sustainable business that provided an outlet for my creative skills. Throughout much of my adult life I’ve enjoyed flower arranging and gardening. When I changed careers to train as a florist it felt like a dream come true. However, the dream quickly turned into a nightmare when I discovered the enormous environmental impact of the industry. I turned to nature for inspiration, however, I was concerned that trying to earn a living from a hobby I’ve enjoyed for much of my life may not be practical, and so I turned to Launchpad for advice. “I know from past experience that being self-employed is something which required an enormous amount of drive and dedication and I wasn’t sure if I had what it took to succeed. Julia and the Launchpad team gave me the confidence to believe in myself and find my own voice. For example, I was really nervous about using social media in my business but after putting the training into practice and creating a few posts about my work on social media, I was amazed by the positive reactions I received. But perhaps the best part of working with Launchpad has been the ongoing support and knowing that whatever challenges I’m facing, help is just a phone call away." Julia Millea, Business Advisor at Launchpad, said: “Hannah was keen to build a business that helped her to embrace creativity, whilst also making a positive contribution to the environment. However, she also knew that success wouldn’t happen overnight, and as she began planting the seeds for her garden, she carefully began laying the foundations for her business and reached out to Launchpad for help. “Launchpad was created to help new business owners understand what it takes to build and grow a successful business. It’s great to see how Hannah has put the lessons she’s learned through the programme into practice. Today, Hannah is not only producing a range of beautiful seasonal flowers all year round, she is also using her skills and expertise to inspire others to try their hand at flower arranging. The key to any business is being able to generate different sources of income, and with her gardening expertise, her floristry skills and genuine passion, Hannah’s business is already starting to see the green shoots of growth.” Launchpad is the Sheffield City Region Growth Hub’s key business support programme for new businesses. Financially supported by the European Regional Development Fund and delivered by local authorities within the Sheffield City Region and the Prince’s Trust, the programme provides free help and support to budding entrepreneurs in the Sheffield City Region who are thinking of starting their own business or looking for help to achieve business growth. For more information about the Launchpad programme and how it operates throughout the Sheffield City Region, contact the SCR Growth Hub Gateway on 03330 00 00 39 or visit www.scrlaunchpad.co.uk.
In this podcast, I talk about how to use the season of Christmas and all associated festivities as a ‘PR hook’ to attract the media, to proactively engage with them and to reference it across social media and blogs.
It talks about how for some businesses Christmas begins in June & July to make the most of the ‘buying’ vibe which takes place in December.
This podcast could help you think differently about Christmas in your business or organisation next year.
You can listen wherever you usually listen to your podcasts!
https://scottmedia.uk/podcasts/
BUSINESS
ENTREPRENEURS - PREDICTING AND PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE The pandemic impacted humanity on a global scale, creating a prolonged and debilitating impact like never before. Few moments in history had imposed a global cessation and introspection
The impact for some entrepreneurs and small businesses was catastrophic yet, at the same time, this pause preceded what may be one of the biggest peaks in entrepreneurship.
The pandemic tested humanity’s AQ - our adaptability quotient. As Darwin rightly declared, only those who are able to adapt survive. For entrepreneurs, the lessons of the pandemic have provided an opportunity to fully understand how fragile a business is (or can be) and just how agile it needs to be to survive in a changing world. The lessons? Entrepreneurs need to continually develop their foresight to stay ahead of predictable change. Adapting when change is already underway, places your business into a fight or flight state. Your business is already forced to act. For entrepreneurs who invest time in staying attuned with changes in their environment, the impact and scope of change can be predicted to a degree.
If we take the example of the pandemic, its likelihood had been widely predicted for some time, what no one could pinpoint was when. Such early predictions can be acted upon or ignored. The former would enable you to consider the potential impacts for your business and to scenario plan accordingly. The latter places you in a position of fight or flight, where both you and your business are placed involuntarily under pressure to survive. So how do you avoid this as a business owner or entrepreneur? Your natural tendency is likely to be action orientated and focused on the hustle and bustle of today, tomorrow or seasonal events in the year ahead. The biggest challenge for many entrepreneurs is to build in focus time. Time where you stop, look out, look ahead and gather data points to inform your foresight. Building these habits into your routine as an entrepreneur are critical to developing your AQ. If this counters your natural style find others in your team who can perform this role for your business, if you are working alone find those in your network who can pose questions that will force you to stop and think about the environment. Through extrospection we can develop foresight and join the invisible dots of seemingly unconnected external events and trends into potential future changes. So how can you ensure your business has developed its AQ in readiness for the next significant change? Every job, product, service and industry is going to be significantly impacted by AI and technology in the coming years. In fact, it’s already happening! The focus now should not be getting ‘back to normal’ in a post pandemic world, but on catching up with the future. Whether you run a small local business or a global venture, the disruption of AI is going to be significant.
BUSINESS The future exists beyond the 3 dimensional world as we know it. Your business and its consumers will soon be part of another world in which you need to operate - the metaverse. If we ignore it we will be forced into a fight or flight position and experience another pandemic type awakening. Now is the time to prepare for this change that is already gaining momentum. Are you spending time understanding the potential impact of AI on your business? What is this metaverse? Are you taking time each day or week to research the metaverse and how your business may operate in this world? Are your competitors already in this space? The pandemic has, for many people, sparked a desire to move towards a decentralised world. A world away from corporate structures, old systems and frameworks towards a new, devolved system of ownership. The future is one where the masses can create, build and own parts of the new online world. A world with its own currency, processes and protocols. Whether it’s the metaverse or any other trend that is gaining momentum, be curious. Invest time in exploring the unknown. Be comfortable with being uncomfortable as you explore these trends, but don’t ignore them. Build in time to understand how the world is changing and slowly but surely you will build your AQ and be able to predict and prepare for the future.
Jo Richardson has over 20 years experience as an HR professional across multiple sectors including FMCG, Logistics, Manufacturing and Finance across EMEA. She has coached and mentored senior leaders in business; female entrepreneurs and small business owners to break through barriers and overcome personal and professional challenges.
Instagram @igniteentrpreneurs Website jorichardson.org Publications Ignite, Bring your business idea to life without burning out
Read on to find out more about Jo Richardson's new book!
BUSINESS IGNITE: BRING YOUR BUSINESS IDEA TO LIFE WITHOUT BURNING OUT The essential guide to help entrepreneurs turn their ideas into reality without burning out.
With over 20 years’ experience as a HR professional, Jo Richardson has coached and mentored numerous women in business both formally and informally. Through her network, she has supported female entrepreneurs and small business owners helping them to break through barriers and overcome personal and professional challenges. She has written Ignite for existing entrepreneurs or those wanting to turn a side hustle into a full-time career, to guide those who just don’t know how or where to begin, are lacking the confidence or simply are not clear how to leverage resources whilst balancing their already busy lives.
Ignite takes you step by step through the process, turning that small spark into a flaming success. From business planning to balancing wellbeing and hectic life schedules, this easyto-read guide breaks down what might seem like an impossible journey into small manageable steps that you can cover over a matter of weeks, months or even years – and even has a handy online tool to help capture reflections over time.
Ignite by Jo Richardson is published by Practical Inspiration Publishing, £14.99
https://practicalinspiration.com/book/ignite
BUSINESS OLIVER’S CUPBOARD FOUNDER OFFERS TASTEFUL HOPES FOR THE FUTURE Oliver’s Cupboard is a new baby food brand launched by British/Bangladeshi mum, Sadia Ahmed. The entrepreneurial mother found a significant gap in the baby food market when she took a shopping trip to her local supermarket for her son as he transitioned to baby-led first foods. To her surprise, she found that existing products didn’t reflect the multitudes of cultures in the UK. Instead all she found were bland ingredients that didn’t align with the kind of flavours she wanted to introduce to her son. “The experience left me feeling segregated, almost as if myself or my son didn’t fit into the world,” recalls Sadia. The fact that her son, and so many other children, had been under-represented for so long was a turning point for her. In her mind and the thoughts of millions of others, the need for an inclusive baby food brand was vital and so Oliver’s Cupboard was born. The brand has just launched onto Ocado and Sadia envisions Oliver’s Cupboard helping to break down those barriers for British Asian and minority ethnic communities, seeking to make diversity inclusion the forefront of the baby food market Sadia is also an avid reader of thought-provoking ethnic minority authors that support female empowerment. In interviews, she has mentioned that the need for her brand came at the right time. In a world where lack of diversity and representation within a multitude of industries is still at an all-time low. She advocates for women empowerment and for British Asian and minority ethnic females across the nation to have the same equality, in any industry, as their counterparts. Her drive and resilience to make a change is an inspirational feat. Sadia believes her ingenuity and success stems from the story of her late grandmother. Her grandmother suffered trauma when having to travel to Dhaka, Bangladesh to give birth to her mother. The then male figureheads of her household suggested her grandmother leave her son behind against her will. He then sadly passed away at six years old before being reunited with his mother. This caused ripples of anguish within the family, to which her grandmother broke away from the typical stereotype that females should remain quiet rather than become outspoken when voices are unheard. Her story is one that has inspired Sadia. Sadia also shows gratitude to her lack of parental nurturing for giving her a purpose in life. Being the head of the house to three younger siblings allowed her to acknowledge that her tribulations shaped her into who she is today. Oliver’s Cupboard empowers all communities across the UK (with a bigger emphasis on families of colour) by offering parents diverse and inclusive products to an otherwise limited and dreary baby food industry. The brand hopes to pave a way for others to become inspired and follow suit. To journey along the same path and break away from having to put up with generic product types that don’t cater to under-served markets. Oliver’s Cupboard has launched with six products and offers both organic and halal ingredients, with meat and vegetarian options to suit all needs. Recipes include Vegetable Sambar, Tom Yum, Korma, Bahia, Laksa and Vegetable Koshari and give babies the chance to try a world of flavours as they take those first steps on their eating journey. You can the range at https://oliverscupboard.com/
BUSINESS NEWCASTLE TEACHER PUBLISHES FIRST CHILDREN'S STORY INSPIRED BY HER LOCKDOWN RAINBOW BABY And receives acknowledgement from Duchess of Cambridge
Don’t Be Silly! Featuring Seth and the Rainbow Monsters has already SOLD 600 copies and had an incredible pre-order sales total of 350! Laura from Newcastle’s debut children's story was recently published using the power of social media connectivity and encouraged by her community to send a copy to the Duchess of Cambridge in support of her Early Years work, Laura was delighted and stunned to receive a response.
Now local businesses are using the #bemoreseth movement in their businesses and Laura’s local school is having a #bemoreseth day.
“Inspired by my rainbow baby Seth and the events of the world during lockdown, I wanted to write a story that honoured the colour he brought to our lives but also one that could inspire children everywhere to carry the spirit of kindness and acceptance wherever they are; to create themselves a colourful world from as young as possible, where everyone can harness the power to #bemoreseth. My book is for children in early years to early KS2 but the message carries for children and adults of all ages, all across the world. The power of community online and the unified drive for a kinder world for our kids was the success to the incredible pre-sales for an unknown debut author, and the sales and school bookings that have followed since. I could never have imagined this response to my little story but lots of families want a kinder, tolerant future and ripples make waves.” About Laura Maclennan: A teacher with eighteen years’ experience, specialising in working with children and young adults on the autism spectrum for fourteen, mum of two and now local author. Pre-orders for book 2 open in Feb 2022. Find out more at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/436839887528709/ https://www.sethandtherainbowmonsters.com/ https://www.instagram.com/bemoreseth/
BUSINESS SAMUEL'S LEAP OF FAITH I graduated from university in 2019, and like many graduates thought getting a job would be so easy and that I would be living in the big city, and really just living the dream - and like most graduates discover, this was not the case. I decided to move back to the UK from Holland (where I was at university) and began job hunting. The COVID pandemic happened soon after and I found myself unemployed during lockdown, with no income coming in, and blowing through my savings just to get by.
I had applied for over 270 jobs, from which I only had 3 interviews. Many companies did not even bother taking the time to reject my application, I was met with a wall of silence, a worsening financial situation, and this meant my mental health was deteriorating.
Over the past 11 months, Marriott Communications has grown from strength to strength. We have worked with 8 incredible businesses, charities, and organisations across a wide range of sectors with everything from PR, content marketing, digital marketing, crisis communications, and campaign development and strategization. We have reached over 1.5 million people digitally through our work in the last 11 months. Our focus is to develop impactful communications to generate awareness, drive engagement, and facilitate growth for our clients through media relations and engagement, digital marketing, campaign development, strategy implementation, crisis communications, and more. We have led several national campaigns, achieved national media coverage, and have had incredible business growth. You can read more about our work, here: https://www.marriottcommunications.com/whatweve-done We have even been nominated for our first award! In the category of: Best PR/Marketing agency in Scotlands Business Awards (https://www.marriottcommunications.com/companynews/our-first-award-nomination). The future for my business is looking incredible, and if there is anything that I have learned over the past 18 months, it is to take a leap of faith and believe that everything has a purpose and reason in life. Everything will work out in the end.
Are admin and social media tasks getting too much? Maybe you're finding yourself spending so much time on these that you aren't getting your main work done?
Let Empowered VA Services free up your time by taking on those tasks for you!
Email hannah@empoweredvaservices.co.uk to learn more!