2 minute read
Food web
THE British Benevolent Fund has over a century of providing emergency financial relief for Britons in Spain who have no other recourse to find solutions for people who are in a desperate situation and who see no way out.
Money can’t by love but it can be an enabler for people who have found themselves in difficulties. Many of these cases are triggered by illnesses, breakdown in relationships, loss of jobs and bereavement.
Into that mix comes Brexit, which for some Britons who have been living in Spain mean that if they are not resident under the terms of the withdrawal agreement, they have to face the prospect of being classed as illegally staying in Spain. If that wasn’t enoughfor vulnerable people many of whom are advanced in years means that they no longer have the access to Spanish state support and healthcare that they might have been eligible for before. Which means some difficult decisions for those that need care, housing, and support to return to the UK where many have not lived for years if not decades. Many are under the illusion that they will be automatically entitled to UK benefits including crucially access to housing. The UK’s welcome for returning vulnerable Britons is far from what extends to other nationalities. The Habitual Residency Test means that a returning British national may have to wait for up to three months before they can be eligible. The BBF will help those who have no other resources, and we are increasingly being asked to help them in the UK whilst their applications are processed. These are people who have long lost touch with their networks at home and could face homelessness on arrival without our support.
One such is Tom, a 60yearold Briton who left the UK nearly 40 years ago and has been told by his local authority he can only apply for housing and other benefits when he arrives. He has multiple medical issues which need continual treatment as well as aggressive MS which will mean permanent disability he needs to get home for treatment but the Habitual Residence Test means he will have to overcome an enormous hurdle with no income, savings or resources.
We can only help people like Tom with your support if you would like to help him and others with a donation, please visit our website www.british benevolentfund.org. Thank you for any help you can give.
Olaf Clayton, Chair BBF
There are four primary groups; herbivores (these eat living plants), predators (these eat other creatures), detritivores (these feed on decomposing material, of plant or animal origin; animals that eat fungi and algal growths are often included in this group) and omnivores (these feed on both plants and animals). In a garden with a healthy ecosystem, all of these groups will be well represented. To enjoy sharing our gardens with wildlife further up the food chain, such as hedgehogs and robins, it’s important to remember that they need a plentiful supply of beetles, caterpillars, earthworms, etc.
A NEW study of yellow water lilies growing in British ponds has thrown up some surprising results for an aquatic plants expert and scientists at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE).
Yellow water lilies at 23 sites across Britain, previously recorded as the nonnative Nuphar Advena from North America have now been identified as a hybrid between the introduced Nuphar Advena and the native Nuphar Lutea.
As part of ongoing studies to clarify the status and identification of aquatic plants in Great Britain, fieldwork was carried out by Richard Lansdown, an aquatic plants expert from Stroud in Gloucestershire.
