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Newr Ye2a021 36 Delicious Cranachan a Classic Scottish Treat for Burns Night

Thank you to all our readers and advertisers for making Local Buzz their number one community magazine.

New 2021 Year Happy

NEW YEAR

5 Competitions 6 Your Local Community 8 Community Support 10 Seasonal Food 14 Dr. Greger - Gut Flora and The Fat

Burning Hormones FIAF

16 Baked Apple with walnuts and Goji Berries 18 Delicious Cranachan a Classic Scottish

Treat for Burns Night

Editor-in-Chief Jackie Osborne jackie@localbuzzmagazine.com Senior Designer Daniela Fre' studio@localbuzzmagazine.com Digital Media info@localbuzzmagazine.com

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Advertising sales@localbuzzmagazine.com Events events@localbuzzmagazine.com Accounts accounts@localbuzzmagazine.com Film Reviews lyndon@localbuzzmagazine.com Contributors Dr Michael Greger and Trevor Langley. Call us on 01635 200 006 www.localbuzzmagazine.com Your complimentary copy or where sold ÂŁ2. Thank you for the continued encouragement from our advertisers, supporters and the local community.

FOR A DAILY DOSE OF LOCAL BUZZ

22 Wines Worth Location Kloster Eberbach 24 Go Nuts in 2021 26 How to Pick the Best Running Shoes? 28 National Hug day! 34 Peak Heart Rate Demystified 36 How to Get a Good Night Sleep in 2021 38 Top Tips for Organising your Home 40 It is Cold outside! 44 Be More Financially Secure in 2021 48 Boosting your Business with a Great Photography

50 Style by Suze 58 Are you Goals still Relevant? 60 BuzzConnect 64 Services

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Your Local Buzz

Major new study into the future uses of Newbury town centre The Newbury town centre survey will be open until 23:59 on 17th January.

newburytowncentremasterplan.co.uk

Study will set out how the town centre can evolve in the coming years. West Berkshire Council has appointed a multi-disciplinary team to undertake a major new study into the future uses of Newbury Town Centre. Led by HemingwayDesign, the team includes New Masterplanning, GL Hearn and Urban Movement. The study, which will start with an online survey (details below), will include extensive engagement with the local community, a detailed analysis of the town's needs and a masterplan. It will be developed over the next nine months and will outline how the town centre can evolve in the future. It forms a key part of the Council's robust response to the pandemic and will have a unique role to play for businesses, residents and other stakeholders. The pandemic has demonstrated the importance of strong community links and the council is inviting all with an interest in the town to have their say and be part of the conversation about its future. The study will take into account the significant changes in the retail and hospitality industries and the impact of Covid-19 in accelerating the review of alternative uses for town centres and public spaces. The Council and the 6

team would like to further understand and provide solutions for some of the most important issues that affect local communities, including: a stronger economy; improved public health; protection of the most vulnerable; equality of opportunity; better stewardship of the natural environment; and a stronger sense of community. Speaking about the upcoming and future work, Councillor Lynne Doherty, Leader of West Berkshire Council, said: "We are really excited to be partnering with the HemingwayDesign led- team on this key strategic project. When we first decided to bring a partner on board to plan for Newbury's future, we couldn't have imagined that we'd be doing so in the midst of a pandemic. It's clear that Covid has accelerated some of the changes we were already seeing on high streets across the country and we feel that now is precisely the right time to consider how we can sustain the vibrancy of our largest town. Newbury has a lot to offer already with its mix of green spaces, independent shops and strong cultural heritage. We want to build on this even further, ensuring that the town continues to be a great place to live and work and developing a plan of which the whole community can be proud."

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HAP Cheaper Household Energy Bills with the West Berkshire Energy Switch 2021

The West Berkshire Energy Switch is a scheme where residents can sign up to see if they can receive cheaper energy tariffs. Many people are paying too much for their gas and electricity and haven't changed suppliers in years, if at all. Join the West Berkshire Energy Switch scheme today to see if you can secure a better energy deal for the year ahead. Over 7,600 households across West Berkshire have previously registered through this scheme, with those switching saving a total of ÂŁ642,245 on their energy bills. In the last scheme residents who signed up were able to save an average of ÂŁ270 per year against standard tariffs by switching supplier. Taking part in the West Berkshire Energy Switch is free and without obligation. The more people that participate in the scheme, the more likely we will be able to get a better deal for you. Before the auction, you need to register with your address and energy details. You will need to have your annual energy statement or most recent set of bills to hand as these will show your current energy usage. For more information click here!

LOCAL BUZZ

Local

Issues Community Safety Team

Kit Malthouse MP

Helping people in West Berkshire with dementia The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease, which affects the brain. As the disease progresses, 'plaques' and 'tangles' develop on the structure of the brain, causing damage to brain cells. As damage to the brain progresses, people with Alzheimer's need someone to care for them, and the amount of care they require increases as the dementia worsens.

Five facts about dementia: Our Community Safety team directly contributes to helping local communities feel safer and helping to reduce levels of antisocial behaviour to improve residents’ quality of life. Antisocial behaviour is described by law as conduct which has caused or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to any person. There are many different types of antisocial behaviour, such as rowdy, threatening or intimidating behaviour, graffiti, vandalism and begging to environmental crimes such as littering, fly tipping and dog fouling. The Council will not tolerate antisocial behaviour and it will use its range of powers to take the most appropriate action to address it. If you are affected by antisocial behaviour it is important that this is reported, so the relevant organisation including the Police, Housing provider or the Council is aware. If you are experiencing antisocial behaviour at the time, contact: 101 - In non-emergency situations or report online via the Hampshire Police website 999 - In emergency situations such as when a crime is in progress or there is an immediate risk to life. If you would like to discuss a case of antisocial behaviour call 01256 844844 our contact Centre will direct you to the correct department depending on the nature of your antisocial behaviour concern or access www.basingstoke.gov.

• dementia is not a natural part of ageing • dementia is caused by diseases of the brain • it is not just about losing your memory • some people find it possible to live well with dementia • there is more to a person than dementia How many people in West Berkshire have a form of dementia? Less than half of people living with dementia in the UK have a formal diagnosis. Without a diagnosis, people with dementia will not have access to the appropriate support, information and treatment they need.

How can I reduce my risk of developing dementia? Having a healthy lifestyle can help to reduce your risk of developing dementia. Here are some things you can do: 1. Keep physically active - do at least 30 minutes of exercise at least five times a week 2. Get your measurements checked - keep an eye on your blood pressure and cholesterol 3. Drink alcohol in moderation - know your limits For more information www.info. westberks.gov.uk/dementia

Beginning 2021 with a focus on slashing crime I hope you have managed to have a break and spend some quality time with your loved ones over Christmas. Hopefully, 2021 will look very different from last year and we begin with the very positive news of COVID-19 vaccines being rolled out across the country and mass testing underway. As we finally turn a corner from the pandemic, I will continue to focus on my priorities for North West Hampshire and regularly keep you updated on progress through these columns. One of my main priorities for 2021 is to keep our streets safe. Despite COVID-19, we have recently carried out large numbers of drug busts - making hundreds of arrests and seizing drugs, cash, firearms, most importantly, intelligence and communications equipment. There will be more to come this year. We are also making great strides in dismantling ‘County Lines’ operationsthe appalling crime where gangs use vulnerable people to move drugs through our transport system, including stations like Andover and Basingstoke. As Policing Minister, I’m pleased to report that we are progressing well towards recruiting 20,000 new police officers across the country. We are ahead of schedule and I will make sure a good chunk of them come to North West Hampshire. Alongside more police officers, we’re putting millions into fighting organised crime, online child abuse and serious violence. We are working at pace to double the maximum sentence for those who assault our emergency workers. I promise you that together with our dedicated police force in Hampshire, we will keep our neighbourhoods, towns and villages safe. I hope you and your loved ones have a happy New Year! Kit Malthouse MP and Minister for policing and crime. 7

Supports

Five Ways to

Getting your 'five a day' for mental health and wellbeing Don't you agree that there are some days when you 'feel good' and other days when you don't? There are lots of free and meaningful things that we can all do everyday that will improve our mental health and wellbeing. The five ways to wellbeing, developed by the New Economics Foundation (NEF), are a set of evidence-based actions which promote wellbeing. We want to encourage you, your community and local organisations in West Berkshire to adopt the five ways to wellbeing. Why not commit to achieving your 'five a day' and improve your mental health and wellbeing?

Connecting with others Try some of the below to connect with other people in West Berkshire: • Make some new friends at local

10 8

lunch clubs and activity and resource centres, or get more ideas from the West Berkshire Directory trained volunteer befriender

• Use the Meetup website to find activities you enjoy and meet new people •

Join Spice Thames Valley and Solent - a social activity group for ordinary people who want to try new things and meet new friends

Being active It is recommended by NHS England that adults aged 19 and over should do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity

aerobic activity, such as fast walking or cycling, a week. There are different ways you can be active in West Berkshire: • Walking for Health • RunTogether • attending a class at your local leisure centre • moving more with One You • join Sport in Mind for yoga, badminton or football Find more ideas on our physical activity webpage.

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o Wellbeing Keep learning There's lots of things to learn about West Berkshire, and lots of places to learn in it! Why not try: • Learning about the 14th Century history of Donnington Castle • A craft workshop at West Berkshire Museum and Shaw House Remember if you go with a friend or colleague, you can 'connect' as well!

Taking notice • Discover fantastic wildlife at the Nature Discovery Centre in Thatcham • Look at the snowdrops at Welford Park •

Take time out for yourself, learn mindfulness or another wellbeing activity at Newbury Wellbeing website - some local leisure centres also offer yoga and tai-chi

• Try stress less with One You

• Learning more about West Berkshire Heritage, attend a local talk or join a heritage walk • Signing up for a course at Newbury College • See what's on offer at West Berkshire Libraries •

The University of the Third Age (U3A) - promote lifelong learning for people who are no longer in full time employment

• Cooking a new recipe from Change4Life • Signing up to a course run by Recovery in Mind

Giving There's lots of ways to give back in West Berkshire: • Find out about volunteer opportunities at the Volunteer Centre West Berkshire • Find out about learning, employment and volunteering opportunities on the West Berkshire Directory •

See if you can volunteer at your child's school - there are often a range of roles available such as listening to pupils read, helping out on a school trip, or becoming a school governor

• Donate or buy some furniture from the Community Furniture Project •

These are just a few ideas that we came up with. If you've got any other ideas, why don't you create your own 'five ways to wellbeing' where you live? Feel free to share it with us!

Supporting businesses We also support businesses and organisations to follow the five ways to wellbeing programme to benefit the health and wellbeing of their staff. The programme includes: • access to downloadable resources, logos and posters • access to ideas and examples on how to use the five ways to wellbeing For more information please access www.info.westberks.gov.uk/ fivewaystowellbeing

Local buzz Magazine is not responsible for any content provided by third parties - we believe the source of information to be true and reliable.

Seasonal FOOD

British seasonal food tends to be chunky, hearty and filling in January â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the following ingredients are at their best right now and most of them are cheaper at the market too. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in season in the UK this month...

Meats Duck, goose, guinea fowl, hare, partridge, pheasant, snipe, venison and woodcock. Always available are beef, chicken, pork, rabbit, farmed venison and wood pigeon.

Herbs Winter savory is the only traditional UK herb in season this month, although you can sometimes find chervil if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been grown under a cloche or in an unheated greenhouse. Always available: chives, coriander, parsley grown under cover; older leaves of hardy perennials like bay, rosemary, sage and thyme.

Fruits Apples, pear and rhubarb, however best imported seasonal fruit are blood oranges, Caribbean pineapples, clementines, dates, passion fruit, pomegranate, Seville oranges and tangerines.

Fishes Brill, clams, cockles, cornish sardine pilchard, dab, dover sole, flounder, hake, lemon sole, mussels, pouting (also called bib), oysters, pike, red gurnard, scallops, sea bass, sprats, whelks, whiting and winkles. Less sustainable fishes cod, haddock, wild halibut and wild turbot. Available almost all year: herring, farmed sea bream and turbot, megrim sole, sustainablyfished monkfish, rope-grown mussels and prawns.

Vegetables Brussels sprouts and their tops, cabbages (Savoy and other winter types), celeriac, chicory, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, leeks, parsnips, salsify, scorzonera, swedes, beetroot,turnip and winter radish very early varieties of purple sprouting broccoli.

Chicken Stir Fry with

Coconut Ca Better-than-takeout chicken stir fry with flavourful coconut cauliflower. This easy one pan meal is packed with veggetables, protein and an incredible sweet & tangy orange sauce.

Ingredients

• • • •

For the cauliflower rice 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1 head of cauliflower Salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:

• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice •

2 tablespoons honey (or agave nectar)

• • •

3 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce

• •

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot starch zest from 1 large orange

For the stir-fry:

•

1 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, divided

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into large bite-sized pieces • 12

Freshly ground salt and pepper

auliflower • • •

½ white onion, cut into chunks

1 large red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

•

8 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces

•

a large, clean dish towel and squeeze all the moisture out of the cauliflower. Set aside in a large bowl until ready to cook.

3 garlic cloves, minced

Next make the sauce: Add the orange juice, honey, soy sauce, ginger, cornstarch/arrowroot starch, red pepper flakes and orange zest to a large bowl; whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved. Set aside for later.

Next preheat a large skillet or pan over medium-high heat and add in 1 tablespoon of the toasted sesame oil. Add in chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5-6 minutes or until fully cooked and no longer pink. Once chicken is cooked, transfer to a bowl and set aside. Keep the heat in the pan.

½ cup raw cashews

To garnish:

• •

Green onion, for garnish Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Method make your cauliflower 1. First rice. Remove all greens from cauliflower and break into florets. You can either use a box grater, or a food processor to process the cauliflower into rice. If using a food processor (the easier method), simply add half of cauliflower florets to bowl of the food processor with a blade attachment. Pulse until cauliflower resembles rice. Add in remaining florets and process again until cauliflower becomes rice-like. Transfer to

Add the other 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil to the pan (over medium-heat); add in onion and saute until onions become slightly translucent, about 2 minutes.

Next add in the garlic, bell pepper, green beans and cashews

and saute for 4-6 minutes. You want the green beans to still have a little bit of crunch!

While your veggies are cooking, make your cauliflower rice. Add ½ tablespoon coconut oil to a separate large skillet and place over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add in cauliflower rice and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the orange sauce into the pan. Stir frequently as the sauce will start to thicken up.

Add in chicken and stir again. Reduce heat to medium low and let the sauce simmer and thicken some more, about 2-3 minutes.

Serve immediately over your cauliflower rice. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, green onion and cilantro if desired. Serves 4.

Gut Flora and

The Fat Burning Hormone FIAF

Our gut bacteria can play a role in affecting our weight. Eight bacterial species seem protective against weight gain and they are all producers of a short-chain fatty acid called butyrate.

Early on, we thought there might be some intestinal bacteria that were able to extract additional calories from what we eat, but the relationship between our gut flora and obesity has proven to be more complex. Our gut flora may affect how we metabolize fat, for example, such as through the hormone FIAFâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;fastinginduced adipose factor. While we are fasting, our body has to stop storing fat and instead start to burn it off. FIAF is one of the hormones that signals our body to do this, which could be useful for someone who is obese and may be one way our gut flora manages our weight.

Some bacteria repress this hormone, thereby increasing fat storage. In contrast, when we feed fiber to our fiber-eating bacteria, those that secrete short-chain fatty acids like butyrate are able to upregulate this hormone in all human cell lines so far tested. Fecal transplants may be one way to share intestinal contents, but it turns out there may be an easier way. We have known that people who live together share a greater similarity in gut bacteria than people living apart. This could be because co-habitants inadvertently swap bacteria back and

FOR MORE check out Gut flora and obesity NutritionFacts.org

Dr. Michael Greger M.D. FACLM

forth, or possibly because they eat similar diets, living in the same house. In fact, it’s been “suggested that homes harbour a distinct microbial fingerprint that can be predicted by their occupants.” Just by swabbing the doorknobs, you can tell which family lives in which house, as shown at 2:35 in my video and when a family moves into a new home, “the microbial community in the new house rapidly converged” or shifted toward that of the old house, “suggesting rapid colonization by the family’s microbiota.” Experimental evidence suggests that individuals raised in a household of

lean people may be protected against obesity - no fecal transplant necessary. There was a famous study of 12,000 people that found that a “person’s chances of becoming obese increased by 57%...if he or she had a friend who became obese,” suggesting social ties have a big effect. However, given the evidence implicating the role of gut bacteria in obesity, this “raises up the possibility that cravings and associated obesity might not just be socially contagious”that is, because, for instance, you all go out together and eat the same fattening food-“but rather truly infectious, like a cold.”

His latest books: How Not to Die, the How Not to Die Cookbook, and How Not to Diet all became instant New York Times Best Sellers. 100% of all proceeds he has ever received from his books, DVDs and speaking engagements have always and will always be donated to charity.

Baked A Dr. Michael Greger M.D. FACLM

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Apple

with walnuts and Goji Berries These luscious baked apples taste like apple pie, but aren't bogged down with added sugar, flour and fat. Another bonus is how great your house will smell while they are baking.

Difficulty – Easy Serves – 4

Ingredients

Method

• 3 tablespoons goji berries, soaked

in warm water for 15 minutes and then dried • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts • 1 tablespoon date syrup • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon • 4 larger firm baking apples, washed and cored

Preheat the oven to 350F Place the goji berries in a food processor, add the walnuts, date syrup and cinnamon then pulse until well mixed. Set aside. Pleel the top third of each apple. Rub the exposed part of the apples with the lemon juice to prevent discoloration.

Stuff about 2 tablespoons of the goji mixture into the center of each apple and arrange the apples upright in a small, shallow baking dish.

Pour 1/2 cup of water around the apples. Cover and bake until tender, about 1 hour. Serve warm.

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

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Cranach Delicious

A classic Scottish treat for Preparation time – 15 minutes Serves – 4

Ingredients • 75g pinhead oatmeal (you can use rolled oats, but the steel-cut pinhead

Method

variety are nuttier and less porridge-like) • 1 tbsp soft brown sugar • 250g raspberries • 500ml double cream • 4 tbsp honey, plus a little extra

to drizzle

• 4 tbsp good Scottish whisky

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Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the oatmeal and the sugar then toast, stirring continuously until the sugar has melted and the oatmeal smells sweet and nutty. Pour on to a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper and leave to cool. Meanwhile, puree 175g of the raspberries until smooth (reserve the best-looking ones). You can leave the seeds or pass through a sieve for a smooth puree.

han

Burns Night

3. 4.

Whip the cream to fairly stiff peaks, then fold in the honey and whisky. Add three-quarters of the oatmeal and all the puree to the cream then swirl through to give a ripple effect. Spoon into four glass dishes and top with the remaining oatmeal, the reserved raspberries a drizzle of honey. Serve immediately.

Did you know? Cranachan is a Gaelic word for a kind of milk churn.

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Wines Worth Locating

Kloster Eber The wine productions of Germany utilise numerous grape varieties. High-quality Riesling wines are famous around the world and have wine lovers appreciating them globally.

Trevor Langley Wine Appreciator

rbach The Association of German Pradikat Wine Estates (VDP), operating with strict guidelines, ensures cultivations of the very best varietals.

not disappoint. Again, splendid to the mouth’s pleasures and most enjoyable, throughout. Baiken Crescentia Riesling Spätlese is also often selected.

Multi award-winning Weingut Kloster Eberbach produces an excellent range of wines. Their vineyard is renowned worldwide. The Eberbach Monastery was founded during 1136 and the monks established a cabinet wine cellar (Cabinetkeller) for their finest wines. White wines, from Weingut Kloster Eberbach, have become very popular options, for many. Lesserknown red productions are now being appreciated, too.

Following an intense floral and sweet bouquet, for the nasal satisfaction, the ripe, juicy fruit flavours come through, for the mouthfeel, superbly. The palate enjoys a continuing sweetness, to finish. Great with desserts and cheeses.

Favourite Riesling wines include Berg Roseneck (Cabinetkeller) and Steinberg (Cabinetkeller). These are regular choices and grace many dining tables, constantly. Being able to be enjoyed by themselves, too – as can all of the wines described here – is a further big ‘plus point’. Enticing bouquets lead to the mouthfeel and further, to the palate’s sensation, perfectly. Crescentia Premium Wines are produced using grapes from the very best vineyards. Steinberger Crescentia Riesling Trocken and Baiken Crescentia Riesling Trocken are further productions which certainly do

Riesling wines are widely recognised for their classic aromas and elegance, pairing perfectly with fish, seafood and numerous dishes of cuisine. Also, very worthy of note is Weingut Kloster Eberbach Spätburgunder Crescentia Trocken red wine. This Burgundianstyle Pinot Noir has ripe red fruits in abundance and is fabulous with red meats. Wine tours of the estate and tastings are extremely popular and often booked well in advance. Ordering is easy, online too, with orders dispatched quickly and efficiently. Being married at the Eberbach Monastery must certainly be very memorable, indeed. Personal arrangements can be accommodated, through receptions to banquets. For details of all wines and services offered, please visit www.kloster-eberbach.de

LET'S MAKE BRITAIN KIND AGAIN!

#KIND20 is a global movement for social empathy and worldwide kindness. We use all social media and invite people to share photos and videos of their acts of kindness and/or express gratitude towards any kindness done to them. Furthermore, we recognise and showcase these stories and music to inspire to MAKE BRITAIN KIND AGAIN! This revitalising movement has so far reached over 2.5 million people. Kindness seems to be the new currency in our new KINDemic world. Our #KIND20 campaign has metamorphosed from the global foundation, tuff.earth who championed social integration and community cohesion locally and globally for the last10 years. This campaign started only 12 weeks ago from the back streets of London, it has now reached the coastlines of Australia , the valleys of Kashmir, the Shantytowns of Uganda, the geysers of Iceland right across the Atlantic to the Rockies in the USA. #KIND20 plans to ensure by the year-end there will be more cases of kindness than cases of COVID19. Many Unsung Heroes globally are being honoured as KIND20 Champions for their

selfless services. Now we would love your support to spread the message of Being Kind to your family, friends, even strangers, particularly in your local community and the nation by abiding by all the guidelines in place designed to protect all our citizens of the UK. Let's support our neighbors in their time of need and spread the message of positivity and kindness. We would love you all to enthuse people of all cultures in and around Britain to find their local champions in their towns and cities, so together we can MAKE BRITAIN KIND AGAIN and let's turn the year of 2020 into #KIND20. We are also looking for PR Marketing firms who are happy to find sponsors for the new currency of the world called kindness. Because there is no price to help deliver a better BRITAIN for all our children.

KIND20 is on a mission to bring positive teams on board to steer people to a kinder alternative and to ensure that we as multi-cultural Britain walk into 2021 and the decade with Hope and Optimism, so MAN-KIND can transform into KIND-MAN. Currently tuff.earth is partnering: NEEDS Marketing in Reykjavik, Iceland; Plane Crazy in Mumbai, India; Civic Reputation in Melbourne, Australia; My Passion My Life Media, Nigeria, Africa, French Consultancy U.K Mr. Geoff Baker UK (former publicist of The Beatles & Sir Paul & Linda McCartney). We look forward to welcoming you all on board to grow our local teams globally with your fresh ideas of what kindness can do for the BRITISH people, so let's turn 2020 into #KIND20 SO LET'S MAKE BRITAIN KIND AGAIN!

Nut s in Go

2021

No longer feared as the enemy of weight loss, these little nutritional powerhouses have come into their own. Here are four reasons to go a little bit nuts this year. Health Eating nuts boosts health. They are particularly beneficial to heart health, lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. A review of 25 scientific led scientists concluded that eating 70g of nuts per day resulted in lower total cholesterol and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Stay slim

One Spanish study of almost 9000 adults, showed that those who ate nuts at least twice a week had a much lower risk of gaining weight over the next few years compared to those who rarely or never ate them.

Another study found that despite having the same calorie-intake, adults who included 84g of almonds into their daily diet in place of some of the carbs, had around a 60% greater reduction in weight and body fat after 6 months compared to those who did not eat them.

Muscles Nuts contain the right combinations of protein and essential fatty acids, to protect muscle tissue, repair damaged cells and reduce inflammation.

Portability If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for the easiest healthy snack to stash in your handbag or office drawer, nuts are your friend. They provide an instant energy-boost to beat the mid-afternoon slump and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cause a sudden spike in blood sugar like chocolate-based snacks. Keep portions to around 30g per day and stick to raw unsalted varieties. Now is definitely the time to go nuts!

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HOW TO PICK

The Best running shoes Many of us will start the New Year with a resolution to start (or restart) couch to 5K and may be in the market for new running shoes. No single design of running shoe is perfect for everyone. Follow our tips and you should find one that is perfect for you.

Get the Right Fit

Choose a specialist running shoe

To accommodate foot spread when you run, and to prevent your toes hitting the end of the shoe on a downhill run, there should be roughly one thumb width between the end of your foot and the end of the shoe. We should centre the foot on the platform of the shoe, which should wrap securely round, not pinch or feel sloppy.

Running shoes are a type of trainer, but not all trainers are running shoes. Running shoes utilise specialised shock-absorbing technology to prevent injury from the repetitive striking motion of the foot on the ground and extra design features to support the foot. At the same time, it moves through the running motion.

Feet tend to swell when you run. They also tend to swell throughout the day, so going for a fitting in the afternoon or evening is more likely to provide an accurate fit.

A higher price tag usually correlates with more advanced technology and comfort features. But you don't have to re-mortgage the house to enjoy a comfortable run. Just be aware that cheap trainers are almost certainly not designed with running in mind, won't withstand the demands that running places on them and may cause injury.

Which type? General running shoe 1. Designed to handle the running that most people do and perfect for a couch to 5K.

running shoe 2. Trail Choose these if you plan to run over rough terrain on uneven surfaces. They provide better grip on loose dirt and rocky paths.

3. Lightweight running shoes Good for competitive races but are less durable and less cushioned than general running shoes. 26

Price?

Terminology Stack Height - the amount of material between foot and ground.

Heel-toe offset/drop 1. Describes the difference between the amount of material under the heel and the amount of material under the ball of a running shoe. Most running shoes have a higher heel-toe offset with more material under the heel as most runners' stride means the heel is the first part of the foot to hit the ground.

Control 2. Pronation Running shoes can be classified as either neutral or stability shoes. Neutral running shoes make up about 80% of running shoes. Stability running shoes contain technology that is designed to correct overpronation. Overpronation occurs when the ankle rolls excessively inward with each step, which can increase your chance of injury. 27

National

Hug day 28 28 28

The benefits of hugging Hugs reduce stress by showing your support. Scientists say that giving another person support through touch can reduce the stress of the person being comforted. Hugs can make you happier. Oxytocin is a chemical in our bodies that scientists sometimes call the â&#x20AC;&#x153;cuddle hormoneâ&#x20AC;?. This is because its levels rise when we hug, touch or sit close to someone else. Oxytocin is associated with happiness and less stress.

National Hugging Day is an annual event dedicated to hugging. It was created by Kevin Zaborney and occurs annually on January 21. The day was first celebrated on January 21, 1986 in Clio, Michigan, USA but is not a public holiday. The event is also observed in many other countries.

The purpose of the day is to encourage everyone to hug family and friends more often as well as show more emotion in public. Zaborney suggests to ask first if one is unsure of the response. There is only one way you are supposed to celebrate; offer a hug to anyone and everyone you want. Whilst National Hug Day and the Free Hugs campaigns share many similarities, there is not an association between the two. Whether you hug a family member or a stranger, the mental and physical health benefits are the same.

Hugs help reduce your fears. Scientists have found that touch can reduce anxiety in people with low selfesteem. Touch can also keep people from isolating themselves. Hugs help you communicate with others. Most human communication occurs verbally or through facial expressions. But touch is another important way that people can send messages to one another.

Kevin Zaborney is credited with coming up with the idea of National Hugging Day in 1986. It was included in Chase's Calendar of Events; Zaborney's friend at the time was the granddaughter of the proprietors of the publication. He chose January 21 because it fell between Christmas/New Year holidays and Valentines' Day, when he found that people are generally in low spirits. Zaborney considered that "society is embarrassed to show feelings in public" and hoped that a National Hugging Day would change that, although he thought that his idea would fail.

27 29

A state-of-the-art

digital platform intends to revolutionise the way communities support their local state schools, bringing much needed support to teachers.

When the precocious son of the founders of LetsLocalise started at a reputable state school in Berkshire, he was shocked and more than a little disappointed by what he found. Despite the limitless energy and creativity of the teaching staff, he found the school to be in a shabby condition, its equipment often aged or broken and the opportunities to engage pupils in external trips and activities that might broaden their horizons to be limited at best and non-existent at worst. The conversations at home triggered by these observations led to an idea with the potential not just to transform the prospects of state schools; it also offered an opportunity to strengthen local communities, by bringing multiple people, organisations and businesses into close relationships with their local schools. The lightbulb moment for Gaurav and Divya Garg, based in Wokingham in Berkshire, came when surveys prompted by their son’s observations showed that in excess of 60% of people in a given community wanted actively to help their local schools. They just had no idea how to do so. What if this reservoir of goodwill could be tapped into and piped into local schools?

Given the background of the Gargs and friends and colleagues in innovation, technology and community activities, the solution emerged in the shape of a digital platform, LetsLocalise, that could highlight the demand in schools and connect it to ‘supply’ out in the community. A critical perception in the framing of the idea came in the realisation that support for schools needed to come in a variety of formats. Yes, financial support would be important but so too would be volunteer time, expertise, work experience – in fact, anything that would help pupils get a clearer window to the world beyond the core curriculum. The idea behind the concept is that state schools register on the platform and headteachers and their teaching teams identify the programmes and activities that they would most like to pursue but currently cannot, due to insufficient financial or human resource. A typical selection for a single school might be a campaign to raise funds for basketball hoops, a request for help with painting and decorating, an appeal for volunteers to act as exam supervisors, an appeal to experts to talk about their chosen profession and a request for internships or work experience opportunities for pupils.

Once a school has posted the details of these programmes on the site, individuals in the local community, local organisations and local businesses are approached and asked to register on the platform too. Those registering can then browse through the range of requests across a range of schools and choose how best they can help. A critical stage in the development of these school-community connections is in finding ways of reaching beyond pupils’ parents and bringing in support and resources that would not normally find their way into schools. Reaching the very people without school-age children, who said they wanted actively to help but did not know how.

31 31

JJoin oin

Let's Localise today! LetsLocalise has managed to break down ways of supporting schools into neat categories, which can be easily navigated on the website. So, for example, there is Pledge a Penny, Pledge a Minute, Pledge a Resource, Working with Schools, Expert Time and Corporate Connect. No headteacher or teacher will ever have had access to a platform with the scope and range of LetsLocalise in their professional lives. It is a multi-sided platform that enables multiple participants to engage at the same time. So, instead of Websites through which schools can simply share information with their pupils’ parents, LetsLocalise can bring individuals, organisations and businesses onto the platform simultaneously, creating multiple connections and offering scope for engagement between schools and would-be supporters in a wide range of relationships. The LetsLocalise story moved from the drawing board to the real world in November 2019, when the founders and the team of colleagues and supporters they had built up, launched a pilot across seven schools in Berkshire. In fact, the company had to cap the number of schools it first engaged with because virtually every headteacher to whom the idea was outlined wanted to participate. “Like all brilliant ideas, the LetsLocalise concept is rooted in

simplicity. Headteachers can see that tapping into that reservoir of goodwill that we are convinced exists out there in every community is a ‘no brainer’. Why would a school not want to tap into the support networks that can be constructed from their local communities?” says co-founder, Gaurav Garg. LetsLocalise is a service offered free of charge to all state schools.

Testimonials: Shirley Austin Headteacher at The Forest School, Winnersh, Berkshire "I would say it’s a great opportunity to link in with your community, to work with great people. It’s a unique opportunity because not many people step forward and give up their time like this company does, so I would say grab hold of the opportunity, publicise it lots, be patient and stick with it, and work hard with the team around you because they’re there to help you.”

Simon Cope Headteacher at Wildridings Primary School Bracknell, Berkshire

“I think LetsLocalise is just such a fantastic project. It does take time to get it up and running – but once it is up and running, keep pushing. At the end of the day, the only people that are going to benefit are the children of the school so it’s definitely a worthwhile project. I would recommend it to anybody that’s looking to get involved with them. “For me, it’s a no-brainer to get involved with LetsLocalise and we’re very excited about the future.”

www.letslocalise.co.uk 33

PEAK HEART

RATE DEMYS To make the most of your workout, you need to pay attention to your heart rate.

A heart-rate monitor, which notifies you when you reach your maximum predicted heart rate, is useful. To calculate this number during your workouts, subtract your age from 220; so, for a 40-year-old, that would be 180 BPM (beats per minute).

This doesn’t apply if you are taking part in HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts, because for these you’ll spike your heart rate to high levels during your working intervals for very short periods, then allow it to partially drop while you’re resting between sets.

You do need to take your fitness level into account. If you have never worked out before and your fitness levels are low aim to achieve 50 to 70 per cent of your maximum predicted heart rate.

Continue to pay attention to your heart rate after your work out is finished. Watch how long it takes for your heart rate to return to baseline after completing an aerobic exercise.

For highly trained athletes, the goal is to hit 90 per cent. So, a relatively unfit 40-year-old should aim for 90-126 BPM.

It should drop by about 20 beats within the first minute of stopping exercise.

STIFIED

If your goal is to improve your cardiovascular fitness, aim to stay between 60 and 70 per cent of your maximum predicted heart rate. To improve endurance, strive to hit 70 to 90 per cent. IMPORTANT If you have any medical condition you should check with your GP before starting a new exercise regime.

How to get a

Good N

2020 was a challenging year that we might all want to forget. One of the many victims of the pandemic for many has been a good night sleep! So, here are my tips on how to have a much better night’s rest.

For Adults •

Try to keep a relaxing bedroom environment. Warm lighting, candles, soothing music will make your bedroom your retreat to escape the world and unwind in.

•

Try not to work in your bedroom if you can by setting up a desk in another part of the house while working from home. Or, if you don’t have a choice because space is limited try to transform your work desk so that it looks completely different when you’re not on allocated work time. Put your computer and paperwork out of sight and create something else in the room to be the focal point so that you are not reminded of work just as you are trying to drift off to sleep.

•

As hard as it might be, especially for those who use your phone as your alarm clock, try to limit your screen time for at least an hour before you want to sleep. The blue light prevents the production of melatonin, the hormone that controls sleep, keeping you awake for longer.

•

Try not to eat dinner too late and avoid sugary foods or caffeine for at least three hours before bed. Foods containing high levels of tryptophan like bananas, green leafy vegetables, eggs and dairy combined with some fibre filled carbohydrates are the best combination to promote healthy sleepiness. Keeping a notepad close by or even beside your bed is an excellent idea for those with a busy mind. You can unload your thoughts, ideas and ‘to-dos’ by brain dumping these onto a page and allowing your mind to let go and relax.

• Find a good book to read before bed that’ll help tire your eyes out and take you to another world.

For Children •

I’ve seen a lot of exhausted parents with little ones who now struggle to settle at bedtime or wake multiple times in the night with no way of getting back to sleep.

•

My top piece of advice is to get into a consistent bedtime routine – the cue and rhythm of which will help them settle. A consistent bedtime for children up to the age of eight should be between 6pm and 8pm.

Night'... ...

Sleep in 2021 • Avoid overtiredness – it’s the root of all sleep problems. •

Be aware of what your child is picking up and hearing - conversations you might have with other adults, on the phone, the TV or radio. When they pick up tensions or certain words, it can cause anxiety.

•

Talk honestly and openly with your child if they want to discuss the changes going on in the world and let them share their worries with you. While you’ve not got the remedy to the problem, talking about their feelings will help ease some of their anxieties and bring you closer together.

•

Be utterly consistent – so if they wake up don’t let them crawl into your bed one night and not expect them to want to another. Consistency is key.

• Like with adults, avoid screen time for at least an hour before bedtime. •

Similarly, make sure your children avoid sugar or caffeine that can cause a temporary surge of alertness that will hinder sleep.

For Babies and toddlers • As for older children, get into a consistent bedtime routine, at the same time and place each evening. •

If your toddler wakes up early, don’t be tempted to put them to bed later. The number one reason why toddlers wake up early is over-tiredness, so a period of early nights should remedy this.

•

Keep your nap times consistent during the day. And sustain these naps until they are around three and a half or four years old. Little children with really alert temperaments will appear not to need (or want!) these naps, but they need it more and for longer than their more laid back peers. Children over three and above who are sleeping a solid 12 hours a night probably won’t need a nap.

•

If you are struggling to get your baby to sleep and sustain a regular sleep pattern, then get help from a professional sleep nanny. There is no need to suffer, and you are jeopardising your and your family’s health and wellbeing. With online zoom calls, it’s easier than ever to get that help.

Lucy Shrimpton Founder of The Sleep Nanny® www.sleepnanny.co.uk. Her team of sleep consultants based across the UK and around the world help Helly Douglas - Writer parents and caregivers of babies and Helly is a teacher and content young children to overcome the challenges specialising education withwriter, childhood sleep so in that they can be healthy and happy and these andenjoy parenting. precious years. 37 37

Top Tips For

Organising yo Wren Kitchens has collaborated with professional organiser, Rhiannan Morgan to share easy tips on how to keep your home neat and tidy

Clean home, clear mind is a statement many UK households long to achieve. However, keeping your home nice and organised can often feel like a neverending task. To help homeowners keep their home spick and span, Wren Kitchens has collaborated with professional organiser, Rhiannan Morgan to reveal the tips and tricks homeowners can follow to keep their abode as organised as possible.

1. Tackle decluttering first

Before you organise your home, you need to tackle all the clutter. When deciding whether to keep an item, ask yourself the following two questions: Do I love it? Do I need it?

Home

According To Professiona

If the answer is not yes to at least one of these questions, then it’s time to say goodbye.

2. Identify danger zones

Often located near the front door, the living room, kitchen, and bedroom, every home has a hotspot for clutter. Pretend you’re a visitor and walk around your home to look for clusters of clutter. It can help to make a video on your phone, because when you watch it back, you’ll likely notice clutter that you’re usually oblivious to.

your cupboards 3. Organise with baskets Avoid putting items directly into your cupboards and instead, place your items into baskets.

The basket system makes it easier to organise items into categories, meaning you can avoid a mismatched mayhem of cupboards. Plus, by sorting your cupboards with baskets, you can access the things you need much easier and it will be quicker to clean.

our

al Organiser

when you will 4. Consider need items When choosing where to store items, ask yourself when you’ll actually need to use them. Considering the arrangement of the content in your cupboards can be helpful when keeping your home organised as you know where everything is placed, so you don’t need to rummage through all your cupboards when you need to find something.

stock-take 5. Regularly and rotate

Get into the habit of stock taking in your kitchen and rotating food once a week, ideally before you plan your meals and do your grocery shop. That way, you can ensure you’re using up food within its shelf life, and it’ll help you to spend less, as you won’t buy any unnecessary duplicate food items. For the full 16 tips and more information, please go to www. wrenkitchens.com

It is

Cold

outside!

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to stay protected against a drop in temperature as cold weather can affect your bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to fight off viruses and infections. By keeping warm, you can help yourself stay well this winter.

Wrap up warm Dress in layers and wear a hat, gloves and scarf. Clothes made from wool, cotton or fleecy fabrics are warmest. When you're indoors, wearwarm socks and slippers to keep your feet cosy.

Keep the cold out Close doors and use a keyhole cover to block draughts. Buy thermal linings for curtains to keep the heat in.

Hot Drinks arean ideal way to keep you warm.

Don't use alcohol to keep warm Avoid drinking alcohol before going, or when, outside. It makes you feel warm because blood vessels in the skin expand, but this draws heat away from your vital organs.

Warm clothing, especially when it's layered, not only also helps retain body heat.

Check your heating Have your heating system serviced regularly to make sure it works well.

Have warming food and drinks Have regular hot drinks and food such as porridge, soups and Stews. You can look recipes online and get more ideas for warming and healthy dishes.

Look after your pets too! Don't leave your dog or cat outdoors in freezing temperatures for long. Make sure they have a warm place to sleep away from draughts. After a walk in snowy, icy or wet conditions, dry your pet off as quickly as possible and make sure they keep warm!

Stay active Keep as active as possible to boost your circulation. Move around at least once within the hour and avoid sitting still for long periods. Even light exercise will help keep you warm. When you do sit down, put your feet up as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coldest nearest the ground.

Are you unsigned and talented? The Shed Session is an exciting new YouTube platform that was launched on the 5th January this year with the sole purpose of promoting unsigned and talented musicians nationally. www.theshedsession.com

The Shed Session 42

@theshedsession

Unsurprisingly The Shed is a (large) garden shed in Brentwood, Essex that has been converted into a recording studio and multimedia space. It boasts professional grade equipment to allow the recording and production of audio visual material. As you might expect this happens via a live performance of original material where a band/artist get to strut their stuff in front of the camera and have it professionally recorded for YouTube. Ralph Mullan, the founder of the Shed Session, owner of The Shed Studio and self-confessed music addict, has played and worked with unsigned bands for many years. He has wanted to turn a dream of owning a studio and his desire to help gigging unsigned talent to climb the super tough music ladder into a reality for many years. Ralph recognised the insatiable appetite of today’s social media platforms for content and saw The Shed Session going some way towards satisfying this must

have for any aspiring talent. The Shed Session welcomes and encourages diversity and wants to showcase people from all walks of life, all ages and all styles. There is absolutely no reason for anyone to think that their music is not right for the channel. To get involved you’ll need to contact Ralph at The Shed via one of the platforms listed at the bottom of this article provide an appropriate link to your material and social media sites. From there it’s a matter of being selected based upon your diversity and talent which was mentioned earlier in the article. Once selected you’ll need to make the journey to Brentwood, Essex for your day in the studio. If selected it is worth noting that The Shed Session is free, YES FREE!! If you are not a performer or maybe you are not selected there is still some great music to be enjoyed on the channel so why not like and subscribe to the fortnightly releases?

Ralph Mullan, the founder of the Shed Session, owner of The Shed Studio

Be more

Financially Sec c

in 2021 2020 was a rough year for most of us.One thing it did do though is making a lot of us take stock of where we are in life and many of us re-evaluated our jobs and our finances. 2021 will hopefully be a better year, but we can’t live on hope so let’s look at how we can make ourselves more financially secure this year.

Learn to budget Create your budget in five simple steps.

•

The basics – Work out your income and expenses and see how much cash flow you have right now.

• Remember A.T.E. – Automate, Track spending and build an emergency fund. •

Set a Goal •

What do you want to accomplish in 2021?

• Do you want to earn more money? • Do you want to spend less on frivolous purchases? •

Do you want to go on a big holiday as soon as we can travel again?

Identify your values - Choose budgeting principles that make sense for you.

• Do you want to learn how to invest?

Set up a Frequent Outgoings

Set a specific goal for whatever you want to accomplish.

Budget – You should know exactly where the money for your bills will come from, then on payday automatically sweep that money into a Frequent Outgoings account.

Goal setting is good because even if you don’t attain the goal, the fact you were motivated to act means you will be closer than you would have been otherwise.

Set Milestones Milestones are smaller goals that help you get to your larger goal. They serve to keep you on track. For example – paying off debt the milestones might be:

• Set up a budget to work out much money you have •

Calculate out how much money you need to set aside per month to get all your debt paid off in 12 months (or 18, 24 etc.).

• Celebrate after each credit card is paid off. 44

cure

Despite 2020 being a pretty challenging year, there are jobs available and one of them might have your name on it. And many of us have a skill we could monetise if we had to.

Increase your income Easier said than done, but there are four ways you can do this:

•

Apply for promotion at work.

•

Ask for a raise.

•

Find a new, better-paid job.

•

Start a side hustle.

The best part of the above plan is that you can implement all or part of it no matter how 2020 went for you! I wish you all a more financially secure 2021

These might not be immediate solutions or even possible ones, but they are worth thinking about very seriously. Employers can say no to promotion or a pay rise, but they might say yes if you can persuade them you are worth it. 45

The Affordable

IT Support for Home and Businesses

Based in Swindon, SupportWise are an IT company who work with businesses of various sizes and industries, as well as the public who require IT support, consultancy and repairs from Swindon to Andover and everywhere in between. With ten years SupportWise aim to leave their customers feeling assured that their IT requirements will be handled professionally and securely by the team. At SupportWise, the emphasis is on bringing the human touch back into the IT industry. With many companies opting to direct customers to call centres, often outside of the UK, they are hoping to change that standard by providing customer-focused support from a local base. When customers entrust their IT support to them, they guarantee there will always be an approachable and professional voice at the end of the phone. Every call they receive is guaranteed to be answered by a qualified technician. Whilst 91% of issues can be solved remotely, the fact they are local, provides also an opportunity for a technician to be onsite, same day, if necessary, giving their customers the knowledge that come rain or shine, they will be there to support them. Their aim is to make IT support affordable and inclusive for both business and home users, so they provide bespoke solutions to suit all needs and budgets

on a per customer basis, enabling them to keep their systems reliable, efficient and secure without needing to pay for any unnecessary extras. Their services include support for IT needs of all types comprising expert advice on existing software and jargon free support for both software and hardware installations, as well as providing maintenance for systems and processes giving their customers confidence they are compliant and protected from cybercrime. Furthermore, they are Microsoft partnered which enables them to provide several Office 365 packages as well as migrations. Constantly adapting with the times to ensure their customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; IT infrastructure is kept up to date come what may, SupportWise has also revised the way they work due to Covid-19. They believe businesses need to change and adapt to keep services running, and as such, they have recently

launched a web hosting service. They host and manage their customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; websites securely through Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most connected data centre, ensuring they are all hosted within the UK and kept secure 24/7; this also means they are green energy certified. SupportWise will also help keep business running smoothly regardless of the where their employees are based, ensuring business can still communicate smoothly by providing services such as Circleloop and Microsoft Teams. Part of their strategy is to plan and respect that businesses evolve quickly and they can scale according to what their customers require. If their clients need to increase or decrease their monthly service, they simply adjust to their requirements. Moreover, they offer options of a 30-day rolling contract or 12 months contract and therefore giving their customers the power and freedom to decide how long they require IT support for their business.

Why not give SupportWise a try? For a free quotation, please contact Chris Goodchild on 0330 113 7749. 46

63 47

Boosting your busin

Portrait

Photogr Products

ness with great

raphy

About me I am a photographer based in Newbury, West Berkshire. I offer a wide range of photography services including commercial, portrait and adventure photography.

Whether it’s LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook or your own website, promoting yourself or your business is all about creating a great impression online. A striking and professional head-shot, picture of the products you sell or a series of images that tell the story of your business - good photography can have a huge influence on how potential clients perceive you and ultimately whether they choose to do business with you. With many people finding themselves job-hunting this year, a stand-out headshot can really add value to your LinkedIn profile.

Have a look at your current photo and see how it compares with your peers. Does it reflect the image you want to portray to potential employers? Steven Parker, a Newbury-based professional photographer specialising in headshots, personal branding photography and product images, offers his tips on creating a great profile picture:

Dress the part Whether your industry favours jeans and t-shirt or suit and tie, dress to impress but make sure it’s something you feel comfortable in.

Lighting Position yourself either facing or side on to a window to make use of the natural light.

Look at the camera and smile It makes you look approachable and confident.

Clean background Keep it plain and simple, steering clear of ‘busy’ backgrounds so that the focus is on you (and also avoids a lampshade or plant accidentally sticking out of your head). If you’d prefer to put yourself in the hands of a pro, Steven offers flexible studio options and competitive prices. He works with clients to understand the impression they want to create from their pictures, applying his experience and creativity to deliver a unique set of images.

www.stevenparkerphoto.com 07557 371645

hello@stevenparkerphoto.com

@stevenparkerphotocom

@stevenparker.photo

Style by S 50

Suze

Captain Tortue is a leading French fashion brand established over 25 years ago by a husband and wife team and continues to go from strength to strength. Each collection is designed with passion and created with love from the South of France. In June 2020, local businesswoman, Susan Mannion, decided to follow her passion, quit her demanding job and become a full time Style Consultant for the fabulous Captain Tortue brand and set up Style by Suze. With a passion for clothing and accessories, particularly stylish, chic, affordable and sustainable, Style by Suze can help you create a beautiful capsule wardrobe. The clothes are cleverly designed to suit all shapes and sizes. Many of the collections range from a size 4 to a size 24. There are four ranges within Captain Tortue, Little Miss, Miss, Trend and Java.

stylebysuze

There is something for everyone! The fabrics are chosen for their femininity, classical styles with positive colours in comfortable fabrics that are easy to wear and coordinate beautifully from season to season. Style by Suze offers a no-obligation, free, 1 to 1 shopping experience, or alternatively, during this difficult current climate, can accommodate a small group of 4 or 5 ladies so they can enjoy shopping together in the comfort of their own homes, by appointment in Suze's or if preferred, virtually via Zoom. There is also an opportunity for someone to become a hostess and earn discounts against sales as well as qualify for free gifts. Simply invite your friends along and enjoy the hostess benefits and receive the clothes you love at a discounted rate. @style.bysuze

@stylebysuze 52

Are your

Goals

Do you struggle with setting and achieving goals? If yes, you are not alone. Goals have become the only way of achieving dreams by holding people to account, however, they work well for some but not so much for others. Goals – The Upside Everyone knows that setting goals is a way to achieve what you want. They are used to measure, motivate and create a sense of accountability, a sort of judgement of a person’s worth.

Goals – The Downside But many people struggle with them, you can almost hear the inward groan of despair at the mere mention of goals.

Why? I believe people set goals because they think they ‘should’, ‘could’, "must", "have to", however it is not really what they WANT. Think New Year’s Resolutions? Perhaps there is a good reason they do not last beyond the end of January! People usually set goals because they think they want them, but generally, it is to meet an expectation from somewhere else. It is not really something they want to do. By setting them for the wrong reasons, more effort must be invested in making them happen, more will power, more motivation which can then lead to disillusionment. Because somehow even if you set them, they can soon become a chore.

What’s the alternative? I believe by changing the word to INTENTIONS changes perspective. It implies less pressure than a goal. Notice (mindfully) the subtle and more positive difference in the energy around the word? It feels less constraining, more flexible, doesn’t it? Intentions can still be a plan, still be SMART, still be monitored, but

s still relevant? are less of something to beat yourself up with – the only person setting the requirements after all, is you!

Commitment After setting your intention, you still need commitment, right? – How much do you really want it? One way is to rate yourself out of 10, with 10 being absolute commitment to 0 – highly unlikely.

• Over 8 – Well done you! You

are on your way!

• Between 5 – 7 – Good job! Knowing you have room for growth and still be human, will allow you to be kinder for those times when you slip up.

•

Under 5 – who is this really for? You may believe it is for you, but is it really? Have a rethink about what you want instead?

This is not about letting yourself off the hook, but it is about being more realistic, you still have a life to lead! Rather than give up, know there is always tomorrow!

Summary Goals are still relevant, but for those who struggle, changing to intentions, can open a whole new perspective, giving you more freedom in how you succeed. In addition, focussing on what you WANT, rather than MUST, leads to a greater chance of success!

Kim Searle Emotional Mastery Helping people to clear emotional and mental baggage that is causing them issues in life, freeing them up to become happier, healthier and wealthy. Questions or advice, please send an email to info@localbuzzmagazine.com. 53

Cleaning

Exper

After 30 years of building a successful career in sales, Mike Sheene decided to fulfil a lifelong ambition of becoming his own boss. He took over an existing Bright & Beautiful location in 2016 and hasn’t looked back since.

the Bright & Beautiful team at a cleaning show, Mike was sold on starting his own Bright & Beautiful business. “I was so affected by the teams level of professionalism and their clear passion for the business, that I felt

“I had been thinking about retiring from sales for some time since I always felt that selling was very much a young person’s game. To grow a business for myself and particularly to have created something tangible that I could pass on to someone else really appealed to me, which is why I decided to start my own business.”

I was surely onto a winner. Many of the other online companies I looked into weren’t long-term sustainable, whereas I’d always felt that housekeeping was never an industry that could ever be overtaken by online companies and would always be in demand.”

“While I knew I had the financial acumen to make my business a success, I felt that joining a well-known national company would be the smarter decision as I would be supported by a team of experts to help supplement those skills that I was lacking, such as marketing, HR etc.”

Since investing, Mike has enjoyed a steady stream of growth, having doubled his workforce to 30 trusted professional cleaners and most recently, Mike has expanded the business (into Marlborough) with plans in place to move into a second premises in the coming years.

Mike began extensively researching different companies and after meeting

While Mike is very pleased with the results he has seen in such a short

time frame, what he enjoys most about owning a Bright & Beautiful cleaning business is helping his local community. “It’s so fulfilling to see the impact we have on our client’s daily lives and how we help to make their day to day that bit easier and cleaner! I also loved seeing the team grow and helping members of staff develop their confidence.”

rts

@brightandbeautifulmarlborough @brightandbeautifulnewbury

www.brightandbeautifulhome.com

@BBMarlboroughandNewbury

Do you need to make a

New Year’s resol

or simply break a habit? It’s the New Year and a lot of people decide to make New Years’ resolutions to change something, usually for the better, from the previous year.

But do you need to make a resolution or could it be as simple as looking to change a habit? Habits are automatic sequences of actions that we enact, often with very little conscious decision involved. We may know what we are doing, but do not consciously think about whether or not to do it. Typically, we may notice that we are enacting a habit but do not remember deciding or even initiating the action! Good habits are positive and useful. Bad habits are negative and problematic. Habits can also be neutral, having neither helpful nor harmful effect. However, once ingrained (or 'habituated'), habits can be very hard to prevent or give up. This can be problematic for bad habits. A few tips if you have fallen into bad habits while self-isolating and how you might change your behaviours to change your bad habits.

56 57

Map out your bad habit

Choose the right approach

The first step to breaking a habit is to figure out your triggers. Once you know your triggers, try to identify the behaviours you engage in when you are acting out.

Will you quit that bad habit all at once, or slowly over time? Make sure that you pick the approach that works best for you.

Create a plan Studies suggest that conscious planning can make it easier to overcome bad habits. Work on one bad habit at a time, incorporate it into your personal goals and keep track of your progress.

Don’t let slipups derail you Don’t be too hard on yourself if you slip up… keep going and don’t give up! Remind yourself regularly why you want to break the habit and remember: it took time for your bad habit to form and it will take time to break it. Put obstacles between you and your bad habit. For example, if you check social media when you should be working, use applications that block access to the internet.

lution Change Your Passwords

Reward yourself

Puzzled? It helps to change your passwords to commands that remind you of the change in the habit you are trying to achieve. For example, if you want to stop smoking, change your password to “quit smoking”. It is believed that every time you type out this instruction, you are reinforcing the need for change in your brain, making it slightly easier to achieve your goal.

As you start to beat your habit, give yourself a little treat once in a while so that you feel good about the progress you're making. Over time, your brain can start to associate your new, positive behaviour with the reward, and this will reinforce your new "good" habit.

Be persistent and patient Realising that it will take time for the new brain connections to kick in, for the old brain-firings to calm down, for new patterns to replace the old. Don’t beat yourself up for slip-ups or use them as rationales for quitting.

44 (0) 7769 198222 / 7500 069626 www.a4people.com solutions@a4people.com A4People @a4_people A4people

Light

Camera

Act

ction!

Who are they? What are their pain points? Why will they be interested in what you want to say? Over 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute so you need to give your audience a really good reason to watch your videos.

Videos are a brilliant way of showing what you can offer, telling the stories behind your business and helping you to stand out from the crowd. Here are five easy steps to make sure your videos look good and do a great job of promoting your business.

Decide on the business goals for your videos What would you like to achieve with your videos? Do you want to let more people know that you exist? Generate more leads or enquiries? Convince more people to go from “just looking” to actually buying? Focus on one goal for each video.

What do you want to say and why will your audience listen? What are the two or three key points you want to get across? Don’t try to cram too much into one video, it’s better to create several short videos. Think about your audience.

Choose the right video sharing platform Find out where your audience goes and create the right content for that platform. One size doesn’t fit all – what works on YouTube may not be right for Facebook; Instagram and Tiktok are different again.

Tell a story A good story creates an emotional response; it’s a kind of bonding experience. Using a story helps your audience to remember your key messages, but keep it as short as possible to avoid losing viewers.

5 tips

for creating great videos to grow your business

Make it sound good and look great Being informal and authentic isn’t an excuse for wobbly camera work and bad sound! A cheap tripod will keep your phone or camera steady. Make sure that the people and objects on screen are well lit and that the sound is clear. Use a simple video editing tool to trim off the bits you don’t need and add a title and end screen with your logo and contact details. If you’d like more inspiration, please get in touch to book a free 45 minute discussion. Tell me about your business and I’ll recommend three ways that you could use video to help your business grow. David Perry Video Producer at David Perry Media

david@davidperrymedia.com

01491 818569 59

How to run your business safely Risk assessment during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic As an employer, you must protect people from harm. This includes taking reasonable steps to protect your workers and others from coronavirus. This is called a COVID-19 risk assessment and it’ll help you manage risk and protect people. You must:

• identify what work activity or situations might cause transmission of the virus •

think about who could be at risk

• decide how likely it is that someone could be exposed

• act to remove the activity or situation, or if this isn’t possible, control the risk If you have fewer than five employees, you don’t have to write anything down, but it might help if you do. Find out more about managing risk and risk assessment. The Public Health England report Disparities in the risk and outcomes of COVID-19 shows that some groups of people may be at more risk of being infected and/or an adverse outcome if infected.

It includes practical measures you can take, for example:

•

putting in place social distancing measures

•

staggering shifts

•

providing additional handwashing facilities

For more information please access www.hse.gov.uk

You should consider this in your risk assessment. We have produced guidance to help you work safely (be COVIDsecure) and manage the risk associated with running your business at this time.

5 Steps for using Marketing research to advertise your product Whether your business is B2B or B2C, by implementing digital and print advertisements correctly, you’ll be able to successfully grow your presence and ultimately foster more conversions and sales. Now more than ever, advertisements with a planned strategy allow your company to have more visibility throughout a much wider audience.

you can get mostout of your campaigns.

Take a look at these 5 steps into your own marketing strategy to help your company get the advertising results you’re looking for:

Decide on an advertising medium source print or digital media

Schedule your advertisements appropriately always budget for a campaign rather than having a single exposure

Determine your target audience. Knowing who you want to see your product is the first step in creating an advertising strategy. This is key to the success of your investment. Discover media habits of target customers

Look for a strong and well stablished medium with a large circulation. Check in on the competition

See what your competitors are doing and have a strategy in place – check the process

However, if your ads aren’t well thought out, you most likely won’t get the outcome you’re hoping for. Whether it be the design, channel or messaging elements, every aspect of the advertisement needs to be taken into consideration for it to work in your favour. To determine the best ways to create and implement your strategy, you should look at researching the market first so 60

If you need help with yourmarketing planning, please do talk to us on 01635 200 006. Happy marketing!

Local buzz Magazine is not responsible for any content provided by third parties - we believe the source of information to be true and reliable.

FREE during lockdown! Our networking events at Metro Bank have been postponed due to Corona virus, however, we are providing a FREE business promotion when you register for the Zoom networking events. Join is three times a month and receive a free editorial space to promote your business.

What are the benefits of joining BuzzConnect? RAISE  your profile.

BUILD 

a local network of suppliers and customers.

COLLABORATE 

UKBuzzConnect UKBuzzConnect BuzzConnect

with other local businesses.

DEVELOP 

business and leadership skills.

BE PART 

of a community that represents you.

BuzzConnect

Effective networking If you have come along to one of our events, you will have noticed the warm and welcoming approach that we take. We encourage everyone to get involved and promote what they do. BuzzConnect was created to bring people together and we believe that there should be no exclusions, no long-term contracts and no “performance pressure” such as speaking to the room and giving a 2-minute introduction about your company.

Our monthly networking at Metro Bank is hugely popular and will always free, however, due to Covid-19 we are running our networking events via Zoom. BuzzConnect Business networking is evolving and it will continue to grow for years to come. Make sure you join the BuzzConnect Networking Group on Facebook and LinkedIn, so you can share your company information for free and be part of a thriving business community.

supporting

back and with a great incentive to local businesses! As an incentive to local businesses and an opportunity to market your company, Local Buzz is offering a FREE full page advert when you attend 3 consecutive BuzzConnect Zoom events. Join BuzzConnect on the first, second and third Thursday between 8.30-10am! Our meetings are fun, welcoming, structured, uplifting and informative. Our BuzzConnect Ambassadors, Metro Bank, James CooperKreston, Lamb Brooks Solicitors, Donnington Grove Hotel, Andrew Street Wealth Management and Local Buzz are looking forward to welcome you to the next events. Please register here www.buzz-connect.co.uk/bookonline

#KIND20 BUZZCONNECT AMBASSADORS

localbuzzmagazine.com

donnington-grove.com

andrewstreetwm.co.uk

metrobankonline.co.uk

jamescowperkreston.co.uk

www.lambbrooks.com

www.buzz-connect.co.uk

Quality Private Healthcare

Recognised by all healthcare insurers and open to any self-funding patient. Full range of clinical services including: • Private GP • Orthopaedics • Ophthalmology • Cardiology

Located at Basingstoke & North Hampshire Hospital

• Cosmetic Surgery • MRI & Imaging

Call 01256 315010 Visit candoverclinic.com

Private Healthcare Supporting

Business Directory . Call 01635 200 006

Would you like to be walking on air again? Then look no further.

HCPC registered Podiatrist

WE TREAT: Corns, callus . Nail problems including thickened and fungal nails . Skin conditions of the foot . Diabetic foot care . Verrucae including swift treatment - the highest success treatment available! 07379 904833 . Louise@westberkshirefootclinic.co.uk www.westberkshirefootclinic.co.uk Find me on:

Total Health West Berkshire . Lower Henwick Farm . Turnpike Rd . Thatcham . RG18 3AP

Make domestic cleaning a chore of the past... Newbury and all surrounding areas 01635 813 200 Basingstoke and hereall and all surrounding areas 01256 689 346

• • • •

No Time To Clean? Too Tired From Work? Want Someone You Can Trust? Uniformed and insured Staff

Independently owned and operated

Or book your clean online now at:

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J.S Fencing & Landscaping All types of garden fencing and landscape construction. 30 years experience No job too big or small Please contact Jason on M: 07810 794171 . T : 01635 269280 jsfencinglandscaping.com

Are you a male or female who sometimes feels anxious stressed worried but doesn’t know why? Would like to control the way you feel but doesn’t know how? We can Help Teaching you the simple but immensely effective Techniques of Cognitive therapy and NLP A problem is only a problem if it’s a problem to you we make it NO LONGER A PROBLEM!

Please call me 07710 726 424 info@robdonnellytherapy.com 64

OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS: TYPICAL AWARD AMOUNTS OF

ÂŁ100 - ÂŁ500!

Applications are now welcome from community groups in our branch towns who require support. Applications from not-for-profit organisations which continue to support vulnerable people during the Covid-19 pandemic are particularly welcome. Visit www.newbury.co.uk for further information and to download an application form. Deadline: Sunday 1 November 2020. Terms and conditions apply.

Call: 01635 555777 | Visit: www.newbury.co.uk Newbury Building Society is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (Financial Services Register number 206077). English Law applies and we will communicate with you in English. We are participants of the Financial Ombudsman Service. We have a complaints procedure which we will provide on request. Most complaints that we cannot resolve can be referred to the Financial Ombudsman Service. 8075

Newbury Building Society

Local Buzz_Award Winning Lifestyle Magazine_Jan21

Articles inside

Local Buzz_Award Winning Lifestyle Magazine_Jan21