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32 How to stay health and active while

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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 last 10 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!

Do you have any news or issues that you would like to share?

We’d love to hear from you editor@localbuzzmagazine.com

Your Local Buzz

West Berkshire Council to invest £43M over the next three years on schools and education services West Berkshire Council plans to invest £43 million on new builds, expansion and improvement of schools as well as the refurbishment of education-related care facilities across the District in its Education Capital Programme for 2020-2023. This also includes provision for new equipment and services for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Recent major successes include the £8.8 million site purchase and new build of Theale Primary School, refurbishment of the Castle Gate respite care home in Newbury (£128k), Hungerford Primary School kitchen expansion (£417k) and extensive repairs carried out at Falkland Primary School, Newbury (£474k).

Projects scheduled for completion over the next six months include: • Highwood Copse, Newbury - new primary school (£7.7m) •

Winchcombe Primary School, Newbury - increased accommodation to cater for a greater number of pupils (£341k)

• Trinity Secondary School, Newbury - extension to the main school building to provide a new science classroom and larger two storey extension at the front to provide further additional classrooms (£2.3m) Additional projects scheduled for completion throughout 2021 - 2022 include: •

8

Parsons Down Partnership, Thatcham - bringing the junior and infant schools together into the same building to rationalise accommodation in line with pupil demand and improve financial efficiency. The project also includes

the renovation and expansion of outdoor play areas (£1.5m) •

The Willink School, Burghfield - expansion project to increase the size of the sports changing rooms (completed), build a new English studies block with seven classrooms and associated facilities, and refurbish several other rooms (£2.9m)

Following a successful funding bid by West Berkshire Council, a separate project is under construction by the Department for Education to erect a new £14.8 million building for Little Heath Secondary School in Tilehurst.

Works are currently scheduled for completion by early 2021.

Dominic Boeck, West Berkshire's Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: "We are pleased to announce our spending plans, new builds and other works underway for schools and education services for the benefit of students, teachers and carers. Our education capital programme for 2020-2023 reflects the various and diverse needs across West Berkshire.

This includes creating more school spaces in certain areas and catering for pupils with special needs. "Although the onset of Covid-19 heavily impacted construction timetables over the past several months, we are now actively underway with progressing the rest of the projects scheduled for completion within the three year programme."

Read Online

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ber 1st of Decem

Agencies working together to tackle workplace Covid-19 outbreak Agencies are working together to manage an outbreak of Covid-19 within a workplace in Newbury.

In recent days a number of police officers from Thames Valley Police have tested positive for Covid-19.

Those officers and a number of other people they have been in close contact with are now self-isolating in line with national guidelines.

Agencies including West Berkshire Council and Public Health England are working with Thames Valley Police to ensure that appropriate steps are being taken to minimise the spread of the virus in line with our local outbreak control plan.

When positive tests were first reported Thames Valley Police acted quickly to take the necessary precautions and working with NHS Test and Trace and partners informing anyone who had been in close contact to begin self-isolating.

Matt Pearce, Head of Public Health for West Berkshire Council, said: "Nationally there has been an increase in cases of Covid-19 and we are likely to see more local cases and outbreaks over the coming months. We will continue to work with our partners to ensure that the necessary is action to reduce the spread of the virus."

LOCAL BUZZ

Local

Kit Malthouse MP

Issues

Building homes for the future

Consultation begins on West Berkshire's draft Housing Strategy 2020 - 2036 West Berkshire Council is inviting residents and stakeholders to provide their views on its draft Housing Strategy 2020-2036, which details how the council intends to support residents with access to good quality housing while preventing homelessness and rough sleeping.

The Housing Strategy sets out West Berkshire Council's strategic housing priorities and the range of actions that the Council intends to take in partnership with relevant partners and stakeholders. In addition, the draft strategy explains how a thriving housing market - within both the local and national context - can positively influence and support the delivery of the Council's vision through the following twin priorities: • Priority 1 - Enable every resident to have access to a home that meets their needs • Priority 2 - Reduce homelessness The draft strategy looks at the demographics and anticipated demand for housing across the District for the future. Overall, the population is projected to grow by just under 5% by 2036. While West Berkshire has a relatively young population at present, the population is forecast to become older with household sizes reducing.

These factors will impact on the future requirements for the type and size of housing across the district and the need for appropriate affordable housing.

Councillor Hilary Cole, Executive Member for Housing at West Berkshire Council, said: "We are inviting residents and stakeholders to have their say on our draft Housing Strategy as the presence of a balanced housing market across West Berkshire is critical to ensuring that residents' health and well-being is safeguarded. We are particularly keen to hear from young people and key workers so we can ensure their housing aspirations are captured within the strategy. "The draft strategy details how we aim to provide a positive impact for an ageing population, plus opportunities for affordable housing for residents with disabilities and young people.

"We also want to provide housing solutions for the reduction of homelessness and for those requiring specialist accommodation. The draft strategy sets out how the delivery of suitable housing will therefore have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of residents who are impacted by poor housing.

"The Housing Strategy is a key corporate strategy that sets out how the Council intends to influence and intervene within the local housing market for the benefit of residents and I would encourage as many people as possible to provide their views by completing the consultation survey."

To read the policy and have their say on the consultation survey, residents and stakeholders can visit the West Berkshire Council www.info.westberks. gov.uk/drafthousingstrategy Those unable to participate online can request a hard copy by calling 01635 519530 and selecting option 1.

We need to build more houses for young people, make them the beautiful, and protect our local area and countryside at the same time.

Our current planning system is too slow. It takes an average of seven years to make a housing plan for an area and five years to get permission to build.

This is often followed by the slow delivery of homes as well as the roads, schools, hospitals and other community infrastructure needed to support them. We need a simpler and faster planning system.

The ‘Planning for the Future’ white paper sets out proposals for a more diverse and competitive housing industry, in which smaller builders can thrive alongside the big players and where planning permissions are swiftly turned into homes. This is out for consultation and I urge you to have your say www.gov.uk/government/ consultations/planning-for-the-future.

When I was housing minister I made clear my position that our Area of Outstanding Beauty should be protected, and that young people need good quality and affordable houses in which to live.

I still believe that that squaring this circle should be left to local people through the neighbourhood planning process, which has been used successfully across North West Hampshire. I will continue to champion the principle that planning should be done with and by local people.

Kit Malthouse MP and Minister for policing and crime.

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Supports

NHS COVIDThe free NHS COVID-19 app is a vital part of the NHS Test and Trace service in England and the NHS Wales Test, Trace and Protect service

The new NHS COVID-19 app, now available to download for free in England and Wales, is the fastest way to see if you are at risk from coronavirus.

The faster you know, the quicker you can alert and protect your loved ones the community.

asking them to download the NHS COVID-19 app.

The app has a number of tools to protect you, including contact tracing, local area alerts and venue check-in.

It uses proven technology from Apple and Google, designed to protect every user’s privacy.

Text messages will come from NHStracing and begin ‘This is a public health message from NHS Test and Trace.'

I have received an email or text message asking me to download the NHS COVID-19 app - is it genuine?

From 26th September, everyone over the age of 16 who is registered with a GP in England and has provided an email address or phone number to the NHS, received an email or SMS

10 10

Emails will come from NHS Test and Trace COVID-19 App with ‘Public Health Message: NHS COVID-19 App’ as the subject.

You can read more on gov.uk about what the messages will look like.

The message was deemed to be an essential part of dealing with a public health emergency. It was created to help, inform and encourage the use of the NHS COVID-19 app, a new tool which will help users to protect their own health and the health of those they care about. The Secretary of State decided that sending emails and

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-19 app text messages to individuals was a necessary and appropriate approach.

The data came from the central NHS database which stores demographic information, called PDS. The Secretary of State asked NHS Digital to use the mobile phone numbers and emails for registered patients over the age of 16, so that the public health message could be sent. Whenever there is a request to use NHS data, an assessment is made to ensure that it is legal and safe to do so.

Email addresses and phone numbers are used by NHS Digital as a Processor (and Gov Notify as a Sub-Processor) on behalf of DHSC to send the messages.

DHSC will not receive the data directly.

Gov Notify will receive phone numbers to send text messages on behalf of NHS Digital. Read more about how we protect your data and privacy in the NHS Test and Trace privacy notice.

Beware of scams. The contact-tracing service will only call you from 0300 013 5000 or send you a text message or email from ‘NHStracing’.

You will never be asked to dial a premium rate number, make a payment, provide your bank details or provide other personal information such as your social media identities or login details.

Protect your loved ones!

is supporting

#KIND20

For more information please contact: info@localbuzzmagazine.com

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

Apple Struddle

November brings a glut of apples. Make the most of them with this delicious strudel recipe.

Preparation time: 20 mins Cooking time: 40-45 mins Serves: 6-8

Ingredients • 750g/1lb 10oz Bramley apples, peeled, cored, quartered and sliced • 1½ tsp ground cinnamon • ½ unwaxed lemon, zest only • 2 tsp lemon juice • 100g/3½oz golden caster sugar • 75g/2½oz raisins • 95g/3½oz butter • 40g/1½oz white breadcrumbs • 6 large sheets filo pastry • 1 tbsp icing sugar

18 12

Method the oven to 190C/170C 1. Preheat Fan/Gas 5. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. the quartered apples with the 2. Mix cinnamon, lemon zest and juice, sugar and raisins. In a small frying pan, melt 20g/¾oz butter and fry the breadcrumbs until goldenbrown, then add these to the apple mixture. the remaining butter in a pan.

3. Melt On a clean, dry tea-towel lay a sheet of the filo and brush with some of the melted butter. Lay another sheet on top and repeat until you have used all the filo.

the pastry with the melted 4. Layering butter helps to create flaky layers.

Place the filling along the length of the pastry along one side about 2-3cm/1in from the edge. the tea-towel to help you, 5. Using roll the pastry up to enclose the filling. Tuck the ends in and roll the strudel seam-side down onto the lined baking sheet. Brush with the remaining melted butter. for 40-45 minutes, until 6. Bake golden-brown. Leave to cool to room temperature and dust with icing sugar. Slice and serve with cream, ice cream or custard.

Cranberries Rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, cranberries are surprisingly versatile.

Cranberries can also be used in cake, crisps, roasted, stuffing for vegetables and meats, to infuse alcohol - vodka and gin. Keep an eye out for fresh berries that have tight, shining skins, and bounce when dropped.

Seasonal FOOD

For a colourful and sustainable autumn, here’s seasonal fruits and vegetables to eat in November.

Cabbages Are large, round, leafy members of the brassica family. There are many varieties of cabbage and they're harvested at different times throughout the year. From classic comfort foods like cabbage rolls and corned beef and cabbage to surprising twists on the veg unstuffed cabbage casserole is the perfect week night meal - there are tons of ways to play around with the veg.

Onions Carrots It’s root vegetable season. Stock up on carrots, parsnips, turnips and celeriac, which convert their starches to sugar after a frost. It is easy enough to make them into a soup or roast them until golden. Try adding interest through seasoning - carrots work well with parsnips, with honey, walnuts, celeriac, thyme, hazelnuts, cumin and coriander.

Brussels sprouts Brussels are especially delicious since cold temperatures tame their bitterness. Other similar vegetables are delicious too, like kale and cabbage.

Consider stir frying sprouts with soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic. Sprouts should feel heavy for their size.

This season’s onions should have darker, thicker skins and look for ones without blemishes.

Firmer and with a lower water content, change fall to autumn varietals take well to longer cooking. Try roasting onions in wedges alongside meat or slowly caramelize them for added flavour to any dish.

Leeks Similar to carrots, leeks’ flavour benefits from the chill of a frost, they should feel crisp. Braised leeks are brilliant with eggs and on a cold evening, potato leek soup is delicious.

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11 weeks of support emails and an easy-to-use app to assist you with eating the healthiest of healthy foods all for free!

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For more, check out my video How to reverse type 2 diabetes on NutritionFacts.org

How to Reverse

Type 2 Diabetes Diabetes reversal, not just treatment, should be a goal in the management of type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes can be reversed not only with an extremely low calorie diet, but it can also be reversed with an extremely healthy diet.

Even if diabetes reversal can be achieved with calorie restriction, instead of subsisting off liquid diet drinks, on the plant-based diet at least one can eat large volumes of real food.

So, even if it only works because it’s just another type of calorie-restricted diet, it is certainly a healthier version.

But, even participants in the study who did not lose weight - or even gained weight eating enormous quantities of whole healthy plant foods - appeared to improve their diabetes. Thus, the beneficial effects of this kind of diet appear to extend beyond weight loss.

In one study, the control diet researchers used, was the conventional diabetic diet, which actually had nearly twice the fiber content of the Standard American Diet, so it was probably healthier than what the participants had been used to eating.

The study compared the number of units of insulin with which subjects had to inject themselves daily before and after going on the plant-based diet.

Dr. Michael Greger M.D. FACLM

Overall, despite no change in weight, insulin requirements were cut about 60 percent and half were able to get off insulin altogether, after just 16 days!

To be clear, we are talking about diabetics who had had diabetes as long as 20 years, injecting 20 units of insulin a day, getting off insulin altogether in as few as 13 days, thanks to less than two weeks on a plant-based diet. Patient 15, for example, had injected 32 units of insulin while on the control diet and then, 18 days later, none. That is the power of plants.

As a bonus, their cholesterol dropped like a rock to under 150 on average in 16 days, making them nearly heart attack proof as well. Just as “moderate changes in diet usually result in only modest reductions� in cholesterol, asking people with diabetes to make moderate changes often achieves equally moderate results, which is one possible reason why most end up on drugs, injections or both.

Moderation in all things is not necessarily a good thing.

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.

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Cinder

Toffee

Part science experiment and part sweet treat. This is fun for the kids and perfect for bonfire night.

Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 15-20 minutes (plus cooling) Serves: Depends how sweet your tooth is!

Ingredients • • • • • • •

165g demerara sugar 165g caster sugar 60ml golden syrup 4 tbsp water 15g butter, diced, plus extra to grease Pinch of salt 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda

You will also need a kitchen thermometer

Method

1.

Generously grease an approximately 24cm square tin.

2.

Put the bicarbonate of soda within easy reach of the hob.

3.

Place both sugars, syrup, water and butter in a deep, heavybottomed pan with a pinch of salt. (Make sure it is a deep pan or the 'science bit' will go horribly badly!).

4.

5.

6.

Heat gently, stirring, until the sugars and butter have dissolved, then turn up the heat slightly and bring to the boil.

Simmer until it reaches 138C turns amber and bubbles - this will take about 10-15 minutes.

When the mixture gets to temperature, remove it from the heat and quickly and thoroughly whisk in the bicarb. It will foam and grow alarmingly. The kids will love it!

Pour the foamy mixture into the tin and leave to set. When cold get the kids to smash it into pieces.

Optional: Pour melted chocolate over the shards for the ultimate cinder toffee treat.

Throughout the county of Derbyshire there are a good number of producers of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.

Trevor Langley Wine Appreciator

Derbyshire

Bred

The Dancing Duck Brewery was established during 2010 and is now a (multi) award-winning company that can be justifiably proud of their beers and achievements. Using only ingredients of the finest quality, the Dancing Duck Brewery continues to go from strength to strength.

The core range of beers has something for all tastes, be it pale ale, bitter, stout and more. Most certainly, with the seasonal range, plus the barrel-aged productions, too, there is definitely plenty to ‘quack’ about – sorry ducks!

AY UP (Alc 3.9% Vol) is an extremely popular pale ale production. Good tendencies towards floral, with a certain ‘body’, come through, from the excellent use of citrus hops. Very good on the mouthfeel and great for a ‘social’ drink.

22 (Alc 4.3% Vol) I found to be a splendid best bitter ale. The flavour delivers as malty, with some dark fruits adding to the enjoyment and the palate’s delight. DARK DRAKE (Alc 4.5% Vol) is, to me, an oatmeal stout with richness, brought about by the a malty and caramel flavours. Definitely smooth and tending towards roasted coffee, with toffee, for the finish.

Tel: 01332 205 582 www.dancingduckbrewery.com The Alter Ego Brewing Company is well-established and also ‘caught my eye’. Their full-flavoured beers are very popular and have gained many ‘devotees’ amongst regular customers.

Pale ale, IPA, stout, bitter and porter are all included in their productions. Again, the finest ingredients are utilised, to great advantage, to produce most impressive ales.

Looking at (and tasting) some of the Milk Stout part of their range: S’MORE FIRE (Alc 5.2% Vol) I found as a great, sweet milk stout. This beer has smoked malt, which enhances the flavours and finish on the palate. PUGILIST (Alc 6.3% Vol) utilises tonka beans for this ale. Flavours abound and, again, it is another very popular production from the Alter Ego Brewing Company. Tel: 07989 655 828 www.alteregobrewing.co

The respective websites have all details about the breweries, plus updated information.

17

Getting Su

smart with child Worried about your child’s eating habits? You’re not alone.

Nearly two-thirds of parents are concerned about how much sugar their child consumes.

Whilst sugar occurs naturally in some foods, most is added into our diets as ‘free’ sugar. Children and teenagers are, on average consuming nearly three times as much as they should.

We know that excess sugar leads to tooth decay and that’s the largest cause of hospital admissions for children.

Overweight children are likely to become overweight adults.

That means an increased risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, joint pain, and even certain types of cancer.

So, what can you do to reduce your child’s sugar consumption?

1.

Watch out for hidden sugar in children’s snacks When you see a food product aimed at kids, you assume it’s healthy. Think again. Snack bars and treats designed for children often have enormous amounts of hidden sugar. Treat them as confectionary rather than everyday snacks.

The charity Action on Sugar evaluated 56 packaged fruit products sold in supermarkets, the kind you might put in a

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2.

lunch box or eat after school.

They found a whopping 65% had the equivalent of two or more teaspoons of added sugar.

Make healthy swaps Cutting sugar doesn’t have to be a dramatic change of diet. Just making healthier choices can significantly reduce the amount of free sugar your child consumes.

Try these simple ideas: •

Reduce the sugar in your usual recipes by a quarter or even half. You’re unlikely to spot any difference to the taste.

•

Make milk and water the usual drinks in your house. Swap sugary fizzy drinks with sparkling water and sugar-free squash.

• Replace pre-packaged snacks after school with pieces of fruit or vegetable sticks.

•

Switch from high-sugar cereals to wholegrain unsweetened alternatives. Add fruit to sweeten it up.

Most children are very aware of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Include them in your food decisions. Let them choose from a range of healthy snacks and help prepare low-sugar meals you’ll all enjoy.

3.

Get smart about food labelling Ingredient labels are organised in descending order with the largest ingredient first. That makes it easy to spot sugar near the top of the list. Watch out for other words used to describe added sugar. Syrup, molasses, dextrose, sucrose, and fructose are just some to look out for. Some food packets display a traffic light system to help inform your choices. Foods are low in sugar if they contain 5g or less of total sugar per 100g, or 2.5g or less per 100ml for drinks.

Look at your usual purchases and swap to ones with green labels for total sugar.

Where to find information If you’re looking to make better food choices, check out FoodSwitch UK, a free app that scans barcodes of products to find similar but healthier alternatives.

It was partially created by Action on Sugar, a charity concerned with sugar and its effects on health. You can find more information about free sugar on the NHS website.

ugar

dren

Helly Douglas - Writer

Helly is a teacher and content writer, specialising in education and parenting.

OBESITY AND COVID-19 What is the link?

COVID-19 and its effects have scared us all, health professionals and public alike.

We’re still learning about the virus, but one fact has been all over the news in the past couple of months.

Obese people (people with a BMI over 30) are more at risk of complications.

Why is this? Most of people with BMIs close to or greater than 30 seem perfectly healthy individuals. Should they be worried?

In order to answer this question, we need to look at the immune system: When we catch a virus our body’s defence system is triggered and inflammation occurs. This is due to our all-purpose innate immune response, which serves as the first wave against foreign invaders.

Blood flow increases to the infected area causing redness and swelling. When your nose blocks and becomes red when you catch a cold, that’s inflammation.

This reaction is caused by white blood cells called macrophages and the proteins they produce called cytokines.

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It’s the cytokines which trigger inflammation. Usually this inflammation is a simply a sign that our body is releasing the hormones and proteins which activate our white blood cells to kick-start the recovery process and ultimately defeat the infection.

No inflammation means no defence… and that’s bad.

So far so good; so why is obesity a problem?

Well, it turns out that white blood cells aren’t the only type of cell that have the ability to produce those inflammationinducing cytokines. Fat cells (adipocytes) can also do this. Scientists have learned that fat is an active endocrine organ, one that can secrete a whole host of proteins and chemicals, including inflammatory cytokines.

When your body keeps adding adipose tissue (fat), cytokines are released by your fat cells, triggering inflammation.

Researchers even characterised obesity as ‘…a state of low-grade, chronic inflammation".

This means that an obese body has its immune system permanently switched on and is therefore in a constant state of inflammation.

Over time this can lead to the development of both minor and major illness and conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes.

How does this relate to COVID-19?

Back in 2009 the H1N1 Swine Flu was at its most virulent. Doctors in Spain noticed that overweight and obese patients were being admitted to intensive care units in disproportionate numbers and took longer to recover than non-obese or overweight individuals. Their increased risk was attributed to the excess number of proinflammatory cytokines in their bodies.

Researchers in Canada then analysed the flu records for the previous 12 years and found that people who were obese were statistically more likely to be admitted to hospital for respiratory diseases than those whose BMI was in the normal range. They concluded that obese people were an “at risk” population during flu seasons due to their compromised immune response.

As we go into the winter and the risk of a second wave of coronavirus, if you have a BMI over 30 it makes sense to try to bring it down and minimise your risk.

Talk to your GP.

Why try

Fairy Herb Tea? Fairy herb’ may sound like a mythical plant grown by wizards and warlocks, but it’s actually another name for a plant called jiaogulan. Past research has shown that extracts from jiaogulan could help with weight loss 4,5,6.

One study6 was a randomized, doubleblind, placebo-controlled human trial and involved 74 men and women taking a jiaogulan extract over a 12 week period.

At the end of the trial, those using the jiaogulan extracts were found to have significantly (compared to the placebo group) decreased their total abdominal fat area, losing on average nearly 21cm2 of fat from around their bellies (the placebo group lost less than 3cm2).

Now new research1 has helped identify ten different compounds with potential weight loss properties in tea made from the herb. The plant makes a tea with a delicious bittersweet taste and could be a simple addition to your diet, if you’re looking to lose a few pounds.

Where to get Fairy Herb Tea Herbal tea experts, Natur Boutique, have launched one of the first jiaogulan teas to be available in the UK. Natur Boutique’s drink uses just one pure ingredient and has no additives or flavourings, which gives it an added purity of flavour.

For more details or to buy visit www.naturboutique.co.uk, Amazon or ask at your local health store.

References PLEASE NOTE: DO NOT use if pregnant, breast feeding or suffering from a medical condition (including diabetes) or are on medication. Ask a doctor if in any doubt over the suitability of jiaogulan for your diet or if you are about to undergo surgery. Stop use immediately and consult a doctor if adverse reactions occur.

1.

Molecules. 2020 Aug 15;25(16):E3737. Ten New Dammarane-Type Saponins with Hypolipidemia Activity from a Functional Herbal Tea- Gynostemma pentaphyllum Maojing Yin 1 2, Jingjing Zhang 1 2, Lizhi Wang 3, Fangyi Li 1 2, Zhenfa Li 1 2, Wei Xiang 1 2, Songtao Bie 1 2, Chunhua Wang 1 2, Zheng Li 1 2

2.

PLoS One. 2013 Nov 1;8(11):e78731. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078731. eCollection 2013.Metabonomics study of the therapeutic mechanism of Gynostemma pentaphyllum and atorvastatin for hyperlipidemia in rats. Wang M1, Wang F, Wang Y, Ma X, Zhao M, Zhao C.

3.

4.

Biotechnol Lett. 2012 Sep;34(9):1607-16. Heat-processed Gynostemma pentaphyllum extract improves obesity in ob/ob mice by activating AMP-activated protein kinase. Gauhar R1, Hwang SL, Jeong SS, Kim JE, Song H, Park DC, Song KS, Kim TY, Oh WK, Huh TL. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2014 Jan;22(1):63-71. Antiobesity effect of Gynostemma pentaphyllum extract (actiponin): a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Park SH1, Huh TL, Kim SY, Oh MR, Tirupathi Pichiah PB, Chae SW, Cha YS.

Marriage

An American

In a year that seems to be construction upon equal parts devastation and reflection, Tayari Jone’s 2018 novel exists as an outlet for the varied emotions we all have in response to this year’s outcry against racial prejudice and its consequences.

In a nutshell, Jones swipes a banal story of a wrongly convicted African American man and partners it with a narrative of the familial devastation the injustice causes. Aside from the incredible writing of the author, An American Marriage presents itself as an opportunity for us all to respond to the crucial issues that are still very present in our society today.

Central characters Roy and Celestial are married only 2 years when Roy is trailed and incarcerated for the rape of a woman he did not commit.

Though Jones novel makes a statement about both the discrimination of the black man and unlawfulness of the criminal justice system in America, its central message is much more than that.

In the novel’s 306 pages the reader is transported through the lives of the characters, allowing you to be fully submerged into what their core

22

existence is. Each chapter alternates between husband and wife, developing a story that is as much rooted in the product of modern American society as it is the characters themselves.

Essentially, you learn that though Roy and Celestial are both college educated, middle class with a good strong family, they cannot escape the glass ceiling placed upon their race.

As we dive further into the character’s personal and interwinding histories, Jones’ ensures that the story in which she is portraying is, and in this order: 1.Marriage 2.Race It is important to order these key issues this way. For too long non-white characters/novels have been explained away as simply a story of race. Jones’ novel is openly challenging this norm.

From Roy/Celestial, to their friend Andre and both their families you see first-hand that these characters are first and foremost human, even before any issues of race is presented to the reader.

For me, this makes An American Marriage one of my most important reads of 2020 as it teaches this fundamental concept that being discussed during the Black Lives Matter movement. If you do anything today, read this work of Jones and allow yourself to be a part of a wider issue affecting us all.

Amy Houlihan Editorial Blogger amy@localbuzzmagazine.com

Buy one

get five

free

Support the efforts of one of Madagascar’s leading conservation charities with their innovative mask exchange scheme to help supply face masks to the World’s poorest

With everyone from Aldi to Adidas offering face masks for sale, there are a plenty of options available, but an innovative UK charity, SEED Madagascar, have an unmissable deal – buy one, get five free.

SEED Madagascar are an environmental and humanitarian charity working to help both the people and animals of the African island. Their projects range from school and toilet building to improving primate habitats and protecting turtle nesting sites.

Coronavirus is now causing additional challenges. Madagascar is the poorest

22 24

country in the world, with almost 80% of the population living on less than $1.90 per day. Whilst coronavirus is impacting us all massively, on the island there are few health services, many people’s immune systems are already compromised, mortality rates are among the worst in the world and communication systems, to tell people about the virus and how to avoid it, are poor. It is predicted as much as 10% of the population may die from the virus.

Face masks on the island are therefore vitally important to help prevent the spread of CV and are relatively cheap to produce. Thus SEED Madagascar have come up with an innovative way to help fund their production and distribution to some of the most vulnerable, they are selling face masks, produced in the UK, for £5 (with a new design launched featuring one of

People can also help by volunteering to create face masks for sale in the UK – visit here for details. www. madagascar. enthuse.com Madagascar’s most famous inhabitants, the ringed lemur). The funds from the masks’ sales then goes towards commissioning 5 masks to be made by skilled community members in Madagascar.

One pound covers the cost of materials, labour at 2.5x the minimum wage, and distribution of a single mask.

“We can’t over estimate how vitally important helping those in Madagascar with the spread of CV is. It’s been difficult controlling the virus in rich developed countries, so it’s terrifying to think about what the final toll might be in poor developing countries.” – Mark Jacobs, SEED Madagascar Director

Children at a Madagascar school, which was helped to be built by SEED Madagascar

3

6

As a nation that’s renowned for loving a hot brew, the winter months are key for the use of hot water. Household appliances and plumbing are under more pressure with limescale lurking and becoming a nuisance.

Once hard water is heated it creates a chalky off-white crust that creates limescale that is hard to clean off and makes appliances look tired and worn.

Limescale can be found in kettles, irons, dishwashers, shower heads, boilers and pipes.

While it might seem dreadful, reducing or getting rid of limescale doesn’t need to take hours of hard labour scrubbing.

From grimy irons to annoying residue in your morning brew, limescale can be easily managed with these handy tips:

1

Use a descaling product Did you know that limescale build up starts from the first time you use your appliance? Oust All Purpose Descaler works in just 10 minutes to remove 100% of all limescale on a range of small household appliances including kettles, irons, coffee machines - to name a few. Just pop it in the appliance and let it do the hard work for you.

The key to preventing limescale damage is regular descaling of appliances or surfaces. If you live in a hard water area it is advised to descale every 3 months and every 6 months in soft water areas.

2

4

5

Put a lemon in it

Vinegar isn't just for chips Build-up of limescale on chrome fixtures like taps and showerheads can cause dullness and if left untreated chipping or peeling. Fill a plastic bag with white vinegar and attach it to the affected area.

Ensure the area that requires attention is soaked so it is able to dissolve the limescale. Return in ten to fifteen minutes and see the surface shine. For stubborn stains, soak the limescale for at least an hour or overnight.

Vinegar can also be used to descale your kettle. Pour some white vinegar with water to the kettle and bring it to boil. Turn it off and allow the mixture to stay in the kettle for 30 minutes to an hour. Once you’re done, empty it and fill it with fresh water. Boil the kettle a few times to ensure there’s no lingering taste of vinegar.

Limescale is produced by the heating of hard water and therefore can form in your hot water heater. By draining the tank a couple of times each year along with regulating or lowering the water temperature can help avoid build-ups of limescale.

Purify your water before boiling

Top tips on how to keep your home

limescale FREE

Drain your heater

6

Shockingly, Brits swallow 338,000 kilos* of flaky limescale in their hot drinks each year as a nation. If you’re sick of the little flakes of limescale in your morning coffee and just want to enjoy your cuppa, pre-treat the water by boiling it or by using a purifying filter. This will remove some of the minerals from the water that cause limescale. Another tip is to empty out your kettle once you’ve finished using it as leftover water encourages build up of limescale.

Lemons can be used to get rid of limescale around various parts of the house. It also leaves a refreshing smell once you’re done using it. For taps and shower heads, use half a lemon and wedge it onto the affected area for a few hours.

Tackle limescale in your kettle by filling it with water and small pieces of lemon. Boil the kettle with the lemon and water inside and leave it for an hour. Rise the kettle with clean water, and it should be good to go.

Use baking soda Removing stains from your shower glass can be tricky but can be done by combining white vinegar and baking soda in a spray bottle. Let the mixture sit on the glass for a few minutes then wipe with a clean cloth or paper towel.

For any stubborn spots, make a thick paste of baking soda and water and apply it to the affected areas and leave it there for a few minutes. Then rise well and wipe dry. If you don’t have baking soda, make a solution with half vinegar and water and spray on your shower screen.

25

make you 7 Simple Tips to

Covid-19 has changed many elements of life, with many Brits pivoting to adapt to the ‘new norm’. Prior to lockdown, the average person was splashing out close to £2,000 annually to keep up with the latest fashion trends.

In the wake of the pandemic, reports suggest that people have reduced spending habits when it comes to fashion by adopting a ‘make do and mend’ attitude, first seen during the Second World War. No matter how many trends may come or go, we’ve all got those treasured items in our wardrobes that we can’t do without but that over time have ended up looking a bit dull - whether it’s a pair of jeans that fit just right, a flattering t-shirt or an LBD that has never failed you. Rather than saying goodbye, here are six tips to help you extend the life of them so you can enjoy many more wears out of them.

26 28

1. Dare to mix

If you are looking for ways to help prolong the life of your clothing the answer may be in your washing machine. Even the most diligent clothing washer has encountered the dreaded colour run, making a whole wash load of clothes unwearable. Colour Catcher can prevent colour run accidents by trapping any loose dyes released during washing. When using these handy laundry sheets you have the freedom to wash colours, patterns, and whites together, keeping your clothes brighter for longer and making the dreaded red sock in a pile of white laundry a thing of the past.

2. Less can be more

It’s also important to keep in mind the amount of clothing you are putting into the drum. While loading the washing, try to adopt the ethos of less is more as too many clothes mean less movement, which equals more friction on clothing and less cleaning. To ensure your load gets a thorough clean fill the drum to ¾ full so there’s enough movement.

3. Room to breathe

If you’re really not a big fan of loading the washing machine, consider extending the time between washes. You’ll be amazed how long you can extend a garments’ life by not washing it so frequently and simply airing it out.

urClothes Last Longer Fun fact: Fabric can hold odours, but these often fade within 24 hours if left to air out.

4. Get creative

To give your favourites a new lease of life if the colour has started to fade, try DYLON Dyes easy to use Machine Dyes. Available in a variety of bright and colourful shades, the dyes are perfect for revamping or upcycling garments that may look a bit glum. Get even more creative by attempting the ever-popular tie dying method. All it requires is a couple of DYLON Hand Dyes, household salt and large rubber bands. Plus, it can be done at home in as little as two hours.

5. Clean your cleaner

Did you know that limescale deposits can build up in the fibres of your clothes, making them feel rougher? For a quick and effective way to remove limescale deposits from your washing machine, use Oust Dishwasher and Washing Machine Descaler. Simply add the contents of one sachet to the drum and run a 60C cycle without pre-wash.

6. Ditch the hangers

Hanging clothes is definitely less time consuming than folding but the latter is the better option for certain items. For example, it's best to fold jumpers and stretchy garments in order to preserve their shape. If you hang them, they might begin to sag overtime.

For some inspiration, check out decluttering guru Marie Kondo’s KonMari method.

27

Students study forest

and plant diversity at the Englefield Estate A-Level Biology students from Reading Blue Coat School have carried out their fieldwork project on the Englefield Estate, after their residential field course was cancelled due to COVID-19.

As part of a study on ecological succession, 20 biology students visited woodland near Mortimer to look at the forest at different stages of its natural regeneration.

The students collected data via smartphone apps on different plant species within a quadrat to understand the diversity and percentage plant coverage.

Charlotte Bamforth, Teacher of Biology at Reading Blue Coat School, and Health and Safety Compliance Officer for the Englefield Estate, said: “Pupils planned and organised their own fieldwork.

They completed data collection using entirely digital means, identifying plants species using various apps and recording data on their own handheld digital devices.

“It was wonderful to be out and about and to see such a range of sites which showed natural succession.

Just being able to observe plant and animal species which many had not had the opportunity to do before was excellent, especially in such a nearby and beautiful area. It was just a shame we didn’t see any of the elusive adders!”

Students have since used the data to carry out a species diversity comparison of two sites to see the effect of succession on plant diversity.

Soil samples will be processed to investigate how the pH of the soil and organic matter content changes as succession occurs.

“It is invaluable to gather data in the field to see if our observations translate into statistically significant trends or links,” Charlotte added. “It was also a welcome respite from the stringent COVID-19 measures inside school because we were able to effectively distance outdoors. If only all teaching could be outside all year round!”

Find out more about the Englefield Estate visit www.englefieldestate. co.uk.

26

What you should do if your partner has an

affair

Finding out that your partner has had an affair is devastating.

Where you go from there is up to both of you.

Is there enough good in this relationship that forgiveness can grow?

Or is it better to part? If you decide to try to work things out, it’s important to remember that staying in a relationship and forgiving a partner are not the same thing.

Staying is a decision which only works if you commit to a process of starting anew. This needs patience, understanding and communication on both sides. It’s important to gradually move onto some level of forgiveness – you will feel calmness and an ability to look forward. If you fundamentally value, respect and love your partner, you can discover together a new, better relationship.

Beware! Staying and NOT forgiving your partner is a vengeful, destructive place and will probably have a more negative effect on you than on your partner.

Gradually moving to forgiveness brings you freedom from those feelings.

As Lewes B Soede says, “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover

that the prisoner was you.” Forgiving does not mean that it’s been ‘got away with’. Try to reframe that as setting yourself free of those horrible feelings.

If you choose to stay in the relationship because you don’t want the upheaval of change but you never forgive, you will be in a partnership steeped in criticism, contempt and defensiveness – probably spawning other crises further down the line.

Often the aftermath destroys the relationship more so than the affair so choosing a professional, couple trained, relationship counsellor to guide you through can make a huge difference.

Some advice for the unfaithful partner: • Acknowledge what you did and the pain it is causing, regardless of the state of your relationship.

My advice to those who have been wounded by an affair:

• Disclose all. Drip-feeding will backfire.

• Be open about your pain – don’t hide it behind angry comments.

• Show remorse with actions; make your partner feel they really matter to you.

• Expect good days to be followed by bad days but believe this will get better.

• Accept that ‘why?’ may never become clear to either of you.

• Having a sexual honeymoon is common, but so is sex being the last thing on your mind.

• Don’t avoid the subject. ‘Shall we talk about it?’ Counter-intuitive, but it shows you are in this with them.

• Answer the same questions again, and again.

• Never say, ‘Draw a line.

Move on.’

• Talk to someone else about how you feel but choose carefully.

• Get professional help.

www.migbennettrelationshipcounselling.co.uk:

Mig Bennett Relationship Counsellor 29

How to stay

healthy and act

work

32

Anna Cousins

Online Personal Trainer

tive while

king from home

4.

As we all know, a healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body. It’s fair to say that many people love gym-based classes for the social side.

With so many of us working from home and yet more regional lockdowns being announced, it’s certainly a challenge to keep fit and healthy.

Having a chat and gaining support from others is often a big driver behind keeping people motivated and on track.

Just because you’re working out from home doesn’t mean you have to miss out on community spirit.

However, working out at home really is far easier than one might think, and totally possible to commit to long term if you stick to a few simple rules:

1.

Structure your workout Make sure you put a set time in your diary to do your fitness and try to create some form of consistency throughout the week.

For instance, why not get up, answer some emails, grab a coffee and then do your home workout whilst you would have otherwise been commuting and still make your 9am Zoom team meeting. The key here is getting into some form of routine and sticking to it.

2.

3.

Find your space It’s vital to find somewhere that becomes your regular workout space. Setting aside a set space will allow you associate that area with working out and ensure that your equipment (tins of beans, a chair, your mat etc) is always close at hand. Preparation is key here.

Enjoy it It’s vitally important you find a workout that you like doing.

There is simply no point doing a daily workout if you don’t enjoy it. You’ll only give up after a while. Try out a few different types of workout from longer bodyweight sessions, to short HIIT classes, Pilates and stretching to find out what you enjoy doing.

Mixing it up is also really great, not only does it keep your muscles guessing, but it will ensure you never get bored.

Healthy body, healthy mind

Working out with a friend online at the same time or joining an online workout programme that has a community of like-minded people can be really beneficial as it feels like you’re all in it together.

5.

Nutrition Nourish your body both inside and out. One of my mantras is that ‘abs are made in the kitchen, not on the gym mat’.

Whether your goal is to lose weight, tone up, or gain weight and build muscle mass, the best results are always achieved when you couple your home workouts with a great nutrition plan that is geared towards that goal.

Understanding and sticking to the correct calorie consumption and macronutrient split for your personal goal is key to success. www.annacousins.com

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5

ways to ensure your

lockdown niggles don't escalate into a bigger problem Our backs have undoubtedly felt the strain of lockdown. From binge watching movies in bed, to sitting at our kitchen table hunched over our laptops. Our bodies and more specifically our backs, have felt the impact.

With a number of regional lockdowns potentially coming down the line, what can we do to ensure we take care for our backs, nip pain in the bud early on and ensure a small niggle doesn’t become something more. Here are five tips from Ann Kuan, Senior Private Physiotherapist at Vita Health Group:

1.

Commit to a warmup

Non-specific lower back pain i.e. a pain that is not due to a serious disease and where the exact cause of the pain is unclear, is a complaint that we have observed in our practices a great deal recently.

As you might imagine, the causes of this pain are varied. Saying that, one commonality is that, almost all lower back issues tend to result from an increased volume, intensity and frequency of some form of activity, which, if managed appropriately early on, could have been prevented.

34

Always warm up before doing any form of exercise by doing dynamic stretches. Dynamic stretches are active movements where your joints and muscles go through a full range of motion.

They can be functional and mimic the movement of the activity or sport you’re about to perform. For example, a swimmer may circle their arms before getting into the water. Other examples include trunk twists, walking lunges or squats. Anna Cousins, online PT and virtual trainer explains, “I use a lot of dynamic stretching in my workouts, it’s a much safer method and achieves better results than static stretching.

Static stretching involves taking a muscle to full length and holding for 15 to 60 seconds, such as touching your toes, whereas dynamic stretching involves movement - such as hip flexor lunges, plie squats or arm circles - to accomplish flexibility of the muscle groups. The benefits of dynamic stretching include more power, fewer injuries, better coordination or balance and efficient neuromuscular activation.”

2.

Progress at a steady pace If you are trying to increase the amount of exercise you do, be sure to increase the frequency, intensity and volume at a steady pace and one that your body is used to. For instance, if you are used to running one 5k a week, don’t jump to a 30-minute 5k run every day. The key is to gradually increase your volume over time and if you experience any niggles or pain, drop back down or do a lower intensity workout.

strong you are, lower back pain can result from even the most sedentary actions.

For instance, working from the kitchen table, sofa or bed are far from good for your posture and neither is sitting at a desk for long periods of time. The key here is to take advice on getting a more ergonomic set up and also take multiple breaks. Even just getting up, making a cup of tea or doing a few stretches will really make a difference.

Remember without your commute, your regular moves between meetings and indeed that photocopier chat, you are likely to be doing a whole lot less movement at home and sitting for much longer periods.

Pushing your body too hard will only result in problems down the line and will likely set you back long term.

3.

4.

Rank your pain level and modify If you do experience a niggle, ask yourself how bad the pain is. Can you do normal activities? Or is the pain stopping you from doing everyday things like climbing the stairs? If the niggle is resulting in you being unable to conduct everyday tasks, you should seek help immediately. However, if you think the pain is mild, perhaps consider some other options first.

For instance, you may wish to moderate your workout from high intensity to low intensity for a while. Likewise, after working out be sure to use ice, heat or relief balms to get those niggles under control. Listen to your body at all times.

Don’t sit for hours on end It doesn’t matter how fit and

5.

Don’t forget self-care Many people will be surprised to hear that anxiety and stress can make back pain worse.

Ask yourself if you are feeling extra stressed as a result of this ailment? If you are, it may be that you should see a professional sooner to provide that extra reassurance that it is nothing too sinister. Ultimately, reducing your stress and getting that expert support could actually reduce your pain. Even if you don’t feel your pain is having a big impact on your mental health try to commit to practicing self-care regularly.

Practicing mindfulness or meditation, or even just taking some ‘you time’ can really help reduce stress build up and can often alleviate back issues.

Likewise, with better self-care, you will be more in tune with your body.

Continue on page 36.

35

What causes pain in our backs?

The new work from home environment has meant that many people have been sitting in less ergonomic positions and for much longer periods of time. With people dropping their daily commute, working through lunch and missing out on those regular photocopier chats at their offices, people have been sedentary for much longer periods.

The other thing we have witnessed is a greater number of people taking up exercise over the lockdown period.

Whilst this is, of course, a good thing for both mental and physical health, we have found that many people went from ‘zero to hero’ very quickly. For instance, at the start of lockdown and when many of us were only allowed out once a day, we saw a number of people going from doing very little fitness, to increasing the volume of their workouts fivefold.

People who were perhaps used to doing just one run a week, started running every day and for longer distances. And if they weren’t running, they were cycling or walking further.

Likewise, those who were self-isolating or restricted on leaving the house, switched from the odd gym session to doing daily online workouts, often at a much higher intensity.

We also witnessed a big boom in people purchasing fitness equipment.

So much so in fact, that many of the big providers sold out completely.

Unfortunately, in some cases, this resulted in people buying whatever they could for fear of losing out and thus working out with equipment that was perhaps unsuitable for their fitness

36

level. The other issue this caused was a number of people with a great deal of fitness kit, yet without the knowledge on how to use it correctly.

On top of this, with so many people juggling childcare, home-schooling and working from home, trying to squeeze in a workout in such little time was (as you would expect) tricky. As such, we found that many people often scrimped on warm ups, cool downs and stretching – sometimes doing none at all.

And it wasn’t just exercise that people were going overboard with either.

DIY and gardening boomed during lockdown, leading to many people bending over weeding for hours on end, trying to reach those difficult places when painting and assuming some very interesting positions to hammer in those nails.

All of the above elements led to a number of issues for Brits’ backs. Put simply, our bodies simply weren’t used to the increased volume, frequency and change in intensity of these activities, and our backs definitely felt the strain.

And remember, an active lifestyle really is the key to a healthy body - and of course to a healthy mind too. Just make sure you do things in the right way and don’t increase the volume, intensity and frequency of the activities you do too much or too quickly. If you are unsure about whether your niggle could be something more, or indeed you have any concerns about whether lockdown has impacted your body, take Vita Health Group’s simple quiz.

37

Getting back into

Exercise after a long break Getting back into exercise after a long break can be really hard. So, here are my top tips to help you find the fitness fan lurking inside you!

1.

Find an exercise that you enjoy Perhaps you used to be a runner, a swimmer or a netball player. While you’ll undoubtedly be rusty, these are skills you won’t have lost, so look into local clubs where you can reinvigorate your old talents. You might make some new friends while you’re at it!

2.

Get into the right mindset Don’t put too much pressure on yourself and go at your own pace. Remember that everyone is different so don’t rush yourself. The worst thing you can do is push yourself too hard and pull a muscle so set small, achievable targets each week so that your body can get moving again.

3.

Don’t compare yourself to others Everyone is different. Try to avoid social media accounts that are ttriggering you to compare your body in any way.

www.jemmashealthhub.com 30

4.

Listen to your body If you have any aches or pains, listen to them and react. Don’t push your body too hard when you’re first starting – begin slowly and work up.

5.

Stretch

6.

Avoid the scales

7.

Stretching is so important and will make a huge difference to how you feel the next day, and about exercising again!

Exercise is more about making you FEEL better mentally, not how you look so try not to weigh yourself too much.

There are so many other factors that can affect our weight that it’s not the best way to monitor success.

Go online and find like minded fitness communities Accountability is one of the most important things when re-starting your fitness routine.

At The Hub we log in 4 times a week to work out together

Jemma Thomas Personal Trainer and founder of Jemmas Health Hub the online fitness community for women.

and then post our ‘sweaty selfies’ after, offering each other some love and support! It makes a huge difference to morale and really encourages people to log in when they say they will.

About Jemma’s Health Hub Membership to Jemma’s Health Hub is £29 per month and for that you receive three or four workouts a week taking place on facebook live at 6.30am.

(Monday – leg day, Wednesday – arm day, Friday – cardio day, and kettlebells thrown in for good measure!). However, if you can’t make the 6.30am wake up call, you can log in and do it when it suits you.

You also receive a downloadable ‘How To’ guide including over 35 wholesome recipes to try out, as well as a downloadable ‘tick chart’ for you to print up every 4 weeks and stick to the fridge so you can see your progress.

But, most importantly, it gives you an amazing support network

and an instructor who will be there for you, helping you feel supported and mentally stronger as time goes on.

How to prevent cognitive decline as you get older

MyCognition, helps you to build up resilience to stress. Try to be more social by joining a book club or debating society where you practice your comprehension and make friends.

Or you could learn a musical instrument or join a choir. Yoga is a great way of getting the blood flowing while using meditation techniques to calm you down. All these help to improve working memory.

Processing Speed Ask yourself, how quick am I at completing tasks? And how accurate am I with them?

Regular exercise helps to improve your processing speed while rehearsing processes over and over again helps you automate your responses and visual aids can make thinking quickly more manageable.

Executive Function As you get older your cognitive abilities weaken and you might struggle to remember things that once came to you quickly. It’s a sad state of affairs and a condition that is only worsened by things like poor mental health earlier in life, social isolation, loneliness and poor physical health or illness. Later in life, dementia and diabetes can also contribute. However, there are a number of things that you can do to prevent cognitive decline and, no matter how old (or young) you are, if you start now and it will have positive repercussions for the future.

If you’re a regular gym goer, think of it as training for your brain.

Improve your Attention Attention is an active mental process that requires a lot of energy. Things like being hungry, thirsty, stressed or in pain can prevent you from paying attention to something. Combat this by making sure you keep hydrated with fresh water, exercise regularly and keep temperature and lighting to a level where it’s comfortable and supports your activities.

If you have a big project that you’re working on, write a plan with a “to do” list, breaking down tasks. Once you’ve completed one and ticked it off, you will feel so much better. Make sure you take regular breaks and get up and move around and give yourself a reward for completing tasks.

Improving Memory There are two types of memory that our app, MyCognition, focuses upon – episodic memory and working memory. Episodic memory is your ability to recall past events and experiences – helping you to take on current challenges through using your “wisdom”. This can be badly affected by a poor night’s sleep, too much caffeine or depressants like alcohol. So, limit caffeine and alcohol consumption, make sure you relax before going to bed (to prepare yourself for a good night’s sleep) and eat a diet high in Omega 3 (typically found in fish oils).

When it comes to working memory, this is your ability to make good decisions and solve problems – the workspace in your mind where you ‘hold a thought’ and use additional information to make those decisions. A good working memory helps you to build relationships as you easily remember information about a person, and converse with ease. But, if you’ve got a poor working memory, social situations might scare you as you can’t engage with people and you might become uncharacteristically emotional or angry.

Stress is a major cause of poor working memory so talking to a professional could help and using apps daily, like

This is your ability to plan, self-regulate your emotions and be creative. It helps you to consider contingencies, so that you have peace of mind and can remain calm and in control.

As you get older an impaired executive function can lead to anxiety. To combat this, build strong social relationships with people who care about you. Create a strong social network by planning events, volunteering or by learning something new like a language.

It’s so important to remember that whatever your age, you can take action to prevent cognitive decline. Research has shown that poor cognition leads to poor mental health and, in such unprecedented times, we need to spend time looking after our minds to ensure we safeguard ourselves from something that is preventable.

MyCognition helps people stay as young and healthy as possible, for as long as possible. Through the app, and restorative meditation, AquaSnap, it focuses on the five cognitive domains and has been proven to dramatically improve the lives of those who use it.

Unlike many mental health apps, it is NHS-approved. It was also reported in the Times newspaper as the best health app 2020, and was placed top by The Gates Foundation following a global review of cognitive apps.

Keiron Sparrowhawk Neuroscientist and founder of the digital therapeutic, MyCognition

www.mycognition.com 39 29

HOW TO DRESS A

Bay Wi No doubt influenced by a rise in period property renovations, bay windows are proving a particularly popular focal point within homes.

The window type has featured heavily across inspirational areas of Pinterest in recent months, as well as being mentioned a huge 224,177 times on Instagram alone.

Though notoriously difficult to style, bay windows are a particularly sought-after design element thanks to their ability to both inject light into a space, whilst also acting as an interesting architectural component within a space.

Here, home furnishings retailer Terrys discuss their top tips for successfully dressing a bay window.

40

Manage Privacy One of the biggest benefits of having a bay window is the sheer amount of natural light which is able to flood a

For more information visit www. terrysfabrics.co.uk

indow room. Because bay windows are so large, it’s important to choose window treatments that compliment the space, allowing for sunlight to filter into the room whilst also adding a level of daytime privacy.

Lightweight materials are perfect for allowing infiltration of light during the day, with heavier, blackout options favoured for evening.

The Perfect Fit Not all windows are created equal, so a “one size fits all” mantra doesn’t always work when it comes to blinds. Bay windows can often be less than conventional in all manners, be it in size, shape or positioning, therefore a readymade

option may not be suitable. Made to measure blinds offer the flexibility to ensure the perfect fit as they are built from scratch to exact specifications, ensuring that no additional alterations are required before fitting.

Consider Tracks Because bay windows project outwards from the remainder of the room, a more traditional curtain rail could limit the amount of material that’s able to freely move around the

bay. Investing in a curtain track not only eliminates the need for curtain rings but allows the fabric to glide easily around the window.

Layer up Combining blinds and curtains is an effective way of dressing any bay window. There are several different combinations to consider, yet the variation of roman blinds and curtains is one of the most popular. Roman blinds work particularly well as they can be fitted individually across each bay, our experts suggest choosing a pattern for your blinds to really make the window space pop. Pair your chosen blinds with plain curtains in a complimentary shade for a stylish take on layered window treatments.

41

Kitchen Sp

Top Tips to Get your

Wren Kitchens Design Director, Darren Watts, reveals his top tips on how to get your kitchen work from home (WFH) ready.

• With nearly half the UK work force WFH, it has never been more important to optimise your set up • Kitchen space blessed with key and creative space to allow for productivity •

After work equally as important with half of survey respondents saying that warm lighting improved their mood after WFH

This year the amount of people working remotely has skyrocketed, with 47% of the UK work force mostly WFH in April 2020 compared to 5% of the population mainly working from home in 2019[1].

There is never a better time to make sure your home is optimised for your productivity as well as your mental and physical health.

42

1. Lighten Your Workload Evidence suggests that good lighting is key to productivity, and with the right lighting you can be more productive.[2] A new report by Wren Kitchens reveals that people are more energised to work under spotlights, which correlates with scientific research because they are brighter.

Nearly a third of Brits (31%) said that spotlights are the best for working, naturally they are an ideal choice for the kitchen, because they brightly illuminate food preparation and cooking areas. This supports the idea that it’s best to set up shop either at a kitchen island or kitchen table.

2. Keep it Clean Clean kitchen, clean mind, which is exactly what you need when

you’re trying to concentrate and be productive working from home. Keep your kitchen surfaces free of clutter as much as you can and remove items from surfaces into the cupboards.

You would never work from your office desk with a pile of dirty pans next to you, so you should treat your home office space with the same mindset – clean is the dream.

Your 3. Use Kitchen’s Strengths Your kitchen has similar benefits as an office. It has tonnes of storage space and plenty of lighting as it’s usually the most well-lit room in the house. When working from home, you can use all these conveniences to truly optimise your space to create a functional working environment.

Space

Ready for Working from Home

Make use of your kitchen cupboard space, as it can hold printers or second monitors when you’re cleaning up in the evening, as well as notepads, laptop chargers and headphones. This means they are easily accessible during the working day but will not be in your way when you’re trying to cook in the evening.

4. Be Clever with Your Space Your kitchen is as versatile as it is robust, so it can bounce into office mode during the day and back out again in the evening.

Be creative with your kitchen space, for example you can use the tiles and cupboards as whiteboards to put up post it notes to remind you about meetings or, if you’re struggling with your posture, create your own standing desk by utilising the kitchen work tops. All of these can be cleared

away to allow you to retain your title as the best family chef in the evening.

Take Work Home 5. Don’t with You Not as easy as it sounds, but productivity is not the only important thing of course with a worker’s wellbeing crucial in these times especially as we approach an isolated winter.

One of the problems with working from home is people feel they cannot switch off, having their place of work and relaxation under one roof. If you don’t have a designated office, the kitchen is the best alternative giving you space and light while keeping work away from your places of rest.

and your kitchen when you’re off duty.

Survey findings showed that a quarter of Brits said the right lighting does make a difference and improved their wellbeing, with 30% saying it helped them destress after work.

Nearly half of respondents (48%) say that warm lighting improved their mood, so finding the right environment after work is just as important as your home office.

Full information can be seen at

www.wrenkitchens.com

Switching to a warmer, dimmer light in the evenings can help to distinguish your kitchen during the working day 43

Tickets & T&C’s

are available at carparkparty.com

Christmas IS CANCELLED?

OH NO, IT ISN’T!

Seven horrible facts about Christmas the Conqueror was 1. William crowned on Christmas Day but when the guards outside heard a huge cheer they thought a rebellion had started and burnt all the houses in the area.

Greenland they eat a Christmas 2. Indelicacy called Kiviak which is the body of a seal filled with hundreds of small birds left to ferment for three months.

The world's first drive-in christmas show coming to newbury racecourse for two performances!

3. Christmas, mince pies and going

Car park party lifted the country's spirits this summer with the only national tour of comedy, theatre and live music shows. After rave reviews from the public and press, they're back this winter with car park panto, in partnership with the birmingham stage company and horrible histories, to present two amazing performances of horrible christmas at newbury racecourse on wednesday 23rd december.

a town in Sweden the people 4. Incelebrate Christmas by burning

Just when you thought your christmas show had been cancelled, horrible histories comes to the rescue with their own unique take on the festive season. Horrible christmas is the story of how christmas came to be what it is today, enabling families across the 44

uk to enter into the festive spirit in a safe, socially distanced manner, from the comfort of their own car!

The team behind Car Park Theatre are passionate about live theatrical entertainment and, in a world where this has been put on pause, they have created the ultimate safe, social distancing solution to bring the festive cheer back into people’s lives and communities back together.

There are limited tickets for each show priced at £45 per sleigh car (£2.50 booking fee applies). Grab the reigns and secure your space for the drive-in event of the season.

In 1644 the Puritans banned

to church (unless it was a Sunday) and ordered all shops to stay open.

down a giant figure of a goat. reason that carol singers 5. The knock on your door and pester you is because Medieval priests threw them out of the church, so ever since they sing outside houses instead. old English custom was to 6. An beat children on 28 December to remind them of Herod’s cruelty in massacring all the babies in Bethlehem. scenes in Catalonia 7. Nativity feature a character doing a poo. at Christmas 1914.

‘Can’t Take It Much Longer’ EP out on Du Monde Records

43

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 46

@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.

music is not right for the channel.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

47

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?

48

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.

Continue on page 50.

49

Join

Let's Localise today!

50

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.

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 51

Time Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Emily Robinson, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS Tel: +44 Website: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk Email: emily.robinson@pen-and-sword.co.uk

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ST HI ntu D Ce th completion of his quota of sixty N & SW PEmissions of the Twentie contributing Pg uresquota sent to North and he tor carried out 'flag flying’ lecture tours historian for BBC thor y from Royal t the AuAmerica ouSouth on Ab Degree in his in andSouth ss Honours in North and America before rnalist radio. He is the ned a First Cla ernational jou tai int ob an D DAVIDlecture tour. as OO Middle d CHARLW s worke urnal of ha Jo d h an tis , becoming Air Attache in wartime Lisbon.

Bri on nd the author of four ibuting iversity of Lo published in o been a contr Holloway, Un rch has been als d ea an res e l zin ica ga All these experiences are well recorded in histor C History Ma popular history s, including the publishing. His history book written for BB s lar ha pu he po , s r this memoir. author of fou Eastern Studie books, including the io. He is the rad C BB . for historian Global Turmoil acclaimed 1920: A Year of 20: A Year of acclaimed 19 Churchill and Eden tells the story of two men, whose friendship became a political rivalry which led to one of the greatest foreign policy disasters of the twentieth century.

CK

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PRESS RELE

3. Churchill and Eden

During the Second World War, 55,573 RAF Bomber Command aircrew were killed, a shocking 44.4% death rate. A further 8,500 were wounded and 9,800 became prisoners of war. The author of this thrilling memoir deQed the odds becoming one of the few Lancaster Captains to survive his quota of sixty bombing missions. ‘Wimpy’ Wellington’s skills must have been exceptional.

After serving in 106 Squadron under the legendary Guy Gibson, he and his crew moved to the elite 83 Pathfinder Squadron. As readers will discover, they nightly diced with death surviving enemy fighters, intense flak and mechanical problems.

On completion of `ying duties Wellington was sent to the USA and South America to bolster support for the Allied cause.

www.pen-and-sword.co.uk

Global Turmoil.

Lights, camera, action!

Five tips for creating great videos to grow your business 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.

1.

2.

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.

3.

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.

4.

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.

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 55

“Do what you do best and outsource the rest” Get Ahead VA are a local outsourcing agency who provide first-rate business support services to a range of businesses across Berkshire & North Hampshire freeing up their client’s time to let them focus on achieving their business goals.

Maybe you lack the time or skills to take your business to the next level, you recognise you need some specialist skills to grow or are just overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of balls you’re juggling. The Get Ahead team of Virtual Assistants are experienced, dependable, efficient and highly professional.

Here are just a few benefits to engaging a Get Ahead VA:

• cost effective – you pay for what you need, down to the minute • flexible – flex up and down in line with your workload • get the perfect resource and skillset as and when you need it • control over your budget – no recruitment or payroll costs • speedy and supported onboarding • leverage growth when you're not in a position to employ someone • reduce stress Whatever your business requirements, Get Ahead VA can provide you with a bespoke and tailored solution providing hourly, retained or on-demand services, matching you to your perfect Get Ahead VA. How we can help:

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Administration/PA

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Business Development

Bookkeeping & financial tracking

Social Media Management & Strategy

www.getaheadva.com 56

• • • • • • • •

Design

• •

Holiday Cover

•

Not on the list… just ask!

PR and Marketing Business Development & Research Event Management Video conferencing Website design Video and content production SocialVideo – Videography with targeted social media management Telephone Answering

Quote BUZZ to receive a week’s FREE telephone answering OR 2 hours FREE admin Get in touch for a chat to see how we can help you free up your time so you can focus on your business and claim your free time!

Kristy Roff & Suzanne Cox Co-Directors, Get Ahead VA (Berkshire & North Hampshire)

berks.hants@getaheadva.com 0118 380 5130

Knowing accountancy.

Knowing tax.

Knowing business.

Knowing you.

Call: 01635 35255 info@jamescowperkreston.co.uk www.jamescowperkreston.co.uk

57

GET THE LIFE YOU WISH FOR Just imagine ... how would it be to live a life of your dreams? Ask yourself these questions: • • •

How could your life be different?

•

How would YOU be different?

• Struggling with low confidence and self-esteem issues

What are you prepared to do to start leaning towards the life you deserve?

There is a good chance that you will have heard of life coaching or might have an idea of what it involves, but are you really familiar with the benefits of having a life coach yourself?

Recently, more and more people are seeing the benefits of working with a life coach for their personal growth and development. Other benefits include kicking a bad habit, becoming aware of their limiting beliefs that have been keeping them stuck and reaching their goals.

Life coaching is a non-directive, collaborative conversation between coach and client that can enable profound change through choices, questions, reflections and new behaviours.When you work with Vafa, she hold a safe space for you where you feel seen, heard and believed, where you are listened to without the fear of being judged or blamed.

Experiencing high levels of anxiety

• Walking on a path that someone else defined for you • Having a nagging feeling there is more to life • Seeking clarity on the important things in life • Wanting to connect with WHO you really are Coaching can also help families to create harmony in their home environment. Family coaching programmes are a mix of 1-2-1 bespoke coaching sessions with children and the adults separately, complemented by some family coaching sessions.

With Christmas fast approaching, do you know someone whom you could give the gift of peace, clarity and fulfilment to? A much-needed fresh start and reset after a tricky turn of a new decade?

Vafa from Personal Revolution has successfully worked with a wide range of clients to bring about meaningful transformation.

Furthermore, she explains how coaching will help you when you’re:

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For further information and a friendly chat, please call 07867 555564 now or click here www.personalrevolution. online to book a call.

TESTIMONIALS “Thanks for the continuous support you’ve shown us all as a family and for the impact you made in our lives.

Your coaching sessions have provided our daughter with the self-awareness she needed and the tools to be able to continue to develop in a positive way.”

“Vafa has a warm, positive and affirming style as a coach and I particularly value her solutions-focused approach. She is incredibly perceptive and through gentle encouragement and support has enabled me to make some significant and long-lasting changes in a number of different areas of my life.”

Style by Suze Captain Tortue is a leading French 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 bring the French flair to Newbury 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.

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.

Style by Suze is also looking for ladies who love clothes and would be interested in joining the team. There is absolutely no up-front cost, you will receive free clothes for you to try without any obligation.

There is also an opportunity for someone to become a hostess and earn discounts against sales as well as qualify for free gifts.

This is an opportunity for people who adore clothing Iand with C Olove N S dealing & S O C I AL like-minded women from all walks of life.

Simply invite your friends along and enjoy the hostess benefits and receive the clothes you love at a discounted rate.

stylebysuze @style.bysuze @stylebysuze

M ED

5 Steps for using

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. 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 you can get most out 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:

1.

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

2.

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

3.

4.

5.

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

Government measures to support businesses and employees Apprentices and their employers, training and assessment organisations as businesses are able to access the government’s package of measures to support businesses to withstand the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Read details of the financial support for businesses during coronavirus (COVID-19).

The published guidance on how the government’s package of financial support can be accessed by further education and apprenticeship training providers, click here to read more.

In line with Cabinet Office guidance we introduced targeted financial support measures in the form of a provider relief scheme. The purpose of the scheme is to retain capacity within the apprenticeships and adult learning sector to deliver the skills we will need to support economic recovery post-outbreak.

As part of that, we also want to support training providers to maintain delivery to and support for existing apprentices and employers and, where possible, enable new apprentices to enrol. Find out details of the ESFA post-16 provider relief scheme.

Additional advice and guidance from ACAS is also available.

More information about the new incentive payment for hiring a new apprentice can be found in the 2020 to 2021 apprenticeship funding rules.

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

Happy marketing!

60

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

BuzzConnect

FREE during lockdown!

back and with a great incentive to local businesses!

Our networking events have been postponed due to Corona virus, however, we are providing a FREE business promotion when you register for the networking events.

Once registered, we will be sending a newsletter every week with updates on your business.

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 Cooper-Kreston, 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

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.

supporting

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.

#KIND20

RAISE  your profile.

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a local network of suppliers and customers.

COLLABORATE 

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with other local businesses.

DEVELOP 

business and leadership skills.

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of a community that represents you.

livingpaintings.org

BUZZCONNECT AMBASSADORS

localbuzzmagazine.com

donnington-grove.com

andrewstreetwm.co.uk

metrobankonline.co.uk jamescowperkreston.co.uk

www.lambbrooks.com

www.buzz-connect.co.uk

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 customers’ 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 customers’ websites securely through Europe’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 62

Chris Goodchild on 0330 113 7749.

localbuzzmagazine.com sales@localbuzzmagazine.com 41

64

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

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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

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!

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“We poppin, so you can pop out” 66

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

We want to keep our community safe, so to use our facilities you need to be registered with us.

It takes two minutes and it allows us to contact customers and make authorities aware should anyone report a case of COVID-19.

Wash your hands often for at least 20 seconds with soap and water.

Use hand sanitiser gel if soapand water are not available.

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands when you cough or sneeze.

Put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards.

LeisureCentre.com

Wahs your hands as soon as you get home.

Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean.

Please mantain social distancing rules at all times.