QUOTES FROM THE MEDIA
CHRISTIAN GROUP SOUNDS CAUTION OVER GOVERNMENT SCHEME TO HOUSE UKRAINIAN REFUGEES A Christian campaign group has called for caution as a government scheme rolls out allowing Britons to shelter Ukrainian refugees in their own homes. Care (Christian Action, Research, and Education) welcomed the intention behind the Homes for Ukraine scheme … but warned that there was ‘potential for abuse’. The warning was issued on … the same day as a government website was to go live allowing people to express their interest in becoming a sponsor… Care’s human trafficking lead, Lauren Agnew, said that proper vetting must be in place so that refugees do not fall victim to modern slavery. ‘The Homes for Ukraine scheme is well-motivated and could benefit a great number of individuals but the logistics of it must be weighed carefully… ‘With large numbers of applications needing to be processed quickly, red flags could be missed in the vetting of potential hosts…’ ‘Recent statistics from the National Crime Agency estimate there are at least 6,000 to 8,000 modern slavery offenders in the UK,’ she continued. ‘We can be certain that some of this number will be seeing the Homes for Ukraine scheme as an opportunity to turn a profit at the expense of vulnerable individuals seeking refuge in the UK.’ Christian Today
SALVATIONIST
UK WAGES FALL AT FASTEST RATE SINCE 2014 AS COST-OF-LIVING SQUEEZE BITES
COMMUNITIES ENCOURAGED TO CHRONICLE NATURE IN THEIR CHURCHYARDS
Average wages in Britain have fallen at the fastest rate since 2014 as annual pay growth fails to keep pace with rising inflation amid Britain’s cost of living crisis… Against a backdrop of soaring energy bills and the rising cost of the weekly shop, the latest snapshot showed a steady recovery in the jobs market … was offset by high rates of inflation that experts warned would be worsened by surging energy prices… Frances O’Grady, the general secretary of the [Trades Union Congress], said the government needed to … support workers amid the worst hit to living standards in decades. ‘Working people deserve financial security and a wage they can live on. But instead, they are facing the steepest decline in real pay for eight years.’
Children and adults are being invited into churchyards to help chronicle their nature and wildlife. An event called Churches Count on Nature is being promoted as a way to reach out to the community as well as to understand the natural world better… [The Right] Rev Graham Usher, the Bishop of Norwich and lead Church of England bishop for the environment, encouraged churches to start preparing. He said: ‘Churchyards and gardens are an incredible home of biodiversity… ‘Jesus noticed nature and so must we. The Gospels are full of stories of the growth of seeds … and the fruitfulness of trees. We have the privilege and responsibility to care for the Earth.’
The Guardian
Premier
HALF OF UK LOW-PAID WORKERS GIVEN LESS THAN A WEEK’S NOTICE OF SHIFTS Half of low-paid workers in the UK are given less than a week’s notice of their shifts, according to a study highlighting an ‘insecurity premium’ for employees paid close to the minimum wage… In research highlighting the pressure on low-paid staff, the study from a poll of 2,000 adults found cleaners, couriers and some NHS staff were more likely to be affected by insecurity. In contrast, about 32 per cent of all UK workers in full or part-time jobs are given less than a week’s notice of their shifts… Almost half of shift workers lose out on £30 or more a month because of last-minute changes, according to the study, leading almost a third to increase their reliance on credit cards and borrowing to make ends meet. The Guardian
salvationarmy.org.uk/salvationist Issue No 1851
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Salvationist 26 March 2022
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