InfoNOW News 8 July 2022

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InformationNOW

With the ongoing concerns about the rising cost of living and the cost of energy and heating our homes this Winter, we have compiled a page of information about how to manage and save money during this difficult period. Managing on a low income – saving money contains guidance on what financial checks to make and who can help in relation to money worries and energy bills. Another article which may be useful is Support for people on a low income which covers affordable white goods and household items, food banks and low cost clothing, including school uniform.

July podcast

Listen to what’s coming up in July 2022 in and around Newcastle.

Sowing the seeds of learning

A small British start up, Wilsow, has created the first ever plantable books with herbs and vegetable seeds in the cover. Once read, the front page can be planted. The books are sustainable and created with vegetable inks.

North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board

The new Integrated Care System will strengthen existing partnerships between local health and care organisations and their work to deliver more joined up care, reduce bureaucracy and improve the health of their population. By taking a holistic, collaborative approach they can help more people stay healthy and can take better care of those who need services.

Watch the NENC You Tube video

Northern Pride

UK Pride will take place in Newcastle from 22nd to 24 July 2022 along the theme, “Remember, Resist, Rise Up” which will be showcased through a range of activities.

Friday 22 July: The Official Newcastle UK Pride Launch Party

Launch party of fun with the stars. The Friday night fundraiser launch party includes Broadway star, Todrick Hall. Joining Todrick is RuPaul’s Drag Race UK finalist Bimini Bon Boulash and DJ Jodie Harsh, with more acts to be announced soon.

Tickets for the UK Pride launch party start from £18. Book now.

Saturday 23 July: UK Pride headliners

Spice Girl and pop royalty Melanie C headlines with a DJ set
North East singer Karen Harding
Former RuPaul’s Drag Race UK competitor, Choriza May

Sunday 24 July: UK Pride headliners

Former 90s and West End star Louise
BBC Radio 1 broadcaster and DJ Adele Roberts
Local singing star Joe McElderry.

Opportunities for action

Plastic free July

Everyone can make a difference and reduce plastic waste at home by planning meals, cooking with ingredients on hand (‘shopping’ in the fridge, freezer and pantry), and storing and freezing food to make it last longer. This not only saves money and ensures that the most is made of groceries purchased, but also means fewer polluting trips to the store.

Consider making a smoothie or banana bread from over-ripe bananas, turning wilted vegetables to make a stock or soup to freeze, oven baking thinly sliced stale bread to make crackers or using leftover roast vegetables in a salad. A popular choice for leftovers is packing into a reusable container for lunch the next day, even if that office desk is in your home!

Other popular ideas for reducing plastic waste include switching from liquid soap to bar soap, choosing reusable cloth nappies and menstrual products (such as reusable pads, period pants and menstrual cups), switching to paper-wrapped toilet paper and switching to products in cardboard packaging.

Did you know?

Superdrug accept pill blister packs for recycling.
Tesco accept thin plastic wrappings and coat hangers
Morrisons accept coffee pods. Morrisons customers can collect free Podback Collect+ recycling bags from its customer service desks. Postage is free of charge

To support Plastic Free July, why not Inspire others to get involved with plastic waste solutions by creating your own event at work, school or out in the community.

You can sign up to their newsletter and campaigns.

Cut the Clutter on our pavements week of action 11 to 17 July

Living Streets is campaigning once again to raise awareness of the problems disabled people, older people and those with buggies face. They want an end to:

poorly-placed lamp posts and street signs
overflowing bins and abandoned rubbish
bollards and guard rails
encroaching restaurant dining space
overgrown hedges

International Non-Binary People’s Day, 14 July

International Non-Binary People’s Day is observed each year on 14 July and is aimed at raising awareness of the issues faced by non-binary people around the world. The day was first celebrated on 2012. The term “non-binary” describes someone who does not identify exclusively as a man or a woman. Non-binary people may identify as being both a man and a woman or as falling completely outside these categories. Many non-binary people also identify as transgender, though not all do.

Spotlight on

Travel and holidays

This may be your first holiday in several years and you should be looking forward to it. There are still plenty of staycations on offer and perhaps you’d like a holiday on a farm or a coastal walking holiday?.

What’s new in the UK

The world’s largest climate-positive artwork Pollinator Pathmaker has just come into bloom at the Eden Project. This living garden is made up of 7,000 plants and 64 species that attract and nurture pollinating insects.

Fancy a cruise?

The first British cruise line to launch in over a decade is Ambience by Ambassador. Itineraries include the British Isles, Norway, Greenland with special themes such as gardening, cricket and bridge. Next year, their new cruise ship will include Newcastle in its list of ports.

Scottish cruise ship Lord of the Highlands sails the Caledonian Canal.

Cruise lines such as P&O, Ponant, Silversea, MSC and others are switching their means of propulsion from diesel to Liquid Natural Gas which significantly improves overall air emissions.

Going Solo – Fred Olsen offers more than 200 single cabins across its four ships, avoiding the single person supplement.

Festivals

If you have a disability, you may feel that you cannot attend a Festival. That isn’t the case. Some of our summer festivals have good support in place. Some enable you to book a good spot on a raised viewing platform, pre book buggies and scooters, offer companion tickets and wheelchair charging points, as well as, BSL performance interpreters and Blue badge parking.

On the Road

AccessAble has virtual travel guides to enable you to check out motorway service accessible facilities.

Close to home

There are lots of cycling and walking guides for the North East. You will also find the Elders Council EC Rider with trips on public transport on InformationNOW. Trips include: Richmond, Beamish Museum and Tanfield Railway, Great Ayton, Whitby and Scarborough, Haltwhistle and Hadrian’s Wall, Penrith and Keswick

Abroad

If you are going abroad, check the Gov.UK website for information about your destination country. It’s the only place with accurate and up to date information. For instance, covering issues such as vaccines and documents required.

Research & Reports

Evidence Centre for Inclusive transport

Motability is launching an Evidence Centre to help planners and engineers responsible for transport systems – rail, air, sea, road – know what the issues are for disabled people. Working with disabled people, policy makers and engineers, they want to reduce the accessibility gap. Disabled people make 38% fewer public transport journeys. Investing £20 million over 7 years, the competition has begun to find partners to support the new centre.

Motability helps 640,000 a year travel using their schemes.

Read more on InformationNOW about the motability car scheme and powered scooters and wheelchairs

Over 50s and work

One in three employees will be more than 50 years-old by 2025, with the Centre for Ageing Better saying “older workers are the workforce of the future”.

However, since the pandemic there has been a wave of resignations and early retirements in this age group, with data from the Office for National Statistics revealing three in five over 50s have left the workforce sooner than planned.

This comes as the UK faces a skills shortage and many employers are struggling to recruit talent. A report from Monster – UK Hiring Outlook 2022, found that 90 per cent of UK employers are planning to recruit in 2022, up from 66 per cent in 2021.It revealed 87 per cent of employers say they are struggling to fill positions, and just over half said that finding candidates with the skills they needed was their main challenge.

At the same time, some people in their 50s are looking to change and continue their careers and ensure that they have savings to cover their retirement.

Resources

Help with childcare costs

As a working family you may be interested in government support to help with the costs of childcare. Whether you have toddlers or teens, you could get support. You will need to know how much you earn a week, names and DOB of your children and complete an online form.
Read more on Support for people on a low income

Funding from NIHR for partnerships to improve health and care in the community

Are you a community group, charity or social enterprise? Or are you a researcher looking for community groups to partner with on a research project? The NIHR is inviting communities to work with health and social care researchers to find better solutions for health and care problems which affect a community and develop new ways for researchers and communities to work together. You can partner with an NHS trust, NHS Body or another provider of NHS services in England to submit joint proposals for funding of between £50k and £150k over 6 to18 months. This opportunity is open to charities or community groups of all sizes. Follow this link to find out more, register your interest, or find a partner to work with.

Closes 21 September 2022.

Events and Activities

Ouseburn Festival
16 July
Raku pottery workshop,
Painting for fun and much moreJane Eyre
Northumberlandia Open air theatre
17 July 7 to 9 pm

Dwellbeing Shieldfield are hosting
Weekly Walks
Flourishing Together and more

Drop in Band
Pool of sound
for people with a learning disability
July onwards 1.45 to 3 pm

Don’t forget is is the Mouth of the Tyne Festival over four days.

August

Golden Years activities at Walker Activity Dome starts 5th August

Northumberlandia Craft market
7 August 2022, 10 to 3 pm

The Baltic’s 20th Birthday Weekend, 16 and 17 July, 10 am to 6 pm

Free drop in to celebrate The Baltic’s birthday. Options include a Kittiwake tour, Lands of Friends or The Vasseur Baltic Artists Award. On level 2 there are relaxed family friendly story sessions. Sue Loughlin explores food and Holly Eliza Temple uses vintage recipe books to draw, bind and create what food means to you. There’s also a Sensory room. On the ground floor there’s an interactive exhibition: Equal Play.

New organisations

Novus Care

Novus Care offers 24/7 live in services which includes looking after someone with conditions such as Motor Neurone Disease, Parkinson’s. Alzheimer’s.

Read more on InformationNOW about home care and care homes and self care and disability

Updated articles

Care and Support for Adults

Care and Support for adults is the adult social care core page which will help you understand the system.

Reablement care and support

Reablement care and support is a personalised, short term service which helps you to recover and live independently at home. You may receive reablement following a:

stay in hospital
change in your needs
loss of confidence

Staff help with:

getting around your home
making meals
using the bathroom or dressing

Benefit Cap

The Benefit Cap is a limit on the total amount of benefits you can get. It applies to most people aged 16 or over who have not reached State Pension age.

Last updated: July 8, 2022

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