Day: 12 February 2025

‘Pesticides buzz off’: More than 1.6 million people call for a ban on bee-killing pesticides

Stuart Mitchell

A petition signed by more than 1.6 million people urging the government to enforce a total ban on bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides has been handed in to the Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra) by environmental campaigners. The petition, which was coordinated by Greenpeace UK, has amassed a staggering 1,645,000 signatures from the British public and was delivered directly to Defra for the environment minister, Emma Hardy. It was delivered in the form of a bee hotel by campaigners dressed in ‘worker’ bee outfits carrying placards reading, ‘Pesticides Buzz…

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Causeway partner with Ginger Fox Studio to create UK’s first self-assessment modern slavery risk checker

Stuart Mitchell

Modern slavery charity Causeway have joined forces with Yorkshire design agency Ginger Fox Studio to launch a pioneering new self-assessment risk checker digital tool.  The ‘Exploitation Risk Checker’ allows individuals to answer a series of questions to see if they may be experiencing, or at risk of, criminal or sexual exploitation.  The risk checker has been developed in collaboration with real modern slavery survivors, and launches this month, to mark Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. It is estimated that worldwide, 50 million people are currently trapped in modern slavery…

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Bias starts with a name, says People Like Us in campaign highlighting ethnicity pay gap

Stuart Mitchell

Does what you’re called actually matter? Yes, says a powerful new campaign for workplace equality champions People Like Us, spotlighting the stark inequities in pay, workplace treatment, and job prospects linked to ethnically diverse names. Created by independent creative studio Worth Your While, #NameTheBias exposes how hidden “name bias” in UK hiring practices impacts ethnic minorities’ earning potential before they even set foot in an interview, and is pushing for urgent government action on ethnicity pay gap reporting. Launched on Ethnicity Pay Gap Day (8 January 2025) – alongside a…

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Failure to agree a plastics treaty could lead to a human health crisis

Stuart Mitchell

The warning was made in an article published by the British Medical Journal by leading plastic pollution researchers from the Revolution Plastics Institute at the University of Portsmouth.   Professor Steve Fletcher and Dr Cressida Bowyer were both at what was expected to be the final round of plastics treaty negotiations in Busan in December, which concluded without an agreement, pushing discussions into 2025.  With the world’s annual plastic production at 400 million tonnes and projected to double by 2040, the article stresses the crucial role that healthcare professionals now have.…

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Football legends kick off new charitable role

Stuart Mitchell

TWO of Scotland’s most recognisable football figures have been appointed as ambassadors for one of Scotland’s leading disability charities. Former football star and SFA Chief Executive, Gordon Smith, and ex-Rangers and Motherwell midfielder and Derby County manager, Billy Davies, will use their influence to champion Capability Scotland’s work across Scotland. Both ambassadors will play a key role in vital fundraising campaigns, aimed at raising funds to provide life-changing support for disabled people and their families. Speaking about his appointment, Gordon Smith said: “Capability Scotland is a charity I have admired…

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