Month: January 2026

72 cities from 46 countries join UNESCO’s Global Network of Learning Cities

Stuart Mitchell

UNESCO welcomes 72 new cities from 46 countries to the Global Network of Learning Cities, recognizing their outstanding commitment to making the right to education across all ages a reality for all at the local level. Education transcends the classroom – it is a collective endeavour, and cities play a key role in promoting learning for all. The 72 new UNESCO Learning Cities announced today are redefining what it means to learn – turning every street, library, workplace, museum and home into a space for knowledge and innovation. By making…

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Size does matter – National Trust launches appeal to help fund purchase and care of land around Cerne Abbas Giant

Stuart Mitchell

The National Trust launches appeal to raise over £300,000 to help fund the purchase and care of land around the Cerne Abbas Giant The charity is looking to raise £330,000 to help fund the purchase and care of, a 138‑hectare (340‑acre) site – equivalent to 190 football pitches – surrounding the famous Cerne Abbas Giant in Dorset. Thanks to generous grants and bequests, over £2 million has already been raised. Now, public support is being asked to help fund the purchase and care of the Giant’s lair, including Giant Hill,…

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Record donations show the power of gardens and garden visits for good causes

Stuart Mitchell

2025 was another landmark year for the National Garden Scheme with a record £3,875,596 donated from funds gathered at garden openings throughout the year. The donations helped thousands of people living with cancer, Parkinson’s, poor mental health, or the pressures of unpaid caring, by supporting the nurses, health professionals and case workers who care for them.  Our donations also reached hundreds of gardens and health projects. In 2025, 114 new gardens received Community Garden Grants*, and five new nurse-led projects were funded through our NGS Elsie Wagg (Innovation) Scholarships – bringing vital support to…

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CAP – Tread carefully: Baby steps towards compliance

Stuart Mitchell

The ASA/CAP have released a post called: Tread carefully: Baby steps towards compliance. I have enclosed the text of the link below, but please have a look at the ASA/CAP site as there are lots of things of interest to anyone with an interest in Ethical Marketing. Our article on ads for baby products is now one year old – they grow up so fast! To celebrate its birthday, we’ve prepared some crib notes on ads featuring babies and young children. Let Kids Be Kids Ads must not portray children…

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Asda updates on ESG performance

Stuart Mitchell

Asda has published its fifth Environmental, Social and Governance Report, updating on the progress made towards its ESG targets last year. Key updates from the report include: Net Zero Carbon A 12% reduction in operational carbon emissions (scope 1&2) since 2023. Asda has now reduced its scope 1&2 carbon footprint by 48% since 2021 – meaning Asda is likely to hit its 2025 goal of a 50% reduction. This reduction was driven by Asda’s investment in two new Bio-LNG (liquefied natural gas) refueling facilities in 2024 – which significantly cut…

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