Category: Articles

New research uncovers secret Jacobite at Oxburgh Hall – and his drinking glass with its cryptic clues

Stuart Mitchell

New research has revealed a plot to support the Jacobite rebellion, evidenced by a newly traced drinking glass engraved with secret symbols, and large bank payments to aid Bonnie Prince Charlie’s bid for the British throne. The research commissioned by the National Trust has uncovered the story of a secret Jacobite at Oxburgh Hall, in Norfolk, revealing the owner of the house, Sir Henry Arundell Bedingfeld was likely to have been part of a rebellion to overthrow the Hanoverian King George II.  His secret Jacobite drinking glass has now returned…

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Sustainability Reporting at Center of Europe’s Green Deal

Stuart Mitchell

Global Reporting Initiative welcomes the European Green Deal as a global game changer that other economies should follow. With ambitious legislative changes backed by one trillion Euros investment over the next decade, the EU is signalling leadership in efforts to advance sustainable development and tackle climate change. In a statement on 28 January, European Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis provided details on the implementation of the Green Deal Investment Plan – including strengthening sustainability reporting by companies. He set out that: The EU’s Non-Financial Reporting Directive is to be reviewed,…

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New guidance to address confusion over compostable plastic packaging

Stuart Mitchell

WRAP, which leads The UK Plastics Pact, has published new guidance to help businesses make informed choices when considering the use of compostable packaging. Based on the products and infrastructure that are available to packaging designers and specifiers today, the guidance identifies key applications and opportunities for compostable plastic packaging. These are often items which are likely to have food residue on them and could potentially facilitate the recycling of food waste. The key potential uses are: Food caddy liners (and other bags such as carrier bags or fruit and…

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More than a quarter of a million school children experiencing literary poverty

Stuart Mitchell

A child in literary poverty is defined as a child who is read to or with for pleasure, for less than 15 minutes a week outside of school. BookTrust’s latest study shows that 345,000* (14%) school children aged seven to nine are currently falling into this category, with a further 17% on the border, being read to or with for less than half an hour a week. Worryingly, six per cent of children aged 7-9 fall into the worse category of literary poverty, with their parents or guardians never reading to…

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Fairtrade Fortnight 2020 ‘She Deserves’

Stuart Mitchell

The UK is a nation of chocoholics, but many of us don’t know the bitter truth of exploited farmers behind much of the sweet chocolate we enjoy. Fairtrade Fortnight, the annual campaign calling for cocoa farmers to be paid fairly for their work and earn a living income, will run from 24th February – 8th March.  This year Fairtrade’s nationwide ‘She Deserves’ campaign is highlighting the hidden inequality experienced by the women and girls behind the multibillion global chocolate industry. In West Africa, where 60% of the world’s cocoa is grown, the average woman cocoa farmer earns as little…

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