Search Results for: loneliness

Animal impact ‘still felt on huge scale’ as nation remembers five years since first lockdown

Stuart Mitchell

On the fifth anniversary of UK nations being plunged into unprecedented lockdown restrictions, the RSPCA says the impact for animals is “still being felt on a huge scale”. The charity fears impulse pet purchasing to ease lockdown “boredom”, a lack of socialisation opportunities for many young dogs, and the cost of living crisis arguably precipitated by the pandemic have all placed “enormous challenges” on pets, their owners, and the animal welfare sector. Animal abandonment rising The charity took reports about 22,503 animal abandonment incidents last year – more than in…

New funding from Anchor Butter to strengthen community connections through food

Stuart Mitchell

UK Community Foundations (UKCF), in partnership with Anchor Butter, has launched its third year of the Anchor Community Connection Fund.  This year’s funding round will focus on London and the regions of Leicestershire and Rutland.  The London Community Foundation and Leicestershire and Rutland Community Foundation will oversee the distribution of £50,000 in grants to local organisations dedicated to bringing communities together through food. Reports from community-led groups, previously funded by the Anchor Community Connection Fund in the last two years, confirm that individuals and families have gained a lot more…

Vodafone Foundation and Save the Children Forge Partnership to Empower Children

Stuart Mitchell

Vodafone Foundation and Save the Children have announced a groundbreaking partnership to launch a new Europe-wide digital skills and resilience training programme for children aged 9 to 16. This new collaboration will focus on upskilling children beyond digital skills, with bespoke content addressing online safety, digital rights, and ethical online behaviour. Both partners will seek to integrate these important elements into educational systems worldwide, helping to shape a healthier, safer digital landscape for young people today, while positively impacting their future lives tomorrow. Bespoke educational content will be developed that…

“And it’s Octopus Energy with the assist!” UK’s top power firm gives free football kit to thousands of clubs including Lewisham’s Saving Souls FC

Stuart Mitchell

Octopus Energy has given a huge boost to Lewisham local football by sponsoring grassroots clubs like Saving Souls FC with brand-new, snazzy football kits – completely free. Members of the company’s popular rewards program Octoplus could nominate their local teams for free ‘Octokits’ in club colours and branding. Octoplus is used by over 2 million customers who have racked up over £13 million-worth of points. Octopus Energy aimed to kit out 500 kids’ teams as part of this giveaway. But the response was so overwhelming that it accepted applications for…

Pets Revealed as the UK’s Hidden Support Network

Stuart Mitchell

A poll of 2,000 adults who have a cat or dog found their four-legged friends regularly help them out when they’re feeling down. They claim pets have helped improve their mood when they’ve been ill (47 per cent), after a bad day at work (39 per cent) and following an argument (22 per cent). Actions that give humans the boost they need are their cat or dog snuggling into them (65 per cent) or greeting them when arriving home (58 per cent). More than half (54 per cent) believe spending…