News reports located on this page = 4.

GHD poll reveals 70% of respondents don't feel comfortable returning to work unless social distancing measures are implemented at their workplace

A recent online poll held by GHD, 1 of the world's leading professional services companies, revealed that 70% of respondents do not feel comfortable returning to work unless social distancing measures are in place. The survey also showed that 60% of participants would like to see more permanent social distancing measures implemented at their workplace following the crisis.

The challenge...  These results are an indication of the scale of the challenge facing businesses across the UK. Social distancing goes against the long-held ethos of maximising productivity and will require most businesses to operate inefficiently just when they need to be as efficient and safe as possible in order to recover from the economic impacts of lockdown. The guidelines released by the UK Government are a step forward in helping workplaces to understand some of the changes required to enable safe working during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they are not specific enough to implement by themselves. They do not tell owners / operators how to determine the capacity, or how to ensure social distancing by reconfiguring spaces and designing new procedures that, importantly, account for the way people behave. More details on design and operations principles and standards are urgently needed nationally.

The solution...  GHD subsidiary Movement Strategies applies people movement principles and simulations to provide organisations with the practical design and operations advice they need to reduce the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission in the workplace while also maximising capacity, complying with Government guidance and demonstrating their commitment to health and safety to staff and stakeholders. Using this technology and behavioural science backed approach, Movement Strategies has recently proven a doubling of space occupancy in a number of socially distanced office environments while meeting health and safety and workplace regulations, thereby balancing the need for social distancing compliance and optimal productivity.

Simon Ancliffe, Executive Director at Movement Strategies, said:- "The well being of people is critical to economic recovery. There is a real need to build confidence in the creation of safe working environments, while simultaneously optimising the productivity of space. As people are encouraged to get back to work, businesses will need to move quickly to develop detailed plans that will deliver optimal efficiency and safety, while responding to the way people behave and use space. We have been working with a wide range of sectors, including healthcare, retail, construction and manufacturing, and are seeing the same challenges arise across the board. We strongly advise organisations to remember that:- '2 metre'" is not as straightforward as it seems and social distancing should be considered:- 'dynamically' not 'statically.' In addition, human behaviours must be considered when implementing solutions. It is extremely important that social distancing procedures are monitored and measured as they are adopted into daily operations, as this will be vital in helping to create better and safer ways of working in the future."

Marie Curie's famous fundraising campaign goes virtual to recover devastated fundraising income

MARIE Curie's famous Blooming Great Tea Party is going virtual this year and the charity needs tea party hosts more than ever before to make up for the devastating effect the Coronavirus crisis has had on the charity's income.

The end of life charity is calling on you to throw a Blooming Virtual Tea Party from home this summer. While staying indoors is the new normal, throwing a virtual tea party is a fun way to stay connected to the ones you love during this time and a great way to support nurses working on the frontline of the crisis.

In people's homes and in Marie Curie's Hospices, the charity is caring for people with terminal illnesses, as well as people with Covid-19, and is protecting the NHS by keeping patients away from Hospital. However, as the charity has stepped up its support for the nation, its fundraising income has been devastated by the impact of lockdown measures; it had to cancel its Great Daffodil Appeal in March and closed all its charity shops shortly after.

That is why the charity and its celebrity Ambassador, Mel Giedroyc, are encouraging everyone to download Zoom, Skype or Houseparty and connect with friends and family while raising some money at the same time.

Cake lover and tea party extraordinaire, Mel Giedroyc says:- "You can bake it, fake it, brew it or stew it; whatever your cup of tea, Marie Curie's Blooming Great Tea Party is going 'virtual' this year and it's a simple way to keep in touch with your chums, while raising money for a wonderful cause, which, I think you'll agree, we all need right now. Marie Curie needs to raise a massive ₤2.5million each week to care for the tens of thousands of people who need its nursing and Hospice care. This year, the amazing nurses and frontline staff need you more than ever, as the fundraising events they rely on have all been cancelled. I've met their nurses before. They are inspiring, kind, caring and loving people who are currently caring for people at the end of their lives and keeping people out of Hospital, helping the NHS cope with the Coronavirus crisis.  Every last crumb of the money you raise will help people at the end of their lives. So please join me by raising a cuppa, and some money, in your lounge or garden for the Marie Curie Nurses on the front line."

Paula Hanford, Marie Curie's Fundraising Manager for the North West of England said:- "Our Blooming Great Tea Party looks a little different this year but I think everyone needs an excuse to meet up with their friends and family; online of course; and check in on the people they love. If you can do that while raising some money for Marie Curie, then your generous donations will enable us to help even more people at the end of their lives get the care they need in this time of uncertainty. We rely on the support of the amazing public to ensure our nurses can keep caring for people. And while the Coronavirus crisis has badly impacted our fundraising events, we hope by going virtual we'll be able to raise the vital funds we need to keep supporting people in our communities across the North West."

To register as a Blooming Virtual Tea Party host visit:- Mariecurie.Org.UK/teaparty or call:- 0800 716 146 for your fundraising pack full of hints, tips, recipes and fundraising ideas

Cheshire based Neubria set to donate ₤1m worth of Food Booster Boxes annually for struggling families

CHESHIRE based health company, Neubria, creators of a brain health supplement range, is donating Family Food Booster Boxes, to those unable to afford basic food for families based in the North West of England. The company has a mission to donate the Family Food Boxes to at least 1 thousand households per week. The free Family Food Booster Box, which consists of 11 essential food products such as fruit, vegetables, pasta, rice and milk (see full list below), is set to provide households with essential foods to provide basic needs for their loved ones.

Jonny Kennedy, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Neubria says:- "Keeping ourselves healthy and taking care of our loved ones is now, more than ever, our number 1 priority. Given the challenges during these uncertain times, our dedicated team would like to offer a helping hand to those families struggling to put food on the table."

Brian Kennedy, chairman of Neubria, and former owner of Sale Sharks commented:- "As we are a local business based in Cheshire, we are looking for families who live in the North West of England to apply online for a Family Food Booster Box. We have the capacity to issue up to a 1000 Family Food Booster Boxes per week. We do also have a view of expanding further afield in the future so we can reach more families who are in desperately in need of food across the UK."

The Family Food Booster Box consists of:-

► Tinned Vegetables.

► Tinned Fruit.

► Milk
.
► Peeled Plum Tomatoes.

► Pasta.

► Rice.

► Tuna.

► Baked Beans.

► Cereal.

► Kidney Beans.

► Fruit Juice.

To apply for a Family Food Booster Box, please visit:- UK.Neubria.Com and fill out an application form to find out if you are eligible. If eligible, the Family Booster Boxes will be delivered discretely within 2 to 3 days to each household.

10 tips to improve your child's wellbeing in a time of crisis

THE theme of this year's Mental Health Awareness Week is kindness. At this time of upheaval where our worlds have been turned upside down, acts of kindness now are more important than ever. Here, former Primary School Teacher Catherine Lynch of leading education resources and lesson planning experts PlanBee has ten tips for parents to improve the mental health of their children.

1. Create a nurturing environment where everyone feels valued and safe...

Even during lockdown, we need connection with others so that we feel valued and safe. While the need may be innate, the skill of developing and maintaining connections is learned. You can create this environment at home by working as a team, sharing responsibilities and making sure everyone's efforts are appreciated. Think about ways your family is looking out for each other and remember that showing appreciation and keeping the lines of dialogue open consistently will help your children learn these skills.

2. Adjust your expectations...

We are in a very strange time. Adults and children alike have been affected by changes to their lives and as a result things we used to be able to cope with might feel like huge mountains to climb. We all have something called a window of tolerance. If your window is smaller than usual at the moment, go easy on yourself and take the pressure off. Allow yourself and your children to be less productive than normal, and give yourselves time to process what you are feeling.

3. Allow everyone to have a voice...

So much of our lives has been turned upside down. It is totally normal to want to feel in control and to hold on tightly to the things we can control. Whether your child breaks down over the 'wrong' colour socks or something else, see what practical choices you can give them to help them feel they have some control. Depending on their age, you might give them a few carefully selected choices to choose from or have an open discussion about the options available. If transitions are hard for your child, focus on what is happening when the current activity ends. Give them time warnings or a timer if they are old enough, and again where possible give them choices. For example, 'When this TV show ends the TV is being turned off and you need to do some school work. Are you going to do it at the kitchen table, in your room or somewhere else?'.

4. Be playful and have fun...

Play fosters creativity, collaboration and problem solving, all of which are important for good mental health. Playing is a fantastic way to develop relationships and resilience. It also releases feel good hormones. A great example of the power of play is the first few years of children's lives when they learn so much without any formal teaching. Children often explore areas they are finding challenging through their play; role play are a great example of this.

5. Create an atmosphere where all feelings are allowed...

Name feelings and emotions as they arise. This gives children and adults the language to describe how they are feeling.

Set aside a calm time to talk about feelings, you could show your children Emoticon Emotions Cards or Photo Emotions Cards and ask them to pick one to explore. Talk about the physical sensations the emotion has for each of you. Talk about times you felt it or characters in books, films or TV shows experienced it. Discuss what happened before, during and after the emotion was felt. Is there a better way the character could have reacted? What led up to the crisis point?

Help children to give their feelings an appropriate outlet. Put boundaries in place around behaviours to keep everyone safe and develop strategies to help reinforce those boundaries. For example, you are allowed to feel happy, angry or sad, you are not allowed to break things or hit.

6. Read stories together...

Spend time together and lose yourselves in a good book. Act out stories and make up your own narratives. Use your imagination or add props. Let books take you where you cannot physically go.

7. Keep some level of structure in the day...

This does not mean you need to timetable every second of every day. Being in lockdown can make the days merge into one. Use activities or responsibilities to break up the time and bring some structure to it. For example, agree times that you will come together as a family. Agree a time that is for quiet activities, work, going outdoors. If your family is anything like mine you may find the daily structure seems to centre on food.

8. Take learning outside...

Go on:- 'I spy challenge walks,' find out how exercise changes their heart rate, have timed races, explore shadows, find mini beasts, classify animals, identify plants and identify birds. The list is endless. These do not have to be structured planned activities, go outside and develop observational skills and see where the time takes you. Follow your child's lead, see what they have questions about and research the answers together.

9. Give your child a safe space they can go to...

Being at home together all the time can be quite intense. Create a den or something similar for your child to play in, and retreat to when they want to be alone.

10. Make time for family time...

Designate time each week when there are no screens and no distractions. Use this time to work on something together. This might be building a den, cooking, painting, crafting, going on a walk. It doesn't matter what the activity is; the important thing is to spend some quality stress free time connected doing something together. Success has different guises, have a day where you forget about the end goal and the focus is on being together.

Catherine Lynch is a former Primary School Teacher who now works for leading education resources and lesson planning experts PlanBee.