NSPCC thanks fundraising pharmacies for raising ₤650,000 in 13 year partnership

STAFF at Rowlands Pharmacy ran hundreds of miles, jumped out of aeroplanes and organised hundreds of events to raise more than ₤650,000 for the NSPCC. The firm, which has more than 500 branches around the country and a head office in Runcorn, raised the stunning total for the leading children's charity during 13 years as a corporate partner, with fundraising events being held throughout the UK in that time. The NSPCC is now saying a huge:- 'thank you' for such dedicated support in helping fund the charity's vital work. Hundreds of events have been held over the last 13 years to raise money, with teams of staff at branches around the UK running 14 London Marathons, organising and hosting 14 charity balls. Staff in local branches have also donated Christmas presents every year, as well as practical toiletries to help children being supported by professionals within the NSPCC's Child Trafficking Advice Centre. Recently, a team of employees took part in a sponsored skydive for the NSPCC, while regular fundraising events included Go Green For Halloween, Christmas Jumper Day and frequent raffles and bake sales.

Jo Burton, NSPCC corporate partnerships manager, said the work done by everyone at Rowlands Pharmacies had gone a long way to supporting thousands of children and young people over the years. "We're so grateful for all the support shown by everyone at Rowlands Pharmacy over the last 13 years; from wearing funny jumpers and baking cakes to jumping out of aeroplanes or running marathons, every single penny of the ₤650,000 they've raised has gone towards helping children and young people around the UK."

Mark Bather, Managing Director of Rowlands Pharmacies, said:- "It's been a pleasure helping raise money for such a terrific cause over the last 13 years. I know every member of staff who volunteered to help out with the fundraising, whether they were baking buns or running a marathon, is hugely proud of the amount they've helped raise for the NSPCC."

If you want to find out more about fundraising or volunteering with the NSPCC, please visit the charities website.

New relationships and sex education lessons 'undermined' as Teachers have said they lack confidence

ALMOST ½ of Teachers in the North West said they do not feel confident about teaching the new compulsory relationships and sex education lessons in Schools, a new survey has revealed. Children's charity the NSPCC and the National Education Union (NEU) are now calling on the Government to urgently step up its support and training for Schools and Teachers to help them deliver the vital lessons.

National findings from a joint NEU and NSPCC survey of 2,175 School leaders and Teachers across the country; including 248 in the North West; come just 16 months before lessons are due to be rolled out in September 2020 as a mandatory part of the curriculum in England.

This new curriculum has the potential to ensure all children learn how to develop positive relationships, recognise abusive or controlling behaviour and know where to seek help. Yet over a quarter of Teachers said that their School would not be ready to deliver it.

Teachers in the survey backed the importance of the new lessons, with ¾ of head Teachers surveyed agreeing that the rollout was crucial for creating a culture of safeguarding in the School. But competing workloads, the cost of training, and difficulty in finding high quality training were identified by Teachers as the biggest barriers. Nationally, 78% of Teachers said face to face training would boost their confidence to deliver high quality RSE, and 74% said that more funding for staff training would ensure Schools were ready.

The survey also highlighted a need to help Teachers with lessons on specific subjects in Secondary Schools:-

► 61% of Teachers across England said they do not feel confident about teaching the impact of pornography. The total in the North West was 45%.

► 54% of Teachers across England were not confident about teaching lessons on female genital mutilation (FGM). The total in the North West was 41%.

► Only 10% of respondents felt 'very confident' about teaching either of these topics. In the North West, only 5.3% felt very confident teaching about the impact of pornography and only 6.6% felt very confident teaching about FGM.

However, the majority of Primary School Teachers said they were confident about teaching the concept of boundaries and how stereotypes can cause harm, and Secondary School Teachers felt confident delivering lessons about:- sexual consent, sexting and grooming.

Almudena Lara, NSPCC Head of Policy, said:- "We know Teachers up and down the country are doing a fantastic job, but delivering RSE without proper training is like asking a German Teacher to deliver Mandarin lessons. For the 1st time ever all Schools will be obliged to discuss key issues of consent and coercion, enabling more children to say no to things that make them feel uncomfortable. It is clear Teachers need better support which is where the Government must do more or risk undermining the new curriculum."

Kevin Courtney, NEU Joint General Secretary, said:- "The introduction of statutory RSE is a vital opportunity to broaden the curriculum and connect education to the realities of children's lives and the questions they are struggling with. Children need an RSE that is inclusive, empowering and protective delivered by confident and equipped Teachers. The DfE must show real leadership in removing the barriers that stand in Schools' way. All Schools must have access to fully funded face to face training to ensure high quality provision by 2020."

The NEU and NSPCC are calling for:-

► Trauma informed face to face training which ensures all Teachers can confidently deliver sensitive subject matter and training specifically on how to respond to disclosures.

► Timetabled lessons supported by the whole School working together to stamp out abuse.

► Funding for training to ensure all Teachers can develop their skills and knowledge.

Office bugbears revealed for workers in the North West

CRACKING a joke, making a cuppa and lending a pen are the fastest ways that office workers in the North West can form bonds and become popular with colleagues; but taking credit for someone else's work, turning up late and not pulling your weight, will all quickly annoy fellow employees, according to new research into office culture conducted amongst workers in the Region. In true British fashion, making tea for others builds strong bonds when it comes to making friends at work. In fact, over 68% of office workers in the North West believe the social interaction involved in making a brew brings them closer to their colleagues. With over four rounds made per day in the average office in the Region, there's plenty of opportunity to impress. A study of 2,000 British office workers, conducted by My Nametags, revealed the actions that are most valued by co-workers and guaranteed to boost office popularity.

In the North West, helping relieve a colleague's workload when they are busy (95%), assisting with a technical issue (92%) and saving a colleague from a challenging customer or client phone call (88%) were all greatly appreciated. Taking charge of the office tea round also scored highly, with 74% viewing it as a valuable gesture. A teammate who makes other colleagues laugh was voted the most popular member of the office, while 70% of those surveyed agreed that sharing Stationery goes a long way in helping them form bonds. Social interactions form a key part of our working life, with almost ½ of those researched admitting that they would prefer office perks, including a happy working environment or never having to interact with annoying colleagues again, over a pay rise. More than 1 in 10 people would also opt to never answer the phone again over a wage increase.

Commenting on the findings of the research, Beverley Stone, Chartered Psychologist, said:- "From my perspective, the most significant finding from the research is the large extent that people are motivated by small gestures. These are often overlooked by organisations, or even considered not important. The environment we work in has a huge impact on our self image and we need to feel valued and respected in order to thrive. Positive interactions with colleagues are so vital, as they reinforce feelings of belonging and being appreciated. Not feeling supported or believing that their colleagues lack integrity can lead talented people to look elsewhere for work, which will have a big impact on a business. This is why social rituals, however small, are an important part of UK office culture."

In terms of the national research, one quarter of people believe that making tea for their boss will even improve their chances of promotion. Men are more likely to buy into this theory, with 29% believing that there is a link between making tea and receiving a promotion, compared to 20% of women. That said, the office tea round also provides opportunities to commit workplace social faux pas. ½ of office workers secretly judge people who don't offer to make a round of hot drinks, while 17% confessed to avoiding drinking tea or coffee at work because it's too much hassle.

When it comes to friction amongst co-workers, colleagues not pulling their weight (56%), taking credit for someone else's work (45%) and repeatedly coming in late (37%), were voted top. People spending too much time on social media (33%), leaving washing up in the sink (32%) and confrontational colleagues (31%) were also listed as top gripes among British office workers.

Agreeing the thermostat temperature was also cited as an issue amongst office workers (24%), followed by organising social events such as the Christmas Party (10%). Other issues flagged up include:- eating smelly food or chewing loudly, stealing stationery and food thieves were also listed as causes of irritation.

Over 35% have had their food stolen in the office, most often from the communal fridge (86%). While ⅓ of people said they use name tags to prevent food theft, some admitted to going to extreme measures to prevent further incidents. This included licking food, putting laxatives in meals to catch the culprit and confronting whoever they believed to be the perpetrator.

Commenting on the findings, Lars B. Andersen, Founder and Managing Director at My Nametags, said:- "A huge percentage of the UK population work in an office, so we were interested to explore the sociology behind the behaviour and relationships that are formed in this environment. This revealed the extent to which missing food and Stationery causes conflict, so it's unsurprising that many of our customers use name tags to keep their possessions secure while at work."

It's not just food that goes missing in the office; 33% of workers have also lost Stationery, with the majority (87%) revealing items have been taken from their desk. A whopping 72% of office workers claimed they would be upset if they lost certain items of office Stationery. Most workers (52%) admitted to being irrationally protective over a treasured item which was, for many, their favourite pen (39%).

It perhaps then comes as no surprise that many office workers feel compelled to take action if they have such items taken from their desk. Workers admitted to shouting across the office (19%) or sticking name labels on all their Stationery (14%) as a reaction to having prized items stolen. Some even admitted to hiding or locking away their favourite items, while others said stealing from co-workers was the way they re-gained missing Stationery.

Lars B. Andersen concludes:- "In response to the findings, we have launched a new set of smaller name tags that will stick on most office Stationery to stop items being taken or going missing. While we can't help with the tea round, we hope these new labels will reduce 1 of the major causes of irritation for office workers moving forward."

So do you agree with these findings and what are your biggest bugbears at work. We would love to know... Please do email our newsroom, via News24@SouthportReporter.com or interact with our Twitter Poll.