Liverpool City Council employees have been given an improved pay offer

LIVERPOOL City Council employees have been offered an improved pay increase of 2.75% from 1 April 2020, plus an additional 1 day's leave which would increase the minimum entitlement from 21 to 22 days per year (plus public holidays). The National Employers hope that the unions accept this final offer so that employees, who are providing such critical support to their communities during this national emergency, can receive a well deserved pay rise as soon as practicable. The National Employers, who negotiate pay on behalf of 350 local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, made the offer to unions. It will affect over 1 million employees.

Careers experts extend a helping hand for students

AN outreach programme helping more West Lancashire teenagers start higher education is finding new ways to offer advice despite the School lockdown. Future U, which aims to increase the numbers of young people considering University, has been supplying remote challenges for students who should be studying at School. The challenges involve students exploring topics such as health and social care, business studies, marketing and games development; all designed to get the students thinking about potential future careers. The challenges are aimed at young people aged between 13 and 18 who live in areas with lower than average rates of progressing into higher education.

Each task involves a different employability skill, from designing a creative Easter Egg which can be marketed into a profitable business product with projected costs and profits, through to planning how to spend ₤1,500 on improving the health and wellbeing of young people in their local area. A 3rd challenge also encourages the students to take on the role of a quality assurance tester when playing video games, redesigning elements that could make their favourite games even better. Year 12 and 13 students are also learning to write CV's, preparing for interviews and completing personal statements.

Jessica Richmond, senior coordinator at Future U, said:- "We understand that this is a particularly difficult time for both Teachers and students and we want to help in the best way we can. While some classes can be engaged with or learnt online, progression advice is more individual. We don't want students to miss out. Planning for the future is still as important as ever and lots of the young people we work with rely on our resources to help them do this."

Emma Deeks, senior coordinator at Future U, added:- "We wanted to provide Schools and learners with a collection of resources that were interactive and reflected some of our key messages about careers, employability and sector skills. The activities all provide students with tasks which relate to a particular theme and encourage students to be creative and produce something that reflects their own unique perspective on the knowledge they have gained."

Future U is part of the national University Connect Programme, funded by the Office for Students, and involves institutions and organisations across the county including:- Lancaster University, Edge Hill University and the University of Cumbria. Lancashire's Future U works with a network of Schools, in addition to Colleges, higher education providers and local agencies to create tailored activities to meet the needs of students for now and the future.

Help to reduce your chances of heart attacks through healthy eating

AT a time when we are spending more time at home, shopping for food less frequently and no longer eating out, our usual eating habits may be disrupted according to the charity Heart Research UK. Good nutrition is essential for good health and it is important that we do not develop less healthy eating habits during this time. Heart Research UK have some tips to help you eat more healthily at home.

Establish a routine and plan your meals...

Try to establish a normal routine by sticking to set meal times. This can help you to manage hunger and prevent snacking on less healthy foods. Plan healthy meals for the week in advance and make a shopping list. Planning your meals should help you to eat more healthily as well as reducing food waste. You may find it useful to use the Eatwell Guide when planning healthy meals on the .Gov.UK website or click on here.

Avoid snacking on less healthy food...

If you are making regular trips to the kitchen and snacking on less healthy food because you are bored, try stocking up on healthy snacks, such as:- fruit and veg, nuts, seeds, rice cakes, yoghurt. When we see junk food, such as chocolate, biscuits or crisps, it can be tempting to eat it, so you could try hiding the junk food away and making healthier snacks more visible. You can also try waiting until you are hungry before visiting the kitchen.

Are you eating enough?

At risk groups who have been advised to stay at home are likely to have a greater risk of malnutrition. Malnutrition is a serious condition where people do not get enough nutrients from their diet. This is more common in older people and it can increase the risk of infection as well as delaying recovery. Some tips for avoiding malnutrition include:-

► Eat a good source of protein every day (e.g. fish, meat, eggs, nuts, beans, tofu)

► Consume 2 or 3 portions of dairy every day (e.g. milk, cheese, yoghurt or dairy alternatives such as soya milk)

► Include starchy foods at every meal (e.g. bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, cereals)

► Eat a minimum of five portions of fruit and veg every day.

► If you eat fish, aim for two portions a week and try to include oily fish, such as:- salmon, mackerel, sardines or herring.

► Drink 6 to 8 cups/glasses of fluid every day.

The UK charity says:- "With our fundraising activities closed, we in a situation where we more that ever in need of online donations to help us fund pioneering medical research into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease. If you can donate online please go to our website to help us to continue our work to save lives. Also, if you think you are having, or you or think someone else is having a heart attack or stroke, please still call 999 immediately. Every second counts with these conditions."