News reports located on this page = 4.

Strawberry Field is open and accessible to everyone, thanks to its Changing Places toilet facilities

THE world famous Strawberry Field, immortalised by The Beatles, has now safely re-opened post Covid-19, with new measures in place and it is open to ALL, in part because of its WCs. Recent news has announced that large accessible toilets for severely disabled people; known as Changing Places; will be made compulsory for new buildings in England from 2021. Strawberry Field, the Salvation Army Centre, in Liverpool, that was immortalised by John Lennon, has seen the investment of ₤8m in the creation of an interactive visitor exhibition, café and shop, as well as a Training Hub for young adults with barriers to employment. The new Centre opened in September 2019, and to ensure all visitors can make the most of their time there, a Changing Places toilet facility was included in plans and supplied and installed by Closomat.

Changing Places toilets provide more space and equipment than conventional wheelchair accessible WCs, to meet the needs of people of all ages who need help to deal with their intimate hygiene. Closomat's installation at Strawberry Field gives users a peninsular WC with a full room cover ceiling track hoist, height adjustable adult sized changing bench, height adjustable washbasin, and privacy screen, in a 12m2 room.

Chris Stringer, Learning Disability Inclusion Development Manager, The Salvation Army said:- "I have been aware of and following the campaign to having more Changing Places toilets available for a couple of years. Even when space was a possible issue at Strawberry Field, the provision of a Changing Places toilet was never in doubt."

Individuals who have been campaigning for more Changing Places facilities to be made available, particularly in northern England, are said to be:- "especially pleased" at the news. Changing Places toilet facility locations can be found online and further information on Strawberry Field website.

Brits spend 12.5 hours per week feeling stressed!

STRESSED out Brits are being consumed by their lack of sleep, financial worries and struggles with staying in shape for more than 12 hours per week, a new study finds.
A survey of 2,023 UK drivers conducted by Auto Trader, the UK's largest digital marketplace for new and used cars, reveals that 1 in 3 adults feel the effects of stress on a regular basis, if not more; indeed 11% of these say they feel constantly under stress. Over the course of a week, the average person claims to spend 12 hours 35 minutes feeling stressed, which equates to a staggering 655 hours over a year, or approximately 27 days. Looking at the top causes of stress in modern society, lack of sleep (39%), financial struggles (32%) and issues with weight and fitness (27%) topped the list. Meanwhile, 23% say that mental health struggles cause them to feel stressed, whilst 22% say they struggle with social anxiety. The research goes on to reveal the top ways in which adults choose to relieve stress, with 48% saying they go for a walk, 32% turning to exercise, and 30% saying that listening to music or a podcast helps them to relax.

The survey also found that as many as 59% of UK drivers would consider going out for a drive in order to reduce their stress levels and feel more relaxed, with 41% of these saying they have already used this stress relieving technique in the past. In Auto Trader's latest report, Good Carma, Chartered Psychologist, Dr Mann, muses on the ideal driving conditions to help drivers decompress and concludes that a sunrise or sunset drive is the best time to be out, as the roads are quieter and this can provide an optimum time for processing the events of the day. In the report, Dr Mann also reveals the therapeutic benefits of the environment we chose to drive through, listing coasts, gleaming skyscrapers and views of green landscapes as ideal sources of visual stimulation, which all help with relaxation. This is supported by research from the report which found natural landscapes help to reduce stress, with 48% of drivers saying they find driving in the countryside relaxing, 38% saying they unwind when driving by the coast, and 23% enjoy a calming drive in forested areas.

Auto Trader's Rory Reid comments:- "Driving can be a brilliant way to relieve stress and anxiety, as the research shows that it provides a form of escapism from real life, so people can clear their minds and simply focus on where they are heading to next, not what they are driving away from. It's no surprise that we've continued to see such high volumes of searches for brand new cars on Auto Trader, particularly in the wake of lockdown, as people look to take back control and seek the benefits of driving."

Dr Mann, Chartered Psychologist and author of The Science of Boredom, comments: "People today tend to be over loaded with information, worries and high levels of constant stimulation. Going for a drive for the sake of it, rather than just to get from A to B, can be a relaxing antidote to the high-pressured carousel we often find ourselves on. It can give us chance to pause, think, breathe and recharge."

To view Auto Trader's Good Carma design and full report, please visit:- AutoTrader.Co.UK.

More work, less teaching, hostile media and an unsupportive Government; Teachers report on a term like no other

LOCKDOWN and home learning has presented huge challenges for parents and children, but how have Teachers fared? As the School holidays begin, they have been reflecting on the strangest term in their careers; and they say that it was a period of significantly increased workload, but less actual teaching. And most believe there is little prospect of a stress free summer break, with a number starting preparation for the next academic year as soon as Schools have broken up.  A survey of hundreds of Primary School Teachers by lesson resources experts PlanBee revealed that 60% of Primary School Teachers had seen a marked increase in their workload during the summer term, compared to previous years, as Schools scrambled to introduce completely new ways of learning in a matter of just weeks. This chimes with the report from the National Foundation for Education Research found that, overall, 90% of parents whose children were not attending School in April 2020, reported receiving some School work to complete at home. At least 94% of primary pupils received School work. Close to ½ of primary (42 %) received at least 3 offline lessons a day.  For 40% of recipients to the PlanBee survey, lesson planning and preparation took the majority of the additional time, while for a quarter of respondents, it was communicating with parents. But 32% said the time they spent on actual teaching had fallen, while 39% said they had done less marking and feedback.  Over ½ report feeling well supported by their Schools as they grappled with the demands of the summer term. On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the highest rating, 51% gave their Schools top marks, feeling 'very supported.'  But the media's reporting of changes to Schools, and the role of Teachers, were an area of conflict. 49%  of respondents gave journalists the lowest ranking on a scale of 1 to 5.  The Government, too, could do better. Nearly 40% of Primary School Teachers gave ministers the lowest ranking, saying they didn't feel supported. And only 2% gave the Government top ranking, reporting that they felt:- 'very supported.' Are holidays a time of rest and recuperation for the teaching profession? Apparently not. Most described themselves as 'exhausted'; with 1 respondent saying it 'was a different type of exhausted' from other years. Many reported being:- 'relieved' the term was over. Some 42% had already started preparation for next academic year during the summer term, predicting that lesson planning would occupy by far the biggest draw on their time. 27%  of respondents said there preparation for next term begin at the start of the holiday.

1 respondent commented:- "There is far too much prep and planning we need to recharge over the summer. Especially mentally."

"Part of me enjoys getting things ready for a new School year," said another, "but part of me resents the time I spend doing this that could be spent with my family.'" Another complained that it is:- "portrayed in the media that we have 6 weeks off!."

This snapshot is backed by a survey from Education Support carried out during the summer term which found that as School closures, home teaching and learning continued, 59% of Primary School Teachers said they are feeling higher stress levels than usual. Some 10% of PlanBee survey respondents say that they will have no opportunity at all to relax and switch off from School during the holidays while 27% rated their chances at 2, on a 1 to 5 scale, with five being the best chance of putting School work behind them. Just 9% ranked their chances of switching off at five, the highest level.

Catherine Lynch of PlanBee said:- "The survey findings, which were gathered just as term was ending, provide a really interesting snapshot of the state of the profession; 'exhausted,' in a word. The Government made huge demands of Teachers during lockdown and the results are clear to see. Teachers are used to being tired at the end of the School year, but this year is clearly different in terms of what the term has taken out of them and their feelings of trepidation at the prospect of what the next 1 will bring."

Please join the Liverpool protest for NHS pay justice!

ON Saturday, 8 August 2020, at 11:00, outside St George's Hall, Liverpool, a protest will take place to get the NHS fair pay! The ones who were not given PPE.  The workers who were pulled from clinic settings into ICU and Covid Wards, with new equipment, experimental treatments, no PPE and no testing capacity? Since 2010 paramedics have lost an average of over 14K, Midwifes 18K and Staff Nurse 14.5K due to the Governments previous caps on pay rises! Doctors and Dentists have been given a pay rise, and rightly so, but where's the appreciation to other NHS and Care Workers? The hosts, Laura Hother and Beth Webber have said:- "Let's join together and Demonstrations happening across the UK, lets join them! Scrubs are fine, but please no uniforms! Social distancing to be adhered to and Masks to be worn!  If public health guidelines allow, please join us and help us fight for the right to get  the NHS fair pay!"  For more information, please go to the protests Facebook Event Page.