Displaying items by tag: United Kingdom

A pop-up ‘Charity Super.Mkt’ staffed by volunteers will be open for a month at Brent Cross shopping centre. It will sell donated clothing supplied by ten UK charities, including Barnardo's and Cancer Research. It comes as second-hand fashion is gaining in popularity amid the rising cost of living and a higher demand for sustainable shopping. It is hoped this will help to change the way people think about second-hand fashion. 65% of people across the UK wear second-hand clothes at least once a week. See Meanwhile in Devon churches have launched a mobile foodbank. The YUM Project (You + Us = More) will run from a converted minibus to reach people who find it hard to access current food support schemes in a fixed location. It includes a social supermarket as well as a foodbank. The service will operate five days a week across Torbay using church car parks and community centres.

Lord God, when we look at today’s headlines we read of bribery and bickering and duplicity in the halls of Westminster and the Metropolitan police’s corruption and immorality. We see strikes bringing commerce and industry to a halt and inflation choking hard working families. It is hard not to be discouraged; yet Psalm 42 tells us not to be downcast or disturbed, but to put our hope in You, our Saviour and our God. Please lead us as we pray and trust You, even when we do not understand what You are doing. Jesus, please send your Spirit to shepherd our leaders and direct them to follow the paths you have prepared. Remove the dross from selfish business dealings and replace it with integrity and honesty. Give courage and unity to our politicians and union bosses so that Your will is agreed on and accomplished in the workplace.

Tina was attacked by her husband on her wedding night and beaten ‘black and blue’; the abuse continued for eight years. She said, ‘For years, I had to do as I was told or get beaten. He drove me around to put me in flats and then men came in. He sold me for sex. If I didn't do as I was told, I'd get beaten.’ She told Greater Manchester Police several times between 2009 and 2015, ‘but the force didn't care, they didn't believe me, they didn't do anything.’ In 2012, she told police she had suicidal thoughts due to the abuse she was suffering. Again, the complaint was not followed up. In 2015 Tina provided them with extensive evidence supporting her allegations. The police apologised and an offence under the Modern Slavery Act was recorded against her husband. However, he was not arrested, and has now left the UK.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says Britain is the only G7 economy forecast to shrink in 2023 due to higher energy prices, rising mortgage costs and increased taxes. England and Wales have had the most company insolvencies since 2009, UK mortgage approvals have tumbled, and grocery price inflation is a record 16.7%. Britain is the only advanced economy expected to fall into recession this year. The IMF said 2023 would be ‘quite challenging’ for the UK as it slipped from top to bottom of the G7 league table. We can pray for God to strengthen Jeremy Hunt’s mind and spirit as this news puts more pressure on him to balance Britain’s books successfully. Pray also for God to anoint him with heaven's wisdom in preparing strategies for the spring budget as the Bank of England continues to raise interest rates.

Children are generally making progress to recover the learning they lost during the pandemic following action taken by the Department for Education, but disadvantaged pupils are further behind the expected level of attainment than other pupils, according to a new report by the National Audit Office (NAO). Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said, ‘The DofE needed to take action to support pupils to make up for the learning they lost during the Covid-19 pandemic and reach children who had been disproportionately affected by the disruption to schooling. Despite the progress that is being made, it is concerning that learning loss for disadvantaged pupils remains greater than for other pupils. It is vital that the Department maintains its focus on education recovery in the coming years to help all children to catch up and to close the attainment gap between disadvantaged and other pupils.’

In the latest round of industrial action over pay 85% of schools were affected by strikes. The Association of Christian Teachers say that Christians are called to follow God's will to seek justice and fairness and to respect and submit to earthly authorities, government and employers alike. The trade union movement has played a significant role in advocating for the rights and fair treatment of workers, many of whom historically were operating in dire conditions and barely making ends meet: a cause that is surely consistent with biblical teaching. Scriptures which speak about justice and righteousness and call on believers to work for justice and to care for the poor and marginalised are plentiful in both the Old and New Testaments. Isaiah 1:17 says, ‘Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.’

National Crime Agency (NCA) staff in Calais had only two days of official training before covering for striking Border Force staff. Border Force guards have three weeks training before interacting with the public, and then they work alongside a mentor for up to a month to ensure they can work solo checking on crimes like carrying a false passport, drug smuggling, people trafficking and modern slavery. An informed source said NCA staff had two training days, a quick familiarisation visit on Tuesday and then protecting the borders on Wednesday. They had no training to issue an IS81 form that gives officers the authority to detain people while they carry out further inquiries. It has to be issued even if someone is detained for just two minutes for a minor check. They did not have the power to detain people suspected of criminal activity.

Nine men appeared in court by video link charged with possessing offensive weapons. Police believe they had prevented a ‘serious disorder’ after discovering a sword, machetes, and a hatchet in vans in Newtownabbey. The men, aged between 18 and 41, were travelling to a relative's funeral; police were concerned over what they were going to do. In addition to possessing offensive weapons, Brian James Bradley is also charged with driving while disqualified, without insurance, and possessing a Class B drug. The judge refused bail as details provided by police ‘paint a picture of an organised, premeditated operation involving extremely dangerous weapons’ and ‘clear inference that extreme violence was going to be visited on persons unknown’. The case has been adjourned until 27 February.

Britain is considering becoming the first country to send Western tanks to Ukraine in what would be a major stepping up of international support. Last week foreign secretary James Cleverly said Britain was open to sending Ukraine Challenger II battle tanks and ‘will continue to evolve our support as Kyiv readies the next phase of their self-defence’. The remarks were a shift in the Government’s position, with No 10 previously being in step with other Nato allies in being reluctant to supply heavy armoured vehicles. Any pledge by the UK could be made at the next meeting of the US-led Ramstein Contact Group of international supporters of Ukraine, due next week. Defence sources said the UK could supply Volodymyr Zelensky with the British Army’s main battle tank to encourage other Western allies to follow suit and stop the war.

There has been a significant downturn in avian influenza cases since the beginning of November. Case rates peaked at over six a day in mid-October, but are now running at less than one a day, the majority of those being backyard flocks: the housing order for kept birds in England and Wales is seen as a contributing factor. Epidemiologists still predict another peak and are genuinely perplexed as to why we have not seen one yet, as there is a sustained increase in winter cases in wild bird carcasses. Housing orders and good biosecurity by commercial flock owners no doubt continue to play their part. Thank God for His mercy and continue to pray for His protection as the upturn threat is still anticipated for our wild bird colonies.