Apprentices raise £1,500 for life saving charity
The Sellafield Ltd apprentices, who are trained by Lakes College, raised £1,500 for Logan and Gary's Lions Heart Fund, a lifesaving initiative that funds heart screenings in memory of two beloved figures from the rugby league community.
The fundraising took place during National Apprenticeship Week and involved the Sellafield Ltd nuclear apprentices who are based at Energus.
Divided into groups, they were tasked with developing creative and sustainable fundraising ideas - ranging from games to products - with all proceeds going to the charity.
Josh MacAlister, MP for Whitehaven and Workington, attended the event, chatting with the apprentices and taking part in the activities.
Lakes College Principal Chris Nattress praised the fundraising, saying: 'Seeing young people work together in teams is great, but to see them doing it for such a worthy cause is just amazing.
'Supporting heart screening for adolescents is so important, and this kind of initiative really makes a difference. Well done to everyone involved.'
Logan Holgate was a Sellafield Ltd apprentice when he tragically passed away aged 18. His aunt Lisa Powe was presented the cheque at Energus, where the current apprentices train.
Lisa said: 'We rely on donations, and what the apprentices have done is even more special because Logan almost started his career here. It's lovely to see people at Lakes College supporting the fund.'
She added: 'The money raised goes directly to providing heart screenings for people aged 16 and over. There are young people out there with undiagnosed conditions, and this screening can save lives.'
Helen Graham, social impact manager at Lakes College said: 'The learners and staff really put so much effort into the project and should be incredibly proud of the amount they raised for such a good cause.'
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This Silly Hack Can Actually Really Help With Anxiety
Anxiety can feel all-consuming, making your heart race, thoughts spiral, chest tighten and more. Some describe it as a dark shadow that follows you around and constantly reminds you of all the worst-case scenarios. Serious anxiety requires serious treatment, but there are also fun little 'hacks' that you can keep in your arsenal to help keep the shadow from overwhelming your life ― for example, giving your anxiety a silly name. Although it might sound absurd, this playful strategy draws on real psychological principles and can even make dealing with anxiety a little bit fun and humorous. Below, experts break down what you should know about naming your anxiety and how to make it work best for you. Here's how it works. 'Assigning a silly or exaggerated name to anxiety can be a useful cognitive strategy,' said psychologist Stefanie Mazer. 'By externalizing the experience and labeling it humorously, individuals often find it easier to create psychological distance from distressing thoughts. Calling your anxiety something dumb like 'Nervous Ned' or 'Meltdown Mike' sounds ridiculous, but that's the point. It makes the whole thing feel less threatening.' Giving your anxiety a silly name 'knocks it down a peg' and allows you to stop treating it like an all-knowing authority, she added. This tactic is a way to regain a sense of agency over your inner narrative. 'It might sound childish at first, but there's real psychology behind it,' said Erin Pash, a licensed marriage and family therapist and founder of Pash Co. 'When we're caught in the grip of anxiety, it feels massive and all-consuming, like this nameless monster that has complete control over us. But the moment you call it something like 'Gary the Worry Wart' or 'Anxious Annie,' you're already taking back some of your power.' Rather than some terrifying force, your anxiety is just 'Gary,' who can be quite ridiculous sometimes. The anxious thought 'everyone is judging me' becomes 'Gary is telling me that everyone is judging me.' This psychological distance can separate you from the anxiety and make it feel less urgent and persuasive. 'When anxiety hits, we often think 'I'm anxious' or 'I'm panicking,' which makes us feel completely merged with those feelings,' Pash said. 'But when you say 'Oh, there's Gary again with his worries about that presentation,' you're observing the anxiety rather than being consumed by it. This technique also engages your prefrontal cortex ― the logical, problem-solving part of your brain ― which helps calm down your amygdala, the part that's firing off all those alarm bells.' She compared it to the difference between being stuck in a storm versus watching it safely from inside your home. 'Calling your anxiety something silly turns it into background noise instead of a command,' Mazer noted. 'That shift helps you notice it without getting swept up. It's harder to take anxious thoughts at face value when they're coming from a made-up character. You start to see the patterns and maybe even laugh at how dramatic they sound.' What are some benefits to this approach? Mental health expert Noel McDermott praised the sense of fun and levity in this anxiety hack, which serves as a nice counterbalance to the stress and serious tone present with anxiety. 'It's empowering and accessible,' he noted. 'Endless research shows that when people feel empowered in a situation, they manage that situation much better than someone who feels more victimized. It encourages the use of a psychological trick called 'the observer effect' which is often seen through the use of meditation, so people can have an emotionally distanced relationship to their anxiety and have a relationship to that anxiety which they can manage more effectively.' Having some distance from your anxiety can also help you reach a place of acceptance of its presence in your life. 'Anxiety symptoms tend to compound when you worry about whether or not you may feel anxious in a given situation,' said Arianna Galligher, a licensed independent social worker at Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center. 'If you can reframe how you view the presence of anxiety as a quirky, albeit sometimes annoying companion rather than a force that limits your ability to engage with the world around you, it takes some of the pressure off. Instead of fearing anxiety, you can invite it to come along with you by saying to yourself, 'Come on, Edna. We're going to the store.'' 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'The general idea is 'This isn't me. This is my anxiety. How can I use what it is telling me?'' said psychotherapist Meg Gitlin. 'Perhaps your anxiety wants to tell you that something is important to you, and it would like you to pay attention to it. Or perhaps it is telling you that your anxiety has clouded your experience for too long, and it is time to seek help to manage your anxiety.' Are there any downsides? 'The only potential downside to this hack is if you are not motivated to work on your anxiety, and naming it creates too much distance where you believe it is inevitable and can't be changed,' said Erica Rozmid, a psychologist and clinical assistant professor at UCLA. 'Instead, it's helpful to recognize that naming it something silly can be a conscious tool to help you overcome your fears.' The hack can backfire if you use it in lieu of processing and addressing your anxiety. 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'We eat fast food but we don't label it or fantasize it.' 'We banned the phrase, 'I don't like it.' You can simply say, 'No thank you' or tell me if it's too spicy or crunchy. SUCH a game-changer.' 'This is honestly so good because you're still essentially asking if he likes it or not but you're getting down to the reasons as to why.' 'This is what my parents did ... and that's what helped them learn I wasn't a picky eater, I just have a texture issue.' 'The other thing I say instead of 'like' is 'want' and also, don't make a big deal about it. Just, 'OK if you don't want that right now.'' Springer tells that growing up, she wasn't regularly exposed to fare like sushi or mushrooms, which contributed to her struggles with food texture. When Springer's in-laws reported that Logan didn't like black olives, the mom's first instinct was to buy more but in the green variety. 'I thought, 'We may have just not given him enough,'' she says. Springer learned that Logan likes green olives, as long as they're presented on a charcuterie tray. 'Once he got comfortable with those, I alternated purchasing the black and green olives to have at home,' she says. When Springer wants to introduce Logan to food that she dislikes, such as sardines, grandma steps in so Springer can hide her sour facial expression. Asking your child questions like these won't necessarily prevent picky eating, but they may encourage your child to explore different types of food. According to Sarah Williams, a Texas-based registered dietitian, Springer's approach, which she calls, 'light-hearted reverse psychology,' can work with some picky eaters. 'It is actually a playful, pressure-free way to make food fun,' Williams tells in an email. 'From a nutrition standpoint, that's a great thing. As a dietitian and mom myself, I often encourage creating a low-pressure environment around food for both kids and adults.' Williams says when kids feel like they have to eat a particular food, resistance follows. 'When we allow them to explore and be curious on their own terms ... it can actually reduce anxiety around new foods and encourage more adventurous eating over time,' she explains. 'It can even create nutritional curiosities long into adulthood. That said, consistency and variety are key.' Research shows that it can take eight to 10 exposures for children to accept a new food, but as William points out, ''Accept' doesn't necessarily mean that they will like it.' She mentions variables such as temperature, taste, texture, context and even how tired a child is; all can impact whether they like a certain food. Williams suggests other approaches to minimize picky eating. 'Make mealtimes predictable and relaxed,' she says. 'Offer meals and snacks around the same time each day without distractions like screens.' 'Serve one 'safe' food with each meal,' adds Williams. 'This is something the child already likes alongside new or less familiar options.' 'Avoid pressure or bribing,' says Williams. 'Let the kiddo decide what and how much to eat from what's offered. Your job as the parent is to provide the nutrition, it's their job to decide how much of what from what you gave. Exposure over time matters more than a single bite today.' Williams sympathizes with parents who feel 'defeated' at meal time. 'Just know that it is a completely normal phase,' says Williams. 'However, approaches like Fatima's, when done playfully and without pressure, can absolutely support a healthy relationship with food.' This article was originally published on
