English police forces loosen fitness test requirements
Last year, following pressure from the Police Federation, the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) issued guidance to forces to lower the amount of running required in the annual bleep test.
The new standard, which has been taken up by forces including Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Yorkshire, eased the requirements from level 5.4 — equivalent to four minutes 22 seconds of light jogging — to level 3.7, equivalent to three minutes and eight seconds of the same.
Some forces, such as Surrey police, have also made the change for new applicants.
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The Independent
13 minutes ago
- The Independent
Experts reveal the hidden health benefits of having an allotment
Allotments offer far more than just a space to cultivate fruit and vegetables. They are crucial for fostering physical, mental, and social wellbeing, according to gardening experts. This profound benefit is the central focus of this year's National Allotments Week, an annual awareness event organised by the National Allotment Society. For anyone seeking a significant boost to their overall health and happiness, these verdant plots present a compelling and holistic solution. They help people connect Gardening expert Kim Stoddart, author of The Climate Change Resilient Vegetable Garden, who began running a community garden project at Creuddyn in Ceredigion, Wales, after the pandemic, found that initially volunteers were struggling to connect. 'There's still a sense of that in the world at large, but communities bring people together and gardens bring people together,' says Stoddart, editor of Amateur Gardening magazine. 'There's such a strong sense of togetherness through the ability to nurture an allotment in a community environment. They are such important social hubs and can help with socialisation, alleviate loneliness and anxiety and worries about the world. They are beautiful places where people can come together and feel that the world is ok.' They encourage healthy eating If managed properly, an allotment can produce enough food to supplement a family's weekly shop with fresh fruit and vegetables throughout the year, according to gardening for health charity Thrive. Many allotment holders garden organically and have a sense of satisfaction in the knowledge they've grown the edibles themselves, know how they've been grown and exactly what they are eating. Growing your own also promotes a sense of fulfilment, the charity adds. They tackle gardening guilt 'I always find in the courses I run that people feel guilty that they are not doing things in the right way and that their plots are not like the gardens they see on TV. A lot of people feel that they are not doing enough. 'But actually, we need our gardens and our community spaces to be nurturing right now, to help us cope with things that are happening in the world. So the therapeutic benefit of them is huge.' They encourage kindness 'There's nothing like a good old-fashioned barter and exchange, and community allotments are a very good place for this, but it's also about reaching out to people and the connections you can create with little acts of kindness,' says Stoddart. 'It makes you feel good about yourself, although you have to be aware that you don't want to pass on something that people don't want, like forcing endless courgettes on people just because you want to get rid of them. 'But giving things like cuttings or strawberry runners, or whatever you have a surplus of, feels really nice to engage in that way. It's down-to-earth, grounded and hopeful.' They help people with illnesses Allotments not only support physical health through aerobic exercise such as digging and raking, but can also help improve speech, cognitive and motor skills for people with debilitating illnesses, Thrive says. Being outside in sunlight can also increase vitamin D levels and lower blood pressure. They encourage recycling creativity 'Turning rubbish into the wondrous is an incredibly powerful feel-good action. Take something that would otherwise go to landfill and find something useful to do with it. It feels like you're taking back control,' Stoddart continues. Creating simple things such as old welly planters, or using broken pots to create rockery-like displays which will help protect plants drying out if you have heatwaves, can give people the feel-good factor, she says. 'The community garden was a building site housing a lot of rubble. So, we've used lots of stone and rubble as a mulch around plants, which helps protect them from heat. 'Old windows can be used as impromptu cold frames. We need to carry on growing into the winter and make use of this precious outdoor space when the weather changes, which would also give people an excuse to go to the allotment.' They promote seed-saving 'There's something very sacred about the saving of seed in other cultures around the world. It's like full-circle gardening where you are saving money by saving seed from your flowers and crops so you can sow them next year. It's also a way of creating more resilient seed. 'It's connecting you with the full-circle completion of the plant, it's saving you money and it's a way of taking control back. 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BBC News
14 minutes ago
- BBC News
Red panda twins born in Isle of Wight zoo breeding programme
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BBC News
44 minutes ago
- BBC News
Ferndale house fire sees properties evacuated
Fire crews have been responding to a house fire in Rhondda Cynon Taf. Police officers were called to reports of the fire in Ferndale at 01:30 BST on Monday morning. A number of properties were evacuated with road closures in place. South Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed there were no serious injuries. A rest centre was set up by the local authority to support those affected.
