Latest news with #charity
The Sun
2 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Major charity shop chain shuts another four stores after closing 29 – see the full list
A MAJOR charity shop chain has shut another four stores after closing 29 following a consultation. Scope pulled down the shutters on branches in Rochdale, Nuneaton, Gillingham and Wednesbury yesterday (June 27). 1 The four stores, as well as three others which Scope has closed, have been taken on by fellow charity A World UK CIC. The three other shops transferring to A World UK CIC are in Dewsbury, Bridgwater and Scunthorpe. It is not clear when the seven stores will reopen under A World UK. Eight staff members from the stores will keep their jobs and move to working for the charity. Brad Thorpe, managing director of A World UK, which supports the Autistic community, said: "We are excited about this transition and the opportunity it brings to expand our reach. 'Welcoming these seven Scope stores and eight dedicated employees means more than just growth. "It's a chance to strengthen and support the autistic community in even more areas across the UK." The latest announcement from Scope comes after the charity retailer shut 29 of its branches across the UK following a consultation. This is on top of six sites which shut due to their leases ending. These are the 29 shops that closed in March, April and May: Amersham Barking Bangor Birkenhead Bishop Auckland Castleford Devizes Dewsbury Eastbourne Haywards Heath Lewisham New Milton Orpington Parkstone Scunthorpe Shirley (Southampton) Skipton Workington Newport Southampton Atherstone Welling Blyth Hove, George Street Burton Erdington West Hampstead, London Exmouth Bury Britain's retail apocalypse: why your favourite stores KEEP closing down Scope said last month a further 35 stores will shut as part of the consultation, bringing the total number of closures to 70. Meanwhile, another five are set to close later this year, as well as potentially two more, bringing the total number of closures to 77. The four stores that shut yesterday are included in this group of 77, meaning up to 38 more stores will close. Scope first launched a consultation to look at reducing its store estate in January. Like many other retailers, the charity has been struggling for footfall into high street stores. However, despite its challenges on the high street, Scope's online sales have boomed in recent years. It saw online sales increase by 75% in 2023/24, up £1.2million on the year before. HIGH STREET STRUGGLES UK high streets have been in decline for years due to the onset of online shopping. High inflation in recent years has chipped away at shoppers' wallets and purses too. The Centre for Retail Research said more than 13,000 high street stores shut in 2024, with more to come in 2025. The centre's analysis found that 13,479 stores, the equivalent of 37 each day, shut their doors for good over the calendar year. The charity sector specifically has been hit hard. The Charity Retail Association, which represents charity retailers, said in a recent blog post its members were reporting "the worst time for trading they have ever encountered". A survey by the association found 36% were considering reducing the number of paid staff on their books and 27% were planning to close shops. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. Research by the British Chambers of Commerce showed that more than half of companies planned to raise prices by early April. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020."
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The best and funniest flags so far at Glastonbury Festival 2025
GLASTONBURY Festival is known mainly for three things: music, contributions to charity and flags - here's the best and funniest flags so far. The music is obviously the main aspect that people go to Glastonbury for, but another small factor that people look out for are the fun and quirky flags that people bring along. READ MORE: Glastonbury Flags 2024: The best and funniest flags READ MORE: Glastonbury Festival 2025 Live - Saturday news and updates Whether they are there to make people laugh or to show off a great design, there are plenty of highlights to pick from. Up first, we have a couple, specifically the one in the middle, which reads 'Disco: flag for life' in reference to 'Tesco: Bag for life' (other shops are available). And we also have the 'Get Naked' flag, which Rizzle Kicks star, Jordan Stephens, said was his favourite during his set on the Other Stage. Thousands of people getting ready to watch Rizzle Kicks at Glastonbury Festival. (Image: Harry Mockridge/Newsquest) Someone has a great flag with the same screaming face all over it - not sure if this is a celebrity or just someone at the festival, but it's funny either way. That flag is also below a Palestinian Flag, which is frequently seen around Worthy Farm, as well as other national flags. A screaming face flag has been paired with a Palestinian Flag at this year's Glastonbury Festival. (Image: Harry Mockridge/Newsquest) One for the Guinness fans here, 'That's an absolute creamer' was pulled out during Lewis Capaldi's not-so-secret set on the Pyramid Stage. 'That's an absolute creamer' - Guinness drinkers unite. (Image: Harry Mockridge/Newsquest) Someone has a 'teach dogs missionary' green flag. What's wrong with doggy style? Teach dogs missionary - instead of what?? (Image: Harry Mockridge/Newsquest) An absolute classic that has been spotted at Glastonbury Festival in the past, the ID of the 'McLovin' character from Superbad has been immortalised in flag form. Recognise this fake ID? (Image: Harry Mockridge/Newsquest) The recently passed TV personality, Kim Woodburn, lives on at this year's Glastonbury Festival. this has absolutely creased me, best flag of today #glastonbury — emily (@colbridgey) June 27, 2025 And now a hard-hitting flag. The yellow ribbon and Nova have been spotted at this year's festival. It stands for those murdered who are now flying high at Glastonbury. Gone but not forgotten. 🎗️The yellow ribbon for the hostages and the Nova flag for those murdered there are flying high at Glastonbury. Bless the soul who bravely stood against the tide and proudly made everyone see. h/t @HertfordshireI — Heidi Bachram 🎗️ (@HeidiBachram) June 27, 2025 For those who know Max and Paddy (Peter Kay and Paddy McGuinness) - you'll love this one. Greatest #Glastonbury flag ever 👏 — Max and Paddy Quotes (@maxandpaddyline) June 28, 2025 We're keeping our eyes peeled for more Glastonbury flags and will update you if we find any better ones.
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
‘His sleeping bag was frozen solid': the highs – and lows – of the Duke of Edinburgh's award
Biblical rain, meagre food rations and – in one particularly notable case – a frozen, dead sheep. The Duke of Edinburgh's award (DofE) prides itself on offering teenagers experiences that a classroom cannot replicate – and the charity has recently said more people are signing up than ever before. More than 342,000 young people took on tasks to achieve their bronze, silver or gold award last year, according to the DofE. For people who shared their abiding memories of the scheme with the Guardian, many involved getting very wet somewhere deep in the UK countryside. James, 29, from Manchester, completed his gold award in 2013. He recalls: 'Of the many candidates for worst experience, mine would be a sub-zero night in the Peak District field containing a frozen dead sheep. 'During the night, my water leaked over my tent mate's sleeping bag. He woke up and, in a delirious state, put it over the top of our tent to dry. He told me the following morning that he'd been lying next to me on his sleeping mat, watching me shiver in my sleep for the rest of the night. By the morning, his sleeping bag was frozen solid.' For 32-year-old Freya from London, 'biblical rain' cut her silver award expedition short in the 2000s. 'The plan was to do a day of walking just outside Ripon and a day in a canoe, but on our first day there was substantial rainfall which meant we arrived at the campsite absolutely sodden,' she says. Feeling deflated, the group of 15 set up camp in silence. 'Our spirits were so low we couldn't even be bothered to get the cooker going so just had a Mars bar for dinner, crawled into the foetal position and slept,' she adds. 'The next day we were meant to get in a canoe but when we woke up it had rained heavily throughout the night. We were up for continuing but we had to cancel the rest of the expedition because the river was so high we couldn't get our boats under the bridge. 'We eventually completed the expedition and really enjoyed it. Looking back I have fond memories as it was a fun experience and it was nice to spend a weekend detached from my phone.' Getting lost was a strong theme among respondents. For *Zara, 41, from Scotland, who went on her bronze expedition in the late 90s in the Cairngorms, a diversion turned out to be a highlight. 'We waved down a tractor, and a farmer very kindly took us for a few kilometres. We felt like we'd got one over on the teachers.' On their journey, Zara's group stumbled across a wild stag. 'It caught our eye, then wandered off. It felt so spectacular,' she says. Although the rise in DofE participation may be partly explained by an increase in the number of teenagers in the UK, experts said it was also the result of character education becoming a growing focus for state schools. Prof Tom Harrison, the deputy pro vice-chancellor for education innovation at the University of Birmingham, says there is a 'growing realisation [in education] that getting a good grade is not a direct route to success in getting a job but indeed in life more broadly'. Harrison says that in the past, character education was considered the preserve of private and selective schools, but it has increasingly become an area of focus for state schools, which benefited from a £3.4m government funding boost to expand the scheme in 2021. His research has found that in 2024, 22% of outstanding Ofsted reports mentioned character education, compared with 1% in 2014. Pepe Di'Iasio, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, says the awards are an 'excellent scheme offering young people a valuable chance to learn skills and enjoy new experiences', with particular benefit considering concerns about the amount of time that children spend on electronic devices and screens. Mike Hall, 54, blames a heavy backpack for his failed silver award expedition on the Offa's Dyke path in Shropshire in 1986. 'I came over a stile, and the drop on the other side was greater than I thought. My backpack wasn't balanced properly, so I went over at an angle and I landed in the field with an enormous 'crack'! 'I broke my ankle and couldn't take my boot off. It swelled up enormously. We didn't have mobile phones, so my mates hiked the last five miles to the end of the trail to fetch the teachers. Two hours later, they helped me into the back of a minibus, and I was dropped off at home in Surrey to go straight to A&E. 'I was on crutches and a plastic cast for weeks. And that was the story of my life for about another seven years or so until I ended up having reconstructive surgery and getting my ankle sorted out properly in my 20s.' Hall did not receive his silver award until he completed the same hike the following year. *Name has been changed.
The Sun
3 hours ago
- Health
- The Sun
We choose to live our lives full of joy, love and hope for Deborah, say Dame Debs' parents 3 years after her death
LET'S raise £20million for Dame Debs. That's the rallying cry today from her family, on the third anniversary of the inspirational cancer campaigner 's death. 9 9 9 Heather and Alistair James tell The Sun: 'Wouldn't it be great if we could see the total raised for her Bowelbabe Fund surpass the £20million milestone? 'We know she would be over the moon at the idea, knowing that the money is going to help other people in her situation, giving them more precious time with their loved ones.' Sun columnist Dame Deborah James died on June 28, 2022, five years and seven months after she was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer. The Bowelbabe Fund, that she established five days after returning to her parents' home in Woking to die, now stands at more than £17million. In her final weeks, the mum-of-two called on people to donate the cost of a drink, 'to see me on my way'. And three years later, her parents are echoing that call. 'Let's all donate the cost of a drink, and raise a £3million toast to Deborah,' they said. 'What a wonderful way to remember her, and help continue the incredible work she started.' It's their daughter's staggering legacy and the seismic impact she had in her short life that inspires the couple each and every day. 'This is not what we had planned for our lives,' Heather tells The Sun. 'We didn't expect to be grieving the loss of our eldest child and facing the rest of our lives without her. NHS rolls out bowel cancer screening to 50 and 52-year-olds after Dame Debs' campaigning 'But it is our reality, and we have a choice. We could choose to wallow in our grief, but I know Deborah would hate that. 'Instead, we are choosing to live our lives as she would, embracing every opportunity, making precious memories, enjoying every moment and focusing on her positive legacy. 'I am so grateful to have had 40 years with Deborah, and we are so proud of everything she achieved. I will never not miss her, but she inspires me to live a better life every day, and for that I am so grateful Heather James 'To let our sadness consume us wouldn't do justice to the person Deborah was. 'I will never not miss her, but she inspires me to live a better life every day, and for that I am so grateful.' One final gift Inspired by their daughter, Heather and Alistair have vowed to continue the work she started, raising awareness of a disease they knew so little about until Deborah educated them, and millions of others, shouting from the rooftops for people to ' Check your poo '. Just last week Alistair backed calls for Wes Streeting to end cancer diagnosis and treatment delays, pleading with the Health Secretary to overhaul NHS care with the upcoming cancer strategy. He signed an open letter led by Cancer Research UK that calls for faster diagnosis, waiting times to be met, and more equal access to treatment. In establishing her Bowelbabe Fund in the weeks before she died, Dame Debs gave her family one final gift - a positive focus for their grief. While the couple continue Debs' work in the public eye, Seb, her siblings Sarah and Ben help run the Fund behind the scenes, and her children Hugo, 17, and Eloise, 15, help decide where the money raised should be spent. Three years on, that legacy shines brighter than ever. 9 9 9 In the last year alone, money she raised has helped fund a state-of-the-art interventional radiology machine at the Royal Marsden Hospital, as well as a project that hopes to make personalised treatments for bowel cancer patients a reality - something Debs was very passionate about. In January the NHS finally rolled out bowel cancer screening tests to all those people in England aged 50 and over, after Debs spearheaded The Sun's No Time 2 Lose campaign, calling for the age to be lowered from 60 - a move that will save thousands of lives each year. Meanwhile, the newly-named Bowelbabe Laboratory opened at the prestigious Francis Crick Institute in April, and the team there are dedicated to developing more targeted treatments to combat the disease. And perhaps the icing on the cake came when King Charles hailed Dame Debs an inspiration in a speech at a reception he hosted at Buckingham Palace in April, attended by Heather and Alistair. It was the second royal seal of approval for Dame Debs after Prince William visited the family's home to bestow the honour of a damehood on her, after The Sun mounted a campaign to honour our columnist. Quoting Debs, His Majesty said: 'Find a life worth enjoying; take risks; love deeply; have no regrets; and always, always have rebellious hope.' 'I forgot to curtsey and I held his hand for far too long,' Heather recalls, laughing. Debs' fundraising efforts May 9, 2022 Dame Debs launched her Bowelbabe Fund with Cancer Research UK, hoping to raise £250,000 to help give more people more time with loved ones. June 28, 2022 On the day she died, her Fund's total stood at a staggering £7million. In the days after she died The Sun called on readers to help push it over the £10million mark and in a matter of days it was reached. June 28, 2025 Since her death, an extra £10million has been raised in Dame Debs' honour, with the total standing at over £17million. To donate visit 'It was so embarrassing, but he was so warm and wonderful. What an honour that Deborah brought us to meet the King. 'It was a real 'wow' moment, knowing that even the King has been touched by Deborah's message, and all these years later. 'For her words to resonate with him was so special.' 'She would've been blown away,' dad, Alistair adds. 'It wasn't just the King, one lady-in-waiting made a point of telling us she followed Deborah, and even staff in the cloakroom told us of the impact she'd had on their lives too.' To calm their nerves at the prospect of rubbing shoulders with royalty, the couple admit they had to stop for a drink en route, 'for a bit of Dutch courage', Heather laughs. 'Deborah would've done exactly the same,' she adds. By Lizzie Parry, Head of Health at The Sun and Deborah's editor and friend 'YOU'LL remember me when the west wind moves, upon the fields of barley'. I can't listen to those famous lyrics now without welling up, even now three years on. Fields of Gold is the song Dame Debs chose to play at her funeral, as her casket was carried out of the beautiful church in Barnes, as her loved ones said their goodbyes. I sobbed then, and it will forever remind me of that moment and Debs. It's not the only thing. Grief is a multi-sensory thing. I remember her when I hear that song, when I feel the rain on my face, when I taste a glass of chilled champagne, when I smell her rose and when I see sequins catching the light. It's all encompassing, and it often catches you unawares. Where once all those things felt quite painful, three years on since her death and they do make me smile now (even through the tears). Where once I avoided memories of her, now I love being caught by a flash of my beautifully bonkers friend. Though, my brain really can't quite fathom that it's been so long since I last spoke to her and laughed with her, and yet it feels like only yesterday at the same time. While she was alive, Debs taught me so much. She reminded me - and her thousands of followers - that life is for living, that there is joy to be found in every single day and that we shouldn't wait for the 'right time' to do life. In death, those lessons still hold true for me, and I often find myself thinking 'what would Debs do'? Invariably the answer is 'just do it' whether it's booking a holiday, buying the dress, or squeezing a date with my best friends into an already busy week. So, today on the third anniversary of the horrible moment I learned my friend had passed away, I'll ask the same question… 'What would debs do?'. She'd put on her shortest, sparkliest dress and wildest pair of heels, pop open a bottle of champagne and she'd dance to Fields of Gold while beaming with joy and crying all in one go. Debs, forgive me I might have to leave the sequins in the wardrobe in this weather… but that's exactly how I plan to remember you today. And if she touched your life in any way, I know she'd love the idea of you doing the same. 'All I wanted to do was wear a pair of comfy trainers under my dress, but I could hear Deborah in my ear telling me absolutely not, and that I must wear my heels, ' no pain, no gain'. 'So of course, I wore the heels and my feet were covered in blisters the next day!' For Heather and Alistair their own grief is one thing, but their true sadness comes from knowing what Deborah is missing out on. 'When anybody dies young, it is the life they miss out on that is the hardest thing to face,' says Alistair. 'For me, it was about a year before she died when I realised the end was coming. 'We were on holiday in France and we were walking together, and it dawned on me that she knew that time was running out. 'That was when I felt saddest. 'My other sadness is seeing the children. She would've adored seeing them grow up, at 15 and 17 they are such great ages now. 'Given what they have been through they have really coped incredibly well, she would be beaming with pride. 'They are both turning into such lovely people.' Heather adds: 'Seb is such a wonderful dad, they have a very special relationship. 'He's fulfilling all his promises to Deborah, and some. They are a lovely little unit, they are the best of friends. 'Seb really understands them, and they are so protective of him.' Marking three years This year, to mark the third anniversary of Deborah's death, the family are all getting together at Heather and Alistair's home. It is where Deborah took her last breath, holding her husband Seb's hand and surrounded by her parents and siblings - her beloved Wimbledon on in the background. 'As she passed away Wimbledon was on, she absolutely loved it and over the years we all got to go with her,' says Heather. 'It will always remind us of that time, and on Monday, Alistair and I will be there for the opening day. 'We'll raise a glass to Deborah and remember those special moments with her, as well as the gift she left us all - a lesson in how to really live life.' What are the red flag warning signs of bowel cancer? IT'S the fourth most common cancer in the UK, the second deadliest - yet bowel cancer can be cured, if you catch it early enough. While screening is one way of ensuring early diagnosis, there are things everyone can do to reduce their risk of the deadly disease. Being aware of the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer, spotting any changes and checking with your GP can prove a life-saver. If you notice any of the signs, don't be embarrassed and don't ignore them. Doctors are used to seeing lots of patients with bowel problems. The five red-flag symptoms of bowel cancer include: Bleeding from the back passage, or blood in your poo A change in your normal toilet habits - going more frequently for example Pain or a lump in your tummy Extreme tiredness Losing weight Tumours in the bowel typically bleed, which can cause a shortage of red blood cells, known as anaemia. It can cause tiredness and sometimes breathlessness. In some cases bowel cancer can block the bowel, this is known as a bowel obstruction. Other signs include: Gripping pains in the abdomen Feeling bloated Constipation and being unable to pass wind Being sick Feeling like you need to strain - like doing a number two - but after you've been to the loo While these are all signs to watch out for, experts warn the most serious is noticing blood in your stools. But, they warn it can prove tricky for doctors to diagnose the disease, because in most cases these symptoms will be a sign of a less serious disease. 9 9 9
BBC News
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Pet artist Hercule Van Wolfwinkle raises £450,000 for charity
A pet-portrait artist who draws self-proclaimed "rubbish" pictures has raised more than £450,000 for charity after his latest fundraising challenge. Phil Heckels, from Worthing, West Sussex, began working under the alias Hercule Van Wolfwinkle in has just completed challenges and drawn portraits in 15 locations around the UK where StreetVet, one of the charities he supports, is based. Mr Heckels, who raised more than £38,000 in eight days, said: "I was completely overwhelmed, humbled and grateful to have had such amazing support." The artist and fundraiser travelled 1,800 miles (2,897km) around the his charity challenges was getting a tattoo in Brighton, abseiling the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, shaving his head using dog clippers in Cornwall, learning the bagpipes in Glasgow and running a 5K dressed as a dog in said: "The highlight for me was probably the final day when I was joined by a group of volunteers to walk 18 miles along the Thames Path and then climb over the O2."The reality is that the StreetVet volunteers who give up their time to do their work are the true heroes and it was lovely to spend time with them."Mr Heckels added: "I hated walking around in fancy dress all week."I really have a fear of heights, so my abseil was really horrible for me." Mr Heckels, who had his second book of his artwork published in April, has won awards for his fundraising and even embarked on a 24-hour charity "drawathon" began in 2020 when he drew his own dog and put it on Facebook, offering paid-for commissions as a joke, but genuine requests flooded trademark wonky legs and crooked eyes have proved really popular with pet owners. All of the pet portraits are uploaded to Hercule Van Wolkwinkle's social media pages in return for a discretionary donation to one of his two chosen charities: Turning Tides, a homelessness charity, and Heckels said: "My next big target - raising half a million pounds - suddenly feels in reach."It is such a big milestone that I never thought I would achieve."
