 There will be a new kid on the U.K. currency block Tuesday. With millions of new pound coins ready to be released the clock will start ticking for the old coins. The new coin is 12-sided and two tone. It is being hailed as the most secure coin ever but its introduction will cause some problems and costs to business. Just consider supermarket trollies and £1 coin machines; the new shape and thinner coin will require costly changes. Both coins will be legal tender from March 28, 2017, until October 15, 2017. If you have a savings jar full of £1 coins make sure you do not get caught out. Old £1 coins that are returned will be used by the Royal Mint; they will be melted down and used in making the new coins. Although the new coin was announced in the 2014 budget its release will catch some people out. The coin has a similar look to an old threepenny piece in its shape. In March 2014 we reported; Days after the U.K. government announced a new one pound coin would be minted in order to try and beat the counterfeiters the jury is out on the good sense of such a move. But there are so many fake £1 coins in circulation something had to give.
If this new coin is as secure as claimed it will be money well spent. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38480180
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 More homeless people face fines in 2017 The Tory government has done little to increase the number of affordable homes across the United Kingdom. It has however created the unjust bedroom tax which has resulted in hardship for many of the poorest people in the country.
Now unelected PM Theresa May's government plans to remove housing benefit eligibility for 18-21 year olds. If you are young and down on your luck you could easily end up homeless. This woman has been contacted by one of a group of people organising a National Demonstration against the removal of Housing Benefit for 18-21 year olds under the banner #HouseTheFuture in Bradford Centenary Square on April 8 at Midday. #HouseTheFuture "Councillor Richard Dunbar @rdunbar83 is leading the group and is fresh from organising over 100 events for LGBT History Month. He has a strong record of getting things done and has chosen this issue because it is so pertinent to Bradford due to us been the youngest city in the UK. Further details about the cuts in question are within the following brief http://www.crisis.org.uk/data/files/publications/Housing%20costs%2018-21%20removal%20FINAL.pdf It is important to us that we make this a national event because all too often we find the national demonstrations taking place in London, beyond the reach of many teenagers and young people in the North. Please can you support us in whatever way you can:
Thank you for your time in reading this and any help that you can offer will be gratefully accepted." Make a note of the date and help in any way that you can. Related reading: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37873922 https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/benefits/how_to_claim_housing_benefit https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/feb/25/housing-benefit-cuts-for-young-people-may-be-scaled-back  2015- Lenny Henry and a group of children in Ethiopia celebrate the first ever Red Nose Day. Over 150 celebrities and comedians take part as 30 million viewers watch a huge night of TV on the BBC and raise over £15 million. It will be crazy Friday in the UK March 24, 2017, as Red Nose or Comic Relief day arrives. Once every two years fund raisers give their all to encourage us all to donate whatever we can afford to help others. In the run up to the day groups, individuals and celebrities are raising money for charity. In many cases it is "do something funny for money." 2015 was a special year in the history of comic relief On July 13 1985 the first Live Aid concert was held. Bob Geldof, of the Boomtown Rats, and Midge Ure, Ultravox vocalist, had the idea to host a charity concert in aid of those suffering from famine in Ethiopia. Images and footage of the suffering and dying were filling air-time around the world with people moved to act but unsure how to help alleviate the suffering; so Band Aid was an idea to help but not just any old concert; two simultaneous concerts, one in London in the UK and one in the USA. Musicians were pestered by Geldof to perform for free and the event was going to be like no other concert, which was fitting as the Ethiopian famine was also breaking all records. Live Aid and its associated charity raised millions in aid and continues to do so. In the UK the money raised by musicians, by way of Live Aid, inspired other events and charities. Sport Relief and Comic Relief followed. Comic Relief, which also became known as Red Nose Day, raises money for charity in fun and humorous ways Every two years red noses go on sale. The design is tweaked a little each year so it is easy to spot a cheapskate who is wearing an old model. A little history from the Comic Relief website; "On Christmas Day, [1985] Comic Relief is launched live on BBC One from the Safawa refugee camp in Sudan during Noel Edmonds’ Late Late Breakfast Show. The producer is Helen Fielding (before her Bridget Jones days!)" Wikipedia says "Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia." But it was Jane Tewson's idea. Jane is a well known charity worker. "The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief. Comic Relief is one of the two high profile telethon events held in the United Kingdom, the other being Children in Need, held annually in November." Red Nose Day British people are traditionally very giving even in tough economic times. Comic relief will raise millions of pounds for charities across the world and at home in the UK. And in 2017 people in East Africa are again facing severe famine. As the UK gears up for main event Friday fund raisers are already working hard. Friday will be a day of fun, and silly nonsense, all aimed at raising money for those who need help the most. Heads will be shaved, strips performed, amateur performances staged and races run all in the name of charity. In 2013 we reported "Since 1985, Comic Relief has raised over £800 million to tackle poverty and social injustice across the UK, Africa and some of the world’s poorest countries" and that is a proud achievement. But "At the end of the 2015 Red Nose Day telethon on 14 March it was announced that in the 30-year history of Comic Relief the Red Nose Day and Sport Relief appeals had raised in excess of £1bn (£1,047,083,706). Please give generously. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/tv-preview-comic-relief-2017-bbc1-7pm-charity-actually-a7634131.html https://donate.oxfam.org.uk/emergency/eastafrica https://www.rednoseday.com/  There are always more worthy charities in desperate need than most of us can afford to support. Even if it is just a small donation it all adds up. But there are ways to raise money for such causes including;
Currently East Africa is in crisis and most major fund raising organisations have launched appeals. But nearer to home homelessness in the UK is on the increase. With unsecured tenancies, high levels of personal debt, high rents, a lack of affordable homes and the dreadful bedroom tax is it any wonder people of various age groups end up homeless? Supporting the Breakfast in a Bag charity is just one way you can help a person struggling to survive life as a homeless individual. The website introduction says; Hello and welcome to Breakfast In A Bag!© Joupin Ghamsari Set up a regular donation, make a one off payment or donate as and when you can afford to do so.
Many people are only a short step away from homelessness. If you think "that will never be me" think again. Divorce, bereavement, unemployment and ill health are just a few ways your life can be turned on its head. Homelessness - it happens - it could happen to you! http://www.breakfastinabag.co.uk/ |
