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The Perfect Christmas Gift Idea for any keen Gardener!

This Christmas you can send a gift to the gardener that you love whilst also making a sustainable difference with Carbon Gold's Biochar range. And it's a gift that will keep giving all year long!

Carbon Gold has a Biochar product for every green-fingered lover of the garden this festive season, with its range of climate-friendly gifts that are aimed at boosting plant health, improving water efficiency, reducing the impact of diseases, enhancing soil health and giving plants, trees, and shrubs vitality all year round!

Founded by Craig Sams (the entrepreneur behind Green & Black's Chocolate and Whole Earth), Royal Warrant holders and B Corp accredited Carbon Gold has an award-winning range of Biochar-based, peat-free planting aids created for home growers, gardeners and allotmenters alike.

It’s Soil Association approved for organic growing range, offers a Biochar solution for every garden task: from growing a luscious, green lawn, supercharging your vegie patches, nourishing houseplants, improving soil, or planting trees, Biochar will sequester (lock) the carbon into the soil, reducing the CO² levels that would otherwise be released into our atmosphere and will revitalise plants from root to tip!

Stocking Filler Ideas:

Biochar Houseplant Booster - £9.99 RRP 1 Litre Tub

Following the growing trend for nurturing houseplants, Biochar Houseplant Booster to supports healthier growth in most indoor

plants, including cacti. Due to its extraordinary water-holding capacity,

Biochar will help prevent houseplants from drying out and support a healthy soil microbiome and better airflow through the houseplant soil, ensuring resilient root development and better drainage – delivering a plant that will flourish and thrive in indoor conditions.

Biochar Compost Rejuvenator - £9.99 RRP 1 Litre Tub

Why replace compost when you don’t really have to? Biochar Compost Rejuvenator has been created to breathe new life into used compost. Just add Compost Rejuvenator to your old compost, and revitalise it with a combination of nutrients, biology, and fertiliser, all of which will have been exhausted after a productive growing season. Biochar Compost Rejuvenator can be added to used compost or a plain substrate to get you off to a flying start in the new growing season.

Biochar Tree Soil Improver - £9.99 RRP 1 Litre Tub

Biochar Tree Soil Improver is ideal whether you are planting new trees or woody plants or if you need to revitalise established ones.

It promotes root development and reduces nutrient leaching, which helps defend against transplant shock and drought stress. A perfect and powerful treatment for all types of trees but also for shrubs, roses, bare root stock and hedging.

"With Climate Change undeniably at the forefront, Biochar will deliver enormous benefits to the garden for years to come, as well as save money, boost soil health, and reduce the amount you need to water with a positive impact on climate change. This sustainable gift will keep giving all year round," points out Sue Rawlings, the Managing Director of Carbon Gold.

Carbon Gold's biochar products are Made in Britain certified, Soil Association approved for organic growing and favoured by legions of gardeners across the country.

Available at: Abel and Cole, Dobbies, RHS, Amazon.co.uk, Daylesford Organic. See more stockists on www.carbongold.com.

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Wild and Game Christmas Hampers are now Launched!

Wild game specialist Wild and Game have launched their Christmas hampers for 2022. They are available to pre-order on the Wild and Game website now.

The hampers are carefully designed to and created to ensure that you have everything you will need for a series of feast days throughout the Christmas period. 

They include a Christmas Eve pheasant or venison Wellingtons, a Christmas day three bird roasts with pigs in blankets, Boxing Day venison roasts, and a festive buffet selection.

As well as game roasts, charcuterie, Wellingtons, pates and pies, the boxes contain Somerset cheeses and a luxury chutney selection.

There are three boxes to choose from:

Hamper 1 feeds 2 people throughout the festive season for £55 per person. Total box price: £109.

Hamper 2 feeds 4 people throughout the festive season for £50 per person. Total box price: £199.99.

Hamper 3 feeds 6 people throughout the festive season for £50 per person. Total box price: £299.99.

Wild and Game co-founder Steven Frampton explains: “Our Christmas hampers are always a massive hit and this year's offering will be our best ever, offering excellent value for money whilst bringing luxury and interest to your festive meals. It's wise to get your hamper pre-booked, because these always sell out very quickly."

He went on to point out: “We're seeing an increased appetite for game as people realise eating game is a sustainable and sensible alternative to eating farmed meat. It helps maintain natural balance and biodiversity whilst producing meat that's lean and free from hormones and antibiotics. 

"And because it's so high in protein, a little game goes a long way. It's satisfying and filling, and far more flavoursome than farmed meat. This makes it a healthy, cost-effective choice as well as a sustainable one.”

To learn more and to place your orders please visit www.wildandgame.co.uk.

Want a "Lidl" more for your Christmas spend? Appears 60% of households want the same.

Lidl GB is seeing customer numbers continuing to increase as shoppers seek to make savings in the lead up to Christmas, with over 770,000 more people shopping with the discounter each week compared against last year.

As more households face further financial strain this wintertime as we head toward Christmas, shoppers have switched £58m spending from traditional supermarkets to Lidl, in a bid to get more for their hard earned money.

Whilst making their funds go further, smart customers are already stocking up on key Christmas essentials with sales of Lidl’s Partytime range up 21% and its Panettone up 8% versus the previous year. Shoppers are also flocking to Lidl stores for British produce, with the discounter over-trading in British meat, poultry and eggs. For example it holds the largest market share in British pork.

With its busiest trading months ahead of it, Lid is promising customers old and new that it will to continue to offer the market's best value. 

Said Ryan McDonnell, Lidl GB CEO: “As the cost-of-living crisis deepens, we're more focused than ever on supporting our colleagues, our customers and the communities we serve. This year alone we have invested £50m raising hourly pay rates, thus making us the highest paying retailer, we’ve donated 5m meals, and we’re serving over 770,000 more customers a week compared to last year. As a discount supermarket we are in the best possible position to support people through these challenging times, and it’s our absolute priority that we continue to do so.”

Incidentally, we at That's Christmas have to admit that we specially love Lidl's Favorina Stollen and their Favorina Spekulatius Christmas biscuits. Which, because we eat them as soon as we buy them, we have to buy several times before we get to Christmas!

To check out their Christmas goodies, gifts, etc visit Lidl at https://www.lidl.co.uk.

Church is more than just for Christmas as millions are in touch with church community action amid cost of living crisis

Over seven million people had contact with their local church for community support such as food banks, parent toddler groups and lunch clubs, new figures suggest.

Polling by Savanta ComRes for the Church of England shows almost half the population reports having been in contact with their local church, at 46% , with the most popular reasons for doing so being attending weddings, baptisms, and funerals (50%) worship and services (42%) and carol services (39%).

But the figures also show 30% of those in contact with their local church, or 13.7% of all UK adults, have done so via community services like a parent toddler groups, lunch clubs and food banks. 

The figures also reveal twice as many agree (47%) as disagree (23%) that the local church is an important part of their community and just over a half (52%) agree the Church is an important part of British society. 

The findings come after Church of England statistics from 2019 show its churches running or supporting 35,000 social action projects. 

This includes 8,000 food banks and in excess of 4,000 parent/carer toddler groups. Over 5,000 churches run or support lunch clubs, coffee mornings or similar hospitality for older people.

The Bishop of Durham, Paul Butler, who speaks for the bishops in the House of Lords on welfare issues, said: “These figures show the extent to which the Church of England is providing not just spiritual and pastoral support but practical help to communities throughout the country. 

“Jesus’s commandment to love your neighbour as yourself is evident in the care and service provided by churches in so many ways.

“The biggest source of practical support provided by Church of England currently is through running or supporting around 8,000 food banks throughout the country and many of our churches are now opening up as ‘warm spaces’ through the ‘Warm Welcome’ campaign, as people struggle to pay their energy bills.

“Sadly we anticipate that these services will come under increasing pressure this winter.”

(The image shown is credited: Profile of woman in a food bank, volunteers working in the background Diocese of Birmingham)

Christmas lights to buy? Ikea is the place

Christmas is coming and perhaps you have moved into a place of your own and you need to buy some Christmas lights? 

Or perhaps you looked at your existing Christmas lights and they aren't really going to be doing it for you this Christmas? Perhaps someone forgot to take the batteries out and the terminals became corroded or the mains wiring isn't looking too safe? 

Either way, you will be requiring some new Christmas lights and what better place to buy them from but Ikea? After all, Ikea's HQ isn't that far from Santa's home so you'd expect Ikea to know a thing or two about Christmas light, right?

What has Ikea got? They have a new range of  festive lights called  STRÅLA LED lights. Ikea guarantee that they'll certainly be able to create a cosy winter atmosphere in any room with. In fact they say: "Their festive forms make a stand-alone style statement that brings warmth and cheer to cold nights."

There are lanterns, LED lighting chains, LED garlands, charming illuminated Christmas scenes for your table, mini Christmas trees, star table lights, etc.

Want a new Christmas tree? Ikea has a 210cm (6.8 feet) artificial Christmas tree for under £100.

There are also festive gift wrap, baubles and much more besides. Also, they sell batteries, too.

www.ikea.com for details or to buy online

Co-op says "No! to big TV adverts this Christmas

To offer backing to communities during the cost of living crisis, Co-op has decided to pull its traditional main Christmas advert to instead focus on national community food initiatives

The leading convenience retailer will instead host a live stream from “Your Local Pantry,” to highlight community food initiatives, which provide long-term dignified support to those facing food insecurity all year round, exacerbated this Christmas by the cost of living crisis.

TV Chef and Rapper Big Zuu will bring the Local Peckham Pantry community together, to host a live cookalong, with special guests, members and volunteers.

Chef, Presenter and Author, Miguel Barclay will join Zuu to share useful tips and tricks to make groceries go further in a unique live stream broadcasted across Big Zuu’s Instagram at 7pm.

Co-op partnering with Your Local Pantry to bring 150 more UK neighbourhoods together around food and support 32,000 households manage finances over the next three years

The partnership will see sites triple to 225 across the UK, owing to the funding from Co-op Members

By not spending multi-millions of Pounds on TV advertising this Christmas Co-op is instead channelling funds into wider cost of living support for its colleagues, member customers and their communities.

Co-op has partnered with TV Chef and Rapper Big Zuu, to stream live from Your Local Pantry in Peckham. The unique activation will bring the local community together through food, by demonstrating simple and nutritious recipes for only a few pounds, as well as meeting the Local Pantry volunteers and members who are helping their community grow and thrive.

The live stream will also see special appearances from Chef, Presenter and Author, Miguel Barclay - the brains behind One Pound Meals, to share useful tips and tricks to make your groceries go further.

The partnership, which is funded by Co-op Members, will see the Your Local Pantry network triple within three years from 75 to 225 Pantries across the UK, with the addition of 150 new Pantries.

Pantries are run by uniformed staff and volunteers, are open to all and work like any other grocery store, in that you choose the food you want from the shelves. Members pay a few pounds a week, and in return can choose groceries worth many times more.

This Christmas, and all year round, those looking for financial support can become a Local Pantry Member and pay as little as £3.50 for around £10 worth of food. At the Peckham Pantry, it costs just £4.50 for around £15 of food.

To date, Your Local Pantry has helped tens of thousands of households improve finances and access more affordable food. Through the new partnership, Co-op and Your Local Pantry aim to support over 32,000 households over the next three years, saving Local Pantry members almost £5million on shopping bills. Regular members save an average of £1,000 a year.

Shirine Khoury-Haq, Group CEO at Co-op: “Whilst many of our competitors are also adapting their Christmas ads to reflect the mood of the nation in a cost of living crisis, we are going further by pulling our ad altogether. In doing so we will be shining a light on the need to support vital community causes, throughout the year and not just at Christmas, especially with a deep recession looming.”

Our unique Co-op membership continues to drive our thinking and through our members incredible support, we are able to channel our resources and make local differences in ways no others can match. Through their ongoing commitment we can make society fairer and more co-operative.”

James Henderson, Your Local Pantry Network Development Coordinator, added: “Pantries are fantastic places. They bring people together around food, soften the impact of high living costs, and strengthen the power and potential of neighbourhoods. Communities have long wanted to improve food security while upholding dignity, choice and hope, and Pantries are a proven win-win solution. We're really excited to be teaming up with the Co-op, so another 150 neighbourhoods can open Pantries of their own."

Big Zuu, TV Chef and Grime Artist added: “Everyone deserves access to great quality food at affordable prices. I hope that by visiting the Peckham Pantry and cooking up some healthy, tasty and more affordable meals with the team, more people in need will seek out community initiatives like Your Local Pantry.

Your Local Pantries are open to all and work like any other grocery store, in that you choose the food you want from the shelves. The pantries are run by uniformed staff and volunteers who manage the stores with hand-held technology. Members pay a small subscription of a few pounds a week (ranging from £3.50 - £7 dependent on location), and in return can choose groceries worth many times more.

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