"Be careful this Christmas" warning as NHS staff strike

Families up and down the country have been advised to be extra careful as NHS staff are taking strike action.

The NHS is asking patients to use services wisely during industrial action and take simple steps to help ensure care is available to patients who need it most.

This includes using NHS 111 online as the first port of call for health needs and continuing to only use 999 if it is a life-threatening emergency.

The NHS is already facing record demand on urgent and emergency care services – October and November were the busiest on record for A&E attendances and the most serious ambulance callouts.

Industrial action means these services will be under increased pressure so it is vital that people use the services available appropriately.

Patients should continue to call 999 if anyone requires life-saving care with ambulance services prioritising the most clinically urgent cases. If it is not life-threatening you may have to wait longer than usual for an ambulance.

General practice, community pharmacies, and dentistry are not impacted by strike action.

The NHS is also asking the public to play their part by taking simple steps during industrial action to look after themselves, loved ones and checking in on vulnerable family members and neighbours.

People can help by taking sensible measures to keep themselves and others safe during this period by not ending up in A&E – such as drinking responsibly or stocking up on their medication.

Today nurses are striking in 44 NHS Trusts across England. Ambulance workers will be striking at nine out of 10 ambulance trusts tomorrow.

Patients whose conditions are not life-threatening will have to wait longer than usual for an ambulance and, where safe and appropriate, may be asked to make their own way to hospital – although it is important that they get medical advice from 111 or 999 before doing so.

In all cases, priority will be given to those patients with the most clinically urgent health needs.

NHS Medical Director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said: “There is no doubt the NHS is facing extreme pressure and industrial action will add to the already record demand we are seeing on urgent and emergency care, and so it is really important that the public play their part by using services wisely.

“This means continuing to call 999 for life-threatening emergencies – if it is not life-threatening you may have to wait longer than usual for an ambulance.

“And using 111 online for other health needs where you will receive clinical advice on the best next steps to take.

“But people can also help by taking sensible steps to keep themselves and others safe during this period and not ending up in A&E – whether that is drinking responsibly or checking up on a family member of neighbour who may be particularly vulnerable to make sure they are ok.

“NHS staff have worked hard to minimise disruption but it is inevitable as with any industrial action that we will see an impact on services but it is vital if you need lifesaving care, to continue to come forward”.

The NHS has been preparing extensively for industrial action and for winter, with plans already in place to manage additional demand including 24/7 control centres, additional bed capacity, more mental health support for ambulance services and more community falls services.

The NHS will contact anyone whose appointment has to be rescheduled due to strikes. If the NHS has not contacted you, please attend appointments as planned.

Guidance issued ahead of industrial action by ambulance services asked local systems to discharge patients who are medically fit and asked that local areas only cancel elective procedures as a last resort.

The NHS has also launched the latest phase of a TV campaign encouraging the public to use NHS 111 online.

After entering answers about health needs online, the service makes an assessment and directs you to the best place for your care – this can include a consultation with a pharmacist, a call back from a nurse, or visiting a same day urgent treatment centre or A&E.

Figures show over 6.5 million people used the NHS 111 online service in the last 12 months, with an average of 20,000 users being directed to the right support every day according to the latest data.

NHS England and local NHS areas have plans in place to ensure life-saving care continues and to minimise disruption to patient care.

Regional and national teams will support local areas needing any further assistance on strike days to help local areas coordinate responses.

Last month, NHS England issued guidance to local NHS employers on what derogations they should seek from local union representatives to ensure certain vital services such as chemotherapy continue.

(Image courtesy of Cezary Paweł and Pixabay)

Are you drinking too much at Christmas?

Christmas is a time of year notorious for Brits drinking a bit too much, in fact, a recent study found almost two-thirds (61%) of drinkers in the UK over-indulge in alcohol over the festive season.

But with the current cost of living crisis how much are our festive drinking habits costing us?

As part of a new report, the research team at Private Rehab Clinic Delamere, have crunched the numbers to reveal how much brits are spending on alcohol each week over the Christmas period.

https://delamere.com/blog/the-real-cost-of-addiction 

According to the findings, those who binge drink over the festive season by consuming 22 units or more a week, will spend a whopping £62.55 on wine, while those who drink beer will spend £41.20.

For those who tend toward drinking cocktails and spirits during Christmas, the data revealed they'll spend £50 and £51 a week respectively. 

If you’re worried you could be taking your drinking habits a little too far this Christmas, the team of experts at Delamere have compiled a list of common signs individuals worried about either their own drinking habits, or those of a loved one can look out for.

Signs and symptoms of a functioning alcoholic include: 

Frequent intoxication and smelling of alcohol

Loss of control around alcohol use

Hiding alcohol in strange places such as their garage, at the office, in bushes or in their car

Drinking between work times or appointments, or drinking just enough to keep their alcohol levels topped up if they are alcohol dependent

Frequent binge drinking after daily responsibilities are taken care of

Justifying their drinking as a way of unwinding after work, a busy day with the kids or as a reward

Becoming irritable, anxious, restless and unable to sleep if they are unable to drink

Regularly drinking in the morning before going about their day, or at odd times of the day such as lunchtime in order to avoid alcohol withdrawal symptoms

Always drinking at social events and ‘preloading’ prior to attending a social event

Avoiding social events or activities that don't involve alcohol

Alcohol has become a problem at home, with them either drinking excessively alone at home or disappearing to a pub or bar straight after work for hours

Becoming defensive or flippant when challenged over their drinking

Denying they are an alcoholic, reasoning that they still hold down a job or take the kids to school on time

Alternating alcohol and prescription pills in order that they can function

They may become erratic, spontaneous, angry or change their character completely whilst intoxicated

Difficulty in recalling events that took place whilst heavily intoxicated – experiencing an alcoholic blackout

Risk-taking, they may well drive to work or drive children to school whilst still over the limit from the previous night or from taking a morning drink

(Image courtesy of  Gerd Altmann and Pixabay)

Côte restaurants celebrate cracker of a Christmas campaign to support children who go to school hungry and help reduce paper waste

Côte restaurants is celebrating its special festive campaign to assist children who are living with food insecurity and who are at risk of going to school hungry, as well as aiming to reduce paper waste, too.

Every year the team at Côte restaurants spends £40,000 on Christmas crackers for guests to enjoy with their festive meals.

But this year, with the cost of living crisis impacting upon many families, they decided to donate this money to Magic Breakfast, instead. The charity provides nutritious breakfasts to hungry school children as fuel for learning and expert support for their schools. They are aiming to end hunger as a barrier to education in UK schools for children living with food insecurity.

Côte’s Christmas menu will run right through 'til December 24. Guests have enjoyed a seasonal, French-inspired 3-course Christmas menu, just without the additional Christmas crackers. 

The donation will now support thousands of children and will also help to combat mass paper waste created by the use of Christmas crackers.

Côte has already donated in excess of £200,000 Magic Breakfast and is aiming for more to follow in the new year, in addition to the Christmas crackers £40,000.

Jane Holbrook from Côte restaurants explained: “Magic Breakfast do amazing work that positively impacts the lives of thousands of children. We are big fans of what they do and over the last couple of years our team and owners have donated over £200,000. We decided we could and should do more, so we’ve donated the money we would have been spent on Christmas crackers to them, so they can buy thousands of breakfasts for children who really need them.”   

Côte restaurants are dedicated to giving back to the local community they live in, with a number of events planned for 2023. They want to introduce staff and guests to the charities they work with and the challenges they face.

This Christmas, Côte also donated 21,000 turkey and vegetable portions to The Felix Project in London and a further 2,300 portions to six Crisis sites in London, Birmingham, Merseyside, Newcastle, South Wales and Coventry.

https://www.cote.co.uk/christmas.

(Image courtesy of Côte restaurants)

New consumer research from OXO show what we Brits like and loathe about Christmas

Christmas comes every every year, just like clockwork, and while many of us have made small changes to our Christmas routines over the years, just how does the traditional Christmas stack up against busy, modern lifestyles?

American housewares brand, OXO, known for its universally-designed range of premium kitchen tools, has just undertaken a new survey amongst UK consumers to discover how many of us stick to our traditions, and what our most and least favourite Christmas cooking tasks are today.

Christmas dinner differs depending on where you come from in the UK

• Stuffing is the accompaniment of choice in Northern Ireland, with 2 in 5 of people choosing to pad out their plate with this herby side dish

• Yorkshire puddings have made their way onto the Christmas plates of 50% of households up and down the country, with these delights most popular in the North East, with 3 in 5 people in the region adding Yorkshire puddings to their Christmas dinner

• Cranberry, mint and bread sauce all spring to mind when thinking of festive condiments, but in a huge break from tradition, tomato sauce has started to make an appearance with 2 in 5 18 to 24 year olds choosing to add ketchup to their Christmas turkey dinner

What we love and loathe

• When it comes to things we like and things we loathe most about Christmas food prep, planning the timings came out as number one on the list of most stressful Christmas cooking tasks with 5 in 10 people dreading this Christmas task

• Taking a step back to see excited faces at the dinner table is by far the most rewarding Christmas experience, with 6 in 10 of those aged 65 and over enjoying this part of Christmas dinner the most

• Of course, OXO had to ask which kitchen tool people rely on most to make Christmas dinner a breeze with a good roasting tray and reliable peeler coming out on top

Following a challenging year, many UK households have decided to tighten the purse strings and cut back on the amount of money spent on gifts and going out over the festive period. 28% of people have decided to set a gift spend limit when buying for loved ones, while 27% of people plan to visit pubs and restaurants less frequently as a way to save money this year.

OXO is a premium US brand that offers a wide range of high-quality, long-lasting kitchen, cleaning and organisation tools that effortlessly combine innovation with purpose. Guided by the principles of universal design, the brand is known and loved for engineering tools that fit comfortably in every type of hand starting with the iconic OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler in 1990.

www.oxouk.com

Incidentally, my wife and I own a range of OXO kitchen tools, which we really love!

Silent grief: Supporting the 13 million struggling after bereavement as grief leads to poor mental wellbeing and loneliness this Christmas

Research conducted by YouGov for Co-op Funeralcare highlights that as many as 13 million UK adults are battling grief following a recent bereavement are experiencing feelings of loneliness or dealing with challenges to their mental wellbeing this Christmas.

With over 28 million UK adults (54%) having experienced the loss of a loved one over the last five years, celebrities, charities and MPs have, alongside the Co-op, offered their advice and support to those people struggling after a bereavement in the run up to Christmas and beyond.

The findings come after a report from the UK Bereavement Commission earlier in 2022 which highlighted how important community support is for the bereaved. In response to the report, the essential role community plays in supporting the bereaved was discussed only last month at a Westminster event hosted by the Co-op, the UK’s leading bereavement charity, Cruse Bereavement Support and sponsored by Carolyn Harris MP.

Highlighting the importance of community, for just under half (49%) of bereaved adults spending time with people who knew their loved one helped with the grief. Pointing to the need for workplace support, 15% of bereaved adults outlined the need for employers to act, saying taking time off work helped them cope with their sense of loss.

However, findings reveal nearly half of bereavements were sudden or unexpected, and getting through the funeral (36%), clearing out belongings (25%) and breaking the news to others (22%) were amongst the most difficult challenges faced by those closest to someone who had died.

Aftercare

In response to the findings, Co-op is focused on expanding its support to families after the funeral and in partnership with Cruse is bringing communities together to support the bereaved. The partnership aims to empower individuals to provide everyday support to those in their communities who have experienced bereavement. Co-op in conjunction with Reach PLC has also in the last month launched a new podcast, ‘Let’s Talk About Grief’ where celebrities share their experience of grief and loss to help others going through similar feelings.

Gill Stewart, MD of Co-op Funeralcare explained: “Our colleagues throughout the country are continuously working with members of their local communities to ensure bereaved families are shown the utmost support during their time of grief. 

"But as the UK Bereavement Commission rightly pointed out, it takes a village to ensure those dealing with the loss of a loved one still feel included in community life. For many the sense of loss can be overwhelming, even more so at this time of year, and our research highlights the power of community being supported by others can make all the difference at a time of grief.”

Speaking of his own experience of losing his father and brother, TV personality Jake Quickenden said: “There’s no perfect way to deal with grief, you have got to find your own way of dealing with it. Grief is something that never disappears, and I don’t think it really gets easier, it is such a strong emotion and it changes your mindset. 

"I like to think of grief as all the love you have left for a person, that you can’t express for them anymore. I look at life so differently since losing my Dad and Oliver, some days are more difficult than others but every day is a day that I get to see my family, see friends, make memories and live.”

Steven Wibberley, CEO of Cruse Bereavement Support said: “At Cruse, we know how vital support in the local community is for people dealing with their grief. The recent UK Commission on Bereavement highlighted the importance of support from family, friends and community in helping bereaved people. 

"We are proud to be working in partnership with The Co-op on our Connecting Communities project, to improve grief awareness and support in local areas and ensure bereaved people are not tackling their grief alone. I was delighted to introduce the project to MPs and colleagues from across the bereavement sector at our recent Parliamentary event and we hope that this support continues as the project develops next year."

Coleen Nolan, TV personality, singer and podcast host for Co-op Funeralcare’s new ‘Let’s Talk About Grief’ show, stated: “Despite so many of us having experienced loss (and I have experienced my fair share myself), especially within the past couple of years, death and bereavement are still taboo topics, and there is still such guilt around experiencing grief. Many of us feel like we are placing a heavy burden on those around us when we’re dealing with bereavement, and choose to manage our feelings in silence instead of reaching out for help.

"It’s noy surprising that feeling unable to share your feelings after experiencing the loss of a loved one can be profoundly alienating, as we often feel nobody will understand what we are going through, when really this isn’t the case.

"It is my sincere hope that we take on the learnings shared by the UK Bereavement Committee and look at our own communities with more empathy and selflessness - as you never know who may be secretly battling the negative feelings that come with bereavement."

(Image courtesy of Garn Finger from Pixabay)

Tesco’s exclusive energy-saving ultimate roasting potato returns in time for Christmas

An energy-saving, high quality roasting potato that sold out within mere weeks of being launched last year has returned in time to help us slash the cooking time of our Christmas dinners and thus save energy and money.

The ‘Nemo’ variety, sold by Tesco as Finest British Roasting Potatoes, has been created exclusively for the supermarket by one of the UK’s largest potato suppliers, Branston.  

As well as creating perfect roasters, the Nemo variety can reduce cooking time by up to a quarter compared to the average potato according to Branston. 

Not only does it need less water and fertiliser than other varieties to grow, but its environmental impact is further reduced by its unique 25% quicker cooking time, saving energy in the home.

Tesco potato buyer Hannah Moseley said: “The Nemo was trialled last year and became so popular by word of mouth that all supplies sold out in a record four weeks, and it has taken until now to grow more.

“Customers have told us they consider the Nemo to be the ultimate roasting spud on account of its perfect rich, fluffy texture, crispy outer skin and golden colouration.”

Nemo is a natural hybrid developed through carefully crossing an exceptional tasting fast-cooking Peruvian variety called Inca Bella and a popular, red-skinned salad variety called Franceline which grows well in the UK climate.

Dr David Nelson, Director of Agronomy at Branston said:  “We were very pleased with how well Finest Roasting sold last year - it flew off the shelves in four weeks. This year we were in the fortunate position of being able to supply almost triple the volume, which we hope to sell just as well as last year. 

“This is a Tesco exclusive variety, therefore, there is very limited seed available. Seed multiplication takes four to five years to build up, and this is why we are only able to gradually build volume, but given how delicious they are, we thought it was better to save them for Christmas! 

“Not only do they taste great, but they can be roasted quicker than European varieties, which can hopefully help save on cooking time”. 

The Tesco finest roasting potatoes cost £2.50 for a 3 kilo bag. 

www.tesco.com.

Christmas Misses? ParcelHero points out many stores have stopped online orders

Home delivery experts ParcelHero says delays caused by recent bad weather and strikes mean some popular stores have already ceased taking online Christmas orders.

Last-minute shoppers may have left it too late to buy online from their favourite stores in time for Christmas, says home delivery expert ParcelHero. 

Strikes and backlogs caused by last week’s severe weather mean some retailers can no longer guaranteeing they can deliver in time for Christmas.

ParcelHero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks M.I.L.T., says: "From Ann Summers to Waterstones, many of the UK’s leading retailers have decided to call it quits on Christmas deliveries already.

"Even before Arctic weather conditions hit the UK, deliveries were backing up. Retailers and individuals have all been switching to couriers to avoid the impact of industrial action in the traditional postal network, and this unexpected extra volume of parcels has taken some courier networks by surprise.

‘Rather than disappoint customers, some stores have faced the problems head-on and declared that they can no longer guarantee delivery in time for Christmas. These include:

Ann Summers (last date was 19 December)

The Body Shop (last date was 19 December)

M&S clothing (“Christmas delivery is no longer available.”)

Paul Smith (last date was 18 December)

Pets at Home (last date was 18 December)

The Conran Shop (“Delivery in time for Christmas can no longer be guaranteed due to external factors.”)

Waterstones (last date was 19 December)

"The Christmas countdown shows no sign of stopping. Stores that will stop taking orders on Tuesday 20 December include:

Harrods

Harvey Nichols

Superdry

"Also, a significant number of stores stop taking their final Christmas orders on Wednesday 21 December. These include Boden, Gap, House of Fraser, New Look and The White Company.

"Retailers have had to react quickly to the escalating issues and problems in the delivery network. For example, back in November, Harvey Nichols gave a deadline of 23 December for final orders; now its last order date is today. This is a far more sensible approach than some other stores, which still don’t include final Christmas cut-off dates on their websites, leaving customers to order in hope."

He went on to say: "It’s not just  the impact of the strike in the traditional postal industry that created knock-on delays. There was already a shortage of seasonal staff like delivery drivers and warehouse workers following Brexit. It’s fortunate that the Amazon strike called at its Coventry distribution centre is not expected to take place until the new year, or there would be a lot of disappointed faces on Christmas Day around the UK.

"With all this Christmas confusion, ParcelHero has re-launched our popular Christmas tool in the nick of time. You can now discover retailers’ final online order dates in time for Christmas, find out the last mailing dates for presents to UK and international destinations, and see handy packaging and Customs clearance hacks to help ensure gifts reach their destinations in time."

 To check the easy-to-use retailers’ final order and final mailing dates tool, see: https://www.parcelhero.com/events/christmas-gifts-delivery

Lloyds Bank Christmas Fraud Warning: Six red flags shoppers MUST be wary of

Lloyds bank has issued a timely and urgent warning to last-minute Christmas shoppers to be wary of fraudsters this festive season.

The warning comes as research from Lloyds Bank revealed the number of online shopping scams increased by 20% in December last year, compared against December 2020.

With the rise in consumer activity online, comes the rise in internet scams and cybercrime, however this doesn’t mean you should totally avoid online shopping this Christmas.

Sam Whillance, who is an expert at online e-commerce platform Deal.Town, shares six red flags shoppers should be aware of before purchasing presents this Christmas.

Steer clear of deals that seem too good to be true

If a website appears to be selling designer clothes or jewellery or electronics for considerably less than the normal retail prices, always consider whether this is too good to be true. 

Often, you could be purchasing fakes or replicas.

Look for a privacy policy

A privacy policy, normally in a statement format, explains how the business collects, uses, and stores sensitive data from its customers. 

Whist laws and regulations worldwide vary, legitimate, reputable online retailers should have a clear privacy statement and if they don’t, this could be a red flag.

Check the SSL certificate

SSL, standing for ‘Secure Sockets Layer’, is an indication that a website is secure for shopping. 

In other words, it is an encryption method that websites asking for sensitive or personal information, such as your credit card details, should have. 

To ensure that a shopping website has an up-to-date SSL certificate, look out for a padlock icon in the URL bar of your web browser. Or alternatively, check that the URL starts with HTTPS, not HTTP (the S stands for ‘secure’).

Check if the website accepts credit cards

Credit cards are one of the safest methods for making online transactions. This is because its easier for credit card issuers to refund money lost to fraud.

Websites that don't accept credit card payments could be warning signal, as it is a lot more difficult for fraudulent websites to become certified by credit card companies.

Watch out for spelling and grammar mistakes

Legitimate brands will have the professionalism and accuracy to ensure the text and imagery on their websites are correct.

If a website is poorly written and contains numerous spelling or grammatical mistakes, it could indicate that the seller is not genuine. 

Other red flags may include low-quality images,  the inability to leave reviews, and no returns policy.

Look for a phone number and address

The majority of legitimate retailers will have a contact number and an physical address visible in either the header or footer of their website. 

If you aren’t 100% sure whether an online shop is genuine, copy and paste their address and phone number into a Google search engine, to see if their details are verifiable. 

Fake sellers will either not provide any address or use a fake one.

Check out Deal.Town here: https://deal.town 

Weird and Freaky Secret Santa Gifts Revealed: A Mankini, Half Drunk Bottle of Wine and a Picture of an Ex

A half drunk bottle of wine, a pillow with a picture of your ex partner on it and a mankini. These are just some of the weird and, quite frankly, freaky and bonkers Secret Santa gifts people in the UK have received.

Some of the quirkiest gifts were revealed as part of a new survey from Secret Santa generator DrawNames which quizzed 2,000 people from all over the UK.

The data shows older Brits generally tend to spend 50% over the Secret Santa budget set,  whilst one in 10 Gen Z youngsters admitted they just wrapped up a nick-nack from home and nearly 1 in 5 (18%) said they bought something from a charity shop.

1 in 4 Brits (25%) also reduced the amount they spent on Secret Santa this year compared on Christmas 2021, with some giving hints that the cost of living crisis is starting to bite.

Plus, interestingly, 1 in 20 bought something to help cope with spiralling energy costs, such as a hot water bottle or a raught excluder.

Brits' top 10 Secret Santa gifts bought in 2022 were:

Chocolates (21%)

Alcohol (16%)

Candles (15%)

Toiletries (13%)

Voucher (10%)

Perfume (9%)

Game or puzzle (9%)

A scratch card (8%)

Flowers or plants (8%)

Clothing (7%)

The younger generation are also most likely to be Secret Santa suck-ups - over a third of Gen Z people (35%) said they spent more on their boss' present than on other work colleagues.

Despite us living in a digital age, a huge three in five (63%) of Brits did Secret Santa the old-fashioned way, by pulling names out of a hat. Just over a quarter (27%) used an app, such as DrawNames.

Arjan Kuiper, co-founder of DrawNames, said: “It's very interesting to note the cost crisis has had an impact even on low budget gifting ideas such as Secret Santa. But I do feel there could be other reasons behind Gen Z wrapping up something from home or buying from charity shops, they do tend to be much more eco-minded than older people, so perhaps they want to recycle gifts as they're conscious about the impact of gifting on the environment?”

To find out more about arranging Secret Santas visit https://www.drawnames.co.uk.

(Image courtesy of Gerhard and Pixabay)

Who Cares? John Lewis does

John Lewis' 022 Christmas advertising campaign is running. The 90-second advert, entitled ‘The Beginner’, follows the launch of the ‘Building Happier Futures’ programme from the John Lewis Partnership, which is a long-term commitment to help young people with experience of the care system in a number of ways, including to find meaningful careers.

In a challenging year, we felt it was important to demonstrate that it’s what we do that matters most. We are proud to use our Christmas advert as a way to generate conversation and action around an often overlooked issue.

There are an estimated 100,000 children and young people who will spend this Christmas in care this year, and we know many young people who have experienced care as children can often feel isolated and forgotten, especially at Christmas. John Lewis wants them to feel seen this Christmas and to inspire their customers to come together with us to make a real difference to those who need it. Through a heartfelt story of one man’s determination to connect with a child, we see the power that kindness can make to someone else’s life.

The Beginner

‘The Beginner’ was created by adam&eveDDB with input from partner charities Action for Children and Who Cares? Scotland, as well as specialist advisors, throughout the production process. From the opening scene, with Christmas as a backdrop, we follow a middle-aged man as he struggles comedically to master the skill of skateboarding. We see through his determined eyes many failed attempts and mishaps as he suffers a series of accidents.

Viewers are left questioning the motive behind his perseverance until the final scene, when there is a knock at the door. We see a social worker standing with Ellie, a young teenager who is waiting anxiously to enter her new Foster home, skateboard in hand. The significance of skateboarding to our protagonist becomes clear, as we understand his resolve to find common ground and a way to connect with Ellie as she is welcomed into their family home.

Children in the UK enter the care system via many different routes, and we understand that not all foster carers have the benefit of knowing who they will be caring for in advance. Ellie’s story is one portrait and our broader campaign also features authentic voices of carers and care experienced young people with different experiences of a complex care system.

Building Happier Futures Through the Building Happier Futures programme, we will support projects from organisations within the care sector that are working to build happier futures for care experienced people, helping to prepare them for employment as well as providing direct apprenticeship opportunities within the John Lewis Partnership.

A spokesperson said: "We will also directly support children in care and young people leaving care through the tough Christmas period with donations of decorations, food and gifts. Children in care and their caregivers will be invited into John Lewis to enjoy magical Santa’s Grotto experiences. We will also transform the communal spaces of selected residential facilities run by Action for Children with electronics, furnishings and decorations. 

"This Christmas our customers can support these aims by purchasing our Lewis Bear product: 25% of the sales from these items will go to our charity partners (Action for Children and Who Cares? Scotland).* Products include; Lewis Bear £30, Lewis Bear pyjamas £19, Lewis Bear tote bag £5, Lewis Bear Chocolate slims £5, Lewis Bear Bauble Head £5, a Rampage Skateboard £34.99 and a Waitrose ChristmasYule Log. Customers can also donate through our in-store giving tree. A Giving Tree in our stores will invite customers to donate to our partner charities by taking a tag from the tree with a value between £5-£50 and scan it with their shop."

Claire Pointon, Director of Customer at John Lewis says:“ We are fortunate to have a truly unique platform in our Christmas ad, which sparks a national conversation. As a purpose-led brand, making a genuine difference in our communities is important. At John Lewis we care deeply about families, and recognise that they come in many different forms. For our biggest moment of the year, we decided to focus on one kind of family that is often overlooked. We are also very aware that not all care experience outcomes are as positive as Ellie’s. The home Ellie enters is filled with kindness, and the foster father’s actions demonstrate that ultimately, it’s what you do that matters most.”

Imran Hussain, Director of Policy & Campaigns, Action for Children, says:“ At Action for Children we want every child to have a safe and happy childhood. Every year, we work with over 40,000 children and young people in, or with experience of, the care system, and we know the challenges and poor outcomes they may face. We are delighted to be working with the John Lewis Partnership on its iconic Christmas advert and applaud the company for its work and long-term commitment to shining a light on the issues facing some of the most vulnerable children in the country. We believe this partnership will enable us to support and empower more children and young people as they make the transition from care into the adult world.

Pippa Wicks, Executive Director at John Lewis, says: “Turbulent times worsen social inequalities, and Christmas is a time when this can be most keenly felt. It’s more important than ever for our business to stand up and use our voice to make a difference where we can. Our Christmas campaign is an important step in our long-term plans to become the employer of choice for young people leaving the care system, and to provide lasting change and hope for children like Ellie.”

Louise Hunter, CEO of Who Cares? Scotland, said: “We know that Christmas can be difficult for lots of people, and that’s particularly true for our Care Experienced community who may not have family to spend it with. As the national membership body for Care Experienced people, we know that the Christmas period can bring loneliness, isolation and a sense of being different from others who enjoy a more traditional Christmas Day. We’re delighted that the John Lewis Christmas advert will feature a different kind of family, one which will resonate with the many thousands of people across the UK, with experience of care. At Who Cares? Scotland, our vision is a lifetime of equality, respect and love for all Care Experienced people and we are excited to have the support of the John Lewis Partnership in making that a reality.”

‘The Beginner’ is set to a soundtrack of All the Small Things, a cover of the Blink 182 track by Scott Bradlee’s Post Modern Jukebox featuring Puddles Pity Party.