Give a Gift of Hope this Christmas with Pecan and Southwark Foodbank

It's going to be an especially tough Christmas for too many people this year. We're already seeing higher rates of hunger this year.  Help us to bring hope to families this winter. 

In 2022, more families than ever are having to decide whether to heat their home or feed their family. Together we can help Feed a Family this Christmas and continue to support the community into 2023 and beyond. "Heat or eat" is becoming a sad but common saying this year for many people.

But you can offer your support. This year, Pecan are collaborating with Southwark Foodbank for their Christmas campaign ‘Give a Gift of Hope’. Donations will ensure they can provide hundreds of families in Southwark with gift cards and special Christmas parcels with treats and small gifts. This is over and above the regular support we continue to offer at their Foodbank centres.  

Demand for the foodbank has inevitably risen due to the cost-of-living crisis and now that winter has arrived. Your donations will go a long way to helping make Christmas that much more hopeful for people facing crisis and ongoing hardship. Your kind donations and belief in people will also support families and individuals that access our other services.

The cost-of-living crisis will be with us long after Christmas, and Pecan’s community projects work tirelessly to meet the needs of our community with Kindness, Belief and Hope. Each of our projects, from the Southwark Foodbank to Women’s Services, Peckham Pantry, and our new Community Hub, rely on our community to support them. By donating to Pecan and Southwark Foodbank, you support each one of these projects.  

Your donation will go towards impacting the lives of people in Southwark, whether it is:-

Providing food parcels through the Southwark Foodbank. 

Giving women advocacy support to settle back into community or recover from domestic abuse. 

Helping someone who is lonely or isolated make connections through our community activities. 

Providing someone with support and warmth in our Community Hub. 

Providing essential employment and life skills through our community workshops and courses 

Providing affordable, healthy food to local people through the Peckham Pantry. 

Chris Price the CEO at Pecan said: “Over the summer we saw energy and food prices continually rising. The people most affected by this are those of us on the lowest incomes, who were already struggling to get by. With the winter now here, an increasing number of people will find the issue of struggling to heat or eat a reality, potentially for the first time.  

"At Pecan, we know this isn’t merely a financial or physical issue, it will also take a dramatic toll on everyone’s wellbeing and ability to cope with the bleak situation everyone is facing. To help reduce the impact of the crisis, Pecan have been planning how to make better use of our building this winter. Our aim is to provide a dignified response that will provide a welcome that enables wellbeing and helps people to access support.

"If you would like to support us during this winter crisis, then please donate to our Give a Gift of Hope Christmas campaign with Southwark Foodbank.”

pecan.org.uk

Ukrainian Singer Shares Her Powerful Performance of a Christmas Classic

Undoubtedly you've heard carollers sing "Carol Of The Bells" every holiday season. You may also remember this song from the cult classic film "Home Alone", but most won't be aware that this tune is an Americanised re-write of a 100+ year old Ukrainian folk song called "Schedryk." 

Castlehill Entertainment artist Usanova, a young female singer from Ukraine, passionately offers the original version in her native tongue along with a powerful visual performance.

Amidst the ongoing war and devastation in Ukraine, Usanova is one of the lucky ones. In the pursuit of her music career she was in Zurich, Switzerland when the war broke out, making it impossible to return home to her family. Wanting to deliver a message of her and her country's distress to the world, she put a new spin on the Christmas classic. 

Usanova says: "Her reason for creating and sharing this piece is "to put focus on the plight of my people during this holiday season. My intention wasn't to take the joy out of the season, but to remind the world that many are suffering in Ukraine and other parts of the world." 

She will be donating any proceeds from the song and video to UNICEF, an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide.

The 25 year-old-singer, who is also a skilled piano player and yoga Gurudevi, has been focused on traveling to new places in order to experience new people and cultures. She speaks several languages including English, Japanese, besides her native Ukrainian. Usanova describes her sound as "world music" bringing together multiple influences with a contemporary twist.  

For "Schedryk" she enlisted the help of Hollywood music producer/composer Fingazz to modernize the holiday classic and deliver her compelling message. Recorded and filmed in Zurich, composed, mixed, and edited in Los Angeles, then managed and released by Toronto's Tom Stephen from Castlehill Entertainment - the end product has truly been an international affair.

Businessman issues warning as scammers target vulnerable online shoppers looking for appliance bargains this Christmas

A businessman who runs one of the UK’s top appliance reuse networks has called for more to be done to protect people buying electrical goods online this Christmas.

James Farmer, who is a director of The Appliance Recycling Group, based in Tipton, in the West Midlands, said vulnerable people looking for low-priced second-hand goods and appliances amid the cost-of-living crisis were being ripped off and left out of pocket by unscrupulous traders.

“Appliance poverty is a real issue, and the cost-of-living crisis means people are often forced to find new ways to save money,” he said. “When their washing machine or fridge breaks, especially at this time of year, they have no choice but to look for a quick and cheap replacement online.

“But they're in a vulnerable position. Scammers posing as individuals may take cash and leave them with a faulty appliance or one that doesn’t work at all, which makes a bad thing worse.

“Scammers are everywhere, especially at this time of year, and people should take extra care when they are looking to buy second-hand goods online. The companies that run these online buying and selling sites should also take more care to protect those involved.”

James said sites like eBay had systems in place to protect buyers, but others weren't so robust.

James points out that Facebook Marketplace in particular is a huge draw for people looking for bargains. It does have measures in place for users to report scammers and fraudulent posts, but people are still falling victims to unscrupulous sellers.

James went on to say: “Some people pose as homeowners saying they need to sell an item due to a house move or redecoration. Some of them actually have dozens of fake profiles that they set up to sell hundreds of items online.

“They sometimes offer to deliver the item and ask for cash so you can be left with an item that doesn’t work, having handed over cash and you don't even have an address to trace it back to.

“You could even then be left with a £25 fee to have the item taken away.”

James added: “Reuse is more important than ever now, and more and more people are looking to buy second-hand appliances. We're seeing an increase in the number of people buying reuse appliances, but if they’re buying from an individual online seller, they should take extra care as there's no right of warranty.”

James added where possible people should buy from authorised reuse facilities, as The Appliance Recycling Group, which is based in George Henry Road, Tipton. 

“We supply items with a 90-day warranty, and we test 55,000 products annually across our network. We comply with the strictest environmental standards, which govern the reuse of electrical goods, so buyers have complete peace of mind,” he added.

“It might be a few pounds more than those so-called online bargain, but it's almost like an insurance policy. It’s worth paying that little extra to know you're getting an item that works and is safe to use.”

James said people should follow the following tips to stay safe when buying online:

Always look for a picture of the item in situ. If it’s a fridge or washing machine it should be pictured in a kitchen or utility room. Pictures of the item outside or in a garage should ring alarm bells as it can be a sign the item hasn't been in use in a home.

Don't buy an appliance based on a photo; ask to see the appliance on a video call. A photo cannot indicate whether that appliance is capable of working.

Don't fall for an offer of free delivery. A buyer could drop it off, take your cash and leave you with a faulty or broken item. Ask to collect the item, even if you are unable to. By engaging the seller, you have an address (you can let them know that a delivery would help after, if you are satisfied). When engaged, scammers will often tell you that the item is sold once you press for more details.

Don’t pay cash. a credit or debit card, bank transfer or PayPal is best. Any legitimate individual or business or seller won’t mind how you pay.

Facebook Marketplace offers shopping safety tips and guidelines to avoid fraudsters on the site and makes it easy to report a suspected scam. In some cases, it can offer a refund for those who have been targeted.

Meta, which owns Facebook, works closely with law enforcement to support investigations, and keep scammers off its platforms. It is also a part of Stop Scams UK, an industry-led group of businesses working together to stop the spread of scams.

To find out more about the Appliance Recycling Group, visit theappliancerecyclinggroup.com.

Get your home Christmas décor ready with VonHaus

It’s that time of year again, the annual jobs of getting all the Christmas decorations out, making sure you have got everything you need and making sure everything looks perfectly and properly festive. 

But sometimes, it’s not just as straightforward as you might hope. For example, if you’re missing a crucial tool or you just can’t reach something, it can be a very frustrating, or even impossible, task.

If you're a Christmas decorator, take the stress out of these tasks with the VonHaus’ range of Christmas décor must-haves. 

There's everything you'll ever need, from tools to electrical essentials, you can get all of these with free UK mainland delivery (3-5 days) or with £2.99 next day delivery for those who feeling the last-minute rush.

(Christmas cut off dates apply – 21st December for standard mainland delivery and 22nd December, 1pm for next day delivery)

Step Steel Ladders

If you’re in need of that extra bit of (safe!) height to get into your loft or cupboard to retrieve your Christmas decorations, there sturdy 4 step steel ladder is a must-have. It has an ultra-durable frame along with rubber caps on its feet, which means you won’t have to worry about safety.

Premium 2 Step Ladder

If you’re opting for an epic-sized tree this year, you might  need a little bit of a helping hand putting the star on the top! This premium 2 step ladder is the ideal size for this type of job. It's not too bulky to put away and will give you the extra boost needed to complete your Christmas décor.

6 Socket Black Extension Lead with USB

There’s nothing worse than not having enough plugs for all the Christmas lights! Make the task of plugging them in easier with a 6-socket extension, which includes 2 USB ports, just in case you need to charge a phone or tablet nearby. It even has inbuilt power surge protection to protect your valuable hardware from damage.

25m Splash-Proof Extension Reel

If a bit more length is needed for Christmas trees further away from plugs or outdoor lights, a longer extension reel will do just the trick. This one is 25M in length and is even splash-proof, which means any damp weather conditions won't affect it.

E-Series 18V Cordless Drill Driver Bundle

You’ve got the tree sorted, but what about the other decorations around the house that might need screwing in or attaching to walls? This easy-to-use cordless drill driver will get the job done in no time at all – there won’t be any need to struggle doing those tasks by hand.

112pc Household Tool Set

If you are prepared to do all the festive prep by hand, this 112pc tool set is a must-have for Christmas and all the other times you might need a helping hand. It features all the hand tools you could ever need, and it even includes picture hooks too – perfect for popping up those smaller Christmas decorations.

visit www.vonhaus.com for a full view of available products.

Shop Independent this Christmas and ‘Be a Star’ with Paper Starlight

Andy Jupp, the owner of Paper Starlights said: "This Christmas more than ever it’s vitally important to support small independent businesses. 

"At Paper Starlights, we’ve teamed up with Independent businesses in our town of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, to do just that. 

We're introducing the ‘Be a Star and Support Independents’ campaign.

Andy Jupp added: "We’ve donated 100 of our handmade star lanterns to some 80 businesses across the town centre of Chesterfield, for passers-by to see. It's to help encourage people to shop locally this festive season and put money back into the local economy. Our stars have been kindly distributed with the help of fellow Chesterfield Independent, Shop Indie."

Andy went on to say: "We wanted to say thank you to all the local Derbyshire businesses who have given us so much support over these last 2 years. Now, more than ever, we need to keep shopping local.

"The stars will be on display across Chesterfield until Christmas 2022. We encourage everyone to go out and see how many stars you can spot. As well as to shop independently this festive season."

paperstarlights.com

If you are a local trader in a different town, why not take a leaf out of Andy Jupp's book and organise your own ‘Be a Star and Support Independents’ campaign?

Pet rehoming is easier this Christmas and beyond

The cost-of-living crisis is forcing our nation of animal lovers into impossible situations, and many are forced to make heart-breaking decisions to give up their pets.

But help is at hand, in the form of PetRehomer, a new breed of non-profit adoption platform that makes adoption safer and easier for people who can no longer keep their pets, be the reason financial, medical, or circumstantial. PetRehomer reduces the likelihood of scams and neglected animals and unlike other adoption platforms, its focus is entirely on pet welfare over profit.

Few people in the awful situation of having to give up a pet understand how corrupt the pet adoption industry can be, and how easy it is to be cheated or scammed. 

"People often resort to commercial pet selling websites like Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree,” explains PetRehomer founder Colleen Long. 

"People looking to re-home their pet on these sites aren't given the resources to know who they're selling to. This can result in horror stories, including pets entering neglectful or abusive homes, or which are then sold on for profit, and some that have even been used for meat, bait or dogfighting.

PetRehomer offers a route to safety, and a way to responsibly take care of finding a new home for the rehomer’s pet, vetting adopters to ensure the pet's wellbeing. Colleen wants to educate people around the importance of using and advocating for the right channels if something does go wrong and someone needs to rehome a pet, and bring awareness to #AdoptDontShop as a sustainable and more ethical way to find the right pet.

It's a desperately needed win-win-win for re-homers, adopters, and pets

PetRehomer’s secure and innovative platform provides a responsible, safe opportunity for people to rehome their pets and makes adoption a simple process. Owners looking to give up their pet can set up a full pet profile and the PetRehomer service will then help to connect them to potential adopters. The chosen prospective adopter pays the adoption fee through the platform, which is safely held until PetRehomer completes its home check process.

If the rehomer chooses to proceed with the adopter, the adopter would then meet the pet and decide if they want to take it home. If they don’t get on with the pet, or the rehomer changes their mind, a full refund is issued, so there’s no financial risk involved.

“We ensure potential adopters are correctly set up to adopt a pet,” added Colleen. “It's very difficult for people to know all the right questions to ask would-be adopters, especially when there are so many scams around. 

"Our platform and in-depth home checks ensure that people understand how to properly care for the pet, will give them the right food, space, exercise, veterinary care, and have someone to look after them when they go on holiday, for example.”

"It’s important to add that the adoption fees are paid to the charity to fund the ongoing costs of the platform, and are also used by the charity to help more animals in need. Rehomers do not receive any payment – it’s how the PetRehomer platform helps reduce people selling pets or scamming, by encouraging adopters to follow its guided process."

Charity Buddy is a registered charity in England, no 1189284. One of its charitable objectives is to implement a national pet adoption platform. PetRehomer is the pet adoption platform brand name and will be governed and run by Charity Buddy. For more information, visit their Facebook page @PetRehomerUK.

If you have any other questions, please contact info@petrehomer.org.

www.petrehomer.org

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