Published in association with Key Worker Nation, a UK not-for-profit organisation created to provide a permanent and genuine thank you to our Key Workers
Contributors to this issue
Matilda Battersby
Tracy Buchannan
Asha Clearwater
Hazel Davis
Scott Dixon
Amy Eade
Alice Hargreaves
Claire Harris
Sylvia Jones
Marianne Lombardi
Karen Nicoll
Zoe Watson Interviewed in this issue
Andy Fittes
Introduction from the founder of Key Worker Nation
Dear Reader,
Welcome to the second issue of Key Worker Magazine! I hope you will find it as interesting as Issue 1.
Although we have articles on a range of topics, the main theme of this issue is housing.
We have picked this topic because it is clear that things need to change. It has been genuinely heartbreaking to read so many emails and webforms submitted by Key Workers looking for help with mortgage or rental costs. We have even received a few messages from Key Workers who have been forced to sleep in their car.
There hasn’t been the necessary rebalancing towards Key Workers, despite government promises and despite the recognition that without Key Workers, we would not have survived the pandemic.
So this issue contains a number of articles and perspectives. We have articles that look at tenants’ rights, advice on obtaining a mortgage as a Key Worker and, most hopefully of all, details of a few projects being built by developers who are prepared to put their money where their mouths are and genuinely help.
We know that many Key Workers are under pressure with increasing rents. But it is not just tenants who are finding things tough: based on our experience of operating a sadly too small pool of Key Worker houses, the combined impact of higher interest rates, higher materials costs and higher contractor costs is significant and means that there is very little left over after the end of each month.
So given all these challenges, we hope that our focus on housing
for Key Workers will provide some benefit, whether in terms of information, possible mortgage contacts or just by letting you know that we understand how tough things are at the moment.
In brighter news, we are very pleased to be launching our KeyHive online community! KeyHive provides a completely free community dedicated to UK Key Workers. We will be sharing discounts and special offers, articles and advice. We hope you will sign
up to KeyHive and contribute to our work. We also have exciting plans for a regular newsletter specifically for Key Workers so look out for further info on KeyHive.
Thanks again for everything you do for us and enjoy the magazine!
Martin Johnson Founder, Key Worker Nation
Editor’s welcome to our second issue
Has there ever been a worse time to be a tenant? Or to be trying to climb the first rungs on the housing ladder?
With the general election looming, housing (along with how our Key Workers can find realistic options) should be at the heart of the political debate.
A UK-wide chronic housing shortage is one of the biggest challenges our country faces.
The Government is aiming to build 300,000 new homes every year to match demand and keep housing costs affordable, but less than 250,000 were built last year, the highest rate in a decade.
With buy-to-let landlords increasing rates as their costs rise across the board, some are attempting to sell up, while unscrupulous property gurus charge a fortune to find more eager recruits to a now fading get rich quick dream.
That’s why, in this issue we report on housing issues facing Key Workers in an in-depth report by Matilda Battersby, as well as providing upto-date expert advice on getting a mortgage.
As always, this is your magazine so we would love to hear your views.
Get in touch to tell us what you think and to share your stories.
Linda Aitchison
Editor, Key Worker Magazine
Cap rents for Key Workers, says campaign group
Key Workers in London are struggling to afford the high rents in the city and a rent cap is needed, campaigners have suggested.
A report from Generation Rent highlights how much Key Workers are struggling.
The campaign group’s report compared an average rent for a one-bedroom home in each of London’s 32 boroughs and compared it to the average income of 15 essential worker roles, such as teachers, nurses, carers, cleaners and bus drivers.
The findings show that none of the boroughs in inner London were affordable for any of the roles, and that only four roles
– primary teachers, secondary teachers, community nurses, and painters and decorators –could afford to rent in any of the boroughs in Greater London.
“Being driven out of our city because of soaring rents”
The group’s chief executive, Ben Twomey, said: “Just a few years ago we were clapping on our doorsteps every week for Key Workers. Now they risk being driven out of our city because of soaring rents.
“For communities to survive, local people must be able to stay healthy, receive an education, find a safe home to live in and purchase basic goods.
“But, if those working in vital jobs cannot afford to live in the area, everyone loses out.
“The current cost of renting crisis is devastating London’s communities.”
This is your magazine so we would love to hear your views.
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Selected contributors
We would like to express our sincere thanks to all writers in this issue of our magazine. Here are more details on just some of this month’s expert contributors.
Matilda Battersby
Journalist and writer. Matilda provides an in-depth special report on Key Worker housing in the UK, looking at the housing crisis, government responses and the views of unions.
Consumer rights champion. In this issue, Scott writes about the fight for free parking for NHS staff in England. Scott Dixon
Alice Hargreaves
Journalist and writer. Alice provides an insightful and personal interview with Zoe Watson, who reflects on the impact of her ADHD diagnosis in her 30s.
Amy Eade
Teacher turned Tesco worker. Amy provides insights into the different work environments of a school and a Tesco superstore, highlighting the impact on her mental health of a move into retail work.
Claire Harris
Businesswoman and entrepreneur. In this issue, Claire writes about how her pet taxi business provided vital support during the pandemic.
These two innovative property companies have developed separate sites containing gorgeous new properties aimed at Key Workers. Read more about the projects in their articles in this issue.
Thakeham and Fresh
Key Worker Nation news shorts
Increased efforts launched to solve Argyll and Bute Key Worker accommodation crisis
A new partnership between Argyll and Bute Council and key community organisations is set to provide vital accommodation for Key Workers on the islands of Coll, Tiree, Mull and in the Lorn area.
The move is the latest action by the local authority to tackle Argyll and Bute’s housing emergency, which was declared last summer.
There is a serious lack of accommodation for the area’s Key Workers, particularly those delivering essential health and social care services.
Grants from the Strategic Housing Fund will now support provision of accommodation for health and social care staff.
Funding has been approved for several projects.
Two NHS properties on Coll are to be brought back into use for Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) staff delivering health and social care services on the island (£100,000).
A council-owned property is to be brought back into use for HSCP staff delivering health and social care services on Tiree (£80,000).
Refurbishment of an Argyll Community Housing Association (ACHA) owned 4-bedroom property in Lorn to house HSCP staff and contract workers delivering care to households in the community (£100,000) have been approved, together with the the first phase of delivering worker accommodation properties at Tobermory on Mull (£250,000)
Senior Army staff forced to downsize
A 2023 Ministry of Defence survey found fewer than half of military personnel were satisfied with the standard of their accommodation. More than a quarter said it was a factor influencing decisions to leave.
Some families have been living in damp and poorly maintained military quarters.
Now, military officers and senior soldiers have said they will quit the Army in droves over new accommodation rules, reports the BBC.
Currently, military personnel are entitled to subsidised housing based on their rank, but the Ministry of Defence (MoD) wants to change the rules to focus on families’ needs.
It is feared the crisis in Army recruitment and retention could get worse if the new plans are implemented.
The MoD will soon launch its New Accommodation Offer (NAO) for
military personnel.
Under the new offer, a married major with no children would be entitled to a two-bedroom property instead of a three- or four-bedroom house - leaving them with around 38% less space.
A married private with three children will get a larger housegaining around 27% more space.
NHS waiting list falls for third month in a row, thanks to efforts of staff
In December 2023, the NHS experienced positive developments despite the persistent winter pressures. While A&E and ambulance services faced their busiest January on record, the waiting list for elective treatment saw a decline for the third consecutive month. Impressively, despite the need to reschedule appointments due to industrial action, over 19,000 patients were able to receive their elective treatment, contributing to a reduction of more than 6,200 in the overall Covid backlog since September.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS National Medical Director, commended the tireless efforts of NHS staff. He encouraged the public to seek advice through NHS 111 for non-life-threatening situations and to call 999 only in emergencies.
Every little helps . . . from teacher to Tesco
AMY EADE left her job as a teacher for a role at Tesco and found that her worklife balance improved no end. Here she explains her surprise at the difference it made to her well-being.
When I was at school, the poor supermarket shelf-stacker was always used as an example for why we needed to work hard.
The threat of such low-status work kept us aspiring to better things, like teaching.
Ironic then that after 16 years working in education, six of which were managing and teaching a unit for Years 10 and 11, I should find myself doing that very job. And enjoying it.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved teaching at the start. My school was for boys with Social, Emotional and Mental Health conditions. I taught students with conditions covering everything from childhood trauma to autism. There was never a dull day. When I started teaching in 2013 the small classes and wider curriculum were a joy. Like the analogy of the boiling frog, I didn’t realise until almost too late how hot the water was getting. Lesson planning slowly took over weekends as we were required to make plans ever more detailed. In
my last year, every week, without exaggeration, I would print out at least three A3 pages of planning for my class of just six students - using Century Gothic font size nine as stipulated.
Yet despite very detailed lessons and objectives, specific differentiation matched to goals and short-term targets, the plans were next to useless. Invariably I would change every lesson when presented with the challenges and unpredictability of the students.
We had long weekly meetings after school where we would go over improving and recording improvements. This meant whatever we were doing before was wrong and needed to be updated.
As my days grew longer to fit in the paperwork associated with our new initiatives, my interest in healthy eating and exercise went out the window.
I noticed my eyes were drier and I had developed bad posture from being hunched over the computer. As the workload become unsustainable, people started leaving. Or not leaving but signing themselves off with stress, replaced by short term cover.
The final straw was being sent an email in error from my line manager suggesting my job could be offered to another staff member who was on the point of resigning. Nice.
I handed in my notice in the summer term, had a relaxed summer and interviewed for a supermarket Christmas temp job in October.
It was a life-changing moment.
To my surprise, I found myself enjoying a lowpay, low-skill job and the reasons have been absolutely eyeopening.
It is exactly that: a job. It doesn’t define me and consume every part of life. In a supermarket, you have a
Amy Eade
job (sometimes several), someone tells you how to do it and they let you get on with it.
As a result, I’m fitter and more relaxed.
Obviously, the big benefit with teaching is 13-weeks’ holiday, followed by the pension. Otherwise, the state sector has few genuine perks.
Whilst my friends in private schools got a free lunch, I’d be lucky to even get a lunch break. Possibly I might be able to misappropriate the photocopier for personal use if I was quick.
Generally speaking, I found it thankless. Doing more than you should was expected. Appreciation it was not.
My supermarket, on the other hand, has lots of small wins. I’ve got a free car park permit for the town centre car park. Being able to nip into town and park whenever I want is an absolute privilege.
There’s obviously a discount, which is useful if not massive, and there’s also the Colleague Shop which gets daily reduced items for free.
We get statutory breaks. They were a revelation. I chose when to take it, be it for the loo or a cup of coffee (an impossibility in teaching). There’s free tea/coffee and soft drinks, plus a variety of things for staff to eat in the staffroom.
Lastly, there’s leave which is easily booked whenever you want it including a bonus ‘personal day’. As
I’m not working all the time, I don’t even feel I need it.
Another noticeable difference is diversity. Schools promote it whilst being pretty bad at it themselves. By contrast my supermarket is exceptionally good.
There are neuro-divergent staff, staff with physical disabilities, wheelchair-users, staff straight out of school and high achievers back from Uni.
Unlike school, where there is often a cliquey hierarchy, you learn not to underestimate anyone in the store. Everyone from management to HR work on the shop floor.
One of my most telling moments was when my worlds collided and an ex-student came in.
He started his own business as a tree surgeon, has a dog and a Land
Rover. We had a quick chat and he was surprised when I said I’d left teaching. “You should have listened to me,” he said. “I always said school was rubbish.”
Indeed, it seems we are both happier outside the school gates.
About Amy
Amy Eade went into teaching after her son was born in 2004 for a better work-life balance. She found that teaching was undergoing great changes, the percentage of the workforce aged over 50 drops every year and is currently just 17%. She left teaching in 2022 and now works as a children’s Wellbeing Practitioner but has kept the supermarket job “as it’s just so handy”.
Meet the hero animal Key Workers
Some Key Workers have more than two legs (or even none at all!). ASHA CLEARWATER explains how these animal heroes have contributed to our public services and mental well-being.
They visit us in hospital, hospices, care homes and prisons, sniff out any threats to our health or safety, carry out daily tasks for us, rescue us when we’re in danger and provide comfort, support and companionship 24/7.
Animal heroes work beside us every day. These Key Workers of the animal kingdom demonstrate what it means to tirelessly serve others … and all in return for nothing more than a warm bed and a square meal.
From therapy pets, medical alert, search and rescue dogs to emotional support animals, military, police, fire brigade and guide dogs, they’re here for us, making our lives happier and healthier.
A dog’s nose is described as the best bio-sensor we know of by Medical Detection Dogs, an organisation that trains canine companions to detect human disease.
The organisation is at the forefront of research into the fight against cancer and diseases such as Parkinson’s.
Biodetection dogs sniff out
diseases from urine, breath and sweat samples, while medical alert assistance dogs support people with life-threatening health conditions like Type 1 diabetes, Addison’s, PoTS (Postural orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), severe allergies and other endocrine disorders.
The dogs identify minute odour changes, alerting their human to an emergency before it happens, so they can act swiftly, giving their owner confidence and independence.
Feelgood felines play an important role too. Social media is full of calming cats, who have become resident pest and stress controllers at police and railway stations.
There’s no-one like Felix and Bolt, the Huddersfield Station Cats, to brighten your mood and your travels. With 161,000 Facebook followers and rising, people can’t get enough of the furry duo.
Here are three great examples of hero animals in action:
Boa Constrictor Connie and frog Wubble
“Everybody loves her. She’s like a big weighted blanket. They find her really calming,” says Dale Preece-Kelly, about Connie, a five stone, nearly nine feet long Boa Constrictor, one of his most popular therapy snakes.
Dale, 55, an animal-assisted therapy practitioner from Worcestershire, cares for around 60 animals – from dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens, ferrets and chinchillas to snakes, lizards, stick insects, millipedes, a tarantula, skinny pigs, an African Pygmy hedgehog, a skunk and a frog.
He takes them to schools, care homes, hospices, psychiatric hospitals, prisons and into people’s homes, helping people with their mental and physical health.
“My frog, Wubble, is like a little Buddha, always smiling – a calm and happy character who not only raises a smile, but also helps to calm people,” says Dale.
“In the baby hospice we visit, his cool body helps children with temperatures and headaches feel better.”
Dale sees all his animal pals as
Connie and Dale
heroes: “What I love most about them is what they can teach us about living life – that they are always present in the moment; yesterday no longer matters, tomorrow doesn’t exist, all that matters to them is now, and if we all lived like that, we would all be happier and the world a better place.”
Dale says people always enjoy the experience: “Spending time with animals releases endorphins, serotonin and oxytocin, and the snakes and spider help people overcome fear and stigma, releasing dopamine and adrenaline too. These are all feel good hormones leaving us feeling a mixture of calm, excitement, elation and empathy (in even the hardest of criminals).”
“The unconditional love and trust animals show us, regardless of who we are and what we’ve done, is an acceptance that many have never felt.”
Miniature Shetland Pony, Jo, Spotted Miniature Horse, Buggles (Bug) and Shetland Pony, Mimosa (Mim)
“When Jo, my miniature Shetland pony, laid his head on the lap of a lady who was particularly poorly and in bed, it was beautiful to see him be so gentle and tender and to see the lady smile the most genuine smile. Knowing we’d brightened her day, when she was struggling so much, was one of the most heartwarming moments,” recalls Dr Kaf Barriball, 55, who takes her ponies into care homes, hospitals, nursery schools, assistedliving facilities, schools for people with special educational needs and private homes.
Kaf, from Skegness, is Director of Rainbow Dreaming CIC and works with 8-year-old miniature Shetland, Jo, 5-year-old Buggles (Bug) and Mimosa (Mim), a grey Shetland
pony in her early 20s.
She says: “They are always met with a sea of smiles and, often, tears of joy. People can’t believe their eyes, and it can take a moment or two for it to sink in that there really is a pony in their lounge or bedroom. Seeing people become so animated and chatty is fantastic. It’s particularly heartwarming to see someone with dementia, or who’s very withdrawn, want to interact with the ponies.
“Care homes say sessions are incredibly beneficial in terms of boosting mental health: stress and anxiety seem to reduce, as do feelings of isolation and loneliness. Communication and interaction improves during contact with the ponies and the mood of residents is lifted. Often, people who would stay seated want to get up to give the ponies a hug or walk with them.”
PAT (Pets As Therapy) Dog Chloe, aged 12
“’She is such a people ‘person’very sociable and knows when she’s going on a visit when she gets her little uniform on,” says care assistant, Caroline Warburton about her PAT (Pets As Therapy) dog, Chloe.
This caring canine visits nursing homes and SENSE venues for people with complex disabilities and has completed agility and scent training too.
Chloe’s PAT training included a temperament test, which she passed with flying colours.
“She’s very loving and great with people of all ages and abilities,” says Caroline, 51, from South Lincolnshire. “People we visit talk about their lives with their dogs … it gets them talking and they enjoy
Jo provides comfort Bug offers support
Mim at work
giving her a treat. Sometimes, just by visiting and by them stroking her and chatting, they feel they have achieved something. As Chloe is quite vocal, they feel like she is talking to them.”
Pets As Therapy is a national charity that enhances the health and wellbeing of thousands across the UK, with volunteers and their pets visiting care homes, hospitals, schools, prisons and hospices.
and
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Chloe
Caroline
Claire helps keep pets safe on the move
With the pandemic and lockdowns increasing isolation and loneliness, Small Business Sunday award winner CLAIRE HARRIS explains how her pet taxi business provided vital support during the pandemic.
The UK is known as a nation of animal lovers, with pets living in more than 17 million of our 28 million households.
Over half of the UK’s adult population own a pet and these include 11 million dogs, 11 million cats and over a million rabbits.
There’s no question that these pets are part of our families and the benefits to our mental and physical health and well-being of owning a pet are well documented.
For many - particularly the elderly or those facing physical or mental health challenges - owning a pet is a lifeline, staving off loneliness and instilling a sense of purpose.
Unfortunately, often these
Claire Harris
conditions go hand in hand with restrictions on mobility, so what happens when one of these beloved pets needs a trip to the vets, the groomers or another part of the country?
Many taxi firms refuse to take animals, except for registered Guide Dogs, and this means many people can find themselves stuck. Four legs may be better than two but even they aren’t enough when we’re talking about a distance of many miles.
That’s where Claire Harris comes in. Claire launched a business called Pets 2 Vets back in 2014, helping people in her home town of Milton Keynes when they needed to transport animals easily and safely.
She quickly found herself in high demand from the elderly or infirm, those suffering from anxiety and busy professionals, all of whom needed a helping hand and
wanted to make sure their pets were in safe hands.
The service soon expanded to cover things like going to the groomers, kennels, social visits and even holidays and the name changed to Pets 2 Places to reflect this.
During the pandemic the business really came into its own, helping clients who were shielding and could not leave the house.
Pets 2 Places won various business awards, including the Small Business Sunday award from Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis. In 2022, it was named Best Pet Transport Business at the UK Transport Awards and Claire is now expanding the business as a franchise, having already taken on its first franchisee in Solihull.
Claire, 43, said: “Pets 2 Places is the world’s first pet taxi franchise. We use a car not a van so animals can sit with their owner (size dependent); we take animals without owners if they are unable to come along. We also offer a full support service to owners if needed, such as an arm to hold onto when walking to the car, helping with a seat belt or carrying a cat in a basket.”
She added: “As well as taking owners, mostly older people who need the support, and their pets to the vets, I have also created a national Pet Travel Safety Day to
raise awareness about transporting dogs correctly.
“It falls on 1 July, which marks the 30-year anniversary that it became law for people to wear seat belts in vehicles.
“Whilst Section 57 of the highway code has some description of
advice/law, it’s flimsy at best.
“I’d also like to see the law changed to all dogs having to be restrained using crash tested equipment.
“It is only with raising awareness and education that changes come about.”
All of the Pets 2 Places staff are fully trained in animal first aid and the best ways to transport animals.
The business also offers a puppy pick-up service, used when people get a pet from a breeder.
Staff work hard to ensure all animals are comfortable, safe and happy while being transported.
Claire also has a Facebook page and networking group for petrelated businesses and is in talks with her local MP and the
Loneliness Minister Baroness Barran to campaign on how pets can be allowed into sheltered accommodation.
Claire said a great deal of time and effort had gone into safety measures for people in cars and it was time there was a focus on pets too.
“We’ve
come such a
long way
protecting people.
Let’s
start protecting our pets,” she added.
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Claire helps a happy customer
Key Worker housing in the UK
MATILDA BATTERSBY
investigates the current situation for our Key Workers and asks: what more can be done to ensure a safe and affordable approach for all those living in the private sector?
Secure housing for cleaners, teachers, nurses, police officers, firefighters and other Key Workers in the areas where we need them should be a concern for everyone in the UK.
The combined influences of an unregulated private rental sector, wages failing to keep up with inflation, soaring energy and food costs and high interest rates, mean we’re all feeling the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.
With Key Workers paid £24,809 per year on average (22% lower than the national average), affordability of housing is a huge challenge, putting them at risk of being priced out of the communities they serve.
The story so far: Where are we now?
Earlier this year, trade union Unison surveyed its members (half a million of whom work for
Matilda Battersby, author of this issue’s Special Feature on housing
the NHS, and in other Key Worker roles) about the cost, conditions and suitability of their housing. The results of its ‘Through the Roof’ survey revealed that housing costs have increased for almost two-thirds (63%) of public service workers, with almost 60% spending 40% or more of their entire household income on housing costs.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development defines “affordable housing” as costing no more than 30% of gross income, stating that those spending more than 40% of income on housing are “overburdened.”
Unison’s survey found that almost a third (32%) of those in private rented accommodation spend 60% or more of their income on housing, as did 25% of housing
association tenants, 24% of council tenants and 19% who pay into a mortgage. It should come as no surprise then that the majority of survey respondents said they were “struggling to manage financially”.
Housing crisis
The UK housing market has remained strong even as the rest of the economy fails to grow, with a lack of supply of housing stock keeping existing prices high, and the value of property far outstripping wage growth.
The simple fact is, as a nation, we are not building enough houses to make prices more competitive. In December 2022, Michael Gove dropped the government’s pledge to build 300,000 homes a year.
This has added additional uncertainty to a housebuilding
market that is already frustrated by planning delays, ambiguity over the funding and delivery of affordable homes (the current system dictating how councils calculate their affordable housing spend (Section 106) is due to be replaced with a new Community Infrastructure Levy, but there has been a lengthy consultation process). As a result, the number of new-builds completed in England in the coming years is predicted to fall below 120,000 homes a year, according to the Home Builders’ Federation.
Social housing is an area of particular pressure in England and Wales.
The Right to Buy scheme has allowed eligible social housing tenants to buy their homes at a reduced price since Margaret Thatcher introduced it in 1980. Great as this is for individual tenants, local authorities are unable to replace social housing as quickly as it is sold off.
According to homelessness charity Shelter, more than a million households are waiting for social homes. In 2022, 29,000 social homes were sold or demolished, and fewer than 7,000 were built. In England, there are now 1.4m fewer households in social housing than there were in 1980, while the private rental sector has doubled in volume.
In this climate of unregulated private rents and the fear of nofault evictions, housing can feel incredibly uncertain. So, what’s the government doing to make sure Key Workers are able to live where they work?
Sadly, nothing specific. There is currently no dedicated government housing support scheme for essential workers in any of the four nations of the UK. In Scotland, it was announced earlier this year that £25m has been made available from the Affordable Housing Supply Programme to make underused rural homes available for Key Workers and others in need until 2028. But the other housing schemes currently on offer are open to all first-time buyers with an income under a certain threshold.
Key Worker living programme
Up until quite recently and for the past two decades specific government schemes for Key Workers did exist.
The first programme of this kind in England was launched by the Labour government in 2002. The Starter Home Initiative offered 200,000 first-time buyer Key Workers £10,000 equity loans to enable them to buy new builds.
The policy was criticised for limiting
access to just a small number of essential professions, however, and for not keeping pace with rising house prices. It delivered just 9,000 homes for Key Workers before being replaced in 2004 with the Key Worker Living programme.
This later scheme involved £690m of government investment and expanded eligibility to include a wider range of Key Workers, including probation officers and firefighters.
It was similar to the better known Help to Buy equity loan, in that the government’s stake in the property had to be repaid in proportion to the market value of the home, but it was scrapped by the Conservative government in 2019.
Since 2010, the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition and successive Tory governments have offered various initiatives for lower paid workers to buy via Help to Buy (an equity loan for a deposit for a new-build) or shared ownership (where buyers borrow enough to
own a portion of a home, and rent the rest) schemes. The Forces Help To Buy Scheme, for example, was launched in 2014 to enable service personnel to borrow up to half their annual salary (up to a maximum of £25,000) as a home deposit, but it closed in 2022.
First homes
With the emphasis on the importance of Key Workers postpandemic, Westminster launched a First Homes scheme in 2021 which offers homes for 30% to 50% less than market value in England to anyone who meets the criteria.
The discount is paid for by the housing developers as part of their affordable housing contributions under Section 106.
While any first-time buyer with household income of under £80,000 (£90,000 in London) who is able to get a mortgage for at least half the price of the home can apply to buy a First Home, the local authority where it is can set other eligibility conditions, and many of them use this to help house Key Workers. The government does not set a national standard definition of a Key Worker for First Homes but councils can choose their own criteria.
Westminster law now dictates that a minimum of 25% of all affordable homes delivered by developers in England should be under the First Home scheme. They cannot cost more than £420,000 in London, or £250,000 anywhere else in England. Crucially, First Homes can only be sold to another buyer who qualifies under the scheme, which means they won’t subsequently enter the open market.
A brighter future
MATILDA BATTERSBY reports on some of the most innovative schemes to help Key Workers secure homes.
Hero mortgages
Mortgages are calculated on income multiples, which means you can typically borrow four times your annual salary.
This may make it harder for Key Workers to afford homes, even if you have saved a deposit.
Certain lenders, like Teachers Building Society or Tembo, offer mortgages specific to Key Workers, but there aren’t as many options as you might hope.
“High street mortgage lenders don’t target Key Workers because they don’t need to and because their rates are so competitive. If you need to borrow more and you’re a Key Worker, look at building societies,” says Nicholas Mendes from mortgage adviser John Charcol.
“Building societies can be more creative with their criteria than a high street bank. Kensington Building Society, for example, has Hero Mortgages offering higher income multiples to police officers, firefighters, NHS staff, teachers and members of the Armed Forces. Being able to borrow five times your salary rather than four can make a big difference. Public sector salaries tend to go up, which gives these lenders confidence. The only downside is the rate of interest is higher, so you pay more for your loan over the long term.”
Single family housing
Housing security is not only about homeownership. According to the English Housing Survey, 38% of private renters have no expectation of being able to buy in future. Build-to-Rent (where developers build entire communities designed for long-term rent rather than purchase) are projected to increase five-fold over the next decade to 380,000, according to the British Property Federation.
Single Family Housing
is a new build-to-rent model which might suit Key Workers. It offers deposit-free, pet-friendly rentals on single plots (so in the form of houses, rather than flats).
The developments are in suburban areas often on the outskirts of towns or in rural locations. Contracts can be up to five years. The Single Family Housing market in the UK has attracted £2.8bn in investment in the last 12 months. There are currently 9,400 homes up and running, with a further 11,900 in the pipeline.
“The single family housing proposition focuses on great lifestyle with great service. We believe this offers people more than bricks and mortar and genuine pride of place for the longterm,” says Johnny Caddick, chief executive at Moda Living, one of the biggest players in the single family housing space.
Rent to buy
Another barrier to homeownership is not being able to save for a deposit. HomeNow is a private
landlord which lets tenants choose their homes and earn equity from them over five years.
“Renting has become a trap, making it impossible for people to save for a deposit. We provide homes people need and give them the opportunity to earn capital. If they look after the home or do work to it, the value goes up. We want to empower people to make their homes their own. Obviously, if they need repairs we do them, but the cost of that gets taken from their equity share. So it’s up to them,” says HomeNow founder Jonathan Potter.
“Residents feel like homeowners and will hopefully one day own the property themselves. After five years they can use the equity they’ve earned as a deposit to get a mortgage and buy the home from us. They still receive the equity if they decide not to buy it.”
HomeNow is three years old and currently has 30 properties across Kent, Surrey, Essex and the Midlands. It differs from the government’s Rent to Buy (only available in England) which offers a 20% discount on market rental rates.
Cashback from developers
Some of the larger housing developers offer deposit contributions to Key Workers. Barratt Homes, for example, offers buyers of their new-builds £1,000 towards a deposit for every £20,000 spent. The scheme is “a thank
you for the support provided to our communities” by NHS staff, teachers, police, firefighters, the prison service and other Key Workers (we suggest you check the eligibility small print). A Key Worker buying a £325,000 home would get £16,250 towards their deposit.
Taylor Wimpey also offers Key Workers a discount of up to £15,000 off the price of a new home. In both cases, terms and conditions apply. Do get in touch with them to find out more.
New plans for NHS homes
MATILDA BATTERSBY reports on various initiatives to increase the supply of homes for NHS staff.
Solving the housing crisis for Key Workers will mean coming up with radical ideas.
The NHS Homes Alliance, a group of representatives from public and private sector organisations including NHS Trusts, pension funds, financial, legal and housing experts, recently recommended in its White Paper,
“A People Driven Approach: Delivering
NHS
Homes”
that the NHS could use land it owns to deliver 26,000 much-needed Key Worker homes.
The report builds on recommendations made by a 2017 review of NHS property and estates by Sir Robert Naylor that advocated disposing of NHS land.
Instead, the NHS Home Alliance makes a case for the land to be kept and leased out to secure affordable rents for workers.
The Alliance recommends that NHS
Trusts should retain ownership of their brownfield sites, many of which are underused car parks, and use a mixture of government support and pension investment to build homes for NHS workers which would be available for rent at rates that reflect healthcare salaries.
Staffing is a huge issue for the NHS, with Trusts currently reporting a shortfall of more than 154,000 staff and estimates that the shortfall could rise to 570,000 by 2036 .
A majority (68%) of NHS staff surveyed by the NHS Homes Alliance said that lack of affordable housing would be a key driver in deciding to leave their current employment within the next two years.
“Good-quality homes, close to work, in attractive, sustainable communities should not be a pipe dream for health and social care
workers,” writes Sarah Hordern, non-executive director at Oxford University Hospitals NHS, and author of the NHS Home Alliance White Paper.
“We need to ensure that the talented people working in the NHS and social care have housing that supports their needs.
“We must be able to recruit and retain the staff we need without a lack of decent, affordable housing being a barrier … There is an opportunity to provide housing that will attract and retain the talent needed, as well as maintain control over the communities created, while retaining the ongoing value of the land assets within the NHS.”
Other national institutions in Britain are also looking at innovative ways to provide much-needed affordable housing.
The Church of England owns almost 200,000 acres of land and in 2021 its leaders announced groundbreaking plans to become a “major provider of social housing” nationally.
It published a landmark “Coming Home” report pledging to deliver 30,000 homes. It has established a Church Housing Foundation and appointed its first Bishop for Housing, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani.
The Royal Family is even getting in on the act, with Prince William having told the Sunday
Times earlier this year that he plans to build social housing on his 130,000acre Duchy of Cornwall estate, which stretches from Cornwall to Kent, in a bid to provide “living conditions up
and down the country that improve people’s lives”.
Meanwhile, right of centre think tank the Policy Exchange suggested in its 2019 report that Labour’s Key Worker Housing initiative should be revitalised by the Conservatives.
It advised the government to increase the stock of homes available to Key Workers and to update the Key Worker eligibility criteria nationally.
New homes and renter’s charter pledge
LINDA AITCHISON reports on how the recent West Midlands mayoral election could impact housing policy.
The new West Midlands mayor, Richard Parker, has pledged to deliver 20,000 new homes, together with new private rented sector regulation, after he was elected.
Parker said he was set to “work with a Labour government, councils and builders” to increase its annual target to 19,000 West Midlands homes.
He has also pledged to support social landlords to build at least 2,000 “council and social homes” per year by 2028.
Parker said: “The construction of social and genuinely affordable homes, which we will fully
champion, will be at the heart of our plans to fix the housing crisis, with development corporations providing capacity, support and expertise to councils.”
Parker has also vowed to bring in a West Midlands Renters’ Charter “to drive up standards and protect people from rogue landlords” and to introduce a mass insulation scheme.
He said: “We will train the people with the skills to deliver this as part of our jobs and industry programme. We will pioneer Labour’s green investment fund in the West Midlands and leverage funding to insulate thousands of homes and cut bills for those that need it most.”
Key Worker housing in the UK: a union’s view
SYLVIA JONES, assistant policy officer, Unison
Key Workers face many challenges relating to the cost of housing. We’ve seen that increasing numbers of Unison members, who are also Key Workers, are having to use food banks. It’s shocking that these workers whom we all depend on, and who are providing essential services for us, are having to cut back on essentials like food.
Many Key Workers are on low incomes but they don’t qualify for social housing, which pushes them into the private rental sector.
The national picture tells us that the private rental sector is at the sharpest end of the housing crisis, with renters facing skyrocketing costs for what is often a negative experience in terms of the quality of their housing.
As a union we’re campaigning for more social housing but in particular for increased access to social rent.
We know that private rents are unaffordable for people who work in the public sector on modest incomes. It follows that people who can barely afford even the lowest private rents are never going to
be able to afford homeownership. How would they save a deposit when every penny is accounted for each month?
Most of the schemes that are available to Key Workers (if you can even call them that, because these days there isn’t really any commitment by the government for such schemes) encourage people to buy their own home or a portion of a home through shared ownership.
This means that the majority of people are not being helped. They are left floundering in the private rental sector, with few rights and unaffordable costs.
Even if they did have access to social rent, the so called “affordable rent” simply isn’t. Local authorities and housing associations can charge up to 80% of the market rate for social rent thanks to the coalition government which, in
2011, decided to cut grant funding for social housing drastically.
It told social housing providers they would have their funding cut by 60% but it would change the criteria to allow them to charge rents up to 80% of market rate. Now that social homes are being let at those higher rates, essential workers are priced out.
Housing within the private rented sector is not secure.
Essential workers are at risk of no-fault eviction even if they can secure a rented home.
We’ve seen that many older workers with secure jobs go into shared accommodation to be able to afford to live. This has fuelled a rise in Houses of Multiple Occupation, a part of the private rental sector which lacks regulation and is often poor quality.
At Unison we’re calling on the government to invest significantly to increase the supply of all types of housing but particularly social housing for social rent. We’re campaigning to end so called “affordable rent” at 80% of the market price.
We need a new definition of “affordable housing” linked to peoples’ incomes and not to market prices. We also want the government to legislate to effectively regulate the private rented sector to make it secure, stable and affordable for renters long-term.
Sylvia Jones of Unison
Key Worker family faces homelessness on Tiree
LINDA AITCHISON
reports on a family of Key Workers facing housing challenges.
Key Workers face many challenges. A family-of-three sharing 21 jobs on Tiree could be forced to leave the island at the end of July unless they find a new home.
Time
is running out for 30-yearold Louise Reid, her fiancé and sister, who currently share a privately rented property on the Inner Hebrides island whose owners are returning to live on the island full-time.
Louise, who works as a dispenser at Tiree GP surgery and is a student nurse, has lived on the island since she was four. Her sister Megan, 28, is a caretaker at the High School, and fiancé Richard works from home for the Met Office. They are all Key Workers.
Taken together, the family performs the following Key Worker roles: they are all members of the five member Tiree Coastguard Rescue Team; one is a member
of the six member Scottish fire and rescue team; one is a future nurse; two are school caretakers; one is a Met Office employee; one edits the island paper; one is a senior social care worker; one is a meals on wheels volunteer; one is a solar volunteer; one is a heart start volunteer; one is a hospitality worker; three are fully trained community first responders; one is a member of Tiree Medical Practice Staff; three are British Divers Marine Life Medics.
Louise told the Oban Times: “We have explored every possible option on this island for accommodation, we are constantly out priced on anything that might become available to buy and with zero movement in the social housing stock we do not stand a chance amongst others who are in similar positions to ourselves.
“I am aware of at least three people who have similar points scoring on the social housing list and two are formally registered as homeless. This doesn’t seem fair or correct when there are a number of properties lying empty.
“In a mainland setting, the deposit we have we could purchase a property outright. On Tiree it does not even touch the edges.
“The
cost of buying
a house on Tiree is estimated at being seven times average wages on the island,” said Louise, who is desperate to stay.
“There is a crisis here. There is no quick fix to this issue and although I believe there will be
a solution in the future, sadly I think we will be long gone when it comes to fruition, along with others of a similar age group and demographic to ourselves. There will be a whole generation of people forced to leave Tiree due to this housing crisis, a generation who are the island’s Key Workers and population growers,” she said.
Tiree Community Development Trust chairperson Rhoda Meek said the organisation has been raising concerns about the housing situation for a number of years now. “We are in the early stages of progressing our own housing development - but that is a long and slow process. We are actively looking into solutions which might help in the short to medium term, but again, the wheels grind slowly.
“We are enormously frustrated for this family - they contribute to our community in so many ways and we cannot emphasise enough how absolutely devastating it would be to lose them.
“All we can do is appeal to the 46% of property owners in Tiree who are not permanently resident in our community to consider whether there is a way they can help here. This is a very real and upsetting example of how the housing crisis is hollowing out our communities and should give us all - at a personal and at a Government level - pause for thought.
“If anyone who owns property in Tiree is interested in converting to a long-term let, the trust staff are trained and able to advise and support the owners through that process. We would love to hear from them.”
Key Worker voices on renting
Three Key Workers give LINDA AITCHISON a snapshot of their housing opinions.
Sally
Sally Dean, 22, healthcare assistant and student nurse, of Bangor, Gwynedd, pays £800 a month with her partner, a hospital porter on a twobedroom maisonette:
“We are living pay cheque to pay cheque and paying rent is hard, it’s almost impossible to save any money for the future.
“Our landlord is really nice and friendly and always happy to help. It’s very expensive to be here and we can’t change the house and are restricted with decorating.”
“We are trying to save for our own home but the cost of everything is so high and wages are so low, we barely have enough for groceries.
Sally Dean
“Finding housing within an area that has good transport links is important when finding housing especially with shift work – so cheaper houses tend to be on bad transport links, and we end up spending more money on taxis and lifts.”
“I’d like to see reduced rates on Council Tax maybe or a reduced rate on housing deposit scheme like Help to Buy but for Key Workers. The government should definitely help more, by introducing schemes to help with costs.”
Melissa
Melissa Hannah, 25, charity support worker, of Crosby,
Merseyside, pays £850 a month with her partner, a sales manager, on a two-bedroom flat:
“We have been given a false sense of security because my rent hasn’t increased but bills are so different from when we moved in.
“The biggest difference is food and electric because we don’t have a smart meter as the landlord has never sorted that out for us.
“It’s frustrating that we have spent so much time, effort and money on
making our flat lovely, but we don’t own it, we get nothing at the end and lose out.”
“If there is a problem, it isn’t fixed, the landlord can leave it as long as he wants, so as a result there are loads of issues in the flat that just aren’t fixed both small things and bigger things that we wish we could fix but don’t have the money or don’t feel we should because that would benefit the landlord when he doesn’t care.
“Our landlord doesn’t care. He overpromises and underdelivers because he can. There is no urgency and no consideration that we are struggling with certain things, such as boiler and toilet issues or problems in the kitchen with leaks.
“The power share isn’t equal; I pay so much money every month for little to no stake in the home.
“It’s not fair that the landlord earns so much from all the flats in the building yet doesn’t care to keep on top of the upkeep or fixing problems.
“The uncertainty of living month by month is hard and causes anxiety and could automatically put people into poverty.
“I’d like to see more affordable homes, which are genuinely attainable, and more social housing, take powers away from landlords making it harder for them to become one and give more rights to the tenants.
Becky
Becky Willoughby, 53, a teaching assistant of Kendal, Cumbria, lives with her 17-yearold son in a three-bedroom terraced house rented from a housing association and pays £117 a week rent:
“My rent has just gone up and I now have to pay tax on a bedroom since my eldest son moved out. It’s a fabulous location but the house isn’t perfect and could do with work!”
“No way can I save to own my own home and can’t move to another area for work as I’d lose my housing association home.
“I had to put in carpets throughout and decorate. So that’s a big investment in a home that’s not mine.
“I’d like to see national help for Key Workers to relocate as those of us in housing association accommodation are tied to a certain location as private rent is just too great.”
Melissa Hannah
Becky Willoughby
Tenants’ rights:
what are the rules when you live in a rented property?
What about a ‘holding deposit’?
Up to £50.
While many landlords understand that a happy tenant is best for all parties, this is sadly not always the case. Here is our advice on your rights as a tenant.
Your “security deposit”
Before you move in, you will be required to pay a deposit of up to two months’ rent, depending on where in the UK you live.
This is known as a “security deposit” and is paid either direct to the landlord or to their appointed lettings agency.
This will be paid back to you in full when you move out, so long as your landlord agrees there should be no deductions for damage or breakages at the property you have rented. You may end up agreeing some deductions are fair.
In England, the amount paid is normally a maximum of five weeks’ rent.
In Scotland, the maximum account is two months’ rent.
In Wales and Northern Ireland, there is no formal limit, but the usual amount is a month’s rent.
Once you have paid your “security deposit”, your landlord must register it with an approved deposit protection scheme.
This acts to ensure a fair settlement is reached, should you and your landlord disagree at the end of your tenancy.
You may be asked for a week’s rent up front to secure a property.
This is known as a “holding deposit” and is additional to the security deposit.
Rules around holding deposits differ.
In England and Wales, holding deposits are limited to one week’s rent. In Northern Ireland, there is no limit. In Scotland, holding deposits are illegal.
These deposits are normally refunded when you move in or can be deducted from a first rent payment.
It’s important to know what will happen about this before paying anything.
You should not have to pay additional tenancy fees for administration, referencing, police or credit checks, or renewing a tenancy agreement.
If your landlord or letting agent charges for any of the above, remind them of the rules. You are only required to pay the “security deposit”.
The above refers to England, Scotland, and Wales.
In Northern Ireland, letting agents can’t charge for services that benefit the landlord. But if you rent directly from a landlord, you may need to pay fees.
Tenancy fees to pay
The following fees may be outlined in your tenancy agreement:
• changing the tenancy agreement (such as registering a new tenant).
• Council Tax
• ending your tenancy early
• paying your rent late, damage or loss of keys
• utilities
Repairs and maintenance
Your landlord is responsible for:
• keeping your home safe and warm
• a working water supply
• safe access to gas and electricity
As a tenant, you’re usually responsible for general upkeep including changing light bulbs, unblocking sinks, gardening, and cleaning.
If an issue with the property threatens your health and safety, you must report this to your landlord as soon as possible.
This could include a boiler breakdown, leaky pipes, faulty or exposed electrical wiring, damp problems, pest infestations, and broken doors and windows.
House shares (HMOs)
Landlords seeking maximum profits often choose to convert different rooms in homes to rent out to several people under one roof.
If you rent a room in a house with at least two other people and share a toilet, bathroom, or kitchen, then this means your home is registered as an HMO.
HMO landlords have extra responsibilities. They must ensure that:
• proper fire safety measures are in place, including working smoke alarms
• annual gas safety checks are carried out and electrics are checked every five years
• the property is not overcrowded
• there are enough cooking and bathroom facilities as well as rubbish bins
• communal areas and shared facilities are clean and in good repair
Can I complain about rent increases?
When you come to renew your tenancy agreement, your landlord may try to increase your rent.
If you disagree with a proposed increase, the first step is to talk to your landlord about why they want to put the rent up. If you disagree with the increase, you can try to haggle the amount down. Your landlord isn’t allowed to increase your rent during the term covered by your tenancy agreement.
In Scotland, landlords can only increase rent once a year and must give three months’ written notice. The only exception is if there’s a clause in the tenancy agreement stating your rent can be increased.
Can I move before the end of my tenancy agreement?
How quickly and easily you can move out of a rented property will depend on whether you’re still within the fixed term of a tenancy or not.
If you’re in a fixed term tenancy, you should check if your tenancy agreement contains a ‘break clause’. This allows you to end the agreement before the end of the term.
If you’ve gone beyond the fixed
term, your agreement will be a periodic or ‘rolling’ tenancy, from week to week or month to month. In this case, you normally must give at least four weeks’ notice to end it, or a calendar month if you have a monthly tenancy.
Getting your deposit back
At the end of the tenancy, your landlord should return your deposit. Landlords can make deductions for damage to the property and missing or broken items, cleaning costs or unpaid rent or bills.
Any deductions must be reasonable, and the landlord must provide evidence of the costs incurred.
Your deposit should be stored with a deposit protection scheme. To get the deposit back, your landlord will contact the scheme and confirm that the tenancy has ended.
The landlord can then either have the full deposit returned to you, or propose deductions, which must be itemised. If you disagree with a deduction, you should raise this with the landlord.
If you and your landlord can’t reach an agreement, you can submit a dispute with the protection scheme. The evidence will be reviewed by adjudicators, who will rule on how much each party receives.
If you come to the end of your tenancy and your landlord doesn’t respond to a request to get your deposit back, you can apply to the scheme to release it to you.
Eviction rules and rights
Landlords in England and Wales can use Section 8 or Section 21 notices to evict their tenants.
• Section 8 is used if the tenant has broken the terms of their contract,
for example by not paying their rent. If the tenant doesn’t move out after receiving a Section 8 notice, the landlord can apply to a court for a possession order.
• Section 21 is used at the end of a fixed contract term or in periodic/rolling tenancy and allows landlords to evict their tenant without giving a reason. The government has announced plans to scrap Section 21, but currently the rules remain in operation. When providing a Section 21 notice, landlords must give tenants at least two months’ notice to leave the property.
In Northern Ireland, your landlord must give four weeks’ notice if you’ve lived in the property for less than a year, eight weeks’ notice for between one and 10 years and 12 weeks’ notice for more than 10 years.
Complain about your landlord
If you’re unhappy with your landlord, the first thing to do is to contact them in writing. Explain what the problem is and what can be done to put it right. Some larger landlords will have a complaints procedure that you can follow.
If you have a serious issue with your landlord that isn’t being resolved (for example, a problem such as damp or structural issues with the property) you can contact your council to see what support is available. Most councils have private rented housing teams or tenancy relations officers.
Before making a formal complaint, check if the landlord is a member of a professional body, such as the National Residential Landlords Association. Landlords who are members of a trade body must adhere to its Code of Practice.
Getting a mortgage when you are a Key Worker
How does being a Key Worker affect applying for a mortgage? MARIANNE LOMBARDI of Agree Mortgages Solutions sheds light on what can be a very stressful process.
There are multiple mortgage lenders in the UK, and all have varying criteria in what is considered acceptable when it comes to personal circumstances.
This inconsistency can create a minefield when trying to understand who exactly will lend what to you and when they will lend it. In this article, we will consider how lenders treat Key Workers and their income, when applying for a mortgage.
Being a Key Worker is not, in itself, a barrier to getting a mortgage. However, considering unsociable hours, overtime and shift allowance as being part and
Marianne Lombardi of Agree Mortgages Solutions
parcel of the role, it can be confusing to understand what income will be considered acceptable, and how the affordability will work for you.
Lenders have varying approaches towards how they use income, which can lead to big differences in what one will lend in comparison to the next. These disparities can have a huge impact on your application, as to whether you can afford to buy the home you love or to you buy something cheaper (or even, in some cases,
whether you can afford to buy at all).
Lenders attitudes towards unsociable hours, overtime and shift work, can vary massively from lender to lender. Some may only use a proportion of this income, due it not being confirmed as basic.
This can be frustrating as it is a regular and often permanent part of your pay. There are some lenders who will look to support you by having a flexible approach to this income by considering using 100% of this income.
We spoke recently to the business development team from Skipton, who said that they understand perfectly well
that this income is part of the role, and will subsequently consider using it as basic income. This outlook will further support your affordability, meaning you can borrow more, and, therefore, buy the home you love.
Within the NHS, bank income is a regular and often sole source of income. Bank income is not a permanent job with set hours, so it can be confusing as to how and if lenders will use this at all. It is certainly the case that this situation is treated and used differently from lender to lender, which again will impact the amount you can borrow.
I spoke to Oluwunbami, who is a NHS nurse. Oluwunbami works two bank shifts a week and has done so for the last eleven years. She explained that the bank work is a permanent fixture of what she does, and the income she takes home.
We spoke to Halifax and The West Brom. Both of these lenders will consider using 100% of this income and will also consider using it when it is the sole source of income for the applicant, which means that you would be able to use the income you earn in order to get the right property for you.
Have you recently started your role or only have a start
date? Lenders have different approaches to this too, so where one may have told you to come back in six months, there are others that treat this very differently.
Speaking to the West Brom, they advised us that whilst their criteria states that they require three months’ payslips and twelve months employment history, for “professionals”, they will use the income from day one. Doctors and nurses are considered “professionals”.
In addition, Halifax and Nationwide are happy to consider your income, using your contract, even if you haven’t yet started. If you are a newly qualified nurse or a newly qualified teacher, starting your career in the new academic year, your contract can be used, provided you have a start date.
With so many lenders and so much differing criteria, it may seem daunting to know exactly where to start. Everyone’s circumstances and income is unique to them, and it’s about finding the right fit for you; finding a
lender who is willing to utilise your income and ensure what is offered is suitable to your personal circumstances.
You may have been put off in the past by being told you cannot achieve a mortgage for the house you love. The majority of people will speak to their own bank for a mortgage, with the understanding that they will be able to offer them the best solution. This is not always the case.
Speak to a broker, who has not only the expertise, but also access to the whole of the market. They will find you a lender who understands and supports your individual needs, thus putting you one step closer to your dream home.
Marianne Lombardi is a Director at Agree Mortgage Solutions. She can be contacted on 07969 496 845 or by email to
marianne@ agreemortgages.com
Discounted homes for local Key Workers in West Sussex
Carbon-neutral developer Thakeham has launched a First Homes scheme at its new development, Berry Croft in Newick, West Sussex. Available to Key Workers, properties for sale through First Homes are priced at up to 30% less than market value for those who meet the criteria.
Participants must be 18 or older, a first-time buyer, able to get a mortgage for at least half the price of the home and have a combined household income of no more than £80,000. Key Workers must also either currently live or work in the area to qualify.
The scheme is also available to members of the Armed Forces and buyers with a local connection, such as being a current resident within the administrative area or having a close family association with the Lewes District Council area – as long as they are first-time buyers.
There are a number of major high-street lenders such as Lloyds, Halifax and Nationwide, along with local building
societies that are currently offering 95% loan-to-value mortgages for First Homes.
The one- and two-bedroom apartments available within the First Homes scheme at Berry Croft offer modern, open-plan layouts and high specification interiors, including integrated energyefficient appliances within the purchase price. A central green and play area offers extensive outdoor space and fosters a sought-after community spirit.
One-bedroom apartments are priced from £220,500, and twobedroom apartments from £250,000. With the First Homes scheme, buyers granted a 30%
discount would pay just £154,350 for a one-bedroom apartment and £175,000 for a two-bedroom apartment, respectively. The discount applied is dependent on circumstances.
Homes at Berry Croft include premium insulation and comfort ventilation as well as highefficiency boilers and water-saving taps; each home will achieve an EPC Rating of B, surpassing 89% of homes in England and reducing monthly bills. EV chargers are available to every home.
The development is nestled in the picturesque West Sussex countryside yet enjoys close proximity to amenities in popular Lewes and Brighton. Newick is on the A272, ensuring easy access to the A3, A22, A23 and A24. Haywards Heath station, eight miles away, provides direct services to Gatwick Airport, Brighton and London
The living room at the Berry Croft Showhome
Victoria in 44 minutes. Regular local bus services connect Berry Croft to neighbouring towns and villages including Haywards Heath, Lewes and Uckfield.
To find out more about the First Homes scheme at Berry Croft, call 01483 912483 or visit the Thakeham website here
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About Thakeham
Established in 2003 and based in West Sussex, Thakeham delivers sustainable homes and strong communities, from providing private residential developments, high-quality, tenure-blind affordable homes and open spaces to infrastructure, facilities and strategic land services.
Thakeham’s industry-leading approach to zero carbon ready homes, biodiversity and the environment, alongside its commitment to people, communities, and creating amazing places to live, put it at the forefront of placemaking in the UK. It provides homes for all buyers, residents and lifestyles across the south of England, from bungalows inspired by the village vernacular to large family homes in commutable locations and modern apartments. Thakeham is currently marketing homes from 1 bedroomed to 5 bedroomed in Surrey and Sussex.
Find out more at the company’s website here
The kitchen at the Berry Croft Showhome
The primary bedroom at the Berry Croft Showhome
More than just a home … the Gorge
Located moments away from Exeter’s hospitals and University, The Gorge is an exciting new collection of modern, coliving studio apartments to rent.
Co-living is an in increasingly popular lifestyle choice - it offers a combination of contemporary personal and shared social spaces, and a strong sense of community.
What’s more, there is an
exclusive discount on offer at The Gorge: Key
Workers only pay 80% of market rent rates.
The furnished studios at The Gorge offer a range of different layouts. Every home is integrated with a contemporary kitchen featuring a combi-oven, fridge freezer and hob as well as a Smart TV, storage space and a modern en-suite shower room.
Monthly rent includes utilities as well as Wi-Fi for added convenience.
If you’re applying for the discounted rate, you’ll need to be employed by the following organisations and industries:
NHS, health, social & community care, Blue Light services, prison and probation service, education, public transport, Government & civil service, Ministry of Defence, charitable sector, postal, and retail workers in Exeter.
Key Worker residents must also have an income of no more than £36,982 per year to be eligible for the discount. Prices start from £836 per month for a 12-month tenancy with the possibility to extend at the end of your contract.
Community is central to The Gorge. Residents receive complimentary membership of the Belong Residents’ Club and benefit from outstanding social spaces and a regular programme of events such as wine tasting evenings, Christmas tree decorating, pizza socials and quiz nights. Residents also have exclusive discounts and special
offers for local shops, bars and restaurants.
A great benefit for Key Workers, the events bring together likeminded people, providing residents with the opportunity to meet each other and form friendships.
Events take place at varied times throughout the day to cater for different shift patterns. Many residents are new to Exeter and
are unfamiliar with the area; the Belong Residents’ Club creates an inclusive and supportive environment.
A range of desirable facilities and social spaces are available to all residents. The state-of-the-art gym is well equipped with classes available, while a large communal lounge includes a games area with a pool table.
Residents also benefit from access to a cinema room, TV snug and social kitchen, perfect for catching-up with friends and colleagues after work.
For those who study or might work from home occasionally, bright and modern co-working spaces feature
superfast broadband, comfortable seating and a barista-style coffee machine. To make life easy, there is a dedicated Residents’ Team for added support as well as a maintenance service, easily booked via the Residents’ App.
The Gorge benefits from a thriving yet convenient location in the heart of Exeter. The city centre is just a 12-minute walk away filled with the latest eateries, bars and social scene to enjoy.
Heavitree Hospital is a two minutes’ walk from The Gorge whilst Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital is just a 17-minute walk from the development. In addition, St Luke’s Campus is just a twominute stroll away.
Exeter Central is under 20 minutes’ walk and Exeter Airport is a 42-minute bus journey away.
Eddie Kane, Head of Divisional Operations (South) at Fresh comments: “We understand how truly important Key Workers are in our society and as a result, we’re thrilled to offer exclusive discounted studios in Exeter for Key Workers in the community. We believe that the location is perfect for medical students and working professionals alike, boasting fantastic links to the nearby hospitals and the city centre. These modern studio apartments are providing a reliable and contemporary option for renters in Exeter, and we very much look forward to watching the community grow at The Gorge.”
To find out more and to book a viewing, call 01392 345001, email thegorge@thisisfresh.com or visit the company’s website here
A social space at The Gorge, Exeter
The show apartment at The Gorge, Exeter
Shared Ownership: an affordable route to home ownership
Struggling to get on the property ladder? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Between the cost-of-living crisis, stagnant wages, and soaring house prices, a staggering four in ten buyers (41%) have been forced to push back their home buying dream by an average of four years, according to research by Lloyds.
Fortunately, that doesn’t have to be the case! Even amid the current economic climate, Shared Ownership provides an affordable route onto the property ladder for those who have been priced out of the market.
Read on to find out how Shared Ownership with Sovereign Network Group (SNG) could unlock your home buying potential.
What is Shared Ownership?
Sometimes known as ‘part buy, part rent’, Shared Ownership is a government-backed scheme that provides buyers with an opportunity to buy a good quality, local home without the need for a large deposit or the mortgage that goes with it.
How does it work?
You buy a share in your home that’s right for you. This is typically between 25 and 40 per cent of the home’s full market value. You’ll then pay a reduced rent on the remaining share and a monthly service charge towards the upkeep of communal areas.
You’ll also be free to buy more shares in your home as and when your finances allow through a process called “Staircasing”, meaning you’ll own more and pay less rent.
Do I Qualify for Shared Ownership?
You could be eligible for Shared
Ownership if:
• You are over the age of 18
• Your household income is less than £80,000 (or £90,000 in London)
• You don’t already own a home at the time of buying your Shared Ownership property
Benefits of Shared Ownership
Low deposits
Saving for a deposit can be a difficult task, but with Shared Ownership you’ll typically only need a deposit equal to 5% of your share value, providing a more achievable savings goal.
Arc, SNG’s development in Wembley
For example, buyers at Arc, SNG’s development in Wembley, will only need a £4,469 deposit for a one bedroom apartment, compared to an astounding £31,450 (10%) deposit required for a similar full ownership apartment in Wembley, according to Zoopla. Prices at Arc start from £89,375 (based on buying a 25% share).
What’s more, you can currently get £500 towards legal fees, a £500 Love2shop voucher and £500 towards a local gym membership*.
Lower monthly costs
One of the biggest misconceptions around Shared Ownership is that it’s more expensive than renting.
Whilst both living options have their advantages, your monthly payments will often be cheaper
through Shared Ownership than if you were to rent privately.
For instance, buying a brand new, Shared Ownership apartment at SNG’s Knights Quarter development in Winchester (Hampshire) could save you up to £279 per month compared to renting a similar sized property in the area^. Plus, you get the added benefit of building equity in a newly built home.
Plus, you can receive up to £6,000‡ cashback on the homes at Knights Quarter. You are free to save or spend the incentive as you choose, from furnishing your home, to exploring nearby attractions, or even covering your monthly expenses.
Prices at Knights Quarter start from £68,750, with deposits from just £3,438 (based on buying a 25% share).
Cheaper energy bills
In the current economic climate, every penny counts, and the need for an energy efficient home has never been so important.
Average rental in Winchester
Benefitting from the latest technologies, most Shared Ownership properties achieve an energy performance rating of A or B, something less than 5% of older properties achieve according to government data.
This difference in energy performance could equate to a saving of up to £184 per month on your energy costs, according to data from The Home Builders Federation!
Well-located homes
Beyond the financial benefits, Shared Ownership provides affordable housing in highly sought-after areas, allowing you and your loved ones to benefit from the best that your town or city has to offer.
Take Willowbrook Park in Didcot (Oxfordshire), for example - located near the stunning Oxfordshire countryside, and less than a mile
Shared Ownership at Knights Quarter
Willowbrook Park, SNG’s development in Didcot from Didcot town centre, these upcoming two and three bedroom homes will have a wealth of retail, leisure, shopping, and education amenities on their doorstep.
There’s also a reliable network of bus routes throughout the town, with the A34 also nearby, offering easy access to both the M4 and M40. Plus, Didcot Parkway train station provides regular services to Oxford in 15 minutes, Reading in 20 minutes and London Paddington in 40 minutes**.
Strong communities
SNG is committed to helping its residents thrive. From thoughtfully designed green spaces to appealing communal areas, SNG strives to create vibrant neighbourhoods where residents can forge meaningful relationships and enjoy a high quality of life.
“The communal gardens have been a great place to meet people – my wife has already made
friends with some of the neighbours, and my kids are making friends too, it’s great to see my family so happy,” commented
Hamzah, a primary school teacher and SNG shared owner.
SNG does not just build affordable homes, it also invests in local communities and the people who live there. SNG’s #iWill Fund programme has awarded grants to organisations across the South to help deliver projects including community cafes, school holiday programmes, and environmental projects. So far, the programme has delivered £8.79m of social value to local communities and enabled young people to achieve 535 accreditations and training outcomes.
For more information on SNG’s homes across the South of England, visit sovereignliving.org.uk or networkhomessales.co.uk
*T&Cs apply. £500 towards legal fees apply if you are using a panel solicitor chosen by SNG. £500 cashback for gym membership will be received upon completion of sale.
^Shared Ownership figures based on a 25% share value. Calculated at a 95% mortgage value with a 5% deposit requirement, and mortgage interest rate of 5.5% over 30 years. Average rent for similar sized properties in Winchester according to Home.co.uk
‡Paid upon completion of sale. T&Cs apply. For more information, please speak to a member of our sales team.
**Travel times are based on data from google.co.uk and are approximate only.
Sources
The Lloyds research can be found here. The Zoopla research can be found here. The UK Government data can be found here. The Home Builders Federation data can be found here
Upgrade your home for less with Blue Light Card
From smart home devices to cosy furnishings, white goods to furniture, Blue Light Card has teamed up with the top named brands like Hotpoint, Furniture Village, Hive Home and Samsung to offer the UK’s emergency services, NHS workers, social carers and armed forces access to incredible savings to help spruce up your home.
Transforming your home on a tight budget
Upgrading your home can often be an exciting but daunting task. Whether you’re planning to strip everything out and start again, or simply replace something old with something new, we’re here to help you make affordable improvements.
It’s no surprise that many upgrades
can come at a cost, but you can make your money go further with discounts and savings for every room in the house.
Give your kitchen a facelift
Kitchens are the most frequently used room and can often be the most costly too. When you need a replacement kettle or toaster, it’s often at short notice, but with a 10% saving at Bosch Home Appliances
and 20% off at Russell Hobbs, you can make an upgrade to your appliances for less with Blue Light Card.
The cost of white goods has undoubtedly increased and more often than not a replacement can work out cheaper than a repair. However, if your washing machine or dishwasher do decide to suddenly break, there are savings to be made with 20% off AEG products, 25% off at Hotpoint and exclusive savings on home appliances with Samsung.
Replace something old with something new
Furnishing any room in your home can also require some investment, which is why big named brands including Furniture Village, Fabb Furniture, Bensons for Beds, Oak Furniture Superstore, and Silentnight all offer discounts to the Blue Light community.
If you are looking to re-decorate or get stuck into a bit of DIY, you can also save 15% on orders with
Brewers Decorator Centres when opening a new account. Plus, make sure you are fully equipped to get the job done properly with the right tools by saving 5% online and in-store at Toolstation.
And, to help you save when stocking up on the essentials for your next DIY project, Homebase is offering 10% off when you spend £120 or more online.
The finishing touches
To add those final, special touches, Blue Light Card has partnered with Emma Bridgewater to offer a huge 20% saving on full price items to make your house more homely. You can even make big savings with Matalan’s homeware range with 10% off online or 5% off when you spend £45 or more in store.
With the cost of living still rising, it might be time to make your home smarter so you can save during the winter months. Take control of your home with 20% off smart energy products at Hive Home, as well as 30% off at GeoSmartPro Ltd.
There’s no place like home
Redecorating or refurnishing can
have huge benefits to improve your mental health, especially as the days get shorter and the nights get colder. A cluttered room can feel overwhelming, and needing to upgrade on home accessories can become a stressful and costly task.
By tailoring your space and making improvements to its design whether that be big or small, it can not only redirect your thoughts, it can make you feel safer and more comfortable in your home.
Ross Hall-Galley, Commercial Director, comments, “We understand the importance of making your house feel special to you, and when it comes to DIY, decorating and organising, it is often difficult to know where to start.
For many, the cost of living crisis has made it hard to purchase those big ticket household items, which is why we are so pleased to offer discounts across a number of categories to help you save when it comes to upgrading your home”.
Some key partners offering exclusive discounts include*:
AEG – Save 20% online
Bensons For Beds – Save 7% online
Blinds2go – Save 5% on all blinds and curtains online
Brewers Decorator Centres – Save 10% when you open a new account online and in-store
Buy Sheds Direct – Save 5% on all orders online
Cult Furniture – Save 10% on full price items online
Dream CloudUK – Save 57% on all
mattresses online and get a free bedding gift
Dyson – Save 10% when you spend £100+ online
Emma Bridgewater – Save 20% online
GeoSmartPro Ltd – Save 30% online
Hive Home – Save 20% on smart home products online
Homebase – Save 10% when you spend £120+ online (exclusions apply)
Hotpoint – Save 25% on selected products online
Karcher – Save 10% on home and garden accessories online
Lakeland – Get £5 off when you spend £50 online or in-store
Make My Blinds – Save 10% online
Matalan – Save 10% online and 5% when you spend £45 or more in-store
Nectar Sleep – Save 21% on all mattresses
Ninja Kitchen – Save 20% on cookware online
Oak Furniture Superstore – Save 5% on orders over £600 online
Rattan Direct – Get £100 off when you spend £1,250 or more online
Robert Dyas – Save 5% online
Shark – Save 10% online
Shed Store – Save 5% on all orders online
Silentnight – Save 10% on orders between £100 and £300 online
The Fine Bedding Company – Save 15% on full price online
Toolstation – Save 5% online and in-store
Travis Perkins – Save 10% online
Vonhaus – Save 10% online
*All discounts are correct at the time of publishing. Refer to the website or app for all up-to-date discounts.
About Blue Light Card
“We want to go further, for those who go furthest for us.”
There’s a group of people who are always there for us: the Blue Light community. They work tirelessly to keep us safe, healthy and supported, often going into unknown dangers to do so. They make sacrifices every day, and we want to thank them for it.
Blue Light Card is the UK’s number one discount service for emergency services, NHS, social care workers and armed forces.
With over three million members across the country, Blue Light Card is partnered with over 17,500 retailers both national and local, providing savings, discounts and benefits that often aren’t available to the general public. These include New Look, Spotify, Greene King, Jet2holidays, Cineworld, Sky, Halfords and Ninja to name a few. In 2022, Blue Light Card saved its members over £250 million in total.
Membership to Blue Light Card for access to all online deals and discounts is quick and easy by registering online at www.bluelightcard.co.uk. A card costs £4.99 and is valid for two years.
K Coming soon ...
New app helps self-employed carers: PocketCarer
Caring is one of the most rewarding and yet undervalued professions in the UK.
It is a high-pressure role with notoriously low pay and claims of incredibly poor working conditions, which can add up to a situation where sadly carers, patients and standards all suffer.
The Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit have both put extra pressure on the sector, with more demanding restrictions imposed during the former and the latter meaning tighter regulations for overseas workers, leading to a fall in numbers within the carer workforce.
According to Skills for Care, in 2021, vacancies in the care sector reached 165,000, representing a 52 per cent rise on the previous year and salary figures show an average hourly rate of just £9.50, much lower than jobs elsewhere. But it seems increasing numbers of carers are now starting to take
action to improve the situation.
People with years of experience and a real passion for providing the best quality care are no longer leaving the profession … they are switching to self-employed status.
This was a situation that Emma Harding found herself in.
As a carer with 20 years’ experience, she wanted to stay in the sector, but needed to find a way to do it on her own terms.
“I was working 13-hour shifts and we were chronically understaffed,” she says.
“So I looked at live-in care; I was spending all my time at work anyway so I thought I would give it a try.
“It meant becoming self-employed but it also meant I was working on my own terms; I could pick and choose clients and they could pick and choose me and I could decide on terms and rates. It was a real eye-opener and I have never looked back.”
But making the
move
to self-employed status isn’t for everyone and often the mountain of paperwork and businessrelated admin can put people off.
This became an issue for Emma in the early days, with admin proving a big drain on time and energy.
She found herself using various apps and websites for invoicing and finances, managing time and contracts, risk assessments, record keeping and much more,
Emma Harding
and it was a time-consuming and exhausting process.
During the first lockdown, however, she found herself trying to think of ways to make her own life easier and the germ of an idea for her now burgeoning business PocketCarer was born.
Now she is on a mission to provide all the support, advice and training needed to help other carers who may be thinking about becoming self-employed, or are self-employed already but feeling a little isolated and lost.
“Life as a carer can be highly rewarding, but it can also be tough mentally, physically and emotionally. Anything that can ease a little bit of the pressure is welcome,” says Emma.
“I was a self-employed carer for five years and I struggled to get the tech that was needed.
“I decided there had to be an easier way and while there were plenty of care management apps for businesses, I struggled to find one for self-employed carers.
“I started to write down lists, I outsourced a software company to create the tech, and a very steep learning curve began. It’s been a hard, but hugely rewarding process.”
Emma says there are around 480,000 selfemployed carers in the UK and around 50,000 carers a year are moving over to self-employed status, so it is a growing area.
Emma says many think that shift is
because of money, but in fact, pay comes quite far down the list of reasons.
“A lot of it is being run ragged and being burnt out by working for an agency,” she says.
“These people have often been carers for a long time and they don’t want to leave the industry. They want to care for people, but they can’t do it under these conditions, so they are looking for a different way.”
As well as the app, there is also a PocketCarer Facebook group and Emma offers training sessions and a wealth of blogs and articles on her website to help carers who are considering moving over to being self-employed or are self-employed already.
And the business is growing.
Emma, based in County Durham, is now no longer working as a carer. Instead, she is devoting her time to her growing business, taking on new members staff and developing the app further.
She says feedback so far has been positive and constructive and a new version of the app will have updates and extra features in response to that.
If you would like to find out about how PocketCarer can help you, visit the PocketCarer website here
Source
Skills for Care, “The state of the adult social care sector and workforce in England”
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Key Workers and ADHD ... how a late diagnosis can be a blessing in disguise
Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other forms of neurodivergence are prevalent among Key Workers, and yet Key Workers seem more reluctant than others to open up about it. ALICE HARGREAVES speaks to ZOE WATSON, who, like her, was diagnosed later in life, to find out what’s going on.
It was a warm summer day in 2022 when I heard the words I’d been expecting: “You have textbook ADHD”.
I was 32, and like a lot of women in the UK was receiving a diagnosis later in life. Through my business, SIC, which works to close the disability employment gap here in the UK, I was meeting women just like me. Women with ADHD.
My journey to diagnosis wasn’t straightforward; the diagnosis can take up to four years via the NHS.
I did my research and decided that a private pathway was
right for me. Within a few months, I was able to book an appointment with the lead clinician for the ADHD Transitions Service in my region (Coventry & Warwickshire) through their private practice. It cost £450.
I spoke to Dr Hina Rehman, a Consultant Neurodevelopmental Psychiatrist in Manchester, to find out more about the different types of ADHD. She explained that there are three main areas where people with ADHD experience difficulties: attention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behaviour. Around 15% present with the hyperactive or impulsive type, 20 to 30% have the attention type, like me, and others experience a combination.
Those three difficulties are just the tip of the iceberg of ADHD symptoms which can also include emotional dysregulation, low selfesteem, sensory overload, communication difficulty, insomnia, and hyperfocus.
“There is a huge list of mental health problems that coexist with ADHD, including depression, anxiety, bipolar and autism. But the key to establishing this coexistence is thorough assessment,” Dr Rehman explained.
Boys are three times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with ADHD and a lot of this is down to how ADHD presents in males.
“Boys are more likely to display disruptive behaviour which prompts the referral for an assessment of ADHD,” said Dr Hina.
The more physical signs are less prevalent in young women, but in adulthood, the ratio moves to 1:1, which goes some way to explaining why it is common for women to be diagnosed later in life.
Dr Zoe Watson, a London-based
Alice Hargreaves
GP and founder of Wellgood Wellbeing, was diagnosed at the age of 40.
She sought help after finding herself falling out of love with medicine.
“Consultations were ten times more exhausting than they should have been,” she said.
“People don’t realise how overwhelming being a GP is; I experienced a lot of sensory overload during my face-to-face appointments. There is so much human interaction and you have to do a lot of masking.
“As a profession, there’s a lot of shame associated with neurodivergence and we need to work together to shed that.”
She found that a creative outlet was the only way to ease her busy mind.
“Meditation just doesn’t work for my ADHD brain, my thoughts are just too loud,” she said. “So I created my own form of meditation, and started to make things.”
Zoe’s first business, Make and Create, allowed her to make and do whilst also removing barriers to creativity for others.
Wellgood Wellbeing evolved out of Make and Create, bringing together Zoe’s medical background and her creativity. Her aim was to offer a safe space for people struggling with mental health and provide access to medical professionals, traditional meditation, yoga, breathwork and exercise.
It’s a platform built with Key Workers in mind, with subsidised rates for people who fall into that category and free places for those on lower incomes.
“I entered medicine to help people, and with Wellgood Wellbeing I want to empower people with knowledge, understanding, and
acceptance,” Zoe added. Her platform has proved popular with those with ADHD, who have found that more conventional wellbeing pathways aren’t for them.
Like Zoe, for years my mind was an anxious one. I tried medications, speaking
therapies, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to quieten my busy brain, but little seemed to work.
Now, following my diagnosis, I recognise that a lot of the symptoms I associated with my anxiety are actually my neurodiversity.
For instance, I have Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, a common comorbidity with ADHD, which means that I struggle enormously with rejection, negative feedback, and selfconfidence.
“70% of neurodivergent folk have a co-existing mental health condition, and as Key Workers, we are not immune to either,” added Zoe.
NHS England estimates that 3% of the population have ADHD and some research suggests it is more prevalent in Key Workers.
An April 2023 survey of 1,450 adults with ADHD found that 23% worked in healthcare with many citing the variety and sense of purpose as key drivers.
However, it seems that Key Workers are reluctant to admit to experiencing symptoms.
A 2020 British Medical Association report discovered that 19% of respondents to anonymous NHS staff surveys disclosed a disability (including neurodivergence), but only around 3% did so on their ESR (electronic staff record).
Only around 2% of the clinical
Zoe Watson
workforce disclosed a disability, and disclosure rates decreased at later career stages.
This lack of disclosure is partly down to the varied perceptions of ADHD.
Sue
Perkins, Denise Welch, Johnny Vegas, and Nadia Sawalha
are
all public figures
who
celebrated their diagnosis in
2022 and hoped that it would encourage people with ADHD to be more open about their experiences.
However, the BBC Panorama episode, Private ADHD Clinics Exposed and Steven Bartlett’s The Diary of a CEO episode, We’ve Got ADHD Wrong! Break Any Habit & Never Be Distracted! (both released in May 2023) tell a different story.
Both suggested that ADHD is overdiagnosed and that many people are being wrongly prescribed medicines that they do not need.
It’s also been hard to avoid articles with headlines blaming TikTok influencers for creating
an ADHD trend. One concern is that the diagnoses some people receive privately are unsafe.
I asked Dr Rehman what a diagnosis should look like.
She explained:
“When we do these assessments we go into detail, exploring the neurodevelopmental history of a person right down to when their parent was pregnant, and in very early childhood.”
She said the NICE guidelines are very clear, that symptoms should be visible before the age of 12 and should be present in two or more settings: home, education, or the workplace.
There are two types of medication available to support people with ADHD, stimulants and non-stimulants, and both pose risks to people with preexisting health conditions.
Dr Hina recommends Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) to help more holistically, with or without medication.
Waiting lists (even privately) are increasing but support is out there and anyone who believes they may have ADHD symptoms should seek help sooner rather than later.
Both Zoe and I spoke to our GP first and
made decisions based on current waiting lists. For me the wait was too long, so I sought private advice, while Zoe found the “Right to Choose” route via the NHS was quicker in her region.
Your GP is the best place to start.
“I already knew I had ADHD by the time I had a diagnosis,” said Zoe, “But being able to own this identity was a huge relief”.
“The public sector needs to do more to support Key Workers who are struggling. As a sector, we have a lot of learning to do.”
For fellow Key Workers who think they may have ADHD, Zoe offers some reassurance: “Just because you haven’t met a Key Worker with ADHD, doesn’t mean there aren’t any, you’re certainly not alone.”
Dr Zoe Watson works remotely as a GP part-time and is the Founder of Wellgood Wellbeing. The organisation’s website can be found here
Alice Hargreaves is a writer and is the Co-Founder and COO of SIC. The organisation’s website can be found here
A day in the life of a firefighter
KAREN NICOLL is 45 and is a station manager for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service. Here she explains what happens during her shifts – and how she became a station manager.
Karen joined the fire service in 2001, inspired by her father who was also a firefighter. She’s fought fires, attended chemical spills, collapsing buildings and even rescued pets.
“Growing up, I never thought it was a job for a female,” she says. “But when I was at university a friend joined and I thought I’d try it out.”
“I work a three-week rolling shift system. This includes 9-5 office hours (carrying out my Operational Assurance responsibilities) whilst being mobilised to Operational incidents as required. I also work seven lots of 24-hour shifts across the three weeks, including a full weekend. This means I am available for Operational incidents including outside of the 9-5.
“On a 24-hour shift, I start at 9.00 working “positive hours” until 17.00, I can respond to incidents from my home address outside of the normal working hours (“negative hours”).
“Other shifts can be 9.00 to 17.00 or 9.00 to 22.00 where I am available to respond at any time in those hours. During that shift, I’ll respond to incidents in an operational role and following incidents I help carry out fire investigations.
Karen Nicoll
“I currently work in our Operational Assurance team, where I debrief incidents and lead on findings to promote learning and support processes at incidents.
“As a level 2 officer I’m mobilised to incidents with five or more appliances (fire engines) to take over the incident command or support the incident.
“I can attend other incidents to provide specialist advice (such as Hazardous materials or Waterrelated incidents). I can also be called to carry out a Tier 2 Fire Investigation where there has been a fire involving injuries or fatalities or high insurance losses.
“I work flexibly so sometimes
my lunch break is taken with colleagues at headquarters for half an hour and on other busy days these breaks may be a quick bottle of water and snack at a protracted incident.
“My role is slightly different to those colleagues at station, but generally I will look through previous incidents that may require a debrief, I have meetings with other colleagues to discuss learning and actions and inform on various findings. I take part in various training sessions to maintain my operational competencies. Incidents can come at any time and interrupt the arranged day on a regular basis.
“During a shift, anything can happen. We can be called to fires (domestic and commercial) preventing spread, extinguishing the fire and rescuing anyone involved, whilst also maintaining the safety of crews from the risks involved (such as carcinogenic products of combustion and collapsed structures).
“Then there are road collisions, where we will assess vehicle damage and impact to carefully extricate a casualty, with minimal impact and preventing further injury.
“We get calls to rescue trapped animals, using specialist teams and equipment to lift and stabilise large animals with reduced risk (and even the odd cat up a tree!).
“Then there are chemical spills, where we protect public and environment to reduce the impact of a spill and rescue those involved
where required.
“We don’t just cover fire but also water! We provide rescues from water-related incidents. We have specialist teams that can enter fast flowing water to rescue those involved and prevent further risk to the public.
“Another call out can be to collapsed structures. We have specialist rescue teams (including Search and Rescue dogs) to assist both national and international rescue operations.
“In the summer of 2022, our crews worked tirelessly through the heatwave, responding to large wildfires across the county whilst still responding to the other emergency calls with an increase of over 50% of calls through July and August.
“Since then part of my role has been to ensure the service is prepared as much as possible for the same conditions in future.
“Although it is still very male dominated, back in the early 2000s, I was one of very few females. This did not faze me but I definitely had a few barriers to break down.”
“I was promoted to watch manager about 15 years ago, I ran my own watch at Clacton Fire station, then 5 years ago I began the promotional process to become Station Manager.
“Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, as well as many others across the country, rely on the
commitment of on-call fire crews (those that respond to calls but are not primarily employed by the service). If anyone would be interested in a career supporting their communities, I’d encourage them to look into on-call vacancies at the local fire station.
“It’s a hard job, but I love it!”
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Putting people back at the heart of care with animations
Organisations like the NHS and the populations it needs to reach are so huge and diverse that communication is often an issue.
Change and development is constant and new initiatives and ways of working need to be communicated to everyone involved at every level quickly, clearly and succinctly.
This is a huge challenge for all sectors of the NHS, but one it is getting to grips with thanks to a little outside help.
The Department of Health and Social Care, in collaboration with NHS England, recently launched the Digitising Social Care Initiative, with the aim of easing the admin burden on workers and ultimately providing a better quality of care for patients.
But it needed to inform and educate everyone within the system as the new technology was
brought in.
So it turned to Cardiff-based animation studio Motion Manor with a request to create a number of animated videos to support their objectives and ease the workforce through the transition.
Motion Manor turned out to be a perfect choice.
Ant Green, managing director, said when he founded the business two and a half years ago, his aim was to work with changemakers, who were working to make the world a better place. The opportunity to work with the NHS was one he couldn’t pass up.
At Motion Manor, we believe we have the moral obligation to leave the world a better place than we found it,” Ant says.
Ant Green
“Storytelling has this incredible ability to engage, educate and influence so we feel we have a responsibility to use that to drive social impact to create a better world for future generations.
“Their mission was perfectly aligned with our values so we were really happy to lend our expertise and creativity to shape a product that would really help make an impact.
“We get more joy from creating work that changes lives, more than we ever would creating work that just makes someone more money. These are the clients, campaigns and missions that get us out of bed each morning and keep us so excited to keep growing.”
The DHSC project was a complex one, but it was a challenge Ant and his team embraced.
Firstly, they needed to ensure they
A stillshot from one of Motion Manor’s animated videos
Another stillshot from one of Motion Manor’s animated videos
catered to a diverse audience, many of whom might be resistant and in fear of the impact of digital technology.
Then they needed to condense the huge amount of information involved into a short, easy to understand message. The animation also needed to be memorable and feel warm and relatable rather than clinical and corporate.
The resulting short video was a big success.
Ant says: “Animation has this powerful ability to combine concise targeted messaging, with a style of visual that is uniquely tailored to connect with the target audience. Animation taps into a nostalgia we all have from when we were children which helps to ‘disarm’ the viewer so your story can really resonate.
“The client was so happy; they’re now using the illustrations we created across the whole Digitising Social Care Brand.”
Ant says many animation studios pass up opportunities like this in favour of working with big corporate brands with big budgets.
But he remains committed to helping organisations that need help the most, also offering expert guidance and
advice about how
to use the videos to greatest effect.
His team are now looking to future similar challenges, such as a campaign to boost the number of foster carers in the UK. Ant aims to create a package that can be tailored to each local authority but needs at least 12 local authorities to sign up.
To learn more about the project, contact Ant at anthony@ motionmanor.co.uk
To find out more about Motion Manor’s work and to get in touch, visit the company’s website here.
Rescue Rosie turns rescuer
A nurse who battled Covid-19 says her loyal rescue cockapoo nudged her back to health.
Michele Ibbs, then 57, from Wolverhampton, West Midlands, credits 12-yearold Rosie for getting her through.
Michele had returned to nursing as an RGN at the onset of the pandemic.
She was incapacitated for a week and spent 90 per cent of her time sleeping with Rosie at her side.
She said: “She
never left me, she was willing me on. If it wasn’t for her I don’t know what I would have done.
“I had to get up to let her out and to feed her, so that kept me going, it gave me a reason to look after me as well, every time Rosie ate or went out, I would make myself eat and I got stronger bit by bit.
“She’d give me a little nudge and never took her eyes off me.”
Michele rescued Rosie eight years ago when she was four.
Rosie was believed to be a former puppy farm breeding bitch who had been kept in a cage.
She was so terrified she would cower in the corner, wouldn’t go out for a walk and flinched every time she saw a walking stick or carrier bag.
But day by day for three months, Michele lovingly nursed her back to health
and now the pair go together to a local hospice and old people’s homes each Christmas to bring cheer to the patients and residents.
Michele was aiming to start the process of registering Rosie as a therapy dog before the pandemic hit.
Now she’s thanking Rosie for her help in her own recovery. And she’s been joined by a sister for Rosie (Looby Loo, another rescue).
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Rosie to the rescue
Fighting for free parking for NHS staff
England is the only country in the UK where NHS staff have to pay for parking at hospitals. Outraged consumer rights champion SCOTT DIXON says it’s time for a major change.
Hospital parking charges are nothing short of an insidious stealth tax on all Key Workers and ought to be scrapped. It is a regressive tax which impacts on low paid workers hardest.
I believe that nobody should have to pay to visit or work in a hospital, least of all Key Workers.
A
typical NHS staff worker in England pays around £1,000 a year to park at work, with some exhausted staff reportedly taking on extra shifts to cover the costs.
The Coronavirus pandemic was a game-changer. Hospital
parking became free for NHS staff, and local authorities and private providers also offered free parking to health and social care staff.
But that relief was shortlived and charges were reinstated in England in April 2022.
The UK Government only governs England when it comes to parking charges and insists it is right to end free parking for NHS workers, saying it was a time-limited measure during the pandemic and that it brings in funds for the NHS.
It cited back in March 2017 that abolishing charges would result in an estimated £200m per year being taken from clinical
care budgets to make up the shortfall.
But this policy is completely at odds with other nations in the UK.
Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have used their devolved powers to abolish parking charges.
The Welsh Assembly was the first to do so and parking became free at all Welsh hospitals by the end of 2018.
A spokesman for the Welsh Government said at the time: “Free parking provides a fairer and more consistent approach to parking policy.”
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf announced in August 2021 that hospital charges would end permanently in Scotland.
He said:
“We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to our NHS workforce for their heroic efforts throughout the pandemic and this will ensure that, along with
Scott Dixon
patients and visitors using our hospitals, they will not face the prospect of parking charges returning.”
In Northern Ireland, Stormont Assembly member Aisling Reilly MLA progressed a Bill which was given Royal Assent in May 2022.
She said: “The ethos of the National Health Service is that healthcare is free at the point of delivery, based on need and not on the ability to pay, yet, at the very first point of access, staff, patients and their loved ones are faced with a financial barrier.”
A two-year transition period was agreed and all parking charges will be scrapped in 2024.
This leaves England as the only nation in the UK that still has parking charges for NHS staff.
NHS England Estates data reports that in 2018/19, £86.2m was paid in parking charges by NHS staff.
Many NHS staff continue to oppose this but online petitions
by The Doctors’ Association, Every Doctor, Nursing Notes and Keep our NHS Public to make car parking permanently free for all NHS workers were rejected by the UK Government.
Another petition set up on www.change.org by a GP in March 2020 calling for NHS staff parking charges to be scrapped attracted over 1.1m signatures, yet it also didn’t make a difference.
A Government spokesman responded to the petitions by saying: “Free hospital parking for NHS staff was a time-limited measure during the pandemic. It is right to end this now as we learn to live with the virus. Free parking for staff working overnight remains.”
On top of these charges, NHS staff also say they are being unfairly penalised by private parking operators, who are notoriously unregulated. Staff are unaware that ‘penalty notices’ are simply invoices for an alleged breach of contract for parking on private land and not a fine.
Many Key Workers are on minimum wage, work long and unpredictable shifts and are forced to commute long distances because they cannot afford to live close to their place of work.
The NHS is facing a recruitment crisis and abolishing car parking charges for staff would go some way in easing this.
I would encourage NHS staff to lobby their local councillors and MPs.
It is unacceptable that people who are working to save lives and care for the sick must pay to park their car at work and something must be done soon.
Find out more about Scott’s work resolving complaints here.
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What’s so funny about being a Key Worker?
When hard work and humour collide, laughter can become the best medicine HAZEL DAVIS reports.
“I don’t think anyone wants a chuckle when I am inserting a suppository …”
I say, I say, did you hear the one about laughter being the best medicine? At the intersection of life, death and laughter lurk a group of Key Workers who, at the end of their shift, swap their scrubs and tabards for the bright lights of the stage.
Kevin Caswell-Jones from Wrexham has been a nurse since 1990, working in ITU since 1997. He left nursing in 2011 for a 9-5 job, returning during Covid and he’s been on the nurse bank ever since. He’s also been a keen comedy fan for the last 25 years.
“There was a time when it was quite rare – you had to seek it out and make considerable effort to get your fix,” he laughs, “I had always been able to make the coffee room/friends/family laugh and like everyone else in the business, I loved the sound of that but I was never sure if they were laughing at me or with me. I had this overwhelming itch though. Could I do the same to a room full of strangers?”
Eventually, Kevin says he began to understand the mechanics of a joke: ”the shapes and patterns and I also understood why some comics’ delivery was better than others.” His erratic shift work didn’t
lend itself very well to stand-up but in 2016 fellow comic, Paul White, started running comedy courses in Leeds. “The graduation was a gig in a small room – five minutes to a room full of strangers,” Kevin says. He was so nervous he took two days’ leave: ”One day for the five-minute gig and the next one to get over it.” The audience was supportive and although he thought, “I didn’t sound anything like my true voice,” he was hooked. Kevin quickly became active on the circuit, doing open-mic nights and becoming part of a small network.
“I’d pick up open spots [free gigs] and start to enter gong-show competitions where the reward is a longer spot or being booked by someone who sees you do well.” Pre-Covid, he says, “I once drove four hours to Brighton to do a free 10-minute spot”.
These days he drives less and mostly books and runs a successful comedy night in Wrexham but he’s had his fair share of highs
Kevin Caswell-Jones
and lows as a stand-up, notably “the Comedy Station in Blackpool where everything landed perfectly in a rowdy room and my first time doing a 10-minute spot at the Comedy Store. Driving three hours to Hull to play to four disinterested punters sticks in the mind …”.
Humour can be an incredibly useful skill to have in nursing, Kevin says: “People like it even in the most stressful and horrible circumstances. I’ve had cards and letters from bereaved families commenting on the humour that made it all somehow a little better, though I don’t dare over-analyse it, I just instinctively seem to know what feels right.”
Sharpness from stand-up can also be useful for disarming badtempered health care professionals (“for example, surgeons…”) trying to throw their weight around, says Kevin, “They seldom do it twice …”
Fellow comic and fellow nurse Maxine Wade wanted to be a stand-up since the age of nine. “In
one school assembly we all had to tell a joke. I pored over my jokes for hours and eventually went with the classic ‘A horse walks into a bar ....’ gag. I got a big laugh, and I was hooked.” She started standup in 2014, taking a short break and coming back in full force in 2019 –“I think we can all agree this was pretty terrible timing on my part” – qualifying as a nursing associate in 2022.
She now gigs at least once or twice a week, fitting it in around her home life and nursing job. “I gig all over but tend to stay in the north,” she says, “In the past year alone I have gigged in Liverpool, Manchester, Hull. Sunderland, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Sheffield. York and Leicester, to name a few –it’s a great way to see the UK.”
Maxine agrees that humour is excellent in her line of work:
“Often people’s hospital stays are peppered with anxiety and quite stressful conversations so I think it is good to be able to lighten the mood where I can and if it is appropriate, though I don’t think anyone wants a chuckle when I am inserting a suppository.”
But it works both ways too. “It really helps give me a bit of perspective,” Maxine says, “No one likes a bad gig but you can’t realistically rip the roof off every time. When I go to work and see my patients and the astounding fortitude they show, it makes me realise it’s all irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. It definitely keeps you humble doing standup one night and then the next morning be cleaning up vomit or sorting through stool samples …”.
Other funny Key Workers
Angela Barnes
Mock The Week stalwart Angela Barnes trained as a nurse after university. She told Beyond The Joke: “You realise that comedy doesn’t really matter that much when you’ve come from doing a job where people’s lives matter. During the pandemic we found out who was essential and comedians weren’t essential. Nurses and doctors were. So we’re sort of a luxury item.”
Jo
Brand
Much has been made of Jo Brand’s former career as a psychiatric nurse. In 2014 she was honoured by Canterbury Christ Church University for her work in mental health nursing. She told an audience at the Hay Festival that she once followed a patient around for two days to ensure she had not killed him.
Romesh Ranganathan
Romesh Ranganathan worked as a maths teacher before becoming one of the most beloved faces in UK comedy. He’s previously talked about how he assumed it was a job he’d be doing for the rest of his life, despite the long hours and workload.
Chris Washington
Wigan-born Chris Washington started doing standup in 2012. In 2017, he made his Edinburgh Fringe debut with his self-produced show “Dream Big (Within Reason)” after taking all his annual leave in his full-time job as a postman. The gamble paid off and that year Chris received a nomination for Best Newcomer, despite having no management, promoter or PR.
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A spot of visual humour from Kevin
Frontline to fiction
Swapping a life on the frontline for one behind the pages might seem daunting. TRACY BUCHANNAN highlights three authors who made this bold leap, trading their Key Worker day jobs to pursue their passion for storytelling.
From interrogation rooms to intriguing reads
Even with the demanding hours and intense responsibilities, Caroline Mitchell was deeply committed to her detective constable role at Essex Police. But her love for writing was just as strong, compelling her to craft tales on her laptop during her hour-long commutes.
In fact, writing became a form of therapy for her. “The hours were long and the job was challenging, but writing about characters who always had good outcomes in the end was therapeutic,” she reflects. “I handled some pretty dark stuff in my job, especially when I was in uniform. For example, one of the first jobs I went to when I was a probationer was a stabbing. I helped the paramedics on the scene and comforted the young man, stroking his hair as he slipped away and died. Writing was my way of dealing with incidents like that.”
Though Caroline managed to juggle her two passions for a while, when her first book was published and then her mum died suddenly, she struggled to cope. She knew
she had to make a choice: writing or her police career. Facing unpredictable rest days, potential holiday cancellations, and a frozen pay rise, she ultimately decided to leave the police and dedicate herself to writing her bestselling crime and thriller books full-time.
But she will never truly leave that part of her life behind. “I miss working in the police,” she admits. “Had the hours been more family friendly, I may never have left. Policing is a thankless profession, and I will always have tremendous respect for those walking the thin blue line.”
Caroline advises anyone with a novel inside them to start writing alongside their careers, no matter how small the progress might seem. “Even if you write a hundred words a day, it’s progress,” says Caroline.
Learn more about Caroline and her books here
From lesson plans to literary success
Turning 40 was a pivotal moment for former secondary school teacher Emma Robinson as it sparked the decision to write her first novel. “I’ve always wanted
Caroline Mitchell
Emma Robinson
to write,” Emma says. “The year I turned 40, I decided to put up or shut up.”
She began by penning humorous novels, but her later works shifted to deeper, more poignant themes, helped along by the teenage students she once taught. “In my book Only For My Daughter,” she shares, “I wrote about the mothers of two teenage girls and a knife crime incident. Two of my former sixth formers read it and let me know I’d got their voice right!”
But balancing the demands of teaching and writing finally became too challenging. So this summer, once Emma started making more money from her books than from teaching, she knew it was finally the right time to take the leap into writing full-time. And that leap has been worth it, her most gratifying moment seeing a copy of her book in Barnes & Noble on Fifth Avenue in New York!
Emma encourages carving out non-negotiable writing time and making sacrifices. “I’ve barely watched TV in five years and always take my laptop on holiday,” she confesses.
Learn more about Emma and her books here
From nursing homes to awardwinning novels
As a deputy manager in a private nursing home, Helena Dixon’s job was gruelling. Working long shifts with little respite, she often cared for residents with endstage dementia as well as those needing palliative care. But amid the challenges, she had a burning interest. “I loved nursing,” she states. “But I’ve always written and
will always write. Nursing was a choice but writing is who I am.”
Her passion for writing led her to use two pen names: Helena Dixon for cozy crime and Nell Dixon for contemporary romance. Once her writing earnings increased and a modest pension provided a safety net, she transitioned from nursing to write full-time.
She now credits her nursing background to making her bestselling novels such awardwinners. As she says: “My nursing career has seen me bring people into the world and I’ve been with them as they have left. I’ve had the privilege of supporting people through the worst and best times of their lives. This has greatly enriched my writing.”
Helena stresses the need for persistence. “I hope Key Workers can see it is possible to achieve their writing dream. Hard, but possible. If you have that fire inside you, then you should go for it.”
Learn more about Helena and her books here.
Useful Links
The Curtis Brown Creative Course is available here
FutureLearn Writing Courses are available here
Giveaways and Feedback Form
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Helena Dixon
Interview: Andy Fittes
We spoke to ANDY FITTES, a former police officer who is now director of bespoke company Century Tours.
What was your former job and how long did you spend in the role?
I was in the Metropolitan Police as an officer from 1987 until 2018 when I retired.
Can you tell us about a highlight of your previous job?
I helped plan a small bit of the Olympic Games with my team and we looked after the Live Site in Victoria Park (the one that Boris Johnson got stuck on the zip line in … I came up with the suggestion that got him down!) That was the high point of my planning role in the police which I loved.
After that I became a Federation Official and in 2014 became the General Secretary of the Police Federation of England and Wales. This meant I negotiated with Government (Theresa May to begin with) on pay and conditions for officers. That was a major challenge but I’m proud of the opportunity I had to do it. I also led a change programme for the Federation which was the first time it had changed in any major way since 1919.
Why did you leave your former job?
I had reached retirement age and after my last two roles in the Police (see below) I thought I had achieved all I wanted to do in the service and was ready for a new challenge.
Is there anything you miss about your former job?
The camaraderie is always great in public sector jobs like policing, and I miss the people.
Anything you really don’t miss?
The workload and pressure were intensive, and it is nice to work at a more relaxed pace. Also, I don’t miss shift work!
Would you go back if they asked you tomorrow?
No, I am happy that I did my bit and it’s time for others to have a go.
What is your new job title, and how long have you been in that role?
Katie and I formed Century Tours in the beginning of 2019. I am a Director of the company.
Was running a tour company or working in travel something you had always wanted to do?
No, it was totally different from what I thought I would be doing. But I’ve always loved travelling and history so wanted to be able to combine that with work. Katie and I also wanted to do something that we could work at together, so this was perfect for us.
Are there any downsides?
After 31 years in the Police, you do get used to the structure that it provides to your working day. It has been an adjustment to get used to being responsible for everything yourself. Also, you don’t get any paid holiday!
What is the best thing about having made that move?
Working together is brilliant and being our own bosses means we can arrange our days to suit our lives. Travelling on tours with people has been fantastic and creating our corporate team days has been really exciting.
What have been the biggest challenges?
We set up a new company during the pandemic and then had to deal with the cost-of-living crisis. It wasn’t the best bit of timing to join the travel industry but nevertheless we have enjoyed it all.
What has been a highlight of your new role so far?
Andy Fittes, right, with a police force colleague
Andy and Katie Fittes on a Century Tours trip to the Somme
Taking people on trips and to events has been the best bit about our company and working with Katie is never dull.
What is one piece of advice you can offer someone thinking of switching career?
There will be doubts, but if you want to be happy, follow your dream.
To find out more about Century Tours’ range of themed and bespoke tours for groups of all kinds, visit the company’s website here
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Giveaway: Levant perfume
Think of Dubai and you think of high-end hotels and a luxury lifestyle with gleaming buildings and extravagant nightlife.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can even stay in a Premier Inn.
Here are four Dubai tourist activities that won’t break the bank
The Dubai Fountain
An unforgettable sight that doesn’t cost a penny.
This is a stunning sight, with water jets and lights in harmony, creating a spectacular show amid 12 hectares of the waters of Burj Khalifa Lake.
Dubai Creek
A beautiful setting for walks and you can travel across the water.
Jumeirah Public Beach
You’ll find plenty to do at this beach, which is open from the early morning to well after sundown.
Dubai marina
This is a man-made canal city which was founded 21 years ago. Lots of shops and restaurants are available along the marina, with some that are friendly for budget-conscious travellers.
Also, a perfect vantage point for whale spotting!
Win a 100ml bottle of Levant Royal
Levant oils are made in a perfumery in Dubai and then carefully blended in small batches in the UK, before being hand-poured into bottles.
Attention to detail is important. From scents to standards, to people and packaging, Levant focuses on achieving the highest quality. Concentrating on creativity, a hand-crafted manufacturing process and ensuring they primarily use natural ingredients.
Indulge in the regal scent of royalty with Royal Levant, a limitededition perfume created to commemorate the King’s coronation.
Beautiful top notes of Bulgarian rose, Jasmine and orange blossom. The middle notes of Jasmine blend down to base notes of cedar, patchouli and vetiver.
Recommended retail price £79.
Find out more at www.levantperfume.com
To have the change to win a 100ml bottle of Levant Royal, please click here to submit your name and email address. We will be adding all entrants to our mailing list but you may opt out later if you wish.
For full giveaway terms and conditions, please see page 66. Closing date: 31 July 2024.
Giveaway: Algarve break for two
With the region recently being awarded “Best Beach in the World”, what better time to visit Portugal and get some sun!
We are delighted to offer a week stay in the beautiful Algarve region of Portugal to one lucky winner of our competition!
Despite being a popular tourist destination for over 50 years, the Algarve remains a relatively quiet and relaxed location, even in peak season. Local food and drink also remains very affordable compared to many other sun desinations.
With beautiful beaches, tasty local food and undiscovered wines, the winner of our competition will no doubt enjoy a wonderful break from any stresses back home.
Our Algarve break for two will be available to take at any time of the winner’s choosing between 1 September 2024 and 30 June 2025.
To have the chance to win a dream break for two, please click here to submit your name and email address.
We will be adding all entrants to our mailing list but you may opt out later if you wish.
For full giveaway terms and conditions, please see page 66. Closing date: 31 July 2024.
Santa Euláia beach
Maria Luísa beach
Book review: Paradigm Shift
Paradigm Shift: Change your mindset and live the life of your dreams by Itayi Garande
Itayi Garande, wears many hats as an author, lawyer, and businessman. Known for his insightful writings, Garande has authored several Amazon No. 1 Best Sellers, including “Reconditioning: Change Your Life in One Minute,” “Shattered Heart: Overcoming Death, Loss, Breakup and Separation,” and “Broken Families: How to get rid of toxic people and live a purposeful life”.
His latest offering, “Paradigm Shift: Change Your Mindset and Live the Life of Your Dreams,” continues his streak of success as within just 72 hours of its release, the book became a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon! Available in various formats, this book has garnered acclaim for its transformative insights and practical wisdom.
In “Paradigm Shift,” Itayi Garande delivers a compelling narrative of personal empowerment and transformation. Through a blend of insightful anecdotes, practical exercises, and profound wisdom, Garande guides readers on a journey towards self-discovery and growth.
Key Themes
Garande underscores the significance of cultivating a mindset that embraces change and views challenges as opportunities for growth. He illustrates how shifting perspectives can open doors to new possibilities and empower individuals to
overcome obstacles.
The book offers actionable steps and strategies for readers to implement in their own lives, from goal setting to establishing daily habits. Garande encourages readers to take proactive steps towards realising their aspirations, emphasising the importance of action and implementation.
Resilience and adaptability are recurring themes throughout the book. Garande highlights the importance of bouncing back from setbacks and viewing challenges as opportunities for growth.
Strengths of the book
Garande’s writing style is clear, concise, and accessible, making complex concepts easy to grasp. Readers from all walks of life can benefit from his practical advice and insights.
“Paradigm Shift” addresses timeless themes of personal growth and empowerment, making it relevant to readers at various stages of life and career paths.
Unlike many self-help books, “Paradigm Shift” provides actionable advice and exercises for readers to apply in their own lives, empowering them to enact positive change.
Key Takeaways
The book encourages readers to embrace change as a catalyst for personal growth. Setting clear, achievable goals and taking consistent action towards their attainment is emphasised.
Building resilience is essential for overcoming setbacks and adversity.
Practising gratitude can foster a positive outlook and enhance overall well-being.
Conclusion
“Paradigm Shift” is a roadmap to a life of abundance and possibility. Itayi Garande’s insightful guidance and unwavering optimism make this book a transformative read that will inspire readers to break free from limitations and pursue their dreams with passion and purpose.
The paperback edition of Paradigm Shift can be purchased here. The Kindle edition can be purchased here.
Page 63 Levant perfume
Page 64
Algarve break for two
Giveaways
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The final word
“I
always wondered why somebody doesn’t do something about that. Then I realised I was somebody.”
