Parenting & Guardianship

with Roberta Smart

November has to be one of my favourite months of the year. As we deepen into darkness of wintertime, we turn to our imaginations to bring more and more light into our lives.

From bonfire night to Diwali, festivals of light to Christingles, we can see light being the focus of every celebration, and it is simply joyous.

This year the world has taken on a rather new shape and now more than ever we need to ‘look to the light’ to stay happy and healthy. So, how can you and your family bring more light into your lives during the gloomy days and rather chilly nights?

Not many of us have the blessing of a real fire in our homes anymore and we are all well aware of the perils of central heating and energy bills. Consider installing a wood-burning stove (check the current regulations) or, for a more temporary solution, a chiminea in the garden. With a warm blanket and mug of hot chocolate in hand, you can enjoy sitting together and catching up on the day.

Candles give off a surprising amount of heat, and with the plethora of gorgeously scented candles in jars these days you can bring light and fragrance to every room in your home. Make sure they’re placed out of reach of little hands, and remember to put them out before leaving the room.

Invite the children to make paper lanterns to decorate their own homes, or create handmade bunting to string across the doorways. Adding colour and creativity to a space certainly brings a smile to everyone’s face and you can all have fun creating together.

As we turn down the thermostat and watch our energy consumption, now is a great time to help kids see the connection between the way we live and how we pay for it. A great winter project could be to create a game of ‘Energy Watch’ – using your smart meter or energy watch device, make a note of which appliances in your home use the most energy and create a plan to cut energy usage by creative means.

When tied in to celebrations of light and creative approaches to illumination and celebrations, this could be an incredible opportunity to help children of all ages begin to learn about how we live and the hidden costs of the things we take for granted. It’s also a great time to make changes within the family such as cutting down laundry, avoiding using the tumble dryer, recycling more conscientiously, or cutting food waste and being creative with leftovers. There are so many ways in which we can all change how we live and make massive inroads into improving our lives. Maybe this time of tightening belts and watching the budget could be one of the biggest opportunities we have ever had to truly make a difference. Stay warm and stay safe, and I’ll see you in December. The Local Answer To advertise call 01242 510500 Page 15

National Star, one of Gloucestershire’s largest education and healthcare employers, has launched an autumn recruitment drive for staff to work at the disability charity in Gloucester, Cheltenham and Ullenwood.

Growing numbers of students with disabilities aged 16-25 years old wish to learn at National Star and the charity is actively seeking new care and support workers to join its team. National Star offers competitive rates of pay, a £250 welcome bonus, rst class career progression and a free minibus for staff to get to Ullenwood.

There are many benefits to working at National Star

Other benets include free use of a tness suite and swimming pool, cashback on everyday healthcare costs and a ‘refer a friend’ scheme where staff receive a bonus of up to £1,000 for recommending a friend or family member to work at the charity.

Last year, staff received a ve per cent pay award and the charity has already committed to a minimum 4 per cent pay rise in 2023, along with a one-off £250 winter payment to help staff with rising energy costs.

The charity has a large team of chefs and catering staff. Unlike other jobs in hospitality, National Star’s catering specialists rarely work evenings and weekend working is shared amongst the team.

National Star’s staff team has a broad range of skills gained from working in a range of previous industries including retail, hospitality, early years education and healthcare. Although previous experience of working with people with disabilities is desirable, it is not essential for many roles.