There’s no doubt Christmas is set to be a little different this year.
The uncertainty around the nature of the festive season is playing on everyone’s mind due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the level of restrictions which may be put in place, and the economic fallout, but for the 1.9 million+ people who use foodbanks in our society, that isn’t the only thing they have to worry about.
Ensuring they have access to food and vital items at Christmas time is always a priority.
But it’s more important this year than ever before – with families and children expected to be hit hardest – and this is why charities and foodbank organisations are speaking out and urging the public to do their bit.
For shoppers, taking the time to donate even one item can have a huge impact on someone’s life this winter.
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“The effects of the pandemic are being felt far and wide,” says FareShare UK CEO Lindsay Boswell.
“More people than ever are turning to charities and community groups because they’re unable to feed themselves and their families.”
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She continued: “A single tin of tuna or vegetables may not seem like much to give, but if enough people make a small donation, together those donations can make a big difference to people who need our help this winter.”
The Trussell Trust
Earlier this month, a report by charity The Trussell Trust – which runs a network of 1,300 foodbank centres across the UK – confirmed a 47% increase in support needed during the pandemic, with a record 1.2 million emergency food parcels being handed out in the first six months of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
From April to September, more than 470,000 of the food parcels were delivered to children, which on average came to around 2,600 every day.
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Speaking on the importance of donations this year, Emma Revie – CEO of The Trussell Trust – said: “The pandemic has shown what can happen when we stand together in the face of adversity and how much people are willing to give to support their local community.”
The Trussell Trust is expecting its network of UK food banks to give out an emergency food parcel every nine seconds this winter.
FareShare is also set to supply food to 11,000 frontline charities.
If you’re looking for a way to make a worthy contribution ahead of the festive season, Tesco is among one of the leading UK supermarket retailers calling on shoppers to make a difference with a collection – which has been launched in Tesco Express, Tesco Metro and Tesco Extra stores nationwide – in partnership with FareShare UK and The Trussell Trust.
Customers are being asked to donate food up to 21st November.
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It’s as simple as buying the items with your usual shopping and dropping them in the dedicated Food Collection trolley at the exit, and the food needed includes longer-life items such as rice, tea and tinned goods, all of which can be made into nutritious meals.
You can help support people in crisis across the UK by donating long-life items like these in all Tesco stores from 19-21 Nov.
Claire De Silva – Head of Community at Tesco – said: “Every year customers are so generous, but this is not a normal year,”
“The two charities we work with need to provide more food than ever this Christmas.”
All the food that goes to FareShare is used to provide meals for vulnerable groups – such as isolated older people, and those in homeless shelters – and customers unable to contribute food in store can help by donating Tesco Clubcard points to the two organisations.
Tesco will top up the value of all donations with an additional 20% in cash.
If Tesco isn’t your local supermarket, donations of food and vital items can also be made at other supermarket retailers – including as Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and more – as well as other local independent foodbanks, and through a range of community-led initiatives.
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The simple hack that can save healthcare workers and teachers money on their holidays
Danny Jones
With cost-of-living pressure ever-present in the background of most everyday lives, finding some spare pennies for a getaway feels more difficult than ever, and if there’s anyone who deserves discounts on a holiday, it’s healthcare workers.
That’s why, when we became aware of the simple hack that can save those working in healthcare services money on holidays, we thought we’d help spread the word.
We’re sure lots of you working within the sector already know plenty about this booking strategy, but for anyone who doesn’t, how do you fancy saving up to half a grand on your next jolly?
In fact, even those working in education can cut their costs, too.
With searches for ‘holiday voucher code’ up by 73% on Google, and even the likes of TikTok seeing ‘money saving tips’ up by 45%, travel agency TUI have decided to team up with the Health Service Discounts platform for 2026.
Providing those who work for the NHS with a ‘Holidays for Heroes’ (HfH) access code on various popular peak-season trips, this exclusive discount can be added on top of all other seasonal TUI deals, including the company’s ‘First Choice’ package holidays.
With the HfH code alone guaranteeing workers an extra £100 off their bookings, play your cards right, and you could get up to £500 in total discounts overall.
How to access the healthcare ‘Holidays for Heroes’ deal
Separate from standard Blue Light card savings, here’s how it works, and don’t worry, it’s all very simple:
As mentioned, education workers can also benefit from similar money off, with an extra £50 per person through the TUI x Discounts for Teachers partnership, as well.
Ella Foden-Lynch, Partnerships Manager for TUI, said in a statement: “Getting away is absolutely vital for wellbeing, especially for those working in high-stress healthcare and education roles.
“With the cost-of-living crisis still putting a strain on household budgets, we know how hard it is to stretch your pay to cover a much-needed family break. By unlocking these exclusive TUI deals, we hope to give our key workers the realistic recovery time they deserve without the financial worry.”
So, for those of you healthcare heroes and teachers looking for a well-deserved break, we urge you to find an affordable holiday that suits you very soon. With cheaper airport pints also inbound later this year, here’s hoping you save even more spends for when you’re away.
The new James Bond game is full of Easter eggs – including a nod to Manchester United
Danny Jones
Even if you’re not a big gamer, you may have seen that a rather popular new James Bond game recently dropped: 007 First Light – and if you’ve played it yourself, you will have no doubt come across many Easter eggs and references throughout, including one to Manchester United.
As we happen to be currently playing it for ourselves, we’ll admit that hearing any mention of our hometown or even just quintessentially UK nods that any Brit would enjoy was likely to result in putting a grin on our faces.
That being said, apart from whenever the next FIFA—sorry, EA Sports FC drops, we weren’t expecting to hear Man United brought up in one of the biggest video games of the year.
In fact, we’re going to go out on a limb and say that nobody has this on their 2026 bingo card.
Credit: @CaptPierce93 via r/Manchester (screenshots shared to Reddit)
It may just be a slightly tongue-in-cheek throwaway line in a cutscene, but it’s still been enjoyed by many around the world.
As player ‘CaptPierce93’ writes in his caption of his Reddit post sharing the snippet: “The game has a good splash of product placements that don’t get overwhelming; an earlier portion of the game even has radio chatter of a Manchester City and Liverpool match as well.”
He’s right as well: we’ve come across lots of different little interesting nuggets and cameos during our limited playtime, and it’s safe to say we’re looking forward to seeing what else we can spot.
While any Mancunian or true, dyed-in-the-wool United fan will no doubt squirm a little at the use of ‘Man U‘ (we’re thinking like when people ‘Manny’), it’s still pretty cool nonetheless.
You can see the specific scene in full down below.
Such a surreal few seconds.
There’s something very satisfying about hearing ‘Greenway’ – played by recognisable British actor Lennie James (Snatch, The Walking Dead, Blade Runner 2049) – utter the words “Stretford End”.
And before you ask, no, he isn’t a Red: the South Londoner is a Spurs fan and is also said to have a soft spot for Valencia, as it happens.
We’re pretty sure there aren’t any other Manc references to keep your eye out for, but we’ll let you know if we stumble upon more as we continue playing the game.
There’s something about videogame Easter eggs, in-jokes and refs like these that we never tire of; you just never know what little tidbits are going to inspire someone…
Emily Sergeant -
19th November 2020 
