Kent County Council opens food voucher scheme for the summer
The funding comes from the Department for Work and Pensions and is administered by the KCC's Financial Hardship team.Organisations such as Citizens Advice, NHS trusts and housing associations are referring people into the scheme, according to KCC.The authority said that a winter support scheme would follow later in the year.Applicants will have the option to choose between energy or food vouchers, or a combination of both.KCC leader Linden Kemkaran said: "This funding is for those in need and for those who are struggling with rising living costs."Applicants are reminded that this is taxpayers' money, so please spend it wisely on food and essential household items only."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
3 minutes ago
- The Sun
Decide which route is right for you after GCSEs with our guide on understanding what your main options are
GCSE results day is fast approaching but this year the future is looking a little different for 16 and 17-year-olds. Instead of taking the traditional route of A-levels or technical qualifications, we are seeing more school leavers opting to go straight to work. 5 In 2023, just four per cent of 16 and 17-year-olds went into employment after finishing their GCSEs. But figures from early careers platform reports a near-doubling of enquiries for Level 2 and 3 apprenticeships, which are designed for young people leaving school after their GCSEs. 'We're witnessing a significant shift in how young people view their career paths post GCSEs,' says Oliver Sidwell, co-founder of 'With university fees continuing to climb, increasing competition for places and growing concerns about graduate employment prospects, today's students are making pragmatic choices.' And Dan Miller, founder of Young Professionals UK, which places school leavers into professional apprenticeships, has also seen a 'huge rise' in 16 and 17-year-olds eager to get straight to work, fuelled by social media. He said: 'The ever increasing online visibility of successful apprentices and young entrepreneurs are both reshaping what success looks like for this generation.' You must be in full-time education or training until you are 18. So to help you decide which route is right for you, here are your main options after GCSEs. A-LEVELS: Most students take three or four to prepare them for work or Uni, with around 80 subjects on offer nationally. Check with your school or college as to what they offer. APPRENTICESHIPS: The 'earn as you learn' schemes offer real work experience alongside the chance to study for professional qualifications. After GCSEs you will start at Level 2/3 and you can continue up to Level 7, which is equivalent to a masters degree. See apprenticeship. GMB talks to students ahead of GCSE results Cassie Holloway left school at 16 and found an apprenticeship through Young Professionals. Now 19, she is a senior recruitment consultant at Office Angels. Cassie, from Northampton, said: 'I wasn't the most well-behaved or engaged student at school, which meant I didn't achieve the grades I needed to get into sixth form. 'However, finding an apprenticeship changed everything. For the first time, I felt important, I had a real purpose. That gave me the motivation I needed to work hard. 'Apprenticeships offer real-world experience that you simply can't get in a lecture hall. 'Plus, you're earning a proper wage instead of racking up debt — it's a win-win situation. Follow @youngprouk on Instagram for real-time advice, updates and job opportunities. T-LEVELS: A classroom-based alternative to apprenticeships for 16 to 18 year olds, with a 45-day industrial placement. Careers range from science to finance, to creative and design and students are awarded UCAS tariff points in line with 3 A-Levels. Vocational qualifications: Qualifications such as BTECs give young people a broad overview of working in a specific sector, such as business, media, engineering, leisure or science and technology. Autumn resits: Want to improve your GCSE grades? Examination boards offer autumn resists in all subjects. Talk to your school or college. Get help: See or call 0800 100 900. The helpline is free and is open weekdays 8am-8pm and Saturday from 10am-5pm. 5 CLASSY CAREER MOVES LEE BIGGINS, above, left school at 16 and is now an entrepreneur and founder of jobs board CV-Library. Here are his top tips for 16-year-old leavers who are keen to start a 'proper job' immediately. 1. Show you are serious from the start: Dress appropriately for interviews, arrive on time and put effort into every task as first impressions really last. 2. Learn workplace skills: Practice the basics such as answering the phone, greeting customers and clients, allowing you to adapt to different workplace environments. 3. Demonstrate determination: Be dependable, punctual, enthusiastic and willing to learn and adapt – all traits employers value as much as skills in the right profession. 4. Start networking: Stay connected with school friends, colleagues, managers and people you meet through work. 5. Use LinkedIn and industry forums to build relationships that could help in the future. 6. Say yes to new opportunities: If a task or project feels daunting or unfamiliar, give it a go as it is how you will build skills, confidence, tenacity and resilience. 7. Take feedback constructively: Listening, learning and improving will help you progress faster, building resilience and a stronger set of skills going forward. 8. Think beyond your first job: Use the skills and experience you gain to open doors to future opportunities. Train up with Tech SMALL businesses and charities struggling to take on apprentices have been given a lifeline by Virgin Media O2, which a £1million apprenticeship levy fund to train people for roles in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Organisations can access the fund to cover the cost of training for eligible roles. The programme is designed to support women and people from global majority backgrounds looking to progress in a STEM-based jobs. The fund concept is backed by three-star Michelin chef Clare Smyth, who began her career as an apprentice. She said: 'By tackling access and affordability constraints, and targeting underrepresented groups, this scheme can make a huge difference to communities across the country.' Currently, four in five employers say they would be more likely to hire apprentices if additional financial support was available, so the scheme could unlock hundreds of opportunities for young people and career-changers. Employers can apply at: You can make the grade 5 DIDN'T get the grades you wanted? Don't worry, you can always retake to up your score. Here Jacqui Maher, deputy principal at Birmingham's South & City College, shares her GCSE resit guidance. 1. Don't panic – it may feel like the end of the world right now, but it's not a disaster and you're not alone. 2. Even celebrities such as Robbie Williams have spoken about their intention to resit exams. 3. Don't let your results put you off enrolling for a course that will lead to the career of your choice. You can study a resit alongside your vocational programme – it might just take a little longer. 4. Taking resits needn't be an isolating experience. Get in touch with your local further education college as it might offer supported tuition, so regardless of your background or financial position, high- quality tuition is available. 5. Communicate with your teacher about your doubts, try to work on your weaknesses, and be prepared to try out different study techniques until you find what really works for you. 6. Be prepared to put in the time. Resitting either English or maths GCSE without any commitment to studying won't lead to improved results. 7. Seek reassurance in the fact that you're not the first to resit an exam and those who've come before you have often found it a positive experience. On our Get Further programme, students have said: 'Just keep at it. Make sure you get a little bit done every day, attend as much as you can, and really understand it.' Careers in store EVERY little Helps, but Tesco is offering GCSE leavers a lot of extra help with its Stronger Starts Retail Apprenticeship. Trainees are offered employment alongside studying for a Level 2 National Standard in Retail qualification for the scheme. If needed, you can study for Maths and English Functional Skills, equivalent to GCSEs. Trainees also get a mentor from Lifetime, a manager and colleague buddy to help guide them, plus pastoral support from the King's Trust's Power Up programme. Summer Pleasant took the scheme and now works in the Skegness store. She said: 'It's a real opportunity to take the first steps into a career in the world of retail.' See
The Guardian
33 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Arne Slot insists Florian Wirtz must reach Salah's level to meet Liverpool expectations
Arne Slot has said Florian Wirtz must reach the standards set by Mohamed Salah to realise Liverpool's expectations of their new record signing. Wirtz will make his Premier League debut when the champions open the season at home to Bournemouth on Friday. Slot said the Germany international's 'adjustment went better than expected, and we already expected a lot', but admitted a more accurate gauge would take time. Liverpool consider the 22-year-old a transformative signing in the mould of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson. Their head coach believes Wirtz can have a similar impact by following the example of Salah, who continues to set the standards at Liverpool and has scored nine goals in seven opening-day fixtures, a Premier League record. Slot was asked whether Wirtz was a signing to take Liverpool to the next level. 'That is something I can only answer in the upcoming years,' he said. 'Everything we expect is very positive, but between expecting and realising something is different. 'Why are Messi and Ronaldo and Mo so highly regarded? Because they are always fit. Every single game they are fit and that is something that Florian first has to show in a league like ours. If he is able to stay fit then our fans will see great moments.' Liverpool paid a club record £100m to sign the attacking midfielder from Bayer Leverkusen and he could cost a British record £116m with add-ons. Slot, however, denies Wirtz is a statement signing by the club, who beat Bayern Munich and Manchester City to his signature. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion 'Liverpool have done this before,' he said. 'With Alisson Becker we spent so much money, with Virgil we spent so much money, and with inflation I think it is the [level of] Liverpool signing. We mainly make these signings. But we also sell players. If we make these signings, we also have to sell players. 'He is a different profile to what we have. That is what we wanted – to bring a different profile in rather than adding something that we already had. It is very positive that we could bring in such a highly regarded player, but Liverpool has always been able to bring in these kinds of players.' Liverpool's summer spending will pass the £300m mark when the 18-year-old defender Giovanni Leoni joins from Parma for an initial £26m. The club also want to add Marc Guéhi and Alexander Isak. On a summer of change at Anfield, Slot said: 'I would have preferred Trent [Alexander-Arnold] to stay, but unfortunately he didn't. Then you have to replace him. Then you have situations like Caoimhín Kelleher and Jarell Quansah. It is always hard for a player to have two or three seasons like this [not being a regular] in a row and if a player is not able to do this mentally then it is best to split ways and you have to replace. 'The Luís Diaz and Darwin Núñez situations are quite clear so then you have to replace. I think we did that really well. From the options we could get we got all the ones we would like to bring in.'
The Sun
33 minutes ago
- The Sun
Reeves insists she will focus on boosting collapsing productivity in Budget after GDP figures… but talk is cheap
End product LABOUR came into Government promising growth. So naturally Chancellor Rachel Reeves yesterday seized gratefully on better than expected GDP figures. But the truth is that growth has halved since her National Insurance rise hit business and cost jobs. Any increase achieved in the second quarter of this year came off the back of massive Government spending. Reeves now insists she will relentlessly focus on boosting Britain's collapsing productivity in her Autumn Budget. But — unlike current Government borrowing costs — talk is cheap. We heard much of the same from the last five Tory Chancellors and precious little growth followed. Ultimately, it will be on the delivery that she is judged. The Chancellor's first Budget damaged the private sector. 1 Tik a hike AT first glance the gloating Tik Tok migrant exposed by The Sun appears to be like tens of thousands of other young men who have come to Britain illegally from a safe country in order to make money. That alone should be enough to boot Afghan Parwiz Hanifyar out of Britain. Migrant housed in UK asylum hotel promoted how to kill 'cheating wives' with a razor blade But now we have uncovered disturbing evidence that he is a clear and present danger to women, too. In a message, he tells his followers in sickening detail how he would kill his wife if he ever caught her being unfaithful, and suggests they should do the same. There can be no justification for him staying in Britain at our expense, at a four-star asylum hotel. Get him out now. Day of peace? EIGHTY years ago today the suffering and sacrifice necessary to defeat evil in the Far East finally came to a close. VJ Day marks more than the end of the Pacific war which eventually saw the US and its allies conquer Japan. After the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this day in August 1945 represented a crossroads in human history. Those dreadful weapons unleashed hell — but meant starving British PoWs in Japanese torture camps were given hope of survival. This year the anniversary falls on the same day a US President tries to end a war in Europe. The enormous sacrifices of the wartime generation are a timely reminder of what is at stake.
