Wakehurst celebrates American Prairie anniversary
"The prairie lights up the Wakehurst landscape with colour and character and teaches us that when plant communities are allowed to evolve organically, beauty, biodiversity, and climate resilience naturally follow," Mr Parkinson said. The project began in 2019 when scientists from the Millennium Seed Bank travelled across Illinois and neighbouring states in the USA to hand-collect seeds to create seed-mixes tailored to Sussex's chalk-clay soils. Horticulturalist Jack Harrison, who is in charge of the prairie, said: "You will not be able to predict what plant is going to grow in what spot and the benefit to doing this is that the plants will germinate in spaces that suit them."This means that you will never plant the wrong plant in the wrong place." The Coronation Meadow is also celebrating a decade since it was created as part of the then Prince of Wales' call for more wildflower meadows to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's coronation.
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Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The huge mistake almost everyone is making when washing their socks
If you've been dutifully turning your socks the right way around before tossing them in the washing machine - think again. It's instinctive to turn socks out the right way before washing, particularly if there's visible dark marks along the underside. But a laundry expert explained that this is in fact the opposite of what you need to do to achieve the best possible clean. According to a washing product scientist, the correct way to wash socks is to first turn them 'inside out'. 'To achieve optimal cleaning, turn your socks inside out before washing,' Sara Shorter, a Research and Development Product Scientist at Unilever, told the Daily Mail. The cleaning expert, who works with brands like OMO, Radiant and Surf, said there are two main reasons why socks will benefit from being washed this way. From a hygiene perspective, Sara explained that 'washing socks inside out enables dead skin and bacteria to be removed more effectively'. The second reason relates to maintaining their condition in the long term. If socks are visibly dark and dirty on the sole and heel, Sara suggested the additional pre-wash step of 'applying some laundry liquid directly to the stain before turning inside out and washing' 'Washing inside out keeps your socks looking newer for longer by reducing friction on the outside of the socks, which helps to maintain patterns and colours,' Sara said. However, if socks are visibly dark and dirty on the sole and heel, the expert suggested an additional pre-wash step as the best method to refresh them. 'If socks are stained, apply some laundry liquid directly to the stain before turning inside out and washing,' Sara recommended. Using a 'good quality detergent' in your washing machine is also a must according to the cleaning product formulator. And if you're serious about preserving the lifespan of your socks, Sara also suggests avoiding warm water and switching to a cold water washing powder because this better 'preserves the fabric and elasticity of the socks'. In addition to following the inside-out washing technique, the way you dry your socks can also impact their longevity. Sara recommends 'hanging your socks to dry instead of using a dryer' - and as with washing, they should be inside out. 'Line drying helps to maintain shape and elasticity,' she explained. However, the product scientist also suggested being mindful of limiting your socks' exposure to direct sunlight 'because the UV in sunlight can break down the elastane in socks'. 'No one wants saggy socks,' she added. Sara also confirmed that 'socks should be washed after every wear'. 'Frequent washing is important because feet sweat. Damp, dirty socks can lead to fungal infections or offensive odours.' By contrast, a separate laundry expert recently told Daily Mail that towels might not need to be washed quite as often as most people think. A report earlier this year saw a spokesperson from UK expert testing and review site Which? recommend that towels should be washed around 'once a week' – depending on their level of usage. 'You might find yourself wondering how often you really need to wash your towels, but the answer depends on your household setup, and how you look after them,' the consumer watch group spokesperson explained. The Which? expert suggested that 'around once a week, especially for hand towels,' was the ideal amount of washes. Furthermore, if towels have become crispy and scratchy over time, the consumer group spokesperson offered a solution that could return them to their original, fluffy state. 'Try soaking them in a mix of water and white vinegar (one cup of vinegar to four cups of water is a good general guide),' the Which? spokesperson advised. 'Then rinse off the vinegar and machine wash at 40°C rather than 60°C, making sure the load is no more than three-quarters full to ensure room for the towels to move around.'
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Call for help with school uniform costs in England
Call for help with school uniform costs in England , Few councils offer school uniform support, and one of the UK's largest debt advisers has called on the government to change that Author, Dan Whitworth & Dearbail Jordan Role, Reporting from Winsford, Cheshire 16 minutes ago Low-income families in England struggling with the cost of school uniform should be offered grants as standard, one of the UK's largest debt advisers has said. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, all families on certain benefits can claim between £93 to £200 per child for back-to-school clothing. But Money Wellness found only a fifth of councils in England offer any support and has called on the UK government to introduce a statutory school clothing grant. The Department for Education (DfE) said it was already changing the law to limit the number of branded items schools can insist on, saving some families over £50 on the back-to-school shop. However, the average cost of a school uniform is just over £340 for primary school children and around £454 for those in secondary education, according to DfE figures. "For many low-income households, even with such savings, uniforms will remain unaffordable without proper support," said Adam Rolfe, policy and public affairs officer at Money Wellness. Money Wellness says of 153 local education authorities in England, just 22 offer a dedicated uniform grant, while a further seven provide help but only in exceptional circumstances such as fire, flooding or being made homeless. It said the data reveals a "postcode lottery of support". Councils in places such as London, Yorkshire, and the north west offer help ranging between £30 to £170 per child. But, it said: "The vast majority offer nothing at all." Mr Rolfe said: "We urgently need a consistent, national approach to school uniform support to ensure no child is disadvantaged simply because of where they live." The Local Government Association, the membership group for English councils, said: "While some councils choose to help parents with the cost of school uniforms, funding pressures on council budgets make it increasingly difficult for them to continue these concessionary grants. Sorry, we can't display this part of the story on this lightweight mobile page. View the full version of the page to see all the content. While pupils in England are still out for the summer, the break finishes in around four weeks' time and the Children's Society charity said now is the time that school uniform banks are starting to get busier. For Carrie, who was getting a uniform for her son Dillion for his new secondary school, places like the Green Uniform and Baby Bank in Cheshire are "invaluable". Image caption, Carrie, here with her son Dillon, said uniform banks are "invaluable" "It's a real challenge to be able to afford a brand new school uniform," she told the BBC. Carrie said she had ordered £200 worth of new items, and she could "now send some things back" and even buy some spares. "It's a real safety net," she said. But Carrie said there were other costs too such as shoes and football boots. "And Dillon will grow out of them so it is a continual issue really and with Christmas not far off, it is back-to-back for families with costs." Image caption, Jason, with Amelia, Julie and Bobby, says councils should standardise help with school uniform costs With household bills such as energy, water and council tax rising in April, Mr Rolfe said the costs of the start of the school year was an added financial burden. Jason, who was at the Green Uniform and Baby Bank in Cheshire with his wife Julie and their children Amelia and Bobby, said it was not just low income families who were struggling with costs. "You might earn a lot of money however, bills are going up, the cost of living is going up. We're in a sort of crisis where everyone's trying to save or penny-pinching wherever they can," he said. Josh, whose daughter Isabella was going into year seven, said the cost of school uniforms was "very high", but he received an email from the school telling him about the bank. Image caption, Josh, with Isabella, says there's no longer a stigma about secondhand clothes "It just helps places like this to support everyone, keep it a fair price," he said. "It's great for everyone, there's no judgement on using secondhand clothes. There used to be a lot of stigma, it had to be branded but now there's no stigma on that, everyone's in the same boat struggling." And it is a sustainable way to shop, according to Jason: "You're not having uniforms and clothes going to landfill sites". Image caption, The Green Uniform and Baby Bank's Michelle Hawthorne says it has never been busier Michelle Hawthorne, who helps run a school uniform bank in Winsford, Cheshire, said school uniform costs were an "enourmous" pressure for families. "If you have multiple children across multiple schools, as a lot of our families do, you can see how the cost of that can become... unbearable." A Department for Education spokesperson said: "Our Plan for Change is removing barriers to opportunity, with limits on branded items of school uniform just one of the steps we're taking to put money back into parents' pockets and break the link between background and success." Get in touch If you are a parent, can you afford school uniforms? Do you have any money saving tips? Tell us. Contact form How to save money on school uniform If a council does not have a school uniform grant, families can apply for help through the Household Support Fund. Each council administers this differently, so check council websites for details Check to see if the school organises second-hand uniform sales, or runs their own pre-loved uniform bank Check with retailers including major supermarkets for back-to-school deals on uniform basics
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Increase in vapes found on Britain's coastline by beach clean volunteers
Volunteer beach cleaners are finding more vapes than ever before as plastic pollution chokes Britain's coastline. The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) on Wednesday launches its annual beach clean, which last year involved more than 15,000 volunteers who completed more than 1,200 litter surveys. The charity is calling for swift and strong action at the UN's global plastics conference in Geneva this week, where countries are deciding on their pollution policies. Some forms of plastic are on the rise, according to MCS litter volunteers. Of those surveyed, 41% mentioned finding more plastic items (including plastic cups, bottle caps/lids, microplastics), including 19% more vapes, 26% more fishing litter (including lines/nets), 11% more dog poo bags and 11% more wet wipes. But there were some positive findings that demonstrated how good policy can make a difference. Volunteers on the beach cleans log every piece of litter they find so that a comprehensive dataset of rubbish on beaches can be built up and trends observed. Their research found that the number plastic bags littered on beaches reduced by 80% between 2015 and 2024, after a charge on carrier bags was introduced. The MCS says this shows that policy changes can quickly make a positive difference to the amount of pollution in the environment. Summer is a bad time for litter on UK beaches. Seventy-four per cent of MCS volunteers said they found an increase in beach litter during the summer, compared with winter months, due to increased visitor numbers plus a gap in public awareness around environmental impacts. Volunteers who take part in the litter pick have asked local authorities and governments in the UK to build better infrastructure including more accessible bins on beaches. Litter pickers said the problem was widespread and harming wildlife. Violet Fraser, who has been cleaning beaches on the Western Isles in Scotland, said she had found birds' nests with plastic in, while Colette Edwards in Norfolk reported regularly finding seals caught in discarded nets on her local beach. Plastic is a particular scourge on beaches as it does not biodegrade, instead breaking down into microplastics that stay in the environment indefinitely, and these are easily ingested by marine animals and can cause illness and even death. A spokesperson for the MCS said: 'The amount of plastic found on beaches increased by 9.5% between 2023 and 2024. The continued presence of plastics on our coastline highlights the need for a circular economy in which consumers have more options and access to use refillable and reusable products. 'Beachwatch data has already been used by governments across the UK as evidence to introduce litter reducing policy – such as the carrier bag charges and bans on certain single-use plastics, such as straws, cutlery, plates and bowls, and the recent UK-wide commitment to ban plastic wet wipes.' Isaac Kenyon, a volunteer, said: 'There's something deeply grounding about standing on a shoreline and knowing that your small actions are part of something much bigger. Every piece of litter picked up is one less hazard for wildlife, one less piece of plastic in the ocean, and one small step toward a healthier planet.' The Great British Beach Clean runs from 19-28 September.
