Scottish baker Sir Boyd Tunnock receives high honour
The Salvation Army bestowed their highest civilian award on the 92-year-old in recognition of the practical, professional and financial support he has given them for the last 30 years.
(Image: Image supplied) Sir Boyd, who has been at the helm of the Tunnock's family business in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, since 1981, said: 'This is so unexpected.
'I am absolutely thrilled and will treasure this award.
'My support for The Salvation Army church and charity is centred on their ability to help those in the greatest need.
'They do such fantastic work.'
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(Image: Image supplied) His daughter Fiona Gow said: 'We are delighted at this very special award for dad.
'We know how much he has done to help others – never for recognition.
'This honour means the world to him because no one admires the work of The Salvation Army more than he does.'
(Image: Image supplied) He received the Order of Distinguished Auxiliary Service from Paul and Jenine Main, leaders for The Salvation Army in the UK and Ireland during a ceremony in Bellshill, Lanarkshire.
Sir Boyd has transformed the work of The Salvation Army by providing financial assistance, championing community events and offering expert business guidance.
He also served as chairman of the organisation's Divisional Advisory Board for Central and Southern Scotland.
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Commissioner Paul Main said: 'We are deeply grateful for Sir Boyd's kindness and support over the years.
'Through his generosity, practical involvement and belief in our work, he has exemplified what it means to put faith into action and be a force for good in the lives of others.'
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Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Glasgow Times
Scottish baker Sir Boyd Tunnock receives high honour
The Salvation Army bestowed their highest civilian award on the 92-year-old in recognition of the practical, professional and financial support he has given them for the last 30 years. (Image: Image supplied) Sir Boyd, who has been at the helm of the Tunnock's family business in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, since 1981, said: 'This is so unexpected. 'I am absolutely thrilled and will treasure this award. 'My support for The Salvation Army church and charity is centred on their ability to help those in the greatest need. 'They do such fantastic work.' READ NEXT: Sir Chris Hoy says raising awareness of prostate cancer has given him purpose (Image: Image supplied) His daughter Fiona Gow said: 'We are delighted at this very special award for dad. 'We know how much he has done to help others – never for recognition. 'This honour means the world to him because no one admires the work of The Salvation Army more than he does.' (Image: Image supplied) He received the Order of Distinguished Auxiliary Service from Paul and Jenine Main, leaders for The Salvation Army in the UK and Ireland during a ceremony in Bellshill, Lanarkshire. Sir Boyd has transformed the work of The Salvation Army by providing financial assistance, championing community events and offering expert business guidance. He also served as chairman of the organisation's Divisional Advisory Board for Central and Southern Scotland. READ NEXT: 'The best is yet to come': Popular cocktail lounge in Glasgow wins top award Commissioner Paul Main said: 'We are deeply grateful for Sir Boyd's kindness and support over the years. 'Through his generosity, practical involvement and belief in our work, he has exemplified what it means to put faith into action and be a force for good in the lives of others.'
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Almost half fear unexpected £100 bill 'would leave them struggling to pay rent'
The Salvation Army's Captain John Clifton said: 'When nearly half of people are so financially fragile that they are living in fear of a £100 bill, something has gone very wrong' Almost half of adults fear an unexpected £100 bill would leave them struggling to pay their rent or mortgage. The survey for the Salvation Army found 48% of people were extremely or very concerned over an extra expense. A further 22% of the 1,000 people polled said they were "fairly concerned" while 29% said they were not concerned, the charity said. The Salvation Army's Captain John Clifton said: 'When nearly half of people are so financially fragile that they are living in fear of a £100 bill, something has gone very wrong — and the Government must take notice." He said to protect those who are struggling the government must unfreeze housing benefit or risk pushing "thousands more over the cliff edge into homelessness". At the Budget last year Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the local housing allowance (LHA) will remain at existing levels until 2026. It was also frozen multiple times during the Conservatives' 14-year spell in government. Mr Clifton added: 'Rent and bills have gone up and welfare support has gone down. Every day at our food banks, debt and employment advice services, churches and community centres we see the reality of what it's like for people who can't afford to feed, clothe and house themselves and their families. 'With so many living on a knife-edge, the risk of homelessness is no longer something that happens to 'other people' — it's becoming a real concern for ordinary households across the country.' A government spokesman said: 'No one should be in poverty. That's why we've extended the Household Support Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments for 2025-26 to protect the most vulnerable while we fix the fundamentals of the social security system, so people don't rely on crisis support. 'Alongside this, we have increased the National Living Wage, uprated benefits and are helping over one million households having introduced a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions, on top of reviewing Universal Credit to ensure it can best contribute to our aims from tackling poverty and making work pay. "Meanwhile, we are boosting the Affordable Housing Programme by £2bn which will build 18,000 new social and affordable homes – getting families into safe and decent homes while supporting our Plan for Change milestone of 1.5 million new homes by the next Parliament and driving economic growth.'
Reuters
30-04-2025
- Reuters
Black US farmers brace for impact amid tariffs turmoil
Summary Black farmers face historical challenges in accessing capital and land ownership Trump's tariffs criticized by farm groups, threaten farmers' competitiveness Race-neutral program passed after lawsuits against Biden's debt relief initiative Black farmers' share of U.S. farms has drastically declined over the past century BOYDTON, Virginia, April 30 (Reuters) - As a fourth generation farmer, Virginia resident John Boyd Jr typically spends the busy spring season prepping his land to plant sweet corn seeds and soybeans. But Boyd, the president and founder of the National Black Farmers Association, has also been busy fielding inquiries from Black farmers anxious about the impact of President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs. here. 'The farmers are calling and saying,'Hey, Boyd, should I plant my crop, man? This ain't looking good for us. Have you heard anything from anybody where we can get some emergency loans?' Boyd recounted in an interview, as he worked on his farm. 'And it's frustrating because the answer is no. We don't have the resources to help them.' In several interviews, agricultural sociologists, public health and government and governance experts and advocates said the impact of Trump's tariffs could be more acute for Black farmers, given their historical challenges in accessing capital, retaining ownership of their land and the enduring legacy of decades of discrimination and racism. Groups representing U.S. farmers and food processors have been mostly critical of Trump's tariffs on imports, which analysts say will hike prices for consumers. The American Farm Bureau Federation, the leading farm lobby, said the tariffs threaten farmers' competitiveness and could cause long-term damage. 'Everything about trade and tariffs over the past few months has just been so erratic that it is tough for businesses, for farmers, for analysts to know what's gonna happen, not only in the long term, but even from day to day or even hour to hour,' said Bill Winters, a Georgia Tech University sociology professor. Black farmers today account for less than 2% of all U.S. farmers, a share that has significantly dropped over the past century, according to a 2024 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service. In 1920, 41.4 million acres were operated by Black farmers. By contrast, a USDA Census of Agriculture data report found Black producers operated 32,700 farms and ranches, covering about 5.3 million acres in 2022. In a March 2021 website post affirming the agency's commitment to civil rights, former USDA secretary Tom Vilsack said the government needed to acknowledge the "USDA's history of systemic discrimination via policies and programs designed to benefit those with access, education, assets, privilege rather than for those without." He pledged to root out systemic racism and barriers experienced by Black farmers, socially disadvantaged farmers, and poor areas in rural America. The post appears to have since been removed, opens new tab from the USDA's site. Since returning to the White House, Trump has spent the past 100 days aggressively dismantling diversity -- and civil rights -- initiatives across the federal government. 'We spend most of our time just trying to survive on what's thrown at us,' Boyd said, noting that unequal access has existed regardless of who occupies the Oval Office. But he said farmers are concerned about the ripple effects of dismantling programs aimed at remedying discrimination. 'ACTION TO SUPPORT FARMERS' Farming accounts for more than a third of U.S. land. While the number of farms is dwindling and their average size growing, family-owned and operated farms still account for the vast majority of land farmed, according to USDA. A USDA spokesperson said that over the last four years, the Biden administration left the USDA "in complete disarray and dysfunction." "President Trump is taking strong action to support farmers by quickly rolling out programs like the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program that provides $10 Billion in direct assistance to producers," the USDA said in a statement. "USDA does not discriminate and single out individual farmers based on race, gender, or political orientation." The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act signed by former president Joe Biden in 2021, in part set aside billions in debt relief to help socially disadvantaged farmers -- and to address the USDA's history of discrimination. But, the program was repealed following lawsuits filed by white farmers. A subsequent race-neutral program was passed through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. 'With tariffs right now, from a Black farmer's perspective, it really doesn't affect us because we have been shut out for 100 years,' said Corey Lea, a Tennessee farmer and advocate. Keon Gilbert, a Brookings Institution governance studies fellow and Saint Louis University public health professor, said Black farmers fear they won't receive payments awarded as part of the legislation. The tariffs, he said, could compound an already fragile situation. 'What could possibly happen is we may see a continued decline in Black farms. Many of those farmers have smaller properties, smaller land, and that may all just go away," Gilbert said. Meanwhile, Boyd will continue to fight to preserve his family's multi-generational farming legacy. "By the grace of God, I'm going to plant my crops," Boyd said.
