Latest news with #SueRyder
BBC News
02-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Leeds friends to cycle Tour de France for 60th birthdays
Two friends plan to celebrate their 60th birthdays by cycling the entire 1965 Tour de France route in 60 Straughan and Simon Vallance will set off from Leeds on Monday and cycle across England, through Holland and into Germany before reaching Cologne, the official start of Le Tour in 1965, the year they were there, the pair, who are raising money for the Sue Ryder charity, will ride across France, over the Pyrenees to Spain, into the Alps and then finally cycle north to the end of Le Tour in Vallance said he came up with the idea to cycle nearly 4,500 miles (6,000 km) as he wanted to do something "mad" to mark the year he retired and turned 60. "It took me a year to actually think about it and mention it to people as it seemed like such a crazy idea," Mr Vallance said."But I looked into it and investigated the route, then realised it could be a realistic proposition."I then mentioned it to Tim and he said it sounded mad enough for him to join in as well."Mr Straughan said he wanted to get involved because he was "always up for a challenge". He said: "I've done a lot of adventures with Simon and this looked like an amazing thing to do, as you don't normally have the time to do something like this over a couple of months."It gives us an opportunity to do something that is for a good cause as well."The pair, who became friends at a running club in Leeds, have already raised more than £4, Vallance said they wanted to support Sue Ryder as the charity helped his father Peter when he was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Mr Straughan celebrated his 60th birthday last month, while Mr Vallance will mark the occasion in September. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Long-serving Peterborough councillor chosen to be city mayor
A councillor who has served Peterborough for more than 20 years has been elected as the city's next First's Judy Fox was chosen to be mayor for 2025-26 at Monday's full council meeting, taking over from Conservative councillor Marco Fox has been a member of the local authority for decades alongside her husband John, and both represent Werrington ward. Mr Fox will be her Peter Hiller, Peterborough First, was selected to become deputy mayor and his wife Debbie becomes the deputy mayoress. Every May, a long-serving city councillor is appointed mayor for the upcoming act as an ambassador for the city and chair full council and citizenship ceremonies, and frequently visit events within the Fox has previously held the titles of mayoress and deputy will support Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice and Peterborough Area Down's Syndrome Group as her chosen Fox said: "The reason I chose Peterborough Area Down's Syndrome Group is because they are very close to our hearts."When I was part of a charity with John called the Rudolf Fund some time ago, we took quite a few children with Down's Syndrome on our trips to Disneyland Paris. We have been in touch with them and their parents since then, by doing Mr and Mrs Claus at their Christmas party each year."They are a very successful group but are not funded, so have to rely on donations and fundraising events."She added: "I have chosen Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice as one of my charities because it is close to the hearts of my daughter Rachel and myself."Many residents in Peterborough will have had some connections with them and will know just how much they mean to the families of their loved ones in their time of need." Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Scottish Sun
10-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
How death of a loved one could leave you in crippling debt – and how to avoid it
Read below for tips on what to do following the death of a family member or friend DEATH COSTS How death of a loved one could leave you in crippling debt – and how to avoid it DEALING with the loss of a loved one could hit your finances. A third of people saw their financial situation worsen, according to data from charity Sue Ryder. Advertisement 1 The death of a loved one can hit your finances and leave you in debt Credit: Alamy As the Financial Conduct Authority renews calls for banks and other companies to do more to support vulnerable bereaved customers, here is the help available for those dealing with grief. When Yvonne Bailey's husband John passed away unexpectedly from cancer, just ten weeks after her son Peter had died in a road accident, her world was shattered. Her grief was overwhelming, but she also had to deal with money worries on top. Without John's salary as a delivery driver, Yvonne had no money coming in and her own grief made it impossible to work. Advertisement "John and I had always made just enough money to get by. We paid our bills on time but had no savings and no life insurance. "When he died, his income disappeared overnight." The benefits Yvonne, from Witney, Oxfordshire, received as a widow were not enough to live on and she began to miss rent payments and other bills. After a year, still grieving, she was forced to go back to work. Advertisement Now 79, Yvonne still feels the financial impact of John's death. Though she receives his state pension as well as Pension Credit, she still has to budget very carefully. Yvonne is not alone. Joanna Elson, boss of the charity Independent Age, says: 'The death of a partner can be an extremely traumatic event, not just emotionally, but there can also be devastating financial implications - this is especially true when it is sudden or unexpected.' Advertisement The charity has supported people who were unable to pay their mortgage or turn on the heating because their income fell so drastically. Joanna says: 'Bereavement can be a trigger for poverty in later life, and this shouldn't be the case.' No matter what age you are, losing someone close to you can put you at risk of money problems. While some people will be able to fall back on life insurance or death in service cover from work, others will have no safety net. Advertisement Research by Sunlife found that a quarter of adults say they aren't sure they could cope financially if someone close to them died and two in five in a relationship reckon they wouldn't have enough money to support themselves if their other half died unexpectedly. Lilly Aaron, from the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), says: 'A bereavement may lead to a loss of income to your household, as well as a shift in financial responsibilities. 'You have to keep up with essential bills, which is hard in the midst of grief, and you may also be more susceptible to things like scams.' Sadly, fraudsters are known to use a death as an opportunity to pounce, knowing families will be vulnerable and may not think things through as carefully as they would in normal times. Advertisement They may even claim they are owed money by the person who died, or say you're entitled to a large sum of money but that you need to pay to access the cash. STOP DEATH TURNING INTO DEBT Money may not be the first thing on your mind if you've lost someone close to you, but when you are ready, there is a lot to sort out. You need to inform people that someone has died and make sure you don't carry on paying for things like their subscriptions that you no longer need. The Government's "Tell Us Once" service allows you to report a death to most Government organisations all in one go (Bereavement Service in Northern Ireland). Advertisement You can use the websites Settld or LifeLedger to contact utility companies, banks, pension providers, insurance firms, and TV and broadband providers. Lilly says: 'If you're at risk of missing a payment or in financial difficulty, head to the advice locator at to find free debt advisors local to you.' Take steps now The thing that can make the biggest difference is being prepared. One in ten adults in a relationship admit to not having put anything in place to ease the financial strain on their partner in the case of their death. Just talking about what would happen if one of you died is a good start. Making a will ensures your wishes are recorded. Research DIY will kits to save on legal fees. Fewer than one in four save enough to cover the full expense of a funeral, which can forced loved ones to take out expensive credit. Only 29% have some kind of life insurance cover, found SunLife. The kind of policy you need will depend on things like your age, employment and whether you have a mortgage. The Money Helper website can also help you check how to transfer bills to your name and what benefits could get. Lilly says: 'You may be entitled to a higher level or you may qualify for the first time now that your partner's income isn't being taken into account.' Advertisement There are specific payments that can help, like Bereavement Support pPayments, Funeral Expenses Payment (Funeral Support Payment in Scotland) and, following the death of a child or stillborn baby, the Children's Funeral Fund. Those who are struggling financially may also be eligible for hardship funds from their local council and, if you are now living alone, you can get a 25% reduction on council tax. Find out if you might qualify for a one-off grant at Lilly says: 'It is a really difficult time following someone's death and dealing with the admin and finance while grieving can just feel really overwhelming. Advertisement 'I really encourage people to visit to help people stay on top of things a such a difficult and confusing time.' The charity Cruse Bereavement Care ( gives emotional and practical support. 'I wish we'd had life insurance' After her husband died, Cherieda Maw was left with around £10,000 credit card bills and loans to pay – but no money to pay them. When husband Malvin was alive, they didn't miss a repayment, but after he died in February 2014, the bills in Cherieda's name fell solely to her. Living on income support, she couldn't make ends meet. 'Every day I'd get letters and phone calls, but I'd tell them I had no money. 'They chased me for years, but I didn't know what to do about it. 'How could I grieve, when I had so much to sort out?' While mourning Alvin, she also felt some anger. 'He didn't believe in life insurance, but it would have helped me a lot – I could have paid everything off.' Eventually, with her debts now over £30,000, she desperately searched for help online, and found the free debt help organisation Its advisors helped her get a Debt Relief Order, writing off her debts a year later. 'It was a huge weight off my shoulders when the letters and calls finally stopped.' Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
The Sun
10-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
How death of a loved one could leave you in crippling debt – and how to avoid it
DEALING with the loss of a loved one could hit your finances. A third of people saw their financial situation worsen, according to data from charity Sue Ryder. 1 As the Financial Conduct Authority renews calls for banks and other companies to do more to support vulnerable bereaved customers, here is the help available for those dealing with grief. When Yvonne Bailey's husband John passed away unexpectedly from cancer, just ten weeks after her son Peter had died in a road accident, her world was shattered. Her grief was overwhelming, but she also had to deal with money worries on top. Without John's salary as a delivery driver, Yvonne had no money coming in and her own grief made it impossible to work. "John and I had always made just enough money to get by. We paid our bills on time but had no savings and no life insurance. "When he died, his income disappeared overnight." The benefits Yvonne, from Witney, Oxfordshire, received as a widow were not enough to live on and she began to miss rent payments and other bills. After a year, still grieving, she was forced to go back to work. Now 79, Yvonne still feels the financial impact of John's death. Though she receives his state pension as well as Pension Credit, she still has to budget very carefully. Yvonne is not alone. Joanna Elson, boss of the charity Independent Age, says: 'The death of a partner can be an extremely traumatic event, not just emotionally, but there can also be devastating financial implications - this is especially true when it is sudden or unexpected.' The charity has supported people who were unable to pay their mortgage or turn on the heating because their income fell so drastically. Joanna says: 'Bereavement can be a trigger for poverty in later life, and this shouldn't be the case.' No matter what age you are, losing someone close to you can put you at risk of money problems. While some people will be able to fall back on life insurance or death in service cover from work, others will have no safety net. Research by Sunlife found that a quarter of adults say they aren't sure they could cope financially if someone close to them died and two in five in a relationship reckon they wouldn't have enough money to support themselves if their other half died unexpectedly. Lilly Aaron, from the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), says: 'A bereavement may lead to a loss of income to your household, as well as a shift in financial responsibilities. 'You have to keep up with essential bills, which is hard in the midst of grief, and you may also be more susceptible to things like scams.' Sadly, fraudsters are known to use a death as an opportunity to pounce, knowing families will be vulnerable and may not think things through as carefully as they would in normal times. They may even claim they are owed money by the person who died, or say you're entitled to a large sum of money but that you need to pay to access the cash. STOP DEATH TURNING INTO DEBT Money may not be the first thing on your mind if you've lost someone close to you, but when you are ready, there is a lot to sort out. You need to inform people that someone has died and make sure you don't carry on paying for things like their subscriptions that you no longer need. The Government's "Tell Us Once" service allows you to report a death to most Government organisations all in one go (Bereavement Service in Northern Ireland). You can use the websites Settld or LifeLedger to contact utility companies, banks, pension providers, insurance firms, and TV and broadband providers. Lilly says: 'If you're at risk of missing a payment or in financial difficulty, head to the advice locator at to find free debt advisors local to you.' Take steps now The thing that can make the biggest difference is being prepared. One in ten adults in a relationship admit to not having put anything in place to ease the financial strain on their partner in the case of their death. Just talking about what would happen if one of you died is a good start. Making a will ensures your wishes are recorded. Research DIY will kits to save on legal fees. Fewer than one in four save enough to cover the full expense of a funeral, which can forced loved ones to take out expensive credit. Only 29% have some kind of life insurance cover, found SunLife. The kind of policy you need will depend on things like your age, employment and whether you have a mortgage. The Money Helper website can also help you check how to transfer bills to your name and what benefits could get. Lilly says: 'You may be entitled to a higher level or you may qualify for the first time now that your partner's income isn't being taken into account.' There are specific payments that can help, like Bereavement Support pPayments, Funeral Expenses Payment (Funeral Support Payment in Scotland) and, following the death of a child or stillborn baby, the Children's Funeral Fund. Those who are struggling financially may also be eligible for hardship funds from their local council and, if you are now living alone, you can get a 25% reduction on council tax. Find out if you might qualify for a one-off grant at Lilly says: 'It is a really difficult time following someone's death and dealing with the admin and finance while grieving can just feel really overwhelming. 'I really encourage people to visit to help people stay on top of things a such a difficult and confusing time.' The charity Cruse Bereavement Care ( gives emotional and practical support. 'I wish we'd had life insurance' After her husband died, Cherieda Maw was left with around £10,000 credit card bills and loans to pay – but no money to pay them. When husband Malvin was alive, they didn't miss a repayment, but after he died in February 2014, the bills in Cherieda's name fell solely to her. Living on income support, she couldn't make ends meet. 'Every day I'd get letters and phone calls, but I'd tell them I had no money. 'They chased me for years, but I didn't know what to do about it. 'How could I grieve, when I had so much to sort out?' While mourning Alvin, she also felt some anger. 'He didn't believe in life insurance, but it would have helped me a lot – I could have paid everything off.' Eventually, with her debts now over £30,000, she desperately searched for help online, and found the free debt help organisation Its advisors helped her get a Debt Relief Order, writing off her debts a year later. 'It was a huge weight off my shoulders when the letters and calls finally stopped.'
South Wales Argus
27-04-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Newport: Vacant shop could be transformed into flats
The building in Newport's Commercial Street could be converted following a planning application from Housetique Ltd. The firm wants to redevelop the shop unit to create nine residential flats, while keeping the ground floor as a rental unit. The building has been empty since the Sue Ryder charity shop left, and it is located in a secondary shopping area with high vacancy rates. The proposal includes a two-storey extension at the front and a partial three-storey extension at the rear. The flats would be spread over multiple floors, with one unit on the ground floor, three each on the first and second floors, and two on the third floor. Each flat will be over 52 square metres, with some units having access to open-air spaces via entrance routes. The commercial unit will remain on the ground floor, taking up about three-quarters of the space. Previous applications for 14 and eight flats were refused, due to issues with Section 106 agreements – which require developers to contribute to the community – and flue concerns from a neighbouring restaurant. The new plan addresses these issues by securing the removal of the flue from the adjacent derelict restaurant and advancing Section 106 agreements. The new design also includes a brickwork façade replacing metal cladding, with windows featuring reconstituted stone lintels. The third and fourth floors will be set back about 19 metres from the Commercial Street frontage, so they will not be visible. The rear of the building will have a brick wall and a pitched roof hidden behind a parapet. For community safety, the building will have split access routes to improve resident ownership and natural surveillance. There will be no continuous communal access way, to prevent antisocial behaviour. The development will encourage public transport use, with no car parking spaces planned due to site constraints. However, cycle storage will be provided. The building will use sustainable materials like brickwork, blockwork, and double glazing, and all flats will have water-saving appliances. A mitigation plan is in place for any future flue installation if the restaurant reopens. If approved, the development will only change the appearance of the building minimally from Commercial Street, with just the brick façade update and hidden rooftop extensions.
