People of all ages across the length and breadth of the UK will be holding bake sales to raise money for H4H to support wounded, injured and sick Service Personnel, Veterans and their loved ones.

The Bake for Heroes campaign runs officially between April 15 and April 30, but supporters can take part whenever it suits them.

Supporters of all ages and all around the UK have cooked up more than £850,000 for H4H since the Bake for Heroes fundraiser began in 2009.

Now, as H4H prepares to mark its 10th birthday in October, TV star Lorraine Kelly says this year is the perfect opportunity to rise to the occasion and make the 2017 event the biggest yet.

Lorraine said: “I’m so proud to be a Patron of Help for Heroes. Every time I sit down and talk to our brave men and women, they tell me how much it means to know the public is behind them and their families throughout their recovery.

“I’m determined to help make sure that this vital support is there whenever it is needed. So please join us, it’s very simple to sign up and bake a difference!

“You could just get some friends together for a cup of tea, have a laugh and have a chat. You really will be helping to rebuild lives and continue the amazing work that Help for Heroes does.”

The ingredients for success are simple – supporters simply sign up for a free fundraising pack through H4H to bake cupcakes, sponges, biscuits, flapjacks or whatever tasty treat they fancy, and sell them off to colleagues, family and friends.

Bake sales can be as big or small as you want – it could be a tea and cake event at work or school, a coffee and cake morning at the local community centre, or simply an invitation to friends to come round for a slice of cake and a catch-up in return for a donation.

Funds will support the work of Help for Heroes and their four Recovery Centres, which have been purpose-built and support around 4,000 people every year.

Throwing her full support behind Bake for Heroes is Sally Amoore, 62, who lives near Tenby in Wales and has raised around £37,000 for H4H by selling cakes over the past eight years.

Her son, Captain James Amoore, now 32, was seriously injured in Helmand province in Afghanistan after stepping on a Taliban mine in 2009.

James, a platoon commander with 2nd Battalion The Rifles spent four months in hospital, undergoing 15 operations.

With the prospect of more treatment ahead of him, Sally has pledged to do all she can to raise money for H4H.

Sally said: “James should have been a triple amputee, but he somehow managed to keep all of his limbs.

“He is among 66,000 ex-Service Personnel who will need support to deal with life-changing injuries and illnesses.

“Without charities like Help for Heroes, these brave men and women who we ask so much of would never get the support they deserve and so badly need.

“These men and women look strong and capable, but behind the brave façade, they face daily challenges. For some, the first challenge of the day is to fit their prosthetic legs or arms, for others it may even be battling their anxiety of leaving the house.

“As the public and media focus is no longer on Afghanistan or Iraq, it is critical we maintain support for them for years and years to come.

“I love Bake for Heroes because it’s something that everyone can take part in and do their bit. It’s not a huge effort to bake a cake! It’s just a very friendly and fun way of raising a bit of money for a good cause.”

Amanda Lamb, the television property guru, and Rick Edwards, the broadcaster and writer, will host a national competition offering one lucky winner the chance to live rent free for a year in the country’s most expensive neighbourhood.

The Selling houses with Amanda Lamb presenter will be putting members of the public who want to live in the Central London penthouse apartment through their paces on April 27^th to celebrate the opening of Studio B, Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks’ new flagship London store.

People wanting to take part just have to turn up on the day, when they will face a general knowledge round and complete cooking, gardening and DIY challenges in the store to make sure they have the skills to look after their own home.

Studio B, an innovation lab designed to solve the banking issues of tomorrow, is also pledging to match fund money the winner manages to save during the year to put towards a deposit on their own home (up to £2,000 per month).

Television presenter Rick Edwards will be entertaining the public when he comperes the competition in the striking Kensington High Street store.

But it’s not all about laughs. Studio B is staging the competition to draw attention to one of the greatest financial challenges facing younger generations. A YouGov survey for Studio B found that:

·  Almost one in three Londoners (30%) aged 18-40 do not save any money in an average month

·  The majority (59%) cite high rent as the single biggest barrier to saving more 

Studio B’s mission is to find innovative solutions to the big financial challenges people face. The competition to celebrate its launch will give one lucky winner the chance to live rent free for a year in the stunning penthouse apartment just five minutes’ walk from the store.

At its heart is an innovation lab, where people from all walks of life will be invited to work with industry partners to create ground-breaking solutions to their money matters. The products and solutions they produce in areas such as voice and facial recognition technology will be tested in-store on bank customers.

Helen Page, Group Innovation & Marketing Director, said: “Our research lays bare the huge challenge people starting out on their own face and this competition will give a lucky winner a huge helping hand, putting them on track to own their own home.

Amanda Lamb said: “This is going to be a really special event. I’d love the chance to live in the Studio B flat and am delighted to play my part in making this dream come true for someone during the competition.”

Rick Edwards said: "Housing and home ownership pose one of the big social challenges of our time. It’s great that Studio B is actively working to help Generation Rent overcome the hurdles they're facing."

A University of Wolverhampton Professor received recognition recently for her contribution to raising the profile of STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in the region.

Professor Nazira Karodia, who was recently appointed Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, was honoured at the Birmingham Thyagaraja Festival, which was organised by Shruthi UK, a South Asian arts organisation based in Solihull.

The Festival was held at The Dovehouse Theatre in Solihull and featured song and dance performances, speeches from dignitaries and awards presentations. Honours were also bestowed upon a selected few role models in recognition of International Women’s Day.

Nazira has a PhD in Chemistry from the University of St Andrews and studied for her post-doctoral fellowship at the Centre for Heterocyclic Chemistry at the University of Florida.

Prior to her current post, she was Senior Lecturer in Chemistry at the University of Bradford and she was Regional Director for the National Higher Education STEM Programme covering Yorkshire, Humber and the North East.  She is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

She said: “I am honoured that Shruthi UK considered me worthy of a Women-in-Science award.

“There is always a link between the arts and science and there are efforts nationally and internationally to bring the arts into STEM to make ‘STEAM’. There is science in everything - the biology of movement in dance, the sound and physics in music - so it stands to reason that we can combine it all to make even more engaging experiences for the community.”

Dr Chithra Ramakrishnan, Artistic Director at Shruthi UK, said: “Every year, Shruthi UK honours women who have contributed and made a huge impact to the community through their skills, passion and commitment in the field of Life Sciences, Arts, Community, Politics and Education. 

“Professor Karodia is making an immense contribution in the field of Life Sciences and Education, having recently been appointed Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Wolverhampton, and we were delighted to present her with an award recognising her achievements to date.”

VIPs at the event included West Midlands Mayoral Candidate, Andy Street, new Indian Consul General Dr Aman Puri, the Mayor of Solihull, Councillor Mike Robinson and Lady Mayoress Mrs Jenny Robinson.

Shruthi UK aims to inspire and motivate people from all ages and backgrounds but particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. For example, it has in the past organised workshops for autistic children and young adults, supported by Autism West Midlands and is currently working with people with dementia in an attempt to help improve their cognitive skills and general well-being through holistic healing through Indian dance. Shruthi UK also works closely with Special Needs schools across the region and beyond.

LUMS in collaboration with Autism Spectrum Disorders Welfare Trust (ASDWT) organised the World Autism Awareness Day at LUMS. The purpose was to raise awareness about Autism and to show how assistive technologies can be used to improve the quality of the lives of autistic children in Pakistan.

The Human Computer Interaction Lab (Chisel) at LUMS, directed by faculty member, Dr. Suleman Shahid along with his students, is working on a project, AGHAZ, which aims at developing a number of digital aids to support autistic children at various stages of their development. The work is done in collaboration with ASDWT and the Rising Sun Institute, Lahore.

Autistic kids are isolated from society due to the communication gap that exists because of them being either nonverbal or having articulation issues. In Pakistan, it is absolutely essential for these children to be able to communicate in Urdu in order to bridge this gap. AGHAZ is the application that aims to cater to this need. It can be used by teachers/therapists and parents to work with these special children and help them learn Urdu.

AHSAS, The Emotional Express, another mobile application developed by LUMS students, aims to provide an interactive interface that helps autistic children understand their own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. It also focuses on improving their social interaction; understanding emotions in a social context and being able to react to everyday situations effectively.

The third app, also developed by LUMS students, BOL is an AAC application designed with a focus to develop a child’s language and improve his intent to communicate. It uses picture symbols and voice synthesis in Urdu as well as English to help users create messages. Bol seamlessly integrates a powerful keyboard to help children transition from images to text.

Two of the UK’s top young technical officials have secured appointments at this year’s World Para Athletics Championships and IAAF World Championships London 2017 taking place in the London Stadium at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park this summer.   

Aged just 19, India Hollingworth will be one of the youngest in the team. She is set to be a starter’s assistant on the track during the IAAF World Championships London 2017 and, prior to this, a call-room assistant at the World Para Athletics Championships. She will be joined by Heather Nelson, who will be one of the chief judges in the field events at both championships. 

Hollingworth, a student at Leeds Beckett University where she is studying sports development, is delighted at the prospect of officiating at London 2017.

She said: “I am looking forward to being part of it. I am excited and nervous at the same time! I have been gradually progressing through the levels by gaining experience and taking the tests. These involve a lot of scenarios to show you can apply what you have learnt to the roles. For example, I was asked to show where I would stand for the 100m start.” 

As a starter’s assistant she will be responsible for checking the athletes are in the correct order and have their fingers or toes behind the start line and ensuring appropriate conduct on the start line, including checking that the athletes are appropriately dressed.  

She said: “My dream event would be the men’s 100m final but I would also love to do the 5000 or 10,000m. Just being there will be amazing.”

During the World Para Athletics Championships, Hollingworth will be in the call room ensuring the athletes are ready at the correct time and wearing the right clothing. She will also be responsible for making sure they do not take anything onto the field of play that is not allowed, such as mobile telephones, and will carry out branding and sponsorship checks.

Although only 35, Heather Nelson already has 19 years’ experience as a technical official having qualified at the age of just 16, but these events will be her first as a chief judge. 

Nelson, an engineer who is currently studying for a DPhil at Oxford University, was introduced to athletics at a young age as both of her parents are technical officials. Both parents still officiate, and both Heather and her mother, Margaret, were technical officials at London 2012.

She commented: “I enjoy the events and officiating. It is like having a second family and we make many friends – there is a real community feeling. The people and the performances make it really special. I have been lucky to have officiated at many memorable events. I was judging at the take-off board for Jessica Ennis-Hill’s long jump during London 2012.”

Since 2007, the London Marathon has held the Guinness World Record for the largest single annual fundraising event. This record has been broken every year by this annual event, and understanding Gift Aid rules properly can mean even more money for charity. ICAEW explains how to work out if you could claim tax relief on charitable giving in your tax return ahead of the London Marathon on 23 April. 

Caroline Miskin, ICAEW Technical Tax Manager explains: “Gift Aid enables charities to reclaim an amount equivalent to the basic rate of tax on all donations. If the donor is a higher or additional rate tax payer, paying 40% or 45% income tax on part of their income, they can claim a reduction in their tax bill on the difference between the two rates on Gift Aid donations made.”

Stay one stride ahead, are you eligible to claim Gift Aid?

• For a charity to claim Gift Aid on your donation you must have paid enough UK income or Capital Gains Tax in the tax year
• The tax you pay must be equivalent to the amount of Gift Aid the charity will reclaim on your donation during that tax year
• Your donations must be no more than four times what you have paid in income tax in the current financial year
• You must tell the charities you support if you stop paying enough tax

Don’t sprint to the end – you may be eligible to claim further relief

·         If you are a higher or additional rate tax payer (40% or 45%) you can claim back the difference between the tax you’ve paid on the donation and what the charity got back in Gift Aid when you fill in your self assessment tax return or by asking HMRC to change your code

·         For example, if you sponsor a friend £100 to run in the London Marathon, the charity they are running for can claim Gift Aid, making your donation £125. You pay 40% tax so you can personally claim back £25 because the higher rate is 40% and the charity has already claimed 20% of that.

Caroline adds: “Tread carefully, there are some important things to remember. If the charity does not reclaim the tax this money stays with HM Treasury. And if you do not claim the money back on your self assessment return or by asking for a change to your tax code, your refund also stays with the government. Be careful not to sign a gift aid form if you will not be paying enough tax as HMRC may ask you to pay the tax reclaimed by the charity.”