According to a recent report by Age UK, there are 11.8 million people aged 65 or over in the UK, and two million of those over 75, live alone.

If you’re one of the UK’s 6.5 million carers looking after a parent or elderly relative who lives on their own, it’s important to make sure they are as safe and secure as possible in their home.

Carers Week 11-17 June 2018 is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, the challenges carers face and the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK, and the leading trade association for the locksmithing profession – the Master Locksmiths Association (MLA) - is offering advice to carers on how to keep their loved ones safe in the home.

Dr Steffan George, Managing Director of the MLA, says, “If you are caring for a vulnerable person in their own home, there are steps you can take to make sure that their home is secure.  Getting the right advice is important, so take the time to research the best options. There’s lots to think about – for example, getting the balance between making sure the person living in the home is not trapped in case of an emergency, whilst also ensuring burglars are not easily able to break in.”

Steffan recommends the following tips, to give you peace of mind:

1. Think about access  - Make sure you can gain access to the home in a way that doesn’t jeopardise security. You could use a key safe and coded key safes can also help provide easy access to carers as well. Be sure to check that the key safe is tested and independently approved by an organisation such as Sold Secure, as there are cheap versions on the market that can be compromised very quickly. Key safes should always be located in a discreet place and not be obvious from the road or path outside.

2. Be Smart Security aware - Smart security is growing in popularity and can be a useful aid to provide access to carers who may be coming and going through the day. But be careful to make sure that it is supported by tested and independently approved mechanical security measures. The UK has for a long time had excellent security standards for mechanical security. However the first safety standards for smart locks have only just been published and as a result, none of the currently available smart locks have yet been tested against the new safety standards and therefore shouldn’t be used alone.

3. User-friendly security - If the person you are caring for is suffering from reduced visibility or loss of strength in their hands, then they may struggle with locking up or manoeuvring handles. Invest in key turners – plastic handles designed to attach to a key at one end, and rubber handle covers which provide better grip. You could even invest in a remote locking system.

4. Invest in deterrents, like timed lighting - Do your best to make the home look as busy as possible, particularly if the person is living on their own. Timer lighting helps make a house look occupied and can give the impression there is more than one person within the property. A fake TV, which works on a timer to emit multi-coloured LED lights, works in the same way and uses less power than a standard lamp. Outdoor lights with motion sensors are an excellent way to deter thieves.

5. Keep valuables out of sight - If the person you are caring for owns expensive items that they do not wear or use frequently, such as jewellery and ornaments, keep them out of sight. Better still, invest in a professionally-installed safe.

6. Use a professional - It can be tempting to try and improve or install security measures yourself. But mistakes are easy to make and can cost more to fix in the long run, or even invalidate your insurance. The MLA is recognised as the authoritative body for locksmithing by the Police and our members undergo strict vetting, including criminal record checks, so you can be confident they have the knowledge, experience and integrity to keep you and your family safe and secure.

To find a local MLA accredited locksmith to review your loved-one’s home security as well as further top tips ad security advice, visit the MLA’s website www.locksmiths.co.uk.

The RSPCA is investigating after a pair of young goslings were taken from a vehicle, dumped in a canal in Walsall and left to fend for themselves.

The RSPCA was contacted on Monday night by a passerby who had spotted the birds being abandoned in the canal off Goscote Lane at around 9pm.

RSPCA animal collection officer (ACO) Cara Gibbon said: “The caller told us that they’d seen the white, bald man in his mid 40s and wearing a red shirt get out of a vehicle and chuck the goslings into the canal before leaving.

“The caller watched the birds for a little while and could see they had no parents with them and seemed to be struggling to swim and sinking beneath the surface so took it upon himself to rescue the birds.

“He found a container and took them home before calling us.”

ACO Gibbon went to collect the birds - two young goslings, still with their fluffy down feathers - and took them to the RSPCA’s Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Cheshire.

“He told us the birds had been lethargic and the bird’s wing feathers appear to have been clipped in a bid to prevent the birds from flying away*,” ACO Gibbon said.

“It seems as though these were geese that were intended to be kept domestically, as part of a backyard flock.

“It’s extremely unusual for us to be called to help domestic geese that have been abandoned but perhaps someone took this pair on without properly researching what it takes to care for geese and provide for their needs.

“That’s why we’d always urge people to do lots of research before taking on an animal as, unfortunately, charities are all too often left to pick up the pieces when people get a pet on a whim without properly considering the commitment and responsibility involved in caring for them.”

The birds - nicknamed Ryan and Eva Gosling by ACO Gibbon - will be looked after by staff at the RSPCA wildlife centre before they’re old enough to be rehomed to a suitable home.

Ducks and geese can be kept as pets or in domestic settings but do require suitable environments. They need a large outdoor area that allows them to graze with access to open water, along with warm and dry indoor accommodation for them to escape adverse weather, as well as rest and be secure from predators.

The RSPCA recommends keeping more than one goose as they need company of their own kind.

For more information about keeping geese as pets, please see the RSPCA website.

Under bright blue skies and scorching sunshine, people flocked in their tens of thousands to RAF Cosford on Sunday for the only official RAF Airshow this year, celebrating 100 years of the Royal Airforce.

Having sold out of its 55,000 online tickets, RAF Cosford, near Wolverhampton, was a sea of noise and colour as people marvelled at not only the amazing feats of technical expertise and skill on show, but at the only surviving complete examples of a number of aircraft taking to the skies as well as rolled out of the museums.

THe home to the Defense College of Aeronautical Engineering, RAF Cosford had a hanger dedicated to showing the skills of their apprentices of STEM.

As always at the Air Show, there were stunning displays from all manner of aircraft, not least the Red Arrows, world-famous for their phenomenal skill and precision.

Opening the show were the RAF Falcons Parachute Display Team, colouring the skies as they descended in a perfect stack, showing the poise and dedication that thousands of hours of practice provides.

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One display that had the majority of those in attendance in awe was a stunt show on a helicopter, including loop-the-loops, corkscrews and other death-defying stunts, really pushing the boundaries of what you believe a helicopter should be capable of doing!

There were a few very special displays from the Battle of Britain, including a formation display with a Lancaster, Dakota, Spitfire and Hurricane flying in the Trenchard formation, which really got the crowd going.

There was so much to see and do at RAF Cosford on the day, from experiencing simulated rides, getting hands on with aircraft, vehicles and artillery, and of course the usual variety of fun 'sideshow' type games to test the aim of the unsuspecting public.

If you have never been to an airshow before, make sure that you're ahead of the game for next year at RAF Cosford.

Check out the July edition of The Phoenix Newspaper for more!

Pupils showed off their creative flair after visiting local places of worship as part of a competition run by the City of Wolverhampton Council's Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE).

Launched last September, pupils were invited to submit pieces of art inspired by visits to places of worship, including churches, temples, gurdwaras and mosques.

The winners were Bilston Primary School, who won a trip to Conkers Adventure Park; St Michael's C of E Primary School, who scooped a trip to the Harry Potter studios in London; Khalsa Academy, who will be going to the Tate Modern in London; and Green Park Special School, who won trips to Dudley Zoological Gardens and to go bowling.

Representatives from each school were presented with their prizes at a special ceremony at Wolverhampton Art Gallery by Chair of SACRE Martin Gomberg, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Director of Education Meredith Teasdale and former Cabinet Member for Education, and now Deputy Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Claire Darke.

Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, Councillor Lynne Moran, said: "Wolverhampton is a multi-cultural, multi-faith City, and it is very important that religious education continues to be taught in our schools.

"This was a great chance for pupils to get creative and show off their skills while also learning more about religion and places of worship. They produced some really inspired pieces of work, and the standard of art was extremely high, making it a tough task for the judging committee."

Religious education must be taught in all schools by law, but it is not part of the national curriculum and it is therefore the responsibility of local councils to ensure there is a Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education in place.

The SACRE represents a balance of all interests in the local community, gives them the opportunity to influence what pupils learn in religious education, and advises the council on how to improve teaching and collective worship for schools in Wolverhampton.

The Fire Brigade Union (FBU) is donating all money raised from the Firefighters 100 Lottery throughout June to charities and projects working in support of Grenfell survivors and the firefighters who responded to the disaster. The plans come in a bid to mark the first anniversary of the Grenfell disaster, which happened on 14 June 2017.

Seventy two people lost their lives when flames engulfed the 24-storey building in the worst fire in the UK since the Second World War. Fire engines from across London attended the scene, which many described as a ‘war zone’.

Since then, the Firefighters 100 Lottery has donated £40,000 to causes including Kids on the Green, Solidarity Sports and the Dale Youth Boxing Club. They are also campaigning to break the silence surrounding the mental health of firefighters following their involvement with horrific incidents, like Grenfell.

Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said “The FBU is campaigning on a wide variety of fronts to keep Grenfell at the forefront of politicians’ minds and are committed to getting justice for all those affected. We are working with and helping local campaigns in support of Grenfell and want all proceeds from the Firefighters 100 Lottery throughout June to contribute.”

“This isn’t just in support of the survivors and the community but the brave men and women who attended the fire, many of whom are still dealing with the traumatic aftermath of the event. We’re hoping the public will get behind us with the campaign so we can continue supporting those who need us”.

You can get involved by joining the Firefighters 100 Lottery at www.firefighters100lottery.co.uk . At least 50p from every £1 ticket you buy will be spent on supporting the causes of the lottery. There are also three guaranteed cash winners each week, up to a maximum of £25,000.

Born out of plans to mark the centenary of the FBU, the lottery was launched in November 2016 and has raised over £180,000 to support firefighters, their bereaved families and to honour the bravery and sacrifice of firefighters killed in the line of duty.

Eight local children from Birmingham  have been celebrated for their writing success after being named centre winners in the National Young Writers’ Awards. The following children have all been named winning entries by local Explore Learning centres in Oldbury, Handsworth, Kings Heath, Harborne, Shirley, Yardley, Longbridge and Wylde Green: Elijah-David Buttery, 10, St Mary Magdalene CofE, Naina Sidhu, 11, Grestone Academy, Miller Brennan, 8, Wheelers Lane Primary, Sienna Kaur Sian, 9, World's End Junior School, Libby Taylor, 13, Langley Secondary School, Aaliah Ali, 9, Greet Primary School, Ceri Lowe, 11, Queensbridge Secondary and J'yon Brown, 10, Yenton Primary School.

The competition, now in its tenth year,  has been running for the past three months and invited children from across the UK to write a 500-word story about ‘heroes’ – whether that’s their parents, a policeman or their idol!  Organised by tuition provider, Explore LearningK which has centres across Birmingham, with the aim of inspiring children to get creative and give writing a try was this year judged by world renowned best-selling children’s author David Walliams! A record breaking 38,500 children from all over the UK entered in an effort to win a trip to Disneyland Paris and £500 worth of books for their school!

And there could be more good news to come for the centre winners as judges are still shortlisting the entries! The top ten national runners up will be announced on Monday 11th June while the national winner will be crowned on the Monday 18th June with a surprise visit from David Walliams to their school!

Every child that enters will receive a certificate to celebrate their story, along with personalised feedback from one of Explore Learning’s inspirational tutors.

David Walliams says: “I was overwhelmed by the quality and creativity of the stories I was reading and was so impressed that this broad range of exciting ideas have come from such young writers. Each piece of writing drew me in and kept me captivated by clever and observant story lines and engaging characters. We definitely have some future star authors here.”

Explore Learning provides English and maths tuition to children aged four to 14, with 139 centres located across the country.  Throughout the competition Explore Learning provided top writing tips from their creative writing team, previous winners, judges and best-selling authors via their website, social media and face to face.  They also hosted a collection of free downloadable information on the website that can be used at home or in the classroom as well as running free workshops with local libraries, schools and community groups to inspire children’s love of writing and support them with their entries.

Charlotte Gater, Head of Curriculum at Explore Learning says: “This year’s National Young Writers’ Awards attracted a record number of entries so the children should be very proud of their success.  We were blown away by the number of children who were inspired to write heroic tales. It is amazing to have David pick our winning entry this year and clearly inspire so many children to put pen to paper. Well done to everyone who entered who has set the bar so high for next year!”