Parents are being urged to think carefully before buying sleep and feeding products marketed as ‘essential’, as some may pose serious safety risks including suffocation, choking and overheating.

With families already facing significant costs when preparing for a new baby, estimated at around £600 in just the first month after birth, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is warning that some products marketed to help with sleep and feeding may not only be unnecessary, but potentially dangerous.

RoSPA has identified a number of products that may present risks to babies, including:

• Self-feeding cushions (sometimes sold as ‘hands-free baby bottle holders’, ‘hands-free baby feeding bottles’ or ‘adjustable baby bottle holders’). These products are designed to hold a baby‘s bottle while they feed. This makes it harder for babies to control the flow of milk and increases the risk of choking.
• Baby sleep positioners (sometimes marketed as ‘baby pillows’, ‘cuddle cushions’, ‘hug cushion/pillows’, ‘ergonomic pillows’ or ‘anti-roll pillows’). These products are designed to keep babies in a particular position while they sleep. Restricting a baby’s movement and placing additional items in the sleep space can increase the risk of suffocation.
• In-cot sleep aids (sometimes marketed as ‘sleep aid pillows’). These products are intended to comfort or soothe babies while they sleep. Additional products placed in a baby’s sleep space can increase the risk of suffocation or overheating.

Widely available online, some of these products are sold without clear safety information or instructions explaining potential risks. RoSPA advises parents to look for CE or UKCA markings where appropriate and to be cautious of products that do not clearly explain how they have been assessed for safety. Some products have been recalled by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) because of the serious risks they pose to babies.

RoSPA emphasises that more products do not necessarily mean better sleep, and that proven risks often outweigh potential benefits of some baby products.

The charity’s advice is that simpler is safer when it comes to sleep. Babies should be placed on their backs in a clear space, such as a cot, Moses basket or bassinet with a firm, flat mattress and no unnecessary items. Babies should always be supervised by an adult during feeding.

Top tips for safer sleep

Keep your baby’s sleep space clear: 

• Lie your baby on their back.
• Use a firm, flat, waterproof mattress.
• Do not use sleep positioners, pillows, cushions, pods or nests.
• Do not use cot bumpers.
• To keep your baby at a comfortable temperature, if required, use a tucked-in blanket or a sleeping bag that meets BS EN 16781.
• Always read product labels, safety warnings and instructions before using a baby product.

Rebecca Guy, RoSPA Senior Policy Manager said:

‘Every parent wants what’s best for their baby, and it’s completely understandable to look for products that promise to make feeding or sleeping easier.

But some products can introduce risks that parents may not be aware of, particularly when they are marketed as must-have items.

The safest sleep spaces are often the simplest. Babies should sleep on their backs in a clear cot, Moses basket or bassinet with a firm, flat mattress and without extra items.

Before buying any product, take a moment to ask if you really need it and whether it could affect your baby’s safety. Keeping things simple can help protect your baby and save money at a time when family budgets are already under pressure.’

Convened by the UK Government’s Ayrton Fund, the Africa-Oxford Initiative (AfOx), the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Transforming Energy Access Learning Partnership (TEA LP) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) – the Ayrton-Oxford Academic Symposium brought together experts from across the clean energy ecosystem, drawing on international expertise and interdisciplinary research to explore how stronger global learning partnerships generating evidence, insights, and innovations can drive sustainable economic growth, strengthen climate resilience and expand access to affordable, reliable energy.

To date, Ayrton-supported innovations have improved access to clean energy for 46 million people across emerging economies, leveraged more than £3 billion in public and private finance and supported more than 256,000 green jobs.

The wider Ayrton network now spans 100 countries and includes 78 universities, alongside more than 840 innovators, academics and delivery partners working to accelerate clean energy progress worldwide. Together, these collaborations have generated 191 technology patent applications and contributed to more than 2,400 research papers, helping transform scientific knowledge into practical solutions with real-world impact.

At a time when countries are seeking faster energy transition pathways to drive energy access and security and economic development, international collaboration is becoming increasingly important in translating research into scalable action. The symposium examined how both in the UK and overseas, universities, innovators, policymakers and investors can work more effectively together to overcome shared challenges, unlock greater impact and accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and inclusive energy future.

The symposium opened with a keynote address from Professor Sir John Edmunds, Chief Scientific Adviser at the FCDO, highlighting how the Ayrton Fund has fostered a growing network of research partnerships that combine UK expertise with locally-led knowledge, innovation and experience to deliver lasting impact. He emphasised the importance of further strengthening international collaboration to generate the evidence, insights and partnerships needed to support equitable energy transitions, accelerate innovation and build the institutional capacity required for long-term, sustainable change.

A diverse portfolio of Ayrton-supported programmes are advancing research, building institutional capacity and accelerating innovation. Through the Transforming Energy Access-Learning Partnership (TEA-LP), more than 30 universities across Africa, Asia and the Pacific Islands are helping to develop the next generation of clean energy leaders, strengthening research capability and expanding opportunities for international knowledge exchange. The TEA@SUNRISE network is driving the development and deployment of innovative clean energy technologies through collaborative research connecting more than 400 members across 40 countries and 80 universities in the UK, Africa and Asia. Meanwhile, the Faraday Institution is enhancing global expertise in energy storage, connecting researchers and future leaders through its world-leading battery research programmes and Battery Ambassadors network across 7 African Countries. Across the wider Ayrton Fund portfolio, programmes such as Climate Compatible Growth have built an ecosystem of open-source modelling tools, datasets and lecture materials which have been used by more than 50 universities, while Energy Catalyst and ZE-Gen programmes are helping to translate research into practice by connecting universities, clean energy innovators and industry partners to scale promising technologies with the potential to unlock social and economic benefits across essential sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture and transport.

Speaking at the event, Professor Sir John Edmunds, Chief Scientific Adviser at the FCDO, said: “There are huge challenges associated with climate change and with clean energy transition but there are also massive opportunities for the same thing. The UK Government is investing a huge amount in this area for research, development and scaling so that’s what the Ayrton Fund is all about. No one organisation can possibly do all of that on its own, and that is why we need partnerships.

“The purpose of the Ayrton-Oxford Academic Symposium is to bring academic researchers and other innovators together to form collaborations across countries. By drawing upon expertise in the UK, Africa and elsewhere, we can accelerate the development of solutions to the major problems that all of us face.

“We hope to generate robust and equitable partnerships that will stand the test of time and be available to address the next set of questions.”

Angus Vantoch-Wood, Programme Manager at the Carbon Trust, for FCDO funded Transforming Energy Access (TEA), said: “What stood out was the shared commitment to turning knowledge into action. Through the Carbon Trust’s work with the Ayrton Fund, we have seen how collaboration between UK and international researchers, innovators, businesses and policymakers can help transform ideas into solutions that improve lives, strengthen economies and expand access to clean energy. The challenge now is to build on these partnerships and accelerate the impact they can deliver in the years ahead.”

Professor Kevin Marsh, Director of the Africa Oxford Initiative, said: “African researchers will play a critical role in developing solutions which tackle global challenges such as energy access and green transitions. Translating this research into impact on the ground requires interdisciplinary collaboration between research, innovation and investment. This approach underpins the work the Africa Oxford Initiative has done over the past ten years supporting hundreds of outstanding African researchers, scholars and innovators.”

A survey of primary school parents conducted by SuperNutrio High Protein, High Calcium Milk reveals that 91% of Scottish mums and dads viewed the back-to-school rush as a second chance to establish better family routines. Topping the wish list for the new term were straightforward goals such as early bedtimes (55%), chatting about the school day (45%), keeping uniforms clean (42%), and ensuring teeth are brushed (40%).

TOP 15 BACK-TO-SCHOOL HABITS SCOTTISH PARENTS HOPE TO STAY ON TOP OF

Streamlining the daily morning commute was also high on the agenda. Over three in ten parents (31%) set out to beat the school bell, 32% hoped to avoid forgetting PE kits, and 27% promised to pick up their children punctually. On the home front, 31% aimed to enforce stricter screen time boundaries, while 32% were desperate to leave the house without launching into a full blown nagging match.

For 13% of Scottish parents, however, the effort was abandoned from the start, with respondents confessing their total school run strategy relies entirely on winging it.

Despite good intentions, over half of Scottish parents (56%) expected to abandon their first new habit within the first month, while 31% anticipated giving up within the very first week. With pupils already settled back into the classroom, many of these well meaning routines are already reaching their limit. On average, parents projected their new habits to last just 26 days. Enforcing early bedtimes (12%) was identified as the habit most likely to be dropped first, followed by nightly reading (8%), screen time boundaries (8%), and leaving the house without nagging (8%).

Despite these hurdles, 41% of parents acknowledge that long term success lies in focusing on small, bite sized goals rather than attempting an immediate overnight overhaul.

Mornings continue to present challenges for parental self care, with 32% of respondents reporting they rarely find time to eat breakfast themselves. While 35% hoped to serve a more nutritious breakfast to their children this term, 21% cite picky eating as a primary barrier.

Social pressure also plays a role, with 42% of Scottish parents feeling compelled to present a polished and controlled morning routine to others. For 36% of these parents, the drive to project composure is personal, helping them feel better about themselves, while 30% admit they simply want to avoid embarrassment. When mornings do go according to plan, 38% celebrate by enjoying a hot cup of tea or coffee while it is still warm, 37% enjoy 10 to 15 minutes of uninterrupted quiet, and 9% choose to unwind later with a glass of wine.

TOP 15 BACK-TO-SCHOOL HABITS SCOTTISH PARENTS EXPECT TO DROP FIRST

Addressing the challenge of establishing sustainable family habits, Jo Travers, from the London Nutritionist, said:

“As parents, we go into every September with the best of intentions, but setting the bar too high is a fast track to burnout. Expecting a total family overhaul overnight is a recipe for failure, which is why so many routines collapse before the month is even out. It’s about micro-habits rather than perfection. Small, simple wins, like swapping in a higher-protein cow’s milk at breakfast to keep kids fuelled, build long-term success far better than trying to turn your morning routine into a military operation.”

With 69% of Scottish parents agreeing that consistency is vital, and 23% identifying simple dietary swaps as an effective starting point, experts suggest that minor adjustments offer the clearest path to lasting change as the term progresses.

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There can surely be few more fitting places for a poetry festival than Port Sunlight. With its tree-lined roads, historic architecture, sweeping lawns and intriguing corners, the iconic village has a distinctly poetic quality of its own. This October, those surroundings will once again provide the backdrop for Wirral Poetry Festival — a celebration of poetry, creativity and the pleasure of sharing words with others.

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The 2026 festival continues Wirral Poetry Festival’s mission of promoting poetry on the Wirral and beyond, bringing people together through readings, performances, workshops and opportunities to discover new voices. Whether you’re a lifelong poetry enthusiast, an occasional reader, an aspiring writer or someone who simply fancies experiencing something different, the festival is a must.

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The festival combines established and emerging poetic voices with community participation, offering everything from readings and book launches to poetry walks, workshops, children’s activities, open-mic opportunities and the energy of a live poetry slam. At its heart is Poetry on the Green, bringing performances by local poets into the open air beside the Lady Lever Art Gallery.

This year’s extravaganza once again features many free events to attend and enjoy. In addition to this, some big hitting ticketed events are taking place including — a Performing Poetry Workshop, Slam Night, Leigh Lawson Poetry Night, An Audience With Jennifer Lee Tsai and Cathy Galvin, An Audience With Zoe Brooks, Caroline Smith and Barry Woods and An Audience With Sarah James.

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On Saturday 3rd October at 5.30pm, acclaimed actor Leigh Lawson will share stories and poems from his collection Now and Then at Saturday 3 October, 5.30pm at Port Sunlight Church Hall (tickets just £6). Meanwhile, Cathy Galvin (Ethnology: A Love Song for Connemara) and Jennnifer Lee Tsai (Melete) will read from their debut Bloodaxe Books collections at the same venue on Sunday 4th October at 7.30pm.

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Slam Night is always an incredible showcase of some of the region’s finest wordsmiths. Port Slam Night takes place on Saturday 3rd October at 7.30pm, again at Port Sunlight Church Hall. Tickets are just £6 and poets compete for the £100 prize! It’s an opportunity to witness some fantastic and diverse poetry and if you would like to take part please apply to enter on the Wirral Poetry Festival website.

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Young voices are also taking their place in the festival story. In 2026, Wirral Poetry Festival launched its first Youth Poetry Competition for young people aged 11 to 18 who live or attend school within the Liverpool City Region. Supported by the Christopher Salmon Foundation and held in memory of talented young Wirral poet Christopher Salmon, the competition invited entrants to write on the theme of “Home”.

Entries arrived from every borough of the Liverpool City Region, demonstrating both the appetite for creative writing among young people and poetry’s extraordinary ability to turn a simple word into something intensely personal. Eleven-year-old Amjad Sharif, a pupil at Oldershaw School in Wallasey, was named the competition winner, with Kai Lloyd Jones, aged 12, and Adriana Brandao, aged 17, selected as runners-up. Their prizes are due to be presented at a special celebration during Wirral Poetry Festival in Port Sunlight on the Saturday.

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Wirral Poetry Festival’s Alison Schultz said: “Living in such a digital age, there’s never been a more important time to celebrate poetry and literacy, and there’s no better setting than Port Sunlight. We’re really excited for this year’s festival and as ever, there will be so much going on and something for everyone. Whether you’re a poetry enthusiast or just fancy something different, we look forward to welcoming you.”

Kemal Houghton added: “Poetry can be quiet and reflective or funny, challenging and exhilarating. It can live on the printed page or come alive when performed in front of an audience. Bringing those different forms into Port Sunlight allows visitors to experience a historic village not simply as somewhere to look back at the past, but as somewhere contemporary culture is being made.”

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For local writers, the festival offers opportunities to connect with a wider creative community. For visitors, it offers the chance to encounter poetry away from the classroom or bookshelf. And for Port Sunlight itself, the festival adds another layer to a place already associated with art, architecture and ambitious ideas about how surroundings can enrich people’s lives.

Wirral Poetry Festival 2026 / 3rd & 4th October 2026, 10.30am-7.30pm / Port Sunlight Village, Various Venues

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The story began when Hewitson Limited identified a need to recruit eight Groundworker Apprentices to support the continued growth of the business.  To help meet this need, Derwentside College drew upon its extensive expertise in large-scale recruitment to design, plan and deliver a bespoke recruitment campaign on behalf of the employer.

Working closely with Hewitson Limited, the College managed the end-to-end recruitment process, promoting the opportunities, attracting suitable candidates and coordinating a dedicated recruitment day that brought together aspiring groundworkers from across the region.  The aim was to identify talented individuals with the commitment and potential to succeed in the construction industry.

The results exceeded expectations.

The quality of candidates presented through the recruitment process impressed Hewitsons’ management team so much that, despite initially having only eight vacancies available, they made the decision to recruit 12 apprentices, creating four additional opportunities for local young people to begin their careers through a Level 2 Groundworker Apprenticeship.

So far, the apprentices have received significant support from Hewitson Limited, including preparatory training and development activities designed to help them transition successfully into the workplace and prepare for the start of their apprenticeship programme.

The success of the initiative highlights the impact that can be achieved when employers and education providers work in partnership.  By combining Hewitsons’ commitment to investing in future talent with Derwentside College’s proven ability to attract, assess and recruit candidates at scale, the partnership has successfully connected local people with high-quality career opportunities in a sector facing significant skills demand.

As these 12 apprentices begin their careers, the initiative demonstrates how effective collaboration can help address workforce challenges while creating life-changing opportunities for young people across the North East.  It is a powerful example of how targeted recruitment and high-quality apprenticeship provision can support economic growth, develop future skills and strengthen the region’s talent pipeline.

Nicola Raine, Assistant Principal – Business Development & Technical Education at Derwentside College, said:  

“We’re proud to have led the recruitment process on behalf of Hewitson Limited and to have connected 12 talented young people with career opportunities in a sector where skills are in high demand.  This partnership demonstrates the positive impact that employers and colleges can achieve together.”

Paul Mathison, Director of Construction at Hewitson Limited said:

“Supporting young people into the construction industry is incredibly important to us.  We want to give individuals the opportunity to build rewarding careers, develop valuable skills and realise their potential.  The recruitment process delivered by Derwentside College introduced us to some outstanding candidates, and we’re looking forward to supporting them throughout their apprenticeship journey and beyond.”

The revelation comes from a leading experiences provider – Experiences.co.uk – which saw a 15% rise between 2024 and 2025 in new searches for its junior driving packages, which include driving lessons for children as young as 10 years old.

It comes at a time when booking practical driving tests are in the spotlight again, with long waiting times and clampdowns on who can book a driving test to try and help clear the backlog.

Imran Malek, corporate sales manager at Experiences.co.uk, said: “Many learner drivers are facing months of delays booking practical driving tests, so it can pay to be ahead of the game by learning to drive from a very young age in a safe environment away from the open road.

“This way, they can increase their confidence and driving skills, paving the way to consider booking a practical driving test as soon as they are old enough.”

Young driver experiences include learning skills such as moving off, accelerating, braking, changing gears, reverse parking as well as road position and sign recognition.

They can also use specially designed layouts to simulate real-life driving conditions and have cars with dual controls.

Imran added: “There are many benefits to learning to drive from a young age with tuition from expert instructors.

“These sessions take place on private land away from the hustle and bustle of public roads, allowing full focus on learning the driving skills necessary to become confident behind the wheel.

“Having quality time behind the wheel from the age of just 10 years old could make all the difference when it comes to passing the practical driving test.”

For more information about Experiences.co.uk, and its junior driving experiences, visit www.experiences.co.uk.

In reality, for many students moving away from home, it’s everything else that adds up.

The rent, the train tickets home, the supermarket shops that somehow cost twice what you expected, the society memberships you promised yourself you’d make the most of. 

For the hundreds of thousands of students studying across Scotland, university is often the first time they’ve had to manage a budget entirely on their own. And while most arrive expecting their accommodation to be their biggest expense, many quickly discover there are plenty of other costs quietly competing for space in their bank account.

The reality of student living costs

Scotland remains one of the UK’s most popular places to study, attracting students to cities including Edinburgh, Glasgow, St Andrews, Aberdeen and Dundee.

But the cost of student life can vary dramatically depending on where you choose to live.

Edinburgh remains one of the most expensive student cities in the country. The University of Edinburgh estimates that a single undergraduate student will spend an average of £1,546 per month on living costs during the 2026/27 academic year, with accommodation accounting for the largest share of that spending.

Even in cities where rents are lower, students still face a long list of expenses that extend well beyond housing. Food, transport, course materials, socialising and day-to-day essentials all take their turn at eating into a student budget.

For many, it’s the first lesson that living independently involves far more than simply paying rent.

Summer creates a problem many students don’t anticipate

One of the more frustrating costs often arrives at the end of the academic year.

Many first-year students live in university accommodation, which typically runs on a 39-week contract. That means when summer arrives, students often need to move out completely, even if they plan to return in September.

For Scottish students, that might mean taking everything back to their family home.

For those who live elsewhere in the UK or overseas, it’s rarely that simple.

Transporting an entire room’s worth of stuff across the country can be expensive, time-consuming and, in some cases, practically impossible.

It’s one of the reasons why demand for services offering student storage in Edinburgh and other university cities has grown in recent years. Rather than hauling suitcases, bedding, kitchen equipment and sports gear back and forth every summer, many students are choosing to store items locally until the next academic year begins.

When you factor in travel costs, baggage fees and the hassle involved, it can often be a surprisingly sensible solution.

Students are finding new ways to make their money go further

The rising cost of living has also changed how students think about earning money while they study.

Part-time jobs have always been a feature of student life, but today’s students are often looking beyond traditional bar and retail work. Increasing numbers are exploring online side-hustles that can fit around lectures, coursework and exam periods.

Some are freelancing. Others are tutoring, selling vintage clothing, managing social media accounts or creating digital products.

The attraction is flexibility. Unlike fixed shift patterns, many of these income streams can be worked around university life, allowing students to earn additional money without sacrificing their studies.

Of course, there is no substitute for good budgeting. But having an additional source of income can make a real difference when unexpected expenses inevitably crop up during the year.

The students who cope best are often the ones who plan ahead

University has never been cheap, and few students make it through three or four years without the occasional financial surprise.

But the students who tend to feel the least financial pressure aren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets.

They’re often the ones who understand the hidden costs before they arrive.

They know they’ll need money for more than rent. They think about what happens between accommodation contracts. They build a small financial cushion where they can. And they look for practical ways to avoid unnecessary spending throughout the year.

Moving away to university in Scotland remains one of the most exciting experiences many young people will ever have. But understanding the true cost of student life before you arrive can make those years a lot less stressful and a lot more enjoyable.

The event marks the completion of a joint initiative between Leeds Well School Partnership (LWSP) and M2: Where Movement and Mindfulness meet, which provides a safe, judgement free space for primary school girls to engage in physical activity and build their confidence and resilience.

Funded by the Jane Tomlinson Appeal, the programme offers eight-sessions culminating in a 5km challenge. JTA funded programmes are also running in Sheffield, Hull, Derby, and Lincolnshire. 

The upcoming trip to London marks a major milestone—not only are these 90 girls representing Leeds on a national stage, but they are also the first cohort from the M2 programme to be given this opportunity. The experience has been made possible through LWSP’s relationship with the London Marathon Foundation.

“This opportunity was made possible through vital funding and strong partnerships,” said Jill Wilkinson, Leeds Well School Partnership Director. “We know this programme works—and we have the data to prove it. Taking 90 girls to a national event like this shows the scale of impact we’re achieving.”

The programme has already demonstrated measurable success, helping girls to develop healthier habits alongside increased confidence and resilience. 96% of M2 girls say they enjoy running and 80% say they feel more confident speaking up and having their voices heard. For many participants, the TCS Mini London Marathon will be their first experience of a major sporting event.

As well as celebrating achievement, the moment represents powerful visibility, with girls from Leeds proudly representing their city on a national platform.

“This is more than a one-off experience—this is the start of something bigger,” added Emma Mackenzie, Children & Young People Engagement Lead at London Marathon Foundation. “Through local collaborations like this and our own partnerships with The Daily Mile Foundation and Junior parkrun, we’re building a legacy- fostering an accessible and inspiring participation pathway that creates more opportunities for young girls to be active, confident, and inspired.”

Following on from the success and inspiration of the TCS Mini London Marathon, it is fantastic to see adult role models representing LWSP stepping up to take part in both the TCS London Marathon and the Rob Burrows Leeds Marathon. These dedicated individuals are not only pushing themselves to achieve incredible personal milestones, but are also proudly raising vital funds to support LWSP’s ongoing work with girls. 

“LWSP is incredibly proud of all those taking part and grateful for their dedication, which continues to inspire the next generation,” said Jill Wilkinson.