From groundbreaking studies to ordinary people doing extraordinary things, we're rounding up the good news stories that you might not have heard about

1. Employees clock on to the importance of mental health

Scan any job listing these days and you’ll usually find a list of employee benefits, chosen to convince you that this company is where you want to be. The day off on your birthday, summer hours, and subsidised canteens are all tempting but, apparently, they don’t top the wish lists of job-seekers.

A study by Easy Offices looked at the most popular employee benefits, and found that companies that were taking the mental health of their employees seriously had a significant advantage over those that weren’t.

Virtual counselling topped the list of most popular benefits, followed by insurance to help cover the cost of mental health treatment, virtual support groups, tools to build mindfulness and resilience, and training on how to help others with mental health problems.

The study also tracked an increase in the number of companies embracing employee assistance programmes. That said, a recent YouGov poll found that only 57% of employees knew about benefits schemes at their work.

So, do you know what’s on the table at your organisation? With demand for wellbeing benefits rising, it’s safe to say that these kinds of perks are more than just a passing trend, and working on your mental health could be an inside job.

2. Dutch start-up Lightyear has developed the first solar-powered electric car, which it hopes to release this year!

3. Plastic-free paradise on the horizon

In some great eco news, it’s been reported that plastic waste on Australian beaches has reduced by 30% in the past six years. This rapid pace of positive change is due to initiatives by local councils, including extra bins, notices reminding people not to litter, and a hotline dedicated to reporting illegal waste dumping. This is a clear sign that we can all clear up our acts – and beaches.

4. A Yorkshire-based business, Banana Moon, has released the world’s first ‘anxiety hoody’

Created with the intention to provide sensory relief to wearers, the hoody features chewable toggles, a fidget popper, and weighted pockets, helping to redirect anxious energy, and move you from fight-or-flight to rest mode.

5. New research shows a ‘substantially faster’ way of gaining knowledge

If there was a way to supercharge your ability to learn, would you take it? According to a new study published in the Journal of Psychological Science, there may, in fact, be a way to ensure that we are more ‘ready to learn’ before we explicitly try to tackle something new.

Vladimir Sloutsky, study co-author and p

Marks & Spencer is the latest supermarket ditching ‘best before’ labels in a bid to reduce food waste

The ‘best before’ labels on supermarket foods were designed to help customers but their impact on food waste means they’re causing more problems than they’re solving. This week Marks & Spencer announced their plan to remove ‘best before’ labels from 300 varieties of fruit and veg to help reduce food waste.

They’re not alone either. Tesco ditched ‘best before’ labels on their own-brand produce back in 2018, Lidl doesn't include ‘best before’ information at all and Morrisons said goodbye to the labels in January this year.

Note: ‘best before’ dates differ from ‘use by’ dates, which are included if there could be a risk to safety if ignored.

This change means customers will need to use their own judgement more, but it could make a big difference in the battle to reduce food waste. These moves by supermarkets will help the UK’s commitment to meet the United Nations goal of halving food waste by 2030 compared with 2007.

Food waste charity Wrap estimates that 45% of global greenhouse gas emissions can only be reduced by making changes in the way we consume products and food. By saying goodbye to ‘best before’ labels on produce, Wrap says we can save the equivalent of 7 million shopping baskets of food a year.

Catherine David, a director at Wrap, said: “We’re thrilled to see this move from M&S, which will reduce food waste and help tackle the climate crisis.

“We urge more supermarkets to get ahead on food waste by axing date labels from fresh produce, allowing people to use their own judgement.”

Not sure how to tell when your food is potentially unsafe to eat? Here are some signs to look out for:

• a slimy film
• visible mould
• a rancid smell
• discolouration
• unusual texture

Further reading

• Here are some steps you can take to reduce food waste.
• Want to be more eco-friendly? There’s an app for that.
• Here are 10 eco-friendly life hacks to try.
• Learn more about Greenwashing and how to spot it.
• Get creative with your ingredients with these recipes.

The United States will have a new, easier-to-remember, nationwide suicide prevention lifeline from July 16 2022

First launched in December 2004, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has offered support to millions of Americans seeking support and guidance during times of crisis. In 2021, Lifeline received 3.6 million calls, chats, and texts. From Saturday July 16, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline will be transitioning from its old 10-digit number (1-800-273-TALK (8255)) to the new three-digit Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 988.

What is changing (and why now?)

The change to Lifeline’s number is part of President Biden’s comprehensive strategy to address the nation’s mental health crisis. Identified as a top priority, since January 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration has invested $432 million (up from $24 million previously) to scale crisis centre capacity and provide specialist services, such as a sub-network for Spanish language speakers. This has helped support the transition to 988 and to ensure that all Americans can access help and support during a mental health crisis.

The National Suicide Hotline Designation Act was signed into law after the passage of bipartisan legislation in 2020. This authorised 988 as the new, shorter number for suicide and mental health crisis. By July 16 2022 at the latest, all telephone and text providers in the US and five major US territories are required to activate 988.

Secretary Becerra commented: “988 is more than a number, it is a message: we’re there for you. Through this and other actions, we are treating mental health as a priority and putting crisis care in reach for more Americans. There is still much work to do. But what matters is that we’re launching. We are looking to every governor and every state in the nation to do their part to make this a long-term success.”

FCC staff first proposed 988 in August 2019 as part of a report to Congress. FCC Chairwoman, Jessica Rosenworcel, said: “All across our country, people are hurting. They need help. The good news is that getting that help just got a lot easier. 988 will be available nationwide for individuals in crisis, and their loved ones, to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline more easily. This cross-government effort has been years in the making and comes at a crucial point to help address the mental health crisis in our country, especially for our young people.”

Those seeking to get through to the Veterans Crisis Line can now dial 988, then press 1.

Following the 3.6 mill

With cases of Covid-19 on the rise, the BBC has announced a new documentary that seeks to understand why five million people are yet to receive the vaccine

In recent months, Covid-19 infections have been increasing in the UK. Following several lockdowns and over 197,000 deaths, the experts are warning that we could be entering the fifth wave, yet 8% of the UK population is still unvaccinated. A documentary due to air on Wednesday 20th July at 9pm, on BBC Two, BBC Factual, and iPlayer aims to determine why this is the case.

The documentary will be presented by Mathematician, Professor Hannah Fry. Hannah worked on the data that contributed to bringing the UK out of the first lockdown in 2020 and, together with leading experts, will try to uncover what the nation thinks of the vaccine roll-out today.

This complex debate has been around for a few years now, and Hannah wants to unearth these long-held opinions, beliefs, myths, and fears that have prevented people from getting vaccinated. Looking at the latest statistics and science, alongside how media misinformation spreads, Hannah will bring in seven unvaccinated participants, all of which will be asked if their opinions have changed and if they would be more likely to take up the vaccine, after the experiment.

“With covid infections on the rise again, there couldn’t be a more important time to examine the reasons why so many adults are still not getting the vaccine.” Tom Coveney, BBC Commissioning Editor, Science.

Scientists have said that we are likely to face more pandemics in the future, meaning further vaccine roll-outs. With this in mind, now is the best time to explore the views of the nation.

The documentary commissioned by Jack Bootle is made by STV Studios and will be a one-hour feature exploring how this debate has become the “heart of modern life”. It will look at the views from both sides in an “open and sensitive way”, says Craig Hunter, Creative Director of Factual, STV Studios. It will reveal why some people are hesitant, and teach these reasons to those who advocate the vaccine so, collectively, we can get a better understanding of what the vaccine means to the UK population.

If you have been affected by the pandemic and are looking for further support, reach out. Visit the Counselling Directory.

A new study has revealed that many children who are not eligible for free school meals are going hungry

The University of York and the Bradford Institute for Health Research are calling for the free school meals (FSM) eligibility criteria to be widened, following research that shows that 20% of children who do not meet the requirements for FSM are experiencing food insecurities and poor mental health.

Those that meet FSM criteria are typically considered to be living below the poverty line. The research published in the British Medical Journal has since noted that food insecurities go beyond the school environment and are also present at home, making FSM entitlement even more crucial to children’s wellbeing and development. Those that are eligible for FSM receive a significant proportion of their daily energy and nutrients from school dinners, but 60% of those children still felt insecure about where their next meal would come from, due to not having enough or lacking quality food at home. Of these children, 51% experience daily worry and stress as a result of the stigma attached to FSM, which drastically impacts their mental health and ability to flourish at school.

However, these statistics are not limited to those who are able to receive free school meals. 20% of children surveyed who did not qualify for FSM also experienced insecurities related to food, and 29% of these children were at risk of feeling stressed and worried on a daily basis. This is why researchers from the University of York and Bradford Institute for Health Research want the FSM criteria to be expanded beyond those families below the poverty line to include those from low-income households.

“If this eligibility threshold was raised, then not only would it shake the stigma of Free School Meals being associated with poverty, it would mean fewer children overall would go hungry and fewer children would experience anxiety and stress on a daily basis,” says Dr Tiffany Yang, Principle Research Fellow at the Bradford Insitute for Health Research.

During the pandemic, the number of children who were eligible for FSM rose from 17.3% of state-funded pupils in 2020 to 19.7% in 2021, according to data from the Food Foundation and Childwise. With the current cost of living crisis, this figure is set to rise even further.

Impact on children’s mental health

Despite the FSM scheme having its benefits, its strict income-eligibility checks can actually indicate poverty. Dr Maria Bryant (Reader in Public Health Nutrition at the University of York) states that free school meals should not be a marker of poverty, but instead the scheme should allow more children to access free school meals, to reduce the stress and anxiety of being labelled a “child living in poverty”. This stigma attached to FSM can not only create feelings of worry amongst these pupils but, in serious cases, may also lead to the child being bullied.

This would not only reduce the impact on wellbeing that those from low-income households experience, but it would also reduce the inequalities these children experience in the classroom. A study by the Department for Education found that pupils who were eligible for FSM have lower average ‘attainment 8’ scores (a measure