Victoria Womersley

According to Age UK, 1.4 million older people in the UK often experience loneliness. For some of us, feelings of loneliness pass. However, for others, loneliness persists, causing detrimental health effects. Age UK estimates that 2 million older adults will experience frequent feelings of loneliness by 2026.
The health impact of loneliness for older people
Loneliness begins as a negative feeling about our relationships not matching our needs. For older people, unexpected events like a major i...

To understand the unique landscape of Dartmoor National Park, we need to head back in time. Back to when the dinosaurs roamed the earth and our continents were moving too. Even after Dartmoor was formed, it took some time for it to become the beautiful holiday spot it is today. Dartmoor’s geology and social history is an interesting tale.

Dartmoor National Park’s geology

Around 300 million years ago, Dartmoor was a very different place. Sitting close to the equator and pock-marked with violen...

Unlike the usual business books, Frederic Laloux's 'Reinventing organizations' invites readers to evolve their view of work roles and places to create a newer and kinder way of working. organizational structures from the viewpoint of developmental theory, belief systems, and worldviews, Laloux embarks on a journey to answer fundamental questions about the world of work and future organizational structures. Are there better, more fulfilling, and soulful ways to arrange organizationa...

Culture has a direct impact on a company’s stock value and productivity. To ignore culture – or let it look after itself – is to neglect a major influencer of a business’ viability. Multiple studies have proven this time and again. Kevin Oakes, the author of Culture Renovation and co-founder of i4cp, the Institute for Corporate Productivity, provides readers with 18 progressive steps for implementing a culture renovation that will bring the desired results for businesses of any kind.
Backed b...

Habits make up the underlying fabric of our lives. We all have them, and so do organizations. Understanding habits and replacing them with better, more helpful behaviors can provide us with the keys to create the businesses and lives we dream of enjoying. In The Power of Habit, author Charles Duhigg provides readers with a sound understanding of how habits form and how we can identify them and adapt them to be valuable mechanisms that help us achieve our goals faster and more easily.
We all r...

In her book 'The Fearless Organization,' Amy C. Edmondson, Harvard Business School's Professor of Leadership and Management, gives leaders and managers new ideas and practices to create the optimal environments needed for knowledge-intensive organizations to work better. In today's volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world of business and our ever-increasing reliance on creativity, imagination, and innovation to agilely respond to market needs, psychologically safe workplaces a...

As the title suggests, this book about humor has a serious side too. Humor in the workplace is often nonexistent, yet levity is one of the fastest and surest ways to forge strong connections, boost creativity, and improve productivity. As Aaker and Bagdonas show us throughout their book, humor in the workplace really can be a superpower that creates spaces where people can think freely, speak openly and try new approaches to old (and new) problems.

Based on six years of research and studies i...

The dramatic landscape of Dartmoor National Park has captivated visitors for centuries. It should come as no surprise that it’s also one of the top filming locations in the UK. The earliest films to be shot on Dartmoor were released in 1929.
‘The American Prisoner’ and ‘A Dartmoor Cottage’ (sometimes referred to an ‘Escape from Dartmoor’) were some of the last silent movies. Directed by Anthony Asquith, both films use Dartmoor’s meadows and tors as backdrops. But it’s more recent films and TV...

The Mini Cooper has bags of personality and large helpings of charm too. BMW has remained true to the original styling of the iconic BMC Mini with a rounded shape that’s low to the ground and fun to drive. The only real rival from this perspective is the cute Fiat 500, or maybe the now discontinued VW Beetle.
The Mk2 Mini first hit UK streets in 2006, with a choice of two power outputs for the 1.6-litre petrol engine. The range was expanded a year later with the addition of a diesel model and...

Released in 2009 and revised in 2014, the Volkswagen Polo hatch is a class-leading supermini that’s perfect for first-time drivers and motorway commuters. With many of the characteristics that make the Golf so popular, the Polo is a comfortable and quiet ride that delivers fantastic fuel economy.
The Polo comes in a range of trim specs, but you’ll find that anything below S A/C is almost beyond basic. The SE trim is the most balanced in terms of providing everything you need without climbing ...

Great handling, excellent performance and a comfortable yet slightly uninspiring interior are what you can expect from the BMW 3 Series. The sixth-generation, reviewed here, was a highly prized company car when released, as well as being sought after by many private buyers – tracking down a second-hand model shouldn’t be a difficult task.
There’s a wide range of quality engines to choose from – none that need avoiding either. Excellent handling and a genuinely fun to drive vehicle, the BMW 3 ...

Workplace safety is important for a number of reasons. Along with lower injury rates and time lost, safer workplaces are happier, more productive, and have higher levels of engagement.
What is a toolbox talk?
Safety toolbox talks are short 5 - 15 minutes safety talks that refresh knowledge. And they’re an excellent way to keep safety front of mind for everyone.
Why are toolbox talks important?
A report by the Associated Builders and Contractors in 2020 found that daily safety toolbox talks re...

The Vauxhall Astra is a household name in family cars for good reason. It’s a motor that offers comfort, economic driving and reliability. You’ll find the engines on offer have great performance too. As far as second-hand cars go, it’s hard to go wrong with a Vauxhall Astra, you’ll get plenty of car without a massive price tag. And because they were so popular as new car buys, it shouldn’t be too difficult to seek out a well-looked after model.
The first wave of the Astra Mk6 was released in ...

When it comes to a reliable set of wheels, the Volkswagen Golf is a safe bet. It also has the advantage of being one of the most popular hatchback’s on Britain’s roads, so spares and repairs won’t cost you extortionate amounts.
Often rated as one of the better small cars you could buy second hand – along with the Focus, Hyundai i30 and Vauxhall’s Astra – the Golf is a firm favourite of small car lovers and families alike. It’s for good reason too, the Golf has some pretty cool standard kit an...

The Ford Focus Mk 3 was released in the UK back in 2011 to great reviews – quality and dependability were the key characteristics for this generation of Focus. There are plenty within the range to choose from too, from the small and economical 1.0-litre Ecoboost petrol to the high-performance ST hatch with powerful 2.0-litre petrol (or diesel) engine that came onto the market in late 2014.
There are plenty about on UK roads, the Focus regularly reaches the top five most popular cars – often o...