I had the pleasure of talking to Paul Hugill the other day about the fantastic work he is doing with his team to feed the vulnerable people in the Louth area. He really does ooze enthusiasm! If you ever need to speak to someone with some ‘get up and go’ Paul is your man!
Taking on the mammoth task of feeding the homeless and vulnerable, Paul put out a plea for assistance. Obviously in need of food, food and more food if this task is going to be achieved but he also needs more volunteers too.
You help out in the kitchen or from home, packing or delivery too so please get in touch. I’ll mention it here but I’ll also post a reminder further down too; Paul is desperately in need of fridges and freezers. Thanks to the very generous donations he has received he is able to get meals cooked and sent out but storage will always be in short supply.
Fridge And Freezer Donations
If you know of any industrial size fridges and freezers that can be donated on loan I’m sure Paul will be happy to hear from you. In addition, he is short of protein based produce so if there are any butchers out there who can make a donation you know what to do! Contact details are at the bottom of the blog. Links are also in the pictures. All help will be gratefully received.
Two nutritious meals a day for those in isolation or are vulnerable during the Coronavirus pandemic. If you think you can help with a cash donation please visit thejust giving page and give whatever you can. Money is always welcome but so are donations of fresh food. Even cooked food which will help to take some of the pressure away from his own kitchen can be donated.
As well as feeding the vulnerable during this crisis Paul is also committed to helping to feed the homeless in the area by supporting and preparing meals for the East Coast Homeless Outreach. Outstanding! It’s all free of charge so your donations are very important. I’m not sure when he gets time to sleep. I do hope he manages to get some rest in between all the good work that he’s doing. Perhaps a quote from The Priory website might be a good idea here:
“…People are at the heart of what we do – you, our valued guests and or staff, most of whom may not have had the best start in life or have learning difficulties and whose potential has been overlooked.”
Just those few words seem to sum up what Paul is all about. Caring for and helping people seems to drive him forward and keep him motivated.
The Serendipity Initiative
With his team of willing staff he has set up a project under The Serendipity Initiative to help feed those in isolation during the Coronavirus pandemic. It’s a huge task. Your help, however big or small that might be, will be welcomed with open arms.
If you use Facebook you might like to take a look at this video as I think it explains more in just a few minutes than I could do in a thousand words.
Take a look at what Paul and his team for the community
Please also take a look at The Serendipity Initiative to see if you can help. Remember, if you don’t have cash, you don’t have food to donate, you aren’t able to help with food preparation, you CAN help by simply spreading the word. Talk you your friends, copy the links from this blog and post them on your social media pages or copy the link to this blog and post the whole thing. Every little helps so please try to do whatever you can.
Click the picture to open the link Tel 01507 602930
What’s Needed?
Right now Paul is looking for any help that you can donate, storage space, fridges, freezers and protein rich foods. All other food and cash donations are obviously always welcome of course.
Contact:
Here are a few useful contact numbers and addresses:
Paul has had a mention in a previous blog with his Serendipity Initiative and the work that is going on to support people during the Coronavirus Pandemic. If you would like to read more about that follow this link: ‘Coronavirus – We can Help Each Other’
Thank you all for taking the time to read this post. Please feel free to copy it and send it on to your friends by email or on social media. The more people we can get to see it, the better.
I often channel hop when listening to my car radio between clients and recently I happened upon a programme on the BBC World Service. The general gist of the programme revolved around the psychology of giving to charity. Obviously all charities rely on us for donations and fund raising events but the programme got me thinking; Have we become numb to the pleading of charities? I know that many of you will give regularly to your chosen charity, some of you may volunteer while others might be supporting the charities by shopping in the charity shops or taking part in the many events that are held each year.
Who Or What Is To Blame?
Have we become numb to the fundraising calls of the local charities? Are we becoming numb to their pleading without even realising it? Perhaps you may recall the horrendous pictures on our TV screens of the ‘flies in their eyes’ images of starving children in African countries who were too weak to even blink. This is going to sound dreadful I know but perhaps those images have lost their impact now.
Charity adverts have evolved and may now include images of children in school wishing they could get a better education to have a better chance of fending for themselves in future years. The programme considered both images and the psychological impact of each. Both images raise funds for the charities but neither image is more effective than the other. Rather, some people are pre-disposed to giving to one image over the other with the net result being ‘both images work’.
Have We Become Numb?
These are just examples of course as there are a huge number of charities working in different ways to raise funds in order to help people and animals. How would it work though if there was just one charity in the world? Would that charity cease to exist as a result of its own success? Perhaps, but that’s just hypothetical of course because the reality is that there are thousands upon thousands of charities around the world.
In fact, these charities make so much ‘noise’ that perhaps we are losing touch with what they are trying to do. By ‘noise’ I mean TV advertising, radio advertising, newspaper advertising and of course the huge bombardment that we get on social media. That’s a “huge bombardment” of ‘everything’ and not just from the charities. Are we in danger of suffering from information overload and therefore switching off from the issues that really matter to us?
Lincolnshire Charities
We have lots of different charities in our region but we should all be thankful that they exist. We have the Lincoln YMCA @YMCALincs who look out for and care for many vulnerable people. They truly deserve our attention as they help to get people off the streets, into accommodation and give them a new start in life. If you haven’t heard of Leonie’s battle yet you need to give her a follow on twitter @chillibean2018 and follow her journey as she undergoes surgery and intensive physiotherapy to help her walk after having ben born Quad Cerebral Palsy.
Such a brave little girl and a dedicated Mum who is constantly fund raising in order to pay for her life changing surgery. At the other end of the age scale you’ll find @AgeUKLindsey who are an independent charity offering advice and support for the over 50s. I wonder if we all realise how lucky we are to have such a huge number of heroes in our County who spend valuable time looking after others?
What’s next?
Surely a blog of this sort in March 2020 can’t go out without mentioning Coronavirus (COVID-19). This dreadful virus has touched everyone here. A global pandemic which is having a huge local impact. On a personal note I have cancelled group exercise classes and in my role at LincsConnect I’m seeing first hand how worried people are becoming.
This pandemic isn’t just affecting health (although that is a huge worry) but the disruption it is causing is having a massive negative impact on businesses both large and small. I’ve seen a huge increase in businesses and charities posting to the #LincsConnect hashtag in order to get their messages around the County. Some are offering support, some are informing us of changes while others are asking for help. What can be done?
You’re Not Alone
Those of you who know me on twitter as @MANDARINLEISURE will no doubt remember that I post a positive and (hopefully) uplifting post each morning along with an excerpt from a song. I wake each morning (that’s always a good start)! with a tune in my head. It happens every day and I have no control over which song it will be. That’s my ‘ear worm’ so, being a friendly sort of chap, I have to share it. Well why should I have to suffer alone? It’s become a daily ritual now and I know that people from around the world are looking out for it and joining in with the fun. Here’s an example for you. Let’s see if you can guess the song:
Thinking of all the charitable work that’s going on around the county perhaps ‘now’ is the time to be thinking about how we can help each other. @LincsConnect has nearly 11,000 ‘local’ followers. If each one of them visited the hashtag #LincsConnect a couple of times a day to see who they could support we would all benefit hugely.
It’s all very well posting your message (on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter) using the hashtag #LincsConnect to tell people what you are doing, what you need or how you can help but it won’t do you any good at all if no one is bothering to look at the hashtag to see what or who they can support. I’m sorry if that sounds abrupt but the truth is, we are in deep trouble and we need to pull together to get through this problem safely.
I’m No Expert But…
I’m not an economist. I’m not a high flying business executive. I’m not an ace charity worker. I am just ‘me’ but I can see how we can start to help each other. I’m not talking about getting bread and milk for those who are in isolation. That has already been broadcast across social media (I’ll post my version of the form for you to print and utilise) and is certainly going to help many people. What I’m talking about is using and looking at the #LincsConnect hashtag to see who is in need. Trust me, when you help others you’re more likely to have that help reciprocated when you need it most.
STOP!
Perhaps if those companies who only post their own messages and never look to see how they can help others changed their habits during this period of uncertainty we could start to achieve more. There is an old saying: “What goes around, comes around”. NOW is the time to be supportive of others, to be charitable, to look to see what can be done for others because together we can be absolutely AWESOME!
How secure is secure? Information on your computer, smartphone or TV could be at risk. There is some fantastic support around to help and guide so read on to discover what I’ve found:
How secure Is Secure? – Suspicious emails
Having had a few comments on my blogs my suspicions were raised as I noted the addresses of the emails. It’s nice to think my posts have reached a large global audience .de (Germany) and .xyz (who knows where?) but beware! Don’t approve comments without first checking their credibility. How? I put the question out to social media and as a result I received an interesting tweet from Liam @ZaddleMarketing
Liam advised me not to click any links or email addresses in those suspicious comments, confirming my fears that these posts were SPAM. A good security plugin for my WordPress site will solve the problem. Thank you Liam for your sound advice.
There are lots of good people on social media who can be trusted of which Liam is one. It’s always best to ask the question of your contacts if ever you’re in doubt.
Thank You Kerrin
Thank you Kerrin @Kerrinwilson999 for your hospitality (and the lovely cake of course). It was lovely to meet you and I’m looking forward to extending the reach of LincsConnect to include regular posts by you and your team. Thankfully I have already had some security tips from some of your colleagues and that information has proved invaluable. Hopefully you’ll enjoy my short post here today and will have time to add a comment too.
Meetings always seem more productive with cake!
Getting It Right By Chance
I’ve heard that smart speakers listen to our conversations. It’s not uncommon for adverts to pop up on our social media platforms directly relating to a conversation the previous day. It’s extremely uncommon (I’m led to believe) that an iMac can be infected but if it’s going to happen to anyone, it’ll happen to me!
Technology and I don’t always gel I’m afraid. Having feared the worst following a rash of phishing emails (ransom emails sent to my inbox supposedly from my own address) it was time for action. The safest solution was to contact Lincolnshire Police Cyber Crime Unitwho responded very quickly with a visit to my office.
A full inspection of my computer confirmed that the emails were really just phishing emails and should be deleted. A nagging feeling that something wasn’t right remained after several other incidents with my computer. As a result I contacted Apple who decided a full restore and section by section re-build was required. I’m happy now that my computer and details are safe once again. If you’re worried about your online safety and security don’t hesitate to contact a professional for help.
What If…?
What if it’s true that the smart devices can leak our information? A recent BBC Panorama programme about Amazon revealed that they knowingly and openly harvest and use our information. I don’t think the machines (or people) are listening to every conversation but when key words are detected the link is made with you and your devices.
Recent news reports highlighted that smart devices can be hacked and accessed remotely. The video doorbells, video baby monitors and even smart TVs and smart fridges are all susceptible to hackers. Accessing our personal data can be very upsetting and worrying of course so we need to protect ourselves.
Basic Protection
How secure is secure? If we can access any devices from our smartphone it’s a fair bet that the unscrupulous criminals can do the same. The smart fridge, smart monitor and smart TV come with factory settings and passwords. These settings can be found easily online so to prevent hacking make sure you change the passwords immediately.
Hacking your fridge isn’t too much of a problem of course but accessing your router from your fridge or your smart TV etc may be more sinister.
How Secure Is Secure? Passwords
The obvious and most basic form of self protection is strong passwords. Do change the passwords from factory settings to something that you can remember. Family, friends or pets names do not make good passwords. These names are likely to crop up on your social media pages at some point so can easily be guessed.
Random passwords are by far the best option. For the best security have different passwords for different logins. There are some very clever Apps around that can store your passwords for you but I’m sure you’ll have a system that works for you.
Privacy
You can secure your devices by making sure they are protected by a security password, facial recognition, finger print and VPN (I’ll cover VPN later).
It’s better to be safe than sorry! Keeping your personal information safe should be a high priority and simple precautions may be all you need.
If you have data stored on you mobile device make sure it’s protected with a security code and backed up regularly. Some devices can be deleted remotely; Check so see if you can do that with your own device and make sure you learn how to do it.
How Secure Is Secure? Two Factor Authenticaton
Added security comes with two factor authentication – that’s when you get an alert on your chosen device to tell you that someone is accessing your other devices. My iPhone will prompt me to confirm that I am who I say I am when I log onto my computer. As a result I have to type in a ‘one time’ code before the computer will let me in. It takes seconds and provides an extra level of security.
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How Secure Is Secure?
Change your passwords from factory settings to secure ones that aren’t easily guessed. Use a different password for every device. So you’re good to go….? Well, not quite! Your router may not be secure so if you’re not sure ask your provider to guide you through changing the factory set password.
You’re ‘almost’ there… You’re now safe in your own home but not when you’re out and about if you’re using public WiFi. How secure is that system? Your final piece of security is VPN.
VPN
What is VPN? This is the explanation from Wikipedia: “A virtual private network extends a private network across a public network, and enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network.” You might want to look this one up for yourself.
A ‘belt and braces’ approach to security but if you have any private or confidential information on your devices do read a bit more about it. It is a ‘paid for’ service so you’ll need to be aware of that and you’ll also need to be aware that not all internet routers are capable of installing it. Once installed on your home router ‘all’ devices using that WiFi connection will be protected under the higher level of security. I have it installed and the one I chose covers six devices. I have it on my iPhone and iPad so that I know I’m secure whenever I log into a public WiFi system.
It’s Good To Share
All of this information comes from trusted people I’ve spoken to who have been kind enough to guide me. I’m not an expert but some of the things I’ve learned along the way and printed here will no doubt be useful to you. If you are able to share other tips that may be useful for other users feel free to add a comment and send a message on twitter or Facebook using the hashtag #LincsConnect
Helping each other is always good of course. If you need additional help contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or local IT specialist. If you’re worried about cyber security contact @lincspolice and ask about their Cyber Security courses. I’ve been on one and can highly recommend it. After all, these are the experts who really want to help you to prevent crime.
Back Soon
Thank you all for taking the time to read my ramblings. I’ll be back soon with more blogs of course but keep watching as they are about to evolve into something quite unique.
Hashtags – What Do You Need To Know? Understanding The Difference…
Hashtags – What Do You Need To Know? While trying to update and secure my website I really do understand how frustrating and confusing this ‘tech stuff’ can be.
On social media the difference between the ‘#’ and the ‘@’ signs are significant but can easily be confused. Let me break it down into very simple terms which I hope you will appreciate:
Think of the hashtag as being a file that everyone can search and view. When you type it, it’ll light up in blue instead of the usual black text. You can use it for your own marketing and advertising by creating your own words that will follow the hashtag sign. Here are a few examples: #LincsConnect #Scunthorpe #Lincolnshire – if you are using this hashtags you are targeting anyone who may be searching for tweets that are pertinent to Scunthorpe and/or Lincolnshire. You are also targeting people who are looking at the hashtag file for #LincsConnect.
Hashtags – What Do You Need To Know? Creating A Hashtag
You can easily create your own hashtag of course. Simply type in the words after the hashtag sign. Let’s pretend that your company is called ‘Grow it’ and you sell seeds for the garden. You want to create a special offer of £10.00 discount for every £50.00 spend. You could use the hashtag #GrowIt10 and tell everyone to use that hashtag to claim their discount.
Own The Hashtag
You’ve created your hashtag but you really ought to make sure that no one else is using the same hashtag. To do that, simply type the words GrowIt10 into your Twitter search bar to see what comes up. Hopefully you’ll see a note displayed saying “No results for growit10”. If that’s the case, you’re good to go; use that hashtag as your own and search it regularly to see who has used it to claim their discount. If you see a string of tweets displayed using the hashtag or words ‘growIt10’ I suggest you have a re-think to come up with something that isn’t already in use. If you do use it regardless of anyone else using it you’ll have a job finding the tweets that are relevant to you.
Have Fun With The Hashtag
Twitter isn’t just about selling and information though. It’s a place to have some light hearted fun. If that is what you are doing, you can make up some tweets that are purely nonsense but funny to read. #SillyTweet #fun #IDidntMeanToSayThat #HarryPotterWouldBeProudOfMyEfforts …. Anything goes really! If you’re having a joke with someone the hashtags can serve as a great punchline.
Hashtags And Grammar
When creating or writing a hashtag you mustn’t use punctuation as the computers don’t understand it. Likewise, it doesn’t matter if you use all upper case, all lower case or a combination of the two.
Hashtags – What Do You Need To Know And What Does The ‘@’ Sign Mean?
Where the hashtag sends your tweet to a specific file or files (it could be #LincsConnect #Scunthorpe and #Lincolnshire as highlighted above), the ‘@’ sign is like a postage stamp because it sends the tweet to a specific account. If you post a tweet using @LincsConnect it’s because you want to speak to me personally. Only ‘I’ will see that tweet. If you want to let everyone in the County know about a sale, event or piece of information you need to be using #LincsConnect.
If you use multiple addresses ie. @LincsConnect @MandarinLeisure @MandarinLocal you’re involving those accounts in your conversation. It’s a handy way of talking to several people at the same time but can get confusing if they all answer at once!
Should You Use @LincsConnect And #LincsConnect In The Same Post?
Generally speaking, ‘no’! If you want to contact me tweet me at @LincsConnect but if you want to get your message out to all followers use the hashtag #LincsConnect. There is really no advantage to using both the hashtag #LincsConnect and the address @LincsConnect in the same tweet. In fact, using the address @LincsConnect can result in other people having their messages missed as the ‘chatter’ on the account increases significanty.
Mandarin Leisure Valentines Anniversary – Still Going Strong
Celebrating 34th anniversary on Valentines Day
Mandarin Leisure Valentines Anniversary – Still Going Strong…
Mandarin Leisure Valentines Anniversary – It hardly seems possible that Mandarin Leisurehas been going for so long! The 34th anniversary is on 14 February and it’s hard to believe how quickly the time has flown! I started working part-time in the World Gym while studying to become Lincolnshires’ first Personal Trainer. Later I added complementary therapies to my portfolio and the rest is history. Studying never stops of course as there is always something new to learn.
Initially teaching circuit training classes in village halls the business has grown to include Personal Training, injury prevention, injury rehabilitation, back pain rehabilitation as well as the almost limitless possibilities with the complementary therapies. A few celebrity clients at the very start saw the business skyrocket from zero to a very healthy going concern.
Injury prevention and rehabilitation is a key element of the Mandarin Leisure success
It’s fair to say that helping people is in my genes. My father was awarded the BEM for helping people and my great grandfather was awarded the George Cross for bravery while helping people. My journey started out by helping people with their fitness and wellbeing but I soon discovered that with my healing abilities and vision I was able to help more people than I had ever imagined.
Mandarin Leisure – Introduces massage, aromatherapy, antenatal and postnatal bespoke mobil treatments.
Therapies
Mandarin Fitness (formerly QRS Fitness) added Mandarin Therapies and Mandarin Mothers to the list of businesses in a natural progression. Making people feel well is what I do best! The decision was made very early on to keep the business mobile so that the fitness, rehabilitation and therapies could be taken to the clients. It’s a business model that I’m pleased to say has served me well.
eVouchers
With postal charges increasing it has become more popular (and convenient) to order eVouchers and have them delivered straight to the intended recipient. It’s a fabulous gift and a lovely way to let people know how much you care about them and appreciate them. You can order your eVoucher now and have a special message included too.
*** From now until 14 February 2025 celebratory massage eVouchers are just £34.00 ***
If you fancy keeping fit and would like to try Nordic Walking why not join one of the weekly classes? Beginners are always welcome to join us and all abilities are catered for. Call 07966 174878 for more information
Mandarin Leisure Valentines Anniversary – A natural progression
First started in January 2011, the decision to officially launch a dedicated platform in November 2012 took the ‘helping people’ a stage further with the official launch of @LincsConnecton Twitter.
In order to prove its worth I created it anonymously to let people know the it is truly impartial. I helped and promoted all businesses in the Lincolnshire area including other Personal Trainers and therapists who may otherwise have viewed me as a rival business. My fear was that if they had known who was behind the account they might have viewed it differently.
A few years later I started a #LincsConnect networking group so naturally I couldn’t remain anonymous! The meetings went well and I have to say a huge THANK YOU to Emma at thePetwood Hotel in Woodhall Spa for having the faith in me and for supporting Lincs Connect in such a big way.
Due to personal illness I put the meetings on hold but intend to revive them again in the not too distant future.
Covid19
The Next Chapter
Covid19 needs no introductions! My exercise classes were obviously put on hold and my Personal Training sessions moved to online sessions. Having contracted the virus the day before lockdown I needed to find something to keep me occupied during the long hours of isolation.
The pandemic forced me into overcoming my fear of blogging. Having previously written articles and weekly editorials for local papers and glossy magazines, coupled with my love of writing, ‘blogging’ was born. I used my skills to help others throughout the pandemic by sign posting people to local activities, charities and businesses. The new venture went well and I’m pleased to say that my community blogging skills are improving and continuing to help people.
Physical networking was already on hold but I did attempt to create an online network with some success. My heart lies in ‘people’ though so the physical networking sessions are still my priority. My exercise sessions are no longer an option as I suffer with long-covid and breathing is still sometimes difficult. However, I have managed to continue with my Nordic Walking sessions with the support of my fantastic, loyal clients.
What’s Next?
The next chapter has already begun as LincsConnect continues to grow and thrive. Community blogging is here to stay and the physical networking sessions are planned to return in the near future. Online Personal Training continues as do the mobile therapies, injury rehabilitation sessions and Nordic Walking classes.
Happy Valentines Day to you all. You’re never alone as long as Mandarin Leisure and LincsConnect are here.
Mobile complementary therapies covering Lincolnshire and beyond
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