ISSUE 14/2016
The magazine for UIA members the great holidayoutdoors ideas to get you out in the fresh air
Win! A week-long retreat in Cornwall
13 H o m e i n s u ra n c e claims how-tos
Helping Hi-tech Great gran 8 hands 10 home help 15 knew best Why volunteering Get home tech that Tips and tricks from makes you happy doesn’t break the bank the Home Front
Welcome to the 2016 issue of Affinity – the magazine for UIA members. Planning an outdoor holiday Getting a hi-tech home this summer (p20), is a breeze with our rundown of the top gadgets 10 or perhaps you’ll be cracking out the gardening tools (p15)? Are UNISON’s General Secretary on you saving up for that new car (p18), the future of or spending time getting the house Contents trade unions in shape (p10)? Whatever your plans, we’ve got everything you need in this 04 lATEST NEWS jam-packed issue. Find out from our 06 Our unions expert why home insurance claims Dave Prentis looks at the can get rejected (p13) and read our modern face of trade unions. exclusive chat with UNISON’s Dave 08 Helping hands Prentis (p6). Don’t forget to check out Did you know that our fantastic prizes (p24), and enter our volunteering can make you happier? Find out how to get survey for your chance to win big (p26)! involved in your local area. 6 10 Helpful home tech We’ve got a rundown of the very best tech for making 20 The great outdoors your home life easier. Get out and about with the Bernie Stewart family this summer on an 13 In-the-know insurance Customer Relationship Manager, UIA exciting UK break. Why home insurance claims get rejected and how to 23 Take the dog, too prevent it happening to you. Why leave man’s best friend at home? Take the dog too 15 Great granny knew best with our handy guide. Make Do And Mend and Dig For Victory: our grandparents 24 Win prizes! might have had the right idea From car-tech to sewing kits, when it came to thrifty tips. we’ve got some fantastic This magazine is printed on paper prizes for you to win. manufactured from well-managed and 18 Time to go electric? sustainable forestry under controlled, The age of the electric car 26 Take our survey certified schemes. Promoting sustainable Simply complete and return forest management – for more info: is here – is it time for you www.pefc.org to jump on the (electric) our survey for your chance bandwagon? to win a weekend retreat! Affinity is published for UIA by SPECIALIST (UK) Ltd, Fourth Floor, Embassy House, Queens Avenue, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1SB. T: 0117 925 1696 W: www.specialistuk.com
BFAWU, CWU, FBU, GMB, NAPO, NASUWT, The Ramblers, RMT, UNISON, Unite and Usdaw are Introducer Appointed Representatives of UIA (Insurance) Ltd and UIA (Insurance Services) Ltd. UIA Mutual and Together Mutual Insurance are trading names of UIA (Insurance) Ltd. UIA (Insurance) 8 Ltd is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. UIA (Insurance Services) Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Get involved in your community this summer Images: Getty
UIA.CO.UK 3 We’ve got a new look! Since celebrating our 125th birthday last year, we’ve decided it’s time for a fresh new look. Why not tell us what you think? Write in to the address News on page 3 All the latest updates from around our business, and beyond…
if I have qualified until April, but all I can do is my best on the day.” It’s not just a big year for Amy in her sporting life, it’s also a key one personally, as she will be completing her A-Levels and leaving school this summer. “It’s strange to be leaving already,“ she says. “I don’t feel old enough! I’ll be going on to It’s a big year all round for paralympic study Human Geography at swimmer Amy Marren university and am considering a law conversion course for the future.” But Amy has never been one to be thrown by the challenges before her, and is stepping up to On the road to Rio the big year ahead with her usual It only seems like yesterday then UIA has been proud to unwavering enthusiasm. that we first spoke to Amy sponsor her through the IPC World “I never dreamed I would get this Marren, after she burst on to the Championships, the IPC European far. Rio has always been my main paralympic swimming scene. Championships and the 2014 aim and it feels fantastic to be so Now, aged 17, Amy is preparing Glasgow Commonwealth Games. close,” she says. “I’d like to say a big to leave school and is setting her Four years on, Amy is in final thank-you to UIA for believing in sights on this year’s Olympics. training for Rio 2016. me. It’s so important to remember Amy was selected for the “I’ve upped my training from the the team behind the team and I London 2012 paralympic squad usual 18-20 hours per week to 26 really do appreciate everything when she was just 13, and since hours,” she tells us. “I won’t find out they do for me.”
transport, clothes, education, Making a difference in Moldova activities and medical care The UIA Charitable Foundation The first of its kind in Moldova, they need. gave £5,000 to the CWUHA, the CWUHA Disabled Centre The Phoenix Wing is just which provides support to some provides specialist care for 24 the first stage for CWUHA, with of the poorest families in Europe. children and their families, and plans already in place to open a The Communication Workers the UIA Foundation was pleased care home for the elderly in the Union Humanitarian Aid (CWUHA) to support them with a donation. rest of the site. is helping disabled children in It costs around £46 per month Find out more about the centre Moldova in its latest project. to supply one child with the food, at vimeo.com/153688909
4 UIA.CO.UK NEWS
We’ve got a new look! Giving something back Over to you We were delighted by the In 2015, the UIA Foundation donated a fantastic responses from our 2015 ‘How £57,309.59 to charities across the UK. Are We Doing?’ questionnaire. The UIA Charitable Foundation was established We’d like to say a big thank-you in 2001 to provide financial support to a host of for all your fantastic feedback. charities every year, and last year was no exception, with causes dear to the hearts of the committee, trade of respondents union partners and staff provided with financial aid that can make a real were satisfied difference. Since the UIA Foundation was launched 15 years ago, it has 91% with our made grants in excess of £600,000 to projects in the UK and abroad. customer service
of respondents responses on camera and, as a were satisfied 91% with our value Kitting out thank you to them, funded a new for money football kit for the school team. Watch the full video of all their 59% of respondents the kids thoughts and comments online at said that our 2015 was a big year for us, uia.co.uk/future mutual status was as we celebrated our 125th important to them anniversary. Over the course of the year we looked at the past, of respondents were satisfied present and future of our homes. 90% As part of our year of with our cover levels celebrations, we asked a group of children from Roebuck Primary School what they thought the agreed that over homes of the future would be like, the phone we 86% were pleasant and what they thought insurance and friendly was. We captured their fantastic
Britain Has Spirit A brand new Together Mutual Initiative of the Year, Insurance campaign is on and the Community the hunt for Britain’s best Hero of the Year, local volunteers. to win a national In our recent survey of 2,000 prize of £25,000 per Brits, we found that nearly half category. The campaign of respondents don’t feel part is seeking the brightest stars of a neighbourly community, in local volunteering projects and we’ve taken that as a wake across the country, who are up call to start championing giving their all for their own patch. Britain’s communities. Online voting will open soon. Launched by TV favourite Visit britainhasspirit.com or join Gabby Logan, Britain Has Spirit the conversation on Twitter at TV favourite Gabby Logan is is searching for the Community #BritainHasSpirit. searching for local heroes
UIA.CO.UK 5 “Unions exist to ensure working people are treated with dignity and respect”
Dave Prentis, the General Secretary of UNISON, the UK’s largest public sector union, shares his views on why trade unions are as relevant today as ever, reveals that membership is rising, and discusses why there are still many battles to fight.
How do you feel the trade union hold 14 conferences a year – most movement has changed since recently the National Women’s you first joined and why are Conference where more than About Dave unions still relevant? 800 delegates attended – it “I’ve been involved in the trade was even bigger than the Trade Born: David Prentis, union movement for more than Union Conference. We have 700 1950, Leeds 40 years. When I started, we were members who attend the annual Education: Leeds Grammar dealing with issues surrounding Black Members’ Conference to School; BA in History at the the decline of the mining industry discuss issues of equality and University of London; MA and union membership was racism, as well as numerous other in Industrial Relations at the predominately male. Today, events, including our Higher University of Warwick. UNISON has 1.3 million members, Education and Community Career: He joined NALGO more than one million of whom Conferences.” in 1975, and was appointed are female, and our committees UNISON’s Deputy General are made up of two-thirds Do you feel unions are Secretary in 1993, becoming women. Representation is key portrayed in a negative light by General Secretary in 2001. to ensuring we have a modern, the media? In September 2015, he democratic union that accurately “The media often portrays received an honorary degree from the Open University (OU), reflects our membership and negative images of unions marking his “commitment to their concerns – whether that’s whenever there is industrial lifelong, life-changing learning” fair pay, equal pay, maternity action – but this is always taken in public services. Under his leave or working conditions. We as a last resort. Unions are about leadership, UNISON established exist today to uphold the same so much more. At UNISON, we a specialist education principles that unions were provide a whole range of services – department and negotiated a founded on – to ensure working from legal assistance and charities, partnership with the OU. people are treated fairly, with to education and, of course, This has led to more than dignity and respect. From that insurance via UIA. We also support 6,500 UNISON members perspective, unions are needed the public services our members studying an accredited OU course, and thousands more as much now as ever.” work in, defending our NHS and benefiting from informal care and community services.” workshops and seminars. What does it mean to be in a In December 2015, Dave was trade union today? Why are you such a passionate re-elected as General Secretary “In essence, membership of advocate for the power of of UNISON, the UK’s largest a union gives working people education? public sector union, for a voice. Our members are very “We work with the Open the fourth time. involved in decision making. We University, which provides a
6 UIA.CO.UK Interview
fantastic range of courses, What are you most proud of? Secretary in 2015. I’m so proud and encourage members to “I’m extremely proud of bringing that people continue to support sign up. One of the most recent NALGO, NUPE and COHSE me. Yet, when I visit our branches courses is training for workers together in 1993 as one union, and meet the people who give in health care who have clients which is now the biggest and their time to care for our with dementia. There are also most influential in the UK. members, I feel humbled. It’s courses in English as a second I’m also proud of the way UNISON these groups of local, committed, language, to help workers better has been able to help developing passionate people that UNISON relate to clients. People who have countries – we’ve recently depends on – they are the heart left school with nothing now have undertaken a project protecting and soul of the union.” ■ a range of qualifications from women in southern Africa who are certificates in social work to PhDs discriminated against because – education changes lives.” they care for someone with HIV, or develop it themselves. We’re also What are the biggest working with Public Services challenges for unions in the International to get more health coming years? workers into west Africa in order to “For our members it’s keeping improve health services to help their jobs. The failure of protect against the ebola virus. the banking system and the “I’m very proud of UNISON’s implementation of austerity relationship with UIA; we go back measures has seen public more than100 years. Once part services decimated. There have of UNISON, UIA is now an been massive job losses, pay independent, flourishing freezes and a decline in standards organisation. Its mutual status of living. We’re committed means it is a perfect fit for our to protecting our members ethos and we continue to through these challenges and have close links. membership is growing – around “It was also a 166,000 people joined UNISON tremendous feeling to be last year.” re-elected to General
“By working together, we can make a difference. We recently had a major victory with our campaign to stop cuts in tax credits”
UIA.CO.UK 7 Helpinga re h a ppier! hands Studies have consistently shown that the more people volunteer, the happier they are. So, could it be time you joined the millions who roll up their sleeves each year for the good of others?
rom schools and hospitals ‘helper’s high’ has been proven to charities and sports “Helper’s high is scientifically and is associated with F clubs, much of modern life associated with reduced reduced depression and anxiety, wouldn’t function without the skills, as well as increased personal experience or simply the goodwill depression and anxiety, wellbeing and happiness. Those who of volunteers. Whether it’s making and increased wellbeing engage in community life report a the tea, running the football greater sense of purpose and life team or helping out with the local and happiness” satisfaction. It can also help you get primary school’s reading challenge, doing themselves good, too. physically fitter, develop your skills each year around 21 million of us Volunteering ticks all the boxes and make new friends. freely give our time, with around in the Government’s ‘Five ways “If volunteers can see the 47% of people volunteering at to wellbeing’ initiative: connect, personal benefits, they are more least once a month. be active, take notice, keep likely to continue volunteering in the But as well as helping the local learning and give (learn more at longer term,” says psychologist Ruth community, ‘do-gooders’ are fivewaystowellbeing.org). Indeed, Lowry. So it’s a win-win for everyone.
Is volunteering for me ? With so many cash-strapped organisations and causes crying out for volunteers, how do you choose the right one for you? Ask yourself…
• What do I care passionately about? • Do I prefer working in a team or on my own? • Can I make a regular time commitment, or would helping at one-off events suit me better? • What skills or experience can I offer (or am I happy to be just an extra pair of hands)? • Am I prepared to undergo any training? Image: Getty
8 UIA.CO.UK community Helping hands What’s your pa ssion? Animals School governor From looking after sick or Why not make a positive abandoned animals to running the contribution to local children’s charity shop, you can volunteer at education? Visit nga.org.uk rspca.org.uk or bluecross.org.uk You could also help older or Social issues terminally ill people with dog walking Become a mentor on social projects or short-term fostering. Check out that help young people or army www.cinnamon.org.uk veterans at timebank.org.uk For Amy Fielding (32), sparing an hour or two a week is a small price Sports Conservation to pay to make a difference in an Explore coaching or other kinds of Outdoor opportunities exist for elderly person’s life. Amy has been support, from archery to volleyball all fitness levels, from clearing volunteering with the Royal Voluntary at sportengland.org natural habitats and tree planting Service for over a year, and visits to toad patrolling. Visit tcv.org.uk, …and more 96-year-old Evelyn as part of the wildlifetrusts.org or froglife.org For opportunities on your doorstep, Good Neighbours service. ask at your local school, hospital or “Loneliness is a common issue for Heritage library, or visit the Volunteer Centre older people, and is a concern close Opportunities to tend historic at ncvo.org.uk or do-it.org to my heart,” says Amy. “I’m happy gardens, help curious visitors to help Evelyn with odd jobs around at heritage sites or to go on a the house, but I also really enjoy working holiday can be found visiting her – she has a great sense at nationaltrust.org.uk Britain Has Spirit of humour and I love hearing about or www.english-heritage.org.uk In our hunt to find Britain’s her life and childhood.” best local volunteers, we’ve now shortlisted the Older people candidates for you, the public, Befriend a lonely older person and to vote on! (See p5 for you could transform their life with details.) Read their stories ageuk.org.uk and vote at britainhasspirit.com
Lynn Wagstaff (65) volunteers at the Grapes Hill Community Garden Group in Norwich. Since 2008, working within the local community, the voluntary group has transformed a run-down 50m x 12m space into a thriving garden in the city centre. Lynn, a former teacher, moved to the area five years ago. “Volunteering is a brilliant way to make friends,” she explains. “There are people of all ages involved and some bring their children or grandchildren with them. I enjoy being part of something that benefits other people, but you also forget that you’re giving. It’s just something nice that you enjoy doing.” ■
affinityUIA.CO.UK magazine 9 A decade from now, pretty much anything and everything – from toasters to traffic lights – could be connected to the internet
10 UIA.CO.UK home Hi-tech home help
is here… Heat of the moment You wouldn’t throw Hectic schedule? Check out these money down the drain, smart gadgets to take the stress out so why do so many of of your busy life, so you can stay in us rack up unnecessary fuel bills? You can now control whether you’re home or away. remotely adjust your heating system with devices that know your movements through clever ccording to those in the ‘tech’-know, a decade functions, such as motion-sensing from now, pretty much anything and everything cameras or smartphone trackers. A – from toasters to traffic lights – could be With Hive Active Heating, an engineer connected to the internet. The buzz-phrase of the installs a thermostat, which you can moment is the ‘Internet of Things’, which describes how control remotely via an app downloaded otherwise separate devices ‘talk’ to each other, to apps onto your smartphone. Thermostat and to us, making our day-to-day lives simpler and easier. installation costs £249, or £99 for Now, you might not want to be bombarded by texts existing Hive customers. telling you that your fridge is out of milk, but the smart An app can also be downloaded to control the Nest Thermostat (from home market looks set to grow. And, while some gadgets £144), which automatically programs – such as the Belty Smartbelt that tracks your fluctuating itself according to your lifestyle. Over waistline, or the Rainbow Smart Toothbrush by Vigilant that time, it gets to know the temperature keeps brushing records – may not change your life, there you like when you’re at home, and turns are some innovations that help make those demanding, itself down when you’re away. If you daily routines a little easier. Even better, you don’t need to don’t want the expense of a full system, be a WiFi whizz kid with wads of spare cash LightwaveRF provides radiator valves to enjoy the benefits of a little home (£44.99) that can be linked to your phone tech help. › (through a hub) and remotely adjusted. smartenergygb.org, hivehome.com, thesmartshop.co.uk, lightwaverf.com
Keep an eye on your home Turn your smartphone into a home security system. There are loads of options available. You can either buy an off-the-shelf security gadget, such as the Canary Home Security Device (£159), which can be controlled by downloading an app onto your smartphone. Or, if you’ve got an old Apple device, you can set up a top-notch security camera and motion detector for free. Simply download the Presence app from iTunes onto both your new iPhone, which acts as a monitor, and the old device, which acts as a camera. Provided you’re connected to WiFi, the app will stream live video from your old device to your new one. So, whether you want to know when the kids arrive home safely or when a package is delivered, see what your pets are up to or be notified of an intruder, you’ve instantly got a webcam, pet cam, surveillance cam, or DIY security system. store-uk.canary.is, app.presencepro.com Image: Getty
UIA.CO.UK 11 home
Flower power Clever cooking The Flower Power sensor (£39.99) is ideal If your evenings are one big juggling for busy people whose vegetable patch act between helping the kids with their making or windowsill herbs take a bit of a homework and making dinner, help back seat. Simply download is at hand. Launching later this year, the app onto your the Electrolux CombiSteam oven your claim smartphone or tablet (£1,499) allows you to keep an eye and place the sensor Win! on your food and check on the by the plant, where it a smart plant temperature and humidity via an sensor. See p24 will monitor sunlight, app. For a much cheaper option, for details a guide to moisture, fertiliser try the Kitchen Thermometer Mini and temperature levels, (£34.99). Simply place it in your food, and send a message when leave it to cook, and the thermometer it needs attention. If only pets will send a message to your phone getting it right were so simple! letting you know when your food is parrot.com/uk/products/ cooked to perfection. flower-power electrolux.co.uk, apple.com
Control centre If you enjoy vegging on the sofa, the VooMote Zapper is a handy remote control. Costing around £54, it plugs in to your smartphone and allows you to control everything from the TV to the sound system. And you don’t even have to take your eyes off the telly, as VooMote reacts to gestures. amazon.co.uk
Wake up and smell the coffee If you’re grouchy without Light up your caffeine fix first your life thing in the morning, the Smarter Coffee Machine It could be all over for the (£179.99) will be worth humble dimmer switch. New waking up for. Simply smart lighting systems mean that with a mere swipe of your touchscreen you can download the app onto now control the lighting in your home. your smartphone, and the Costing £149.99 for a starter kit, the WiFi-enabled device will make you Philips Hue acts as a ‘bridge’ between a cup of freshly ground coffee – or tea according to your wireless light bulbs and an app. Once the preset schedule. (You’ll just need the help of your personal bulbs are installed, you simply download robot to bring it to you in bed.) smarter.am ■ the free app onto your smartphone or tablet, then use it to adjust the bulbs’ brightness and colour to suit your mood – Relax, UIA contents cover protects your from ‘Concentrate’ to keep you focused, gadgets while in the home. You can also to ‘Energise’ to wake you up naturally, keep them safe on the move with our optional rather than relying on a noisy alarm clock Personal Possessions cover. Find out (great if you work shifts). A cheaper more at uia.co.uk or call 0800 064 8424 option is the Belkin WeMo® (£59.99), which can also be controlled remotely from your smartphone or tablet, using Got a hi-tech house of gadgets? your existing WiFi network. Find out how to protect your valuables like philips.co.uk, belkin.com/uk a secret agent on our blog uia.co.uk/blog/ protect-your-valuables-like-a-secret-agent
121 2 UIA.CO.UK In-the-know insurance
making your claim a guide to getting it right Images: Getty
UIA Claims Manager Jon Rookledge explains why home insurance claims get rejected and what you can do to prevent it happening to you…
o you were throwing a party he sees thousands of claims come “You didn’t update your policy. and the worst happened – a through the system every year, Whether it’s an extension, a loft S guest knocked a glass of most of which are successful but conversion or even an expensive wine off the side! Now your sofa some of which are not. purchase, we need to know if your and new carpet look like the scene home or the contents of your home of a massacre. What a nightmare, Why do claims get rejected? have changed. If you don’t tell us but it’s OK right, because you’re “You have the wrong cover. that your two-bedroom house insured? Well, maybe not. From the A common reason claims get is now a three-bedroom with a wrong cover to incorrect inventories rejected is simply because a conservatory, or you acquire some and even misread policies, there are customer doesn’t have the cover valuable family heirlooms, we can’t a number of reasons why your claim they need. For example, they update your policy to cover them might not go through. haven’t got accidental damage and your claim may be rejected. Jon Rookledge has been Claims cover and want to claim for a stain Manager at UIA for three years, on the carpet, or they haven’t got “You’re trying to claim for and has worked in insurance claims personal possessions cover and something we can’t cover. Often, for an impressive 34. Heading up a their phone was damaged while out homes will be damaged simply due dedicated team of claims handlers, of the house. to wear and tear – your roof may
UIA.CO.UK 1 3 In-the-know insurance
start to leak simply due to age. “Make sure you have the right carefully and make sure you have This is something that no cover. Think about what could the level of cover you thought. insurance provider is able to happen to your possessions If there is anything you don’t cover, and can only be avoided and where. Are you likely to have understand, or you need to make by the careful maintenance of a case of accidental damage an adjustment, you can call us to your home. in your home? If you’re taking talk it through.” ■ your expensive camera out with “You didn’t read your policy. you, could it be lost, stolen or To find out more about Most people I speak to haven’t damaged? The best way to be what our home insurance read their policy and didn’t sure about whether you can claim has to offer, visituia.co.uk know they weren’t covered is to have the right level of cover. or call 0800 064 8424 for a particular event or item. Sometimes we have the opposite “Send us updates. Always problem, and people don’t call us let us know when something What happens when when they are covered, such as changes .This is called a ‘mid- I make a claim? for the contents of your garden. term adjustment’ and is crucial 1. When you call our claims line If you don’t check, you simply to your policy. Tell us if you carry you’ll get put through to a won’t know.” out any work on your home or claims handler who will take buy something expensive. Carry your details and ask what How do you make sure out frequent valuations of things happened. This handler will like jewellery to make sure you’re also have access to your policy your claim is upheld? insured up to the right amount. and will advise you on what will “Provide evidence for your claim. Also remember to tell us if you no happen next. First and foremost, you need to longer own an expensive item that 2. Investigations will be carried prove your claim. It helps us if you you required extra cover for. out to make sure that your can prove you own the item you’re claim is legitimate, as we are claiming for and if you’ve taken “Read your policy. Here at UIA, committed to protecting our pictures of the damage. We’ll we pride ourselves on providing mutual members from the cost ask you questions about what clear, easy-to-understand policies. of false claims. We will gather happened on the phone and it We send out policy documents evidence by talking to you or sending someone to assess helps us if you can be precise. for a reason, so check them over your claim. 3. Once the claim is settled, we’ll arrange the necessary We have All claims are assessed within replacement or repair, or you around 92,000 24 hours of being reported will be paid the agreed amount. policyholders 4. If your claim is rejected, the for home We deal with between 6,000 team will endeavour to talk you insurance and 7,500 claims each year through why this happened and advise you for the future. Strangest claim – a cow in a 80% We pay 80% of claims Protect your home swimming pool There are plenty of things that can be overlooked when insuring a home. Visit our blog to find out We pay out between more uia.co.uk/blog/6-things- 1/3 of claims your-home-and- 8 and 10 million contents-insurance- £ are for the might-not-cover pounds every year escape of water
14 UIA.CO.UK HOME
Did you know? The myth about carrots helping you see in the dark was created by the Air Ministry to keep the invention of radar a secret from the Germans!
Great-granny knew best... In WWII Britain, housewives found thrifty ways to stretch their meagre food and clothing rations. These tips and tricks from the Home Front can help your household budget go further in 2016.
“ uch of what used clothing we send to landfill. to be called ‘good If they could help it, our M housekeeping’ skills is grandmothers and great- every bit as useful in 2016,” says grandmothers would never have Julie Beesley, who worked as a thrown away food or clothes. home economist for the former In today’s world, we could all do Milk Marketing Board. More and with some wartime wisdom. So, more of us are reviving these skills, whether you fancy channelling not only to save money, but also a little ‘Dig For Victory’ spirit or to protect the environment by introducing a touch of the ‘Make growing our own organic veg, or Do And Mend’ approach to your reducing the amount of food and life – here’s how to get started… › Image: Alamy
UIA.CO.UK 1 5 Grow your own greens
To protect against any sea blockade What you’ll need to on imports during WWII, the Dig for grow your own… Victory campaign made home-grown vegetables the order of the day. School Spade – for digging holes and playing fields, parks and gardens all over moving soil the UK were dug up as allotments. Garden fork – for breaking down clods Today, growing your own veg is still a of earth and spreading compost great way to trim the weekly grocery bill. Hand trowel – for planting As well as keeping you fit, tending the Hoe – for weeding (you will need to dig plot with children or grandchildren will out the roots of perennial weeds) encourage them to eat their greens! Secateurs – for pruning and trimming Courgettes yield a bumper crop for very little effort. Sow Gardening gloves – to protect your seeds from early spring, transplant the strongest seedlings hands from thorns and splinters outside after four weeks and water frequently. Pea shoots, such Kneeling pad – to keep you as Oregon Sugar Pod (mangetout) or Cascadia (sugar snap), comfortable while working are another low-maintenance crop. You can sow seeds indoors Watering can – check it’s easy to or outdoors from early spring and harvest within three weeks. fill and pour from Children will also enjoy planting herbs, such as chives or ‘cut Dibber – for making holes in the and come again’ salad leaves, that can be sown straight into the soil for seeds or bulbs ground and marked by a handwritten lollipop-stick label. Plant labels, twine, scissors
Find out more Eating food you’ve grown You can find growing advice and tips for beginners at: yourself is a rewarding experience National Allotment Society nsalg.org.uk Gardeners’ World gardenersworld.com Royal Horticultural Society rhs.org.uk
Did you know? The Tower of London’s lawns were transformed into a vegetable patch in WWII Images: Getty, Alamy Images: Getty,
16 UIA.CO.UK home
Food for thought Strict WWII rationing meant people ate less meat and more vegetables than we do today, but they were healthier than ever before. With the latest Department of Health advice to reduce our red meat consumption to around 70g (2.5oz) per day, take a Home Front tip and bulk up meals with some nutritious lentils or extra veg instead. Homemade potato cakes – Frugal wartime cooks were as good as ever! endlessly creative with dried beans. You can also use up leftover meat or veg to make a quick omelette or quiche filling, or fry Find out more it with rice, tomatoes and spices 1940sExperiment. to make savoury rice. Another tip wordpress.com Did is to mix leftover mashed potato Carolyn Ekins’ 1940s with a handful of grated cheese, a Experiment, where she you know? little flour, some fried onions and recreates recipes of The Kitchen Front, a hit seasoning, and cook as potato the period, helped her wartime BBC radio show, cakes in a little good-quality oil. shed 100lbs! taught listeners how to make eggless cake and ‘mock goose’ from lentils Make do and mend From 1942, with manufactured goods in short supply, a government campaign featuring Mrs Sew and Sew encouraged our great-grannies to ‘make do and mend’ clothes and fabrics. The current mania for upcycling textiles is her legacy. TV shows such as Kirstie’s Homemade Home, and creative textile workshops and websites are encouraging a new generation to give sewing a go. Repurpose old curtains by turning them into cushion covers or reusable shopping bags. Tu rn an old, seamless T-shirt into chunky knitting yarn by cutting it into one continuous strip. You can use old pieces of fabric in contrasting colours to make a simple rag rug, or even try your hand at some simple fabric bowl covers with a circle of cloth and some elastic! For expert sewing advice, materials and equipment visit an independent fabric store or sewing machine dealer. Ask at your local library about sewing classes and circles in your area, or visit thesewingdirectory.co.uk ■ Win! a handy sewing kit. See p24 for Our home insurance covers up to £500 of garden details contents, including tools and garden furniture. We also cover your garden plants up to the value of £500. For more, visit uia.co.uk or call 0800 064 8424
UIA.CO.UK 17 Electric drea ms ? Electric cars have been heralded as the future of green transport. But are they cost effective and suitable for our busy modern lives? Motoring journalist Nat Barnes investigates…
lectricity. We use it to light Until now, that is. After a slow our homes, cook our food start in the UK, drivers are finally Eand make cups of tea, so beginning to embrace electric why not to power our cars? vehicles in all their forms. In 2015, Electric cars are not a novelty sales of electric and hybrid cars in – they have been around a lot the UK rose more than 40%. longer than you might think. British inventor Thomas Parker built Your next car the first production electric car The words ‘in all their forms’ are back in 1884. In the early days of crucial if you’re considering a motoring, electric vehicles were battery-powered car. Electric hugely popular, but the arrival of cars come in numerous shapes cheap petrol in the early 1900s, and sizes, from those that run on sealed the fate for electric- electricity alone (EVs), to hybrids powered motoring. that also have a petrol or diesel engine, to vehicles that run on hydrogen (see panel, right). But none are without their drawbacks. For EVs, there is the thorny subject of range. Currently, the majority of EVs can cover around 100-120 miles of city driving on a full charge (less on a motorway), but then need up to eight hours to recharge.
Win! AN RAC rear-view mirror dash cam or a £100 M&S voucher on p24
18 UIA.CO.UK motoring
The Nissan Leaf runs solely on a battery-driven electric motor
That makes them ideal for urban Sussex bought his £15,000 Renault Know your use, as long as you have access to a Zoe last year. “I didn’t think I could electric cars charging point, or off-street parking. afford an electric car, but the Zoe Chargeable vehicles come in Another drawback with all-electric is no more expensive than our many different forms... cars is that charging points are previous car,” he explains. “We’re run by different companies, with using it far more than we imagined.” Electric Vehicle (EV) different rates, so you can’t just The Government appears keen As the name suggests, this turn up and swipe a credit card. The to back the electric car dream and, is purely battery-driven with an cost of charging at home can also in January 2016, announced that electric motor. Nissan Leaf, Renault Zoe, Tesla Model S
“After a slow start in the UK, drivers are finally Electric Vehicle with Range Extender beginning to embrace EVs in all their forms” Just like a fully electric car, but with a small additional petrol vary, from £0 to £700, depending four cities – Nottingham, Bristol, engine to provide extra range on the manufacturer, but the Milton Keynes and London – had when required. government’s OLEV Electric won a share of a £40 million fund to BMW i3 REX Vehicle Homecharge Scheme can deliver cutting-edge street-charging Hybrid cover 75% of installation costs. technology and extra privileges for A car with a petrol or plug-in car owners. You can also get diesel engine for longer or faster weighing the costs help towards the cost of your electric journeys, plus a battery pack with Teacher Thackery Davis from East car with a government grant. Find an electric motor for extra power out more at gov.uk/plug-in-car- or slower, urban driving. van-grants or search for the Office Lexus RX450h, Toyota Prius T h e pros of Low Emissions Vehicles. Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) and cons The verdict These are the same as Petrol Electric The final decision on an electric car standard hybrid cars but with larger, more powerful battery packs for a Set up costs being suitable for you is down to your longer electric-only range. Fuel costs motoring habits. How, when and per mile Audi A3 e-tron, Mitsubishi where you use your car and access Road tax Outlander PHEV to a charging point are deciding Insurance factors whether it’s your main or Fuel-cell vehicle Ease of refuelling second set of wheels. Either way, The same as EVs, but with Parking and electric motoring is here to stay. ■ an onboard hydrogen fuel-cell congestion fees to generate electricity. Can be Range/reliability refuelled by hydrogen alone. Get competitive premiums Maintenance Toyota Mirai, Hyundai ix35 costs and cover on car insurance at
Images: Getty uia.co.uk or call 0800 064 8424
UIA.CO.UK 1 9 Image: Getty, Little Comfort Farm, Forest Holidays Little Comfort Farm, Forest Image: Getty, the great Outdoors Check out these ideas for holidays that let you and your family shake off the stress of everyday life and set off on an outdoor adventure…
Endless activities Whether it’s swinging through climbing, family raft races and laser trees, hunting for beasts in the clay shooting, before retiring to a woods, paddling kayaks, firing bow luxury lodge or cottage. and arrows, or zip-lining through Or, head to the award-winning a forest, why not make this the Kielder Water and Forest Park year you tick some things off near Newcastle upon Tyne, which your family bucket list by booking offers snorkelling and seascooters, an adventure holiday? There are skating, archery, fencing and cycle now holiday parks all over the UK trails. Accommodation consists of offering a range of activities to well-equipped timber lodges with keep even the most active family picturesque views over the largest members occupied for hours. man-made lake in northern Europe. Check out Bluestone National Park Resort in Pembrokeshire, Find out more where you can indulge in a range www.bluestonewales.com and of activities, such as high rope visitkielder.com
20 UIA.CO.UK TRAvel
Many farms nationwide offer the chance for families to experience life Freedom of the forest on a working farm From the 900-year-old New Forest in Hampshire to the legendary Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, the UK has some of the most iconic and beautiful woodland in the world. Indulge your inner Bear Grylls and get your kids at one with nature with a holiday in the heart of the forest. To get a taste of the UK’s fabulous forestry, check out Forest Holidays, which can be booked in one of nine idyllic locations across the country – from the Scottish Highlands to the Outdoors heart of Cornwall. Each location has a resident Forest Ranger – an expert who is ready to share their woodland skills and knowledge with guests. Find out how to spot elusive animals, where the wild garlic grows and which berries to eat and which to avoid. Alternatively, check out the award- winning Darwin Forest Country Park, set in 47 acres of mixed woodland in Down on the farm the Peak District. As well as woodland If you live in a town or city and are also a fishing lake stocked with walks and forest trails, it offers keen for your kids to get a taste carp, rudd, roach and bream. orienteering courses, cycle hire and of country life, then a farm holiday For a more northerly trip, head an adventure playground. could be just the ticket. to the West Highlands of Scotland Find out more Many farms nationwide offer and stay at the award-winning forestholidays.co.uk self-catered accommodation Bluebell Croft. Situated on a and darwinforest.co.uk and the chance for families to sustainable working croft, you can experience life on a working farm. help collect eggs from the hens One such place is Little Comfort and ducks, pick strawberries and Spot elusive animals Farm Cottages in North Devon, raspberries, and sample the croft’s where you can rent one of five produce, cooked by owners Chris and find out where stone cottages, which offer and Chrissie Morgan. › the wild garlic sleeping capacities ranging from two to 10 people. Guests can take Find out more grows in the heart tractor rides and feed the cows, littlecomfortfarm.co.uk and of the UK’s forests sheep, pigs and chickens. There’s bluebellcroft.co.uk UIA.CO.UK 21 travel
Under the stars Go off grid and back to basics with a family camping holiday, where the simple life doesn’t necessarily have to mean damp tents and soggy sausages. Exploring we shall go Camping has been revolutionised Youth hostels are no longer just a in the last few years with the rise resting place for travelling students of the yurt and the tepee, but looking for a cheap bed for the night. as companies branch out in the In fact, they make a great option search for something new, there for families on a budget keen to get is a whole range of other exciting wagons, if you can imagine it, you outdoors and explore what the UK accommodation options that both can sleep in it. countryside has to offer. The YHA has you and the kids will love. With romantic getaway locations locations all over the country and lots Spend a night in your very own for adults and kid-friendly sites to of activities nearby to choose from, treehouse or camp in a yurt on boot, sites such as Canopy & Stars including cycling, climbing, walking the banks of a waterfall. Sleep in a have a whole host of places for a and watersports. If you’re interested in a cycling tour floating cabin on a lake in Essex or range of budgets. So why not go holiday, check out Peak Tours, who offer a converted chapel in the forest in somewhere different this year and a two-night YHA Family Tour. Bikes and get back to nature in style? Shropshire. From chicken sheds to equipment are all provided, along with historic castles, fire trucks to gypsy canopyandstars.co.uk maps, local information and detailed route notes. All tours are self-led, so you can travel at your own pace and stop where you wish and, brilliantly, Win! your luggage is transported to the next A family camping location for you. Once you’ve had a day kit for nightS under the stars! getting from A to B across picturesque SEE page 24 Peak District countryside, you can enjoy an evening meal and a private room in many of the UK’s hostels (where kids under 10 eat free). There are no chores or lights out here, only warm welcomes and free WiFi! ■
Find out more yha.org.uk and peak-tours.com
Camping doesn’t have to mean damp tents and soggy sausages
Need more inspiration? Check out these websites for family-friendly holiday ideas… ● awaywiththekids.co.uk ● all4kidsuk.com/category/holidays-uk-child-friendly ● travelzoo.com/uk/family-friendly ● netmums.com/lifestyle/holidays/uk-family-holidays ● babyfriendlyboltholes.co.uk
Get a 10% online discount on Travel Insurance (see page 2 for details) or find out more at uia.co.uk Images: Getty, Canopy and Stars, Forest Holidays Canopy and Stars, Forest Images: Getty,
2 2 UIA.CO.UK
PETS How to travel safely with your dog
drivingwithdogs.co.uk gives dogs and drivers over 400 dog walk routes, plus dog-friendly pubs and cafes, within five miles of UK motorway exits
If your four-legged friend is joining you on the family holiday this year, make sure you plan your journey with them in mind…
1. Offer light refreshments the muzzle, ears or tummy. Avoid 6. the golden rule Dogs can get car sick too, and your human varieties as perfumes can Never leave your pet in the car. pet will travel better without a full irritate skin and some formulas The RSPCA receives more than stomach. Avoid feeding them for can be toxic if ingested. Consult 3,000 calls each year relating two hours before you travel. your vet if you’re unsure. to dogs locked in hot cars. The temperature inside a vehicle can 2. Show a little restraint 4. Take a break soar to 47°C in under an hour on Use a dog harness that clips into Break up long journeys with a hot day, which can cause fatal the seat belt holder, or a dog guard frequent stops for your dog. heatstroke in just a few minutes. ■ if your pet travels in the boot area. Take a walk somewhere with According to PDSA, a crash at 30mph interesting smells, and the For competitive pet insurance would hurl an unrestrained Border opportunity to toilet. Offer for cats and dogs, see page 2, Collie forward with a force equivalent them a drink at each stop. visit uia.co.uk, or call to the weight of a polar bear. 0800 064 8424 5. If lost please call... 3. Pack the essentials Ensure your dog is microchipped Pack your dog’s essential holiday (from April 2016, it became travel kit – a bowl, water, some compulsory for all dogs in food, poop scoop bags, a towel, an England to be microchipped extra lead and their bed or blanket and registered on an authorised to lie on, plus balls and toys. You database) and wears a collar may also want to invest in some with your mobile number on, pet sunscreen, particularly if your just in case they run off in a dog has light-coloured fur around strange place.
UIA.CO.UK 23 giveaways We’ve got a fantastic selection of goodies to give away to our lucky readers! a nd offers
For your chance to win, simply fill out the entry form Crafty kits over the page and send it back to us freepost or email your make do and mend your own prize choice, name, address fun and thrifty project. and phone number to Fancy trying your hand at your affinitymagazine@uia. very own homemade project? co.uk Embrace the spirit of Make Do and Mend and get crafty with this great sewing kit. Including coloured cottons, pins, thimble, a thread picker, fasteners, scissors, a tape measure, buttons, a pin cushion and a needle box, this handy kit has everything you need to get started. We have three to give away courtesy of dotcomgiftshop.co.uk
£ 50 at Maplin Enjoy a home-tech shopping trip on us at Maplin. If you’ve been inspired by our home feature on page 10, you could be in with a chance of winning a £50 Maplin shopping spree to get some technological wizardry for your own home. Whether it’s fun Philips bulbs or remote controllers for your household plugs, you can get a whole host of hassle free, hi-tech home options to make your life just that little bit easier. We have one to give away to a lucky winner. Image: Getty 24 UIA.CO.UK giveaways
Worth Drive safe £159.99 Keep even more eyes on the road with a smart dash cam. The RAC 03 Super HD Rear View Mirror Dash Cam, has everything you need to keep you safe while on the move. Featuring speed camera alerts, forward collision warnings A night under the stars and lane diversion warning systems, Take the family into the great outdoors the RAC 03 is the ultimate co-pilot, with this comprehensive camping kit. picking up on potential hazards on A good outdoor enthusiast is always prepared for every your journey. eventuality, and with this great kit, you certainly will be. With With video-recording everything you need from matches to multi-tools, you can capabilities, and even GPS tracking, enjoy a night under the stars in comfort and style. this state-of-the-art camera is a The camping kit includes: a blanket, matches, a torch, a world first in in-car technology. multi-tool, a toasting fork, a bucket, a camping tips booklet Courtesy of ProofCam, brand and a recipes booklet. We have one to give away. license partner of the RAC, we have one RAC 03 to give away to one Enter our prize draw and win a lucky winner. Find out more about £100 M&S shopping voucher in-car tech at proofcam.com Thanks to our car insurance partner, Autonet Insurance Services, we’re able to offer one lucky winner a shopping spree on us. Enter over the page.
Worth Get some flower power £39.99 Never neglect your plants again with this handy green-fingered gadget. If you’re often guilty of leaving your plants to go limp, then we’ve got the gadget for you. Keep houseplants and garden veggies in pristine condition with the flower power sensor, which measures your plants’ soil and lets you know via an app if it needs water, food or sunlight. Simply pop the sensor in the pot, set up the app and you’re away! We have one flower power sensor to give away.
Terms and Conditions All entries must be received by us by 31 December 2016. Winners will be picked at random and contacted within three weeks of the closing date. Prizes are subject to availability and there is no cash alternative. The editor’s decision is final. For full terms and conditions of each prize, please visit www.uia.co.uk/terms-conditions UIA.CO.UK 25 win a week away Fancy a week on the beautiful British coastline? Complete and return our survey and you will be automatically entered into the prize draw to win this fantastic holiday!
e’ve teamed up with Bay Retreat Villas in Cornwall, to offer one W reader a one-week luxury break for up to four adults. Situated close to the coastal town of Padstow, Bay Retreat Villas offers four-star comfort and is ideally located just three miles from Padstow and within easy reach of seven stunning bays. While away the days at some of the most beautiful coastline in the UK before heading back to relax in your private garden. We’re also throwing in tickets for the whole party to the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan. So what are you waiting for? To e nt e r: Send your survey back to us by simply fill in the survey The fishing harbour of Padstow 31 December 2016 to be in opposite and send it is just a short distance away with a chance. Good luck! back freepost or visit uia.co.uk/affinity16
Stay in a luxury two bedroom villa
Lose your way in the Lost Gardens of Heligan Revel in nature at the Eden Project Eden Project image ©Hufton+Crow Eden Project
26 UIA.CO.UK 27
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UIA.CO.UK 5 4 4 Strongly agree Strongly agree Strongly agree 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 Sewing kit £50 Maplin voucher Smart Dash Cam Camping kit £100 M&S voucher Flower sensor Cornwall break 1 1 1
Your Entry form Your Tick which prize/s you’d like can tick as many You to win. as you want! Strongly disagree to trust a brandI am more likely recommended by my union Strongly disagree Affinity my opinion has improved of UIA or Together Strongly disagree more than I trust UIA or Together other brands 5
4 Strongly agree Terms and Conditions To be eligible, you must complete the reader survey published survey the reader must complete be eligible, you To us at the address on the back page it to in full and return above can enter online at www.uia.co.uk/affinity16. you Alternatively, entry entries is 31 December 2016. • One closing date for • The employees open to is not draw per household. The is permitted their agents and UIA (Call Centres) Ltd, Ltd of UIA (Insurance) main prize is a free one-week break at Bay • The or families. four adults, four up to basis for Retreat Villas on a self-catering Gardens the Lost tickets to and four the Eden Project tickets to 31 up to break is valid The included. is not of Heligan. Travel 18 10 to and excluding availability December 2017, subject to 2017 30 September 15 April 2017, 1 July to February 2017, 1 to and Easter Holidays, 2017 as well as Bank 27 October and 23 to and cannot cash value a zero All prizes have school holidays. are All offers availability. Bookings are subject to be transferred. time. • No at any and can be withdrawn availability subject to or damaged entries lost, delayed can be accepted for liability of the winner, details either entered online or posted. • For Winner, no later than 31 January 2017, to: please send an SAE, Rd, London Court, Kings Ltd, Dept, UIA (Insurance) Marketing should this draw queries relating to • Any SG1 2TP. Stevenage • address. Department at the above the Marketing be sent to participate in unpaid promotional be asked to winner may The Ltd • UIA (Insurance) this promotion. relating to publicity any substitute reserves the right in its reasonable discretion to • UIA (Insurance) prize with an alternative prize of an equal value. terms and amend the prize draw reserves the right to Ltd time. the prize at any withdraw and to conditions 3
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✁ i n Corn wa ll win a week away week a win AAADDDFDFTFATADDDAADATDDDAFDAFTATATD AAADDDFDFTFATADDDAADATDDDAFDAFTATATD Freepost RTTJ–ASLA–HSLT UIAFreepost (Insurance) RTTJ–ASLA–HSLT Ltd KingsUIA (Insurance) Court Ltd LondonKings CourtRoad STEVENAGELondon Road SG1STEVENAGE 2TP SG1 2TP AAADDDFDFTFATADDDAADATDDDAFDAFTATATD Freepost RTTJ–ASLA–HSLT UIA (Insurance) Ltd Kings Court London Road STEVENAGE SG1 2TP
reader offer Save up to 53% on a luxury gourmet A taste of Cornwall break 3 to 7-night breaks from £198 per villa Enjoy a relaxing break in the beautiful Cornish countryside with Bay Retreat Villas, and get a £50 Rick Stein Dining Card thrown in. Visit bayretreatvillas.co.uk/uia-offer to book your trip.
Offer valid on selected dates until 30 November, 2016, subject to availability