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Northumbria University staff admit to ‘feeling unsafe’ due to relaxation of Covid restrictions
Credit Northumbria University Facebook
University staff at Northumbria have revealed they ‘feel unsafe’ returning for the new semester due to the relaxation of coronavirus restrictions and the removal of safety measures.
According to the BBC, results from a poll completed by 500 Northumbria University members found 75% had worries about on campus teaching ahead of the new year.
The university has said that social distancing and the wearing of face coverings are no longer mandated but ‘encourages staff, students and visitors to be respectful of others’ personal space’.
The University and College Union, also referred to as UCU, branch at Northumbria, has released a statement that says: “Things are nowhere near ‘normal’ yet, and it is disingenuous and dangerous to pretend otherwise.
“Such a position risks threatening staff, students and the community. This means the prospect of face-to-face teaching is, for some, deeply concerning, as it was last year.
“So even if you feel safe and comfortable, many do not; helping to make your colleagues feel safe makes everyone safer.
“Making campus activities as safe as possible also makes them as sustainable as possible for as long as possible.”
The North East based university has said they are committed to supporting each other and that professional cleaning teams will undertake enhanced and more frequent cleaning regimes throughout all learning spaces on campus.
Until recently, Northumbria University has been conducting all teaching, but where in-person teaching was deemed ‘essential’, online due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Last year, Northumbria staff voted for strike action after hundreds of students tested positive for the virus.
According to the UCU Northumbria branch, ‘66.5% of members voted yes to taking strike action on a 67.3% turnout, with 89.9% of members voting yes to taking action short of a strike (ASOS)’.
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “This is a massive step forward in our struggle to keep campuses safe for staff and students. Staff at Northumbria have overwhelmingly voted yes to both industrial action and action short of a strike.
“This shows how seriously our members take the safety of their students and colleagues, UCU would like to thank our members and reps for their support.”
What are your thoughts? Let us know on our social media below..
Gaucho will today be offering a free lunch to celebrate the NHS’s 75th anniversary.
The premium steak restaurant in Newcastle has announced that they will be hosting a free lunch for NHS workers.
Gaucho Newcastle, which is located on Market Street in the city centre, will be honouring the hard-working NHS staff by offering a free lunch to them today, to celebrate the NHS’s 75th anniversary.
The Argentinian restaurant will also be lighting up their restaurant in blue, as part of the NHS anniversary celebrations.
Gaucho’s across the UK will be inviting NHS workers to dine in their restaurants for free on Wednesday, July 5, including in their Newcastle location.
The free lunch will be from a special set menu, which will feature ceviche starters, carbon-neutral steaks and decadent desserts, showcasing regeneratively farmed British beef and other ethically sourced ingredients.
This is not the first time that Gaucho have supported NHS workers, as during the pandemic they provided 1,000 meals per week to them, and hosted a special gala named Gala NHS Dinner of Appreciation as a way to say thank you for their hard work during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Gaucho and M Restaurants, CEO and Founder, Martin Williams said: “At Gaucho, we are delighted to celebrate NHS workers with this gesture. Restaurants, when at their best, are an integral part of the community and we are proud to support our amazing NHS heroes and hope other restaurants will follow suit to do the same.”
NHS workers can enjoy a free lunch courtesy of Gaucho today, from 12pm until 6.30pm. To redeem the offer, simply present your NHS ID badge upon arrival.
A landmark Tyneside venue is set for a new lease of life as a STACK drinking and dining destination if new planning proposals are given the green light.
Newcastle leisure company Danieli Group has submitted plans to create a new STACK development in the former Empress Ballroom in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, which was originally part of the town’s Spanish City. If successful, the business hopes to return the 113-year-old building to its former position at the forefront of the seaside town’s entertainment scene.
Built in 1910, the Empress Ballroom regularly hosted more than 750 dancers before going on to become the Carlton Club bingo hall. It has lain empty for some time and fallen into disrepair – yet the Stack submission would deliver a new future for the building while also injecting a boost to the local economy.
Plans by current owner Mark Holmes to transform it into a leisure and community venue were delayed by Covid and now, although planning permission for a leisure venue is in place, Danieli Group has applied for a variation of the plans to create Stack Whitley Bay. The plans, to be submitted this week, include the creation of an external roof terrace together with the premises licence application. If successful the hope is to continue along the same route as other successful STACK sites, with the inclusion of a stage for live entertainment and space for street food and drink outlets.
Neill Winch, CEO of the Danieli Group, believes STACK would be a great addition to the town. He said: “Not only will it bring a new dimension to the existing leisure offering but, subject to planning and licensing, it will bring an underutilised building – and much-loved heritage asset – back into use. We are delighted to hopefully be able to continue to build STACK’s strong presence in the North East with this new and exciting venture.”
Owner Mark Holmes added: “When we bought the Empress Ballroom, we had a vision for the magnificent venue, it’s really a hidden treasure in the Spanish City. Our plans were good, but now Neill Winch and STACK have turbo charged these plans and I am convinced they will deliver the quality venue that will benefit Whitley Bay, residents, and the whole community.”
If the application is successful, Whitley Bay will become the latest in a fast-growing portfolio of STACKS being created in the North East and beyond. A year after the closure of its original STACK Newcastle on the site of the former Odeon Cinema, Seaburn in Sunderland continues to go from strength to strength, while developments in Durham, Middlesbrough, Bishop Auckland, Carlisle and a new site in Newcastle city centre are also being created.
Would you like to see these plans go ahead? – Let us know on our social media and follow us for latest North East Updates – https://linktr.ee/northeastupdates
The McNugget has its 40th birthday this week, so 50,000 freebies of boxes of six are up for grabs!
There’s a catch though – you’ll have to download the chain’s app to enter the competition, which will decide if you’re a lucky winner.
The first 50,000 entrants to the competition will receive 4,000 reward points, which can be exchanged for six McNuggets.
Running from now, the competition will close on May 23.
The app is worth downloading for offers in general too, as users tend to get birthday deals and other discounts, such as getting a Big Mac with fries for just £1.99!
There are new nugget dips to try them with too.. including garlic mayo!
For a limited time, Maccies enthusiasts will be able to get their hands on garlic mayo, mega hot sauce, chipotle mayo and creamy ranch dip.
Garlic mayo and mega hot will drop first on May 10th. Then, from May 31st, chipotle mayo and America’s favourite creamy ranch will join the ranks. The dips will be available for a mystery length of time, ‘until stocks last’.
What flavour dip are you looking forward to trying? – let us know on our social media and follow us for latest North East Updates – https://linktr.ee/northeastupdates
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