Good morning everyone. I’m Steve Wainwright from Elmley Town Council and I organise the town’s volunteer scheme. I’m delighted you’re all interested in joining the scheme. Our volunteers help to create a sense of community among the many people who live in our historic town of Elmley and make residents and visitors feel welcome at local events. First, I’ll mention just a few of the activities that volunteers carry out. One is to walk around the town centre streets wearing our volunteer T-shirt. Tourists often ask how to get to a particular shop, and they might also be grateful for recommendations about what to visit[[11]. The town holds a large number of concerts each year and part of the volunteers’ role is to get everyone in the audience to the right place as smoothly as possible[12]. You’d be surprised how many people buy tickets, then don’t check them, and head for the wrong section of the hall. Volunteers may get involved with community groups, such as sports clubs or gardeners’ associations. Here, the volunteers talk about how groups can help each other[13]. For instance, a writing group might want to travel to another town to hear a talk by a well-known author, but may not know that another club has a coach they could travel in. The town produces a monthly magazine, and anyone who lives in the town can send in articles. It’s free to residents and is paid for by local businesses. That’s the responsibility of the council’s advertising department. We depend on volunteers though to find out what people think of events they’ve attended and any suggestions they have for the future. The volunteers then send a summary to the editors[14]. There are a number of clubs for retired people and every year the council arranges lunch for all the members. The volunteers welcome the guests and when everyone’s sitting down and relaxing after the meal, some volunteers put on a show. Usually around half an hour of songs and short plays, the club members really welcome the chance to chat to the volunteers at these events[15]. The town council has a website, of course, and volunteers are asked to help by making sure residents know about it[16]. It updated every day with information about future activities and we want as many people as possible to use it.

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As you probably know, the town arranges three major festivals every year, and they all depend on a large number of volunteers. The book festival lasts three days, and uses several venues which all need volunteers. More are needed for the music festival because that lasts a whole week, and even more help is required for the science festival, even though it’s only two days long[17]. It involves quite a lot of venues, though. It’s a good idea to help at the festival you’re most interested in, because you can attend most of the events for free. We try to use volunteers who are flexible, though, because some festival events are held outdoors and the weather may affect the size of the audience and even whether the event can take place so there can be changes at short notice What essential though is being able to get on well with other people and also to deal with someone who’s behaving badly, as occasionally happens[18]. Our plan is to get you all working in September, after a week’s training starting on the 2nd, so we’ll be timetabling you for duties the following week from the 9th onward[19]. Later in the week beginning September 23rd we have a chat with each of you to find out how you feel about being a volunteer and what extra support you need. As a thank you to the volunteers we arrange an annual event. In recent years we’ve had a party in the Town Hall and last year a barbecue in Chamber Park. Our forthcoming event is a trip along the canal from here to Dewhurst and back. It’s on Saturday, September the 28th[20]. And if you’d like to attend, you can sign up once you start work. Now, this is the Volunteer’s T-shirt.

WOMAN It’s really good to see you, Tom. Since I had to give up work, I feel I’m losing touch with my friends and colleagues.

MAN We really miss you in the office. We were all so sorry you had to leave. But you must be relieved to have more time to look after your mother. How is she?

WOMAN Well she is very cheerful, but she needs a lot of help.

MAN Have you tried to get any support from the local council?

WOMAN No, I didn’t know I could.

MAN Yes, they offer different kinds of practical support. They realise that carers sometimes need time for all the other responsibilities they have, apart from the person they’re caring for, and also that they sometimes need a break.

WOMAN Absolutely. OK, so tell me more. How do I go about getting this support?

MAN Well, you’d have to have an assessment of your mother’s needs. That means someone would come round and talk to you about the situation and what you need. So, for a start, they’d want to know the amount of time you spend looking after your mother every day.

WOMAN OK.

MAN Then they’ll probably ask you what sorts of tasks you do for your mother during the day. Things like if she needs help with getting dressed, for example.

WOMAN Right. I help her with that. And also I help her get into the shower in the morning.

MAN Yes, that sort of thing. They’ll probably ask you if you do the shopping for her and help her at mealtimes, and whether she can cope using money.

WOMAN Yes, that’s becoming a bit of a problem. She used to be very good at it, but not anymore.

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MAN And be ready to tell them about anything you find particularly difficult about caring for your mother.

WOMAN So, recently I’ve noticed she’s started to have quite bad problems with her memory. If I wasn’t there, I think she’d forget to eat, for example. And often she doesn’t seem quite sure what day it is.

MAN Yes, tell them about that. And are there any physical difficulties you have caring for her? Lifting her, for example?

WOMAN Yes, she’s quite heavy and I’m afraid of hurting my back. I’d be in real trouble if that happened.

MAN They can give you advice about that and also about how to avoid the possibility of your mum having a fall.

WOMAN Great. So once they’ve done this assessment, if I’m eligible, what happens next?

MAN Well, they might support you financially. So they might help you with transport costs, like if you have to get a taxi to take your mother for an appointment, for example.

WOMAN I usually drive her myself, actually. So, could I claim the petrol?

MAN You could. And you can claim for the insurance too.

WOMAN Oh, right.

MAN And if you need help with the housework, they can arrange for someone to come along once or twice a week. And one other thing. I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but it important you

look after yourself And it seems to me you under quite a bit of stress

WOMAN I am yes

MAN Well tell the council because they may be able to give you some advice on how to minimise it

WOMAN Really? Though, actually, I feel so much better having talked to you. I’ll get in touch with the council straight away. Now, shall we go for coffee or something?

There are trends in food much as there are trends in clothing. Interest in food fashions has risen rapidly since the birth of the smartphone when people first began taking photos of their food and instantly sharing them with their friends. The food industry in the UK in particular is obsessed with finding and exploiting the next big food trend. Marketeers aim to create a huge demand for a food item which was previously unknown or not needed. One of the most effective ways of promoting a new food product is by using social media influencers as brand ambassadors In return for free samples many influencers will post content about a product although there are influencers with hundreds of thousands of followers who can command large fees for their services Companies which sell vegan produce were pioneers in being able to increase sales really quickly in this way. For a food item to become really popular, it has to be readily available. So supermarkets have a role to play in creating a new food trend. They have dedicated teams closely following which new products or ingredients are trending on social media and are particularly interested in what well-known chefs are putting on their menus. I’d like to look at a few examples of marketing campaigns which were really successful in launching a new fashion trend. Starting in the 1990s with the avocado. A British PR company was hired to raise its profile and stimulate demand. They paid for a group of journalists to travel out to South Africa to meet avocado farmers. Articles written following this visit helped to educate the British public about the avocado, which at this time was certainly not the daily staple it’s since become. Advertisements were designed to promote the avocado as a superfood, rich in nutrients and therefore beneficial for health. Avocados became hugely fashionable, and within a few years UK avocado sales had grown from £13 million annually to around £150 million, making it one of the most successful fresh produce campaigns in UK history. Oat milk is a recent example of a new product which became fashionable very quickly. Now there are many brands available but one company which had early success was the Swedish brand Oatly They attracted a lot of attention with a media campaign which used provocation as a way of getting their message across effectively. The fact that this campaign aggravated competitors producing milk from dairy cows was seen as a plus, as it helped to make oat milk seem cool. In the USA, the brand decided against a big retail launch in favour of getting the product into coffee chains, which removed the need for a big advertising budget. This proved far more effective than offering samples in supermarkets. Oat milk had an advantage over other alternative milk products, such as almond milk. Many consumers prefer it because it has less of an impact on the environment. It requires significantly less water to produce than other alternative milk products and it also has a relatively low carbon footprint. Norwegian scray, a rarely available seasonal fish delicacy, otherwise known as Arctic cod, is now found on the menus of Michelin-starred restaurants throughout Europe. The demand for Skre has been used by a food marketing agency to build the reputation of Norway’s fisheries in general. Marketing surveys have shown that a significant number of shoppers now associate Norway with excellent seafood. Food trends can be considered a good thing in some ways, as they can benefit farmers and food producers enormously. The public can also be encouraged to buy things which are more sustainably produced. But ethical concerns have been raised about the effects a surge in demand can cause. Quinoa is a classic example. This plant is native to Peru and when demand peaked some years ago, the price soared, making it unaffordable for local people. While the popularity of quinoa has benefited farmers financially there have been other negative consequences. As demand grew, farmers began working the land all year round in order to produce more quinoa. One issue has been that the fertility of the soil decreased dramatically. which could potentially lead to desertification in some areas. Another example would be the case of…