Loneliness of unpaid care
SOME 35% of unpaid carers suffer from loneliness – seven times the rate for the general population.
Charity Care UK found loneliness is caused by a lack of time or cash for leisure activities, plus the stigma of being a carer.
The charity estimates there could be 8.8 million unpaid carers, up from a possible 6.3 million in 2011.
Carers UK chief Helen Walker said: “Carers need to feel they are valued, understood and connected to their community.” MR Whippy vans could be banned from parks over claims they harm the environment.
Campaigners say the ice cream vans pollute the air by keeping their engines running to operate the Whippy machines.
They want vendors to upgrade to ultra-low-emission vehicles or serve only scooped ice cream.
Green councillor Douglas Johnson said activists have asked the licensing department at Sheffield City Council to review its policy and stop vendors running their vans’ engines while parked.
He said: “There’s only a small amount of ice cream vans in comparison to cars so it would make a small ROW difference to overall air pollution, but a big difference to parks packed with children and families.
“No one wants to sit in a park with the fumes and noise of an engine. This would help tackle air pollution – and we can still enjoy ice cream.”
But Andrew Cuneo, 55, boss of Cuneo’s Ice Cream, said: “The councillor is interfering with a great British tradition. We are the oldest ice cream company in Yorkshire and in 155 years have never heard of such codswallop.
“Customers love the soft ice cream product. “There’ll be uproar if this is passed.”