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Public bodies are being urged to use their purchasing power to tackle poverty and inequality within local communities and create a good jobs industry in the UK in a new report ‘Public Good Procurement’ issued on behalf of the grassroots #BetterForUs campaign run by award-winning community enterprise, Aspire Community Works. Drawing on its own lived experience of the procurement process, the report argues that all too often public procurement pushes wages down, fails to address deep-rooted inequalities and puts pressure on the public purse through subsidising low paying employers who offer bad work detrimental to people’s health. This puts good employers who pay the Real Living Wage at a disadvantage within the procurement process, leading to a spiral of downward wages within the procurement process and negative public value. The report urges the UK Government to take the lead in delivering maximum public value across the country through raising the standards in how public authorities spend £390 billion every year as part of its national missions to promote growth and opportunity.  The report calls on the UK Government to: require the Real Living Wage as the default position for all public contracts irrespective of value, lifting thousands of people out of poverty; require good working conditions as the default position for all public contracts irrespective of value providing high quality and sustainable opportunities for people working on public contracts; particularly for those in traditionally low paying occupations; introduce a target to support Good Works organisations that work with people who are disadvantaged by the labour market to promote a more inclusive economy and bring more people back into the workforce; highlight the mission of public good procurement and links key objectives to the Sustainable Development Goals within its forthcoming National Procurement Policy Statement. Dr Katharine Sutton, author of the report said: “This is a once in a life-time opportunity for a new Government to stamp its authority on a new Procurement Act due to be introduced in February 2025. If only one percent of the procurement spend in the UK was reserved for positive action employment programmes this would generate £3.9 billion for local communities and Good Work organisations that aim to support and sustain people into and in employment. These programmes could take place within in-house delivery, under the auspices of private contractor or run by social enterprises themselves. Using public procurement to set the standards and act as an example for all employers is an economic imperative that will deliver inclusive growth that makes a real difference to people’s lives.” The report includes recommendations to other public bodies and practical guidance on how public procurement can be used for the public good. betterforus.org.uk Notes BetterForUs 2020-2024 is a campaign run on behalf of award-winning organisation Aspire Community Works that tackles labour market disadvantage through providing sustainable employment and training opportunities offering the Real Living Wage as a minimum,  good working conditions and promoting frontline employees’ voice in the design and delivery of services. The majority of its frontline work is obtained through the public procurement process. The Government has recently announced that the Procurement Act 2023 will come into force in February 2025. It has delayed its implementation to draw up a new National Procurement Policy Statement and is currently consulting on this issue. In the UK procurement is devolved  and the report outlines the differences in approach within the UK. It is calling on the UK Government to incorporate the Sustainable Development Goals as the golden thread to run through all procurement in the UK. BetterforUs is supported by Trust for London.

Social enterprise The Fair Tax Foundation has launched a community share offer on social investment platform Ethex looking to raise £450,000 to expand its operations and bring five times as many businesses into its progressive movement. Across the globe, 35% of multinational profits (£1trn) are artificially shifted to tax havens each year, robbing the public purse of funding for vital public services such as transport and healthcare. The UK suffers from a corporate tax shortfall of £12.5bn each year because of this multinational profit-shifting. Some 10 years ago the Fair Tax Foundation saw there was another way to do business. Since then, it has enjoyed a decade of steady income growth and seven consecutive years of surplus. With the Fair Tax Mark, the gold standard responsible tax accreditation, the Fair Tax Foundation is central to a movement of progressive businesses that are proud to pay their taxes and celebrate the enormous contribution this makes to public services. Some 250 distinct trading businesses are Fair Tax Mark accredited, including FTSE-listed companies such as SSE and Marshalls, and household names such as Lush, the Coop and Timpson. Collectively, Fair Tax businesses employ over 275,000 people and contribute more than £1.7bn in corporation tax annually. Co-operatives and social enterprises were early pioneers of the Fair Tax Mark, with Midcounties, Scotmid, Energy4All, Suma and the Co-op being amongst the first businesses to become certified. These have since followed by other well-known co-operatives and social enterprises such as Arup, Jerba Campervans and Lendology In order to increase its impact on creating a fairer society, the Fair Tax Foundation will use the new investment to: - Create a new sales and business development team, broaden its product offering, expand its back-office and recruit and train new technical staff - Increase its income from c.£500,000 to c.£2mn per year - Quintuple its corporate engagement in the UK and overseas, leading to hundreds more Fair Tax Mark accredited companies Fair Tax Foundation Chief Executive Paul Monaghan said: “This share offer is a rare opportunity to buy community shares in, and become a member of, the Fair Tax Foundation – with subscribers becoming shareholders in the Society alongside existing members. We believe the more businesses that stand up for responsible tax conduct, the more likely legislators are to create better laws, and the more likely regulators are to implement those laws robustly. Since our inception a decade ago, much has been achieved in reversing the global race to the bottom on corporation tax. But there is still so much more that needs to be achieved, both in the UK and across the globe. By supporting us to scale up our business, investors will help expand our influence, bolster public coffers and help steer the economy in a more enlightened direction at this critical moment in history.” Ethex CEO Lisa Ashford said: “We are very excited to offer our community of investors the opportunity to support this share offer. We see it as a great chance to use your money to help create a more just and equitable world where corporations pay their fair share of tax and everyone in society can reap the benefits." The offer opens on 2nd September for a period of three months - targeting an initial annual return of 6%, and UK base rate plus 1% thereafter. There is a minimum investment threshold of £200, and a maximum of £60,000 for individuals and £100,000 for organisations. As with all investments of this nature, capital is at risk and returns are not guaranteed. Investors can participate in the offer via the Ethex investing platform at https://www.ethex.org.uk/invest/fairtax Notes to editors: Fair Tax Foundation was established as a not-for-profit social enterprise in 2014, and is registered with the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority as a Community Benefit Society. It’s rules incorporate a statutory “asset lock” to ensure that any retained surpluses are used solely for the promotion of good corporate tax conduct. Ethex aims to help everyday people make ethical investments that fund extraordinary organisations.” It is a not-for-profit with a mission to ‘make money do good’, and has spent the past ten years creating a vibrant marketplace for positive investment. Community shares are withdrawable shares that cannot be sold, traded or transferred between members, unlike shares in a typical company. Members are entitled to one vote, regardless of how many shares they hold. Members can be paid interest on their shares, and can withdraw their shareholding (along with any interest accrued) by selling shares back to the Society, subject to the board’s approval. Any money invested is fully at risk and is not protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

In this blog Charlie Walker, Managing Director at Cleand for Good, looks into the Government's plan to scrap 'waiting days' and the need to transform sick pay. The Government have announced their new employment rights bill, something they promised within their manifesto. Within the raft of measures, ‘waiting days’ associated with Statutory Sick Pay will be removed. No idea what I am talking about? Nor did I, before joining Clean for Good. It probably means, like me, you have never had to worry about sick pay in your job. Grab a cuppa and let’s dive into the detail on all things Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). It’s more interesting than you might think! SSP is the minimum pay that employers have to pay staff when they fall ill. Currently it is £116.75 per week, or £23.35 per day, (so just over £3 per hour). You are only entitled to SSP if you earn a certain amount per week, more than £123 AND if you have been ill for more than 3 consecutive days. So, for the first 3 days you are off ill you get paid nothing. And it’s these 3 days that are known as ‘waiting days’. Still with me? Many (perhaps all?) of us will never have come into contact with ‘waiting days’. We have worked for good employers who have decided to run their own ‘Occupational Sick Pay’ scheme. These schemes go above and beyond SSP, often considerably so, and will pay staff (rightly) for every day they are off sick and most of the time at full pay. This is a wonderful benefit. In over 20 years of working, I have never had to worry about being off sick. So, what’s the issue? Well, picture a multi-storey building in the heart of London, every floor filled with different companies, lawyers, charity workers, insurers, bankers, engineers and more. One of the lawyers catches a bug and his lovely HR team tell him to go home, rest up and only come back when he is fully recovered. The lawyer agrees and after 2 days of bed, Netflix, and chicken soup he comes back to work, rested and recovered. Unfortunately, though, the bug has spread, and it takes down other members of the office and also Carol, the cleaner, who came to clean the building that evening. Carol is on SSP and is confronted with the reality of these ‘waiting days’. Does she stay at home and get paid nothing for 2 days or turn up to work ill. Terrible choice made worse by the fact that Carol earns less than the real living wage. Two days off genuinely puts at risk her ability to pay her mortgage, her bills and more. It’s not really a choice, she goes to work. As we take this further and begin to imagine Carol having to go to hospital and being forced off for a week earning just £46.70, what then? Lots of us, I suspect, would begin to struggle with our bills and payments that month. And maybe you could scramble through for a month, but after 10 years of the same thing? It’s like a repetitive kick to the face and it’s the horrible reality for Carol and thousands of cleaners, security guards, and others in low paid professions across the UK So, we will of course welcome the scrapping ‘waiting days’, whilst at the same time not pretending that getting by on £23.35 SSP per day, is anywhere near adequate. At Clean for Good we are one of the very few cleaning companies (and to date I have not come across any in London including some of the real biggies in the market) who run our own occupational sick pay scheme. From day 1 if cleaners are off sick, at Clean for Good, they are paid in full. One of the joys in the last couple of years was taking on a team of new cleaners from another cleaning company (this happens at the point that you take over a cleaning contract) and seeing one of our new cleaners, eyes bulging as we explained to her that CFG has its own sick pay scheme. She stopped me mid-sentence and exclaimed…What, you will pay me if I am sick? To which I replied Yes, we will! She had been a cleaner in London for over 15 years surviving on SSP. If you’re not sure what your employer pays you when you go off ill, you will find the policy lurking somewhere in the depths of your staff handbook. Do go and check it out, and if you are part of an organisation that has its own sick pay scheme go and encourage your HR team and tell them they are all wonderful today! Find out more? The centre for progressive change is running a national campaign on sick pay. If you want to find out more on the whole area of sick pay. Check the campaign out here.

Tarem Services is proud to announce the successful launch of its Mobile Foodbank initiative, which took place on Tuesday, 1st October 2024, at Selhurst Children’s Centre, Croydon. This initiative is a significant part of Tarem Services’ broader mission to tackle in-work poverty and food insecurity by providing essential supplies to vulnerable families and individuals experiencing financial hardship. Despite heavy rain, 103 of the 150 essential food bags were collected on the day, and the remaining bags have since been collected by those unable to attend. Each bag contains enough food to feed at least 2 people, meaning 300 individuals will ultimately benefit from this initiative. The event was supported by 12 volunteers from Zurich UK, CBRE and Tarem Services, who worked tirelessly to prepare the food bags and engage with the families in attendance. The launch event was highlighted by the attendance of Deputy Mayor, Councillor Lynne Hale, who showed her support for Tarem Services' continued efforts to address food insecurity and poverty within the local community. “We are deeply grateful to CBRE and Zurich UK for their financial support and volunteering efforts, as well as to our own team at Tarem Services for making this initiative possible,” said Titus Komolafe, Managing Director of Tarem Services. “Our mission goes beyond just providing food; it’s about tackling in-work poverty, addressing food insecurity, and empowering families to build more secure futures.” The Mobile Foodbank initiative is one of the many ways Tarem Services drives social change. As a social enterprise, Tarem Services is dedicated to reducing the pressures faced by low-wage workers and their families. Through partnerships, volunteer support, and sustainable initiatives, Tarem Services is committed to providing immediate relief while advocating for long-term solutions. Next Stop: Stay Tuned The Mobile Foodbank will continue its journey to reach other communities in need, with the next distribution event already in the planning stages. As Tarem Services expands its reach, more families and individuals will receive the support they need during these challenging times. Stay tuned for details on the next stop as we continue to offer hope and practical aid to those most in need. For more information on the Mobile Foodbank and how you can get involved, visit: www.taremservices.com/foodbank. About Tarem Services Tarem Services Limited is a social enterprise focused on tackling in-work poverty and food insecurity, especially among cleaners in the UK. Founded in 1999 with the support of a Prince’s Trust grant, Tarem Services has built a reputation for responsible business practices. The company provides office and school cleaning, construction labour supply, pest control, and waste management services, all while remaining committed to social responsibility and environmental sustainability. Media Contact:Email: community@taremservices.com Image Caption:Volunteers from Tarem Services, Zurich UK, and CBRE with Deputy Mayor, Councillor Lynne Hale, during the Mobile Foodbank launch at Selhurst Children’s Centre, Croydon.

The Sewing Rooms, an award-winning social enterprise based in Skelmersdale, West Lancashire, is addressing the critical shortage of skilled sewing technicians in the region. Securing funding from the UK Government, The Sewing Rooms is providing free skills training, leading to a recognised industry qualification. This initiative aims to empower local individuals with the expertise needed to pursue rewarding careers in the sewing and manufacturing industry. Paula Gamester MBE, Chief Executive of The Sewing Rooms, highlighted the pressing need for skilled sewing machinists: "Recognising the shortage in our community, we collaborated with Redwood TTM, a prominent local manufacturing company facing challenges in recruiting skilled sewing machinists. When we were approached, we were delighted to accept the initial challenge and to explore the further potential for other local businesses and the wider community.” The program encompasses a comprehensive curriculum to meet the specific demands of local manufacturing businesses. The training includes tutor-led sessions, self-directed online modules, and practice sessions tailored to Redwood's and industry quality standards and is available free to West Lancashire residents. Find out more about the amazing impact of the programme in this clip from BBC North West: https://vimeo.com/933004357/42dc5cd656?share=copy Rachel Idle – Group HR Manager for Redwood Group of Companies, explains the driver behind the initiative: “Redwood TTM relies on its skilled Industrial Sewing Machinists and post Brexit, it had become increasingly difficult to recruit in that area. I was aware of the great work that UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT) do in looking to raise the profile of careers with the textiles industry and I reached out to Celia Thornley, their Skills and Training Manager. When Celia informed me of her collaboration with The Sewing Rooms to produce a formal industrial sewing qualification, it became apparent that we had a really exciting opportunity on our hands.”  Celia Thornley, Senior Skills, and Training Manager at UKFT, said: “This is great news for sewn product manufacturing businesses across the West Lancashire region. These businesses need serious backing when it comes to recruitment, tackling skills shortages and building a talent pipeline for future growth. This project will provide this much needed support, and it is inspiring and encouraging to see acknowledgement of these issues at the highest level within the local authority”. The program encompasses a comprehensive curriculum to meet the specific demands of local manufacturing businesses. The training includes tutor-led sessions, self-directed online modules, and practice sessions tailored to Redwood's and industry quality standards and is available free to West Lancashire residents. The UKFT “Licence to Sew” training course features contributions from industry insiders such as BBC’s The Great British Sewing Bee’s Patrick Grant. "We are thrilled to contribute to the growth of our local industry by training individuals who will become valuable assets to businesses like Redwood TTM. The 'Licence to Sew' qualification is a testament to our commitment to address workforce challenges and enhance the skill set of our community," Paula Gamester added. “We have over a dozen License to Sew graduates so far, some have gone on to work with Redwood TTM whereas others have found work elsewhere in the Sewing industry.” The Sewing Rooms invites interested individuals based in West Lancashire to take advantage of this unique opportunity for personal and professional development. For more information on how to enrol in the program, please contact paula@the-sewing-rooms.co.uk

Sign up for this webinar from Turning Point with the Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt as well as others looking into the challenges facing the health and social care sector Health and care social enterprise Turning Point is hosting a series of webinars looking at some of the challenges facing the health and social care sector as part of a programme of activities to mark its 60th year.  The series will feature leading thinkers including Professor Sir Michael Marmot, former Labour Health Secretary Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt and broadcaster and academic Tom Shakespeare. For more information on the series and secure your free place at one or more of the webinars register here The webinar series in full: Can (and should) charities and social enterprises play a bigger role in the delivery of public services?  With the Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt and Social Enterprise UK chief executive Peter Holbrook. Monday 14 October, 1.30-2.30pm The future of social care With writer, broadcaster and disability campaigner Tom Shakespeare CBE. Friday 18 October , 9-10am Synthetic opioids – how does the drug and alcohol treatment sector need to work differently to respond to the changing drug supply?  With harm reduction and local intelligence systems expert Michael Linnell and Turning Point Safer Lives Lead, Deb Hussey. Friday 18 October 4-5pm How can we shift the dial on health inequalities?  With Professor Sir Michael Marmot and Coventry and Warwickshire Grapevine chief executive, Clare Wightman. Tuesday 22 October 9-10am Mental health services - imagining a better future With co-production specialist and campaigner Isaac Samuels and Peter Devlin, Director of Adult Services at Essex County Council and ADASS Mental Health Policy Lead. Thursday 24 October 3-4pm Unblocking the system – how can we move more people with a learning disability out of long stay hospital? With Professor Robin Miller from the University of Birmingham.Friday 25th October 9-10am How can we reduce alcohol harm?  With Dr Richard Piper, Chief Executive of Alcohol Change UK.Wednesday 6th November 10-11am. For more information on the series and to secure your free place register here: https://www.turning-point.co.uk/news-and-insight-detail/health-and-care-futures-webinar-series

ChangeKitchen CIC is a social enterprise based in Balsall Heath that is passionate about food justice in our city, and has launched a September crowdfunding campaign to create positive change in the local community. Their Crowdfunding UK campaign focuses on increasing the health and wellbeing of people and families in the local community, reducing food poverty, and enabling job creation for those experiencing worklessness. Match funding from both Aviva and Access – The Foundation for Social Investment, means that for the first £150 of each donation ChangeKitchen CIC can claim match funding of x5 until 29th September 2024. Meaning £25 becomes £125, and £150 becomes a huge £750! Why is this needed? Communities are still struggling with the cost of living and food poverty, especially among families. Balsall Heath is a deeply rooted, multi-cultural neighbourhood that is also one of the most deprived in the country. ChangeKitchen CIC are proudly located in the heart of the Balsall Heath community. In the last year, ChangeKitchen CIC has seen the need for free community meals rise from 200 per week to currently over 500 per week. With this Crowdfunding campaign they are being ambitious and aiming to raise £50,000 to ensure the nutritional health and wellbeing of individuals and families during this continued cost of living crisis. What ChangeKitchenCIC will do ChangeKitchen CIC can provide a free community meal for £1 – so every £1 donated can make a real difference to a real human who is experiencing real hunger right now. ChangeKitchen CIC are using this crowdfunding campaign to raise awareness of Birmingham food insecurity, help change the financial ability of families to feed themselves nutritiously, and create added social impact: Produce and distribute more free community meals to people experiencing food poverty. Provide healthy eating training within the local Balsall Heath community supporting meal planning and promoting good household budgeting. Create and seek out more work experience and employment opportunities (for those who are struggling to find work in catering and hospitality). ChangeKitchen CIC will do this by developing their ready meal offer and creating more sales, therefore creating more income, meaning more profits will be re-invested into the ChangeKitchen CIC social enterprise aims. In the first week, over £25,000 has been raised and is already making a real difference. Local people have been donating already and businesses can book catered events through the Cooking Up Change for Birmingham Crowdfunder UK campaign page. Birgit Kehrer, founder of ChangeKitchen CIC, says, “On behalf of the whole ChangeKitchen CIC team, we are so incredibly grateful for the support and kindness of our network and the community. It’s a firm belief within our social enterprise that no one should be going hungry in this day and age. Many parents give up their own meals to ensure their children have something to eat. There is a taboo, a real sense of shame, around people not being able to afford a basic human need such as nutritious food. We, at ChangeKitchen CIC, are committed to changing that, so we’re #CookingUpChange and asking people and businesses to get behind our crowdfunding campaign and donate to make a difference this September.” The crowdfunding campaign runs until 29th September 2024. Read the ChangeKitchen UK crowdfunding journey here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/changekitchen About ChangeKitchen CIC A social enterprise based in Balsall Heath providing catering and hospitality services with profits invested in reducing food poverty, reducing food injustice, reducing food waste, and improving skills, life opportunities and healthy eating by providing volunteering, training and community meals for vulnerable people in the local community. www.changekitchen.co.uk/ _ _ _ About Crowdfunder UK At Crowdfunder, we're on a mission to spread positivity across the globe. United for good, our team is dedicated to turning innovative community ideas into meaningful realities, going beyond the confines of traditional fundraising. We're a unique force in crowdfunding, driven by a desire to think creatively and address societal challenges through community-driven change and engagement. www.crowdfunder.co.uk/ _ _ _ About Cooking Up Change for Birmingham We're Crowdfunding to ensure the wellbeing of our communities during this cost of living crisis. This new initiative allows us to use our experience as a social enterprise event caterer to share our delicious and nutritious recipes with everyone! www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/changekitchen/

NHS messages prompting gym-goers to look out for potential signs of cancer will appear in the changing rooms of hundreds of Better leisure centres this summer. Stickers reminding people to check themselves regularly are set to feature on mirrors in more than 240 leisure centres run by Better, the UK's largest leisure charitable social enterprise. The eye-catching stickers will feature the message ‘Check you out’ and ‘Know what’s normal for you’ before reminding people that if something in their body doesn’t feel right, to contact their GP practice. The scheme is the latest push by the NHS to find cancers at an earlier stage, with Better joining several other partners, such as supermarkets and washroom hygiene specialists, to highlight cancer messages to the public in relevant everyday situations. The new initiative comes as a survey of more than 2,000 people by Better found that only 55% of respondents check their bodies for physical changes regularly (at least once a month), and one in ten (12%) don’t check at all. Professor Peter Johnson, National Clinical Director for Cancer at NHS England, said: “Finding cancer early is key to successful treatment and survival, and this means that we need people who have new symptoms to come forward as soon as they spot them. This is why it’s vital that people are aware of their bodies, take notice of any change from what is normal for them, and get it checked out immediately. “The partnership with Better helps us to reach more people and remind them to check themselves at a time and a place that works for them. It’s a simple thing that anyone can do, but it really can save your life.” Joe Rham, Customer and Communities Director for GLL, the not-for-profit charitable social enterprise that runs Better leisure centres, said: “Our aim is to improve health and wellbeing in local communities and we’re delighted to be partnering with NHS England in this vital campaign. “The survey we conducted clearly indicates a need to raise awareness of potential signs of cancer and the mirror stickers will hopefully act as a timely reminder to our customers to check themselves regularly.” NHS staff are working hard to see and treat more people with cancer than ever before, with over 50,000 patients starting cancer treatment in June – more than nine in ten within one month – and over a quarter of a million people referred for urgent cancer checks. The NHS also met the 28-day faster diagnosis standard for the second month in a row in June with more than three quarters of patients (76.3%) – almost 200,000 people – receiving the all-clear or a definitive diagnosis within four weeks.   Lending her support to the scheme, Demi Jones, ex-Love Island reality TV stars, said: “I was just 22 years old when I received my thyroid cancer diagnosis after I found a lump on my neck. I contacted my GP practice straight away to get it checked out and I was quickly referred for further testing that led to treatment by the incredible NHS team in Portsmouth. I’m now living life cancer free and would urge anyone who notices an unusual change not to delay and speak to their GP as they are there to help. It really could save their life, as it did mine.” The survey by Better also found that 59% of respondents are aware of the symptoms of breast cancer – the highest awareness across the UK’s most common cancers. That is followed by skin (50%) and bowel (47%). Worryingly, one in five (20%) said they are not aware of any potential cancer signs - particularly among the younger age groups. 33% of those aged 18-34 said they were not aware of any symptoms, compared to 16% of those aged 35 or over. Of those surveyed, 68% of females and 56% of males said they would recognise a lump or swelling in a part of their body as a possible early sign of cancer and would seek medical advice. Rhiannon Morgan, 34-year old regional health manager for Better in London and Surrey, was diagnosed with breast cancer after finding a lump during a hiking holiday in Canada in 2019. She said: “When I found the lump, I was alarmed but I had no other symptoms and felt perfectly well so I wondered if it was just where my rucksack had rubbed against the skin.”  “Eight weeks later, test results showed that the lump was cancerous, so I needed chemotherapy and underwent a mastectomy during lockdown. Now I’m living cancer free and I would advise other people to know what’s normal for your own body and get yourself checked if something doesn’t seem right.” David Bateson, 49 from Ampthill, Bedfordshire, was diagnosed with melanoma after going to his GP about a bleeding spot on his scalp. He’d noticed the spot wasn’t healing and his wife, a nurse, encouraged him to get it checked. After being referred to a specialist for a biopsy, David was told it was cancerous and within months had surgery to remove it. Despite the cancer returning the following year, immunotherapy has meant that he is now cancer free. David said: “I am living proof that early diagnosis is so important. Although I never dreamt that this spot on my head would end up being skin cancer, it turned out to be one of the most aggressive types. I dread to think what would have happened if I’d not gone to my doctor when I did. “I think these stickers are a great idea. I play football at my local leisure centre, and – when you’re in the changing room or showering – it’s the perfect place to think about changes in your body, so it’s the ideal setting to remind people to be aware.” About Better Better is the consumer facing brand for GLL.  Established in 1993, GLL is the largest UK-based charitable social enterprise delivering leisure, health and community services.  Operating under the Better brand, it manages 250 public sport and leisure centres, 113 libraries and 10 children’s centres in partnership with 50 local councils, public agencies and sporting organisations. www.better.org.uk