Kate Leahy

Back-to-school expenses can exceed £1,000 annually for primary pupils and £2,300 for secondary pupils, while families spend more than £300 on average on the back-to-school shop. Financial coach Clare Seal recommends buying uniforms and other goods secondhand, taking advantage of supermarket promotions and cashback, choosing durable products, labelling belongings, following schools’ stationery lists, and using existing or refurbished technology to reduce costs.

Chef and personal trainer Sophie Macfie explains how to make plant-based meals more appealing and protein-rich, emphasizing well-seasoned extra-firm tofu, combinations of tofu, tempeh, seitan, beans, lentils, grains, nuts and seeds, and gradual dietary changes. The feature includes recipes for protein bars, a lentil-and-gnocchi bowl, and a butter bean, spinach and tofu cream-cheese bowl, with each recipe providing substantial protein and fibre. Macfie argues that plant-based eating can improve energy, gut health and overall wellbeing without requiring people to become fully vegan.

Barbecues pose risks including undercooked meat, bacterial contamination, fires, burns and carbon monoxide poisoning. Food-safety consultant Sylvia Anderson advises cooking meat to at least 75°C, keeping chilled foods below the bacterial danger zone and separating utensils and serving dishes used for raw and cooked food. Fire-safety expert Phil Garrigan warns against using disposable barbecues during extreme or dry weather, placing them on flammable surfaces, using accelerants or cooking inside tents. Barbecues should be kept away from children and camping equipment, fully extinguished with water and allowed to cool before disposal, while alcohol consumption can further compromise safety.

Kate Leahy reflects on running the London Marathon for a charity supporting her father during cancer treatment and recalls the solidarity among runners and spectators. She explains that the 2020 race’s virtual format, introduced because of COVID-19 restrictions, will make participation safer but may reduce fundraising for more than 15,000 charities. With the charity sector facing a projected £10 billion funding shortfall, she highlights the risks to organizations such as Macmillan Cancer Support, Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation, while arguing that virtual fundraising and online challenges could help charities remain financially viable.

The page presents recipes from Desmond Tan and Kate Leahy’s Burma Superstar cookbook, including a Burmese ginger salad with pickled ginger and crunchy toppings, homemade pickled ginger, and a minced chicken stir-fry with mint, cilantro, spices, sambal oelek, and fried garlic. It also suggests using firm tofu as a vegetarian alternative to chicken.