I am sometimes asked by my clients what it is that I like most about my work as a psychologist. I always tell people that I enjoy providing individuals with psychotherapy that will help them to understand and overcome their current or past emotional trauma/s.

And I obtain great satisfaction when I see positive shifts in a client’s habits of thinking, feeling and/or acting.
What I haven’t told too many people up until now is that I have developed an absolute passion for something that is not generally seen as falling within a psychologist’s field of endeavour; helping and supporting individuals who are trying to build and sustain not only a healthy mind but also a healthy body. And more and more people are realising that you absolutely cannot have one without the other.

In fact, I feel particularly excited and energized when a client asks me if I can help them to not only take back control of their overall health and well-being but also help them to move away from a complete reliance on the conventional medicine-focused approach to health and well-being.
This is why I have given so much time and effort over the past decade to growing my expertise in the field of stress reduction.

Ongoing, or chronic, Stress is a silent killer. It generally has a key role in causing chronic health problems (including major depression, IBS, cancer, etc.) and is, in turn, caused by a wide range of underlying factors. Yet, chronic stress is generally accepted as an inescapable part of life in the 21st Century.
And, even more sadly, chronic stress is often overlooked when it comes to helping individuals overcome the chronic health problems that they need treated.

Chronic stress always has a very negative impact on the functioning of an individual’s immune system, causing a person to more easily fall victim to whatever germs are being passed around at the time. You may be thinking that you have adjusted fairly well to the current lockdown and/or self-isolation, and that you are not experiencing much stress at the moment. But this may not be true… because chronic stress is not only caused by difficult emotions, such as anxiety, frustration or loneliness.

Chronic stress is also caused by a diet that regularly includes a range of less-than-healthy foods, by a mainly sedentary lifestyle that involves little movement, by a sleep routine that does not allow you to obtain between 7 and 9 hours of good quality sleep each night, and by a way of life that does not include regular interaction with supportive people who accept you as you are, no matter what state of mind you are in.
Critically, when it comes to reducing the negative impact that stress has on the functioning of your immune system and on your health and well-being, in general, it is crucial that we broaden the conventional definition of “stress” to include more than the narrow focus on just emotional stress.
“Stress”, which is really an abbreviation for the term “stress response”, includes a broad range of negative impacts in one or more areas of functioning, including your emotional, intellectual/cognitive, physical (and biochemical) and/or spiritual functioning.

In deciding what you must do to reduce the impacts of your stress the first step is to clearly identify the range of stressors that you are exposing yourself to.

A “stressor” is any factor or event that triggers a stress response, i.e. causes us to experience stress (or “strain”). Stressors include external factors, such as difficult interpersonal interactions as well as environmental pollutants, as examples. Internal stressors are also critical, and include anxiety-provoking thoughts as well as refined /nutrient-depleted food, etc.

Encouragingly, more and more GPs ask their patients if there is anything that might be causing them stress. They are, however, mostly interested in identifying the factors (i.e. stressors) underlying emotional stress so that they can determine how to “remove” some of these stressors. And, sadly, anti-anxiety medication is often a key recommendation.

To help you take the first steps towards determining a more sustainable approach to reducing the impact of stress on your immune system, and on your health and well-being, make a list of all the possible factors that might be causing you some level of stress and dysfunction in your emotional, intellectual/cognitive, physical (and biochemical) and/or spiritual areas of functioning. Give particular attention to the foods you eat, the quantity and quality of your sleep each night, the movement and exercise that you engage in each day, the quality of your social interactions and relationships and, of course, the different factors that impact you at an emotional level.

Keep your list at hand because my next newsletter will begin to focus attention on these stressors and, importantly, on the small steps that you can take to make changes that will boost the functioning of your immune system and of your health and well-being in general.

P.S. Please forward this email to family and friends who might unknowingly be placing their immune system under stress and strain on a daily basis thus significantly compromising their ability to fight the Coronavirus and other infectious diseases.

P.S.S. Please remember that I am offering a free, online counseling session to anyone who would like to talk about and explore options with regard to the difficulties and challenges that they are currently facing. Please visit my website for contact details.

News supplied by Alistair Mork-Chadwick (Psychologist).

Oakleigh Funeral home  would just like to send our love out to people during this difficult time.

It is with great sensitivity that I am informing you that Oakleigh will continue to serve and walk alongside the public during this time of lockdown, however we will be adhering to all the national funeral health regulations to ensure overall safety.

Please feel free to contact us on our 24 hour line for assistance,0861111380.

News supplied by Oakleigh Funeral Home.

The CoronaFighter WebApp brings South Africa immediate aid – track your symptoms daily.

CoronaFighter presents us with the opportunity to be calm and mindful about our health status daily – screen for COVID-19 and stay empowered in the #CoronaFight

During this uncertain time, it is all too easy to feel powerless in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic. Now more than ever, many of us are looking for a way to educate ourselves with accurate information, soothe our anxiety and most importantly to monitor our health. CoronaFighter is a web-enabled app found at www.testforcovid.co.za – the app allow you to track your symptoms through a simplified automated self-monitoring process.

The CoronaFighter platform is at the forefront of a medical revolution that puts you at the centre of quality informative COVID-19 information you need. It provides you with reliable statistics, resources and validated research that are crucial in catching cases early and helps to communicate efficiently with medical staff. By providing you with the tools and information they need for self-monitoring, CoronaFighter reduces pressure on testing points and protects its users from the risk of infection presented by the testing centres themselves.

Due to COVID-19’s tendency to present symptoms slowly and be passed along incredibly easily, we should start self-monitoring as soon as possible. The health status and symptoms of patients with Coronavirus also change over time, and pre-testing will ensure that there are fewer false negative tests. By gathering updated information on a daily basis, officials will be able to identify patterns in symptom development that can lead to earlier diagnosis and limit further spread.

The easy-to-follow test gives you and all South Africans an accessible way to compare your current health profile to the latest NICD1 guidelines. To test yourself for COVID-19 simply sign-up on www.testforcovid.co.za with your email, phone number or Google Account, where you’ll give CoronaFighter a brief medical and travel history, and the app will be able to tell you what the latest NICD guidelines suggest you do next.

The platform was developed as an open-source initiative to ensure you get the best possible CoronaFighter app. Over 35 hardworking and passionate doctors, software engineers, creatives and marketers were able, in the space of one week, to create CoronaFighter. The app was designed to collect data to provide medical authorities with reactive feedback on where COVID-19 hotspots are, and aids in providing crucial data so that medical resources can be used in the most efficient way possible.

CoronaFighter presents you with the opportunity to be calm and mindful about your health status, it makes medical care easy to find and gives you an active way to contribute to the research that will ultimately win the battle against COVID-19.

Join the #CoronaFight today!

Go TestForCOVID – an opportunity that is providing you with the chance to take care of yourself and your family. The CoronaFighter reminds us that we are in fact empowered in the fight against the virus and that together we can make a difference. Let’s stand together to #flattenthecurve – join the #CoronaFight cause by going to www.testforcovid.co.za and @testforcovid on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Want to make a larger contribution?
To volunteer your time and skills or to donate to this cause in support of our collaborative #CoronaFight e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

News supplied.

The Department of Small Business Development has introduced relief mechanisms for SMME’s impacted negatively by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Please find mechanisms, criteria and processes to be completed below:

Debt Relief Financial Scheme

For businesses which are negatively affected directly or indirectly due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Qualifying Criteria

• Provision of a business profile;
• Ability to prove that the business has been negatively affected by the Covid-19 Pandemic;
• The business must have been registered with the CIPC by at least 28 February 2020;
• The business must be 100% South African owned;
• 70% of Employees must be South African;
• Business must be registered and compliant with SARS and UIF (Seda will assist micro-enterprises to comply and requests for assistance must be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., whereas small and medium enterprises must ensure own compliance);
• SMME Employers who are not compliant with UIF must register before applying for relief;
• Provision of company statutory documents, certified copies of directors ID’s & FICA documents;
• Provision of latest 3 months bank statements;
• Provision of latest Annual Financial Statements and/or latest Management Accounts (not older than 3 months from date of application);
• Ability to supply 6 month’s Cash Flow projections (where applicable);
• Provision of facility statements of other funders;
• Copy of lease agreements and proof of ownership if applying for rental relief;
• If applying for payroll relief: details of employees as registered with UIF and including bank details, as payments will be made directly to employees;
• Ability to supply a detailed breakdown on application of funds, including salaries, rent etc.
• Business must be registered on the National SMME Database – http://smmesa.gov.za; and
• Completion of the simple on-line application form.
Notes:
Priority will be given to businesses owned by women, youth and people with disabilities.

Application Process

• Register on http://smmesa.gov.za
• Complete online Application Form (to be released on Thursday, 2 April 2020)
• Upload required supporting documents
Business Growth/Resilience Facilities

For businesses geared to take advantage of supply opportunities resulting from Coronavirus pandemic or shortage of goods in the local market.

Qualifying Criteria

• Provision of a business profile;
• The business must have been registered with the CIPC by at least 28 February 2020 (registration documents required);
• Provision of relevant industry certification(where applicable);
• The business must be 100% South African owned;
• 70% of Employees must be South African;
• Business must be registered and compliant with SARS and UIF (micro businesses who are not compliant may be assisted by Seda, requests for assistance to be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.);
• Provision of company statutory documents, certified copies of directors ID’s & FICA documents;
• Provision of latest 3 months bank statements;
• Provision of latest Annual Financial Statements and/or latest Management Accounts (not older than 3 months from date of application);
• Ability to supply 6 month’s Cash Flow projections (where applicable);
• Ability to provide estimations for funding requested;
• Business must be registered on the National SMME Database – http://smmesa.gov.za; and
• Completion of the simple on-line application form available from www.dsbd.gov.za or www.sefa.org.za .

Notes:  Priority will be given to businesses owned by women, youth and people with disabilities.

Application Process

• Register on http://smmesa.gov.za
• Complete online Application Form (to be released on Thursday, 2 April 2020)
• Upload required supporting documents

Source: Pietermaritzburg & Midlands Chamber of Business www.pmcb.org.za

If you are having a moment... imagining a freshly brewer cappuccino. Americano or Hot-Choc why not visit our "Pay it Foodward"account and order a redeemable voucher. 

You can help us with income loss during this time and you will be able to enjoy a hot cuppa on your next visit when we reopen. 

You can choose any amount or even gift it.

Visit: www.payitfoodward.co.za/product/howick-hospice-preloved-shop/

News supplied by Howick Hospice.

We are rendering staff transfers to companies that are offering essential services to the public. We are operating during the government gazetted staff transport hours: 5H00AM to 09H00AM and 16H00PM to 20H00PM
We are able to offer transfers in our sedans, 6 seaters, 7 seaters, 13 seaters and 22 seaters.

All transfers of staff will be as per the government gazetted guidelines as to the reduced number of seated passengers per vehicle and not loading to full capacity.

All vehicles are being sanitized before and after every transfer. Strict hygiene and seating control measures are in place and passengers in the larger vehicles are being advised of their specific spaced seating places.

For more info contact Sisonke Transfer Services:

Tel: 0861-747-6653
Cel/Whatsapp: 083-225-5585
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

News supplied by Sisonke Transfer Services.

This community-minded initiative will ease some of the strain which lockdown has imposed, we applaud the love shown by Temple - Wisdom Online.

'Charity and giving has always been a part of my life and something close to my heart. About 6 months ago I met with my team at Temple and we spoke about how we could support charity, whether it was our time, services or financially. Carmen put her hand up to be the designated charity project manager and came up with some ideas which we were working through and wanting to support.

2-3 weeks ago when Covid 19 really hit South Africa, we were all wondering what was going to happen to us and our businesses. Last week Monday Carmen found a website in the States called Save our Favs, which was a fantastic idea and we got started on a local version, to help our favourite local coffee establishments and restaurants.

Well what a week it has been, the whole team rallied behind the cause and I am proud to say we launched https://payitfoodward.co.za. We are able to carry on working remotely, but these establishments are not able to work at all, and what was scary was this fact: "21 days can close a business. Restaurants have loads of fixed costs: rent, labour, loan repayments, insurance, supplies, repairs – the list goes on. Even successful restaurants have slim margins of 3-5%, and a third have struggled to pay employees at least once.”

We have put this site up for the community to help, and the thought of not being able to meet for a coffee after my weekend morning run or cycle was too scary to fathom. All I ask is to help where you can, purchase a voucher to redeem later when we are all working again, and help save a local business.

We are sponsoring the work and hosting admin, and the only fee currently is the Payfast fee of 3.5% which we have asked to be waivered (still waiting for them to confirm) the site is safe and secure and payments are through Payfasts merchant system. You can pay or donate using Card, EFT and Zapper.

Please follow PayitFoodward. The website has an FAQ page https://payitfoodward.co.za/frequently-asked-questions/, which we will be updating often. We appreciate your support. Thanks all for listening and I hope you all get through this worldwide crises.' Brendan Temple.

Add your Midlands business.

Source Facebook; Temple - Wisdom Online

Anxiety levels are rising, tempers are beginning to fray, and interpersonal connections may be suffering… and the 3-week national lockdown has not even begun yet!

As a result of the above, I have set up a free Support Group for all who would like to talk about how they are struggling with anxiety, loneliness and/or any of the other negative consequences of the Coronavirus pandemic. A 3-week lockdown is about to be enforced, and many of us are going to find the lack of face-to-face contact close to unbearable. For others, it will be the same face/s 24/7, together with a host of uncertainties, that will push us to our emotional limits.

This Support Group will accommodate around 8 individuals. As such, there may be a need for more than one group. If you would like to be a member of a group, then you will need to sign up with Zoom (an internet-based service similar to Skype that enables online video communications). Please send me your email address so that I can send you a Zoom invitation/weblink.

I am also offering a free individual counseling session through Zoom (or Skype) if a Support Group is not what you need at the moment, but you would still like to talk with someone about the internal (and external) challenges and difficulties you are currently experiencing or are expecting to experience. Once again, please send me your email address so that I can send you a Zoom invitation/weblink.

The first support group meeting will take place this coming Monday morning, the 30th March, at 09:00am.

Email me on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for the Zoom link or more information

News supplied by Alistair Mork-Chadwick.

Due to the countrywide lockdown announced on Monday evening by President Ramaphosa, our offices will be closed during this time.

We would like to inform our clients, correspondents and the community that our staff will continue to run the practise from our respective homes, as far as we are able to. (this may possbly be affected by load shedding  /or the internet connectivity of our staff.)

It is our objectve to service our clients to the best of our ability and our policy is "business as usual" however due to various services being suspended for example. the Deeds office and Masters Office, there will be a delay in the process.  We kindly ask you to bear with us, during this uncertain time for South Africa.

All our clients and correspondents are welcome to contact us on our usual email addresses during this lockdown period with any instructions, assistance or advice that may be required.

For the Directors email addresses and each department, please click on our website http://www.jlesliesmith.com/our-team/

We wish you a safe and healthy time and look forward to dealing with your directly after this.

News supplied by J Leslie Smith and Co.

KSS would like to extend a huge debt of gratitude to the Ladies in the Ambers who have so kindly sewn homemade masks for our KSS staff. The entire KSS staff, on all levels, are humbled by this kind gesture. KSS has paid the kindness forward, with the extra masks being donated to other local businesses and families that are in need.

News supplied by Knight Security Solutions.

Looking for something meaningful to do during Lockdown? Perhaps this story will inspire you. There are many local initiatives to support.
Wheelbarrows Laden with Love and Good Food

Pregnant mothers in Shiyabazali could not believe their eyes when care worker, Theresa Shano arrived with her wheelbarrow bearing fresh vegetables to assist them during lockdown this weekend.

Shiyabazali is an informal settlement above Howick Falls that lacks services of any kind, with the women here famously doing their laundry in the rock pools above the 97m high falls.

This community is very vulnerable, with many relying on casual daily labour for income. Lockdown is, of course, disastrous.

African Spirit, on the other side of Howick Falls, run by Judy Smit and Teddy Masopha, does its best to assist this community. They offer a feeding programme, where anyone who arrives at the door is invited to sit at their table, serving at least 100 children every week.

As lockdown descended, Howick residents concerned about the plight of this community, sprang into action. Touchwood Veggies, a popular local grocer, was offering to deliver veg boxes to homes during this time. So, it made perfect sense to sponsor a veg box (R100) for delivery to those in need at the same time. The system was simple, order a box (or two) from Cayleigh Holgate at Touchwood, pay by eft and Cayleigh, who has a permit to deliver food during lockdown, would get the food to African Spirit for distribution. Touchwood grow a lot of their produce on a farm nearby, and sources produce from other local growers as well, so not only are donors feeding hungry folk, but also assisting a small business to keep going during and making sure that local farmers are able to sell their produce.

African Spirit can continue doing what they do best – reaching out, showing love and care to this community and using the connections they have made over many years to ensure that those who need it the most receive assistance.

It provides a simple way for residents of Howick to assist in getting good, fresh, nutritious food to vulnerable people.

The idea caught on like wildfire and thousands of rands of veggies were ordered within a couple of days. Crates, bags and boxes of cabbages, carrots, butternuts, potatoes, tomatoes, apples, brinjals, marrows, onions and peppers were delivered on the first Friday for African Spirit volunteers, wearing masks and gloves and keeping good distances, to sort and distribute. “Our caregivers know which families need it the most,” said Judy. “It has been a pleasure to be able to send such delicious, healthy food out knowing that everyone will be sharing with their neighbours, eating well for a couple of days and building their strength.”

Teddy added, “The Howick community has pulled together brilliantly. We would like to thank everyone who has done something to light up someone’s life during these difficult times. We had someone deliver lots of lovely handmade masks, another brought us two loaves of bread, someone baked biscuits, our favourite dance teacher dropped off many kilos of maize meal and a farmer delivered bags of organic meaty bones. Every contribution makes a difference.”

As laden wheelbarrows trundled across the bridge to Shiyas and along the road from kwaMevana, tired volunteers chatted about how strange it had been not to embrace everyone as they usually would, how this unusual situation was highlighting just what a perilous state so many people live in, and marvelling at the generosity of strangers.

As expected, recipients were very grateful.

“You are saving lives with this food,” community worker Zama Mncube enthused, “you have done such a good job. I love you so much.”

Will you be contributing to filling another barrow next week? Send Cayleigh Holgate (083 321 9181 a message ordering one (or more) veg boxes at R100 for the Shiyas programme, then pay by eft with Shiyas and your name as the reference. Repeat this next week as well, and the next…

News supplied.

I have just been hit with a cold.  I haven’t had a cold for probably well over a year, so why did I fall victim to a cold now? Well, I am guessing that it’s largely because of an immune system that has become compromised because of the unexpected stress rising within me over the past three or four weeks. So where is my stress coming from? i.e. what are the underlying causes of my chronic stress?

Well, my training and ongoing research strongly suggest that my current stress is largely related to difficult or unpleasant emotions, both anxiety and frustration, in this case. These emotions are partly because my wife and I have agreed that I should self-isolate (from my family) because of my almost daily interactions with patients and staff at the nearby psychiatric care centre. I have moved into a small granny cottage on a nearby property, which means that I am no longer able to infect my family with the Coronavirus should I be carrying it…

And it also means that I am no longer able to get hugs and kisses from my two young sons, that I have to stand on the other side of the fence when I visit (with my face mask on), and that I spend no more than a few minutes each day engaging with them in conversation that often does not feel smooth-flowing or natural. This physical separation from my loved ones, together with the huge number of new and unexpected stressors that now exist, are quite clearly the underlying causes of my emotional stress.

Much of the above may resonate with you… but are you aware that there are also a number of other very important sources of stress that significantly impact the health of our immune system on a daily basis? If not, I hope to help build your understanding of stress and of the different potential sources of stress through a brief email newsletter that I will send out every few days, during this lockdown period.

Please keep an eye open for my newsletter and forward it to everyone you care about. It will be full of important information together with practical advice to help you and your loved ones to (pro)actively start taking small steps to remove the many possible underlying causes of stress from your life.

And don’t hesitate to send me your questions to my email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 News supplied by Alistair Mork-Chadwick.

Aren't these the most bizarre times of our generation? A speaking colleague in Naples, Florida tells us that he has never experienced anything this unusual in his 85 years, and he wishes the New Yorker's would stop flocking to Florida!

He, like me, is wondering about the future of live speaking/storytelling with so much having moved online?

Ultimately we are very social animals and thrive on human interaction. The world as we knew it will never be quite the same again, no doubt.

Google reveals clear skies over China, and much cleaner canals in Venice - not because the water is cleaner, but less traffic stirring up the sediment beneath. Love the idea of Attila the Hun invading Italy in 453AD forcing the Veneti people to take refuge on islands and in the nearby swamp, and so Venice came into being. Speculation abounds regarding improvements in the Ozone layer, particularly over Antarctica, with vastly reduced jet streams.

All clouds have silver linings and these examples above cheer me no end. What about lives spared during lockdown, given our shocking statistics. Never mind the reminder not to take freedom of movement for granted again, by any means.

The uncertainty created by this invisible virus is enormous, creating anticipatory grief as our sense of safety is destroyed. As a result, for many their imaginary fears become very real. Blessed with an active, vivid imagination, I have always had to work hard at separating imaginary and real fears. It is my fervent hope that as we are forced to slow down, take stock and prepare for life after Covid19, that others are able to control their imaginary fears. Concentrate instead on the real fears, the matters one has control over and create a sense of perspective. What is the worst thing that can happen to me/us? Has it happened, and adjust one's anticipatory grief/response accordingly. All kind enough to read this is infinitely better off than so many in South Africa and all over the world. Consider their fears for some time, please - real or imaginary.

I am going to be sharing some short stories online, hoping to entertain adults and youngsters alike during this lockdown period, and beyond should the response be favourable. Once travel bans are eased, I hope those who have threatened for years to visit the battlefields will realise those aspirations. There is no substitute for being on the battlefields themselves, allowing these stories to transport you. A fine reminder too of just what human beings are capable of, should you require reminding.

Adversity does not build character, it reveals it.

Cell: +27 (0)82 344 9999 or +27 (0)82 4000 470
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.robcaskie.com 

We know...we've been a tad quiet. The locking down of our precious hotel was not only a massive undertaking but, if I'm honest, fairly traumatic. This is obviously the case for a multitude of businesses across South Africa and the world. Through this sudden and hectic time we were blessed with an amazing team who took this temporary closure in their stride. It blew us away how incredibly kind and grounded our Fern Hill family has been. It's in times of crisis you see people's true colours and we certainly 'struck gold' with our team.

The dust has settled somewhat now for us to catch our breaths and regroup. We are all home safe with our families with the exception of 5 incredible men who put up their hands to stay at Fern Hill and maintain the property during lockdown. We are beyond grateful to them for this.

We are obviously faced with the challenge of not earning during these 21 days and have 40 staff reliant on us to pull a miracle out of the bag. With that in mind we have some ideas. We will be releasing lockdown specials available to buy only during the lockdown, but that are redeemable post lockdown. They will be varied in offering and very worthwhile. We do hope you will like them and take the opportunity to purchase some. These should be released tomorrow hopefully.

As an alternative option to supporting us, the incredible team at Temple - Wisdom Online have created a site to help businesses like ours generate some income to keep our businesses operational. Take a look here: https://payitfoodward.co.za/product/the-snooty-fox-fern-hill/

We are also looking into getting permission to deliver meals again, but this is up in the air. That being said, the Snooty Fox will maintain a deliver service post lockdown. This is due to popular demand.

Anyway of supporting us would be welcomed.

We can't wait for the day to open our doors and welcome back our guests.

For now, be safe and stay home.

News supplied by Fern Hill Hotel.

The dust is settling as we find ourselves a few days into the lockdown in South Africa (and the world)
If your house hold is like ours, you have been finding ways to use up excess energy.
We've cleaned our little house so well I think it's pink behind its ears from all the scrubbing. 

I have had some tremendous luck with tomatoes this season, add to this glut, the joys of panic buying and fresh produce from the restaurant fridges... There is a lot of potential waste.
Food waste is criminal in my mind.

If you're opening the fridge to trays of once fresh vegetables, it's time to preserve.
I will be live later this afternoon on facebook and will post a recipe later on how to make a delicious sauce from some of those vegetables. I will also talk you through preserving some off that excess fresh veg for maximum flavor and minimum waste.

https://www.facebook.com/eatatandrews/

News supplied by Eat at Andrew's.

As we all lock our offices up and head to the safety of our homes, we at Harcourts Ambers wish you safe health.

Enjoy this time reconnecting with your spouses and love ones if you are fortunate enough to be with them. We are asking our valued clients to take extra care of themselves and just know we are always there for you...

If anyone our clients is feeling lonely at this time we are at the end of the line, please feel free to call us. We might not be able to have that cup of tea with you in person but we will gladly join you in a "phone call cuppa tea "

News supplied by Harcourts Ambers.

Comedian and children’s author David Walliams is releasing a free children’s audio book daily for the next 30 days

Whether your children are already firm fans of the author or not, this is a sure way to add some fun and laughter to their mornings.

The daily treat is called Elevenses, and children and grown-ups can tune in every morning at 11am - and it's all free.

Today’s free audio story from The World’s Worst Children is Trish the Troll!

Click here to listen: bit.ly/AudioElevenses

News supplied.

The UCSI will continue to operate and support essential Law Enforcement Officials during the 21 day lockdown.

The UCSI is ultimately information driven through the use of SNIPR ANPR camera technology, hence our ability to work remotely.

The UCSI is committed to making our communities safer and ensuring credible and reliable information is obtained from our network of cameras, and used to support SAPS and local, affiliated Security Companies in combating crime.

Thank you to our Midlands Community for your support to date. For more information on how you can contribute to this not-for-profit (NPC) community project, check out our UCSI Facebook page, website or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Stay safe. Be kind. Protect yourselves, your families and your community. Stay at home.

News supplied by UCSI.