WHEN legend Sir Alex Ferguson won the Treble at Manchester United they called it ‘The Impossible Dream’.
But now, 25 years on, Ruben Amorim will walk into Old Trafford with plenty saying it’s become the Impossible Job.
Well I’ve got news for all of them — Sir Alex had the last laugh in 1999 and I’m convinced United’s new manager will do the same.
Not by winning everything in sight, before you think I’ve lost the plot. I am not suggesting three trophies and an open-top bus parade around Manchester in May.
But I do see this as the perfect chance for Amorim to make himself a hero.
It is actually the dream job and the perfect time to take on one of the biggest four or five clubs in the world.
You see, if you’re at an all-time low, like United are now, there’s only one way to go. It was the same for me when I went to Spurs in 2008.
I took over a side that was rock bottom, without a win after eight games, and where chins were on the floor. But I looked around on that first day and knew we wouldn’t be there for long.
Not with the likes of Luka Modric, a young Gareth Bale, Jermaine Jenas, Aaron Lennon. Top talent all over the place.
Amorim’s got his fair share at United, too.
Alejandro Garnacho — a player I love — Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford would walk into most sides in the Prem.
Obviously results must improve and the manager will want to bring in one or two new faces and make the odd tweak.
But we’re not talking a complete overhaul.
This isn’t the United David Moyes inherited when he replaced Sir Alex in 2013.
One that may have been champions but — with all due respect — certainly wasn’t anywhere near their finest.
Fergie got them over the line but so many players were nearing the end and a total rebuild was on the cards.
It was nothing like the current squad, one which just needs a bit of fine-tuning. So ignore rubbish about how this season is already a write-off.
With so many games left, if United go on a run — and there is no reason why not — they could get fourth spot.
Chelsea are probably favourites but no one’s grabbing it by the horns.
Tottenham are in and out and Aston Villa have the Champions League to deal with as well.
The immediate job for Amorim is to bring back the confidence, to make them feel good again, like I had to at Spurs.
I remember looking at Jonathan Woodgate, Ledley King, Vedran Corluka and the rest and thinking, ‘If I can’t get this lot playing better, something really is wrong’.
They didn’t need me to tell them it hadn’t been good enough — even though I did!
I also told everyone it was a level playing field as they were all starting from the same point.
Whoever was out of favour before, it didn’t bother me. This was a fresh start and I’d pick a side based on who impressed me in training.
That was the challenge, and they all took it on.
I wanted to find the players I could rely on, just as Amorim has to at United. And I’d be amazed if Harry Maguire isn’t top of that list.
Harry didn’t always have the easiest of rides under Erik ten Hag — and that’s putting it mildly — and a lot of money was spent on new central defenders.
But Maguire kept his head down throughout it all, didn’t cause a fuss, waited for his chance and always gave 100 per cent when it arrived.
There might be more glamorous names at United, but no one gives more, wants to win more, or cares quite as much.
By Charlie Wyett
RUBEN AMORIM would have preferred to leave Lisbon in a blaze of glory after winning a third Primeira Liga title.
Yet football does not work like that. And in what was surely his final game before taking charge of Manchester United, Amorim prepared to say his goodbyes at a half-empty Estadio Jose Alvalade in a League Cup quarter-final against Nacional.
Sporting won 3-1 thanks to second-half goals by captain Morten Hjulmand and Viktor Gyokeres, who scored two.
Luis Esteves pulled back for Madeira-based Nacional.
The stadium will be a good deal more lively on Tuesday when Manchester City are here for a Champions League match — although Amorim should by then have his feet firmly under his desk at Old Trafford.
Liverpool and Aston Villa were both interested in Europe’s most sought-after coach. Even City could have been a possible destination post-Pep Guardiola.
Yet the United job is one Amorim, 39, could not turn down — even if not everyone saw it that way at Sporting last night.
There is clearly a huge split in the Portuguese club’s fan base over their coach leaving at this stage of the season with many believing he should have seen the job through.
Yet Amorim, along with the three-man coaching team who are expected to follow him, leaves a club in a much better state than when he arrived here in 2020.
Inside the stadium, there was applause — albeit muted — when his name was read out before the game along with the line-ups.
And there did not appear to be any jeers when Amorim shuffled out from the tunnel awkwardly towards the dugout.
So, while his departure is hard to take for some, none of the fans will forget his legacy.
This is a club which is back as the dominant force in Portugal. Even this term, Sporting have won their first nine league games, scoring 30 goals and conceding just two.
They are also eighth in the Champions League table, which is one hell of an effort.
In contrast, Lisbon was not exactly hit by League Cup fever last night.
Amorim made lots of changes, which saw Sporting’s star man Gyokeres, the former Coventry striker, start on the bench.
There was, however, a first appearance in six weeks for former Tottenham winger Marcus Edwards.
He is certainly one player who has been transformed by Amorim since arriving at the club from Vitoria in 2022 and will be sorry to see the coach leave.
While he changed his team, Amorim stuck with his tried and trusted formation of a back three.
It will certainly be something Manchester United’s fans will have to get used to over the coming months.
But looking at the Premier League table, none of them will be complaining about the change.
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Maguire’s the sort of player every new manager needs and I’m sure it won’t take Amorim long to realise that.
He’ll soon discover the Premier League is a world away from the one he leaves behind in Portugal and there’s a lot of hard work ahead.
It’s a tough job, for sure, as tough as it comes. But an impossible one? Not a chance.
PASSIONATE Strictly Come Dancing viewers insisted Lauren Oakley receive her own partner next year.
Professional dancer Lauren, 33, first joined the BBC show back in 2022.
This year, however, she was one of the few professionals left without a celebrity to train.
Following Amy Dowden‘s health concerns, Lauren stepped in to dance with JLS singer JB Gill.
Taking to the stage for the inaugural Icons Week, the pair blew the judges away.
JB and Lauren received an incredible 39 points – just one away from a perfect score.
On social media, viewers praised Lauren’s talent – and called for her not to be “benched” next series.
One wrote on X: “NEVER and I mean NEVER not give Lauren a partner again! Love her.”
Another commented: “Dear strictly. never bench lauren oakley again. thank you.”
A third chimed in: “Lauren Oakley is SO SO good.
“Its an absolute crime she was never given a partner this year.”
A fourth remarked: “lauren better get a partner next year i will start a riot if not #strictly.”
While yet another said: “Strictly, Please let Lauren have a partner next year! #Strictly.”
Last year, Lauren partnered newsreader Krishnan Guru-Murthy, with the pair placing 8th overall.
Meanwhile, after their Couple’s Choice dance, JB and Lauren reunited with Amy in the “Clauditorium”.
Lauren said: “Just wanted to make Amy proud and I hope we did.
Here's who is matched with who this series...
Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell
Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas
JB Gill and Amy Dowden MBE
Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe
Nick Knowles and Luba Mushtuk
Paul Merson and Karen Hauer
Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystał
Punam Krishan and Gorka Márquez
Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec
Tom Dean MBE and Nadiya Bychkova
Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones
Sam Quek MBE and Nikita Kuzmin
Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola
Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu
Wynne Evans and Katya Jones
“We had fun out there, I hope you had fun watching us.
She added: “We did it for you, we did it for you.”
Amy replied by telling Lauren that she was “so grateful” before showering praise on her and JB.
Strictly Come Dancing airs on BBC One and is available to watch on iPlayer.
TV’S Chloe Madeley was groped by a rugby legend — while another star of the sport propositioned her on the same night.
The two players made their drunken advances while her now-estranged husband James Haskell was DJ’ing a few feet away.
Haskell, 39, an ex-England flanker who played in the 2011 and 2015 World Cups, reveals TV presenter Chloe’s London nightclub ordeal in his new book The Good, The Bad & The Rugby.
He writes: “I recently had a call from a supposedly squeaky-clean rugby great who was getting up to all sorts of mischief in a notoriously hedonistic European capital.
“But I wasn’t at all surprised, because the same guy had propositioned Chloe a few years earlier while I was DJ’ing a few feet away, and his teammate, another supposedly squeaky-clean rugby great, was groping her a**e.”
A source involved in the book said: “Chloe was the only girl present when it happened. She was shocked but didn’t make a big thing of it. There had been a fair amount of drinking. Her and James left straight after.”
Haskell does not name the two stars in the book, co- written with ex-England teammate Mike Tindall and rugby presenter Alex Payne and released last week.
Fitness trainer Chloe, 37, started dating Haskell in 2015 and they married in 2018.
Daughter Bohdi was born in August 2022 but the couple split in October 2023 and are now waiting to divorce.
Last year Haskell got into trouble when he was seen dining with DJ Chloe McLennan in Ibiza while wife Chloe — daughter of TV pair Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan — was back in the UK.
Haskell, who starred in I’m a Celebrity in 2019, says in the book that he does not try to hide when he has done something wrong.
He says: “Nobody’s perfect, but if you’re clever, you can make it seem that way. My personal choice is to be upfront and honest, warts and all. That way, if you get caught out it’s not a surprise.
“I try to always be the same with everyone. I’m sure I don’t get as much work as I could by being like that, but I would rather not be everyone’s cup of tea than pretend my s**t doesn’t stink when it very clearly does.”
Chloe has said: “I’m never going to go into great detail about why we broke up because it’s not fair on anyone and I wouldn’t want him to either, but what I will say is it was f***ing awful.”
In the book Haskell appears to take a dig at the rugby legends’ squeaky-clean image, as he adds: “Promoting yourself through the media is like dancing with the devil, but it’s a necessary risk.
“You have to play the game to a certain extent, even if it feels like the last thing in the world you want to be doing.
“Of course, putting yourself about in the media doesn’t just allow you to portray your real self, it also means you can make yourself look a better person than you are.”
PRINCE Andrew appeared defiant yesterday as sources said he has vowed to stay put in the Royal Lodge despite the King cutting off his yearly allowance.
The Duke of York, 64, was seen driving near his 30-room home in Windsor Great Park after it was revealed that his brother Charles has reportedly removed his £1 million-a-year budget.
A source told The Sun on Sunday that Andrew, who was stripped of his roles and patronages by his mother after forking out millions to settle Virginia Giuffre’s sex claims case, is refusing to budge from the palatial house.
They said: “Prince Andrew is holding firm and is determined to stay in the Royal Lodge.
“He is insistent that he has the funds to pay for his own security, despite the eyewatering seven-figure sum it is reportedly costing him.
“He is no longer a financial burden on the King and sees no reason why he should have to move from his home.”
Royal writer Robert Hardman claims in his new book that Charles, 75, has instructed the Keeper of the Privy Purse to completely remove financial ties with his scandal-hit brother.
The Sun on Sunday previously revealed Charles had laid off the Royal Lodge’s ten-strong security team.
It is understood Andrew will have to pay out of his own pocket for the upkeep of his property, including his security, the protection of works of art and furniture borrowed from the Royal Collection.
Hardman also alleges the late Queen would have reluctantly booted disgraced Andrew out of Royal Lodge and into Frogmore Cottage if she were still alive.
It is understood plans were being drawn up to remove her rumoured favourite from his Windsor home in 2023, the year after her death.
In one incident from 2016, Hardman claims that the Duke of York rammed the gates of the historic property with his Range Rover when they were broken, rather than drive round and use another entrance.
It has also been claimed that he would insist that any “personal friends” of the Duke would not need security clearance to enter the estate – which is how the BBC Newsnight team got in to record his infamous interview.
The latest claims are in an updated edition of Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story.
HOW ironic that our first ever female Chancellor has just scuppered the dreams of so many women who want to have babies.
For that is exactly what Rachel Reeves has done.
On Monday, new figures revealed that although the amount of women of child-bearing age is at its highest ever, the number of babies being born in England and Wales is at its lowest since records began.
But just two days later, mum-of-two Rachel delivered a crippling Budget which hammers household spending and ensures the number of babies bouncing into our country will decrease even further.
It would be laughable if it wasn’t actually so tragic.
Those figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that an average of 1.44 children were born per woman of childbearing age last year, when our countries actually need 2.1 to get by efficiently.
You could think it really doesn’t matter — but without those new kids becoming working-age adults we will face economic issues in years to come, with a reliance on migration to prop up numbers.
The figures are dwindling for many reasons. Some women choose not to have children, others prefer to focus on their career. Others have them so late in life they can only really have one.
But one of the biggest factors is affordability. Figures from last year also showed that it costs £166,000 to raise a child to 18.
With the cost-of-living crisis, the cost of childcare and housing, is it any wonder we haven’t been popping out more?
And now Ms Reeves and her Labour government have just made sure that the labour wards around our country will have even fewer pregnant women to deal with.
The true costs of this budget could be terrifying.
Many employers will now have to make a bigger contribution to National Insurance so they will take on fewer people — that means job losses, no pay rises and less recruitment.
And for some small businesses potentially no business at all.
Fuel duty may have been frozen but bus journeys will cost more and train fares are going up.
Babies need a roof over their heads but mortgage rates are set to rise, while renters will be paying more thanks to a lack of properties and increased costs because landlords have been slapped with a stamp duty raise.
And forget about the bank of mum and dad too, because they are facing the same pressures thanks to this tax raid.
Even if they wanted to hand something down, the inheritance tax bill may make it unrealistic.
Is this really a country now where you can securely think about bouncing a couple of babies on your knee and knowing that you can actually afford to pay for them? No.
Labour has failed all those women who are desperate to be mums but simply can’t afford it. And they have given a right kick in the balls to those men who had hoped one day to become dads, too.
Yes, Labour’s injection into the NHS is needed because the thought of any mum going into hospital must be terrifying as the safety ratings in maternity units is shocking.
And yes, the £6.7billion going to the Department for Education sounds great with more money on hiring teachers, rebuilding schools and investing in breakfast clubs in England.
But there is already a lack of pupil numbers to fill schools and that could soon get much worse as the number of babies being born in this country falls even further.
And Rachel Reeves only has herself to blame.
AND we all thought Jennifer Lopez could look good in a paper bag. Wrong.
She proved it by wearing a £600 pair of jeans – yes, £600 – from designer Acne that come with a “smudged and distressed” look.
Which, to you and me, means they look like they need a bloody good wash.
ASHLEY Towning was almost four times over the legal alcohol limit, high on drugs and on his mobile phone when he ploughed into and killed 40-year-old Lijuan Wu.
Lijuan had been walking home from a shopping trip with her seven and 16-year-old daughters by her side.
She was also the primary carer for her disabled 12-year-old son.
Towning bolted from the scene and was found cowering under his parents’ dining table.
In a victim impact statement read to Lincoln Crown Court, Lijuan’s husband said: “I just want to die.
“Every night I lie awake with a broken heart.”
Towning was jailed for just ten years and eight months when the maximum sentence is life.
They should have thrown away the key.
IF ever there was someone who should want the Spice Girls to reunite, it is me.
I became obsessed with them after becoming a “Spice Girls correspondent” back in the day.
I even moved into a flat simply because it was in Spice Court and can still, nearly two decades on, remember the words to the majority of their songs.
But when Mel B branded her bandmates “d**kheads” for refusing to reunite for a blockbuster 30th anniversary tour, I thought she was the idiot.
She says she has been chucked out of their WhatsApp chat for bombarding them with texts about a tour.
I don’t blame them.
Unlike her, they don’t need the cash and Emma can no longer be “Baby”, Victoria would look bloody stupid pulling that V sign, and getting Geri out of her all-white outfits into a Union Jack number might be a struggle.
The Spice Girls were – they are – brilliant.
But do they need to prance around on stage to prove it?
No. As the song goes, stop right now, thank you very much!
WHAT an entitled idiot Luke Worley is.
He was a store boss for EE but was sacked for taking unauthorised leave to go on Davina McCall’s Language Of Love dating series.
Instead of taking it on the chin, he tried to claim unfair dismissal.
Thankfully TV-obsessed Luke, who has also appeared on reality show Married At First Sight, lost his bizarre claim.
What Luke really needs now is a reality check and not another reality show.
MANY nepo babies are determined to claim that they’ve made their own way without a single helping hand from their famous family.
But Elvis’s granddaughter isn’t one of them.
Riley Keough says she totally acknowledges that is where she came from, adding: “I’m not an idiot! I’m aware of privilege in an acute way.”
How refreshing.
IT is that wonderful time of the year when the Christmas ads are starting to arrive.
Posh Nigella Lawson has – oddly – signed up for down-to-earth bakery Greggs.
But the TV cook has, unsurprisingly, only agreed to plug its festive flatbread and Christmas lunch baguette, and has turned her nose up at its infamous sausage rolls.
Shame. Imagine all the innuendos.
BRITS have been urged to check for old DVD collections that could potentially sell for hundreds of pounds.
It is worth having a dig out in your attic as old DVDs from your childhood could be worth more than just a few quid.
Like any collectables, the value of DVDs can vary hugely from as little as £100 to even millions of pounds.
So if you’re having a clear-out or spy a disc in your local charity shop, you could be in the money.
DVDs that command high prices are often limited editions, special releases, or out-of-print films, according to the experts.
Bally Casino prepared a list of DVDs that are in high demand in the collectors market – and could sell for hundreds of pounds.
At the top of their list is the Carry On Film Collection with complete 31 films which can get you some £350.
While a Blade Runner Ultimate Collector’s Editon Briefcase could easily fetch £300, according to their research.
Ryan Toomey, a film fanatic, writer, and Editor at Upbeat Geek, told The Sun: “Collectors and cinephiles prize DVDs for their nostalgic value, the desire to own a piece of cinema history, and the joy of collecting.
“Rare DVDs become popular auction items because they offer collectors the chance to own something unique and often irreplaceable.”
It can be tricky to know what’s valuable and what’s not in the world of DVDs.
Ryan said the most valuable DVDs can include director’s cuts, films with unique packaging, or DVDs signed by cast members.
“The rarity and the demand among collectors drive up their value,” he added.
Ryan’s broke down exactly what adds to the value of a DVD:
The expert also pointed out that collections and box sets are also worth big bucks.
But, even if you don’t have one of the most rare items you could always find cash in a variety of retro DVDs.
A huge number of individual DVDs and box sets are also sold on eBay too, and prices do vary.
Old DVDs can be sold on eBay, via Amazon, or on any number of specialist websites.
To find out how much an old game might be worth do some research first.
Checking the same or similar games under “sold listings” on eBay.
On eBay in particular bear in mind that some buyers pull out after an auction has ended, so the game may not have actually sold for the price it says it did.
Compare your video game to other higher-selling auctions and ask yourself if it’s in a similar condition. Is it authentic? Does it have its original packaging?
If it’s in mint condition then it might be worth selling it through an auction house or directly to a collectables website.
If it’s not in mint condition, it’s probably worth sticking it on eBay for a moderate sum.
But in both cases check for any fees involved and find out what percentage of any sale an auctioneer may take.
It’s important to remember that your game is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay.
If you know you have something valuable, you can also maximise your profit through a specialist auction.
Meanwhile, here are the most valuable toys worth up to £20k including Thundercats and Scalextric.
Plus, all the highest value and rare posters worth up to £3,500 including Elvis Presley and The Jam
ONCE upon a time, couples settled down with three babies by the age of 30.
But the picture today is drastically different.
Fertility rates are at their lowest levels for decades, new figures published this week revealed.
Women are having fewer babies than ever — an average of 1.44 between 2022 and 2023.
This means the fertility rate is the lowest recorded since 1938, according to the Office for National Statistics.
It reflects the fact more women are in education, focusing on their careers and delaying motherhood, statisticians say.
Plus, once a woman hits her mid-30s, her fertility declines at a faster rate so that by the time she reaches 40, she has a five per cent chance of getting pregnant each month.
But what about men?
It takes two to make a baby, and choices aside, it is thought one in seven couples will have trouble conceiving.
Dr Amit Shah, leading fertility expert and co-founder of Fertility Plus, tells Sun on Sunday Health: “Male fertility issues account for around a third of cases, so out of ten couples who come to see me, I would expect at least three of them would be due to male fertility.”
However, there is relatively little conversation about the issues affecting men.
Dr Shah says: “Men can be very closed creatures.
“Typically, they don’t like to go to the doctor and talk about their problems because it goes against this ethos that you are a man and everything will be fine.”
Generally, couples should seek advice if they cannot conceive within a year.
Tests for men start with a semen analysis, looking at the number, motility and shape of the sperm, and men will also be asked about their lifestyle habits and medical history.
Dr Shah says: “The more detailed it is, the easier it will be to understand what the problem(s) might be.”
Here are some potential causes of male infertility.
AN estimated one in 20 cases of male infertility is due to low sperm, or oligozoospermia, which means there are fewer than 15 million sperm per millimetre of semen.
Dr Shah says: “Being overweight, smoking, hormone imbalances and previous surgeries or injuries to the testicular area can impact sperm production, as can taking steroids and medications for hair loss and alopecia.
“Infections can affect the quality of sperm too, while chemo-therapies and radiotherapies can knock testicular function.
“One per cent of men carry certain genetic abnormalities and some people are born with a condition called undescended testicles, which means one or neither of the testicles are in the correct position.”
Thankfully, men can do a lot for themselves, such as eating a good diet and exercising for a healthy BMI.
Dr Shah says: “If needed, there are options for assisted conception through forms of in vitro fertilisation, such as IVF.”
AN estimated one per cent of men ejaculate but produce no sperm, a condition called azoospermia.
Dr Shah says: “If a man is not producing sperm, it will either be a production or obstruction issue.
“Either testicular function has ceased, so the testes are not producing any sperm, or there are blockages along the tubular pathways that transport the sperm. This might be caused by a genetic abnormality, vasectomy, or an infection.”
A vasectomy, which 11,000 men in England have via the NHS each year, can be reversed.
Surgical sperm retrieval can retrieve sperm from the testes and use them to create embryos in a laboratory.
But Dr Shah says: “If sperm is not being produced at all in the testes, retrieval is obviously impossible.
“In these circumstances, donor sperm would be an option.”
MORE common than men realise, erectile dysfunction, also known as impotence, prevents penetrative intercourse.
It affects half of all men to varying degrees between the ages of 40 and 70, but can impact younger men, too.
Dr Shah says: “Obesity is a very common reason, as is excessive alcohol intake.
“Diabetes can affect erectile function by narrowing blood vessels to the penis.
“While some men experience erectile dysfunction due to spinal injuries.”
In some instances, however, the cause may be psychological, such as depression and anxiety.
Dr Shah says: “Treatment is dictated by the cause.
“It might mean re-evaluating lifestyle factors [which can help conditions like diabetes].
“There are also medications, such as Viagra to help achieve erections so you can ejaculate normally.”
If it is psychological, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or sex therapy might be helpful.
LOW testosterone isn’t just a side-effect of ageing, as referred to as the “male menopause”.
Men looking to start a family could have hypogonadism — a rare condition in which the testes do not produce sufficient testosterone either because of a problem in the testicles (primary) or the pituitary gland in the brain (secondary).
Dr Shah says: “The testes are dependent on the pituitary area in the brain, which fires all the hormonal signals to drive sperm production.
“In some men, the pituitary glands have benign tumours or are not well-developed.”
Men can be born with hypogonadism or first show signs during puberty, or it can develop later in life, often from injury or infection.
The signs of hypogonadism in adulthood include a decreased sex drive, energy, hair growth and muscle mass, potential depression, erectile dysfunction and breast tissue.
Dr Shah says: “In some cases, men can be given hormonal treatments to start testicular sperm production.”
However, this wouldn’t work for men with primary hypogonadism.
“Other options need to be considered, such as donor sperm,” says Dr Shah.
DR SHAH’s tips that will increase male fertility over time:
WINTER weather will soon hit, bringing higher heating costs.
The new energy price cap means the average household will pay an extra £149 a year for fuel, leaving 80 per cent of us worried about our bills, according to the supplier Ovo.
Millions of pensioners have also lost the Winter Fuel Payment, worth up to £300, as confirmed in Rachel Reeves’ Budget.
Here Harriet Cooke shows where to find free support to take the edge off as temperatures fall.
VARIOUS energy suppliers are handing out electric blankets and thermal gear to help you keep warm.
Octopus is giving out electric blankets to vulnerable customers, especially those who are elderly or disabled.
Apply for its Octo Assist scheme to see if you can get one – visit octopus.energy/blog/ octo-assist.
Ovo also has free electric throws, mattress toppers and home efficiency kits up for grabs.
Applications are decided based on customers’ disposable monthly income. Apply at customer-support- package.ovoenergy.com.
WORTH: £20
STORES are handing out free hot drinks but you might need to sign up to an app to get one. Waitrose offers free coffees with in-store buys through the myWaitrose scheme.
Greggs will give you a free hot drink for downloading its app while Morrisons offers unlimited refills to customers who buy any self-serve hot drink at the café, with prices starting at £1.85. No sign-up needed.
If you are a regular customer of any store, it can be worth joining its loyalty scheme. This month with Lidl Plus you get a free bakery item for a £10 in-store spend.
WORTH: £2
THERE are more than 700 Community Fridges across the UK, which allow you to pick up fresh food that is surplus to requirement.
More than 100 of these have transformed into Food Hubs offering support such as community meals and workshops on budgeting and reducing food waste (hubbub.org.uk/community-fridge-network).
The FoodCycle charity (foodcycle. org.uk) also offers free meals for anyone in the community.
The organisation, which operates across England and Wales, is about to launch its 100th UK project, in Reading.
Download the Olio app to collect leftover food and drink from local people, supermarkets and shops.
A NEW website features a UK-wide map of more than 4,000 public spaces that are kept warm for the community.
These include libraries, community centres, mosques, churches, cafes, sports centres, businesses and museums.
Campaigners behind the online platform, warmwelcome.uk, say two thirds of us live within a 30-minute walk of a warm space, but awareness is low.
GET free loft, cavity or solid wall insulation worth thousands of pounds through a project that has helped more than 12,000 homes since it began in April last year.
The Great British Insulation Scheme is open to homes that have an energy performance certificate rating of D or below. You can check yours at gov.uk/find- energy-certificate.
The scheme is also restricted to those in council tax bands A to D in England or A to E in Scotland and Wales, which are smaller properties.
You can find yours at tax.service.gov.uk/check- council-tax-band.
The potential savings are substantial – with experts estimating cavity wall insulation can trim up to £400 a year from your energy bills.
Apply at gov.uk/apply-great-british-insulation-scheme.
Families who claim certain benefits can also get help applying for free and cheap boilers through the Energy Company Obligation.
Talk to your energy supplier about whether you qualify.
WORTH: £400 a year
IF you can’t afford to top up your prepayment meter, you might be able to get a voucher from the Fuel Bank Foundation to add a credit to your gas card or electricity key – you just need a referral from your local council or a charity like a food bank.
The voucher – worth £30 in summer or £49 in winter – is a code sent by letter, text or email which is redeemed at the Post Office or a shop signed up to PayPoint or Payzone.
The voucher may have an expiry date and you might have to use it within 15 days.
WORTH: Up to £49 (but those in need can apply more than once)
MOST energy firms have grant schemes available to families struggling to cover their bills, but what you can get and whether you qualify depends on the supplier.
For example, the British Gas Energy Trust offers energy debt relief grants, emergency energy grants and free white goods. You don’t have to be a customer to benefit.
Ovo Energy, E.ON, Octopus and Scottish Power all have their own schemes where you can get money towards the cost of bills too. Call and ask what support is available if you’re struggling.
British Gas has just launched its “Post Office Pop-ups” scheme, which will operate until March.
These take place on certain dates in selected Post Offices across Britain, helping customers from all energy providers with money and energy advice, including how to apply for energy debt grants of up to £2,000. Visit britishgasenergy-trust.org.uk/post-office-pop-ups.
WORTH: Up to £2,000
PHIL INGHAM enjoys going to community meals run by the FoodCycle charity in his home city of Portsmouth.
The former woodworker, 59, who retired after he lost most of his eyesight to severe thrombosis, heard about the scheme from his partner Diane.
Phil said: “At first I queried the idea of a free meal as I didn’t think it was right.
“Anyway, we went along and had a lovely time. I offered to make a donation but they said there was no need as it’s a free service and it helps to save food from going to waste.”
A HIDDEN charge could leave thousands of Child Trust Fund holders with far less cash than they had expected.
Under a Government initiative, the long-term, tax-free savings accounts were set up for every child born between September 2002 and January 2, 2011.
The Government deposited £250 for every child during that time, or £500 if their family earned £16,000 a year or less.
Recent figures suggest the average amount in each account is £2,212.
These accounts are held in banks, building societies or other saving providers so are subject to each provider’s management charges – something not every holder will be aware of.
These pesky fees can eat away at the holders’ savings.
The National Audit Office estimates that CTF providers could be earning collectively up to £100million per year in charges.
Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown said: “This horror was always lurking because the charges some companies imposed on Child Trust Funds were so high they ran the risk of eating the fund away completely.”
She said some firms found the administration of so many small pots expensive, so passed the costs on.
Anyone with an investment Child Trust Fund must check the charges regularly, Ms Coles warned. She added: “Even if they have a stakeholder account, they may be paying over the odds.”
By Ellie Smitherman
PENSION savers rushed to withdraw cash due to fears that the Chancellor might scrap or cap tax-free lump sums.
There had been speculation that Rachel Reeves would slash the tax-free rate from £268,275 to as little as £100,000 but in the end the cut did not materialise.
But investment firms reported a surge in customers calling to withdraw from their pots ahead of Ms Reeves’ speech on Wednesday.
HMRC was forced to issue a warning about the risks, including that for those under 55, withdrawing pension money triggers a steep 55 per cent tax charge.
Anyone who did take cash out may be able to reverse the move – but it can be complicated, say experts.
Many schemes offer a 30-day cooling-off period when you take your first tax-free lump sum.
However, if this passes your options to return the money to your pension are limited.
Cancellation rights will vary depending on the provider and your own circumstances – such as how and when you took your tax-free cash.
Helen Morrissey of Hargreaves Lansdown said: “If you’re unable to cancel the instruction and think about just reinvesting it back into your pension, you need to be careful that you don’t breach recycling rules that are designed to prevent people from reinvesting tax-free cash for an extra slice of tax relief. . . It’s worth speaking to an adviser about how you manage this.”
By Ellie Smitherman
HE is on a mission to help our pets . . . and is here to answer YOUR questions.
Sean, who is the head vet at tailored pet food firm tails.com, has helped with owners’ queries for ten years.
He says: “If your pet is acting funny or is under the weather, or you want to know about nutrition or exercise, just ask. I can help keep pets happy and healthy.”
Q) I THINK my little lady Jack Russell, Pudding, has Cushing’s Disease. She is six and cute.
For the last two months she has been drinking a standard bowl of water overnight, which needs mopping up in the morning.
She has a big appetite, too, and appears to gulp all her food which I now place in a lick dish to slow down her eating.
She appears pot-bellied and her stomach area is very hard to touch. Although she is not distressed, in fact quite happy, these symptoms do give me cause for concern.
Ian Holliday, Redditch, Worcs
A) Pudding does sound like she has something hormonal going on.
Cushing’s disease is an overproduction of cortisol and can lead to increased thirst and urination, a pot bellied appearance, skin thinning and other changes.
But there are other disorders that could also be responsible. The first step is a blood test at your vet clinic.
Left untreated, potential issues will lead to bigger problems. So best to diagnose as early as possible.
Q) MY daughter Emma’s Guinea pig, Martha, is really squeaky but her friend, Katie, is quiet.
Can they have different personalities like people?
Keith Campbell, Glasgow
A) Yes, absolutely. I am always surprised with this question when it comes to animals having emotions or personalities.
Just like we say at tails.com that dogs are “never average” it applies to all kinds of animal species.
Each is an individual. Sounds like Martha and Katie are well-matched, the chatterbox and the quiet one.
Q) I’VE just got two rescue cats, one about three years old and one about six months old. Is it good to mix biscuits into their food?
I’m keen that they don’t get tooth decay like the last two cats I had.
They are still at the rescue stage of eating everything with enthusiasm, so if I’m going to add biscuits it has to be now. They get spoiled!
Cathy Davidson, East London
A) I always advocate for a mixture of food types for cats, otherwise they can become fussy eaters.
Wet food provides important moisture in their diet, as most cats are not great drinkers and dehydration can exacerbate kidney issues in later life.
But dry kibble can be more abrasive on teeth and gums. While dry food doesn’t clean teeth as some marketing claims suggest, it can reduce the rate of plaque build-up. So a balanced feeding approach is beneficial.
Q) MY Staffie, Bronson, has bouts of eczema inside his legs and under his body. He is constantly scratching at the itches.
I have taken him to the vets but the symptoms always return. Any idea of medication?
Jodie Young, Fife
A) I cannot prescribe or suggest actual medications for patients that are not in my care, simply because I can’t tell what is wrong with them from a description alone.
Poor Bronson. Skin issues are one of the most common problems presented to the vet clinic, and come in many forms. They can be challenging to diagnose and to treat.
Staffies are right up there in breeds prone to skin problems, with allergic dermatitis high on the likelihood list.
My advice is to discuss your frustrations with the vet, and ask them to give you a flowchart of what can be done short-term to alleviate itchiness.
But also ask whether there’s a longer term affordable strategy to try and prevent this happening again.
BRAVE Archie the Great Dane survived great pain when he swallowed a six-inch bbq skewer.
Owner Neil McKinlay, 55, realised something was wrong when his newly adopted three-month-old went quiet.
Neil, from Glasgow, turned investigator when he found a lump in Archie’s side, but was told by the vet that it could be a rib.
But a CT scan showed his stomach had been pierced.
Neil says: “After surgery, Archie came home in April.”
Luckily he avoided a big bill since he’d come from the breeder with five weeks’ free insurance from Agria (agriapet.co.uk).
“He’s transformed now” Neil added.
THE Sun on Sunday has teamed up with PetSafe® to give two readers the chance to win a Smart Feed Automatic Pet Feeder – worth over £200.
This nifty piece of tech can schedule, monitor, and adjust your pet’s feeding schedule remotely with an app – with alerts to when they’ve been fed, when food levels are low, or if the feeder is empty.
To win, send an email headed FEEDER to sundaypets@the-sun. co.uk by Nov 17. See uk.petsafe. net T&Cs apply.
NEED to take the fear out of Bonfire Night for your furry friend? Experts at the RSPCA have figured out a formula to ensure fireworks don’t frighten pets this year.
“Research shows nearly half of UK dogs show signs of fear when they hear fireworks, but there are lots of things you can do to help your pets cope,” an RSPCA spokesman says.
“Cats should be kept indoors with somewhere to hide. Don’t try to tempt them out, it may add more stress, and always ignore the fireworks yourself.”
Take dogs for a long walk during daylight and get them home before the banging begins. And play with cats or other animals to expend energy.
Secondly, create a cosy safe space with curtains closed and comforting white noise to drown out the racket. A bed or crate with a cover is a haven for nervous dogs, with you nearby for comfort.
Remember to wear clothes that really smell of you to make your pet as relaxed as possible.
Use calming sprays, chews, toys and tasty treats to help take the stress out of firework time.
Be prepared! Find out when the noisiest displays happen to reduce the surprise, see rspca.org.uk.