Today across our homes in UCS we will be marking World Book Day. This is a charity event held annually in the United Kingdom and Ireland on the first Thursday in March. On World Book Day, every child in full-time education in the UK and Ireland is provided with a voucher to be spent on books; the event was first celebrated in the United Kingdom in 1998.

Despite the proliferation of online media and sources over the last 30 years, nonetheless physical books retain their appeal and have grown in popularity. We will be encouraging all our young people to pick up a book and start reading…if they aren’t already. There are so many wonderful stories to discover, many of which could help them in their own life challenges.

We do it every year – eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. But why?

As part of allowing our young people to not only enjoy the day it’s always nice to be able to pass on some context for why we observe certain traditions. Well it being the day preceding Lent, Shrove Tuesday was traditionally a way to use up rich foods such as eggs, milk, and sugar, before the fasting season of the 40 days of Lent.

We don’t think for a minute that our young people will want to fast for the next 40 days but we do think they will have great fun making pancakes and choosing their favourite toppings.

What do you have on your pancakes?

You’re in for a treat this evening as seven planets – Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, Mercury, and Saturn will all be briefly visible in the evening sky.

Wrap up warm, head outside, and look up — you won’t need a telescope to see this (though it’ll definitely help if you have one!). Best time to catch the action? Just after sunset, so wrap up warm and make a night of it.

This kind of lineup doesn’t happen every day, so don’t miss your chance to witness this phenomenon.

One of the young people we support wanted to share their epic gaming space with you – and we have to say, it’s looking next-level! From the lighting to the setup, this is a true gamer’s paradise.

Perfect way to enjoy some evenings gaming with friends.

Last week was Children’s Mental Health Week, the aim this year was ‘grow yourself, show yourself’ – an attempt to empower children and young people to confidently express who they are, without hiding or compromising their identity. At UCS, we want our young people to be authentic and confident in who they are, in order for them to follow their path and develop into a fulfilling life where they can reach their full potential.

This great poem posted by The Safeguarding Alliance is a lovely read, and it captures the aim of this year’s Children’s Mental Health Week perfectly – young people should never be afraid to express themselves, however that may be.

Here is some useful advice for the start of the week. No matter how important you are, anyone can make a difference in the world. So don’t hesitate to try new things, take ambitious steps, and think outside of the box to make a difference.

Remember this as you start another week, no matter who you are, you have the power to make a difference.