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You and Yours: Autism care needs; Christmas supplies; Traditional cask ales

15/10/2021

Autism care needs; Christmas supplies; Traditional cask ales

BBC Radio 4 - You and Yours, Autism care needs; Christmas supplies; Traditional cask ales

Autism care needs.  Buying for Christmas. Falling sales of traditional cask ales.

The care needs of people with autism. Do we need to shop early for Christmas this year? Why sales of traditional cask ales are falling.

We hear the story of a young man with autism whose mother believes he's been seriously let down by the care system.  People with autism and people with learning disabilities should not have to move care settings too often, as it can lead to greater levels of anxiety and depression.  Marie Burgin’s son, Jordan will have moved five times in less than two years.  She tells reporter Sam Fenwick that the moves have been extremely distressing and have affected Jordan's mental health. 

Many of the headlines of the last few weeks have been about shortages.  The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak says shoppers should be reassured that ministers are doing "absolutely everything we can" to fix the current supply chain issues.  But the boss of Britain's largest independent toy shop tells us that his advice to consumers is to start Christmas shopping early this year. 

In a couple of weeks the UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. One of the key themes for the talks will be how to make ethical investments. Consumers are cynical about so-called ‘greenwashing’. We’ll discuss how you can make sure your investments are truly green, and what you can do, if you find that they're not. 

And, how about a pint of traditional cask ale? Cask beer is a form of brewing unique to the UK and dates back to the Middle Ages. But it’s not as popular as it was before the pandemic. The British Beer & Pub Association says sales of cask beer in pubs are down 40% since pubs reopened in April 2021.  Its loyal drinkers are mainly older pubgoers who haven’t returned to locals since pubs reopened in the spring. Will cask ale die out completely or can it be re-marketed to appeal to younger drinkers? 

Presenter: Peter While 
Producer: Sam Fenwick

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Autism care needs; Christmas supplies; Traditional cask ales

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