After continued work by the Salvation Army, a campaign to reduce the stigma around deaths caused by alcohol and drugs has gained the support of MSPs in Scotland. ‘See Beyond - See the Lives - Scotland’ hopes to use testimonies of people affected by deaths caused by addiction to shatter myths about substance abuse, and encourage more compassion. At a Holyrood reception MSPs Miles Briggs and Monica Lennon shared their experiences of losing their fathers to alcohol addiction. Their letters are included with fourteen others who have written to their loved ones on the campaign's website. In her letter, Monica, who attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings with her father in Glasgow as a teenager, writes: ‘A whole lot of life happens when you are waiting for rock bottom. Part of me always believed that you would fall so hard that recovery would follow. There were times it was too difficult to be around.’

The Children's Society reports that parents spend on average £422 a year on secondary and £287 on primary uniforms, despite government rules meant to lower the costs. Schools requiring parents to buy costlier branded items were partly to blame. One mum said, ‘Constantly replacing damaged clothing makes it even more expensive’. Under changes to the Education Act last year, schools should be helping cut costs by promoting cheaper second-hand uniform options or removing unnecessary branded items from uniform lists. But pupils still must have an average of three branded uniform items. Almost 1/3rd of secondary school pupils must own four to five branded items, and 45% of parents said school uniform policies had still not been updated. Pray for more clothing banks like Reloved who provide pre-worn uniforms free to families struggling with costs. In 11 months it has supported 3,000 families, and demand is rising as the cost of living soars.

A French-UK joint mining venture in the St Austell area of Cornwall has been announced. The project will provide battery-grade lithium carbonate, a key component in electric cars. It will create more than 300 jobs, and the site has reserves lasting for around 30 years. The venture aims to operate the UK's leading lithium hub within five years; its target is to supply 500,000 electric cars per year with the component by the end of the decade. This would meet roughly two-thirds of Britain's estimated battery demand. A spokesperson said drilling and exploration have been carried out since 2017, and a process and pilot plant has been developed. The project has received financial support from Innovate UK and the Automotive Transformation Fund, a programme to support the electrification of vehicles and their supply chains in the UK.

The secretary of state has announced that in October a new Health Services Safety Investigations Body will be formally established to commence a national investigation into mental health inpatient care settings. It will investigate a range of issues, including how young people with mental health needs can be better cared for, how providers can learn from tragic deaths that take place in their care, how out-of-area placements are handled, and how staffing models can be improved. The recommendations from this far-reaching investigation will help service providers to improve safety standards in mental health facilities across the country. Also a further £2.3 billion is being invested into the expansion and transformation of mental health services in England, so that two million more people can access crucial NHS-funded mental health support. Pray for this to ensure that mental health care facilities meet the highest safety standards. Pray for patients to be able to say they have faith in the care they receive.