Top 10 Unobtainable Dreams For Young People

“We’ll Never Achieve Our Dreams,” Say Three Quarters of Young BritsMillennial have it hard, that is common knowledge. Tuition fees are higher than ever, houses are too expensive, and, if you are lucky to go to university or buy a home, the debt will be huge. Sadly, it seems that three quarters of young Brits feel like they will never achieve their dreams. It is not true of course. Everyone can and Frost will be publishing lots of finance and work articles to help you achieve your dreams. We want to give people the power to take hold of their own lives. Contact us to let us know what you want us to cover, or how you feel about your life in general. Meanwhile, let us now if you agree with the latest stats below.

 

Having a successful career, going to university and owning a house are seen as ‘fantasies’ for millions of young people, according to new research.

 

Three quarters of Brits aged 16-25 are also unconvinced they’ll ever be able to land a job they love – something which was far more achievable for the previous generation.

 

Eight in 10 young people said they fear other people going for the same positions as them are stronger candidates with better CVs and better experience.

 

One in 10 don’t think they’ll be able to go to university, while owning a house is considered to be completely unobtainable by 40 per cent of respondents.

 

Living debt free, being able to cope without relying on parents for financial support, and earning more than the average British salary of £26,500 are also seen as unattainable.

 

While the study of 1,500 16 to 25 year-olds, conducted by vInspired to mark the end of Volunteers’ Week 2016, also found out 42 per cent consider travelling the world to be a pipedream.

 

Jessica Taplin, CEO of vInspired, the UK’s leading youth volunteering charity, said: “The results highlight the pressures young people face today.

 

“Access to the job market, uncertain financial futures and mental health issues are all problems we see young people come up against first-hand.

 

“However, we believe that there are other ways young people can gain valuable experience and make them more employable despite some challenging economic circumstances.”

 

Many young adults don’t think they’ll ever be able to move to a major city such as London or Manchester due to high living costs, competition for jobs and house prices.

 

A further 15 per cent say they have no hope of ever buying their own car, and 17 per cent say having a family seems unrealistic at the moment.

 

Going to University feels unachievable for 13 per cent of those aged 16 to 25, while 16 per cent don’t feel like anyone would ever want to take a chance of them.

 

When it comes to securing their ideal job, seven in 10 people polled said the competition nowadays is so intense they would need completely new qualifications in order to stand any chance at all of success.

 

Yet 87 per cent of respondents said the high cost of gaining an education is massively impacting their chances of getting the job they’ve always wanted.

 

But three quarters of people polled recognise that doing voluntary work would make them more employable.

 

Perhaps as a result, 77 per cent of respondents are currently volunteering or would consider doing so in the future.

 

Two thirds of Brits aged 16-25 said volunteering could inspire them to pursue a career they may not have otherwise considered.

 

And around 80 per cent of participants think volunteering can teach you things a degree or other postgraduate qualifications might not, thus making them more employable.

 

Two thirds of respondents said voluntary work meant they could “make a difference”, while over 56 per cent said it gives you motivation and half says it makes you more open-minded.

 

Jessica Taplin said: “We know that the skills young people gain when volunteering help increase wellbeing and lead to employability.

 

“So we’re delighted to see from this survey that so many young people really value their volunteering experience.

 

“vInspired is all about supporting young people into volunteering and enabling them to better harness the benefits of this.”

 

Nine in 10 respondents think it is harder now than ever before to standout from other job candidates.

 

TOP 10 UNOBTAINABLE DREAMS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

1. Travelling the world

2. Owning a house/getting on the property ladder

3. Earning more than the average British salary (£26,500)

4. Being debt free

5. Reaching the top of your career ladder

6. Getting a job you love

7. Not having to borrow additional funds to get by

8. Not having to depend on other people such as parents for financial support

9. Having the opportunity to gain experience in pursuit of your dream job

10. Moving to a major city such as London or Manchester

 

 

Shopping in Italy by Amanda Brake, our Italian correspondent living in Le Marche

When I’m asked what it’s like shopping in Italy I realized that it’s quite a tricky question  to answer because shopping in Italy isn’t always an easy task. But before you yawn, there is information about this fantastic area that I have to share with you.

Once a month we drive 20 minutes to our nearest Eurospin Supermarket where one can stock up on the basics: beans, sauces and pastes etc. , for 30c to 40c a packet.

However, we still love to visit our local markets and shops to buy fresh produce. It’s not just the food, but the experience. For example our village Force ( for-chay) has local milk from an organic free range farm and also great cheese.

italycheese

Our house is surrounded by sheep who are farmed for their meat, milk and a great variety of cheeses. Many of these are sold locally at the supermarkets or the local village and town markets. Apart from Mondays you can find a local market in any one of the many villages or towns.

italyroad to the butcher.J

Our village butcher is situated on the farm itself, down a small lane. We don’t eat a great deal of meat in our family but when we do we make sure it’s good quality and here we know for sure it is. We also know that the animals have not travelled in distress.

italyfresh local meat

Best of I have to explain to you the lovely free local seasonal produce we get from our neighbouring friends, anything from fresh plump cherries to carrots, peaches to lettuce, plus zucchini’s and many tomatoes, all of course naturally grown.

italyvegetables

So you have to be a little organized but the benefits of this quality of food is worth it. What I look forward to most are the spring vegetable plant markets, so I can get  on with planting my own food too. Life here is simple, but good.

 

 

 

One In Eight British Adults Are Now Vegetarian

Leek And Lentil Hotpot Recipe Vegetarian FoodcookingSomething is afoot. A change in our eating habits which has become more than a trend. Sparked by people becoming more environmentally conscious and not wanting to contribute to the damage that cheap meat causes. More people are becoming vegan, pescetarian (eats fish but no meat), vegetarian and flexitarian (has a mostly plant based diet but occasionally eats meat. I would put myself at the end. I have tried vegetarianism before but it never worked out. The first time I got really ill and when I started eating meat again I always made sure it was organic, free-range meat and that the animal had had a good life). To be honest the thing that most put me off vegetarianism was, and is, aggressive vegetarians. There are few things worse in life than an aggressive vegetarian who is always getting on their high horse and telling everyone else what to eat and how to live their life. Debate is fine, not lecturing. My husband is now mostly pescetarian, we eat mostly vegetables at home. This has been a learning curve when cooking meals and has also been a trial whilst pregnant and constantly craving meat. My husband and I are not alone however.

According to Mintel, around 12 per cent of people now follow vegetarian or vegan diets – rising to 20 per cent of those aged between 16 and 24. Millions more are flexitarian. A staggering one in eight British adults are now vegetarian. The truth is, we are all eating less meat. The meat-free market is now worth £625million a year and growing all the time.

That is quite something. We will be doing more vegetarian recipes on Frost and will also be doing a lot of cooking videos on our YouTube channel. So watch out for both and let us know what you think.

Win Tickets To The London Homebuilding & Renovating And Home Improvement Show

The London Homebuilding & Renovating and Home Improvement Show makes its national debut at Olympia with new feature highlights and experts and Frost Magazine has tickets to giveaway. 

London, 26-28 September 2014

 

Credit: Steve Burden

Credit: Steve Burden

http://london.homebuildingshow.co.uk

 

As the property market regains its confidence, the UK’s fastest growing home show is coming to London for the first time as a combined event designed for both self-builders and remodelers. The new London Homebuilding & Renovating and Home Improvement Show will take place from the 26-28 September at Olympia, London. The exhibition will offer visitors the chance to benefit from an extensive range of products and recommendations from more exhibitors than ever before and tips and bespoke advice from an extended expert panel on how to successfully complete a project from start to finish.

 

Credit: Steve Burden

Credit: Steve Burden

Piers Taylor, award-winning RIBA architect and co-presenter of BBC2 series ‘The House that £100k Built’ will be making his first appearance on the London expert panel to inspire visitors with quality interior design and architecture recommendations to help homeowners make the most of their projects. Charlie Luxton, sustainable architectural designer and presenter of More4’s ‘Building the Dream’, will be making his awaited comeback to the London event and will also appear alongside other homebuilding and home improvement professionals including Michael Holmes, editor-in-chief of the Homebuilding and Renovating Magazine.

 

Another new feature for this year’s event is the updated Interior Design and Decorating Clinic, brought to you by Dulux Design Service. Visitors will be provided with insightful ideas on how to decorate their homes through the use of appealing colour schemes, wall coverings and furnishings. Dulux consultants will be offering free one-on-one appointments to bring attendees one step closer to their aspirational house.

 

The Ask the Architects area will provide a space for dialogue between certified RIBA Architects and visitors curious about the design and construction process of their project. After a consultation with a member of the team, homeowners will leave with the assurance that their plans will be ready to be implemented by well-guided contractors.

 

For attendees undertaking major works, changes and additions to their property, a meeting with planning permission expert, Sally Tagg, is vital to ensure that they understand the complex application process. Sally will be waiting at the Planning Clinic for individual consultations with visitors to offer them professional advice.

 

Come prepared with your plans and ideas and benefit from the wide range of experts that can offer individual sessions at the Ask the Experts zone. This year, the panel of property specialists includes: Michael Holmes (editor-in-chief of Homebuilding & Renovating Magazine); Jason Orme (editor of Homebuilding & Renovating magazine); Piers Taylor (award-winning RIBA architect and co-presenter of hit BBC2 series ‘The House that £100k Built’); Charlie Luxton (sustainable architectural designer and presenter of More4’s ‘Building the Dream’); Julia Kendell (Interiors and Decorating expert from DIY SOS and ITV1’s Daybreak); Matt James (designer and expert on ITV’s ‘Love Your Garden’); David Snell (Homebuilding & Renovating magazine’s self-build and plot finding expert); Tim Pullen (eco expert at Homebuilding & Renovating magazine), Bob Branscome (chartered surveyor and builder); Chris Reeves (Homebuilding & Renovating magazine’s Legal Expert and chartered builder and lawyer) and Roger Hunt (award-winning writer and eco expert).

 

Standard tickets are £12 in advance or £17 on the door (children under 16 go free). For further information visit http://london.homebuildingshow.co.uk or call the ticket hotline on 0871 231 0824.

 

To be in with a chance of winning these fabulous tickets follow @Frostmag on Twitter or Instagram, or like us on Facebook. Alternatively, sign up to our newsletter. Or subscribe to Frost Magazine TV on YouTube here: http://t.co/9etf8j0kkz.Then comment below saying what you did. Competition closes mid-September.

 

 

 

 

St. Katharine Docks | London Gems

One of the best things about the stunning metropolis that is London is variety. Everything really is here. Whether it is marina views or green scenery, if you want something different, just start walking in the other direction.

St Katharine Docks is beautiful. This small harbour next to Tower Bridge has plenty of places to eat and drink. The best thing about this marina is just to sit, have a drink or a meal and watch the world go by. There are also shops, two art galleries, festivals and events. Every Friday at St Katharine Docks, between 11:00 & 15:00 hours they hold their Award winning Good Food Market on Marble Quay.

There is also a Starbucks, a Cote Brasserie (which I think does very good food), a Cafe Rouge, and one of the most famous historic pubs in London, The Dickens Inn. St Katharine Docks are also taking part in the Thames Festival.

Perfect for: soaking up 1000 years of history, being near water, yacht/boat watching, eating, drinking, shopping, stunning views and meeting up with friends.

St. Katharine Docks
50 St. Katharines Way, London E1W 1LA, England

A decade on since FTSE 100 hit bottom at 3,287

A decade on since FTSE 100 hit bottom at 3,287

 

–       FTSE 100 returns 93% over 10 years

–       Technology sector is best performing returning 369%

Adrian Lowcock, Senior Investment Manager at Hargreaves Lansdown, looks at how investors have fared over the last 10 years.

 

In the last 10 years the FTSE 100 has risen 3,074 points or 93% since the low of March 2003, although it remains a little way off the high point of 6,732 reached on 15th June 2007.  Whilst the market has risen over the last 10 years there have been some big winners and losers during that time.  The Banking sector has been the worst performer over the last 10 years and the only sector to post a negative capital return with the FTSE All-share/banks returning -20%. The Technology sector posted the best performance with the FTSE All-share/Technology returning 369%, recovering from the lows seen in the years following the Dotcom bubble.

 

 

Performance of FTSE Sectors from 12 March 2003 to 28th February 2013

 

All Share Sector

% Growth

FTSE All-Share/Banks CR

-20.25

FTSE All-Share/Financials CR

22.81

FTSE All-Share/Health Care CR

78.02

FTSE All-Share/Telecommunication CR

100.11

FTSE All-Share/Oil & Gas CR

110.22

FTSE All-Share/Consumer Services CR

112.91

FTSE All-Share/Utilities CR

179.25

FTSE All-Share/Basic Materials CR

280.44

FTSE All-Share/Consumer Goods CR

346.31

FTSE All-Share/Industrials CR

360.45

FTSE All-Share/Technology CR

369.08

 

Adrian Lowcock says;-

 

“The technology sectors strong performance over the last 10 years highlights the contrarian nature of the stock market.  However, it is difficult for any investor to go against the trend and take such risks. Instead investors should focus on their long term investment goals and invest whenever they can afford to do so.”

 

“It is time in the market not timing that counts. Even though the FTSE 100 remains below its all-time high (6,930 on 30th December), if you had been invested all that time, with dividends reinvested, you would have been up 44.73%. In addition picking the right funds can transform your portfolio and make the nominal value of an index meaningless.”

 

Recommendations

 

Schroder UK Alpha Plus – Richard Buxton takes a long term view and is able to spot some opportunities before others – a distinguishing feature of all great investors.  Having the conviction to back them is equally important and Richard holds only 30-40 companies in his fund which means each idea has a significant effect on performance. You will never see his portfolio padded out with mediocre holdings just to make up the numbers. This fund has the potential to deliver superb returns, in a variety of economic conditions.

 

JO Hambro UK Equity Income – The managers believe the UK economy is performing better than most commentators expect. The fund continues to have a bias towards more economically-sensitive companies and has performed well recently as a result.