With the clocks “springing forward” by one hour to British Summer Time on March 29th, we all benefit with extended daylight hours. But why is this practice put in place?

More daylight can help improve mental health: extended daylight hours bring more time in the evenings for outdoor activities, exercise, and socialising after work; it also provides more opportunity for exposure to sunlight which may help reduce symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) – a type of depression linked to reduced sunlight during winter months.

Daylight improves health, mood, alertness, productivity, and sleep by regulating circadian rhythms (the internal clock that regulates sleep-wake cycles, hormone levels, and energy patterns throughout the day) and providing natural visual and psychological stimulation. Morning light in particular signals the brain to increase alertness and helps synchronise the body clock, which enhances daytime performance and supports better sleep at night.

Mental and Emotional Wellbeing

Daylight has a profound effect on mood and mental health – well-lit environments are associated with improved morale, reduced fatigue, and lower stress levels. Bright, naturally lit spaces are usually perceived as more pleasant and uplifting compared to dim or artificial lighting, and this can enhance overall feelings of satisfaction and emotional wellbeing.

Daylight also supports cognitive functions such as memory, alertness, and decision-making, making it beneficial for both work and educational settings, which can also boost productivity and learning.

As well as these mental and emotional benefits, extended daylight brings potential energy and financial savings, with reduced costs of artificial lighting in the evenings, and other benefits such as increased consumer spending in retail, hospitality and tourism sectors and even reduces crime rates – especially theft and vandalism. In healthcare settings, increased natural light has been linked to faster patient recovery and improved overall wellbeing.

So how can you make the most of your additional daylight hours? Here are some ideas:

• Sign up for a boot camp: Utilise the lighter morning hours to get up early and start your day energised.
• Go for a hike: Take advantage of the longer daylight hours to enjoy outdoor activities like hiking or walking – explore your local neighbourhood or go further afield.
• Reset your body clock: Use the extra daylight hours to reset your body clock by going to bed earlier and waking up later.
• Go outside during your lunch break: Spend some time outdoors during your lunch break to enjoy the sunshine – daylight boosts performance!
• Create a cosy evening nook if you have an outdoor space, with solar-powered lights so you can linger outside after sunset. Great for reading outside and practicing evening meditation too!
• Start a small container garden—herbs, flowers and vegetables all thrive with more daylight – gardening is great for mental health, and nothing tastes better than something you’ve grown!
• Try outdoor dining – upgrade your everyday meals to alfresco dining experiences!
• Attend local community events that pop up during British Summer Time. Evening markets, outdoor movies and concerts are often available in Summer.
• Practice photography – The famed ‘golden hour’ provides perfect natural lighting for your photos. It’s a wonderful excuse to dabble in photography, capturing your loved ones or some special landscapes bathed in sunset.
• Go cycling.
• Take up birdwatching.
• Take up an evening class, join a new club or play team sports.
• Organise an outdoor move night of your own.

So, now we’ve adjusted our clocks, try to remember that with Daylight Saving Time you aren’t losing an hour of sleep – you’re gaining an hour of life! What you choose to do with that time is up to you – but make the most of the benefits that daylight brings!

It is fabulous to be able to announce the result of the pitches for JGA’s 2026 Charity of the Year!

Thank you to everyone who entered. Every charity which was pitched will receive at least a £100 donation and overall initial donations will total £6,900.

Once again, the standard of entries this year was exceptionally high. The judging panel had a very difficult task in selecting the winners. All of the causes were incredibly worthwhile and for many entries, the personal connection and passion truly shone through.

Here are the results:

First place: Abi Porter, of Somerset Passenger Solutions Ltd. delivered a compelling pitch for Somerset Sight to become JGA’s Charity of the Year and won. A donation of £2,500 has already been made and we look forward to working with Abi, Digital Community Manger, to raise even more funds throughout the year.

Second place: Chris Betteridge, Systems Thinking Apprentice, secured a £1,500 donation for another deeply personal cause, Teenage Cancer Trust.

Third place: Lara Johnson, Spectator Safety Apprentice, won a donation of £1,000 for Alzheimer’s Society.

Supporting Even More Incredible Causes

In total, there were 22 entries, with additional donations now going to the following charities:

Great Chart Friends Association, Lancashire Women, The Wish Centre BDDWA, Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre, Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Mind, The Survivors Trust, Young Lives vs Cancer, Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex, Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People, Adanna Women, Black Voices Cornwall CIO, The Aortic Dissection Charitable Trust, Crohn’s & Colitis UK, Cats Protection, Libby Mai’s Little Angels, and Society of St James.

Thank You to Our Judges

Finally, a big shout out to our judges for their time and expertise:

Anthony Milner (Content Professional), Joel Voysey (Fundraising Professional), Leigh Torrance (Director of Skills) and Richard Goodwin (Group Chief Executive).

This year, 14 teams of student filmmakers came together for the West London Film Competition, demonstrating incredible talent, creativity and storytelling skills. In just five days, these teams planned, shot and edited short films based on the theme “The Future is Diverse”, guided by experienced industry mentors.

Congratulations to the Winners!

A huge congratulations to William Morris Sixth Form, Hammersmith, whose film ‘Divercity’ won the top prize! Their creative storytelling and engaging execution earned them an exclusive visit to Sony at Pinewood Studios on May 11th.

One of the judges commented: ‘‘Very powerful, very relevant, very mature. Argued a difficult perspective very well. Technical mastery in all aspects was superb. Could be on the BBC’ – Stephen Surridge.

Well done also to the runners-up:

• University of West London – ‘Alienated’
• Community Team – ‘I Was Looking for a Job’

The judging panel commented on how incredibly tough this year’s competition was, praising the level of creativity, collaboration and storytelling across all films.

Hands-On Learning with Industry Mentors

The competition provided structured work experience for 113 students from institutions including HRUC (Harrow, Richmond and Uxbridge Colleges), West Thames College, Global Academy, Bollo, Barnet and Southgate College, University of West London and William Morris Sixth Form.

Students worked closely with professional mentors: Alix Guichard, Billy Abbott, Emile Ibrahim Kelly, Manoj Gohil, Martin Blackburn and Washington Peterkin, gaining real-world experience in a fast-paced filmmaking environment.

A Celebration at Everyman Brentford

Organised by Nish Singh, the competition concluded with a screening at Everyman Brentford, bringing together students, mentors and supporters from the Mayor of London and 11:11 Management to celebrate everyone’s hard work. The event highlighted the creativity, dedication, and collaboration of all participants, showcasing the impact of hands-on, industry-led learning. The final films were screened on Wednesday 25th March, giving everyone the chance to see the impressive results of just five days of filmmaking.

With genres spanning comedy, action thrillers, mockumentaries and sci-fi – the films proved that the future of film is in excellent hands.

🎬 Watch all the films below (timestamps in description).

The film “I Swear” won two awards at the BAFTAs in February this year, but more headlines have been made world-wide around the involuntary use of the N-word by John Davidson, whose life story was the subject of the award-winning film who has Tourette Syndrome, than about the wins themselves.

The N word was audibly heard in the audience whilst two presenters, “Sinners” stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting a prize – and despite a 2 hour delay, the comments were aired by the BBC, whilst other political comments were removed.

This has caused a lot of controversy and upset to a lot of people involved, including John Davidson himself. The episode has highlighted the lack of understanding of Tourette syndrome, and neurodivergence as a whole.

Tourette Syndrome is a genetically determined neurological condition, the key features of which are tics, involuntary and uncontrollable sounds and movements. It is a complex condition and a large number of people with the condition will also experience co-occurring features and conditions.

Key things to know about Tourette Syndrome:

• The main symptom of Tourette syndrome is tics. Tics can involve repetitive sounds (vocal tics) or movements (motor tics) you do not choose to make and cannot control.
• Tics involving sounds may include: Whistling, sniffing or clearing your throat a lot, making animal sounds, repeating a sound, word or phrase, swearing (this is rare).
• Tics involving movement may include: Rolling your eyes or blinking, shrugging your shoulders, jerking or twitching movements, tensing your stomach muscles, jumping.
• Tics can be triggered by different things including stress, excitement or tiredness.
• Symptoms of Tourette syndrome usually start around the age of 6 and can get more noticeable around age 10.
• Studies estimate that up to 1% of children have Tourette Syndrome – that is about the same as those with Autism.
• Tourette syndrome affects more than 300 000 adults and children across the UK
• Tourette syndrome is more common in boys than girls.
• People with Tourette syndrome often have other conditions, such as OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) or ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

You can find out more about Tourette syndrome here:

• Tourettes Action
• Tourette syndrome – NHS
• Ten things you should know about Tourette syndrome, from Priory’s Dr Lisa Davies – Priory
• A 10 Minute video from Valsamma Eapen – Understanding Tourette Syndrome

You can find out more about the BAFTA evening events and further discussions here:

• What the Baftas N-word controversy revealed about disability and race
• Sinners star Wunmi Mosaku says Baftas win was ‘tainted’ by N-word incident | Film | The Guardian
• Baftas racial slur controversy: what should the BBC have done?
• N-word shouted by a guest upended BAFTAs. We explain the medical condition behind outbursts | CBC News
• BAFTAs Guest With Tourettes Shouts Racial Slur During Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo’s Appearance – The New York Times

Friday 27th February was a night to remember at the West London Business Awards. Held at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham our provision was represented by four outstanding apprentices.

Amy Reeves (Historic Royal Palaces, Event Assistant), Molly Smith (Kingston Council, PR & Comms), Lauren Davidson (British Airways, Content Creator) and Zillay Usman (DfE, Policy Officer) were shortlisted for the prestigious Apprentice of the Year Awards – a fantastic achievement that highlights the impact JGA apprentices make across leading organisations.

Lauren (in black) won the 16-29 age group. Amy (in purple), Molly (black & white) and Zillay were highly commended. Pictured with other apprentices and Jonathan Seymour of Moore Kingston Smith.

Lauren – APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR!

Lauren is a content creator within the British Airways Comms and Engagement team and a Content Creator apprentice with JGA.

The judges commented: “With a very difficult and challenging background she has used this to influence and inspire the people around her in a fantastic way. Demonstrating real initiative in her role we couldn’t help but feel humbled and emotional reading her profile. A well-deserved and worthy winner.”

To crown the evening JGA won a Highly Commended award for Education & Training Provider of the Year. This reflected our 2025 Outstanding’ Ofsted judgement and the amazing support we provide to learners and employers.

The overall winner of the title “2026 Education & Training Provider of the Year” was the MAMA Youth Project – which amongst other things is a subcontractor of ours for film & TV training. Congratulations Bob Clarke and the MYP team!

The Creative Sector award was dedicated by West London Business to our former colleague Bill Boler who sadly passed away last year.

Last month, young people in Kent got the chance to see their future from the driver’s seat.

On Tuesday 3rd February, Fastrack rolled into the JGA Group’s ‘Healthier Futures’ 16-18 provision in Dartford for an inspiring and interactive careers talk designed to open doors into engineering, clean transport, and apprenticeship pathways. From 1:00–2:30 PM, learners explored what it really takes to keep a fleet of buses running smoothly and how they could become part of that journey.

Engineering the Future

Led by Fastrack’s Head of Service, Isobel Hedley-Jones, alongside an experienced driver/engineer, the session went far beyond a typical presentation. Students heard first-hand accounts of life in the industry, from maintaining cutting-edge clean-fuelling buses to responding to real-time technical challenges on the road.

The focus was clear: engineering is not just a job, it’s a career with momentum

Learners were introduced to:

• Entry-level roles in engineering and clean bus technology
• Day-to-day responsibilities within fleet maintenance
• Career progression routes within Fastrack
• The Engineering Apprenticeship Programme launching this September

For young people aged 16–20, the apprenticeship programme stood out as a powerful career launchpad, combining hands-on experience with structured training and long-term career prospects.

Learning Objectives in Action

The session aimed to:

• Raise awareness of engineering and transport careers in Kent
• Highlight accessible entry routes for school leavers
• Provide real-world insight from industry professionals
• Encourage questions, curiosity, and confidence in career planning

By the end of the afternoon, learners had a clearer understanding of how technical skills translate into meaningful work and how industries like transport are evolving through clean energy and innovation.

Taking the Wheel

This wasn’t just another careers talk. It was a reminder that opportunity can arrive right outside your door…sometimes quite literally.

With apprenticeship pathways opening in September and growing demand for skilled engineers in sustainable transport, Fastrack’s visit showed that the fast lane to success isn’t reserved for a select few.

For many students in Dartford that day, the journey towards a future in engineering may well have started the moment they stepped on board.

The session formed part of JGA’s wider support for learners on the 16–18 ‘Healthier Futures’, an alternative to school and college which helps young people build the skills, confidence and qualifications needed to progress into employment, apprenticeships or further education. Through employability training, industry insight sessions and work-related learning opportunities, the programme supports learners in exploring career pathways and planning their next steps. Find out more about the 16–18 Study Programme here: https://www.jga-group.com/16-18s-provision/.