Discussion

Many of you may have heard the government’s latest wheeze to interfere in education: to force all schools to become academies. Now, in times past, the term academy as a title of an organisation was seen as a sign it was quite good. When someone found out I worked at an academy, they were impressed - clearly I must be a super teacher in a super school if it’s called an academy. Being the humble servant of the state that...

By Richard James, Chair of the YMCA in London CEO Network and Chief Executive of YMCA London South West, ahead of the YMCA in London Manifesto launch at City Hall As we approach the London Mayoral elections we are learning more about the individual candidates and what priorities they see for the capital. However, many of the issues candidates have announced they will tackle so far have been in existence for some time. Most notably the inequality that exists across...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Mercy Ships is an international charity which operates the world’s largest civilian hospital ship, the Africa Mercy, providing free healthcare services to those living in developing countries, namely in Africa, where the services of professional medical staff are most needed. The ship is currently docked in Madagascar, which is one of the world’s poorest countries with only 2 physicians and 3 hospital beds available for every 10,000 people. Founded in 1978, Mercy Ships has worked...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor When Kenny’s mum died of lung cancer in 2011, he made a pact to himself: to do something good in her memory. However, this well-meaning plan wasn’t without problems to be overcome. Kenny had low confidence and self-esteem - but he was determined. He wanted to stay true to his pact for his mum, who stood by him unconditionally throughout his chequered past. Kenny, a substance misuse support worker from Clapham, decided to volunteer for...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor After a young boy was tragically killed while out cycling his friend decided to do something positive and set up a fundraiser for him, which is so successful it has been rolled out across the UK. Tragically Daniel Climance was only eleven when he was killed on a bike ride with his brother and father in Purton, Wiltshire in June 2015. Eleven-year-old Callum Smart and his mum Claire wanted to ensure Daniel’s memory was kept...

By Florence Sarlat www.veganfashionventure.com For ages, fur and silk have embodied worth and luxury in fashion. They are beautiful and expensive materials that not everyone can afford. The rarer their origins are, the more sought-after they are considered to be. A wool coat is nothing compared to a mink coat. The kind of fur one’s wears shows their position on the social ladder! However, beliefs are changing. In the 90’s, a growing number of people, especially in Western European countries,...

By Nicky Goulder, co-founder and Chief Executive of Create The official figures from the latest Census show that there are 400 identified children who are providing unpaid care in the London borough of Westminster. These children are known as ‘young carers’, defined by the Carers Trust as ‘children who often take on practical and/or emotional caring responsibilities that would normally be expected of an adult’. These children can end up in a situation in which they are spending 50 hours...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor I’m stressed and anxious enough as it is, but it looks like there is no good news on the horizon, as a report finds that people aged 40-59 are not in a good way. An ONS study, has found that middle aged people are the least happy, have the lowest levels of life satisfaction and the highest levels of anxiety. These latest official wellbeing statistics make grim reading, unless you get to 60 and even...

By Steve Taggart The cost of dying is increasing beyond the rate of inflation. Buying a grave, particularly within London and other urban areas is, in part, a reason for this. Land is at a premium and the financial burden of operating local authority cemeteries is high. The average cost of a grave within London is £3,250, this does not include the funeral director's fees which will usually add another £2,500. The most expensive borough is Haringey where a new grave...