Four-legged friends

Four-legged friends
Not all hostels accept dogs, so the Dogs Trust has been working alongside homeless charities Broadway and St Mungo's to develop pet friendly policies for homeless services. Clare Kivlehan, Dogs Trust outreach manager, explains the importance of pets to homeless people: "The stability, love, responsibility and companionship brought about from looking after a pet is essential for their eventual resettlement and a life of independence." Photograph: Isabel Hutchison/Dogs Trust

Cold facts

Cold facts
Half of all the rough sleepers in the UK are in London. For obvious reasons, winter is a particularly difficult time resulting in rough sleepers suffering three times as many physical health problems as the average person. The death rate of rough sleepers is 25 times that of the rest of the population. St Mungo's has a team of street outreach workers working with rough sleepers in London ensuring that each night 1,400 people stay in their emergency hostels and semi-independent housing. Photograph: St Mungo's

Crime has become career of choice for young men from the inner city

Crime has become career of choice for young men from the inner city
Richard Ford, Home Correspondent
# Gang life offers wealth and status
# Drug-dealing is just the beginning
Young men in deprived urban communities see crime as a better career opportunity than the legitimate labour market, ministers have been warned.

Dealing drugs and committing other crimes gives those with little education an opportunity to overcome deprivation and gain wealth and status in their neighbourhoods.

A report on gun crime commissioned by the Home Office warns: “Dealing in illegal drugs appears to significantly underpin the criminal economy in many locations and seems to be instrumental in legitimising crime as a career option for some individuals.

“There are many indications that drug-dealing and other criminality are ‘out-competing’ the legitimate labour market.

“For individuals whose employment prospects are limited by a lack of qualifications, and an existing criminal record, a criminal lifestyle can be seen as an attractive proposition.”

The study found that social pressure to own fashionable clothes and other material goods is driving young people in poor areas to crime, particularly drug-dealing.

Ministers are warned that when drug-dealing establishes a grip on an area, this leads to collective criminal behaviour and young people being drawn into gangland activities.

The 160-page report said that criminal economies were more firmly consolidated in Greater Manchester and Liverpool than in Birmingham, Nottingham and London.

Researchers interviewed 80 offenders serving sentences for firearms crimes and found that the majority aspired to conspicuous material wealth.

Even though the interviewees were in jail, crime was perceived by many to be “a viable career option, enabling material aspirations and social or peer pressures to be realised”.

The report also highlighted the malign effect of young people seeing “successful” criminals living in their neighbourhoods. Pressure to gain material goods was reinforced by “role models” demonstrating the viability of criminal careers that in some cases were more lucrative than working.

The report was produced by the Institute of Criminal Justice Studies at the University of Portsmouth.

Gavin Hales, a senior research fellow and a co-author, said that he did not believe that the criminal economy was more important than the legitimate economy in deprived areas. Most people living in poor city areas were law-abiding, but increasingly more were becoming part of the illegal drugs market.

He said the report’s findings presented a big challenge for the Government in how to educate some young people about the choices they faced. “The criminal economy has very low entry costs and you need no qualifications,” he said.

“It is a cash economy, it offers a degree of instant wealth, instant cash . . . it is an economy that puts a premium on being ‘street smart’.”

If you are homeless or about to become homeless

Emergency

If you are homeless or about to become homeless contact Shelter's Free Housing Advice Helpline for advice and information. Or use Search all services to look for your nearest housing advice centre or day centre where you may be able to get advice and help.

If you need urgent help or advice on other issues try one of the helplines listed below:

Childline - Helpline for children and young people in danger or distress.

Drinkline - Advice and information for people with alcohol problems.

FRANK - Helpline for anyone concerned about drug or solvent problems.

Natonal Domestic Violence Helpline - Helpline for women experiencing physical, emotional or sexual violence in the home.

London Street Rescue - Runs a hotline, currently open 9am-12 midnight, for anyone concerned about people sleeping rough. Can accept referrals from the following boroughs: Barking, Barnet, Bexley, Bromley, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kingston, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Sutton, Tower Hamlets and Wandsworth.

Runaway Helpline - Helpline for children and young people who have run away or been forced to leave home.

Samaritans - Emotional support for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair.

SANELINE - Helpline providing support on mental health issues.

Sexual Health Line - Information and avice on sexually transmitted infections and HIV prevention.

London Local Authority Emergency Numbers

London Local Authority Emergency Numbers

Agencies with homeless clients who are or may be in priority need should refer them to their local authority. During the day, clients should be referred to their local Homeless Persons Unit - contact the local authority for the telephone number and opening hours.

Outside office hours, use these emergency numbers.

Barking and Dagenham 020 8594 8356
Barnet 020 8359 2000
Bexley 020 8303 7777
Brent 020 8937 1234
Bromley 020 8464 4848
Camden 020 7278 4444
City of London 020 7606 3030
Croydon 020 8686 4433
Ealing 020 8825 5000
Enfield 020 8379 1000
Greenwich 020 8854 8888
Hackney 020 8356 2300
Hammersmith & Fulham 020 8748 8588
Haringey 020 8348 3148
Harrow 020 8863 5611
Havering 01708 433999
Hillingdon 01895 250697
Hounslow 020 8583 2222
Islington 020 7226 0992
Kensington & Chelsea 020 7373 2213
Kingston Upon Thames 020 8770 5000
(run by LB Sutton on behalf of Kingston)
Lambeth 020 7926 1000
Lewisham 020 8778 0877
Merton 020 8770 5000
(run by LB Sutton on behalf of Merton)
Newham 020 8552 9587
Redbridge 020 8553 5825
Richmond Upon Thames 020 8744 2442
Southwark 020 7525 5000
Sutton 020 8770 5000
Tower Hamlets 020 7376 1637
Waltham Forest 020 8496 3000
Wandsworth 020 8871 6000
Westminster 020 7286 7412

Smiths helps St Mungo's make London's homeless healthier13/11/2006

Smiths helps St Mungo's make London's homeless healthier

13/11/2006

SMITHS Group, the global technology business, today announced that it is funding a new Health Manager for St Mungo's as part of an initiative to make London’s homeless healthier.

St Mungo's, London’s leading homeless charity, provides practical support for thousands of homeless and vulnerable people each year by helping them find a place to live; develop their skills through education and training programmes; build positive relationships with other people and improve their mental and physical health.

The new Health Manager, who will work across the London boroughs, will train staff on key health issues and build strong relationships with local health authorities to help the charity’s 1,700 residents gain access to vital health services from GPs, hospitals and statutory services.

This training will enable staff to recognise symptoms of serious conditions and will also include awareness of healthy eating, sexual health and access to exercise for all residents.

The cooperation between St Mungo’s and Smiths was launched formally on Thursday 9th November at the Endell Street Hostel in Covent Garden. Keith Butler-Wheelhouse, Chief Executive of Smiths Group, said: ‘We are delighted to be able to contribute towards such an important initiative in our community.”

Homeless people can suffer from poor health due to sleeping rough but are often unable to obtain the health care services they need due to social exclusion.

Kate Whalley, the new Health Manager for St Mungo's, said: “This crucial support from Smiths will enable us to train all our staff about all of these key health issues and help our clients to get the help they need. Given the seriousness of some residents’ health conditions, this work could save around 100 lives each year.”

Smiths is also investigating employee volunteering opportunities with St Mungo’s to benefit both the charity and Smiths people, who can build their skills whilst giving something back to their local community.

ENDS

About St Mungo's

St Mungo's is London’s leading homeless charity, opening doors for thousands of homeless people each year.
Around 88% of their clients have two or more medical support needs. St Mungo's provides specialist help to address the complex physical and mental health problems that many of their most vulnerable clients face. Last year, the charity supported 800 people with their mental health issues, and referred 600 people into rehabilitation and prescribing services. Health clinics are based within several of their larger hostels, which have visiting nursing, dentistry and chiropody services.

Smiths Group

Smiths seeks to contribute to the communities in which it operates by participation in, and support for, community and charitable initiatives. Smiths is a global technology business, listed on the London Stock Exchange. Smiths Group is a world leader in the practical application of advanced technologies. Our products and services make the world safer, healthier and more productive. Smiths Group has four divisions: Aerospace, Detection, Medical and Specialty. It employs 32,000 people and has over 250 major facilities in 50 countries. For more information visit www.smiths-group.com

Media contacts:

St Mungo's
Lucy Whitford
+44 (0)777 070 4529

Smiths Group
Chris Fox
+44 (0)20 8457 8403

Why shouldn't Gehry be allowed to Brighton up the neighbourhood?

Why shouldn't Gehry be allowed to Brighton up the neighbourhood?


The trendies love it, but many Hove locals feel a renowned architect's new scheme for its Regency seafront is too big and bold, writes Jon Robins

Sunday December 17, 2006
The Observer

Here's a no-brainer for you: a council stuck with an unloved, rundown 1960s-era recreation centre at the end of an otherwise attractive Regency promenade and a world-class architect eager to transform it into an iconic residential complex, complete with state-of-the-art sports facilities paid for by the developers. So where's the problem?

If that's an oversimplification of problems that surround Frank Gehry's plans for the redevelopment of a rusting eyesore on Hove seafront, many in Brighton believe it's not much of one.

Gehry first expressed an interest in November 2002 in reviving the bit of Brighton front where, architecturally speaking, everything runs out of steam, as did Richard Rogers and Piers Gough (who is adviser to the project). It is tempting to characterise the interminable debate over the £290m development of the King Alfred centre as a stand-off between Hove's blue rinse brigade and the metropolitan trendies of Brighton.

The latter would love the kudos of having the architect behind the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao leaving his stamp on their patch. But what do the residents of Hove think? After all, they are going to have to live, literally in many cases, in the shadow of the new 22-storey building with 751 apartments, not to mention that £48m sports centre.

'It's an absolutely massive overdevelopment,' complains Valerie Paynter of the anti-Gehry Save Hove campaign, who lives in front of Hove station, just down the road from the site. 'We're talking ugly stepsister in Cinderella's shoes.'

David Smale runs the Coriander restaurant on Hove Street, a few minutes' walk away. 'It is fantastic. I'm completely gung-ho about the project,' he says. 'Brighton has a real chance to be taken up a few notches.'

Supporters are conscious not only of an opportunity sliding through their fingers, but the message this sends out. Earlier in the year Tony Mernagh, executive director of the Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership (BHEP), said the bureaucracy involved in the planning process would 'guarantee no serious investment will come near Brighton and Hove for another 15 to 20 years'.

Richard Coleman, a Brighton-based architect who worked as a consultant townscape expert with Norman Foster on Swiss Re's 'Gherkin' in the City of London, has set up a support group called Hove Up to make sure that those who want to support the development have a platform to do it from. 'There is a danger that if the project stalls any more it could die,' he says.

Coleman complains that conservationists are making too much of the architectural heritage in what he describes as 'a pretty poverty-stricken area of Hove, in terms of culture'. 'It used to be a tiny village at the time that Brighton expanded its parish with its Regency architecture. Frankly, it was a one-street town and it still seems a little lost.' He describes the plans as 'a substantial development on what is a very substantial site'. 'It is the right thing to do,' he says. 'It is a very big building, but Hove can take a very big building.'

It is the scale and the boldness of the plans that have unsettled locals. The initial designs were for a cluster of four 38-storey towers, since reduced to 22. The architect said he was inspired by a picture of Edwardian ladies with their dresses billowing as they walked along the blustery seafront. The flowing dress effect will be achieved, apparently, by a trellis over a layer of glass; 'the light will blur the mass and the trellis will probably be white painted steel,' he explains. Less kind critics have called it 'a couple of trannies caught in a gale' or even 'a crumbled fag packet'.

The original designs failed to impress those guardians of our public space, English Heritage and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, which felt they failed to ensure the building would be seen as an integral part of Hove. Another concern was that the perimeter buildings were too drab, and even supporters concede they were 'rather Soviet'. Under the revised plan, they are going to be 'Gehryfied': a bit curvy and smaller. Both English Heritage and CABE are now onside.

'Yes, the plans are dramatic and it will clearly be a landmark,' predicts Simon Fanshawe, the Brighton-based broadcaster. 'People will see it as they fly into Gatwick and Heathrow, which will be rather fun.' And what does he think of the design? 'I like its deckchair quality. Gehry's buildings are always very playful. It really makes me laugh when people say they want to preserve the tradition of "Regency Brighton" when, for a start, there is this bit of a Liberace right bang in the middle - the pavilion.'

The BHEP's Mernagh is more pragmatic about the proposals: 'If Brighton turns down £80m of community benefit - £48m for the sports centre and £30m of affordable housing - on a site only worth £11m, and, on top of that, rejects a world-class architect there, other cities will question our sanity.'

· The council is due to consider revised plans after Christmas.

Parked up

Last Updated: Wednesday, 31 May 2006, 11:11 GMT 12:11 UK

Parked up
By Sean Coughlan
BBC News Magazine

Car park
Homeless for nine months, Anya Peters slept each night in a car
A homeless woman, writing a blog about her experiences of living in a car, has now signed a book deal with a major publisher and is nominated for a media award.

A few weeks ago, Anya Peters was homeless and living in a car, hanging around the places where she could wash and eat and keep herself looking respectable. Her contact with the outside world was through an online diary.

But this blog, published under the name of Wandering Scribe, was picked up by readers around the world and has provided a remarkable way out of her homelessness. She has written her own escape story.

The story of her homelessness and her previous life is going to be turned into a book, with a publishing deal signed and the hardback scheduled to reach the bookshops next Spring.

In the space of a hectic few days, Anya Peters was taken on by Curtis Brown, one of the biggest literary agencies in London - and the subsequent book proposal sparked a bidding battle between publishers - eventually won by Harper Collins.

Still living in her car, she found herself in the surreal position of being homeless and taking calls offering her book deals, with reports about her blog appearing in papers such as the New York Times and Le Monde.

First bath

The blog itself has now been nominated for a media award run by the New Statesman magazine.

"It still feels like a dream - it's completely turned around," she says.


WANDERING SCRIBE
graphic

The story of Anya Peters' homelessness blog

And she has finally parked up. This weekend, after nine months living in a car, she moved back into rented accommodation. Although the publishers say the amount paid for the book is confidential, it's been enough to set Anya Peters back on her feet again.

But despite anticipating a perfect first night in a house again - "warm, scented bath, Beethoven on in the background, a glass of something" - she says that it didn't quite work out that way. Her stuff was still in the car, she felt unsettled and disorientated after her long stretch living outside.

"I have the privacy that I have craved all these months. It is the strangest feeling though ...So far I have mostly just wanted to run out of the place. It is too warm and I can't breathe or recognise all the unfamiliar smells or sounds, and nothing feels like mine yet."

Despite the first-night nerves, she is delighted by the upturn in her fortunes.

Writing in her blog, she said: "Not sure if I'm dreaming this or not...but I think Lady Luck just came strolling down my laneway, rolling her big, shiny dice. Words have come clattering to a stop, and all I can do for now is smile."

Since last summer, Anya Peters had been part of the "hidden homeless", showing no outward signs of sleeping rough in her car each night and without any contact with other homeless people or housing advisers.

Agents of change

Surreptitiously using facilities such as showers in hospitals and computers in libraries, she maintained both her public appearance and her communication with the outside world through her online diary.

Bookshop
The Wandering Scribe book is to be published next Spring

This Wandering Scribe blog, which reported both the practicalities of homelessness and the emotional reaction to her circumstances, struck a chord with readers - with thousands following the diary.

It also caught the attention of literary agent, Camilla Hornby at Curtis Brown, who contacted Anya to talk about the idea of a book about her life.

"We're often approached by people with blogs, but they don't usually translate into a book. Here was an account of the everyday details of being homeless - and it was written in very beautiful prose, it inhabited another realm.

"I wanted to know more about the glimpses of her past life - and why this articulate woman was living in a car like this."

Publishers Harper Collins are expecting the book to appeal strongly to the big market for stories about overcoming tough experiences - the so-called "misery memoir" - and are confident it will be in the top 10.

The success of the Wandering Scribe blog also highlights the shifting relationship between new media and traditional publishing - and how the book market is trying to tap into the vast potential of an online audience.

Second chance

Even if the book becomes a top 10 chart topper, for a hardback that can mean only selling five hundred copies a week - while the Wandering Scribe blog has averaged 11,000 readers per week since March. And the BBC News Magazine story about her clocked up more than 200,000 readers.

While the prestige might lie with the publishers, the numbers are driving in a different direction. And the blog will continue - keeping up the next instalments for a regular readership who have followed her story.

But as homelessness recedes and the book looms, it will inevitably raise questions about the boundary line between her blog as an online diary and a marketing tool.

What has Anya Peters learned from her time living in a car?

"I don't ever want it to happen again. I didn't have the security net of people and relationships before when things went wrong. I'll never try to do it on my own again. This is a fantastic second chance."

No holiday humor in radio pair’s jollies over degrading homeless

No holiday humor in radio pair’s jollies over degrading homeless
By Michele McPhee/ The Beat
Boston Herald Police Bureau Chief
Monday, December 18, 2006 - Updated: 01:19 PM EST

Some people may have giggled at the idea of a gaggle of homeless men taking over the upscale Short Hills Mall in New Jersey, a stunt staged by radio shock jocks Opie and Anthony and heard by WBCN [website] listeners all weekend. It was tantamount to bringing a bus filled with the bedraggled from Boston Common to sit on Santa’s lap at the Chestnut Hill Mall.
“This so-called ‘shopping spree’ is a sick and twisted exercise that degrades the most vulnerable members of our society. This is an outrage. This is wrong, and we need the public and our partners who care about the homeless and about basic human decency to stand up and tell them so,” Menino said, adding that the broadcast came on the same day that the city began counting the Hub’s homeless.
“The homeless people who will be used for this event are human beings who may have been struggling for years with the adversity and problems that come with alcoholism and addictions, or with mental illness and other disabilities,” Menino said.
“The fact that WBCN has chosen the homeless and the holidays to present this humiliating and shameful attempt at humor is inhumane and shameful.”
Of course, Menino has his own problems with the shock jocks.
The pair was already infamous for inhumane behavior - such as airing a couple having sex inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, enraging Catholics nationwide.
But no prank is worse than the one they pulled on April Fool’s Day in 1998, the one that got the duo fired by WAAF [website].
They went on the air and told listeners that Menino had been killed in a car crash, terrifying his wife, children, grandchildren and loved ones.
Call me humorless, but who could find that funny? Apparently, a lot of people, because the two knuckleheads moved to New York and their show became syndicated.
In this weekend’s highly publicized trip, “homeless and lunatics” were brought to the fancy mall in New Jersey and treated to Christmas presents, makeovers - and booze.
And there were girls - I’m certain they were decked out in $200 Juicy sweatpants and armed with their daddy’s Amex cards - who called the show to complain that Opie and Anthony were ruining their shopping experiences.
They were called over-privileged “whores” on the air.
And all this Christmas cheer comes just days before National Homeless Persons Memorial Day.
OK, maybe creating a memorial day to the country’s homeless population is a bit too crunchy granola, but I’m also opposed to using down-on-their luck folks who could be mentally ill, or desperate alcoholics for financial gain.
Remember “Bum Fights” - those atrocious videos that show teenage punks beating up homeless people and then urinating on them? Those uplifting clips provoked the beatings of at least a half-dozen homeless people across the country.
At least the homeless brought to the Short Hills Mall got a few beers, pictures with Santa and maybe even some Gap sweatshirts, rather than a beating.
And then they were dropped off back on the streets they were rousted from in the name of fun.

Prison Service Young Offenders Project (2004)

Prison Service Young Offenders Project (2004)
Introduction
This project arose from the concern that attitudes towards people who are experiencing mental health difficulties remain prejudiced in society at large. In 1995, the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) commissioned a survey of a random sample of the adult population to estimate the degree of stigma attached to six mental disorders (Crisp, Gelder, Rix, Meltzer, and Rowlands, 2000; Gelder, 2001). The results indicated that a common feature of public opinion is that people with mental health disorders are to blame, and that they deserve to be excluded or isolated. Stigma, with the attendant feelings of guilt and shame or defensive denial, is one of the biggest challenges that young people with mental disorders face (Kendell, 2001). Similar studies of young people's attitudes indicated negative attitudes towards mental health difficulties (Bailey, 1999; Eskin, 1995; Gale and Holling, 2000; Weiss, 1994). Young people use mockery, pejorative language and social exclusion to reduce the perceived threat posed by peers with mental health difficulties (Bailey, 1999; Hayward and Bright, 1997; Kendell, 2001). There is also a tendency to trivialise the problems of young people in comparison with those of adults. The sense of shame and embarrassment that surrounds the concept of mental health difficulty contributes to the fact that such problems are often unrecognised or even denied. Armstrong, Hill and Secker (2000) noted the unsophisticated methods that young people use to deal with personal mental health problems, such as bottling them up, sleeping, drinking alcohol or simply hoping that they would go away.
Bailey (1999) and Eskin (1995) consider that the urgent challenge is for healthcare professionals to join with educators to provide programmes of education if attitudes are to change. To this end, the RCPsych has produced a CD-ROM, Changing Minds, designed for use at Key Stages 3 and 4. Changing Minds includes a wide range of resources - audio, video, visual and written - with references for further information and help. Changing Minds is linked to the PSHE and Citizenship curriculum and covers such issues as depression, addiction, stress, self-harm, eating disorders and schizophrenia. The content of the CD-ROM has been designed for secondary school pupils in general and some evaluation has been carried out (Naylor, Cowie, Talamelli & Dawkins, 2002) which indicates that this kind of resource has a positive impact on young people's attitudes towards mental health issues by increasing their knowledge about the field and by heightening their empathy for peers in distress.
However, its impact has not been specifically evaluated in the context of young offenders, a target group that is known to be at risk of mental health difficulty and that is particularly vulnerable. We simply do not know whether there are gaps in the resource pack or areas where the materials could be made more directly relevant to young people in prison environments.
Aims
The aims of the project are to:
discover the views of young offenders about the Changing Minds CD-ROM;
elicit their views on its strengths;
elicit their views on ways in which it could be adapted to the specific needs of young people in prison;
collate the information gathered from young offenders themselves;
use this information as a basis for the development of appropriate materials for a new CD-ROM specifically designed for this target group.
References
Armstrong, C., Hill, H. & Secker, J. (2000). Young people's perceptions of mental health. Children and Society, 14, 60-72.
Bailey, S. (1999). Young people, mental illness and stigmatisation. Psychiatric Bulletin, 23, 107-110.
Naylor, P., Cowie, H., Talamelli, L. & Dawkins, J. (2002). The development of adolescent pupils' knowledge about and attitudes towards mental health difficulties. Project Report to PPP Medical Healthcare Trust.
Crisp, A., Gelder, M. G., Rix, S., Meltzer, H. I., & Rowlands, O. J. (2000). The stigmatisation of people with mental illness. British Journal of Psychiatry, 177, 4-7.
Eskin, M. (1995). Suicidal behaviour as related to social support and assertiveness among Swedish and Turkish high school students: a cross-cultural investigation. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 51, 158-72.
Gale, E. & Holling, A. (2000). Young people and stigma. YoungMinds Magazine, 49-50.
Gelder, M. (2001). The Royal College of Psychiatrists' survey of public opinions about mentally ill people. In Crisp, A. (ed.) Every Family in the Land: Understanding Prejudice and Discrimination Against People with mental Illness, 28-33. CD-ROM. London: Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Hayward, P. & Bright, J. A. (1997). Stigma and mental illness: a review and critique. Journal of Mental Health, 6, 345-3564.
Kendell, R. E. (2001). Why stigma matters. In A. Crisp (ed.) Every Family in the Land: Understanding Prejudice and Discrimination Against People with mental Illness, 28-33. CD-ROM. London: Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Weiss, M. (1986). Children's attitudes towards the mentally ill - a developmental analysis. Psychological Reports, 58, 11-20.
Weiss, M. (1994). Children's attitudes towards the mentally ill, an eight year longitudinal follow-up. Psychological Reports, 74, 51-56.
For further details please contact:
Professor Helen CowieEuropean Institute of Health and Medical SciencesUniversity of SurreyStag HillSurreyGU2 7TE
Tel: +44 (0)1483 689726
helen@ukobservatory.com

poverty reduction strategy (PRS)

one should build on
existing elements; recognize that changes will be gradual; aim at starting a
process of change rather than at designing a “perfect” system; focus on
building flexible arrangements that can be adapted to change; clearly define
relations, incentives, and activities; identify entry points in decision-making
processes and, in particular, the budget process; and adapt the various
outputs to the intended users.

http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPAME/Resources/383220-1153403450741/summary.pdf

Beyond the Numbers: Understanding the Institutions for Monitoring Poverty Reduction Strategies

Beyond the Numbers: Understanding the Institutions for Monitoring Poverty Reduction Strategies
Central to implementing a successful Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) is a system for monitoring the execution of the strategy and for tracking progress in poverty reduction. Such a system is vital to creating a PRS strategy that is evidence based, results focused and has the flexibility to evolve over time. While significant literature exists on the technical issues of PRS monitoring, less guidance is available on the institutional challenges. Yet, it is the institutional issues which undermine the usefulness and sustainability of monitoring systems. The publication, Beyond the Numbers: Understanding the Institutions for Monitoring Poverty Reduction Strategies, looks specifically at these institutional challenges of the PRS monitoring systems - the rules and processes which bring the various actors and monitoring activities together in a coherent framework. Author(s): Tara Bedi; Aline Coudouel; Marcus Cox; Markus Goldstein; Nigel Thornton (2006), The World Bank, PDF: 260p.

You can't step into the same river twice

The Buddha stressed the dynamic nature of existence. This resonates with the ideas of some early Greek philosophers, such as Heraclitus, who maintained that "All is flux" and "You can't step into the same river twice." Now, all this sounds like common sense. Yet there is something about our minds and emotions that kicks against the idea of change. We are forever trying to break the dynamic world-dance, which is a unity, into separate "things," which we then freeze in the ice of thought. But the world-dance doggedly refuses to remain fragmented and frozen. It swirls on, changing from moment to moment, laughing at all our pitiful attempts to organize and control it. In order to live skillfully, in harmony with the dynamic Universe, it is essential to accept the reality of change and impermanence. The wise person therefore travels lightly, with a minimum of clutter, maintaining the proverbial "open mind" in all situations, for he or she knows that tomorrow's reality will not be the same as today's. He or she will also have learned the divine art of letting go--which means not being attached to people and possessions and situations, but rather, when the time for parting comes, allowing that to happen graciously.

New Philanthropy Capital

New Philanthropy Capital


People in prison and life after release

Charity Insight: "58% of prisoners reoffend within two years of release but research shows this is significantly reduced if prisoners keep in touch with their family while inside."KIDS VIP helps maintain relationships between children and their imprisoned parents by improving facilities and conditions for children’s visits. They can also save the taxpayer considerable sums given the high costs of reoffending (£111,300).






2005, 94 pages.Lenka Setkova & Sarah Sandford To download the full report click here
To download a summary version click here
You must be logged in to access our researchClick here to register

Inside and out explores the critical role of charities working with people in prison and their families. The stated duty of the Prison Service is to look after people with humanity and help them lead law-abiding and useful lives in custody and after release. Yet prison has a poor record for preventing reoffending – of the prisoners released in 1997, 58% were reconvicted and 38% were back inside on another prison sentence within two years.Drawing on an analysis of the needs of and issues faced by prisoners and their families, this report outlines a compelling role for charities. The report illustrates how charitable activities can reduce the likelihood of re-offending, enhance the effectiveness of the penal system and improve the quality of life for people in custody and for their families. The report provides a wealth of information for donors and funders whose support can help reduce the social and economic costs of crime.
In conjunction with this report, NPC has published a 4 page research insight, Investing in family ties. Research shows that maintaining family ties while in prison reduces the risk of reoffending on release (with each reoffender costs the taxpayer more than £110,000). NPC's short report outlines the significant returns on investing in family ties through supporting prison visitors' centres. Click here to download the pdf document

Islington Voluntary Action Council - Islington Funders Fair 2006

Islington Voluntary Action Council - Islington Funders Fair 2006

Islington Funders Fair 2006
Date: Thursday 14th September 2006, 2 - 5pm
Venue: The Resource Centre, 356 Holloway Road, N7 6PA
An opportunity to meet with funders, discuss your project and get information about the application process
Participating trusts and funding programmes
1. Awards for All and Big Lottery Fund
2. BBC Children In Need
3. Bridge House Trust
4. Comic Relief- Sport Relief Grants
5. Cripplegate Foundation
6. City Parochial Foundation and Trust for London
7. Capital Radio- Help a London Child
8. Heritage Lottery Fund
9. Local Network Fund
10. Lloyds TSB Foundation
Other resources for Islington voluntary organisations
1. IVAC- Islington Voluntary Action Council
2. ITN - Islington Training Network
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Man Utd stars give support to England's Homeless World Cup squad | 24dash.com - Social Housing

Man Utd stars give support to England's Homeless World Cup squad 24dash.com - Social Housing


Published: 29/08/2006 - 14:33:52 PM Printable version Send to a friend

Rio Ferdinand dropped in onEngland's Homeless World Cupsquad
Manchester United stars Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown have given England's Homeless World Cup squad some final tips to help the players prepare before the tournament kicks off in South Africa in September.

Man Utd stars give support to England's Homeless World Cup squadBack to Social Housing


Publisher: Jon LandPublished: 29/08/2006 - 14:33:52 PM Printable version Send to a friend

Rio Ferdinand dropped in onEngland's Homeless World Cupsquad
Manchester United stars Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown have given England's Homeless World Cup squad some final tips to help the players prepare before the tournament kicks off in South Africa in September.
The Old Trafford team-mates dropped in on the squad's training session on Thursday at Manchester United's Carrington ground to offer words of encouragement.
Mr Ferdinand said: "It was fantastic to meet the England team. They're a great bunch of lads who are working really hard to prepare themselves for the challenge ahead. I'm sure they'll do their country proud."
The team, which is managed by The Big Issue in the North charity with coaching support from Manchester United, has been training and playing matches throughout summer in readiness for the World Cup.
Selection for the squad began in January and the remaining 12 players will now be whittled down to eight before they face teams from 44 other countries in Cape Town.
Richard Brown, managing director for The Big Issue in the North, said: "This three-day training session is essential for the squad in order to prepare them for the tournament in September.
"The team will leave for South Africa full of confidence following this training session and their recent Home Nations Tournament victory when they beat Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Eire."
Players in the squad come from across England, including Newcastle, Manchester, Oldham, London, Liverpool and Cambridge.
Paul Smith, a member of this year's squad who captained the team during their recent victory at the Home Nations Tournament, said: "It was great to meet Rio and Wes. It's really helped the lads feel that they are part of something big. The training at Carrington has really prepared the team well for the tournament in South Africa. We're going to do our very best to bring the trophy home."
Now in its fourth year, the Homeless World Cup is becoming recognised as an annual event on the global sporting calendar.
Following the previous years' Homeless World Cups more than 77% of players went on to change their lives forever by finding regular employment, coming off drugs and alcohol, pursuing education, improving their housing and even playing for semi-professional and professional football clubs.
The event also aims to change the attitudes of the public towards homeless people who are treated as heroes during the tournament and acknowledged for their courage and determination whilst encouraged and supported in transforming their lives.
The final team will be announced on September 13, and the eight players will fly to South Africa, courtesy of British Airways, on September 19.
The England team is funded by the charitable trust The Links Foundation, their accommodation in Manchester is provided free by the Golden Tulip and their kit has come from JD Sports.
For more information about the Homeless World Cup log on to www.streetsoccer.org
Copyright Press Association 2006.