Tag Archives: young people

Get Trashed At Car Boot Disco: Swapping And Customisation Party at Ministry of Sound

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What:                   vInspired presents Car Boot Disco
A clothes-swapping and customisation party for young people, launching the Get Trashed campaign to save 10,000 clothing items from landfill
Where:          Ministry of Sound, 103 Gaunt St., London, SE1 6DP
When:         Sunday 24th November, 2013 3pm-7pm
Who:                  The event will feature DJ sets from the best in UK dance music talent, and customisation from the most cutting edge young people in London’s fashion communities
Tickets:         Free – Register at vInspired.com/gettrashed

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London’s iconic Ministry of Sound will play host to the first ever Car Boot Disco on 24th November. The Sunday afternoon Ministry party combines music, fashion and swapping to encourage young people to update their wardrobe by exchanging and customising clothes instead of spending on fast fashion.

The event launches vInspired’s Get Trashed campaign to save over 10,000 clothes from landfill before the end of the year. It will create a tribe of young people dedicated to re-using, recycling and having fun – whilst looking good at the same time. Young people will feel part of a movement, putting the issue of waste front of mind – empowering them to run their own events and spread the message via the Do Something channels, social media and word-of-mouth.

This free party is aimed at young people in London who are bored with their wardrobes and want a fresh update, but without the cost. vInspired is inviting anyone with swap-able clothes to come along to the event and take home something that is new to them but unwanted by someone else.

Rising fashion designers will be on hand, hosting special areas of the super-club to provide unique professional customisation like studding, badging and ripping – ‘pimping’ up tired looking items. Fashion scouts will be attending the Ministry of Sound event, looking for potential models who can rock any outfit – old or new – making this the perfect chance to showcase individual style.

Spinning the perfect soundtrack to for a Sunday afternoon session will be some of the very best DJs from the UK’s dance music scene who will be hitting the decks for the duration of the event. Remixing music alongside the remixed fashion.

Tickets to the event are free; for more information please visit www.vinspired.com/gettrashed <http://www.vinspired.com/gettrashed>   

Young People Using Fertility MOTs

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Erica and Kenny An increasing number of young people are discovering the benefit of ‘fertility MOTs’, consultants have said, even if they have no immediate plans to start a family.

Patients can come in for fertility advice even if they aren’t yet trying for children, and have a full range of tests so they can decide when they should start thinking about a family.

Mrs Yasmin Sajjad, fertility consultant at Spire Liverpool Hospital said: “The growing popularity of our fertility MOTs reflects a rising trend of young couples and singles seeking peace of mind on their fertility status.”

As people get older some may find it increasingly difficult to conceive and fertility consultancy is valuable in providing early advice as to how long it is practical to wait.

Yasmin said: “At 25 – 27 years old a woman’s fertility is already starting to decline, and upon reaching 35, chances of conception have often halved. Women who take an early assessment of their fertility can make informed decisions about their options later down the line, including the possibility of having eggs frozen for a later date.”

Erica Wilson used the fertility MOT to help make an informed decision on when she and her husband should start trying for children, she said: “I came to Spire a few years ago for a fertility MOT at the age of 31.  I was keen to see if there were any issues, and help become better informed so myself and my husband Ken could find out when we should start trying for children.  It ended up being a very good decision because we found out early on that there were problems and it has given us time to address this.”

Erica is now going through a treatment called ICSI, Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection.  This involves injecting a single sperm into an egg in order to fertilise it, it’s then transferred back to the woman’s womb as an embryo.

Erica said: “So far we have undergone a few treatments of ICSI through the NHS.  The treatment went smoothly but unfortunately it hasn’t worked.  It’s now been diagnosed by Mrs Sajjad that I have certain cells, which identify the embryo being put back in my womb as a foreign body and I am now on a course of steroid treatment which should prevent this.  Ken and I are now really hopeful that we can start a family and having a fertility MOT has given us the time to solve the issues, and have a good chance at trying for a family before time and the odds are against us.”

Yasmin also said that they have seen an increase in the use of the clinic by couples in the middle of trying for a family. “Many couples are leaving it later to try for children, which simply put means they can’t afford to wait around.  If they have been trying for a year with no success then they should visit a GP, but often taking this route can mean they end up on waiting lists for tests and to see a fertility expert.  This wait can mean the difference between having a child and not, as some couples have left it too close in terms of their fertility or accessing IVF on the NHS, where the cut off for funding is often around the age of 40.  This means that the women should be referred for assisted conception treatment at least six months before their 40th birthday.

“Many older couples are now choosing to pay privately to find out if there is an issue straight away, then they can decide what action to take.”

The Fertility MOT includes a range of packages, all of which require only two visits to the hospital within the space of a week. The comprehensive process will provide a full assessment of a patient’s ability to conceive and identify any underlying factors that may prevent natural conception down the line.

Packages are available for men, women, and couples. Men receive an expert semen analysis, while women will be given a pelvic ultrasound scan, urine test and tubal patency test. Both will also have a full blood test to check hormone status.

Upon the second visit the results are discussed and potential options will be laid out.  From there consultants can give expert advice on future options, and advise any appropriate treatments.

Yasmin added: “Modern hectic lifestyles mean that more couples are choosing to postpone a family until later in life, so a fertility MOT can be invaluable in checking one’s options before it’s too late.”

Spire Liverpool Hospital is holding an information event for couples planning a family on Thursday 24 October, from 6.30 – 9pm.

 

New network launches to support young people inspired by recent sporting success

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sport for young peopleThe Performance Sports Network launched online this week to help aspiring and dedicated individuals aiming to become professional sportsmen and sportswomen. Anyone can make a difference by supporting young athletes and can go a step further by offering sponsorship, opportunities and special deals through the network.

Young people are encouraged to request whatever support they need for any sporting goal they are trying to achieve. That might be for equipment, training space, mentoring, coaching advice or sponsorship and they can easily post a video to show their talents. Once a request is made others can respond by making an offer directly to the individual.

“As soon as a request is created they can begin receiving support and proposals from peers, coaches, experts, organisations and sponsors,” explained network founder Chris Davis.

“As a football coach I see lots of kids who hope to make it as a professional. I know their chances are very small but I don’t believe this means they shouldn’t try. I believe that if anyone wants it enough they should have the best possible chance, regardless of their background. This network can provide everyone with access to experts, resources, opportunities and mentors to help and support them.

“We see how important Andy Murray’s backroom support is to him. Everyone from his coach Ivan Lendl to his mum and everyone in between has helped him succeed. We all need that sort of support – young children right through to college and university athletes,” Chris said.

“Very few of us may make it to Wimbledon or Wembley but there are lots of other opportunities in sport that dedicated training and learning open. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. There’s an inspiring saying I like that goes something like ‘Aim for the moon and even if you miss you’ll end among the stars.’ This is true for people wanting to get involved in professional sports. ”

As well as acting as a portal for any individuals to find help, the network has regular opportunities for training and experiences open to members. “This is a performance sports network but there is nothing exclusive about it. We want to provide everyone with equal access to quality sporting help and opportunities, regardless of background, educational level or location.”

Why did Chris start the network? “Like most kids when I was a young I wanted to be a sports star. I played most sports and at times when I was doing really well I thought it might be possible to make it as a professional,” he confessed. “But it’s hard when you are growing and moving up through the age groups. I was a good bowler and played cricket for the county, but one year I grew a few inches and suddenly my run up had to change and my bowling really dropped off. That type of set back can be enough to put an end to those dreams if the right support system is not in place.”

The performance sports network offers unique services and support tools for members “We are always looking for partnerships to offer the best possible opportunities to members. We are currently initiating a scheme to give people feedback on their own sporting videos. Video analysis can be really powerful and a great training aid, but not everyone has access to it. We invite people to share their videos and we can put them in touch with people who can give them constructive feedback and support. We hope to develop this into our own Sports App,” says Chris.

Sports coaches, personal trainers, suppliers or performance experts can offer their own expertise, products, services and expertise to help dedicated individuals. “Maintaining a career in sport often leads to coaching and related careers such as fitness or nutrition. We give people involved in sport many ways to promote themselves, their products, services, skills, courses and expertise. We want to encourage more people to give something back and share their own experiences with the next generation,” said Chris.

The Performance Sports Network helps people to achieve their sporting goals, learn new skills, overcome obstacles and achieve more. It is free for young people, organisations, experts, mentors and potential sponsors to register.

Sign up for free at http://performancesport.addmysupport.com

Interview with Joe Thomas of Fresh Meat

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Joe Thomas got to enact a childhood dream while filming the second series of Fresh Meat.

“I couldn’t quite believe it but basically I got to be filmed busking in the style of Blur,” says Joe. “It was like being able to vent my childhood dream of being in a band when my favourite band was Blur.”

Returning to university for the second term, Joe’s character Kingsley has a new look…

“In the last series Kingsley was relatively innocent but this term he is trying to contrive an image for himself – he has become quite pretentious, probably because he was quite badly hurt in the first term. This includes growing a little beard called a soul patch, which doesn’t really suit him, and developing an interest in music.

“On the downside I have to sing but on the upside it is a song written by Graham Coxon from Blur who are pretty much my favourite band of all time. I got to meet him and it was really nice to meet someone so famous who has done an awful lot with their life yet seemed very much a normal bloke. He is a fan of Fresh Meat which is why he wanted to be involved.

“It is interesting because the song isn’t supposed to be very good so Graham must have had to pull against all his natural instincts to write this tortuous and pretentious thing. The lyrics are very funny and it felt like we really got what we wanted from it; an adolescent, overly complicated epic.

“I do play guitar but only to a level many people can, which is a few chords to a few Blur songs. The only other person in the cast who sings in the series is Charlotte Ritchie, who is actually a professional singer, so it is an unfortunate point of comparison for me.”

The other major change in Kingsley’s life is the arrival of Heather…

“Kingsley has a new girlfriend, Heather, who is slightly cooler than Josie and maybe, in the long run, not as well-suited. However in the short term she is definitely more together and more able to organise a relationship and as Kingsley needs to be told what to do they fall into one. And immediately he is in way over his head.

“This series Kinglsey is getting on with the outward appearance of being grown up but fundamentally he is still sorting himself out. He doesn’t resolve any of his issues.

“Take the soul patch; it tends to be the first bit of hair that grows so it is a bit like a boy pretending to be a man. Also in Kingsley’s case trying to look a bit tougher.

On a personal note it wasn’t great for me to have to go round in my normal life with a soul patch either – it is not something I’d have chosen.

“It was an interesting experiment and I suppose made me appreciate not having it after I shaved it off. I might grow a full rugged beard one day; I can understand that back to nature, wild look but the soul patch isn’t really in the same category…”

So how does Kingsley feel about Josie this term?

“Kingsley is increasingly worried about Josie and he is really good to her as is not unaware that she is having a bad time. But when somebody is your friend but you do still really like each other it confuses things. So he has this mix of sympathy and desire which is frankly a bit weird. They have this relationship that neither of them are in control of.

“They both behave like they don’t care about each other, Kingsley is uber chilled and relaxed about her and Josie acts like she lives to party but neither of them mean that. They like stability and feeling at peace with the world but by carrying on as if they don’t care and are just free spirits they are damaging each other in the process. And as a consequence they mess up the opportunity to be together.”

So what were Joe’s stand out moments of the series?

“I got to do some minor stunts when we filming in the Peak District and I do like a tussle. There aren’t many times you get to wrestle in the great outdoors and let off a bit of steam; normally it is all about being very controlled. I didn’t do anything particularly adventurous but I got to fight with Greg or even better with Howard who is definitely not a fighter and probably hadn’t had any physical contact with a human for some time.

“And filming on location in the big country house was great – it was the only time it didn’t rain, apart from when we were in the Peak District, and it was so nice to sit in a garden rather than a car park outside the studios. A change of environment can really change your frame of mind plus there is always a bit of fun when cast and crew are staying in the same place – it’s a bit like a school trip!”

Joe is currently co-writing Chickens, a comedy series for Sky, with Simon Bird and Johnny Sweet in which they will also star.

Fresh Meat returns to Channel 4 on Tuesday 9th October at 10pm.

Don’t forget to check out Fresh Meat House which will launch 9th October directly after transmission of the first episode on Channel 4. Go to www.channel4.com/freshmeathouse for a tour of the student digs and to watch exclusive content released at the end of each episode.

Fresh Meat House is a new commission from Channel 4’s Education team who have a focus on life skills for young people

Edwina Currie, Ben Shephard go head-to-head to help young people cook

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The oven gloves are off as Edwina Currie and Ben Shephard go head-to-head to help young people master their signature dishes

 

Will Edwina’s Curry or Ben’s Shepherd’s Pie triumph in the
Red Tractor beef and lamb 5by25 challenge?

 

Celebrities Ben Shephard and Edwina Currie are hitting the road as part of the 5by25 campaign which calls for young people to master at least five simple dishes by the age of 25.  On 12th and 13th September, in an election-style campaign, Ben will be visiting southern England, whilst Edwina tours the north of England, in a bid to get young people up and down the country cooking and mastering their signature dishes.

 

Each celebrity is aiming to gain the biggest following for their dish by encouraging people to vote for their favourite via the campaign website www.5by25.com and by spreading the word through Facebook and Twitter.

 

TV presenter Ben Shephard will be visiting youth organisations and community centres in Southampton, Bristol and Watford, teaching young people to cook his very own version of the traditional Shepherd’s Pie.  Former politician, novelist and Strictly Come Dancing star Edwina Currie will be cooking her simple lamb curry – with her own special twist – in Wigan, Birmingham and Halifax, Yorkshire.

 

The young people taking part in the initiative are 16-25 years-olds currently involved with organisations around the country including The Prince’s Trust Fairbridge Programme, Kids Count, Food Positive, Southampton Voluntary Services and Focus on Food.  Each of these organisations have recognised how important learning to cook is as a life skill and that teaching the young, whatever their background or circumstance, is a key priority.  The organisations have been working with the Red Tractor beef and lamb 5by25 campaign to help make this happen.

 

Ben Shephard says: “I’m really looking forward to going on tour with 5by25 and, in the spirit of friendly competition, I am fired up about winning this challenge as I believe cooking is such a vital skill to learn.  More important than beating Edwina, success in this competition means ensuring young people master my simple shepherd’s pie and can cook the dish for their friends and family for years to come.”

 

Edwina Currie, novelist and Strictly Come Dancing star said: “All young people should have the choice to cook and feel empowered by the knowledge of how to select, prepare and cook simple dishes from fresh food. I can’t wait to get on the road and start teaching my delicious lamb curry to all the young people I will meet. Beating Ben aside, seeing my lamb curry become the champion dish means that young people across the country will learn the skills to cook from scratch and feel confident in the kitchen for years to come.”

 

The Red Tractor beef and lamb 5by25 campaign was launched in October 2011 after research revealed almost 60% of Britain’s 16-25 year-olds are leaving home without the ability to cook even a simple Spaghetti Bolognese.   The website is core to the campaign and contains a selection of simple but tasty recipes including Edwina’s Curry and Ben’s Shepherd’s Pie as well as guidance on selecting the best ingredients and food preparation.  Young people are encouraged to cook these simple meals from scratch and complete the ‘Master the Dish’ challenge.

 

Jane Ritchie-Smith, Head of Consumer Marketing at EBLEX, the organisation that founded the Red Tractor beef and lamb 5by25 campaign, said: “We’re very excited to have Ben Shephard and Edwina Currie involved in this year’s campaign which we hope will really boost the profile of 5by25.  It’s all about helping young people learn skills for life including time management, planning and self-sufficiency through cooking; but we’re hoping to have a bit of fun along the way as well!”

Ms Dynamite, Charlie Simpson joined young unemployed from across the UK in a ‘Walk for Work’

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Ms Dynamite and Charlie Simpson joined young unemployed from across the UK in a ‘Walk for Work’ to Westminster to raise awareness about the million UK young people out of work

Musicians Ms Dynamite and Charlie Simpson joined a congregation of young unemployed people from across the UK outside a Job Centre in central London, to take part in the ‘Walk for Work’ – a walk to Westminster to raise awareness about the million young people out of work in the UK, the highest number since records began.

At their head was Joseph Hayat, 18, from Lincoln and Hafsah Ali, 17, from Leicester who have been running a campaign as part of T4’s flagship youth campaigns show, Battlefront.

Joseph said: “The ‘Walk for Work’ is all about making a big noise and making sure the government continues to focus on youth unemployment and it’s another way to get employers to notice young people and all our amazing talents. We’re so thankful that Ms Dynamite came to join us today to help raise awareness!”

Dressed ‘ready for work’ in identical outfits of a bowler hat, smart suit and briefcase, the young unemployed, Ms Dynamite and Charlie Simpson walked side-by-side as a rigid cohort, starting from the Job Centre in Denmark Street to Parliament.

The walk culminated at Old Palace Yard, a historic site of protest opposite the Houses of Parliament, where the young people got into formation and held up huge numbers to reveal: 973,000 young people unemployed. The youngsters then took off their top halves of their outfits to reveal a ‘uniform of the unemployed’ – a ‘Ready for Work’ T-shirt that Joseph and Hafsah designed to help show young people are eager for employment.

The campaign message was simple: Young people are ready for work. They are not Neets (Not in Employment, Education or Training,) but Beets, (Brilliant, Enthusiastic, and Eager To Start!)

Joseph and Hafsah’s Ready for Work campaign for Battlefront will be broadcast on Channel 4 on 27th November 2011. For more information, please visit: http://www.battlefront.co.uk/

Young People In Politics: Ben Mallet Interview.

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It takes a lot for me to be impressed by people, Ben Mallet scores on this point. He is smart, passionate and obscenely young ( Still in his teens!). Ben is one of life’s doers, and, I am almost certain, will one day be Prime Minister. Keep an eye on him.

Why did you go into politics and why conservative?

I got involved with the Conservative party from quite a young age, not because I was a political anorak (I would hope), but because I’ve always thought its really important for young people to take an interest in decisions being made by governments, that are going to affect people of my age, later on.

How do you think we get more people involved in politics?

I think the key to involving young people in politics, is acknowledging that the majority of young people are already interested in politics, just not the politics that we see on BBC Parliament.

If you were to ask one of my friends, “What do you think of the Coalition government?” then I would happily bet that they’re eyes would glaze over and they would have lost interest before you’d even finished the question. Where as, if you were to ask “What do you think of the Coalition government’s policy to increase tuition fees?” then you would get a completely different reaction- probably one involving a pretty lively response.

To give another example, I was at a Kingston council meeting last week and the Lib Dems decided that they were going to launch a motion stating their opposition to the rise in Tuition fees. The audience was mostly made up of local teenagers coming to hear the debate and three even got up to speak!

It’s all about making politics RELEVANT to young people.

Tell me about setting up the Richmond park CF
Richmond Park Conservative Future is a real success story, although not just my own. So many people worked to make RPCF what it is today- not least Zac Goldsmith.

Our underlying principle, as I’ve just stated, is making politics relevant to young people. As a result, we held Summer & Christmas parties, inviting loads of local teenagers to come and quiz Zac on what he stands for, as well as enjoying themselves. Combined, over 350 people came to these events. We’ve also held discussions with local politicians and events at the local universities.

We also teamed up with a local autism charity to hold a sponsored Fun-Run in Richmond Park, raising hundred’s of pounds for a really great local organisation.

How did you get involved with Zac Goldsmith

I first met Zac when I volunteered to work in the local association office- he had just been selected as the parliamentary candidate and was looking to really launch his campaign locally.
I got involved because Zac wanted lots of young people to get involved- and so the ball began to roll.

You got new 180 members at The Kingston Fresher’s Fayre. How does that feel?

I feel very humbled by it. It was a total team effort and there was a lot of effort involved. The explosion of young people’s engagement in local politics we witnessed wouldn’t have happened if it hadn’t been for the energy displayed by Zac or the campaign team. I am honoured, however, to have acted as a catalyst.

Why do you think there is a stigma to being a Tory?

This is a question that a lot of people ask me- the truth is that the Conservative party has always had some “Marmite” tendencies- you either love them or you hate them. As a result there are some areas of the country and some groups of people who will always hate the Tories- for what they did decades ago that haven’t yet been forgiven.

The flip side of the coin is that there are some areas of the country and some groups of people who love the Tories.
The Conservative party is one of the oldest political parties in the world and so it’s history ultimately plays a big part in the party’s perception today.

Why are you a Tory?
I think its all about trust. When you strip off all the political party slogans, logos, PR machines and spin doctors, it all comes down to how each party treats people.

The Labour party doesn’t trust anyone. It doesn’t trust me to not be a racist or a nutter, so it imposes ridiculous political-correctness and health and safety laws. It doesn’t trust doctors, teachers or even the police to do their job, so it imposes layers of bureaucracy, targets and by-laws. It doesn’t trust my community to make decisions themselves so leaves the power with bureaucrats in Whitehall and doesn’t trust businesses to work effectively, so imposes heavy regulations and red-tape. And to fund all this centralization, they have to ask for huge amounts of tax on everything from Income to Bingo.

I believe that the Conservative party does trust people. Michael Gove’s plan to allow parents, communities or organisations to set up their own schools is one example of this. Another example is Andrew Lansley’s plans to give more power to doctors, or Eric Pickle’s policy to radically decentralize power to local councils. The Prime Minister’s Big Society is all about trust.

Thank you Ben.