01.07.24
INSPIRE CHARITY INTERVIEW
Inspire Interview
Hashim and Emj
In this interview, we assessed the role of charities in helping those with special needs and who are more vulnerable than others in the Nottingham community, and how well they were being helped, both by the charities and the government. Initially, we interviewed the CEO, Thulani Molife, of a shop named Inspire.
One of the staff members who worked there was a man named Ralph, who was in charge of managing a recording studio that had an array of equipment to suit and cater to every member’s individual needs. Previously, members of Inspire who struggled with mobility issues, learning difficulties and had been told that music wasn’t for them, or that they didn’t have the ability to produce something special by being able to utilise music or have the opportunity to do so. In particular, when we arrived they were in the process of moving all of their recording equipment downstairs to the ground floor, in order to allow one of their members, Mike, who was a wheelchair user, access to the equipment, to have the same opportunity to use music just like everyone else.
Ralph said:
“Music is stimulating and helps develop our members’ ability to listen, make sounds and enjoy creating music. We listen to and respond to a wide range of music. We can respond to sound and images in so many different ways, through facial responses, body movement, signs, dance, and expressive language.”
“ We create the opportunity to make the sounds and music that can accompany our stories we create or those created by others for film and animation or live performance.”
“The way I see it, we’re outcasting people from talking to others and integrating into society – by forcing them to have to use a computer and software, away from traditional equipment, perceiving it to be plainly easier and not challenging, we are taking away that vulnerability that every artist faces.”
“For me, it’s all about contact with others, talking to others, helping others, and our members understand that philosophy the most because they know what its’ like for people to not show any contact with them. Creative freedom and being able to express yourselves in a manner within which you are the most comfortable, but at the same time pushing yourself to go out of your comfort zone, and not just stick to the pre-designated boundaries within which society has drawn for them.”
Ralph showed us the recording studio, which included pianos, microphones, 4 computers, 2 bass guitars, an electric guitar, ukulele and much more. As a part of their 8-10 week course routine they even made their own song! One member, named Mike, who struggled with learning difficulties, was able to effectively use and record using a loop station and DJ mixer, and had his own music podcast, skills with which he was taught by Inspire. The staff there seemed very down to earth, and any pre-conceived notions of any barriers with each other seemed non-existent, as the members there also seemed joyful, playful and humorous, and they were in an environment in which they thrived.
In addition to music, they also wanted to create films aswell, one member, named Sam, who had mutism, decided that he wanted to create a silent film using puppets, learning skills such as editing a greenscreen, creating an original sound track with their equipment and being able to record a video and splice it together afterwards. Sam wouldn’t of been able to do any of this without the help of Inspire, who were able to provide equipment to allow him to do so.
Ralph said:
“Storytelling and drama enable us to create a full and fun learning experience that is both engaging and educational on a social and personal level. Our approach is an inclusive one that brings together all aspects of creative approaches using film, puppets, animation, digital art, sound effects and music. Developing themes that our members can relate to, we create and recreate stories ancient and modern that bring together members in collaborative and skill building projects.”
Interview
Why did you want to be a part of Inspire?
Thulani – “Inspire was founded in 1995, and I joined in 2015. In truth I wasn’t expecting to have stayed for this long *laughs*
So the government said they needed to come out of the institutions, special schools and go into the community. So there were few set-up places like Mencap, and some other [national] companies that started, but the parents who started here noticed that the provision for their children was not sufficient. So if they went to college, a lot of them were pushed through statutory education, which is [where] they need a bit longer.” [1]
[1] The statutory system of public education consists of three progressive stages: primary education, secondary education and further education.
“Our members need a lot longer than that, because they’ve got learning difficulties. […] Some of them are on the autistic spectrum, some have mobility issues, delayed learning, speech. Some of them can’t see properly, can’t hear properly so there was no statutory position that would care for them. So it was set up here.
“So I joined 7 years ago. I never thought I’d be staying this long. *laughs* I just thought, you know, I’d come, and it was a happenstance that I got here. But it’s the members that make the difference; when you see them, you’ll know why.
“They’re all individuals, they’re all fantastic in their own ways, and for me, it’s about making a little difference in their lives because they can go away everywhere, but a lot of them have come and stayed with us because we look after them, we see them as a person. We see their ability before their disability, and that’s always the problem that a lot of places will say ‘Oh no you’ve got a disability so you can’t do this’.
“And we’ve got lovely stories. We’ve got a lady here called Joyce in her fifties. She’d never been swimming. She’d never ridden a [bi]cycle. And, like any kid, you know, you have friends busy on [bi]cycles, and going swimming. She couldn’t because her parents said ‘Oh you’ve got a learning difficulty, you’re gonna hurt yourself!’ You know, ‘You’re gonna put people in danger, […] you’re going put yourself in danger!’ so she never did those. She came to us and she said ‘Awww I’ve always wanted to go ride a [bi]cycle’ so we said ‘Yeah! Right, we’re going to put you on a course [of] how to ride safely, give you all the safety equipment you need.’
We got in touch with a company who teaches people how to learn to ride a [bi]cycle and got her to cycle! It absolutely transformed her life. Suddenly she was ‘normal’ again, and she could go to the places she wanted to. And again with her swimming, and this was a bigger group of people who were told, you know, ‘You can’t swim’ so we said ‘Ok. We’ll put on some swimming courses for her.’ They came, they can swim now which means they are able to go to sea. You know, all the things they were stopped from doing because people were frightened on their behalf rather than taking in what they wanted to do.
“One of the things that we do is we hide our learning. So, in DJing skills, and things like baking, arts and crafts – baking’s a great example – we wouldn’t say to them ‘You’re learning maths today,’ we’d say ‘Ok, what we want you to do is we want you to go and do some baking’. So you go, source the ingredients, you know what the prices are, you weigh, you cook, you time, and at the end of the day you say, ‘What do you realise? You’ve learnt addition, subtraction, division, all the things which, you know, [if] we’d just sat them down and said ‘We want you to do maths’, a lot of them have had bad experiences of schools, so they’re slower at getting stuff so, and unfortunately, people are not always sensitive to those needs so here they come, they learn with computers. We don’t say ‘Do [computing]’, we say ‘What are you interested in?’.
“One of our students did a lovely piece on Ava Lovelace […] and before she’d been to other places where they said ‘You’re gonna do [computing]’, and they were taking her bit by bit through. You know she knew a bit, she didn’t know it all, but the fact that it was being dictated to her what she could do. Here, we said, ‘Ok you want to know about Ava Lovelace? Do your research’, and she went, did her research, did this marvellous piece of work. Even her parents in the places she stayed, even one of her old school teachers said ‘I didn’t think this was possible she’d know this much’ but again, it’s all about learning.”
”We’ve got another student named Joe, who came here, he’s got his own music podcast, his own DJing things. […] He came, said I’m interested in music so we said, ‘We’ve got this equipment, what are you really interested in?’ And he says, ‘I’d like to do a podcast’. So we said Ok. [We] took him through what he needs to do now he’s doing it himself.
So even the simple things make a world of difference for them?
“Oh yeah, and it’s the simple things. Everybody thinks you’ve gotta spend loads of money and be doing all this fantastic stuff but it’s not. It’s about working with the person, finding out what their passion is, and then working from what their passion is, and not saying ‘Well, I’m sorry you can’t do that’ […] like the lady who did the Ava Lovelace project, ‘Oh you can’t do that because you haven’t got access to a computer’, ‘It’ll take you ages, you know, we’ll have to give you 1-to-1 [sessions]’ and people put barriers unknowingly, because they’re not looking at the person, they’re looking at them, and then projecting their barriers. Like ‘Oh, can’t swim because you’ve got a learning difficulty’, it doesn’t make a difference in the fact that swimming is in water, and everyone who gets in is cold, and in the beginning you panic because you don’t know what’s happening, but then you get better.
So you were talking about the members previously, how many members do you currently have?
”We have 30. And [they] are different ages from 24 to 76, [which] is our eldest member and it really works well because they learn from each other, they teach each other. The older members remember the ‘bad old days’. The newer ones, for them this is just normal. This is what they do, and then the older ones learn from the younger ones, and also there is a lot of learning which is sort of like … ‘You’ve got this, do you realise you can do this?’ […] One of the things is when we do activities week is we go out and we take them. We’ve been to the Sea Life Centre, National Space Museum. We took them to Cadbury’s World. So all the outings that you know, they get in, they socialise, we look after them, they have a great time. And it’s all about showing them that there’s more to life and helping them live more independent lives. So with our baking, for example, it’s again, […] they cook, and then they take the stuff home. In other places, you know, they’re taught how to. Somebody sits and says, ‘this is what you do’. And that’s all, they just learn. We just say, ‘If you’ve made it, it’s yours, take it away’. And 9 times out of 10, they come to me and say ‘This is what I’ve made for you’, and that’s really lovely. And there’s a few things that they do and they want to be part of society, but sometimes society has a problem accepting them.
So once people see what they can do, then people are happy.
“We’ve had situations, because we’ve got a shop downstairs, that sometimes we get people to come in and sort of say, oh, no, I don’t want to be served by this person because they’ve got learning difficulties. And I’d say, well, if you went into Marks and Spencer’s or Tesco’s or anywhere, would you say the same? And they’re saying, ‘Well, no’. Well, why would you be saying the same about somebody here? You’d give them that extra time, you know, to just let them be themselves. And, you know, and a lot of them are really passionate.”
“We’ve got one who supports Notts County, mad about Notts County, goes to the home matches, goes to the away matches. And whenever we have a project, he’s done things like badges, bags, T-shirts, you know, all the things that sort of say, OK, if you want to do support your team, what’s your project? What would you like to do? And then you get them to do it. And it’s just fantastic.
13.06.24
Where do people like to hang out in Nottingham?
We went into Nottingham City Centre to find out what people’s favourite hang out spots. We toured multiple stores and shopping centres. Many people had a varied taste of a relaxed atmosphere with coffee shops and clothing stores being a favourite destination for many of them.
Starbucks is a very popular destination in Nottingham, and was often said to be a favourite spot to relax. The coffee shop had a chill atmosphere, and the baristas were friendly to us. Some families were enjoying their time together in the cafe. The service was quick and easy, and a variety of drinks and food were available to buy. It’s a good place for food in the morning and in the afternoon. In the end, Starbucks, Costa and Café Nero were a popular place to sit back and to enjoy a soothing beverage.
(Image to the left is of Starbucks in the Old Market Square, Nottingham – source Google Images)
After we were done in Starbucks, we interviewed one of the workers. She said that: “My favourite place to go is Primark”
Primark is a fashionable outlet in which people go
to purchase clothing, the Primark in the city centre is
a favourable place to go to try and buy clothes. It is an affordable clothing store and offers a range of clothes for children, women and men. Many people visit the shop to buy new clothes for their wardrobe.
(Image to the right shows Primark in Nottingham – source is Google images (Yell))
One of the favourite places for all avid book readers was Waterstones. It had hundreds of copies of books. There are five floors in the store including a café, where you can read your recent purchase with a coffee and cake. There is also a children’s area to encourage young readers.
Also in Nottingham we interviewed a police officer who said their favourite shop in the Victoria centre was Next. Next is a big brand in the UK with almost 700 stores nationwide, this brings in many visitors to try on the various products like clothing, fragrances and accessories.
(Image of Next from Google images (Victoria Centre))
We interviewed some of the Next employees and one of them said “the Arboretum”. The Arboretum is a park next to Nottingham Trent University. It is a great place for students to hang out. It helps them relax and take their minds off work and studies. The worker said he loved to run there in the morning. There are many plants and ponds in the area, and it is a great place to see wildlife, especially near the City Centre. It is easily accessible from the trams with the High School stop being used for the Arboretum.
(image to the left showing one of the 18 hole golf courses at the Lost City in the Cornerhouse – source Google Images))
After this we decided to interviews some employees
The Lost City is a hidden golf course underneath the Nottingham renowned Corner house, The Lost City is a 36 hole golf course with two 18 hole golf courses. It is a favourite for parties. There are cool features hiding in the place, such as an animatronic snake, a bridge across the sky and a talking tree! Everytime you go, you see a new detail that makes the experience surreal. There is also a bar where after you enjoy your mini golf, you can have a refreshing drink. The Cornerhouse is a favourite place to visit in your freetime. It features an arcade which is always popular among locals, a cinema where you can watch the latest movies and multiple restaurants surrounding the area, making an evening trip more enjoyable.
A little after that we decided to interview some
fast food restaurants, this being KFC. The restaurant
is a fried chicken restaurant that serves food to the
many that come in on a daily basis, as you order from
a full automic kiosk, the friendly staff receive the order
and it is a very quick service. It is around one of the
KFC stores and so it wasn’t that busy half the time,
which is an added bonus.
After all these interviews, we found out that many people have different opinions about where they like to visit in Nottingham. Some like the peace and quiet and others like to work out in a gym in their free time. We have highlighted some of the most popular places that are always busy with people.
Summer In Nottingham
There are many fun and exciting things to get up to in Nottingham over the summer, but it can sometimes be confusing to know what’s on and when? So we have compiled a list of fun activities to do with your friends and family this summer.
A simple, fun and popular activity to do with your friends is to go bowling in Nottingham city centre has the perfect place to do so. Nottingham Bowl is a classic bowling alley and also includes an arcade and karaoke area. They accept both walk-ins and bookings and can be found at http://www.nottinghambowl.co.uk.
Another fun activity to do with your friends is to play laser tag, and Laser Tag Nottingham has a large indoor space and is perfect for ages 7 and up. This means it would be a good activity to do if it was raining as you don’t need to be outside. So during the rainy summer days, you can book to play some laser tag at http://www.lasertagnottingham.com.
Mini golf is a popular summer activity and is available to play at Lost City Adventure Golf, inside the Corner House. This is a fun, friendly competition you can do with your friends and has two different 18 hole courses allowing you to play multiple games. They accept walk-ins and there is no need to book.
Nottingham city centre is home to some interesting activities that you may not have done anything like before. For example, you could spend a day with your friends at Axed Nottingham, which is where you could do axe throwing.This unique and exciting sport will be like nothing you have done before, and is a great way to avoid boredom this summer. If this is something you are interested in, you can book a session at Axedglobal.com, or find them on the 2nd floor of the Cornerhouse on Burton Street.
If you like chilling tales of ghosts, another thrilling thing you could do over the holidays is the original Nottingham Ghost Walk, which will be taking place on Saturdays and Wednesdays this summer. This walk is ½ a mile long, and will tell you stories such as the cursed galleon at the Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, and spooky stories of Queen Isabella’s screams. This trip will be an original experience if you haven’t taken the walk before, as it is the only Ghost walk in Nottingham, and will contain interesting stories which include the city’s history. They also offer private walks, where you and friends or family can all take this fascinating and eerie walk, and a walk for children, which include extra things like horrible histories inspired content. If this is something that you think you would enjoy, tickets (which are £9 for anyone over twelve, and free for those under) can be bought at http://www.thenottinghamghostwalk.co.uk, or QR code here:
If you are looking for more of an adventure for a day out, you could take time to visit Creswell Crags, a historical site home to caves which were the home to people who lived there in the ice age. When visiting, you get to see artwork etched into the stone walls of the cave, and many stone tools used by people over 40,000 years ago in their museum, as well as learning about the animals who used to live in that area. This is a great trip for anyone who wants to spend a day in nature, learning about the fascinating history of humans throughout the ice age. From walking through caves to around the gorge, a day here is something that could be enjoyed with family, and a great way to get you out the house this summer. Creswell Crags is located on the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire border, and is open 10AM to 5PM from March to September. To book tickets, go to creswell-crags.org.uk.
Another fun thing you can do this summer holiday is go to the Theatre Royal to see one of the many amazing shows they put on there.
The Theatre Royal has many different shows over the summer including “Mr Toad”, showing Monday 17th- Tuesday 18th of June, a story based on the characters from The Wind in the Willows. This would be a great play to see if you want to spend time with younger members of the family, as it is suitable for children over the age of three. If you wanted something for an older age group though, the tour of “Grease! The Musical” is showing from Tuesday 27th August- Saturday 31st August. This classic musical is bursting with a brilliant score and a cast full of talented performers. If you are looking for something a bit more mature, “The Colin McIntyre Classic Thriller Season 2024” may be for you. This is a month long event consisting of 4 different plays all with a different chilling story. The age guidance is 12+. You can book tickets to all these shows at trch.co.uk.
There are also many more plays and productions going on at the Nottingham Playhouse, adding to the list of things possible to see on stage this summer. These productions include:
- The Trials by Dawn King- This play is about the world years into the future, when climate change has taken over Earth. The plot revolves around three adults, who are defendants, being judged by a jury of twelve teenagers, as they are from the generation that caused the climate crisis in the world that young people now have to live in.
- Imagination, The Showcase!- performed by We Are Hazza Theatre School, this is the story of Dolly and how her imagination explodes right in front of her eyes.
- Dear Evan Hansen- A musical telling the story of an anxious teenage boy named Evan who wants nothing more than to fit in, and is willing to tell some lies to do so. However when the lies catch up with him, will he tell the truth and go back to waving through the window? Or will he let the lies spiral out of control?
If you are interested in developing your theatrical skill in a fun and fast paced environment, then you could look into the “Shows in a Week” at the Nottingham Arts Theatre. The first of the 4 weeks is the “Play in a Week” in which participants will develop their skills in acting and their confidence. This week is particularly good for the less confident participants as you don’t need a large role to show off your talents. The second is “We Love Musicals”, a showcase of songs, dances and dialogue from an array of different musicals, allowing participants to try many different things and figure out where their talents lie. The third week is “The Show in a Week”, where a musical is cast, learnt and performed entirely within the week. These are particularly impressive and are an enjoyable experience for everyone involved. Finally, “We Love Musicals Too” will be performed as in the last few years, the “We Love Musicals” performance has been overbooked and due to its popularity, they will be performing it twice, allowing all of the participants to showcase all their individual talents. You can book onto any of these workshops at nottinghamartstheatre.co.uk.
The Castle also has some summer activities for those interested in theatre. On Saturday 20th of July at 7.00pm, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet will be performed in the Castle’s outdoor theatre space. This would be a great opportunity to watch theatre performed in a different way and to enjoy some older works that are still entertaining even today.
Nottingham Castle also has many other activities available for the Summer and this is particularly useful as all under 15s go free into the Castle so if you are in Year 7,8 or 9 this could be the perfect day out for you. They have many different walks you could take around the grounds, alongside the Museum and Gallery inside the Castle itself. It could be a fun summer day out for your whole family!
Waterstones is an amazing bookshop, just off the Market Square and is home to many events and author talks over the summer. On the 20th of June, Jennifer Saint and Bea Fitzgerald are celebrating the release of their new books “Hera” and “Girl, Goddess, Queen”. If you enjoy Greek mythology, you should definitely try these books and come along to Waterstones to get them signed. On the 25th of June, Jack Jordan will be discussing his new thriller “Redemption”. Lindsey Kelk will be joined by Paige Toon and Mike Gayle on the 2nd of July to celebrate her new book “Love Story”, a classic romance book. Richard. J. Evans will be discussing his new book “Hitler’s People: The Faces of the Third Reich” so if you enjoy history and want to know more about WWII then this could be very interesting. If you’d like to learn more or book onto any of these events then you can do so at http://www.waterstones.com/events.
Photo Credits
- Nottingham Bowl LinkedIn
- Lost City Adventure Golf Tripadvisor
- Axed Nottingham FaceBook
Our Experience at the Lost City Adventure Golf
Pricing
Once arriving, the first thing we have to do is pay, the price for a normal individual for an 18 hole round is £11, however, the Lost City Adventure Golf offers a wide variety of offers, one of which we were able to capitalise on which was the ‘early bird’ discount that is applicable everyday before 12 noon, which meant we only had to pay £14 for 36 hole experience, which in our opinion was very good value for money. Moreover, one of us decided to get a can of Diet Coke, which was £2, that we believed was quite expensive, yet it was cold, nevertheless, still quite expensive. Moreover, when having a look at the food prices, the price of Garlic bread was £5.50, which we believed seemed quite expensive at the time, yet we do feel it is slightly unfair for us to comment on, as we do not know the size of the portions or the quality of the food. Overall, we think that the prices are slightly expensive, however, we would definitely not call it ‘a rip off’, and if you are able to capitalise on some of the discounts or bundles, you can definitely get some very good value, if you are interested in some more of the prices, they are down here:
20.05.24
ARE THE FA DOING ENOUGH ABOUT BEHAVIOURAL OFFENCES IN FOOTBALL VIA THE USE OF REFEREES?
One of the main sources of discomfort amongst fans are the referees in games. Sometimes, they are the best thing – awarding penalties and free kicks galore that would help your team get closer to that all important goal. Sometimes, it’s the complete opposite – referees keep making decisions as if they would rather the other team won and would do everything in their power to let that happen, ignoring the behaviour on the pitch. On GOV.UK, it quotes the job description of a referee is to ‘take charge of matches and make sure players compete within the rules of the game’ But do they? There will always be some bias in opinion, everyone seeing a bad decision against their team will say it’s a wrong decision while the team who benefits will claim all is fair, but in some cases it’s just obvious as to whether the decision is right or wrong.
An example of where a referee has made a rightful decision is in the 2024 Carabao Cup Final, Liverpool v Chelsea. Tension was high as the game entered the second half, still goalless. After a free kick, Van Dijk scored, but was ruled offside after some VAR (video assistant referee) magic. Endo, a Liverpool midfielder, was seen holding back Chelsea’s Colwill in an offside position, resulting in the goal being taken off the score sheet. As well as this, VAR spotted Colwill being pulled back by Van Dijk, so both Liverpool players are seen interfering. Dermot Gallagher, Sky Sports’ ‘Ref Watch’ presenter, says “I think it was [the right decision]. John Brooks [on VAR] alerted him because none of the match officials would have seen it on the field”. This proves that the FA does do enough against behavioural offences, as they’ve trained their referees correctly to spot these things so wrong behaviour is punished.
However, another meeting of Chelsea and Liverpool counters this. The score was 4-1 to Liverpool, however uproar was brought about throughout the game. Rio Ferdinand, an ex-Manchester United and England player, insisted that Chelsea should have been awarded ‘2 spot kicks’, and quotes that should these penalties have been given it would’ve ‘changed the nature of the game’. Additionally, there were checks done after the game which confirmed that Chelsea was treated unfairly. In this case, behaviour was not put right. Liverpool played dirty and had gotten away with it, while Chelsea bearded the burden of unrightful refereeing.
Overall, referees can be seen as either the highlight or the worst thing of the game. The FA cannot babysit all of them, but correct decisions seem to be something the referees do struggle with. Are they being trained enough to spot these things?
20.05.24
Feminism
By definition, feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes.
Why and how did feminism start? The first ever feminist movement was held in 1848 and is usually tied to the first formal Women’s Right Convention. The main reason feminism started to become more advocated is because women wanted more opportunities for themselves, with a focus on suffrage at first. Suffrage is the right to vote in political issues.
The most famous movements/organisations of feminism are the Suffragettes and Suffragists. The Suffragettes were part of the ‘Votes for Women’ movement that fought in the UK in 1880. The Suffragettes used art, propaganda, debate and attacks on property (including window smashing and arson) to fight for female suffrage. Their most memorable ‘stunt’ was burning bras in the streets of the UK. The founding member of the Suffragettes was Emmeline Pankhurst and she led the organisation until it disbanded in 1918. The Suffragists were also a Women’s Rights movement but they had a more sedated approach than the Suffragettes. The Suffragists believed in using peaceful protest and tactics. The Suffragists started in the late 1800s and were led by Millicent Fawcett. The Suffragists strongly believe that attacks on properties were not right. However, both groups wanted the same things. Equality for women.
Women fought for 72 years for the right to vote and in 1928, they achieved their goal.
One of the most persistent misconceptions about feminism is that it’s anti-men. For example, feminists hate men and think they’re all the same (negative people). When in reality, feminism seeks gender equality, not female superiority. It encourages a more inclusive society where all genders are treated with respect and have equal opportunities. For example, men and women in the same level position/job, should have the same pay. There are women out there, who do have extreme views on feminism, that aren’t necessarily right. But that is not what feminism stands for overall.
In conclusion, feminism has been developed over the years and women had to fight really hard for what girls and young women have today. There is no doubt that there is still sexism today but it is less prominent.
15.01.24
THE POST OFFICE SCANDAL
25 years later, the recognition that this Post Office Scandal deserves is finally coming to light. In 1999, Fujitsu introduced a new piece of software into Post Offices all over the UK called Horizon to ‘revolutionise’ post-related payments. Little was it known that this system was to change over 736 sub-postmasters’ lives forever. A faulty system that was continually backed as working ‘perfectly fine’ by the Post Office put the post office workers in debt – up to tens of thousands of pounds that the workers a) could not afford and b) were not even guilty of losing.
When these office workers attempted to fix the problem through multiple calls to Horizon, they were simply told it was ‘just them’ and that they must pay back all money lost, even if it meant mortgaging their houses. For some, the pressure of uprising debt and constant court threats drove them to take their own lives.
However, there was one man who turned it all around in the end, and his name was Mr Bates. A prominent advocate for justice and the inspiration of ITV’s drama, Alan Bates, has said he is not finished in fighting the scandal. In an interview with Sky News, the man who led a campaign for justice on behalf of subpostmasters said that now his top priority is to sort out compensation claims from Post Office scandal victims. He organised the meetings where the victims of the scandal could meet and know that they were indeed, not alone.
It’s taken a long time, but the scandal has come to some sort of end with some sort of sense of completion. A group of post office operators won a High Court judgement that their convictions were invalid in 2019, and it was finally put right with the statement that Horizon was to blame. In 2021, that decision was confirmed on appeal, which annulled the convictions of certain workers and set out a path to compensation. However, it does leave us with one main question; Who really was to blame? Was it the lawyers? Or were they only doing their job? Was it the government? Were they standing by who they knew had the money? The Post Office? Was it a case of reputation over what was right? Or was it Fujitsu – the ones who created the problem in the first place.
20.11.23
Nottingham news – ice hockey player Adam Johnson dies after neck injury
On October 28th, Adam Johnson from the Nottingham Panthers collided with Matt Petgrave of the Sheffield Steelers, breaking his neck due to a skate. After being brought to the hospital, the 29-year-old was declared dead. Although the man was taken into custody, South Yorkshire Police reported that he had been freed on bail. Johnson’s death was earlier referred to as a “freak accident” by Nottingham Panthers. Johnson was from Hibbing, Minnesota, in the US, and his passing caused anguish to be felt all around the world. Additionally, a representative for South Yorkshire Police stated, “We will provide further updates as and when we can. Our investigation continues.”
On November 18th, the Adam Johnson Memorial Game will be held at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena. The team declared that it wished to respect every aspect of Johnson’s identity as a player and a person. The exhibition game between the Panthers and Manchester Storm will begin at 19:00. Omar Pacha, the club’s CEO, expressed gratitude to partners and supporters for their endurance during a “difficult time.”
The accident has caused many questions to be asked. What will happen to Matt Petagrave? Will he be left alone? Was it really a ‘freak accident’? Many of Nottingham’s community believe that the way the skate hit Johnson was in no way accidental – ‘no one’s leg goes up like that when they fall’. However, it would be unfair to assume that it was manslaughter if it really was just an accident. Petagrave himself has not released a statement to the public.
Nottingham Castle reviews. On 29th June, students visited Nottingham Castle. Here are some of the reviews. 29.06.23
Nestled in the heart of Nottingham City Centre stands the majestic Nottingham Castle, a testament to centuries of rich history and captivating tales. Perched upon a sandstone outcrop, this iconic landmark has enthralled visitors for generations, offering a journey through time and a glimpse into the region’s past.
Dating back to the medieval era, Nottingham Castle has witnessed a myriad of events, making it an essential destination for history enthusiasts and curious explorers. While the original castle was constructed in the 11th century, the structure that stands today is a 17th-century reconstruction, following a tumultuous history of destruction and reconstruction.
As one approaches the castle, its imposing façade commands attention, rising above the cityscape. The castle’s architecture reflects the transformation it has undergone throughout the centuries. The mixture of medieval and Jacobean elements merges harmoniously, showcasing the craftsmanship and vision of the builders who pieced it together.
One of the castle’s best exhibits is the Rebellion Gallery, dedicated to the legend of Robin Hood, the heroic outlaw who roamed Sherwood Forest. Visitors can explore the folklore surrounding this enigmatic figure, discovering tales of his exploits, his merry band of companions, and his encounters with the infamous Sheriff of Nottingham. Through interactive displays and multimedia presentations, the gallery brings this timeless folklore to life, captivating audiences of all ages.
Venturing beyond the museum’s confines, the castle’s grounds beckon visitors to explore further. The beautifully landscaped gardens offer respite from the bustling city, providing a tranquil oasis with picturesque views of Nottingham and the surrounding countryside. The castle’s strategic positioning atop a hill grants panoramic vistas, revealing the city’s evolving skyline and highlighting the fusion of past and present.
For those seeking a deeper understanding of Nottingham’s history, a visit to the caves beneath the castle is an absolute must. These ancient subterranean passages have served various purposes over the centuries, from providing shelter during times of war to housing wine cellars and even serving as a tannery. Guided tours take visitors on an underground journey, shedding light on the castle’s hidden secrets and illuminating the lives of those who sought refuge in its depths.
In recent years, Nottingham Castle has undergone an extensive renovation, reinvigorating the site and adding new attractions to its repertoire. The enhanced visitor experience now includes a state-of-the-art visitor centre, where interactive displays and multimedia installations bring the castle’s history to life in engaging and innovative ways.
Nottingham Castle stands as a testament to the resilience of a city and its people, surviving the trials of time and emerging as a beacon of cultural heritage. Whether one is captivated by tales of legendary outlaws, fascinated by medieval history, or simply seeking a serene escape, Nottingham Castle offers an unforgettable journey through the annals of England’s past. With its compelling exhibits, breathtaking surroundings, and timeless allure, this historic gem continues to captivate the hearts and minds of all who venture within its walls.
Nottingham Castle
A review of this historic building in the city centre of Nottingham.
Introduction 
To introduce, as a group on the 29th of June for our School’s activities day, we went on a trip to visit Nottingham Castle to explore the wonderful features and the significant history that lies within. We walked through the city centre to the castle and our viewings of the castle began at 10am as it opened the gates for the public!
The caves
For £5 extra, there are tours of the caves underneath the castle available at set times in the day. These start with a safety briefing and last around 40 minutes. The tour guide explains the deep historical significance of the castle and the caves, telling the story of Richard the Third along the way down. We learnt that after settling in Nottingham in the 7th Century, early inhabitants of the area soon discovered that the soft sandstone terrain was perfect for carving out caverns and tunnels. Currently, 800 caves have been discovered but an estimated 2,000 are yet to be discovered.There are hand-rails the entire way through the caves, as well as steps to make the descent easier and much safer.
The cafe
There is a cafe adjacent to the gift shop, with a small variety of drinks and snacks such as milkshakes, coffee, ice-cream,soup of the day and a selection of cakes. The cafe offers a substantial amount of vegan options, such as two vegan cake slices and some light vegan snacks. As well as this, it offers plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Although it only had one member of staff running it, it was fairly decent.
The Gift shop
As a part of the castle, there was a large, openly spaced gift shop with a variety of different souvenirs and some lovely gift options linking to the castle and particularly Robin Hood. There were teddy bears, pencils, pens, rubbers, different mini toys which were all great options appealing to many particularly younger children who are able to visit the castle. The range of gifts available really added to the experience giving many of us the opportunity to buy an item to remember our trip.
The view
Due to being situated at a high point in the city centre, the castle grounds offer a stunning panoramic view of the city of Nottingham below. This is due to the fact that the castle was a fortress during battles in the past, so it would have been a tactical advantage to have the high ground to spot any attackers. You can also see the lace market from there, which is a core part of the industrial history of Nottingham and was an important area of the city throughout history proving a strong point and resources for those in the castle. This is due to a vast number of caves leading from lace market to the castle and vice versa.
(lace market buildings with red brick on the far left hand side)
The museum and gallery
Inside the restored main building, there are collections exhibiting art, lace, Robin Hood and many others such as an interactive rebellion gallery. It is a great opportunity to learn about the history behind such an impressive castle, and the story of the area of Nottingham over the years. It shows how the castle has been a beacon of power and protest, and our favourite part was the Craft gallery where many intricate and beautiful craft pieces were put on display which date from the 1690’s to 1800.
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Nottingham Castle!
On Thursday 29th June we completed a 1.3 mile walk to Nottingham Castle from school. When arriving at the grounds you are greeted by a statue of Robin the Hood.
The park:
In the castle grounds there is a very fun park which is a main attraction for young children. It has a lot of different things to do within the park, including slides, climbing frames, monkey bars, bridges, and more. This is a great place to visit if you are a parent and need a break or if you want to have a fun time with your child, it is a very good attraction of the castle. It is an attraction of the castle that allows more different groups of people to come to the castle.
The castle:
Inside of the main castle there are a lot of different artworks and different displays showing lots of different parts of history. There are displays on artwork, clothing, artefacts, and more. Not only can you see these displays you can also write up on them with the sheets around the museum and write about your reaction to them and how you like the exhibit. Not only that but there are interactive screens around the displays allowing you to see how things were made and attempt to make your own. And if you have children there are drawing sheets and colours for your child to partake in while you look around.
The caves:
Nottingham Castle also offers a tour of the long caves underneath Nottingham Castle. There hand carved sandstone caves built underneath the castle, and it holds a lot of British history about different kings. You can get a tour of the caves where you go down and find out about this history, you start at the top of the castles and end up coming out of the bottom. There are very friendly staff that come down with you and tell you the story, and they help you with whatever needs you want. The cave is well lit up and has different mediaeval props around the walls of the cave.
Nottingham Castle is a very good place to visit and it was a very fun day out. There is lots to see and do and no person is excluded from the attractions. Although it may be hard for some disabled people to get around the caves. So many people can come and see this place and partake in lots of activities, its a very fun place and I would recommend the visit.
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After its reopening on the 26th of June, we went down to have a look around Nottingham Castle. From cave tours to the cafe, we all had a great time looking around and seeing new things that a lot of us had not seen before.
One event that we partook in was the cave tours. This was a great experience, with lots of information being said to you by your tour guide and great sights. It was very enjoyable and in a lot of our opinions the best part of the visit. The history of the caves is told to you as you go down 127 steps, each stop having its own bit of history and an exciting backstory. If you were to go to Nottingham Castle, this is a must to do. Despite there being a lot to offer, this is by far the best thing that you can do. It is a very well prepared tour and you are made to feel included at every moment.
As well as this, the place proves to be very child friendly as well. There is an outdoor playground with castle themed rides that a lot of children there seemed to enjoy, and even us teens who had gone had a great time there! In the shop area there are also a lot of choices of souvenirs that you can purchase. From rubbers to bow and arrows, you are guaranteed to find something to remember your visit by.
Another thing which we all enjoyed was the cafe area. This part was one of the bits that had undergone refurbishment. It was very nice there – with light colours which made it feel very open and airy. In all honesty, the milkshakes were okay but not the best, so when you go I would recommend maybe getting something else. Despite this, there was a large selection of cakes and brownies there which were all pretty good.
Overall, I would say that the place is a really good one to visit if you are looking for a place to get a little bit of Nottingham history. There is something for all the family and a lot more things such as exhibitions of art and even the actual rooms inside the castle that you can book and visit. It was a great place to visit before but after the refurbishment is even better.
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Following a long period of uncertainty where nobody was sure what was going to happen to Nottingham Castle, the iconic site reopened to the public on Monday 26th June. As part of activities day, we visited the castle to find out more about what it has to offer and upcoming events.
The castle as a whole was an extremely beautiful site with many great views and exhibitions to see. Centred around the city of Nottingham, the exhibitions feature a range of things from many different subjects including rebellion, protests, caves and Robin Hood. The view from the castle was incredible; you could see the whole city for miles.
As part of our experience, we visited the underground caves which was a really enlightening experience. The tour guide guided us through the cave tunnels and we stopped at different points to talk about individual parts of the caves. He explained the creation of the caves beneath Nottingham Castle and their significance in the history of England. We particularly enjoyed learning about the visiting fox who adopted the name of Mortimer after a previous English King. Being from Nottingham ourselves, we found the tour really interesting because this city has such a rich history that so few know about.
This weekend, if you are looking for something to do, why not visit the castle and see Nottingham’s own Robin Hood Youth Orchestra performing under the glorious sun. With over 100 members from schools all around Nottingham, the Robin Hood Youth Orchestra is a youth ensemble unlike any other in the dedication, perseverance and communication of its members. You may be able to spot them throughout the summer months flash mobbing around different Nottingham locations and this Saturday (31st) they are filling the grounds of the castle with music so why not venture up to hear some famous songs from Mission Impossible, Encanto and some top tier Elton John.
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Nottingham Castle was reopened on the 26th June 2023, following refurbishments to the site. On the 29th June 2023, we went to explore the grounds.
Upon my visit to the castle, I endured some lovely exhibitions, cafes and tours. I first visited Mortimer’s Hole, which is a 1000 year old cave that dates back to the 1300s. Before we entered the cave, our guide assured us of our safety and gave us a safety briefing. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and told us historical stories about the caves, their uses and how they came to be. It is very well-equipped with a lit-up handrail to make sure you feel safe. The stories were surreal to hear, as we were standing right where they took place. This is a must-see tour at Nottingham Castle and one of the best things they have to offer. It was very well organised and it was a fun experience.
After the cave tour, we went to have a look at the quality of the children’s outdoor play area. There were a lot of themed things like the “Sherwood Shack” and there were a lot of fun elements to it like a bridge and climbing activities, which is perfect for children.
After exploring the play area, we tried the cafe, adjacent to the gift shop. There was a varied selection of lunch for children, which was nice to see. They had a lunch box, of their own selection, for £1. There was also a good selection of drinks, including loaded milkshakes, hot chocolate, loaded hot drinks and iced drinks. The flavours of the milkshakes were very enticing (chocolate brownie, oreo and biscoff), so I decided to try one. The price of one of the milkshakes was £5, I believe that it should have been a little less expensive (£2-3) because there was not a lot of flavour and not a lot of toppings. However, they were tasty milkshakes. There was also a selection of ice creams (pots and lollies), which was refreshing on a hot day. In addition, there were delicious-looking cakes and muffins on offer, of all variety.
Moreover, there were a lot of different exhibitions on offer, that give you a look into history and they show off amazing artefacts and art. The grounds were varied and provided for every age, which was really nice to see. The gift shop offered souvenirs for all ages from dressing up costumes to soap and bottles.
I would really recommend Nottingham Castle as a day trip for schools or families and especially history-lovers.
24.04.23
HUGE BREAKTHROUGH IN THE WORLD OF FINDING CANCER CURES
After a new drug was tested for colorectal cancer, it stunned doctors with a 100 percent success rate in clinical trials. Dostarlima, a drug made in a lab that acts as a substitute antibody in the human body, shocked researchers when all 18 participants of the trial were considered in remission (when cancer treatment is reduced or eliminated as symptoms and signs start to decline) one year after the experiment started. Doctors performed many physical exams such as endoscopies, PET scans and MRI scans on the patients and found no evidence of cancer in their bodies. According to Dr. Luis A. Diaz Jr. of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, this is “the first time this has happened in the history of cancer.”
Over the past 250 years, we have witnessed many remarkable discoveries in our efforts to fight cancer, a scourge known to mankind for thousands of years. Although cancer is not curable, oncologists and cancer specialists do not think that way about successful treatment. They call this a complete remission, allowing for the fact that the cancer can come back. When Marie Curie and Pierre Curie discovered radiation in the late 19th century, they found the first effective non-surgical cancer treatment. Curie believed that scientific research was a public good and advocated its usefulness. She and her husband discovered that radium destroys diseased cells faster than healthy cells, and that radiation can be used to treat tumours, as said. This concept is still used today in the wild hunt for a cure – and this new test could be the breakthrough.
During their testing, doctors looked into the ideas of curing Rectal Cancer (cancer in the rectum/colon). Before the experiment, these rectal cancer patients had faced gruelling treatments – chemotherapy, radiation and, most likely, life-altering surgery that could result in bowel, urinary and sexual dysfunction. Some would need colostomy bags. They entered the study believing that once it was completed, they would have to undergo those procedures because no one expected their tumours to disappear, but to their surprise, no further treatment was required. According to Dr. Venook, the lack of significant side effects indicates that “either they did not treat enough patients or these cancers are just plain different.” The rectal cancer study was inspired by a clinical trial Dr. Diaz led in 2017 that was funded by Merck, the drugmaker. In an effort to continue with this life saving research, they started with this new, and successful, study. Overall, we can see that this has been a huge breakthrough to finding a possible cure, and the only way is up when looking at the progress of this current testing.
Sonam Soar, Y9
13.03.23
Is it ever right to rewrite history?
Many of us have grown up surrounded by pieces of literature by Roald Dahl and have been captivated by the worlds he creates and submerges his readers in. Recently, there has been a lot of debate over rewriting his literature and changing a few specific words in his books to change words that some find offensive.
Whilst the nature of these words can of course be seen as wrong and it’s easy to see why some believe they shouldn’t be portrayed in children’s books made for those at ages where the mind is very malleable and vulnerable to being manipulated by the world around them, there is also the question of whether we should change another person’s work. It’s necessary to note that these ideas wouldn’t have been deemed inappropriate for Dahl’s time and therefore in writing these books, he hadn’t done anything controversial at the time. Furthermore, is it disrespectful to change someone’s literature after they’ve passed, with no way to obtain consent from them.
The changes proposed for his literature included changing the word “fat” to “enormous”, describing Augustus Gloop, calling the Oompa Loompas “little people” instead of Dahl’s “little men” and adding in a line after saying the witches are bald beneath their wigs stating “There are plenty of other reasons why women might wear wigs and there is certainly nothing wrong with that.” Whilst it is clear to see that these words may seem offensive to some, much worse has been said in books and has yet to be debated.
The Roald Dahl estate and book publisher Puffin decided to make these changes to his books because they wanted it to be “enjoyed by all today” and to make them more suitable for modern audiences – especially children. However, they came to the conclusion to not change his writing. Penguin stated their final decision was to keep producing the original versions of Dahl’s books because they said “we recognise the importance of keeping Dahl’s classic texts in print”. The managing editor, Francesca Dow, said that the power of his books can be kept relevant for each new generation to come, and that they can continue to enjoy his originality and style of writing.
Overall, we believe that these books should not be changed as we are in effect changing the authenticity and the style of writing by removing words that Roald Dahl wrote many years ago and replacing them with more appropriate ones. As times change and we continue to explore individuality and equality, more and more things are inevitably going to become offensive but should it be allowed to rewrite literature to conform to the ever changing standards of our society?
Is the media censoring what we see?
Is the media censoring what we see? This question is raised frequently when big events around the globe happen. Why? Because suddenly the events disappear from the news. In this article, I will be looking into the biggest events from around the world and when the news stopped covering them.
One of the biggest events to occur is the war between Ukraine and Russia. The war started when Russia wanted Ukraine’s land as their own. A Russian Military build up started on the border of Ukraine, which led to tension between the two countries. It then put a strain on the relationship between the two countries. Eventually, it led to Russia initiating a full invasion of Ukraine. This war is still happening today, however the news coverage has gone down considerably since the war was declared on the 24th February 2021. In the first few months of the war, there was a lot of support for Ukraine and the war was covered in the news daily. However, as the weeks went by the news started fading away and no one really spoke about it anymore. It was almost like it wasn’t happening anymore. Nevertheless, the 24th February 2023 marked one year since the start of the war. So my question to you is, did the media start censoring the war?
Another major event to happen in the world is the Taliban invasion of Afghanistan. The Taliban came back to power in Afghanistan 2021. Under their harsh rule, they neglected basic human rights and services. Along with making women inferior. Most women were banned from working and the malnutrition numbers soared high. Much like the Ukraine and Russia war, the Taliban invasion was covered majorly in the news and everyone was trying to help in some way. Clips were surfacing on people trying to get their children out of the country and photos of the Taliban roaming the streets took over news articles. The people of Afghanistan were terrified for their lives. This was the number one story on the news for quite a while and it took over other social media areas, like TikTok and Instagram. Funds were set up and protests began. However, the Taliban slowly started to fade out of the news and we don’t really hear about it. Other than the odd story of a sole person who was majorly affected by the Taliban, nothing else is really covered.
So, does the media censor what we see? Well there isn’t really a way to find out for sure and we’d like to think it doesn’t but taking specific things into account, like the BLM movement, the Taliban, the Russia-Ukraine war, it does sometimes make you think about it.
20.02.23
Chelsea FC: Can it be fixed, or is it too late?
Recently in football, we have all been shocked by Chelsea FC’s performance. From winning the Champions League in 2021 and finishing 4th in the Premier League, they now struggle at 10th in the league and have been knocked out of some major competitions. Blues fans are demanding that their old manager, Thomas Tuchel, is bought back after Graham Potter has now taken over and is clearly not doing a lot for the club. But the question is, is it too late? Or can this once flying club bring it back again?
Personally, I have been a Chelsea fan for a couple of years, after watching Euro 2020. Football is a very special thing for me and I now very much enjoy watching it at home and supporting my team, just as any football fan would. Back in 2021, Chelsea’s owner was Roman Abramovich, and their club manager Thomas Tuchel. Almost nobody in football had heard of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich before he acquired Chelsea in 2003, but he became the most successful and controversial Premier League owner of the last two decades before the U.K. government forced him to sell the club because of his links with Russia president Vladimir Putin. As for Tuchel, he was taken ‘Due to lack of shared vision’, as new owner Todd Boehly says, despite his past achievements at the club. Boehly felt that Potter, however, did share his vision; but Potter is the same person who has played injured players, made Chelsea lose against clubs towards the bottom of the table, and lead the club out of the Carabao Cup (despite an improved performance, Chelsea were knocked out of the Carabao cup by Manchester City as the Citizens defeated the Blues 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium).
Names such as N’golo Kante, Reece James and Ben Chillwell are all players of which whilst being injured, Potter still decided to play. Because of this they could not play for Chelsea for months on end, and also missed out of the World Cup due to Potter’s lack of care. Below are some more injury records:
As seen above, the status of many of these players are either ruled out or have a low percentage chance of returning to the squad in good time. Not only this, but these players are some of the players that made a real difference to the squad. Take N’golo Kante, for example. Kante isn’t simply a tackler or a runner – he’s a mobile brain, an agent of cohesion. Chelsea’s success rate has decreased by 46% without him – this is nearly half. Kante was named ‘UEFA Best Midfielder of the Year’ in 2021 as well, after the Champions League win. The diminutive midfielder also notably played a big role in France’s World Cup triumph in 2018. He is inarguably one of the best defensive midfielders of the 21st century, and because of Potter now on the bench.
It is thought that Boehlys spending habits are out of hand as well. According to Swiss Ramble, the Blues have spent a total of £436 million on transfers since Boehly took over in West London. This figure includes all loan fees and add-ons. By the end of the month, this amount may easily approach the £500 million level if Chelsea manages to acquire Denzel Dumfries from Inter and Moises Caicedo from Brighton, both of whom have been strongly connected with moves to Stamford Bridge. This month alone, Chelsea has spent £150 million on new hires, more than tripling what the Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1, and LaLiga have spent together (£44.6 million). When Roman Abramovich took over, the Blues had always been able to compete financially in the transfer market.
Overall, taking into account all of these factors, I believe that the old Chelsea FC can come back, but with a lot of hard work. A lot has gone wrong, but it’s not permanently broken. Hopefully with new signings Chelsea can start with fresh legs, and older key players can make their appearance again once feeling better. ‘Graham Potter will be judged on years rather than games or months at a time’, reports David Ornstein from The Athletic. Despite the many failures so far, the club has taken a lot within the past year. New ownership and managerial change can be difficult, and if it happened to any other club I would have expected the same outcome. Chelsea fans may be upset and angry at the moment, but as one of these fans I do seriously believe that the club will be restored to its former glory.
Keep the Blue Flag Flying High.
- Written By Sonam Soar, 9A
14.12.22
How the Cost-of-Living Crisis Will Impact Christmas 2022
The cost of living crisis is a situation in which the cost of essential items, such as food and energy bills, have increased rapidly. The high rate of inflation has contributed massively to what is now referred to as the ‘cost of living crisis’. It is affecting millions of families across the UK, and will impact Christmas of 2022 for many as well.
Nearly half of the UK population will reduce their spending on gifts, food and drink, and socialising this Christmas. With the prices of food increasing, 54% of consumers are planning on spending less on takeout and deliveries. Not only that, but consumer electronics consumption is expected to decrease by 47%. 43% of customers intend to reduce their spending in order to save money. Consumer expenditure on socialising is expected to decline by 46%, and cutting back on gifts for friends by 43% and on gifts for family by 34%. Because of this, retailers and brands are working harder to attract customer attention with new marketing and advertising strategies.
In the UK, 1 in 10 teachers are forced to do second jobs to ‘put food on the table’. Due to escalating expenses, their earnings may possibly leave them needing a third job to make ends meet. Teachers across the country are having to resort to food banks. Despite the 5% pay rise, headteachers claim that teachers may still be unable to manage basic living costs.
The CEO of Co-op, Shirine Khoury-Haq, has stated that she intends to limit her children’s Christmas presents to one tiny item each as a gesture of sympathy with customers struggling with the cost of living crisis. She stated that, “It just feels like excess, given what’s happening in the world. In good conscience, I can’t do that in my own home.”
Why abortion laws should be legalised worldwide.
05.12.22
Abortion has been a headlining topic in recent news for many reasons and many people have conflicting views on this. There are many pros and cons of legalising abortion, and in this article we evaluate this along with our beliefs on whether it should be legal and accessible to everyone.
An abortion is the ending of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or foetus. This action is still prohibited in nearly 20 countries however, according to data collected from the World Health Organisation, the legality of abortion has no effect on abortion rates across the globe. It only affects the number of safe abortions taking place as women then have illegal and unsafe abortions, which can lead to illness, or even death. Abortion is not only for unprotected sex, but also in the circumstance of rape. Some may say that the positive side of legalising abortion is being overlooked.
As previously mentioned, abortion is legal in many countries some of which are listed below. These countries include: Ethiopia, Finland, India, Rwanda, Taiwan, Zambia, Bahrain, Guatemala, Kiribati, Lebanon, Libya, Malawi, Myanmar, Nigeria, Oman, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
However, there are unfortunately countries where abortion is completely illegal including: Andorra, Palau, Madagascar, Laos, Jamaica, Malta, Tonga, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Aruba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Iraq, Palestine, Nicaragua, Honduras, San Marino, Suriname, Philippines, Mauritania and Republic of the Congo along with 22 states in the USA.
The legalisation of abortion comes with many positives as it can prevent maternal death or illness and can improve healthcare for women.
However, as with anything there are cons as well. If the abortion is not performed properly, it could end up being life threatening. Furthermore, some believe that abortion should be classed as “murder”, and not be legalised because it would kill more lives than it would save. However, data suggests that when abortion is legal, less women die of childbirth and uterine-related illnesses.
The common misconception that an unborn child’s life is more valuable than a living full-grown woman’s life is outdated.
Abortion should be accessible to everyone – no matter the circumstance. It is not a matter of opinion, but a basic human right. The common misconception that an unborn child’s life is more valuable than a living full-grown woman’s life is outdated and we, as a society, should normalise a woman getting an abortion, as 1 in 3 women get an abortion in their lifetime; it is not uncommon.
We should not make women feel bad about getting an abortion. For some women, it is a very hard decision to make and we should therefore not criticise them for it.
We sent a survey round the school asking for your views on abortion. (see end of article for pi charts) We had 97 responses with well over ¾ of you saying it should be legal. Some direct quotes from the form include
“As a Christian I believe it is wrong however I still think people should be entitled to their own opinion and therefore would not impose my belief on others so if they wanted an abortion I would think it is wrong but not judge them or their choice.”
“It is up to the woman who is carrying the baby to decide if she wants an abortion not the people in charge of the country. You should be allowed to do what you want to your body, whether it is a good or bad thing.”
“I believe that although abortion is necessary in some cases, it should overall be avoided. The reasons why people get abortions should be tackled instead, to reduce the number of abortions that are carried out. However I also understand that making abortions illegal isn’t going to reduce the number of abortions; it just means that women will find other, more dangerous methods to terminate their pregnancy.”
To conclude, legalising abortion has benefits and disadvantages. We appreciate everyone’s opinions mentioned in the data, and respect other points of views regarding the legalisation of abortion for women.
LGBTQ+ Rights and Support in Sport: By Benjamin Sale
In recent times, Sportsmen and Women from across the world have come out as being part of the LGBTQ+ community, but what has the response been like? In this article, I will look at ways that Sports teams and clubs are supporting the LGBTQ+ community, and will be discussing what should be done in the future.
In the next few paragraphs I research different sports teams from around the country that are trying to support members of the LGBTQ+ players. At the end of this article, I interviewed Jude Hamer, who is a paralympic basketballer, and a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
Notts county rainbow laces campaign:
Photo from: Nottingham County Twitter.
In November, Notts County, which is a local club to us here in Nottingham, started the rainbow laces campaign. It was suggested to them by Steven Grocock, a long time fan of the club. The rainbow laces campaign included players wearing rainbow laces and the captain wearing a rainbow band on his arm. Rainbow corner flags were also put in . In school we also ran a similar campaign where students could wear rainbow laces during games.
It is important that more clubs like Notts County make these changes to encourage and support fans and players that are part of the LGBTQ+ community to feel safe and welcome. It is important that we do this in life itself, too. Sport is one of the most followed things in the world. Pretty much every person in the world follows or knows of a sport. This means that sportspeople should be able to set the best example of how to support members of the LGBTQ+ community. Sport teams can be some of the biggest influencers, and they need to take advantage of that to make a real difference.
London Royals Hockey Club:
Photo from: London Royals hockey club.
London Royals hockey club was founded in 2005 and was the first openly LGBTQ+ hockey club in the UK. They have 450 members and play 150 games over the year. This shows that LGBTQ+ sports clubs are extremely popular. If more of these were set up, members of the LGBTQ+ community would receive a lot more support and also receive more opportunities. One day, I hope that every single sports team across the world will allow members of the LGBTQ+ community to play in the main teams. Because, after all, there don’t need to be separate teams. London Royals have been campaigning heavily for the members of the LGBTQ+ community, and their work has made many lives happier and given people opportunities where they otherwise wouldn’t have received them.
Jude Hamer:
Photo from: paralympics.org.uk
Jude Hamer was born on the 3rd of December 1990 with a shorter thigh bone in her right leg. She went through operation after operation, until she made the decision to have her right leg amputated from below her right knee. Her amputation hasn’t stopped her at all. In 2006, she hiked across the Andes Mountains in Ecuador. Nowadays, she represents Great Britain in wheelchair basketball. She is placed 2nd in the European and World Championships.
I asked her some questions:
Do you think that you receive enough respect and recognition for who you are in your sport?
I definitely think in the past couple of years recognition of para athletes has greatly improved. Last year was the first time I can think of that being an out athlete has been recognised and it was so amazing to be given an award by Gay Times for the LGBTQ+ athletes who competed in Tokyo. I think coming out and speaking about my experiences as an LGBT athlete is noticed more often now, whether that’s on my social media channels or in more final interviews.
Would you say that more support is needed for younger members of the LGBTQ+ community in sport?
Definitely. I think things like the out list and pride houses at competitions are becoming more common and I hope this will make younger athletes feel more comfortable. I’m really fortunate to play a sport where being LGBTQ+ is normalised and I have very supportive teammates. But others aren’t as lucky as me or may live in countries where it’s illegal even for them to be gay. So if at competitions those athletes can find support and safety I think that’s a great place to start.
Is there any advice that you’d give to other athletes who are struggling with abuse in your sport/in sport?
Speak to an older athlete with more experience would be my first suggestion if they feel comfortable doing so. I think that’s where the athletes who are comfortable in being out really come into their own. Personally I’ve had younger athletes come out to me and seek advice because they know they won’t be judged and I think that’s a responsibility we as more experienced athletes need to take on. There are anonymous support services out there as well if they don’t feel safe speaking to someone directly.
The Parker Solar Probe
09.03.22
The Parker Solar Probe is a space probe which passed close to the sun, by its perihelion, revealing new information about solar weather, helping scientists at NASA improve its prediction of solar storms and whether they will hit satellites in orbit.
On it’s ninth attempt, it passed through the sun’s corona and flew past structures called coronal streamers. Until now, these streamers have only been seen from afar during total solar eclipses. PAssing the sun’s corona also helped show how switchbacks (zigzag movements in the solarwinds) originate from the sun’s surface. This has been detected due the probe being passing through the Sun’s upper atmosphere. It was discovered by the probe that these solarwinds were mainly comprised of helium and are found in magnetic funnels that occur between convection cell currents.
Prior to this, it was thought that switchbacks were a rare occurrence however this has been proven wrong. This discovery of how matter moves on the sun’s surface could help scientists understand why the sun’s surface is incredibly hot, even more so than beneath the surface
As the sun is the closest star to us, it is the only one we can currently fully study. These new discoveries help scientists understand how life may have developed on Earth and understand the space environment for when astronauts are sent out.
For the future, this can help scientists identify similar suns and potentially habitable planets outside of our solar system
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