A family who have already gone above and beyond to raise £127,000 for The Sick Children’s Trust, are holding another special event as thanks for supporting them when their son was critically ill in hospital.

Marcus and Laura Leverton, from Chesterfield, found themselves in every parent’s worst nightmare when their 18 month baby son, Harry, was rushed to Sheffield Children’s Hospital after becoming seriously ill. While Harry underwent lifesaving treatment, the couple were given free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation at the charity’s Treetop House, just a lift ride away from their son’s bedside.

Seven years on, the family have never forgotten the support they received and have made it their mission to raise much-needed funds for the charity. Dad Marcus, 41, Director at Leverton UK, is now organising the family’s eighth fundraising ball on Saturday 20 May. He says:

“I can’t put a value on the support Treetop House gave my family. When you are in that situation where someone you love is critically ill, you cannot understand the emotional stress and sheer tiredness that comes with it.

“Harry was only 18 months old when he had to go into hospital with three viral infections. These shut his airways down and he suffered a bowel perforation which caused blood poisoning. Harry had to undergo surgery and was in intensive care and on a life-support machine.

“We would spend many hours at the hospital like many other mothers and fathers in similar situations, and The Sick Children’s Trust helped ease some of the stresses and worries of having a sick child in hospital. Its work is vital.”

The charity, which believes keeping families together significantly improves the recovery of sick children, runs ten ‘Homes from Home’ across the country. Two of its ‘Homes from Home’ support families with children undergoing lifesaving treatment at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

Nine year old Harry, a pupil at Holymoorside Primary School and older brother to Sam, has also begun helping his parents raise money for the charity that kept his parents by his side. He says:

“I can’t remember being in hospital because I was only a baby, but if I had to be in hospital again now I would want to have my mum and dad with me all the time I was there.”

Although the ‘Home from Home’ accommodation is provided free to families with seriously ill children, it costs The Sick Children’s Trust £30 to support a family for one night. Treetop and Magnolia House Manager, Ann Wyatt, says:

“We have attended the Leverton Ball every year and it’s amazing to see how much support The Sick Children’s Trust receives – we are always so overwhelmed. For Marcus to have already raised over £127,000 is fantastic as they have made a significant difference to thousands of families. With this money we have been able to keep parents and loved ones close to their child’s hospital bedside.

“Harry is a family ambassador for the The Sick Children’s Trust and he and his family always do us so proud! We can’t wait to see what the Leverton Ball has in store for us this year, but we know it will be nothing less than fantastic. If you’d like to join us in supporting Marcus and Laura, please do get in touch with Marcus to find out more.”

The Leverton Ball will be held in The Barcelona Suite at the Casa Hotel on Saturday 20 May. Tickets are £95 with tables seating ten. Guests can expect an evening of live music from Frankie’s Guys and can take part in a raffle, diamond raffle, and place their bid in the live auction.

Tickets can be purchased from Marcus on 07811 182411 or m.leverton@levertonuk.com.

This year YADA, the flagship self-service events management and social engagement platform by Expede IT Solutions Limited, is returning to Collision, the New Orleans-based tech conference, at the next tier. The start-up, founded from a front room in the founder’s family home, launched in February 2016 and after successfully raising over £600k in seed funding is seeking an additional £2m funding to fully develop its roadmap and to scale globally.

Last year YADA was selected to attend Collision, ‘The best technology conference on the planet’ according to Forbes, in the Alpha category of start-up to raise brand awareness with, and attract feedback for, their minimal viable product (MVP).

Collision and their sister conferences in 2016 communicated with 86,428 start-ups and accepted 3,055 to exhibit. The Beta phase means that YADA has grown from its MVP into an established product. ‘It was massive achievement for Team YADA to have been invited to Collision last year, but to be invited back, and at the next tier, twelve months later, is phenomenal. It’s astonishing to think this all started from our living room in Buckinghamshire and has taken us to America, twice!’ - Product Director & Co-Founder Mehram Sumray-Roots.

About YADA

YADA is an innovative self-service events management and social engagement platform that allows you to engage with your attendees from beginning to end. It offers a complete event management solution from ticketing to the curation of content posted by guests and attendees. With YADA organisers can create bespoke event pages, capture every moment through photos, video, comments, social media hashtags and polls, and share them via social media or display them throughout their venue via LiveView.

About Expede IT Solutions Limited

Founded in 2013, Expede delivers IT-supported business change to its clients through the provision of business consultancy, technical expertise and the development and deployment of revolutionary collaborative platforms such as YADA.

About Collision

Collision is “America’s fastest growing tech conference” created by the team behind Web Summit. In two years, Collision has grown to over 20,000 attendees from more than 100 countries. Attendees include CEOs of both the world’s fastest growing start-ups and the world’s largest companies, alongside leading investors and media.

Leading genocide education charities have come together in a call for politicians of all parties to reject the language of division during the election campaign.

Recent political campaigns in this country, and across the world, have been sadly characterized by dehumanizing “us vs them” rhetoric and the charities warn that the consequences of continuing such a trend could be very dangerous.

As genocide charities, Remembering Srebrenica, The Aegis Trust, The National Holocaust Centre and The Holocaust Survivors’ Friendship Association are all too aware of what can happen if the language of fear, division and hatred is allowed to flourish, so all four charities are calling on politicians to reject such language and campaign using the language of unity, respect and fairness.

Remembering Srebrenica Chairman, Dr Waqar Azmi OBE, said:

“It is vital that our country shows strength and leadership. Only 22 years ago, genocide happened in Srebrenica in Europe when nationalists waged a campaign denigrating Muslims as ‘The Other’, which spread fear, leading to discrimination, dehumanisation and persecution. Our politicians can ensure that we do not go down that road ever again and bring communities together by learning the lessons from the past to create a better future.”

Lilian Black, Chair of The Holocaust Survivors’ Friendship Association, added:

“Words are the foundation of our civilisation. In our experience, words from politicians and people standing by, led ultimately to the Holocaust. I hope our politicians’ words will reflect the values of an inclusive country and not scapegoat ‘others’ to create division.”

Dr James Smith, Chief Executive Officer of The Aegis Trust also called on politicians to tackle irresponsible language in the press: "In the early 1990s, hate-filled rhetoric in Rwanda's media divided society and created a climate for extreme violence. For the health of our democracy, politicians of all parties must not only support a free press but also call out the editors of British papers responsible for similar rhetoric being directed at migrants and others today."

National problem gambling support charity GamCare will be joined by Parkinson’s UK to host a dedicated live online chatroom for anyone affected by problematic gambling associated with Parkinson’s medications. This hour-long chatroom will take place on Friday 19th May from 2pm.

Impulsive and compulsive behaviour, such a compulsion to gamble, is a possible side effect of taking some Parkinson’s drugs. While a relatively small number of people experience this, it can still have a significant impact on the person affected and those around them.

Robert Hingley from GamCare says: “Our chatrooms aim to encourage participants to ask questions, share experiences and discuss positive steps forward as well as offering support to the rest of the group. This chatroom will also give more information on the support services offered by both GamCare and Parkinson’s UK for people concerned about problematic gambling connected to their Parkinson’s medications.”

Timothy Moore from Parkinson’s UK says: “Impulsive and compulsive behaviours can be devastating for those affected and it's really important that people affected by this very serious issue know there’s help and support available.”

To participate in the chatroom, register as a GamCare Forum member at http://www.gamcare.org.uk/user/register and join at 2pm on Friday 19th May.

For more information visit www.gamcare.org.uk.

ENDS

For more information or accompanying images please contact Catherine Sweet, Marketing and Communications Manager, at catherine.sweet@gamcare.org.uk or on 020 7801 7000.

Notes to editors:

GamCare – Working to minimise gambling-related harm

Key facts about Parkinson’s/Parkinson’s UK:

For advice, information and support, visit www.parkinsons.org.uk or call our free, confidential helpline on 0808 800 0303.

The family of a little girl who passed away at just seven weeks old are holding a Big Chocolate Tea family fun day ten years on to raise money in her memory for The Sick Children’s Trust and Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).

In 2007, Jane and Neil Braddy experienced the heartbreak of losing their baby daughter, Emma. Emma bravely fought for her life for four weeks in GOSH but lost her battle to a rare virus - enteroviral myocarditis – which attacked her heart. During this time, her parents and older brother Oliver were supported in free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation run by The Sick Children’s Trust. Guilford Street House, which is one of ten ‘Homes from Home’ run by the charity, meant Emma’s family were just a few minutes’ walk from her hospital bedside, and meant that Emma was never alone throughout her battle.

Since their tragic loss, Emma’s family – including her brothers Oliver, James and Frank – have been fundraising in her memory for The Sick Children’s Trust and GOSH. Every year, they host a Big Chocolate Tea event to help The Sick Children’s Trust support thousands more families with ‘Home from Home’ accommodation when their loved one is seriously ill in hospital.

Mum Jane hopes that by sharing Emma’s story, not only will it help raise money for the charities, but will give other parents hope. She says:

“When we lost Emma, we were left with a hole in our lives that could never be filled. There was just a black, bottomless pit of hopelessness.

“I was desperately looking for someone who had been through this, someone who was ten years on and who could tell me life would be worth living again. I just wanted to know that we could be happy again, that there was still joy out there. I needed hope. Now I have become the woman that I’d been searching for. It is ten years since Emma died and not only have we survived, but we have experienced happiness and joy. Knowing that this is a message that families like us want and need to hear is something that has spurred me on to host the charity events we have done since Emma passed away.”

This year’s event will be held on Saturday 13 May at Stanford in the Vale Village Hall from midday until 5pm to raise money for The Sick Children’s Trust and the critical care unit at GOSH. Jane continues:

“When Emma was in hospital, we needed to be close to her as we never knew when she would deteriorate. We had nowhere to stay so when The Sick Children’s Trust offered us a room at Guilford Street House it was a lifeline. We had a home where we could be together and bring our 16 month old son. I don’t know how we would’ve coped without this wonderful help.

“By fundraising, good can come out of tragedy. When I share Emma’s story with someone a small part of her is carried with them and that has a great healing power. Seeing families and children playing and enjoying themselves together at our events fills us with hope and reminds us how precious event moment is.

“I’ve experienced fantastic generosity, kindness and empathy from family, friends and complete strangers. If this happens in my daughter’s name, then what better way to celebrate her short life?”

Big Chocolate Tea is The Sick Children’s Trust’s biggest annual fundraising campaign. Last year, Big Chocolate Tea raised £60,000 – enough to support 2,000 families with ‘Home from Home’ accommodation. The Sick Children’s Trust is hoping it will be an even bigger success this year. Guilford Street House Manager Tina Thake says:

“Jane and her family are inspirational. Every year they hold a Big Chocolate Tea to raise money in Emma’s memory and we’re always so humbled that they choose to support us.

“The Sick Children’s Trust supports families when they are going through incredibly difficult times, and we are there to help ease some of the worries families have by keeping them together, by their child’s side in free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation.

“Although the accommodation is provided free of charge, it costs the charity £30 to support a family for one night. Jane’s family fun days and continued support have already gone a long way in supporting families when their child is seriously ill in hospital, and we can’t thank them enough for that.”

For more information on Jane’s event, please visit: http://funday.braddy.net

For further information on how to get involved with Big Chocolate Tea, please visit: http://www.sickchildrenstrust.org/bigchoctea

Chad, a plugin which delivers simple internet navigation for later life, has been announced as the winner of the Auriens Hackathon, the UK’s first ever hackathon focused on creating new technology to solve the challenges of later life. Over 90 participants came together in London over the bank holiday to form 17 teams responding to the brief set by Auriens.

Although a magnificent resource for most people, the internet can be a daunting thing for later lifers, as there is an overwhelming amount of information on each webpage which can be difficult to navigate. A team of five came together to form Chad, a plugin which will place the most relevant information from a website at the user’s fingertips. The judges voted for Chad, as they felt it would have an unrivalled positive impact on the day to day lives of our older generations.

Storymate, an app designed to connect elderly people to new friends through nostalgic stories to alleviate loneliness and preserve a cultural heritage, was named the runner-up.

Eric Khilstrom, UK Ambassador at Aging 2.0 and Auriens Hackathon judge, commented: “There has been an abundance of excellent and highly innovative ideas at the Auriens Hackathon and the judging panel were in complete agreement that Chad was the clear winner. The technology developed will offer those in their advanced years a new lease of life, and increased connectivity while also finding a way for complex technology to be easily accessible for later lifers.”

Jevan Nagarajah, a member of the winning team of the Auriens Hackathon, said: “I’m delighted to have won the Auriens Hackathon and am really proud of the technology the team and I have created over the last 48 hours. Hopefully we will be able to work closely with Auriens to develop this idea further and make it a reality, which is accessible to later lifers across the world.”

Johnny Sandelson and Karen Mulville, Auriens co-founders, commented: “We are thrilled at the success of the Hackathon, the first of its kind in the UK. We felt confident that London’s dynamic tech community would bring some forward-thinking ideas and they didn’t disappoint! We’re looking forward to working with the Chad team to take this to the next stage and determine how we can incorporate this technology into Auriens Chelsea.”

In addition to the winning teams, there were a vast number of exciting suggestions which were demonstrated during the event, including a conversational chatbot, a socially integrated viewing frame and an AI care management system. Jan De Villeneuve, later life model and supporter of Auriens, attended the Hackathon and worked with the hacking teams to test their ideas and share insights and recommendations based on her own experience.

The Auriens Hackathon took place from 6.30pm on Friday 28th April until 6pm on Sunday 30th April at OXO2, London. 17 teams participated, with the winning team receiving a prize of £5,000 and the runners-up receiving a prize of £2,000. All participants received a £100 Apple gift card to thank them for their involvement.

For more information please contact The Communications Store via auriens@tcs-uk.net or visit www.auriens.bemyapp.com / www.auriens.com

- ENDS-

Note to Editors

Auriens Chelsea is a development of 55 luxury appointed apartment designed for later lifers, located on Dovehouse Street just off the King’s Road.

The apartments, have been specially designed to feature a first-class restaurant, a hydrotherapy pool, spa, gym, private members’ club, café, gardens, library, consulting rooms and cinema room.

Auriens has confirmed a partnership with London’s leading nursing and private care provider, Draycott Nursing & Care to offer bespoke care to suit residents’ individual needs in the privacy of their apartments.

Ground breaking will commence onsite in the summer and the build is due to be completed in 2019 when the development will open its doors to residents.

Studio Auriens, is set to open in mid-June. Located on Culford Gardens, Studio Auriens will offer prospective clients the opportunity to get a sense of the development, including details of the interiors designed by Richmond International prior to purchasing off plan. The Studio will also showcase new products and technology which will be incorporated into the apartments.

The Blackheath and Greenwich Amnesty Book Sale hosted by the local Amnesty
International Blackheath and Greenwich group returns for its 43rd
year on Saturday 17 June 9am-5pm at the Church of the Ascension. This is a
regular event, much loved by the local community and buyers from further
afield. The church is filled with over 10,000 high-quality books at low prices.

Chair of the
Group, Rachel Errington looking forward to the event says:

“The quality
of books is very high and the prices are astonishingly affordable. There is a
wide variety of bargains to be found, from second-hand paperbacks to review
copies of recently published novels.”

The Amnesty
Blackheath and Greenwich Group’s book sales, are established as Amnesty
International’s most successful local fundraising event in the UK, raising
£300,000 across the years. The events are so popular that there is always a
queue of people waiting to get in when the doors open with some of them
travelling many miles to attend.

The book
sale is also a campaign event so people should come prepared to both buy
books as well as to sign petitions for the group's campaigns.

Amnesty
International works worldwide to protect men, women and children wherever
justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.

For more
information about the Amnesty Blackheath and Greenwich group see www.amnestybg.wordpress.com
or email aibg.enquiries@gmail.com

GRAHAM Interior Fit Out have secured their first project with the Arcadia group at Jervis Shopping Centre in Dublin.

The Arcadia Group are one of the UK’s largest fashion retailers and have agreed to a new 20,000 square foot flagship Topshop / Topman store within the centre.

Opeining in summer 2017, the store will occupy the ground and upper ground levels at the Jervis Shopping Centre. The deal represents the first new flagship store for the Arcadia Group in recent years and will be a benchmark for Topshop / Topman stores in Ireland.

Darragh Cronin of letting agents, Savills, commented, "Jervis Shopping Centre is delighted to retain our relationship with the Arcadia Group and welcome the Topshop/Topman Flagship store into our already excellent mix of domestic, UK and European retailers."

Mark Gibson, Director of Fit Out, commented “We look forward to delivering for yet another blue chip client in one of Europe’s leading retail destinations.”

The North East regional branch of an international engineering society has chosen The Sick Children’s Trust to benefit from its prestigious annual dinner next month.

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), which represents over 115,000 members worldwide, has chosen The Sick Children’s Trust to benefit from its regional annual charity dinner on Friday 12 May at Hardwick Hall Hotel in Sedgefield. The organisers of the event, which celebrates the achievements of its members in the North East, are hoping it will raise over £2,500 for the charity which supports families with seriously ill children in hospital with ‘Home from Home’ accommodation.

The Sick Children’s Trust runs two ‘Homes from Home’ in Newcastle upon Tyne, supporting thousands of families from across the North East when their child is undergoing lifesaving treatment at both the Freeman Hospital and Royal Victoria Infirmary. IMechE North East Chairman Chris Briggs, says:

“We are thrilled to be supporting The Sick Children’s Trust. We always choose a charity active in the region and The Sick Children’s Trust helps so many families who have children in hospital in Newcastle. We hope by choosing them as our benefitting charity, our guests will dig deep to help the charity help even more families with seriously ill children in hospital.”

The dinner is the keynote event in the IMechE’s Regional calendar, and is sponsored once again by British Engines Ltd. Guests who attend can expect a fantastic evening, with guest speaker Kevin Connelly, the celebrated impressionist from TV's 'Dead Ringers' and a four-course dinner with wine. The evening promises to be a great opportunity to network with peers from across the engineering community.

The Sick Children’s Trust runs ten ‘Homes from Home’ across the country supporting, over 4,000 families with seriously ill children in hospital every year. Although ‘Home from Home’ accommodation is provided free to families, it costs the charity £30 to support a family for one night. Caroline O’Doherty, Campaigns and Appeals Manager at The Sick Children’s Trust says:

“We were delighted when Chris told us that we were IMechE’s chosen charity for the annual dinner. The money raised from the event will go a long way towards providing families in the region with a ‘Home from Home’ when their child is undergoing lifesaving treatment in hospital. We’d like to say a huge thank you to IMechE for choosing to support us; thanks to your generosity, we can be there for the increasing number of families who rely on us to keep them together with their sick child..”

Ticket sales for the dinner are now closed but it’s still possible to make a donation to the charity at http://www.sickchildrenstrust.org/Donate/index.html

For more information: Please contact Alexandra Glatman on 0207 337 2213 or email publicity@sickchildrenstrust.org

The evaluation of the third 2016 CEF Telecom call for proposals (CEF-TC-2016-3) has concluded, and 38 projects in the areas of Automated Translation, Cyber Security, eInvoicing and Europeana have been selected to receive co-funding from the European Union. The funding comes from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme in the telecommunications sector. The successful projects include participation of entities from 27 EU Member States (plus Norway, Iceland and Serbia).

CEF Telecom funding supports projects of common interest that will deploy Digital Service Infrastructures (DSIs) across the EU. These actions will contribute to enhancing networked cross-border services, improving the daily lives of citizens, businesses and public administrations and the development of a Digital Single Market.

The results of the 2016-3 CEF Telecom call are as follows:

The list of projects selected for funding is available here

The Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) manages the calls for proposals and follows up the technical and financial implementation of the projects with the beneficiaries, providing technical expertise and high quality programme implementation. INEA will now conclude individual Grant Agreements with the selected beneficiaries.

Follow INEA on Twitter @inea_eu & LinkedIn to stay informed about the latest call developments.

About Digital Service Infrastructures (DSIs)

More information

CEF Telecom

2016 CEF Telecom call

2016-3 List of selected proposals

Hands of Hope (HOH), the recently launched Peasmarsh charity, today announced its "Lend us a Hand" appeal for local volunteers to help tackle childhood obesity and loneliness through the production of locally grown, organic food.

The charity is undertaking a number of local activities in the community to generate vital funds required to support their projects including Man the Van, where Volunteers get the chance to run a Cook Van while attending local festivals & events; Sell The Veg where help is required selling organic fruit & veg at weekly Farmer's Markets; Grow to Show, where volunteers donate their home-grown surplus produce & Prepare to Care, where cooking is done at home using HOH produce.

Sow To Grow involves volunteers sowing, growing and harvesting 4 acres of glorious East Sussex countryside and Join the Club is calling for Peasmarsh residents to come together in running a weekly seniors club in the Village Hall.

Hands of Hope has already established itself in the wider Rye community and has received a huge amount of support from local councillors, elderly charities and schools.

James Doran, Founder, Hands of Hope, “Our charity will only be as strong as its volunteers which is why we’re relying on support to join us in building this voluntary community together to help the lonely and educate our children about healthy eating.” -Ends-

Further information

Hands of Hope (HOH) is a registered charity based in Peasmarsh, working IN and FOR the local community with two main aims - to tackle loneliness and childhood obesity, through the production of locally grown, organic food.

Alarmingly, research shows that loneliness and social isolation can be as damaging for a person's health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and increasingly, 1 in 3 children are becoming over-weight or obese.[1]

Farming 4 acres of Soil Association accredited land in Peasmarsh, we currently produce and sell our fruit and vegetables for the sole purpose of raising funds and awareness to support Planned Projects to help tackle these issues.

Planned Projects Include:

Hawkhurst Community Farm and Garden is a "walled" area of land where we aim to create an all-inclusive welcoming environment for those sections communities our charity supports. A place that will stimulate local school children to learn about healthy, organic food - where it comes from and how to grow it. A place where the elderly can choose what they want to do - whether to simply sit and have a chat and a cup of tea, enjoying the surroundings or to physically engage, carrying out tasks such as planting, weeding, picking or preparing. Our aim is to accommodate both the elderly and the children, with the former bringing their life-long experience and the latter their energy and enthusiasm.

Our Schools Programme sees us working hand in hand with local primary schools and colleges to fund and create a working garden, enabling young people to work with experts in the planning of a garden, where they grow and maintain the fruit and vegetables and ultimately understand how their food is produced from seed to plate - enhancing their learning by using these spaces as a "living class room". Our programme will benefit the schools towards achieving their educational curriculum targets and afford these establishments the opportunity to market and sell their produce in order to generate vital school funds. We are currently working with Robertsbridge Community College on The Living Garden Project.

Our Lunch Club Programme

Hands of Hope currently provide support for the Northiam Seniors club every Thursday. Northiam Seniors create an environment where all are welcome. It is a place that people are genuinely welcomed and look forward to attending every week. We are interested in launching Joins Our Club Programme and would like to start by establishing a lunch club in Peasmarsh, as the last club was cancelled due to funding. We are genuinely interested in hearing from anyone who could offer their support or who would be interested in either attending or volunteering, either in Peasmarsh or other surrounding villages where there is a need.

For further information or to volunteer please contact us at info@hohcharity.co.uk or call Mandy Doran on 07968 333 097 or visit our website: www.hohcharity.co.uk

Hands of Hope is a registered charity number 1168016.

Scotland’s Minister for Social Security, Jeane Freeman MSP spoke at the launch of One Parent Families Scotland report on the Benefit Conditionality Regime at their Inaugural Single Parent Assembly.

One of Scotland‘s most respected family charities welcomes the news that the Scottish Government will not be using private sector companies to undertake benefits assessments in the new Scottish Social Security System. One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS) commissioned research that shows the current benefit conditionality regime, and the fear of being sanctioned, is resulting in worsening health, especially mental health, with resulting negative impacts on children. The report “Single Parent Families, Benefit Conditionality and Wellbeing - Necessary, Just, Effective?” gathers the experiences of single parents who live with the threat of sanctions on a daily basis and how it impacts on their family well-being.

Jeane Freeman MSP said:

“I have this week announced that the Scottish Social Security System will not use private companies to carry out benefits assessments. There is no room for profit in our system, which will be based on fairness, dignity and respect.

“Over and over again, I heard personal experiences of so very many who have found the experience of the Personal Independence Payments assessment to be one of the most difficult, distressing and demeaning aspects of their whole experience. It is clear the UK Government’s system, like so many of their policies, is failing the people of Scotland.”

"Working closely with our Experience Panels and Expert Advisory Group and with the health and social care sector, we will design a better system. One that from application to assessment ensures we get our first and subsequent decisions right from the start.

Satwat Rehman, Director of OPFS, said:

Our research shows that rather than moving towards a society where single parents and children can flourish, we are seeing the results of a Westminster policy, involving the threat of sanctions, which only serves to exacerbate child poverty and inequality and closes down the life chances of a generation of children. The announcement of no private sector involvement in the new Scottish Social Security System will be a relief to the parents we serve as we work towards a more humane, compassionate and effective approach.

After the event, in Glasgow, single parents with experience of claiming welfare benefits signed up to the Scottish Governments Experience Panels to help shape the way that new system will operate.

In what will be one of his first speeches since departing his role as the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe will be delivering the keynote speech at the BCI World Conference at the Novotel London West Hotel in November.

In what was a baptism of fire, Sir Bernard took charge of the Metropolitan Police not long after the worse riots London had experienced in several decades and shortly before the 2012 Olympics. His vision for the Met was ‘total policing' which sought to promote total professionalism from the workforce, a total war on crime and total care for victims.

James McAlister FBCI, Chairman of the Business Continuity Institute, commented: “We’re thrilled to have Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe speaking at the conference. As the UK's former top police officer, he perhaps knows more than anyone about the value of preparing for worst case scenarios, and of working in partnership with a wide range of groups to prevent those scenarios from happening. I know he’ll have some fascinating, and as yet unheard, stories to tell from his time in charge. The whole programme looks to be the best one yet, and I would encourage those in the industry to book their place and take advantage of the terrific learning and networking opportunity that BCI World offers.”

The BCI World Conference will feature a wide range of subjects that will enable delegates to make their organizations more resilient, whether it’s cyber security, physical security, supply chain resilience or crisis management, the conference will address the threats we face, both in the present and in the future. The Triple A programme will feature three streams – actions, approaches ad aspirations.

The BCI World Conference and Exhibition is an absolute must-attend event for any business continuity or resilience professional. We tailor the programme with the purpose of providing a forum for discussion, testing of new concepts, practical takeaways and presenting new research.

At RYOT, we believe storytelling comes first. RYOT was founded by humanitarians, filmmakers, and journalists who set out to use storytelling to change the world. Now, they are using that visionary experience to build the immersive brand of the future. From editorial print partnerships to interactive content creation for brands, RYOT breaks new ground every day to help businesses reach their audiences in compelling ways through virtual reality, augmented reality, and 360 video.

Today, RYOT is announcing the creation of RYOT Lab, a dedicated team of artists, technologists, developers, and engineers that empowers brands and advertisers to tap into the storytelling power of immersive formats and interactive experiences using emerging technology.

RYOT Lab enables brands, publishers, and advertisers to tell their stories through a combination of formats including virtual reality, 360 video, augmented reality, volumetric capture (holograms) as well as physical activations and events. The creation of RYOT Lab comes at a time when 70% of advertisers believe VR will have an important part in the digital video marketplace. Already, more than half of consumers view 360 videos once a week or more, and advertisers and publishers expect 360 video to be a top revenue driver in 2017.

Recent projects have leveraged augmented reality formats to blend the digital and print mediums together in an engaging and new way. Consumers simply hover their mobile phones over a brand image either on screen or in print for the advertising or story to come to life. RYOT Lab has successfully launched AR campaigns with Elle, Cosmopolitan, and now with Time Inc, beginning with this week's issue of Sports Illustrated.

Time Inc.'s ability to harness the power of augmented reality as a means of expanding their editorial content is an achievement in storytelling that can only be accessed through innovative technology integration. We are thrilled to provide the technology which allows the enhancement and amplification of stories in unique and meaningful ways. AR is the future of storytelling and we couldn't be more excited to help build it with Time Inc.

AOL is the first media company with the scale, scope and creative resources to bring these immersive formats to its entire network of advertising clients. Already offering a suite of innovative ad formats to its client and brand partners with BrandBuilder, with RYOT Lab, AOL is able to help advertisers extend beyond the screen for immersive advertising experiences.

RYOT Lab takes advantage of the latest in technology and is powered in part by and in partnership with Verizon Labs and their envrmnt platform. Envrmnt is a proprietary lightweight 3D rendering engine built by Verizon Labs to provide the market with cutting edge experiences through its cellular network and delivered through mobile devices. Other partners and technology providers will include Google Tango, Vuforia, Microsoft, Samsung and others who are pushing the boundaries of storytelling and technology. RYOT Lab will provide creative, production, engineering, animation, and development support to brands in order to create immersive format branded content and experiences.

RYOT Lab sits within RYOT, along with RYOT Films, RYOT Originals, and RYOT Studios. RYOT Lab will provide white label VR and AR production for RYOT, while helping to lead technology development and experimentation across other AOL properties.

Finnair and Finavia, together with Futurice, will test the use of face recognition technology for the check-in process of Finnair flights at Helsinki Airport. During the test period taking place between May 2 until May 23, the companies will gather information on the applicability of face recognition technology to the airport environment and the systems and processes used by the airline. Finnair has invited a group of 1,000 frequent flyers to take part in the test.

"Face recognition technology could offer possibilities for smoothening the departure process from the customer's point of view, and eliminate the need for a boarding pass," saysSari Nevanlinna, Head of Ground Experience and Ancillary at Finnair. "This test will give us information on the applicability of face recognition technology for our processes, and the impact it has on the customer experience."

Finnair customers taking part in the test will use a test application to send their face portraits to the test system. When checking in to their flights, customers will use a designated check-in desk, where the face recognition technology will be installed. A customer service agent will then check the customer's travel information and indicate in the test system if the face recognition was successful.

"We want to make air travel flow even smoother and be involved in further developing the customer experience," saysHeikki Koski, Vice President of Helsinki Airportfor Finavia. "Facial recognition is part of the larger megatrend of biometric recognition, and it will enable "Hands in the pockets" travelling, where you no longer need any travel documents. When all travel-related information is digitized, it takes less time and is easier to get through the checkpoints at the airport. Last year, we tested facial recognition technology at the employee security control and the results were very encouraging."

The system used in the test is provided by Futurice, and built using widely available hard- and software as well as cloud-based services, and with a strong view to the customer experience.

"We use face feature based face recognition technology, which turns facial images into untraceable biometrics IDs," saysTuğberk Duman, Project Manager at Futurice. This enables us to identify registered passengers on the go without having to store images. This test will provide useful information on the use of this solution for environments with large customer flows and tight security needs."

Further information:Finnair Media Desk, +358 9 818 4020, comms(a)finnair.comFinavia Media desk, 020 708 2002, comms@finavia.fi

About FinnairFinnair flies between Asia, Europe and North America with an emphasis on fast connections via Helsinki, carrying more than ten million passengers annually. In 2017, Finnair's extensive network connects 18 cities in Asia and 7 cities in North America with over 60 destinations in Europe. The airline, a pioneer in sustainable flying, was the first European airline to fly the next-generation, eco-smart Airbus A350 XWB aircraft and it is the first airline listed in the Leadership Index of the worldwide Carbon Disclosure Project. The only Nordic carrier with a 4-star Skytrax ranking, Finnair has also won the World Airline Award for Best Airline Northern Europe for the past seven years running. Finnair is a member of oneworld, the alliance of the world's leading airlines committed to providing the highest level of service and convenience to frequent international travellers.

About FinaviaFinavia provides and develops airport services with focus on safety, customer-orientation and cost efficiency in Finland. Finavia's comprehensive network of 21 airports enables international connections from Finland - and to different parts of Finland. Helsinki Airport is the leading Northern European transit airport for long-haul traffic. Revenues in 2016 were EUR 381 million, and the number of employees 1900.www.finavia.com

About FuturiceFuturice is a growing international company that designs and creates innovative digital services for companies in a wide variety of industries ranging from energy to media. Since 2000, Futurice has helped clients develop their own business and traditional corporations meet the challenges of digital transformation. Futurice has offices in Berlin, London, Stockholm, Munich, Tampere and Helsinki.

New food and drink company, Liver Health UK, has partnered with The Liver Group Charity to tackle the increasing levels of non-alcoholic related liver disease in the UK and fund vital research into the development of a Bio-Artificial Liver Machine.

The company will donate a portion of its sales to the medical research charity which is focused on the development of a Bio-Artificial Liver Machine that will prove as important to the treatment of liver disease as kidney dialysis is to those with kidney failure.

A Bio-Artificial Liver Machine will enable patients with liver failure to be treated for several days, taking their blood, and passing it through the machine of liver cells, returning the ‘cleaned’ blood to the patient. This process allows the ‘real’ liver a few days necessary rest to heal itself while the machine does all the work.

Liver disease is one of the fastest growing health issues in the UK with one in three estimated to be living with a non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD). With no definitive cure, the development of a Bio-Artificial Liver Machine and the introduction of preventative measures, such as small lifestyle and diet changes remain the best course of action.

Asanka De Silva, CEO of Liver Health UK, said: “Our partnership with The Liver Group Charity is all about funding research and development to improve the lives of those suffering from liver disease. Currently, 80% of people living in the UK with acute liver failure will die without a transplant.”

“The team at The Liver Group Charity is already making significant advances towards a Bio-Artificial Liver Machine which will help those living with the disease. Our aim is to see an increase in the awareness of people’s liver health and a reduction in non-alcohol fatty liver disease cases in the UK.”

Professor Humphrey Hodgson, Chairman and Trustee of The Liver Group Charity, said: “Only two in every three people on the liver transplant list in the UK get a new liver on time and with no current cure for liver disease it is imperative that we continue with our research and development of a Bio-Artificial Liver Machine.”

“The liver is a unique organ that has the remarkable capacity to re-grow itself after acute damage. The difficulty in replacing the liver artificially, is that the liver performs a myriad of duties to keep us alive, but researchers have found a new way of growing human liver cells outside of the body which is how we envisage the Bio-Artificial Liver Machine will work, hopefully in the near future.

“The partnership with Liver Health UK allows the Liver Group Charity to continue funding research, development and testing to ensure we reach our end goal and improve the lives of those living with liver disease.”

Established in 2016, Liver Health UK is a business with a social cause that has been created to tackle liver disease on three fronts – creating preventative consumer products, educating the public about the dangers of liver disease, and donating a portion of its sales to fund liver disease research in the UK.

For more information on Liver Health UK visit www.liverhealth.co.uk or for further information on The Liver Group Charity and its work, please check http://www.ucl.ac.uk/livergroup/index.html

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Seven standalone “cabanas” and a huge hexagonal bar are to spring up on Coppa Club’s riverside terrace this
summer, replacing the winter igloos which went viral on social media and became booked-up within the first week.

Right on the River Thames, the custom-made timber cabanas offer knock-out views of London’s iconic Tower Bridge,
HMS Belfast and The Shard. With wisteria and roses growing up the pergola structures, the Mediterranean-style
cabanas are furnished with outdoor sofas, wicker armchairs, festoon lighting, space heaters and individual Sonos
speakers, giving the terrace an atmospheric garden feel.

Launching on Tuesday 2nd May, three of the cabanas can be reserved for private use with space for up to 8-10 people
and two have a number of smaller tables for groups of 2-6. Right next to the outdoor bar, the other two cabanas are
designed as riverside lounges, reserved for walk-ins only.

As well as plenty of very pale rosé, the riverside bar will serve a summer cocktail menu featuring a “Britz Spritz”
(Kamm & Sons British aperitif, elderflower, Prosecco & soda) and a classic “Aperol Spritz” (Aperol, Prosecco & soda).
A new brunch menu will also be on offer for lazy weekend sessions, featuring Benedict Waffles (crispy sliced Coppa
ham, eggs & hollandaise or kiln smoked salmon, spinach, eggs & hollandaise).

The first release of Coppa Cabana bookings will be available online only at www.coppaclub.co.uk/towerbridge

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For more information, please contact pr@coppaclub.co.uk or Lucy Watson – 07718 617419

Full address: Coppa Club, 3 Three Quays Walk, Lower Thames Street, London EC3R 6AH

Credit photographer: Allan Stone

Website

Bereaved mums and dads in Lincoln could be without the help and support they need after the death of a baby, as the local Lincoln Sands (Stillbirth and neonatal death charity) support group is under threat of closure due to a lack of volunteers.

The group currently works in partnership with both Lincoln and Boston hospitals to support them in providing the best care and facilities possible to bereaved parents. However, without volunteers to fill the roles of Chair and Treasurer and support the remaining committee members and Befrienders, they will be forced to close and a valuable resource and much needed support service will be lost.

The group is run on a voluntary basis mainly by people who have themselves experienced the death of a baby, and supports anyone whose baby has died before, during or shortly after birth. However, volunteers do not need to be bereaved parents to be considered for a committee role but need to have an understanding and empathy of the charity's work.

Dr Clea Harmer, Chief Executive of Sands, said: “I’m appealing to local people in Lincoln and the surrounding areas to help us recruit new volunteers, so we can continue to support local bereaved parents and their families at such a devastating time for them. Many bereaved parents tell us that other parents who have experienced the death of a baby are able to offer real understanding and empathy.

“We are dedicated to providing emotional support and information right from the early hours after a baby's death, through to the weeks, months and years ahead.”

For further information contact Rose Abrehart, East Network Coordinator at Sands on 07707 480020 or email: rose.abrehart@sands.org.uk Follow Sands on Twitter at @SandsUK

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Notes to editors

For further information, please contact Lee Armitt, Press and PR Officer in the Sands press office on 020 3897 3449/07587 925411 or media@sands.org.uk

About Sands

Sands is the leading stillbirth and neonatal death charity in the UK. They work nationally to reduce baby deaths through promoting better maternity care and funding research. They have a programme of training and a wide range of resources designed to support professionals to improve the bereavement care they provide following the death of a baby, and they provide a comprehensive bereavement support service both nationally through their helpline and locally through around 100 regional support groups based across the UK. Further information can be found at www.sands.org.uk

Ruling gives hope to thousands of people trying to put their past behind them

The Court of Appeal has today rejected the Government’s appeal to a decision of the High Court in January last year, which ruled that the criminal records disclosure scheme was disproportionate and unlawful.

The judgment, handed down today, involves a number of cases that were heard in the Court of Appeal in February this year, including cases brought by Liberty and Hodge, Jones & Allen, supported by Just for Kids Law.

The court ruled that the disclosure scheme has insufficient safeguards to be lawful, and that the scheme is disproportionate. In one case, a man was convicted in the 1980’s of ABH when he was 16-years-old and received a conditional discharge. The President of the Queen’s Bench Division, Sir Brian Leveson, said in his judgment:

Christopher Stacey, Co-director of Unlock, a leading charity for people with convictions that supported the legal challenge and who attended the hearing in the Court of Appeal, said:

Debaleena Dasgupta, Legal Officer at Liberty and solicitor for P, said:

ENDS

For more information, please contact Christopher Stacey, Co-director. Email christopher.stacey@unlock.org.uk or call 07557 676433 (daytime or out-of-hours).

Notes to editors

The Police Act 1997 created the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS – formerly the Criminal Records Bureau), which provides details of a job applicant’s previous convictions to prospective employers.

For certain types of work, particularly work with children or vulnerable adults, the standard or enhanced certificates issued by the DBS used to list all the job applicant’s previous convictions and cautions. However, in 2013, the Government amended this scheme following a Court of Appeal ruling (T v Chief Constable of Greater Manchester) to introduce a “filtering” process. Single convictions for non-violent, non-sexual offences that did not lead to a custodial sentence (including a suspended one) will be “filtered” (i.e. not disclosed) after 11 years (five-and-a-half years if the person was under 18 at the time of the offence).

The new filtering process does not apply if a person has more than one conviction – regardless of the minor nature of the offences or the person’s circumstances at the time.

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, which governs the circumstances in which a person has to admit to a previous conviction if asked, operates in a similar way. A person applying to work with children or vulnerable adults does not have to disclose a conviction which is “filtered”.

During the one-hour workshop, Managing Director at Live Innovations Tom Harris revealed his personal body language hacks and encouraged attendees to implement those hacks to boost their chances of success.

About Live Innovations: http://liveinnovations.co.uk/

1: Smile

“Smiling is infectious and makes people appear approachable,” stated Mr Harris. The entrepreneur and business owner encouraged people to assume a smile, no matter how they feel on the inside. Smiling has the ability to make someone feel happy and confident and helps others to respond positively. “I make sure I always have a smile on my face when I’m speaking to people, even if it’s over the phone,” said Mr Harris.

2: Shoulders back and chin up

This simple yet valuable hack, adopting a strong posture with shoulders back and chin up projects confidence, authority, and control. While researching the subject, Mr Harris found that keeping your chin up gives others the impression of leadership. “The way others view you in business is crucial and assuming this position will increase your confidence and assertiveness.” said Mr Harris.

3: Curl up your lip

When tackling a task, achieving complete concentration is vital. When someone curls up their lip, it shows they are serious about achieving their goals and are determined to accomplish them. Doing this projects an intensity that will inspire others to follow their lead.

4: Take large strides

The most successful people walk with a purpose, and they take large strides. Occupying large amounts of space, whether when walking, sitting, or standing indicates authority.

5: Keep your arms open

“When it comes to body language, what you do with your arms says a lot about you,” said Mr Harris. Crossed arms are a sign of vulnerability and defensiveness. Open arms are the exact opposite. Mr Harris urged the attendees to keep their arms open as that tells people they are confident, serious, and optimistic.

Live Innovations is a London-based event marketing company specialising in personalised marketing events which represent their clients’ brands directly to consumers. As the firms marketing is carried out face to face, positive body language plays a pivotal role in successful conversations and sales conversions.

Follow Live Innovations on Twitter or like them on Facebook.

Source: https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/how-to-use-body-language-to-turbocharge-your-confidence-and-success/