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Partnerships & Apprenticeships: Prince's Trust, NCS and GetMyFirstJob

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Wednesday 18 October, 2017

GetMyFirstJob has just has just enjoyed a bumper summer of activities. On behalf of our training and education partners, we’ve interacted with more engaged young people, careers advisers and schools than ever before. For me, one of the big breakthroughs has been the way in which we’ve been able to create real benefit by partnering with some great youth organisations across the UK, together reaching over 2 million young people every year.

Now, in my experience, the word ‘partnership’ is often overused. It’s a slightly soft word for customer; the partnership represents an exchange of money on one side, and services on the other. To my mind, true partnership has to be defined by far more than money. Cash may be part of the transaction, but there have to be reciprocal services and benefits too.

GetMyFirstJob was built on the basis of partnerships – unlike any other approach, our training providers, colleges and employers use a platform to share their opportunities to create a shared database of interested candidates. The power of working together and being part of the UK’s largest platform for young people means that they benefit from a combined traffic of over 2.5m visits per year, and can then focus on the important part – delivering a great experience to the young people they want to talk to. In turn, this enables them to provide a great service to the businesses they serve.

The Power of Partnerships

This year, we’ve been able to add another dimension to the Partnership. We’ve been able to introduce a number of youth organisations into our eco-system. Not only does their direct access to work and further education vacancies provide with an easy next step for the young people they work with, and a ‘real’ option for those that might not consider these routes, but our ability to provide feedback about the outcomes and destinations of those young people provides them with an insight that would otherwise be very difficult to measure.

We’re delighted that the following organisations are now part of our partnership model, with more partners working with us in the months to come:

The National Citizen ServiceThe Prince’s TrustTomorrow’s PeopleCity & GuildsSEMTA

As we evaluate this model, it’s showing some fascinating results. In August alone, we were able to help 25,000 young people explore 10,000 opportunities resulting in 30,000 applications. This is a partnership that is really bearing fruit, and we’re looking forward to sharing more insight about the progress young people are making in the coming months.

David Allison, CEO GetMyFirstJob

GetMyFirstJob, via their TalentPortal platform, provides specialist services to support the successful planning and implementation of Apprenticeship and Early Talent programmes.

www.getmyfirstjob.co.uk

www.thetalentportal.co.uk



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Hewlett Packard Enterprise and 47 Organizations Join 200-Member Strong Enterprise Ethereum Alliance

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Wednesday 18 October, 2017

NEW YORK, N.Y., USA – October 18, 2017 – The Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA) announced today that Hewlett Packard Enterprise, along with 47 other companies, had joined, raising membership to 200. In addition, four member-driven Working Groups were launched bringing the total to 14 Working Groups and Committees initiated since EEA’s launch in February of this year.

EEA is the world’s largest open-source blockchain initiative and offers the most industry-focused, member-driven Working Groups. EEA’s membership represents a wide variety of business sectors from every region of the world, including technology, banking, government, healthcare, energy, pharmaceuticals, marketing, and insurance, as well as a number of fast-growing Ethereum startups.

“Joining the EEA is a significant step for Hewlett Packard Enterprise in making blockchain enterprise-ready and accelerating our customers’ journey to production,” said Markus Ogurek, HPE’s Global Financial Services Industry Lead. “Our commitment to the EEA will help enterprise-grade blockchain technology adoption and will enable clients to innovate in most demanding applications.”

Along with Hewlett Packard Enterprise, new members joining the EEA include:

1Up Systems PTY LTD, Aigang Network, Audiology Live Corporation, Australian Digital Commerce Association (ADCA), Bacoor Co., Ltd., BetekenisAcademy, bitfwd project, University of New South Wales, Black Market Studios, Blockchain Development Company, Blocksafe Foundation, BTM Blockchain Technology Malaysia Sdn Bhd, BTS, C.O.S.S. Pte. Ltd., Cambridge Blockchain, Centra Tech, Inc., CMT Digital Limited, CoinCircle, Crypto Valley Association, CSA Consulting and Solutions Ltd, Dash Core Group, Inc., DLT Labs, Donnelley Financial Solutions, Eximchain, Finantech Vastgoed Investering CV, Finchain, Global Partnerships Forum, Infinity Blockchain Labs, InfoObjects Inc., Investrata Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship (IFSE), LIFElabs, Lunyr Inc., Maintio Ltd., Metaps Plus, MyBit Foundation, Nanchang Buluo Chain Tech. Ltd. Co., National Association of REALTORs, Open ANX Foundation Limited, Oracles Network, SettleMint, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Sipree, Inc.,SmartContract, Somish Solutions Limited, TenX PTE LTD, Trail of Bits, Trellis and WeChain.

New Working Groups and Committees include:

The Quorum Working Group, Co-Chairs: Conor Svensson, blk.io and Alex Liu, AMISThe Communications Protocol Working Group, Co-Chairs: Oliver Kemmis, Globility Limited and Dele Olajide, TraderLynkThe Integration and Tools Working Group, Co-Chairs Conor Svensson, blk.io and Alex Liu, AMISThe Standards Working Group, Chair position openThe Marketing and Communications Committee, Co-Chairs: Andrew Keys, Consensys and Amanda Gutterman, Consensys

The EEA is an industry-supported, not-for-profit established to build, promote, and broadly support Ethereum-based technology best practices, open standards, and open-source reference architectures. Formed earlier this year, the EEA is helping to evolve Ethereum into an enterprise-grade technology, providing research and development in a range of areas, including privacy, confidentiality, scalability, and security. The EEA is also investigating hybrid architectures that span both permissioned and public Ethereum networks as well as industry-specific application layer working groups.

Learn more about EEA and EthereumSign-up to receive the latest EEA informationJoin a work group and the 200+ members of EEA

EEA will collectively develop open industry standards and facilitate collaboration with its member base and is open to any members of the Ethereum community who wish to participate. This open-source framework will enable the mass adoption at a depth and breadth otherwise unachievable in individual corporate silos and provide insight to the future of scalability, privacy, and confidentiality of the public Ethereum permissionless network.

For additional information about joining EEA, please reach out to membership@entethalliance.org.

###

For further information, contact:

Bob Olson Enterprise Ethereum Alliance, Public Relations+1.781-876-8839 (office)+1.978-872-7120 (m)robert.olson@entethalliance.org

Mary Campbell Enterprise Ethereum Alliance, Public Relations+1.781-876-6253 (office)mary.campbell@entethalliance.org



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Cashfloat's zero impact affordability tester can help consumers increase loan acceptance rate with no impact on their credit file

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Thursday 19 October, 2017

New zero impact affordability tester tool from Cashfloat allows applicants to increase their chances of being accepted for a loan without affecting their credit file.

Over 40% of online loan applications are declined because applicants cannot afford the loan repayments.Every online loan application may impacts the applicant’s credit file.

Western Circle Limited, trading as Cashfloat.co.uk, have released an easy-to-use online affordability tester. This is a free tool that allows users to check their suitability for a loan before applying, with zero impact on their credit file. Potential borrowers can use this tool to discover precisely how much they can borrow based on their affordability.

“As a responsible lender, we perform thorough affordability checks before reaching a loan decision. Our brand new affordability calculator allows you to see how likely you are to pass these checks without actually applying, so there is zero impact on your credit file,” explains Jeremy Lloyd, Cashfloat’s CEO.

The new tool (accessible here) allows users to type in their income and expenses according to the different categories. It then calculates how much they can afford to repay each month and shows various loan options. The user can experiment with the sliders to find a loan amount and length that will work for them, increasing their chances of being accepted for the loan.

Once they have used the affordability calculator, a user can then apply for their chosen loan without having to re-submit all their affordability details.

“As always, our focus is on taking the most advanced and sophisticated technology available and using it to maximise the Cashfloat loan experience. We’re really pleased with this latest development as it will help a lot of people, but this is just one more step in our mission to take payday lending to a whole new level.”

About Cashfloat

Cashfloat.co.uk is a trading style of Western Circle Limited; an FCA-fully authorised direct lender. The Cashfloat model is based on fundamentally good morals and very advanced artificial intelligence technology designed to help and protect people taking payday loans online.

Contacts

Kelly Richard, 020-3757-1933

kelly.richard@cashfloat.co.uk

Ofer Valencio Akerman (SEO and Security)

akerman@masterlevelseo.com

Social Media Accounts

www.cashfloat.co.ukhttps://www.facebook.com/cashfloathttps://twitter.com/cashfloat_kellyhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/cashfloathttps://plus.google.com/+CashfloatUk-loans

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Donated laptops can help more than 1,000 homeless people

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Thursday 19 October, 2017

London UK -- A social enterprise is appealing to the public and businesses to donate their old laptop computers so that they can be refurbished and given to people who have experienced homelessness.

The aim is to collect 1,000 laptops by 2020, which will be distributed by homelessness charity Thames Reach to the people using its services with the aim of helping them get their lives back on track and do the things we all take for granted – such as apply for jobs online and keep in touch with family and friends.

The appeal is being made by the Laptops for Homeless People initiative run by SocialBox.biz, a London based social enterprise that donates IT equipment to benefit people’s lives.

https://www.socialbox.biz/homeless-support/

The initiative has already donated 150 refurbished laptops to Thames Reach.

SocialBox.Biz’s Peter Paduh said: “It’s about bettering our communities and societies by taking the laptops some view as no longer needed and giving them to the people who need them the most.”

Jeremy Swain, Chief Executive of Thames Reach, said: “These laptops will give the homeless and marginalised people who receive them the opportunity to communicate with friends and relatives, develop new interests, and access advice to improve their skills and employment prospects.”

Yussuf Omar, who experienced homelessness, but is now housed and learning about computers at IT sessions run at Thames Reach’s Employment Academy in the London Borough of Southwark, is one of the laptop recipients. He said: “I’ve never had a computer before, so getting a laptop has been great for me, helping me with my personal development.”

To donate laptops visit https://www.socialbox.biz/contact-us/

For more pictures, facts, figures and quotes visit;

https://www.socialbox.biz/laptops-for-homless-support-event/

Please also Re-Tweet to support Laptops for Homeless People Initiative from;

thttps://twitter.com/SocialBoxBiz

Ends

Notes for Editors

For more information on SocialBox.Biz’s impact on local communities, visit www.socialbox.biz

Thames Reach is one of the UK’s leading homelessness charities. Its vision is to end street homelessness and its mission is to provide decent homes, encourage supportive relationships and help people lead fulfilling lives.

Thames Reach runs a range of services in London including street outreach services helping people sleeping rough escape homelessness, a variety of hostels and supported housing projects, and schemes which prevent homelessness and help people develop new skills, re-engage with family and friends, and get back into work.

It runs the Employment academy in Camberwell which helps unemployed and economically disadvantaged people find work. http://www.employmentacademy.org.uk

Thames Reach works closely with local communities to ensure that it contributes to improving neighbourhoods and meeting local need. See www.thamesreach.org.uk

For further details contact Thames Reach communications manager, Mike Nicholas, on 07816 113420 or 0203 664 9562



https://twitter.com/SocialBoxBiz
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LIBERTY, EGALITY AND ANKORUS!

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Thursday 19 October, 2017

HOW ASSET-BACKED TOKENISER STARTUP WILL DEMOCRATISE GLOBAL FINANCE

October 19, 2017 – There’s money to be made from financial markets that isn’t being made. The average global citizen stands far outside it all, excluded in part due to a lack of a financial education, but also due to the high cost of entry.

“Global financial markets are like a collection of highly exclusive private parties,” said Ankorus CEO John Cruz. “While the inner circle are all connected together, many others are barred from entry.”

Around two billion people do not use formal financial services, according to the World Bank. Financial inclusion, says the bank, is a key enabler to reducing poverty and boosting prosperity.[1] Such inclusion is also the core value underpinning the Ankorus drive to liberate all exchange-traded assets globally. Billions remain unbanked, and even more “uninvested”.

Even in the wealthy US, the percentage of Americans investing in the stock market stands at just under 14 percent of U.S. households,[2] and numbers are even lower in Europe. According to another US study, 21 per cent said they did not trust stockbrokers or financial advisors.[3]

The advent of
blockchain technology, combined with Ankorus’s own innovative adaptations, means
that this era is now at an end. Global financial markets may soon be enriching
far more than ever before.

How Ankorus Will Democratise Financial Markets

Low commissions. As a broker-dealer with a seat on a major stock exchange, Ankorus will be in a position to act as a minimum commission securities broker. Other exchanges lack this status and pass on the charges they incur to the customer.Fractionalisation of assets. The “Anchor Token”[4] system allows expensive assets to be split into much smaller – and much more affordable – pieces.No minimum account sizes. With Ankorus, customers will not need a minimum investment level to participate. No account size is too small.Removal of geographical barriers. Ankorus will enable the purchasing of assets that were previously unattainable, due to barred access to non-nationals and/or excessive capital controls for certain nationals.Security and legitimacy. As a broker-dealer, Ankorus also introduces a level of oversight unseen before in the cryptosphere, while maintaining all the strengths of the space.

[1] http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/financialinclusion

[2] According to a Federal Reserve study for 2013 - 2016. https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/files/scf17.pdf

[3] https://www.cnbc.com/2015/04/09/half-of-americans-avoid-the-stock-market.html

[4] Anchor Tokens can be created and value-pegged to any customer-chosen globally exchange-traded asset.



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Prepare to be spooked in the woods for charity this Halloween

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Thursday 19 October, 2017

If you go down to the woods this October…you could be in for a shocking surprise!

Andy’s at St Andrew’s are holding their frightening fundraiser Scare Fest at Chambers Farm Wood, Wragby, near Market Rasen in Lincolnshire on Saturday 28 October.

By day, the woods is bursting with wildlife and care-free walkers but on a dark, dingy October night, the fundraising team at St Andrew’s Hospice will transform this popular beauty spot into a horrifying Halloween spectacular of spooky proportions!

The Scare Fest is being staged to raise money for Andy’s at St Andrew’s, the Grimsby-based children’s hospice that serves the whole of Lincolnshire, Hull and the East Riding.

Fundraisers are asked to sign up to walk through this deep, dark woodland and overcome their fears as they stumble upon a series of blood-curdling obstacles.

Theresa Crowe is part of the Fundraising team at the Hospice and she is promising an even more thrilling event in 2017.

She said: “Scare Fest will be the spookiest fundraiser of the year.

“By day, Chambers Farm Woods is one of the county’s most beautiful locations but on Scare Fest night it will be transformed into something quite spine-tingling.

“We don’t want to give too much away but there will be plenty of tricks and treats along the route.

“There will be witches, zombies and all manner of ghostly figures and we expect to hear the screams and laughter echoing around the countryside.

“Even though we are increasing the fear factor, the event is all in the name of fun and we want people to have safe, enjoyable night, just before Halloween.

“If you like horror films or scary stories, then this is just the event for you.”

Scare Fest is open to ages 14 and over and costs £10 to register prior to the event and £15 on the night. The event starts at 7.30pm and registration is open from 7pm.

Participants are asked to collect sponsorship money, as the registration fee is used to cover costs.

St Andrew’s is one of a handful of hospices who run both adult and children’s services on the same site.

It costs £4.8-million a year to run, and only a small percentage of that is granted by statutory bodies.

Theresa continued: “Andy’s really is an amazing place and we rely on the generosity of the communities we support to continue our work.

“We hope people are inspired to get involved in the Scare Fest and our other fun events.

“We would also like to thank Lincs FM for their support of the event – their street team will be on hand to provide moral support to our fundraisers.”

You can sign-up to the Scare Fest at www.standrewshospice.com/scarefest or call the Fundraising Team on 01472 571 266.



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South Devon hospice introduces new Listening and Support Service

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Thursday 19 October, 2017

Rowcroft Hospice in South Devon has introduced a new, volunteer-led listening and support service for patients and their families, following a successful funding bid.

Entitled the ‘Rowcroft Listening and Support Service,’ the new provision enables a team of Rowcroft’s specially trained volunteers to offer emotional support to patients and their families during the end of life period.

The hospice has been donated grants totalling £24,000 to establish the new service, which will initially run for a trial period of 12 months.

The grants have generously been donated by the CSIS Charity Fund, via Hospice UK, and the Newton Abbot Hospital League of Friends. Rowcroft’s Bereavement Service Administrator, Dawn Stirk, explained: “For many years Rowcroft’s volunteers have supported the relatives of our patients following the death of their loved ones.

“Thanks to these new grants, we are now able to extend our support to both patients and their relatives during the end of life period; an intensely upsetting time for patients and their loved ones, as they come to terms with the uncertainty around their expected date of death, and cope with the deterioration in their own, or their loved ones’ health.”

Rowcroft has long wanted to develop the new Listening and Support Service in order to enhance the support already offered to patients and their families. Rowcroft’s Director of Patient Care, Gill Horne, explained: “We are extremely grateful to the CSIS Charity Fund and the Newton Abbot Hospital League of Friends for enabling us to establish this dedicated service.

“This type of support is a key part of the holistic care that Rowcroft offers, and is complementary to the medical and nursing care provided.”

Chris Furlong, Grants Trustee for the CSIS Charity Fund, said: “The Fund is delighted to support Rowcroft Hospice via Hospice UK in its efforts to help the relatives of those who are nearing the end of their life.

“It is one of many deserving causes the Fund has helped over the years. This year we are donating some £50,000 to hospices in the UK to help them in their vital work.”

The new service offers patients and their families supportive listening from a well-trained and skilled volunteer, providing time and space for the person to talk to someone not directly caring for them, and not a family member or friend.

Dawn Stirk explained: “Research shows that during this difficult period some people feel more at ease talking to a volunteer.”

Among those offering the extended service is Sue Lynch, a Rowcroft Volunteer from Newton Abbot.

Sue said: “We give patients and their families chance to talk about their innermost feelings and whatever we can do to help that’s within our remit, we will.

“I feel myself that the end of life should be as special as being born; to make somebody feel at peace and manage the end of life is of huge value to the patient and their loved ones.”

In 2016 Rowcroft was forced to scale back a number of its services following a funding shortfall, but is now focussed on generating additional income to develop services for people living with life-limiting illnesses in South Devon once again.

Rachael Bryett, Head of the hospice’s Fundraising, said: “We are so grateful to the Newton Abbot League of Friends and the CSIS Charity Fund for funding this new service; it is only thanks to their generosity that we have been able to embark on this new pilot project that will benefit so many of Rowcroft’s families.

“We are also delighted that through the extended funding secured we can begin to look at developing our services again, after what has been an incredibly difficult year.”

Having supported local people living with life-limiting illnesses for the last 35 years, Rowcroft is committed to improving its financial stability and investing in services to provide support and care to all those who need it for many years to come.



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Launching the World of Work for Greater Lincolnshire - Employment Hub

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Friday 20 October, 2017

Today the Greater Lincolnshire LEP launches The World of Work, an online hub for information and resources about employment opportunities across the county. There are so many exciting industries and employers in the Greater Lincolnshire region; it’s hard to know where to start looking when it comes to work. Luckily, you can now delve into the World of Work at www.theworldofwork.co.uk and find information about your local area.

The Greater Lincolnshire region is filled with amazing career opportunities with national and local businesses within varied industries that you might never have thought of, from manufacturing and low carbon to ports, logistics and technology companies. With case studies from top employers, key facts and resources, industry information and specific local information, the World of Work has something for everyone in Lincolnshire.

The sectors covered by the web site, showing stats, information and case studies include:

MANUFACTURING & ENGINEERINGAGRI-FOODHEALTH & CARELOW CARBONVISITOR ECONOMYPORTS & LOGISTICSTECHNOLOGYCONSTRUCTIONAND MANY MORE....

Employers who have contributed to the site include Siemens, British Steel, Lindum, Gelder Group, Spaldings, Rilmac Group, Branston, Mirclean, Butlins, The Woodland Trust, Hales Group, The Orders of StJohn Care Trust, Cooperative Group, Associated British Ports, Denby Transport, Dynex.

The World of Work web site was built by the Greater Lincolnshire LEP with the help from Social Enterprise GetMyFirstJob.



http://www.theworldofwork.co.uk https://www.greaterlincolnshirelep.co.uk/
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ACH wins 2 national awards

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Friday 20 October, 2017

At an exciting awards ceremony on 12th October Ashley Community Housing (ACH) were delighted to win Care and Support Provider of the Year at the 24housing Awards.

These awards were founded in 2013 with the aim of celebrating the very best that the housing sector has to offer. They recognise outstanding organisations and individuals who have demonstrated their ability to thrive in the new housing landscape.

The distinguished panel of judges were looking for entries that demonstrate value for money, best practice, successful outcomes and originality. In judging this category they said:

“Helping refugees integrate into a new community can be a hard task but ACH have been mastering the art over the past nine years. The organisation believe it is not enough to put a roof over someone’s head, but to support them to achieve more in the community. Its resettling service focuses on teaching refugees English and offering training and skills as well as CV writing.”

Then, on 16th October, we were delighted again to be crowned Social Enterprise of the Year at the Ethical Corporation Responsible Business Awards.

These awards celebrate and reward the leading organisations from across the globe, recognising those that are truly having an impact on business, society and the environment – setting new standards and direction for business.

ACH were described by the judges as “a stand out winner - very impactful! Addressing the refugee issue on all fronts, from housing to education targeted not just to provide rudimentary English, but to help prepare clients for jobs. Tackling the issue at its source as well in Africa, this shows true innovation. Amazingly brave for a housing association.”

(ends)

Editor’s Notes:

For further information please contact:

Matthew Rogers, Marketing & Communications Officer Email: matthew.rogers@ashleyhousing.com Tel: 0117 941 5339 Website: www.ashleyhousing.com

About Ashley Community Housing

Ashley Community Housing (ACH) was established in 2008 as a social enterprise specialising in the economic, social and civil integration of refugees through accommodation and community based training support. We have successfully resettled over 2000 individuals from refugee backgrounds in this time.

We employ 60 staff and operate in the West of England and the West Midlands as a strategic partner for local authorities and government prime contractors. Through the establishment of our subsidiary training arm 'Himilo Training' we are committed to supporting refugees through work experience, language training, IT literacy and employability skills.

Our #rethinkingrefugee programme is considered outstanding and reflects our commitment to making sure refugees become part of society rather than remaining marginalised and under-employed.

www.ashleyhousing.com @AshleyCHousing



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Walking app with over 6500 British routes released

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Monday 23 October, 2017

Walkingworld, the popular online walking guide with over 6500 walks in England, Scotland and Wales, has released an app giving access to its entire library. The app, available for Android™ and iOS™ phones and tablets, can be installed for free. Walks are downloaded to the device for offline use.

The Walkingworld library has been built up over 17 years but this is the first time the routes have been made available through a dedicated app. The app has been created in partnership with national mapping agency Ordnance Survey, which provides digital mapping through their ‘OS Maps’ service.

Walkingworld guides are designed to be very easy to follow. They are built around a set of geo-located waymarks, each of which marks a major decision point on the walk. Waymarks consist of a photograph - so walkers can readily identify that they are in the right place - and clear instructions to the next waymark on the walk. The app allows the walker to switch easily between the waymarks and their location on a map, where their current GPS position is also displayed.

For free users of the app the walk is shown on a simplified map. If users upgrade for £18 a year the walks can be viewed on OS 1:50,000 Landranger and 1:25,000 Explorer maps, long regarded as the ‘gold standard’ for walkers. The annual subscription also allows the printing out of the walk guide and OS map, the download of a digital mapping file for other GPS devices and the storage of more than one walk at a time on the mobile device.

The app brings Walkingworld's huge library of carefully developed walking routes to everyone's fingertips.

Walkingworld also has several hundred walks abroad, notably in Spain and France. These walks can also be downloaded the app and followed, but on a blank map screen. Mapping for international destinations is expected to follow in a future release.

More information at www.walkingworld.co.uk



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Pébiott : the new artisanal wooden clogs - SWISS MADE (Ticino) now available on Kickstarter

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Monday 23 October, 2017

Pébiott is a swiss start-up created by Roberto Bernasconi, situated in Vacallo, Ticino - Switzerland, which aim is to develop artisanal products for sport and leisure.

After a development and testing period that lasted over two years, Pébiott, which comes from MoMo Swiss Italian’s dialect and means « bare foot », is launching its new artisanal wooden clogs on Kickstarter, available in five different colours: red, orange, yellow, gray and green.

With Pébiott clogs sandals, you will rediscover the active comfort that our ancestors exercised unconciously. The foot indirectly receives the stimulus provided by the wood in contact with the ground, actively and rapidly reinforcing its muscles and angle whilst taking a step.

Pébiott wooden clogs are handcrafted in our small workshop following an entire, artisanal approach. We use excellent quality materials, such as beech wood FSC certified or leather cowhide shoulder colored with a plant-based tint. A video showing the production process steps is available on Pébiott’s web and social network pages.

We launch Pébiott through the famous crowd-funding platform « Kickstarter » with the aim of raising CHF 10’000 in 40 days to begin the production process. Our first donnators will benefits from great discounts on Pébiott clogs sandals and will be able to enjoy them starting from May 2018. We also offer artistic postcards and leather key rings, designed and created specifically by Pébiott, for our contributors.

Our website, available in English and MoMo Swiss Italian’s dialect, will provide you with additional information and beautiful images.

Contact

Roberto Bernasconi, Pébiott founder, +41 76 562 13 04

http://www.pebiott.com

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pebiott/pebiott-artisanal-wooden-shoes-swiss-made



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Vad finns i ett namn?

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Monday 23 October, 2017
Har västerländska
medier lider av islamofobi?

Nyheten om att det finns
allvarliga anklagelser om sexuella trakasserier mot Harvey Weinstein, den
välkända Hollywood-filmregissören, har slagit rubrikerna. Nyheten om att Rohingya-muslimerna
slaktas i Myanmar gör också regelbundet rubriker.

Länken mellan dessa saker är att
inte en enda nyhetsartikel har nämnt antingen Harvey Weinsteins religion eller
religionen hos de som mördar Rohingya-musIimer. Om vi går tillbaka några år
till när IRA mördade människor i norra Irland eller fastlandet, såg vi aldrig
rubriker som påstod att romersk katoliker mördade protestanter. År 1945
släpptes atombomber på Hiroshima och Nagasaki, men ingen sa att kristna hade
mördat hundratusentals icke-kristna med en judisk-kristen bomb. Israels atombom
är inte ett judiskt bomb, Indiens atombomb är inte en hinduisk bomb, men Pakistans
atombom är en muslimsk bomb.

Visar inte detta att media i väst lider av islamofobi? Om så inte är
fallet kan kanske någon förklara för muslimer varför omnämnande av deras
religion är relevant för det brott som en muslim begår, men omnämnande av någon
icke-muslims religion är inte relevant för det brott han eller hon begår.

Ahmadlyyaföreningen för
förökning av islam (Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha‘at Islam) grundades i Lahore 1914
för att promovera den välinformerade förståelsen av islam i väst. I Storbritannien
drivs Shah Jehan Moské i Woklng fram till början av 1960-talet. Dess nya
huvudkontor ligger vid Dar-us-Salaam, 15 Stanley Avenue, Wembley, HAO 4JQ,
Storbritannien. År 1924 byggde den i
Berlin den första moskén i kontinental Europa av den moderna eran.
Berlinsmoskén känns nu av den tyska regeringen som en del av det tyska nationalarvet.
Från dess europeiska och andra centra runt om i världen har denna organisation
lärt sig att islam främjar fred, harmoni och ömsesidig respekt mellan alla samhällen
och nationaliteter.



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Reconsidering Hadith: evaluating the sayings attributed to the Prophet Muhammad (s)

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Monday 23 October, 2017
Checking the sources: did the Prophet Muhammad (s) really advocate violence?

It was reported in The Guardian on 18th October 2017 that King Salman of Saudi Arabia had issued a royal order establishing a global body of elite scholars based in the holy city of Medina to identify and eliminate “fake and extremist texts”.

A senior research fellow at Chatham House, Jane Kinnimont, is quoted as saying that the Saudi authorities have been worried about extremism both as a domestic threat and as a strain on Saudi relations with the west since 9/11.

For the last 125 years the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement and other Muslims have been debating the order of priority in which the Islamic source texts should be taken in order to determine what Islam actually says. Ahmadis have maintained that the authoritative source is the Holy Quran, because it contains the divine commands, then next in order of priority the Sunnah or actions of the Holy Prophet (s), followed by his sayings. All other sources such as the opinions of jurists and interpretations and extrapolations follow on after.

Lahori Ahmadis have also held that where a saying of the Holy Prophet (s) appears to contradict the Holy Quran then that saying needs to be checked for the reliability of those reporting it and preferably reinterpreted, but that as a final step, if the Holy Quran and the hadith cannot be reconciled, then the hadith should be rejected. Non-Ahmadis hold the opposite view, and regard the verses of the Holy Quran as having been ‘abrogated’.

All extremist interpretations of the Holy Quran and justifications for murder and violence are based on sayings attributed to the Holy Prophet which are not, in fact, reliable. They not only contradict the Holy Quran but also the actions of the Holy Prophet (s). Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, who founded the original Ahmadiyya Movement (of which the AAIIL or Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement claims to be the true representative), drew the attention of the scholars of Islam to this, inviting them look anew at the doctrine of jihad, for example, in the light of the Holy Quran.

In his book The British Government and Jihad he invited the Amir of Afghanistan to take urgent action in this regard, pointing out that the failure to do so woiuld damage his country. We can see today only too well the result of ignoring Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’s advice.

The Ahmadiyya Association for the Propagation of Islam (Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha‘at Islam) was established in Lahore in 1914 to promote the informed understanding of Islam in the West. In the UK it operated the Shah Jehan Mosque in Woking until the early 1960s. Its new UK headquarters is at Dar-us-Salaam, 15 Stanley Avenue, Wembley, HA0 4JQ, UK. In 1924, in Berlin, it built the first mosque in Continental Europe of the modern era. The Berlin Mosque is now recognised by the German government as part of the German national heritage. From its European and other centres around the world this organisation has taught that Islam promotes peace, harmony and mutual respect between all communities and nationalities.

Submissions in 2016 to UK Parliament Inquiries: Countering Extremism: Our submission: pdf • html Sharia Councils: Our submission: pdf • html

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/18/saudi-scholars-to-vet-teaching-of-prophet-muhammad-to-curb-extremism http://www.ahmadiyya.org/bookspdf/jihadandbgov.pdf http://aaiil.org/urdu/books/mirzaghulamahmad/governmentungrayzeeaurjihad/governmentagreziaurjihad.pdf
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Unmissable Amnesty Clearance Book Sale Returns

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Monday 23 October, 2017

The
Blackheath and Greenwich Group of Amnesty International is holding its annual clearance
book sale on Saturday 18 November at the Church of the
Ascension, Dartmouth Row, London SE10 8BF. Doors will open at 10am.

This is a regular event, much loved by the local
community and buyers from further afield. The church is filled with high-quality
books at low prices. It is 10 minutes’ walk from Lewisham National Rail
and DLR Stations.

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

“The quality of books –
many of which are brand new – is very high. There will be a wide variety of
bargains to be found, from second-hand paperbacks to review copies of recently
published novels. At our clearance book sale this year all books will be half
their marked price for the whole day”.

The group’s book sales, said to
be legendary by many who attend them, are Amnesty International UK’s most
successful fundraising event organised by a local group, raising almost
£300,000 over the past 40+ years. They are so popular that there is always a
queue of people waiting for the doors to open.

The book sale will include
the opportunity to sign petitions and letters 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



www.amnestybg.wordpress.com/next-booksale
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Launching on Kickstarter Inception X1: Professional 3D printing, made affordable

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Monday 23 October, 2017

Inception Machines announced today that it is launching a Kickstarter campaign on 25th October 2017 to raise £35,000 to finalise the development and realise the manufacture of their innovative desktop FDM 3D printer.

The Inception Machines X1's innovative approach to dual extrusion 3D printing is an evolutionary step in desktop manufacturing, producing professional level results quickly and affordably. The culmination of inventive design and precision manufacturing results in a fully featured high-end FDM 3D printer, capable of printing complex geometries in a range of everyday and advanced materials.

- Build VolumeDesigned by innovators, for innovators, the X1 features one of the largest build volumes in its class at 340mm in all axis, perfect for both batch prints and even the largest of models. By mounting the dual filament spools internally, the X1’s maintains a relatively small footprint ideal for small offices and workshops.

- QualityThe Inception X1 utilises the very best of British engineering, manufactured in-house with state of the art CNC machinery to the highest standards. The use of industrial grade precision components and bespoke electronics provide a stable and accurate platform for smooth, high-quality and high-speed printing.

- Dual ExtrusionDesigned from the ground up to rival expensive professional FDM 3D printers, the Inception X1 features an innovative tilting dual extrusion technology, producing perfect contamination free dual colour or dual material models. The tried and tested E3D V6 hot ends provide reliable and consistent extrusion in a range of materials, from PLA and ABS to polycarbonate and carbon fibre composites.

- Performance made AffordableA standout feature of the Inception X1 is the price point, exceptional value for money. Competitors machines retail for upwards of 75% more, making the X1 a more affordable solution. The Inception X1 will be available in two versions, a single nozzle and a dual nozzle with tilting head option. Limited space Kickstarter early bird tiers will be available at £1595 for the X1 and £1795 for the X1 Duo, normally £1695 and £1995 respectively.

- SafetyFully enclosed build chamber combined with Intelligent multi-zone temperature monitoring, provide stable printing conditions regardless of external conditions. Inception Machines have created a safer printing experience for students and new users, offering a safety interlocked door that pauses the print when opened, providing an extra layer of safety for peace of mind.

- Open SourceInception Machines believes in giving back to the 3D printing community and prides itself on being completely open source. The X1 was designed in Fusion 360, a professional CAD package available to any enthusiast or student for free, allowing users to design custom upgrades and modifications for the X1 with ease. Designed with expandability in mind, the X1 is compatible with future innovations resulting in a printer built to last.

Company director and founder of Inception Machines Ltd, Liam Cooper said: "The Inception X1 represents the culmination of years of research and development with an underlining goal of bringing cutting-edge innovative 3D printing technology to the general public, broadening their capabilities as a maker, an engineer or a student."

About Inception Machines

Inception Machines vision from the start has been to develop, innovative, cost-effective desktop 3D printers. Our commitment to manufacturing open source, precision engineered products in Great Britain, form the companies’ core ethos. Incorporated in 2016, the Inception Machines team have more than 40 years combined engineering and business expertise.

Visit our Kickstarter Campaign or website www.inceptionmachines.co.uk for more information.



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​Cashaa welcomes Central bankers, MIT scientists and Fortune Top 500 Leaders for its CAS token sale

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Monday 23 October, 2017

The next generation banking platform has brought on board a number of talented and accomplished individuals. Their latest addition is known as the ‘Architect of the Euro’ and has extensive experience with alternative currency models.

Cashaa, the blockchain-based financial services initiative, has announced that a number of new high-profile Advisors will be joining its team. One of the most recent is Dr Bernard Lietaer – the author of a number of widely-acclaimed books including The Future of Money; Money and Sustainability; and New Money for a New World – who has been at the forefront of the field of money in numerous capacities for almost 40 years. In the course of his career he has served as a central banker, fund manager, academic and consultant. He was instrumental in the formation of the Euro thanks to his work in designing the convergence mechanism (ECU) while he worked at the Central Bank of Belgium, and in 1992 was named ‘World’s top currency trader’ by Business Week.

High-Profile AdvisorsAlso joining is tokenomist Dr John Henry Clippinger, a research scientist at MIT’s Media Lab, co-founder of the Token Commons Foundation and Executive Director of ID3, the Institute for Innovation & Data Driven Design. He also serves as an Advisor to the Bancor project.

Cashaa provides a transformative solution to a pressing global need: frictionless, secure, and accessible global payments and remittances. Cashaa promises to become a critical part of a future decentralised payment infrastructure serving the unbanked and the banked alike. I would like to see the Cashaa protocol being adopted as a component for a global commons.

This is part of a larger discussion of what we are trying to achieve for the Token Commons Foundation – but in short, I think Cashaa provides what is seen as a decentralised commons approach as a utilisation token for payments and remittances. Dr. John Henry Clippinger, MIT Media Lab, Token Commons Foundation

Clippinger is joined by researcher Prof Dr Alex Norta from Tallinn University of Technology, who is well known for his work on Qtum.

Cashaa can leverage the Qtum smart-contract system by developing mobile apps and also having a performing and scalable PoS platform. Prof. Alex Norta, Qtum Chief Scientist

Other additions include academics and key figures from blockchain media and business, as well as the wider payments industry and investment world, such as Winston Gilpin, Venture Capital Advisor and CFO of Mercury Fund; Richard Kastelein, Blockchain News publisher; Tim Campbell, winner of Entrepreneur TV show The Apprentice; and Akash Gaurav, CEO of Auxesis Group, which is also ranked a Top 100 Blockchain company and other executives from Fortune 500 companies.

Finally, Cashaa will be greatly assisted in establishing in the Indian market by Dinesh Prasad, Strategic Advisor for India. Prasad is a business developer and programme manager with over 22 years of experience in Wireless Telecoms, including as Head of Sales for Qualcomm India & South Asia. He will be accompanied by Rajesh Dhuddu, Payments Advisor for India, who is Senior Vice President of next-generation payment processors Quatrro Processing Services, and a fintech and blockchain expert.

Disrupting financial servicesCashaa, which will shortly launch its Token Generation Event (TGE), is aiming to provide access to financial services for the billions of unbanked and underbanked. The initiative leverages blockchain technology without end-users needing to know anything about it and never having to come into contact with cryptocurrency themselves.

Token Generation EventCashaa’s platform will be powered by the Cashaa (CAS) token. CAS holders will be able to access premium services, instant loans, creating a credit score, creating smart contracts for trading and participating in the governance mechanism of CAS tokens. A total of 1 billion CAS tokens will be created on the Ethereum platform of which Cashaa will make 51% (510,000,000) available for sale, with unsold tokens being burned. The CAS pre-sale will be live until 30 October, with the public sale opening on 6 November and running until 5 December or until the cap is reached.

For more information or to register for the crowdsale, visit https://cashaa.com/cas-token.php



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Fletcher Longstaff | The Home of Conveyancing wins multiple awards at The ESTAS including Gold for the Best Office in the UK, the most prestigious property awards in the UK

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Monday 23 October, 2017

The Lincoln based firm received the Gold Award in the best in the Midlands and the Gold Award for the whole of the UK as well as picking up the award for best Local Firm at the prestigious ESTAS 2017. The award was announced by Phil Spencer, the TV property expert at a lavish dinner & ceremony at the Grosvenor House, Park Lane London attended by 300 of the UK’s top conveyancing firms.

The ESTAS Awards determine the best property professionals in the UK based purely on feedback from clients who are asked a series of questions about the service they have received from their firm, over 40,000 surveys have been completed during 2017. This is the first year that The ESTAS has recognised service levels delivered by conveyancers with 5,000 clients responding to the ESTAS survey.

Phil Spencer, who has hosted The ESTAS every year since their inception in 2003 said

“This conveyancing industry doesn’t get enough credit for the work it does in helping millions of customers around the UK and making their dreams come true and at The ESTAS we want to highlight that fact.” Addressing the audience he added “if you make it up on stage today you can leave in the knowledge that you’ve achieved the highest accolade our industry can offer.”

Firms were recognised in 10 regions around the UK. National Grand Prix Awards were also announced for the Best Single Office.

Simon Brown Founder of The ESTAS said “Like it not we live in a world where the consumer decision making process is influenced more and more by customer reviews so The ESTAS provides a kite mark of excellent service for any property professional involved in the home moving process.”

Carole Marsden Commercial Director at headline sponsor SearchFlow said “SearchFlow are very proud to be sponsoring The ESTAS. The awards are unique because the judges are your clients who have experienced your services. This makes their marketing value incredibly powerful giving all the shortlisted and winning firms an extra weapon in the battle on the high street. Congratulations to all the winners, they thoroughly deserve their success”.

Adam Cheal, of Fletcher Longstaff | The Home of Conveyancing said “We are absolutely thrilled to be recognised at this year’s ESTAS. It means so much to us as we know it’s our clients who have judged our performance. We take our levels of customer service very seriously because we know clients have a choice. We have always been very proud of the personal service and this proves we are delivering what we promise.”



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Halloween fun for all as Dalton Park’s Pumpkin Trail is set to be full of treats

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Monday 23 October, 2017

Following the success of last year’s Trick or Treat trail at Dalton Park, the shopping centre is getting ready to welcome little ghouls, pumpkins and zombies to raise money for The Sick Children’s Trust at its Pumpkin Trail.

On Sunday 29 October, Dalton Park is opening its 55 acres of Parklands to parents and children to take part in a spooky but fun Halloween-themed walk. Participants are encouraged to dress up in their scariest outfit for the event, with a fancy dress competition taking place on the day. The Pumpkin Trail includes Trick or Treat pass points where participants can stock up on treats to keep them going on the 1.5km walk.

Last year’s charity Halloween walk was a sell-out event, so families who wish to take part are urged to get signed up quickly. The Pumpkin Trail, which is free to register, encourages children to be sponsored to take part in the walk to raise money for The Sick Children’s Trust.

The Sick Children’s Trust supports families with seriously ill children in hospital with free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation close to their child’s hospital bedside. In Newcastle upon Tyne, the charity runs two ‘Homes from Home’ located at the Royal Victoria Infirmary and Freeman Hospital. Crawford and Scott Houses, which have supported hundreds of families across the North East, will benefit directly from the proceeds raised by the Halloween sponsored walk. Dalton Park Marketing Manager, Louise Thompson, says:

“We’re delighted to welcome lots of families to Dalton Park for this year’s Pumpkin Trail. Last year we had a wonderful day with all the little witches and werewolves who raised an incredible £1,000 for The Sick Children’s Trust.

“We have been working with The Sick Children’s Trust for a number of years now because its work is so vital. The charity’s Crawford and Scott Houses keep hundreds of families across the region together in free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation when they have seriously ill children in hospital – and we want to help them continue to do just that.

“The Pumpkin Trail is set to be a spook-tacular event which will help a worthy cause and many families. Please visit our website for information on how to sign up.”

To sign up for the Pumpkin Trail, please visit https://www.dalton-park.co.uk/pumpkintrail/. For further information about The Sick Children’s Trust, please visit http://www.sickchildrenstrust.org/



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Launch of Nostara: New Luxury Home Fragrance Brand

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Tuesday 24 October, 2017

Nostara is the new name in British luxury home fragrance. Created by friends Nikki Holt and Alex Bowring, this newly launched brand has already gained keen admirers who love the premium fragrances, luxurious design and beautiful styling.

Nostara hopes to be the ‘friendly face’ of luxury home fragrance, where customers know they’ll receive the highest of quality, with a personal touch.

“We’d like to think that your relationship with Nostara will be like dealing with a trusted friend who, like you, loves the best things in life.”

Nostara luxury candles and reed diffusers look gorgeous and smell divine! Using 100% natural soy wax (an eco-friendly, renewable source which produces a clean, even, long lasting burn), their candles are hand poured in the South West of England using premium quality fragrances and essential oils.

From the stunning glassware (intricately frosted with their iconic brand logo and motif), to their rose gold lids and understated packaging - their products are the epitome of luxury,

And the aromas? As in perfumery, all the scents have been designed with an emphasis on complex fragrance notes - giving a multidimensional olfactory experience. The Nostara launch collection is a carefully curated edit of fragrances. Whether you’re tempted by their zesty homage to G&T - Lime & Juniper Berry, or their seductive take on the Queen of Flowers - Ebony Rose, there’s sure to be something for everyone. Take a peek at their full range of home fragrance at Nostara.com.

“The epitome of luxury, Nostara candles and reed diffusers are aspirational but accessible - bringing a sense of luxury to the everyday…”

And for all the Christmas fanatics out there? Look no further than the Nostara Limited Edition candle, Frosted Fir. Their debut Christmas home fragrance (with decadent, pure essential oils) combines the essence of a frosted forest with indulgent notes of spiced clementines - encapsulating the magic of Christmas! Proudly created in collaboration with Marina Barcenilla (world renowned Perfumer and winner of the Fragrance Foundation ‘Best New Independent Fragrance’ Award 2017) it will bring the outside in and delight your senses - the perfect Christmas gift or indulgence for yourself.

“Nostara does it beautifully”

So make things easy on yourself this festive season and give a Nostara candle or reed diffuser to all your nearest and dearest. Who wouldn’t want to find that nestled in their stocking this Christmas?!



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Mum of tiny baby girl to hold Psychic Night in Chelmsford to raise money for charity

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Tuesday 24 October, 2017

The mum of a girl who at 16 months old weighs as little as a baby half her age is raising money for The Sick Children’s Trust as thanks for supporting her when she was in hospital.

Philippa Rabbitts, 28, from Great Baddow in Chelmsford, is hosting a psychic night with celebrity medium Ronnie Buckingham on 23 November to raise money for The Sick Children’s Trust. The charity supported Philippa and her partner, Matthew Cole, 33, with free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation when their daughter Bella needed life changing surgery at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, which meant they were only ever moments from her side.

Baby Bella was delivered by caesarean three weeks early and weighed just 4lbs 11 oz. She was tube fed for the first 11 months of her life, but needed emergency surgery earlier this year when she began to lose weight and was vomiting up to ten times each day. At eleven months old and weighing only 11 pounds doctors had to perform emergency surgery on her tiny body and place a tube directly into her intestines through which she could be fed so as to bypass her stomach and ensure she was getting the nutrients she desperately needed. It was at this point that the family were supported by The Sick Children’s Trust. Philippa, an editorial content designer, says:

“Bella is a beautiful little girl who makes us proud every single day. We’re still not sure what Bella’s condition is – her main difficulties are feeding and weight gain and she has to be fed milk directly into her intestines. Doctors believe that she has a genetic or chromosome syndrome, but we might never know.

“Bella has been in and out of hospital all her life, but when she was eleven months old she had to have surgery to fit the tube into her intestines and for this we had to go to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, which is a three hour round trip for us. We hadn’t really thought about where we would stay or how long Bella would be in hospital so when we found out about The Sick Children’s Trust and Acorn House it was a huge relief. A hotel for a month would have been very expensive for us and the emotional support we received from Abi and her team was a huge comfort. Not knowing what is wrong with your baby is incredibly stressful because all you want is for the doctors to know how to help her best and it’s all made harder because Bella can’t tell us how she is feeling.

“The Sick Children’s Trust is amazing. We met other families who had children in hospital and talking to them about what Bella was going through and how we were feeling helped us cope when she was very poorly. It is the hardest thing in the world to not know what is wrong with your child and although she is doing a lot better now and has gained four pounds in the last few months, she is still very small and wears clothes for six-nine month old babies.

“Because of her small size and huge head of hair, Bella is very well known locally and everyone thinks she looks like a beautiful baby doll. They can’t believe her hair is her own, but it all is and takes me longer to do each morning than my own. Bella loves having her hair washed and brushed!”

Philippa, who along with her partner, Matt, are regular fundraisers for charity, has organised the psychic night with the hugely popular celebrity spiritualist Ronnie Buckingham to thank The Sick Children’s Trust for its support. She continues:

“We are still making trips to Addenbrooke’s Hospital because Bella has to see the surgical and gastric team on a regular basis, as well as different therapists for speech and movement. We are lucky she has such a fantastic team behind her, but it was when she was so poorly in hospital in June and July that The Sick Children’s Trust came to our aid. They were lifesavers because I don’t think we could’ve thought about leaving her each evening and this way we didn’t have to.”

The Sick Children’s Trust runs ten ‘Homes from Home’ across the country, giving families with seriously ill children free accommodation just minutes from their child’s hospital bedside. The charity relies entirely on voluntary donations and it costs the charity £30 to support a family for one night. Acorn House Manager, Abi Abdel-aal, says:

“Philippa stayed with us for almost a month and I am so glad we were able to support her and Matt. It is a fantastic idea to raise money for The Sick Children’s Trust through ticket sales to a psychic night and I hope they also get some great donations towards the raffle. The money that the evening raises will make such a difference to the charity and will help us to support more families who need a ‘Home from Home’ when their child is seriously ill in hospital.

“We are all thrilled that Bella is putting on weight again and that the operation was a success. Even though she is still so small it is great to hear from Philippa how well she is doing and that other than being so tiny, she is thriving. I really hope the evening in November goes well and the psychic sees good things for the future!”

Tickets to the psychic night with Ronnie Buckingham are £12.50, to buy tickets or to donate prizes to the raffle, please contact Philippa at: philipparabbitts@gmail.com.

For more information about The Sick Children’s Trust please visit: www.sickchildrenstrust.org

Ends



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