Radio and Jazz Shambles

A marrigae must be entered into with the full and free consent of both people. Everyone involved should feel that they have a choice.

An arranged marriage is not the same as a forced marriage. In an arranged marriage, the families take a leading role in choosing the marriage partner. The marriage is entered into freely by both people. However in some cases, one or both people are ‘forced’ into marriage that their families want. A forced marriage is a marriage conducted without the valid consent of both people, where pressure or abuse is used.

You might be put under both physical pressure (when someone threatens to or actually does hurt you) or emotional pressure (for example, when someone makes you feel like you’re bringing shame on your family to get married. In some cases people may be taken abroad without knowing that they are to be married. When they arrive in the country their passports may be taken by their family to try and stop them from returning home.

Forced marriage is an abuse of human rights, and a form of domestic violence and child abuse.

If you or someone you know is being forced into a marriage, help and advice is available.

Call (+44)(0)2070080151

between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday

Emergency Duty Officer (out of office hours) (+44)(0)2070081500

or email: fmu@fco.gov.uk

or write to Forced marriage Unit, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Old Admiralty Building, London SW1A 2PA

www.fco.gov.uk/forcedmarriage

In 2009/10, East Midlands local Counter Fraud Services:

• Investigated and received 117 new referrals.
• Indentified fraud to the value of over £1.1 million.
• Completed 12 criminal sanction,10 civil sanctions and 33 disciplinary sanctions.
• Delivered 1592 presentations to over 12500 staff.

5 years for £753,000

An NHS bereavement advisor, who  stole hundreds of thousands of pounds from the estates of dead patients, has been jailed for five years at Leicester Crown Court on Friday 30^th April 2010. This follows an extensive investigation by the NHS Counter Fraud Services and Leicestershire Police Economic Crime Unit.

Yvette Adams worked for the University Hospital of Leicester NHS Trust as a Bereavement Adviser but went outside her remit to involve herself in deceased patients’ estates. This included suggesting to grieving families that she could relieve them of the bureaucratic burden of obtaining Grant of Probate, which gave her power to liquidate assets and accounts.

She made fraudulent applications to Leicester Registry Office in relation to seven patients who died intestate (without a will) some of whom, she claimed, had no traceable relatives. She also forged letters of authority from supposed distance relatives of deceased patients, sometimes inventing their names or using the names of her unwitting friends.

Her criminal activities emerged after she was challenged by colleagues and resigned suddenly during a meeting. In mitigation, Adams argued that the money she took would have gone to the state, and that she had better use for it- e.g. she used some of the money to fund music festivals. But she also admitted obtaining a lifestyle she could not otherwise have afforded, including a £37000 BMW she paid for cash.

Adams had acquired a range of assets from the proceeds of her fraud comprising of a portfolio of mortgaged properties including flats and a narrow boat. The will be sold and the proceeds used to compensate the victims of her fraud. Police are currently recovering assets. A date has also been set for 6^th August 2010 for confiscation proceedings to commence. Adams’ assets are currently frozen. For full details of this story please visit

http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/3094.aspx.

Fraud Awareness Month is all about spreading the counter fraud message. Report fraud confidentially to:

Richard Holmes

Telephone: 0116 295 3166

Email richard.holmes@emias.nhs.uk

Matthew Curtis

Telephone 0116 2953164

Email: Matthew.curtis@emias.nhs.uk support LCFS

For over 200 years ethnic minorities have fought for Britain all over the world. Up to the First World War, services were mainly within the local defence forces formed in the Empire, to protect British strategic interests in the region from internal and external threats. The largest of the military forces came from India.

The Royal Navy has long been an ethnically diverse force for example HMS ‘Victory ‘carried 71 men of foreign nationality.

Well over 1 million men from parts of the Empire that are now linked with the UK’s minority ethnic communities served in the First World War, in some theatres of war, they provided a vital proportion of fighting strength. Over 100,000 of them died or wounded.

The huge involvement of men and women from the West Indies, Africa, India and many smaller Commonwealth nations in the allied war effort is one of the lesser known stories of the Second World War. They provided manpower, equipment and support in theatres throughout the world and made a vital contribution to the war effort.

When Italy entered the Second World War by attacking British African territories in 1940, local troops of the kings African Rifles and the Somaliland Camel Corps were immediately mobilised. India despatched a substantial force that helped to defeat the Italian in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia.

Following the Italian attack on Egypt in late 1940, Indian troops were rushed to reinforce allied forces. They subsequently took a full part in the very difficult, but successful operations against the Germans and Italians in the Libyan and Tunisian deserts and mountains, including the victories at Alam el Half, Alamein, Wadi Akarit and the Mareth Line. The dedication and bravery of the Indian forces led Winston Churchill to state that ‘The high renown of the Indian soldiers… has been enhanced by this outstanding performance’.

From 1941 to 1945, huge number of soldiers, sailors and airmen from the Indian sub-continent, Africa, China and the South west Pacific fought in campaigns against the Japanese. ‘Today, for all their regrets for lost comrades and often for having had to take human life, they are proud to have done their duty. Thank goodness they did. If they had not made our war their also, victory .might not have come in 1945’.

The manpower and industrial needs of modern warfare resulted in women throughout Britain and the Commonwealth becoming involved as never before. Women demonstrated their commitment by volunteering for the Armed forces and through involvement as civilians in areas such as nursing, fund raising and administrative support.

By mid 1943 the people of India had raised over £61/2 million through the Viceroy’s War Purposes Fund. That equates to over £100 million at today’s prices. By late 1943 private individuals in East Africa had contributed over £770,000. A collection of £ 7,363 from the people of British Somaliland was used to purchase aircraft, while the Masai of Kenya made a gift of 17,926 head of cattle. West Africa provided vital supplies of iron ore, manganese and bauxite (for aluminium) as well as contributing over £1.3 million in gifts and interest free loans to the UK war funds.

Personnel serving in the British Army historically have been entitled to the same gallantry awards, irrespective of their ethnic origins. However, those serving in the Indian and Colonial forces have not always been eligible for the same entitlements. For example, Indian soldiers were ineligible for the Victoria Cross until 1911, prior to that date they were awarded the Indian Order of Merit for acts of conspicuous gallantry.

In today’s Royal Navy, Army and Air Force, people from all ethnic backgrounds continue to work together to provide the modern Armed Forces that Britain needs. Men and women from BME communities can be found across the three Services, all playing a vital part as the role of the Armed Forces increasingly moves away from traditional concepts of warfare towards activities such as peacekeeping.

All three Services and Civil Services are working strenuously to recruit greater numbers of young men and women from BME communities, with the aim of better reflecting the richly diverse cultural make up of today’s society. Within the Services all personnel are encouraged to realise their full potential by contributing to the maintenance and enhancement of operational effectiveness (source ‘we were there’ DCCS 10/02)

In a fast moving, professional organisations like ours (The Royal Navy and The Royal Marines) everyone counts. We are Equal opportunities Employer under the Race relations Act and welcome enquiries and applications from all BME groups. Normally you should have been resident in the UK for 5 years.

Now be part of something Royal Navy or Royal Marines royalnavy.mod.uk or Contact Sukhdev Singh Aujla mobile 07786335088 for further information.

SIGNIFICANCE OF HIS PERIOD

• Baba Banda Singh Bahadur was the first Singh King who established Sikh rule in a large part of Punjab.
• He minted coins in the names of Guru Nanak Dev ji and Guru Gobind Singh ji and issued orders under his seal.
• The name of Mukhlisgarh was changed to Lohgarh (Fort of Steel), and it became the capital of the first Sikh state.
• Banda Singh Bahadur abolished the zamindari system in Punjab

HAT News (Here and There) – for asylum seekers, refugees and immigrants

Inside ‘n’ Out (Ino) Magazine – for offenders looking not to reoffend

Down Not Out – For homeless people

Senior Eye Newsletter- for older people’s issues

dZine- for information about disability issues across Leicester and Leicestershire

The2 Children and Young People’s News Agency – for news about young peoples issues that informs ‘Leicester Wave’, the only newspaper (published in the Leicester Mercury) sourced, written and edited by young people under the age of 25 in the UK.

HowR U – for health and well being issues

Community Action Photographers – a photographic news agency to cover events and locations across Leicester

Ewalin – for those in Leicester interested in the international and economic development of Africa

There is a new ‘Green’ news agency in development

The five food groups on the eatwell plate are:

Fruit and vegetables

These should make up about a third of your daily diet and can be eaten as part of every meal, as well as being the first choice for a snack.

You should eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. Research suggests this can help to protect against cancer, obesity and various chronic diseases such as heart disease. This is because of the unique package of nutrients and plant compounds they contain.

Bread, rice, potatoes and pasta

This food group should also make up about a third of your diet and contains the starchy carbohydrates that are the body’s main source of energy.

When selecting products from this food group, choose unrefined carbohydrates over those that have been refined, as they will contain the whole of the grain. Wholegrain foods are rich in fibre and other nutrients that have many health benefits, and people who consume wholegrains seem to have a reduced risk of certain cancers, diabetes and coronary heart disease.

The final third of the eatwell plate is made up of three groups containing foods that need to be consumed in smaller proportions than the other two principal categories. These food groups also contain nutrients essential to our diet, so it’s important not to leave them out altogether.

Milk and dairy foods

These should be eaten in moderation because of their high saturated fat content, but they’re an important source of calcium, which is essential for healthy bones and teeth. Choose low-fat or reduced-fat versions.

Meat, fish, eggs and beans

This food group includes both animal and plant sources of protein, which is a major functional and structural component of all cells. Protein provides the body with between 10 and 15 per cent of its dietary energy, and is needed for growth and repair.

Foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar

This group makes up the smallest section on the eatwell plate and includes foods that should only be eaten sparingly because, although they’re an important energy source, they contain very few nutrients and are often known as ‘empty calories’.

Foods from this group are high in unhealthy components such as saturated fat, trans fatty acids, sugar and salt – all of which are associated with an increased risk of developing certain diseases.

They should only be eaten as occasional treats, or to increase the palatability of other important foods (such as olive oil on salads, a scraping of spread on bread, or a sprinkling of sugar on some tart fruits).

How to eat a balanced diet

• Eat a variety of foods to obtain all of the essential nutrients
• Too much as well as too little can be bad for you – balance is required
• Everyone’s plate will look slightly different as we all have different requirements depending on our body’s shape and size, and our levels of activity.

Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet

The Food Standards Agency’s eight tips for eating well are:

1. Base meals on starchy foods
2. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables
3. Eat more fish
4. Cut down on saturated fat and sugar
5. Try to eat less salt – no more than 6g a day
6. Get active and try to be a healthy weight
7. Drink plenty of water
8. Don’t skip breakfast

Portion size

In recent years, portions have been gradually getting bigger with the introduction of king-size chocolate bars, bigger bags of crisps and super-sized meals.

Larger packets and plates can encourage us to eat greater quantities of food, which increases our energy intake. Studies have found that consuming additional food doesn’t increase your sense of fullness, so think of ‘down-sizing’ rather than ’super-sizing’ for most foods, except fruit and vegetables.

Energy density

This is the amount of stored energy in food. Just 1g of fat provides nine calories, which is more than double the calories in 1g of protein or carbohydrate. This means you can feel fuller on fewer calories if you choose the right foods, and in the long term you’re less likely to gain weight.

Healthy living

Food is there to enjoy, which is often forgotten amid all the media hype surrounding various food items. Just remember to keep a check on portion size and energy density.

Food habits change slowly, but

• try new foods
• join a local cookery club to boost your culinary confidence
• have a positive attitude about food – it’s one of life’s pleasures

Exercise helps to maintain your body weight by balancing your energy intake (food eaten) with energy output (exercise).

Take small steps if you’re new to exercise – use the stairs instead of the lift at work, get off the bus one stop early and walk the rest of the way, or try to exercise with a friend.

The excuses

The pressures of home and family life can also mean it feels as if there’s little time left to fit in exercise. It’s certainly tough to get started.

So, it’s worth thinking about what you gain from regular exercise and making even a partial improvement to your fitness.

• Physical inactivity is an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease – in other words, if you don’t exercise you dramatically increase your risk of dying from a heart attack
• Conversely, exercise means a healthier heart because it reduces several cardiovascular risks, including high blood pressure
• Being physically active can bolster good mental health and help you to manage stress, anxiety and even depression
• Regular exercise can help you achieve and maintain an ideal weight, which can be important in managing many health conditions, or may just make you feel happier about your appearance
• All exercise helps strengthen bones and muscles to some degree, but weight-bearing exercise, such as running, is especially good in promoting bone density and protecting against osteoporosis, which affects men as well as women
• Different exercises help with all sorts of health niggles, such as digestion, poor posture and sleeplessness, and physical activity can be beneficial for a range of medical conditions, from diabetes to lower back pain

Don’t be a statistic

There are lots of positive reasons for getting fitter, including meeting new people, discovering new interests and generally feeling better, but if you need to be scared into doing more exercise, consider the following:

• On current trends a third of men will be obese by 2010, according to a 2006 Department of Health report
• Between 2003 and 2006, obesity in adults rose by nearly 40 per cent
• The picture is just as worrying for youngsters by 2010, it’s predicted 22 per cent of girls and 19 per cent of boys between the ages of two and 15 will be obese, with girls under 11 at particular risk
• Obesity is responsible for 9,000 premature deaths a year in this country, and is a major contributory factor to heart disease
• Coronary heart disease (CHD) is still the leading cause of death in the UK, accounting for about a fifth of all deaths, according to the Office for National Statistics
• About a third of deaths caused by CHD are among people aged under 75

Keep mobile

Almost half of adults in the UK will be aged over 50 by 2020. We tend to assume the benefits and pleasures of sport, exercise and fitness are only for younger people, but think again. The rewards of improved fitness later in life can be great – both for your health and social life.

Statistics show activity levels decline steadily with age, and by their mid-50s few people take regular exercise.

But regular activity is especially important as you age because it has beneficial effects on conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and helps you maintain mobility and mental well-being and, consequently, your independence.

There’s no reason you should give up the sport you love just because you’re getting older. There are plenty of exceptions to the statistical trend of decreased activity as we get older – at clubs up and down the country, for example, there are runners in their 50s, 60s and beyond whose fitness puts people 20 or 30 years their junior to shame.

And even if you weren’t especially active or sporty at a younger age, it’s never too late to start. Male or female, single or with a partner, there’s lots you can do, and enjoy.

Some of the health benefits you’ll get are the same as younger people, but there are things that are of particular benefit as you get older:

• More energy – exercise makes you feel more energetic, while sitting around not doing much makes you feel sluggish and unable to do anything
• Improved sleep – your body and mind feel as though they’ve done something and are ready for rest at night
• Stable weight – regular exercise helps to keep you at a healthy weight
• Improved circulation and lower blood pressure
• Delayed ageing – keeping active strengthens your muscles, joints and bones as well as helping with mobility and balance, important as it helps to prevent falls, which are the leading cause of injury and death for the over-75s

On top of the health benefits, exercise can be an excellent way to meet new people, whether it’s at a gym, a rambling or running club, or just people you meet while walking the dog.

Definitions of self-esteem vary in their breadth and sophistication. But all agree that high self-esteem means that we appreciate ourselves and our personal worth. More specifically, it means:

• we have a positive attitude
• we value ourselves highly
• we’re convinced of our own abilities
• we see ourselves as competent, in control of our own lives and able to do what we want.

In addition, we compare ourselves favourably with others. Low self-esteem can mean helplessness, powerlessness and even depression.

Some American states have gone so far as to establish commissions to study the effect of self-esteem, and make recommendations promoting this concept. But how do you promote an idea everyone thinks they understand – but few can define? Is this even the role of the Governme

Building self-esteem

Though it’s impossible to legislate high self-esteem, our own self-esteem has huge implications for our life paths. Our history of self-esteem begins as children, and follows us throughout our lives; it affects all our decisions – and, like a garden, needs constant tending.

One example of self-esteem can be seen in setting out upon our careers. For a person to make a non-traditional career choice, for example, a woman becoming a commercial pilot, or to go against family desires, requires someone to have a belief in their ability to make appropriate decisions, even though significant others in their life disagree with them.

Almost everyone can identify when they’re on top of the world, enjoying the benefits of high self-esteem. However, experts have theorised that high self-esteem can also act as a cushion for those times when life lets us down. Rejections, disappointments and failure are a part of daily life.

Life isn’t always fair; and even our best efforts aren’t always successful. But high esteem can help us get through life’s downturns.

Self-esteem: the ’social vaccine’

Research into self-esteem has branded the concept a ’social vaccine,’ a dimension of personality that “empowers people and inoculates them against a wide spectrum of self-defeating and socially undesirable behaviour.” The California Task Force to Promote Self-esteem made the following generalisations:

• The family is a strong force in the development of self-esteem. The early years are particularly important in establishing an ‘authentic and abiding self-esteem’ in a person.
• High parental self-esteem is crucial to the ability to nurture high self-esteem and personal effectiveness in children.
• School climate plays an important role in the development of the self-esteem of students.
• People who hold themselves in high esteem are less likely to engage in destructive and self-destructive behaviour including child abuse, alcohol and drug abuse, violence and crime.
• Young girls who possess positive self-esteem are less likely to become pregnant as teenagers.
• High self-esteem can never be given to a person by another person or society. It must be sought, ‘earned’ by the individual for him or herself.
• Self-esteem may be expressed as an overall generic characteristic, for example, ’she exhibits a high self-esteem’ or as a more specific behavioural attribute, such as ‘he certainly has a high sense of self-esteem in tackling a difficult writing task, but he has absolutely no belief in his competence to do anything numerical’ .
• Though the definition of the concept varies, commonly used terms include: security, connectedness, uniqueness, assertiveness, competence and spirituality.

Is this the way of the future – people brimming with self-esteem, ready to take on the world? In the uncertain times of a new media revolution, some are saying yes: high self-esteem workers, making independent decisions, taking risks, vigorously pursuing new ideas, and acting on their own initiative are exactly the employees needed for the 21st century.

These traits are characteristic of people with high self-esteem, of those who are confident of their abilities and gain pleasure from acting on them. Practising problem-solving with clarity, resolving conflicts, and clearly communicating your thoughts and desires isn’t only good for you – it’s good for those around you.