Gutmann awarded international fellowships
International collaboration established to study complex genetic disorder
David H. Gutmann, MD, PhD, the Donald O. Schnuck Family Professor and director of the Neurofibromatosis (NF) Center at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been awarded the Alexander von Humboldt Professorship, Germany's highest academic award for researchers outside the country, and has been named an Einstein Visiting Fellow by the Berlin Institute of Health.
While continuing to lead his laboratory and the NF Center at the School of Medicine, Gutmann also will travel regularly to Germany to work with Helmut Kettenmann, PhD, at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin.
Gutmann and Kettenmann will co-lead a team investigating the relationship between a type of brain cell, known as microglia, and neurological diseases, including brain tumors and autism. For these studies, they will leverage Kettenmann's expertise in microglia and Gutmann's clinical and research experience with the neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) genetic disorder. Although the German awards are designed to bring international expertise to Germany, Gutmann expects the collaboration will expand the overall understanding of brain tumors and autism in NF1, providing new insight into the causes of these common problems in the general population.
"What we're going to learn and bring back to Washington University in terms of approaches, technologies and general knowledge will move us closer to understanding and treating neurofibromatosis," Gutmann said.
Judy Martin Finch, Director of Media Relations


Mustafa Gülec
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Earth organizations
French Resistance
The French Resistance was an underground movement opposing the German occupation of France during World War II.
In a holoprogram set in the French village of Sainte Claire in September 1944, several characters, including Brigitte, Mademoiselle de Neuf, and two more (a bartender, played by Tuvok, and a baker acting as courier, played by Neelix) were members of the local Resistance movement, which was led by Katrine.
The resistance had been scrutinizing German troop movements since the Occupation, focusing on doing this and remaining undetected as opposed to more violent tactics. They used the restaurant Le Coeur de Lion as a base, and relayed information to the Allies via radio from there. The cell received messages from Allied High Command via messages encrypted in British radio transmissions, decrypted using code keys physically smuggled in.
They had also hidden weapons across the city, the guns mostly stolen from the Germans and the explosives bought on the Black market. (VOY: "The Killing Game, Part II")
When US troops attacked the city, the Resistance was supposed to disable German communications and help the Americans free Sainte Claire. (VOY: "The Killing Game", "The Killing Game, Part II")
To Commandant Karr, however, Katrine claimed that the Resistance may have been active in Paris, but not in a small town like Sainte Claire. (VOY: "The Killing Game")
One part of the French resistance was called the "Maquis," a name which was adopted by the 24th century movement.
"French Resistance" was, according to the Star Trek Encyclopedia (4th ed., vol. 1, p. 285), the name of the holodeck simulation program in "The Killing Game".
In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel Trapped in Time, the French Resistance help Miles O'Brien, Jake Sisko, and Nog find a Changeling posing as a Nazi officer.
Tuvok as a waiter in the French Resistance
Neelix as a member of the French Resistance in a holographic simulation in 2374
Add an image to this gallery
French Resistance at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
French Resistance at Wikipedia
Retrieved from ""


Assistant and second unit directors
Lauren Pasternack
Lauren Pasternack (born 15 May 1983; age 36) is an up-and-coming filmmaker who worked on 2009's Star Trek as part of the Directors Guild-Producer Training Plan. She was part of the Training Plan's class of 2006, as was her fellow Star Trek DGA trainee Nicole Treston Abranian. [1]
Pasternack is an alumni of the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC). While there, she directed a short film entitled Found Umbrellas, which was screened at the UCSC Chautauqua Festival in 2004. [2] She was also a member of the UCSC sketch comedy group Prank the Dean.[3]
In addition, she was the casting director for the 2005 short films Black and White and Praxis for Food for the Moon productions. She also appeared in Black and White. [4] [5] More recently, she was a member of the production staff on the television drama series Brothers & Sisters, starring John Pyper-Ferguson.
External link Edit
Lauren Pasternack at IMDb
Lauren Pasternack at MySpace.com
Retrieved from ""
Memory Alpha production staff pages without an image


Elena Luchian , May 6, 2019  / 0
Mercedes-Benz EQC enters series production. How much does it cost?
Home Auto news Mercedes-Benz EQC enters series production. How much does it cost?
Mercedes-Benz EQC is ready for launch. The electric model has already entered series production at the Bremen plant and is available for order.
The first variant to hit the assembly line is the Mercedes-EQC 400 4MATIC, with a range of 445 - 471 km according to the NEDC standard. The model is available for order with a starting price of €71,281, including VAT. The net basic price is below €60,000, a cost that makes it eligible for the environmental bonus offered by the German government.
The model is manufactured at the production center where the C-Class family, the GLC and the GLC Coupe see the light of day as well, a solution that makes the building procedure ever more efficient.
The team is thus assisted by digital solutions such as sophisticated mobile devices, driverless transport systems and the 'paperless factory'. Despite the high-tech manufacturing process, the human operators remain irreplaceable.
"Flexibility and efficiency are decisive pillars of the strategy in our global production network at Mercedes-Benz Cars. Production of the EQC is perfect proof of this. The staff in Bremen have many years of experience in the production of vehicles with a wide range of drive types. We are building on this know-how in the electric age, too," states Markus Schäfer, Member of the Divisional Board Mercedes-Benz Cars, Production and Supply Chain.
Meanwhile, the Sino-German production joint venture Beijing Benz Automotive Co. Ltd. (BBAC), part of the global production network of Mercedes-Benz Cars, is planning on starting the production of the f the EQC for the Chinese market.
The EQC is also produced at the Mercedes-Benz plants in Rastatt (Germany), Sindelfingen (Germany), Tuscaloosa (USA) and Hambach (France). Batteries are provided by the Daimler subsidiary Accumotive at its site in Kamenz (near Dresden) and delivered partly charged.
The standard equipment offers the MBUX artificial-intelligence-based system, which integrates the Widescreen Cockpit comprising two 10.25″ displays and touchscreen control. It also brings the touchpad located in the center console onboard.
The Driving Assistance package is optionally available for €2,296.70 with Active Brake Assist, Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC and Active Steering Assist.
An AMG Line exterior can also be ordered for €1,606.50, while the AMG Line interior costs €1,082.90, that brings the multifunctional sports steering wheel in nappa leather, with flattened bottom section and perforated grip area, together with the sports seats with AMG-specific seat upholstery layout.
Mercedes also offers various service packages, such as the "Maintenance Service", "Pick-up & Delivery Service", "Vehicle Warranty Extension", and "Wear Parts Package".
The "Maintenance Service" comprises all required maintenance for a period of up to six years or 150,000 kilometres. It can be purchased in combination with the "Pick-up & Delivery Service", that includes the collecting of the vehicle for maintenance work over a period of six years (or up to six times) and returning it upon the the customer's request.
The "Vehicle Warranty Extension" service package covers unexpected repair costs beyond the standard Mercedes-Benz new car warranty up until the vehicle is six years of age, while the "Wear Parts Package" offers the the replacement of the most important wear parts for a period of up to six years.
A "Holiday Mobility Package" can be purchased by the customers across the home market, in Germany, that brings care-free holidays. The owners can benefit from a Mercedes-Benz rental vehicle with a traditional combustion engine with a 10% discount.
A special edition, the EQC Edition 1886 with special features can be ordered for €84,930.30.
Tags: Mercedes-Benz EQC
Razvan Magureanu, October 14, 2014
Mercedes-Benz Concept SUV Coupe: A Better X6
Razvan Magureanu, February 23, 2015
Mercedes C 63 AMG S first official video
Elena Luchian, March 21, 2019
Leaked - Mercedes-Benz G 400 d arrives this year
Trouble for the Mercedes-AMG One? Its Formula 1 derived engine fails emission tests
Good-bye rear-wheel drive: Mercedes-AMG will offer only 4×4 models at customer demand
Elena Luchian


2900 4-6-0 GWR Churchward Saint 2902-2989
Power Classification 4P
Introduced 1902 - 1913
Designer Churchward
Company GWR
Weight - Loco 72t 0cwt
Tender 40t 0cwt
Driving Wheels 6ft 8.5ins
Boiler Pressure 225psi superheated
Cylinders Outside - 18.5in x 30in
Tractive Effort 24,395lbf
Valve Gear Stephenson (piston valve)
Between 1897 and 1902 when Churchward was he was formally appointed as the Chief mechanical engineer of the GWR he had in fact been for all practical purposes in charge of the department because of the failing mental health of Dean. This allowed Churward to undertake some experimental work which resulted in the construction of the Kruger and Saint class locomotives.
The Kruger class was introduced in 1899 with two prototypes being built. One design was a 2-6-0 locomotive and the other a 4-6-0 engine. Only one 4-6-0 was built but a further eight 2-6-0 locomotives were completed up to 1903.
Kruger 2-6-0 introduced in 1899
There were many issues with these engines and they had very short lives which varied between three and six years. Although the Kruger was unsuccessful Churchward learnt many lessons including that if engines were to be introduced of far higher efficiency than had been obtained in the past (incorporating long stroke, long valve travel, small piston clearance and higher boiler pressure) then a new basic layout was required. The inside cylinders had to go.
The need to rethink the design resulted in development of the tapered boiler which led to the development of another experimental engine being introduced in 1902.
This locomotive which was to become the forerunner of a long line of 4-6-0 express engines. This was number 100 which in 1912 was named Dean (later William Dean) renumbered 2900 in 1912.
100 William Dean as introduced in 1902
It had a high running plate and large domeless parallel boiler, raised Belpaire firebox and outside cylinders. This was the first GWR locomotive to have outside cylinders. The piston valves were driven by rocking levers actuated by the expansion link of Stephenson valve gear which looked unusual at the time. The parallel boiler was later replaced with a half-cone boiler, then the first superheated half-cone boiler in 1910. Churchward had studied American boiler design, but he was also influenced by continental practice in efficient motion design. A Glehn 4-4-2 compound engine was ordered from Societe Alsacienne de Constructions Mecaniques for comparison trials on GWR. Churchward insisted the locomotive was purchased so that he could undertake a true comparison with his own locomotives.
Locomotive built specifically for the GWR by Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques on the de Glehn principles and delivered in October 1903. This locomotive was numbered 102 and named La France.
The second (number 98) was built with a half-cone boiler and a re-designed valve gear layout and cylinders. The valve dimensions were increased from 6.5inch to 10inch. In 1906 it was re-boilered with a 225psi boiler to correspond with the third prototype. It was named Vanguard in 1907 but soon renamed Ernest Cunard. In 1912 it was renumbered 2998.
98 As built at Swindon in March 1903
The third prototype (number 171) was built as a 4-6-0 in December 1903 but was soon converted to 4-4-2 for the De Glehn trials. It was given the name Albion in 1904 .The boiler pressure was increased to 225psi. Whilst the trials were taking place another nineteen locomotives were ordered which were to be built to a similar design with thirteen built as 4-4-2s and six as 4-6-0s. The superior adhesion of the 4-6-0s set the pattern for the future and 171 was converted back to a 4-6-0 in July 1907 and all the Churchward Atlantics were converted to 4-6-0s in 1912-13. 171 was renumbered 2971 in 1912.
171 Albion as after being converted to 4-4-2
The de Glehn du Bousquet 4-4-2 locomotives of the Nord Railway in France were considered by many to be the finest express engines in the world. Their reputation for fast and economical running was such that they were widely copied elsewhere including on the Pennysylvannia Railroad in the USA.
Churchward insisted that a locomotive (102 La France) built on the de Glehn principles be purchased from the Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques so that he could undertake a true comparison between it and his own locomotive - 171 Albion. In a series of trials Albion proved to be as powerful and just as fast as La France and surprisingly slightly more economical in coal consumption. It would have been expected the French compound would have been more fuel efficient than the simple two cylinder Churchward engine. The excellent valve gear of the simple locomotive made it possible to run at 22%-25% whereas the compound on similar work needed about 55%. In addition the compound was more expensive to build and maintain.
Some people thought that the superior performance of the Churchward engine might be because the performance of 102 La France was somehow unrepresentative of that of the class generally. In 1905 Churchward obtained two more French compound engines (103 President and 104 Alliance) which were slightly larger and more powerful than 102 La France. It was found that any improvement in performance was insufficient to justify Churchward changing his ideas although he did adopt features of the bogies from the French locomotives. He also used the French pattern big-end for the inside connecting rod on his four cylinder engines.
The early Churchwardlocomotives were rebuilt from 1903 onwards with new superheated boilers and the remainder were built as such.
Successive batches were named after Ladies, Saints, Courts and names connected with the novels of Sir Walter Scott. They were collectively known as the Saint class.
There were many variants of the class. Some had inside steam pipes, while others had outside steam pipes. Some earlier engines had the raised running plate extended to the back of the cab.
In 1924 2925 Saint Martin was rebuilt with six feet wheels and renumbered 4900 to become the prototype of the 4900 Hall class.
2935 had Caprotti valve gear and it was the only locomotive ever to run on GWR with poppet valve.
In total seventy seven locomotives were built, the first being withdrawn in 1931. 2900 itself was withdrawn in 1932.
It has been claimed that in May 1906 locomotive 2903, which was fresh out of Swindon Works, was taken for a trial run light engine from Swindon to Stoke Gifford. The intention was said to be that after turning the locomotive on the Filton-Patchway triangle to have a "sharp run" back to Swindon. After experiencing signal checks the locomotive was stopped at Chipping Sodbury until a clear line to Wootton Bassett was available. After the restart from Chipping Sodbury down the 1 in 300 from Badminton to Little Somerford some fast running was achieved. Whilst the objective was to demonstrate that a locomotive straight from the works could achieve 100 mph it was purportedly reporting as achieving a top speed of 120 mph. Collett, who was on the footplate at the time was happy that the run demonstrated that 100 mph was possible he thought the 120 mph timings could not be regarded as accurate.
The last surviving Great Western Railway Saint class locomotive (2920 Saint David) was scrapped in 1953, long before the standard gauge steam railway preservation movement got under way.
The class incorporated many revolutionary advances in design and the 'Saints' are now acknowledged to have had a profound influence on almost every aspect of subsequent steam locomotive development.
The Belphaire boiler developed by Churchward had no excessive flat surfaces which had plagued earlier versions. The firebox tapered from front to rear, and the barrel from back to front, giving an ample space for the circulation of water and release of steam where it was most needed, around the firebox tupeplate. This type of boiler proved remarkably successful throughout the life of GWR and later Western Region steam. It was equally successful on the LMs onwards, and later on the British Railways standard locomotives. The design is more expensive to produce but proved cheaper in maintenance than other types. It solved the problem of using higher pressures without incurring excessive boiler maintenance costs. On other railways the fear of the level of costs inhibited the use of anything more than 180psi for many years.
Back to GWR
2999 Lady of Legend
Back to New Build


scenes from a fall afternoon
It's beautiful outside today. I don't feel cold at all. I've been out once, and though I don't really have anywhere else to go, I'm thinking of going there anyway, just to be out, just to be.
Of a sudden, the yellowed leaves are falling so quickly from the tree outside my window that I keep being surprised it has any left. The wind doesn't seem too strong, but it appears to be just right for fomenting this leafalanche.
Buddha is on the sill, trying to watch every single leaf fall. The sheer numbers make this a practical impossibility, and it's transformed him into a creature made of twitch. It's funny to watch, though it's calmed down some since I opened the blind for him - until then, he kept falling off in bursts of panicky flailing. The open blind is allowing Nona to watch the show as well from the comfort of the bed.
Around most of the buildings, the lawns are still bright green and mostly bare of leaves. The grounds crew have been hard at work all day, raking the leaves into piles and then snorking them up with what looks like a cross between a golf cart and an anteater. I imagine they'll be taken somewhere to be made into mulch. It's work for the crew, and I guess I approve of mulch, but there's a bleak tidiness to the ground they leave behind. I prefer looking out on this small cache of untamed autumn, and I wish it were larger, even if it did mean leaves drifting into the foyer. Later in the season I'd wish for their absence, but I figured that's why we have mulching mowers.
10/21/09 09:17 pm (UTC)
Yay kitty leaf adventures!


K. Michael Conaway & Michele Bachmann
Compare the voting records of K. Michael Conaway and Michele Bachmann in 2013-14.
K. Michael Conaway
Represented Texas's 11th Congressional District. This was his 5th term in the House. He is a current member of Congress.
Represented Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. This was her 4th term in the House. She left the House in 2015.
K. Michael Conaway and Michele Bachmann are from the same party and agreed on 91 percent of votes in the 113th Congress (2013-14).
But they didn't always agree. Out of 1089 votes in the 113th Congress, they disagreed on 93 votes, including 11 major votes.
Sept. 17, 2014  -  McKeon of California Part B Amendment
On Receding from the House Amdts, and Concurring in the Senate Amdt with Amdt
Sept. 30, 2013  -  Providing for consideration of the Senate amendment to the joint resolution (H.J.Res. 59) making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes, and waiving a requirement of clause 6(a) of rule XIII with respect to consideration of certain resolutions reported from the Committee on Rules
June 20, 2013  -  Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act
Jan. 23, 2013  -  To ensure the complete and timely payment of the obligations of the United States Government until May 19, 2013, and for other purposes
Dec. 11, 2014  -  Providing for consideration of the Senate amendment to H.R. 83, to require the Secretary of the Interior to assemble a team of experts to address the energy needs of the insular areas of the United States and Freely Associated States through the development of energy action plans aimed at promoting access to energy
Passed by a margin of 2 votes.
Dec. 10, 2014  -
Dec. 3, 2014  -
July 16, 2014  -  Blackburn of Tennessee First Amendment
July 10, 2014  -  Hudson of North Carolina Amendment
July 10, 2014  -  Blackburn of Tennessee Amendment No. 22
July 10, 2014  -  Quigley of Illinois Amendment
July 10, 2014  -  Speier of California Amendment
June 19, 2014  -  Fortenberry of Nebraska Amendment
June 11, 2014  -  Duncan of Tennessee Amendment
June 11, 2014  -  Royce of California Amendment No. 7
June 10, 2014  -  Blackburn of Tennessee Amendment No. 1
May 30, 2014  -  Bonamici of Oregon Amendment
May 30, 2014  -  Blackburn of Tennessee Amendment No. 14
May 22, 2014  -  Schiff of California Part A Amendment No. 21
May 21, 2014  -  Blumenauer of Oregon Amendment No. 1
April 2, 2014  -
Feb. 10, 2014  -
Jan. 14, 2014  -
Dec. 5, 2013  -  Rohrabacher of California Part A Amendment No. 7
Dec. 5, 2013  -  Massie of Kentucky Part A Amendment No. 4
Nov. 20, 2013  -  Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1900) to provide for the timely consideration of all licenses, permits, and approvals required under Federal law with respect to the sitting, construction, expansion, or operation of any natural gas pipeline projects, and for other purposes
July 24, 2013  -  Schiff of California Amendment No. 73
July 24, 2013  -  Stockman of Texas Amendment No. 60
July 23, 2013  -  Denham of California Amendment No. 47
July 23, 2013  -  Garamendi of California Amendment No. 33
July 23, 2013  -  Cohen of Tennessee Amendment No. 29
July 10, 2013  -  Whitfield of Kentucky Amendment
June 28, 2013  -  DeFazio of Oregon Part B Amendment No. 8
June 20, 2013  -  Huelskamp of Kansas Part B Amendment No. 101
June 20, 2013  -  Radel of Florida Part B Amendment No. 49
June 20, 2013  -  Walorski of Indiana Part B Amendment No. 45
June 20, 2013  -  Marino of Pennsylvania Part B Amendment No. 26
June 20, 2013  -  Brooks of Alabama Part B Amendment No. 18
June 19, 2013  -  Royce of California Part B Amendment No. 15
June 19, 2013  -  Broun of Georgia Part B Amendment No. 5
June 5, 2013  -  Cassidy of Louisiana Amendment No. 1
June 5, 2013  -  Garrett of New Jersey Amendment
June 5, 2013  -  Heck of Nevada Amendment
June 5, 2013  -  Polis of Colorado Amendment
June 4, 2013  -  First Broun of Georgia Amendment
April 9, 2013  -  To authorize the acquisition and protection of nationally significant battlefields and associated sites of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 under the American Battlefield Protection Program


PSU celebrates opening of Pan-African Commons and PIAAA Cultural centers
Postedby Chris May
On Wednesday, Nov. 2, the Cultural Resource Centers held their Grand Opening Celebration for both the new Pan-African Commons and the Pacific Islander, Asian & Asian American Student Center. Students, faculty, staff, administrators and community leaders gathered for a celebration that included speeches and performances from those whose diversity reflects the broad coalition that made the creation of these centers possible.
Among the speakers at the event was Melika Belhaj, one of the student organizers for last year's "Students of Color Speak Out," an event which has been credited as the catalyst for the urgency behind the creation of the two new Cultural Resource Centers. Being a student of color as well as working and studying full-time to earn her degree, Belhaj had some advice for students who may be struggling to find time to take advantage of the campus resources, including these new centers.
"Even though I worked full time, and I was going to school full time, I made the time to go to those events because they fed me, they lifted me up," Belhaj said. "My advice would be to really be cognizant about, as individual students, how do we feel, how am I feeling on a day-to-day basis as I move through school? Does this provide me with some serenity? Does it provide me with some strength? Because that's what it provided me with, and that's how I was able to move through the rest of my education."
Many of the speakers lauded the new centers as physical manifestations of the administration's commitment to diversity and reiterated the importance of having safe spaces where students could come and simply be themselves. They also emphasized the fact that while these victories are important, there is always further work to be done.
CRC Executive Director Cynthia Gomez discussed the importance of having students involved in this work. "Regardless of who you are, regardless of how you want to get involved, these centers are a great place to go because they're student-centered organizations," Gomez said. "We have professional CRC staff to plug students in and help them be successful at whatever it is they want to do."
Gomez also stressed that these centers are open to everyone and encouraged any student who doesn't necessarily identify with or represent a particular group but wants to be an ally or to simply better understand their fellow students to visit these centers and be part of the environment and dialogues that take place.
The CRC's five-year plan also includes a student center for Middle Eastern and Arab students.
Last year, the CRC hosted more than 375 events and had over 64,000 staff, students, faculty and community members visit the centers. Prior to the opening of the two new centers, the CRC included the Multicultural Student Center, the Native American Student and Community Center, and La Casa Latina Student center. The creation of the Pan-African Commons and PIAAA center was announced by President Wim Wiewel late last year, in response to increasing concerns voiced by students about discrimination and the lack of cultural spaces.
Anyone interested in learning more is encouraged to sign up for the CRC's weekly newsletter, which shares information about upcoming events, as well as available leadership opportunities and ways to get involved in the ongoing process of shaping the missions of these new cultural centers. You can sign up on the Cultural Resource Centers web page or in person at any of the CRC student centers. The Pan-African Commons and PIAAA center are located in Smith Memorial Student Union 236 and 235.
Cynthia Gomez
Pan-African Commons
Having been raised by feral pandas in the remote forests of Chengdu, China has always formed a key part of my identity. After my career as a Hong Kong film producer was derailed by tabloid journalists, I knew I had found the work that would become my life's purpose. I am passionate about journalism because it allows me to step into worlds I would otherwise never know while channeling my curiosity toward serving and informing the community.
Upcoming international events
Noon Concert Series review: Joe Manis quartet
Sexyvents listings
Postedby John Pinney
On-campus events calendar: May 2-8
Postedby Matthew N. Andrews and Andrew D. Jankowski
Make it rain this fall with PSU general scholarship
Postedby Anamika Vaughan


Truly Great
A classic selection of five cheeses designed to make a truly great cheeseboard.
Five cheeses from England and France that have been chosen for their consistent quality and taste.
This collection fits perfectly in one of our stylish medium gift boxes, why not add one to your order for a complete gift experience?
Stilton PDO Pasteurised Cows' Milk, Vegetarian. Stilton cheese has its origins in the early 19th Century when travellers to the Bell Inn in the village of Stilton on the Great North Road found a cheese that was much to their liking. So many people started producing similar cheeses that in 1910 the producers had the foresight to lay down strict controls on where and how it could be made, including that it may only be produced in the three counties of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Our creamy mellow Stilton will fill the mouth with flavour but not be overpowering. The pleasant herby tang of the blue veining contrasts nicely with the rich creamy character of the paste.
Westcombe Cheddar PDO Unpasteurised Cows' Milk, Traditional. Westcombe Cheddar is one of only three cheeses entitled to the Slow Food designation "Artisan Somerset Cheddar". To qualify for this the cheese must be made in Somerset using unpasteurised milk from the farm's own cows, traditional rennet and be made by hand before being matured for up to 20 months. It is made in Evercreech near Shepton Mallet and has a complex flavour and a more moist texture than some Cheddars.
Berkswell Unpasteurised Sheeps' Milk, Vegetarian. The Fletcher family started making and maturing the cheese on their farm in Warwickshire in the late1980s. As the demand for the cheese has increased so has production but in a very controlled way to assure the superb quality of the cheese. Made in the style of a Pyrenean cheese, This exquisite hard sheep's milk cheese is simultaneously nutty, savoury and fruity.
Camembert de Normandie PDO. Camembert became famous when it was presented to Napoleon III during the World Fair of 1855 but it was thanks to the engineer Ridel, who in 1888 created its now familiar cylindrical wooden box that Camembert was able to travel without problem. The fame of the cheese kept growing and its success encouraging numerous imitations, most of which were not of such high quality. A good Camembert should have a rippled rind with a good coating of white downy mould with some reddish pigmentation in places. The interior should be supple throughout with a creamy white colour and the smell should be earthy and cellary. The taste will fill the mouth and is often quite intense and fruity
Selles Sur Cher PDO, Unpasteurised goats' milk, traditional, Selles sur Cher is one of France's more recent Appellation Controlee cheeses, being granted this status in 1975 (modified in 1996). It has however been made for centuries by farmers for their families' consumption. The recipe has been passed from generation to generation as a useful way of using their goats' milk. Produced in an area south of Blois in the Loire valley, Selles sur Cher is a small disc of cheese with a very fine coating of ash on which grows a fine blue/white mould. The interior of the cheese is fine textured, succulent and velvety. The smell is of walnuts. The lingering flavour is also nutty, slightly sour and salty with a hint of sweetness.
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Selles Sur Cher
Selles sur Cher is named after the region where it was first commercialised - the Loir-et-Cher. The area of production of the cheese now comprises of a group of regions south of the Loire River where the climate is mild. These are:...
Camembert De Normandie
Camembert was created in 1791 in Normandy. Some sources claim it was invented by Marie Harel who was a farming woman in Camembert, Orne, who helped a fugitive priest who was escaping the "Terror". In return for refuge, he taught her...
There has always been a degree of uncertainty about the evolution of Stilton Cheese, but thanks to extensive research we now have a clearer knowledge of the origins and how Stilton Cheese evolved. Texts from the 19th and 20th Century...
Cheddar - Westcombe
Made by Tom Calver of Westcombe Dairy in the Batcombe Vale of Somerset using the milk from the Friesian cows farmed by his father. This farmhouse cheese making business has been making its renowned cheddar since1890 and now make over...
Made at Ram Hall Farm, a small dairy in Warwickshire. Now Berkswell is totally handmade by a team of six local ladies ably led by Julie. Production initially began in the 1980s by the Fletcher family and has grown over the years; they...


Pears Foundation
The following case studies illustrate the breadth and depth of our partnerships and represent just a small sample of a diverse and varied programme of funding.
Centre for Philanthropy, University of Kent
Many funders prefer to pay for something tangible, like a building, so we are delighted and grateful that Pears Foundation has decided to fund a lecturing post. We are confident this investment will have a positive impact beyond those who choose to study with us, but also on all those lives affected in the careers of students who go on, or go back, to leading positions in the charity and philanthropy sector.
Dr Beth Breeze, Director,
Centre for Philanthropy
We hope this post will contribute to a better understanding of the role of private giving in contemporary society, and offer practical ways to help grow an even stronger culture of British philanthropy for the future.
Sir Trevor Pears CMG
Long established in the United States, Philanthropic Studies is a relatively new field of academic study in the UK.
In 2016, Pears Foundation supported the establishment of the UK's first dedicated university teaching post in the field of philanthropy as part of our efforts to strengthen the field and the voluntary sector in general. The Masters course in Philanthropic Studies, developed by this post, is now an established offer at the University and is open to anyone working in the fields of fundraising and grant-making through a combination of online learning and study days on campus.
Pears Foundation continues to support the Centre for Philanthropy as a leading hub for research, teaching and public engagement, ensuring that its research has practical application and is being used to inform and improve practice. Working in close partnership with the charitable sector, the Centre conducts research on a range of topics including fundraising, major donors, giving across the lifecourse, corporate philanthropy and the relationship between philanthropy and social justice.
Like many of the Foundation's programmes in higher education, a key aim of our partnership with the Centre for Philanthropy is to strengthen the links between academic study and practitioners in the field. The aim is to educate students who wish to pursue a career in the charitable sector or related fields including the emerging philanthropy advisory sector, practitioners already working in the sector, and individual philanthropists who wish to gain a better understanding of the role of philanthropy and improve the effectiveness of their giving.
Website:
JHub
Imperial War Museums
Girlguiding UK
NHS Trusts: Young Volunteer Programmes
AfriKids
Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families
Pears Institute for the Study of Antisemitism
Integrated Education Fund
OLAM
UK Task Force on issues relating to Arab citizens of Israel
The Trussell Trust Foodbank Network
Pears Program for Global Innovation
National Holocaust Centre and Museum
The Pears Family Charitable Foundation.
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Tomorrowland is the Todayland of 2014
Tomorrowland is no longer correctly named, and rumored future changes will make it even less so. While changing the iconic name of the land might be hard, it will be easier for Disney to do than to make entirely new attractions based on the theme of tomorrow.
The main problem with Tomorrowland is that today's technology is progressing far too quickly for any attraction based on the technology to be relevant for more than a few months after it opens. This has been a problem since its opening.
The Rocket to the Moon opened in 1955 with the park and was already outdated by 1969 when people actually did land on the moon. A 14 year run for an attraction isn't too shabby. It was replaced by Mission to Mars, and while people haven't actually made it to Mars, that attraction became Redd Rockett's Pizza Port.
Looking at a list of attractions that are currently open and some that may be in development makes it clear that Disneyland hasn't even adopted the idea of looking at the future through the lens of the past. How did visionaries like Jules Verne and H.G. Wells see the future?
What else could you call Tomorrowland? Therein lies the problem. EuroDisney, now Disneyland Paris, used Discoveryland as its alternative. Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland has much of the same problem as Disneyland. Pixarland, OtherMoviePropertiesland, Scifiland... There are few choices that could make any of the Disney fans happy, so maybe everyone just ignores that Tomorrowland has actually become the Todayland of Meet the Robinsons.
What would you rename Tomorrowland?
Go forward to Autopia and the Monorail
Skip to Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
Skip to Disneyland Railroad, Space Mountain and Innoventions
Skip to Captain EO and The Starcade
Skip to Star Tours, Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters, Astro Orbitor


Pennews (A.P Politics)
PenNews reviews on ap politics in ap politics there has two main parties play key roll known as telugu desam parti and ysrcp...
ap politics
ap politics:
Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh is the lower house of the state and legislative council of Andhra Pradesh is the upper house. with 58 members. In the Parliament of India, ap politics has 11 seats in the Rajya Sabha, and 25 seats in the Lok Sabha. There are a total of 175 Assembly constituencies in the state. East Godavari district has the most number of constituencies with 19 and Vizianagaram districthas the least with 9 assembly seats. Whereas, the legislative council of the state has 58 seats, which is one-third of total assembly seats. Until 1962, the CPI, along with socialist parties namely Praja Socialist Party and Krishi Lok Party played an important role in the 1950s. In the 1967 state assembly elections, all socialist parties were eliminated and CPI lost opposition party status. The first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh was Neelam Sanjiva Reddy who later served as President of India. In 1983, the ap politics won the state elections and N.T. Rama Rao became the chief minister of the state for the first time. This broke the long time single party monopoly enjoyed by the INC from 1956 until 1982. Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao is the founder of Telugu Desam party and served as the first chief minister from the party. The 1989 elections ended the rule of NTR, with the INC party returning to power with Marri Chenna Reddy at the helm. He was replaced by Janardhan Reddy in 1990, who was replaced by Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy in 1992. N. Chandrababu Naidu held the record for the longest serving chief minister (1995 to 2004). In 1994, Andhra Pradesh gave a mandate to the Telugu Desam Party again, and NTR became the chief minister again. Nara Chandrababu Naidu, the son-in-law of NTR, came to power with the backing of a majority of the MLAs. The Telugu Desam Party won both the assembly and Lok Sabha election in 1999 under the leadership of Chandrababu Naidu. After 2004 Assembly elections to win Y.S.Raja Shekhar Reddy Ruling very well and his serve to all people of Andhra Pradesh about small information about Y.S.R. Yeduguri Sandinti Rajasekhara Reddy 8 July 1949 - 2 September 2009, popularly known as YSR, was a two-time Chief Minister of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, serving from 2004 to 2009. Reddy was elected to the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th Lok Sabha from the Kadapa constituency for four terms and to the ap politics Assembly for five terms from the Pulivendula constituency. He won every election he contested. In 2003 he undertook a three-month-long paadayaatra, or walking tour of 1475 km during the very hot summer months, across several districts in Andhra Pradesh as a part of his election campaign. He led his party to victory in the following general and assembly elections held in 2004, and did the same in 2009. In ap politics 2009 - 2010 K. Rosaiah and 2010 - 2014 N.Kiran Kumar Reddy. On 2 September 2009, a helicopter carrying Reddy went missing in the Nallamala Forest area. The next morning media reported that the helicopter wreckage had been found on top of Rudrakonda Hill, 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Kurnool. The five people aboard were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Over a hundred people were reported to have committed suicide on hearing the news of his death. YSR Congress Party (Telugu: వై యస్ ఆర్ కాంగ్రెస్ పార్టీ) or Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party lit. Youth, Labour and Farmer Congress Party is a regional political party in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in India. It was founded by Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy, the son of former Andhra Pradesh politics chief minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy popularly known as YSR in 2011.
Kerala High Court Lifts Life ban on Sreesanth:
Big Relief to cricketerSreesanth the kerala High Court on Monday Lifted the life ban imposed on him by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in the 2013 Indian Premier League spot-fixing case. The seamer was charged alongside two of his Rajasthan Royals teammates, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, for spot fixing in IPL-6. Sreesanth was how ever, acquitted in the case in july 2015, the cricketer who has been fighting for justice since his acquittal but BCCI continued to hold out and didn't lift the life ban imposed on him. In a hearting in March, the High Court sought BCCI's stand on the plea filed by Sreesanth challenging the life ban. The bowler had then filed a petition challenging the BCCI's decision not to lift the ban despite being exonerated by the delhi High Court in 2015. The player had argued that not lifting the ban violated his constitutional rights considering BCCI had taken into account the same charges applied on hom by Delhi police for which he was later cleared by the Court.Reviewed by ap news


Roads Kill
More than 1.2 million are killed on the world's roads each year - and that number is increasing rapidly. If nothing is done to reverse this trend, the annual death toll is on course to triple by 2030.
The toll is highest in the developing world. Poor countries account for 50 percent of the world's road traffic, but 90 percent of the traffic fatalities. Road accidents will soon become the fifth leading cause of death in these countries, leapfrogging past HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other familiar killers, according to the World Health Organization's (WHO) most recent Global Burden of Disease study.
Highway fatalities are also a "poverty-inducing problem," according to Jose Luis Irigoyen, a highway safety expert at the World Bank. "It's costing on average between 1 and 3 percent of GDP" in low- and middle-income countries, he says, an amount that can offset the billions of dollars in aid money that these countries currently receive.
In 2010, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution calling for a "Decade of Action" on road safety. The goal is to stabilize and eventually reverse the upward trend in road fatalities - saving an estimated 5 million lives during the period. The World Bank and other regional development banks have made road safety a priority, but according to Irigoyen, donor funding lags "very far below" the $24 billion that has been pledged to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
"Roads Kill" is a Pulitzer Center initiative that draws on its extensive global network of journalists to raise the visibility of this growing public health crisis. The entire project, including an interactive map and an ever-expanding roster of reports from around the world, is fully embeddable. We welcome others, including news organizations, to make use of these resources - and to contribute stories of their own.
<Any>ArticleBooksE-booksField NotesAudioInteractivePhotoVideo
August 12, 2013 | Pulitzer Center
Crooked Cops and Decrepit Infrastructure Snarl Manila Traffic
Tom Hundley
No one escapes the hazards and hassles of Manila's horrible highways - not even the president of the country.
Not God's Will: The Fixable Crisis of Traffic Fatalities
Tom Hundley and Dan McCarey
A global overview introduces a series on road safety, one of the world's biggest - and most under-reported - crises.
From HIV/AIDS to malaria and tuberculosis, poor countries endure more than their share of health crises. Now they are stalked by a new nemesis on course to claim even more lives - highway fatalities.
Launched: August 12, 2013
Investigative, Culture, Economy, Education, Public Health, Systems and Safety
Classroom Subjects:
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Category Archives: social services
Children Linked To Social Services Achieve Two Grades Lower at GCSE
Posted by Natasha in Researching Reform, social services
A new government review suggests that children who have been in contact with a social worker at any time since the age of nine achieve on average two grades lower than their peers in each GCSE subject taken.
The review data puts the number of children in England who have been in contact with social services at 1.6 million.
In a press release issued by the Department for Education on 17th June, Damian Hinds, the Education Secretary said:
"Overall if you've needed contact with a social worker at any time since year 5, on average you are going to score 20 grades lower across eight GCSEs... We need to improve the visibility of this group, both in schools and in the system as a whole."
"We also need to improve our knowledge of what works to support and help these children. We must not lower our expectations for them - for these children it is more important that they can do their very best to make the most of their talents when they're at school."
The press release suggests that the link to social services and the lower grades at GCSE for children in care is directly correlated to the assumption that every one of these children are falling behind because they have experienced poverty, abuse and neglect.
The government also makes another clumsy assumption: that those children who have not had contact with social services are all being cared for adequately, and so their grades are not slipping.
If that were the case, there would not be an ongoing number of children being taken into care.
While the report or the data do not appear to have been made public (unless we've missed it, so please do let us know), the Education Secretary's speech which he made at think tank Reform on 17th June, offers some more information.
The reasons for children who have experienced social services falling behind at school are far more complex than the government realises, and the child welfare system has played a significant part in adding further layers of disadvantage by providing third rate care for these children.
The government review offers several other insights including data that suggests that the average classroom has three children who have needed support from social services at some point in the last six years. The review also suggests that disadvantaged children do better in cities than villages.
The report coincides with the government's announcement that it will put new measures in place to support disadvantaged children in schools. The package includes:
Improving the admissions process so vulnerable children can access a school place as quickly as possible
Mental health training for teachers and social workers
Better information sharing between councils and schools
Tackling causes of domestic abuse, drug and alcohol misuse, mental health, serious violence, and exploitation
Tackling off-rolling, absence and exclusions
Implementing Timpson Review recommendations
The Department for Education also said in its press release that the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers had narrowed by at least 9.5% since 2011, but does not give a reason for that reduction.
A statement in the release by Sir Kevan Collins, Chief Executive of the Education Endowment Foundation suggests that the reduction may be down to the Pupil Premium, a grant given by the government to schools in England to reduce the attainment gap for disadvantaged children.
As you might imagine, the Local Government Association has seized on the report, seeing it as an opportunity to push for more funding for its councils.
Until the government understands the extent of the issues and improves the workforce tasked with looking after these children, no measures put into place will make much of a difference.
Many thanks to Keith for alerting us to this development.
Supreme Court Restores Children's Right To Sue Councils Who Fail To Protect Them
Posted by Natasha in child abuse, Researching Reform, social services
The Supreme Court has overturned a ruling in the Court of Appeal which prevented children who had been abused from suing alerted local authorities who did nothing to protect them.
This is a very welcome development.
The previous judgment in the Court of Appeal had effectively blocked claims by survivors who were known to be suffering but did not find themselves in full time state care, or subject to a care order of any kind. The ruling affected a significant number of cases and left victims feeling traumatised and sidelined.
The latest decision in the Supreme Court now means that children can sue for negligence where a local authority failed to protect them from harm.
Some quotes from members of the legal team and researchers who worked to help represent the claimants in the case have been published in an article by the Independent.
Peter Garsden, a partner at Simpson Millar, who acted on behalf of children's charities Article 39 and The Care Leavers' Association: "This is a groundbreaking decision that has served to clarify the law as far as the duty of care that social workers have towards young people and children who are not necessarily in a care institution, but are known to be at risk.
"This decision affects some of the most vulnerable members of our society and we are delighted that those affected will continue to have access to the justice that they deserve in instances where they are let down by those they have put their faith in."
Carolyne Willow, director at Article 39: "We are particularly concerned about the continuing scandals of mistreatment in child prisons and local authorities' failures to take robust, protective action."
David Graham, national Director of The Care Leavers Association: "We hope the courts will now quickly deal with the backlog of cases from adults who were failed as children."
The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils in England and Wales said they would look at the ruling and "carefully assess any implications for local authorities."
New Ruling Blocks Abuse Survivors From Suing Councils - Here's How To Reverse It.
LANDMARK RULING: Foster Children Can Now Sue Local Authorities For Abuse (2017)
"Working with families means collaborating with rather than controlling them." - New Research
Posted by Natasha in child welfare, Researching Reform, social services, social work
Many social workers and their managers believe so strongly that an authoritarian approach to child protection is right that they not only feel comfortable trying to control families going through child welfare proceedings but also advocate strongly for such practices, according to research published by Dr David Wilkins, a Senior Lecturer in Social Work at Cardiff University, Assistant Director of CASCADE, and project lead at the What Works Centre which assists regulatory body Social Work England.
The paper argues for an inclusive form of social work, where families feel empowered and safe. Dr Wilkins explains, "Working in a participatory way with families means, at the least, seeking to collaborate with rather than control or unduly influence them."
The research, which was published in 2017 in the British Journal of Social Work has been uploaded onto free research site Academia, and was co-produced with Charlotte Whittaker, the curriculum lead at social work training school The Frontline.
Charlotte is responsible for developing the teaching, learning and assessment of a practice model called motivational interviewing (MI), which Psychology Today describes as a practical, empathetic, short-term counselling method which helps people find the internal motivation they need to change their behaviour while taking into account how difficult it is to make life changes. It is this form of counselling that the research paper focuses on.
Dr Wilkins' research highlights positive social work practices using MI which have made a difference to families' lives while also pointing out the dangers of trying to control and coerce parents during child protection proceedings. The research also calls for ground-level reform within social work as well as structural reform to make sure that social workers can put children and families at the heart of their practice.
Parents reacted to the research on social media. One mother told Researching Reform:
"My Cafcass officer doesn't collaborate on any level. She won't even contact me directly. She does it through my solicitor costing me more money. Having been in a controlling relationship I definitely feel I have stepped straight into another with her."
It's incredibly important to point out that we don't tolerate coercive behaviour in almost any other context - all we need to do is look at current legislation which prohibits people from using controlling behaviour in a relationship to get what they want from each other. We call that kind of conduct abusive because we know it damages adults, and children.
The paper is a must-read for anyone working with families in a child protection setting, and for families too who have either experienced the child welfare system or are going through it at the moment.
The research is also an important reminder that coercion never resolves an issue as families are never fully on board with an idea they haven't engaged with or feel any agency towards. It traps families inside a cycle which sees them return to the child protection system over and over again.
This kind of control also creates a deep and lasting mistrust of social workers and the sector.
The research makes several interesting observations about social work practice:
"Participatory principles such as collaboration, empathy and the right to self-determination are embedded in many of the codes of ethics that underpin professional social work practice (BASW, 2012; Levin andWeiss-Gal, 2009). Unsurprisingly, almost all the workers we spoke to believed they embodied these principles in their work (or said they aspired to even if they were not always able to achieve them). And yet our analysis of observed practice suggests that many workers find it hard to acknowledge parents' feelings, to respect their choices or to draw on their expertise. In discussion with these workers, we found that, whilst they could explain what principles such as collaboration and empathy meant in theory, they found it more challenging to describe how they might be shown in practice."
Dr Wilkins is part of a growing group of social workers who believe that working collaboratively with families is essential to excellent social work practice and that the system is there to serve families and children. Researching Reform agrees with this view.
You can follow David over on Twitter at @David82Wilkins.
Government Plan To Keep Children Out of Care Fails to Target Inadequate Councils
Posted by Natasha in Researching Reform, social services, social work
The government has launched a project which aims to keep children out of the care system. The £84 million initiative will target councils with the highest numbers of children in care across the country, but will not include bids from failing councils.
The project comes at a time when the child protection sector is seeing unprecedented levels of children in care.
Up to twenty councils will receive a share of the £84m set aside for the "Strengthening Families, Protecting Children" project over a period of five years. The project offers three programmes designed to improve the safety and stability of vulnerable children and to reduce the need for families to access services. Selected councils will implement one of the three featured programmes.
Three 'early adopters' have already been chosen to test the project and will begin implementing the programmes in the Spring. The selected councils are Darlington, Cambridgeshire and Middlesbrough.
Only councils with an Ofsted rating of 'requires improvement to be good' can make bids for the funding and take part in the project, making the project's aims questionable. The current ratings offered by Ofsted are Oustanding, Good, Requires Improvement and Inadequate.
The What Works Centre for children's social care will evaluate the success of the project sometime after 2024, but as the project will not be allowing councils with an inadequate rating to join the programme, arguably councils in most need of the support, it is unclear what use the evaluation will be in assessing the viability of the programmes in the project.
The Department for Education's press release offers more detail on the programmes being offered:
Leeds Family Valued: working with the whole family unit and any support network to encourage long term changes at home that keep children safe, working with families rather than imposing measures on them. Independent evaluation of the project's impact on the target population shows that between 2011 and 2017, Leeds reduced the number of children on children's services Protection Plans by nearly 50% (974 in 2011 down to 515 in 2017).
Hertfordshire Family Safeguarding: creates teams consisting of mental health practitioners, domestic abuse workers, probation officers and children's social workers to strengthen the bond between couples, support fathers and male partners to prevent violent behaviour. Evaluation shows this resulted in a 39% reduction in the number of days children spent in care, for cases allocated to the safeguarding team, a 53% drop in in hospital admissions for adults in that family, and a 66% reduction in contact with the police.
North Yorkshire No Wrong Door: creates 'hubs' where young people at risk of going into care get targeted support to cope with the multiple issues they face, including lack of accommodation or contact with the police. Independent evaluation showed the programme saw a 38% fall in arrests of individuals involved during the first 18 months of the programme and a 57% reduction in A&E visits.
The launch of the project coincides with the Children Act 1989's thirtieth anniversary.
The press release can be read here.
The criteria for entry onto the project can be found here.
Ofsted's Local Authority Children's Social Care reports can be accessed here.
Many thanks to Michele Simmons for alerting us to this project.
Children's services not fit for refugees - Top Minister
Senator John Le Fondré, Jersey's Chief Minister said children's services on the island were not fit for refugees, after Lord Dubs called on the Island to take in child refugees last week.
At a further meeting on Friday with his Deputy, Le Fondré, said the island's child welfare services were in a "very poor state" and "not presently in the right position to deal with even [Jersey's] own children properly."
He added, 'It is not just a case of money. It is about getting people in the right place, and giving stability, for example, to the social-worker workforce, so those relationships can carry on in the longer term. That is incredibly important.'
Jersey's children's services have been blighted by poor practice and serous failures.
After concerns were raised by the Independent Care Inquiry, Ofsted confirmed last year that it would inspect the island's social services. Ofsted's report was damning. The inspection body found that Jersey social services was not prioritising the needs of its children, that children in care on the island were falling far behind their peers at every stage of their education and that structural and cultural problems inside social services were hampering service delivery.
Jersey put together an improvement plan in July 2018 to address the failures highlighted inside Ofsted's report. Little has been done to action the plan.
Parliamentary Debate On Councils' Duties To Children
A Labour MP is hosting a debate in the Commons this evening to draw attention to growing confusion around local authorities' responsibilities towards children.
The debate, which has been brought by Kate Osamor MP, will explore the issues around access to children's services for families under the "no recourse to public funds" (NRPF) condition. Families who fall within the NRPF condition are usually migrants in the UK who are unable to access public funds, which means that they cannot access standard benefits and housing assistance.
Osamor says the confusion is causing extreme suffering in the form of acute poverty along with a high risk of homelessness and exploitation for thousands of children.
Although children in the UK are covered by section 17 of the Children Act 1989, which places a duty on local authorities to promote the welfare of all children in need in their local area, the condition is causing confusion among parents and councils. In some instances, Politics Home reports that councils are wilfully refusing these families the support they are entitled to.
Osamor will use this evening's debate to call on councils to adopt Project 17's Children's Charter, which commits local authorities to upholding the rights of children living in families with no recourse to public funds.
The debate will take place in the Commons Main Chamber at around 7pm and is an adjournment debate, which means that no formal question needs to be asked before it can be instated. Adjournment debates take place daily at the end of each day's sitting in the Commons and usually run for 30 minutes.
Health Body Invites Care Experienced People To Join Committee
Posted by Natasha in Research, Researching Reform, social services
The National Institute For Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is hoping to recruit care experienced individuals to join its Looked-after children and young people Committee.
NICE, which publishes guidelines for health technologies, clinical practice, public sector health workers and social care services, is looking for people aged 16 years and up who have personal experience of using health or care services. The committee has been set up to revise NICE's guidance on looked-after children and young people, which was last updated in 2015.
There are four positions open for what NICE calls lay members of the committee:
2 care leavers aged between 18-25
1 foster carer
1 young person aged between 16-18 with experience of care
NICE's website explains that it is looking for people with an understanding of looked-after children and young people and the issues which are important to them. This experience can be gained through personal experience of receiving care, personal experience of leaving care, or as a foster carer within the last 2 years.
The role will involve attending committee meetings, taking part in discussions to shape the guidance, reading committee papers, commenting on documents between meetings and keeping the committee's work confidential.
Selected members will be required to ensure that the views, experiences and interests of children and young people who use social care services are taken into account by the committee, identify areas of concern for children and young people using social care services and review topic information and draft guidance from a children and young person's perspective.
Travel expenses are offered at a maximum of £20 per day, with attendance payments set at £150 per full-day meeting (four hours or longer) and £75 per half-day meeting (shorter than four hours). If you are applying for this position, please confirm payment with the team beforehand.
The page featuring the current guidance on looked-after children and young people includes:
The Guidance itself
The History of the Guidance
Full details including application forms, role description and information about the committee and the position can be found here.
Ombudsman Sees Surge In Complaints Over Councils' Handling Of Child Protection Cases
The latest decisions published by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) reveal a surge in parents complaining about the way they and their children have been treated during child protection investigations. The rise in complaints against councils and social workers involved in child protection investigations comes after the ombudsman confirmed that it could not look into matters which have been raised inside the family courts.
The confirmation initially seemed to stem the large influx of complaints related to child protection social workers, however this no longer appears to be the case. Desperate families have started taking their complaints to the LGSCO once more, hoping the watchdog will provide them with the support they have been unable to get elsewhere. Several complaints were set aside as the LGSCO is prevented in law from looking into matters raised and decided in the UK's family courts, however some complaints relating to child protection cases which didn't fall into the above category were investigated by the ombudsman.
Of the 59 complaints published this week by the LGSCO, 15 of those involved child protection cases. The majority of complaints focused on alleged failings over education provision, and support for SEN children.
Child Protection Complaints
A mother and father who lodged a complaint against Hampshire County Council were awarded £500 after the local authority cancelled two child protection conference meetings. The parents had taken unpaid leave to attend the meetings, and when a core group meeting was held the parents were not told about it. The social workers also failed to record the meeting. The ombudsman took the view that the failures to notify the parents of the meeting and record the meeting did not cause the parents any injustice, and chose to compensate them only for the cancelled meetings.
Medway council also had its knuckles rapped after it confused a woman's husband for another man during a child protection investigation. The ombudsman awarded the woman and her husband £1,000 for the distress the error caused.
The remaining 13 complaints involving family court proceedings were set aside by the watchdog.
There were a significant number of complaints about factual errors within social work reports and councils' record keeping. One such complaint was made against Birmingham City Council. A father, who is referred to in the ombudsman decision as Mr A, alleged that the social worker carrying out a child protection assessment was biased and the report she produced was inaccurate, which in turn affected the outcome of the investigation. The father also said that the council refused his request for a different social worker without giving any explanation for the refusal. (If you would like to change your social worker, our post on ways to approach this is added here).
The ombudsman issued the following reminders over what it cannot investigate:
Matters that have been before a court via the statutory children's complaints procedure.
Matters currently subjected to legal proceedings.
An event that occurred over 12 months ago (exceptions apply).
Where it is unlikely that the ombudsman would reach a sound, fair, and meaningful decision, or achieve the outcomes desired by the complainant.
Events which happen inside the family courts.
Complaints about social workers who produce reports for the family court and the production and contents of court reports.
For further information on what the LGSCO can and can't investigate, click here.
Families lodging complaints about botched child protection proceedings have our sympathy.
"I likened it to arriving at the scene of a car crash".
Posted by Natasha in child welfare, Foster Care, Researching Reform, social services
An independent social worker involved in a case where a council placed a baby into foster care without telling the child's grandparents, likened the handling of the case to a car crash, as she gave her testimony in court.
Judge Lazarus ordered the judgment to be made public after she criticised the social workers, lawyers and the child's guardian for serious failures within the child protection investigation. Lazarus joins a growing number of judges raising concerns about problems inside the child welfare sector.
The case involved a baby who had been the subject of a care order by Kent County Council before being born. The mother's parents did not know about the baby until after he had been born, and were not made aware of the application to have the baby fostered.
The child was sent to live with foster parents and remains with them today, after the judge decided that it would be better for the boy not to be moved as he had formed attachments with the foster parents and was thriving in their care.
The judgment tells us that had the grandmother and her husband put themselves forward as potential carers for their grandson, it would have been most likely that they would have been accepted as Special Guardians for the baby. This is what Judge Lazarus says:
"The local authority, the Social Worker, the Children's Guardian, and the Independent Social Worker all acknowledge that had she and her husband put themselves forward in those proceedings and been assessed it is highly likely that they would have received a positive assessment as X's proposed Special Guardians. "
Judge Lazarus goes on to outline the law around external family members and investigating placement options for vulnerable children:
"42. THE LAW - INVESTIGATION OF FAMILY MEMBERS
a) In the case of Re R [2014] EWCA Civ 1625 the former President Sir James Munby stated: "The Public Law Outline [Public Law Outline FPR 2010, PD12A] stresses the vital importance of such potential carers being identified and assessed, at the latest, as soon as possible after the proceedings have begun ", albeit "not requiring every stone to be uncovered".
b) Re R provided clarification of the principles underlying the reminders as to good practice set out in Re BS [2013] EWCA Civ 1146 and the need to pay particular heed to the factors in the relevant welfare checklist in order to approach such applications through the prism of the child's welfare interests. Those cases provided appropriate reminders of the extreme interference with Article 8 rights that these applications represent, of the rigour and exceptionality required by Re B [2013] UKSC 33 to interfere so drastically with those rights, and of the principles applicable from Y v UK (2012) 55 EHRR 33 emphasising the need to preserve personal relations and 'rebuild' families.
c) In order to comply with what has become known as the ' Re BS checklist', namely the properly evidenced and reasoned analysis in care and adoption proceedings by the local authority witnesses which should include illustrating the pros and cons of the realistic options, the Local Authority's evidence must first identify those realistic options, and must then place particular emphasis on considering the factors in the relevant welfare checklist.
d) The factors set out in the welfare checklist in section 1(4) Adoption and Children Act 1989 must be considered on an application for a placement order and to dispense with a parent's consent under section 52, and specifically at section 1(4)(f) requires consideration of the welfare of the child throughout their life in regard to the child's relationship with other family members, their ability to meet the child's needs, and their views and wishes and feelings regarding the child.
e) Relevant duties of the Local Authority are set out in the Children Act 1989, at section 17 in particular, that:
(1) It shall be the general duty of every local authority (in addition to the other duties imposed on them by this Part) -
(a) to safeguard and promote the welfare of children within their area who are in need; and
(b) so far as is consistent with that duty, to promote the upbringing of such children by their families, by providing a range and level of services appropriate to those children's needs.
f) And at section 22C:
(1) This section applies where a local authority are looking after a child ("C"). ...
(5) If the local authority are unable to make arrangements under subsection (2), they must place C in the placement which is, in their opinion, the most appropriate placement available.
(6) In subsection (5) " placement " means -
(a) placement with an individual who is a relative, friend or other person connected with C and who is also a local authority foster parent ;...".
Questions remain as to why the council failed to follow the law, and removed the newborn to put him in a foster placement. The case is likely to arouse suspicion amongst families and activists inside the child protection sector, who have long argued that councils are abusing fostering and adoption placements for financial gain. The fostering sector in the UK is currently worth £1.7 billion, and appears to be thriving despite austerity driven budget cuts and pre Brexit uncertainty. A sharp rise in the number of children being removed from parents in the UK with no clear indication as to what factors are causing these removals, is also deeply concerning.
Judge Lazarus chose to put the independent social worker's quote at the top of her judgment, saying that she felt it summarised the key issues in the case perfectly. This is the quote in full:
" I likened it to arriving at the scene of a car crash, and wondered what one could do about it. This situation should never have arisen. It's caused huge tension, including within any recommendation, and I've tried to keep X at the centre of it. "
You can read the judgment on BAILII, which is particularly useful as it outlines the law and guidance in several important areas connected to cases like this one.
This is not the first time Judge Lazarus has spoken about the treatment of vulnerable children and families. Last month, she expressed outrage over the lack of secure accommodation for children at risk of exploitation by gangs, during a hearing involving a 16 year old boy.
New Study Highlights Britain's 'Cold Hearted' Social Workers
A new study published in the UK by Family Rights Group, suggests that cruel treatment of families by social workers is not only common but also affects the likelihood of positive outcomes in cases. The research concludes that social care can and should incorporate humane social work practices, even when the system is under pressure.
The report, "Stepping up, stepping down", was co-authored by professors Kate Morris (University of Sheffield), Brid Featherstone (University of Huddersfield), and Katie Hill (University of Nottingham) and Dr Mike Ward (Open University).
The researchers collaborated with 20 families as part of the Your Family, Your Voice Alliance, which the report says is a national initiative seeking to "develop humane evidence-informed policies and practices".
The report includes the views of 27 adults and 10 children. Over 80% of the families interviewed have been involved with welfare services for more than five years.
The study highlights inhumane and cruel encounters families experience inside the social work sector, and offers some heartbreaking stories shared by service users:
'She saw me sobbing in reception and she walked past me twice and then said there were nothing wrong' I said to the social worker I wasn't prepared to leave because XXX was being sick, he was alone and somebody needed to be with him. But it seemed that nobody wanted to listen to what we had to say ...It was horrible. All I wanted to do was hug him and I couldn't hug him, I had to sort of hold him here because he was covered in sick; his clothes were covered in sick. It was crusted where they had not changed his clothes."
"I don't feel like she had any time for us at all. I didn't feel like she wanted to listen, she had made her mind up before she had even got here. I think the thing is, because XXX's dad has got a history of drug use and prison, she formed an opinion before she met me. I have never taken drugs and have never been in prison. What happened was she came into the meeting, a child in need meeting at school, and me and (my partner) had an argument. She sat there and said, "I was driving here today in the car and I was thinking, 'shall I put this on child protection or shall I just kick it out? No, I think I will put it on child protection' ". That is exactly how she said it, in front of all the other people. I thought, 'How can you make that judgement on one...?' She met me once. Then she has made a judgement coming to work in her car. That put me off her straight away."
"They released her sedated after midnight without letting anyone know, she got attacked trying to get home, staggering around with the tablets and we didn't know."
The families who took part in the study were selected from the following services:
A Post-adoption support project
A Family Intervention Project focused on families with multiple problems including antisocial behaviour
Three Local Authority (LA) Children's Services working with highly vulnerable children and families
A service working with sexual exploitation and abuse
A support group for survivors of domestic abuse and their children
A national advice and advocacy service for families whose children were involved with children's services
Two self-help organisations involving families with multiple needs.
There were five key findings from the report:
Services were multiple but scarce, fragmented and siloed
Constant reminders that resources were scarce produced barriers between families and social services, making positive engagement much harder
Not enough time spent with families and too many delays combined to create feelings of abandonment, resentment and misunderstandings
Interpersonal skills are deeply valued by families
Families are often left out of service design, and had negative experiences when complaining about poor service.
The report also offers five key messages from these findings:
Fragmented services leave families feeling demeaned, and need to be streamlined
Develop everyday practices that acknowledge poverty and the impact that has on family life and work with families to try to address their financial and economic needs
Demonstrate respect for families through good timekeeping and where timeliness is difficult, recognise that can also be the case for families
Utilise the knowledge of families to inform professional development and to support the development of humane practice
Involve families in thinking about the commissioning of services , and use the expertise of families who have experience of the child welfare system to develop and evaluate the services.
We are heartened by this latest research and thrilled to see this thinking entering the mainstream. Kudos to the authors.
Family Experiences In Photos, From Stepping Up, Stepping Down Report, October 2018.


Save the Children's Child Protection Initiative and The Education Global Initiative - July 2011 Newsletter
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This month's issue of the Child Protection Initiative (CPI) Newsletter is produced jointly with the Education Global Initiative and focuses specifically on Violence Free Schools. It includes an interview with a school student in Durres, Albania, who speaks out on violence in schools and the expert opinion contributed by Mr. Kishore Singh, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education. Also included is Save the Children's Policy Paper on violence against children in and around school, which provides recommendations for action by both Save the Children and the children themselves.
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Karlsson, LenaBermingham, Desmond
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Europe and North Asia
Corporal punishment Legislation UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Bullying Child abuse Policy Schools Violence against children Children's rights Education
Briefs, Fact Sheets and Brochures
Save the Children's CPI Newsletter - June 2011
Save the Children's CPI Newsletter- March 2011
Save the Children's CPI Newsletter, December 2011
Save the Children CPI Newsletter - October 2012


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Basilicas and Catacombs
Visit two of Rome's most important basilicas - those of St John Lateran and of St Mary Major - learn more about the Holy Stairs and discover the ancient Roman Catacombs.
After meeting up with your guide - and equipped with your earphones to hear the explanations more clearly - you will first visit the 'Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour and Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist at the Lateran', more commonly known as the Basilica of St John Lateran, which is also the cathedral of Rome and the episcopal see of the bishop of Rome (the Pope). This is Rome's most important papal basilica (the others being St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls and the Basilica of St Mary Major) and it is the oldest and most important in Western Christendom, where popes resided for ten centuries. First built in the 4th century, it was almost completely rebuilt by Borromini in the 17th century, though the main facade is the work of Galilei in the 18th century. The latter followed the style of St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, resulting in the basilica's current Baroque style. The magnificent interior is characterised by its breath-taking decorations, sculptures, marble and mosaics.
After this, you will make your way to the Scala Santa (Holy Stairs), located in front of the basilica. Made of marble (with a wooden protective casing), there are 24 steps in total. It is believed that these were brought from the Holy Land by St Helen, and that they are the steps that Jesus ascended at Pilot's palace when he was condemned. In 1980, together with the Basilica of St John Lateran, the Holy Stairs were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Your guide will give you detailed information about the construction and history of the Stairs as you contemplate them.
From here, you will go on to the Basilica of St Mary Major, another of the four papal basilicas and the largest basilica in Rome to be dedicated to the Virgin Mary. For a time, it was a papal residence and the tombs of some past popes can indeed be found here. Also declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980, this 5th century basilica now features diverse architectural styles, ranging from the Early Christian to the Baroque. In terms of its exterior, particular highlights are the front and rear facades, the high medieval bell tower and its Baroque domes; the interior is characterised by the quality and abundance of its mosaics and impressive side chapels.
To conclude this tour, the bus will take you on to the famous Roman Catacombs - the ancient underground cemetery and once a hiding place for persecuted Christians - which are situated beneath one of Ancient Rome's most important roads, the Via Appia. The majority of the catacombs date from the 2nd to 5th centuries and contain the tombs of Christians, martyrs and even of some popes. The catacombs represent an awe-inspiring preservation of antiquity, where we would advise you to stay close to your group so as to ensure that you do not get lost as your guide leads you through its labyrinthine passages.
Meeting point: at your hotel (if it is in Rome's center), or at 95 Via Vittorio Emanuele Orlando (Gray Line Rome Office / I Love Rome Office, in front of the Grand Hotel), 15 minutes before the start of the tour
Finishing point: in the centre of Rome
The tour includes the entrance ticket to the two basilicas and to the catacombs.
Short trousers and sleeveless shirts are not permitted within the basilicas.
image The Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore / Carrani Tours
Rome Opera Tickets for your personal 'grand tour' of the Eternal City. Why not arrange a night at the opera with tickets for the Teatro Costanzi (Teatro dell'Opera di Roma) or an enchanting 'opera under the stars' at the Terme di Caracalla? Then, for a truly immersive experience, treat yourself to a wonderful classical concert amidst Rome's cultural treasures.
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Feeding the Minds of Our Future
Shaya Barnett Foundation is committed to providing culinary education and resources to high school students. Through hands-on curriculum, students are able to gain the real-world skills necessary to gain experience and employment in the ever-growing culinary and hospitality industry.
As a struggling student in high school, Alon Shaya wasn't sure about his future. Noticed and encouraged by Donna Barnett, his home economics teacher, he began to nourish his passion for cooking. Donna helped Alon obtain his first kitchen job washing dishes and eventually mentored Alon on the scholarship process to attend the Culinary Institute of America. Donna, now recently retired from 25 years of teaching, mentored over 6,000 students in her classroom. Alon won the James Beard Foundation Award in 2015 for Best Chef, South.
Kitchen Equipment Sourcing
The Foundation has partnered with Edna Karr High School in New Orleans to help provide support in the form of lesson plans and cooking equipment.
The Foundation has raised enough money to acquire the equipment needed to outfit the classroom with the tools and materials for a successful school year. Equipment included everything from wooden spoons and electric mixers, to induction burners.
Guest Demonstrations & Speaker Series
Throughout the school year, Alon, restaurant team members, and other New Orleans restauranteurs lead lessons for students. The students love the hands-on time with chef Alon and have benefitted from the experiences they have gained in the kitchen.
Teachers and instructors also benefit by gaining an insider's viewpoint on educating and motivating students from an industry standpoint. The speakers vary in focus and every demonstration emphasizes a skill set taught in the curriculum.
The Foundation brings together resources from our diverse New Orleans community to strengthen the emerging student culinary arts and hospitality industry. By organizing field trips and guest speakers/lectures at Edna Karr High School, the Foundation is able to support and expand on its existing Pro Start culinary arts curriculum.
In September, Houston was heavily impacted by Hurricane Harvey, and many in the service industry were affected. The Foundation partnered with vendors to host a Beans & Rice fundraiser that contributed $24,000 towards rebuilding efforts.
Alon Shaya
Alon Shaya really loves food. He loves cooking it, being around it, learning about it, and teaching others about it. Born in Israel and raised in Philadelphia, Alon now calls New Orleans his home. In 2016, Alon joined forces with Donna Barnett, his high school home economics teacher, to start the Shaya Barnett Foundation. He is a recipient of the "Youth Advocate Award" from Liberty's Kitchen, and was honored by InspireNOLA Schools for his work with Edna Karr Charter High School.
In 2017, Alon and his wife Emily formed Pomegranate Hospitality to create a space where meaningful, lasting relationships are created, community engagement prospers, and cultural differences are celebrated. Pomegranate Hospitality hopes to foster opportunities for colleagues, partners and friends in a comfortable environment, helping all involved to achieve their personal and professional goals. They opened Saba in New Orleans in May of 2018 and Safta in Denver in August 2018.
Alon has been nominated for five James Beard Awards. He has been named "Best Chef, South" in 2015, and won "Best New Restaurant" in 2016. He was named one of the "50 People Who Are Changing the South" by Southern Living magazine in 2015, and one of the "50 Most Influential Jews in America" by The Forward.
Donna Barnett
For 27 years Donna Barnett taught the culinary arts to high school students in suburban Philadelphia. Her excellence as an educator, entrepreneur, and as a mentor is made manifest through the awards she has received from her peers in education and the community, and the accolades and accomplishments of her students. In addition to teaching and mentoring James Beard Award-winning chef Alon Shaya, Donna also guided chef Ari Weiswasser, winner of The People's Best New Chef for California, Food & Wine.
Since her retirement from teaching, Donna has focused on partnering with her former student Alon Shaya to develop a comprehensive culinary curriculum for high schools and helping students pursue their passion for careers in the food industry through the Shaya Barnett Foundation.
Donna holds a Cordon Bleu Certification in Culinary Arts, a Masters of Science in Health Education/Nutrition Marketing, and a Masters of Science in Health Economics Education.

Donations are being accepted to make purchases of cooking equipment and other items needed for culinary education programs in high schools.
© Copyright 2017 Shaya Barnett Foundation | All Rights Reserved


Mercedes-Benz Amazingly Finds Two Very Rare Classic Cars
Re-found Treasures
The 24th Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance - an annual charity automotive event in the US - back in March, is a magical place to hear about the illustrious histories of incredible cars, and the "twin" 1954 300SL Gullwings that the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center displayed was no exception. The vehicles bear successive chassis numbers, and No. 43 is a hero to the Jacksonville, Florida car show.
"We found this right up the road in Jacksonville," says Constantin von Kageneck from the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Irvine, California, motioning to a grey model parked on the fairway at the The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. "The second owner bought it used and it didn't have a spare wheel, so he went to a local dealer, Platt Motors, and its tag is still on that rim. This car's been in Jacksonville its whole life."
Provenance of a classic
It was originally purchased by a lawyer for the Winn-Dixie corporation, who also founded the local Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), and took it for some racing fun before selling it to his mechanic, who also raced it. It was purchased in 1957 by a naval pilot stationed in Jacksonville, who later went to law school in Gainesville. He was getting ready to paint it, hence the primer gray you see here, and had taken parts off. (Indeed, a bag of rusty bits and trim are visible in the trunk.) And then, in 1965, everything just stopped and that's the last time anyone saw it. "We know that because he was in the process of re-dyeing the seats and the newspaper on the back of one of the cushions is from 1965," says von Kageneck.
Amelia Island Concours founder Bill Warner had seen the car ages ago when he was 16 and informed Mercedes-Benz about it. The company ended up purchasing it in 2018 for just under US$1 million (RM4.1 million), according to von Kageneck. Gone was the original medium blue hue and the Classic Center gang found plenty of rat nests in the car, but many original touches remained, including the gooseneck shifter (something only the first 50 or so 300SLs featured), fading grey leather seats, the wheels and the "Englebert Competition" tires, and the drivetrain. On the odometer, 35,308 miles (or 56,822 kilometres) are shown.
Its brother, No. 44, was a factory refresh done at the behest of the customer. The 300SL was originally delivered in fire-engine red paint with a white leather interior, but the new buyer believed the white cabin would be too hard to keep clean. He opted for a natural tan leather interior (with a matching luggage set) with a Mercedes Blue exterior. "The engine was on the dyno last Tuesday, and we power-tested it and put it in the car. It was just finished," says von Kageneck, adding they don't test it for the actual amount of power, though he believes it to be "a bit under the 240 hp (179kW) they used to advertise."
As for the barn find No. 43, it's headed to the Essen auction in Northern Germany in a few weeks, and if the person who buys it wants it restored, it'll head to the Classic Center in Stuttgart. "The cost of restoration would be in excess of US$800,000 (about RM3.3 million), and it's hard to say what the car could get at auction. Unrestored cars are almost doing better than restored cars now," von Kageneck says. "Either way, today is the cheapest day to restore your car," he grins. "Tomorrow it will only be more expensive."
By: Sean Evans
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