Good morning, you’re listening to Winchester Newsbeat at 11 o’clock. I’m Hannah Keegan, here with a short news update.
[Story1]
A debate held in Winchester yesterday voted in support of legalising assisted suicide for the terminally ill.
Around 150 people attended the debate, which was lead by a panel of experts and chaired by broadcaster Debbie Thrower.
The vote was backed by the majority, with 66 per cent in favour, 28 per cent against and 6 per cent abstaining. Many members of the public are still unconvinced it should be legalised.
[Story 2]
A Winchester schoolgirl is taking a seat in the UK Youth Parliament to represent Winchester and Eastleigh.
Felicity Stonehill, aged 15 from The Westgate School in Winchester will join other young people from schools, colleges and youth centres across Hampshire in voting in the November local elections.
Hampshire Youth Council representatives will work with each new member of the Youth Parliament for a year to ask young people about current issues that affect them.
Martin Tod, Liberal Democrat potential MP for Winchester praised the Youth Parliament for its work.
[Story 3]
Young people living in and around Winchester will soon have access to a new youth café, as the campaign to raise an additional £150,000 for the build nears its halfway mark.
Winchester YMCA are in charge of constructing the new social outlet in the 13th century undercroft of St John’s House.
The YMCA have so far raised £45,000 from public donations and a further £20,000 grant was agreed by the city council at their last budget meeting. Another £85,000 is still needed to begin the build.
Simon Dodd, YMCA Youth Programme manager said support has been positive.
If successful, the café is set to be open in September of this year.
[Story 4]
And finally, residents, groups and businesses are participating in a charity event to help raise money for homeless charities in Winchester.
Everyone is invited to join ‘Winchester Walk for the Homeless,’ on Sunday 9th May in an effort to raise £50,000.
Walkers can chose a walking distance to suit them, from a 12-mile trek to a 1.5-mile family friendly pace. The proceedings will be directly donated to the homeless charities.
Michele Price from Winchester Church’s Nightshelter said awareness still needs to be raised on the issue.
You can register online now for the walk at www.winchesterwalk.co.uk.
That’s all for now, further news updates at midday.
Friday 26 March 2010
Thursday 25 March 2010
Overview of Local Government- Notes from Lectures
Planning
• NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) people who suggest, for example, the building of wind turbines but wouldn’t want it near their property etc.
• Building needs to be on appropriate land. Green belt- area around cities that prevent towns and cities from merging, protect the countryside so these areas cannot be built on. Brown field- land that can be built on and re-used. Green field is land that also cannot be built on.
• Town and County planning codes make the acts.
• Process of planning:
1) Forward Planning: strategic development
2) Development Control.
• The current community secretary is John Denham. He publishes guidelines for local planning authorities. Issues Planning Policy Statements (PPS).
• RSS- Regional Spatial Strategies- this is more specific to regional strategies. National policy strategies also introduced.
• Community Secretary appoints inspectors to convene in public planning enquiries and controversial enquiries. Has complete power over everything and gets to give final ruling.
• 2004 Act simplifies the planning process.
• A 20 year plan was produced by each of England’s eight regions development agencies.
• Local development documents are interpreted by local councils of the RSS, however this leads to friction between Whitehall and local councils over national quotas.
• 60% of RDA (Regional Development Association) are local councillors, 40% are appointed representatives.
• Major developments are now moving away from the RSS and are now under the responsibility if the IPC (Infrastructure Planning Commission). The IPC are independent from the government and the hearings are held in public.
• IPC replace political decisions with impartial ones.
• Planning permission: to build on a site from scratch or undergo a MAJOR alteration there are two steps to go through.
1) Outline planning permission- consent in principle which lasts for five years but must be acted upon in three years.
2) Full planning permission must be acted upon in five years. Authorities can give unconditional consent, conditional consent or refusal.
• Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) - owners of a building are paid at market rate if the building needs to be cleared.
• Listed buildings, grade one and two cannot be altered.
Westminster
• Rules of privilege- anything can be reported however DO NOT EVER MENTION THE ROYALS!!
• Each day, except for Friday, begins with questions to the Minister from one department. MPs can question the Minister at the start of daily proceedings.
• Minister from each Whitehall department are questioned roughly once a month.
• Ministerial questions- either when Ministers have something important to announce to bring MPs up to date on a topical issue.
• Ministerial statements are often completely out of the blue.
• Conservative spokesman (2009) has five minutes to reply and Lib Dem spokesman has three minutes to reply as they have fewer seats in parliament.
• Questions from MPs are taken at the speaker’s discretion.
• Voting in the Commons formerly called a division.
• House of Lords- all new laws have to be approved by both Houses of Parliament, except for taxes which are approved by MPs.
• In the event of disagreement, can be overruled by government use of parliament acts.
• Life peers- appointed due to profession or loyalty to political party.
• Party funding comes from subscription from members, donations are heavily relied on and state funding.
• Ashcroft money- the theory goes that as the Ashcroft’s have an overseas bank, they do not get taxed on it, Labour wants to tax them on the money, however the Tory’s say they will not tax them on the account if they support their party and give donations!
• Scrutiny Regulations.
• Bank of England is in charge of treasury. CPI (Consumer Price Index).
• Quantitative easing- Bank of England created £75billion in 2009 to try and revive the economy.
• Ofgem- gas and electric.
• Ofcom- communications.
• Local Government- made up of single tier and two tier systems.
• Single tier councils are responsible for all local authority services and functions.
• Two tier- services divided between district and county councils.
• Local authorities employ over 2 billion people, councillors are responsible for making decisions on behalf of local community.
• CCT (Compulsive Competitive Tender) encouraged by Thatcher to put local services to private tender. More competitive to make services better.
• Education- largest service supported by authorities.
• Social Services- in charge of children’s homes, foster care etc and half their budget goes to support the elderly.
• Waste management- county council is responsible for waste disposal and district council is responsible for waste collection.
• Roads, highways and transport- 96% of roads built, maintained and managed by local authorities.
• Libraries, trading standards and fire and rescue and environmental affairs are also managed by the local government.
• Local authorities funded by grants from central government, council tax and business rates.
• Council tax accounts for 25% of local funding.
• Council tax payable depends on the value of your home.
• Business rates are a property tax on businesses, set by the central government.
• Grants given by central government at Westminster so authority can give their services.
• Government of London- London elects a Mayor and an assembly which form the Greater London Authority (GLA).
• Quango- Non elected or indirectly elected agency that spends public money. The government refer to these agencies as Non Departmental Public Bodies (NDPB).
Devolution
• Act of Union in Ireland 1901.
• Act of Union in Scotland 1907.
• In 1922 the Irish Free State was established (Republic of Ireland).
• 1920s/ 1930s nationalists campaigned for independence, i.e. Scottish National Party (SNP).
• In 1972 Northern Ireland’s parliament was suspended and then abolished in 1973 in favour of direct rule from Westminster.
• In 1997 Labour won the general election and pledged to have referendums on devolution in Scotland and Wales.
• In 1998 devolution referendums in Scotland and Wales produced yes votes.
• In 2007 the Northern Ireland assembly and executives were restored.
• Reserved powers (Police, justice, minimum wage, financial services etc) versus Devolved powers (separate powers such as Scotland, Ireland and Wales).
• Scotland has its own legal system but limited tax raising powers.
• After 2007 the Welsh assembly could pass primary legislation. Same with Northern Ireland, responsible for education etc.
Housing
• ‘Homes for Heroes’ programme began cleaning up the slums between WW1 and WW2.
• Planned estates built pre WW2 created huge urban areas for housing, whole new cities were built.
• In the 1950s there was a baby boom, which meant a huge demand for housing and many tower blocks were built.
• More towns were created in the 1960s- all with good infrastructures and two or three storey houses.
• Each local authority maintains their own stock of social housing.
• Council houses- the benefits of council houses include security, rent below market average, no deposit etc.
• The Homeless Act of 2002 introduced a point system to prioritise applicants.
• Councils are responsible for repairing social housing.
• Thatcherite Housing Policy- Conservatives were elected in 1979 and 5 million council tenants were given the chance to buy their homes at a 50% discounted price.
• From 1980 to 1995, 2.1 million houses were brought by the tenants, since then council houses have been sold off at a rate of 60,000 per year.
• A total of £33billion has been made from the scheme.
• In 1961 44% of homes were owned, in 2006 this had risen to 70%.
• The government plans to build three million new homes by 2020.
• Under the Homeless Act 1977, the duty of the local authority is to house the unintentionally homeless within 28 days of being aware of their predicament.
• Housing benefits fall into 2 categories:
1) Standard housing benefit- paid to those on low earnings.
2) Certified housing benefit- job seekers allowance, income support and incapability benefit.
• NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) people who suggest, for example, the building of wind turbines but wouldn’t want it near their property etc.
• Building needs to be on appropriate land. Green belt- area around cities that prevent towns and cities from merging, protect the countryside so these areas cannot be built on. Brown field- land that can be built on and re-used. Green field is land that also cannot be built on.
• Town and County planning codes make the acts.
• Process of planning:
1) Forward Planning: strategic development
2) Development Control.
• The current community secretary is John Denham. He publishes guidelines for local planning authorities. Issues Planning Policy Statements (PPS).
• RSS- Regional Spatial Strategies- this is more specific to regional strategies. National policy strategies also introduced.
• Community Secretary appoints inspectors to convene in public planning enquiries and controversial enquiries. Has complete power over everything and gets to give final ruling.
• 2004 Act simplifies the planning process.
• A 20 year plan was produced by each of England’s eight regions development agencies.
• Local development documents are interpreted by local councils of the RSS, however this leads to friction between Whitehall and local councils over national quotas.
• 60% of RDA (Regional Development Association) are local councillors, 40% are appointed representatives.
• Major developments are now moving away from the RSS and are now under the responsibility if the IPC (Infrastructure Planning Commission). The IPC are independent from the government and the hearings are held in public.
• IPC replace political decisions with impartial ones.
• Planning permission: to build on a site from scratch or undergo a MAJOR alteration there are two steps to go through.
1) Outline planning permission- consent in principle which lasts for five years but must be acted upon in three years.
2) Full planning permission must be acted upon in five years. Authorities can give unconditional consent, conditional consent or refusal.
• Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) - owners of a building are paid at market rate if the building needs to be cleared.
• Listed buildings, grade one and two cannot be altered.
Westminster
• Rules of privilege- anything can be reported however DO NOT EVER MENTION THE ROYALS!!
• Each day, except for Friday, begins with questions to the Minister from one department. MPs can question the Minister at the start of daily proceedings.
• Minister from each Whitehall department are questioned roughly once a month.
• Ministerial questions- either when Ministers have something important to announce to bring MPs up to date on a topical issue.
• Ministerial statements are often completely out of the blue.
• Conservative spokesman (2009) has five minutes to reply and Lib Dem spokesman has three minutes to reply as they have fewer seats in parliament.
• Questions from MPs are taken at the speaker’s discretion.
• Voting in the Commons formerly called a division.
• House of Lords- all new laws have to be approved by both Houses of Parliament, except for taxes which are approved by MPs.
• In the event of disagreement, can be overruled by government use of parliament acts.
• Life peers- appointed due to profession or loyalty to political party.
• Party funding comes from subscription from members, donations are heavily relied on and state funding.
• Ashcroft money- the theory goes that as the Ashcroft’s have an overseas bank, they do not get taxed on it, Labour wants to tax them on the money, however the Tory’s say they will not tax them on the account if they support their party and give donations!
• Scrutiny Regulations.
• Bank of England is in charge of treasury. CPI (Consumer Price Index).
• Quantitative easing- Bank of England created £75billion in 2009 to try and revive the economy.
• Ofgem- gas and electric.
• Ofcom- communications.
• Local Government- made up of single tier and two tier systems.
• Single tier councils are responsible for all local authority services and functions.
• Two tier- services divided between district and county councils.
• Local authorities employ over 2 billion people, councillors are responsible for making decisions on behalf of local community.
• CCT (Compulsive Competitive Tender) encouraged by Thatcher to put local services to private tender. More competitive to make services better.
• Education- largest service supported by authorities.
• Social Services- in charge of children’s homes, foster care etc and half their budget goes to support the elderly.
• Waste management- county council is responsible for waste disposal and district council is responsible for waste collection.
• Roads, highways and transport- 96% of roads built, maintained and managed by local authorities.
• Libraries, trading standards and fire and rescue and environmental affairs are also managed by the local government.
• Local authorities funded by grants from central government, council tax and business rates.
• Council tax accounts for 25% of local funding.
• Council tax payable depends on the value of your home.
• Business rates are a property tax on businesses, set by the central government.
• Grants given by central government at Westminster so authority can give their services.
• Government of London- London elects a Mayor and an assembly which form the Greater London Authority (GLA).
• Quango- Non elected or indirectly elected agency that spends public money. The government refer to these agencies as Non Departmental Public Bodies (NDPB).
Devolution
• Act of Union in Ireland 1901.
• Act of Union in Scotland 1907.
• In 1922 the Irish Free State was established (Republic of Ireland).
• 1920s/ 1930s nationalists campaigned for independence, i.e. Scottish National Party (SNP).
• In 1972 Northern Ireland’s parliament was suspended and then abolished in 1973 in favour of direct rule from Westminster.
• In 1997 Labour won the general election and pledged to have referendums on devolution in Scotland and Wales.
• In 1998 devolution referendums in Scotland and Wales produced yes votes.
• In 2007 the Northern Ireland assembly and executives were restored.
• Reserved powers (Police, justice, minimum wage, financial services etc) versus Devolved powers (separate powers such as Scotland, Ireland and Wales).
• Scotland has its own legal system but limited tax raising powers.
• After 2007 the Welsh assembly could pass primary legislation. Same with Northern Ireland, responsible for education etc.
Housing
• ‘Homes for Heroes’ programme began cleaning up the slums between WW1 and WW2.
• Planned estates built pre WW2 created huge urban areas for housing, whole new cities were built.
• In the 1950s there was a baby boom, which meant a huge demand for housing and many tower blocks were built.
• More towns were created in the 1960s- all with good infrastructures and two or three storey houses.
• Each local authority maintains their own stock of social housing.
• Council houses- the benefits of council houses include security, rent below market average, no deposit etc.
• The Homeless Act of 2002 introduced a point system to prioritise applicants.
• Councils are responsible for repairing social housing.
• Thatcherite Housing Policy- Conservatives were elected in 1979 and 5 million council tenants were given the chance to buy their homes at a 50% discounted price.
• From 1980 to 1995, 2.1 million houses were brought by the tenants, since then council houses have been sold off at a rate of 60,000 per year.
• A total of £33billion has been made from the scheme.
• In 1961 44% of homes were owned, in 2006 this had risen to 70%.
• The government plans to build three million new homes by 2020.
• Under the Homeless Act 1977, the duty of the local authority is to house the unintentionally homeless within 28 days of being aware of their predicament.
• Housing benefits fall into 2 categories:
1) Standard housing benefit- paid to those on low earnings.
2) Certified housing benefit- job seekers allowance, income support and incapability benefit.
Monday 22 March 2010
Spare Some Change?
Over the last few weeks, a couple of articles in The Hampshire Chronicle have caught my eye, regarding raising awareness about homelessness. Now, admittedly this is not an issue I contemplate often, however it is an issue most of us will come face to face with every day.
When walking down the street, if you see a man or woman sat on the side of the pavement asking for money, do you walk by, completely ignoring them? Politely tell them you have no spare change? Or do you search your purse or wallet for any loose coins you can give them? I will admit I mostly go for option two, but why? What is it, when confronted with a homeless person that makes us so reluctant to help?
I believe many people attach stereotypes to homeless people and this creates fear because we do not understand how a person has come to be in that situation. We assume if we give them money, it may only go on cigarettes and alcohol or something wholly unbeneficial. I was in town with a friend not so long ago, and we walked past a man sitting on the pavement, he looked up at us and before he could even say anything, my friend told him she had no money (and actually after that, he said he was only going to ask for her gloves, to which she also answered no!) but my point is we seem so unwilling to help.
The first of the articles I read in The Hampshire Chronicle was relating to a poetry competition, aimed at raising awareness about homelessness. The competition was organised by Winchester Churches Nightshelter in Jewry Street. It saw more than 150 entries from local schools, councillors and homeless people themselves. The poetry entries were then categorised by age and a winner picked from each category. Over 200 people turned up to hear the winners be announced by the city Mayor, Cllr Dominic Hiscock.
By launching a poetry competition, it appeals to all ages and I feel it is especially effective for school children in making them think about the matter and having to find a way to describe it. It is something worth talking about, not something we should all be keeping closed mouthed about, or the problem will surely worsen.
The second article that caught my eye was about a fund raising event for Winchester’s homeless charities; Trinity Winchester, Winchester Churches Nightshelter, and Keystone. I used this story in my radio bulletin last week. The Rotary Club of Winchester is encouraging residents to take part in a walk around the local area for £10 per person, or £20 for a group of five or more. The money raised will then be directly donated to the above listed charities.
It is events like this which need more publicity, so people become aware of the affect of homelessness and how it can be eased.
I asked Martin Tod (Liberal Democrat potential MP for Winchester, I’m sure you all know who he is by now!) whether he felt enough was being done by the government and local political parties or whether the issue was best left to charities to deal with, and quite simply what needs to be done to help and by whom.
“Well there’s an awful lot that the council does and you know there’s a lot we want to do to get more houses into circulation and there’s an awful lot of empty homes, even in Winchester that we think should be used to house people but there are a lot of people waiting on the housing waiting list at the moment so part of what’s needed is that we are going to need to build more houses and build more social houses, so absolutely that’s a real priority for us.”
Well, of course creating more houses is the obvious solution, but how would this be funded? And it’s all well and good refurbishing empty houses for the homeless, but how would they continue to afford it.
This is an ongoing problem that needs to be addressed with a wider scheme. But for now it looks like most of the pressure to aid the situation lies with charities. This is something I definitely need and want to look into further to see what is being done on a wider scale.
When walking down the street, if you see a man or woman sat on the side of the pavement asking for money, do you walk by, completely ignoring them? Politely tell them you have no spare change? Or do you search your purse or wallet for any loose coins you can give them? I will admit I mostly go for option two, but why? What is it, when confronted with a homeless person that makes us so reluctant to help?
I believe many people attach stereotypes to homeless people and this creates fear because we do not understand how a person has come to be in that situation. We assume if we give them money, it may only go on cigarettes and alcohol or something wholly unbeneficial. I was in town with a friend not so long ago, and we walked past a man sitting on the pavement, he looked up at us and before he could even say anything, my friend told him she had no money (and actually after that, he said he was only going to ask for her gloves, to which she also answered no!) but my point is we seem so unwilling to help.
The first of the articles I read in The Hampshire Chronicle was relating to a poetry competition, aimed at raising awareness about homelessness. The competition was organised by Winchester Churches Nightshelter in Jewry Street. It saw more than 150 entries from local schools, councillors and homeless people themselves. The poetry entries were then categorised by age and a winner picked from each category. Over 200 people turned up to hear the winners be announced by the city Mayor, Cllr Dominic Hiscock.
By launching a poetry competition, it appeals to all ages and I feel it is especially effective for school children in making them think about the matter and having to find a way to describe it. It is something worth talking about, not something we should all be keeping closed mouthed about, or the problem will surely worsen.
The second article that caught my eye was about a fund raising event for Winchester’s homeless charities; Trinity Winchester, Winchester Churches Nightshelter, and Keystone. I used this story in my radio bulletin last week. The Rotary Club of Winchester is encouraging residents to take part in a walk around the local area for £10 per person, or £20 for a group of five or more. The money raised will then be directly donated to the above listed charities.
It is events like this which need more publicity, so people become aware of the affect of homelessness and how it can be eased.
I asked Martin Tod (Liberal Democrat potential MP for Winchester, I’m sure you all know who he is by now!) whether he felt enough was being done by the government and local political parties or whether the issue was best left to charities to deal with, and quite simply what needs to be done to help and by whom.
“Well there’s an awful lot that the council does and you know there’s a lot we want to do to get more houses into circulation and there’s an awful lot of empty homes, even in Winchester that we think should be used to house people but there are a lot of people waiting on the housing waiting list at the moment so part of what’s needed is that we are going to need to build more houses and build more social houses, so absolutely that’s a real priority for us.”
Well, of course creating more houses is the obvious solution, but how would this be funded? And it’s all well and good refurbishing empty houses for the homeless, but how would they continue to afford it.
This is an ongoing problem that needs to be addressed with a wider scheme. But for now it looks like most of the pressure to aid the situation lies with charities. This is something I definitely need and want to look into further to see what is being done on a wider scale.
Sunday 21 March 2010
Radio Script Week Two
(Intro)
Hello and welcome to Winchester Newsbeat. I'm Hannah Keegan, here with a short news update.
(Story 1)
Detectives are looking for robbers who threatened a service station employee with a gun and a metal bar last night in Weyhill Road, Andover.
The robbers made off with a small amount of cash from the till in a blue Renault Clio, driven by a third party.
The cashier, although unharmed, was shaken by the ordeal.
Detectives are appealing to anyone who was in the area of the service station around the time of the incident, who may be able to help with their enquiries.
(Story 2)
Major building projects across four of Winchester’s schools have been given the go ahead by Councillor David Kirk, Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Children’s Services.
The project will cost more than £1.6million and aims to expand the schools’ facilities to benefit both staff and pupils.
Stanmore Primary, King’s School, Swanmore College of Technology and Weeke Primary School have been approved to receive the funding.
(Story 3)
In other news, a Winchester school girl is taking a seat in the UK Youth Parliament to represent Winchester and Eastleigh.
Felicity Stonehill, aged 15 from The Westgate School will join other young people from schools, colleges and youth centres across Hampshire in voting in the November local elections.
Martin Tod, Liberal Democrat prospective MP for Winchester praised the Youth Parliament for their work.
(Audio)
''Youth Parliament does quite a good job of making sure young people’s issues are heard, so I think that's a good thing and every part of the country needs to be represented, so I think it's good that Winchester is as well. Personally I think people should get into the mindset of being active citizens and the idea that they can change things and they deserve to be listened to and if that involves people getting involved in the youth council, the youth parliament then that's great.''
(Story 4)
And finally, residents, groups and businesses are participating in a charity event to help raise money for homeless charities in Winchester.
Everyone is invited to join ‘Winchester Walk for the Homeless,’ on Sunday 9th May in an effort to raise £50,000.
Walkers can chose a walking distance to suit them, from a 12-mile trek to a 1.5-mile family friendly pace. The proceedings will be directly donated to the homeless charities.
You can register online now for the walk at www.winchesterwalk.co.uk.
(Finish)
Hello and welcome to Winchester Newsbeat. I'm Hannah Keegan, here with a short news update.
(Story 1)
Detectives are looking for robbers who threatened a service station employee with a gun and a metal bar last night in Weyhill Road, Andover.
The robbers made off with a small amount of cash from the till in a blue Renault Clio, driven by a third party.
The cashier, although unharmed, was shaken by the ordeal.
Detectives are appealing to anyone who was in the area of the service station around the time of the incident, who may be able to help with their enquiries.
(Story 2)
Major building projects across four of Winchester’s schools have been given the go ahead by Councillor David Kirk, Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Children’s Services.
The project will cost more than £1.6million and aims to expand the schools’ facilities to benefit both staff and pupils.
Stanmore Primary, King’s School, Swanmore College of Technology and Weeke Primary School have been approved to receive the funding.
(Story 3)
In other news, a Winchester school girl is taking a seat in the UK Youth Parliament to represent Winchester and Eastleigh.
Felicity Stonehill, aged 15 from The Westgate School will join other young people from schools, colleges and youth centres across Hampshire in voting in the November local elections.
Martin Tod, Liberal Democrat prospective MP for Winchester praised the Youth Parliament for their work.
(Audio)
''Youth Parliament does quite a good job of making sure young people’s issues are heard, so I think that's a good thing and every part of the country needs to be represented, so I think it's good that Winchester is as well. Personally I think people should get into the mindset of being active citizens and the idea that they can change things and they deserve to be listened to and if that involves people getting involved in the youth council, the youth parliament then that's great.''
(Story 4)
And finally, residents, groups and businesses are participating in a charity event to help raise money for homeless charities in Winchester.
Everyone is invited to join ‘Winchester Walk for the Homeless,’ on Sunday 9th May in an effort to raise £50,000.
Walkers can chose a walking distance to suit them, from a 12-mile trek to a 1.5-mile family friendly pace. The proceedings will be directly donated to the homeless charities.
You can register online now for the walk at www.winchesterwalk.co.uk.
(Finish)
Radio Script Week One
(Intro)Welcome to Winchester Newsbeat at 11 o’clock, I’m Hannah Keegan with a short news update.
(Story One- written by Cara Laithwaite)
Southampton was brought to a standstill on Thursday after an unexploded bomb was discovered in London Road; near the city centre.
The device, which had been left over from World War II, was uncovered by builders working on the site.
Both ends of London Road were cordoned off by police and nearby residents were evacuated.
The bomb was later removed by bomb disposal experts in the early hours of Friday morning and taken away to be safely detonated.
(Story Two- written by Justina Chlad)
In other news, unemployment in Winchester is on the increase, the number of people claiming Job Seeker Allowance rose in January and is now the highest figure since August 2009. Martin Todd, Liberal Democrat Prospective MP for Winchester believes it is possible to lower the unemployment rate and states more jobs need to be created to tackle the problem.
(Story Three)
Young people living in and around Winchester will soon have access to a new youth cafe, as the campaign to raise an additional £150,000 for the build nears its halfway mark.
Winchester YMCA are in charge of constructing the new social outlet in the 13th century undercroft of St John’s House. The venue will be open to all and the YMCA spoke to 600 youths in order to draw up the scheme for the new cafe.
The venue aims to provide a place for young people to socialise and feel safe.
The YMCA have so far raised £45,000 from public donations and a further £20,000 grant was agreed by the city council at their last budget meeting. Another £85,000 is still needed to begin the build.
Simon Dodd , the YMCA Youth Programme manager is optimistic that the construction work will begin sometime in May due to positive public support.
‘’The support we’ve received from the council has been excellent. We also launched a fund raising appeal in mid November last year and I think we’ve had about £45,000 worth come in from the public.’’
(Story One- written by Cara Laithwaite)
Southampton was brought to a standstill on Thursday after an unexploded bomb was discovered in London Road; near the city centre.
The device, which had been left over from World War II, was uncovered by builders working on the site.
Both ends of London Road were cordoned off by police and nearby residents were evacuated.
The bomb was later removed by bomb disposal experts in the early hours of Friday morning and taken away to be safely detonated.
(Story Two- written by Justina Chlad)
In other news, unemployment in Winchester is on the increase, the number of people claiming Job Seeker Allowance rose in January and is now the highest figure since August 2009. Martin Todd, Liberal Democrat Prospective MP for Winchester believes it is possible to lower the unemployment rate and states more jobs need to be created to tackle the problem.
(Story Three)
Young people living in and around Winchester will soon have access to a new youth cafe, as the campaign to raise an additional £150,000 for the build nears its halfway mark.
Winchester YMCA are in charge of constructing the new social outlet in the 13th century undercroft of St John’s House. The venue will be open to all and the YMCA spoke to 600 youths in order to draw up the scheme for the new cafe.
The venue aims to provide a place for young people to socialise and feel safe.
The YMCA have so far raised £45,000 from public donations and a further £20,000 grant was agreed by the city council at their last budget meeting. Another £85,000 is still needed to begin the build.
Simon Dodd , the YMCA Youth Programme manager is optimistic that the construction work will begin sometime in May due to positive public support.
‘’The support we’ve received from the council has been excellent. We also launched a fund raising appeal in mid November last year and I think we’ve had about £45,000 worth come in from the public.’’
Thursday 18 March 2010
HCJ: Cobbett and Dickens.
William Cobbett
• William Cobbett was born in Farnham, Surrey in 1763 and died in June 1835.
• He worked as a farm labourer in Hampshire, which gave him extensive knowledge about the countryside.
• Cobbett began his career as a journalist in America, working under the name of Peter Porcupine, where he published 12 books criticising American democracy.
• After 20 years abroad, Cobbett returned to England in 1800 and he began to publish the weekly newsletter The Political Register. He first supported the Tories but then became more radical.
• By 1806 he was an advocate of parliamentary reform. Cobbett was not afraid to criticise the government and campaigned against newspaper taxes and government restraints on free speech.
• Cobbett began publishing the Political Register as a pamphlet and it soon had a circulation of 40,000. It became the main newspaper read by the working class.
• Cobbett continued publishing controversial material in the Political Register and was charged with libel on numerous occasions, escaping conviction twice, once by fleeing the country and once by conducting his own defence so successfully the jury had no means to convict him.
• For extracts from Cobbett’s Political Register and other works use the below link. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/PRcobbett.htm
• Cobbett’s best-known book was Rural Rides.
• He had no time for the Government that taxed farmers or the army whom he said were free loaders, or for the Church and it's tithes. He was nearly 60 when he began Rural Rides.
• It was first published as a serial within The Weekly Political Register, running from 1822 to 1826. It was then later published as a book in 1830.
• At the time of publication Cobbett was a radical anti-corn law campaigner, Cobbett opposed solutions to agricultural troubles that were being addressed within parliament and he believed the industrial revolution was taking precedence over the economy, leaving many farmers financially unstable.
• Cobbett wanted to evaluate the situation and find a solution himself.
• Cobbett believed industrialisation was destroying a rural way of life.
• Cobbett viewed the argument from both a farmer’s and social reformer’s point of view. The book is seen to be a factual document that gives an insight into the lives of those living in the countryside in early nineteenth century.
*For an easy to read format of Rural Rides visit the below link.
http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/text/contents_page.jsp?t_id=Cobbett
Charles Dickens
• Charles Dickens was born 7th February 1812 and died 9th June 1870.
• He was an English Novelist.
• Dickens was interested in particular times of reform, which can be seen in his works: Oliver Twist related to Benthamite Utilitarian Poor Law, Bleak House has a focus on the Court of Chancery and Nicholas Nickelby criticised Yorkshire schools where pupils were mistreated.
• Dickens was of the belief that the poor should be given decent homes and education, in conjunction with this, his writing attempted to spur the middle classes into action.
• He was continuously disappointed with the law.
• He relied on his reader to take action!
A tale of two perspectives... Rural (Cobbett) vs. Urban (Dickens)
• England fared well out of the French Revolution, however during the Napoleonic War it was very expensive so income tax was introduced to pay for the war effort in 1779.
• British Naval power was absolute, particularly after 1805 and the blockades of the French ports created a boom for British exports, so the British began to build their empire.
• The Transatlantic Triangular Trade was highly profitable for Britain. In the 16th Century one million slaves were transported from Africa to America. This number then increased to three million in the 17th Century and then again to seven million in the 18th Century. The Abolition of Slavery Act in 1833 stopped the Transatlantic Triangular Trade.
• Textiles made up 60% of exports and coal outputs doubled between 1750 and 1800.
• Manchester’s population rapidly increased due to the need for more workers to process raw materials coming into the ports.
• The population rose from 17,000 to 180,000 between 1760 and 1830.
• Marx and Engels held an interest in Manchester's population explosion and poor treatment of its workers as a possible start of a working class revolution.
• Cotton was the key to the industrial revolution. The raw material originated from American slave plantations and was processed in North England, mostly for export.
• Inventions such as the gas light, allowed the process to continue and become more efficient as workers could continue working throughout the night, mostly women and children.
• The end of the war meant the end of the boom and this in turn lead to widespread unemployment and a decrease in wages.
• As response to this, the Government brought in the Corn Laws, which put a tariff on imported grain, to give farmers a better chance. However, this made bread very expensive, which meant many of the poor starved.
• The conditions in towns and cities became dire. Most people lived in bad conditions and diseases such as Cholera were common.
• There was a policy of brutal repression on any sort of dissent and strict penal penalties were effective in the short term.
• Protesters demanded growing industrial towns should have a right to elect MP's, as less than 2% of the population had a vote at the time. 'Rotten Boroughs' had too many MP's whereas Manchester and Leeds had none. Reform Act in 1832.
• The repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846 meant that bread became cheaper, but this in turn meant that wages could be lowered because workers would be able to survive on less.
Farming
• Enclosures had ended the idea of landholding peasantry- and there was nothing to stop the transfer of the workforce from non-industrial to industrial.
• Population had been rising slowly, or not at all, from approximately 5 million at the end of the 17th century up until the middle of the 18th Century. After 1770 it started to rise considerably, doubling every 50 years.
• Swing Riots - rural labourers began riots across the south of England as they were against the use of advanced technology like threshing machines.
The Poor
• The poor were looked after by the Speenhamland system, which was devised as a means to alleviate the distress caused by high grain prices. Families received extra to top up wages, it varied according to the number of children and the price of bread but the immediate impact of paying this poor rate fell on the landowners of the parish concerned.
• The New Poor Law Act was introduced in 1834 by Bentham. The Act that stated that no able-bodied person was to receive money or other help from the Poor Law Authorities except in a workhouse.
• Bentham believed people would do what was pleasant and not do what was unpleasant. He effectively criminalised the poor by making relief so unpleasant that they would not want it.
Ireland- Act of Union 1801
• The Famine was between 1845 and 1850 - over a million people died of malnutrition and two million emigrated.
• During the Famine, Ireland was a net exporter of food and the export of livestock actually increased. Armed troops had to escort the food to the ports to be exported to England. This increased the famine, leaving the Irish starving to death.
• William Cobbett was born in Farnham, Surrey in 1763 and died in June 1835.
• He worked as a farm labourer in Hampshire, which gave him extensive knowledge about the countryside.
• Cobbett began his career as a journalist in America, working under the name of Peter Porcupine, where he published 12 books criticising American democracy.
• After 20 years abroad, Cobbett returned to England in 1800 and he began to publish the weekly newsletter The Political Register. He first supported the Tories but then became more radical.
• By 1806 he was an advocate of parliamentary reform. Cobbett was not afraid to criticise the government and campaigned against newspaper taxes and government restraints on free speech.
• Cobbett began publishing the Political Register as a pamphlet and it soon had a circulation of 40,000. It became the main newspaper read by the working class.
• Cobbett continued publishing controversial material in the Political Register and was charged with libel on numerous occasions, escaping conviction twice, once by fleeing the country and once by conducting his own defence so successfully the jury had no means to convict him.
• For extracts from Cobbett’s Political Register and other works use the below link. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/PRcobbett.htm
• Cobbett’s best-known book was Rural Rides.
• He had no time for the Government that taxed farmers or the army whom he said were free loaders, or for the Church and it's tithes. He was nearly 60 when he began Rural Rides.
• It was first published as a serial within The Weekly Political Register, running from 1822 to 1826. It was then later published as a book in 1830.
• At the time of publication Cobbett was a radical anti-corn law campaigner, Cobbett opposed solutions to agricultural troubles that were being addressed within parliament and he believed the industrial revolution was taking precedence over the economy, leaving many farmers financially unstable.
• Cobbett wanted to evaluate the situation and find a solution himself.
• Cobbett believed industrialisation was destroying a rural way of life.
• Cobbett viewed the argument from both a farmer’s and social reformer’s point of view. The book is seen to be a factual document that gives an insight into the lives of those living in the countryside in early nineteenth century.
*For an easy to read format of Rural Rides visit the below link.
http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/text/contents_page.jsp?t_id=Cobbett
Charles Dickens
• Charles Dickens was born 7th February 1812 and died 9th June 1870.
• He was an English Novelist.
• Dickens was interested in particular times of reform, which can be seen in his works: Oliver Twist related to Benthamite Utilitarian Poor Law, Bleak House has a focus on the Court of Chancery and Nicholas Nickelby criticised Yorkshire schools where pupils were mistreated.
• Dickens was of the belief that the poor should be given decent homes and education, in conjunction with this, his writing attempted to spur the middle classes into action.
• He was continuously disappointed with the law.
• He relied on his reader to take action!
A tale of two perspectives... Rural (Cobbett) vs. Urban (Dickens)
• England fared well out of the French Revolution, however during the Napoleonic War it was very expensive so income tax was introduced to pay for the war effort in 1779.
• British Naval power was absolute, particularly after 1805 and the blockades of the French ports created a boom for British exports, so the British began to build their empire.
• The Transatlantic Triangular Trade was highly profitable for Britain. In the 16th Century one million slaves were transported from Africa to America. This number then increased to three million in the 17th Century and then again to seven million in the 18th Century. The Abolition of Slavery Act in 1833 stopped the Transatlantic Triangular Trade.
• Textiles made up 60% of exports and coal outputs doubled between 1750 and 1800.
• Manchester’s population rapidly increased due to the need for more workers to process raw materials coming into the ports.
• The population rose from 17,000 to 180,000 between 1760 and 1830.
• Marx and Engels held an interest in Manchester's population explosion and poor treatment of its workers as a possible start of a working class revolution.
• Cotton was the key to the industrial revolution. The raw material originated from American slave plantations and was processed in North England, mostly for export.
• Inventions such as the gas light, allowed the process to continue and become more efficient as workers could continue working throughout the night, mostly women and children.
• The end of the war meant the end of the boom and this in turn lead to widespread unemployment and a decrease in wages.
• As response to this, the Government brought in the Corn Laws, which put a tariff on imported grain, to give farmers a better chance. However, this made bread very expensive, which meant many of the poor starved.
• The conditions in towns and cities became dire. Most people lived in bad conditions and diseases such as Cholera were common.
• There was a policy of brutal repression on any sort of dissent and strict penal penalties were effective in the short term.
• Protesters demanded growing industrial towns should have a right to elect MP's, as less than 2% of the population had a vote at the time. 'Rotten Boroughs' had too many MP's whereas Manchester and Leeds had none. Reform Act in 1832.
• The repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846 meant that bread became cheaper, but this in turn meant that wages could be lowered because workers would be able to survive on less.
Farming
• Enclosures had ended the idea of landholding peasantry- and there was nothing to stop the transfer of the workforce from non-industrial to industrial.
• Population had been rising slowly, or not at all, from approximately 5 million at the end of the 17th century up until the middle of the 18th Century. After 1770 it started to rise considerably, doubling every 50 years.
• Swing Riots - rural labourers began riots across the south of England as they were against the use of advanced technology like threshing machines.
The Poor
• The poor were looked after by the Speenhamland system, which was devised as a means to alleviate the distress caused by high grain prices. Families received extra to top up wages, it varied according to the number of children and the price of bread but the immediate impact of paying this poor rate fell on the landowners of the parish concerned.
• The New Poor Law Act was introduced in 1834 by Bentham. The Act that stated that no able-bodied person was to receive money or other help from the Poor Law Authorities except in a workhouse.
• Bentham believed people would do what was pleasant and not do what was unpleasant. He effectively criminalised the poor by making relief so unpleasant that they would not want it.
Ireland- Act of Union 1801
• The Famine was between 1845 and 1850 - over a million people died of malnutrition and two million emigrated.
• During the Famine, Ireland was a net exporter of food and the export of livestock actually increased. Armed troops had to escort the food to the ports to be exported to England. This increased the famine, leaving the Irish starving to death.
Wednesday 17 March 2010
Winchester Schoolgirl in UK Youth Parliament
A Winchester schoolgirl is taking a seat in the UK Youth Parliament to represent Winchester and Eastleigh.
Felicity Stonehill, aged 15 from The Westgate School in Winchester will join other young people from schools, colleges and youth centres across Hampshire in voting in the November elections.
Martin Tod, Liberal Democrat prospective MP for Winchester praised the Youth Parliament for their work.
''Youth Parliament does quite a good job of making sure young people’s issues are heard, so I think that's a good thing and every part of the country needs to be represented, so I think it's good that Winchester is as well. Personally I think people should get into the mindset of being active citizens and the idea that they can change things and they deserve to be listened to and if that involves people getting involved in the youth council, the youth parliament then that's great.''
Felicity Stonehill, aged 15 from The Westgate School in Winchester will join other young people from schools, colleges and youth centres across Hampshire in voting in the November elections.
Martin Tod, Liberal Democrat prospective MP for Winchester praised the Youth Parliament for their work.
''Youth Parliament does quite a good job of making sure young people’s issues are heard, so I think that's a good thing and every part of the country needs to be represented, so I think it's good that Winchester is as well. Personally I think people should get into the mindset of being active citizens and the idea that they can change things and they deserve to be listened to and if that involves people getting involved in the youth council, the youth parliament then that's great.''
Council Plans for New Student Flats
Winchester residents have raised complaints regarding a new block of 400 student flats being built on Milnthorpe Lane in Winchester.
Plans for the build have already been approved by Winchester City Council however the issue has been brought forward once again after neighbours expressed their concerns that not all agreed arrangements were being met.
Part of the plan approved by the council stated that louvers, a special kind of shutter would be fixed to the windows of the new build in order to reduce noise and light pollution. As these are yet to be fitted, the council held a meeting last Thursday to discuss the measures needed to put them in place before students move into the block.
[Audio]
Plans for the build have already been approved by Winchester City Council however the issue has been brought forward once again after neighbours expressed their concerns that not all agreed arrangements were being met.
Part of the plan approved by the council stated that louvers, a special kind of shutter would be fixed to the windows of the new build in order to reduce noise and light pollution. As these are yet to be fitted, the council held a meeting last Thursday to discuss the measures needed to put them in place before students move into the block.
[Audio]
Tuesday 16 March 2010
Venables Prison Recall
A news story which has been impossible to escape my attention over the past week is that of Jon Venables being recalled to prison after breaching his release licence.
The murder of 2 year old James Bulger by Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, aged just 10 at the time, in 1993 was a story that shocked the nation and one which is still sure to provoke the strongest of reactions today. The two boys were found guilty of the murder of James Bulger and served an eight year sentence. Upon their release in 2001, both boys were given new identities and a chance to start again, this in itself was a controversial topic, dividing the public.
Now, aged 27, Jon Venables has been recalled to prison yet the exact reasoning as to why is still yet to be confirmed. I think this is shocking, surely it is in public interest for the details to be released and I feel that the withholding of information shows a sufficient lack of empathy towards James Bulger’s mother- Denise Fergus, not only has she had to live with the fact that her son was brutally murdered and his killers given a second chance at life but now she has the worry that Venables may have caused harm to another. This makes me question whether the boys should ever have been given a second chance at all.
Denise Fergus has expressed further anguish over the handling of the case, as Maggie Atkinson, Children’s Commissioner, suggested Bulger’s killers should not have been prosecuted, as she believes children aged 10 are too young to be tried in an adult court and this age should be raised to 12. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the age at which children can be tried in an adult court is 10 years of age. This is one of the youngest in Europe, bar Scotland where the age is 8.
I feel that in light of the new Venables case, Atkinson’s comments were extremely insensitive and ill-advised and have caused a great deal of grief to Mrs Fergus, who is now having to relive her son’s case from seventeen years ago. Mrs Fergus called for Atkinson to resign or be sacked but no such action has been taken. However, Atkinson’s pleas to increase the age of child prosecution in an adult court were rejected.
Upon reading all the news stories relating to the matter, I have begun to question at what age it is appropriate to prosecute a child. But surely, in the case of Thompson and Venables, they committed a truly horrendous and adult crime, so they should be given the appropriate punishment and prosecuted accordingly. I also question whether it was a mistake to give them a second chance at life, one which Venables seems only too willing to ruin. In my mind, I would agree that aged ten, a child would most definitely know the difference between right and wrong and would have begun to develop an established set of morals, so what would lead two CHILDREN to do something so appalling?
I am also fairly outraged at the lack of information being given to the public over Venables’ breach of licence. As it continues to be kept under wraps, the worst case scenario seems to be assumed. Jack Straw has informed the House of Commons that disclosure of the allegations could prejudice further action against Venables.
Finally I ask myself, how is it there are people willing to defend such a man? Laurence Lee, who defended Venables in the original case said to the BBC, "The pressures on him [Venables] to live this lie and constantly have to lie to make friends and fit in with society, I think are what made him breach his licence." I am hard pressed to find sympathy.
The murder of 2 year old James Bulger by Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, aged just 10 at the time, in 1993 was a story that shocked the nation and one which is still sure to provoke the strongest of reactions today. The two boys were found guilty of the murder of James Bulger and served an eight year sentence. Upon their release in 2001, both boys were given new identities and a chance to start again, this in itself was a controversial topic, dividing the public.
Now, aged 27, Jon Venables has been recalled to prison yet the exact reasoning as to why is still yet to be confirmed. I think this is shocking, surely it is in public interest for the details to be released and I feel that the withholding of information shows a sufficient lack of empathy towards James Bulger’s mother- Denise Fergus, not only has she had to live with the fact that her son was brutally murdered and his killers given a second chance at life but now she has the worry that Venables may have caused harm to another. This makes me question whether the boys should ever have been given a second chance at all.
Denise Fergus has expressed further anguish over the handling of the case, as Maggie Atkinson, Children’s Commissioner, suggested Bulger’s killers should not have been prosecuted, as she believes children aged 10 are too young to be tried in an adult court and this age should be raised to 12. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the age at which children can be tried in an adult court is 10 years of age. This is one of the youngest in Europe, bar Scotland where the age is 8.
I feel that in light of the new Venables case, Atkinson’s comments were extremely insensitive and ill-advised and have caused a great deal of grief to Mrs Fergus, who is now having to relive her son’s case from seventeen years ago. Mrs Fergus called for Atkinson to resign or be sacked but no such action has been taken. However, Atkinson’s pleas to increase the age of child prosecution in an adult court were rejected.
Upon reading all the news stories relating to the matter, I have begun to question at what age it is appropriate to prosecute a child. But surely, in the case of Thompson and Venables, they committed a truly horrendous and adult crime, so they should be given the appropriate punishment and prosecuted accordingly. I also question whether it was a mistake to give them a second chance at life, one which Venables seems only too willing to ruin. In my mind, I would agree that aged ten, a child would most definitely know the difference between right and wrong and would have begun to develop an established set of morals, so what would lead two CHILDREN to do something so appalling?
I am also fairly outraged at the lack of information being given to the public over Venables’ breach of licence. As it continues to be kept under wraps, the worst case scenario seems to be assumed. Jack Straw has informed the House of Commons that disclosure of the allegations could prejudice further action against Venables.
Finally I ask myself, how is it there are people willing to defend such a man? Laurence Lee, who defended Venables in the original case said to the BBC, "The pressures on him [Venables] to live this lie and constantly have to lie to make friends and fit in with society, I think are what made him breach his licence." I am hard pressed to find sympathy.
Monday 15 March 2010
Pornography's Place In Parliament
I read an article on the BBC News website on Friday that caught my eye. I was actually trying to educate myself on current political affairs when I saw the headline ‘Female porn director to fight Parliament seat in Kent.’
Anna Arrowsmith, or Anna Span as she is known in the porn industry, has been selected as the prospective Liberal Democrat representative for Gravesham in Kent. Mrs Arrowsmith is a well known female porn director, who is managing director of a leading adult entertainment firm who make porn for women. Mrs Arrowsmith says that she feels that women are under-represented within parliament and stated that the current expenses scandal had sparked up her interest in politics yet again.
Anna Arrowsmith’s background employment has of course caused a fair bit of controversy but should her previous work have an effect on her political reliability? There have been mixed reactions from the public in Kent. Many people feel her ties in the porn industry should not have any impact on her representation within the Lib Dems, however others feel she is an unsuitable role model. It could be argued that although many see the porn industry as distasteful, she is well respected in the trade and became managing director of a major company. A success in her own right.
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg agreed that her job was not his ‘cup of tea,’ but supported her place within parliament. Surely political parties today look for a diverse range of people to represent their views and previous employment should not enter into the matter to a certain extent.
If Anna Arrowsmith is as driven and motivated as she claims and shows consistent compassion towards local issues then the people of Gravesham should be happy to accept her as a representative.
The original article can be viewed via the below link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/8563214.stm
Anna Arrowsmith, or Anna Span as she is known in the porn industry, has been selected as the prospective Liberal Democrat representative for Gravesham in Kent. Mrs Arrowsmith is a well known female porn director, who is managing director of a leading adult entertainment firm who make porn for women. Mrs Arrowsmith says that she feels that women are under-represented within parliament and stated that the current expenses scandal had sparked up her interest in politics yet again.
Anna Arrowsmith’s background employment has of course caused a fair bit of controversy but should her previous work have an effect on her political reliability? There have been mixed reactions from the public in Kent. Many people feel her ties in the porn industry should not have any impact on her representation within the Lib Dems, however others feel she is an unsuitable role model. It could be argued that although many see the porn industry as distasteful, she is well respected in the trade and became managing director of a major company. A success in her own right.
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg agreed that her job was not his ‘cup of tea,’ but supported her place within parliament. Surely political parties today look for a diverse range of people to represent their views and previous employment should not enter into the matter to a certain extent.
If Anna Arrowsmith is as driven and motivated as she claims and shows consistent compassion towards local issues then the people of Gravesham should be happy to accept her as a representative.
The original article can be viewed via the below link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/8563214.stm
Tuesday 9 March 2010
Final Funding Needed For Youth Café
Young people living in and around Winchester will soon have access to a new youth cafe, as the campaign to raise an additional £150,000 for the build nears its halfway mark.
Winchester YMCA are in charge of constructing the new social outlet in the 13th century undercroft of St John’s House. The venue will be open to all and the YMCA spoke to 600 youths in order to draw up the scheme for the new cafe.
The venue aims to provide a place for young people to socialise and feel safe.
The YMCA have so far raised £45,000 from public donations and a further £20,000 grant was agreed by the city council at their last budget meeting. A further £85,000 is still needed to begin the build.
Simon Dodd, the YMCA Youth Programme manager is optimistic that the construction work will begin sometime in May due to positive public support.
''The support we’ve received from the council has been excellent. We also launched a fund raising appeal in mid November last year and I think we’ve had about £45,000 worth come in from the public.’’
Winchester YMCA are in charge of constructing the new social outlet in the 13th century undercroft of St John’s House. The venue will be open to all and the YMCA spoke to 600 youths in order to draw up the scheme for the new cafe.
The venue aims to provide a place for young people to socialise and feel safe.
The YMCA have so far raised £45,000 from public donations and a further £20,000 grant was agreed by the city council at their last budget meeting. A further £85,000 is still needed to begin the build.
Simon Dodd, the YMCA Youth Programme manager is optimistic that the construction work will begin sometime in May due to positive public support.
''The support we’ve received from the council has been excellent. We also launched a fund raising appeal in mid November last year and I think we’ve had about £45,000 worth come in from the public.’’
Wednesday 3 March 2010
HCJ. Kant and Hegel: German Idealism
German Idealism
• 18th Century philosophy was dominated by British empiricists (the theory that knowledge is gained through experience), with the key philosophers of this movement including Locke, Berkeley and Hume.
• Kant, Hegel and Fichte went on to develop a new kind of philosophy which shaped German Idealism.
• The subjectivist tendency which had begun with Descartes was continued to new extremes (knowledge and value are limited by subjective experience, or in more extreme form, the existence of every object depends on a person’s subjective awareness of it).
• Common characteristics in German idealism include critique of knowledge (this was strongly emphasized by Kant).
• There was an emphasis on mind over matter, which leads to the assumption that only mind exists.
• There was a rejection of utilitarian ethics.
• German idealism adopted a more scholastic tone which was not seen in early French and English philosophy.
• Similarities to the romantic movement.
Immanuel Kant (1724- 1804)
• Kant was born in the East Prussian city of Konigsberg, where he also studied at University.
• He worked at the University as a professor and a tutor for more than 40 years.
• Considered one of the greatest modern philosophers, his importance is easily recognisable.
• Kant is seen as the founder of German Idealism.
• He was influenced by Rousseau and Hume.
• Rousseau made more of an impact on Kant. Kant is said to have read ‘Emile’ several times in order to understand its matter because he claimed the beauty of Rousseau’s style to be distracting.
• Although he was brought up as a pietist (emphasis on piety, devotion and good Christian life), he was a Liberal in both politics and theology.
• He believed in democracy and had a love of freedom, exemplified in his saying; ‘There can be nothing more dreadful than that the actions of a man should be subject to the will of another.’
• Kant’s early works are much more scientific than philosophical. He wrote a theory on earthquakes and a treatise on wind. He had an interest in physical geography.
• The most important of his scientific writings was ‘General Natural History and the Theory of the Heavens,’ which was first published in 1755. Sets out the origin of the solar system, although some of it appears to be fantasy based with claims of life forms on every planet. It was not well supported scientifically.
• Following what seemed to be a current trend at the time, Kant also wrote a treatise on the sublime and the beautiful. Night is sublime, day is beautiful, the sea is sublime, the sky is beautiful and so on.
The Critique of Pure Reason
• Kant’s most important work was ‘The Critique of Pure Reason,’ first published in 1781.
• The purpose of this work is to attempt to explain that although our knowledge cannot excel our experience, it is in part a priori (an understanding derived by logic without facts).
• Kant goes onto explain that the part of our knowledge which is a priori, is not only defined by logic but also what cannot be included in logic or assumed from it.
• Kant highlights the differences between an analytic proposition and a synthetic proposition. The differences between a priori and empirical proposition were also outlined. An empirical proposition is knowledge gained from a sense of self perception, either our own or that of someone we trust. History, geography and the laws of science are of this sort.
• A priori proposition, though it is extracted from experience, it is usually drawn on from another experience.
Kant’s Theory of Space and Time
• Kant explained that objects of perception- things that we actually see- are due to both our own perception of them and external things.
• What appears to us in our perception (phenomenon) consists of two parts. The sensation- due to the object and the form of the phenomenon, that due to our perceptive apparatus. The latter part refers to a constant knowledge which we carry with us, and it is much like a priori in that it is not dependent on experience.
• In order to prove that space and time are a form of priori, Kant puts forward two types of argument; metaphysical (philosophical study of being and knowing), Kant looks at the nature of time and space) and epistemological/ transcendental (branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and scope, Kant looks at the possibility of pure mathematics).
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831)
• Hegel was born in Stuttgart 1770
• Much of his work would never have existed if it were not for Kant, although he was often critical of Kant’s work.
• His influence has been great and not only in Germany. His philosophy of history deeply affected political theory.
• He taught philosophy at Jena and Nuremburg and went on to be a professor at Heidelberg, finally taught at Berlin.
• In his later life Hegel was a patriotic Prussian but in his youth he despised Prussia and strongly admired Napoleon.
• Hegel had an early interest in mysticism, which continued to inspire his belief in ‘the unreality of separateness.’ Looking at all the units which make up the world as a whole, Hegel ventured to say that each unit has a greater or lesser degree of reality. Its reality can only truly be viewed when looked at as a whole.
• This view leads to a disbelief in the reality of time and space, as they involve separateness and multiplicity.
• Hegel stated that real is rational and rational is real. However Hegel’s ‘real’ differs from that of an empiricist. He says that what an empiricist perceives to be fact must be irrational, facts can only become rational once viewed as a whole.
• ‘The whole’ which to me appears extremely complex, is described by Hegel as ‘the absolute.’ The absolute is spiritual.
• There are two things which distinguish Hegel from other men with a metaphysical outlook:
1. He places emphasis on logic
2. Dialectic (system of reasoning)- consisting of thesis, antithesis and synthesis
• Hegel sees logic to be the same thing as metaphysics (philosophical study of being and knowing), believes it to be self contradictory. For example the theory of Parmenides. Nothing can be spherical unless it has a boundary and it cannot have a boundary unless there is something outside of it, even if it empty space. So if one were to assume that the universe is spherical is would be self contradictory.
• The underlying assumption that nothing is true unless it is about reality as a whole still shows a basis in traditional logic. (see uncle example in Bertrand Russell)
• Everything except the Whole has a connection to outside things; this implies nothing true can be said about separate things. The Whole, which Hegel considered to be a unity, is the only thing which is real.
• The above is not directly specified in Hegel’s system but more so implied.
• ‘Reason is the conscious certainty of being all reality.’ A singular person on their own is not quite real, however their participation in reality as a whole is what defines them as real.
• The essence of the Absolute Idea is basically pure thought thinking about pure thought.
• 18th Century philosophy was dominated by British empiricists (the theory that knowledge is gained through experience), with the key philosophers of this movement including Locke, Berkeley and Hume.
• Kant, Hegel and Fichte went on to develop a new kind of philosophy which shaped German Idealism.
• The subjectivist tendency which had begun with Descartes was continued to new extremes (knowledge and value are limited by subjective experience, or in more extreme form, the existence of every object depends on a person’s subjective awareness of it).
• Common characteristics in German idealism include critique of knowledge (this was strongly emphasized by Kant).
• There was an emphasis on mind over matter, which leads to the assumption that only mind exists.
• There was a rejection of utilitarian ethics.
• German idealism adopted a more scholastic tone which was not seen in early French and English philosophy.
• Similarities to the romantic movement.
Immanuel Kant (1724- 1804)
• Kant was born in the East Prussian city of Konigsberg, where he also studied at University.
• He worked at the University as a professor and a tutor for more than 40 years.
• Considered one of the greatest modern philosophers, his importance is easily recognisable.
• Kant is seen as the founder of German Idealism.
• He was influenced by Rousseau and Hume.
• Rousseau made more of an impact on Kant. Kant is said to have read ‘Emile’ several times in order to understand its matter because he claimed the beauty of Rousseau’s style to be distracting.
• Although he was brought up as a pietist (emphasis on piety, devotion and good Christian life), he was a Liberal in both politics and theology.
• He believed in democracy and had a love of freedom, exemplified in his saying; ‘There can be nothing more dreadful than that the actions of a man should be subject to the will of another.’
• Kant’s early works are much more scientific than philosophical. He wrote a theory on earthquakes and a treatise on wind. He had an interest in physical geography.
• The most important of his scientific writings was ‘General Natural History and the Theory of the Heavens,’ which was first published in 1755. Sets out the origin of the solar system, although some of it appears to be fantasy based with claims of life forms on every planet. It was not well supported scientifically.
• Following what seemed to be a current trend at the time, Kant also wrote a treatise on the sublime and the beautiful. Night is sublime, day is beautiful, the sea is sublime, the sky is beautiful and so on.
The Critique of Pure Reason
• Kant’s most important work was ‘The Critique of Pure Reason,’ first published in 1781.
• The purpose of this work is to attempt to explain that although our knowledge cannot excel our experience, it is in part a priori (an understanding derived by logic without facts).
• Kant goes onto explain that the part of our knowledge which is a priori, is not only defined by logic but also what cannot be included in logic or assumed from it.
• Kant highlights the differences between an analytic proposition and a synthetic proposition. The differences between a priori and empirical proposition were also outlined. An empirical proposition is knowledge gained from a sense of self perception, either our own or that of someone we trust. History, geography and the laws of science are of this sort.
• A priori proposition, though it is extracted from experience, it is usually drawn on from another experience.
Kant’s Theory of Space and Time
• Kant explained that objects of perception- things that we actually see- are due to both our own perception of them and external things.
• What appears to us in our perception (phenomenon) consists of two parts. The sensation- due to the object and the form of the phenomenon, that due to our perceptive apparatus. The latter part refers to a constant knowledge which we carry with us, and it is much like a priori in that it is not dependent on experience.
• In order to prove that space and time are a form of priori, Kant puts forward two types of argument; metaphysical (philosophical study of being and knowing), Kant looks at the nature of time and space) and epistemological/ transcendental (branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and scope, Kant looks at the possibility of pure mathematics).
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831)
• Hegel was born in Stuttgart 1770
• Much of his work would never have existed if it were not for Kant, although he was often critical of Kant’s work.
• His influence has been great and not only in Germany. His philosophy of history deeply affected political theory.
• He taught philosophy at Jena and Nuremburg and went on to be a professor at Heidelberg, finally taught at Berlin.
• In his later life Hegel was a patriotic Prussian but in his youth he despised Prussia and strongly admired Napoleon.
• Hegel had an early interest in mysticism, which continued to inspire his belief in ‘the unreality of separateness.’ Looking at all the units which make up the world as a whole, Hegel ventured to say that each unit has a greater or lesser degree of reality. Its reality can only truly be viewed when looked at as a whole.
• This view leads to a disbelief in the reality of time and space, as they involve separateness and multiplicity.
• Hegel stated that real is rational and rational is real. However Hegel’s ‘real’ differs from that of an empiricist. He says that what an empiricist perceives to be fact must be irrational, facts can only become rational once viewed as a whole.
• ‘The whole’ which to me appears extremely complex, is described by Hegel as ‘the absolute.’ The absolute is spiritual.
• There are two things which distinguish Hegel from other men with a metaphysical outlook:
1. He places emphasis on logic
2. Dialectic (system of reasoning)- consisting of thesis, antithesis and synthesis
• Hegel sees logic to be the same thing as metaphysics (philosophical study of being and knowing), believes it to be self contradictory. For example the theory of Parmenides. Nothing can be spherical unless it has a boundary and it cannot have a boundary unless there is something outside of it, even if it empty space. So if one were to assume that the universe is spherical is would be self contradictory.
• The underlying assumption that nothing is true unless it is about reality as a whole still shows a basis in traditional logic. (see uncle example in Bertrand Russell)
• Everything except the Whole has a connection to outside things; this implies nothing true can be said about separate things. The Whole, which Hegel considered to be a unity, is the only thing which is real.
• The above is not directly specified in Hegel’s system but more so implied.
• ‘Reason is the conscious certainty of being all reality.’ A singular person on their own is not quite real, however their participation in reality as a whole is what defines them as real.
• The essence of the Absolute Idea is basically pure thought thinking about pure thought.
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