Latest Community News and Information

From Julian Harrison:

I am pleased to bring you the following news and information:

Government
Department for Communities and Local Government: £20 million fund is ensuring no second night out for rough sleepers nationwide: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/20-million-fund-is-ensuring-no-second-night-out-for-rough-sleepers-nationwide
Department for Work and Pensions: Government to help workers boost their earnings: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/newsroom/press-releases/2013/jan-2013/dwp008-13.shtml
Home Office: More training to identify and support victims of human trafficking: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/media-centre/news/training-human-trafficking
Department for Communities and Local Government: Report shows savings from trouble families work: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/report-shows-savings-from-troubled-families-work
Department for Work and Pensions: Hoban: Improvements to Work Capability Assessment making a real difference: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/newsroom/press-releases/2013/jan-2013/dwp009-13.shtml
Department for Communities and Local Government: Planning measures will make best use of underused buildings for providing new homes: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/planning-measures-will-make-best-use-of-underused-buildings-for-providing-new-homes

Election Timetable
If you’re confused as to when and why there are different elections in different years, the Department for Communities and Local Government has produced this election timetable for England: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/election-timetable-in-england

Consultation
Department for Work and Pensions: Statistics on people and households claiming Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment and other benefits – Plans for 2013-2017: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/consultations/2013/stats-plans-2013-2017.shtml

Other Organisations
Leicester Chinese Community Centre: 2013 Chinese New Year of the Snake Celebration on Sunday 10th February:
University of Leicester ELTU Department is looking for volunteers for its Language Café event:
Institute of Race Relations (IRR): Films explore risks to women: http://www.irr.org.uk/news/films-explore-risks-to-women/
Leicestershire County Council: County Council makes list of top 20 gay-friendly employers: http://www.leics.gov.uk/pressrelease.htm?id=269651
NHS and Moat Community College: Cook and Eat Programme: A free six-week programme beginning on Wednesday 20th February at Moat Community College in Leicester:
Leicester Secular Society: January 2013 edition of ‘The Leicester Secularist’:
Football v Homophobia: new website: http://www.footballvhomophobia.com/
Economic and Social Research Council: Recession hits workplaces, but not employee attitudes: http://www.esrc.ac.uk/news-and-events/press-releases/24841/recession-hits-workplaces-but-not-employee-attitudes.aspx
Mainstream Partnership: Creative Journeys:

Media Stories
The Independent: NHS chief: Hospitals are bad for old people’s health: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/nhs-chief-hospitals-are-bad-for-old-peoples-health-8459198.html?utm_campaign=indynewsletter&utm_medium=email
The Guardian: Cases of neglect exist across NHS, says Jeremy Hunt: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/jan/20/neglect-nhs-jeremy-hunt
BBC News: Stephen Lawrence’s mother and brother ‘threatened’: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-21136528
The Guardian: Cabinet rift over housing for EU migrants: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/jan/13/cabinet-housing-eu-migrants
Leicester Mercury: Leicestershire Police is one of the best employers for gay people, according to Stonewall: http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Leicestershire-Police-best-employers-gay-people/story-17929608-detail/story.html
The Guardian: Britain’s hidden homeless and the death of Michelle Conroy: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/jan/20/hidden-homeless-michelle-conroy-exeter
The Guardian: Charities afraid to challenge public policy amid retribution fears: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/jan/22/charities-public-policy-funding-fears
The Guardian: Workers who claim benefits told to increase hours or lose universal credit: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/jan/21/universal-credit-benefits-work-longer
The Guardian: Voices from the trans community: ‘There will always be prejudice’: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/jan/22/voices-from-trans-community-prejudice
BBC News: Watchdog finds two more UKBA immigration backlogs: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21170495
The Guardian: Alarm at rise in UK suicide rate: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/jan/22/alarm-rise-uk-suicide-rate
The Guardian: Britain’s loneliness epidemic: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/jan/22/the-loneliness-epidemic

Interesting Story of the Week:
BBC News: Goettingen: The song that made history: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21126353

Funding
BBC: BBC seeks comedies to tackle transgender issues: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-01-22/bbc-seeks-comedies-to-tackle-transgender-issues
The Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation: http://www.polden-puckham.org.uk/
Sport England: Protecting Playing Fields: http://www.sportengland.org/funding/protecting_playing_fields.aspx
People’s Postcode Trust – Small Grants Programme: http://www.postcodetrust.org.uk/
The Idlewild Trust: http://www.idlewildtrust.org.uk/

25th January
Egypt Police Day: A celebration of the Egyptian Police Force. Commemorates the events on this day in 1952 when 50 members of the Egyptian Police force were killed by British forces. The event sparked anti-British riots throughout Egypt.
Honen Memorial Day (Buddhist): Honen Bo Genku (1133-1212), or simply Honen, , is one of the outstanding figures in the history of Japanese Buddhism, and the founder of Jodo-shu, one of the schools of Pure Land Buddhism. He died on 25th January 1212.
Husband’s Day (Iceland): Observed on the Friday between 19th and 25th January.
Luanda’s Day (Angola): Luanda is the capital of Angola.
National Voters’ Day (India): Began in 2011 as an encouragement to young voters to participate in the political process.
Robert Burns Night (UK, Scotland in particular): Traditional celebration of the poet Robert Burns. Burns suppers involve the eating of haggis and the drinking of Scotch whisky.
St Dwynwen’s Day (Wales): Welsh Patron Saint of friendship and love, and therefore the Welsh equivalent of St Valentine.
St Paul’s Day/Conversion of St Paul (Christian): A celebration of St Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus.
Tatiana Day (Russia): Commemorates St Tatiana, a Christian martyr in 2nd Century Rome. St Tatiana is the Patron Saint of Students, and the day is also therefore Russian Students Day.

In the Coming Week
Tomorrow (Saturday 26th January) is Australia Day. Commemorates the arrival of the English to Australia in 1788. Public Holiday in Australia.
Sunday (27th January) is Holocaust Memorial Day. The date was chosen as the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945 by the Soviet Red Army.
Monday (28th January) is Data Privacy (Protection) Day (Multinational). Officially recognised by the Council of Europe.
Tuesday (29th January) is Teachers Day in Spain.
Wednesday (30th January) is Martyrs Day in India. Also called Sarvodaya Day. Commemorates Mahatma Gandhi, who was assassinated on this day in 1948.
Thursday (31st January) is Karen Revolution Day. The Karen are an ethnic group in Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand. 31st January (1949) commemorates the beginning of their fight for independence from Myanmar.

Did you know?
Tonight is Robert Burns Night (see above). In 2010, Burns was voted the ‘greatest Scot of all time’ by viewers of the Scottish TV Channel STV. He was also heralded as the ‘people’s poet’ in the former Soviet Union and his poems were taught in Russian schools! Indeed the Soviet Union, not Scotland, was the first country in the world to honour Burns with a commemorative stamp!!

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