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MERSEYSIDE WHEELCHAIR MANUFACTURER BACKS
ANTI-BULLYING IN SCHOOLS INITIATIVE
IN MERSEYSIDE on
the 25 January 2005, Cyclone Mobility & Fitness said it was backing a new initiative aimed at preventing bullying in schools. The Wirral-based bespoke wheelchair manufacturer has got behind a Police Community Clubs of Great Britain (PCCGB) programme, which aims to educate children between the ages of 7 and 11 about the dangers of bullying and vandalism.
Last year over 450,000 children were bullied in school, many playing truant to escape their tormentors, who then got involved in vandalism and petty crime.
Tragically, up to 20 children each year commit suicide because they feel alone and do not know how to ask for the help they desperately need.
At the heart of the Police Community Clubs campaign is a self-help guide called
"Barney and Echo - A Friendship Made." This is a publication that has been developed with primary and junior school children in mind, and supports parents and teachers in addressing the important issues of bullying and vandalism, through stories, puzzles and play.
Cyclone Mobility & Fitness, Managing Director, Stuart Dunne, is convinced there is a lot local people and businesses can do to make sure the message about bullying gets across.
"We were very keen to get involved in this campaign because bullying is a universal problem that not only affects school kids in Merseyside, but children throughout the country. By donating funds to this hugely important programme, businesses all over the United Kingdom, like ours, can give the PCCGB the funds they need to distribute the guides, free of charge, to all schools, thereby benefiting entire communities."
To find out more, please contact Barry T. Jones at the PCCGB on 0161 429 8457, or call Cyclone Mobility & Fitness on 0151 346 2310.
RAYNAUD'S AWARENESS MONTH
RAYNAUD'S affects 10 million people in the UK, 9 out of 10 being female. It is a condition where blood is temporarily prevented from reaching the extremities of the body due to cold temperatures or even any slight change in temperature. The fingers and/or toes change colour from white to blue to red, often accompanied by severe pain and loss of feeling in the hands and feet. It is worse during the winter months. It can range from mild to very severe.
Professor Robert Moots, University Hospital Aintree said:- "Raynaud's is a common condition particularly in teenage girls, where it may be just a nuisance. However, in some people it becomes so bad that it causes severe pain and distress. There have been many important advances in our understanding of these conditions in recent years, matched by better ways of treating them. But we still need to learn much more from our research if we are to develop newer and better treatments to help the suffering that Raynaud's and the more rare condition of scleroderma can often cause."
Anne Mawdsley MBE, chief executive and founder of the Raynaud's & Scleroderma Association said early diagnosis is the key:-
"Our 2005 campaign is to highlight that cold hands could mean Raynaud's which may be a disease entity on its own but may also be the first symptom of an underlying condition such as scleroderma. Therefore we recommend that anyone with severe Raynaud's should ask their GP for a blood test to confirm or eliminate any such possibility."
For a free information pack call 0800 917 2494 or visit www.raynauds.org.uk. Alternatively send an SAE to Raynaud's & Scleroderma Association, 112 Crewe Road, Alsager, Cheshire ST7 2JA.
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"Added-sugar adding to our children's health problems,"
THE British Dental Health Foundation, providers of free, impartial dental advice to the public, has warned that added-sugar found in fruit-flavoured and fizzy drinks could be taking away the benefits of a balanced diet for children.
The foundation was speaking after a study found that children who consumed large quantities of sugar took much less benefit from the consumption of grains, vegetables, fruit and dairy products. The research, conducted at Penn State University and published in January edition of the Journal of Pediatrics, found that pre-school children in America are consuming between 15 and 17 teaspoons of added sugar every day.
Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the Foundation, commented:- "Although this study was conducted in America it is clear that children in the UK also consume vast amounts of added-sugar.
The suggestion that added-sugar can take away from the benefits of nutritional food is very worrying and comes on top of the obesity link and oral health risks.
Every time you eat or drink something sugary your teeth are under acid attack for up to one hour afterwards. By sipping on fizzy or fruit-flavoured drinks throughout the day some children are putting their teeth under constant acid attack - causing tooth decay.
Tooth decay can cause severe pain for children, and adults, also it can lead to tooth loss."
The warning comes after a study of 177 Scottish Primary Schools found that nearly half of schoolchildren need treatment for rotting teeth.
Last year the Foundation called for a complete overhaul of the food labelling
system after the Food Standards Agency found that manufacturers were misleading consumers with the use of words such as
"fresh", "pure" and
"natural". Dr Carter believes this new study has reinforced the need for a new increased honesty from manufacturers.
He continued:- "With the suggestion that added-sugar can also take away from the benefits of a healthy, balanced diet I think the time has come for us to look at ways of minimising the amount of added sugar our children consume.
When checking a products ingredients list, many parents fail to notice added-sugars such as glucose and sucrose and so do not realise the effect they are having on their children's health.
Food manufacturers have to start being up-front and honest about what they are selling us. If a product is high in sugar, it should say so on the packaging. At least that way parents would be able to make an informed decision about what is healthy for their children."
For free oral health advice from a team of experts contact the British Dental
Health Foundation's Dental Helpline on 0845 063 1188.
Airport recruitment fair providing passport to a new career
A RECRUITMENT fair at Manchester Airport on Monday (31 Jan) could provide the passport to a pay packet or change of direction for job-hunters from across the North West. Around 1,000 vacancies including permanent, temporary and full and part-time positions will be up for grabs at the event, being held from 10am to 3pm in the Atlantic Suite at Terminal 2. There are opportunities for all ages, including weekend jobs that might appeal to students.
Denise Hennessey, manager of the airport-based Jobcentreplus, said:-
"28 major employers operating at the airport have joined forces to organise the jobs-push. Companies involved include Manchester Airport Aviation Services, LSG
Skychefs, Monarch Airlines, British Airways, SAS Groundservices, Select Service Partner,
Monsoon-Accessorise, Boots, Servisair, Globeground, Swissport, The Nuance Group and many more. Positions are available in cabin crew, baggage handling, aircraft cleaning, retail sales, passenger service agents, dispatchers, catering and hotel work.
We expect a very good turn out on Monday and are confident that many people who want employment will find suitable positions."
She added that "more than 3,500 job-seekers from all over the region attended a recruitment fair last January."
For more information please telephone the Jobcentreplus on 0161 253 2579.
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