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Southport
student's Olympic book officially launched in Fiji
A Southport student has brought a
piece of London 2012 history to life after Olympic officials from
the other side of the world commissioned her to edit a book about
their countries experiences during the Games.
Lorna Hargreaves, a publishing student from the University of
Central Lancashire (UCLan), has edited Oceania; An Odyssey to the
Olympic Games which shares the personal experiences of athletes from
15 Pacific countries who overcame social and economic barriers to
take part in the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The 24 year old from Churchtown was commissioned by the Oceania
National Olympic Committees (ONOC) to bring together a collection of
stories written by young journalists from the Reporters' Academy, a
charity which works with under privileged youngsters, about athletes
from the Pacific nations who visited the North West to train for the
Games.
Lorna managed to edit the book in less than two months and even
worked on it on Christmas Day to make sure she met her deadline. It
will be officially launched in Fiji at the ONOC General Meeting this
month and Lorna is heading to the launch to personally present
committee officials with copies of the book.
The former Christ the King Catholic High School and KGV College
pupil commented:- "I'm nervous but also really excited about
presenting it to them. It's taken a lot of work to weave the stories
together in a narrative that captures the Olympic experiences of
athletes who had to go the extra mile to make it to London. They
came from islands that have limited facilities and suffer from a
lack of funding so the athletes' stories are unique and inspiring.
I'm really proud of the final result and I'm sure it will be a great
asset to my CV."
UCLan was an official training camp for 14 athletes in preparation
for the London 2012 Olympic Games; the athletes from Fiji, Guam,
Samoa and Tuvalu spent three weeks in Preston preparing for their
events using the University's multi million pound sports facilities.
The Reporters' Academy journalists were given exclusive behind the
scenes access at the Olympics to cover the Oceania's athletes'
progress from their North West training bases through to the Games
in London.
Head of UCLan Publishing Debbie Williams said:- "This was such
a great opportunity for Lorna. Taking on such a complex and
high-profile book was a challenge but Lorna is a great student and
rose to that challenge. UCLan Publishing is proud to be involved
with this wonderful project."
Oceania; An Odyssey to the Olympic Games was published by UCLan
Publishing, the University's own publishing house, which offers
students the chance to work in a real publishing environment to
produce commercial books for sale on the open market.
Lorna and other students have recently returned from a University
trip to the Artic to gather content for a book and documentary film
planned for later this year and the facility is due to publish a
book by Jacqueline Wilson in August. UCLan Publishing has already
published children's book Letters to Africa and Lancashire Cooking -
Braises, Bakes, Puddings and Cakes - Treats from a Lancashire Oven. |
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PETS AT HOME IN
SOUTHPORT TO STOP SALE OF MUESLI RABBIT FOODS
PETS at Home in Southport
has announced it is to stop selling rabbit muesli as a result of
ground-breaking new industry research.
On 3 April 2013, it was announced that new research conducted by The
University of Edinburgh & Burgess Pet Care has shown that rabbits
fed on a muesli diet are more likely to suffer from dental and
digestive problems.
Following the announcement, Pets at Home is leading the industry by
ensuring that all of its 345 stores will gradually phase out rabbit
muesli to allow customers the fourteen days needed to transition
their rabbits onto nuggets.
Sally Hopson, Customer & People Director of Pets at Home, said:-
"We're dedicated to responsible pet ownership and therefore
support the latest thinking in pet welfare standards. The results of
the rabbit muesli research demonstrate what has always been felt
amongst the veterinary community and we have decided to follow that
lead. This means we have completely overhauled our rabbit food
offering to ensure pets are kept healthy and happy."
Maeve Moorcroft MVB MRCVS, Head of Pets at Pets at Home, added:-
"This is a great step forward for all rabbits, but it's crucial
to remember that hay is the most important part of a rabbit's diet
and should make up at least 80% of their daily intake, with fresh
leafy greens and nuggets making up the remaining 20%. Fresh water
should also be available at all times. Rabbit owners should also be made aware
that any changes to their rabbit's diet should be done gradually so
as not to cause digestive upset; ideally over a two-week period."
The RSPCA and Pets at Home urges owners to feed their rabbits a diet
of mainly hay and/or grass, with some leafy greens. A small,
measured ration of good quality pellets/nuggets can also be fed each
day. You can find out more on dietary advice at either from:-
petsathome.com or from the RSPCA
website.
"The RSPCA welcomes this move by Pets at Home," said
Rachel Roxburgh, rabbit welfare scientist, RSPCA. "Let's
hope others will follow their example and make this the year that we
begin making a real difference for our rabbits' welfare - starting
by feeding them the right diet!
The findings from this new study confirm what many vets and rabbit
experts have long suspected - that muesli is not good for a rabbit's
health. Feeding muesli can increase the risk of rabbits developing
serious dental and digestive problems, which can have a detrimental
effect on their quality of life."
For more advice or information please speak to one of Pets at Home's
trained in-store colleagues and ask to see the leaflet 'Muesli
and your rabbit's diet.'
Further research is available at:-
rabbitawarenessweek.co.uk.
Sky Watch 2013 – Look out for the
Lyrids THE Lyrids
meteor shower will take place over 16 April to 25 April with the
peak due on the 21 April 2013. This occurrence happens every spring
and is the 2nd major shower of the year. This shower is expected to
range from 10 to 20 meteors per hour if conditions are ideal. The
shower takes place in North to North-Eastern sky. If you are
interested in meteors take a look at this website:-
lunarmeteoritehunters.blogspot.co.uk
If skies are clear we will see if we can get a few shots of this
annual event for you. |
