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Xarifa Underwater Hockey
Club Gets Regional Gold and Silver Medals
Report and photos by Damien McNulty
A Gold medal winning team from the
North in the 1st Regional Underwater Hockey Tournament of 2015. The "Northerns"
U14 regional team conceded only 1 goal in the tournament, taking 1st place in
the medal table. The Under 16s got Silver Medals, but were beaten to the top
position by a team from the South West. The Under 12's played 5 games in all,
lost first 2, though they scored in both, but have won games 3 and 4 and drawn
in game 5. Resulting in 4th place overall; so medals despite their best
efforts. "The kids really put in 100%. Great support in attack and
swimming back hard to defend - well done all!" said Damien McNulty
Xarifa Coach, about the Northern Under 12 team. Northern teams were made up from
players from Xarifa, Rochdale and Batley clubs, but includes players from
Liverpool, Oldham, Manchester and Tameside.
Xarifa Underwater Hockey club, based in
Dukinfield Tameside, entered players into the regional tournament on Saturday,
24 January 2015. The tournament was held at Newport International Pool, South
Wales. They played against teams from the south, South West and Wales in
Under 12's, Under 14's and Under 16's age categories.
Xarifa junior UWH has been having fun
at Dukinfield Pool since January 2005. Beginners can have a free trial, it's
easy to have a go, but have to prove they can swim 4 lengths before being
allowed to join the club. Many players have successfully gone on to play for GB
squads.
Consumers in the
North West could be in line for compensation after FSCS declares 4
firms in default
THE Financial Services
Compensation Scheme (FSCS) could provide a lifeline to consumers in
Wigan, Altrincham and Liverpool that have lost money as a result of
their dealings with any of the 4 failed financial firms that FSCS
has recently declared in default. The Scheme has already started
paying compensation in respect of the defaulted firms. Mark Oakes,
Head of Communications for FSCS says:- "FSCS was established
to protect consumers when authorised financial services firms go
bust. It protects your deposits, investments, home finance and
insurance. If anyone believes they may be owed money as a result of
their dealings with any of these firms, please get in touch with
FSCS, as we may be able to help you." Since inception FSCS
has come to the aid more than 4.5m people, paying out more than
£26bn in compensation. FSCS is the UK's statutory compensation
scheme for customers of regulated financial services firms. A
declaration of default means FSCS is satisfied a firm is unable to
pay claims for compensation made against it, and opens the way for
customers of that firm to make a claim. FSCS is free for individual
consumers to use. FSCS was set up by Government in 2001 and is
funded by the financial services industry. FSCS protects insurance,
investments, deposits and mortgage advice and arranging. See our
compensation limits page for more details. The FSCS Initial
Contact Team can be contacted on:- 0800 678 1100 or via calling:-
020 7741 4100, plus you can also send an
email
to them. Further information about FSCS is available on it's
website. |
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2nd round of
Marine Conservation Zone designation will leave English waters
woefully under protected
CONSERVATION charities say
promised network of protection "is not even close, as vital
sites don't even get to public consultation", but do you
agree?
The UK's leading marine charity says that it's:- "hugely
disappointed" that, in the same week the Government has been
warned how England's declining natural environment is harming the
economy, it has failed to deliver on promises to better protect
English seas.
37 sites had been proposed to go forward to a second public
consultation on Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs), all identified by
Government's scientific advisers as vital to plugging:- "major
gaps" that currently exist in the development of a UK
network. However, only 23 sites have made the final list when the
consultation for potential new MCZs was launched, on Friday 30
January 2015. While MCS is keen that members of the public air their
views to ensure that these sites become a reality, the charity has
real concerns that English seas will not contribute a network of
sites that we can be proud of in future.
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is supported in its criticism
by the National Trust, which owns 750 miles of England's coastline.
The National Trust says the underwater landscape of England's
coastline must be protected in the same way the visible land is and
the protection must be put in place now before it's too late.
MCS says sound scientific advice has once again been ignored with 14
important sites not included in the consultation. The charity says
this tranche had been promoted as one to fill in major gaps, but
instead appears to have slowed the MCZ process right down.
"We are alarmed that these proposed MCZs have been shelved, at least
for the time being. We believe all of the sites are necessary to
achieve the Government's stated commitment to deliver a full
network. Delaying 14 sites means that a number of the UK's iconic
marine places and habitats are still not adequately protected. This
decision doesn't match urgent conservation needs, or indeed, the
ambition of the public, who continue to demonstrate their support
for the establishment of a network of marine protected areas in UK
seas. Parties must recommit to a network in their manifestos and
deliver this by 2016" says MCS Biodiversity and Fisheries
Programme Manager, Dr Peter Richardson.
Simon Pryor, Natural Environment Director at the National Trust,
said:- "Steady progress is being made to have a good network
of Marine Conservation Zones around the coast of England. However,
it's disappointing that we're not even ½
way to the original target of 127 that the Government outlined just
2 years ago. With good stakeholder buy in to the original network of
127 MCZs, we believe the Government should have the courage to bring
forward the consultation on controversial sites, in order to work
through any difficulties. Protecting the seas around the English
coast must be a priority as they face unprecedented pressure.
Without the protection that they deserve marine wildlife and the
quality of our seas will suffer."
Both groups say that important sites missing from the consultation
will leave huge gaps in the network. Studland, Bembridge, Norris to
Ryde, and Yarmouth to Cowes have all been dropped putting at risk
the future of the spiny seahorse, mantis shrimps and large seagrass
meadows.
MCS says that all 23 sites being consulted on must be designated.
These include well known Cromer Shoals Chalk Beds referred by many
as the "great barrier reef of Norfolk", Farnes East
which hosts an array of seabed life such as sea pens, and Newquay
and The Gannel known for its crawfish, pink sea fans and migrating
eels and salmon.
"It's essential that those who care about the future of our seas
respond to this consultation by giving their full support for the
designation of all 23 MCZ sites announced today, and call for more
sites to be proposed to make up a much-needed network of UK marine
protected areas." says Dr Richardson.
Last year, NGOs delivered a petition of over 350,000 signatures to
the Prime Minister calling for a network of marine protected areas.
And over 150 cross party MPs have signed a Marine Charter calling
for an ecologically coherent network of Marine Protected Areas.
Earlier this week the Natural Capital Committee, an independent
advisory group, told the Government that England's natural
environment decline is damaging the economy. MCS and the National
Trust are urging their supporters and the wider public to take part
in the public consultation by going to the Trusts
website.
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