YouthUnlimitedIssue6 by barnabas shelbourne

H T YOUNULIMITED SAFETY AT FESTIVALS

ISSUE 006

By young people, for young people

TODAY... R O F E C I O V A MORROW PACT ON TO

... AN IM

SUMMER FUN! THEY’RE AFTER YOU! MYSPACE VS FACEBOOK :)

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eagerly have all be u o y re u s m ed that I’ outh Unlimit Y f o 6 e u s Is . Back with n We are back ton’s very ow s g in K h it r. w fo terview waiting les from an in ic rt a f o y a rr o! whole a e we have a Gulf of Mexic u e s th is in is s th r in o h F dolp eful to killer Olympic hop

Welcome!

Enjoy!

TH F THE YOU O T R A P A O BE ING MEMBERS T IN THE MAK R W E E N N IG R S E E G D IST OR OME EA IL US AT G JOURNAL NEED OF S NINGS EMA IN E D IN V D E E U R Y B A A A D E E S W U AR WEDNE TEAM. IF YO L UP YOUR IL F O T G UNLIMITED IN H .UK ANT SOMET GSTON.GOV IN .K OR JUST W K B R @ B-AMARA MELISSA.BO

Your Editor

S T N E CONT

04 FEATURES > > > > > > page n to s g in K f o The Legend age 09 >>>>>>>>p > > > > > > > t 10 Macro Ar > > > > > page > > > s ie r o e h Conspiracy T age 14 >>>>>>>>p > in a it r B ” m 16 “Free Fro > > > > > > page > > > k o o b e Myspace/Fac page 22 y>>>>>>>> a w s it n o is Summer

AND US e 06 INFO, HELP bis > > > pag a n n a C f o s e Changing Fac page 08 n Dealers > o ti a m r o f n I Kingston ge 11 > > > > > > > pa > > > e f a S Festivals: Be page 15 >>>>>>>>> > > > h lt a e Sexual H ge 18 > > > > > > > pa > > > > > > > Free Travel

REGULARS ge 05 > > > > > > > pa > > > > > > w 17 Demo Revie > > > > > page > > ts c a F ox Out of the B page 19 >>>>>>>>> > > > > > > > 20 The Rant > > > > > page n h o J d n a o Letters to J

FO NTS AND IN YOUTH EVE page 12 ds > > > > > > > o o h r u o b h ig 21 Safer Ne > > > > > > page > > > > > ts a Barnfield Be age 23 >>>>>>>>p e m m a r g o r 24 Summer P > > > > > page > > le p o e P g n Info for You

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Welcome!

Enjoy!

Your Editor

S T N E CONT

REGULARS ge 05 > > > > > > > pa > > > > > > w 17 Demo Revie > > > > > page > > ts c a F ox Out of the B page 19 >>>>>>>>> > > > > > > > 20 The Rant > > > > > page n h o J d n a o Letters to J

Tom Meineck Demo Review

This issue’s Demo was sent in by you in the ‘Saturday night’ mood. In other events around Kingston Tom Meineck. A sixth former at The music had a feel that would Tom’s playing ceases to amaze put a smile across your face me he brings charisma to the Tolworth Girls School and a The and lift up anyone’s spirits stage or (as a DJ) life to a party. very talented musician. Tom plays the song was in to the point where you’re Tom has a talent beyond his humming and singing years that he wants to share by saxophone, piano, a word, words made up on the going to university to further his flute, guitar, he writes sublime career in music. Tom spot. It brings the his own songs and is he Meineck wants to creative side out soon to be a resident DJ. brings create a blend of Is it me or does he remind you of from you. It’s bringing charisma to Jazz and dance a young Jamie Cullum? He’s back Jazz to the music as a DJ even played at the Royal Albert borough of Kingston, and the stage bringing the elements hall and toured Europe with the the wait is long over due. of two different sides of Kingston Youth Big Band Group. And as a DJ Tom has done many The track was very soulful and music together. If you want Tom parties and school socials. The wonderfully diverse in the way to DJ your party you can visit his at demo was a piece called that it could play in the myspace Slammin’ which demonstrated background without you taking www.myspace.com/livewiredjs1 Tom’s amazing Saxophone skills. any notice alternatively you could or email him at But after six years of playing and sit and listen to it and be livewiredjs@hotmail.co.uk achieving grade 8 those skills completely absorbed in the would be amazing now wouldn’t music not taking any notice of your surroundings. It puts in they? different moods that are all This demo wasn’t like the ones positive. When I first listened I we’ve had in the past; there was thought that this was really no singing just brilliant music that professionally done everything speaks for itself. Slammin’ is a seemed to fit and it was nicely piece you would expect to here in arranged so Tom was supported the Camden jazz café on a by the backing band but not Saturday night. The song was in drowned out. a word, sublime. It’s perfect to get

By Hannah Mribriha

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Tom Meineck Demo Review

By Hannah Mribriha

Page 5

The Changing Faces

Lewis Woodhead interviews Dora Loizou from the I.D Team

The Law

In Britain today Cannabis (a.k.a. Dope, Weed, Puff Marijuana, Skunk) is considered by the police to be an illegal, class C drug. When found in possession of Cannabis, no matter how much or how little you have, the police will take action. The penalty extends from an official warning to two years imprisonment. If found with the drug under the age of 18 your parents will be contacted and if you become a repeat offender you can end up with a criminal record. The History

In recent years new research has emerged to suggest that Cannabis, in some controlled medical conditions can be beneficial. A recent BBC* article claimed that its effects have been proven by scientific investigations to be beneficial to sufferers of various medical conditions, including cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis, and glaucoma. As well as this, the BBC reported that wide-scale trials in the UK have shown that ‘cannabis appears to be able to help reduce the side effects of chemotherapy treatment given to cancer patients’. It should be considered though that the British Medical Association does not 100% support this report. The BMA says that crude cannabis contains many toxic ingredients, although they support the development of medicines using cannabis; the British government states it won’t consider legalising cannabis for medical use until the completion of clinical trials.

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The Risks

This does not in any way mean that Cannabis is a safe recreational activity. According to FRANK (www.talktofrank.com) the risks of taking Cannabis in any form can include feelings of panic, lose of coordination, the risk of lung cancer, high blood pressure and an increased risk of mental health problems to list a few. And if that didn’t put you off then you should know that Cannabis has also been shown to lower a man’s sperm count as well as decreasing a woman’s chances of conceiving a baby. According to the BBC*: • Cannabis contains more tar than tobacco, and has a higher concentration of carcinogens (cancercausing agents). • 44% of 16 to 29 year-olds have tried cannabis at some point in their lives. Half of them have used it in the last year. • In 1998, 76% of people arrested for drugs offences in Britain were charged with possession of cannabis. • In the eyes of the law supplying drugs also means passing a joint to your mate and you can get up to 14 years in prison for it. • Smoking marijuana is more popular in America than surfing the Internet! The Future

For years the government together with schools and other education institutions has drummed into the youth of Britain the fact that Cannabis has the power to destroy you both mentally and physically. However, in the future, with new clinical research being undertaken by scientists across the globe, will Cannabis be legalised to heal instead of hinder? By Amy Solman

Does smoking cannabis cause impotence?

What advice could you give to people that may be considering smoking cannabis?

Normally by the time a young person comes to see me they would probably already be using cannabis, however preventative work is delivered throughout the borough in different settings, like youth club and school drop ins. If a young person was considering using cannabis I would look at the reasons why they wants to use it, explore their understanding of cannabis and look at all the possible areas that might affect them using. I would explain the myths and facts about cannabis and look at the short and long term risks. However, if that person had made up their mind about using cannabis, I would offer them more specific information and the opportunity to have additional one to one sessions with myself or another I.D team member.

Smoking tobacco is known as one of the leading causes of impotence in men. There is no conclusive evidence about cannabis itself however some people believe with regular to heavy users, cannabis has shown to lower oestrogen and testosterone levels which lead to reduce the sperm count and sex drive, but it’s different for everybody Is cannabis actually addictive?

Cannabis can lead to different outcomes for different people. Psychologically, people can become dependant to anything, but it isn’t proven that cannabis is physically dependant. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/medical_notes/227926.stm

Why is it better to talk to the I.D team than any other youth worker? If someone has a good relationship with the youth worker, it is always beneficial for to the young person to talk to them about what’s going on. youth workers are very supportive and give out good information about drugs, but they may feel that the young person would benefit from more specialist advice, which is where the I.D team would come in.

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The Changing Faces

Lewis Woodhead interviews Dora Loizou from the I.D Team

The Law

Page 6

The Risks

Does smoking cannabis cause impotence?

What advice could you give to people that may be considering smoking cannabis?

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Kingston information dealers Got I.D?

If a young person came to the team for help and support, could you guarantee confidentiality? In a sense that the things they tell you wouldn’t be told to their parents or later exploited or published.

We definitely would not ever publish the young person’s information or details. We have a team confidentiality and the reason for this is because if someone comes to see myself, I may not be the right person to solve their problems or needs. However, if a young person told me they were being forced to take drugs, I would try and encourage them to get help. I always try to tell In a small, mutant looking nut-shell… what the young person that they have confidentiality before they tell me their problems. is the I.D team?

Lewis Woodhead interviews Lynn Lock from the I.D Team

Well, we are like a box of chocolates and hopefully there would be a worker and a style of working that suites every young person in Kingston around their needs of substance use.

Where do your meetings take place?

The team meets at Eagle Chambers but we will go anywhere to meet the young people. We can be found in youth clubs, schools and other places across the borough where young people go.

How can young people find out about the I.D team? How do you promote yourself?

We are currently revamping our website (which is www.sorted4.info). We also advertise on playing cards and word of mouth, which is very powerful. The team also does drop-ins at schools and we are occasionally at the Works for the Teen Dreams nights.

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Lets place ourselves in a very realistic and possible situation… if someone was being pressured into taking drugs by their friends and needed some information about that drug, how could you help them?

We would try to answer any questions that a young person may have, then we would hand out leaflets and look through websites with them. We will try to give a balanced opinion and promote “harm reduction” which is all about the right choices to make. No drugs worker will just say “drugs are bad” because young people would know that we are lying and we would lose all credibility. That young person wouldn’t come back. As a team, we try to put forward the negatives and positives of drugs.

t r A o r c a M

‘Troubled Youth’, ‘Police breaking up teenage battles’, Excluded Youth’…are phrases we are always hearing about young people. Written by those who like to paint...

owever you never hear about the good things. Just as often as the negative side of teenage life is exploited to created dramatic headlines by the mindless tabloids, the good, creative and wholesome work of youths is overlooked. There has been an outburst of artistic creativity within Kingston, with young people showing there skills and talents on every corner.

patterns of men’ and ‘fly on the wings of eagles’. The twist is that once finished the painters (and passers by) become part of the art in one way or another.

This idea behind the chaos is to provide the scene for these people to chat and interact and break down social barriers. It demonstrates to the older generation that young people are not all about violence, drugs and alcohol, but can be positively integrated with the Take for example, Macro Art, a phenomenon to community. The age old riff between the older have sprung up every Saturday morning on the and younger generations can only be broken down by the demonstration of grounds of Kingston Parish positively controversial Church, opposite John Lewis. activities. Macro Art is the Young people from all project for people who want to backgrounds don their old break down the barriers and clothes and instead of spending have a voice. their days shopping, loitering or being a general nuisance, they To get involved email are working in all weather on 8ft M e l i s s a . b o b x 8ft boards which focus on amara@rbk.kingston.gov.uk or themes such as ‘painting the turn up at 10:30. town red’, ‘don’t conform to the

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Kingston information dealers Got I.D?

Lewis Woodhead interviews Lynn Lock from the I.D Team

Well, we are like a box of chocolates and hopefully there would be a worker and a style of working that suites every young person in Kingston around their needs of substance use.

Where do your meetings take place?

The team meets at Eagle Chambers but we will go anywhere to meet the young people. We can be found in youth clubs, schools and other places across the borough where young people go.

How can young people find out about the I.D team? How do you promote yourself?

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t r A o r c a M

‘Troubled Youth’, ‘Police breaking up teenage battles’, Excluded Youth’…are phrases we are always hearing about young people. Written by those who like to paint...

patterns of men’ and ‘fly on the wings of eagles’. The twist is that once finished the painters (and passers by) become part of the art in one way or another.

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y c a r i r p s Con s e i r o e h T

B 5.

The Yakuza Caused

This theory stems from claims by meteorologist, William Scott-Stevens, that the Japanese mafia, better known as the Yakuza, were responsible for hurricane Katrina. While not going into great detail, he elaborates his claims at ‘www.weatherwars.info’. you:

identification device in their products, to learn more about their target group.

3. Blow up the Moon:

The Citizens Association to Blow Up the Moon (CABUM) is an organisation dedicated to the destruction of our greatest enemy, the moon, which is responsible for werewolves, insanity and floods. Gillette is Watching

An old conspiracy theory is that large retail corporations have been putting spy-chips into their product, for obscure reasons. Oddly enough this was actually true of Gillette, who openly admitted to photographing their consumers and installing a form of radio

Roswell:

One of the most famous conspiracy theories. The facts state that 2nd July, 1947 a silver something flew across the desert and crashed there in Roswell, New Mexico, followed by and immediate interest by the FBI. You decide what happened. By Alex Stone

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How to be safe at a festival

Counting down from 5 through to 1

Hurricane Katrina:

Festivals:

The exits are here, here and here

Killer Dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico:

While one of the least convincing theories, this is certainly among the most amusing of conspiracies. The story goes that during hurricane Katrina, a nearby naval base flooded, letting out a group of dolphins, which supposedly had been trained to fire poison-dart guns and kill enemy agents. These dolphins are now supposed to be roving around in the Gulf of Mexico. This story was first published in The Observer, who claimed that their information came from ‘a reliable source’. This source was named Leo Sheridan, a reporter who had made a name for himself by producing a number of ‘crackpot’ conspiracy theories and selling them to the tabloids. Ironically, he had taken most of his information from an actual story, in which eight dolphins had been washed out of a marina in the hurricane. Suspiciously enough, a US naval officer felt it was necessary to point out that they had indeed been training dolphins, but only to track suspicious objects or people, but could this have a more sinister undertone?

By Morgan Mead

The summer’s nearly here, and that means only one thing (apart from embarrassing sunburn, ice cream stains, and dodgy miniskirts) - festivals. Here are our top tips for staying safe and having a fantastic weekend. Keep your valuables safe. Surviving a weekend without a phone, money, or the house keys that are going to get you back into your home on Monday morning, is not fun. If you’re not cool enough to have zip-up pockets, try putting them inside your pillow or rolled-up sleeping bag. Stuff does get stolen at festivals, mainly because there are some idiots in the world who have not been taken away from normal society yet.

Keep your ticket safe until you exchange it for a wristband. Last year, a mate at Reading had his ticket nicked from his pocket between the front gate and the campsite. He had to spend an entire day blagging another one from the officials, and it wasn’t pleasant to watch. WHAT’S GOING ON? Girls – like you don’t know already – the old ‘money in the bra’ trick works a treat at a festival, and also makes it highly amusing when trying to pay quickly for something in-between bands.

a mobile that works, and can help you get back from that ditch you woke up in, is really important.

Want broken feet? Then feel free to bring flat shoes that will slip off easily in a crowd. Or you could wear army boots a size too big – a friend of mine chose this option and ended up half a day in a medical tent with a broken toe. Hell, why not go all out and purchase some stupidly impractical sandals? Two words: wear wellies.

Gas canisters: don’t be an idiot. No matter how many warnings festival organisers put up, people still convince themselves that blowing themselves up would be an excellent way to end the weekend. It’s not. But hey, if you’re into 3rd degree burns, be my guest. Want to scare all your mates away? Then respect personal hygiene. Deodorant, mouthwash, and campsite showers exist for a reason.

Condoms. ‘Nuff said. Get one of those portable phone charger gizmos. You’ll feel like a neek for 5minutes in the shop, but Not keen on losing people once you get to the when everyone’s phones die on the second day, you’ll suddenly have a lot of new best friends. It does arena? Do it in style. Take handcuffs. sound like an incredibly anal thing to pack, but having

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y c a r i r p s Con s e i r o e h T

B 5.

The Yakuza Caused

identification device in their products, to learn more about their target group.

3. Blow up the Moon:

Roswell:

Page 10

How to be safe at a festival

Counting down from 5 through to 1

Hurricane Katrina:

Festivals:

The exits are here, here and here

Killer Dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico:

By Morgan Mead

a mobile that works, and can help you get back from that ditch you woke up in, is really important.

Page 11

By Josie Durant, Nikki Patel and Vicki Exworthy

“Every ward in Kingston has Safer Neighbourhood teams.”

Safer Neighbourhood, local police protect and help the community by keeping the streets safe and tackling issues in the neighbourhood. They also give the residents a familiar face to recognise and contact. We interviewed Police Community Support Office Dan Stone from the Beverly Ward in the area of New Malden, to tell us more about their jobs.

What areas do you work in?

There are 16 wards in the Borough of Kingston. Each team consists of one Police Sgt, two Police Officers and three Police Community Support Officers. For these 16 wards, each team takes their own responsibilities for the area of Kingston.

How involved are you with the young people in the community?

Working with young people is a very big part of what we want to achieve on Safer Neighbourhoods. Sometimes young people can feel quite alienated towards police, but we give them time to talk about concerns. On a regular basis we visit youth clubs, schools and scout troops. We are presently recruiting youngsters in the area to join a five-a-side to challenge others wards in Kingston. Are there officers in every neighbourhood of London?

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Yes, since the beginning of the year every ward in London has a Safer Neighbourhood Team. There are also Safer Transport Teams coming into effect soon that will be dealing with bus and train routes.

What type of situations do you come across?

“We support the victims of crime”

We deal with visiting victims of crime, as well as engaging all our residents and local businesses and dealing with ongoing problems that need police assistance to solve. We also work to resolve longer-term issues that don’t just require an immediate police response but a longer term planned approach to problem solving in the area. The main aim of the Safer Neighbourhoods team is to help out with any problems and improve the connections between themselves and the local residences. They come across many different situations ranging from visiting victims of crime to dealing with ongoing problems that need police assistance. As we heard from Dan Stone, Safer Neighbourhood teams are very involved with the community and especially the youth in local areas. They also help residents feel safer because they have their own personal police contact in their area.

‘Line Up: The usual suspects’

If you wish to talk to Officer Dan Stone or find out more about your Safer Neighbourhoods team, visit www.met.police.uk

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By Josie Durant, Nikki Patel and Vicki Exworthy

“Every ward in Kingston has Safer Neighbourhood teams.”

What areas do you work in?

How involved are you with the young people in the community?

Page P 12

Yes, since the beginning of the year every ward in London has a Safer Neighbourhood Team. There are also Safer Transport Teams coming into effect soon that will be dealing with bus and train routes.

What type of situations do you come across?

“We support the victims of crime”

‘Line Up: The usual suspects’

If you wish to talk to Officer Dan Stone or find out more about your Safer Neighbourhoods team, visit www.met.police.uk

PageP13

Standards Agency conducted a study; showing artificial additives could have harmful effects on the physical health of children. It has also been suggested that additives could be to blame for certain allergic reactions. ASDA was the first of the giant supermarket chains to implement the ‘no nasties’ ban. The multimillion pound mega corporation has guaranteed that by the end of 2007, Concerns as to the effects none of it’s 9000 own-brand of artificial colours and products will contain artificial flavourings have been colours or flavourings. raised of after the Food

ood news to all you long-life junkies, our ‘free from’ diets are now being made easier to maintain in the UK. It was revealed that two of Britain’s leading supermarkets, ASDA and Marks and Spencer, are removing both artificial colours and flavourings from their own-brand ranges to help promote healthy living and support the return of traditional cooking.

‘FREE FROM’

Britain

THE ADDITIVE REVOLUTION

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The real question is what are in these artificial ingredients? What are these billion pound companies putting in our cups and onto our plates? E Numbers. The buzz word of the moment and if studies are correct it will leave you buzzing. E numbers are codes for food additives that can be found in most of the things we eat; but what if instead of using codes, the manufacturers listed what we were eating? If we were given the basic facts you might find that in your diet coke there is a pinch of

sodium hydroxide reacted with benzoic acid, which is also used in the production of fireworks. We must be vigilant, the removal of additives from ASDA and M&S’s own-brand ranges are only a small slice of the bigger pie, if you’ll excuse the pun. As the next generation of corporate billionaires and food moguls, it is important for us to start where our mothers and fathers have left off and continue to fight for our right to wholesome, healthy food. Bon appétit! By Amy Solman

Sexual Health

Sexually Transmitted Infections - The questions you always wanted to ask, but never did....

kitchen surface.

1. Can you catch STI’s from a toilet seat? NO, this is just a myth – on average your toilet seat is probably cleaner than your

2. Can you catch HIV from kissing? Kissing is pretty safe. While saliva might contain HIV, it's there in such small quantities that you can't possibly get infected from spit. To pick up the virus through deep kissing, blood needs to be involved, like bleeding gums or sores in the mouth. So deep kissing has a low risk of transmitting HIV. (www.youthcomm.org) 3. Can you be born with HIV? YES, if your mother has HIV you can contract it during birth.

4. Can you tell if you have a Sexually Transmitted Infection? NO, not all STI’s are obvious. Some are very hard to detect and can be mistaken for other illnesses and some have no symptoms at all.

5. Are men more likely to know if they have an STI rather than women? YES, it is harder for women to

discover they have an STI, however ANYONE can have an STI, you won’t always be able to tell by looking.

6. If you sleep around you are more likely to catch an STI? NO, you can catch STI’s from having unprotected sex with just one partner. 7. Can you catch HIV through cuts? YES, if you have a cut and if someone with HIV cuts themselves and their blood enter your cut, you can contract HIV.

6. Can you catch an STI when using a condom? Condoms protect you from STI’s transmitted via bodily fluids but may not protect you from STI’s transmitted from skin contact, such as genital warts

9. Is HIV a gay infection? NO, this is a myth. You are just as likely to catch HIV if you are having unprotected heterosexual 10. Can you get pregnant if he pulls out before he comes? YES, if you are having unprotected sex there is always a possibility that you can get pregnant.

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‘FREE FROM’

Britain

THE ADDITIVE REVOLUTION

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Sexual Health

Sexually Transmitted Infections - The questions you always wanted to ask, but never did....

kitchen surface.

1. Can you catch STI’s from a toilet seat? NO, this is just a myth – on average your toilet seat is probably cleaner than your

4. Can you tell if you have a Sexually Transmitted Infection? NO, not all STI’s are obvious. Some are very hard to detect and can be mistaken for other illnesses and some have no symptoms at all.

5. Are men more likely to know if they have an STI rather than women? YES, it is harder for women to

discover they have an STI, however ANYONE can have an STI, you won’t always be able to tell by looking.

6. Can you catch an STI when using a condom? Condoms protect you from STI’s transmitted via bodily fluids but may not protect you from STI’s transmitted from skin contact, such as genital warts

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MySpace / Facebook Internet Chat Sites

Youth Unlimited

View My: Pics | Videos

“Magazine production”

99 years old Kingston-uponthames. United Kingdom

Youth unlimited’s blurb

About Me Youth unlimited is a youth magazine created for and by the youth of Kingston-upon-thames. Who i’d like to meet Our lovely magazine readers.

Being teenagers ourselves we decided the best way to deal with the fashion of such websites was to have an account with each; MySpace and Facebook being the one’s used most often. As with many others these websites were brought to our attention by our elder siblings or friends and our contacts on each vary considerably.

One of the best things about the sites are how useful they are for keeping in contact with friends, family and that random guy you met at the party a while back. Due to the absence of a cost, they, along with MSN, have attracted millions of teenagers who wish to save money on texts. The profiles can be used to express yourself with colour, images and personal information. Each offer different types of communication with Facebook organising itself into colleges, universities and schools whilst MySpace emphasises itself as a breeding ground for fans of new, up-and-coming bands. However, as with everything on the internet, caution should be taken. Reports of “cyberbullying” have occurred with school “mates”

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those random facts you will never use in your life but are fun to read anyway

Youth Unlimited is in your extended network.

The age of the internet is upon us and many teenagers and adults alike are communicating, and in some cases living, through it. With so many options and web-pages available such as MySpace, Facebook and Bebo, it is easy to become overwhelmed or totally addicted. Each website has its own qualities whilst essentially offering the same service so where do you start?

out of the BOX

posting abusive comments on profiles and hate groups being formed targeting individuals seen as “undesirables”. Similarly, unless you know personally those who can contact you, then people may not be who they say they are. This is especially dangerous on Facebook where information such as email addresses and mobile phone numbers can be displayed.

The yo-yo was originally a weapon used in the Philippine jungles.

In Sweden there is a town called ‘A’ and in France a town named ‘Y’.

Walt Disney was afraid of mice.

Whilst these websites provide us with entertainment, there are downsides but as long as you are cautious and remain as safe as possible, there is no reason why they should not be enjoyed, especially when avoiding revision. Here is a little table just to sum up the different types of pages you can own:Age For Advantage

Myspace

Facebook

Anyone-in particular music fans

University/coll Anyone ege students

Teenagers

Can post bulletins for you friends to see

Disadavntage Difficult to upload pictures unless on a slide show

By Vicky Godwin & Lucie Parkinson Design by Nick May

Older teenagers

Can create/join groups about anything Can not customise your profile

Bebo

Younger teenagers

Can create quizzes for your friends to do Can not search to find new friends

New York City is nicknamed the Big Apple after an early South Carolina swing dance called The Big Apple.

Money isn’t made from paper. It’s made out of cotton.

Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes.

A jiffy is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second. Thus the saying, I will be there in a jiffy. Until the nineteenth century, solid blocks of tea were used as money in Siberia.

40,000 Americans are injured by toilets each year.

In Albania, nodding your head means 'no' and shaking your head means 'yes'.

Tipping at a restaurant in Iceland is considered an insult.

The electric chair was invented by a dentist.

From space, the brightest man-made place is Las Vegas, Nevada. The Mona Lisa has no eyebrows — at the time, shaved eyebrows were a fad.

By Kevin Arulrajah Designed by Nick May

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MySpace / Facebook Internet Chat Sites

Youth Unlimited

View My: Pics | Videos

“Magazine production”

99 years old Kingston-uponthames. United Kingdom

Youth unlimited’s blurb

About Me Youth unlimited is a youth magazine created for and by the youth of Kingston-upon-thames. Who i’d like to meet Our lovely magazine readers.

Page 16

those random facts you will never use in your life but are fun to read anyway

Youth Unlimited is in your extended network.

out of the BOX

The yo-yo was originally a weapon used in the Philippine jungles.

In Sweden there is a town called ‘A’ and in France a town named ‘Y’.

Walt Disney was afraid of mice.

Myspace

Facebook

Anyone-in particular music fans

University/coll Anyone ege students

Teenagers

Can post bulletins for you friends to see

Disadavntage Difficult to upload pictures unless on a slide show

By Vicky Godwin & Lucie Parkinson Design by Nick May

Older teenagers

Can create/join groups about anything Can not customise your profile

Bebo

Younger teenagers

Can create quizzes for your friends to do Can not search to find new friends

New York City is nicknamed the Big Apple after an early South Carolina swing dance called The Big Apple.

Money isn’t made from paper. It’s made out of cotton.

Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes.

A jiffy is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second. Thus the saying, I will be there in a jiffy. Until the nineteenth century, solid blocks of tea were used as money in Siberia.

40,000 Americans are injured by toilets each year.

In Albania, nodding your head means 'no' and shaking your head means 'yes'.

Tipping at a restaurant in Iceland is considered an insult.

The electric chair was invented by a dentist.

From space, the brightest man-made place is Las Vegas, Nevada. The Mona Lisa has no eyebrows — at the time, shaved eyebrows were a fad.

By Kevin Arulrajah Designed by Nick May

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FREE TRAVEL RANT:

DEMOCRACY SLEEPS IN WHITEHALL

By Chris Holgate

The Mayor of London gave all young people under the age of 18 free travel. Then he decided to take it away again because of rising youth crime figures on buses across the capital. Across London young people have been protesting about loosing their free travel, here is what young people in Kingston did to help the cause…

On the 16th March, at Surbiton Library, there was a conference about under 18’s travel. The aim of this conference was to allow young peoples opinions on the free travel situation to be heard. The day was conducted by Edward Davey MP, Geoff Pope Chair of the London Assembly’s Transport Committee and Liberal Democrat spokesman on Transport at the Assembly, and representatives from the Safer Neighbourhood Teams Paul Kenny, Kingston’s Member of Youth Parliament and members of the Kingston Youth Council

All KYC participants supported free travel for under 18s in full time Education in London and did not want to see it scrapped. What was discussed at theconference?

Issues on under 18’s free travel. There were also complaints about how the system was operatedespecially when oyster cards stopped working or had to be re-placed. Some of the participants agreed there were people who abused the free travel scheme, but

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felt they were a tiny minority. Ideas were put forward for stopping abuse, including• A “top up” Oyster Card to replace an annual card, with schools and colleges issuing the “top up” credits for the free travel, so they could ensure free travel was linked to attending school and good behaviour. • Stopping free travel weekdays between 9:30am until 3:30pm, as young people should be in school or college during these hours. • More police and/ or bus conductors.

During the discussions, the police explained that new Safer Transport Teams were coming soon to the area. The dedicated transport team will have 18 Police Community Support Officers plus at least 2 Sergeants and 1 police officer to patrol transport in the Kingston Area from June 2007. How did the session go?

Overall the conference went very well, covering many areas on Under 18’s Travel. Many people shared their views and opinions, which made the topic interesting and enjoyable.

The Royal Borough of Kingston remains one of the safest Boroughs in London, and, although crimes remain high, there has been real progress, such as the recent roll out of Police Safer Neighbourhood teams across the borough. By Faye Azzopardi and Niki Patel Edited by Natasha Patel and Heather Boardman

You’re walking down the high street in Kingston, wearing a “MAKE LOVE NOT WAR” tee or even just a wristband. Some fuzz pull you over and before you know it you’re your way to Kingston’s finest station because of something you have never heard of? Not likely in Kingston but if you’re within 1 Kilometre of The Houses of Parliament the police have the right to do it. This is because of a small clause of the Serious Organised Crime and Policing Act of 2005.

to combat the law. A small disorganised group called People in Common regularly have picnics complete without permission with blank or ‘THIS IS NOT A PROTEST’ signs. Last may day, a man with a blank placard marched up and down in front of Parliament, refusing to talk to police, who had no idea if they could do anything; weather or not this fell into the category of a protest as defined by the Act. Lefty comedian Mark Thomas also holds many demonstrations, trying to overwork the police by getting up to 150 people to send in their own application form, thereby making the amount of work required for the police enormous. One of the first altercations about the law was over a cake one of his friend’s had baked for a birthday, which caused controversy as it had the word ‘Peace’ iced onto it, and the way he sees it ‘any law which can get a cake into trouble, is worth messing with.’ On top of all this, with a completely un-elected leader ruling our country, democracy is truly sleeping in Britain today.

This law was first created in order to stop a protest by, the now infamous, Brian Haw. He set up camp outside parliament in July 2001, when the UK and US were already bombing Iraq. Brian had been asked to leave, but he battled the decision, claiming that due to the fact that his protest started before the law came into place, and the act had no clause to cover retrospective law, he was exempt. The courts agreed however. this has not been the end as the Government has taken it to every court they can, various restrictions have been applied to Brian, some overturned, some held, and most ongoing. An entire If you wish to read full any of this law formed in order to get rid of fascist legislation please go to http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts one man, repeatedly failing. 2005/50015--l.htm#132. Groups have been set up in order

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FREE TRAVEL RANT:

DEMOCRACY SLEEPS IN WHITEHALL

By Chris Holgate

All KYC participants supported free travel for under 18s in full time Education in London and did not want to see it scrapped. What was discussed at theconference?

Page 18

Overall the conference went very well, covering many areas on Under 18’s Travel. Many people shared their views and opinions, which made the topic interesting and enjoyable.

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1. I‘ve been with my girlfriend for a few months now, and I go round to her house a lot. I have begun developing feelings for her mother, and don’t know what to do about it, as I sometimes get the feeling that its mutual. What should I do?

2. I haven’t spoken to my best friend in months. I can’t even remember what we argued about and obviously I miss her, but I’m worried about how to approach her after so long. She’s got a new group of mates and I don’t want to look stupid by trying to talk to her if she hates me. What should I do?

All I know is if you were my boyfriend, and you thought you fancied my mum, it would be terrifying. There is absolutely nowhere this can go. Whether the feeling is mutual or not doesn’t matter - just try and forget it. Focus on your girlfriend – she’s the only one in this family (unless she has a gay brother) who you could ever consider as anything more than a friend. It’s natural to have feelings towards older people; other people’s parents, teachers, whatever – but the outcome is messy and never ever as good as it is in your head.

Well, even if the feeling is mutual it’s really not a very good idea. The fact that she’s your girlfriends mum should automatically bring up warnings, mothers are normally very protective over their children so for you’re to have to hurt her child really wouldn’t make you look better. Just drop the thoughts, people get thoughts.

Stupid arguments happen all the time. If she’s your best mate, she’s obviously been missing you as well, so finding the time to have just a quick chat or send a text will at least clear the air and should start the ball rolling. Fights like this, especially ones you can’t even remember, are not worth losing a friend over; especially a best friend.

Just get it off your chest, talk to her, what harm can come of talking? Otherwise you’ll never know if you could have been the good friends that you where before hand. However if she doesn’t like you anymore then words could fly, so watch your footing with this one, but don’t be to worried. A leap of faith is required here, be confident and everything will come out ok.

Written by Nick and Morgan.

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Barnfield SUCCESS! ... Beats! By Vicki Exworthy

The Youth Opportunities Fund provides the opportunity for young people to request money to fund buildings or activities. Sometimes, these requests are not compatible with the entry criteria or, occasionally, when the young people get the money their plan doesn’t translate well from paper to reality. But sometimes, it works out great, and the improvements made to the Barnfield Youth Centre are a perfect example of this.

Barnfield Youth Centre wrote to the YOF panel last year asking for recording and other musical equipment. The panel were impressed by the bid and the request was granted. Now, Barnfield is the proud owner of a soundproof recording room with a live PA system, new instruments including guitars, amps and microphones, and a live music room connected to a computer to make recording and changing tracks easier. There is no doubt from the point of view of the YOF system that this has been a great achievement, and the young people at Barnfield are not the only ones impressed by it. ‘Recording is easier, before we had nothing really,’ Says Frankie Connolly, and Bardhi Hasani thinks that ‘now being able to record is the best thing about getting this money.’

This is just one example of YOF funding making a huge difference to the lives of young people, and anyone who wants the chance to improve facilities in their area can give it a shot too. If you would like more information, speak to your local youth worker and they can help you get in contact with the YOF panel or look at www.younglivin.org.uk.

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Written by Nick and Morgan.

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Barnfield SUCCESS! ... Beats! By Vicki Exworthy

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The summer is on its way, nice weather, hopefully, barbeques, possibly, and weeks of soaking in the sunrays, doubtfully, but the one thing we should be sure of is our health. Here are 4 top ways to keep you healthy this summer, without having to spend endless amounts of time slogging it out at the gym.

1. Eating Healthy By eating healthily we are not for one moment suggesting that rabbit food is the only thing on the menu. The phrase healthy eating means to start each day with a healthy breakfast and this should not include any cereal with more treat than nutrition. Special K is a great way to start the day, and Weetabix seems to be one of the favourite choices for healthy eaters, boosting your metabolism and setting you up for the day. You could also have a slice of toast for much needed carbs and the occasional full English breakfast won’t do you harm. For lunch and dinner there are so many options to keep your diet balanced. Salads once or even twice a week for dinner is the right way to go and if you include some meat with your salad it will boost the taste and provide you with a healthy, delicious and filling meal. 2.Fresh air It is so under-rated the health benefits that can be related with getting a good amount of fresh air. If the idea of running laps round a field seriously bores you then there are alternatives. I detest the idea of running so instead I take my little brother to the

park with me and we simply just run around playing games, you could do the same with a dog if a small sibling is out of the question. You could just walk around whilst it fetches you sticks and tennis balls; but don’t forget to play with the dog. This could be all you need for a day’s ‘fresh air’ depending on how long you are gone for.

3. Exercise This is different to just getting fresh air, exercise is generally seen as a long, tedious thing to do, but there are many ways you can exercise without having a cardiac arrest at the gym. Football is a great way best to exercise, it will definitely cause you to break into a sweat if it’s a hot day and even if you’re not very good at football it doesn’t matter as long as you enjoy it! Swimming is another way to exercise, during the summer. If you do go with your mates take 10 minutes on your own just do a few laps of the pool, raising your heart rate, burning fat and building muscle. Swimming is fun and oh so good for you, can it get any better? 4. Drink sensibly, truth be told, large alcohol consumption is un-healthy in the long run resulting in an unsightly beer belly and life threatening liver problems. Most people enjoy sensible drinking but know that its negative effects on your health are irreversible and should be avoided at all costs. Bottoms up! So in other wards drink lots of water.

By Oliver Burch

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If you are interested in attending any of these activities please speak to your youth worker or visit www.younglivin.org.uk

y a w s t i n o s i r e m The sum

Kingston Youth Service Summer Programme

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/ / / / / / / / / /

By Oliver Burch

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If you are interested in attending any of these activities please speak to your youth worker or visit www.younglivin.org.uk

y a w s t i n o s i r e m The sum

Kingston Youth Service Summer Programme

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/ / / / / / / / / /

YOUTH EVENTS AND STUFF GOING ON

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YOUR LOCAL YOUTH CENTRES

, UTH SERVICE KINGSTON YO RVICES D CHILDREN SE LEARNING AN BARNFIELD Youth Centre Parkfields Road Kingston Surrey KT2 5LL 020 8547 6780 ALBANY PARK Canoeing and Sailing Centre Albany Mews Kingston KT2 5SL 020 8549 3066

SCHOOL LANE Youth Centre School Lane Surbiton Surrey KT6 7QJ 020 8547 6797 THE DEVON Way Centre Devon Way Chessington Surrey KT9 2RJ 020 8547 5815

CENTRAL Youth Office Guildhall One, Room 103 Guildhall Surrey KT1 1EU Email: youthservice@rbk.gov.uk

Tudor

Norbiton

Grove

Coombe Vale

Berrylands

SURBITON

Surbiton Hill

Alexandra

Beverley St James Old Malden

The Point Wolverton Centre, Kingston Hospital, Galsworthy Road Tues 4-6 pm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .020 8974 9331

Sexwise Helpline . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0800 28 29 30 National AIDS Helpline . . . . . . . . . .0800 567 123

Ku19 @ Magic Roundabout Siddeley House, 50 Canbury, Park Road, Kingston Mon 3.30-6.30pm . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8974 9252 Ku19 @ Hawks Road Hawks Pharmacy Regent House, Hawks Road, Kingston, KT1 3DG Wed 3.30-5pm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8546 1115 Ku19 @ YMCA YMCA, 49 Victoria Road, Surbiton Thurs 3.30-6.30pm . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8549 6323 TRAVEL

Train Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . .08457 484950

London Travel Information . . . . . .020 7222 1234 National Express Coach Enquires . .0990 808080 GENERAL WELFARE & BENEFITS ADVICE

Kingston Citizens Advice Bureau Neville House, 55 Eden Street, Kingston, KT1 1BW Walk-in Monday, Tuesday & Friday 11.30 - 1.30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0870 126 4019

SEARCHLIGHT Youth Centre Kingston Road Kingston Surrey KT3 3RX 020 8547 6780

FOUNTAIN Youth Centre 1 Kingston Road New Malden Surrey KT3 3PE 020 85476797

Tolworth and Hook Rise

Chessington North and Hook

Chessington South

SOUTH OF THE BOROUGH

TS TIES AND EVEN ION ON ACTIVI FOR INFORMAT E IC RV UTH SE OPLE GO TO YO FOR YOUNG PE UK G. LIVIN.OR AT WWW.YOUNG

Info for Young People In and Around Kingston & Richmond SEXUAL HEALTH

DICKERAGE Adventure Playground Dickerage Lane New Malden Surrey KT3 3EQ 020 8942 1707

MALDENS AND COOMBE

Canbury

St Marks

KINGSNYMPTON Youth Centre Kingsnympton Park Estate Kingston Hill Surrey KT2 7RR 020 8547 6790

Coombe Hill

KINGSTON TOWN

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THE VENNER Youth Centre The Manor Drive Worcester Park KT4 7LG 0208 8547 5815

Richmond Citizens Advice Bureau Linfield House, 26 Kew Road, Richmond TW9 2NA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .08457 0505152/020 894 2501

Magic Roundabout Siddeley House 50 Canbury Park Road Kingston (Megan Dawson) .. . . . . . . . . . . . .020 8974 9252

NHS Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0845 4647

KINGSTON SAFER NEIGHBOURHOODTEAMS

GENERAL HEALTH

DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

Kingston Information Dealers

(Drug and Alcohol Support). . . . . .0786 753 6967 Email: id@rbk.kingston.gov.uk

Frank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0800 776600

Release – drugs & legal advice helpline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .020 7729 9904 EDUCATION, TRAINING & EMPLOYMENT

Kingston Connexions Swan House, 51 High Street, Kingston, KT1 1LQ Walk-in: Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri 9am-5pm, Weds 10.30am-5pm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .020 8410 4105

CfBT Connexions 1 Ilex House, 94 Holly Road, Twickenham TW1 4HF Mon – Fri 9.30am-5.30pm . . . . . .020 8891 6162 COUNSELLING & SUPPORT

Off the Record 2 Church Street, Twickenham Tues, weds, thurs 4-8pm Fri, 2.30-6.30pm Sat, 10am-2pm (Deborah Kerpner) . . . . . . . . . . . .020 8744 1644

Alexandra Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .020 8721 2516 Berrylands Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 87212002 Beverley Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8721 2750 Canbury Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .020 8721 5882

Chessington North Team. . . . . . . 020 8721 2001

Chessington South Team. . . . . . . .020 8721 2001 Coombe Hill Team. . . . . . . . . . . . .020 8721 2804 Coombe Vale Team. . . . . . . . . . . .020 8721 2515

Grove Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .020 8721 2588 Norbiton Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .020 8721 2000 Old Malden Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8721 2517 St James Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .020 8721 2595

St Marks Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 8721 2044

Surbiton Hill Team. . . . . . . . . . . . .020 8721 2518

Tolworth Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .020 8721 2045 Tudor Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 020 87212580 Ki