Way2Go - North East 21

ISSUE 21 FEBRUARY 2009

LIVE/LEARN/ ASPIRE/ACHIEVE thewaytogoonline.co.uk

in this issue...

AY TO W R U O Y EAT CCESS LIFE ON A EXAM SU

BUDGET

KEEP ON MOVIN’ ...and much more!

playtime REVIEWS

WITH THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS...

WWW.THEWAYTOGOONLINE.CO.UK

INTRODUCTION

WELCOME TO ISSUE 21: Way2Go welcomes you to 2009, with the Christmas and New Year memories fading fast, all the focus is now on what is in store for everyone over the coming months.

It’s all going to be about choices - and what is best for you - take on board as much help and advice as you can. Everyone at W2G will try to provide you with guidance and assistance to help you along whatever path your career will take you.

Everything from tips on finance and travel to healthy eating, is covered in this edition, it’s not all the serious stuff, have a look at the Playtime section with reviews on music, film, DVD’s and games.

Enjoy the read and remember this is a magazine to assist you in your career choice, if you have any suggestions that you think would improve W2G please give us a call, we are always open to your input on whatever subject you think we should focus on.

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KEEP ON MOVIN’

PAGE 34 EAT YOUR WAY TO EXAM SUCCESS

PAGE 35 Distinctive Publishing LTD, 7th floor, Aidan House, Sunderland Road, Gateshead NE8 3HU

T: 0191 4788316 Pete Thompson

PRODUCTION MANAGER pete.thompson@distinctivepublishing.co.uk Ewan Waterhouse

Business Development Manager ewan.waterhouse@distinctivepublishing.co.uk

LIFE ON A BUDGET

LIVE/LEARN/ASPIRE/ACHIEVE

CONTENTS

W2G NE|/ISSUE 21

IT BETTER BEAT ‘HANCOCK’ OR ELSE!

I WONDER WHAT RATING THEY GAVE US?

PLAYTIME 4 0 E G A P THE ROLF’S BACK WITH MORE OF HIS SLICK, STRAIGHT TALKING MOVIE, DVD, MUSIC AND GAME REVIEWS...

4. playtime - movie review 5. playtime - dvd review 6. playtime - music review 7. playtime - game review 8. NEWCASTLE GIRLS GET CHEMISTRY LESSON DOWN A MINE! - NEWCASTLE SCIENCE CITY 10. CADET TO OFFICER THE TRANSITION - MAERSK 12. ADVENTURE FOR THE FACEBOOK GENERATION THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD 14. APPRENTICESHIPS IN ENGINEERING - ROLLS ROYCE 16. ITS ALL ABOUT BALANCE - DIATETES UK 17. Finding studying for gcse’s a grind? SOUNDBITE learning UK 18. BUILD A BETTER WORLD - INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERING 20. WHY BECOME A SURVEYOR? RICS 22. KEEP ON MOVIN’ 24. CREATIVITY WITH CRIMSON CLOSET - TWEBLO 26. LANGUAGES TAKES YOU FURTHER - ROUTES INTO LANGUAGES 28. INSPIRING FUTURE ENTREPRENEURS - A4E 30. ‘AWAY WITH THE MANAGER’ - NEBP 32. SUCCESS STEMS FROM EDUCATION - RTC 34. EAT YOUR WAY TO EXAM SUCCESS 35. LIFE ON A BUDGET 36. ADVENTUROUS LEARNING - CONNEXIONS 38. IF YOU’RE UNDER 16, GET A CAT! - NEXUS 42. ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DRIVING 44. FEEL LIKE DOING SOMETHING MORE ADVENTUROUS THIS SUMMER? - THE OUTWARD BOUND TRUST

playtime

by michael rolf

MOVIES...

Twilight

Right lets get the negative part out of the way first running at just over two hours director Hardwicke does drag out the beginning the meeting of Bella and Edward just takes too long and the action really is only a small part of the story, which is a shame as it really is of the highest quality.

Apart from that this film really is a stylish and enjoyable supernatural come teen romance teen movie that welcomes a new franchise to cinemas and ticks all the right boxes with its target audience.

Hardwicke and co have produced a very faithful adaptation of the novel, followers of the book will not be disappointed, they built up and developed the characters and let them and their relationship lead the film rather than relying on CGI and big impressive set pieces.

With $70 million at the US box office in it’s opening weekend guaranteed that a sequel would go into production as New Moon got the green light dare I say move over Hogwarts!

“Hardwicke and co have produced a very faithful adaptation of the novel, followers of the book will not be disappointed”...

04

3

RATING hhhhh

IF YOU LIKED THIS I RECOMMEND YOU SEE: n Buffy the Vampire Slayer n Teen Wolf n The Lost Boys

PLAytime

“Smith does what he can to make sure the movie coasts by on sheer charisma”

DVD’S...

hancock The powerful alcoholic and clumsy John Hancock (the loveable Will Smith) is the most hated person in Los Angeles, as in spite of saving lives, he also destroys properties causing high cost to the city to fix his damages.

When he saves the life of the PR Ray Embrey from a train, the executive feels in debt with Hancock and decides to change his image. He brings the anti-hero to have dinner at his home, and introduces him to his son and fan Aaron and to his wife, Mary. But Mary does not want Hancock in her life.

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RATING hhhhh

IF YOU LIKED THIS I RECOMMEND YOU SEE: n Iron Man n The Dark Knight n Superman Returns

Smith does what he can to make sure the movie coasts by on sheer charisma, but therein lies another problem. Hancock is often described as charmless so casting one of the most charming movie stars in the world in the role of an unlikable lout seems stupid to me. Smith has accomplished many things onscreen including saving the world (several times) but even he isn’t mighty enough to keep this very thin story from falling apart in its last half.

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PLAytime

. . .

C I S U m

Take That: The Circus After successfully effecting one of the greatest pop comebacks in history, boyband-turned-credible vocal group Take That release their fifth studio album, the second after their return. Led, as ever, by the songwriting talents of Gary Barlow, this release is similarly epic and romantic to its predecessor (2006’s ‘Beautiful World’), with songs such as ‘What Is Love’, ‘How Did It Come To This’ and the single ‘Greatest Day’ standing out most. Producer John Shanks returns for a second collaboration with the boys, repeating the success of his work with them on ‘Beautiful World’.

A must for all new and old Take That fans, lets hope the boys are ‘Back for Good’!!!

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RATING hhhhh

IF YOU LIKED THIS I RECOMMEND LISTEN TOO: n Take That - Never Forget n New Kids on the Block - Hangin’ Tough n Jonas Brothers - A Little Bit Longer

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“A must for all new and old Take That fans, lets hope the boys are ‘Back for Good’!!!

PLAytime

GAMES...

FIFA 2009 & Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 Are you a gaming fan, constantly told by your parents to stop playing on your games console and get on with your homework? With our handy guide to the best foreign language computer games you could actually turn some of your favourite games into a brilliant way to practice your languages!

The two biggest football games out there can offer you the chance to improve your languages! Simply set the commentary to the language you want and play the game in the usual way. See if you can understand some of what they’re saying. Pro Evo offers French, Spanish and German and FIFA’s basic version offers Swedish and Dutch. Since 13th Nov, FIFA’s complete language commentary pack has been available for free download on both the PlayStation Network for PlayStation 3 and Xbox Live for Xbox 360. This includes commentary in French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Hungarian, Russian and Polish! We think that’s probably enough for you to be getting on with…

“The two biggest football games out there can offer you the chance to improve your languages!”

5

RATING h h h h h

IF YOU LIKED THIS I RECOMMEND YOU TRY: n Sensible Soccer n FIFA Street 3 n Football Manager 2009

The games listed above are a very small selection of what’s available. Many games have a setting where you can change the language, just have a look at the main menu of your favourite game and see if you can play it in whichever language you’re learning.

It’s much more fun than slaving over vocab lists and it means work and play can finally be combined!

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Y R T S I M E H C T E G S L R NEWCASTLE GI E N I M E N I N N E P N W O D N LESSO

Twenty three budding chemists from Sacred Heart High School in Newcastle swapped a lovely warm lab for a Chemistry lesson deep under the North Pennines at Killhope Lead Mining Museum.

The intrepid 14 and 15 year olds were the first group to take part in a purposely designed science lesson on the GCSE Science topic ‘extracting metals’ at the museum.

Designed by their science teacher Mick Barr the pupils found out how metal veins were formed, and, with a few chemical equations to make things clearer, they explored the techniques of mining, purifying and extracting metals from ores. They got to see, close at hand how limestone and sandstone were built up in layers over thousands of years, and how miners had to extract 27 tonnes of ore to make just three tonnes of lead.

Mick Barr said: “This project is an excellent example of how we can make science more exciting for students and then through Newcastle Science City, help ensure other schools benefit from this lesson, so its content can be used time and time again.

After lunch, the students saw how scientists, who specialise in analysing materials, carefully choose metals to meet specific requirements, and to appreciate how the economics of metal extraction have changed considerably over time.

The school’s science project is supported by Newcastle Science City and One NorthEast’s skills strategy, which aims to encourage young

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With science teacher Mick Barr are: back row from left, Iona Padden-Duncan, Rachel McMullen,am Collins, Julie Robinson, Katie Stephenson, Karen Ashong,front row: Becca Dixon and Laure

people to study all science subjects and consider the careers they could lead to.

Peter Arnold, chief executive, Newcastle Science City said: “Science can be one of the most amazing subjects on the curriculum and this live chemistry lesson is a perfect example of how to really give the topic the ‘wow’ factor.

I am sure other Newcastle schools will be keen to follow Sacred Heart’s example and bring science to life through this visit.”

All of the students who took part in the trip said they would recommend the visit to other students across the city.

Sam Collins said: “This trip was much better than sitting in the lab at school. It’s great to have a chance to see where stuff really comes from. The best part was when we turned out all our torches and saw how completely dark it was without any light at all! It was a bit scary, but quite cool.”

As a lead school in the Newcastle schools’ Science Excellence and Innovation Partnership, Sacred Heart RC High School has been collaborating with Killhope Lead Mine to develop this exciting experience for young Chemistry students across Newcastle, and invitations to attend will be passed to other schools throughout the region.

Clockwise from front: Alison Shaw, Nadia Tariq, Rubi Lawson and Lily Baker at Killhope Mine

www.newcastlesciencecity.com

DESIGNING A FASHION CAREER WITH CHEMISTRY

Bahareh Tabataei who has devised a chemistry lesson for school students while doing her own degree

Twenty-year old Bahareh Tabataei, a Newcastle University Chemistry under-graduate had developed a chemistry lesson to help younger A level students realise how it can lead to one of the coolest careers around - in the world of high fashion.

Her lesson is based around experimenting with various chemicals to see how the colours change when dying a piece of cloth.

Bahareh said: “All of the major fashion designers will work closely with chemists to find the right type of fabric for their clothes and to get the exact shade for their designs. This is not the usual image of a chemist, who many people think of being in a white coat cooped up in a stuffy lab, yet a science degree can take you all over the world into a host of careers.�

Her unique Chemistry lesson also encourages pupils to examine sport materials from a science point of view so they look at what makes up golf balls and clubs and identify which metals are most effective. The students also learn how to analyse swimwear, to explore how different fabrics can affect an athletes performance in terms of water retention and speed resistance.

Part of the aim of her lesson is to encourage students to think about science and debate its role in the world, for example, how it can give some highly-developed, rich countries an advantage over poorer nations in sporting events and whether this is ethically fair.

For her own career Bahareh hopes to do a Masters in Medicinal Chemistry at Newcastle University and study drugs and how they react with each other.

www.newcastlesciencecity.com

09

fficer O to Cadet

The Transition Third Engineer Stephen Carroll studied at South Tyneside College, he is now sailing onboard the Maersk Supply fleet. His vessel is currently off the coast of Brazil. Stephen share’s his first impressions as a qualified officer.

After completing my cadet ship I experienced different emotions. My first emotion was that of joy and relief that I had past my exams and gained my class 4 ticket. I’ll never forget that feeling because it made the 3 years of hard work and training worth while.

Once everything had sunk in I had a bit of time off before my first assignment which gave me time to think about the job that was in front of me and to be honest, it worried me. I kept thinking that I might not be up to standard and that I may not be able to do the job because at the end of the day, you need to know the things you learn at college but your job is on the ship and having only had 2 trips away at sea as a cadet, I was walking into a world which in all honesty I knew little about.

t All Maersk Trainee’s are offered permanen employment after they qualify, giving them the opportunity to sail onboard their a chosen fleet and the ability to experience wide range of opportunities.

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The reality though is completely different to what I was expecting. You realise that as soon as you walk on to the ship. The guys on board are very supportive and are well aware that the person joining is fresh out of the blocks. I realised that I worried for nothing in the end because it is not a one man show, no matter if you are deck side or engine side.

Any problems or troubles I encountered when doing my job were easily solved by simply not being afraid to ask questions. No matter how stupid you think the question is, you are always encouraged to ask.

I was also surprised at just how much I had learned as a cadet when thrown in at the deep end. It’s amazing what comes to the surface when you are put on the spot and have to do a job.

www.seacareers.co.uk

The system that is in place at the moment in which new officers are fed into the fleet is a good one in my opinion. When I qualified, I was sent out as a junior engineer but I was effectively doing the job of the 4th engineer straight away and I suppose that’s where my worries stemmed from because I had know idea if I was ready for it. The plus side of it was that I was there and I had to do the job and I learned so much in my first 2 trips as an officer. That’s when I would say I learned how to do my job, because you can implement all the things you learnt at college in your true working environment.

Now, new officers coming into the fleet get the opportunity to sail as either a junior engineer or a 4th officer along side a 4th engineer or a 3rd officer. This gives you the chance to do a trip understudying a guy doing the job you will be doing on your next trip. It’s a good way to be introduced into what you will be doing in the coming years and makes the transition from cadet to officer nice and smooth with little to worry about.

I’ve now had the opportunity to sail on various types of container ship from old to very new and I think it’s important to see both sides of the spectrum. Sailing on older ships early on in my career has helped me immensely because you get to see how things are run without all the automation that the new ships of today have. I would recommend it to anyone who are just gaining their tickets because once you end up on the new ships and are dazzled by all the new technology, you will at least have some idea of how something works and how to fix it if it is broke. You will also get to see equipment that the newer ships may not use these days and gaining experience is what its all about because you will find yourself in a much stronger position when you go up for next ticket.

Information concerning the Maersk Training Scheme can be found at www.seacareers.co.uk

www.seacareers.co.uk

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E H T R O F E R U T N E V D A N O I T A R E N E G K O O B E C FA Now well in to the 21st Century the online generation has firmly been embedded in to societies worldwide.

Young people live within online communities, digital worlds that allow them to communicate instantly with hundreds of virtual friends through social networking sites such as Facebook, MSN and BEBO. With the introduction of the Wii young people can even get fit using technology.

It is true to say that not all young people access the internet but the figures show that 93% of 16-24 year olds have accessed the internet within the last 3 months & 77% of 16-24 year olds access the internet every day, or almost every day.

When thinking about the DofE the majority of people imagine young people, the great outdoors, jumping up mountains and walking down waterfalls! Not poking and nudging each other via their laptop.

Surely then the digital age and the generation of the iPod, Facebook and mobile connectivity spell the end for the DofE……..

Rather than run up the nearest mountain simply to jump off it or shake its organisational head and mutter “this internet lark will never last” the DofE has embraced technology and dropped the DofE right slap, bang in the middle of the digital world. eDofE is an interactive online system that helps young people manage their DofE programme and Leaders monitor their progress. It will be available to all DofE participants and our network of staff and leaders from September 2009 onwards.

The benefits are substantial; it is easy to use, can be accessed at any time, any place and anywhere allowing greater convenience and flexibility. The use of an online system

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also appeals to young people as it builds on knowledge and skills already embedded into their lives and their social groups, it allows them to record their activities in a variety of formats – from text to videos. The online design allows direct communication between leaders and participants via a messaging tool and gives instant access to useful resources and opportunities.

great outdoors, adventure and socialising with technology. By combining both worlds, integrating and embedding them in to each other young people get the best of both worlds.

Sam Heron the North East Young Peoples Ambassador is currently piloting eDofE “Participants who are currently using eDofE enjoy the freedom of being able to record their progress anywhere, anytime and the flexibility of including different types of evidence. eDofE has made the DofE an even more personalised programme.

Being able to message other group members is proving a popular tool, It is definitely a step in the right direction for the DofE”.

The DofE is striving to increase its accessibility and reach so that every young person who wishes to start a DofE programme can do so. In an ever changing world with more and more opportunities for young people, the DofE has to compete with XBOX, PS3 and all of the others, in eDofE they have placed themselves at the front of the line combining the

TOOL OF THE FACEBOOK GENERATION!

“this internet lark will neve

r last”

Apprenticeships in engineering My name is Michael Richardson; I left school in 2005 at the age of 16 looking for a career in engineering.

I wasn’t really sure what type of engineering that I wanted to do as I didn’t really know how big the engineering industry actually was at that time. When I left school at the end of year 11 after completing my GCSE’s I found myself looking for an apprenticeship. I looked all over the North East for one and sent as many applications away as possible. I had several interviews with different training providers, one of these being the Rolls Royce North East Training Centre.

After sending in the application, it wasn’t long before I got called in for an aptitude test; the test taking about 1 hour and it was a bit nerve racking at the time. The test was made up of 3 sections, engineering, maths and psychology.

This may sound daunting but believe me it’s nothing to worry about. After completing the tests I got an interview and I knew straight away that this is where I wanted to be. I knew I would be looked after and trained well and that it would develop my skills and abilities as an engineer. There was also a definite job waiting for me at the end of it. After being told that I was successful, there was a tour of the training centre and we were shown all the facilities available. It was daunting and I never thought I would be able to operate the machines however it’s amazing how easy you pick it up.

Michael Richardson

Production Electrician

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Early September I was ready to start. I was a bit nervous on the first day which is normal and getting up early to get here for 7:30 wasn’t very appealing but you soon get used to it. As soon as I got here on the first day it I couldn’t wait to get started. It’s a bit scary at first being faced with the real world of work meeting new people and challenges but I finished my first day happy and confident and I have been ever since. I covered the mechanical sections at the training centre. These were the CNC section, milling section, turning section and CAD section. I have also done an additional electrical section.

www.rrnetc.co.uk

All the time spent at the training centre is practical “hands on” tasks. Just like a real working environment. As well as coming to the training centre, there was also the theory side of things which is covered at Newcastle college, but it’s not all boring college work where you are going to want to fall asleep.

The theory side was just as enjoyable as the practical stuff at the training centre. At first I thought to myself “why?” Why am I coming here early in the morning getting not much more money than my bus fare to work? However I soon realised just what opportunities I had been given and how this training was going to benefit me for the future.

Before I knew it Rolls Royce found me a great job with Liebherr Cranes in Sunderland as an electrician. I am now in a good job with a good wage package and have already had the opportunity to travel to Nenzing in Austria

“At first I thought to myself “why?”

Why am I coming here early in the morning getting not much more money than my bus fare to work?...

on an apprentice exchange visit, looking back I never could have imagined where I was going to end up. It’s fair to say that the 9 months spent in the training centre have been the most enjoyable months of my life.

I have made some great mates and have learned lots of useful skills but most of all I have myself a good job which I would never have found if it wasn’t for the Training centre.

I would recommend the Rolls Royce NETC to any one.

Harry Klein Production Welder Harry started at Rolls-Royce in September 2005 he followed the fabrication and welding route while at the training center. During his time here he managed to secure a position with Sunderland based Liebherr Cranes as an apprentice welder. Harry has continuously trained throughout his apprenticeship and has won countless awards through The Welding Institute (TWI), and is currently undergoing intensive training to represent the UK in a skill-weld competition to be held in Calgary (Canada) later on in the year.

Michael Richardson Apprentice 2005-present.

...“However I soon realised just what opportunities I had been given and how this training was going to benefit me for the future”

opportunities FOR YOU! TRE

AT OUR NORTH EAST TRAINING CEN

We would like to invite applications to join our Apprenticeship programme, starting in September 2009.

This is an exciting opportunity for the Engineers of tomorrow and is ideally suited to school leaver’s who have achieved or expect to achieve GCSE Grades of ‘C’ or higher in Mathematics, Science and English and who are less than 19 years of age on 1st September 2009.

n n n

n n

Rolls Royce North East Training Centre is a major force in engineering training, achieving the highest National Vocational and Academic standards

Rolls Royce North East Training Centre Michell Bearings Scotswood Road Newcastle upon Tyne NE 15 6BLL

What you get n First year training in our own centre to NVQ Level 2

Further Educational qualifications Key Skills up to Level 2 Excellent employment opportunities within the Engineering sector NVQ Level 3 in your specialised field Fully certified apprenticeship

Apply to:

Contact Marian Morgan Telephone 0191 2565386 Fax 0191 2565376

We are an Equal Opportunities Company, strongly committed to its promotion.

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Diabetes

. balance about Its all of glucose in the blood Diabetes is a condition where the amount

Type 1 Type 1 diabetes develops if the body cannot produce insulin. This type usually appears before the age of 40. Type 1 diabetes is the least common, 5 – 15% of all people with diabetes.

Type 2 Type 2 diabetes develops when the body can still make some insulin, but not enough, or when the insulin that is produced does not work properly (known as insulin resistance).

In most cases this is linked with being overweight. This type of diabetes usually appears in people over the age of 40, though in South Asian and African-Caribbean people often appears after the age of 25. Recently, more children are being diagnosed with the condition, some as young as seven.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common of the two main types and accounts for between 85 - 95% of all people with diabetes.

There are currently over 2.5 million people with diabetes in the UK and there are more than half a million people with diabetes who have the condition and don’t know it.

How you can help Why not run a “denim for diabetes day” in your school and help us to raise money for research into a cure for diabetes? For a pack contact the regional office on 01325 488606 or email: northyorks@diabetes.org.uk.

Meet Gary Gary Blakie from Sunderland said:“Having Type 1 diabetes hasn’t held me back in fact it’s made me better” My name is Gary Blakie, I’ am 24 years old and I am proud to be an

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is too high because the body cannot use

Insulin Dependant Diabetic. I was diagnosed in March 1997 at the age of 12 whilst on Holiday in America. At the time I was just an average guy in school, understandably becoming diabetic was a huge shock and had me thinking I was somehow disadvantaged, but it actually had the opposite effect gifting me with the determination to fight back using exercise to overcome my condition.

I have competed regularly in Triathlon for the last 7 years from Sprint Distance Triathlons, Olympic or Standard Distance events particularly the UK Nationals and the World Age-Group Triathlon Championships in Hawaii for Great Britain up to 12 hour long Ironman events and many others including my 5 marathons in 5 countries in 5 weeks for Diabetes UK. Overcoming the frustrations of diabetes in order to compete at a high level has become an important part of my life. My experiences have allowed me to understand how different levels and types of exercise affect the day to day running of my condition. Management regimes developed via trial and error, testing different insulin’s and foods in order to get the best performance out of myself.

I graduated from my final year at Northumbria University studying Business Management on 23rd

it properly.

July 2005. I found my involvement in exercise aided the close control of my diabetes allowing me to enjoy all aspects of student life just like everyone else.

I now work in pharmaceutical sales and as a motivational speaker whilst continuing to train as an amateur triathlete, I have spoken over 100 times through out the UK on my personal experiences and advice on not only living with diabetes and sport but also the effect this has on others including family and friends, this includes the various regimes I follow for different sports and also a step by step guide to my 5x5 Marathon Challenge.

In fact, I believe becoming diabetic has improved and inspired me to do more with my life and I look forward to competing further in the future..... n For more information on diabetes and the work of diabetes UK please visit www.diabetes.org.uk n For information for young people with diabetes please visit www.diabetes. org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/My-life/ n To read more about Gary please visit www.alwaysdali.co.uk

If you want to go the extra mile for diabetes UK you can join us in the Mini, Junior or adult versions of the Great North Run in September later this year for further information please contact Lisa Jakimciw on 01325 488606 Registered Charity number 215199.

www.diabetes.org.uk

Finding studying for GCSEs a grind?

Let GCSEPod take the strain - whilst you’re on the bus, in the bath, under the duvet…

GSCEPod represents a revolution in the way students can learn and revise for their GCSEs. This brand new product offers bite-size learning and revision Topics and Titles, which can be downloaded from the Internet to either your computer, iPod, or mobile phone, enabling education anywhere.

With over 100 titles to download, covering subjects such as English, Religious Studies, History and Geography, working for those all important GCSE exams has never been easier.

We’re also covering English Literature (due April 2009), Science (due March 2009), Maths (due April 2009) and French (due September 2009).

Each title contains on average 30 minutes of audio for a specific area of the curriculum.

Currently there is in excess of 50 hours of GCSE learning and revision audio available for download.

Written by teachers and narrated by professional voice over artists, GCSEPod topics and titles are assured for accuracy, validity and cross exam board relevance of the subjects covered.

Additionally, all audio content is supported by music, icon art, conveying information about ‘Key Phrases’ ‘Characters’ ‘People’ ‘Quotes’ ‘Key words’ ‘Facts’ ‘Case studies’ and ‘Web links’ to support the audio, detailed images and pictures are shown in many titles. The idea behind GCSEPod is to create as tangible and accessible a learning experience as is possible, all on a portable device, easily downloaded to your PC and synchronised with your iPod. All titles show a short video of how the content will look when played on your iPod, so you can see what you are going to get before you press the ‘BUY’ button.

This brand new concept of structured educational podcasts or audio books from GCSEPod extends beyond the offerings of any other currently available GCSE learning and

revision content, with up to 100 times more audio content for any of the subjects GCSEPod offers.

Priced from as little as £1.95 per title, with discounts for complete topics purchased, each module also comes with teacher recommended web links for further study. As an example, our topic on ‘Mice and Men’, by John Steinbeck, is one of our top sellers and costs only £10.95. For this price the student gets 5 titles, made up of 24 five minute chapters with a total playing time of 120 minutes. It is also important to note that GCSEPod topics and titles can be enjoyed by high-flying individuals as much as by students, with content to challenge all levels of aptitude.

Anthony Coxon, Director, Soundbitelearning UK Ltd, says, “GCSEPod aims to provide students with an easy, straightforward and entertaining alternative to wading through endless revision and school books, exam topics and revision guides. What’s more, it’s also a great excuse for students to put an iPod on their birthday wish list!”

GCSE POD FEEDBACK!...

Why wasn’t there something like this 2 years ago! This site will be a great help for students doing there GCSE’s. You can be really specific and download certain Topics from each subject that you are revising this is really simple and once you have them on your computer you simply upload them onto your iPod. What makes GCSEpod good is that you can revise anytime and anywhere, on the bus going to and from school, in the car or just chilling out in your bedroom. I think that once that GCSEpod can offer all of the curriculum subjects it will become the must have in revision aids.

GCSEpod is a great addition to the revision schedule. Combining this idea with your normal revision books and programs will really help you in getting those A*’s Keisha Miller Aged 18

For students to have the ability to hold revision on their ipod is a brilliant idea, and GCSEpod is an excellent product. Personally I have found that while travelling on long journeys I have the double benefit of being able to revise on the move and relieve the boredom factor. Together with the specific topics I am studying this is exactly what I need and in some cases, goes further than expected, which will hopefully give me an advantage. I find it an easy application to have on my iPod, and the ability to use it at any time and in any location is a bonus when revision is a priority on the run up to exam time.

Jordan Miller Aged 15 I am currently studying for my GCSE exams, GCSE pod is very useful as it covers all the topics that I am studying.

I use my ipod all of the time and find it very useful that I can also use it to study for my exams.

Because it is so easy to use I can download the parts that I need and listen to them when I want, even on the bus to school!

I will definitely be telling my friends about GCSE pod.

Laura Banks Aged 15 My daughter is currently working towards her G.C.S.E exams, she found out about G.C.S.E. pod which is a great way of revising on the go or at home. As she is glued to her ipod it is a fantastic way to help her revise in small but consistent sessions. The site is user friendly giving concise information in a way which means that she can study the topics as they are covered at school.

Julia Banks Parent

Register now on www.GCSEPod.co.uk for one of the four FREE titles currently available.

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Build a better world...

Become a civil engineer Civil engineers shape the word around us. They do everything from building skyscrapers and bridges through to piping clean water to remote communities. As a career, its a great way to make a positive difference and help to build a better world. And the best thing is, there’s no telling where this job could take you.

Robert Stephenson Monday 12th October 2009 marks the 150th anniversary of the death of one of the North East’s greatest Engineers, Robert Stephenson.

What do Civil Engineers do?

Society would not work without civil engineering. Infrastructure supports our daily life - roads, and harbours, railways and airports, hospitals, sports stadiums and schools, access to drinking water and shelter from the weather.

Because it works we take it for granted. Only when it fails do we realise its value.

“Civil engineers design, build, maintain and improve the modern world around us.”

Images Above: Gateshead Millennium Bridge Below right: Civil Engineering schools day Below left: High Level Bridge

What is ICE? The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) exists to promote and progress civil engineering around the world. We are the main qualifying body for civil engineering. We have over 80,000 members worldwide and make sure that the high standards needed to become a professional civil engineer are met.

Why civil engineering?

Civil engineering offers a flexible, rewarding and diverse career with the chance to work and travel all over the world.

People who find they are drawn to civil engineering as a career look to find challenge, self expression, achievement and personal reward through their work.

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“We encourage development that meets the needs of today and protects the interests of tomorrow.”

www.ice.org.uk

Robert Stephenson was President of the Institution of Civil Engineers (18551857) and left a great legacy throughout the North East and the world including the High Level Bridge (pictured below), the Royal Border Bridge in Berwick upon Tweed and was integral to the development of the rail networks across Great Britain and overseas.

He overcame the most complex problems in engineering the construction of the London and Birmingham Railway and will be remembered as a leading civil engineering and locomotive pioneer.

...

Engineering your future NAME: JOB TITLE: COMPANY:

Melinda Lutton Civil Associate Cundall (Engineering consultants)

“I enjoyed maths, chemistry and physics A levels and was keen to carry these subjects on at university. I was lucky to find a degree that combined my interests of environmental engineering with civil engineering.”

I managed to gain sponsorship from a consultancy while I was at University which gave me a small amount of money, but also meant I had a job during the holidays and when I graduated. I am now a Chartered Engineer with the Institution of Civil Engineers and my main expertise lies in project management. I conduct assessments, feasibility studies and detailed designs of sewage treatment works, flood risk assessments, flood

NAME: JOB TITLE: COMPANY:

Thomas Emmerson Civil/Structural Engineer Foster Wheeler Energy Ltd (Teesside Operations)

“I was inspired to become a civil engineer by my interest in applying numbers and engineering principles on paper and then converting them in to reality. It would be fantastic to be able to put my name to a distinguished structure to change the skyline and look back in 20 years and say, “I built that…..”

I was accepted on a modern apprenticeship and sponsored by a local engineering company as a technical apprentice where I trained to become a civil/structural designer. Whilst working I was also given the opportunity to study on a part time basis to gain the required qualifications. I completed a National Certificate, a Higher National Certificate and a BEng (Hons) in Civil Engineering.

Studying and working simultaneously

alleviation and defence schemes, and asset surveys. I work with a number of different water companies in the UK and India.

My days are rarely typical, and that’s one of the things I enjoy about it. I generally manage projects ensuring that clients are kept happy and informed, that work is carried out on time, within budget, and meets the scope of what we have agreed to do. I recommend civil engineering to young people looking for a challenging, rewarding and innovating profession.

was a huge advantage as I gained valuable work experience as well as obtaining the qualifications.

My job involves designing structures of a varying nature, typically completing the design work and then overseeing the production of engineering drawings to ensure the designed structure is accurately reflected in the drawings.

Such work is often conducted on brown field sites and requires logical thinking to evaluate problems and devise a suitable solution whilst also meeting client requirements.

How to become a civil engineer There are many different routes into a career in civil engineering; you could work for an engineering company and further your training, study for an MEng or BEng at University, or consider doing a foundation course to widen your options.

Which subjects should I choose at school?

Make sure you take post-16 subjects which will be accepted for Higher Education. These will vary from one college or university to another; however most prefer ‘A’ level Maths and Physics. Other useful subjects to study include Geography, Design & Technology and Chemistry.

How do I choose a university? n It is important to choose an ICE accredited civil engineering course as this will make it easier for you to gain a Professional Qualification once you have graduated and started working (www.jbm.org.uk) n Try the Guardian or Times websites for published rankings of UK Universities. n Ask HR departments of local Civil Engineering companies from which Universities they recruit. n Your course will determine which professional qualification you can apply for - so be sure to plan your path carefully!

How can I get work experience? n Ask your school or careers service for local companies on their books to find out if any offer experience in civil engineering or construction. n Seek vacation experience with a local Civil Engineering Company – you could find a list of these companies on the Internet via your local chamber of commerce. n The Year in Industry programme (www.yini. org.uk) provides gap year placements many of which are with Civil Engineering Companies.

To learn more on scholarships: Further details at:- www.ice.org.uk/myice/ myice_scholarships_quest_undergraduates.asp

For further information on civil engineering and civil engineering careers please email: pre19@ice.org.uk or see ice.org.uk/education or ice.org.uk/civilisation

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To find out more about the surveying profession, the work that surveyors do and why surveying could be the career for you...

There is a very strong likely-hood that it your are planning to attend University, it will be the first time you move away from home, usually to a much larger and unfamiliar city. With larger cities, accommodations can be spread all over the place, you may get lucky and live near both the University and local amenities such as supermarkets and shops, therefore you very rarely have to deal with the hassle of transport and paying for it. Most people however do have to use some sort of public transport on a daily basis either for travelling to town or to the University.

Below are some tips on how you can make this aspect of student life run a little but smoother without financially crippling you.

Keep on Movin’ 22

ON THE BUSES Probably the most common form of public transport for students, yet probably the most hated due to people’s misconceptions about them being busy, dirty and unpredictable services. But you must remember that it’s also one of the cheapest ways to get around.

For students, most bus companies run a student travel rate which turns out cheaper than the price of a regular ticket. Bus passes are also available which are usually valid for a term, these can save you a great deal of money if you will be a frequent bus traveller.

TRAIN OR STRAIN Not really used to get around a town or city, but are widely used to visit other areas of the country such as home or to see friends who are at University in different areas of the country. Trains can be very expensive, so it is advised to book online early to receive more favorable rates. Student can apply for a young person’s railcard for only £20, in exchange you receive a third off the price of a regular ticket, this can pay for itself in only one journey. New student accounts with NatWest receive this card for free.

TAXI FOR.....

Much more expensive than buses and are not recommended for day-to-day convenience transportation due to the price involved, using taxis every day really could create a huge hole in your pocket. The only time I would recommend using a taxi would be on the way home after a night out or if you really don’t have any idea where your required destination is located. Make sure you use a taxi service which is officially registered and is legal to carry paying passengers.

LAST RESORT.....

It really doesn’t make economic sense to bring your own car to University once you consider the price of fuel and parking fees at your residency and visiting destinations. Maybe if there was a group of you who live together are willing to equally split all the costs, this could work and be much more flexible than public transport. In larger cities there are other cheap and reliable forms of public transport such as dedicated student buses and metro trams. Make sure that you include these transport costs into your budget. It’s important to think sensibly about your transport, you really don’t want to suffer financially just to even get to University every day.

“It really doesn’t make economic sense to bring your own car to University”

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creativity with the crimson closet

hops The Crimson Closet Creative Works design concentrate on all aspects of art, shops are and enterprise. Projects and work rticular created for students who have a pa example: interest in a creative industry for edia. fashion, textiles, graphics or multim to inspire and The workshops are designedin all aspects creatively develop students led advice and of the subject with industry of the guidance throughout the duration work project by facilitators who actually . and teach within their specialisms

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www.The Crimson Closet.co.uk

All workshops are hands-on where students can work individually or within a team to work through a design process and produce a piece of work which has given them a real insight to their preferred area of art and design.

Students are given access to up-to-date industry s led software or equipment to develop their idea their creatively and visually, they are able to expand in the knowledge base of what is actually happening creative industries today.

ion is that the students nt te in e th n, io et pl m co On by the facilitators ed nc ue fl in d an d ire sp in are left ing them with a realistic av le t, se ts ec oj pr e th d an d the progression an ed ev hi ac be d ul co t ha idea of w ey wished to pursue th if ke ta d ul co ey th es rout . their creative aspirations

“TWEBLO supports the Creative Industries�.

www.The Crimson Closet.co.uk

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R E H T R U F U O Y E K A T S E G LANGUA This month we’ve been talking to Jo Chexal, the Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany, about her life in international business, her current role in the North East spoken: German, French, and her love of languages. Languages Italian, Swiss German Questions asked by Nicholas Johnston

NJ:What exactly does your job as Honorary Consul involve?

JC: When I started out I dealt mainly with older people, quite often ladies who had married during war and were based in the U.K. but had retained German passports. Many would come to me as pensioners and my job would be to certify they were still alive! Now I see a lot more young people, particularly students who need to arrange for funds to be sent from Germany. I have had quite a few people buying properties, particularly in Berlin, who needed the relevant documents as well as my advice. I am also here for emergencies. Sometimes Germans are injured or end up in hospital and there have been deaths where I have had to be involved in returning the remains to Germany and helping relatives to make all the necessary arrangements. These are some of the most difficult things I have to do.

?

NJ:What about the highlights JC: I enjoy contact with German community, on the whole I only see people when they need me but I’ve had very interesting experiences and it’s usually been where people I’ve dealt with have been very grateful for my help and have brought me totally unexpected gifts. One old lady brought me a present whenever she came to see me. She was always great company and would sing to me in German!

Career Timeline

1974

1975

1976

Graduated from university with a degree in German and moved to America.

Worked in languages department at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina and took on freelance translation work.

Moved to Iowa and translated for a chemical company.

Moved to Switzerland and was offered a job in Hoffman-La Roche, a multinational pharmaceutical company.

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www.routesintolanguages.ac.uk

NJ:Research has shown that at least 50% of businesses would employ someone who can speak a language, over someone who can’t, yet the number of pupils taking languages is falling every year, why do you think this is?

JC: There is a perception that we are in a global market these days and English is all you need. This could be one of the biggest mistakes for a generation. Hopefully, with the current global recession, companies and individuals will begin to realise that English is not enough at all.

In recent years I’ve witnessed many Germans who have been unable to find work in Germany; come here for jobs because they can speak English. It’s notable that the people with language skills are picking up the great jobs. Our own bright young people will not have the same opportunities if they haven’t got the language ability. It’s about employability and mobility!

NJ:what do you perceive as being the barriers to young people who want to learn languages?

JC: I think the biggest barrier is that we haven’t such an exposure, certainly not in the North East to other languages through TV stations or meeting foreign people on the street and therefore the barrier is in people’s minds.

“Think about all the people around the world who can speak English and several other languages, these are the people you’re competing with.”

NJ:leading on from that, German is often perceived as having a bad reputation, what do you say to people who think this?

JC: If you look from a business perspective, the argument for learning German is actually the most compelling of any of the European languages. Germany is the U.K’s biggest trading partner, 13% of our imports are from Germany In the North East, Germany is the second biggest export market.

German companies also employ 350,000 people in U.K. and there are 2000 German companies with branches in the U.K. Overall, they’re one of the biggest investors.

1978 Returned to UK and started working for the Regional Development Organisation, which marketed the North East in Germany. Eventually became head of international investment which involved travelling all over the world and overseeing many of the biggest company investments in the North East.

NJ:What would your message be to people who are not tuned in to languages?

JC: The language itself won’t be the only thing you need in life, but it’s much harder to pick up a language later in life than it is when you’re in formal education. Other skills can be picked up later!

1998

1999

Invited by the German embassy with regards to becoming the Honorary Consul.

Appointed Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany.

“‘FINDING WORK: IT’S ABOUT EMPLOYABILITY AND MOBILITY”

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Inspiring Future Tees Valley Education Business Partnership (TVEBP) is one of 8 North East EBPs that help schools and colleges uncover the enterprise skills in young people.

Enterprise is one of the key priorities of ‘Leading the way’ – the Regional Economic Strategy 2006 - 2016. As a region we need to raise the number of business start ups and to achieve this we need more young people to go into self employment in the future.

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www.INBIZ.co.UK

uture Entrepreneurs Amanda Olvanhill – TVEBP Manager feels that, “Young people in our region are naturally enterprising, they are able to come up with some fantastic ideas but sometimes they just need a little help and encouragement to develop their entrepreneurial attitudes and apply their enterprise skills.”

TVEBP deliver enterprise programmes in primary, secondary schools and colleges.

Students are encouraged to work in teams (non friendship groups) and undertake challenges that develop their economic and business understanding, enterprise capability; team work, creative thinking, problem solving, adaptability, influencing others and financial management.

From left to right (back row): Ben Shaw, Elliot Joyce, Tom Averell, Tom Baxter, Jack Casady, Sohail Rahman. Front row seated: Gill Owens, Terry Owens and Alison Blacklock

“it was a real pleasure to meet the guys and I feel confident that I have now met some of the real entrepreneurs of the future”

Regardless of whether the young people are designing and producing a new chocolate bar in ‘Cheeky Charlie’s Chocolate Extravaganza’ or designing and producing a new car in ‘Car Wars’ they are provided with an opportunity to apply their enterprise skills.

Amanda says,

“We highlight the importance of these skills to any career, but we always actively promote self-employment as a realistic career option for young people. Our work with older students tends to become specifically focussed around self-employment.”

TVEBP recently arranged for a group of students from Nunthorpe School to have afternoon tea at Judges with Terry and Gill Owens. The group of Year 11 students won the Regional Final and attended the National Final in London, of the Make Your Mark Challenge, with their business idea STRIPES; a fantasy

www.INBIZ.co.UK

Olympic team and sports forum that allows participants to choose athletes (within a specific budget) who then compete with other players from around the world.

Terry’s company InBiz has changed the lives of more than 20,000 people by helping them into self-employment and is recognised as one of the best in the business at supporting start-ups, micro-businesses and SMEs. The students gained invaluable advice from Terry about what it takes to start up your own business, and the entrepreneurial attitudes they will need to be successful. Terry discussed his pathway into self employment and gave them pointers about some of the key things he would look for when supporting people to progress their ideas. Terry was highly impressed by the students’ attitudes in relation to how they developed and applied their business idea.

Terry felt, “it was a real pleasure to meet the guys and I feel confident that I have now met some of the real entrepreneurs of the future” The High Tea formed part of a prize offered by TVEBP, for the Tees Valley Winning Team of the Make Your Mark Challenge that was launched during Enterprise Week!

Contact: Tees Valley Education Business Partnership (A4e) at Email: tvebp@a4e.co.uk Tel: 01642 754750 Visit: www.inbiz.co.uk

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‘AWAY WITH THE MANGER’ makes the national news!!!

A recycled nativity, believed to be the only one of its kind in the UK has been created specially for The Cathedral Church of St Nicholas, Newcastle upon Tyne, from waste items donated by Northumbrian Water.

The Canon for Education and Learning, the Revd Canon Robert Gage, selected young apprentices from North Tyneside Education Business Partnership to create this year’s nativity scene after being impressed by the idea of creating a recycled work of art.

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www.northtyneside.gov.uk

At the beginning of February, it will be a case of ‘away with the manger’, as Northumbrian Water will be taking the entire nativity scene away – for recycling once again!”

The Canon for Education and Learning, the Revd Canon Robert Gage, selected young apprentices from North Tyneside Education Business Partnership to create this year’s nativity scene after being impressed by the idea of creating a recycled work of art.

31 Young Apprenticeship Art & Design students from Seaton Burn College, Norham Community Technology College and George Stephenson High School created the nativity during the October half-term break. The year 10 and 11 apprentices have created the nativity working with designer Richard Liddle, whose speciality is working with recycled materials.

Northumbrian Water very kindly supplied all the materials for the project, including 1650 plastic sample bottles, 1200 plastic bottle tops and three bales of cardboard.

Reporters and photographers were invited to the Diocese of Newcastle schools’ service at The Cathedral Church of St Nicholas, Newcastle upon Tyne on Wednesday December 3, 2008 at 10.30am, where the scene was unveiled for the first time.

Chantelle Oliver age 14 from Seaton Burn College one of the young apprenticeship students who created the nativity, said: “I really enjoyed working on the project. It will be very hard work but the end result is worth it.”

Further information available from: Larry Gent North Tyneside Education Business Partnership Tel: 0191 200 1583 Fax: 0191 200 1581 email: larry.gent@northtyneside.gov.uk

“I think it’s a good idea to use recycled materials as it helps reduce our carbon footprint.”

“I think it’s a good idea to use recycled materials as it helps reduce our carbon footprint. When people look at it, they should think about how they can re-use everyday things to help reduce their own carbon footprint.”

Dave Whiteley, facilities manager at Northumbrian Water, said: “This project has been a win-win situation for everyone. There have been no material costs for North Tyneside Education Business Partnership and the cathedral has a novel work of art on display.

www.northtyneside.gov.uk

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o t y a w r u o y t Ea s s e c c u s m a ex Do you find it hard to concentrate at school? It might not be because you find the lesson boring. Research suggests that what you eat can affect your brain power - so can you really munch your way to better grades?

Brain food?

There is so much in the media about healthy eating these days that it’s easy just to switch off. But, with your exams coming up, it’s worth trying to eat a balanced diet. Research has shown that eating certain foods and maintaining a balanced diet can help improve your concentration: so whilst it won’t make you a genius, it might just give you the edge you need to perform better in exams.

Your body has been starved of food all night while you sleep and you need to refuel to prepare for the school day ahead. Here are some tips for the best way to start your day. Healthy options include: n Cereal or toast, but make sure you choose a low sugar/salt cereal and try to go for wholemeal bread. n Get a fruit portion in the morning by having a glass of pure fruit juice. n Porridge - it’s surprisingly tasty, and can be made in the microwave.

Try it with natural honey and a chopped banana.

Gobble up good grades n

n

n

n

Although weighing only 2% of total body weight, the brain uses approximately 20% of the body’s energy at rest. This is why regular, nutritious meals are important during exam time.

The brain is powered by energy which comes from broken down food. The primary source of energy for the brain is glucose which comes from carbohydrate rich foods like breads and pasta. The brain’s energy stores are very small, so to keep it functioning at its best, it needs constant glucose replacement.

Food influences mood, but mood also influences food choice. There is no magic food to relieve stress, but we would recommend that you avoid skipping meals at all costs.

There is no such thing as good or bad foods for exams, or any other time of the year. There are however bad habits! Focusing on one particular food is a bad thing, so you shouldn’t really be eating vast amounts of one particular food.

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Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day Breakfast. It’s a cliché, but breakfast really IS the most important meal of the day.

Lunch You can make healthy choices if you’re having a school dinner at lunchtime; you just need to know which foods to pick. n Salads can be a good choice, but make sure you go easy on dressings. n Jacket potatoes can be very healthy, but try not to have cheese as a topping all the time. n You should be eating five portions of fruit and vegetables every day, so stock up a lunchtime.

Dinner If you’re not cooking your own tea, try to get whoever is to steer clear of fatty, fried food. A proper evening meal will help your brain to tackle homework.

Life on a budget

If 2008 wasn’t a year for budgeting then make sure 2009 is. Here are just some ways you can cut down on the spending.

Budget table The first thing you should do is create a budget table to figure out how much you have to spend. As income can change it’s probably better to complete this monthly. Take into consideration work income, student loan, any maintenance payments or pocket money, and then add them all up.

Next think about your expenses such as rent, bills, food, educational materials - all the important things first - and deduct them from your total monthly income. If you’ve got anything left over, you can deduct other expenses that aren’t so important, such as clothes, going out and other bits and pieces.

Of course, don’t keep spending until every single penny is used up - it’s never too late to save.

Student budgeting Educational materials should always be a priority when budgeting.

But there are ways to get cheaper products. Instead of buying brand new text books why not browse online? Amazon and eBay sell new and second hand books all the time - and they’re cheaper too.

Another option is Google Books. It provides part and full chapters for free!

Rent has sky rocketed by a massive 20% in the last four years. If you live close to home then consider moving back with the folks. You’d save a few hundred a month and you wouldn’t have to worry about food expenses, electricity bills and a smelly kitchen. If this isn’t an option then get ready to put aside rent and money for the electricity bills. Check when the bill comes, often you’ll have to pay it once every semester, and make sure you have at least £50 - £100 (sometimes more) put aside in your budget plan.

You can save some electricity by timing your heater to turn on and off at appropriate times and switching off all devices when not in use.

Here are some more money saving tips...

Food is good Rather than spending money on lunch every single day, why not make something? It’ll probably be healthier and your wallet will be heavier too. You could save up to £20 or more a week by doing this.

If you’re responsible for doing your own shopping then you need to make a grocery list. Be realistic and avoid foods you don’t need, or worse, can’t afford. Attempt to shop at least once every two weeks and avoid smaller and more frequent shopping trips that will cost more in the long run. Don’t forget to include the grocery shop in your monthly budget table plan.

Travel Commuting prices have soared in recent years. If you have to take the bus or train to school, college or university, then it’s probably best to buy a weekly or monthly travel card. As it’s one fixed cost it’ll be a lot easier to include in your monthly budget than loads of daily travel cards.

Choosing the right account There are loads of banks out there that provide good interest rates and special offers - for instance, Natwest offer railcards with every student account. If you’re already with a bank then you always have the option to move elsewhere, but you may be charged for this.

Since you’re planning to save, it might be worth opening up an ISA account. It saves on tax and so you get more back

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earning L enturous v Ad

A group of Year 10 Framwellgate School, Durham pupils have recently been given the chance to show off their skills outside of the classroom by taking part in some fun and exciting activities. These events, supported

by Paul, Jen and Judith from Connexions County Durham, have become a regular feature of work with the school.

Their most recent programme of activities included: n Dry-slope skiing and climbing the high ropes at Whickham Thorns Outdoor Activity Centre n “Forest School” at Hamsterley Forest which involved making shelters, tools and whistles out of wood n Indoor rock climbing at ‘Rock Antics’ in Newton Aycliffe.

The students enjoyed the skiing so much they opted for a return trip as a reward for their hard work These activities were focused around helping the pupils to develop their skills in team-building, communication, confidence-building, motivation, and problem-solving to raising self-esteem give them people the opportunity to showcase their talents.

The Motivational Activities staff Jen and Paul link in closely with Judith Dunn, the Connexions Personal Adviser based in Framwellgate School.

This link has allowed the school adviser to develop a more informal relationship with the students and join them in some of the activities.

This relationship is an important part of the support which enables young people to access the information, advice and guidance that they need as they make their way through school years and also post-16.

Judith commented “It was rewarding to see these young people who would have perhaps have been identified in school as having behavioural problems working so well together and encouraging and praising each other. This showed a real team spirit. They also seemed to respond well to praise from staff and their peers and took pride in their own achievements”.

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www.help4teens.co.uk

London Calling

of the afternoon in the Natural History Museum where we went back in time to the dinosaur era, the only downside of the trip was there just wasn’t enough time to see everything as we had planned a night at the theatre. After a quick change we set off for the Adelphi theatre to see Joseph, the atmosphere in the theatre was out of this world. All the young people commented that it had been a wonderful show and experience for them all.

The following morning it was time to pack our bags and for the weary travellers to return north. We had been all surprised by the huge, busy, diverse capital with its mix of nationalities and cultures. We were proud of the way we had been able to navigate our way through the underground and busy tube stations. Our visit to Parliament had given us a real education and insight into the history, status and power of government.

In conclusion it was a marvellous and enlightening experience which we will not forget in a hurry.

A group of 8 members of the Derwentside Connexions Youth Forum and their Connexions advisers Paul, Carole and Cath took part in a three day visit to London to find out more about how government works in relation to young people. This visit was a follow up from previous work on local democracy and a workshop facilitated by Duncan Barnett on Knife Crime. Funding to enable the group to undertake the trip was gained by making a presentation for the Youth Opportunities Fund to show what we hoped to learn from the visit.

The group set out early from Derwentside and travelled via train to London Kings Cross and across the hectic underground network to our hotel: The Royal National Hotel situated in Russell Square. The first port of call was Leicester Square were we had a lunch and met a TV celebrity; as you do in these sorts of places! [Stephen Mulhern, who was filming an episode of his new CITV television programme ‘Tricky TV’ at Leicester Square]. After Lunch we headed for Trafalgar Square for where Nelson provided the perfect backdrop for a photoopportunity.

Totally in our tourist stride, we went on a Thames River Cruise followed by a ‘flight’ on the London Eye in perfect weather over the glittering sights of London. After mountains of Pizza and with the clock approaching 10pm we wearily made our way back to the hotel for some well deserved shut eye.

The second day was our chance to visit Westminster to meet the local MP for North Durham: Hilary Armstrong. We had to go through a security point and then entered the historical Great Hall. We were introduced to our guide who had a fantastic sense of humour who showed us around parliament taking in the House of Lords and House of Commons. It was a real eye opener for for us as we were educated on the history of Parliament and how bills are passed and debated; we were even able to lean against the despatch box. The group found Hilary Armstrong to be very approachable and easy to chat to, they enjoyed the opportunity to ask questions of their local MP and thought politics was a very interesting subject. Who knows? We might have a Prime Minister in waiting amongst us! .

Leaving Westminster we headed towards Whitehall and stopped for a moment of quiet reflection at the Cenotaph before heading to Horse Guards Parade for another photo opportunity. We spent the remainder

More pictures and information from the Question and answer session with Hilary Armstrong can be found on our website: www.help4teens.co.uk

www.help4teens.co.uk

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T! A C a get , 16 under If you’re

You can travel all day on all public transport in Tyne and Wear for just £1 if you have an U16 Child All-day Ticket (U16 CAT).

The single child fare is 50p, so use the U16 CAT as a return ticket – or make several journeys with it and save loads of money! So, if you travel to school and back by bus or Metro, buy a ticket in the morning and you’ll be able to use it on your way home too. Or if you go back to your friend’s house after school before you go home, or perhaps pop to the shops, your £1 CAT will still get you there.

And the CAT can be even better value at weekends and in school holidays, when you have more time to get out and about – use it to meet up with friends or visit your Gran, go shopping or to the cinema, get your hair cut or get to the seaside.

You’ll need to show your Under 16 Card to be able to buy the U16 single fare or U16 CAT – so if you haven’t got one, get an application form from any Nexus TravelShop or at nexus.org.uk.

So all you need to do is buy a CAT at the start of your day, keep it safe, and wherever the day takes you, as long as you’re in Tyne and Wear, you won’t have to worry about having enough money for fares.

And how about if I’m 16 or over?

Have a look at www.how2get2.co.uk. It’s aimed at 16-18 year old students and includes timetable information for buses, scholars services and Metro, as well as news items about public transport that are relevant to you.

You can sign up to be sent an email if there are delays on Metro, or renew your Teen Travelticket or 16-18 Metro Student Card online. And if you need to get somewhere you’ve not been before, use the online Journey Planner to help you get there.

How2get2.co.uk will also help you find the Metro station closest to your school or college – and the timetable for that station.

Most students travel on normal buses. But around 80 schools are served by special

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www.HOW2GET2.co.UK

Scholars Services, paid for by Nexus to fill in gaps in the bus network. To find out which buses serve your school, use the journey planner on how2get2.co.uk. Your school/college should also have information about the buses that you could use.

There are a wide range of tickets which can be used on Metro, Shields Ferry, bus and local rail services or on a combination of them all. The tickets section of how2get2.co.uk will help you work out which is the best one for you to buy, depending on which type of transport you’re using and how often you’re travelling. There are special season tickets if you just use one type of transport (eg the 16 -18 Metro Student Card if you just use Metro) or the Teen Travelticket if you use more than one type/all types of public transport. All the information and links you’ll need will be on how2get2.co.uk.

Want to keep up to date?

Sign up to receive our brand new enewsletter - News from Nexus - and we’ll keep you up to date with what’s happening on public transport – from news about bus services and how to get to major events in the area to improvements at Metro stations and information about new tickets And (if you’re over 16) you’ll automatically be entered into a prize draw to win £250!! Just go to nexus.org.uk and sign up today!

“There are a wide range of tickets which can be used on Metro, Shields Ferry, bus and local rail services or on a combination of them all”

For more information about the right ticket for you – and for how to get to where you want to go – go to how2get2.co.uk

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All you need to know about driving...

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www.dvla.gov.uk

It is illegal to drive a vehicle without an appropriate, valid licence. Once you have passed your test, your licence remains valid until you are 70 (but it can be take away for driving offences or medical reasons). A licence to drive one type of vehicle does not automatically allow you to drive another type of vehicle.

what ages can you ride and drive different types of vehicles? n n

n

n

14 - You can ride an electrically powered cycle.

16 - You can ride a moped up to 50ccs, drive small tractors, mowing machines. or an invalid car. If you receive mobility allowance you are also allowed to drive a car.

17 - You can drive a car with up to 8 passengers, a motorcycle, a large tractor and vans or lorries up to 3.5 tons.

18 - You can drive vans or lorries up to 7.5 tons.

Learning to drive a car You must have a provisional licence before you can start learning to drive. You can get an D1 application form for a provisional licence from your local post office or you can apply online at www.direct.gov/motoring When you have a provisional licence you must display ‘L plates’ whilst driving, and you must be accompanied by someone who has held a valid UK driving licence for at least 3 years and who is over 21 years old. You must not drive on a motorway until you have passed your test.

The driving test is split into two sections, a written theory test and a practical test. You have to pass your theory test before you take your practical. The theory test is made up of 50 multiple-choice questions and you have 40 minutes to take the test. You can sit the theory test in any of the 140 test centres in the UK. You can also book your theory and practical tests through the DSA (Driving Standards Agency) or at www.direct.gov/motoring

Driving a motorbike Like car drivers, motorcyclists have to take both a written theory test and a practical test to gain a full licence. Before you can learn to ride a motorcycle on public roads you must complete a Compulsory Basic Training Course.

Who can help Your local post office can give you the right form for the vehicle you want to drive and show you which sections you need to fill in.

The DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) can confirm if you are eligible to apply for a particular licence. Visit their website at www.dvla.gov.uk or have a look at www.direct.gov/motoring You can practise your driving theory test online for free at www.dsa.gov.uk/mockpaper/theoryintro.htm and you can practise the multiple choice part of the theory test at www.theory-tests.co.uk

“The driving test is split into two sections, a written theory test and a practical test. You have to pass your theory test before you take your practical”

www.direct.gov/motoring

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feel like doing something more adventurous this summer?

Yes? Then get ready for an adventure that’ll be bigger, wilder and more exciting than you can possibly imagine!

Expedition

Kayaking

hlands

ary

ovey estu

on the D

With Outward Bound® you could be trekking up mountains and crossing lakes, climbing to breathtaking summits and abseiling down rock faces. All with the help of an expert instructor, so along the way you’ll learn impressive new skills and face exciting new challenges.

Kerry-Anne, 15, experienced a one week Adventure Unlimited course last summer, ‘It was the best week of my life. I enjoyed every second of it and actually really enjoyed the camping! I’m proud that I tried everything and I have become stronger and more independent.

Never turn down an opportunity like this – you’ll love it, have fun and make new friends. I’d do it over and over again!’

You can also make new friends and meet young people from all over the world as you camp out in some of the most incredible locations in the UK. Mel,19, took part in The Classic and found the expedition to be the highlight of her Outward Bound adventure, ‘The most challenging and rewarding experience for me was the expedition, climbing the 3rd highest mountain in Britain and camping out overnight – it was incredible! I felt a sense

of immense personal achievement, but also an amazing sense of group togetherness.’

The Outward Bound Trust is a charity whose aim it is to help young people realise their potential through discovery and adventure in the wild. The Trust can help you fundraise and provide financial support towards the cost of your course.

Overnight

Camping

Highlights n Can qualify you for elements of the Duke of

Edinburgh’s Gold Award

n Enhance your CV and support your

university application

n Centres in The Lake District, The

Highlands and Snowdonia

n Choose from 1 or 3 week adventures

For more information on real adventures, contact The Outward Bound Trust on 01931 740000 or email enquiries@outwardbound.org.uk

® Outward Bound and the Compass Rose are each registered trademarks of The Outward Bound Trust.

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in The Hig

www.outwardbound.org.UK

www.thewaytogoonline.co.uk

n EDUCATION n CAREERS n LIFESTYLE

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