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Editor ’s Welcome

Here at Mojatu, we’re committed to raising awareness of the adversity faced by disadvantaged communities in Nottingham. For this issue, we’ve covered a number of different challenges including sexism, Islamophobia, poverty, inequalities within the criminal justice system, and problems faced by neurodivergent people and those living with chronic mental health disorders.

When trying to understand and overcome these issues, it’s important to recognise that they aren’t always mutually exclusive. ‘Intersectionality’ is a key illustrative term here, and refers to how the various facets of a person’s identity can overlap and often multiply the discrimination they may face. We’ve explored this concept in a number of different articles throughout the magazine, and hope that this information will help to signpost any support available and inspire greater compassion among allies and positive bystanders.

In addition, we’re always considering ways that we ourselves can help people to overcome these challenges. Our cover story for this issue is all about our new pro-bono law clinic, established to provide free legal assistance for vulnerable people who may be struggling to pay their fees. You can find out more about this excellent new initiative directly from lawyer Peter Makossah on page 12. However difficult things may seem, it’s crucial to make time to celebrate the positives, and there are plenty more uplifting stories to enjoy in this issue, too. Our neighbours at the Marcus Garvey Day Centre have been keeping busy with a programme of exciting events, Black culture was championed around the city for Black History Month, and community figures – including a few from Mojatu –received due recognition at the Black Achievers Awards. We hope you enjoy reading everything on offer in this latest issue.

Jamie Morris Managing Editor (Derby)

Editorial

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Contributors: Angela Wathoni I Ann Waruga

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‘DON’T BE THAT GUY’ - POLICE URGE MEN TO QUESTION THEIR BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS WOMEN

- By Caroline Mwangi

Men are being encouraged to question their attitudes and behaviours towards women as part of a hard-hitting police campaign on sexual violence.

Nottinghamshire Police’s latest crime prevention campaign explores one of the root causes of violence against women – the attitudes and behaviours of men.

Building on an award-wining initiative by Police Scotland, the force is urging men to ask questions about their own actions and language towards women – and also to challenge inappropriate and misogynistic behaviour by friends. The That Guy campaign is built around a video featuring a series of local actors from Bilborough College. The video highlights some common male behaviours that can later lead to sexual offences against women.

Detective Chief Inspector Claire Gould, tactical lead for violence against women and girls at Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Sexual violence by men against women is so often the result of attitudes and behaviours that are learned over a long period of time.

“As this video makes clear those behaviours aren’t always overtly aggressive in nature, but they can contribute to a wider culture that demeans, belittles and objectifies women. “Left unchecked those behaviours – from wolf-whistling and name calling to the sending of unsolicited explicit images – can create a sense of male entitlement that could

potentially lead to acts of sexual violence.

“An example that immediately comes to mind is around consent and the pressuring or cajoling of partners or dates into sexual activity. This kind of behaviour not only shows a lack of respect and understanding for others – it could also lead to a criminal prosecution and all the consequences that come with that. “Ultimately sexual violence against women starts long before most people think it does, often with small acts of contempt and disregard for the feelings of others.

“This video does a great job of highlighting and challenging those behaviours and I am grateful to our colleagues at Police Scotland for allowing us to build on their original concept, which has rightly won multiple awards.”

The video, produced by Nottingham’s Take 1 Studios and released to coincide with national White Ribbon Day, features a series of young men

posing questions to viewers and challenging them to consider whether their own behaviour makes them ‘That Guy’ who is part of a wider problem.

YouTube link to the video: https://youtu.be/d2xuPygdYyY Chief Inspector Gould added: “It should go without saying that most men do not behave in the ways described in this video, but all men can be part of the solution by looking in the mirror and thinking more closely about how they, their friends and their family talk about and treat women.”

Gavin Gordon, an actor and Take 1 teacher who also appears in the video, said: “This is such an important message, and I was delighted that we were able to help in the production of this video.

“What I really like about it is the way it really makes you think about and question your own behaviour and your own attitudes, and the way it makes you think about the experiences of women.

A COUNTRY WHERE THE WEALTH DIVIDE IS TOO BIG, BUT THE FAITH IS STRONG

- By Ophelie Lawson

Sierra Leone, Freetown.

I landed with my daughter in Freetown, Sierra Leone. We have been here for 3 weeks now. Adjusting to a totally different culture and a country always take me a few days. So, we spent the first weeks really getting settled.

Freetown is an interesting town. It is a beautiful African city by the sea, surrounded by beautiful nature, trees, stunning beaches, everywhere.

But it’s also a very busy city, sometimes overcrowded, many people from rural areas have had to migrate to the capital for many reasons, like access to electricity. It’s also a city that is still recovering from a civil war that ended about 18 years ago.

Every day, as much as you can enjoy the beauty of Freetown, you are also exposed to extreme poverty. The disparity is big here. The divide between the elite and the working class is visible. The working class mostly lives in Slums. Mostly because even though they work, their earning the minimum, and cannot afford the now rising prices of pretty much everything, from the rising cost of housing, to petrol and food.

The minimum wage is the equivalent of $65 dollars which in pounds is the equivalent to £57.49 per month.

But here, for a house, you are spending around $3000 per year, (£2700), so around £225 per month for housing. For tourists, the price is higher, people have to make profit to survive, so they are using tourism as a way of surviving. But often, the one that come here seem to be able to afford housing prices but take advantages of the low minimum wage. Many of those people, but not only, are from the West.

Capitalism is an economic system that breeds competition between countries and perpetuates poverty amongst developing nations because of individual interests of private corporations/bodies from more developing country rather than the need of people and workers.

Capitalism normalises the exploitation of people in developing countries. And most people in the West are benefiting from it, but they do not even realise that most of what they have was not made

in Europe, it was made in developing country where minimum wages are worth not much and people are being exploited by huge corporate companies that are making huge benefits.

I believe in emerging ideas solutions centred around driving populations/communities out of poverty and not in exploiting them.

But when it comes to the idea of Africa in the media, the way the mainstream media is portraying Africa as poor and corrupted, it is driving the attention away from the reality here, and the way Africans are still being taking advantages. And there seem to be no solutions centred around ending poverty but mostly on how to exploit them. Hello capitalism.

What brought me to Freetown, Sierra Leone, is a National girl Summit organised by an all women team lead organisation called the Girl advocacy development network, working on women empowerment in the country. The CEO, Hannah Kargbo, the daughter of a priest ….

So, over the past few weeks, I have been gathering stories of young black girls who have achieved so much and have come from really unprivileged and poor background, some coming from very rural areas, and who are now all fighting for women and young women right, and working every day on women empowerment.

What stroked me the most in those few days is also how despite the living conditions of most working people, the Sierra Leones are friendly, community centred, welcoming and are fierce believers.

From early morning to late at night, you will hear them celebrate their faith.

A WORLD ON THE UNSPOKEN RISE OF ISLAMOPHOBIA - By

Ophelie Lawson

Every definition of islamophobia possesses the same striking similarity: the ‘dislike’, or prejudice, against Islam or Muslims. On Islamophobia, there is no one single right definition. Islamophobia is the fear of Islam or the fear of those who dare to practice Islam. It is the fear of a religion. It is the fear of any people who might believe in Islam and support its practice.

In an article written by the BBC‘What is Islamophobia?’ the author refers to the phenomenon by first asking a significant question:

The term Islamophobia has a wide meaning, it induces negative sentiments feeding from one’s fear and anti-Islam/Muslim views to society, and discrimination towards Muslims in our society. Islam is not a nationality, neither a race, it is a religion, a set of ideas, and criticism of this religion, of Islam as a set of ideas is now being confused with a hostility toward people.

The term Islamophobia is a neologism formed from the word Islam and the suffix –phobia, which translates as ‘aversion to –‘. In other words, the aversion to Islam. (Science train, 2018)

Recent events regarding terrorism and affecting the UK, and in a wider scale Europe, along with the British media’s coverage of those issues, have drawn attention to the ambiguous term of Islamophobia and to the behaviours of people regarding the Islam community. Academic research into the British media reporting and behaviours towards those recent events have led to concerns about the rise of the phenomenon of Islamophobia and anti-Muslims attacks. When it comes to terrorism, it is often associated with Islam, and this negative association is dominating in media reporting on terrorism.

The public debate on Islamophobia is rather important now than it was a decade ago, and this is only due to the fact that the recent events that we saw happening all over Europe and the high migration flow have become a preoccupation for European countries.

A key concern is that Islamophobia, or the behaviour of non-Muslims against Muslims, tend to have confounding similarities with racism. The rapid

transformation in the behaviour of the British society against Muslims over the last decade -in relation to their religion and cultural identity-, has provided enough proof to the emergence of what we can call a new form of racism.

The media did play, and is still playing, a big role in the increase of Islamophobia: it perpetuated it. And it has given favourable circumstances for the rebound of anti-Muslim crime and violence. Media representations of minorities matter deeply, how they get represented, who and what. Muslims tend to be represented in a negative and concerning way. And they are also the subject of public anxiety.

The phenomenon of Islamophobia in itself is not a new phenomenon. As a matter of fact, Islamophobia was already present in the UK before the events of 9/11. Rather than relating to Islamophobia as a recent and modernised issue, it should be referred to, as of after 9/11, as an upsurge.

Which was the evolution of yet already existing patterns of anti-Muslims racism in this country. Many journal articles published in this century have attempted to give an account and examine the climate of Islamophobia in the last decade leading up to the event of 9/11 in Western countries.

COMMUNITY IN SHOCK AFTER FIRE KILLS MOTHER AND TWO YOUNG CHILDREN - By

Jack Dixon

Communities in and around Clifton have been left in shock in the wake of the horrific killings of Fatoumatta Hydara, 28, and her two young children, 3-year-old Fatimah Drammeh and 1 year old sister Naeemah.

They leave behind husband and father Aboubacarr Drammeh, who was in the US at the time of the attack, and Grandmother Aminata Dibba who had seen her just a day before. Aboubacarr describes the aftermath of the tragedy as ‘the hardest week of my life’ as he rushed to fly back to the UK on his birthday to identify his family.

The family were planning to eventually join Aboubacarr to start a new life in the United States and were remaining in Nottingham whilst they waited for their Visas to be approved.

Fatoumatta was a well-known and active member of both the local Gambian and Muslim communities in Nottingham. She worked as a voluntary worker from the age of 17, at one point working for St Johns ambulance service helping to deliver babies.

She was known as a very giving and faithful person to many. Her funeral was held at Baitul Hafeez

Mosque in Sneinton Dale and was attended by over 200 people who paid tribute to her vibrant, bubbly, and generous nature.

Members of her family flew in from across the world to pay tribute to their lost loved one and support the family’s father and grandmother. The local Gambian community have set up a fundraising page for Fatoumatta’s family on GoFundMe to help cover the costs of their funeral and help the victim’s family rebuild their lives after such a tragic attack.

The police arrested and charged neighbour of the family, 31-year-old Jamie Barrow, with arson and the murder of the young family. Police have not yet confirmed a possible motive for the attack, or connection between the victims and the perpetrator, though many within the local community are suggesting that this crime bears similarities to a racially motivated hate crimesomething the police have so far dismissed.

Barrow appeared at Nottingham Crown court, an hour late to his hearing, where he was informed that his trial would take place in May of 2023. He said nothing except to confirm his name and address to the court.

DOES SIERRA LEONE, FREETOWN GET THE MEDIA COVERAGE THAT IT DESERVES?

- By Ophelie Lawson

Prior to my trip to Freetown, Sierra Leone, I went on Google to do some research on the capital of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It was my first time embarking on a journey on the West Coast of the continent.

When doing my google search on Sierra Leone though, I noticed how most of the media coverage was mostly focus on negative stories, on what the country is doing wrong and on how much people here are suffering. One of the articles I came across even talked about Sierra Leone being one of the poorest countries in the world.

Although covering important issues is important for one country’s development, highlighting the progress of that same country is just as essential when it comes to development.

For many years, African countries have not had the media coverage it deserves. Often painted by the West as being corrupted and poor, Western mainstream media does not give justice to the beauty and the diversity of the African country.

For Marion, broadcast journalist for Afri Radio in Freetown, Sierra Leone, her country does not get the coverage that it deserves.

“For Sierra Leone, after our 11 years of rebel war, and Ebola, when you listen to international media institutions what you will hear about Sierra Leone is most of the time negative because of those issues we had. I do believe that some of our reporters based in European countries have not been propagating the positivity and beauty of Sierra Leone, the good things about this country, when it comes to tourism, tradition and all.

International media houses or institutions have been reporting on issues that have been happening that are negative, like Ebola and the overstand accident, the protest that happened during summer. But when it comes to gains that Sierra Leone has made over the year you will not see a lot of it, internationally”

It is true that over the last few years, the country has been dealing with important issues and recovering from their civil war and from Ebola, but it has also been making important improvements like their fight against corruption.

“Here at Afri Radio, we have been making good use of the internet, our radio is on the internet app, we are trying to work on podcast, we often go live on Facebook, and we have been having comments all over the world, that’s the little we can do for now, sharing the goods things that have been happening in Sierra Leone using the internet to spread the word”

Recently, I was invited to a National Girl summit with more than 200 attendees. Amongst the attendees were the First lady of the country and delegates from all over the African continent.

It was the 3d edition of the summit and the theme was Her voice Her words. The summit had the objective to celebrate women and young girl all over the country. And it is not the first time that an event takes place like this in Sierra Leone.

Many young girls and women have been advocating for women’s rights and for women empowerment all over the country. But sadly, it is not events like this that make the news when it comes to Sierra Leone.

GENDER INEQUALITY IS FORCING AFRICAN WOMEN TO FACE THE STORM - By

Pa Modou Faal

Despite being at the forefront of local adaptation strategies, women are ignored in most climate actions.

Aimée-Noël Mbiyozo, Senior Research Consultant, Migration, ISS

Women are disproportionately impacted by climate change due to gender inequalities and gender roles and responsibilities. They are 14 times more likely than men to die in a climate catastrophe and make up 80% of people displaced due to climate change.

The international community has made strides in recognising that climate action must consider gender equality. But this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) was another missed opportunity to advance meaningful gender participation.

Despite bearing the brunt of climate change effects, women comprised less than 34% of the COP27 negotiating teams. Of the 110 heads of state attending, only eight were women. At COP26 in 2021, women comprised 38% of delegates (the highest yet) but accounted for only 24% of the speaking time. While a Gender Action Plan was discussed at COP27, the final text was watered down, lacked proper resourcing, and continued to leave women and girls on the margins.

Climate change exacerbates vulnerabilities and exposes underlying discrimination. Gender inequality makes women and lesbians, gay people, bisexual people, and transgender people more vulnerable to climate change impacts.

There are three interconnected ways in which climate change affects women disproportionately. First, it adds to household burdens, threatens economic opportunities, and increases health risks for women. Second, women often don’t own land and third, they have declining water access.

Gender inequality causes women to be poorer, have less education and face more health risks than men. Labour markets are heavily gendersegregated, and women are employed primarily in low-paying and insecure occupations. They carry

a disproportionate unpaid work burden and rely more on natural resources and climate-sensitive sectors for their livelihoods than men.

In sub-Saharan Africa, women are responsible for 80% of food production, and more than 60% of all employed women work in agriculture. Despite their essential roles, women are less likely to own land or other productive assets. They typically access land through male relatives as labourers. Giving women land rights would significantly reduce the risk of displacement and increase crop productivity. And landowners are more likely to invest in improvement and have access to credit.

Approximately 250 million Africans live under extreme water stress. Women are most affected because water access is core to daily household labour, including cooking, washing, and caring for the ill, children and elderly.

Globally, women and girls spend almost 200 million hours collecting water each day. In water-scarce situations, they must travel further, which restricts their access to education, livelihoods, and safety. Women and girls have been exposed to sexual violence while walking long distances to access water, firewood, or other fuels.

Because they suffer most from climate change, women are often at the forefront of developing effective mitigation and adaptation strategies. Across Africa, they have emerged as leaders in coming up with solutions such as droughtresistant seeds, better soil management or guiding reforestation and restoration efforts.

Women still have less autonomy over their decision making, including migration choices. Gender norms and family responsibilities play a role, and women also have less access to resources and information than men to inform these decisions.

In family situations, men are most likely to migrate to earn an income, leaving women to carry the household burden. This involuntary immobility puts women at risk of climate change impacts because they are trapped while caring for households and children.

POWERING POPULATION STATISTICS WITH INNOVATION AND CONSISTENCY

Jen Woolford is Director of Population Statistics –Office for National Statistics

Census results are coming thick and fast but in parallel the Office for National Statistics is full steam ahead with new and established methods to shed light on population change since Census Day. With the census having taken place in unprecedented times of a pandemic, Jen Woolford explains how research to transform the whole population statistics system is reaching new milestones while official statistics shed light on times of domestic and global upheaval.

The census provides the best picture of society at a moment in time and in recent weeks we have seen fascinating detail of how our population make-up has changed between 2011 and 2021; how the number of usual residents born outside of the UK has increased, the percentage of us who are married or in a civil partnership has continued to go down and the first ever estimate of the vast scale of our armed forces veterans’ community. Next week there will be new information about ethnic groups, main languages, national identity and religion and a rolling programme of further topic summaries continues into the New Year, followed by a wealth of multivariate data and analysis.

While the census provides no shortage of fascinating insights – and are official statistics which underpin the whole population statistics system – it does so only once a decade. To address this, we are progressing with innovative research into creating more frequent, relevant, and timely population statistics. At the heart of this is making greater use of other existing Government data sources, known as administrative data. The addition of our ground-breaking research alongside our traditional official estimates means that the picture of population statistics is becoming more complex. We are therefore updating our population statistics sources guide to help users find the right statistics for them.

Research to inform a future system – measuring the population

In July we introduced the dynamic population model (DPM) – a modelling approach using a wide range of data sources – as our future proposal for

- By Pa Modou Faal

population estimates. Today, we have marked a milestone by publishing DPM research estimates for the population of 14 local authorities as of June 2022, including time-series data from 2011.

Data from Census 2021 are not used directly within the DPM but are used to compare against the results. As census data represent a snapshot of 21 March 2021, three months before mid-year, some differences can be expected. Our comparison shows the DPM estimates for 13 of the 14 local authorities were no more than 2.2% lower or 3.6% higher than Census 2021 estimates.

These are research outputs, not official statistics, although our ambition is that the DPM will become a cornerstone of our transformed population statistics system. Early next year, we will publish an expansion of the research, producing DPM estimates for all local authorities in England and Wales, up to June 2022. I have previously described our proposal for the DPM – similar to the approach we use for Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – whereby historical data and real-time insights would be combined to produce more timely, provisional estimates that can later be revised when more upto-date data become available.

A key benefit of the DPM is that it is flexible and adaptive to the data we feed in. It is central to our ongoing research to identify and incorporate new and innovative “signal” data to provide early notice of emerging trends, such as a potential post-coronavirus pandemic drift of people back to inner city areas. For this reason, we are looking at how mobile phone usage, wastewater, and energy consumption can tell us about early population change.

Wider work towards a future system

Last month we added to our suite of administrative data research with new methods for developing property floor area statistics and in coming months you can expect to see further publications on the potential for measuring housing stock, income and ethnicity, including housing and income by ethnicity.

Read more https://tinyurl.com/4m5b2pky

MOJATU ESTABLISHES PRO-BONO LAW CLINIC

By Our Reporter

Spurred by the sheer need to help vulnerable people in need of legal services in Nottingham and surrounding areas but are unable to pay the fees, a humanitarian charity organisation, Mojatu Foundation, recently established a law clinic to provide free legal advice and assistance to the public. The clinic, which runs on Thursdays every week is aimed at providing the community of Nottingham and the surrounding locations with free advice and assistance in a number of areas of law, including immigration and citizenship law, family law, employment, and business law among others, providing a wider access to justice to refugees, Asylum Seekers, and the disadvantaged.

However, for emergency and urgent legal problems telephone consultations can be booked throughout the week. Asked why Mojatu decided to conduct an immigration clinic every week the organisation’s director of operations, Angela Wathoni said: “We noticed a growing and urgent need for an influx of community members, especially the vulnerable, who do not have the funds to get a lawyer in order to get advice.

“The immigration clinic would be to offer immigration advice to help and support to community members as well as refugees and asylum seekers in the community who may not have the funds to seek legal help and whose cases would not be covered by general legal aid.”

She said as an organisation whose prime goal it is rewarding

and fulfilling to know that Mojatu can help people struggling with legal problems and to provide assistance to that they would otherwise not have access to is satisfying.

Wathoni divulged that so far, the response has been exceptional in that the service users get clear ways and methods through free legal counsel of what they need to do next. She said: “We have service users who have been supported to obtain their leave to remain with this service and that is the contentment of seeing the people we have supported happy is far much greater.

Members of the public can book appointments through email by contacting Caroline Mwangi via a centralised email, caroline@ mojatu.com or walk in at Mojatu Foundation offices, Howitt

dedicated ourselves and our times to help the people facing legal problems but cannot afford to pay for legal fees for free as a way of giving back to the community.

“Humanity is the best gift we can give each other at all times because every person needs help in one way or the other. We are happy that we are making people happy through our little contribution to the community.”

Ngadi said apart from giving the clients free legal advice on various areas of law the Law Clinic also offers emotional support and counsel to the clients attending courts.

“Other than giving advice, we also offer support to Litigants-inPerson in Family Law matters at the Family Court at Nottingham and if a client is representing

TACKLING KNIFE CRIME IN NOTTINGHAM: A COMMUNITY EFFORT -

By Jack Dixon

Across the last few years, knife crime has been a visible problem not only in Nottingham, but across the country. Nottinghamshire currently has a rate of weapon possession offences that is 31% higher than the national average, and this number rises when you compare the stats for the city of Nottingham’s data. On the 19th of November, FMB Radio and the Mojatu Foundation were amongst a number of other local charities, policing representatives and community organisations invited to take part in a youth outreach event at Park Vale Academy, aimed at tackling knife crime affecting young people in the local community.

Organised by Romel Davis from Nottinghamshire police, it included a range of speakers and performers, in front of a packed auditorium, all united in their opposition to knife crime. Speakers minced no words describing the impacts of knife crime on theirs and their loved ones’ lives, calling on the police and local authorities to use all of the tools at their disposal to try and fight this crisis.

After the event, attendants came together to eat some amazing food, speak with one another, and talk to some of the local charities and community organisations working hard to provide young people with the resources and opportunities to help educate them against carrying knives.

Emotions ran high throughout the afternoon as speakers identified issues with the police and the wider community’s attitudes and

misconceptions around knife crime. The focus on gang-related knife crime was specifically called out by a number of speakers who pointed out most victims and perpetrators of knife crime had no direct connection to gang activity.

In reality, as much as 70% of stabbings across the country have nothing to do with gangs and organised crime, they are far more likely to be a result of personal conflicts that have spiralled out of control (often exacerbated by social media). One of the speakers, Alison Cope, argued that these kinds of misconceptions within the media and wider community contributes to our inability to properly fight knife crime.

The event aimed to bring light to knife crime in all its forms and how it can affect young people both directly and indirectly. Issues such as domestic violence and mistaken identity were also featured to bring light to the extent of the knock-on effects these crimes can have.

All voices were encouraged to speak freely about their experiences and what they believe should be done. Campaigners like Alison Cope from the Joshua Ribera foundation, Perry Blake from the 21 Up Movement and Sherilyn Cass all pointed out police, local authorities and schools’ shortcomings when trying to engage with and educate young people about the dangers of carrying knives and the impacts it can have on individuals beyond the victim and perpetrator.

Perry Blake specifically pointed out the restrictions he faced as someone who had formerly been involved in violent crime. When trying to engage with young people who were most at risk of following a similar path to him, he was faced with schools, charities and local authorities refusing him the ability to work with young people in his local community as a result of his criminal history. Blake argued that campaigners like him were some of the best placed people to seriously engage with at-risk young people as he is able to relate to their situations in ways that most cannot.

Coming away from the event, there was an overwhelming sense that the ways we try to mitigate knife crime desperately need to be overhauled. Police and local authorities need to start being more proactive in dealing with this crisis. Initiatives like bleed kits, amnesties and knife bins may help treat the symptoms of this issue but they do not treat the root cause.

By allowing campaigners who have been most directly involved and affected by knife crime to share their knowledge and experiences with young people, they can build relationships that can help draw young people away from these dangerous lifestyles. This is a national problem, but events like these shine an important light on what can be done on the local level to fight this crisis whilst giving us an opportunity to look inwards at our own failings in tackling the issue.

UNEQUAL HOUSING IN NOTTINGHAM: STUDENT ACCOMMODATIONS VS AFFORDABLE HOMES

- By Joshua Brown

Are they really making affordable homes or are they just rinsing students of their loans

I am here to find out

Nottingham is a special city, its third in the country for transport links behind only Liverpool and London, it boasts a plethora of retail outlets and restaurants. It’s community driven…or at least so the council says.

There are a few programmes the council has in place that appear to do good work, for instance the affordable housing contributions arising from purpose-built student accommodation. Which means

that student accommodations with above 50 bed spaces have to pay a fee on each one. Nottingham has the second highest number of student bedrooms in the UK coming in at 9’973, the first being London of course.

This figure is only for purposebuilt accommodations. Further research showed me that 1 in every 14 properties in Nottingham is a student one. 12.5% of the population are students, leaving a vast majority questioning the certainty of homes in the city.

Everywhere you go, you can see endless blocks of student

accommodations, even ones in the process of being built, and yet how often do you see affordable homes being built for regular residents.

Despite the council’s talk of levelling up and their contributions arising from student housing we aren’t seeing much balance. Balance is something people have been calling for. Recently there has been works started on 82 affordable houses, that consist of a number of flats and 2-to3-bedroom homes. At the same time there are currently 3087 student bedrooms under construction.

IS STOP-AND-SEARCH RACIALLY MOTIVATED?

- By Joshua Brown

In 2013, a report concluded that the Nottinghamshire Police force was perceived as ‘institutionally racist’, the key issue being the stop and search powers. Now, nine years later in 2022, let’s take a look at how the police shape up now.

Almost half of all stops and searches are undertaken in the metropolitan area. Although that figure is surprising, these ones are worse. When you break down the stop-and-searches between April 2020 and March 2021 into the 18 separate ethnic groups in the UK there is a horrific picture painted.

For every 1000 white people in the UK, there are 7.5 stop-and-searches, that figure jumps to 52.6 for every 1000 black people. Let’s dissect this further. For white British, that number falls to 6.6 per 1000. The only reason the number is higher is because of searches conducted on white Irish at 8.4 per 1000, white Gypsy at 10.5 per 1000, and white other at 21.9 per 1000. This just goes to show that even slight ethnic and national deviations can make a difference.

However, the figures are outrageously disproportionate when it comes to Black ethnicities. Black African and Black Caribbean are searched 32.8 and 35.6 per 1000 respectively. For other Black ethnicities, it’s 158 per 1000. These figures

display perfectly why a majority of Black and ethnic minority groups are completely disillusioned with the police.

In 2017, 76% of Black people said they had confidence in the police; that figure fell to 64% in 2019. That’s a 12% decrease in just two years. Gender and age also showed to make a minimal difference with women and the older generations showing to have more faith in the police. The misuse of stop and search powers has brought to light the systemic racism of the police force, continuing to be firmly institutionalised even after several reports and dismissals.

This has in turn led to a dysfunctional policing system where the police are not trusted by the British public. There needs to be a huge shift in the rhetoric and massive reforms to stop and searches in order to counteract the effects institutional racism has had and to persuade the UK to trust the police again

You can make a complaint about the conduct of any police officer using the form on the IOPC (independent office for police conduct) website. Alternatively, you can make a complaint directly to the force via the drop-down box on the IOPC website: https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/complaintsreviews-and-appeals/make-complaint

MUSIC’S CLASS DIVIDE IS ONLY GETTING WORSE -

By Jack Dixon

Twenty years ago, music was one of Britain’s proudest exports. Since as early as the 1960s British acts have been shaping global music trends, artists like the Beatles, David Bowie and Oasis have consistently made their mark on global music culture. This had been done with remarkable representation among the UK’s working class, for years the music industry gave working class people the opportunity to have their voices heard across the country, and the world. These opportunities have now all but disappeared in the last 20 years, and with it the level of relevance on global music culture the UK once enjoyed. What’s left is a music industry that suffers from systematic exclusion of working-class acts as a result of a lack of educational resources, rampant nepotism, lack of financial support and collapse of small independent venues that working class acts once relied on to start their career.

As early as 2010, people have begun to point out that those who were privately educated were beginning to dominate the charts. There had been a major shift since the mid-1990s where charts were dominated by working class acts like the Stone Roses, Oasis and Blur to today where the biggest names like Coldplay, Mumford and sons and Dua Lipa were all privately educated or from wealthy and connected backgrounds. What little remains of working-class representation in UK music comes almost entirely from a single school - The BRIT school, where

acts like Amy Winehouse, Adele and Rizzle Kicks all studied. The success of acts from this school should not be the exception to the rule when looking at which socio-economic backgrounds are represented in the industry.

I’m not arguing that this necessarily undermines the merit of the music produced by welloff/privately educated acts, but it’s undeniable that they have had opportunities afforded to them that many equally talented artists wouldn’t have. Successive governments under both major parties have consistently failed to recognise the importance of promoting accessibility within the arts and much of the crisis can be attributed to governments’ simply not viewing music education as a priority.

When I began researching how funding for music education has changed over the last 20/30 years, I was genuinely taken by surprise at the extent of cuts made. First, local authority funding for music education fell by half between 1990 and 2010, then central government funding was put through a round of cuts due to austerity policies under the Cameron government and most recently, the education secretary proposed cutting higher education music subsidies by half which was labelled as ‘catastrophic’ by representatives of the Musicians’ Union. Over the last twenty years successive governments have continually stripped music education funding to its bare bones. It has actually reached the point that A-level music may disappear as

a qualification by 2033 if funding continues to decline in the way it has. If government policy continues in this direction, it will almost certainly prove disastrous for any remaining working/lower middle-class representation within the industry. Ordinary children as a whole will have limited access to any quality musical education through the state sector and will have to rely on self-funding throughout their musical education.

The need to self-fund doesn’t even end with artists’ education if anything it worsens when acts leave education. Without a label to help fund touring, producing an album and promotion, artists are often required to selffund or apply for grants, this naturally gives those from welloff backgrounds an advantage. Though this would have also been true 30 years ago, what has changed is that the cost of self-funding has increased dramatically, with no action taken by the government or the industry to alleviate the pressures on struggling artists. In the last 10 years there have been huge waves of closures of small independent venues which were traditionally a lifeline for small acts trying to grow their audience. Between 2004-2019 around 20% of all small venues closed, now consider the impact of the COVID pandemic and the current inflation crisis we are facing and it does not bode well for many of the remaining small venues that we have left.

Read more https://tinyurl. com/2ypfupas

NEW RECRUIT JUGGLING POLICE CAREER WITH PASSION FOR FOOTBALL - By

Pa Modou Faal

A trainee police officer has revealed how she juggles her new career with a passion for football as a player for Nottingham Forest.

Police Constable Amy Colledge plays the game at elite level and says the teamwork, dedication, and fitness skills she has acquired at Forest are a perfect grounding for life as a cop. Twenty-threeyear-old Amy, who passed out as an officer at a ceremony on Friday (25 November 2022), says she now hopes to represent the national police team.

“I won’t deny it is tiring to juggle the police training with football,” Amy said. “But I love the challenge and am fully prepared for starting my career as an officer. During training I have been busy 9-5 in the week, having Saturday as a day off and then playing for Forest on Sunday. “Teamwork is vital for football and as a police officer. There is so much to learn in terms of problem solving that can only be achieved by working as a team.”

Amy, who will join a response team after completing her training, says the 21-strong cohort which passed out this week have worked as a team throughout and the atmosphere in class has been ‘fantastic’. Originally from Cheshire, left wing-back Amy previously played for Manchester City and Stoke City and has also completed a degree and a masters in exercise physiology at Nottingham Trent University.

Amy says she has faced stereotyping and discrimination in her football career - but this has not stopped her achieving

her goals. “It can be difficult but it does give you a thick skin and determination to succeed,” she said. “It has also helped with the training in terms of my ability to deal with conflict.”

Members of the latest cohort have joined the ranks at Nottinghamshire Police after completing the force’s internal training course to become a police constable.

Amy and the other new recruits have come through the Initial Policing Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP), which allows nongraduates to join as a constable and complete the force’s internal training course.

The programme includes a variety of workshops, seminars, on-thejob training and mandatory health and safety modules to prepare them for being a frontline officer.

The passing out parade was overseen by Chief Constable Craig Guildford, who said it was an honour to welcome Amy and

the other new recruits on one of his final days with the force before taking the top job at West Midlands Police.

Mr Guildford said:

“I am delighted to welcome PC Colledge into our ranks, and she is already showing tremendous promise. “She is absolutely correct in citing the values of teamwork and dedication to the role, which underpin everything we do as a force. “This was the final passing out parade I will oversee with Nottinghamshire Police.

It has been an honour to welcome hundreds of new recruits during my time as Chief Constable and these parades are something I have always looked forward to.

“We continue to recruit. A fully resourced police force helps us fight crime more effectively and is exactly what local people want.

“The new officers we are continuing to recruit are vital to supporting the work we do all year round to prevent and reduce crime in Nottinghamshire.”

WE NEED TO MAKE EDUCATION MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE COMING FROM POOR BACKGROUND

- By Ophelie Lawson

Freetown, Sierra Leone

0n May 2018, President Julius Maada Bio launched his programme of free education for primary and secondary school children, fulfilling one of his key election pledges.

He promised free education and he was there to implement it.

In Sierra Leone, Freetown, the state is now covering tuition fees and most teaching materials and parents are being threatened in some cases if they do not send their children to school.

But even though education is free, is it still easily accessible for young children coming from rural areas and unprivileged families ?

“For girls coming from the provinces it’s not always easy to access education” says Marrah, founder of Marah youth empowerment, an organisation teaching skill to young girl who do not have access to education so that they can reach some financial independence. “A lot of family in the province have had to send their children to the cities so they can go to school”

“There is some cases however where the children would be send to family members who promised to look after them, but once there they are forced to go sell goods in the city and are deprived of school”

“This happened to one of the girls in my neighbourhood, she was sent to the city and when she arrived she was used to sell, so she decided to run away and go back to the village”

“A lot of teachers have also been complaining about not being paid in time by the government or having their salary upheld. Although the government has been trying to make education better it is still not doing everything that it has to do. The government cannot advertise free education then go on depriving the teachers from their salary. They also have families to look after.”

“Teachers not being paid has also cause a lot of teachers trying to get money from their pupils through bribery. Such as if you want to pass my class then you have to pay me.”

“Education is a key to success but the alternative to it

is to learn skills. A lot of successful people have more skills that they have education. From many people who do not have access to education, having skills is what can help them sustain themselves and their family.

Early marriage for young girls is still something that is happening a lot in the country because of young girls being unable to afford going to school, their family not being able to cover costs for school uniform, transportation, and daily lunch.

“A lot of people in the province do not have enough to send their kids to school so they set up their young girls for early marriage. Once they are married most of their husband refuse them any education and become the main bread winner of the family. Girls from the age of 15, 16.”

“For me education was accessible, but it was no easy. I come from a very poor family and my mom was a single mother. To get money to help send us to school my mom went through a lot of abuse from asking people. But my mom really wanted us to get an education so we can offer more to our children.”

“Because of the things I saw my mother go through, I decided to support other young women, so they never have to go through things like this.”

Marrah was lucky enough to have access to education. For her higher education, she had to work for herself to be able to cover tuition fees. But not everyone has this opportunity.

WHY WE NEED TO INTRODUCE MORE ECO FRIENDLY OPTIONS FOR MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS TO AFRICAN COUNTRIES

- By Ophelie Lawson

Nowadays, there are several eco-friendly menstrual products available.

For so long, women were told that when it comes to our period, there are only two options: the expensive pads or the expensive tampons. Some might argue that it’s actually quite affordable and that I have nothing to moan about. But for many people on tight and low budgets and struggling to make ends meet, the amount they might spend on menstrual products can make a difference.

But it’s not only that. Are pads and tampons really the only options? And are they sustainable? The answer is no. But they are the more common ones: they generate profits.

For many people living in rural areas of African countries and coming from poor families, accessing menstrual pads is a real challenge. Although in developing countries there are many organisations campaigning and distributing sanitary pads, it is still not something accessible by most.

Menstruation is something women can not control, but yet, we have to pay for it. Fortunately for us, some women are changing the game. Women are asking for more options, and for the right to know what the hell they are putting inside their bodies.

While some are calling for FREE TAMPONS, and others trying to introduce bills that would make sanitary free and available in restrooms and schools across

their state, some are coming up with healthier, cheaper and more affordable alternatives.

So what are the other options then?

Periods are such personal affairs, but they also have environmental costs. On average, a woman will use between 11,000 and 17,000 tampons in her life, which is the equivalent of over 140 kg of waste. Per period, every woman throws away around 20 disposable sanitary components. And here goes our waste free environment. For tampons, it takes over 450 years to decompose. Tampons are not recyclable, and pollution is a serious problem.

The menstrual cup

With the menstrual cup, periods become environmentally friendly. One menstrual cup can replace up to 10 years worth of pads and tampons. It’s also chemical free (did you know that tampons and pads were full of harmful chemicals ?) and you are saving for years. They are really affordable, I bought mine for £15 online, and have been using it for 5 years now. The cups are made of reusable silicone using sustainable methods, and have a long lifetime. Some cups are meant to last for a maximum of 10 years. They are flexible and designed for use inside the vagina to collect menstrual blood, rather than absorbing it, in comparison to tampons or pads. Bye bye monthly expenses in sanitary items.

One of the best advantages of the

menstrual cup is that you can go up to 12 hours –in comparison to the 8 hours of a tampon- before emptying it.

The cups are easy to use once you get your head around it. Remember, nothing good comes easy, and the first uses might not be as straightforward as you might expect. But practice always makes good. And if menstrual cups are not for you, there are also other eco-friendly options available.

Period underpants

Other options include reusable period underpants. Also ecofriendly, they absorb your period blood and only require washing out. They are just like normal underwear and as thick as a swimming suit underpants. They contain an extra padding absorbing the menstrual blood. Pretty affordable, they’ll also save you lots of money.

Cloth menstrual pads

Another great eco-friendly option are cloth menstrual pads. Often made of organic cotton, they can last for up to 10 years and cost around £10 per pad. Have a look online and you’ll see the choices are many. And don’t worry about the environmental costs when it’s time to get rid of them, most of them are made from all-natural materials so will decompose.

WOLLATON HALL AND DEER PARK NAMED A TOP 10 UK PARK By Media Team

The park was voted by the public as a Top 10 UK park in the 2022 People’s Choice Awards.

The award, voted for by the public, is part of the Green Flag Award – the international quality mark for parks and green spaces – and recognises the nation’s top ten favourite parks.

Almost 18,000 members of the public took part in the vote to officially name Wollaton Deer Park and nine other high-quality green spaces as their favourite.

The news that Wollaton has achieved a People’s Choice Award comes after research conducted by Keep Britain Tidy shows that for parks to be able to contribute to improvements in health and wellbeing, they must be accessible, well-managed and maintained and offer something for everyone within the community.

Wollaton Deer Park really has everything, from adventure play areas to lots of trails, the botanical and formal gardens, the Lake, and so much more.

Councillor Audra Wynter, Portfolio Holder for Highways, Transport and Parks, said: “It’s fantastic news that Wollaton has been recognised in the Green Flag People’s Choice Awards.

“The whole team will be so happy and proud to have won this award. They really are a great team and put so much effort and passion into making the park a fantastic destination. I want to thank the staff and all the volunteers for their hard work and thank the public for voting for Wollaton as one of the UK’s best parks.”

Earlier this year, Nottingham had a record-breaking year winning more prestigious Green Flag Awards, a total of 71 flags – the most for any council outside of London.

The award is the international quality mark for parks and green spaces. With forty-one parks in the city, including Wollaton Deer Park being recognised as among the very best in the UK.

REFUGEE CRISIS OR POLITICAL CRISIS?

By Lubna Mushtaq

The majority of people in the world have experienced leaving their hometown. Perhaps they will merely travel to the next village or city. However, other people will be forced to leave their countries totally, probably for a short period of time, but occasionally for good. Refugees and asylum seekers flee war, internal unrest, and persecution by their own governments due to circumstances arising from issues such as their ethnic origins, political, religious, or social activities.

Refugees and asylum seekers are a diverse bunch, but they all have one thing in common: they are forced migrants fleeing persecution in their home countries. They can be unaccompanied children, single men and women, single parents, families with children, or older people who have left families behind.

Refugees come from a wide range of cultures, races, and countries around the world. According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the number of refugees and internally displaced individuals worldwide is estimated to be between 23 million and 50 million, with the latter figure including those who are not officially recognised.

In 2020, the UK authorities received asylum applications from 37,550 people (including dependants). This is around three times less than the number of applications received each year

by Germany (124,380), France (103,370) and Spain (108,225). Around 43% of people seeking asylum in the UK in 2020 were women and children. Overall, 8% were children who had arrived in the UK alone without a parent or guardian.

The terms asylum seekers and refugees are often interchanged and confused. Many do not know the difference between the two terms. A person who has left his/her country and is seeking protection from persecution and serious human rights violations in another country, but who has not yet been officially recognised as a refugee and is awaiting a judgement on their asylum claim, is known as an asylum seeker.

Asylum is a basic human right. This means that everyone should be free to seek asylum in another country. Asylum seekers may refer to themselves as refugees because that is their goal, but they are still considered asylum seekers while waiting for a verdict on their application for refugee status.

A refugee is a person who has fled his/her own country because he/she is at risk of serious human rights violations and persecution there. The risks to the safety and lives of refugees before they flee their countries were so great that they felt they had no choice but to leave and seek safety outside their home countries since their own government cannot or will not protect them from those

dangers. Refugees have a right to international protection. When refugees flee, they are registered with an official agency, such as a government or the United Nations. This allows them to gain access to state and international aid and assistance.

In an attempt to fulfil some of the physical and psychological health requirements of refugees and asylum seekers, a number of non-governmental health organizations around the UK provide an excellent service, often with very low resources. Mojatu Foundation is one such organisation based in Nottingham. It works together with this community and assists in the delivery of services to satisfy their requirements.

The foundation helps them by providing clothes, food donations, house appliances/ equipment, baby related products like toys, nappies etc. Mojatu also assists them in getting work and provides references for them as needed. Language problems prevent some refugees from going to a doctor, so help is provided by fixing an appointment with the doctor.

Mojatu offers free of cost English learning courses since speaking and understanding English language is the barrier for most of the refugees and asylum seekers.

Read more:

Nottingham connected

BONFIRE NIGHT

By Lynette Wairegi

Remember, the 5th of November

Fireworks shine brightly

Blinding the night-time moon

Remember Guy Fawkes

The guy who tried to blow up parliament

Well people say his soul is on the move

The smell of food wafted through the air

Hot chocolate being served

In the cold thin air

Children run around

With excitement in their eyes

As they see they colourful display

They ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’

Like there’s nothing in their way

Grown-ups laugh and chat

While the fireworks paint the canvas in their own way

Babies cry and play

Remember, the 5th of November

The guy who tried to blow up parliament

As the world celebrates bonfire night

As fireworks light the night sky

Happiness is in the air

Three cheers for bonfire night

A hip hip and double hoorays

Arts & Culture

REMEMBRANCE DAY

By Lynette Wairegi

In the field, the poppies grow

As people lower their heads

For those they still love

As silence is hanging in the air

One minute we dedicate for them

As we wear the poppies

Green and red

Their souls shine above us

Bowing their heads

On the 11th of November

The 11th month

And the 11th hour

Sadness fills the air

As we remember those who were there

In the Flanders Fields

Red poppies fill the air

Never forget

They are still there

You can’t see them

Nor can your friends

But if we believe

They are in our hearts

Forever and ever more

GRANDMOTHER TIME

By Sharon Stevens

No one talks about grief. I’ve been putting this off for some time. As hard as I tried, I could not put pen to paper. You may wonder why?

Writer’s block?

It’s not because I didn’t have time to write, although I am busy. Nor was it because I didn’t know what I wanted to write about. Nor did I have ‘writer’s block,’ not in the true sense, as the expression is known for. I was putting it off because my subject matter was painful. The reason why it was painful was that I wanted to write about grief.

Early experiences

My first encounter with grief was when a school friend died after being involved in a road traffic accident, she died at the scene while out Trick or Treating. I remember going to the church, sitting at the front in my school uniform but not really knowing what was going on. I have vague memories of the service and what happened after, but I remember crying my eyes out that night in bed.

I went to school, as usual, the following day, and nothing more was said about what had happened. I was just incredibly sad and continued to cry at night in bed. There was no counselling offered to us by the school or anyone else back then.

We were just left to get on with things. No one ever asked me how I felt about it. I didn’t really understand why I felt the way I did. No one took the time to explain what was happening. I just remember being sad for a

very long time. Even after all these years, I still think about her when I pass the area or occasionally on the 31st of October

In August (2020), I lost a dear friend – L. She was also once my sister-in-law. A woman whom people would often mistake as being my sister. This may have been because we were often seen together and had a close relationship. We spent most days together and then talked on the phone most of the evening, that wasn’t very good for our phone bills. We always had something to discuss.

At the time of her passing, I was already dealing with other losses. I’m not sure if dealing with it is the right word. But, yes, dealing with the loss of dear friends and family members, including the loss of my mother. You may ask why I am choosing to write about the subject of grief. The reason because most people rarely talk about it. It’s brushed under the carpet as if it does not exist.

Before having my children, I had several miscarriages. The women I knew, who were also pregnant, would avoid me or the subject when they eventually plucked up the courage to speak to me. When they finally gave birth, it was the same again. I would get that look.

The one of sadness with a mix of pity while trying to celebrate themselves. I remember feeling that I did not take that opportunity away from them every time they saw me. So, I would approach them myself and ask about their wellbeing

and their new baby.

I learned then that (for me) I needed to talk about the loss and that avoiding people just made it harder the next time you saw them. Sadly, these aren’t my only experience of death and loss, but I still prefer to talk about them.

I know that it might not be the way others may come to terms with their loss, but for me, it’s something that I need to do. In saying that, I realise that the person on the receiving end might not want to listen, so I have to be sensitive about who I choose to talk to.

Losing my mother, in fact, watching her journey out of this world was quite traumatic and the details of which I won’t share. Before that, my father. If you’ve been in that situation, you may understand. If you haven’t, I would suggest that it’s not something that you do lightly. It’s not something you do for yourself. It’s to bring comfort to the person you’re supporting or may even love.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: https://mojatu. com/2022/11/04/grandmothertime-5/

IS GRIME REALLY DEAD?

By Jack Dixon

At first glance, things do not look good for Grime. It seems to have lost the momentum and widespread appeal it enjoyed in the mid-late 2010’s. In the wake of the explosion in popularity of drill and ‘chill’ UK rap, it has struggled to draw in the same crowds it once used to.

Its most popular voices continue to be legends from older generations like Skepta, JME and Kano, while many of these voices have left the genre either to pursue different sounds, pursue careers outside of music, or in the case of Wiley, completely self-destruct what he had left of a career.

The genre has gone from drawing in figures like Kanye and Drake to openly embracing the Grime sound, to younger artists who once came up in the Grime scene now looking to other genres to find commercial success. Figures like Aitch even argue that ‘no one younger than me’s bothered about Grime’.

In its over 20 years of existence, Grime has had to deal with being labeled ‘dead’ and irrelevant’ multiple times, and every time the resilience of the genre has demonstrated its consistent appeal across musical generations. While it may seem a foregone conclusion at the moment, I believe that this dip in popularity is no exception and Grime will continue to have a strong underground scene at the very least and may even be able to break into the mainstream once again.

Throughout 2022, dance music has been growing steadily in popularity with major artists like Drake and Beyonce making explicitly dance-music records. Whilst I can’t claim that both these massive artists did this because of our shared love for Grime, what it does show is a wider cultural shift towards dance music and similar genres.

At its core, Grime derives its sound from the UK dance and rave scenes of Jungle, Garage and Dancehall and, as a result, it translates well into this new renaissance of dance music. Increasingly popular DJs and artists take explicit inspiration from the sound of Grime: Mall Grab and Nia archives are two glaring examples of this.

Mall Grab has had a meteoric rise over the last few years, garnering tens of millions of streams on some of his songs. His most recent album sports a single featuring none other than Novelist and D Double E, not to mention one of his earlier tracks being named ‘I’ve always liked grime’.

Nia archives has also carved out

for herself a strong niche within the dance music scene that has won her an NME award for her production. She combines smooth neo-soul vocals with old sounds of Jungle, Garage and Grime music; sampling songs like Wiley’s Jam Pie and citing in interviews that figures like ‘Dizzie rascal was a big production influence on me’.

Before anyone points out this does not fully assure Grime’s continued existence as a genre and instead just shows its influence on newer, more popular genres; the underground grime scene gives us even greater hope that Grime is far from dying.

Ultimately, Grime is a genre with strong foundations that have consistently proved difficult to fully remove from public consciousness. Even when it does not capture the mainstream eye like it once did, it will continue on in the underground.

We have a lot to thank Grime for inventing and influencing, for now it seems that it will continue to make its mark on the underground scene whilst influencing major elements of the emerging musical world.

Those ready to write Grime off as totally irrelevant today are not only ignoring the continuing influence the genre has across the musical spectrum, but also missing out massively on the scores of new talents coming out of the underground scene.

A BAKING MASTERCLASS AT MARCUS GARVEY DAY CENTRE -

It is a known fact that doing regular activities that involve cognitive functioning is vital to preserving cognitive fitness.

The act of baking is a great activity that helps boost cognitive fitness and brain health as baking involves concentrating on  tasks such as stirring, mixing or kneading.

Studies have also shown that baking therapy can be an effective way to help encourage

By Pa Modou Faal

those with dementia to eat as the sound of the blender, the feel of the flour, the smell of baking cakes helps to stimulate the senses.

Food can bring back memories of celebration and familiarity, whether it’s memories of cooking with or for loved ones.

With this in mind citizens at Marcus Garvey Day Centre enjoyed their own masterclass in baking with all working as a

team and playing their part with Mrs Laing mixing the eggs, Mrs Davy adding the mixture to the eggs and Mr Tulloch placing the cake case’s in the baking tray with support from the staff team.

In the end the baked cupcakes were a reward for the effort and  hard work put in and all the citizens enjoyed having cup cakes with a cup of tea.

A GAME OF SKITTLES AND A TRIP TO BROOKFIELD GARDEN CENTRE

Citizens at Marcus Garvey are keeping fit by taking part in a chair based game of skittles. Citizens benefit from the social aspect of the game and light physical movement.

The aim is to knock down as many pins as one can, which helps in coordination and concentration for short periods of time. These activities help

- By Pa Modou Faal

citizens to stay active and agile.

With the autumn weather kicking in and before the long winter nights begin to draw in, citizens at Marcus Garvey Day Centre are making the most of the daylight hours.

To relax and unwind after a hard game of skittles, a visit to the local pub becomes mandatory,

even for those who did not take part in the game. Citizens enjoyed their meal and this was topped up by the visit to the Brookfield’s Garden centre.

All such activities contribute to maintaining citizens over all wellbeing and at the same time helps in maintaining self esteem and independence.

CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD

By Lynn Wairegi

Here in England, we have Christmas trees, presents and lots more. However, have you ever wondered how Christmas is celebrated in other parts of the world? Well, when you finish reading this article you will know how Christmas is celebrated in other parts of the world. So without further ado, let’s start.

Kenya: Most churches come together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ; sing hymns and carols. The children even do a nativity play. After the service, the party really gets going. They eat nyama choma, rice and chapati. Now instead of Christmas trees, they have a traditional fir or pine tree that are beautifully decorated.

Spain:L Most people in Spain go to the ‘Midnight Mass’ or ‘ La Misa Del Gallo’ ( The mass of the Rooster). It is called this because a rooster is supposed to have crowned the night that Jesus was born. A few days before Christmas Eve, children go to their neighbours to sing Christmas carols and to get some money. The main meal is eaten on Christmas Eve before their main service in their church. The traditional dinner is a turkey stuffed with truffles. On New Year’s Day, there is one special tradition where they eat 12 grapes with the 12 strokes of the clock at Midnight! Each grape represents a month of the coming year, so if you eat the twelve grapes, you are said to be lucky in the new year. I wonder why we don’t do it here in London?

Germany: Germany celebrates Christmas with two public

holidays, 25 and 26 of December. On the 24th of December, is Christmas Eve for many people. The stockings are filled on the 6th of December. Fact: Santa is called Weihnachtsmann in German. He doesn’t deliver gifts. An angellike creature with blond hair and wings, brings gifts to families on the eve of Christmas instead of Santa.

China: In China, they do things very differently. They go to see a movie, go to a karaoke bar and other typical things. Christmas in mainland China is surprisingly not a public holiday. Luckily, all the turkeys live to see another year but for the chickens, it is hunting season. KFC gets a lot of money on Christmas Day for its delicious chicken. It all started in 1974, when the first KFC store came out. Today, around 3.6 million Chinese people tuck into a feast. Yum!

India: Some families swap gifts or give small presents or sweets to children. On Christmas Eve, the whole family will usually walk to the famous midnight mass. People in India will decorate any tree or bush with lights. Since it’s hot, consequently they will decorate a banana or mango tree. They will eat biryani with chicken or mutton, chicken, and mutton curry, followed by cake or sweets like kheer. They will also do a nativity play with clay figures or a Christmas tree.

Russia: I think the Russian tradition is the sweetest tradition because they spend it with their family. It is a time for forgiveness and love. Thoughtful gifts are given to different people. Their house is decorated with scenes

from the nativity, angels, and stars. Like the Indians, they attend the Christmas Mass. Christmas in Russia is normally celebrated on January the 7th. A few Catholics might celebrate it on the 25 of December. Unlike our nice Santa, theirs is slender with a wizard-like flowing beard. In other words, he looks like Dumbledore from Harry Potter. Ded Moroz ( Grandfather Frost) is a Russian counterpart of Santa Claus. He delivers presents.

Caribbean: Right, the last one. The colourful Caribbean. Christmas in the Caribbean is the most joyous holiday. There is plenty of partying, visiting and festivity. The food and music really light up the mood. They eat traditional Christmas turkey, honey ham, jerk pork, macaroni and cheese, curry goat and a Christmas rum cake (which is called fruit cake or black cake.)

Now you know how other countries celebrate Christmas. From being with families to partying all day and night. So next time you eat a piece of turkey, other people around the world might be doing different things for Christmas. I have to thank you for reading this article.

Merry Christmas! Śubh krisamas’ С Рождеством! Krismasi njema!! frohe Weihnachten! Feliz Navidad!

ACTION-PACKED EVENT CELEBRATES CONTRIBUTION OF BLACK CULTURE

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Vibrant young people from different cultures and backgrounds showcased their creative talents and learned new skills during an action-packed four-day event celebrating the contribution Black culture has made.

Police, partners, and various organisations supporting local communities in Nottingham all came together for the recent event – the culmination of a month full of activities celebrating different aspects of Black culture.

A fun-filled day, held at Melbourne Park in Aspley, involved representatives from the UFC Gym who held sessions teaching young people how to defend themselves as well as building their confidence by taking part in fun activities including football and archery. They also had a positive discussion with the attending youngsters around racism in society.

Football sessions, supported by AJ Sport, enabled young people to channel their energy and build relationships and fitness. Confidence-building was also a key goal as the UFC Gym coached young people in martial arts skills.

The power of music to unite people from all walks of life was demonstrated as creative youngsters from the St Ann’sbased charity Community Recording Studio (CRS) treated people to a live hip-hop/rap performance they had put

By Pa Modou Faal

together during an event held at Trent Bridge.

Set up in 1981, CRS teaches film and video skills as well as music, giving youngsters access to professional equipment and key industry contacts, including top musicians like Estelle and Aloe Blacc.

The charity has been running for over 20 years and was founded by members of the local community who have firsthand experiences of the needs of young people growing up in the area.

The CRS performance was met with huge applause, with performers being presented with trophies in recognition of their talented work.

As well as providing people with plenty of entertainment and food, the Trent Bridge event also proved to be very educational as well as inspirational as there was a premiere screening of a film called ‘Blacks Can’t Swim’.

The documentary addressed racist stereotypes surrounding swimming, and how they contribute to an alarming number of people from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds who can’t swim and are at increased risk of drowning.

The dramatisation also explored how parents’ relationship with the water can go on to influence their children.

People of all ages also learned about the first and only black pilot to fly for Britain in the First World War and Lilian Bader –believed to be among the first

Black women to join the Royal Air Force.

The final day of activity also featured an inclusive netball event, hosted at Nottinghamshire Police’s Sherwood Lodge headquarters.

The four-day event, which was just a snapshot of the wider activity celebrating Black History Month in Nottinghamshire, was part of and funded by Nottingham City Council’s Holiday Activity Fund which provides activities and food for children eligible for free school meals.

It was also supported by Nottinghamshire Police, Nottingham City Council, Trent Bridge Community Trust and Nottingham City Homes.

Nottinghamshire Police’s youth outreach worker Romel Davis, who works within the Citizens in Policing Department, and Sergeant Jemma Connor-Iommi were also among those heavily involved in numerous activities and community engagement events throughout October to celebrate Black History Month.

Jemma said: “Inclusive events like this really help us to engage with our communities and build relationships as well as inspiring young people to achieve, through sport and other activities, and giving them enjoyment no matter their background.

Read more https://tinyurl.com/ mtbamdn3

EXHIBITION ON RAPE IN FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE

By Ophelie Lawson

I come inside the room and walk around. Surrounding me, a powerful exhibition. Hanging from boards are clothes worn by rape survivors when they were raped.

prevented by the victim alone, A common habit about tough issues is to not talk about it. We have all heard the saying, silence in violence. When it comes to rape this applies just as much.

Bringing more awareness on rape and sexual violence is needed. The more we know about sexual violence the better the support for rape survivors. Raising more awareness also means that sexual abuse and rape will not be tolerated, and that stigma such as this are broken down.

challenges faced by the country. Rainbow is amongst the NGOs and people trying to improve the legal protection of women and girls, and advocate against the continuous serious violations of their rights in Sierra Leone.

Violence amongst women is not only not talked about a lot but normalised in many different cultures. If a woman speaks out, she is not always guaranteed support from her family, her community, and her state, and in many cases doesn’t even know where to get support from.

The exhibition was organised by an organisation called Rainbow. A national NGO passionate about ending Sexual Gender Based Violence. They provide free medical treatment, psychosocial services, and age-appropriate treatments for survivors of Sexual Gender Based-Violence (SGBV) in Sierra Leone.

So far, they have helped more than 30,000 women and girls who have experienced SGBV. They also do community outreach and national advocacy to ensure that the change is systemic and sustainable.

Whenever the victim of sexual violence is asked what she was wearing, it implies that she is responsible for the assault and could have prevented it. Rape victim blaming shifts the responsibility away from the perpetrator and onto the victim’s shoulders. To stop the myth that some sexual assault could be

Sexual violence against women and girls is unfortunately widespread in Sierra Leone. In 2018, there were 3,137 cases of sexual violence, 3,695 in 2019, according to the Rainbow initiative. In response to this, In February 2019, a State of Public Emergency over rape and sexual violence was declared by President Bo. The Parliament revoked the measure On June 19 th 2019

Sierra Leone high levels of SGBV is due to a variety of reasons including a history of protracted armed conflict, patriarchal society, and institutionalised gender inequalities. High levels of illiteracy and poverty amongst Sierra Leonean women also often prevents them from knowing many of their rights and lead to their marginalisation. Women not having much access to national decision making further contribute and limits their ability to make change and redress these gender inequalities.

Sierra Leone is ranked 184th in the Human Development Index and 179th in the Gender Inequality Index showing the

Many women are having to stay silent, by fear of judgment or in some instances reject from their community.

This exhibition was powerful not only because it brought a la lumiere du jour a stigma often attached to rape survivors but also because it is calling us, as a society, to pay more attention to rape survivors and how this kind of stigma can be harmful to them. Women are often judge from their appearance, let’s be honest, most of the time. Whether we are covering ourselves too much or not enough. And in the case of sexual violence if we dared to try to just exist

If what we were wearing is considered by this patriarchal male dominated and male centred and see through the male gaze to be too inappropriate, then the blame is moved from the perpetrators to the victims, like it become our responsibilities, the responsibility of the victim.

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THE BLACK ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2022

By Pa Modou Faal

To celebrate black achievers in the month of October, the Black Achievers Awards that was founded by Councillor Merlita Bryan and her team. This was the 9th year of hosting these awards in Nottingham. They put together an evening that was memorable to all. Bringing tears to some and smiles to many. The Black Achievers Team would like to thank all the sponsors who were involved in sponsoring a category, a table or a specific item in this year’s black-tie event.

The evening was held on Saturday 15 October at the East Midlands Conference Centre. The night that was hosted by comedian Rudi Lickwood saw winners from across Nottinghamshire who were an inspiration to others. The evening welcomed many individuals which included a wind rush generation in his 90s, a renowned pastor in Nottingham, the first black woman to become the High Sheriff of Nottingham, Squadrons and leaders, writers and many more.

Sharon who came as a representative of the PCC says “I really enjoyed it and thought it was really vibrant, as well as being well organised.

Our Office was proud to be involved in supporting this event and it would be good to see it receive wider support in future as we know that awards and recognition are critical for positive role modelling, true inclusivity, community cohesion and properly amplifying the voices and experiences of those from minority communities.”

• Congratulations to the winners of this year’s award categories:-

• Young Achievers Award is Aaliyah ChantaeThomas

• Community Volunteer Award is Abdoulie Jah

• Sports Person Award is Emily Campbell

• Outstanding Parent Award is Chanalee Downer

• Cultural, Music & Arts Award is Solomon Lewis Hunter

• Most Transformed Life Award is Julia Paul

• Black Businesswoman Award is Mikayla Sinead

• Learning, Skills & Employment Award is Edrissa Touray

• Lifetime Community Contributor Award is Janet Rose

Processes of planning for The Black Achievers Awards 2023 will start very soon. If you would like to sponsor one of the categories above or would like to know more about the possible sponsorships, then email address us at theblackachieversaward@gmail.com

The founder of the awards, former Lord Mayor and twice former Sheriff of Nottingham, Councillor Merlita says “I am so overwhelmed by how The Black Achievers Awards was received by everyone who attended. I would like to thank all the sponsors for their continued support of The Black Achievers Awards. Thanks to PCC who was the headline sponsors this year. Congratulations to all the winners. Thanks to Rolls Royce and The Royal Air Force Squadron 504, attended for the first time, hope it will be the first of many to come.

Thanks to my team, we will certainly continue to award people in and around the East Midlands. Looking forward to planning 2023”

BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATIONS AT ALBANY HOUSE AND MARCUS GARVEY DAY CENTRES

By Jack Dixon

At Albany House Day Centre, citizens from Marcus Garvey Day Centre also joined in the celebrations for Black History Month. All citizens enjoyed taking part in the celebrations that were organised.

There was information on display about prominent members from the community and their contributions. There was music featuring songs from Bob Marley, Tina Turner and a Zumba class was conducted by Charmaine,

the instructor. Citizens enjoyed the refreshments which included Caribbean patties and Caribbean bread with tropical and coconut juice.

At Marcus Garvey Day Centre the celebrations included citizens taking part in a number of activities including a drumming session with Andy Harris. Andy had brought in various drums and hand held instruments for the citizens to make lovely music. Andy did some drumming beats

and citizens had to follow his beat and make their own drumming beats to his singing. Citizens also took part in a black history quiz and enjoyed having their hot Caribbean lunch consisting of either chicken or fish with rice which was washed down with homemade punch.

The day centre was colourfully decorated with different Caribbean and African flags from around the world to celebrate the rich cultural history.

DIWALI CELEBRATIONS AT MARCUS GARVEY DAY CENTRE

By Jack Dixon

Diwali the festival of light was celebrated at Marcus Garvey Day Centre with Ganesh, Gita, Shreya & Dr Aravinda who spent time with the citizens explaining the significance of Diwali and performed the religious signing of hymns which the citizens joined in. A great afternoon was had by all learning about Diwali and its meaning with citizens lighting a candle and saying a prayer.

IN AFRICA, RADIO REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MASS MEDIA

By Ophelie Lawson

In Africa, radio remains the most important mass medium. Despite the expansion and the rise of access to social media and the internet, radio is still very popular and dominating the media scene.

Radio is not only seen as a trusted medium, but it is also accessible in the remotest part of Africa. For many on low income, it also remains their only way to stay up to date and connected.

Radio in Africa has also a rich history of being used as a tool for liberation. From being used to raise awareness, to educate, to keep people up to date with what is happening in their country or for prevention, its power and role in Africa’s development is significant.

I spoke with Mariam, a producer and broadcast journalist for AfriRadio, one of the biggest radio stations in Sierra Leone, about how radio is still dominating the scene and its impact on Sierra Leoneans. Mariam has been working for Afri Radio for 2 years now.

Mariam, do you think that radio is dying in Africa ?

In Sierra Leone definitely no. Over the years we have seen a lot of new radio stations, here a lot of people listen to radio stations and get their news from them. People turn to the radio to have authentic news. Over the years Freetown to be specific, has grown its radio audience.

In terms of the continent, I have

been following other broadcast houses and have noticed the same in other Countries. We are now having more radio stations than ever before mainly because a lot of people do believe in listening to the radio if they want to have authentic news.

A lot of people here cannot afford mobile phones so they turn to radio, but even the ones that can afford it normally listen to radio stations because they want to have authentic news, they still go to the radio to have authentic news.

When you go to social media, you will have several news stories and articles, but a lot of people do not know how to tell if those news stories are authentic or not, but coming from a radio station, they are 100% sure that those news are authentic, because it will go through a whole process to be verified.

Us, broadcast journalists we have been through a lot of training to identify fake news, but if you don’t have that ability to identify fake news, and you see such stories, you will think it’s authentic, so for those who want to have authentic news, they will turn to radio stations or tv stations, or read it from the newspaper

Do you guys use your radio to raise awareness and stimulate social change ?

We use Afri-radio to raise awareness of a lot of issues, we have various programs. Programs that have to do with the issue of youth and to see how governance and nongovernance parastatal can

actually help the youth in the many issues that they have been facing.

Our program is called Youth focus.

We also have a health program. We invite health practitioners to come and talk about health issues like diabetes, malaria, and what and what not to do if you don’t want to be affected.

We normally have parastatals from the ministry of health and sanitation, and some major hospitals coming to the studio to talk to the population about some sickness that is spreading, like malaria, which is common in Sierra Leone. They will explain to people what do to for you not to have malaria, prevention, and control. Some of those issue we do cover, our listeners would send questions to know about things that they do not understand. We have several other programs.

Talking about development of the country, we do have our current affairs programs, where we talk about politics, good governance, human interest stories. We do give back to society in that aspect.

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IN WHAT WAY DOES PAN-AFRICANISM UNDERPIN THE IDENTITY OF THE CONTINENT? (2500 -+10) By

Pan-Africanism is an advocacy for the recognition and respect for black people in and outside the African continent against racism, inferiority, segregation, political, economic and social freedom and equality.

Pan-Africanism is not only a philosophical ideology that advocated for a continental African unity but a concept of emancipation, empowerment and development of Africa, Africans and the African diaspora, which includes all black people of African descent. It is an old non-Eurocentric pro-African unity ideology coined by great thinkers, writers, and activists of African descend for the liberation and unification of Africa.

This essay explains the ways in which PanAfricanism underpinned the identity of the African continent politically, philosophically, culturally and religiously. The essay ends with the analysis of the African Renaissance; its effects and implications, and how it has become the new wave of Pan-Africanism.

To understand the Pan-Africanism Phenomenon, a background check of how it evolved is necessary. Its genesis goes back to the centuries of exploiting natural and human resources of the continent through the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. The end of the nineteenth century realised resistance from enslaved Africans in the diaspora with the quest to regain their pride, identity, and cultures against the enforced foreign Western ideologies.

This resistance later became the backbone of Pan-Africanism which was fueled by African descents in the Americas, Europe, and the Caribbean Islands. The new ideology of PanAfricanism proliferated in the 1900s and became the concept of resistance for ‘black people’ through mass protests, and negotiations with the colonialists and ‘white’ elites, (Araoye, 2021).

Africans and African descents from the diaspora were poised to restore the African identity in

Pa Modou Faal

the displaced black people through movements and associations leading to formation of many intellectual groups like the American Negro Academy culminating in the formation of the first Pan-African Association created by Henry Sylvester Williams of Trinidad in 1897, (Thompson, 1969).

The association was formed to start the struggle for liberation and freedom as well as encourage a feeling of unity, facilitate friendly connections amongst Africans in general and promote and protect the interest of everyone claiming African descent in British colonies or in the United States of America.

This first conference came in the aftermath of the 1884/85 renowned Berlin Conference where European empires or kingdoms like Britain, France, Belgium, Portugal among others, converged in Berlin to what was later described as the ‘scramble for and partitioning of Africa’, (Ayittey, 1992).

The creation of physical borders, invasion and colonisation of Africa was thus determined and legalised through protocols that emerged from the conference. In a reactionary response, political figures, scholars, activists and students of African descent either through migration, generations of slavery or education, through this association, identified the need to form a united front that will be inclusive of everyone in the struggle to liberate black people and the African continent from colonialism, alienation of identity, racism, segregation and inferiority, (Ayittey, 1992: Thomson, 1969).

Due to the Eurocentric and Western philosophical ideologies dominating the international political arena on how the world is governed through generational world orders, Pan-Africanism emerged as revolutionary and intellectual ideology against the hegemonic concepts of the West.

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BEING A PARTNER OF SOMEONE WITH ADHD AND AUTISM- By

Being with Jess has taught me so much about communicating needs and boundaries. I have learned that it’s best to treat everybody with awareness of sensitivity. I had not really considered how I could have been pushing someone to try new things when they don’t want to. Or presuming they aren’t as communicative as usual because they are annoyed with me, when really the task of getting the words out is causing them so much mental distress.

Chloe: How would you describe your sensory overload?

Jess: “I feel it more in my head like all around my brain, chest, and in my throat. Mine can be very auditory focussed but it entails everything so I feel very sensitive and vulnerable, overwhelmed completely until I can lessen sensory input and until I calm down (fingers in my ears, getting away from people and activity, closing my eyes and not talking). So, it really encompasses everything which is not accessible everywhere. “

“Finding a space away from people is usually the best thing but at work and social functions it is hard because when overloading, I can hardly explain what’s happening because being non-verbal is another help when overwhelmed, which leads to misunderstandings from others. That alone is a big pressure to have on top of everything else.”

Me and Jess have created ways in which we can let each other know it’s a non-verbal kind of day without words, and this level of communication is just as valuable as verbal, reading body language mainly. I think there is a particular pressure to be able to tell people with words what is okay and what’s not, however, this isn’t as useful for every individual, every day. Like Jess mentioned she will plug her ears, remove herself from situations, close her eyes. I will notice her hoods up and body language is closed, and naturally I adapt my response to this to give her space or ask her if she needs affection at this time.

Where I notice Jess’ autism and ADHD combat each other is how she has such a variety of hobbies but struggles to hyperfocus on one. She can jump

Chloe Jones

from instrument to instrument in moments and although this is different to how Lucy or Jasmin enters creative flow, Jess is also in a state of flow, experimenting with different frequencies and tunes. She is so eager and brave with foods and flavours when her mood is high. However, in times of low mood, she sticks to safe foods and having awareness of this has made it more comfortable for us both and I never pressure her to taste things she doesn’t want to, which I can apply to all aspects of our relationship.

The ways in which it could be considered a struggle, but I would never change for anything, is adapting to the fluctuating energy levels. They really do change so flippantly and suddenly and although Jess is so in tune with her cycles, they very rarely match mine. So, I have to adapt my behaviour and respond to her needs quite sensitively. However, this skill has been beneficial when making new friends and also understanding my own boundaries and noticing if i have a regular cycle of highs and lows. Plus, having this skill means I never take her quiet days personally. There is a mutual level of understanding, it’s just time for some quietness.

To conclude, from interviewing these girls who have so confidently worked their way through life without medical or educational recognition for their struggles, more awareness of the symptoms present in girls throughout education would be beneficial when completing academic tasks.

But in adulthood, there is no real answer to living day-to-day life as a girl with ADHD, finding a creative outlet seems to be where many of these girls have channelled the energy. But the benefits of society adjusting the system to fit these needs are endless. I could not name a single person who would happily sit for a long period of time doing something they are uninterested in. So why must we do it in school? Or where we continuously shaming someone and ourselves for being forgetful or disorganised, this has never been a productive way to develop ourselves.

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MEN’S MENTAL HEALTH - By Joshua Brown

As a man in my 20s I Am lucky enough to be part of the generation that feels less stigma around talking about mental health, even as I was coming through school there began to be more initiatives popping up along the lines of ‘it’s ok to talk’ or ‘we can help’. There was especially an increased emphasis on the importance of guidance counsellors.

The idea was to make it feel like nobody was alone. The issue with this is that it often feels unbalanced, the authority very much sits with the teachers or counsellors and as we age, therapists, this most likely continues to mean that a sense of anxiety is created for people looking for an outlet. In situations like these it’s difficult to see how someone could be sympathetic or even relate to your issues.

As a result, we turn to those closest to us, most of the time we look to our friends. Amongst friends the playing field can feel more level, but as guys we tend to downplay our feelings and the feelings of others, not on purpose but just as a result of socialisation.

An acquaintance I made recently suffered the loss of his older sister and this hit him hard. He was depressed, prescribed antidepressants and was even trying to micro dose magic mushrooms to feel better. He had not long been released from hospital after a recent suicide attempt, the worst part being that other than the scars on his arms and legs you would have never known, he always appeared to be the happiest person in the room and not only that is one of the coolest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting, and other than when we spoke about his past i never saw him without a smile on his face.

He was trying his hardest to remain happy and a productive member of the workforce whilst bottling up a torrent of emotions waiting to escape. One day at work on a stressful shift he eventually broke down, without giving himself time to rest his mind and body chose a time for him.

After this I went to talk to him to see if there was anything I could do. In typical male fashion I immediately opened with a joke about the manager on shift, which in my defence was funny, however I now realise it’s not what he needed. In a later conversation he spoke about how he felt men on a whole don’t attribute enough meaning to the feelings of their friends.

This isn’t to say we are nasty, heartless creatures that ignore feelings, it’s that we tend to let them go unnoticed in the hopes of saving face, in spite of what the person may need. Sometimes they really do just need a friend to listen and to be there for them without trying to come up with a solution to make them immediately feel better. This culture of jokes and general lack of seriousness means it’s still hugely difficult for men in particular to talk about their mental health.

Speaking from experience, I know how hard it can be to take that initial step towards getting help. Other than the past year of my life, my own mental health issues seemed to be something completely closed off to the rest of the world. I viewed it as my own internal struggle and to vocalise it was to place that burden upon others, I was suffering alone.

Read more https://tinyurl.com/6kp22r65

HOW TO MAINTAIN A POSITIVE MENTAL STATE DURING THE WINTER MONTHS

By Joseph Clayton

Although autumn and winter can be a magical time of the year for so many people, winter can also be a very difficult time, with it significantly impacting our mental health and well-being.

There are several reasons for this dip in our mood, such as the reduced level of sunlight in the day, leading to darker mornings and evenings with colder temperatures. As a result of this drastic change from our warm and bright summers, many people may experience winter-onset of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), also known as ‘Winter Depression’ or ‘Winter Blues’.

A study conducted by the University of Copenhagen found that people who experience ‘SAD’ have more serotonins being removed from their brains during the winter, therefore causing symptoms of depression and other mental health disorders as a consequence. In the UK, around 6% of the population suffer from significant winter depressions.

However, there are several ways that we can try and make sure that we have positive mental wellbeing this winter and to try and make us feel as happy as possible!

 Spending time outside and in the sunlight: this can massively improve and increase our serotonin levels, which can have a positive effect on our moods and well-being, whilst also keeping us warm during this time!

 Doing regular physical exercise: doing consistent exercise is a great way to release

endorphins, giving you a natural boost and high, largely improving your mental health and state of mind. Research has shown that a daily one-hour walk is a helpful way for coping with the ‘Winter Blues’.

 Keeping a regular sleep pattern: ensuring that you keep a regular sleeping schedule can be a great way to fix and repair your mental health, as getting consistent sleep throughout the night should improve your mood and well-being.

 Socialising: keeping in touch with your friends and family is really important during the winter, as having a catch-up and being around the people who you care about the most can really lift your spirits and improve your mental health.

References:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/ oct/30/sad-winter-depression-seasonal-affectivedisorder

http://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/ seasonal-affective-disorder-sad/overview

https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/ problems-disorders/seasonal-affective-disorder(sad)#:~:text=If%20your%20symptoms%20 are%20bad,100%20have%20significant%20 winter%20depressions

ADHD AND COLLEGE – “MY EXPERIENCE & COPING MECHANISMS” By

Billy Darlington

Being an undergraduate student with ADHD is like being caught between a rock and a hard place both when you wake up and right before bed. My immediate thoughts when I check my emails are the slog of people I’m going to have to respond to, explaining what I forgot to do, where I forgot to be, and how I forgot to do it. Even when I write things down and try to remember them, they slip my mind.

My wallets and keys are fitted with trackers because I know I will lose them at some point. I lose my card and ID at least twice a week. My housemates give way to me when I pace around the kitchen and the living room. These are all minor things, but nothing compares to how we deal with university work. I’ve always had a massive sense of impostor syndrome when it comes to my ADHD.

I would be ashamed, assume that I was just lazy, and think that I just wasn’t good enough. It makes you feel stupid—being reckless, forgetting things, social awkwardness—just a chronically consistent lack of attention that caused my brain to scatter whenever instructions were supposed to be followed.

School was a nightmare: being labeled as an idiot for being late or as a naughty kid for making decisions without thinking. It wasn’t until I got my formal diagnosis that I realized that I had nothing to be ashamed of, and nobody else does either.

The problem with accepting that my brain was just wired differently was also accepting the fact that, in life, I’m probably just going to have to play catch up. This is fine; it’s just the way my life is. But with this also came the acceptance that I need to come up with some ways to cope soon, or my university experience will be wasted.So here are some of the ways my ADHD affects me and how I deal with them.

Clean Your Room: While I’m probably the guiltiest of having a messy room, when it’s clean, it becomes an oasis for my ADHD. When it’s filthy, it’s a reminder that I am disorganized. Waking up to a clean room is calming for the mind, and it usually makes me feel like I’ve already ticked off my list for the day; my first thought isn’t immediately that

I need to clean my room at some point. I can sit down and just relax for a bit before challenging the day.

Have a Routine: Easier said than done, but trying to wake up at the same time every day makes things less of a slog and allows productive things that normally would be a struggle to become just a habit. A routine with university isn’t the easiest as lecture times change every single day, but small things like waking up and getting out of bed within the same hour every day or trying to get to sleep before midnight really will help. It doesn’t have to be every night—just enough to make it out of the ordinary when it isn’t followed.

Don’t Develop Bad Habits: When I say don’t get into bad habits, I mostly mean things like skipping lectures, having a takeaway instead of cooking, and getting an uber instead of walking. It sounds small, but when given a meter people with ADHD tend to take a mile. Once something that makes life less stressful happens once, it will happen forever.

My worst example is leaving work till the last minute; people with ADHD have poor time conception, and I am no stranger to it. I will put off that work until it’s 9 a.m.; I’m writing my 3000 words that are due at 3pm. I once woke up at 8am to get my work done but was unable to do it until late at night. I stayed up until 5 a.m., showered, went to work, returned at 11 a.m., and handed it in at 3 p.m. 31 hours awake, fueled by Redbull all because I had not spoken to anybody for help. If you are struggling to get your work done because you cannot get yourself to start, speak to your personal tutor or module convenor. They will help you. They helped me.

Don’t dive too deep: With ADHD, it is very easy to find a new interest, jump headfirst into it, and dedicate the next week or two of your life to it. You’ll realize very quickly, as I did, that these responsibilities will add up. Whilst all the different roles and responsibilities will look pretty on your CV, there is a lot of stress involved when dealing with these sorts of things.

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REGREENING ASSISTS WITH CLIMATE CHANGE

By Penny Cooper

Regreening, a word for reclaiming land from environmental hardship. The process is to vegetate an area, which in turn will soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Regreening can help the problem of Climate Change!!

Let us consider “Justdiggit”. Justdiggit is a Dutch foundation whose goal is to restore degraded environments by implementing restoration programs, which take place in Africa. Their statistics of recovery and implementation are very reassuring, for example, 9.7 million trees regenerated, they use a technique to regenerate stumps rather than replanting.

The other benefits are to the environment, animals, and the local population. Regreening provides food for both animals and the human population. The environment benefits due to increased rainfall and water retention.

Something else Justdiggit talk about is bunding, the act of digging out a crescent shaped area, to remove the hard encrusted topsoil and then when it rains, the water is captured and causes growth in that bund. There are some massive regreening projects and not just in Africa.

I would recommend a visit to the Justdiggit website, https://justdiggit.org where you can learn much more about their greening projects in Africa, simply worded, and easy to understand.

In Burkina Faso, bunds are estimated to have helped to “regreen up to 300,000 hectares of land and produce an additional 80,000 tons of food per year, enough to feed half a million people”. This is in the Sahel, West Africa, statistics from a paper by John Magrath, Oxfam OGB Research Team November 2020. In Mali, 500,000 hectares of Mali’s Seno Plain have been regreened. Regreening is taking place all over Africa in areas which need recovery and where local rural life has been put under strain due to drought conditions.

Greening can also be known by another name of agroecology, agroforestry for example, includes trees and farming, whereby livestock can find shelter and food under the trees, and their faeces can act as fertiliser on the land for the trees and vegetation. This is obviously a big incentive these days with climate change being so high on the political agenda. The Ecofarm in Screveton mix trees and sheep grazing, an example of this kind of practice in England. The trees were planted by volunteers, over 4,000 trees, many donated by the Woodland Trust, this took a number of years, many of you may have volunteered to help with the planting, now they are established and share their space with sheep and their lambs.

For those of our readership who have contacts in rural areas in Africa, whom you know to be in hardship due to land conditions, perhaps this could be a way forward, regreening their land, maybe through bunding. The United Nations support this activity as part of their policy on climate change, signed in 2014, with countries pledging to restore 350 million hectares of degraded forestlands by 2030.

COST OF LIVING CRISIS, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

Due to increased inflation rates, food prices, energy bills, petrol and other everyday necessities are skyrocketing. Faced with the largest rate of growth for almost 40 years, what does that mean for Nottingham and its resident population. Well for starters 12 months ago the cost of a weekly shop, or energy bill for a household would have cost 10.4% less than it does today.

On average across Nottingham growth of wages is 5.7% falling from 9.5% in May 2021, which does not shape up well to a 10.4% inflation rate. Despite this, London, England’s most populated city only faces an increase of 8.7%.

As follows the divide between the Midlands and the South increases, as more inequality spreads throughout the UK. In March 2021 according to the office of national statistics some areas of Nottingham saw almost half of children living below the breadline. To provide free school meals for 1.1 million students that need it would cost around £544 Million a year, the proposed cuts to corporation tax that have now been scrapped in favour of policies geared to help the super-Rich, would have generated £11.9 billion in 2023 and 2024.

When it’s laid out like this it’s hard to ignore the blunders made by the current conservative government. The issue comes from their flawed thinking, operating on a trickle-down economic system. If you think of the economy as a large pie, each of us has our own slice. The Tories rationale for starving

By Joshua Brown

children and freezing elderly is that by allowing the wealthy to make more money they will in turn spend more money.

So, because of this the pie gets large and larger and therefore your slice of the pie gets bigger as well. However, the size of the pie is irrelevant if it doesn’t result in an increase in wages for everyday people. Without the opportunities to obtain jobs in growing sectors or access to better education and affordable housing the general growth of the UK economy won’t help anyone without a large stake in it. Not to mention the fact that everything they have tried so far has failed drastically, for instance since the announcement of the ‘mini budget’ the pound has crashed through the floor. What impact has this had?

There is no surprise that the growing cost of living will have the largest impact on Ethnic minorities disproportionately compared to white households. These same demographics have also been worst hit by the pandemic. There was an analysis conducted by the new economics foundation that found black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups on average will suffer a price rise 1.6 times higher than white counterparts. This is most likely due to the fact that these communities tend to be forced into more expensive circumstances like prepay metres and the inability to buy food in bulk.

According to the economic observatory the main demographic affected will be

low-income consumers as they spend large swathes of their income on energy and food. This in turn continues to further class divides, with children from low-income homes struggling with malnutrition. This has a detrimental effect on their mental and physical health, as well as their education.

Furthering class divisions in the long run. Amongst the options put forward by the conservative government only one comes even close to best reaching those in need is to increase universal credit, but that goes against the conservatives 2019 manifesto for more employment and better paid jobs, to which they achieve the mandate to implement.

All across the UK over the next few years we will see a great decrease in disposable income, those living just above or on the poverty line, will be forced abruptly under it. Not to mention those that will receive unexpected bills they simply won’t be able to afford.

What can we do to help mitigate the effects of the cost-of-living crisis? (Other than revolution/ eat the rich)

As a result of the state’s huge failures with regards

INEQUALITIES HINDERING THE END OF AIDS

By Pa Modou Faal

December 1 every year, is set aside as World AIDS Day by UNAIDS to reflect on how far we have come in the fight against HIV/AIDS. It is a moment when we celebrate how much our health experts have achieved in the battle against the four-decade old pandemic. So many lives have been lost to this disease and this day provides us with the opportunity to remember loved ones who died of the disease as well as provide support for those living with the virus. This year’s commemoration is centred around dangerous inequalities that hinder the prospects of ending AIDS around the globe.

According to the UNAIDS report that was released in Dar Es Salam, Tanzania, the inequalities are the underlying reasons why there is a rise in new infections and continuing deaths in many parts of the world.

The report claims that gender inequalities and harmful gender norms are holding back the end of the AIDS pandemic and as a result of the current trends, the world will not meet agreed global targets to end AIDS by 2030.

In the analysis of the report, it is argued that by interrupting the power dynamics, policies can reduce girls’ vulnerability to HIV.

The report reveals that the effects of gender inequalities on women’s HIV risks are especially pronounced in sub- Saharan Africa, where women are accounted for 63% of new HIV infections in 2021.

Discrimination against, stigmatisation and criminalisation of key populations are costing lives and preventing the world from achieving agreed AIDS targets.

“Dangerous Inequalities unpacks the impact on the AIDS response of gender inequalities, of inequalities faced by key populations, and of inequalities between children and adults. It sets out how worsening financial constraints are making it more difficult to address those inequalities”, the report reveals.

The 2022 report however shows that the AIDS response is being held back by inequalities in access to treatment between adults and children. While over three quarters of adults living with HIV are

on antiretroviral therapy, just over half of children living with HIV are on the lifesaving medicine.

This has had deadly consequences and in 2021, children accounted for only 4% of all people living with HIV but 15% of all AIDS-related deaths, thus closing the treatment gap for children will save lives.

UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said that the world will not be able to defeat AIDS while reinforcing patriarchy noting that we need to address the intersecting inequalities women face.

Winnie Byanyima said:

“In areas of high HIV burden, women subjected to intimate partner violence face up to a 50% higher chance of acquiring HIV. Across 33 countries from 2015-2021 only 41% of married women aged 15-24 could make their own decisions on sexual health.“

“The only effective route map to ending AIDS, achieving the sustainable development goals, and ensuring health, rights, and shared prosperity, is a feminist route map.”

“Women’s rights organisations and movements are already on the frontlines doing this bold work and leaders need to support them and learn from them.”

Ms Byanyima said in order to end inequalities, we should ensure that all of our girls are in school, safe, and strong. She also highlighted the need to tackle gender-based violence by supporting women’s organisations.

UNAIDS Executive Director highlighted the need to promote healthy masculinities saying, “it will take the place of the harmful behaviours which exacerbate risks for everyone.”

“Ensure services for children living with HIV reach them and meet their needs, closing the treatment gap so that we end AIDS in children for good.”

“Decriminalise people in same-sex relationships, sex workers, and people who use drugs, and invest in community-led services that enable their inclusion — this will help break down barriers to services and care for millions of people”, she charged.

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NOTTINGHAM NAMED AS ONE OF 122 TOP CITIES IN THE WORLD FOR CLIMATE ACTION

For the second year, Nottingham has been recognised as one of the top cities in the world for taking bold leadership on climate action by the internationally recognised Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), an environmental impact nonprofit organisation. The city is one of 122 globally to receive the highest ‘A List’ score – making it one of the top 12%.

Over 1,000 cities received a rating for their climate action from CDP, and Nottingham has achieved the highest ranking alongside 19 other local authorities in the UK – including Belfast, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, and Newcastle.

The city has an ambitious target to be the first carbon neutral city in the UK and Europe by 2028 and receiving ‘A List’ status from CDP recognises Nottingham’s progress in building momentum to tackle the climate crisis, both in reducing emissions and building resilience to the impacts of climate change in Nottingham.

Nottingham’s goal to be carbon neutral by 2028 (CN28) requires a collaborative, inclusive, citywide effort which is led by the City Council’s Carbon Neutral Policy Team. This team supports the council and the wider city to tackle the climate crisis across nine key themes: the built environment, transport, energy generation, consumption, waste, water, carbon removal, resilience and adaptation, and nature.

Since launching the Carbon Neutral Action Plan in June 2020, the city has been making great progress towards its targets. The most recent data shows that carbon emissions have reduced by nearly 58% per person since 2005.

Nottingham is leading on a range of innovative schemes, including the recently opened wireless taxi charging rank, the vehicle to grid pilot at Eastcroft Depot, and whole house retrofit projects with Nottingham City Homes.

The City Council’s CN28 agenda is supported by Nottingham’s Green Partnership, a collective of businesses and organisations. Since its formation

-By Catherine Appleby

in 1992, the Nottingham Green Partnership has united sustainability work across the city and coordinated efforts to build a greener future for Nottingham. It has continually sought to bring together partners from diverse sectors and fields of expertise to advance sustainable development, recognising that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The Partnership has recently undergone revisions to strengthen its role in delivering the CN28 agenda.

Councillor Sally Longford, Portfolio Holder for Energy, Environment and Waste Services, said: “I’m delighted that Nottingham has been recognised as an ‘A List’ city for the second year. In Nottingham, we’re proud to be leading the way on climate action as we work to become the first carbon neutral city in the UK.

“The people in our city are at the heart of our CN28 plan – we need to help everyone to make changes to reduce their carbon footprints, while also protecting them from the inevitable impacts of the warming world. Our work to tackle the climate crisis is also supporting residents to reduce their bills, improving health outcomes, and ensuring a prosperous future for generations to come.

“Cities cover only 2% of the world’s surface, but they account for roughly 70% of global emissions – so it’s important that cities like ours lead the way and also share what we’ve learnt with others to support them on their sustainability journey too.”

Wayne Bexton, Director of Environment and Sustainability at Nottingham City Council, said: “It’s fantastic that Nottingham retains our A status, recognising us as one of the leading cities around the globe in delivering on action to tackle climate change. The wide-ranging projects and programmes being delivered across the city as part of our Carbon Neutral Action Plan are improving the environment, creating jobs, and achieving carbon reduction.

Read more https://tinyurl.com/yc2397bx

RAISING A KID WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN SIERRA LEONE, AFRICA -

By Ophelie Lawson

Raising kids with disabilities and special needs in a country that does not have the correct infrastructure or government support can be very challenging.

Every child in the world has the right to be nurtured, be cared for, to have access to education, to receive adequate nutrition and social protection, and to thrive and be happy, however, in many cases, such rights are denied to kids with special needs, and they often find themselves marginalised from society because of the lack of support from their government and their families not able to keep up financially.

For Ella, 29, single mother from Freetown, Sierra Leone, raising her son Samuel and trying to give him the care that he needs has been a very challenging journey.

Samuel is 6 years old; he was diagnosed as having special needs at just 4 months young.

“We noticed when he was about 4 months old, he couldn’t do the normal things normal children do. We took him to the hospital and from then the doctor did some observation and scan, then they noticed that he was a special need child.” says Ella

In Sierra Leone, there’s nothing the government has put in place for special needs children. Some international organisations were instead filling the gap for a while, but at present, there seems to be none active where people can easily ask for support or guidance on what to do.

“Before there was one organisation but they have closed now, they couldn’t survive, because we have a lot of special needs children. There are a lot of special needs children and nothing the government has put in place for them.” continues Ella

“I am not receiving any support and I am a single mother who is also in school. I try very hard, but things are very hard for me to take care of my son.”

Ella is currently paying for all of her son’s medication on her own. For his medication, she is

spending the equivalent of almost £156 monthly, which for her here in Sierra Leone, where the minimum wage is the equivalent of £58.11, is a big amount.

“There is no one here that can pay or give us free medication for his conditions and seizure that he has been having. And the medication here is very expensive for me as a single mother who is also studying” says Ella.

Because of the lack of care for her son, his situation has been deteriorating over the years, especially because of the lack of physiotherapy.

‘He doesn’t receive all the care that he needs, he gets worse every day. The doctors told us that he has Epistemic paralysis, it has to do with his movement and having good physiotherapy would really help him, exercising backed up with his correct medication.”

Accessing physiotherapy here is very challenging, in town there are not many doctors or facilities that offer it.

‘I can’t afford it right now, we only have about two here. Because I can’t even afford hospital bills, I haven’t been able either to get him checked in a while to know if he currently needs everything else like”

Ella’s biggest challenge in raising her special needs child in her country where there is no support or much awareness has been to try to study and have access to a better career while trying to support him as much as she can, as well as the lack of support available.

“Emotionally, I am very disturbed. Everyday seeing my child like that and not having the opportunity of giving him what he deserves, it’s very hard”

Djuju has epitomic paralysis as well as dystonia, it has to do with the stiffness of the muscles

Read more https://tinyurl.com/2m2dzxsd

WORLD AIDS DAY 2022 Press Release

Inequalities are blocking the end of the AIDS pandemic, say UN

DAR ES SALAAM / GENEVA, 29 November

2022—Analysis by the UN ahead of World AIDS Day reveals that inequalities are obstructing the end of AIDS. On current trends the world will not meet agreed global targets on AIDS. But the new UNAIDS report, Dangerous Inequalities, shows that urgent action to tackle inequalities can get the AIDS response on track.

UNAIDS set out earlier this year that the AIDS response is in danger—with rising new infections and continuing deaths in many parts of the world. Now, a new report from UNAIDS shows that inequalities are the underlying reason why. It shows how world leaders can tackle those inequalities, and calls on them to be courageous to follow what the evidence reveals.

Dangerous Inequalities unpacks the impact on the AIDS response of gender inequalities, of inequalities faced by key populations, and of inequalities between children and adults. It sets out how worsening financial constraints are making it more difficult to address those inequalities.

The report shows how gender inequalities and harmful gender norms are holding back the end of the AIDS pandemic.

“The world will not be able to defeat AIDS while reinforcing patriarchy,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima. “We need to address the intersecting inequalities women face. In areas of high HIV burden, women subjected to intimate partner violence face up to a 50% higher chance of acquiring HIV. Across 33 countries from 2015-2021 only 41% of married women aged 15-24 could make their own decisions on sexual health. The only effective route map to ending AIDS, achieving the sustainable development goals and ensuring health, rights and shared prosperity, is a feminist route map. Women’s rights organizations and movements are already on the frontlines doing

this bold work. Leaders need to support them and learn from them.”

The effects of gender inequalities on women’s HIV risks are especially pronounced in sub- Saharan Africa, where women accounted for 63% of new HIV infections in 2021.

Adolescent girls and young women (aged 15 to 24 years) are three times more likely to acquire HIV than adolescent boys and young men of the same age group in sub-Saharan Africa. The driving factor is power. One study showed that enabling girls to stay in school until they complete secondary education reduces their vulnerability to HIV infection by up to 50%. When this is reinforced with a package of empowerment support, girls’ risks are reduced even further. Leaders need to ensure all girls are in school, are protected from violence which is often normalized including through underage marriages, and have economic pathways that guarantee them a hopeful future.

By interrupting the power dynamics, policies can reduce girls’ vulnerability to HIV.

Harmful masculinities are discouraging men from seeking care. While 80% of women living with HIV were accessing treatment in 2021, only 70% of men were on treatment. Increasing gendertransformative programming in many parts of the world is key to halting the pandemic. Advancing gender equality will benefit everyone.

The report shows that the AIDS response is being held back by inequalities in access to treatment between adults and children. While over three quarters of adults living with HIV are on antiretroviral therapy, just over half of children living with HIV are on the lifesaving medicine. This has had deadly consequences. In 2021, children accounted for only 4% of all people living with HIV but 15% of all AIDS-related deaths. Closing the treatment gap for children will save lives.

Read more https://tinyurl.com/4462a9ea

Christmas is a time for family, friends, and fun. Unfortunately, it’s also the period when loan sharks are particularly active. We need your help to stamp out this predatory practice in local communities. Please support our latest #SleighNoToLoanSharks campaign and help families avoid the clutches of loan sharks in the run up to the festive period.

The campaign has started on our website - https:// www.stoploansharks.co.uk/ since November 22, and we encourage you to link to it in your social media posts and please tag us on social media so we can share your posts:

@StopLoanSharksEngland on Facebook and Instagram

@SLSEngland on Twitter.

Christmas is a time to get together and celebrate with family and friends but beware of a dangerous threat lurking in our communities by unwelcome guests who follow the festive season - predatory loan sharks. Loan sharks are in full force this time of year and it’s a timely reminder that we must be wary of the risks of loan sharks and take steps to avoid falling into their traps.

Everyone knows that loan sharks are bad news. They charge extortionate interest rates and can force their victims into a cycle of debt that they’re unable to escape from. But what exactly is a loan shark, and how can you spot them?

A loan shark is someone who lends money illegally without the correct permission from @TheFCA. Loan sharks are criminals who prey on the most vulnerable people in communities by trapping them into spiralling debt. If you’re worried that a loan shark may be targeting your family or friends, there are several key warning signs you should look out for. This can include increased debt, borrowed money without paperwork, sudden changes to their

finances such as money being withdrawn from their account and feeling scared. We need to do all we can to prevent loan sharks from taking hold and harming our family and friends. You can help protect yourself and others from falling victim to this crime by knowing what to look out for.

Look out for the warning signs:

 Appear friendly and helpful at first

 Makes you pay back more than you borrowed

 Never provides paperwork

 Often turns nasty

 May take your possessions

The cost-of-living crisis has left many people struggling to make ends meet. One consequence is that loan sharks are taking advantage of this hardship. SLSEngland can provide support if you are dealing with a loan shark. In the run up to the festive period, it’s important you take the right steps to protect your finances. SLSEngland have published some useful advice on how to stay safe from loan sharks. With Christmas fast approaching and festive spending in full swing, we want to warn you about the risks of illegal money lending. Learn how to spot a loan shark and avoid falling into their clutches.

Illegal money lenders are using increasingly sophisticated tactics to trap vulnerable people into a spiral of debt in the run up to Christmas. Borrowing from loan sharks can quickly lead to a spiral of debt that’s difficult to break free from. SLSEngland helps you learn more about them so you can avoid this risky debt trap — and find safer alternatives if needed.

If you or someone you know is struggling with a loan shark, @SLSEngland can provide advice and support. Call @SLSEngland on 0300 555 2222 or access support through their website www. stoploansharks.co.uk #SleighNoToLoanSharks.

MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING SUPPORT

You are not alone

We provide free emotional support and signposting

How we can help you

How we can help you

Our work tackles discrimination and racial inequalities within ethnic minority.

About us

About us

Mojatu Foundation is a charitable Incorporated

Mojatu Foundation is a charitable Incorporated

We provide self-management skills to help reduce anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and post-traumatic stress disorder

Our work tackles discrimination and racial inequalities within ethnic minority. We provide self-management skills to help reduce anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and post-traumatic stress disorder

1-2-1 wellbeing drop-in session and community wellbeing activities.

1-2-1 wellbeing drop-in session and community wellbeing activities.

Physical and mental health awareness.

Physical and mental health awareness.

We provide confidential and comprehensive consultationliasion service for individuals and psychological needs.

We provide confidential and comprehensive consultationliasion service for individuals who require further support on mental health, emotional and psychological needs.

We are located at:

We are located at:

The Howitt Building, Lenton Boulevard, Nottingham.

The Howitt Building, Lenton Boulevard, Nottingham.

NG7 2BG

NG7 2BG

Organisation that works to empower and support ethnic minority communities across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Berkshire at risk from ongoing prejudice and whose needs are often overlooked.

Organisation that works to empower and support ethnic minority communities across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Berkshire at risk from ongoing prejudice and whose needs are often overlooked.

You don't have to struggle in silence let us talk...

You don't have to struggle in silence let us talk...

For further information

For further information

please contact us on:

please contact us on:

+447393499446

+447393499446

mojatu.foundation

mojatu.foundation

mojatu.foundation

mojatu.foundation

MojatuF

MojatuF

GENDER STUDIES - WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE?

-By Ophelie Lawson

I recently had the opportunity to talk to Hannah, the founder of the Girls Advocacy Development Network (GADN), an NGO based in Freetown, Sierra Leone about her current studies in gender. GADN works towards improving the socio-economic wellbeing of girls and young women as well as engage in advocacy actions on issues affecting women and girls in Sierra Leone.

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gender norms, men are the ones supposed to be working.

Gender studies is a relatively new and modern academic field exploring ideas around gender identity and gender representations. It explores what it means to be a ‘man’ or a ‘woman’ in today’s society and the social, political, and cultural constructions of gender. We are all impacted by gender.

Gender roles in society dictate how we are expected to act, speak, dress, and behave ourselves based upon our assigned gender. And even though there is a common belief that gender issue is a ‘women’s issue’, it is really an issue that affects and concerns us all.

“For years women have been a driving force behind the development of gender equality strategies in many spaces, but it is us all that would benefit from a more equal society,” says Hannah. She however acknowledged that men also face gender-specific issues.

She said: “Traditional stereotypes are challenging for many men to live up to. Often, they feel pressure to be ‘real men’ or in other words what society expects men to be and act like. According to gender cultural norms, men should be physically and emotionally strong, never cry or show emotions, somehow causing the suicide rate in men very high”.

According to the Samaritans latest suicide data, 5219 suicides were registered in 2021. This is 307 more than in 2020. The male suicide rate was 15.8 per 100,000 compared to a female suicide rate of 5.5 per 100,000 between 2020 and 2021. Males aged 50-54 were found to have the highest suicide rate - 22.5 per 100,000. Many workplaces do not offer men extended parental leave and flexible hours for instance, and according to

Hannah argued that in certain developing countries, gender norms are preventing women from accessing education. Education is fundamental to growth and development for a country, yet it is a field that many girls and young women do not have access to. This can sometimes be attributed to poor family background or cultures and societies that do not value education for women and girls.

Hannah argued that girls are often marginalised and taken out of school simply because they are girls, and it is not the cultural norm in their country. The chance of a girl child getting education is in fact smaller for those living in rural areas, she said.

Global figures indicate that more than 130 million girls are out of school. Threats to girls’ education differ between countries and communities, but gender discrimination remain one of the main factors. Below is the reporter’s testimony to girls out of school:

Living in a refugee camp in Greece, Blessing, 13, had no education available to her. In Congo, where she comes from, she had no access to education neither, her family could not afford to send her to school. Coming to Europe she thought she would have better chances at accessing education. Now, it has been 4 years since they left their country and are still fighting to be granted asylum. Blessing has never been able to go to school.

Nara, 15, is in the same situation. She has not been to school since she left her country 2 years ago. She is living in an accommodation given by her social worker with her big sister who is in charge of her. Every now and then, she takes her phone and tries to learn French grammar on her own. She dreams of the day she will reach France so that she can finally go back to school. She comes from Congo as well. Back home she had to leave school because her family could not afford it, but also because of the security threats they were facing.

Female Genital Mutilation FGM – FACTS , HELP & ACTIONS

Facts

• FGM is any procedure that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.

• FGM has been illegal in England and Wales since 1985.

• FGM is a form of child abuse and violence against women and girls.

•

• FGM is Non-Islamic, against the teachings of Islam and brings Islam into disrepute.

• FGM is putting the health of our daughters, sisters, mothers and wives at great risk.

•

• Over 200 million girls and women worldwide have undergone FGM.

• 103,000 women aged15 to 49 are living with consequences of FGM in England & Wales.

In the UK, an estimated 20,000 girls under the age of 15 are at risk of FGM each year.

1,230 cases have been reported in the Midlands from April 2020 to March 2021

Help

Are you concerned a girl or woman is at risk or need of support?

•

• Join the Community FGM Steering Group: Contact us

• For emotional & peer support for survivors in Nottingham, join the FGM Survivor’s club: Contact us

• Refer survivors needing medical attention to FGM medical specialist in Nottingham: Contact us

•

• Drop in sessions at Mojatu Office Unit 7, Howitt Bldg, Lenton Blvd, Lenton, Nott`s NG7 2BY

• Call 0808 028 350 for a 24/7 anonymous FGM helpline or email: fgmhelp@nspcc.org.uk

• Call Nottingham City Council Children and Families Direct: 0115 876 4800

• Ring the police on 999 if FGM has just happened or about to happen

Actions

Ac tivities include:

To help end FGM and support survivors, join one of our campaigns or projects

• FGM Survivors Club

• FGM Steering Group

• FGM Global Faith Ambassador

• FGM Global Young Ambassador

• Request for training

Fruit Har vesting Tree Management

• Volunteer with us

• ‘Adopt a tree’ project

• Donate to support our work

Feeding the animals

• Fundraise to support our work

• Women Skillshare Group

For more information, contac t Mojatu Foundation

Phone: 01158457009 Mobile: 07759 927671

Email: info@mojatufoundation.org | Website: www.mojatufoundation.o