Welcome to “The Phoenix Africa” an exclusive FREE quality Newspaper for the people and business community of Africa.
The Phoenix Africa is a fresh and vibrant publication bringing quality content to the masses. The first free newspaper to be published in Africa by Africans. Leading the way and setting trends.
This is a sister publication to the successful “The Phoenix Newspaper UK” which has stayed true to its focus in providing a regular mix of Positive and Informative articles with an honest and unbiased viewpoint that have a direct connection to its growing readership of 8million worldwide.
The Phoenix Newspaper is renowned as the “voice of the people” truthful and professional journalism, in depth reports and interviews, facts and not fiction, presented in a bright and refreshing
publication that attracts and captivates its audience.
Now these exciting developments are coming to the people of Africa in this Exclusive Free Newspaper & Online Publication.
Working with the people and communities of Africa, starting in Ghana, which is seen as the Gateway, The Phoenix Africa will be connecting with senior government departments and embracing the leaders of major business enterprises, we will be bringing something for everyone, in this new and exclusive publication providing a platform for the Role Models that the next generation will aspire to be.
Building upon our success “Phoenix Africa” will contain exclusive news and developments from across the continent of Africa and the world, bringing detailed and authoritative reports and reviews of matters that reflect and affect both the lifestyle and prosperity of the African people.
This is a platform that will create employment for many young people who aspire to be within this type of industry.
It will invariably give them the chance to write their own narrative to reflect a more inclusive attitude when representing themselves, their culture and their people.
It is important to note that we do NOT report sensationalised news, only uplifting and nonbiased apolitical journalism.
Welcome to The Phoenix Africa, your one stop shop of
everything positive. We have a need to be accountable to the next generation.
The Phoenix Africa has big plans for the new year with our annual awards taking place again.
The team is ready and waiting to connect with you, so please do get in touch and find out what The Phoenix can do for you and your business.
For eight years MAMA JAZ is turning the tropical Indian Ocean Island of Mauritius into a global centre of jazz and music.
Mauritius has a rich musical culture that includes a variety of genres such as sega, Bhojpuri, and reggae, among others. Jazz music is also appreciated and enjoyed by many people in Mauritius. For the 8th year, Mauritius is celebrating MAMA JAZ.
MAMA JAZ is a unique month-long festival dedicated to Creative Music & Jazz on Earth, nested in Mauritius, harmonized with April, Indoor or outdoor, live, online, or on air. Launched in 2016 by Gavin Poonoosamy, MAMA JAZ has become an inclusive cultural gift that keeps growing and giving.
This edition has an enriched program with four chapters – a classic, a new, a popular, and a planetary – being played out throughout this April and closing on the highest of notes with an alignment to a choir of 190 countries.
Gavin explains: “The motion towards the infinite has us feel that each step engages focus, continuity, and reinvention; our spirit is ignited by peace, our body is a solar windpowered vessel, and our voice is pure universal silence.
“MAMA JAZ, a phenomenon, keeps growing with an unwavering will to shine as a cultural organ pumping Art through musical substance to reach all in time. We now call out to the nature within each: we are an ensemble, we are an audience, we are alive and gather through experiences where we share energies, heal, and grow; we come out of your shells, come out to play.
“This 8th edition is part of a grounding cycle the festival keeps, for each year is beautifully odd, and human tides are ever relative; while the careful balance is arduously sought. Hence, as we go back to production basics with an enriched program, we shall produce four chapters for harmony: a classic, a new, a popular, and a planetary.
“A Theatre Hall for introspection, an Open Air Park for exaltation, Immaterial Magic Messages for joy, and an alignment to a choir of 190 countries to finish on the highest of notes: Overall, jazz music has a growing presence in Mauritius and is appreciated by locals and visitors. There are several jazz musicians and bands that perform in Mauritius.
“In addition to local talent, international jazz artists also perform in Mauritius, particularly during the annual Festival International Kreol, which features a range of musical styles, including jazz. The festival takes place in December and attracts a diverse audience.
“MAMA JAZ… In just a few short years, this hip young festival has grown from an idea into a movement that impacts hundreds of thousands of Mauritians through national television broadcasts, packed concerts, and free educational initiatives.” MAMA JAZ is a unique month-long festival dedicated to Creative Music & Jazz on Earth, nested in Mauritius, harmonized with April; Indoor or outdoor, online or offline, on National TV, radio, and the Internet.
In its place in the sub-tropical northern Atlantic Ocean (the Sargasso Sea), Sargassum weed is a floating forest providing food, habitat and shelter to numerous marine species, but recently something has changed and those changes are bringing misery to coastal communities in the Caribbean islands and West Africa.
Professor Emma Tomkins of the University of Southampton explained: “An anomalous weather event in the winter of 2010/11 caused a massive increase in seeding resulting in huge floating rafts of Sargassum weed across thousands of miles across the ocean to wash up on shores of the Atlantic tropics in staggering quantities”. The size of the weed rafts is enormous with some measuring more than 1.3 million square meters, that’s about the size of 250 football pitches. More than 30 countries are feeling the effects where tons of decomposing Sargassum impacts on fishing by choking harbours, tourism by smothering beaches in stinking slimy carpets attracting swarms of flies, and, in extremis, risking human and animal health in vulnerable coastal communities.
Seeking answers to this problem, Professor Tompkins joined a team of scientists from four Commonwealth countries, Britain, Jamaica, Ghana and Barbados, working together on developing ways of predicting where the weed rafts may make land-fall and, more importantly, how the weed can be dealt with once ashore. Their results are encouraging and point towards potential uses where the stranded weed could have a commercial value offering coastal communities the hope of making income from processing the beached weed.
The scientific research team, known as SARTRAC , is a partnership led by the University of Southampton (UK) and includes the University of Ghana, the Mona Geoinformatics Institute at the University of the West Indies (Jamaica campus), the Centre for Marine Studies at the University of the West Indies (Jamaica campus), the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies at the University of the West Indies (Barbados campus), and the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products at the University of York (United Kingdom). This range of scientific skills has been brought together to look at the problem in the round, as Dr Janice Cumberbatch from the University of West Indies (Barbados) explained: “Sargassum represents both a threat and an opportunity for Caribbean states. Entrepreneurs are developing innovative products from Sargassum, such
as fertilisers, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The scientists on the SARTRAC teams are assisting this process by investigating and advancing processes for monitoring and forecasting, and by exploring novel ways for transform-
drivers of Sargassum across the tropical Atlantic Ocean in order to improve forecasting of the movement of the weed. Governments are now using tracking services which have been developed as a result of the research work and
abling local prediction of conditions in the days prior to the weed landing.
The third area involves identifying the most vulnerable communities and assessing their ability to deal with stranded Sargassum. This work included studying how Sargassum could be used as compost and fertiliser and wether it could be used for small scale biogas production.
The fourth area of research has been exploring how improved management of Sargassum can increase the opportunities available to the poorest communities. Together, these four areas are generating tools for long-range forecasting systems, resources like a severity index that can be applied in other areas; and knowledge to support pathways out of poverty for those affected. This is of particular importance in some parts of Africa as Professor Kwasi Appeaning Addo, Director for the Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies, University of Ghana, explained: “Sargassum is a major threat to vulnerable coastal communities in Ghana. It is impacting negatively on the smallscale fishing industry, which is a major source of livelihood in poor communities. SARTRAC’s work is enabling the poorest of the poor in vulnerable communities to discover the economic potentials of Sargassum to enhance their adaptive capacity.”
lot more quickly than others. But crucially, we know that Sargassum has a high arsenic content and we have worked hard to find safe ways to use the weed and can now warn against uses which will put people and livestock at risk”.
This is important as an early consideration of the use of the weed was as a fertiliser. The SARTRAC team is keen to stress that Sargassum is usable but people need to understand how to use it safely. If it is simply spread on root crops or used as fertiliser for plants like salad crops which are grown for their leaves, high levels of arsenic will be absorbed by the plant and those crops cannot be eaten. Research does show, however, that when used to fertilise tomatoes and peppers, the fruits of those plants do not retain the arsenic and are safe to eat.
The team also looked at Sargassum as a compost for growing trees and their research shows that when mixed with 50% sawdust Sargassum compost works as a very good growing medium for mangrove seedlings which can then be used to support mangrove regrowth to protect against storm surges.
The potential for small scale biogas production from the controlled decomposition of Sargassum was researched thoroughly and did not prove to be suitable for use in home gas-generating digest-
ers. None the less, this ground breaking work has stimulated research and development studies in the corporate and commercial sector where imaginative uses ranging from agricultural products to building materials are all now being tested as potential future products.
In the mean time, the tracking and monitoring goes on and the SARTRAC team has worked hard to encourage individuals and schools to get involved in vital “citizen science” across the countries affected. In Ghana, for example, where general cloud cover makes satellite tracking of the weed rafts difficult, they have set up photo-points at set locations along the beaches allowing anyone to place their smart phone on the set point photo-post and take a picture of that stretch of beach and send it straight into the regional monitoring group, something which Professor Emma Tomkins believes is vital. She said:
“Finding ways to track and use Sargassum is so important as this situation is not likely to change any time soon. Citizens are now gathering valuable data for weed management and, crucially, these initiatives are involving school children who are learning about the problem and will, no doubt, be a part of its management in the future.”
ative adaptation of Sargassum to empower communities whose livelihoods have been affected by this ecological risk, to turn it into an opportunity.”
The SARTRAC team has been pursuing four areas of research. The first is an assessment of the atmospheric and oceanographic
this helps countries with their Sargassum seasonal planning.
The second area was to develop a near real-time early warning system for vulnerable coastal communities to predict where, when and how Sargassum will reach land. Satellite imagery, combined with drone monitoring is now en-
Five years of extensive research has yielded results, not only in terms of finding ways in which the weed could be used productively but, as importantly, how it should not be used. Professor Tomkins said: “We do now have a better understanding of the weed, for instance we now know that it only grows when it is moving, if it is still it dies. We also know that some types of Sargassum grow a
Darts Farm's artisan chocolatier, Cow & Cacao, has everything that was needed for celebrating World Chocolate Day last month, and they are proud to be one of the few UK producers to craft chocolate from bean to bar and their handcrafted treats are available to buy in their Devon-based store and online for nationwide delivery.
Darts Farm believes in chocolate
that is both environmentally and economically sustainable, from forest to food hall. Their priority is sourcing incredible cacao from small scale growers in rare origins around the world to use with milk from their local dairy and other ingredients from their farm.
In small batches, their chocolatiers, Louise & Molly, carefully roast the beans, before cracking the shell to release the nib. They then grind the nibs in a granite mixer, the 'conche', for up to fif-
THE FIRST WINCHESTER
Food Festival, organised by Hampshire Fare with support from Winchester BID and Winchester Cathedral, is being hailed as a great success.
After the Festival, in Winchester Cathedral's Outer Close, Tracy Nash, Commercial Manager, Hampshire Fare, said: “It was great for Hampshire Fare to be responsible for the first local-led Winchester Food Festival. I was thrilled to see how many people attended; it was a really positive day all round with many lovely comments from visitors, and producers!
“This event was all about community and local, with generous sponsorship from several local businesses and organisations enabling us to roll out the Festival
as a free event. I would like to thank everyone who helped to make Winchester Food Festival happen: our volunteers; our producers; our chefs, who were truly amazing; and our supporters
- NFU Mutual Winchester and Wickham, Shorewood Homes, Quob Park Free Range & Organic, Winchester Bakery, Winchester BID and Winchester Cathedral.”
The artisan market was popular with people buying produce, such as charcuterie, cheese, chutneys, olives, pâtés, savoury tarts, fudge, pastries, shortbread, juice and alcohol-free cocktails for a picnic on the grass. Indeed, some producers nearly ran out. Richard Butler of Butler Country Estates said: “It is the best event we have attended this year as it has been a
ty-five hours before ageing the chocolate in 5kg bricks for two to three weeks. Finally, they melt it down to create bars, truffles and incredible handcrafted artisan treats.
When visiting the farm shop, you can see the whole chocolate making process taking place with Darts Farm priding themselves on educating their customers on single origin cacao and bean-to-bar chocolate. They even run regular chocolate making masterclasses!
For a taste of their amazing chocolate at home, indulge in their Chocolate Lover's Hamper. It contains a selection of their Cow & Cacao bean-to-bar chocolate, from handcrafted truffles and a Single Origin Chocolate Bar to Chocolate Dipped Oranges. For real chocoholics try their Ultimate Chocolate Lover's Hamper which boasts even more of their fabulous artisan treats including a White Chocolate & Strawberry Broken Slab.
Naksha Recipe Kits has taken its first stride into the UK by securing stardust listings of its delicious and beautifully designed recipe kits at Whole Foods Market, Harrods and John Lewis.
Naksha's UK-made range include both savoury and sweet (baking) dishes, encouraging users to discover and cook offthe-beaten-track cuisines in their own kitchens. First launched by Nisha Ramisetty and her husband Sam Williams in Dubai in 2020, Naksha quickly gained traction by winning the prestigious Spinneys and Waitrose Local Business Incubator and has been listed in Spinneys and Waitrose stores in the UAE ever since.
cook them without waste or fuss. UK consumers are hungry to cook food with engaging origin stories, and we are feeding that appetite.”
Arranged into regional collections, Naksha's recipe kits give customers an immersive cooking experience encompassing great flavours, thoughtful storytelling, stunning packaging, and simple cooking methodology. The recipe kits focus on cuisines with strong appeal but limited visibility, looking beyond the predictable world of Mexican, Thai and Indian.
destination for people.”
The Chefs' Kitchen was exceptional, and featured top local chefs including Damian Brown from Chesil Rectory, Lenny Carr-Roberts of Shoal, The Fox and The Bugle, who had appeared on James Martin's Saturday Morning TV show the previous day, and Paul Onami with Miff Kayum of Kyoto Kitchen, creators of the Winchester Roll – sushi using locally grown wasabi.
Simon Machola, Director, Shorewood Homes, one of the Festival's sponsors, commented:
"As a Winchester-based business, the local community is important to us, so we were delighted to support and attend the first Winchester Food Festival, which was a fantastic gastronomic event."
“Winchester Food Festival was run as part of this year's Hampshire Food Festival,” Tracy Nash concluded.
“The aim was to hold the city's first truly local and totally free Festival. We are already looking forward to next year's, and hopefully the weather will be as kind!”
Naksha's arrival in the UK in June 2023 is shaking up the cooking experience of UK homechefs by redefining store-bought, shelf-stable recipe kits. With whole, small-batch ingredients, authentic local recipes, and original hand-drawn artwork by emerging artists, Naksha's kits prove that simplicity and convenience are compatible with premium look-and-feel and gastronomic wow-factor. Kits suit weekdays, special occasions and gifting.
According to co-founder Nisha Ramisetty, Naksha is solving the problems of cooking inspiration and accessibility. “Many people want to cook more often but struggle to keep their menu varied”, she says.
“At the same time, many tempting cuisines are perceived to be too complex, expensive or wasteful to cook at home. Naksha tackles this by curating recipes from amazing places and giving customers the specialist ingredients needed to
Naksha's kits instead bring to life dishes from countries including Cuba (Ropa Vieja), Singapore (Lemak Cili Padi), Turkey ((Dark chocolate fondant with Turkish coffee), Jamaica (Curried Goat) and Lebanon (Milk chocolate blondies with Lebanese tahini); meeting demand for international food which - according to a recent Waitrose & Partners report – is growing rapidly in the UK. They are vegan-friendly as they don't include perishable ingredients. Instead, the shelf-stable products include easy recipe cards and specialist ingredients such as spice blends, herbs, grains, noodles, sauces and other extras. The fresh items (i.e., veg and protein) that a customer needs to complete the dish are easily obtainable as part of a normal weekly shop, maximising choice and flexibility.
Customers aren't locked into costly commitments - yet, thanks to Naksha's diverse range, they can access a multitude of flavours. Most of Naksha's recipe kits are also gluten free and contain organic ingredients. Naksha is based between London and Brighton and has manufacturing facilities in Derbyshire.
Iwas born in the early 50’s in the Caribbean. I was nine days old when Daddy left to England to provide for himself and family. In those days mothers giving birth were allowed out of the birth home after nine days, so my Daddy saw me for the first and only time in our lives.
Daddy sent for Mommy just over one year later so she joined him in England, leaving me with the lady she lived with. That lady cared for me to the point of overprotection, taking me everywhere and I wanted for nothing.
I was one year old when Mommy departed and I never saw again until I was 22, not even a picture of her, so I didn’t know what she looked like.
Even though Daddy lived till he was 69 I never met him, and over the many absent years I believe I saw a picture of him once through one of my sisters.
I recall, at age 12, opening a letter from Mommy to my grandmother, which I was not supposed
to, asking her to take me to the travel office to prepare my passage to England.
For some reason grandma decided that she would not take me to travel office and the plan faded away. Mother returned when I was age 22 and I recalled meeting her at the airport.
She was so excited and ecstatic to see me that she over enthusiastically hugged me and left my neck in pain for days.
I eventually visited my family in England in my early 40’s and met my other 6 brothers and sisters who were all born there. By that time I had children of my own, and I had brought my youngest boy with me who was age 3.
Mommy (grandma) loved him so much that she decided that he must stay with her and not return to the country of his birth. It was very difficult for me to leave my youngest of my 4 children behind but I reluctantly did so because Mommy was insistent, and I also believed he would have a good life living in England.
From the West Indies to London Sammy Jay Holder’s new memoir describes a life of adventure, triumphs, and trailblazing achievements.
The long-awaited book launch of Sammy Jay Holder's "The Uprooted Sapling" took place on Thursday, June 1, 2023, at The Black Cultural Archives in Brixton, London.
The book is the first of Holder's two-part memoirs, published by Marcia M. Publishing House. The enthusiasm surrounding the release is high, especially among the local Black
Mommy had a torrid time with the authorities to retain my son but she insisted that she wanted her grandson and ultimately won the battle. My son grew up to love the family and fitted in well as he was much loved by all. Although I maintained communication with my siblings and family in England I did not know them well, and certainly had no bonding with my mother.
I naturally felt distant and an outsider in relation to my other siblings. However, years later Mommy became sick and needed care and I felt it was my duty to look after her.
I applied for Leave to Remain in England and spent nine years caring for Mommy, day and night. The pandemic, Covid, made matters worse because it got to a stage when Mommy was too sick to be at home so she was admitted into the hospital where the restrictions meant no visitors.
As her carer I was exempt, and as I was at her beside constantly, they gave me a bed so I was able
to stay permanently in the hospital.
There was a moment when Mommy looked me in the eye, and with tears rolling down her cheeks, shook her head and said “I am sorry”, and I replied “it’s ok I forgive you and I am here for you”.
It got to a point where they could do no more for my mother so we agreed for her to return home. All the family gathered around Mom-
my, including my son, he is now 31 year old grandson, and we were able to share the last three days of her life.
Alone I observed Mommy pass away in the early hours of the morning. She gradually faded away in three phases of breathing until her last breath was taken at around 4am.
I felt a total loss; I hugged her, maybe as tight as she hugged me at age 22, and cried.
collaborating with the founders of the first black newspaper in the UK and heading Miss West Indian UK pageants. He also chaired the UK Caribbean Chamber of Commerce, a prestigious role that gave Sammy some influence on local politics.
I have to admit that I never felt a true bond with my mother and always felt like an outsider with my siblings.
However, that did not deter me from giving of my best to Mommy and I feel I did just that. After 9 years I’m still here in England under Leave to Remain, awaiting for the authorities to make a decision to grant me permanent stay or otherwise.
and West Indian community.
"This book project is the exciting culmination of many years of work," commented Marcia M. Spence, Director of the publishing house and a Memoir and Autobiography Specialist.
"We are ecstatic to be involved in this project that has such cultural significance. It's a tale of hard work and accomplishment against the odds."
The true story recounted in the memoir is powerful. Holder left his home village of Den Amstel, Guyana West Indies, in 1961 to settle in Europe at his father's request.
The young man was growing
restless and was creating a reputation for himself with the young women in Guyana.
His father's idea was for him to go away and learn about agriculture and return more mature and with the knowledge that could help him prosper after five years of experience outside his birthplace.
His education abroad would become a pioneering life of adventure for Sammy Jay, who rose to the top British, London-based figures in business, entertainment, journalism, and, most notably, beauty pageants. Known as Jay's Movements, Sammy led in the field of black beauty pageants
Now 80 years old, Sammy isn't shy about declaring he has had a unique journey and wouldn't trade it for the world.
"The Uprooted Sapling" covers this remarkable life over a period of 21 years, from 1967 to 1988. Expect the book to be challenging to put down, drawing readers into a world where boundaries were broken by a confident man who set goals and achieved them in style. The 300-page book is available on Amazon.com.
The launch took place at Black Cultural Archives, Windrush Square, Brixton, was attended by over sixty specially invited guests, including the Beauty Queens and hosted by Orman
Griffiths, whose roots also hail from Guyana. Orman is the chief publicist for "The Uprooted Sapling," a project he has embraced with passion.
For more information, be sure to visit https://marciampublishing.com or call +443332423915.
"THE
SAPLING": A CAPTIVATING MEMOIR OF SAMMY JAY HOLDER'S EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY
As part of celebrating Windrush 75 and NHS 75 we're looking back at two fantastic Women of Excellence who embody the spirit of both milestones.
Dame Dr Neslyn WatsonDruee CBE has had a long and varied career in the health service, and also in leadership and coaching, having a profound effect on a large number of peoples lives, whether directly or indirectly.
Born in Niagara, St James, Jamaica, she grew up in Elderslie, St Elizabeth where she always wanted to be a nurse from a very early age.
“I remember when I was in Primary school there was a child who had a very sore leg and I took it upon myself that I was going to clean up the leg and dress it,” Neslyn reminisced.
“It wasn’t a very pleasant sight, but I took her home and asked for support for her. I’ve always had a caring side to me.”
Taking a shine to poetry, civics and domestic science, Neslyn learned to cook both at home and at school, while studying for her Jamaica Schools Certificates, equivalent to O levels.
I still remember my father looking down at me
“I always knew I wanted to be a nurse, and although you did need A Levels for nursing, I was determined to start early, and that I was going to Canada or the UK to study nursing and not do it in Jamaica. There was
nothing wrong with nursing in Jamaica, I just wanted to travel!”
Neslyn worked with Jamaica Public Services, Industrial Terrace, learning to file papers, write letters and speak with people, and some of the engineers there influenced her to go to the UK, with one in particular becoming a mentor for her.
Following a physical and dental examination (you had to be in ‘spanking good health’ to be admitted),
Neslyn wrote to the
High Commission in London to ask them to find her a training school.
So on the 22nd March 1969, 19 year old Neslyn boarded a British Airways flight with a small case containing 7 cotton dresses, 3 pairs of pyjamas and enough underwear to last a week. In the UK she was met by a family
member with a coat and boots, given a meal at their home before being sent to find her own way by train to Kent.
“I came to do General Nursing, but when I got to the training school the matron said there was an inspection by the Nursing Council and it had been downgraded to second level nursing, so I started off being a state registered nurse.
“Matron was very kind, said that it was through no fault of mine that it had been downgraded, and that she was going to ensure I was sent to the training school where she was trained herself in Tunbridge Wells.”
Neslyn was always a high performer, receiving the Gold Medal in the State Enrolled Nursing training, and again when she was training at Tunbridge Wells.
Wanting to return to Jamaica as a public health nurse, Neslyn moved to Kingston Upon Thames to study Midwifery. When her student visa was coming to an end the only way to reverse it was to own property, which was difficult when you had no money!
“I was so bold and forward that I went to the GLC (Greater London Council), and the person who interviewed me for the mortgage was very derogatory and rude, so I wrote to the Director of Housing explaining how badly I was treated despite being a public servant, and the minimum I expected was respect.
“The Director wrote to me and invited me to come and see him, and I walked out of that office with a 100% mortgage on the £9,500 property after putting my deposit of £50 down. I had been blessed by a guardian angel.”
Years later in 1976 after training as a health visitor, there were new occupants in the downstairs maisonette, a couple wearing National Front clothes who verbally abused Neslyn.
“One morning I was leaving for work and found my new car with only 600 miles on the clock with all 4 tyres slashed and rusting due to having had acid poured over it.
“I stayed indoors for 2 days and my manager arranged police escorts
for me to and from work, my friends did my shopping and I was a prisoner in my own home.”
Neslyn put her property up on the market and it was sold within 24 hours. She bought a dilapidated rat and cockroach infested house and after having it fumigated, set about furnishing one room at a time.
“I had gutted the kitchen so with no functional kitchen, I learnt how to be creative with an electric frying pan for almost a year, even learning to make cake in it!”
Feeling it was time to return to Jamaica in 1979, Neslyn was preparing to return when she met her husband Peter, which put the return on hold.
From here, Neslyn became interested in Health Promotion, and transferred to Croydon as a Health Promotion Officer.
“I did my Diploma in Health Promotion, followed by my PGCE and then my Masters in Health Promotion at Kings College London, retraining as a teacher to work in further and higher education.”
“I finished my teacher training in July and was spotted as someone who knew more than the people teaching the training, so the following September I was offered a post at the very college I had been learning at to teach Health Promotion.”
Positions at North East College of Technology, Kilburn Polytechnic as a lecturer, and Harrow College of Higher Education followed, before in 1988 an opportunity came up in the health service itself as the curriculum had changed.
“The HR director told me that they wanted to employ me to develop a nursing curriculum for those nurses without a first degree – and that I was to write my job description and tell them how much I wanted to be paid!”
“I developed 5 modules, all of which were passed without me having to readjust anything, which doesn’t happen very often at all.
18 months later a new manager came in and told me in no uncertain terms that she found me threatening because I am black, I’m a woman, I’m intelligent, and she was going to block me.
“I am not embarrassed to think what I thought ... and I said to myself, 'you won’t block me.’” Neslyn decided to set up her own business in Personal Development, and following an award winning service teaching managers how to manage, she was recommended to the NHS Women’s Unit to develop a Leadership Development Programme, but they weren’t keen.
“I wrote the proposal but nothing was happening, so I wrote to Virginia Bottomley who was the Secretary of State for Health, and between the Chief Nurse and Virginia, about a week later I got a call that I needed to come to the Women’s Unit.
“My business wasn’t a Limited Company yet, I was still a sole trader, but the Government gave me the money to develop this programme. In 1999 I received the Millennium Nurse Award - Special Recognition Award by the Secretary of State for Health for outstanding contribution to nursing, and a few years later the Fellowship of the Royal College of Nursing in 2001.”
Neslyn started a national
demonstration programme initiating Leadership Development for BME people in particular which ran from 2003 to 2009, which is how she ended up coming to Birmingham. The work she did here earned her Honorary Doctorates from both Birmingham City University and Bradford University in 2005.
In 2012 Neslyn was appointed Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) for Health Service Development, and a year later received Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Medal for Health Service Innovation and Leadership.
For 21 years she worked as a Non Executive Director, and for 10 years of that, as Chairman of NHS Kingston. Due to her husband Peter becoming very ill, Neslyn had to pull back from her work for a few years, and now she mainly coaches.
“I met someone at a meeting in the House of Lords, she was working in the Ministry of Justice and wanted a coach to help apply for a permanent post, and she got a deputy director post, before a year later becoming a director, and is now working in the Home Office - now what I do is solely around coaching within the Civil Service.”
“I am so proud to be a Jamaican, and I often say that my success is due to not being born in this country, if I was born here maybe I’d have taken in some of the nonsense that has been pushed into people that ‘Black people can’t achieve and are oppressed and are plagued by imposter syndrome,’ “I’m not an imposter! I know who I am! I love my country, and I don’t go back there nearly as often as when my father was alive, but I pray for Jamaica and the protection of the borders of Jamaica. Jamaica is very much in my heart, my soul and my prayers.”
“I thank God for my life, good health and the people that are in my circle. Every person who has life and breath in them has excellence inside them. Have a purpose and live your purpose. Be very clear about your values and always live with integrity and leave a legacy.”
"Windrush meant an opportunity for me to serve, to contribute to Britain, our Mother County. I came in at the tail-end of Windrush, 1969. Windrush 75 and the NHS 75 is summed up beautifully for me in Professor Laura Serrant’s Poem: ‘You Called … we Came.
"Issues in Health and Social Care for Minority ethnic communities continue to be challenging, especially with shortage of staff and the provision of highly responsive healthcare needs.
"The NHS is a Jewel in the Crown of Health and Social Care provision. Today, the NHS is the biggest employer in Europe of people from a black, Asian and minority ethnic background – 20.7% of the NHS workforce representing more than 200 nationalities (Bonner, 2020).
"Without the help of nurses and other medical staff from around the world, the NHS as we know it could not have survived. The NHS and Windrush are entwined in history."
Having worked in a number of healthcare settings and has vast experience in Nursing, Midwifery, Leadership and Management, Paulette Lewis MBE is a highly experienced leader and director.
Born in Portland, Jamaica, as the middle child of 7, her early years were spent between the UK and Jamaica, after her parents first emigrated to the UK when she was 3 years old, and then returned when she was 10.
“When we returned it was very telling about the education system in the UK. When we were tested in Jamaica, we were noticeably lower than that of our Jamaican peers, so my parents did lots of extra lessons.”
Attending Happy Grove Grammar School where she completed her 5th Form and O Levels, Paulette always wanted to be a nurse and a teacher, flipping back and forth between both, while keeping up a number of extracurricular activities including running and long jump, drama and dancing.
At the same time that she was applying to go to teachers college, she was also applying to England to come and train to be a nurse after visitors to the school had talked about a variety of different careers, including coming to the UK for nursing.
“I was always an adventurous person, and wanted to be a nurse so I figured why not,” Paulette said, smiling mischievously.
“I landed in the UK in June, but it was so cold! My first placement was in Sunderland, up north and even colder! No one met me off the flight, so I got the train from Heathrow nearly 8h to Sunderland on my own. There I was met by a little Matron with a cup of tea and biscuits. Here’s me thinking I could really do with a nice plate of rice and peas!”
Paulette believed she was enrolled on the 3 year state registered nurse course, however after much confusion it was discovered that she was on the 2 year state enrolled nurse course, which wasn’t the same. Thankfully her lecturer helped discover the issue and start the process of looking for nursing schools for her to transfer to.
“I moved all the way to King Edward VII Hospital in Windsor, and completed my State Registered Nurse training in 1977, before starting my midwifery training, which was the thing I spent most of my career doing.
“I’ve been a midwife since the early 80’s when I did my training in Croydon. I love the labour ward. It was hard work, challenging at times, very busy, and with the diversity of the patients, you learned a lot there, so much experience to gain.
“I stayed there and became a Sister within a year, and then a team leader. As the new midwives came in, training them and supporting them was great as it’s very much a team effort, and we worked well as a team.
Paulette’s adventurous side won out again, and in 1988 she went off to America, continuing her work in maternity. After taking more exams to get the required qualifications over there, she sound herself a bit frustrated, and ended up teaching them the ways she’d learned over here, influencing some of their practices.
“They were very hot on record keeping and quality assurance, some of the things we hadn’t started taking on board here at the time, but I just couldn’t seem to settle in the US. I had issue with not being able to treat patients without insurance, so I came back to the UK about 2/3 years later.”
Back in the UK and Paulette was struggling to find a job in nursing again. “They kept telling me how good I was, or how qualified I was. I was applying to be a Sister again, as I’d been away, looking to work back up.
“What I did in the end was stop applying for that band of job, and applied for a senior manager job 3 or 4 grades higher than what I had been
applying for, and got it! You never quit when things get tough, you carry on and don’t get defeated.”
Paulette became Head of Maternity Services before the hospital closed down, making her redundant. “I was home not even 2 or 3 months when I got a call saying that they’d heard about my work, and would I like to come in and help them with their Maternity services, so I ended up back at Croydon where I did my Maternity Training, and took over a unit that needed a lot of help.” Knowing it would be difficult, she worked hard and the hospital earned a number of commendations, with Paulette becoming Director of Maternity Services, General Manager and then Chief Nurse in about 2004.
“I was in the 3% of all of the directors of nursing in this country as a black woman. It’s taken us a long long time for us to break that glass ceiling. I’ve always tried to put my hand down and help those coming up through the system too.
“Because of the person I was, never giving up and how I was brought up, putting my head above the parapet was something I did, because
sometimes someone has to stand up and speak for those who haven’t got a voice, and I do that quite a bit.
In 2008/9 Paulette became director for the pan-London Maternity services, looking at developing new ways of working to improve the outcome for women.
“I went back to University, did my degrees in Health Service Management so it would equip me to not only be a clinician, but managing difficult situations and budgets.
In 2012/13 she retired from the health service and set up her own consultancy working in many areas across London, a lot of turnaround and transformational work, and troubleshooting to improve service delivery.
Paulette was also on the nonexecutive board for the Clinical Commissioning Team in Croydon and Wandsworth, before becoming a non-executive director on Croydon University Hospital Board, where she is still their Maternity Champion.
As the president of the Nurses Association of Jamaica UK for 14 years, Paulette has raised money for hospitals, education and social care both here and in Jamaica, even taking a group of
colleagues to work in Chad with the Chad Foundation, which she became trustee of.
“Their maternity and neonatal death rate out there was very high, so I took up the mantle with some of my colleagues and went out there to work with them in the community. Really makes you understand how fortunate we are in this country and how much we do have. Unfortunately Chad became very unstable and it wasn’t possible to continue going out there.”
Along with 4 other nurses, Paulette set up the Caribbean Nurses and Midwives Association (UK) to address Caribbean nurses as a whole as there are many islands without their own association.
“We won an award for Outstanding Work and Support to the International Nurses in this country. One of the key things right now is the recruitment of international nurses. A number of the issues that I faced way back when I started over here are raising their head again now and we need to know why as there are so many nurses and healthcare professionals coming to this country.”
Talking to Paulette, you can tell that she truly, deeply cares about people, and it shines through in everything that she says. “What is important is that we are all human beings, and whatever we can do to make each others lives better, together, then we need to do them. I’d very much like to continue to be able to help those who need my help and support. I’m enjoying life to the fullest.”
Paulette was awarded the Social and Humanitarian Award from the European Federation of Black Women Owner's and Professionals in 2002, received her MBE in 2014 for her work for Nursing and Charity, and in 2018 received an award from the Prime Minister of Jamaica.
“Overall, nursing is a very good career and I would go into the health service again. It’s very rewarding but has its challenges. People say it’s not sexy enough, but I think it has a lot to offer and there are so many paths you can take as a nurse.
“The education you receive will help you and generations to come. I don’t think you’ll ever be out of a job as a nurse.”
The next generation is also very important to Paulette, and she wants to make sure that they are not forgotten. “We need to nurture them and work with them, but we all need to be around that table to talk.”
“Never quit when it gets hard, and always put out a hand to help someone else up. No matter the position you reach or what title you have it shouldn’t make you think you’re better than anyone else as we’re
all human beings and we’re all trying. Together we are strong, and together we can make things work.”
"The simultaneous 75 years anniversaries of the Windrush and the NHS are no coincidence. They are inextricably bound in many ways.
"To me these linked milestones mean pride, purpose, fulfilled dreams, hope, adventure, resilience, strength, service, and dedication. It also means pain, loss, prejudice and sacrifice.
"My colleagues and I take pride in celebrating the pioneers who selflessly answered the call of the” mother country and came in 1948, and also the subsequent calls during Covid 19 pandemic 2019 to the present.
"We brought our skills, experience, vibrant culture and enriched the landscape and with hard work and dedication rescued the NHS. NHS would not be what it is today, without the contribution of the Caribbean Diaspora the NHS 75years and Windrush 75years go hand in hand one could not exist without the other.
The Celebration / commemoration is important so that we do not forget our significant contributions, it should serve as a constant reminder to the entire country.
"Our reflections of the past and the stories we share is part of our legacy for the generations now and in the future. Too often our positive historical foot prints are erased or hidden. We have earned our place in history so we celebrate our contributions and hard work despite the challenges.
"I also need to celebrate my personal contributions to the building of the NHS, having worked for over 35years in the delivering health care in a variety of health care settings / organisations, supporting and filling gaps in the health care system.
"My lived experience will help in shaping the future. I hope that the lessons learnt over the past 75 years will help in creating a much better future for the Windrush generation and the sustainability of the NHS.
"Despite the various challenges, including racism, prejudices and discrimination, the Windrush generation including myself played an instrumental role in shaping post war Britain.
"As I talk to the Windrush generation and those working in the NHS, we must remember the selfless sacrifice and personal costs to the people from the Caribbean who responded to the workforce shortage 75yeasrs ago and now, still plagued by the same issues.
"In spite of reassurance about the organisations commitment to create an inclusive workforce BAME staff and some communities are still sceptical and frustrated at the slow pace of progress. Have we really learnt the lessons from 75 years ago?
"Myself and others had to take the initiative to create the path to our destiny. I have learnt the value the enrichment that a diverse workforce brings to patient care and influences the inequalities of Health. It is crucial that we never forget the story and Legacy of the Windrush generation our contribution to building the NHS."
THE PARTNERSHIP with World Travel Market to be held from November 6-8, 2023, will turn the spotlight on Morocco.
The Premier Partnership announcement comes as Morocco experiences growth in its tourism activity, aiming to double the number of incoming tourists to 26 million by 2030, elevating Morocco as a leading leisure destination to the world’s travel trade. It is already known that Morocco’s presence at World Travel Market London will focus on the “Morocco, Kingdom of Light” international campaign of the Moroccan National Tourism Office.
Launched in April 2022, this campaign was designed to inspire a new generation of traveller, showcasing the attractions and experiences of a “contemporary and dynamic” nation. World Travel Market, the most influential travel and tourism event in the world, provides the perfect opportunity for Morocco to demonstrate its efforts in joining the league of highly favoured destinations.
Morocco’s relationship with WTM spans far beyond Premier Partner of the flagship London event, as the destination has also seen tremendous success participating in ATM, ILTM, IBTM, IFTM, and IGTM. The Moroccan National Tourism Office is relying on commercial events to boost the activity of all Moroccan tourism professionals.
WEBB FONTAINE, a global leader in AI-powered trade technology and Customs facilitation solutions, is proud to announce that Guinea Customs has chosen its state-of-the-art Smart Tracking solutions to enhance trade facilitation processes.
Alioune Ciss, CEO of Webb Fontaine, said: "As a trusted partner to Guinea Customs, we are excited to provide our advanced tracking solutions to drive efficiency and security in trade facilitation.
“By combining cutting-edge technologies such as GPS tracking and RFID tagging, we are enabling Guinea Customs to take full control of their operations and enhance the safety and transparency of goods in transit." The solution includes GPS/GSM tracking beacons equipped with smart locking cables, delivering accurate real-time position and speed for trucks of goods in transit.
Alongside this, an integrated geolocation platform and the Smart Transit system will ensure efficient monitoring and management of tracking data. To centralise operations and ensure effective oversight, a fully equipped Control Room will be established at the General Directorate of Customs, from where Guinea Customs officers will monitor the movement of trucks on a 24/7 basis and react to alerts received from the trackers, such as exits from approved corridors, stops in non-designated areas or tracker cable openings outside customs-controlled departure and destination sites. Director of Customs, General
Moussa CAMARA, Grand Officer of the National Order of Merit: "The aim of this project is to secure the transit of goods from Guinea to neighbouring countries. This electronic tracking tool for goods in transit will significantly reduce fraudulent dumping of goods on our territory.
“Therefore, the use of this tool will secure revenue and reduce fraud. It will result in improved Customs performance." At the same time, it will combat unfair competition from certain operators who do not pay their duties and taxes, while dumping various products on the market. Traders will also benefit from the project by being allowed to start their transit journey as soon as a tracker has been affixed on their truck.
Significant time savings will be realised by doing away with the physical Customs escort, which is now replaced with Smart Tracking. Another major advantage for Traders will be a private access to the geolocation platform where they will view the live location of their trucks.
These advanced components reflect Webb Fontaine's commitment to revolutionizing trade facilitation for Guinea Customs. The solution seamlessly integrates GPS tracking for cargo trucks and RFID tagging for vehicles in transit. These stateof-the-art technologies align with SydoniaWorld and are compatible with the SIGMAT (Système Interconnecté de Gestion des Marchandises en Transit) project, showcasing Guinea Customs' visionary approach to transit management.
Infrequently, someone comes along, quietly but determinedly, to articulate with clarity, the emerging needs of the less fortunate in society.
Some are born privileged whilst they are those who tend to thrive on selflessness and the stark realities of others.
Indian-born Manjit Gill has two decades of experience in the probation service in Britain and has represented and facilitated help and support for hundreds of young people, their families and others associated with rehabilitation, care and resettlement of the incarcerated.
Very disciplined, focused and palpably able, she holds company directorships at home and abroad and is using her corporate social responsibility (CSR) ‘gifts’ to campaign and action policies to help reduce substance abuse involving children, young people and adults from various parts of the world. Her work traverses India, Britain and Europe, and is line
by Dr. Christopher A. Johnsonvironment by this man-made disaster.
"Harm reduction strategies must include treatment centres across communities and nations, that are adequately resourced with competent and culturally sensitive and specific staff.
"We need committed specialists who understand and appreciate the complex needs and requirements of individual, families, groups and large swathe communities who suffer almost interminably, from bouts of psychosocial disorders.
"These situations are partly caused by licit drug addiction such as alcohol and other spirits; along with illegal substance abuse/misuse.
with the UN Sustain Development Goals 3,11, 16 and 18, all of which refer to productive societies, heather lifestyles and sustainable nations.
Gill believes that proactive policies to deal with drug addiction including substance abuse, are crucial in the fight against this human menace. About 270 million or just under six per cent of the global population aged 15-64 use psychoactive drugs and about 35 million are estimated to be affected by drug use disorders, according to the World health Organisation (WHO) and other independent figures.
Heroin, cocaine other opioids, figure on the radar of substances consumed by young people in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean as well as Europe including Britain, plus other parts of the globe.
“We need positive attitudes and behaviours if we are to reduce the amount of drug consumption, trafficking and destruction to our natural en-
"Many youngsters have had their lives destroyed through destitution or poverty, lack of educational, training and joblessness.
"In other instances, psychologically, they lack self-confidence and self-esteem; they can’t trust others because of susceptibility and vulnerability due to their addiction state among other issues”, Gill asserted.
She contends that if emerging democracies are to counter the brain drain syndrome, then governments must introduce and institute social policies to impact positively on substance abuse.
Tinkering with legislation, via ‘the stick’ rather than the ‘carrot’ approach, will not suffice. “If we want new developing countries to compete in the global market, then we must socially invest in the capability and capacity initiative of citizens who are most gullible to the use/abuse of both licit and illicit substances”.
Mental Health as a topic is certainly on the rise and many young people who suffer from mental health issues are very afraid to speak out.
It can be a very uncomfortable subject and being someone that has suffered from mental health issues myself, this event grabbed my attention as I wanted to hear peoples stories and see how they battled through depression and what their coping mechanisms were.
I have to really commend West Midlands Young Combined Authority and Faith Strategic Partnership Group for hosting an incredible youth summit where it gave young people an opportunity to share their life experiences.
Young groups from all walks of life were very brave to go on the stage and share to an audience about depression and even suicidal thoughts.
What was remarkable though is how they all pulled through dark moments in their life and gave people amazing advice on how to get through.
Its good to know there is an organisation that actually cares for the well being of the youth of today.
The Youth Summit is to be a regular event to really help young people pull through, expert advice is given in various workshops on how to cope with many types of depression and what ever crises you face as a young person.
The Youth Summit has people who really understand the effects and challenges of todays youth and is here to let them know where the help is.
Škoda Auto has released the first official exterior sketches previewing the refreshed versions of its Scala compact model and Kamiq city SUV.
Both models have progressive design and technology enhancements as well as features from higher vehicle classes.
The new Scala and Kamiq will be celebrating their digital world premieres on 1 August.
Four years on from their initial production launch, the Škoda Scala and the Škoda Kamiq are poised for a refresh.
Technology updates and exterior design modifications combine to highlight each model’s key characteristics, such as the Scala’s dynamic appeal and the rugged appearance of the Kamiq.
Both now sport redesigned headlights, front and rear aprons
and grille. New alloy wheels and tailgate lettering in line with Škoda’s updated CI elegantly complete the revamp.
Slimmed-down headlights and aprons with side wings for the Scala
The Scala’s slimmer headlights extend all the way to the grille, underscoring the car’s dynamic allure. The air intake in the new front apron is divided
by additional side wings. Painted in the body colour, these are also found in the diffuser on the revised rear apron, which is flanked by crystalline elements. The tail lights now feature a new and more refined graphic design. Enhanced SUV presence for the Kamiq
The updated Kamiq now has more visual presence. The upper element of the signature split
headlights is now slimmer and has a more pronounced design.
The larger and more upright Škoda grille presents distinctive double slats that form a U-shape at the bottom.
In the front apron, a painted area below the grille and an air intake accentuate the vehicle’s width, complemented by a sturdy silver diffuser that provides underbody protection.
The rear diffuser consists of a
wide upper section in black and a rugged silver-coloured lower section.
The revised L-shaped light characteristic of the split tail lights visually ties in with the reflectors, which also adopt an L-shape.
The Baroness Floella Benjamin Young Rep Hub, a newly dedicated community and learning Hub, was officially opened on Friday 21 July by the theatre’s Patron of Youth and Education, Baroness Floella Benjamin, DBE. The official launch of the Hub, marked the first time The Rep has a dedicated space for creative learning and community outreach.
Alex Summers, The Rep’s Director of Creative Learning, said:
“The Rep has always had a strong ‘for/with/by’ young people
ethos, but now that’s matched by a physical investment in a permanent workshop space, video editing equipment and hot desks.
"It’s also a home for all our participants and projects, including adult and community groups, the brilliant youth board, Young Rep youth theatre, school groups and work experience programme.
“It will enable new partnerships, new plays and new creative careers – the value of this cannot be overstated. We look forward to hearing from professionals of the future that this is the place where it all started
for them.”
Rachael Thomas, The Rep’s Executive Director, and Sean Foley, The Rep’s Artistic Director, said “The REP’s acclaimed learning and community outreach programme is one of the largest and most diverse of any arts organisation in the country.
"Every year we have over 70,000 contacts with young people and adults in the community on projects from drama or writing workshops to large-scale productions.
“Whilst we have invested in growing activities, our facilities
have not kept pace with this. With the addition of the Hub, the first of its kind in the city, it will enable us to increase our work within the West Midlands and our own constituency of Ladywood, providing more support and opportunities for the next generation and placing young people further at the heart of the theatre’s youth activities.”
Baroness Floella Benjamin, DBE was elevated to the peerage in 2010 and speaks on issues concerning children, women and diversity in the arts.
In 2022 The Rep premiered Coming to England a musical play based on her acclaimed book telling the story of her migration to Kent as a young girl. Commentating on the launch she said:
“I am absolutely thrilled to officially open the Floella Benjamin Young Rep Hub. It’s clear that children desperately need to be exposed to the arts and creativity from a very early age because childhood lasts a lifetime and what better place than at the Hub.
“So it’s wonderful that young people and local community groups will have access to this creative space. It speaks to the inclusivity work that I, and others, have long championed. This space is there to bring people together and foster a collaborative spirt through art and culture. I look forward to the creative work it inspires.”
Having a dedicated space in which The Rep’s community groups can
relax and express themselves creatively has already changed the ways in which participants engage. It also provides a space for young people who would not necessarily have access to the arts.
The Baroness Floella Benjamin Young Rep Hub will become a base from which The Rep can run a range of its community outreach activities, including: The Young Rep, the theatre’s renowned youth
theatre company; sessions for community adult drama groups; Summer Schools and refugee and asylum seeker community sessions.
The Baroness Floella Benjamin Young Rep Hub has been made possible by the generous support of the 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust and HSBC UK, the main sponsor, through its Supporting our Community (SoC) funding scheme.
Blackpink star Jennie Kim addressed claims that some of her historic performances lacked energy, saying she was often experiencing physical pain.
In the past, some K-pop fans criticised the star for being "lazy" and "unable to deliver" her choreography, even when it looked flawless to the uninitiated. But the singer told Dua Lipa's At Your Service podcast she had been prone to injury in Blackpink's early days.
"I did not know how to control my body the way I should," she explained. "It all started because I would constantly hurt myself during performances and live shows compared to the other girls.
"It was a stressful thing in my life. I'm like, 'There we go, I fell again, I tripped over again. So I feel like I've disappointed my fans at some points of my life, where it seemed like I wasn't giving my best." It's the first time the singer has acknowledged the criticisms, but she stressed she had been working on her physical health since 2020.
"I've learned to take care of my body. And I've learned a lot about myself, with my health and how my muscles work, even how bendy I am with my arms," she laughed. "In every detail, I've spent time."
Jennie also explained how the pressure to dance in high heels had
contributed to her discomfort. She said: "Some people are amazing in heels. My feet aren't built for it. Sometimes, when I'm feeling perfectly fine, when my body's OK, it's fine.
“But when I'm travelling and my feet are bloated, if I try to dance in heels, my stamina just goes down." On Blackpink's current world tour, the singer has generally opted for more comfortable footwear, including boots with ankle supports and with lower, Cuban-style heels, to protect her health.
Her admission is unusual in the
tightly-controlled world of K-pop, where stars are expected to maintain high standards of professionalism at all times. Criticisms of Jennie's performances have often been couched in those terms, with fans suggesting she's being unprofessional - even when she exceeds the standards of most Western artists.
But the star said she wanted to be upfront about the challenges she'd faced. "I've wanted to come clean... not come clean, but wanted to share with my fans that I'm still at a point where I'm learning about myself," she explained.
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Now that summer is in full swing, it is the absolute best time of year to do an emotional detox to eliminate impurities in the body and prepare for your best summer ever.
Many have grown accustomed to detox as a physical involvement rather than a psychological one.
The summer season is the perfect means to eliminate pollutants consumed, puffed, infused and soaked up and in some cases maltreated between your typical lifestyle and circumstances.
Emotional detoxes is a common and sensible practice for cleansing putrid and over pro-
cessed waste of feelings emancipating us from unsettled thoughts that work against us.
The summer of life brings plenty of fresh choices, a peculiar blend of blessings, nostalgia and potential that relinquishes the harvest of seeds sown within a lifetime. Braces us to buckle up for any emotional storms that resonate with seasonal cycles by throwing out the garbage taking control of your thoughts.
All too often, the physical body experiences cleansing and detoxification, but yet emotional cleansing is left by the side unaccounted for and begs for a bit of tender loving care because of the lack of compassion. An emo-
tional cleanse will never be an easy feat, it takes dedication but it gives the ability to take a jump forward in crafting a fondness towards emotional wellbeing.
A key ingredient to honing in on emotional and spiritual growth, is detoxing as a means to internally cleanse and open the consciousness of the mind as to grant permission for higher self to infuse without exception. Detoxing is a process of cleansing of the mind that will make you feel light hearted and connected – feeling as you’ve gotten life’s mojo once again.
Bottling up any form of emotions is a burden that many tend to practice almost religiously
that at times resulting in anxiety with powerful outbursts. In setting healthy boundaries, negative emotions can be squashed before they have the chance to fester and explode.
Life’s burdens tend to weigh down the strongest of individuals which gives rise to emotional turbulence that internalise mental tension. Routines that are executed for instance terrible sleep patterns and consuming the wrong diet as well as alcohol and hanging out with negative people that saps your emotional competence taking a toll on your wellbeing exhaustively.
Flow into this season with a clean sweep and rebirth of your
emotional mindset. A popular mantra for commitment is “Out with the old and in with the new.”
In a similar manner, a new season sends us to a clean spree of our mind, body and spirit - making it the right moment to detox the body and emotional weight. We've all heard of detoxes for your body, but what about for your emotions?
Summer is the perfect season to detoxify your mind, re energising your routine and having a more robust mindset is the first step for change. New freshness with your purpose filled life as you let go of any habits or beliefs of your life that are no longer serving you and clear space for rejuvenescence.
“The wounded mind must be reset like a fractured bone. It cannot heal itself without spiritual realignment” - Anthon St. Maarten
It’s about being in tune with your deepest emotions by coming to terms with your pain moving forward in the direction of healing and renewal. The trees dump their leaves in order to turn their focus inward and generate the energy they need for new growth – humans need to undergo the same. Following this rhythmical glide of nature, disconnecting from what no longer serves us or brings about joy even if it is relationships or self-criticism, this will filter a space to create new things to be born and flourish. Similar to over processed and undigested foods that drain our energy, so are our emotions which after an extended period become very unnatural. Feeling stuck, unmotivated and depressed put an enormous amount of constraint and often snowed under by what is identified by lack of breakthrough from symptoms of anxiety, stress and physical pain.
Rather than a juice cleanse flushing out highly acidic foods - think of an emotional detox as a reaction cleanse, where you forced out copious levels of anger, worry and defensiveness.
Emotional detox is not only to rid the body of what is considered to be negativity but rather
to clear out the ones that have been highly stagnated.
Here are several steps to navigate an emotional detox in making your way through these flushing and rebirthing periods.
1. Make clear – Decluttering the mind so that you can clearly work through your emotions. Being cognizant of what triggers you, making you aware of what mostly makes you reactive in your life. Noticing the patterns that blow up your sympathetic nervous system with the fight or flight mode. Adopt ways to calm yourself through exercise, yoga, prayer, hugging or a good belly laugh.
2. Do not sweat the small stuff – Not reacting to insignificant issues that potentially could be blown out of proportion. The less we indulge in the blame game we desist from misconstruing things when our emotions are in flow.
3. Setting Intentions – Listen to the signs of emotional stress by means of setting intentions for the next chapter of your life. Why am I detoxing emotionally and what am I releasing? This will support you to step into a dynamic and more conscious way instead of leaving the results to mere chance. Taking an inventory of how you desire to grow in life and having audacious goals for your dreams.
4. Looking on inward – Having self-reflection is an emotional and mental journey giving importance in being in a place of self-awareness. The looking inward strategy is bridging the gap as you face up to your inner bully accepting to experience the blessing of the raw emotions. Create positive and healthy dialogue with your daily self-talks.
5. Meditate and Journal – There are at least 50,000 thoughts daily which equates to a new thought every 1.2 seconds. Easily, the mind follows random thoughts getting us distracted from keeping our focus. Sit in silence by journaling and writing down what has been waning on your mind.
From yoga and meditation sessions to unique Extraordinary Experiences, this renowned resort of The Lux Collective – LUX* South Ari Atoll knows how to turn a couple getaway, a family vacation, or a solo retreat into a life-changing adventure.
Landing in secluded tropics amidst the Indian Ocean is a perfect opportunity to slow down. Take a deep breath. Sink the toes in the warm white sand. Enjoy a bike ride along LUX* South Ari Atoll’s 1.8 kilometres long island with lush gardens.
Look up to watch the sun streaming through the palm leaves. Guests can sip signature cocktails during the sunset Aperitivo hour, as the sky turns rosé. The starry Maldivian nights are the best for indulging dinners on the beach or open-air movie at the Cinema Paradiso. Away from the noise and stress of city life, this is a well-deserved “me” time. Switch off the phone and switch on the detox mode.
Guests can start the day with an invigorating yoga class or an energising workout at the island’s well-equipped fitness centre. Visit the LUX* ME Spa for a personalised wellness advice and be pampered with a massage, facial, or a salon treatment. De-stress at the tennis court before taking a dip in the ocean. For ultimate zen with a Maldivian twist, couples can book a private yoga and sound healing Extraordinary Experience - onboard a dhoni traditional wooden boat amidst the waves at the Golden Hour.
With self-care opportunities at every step of the holiday, LUX* South Ari Atoll is the ideal place to let go and recharge.
UK PASSPORT holders will now be able to enter Vietnam without a visa for up to 45 days, a threefold increase on the previous limit of 15 days, effective 15 August 2023.
Currently, British Nationals can enter Vietnam for up to 15 days for tourism, transit, and business (but not paid or voluntary work) without needing to apply for a visa.
British visitors staying longer can also apply for an e-visa through the online portal and stay for up to 90 days, up from the previous maximum of 30 days. Additionally, the extended e-visa will now be valid for multiple entries, instead of single entries.
Unlike other neighbouring countries such as Cambodia and Thailand, where visas can be obtained upon landing at border gates, Vietnam requires travellers to apply for a pre-approved visa letter through a travel/visa agency in order to get the visa stamp upon arrival.
A Vietnam Airlines spokesperson said: “The upcoming changes in visa-free travel and e-visas will significantly enhance the flexibility of travel for British visitors to Vietnam and other countries in the diverse region of Southeast Asia.
"Multi-destination British travellers will be able to enter Vietnam, travel on to other nations, and return if they miss t beautiful country.
"Vietnam Airlines will be with them every step of the way with our non-stop services from London Heathrow to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, as well as our extensive network of direct connections to other major cities within Vietnam, Asia, and Australia.”
THE MINISTRY OF Tourism and the St. Kitts Tourism Authority has announced the inclusion of Caribbean Airlines to its airlift roster as it continues to strengthen its position as a premier tourism destination.
This development will amplify the accessibility of St. Kitts for travellers within the region, firmly positioning the island as a premier Caribbean vacation spot.
Marking a significant milestone for the island's travel industry, the inaugural flight from Trinidad & Tobago to Antigua and then to St. Kitts is scheduled for July 24.
Following this, a new route connecting Barbados and St. Kitts will commence operations on July 29. This newfound connectivity is bound to bolster St. Kitts’ tourism sector by catering to an expanded range of travellers.
Minister of Tourism,
Honourable Marsha T. Henderson, expressed her excitement about the collaboration between Caribbean Airlines and St. Kitts. She stated: “We are thrilled to welcome Caribbean Airlines to St. Kitts, a partnership that will undoubtedly elevate our tourism industry to new heights.
“The inclusion of St. Kitts on their airlift roster opens up a world of possibilities for travellers seeking extraordinary experiences in our stunning destination.
"We are confident that this strategic alliance will not only stimulate our economy but also showcase the unique charm and allure of St. Kitts to a wider audience. Additionally, this new flight adds to the ever-increasing airlift into the Federation.”
By joining forces with Caribbean Airlines, St. Kitts reinforces its commitment to cultivating a thriving tourism industry that caters to the evolving needs
of travellers. The strategic business alliance will encourage economic growth, fuel job creation, and enhance the island's overall profile within the Caribbean.
“Prior to the pandemic, the Caribbean was one of our largest markets, second only to North America. Events and business travel drive this market, and with the commencement of this service, we are well on our way to recapturing this position,” remarked Ellison ‘Tommy’ Thompson of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority. Adding St. Kitts to its ever-expanding network reinforces the Caribbean Airline's dedication to serving the diverse needs of its passengers while fostering regional connectivity.
The Worldwide Phenomenon that is The Lion King has finally returned to Birmingham's Hippodrome until September 16th 2023.
When the audience is told it must be seated 10 minutes before the performance is set to begin, you know it means you're about to be in for the most wonderful spectacle. Obviously the show is based on the 1994 Disney movie, 'The Lion King', and retains many of the lyrics and
music from Sir Tim Rice and Sir Elton John, with additional pieces that really add to the story.
If you don't know the storyline of The Lion King by now, I won't be the one to spoil it for you, but it is an emotional rollercoaster of a coming of age story of Simba, the son of head of the pride, Mufasa.
With fantastic and memorable songs from the beginning with the Circle of Life, through Be Prepared and Just Can't Wait To Be King, the show has something for everyone, of every age.
From the young children who first saw it in the cinemas that are now adults taking their kids to see this spectacle, to those who've
no idea what it is but are eager to watch it, everyone in the au dience enjoyed themselves im mensely, with contented and ex cited chatter at both the interval and the end.
The costumes were absolutely amazing, giving life to the char acters and giving a sense of scale and scope to the show, and the beautiful set design offset it per fectly. This is a show that you will want to go back and see again and again. I don't think I'd ever get tired of seeing the opening number, let alone the rest of the performance.
With music being such an important part of this musical, the orchestra was on top form, producing pitch perfect renditions of all the family favourites, with the aid of two percussionists setup in the boxes above the stalls.
Theres certainly 'more to see than can ever be seen' in this musical, and with its residency at Birmingham Hippodrome continuing until September 16th 2023, theres more than enough time to check it out. Make sure you don't miss this spectacular event, book your tickets now!
THE EUROPEAN multinational aerospace corporation, Airbus, supplied secure and state-of-theart communication technology to support this year’s Hajj – annual holy pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims.
Airbus deployed its advanced communication solutions to support the security and emergency personnel involved in this monumental event. Its comprehensive portfolio of communication solutions facilitated better coordination and enhanced response times among field officers deployed across various key locations, hence enabling efficient incident management and ensuring the well-being of all participants.
“Airbus is proud to contribute to the secure and successful organization of the Hajj pilgrimage by providing mission-critical communication solutions,” said Selim Bouri, Vice-President for
THE HOUSE OF LORDS has backed the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby’s proposal for the government to include a 10-year strategy on refugees and trafficking, as part of the Illegal Migration Bill. It was one of 20 amendments approved by the Lords and the bill will go back to the Commons for final votes. On the eve of the Lords vote, the Archbishop spoke about refugees in an event organised by the Board of Deputies at Bevis Marks Synagogue, in Aldgate. He said: “They are not refugees, they are people. They are not just a category”.
Airbus Secure Land Communications (SLC) in Africa, Asia and Middle East.
“Our state-of-the-art technologies and comprehensive network coverage ensure that security and emergency personnel can efficiently respond to any situation, safeguarding both people, and premises. Airbus remains committed to delivering reliable and innovative communication solutions, supporting the safety and security of large-scale events globally.
“With its profound expertise in mission-critical communications, Airbus plays a vital role in facilitating seamless collaboration and ensuring public safety,” Bouri added. As every year, Airbus played a vital role in ensuring the security and safety of the holy landmark and over two million pilgrims visiting from around the world.
Plans to turn changing rooms at a derelict sports pavilion into a Hindu temple have been given the go-ahead. The Oxford Hindu Temple Project is set to transform the football changing rooms at Court Place Farm, Marston.
The plans have been approved by Oxford City Council as part of the project's lease on the building. The revamp will see two halls created in the building, one as a place of worship, and the second as a place for community gatherings. Plans for the internal design are due to be submitted.
Dr Gian Gopal, founding chair of the Oxford Hindu Temple Project, said: "We feel extraordinarily proud at this historic moment as we look forward to creating a welcoming hub at
Court Place Farm." The group had been looking for a suitable building for 15 years.
It appealed to the council to help them find a site to create a temple after bids at other venues fell through. Councillor Linda Smith, cabinet member for hous-
ing, said: "The newly approved plans propose to make fantastic use of the site, creating Oxfordshire's only Hindu Temple as well as a community hub offering activities to the wider public." The group has been hiring a room at a community centre.
The Jewish Chronicle reports his wide ranging views at the meeting, on antisemitism in British universities. He said: “No one is entitled not to be offended – but everyone has the right not to be abused.”
Archbishop Welby spoke of the need to reward vice-chancellors for taking action which he understood took courage.
EVERTON midfielder Deli Alli’s football career stall in recent seasons, but following his in-depth interview with Gary Neville, the reasons behind a mental health battle that saw him contemplate hanging up his boots at the age of 24, were revealed. The emotional interview saw the England international fight back tears as he laid bare his difficult upbringing before being adopted and, as he stated, ‘being molested’ at the age of six.
“My childhood is something I haven’t really spoken about that much, to be honest,” he told Neville. “My mum was an alcoholic and I was sent to Africa to stay with my father to learn discipline, and then sent back.
“I started smoking at seven, then drug dealing at eight. “At eleven, I was hung off a bridge by a guy from the next estate, at twelve, I was adopted. I was adopted by an amazing family.” After signing for Spurs from MK Dons, Alli enjoyed a fine run of form that culminated in playing a key role in England’s progress to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018.
One of football's brightest young talents, Dele was part of the England squad that reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and helped Tottenham to the Champions League final in 2019. His form, however, dipped and he left Spurs to join Everton in 2022 before going on loan to Turkish side Besiktas last season. He returned to Everton because of injury.
"I was in a bad place mentally, when I came back from Turkey”, he recalled, “I found out I needed an operation, I decided to go to a modern-day rehab facility for mental health. They deal with addiction, mental health and trauma."
The Prince and Princess of Wales met the first person born under the National Health Service, at a tea party celebrating the NHS's 75th anniversary.
Aneira Thomas told them she had been born in Carmarthenshire at 00:01 on 5 July 1948, the same day as the NHS. She was named after the NHS founder and then Health Minister Aneurin Bevan.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, told current and ex-NHS staff at the party, at St Thomas' Hospital,
in London, "I wanted to come here and say thank you."
Mrs Thomas told the royal couple: "Every maternity ward in the country was waiting for the first baby. The doctors delivering me kept looking at the clock, looking back at Mum.
"She was waiting to hear the word 'push' - but all she heard was, 'Hold on, Edna.' Timing was everything." Mrs Thomas went on to work in the NHS, as a mental-health nurse. Her four sisters also became nurses.
“The NHS also saved both of my children", she said, when her
son and daughter had suffered life-changing brain haemorrhages. Mrs Thomas has previously told a family story from before the founding of the NHS, recalling that when her grandfather broke his leg they had to sell their piano to pay the doctor's bill.
Prince William and Catherine also spoke to Blanche Hines, a nurse for almost 50 years and part of the Windrush generation, whose daughter and grandson also work in health services.
At the event, organised by NHS Charities Together, Prince
SATHGEN Therapeutics, a division of a leading chemicals conglomerate in India – Godavari Biorefineries Limited (GBL), has announced the completion of the first cohort in a Phase 1 clinical trial for their first-in-class New Chemical Entity, MSP008-22. The clinical trial program is managed by Clinexel Life Sciences, a renowned contract research organization in the health sector.
Sathgen Therapeutics aims to develop MSP008-22 for difficult-to-treat cancers, starting with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and prostate cancer as proof-of-principle. MSP008-22 effectively targets treatment-resistant cancer cells in preclinical models, and demonstrates an excellent safety profile with no serious adverse events in the first patient cohort.
William told guests: "Wishing everyone a very happy 75th birthday at the NHS." The anniversary comes in a year when NHS staff have been taking industrial action in disputes over pay.
The NHS charities focus on the wellbeing of the workforce, including offering psychological support and counselling. Consultant clinical psychologist Dr Neil Rees said that Prince William understood the issues and complexities - particularly with the current challenges we're facing.
Professor Sendurai Mani, Associate Director, Legorreta Cancer Center, Brown University, and Scientific Co-Founder, Sathgen Therapeutics, stated: "TNBC is responsible for 30% of breast cancer-related deaths. The lack of estrogen and progesterone receptors and HER2 expression makes it challenging to treat using conventional hormone therapy. MSP00822 will address this significant unmet need for TNBC patients."
Dr. Sangeeta Srivastava, Executive Director, GBL, and CSO, Sathgen Therapeutics, said: "A major milestone for us, this clinical trial marks our first program to enter clinical development. MSP008-22 is our lead candidate for treating TNBC and prostate cancer and enhances the efficacy of standard-of-care chemotherapy."
On the eve of the historic 175th anniversary of Emancipation in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), on Monday, July 3, Chair of the Commemoration Committee, Carol Burke, urged Virgin Islanders to recognise the historical significance of this milestone and to “capture a better-defined future for ourselves.”
Burke, a community leader and former Virgin Islands senator, expressed her enthusiasm for the overwhelming momentum and widespread interest generated in the planning and preparation for the landmark holiday.
She noted that the significance of the Emancipation Commemoration has resonated not only locally but also regionally and nationally, demonstrating the profound impact and historical importance of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Noting that the 175th commemoration is an opportunity to “reshape and reset,” Chairwoman Burke emphasized that looking back should serve as both a reminder of the journey behind and an opportunity to pave the way for a brighter future.
She recognised the significance of the ancestral journey of which it have been a part and believes the future is not only about reclaiming the heritage of Virgin Islanders but also about charting
a new course that inspires and uplifts. The Emancipation Commemoration features a range of events and programs designed to honour the heritage of the Virgin Islands and celebrate the hard-won freedom of its people.
What if your star performer who is seldom acknowledged or accredited left your employ at relative short notice? Would you privately panic from the uncertainty of worthy replacement but publicly discount the reality of the chasm that has occurred?
The significance of succession planning is paramount because the factors that influence employee satisfaction and ultimately retention can be complex.
It was Victor Vroom who advanced the Expectancy Theory in the 1960s which purports that employees will exhibit ability and heightened competence if they perceive it will result in gaining something that is of value to them – a thing of value however, vary from person to person.
It is therefore crucial to implement robust succession planning programmes alongside reward and recognition initiatives in anticipation of the inevitable separation by your star performer.
Effective succession planning is critical to the long-term success and sustainability of any organisation. It ensures smooth transition of leadership positions, and facilitates the seamless transfer of knowledge, skills, and experience from one generation of leaders to the next.
In this issue we examine the importance of succession planning key theories that under pin it and highlight its benefits to organisations.
Successful organisations recognise that succession planning is not simply a reactionary measure but a proactive strategy integral to their overall success.
This philosophy is encapsulated in the learning and growth perspective included on the Kaplan and Norton (1992) Balanced Scorecard strategic performance management method.
They reason that: "for organisational leaders to implement succession planning effectively, it must become an integral part of the company's strategic management process."
By strategically identifying, developing, and nurturing talented employees, organisations ensure continuity and maintain competitiveness.
It is therefore foolhardy to discount or ignore the worth of a stellar employee, especially one who is widely acknowledged by peers and other company stakeholders as a top performer.
From the theoretical frameworks perspective the rationale for succession planning can be considered using theories such as the Agency Theory, the Resource-Based View (RBV) and the Social Exchange Theory.
From the perspective of the Agency Theory, which was developed by Michael C. Jensen and William H. Meckling (1976), succession planning can minimise the inherent risks of individual interests from players in the principal-agent relationship.
They point out that “the firm is not an individual”. It’s a network of contractual relationships that brings individuals, often with different objectives and wants,
by Khori Hydeto collaborate on something productive. In essence an agency relationship is created when a person (the principal) authorises another person (the agent) to act on his or her behalf.
Succession planning can mitigate the potential agency costs associated with the transfer of power by reducing information asymmetry and aligning interests between owners (principals) and executives (agents).
Effective succession planning programmes consistently communicate and train its leadership (existing and upcoming) in company culture, objectives and values. It provides an avenue for self-audit as well as monitoring and evaluation by external parties and stakeholders as a layer of accountability.
Further to the Agency Theory, there is also the Resource-Based View (RBV) of succession planning, proposed by Jay Barney (1991). This Theory posits that organisations can gain long-term competitive advantage through resources that are valuable, rare, difficult to imitate, and non-substitutable. The uniqueness and individuality found in human resource is a pivotal competitive edge where exceptional performance emerges.
By intentionally developing future leaders through training and organisations can effectively leverage their internal human capital, retain valuable institutional knowledge while minimising disruption during leadership transitions.
By taking the resource-based view of succession planning, an organisation can provide the foundation to develop firm capabilities that can lead to superior performance over time.
Succession planning is also premised on the Social Exchange Theory. As defined by Blau (1964) and Emerson (1976), the Social Excahnge Theory opins that individuals are motivated to reciprocate after being treated with respect and fairness.
Succession planning that focuses on employee development not only from the perspective of the orgnisation’s needs but also based on the needs of the employee enhances organisational capabilities; it fosters a sense of loyalty and commitment among
employees.
Effective succession planning has a direct impact on employee satisfaction and commitment because it provides employees with a clear sense of career progression and development opportunities.
According to Porter (1974), organisational commitment consists of: loyalty and acceptance of the goals and values of the organisation, dedication to make an effort to perform on behalf of the organisation and a distinct desire to remain part of the organisation. This, in turn, can cultivate a positive work environment and decrease turnover rates.
In Tony Sekulich’s 2018 article published in Tharawat Magazine, he higlights four famous examples of how succession failures negatively disrupted companies such as Gucci, McCain Foods, Reliance Industries and Viacom. While having a succession plan may not prevent succession feuds, a clear plan supported by an appropriate organisational structure has invaluable merit for business continuity and stability.
Robust succession plans, ensure that key leadership positions are filled with competent individuals who possess the necessary expertise, understanding and desire to perpetuate the organisation's culture and values.
Additionally, there is a seamless transfer of knowledge, skills, and institutional memory from senior leaders to emerging talents within the organisation. Through mentorship programs and knowledge-sharing initiatives, organisations preserve their intellectual capital and facilitate continuous learning.
From a strategic perspective, organisations must prioritise succession planning as an integral part of their overall management process to engender appropriate organisational commitment.
Drawing on key theoretical frameworks organisations can implement effective succession planning strategies that contribute to long-term success and competitive advantage.
By nurturing talent, promoting internal growth, and reducing operational risks, organisations pave the way for a prosperous future for star performers.
“KnowingSt. Patrick's Catholic Church held a special service on Sunday to recognize its own 175th year of existence, intertwining the history of the church with that of the Virgin Islands.
Ayear after being ringside to watch worldclass boxers compete at the Commonwealth Games, a group of young people from Urban Heard youth centre in Fordbridge, Solihull, are now pulling on the gloves themselves as part of its legacy.
West Midlands and chair of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), Mayor, Andy Street, visited Urban Heard as part of his one-year Games anniversary tour to see how communities across all parts of the region are already benefiting from the legacy.
Urban Heard is one of 300 grassroots sport and community groups that shared 16,000 pieces of sports equipment used by elite athletes last summer as part of a kit giveaway.
The 12 to 17-year-olds have been using the donated boxing gloves to ‘let off steam’ as part of the centre’s mentoring work.
Mayor Street said: “Urban Heard and Colebridge Trust are wonderful examples of the tangible legacy that we’re determined to deliver right across our region thanks to our £70 million Legacy Enhancement Fund.”
Chief executive and founder of Urban Heard, Charly Slater, said: “It’s been such an amazing journey to go from very generously being given free tickets to watch the Games and now working with England Boxing to see how we can run proper boxing sessions for our young people.”
Gemma Ashington, community projects manager for Colebridge Trust, said: “We are pleased to be able to build on our existing work and to ensure legacy funding is distributed to people, groups and organisations who will be empowered to deliver valuable physical
activity initiatives to improve the mental health and wellbeing of our community.”
Deputy leader of Solihull Council and lead member for wellbeing, skills and inclusion, Councillor
Karen Grinsell, added: “The people and communities Colebridge Trust and Urban Heard are reaching as part of the legacy of the Commonwealth Games is inspirational.”
The kit giveaway was run by Sport England, the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee and the Department for Digital, Culture Media & Sport (DCMS).
ENGLAND have now matched their best haul of 58 gold medals in a Commonwealth Games after it was ruled their women's 4x100m relay silver will be upgraded.
The quartet finished second in Birmingham in August 2022, but race winners Nigeria have been disqualified following an anti-doping violation.
It means England retain the relay title won four years previously in Australia. Their tally of 58 golds equals the number England won at the 2014 Games in Glasgow.
England's team of Asha Philip, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Bianca Williams and Daryll Neita ran 42.41 seconds to finish behind a Nigeria quartet that included Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha who has since been disqualified. Ashleigh Nelson
ran in the semi-final for England and will also receive a gold medal.
The Commonwealth Games Federation confirmed Nwokocha's individual and team results at Birmingham 2022 had been expunged, and that England would be promoted to relay gold, with Jamaica taking silver and Australia the bronze. Williams said of the outcome: "The news is very bittersweet, especially as the Games were at home in front of friends and family. We came in as reigning champions and it would have been great to get a gold medal at home.
"But I’m very happy to be double Commonwealth Games gold medallists in the relay." An unchanged overall medal haul of 176 is Team England's highest at a Games.
Business ambassadors and corporate partners of Midlands Air Ambulance
Charity attended its annual Corporate Golf Day at JCB Golf & Country Club.
The sold-out event was sponsored by Phoenix Group and helped fund 27 lifesaving missions for the charity. With all proceeds going towards the charity’s vital pre-hospital emergency service, the eighth annual Golf Day raised an astonishing £42,000, the most raised for this event so far.
The fundraising total has helped fund 27 lifesaving missions carried out by the charity’s advanced clinical team, 13 by air ambulance and 14 by critical care car.
Pam Hodgetts, the corporate partnerships manager at the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity said: “Thank you to all that took part on what was a fantastic day out.
"The incredible amount raised will make a lifesaving difference to our clinical service, funding future missions for across the six counties we cover.
“A special thanks goes to our main event sponsors at Phoenix Group, for providing us the opportunity to put the event again and for their ever-continuing support.
"We would also like to thank our event sponsors at Hardy Signs, JT Recruit, Porsche Centre Wolverhampton and Worldwide Hospitality Group and well as our hole sponsors for making the event a huge success.”
Due to the popularity of the charity’s annual Corporate Golf Day, which takes place in May each year, do register your interest in the 2024 event as places are limited.
Contact the charity via info@midlandsairambulance.com for more information.
THE WORLD'S OLDEST professional footballer at 56, has extended his stay with Portuguese second-tier side Oliveirense.
Ex-Japan striker, Kazuyoshi Miura, joined Oliveirense on loan in January from Yokohama and will continue with them on that basis for an undisclosed duration.
He’s played just 28 minutes of football this year, spread over three substitute appearances. Miura was named man of the match on the final day of the Portuguese season after a 26-minute cameo in a 4-3 win over Leixoes. The opposition manager said that the decision was offensive and
turned it into a "circus".
Miura, who started his career with Brazilian side Santos in 1986, has been at Yokohama FC since 2005 - although he had a loan spell in 2022 at fourth-tier Suzuka Point Getters, who are managed by his older brother Yasutoshi, where he scored twice in 18 games. He has also played club football in Italy, Croatia and Australia.
The Japanese football legend scored 55 goals in 89 games in an international career which ended 23 years ago. He has previously talked of playing until he is 60. Yokohama and Oliveirense have the same Japanese owners.
