Stephen Ireland, midfielder for top Birmingham-based football club Aston Villa, has teamed up with Birmingham & West Midlands based Acorns Children’s Hospice to design a charity Christmas card.

The Irish player worked with eight-year-old hospice resident, Joel to design the card that doubles as a nifty Christmas tree decoration. According to Acorns’ website the card, available from Acorns charity shops around the Heart of England, was designed to “symbolise the special partnership between Acorns and Aston Villa and to thank supporters on behalf of all Acorns children and families” and contains the signatures of both Joel and Stephen.

Acorns, with hospices in Birmingham, Walsall and Worcester, provides free-of-charge specialist care and support for nearly 600 life-limited and life-threatened children and young people, and their families.

Footy mad Joel is just one of the children Acorns helps. He is thought to be one of only two children in the world diagnosed with proteus-like syndrome – an extremely complex condition that causes accelerated overgrowth and abnormal blood vessels, along with a long list of other health problems. Because the condition is so rare, it is difficult to predict and Joel has spent several long periods of time in hospital since he was born. This includes a stay of seven months earlier this year when Joel underwent an operation to amputate his right leg.

The Christmas card is not a one-off piece of teamwork. The Acorns & Villa partnership has been going strong since 2006 and even saw Villa display Acorns’ logo in place of a corporate sponsor on their famous claret and blue shirts for the 2008/9 season.

Villa fans are encouraged to follow their on-field heroes’ example and join fundraising efforts. It costs Acorns £450, the goal set for fundraisers by the Villa 450 Challenge, to provide just one day of care for a child with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition.

Acorns in Selly Oak, Birmingham, was only the third children’s hospice in the world when it was opened in 1988. Since then they’ve opened two further hospices: Acorns in the Black Country (in 1999), followed by Acorns for the Three Counties (in March 2005).

Northfield Eco-Centre held a Christmas Fayre at its Church Road base on Saturday 4th December. The event showcased local and ethical gift ideas as well as the centre’s wide range of regular activities and environmental information.

The compact centre next to Northfield library was busy with people, much to the joy of the stallholders and Eco-centre staff. Edible gifts and treats were high on the agenda for shoppers with Christmas lists, with produce from Loaf community bakery, Artisan Preserves and Lakeside Ethical Treats. Locally made crafts included Mindfully Made jewellery, H is for House furnishings and Christmas wreaths from Martineau Gardens.

Santa Claus, present in his customary role of delivering toys to good girls and boys, took a moment to say that, “It’s great to be here and that people are having a green Christmas and buying local things.”

The Northfield Eco-centre has its doors open year round offering free, impartial advice on energy saving and weekly activities, including sewing, gardening, bike maintenance and family sessions. Lucy, a regular at the sewing morning, said that,

“It’s wonderful to be able to come and meet with friends, make new ones and learn new skills. It’s great that it’s for all skill levels and the staff and volunteers are really friendly and always want to help you out. There’s not really anywhere else like it locally and we’d all miss it if it wasn’t here.”

The new year will be busy for the centre as it welcomes a new set of interns; volunteers who spend three months with the Eco-centre running the regular activities and work on their own projects – organising events or improving the advice the centre has to offer. The recruitment drive is now on for the interns to start in the new year. Sara, one of the Eco-centre’s previous interns, described her experience as “inspirational, creative, challenging and hugely rewarding”.

Other green and ethically focused Christmas markets going on in Birmingham include the Midlands Vegan Campaigns ‘Cruelty Free Xmas Fair’ (no Santas harmed in the making of the event) on Saturday 18th December at All Saints Church Hall, Kings Heath and Stirchley Community Market on Tuesday 14th December at Stirchley United Working Men’s Club.

Restore, a Birmingham charity working with asylum seekers, is holding its annual Christmas carol bash on Saturday 4^th December at 2pm.

The event, held at St Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, Bristol Street, is a multi-language celebration with readings in French, Swahili, Farsi and Cantonese with traditional sing-along English carols and rounded off with hot drinks and mince pies! Restore Co-ordinator Shari Brown, who is organising the event, told Charityzine that the service, “is a wonderful opportunity to bring together the Restore ‘family’ of refugees, those seeking sanctuary from persecution, volunteer befrienders and supporters. This is the second year Restore has organised the event and we trust that once again there will be both unity and diversity in our celebration together.”

Other performers will include Colombians, Natalie and Mauricio who also performed at Restores ‘Many Voices’ fundraising gig in May this year.

The carol service is just one of the events Restore is organising to bring a fabulously festive end to the year. Its Christmas parties for asylum seeker families are enjoyed by kids of all ages and give some much needed cheer in what can otherwise be a bleak time of year. Contrary to some media reports, asylum seekers receive a minimum amount of support from the government and many don’t have enough money for warm clothes, let alone for presents. But Restore’s parties in places like Harborne and Handsworth ensure that some more children will get Christmas gifts this year, funded by public donations alone.

But Restore’s work lasts longer than the snow, and activities carry on year round. Restore works to raise awareness of the truths about refugees and asylum seekers. “There is no such thing as an illegal asylum seeker,” stresses Shari. “Claiming asylum is a legal right. If a person has been persecuted in their home country and fears that persecution would continue if they returned there, then under the UN Convention on Refugees signed by Britain in 1951, they can apply for asylum in UK.”

Restore also provides emotional support to refugee men, women and families through regular social activities and by linking up an asylum seeker with a Brummie befriender. “[Befriending] is about promoting independence, helping refugees build up their confidence” commented one befriender, just one willing volunteer who helps make refugees and asylum seekers feel more welcome despite the “confusion, loneliness and  misunderstanding” that befriender Ian says many asylum seekers feel after fleeing persecution at home.

Asylum seekers also praise the welcome that Restore in Birmingham provides:

Befrienders are excellent at providing the invisible things like just showing you around, being a friend, providing company, giving you a feeling of normal life.

Restore is just one Birmingham charity helping out asylum seekers this Christmas. Birmingham Quaker Christmas Parcels has acted as Santa to both the families of prisoners in crisis and to refugees for the last 46 years. Grocery parcels are packed every year by volunteers at Selly Oak Meeting House on Bristol Road and people are encouraged to give whatever time that they can from 6pm on Friday 10^th December and from 9am on Saturday 11^th December.

Now the Met police have shut down a campaign website:

“Fitwatch was set up in 2007 by protesters seeking to oppose what they saw as objectionable surveillance tactics used by Forward Intelligence Teams (FITs), who use cameras to monitor political activists.” – The Guardian

The odd bit of criminal damage at a protest sometimes happens (although I wouldn’t condone actions that endanger individuals) but as a robust democracy, I think the police reaction has been disproportionate (again). Trying to censor (common sense) advice that has been out there for ages for how protesters who have got a bit carried away can escape prosecution/conviction is draconian. So, along with a lot of people out there I’m reposting the offending article as a tiny act of resistence to police repression.

The remarkable and brilliant student action at Millbank has produced some predictable frothing at the mouth from the establishment and right wing press. Cameron has called for the ‘full weight of the law’ to fall on those who had caused tens of thousands of pounds of damage to the expensive decor at Tory party HQ. Responsibility is being placed on ‘a violent faction’, after the march was ‘infiltrated’ by anarchists.

There are an encouraging number of intiatives to show solidarity with the arrested students – something that is vital if they are to avoid the sort of punitive ‘deterrent’ sentences handed out to the Gaza demonstrators. A legal support group has been established and the National Campaign against Cuts and Fees has started a support campaign. Goldsmiths lecturers union has publicly commended the students for a ‘magnificent demonstration’ .

This is all much needed, as the establishment is clearly on the march with this one. The Torygraph has published an irresponsible and frenzied ‘shop-a-student’ piece and the Met are clearly under pressure to produce ‘results’ after what they have admitted was a policing ‘embarrassment’.

51 people have been arrested so far, and the police have claimed they took the details of a further 250 people in the kettle using powers under the Police Reform Act. There may be more arrests to come.

Students who are worried should consider taking the following actions:

If you have been arrested, or had your details taken – contact the legal support campaign. As a group you can support each other, and mount a coherent campaign.

If you fear you may be arrested as a result of identification by CCTV, FIT or press photography;

DONT panic. Press photos are not necessarily conclusive evidence, and just because the police have a photo of you doesn’t mean they know who you are.

DONT hand yourself in. The police often use the psychological pressure of knowing they have your picture to persuade you to ‘come forward’. Unless you have a very pressing reason to do otherwise, let them come and find you, if they know who you are.

DO get rid of your clothes. There is no chance of suggesting the bloke in the video is not you if the clothes he is wearing have been found in your wardrobe. Get rid of ALL clothes you were wearing at the demo, including YOUR SHOES, your bag, and any distinctive jewellery you were wearing at the time. Yes, this is difficult, especially if it is your only warm coat or decent pair of boots. But it will be harder still if finding these clothes in your flat gets you convicted of violent disorder.

DONT assume that because you can identify yourself in a video, a judge will be able to as well. ‘That isn’t me’ has got many a person off before now.

DO keep away from other demos for a while. The police will be on the look-out at other demos, especially student ones, for people they have put on their ‘wanted’ list. Keep a low profile.

DO think about changing your appearance. Perhaps now is a good time for a make-over. Get a haircut and colour, grow a beard, wear glasses. It isn’t a guarantee, but may help throw them off the scent.

DO keep your house clean. Get rid of spray cans, demo related stuff, and dodgy texts / photos on your phone. Don’t make life easy for them by having drugs, weapons or anything illegal in the house.

DO get the name and number of a good lawyer you can call if things go badly. The support group has the names of recommended lawyers on their site. Take a bit of time to read up on your rights in custody, especially the benefits of not commenting in interview.

DO be careful who you speak about this to. Admit your involvement in criminal damage / disorder ONLY to people you really trust.

DO try and control the nerves and panic. Waiting for a knock on the door is stressful in the extreme, but you need to find a way to get on with business as normal.

Otherwise you’ll be serving the sentence before you are even arrested.

The role of the police is not to “keep the peace,” or even to “uphold the law.” It is to ensure that the balance of power is maintained and that dissent remains containable and controllable. If our goal is to resist the attacks upon our class, rather than simply appear to do so, then we must also resist police repression and show solidarity with all who suffer it.

I just heard your “Free Bees” advert on spotify and was disappointed to learn that you are not actually giving away free bees.

Bees are a vitally important part of the ecosystem and the recent rapid decline of the British bee population risks the collapse of the floral diversity of the UK because they are no longer carrying out their pollination activities.

Vodafone, as part of its commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility, should reconsider its policy not to give away free bees for the sake of the environment. I for one would be delighted to aid the effort by owning a hive of bees. Honey is also delicious.

I would be delighted to hear from you should Vodafone start offering free bees and would consider purchasing products or services from you should bees come as part of the package.

Bees in ‘App’ form only are not acceptable.

Yours sincerely,

Oh, dear. (And I didn’t come up with it!)

Ishmael’s primary thesis is that the notions of human’s dominance over creation, and humankind as the pinnacle of creation, are myths at the foundation of post-agricultural revolution society. These myths, Ishmael argues, are the source code of the ethics systems of modern culture. These ethics systems (where they relate to the relationship between man and the natural environment) have inevitably led to the ecological catastrophe that we are heading towards. Ishmael compares the inevitability of the environmental crash to the early flying machines – whilst the contraptions with flapping wings and pedals “flew” for the first part of the journey, without an understanding of the laws of aerodynamics they were going to crash no matter how hard they pedalled. Therefore, human kind needs to understand the rules of living in harmony with the rest of the planet if it is to avoid its self-imposed destruction.

Ishmael is clear on the point that this isn’t a call to return to a pre-agricultural state (although he does make the point that stoneage economics meant that they were the original ‘leisured society’ requiring only three hours of work a day to sustain themselves and being almost completely predator free). Instead we need to look at better ways of working so that humans can live alongside the rest of creation.

However, Ishmael does not provide a “program” of action as his tutee asks of him. But I can’t be but troubled by the implied solution of population control. The subject of the inhumanity of famine and possible responses is discussed briefly but more in relation to the point about increased food production leading to greater food insecurity problems in the future. Ishmael’s implied response of ’tis the way of the gods to reduce the population in this way’ cannot satisfy me.

In the first instance, it is clear that the global class system (ie global north and global south) would not allow the same rules apply to the rich as to the poor. Whilst declining birth rates in the developed world is possibly a positive sign for environmental susainability, this is surely an argument for development in the global south (by which I mean a more equal sharing of resources which are culturally recognised as finite) rather than leaving people to their fates.

Despite this one criticism, Ishmael is a wonderfully accessible analysis of the foundations of modern society.

So far so good. However, what is striking about our new government is it’s proposed solution – cutting benefits. If benefits are less than the lowest wages, the theory goes, then people will flock from the dole queues to wage slavery.

No one seems to have told Iain that there are currently about 2.5milllion unemployed in the UK. There are simply not the jobs for people to flock to because we’re in economic recession.

The net result of his plans will simply be to make the poorest people in the UK poorer.

How much better would it be to increase the level of the National Minimum Wage to a level greater than benefits? Work would be more attractive than benefits – and so encourage people to take up these mythical empty jobs. And on top of which the poorest workers would get a boost to their pay packet which they then spend in the economy and so boost the GDP.

Fairness? Seems like it was just a word bandied around for votes.

As a recent student (and currently – although not for long – employee) of Durham University I was not suprised to find it cited as an example of poor behaviour towards disabled students.

I summary, the article tells the story of Rosie Watson to highlight the wider issues in HE as a sector. She was a mature student of Anthropolgy at Durham. She is also deaf. On different occasions, Rosie was left feeling humiliated by teaching staff after the kind of insensitivity that people should (but sadly, frequently not) be beyond. Despite being assessed by the Disability Service, she was left without lecture notes, synopsis, a signer, subtitles or a note taker for a video shown as part of her course. When she complained, she was given an appointment with the Councelling Service to discuss how Rosie was coping with the University environment.

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) makes it incumbent on organsations, such as Universities, to make themselves accessible to disabled people through reasonable adjustments. This isn’t just access to the physical environment (ramps, lifts etc associated with mobility problems) but also access to services such as teaching and learning. Disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. This is obviously drawn quite widely to include physical disabilities, deafness, blindness and some mental health difficulties. Dyslexia and dyspraxia are two other conditions particularly relevent to HE.

Rosie’s treatment obviously falls short of the DDA in that some learning material was not provided in a format in which she could access it (ie the video). By sending her to the Councelling Service somone got it very wrong because it is incumbent on the University to make changes, not Rosie.

Durham University settled out of court.

What really pisses me off though is that it didn’t admit liability – it didn’t admit that it did anything wrong and it hasn’t said sorry.

This isn’t a case of a rogue member of staff when the University as an institution could probably wriggle out of it. This is different members of staff, at different times getting it wrong and being unpleasant. Something is seriously wrong in the training, supervision and support of staff in providing for disabled students.

I know that this isn’t the only incident where Durham University has come up well short in provision of services and support for disabled students.

1. Durham University Services for Students with Disabilities (DUSSD) has it’s offices on the top of a hill. No joke. Students with mobility problems have to get a taxi to access the service in person.
2. DUSSD provide Apple computers to disabled students (this is there general solution to any disability, regardless of the context) but the IT service doesn’t reccommend Apple compatible internet browsers for the email and online learning resource.
3. There is a mental ill-health epidemic at Durham. The Councelling Service is underfunded so that it doen’t have enough staff or patient contact time. It’s left to volunteer student welfare services to do the bulk of welfare care – a role that they are under prepared and under resourced for.
4. There are buildings, old and new, that are physically inaccessable to those with physical disabilities.
5. New builds have been designed with only the minimum of legislative compliance.
6. Physical adaptations of older buildings can be of a poor standard and not respected (I’ve seen a refuse bin block a wheelchair ramp before now).

This is just a small list but I think the whole University would get a very poor score if it were audited for disability access and services by people who recognise that access isn’t just about lip-service and laptops.

So, Durham University needs to say sorry, admit that it got it wrong and failed Rosie, and review and put in place serious changes to disability access, support and training.

Full of birdsong.

First rays of morning

Dispel the night.