News from Everyclick

A message of love for the British Heart Foundation

12 Feb 2010 GMT

A British Heart Foundation shop in East Anglia has been receiving notes offering messages of love and goodwill in the run up to Valentines Day this Sunday (February 14th).

The charitys Havelock Square store in Swindon has seen its front window filled up with the heart-shaped messages as part of its annual Love Note scheme, which allows customers to share cheerful words with the public.

According to the Swindon Advertiser, some have opted for traditional Valentines messages of love, while others have taken the opportunity to remember relatives, promote peace and encourage charitable giving.

"Love is radiant, share it!", "Peace for all" and "Cant wait to see my baby in two weeks!" are a few of the messages that local residents have left on display, staff member Iain Hamilton told the newspaper.

The British Heart Foundation is currently celebrating National Heart Month and has designed a bouquet of flowers in two different sizes, which the group believes could be perfect as a gift for Valentines Day.

Salvation Army poised for First Stop Project in Scotland

12 Feb 2010 GMT

The Salvation Army is partnering with the local council in South Lanarkshire to deliver a First Stop Project in the area which will provide temporary accommodation for homeless people.

Commissioner John Matear, head of the charity in the UK and Ireland, unveiled a plaque at the Eva Burrows Centre in Halfway, Cambuslang where the facility will be located.

He explained that the Salvation Army is a "serious partner" in this project, which will offer 32 people a place of safety, where they can expect to be treated with dignity and respect.

Mr Matear commented: "This First Stop Project confirms The Salvation Armys commitment, under God, for the people we seek to serve in the Halfway and Rutherglen area."

It is thought that the council could save up to £250,000 as a result of the introduction of this facility.

The Salvation Army is one of 50 UK organisations calling for the Robin Hood Tax to be brought in, which would take a 0.05 per cent levy on financial transactions and use it for socially responsible projects.

College of Law students win mooting competition

12 Feb 2010 GMT

Two College of Law students have shown their mooting ability by winning a national competition, scoring themselves a cash prize and mini-pupillage in the process.

Thomas Evans and Mevlude Akay, who are both studying at the organisations Bloomsbury centre, won the Inner Temple Mooting Societys Inter-Varsity 2010 contest on February 7th.

Mr Evans was full of praise for his partner in the competition and described how it has been a "great learning experience" for him.

He said: "Mooting provides an invaluable opportunity to build up your confidence in public speaking, but most importantly it allows you to share your ideas with someone else."

Both students were rewarded for their efforts with a mini-pupillage at Monckton Chambers and a £150 cash prize.

In order to win the final, the pair had go through five rounds of debate regarding the human rights issues surrounding the prosecution of a minor who has sexual relations with another underage individual.

Several College of Law institutions in the UK are hosting the Negotiation Competition tomorrow (Saturday February 13th), which is sponsored by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution.

RSPCA excited by Owl progress

12 Feb 2010 GMT

The RSPCA has revealed that it spotted a barn owl in the wild that it had rehabilitated, which is an "exciting discovery" for the organisation.

Richard Thompson, wildlife officer at the charitys Mallydams Wood facility where the bird was originally admitted, explained that only 29 such birds have been ringed since 1999, which is why it is so significant that it has been seen.

He remarked: "It has survived in the wild for as long as wed expect any Barn owl to, and I even believe the bird has bred in the wild."

The owl was brought in from the banks of the River Rother in East Sussex to the animal centre in August 2004 when it was still a chick, yet it has now lasted more than five years on its own in the wild.

This week, the RSPCA announced that it will be launching an appeal to find the owners of a dog thrown out of a moving car at St Ives Park near Harden, reported the Telegraph and Argus.

Chartered Institute of Taxation concerned by retrospective actions

12 Feb 2010 GMT

The Chartered Institute of Taxation has pointed out that people should be charged tax on the basis of what legislation says, rather than how HMRC retrospectively interprets a situation.

Tax policy director at the charity John Whiting made his remarks following an announcement by financial secretary to the Treasury Stephen Timms, in which he stated that rules relating to manufactured dividends will be applicable to actions starting from October 1st 2007.

Mr Whiting suggested that such retrospective rule changes should be applied "with great caution", as taxpayers should be charged on the wording of legislation in place at the time.

"We need a clear statement as to when retrospection will be used and its boundaries - and Parliament needs to consider such boundaries with care," he explained.

In his opinion, there is a danger of the tax systems reputation being damaged.

Last month, the financial charity called on the HMRC to launch an awareness campaign regarding the use of tax coding and how it can sometimes be inaccurately calculated.

Family Planning Association calls for clearer message

12 Feb 2010 GMT

The Family Planning Association has suggested that women are being sent a confusing message by the type and extent of contraceptive services available to them.

Spokesperson for the sexual health charity Rebecca Findlay explained that many ladies find that there are no contraceptive clinics in their area that deal with people over 25.

In her view, this sends a confused message to older women about how much they should be focusing on such practices.

She remarked: "When you start looking at the abortion rates, clearly we are letting women down if we are just providing contraceptive services for the under 25s."

The Family Planning Association claimed that the birth rate for over-35s has gone up in recent years and ladies in that age group should remember that while their fertility reduces it does not disappear completely.

Some general medical practices offer a "fantastic" range of contraceptive services for all ages, but this does not apply across the board, added Ms Findlay.

Focus 12 changed marathon mans life

12 Feb 2010 GMT

A former alcoholic is to run the London Marathon in order to raise money for Bury-based charity Focus 12, the group which helped him overcome his drinking problem.

By running the famous event, 37-year-old Chris Hibble is aiming to collect about £4,000 in donations, which will be enough to pay for the treatment of one addict at the drug and alcohol rehabilitation charity.

According to the Bury Free Press, the new athlete found himself drinking a litre of vodka a day, as well as using cocaine, cannabis and heroin, before finding Focus 12, where he took a ten-week course to get clean.

Mr Hibble, who has now been alcohol and drugs-free for three years, told the newspaper: "My aim is to raise enough to put someone through treatment, I want to give something back."

Founded in 1997, Focus 12 provides detox, rehabilitation and treatment facilities for those facing addictions to alcohol, as well as offering support for families affected by substance dependence.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance appeals for support

11 Feb 2010 GMT

Yorkshire Air Ambulance has teamed up with Pontefracts Little Angels Community Interest Company to help raise money by collecting old bras.

The services charity will be given cash for each supportive garment handed in, as they are sent to West Africa as part of an international campaign, reports the Pontefract and Castleford Express.

More than 1,000 bras have been collected already and Yorkshire Air Ambulance is aiming to reach a grand total of 200,000, since this would give the organisation £100,000 in cash.

Gemma Illman, who works at Little Angels, explained to the publication that her team have been storing the underwear for the charity and thanked everyone who had donated so far.

She was quoted as saying: "We appreciate just how important the air ambulance service is to our community and would love to help with their appeal."

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance provides an emergency service to about five million people in the region, which includes urban and rural areas.

Diabetes UK explains retinopathy issue

11 Feb 2010 GMT

Diabetes UK has suggested that new research could help tackle the problem of retinopathy, which afflicts many diabetes sufferers.

The condition is the most common cause of blindness among working age adults in the UK, according to the director of research at the medical charity Dr Iain Frame.

He described how it can occur when blood vessels in the retina become blocked up, leak liquid or grow in an abnormal manner.

Dr Frame highlighted new research carried out at Michigan State University, which found that siah-1 protein is produced in the body when there is too much sugar in the blood and can lead to vascular damage that is associated with retinopathy.

"The researchers have helpfully outlined what the next steps are to see if their findings will help prevent diabetic retinopathy or stop it progressing- but we have some way to go," he remarked.

In his view, is too early to say whether this study will impact treatment or prevention techniques, but he said it will be useful to have more information about the topic.

Recent campaign a success, claims Stroke Association

11 Feb 2010 GMT

The Stroke Association has lauded the effects of its recent advertising campaign and suggested that increased awareness has had a real effect on health outcomes.

Andrea Lane, media manager at the medical charity, noted that the more people are able to recognise the symptoms of a stroke as a result of the FAST project, which has led to patients being taken to hospital quicker.

She explained that time is vital in such situations since it is an attack on the brain, so "time lost is brain lost".

Ms Lane remarked: "We are pleased to see the improvements to stroke services in the last five years that have seen more people surviving a stroke and fewer people left to cope with the effects of severe disabilities."

In her view, it as "imperative" that people are sent to hospital as fast as possible for a scan and are then offered the correct treatment, regardless of where they live in the UK.

A report by the Department of Health concluded that actions taken since 2006 have improved the value for money of stroke care.