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‘Big society’ under pressure with philanthropy biased towards the capital, says leading thinktank

David Cameron’s “big society” emphasis on charities and philanthropy to compensate for public sector cuts will exacerbate the north-south divide, according to one of the UK’s leading thinktanks.

A report from the Institute for Public Policy Research North suggests the government’s hopes that the voluntary, business and philanthropic sectors will help transform society at a time of budget cuts across the public sector are misplaced.

Depending on philanthropic donations to help achieve this goal will backfire because donations are unevenly distributed in favour of London, the IPPR warns. It found that 40 donations of more than £1m were made in London in 2009, compared with six in the north-east of England, eight in the Midlands and nine in Scotland. “Clearly, the gap between London and the rest of the UK is enormous,” the IPPR says.

The rise of the modern philanthropist has been exemplified by Dame Vivien Duffield, who has given more than £200m to good causes, notably an £8.3m donation last month to a number of British arts organisations including Tate Britain, the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

The IPPR also claims that relying on the private sector to provide the resources to bring about the “big society” will put areas such as London – where many of the largest businesses have their headquarters – at a huge advantage. The south also benefits because it is home to the largest charities and voluntary organisations, which are better equipped to compete for public sector contracts. Conversely, the north suffers because it is home to more voluntary and community organisations that are reliant on public funding.

As a result, the IPPR warns public spending cuts could “doubly disadvantage” the north and claims 62% of voluntary and charitable organisations in the north-east have already seen a decrease in funding.

“Our research shows that the big society is not currently a fair society and goodwill is beginning to wear thin as the voluntary and community sector try to deal with budget cuts,” said Ed Cox, director of IPPR North. “We need to target what little money there is to organisations that struggle to find it elsewhere. Less attractive organisations that lack donor appeal or those operating in areas where business or corporate gifts are hard to come by should be the priority.”

Earlier this year a senior figure in the voluntary sector said the cuts were “destroying” volunteering and undermining the big society vision. Dame Elisabeth Hoodless said before she stepped down as head of Community Service Volunteers that there was no strategic plan.

The government has responded by insisting it wants fairness to be at the heart of policymaking and has introduced a series of grants and policies to get the big society up and running. Community organisers are being trained and a Big Society Bank will invest cash from dormant accounts in social ventures. There will also be a £100m fund for charities affected by local government cuts.

But the report questions whether the initiatives will benefit all regions equally and warns that “stark inequalities exist in how the time, capacity and skills required to engage with the big society are currently distributed. A key component of fairness is that there is a level playing field, so that individuals and groups have an equal opportunity to engage.”

The IPPR points out that only 10% of the 5,000 new community organisers in England will receive a bursary, and then only for a year. It also questions whether by focusing on geographically defined neighbourhoods minority interests would be marginalised.

To address these concerns the thinktank suggests that the Big Society Bank should make funds accessible to small as well as large organisations.

It also calls for “seed-corn” grants to help voluntary and community organisations become more enterprising and for a “strongly branded local community fund” to be established in priority areas, backed by government pledges to match a proportion of business donations. Voluntary sector Charities Volunteering Local government Philanthropy David Cameron Jamie Doward guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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Foreign Office issues call following Bahraini targetting of participants in peaceful protest outside BBC in Manchester

The government has called on Bahrain to respect the right to peaceful protest. The move follows claims that families of students studying in Britain, who were photographed attending a peaceful protest in Manchester in solidarity with the country’s pro-democracy movement, had been targeted.

The Foreign Office said it was aware of the actions of Bahraini citizens living in the UK campaigning against the regime and said they had a right to voice their concerns without intimidation or retaliation. “We have made clear to the Bahraini government that, unless these individuals commit a criminal offence in the UK, they will be free to carry out their activities in line with UK laws.”

Students told the Guardian the Bahraini authorities had stripped government-funded scholarships from those who attended the event outside the BBC building last month and told parents to order their children home.

Students said they had “strong and well-founded” fears they and their families could suffer beatings and torture following Bahrain’s crackdown on the protests 3,000 miles away and they were likely to be arrested on their return.

The Foreign Office said: “We continue to urge the government of Bahrain to respect the right to peaceful protest and respond to the legitimate concerns of the Bahraini people. It is also vital that those protesting respect law and order and refrain from intimidating and provocative acts.”

The students said at least nine people studying in Manchester, Huddersfield, Newcastle, Reading and London had seen their £850-a-month subsistence grants removed and had been told their tuition payments would be stopped. Some said they were homeless as a result and were considering requesting asylum in the UK when their student visas expired.

One student, who said his scholarship had been revoked, said the ministry of education in Bahrain called his father to order him home a couple of days after the protest, in a pattern repeated for many of the protesters.

The students believe some images from the protest were taken by Bahraini or Saudi “spies” alerted to the event on the Facebook. The demonstration was disrupted by interventions from supporters of the Hahrain government and others the protesters identified as being from Saudi Arabia.

Some of the students’ families have also received visits from the Bahraini authorities, according to Amin Elwassila, an Arab activist in Manchester who is supporting the group. Bahrain Protest Arab and Middle East unrest Middle East Foreign policy Students Higher education Matthew Taylor guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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London, United Kingdom (AHN) – Unemployment fell by 17,000 in the United Kingdom to 2.48 million during the three months ending in February.

That brought the unemployment rate to 7.8 percent, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

It marked the first time since last fall that unemployment fell in the UK.

However, the number of people claiming unemployment compensation payments rose to 1.45 million, ONS officials said.

The unemployment rate for men fell by 31,000 while the number of jobless women rose by 14,000 for the three months ending in February. Some 462,300 women are claiming jobless benefits, which is the highest number since October 1996.

Along with women, people in the 16- to 24-year-old group saw unemployment rise by 143,000 to 963,000. However, people in the 50- to 64-year-old age group had no change in their unemployment rate of 4.8 percent, while the rate for those over 65 fell to 1.9 percent.

The total number of unemployed people rose by 143,000 people to 29.23 million, according to ONS statistics.

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Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom (AHN) – A U.K. computer software company is seeking female web coders to work in the nude. Nude House, is marketing its office environment as a “warm and private” space with a naturist attitude.

Company spokesman Chris Taylor in a published Register said, “As far as I am aware this is not only the first UK office job for naturists in web-coding or web-selling, but is also the first worldwide facility for naturists to earn substantial sums of money from work that incidentally provides them with the capability to work entirely without clothes.

“Because it is the first establishment in the world it is difficult to advertise – many seem to confuse the issue of being without clothes as being a place without concerns for personal freedom, where sex is paramount in its many varied forms.

“Sex does not play a part in naturism – yes one is aware of differences in sex and size and shape and age of everyone, but the concern is on sales and technical ability, not availability.”

Nude House business model includes selling imaging software that lets customers create product or hyperlink boxes on top of pictures.

Taylor goes on to say that the clothing liberal office does not bear “any benefit to business productivity other than providing a nice facility for the staff”.

The company website says: “New applicants will be required to work in the nude from the time they arrive at work until they leave to go home.

“Nude means no clothes whatsoever and no shoes either. All new applicants will be naturists and could be males or females.”

The company also has a sister company called Songbird – its IT staffers work fully clothed.

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Bergen, Germany (AHN) – 71% of teachers feel that a secure internet “parent portal,” where parents could see details about their child’s schooling, would improve school-to-parent communication.

In the survey conducted by itslearning on teachers in France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, the UK and the U.S., 75% of the 5,805 teachers surveyed said parental involvement is important to student’s education. However 44% said they didn’t have the time or means to communicate with parents as much as they would like.

“Teachers agree that involving parents is critical, but they aren’t able to communicate with parents effectively,” says Morten Fahlvik, Research Manager at itslearning.

Teachers currently communicate with parents with 46% of them using email reach their students’ parents at least once a month; 37% use texts/SMSs and 24% still send letters.

School Boards and technology companies are currently experimenting with different online tools to make the teacher parent communication relationship more seamless.

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Kathmandu, Nepal (AHN) – The British government announced a stern visa regime on Wednesday that is likely to axe more overseas students who aspire to study in the country.

In a statement from the British embassy in Kathmandu, British Home Minister Theresa May said the major overhaul of the student visa system was based on results of an extensive consultation process. Students will now have to pass through tougher rules for UK education institutions wanting to be sponsors.

Those coming to study at degree level will have to speak a higher level of English than before. Likewise, only students at universities and publicly-funded colleges will retain the right to work and only government-sponsored students, and certain postgraduate students, will be able to bring their dependents to the UK.

“There will be a limit on the overall time that can be spent on a student visa in the UK,” the statement reads. Graduates can still work, but will now have to secure a skilled job with a Tier 2 sponsor.

“International students not only make a vital contribution to the UK economy but they also help make our education system one of the best in the world,” May said in making the announcement. “But it has become very apparent that the old student visa regime failed to control immigration and failed to protect legitimate students from poor-quality colleges.”

She further added that the aim is not to stop genuine students but to eliminate abuse.

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Australia is known for being a preferred destination not just in terms of travel and work but also of education. This land down under is said to attract the third largest number of foreign students in the English-speaking world after the US and the UK. Australia is the first choice of destination in some other countries. One of the advantages of owning a student visa Australia is that the country offers an educational experience that makes a real difference from other nations. It gives every international student a unique kind of education and a learning style that encourages one to be more innovative, creative and think independently. Students learn to work as a team, communicate effectively with others and develop their practical skills and intellectual abilities you need for worldwide success.

Teachers and professors encourage students in using their initiative and teach them with practical solutions in facing the real-world problems. Qualifications of students will make highly sought after by Australian and International employers upon graduation. It has been a trademark of Australia to bring in students success in finding jobs and hold prominent positions worldwide once graduated in college. Another thing is the country readily accepted students for postgraduate study at leading international universities. In this country also known as the “land of kangaroos”, students have the freedom to choose a path that suits your particular goals as they have thousands of courses on offer.

The Australian education system is known for its strong international reputation. Its education is also famous for its effective structure and innovative policy developments. Other countries wanting to improve their education systems turn to Australia for effective and reliable advice. Furthermore, the country’s approach to vocational and technical education has been already recognized as among the best and most innovative in the world. Its education system is excellent in all areas of both education and training. International and national students enjoy unparalleled level of service and financial protection in their stay in the country. This is provided in the terms and conditions on any visas such as work visa Australian or travel visas to Australia.

The country is committed to provide quality education to students. On the other hand, Australia also offers research opportunities to qualified professionals who are willing to enhance their career. The biggest advantage of studying in Australia is that it offers a country-based research that is spread all over the continent. There are more scholarships are given compared to the United States of the UK. Australia is a less populated yet vast country, so keep in mind that employment opportunities fit in at a rate faster than any other part of the world. Australia has been one of the best places to live, work and most of all study. Its young, friendly and vibrant country makes more students to come in to live, learn and grow. So if you want an excellent education and a good lifestyle don’t hesitate and choose Australia the place to be. You apply for travel visas initially just to try out living in the country and discover its unique lifestyle.

Kathmandu, Nepal (AHN) – Five Nepali students were recently deported from the United Kingdom for abusing student visas to travel to the UK in order to work, the British Embassy in Kathmandu announced Thursday.

The embassy said in a statement that all five students were returned to Nepal on Monday after being caught working illegally at a car wash in the British town of Bury St. Edmunds by UK Border Agency officers. “Immigration checks revealed that all the men had student visas, four of them were not studying while one was studying but working much more than the permitted hours,” the embassy said.

The statement said that the colleges that had sponsored the students are now being investigated for potential abuse of the immigration system.

Under Tier 4 of the Points Based System, colleges are required to report absenteeism by international students to the UK Border Agency. Against the backdrop of the arrest, UK Immigration Minister Damian Green made a strong statement to clamp down on abuse of student visas in the UK.

“I believe attracting talented students from abroad is vital to the UK, but we must clamp down on abuse and be more selective about who can come here and how long they can stay. Too many students arriving to study at below degree level have been coming here with a view of living and working, rather than studying,” Green said in the embassy statement.

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London, England, United Kingdom (AHN) – Around 40 British Muslim schools teach 6- to 15-year-olds brutal Sharia law punishments, including how to hack off a criminal’s hand or foot as well as execution for being gay and that Jews transform into animals, according to reports in British media.

Some 5,000 children that attend the network of 40 Muslim “weekend” schools in Britain are taught the hardline Saudi National Curriculum, run under the umbrella of “Saudi Students Clubs and Schools in the UK and Ireland.”

Students are taught how to chop off a robber’s or thief’s hands, offer the idea that Jews transform into pigs and apes, and execution for those who practice sodomy or homosexuality.

Education Secretary Michael Gove said he would not tolerate anti-Semitism and homophobia in English schools.”

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London, United Kingdom (AHN) – A British TV spy show, “Spooks,” where many of its female intelligence operatives die violent deaths, is hampering the real MI5 in its recruitment drive for women to join the service.

When the highly rated British TV spy show, known abroad as “MI5″, airs every Monday night, there is a corresponding increase in online visits to the real MI5′s website from an average of 500 an hour to 1,500. But it has been putting off women from actually filling out the application because of the show’s portrayal of its female characters defusing bombs, chasing terrorists, getting injured in the line of duty or dying violently.

Despite an announcement of severe budget cuts, MI5 has begun an active recruitment drive for more female intelligence officers at starting salaries of just under £25,000 a year. On its website, the agency says it wants women to know that unlike the female characters in “Spooks,” they will be facing more cerebral challenges such as analyzing terrorist threats to the UK inside MI5′s Thames Intelligence headquarters.

A senior Whitehall source the Mail newspaper, “Spooks is a great TV show, but the violence can put women off applying for jobs at MI5. A career in the Service is about brain not brawn, carefully piecing together vital intelligence to protect the UK and its people.”

The Intelligence Service is made up of 41 percent women. Officials are looking for candidates with strong analytical and communication skills, patience, dedication, discretion, honesty and integrity, who work well in a team under pressure – not the ability to defuse nuclear devices or leap from exploding cars.

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