Fresh moves to help voluntary sector provide public services

By Simeon Brody, Derren Hayes and Amy Taylor

Fresh moves to help voluntary sector provide public services

A string of initiatives to involve the voluntary sector more in the provision of public services was announced yesterday. A new board involving central and local government will work on developing councils’ relationship with voluntary organisations.

Source:- Financial Times, Friday 23 June 2006, page 4
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East England needs a new Birmingham in seven years

The East of England will have to build the equivalent of a city the size of Birmingham by 2021 to met the demand for new homes, an independent panel of government advisers said yesterday.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Friday 23 June 2006, page 6
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Monday will cut payouts to charities

The struggling “charity” lottery Monday is to become a less charitable alternative to the National Lottery. It is negotiating with its 70 charity partners to cut the amount of money they receive from ticket sales.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Friday 23 June 2006, page 8
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Home births a risk to babies

Women who give birth at home may be putting their babies’ lives in danger, the government’s health watchdog is set to warn.

Source:- Daily Mail, Friday 23 June 2006, page 2
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Debts of the over-60s soar by 25pc as they take out loans to live

A growing number of the elderly are facing a cash crisis, according to debt advice charity the Consumer Credit Counselling Service.

Source:- Daily Mail, Friday 23 June 2006, page 19
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School casts black pupils as monkeys

Two seven-year-old boys who are the only black pupils in their infant school have been cast as monkeys in an end-of-term play.

Last night Myles Rees and his friend’s parents slammed the school as racist.

Source:- The Sun  Friday 23 June page 15
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Scottish news

11 more Kerelaw staff charged with abusing children

Eleven former workers at the Kerelaw residential school have been charged following a major police investigation into child abuse.

The 10 men and one woman are facing a variety of allegations just weeks after two of their former colleagues were jailed for physically and sexually abusing pupils.

The latest charges come more than two years after police were first called to investigate allegations of abuse at the school, which closed in March.

Source:- The Herald, Friday 23 June
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Kerb-crawling will be made illegal in new fast-track bill

Ministers are to push through legislation in the next ten months to make kerb-crawling a criminal offence in Scotland for the first time.

Margaret Curran, the minister for parliament, said the Scottish executive would bring forward a simple bill to criminalise the buyers of sex, as well as the sellers.

The Executive had planned to include its proposals to in its Sentencing Bill, but had become increasingly concerned that the pressure on parliamentary time might have jeopardised their chances of getting such a big bill through parliament.

Source: The Scotsman, Friday 23 June
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Crackdown on perverts and abusers

Paedophiles are to be targeted in a crackdown in a new bill that will tighten procedures for adults working with children.

The Protection of Vulnerable Groups Bill comes in the wake of the Bichard inquiry into the Soham murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman and is specifically aimed at protecting children and vulnerable adults.

Source: The Record, Friday 23 June
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Welsh news

School wins ‘spitting pupil’ appeal

A school in Wales has won a battle over its right to suspend a pupil who spat in a teacher’s face in the Court of Appeal.

Prior to the spitting incident the boy, who was later discovered to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, had been excluded from the school for throwing eggs at a teacher’s house and swearing at a bus driver.

Olchfa Comprehensive, one of Swansea’s top schools, excluded the boy in 2003.

Source:- Western Mail, Friday 23 June 2006
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Internet Paedophile jailed for nine years after grooming three teenage girls for sex

A paedophile who groomed teenage girls for sex has been jailed for nine years.

Lee Costi was caught as he tried to groom his third victim. He had already groomed and had sex with two other girls.

He was the first person in the UK to be caught through a new international police agency website which enables children targeted by sex offenders to expose their abusers.

Source:- Western Mail, Friday 23 June 2006
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