The adults who care about the youth.

The sun is beaming bright from the sky, but not as bright as Lindsay Lynn’s passion for the youth. The chief executive of youth united was willing to sit down for an interview about the work the charity has achieved since it’s foundation in 2009 by Prince Charles. Their network consists of ten organisations and with them they create an infrastructure for scouts to be more successful. They also help to raise awareness for their sector within government. Without the competition, Lindsay sees it as a great way for everyone to support each other “it is innovative and forward thinking” she says.

Interestingly enough, youth united do not directly talk to young people. There is a highlight of great group work when youth united take more of a business to business approach with their networks. Meaning they want the youth to be more aware of the organisations they work with, rather than the charity itself “youth united should be well known by government departments, by all of our networks like scouts and guy, by people in the charity sector, by influencers and thinkers. We don’t want to be known by young people because what we care for young people to know is scouts or Air Cadets” she explains.

They are dedicated to the young and with only ten per cent of young people being signed onto one these groups; they are dedicated to go into the areas where they do not have these opportunities. Youth united are as devoted to their workers as they are to their participants. They try and make it different for them, in order to for them to feel like they’re getting something out of it “it can’t just be seen as an extra job. It has to be fun for them as well” she says. A lot of time is spent recruiting, training and supporting volunteers. With four thousand adult volunteers the age groups varies significantly. With the high amount of bad press over young people, Lindsay feels their good work is not highlighted enough “people are more willing to step up than we give credit for” she feels.

The organisation is also expanding rapidly. In 2012, the company had a goal of setting up 400 units within communities, successfully they surpassed to 700. By March 2016 they expect to create opportunities for 40,000 new people “from what I’ve seen, if young people are given the opportunity they want to get involved and do things that are exciting and fun and help their future” she states.

Although youth united supports different scouts who do different things, they all have one thing in common; inclusion. They all have a demonstrative commitment to include all types of people. Girlguiding have included the hijab as part of their official uniform. Their adamant support for organisations that are welcoming is shown through their reformed strategy “we would not support an organisation which only focuses on a certain background” Lindsay confirms.

One of the reasons why Lindsay is so passionate about what she does is because she has a personal attachment towards scouts. Originally from Tennessee, in the U.S, she was brought up with a family who did not travel much. Joining a girls scout at the age of six and sharing the experience with her French roommate, changed her outlook on life “It totally changed the way I saw the world.” She says “I had never met someone who had such a different perspective, for me that was very influential”. The wealthy and suburban image of a scout is a stereotype Lindsay is determined to abolish “reputation is different to reality” she argues. She also believes that being part of a scout is a way for everyone from different backgrounds to share the same experience “that is why I am really passionate about it because I know how much it can change a person’s life. To meet different people and become more confident.” She finishes.

For volunteering E-mail via youth.united@yuf.org.uk or for all other enquiries contact by phone on + 44 (0) 20 7401 7601.

Benefits Street: A Dead End or Misunderstood?

BY ZOE WICKENS

In light of the television programme on Channel 4 entitled “Benefits Street”, it seems that the media and the public are still in two minds about whether the occupants of James Turner Street in Birmingham have been poorly represented on the television show.

There was a show on Channel 5 called “Benefits Debate”, which featured well known criticiser Katie Hopkins and the self proclaimed “Mother Hen” Deidre Kelly, better known as White Dee. She highlighted not only the expected criticisms of Hopkins but her honest view on how the country has seen her and her neighbours portrayed on the show. This sparked tweets from Hopkins herself including “Wardrobe have been asked to provide a bra for White Dee for tonight. Benefit types expect everything for free.” This sort of dismissive attitude is typical of people who have never had to worry about money and indeed, of Hopkins herself. One only has to read the hashtag of Benefits on Twitter to be inundated with comments like this, perhaps unfairly as it begs the question of how many of these people actually know what it is like to only live on a small amount of money each week. Some receivers desperately need this money, but Hopkins’ comments could be construed as her believing that all benefits claimants (otherwise known as “scroungers” by some) abuse the system and waste all their money on alcohol, drugs and cigarettes.

White Dee declares that she is unable to work due to her depression after she was sacked from her former job as part of the council. Her neighbours on the street include Romanian immigrants who make a living from recycling scrap metal and are regularly abused by the English and Irish who, unlike them, are unemployed. It is difficult as a viewer to tell whether the apparent racism of these people is the norm, as Channel 4 may have just come across this as they were filming on the day. Who knows if this is what they are like all the time? We have only been shown a brief snapshot into their lives and there is a possibility that the occupants of the street were playing up to the cameras, desperate for their five minutes of fame. Who can tell?

She is not the only person in the country to have gone through this; a source who preferred to stay anonymous said that her and her family had to apply to receive benefits after her husband lost his job. The government gave them about £70 a week and whilst she said she “was grateful” for the money they got, it realistically couldn’t help much to feed a family of five and pay all the necessary bills. She stated that benefits of this low amount aren’t “really suitable for parents whether they are single or not with teenagers or small children.” It would never be enough for anyone no matter where in the country you happen to live and results in families having to go without more often than not. To see quite negative representations of people on benefits on television could be an insult to other people who are nothing like this. This could be considered an example of the behaviour of a minority in this country being mistaken for how everyone in this situation acts and it is simply not the case.

Another group of people perhaps most likely to end up on benefits is recently graduated from university students. Emma, a first year photography student said that “there is a real possibility” that she could end up on some sort of benefits if she cannot find a job after she finishes her studies. “If I was really stuck, there would be no shame”, she says, or she would work like so many other students in a pub or a restaurant on minimum wage. However, Emma says that “the problem is when people abuse [benefits] and ruin it for the rest of us.” She knows of jobseekers that claim benefits but do not actually look for any work. It is arguably these people who prevent people who are disabled or have health issues from receiving the benefits that they need as the government continues to make severe cuts on benefits spending.

To many hardworking occupants of this country, the idea of people receiving benefits unfairly or them not using it wisely is atrocious, as benefits are funded from taxes. Having a television show featuring negative representations of these people can only result in an uproar from the occupants of James Turner Street themselves and people across the country being influenced into thinking that benefits receivers are like this. Channel 4 has a lot to answer for.

Mercy 4 Mankind Event: The Muslims you never hear about.

The Ahmaddiya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA) first began in 1985 with ‘Save The Children’ being the only charity the organisation had ties with. Now supporting 16 national charities and 10 regional, they have been able to expand their networks over the years.  Last year they raised £360,000 and had an official cheque representation ceremony at The House Of Lords.  On the 25^th of April, after trying to secure the place for six years, the organisation was finally able to celebrate their ‘Mercy 4 Mankind’ event at Hyde Park.

Farooq Mirza, the chairman of the organisation, was pleased to see the event had turned out well without any problems.

“It’s God’s blessing really” he says.

Every year the organisation creates a non-profit event which invites people from across the U.K to raise money for their chosen charity.

“We encourage all people to come and take part in the event and raise money for charity in whatever charity they are interested in” Farooq say.

The organisation wants to combat the negative stereotypes about Islam and Muslims that has embroiled in today’s society.

“We believe that raising money for charity and helping others is the very best ways for us to symbolically state that groups like ISIS do not act in Islam’s name and to also help those harmed by these acts of cruelty.”  Comments Yassar Khan, a local AMYA leader.

The feeling of showing the world the true meaning of Islam which seems to have been lost over the years is something not only organisers feel strongly about, the participants and charities all agree as well.

“We just want to show everyone that Islam is piece. It is about sharing and caring” Qudsia Ahmad says.

Qudsia Ahmad.

She and her husband have been taking part in this event for over fifteen years. Despite her eighty-four year old husband not being well enough to take part, he still decided to run anyway.

“We do it for God, not for show” she smiles.

There were plenty of British charities at the event to represent their causes. The warm atmosphere of unity and excitement was a stark contrast to the cold and wet climate which embedded London.  However, it did not stop people from attending in large numbers.

Marie Curie, one of the many charities attending the event, was being represented by  Ailish Langan. The organisation has changed their branding to represent the changes the charity has gone through. Supporting people with terminal illnesses, they are able to provide emotional, physical and financial help. Although the relationship between the Muslim organisation and the cancer based charity has been very premature, it would not be surprising to know that a few years down the line the relationship has grown closer.

“They are always willing to step up when we need them. There’s a lot to look forward to in the future with them” she smiles.

Deepali, Ayamemizuno, Lucy and Stephanie are four young girls who were representing Barnardo’s. The girls have all been rewarded with various roles within the charity, but they are all enjoying their time with them.  The connection between the Ahmaddiya community and Barnado’s has been going strong for a few years now.

The ladies from Barnardo’s

“Anything we need volunteers at they just say ‘we are happy to help’ and it’s been brilliant” Lucy gushes about the Muslim community who last year donated £30,000 towards the charity which aims to aid the most vulnerable children in society.

Former England cricketer and ex-Ashes winner, Matthew Hoggard, was also present.  Representing ‘Rainbows Children’s Hospice’ and ‘Cricket Without Boundaries’, he was pleased to bring the publicity aspect to the event.

Matthew Hoggard and the CEO of Step Up To Serve.

“I’m not a Muslim and it’s great to be around people who have a common goal, which is race money for charity” He finished.

Labour promises to decrease tuition fees to £6,000, but do students care?

The general election will be held on the 7^th of May. This means every party leader is out on the campaign trail promising us hopes for the future, in turn for votes. This is nothing new and many manifesto outlines have been hitting the headlines. As usual the youth are being pushed to cross a box in a polling station. Never has the youth’s faith in politics been so low. Nick Clegg’s failure to abolish the tuition fees since joining the coalition in 2010, has left many young people in doubt over the promises which are being campaigned. However, Ed Miliband might hold the key to restoring the youth’s attention towards the elections. Many say the expensive university fees leaves the poor incapable of attending university.  It was interesting to hear the opinions of students from the University of East London. A university ranked 124 in the league table ranking and situated in Newham, one of the poorest boroughs in London.

Abid Ryaz is 20 years of age and is studying Biomedical science. He worries about how he will be left after his studies.

“With the amount of debt I’ll be left with, I won’t be able to lead a good life” he says.

However, he is interested in Labour’s new idea. When asked if he will vote for them based on their tuition fee promise, he says;

“Yes, definitely. Better than nine grand”

Despite the negative reactions, which was led by the increase of tuition fees in 2010, Nick Jodder believes the tripled fees are worth it. Studying clinical psychology, the 27 year old believes the fees should not decrease to £6,000.

“It will devalue our course and make it seem less important” he says.

However, Idris Haji is another student at the university, believes the fees turns away young people from attending university.

“It’s not worth it at all, especially if you are not guaranteed a job at the end” he says.

Unlike Abid, Idris does not care about Labour’s £6,000 fee promise and thinks the decreased amount being discussed is also far too much.

“If they promised under £3,500 maybe yes” he finishes.

Unlike the others, Jeffrey Larry has not got a concrete decision on Labour’s promise, nor the general elections in fact. Studying sports science, he believes the university’s ranking plays a big role in deciding whether the tuition fees should increase or decrease.

“I’m still 50/50” he says.

Priscilla Da Costa, 21 studying special education is believes the government’s university fees are an unrealistic standard, which many people within the university cannot meet. However, she is proud to say she’ll be voting Labour.

“Labour are the party for the working class and I am working class” she smiles.

Are there jobs for Journalism graduates?

BY ZOE WICKENS

via stmarys

 

It’s incredibly well known today that there are not many jobs for university graduates out there. This is quite a daunting fact, something that to be completely honest, absolutely terrifies me. I doubt there will be anything that could make me change my mind about wanting to be a journalist, but the knowledge that it can be exceptionally difficult to not just find a job but get far enough into an application to secure an interview can make many rethink their life choices.

When I decided I wanted to be a journalist at the age of fifteen, the media industry was very different to how it is now. I somewhat naively assumed I could get a good job in journalism within a few months of graduating. At the time, that was probably true but six years later, that is certainly not the case. I’ve lost count of the number of jobs I’ve applied for. I’ve widened my search for internships, almost all of which are unpaid, meaning I would have to have a part time job on the side in order to pay bills. London is definitely the place for journalism jobs, but who can afford to live in the capital on a part time pay cheque working an internship and still keeping up the search for the journalism job dreamt of at night? Not many have the money behind them to do this, I certainly don’t. Do you see the problem? It’s tough.

My three years at a London university studying to become a journalist and watching my money disappear on rent, travel and food – all of which are on the rise – has taught me an awful lot about life. I worked very hard at college in my native East Sussex in order to get to the position I’m in now, including putting myself through an A-Level in French, one of the hardest things I have ever done, because I thought it would make me stand out. It was so difficult that I grew to hate it. It’s very easy to fall into the belief that none of it matters because I am struggling just like the thousands of other soon to be journalist graduates to find a job, despite knowing that they have been well educated. Everyone who has ever been job hunting knows how dejecting this is.

The worst part of journalism job applications and actually, all types of job applications is the word “experience.” I can’t count the amount of times that I’ve read a job application description and thought: “I don’t have that exact experience, but I could learn.” So far, this has always been followed with a rejection response or even worse, no reply at all. Experience can mean a variety of things but the majority of the time, employers are trying to say that they want applicants who have had experience in the exact part of the industry the job is in. Whilst this would be very helpful, not every graduate will have that experience or have had the chance to for financial reasons or simply a lack of time. Lots of students work a part time job alongside studying, when they’re not working shifts or on essays, there isn’t much time in the day left. I can guarantee though that every single person who is not experienced would try their utmost to learn as much as they can and never stop asking questions in order to catch up with the rest of the team.

We can prove that we’re worthy of the job, I promise. We’ve just got to be given the chance.

Feminism in Social Media

BY ZOE WICKENS

via howstuffworks

 

Feminism is one of the most widely talked about subjects today. Rarely can a week pass without there being something about feminism in the news or another celebrity announces they are a feminist or, more controversially, say that they do not identify as a feminist. A common misconception is that only females can be feminists when actually, anyone who believes in equality between sexes through equal opportunities in careers, pay and in positions in organisations can identify as a feminist.

Social Media websites and apps are the places to go to read the many arguments and debates about feminist issues, you’d be surprised at how many comments sections of youtube videos and replies on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram disintegrate into full on insulting conversations. Famous women only have to post a photo of themselves to end up with reams of abuse from other Social Media users about the way she looks. Beyoncé frequently comes under fire for her revealing outfits, despite her strong messages highlighting the importance of feminism in today’s society. Emma Watson launched the He for She campaign last year and has gained global support for this endeavour, and even she was threatened by people on the internet, who planned to release leaked naked photographs of her. Madonna sparks many debates about whether it’s seen as acceptable to dress provocatively at her age and act as if she is a much younger woman. The end of February saw two people jailed for sending extremely abusive and threatening messages over Twitter to feminist campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez, who is among many to have received abuse and threats over Social Media. Is no one safe?

The question ‘have you experienced sexism on any Social Media account’ is always going to reveal interesting stories, particularly with the advantage of being able to be anonymous over the internet. Amber, a feminist English Literature student answered “Yes. I have been called every name under the sun and threatened with rape.” How did she deal with this? “I sarcastically told them that they were immature, nasty little boys, reported them online and blocked them.” Ana, a feminist Creative Writing student replied “most of the time, I ignore the comments, but if I have something witty to call them out with, I may call them out on their behaviour.” These are enlightening examples how people react and whether they choose to ignore the abuse or not or indeed whether they can block it all out, regardless of whether it is hurtful or not.

Many feminist campaigners question why more people do not identify as feminists. There is a surprising amount of hostility towards feminism and those who support it, which poses the question of why all the hate? Ana says “I think everyone should identify as part of the movement that is striving for equality” as feminism is still dismissed by many all over the world, even by women who blanch at the idea of being associated with the more hardcore feminists. Amber makes the interesting point that “people who say stuff like “I’m not a feminist, I’m an equalist” need educating, not criticising”, perhaps suggesting that if feminism was spoken about more in public, people would understand it better. Zowwi, a feminist Photography student highlights the importance of being proud to be a woman, or a male supporter of female rights. “They do not have to say they are feminists in order to do this but putting a label on it does seem to give it more importance.” How about the male perspective on what feminism is? Charles, a feminist Journalism student puts forth “I feel as a man who identifies as a feminist that people should think hard about what they believe feminism to be, it’s very easy to get caught up in the media hype of the word feminist while forgetting its true meaning.” The definition of what feminism is can be blurred by Social Media, as every one is going to have a different idea depending on how it has affected their lives.

A much talked about issue in the media is celebrities saying they are not feminists, because they have “never been affected” by it. One example of this is American actress Kaley Cucoco-Sweeting, best known for her role in the television show The Big Bang Theory. She received a lot of criticism when in an interview last year, she answered the question ‘are you a feminist’ with “is it bad if I say no?” She was also quoted as saying “I like the idea of women taking care of their men” which prompted many comments sparking outrage at this. Amber believes more people should identify as feminists but wouldn’t “criticise” anyone for not “unless they’re openly insulting feminism.”

In a world where telling people their opinions, beliefs and ideals are wrong can be seen as amusing and incredibly easy. Users of the internet and Social Media in particular, hugely take advantage of this. You find yourself asking why others want to try and tear you down in whatever way they can. When asked whether people should be allowed to criticise those who do not identify as feminists, Ana said “as that goes against what feminism stands for, I don’t think so, but I do think that open discussion about the topic should be encouraged.” Is criticising someone who not believing in the same ideals as you ever okay? “You can’t attack someone’s moral choices because it takes away the very framework of being a feminist. If a person has the same ideals as a feminist but feels negatively towards the connotations of the word then criticism towards them is only more likely to push people away”, says Charles.  Zowwi suggests that in general, “we should be less judgmental.” This is sadly, easier said than done.  “I think you should still subtly preach and let people know what your views are, but without being critical.” A brilliant idea, but problematic when in effect as it seems there will always be those who single-mindedly preach without any consideration to other points of view.

As comforting as it is to imagine a world where feminism is not needed and no one ever criticises someone else for their beliefs and choices, it will never happen. Perhaps all we can do is just try and be more understanding of the fact that everyone is likely to have different views. As Amber quite rightly states “being nasty to people who don’t know any better will get us nowhere.”