Author: Tiyana Lartey

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Peaceful protest at the University of Warwick over the safety of women on campus

Students from the University of Warwick launched a sit-in protest to bring awareness and attention to the safety of women on campus.

The University of Warwick where the protests are taking place.

The group, ProtectWarwickWomen, organised the sit-in. With the university students demanding for their voices to be heard. They have been involved in previous student-led marches against the university’s handling of sexual assault. The organisers have said they feel unsafe and unheard at the university.

They are calling for the University of Warwick to pay more attention, listen and do more to make women feel safe on campus. It is believed that at the peak of the sit-in, over 350 students were estimated to have gathered on Warwick Piazza. The group have been posting regular live updates on their social media accounts.

Some of the student protestors demands would involve the university to install an independent sexual assault advisor within the Student Union, to review staff training on preventing and managing sexual assault and; make yearly contributions to sexual assault survivor charities.

You can find the full list of the protestors’ demands at @protectwarwickwomen on Instagram and Twitter

A tweet from @protectwarwickwomen: “THE POLICE APPROACHED US! The police initially came with the intention to disperse us but once we informed them about our cause, they immediately sympathised with us.”

ProtectWarwickWomen did not have any interaction with security or police at first. They were informed by other students from the university that the campus security was taking a longer route around the accommodations, so they would not have to cross paths with the peaceful protestors.

The university said in a statement:

“Our policy on sexual misconduct is clear-it will not be tolerated. Individuals who are found to have broken our values, either by the police or by our own comprehensive disciplinary processes will face sanctions-which include expulsion or withdrawal from the university.

We recognise that there is always more we can do. We wish to thank all those who are working with us to help sexual misconduct and how we deal with those who do not behave.”

This is not the first time Warwick University has been called out for its treatment towards women’s safety on campus. In 2018, a group of Warwick students were involved in an atrocious Whatsapp rape chat scandal. 11 students were part of the vile group which included sexist and anti-Semitic messages.

In light of what happened, the hashtag #ShameOnYouWarwick was created with students raising and calling out their concerns about the university’s handling of the situation on social media platforms.

#ShameOnYouWarwick became an organisation that is campaigning against sexual assault in the university and are working with other groups like ProtectWarwickWomen.

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London City Hall now considered an ‘at risk’ building

London’s City Hall is one of the most notable buildings created in the last century to be considered for an architectural campaigning charities list of ‘at risk’ buildings.

Foster + Partners’ 19-year-old City Hall, named as one of the top 10 endangered buildings of historical and architectural importance by the Twentieth Century Society, has been included on the updated ‘at risk’ buildings list.

They join a list of other threatened historic sites like the Cressingham Gardens in South London, Brutalist Derby Assembly Rooms and Swindon’s Oasis Leisure Centre.

After the completion of the City Hall Building in 2002 ,the building’s future is uncertain as the Greater London Authority (GLA), it’s first and only owner and tenant, had announced in a press release that they have made plans to move to the Royal Docks later this year.

Back in November 2020, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan had confirmed that the Greater London Authority will be moving from their current location, More London by London Bridge, to their new location in the Crystal building at the Royal Docks. This will help support huge regeneration project in East London

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said in a statement, “my first priority will always be to protect funding for front-line services for Londoners.”

This move is seen to help the GLA group save over £61 million over the next 5 years and £126 million over the next 10 years. £6 million more than initially anticipated. Sadiq Khan has said that the move is necessary because the Government is not appropriately funding local government in London, including the costs of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Mayor believes that the move to The Crystal will lead to the start of the regeneration of Royal Docks which is set to lead to 25,000 new homes and the creation of 60,000 new jobs within the next 20 years, supported by the arrival of the Elizabeth line.

While the current City Hall contains office space, building owner, Kuwaiti-owned St Martins Property Group, may struggle to find a new tenant, due to the dedicated central debating chamber which is surrounded by a celebrated helical staircase and its very unique design and purpose. Next year, the rent is set to go up to £9.6m a year.

There are no current plans to demolish or redevelop the current city hall.

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UK job market showing ‘signs of recovery’

The UK Job market has started to show signs of recovery as unemployment has fallen to 4.8% between January and March 2021.The highest it has been for over a year.

Vacancies are up 48,400 in the last quarter and now show at 657,00 according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). England’s third national lockdown due to COVID-19 cases has triggered the fall.

Even though the figures are encouraging and exciting, the Office for National Statistics had said that the number of workers on payroll is still 772,000 lower than before the pandemic began. However, they have commented that this shows early ‘signs of recovery’ for the UK jobs market.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak commented on the statistics, “While sadly not every job can be saved, nearly two million fewer people are now expected to be out of work than initially expected-showing our plans for jobs is working’.

In other separate figures, the number of Britons who were registered on company payrolls had increased by 97,000 from April 2020 to March 2021. Companies have had to adjust to covid restrictions easing, under the first stage of the Prime Minister’s ‘roadmap out of lockdown’.

As life starts getting back to normality, job vacancies hit their top targets in more than 12 months, as companies start to look for their new potential employees.

The director of economic statistics at the Office of National Statistics, Darren Morgan, had commented: “The renewed lockdown at the beginning of 2021 saw a sharp rise in the number of previously unemployed people no longer looking for work, helping the unemployment rate to fall on the quarter. This mirrored what happened during the first lockdown.”

A number of major employers have announced plans to hire thousands of workers this year. BT announced that they would be creating 7,000 new jobs to help roll out speedier internet across millions of home

Amazon announced last week that they are making arrangements to create more than 10,000 in the UK. This will mean that the total take of the workforce in Britain would be more than 55,000.

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International Students to LSBU Students

International students from London Southbank University (LSBU) have had mixed reviews on their transitions from their countries to here in London.

LSBU has hundreds of international students studying on their campuses working hard. Their journeys to get into LSBU has been even harder for some, from trying to achieve their home status to trying to find different payment plans for their accommodations. 

If you’re not from the EU then good luck getting a quick response from most London universities. A resident from Hong Kong who is living in David Bomberg House, Borough Road, has said “It’s not fair, it’s like they push the international student to the back because we are harder to deal with”. They had to keep bugging universities for a response to if they were able to study there and it was just luck that they were able to go into LSBU. They have said “They really just want your money, I still haven’t been able to get a student finance and I have to keep asking my parents for money. They aren’t considering my family and how I am meant to keep myself stable to student finance”

Listen to Alice from McLaren house on her transfer to LSBU

Another student, Lisa from McLaren House, St George’s Circus, was able to move swiftly with a Swedish company called blueberry who help students from the EU transfer swiftly to the UK to study. When applying for a student finance there were complications as she had to have on paper she was receiving the payments and making a payment plan with the university as she could only pay monthly unlike the UK students who pay termly. She said “it was quite easy, a few bumps in the road but I think it’s because I am from the EU so it should have been quite straightforward.”

What do I think so far?

Here is my intake of living in student accommodation as a first year so far…

I’m living in McLaren house which is part of the 4 accommodations that London Southbank University has to offer. It’s one of the biggest having almost 600 student flats. The place is full of life with students from all over the globe studying many different courses. Well of course it’s literally the ‘party central’.

My time here so far hasn’t been too bad. I’ve met amazing people within the accommodation. Not a far walk from my classes. It’s a nice place. However, where there is an up, there is also a down. This is for people thinking about moving into student accommodation

It’s crazily lively here, but maybe too lively. It is nice to see people having a good time but if you want to study or do some work maybe do it during the day? You will hear the craziest singing, arguments and just bizarre comments from other students. Sometimes they don’t stay quiet. On top of that, living next to a A&E dept AND a police station you will constantly hear sirens but they come and go.

Another thing is guest passes. Story time. So my boyfriend wanted to come over and spend the night. Very convenient because I live so close to where I work compared to him. The problem is I can’t just sign him in. I have to wait two days to see if the accommodation can approve him coming over. A simple thing that takes two whole days to approve…In good news, we’ve learnt to overcome that obstacle.

Alice from McLaren has said: “the atmosphere is so good. Everyone has a good vibe.” She’s right but she’s also said: “facilities are not as good as they could be. It’s very strict with the rules. If you don’t have a guest pass, you will be kicked out even in the middle of the night.” That’s the down side of it all.

Student accommodation has its moments. If you’re in for a right laugh I would say go for it otherwise, think about flat sharing. I’ll be making another post for students who want to flat share as a first year.

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Mental health, Work and Me

For many of us, work plays a major part in everybody’s lives. It is where we spend much of our time. Where we earn our income and often make friends. Having a job you enjoy can be great for your mental health.

We’re going to be exploring the ways on how employees have dealt with their mental health at work and how employers have helped their employees feel safe at work, from learning why companies have mental health ambassadors and how that helps their employees to do their jobs; to employees sharing their experiences at work and how they have been able to cope under pressure. We all have times when life gets on top of us, it is important that we address mental health at work for those with existing issues.

There have been times we have all been down, anxious or stressed. Most of the time those feelings do pass but sometimes they develop into serious mental health problems like depression. In some people this can affect their daily lives, these mental health problems become more complicated and require support and even medication for long periods of time.

Working in Madame Tussauds London , a famous London attraction, it tends to get very busy, very quickly and sometimes overwhelming which is not helpful especially for those suffering from mental health problems. Speaking to an employee who works in the attraction, Yash, 21, says “ Work has supported me so far, but I feel like you never know when you will get the support because it is unpredictable and not always certain when you need it”. Having a stable supportive system at work is really important to be able to have a productive team. An ex employee, who wishes not to be named, used to be a mental health ambassador at the attraction. They have said “ I was the only mental health ambassador in the department, it’s not a bad thing but I wish I had more support. I don’t think the company takes mental health very seriously as it took ages for me to be trained”.

Good mental health at work and good management work well together and there is strong evidence that workplaces with high levels of mental well-being are more productive. Ava, 20, who works at the Harry Potter studios, another well-known attraction, doesn’t feel as supported as she feels she should. She has said “ I’ve called in sick multiple times due to mental health issues. I’ve never been contacted for help or have even spoken about it. I’ve seen the way they treat people at work who have bad mental health issues and who make it known and it is not good”. Making your staff feel unsupported means a low work ethic within the workplace. It is important to check up on employees who do announce that they have a mental health problem especially as it is bothering them at work.

Different companies have different ways of monitoring mental health at work. Many include helplines that employees can call and they can remain anonymous. My experience of working in two different types of jobs one in retail and the other in attraction work, both jobs have different ways of battling mental illness within the workplace. Courtney, 19, who works in Debenhams has said “When I first started working in Debenhams I was pointed to a poster mentioning a number if you need to talk which was monitored by my manager. However, I never called in sick or called the number for stuff like that and I never really opened up at work about anything either”. At my current workplace we have mental health ambassadors and we have an anonymous helpline. I had a talk with a manager to discuss how to keep on top of everyone’s mental health in this current climate. He mentioned “ everyone works differently so we have to work to what that person is comfortable with. We have one-to-one meetings quite often to discuss progress within the company. In those meetings we discuss progression journeys, how they improved from the beginning of the year till now and how they are coping with their mental health within the company. If they’re not comfortable with something we make arrangements to make sure that they are off that section for a period of time and then slowly ease back into it.”

Everyone suffers differently and everyone gets support which is altered for everyone. However, sometimes plans don’t go right. Mary, 23, is a key worker in a supermarket and she has her experience of opening out to her managers. She has said “ Opening up to managers, it’s very nerve-wracking. In my job it got so bad that I ended up shouting at a manager saying that they don’t support me and that I have been crying for help for ages. I know it’s not their place to help me but work is meant to be that escape from everything I’m suffering from. It would just be nice to go into work and for someone to recognise that it’s harder for me.” Especially due to COVID-19, It is important to recognise mental health whether you’re a key worker or not. Make sure you reach out to anyone, not just people at work. If you are working make your trouble known. It doesn’t have to be to a manager but saying something is better than keeping it bottled up.

All these experiences show that no one is alone when it comes to mental health. It’s important to express these feelings and it’s important to show awareness that mental health is real. Everyone’s experience isn’t always positive however it can be a learning curve on how to address it next time. Don’t forget you’re not alone.

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Fortune telling journalist? What a dream!

Tarot cards

Who wouldn’t want to be a journalist who can tell the future? Having future news at the click of your finger would be a dream for every journalist all around the world.

Malee is a student studying journalism in London and her hobby is divination.  Divination is a type of practice by using supernatural means for seeking things about the future or the ‘unknown’. Malee has been professionally practicing for more than 3 years. She said: “I’m a spiritual person, nothing to do with religion or anything but I love the way I can be so free with with it.” she classifies herself as an eclectic witch. She studies journalism in a London University. She said “ Both subject gives me freedom, one in writing and the other spiritual.”

Malee and her tarot cards

When visiting Malee, she uses a spare room which she has decorated so she can have visitors and use her spiritual mindset without any distractions. When visiting, it seemed like a nice calming space. She lit some incense and candles around the room. It was quite relaxing. Malee herself was very calming, she is currently trying to increase her knowledge by learning witchcraft and spells. She said: “I want my guests and visitors to have a calming experience, no judgement is allowed here.” This is a new adventure to start up her hobby. Wanting it to be business on the side, she charges £5 a session. Hoping she can learn more within the hobby, she is thinking about increasing the price when she learns and practices more.

Adam, who visited Malee for the first time, was there to have a tarot card reading. Usually a session lasts 10-20 min depending on which package you decide to take and how  much you want to know. He said “I’ve been having a tough time recently. I don’t usually believe in stuff like this but I wanted to have a try.” Even though he doesn’t believe in her hobby, he does read horoscopes and he mentioned how accurate they are however, they are quite vague. After his session, it was almost like adam had a change of heart.  He said: “It helped me realise what I need to do. I will come back again.”

Asking two university students, Alliyah, studying law, and Becks, studying drama, about what they think about divination, they both had similar opinions. Alliyah didn’t believe in it one bit. She said: “ It is complete bollocks, a complete scam. They are playing on something people want to believe in and getting people to pay for it. Completely disgusting.” Talking to Alliyah she was very passionate about how the whole subject is fake. Becks said “I am very skeptical about the whole subject. It’s nice to know about your future but it is quite vague. Especially, as she is studying journalism, I don’t think it mixes very well.” In response, Malee had a calm approach, welcoming them to a free session saying: “There is no judgement, people are welcome to their opinions.  

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Southwark going out with a bang

Southwark’s residents saw the sky explode with colour in Southwark park on Guy Fawkes night.


The event lasted from 5pm-8pm which mark an old British tradition which commences on the 5th of November each year. Hosted by Southwark council, this event is in its 16th year of its annual extravaganza. Residents of Southwark have free access to the event while there is a charge for people living outside the borough.

Residents got to experience a night of joy as the night included a fairground, mini food stalls and beautiful scenery. Speaking to a member of staff who didn’t want to be named, he said: “I’ve been working here for only two years, but it is an amazing event.” He also expected to be about 20,000 people attending the event saying: “ this event is so popular within the residents of Southwark.”In 2015, the event attracted approximately a big 33,000 people.

With help from events company Continental Drift, Southwark council was able to host another brilliant night for all their residents. Family event with easyccess for people with a disability, which include drop in and drop off points, blue badge parking and a restricted viewing zone for residents and guests who need extra requirements to see the show. 

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Nativeland’s billion pound investment to develop Southbank

Building
Finally product of plans

A project to develop the Bankside Yards, which is worth approximately £1 billion, has the full commitment of developer Nativeland.

This project involves bringing Southbank and Bankside closer than ever for the first time in over a hundred years, by constructing a £1 billion mix-use development featuring 1.4 million square foot of workspaces, homes and independent shops with a cultural space within 14 restored railway arches.

London based developer Nativeland are going to making this new development open up a new path along the river as they start building their first development called the Arbor which will be an office based building. With the help from their international business partners, the company is getting the backing of international companies meaning an increase of international influence and confidence within London.

Featured in the new development will be an open space which is based within 14 restored railway arches. Which would be a new pathway as there is currently no access due to it being block by Blackfriars, this would be the final missing piece to the south of the river as the access with supply locals with jobs with businesses along the public railway arches such as shops and eateries.

Alasdair Nicholls, Chief Executive of Native Land, mentioned: ‘Bankside Yards will draw together Bankside’s established cultural, commercial, retail and residential worlds around a new neighbourhood where people will work and live, visit or just spend time by the riverside. We are opening up an important piece of London with amazing transport connections and, as locally-based developers, we are keen to contribute to the rich mix of the area by creating a place that’s accessible, enjoyable and productive.’ 

Nativeland continues into becoming more successful as they main focus is to build affordable homes for the future. Their commitment to affordable housing has made them be able to build deliver more than 167 homes which has produced more than £20 million across the boroughs in London

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Diabetes UK

Will Stone from Brixton

Four colleagues work together to raise money for a charity which is close to their hearts.

Will Stone, 25, a surveyor from Brixton and 3 of his colleagues have completed the One Million Step challenge for Diabetes UK.  They have all enjoyed working  together as a team as well as individually to help fundraise and create awareness for Diabetes UK, as they each have close friends or family who are suffering from diabetes. Andrew Shepard, one of the colleagues has said: “Everyone in the team has their own experience of how diabetes can affect our loved ones and ourselves.”

Diabetes is the most devastating and fastest growing health crisis of our time, affecting more people now  than any other serious health condition in the UK before. It affected more people than dementia and cancer combined. There is currently no known cure for any type of diabetes.

Diabetes UK have been asking people to step out of their comfort zone and complete 1 millions steps over the course of 3 months ending in September and encourage people to get sponsored for every stride.  Diabetes is a condition where there is too little or too much glucose to the point where the body can’t function properly.  

Andrea Baganz-Pritchard, Diabetes UK Fundraising Manager, said: “We’re really grateful to the team at AS Retail for supporting our work to fund ground-breaking research, care services and campaigns that can change the lives of those living with diabetes. The One Million Step Challenge is perfect if you want to take steps towards a healthier you.”

 

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The rebels are coming

Thousands of activists from Extinction Rebellion are joining forces all over London to make demands to the government about deteriorating state of the environment.

Extinction Rebellion describe themselves as a “non-violent civil disobedience activist movement” who are looking for answers from the government about how they are going to deal with climate crisis. They have activist groups in all 32 boroughs in London and are expanding as we move. Not even a year old and they are demanding the government to take action on this crisis. They have built protest sites all over Central London from Trafalgar Square to Whitehall and City Airport with the total of 12 sites across Central London.

Speaking to Hayden from Extinction Rebellion Hackney he said: “the government are not delivering, we want them to communicate with us to see what action they are going to take and we are not stopping until they listen.” The activist group have only three demands of the UK government. They want the government to tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, to stop biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse emissions by 2025 and create a national citizen assembly on climate and ecological justice.

One of the activist, Mark, 45, has been campaigning to push legislations on climate change for 30 years. He has said: “Nothing has been happening, something needs to happen.” 50 years he has been a non-violent activist and has seen these protest all before. He has mentioned “The rise of Greta Thunberg has brought people together. The public are starting to listen and realise there is a big problem. However, the government keep giving us false hopes. The more people realise, the more people will act and the more the government will have to raise attention to this.”

As well as the biggest protests happening in London, Extinction Rebellion are based in 23 location all over the world and just keep expanding. Greta Thunberg has become the poster girl for this movement and keeps on shining even though she has faced much criticism from famous figures as powerful as world leaders. Only 16, she has created movements such as ‘school strike for climate change’ where she encouraged millions of student to walk out and protest for their future. She’s impacted millions to protest around the world to take action.

Another activist, Grant, 24, has said: “The system is toxic. We’re destroying life as we speak. I was inspired by Greta Thunberg. She has made this movement so fast growing it’s not even a year old. We need to start educating people about this crisis.”