Vocational Courses

Well done Lord Clark.
Academic subjects do not suit everyone. Children who are failing at school in traditional education are demotivated & often bullied with low self esteem.
My disengaged, dyslexic and very unhappy daughter left school at 15.
She has worked ever since & now successfully resuming her education.
There are many pathways. Let's open as many options as we can.
Better an A in plastering than a G in history.



-- Post From My iPhone

SHOPLIFTING ROBS ALL OF US

Ken Clarke reportedly intending to send fewer shoplifters to jail

"Shoplifters could escape prison by just paying for what they pinch and saying "sorry". Jail sentences and tough fines will be scrapped as the default punishment for nicking from stores under controversial plans soon to be unveiled by Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke. Instead he wants thieves to make face-to-face apologies to victims and pay compensation... Tory MP Douglas Carswell fumed: "It's the latest trendy thinking by the Ministry of Justice, and it will look like justice on the cheap." - The Sun

I believe passionately in restorative justice; but you know, I've never liked the word "shoplifting". It makes the act of theft sound almost accidental or worse, just a bit of naughty fun. The sort of thing you and your 11 year old mates might dare each other to do on the way home from school.

The word "shoplifting" conceals the fact that taking stuff without paying for it is stealing; like "picking a pocket" is stealing (despite the ersatz cheeky appeal of baby-faced Jack Wild - the late, great Dodger).

It's Shop Theft; and Shop Thieves cost the retail sector £4.4 billion every year – that's £12m per day (Centre for Retail Research 19^thOctober 2010).

So while I agree 1,000% with keeping non-violent criminals firmly outside our prison system; let's call this crime by its proper name.

There are many things that drive a Shop Thief to take something which isn't legally theirs; so the justice system's first job must be to determine the individual root cause of the crime. Was the thief desperate? Poor money management? Forced into crime by a violent partner? Mentally ill or depressed? Part of a criminal gang? Once this is determined, an individual course of recovery can be charted, to benefit both the individual and society.

But does this reported piece of proposed legislation imply that stealing from a supposedly faceless company is somehow a "softer" crime than, say, snatching my handbag or stealing my iPhone? By taking my iPhone, (please, please don't) you cause me personal inconvenience. But stealing a few cans of food from a monolithic retailer such as Tesco or a T shirt from Top Shop – can anyone actually be called a victim?

Yes , they can.

These firms employ many, many thousands of people nationwide. They pay those many thousands of people out of their profits. So if the cost of theft and the security needed to prevent theft creeps erodes profit margins, something or someone has to give. And there's your victim.

Are shops closing down on your High Street? Have any of your friends or family lost a job in retail recently? Has a neighbour been made redundant by a firm which supplies services or goods to retailers? And were any of those redundancies caused by dwindling profit margins? are you finding it harder to make ends meet due to rising prices? Here are your victims.

Of course I am not saying that Shop Theft is the only factor causing profits to evaporate, prices to rise and workforces to shrink; we can look at oil prices, interest rates and the cost of bureacracy; but the losses due to theft may be the final strawfor a hard-pressed retailer.

So when we get to saying sorry to the victim, which is a crucial part of restorative justice, perhaps it's not the manager of Tesco nor the security guard at Debenhams who need the Shop Thief's apologies. More likely it's a newly-redundant Jobseeker who deserves the act of contrition .

That man struggling to make sense of the benefits labyrinth. Trying to understand what he's entitled to if his family are going to eat for the rest of the month, after being roundly chastised for waiting in the wrong queue. Because here's the reality. When this man's erstwhile employer was robbed of that final £4.99 T-shirt by a Shop Thief; the employee was robbed of his living.

The network is growing

Meeting today with new Job Club leaders - Croydon & Southend. Both called Andy. Each with a heart to serve their communities. Call it Big Society if you will. I call it love.


-- Post From My iPhone

ANOTHER NEW JOB CLUB FOR NORTH DORSET

It was a great privilege to attend the launch of our newest North Dorset Job Club yesterday.

These community projects epitomise the ethos of Big Society - targeting practical help where it's needed. We wish them great success as they work to help local jobseekers to gain employment.

http://www.gbjobclubs.org/

BIG SOCIETY AND JOB CLUBS

http://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/2010/10/syed-kamall-mep-big-society-rediscovering-mises-and-social-cooperation.html


Really delighted to see this mention of Chris Neal and GB Job Clubs on Con Home Platform today.


I am obviously pleased that Chris and GBJC are achieving this well-deservedrecognition, because this will directly benefit Job Club Leaders and Jobseekers across the country.



By focussing on the individual, not the outcome, our volunteers help Job Club members to find their way on the path to employment, week in, week out, in Job Clubs across the country.

Chatting over coffee - listening - helping with CVs - sharing their own experience -encouraging interaction and self-help, understanding disappointments and celebrating success.


If the mention in Syed Kamall's article has an effect, I hope that many, many more people will be inspired to start Job Clubs or become Jobseeker Buddies.

Visit http://www.gbjobclubs.org/ comment on this blog or contact me direct janegould77@hotmail.com 07966 544492

Jane Gould

Development Director GB Job Clubs

BRIGHT & FROSTY

The best Shaftesbury morning. Clear and cold. The best, that is, If you're in a cosy house like i am and not sleeping rough...


-- Post From My iPhone

BUS IS BUST

Bus broken down in cloud of noxious black smoke. But it's OK. the tour guide is talking interminably about black sand and the different types of grass... And we now know that Icelandic winters are COLD!!! I really didn't need to know quite so much about Arctic weather systems... Another bus is coming. Good because otherwise this lot would be worrying about missing their lunch - which - lest we forget, THEY HAVE PAID FOR!!


-- Post From My iPhone

Alesund

Energising modern art collection in the alesund Kube gallery here. Loving it. Totally alone. Me and the art on a soggy Sunday in Norway. Delirious on the iPod. Respite at last.



-- Post From My iPhone

These continual barked instructions... Like holidaying at St Pancras. Train journey to Flam this afternoon. Husband under strange impression that I would eat lunch at 11.30am.... Most odd. Of course, heaven forbid he might allow any spontaneity or uncertainty


creep into this week of regimented mediocrity.


-- Post From My iPhone

Funny how spellcheck wants to write "hate" for Gatwick...
Refusing to sit on stuffy bus till the engine actually starts. Taken herbal travel pills & joy of joys Rescue Remedy chewing gum. Rescue Remedy got me through four years of Pony Club oneupmanship. Ideal for a cruise I would think! Husband stoically on coach as that's what the rules say... Gonna do a lot of this. They have lost some passengers which is why we are waiting. The other coach has gone so we will miss the sailing if this one waits much longer. And then I could go home????!!!! Coach virtually empty so can be as comfortable as possible. According to the rep, who can't imagine why anyone with a pulse would go on a cruise, everyone on the other coach was already moaning. Just the sort of holiday I love!!!! I will find the gym asap and stay there. TBC...



-- Post From My iPhone

Location:Gatwick...

SOLUTIONS TO WORKLESSNESS

recommend Chris Neal's article on the Cobden Centre website today.
www.cobdencentre.org
and yes - as GB Job Clubs Development Director, I will declare an interest!
Our experience with the Job Club network shows that the most effective way of helping people get back into the workplace is the model that has been proven time and again by Oxted, Towcester, Banbury, Thames Valley Springboard Job Clubs (& Shaftesbury of course) and many, many others in our GB Job Clubs network.
Where the ethos of self-help and encouragement replaces the outcome-led culture of many re-employment providers.
As George Athorn, leader of Newbury Job Club says "We don't beat our members up - they get enough of that every day".
Read Chris's article ; it's intelligent common sense.

LIME MERINGUE ROULADE BY REQUEST

For anyone who wanted the ridiculously easy recipe for Lime Meringue roulade, here it is...
really should have taken a photo before it was demolished to the last crumb at the Dreaded Conservative Curry Lunch.
I think it serves 8 - 10 ; but depends whether you're serving another pudding and how greedy - sorry - hungry your guests are.
It's Mary Berry's recipe from her second Aga book, so there's probably a link somewhere.
you'll need...

meringue
5 large egg whites
10oz sugar

filling
300ml double cream
zest and juice of 1 lime
2 generous tablespoons good lemon or lime curd.
(ginger would be nice too...)
50 g flaked almonds

swiss roll tin. 13 x 9"
lined with baking parchment or silicon liner
if you don't have an aga - preheat oven to - um - about 180??

if you have a Kitchenaid or similar stick the egg whites in the bowl and whip on high speed till stiff.
then add sugar spoon by spoon till mixture is very, very stiff and glossy.

tip into the swiss roll tin and gently spread.
sprinkle with flaked almonds and then...

aga - place on shelf on floor of top oven, cool sheet on second set of runners.
cook for 8 minutes till golden .
put (hot) cool sheet carefully on floor of simmering oven
put the roulade on the sheet.
give it about another 15 minutes.
remove and cool for about 10 minutes.

normal oven - cook in centre of oven for about 20 - 25 minutes.
remove and cool for about 10 minutes.

whip cream to nice soft floppy consistency.
fold in lime zest, lime juice and lemon curd.

place sheet of baking parchment over the roulade and with one swift, deft,elegant movement, turn the roulade out of the tin onto the sheet of baking parchment.

peel off baking parchment or silicone.

gently spread roulade with cream mixture - not right to the edges, or will be v messy to rollup.

with a knife, score a line along the long side of the roulade, and confidently roll up from the long end, using the baking parchment to help you.

slide onto a serving platter and wait smugly for a lot of compliments.

then make some lemon or lime curd with the 5 egg yolks.

PLANNING MEETING - NOT

WHAT FOLLOWS IS A STRICTLY PERSONAL OPINION.
IT DOES NOT REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF SHAFTESBURY TOWN COUNCIL NOR OF ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL SERVING ON THAT CIVIC BODY.

Well, so much for our 9am planning meeting on Abbey Walk to discuss urgent parking proposals with a North Dorset District Council official this morning.
We - that is five (unpaid) Town Councillors - plus Shaftesbury Town Clerk taking precious time out from her in-tray - all duly assembled as arranged on Abbey Walk at 8.55 for a 9.00 prompt start.
After 20 minutes of kicking our increasingly frozen heels due to the continued non-appearanceof the officer from North Dorset District Council, we retreated to my house, handily also on Abbey Walk, to have a cup of coffee and get warm again.
The Town Clerk rang NDDC (again).
The officer said she had been too busy to attend.
Totally high-handed and disdainful treatment of our Town Councillors, including the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, all of whom had taken time out from their businesses and jobs to attend this meeting.
But financial imperative is not something that a local government employee seems required to understand.
Money is just something that appears magically as a "stream".
Much time is spent on self-justification to maintain this "stream".
The concept of earning it becomes ever more distant to this class of what the French call "fonctionnaires". (possibly "non-fonctionnaires" in our case).
When did it become acceptable to not show up for a meeting because you're a bit busy??
Meanwhile, the parking question remains in abeyance.

STARVE YOUNG JOBLESS?

Did anyone else go cold on seeing the Sunday Times Page 7 headline? Lord Digby Jones alleged remark / suggestion that our young jobless people should be "...starved into work."
The same paper carried a story last week about 600 British Gas apprentice vacancies, for which there were 65,000 applications. (yes, that was the right figure, 65,000).
So, let's add malnutrition, isolation and shame to loss of confidence and feeling worthless, and you really WILL lose another generation to the sub-culture of dependancy.
Job Clubs encourage hope and self-help through shared experience - we know how incredibly difficult it is to keep on picking yourself up from rejection after rejection and carry on the struggle.
And when one of our members finds a job, which happened this week, we all celebrate.
So here's a challenge to Lord Digby Jones.
Visit a Job Club sometime and see for yourself whether jobless people - of whatever age - really need the additional spur (or even suggestion) of starvation to assist their job-seeking efforts. I guarantee that you'll learn something - we do, every week.
http://www.shaftesburyjobclub.co.uk/
07966 544492

Thoughts on Big Society

This week, we've visited some inspiring community projects and specialist centres.
Mostly run with great energy and passion on shoestring budgets by volunteers. Delivering real benefit
In the locality.
This is what Big Society is all about.
Seeing a need and taking responsibility for doing something about it.
And here in North Dorset we're way ahead of the game.
Our Community Partnerships recently won a national award as am example of excellence, and after seeing some of these projects at work this week, I'm not surprised!
So, a great week of solid visiting, hustings, meetings, leafletting, paper cuts and canvassing.
Plus usual Town Council committees.
Hugely enthused by the day with Caroline Spelman. Really set the tone for the rest of this campaign for me.
Low point, the association office saluting me... Looking forward to removing the stripes on 7th May.
High point - another Job Club member finding work after a successful interview last week. Such an example and encouragement to all of us.
Bit tired tonight.
Stood in the kitchen looking blankly at a butternut squash this evening for a good couple of minutes before remembering what I was meant to do with it!
Looking forward to Church and a catch-up day tomorrow.
Then into the fray once more on Monday.


-- Post From My iPhone

Technology Test

Without sounding totally starstruck and failing miserably, I am so glad that I ignored Harriet's shameless bullying, followed my instincts and chose the amazing I-phone over the BlackBerry.

This is my first attempt at an iphone blog entry, and it's incredibly intuitive.
Just added Nigella Quick app. OK - I own all her books ( looking forward to Kitchen. Sounds very cosy - very Nigella! ) & have most of these recipes on my bookshelf But a great shopping reminder and quick inspiration in extremis. Which I often am...
The pedometer app (free) should undo any calorific damage.
And the facebook app - now I have my head around it - is sleeker than the PC based model.
The chat function initially mystifying; but twigged eventually and accidentally.
One gripe. Predictive is rubbish on apostrophes. Incapable of printing its without having to correct the apostrophe "s" manually. Insists on it's as its default.
Esoteric, no doubt in this day and age...


-- Post From My iPhone

IT WAS A HAPPY EASTER...

sunrise on Park Walk - with real sun - the freedom of celebration - the Church filled with exquisite flowers - great music - real joy.

relaxed family lunch - obviously not my family!!

Aren't those meringues SO pretty? Too pretty to eat? Sadly not... Corinne's decorative grace notes are always inspired. Eat your heart out Cath Kidston!

Isabella and I dusted off our flutes for a post-prandial jam. Archie the cat - though he's not really a cat - actually a prince in cat form - presided over his willing slaves - see Camilla above.

And I even had a small piece of chocolate...

Lambs on hills as drove back along Devon/Dorset coast. I quite like the South West sometimes...

Brilliant deal on new computer today - thanks to internet capability of the Me-Phone and the Dell website. All set up and working nicely; without help from any of my tame geeks.

Touch screen single unit desktop PC.

Wildly impressed so far... cute post-it note software - you write with your finger or type as you want to.

Tempted by the Macs - till looked at the price... maybe when I have a job again!

And now, into a week of tying up loose ends, getting the second round of leaflets delivered, helping with the new Sturminster Newton Job Club, finalising the April diary and generally battening down hatches as the real storm breaks next Monday, when these ramblings will,I fear, take a more political turn.

PREPARING FOR PESACH IN HOLY WEEK....

As the only Jew in the Village - or in St Peter's Church anyway - I've just been making Charoseth (apple, walnut, cinammon,wine and honey paste, representing mortar) and Cinammon Balls - no religious significance; just traditional at Passover.
They're apparently needed as edible visual aids for our church dramatisation of Pesach preparations during the real Holy Week... lots of talk of Rabbi Yeshua and his radical statements... "blessed are the poor, indeed! everyone knows that the poor were feckless wasters with only themselves to blame... " plus ca change...
Mixed metaphors and messages too no doubt; but it's evoked strong childhood memories of mixing and chopping with my Grandma.
When I was about eight years old, I used to call at her house on the way home from school. I suppose that she'd have to be CRB checked today...
Ususally, the house was an oasis of calm, and Grandma gave me milk and biscuits while she told me long stories about the war. Stories which I could still repeat verbatim. Everyone talked incessantly about the war during my childhood.
But the week before Passover was a different story.
It was purest pandemonium; the house crammed full of aunts and cousins, chopping, stirring, simmering, gossiping and debating (others might call it shouting at each other) with Grandma regally directing the whole chaotic proceedings. The decibel level was awesome.
My annual job was putting green and red glace cherries on top of the Passover cookies, ready to be baked, cooked and stored in huge jars.
I longed to be older like my cousins, and allowed to do some actual cooking.
Several jars of cookies and cinammon balls would be taken to the Jewish Home for the Blind, round the corner.
It was a great family time that sent a tingle of excitement down your spine as the Festival of Freedom came round each year and the whole family came together for the Seder..
So, it was quite sad that I was mixing and chopping on my own today.
Perhaps next year I'll have a Pesach preparation party - or then again - maybe (as Jews all over the world will be saying tomorrow night at their ritual meal) "...next year in Jerusalem..."
can I say, I do hope not!!
Good Yom Tov all!

I DON'T WANT GORDON'S PATRONAGE THANKS

NO! NO! NO!
I do not want the patronage of Gordon nor anyone else to force some hapless employer to give me a job, just because I'm a deserving woman, thank you.
Ther are pools of male and female talent and to discriminate even further against men is just plain wrong.
When I am asked or chosen to do something, I want to accept that honour in full confidence that the organisation thinks that I'm the most suitable and competent person for the job.
Not because it would "look good" to have a woman, and satisfy some statistics-crazed apparatchik in Whitehall.
It is an employer's right to CHOOSE the person he or she wants for a specific position.
And that's about a person fitting into the company and industry culture as much as ability to do the job.
Please - our employers are already bound hand and foot by successive bouts of legislation.
Don't lets load them with yet more burdens.
Most took serious risks to build their businesses - surely they must have some rights?
(And lest we forget - these employers are our most precious economic resource as wealth creators in this country)
No - this is a step tooo far.
Men and women are NOT the same. They are different.
Lets celebrate the difference and allow employers to know what's best for their organisations.