When Ranjit Banwait was asked by a fellow member of the Council Chamber whether he was planning to audition for the role of “Wishy-Washy” in this year’s pantomime – I was reassured […]
Labour Council insults Teaching Assistants with “wishy-washy” debate
The Facts about Rough-sleeping ex-servicemen
A regular issue that is often put forward by the anti-migrant/refugee lobby is that of the great numbers of homeless ex-service personnel who are rough sleeping on the streets. Their argument is […]
Special Educational Needs : Derby City Council is failing the children.
Derby City Council’s Plan for 2015-18 declares that Special Educational Needs (SEN), education and safeguarding children are all “Must Do’s”. This is an explicit commitment that resources will be prioritised to ensure […]
Multi-Faith Centre – “Faith and Spirituality” Photography Competition
As a natural lead up to Inter-Faith Week, which takes places from 15th- 21st November, the Multi-Faith Centre organised a Photography Competition which was open to the general public on the subject […]
JET’s CEO Sharief voted out of Chair of Community Action
After 8 years as the Chair of the influential Derby Voluntary sector charity, Community Action Derby, Sharief ( the controversial CEO of JET on Normanton Road), has lost his position, following an […]
Derby City Council defer Pay Cuts until 1 June 2016; short-term victory for protestors
Following the demonstrations and public outcry against the Pay cuts for the Teaching Assistants, and lack of agreement, this is the letter issued by Paul Robinson yesterday to all affected staff. Note […]
Remembrance Day : 11 hour challenge to support Red Cross and Royal British Legion
Joseph Chivayo , a young man from Zimbabwe, now living in Derby, decided to commit himself to a punishing workout on the 11th November 2015. For 11 hours, 11 minutes and 11 […]
Diwali : Festival of light at Derby Hindu Temple
The annual Diwali celebration took place on November 6th 2015 at the Hindu Temple in Normanton. The lights were switched on by the Mayor, Paul Pegg, and the event included dance, and […]
Derby City Council’s Teaching Assistant pay cuts; Is this Banwait’s “Poll tax” moment?
Cutting someone’s pay by 25% at 3 month’s notice has no legitimacy, morally, or ethically. Anyone who believes that such a policy could ever have been acceptable, really needs to question their […]
The decline of S&A Foods, and Perween Warsi’s loans
The fact that a company with one major customer is incredibly vulnerable is self-evident to any student of business – it doesn’t require much experience to realise that this is not a […]
JET: Police and Crime Commissioner waste £11000 of public money on a fruitless contract
For just over £20,000 of funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Jobs, Education, Training (JET), of Normanton Road, committed to deliver a “quantifiable reduction in Pakistani Youth within the criminal […]
The straitjacket of sexual orientation; being ‘Undefined’ can be liberating.
From the moment we are born we are defined – boy or girl. There is an overwhelming expectation that our sexuality will be heterosexual – that is the default label, the norm […]
Derby City Council has “lost the plot” on Voluntary Sector Grants
Over the last few years Derby City Council has lost all direction over the grant funding for the Voluntary, Community and Faith (VCF) Sector. It is successfully achieving only one objective, and […]
Derby Feste : Saturday
WHEEL HOUSE BY ACROJOU MARKET STALL BY C12 DANCE THEATRE LAUNDRY XL BY DIRECTIE & CO / TOTAAL THEATER SURTAL ARTS FRANTIC BY ACROJOU UNDERGROUND BY MOTIONHOUSE MAN IN A BOX BY […]
Derby Feste : Friday Night
2 quite difference performanecs on Friday night – a sensuous, love story, with a beast-turned-man, “winning the beauty”, and a parade of “other-wordly”, stilt-walking sauruses. Great opening to the Feste Festival. SOUL […]
JEM: Jobsearch-Employment-Mentoring – Delivering their targets.
In March 2015 I reported on the launch of a new programme at JEM (Jobsearch-Employment-Mentoring) to support a small number of people, typically from ethnic minorities, with focussed professional support from Dr […]
Derby Soup – local crowdfunding of small projects – with something to eat.
Raising money to fund small projects, locally, can be bureaucratic, something of a mystery, and arguably, undemocratic. It always leaves questions as to where the money went, was it really a good […]
Arboretum Park ; Challenging the “Invisible boundaries” through Art.
When John Loudon first designed the Arboretum Park in 1839 he did so with great intent to encourage the people of Derby to gather, meet, and enjoy a green space in the […]
Women’s Work : Being “1 in a Million” – positive change for abused women.
In March 2015 I wrote an article called The ‘1 in 4’: Men! Why are we not angry about the shocking reality of violence towards women? highlighting in stark terms the extent […]
JET’s own report on their £118k contract raises questions that need investigating
I reported previously on the £118,000 contract that JET was awarded by Derby City Council In January 2014, to provide training and to find employment for “hard to reach” people. I questioned […]
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