Equality and Diversity in the News

Supermodel Naomi Campbell has given an interview with BBC’s Newsnight stating “diversity is not a trend”. Talking about the improvements within the fashion industry in terms of diversity, Naomi has commented that it is still a “big deal” to see a “woman of colour” on the front of a magazine. Watch the interview here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-48753590/naomi-campbell-on-diversity-colourism-and-windrush

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The Church of England has appointed its first black female bishop – The Reverend Dr Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop of Dover. Rose is chaplain to the speaker of the House of Commons and is also chaplain to the Queen, known for leading prayers at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May 2018. This follows the ordination of the first female bishop, Libby Lane, in 2014, and is a significant step forward for the church in embracing and celebrating cultural and ethnical diversity. The number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) individuals recommended for ordination was 7.7% in 2018, up from 6.2% in the previous year –  though it is important to note that 94.8% of senior staff within the Church describe themselves as being “white British” according to a survey conducted in 2017.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-48802255

The Prevent Strategy and Channel

Is Bobby Beale being radicalised? Eastenders have launched a developing story with the return of Bobby Beale, who has been in prison for the murder of his sister since 2015. The show revealed Bobby’s conversion to Islam in the episode aired on the 11th July 2019 and there is debate amongst fans to determine if this is a pre-cursor to radicalisation or if he is merely seeking counsel to cope with his past. His secretive behaviour and difficulty finding a place in society could be indications of vulnerability to radicalisation, but it is important to remember not to jump to conclusions – religion is often a source of peace and structure, and so the show could be hinting at challenging prejudice and preconceptions around the religion. What do you think?

https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/eastenders-bobby-beale-being-radicalised-17993859

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/9489183/eastenders-praised-bobby-beale-converts-islam-killer-past/

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A new two-part factual drama is planned to be aired by ITV based on the “honour-killing” of Banaz Mahmod in 2006. Filming for “Honour” is planned to begin in September 2019 and will follow the story of how DCI Caroline Goode (to be played by Keeley Hawes) brought Mahmod’s killers to justice. Mahmod was raped and strangled to death by 3 relatives, recruited by her father and uncle, as a result of her parents’ disapproval of her relationship at the time. Discovering her life was at risk, Mahmod went to the police but no further action was taken, and tragically she died soon after. Her father and uncle were sentenced to life in prison, and her killers were given long custodial sentences following the trial. Her sister has spoken about the “hell” since her death and has expressed concerns over the new series.

https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/banaz-mahmod-honour-killing-itv-drama-murder-death-true-story/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-48802237/every-day-has-been-hell-since-honour-killing-of-banaz-mahmod

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An Isle of Wight man has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for his work in preventing extremism and hate crimes in Portsmouth. Working at Portsmouth City Council, Charlie Pericleous has been in the role for preventing violent extremism since 2015 and as part of his work he dealt with the fallout from six Portsmouth men going to Syria to fight on behalf of Isis.

https://www.countypress.co.uk/news/17711722.isle-of-wight-man-awarded-mbe-for-preventing-extremism-and-hate-crime/

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Remember those all-important contact numbers:

Anti-Terrorism Hotline: 0800 789 321

Crime Stoppers: 0800 555 111

See it. Say it. Sorted.: Text 61016 or call 0800 40 50 40

And above all, be vigilant! If in doubt report anything suspicious to 101 or 999.

Safeguarding

Ofsted have graded Hampshire County Council’s Children Service as Outstanding, with the service receiving top scores across all areas including overall effectiveness, the impact of leaders, and the experiences and progress of children who need help, children in care, and care leavers. Social workers have been highlighted as “highly skilled at building meaningful relationships”, and the level of financial investment has been commended, allowing leadership team members to “implement an ambitious transformation programme”. Most importantly, it was commented that children are highly benefitting from the support and their “lives consistently improve as a result of the help they receive”.

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/17706046.ofsted-graded-hampshire-county-councils-childrens-service-outstanding/

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Portsmouth City Council have called on the public to be its “eyes and ear” as part of a campaign launched this week by Safer Portsmouth Partnership, aiming at protecting children from exploitation by paedophiles and drugs gangs. The police, NHS and schools have joined with the council to focus on tackling the risk of child exploitation, and Safer Portsmouth Partnership have offered free training for people who work with children. In lieu of the summer holidays, parents are being asked to remain vigilant to the threat, and to watch out for signs such as spending time with much older children/ teens/ adults, leaving home late at night, receiving gifts, and secrecy over where they are going.

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/crime/portsmouth-launches-city-wide-movement-to-protect-children-from-paedophiles-and-drugs-gangs-1-8996062

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A former PE teacher at Warblington School, Havant, is currently on trial having been accused by four complainants of grooming and inappropriate sexual relationships with minors, between 2006 and 2012. The dad-of-two currently denies 28 charges brought against him in a trial expecting to last three weeks.

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/crime/warblington-school-teacher-used-to-kiss-pupil-on-the-sly-during-the-school-day-trial-is-told-1-8996047

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In an emerging story, singer R Kelly has been arrested on sex trafficking charges. This follows previous recent allegations of sexual abuse. It is not yet known if the two charges are linked to the same cases.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-48960545

Health and Safety

Bananas, chickpeas and peanuts have been found to improve the good gut bacteria in malnourished children and helps to “kick-start their growth”. The World Health Organization estimates there to be 150 million children worldwide under the age of five that are malnourished and this good gut bacteria has been linked to bone growth, brain development and immune function. These foods are often widely available and inexpensive in developing countries.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-48952393

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A 38-metre long slide connecting two streets in Spain has been closed after only being open for 24 hours, following multiple reports of people getting injured. The slide has a gradient of around 33 degrees and videos of people using it shows them coming out the other end at alarming speeds. The City Council has closed the slide temporarily whilst it make initial inquiries but had issued safety guidance on the use of the slide stating users should “slide seated and with arms crossed”.

https://inews.co.uk/news/world/spain-slide-costa-del-sol-estepona-injuries-closed-safety/

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Instagrammers have been visiting a turquoise lake in Siberia for that perfect holiday snap but have now been warned to stay away from the “oasis” by a nearby coal plant operator. The lake has been identified as a chemical dump, made so blue due to the chemicals produced at the plant that are dumped in it. Whilst the water is not poisonous the company has stressed that skin contact may cause an “allergic reaction” and has warned visitors not to swim in it.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/instagram-selfies-toxic-lake-russia