We should think more carefully about how we look after our cats!

Hello, thank-you for taking an interest in our blog about the Blue Cross charity and cat abuse. Our names are Aisling, Lotte, Emma and Amelia, and we all feel very strongly against cat abuse and the fact that many people are still abusing cats behind closed doors. So for our citizenship GCSE project, we have decided to support the Blue Cross and try to change people’s minds about cat abuse, and that it’s not just something we should take for granted and pretend it’s not happening.

First of all; if you do own a cat then you may be thinking that you’re not abusing you’re cat, so it’s ok and doesn’t include you, but if you’re not taking proper care of your cat then that could be a form of cruelty. Sure, you may feed your cat every day, but underfeeding isn’t the only problem, it’s overfeeding too. Some cats eat too much and become obese, causing them to get heart disease. Other ways that you could be mistreating your cat are not letting it outside or inside, not playing with them or not grooming them if needed. I’m not saying that you abuse your cat, but you should think about how often you feed, groom and play with them.

Would anyone even think of hurting a cat? Well some people do, and they enjoy it! A lucky cat from Teignmouth survived the torture of what its owners uncle put it through. The four-year-old boy’s uncle put the cat in a microwave, shoved it in a tumble drier, stuck it a freezer and tried to drown it in a bowl of dishwater. The police was alerted when shocking phone footage was shown to them and they immediately took action, arresting the man and placing the cat in care of the RSPCA. One police officer said that the cat was smoking after it had come out of the microwave it had been in for 10 seconds. This is just one of the terrible cat abuse that has happened and maybe not the worst!

Please may you have a go at answering the questions below. Thank you!

1. What is your opinion on cats not being fed or cared for?
2. On a scale of one to ten how strongly do you feel about people mistreating cats and why?
3. Have you learnt anything more from this blog and has this changed your opinion on mistreating cats and why?
4. Do you think you will give more support towards this issue in the future and why?

Recycling - yes you can help !

Thank you very much for taking an interest in my blog! I feel very strongly about recycling and land fill sites. Everyone seems to know about recycling and land fill sites but we could all try and do more.
When you have read my blog I hope to change your views, if you didn’t already agree with recycling. I hope that you can then be bothered to help the world by doing your bit!

These are the views I have about recycling and land fill sites;
• Our planet and environment are being destroyed and eroded by not dealing with our waste in an environmentally friendly way.
• Most people do not know how important it is to stop throwing rubbish and not attempting to recycle, as you can see in the picture to the left we are overfilling land fill sites and it needs to stop!
• Recycling is very easy, it wouldn’t take you any extra time to make a difference and instead of throwing rubbish away in your normal household waste you could just put it in a recycling bin.
• Many household things can be recycled like cardboard, paper, bottles, cans/tins, cartons and you could also have a compost bin!
• I think this issue has been around for many years, it is time to change and make a DIFFERENCE! The main culprit is human but all of the effect is environmental.

Again, Thank you so much for taking your time and reading my opinions about recycling and land fill sites. I would be very grateful if you could now comment with your thoughts. In particular, it would be great if you could just write a few words in answer to the following questions:
* Have I changed your opinion on recycling? If not why?
* Did you already recycle? If not why?
*Would you now be willing to tell other people like family and friends about recycling and maybe ask them to help me and comment on my blog?
* Finally, would you be willing to support my petition? And help the world!!

Thank you

Aimee-Jane x

We should all support Toybox!

Hello, and thank you for taking an interest in my blog! Toybox is something I feel passionate about, and I believe that many people do not know about the wonderful things Toybox does.

When you have read my blog, I hope you will come round to my way of thinking and perhaps even volunteer to help Toybox yourself!

I think Toybox is a fantastic charity that helps children on the streets in Latin America. Street children stay alive by their wits, stealing and scavenging, begging and sleeping rough in parks, shop doorways and in dumps. Children are orphaned, abandoned, neglected or abused, often running away to a worse plight on the streets. But Toybox believes that every child needs the opportunity to experience life in all its fullness.

Just before christmas, Michael used to live on the streets until Toybox found her. Today, Michael says: "I do not sniff glue anymore and I feel good. I could have been on the streets as a junkie, but now I know I can have a better life."

These are a few reasons why people should help Toybox;

• Every child deserves a childhood.
• Children should not be exposed to violence that they receive.
• One of the Rights of the Child is: "Every child has the right to express his/her own views freely in all matters affecting them." But being on the street they can't do this.
• Children die at such an early age because of abuse and the use of drugs.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog! Please post me a response with your thoughts. In particular, it would be great if you could write a few words in answer to the following questions:

• Had you heard about Toybox before reading my blog?
• Do you now feel more informed about my issue?
• Would you now be prepared to make a donation to Toybox?
• Would you tell your family and friends about this charity and try and persuade them to help their cause?

If you want to make a donation to Toybox, call 0845 466 0010 or visit www.Toybox.org to find out more!

We should skate the town at Teignmouth!!

Hello and thank you for looking on our blog! We are supporting our local town Teignmouth with a brand new skate park and we would love to encourage you to join in the big skate.

Recently as you may be aware a skate park had been built in the old outdoor swimming pool. This has been built for the young people of the town who have nothing to do and who would hopefully benefit a brand new place.

However, this skate park is not only for the young people of the town. Everyone is welcome to join in and we hope the towns people will;
* Take up a new interest
* Improve their current skating skills
* Have fun!

As part of out project we want to 1) hear your views on the current skate park and 2) learn whether or not you knew about it & 3) find out whether we have successfully encouraged you to join in skating and if you are for or against the park. By leaving a comment below you are helping us to find out who is likely to use the park and what people really think of the new park.

In conclusion we hope you have taken an interest in skating and we hope that you will join in. We hope to see you there!

Many Thanks!

WE should bother about Barn Owls?

Hi, my name is Sally and I would like to thank you for showing an interest in my blog. In this blog I will explain to you some of the problems facing Barn Owls in the British Isles and why as members of the British public we should bother about them.

Habitat loss in the whole of England is becoming a big problem. The way the Barn Owl lives is becoming threatened as farmers are using pesticides to kill its prey, barns are being converted, traditional nesting sites are being destroyed, more Motorways and dual carriageways are being built (which is a major killer), and their main habitat, rough grassland, is being lost. Providing or preserving foraging habitat (rough grassland) for Barn Owls is the single most important thing that can be done to help Barn Owls. This is because rough grassland has a layer of dead grass at its base and this is where the field vole, the Barn Owls favourite prey, lives. Barn Owls are sensitive to irregular activities, and, sudden regular activities may cause some disturbance

As you can see the Barn Owl is in need of help. Luckily for the Barn Owl there is a dedicated Trust set up to protect them. This Trust is the Barn Owl Trust. It was set up by volunteers who thought that the Barn Owl was a magical bird, however because its numbers were dwindling and it was becoming rare they believed that they had to try and change this; that it was time to help the beautiful Barn Owl. These volunteers founded the Trust in Ashburton on the 30th July 1988.

The Trust was originally established to ‘reverse the Owls decline through practical conservation work’ and to ‘use people’s interest in the Barn Owl to increase environmental awareness.’ However, since the start of the Trust their original aims have changed slightly, as they now concentrate on people’s awareness as well as taking direct action. The original aims though have evolved over time as the Barn Owl Trust like to help the environment and to keep rural areas alive.

Since its foundation the Barn Owl Trust has achieved some amazing results along with the help of other national and international groups. They have written papers, reports and surveys; created training schemes covering Barn Owl ecology and other Trust work; presented talks to places such as schools; and they have managed (with others) to increase the Barn Owl population by an estimated 37% over a ten year period in the Trust’s home county of Devon. If you would like to have more information on Barn Owls or the Trust then please do visit their website, http://www.barnowltrust.org.uk/index.html

Thank you once again for reading my blog. Please do post me a response with your thoughts. In particular, it would be great if you could write just a few words in answer to the following questions. I do hope to hear from you, thank you for reading my blog.

• Had you heard about the Barn Owl Trust before reading this blog?
• Did you know that Barn Owls were in trouble before reading this blog?
• Do you feel more informed about the troubles faced by Barn Owls?
• Do you feel that you are more informed about the Barn Owl Trust?
• Would you be prepared to do any of the following things to help Barn Owls:

1. Make a donation to the Barn Owl Trust
2. Set up a nest box
3. Become a volunteer for the Barn Owl Trust
4. Spread the word of the problems faced by Barn Owls and how the Barn Owl Trust helps.
5. Make more rough grassland habitat for Barn Owls

Barn Owls are in trouble.
Fact
Barn Owls need help.
Fact
We can help them.
FACT

We should all do our bit to make the Bay a safer place!

Hello, thank you for coming onto my blog, my name is Rhiannon and for my GCSE citizenship, we have to be an advocate for a pressure group of our choice. And for this I thought I would do something a tiny bit more personal than other people, so I am doing Safer Communities Torbay. Never heard of them? I can’t say I’m not surprised, this isn’t a national pressure group, just a local one which supports the causes and issues in Torbay, so if you don’t live in Torbay, or never heard of it, I advise you to not read on. It’s really not that bad a place to visit.

So what is Safer Communities Torbay?

• SCT tackles issues and disorder, it was constructed in 1998 by many groups such as Torbay Council and Devon & Cornwall Police.

• SCT tackles the domestic incidents in Torbay, which can result from physical, emotional, psychological, sexual or financial abuse. In average there are around 272 incidents of domestic abuse in Torbay every month.

• SCT tackles anti social behaviour, they feel it is important to live in a community where anti social behaviour isn’t as common as it is now, around average there are 40 anti social behaviour incidents every month.

So how can you get involved with Safer Communities Torbay?
Well you can be involved by reporting any domestic incidents, antisocial behaviour, disorder, and crime. Safer communities Torbay could help you if you are suffering from alcoholism, with the KNOW THE CODE area, or if you are ever in need of help; THE BUS can help you on Torquay harbour side. Or even if you are in year six and you need a friendly face, someone to talk to, and an issue you don’t think is right, talk to JLS, JUNIOR LIFE SKILLS (Not the band) and they will help you and talk to you, and also prepare you for other issues you may face, may it be academic or personal!

Here are some other issues SCT have helped with:

Night Time Economy
Youth Reparation
Family Intervention
Criminal Justice
Young victims of Crime
Being Safe in Torbay

Thank you for reading my blog, please comment your thoughts – have I changed the way you think about this issue – if so please explain!

Bakers Park Needs You!!!

Thank you for viewing my blog, as it is about a very important issue in Newton Abbot. I am working with the friends Of Bakers Park, a pressure group campaigning for more usage of Bakers Park for my Citizenship GCSE. Recently have you been to the park? It seems to be that not many people can be bothered to come even though it is only a 15 minute walk away. Here is why that is wrong:

• A lot of efforts are being made to stop litter and vandalism in the park, such as litter picks, internet campaigns and making vandals and litterers feel more involved in the park.
• It is a good place to meet friends from all over Newton Abbot and have fun with them as well. Bakers Park is the perfect place to have a picnic/BBQ - just don’t leave your litter!!!
• There is a new older children’s playground and a new younger children’s playground, with lots of exciting equipment which children can enjoy. If you are a child, have children or have younger siblings then the playground could be very good for you, providing fun and exercise.
• You get exercise by travelling to Bakers Park and while you’re there.
• It is an old park with a lot of Newton Abbot’s history.
• It is a great way to get in touch with nature. The community garden is also helping make Newton Abbot self sufficient and making sure important skills in gardening are not forgotten.
• You can have a lot of fun without travelling far, you can save money and the environment on petrol - why drive to a park when you can just walk down the road.

Now you have read about reasons to go to Bakers Park please answer the following questions by commenting below:

1. Are you now more informed about Bakers Park?

2. Are you now more likely to visit Bakers Park?

3. Are you now less likely to litter and vandalize Bakers Park?

4. Are you now more aware about issues connected to Bakers Park?

5. Would you now be prepared to help Bakers Park?

Please tell anyone living the Newton abbot area about my blog and it will be much appreciated.

Please help Make a Downes Syndrome Child Smile!!!

Thank you so much for showing an interest in my blog! I am trying to raise the awareness of children with special needs. I hope you will learn a bit about special needs as it is not a well known topic and I hope that you will want to help.

I shall start off by explaining to you a little bit about special needs. I know quite a lot of people with special needs as I have a brother with severe autism, this means that he cannot communicate and finds the world very confusing. He suffers from learning difficulties and behavioural problems. He behaves as if he is three years old (he is actually 16) as he can’t express what he wants or tell us what he doesn’t like. The environment and sounds that surrounds him can really upset him but he cannot tell us why. He finds it very difficult to sleep. These are just a few aspects of having autism which is a very complex disability. There are also other types of special needs. Such as Downs Syndrome (where extra genetic material affects the development of the baby both mentally and physically); Aspergers (a very able form of autism) and Cerebral Palsy (which greatly affects someone’s physical ability). Special Needs affects many people and restricts them from learning or doing things that we would easily be able to do and that we take for granted.

The John Parkes Unit in Torquay is a ward connected to Torbay Hospital which provides respite for children with special needs but as well as this the children require medical help. It is being closed down because of its high operating costs. The council has argued that that the children can go to the other respite centre in Dartington however this centre does not give the complex medical care the children need! The John Parkes Unit (JPU) is vital to the children’s families because without the unit, the families will be under great strain as they would be without that one night where they can just relax without having to look after their child, knowing they are in safe hands. This is why the unit must stay open and I hope I can increase support for the unit. Therefore, I hope this has persuaded you to look more closely into the topic and possibly take action or help with charity events to help stop the closure.

There are over 500,000 children in the UK who have special needs; many of them have severe mental and physical disabilities and life-limiting illnesses. The financial strain on their families can be huge and for some a simple trip to the seaside or a week's holiday is beyond their means. That is why charities like Happy Days are here to help to fund and organise holidays, residential trips, days out and theatre trips throughout the UK for disadvantaged young people with special needs. They help young people in special needs schools, in hospitals and in hospices and they help individual families. These types of organisation are so worthwhile and if we all gave some money, we can help put a smile on so many people’s faces.
So please do all that you possibly can to help these children and the families who have been affected by special needs because you can help disadvantaged children experience the pleasures of what life has to offer and I believe it is such a good cause. So come on; make a child smile!!!

After you have read the blog, it would be very kind if you could answer a few questions by posting them as a comment:

* Do you feel more informed about special needs?
* Do you support or oppose trying to keep the John Parkes Unit open?
* Any extra thoughts???

Thank you for your time

Phoebe.

We Should We Give Animals The Voice They Deserve?

Thank you for visiting and showing intrest in my blog! GAAV (give animals a voice) is a pressure group formed by the RSPCA. This group is not very well known as its quite hard to find them. Animal circuses are happening all over the world. I hope that by reading this blog i'll be able to gain your support and you will view this matter differently.

Wild animals should be exactly that...wild. Making animals travel around in carrages and trucks to be put infront of an audience to entertain them, is taking the wild away from them. Performing tricks and stunts is not in their natural habitat and shouldn't have to be, it doesn't allow them to have any freedom and prevents them from happiness. Unfortunatly you can't train a wild animals like you can train a dog by giving them treats. Research shows that the cruel, nasty people train the animals by practically torturing them. Whipping, Caining, Chaining and starving these animals is what they do to make money and get the animals to perform.

You may be thinking 'I've never been to an animal circus before so this has nothing to do with me, why should I care?', well your wrong it has everything to do with you and you should care.
If these poor animals had a voice of their own what would they be saying? They would be pleeding to get out. As a community we need to stick and work together to help animals speak out for themselves and by supporting this group you can do exactly that. GAAV are campaigning to make it illegal to buy and sell wild animals to train and put in any form of circus. Just think, you can easily contribute to making this happen and all you have to do is visit http://www.giveanimalsavoice.org.uk/blog/ and add your voice.

Thank you again for taking time to read this and I hope it has made you think twice about animal circuses and I hope you feel strongly enough to add your voice against animal circuses. Now could you spare a minute or two to answer these simple questions to give me feedback.
1.) Had you ever heard about this issue before reading my blog?
2.) Has, by reading this blog, it helped you to understand the hidden secrets behind animal circuses?
3.) Have you ever been to an animal circus, if yes then do you think you will go to another one?
4.) And finally will you follow the link to support GAAV?

Thanks Again,
Nikita.

Teenagers need body confidence!

Hi, my name is Milly and before I start I just want to thank you for taking an interest in my blog. In 2009 a survey was carried out on teenagers in England and it found that 70% are unhappy with their bodies. This is a shocking amount. I feel that all teenagers, boys and girls, need to be comfortable with themselves and that it why I am supporting TV style guru Gok Wan, who I’m sure you have heard of. I want to help him put Body Confidence lessons on the School Curriculum. I would like all teenagers to be able to see that they do have good qualities.

We are influenced by the media and most of the photos that you see in magazines and newspapers have been airbrushed. This means that they have been modified technologically using a computer. I want to help people who believe that they have no good qualities in their appearance realise that they do. I feel that we need to have Body Confidence Lessons for the following reasons;

• The lessons will teach us to be happy with the qualities that we have and to focus on the good points, not the bad points.
• The lessons, although they will be held only occasionally, will be fun and interactive and relative to a teenager’s problems.
• These lessons are not just for teenage girls, they are used for boys too, and with good reason. The same survey I mentioned before found that only 13% of boys are comfortable with the way they look.
• The lessons also teach teenagers how to dress for their shape and size, and to remember that the pictures of models and celebrities in the magazines may be airbrushed.
• The lessons will also teach teenagers about the dangers of cosmetic surgery and because 48% of teenage girls are considering cosmetic surgery.

I thank you again for reading and being interested in my advocacy to put Body Confidence on the School Curriculum. Please tell me what your opinion is by posting a comment. Or, you could even write a short response, which would be great and very useful for my coursework, to some of the following questions;

1. Had you heard of Gok Wan’s campaign before reading this blog, and if so do you support it?
2. After reading this blog, do you feel more informed an aware of the issue?
3. Have I changed your opinion about Body Confidence Lessons and if so, how?
4. Would you now be prepared to support Gok Wan and myself by raising awareness for our campaign?
5. Would you be prepared to tell your family and friends about the issue?

Thank you for your time,
Milly

(Gok Wan and his co-advocate Shona Collins (Miss Naked Beauty 2008) deliver their petition to Number 10.)

We should support Animals in Distress!

Thank you very much for viewing my blog. Animals in Distress is a very worthwhile cause, and one that is very close to my heart, since all my pets are from Animals in Distress. I hope that through reading my blog you will also be able to appreciate how important the work of this organisation is.
Animals in Distress save, care for and re-home over 1000 pets that are abandoned in the local area, each year.

However, the organisation is in constant need of support, time and donations, as hundreds of animals rely on their help just to survive the night. Take puppy, Charlie, for instance. He was born blind due to cataracts in both of his eyes. Because of this he was not wanted by his owners, and was abandoned and left helpless and vulnerable by the side of a road.

Thanks to the hard work and continuous effort of Animals in Distress, the cataracts have now been removed and Charlie leads a normal, happy life. His operation cost £700 and would not have been possible without the financial support and voluntary help of local people.

Yet the battle is not won for Charlie, although donations helped him through his operation, the next struggle for the people at Animals in Distress, is to find Charlie a loving home, where he will stay forever, never to be unloved or lonely again.

Could you give a home to an animal like Charlie? If you are considering having a pet, please consider giving a home to an abandoned animal. Animals in Distress encourage future pet owners to give a home to rescued animals, like Charlie, to give them the second chance which they all truly deserve.
To help animals like Charlie, Animals in Distress require constant support and help from the public.
There are many ways in which you can help Animals in Distress…

~ Join in with a fundraising activity
~ Volunteer to do some dog-walking (under 16s must be accompanied)
~ Recycle your old rugs/blankets for the centre to use as bedding
~ Make a donation – money or pet food
Whatever you give will be greatly appreciated and it will benefit all animals like Charlie.

Thank you again, for reading my blog and I hope that you now know a little bit more about the cause of Animals in Distress, and are now encouraged to help them in any way you can. Remember … you can make a difference to the life of at least one cruelly abandoned animal, by just one small action.
It would be great if you could answer a couple of short questions below about your views on Animals in Distress:

* Had you heard of Animals in Distress before reading my blog?
* Do you support the work of Animals in Distress?
* Are you now encouraged to support the organisation by…?
~ Sponsoring an animal (go to www.animalsindistress.uk.com)
~ Making a donation
~ Joining the Animals in Distress group on Facebook
~ Signing up for the monthly newsletter (go to the website above, and click on )
~ Telling your friends and family about Animals in Distress
Remember … you can make a difference to the life of at least one cruelly abandoned animal, by just one small action.

Meris

We should all do more to help Amnesty International

Thank you very much for opening my blog. Amnesty International is a very important group and the more awareness raised, the better. I feel very strongly about Amnesty and I appreciate the fact you want to learn about it.

Amnesty International is a global organisation that helps people who are prisoners of conscience and are not allowed to express their own opinion in their country. A good example of this is Ferhat Gerçek’s (above) case.
Ferhat lives in Turkey and was full of passion for justice and for a better world. He distributed a perfectly legal political magazine. Day’s before his 18th birthday, he got confronted by Turkish police officers who told him to stop selling the magazines. Ferhat pointed out it was a legally approved magazine and the police argued with him. Ferhat got shot in the back and ended up paralysed from the waist downwards.
Seven police officers face trial for 'wounding with intent as a result of excessive use of force' but the t-shirt Ferhat was wearing when he was shot has been ‘misplaced’ by the police. This is crucial evidence and could help bring Ferhat to justice.
However, Ferhat is also being prosecuted in connection with the dispute and could face more than 15 years in prison if found guilty!
On top of this, Engin Ceber was arrested along with others on 28th September 2008, while peacefully protesting against the continued ignorance of Turkish authorities in the case of the 2007 shooting of Ferhat. Engin was stripped naked, kicked and beaten by the police while he was in detention. His lawyer said he was transferred to hospital on 7th October due to the injuries he had sustained. He died from his injuries in the afternoon of 10th October.
This is unjust, unfair and cruel. If an instance like this occurred in the U.K, the police officers responsible would face time in jail. During this difficult time, Amnesty members and supporters have been campaigning for Ferhat and Engin’s justice while comforting their families. Thousands of letters have been sent to Ferhat to assure him he is not alone in his fight for freedom.

If you would like to learn more about Ferhat and Engin’s case or just about Amnesty International in general please visit www.amnesty.org.uk where you will find information about what Amnesty do and how you can get involved.
Thank you again for reading my blog. Please feel free to post comments of what you thought of my blog. In particular, it would be helpful if you could answer the following;

• Had you heard of Amnesty International before you read this blog?
• Will you tell your friends so that they are more educated about Amnesty’s activities?
• Would you be prepared to write a letter to Ferhat assuring him that he will receive his justice?
If you would like to write to Ferhat, details for contact can be found on the Amnesty website (address above).

Matilda Stuckey Howard

We should all be able to - Just Smile

Thank you for reading my Blog. Helping children who have clefts in developing countries- like India- is something that I strongly support. Not many people know about the issues these children face in their everyday lives. I hope that as soon as you have finished reading this you will want to help children- like Angelica Joy (AJ)- to just smile.

For Angelica Joy Fabroa, getting the operation needed to fix her cleft lip was a challenge. The youngest of four children, AJ was born in the Philippines into a poor, hardworking and loving family.
When AJ was born, her father started crying at the sight of her cleft lip. He and his wife were devastated, but neither of them lost hope because they knew her cleft could be treated. Knowing that AJ would have trouble feeding, they placed her in the care of a local mission that treated children with clefts. However, because AJ had been underweight since birth and had a weak body, the local mission evaluated her and would not operate.
When AJ and her parents returned a second time, again she could not pass the physical due to her low body weight and they were told to hospitalize her. AJ’s parents could never afford to pay for the cost of a hospital stay and so they began searching for another alternative.
Soon after, a local council official visited their small community and told AJ’s parents about The Smile Train Cleft Care Program run in conjunction with the Philippine Band of Mercy. In a matter of weeks, AJ finally received the surgery to repair her deformity.
Today, little AJ is a healthy and happy two-year-old, who can eat normally and is starting to talk. Because of the determination of her family and The Smile Train, the Fabroa family can all smile together!

AJ was helped by “The Smile Train”, one of the many charities who try to save these innocent children’s lives. “Operation Smile” is also a well-known charity for the cause and was recently on Blue Peter. However, AJ was lucky- many children who have clefts also have severe breathing problems and are also bullied. Some families are embarrassed of them and leave them on the streets to fend for themselves. It costs £150 and 45 minutes for another smile to be given to a child.

Thank you once again for reading my Blog. Please comment below with your thoughts. It would also be very helpful if you could answer the questions below. For further information on the charities mentioned above please go on:-
The Smile Train- http://www.smiletrain.org.uk/
Operation Smile- http://www.operationsmile.org.uk/
Questions:-

1. Have you heard about the problems faced by children who have clefts before?
2. Do you feel more informed about this issue after reading this blog?
3. Would you be prepared to:
• Donate to Operation Smile or the Smile Train?
• Receive regular information about what Operation Smile are doing by joining their Student Club?
• Join or maybe even start a Fundraising Campaign?
• Spread the word to your friends and family and ask them to help out too?

For Donations:- Please go on to- http://www.justgiving.com/MaheraTGGS
(Money goes straight to Operation Smile but I will be informed about how much is given towards the issue via myself)

Mahera

We should support the Ivybridge Youth Centre

Thank you for reading my blog, my name is Lorna and I am doing the Ivybridge Youth centre issue for my GCSE coursework, I would like everybody to be in favour of youth centres as they are great. A youth centre is a great place for children to attend. They are aimed at children of all ages. It is a great getaway from all the worries and responsibilities that children may have and gives them a chance to make new friends and enjoy themselves as much as they can. Youth centres do many things that range from playing table tennis to evening trips out that are fully supervised. Trips may be things like bowling that can be as cheap as £2.00.

I think that it is very important that children get to make friends and have fun outside of school. I would like everyone to be in favour of youth centres as I think they are great. Some children do not have as great a child hood as is actually possible and I am sure that many children have found their refuge in a youth centre.

I would like you to support my advocacy as if there aren’t enough children attending the youth centre then it will have to shut down and then some children will have nothing to do and will spend most of their time out on the streets, and I do not want this to happen, I want them to be having fun in a youth centre and not getting themselves into trouble.

Please can you tell me whether you think about sending your children to a youth centre? Whether you would pay for your children to go on trips with the centre? And also, do you think youth centres are a good or bad idea and why?

Again, thank you very much for reading my blog.

Down with the Bypass

Thank you very much for taking the time to look at my Blog! The purpose of my blog is to inform you, the public, of the potential threat that the bypass could bring to our community and environment. After reading this article, I hope you will be better informed on this vital issue.

I find that the proposed bypass is a mistake as it will only;
• increase the volume of traffic
• disturb residents and the nearby church
• destroy a pristine, historic field
• damage the environment further.

The Bypass will be dual carriageway which starts at Aller and ends at the Kerswell Gardens round-about. As part of my research into this topic, I have visited the local area and the site of the controversial bypass. It will stretch through the back of Kingskerswell, through the historic conservation area inhabited by a rich variety of wildlife. I have witnessed how serene and tranquil this area is; it would be cruel and wasteful to destroy this land.

Did you know that if the bypass were to be built, the CO2 emissions will increase approximately 18% in that area alone? This will mean that the density of cars on the carriageway will increase dramatically. The road would lead thousands of cars, each day, into the historic church grounds thus creating noise and air pollution.

However, instead of the dual carriage, there are more eco-friendly alternatives. One such alternative it cycle lanes. These are being promoted to encourage healthy life styles and a greener environment. In my opinion, £130million can be put to better use. For example, the promotion of greener transport or even towards the improvement of our community.

Again, thank you so much for reading my Blog. Please feel free to post your thoughts, comments or responses on this topic! In addition, I would be most grateful if you would briefly answer the questions below. To receive further details, either go to…
http://www.kingskerswell-bypass.co.uk/ or http://www.kingskerswellalliance.org.uk/.

• Have you ever heard of this issue before this blog?
• After reading this, do you feel informed on the issue of the Kingskerswell bypass?
• Now, do you have opinion on this topic, are you...
1. Against the bypass being built?
2. In favour of the bypass being built?
3. Still undecided or unaware?
• If you have an opinion, have we changed it? If so, why?
Larissa

We must do more to prevent the badgers from being culled

Thank you very much for taking an interest in my blog! This issue is very important as I think it has a very big effect on us and our lives. I believe that not enough people are informed about this issue. When you read my blog I hope that you will find out more about this issue and hopefully support my aim! Thank you.

The disease Tuberculosis (TB) is very common among some farm animals especially cattle, however this disease can be very easily passed on to humans. Although you might think that this issue does not affect you, yet in fact it does.
How the disease is spread?

1. Firstly an animal suffers from Tb and passes it to a badger.
2. The infected badger hangs out among the cattle farms.
3. When it does, it may come in contact with the cattle and by doing so passes the disease.
4. The farmer kills the cattle and sells its meat (or other products, such as milk) to the supermarkets.
5. We (as customers) acquire these products and after consuming them we have Tb. Now this person may suffer serious illness or even die.
However, today it is still UNCERTAIN that badgers pass Tb to the cattle. Scientists have failed to prove the link and have no evidence to support their theory that badgers spread Tuberculosis.

What the Government decided to do?
The English Government decided to introduce the badger cull in certain areas. Many organisations such as: the Department for the Environment have been culling (killing) the badgers for more than 30 years now!
How many badgers have been killed so far?

So far it is estimated that around 30,000 badgers have been killed already. Most badgers have been gassed. This was believed to be a humane method of killing them.
Has culling the badgers had any affect on Tb in cattle?
No, the numbers of infected cattle have increased. Killing badgers does not appear to have had any effect.

So, what is the right solution?
I strongly believe that badgers should not be culled as their death will disturb the food chain and kill many other animals. Their death may not necessarily solve the problem (so far it hasn’t) as we are still not sure that they spread the disease and of course the badgers will be missed by us!
I believe that farmers should introduce strict security programme around the cattle farms in the UK, by doing so they would prevent badgers from coming in contact with the cattle.

Hopefully after reading my Blog, you have realised that culling the badgers is certainly NOT the right solution.

Thank you very much for taking time to read my blog! Please post me a response with your comments. I would appreciate it, if you could answer the following questions:
1. Have you heard about the issue concerning the badgers being culled before reading my blog?
2. Are you now more informed about this issue after reading my blog?
3. Have I changed your views about badgers being culled if yes, then why?
4. On scale 1 to 10 how prepared would you be to donate or sign a petition to help this cause?

Karolina

There is no such thing as a happy circus animal

Thank you all for coming on to my blog! I hope you will get something from this blog. Unless you cannot tell from the title, I’m talking about the circus and their special animals, but more importantly how they came to be. The circus industry is not all that it is cracked up to be.

“People who say this is cruel don't know what they are talking about…The elephants love it.” Bobby Roberts – Circus owner.

I feel that this comment is wrong as a) how does anyone really know how an elephant feels b) these elephants are being whipped and restrained from the moment they are caught out in the wild. How, you wonder, these elephants become these professional acrobatic elephants that they are? As soon as the wild elephant has been captured, it’s then tied up with some other elephants that are more experienced, and then taken (dragged) to the training ground. The still wild elephant is tied to a wooden frame or two tree trunks, being unable to move. The elephant is trying with all its power to break free, (whist it’s mahout is talking to it in a calm voice and beating the elephant with a stick) until he is too tired and gives up. It is then taken to a river to bathe and eat, but it is continually tied to a working elephant.

After a few weeks, it is released from the working elephant (still has the mahout and stick) and is allowed to start it’s real circus training. Circus elephants must additionally learn some tricks that are to be shown in the program later on. There are good and impressive elephant numbers, which enable the animals to show their strength and swiftness or rather their sensitivity. But there are also many bad circus acts, which show elephants performing exercises horribly unnatural for these animals. They include one and two footed handstands and elephants standing on their hind legs. Elephants do not seem to be comfortable in these positions.

Thank you again for reading my blog – please give me some feedback by saying if I have changed your views on circuses & if so how? Thanks!

Jess

WARNING - Beach Barbeques!

Zarah Murray (5) received severe burns to her foot after walking on a BBQ.

Thank you very much for taking an interest in our blog! Many of you I’m sure like to have a barbeque on the beach with your families and friends but after reading our blog we hope you will know a bit more about the downsides and consequences of them. We are focusing on one beach in particular, Maidencombe beach.

Maidencombe beach could become one of the many beaches polluted by barbeques. Around the country many beaches have had some serious injuries and illnesses because of them. For example;

• On the 23rd March 2010, barbeques were banned from Portsmouth beach before 8pm for safety. It is an attempt to stop children from stepping on hot barbeques that have been buried under the pebbles. In 2004 a three year old boy suffered from bad burns after treading on a disposable barbeque left lying around. For more information go to; http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/newshome/Barbecues-banned-from-beach-before.6172401.jp.

• 14-year-old Annie from Cornwall goes surfing regularly. She suffered severe headaches and was vomiting after going surfing in polluted waters. The water turned brown and put many people off. She says, “The government should do something about it but everyone can make a difference. My message to everyone is keep it clean. People can help by not leaving litter on the beach. Don't go to the toilet in the sea and think about what you flush down the loo”.
Here are some other dangerous facts;
• The smoke is harmful to Asthmatic children and adults. It is also unpleasant and unhealthy for others around you to inhale.
• Hot stones; abandoned, hot barbeques (disposable) and charcoal are dangers to beach users, dogs and wildlife. Hot stones shatter when they warm up and can also cause injury
• Most beach pollution (e.g. disposable barbeques) ends up getting dragged our by the tide which can harm sea life and sometimes small fishing boats. Also jellyfishes’ ideal habitats are in polluted waters so it’ll be more likely that there will be more jellyfish along the coast.

Our aim is to either ban barbeques completely, or ban during daytime hours providing all litter is cleared up and hot stones and charcoal are dealt with in the appropriate way.

Thank you so much again, for taking the time to read our blog. Please comment below and share your opinion by answering these questions!

* Before you read our blog, were you aware of this issue? If so, were you for/against/undecided?
* After reading our blog, do you feel more informed about the consequences and downsides of having barbeques on the beach?
* Would you be prepared to take action? E.g. sign a petition, raise awareness.
* Have we changed your opinion about having barbeques on beaches?

We are starting our advocacy at Maidencombe beach but you could help us by making beaches near YOU safe! If you would like more information on keeping your beach clean, go to http://www.goodbeachguide.co.uk.

Thank you again!
Jean & Freya

We should all do something to help Damsel in Distress Dogs.

Thank you very much for spending time to look at our blog and showing interest in it. We are trying to raise awareness and help dogs that have had a bad start in life. Many people already know about Dogs Trust but very few do something to support the cause.

To the right shows a dog named Pesto, he was neglected by his family of owners and left to look after himself. This shortened his life expectancy because he didn’t know how to fend for him and the world outside was harder than being taken care of. Pesto was missing out on a good long happy life and a chance for family. His life was taken away from- just by being left on the streets by people who didn’t care enough to take him to a home if they couldn’t look after him. Pesto was found by Dogs Trust short after he was abandoned, they gave him a second chance in living a good life and a chance to forget the bad.

Pesto’s new life was made possible by someone giving a small donation to Dogs Trust so they could fund for his health needs and to pay for the people who cared for him. Dogs Trust has many volunteer workers, searching worldwide for abandoned dogs and safe homes where they can be settled down for dogs like Pesto, but they need more funds to make this possible.

Thank you again for taking your time to read our blog. Please now spend a little more time to send us a response of your thoughts about this issue. In particular it would be great if you could write a few words in answer to the following questions- and help in any way that you feel you can. Further information about this topic can be found at http://www.infomat.net/infomat/rd741/rd1/database/dogs_trust/ Please help us give these dogs a second chance.

• Have you heard about the problems abandoning a dog could cause before?
• Do you now feel more informed about the issue of abandoned dogs?
• Would you now be prepared to do any of the following to help abandoned dogs…
1. Make a donation to Dogs Trust?
2. Start or join a Fundraising campaign?
3. Sign up or receive regular information about what is going on with Dogs Trust?
4. Tell your family and Friends about Dogs Trust and try to persuade them to help in any way they can?

Becky and Jade

We should Save Scotts Meadow together!

Thank you very much for showing an interest in our Blog! Scotts Meadow is located in Torquay on Riviera Way, next to 'The Willows'. Torbay Council wants to build 230 homes on this meadow, and we are advocating against it. Saving 'Scotts Meadow' is an issue we feel very strongly about. We believe that many people do not know about the many wonderful benefits of keeping Scotts Meadow as it is. When you've read our blog, we hope that you will come around to our way of thinking and support our advocac

We think we should all save Scotts Meadow because:
• It is a good place to spend time with your family, or to walk your dogs.
• If we build houses on Scotts Meadow it will be bad for the environment.
• There is not much green space around 'The Willows', so it is vital that we protect what little there is, such as Scotts Meadow.
• Scotts Meadow has been a part of many people's lives for many years, and so if people have enjoyed it before now, they will enjoy it for years to come.
• We need to protect the meadow to enhance its value as a wildlife site.

Thank you so much again for reading our blog. Please do now post a response with your thoughts. In particular it would be great if you could write just a few words in answer to the following questions and help in any way you feel you can. For further details, you can look at Scotts Meadow Project Group. Please help us to Save Scotts Meadow!

* Had you heard about our issue before reading our blog?
* Do you feel more informed about the issue of building on Scotts Meadow?
* Would you be prepared to do any of the following things to help us Save Scotts Meadow….

* Sign our petition to campaign against the council?
* Join the Scotts Meadow Project Group and support their work?
* Participate in any of our fundraising work?
* Tell your friends and family about our issue and try to persuade them to do any of the above things?

Thank you again for your time,
Alicia, Holly and Anna.

We should ban Circus Animal Acts.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my blog. I am trying to raise awareness of how circus animals are treated. I would like to change people’s opinions on the subject so then the animals can become free and live their own lives.
Circuses have been an attraction for many years. They travel across the country and the world to bring happiness to people. But are the animals happy? There are 6 UK based circuses that use animal acts. People think that because they are animals, they don’t need to be looked after as well as the other acts. The animals don’t deserve to be treated in such horrible ways. There are many ways in which their rights are taken away from them. For all their lives, they will be kept in cages. These boxes are also their travelling boxes so they remain in one box for their whole life. This is taking away their freedom. No-one or any animal should have to stay in a box for their life. It isn’t fair and something needs to change.

Trainers have very cruel methods in which they punish the animals. They will often whip the animals if they do not cooperate with them. This hurts the animal but they still have to work. Being whipped would more likely hinder you than help you to work more. Other trainers have even used an electric stick. They have a stick and through which there is an electric current running through it. The trainer then prods the animal and sends an electric shock into the animal. This is just plain cruelty.
Ever wondered why the animals don’t attack during a performance? Put simply, they get drugged. This is so when they are acting they have no feeling to do anything that may result in someone getting injured. There are even some cases where the animals have got addicted to the drugs. There has been one case where the animal has attacked the owner. Here is the story.

Siegfried & Roy were an act in Las Vegas that everyone loved. They mixed together daredevil theatrics, illusions and animals. They were one of the most loved acts in Las Vegas. They had been together for 44 years without one accident. But that soon changed on the 3rd October 2003. About 45 minutes into the show, Roy lead out Montecore, a seven year old white tiger. The 380 pound tiger got distracted by someone in the audience. The tiger walked over to the edge of the stage. There was no barrier at the side of the stage so Roy jumped between the tiger and the front row of the audience. But the tiger was still moving closer. Roy gave the tiger a command to lie down but the tiger didn’t respond. Instead, he gripped the trainers arm and twisted it. Roy then lost the chain around the tiger’s neck and he couldn’t get it back. Roy then started to hit the tiger on the head with his microphone shouting ’release’. The tiger relaxed his grip and Roy fell back and Montecore jumped straight onto him. the tiger then gripped him around the neck and dragged him off the stage. Roy had a lucky escape.

This is what can happen if the animal doesn’t obey. So are they really happy performing? All of these things must show us that the animals are not happy. They should be free and living a happy life. But they can’t do this until they don’t have to act for people. We wouldn’t want to act for animals so why should they act for us?
If you feel this way, then leave a comment saying i) what you thought of the blog and ii) if it has changed your opinion on the situation & how. Also, iii) please comment if you would be willing to tell family and friends. Once again, I would like to thank you for reading my blog. I hope that you have found it interesting and that you will tell others about the situation.

Help to save the animals Wildlife Trust

Thank you very much for visiting this blog. If you are reading this, I realise you care for animals and want to support Shaldon Wildlife Trust. More people need to visit to ensure the animals are healthy and happy. The Shaldon Wildlife Trust looks after over 40 different breeds of animals from the Ocelot to the Kookaburra.

The Shaldon Wildlife Trust is the smallest zoo in the south west and saves many harmed and endangered animals. By simply donating or visiting with cheap costs you are helping to save their lives. We hope that we can get a lot of people to join to make a better life for the animals.

Here is some examples of the amazing animals they provide for.
• Ocelot
• Kookaburra
• Porcupine
• Slow Loris
• Tortoise

Prices
Adults- £6.75 Children-£4.50
Loads of offers and FREE days especially in the holidays

After reading this blog would you feel happy to donate to Shaldon Wildlife Trust? Have we changed your views on the SWT – if so how? Please explain.

Shaldon Wildlife Trust, Ness Drive, Shaldon, Devon. TQ14 0HP. Telephone +44 1626 872234.
International breeding centre for rare and endangered species

We should all 'Paws' for thought...

Thank you very much for showing an interest on my blog! I would like to raise your awareness about an issue I feel strongly about; the mistreatment and abandonment of cats is terrible and continues to go on throughout our time and around our world. There are so many animals out there that need our help and, as I’m sure you’re aware, there are already organizations trying to help reduce and prevent this such as “Animals in Distress” and the “RSPCA”. However, there is an organization focusing mainly around cats who try to re - home and take care of those cats found as well as promote cat care so that people are able to have a better understanding. This organization is called “The Cats Protection League”.

This is Chester (pictured above)He came into the care of The Cats Protection League, North Walsham and District branch, via the housing officer as he had been abandoned by his previous owners when they moved house. He had been found with a large lump on his side and vets concluded (after operating) it to be a hernia, probably caused by the constant abuse of kicking. The operation left Chester with a very long scar down his side which was incredibly tender; obviously, this made him very wary around people. However, after much love and care, Chester’s confidence gradually returned and soon he was able to be put up for adoption. Chester now lives with a new family and is a lot friendlier and he loves to play.

This is an amazing transformation considering the amount of abuse he had received in his first home. The Cats Protection League does an amazing job and you can help too. Their website, http://www.cats.org.uk/, will contain all the information you need to know. Just imagine, you could change a cat’s life and give it a second chance. You could help a cat like Chester who had been through a whole lifetime of abuse. Just give your cat love and attention, you’ll get it back. YOU could change a cat’s life…

Thank you again for reading my blog I would be very grate full if you could possibly spare some time to post a comment showing your thoughts and feelings on this organization. It would be really great too if you could possibly answer any of the following questions or help the Cats Protection League in any way that you can. You could make all the difference … and change a cat’s life. Thank you so much!

1. Had you ever heard about this organization before?
2. Do you now feel more informed about the Cats Protection League?
3. Do you support this organization?
4. Would you now be prepared to adopt a cat, make a donation or try to raise awareness and fundraise for this organization?

We should not support plans for a Kingskerswell by pass!

Thank you for taking your valuable time to read my blog! I am trying to change the attitudes of people who are supporting the Kingskerswell Bypass! I think it would ruin Torbay and the tourism that we rely on. It is wrong and wouldn’t be fair for many people. I want to change the mind of the government to not build it for several reasons

• Tourism is one of Torbay’s main incomes. The bypass may put tourists from visiting Torbay because the once beautiful countryside Devon is so well known for has become an ugly main road.
• It would be unfair if a person living in Kingskerswell used to wake up in the morning to the sound of birds cheeping and a beautiful field and then instead get woken up by car engines and a main road
• It will devalue many houses in Kingskerswell and on the edge of Torquay and Newton Abbot which are next to the current main road.

It would not be nice for us to have to put up with a horrible main road right on our doorstep. We need to think of others and act on this ridiculous idea. In fact the bypass would be going against regional and local policy! According to the draft regional strategy, transport accounts for 28% of the regions CO² emissions and the regions ecological footprint is unsustainable presently. Road traffic dominates this total. The strategy wants to reduce these emissions by advocating demand management measures and improve public transport. The bypass is defiantly neither of these and according to its major scheme business case it would increase greenhouse gas emissions.

The Kingskerswell alliance has come up with an alternative to the bypass which supports this. Their idea would improve the CO² emissions and improve the A380 air quality which is a local issue. Other options are
• Have children use public transport to go to school and return from school
• Promote walking, cycling and public transport and the benefits from it.

Thank you so much again for reading my blog. Please post your comments and if possible answer these few questions for me. For more information on the Kingskerswell alliance’s plan go to http://www.kingskerswellalliance.org.uk/

Had you known about the Kingskerswell bypass before?
Has this blog changed your mind about the bypass? If so why?

Georgina

The footpath at Ogwell should be built!

Thank you very much for showing an interest in our blog! We feel very strongly about the plans for a footpath being built between the old and the new parts of Ogwell. You may not know about these plans so once you have read our blog, we hope that you will be more informed about the plans for the footpath and also, support it as well.
The Ogwell Action Group is a group of people who support the developments in the Ogwell community. They fund and raise awareness for all sorts of things and one of their plans is to build a footpath connecting the old and the new parts of Ogwell together.

The footpath could possibly run along the red line (Ogwell Road) in the picture above, and therefore will greatly benefit the Primary School, circled in yellow.
Here are some points on why you should support the plans.............
• Ogwell would benefit from the footpath considerably as the village would become a more economical as many people would potentially not use cars as much.
• This would then improve the safety of Ogwell as there would be fewer cars on the roads.
• Because of this, many children and parents would be able to walk to school more. Such as the pupils of Canada Hill Primary School, circled in yellow.
• Walkers would be able to access more places a lot easier as there will be more of a main route through the connecting road.
• Some holidaymakers may not bring their cars, therefore they would not be able to gain access to both parts of the village if the footpath was not in place. Also, more holidaymakers boosts business.
• The people who usually drive to Community Events will be able to walk, and a recent survey we took shows that they would prefer to walk than drive.

Further details can be found at http://www.ogwell.org/ and http://www.ogwell.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58&Itemid=66

Again, thank you so much for reading our Blog!
Have any thoughts on our blog? You can simply post a response.......
It would be great if you could answer a few of the following questions:

* Did you know about the Ogwell action group and their plans to build a footpath before you read our blog?
* Do you now feel more informed about The Ogwell Action Group and the footpath plans?
* Have we changed your views or opinion about the plans and if so how and why?
* Do you support our campaign?
* Would you now tell your family friends about the Ogwell Action Group and the footpath plans and try to persuade them to join our cause?
* Would you now be prepared to make a donation to the Ogwell Action Group?

We should help the Children of Torbay & Help Home-Start Torbay

Thank you very much for showing interest in our Blog! We are working towards retrieving Home-Start Torbay’s core funding back from Torbay Council, and raising awareness of the charity so that more people donate if this cannot be achieved. We have chosen this topic because when Gabby was little she had a Home-Start volunteer who, like all the volunteers, came over once a week, to provide support for her mum. Home-Start help and support families in Torbay and give struggling families volunteers to help with young mums, split families, families concerning drugs, mums with twins or triplets, families with disabilities, or just for general support.

The council have taken away their core funds and, given the current economic climate they are at risk of closing down. This is extremely unfair as Homestart do the council’s work and if they didn’t then a lot more children would be on the ‘At Risk’ list, meaning the council would have to pay those families a considerably large amount of money every week, which, in the long run, is people’s taxes.

So what are we doing about it? To try and make the council rethink, we have organized a petition to show them how many people disagree with their decision. To even be in with a chance, we need as many signatures as we can get, and would be grateful if you would leave your name and any form of contact that you are willing to give.
We would also appreciate any comments you have
1) Had you heard of this issue before?
2) Have we changed your views – please explain.

If you are interested in donating, volunteering or just want to know more, please comment, visit the Home-Start website: www.homestarttorbay.org/ or drop into the office:
59 Palace Ave, Paignton TQ3 3EN - 01803 559000

Thank you for taking the time to read our blog!

We should all support the Teenbridge Project

Thank you very much for taking interest in my blog! Many of us are unaware of the troubles facing teenagers today. For example drugs and alcohol abuse. Last year one in seven people admitted to Accident and Emergency departments across the UK for alcohol related health issues were under 14 years old - a total of over 2239 cases. Drug and alcohol abuse in teens is becoming more of a problem each year as our culture changes. A key statistic is that the average starting age of Heroin use in many towns and cities in the UK is just 15 years of age - so we have an obvious duty to prevent young people from getting inadvertently caught up in addiction through misguided experimentation.

However, help is at hand! The Teenbridge Project was set up in 2003 and is a Christian organisation that aims at giving young people a chance to live a healthy, clean lifestyle. It also tries to bring Jesus to them in a way relevant to their life.It is not just on the street that they do their valuable work. They also visit schools local to the Teignbridge are to teach them about the bible and spread the good news about Christ.

The Teenbridge project operates in the Teignbridge area which includes Dawlish, Teignmouth, Kingsteignton, Starcross and Heathfeild. It has no specific base as they are always out and about doing their important jobs for the community.
However they do have several venues which are great for young people to hang out at, relax, and have fun. These include the ‘Hole in the Wall’-a café/ youth club. It is such a laid back place for young people to escape the hecticness of everyday life.
If you would like to support the Teenbridge Project please visit http://www.teenbridge-project.co.uk/what.html. You can also find out more about it if you are interested in their work.

Thank you!

We should save the Dartmoor Ponies

Thank you very much for taking an interest in our blog. The Dartmoor Ponies is something we feel very strongly about. We feel that the way they are being treated is not fair and it needs to stop! People visit Dartmoor and think that the ponies are cute and that they are happy and not going anywhere but they aren’t aware about the threats they are facing.

Did you know that in 2004 the Dartmoor Ponies were rarer than Giant Pandas with only 800 left?
Did you know that many ponies are bred each year, but only a few live past the age of 6 months?

The Dartmoor Ponies are a key part of what makes Dartmoor so special. Without them Dartmoor’s wildlife would not be unique. The Ponies are becoming extinct due to farmers shooting them after they are not sold at auction, the farmers do then not want to keep them themselves. The initial problem to the ponies not selling is because of the credit crunch. The farmers are not taking these facts into account and are still breeding the same amount of ponies instead of breeding a few at a time.

The Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust aims to care and look after the neglected ponies and raise them into strong and healthy adults that are free to roam Dartmoor. We have to work with the trust and with each other to eliminate this problem.
We can help by donating to the trust, they will use this money to help conserve the ponies and to help build up their base.

Thank you so much again for reading our blog and we hope that you will now take these facts into consideration and help us to help the Dartmoor Ponies.
Please feel free to express your feelings about this topic by commenting on this blog
1) have you heard of the plight of the Dartmoor Ponies before?
2) Have we changed your views – please explain?!

Thank you again,

Georgia and Faye

Say no to the Kingskerswell Bypass

Firstly I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my blog. As I live in Kingskerswell this issue is very important to me and the picture is of the stream the runs through the fields of Kerswell Down. This photograph was shot not that long ago on a crisp winter’s morning. As you can see, it looks delightful and provides a wonderful environment for diverse local wildlife.

If the bypass gets the go ahead, this brook will disappear. Water will be directed under the bypass through large concrete pipes and then into a concrete pipes. This issue is very important and sometimes I don’t think people understand how much the Bypass will affect Kingskerswell villager’s lives. In my advocacy I am trying to gain support and change the attitudes of people who believe the Kingskerswell Bypass should be built or people who are undecided and/or uninformed. After reading my blog I hope you can see why I feel this issue is so important and I hope you will be willing to support my campaign against it.

Teignbridge District Council and others, who want to make the journey between Exeter and Torquay quicker, are trying to build a 5km, £130 million pound Kingskerswell bypass and I am one of the many trying to convince the council and hopefully you that this is a bad idea. Here are some reasons-

• It would disturb the wildlife and plant life
• It will cost a lot of money - £130 million which our parents pay for in their taxes
• There will be a lot more noise pollution disturbing all the village and the people who are living in and around it
• It would ruin the habitat of the animals on the Downs, which would make it dangerous for them, and it would make it harder for them to live
• It will destroy our true Devonshire countryside
• It won’t be good to look at; we don’t want to see all the construction.
• It would be very harmful for the planet and global warming
• There would be lots of disruption to the village with lots of trucks and diggers going through the country lanes.
• The church is right next to the proposed route of the bypass. A church is meant to be a peaceful resting place not a noisy building next to a main road.
• So many people through their litter straight onto the road as they are driving after a while Kingskerswell have litter everywhere.
• Lots of businesses along the main road will lose a lot of business because less people will use the original main road as they would probably prefer to use a new modern road.

Thank you again for reading my blog. I hope it made you think. Please comment on any views you have, I would love to hear your views. Thank you so much, please comment,

Emily

The Big Issue - A Very Big Issue We Should all Support!

Welcome to my blog! Thank you for taking the time to read it and showing an interest in my issue. Through reading this blog, I hope to convince you of what a wonderful organisation The Big Issue is and why buying the magazine is money well spent.

In my opinion, The Big Issue is hugely under credited and unacknowledged. The work they do is vital for homeless people trying to get themselves of the streets. ‘ A Hand Up Not A Hand Out’. The vendors have taken a huge step towards self support; they are earning a legitimate income, not begging. They sell the Big Issue for £1.70, therefore earning 85p per magazine. Not much perhaps, but from these small beginnings, they are building a new, better life for themselves.

If that hasn’t convinced you, imagine this. Look at the picture above. Imagine you were that vendor, watching people walk past you day after day, totally ignoring you. If you were that person just walking past, to busy to notice the person standing by you, surely it would be nice to stop and take some notice? After all, they are the same as you and I’m sure you wouldn’t want to be ignored and stereotyped like they are all the time. Then imagine that you are homeless but through selling the Big Issue and the support from staff, you manage to find accommodation. So what happens now? Do the staff desert you? Of course not. They will continue to stand by you through your tentative first steps to a better way of life.

5 MORE RESONS TO BUY THE BIG ISSUE1
1. The magazine is read by over 6700 people in the UK every week, so it must be pretty good!
2. Despite the fact it supports over 2500 homeless and vulnerably housed people in the UK, the Foundation relies on donations from the public, as it receives no government funding.
3. Homelessness is a huge and serious problem that desperately needs to be addressed.
4. Most vendors are really nice people who deserve your support.
5. It doesn’t cost much: just £1.70 to help change someone’s life. Is that so much to ask?

I hope you are now more aware of and support the Big Issue. Please post a response answering the following questions. For more information go to: http://www.bigissue.com/

1. Are you more aware of The Big Issue after reading my blog?
2. Did you a) support b) oppose or c) were unaware or were undecided about the Big Issue before reading the blog?
3. An afterwards?
4. Have you bought a Big Issue in the last month?
5. After reading the blog, will you consider buying a copy in the next month?
THANK YOU!

Eloise

Stop the animals suffering!

Thank you for visiting our blog. We would really appreciate it if you would take just a moment of your time to read through this page and answer a few questions at the end. ‘Live export of animals for slaughter’ is a worldwide problem and we want to stop the terrible conditions that the animals are experiencing. The RSPCA has a close link to this topic so we are trying to raise awareness and support their work. Every year, millions of live farm animals around the world are transported thousands of miles for slaughter, or to places where they will be fattened for slaughter.

This trade is a worldwide problem. Especially in North and South America, Australia and Europe, where animals often have to endure journeys across vast distances before long voyages at sea to reach their final destination. You can only imagine the suffering these animals have endured while slowly dying due to illness, failure to eat the pellet diet - which leads to starvation, heat stress, etc. The vast majority dies in their crowded pens without any aid or treatment.

During the voyage, a large amount of animal manure builds up on the floor of the pens. The pens are not cleaned until the animals have been unloaded, so the animals stand and lie on a surface covered with their own manure during the long voyage. This means that the animals are seriously vulnerable to serious diseases.
Thank you again for taking the time to read this blog, we now have a few questions for you. It would be great if you could leave a comment with your answers for us to see.

* Had you heard about live export of animals for slaughter before reading our blog?
* Do you feel more informed about the issue of live export of animals for slaughter?
* If you had the chance to, would you like to help and raise awareness of this issue?
* Have we changed your opinion about this issue if you did know about this before & if so, how?
* If given a chance to, would you be prepared to make a small donation to the RSPCA?
* Would you now be prepared to support our campaign for the RSPCA? (i.e. tell your family/friends)?
* What do you think of the conditions of the animals, what would you change?

To find out more, please click on the links below ↓ Thanks! - Ellie and Rachel.

http://www.animalliberation.org.au/livexport2.php
http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCA/RSPCARedirect&pg=transportandslaughter&marker=1&articleId=1172248227834

Charity Shops, why bother?

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my blog. I am raising awareness of the environmental benefits of reuse. In particular, how charity shops benefit from donations and how you can save money from buying from them. There are three aspects to being more environmentally friendly, these are to reduce, reuse and recycle. Giving to charity shops is a form of reuse, and this is why you should give:

• Charity shops generate funds for charity by selling on unwanted items – i.e. providing a reuse opportunity for them.
• UK charity shops' reuse activity alone helps reduce CO2 emissions by about 2.5 million tonnes per year
• Charity shops are providing a second life for an increasing range of items, including books, CDs, DVDs, videos, toys, furniture and electrical items.
• More important items could be made with the materials that would otherwise be used.
• It reduces the amount of pollutants that would be required to make a new item or recycle old material.
• Fewer resources, less energy, less effort.
The story of shoes...
• The shoes are made in a factory, creating 2.49kg of carbon emissions per pair.
• They are flown into the country then put on a lorry to storage until the shop needs them this produces about 2.5kg per mile.
• The shoes are bought by you and taken home.
• You wear the shoes everywhere for a year.
• The shoes get too small.

You have a choice:
1. Throw them away and they will go to landfill for the next 25-40 years before they decompose.
OR
2. You could give them to a local charity shop so someone else can wear them as much as you did, saving all the energy to make new shoes by reusing old ones.
As a nation, we throw away about 1,500,000 tonnes a year of clothes of which the textiles industry handles about 300,000 tonnes. There are therefore over 1,000,000 tonnes going to landfill sites.

So if you have some clutter at the back of your wardrobe, why not clear it out rather than it gathering dust? Have some old toys that are no use to you anymore? Give them to someone who can benefit from them as much as you did.

Thank you again for reading my blog. Please now post a response with your thoughts; you could also maybe answer a few of these questions to help me with my research.
• Do you support, oppose or are you undecided about charity shops?
• Had you thought about the benefits of reuse before reading this blog?
• How often do you shop at charity shops, why? If not, why?
• Have I changed your opinion of charity shops?

Deborah