It's the end of the world as we know it?

Times are changing, theres no doubt about it, and when the world turns to bring in 2009, things definitely will change, but will it be for the better or worse.

For me, 2009 is key. It sees the end of my spell at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and the beginning of my life in the world of work.

The certainty that journalism is changing is absolute, the number of times I've heard the word 'convergence' in the past three years begs belief, but despite this I remain optimistic.

The truth of the matter is, getting into an industry as diverse and enthralling as journalism was never easy. Even back in the 'good old days' there was just as much stress and competition for the top jobs. Maybe it was easier to get a job in any old regional newspaper, but that's not what I'm aiming for in any case.

Truth be told, I don't mind where I start, so long as I get to where I want in the end. Right now, that place is behind the Editor's desk of my very own magazine. Of course this idealist vision may change as all of my young naivities wash away, but the importance of having something to aim for is always strong.

The financial crisis is a talking point, and I don't wish to dwell on it now, but one thing it does represent is the power of confidence. These volatile times call for a strong stand, and I'm going to make sure I'm ready.

Charity run at Preston Docklands for St. Catherine's Hospice

Pirates and fairies threw on their best running shoes last week for a charity run to raise money for St. Catherine’s Hospice in Lostock Hall.

Two races saw almost 200 runners of all ages stampede around Preston Riversway Docklands on Sunday April 13 to support the hospice, which needs £3.6million to run per year.

Event organiser Sam McKenna said:

“These sponsored events appeal to many people - people take part to raise money, help their local hospice, in memory of loved ones who spent time in the hospice or to say thank you for treatment help received by their families/friends.”

The hospice was established in 1985, and can help around 20 patients at any one time, meaning countless people have benefited over the years from palliative care, which is the treatment and care of incurable diseases such as diabetes.

The first race was a 1.6m run around the Docklands in fancy dress and brought a host of interesting outfits along with enthusiastic youngsters, some barely old enough to walk.

The winner of the race was 11 year-old George Banks in an impressive nine minutes and nine seconds, closely followed by friends David Robinson and Danny Sumner, all from Clitheroe.

All have the runners had their own stories of why they were running. Kerry Hull, 10, brother Liam Hull, 11, and friend Eden Ashdown, 9, said:

“Our auntie’s got cancer so we’re running to give her treatment.”

Naomi Cox, 15, said:

“I’m running for my granddad because he died in St. Catherine’s Hospice.”

One pair had given up a traditional 16^th birthday party to attend the event:

“I was forced into it by a number of people! But I wanted to run today for my birthday.”

said Amy Wright, 16 and dressed in full pirate gear. She was accompanied by other friends including Chloe Dale, who turned 16 this week.

The second race was a five mile run, a mammoth three-and-a-half laps around the Docklands, and understandably things were a bit more serious:

“It’s a measured route”, said Sam McKenna, “so we get people from professional running clubs taking part, particularly since the 5 mile run is a recognized event by UK Athletics.”

The winner was running professional Steve Hallas, who is a member of Preston Harriers, in 27 minutes and 42 seconds. Hallas has previously taken part in the NoEAA 10,000m Championships at Cudworth and came away with a silver medal.

The hospice hopes the event has raised a few thousand pounds, since a massive £2.6million needs to be raised each year through fundraising and appeals in one form or another.

The Docklands area was overrun during the event:

“The event went well and we were happy with the overall event and the turnout of runners and spectators.”

Sam McKenna added.

Other events are planned for the future, including a Plant Sale on Sunday April 26 between 10am and 3pm at the Garden room in the hospice itself, all of which will continue to raise the funds needed to allow the hospice to give help to people around Lancashire.

Related Links:

St. Catherine’s Hospice - http://www.stcatherines.co.uk/index.htm

Preston Harriers - http://www.prestonharriers.net/cms/

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Listening to: Led Zeppelin - Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
via FoxyTunes

A History of St. Catherine's Hospice

St. Catherine’s Hospice has been caring for patients in Lostock Hall since 1985, but some historians believe the original building at the site was first founded as early as 1212 when the original owner, James de Lostock, lived in the area.

Hospices as an idea have existed since the Middle Ages, when sick or weary travellers would be taken into the safety of a certain part of a monastery where they were fed and watered and in some cases nursed back to health.

According to the National Association of Hospice Fundraisers, the word ‘hospice’ originated from the Latin ‘hospitum’, meaning ‘guest’ or ‘host’, and has been used by Christians since the 4^th century.

The key difference between hospices and National Health Service hospitals is that a hospice provides palliative care to those who have illnesses which pose long term difficulties for patients, such as cancer or Alzheimer’s.

Essentially palliative care deals with illness which is treatable, but not curable, and doesn’t attempt to hasten or postpone death, but make the quality of life of the effected people as pleasant and comfortable as possible.

As well as physical help, hospices give spiritual and emotional support, partly achieved by ensuring the patient is in a comfortable environment around others who know what they are experiencing, allowing them to be themselves.

Literally the term ‘palliative’ (from ‘pallum’) means ‘cloak’, and this is a principle which strives to maximise quality of life through hospices, the application of which has diversified in recent years to include chronic conditions and non-malignant disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis.

The current building can be dated back to 1764 in some parts, since the original building was destroyed by fire, and over the years it changed hands many times being owned by many prominent local figures such as Robert Orrell Esq. of Cuerden Mills from 1847-1861 and Harry Dewhurst of Messrs Geo & R. Dewhurst in 1881-1918.

After being formally established as St. Catherine’s Hospice (Lancashire) Limited in November 1981, the hospice began active care duties in 1984 with the appointment of a Home Care Sister, who oversees the care of patients, administration of medication and overall well-being of everyone at the hospice.

Soon the capacity of the building was too small, and so a £750,000 extension was built to provide around eight beds, which were opened by Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1993.

In recent years, the hospice has grown and developed to one of the most prominent and successful hospices in the UK, and is able to take care of over 20 patients at any one time.

Only last year being granted £650,000 from the Department of Health, one of the largest NHS grants in the UK, and was part of £40million of Government funding dedicated to the UK’s 146 officially recognised hospices (the NAHF puts the figure at over 200).

Funding for the hospice is continually in flux though, and as a result funds must be secured six to 12 months in advance, to ensure financial security.

Overall it is funding comprises of: 30% from the NHS, 26% from the National Lottery, 20% from public donations and 18% from personal legacies, amounting to around £2.5million a year.

On top of that, St. Catherine’s gains about 20% of its funding from fundraising events, which emphasises how important things like the fun run are to the continued running of a charity which helps many people around Lostock Hall and Lancashire.

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Listening to: Led Zeppelin - Good Times Bad Times
via FoxyTunes

A life in film: Heath Ledger

The death of Heath Ledger on January 22 came as one of the biggest shocks to the film industry in recent years. The news travelled quickly, with candlelit shrines being erected, tears being shed and mournful tributes held.

To most he will be remembered for his Oscar Nominated performance as quiet Ennis Del Mar from Brookeback Mountain or perhaps the sadistic psychopath the Joker in the upcoming sequel to Batman Begins: The Dark Knight, but for every admirer there is another person who has never heard of him.

This mixed reaction has been echoed amongst students: “I barely knew who he was until he died.” Said second year Cheryl Pennant-Jones, “As someone who's only ever seen him in 10 Things I Hate About You, I didn't know too much about him before.

“It's a tragic incident though, and I especially feel sorry for his daughter Matilda [2].”

Keen fan Elizabeth Norman, a first year Philosophy and Media student added: “He was someone with great talent, who loved his daughter and will never get to see her grow up which is tragic. He wasn't afraid to show his emotions and express how much he loved her...in fact it was his unfailing power of emotion that made his name.

“Whatever the film it is clear Heath could both feel and express what he feels deeply on screen.”

Born in Perth, Australia, on April 4 1979, Ledger was only 28 when he was found dead in his Manhattan apartment by his housekeeper. Police Commissioner of the New York Police Paul Browne said “there were pills within the vicinity of the bed” and there was a possibility of drugs being related, but they had no suspicion of ‘foul play’ in his death.

The latest reports suggest Ledger may have suffered a heart attack, since the level of drugs in his system was apparently too low to cause an overdose.

Ledger’s family described the traumatic event as “accidental”, his father Kim said: “We, Heath's family, can confirm the very tragic, untimely and accidental passing of our dearly loved son.

“Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life that few had the pleasure of truly knowing him”

Ledger’s impressively vibrant career began on Australian television in 1992 as an extra, but his first breakthrough was on 1996 TV series Sweat, which saw a group of athletically gifted youngsters training in an academy tackled their personal problems.

The first well-known show for Ledger to come into contact with was down under take on Baywatch: Home and Away, when he joined as Scott Irwin. This performance gave him the credibility he needed to play a part in the US-financed series Roar, a medieval drama inspired by Braveheart which earned him a cult following in the US, despite quickly being axed by its US distributor.

Ledger also met the first of his older female partners Lisa Zane, 14 years his senior, who he shared a relationship with in 1997 and followed across the Pacific Ocean to Los Angeles in an attempt to find work.

Unfortunately the now 18 year old actor was less successful in Hollywood than in his native country and was saved when he made his name in the film industry through the Australian film Two Hands in 1999.

Shortly after came one of Ledger’s most well known roles, as Patrick Verona in 10 Things I Hate About You, a modern take on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew alongside teenage heartthrob of the day Julia Stiles.

With this first wave of international success came a downside, Heath felt he was at risk of being typecast into shallow teen-movie roles, and turned down numerous scripts over the next year, his increasingly low finances forcing him to live on noodles and water.

His resolve paid off though when he was cast alongside Mel Gibson in millennium success The Patriot. Ledger played Gabriel Martin, the son of Gibson’s Benjamin Martin, which went a long way in shaking his ‘toy boy’ image and established him in Hollywood as a well-rounded actor.

Along with his latest step up the showbiz ladder came relationships. The first came during the filming of A Knight’s Tale in Prague when Heath met actress Heather Graham (Austin Powers 2) but it went on for only a few months.

In 2001 Ledger began a two year relationship with the star of The Ring Niomi Watts after they met on the set of Ned Kelly. The American, 10 years older than Mr Ledger, was unphased by the age gap: “I think it's about life experience and not about age. I fell in love with a soul and a person, and his life experience was rich enough that it stimulated me.”

By 2004 Ledger had faded a little from the spotlight as The Sin Eater (a.k.a. The Order) floundered at the box office and he focused more on his private life. The filming of Brookeback Mountain the same year threw Ledger together with Michelle Williams, with whom he had a serious two year relationship and his daughter Matilda.

The film itself had been often dubbed ‘that gay cow boy movie’ in the industry since the story had been floating around for years before it was taken on by the director of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Ang Lee.

Ledger teamed up with Jake Gyllenhaal, who’d previously auditioned for his part in The Patriot, in a story which earned him the Best Actor Oscar Nomination and Best Supporting Actor nominations for his co-stars Gyllenhaal and Williams. Unfortunately for the cast, the films only win was Best Director.

Soon after the media frenzy surrounding Brookeback Mountain died down, Ledger was approached and asked to portray one of the most iconic villains of all time: The Joker.

Seemingly epitomised by Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton’s original Batman film in 1989, Ledger made it clear he wasn’t going to try to ‘do a Jack’ and would play a far darker and more psychotic character, in line with director Christopher Nolan’s gritty re-vision of Gotham City in Batman Begins.

Internet servers went into meltdown when the first picture of how Ledger would look in the film found its way onto the internet in May 2007, and every trailer, poster and interview since has had fans and critics alike ripe with curiosity as to how it will turn out.

However history remembers him there is no doubt that the death of such a young actor is significant, particularly in such delicate times with the recent strikes and the annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.

To his fans in particular, Heath Ledger will remain a symbol of the achievements of the film industry in recent years and proof that the talent seen in glory days of Marlon Brando and Cary Grant’s Golden Age live on through the performances of young actors and actresses.

Introduction and Britain's water supply

So, 'blogs', they tell me.

I was under the impression they were just something to update people about the latest Big Brother gossip or rant about things they don't like, like a glorified letters section of a broadsheet or, heaven forbid, electronic agony aunt stories.

In fact there's a code of conduct, a list of ethics by which we should all abide. Many are obvious such as don't copy people without asking or clearly distinguish opinion from fact, but others are more cryptic, such as 'recognise common standards of decency', which raises the question what the definition of all those words is in this complex modern world.

I suppose in order to fill the aforementioned criteria I should point out that they came from an information pack for my Journalism module, for which this blog was created.

We have been split into groups of our own choosing and must each tackle a topic from the following four: Sport, Entertainment, Health and Politics. Since my group members (who's blogs you can find in the links list on the right) chose politics and entertainment, I chose health, since I have no strong interest in sport whatsoever.

So, without further ado I must endeavour to educate about health, but first what is health? It could mean the National Health Service, which has had numerous trials and tribulations over the last decade to do with improvement of services and efficiency, or perhaps it refers to the day to day health of people and the onslaught of healthy eating and living, or even how new diets and new packaging on products in our supermarkets drive us towards 'the healthy option' in a move by government watchdogs to attempt to combat obesity.

Today health ministers have said they back plans to add fluoride to drinking water, because it strengthens children's teeth. Fluoride itself, commonly found in and advertised on toothpaste tubes across the country, is found in around 10% of the country's water supply, but only a couple of areas, namely Hartlepool in the North West and parts of Essex, have high enough level to benefit dental health. (source: http://www.dentalhealth.org.uk/faqs/leafletdetail.php?LeafletID=17)

This is what has led to the idea of intruducing it into the water supply as: "effective and relatively easy way" to reduce tooth decay among children in poorer areas. (source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7224743.stm) Opponents to the idea claim there is risk of bone cancer from increased levels of the element, and it's difficult to know how long-term exposure could effect children, since the 6 million people already benefiting from the increased levels in the North West are a minority of the total population, and many water companies are apprehensive to take the idea forward, despite MPs making the process easier in 2003.