http://thespark.t-mobile.co.uk/ en K.Lewington@timebank.org.uk Copyright 2009 2009-11-26T10:23:43+00:00 http://thespark.t-mobile.co.uk/site/success-in-sunderland/ http://thespark.t-mobile.co.uk/site/success-in-sunderland/#When:10:23:43Z  I just wanted to update you all with some great success stories from the Spark group in Sunderland. A few weeks ago we did a 3 month survey to find out what the Sunderland Spark participant’s are up to now. The results were brilliant, 6 of the group are now back in either employment, education or on training courses and nearly all the group are continuing to volunteer!   Well done everybody!    Blogging 2009-11-26T10:23:43+00:00 http://thespark.t-mobile.co.uk/site/t-mobile-is-supporting-Anti-Bullying-Week/ http://thespark.t-mobile.co.uk/site/t-mobile-is-supporting-Anti-Bullying-Week/#When:17:42:18Z T-Mobile UK is supporting Anti-Bullying Week which is organised by the Anti-Bullying Alliance and is supported by the Department of Children, Schools and Families. The focus this year is on cyberbullying. Check out what T-Mobile UK are doing to help tackle cyberbullying. TxtUp StandUpIn collaboration with TimeBank and The Diana Award, we’ve created the TxtUp StandUp website that gives young people a space to share their tips on how to tackle mobile and online bullying. The website includes animations, telling powerful, real life stories of young peoples’ experiences. Advice for parentsWe offer advice to parents on how they can keep their children safe while using mobiles on website at www.t-mobile.co.uk/adviceforparents, developed with input and advice from the NSPCC, as well as leaflets available in all our stores. Content lockWe have been at the forefront in addressing child-safety challenges, leading the way with our Content Lock filter which is turned on by default for all our devices.  This protects children from accessing inappropriate content.  Content Lock and the UK Industry Code of Practice on Content were independently reviewed by Ofcom last year who commended its success in protecting children from viewing adult content. Internet Watch FoundationWe are members of the Internet Watch Foundation which is responsible for monitoring and removing child abuse, racist and obscene images on the internet.  We also participate in the new UK Council for Child Internet Safety which is jointly chaired by Ministers at the Home Office and the Department for Children, Families and Schools. Help for educationWe were involved in developing the Teachtoday website with leading internet, mobile and social networking providers, European Schoolnet and a number of education organisations across Europe.  It aims to help teachers, head teachers, governors and other members of the school workforce manage their own and their students’ digital worlds.  The website promotes the positive, responsible and safe use of the internet, mobiles and other devices by school staff and their students and has been developed in direct response to teachers’ concerns about the misuse of technology by young people, such as cyberbullying.  Discover more 2009-11-16T17:42:18+00:00 http://thespark.t-mobile.co.uk/site/girls-attitudes/ http://thespark.t-mobile.co.uk/site/girls-attitudes/#When:15:23:24Z       Girlguiding UK has released a report on girls’ attitudes to mark their 100th anniversary. For anyone with an interest in issues around health and body image it is a great, if not slightly worrying insight into the attitudes and opinions of girls aged 7-21 years old (http://girlsattitudes.girlguiding.org.uk).   One of the most worrying statistics to come out of the report which is grabbing tabloid headlines is that almost half of all secondary school girls say that they would undergo some kind of plastic surgery in order to change the way that they look (www.timesonline.co.uk).   Kelly Discover more 2009-11-03T15:23:24+00:00 http://thespark.t-mobile.co.uk/site/recycle-more/ http://thespark.t-mobile.co.uk/site/recycle-more/#When:09:52:33Z   We thought you might be interested to know that Recycle-More (www.recycle-more.co.uk) is great site that you can use to find help and advice on all aspects of recycling at home, at school and in the workplace.  Click here to log onto their site and find out tips or join their Twitter site (http://twitter.com/recyclemore). Especially handy is the section on de-mystifying what recycling symbols mean. Fiona Discover more 2009-11-03T09:52:33+00:00 http://thespark.t-mobile.co.uk/site/changing-faces/ http://thespark.t-mobile.co.uk/site/changing-faces/#When:16:24:32Z   Over the last week I have been enjoying the Channel 4 series ‘Race: Science’s last Taboo http://raceandscience.channel4.com/ and last night’s instalment ‘Bleach, Nip, Tuck: The White Beauty Myth’ was a shocking look into race and body image. I am not usually at all squeamish but last night’s insight into how far people will go to gain the ideal body image was terrifying.     The programme took an in-depth look at why the western white body image has been the ideal beauty for so long and how medical techniques are enabling what is being called de-racialisation surgery. This is when individuals have their inherited racial features altered to fit in with western white ideals.   We covered these issues around global images of beauty with The Spark young people during skills week and discussed issues such as tanning and skin bleaching. As you can imagine this is a hot topic for discussion.   Did you watch the show last night? What are your opinions on ideal body images?? Let us know, we’d love to hear from you!   Kelly   Discover more 2009-10-28T16:24:32+00:00 http://thespark.t-mobile.co.uk/site/men-feel-the-pressure-too/ http://thespark.t-mobile.co.uk/site/men-feel-the-pressure-too/#When:16:38:25Z   Gordon Ramsay is the latest male celeb to admit to undergoing cosmetic surgery http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/136459/Ramsay-forgets-his-lines . The chef has revealed that his success in the US and the pressures of image obsessed LA has made him seek out surgery in the form of injectable fillers to ‘plump out’ his facial lines, in the hope that it will give him a younger more youthful look.   Gordon could be argued to be seen as one of the most confident TV personalities but yet again is this all just a celebrity persona? What are your views on male cosmetic surgery? Comment below and let us know! Kelly       Discover more 2009-10-27T16:38:25+00:00 http://thespark.t-mobile.co.uk/site/art-takes-on-climate-change/ http://thespark.t-mobile.co.uk/site/art-takes-on-climate-change/#When:10:12:03Z   While I was walking around the oh so trendy Brick Lane area yesterday I came across a great exhibition by Jamie Hewlett (the artist behind Gorillaz) who has teamed up with Oxfam to raise awareness of Climate Change. The exhibition is insipred from a visit Jamie took to Bangladesh to see the devastating effects that Climate Change is having on this part of the world. His art work is part of Oxfam’s larger Climate Change campaign that I mention in my previous blog about Junction49. It is well worth a look, or you can find out more online http://www.oxfam.org.uk/get_involved/ There is so many great things going on around Climate Change at the moment so my advice is get involved!! You can start by downloading our new app the Recycle Guide by texting ‘RECYCLE’ to 80988, or visit Junction49 www.junction49.co.uk to start taking action! Kelly Discover more 2009-10-26T10:12:03+00:00 http://thespark.t-mobile.co.uk/site/help-fight-climate-change-make-a-viral-video-/ http://thespark.t-mobile.co.uk/site/help-fight-climate-change-make-a-viral-video-/#When:18:17:17Z Here’s a snippet..The UK Youth Climate Coalition have got together with Oxfam to create an exciting opportunity. A chance for you to make an exciting viral video. It’s a national competition with cracking prizes including Flip Video cameras up for grabs. So if you’re an aspiring filmmaker log onto their site. Find how to raise your voice and help spread the word about The Wave, a walk through the streets of London on the 5th of December.  They’ve called it ‘.. the last chance to tell world-leaders to secure a global deal that is safe (slashes carbon emissions) and makes a difference’, ahead of the Copenhagen climate change summit on 7 December.  Want to know more about how to get involved? Then log on here: http://ukycc.org/ Fiona   Discover more 2009-10-23T18:17:17+00:00 http://thespark.t-mobile.co.uk/site/pets-for-the-future/ http://thespark.t-mobile.co.uk/site/pets-for-the-future/#When:16:59:17Z Whilst we’re we’re all thinking about climate change this friday here’s a interesting new book for the Eco-lovers amongst you. It’s called “Time to Eat the Dog?: A Real Guide to Sustainable Living”. Thankfully it isn’t a new fangled receipe book.  Instead of suggesting pet owners eat their dogs and cats, it suggests switching to pets like chickens and rabbits, which then can be eaten.  So there’s a whole ‘circle of life’ end to end process, which they argue is more sustainable. An interesting thought….So for you Farmville addicts on facebook take note - maybe your ‘virtual reality’ lifestyle is showing us the future - more chickens and rabbits vs fluffy kittens!?   In the meantime - I’ll settle for just logging my weekly recycling in our Recycle Guide app. Not got it yet?  Then just text ‘RECYCLE’ to 80988.  Now what’s for dinner…     Discover more 2009-10-23T16:59:17+00:00 http://thespark.t-mobile.co.uk/site/have-you-heard1/ http://thespark.t-mobile.co.uk/site/have-you-heard1/#When:14:23:18Z Our good friends at Junction49 are teaming up with Oxfam this month to help tackle Climate Change! They have joined forces in the lead up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this December and are getting young people to raise as much awareness as possible by taking action and making a difference!   To get involved all you have to do is visit Junction49 (www.junction49.co.uk)  and choose from 3 easy actions. You can send a postcard to your MP, organise a climate change film party for you and your friends, or come up with your own creative idea to help get your message out there!   Log on and turn your ideas into reality!   Kelly Discover more 2009-10-23T14:23:18+00:00